**When** To Promote Players From International Complex?

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

Promote them when they begin the IC so they develop best. So as early as 16 is fine. You gain nothing by leaving them in the IC except risking them not developing. If they are worthwhile prospects have them in R immediately.

Players develop while they are in the international complex. Promoting them to a rookie league before they are ready is worse than leaving them in the complex.

[BirdWatcher]

And now you start to see why I have no hard and firm rules. What I found when I first started playing this game and spending time here on the forums was that there were many strong takes on what is and isn't true in the game and they also were often conflicting takes.

Part of what is wonderful about OOTP, as I see it anyway, is that it is complex and there are few easy answers. I think most of what you have read here from OOTP veterans is true, even if not the entire or unmitigated truth. (Granted, some things are more supported by what we do know from the developers/the manual, but even there you will usually find nuance and exceptions.)

My approach has always been to learn by doing. Not that there is anything wrong with seeking advice from more experienced gamers- obviously if I thought there was it would have been silly for me to give you advice here. But I often find the fun of it is taking a chance and seeing how it works out, learning by trying and failing and trying again and failing better.

And every circumstance has so many variables in play and only you have full access to those in your league and with your organization.
What do you feel like doing? Whatever that is, I advise you do it. And have fun!

[SirSaab]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Thanks- I appreciate the kind words.
I do sometimes feel like a poet in a roomful of engineers around here. (Which is probably not even that far off the truth. )

While I appreciate all of the analytical minds and approaches in this community, and while that aspect of baseball appeals to me as well (would I play OOTP if it didn't at least a little?), I do tend to be a bit more intuitive and, well, let's say organic, in my approach to OOTP and life.

As a fellow intuit, literally everything you just said. Hahahaha

[ThePretender]

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

Players develop while they are in the international complex. Promoting them to a rookie league before they are ready is worse than leaving them in the complex.

I have built multiple 700 wpct teams primarily by using IC prospects and promoting them to R ball asap. They develop a lot slower in the IC. I've tested it in multiple leagues and the other gms who leave them in the IC often have them underdeveloped by the time they're rule 5 eligible whereas my guys are mlb ready between 19-21 as star calibre players.

[yankeefan1024]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

And now you start to see why I have no hard and firm rules. What I found when I first started playing this game and spending time here on the forums was that there were many strong takes on what is and isn't true in the game and they also were often conflicting takes.

Part of what is wonderful about OOTP, as I see it anyway, is that it is complex and there are few easy answers. I think most of what you have read here from OOTP veterans is true, even if not the entire or unmitigated truth. (Granted, some things are more supported by what we do know from the developers/the manual, but even there you will usually find nuance and exceptions.)

My approach has always been to learn by doing. Not that there is anything wrong with seeking advice from more experienced gamers- obviously if I thought there was it would have been silly for me to give you advice here. But I often find the fun of it is taking a chance and seeing how it works out, learning by trying and failing and trying again and failing better.

And every circumstance has so many variables in play and only you have full access to those in your league and with your organization.
What do you feel like doing? Whatever that is, I advise you do it. And have fun!

absolutely bro. for the record, I took those screenshots in January 2028, and have since summed to feb 2028 and the dude's potential stars dropped from 5 to 3 LOL

[yankeefan1024]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

I have built multiple 700 wpct teams primarily by using IC prospects and promoting them to R ball asap. They develop a lot slower in the IC. I've tested it in multiple leagues and the other gms who leave them in the IC often have them underdeveloped by the time they're rule 5 eligible whereas my guys are mlb ready between 19-21 as star calibre players.

I love this. going to give it a try by promoting all my worthwhile IC dudes to R this season.

Thanks bro!

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

I have built multiple 700 wpct teams primarily by using IC prospects and promoting them to R ball asap. They develop a lot slower in the IC. I've tested it in multiple leagues and the other gms who leave them in the IC often have them underdeveloped by the time they're rule 5 eligible whereas my guys are mlb ready between 19-21 as star calibre players.

OK, well that's different than what you posted previously. But that's still a different experience from mine, but every league is different based on how they are set up. In mine, the 16-year-old international discoveries are not ready for Rookie ball, except in a rare, once-in-30-years type of player. Most 17- and 18-year-olds are also not ready, but 80-90 percent of them also are not prospects, so moving them up isn't as big of a risk because they have no future above the low levels.

[ThePretender]

It doesn't matter what league I play in. It's been like this for many versions of ootp. Doesnt matter if their ratings are ready for R. They usually develop faster if promoted asap. I have found they are also less likely to bust if promoted asap.

If I consider them to have a ceiling above a 45 I promote them at 16 to give them the best chance at filling out. They won't develop anywhere near as successfully or as quickly if you leave them in the IC.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

It doesn't matter what league I play in. It's been like this for many versions of ootp. Doesnt matter if their ratings are ready for R. They usually develop faster if promoted asap. I have found they are also less likely to bust if promoted asap.

If this is true it should be reported as a bug and corrected

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

It doesn't matter what league I play in. It's been like this for many versions of ootp. Doesnt matter if their ratings are ready for R. They usually develop faster if promoted asap. I have found they are also less likely to bust if promoted asap.

If I consider them to have a ceiling above a 45 I promote them at 16 to give them the best chance at filling out. They won't develop anywhere near as successfully or as quickly if you leave them in the IC.

Sure it matters what league. There are myriad settings that affect development.

[ThePretender]

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

Sure it matters what league. There are myriad settings that affect development.

Standard leagues, fictional leagues, anything I've ever played. I don't play around with dev settings.

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

Standard leagues, fictional leagues, anything I've ever played. I don't play around with dev settings.

You referenced other GMs earlier, so maybe talk to your league commish to make sure that's the case. Anyway, there's something going on in your leagues that's not realistic to OOTP or real life. That said, if you like how it's functioning, then it doesn't really matter.

[Vladimir Harkonnen]

What are the upsides and downsides according to you when promoting a 16 year old?
I figure that it is better to replace a 23 year old with bad stats in R with a 16 year old who might has some potential. especially if i have 20+ guys in my International complex.

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by Vladimir Harkonnen

What are the upsides and downsides according to you when promoting a 16 year old?
I figure that it is better to replace a 23 year old with bad stats in R with a 16 year old who might has some potential. especially if i have 20+ guys in my International complex.

If you read through this thread, you'll see that there are differing opinions. In my person experience, if you promote a 16-year-old who is overmatched at whatever level you promote him to, his development will likely be stunted and his chances of panning out will likely be diminished. If you leave him in the international complex, he will develop until he's ready to be promoted and then he can continue to develop into a big leaguer as he rises through the system.

This all comes with the understanding that there are no guarantees in baseball or OOTP. Your scout may think a young player is a can't-miss prospect, but there are numerous reasons why he might not fulfill his potential. Those reasons can be both random or caused by decisions the user makes.