Ways to make the game harder?

[relrel1809]

Ok i wanted to know any tips for making the game harder. I won 3 world series in 29 years in iootp12. I was talking as far as viewing player ratings/hiding attributes to make the game a little harder but not being totally blind due to a lack of scouting reports.

[Panchobamba]

My last team in iootp2012 I placed 1st in 14 out of 17 seasons, won 7 WS, made playoff 16 times. Budget was $130,000,000 most of those years. I don't know any technical solutions to make game harder but I just started a new team with a $55,000,000 budget. Team is abominable. Just got through a W2 L17 stretch. Challenge will be to see how I can build this team into a contender.
I also bought the 1962 season pack and played as the New York Mets. Finally won the series in 1966. Those historical years with no playoffs, just the top two teams in the WS can be a challenge.

[Sebastian Palkowski]

3 World Series in 29 years, you call that impressive?

I guess the only way is by choosing bad teams and try to bring them to the top.

[relrel1809]

I do!!! Lol it was the Astros. 3 titles 5 runner ups lol

[MorseMoose]

I must suck....I'm 15 games below .500 with the Twins.

I'm playing every game, though.

[relrel1809]

Dude i had a few astros teams lose 100+ the first 4 seasons lol

[sfnate]

My approach probably won't be a popular one, but it works for me. Here it is:

• Play fictional. Not knowing the players, and their historical achievements, makes your job evaluating talent a little bit harder.
  
• Don't use the default fine grain ratings (1-20, 1-100)--use 1-5 or 2-8. This helps to blur the ratings distinctions between players. (I don't turn off ratings completely--in real life all teams use some kind of scale to rate and evaluate players so I just use 2-8, which is similar to MLB scouts' 20-80.)
  
• Don't exploit the AI. We all know how easy it can be to make a fool of the AI by making extremely one-sided trades that are clearly taking advantage of the AI--resist the temptation to do so and instead (next item)
  
• Establish some house rules. For example, trade like for like, or limit yourself to one-for-one trades. Make fair exchanges that benefit both sides (you AND the AI). During games, don't use run-and-hit all the time because you find it works 7 times out of 10. Don't have your pitcher throw to first base repeatedly until he picks off the runner. Stuff like that. Just play in a way that doesn't leverage your superior ability to find tricky ways to cheat or exploit the AI.
  
• Let the AI "manage" some of your own operations. For example, let the AI handle your trades and the draft. I like to simulate "institutional incompetence" when I run a team--in real life no single person has ALL the control, and management teams can be collectively very stupid at times. Bring some "stupidity" into your organization by hiring the AI. It will frustrate you and you will see the obvious flaws in what the AI is doing, but on the other hand you may discover that not having total control "feels" more like real life.
  
• Pick a team that is in a very bad way (lousy players, poor finances, etc) and try to make it better, over time, using some or all of the suggestions above. It might take you 3-5 seasons to get back to respectability, but you might find it more satisfying than exploiting the AI by making a ton of blockbuster trades that catapult you to the top of the standings in a single season.

[relrel1809]

Those are great ideas nate! As far as letting the AI have some control to dumb down the organization, do you let them do your whole draft? And make trades for your team? Like a "Co-GM"? And do you let the cpu set up the organization a few times a year too? Wow this has really got me energized to start a fictional league!!

[Panchobamba]

Those are good ideas sfnate. I already practice a few of them and have been building up the courage to have AI pick my draft. It's hard to do with an atrocious team, but I'll choose it over having my wife pick draft or do trades, live on a diet of bread and water and sitting on my brand new bed of nails!

[sfnate]

Originally Posted by relrel1809

Those are great ideas nate! As far as letting the AI have some control to dumb down the organization, do you let them do your whole draft? And make trades for your team? Like a "Co-GM"? And do you let the cpu set up the organization a few times a year too? Wow this has really got me energized to start a fictional league!!

I tend to do this:

I allow myself to make a couple of draft picks in the first three rounds. I do NOT make the first pick. The AI does that. Once I've picked my two guys, I let the AI do the rest of the draft.

I then let the AI do the entire team setup. I play out the first few games with the AIs setup, then tweak as I become more familiar with the strengths/weaknesses of the players.

I turn over the Roster Moves & Transactions to the AI. This is intended to simulate the authority that a team's front office has over career management for individual players. And yes, I frequently get irritated when I see a guy in the minors who I think should be on the 25 man roster, but that frustration plays into my overall narrative that I'm not 100% in control of the organization.

I let the AI initiate and make trades. This comes along with turning over Roster Moves & Transactions to the AI. More frustration here, but also some joy when the AI somehow manages to make a decent trade.

The AI is also allowed to release players or pick up free agents.

I might allow myself a couple of opportunities per year to do a trade myself, or pick up a free agent. That seems reasonable and probably corresponds to the amount of input a manager might have (overall). When I do this, though, I don't game the AI. I just look for solid players who fill a real need. I'm not trying to create an All Star team by exploiting the AI.

In games I let the AI handle substitutions. Yep, that's right. This (in my mind) simulates the input that the bench or pitching coaches might have in recommending when (for example) a pitcher should be pulled or a pinch hitter selected. If I feel I absolutely must make a lineup change myself, I'll turn off the AI's control of the substitutions, make the change, then turn the AI's control back on.

I myself set all the lineups, depth charts, and pitching rotation/relievers.

The result of all this collaboration with the AI is what feels like working with a bunch of strong personalities who don't always agree with you and make your life difficult, frustrating, but also sometimes very rewarding. For example, I've seen the AI make pinch hit substitutions in games where I just couldn't have imagined myself doing the same thing, but the result was a key hit that turned the game around. Or a pitching change that resulted in a crucial 1-2-3 inning. On balance, it just feels more like real life than running every single aspect of a team.

[magicspeedo]

I won 4 WS in my first 7 years with the cubs. So 3 in 29 years isn't that great, although winning just one in 29 years would still be good.

[Disco Dog 13]

Originally Posted by magicspeedo

I won 4 WS in my first 7 years with the cubs. So 3 in 29 years isn't that great, although winning just one in 29 years would still be good.

Won it with the Pirates in last years game in my 2nd season

[Bol]

I did a fictional league, but after about 4-5 years all the players have a history, so there's really no difference between that and MLB by then.

Alternatively, pick a team with a ridiculously low budget; it makes it much harder when there are players you don't have the money to re-sign.

[magicspeedo]

Do a fantasy draft and draft only prospects. Your budget will get cut to around 75K no matter who you are. By the time all the prospects start to develop, you have to let them go bc of money. It's annoying.