What's your OOTP routine?

[costevie]

So I bought this game about a month ago - never really been a baseball stat guy, but I was growing tired of Paradox Interactive style history sims and wanted something a little different so I buckled down and bought OOTP 14.

One month and many late evenings later, I'm totally addicted and having a blast with the game (found myself enjoying the REAL MLB on a totally different level too). I'm still trying to get a feel for what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I'm wondering how you guys play through a season? Do you sim each day slowly and check the stats for EVERY team EVERY day? Do you sim half the season and see where things stand? Play through every of your team's games and pay virtually no attention to the rest of the league?

I'm trying to stick to playing one game per series, but the wealth of data about the rest of the league is still a bit overwhelming. What works for you?

[The Game]

For me it varies on which league i am playing. For my current league which I have restarted 6 times now i play once throughout the league. i play 1 series at home vs each team 1 series on the road then sim the rest. All i am trying to do is get updated to 2012 again. From that point I will play every game. Every few days i check teh waiver wire, players on teh trading block. i am in desperate need of a #4 SP. (4man rotation) I have used 3 SP thru 39 games as my #4. All 3 have ERA's over 7. My bullpen is atrocious. I am 28-11 and in 1st place by 4.5 games so not too worried. I have a ton of players shortlisted and i look to see what they are doing each month.

[BeancheBlanco]

I play through most of my games individually but probably sim around 40 games per season sprinkled in there. I usually play out each batting at-bat and simulate the pitching half-innings until the later innings. Then I start to play out the pitching at-bats since you never know when a pitcher will get tired and blow up towards the 6th-9th innings. Got to be ready to warm people up and switch pitchers.

I go through all my minor league players' stats each day as well. Probably unnecessary but I like to see how all my players are doing.

I don't follow the rest of the major league though. Just my team. At least until the playoff hunt.

[Padreman]

Originally Posted by The Game

For me it varies on which league i am playing. For my current league which I have restarted 6 times now i play once throughout the league. i play 1 series at home vs each team 1 series on the road then sim the rest. All i am trying to do is get updated to 2012 again. From that point I will play every game. Every few days i check teh waiver wire, players on teh trading block. i am in desperate need of a #4 SP. (4man rotation) I have used 3 SP thru 39 games as my #4. All 3 have ERA's over 7. My bullpen is atrocious. I am 28-11 and in 1st place by 4.5 games so not too worried. I have a ton of players shortlisted and i look to see what they are doing each month.

You mentioned "It varies which league your playing" So let me ask i have a league going for several years now I wanted to start another game not related to this league but it will override my current league right? You can't have different leagues saved? If so how can you do it so it won't override your current one?

[JMDurron]

Originally Posted by Padreman

You mentioned "It varies which league your playing" So let me ask i have a league going for several years now I wanted to start another game not related to this league but it will override my current league right? You can't have different leagues saved? If so how can you do it so it won't override your current one?

Create your new league from the OOTP "New Game" menu, name it something different from your current league, and you will be fine.

I currently have a historical league (1974 - 1981) and a MLB league (2012-2017), and neither league interferes with the other. I play every game in both leagues, and don't pay much attention to the rest of the league outside of my team/organization.

EDIT - As an aside, to the OP, I assume this means another Europa Universalis fan is in the house. That was my sim addiction prior to discovering OOTP.

[SMFXR01]

Originally Posted by Padreman

You mentioned "It varies which league your playing" So let me ask i have a league going for several years now I wanted to start another game not related to this league but it will override my current league right? You can't have different leagues saved? If so how can you do it so it won't override your current one?

You can have as many different games/leagues as you want.
Only limitation is your hard drive.
Each league is its own saved game.

[Orcin]

I play/manage the first game of each series and sim the other 2 or 3. My daily routine is:

1. Play/sim day's games and advance to next day
2. Check the standings
3. Read my mail
4. Check the injury log (majors only)
5. Check the transactions log (majors only)
6. Check the news log
7. Check the waiver wire
8. Scan the minor league teams via the overview screen
9. Sometimes tinker with lineups, explore trades, promote/demote etc.
10. Repeat step 1

[costevie]

Originally Posted by JMDurron

Create your new league from the OOTP "New Game" menu, name it something different from your current league, and you will be fine.

I currently have a historical league (1974 - 1981) and a MLB league (2012-2017), and neither league interferes with the other. I play every game in both leagues, and don't pay much attention to the rest of the league outside of my team/organization.

EDIT - As an aside, to the OP, I assume this means another Europa Universalis fan is in the house. That was my sim addiction prior to discovering OOTP.

If you love OOTP then you probably love stupidly in-depth, realistic simulations so surely the two of us aren't alone. Though lately CK2 (and esp. the Game of Thrones mod) have been holding me over until EUIV is released.

[The Game]

Originally Posted by Padreman

You mentioned "It varies which league your playing" So let me ask i have a league going for several years now I wanted to start another game not related to this league but it will override my current league right? You can't have different leagues saved? If so how can you do it so it won't override your current one?

I have about 5 leagues. i deleted 5 more 2 days ago. You can have hundreds of leagues depending on how big your HD is.

[The Yurpman]

I also play using the real MLB rosters and I sim each game for my team day-by-day. Basically my routine is: make sure my rotation/lineups are set how I want, sim the day, check the transactions, waivers, any new FA, etc. and then repeat. Throughout the month I'll check the trading block and maybe try to make a trade or two every few months If I need to.

I let the computer set my minor league rotations and lineups and do the promotions/demotions EXCEPT for my top prospects, which I control. All in all it takes maybe 5 minutes to get through each day, normally. It usually takes me about a month or so in real life to sim through an entire season but I like the fact that I keep up with my team day-to-day and I really get to "know" my players.

[flair1239]

I play each game using the one pitch function. I sometimes goto pitch by pitch in steal situations.

I do lineups and depth charts for all levels. Once every game week (on Sundays in my game universe) I go through one of the minor league teams and comment on each player, regarding how they are doing and whether they should be promoted or demoted. I only do this for A-AAA, short A and rookie I just let the guys play.

[Painmantle]

I Play my Ruth dynasty, every game

I play my 1958 Dynasty 1 month at a time

I play my Dynasty league (Multi Player) 1 week at a time

I play in 2 other multi player leagues and have just joined a 3rd that is in it's infant stages.

I'm starting a fictional league still undecided on how it will go


I used to play a year at a time but that is way too much(imho) to keep up with trying to scour a years worth of stuff

At this point I prefer my Ruth dynasty playing each and every game out. On occasion I'll sim threw the 6th inning of a game but never more as the AI seems to start doing it's thing (Pinch hitting 5 or more times in the 7th,8th and 9th innings but letting the Pitcher bat when he comes up) So for the most part I like to play my games...It really lets you get in touch with your team and get totally immersed into the whole world.

[JDevil]

Originally Posted by Painmantle

I Play my Ruth dynasty, every game

I play my 1958 Dynasty 1 month at a time

I play my Dynasty league (Multi Player) 1 week at a time

I play in 2 other multi player leagues and have just joined a 3rd that is in it's infant stages.

I'm starting a fictional league still undecided on how it will go


I used to play a year at a time but that is way too much(imho) to keep up with trying to scour a years worth of stuff

At this point I prefer my Ruth dynasty playing each and every game out. On occasion I'll sim threw the 6th inning of a game but never more as the AI seems to start doing it's thing (Pinch hitting 5 or more times in the 7th,8th and 9th innings but letting the Pitcher bat when he comes up) So for the most part I like to play my games...It really lets you get in touch with your team and get totally immersed into the whole world.

I watch the Palmettos games play out, it's especially fun pummeling Phoenix

[olivertheorem]

This is my daily routine (in-game, of course):

1. Play game & review box score (then advance day).
2. Review news stories.
3. Check for injuries at all levels (MLB Quickstart) using the Disabled List screen.
4. Adjust rosters due to injuries and returns from the same.
5. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Usually somewhere in there I'll take a peak at a couple players' stats and maybe explore a trade or two, depending on where I am in the season.

[DrSatan]

I usually have a fictional and MLB league going at the same time. I usually sim to each "checkpoint" (draft pool, draft, AS game, etc). At each checkpoint I run through the minors promoting and demoting, check the news feeds, stats, free agents, etc. At the end of the season i check everything in more detail. I live for the offseason.

[Déjà Bru]

Rather than commenting on what I do, I will predict what you will do in your OOTP Routine, in two sentences:

• You will establish your own favorite OOTP routine, if you have not done so already.
• You will vary your favorite OOTP routine according to your levels of game interest and fortune which, as we all know, can vary widely over time.

[Déjà Bru]

Double post, sorry. Hmmm, can I say anything else that is meaningful here?

Let's see, maybe I can elaborate a bit on how I play.

First, I would love to play out every game when my interest in OOTPB is strong. [Let me be clear on this: When my interest in this game does wane, it's never for long. That's been true for eight years now.] The problem with that is, things move too slowly. I do want to see careers and dynasties and not in real time!

So, when my team is doing well, I will play out my games but use one-pitch, and short, instant PbP to whip through nine innings as fast as I can. When my team is well out of it, I will sim the rest of the season to move things along.

The problem with playing out the games is that you can get wrapped up in them and ignore what is going on in the rest of the league. That's not good for immersion, as you at some point realize that you really don't know what is going on. I used to think that disciplining myself to scan the newspaper on a weekly basis would keep me informed, but the only thing that really works is receiving ALL news messages and sorting through them, as tedious at that sounds.

Toward the end of the season, I will be paying attention to standings and leaderboards and of course I follow the careers of my future hall of famers. What I am working on now is reviewing league reports more regularly.

All in all, something is working because here I am, eight years later.

[urlordjesus]

I sim a few weeks. Look at things. Go through my teams... maybe play a game or two. Look around the league... click on what meets my fancy then sim a few more

[Painmantle]

Originally Posted by JDevil

I watch the Palmettos games play out, it's especially fun pummeling Phoenix

yeah everybody's got Frequent Fun Miles playing Phoenix!

[tcblcommish]

I have a fictional baseball league with 16 teams, 8 American and 8 Canadian and play a 162 game season with wild cards so that makes 3 rounds of playoffs if I make it.

I play out every game of this league, win or losing season ad really get attached to my players. After the game, I look thru the news and usually check the standings and then play another game. Each game week, I go they all of my minor leaguers and see what is going on there.

I do look through the league very regular though to make sure I see who is who a d what tey are doing.