New to game, Online League

[Fatbot]

Hi looking to switch software. Our league uses the format where we draft new MLB players to fill in rosters and the simulation is run using MLB players & stats of the previous MLB year. So using MLB players on custom teams we want to run our own schedule in our own custom stadiums with our own managers, but our league is only MLB players with "real life" stats.

Is OOTPB a good choice for us to use? It seems to have a lot of "fictional universe" elements to it that we won't use. We want a sim just to use MLB "real life" stats. Specifically, can the following be removed/turned off:

* Minors
* Any fictional players ever being created
* Scouting budgets / any GM mode elements
* Players developing over time, making contract demands, or anything that would affect their real stats and throw off the sim

Any advice if this is doable and how to set it up as an online league would be appreciated, thanks!

[Charlie Hough]

You can turn off all of these elements and many more.

However, since you're running a league that always follows the most recent real life MLB season, OOTP is not the right fit. It's perfect for a league that uses real life players and starts at a prior point in history, but if you're going to be moving ahead into future based on each real life season in MLB, this product is not really designed for that.

It's not based on individual season disks being issued every year. And there would be several roadblocks to using the game based on how it advances from season to season, uses its own database of real life stats, and handles rosters. If you use current MLB players as a strating point, then the game begins by starting with the season that is about to begin in real life. So, when the game is released on opening day, it has rosters for the forthcoming season and not past seasons. It also has full minor league rosters. As you move ahead, the league is going to take on fictional elements like new players being drafted and entering the minors, player abilities developing on their own, etc.

If you play OOTP using historical MLB players (starting with any season from 1876 to recent years), the game can actually work very well for the sort of league you run. Everything can be based strictly on stats, you can strip out virtually all fictional and GM elements, and there is even a 'replay' mode so ratings and performances are based on the stats for only that particular MLB season in history. But that's not the sort of league you're running. So you would have to use a more traditional replay sim to do your year-to-year league based on the most recently completed MLB season.

[Fatbot]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hough

If you play OOTP using historical MLB players (starting with any season from 1876 to recent years), the game can actually work very well for the sort of league you run. Everything can be based strictly on stats, you can strip out virtually all fictional and GM elements, and there is even a 'replay' mode so ratings and performances are based on the stats for only that particular MLB season in history.

That sounds like what we are trying to do. How do I create a replay mode game like that?

[termcl]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hough

As you move ahead, the league is going to take on fictional elements like new players being drafted and entering the minors, player abilities developing on their own, etc.

Even a historical replay becomes "fictional" once the first pitch is thrown.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by termcl

Even a historical replay becomes "fictional" once the first pitch is thrown.

OOTP is fictional, period.

[rpriske]

Semantic fight...

[Charlie Hough]

Originally Posted by Fatbot

That sounds like what we are trying to do. How do I create a replay mode game like that?

You simply use the historical game mode. It allows you to select your preferred settings and use the real life historical MLB database for your league. Player ratings are generated based on real life stats and the settings you select, and they are updated for each new season based on their year-to-year MLB performances.

However, since you want to use your own stadiums and team names, you will need to edit your league structure, team names, locations, and other information as you create your game. But you can eventually get everything set up the way you want. You can even create fictional stadiums with preferred dimensions and ballpark effects for your replay league teams. Or you can use real life stadiums instead. OOTP includes a complete database of all MLB stadiums, and you can also download a separate stadium mod if you prefer.

If you're looking for some guidelines on how to set up a replay game like this, I have posted all of my preferred settings in another recent thread. But this doesn't cover the steps for changing the team names and making the other structural modifications that you might need. But you can learn more about this from the OOTP manual or by asking more questions on the forums.