What "In-House" rules do you use for solo leagues?

[Swan]

I have become pretty comfortable with online leagues when it comes to trades, etc, because I am dealing with real "GM''s" who all think they know what is best for their team, just like I do.

However, I highly doubt that the OOTP game engine for the solo use was built with a high emphasis on the "Bill James/Billy Beane" school of building teams.

That being said, I have found numerous ways to exploit the game, but I do not wish to do so.

I love taking a broken down team and building it back up. However, I want to make the process as realistic as possible. It is obvious that the game engine values veterans over prospects, for example. I do not want to exploit this fact. But I do not wish to institute a "Do not trade veterans for prospects" rule, as it will prevent me from rebuilding my team. (This is just one example of many ways to "beat the system.")

So I ask the solo game veterans (of which I am a novice), what "in- game" rules to they find keeps the playing field level, as well as provides realism?

Thank you all in advance.

[scotto313]

My solo play experiences are fun and realistic (IMO). I usually set the Yankees, Red Sox and the like to Huge Market and give them mega millions to work with. The key is to be a small market team and keep your revenues much below the giants. Also, salary caps are a no-no. I have tried to be the Detroit Tigers many times in MM and I keep getting fired. In time I know I could turn that ship around but, I can't last. Remember a level playing field is not what you should strive for in solo play. With a level playing field you should beat the AI. The challenge lies in a more realistic uneven playing field with you on the short end.

[Mel_Ott]

I find the easiest (and IMO most 'realistic') way to balance the game is to use the Talent Only setting in a fictional-league setup. That way, the only thing you know about players is their performance, and what their 'best' might be.

I'd also recommend turning financials off, to eliminate Free Agency. This makes it a lot harder to turn a bad team around quickly. If you do, also set the trade setting to Hard or worse, and you can adjust the AI's preference (if you think they should value prospects more, you can do that).

[Ragnar]

I only allow myself to do 1 for 1 trades with the AI. I can accept any trade the AI offers. I have trades set to normal with the AI favoring prospects. I have the cap set to 85 Mil. I also edit the TV deals for every team to be the same. Not too high but high enough for every team to have enough money for FA's. I find doing this allows just about any team to get good. Problem is I still end up doing good most of the time. I think if you just use this simple system as is and give yourself a phantom cap of 65 Mil you will have your work cut out for you.

[rasnell]

This is a great thread and good ideas in the replies. I have thought about, but not had the nerve to try, letting all my players go back into free agency when their contract expires -- rather than re-signing them during the season.

This would force me to spend top dollar to get them back and keep them on my roster and probably be even more like the modern-day pressures on GM's.

Has anyone tried that? I wonder if it's even possible to stay profitable or competitive doing that.

Guess I'll have to experiment with my own idea.

Maybe along the same lines is that you would have to honor long-term contracts and would not be able to trade them during the period -- kind of like the veteran who can refuse trades.

[Melo]

Here's what I do:

Create a 16 team fictional league with expansion every 20 years or so. Choose what team I want to manage, have AI do initial draft and after draft, go into Manager Mode (hard). Trade is Normal with Favor Prospects. Build my team via trade and draft. Draft best available player regardless of position and use my conscious on trades. I never take advantage of the AI. I use traditional ratings and my scout is always Average.

After 4 or 5 years, I have a team of guys I like and i stay with "my guys" pretty much to the bitter end. I make no trades, sign no few FA's (usually my FA signings are role players or 5th starters). I sign my own FA's to whatever they ask for. Everything is simmed. This is great for me because I like to see how my guys compile stats and I develop an affinity for "my guys" so I get to watch them from usually the very beginning right to the end of their careers. They don't get pushed out by prospects usually, because I'm usually drafting very low if not last. Every now and then a guy will rise through the ranks and deserve a shot at the bigs. Most often I will trade the young guy for real low level marginal prospects but sometimes I will trade the established guy to a contender who needs him for next to nothing.

Usually after about 15-16 years, all "my guys" are starting to retire and when my contract comes up after 20 years, I add two expansion teams and take one. Every team gives up their #3 prospect and I draft them for the two teams. Also, each team yields 3 aging, marginal prospects to the FA pool. Then I start all over

This works real well for me because I'm a stat freak and I like to watch my guys compile stats. usually the last two or three years are spent rebuilding my team so it's in pretty good shape when I leave to take over the expansion team.

[Ervinmagicsmall]

1) Can only accept AI proposed trades
2) Must have the lowest payroll in the league. Oftentimes, I've had to release players mid-season, due to trades knocking an AI controlled team's payroll below mine.
3) After my team has made the playoffs for 3 consecutive years---switch to another bad team and build them up.

After 23 years, my teams have made the playoffs 12 times, and I've won the World Series 4 times, and I'm on my 3rd user-controlled team. (16 team league). Overall I'm pleased with this level of success--when I win the WS I feel a sense of accomplishment.

[BleacherBum]

Here's a list I've arrived at after simming a number of seasons, on OOTP5 and 4, that targets various vulnerabilities in the AI.

Coaches
- No Legendary or Outstanding on my teams
- No coach can be signed for > 600k. No coach can be cut - must go to full term of contract. Max contract is 5 yrs

Roster
- No 30+ year-old players in minors
- Cannot convert MR/CL to SP, cannot convert SP to MR/CL (can use sporatically, but that's it)
- Can convert MR to CLoser, but once done, must remain that way for the season (note: price of player goes up)
- Players can only learn similar positions. One intentional ""teach"" allowed per season, across the entire roster
- Re-signing: cannot back off an offer if the player accepts it

Draft
- Amateur Draft is 5 rounds
- Human team can only take one player per position (e.g. can't take 2 Middle Relievers)

Spring Training
- Cancel it. Human can take advantage of Spring Training vs CPU methods

Free Agents
- Signing period: Most signed each year is 2, and most can negotiate with is 4.
- Must wait until Day 5 before pursuing free agents
- Regular Season: Can only sign F/A to fill injury void (someone must go onto the DL), limited to 1* or 1.5* player

Trades
- Only one initiated trade per season. Many restrictions on this trade. If World Champ last year, then this trade is not permitted
- Can accept any CPU offered trades
- One CPU offer per year can be countered (via the trade screen). Tight rules on the counter offer
- No salary dumping in trades - max benefit is payroll reduction of 1 mil. Exception: can trade talent (starters) in final year of contract to contenders

Financials
- Income Reduction - take 5-10 million less in TV deal than other teams
- Cannot raise ticket prices beyond $1 more than highest CPU team (e.g. if CPU max is $10, then human max is $11)
- No raising ticket prices during the playoffs"
- Cash Maximum for CPU Teams = 10m, Human Teams = 6m
- Cash Minimum: Human Teams continue negative beyond -5 mil, at $1 of debt per $2 lost (track this manually)
- Salary Limit: Human cap is set at 5th highest payroll from prior season. CPU has no cap.

CPU Assistance
- Some years (after the playoffs) I'll check the CPU's re-signing decisions, especially for the better teams, and make sure they attempt to keep their best players
- Periodically, I'll generate a few extra free agents (some are actually pretty good), and let the CPU teams have 'em
- Also, I'll kick up the unsigned coaches ratings, or create a few new ones, and let the CPU discover them.
- Finally, at times the CPU rosters will get out of hand and the fat has to be trimmed. I'll also slash some of the washed up old bums still making millions, by turning off Financials and letting these guys go. This gets the CPU out of a lot of bad contracts.

[Swan]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. I wonder if Marcus is creating v. 6 with a more "SABR" friendly eye, so we won't have to do so much to make the game competitive? Does anyone know?

[twins15]

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...threadid=43103

Here is what I found in the FAQ forum.

[Long_Long_Name]

I don't set up any rules. I just try to get even more dominating. For example, if I have 100 wins in a season, I know I sucked.

[chippered]

-One for one trades (or two for two ect. but not throw in players on my part)

-$45 million cap for me, none for the other 11 teams.

-Can only sign two free agents

-Must have at least one one star pitcher in rotation (I use four man rotations)

-No coaches or scouts

Really with a payroll of only $45 million, you dont need many rules to keep yourself from winning. Everything has to come together pretty nicely, although I've had a good run the last few years, but I've been losing alot of guys to FA and trades recently, so the teams depth is getting thin.

[theREDdoor28]

BB, you're "rules" are too strick and aren't realistic, IMO.

[Swan]

Originally posted by theREDdoor28
BB, you're "rules" are too strick and aren't realistic, IMO.

Thanks everyone for their imput. I have actually found Bleacher Bums rules, most of them anyways, the closest to what seems to be what I'm looking for.

[Crapshoot]

Swan,
he is in fact taking DIPS into account- I expect the biggest improvement in v6 to come in the game engine itself, which should be impressive...

[Swan]

Originally posted by Aadik
Swan,
he is in fact taking DIPS into account- I expect the biggest improvement in v6 to come in the game engine itself, which should be impressive...

Seriously? If that is the case... I am speachless. I mean DIPS, wow! So this then will make the hit ratings (for pitchers) less crucial, and the HR and BB rating (again for pitchers) more significant... like in real life?(!) If that is true... any and all concerns I had with this game are forthwith moot.

Oh, and THANK YOU MARCUS!!!!

[Crapshoot]

Originally posted by Swan
Seriously? If that is the case... I am speachless. I mean DIPS, wow! So this then will make the hit ratings (for pitchers) less crucial, and the HR and BB rating (again for pitchers) more significant... like in real life?(!) If that is true... any and all concerns I had with this game are forthwith moot.

Oh, and THANK YOU MARCUS!!!!

To the best of my knowledge, that's Markus' intentions - I think he mentioned the avoid hits ratings was a relic of OOTP's replay roots, and as career mode became the focus, it became less necessary...

There's a thread here somewhere where he talks about reading Voros' work and possbily implementing it...

[draven085]

Originally posted by Aadik
To the best of my knowledge, that's Markus' intentions - I think he mentioned the avoid hits ratings was a relic of OOTP's replay roots, and as career mode became the focus, it became less necessary...

There's a thread here somewhere where he talks about reading Voros' work and possbily implementing it...

Do you mean this thread??

[Swan]

From that thread, this is what Marcus said

"I read Mr. McCracken's article, and it looks like pitchers really have no control over what happens once the ball is put in play against them.

The "avoiding hits" rating is still a left-over from the early OOTP days, when it's intended purpose was a replay sim. It was designed to generate accurate results, and the opponents batting average is really important for a pitcher. It had to be used in the game engine.

But now OOTP is more of a career sim, and you will see major changes in the game engine for OOTP 6, in order to make it far more realistic when it comes to player attributes/ratings and abilities. No more "hitting for triples", or "avoiding doubles" ratings."

I cannot begin to say how cool it is that OOTP has a program developer that reads Voros McCracken! I cannot wait for the v6 to come out!

[Henry]

Those that take the time to read VM's work find themselves questioning some of the "facts" they've always taken for granted. James started the trend, and many others have followed - but the cream always rises to the top. Sometimes, it's important to realize that all the knowledge on any subject hasn't been uncovered yet