Share Your Secret Sauce

[majesty95]

I need some help. For those of you that have discovered the secret sauce and can play with trades on Very Hard, what do you look for? I don't want a step-by-step guide on how to cheat the AI. But some basic guidance would be good.

I'm playing a historical with the Rangers. Started in '69 and defeated Flood to maintain the reserve clause. I'm trying to build my team through trades (doesn't help that they didn't draft for crap in this period). Every move I seem to make backfires.

I tried hiring Gil Hodges as my manager after three-straight years of 8-84 wins. Hodges was one fo the most successful managers in the league. We start out 3-15 and I finally can him when we fall 20 games under .500.

My bench coach, Gene Mauch, was great at teaching baserunning and fielding. He did great for 5-6 years and then all of the sudden every infielder had 20 errors at the All-Star break.

I acquired Eddie Murray who was great for two season and then hits .243 with 85 RBI this year (after .275-30-110 previous two seasons).

Same hitting coach (Walt Hrniak) who improved our offense to 9th last season finishes dead last this year.

The only real difference this year was that we traded Bill Buckner for Frank Tanana in a 9-player deal and traded Bump Wills. Tanana was good (as was Buckner in CAL leading the league in RBI). The players liked getting the leadership of Mickey Rivers. But everyone dropped in productivity for the most part.

I haven't won more than 84 games in 8 seasons that I have been controlling them. I know I'm limiting myself by not having free agency. I also know that this team's lack of success developing players during this time doesn't help me. But surely some of you could have had much better success than I. It seems like I have the opposite of the Midas touch..

[endgame]

It's been the same ol' same ol' for me over the years on the high difficulties. I may end up getting what I need, but pay a very high price.
I usually start with an offer I know won't fly that includes a player I'd like to move.

No, we'd never consider this!

Then I may add a player I'm willing to move, but would rather not.

This is a bad idea, we won't discuss this!

Then I add cash (where ultimately I pay the BIG price)

Make this work now and they want a 5 star player.

Add more cash and a couple of 4-1/2 stars show up.

Add another minor leaguer who'd I'd like to keep, but maybe they'll bite.

This is a bad deal for us.

Add more cash.

A couple of 4 stars show up.

I grow impatient and bump up the cash considerably.

A 2 - 3 star shows up. I'm hoping for a AAA player. Bump cash again and add yet another player, this time pure fodder.

Once in awhile it hits. We'll accept this. Then I try to remove the player I really didn't want to give up now that they've accepted. Then it's a matter of how much cash offsets that player. If it's too much, I leave the player. If it's reasonable. I add it and keep the player.

Lather, rinse, repeat. I probably do this once per season at most, and usually due to a severe need like #1 and #2 rotation injuries or only power hitter out for the season, etc...

MOST of the time, this cost is more than I'm really willing to bear and leaves me more than a little strapped for other expenditures, but if it's a must have, it's the only way I've found it to work at the high and highest difficulties.

[majesty95]

Ahhh. I never try to include cash in a deal. Guess that's what I need to try next!

[endgame]

Yeah. Build it up until it hurts or you know it's stupid, whichever comes first.

[ezpkns34]

Things to note when trading with the AI
- The AI takes age, salary & position into account

- Some positions like SP are inherently valued higher by the AI than other positions while RP is inherently valued less than other positions

- You also usually need to take positional needs/strengths into account

- Remember that in the same way you may have some players you'd pay other teams to take off your hands, some AI teams do too

- If you're willing to take an older/overpaid guy off the AI's hands, they may be more open to moving the good player you really want

- Easy to find those players by putting a low paid scrub in the Shop Player & seeing who comes up as being available in 1-for-1 trades. Those players are all ones the AI really wants to get rid of

- When in doubt, add cash to the trade (easiest to add all your cash & then back off the amount in the trade b/c you can see from the start if you have enough cash to make a difference)

- If you really want to ravage the AI while on Very Hard, turn on draft pick trading as well

[majesty95]

Thanks for the replies. I think that will definitely help with trades. What about coaching staff? Why do I make a couple moves that I think make is better but then get 20 games worse with, supposedly, a better manager and same support staff?

[Gai1997]

Originally Posted by majesty95

Thanks for the replies. I think that will definitely help with trades. What about coaching staff? Why do I make a couple moves that I think make is better but then get 20 games worse with, supposedly, a better manager and same support staff?

That's what we call the game of baseball!

[majesty95]

Originally Posted by Gai1997

That's what we call the game of baseball!

Doesn't really help...

The game is a stats based sim. A 20 game swing isn't just random most likely. Especially when the talent should have improved and the coaching staff should have improved. Nolan Ryan is a leader and so was Mickey Rivers. Never had any clubhouse drama. They just all fell off the table for the most part.

Some variable had to contribute. I can see a 5-10 swing maybe with bad breaks. But a 25% decease in wins just random? If that's the case there is something drastically wrong with the game.

[msupoke]

Originally Posted by majesty95

Doesn't really help...

The game is a stats based sim. A 20 game swing isn't just random most likely. Especially when the talent should have improved and the coaching staff should have improved. Nolan Ryan is a leader and so was Mickey Rivers. Never had any clubhouse drama. They just all fell off the table for the most part.

Some variable had to contribute. I can see a 5-10 swing maybe with bad breaks. But a 25% decease in wins just random? If that's the case there is something drastically wrong with the game.

What about the talent of your opponents? Keep in mind that the other players in the league are getting better. You likely have a valid question, but I doubt there is an answer due to the endless variables.

[majesty95]

I'm not looking for an exact reason. Moreso what others do with coaching staff. Does it even matter in a recalc league (coaching is on)? Have others experienced similar? What contributed? Are there hidden variables with coaches? Is having no drama bad? (I'm starting to think so lol). Just some speculation on what might have happened and what Iay be able to do to correct it and get these guys winning...

[majesty95]

I'm just going to leave this right here...

[phenom]

Korean BBQ, Thai Ginger and sriracha.