First year in the books... and I'm feeling like an unhappy snowflake. :)

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Galeg

And anyone who knows how to play will do the same, but we're speaking about people who are trying to pick up the game for the first time.

This is the "new to the game" forum, so I assumed that people were coming here looking for advice like this.

[Qeltar]

Just to roll back to some context, you asked how the owner model can be improved. I'm not sure that this specifically counts as part of the "owner model" but I think giving people more information about whom they are about to take a job with up front would be very helpful to newer players.

This way, if I see that the owner is a demanding penny-pincher and decide to go work for him anyway, it's all on me.

Starting the game unemployed is counter-intuitive. I never even considered it because my first thought was that I would have less choice.

One compromise might be for OOTP to make more clear on that screen that starting unemployed gives you a chance to learn about each organization and then pick one.

[Critical Mass]

One thing I've learned from Star Trek: if you want something done in four hours, tell the crew you want it done in two. Then when they do their best and get it done in three, they met your goal.

If the owner didn't fire you, he isn't that mad. You've already invested that much, and it may take another year or two to pan out. Keep building. Bringing in popular players will increase attendance, even if they are bench players. Look to bring in some older, cheap popular players off the FA list.

[Qeltar]

So an amusing epilogue..

I had to roll back the last day of the first season because I completely forgot that it was going to release every MiLB coach I had meticulously hunted down if their contracts expired. When I did, the goals changed.

One of them is now a team record goal, which is: "Don't suck completely." I actually laughed. That's what the goal should have been the first year. Maybe someone snuck in and lobotomized my owner when I wasn't looking.

[Orcin]

Or maybe it is somewhat random.

[Qeltar]

I know, I was just joking.

Just thought it was funny because in my mind it was like the guy saying, after the season, "okay, fine, you're not ready for .500 ball, just please don't embarrass me?"

In other news, my best player wants a long-term contract. I have no idea why -- I got him in a good trade by a team that undervalued him and he took off, and is a real candidate for RoY, which will be announced in 9 game days.

He's only just turning 24 in a few days and put up .331/.382/.588 in almost a full year. But he's mostly a stick -- mediocre defensively and not fast.

I had been reading about locking up young players. He wants 6 years for $30m. He's got one more year at the minimum and then arbitration estimates at almost $22m over the four years after that. He's voluntarily offering one of his FA years.

It seems like a no-brainer except that:

1. He's very young, has risen quickly, and the one year could have been a fluke. No way to know.
2. $5m/year is a good price for a good player, but on this team it's Rolls Royce money. My entire player payroll this year will be in the $50m range, and that includes the $15m I have to blow on a graybeard pinch hitter on the last year of one of those "what WERE they thinking?" type contracts (Prado).

Going to have to think this one over. I'm inclined to go for it -- seems like a reasonable risk, and at some point, if this owner wants to make the playoffs, he's going to have to open his purse a bit. (If he doesn't, I'll be moving along at some point anyway.. I can't be expected to compete for the division with the Nationals with 1/3 the budget.)

Fun game, even if it seems more like work than play at times.

PS I'm assuming his price will go up if he wins RoY... I had a guy in the low minors win some award and now a bunch of teams want him. My scout is still unimpressed, and it was a small sample size, so he likely gets moved.

[Qeltar]

Originally Posted by Qeltar

- Whining that I didn't acquire a Cy Young winner. (Where was I supposed to get this from, magic fairy dust? A trade locking us into spending 30% of our player budget on one guy while losing one of our few prospects?)

So, some of you may be amused at the loophole I found to deal with this. It's cheesy, but hey, make a dumb demand, get a dumb solution.

During the offseason I found in the FA list... Tim Lincecum. Hired him to a minor league contract, and it now shows "Acquired Tim Lincecum" in blue under "Progress" for this silly goal.

I have no idea if I am going to have to treat him like an effective "rule 5 draftee" and carry him all season to keep my owner happy or if him being in the minors counts. I guess I could call him up in September or something. Anyway, I sort of laughed when I saw him in the FA list.

Maybe he'll actually turn out to be useful? Do veterans ever pull dramatic turnrounds (like Porcello this year)?

[BBGiovanni]

Actually I think that's a perfect solutiin, although I wouldn't expect any more production out of the virtual version than the real-life Timmy

[Qeltar]

He's thrown 1 inning in ST so far and got bombed... but he's not alone in that.

He probably won't make the team. My fan interest better not go down as a result, because it sure didn't go up when I signed him. (My guess is that he has to make the active roster one way or the other for it to matter.)

[Clavette]

Maybe the owner will die next season..

[stl jason]

Originally Posted by Qeltar

Which is completely counterintuitive to what 99% of new players would do.

Who wants to start a new GM sim game where you start out unemployed? That's the sort of trick a veteran would think of, not a newbie.

They should let you learn about the owners before asking what you want. IRL it's not like these people would be unknown.

while you'd start the game off 'unemployed', you'll most likely have a good number of job offers in your inbox immediately... then you can go to each team offering you a job to check out the owner profile and see if that's someone you want to work for or not... find the one you like best (be it a hands-off cash-cow, or the unmerciful penny-pincher) and run with it...

[Qeltar]

Originally Posted by stl jason

while you'd start the game off 'unemployed', you'll most likely have a good number of job offers in your inbox immediately... then you can go to each team offering you a job to check out the owner profile and see if that's someone you want to work for or not... find the one you like best (be it a hands-off cash-cow, or the unmerciful penny-pincher) and run with it...

Understood, but the average new player is excited to play, just launched the game and was told he can take control of his favorite team. Why would he select "unemployed"? If he's thinking of the owner at all, he's basing it off the real world owner's reputation.

I'm not disputing that your method works. I'm saying that it would be much more user-friendly to all players, and especially new ones, to show a summary of relevant organizational info (budget, owner characteristics, fan base) and then ask for a confirmation if the player wants to work for the team.

[Reggie]

Originally Posted by Clavette

Maybe the owner will die next season..

Maybe it will be an "accident".