OOTP nerds, help me get organized?!

ForeverRoyalKC · 04-09-2019, 10:55 AM

I know this is a tall favor to ask some of you, but here it is......

I have found myself really becoming immersed in baseball again like I was when I was a little boy. I have not only been playing OOTP, but also watching the MLB highlights of every game on my tablet and collecting baseball cards again. I was wondering if you "nerds" could share some pics and info on how organized and deep you are into OOTP. Do you keep printed out notebooks of stats and notes, charts? How do you record your "careers"? Do you make yourself championship banners? How do you organize your teams and leagues on paper?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! I would like to have a "read out" of my immersion.

Thanks!

JaBurns · 04-09-2019, 12:10 PM

I used to keep written records but I have found using shortlists in OOTP grouped by whatever you want to watch on players works well for me.

NoOne · 04-09-2019, 12:13 PM

when i setup a league, i have a table in a spreadsheet with each team listed and various columns like - stadium cap., nat'l media contract, local contract, market size etc etc.. all the stuff i control. i typically have a low/average/high for certain things like attendance local media contracts to accurately guage economic environment.

things are averaged and tabulated at bottom to keep me on track.

i have carry-over reference list for MiL system, as i pare down the RL MLB MiL and retain actual city/nickname combos for their logos and such. i know what to lop off without thinking after that. i also know what team has to be organized into what league etc... all affiliates at any level are all in a 30T league and not split up into multiple smaller leagues.

i typically remove 1-2 cities i don't have any attachment to and insert a fictional club -- e.g. Las Vegas Knights replaced milwaukee last time - a la The Natural, but NY is too crowded as it is with 2 teams. i end up making the important decisions for this team to create another 'superpowered' team... but, i obviously put a lot more effort into my team, lol. the ai ruins my efforts in las vegas, on occasion. i had them setup for a 5-10 year window and it traded all the good young players for some odd reason... i paid a bit more attention to the AI sliders after that... favoring prospects a good 3-5 ticks above middle etc seemd to help.

there's a table for League totals too. it just calculates the derivative stats as i enter the more basic ones and keeps it all in sync. i have AAA-R Totals from a default league mapped out too, in case i have to type those in with a custom league.

once the structure is set and the league is created, i also use long-term sims to hone down static League Total Modifiers. There is a spreadsheet attached in forum on at least 2 threads that contain that spreadsheet -- a slightly older version than what i use, but still functional if columns of exports have not shifted around or been inserted.

it seems like a lot, the modifiers are, but the rest is super easy once it's all mapped out... easy to clear table and make again etc etc..

the folder that contains the spreadsheet aslo has directories named like the data folders of ootp, so i can easily copy and paste any custom files each release.

nearly all redundant work is eliminated year-to-year or creation-to-creation. or at least that is the goal.

as far as looking back on results... i just glance over single/career records and league history in general in game.. nothing in depth there. other than creation and modifiers i don't do anything outside of the game after that. i don't even start a HoF until ~50 years in or so. i want to see what elite really is before i make decisions on that.

i keep zero news.. i do keep the last few years of injuries. but, the asthetic stuff isn't my cup of tea. if i keep box scores or Win-probability graphs it's only for my team.. if i can turn it off an dhave it 'on demand' or similar, that's what i do when given that option... if it can be rebuilt, then i leave it off/dormant until needed/used.

BirdWatcher · 04-09-2019, 01:39 PM

Don't have any pics to share (sorry) but I will admit that I have a hard time getting away from an analog approach and have several 3-ring binders associated with my primary fictional league (the W.P. Kinsella League.)
Really a whole shelf of them.

This includes binders where I keep reports on my minor league prospects by position (roughly, middle infielders are lumped together, corner infielders another category, and outfielders all in one place) and I re-arrange them periodically to represent where I think they are at this point in terms of value as prospects (again, within their basic position category.) (Separate binder for those prospects who have made it to my big league club and for those who have been traded/released/etc. as well as an area for those who have now retired.)

I keep another binder where I have basic stats sheets for any player who ever played even a single game for my fictional major league team (the Denver Brewers), alphabetically organized.

There are binders for processes that I created to add depth to my fictional universe: a process for creating players who are relatives of current players in the WPK, another process for identifying when former WPK players pass away and what their cause of death was.

Then there are countless (not very sophisticated, I must admit) spreadsheets I keep to track my fictional universe.

I can spend hours just updating my prospects reports/binders. And I find it relaxing and a good break from the game sometimes especially if my team is going through a rough spot.

ForeverRoyalKC · 04-14-2019, 09:50 PM

Can I see some spreadsheets relating to what some of you are doing and how you use a spreadsheet for OOTP?
I have a spreadsheet program on my computer, but not sure how to use it beneficially for a league.

SxSnts9 · 04-18-2019, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Don't have any pics to share (sorry) but I will admit that I have a hard time getting away from an analog approach and have several 3-ring binders associated with my primary fictional league (the W.P. Kinsella League.)
Really a whole shelf of them.

This includes binders where I keep reports on my minor league prospects by position (roughly, middle infielders are lumped together, corner infielders another category, and outfielders all in one place) and I re-arrange them periodically to represent where I think they are at this point in terms of value as prospects (again, within their basic position category.) (Separate binder for those prospects who have made it to my big league club and for those who have been traded/released/etc. as well as an area for those who have now retired.)

I keep another binder where I have basic stats sheets for any player who ever played even a single game for my fictional major league team (the Denver Brewers), alphabetically organized.

There are binders for processes that I created to add depth to my fictional universe: a process for creating players who are relatives of current players in the WPK, another process for identifying when former WPK players pass away and what their cause of death was.

Then there are countless (not very sophisticated, I must admit) spreadsheets I keep to track my fictional universe.

I can spend hours just updating my prospects reports/binders. And I find it relaxing and a good break from the game sometimes especially if my team is going through a rough spot.

Damn, for real? That's intense and I applaud your immersion my friend. How long does it take you to actually get through a season? If you're updating everything (Even each prospect) I imagine this is a lengthy labor of love.

BirdWatcher · 04-18-2019, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SxSnts9

Damn, for real? That's intense and I applaud your immersion my friend. How long does it take you to actually get through a season? If you're updating everything (Even each prospect) I imagine this is a lengthy labor of love.

Well, a lot of this is really more just updating annually or semi-annually. I do play out every game that my team plays (though I don't micro-manage, mostly just let AI manage based upon team strategies, though I will jump in sometimes to make a pitching change).
And I usually just update prospects information when a new scouting report comes out.

Started my W.P. Kinsella league with the 1965 season and that was a little over a year ago (started posting about this in Fictional Simulations sub-folder for OOTP19 mid-May 2018 and had completed one season at that point) and now at the All-Star break of 1972. So, I don't move as fast as the people who do more straight simming, but I move along at a decent clip all things considered. Probably helps that I'm single, child-less, and basically have no life.

SxSnts9 · 04-19-2019, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Well, a lot of this is really more just updating annually or semi-annually. I do play out every game that my team plays (though I don't micro-manage, mostly just let AI manage based upon team strategies, though I will jump in sometimes to make a pitching change).
And I usually just update prospects information when a new scouting report comes out.

Started my W.P. Kinsella league with the 1965 season and that was a little over a year ago (started posting about this in Fictional Simulations sub-folder for OOTP19 mid-May 2018 and had completed one season at that point) and now at the All-Star break of 1972. So, I don't move as fast as the people who do more straight simming, but I move along at a decent clip all things considered. Probably helps that I'm single, child-less, and basically have no life.

Are you still writing that up? What's the title? I'd love to read through such an in-depth playthrough.

Andy · 04-19-2019, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SxSnts9

Are you still writing that up? What's the title? I'd love to read through such an in-depth playthrough.

Here it is. Good stuff.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=300500

BirdWatcher · 04-19-2019, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy

Here it is. Good stuff.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=300500

Thanks Andy!

NoOne · 04-19-2019, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

Can I see some spreadsheets relating to what some of you are doing and how you use a spreadsheet for OOTP?
I have a spreadsheet program on my computer, but not sure how to use it beneficially for a league.

i haven't used the random pcm, yet. but the spreadsheet works. yellow is input fields. the rest will re-caclulate. There's 2 versions of the pcm spreadsheet. one is pure random within range, one is based on last years pcm as base that is muliplied by the random value. it cannot go above or below listed max/min range. the min/max change works a bit differently with each.

on my old open office calc software i had some custom macro buttons. in this case it would recalculate, but there's a keyboard shortcut for that too. on the LTM spreadsheet it refreshes any linked tables to batting/pitching/fielding stat csv files exported from ootp. i didn't post a pic of that one, it's been in forums with at least 2 versions out there.

the other pic i showed the names of other worksheets. this one is in progress because i just haven't used it lately. i re-use, but re-structure entire mil system, so i have all that typed out so i can just scan and edit during game creation (you can only see AAA affiliates, but they are all there). i know which teams to move to a consilidated league and which to lop off. saves a ton of time on that process. no thinking required anymore or checking etc. (there is 1 or 2 mistakes in it, which is again, due to me not using and revising it very religiously)

the unnamed worksheet has low/middle/high values for various revenues -- middle being the baselines, or 'middle'. so, i can seen min/avg/max revenue estimates. eventualyl that'll be all math derived from input fields, like market size, as opposed to just static values in a table.

on the page viewable, the capacity is an 'if statement' based on market size. the markets are also 'linked' in the unnamed spreadsheet, so i don't have to re-type them etc.

that was a first rough draft of that rendition. i haven't made it pretty or functional, really. i played that league for 2 years, so i just haven't gotten around to polishing it up beyond some basic one-use info.

and, like birdwatcher said, this stuff is mostly just incremental maintenance, if you create it correctly, which you can see i did not on the structure spreadsheet, lol... but still helps.

DreamTeams · 04-19-2019, 12:04 PM

Been a long time since I've kept paper records. But, I do keep a record of my fictional solo league at my website. You can find the link in my sig. Feel free to visit when you get a chance.

04-09-2019, 10:55 AM	#1
ForeverRoyalKC All Star Starter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hop, skip and a jump from Stockton Lake, MO. Posts: 1,128 Blog Entries: 3	OOTP nerds, help me get organized?! I know this is a tall favor to ask some of you, but here it is...... I have found myself really becoming immersed in baseball again like I was when I was a little boy. I have not only been playing OOTP, but also watching the MLB highlights of every game on my tablet and collecting baseball cards again. I was wondering if you "nerds" could share some pics and info on how organized and deep you are into OOTP. Do you keep printed out notebooks of stats and notes, charts? How do you record your "careers"? Do you make yourself championship banners? How do you organize your teams and leagues on paper? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! I would like to have a "read out" of my immersion. Thanks!

04-09-2019, 12:13 PM	#3
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,167	when i setup a league, i have a table in a spreadsheet with each team listed and various columns like - stadium cap., nat'l media contract, local contract, market size etc etc.. all the stuff i control. i typically have a low/average/high for certain things like attendance local media contracts to accurately guage economic environment. things are averaged and tabulated at bottom to keep me on track. i have carry-over reference list for MiL system, as i pare down the RL MLB MiL and retain actual city/nickname combos for their logos and such. i know what to lop off without thinking after that. i also know what team has to be organized into what league etc... all affiliates at any level are all in a 30T league and not split up into multiple smaller leagues. i typically remove 1-2 cities i don't have any attachment to and insert a fictional club -- e.g. Las Vegas Knights replaced milwaukee last time - a la The Natural, but NY is too crowded as it is with 2 teams. i end up making the important decisions for this team to create another 'superpowered' team... but, i obviously put a lot more effort into my team, lol. the ai ruins my efforts in las vegas, on occasion. i had them setup for a 5-10 year window and it traded all the good young players for some odd reason... i paid a bit more attention to the AI sliders after that... favoring prospects a good 3-5 ticks above middle etc seemd to help. there's a table for League totals too. it just calculates the derivative stats as i enter the more basic ones and keeps it all in sync. i have AAA-R Totals from a default league mapped out too, in case i have to type those in with a custom league. once the structure is set and the league is created, i also use long-term sims to hone down static League Total Modifiers. There is a spreadsheet attached in forum on at least 2 threads that contain that spreadsheet -- a slightly older version than what i use, but still functional if columns of exports have not shifted around or been inserted. it seems like a lot, the modifiers are, but the rest is super easy once it's all mapped out... easy to clear table and make again etc etc.. the folder that contains the spreadsheet aslo has directories named like the data folders of ootp, so i can easily copy and paste any custom files each release. nearly all redundant work is eliminated year-to-year or creation-to-creation. or at least that is the goal. as far as looking back on results... i just glance over single/career records and league history in general in game.. nothing in depth there. other than creation and modifiers i don't do anything outside of the game after that. i don't even start a HoF until ~50 years in or so. i want to see what elite really is before i make decisions on that. i keep zero news.. i do keep the last few years of injuries. but, the asthetic stuff isn't my cup of tea. if i keep box scores or Win-probability graphs it's only for my team.. if i can turn it off an dhave it 'on demand' or similar, that's what i do when given that option... if it can be rebuilt, then i leave it off/dormant until needed/used. Last edited by NoOne; 04-09-2019 at 12:22 PM.

04-19-2019, 12:04 PM	#12
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,521	Been a long time since I've kept paper records. But, I do keep a record of my fictional solo league at my website. You can find the link in my sig. Feel free to visit when you get a chance. __________________

04-09-2019, 12:10 PM	#2
JaBurns All Star Starter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Kelowna, British Columbia Posts: 1,266	I used to keep written records but I have found using shortlists in OOTP grouped by whatever you want to watch on players works well for me.

04-09-2019, 01:39 PM	#4
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Don't have any pics to share (sorry) but I will admit that I have a hard time getting away from an analog approach and have several 3-ring binders associated with my primary fictional league (the W.P. Kinsella League.) Really a whole shelf of them. This includes binders where I keep reports on my minor league prospects by position (roughly, middle infielders are lumped together, corner infielders another category, and outfielders all in one place) and I re-arrange them periodically to represent where I think they are at this point in terms of value as prospects (again, within their basic position category.) (Separate binder for those prospects who have made it to my big league club and for those who have been traded/released/etc. as well as an area for those who have now retired.) I keep another binder where I have basic stats sheets for any player who ever played even a single game for my fictional major league team (the Denver Brewers), alphabetically organized. There are binders for processes that I created to add depth to my fictional universe: a process for creating players who are relatives of current players in the WPK, another process for identifying when former WPK players pass away and what their cause of death was. Then there are countless (not very sophisticated, I must admit) spreadsheets I keep to track my fictional universe. I can spend hours just updating my prospects reports/binders. And I find it relaxing and a good break from the game sometimes especially if my team is going through a rough spot.

04-14-2019, 09:50 PM	#5
ForeverRoyalKC All Star Starter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hop, skip and a jump from Stockton Lake, MO. Posts: 1,128 Blog Entries: 3	Can I see some spreadsheets relating to what some of you are doing and how you use a spreadsheet for OOTP? I have a spreadsheet program on my computer, but not sure how to use it beneficially for a league.