To Sim or Not To Sim

[FamundaCheese]

Just curious how you guys like to play your games. Do you play out every single game. Sim game by game, week by week, month by month etc. What are the advantages/disadvantages? I tend to sim a week at a time.

[eriqjaffe]

I used to play out every game. It was satisfying (and frustrating), but I found that it was just plain taking too long.

Now I sim a week at a time, and I'm very happy doing so. I still play out a handful of games, though.

[gmo]

If you still want some control of each game but want to go through faster than playing out and managing every inning, you can in-game sim forward an inning or two at a time and jump in to take control at any point like if it is a close game after 6 innings. I like doing that.

When completely simming I do just one day at a time but usually do a series quickly doing that one day at a time.

[Steve Kuffrey]

I play out most of mine, but it does take time.

[streetballer67]

Sim, one day at a time. While doing this you get this chance to watch division and WC races very closely while controlling your team well.

[RMXO]

i use to play every game & sim up to the 8th or 9th inning but that took to long to finish a season. now i sim wk to wk or month to month. i can finish a season within a few days to a wk depending on how much hrs i put into the game.

[Aordolin]

i sim one day at a time, make roster changes as necessary. mainly play in a gm roll.

[knightni]

I sim one day at a time, sometimes a week at a time.

If you sim more than a week at a time, you get more injuries. (my experience)

[Eugene Church]

I have a solo league and control all 20 teams.

It is a fictional league...I don't like the way the AI handles pitching...I play 1950's baseball with a nine man staff...I use starters as relievers and relievers as starters...this is the way baseball really does it...The AI can only use one reliever as a spot starter...it also make way too many pitching changes...Relievers average around 1 inning per game...There is no such thing as long relief in the game...plus I schedule doubleheaders...which means I have to use relievers as starters.

To cut down on the AI making the subs, I sim the first 6 innings...one inning at a time, then play out the rest of the game...this way I make about 95% of the pitching changes and end up with more realistic pitching stats.

I also select the starting pitchers for every game...When you sim a week, month or more at a time...the #1 pitchers generally pitch against #1 pitchers...The same 4 or 5 starters get all of the starts, which is not realistic.

This also lets me learn the players quicker in a fictional league.

IMO you really miss a lot if you totally sim. I like to look at the box scores and note when exceptional performances take play. By playing at least 3 innings a game, I get more involved in the league and gain more knowledge about the players.

I suggest you run a league for 20 years to establish a history...just be sure to clear the record book at the end of the first season, so the rookie records will be set by true rookies and not the vets of the first season. I didn't do this in my first fictional league and all my rookie records are from the first season and it is difficult for rookies to beat them.

It does take a lot of time to do it this way...but it is a happy medium between totally simming and totally playing out the games.

Hey, that's just my preference...there are many ways to play this great game...you just have to find the way that you want.

[HolyCow98]

I do a little of everything....

In the leagues I stick with it its generally the ones I go the slowest with that last. If I sim too much after 20+ years I get disconnected to the players and their careers and it all just feels like a video game and not baseball. With that said, trying to start a league where you are playing out everygame is also difficult. I need some history and milestones to chase. I need a bonifide career leaderboard to look at and gauge who might have what it takes to suplant the current all-time leader in wins or homers.

For me I play to see the league evolve and the careers of the players take shape. I do get much more enjoyment from watching the players than I do trying to dominate the game. Like any game from MVP, Madden, or even OOTP and FOF or any other sports text-sim, with a little acclamation to the game, if I want to dominate I can....I however cannot snap my fingers (with out the player editor) make a guy hit .400 or slug 800 HR or win 300 games. This is where my enjoyment comes from. My level of appreciation of theses feats is much greater when playing my games out.

[disposableheros]

I play out every game my team is in for the 1st month, sim day by day the 2nd month, sim week to week the 3rd & 4th months, sim day to day 5th month, play the games the 6th month, and then play all games if i make it to playoffs (if not, quick sim the postseas).

[Cuss16]

I sim a week at a time and play out the allstar games and all the playoff games even if my team isn't in there.

[Thundercall]

I sim a week at a time. Seasons go by fairly quick, and you still can manage your roster.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Thundercall

I sim a week at a time. Seasons go by fairly quick, and you still can manage your roster.

if you sim a week at a time what you do about waivers?

[Thundercall]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

if you sim a week at a time what you do about waivers?

There are exceptions where I sim a day at a time.

[disposableheros]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

if you sim a week at a time what you do about waivers?

i leave them for the AI teams, even when i only sim 1 day or play them

[Twelvefield]

I sim everything except play-off games where my team is either tied in standings with theo other team, or else the final game of a series. I love OOTPB to death, but the play-by-play grammar and word choices are like fingernails on the chalkboard to me now. It would be so sweet to be able to mod that, but it's not gonna happen.

[vonryan]

I play out all my games and sim the all-star game. I played 1 season of 72 games with 8 teams. I am going to start season 2 with 12 teams and play a 120 game schedule, this should take awhile, but this is a great game.

Just some of the leaders from season 1 American-National league leaders
Rod Carew hit .397 Nomar .380
Carew 121 Hits Madlock 121 Hits
McGwire 33 hrs Hidalgo-Schmidt 20hrs
O'Neill 35 2bs Kent 33 2bs
McGwire 79 rbis Hidalgo 79 Rbis

[reds1]

I generally sim a week at a time, but stop when a player needs to be taken off the DL or if my team has been struggling. Then I'll pay close attention to the wire and do some trade fishing.

I also stop simming short of the trade deadline, so that I'll have a chance to make any changes I feel the team needs.

But I'm starting to lean more to simming a day at a time or to a specific date.

[Dan Theman]

I most often sim, nowadays, but I sim a day at a time, make adjustments, transactions, trades, check out my minors, my injuries, and then sim the next day.