How in the hell to set up customized yet realistic historical sim

DaveMagadanAllStars · 01-26-2018, 11:35 PM

Ok gents...
I have a proposition for all you mod experts as this discussion has befuddled me for many, many months at this point and I am at my wits end as to how to configure with OOTP18

The general theme of what I'm trying to pull off is a resim of MLB history from 1978 to present day where the Expos never move to DC while allowing the Marlins, Rockies, D-Backs, Rays to automatically join MLB when they expanded historically.

Below is the laundry list of optimal objectives:
- start in 1978 offseason prior to 1978 season, ideally as close to Jan 1, 1978 as possible, running up to and beyond present day
- 1985 strategy/AI/stats used as baseline for league/team/individual performance throughout all historical years as well as into the future, thereby eliminating the steroid era jump in offensive output although only really concerned with this at the MLB level
- ideally, use OOTP development engine where players may or may not end up being comparable to how they performed in real life, trying to avoid using recalc based on real stats as I hope to have ratings changes match OOTP sim results
- league structure matching present-day East / Central / West AL & NL starting in 1978 and remaining in place (not requiring annual reconfiguration) over the course of historical simulation while allowing for expansion in 1993 & 1998
- playoff format beginning in 1978 reflects present day format (two wild cards per league who play 1-game playoff before winner advances to face one of the 3 division winners)
- ghost players (if utilized) cannot reach major leagues and zero fictional players
- import historical rookies to their original MLB organization in the respective year they joined in real life
- annual draft turned off
- coaching / scouting system turned on with normal accuracy
- zero interleague play ever with balanced schedule setting turned off allowing for me to generate a new league schedule annually
- team logos, uniforms, ballparks automatically update to match real-life changes on annual basis
- league, team, player & coach financials imported upon league creation to match present day with 1% maximum annual inflation over the course of the historical resim and into the future
- 8 years (from 6 yr default) of minimum service years before players eligible for free agency
- ideally all minor leagues league & affiliate match history with affiliate / league changes automatically done when calendar turns over to new year
- historical lineups/transactions off
- zero
- DH off at MLB or minor-league levels from 1978 forward

Sorry in advance for the level of granularity I'm attempting to accomplish as I'm just trying to provide as much detail in advance with the hope of getting some expert input as to how feasible all of this is.

To put it simply, I would like to take the reigns as the GM of the Expos in 1978 and see how, in this alternative universe, things play out with minimal deviation from how players actually developed historically. Lastly, one last issue I have encountered in past attempts to replicate this type of sim has been a preponderance of imported historical rookies being created with mlb-ready ratings and debuting and making significant contributions at the MLB level at a very young age (example: Dwight Gooden showing up in Mets organization upon historical rookie import in 1982 and making jump to the Mets rotation by opening day 1983 - at the age of 18). How can this be prevented aside from setting a minimum MLB age for players???

PM me or post below with questions / comments and really hoping this can be accomplished and a sincere thanks in advance of any assistance the OOTP community is able to generate.

Spritze · 01-27-2018, 02:03 PM

Other than
-zero

these are all options that can be addressed during league creation and then by going to game settings before advancing into league play and making further choices to match your wants. Most if not all of these items are explained on the various game settings screens.

As far as your prepondurances go, well the game will tend to choose players for its teams based on the best man for the job. If you want no Goodens or Griffeys just block them out.

thehef · 01-27-2018, 07:33 PM

Although I can't speak to every single aspect, it all sounds very doable, as Spritze indicated (he would know). However, since you have a very specific setup & progression in mind, I recommend running some tests where you don't worry about the micromanaging of your team/organization and instead just blaze through the seasons and see if, primarily structurally, things play out the way you want them. Then once you figure out what goes wrong or counter to your wishes, determine what needs to be done to overcome those things (either by figuring out for yourself or posting here), and then develop some step-by-step instructions - both for initial setup and year-by-year progression - for when you "go live."

In other words, you don't want to put all of your time, energy and commitment into the first try, spend hours on the various aspects of the game that are the reason that you want to play in the first place, only to realize that after one or two seasons you have to start over (or live with undesirable circumstances) because you forgot or didn't realize you had to tweak this or that setting...

Good luck!

01-26-2018, 11:35 PM	#1
DaveMagadanAllStars Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 32	How in the hell to set up customized yet realistic historical sim Ok gents... I have a proposition for all you mod experts as this discussion has befuddled me for many, many months at this point and I am at my wits end as to how to configure with OOTP18 The general theme of what I'm trying to pull off is a resim of MLB history from 1978 to present day where the Expos never move to DC while allowing the Marlins, Rockies, D-Backs, Rays to automatically join MLB when they expanded historically. Below is the laundry list of optimal objectives: - start in 1978 offseason prior to 1978 season, ideally as close to Jan 1, 1978 as possible, running up to and beyond present day - 1985 strategy/AI/stats used as baseline for league/team/individual performance throughout all historical years as well as into the future, thereby eliminating the steroid era jump in offensive output although only really concerned with this at the MLB level - ideally, use OOTP development engine where players may or may not end up being comparable to how they performed in real life, trying to avoid using recalc based on real stats as I hope to have ratings changes match OOTP sim results - league structure matching present-day East / Central / West AL & NL starting in 1978 and remaining in place (not requiring annual reconfiguration) over the course of historical simulation while allowing for expansion in 1993 & 1998 - playoff format beginning in 1978 reflects present day format (two wild cards per league who play 1-game playoff before winner advances to face one of the 3 division winners) - ghost players (if utilized) cannot reach major leagues and zero fictional players - import historical rookies to their original MLB organization in the respective year they joined in real life - annual draft turned off - coaching / scouting system turned on with normal accuracy - zero interleague play ever with balanced schedule setting turned off allowing for me to generate a new league schedule annually - team logos, uniforms, ballparks automatically update to match real-life changes on annual basis - league, team, player & coach financials imported upon league creation to match present day with 1% maximum annual inflation over the course of the historical resim and into the future - 8 years (from 6 yr default) of minimum service years before players eligible for free agency - ideally all minor leagues league & affiliate match history with affiliate / league changes automatically done when calendar turns over to new year - historical lineups/transactions off - zero - DH off at MLB or minor-league levels from 1978 forward Sorry in advance for the level of granularity I'm attempting to accomplish as I'm just trying to provide as much detail in advance with the hope of getting some expert input as to how feasible all of this is. To put it simply, I would like to take the reigns as the GM of the Expos in 1978 and see how, in this alternative universe, things play out with minimal deviation from how players actually developed historically. Lastly, one last issue I have encountered in past attempts to replicate this type of sim has been a preponderance of imported historical rookies being created with mlb-ready ratings and debuting and making significant contributions at the MLB level at a very young age (example: Dwight Gooden showing up in Mets organization upon historical rookie import in 1982 and making jump to the Mets rotation by opening day 1983 - at the age of 18). How can this be prevented aside from setting a minimum MLB age for players??? PM me or post below with questions / comments and really hoping this can be accomplished and a sincere thanks in advance of any assistance the OOTP community is able to generate. Last edited by DaveMagadanAllStars; 01-26-2018 at 11:36 PM. Reason: email preference updated

01-27-2018, 02:03 PM	#2
Spritze OOTP Historical Czar Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Bothell Wa Posts: 7,254	Other than -zero these are all options that can be addressed during league creation and then by going to game settings before advancing into league play and making further choices to match your wants. Most if not all of these items are explained on the various game settings screens. As far as your prepondurances go, well the game will tend to choose players for its teams based on the best man for the job. If you want no Goodens or Griffeys just block them out. __________________ It's madness, madness, I tell you! For the love of God, don't do it!

01-27-2018, 07:33 PM	#3
thehef Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,838	Although I can't speak to every single aspect, it all sounds very doable, as Spritze indicated (he would know). However, since you have a very specific setup & progression in mind, I recommend running some tests where you don't worry about the micromanaging of your team/organization and instead just blaze through the seasons and see if, primarily structurally, things play out the way you want them. Then once you figure out what goes wrong or counter to your wishes, determine what needs to be done to overcome those things (either by figuring out for yourself or posting here), and then develop some step-by-step instructions - both for initial setup and year-by-year progression - for when you "go live." In other words, you don't want to put all of your time, energy and commitment into the first try, spend hours on the various aspects of the game that are the reason that you want to play in the first place, only to realize that after one or two seasons you have to start over (or live with undesirable circumstances) because you forgot or didn't realize you had to tweak this or that setting... Good luck!