Whither the great starters?

Fonzie · 08-30-2011, 11:08 PM

I've been so in love with iOOTP that I've played it constantly since its release - and am now in the year 2063 with my 30-team fictional league. However, I've noticed something recently that has caused me some concern. It seems that over the last two decades or so that the "stud" starting pitchers have disappeared. By "stud" I'm referring to those guys who have Stuff/Movement/Control all in the blue-range (17+ on the 20 point scale). Early on there were usually a handful of such guys always playing, but for some time now those guys have been absent. There are still 5-star starters out there, but they invariably have some shortcomings. For example, I have a current 5-star starter who has S/M/C ratings of 19/13/13 (along with a 16 in stamina, five pitches and 99-101 mph velocity). There are a total of 10 5-star pitchers league-wide, and none of them are what I would call "stud" territory. All have some deficiencies, and while some of them occasionally have great seasons, none of them have been able to sustain a great career.

I've not seen a commensurate change with the studly hitters. This has translated into some noticeable changes in the league leaderboards, with ERA leaders consistently in the 3.15-range and win totals in the high-teens. League-wide ERAs have been in the 4.5-4.7 range. Anybody seen any changes like this with the studly starters? Or was I just lucky with the early preponderance of legendary pitchers I had in my fictional league?

JayWigley · 08-31-2011, 08:30 AM

This is a great question: how does the dev team ensure that the game is reasonably balanced in the long term, *and* ensure that there are not only average players developing?

If others have OOTP experience that speaks to this question, I'd enjoy the comparison, since I am strictly an iOOTPer now.

GlennN · 08-31-2011, 02:24 PM

Nevermind, I forgot this was the iOOTP forum - can't edit the draft pool.

Fonzie · 09-01-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennN

Nevermind, I forgot this was the iOOTP forum - can't edit the draft pool.

I'm not familiar with the current iteration of OOTP - are there similar concerns about starters generated in the draft over the long term?

omgimasian · 09-02-2011, 11:02 PM

I haven't played the fictional league yet but I've pure-simmed a few historical leagues about 30 years each and have found no shortage of 76+/80 starting pitchers. Maybe it's just a bit of bad luck on your game

08-30-2011, 11:08 PM	#1
Fonzie Bat Boy Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 6	Whither the great starters? I've been so in love with iOOTP that I've played it constantly since its release - and am now in the year 2063 with my 30-team fictional league. However, I've noticed something recently that has caused me some concern. It seems that over the last two decades or so that the "stud" starting pitchers have disappeared. By "stud" I'm referring to those guys who have Stuff/Movement/Control all in the blue-range (17+ on the 20 point scale). Early on there were usually a handful of such guys always playing, but for some time now those guys have been absent. There are still 5-star starters out there, but they invariably have some shortcomings. For example, I have a current 5-star starter who has S/M/C ratings of 19/13/13 (along with a 16 in stamina, five pitches and 99-101 mph velocity). There are a total of 10 5-star pitchers league-wide, and none of them are what I would call "stud" territory. All have some deficiencies, and while some of them occasionally have great seasons, none of them have been able to sustain a great career. I've not seen a commensurate change with the studly hitters. This has translated into some noticeable changes in the league leaderboards, with ERA leaders consistently in the 3.15-range and win totals in the high-teens. League-wide ERAs have been in the 4.5-4.7 range. Anybody seen any changes like this with the studly starters? Or was I just lucky with the early preponderance of legendary pitchers I had in my fictional league?

08-31-2011, 02:24 PM	#3
GlennN Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2011 Location: Doylestown, PA Posts: 93	Nevermind, I forgot this was the iOOTP forum - can't edit the draft pool. Last edited by GlennN; 08-31-2011 at 02:25 PM. Reason: Wrong forum - brain cramp!

08-31-2011, 08:30 AM	#2
JayWigley Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 129	This is a great question: how does the dev team ensure that the game is reasonably balanced in the long term, and ensure that there are not only average players developing? If others have OOTP experience that speaks to this question, I'd enjoy the comparison, since I am strictly an iOOTPer now.

09-02-2011, 11:02 PM	#5
omgimasian Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 184	I haven't played the fictional league yet but I've pure-simmed a few historical leagues about 30 years each and have found no shortage of 76+/80 starting pitchers. Maybe it's just a bit of bad luck on your game