How do you maximize OOTP's AI

[MKG1734]

Hi all,

There are several people here that are clearly devout OOTPers with several years of experience. I first bought OOTP back in maybe 2012, but didn't have much time to play it. Then I bought it last year (15) and played it a LOT. I am planning to do the same again with OOTP 16.

A question I have for the OOTP veteran braintrust: What settings do you find help maximize the AI? Obviously, no AI is going to play as well as a human opponent; however, I think the OOTP AI is strong enough to provide a worthy adversary under the correct conditions.

For example, I have found it best to turn off the 40-Man roster rule (I change it to max) as I feel this can be a bit much for the AI to comprehend at this time. I also turn trading activity down to 'very low' in order to avoid as much trading as possible.

What are some settings suggestions that you have that you have found provide the best experience?

But, most importantly: Why do you use this setting ... What do you find that it does for you?

Thanks for the time in advance,

Matt

[Cowboys3356]

I think there might be somebody in the OOTP community that recommends playing Stats Only...

[SirMichaelJordan]

One of the first thing I did when I got into OOTP was to test different settings for the most authentic experience FOR ME and I personally came up with these settings which I've been using since OOTP13.

GLOBAL SETTINGS

-Scouting ON

-Scouting Accuracy set to Very Low (Fog of war)

-Individual Rating Scales set to 2-8 (or hidden for more fog of war)

-OVR/POT set to hidden (more fog of war)

-Relative Ratings off (Would love to use this but Rule 5 draft seem to work as in being active every year when not on)

-Overall Rating Based on AI Evaluation, not Pure Ratings ON (Smarter AI decisions)

-Overall Rating Based on all Players, not Positions ON (helps the Rule 5 draft, AI switches a player's positions around too much so this will handicap them if off)

-Coaching ON

PLAYER & FACEGEN

-Injuries HIGH

-Fatigue AVERAGE

-Morale & Personality ON

-Player aging & Development DEFAULT

Talent Change Randomness = 200 (More early round busts, More late round steals.)

AI SETTINGS

Trading Difficulty = Very Hard (Or Hard)

Trading Preference = Heavily Favor Prospects

Set Player Evaluation AI Settings to

- 25% Ratings, 25% Current Year, 25% Last Year, 25% 2 Years Ago.


I haven't found the need to change rules to accommodate for the AI or move trading frequency from average.

[Fyrestorm3]

One of my personal favorite rule changes I've made was to lower the expanded roster size down to 30 (on a standard 25-man roster).

I've always found that the computer doesn't handle the expanded rosters very well; when the rosters expand, a whole bunch of guys get called up, and then the computer re-evaluates its team based on the personnel it now has. So on occasion, you'd see some weird roster configurations or in-game moves. Scrub players getting starts in important series, for example, or minor league pitchers coming into a stretch game and blowing the team's playoff chances. Basically, the game can sometimes have trouble distinguishing the difference between the original 25-man roster and the September Call-Ups. It's not really a problem for the top or bottom teams in the league, but it's really disconcerting to see a team fighting for a playoff spot in the last week of the season, yet fielding a lineup with two AAA outfielders.

A smaller expanded roster not only reduces this effect (the only way to completely eliminate it would be to take out the rule altogether), but it also provides a little bit of strategy in deciding which 5 players are worth bringing up to the majors. You've got one spot left; do you go with the lefty arm you could really use, or the speedy outfielder for a pinch runner?

[Sweed]

I've played since v4 in 2002. The game changed with a rewrite in 2006 to it's current base code.

I see you say you have turned off the 40 man but to me that and the other roster rules are what have made OOTP challenging. The only thing close to a house rule for me is not trying to fleece the AI by offering multiple players in trades. So on to your questions and the point of the OP.

I use the 40 man with lowest level of minors having a 50 man roster. With this setting IMHO the AI has done fine handling their 40 man roster and whole organization. Some suggest no limit on low minors but I use ghost players and have found 50 to be more than enough.

Add to this all current roster rules (rule 5, days of service for FA, arbitration etc.) the game offers to stop one from stockpiling talent and forcing decisions on both me and the AI. These rules are what have made me work to field a winner where before they were introduced winning was easy.

Because of these rules I have won one world series in the last 10 years and have missed the playoffs several times. Something that never happened in pre 2006 versions but I think v9 or v10 is when the game really started to get harder.

I too use low trading and very hard\favor prospects. I think this helps the AI hold on to it's young talent and build winning teams. I play a MLB game that has went from real players to fictional by attrition and am now in the 2027 season (2002 was my 1st season). In that time the Rays appeared in a WS with the league's lowest payroll after all real players were long gone so a team built by the AI. I play as the Cubs and faced a Brewers team that was my biggest rival for several years due to the AI building an amazing pitching staff through the draft. The Cardinals in my game are just starting an era like that with young P's they drafted.

I also use ghost players. I find they make dealing with minors much easier and I think it also helps the AI to an extent as it also is not forced into moves due to injuries. IOW it lets the AI leave players where they should be instead of it shuffling players to fill holes.

I play at default on almost everything. I figure Markus and the beta team have done more testing than any of us and so I trust default will perform just fine.

Then I just play the game. I don't get too excited about little things that might look funny and to be honest I don't see many of those things anyway.

I have found, at least it works for me, that using roster rules, making realistic trades, and simply using default settings has made OOTP a challenging and fun game. I think some players over think things because of all of the optional and adjustable things that are offered in the game. That's ok too, more power too them. I've just never found the need to change much of anything.

YMMV

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Cowboys3356

I think there might be somebody in the OOTP community that recommends playing Stats Only...

Stats only does not boost the AI, it justs makes you fumble around in the darkness.

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Stats only does not boost the AI, it justs makes you fumble around in the darkness.

Ignoring the hyperbole at the end, that's debatable.

Turning down the AI's reliance on ratings (via the AI Eval settings) can produce much more realistic roster management. The question is whether that helps the AI or not, since "realistic" can often mean "makes some poor decisions."

[MKG1734]

I see you say you have turned off the 40 man but to me that and the other roster rules are what have made OOTP challenging

The 40-man rule, itself, is very challenging. That is essentially the reason why I turn it off. I feel it is too challenging for the AI to handle.

I play with my own "house-rule" of not breaking the 40-man rule in order to keep the integrity of my roster. However, I found last year that the AI did not utilize it well. I rely on myself to not cheat and take advantage of the AI...but the other AI teams will take advantage of the AI teams that stumble into mistakes with regard to the 40 man rule.

Hence....this is why I turn it off. To attempt to protect the AI from itself.

I rely on myself, as you do, to keep the integrity of the game high on my end, personally. Thanks for your explanation and I may test the 40-man setting to see how well the AI handles it now.

[RchW]

I agree with Sweed.

Mucking around with existing rules re rosters, waivers, rule five etc are usually a benefit for the human player. When I'm in good form I sometimes lose 3 players in Rule 5 drafts and I usually lose a player or two on waivers every season. I use a soft cap and spend all my money so every year it's difficult for me to add any players at the deadline. It means I have to scour the waiver wire and minor league FA list for injury replacements If I didn't sign them in the offseason.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Ignoring the hyperbole at the end, that's debatable.

Turning down the AI's reliance on ratings (via the AI Eval settings) can produce much more realistic roster management. The question is whether that helps the AI or not, since "realistic" can often mean "makes some poor decisions."

I have nothing against stats only. For long time players it can help extend the life of the game.

But it hardly helps the AI. You are just handicapping yourself to make yourself more on the level of the AI.

And changing AI evaluations is not stats only. They are two separate things. You can make the AI ignore ratings but still have them visible.
You can also turn off visible ratings but allow the AI to still be able to 'see' them.

Stats only only turns off the visibility of the ratings and stats. AI evaluation is something else entirely.

I don't have much experience since these days I play OOTP to play in 'God mode' i.e. I don't actually control a team.

But it seems like the 'best' combo would be to deny yourself access to seeing ratings and then let the AI evaluate talent near 100% off just ratings.

But really, there is no magical boost for the AI. It has improved over the years but you still have to bend over backwards with house rules to keep it competitive.
My personal feeling on the matter is the best way to handicap yourself without house rules is to take over a team with severally limited finances.

You will still field championship teams. But the lack of money does tend to help with long periods of domination since you have to have bad years every now and then to reload your roster.

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Turning down the AI's reliance on ratings (via the AI Eval settings) can produce much more realistic roster management. The question is whether that helps the AI or not, since "realistic" can often mean "makes some poor decisions."

Yep, I think forcing the ai to go stats only, or stats heavy, actually greatly hurts the ai.

Imo the way to go for max difficulty is to let the ai have access to the ratings and turn them off for yourself.

[SirMichaelJordan]

I use 0 house rules and only won 2 Championships since OOTP13.

[etothep]

I help out the AI by running a team

[swoboda]

Until this year I played out all games in an historical league for one team each year, my first five seasons I won the Series four times, the last three zero times making it to the series once. Was there another AI upgrade about three yrs ago?

[RchW]

Originally Posted by swoboda

Until this year I played out all games in an historical league for one team each year, my first five seasons I won the Series four times, the last three zero times making it to the series once. Was there another AI upgrade about three yrs ago?

V14 was noticeably better.

[curt]

You guys are kidding. I'm "fighting" for my life all season to win and you are all discussing to make it harder

[MKG1734]

Originally Posted by curt

You guys are kidding. I'm "fighting" for my life all season to win and you are all discussing to make it harder

Its not only about making it harder....its about ensuring that the AI is optimized so that the AI is not constantly making silly mistakes.

For example: unless v16 is noticeably improved, in previous versions I have personally found that the AI struggles to deal with 40 man rosters in that it will have to waive quality players more often than I would (usually because it will immediately 40 man roster a very good prospect that it rushes to MLB).

Although my own personal "house rule" ensures that I will not take advantage of the AI making such a mistake.....the other AI teams don't use my, personal rule. The other AI teams will happily claim that player who should have never been 40 man rostered and then waived at such a young age in the first place. Therefore, I have found (in previous versions) that it is optimal to turn off 40 man rosters.

That is the objective that I am going after in this thread. To hear suggestions on both, how to make the game harder on me ... but not by "allowing cheats to the AI that I don't allow to myself" .... but by making the AI work at an optimum level...while having the AI also not take advantage of itself.

Thanks for the input so far and I hope that even more OOTP vets continue to chime in and explain their reasoning...

[SirMichaelJordan]

The 40 man roster issue had to be a setting issue (like setting roster limits on the minors) because I've never had this problem with the AI releasing quality players.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by MKG1734

Its not only about making it harder....its about ensuring that the AI is optimized so that the AI is not constantly making silly mistakes.

For example: unless v16 is noticeably improved, in previous versions I have personally found that the AI struggles to deal with 40 man rosters in that it will have to waive quality players more often than I would (usually because it will immediately 40 man roster a very good prospect that it rushes to MLB).

I think you may be assuming that the AI behaves in a certain way all the time. Its behavior is variable based on league type and setup. I never see quality players waived without good reason (old, declining, too much money) in-game. The waiver wire in my games is the recycling bin for hangers on. That's why the 40-man roster, waivers. rule 5 et al are essential components of realistic game play for me.

I understand your intentions are good but it is unfortunate in my opinion to make a blanket statement about the game that doesn't apply to all league types. It might scare off a newbie who doesn't play the same way.

[MKG1734]

I apologize if it came off that way, it was not my intention to make it sound as such. For what its worth, based on the post from Sweed (and as I mentioned earlier), it appears my assumption was and is incorrect and I am going to attempt to try to play the game with 40 man rosters on when I start my game.