How do you sim?

[spider_monkey_b]

After being hardcore in the WBH so far, shameless plug below:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=149413

I am finally ready to start my solo league. I've completed my draft using Icy's MLB setup, and was wondering what your sim preferences are?

I don't want the season to progress too quickly so I am going to play out all the games, but am trying to decide between managing in either full mode, one-pitch mode, or just letting the coach make the calls and observing.

[looneyluden]

I play out each game. But I use one-pitch mode, because the games would take too long for me with all pitches. Games take me an average of 15 minutes with one-pitch mode, and that is perfect for me. Also I play totally fictional. I downloaded a bunch of fictional stadiums and logos from some of the modders here. My season has been lots of fun so far. I'm finally about 3/4's done with my first season.

[BrknPhoenix]

Well, I'm sure I'll change it up eventually, but right now...

Year is 2007 using the Lahman database to get 2006's real players.
No fictional players to start, but they can be discovered in other countries/develop in future years.
Each team has their real Triple A organization.
One game at a time in PBP one-pitch mode.

Currently I'm only about 9 or 10 games into Spring Training with the Chicago Cubs

[Comedian2004]

Here is one of my favorite ways to play:

I start a historical simulation starting in 1901. I DO NOT import historical records, as I do not want to have Cy and his 5000 wins and some of those other unbreakable records.

I then turn on the almanac to save the box scores and games.
I also set it up to do a CSV dump at the end of each year.
I turn trading to hard. I import rookies and have a draft BEFORE the season starts.

I then autosimulate until the year I want to play. 1950, 1940, 1968, whatever I feel like. The part I hate the worse is playing in a league with no divisions and no wildcard. But, you have to do that to keep it historical.

Then I release everyone and have a fantasy draft. I then take over the day to day operation. I manage the teams, using ONE PITCH mode.I do occasional have the computer finish the games in blow outs or boring games.

On occasion, I may even just sim the game or week, not playing them out. It just depends on how I feel. If towards the end of the year, my team is stinking up, I resign and let the computer take over for a few years. You can then see how the team you drafted did. The computer usually keeps the team pretty well together. Occasionally you come back and see that they traded a certain player away and you shake your head and say 'idiot'.

Now, I may sim a few more years or 10 more years. I then do it all over again. Release all the players and have another draft.

My last team I played the entire season, just making the playoffs, to be swept in 4 games. I resigned and the computer also won the division the next 2 years and then started to fade.

I liked my last team, but with Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio on the same team, what's not to like? Ted was kick ass, and an aging Joe D. did ok.

When Ted got hurt for 2 months, I ended up autosimming a lot of those games. Amazing what Mr. Headless can do to a league.

[Khrog]

I work from an all fictional universe and typically sim a week at a time making adjustments in between. I pick interesting games for my team to sim, but I'm usually a handsoff GM outside of setting the Major League Lineups/Pitching Rotation.

[endgame]

Originally Posted by spider_monkey_b

trying to decide between managing in either full mode, one-pitch mode, or just letting the coach make the calls and observing.

Currently, I set the options page to my manager for Pitching Strategy, Defensive Strategy, and Substitutions. I reserve the Offensive Strategy for myself, effectively allowing me the calls on how to best (IMHO) use the players he's selected. While I have the occasional beef with his choice of subs or lineups, I still defer to his judgment, and in some cases have even gleaned a little insight into this methods. I restrain myself from making any calls in those other areas, even when my temper may seem fit to flare. I can't complain. His decisions have played a great role in keeping the team's morale up - even when a couple of acquisitions seemed to take a while to acclimate to their new surroundings - and still has us leading the division a game up.

In addition, I still handle all of the GM work: trades, roster moves, etc.. except for the minors. I delegate roster management to their coaches. I'd have to say I'm enjoying the fact I've decided to limit the in-game decisions, as with this version there's always plenty to do. Good luck with your league.

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by Comedian2004

Then I release everyone and have a fantasy draft....I then do it all over again. Release all the players and have another draft.

That would be an interesting thing to do, have a fantasy re-draft at the beginning of every season. Anyone out there doing this?

I play out every one of my games in one-pitch mode. A double-tap on the enter key and the next batter is already rolling. I have learned to be a little more careful when the eighth batter is up. Too many times I've had my pitcher out there swinging away in a key situation when it's obvious a pinch-hitter should be in there. It makes for a very interesting post-game interview...

The only thing that slows me down is writing a game re-cap for every game.

[hmatthias]

Is there any way to watch the game in one pitch mode? If I turn off all manageing options, it always puts me back into all pitch mode.

[ctorg]

I play in lots of different ways, but I don't have a lot of time to spend on OOTP, so I mostly play pretty fast-paced.

My most recent hybrid playing style has been pretty good for me:

Sim April.
Play out every game until the draft pool is announced.
Sim until the rookie draft.
Play out every game until the trade deadline.
Sim August.
Play out the rest of the season.

I do pretty often sim games in the "play out" periods, but the thing I like about this particular hybrid is that there is no point in the season where I feel really out of touch with the individual players, while at the same time, I get to go pretty quickly through the season.

[Mr.Opinion]

I play every M,W,F,Su game.

[phenom]

I play one game of every series, more if it's an important/interesting series, but always at least one game of every series.

[SandMan]

Originally Posted by Bobble

That would be an interesting thing to do, have a fantasy re-draft at the beginning of every season. Anyone out there doing this?

I did this for a short game then deleted it because I could not control the AI contracts like I wanted to and was going to re do it with financials off.

I did a release all with a fantasy draft, no annual draft, The game gave me way too many players originally and I had a ton of guys on the reserve rosters. I ran the release each year but did cheat a bit. I allowed each team to keep 3 players by manually drafting those players in the draft in the first 3 rounds.

BTW, you NEED to do it this way. Do not release at the end of season and think that teams will sign the players as FA's, it screwed up one of my seasons and I had to go back to backup and redo the new inaugural draft sequence.

This was fun for a while but it was hard to know the teams using fictional players.

If I remember correctly someone once wanted MLB to release all players at EOS and to only offer 1 year contracts based on performance. In essence making everyone a FA. The concept was brilliant and would have kept salaries down if implemented. I think this was mentioned sometime in the mid 1970's.....


Gawd, typing this I am beginning to get an idea for my next game. Using my Random Debut Utility, Financials off, injuries and trades off, June annual draft, but release all and redraft the following January each season, ....uhmmm....

[Comedian2004]

We pushed for this option during beta, but was told it was not possible. Bummer.

Originally Posted by hmatthias

Is there any way to watch the game in one pitch mode? If I turn off all manageing options, it always puts me back into all pitch mode.

[texasmame]

I play the way I used to in my BBW days - one pitch mode, sim each game with the team I manage, with me as manager/GM/Commish. It does take a bit but, for me, I don't really like the idea of someone else calling the shots for my team.