cant get into a fictional

[shipfb21]

I have never been able to get intoa fictional universe. ive tried multiple times, I just cant seem to connect to it. I read plenty of dynasty stories of completely fictional leagues and I love reading about them, but whenever I attempt to create one, I lose interest. perhaps im just not imaimaginative enough, but without the real teams and history it feels empty to me. I was wondering what are, if any, some ways that could help me create, stick with, and connect with a fictious world...

[Padreman]

I'm the opposite I can't get into real world leagues i like making my own history. I started a new game with real teams with combination of real and created players I love it. After 20 seasons you see your history building up

[ra7c7er]

You have to think of it as you're creating the history. You're the Daniel Lucius Adams, William Rufus Wheaton, and Louis Fenn Wadsworth of your world so to speak. You're the commissioner too and everyone in between.

If you really want to try and get into playing fictional start something that has a bit of meaning to you even if it isn't really baseball related. My first test league back in OOTP14 was all the cities that were in my little league division. I think someone last year made a world league where all the teams were from cities the guy wanted to visit.

It does take a bit of creativity though I'll admit. And it's not for everyone.

[The Game]

Originally Posted by shipfb21

I have never been able to get intoa fictional universe. ive tried multiple times, I just cant seem to connect to it. I read plenty of dynasty stories of completely fictional leagues and I love reading about them, but whenever I attempt to create one, I lose interest. perhaps im just not imaimaginative enough, but without the real teams and history it feels empty to me. I was wondering what are, if any, some ways that could help me create, stick with, and connect with a fictious world...

Try a quickstart with years of history. My aBF will be available for the 1950 season later today. Many real players have played in the ABF and greats like Jackie, Newk, Klu, Duke, DiMaggio, Nellie Fox & Pee Wee Reese are in the league in 1948.

[dunningrb]

Originally Posted by shipfb21

I have never been able to get intoa fictional universe. ive tried multiple times, I just cant seem to connect to it. I read plenty of dynasty stories of completely fictional leagues and I love reading about them, but whenever I attempt to create one, I lose interest. perhaps im just not imaimaginative enough, but without the real teams and history it feels empty to me. I was wondering what are, if any, some ways that could help me create, stick with, and connect with a fictious world...

I had the exact same experience, but eventually discovered that my favorite way to play is with historical teams and fictional players. Have you tried this?

The way to kick it off is to create a New Historical Game. When you're setting up the game, make sure you enable the player-development engine, and disable the option to import historical rookies. After the set up is complete, release all the (real life) players into the free agent pool, then delete all of them. You'll need to be in commissioner mode to do this. Then fill all the rosters with fictional players. I can provide more detailed instructions if you like.

What you'll get is a universe with all the real franchises (including logos, uniforms, ballparks, etc.) but fictional players throughout. The leagues will expand on time-- just as they would for an ordinary historical game that included real players. They will also play with the real schedules for each season. For me, this type of universe is a very nice combination of real life and fictional. Some of the real-life/fictional overlap does not make sense, of course. For example, the Yankees will build Yankee Stadium in 1922 (for the 1923 season) even though Babe Ruth will not exist in this universe. But I'm happy to overlook things like that.

Hope this helps.

[Westheim]

Sometimes things are the way they are. I have always felt best safely tucked away in my own little world.

Fictional feels a bit stale for the first five years or so, but eventually you get to know all the (important) players, and those that have been gone already. I'm at 26 2/3 years in my league, and I feel right at home in it, despite a strange run environment, or maybe because of it. It might be a mess, but it's my mess.

F.e., all my historical attempts failed, and I can't get my head around the steaming mess that is random debut. I can not - ... I just can't. The mind boggles. I will NEVER touch something like that.

If you don't like fictional, it's fine.

[RchW]

Beside all the other good points made already, I find fictional leagues reduce my nit picking tendency to get every detail perfect. I'm ok with a 0.400 hitter every 15-20 years and a wider distribution of certain stats like SB and HR. Once you have a history your league becomes real. Just this morning I booted up my current league and did a double take when I saw the headline, "Phillies and Blue Jays make deal". I almost clicked on MLBTR to check.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by shipfb21

I have never been able to get intoa fictional universe. ive tried multiple times, I just cant seem to connect to it. I read plenty of dynasty stories of completely fictional leagues and I love reading about them, but whenever I attempt to create one, I lose interest. perhaps im just not imaimaginative enough, but without the real teams and history it feels empty to me. I was wondering what are, if any, some ways that could help me create, stick with, and connect with a fictious world...

Start by simming 25 years of history to where you have events to consider and character anchors to get you vested in the league!

[shipfb21]

thanks for all the responses. the general vibe im getting is to just stick with it for a few seasons and eventually ill identify with the teams, players, history, and feel of the world... guess ill give it another go...

[jaysdailydose]

One tip I can give you is to start with a smaller league, also. You can always expand as you go, but with a smaller league, you get invested in the players faster.

Personally, I always say if you have any inkling to do so, write a dynasty report. I can't even play leagues without writing about them any more.

[Questdog]

One other thing: the slower you play, the more you will become engaged. Simming is a lot harder to care about than playing out the games.

Also, starting a dynasty thread is a great way to become hooked in. It doesn't matter if anyone reads it or not; just the creation of it is worth the effort for the help it gives in immersion.

[Lafayette53]

One thing I've done to get into fictional is spend an inordinate amount of time planning the league, making jerseys/logos, coming up or stealing team names I like, etc. I'm just now at the point where I'm going to take over a team and play out the games.

For me I had the same problem until I felt invested in the league like this. Now I almost consider it a labor of love of sorts and the players, while still fake, feel real. Lance Brown of the Detroit Robins is the home run king in my universe. Jim Harvey of the Chicago Packers is the Walter Johnson/Bob Feller of my universe. Tom Jackson of the now relocated Philadelphia Quakers is my universe's Rogers Hornsby. Etc.

[tomatoman]

I have the same issue but have devised a plan to prevent losing interest.

#1 start small so the base of players and teams is not too extensive

#2 sim for a decade or so that way you have some history and also some former stars to compare to. Think back to when you were young and started following baseball. You never saw Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth play but you learned who they were. you can do the same in your fictional league.

3. After building some history jump into the league. My plan is to build history and then during a specific year jump in and play out one game a week as the "Game of the Week" I think that will introduce me to the current players and teams.

4. Finally, insert some of your favorite (real life or fictional or one you create yourself) players into your league. too me doing this gives you some familiar names to look for as you play.

[Questdog]

Never underestimate the value of good names.....

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by Lafayette53

Tom Jackson of the now relocated Philadelphia Quakers is my universe's Rogers Hornsby. Etc.

I am? Cool! Do you know that there's never been a Tom Jackson in the history of the major leagues from 1871-2015? There isn't even one in Sir Spritze's database. Do you have a screenshot of my stats for me?

[jaysdailydose]

There is a minor leaguer if you search baseball-reference.com for my name, Jason Jackson -- but I think its an assumed name as the name under it is Leverne Lee Jackson.

No major league for me, either, though! I go as Jay, and the closest I get is a Darrin Jay Jackson from 1985-99, last with the White Sox!

[Lafayette53]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

I am? Cool! Do you know that there's never been a Tom Jackson in the history of the major leagues from 1871-2015? There isn't even one in Sir Spritze's database. Do you have a screenshot of my stats for me?

Heh that is pretty funny.. I did not actually know that.

Here's his stats and accomplishments (I swear he is entirely game generated):

[actionjackson]

Thanks Lafayette53. I did just find a Negro Leaguer on BB-Ref named Tom Jackson, but unfortunately he didn't make it to Sir Spritze's database. Oh well, I'll always have your Tom Jackson.

[JamesMowery]

I found myself in a bit of a familiar situation. I wasn't really interested in playing the MLB (as I haven't watched it for quite a long time, although I'm a Pittsburgh fan), but I wanted to do a fantasy league.

So what did I do? I spent roughly 10+ hours doing research about my home state, Virginia, and decided to create a league based off the top 16 most populous cities, with a north vs south feel to both the leagues and the divisions. I put in a ton of effort, and spent over a week trying to get the details right, and took advantage of the nickname project mod to get the logos I wanted. I gave the teams primarily a military theme, since the area I live in is a big military community.

Once I was able to make that connection, I got really interested. As long as it's something you care about, it's really great. I know most of my players by heart now.

I'm facing a tough situation where since I'm in a city that isn't the most populous, and I based the financials off that, my great drafting is now having deep financial impacts and I'm having to cut my top talent to be able to afford salaries.

While I wouldn't recommend spending 15+ hours doing research about your local area, maybe just taking our local top X cities by population and putting them together in a league would be a great start.

(Virginia League Baseball) VLB: https://cloudup.com/c_xSsaDuJ8N

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

Yeah, I agree with starting small. No more than eight big-league teams, at most one minor league team at each level for each team. I often don't even use all the minor-league levels in fictionals. AAA and AA, maybe A. Pace it out, add expansion teams as wanted/needed. Especially if you use mods, this is the way to go, IMO.