Stats Only

[thriller13]

Originally Posted by Orcin

If you had been around here since the days of Malleus Dei, you would realize that this is not "fighting". Nobody has suggested that the opposition get a gun.

I was definitely around in those days I don't post often but have been lurking and reading these boards for a long time.

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by canadian content

The time constraint issue is one of my main concerns which is why I asked some very specific questions that I felt were important in making decisions on how I want to or should play the game. If I felt that stats only is the way to go, I would play it that way but I remain unconvinced that it is best way to play. It may be the best way to play but there are too many unanswered questions to come to that conclusion, at least for me.

As someone who just did it and still struggles with the slowness, it's only the way to play if you have time for it. My suggestion? Have a separate, smaller league where you test out stats only. Maybe only mess with that one when you have time to immerse. Might be a good laboratory for that. Also there are tons of quickstarts and templates out there -- I've released a few too -- where you can just jump into a league that already has a history and things going on, so you can just play.

[tcblcommish]

I love the idea of stats only and have played it off and on to be honest. I have such a hard time getting into the league right from the beginning because there is so much to pour over right away.

I can jump into a game where ratings are there and pick it up and play and have no problems really other than financial so in that respect I think stats inky is a much harder mode.

One thing I have also noticed in my time playing stats only is that I see players stats and think they are great but when I see people post on here about war and other stats, I have found out that I'm really not that great at analyzing a person's stats at all, lol.

I would love to know what the stats are for hitters and pitchers that could really help me go that next step and not just look at batting average and era.

I love this thread too, keep it going!!

[PSUColonel]

FIP and BB/9 for pitchers

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by tcblcommish

I love the idea of stats only and have played it off and on to be honest. I have such a hard time getting into the league right from the beginning because there is so much to pour over right away.

I can jump into a game where ratings are there and pick it up and play and have no problems really other than financial so in that respect I think stats inky is a much harder mode.

Tedium does not equate to difficulty.

[BIG17EASY]

Nevermind

[canadian content]

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

As someone who just did it and still struggles with the slowness, it's only the way to play if you have time for it. My suggestion? Have a separate, smaller league where you test out stats only. Maybe only mess with that one when you have time to immerse. Might be a good laboratory for that. Also there are tons of quickstarts and templates out there -- I've released a few too -- where you can just jump into a league that already has a history and things going on, so you can just play.

Thank you very much for this post, that's very kind of you.

Something I didn't reveal in this thread is the fact that I am currently playing stats only...I like it but I also like to play with ratings, too. I tend to flip back and forth but prefer the stats only way to play and it has nothing to do with what a real GM does or not......it has to do with what someone finds as being fun. Most of us here probably grew up looking over the MLB statistics pages in the newspaper and reading the Street and Smith, Bill Mazeroski yearbooks and the Bill James Baseball Abstracts. We love our stats.

I like to challenge all ideas and get suggestions to find what most consider to be the best way to play this game whether that be with rating on or off and the settings people use when playing these games.

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by canadian content

Thank you very much for this post, that's very kind of you.

Something I didn't reveal in this thread is the fact that I am currently playing stats only...I like it but I also like to play with ratings, too. I tend to flip back and forth but prefer the stats only way to play and it has nothing to do with what a real GM does or not......it has to do with what someone finds as being fun. Most of us here probably grew up looking over the MLB statistics pages in the newspaper and reading the Street and Smith, Bill Mazeroski yearbooks and the Bill James Baseball Abstracts. We love our stats.

I like to challenge all ideas and get suggestions to find what most consider to be the best way to play this game whether that be with rating on or off and the settings people use when playing these games.

I never obsessed over stats...to me inate talent is much more important....stats can fluctuate....good years, bad years...and yes performance matters, but it's talent which drives performance...not the over analyzation of statistics.

[canadian content]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

I never obsessed over stats...to me inate talent is much more important....stats can fluctuate....good years, bad years...and yes performance matters, but it's talent which drives performance...not the over analyzation of statistics.

AJ Burnett was one of the most talented players I have ever seen...outside of the occasional flashes of brilliance, you would never know it. It's a good thing we have statistics, GOOD statistics, to tell us if it matters or not.

[PSUColonel]

Burnett is a very good pitcher IMO

[kmoser]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

I never obsessed over stats...to me inate talent is much more important....stats can fluctuate....good years, bad years...and yes performance matters, but it's talent which drives performance...not the over analyzation of statistics.

The over analyzation and statistics are what make baseball so unique to me. People that are overflowing with talent sometimes just don't development right and bust. I think it's performance over talent. Look at what happened to Billy Beane. The guy was picked before Daryl Strawberry because they though he was more talented. He just couldn't perform.

[canadian content]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

Burnett is a very good pitcher IMO

Not good enough considering the fact that for several years he had the best stuff in baseball.

He should have put up Pedro Martinez/ Randy Johnson type numbers.

[EricS521]

how do you set it up to play every game in a season?

[md5423]

Sorry if this has been mentioned in the thread already, but how do you guys handle international amateur FA's? Do you guys disable them or do you generate them and go off of scouting reports?

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by md5423

Sorry if this has been mentioned in the thread already, but how do you guys handle international amateur FA's? Do you guys disable them or do you generate them and go off of scouting reports?

Per Wolf's advice when I asked him about this, disable them. I'm toying with the idea of leaving the "scout finds" on because there's no risk in signing them to the international complex. But with no stats to go off of for international free agents, unless you have scouts set to 100 percent accurate, it's a total roll of the dice.

[tcblcommish]

I don't remember but when your players are sitting in the complex, do they build stats at all? I know they play overseas games but do they show the stats?

[md5423]

Originally Posted by tcblcommish

I don't remember but when your players are sitting in the complex, do they build stats at all? I know they play overseas games but do they show the stats?

I'm not 100% sure, but i do not think that they accumulate any stats while in the INT complex...

I will probably turn off the international FA but keep the scouting discoveries so that I will have players to fill up my Dominican and Venezuelan rookie league teams.

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by tcblcommish

I don't remember but when your players are sitting in the complex, do they build stats at all? I know they play overseas games but do they show the stats?

No, no stats, but they do develop. You'd have to rely on scouting reports to determine the development.

[KGHerm]

So, you have me curious, Wolf.

I don't think I've seen you answer this anywhere, but if you happened to play a standard MLB game, what settings would you use, if not stats-only? I know fictional leagues are what you do, but what do you think you would choose?

[DJ3K]

I started playing SO about a week ago and it's the most enjoyable way to play IMO. I used real MLB setup but put talent change randomness at 200 so by the time I take over a team in 2020, I won't have too big of an advantage by using prior knowledge. Also just a tip, make sure to turn off independent league players because they have no stats to look at. I leave fielding rating on 1-5 because I am not well versed on defensive metrics. I'm hoping in OOTP16 there will be an option to have scouting replace where ratings usually are!