Why Fictional Leage?

[GrantDawg]

I generally play modern day, just because I know the players and it helps me with a baseline. Eventually, though, you are going to be completely surround by fictional players. I find starting with "real" players just helps me in the process as it builds, so I am not so far behind the curve from the beginning. Right now, I am trying to start a totally fictional league (with 30 years of sim history) and see if I can deal with it.

[Redsfan320]

Okay, another question. Why does everyone seem to sim several decades before starting to actually play their fic. league?

320

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Redsfan320

Okay, another question. Why does everyone seem to sim several decades before starting to actually play their fic. league?

320

So there is a "league history." Also, those first players can be overpowered/unbalancing. Giving the game a chance to clear those players out before you play.

[Questdog]

Personally, if there is any league history, I want to be a part of it, so I don't do the sim years to add history stuff.

I DO start the sim 25 years before when I actually want to start playing and sim to that point and DELETE all the history, but that is only to get rid of all the players in the initial pool.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Questdog

Personally, if there is any league history, I want to be a part of it, so I don't do the sim years to add history stuff.

I DO start the sim 25 years before when I actually want to start playing and sim to that point and DELETE all the history, but that is only to get rid of all the players in the initial pool.

I can see and respect that. But to me, I need something for my current players to "shoot for."

[Questdog]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Like Davey Johnson hitting 5 HR one year and then 43 the next? Oops, that actually happened...

You have proven my point: when a fictional player does this it is cool, just like it was cool when Davey did it way back when.

But if Davey hit 25 homers for you in the year he actually hit 5, THEN that is not cool, but just seems messed up....

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Questdog

You have proven my point: when a fictional player does this it is cool, just like it was cool when Davey did it way back when.

But if Davey hit 25 homers for you in the year he actually hit 5, THEN that is not cool, but just seems messed up....

Exactly. And your context of a player will make the AI seem much more stupid than it would without. I just talked to a player on anther message board about him failing the AI because he traded a "one star player" for Steve Garvey in 1970. In 1970, Garvey was a scrub rookie who might or might not be a player, in the AI's mind. That one star scrub might be just what he needs for that season to succeed. It is like Detroit knowing what they had in John Smoltz, and trading him for a one year rental in Doyle Alexander. At the time, Alexander is exactly what they needed (and helped them to succeed in that year), but they had no idea that Smoltz was a future HOF'er. If they did, they wouldn't have made the trade! You can always "game" the AI in that situation, because you know for certain what the player will be. The AI is just looking at the now. A fictional league puts you at an "even keel."

[Biggio509]

Originally Posted by Rizon

This.

Do you mean your avatar that is all I noticed. Seriously, I like fictional leagues because you can draft the next Babe Ruth and you have no real idea if you first round pick is going to be a stud or never make it to single. I play historical quite a bit but even then I tend to delete the real players and create fictional players. It is a great feeling when a guy as good as Nolan Ryan is pitching for you. It is a horrible feeling when Nolan Ryan gets a CEI in his first year if you allow this to happen. I feel disappointed if Aarron doesn't hit as well in real life. I get mad when I am the Braves and Ross Barnes doesn't hit .400 in 1871 like he really did.

On the other hand I have no interest in using real rosters, lineups, and transaction. There is no room to make that history changing deal. I can't keep Joe Morgan as the Astros or decide not to trade Schilling and Lofton as the Astros in 1991. To me the real rosters, transactions, and lineup is more of diagnostic to see if the historical engine is running right. Not bashing anyone who likes this sort of play it is just not me.

Fictional is much more fun to me. It is fun to get to know the players and find the future stars than to see the guys you know who are going to be stars play about like they did or worse end up playing much worse. I have no expectations. Sure the misfire on a draft pick or the free agent who had an under 3 ERA last year and now is pitching close to 5 for you is disappointing but not nearly as disappointing as it would be to not see Biggio get 3000 hits or Maris never break the homer run record.

I have high expectations for real players and some times the randomness doesn't meet that. Which is why you see claims like the game is "broken" because Molina hit a triple or player X didn't have 30+ HRs this year. It is just seems more frustrating than fun when players perform less than they actually do and not that rewarding when they perform as they do in real life. Those who over perform almost make you want to call BS sometimes even though it is that just an improbable not impossible outcome arising.

For me that is why fictional is what I mostly play. I sometimes play historical and enjoy but it is more about learning about guys I didn't know about and having a deeper understanding of the history of the game. This just isn't an EA you be the Yanks and I will be the Mets game where stick skills and some managing decisions can allow you to win a lot. To me it is a game about building history, fictional or alternative, and continuity. Some enjoy using the game as a sim for the real season to see who might win. I enjoy NCAA football for that. I think that misses a lot of depth in this game if you use at such. Not that it can't be fun you just miss out on a large amount of game design playing that way.

[Cras]

I play historical fiction, meaning I follow the history of the major leagues, from the birth of the National League in 1876 to modern era, following the movement of clubs, the implementation of rules, et al, and I prefer this to using real players the for sole purpose in that I do not want to know what will happen, and who will be good. I want to feel like I am flowing through history with my league, not knowing when the next big player will show up, how and from where they will develop, when and how their careers will end. And it is fun to see just how similar and different my MLB matches up to what the real MLB did.

[Dave Hansen]

I've always played modern day fictional leagues since OOTP4...accept now.

A couple of months ago I started a 1960 historical league:

*don't use reclac...OOTP development model
*no coaches
*no scouts
*no financials
*neutral parks
*trades hard/neutral
*NO injuries.
*historical settings/modifiers

What I have grown to like:

*MLB player pics
*old time ballparks
*boyhood rememberences
*a chance to change history and watch it unfold...40 years removed from today doesn't seem to pose a problem if Koufax, Mantle, etc. don't perform as in real life...always had that problem with players that are still active today.
*the numerous "what if" possiblities intrigue me...how great could say Mickey Mantle have been if he wasn't slowed by injuries and alcohol.

I play out all my games and imported all history up to 1960. It's fun that during games I click on a player's card and see all his stats...just like all my baseball cards collected as a kid!

Fictional leagues make there own history...historical leagues modify history...each to his own...my $.02.

[Billmatic]

I like fictional leagues for all of the reasons above, as well as jacking with the nations file to have some completely wild names.

I put a world league in 2101 and i just kind of assumed that in the future there's so many people, there's a market for everything everywhere. So I have lots of Brazilian, Indian, Japanese and Chinese players and then every now and again you get a real oddball from somewhere like Swaziland.

[DreamTeams]

Love fictional. All I've ever played. Love creating teams, players and league formats. Enjoy watching things infold without any preconceived ideas about how things will turn out. Allways fun to look back ovet the league history and relive great fictional moments. It's jist fun.

Sent from my YP-G1 using Tapatalk

[Mathies_dane]

I have decided to start a MLB setup but with fictional players. I am the manager of a single A team and need some advice. Four games into the season my regular 2B went on the DL for 4 weeks. He is a stud. One the uber prospects i am managing. Here is the situation. The guy that took his place have dominated the league. 2nd in AVG 3rd in SLG 3rd in OPS 3rd in HR. What do I do when the stud comes back? Do I let him take over? Do I play the replacement until he eventually drops off or get's the call to AA? Thanks for the advice.