How "War Room" do you get?

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Hey folks,

Talking about immersion in the game, I was wondering just how "war room" you get when your drafts come up. At what great lengths and details do you go to when getting ready for and going through a draft?

[snepp]

For me, very little at all. I'll draft the first 25% of the rounds usually (the rest auto-drafted), and half the time I just end up taking the guy my AGM recommends anyway.

[Scottiedog43]

Let me start by saying I use 1-5 ratings with no stars in my solo games.

I break down all prospects into 2 groups
1. I want to draft
2. Everyone else

I scout the 1st group super hard until everyone is completely scouted.
Then start working on the second group

I will admit that usually I’ll add several guys from group 2 to group 1 though

[Sweed]

I posted this https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=319942 for v21. It is still pretty much how I handle scouting and setting up my draft board.

[locuspc]

The nice thing about Baseball is that with no draft pick trading and typically multiple years before a draftee will make the team, it pretty much boils down to finding the best player available when your turn comes up. So you don't have to really prepare much, just sim to your next pick and then evaluate the top remaining prospects. You can bang out a draft in under an hour easily.

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by locuspc

The nice thing about Baseball is that with no draft pick trading and typically multiple years before a draftee will make the team, it pretty much boils down to finding the best player available when your turn comes up. So you don't have to really prepare much, just sim to your next pick and then evaluate the top remaining prospects. You can bang out a draft in under an hour easily.

Yep.

Although once I get to the latter rounds I just start looking fill positions on my Rookie team. That said, every once in a while that guy I took in the 22nd round as a filler for the Rookie team after enough seasons ends up in AAA as the first guy I'm going to call up if I need someone

You just never know.

[DrSatan]

I go for best player available. Among the best available, I prioritize work ethic, intelligence, and injury rating. For pitchers I look for good movement and groundball pitchers. I used to value stuff over movement, but in this version movement seems to be more important.

If I'm doing historical, I'll skim through the draft pool and adjust ratings if anything is out of wack.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by locuspc

The nice thing about Baseball is that with no draft pick trading and typically multiple years before a draftee will make the team, it pretty much boils down to finding the best player available when your turn comes up. So you don't have to really prepare much, just sim to your next pick and then evaluate the top remaining prospects. You can bang out a draft in under an hour easily.

I agree. The prep for me is getting guys scouted to very high. Doesn't take long with shortlists and sorts for the type of players that have the skills I prefer.

[Cod]

I enjoy playing with low budget clubs, whether real or fictional, so I have to spend a lot of effort on the lead up to the draft and the draft itself if I want to be competitive. I use a spreadsheet similar to the one presented here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=havZOFwTbjo

[Ktulu]

I generally create a "Draft Targets" shortlist of players from the draft pool. I don't go crazy with pre-planning, but I'll definitely shortlist the good CF and SS and some generally interesting players. Then I'll repeat the process after all the AI teams pick. The criteria changes as the pool gets smaller. For each of my picks I'll first check what the scout recommendation is and compare that to players I've shortlisted.

[low]

I start by calling it something other than "war room."

[ForeverRoyalKC]

I used the term "war room" because I was wondering about lengths you guys go to when drafting outside of just drafting on OOTP. Do you sit in a room to yourself and have spreadsheets laid out in front of you or on another computer next to you? Do you schedule a day specifically to do it? Is your atmosphere anything like a real MLB teams draft/war room? Etc.

[Cod]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

Is your atmosphere anything like a real MLB teams draft/war room? Etc.

Do real MLB draft rooms have their spouses and teenage kids calling them a nerd every time they walk by? If so, then yup, my atmosphere is exactly the same.

[Mr. Marlin]

I play stats only with no visible ratings. I use a pretty extensive multi-level feeder system, so I get VERY "war room". My feeders are summer leagues, and my rookie ball league is a winter league, so my draft comes right after the championship. I start preparing right as the feeders are winding down and spend a good deal of time going over stats and scouting reports to get me draft targets. I usually have a list of 20 or so "must haves" and can count on signing 4 or 5 of them. My draft is 15 rounds.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

I used the term "war room" because I was wondering about lengths you guys go to when drafting outside of just drafting on OOTP. Do you sit in a room to yourself and have spreadsheets laid out in front of you or on another computer next to you? Do you schedule a day specifically to do it? Is your atmosphere anything like a real MLB teams draft/war room? Etc.

You don't have to justify using the term "war room". You did nothing wrong.

[low]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

I used the term "war room" because I was wondering about lengths you guys go to when drafting outside of just drafting on OOTP. Do you sit in a room to yourself and have spreadsheets laid out in front of you or on another computer next to you? Do you schedule a day specifically to do it? Is your atmosphere anything like a real MLB teams draft/war room? Etc.

I know. I was having a go at imperialism and our need for everything to be worded in relation to causing mass death and destruction. Sorry.

[GoPedro99]

Originally Posted by low

I know. I was having a go at imperialism and our need for everything to be worded in relation to causing math death and destruction. Sorry.

I for one am all for Math Death. Not sure if you've ever taken Calc 2, but I think most who have would agree

[low]

Originally Posted by GoPedro99

I for one am all for Math Death. Not sure if you've ever taken Calc 2, but I think most who have would agree

lol. Dammit.

[Pelican]

On the war room (or "conflict preparation housing"?) I confess to forgetting all about my annual fantasy baseball draft (in my defense, I forgot the MLB Season started early with the Korea games). A buddy frantically texted me, and I began the draft on my phone, in a Wegman's, with a load of groceries. (There was no way I was going to come home empty-handed and explain to Mrs. Pelican about the draft....). No spreadsheets, no lists, no ratings, virtually no stats. If not for preplaying 2024 in OOTP, I would have been clueless. I managed to go through eighteen rounds through the drive home and finally in my study. My team completely sucks; but I don't blame that on Wegman's. I blame it on the Luzardo, Bellinger, Steele, Alvarez, Casas, Ballinger injuries, plus Jackson Holliday taking one from hitting, and the late Montgomery signing. Oh, and my team, the Dancing Bears, has been renamed the "Grocery Bears". Ugh.

[Guthrien]

Originally Posted by Cod

Do real MLB draft rooms have their spouses and teenage kids calling them a nerd every time they walk by? If so, then yup, my atmosphere is exactly the same.

I feel like this is what Billy Beane had to deal with.

I'm in the 'just draft best possible' crowd, but I do end up gnashing teeth about the high picks. The later it goes, the more I'm focusing on unicorn skills rather than multi-tool players. I guess that goes without saying.

I don't know how I feel about the budget change. It feels restrictive, but it puts some pressure on the draft long term if you play low-budget teams, which I almost always do.