Tournament Slump - Page 2

Magus978 · 09-29-2021, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamond3017

One thing I find pretty daunting about Bronze and below, as well as capped tournaments, is that I have way more eligible cards than I could possibly fit on the reserve roster. So I just have to eyeball hundreds of cards on the "manage cards" screen to see if any jump out at me.

My approach has been to stick to Gold tournaments using exclusively non-live cards, so I can use the same roster in 32-team Gold and 16-team Gold non-live tourneys. Plus, I don't have to worry about live card rating changes.

That's what I've been doing as well. Pretty sure my Brooklyn Dynasty have run into you way too many times and have come away very grumpy.

Hertston · 10-02-2021, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamond3017

My approach has been to stick to Gold tournaments using exclusively non-live cards, so I can use the same roster in 32-team Gold and 16-team Gold non-live tourneys. Plus, I don't have to worry about live card rating changes.

TBH, I don't think I've ever come across a live card I would choose to include in silver or gold. I do tend to use a four-man rotation and extra reliever in the shorter tourneys and five starters for longer ones, although I suspect any benefit is largely in my imagination.

It does pay to go back and tweak occasionally, or even start over. I've given up worrying about expensive new cards - most of the 'must have's' turn out to be nothing of the sort - but you can still miss stuff. I only recently amended my silver roster to remove a player who wasn't actually doing anything, or at least anything somebody else couldn't do just as well. Bingo - room for another reliever.

professor ape · 10-02-2021, 09:41 AM

The flip side is that because there are Live Bronze cards that are good choices for tournament rosters, you have the opportunity to gain an advantage if you can identify changes in quality after the Live updates. I find it takes me about a week of careful tracking to nail down my Bronze roster for the next month. I’m ready for this last update coming up in a little over a week.

Magus978 · 10-03-2021, 12:11 AM

Just can't come completely out of this slump. Picking up some 3 pack days, but nothing more. Just not acceptable considering what I've had in the past, and I'm about ready to just throw in the towel & sell off everyone on these tournament teams. Looking at my results and seeing an endless wave of "eliminated" and not knowing why you're failing is not my idea of fun.

merryaugust · 10-03-2021, 02:11 AM

tl;dnr

1 - Bronze tourneys are hyper-competitive, it takes a minute to catch up. You said yourself though, it's a slump. It's not a failure or something. But your roster is wrong for this to happen - fix that by...
2 - You need to use Live cards in Bronze tourneys if you want to win more than 3-5 packs/day. At Bronze, non-Live rosters are very limited, so...
3 - Pick an Eliminated tourney and open it, copy the roster of one of the finalists and go from there -OR- pick a Silver or higher tourney format where a non-Live roster is far better

******

I like Magus spirit, but I can tell by his signature he's not a baseball guy yet. But maybe he can learn the hard stuff via this game; I bet he's good at gaming.

Call out to @diamond3017 and @Herston for setting some markers for us that the dynamics in other tourney formats are very different from the Bronze quicks. I tried my hand at one of the Gold capped tourneys - I got killed almost every time, but I had fun trying to solve that puzzle haha. But for sure I never used Live cards in any of the Silver+ tourney's I've failed at, and I agree Live's wouldn't have saved me

I think to succeed at any tourney is mainly down to 1) picking ONE, and then 2) busting your butt to figure out how to compete in it. But that's baseball in general. That's life in general.

@Magus, stick to it man, we all go thru slumps. But study yourself and your teams, find ways to improve yourself and your teams, then trust yourself. Welcome to baseball!

Magus978 · 10-03-2021, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merryaugust

I like Magus spirit, but I can tell by his signature he's not a baseball guy yet. But maybe he can learn the hard stuff via this game; I bet he's good at gaming.

Signatures are deceiving. I'm a baseball guy through and through. I'm also not the kind of person who will be unbearably happy to constantly lose. Do me a favor and drop your condescending tone.

I'm just done with what feels like endless failure. I'm tired of rolling 1's while everyone rolls 6's. Legit tired of feeling like the unluckiest SOB in the room.

Hertston · 10-03-2021, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magus978

Looking at my results and seeing an endless wave of "eliminated" and not knowing why you're failing is not my idea of fun.

It isn't, but we have all been there at one time or another, be it tourneys, card drops, or usually both. There is no magic bullet, but there is RNG, and for every, or every dozen, or every 100 extreme slumps like yours, some lucky so-and-so drops a Dickey or a Connor. The choice is simple, keep at it if you still derive any purpose to or enjoyment from it, or go do something more profitable or fun instead. My disillusion is also rapidly increasing, albeit for different reasons.

P.S. My gold team is also currently in a massive slump for unidentified reasons (beyond RNG?) Mercifully, my silver team is keeping me going.

Quote:

Originally Posted by merryaugust

I tried my hand at one of the Gold capped tourneys - I got killed almost every time, but I had fun trying to solve that puzzle haha.

I never did crack those, or indeed capped tourneys at any level. That might well be the result of not being a 'baseball man'; I'm a Brit who only got interested in baseball via OOTP and only got into OOTP as I was looking for another good sports management sim not called Football Manager. I doubt it, though. Capped tourneys are definitely those that require the most skill, and give skilled players the best chances to yield results, but compared with the base game PT leaves so much 'baseball' at the door I'd trade knowledge of and skill in the game for years of baseball experience any day.

HermanSmutley · 10-03-2021, 08:29 AM

Managed to win 36 packs yesterday after applying some fielding tips I read in another thread.

professor ape · 10-03-2021, 10:33 AM

Merryaugust is correct that you will not consistently win in the Bronze tourneys if you don’t utilize Live cards. I’d say to ride out the next week and then invest some time following the final Live update on the 11th. Sinking any meaningful time into analysis now will be largely wasted with that update looming.
Based on my experience, if you get a good Bronze roster locked in you can average 20+ packs per day. You’ll have ups and downs but it can be done. As a F2P it has fed my entire season.

Hwilensky · 10-03-2021, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HermanSmutley

Managed to win 36 packs yesterday after applying some fielding tips I read in another thread.

Care to share the thread?

professor ape · 10-03-2021, 10:57 AM

Here are some general thoughts that I shared recently. One note is that my comments about C Ability seeming to be of lesser importance are based on the Diamond level where you consistently have elite pitchers. At the Bronze tournament level, C Ability seems to have a larger impact as a good catcher will have a greater positive impact on Bronze level pitching; primarily in increasing K/9 and reducing BB/9.

Watch out for shortstops and third basemen with lower arm ratings. That will hurt their performance. Range is most important for second basemen, and for first base make sure they have a good error rating. Height also has an impact at first base but personally I haven’t dug that deep. At catcher people are obsessed with the catcher ability rating. That is important but don’t ignore the catcher arm. Being able to throw out base runners is very helpful at the higher levels. In the outfield, left is the most forgiving position. You want crazy range in center and a big arm in right.

HermanSmutley · 10-03-2021, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hwilensky

Care to share the thread?

The DotDash Defensive issues thread, pretty much what Prof Ape says above plus the shift sliders.

HermanSmutley · 10-03-2021, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by professor ape

One note is that my comments about C Ability seeming to be of lesser importance are based on the Diamond level where you consistently have elite pitchers. At the Bronze tournament level, C Ability seems to have a larger impact as a good catcher will have a greater positive impact on Bronze level pitching; primarily in increasing K/9 and reducing BB/9.

Agreed, although no amount of C Ability can make Bonham or Twitchell work for me.

professor ape · 10-03-2021, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HermanSmutley

Agreed, although no amount of C Ability can make Bonham or Twitchell work for me.

If Twitchell isn’t working for you then I’d say to look at other issues with your defense. He is about as good as it gets in Bronze.

professor ape · 10-03-2021, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HermanSmutley

The DotDash Defensive issues thread, pretty much what Prof Ape says above plus the shift sliders.

Agreed on the sliders. I pretty much use the Moderate Sabermetric strategy settings, with a few minor tweaks.

bailey · 10-04-2021, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HermanSmutley

Agreed, although no amount of C Ability can make Bonham or Twitchell work for me.

It is disheartening when checking on why I was eliminated again to see it was Bonham giving up 4 in the first again or Twitchell 4 in the 9th again.

HermanSmutley · 10-04-2021, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bailey

It is disheartening when checking on why I was eliminated again to see it was Bonham giving up 4 in the first again or Twitchell 4 in the 9th again.

Twitchell has become more consistent since I switched him to high leverage middle relief from closer.
Just gave up on Bonham, a run scoring machine for the opposition.

merryaugust · 10-04-2021, 11:07 PM

Agreed with the advice above - fielding is massively important at Bronze, and the importance of more K/9 via C ABI is magnified by the relatively mediocre defense one can manage behind.

I've had good success with Twitchell as Stopper role; maximizes his appearances IME, and the Bronze tourney teams are so closely matched it seems like every game is down to a run or two. But he has slumps too, and they can be brutal. I'm sort of on the fence with Bonham.

Sorry Magus, I don't mean to offend or be condescending. I hope you can find help from others here to get you where you want to be.

10-02-2021, 09:41 AM	#23
professor ape All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The belly of the beast Posts: 1,498	The flip side is that because there are Live Bronze cards that are good choices for tournament rosters, you have the opportunity to gain an advantage if you can identify changes in quality after the Live updates. I find it takes me about a week of careful tracking to nail down my Bronze roster for the next month. I’m ready for this last update coming up in a little over a week. __________________

10-03-2021, 12:11 AM	#24
Magus978 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Behind you. BOO! Posts: 1,894	Just can't come completely out of this slump. Picking up some 3 pack days, but nothing more. Just not acceptable considering what I've had in the past, and I'm about ready to just throw in the towel & sell off everyone on these tournament teams. Looking at my results and seeing an endless wave of "eliminated" and not knowing why you're failing is not my idea of fun. __________________ Never forgive, never forget. http://twitch.tv/GanbaMagus Last edited by Magus978; 10-03-2021 at 12:13 AM.

10-03-2021, 10:33 AM	#29
professor ape All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The belly of the beast Posts: 1,498	Merryaugust is correct that you will not consistently win in the Bronze tourneys if you don’t utilize Live cards. I’d say to ride out the next week and then invest some time following the final Live update on the 11th. Sinking any meaningful time into analysis now will be largely wasted with that update looming. Based on my experience, if you get a good Bronze roster locked in you can average 20+ packs per day. You’ll have ups and downs but it can be done. As a F2P it has fed my entire season. __________________

10-03-2021, 10:57 AM	#31
professor ape All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The belly of the beast Posts: 1,498	Here are some general thoughts that I shared recently. One note is that my comments about C Ability seeming to be of lesser importance are based on the Diamond level where you consistently have elite pitchers. At the Bronze tournament level, C Ability seems to have a larger impact as a good catcher will have a greater positive impact on Bronze level pitching; primarily in increasing K/9 and reducing BB/9. Watch out for shortstops and third basemen with lower arm ratings. That will hurt their performance. Range is most important for second basemen, and for first base make sure they have a good error rating. Height also has an impact at first base but personally I haven’t dug that deep. At catcher people are obsessed with the catcher ability rating. That is important but don’t ignore the catcher arm. Being able to throw out base runners is very helpful at the higher levels. In the outfield, left is the most forgiving position. You want crazy range in center and a big arm in right. __________________

10-04-2021, 11:07 PM	#38
merryaugust Bat Boy Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Virginia Posts: 14	Agreed with the advice above - fielding is massively important at Bronze, and the importance of more K/9 via C ABI is magnified by the relatively mediocre defense one can manage behind. I've had good success with Twitchell as Stopper role; maximizes his appearances IME, and the Bronze tourney teams are so closely matched it seems like every game is down to a run or two. But he has slumps too, and they can be brutal. I'm sort of on the fence with Bonham. Sorry Magus, I don't mean to offend or be condescending. I hope you can find help from others here to get you where you want to be. Last edited by merryaugust; 10-04-2021 at 11:08 PM.

10-03-2021, 02:11 AM	#25
merryaugust Bat Boy Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Virginia Posts: 14	tl;dnr 1 - Bronze tourneys are hyper-competitive, it takes a minute to catch up. You said yourself though, it's a slump. It's not a failure or something. But your roster is wrong for this to happen - fix that by... 2 - You need to use Live cards in Bronze tourneys if you want to win more than 3-5 packs/day. At Bronze, non-Live rosters are very limited, so... 3 - Pick an Eliminated tourney and open it, copy the roster of one of the finalists and go from there -OR- pick a Silver or higher tourney format where a non-Live roster is far better ****** I like Magus spirit, but I can tell by his signature he's not a baseball guy yet. But maybe he can learn the hard stuff via this game; I bet he's good at gaming. Call out to @diamond3017 and @Herston for setting some markers for us that the dynamics in other tourney formats are very different from the Bronze quicks. I tried my hand at one of the Gold capped tourneys - I got killed almost every time, but I had fun trying to solve that puzzle haha. But for sure I never used Live cards in any of the Silver+ tourney's I've failed at, and I agree Live's wouldn't have saved me I think to succeed at any tourney is mainly down to 1) picking ONE, and then 2) busting your butt to figure out how to compete in it. But that's baseball in general. That's life in general. @Magus, stick to it man, we all go thru slumps. But study yourself and your teams, find ways to improve yourself and your teams, then trust yourself. Welcome to baseball!

10-03-2021, 08:29 AM	#28
HermanSmutley Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: England Posts: 94	Managed to win 36 packs yesterday after applying some fielding tips I read in another thread.