Best Realistic MLB Setup

[itsmb8]

Looking to start a long-term MLB save, but im unsure on the best way to set it up. Im planning on using SpanishLefty's settings as well as the variable settings for trade frequency and injury frequency, as well as hiding injury ratings. Other than that, what general settings would be recommended?

Also,
all foreign/indep. leagues or just MLB?
WBC/AFL?
Should I find a way to include feeders for my MLB league? if so, how?
Stats-only? Or should I use ratings?
40 round drafts?

Any and all tips/recommendations you all have are welcomed, thanks guys!

[jmknpk2]

Originally Posted by itsmb8

all foreign/indep. leagues or just MLB?

Real life has them, so including them would be more realistic.

Originally Posted by itsmb8

Should I find a way to include feeders for my MLB league? if so, how?

I always use feeders. Seems to provide more realistic stability, predictability, and so forth in the draft. Plus I can look at high-school and college stats, which is realistic.
There is a section about feeder leagues in the online manual: http://manuals.ootpdevelopments.com/...feeder-leagues
The most important part I find is using the calculations described in that section of the manual to make sure I have more than plenty feeder league teams.

Originally Posted by itsmb8

Stats-only? Or should I use ratings?

My vote is that statistics match real-life. Ratings by scouts are available in real life. Both by my team's scouts as well as league wide ratings, such as Baseball Prospectus. However, I believe as an intelligent human competing against artificial intelligence, ratings give me an unfair advantage. If I truly wanted to play in a realistic mode, I'd do away with ratings to make the game more challenging. But I have never actually played with stats only.

Originally Posted by itsmb8

40 round drafts?

Seems to match MLB. But there would need to be a lot of feeder league teams, which can slow the game down noticeably.

Originally Posted by itsmb8

Any and all tips/recommendations you all have are welcomed, thanks guys!

Because I am very familiar with the game, I set trades on very difficutl (GameSettings/AI_settings), opposing AI managers use sabermetric "lineup selection" (GameSettings/AI_settings).

If I wanted to compete in a realistic manner, I'd "use complete scouting system" (GameSettings/GlobalSettings) and give my team a bad scout.