can't expand

chriskelly · 04-06-2024, 11:09 AM

I started a new league, with real rosters, in commish mode. i am in preseason, Mar 19. I am on game settings, and I can't launch expansion. it says "only available in preseason or offseason and if auto expansion is disabled. I disabled auto exnapsion. i tried advancing a day to see if that would fix it,but it did not. any ideas?

Carplos · 04-06-2024, 12:41 PM

You can't expand until after the first season with the standard game.

chriskelly · 04-06-2024, 12:55 PM

oh that sucks. i wonder why they changed that, or if there is a work around?

Leo_The_Lip · 04-06-2024, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriskelly

oh that sucks. i wonder why they changed that, or if there is a work around?

Not a change It has always been so. The expansion eligibility date is after the end of season routines are run.

Best is to sim a few seasons, then expand.

Pelican · 04-06-2024, 02:37 PM

Yeah the problem is that by default the game starts a few days before the MLB Season starts. And you can't change the default and move it backwards (Trust me, I've tried...). So first year out you can't expand, no Spring Training. Yeah, the default setting probably makes sense, for the typical new user, who just wants to get started. But it would really help to have an option to start in November, have your expansion draft, sign a few free agents, set up minor leagues, and play Spring Training games.

Simming a whole season just to get to the expansion draft seems like a waste of time (because it is). But one thing you could try is to create AAA or AA or even A+ minor league unaffiliated teams, to stash players for your expansion franchises. [You can't affiliate these teams with your expansion teams, since they don't exist yet.] You can sign minor league free agents, in order to start a farm system. Remember to check the box to prevent AI manipulation of the minor league rosters, or otherwise the other MLB teams could raid your players. When you create the expansion teams, you can then affiliate these minor league teams, as you set up the minor league system.

renojedi · 04-06-2024, 04:40 PM

Are you using the latest patch? I am and, using the standard game in commissioner mode, the game starts on March 10 and it does allow you to expand the MLB.

When OOTP25 released, it did not let you expand and Lukas said it would be fixed in patch #2 (and it was).

This was a change with the base game as I have been expanding the MLB for years. Glad they fixed it with a patch.

chriskelly · 04-06-2024, 05:10 PM

thanks! I thought i was going insane. Although, I am wondering if a better way to expand is to play historical, 2023, let it sim the season and then start in the post season.

Pelican · 04-06-2024, 05:30 PM

Definitely makes more sense to expand in the Fall. Holding an expansion draft in March would be hard on everybody - the established teams protecting players, the players, and you drafting with the season less than a month away. There's a reason the expansion draft is held early in the offseason. That gives you time to fill gaps from the draft with free agent signings and trades, and to evaluate your team. Plus you will need to set up a minor league system from scratch. And Spring Training would be critical for a new team, finding the right combination of players, and looking for castoffs from the established teams.

As an aside, I would strongly suggest that you limit the established teams' protected players to twelve, with the default exclusion of players with less than three years MLB service. That forces the better teams to make some hard decisions, and means the expansion teams will not completely suck. I also would not allow established teams to protect a new player, when one is taken. My approach promotes parity, as the best teams typically sustain the most losses (while keeping their core). It tends to leave veterans with expensive contracts unprotected, posing a tough choice for an expansion team.

04-06-2024, 11:09 AM	#1
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	can't expand I started a new league, with real rosters, in commish mode. i am in preseason, Mar 19. I am on game settings, and I can't launch expansion. it says "only available in preseason or offseason and if auto expansion is disabled. I disabled auto exnapsion. i tried advancing a day to see if that would fix it,but it did not. any ideas?

04-06-2024, 02:37 PM	#5
Pelican Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Wilmington, Delaware Posts: 3,000	Yeah the problem is that by default the game starts a few days before the MLB Season starts. And you can't change the default and move it backwards (Trust me, I've tried...). So first year out you can't expand, no Spring Training. Yeah, the default setting probably makes sense, for the typical new user, who just wants to get started. But it would really help to have an option to start in November, have your expansion draft, sign a few free agents, set up minor leagues, and play Spring Training games. Simming a whole season just to get to the expansion draft seems like a waste of time (because it is). But one thing you could try is to create AAA or AA or even A+ minor league unaffiliated teams, to stash players for your expansion franchises. [You can't affiliate these teams with your expansion teams, since they don't exist yet.] You can sign minor league free agents, in order to start a farm system. Remember to check the box to prevent AI manipulation of the minor league rosters, or otherwise the other MLB teams could raid your players. When you create the expansion teams, you can then affiliate these minor league teams, as you set up the minor league system. __________________ Pelican OOTP 2020-? ”Hard to believe, Harry.” Last edited by Pelican; 04-06-2024 at 02:38 PM.

04-06-2024, 05:30 PM	#8
Pelican Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Wilmington, Delaware Posts: 3,000	Definitely makes more sense to expand in the Fall. Holding an expansion draft in March would be hard on everybody - the established teams protecting players, the players, and you drafting with the season less than a month away. There's a reason the expansion draft is held early in the offseason. That gives you time to fill gaps from the draft with free agent signings and trades, and to evaluate your team. Plus you will need to set up a minor league system from scratch. And Spring Training would be critical for a new team, finding the right combination of players, and looking for castoffs from the established teams. As an aside, I would strongly suggest that you limit the established teams' protected players to twelve, with the default exclusion of players with less than three years MLB service. That forces the better teams to make some hard decisions, and means the expansion teams will not completely suck. I also would not allow established teams to protect a new player, when one is taken. My approach promotes parity, as the best teams typically sustain the most losses (while keeping their core). It tends to leave veterans with expensive contracts unprotected, posing a tough choice for an expansion team. __________________ Pelican OOTP 2020-? ”Hard to believe, Harry.”

04-06-2024, 12:41 PM	#2
Carplos Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,853 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	You can't expand until after the first season with the standard game.

04-06-2024, 12:55 PM	#3
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	oh that sucks. i wonder why they changed that, or if there is a work around?

04-06-2024, 04:40 PM	#6
renojedi Major Leagues Join Date: May 2003 Location: Richmond, Virginia area Posts: 473	Are you using the latest patch? I am and, using the standard game in commissioner mode, the game starts on March 10 and it does allow you to expand the MLB. When OOTP25 released, it did not let you expand and Lukas said it would be fixed in patch #2 (and it was). This was a change with the base game as I have been expanding the MLB for years. Glad they fixed it with a patch.

04-06-2024, 05:10 PM	#7
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	thanks! I thought i was going insane. Although, I am wondering if a better way to expand is to play historical, 2023, let it sim the season and then start in the post season.