So you want to start a franchise in Sony’s MLB 14:The Show, but you not quite sure how? Well, it can be a daunting task to take over the control of a Major League team, not only on the field, but off the field as well. For those that are new to the experience, but have an interest, we are going to give some very basic tips to help get you started off on the right foot.

The obvious starting point is picking a team, whether that be your favorite team you follow, or a team that just seems interesting. Certain teams will be easier to use because of their Major League talent. Other teams, say the Cubs or Astros, not so much. Even though the Cubs and Astros currently field a less then competitive team in the Majors, both of their farm systems are loaded, and that could pay major dividends for the person who is looking to spend some serious time within a franchise. You can also choose to develop a team’s young players, or use them as part of a trade package, in hopes of securing some already proven talent. There are many ways to approach a franchise, but understand this, each style or philosophy has both positive and negative connotations.

Now it’s time set up the franchise, and there are plenty of options to choose from when doing so. There are difficulty levels, gameplay options, and presentation options. These are options we consider user preference, and it will be up to you to determine what you are most comfortable with. Once you have determined what difficulty best suites you, what type of presentation you want, and what rosters best fit your needs, it’s time to fire up your franchise.

Firing up a franchise isn’t as simple as just picking a team and playing games, as there are some important decisions that need to be made prior to that first pitch. You will notice right away that you will have the option to choose just one team to control, or you can decide to control all 30 teams. A lot of seasoned MLB: The Show players love to take control of all 30 teams, as it gives full control of their franchise world you have created. You also have the option to do a fantasy draft, CPU roster control, CPU trading, and whether or not to ignore budget constraints within you franchise. All of these choices can have major impacts on your franchise, so it’s best you understand what you are choosing when doing so. For those who are not quite sure what each option means, you’re in luck: the developers have included a detailed description of each one.

As one would expect, the game offers a full slate of spring training games, but you can choose the option to end spring training and jump to day one of the regular season. Choosing to play or sim the spring schedule is up to you, but know that no injuries take place if you decide to sim, and there are only two exhibition stadiums included in this year’s PS4 version of MLB 14:The Show.

There are still plenty of decisions and information to pour over, and it would be prudent to do so. On your main franchise menu will notice tabs underneath, and each of those tabs represents a certain facet of you teams organization. The initial tab is your home tab, and this gives you access to player training options, team schedule, view coaches, and scouting. All are important, but player training and scouting top the list. You will be tasked with the job training each individual player including the Major League club, along with the Minor League clubs. There are multiple options for each player, and you need to decide which one best suites each player. Each training option can be changed at any time, so don’t feel like it’s a test, and once you fill in the bubble with the number two pencil, there is no going back.
 

So you have your boys working hard to get better, now it’s time to get with your organizational scouts and get ready for the MLB Draft in June. No matter if your farm system is stocked, or as empty as Wrigley Field is in October, you need to utilize this option. You have four scouts at your disposal, three that will focus on the different regional sections of the United States, and one international scout. Each scout has areas of strength and areas in which they struggle, so choose each scout accordingly. You obviously do not want a scout with a poor rating for finding position players out there searching for the next Cal Ripken.
 

Under the next tab titled “Around The League” you will find some pertinent information such as season standings, season stats, awards, and All-Star voting. None of this information is massively important to the success of your franchise, but you will obviously still want to visit this tab often throughout the season.
 

The third tab, labeled “Personnel” allows the user to manage their team's rosters, line-ups, and pitching rotations. This is a very important tab, and one that should be visited often. You can call Minor League players up to the Big League club, send players down, change the line up if one of your players is under-performing, or injured. While on this tab, you will also receive notifications from your digital Assistant General Manager. This is a notification system the developers implemented into this year’s game to inform you of important dates coming up, players that are playing well(or poorly) or if a trade has been made. The information comes in the form of a pop-up box, and some of it may be repetitive, but you should still take notice of the information.
 

The fourth and final tab (franchise related) is named “Acquisitions.” This tab will allow you to make trades, put players on the trade block, see what players will be free agents at the end of the season, and sign your draft picks. There is an extremely important option under this tab named “transactions.” Under transactions, SCEA San Diego has included a user handbook. In this electronic user handbook there are very detailed breakdowns of important happenings throughout the Major League Baseball season, and its offseason. It covers the likes of arbitration, first-year player draft, free agency, super 2, waivers, and more.
 

That is the business side of a franchise, but there is much more once you hit the field. As a virtual General Manager and Manager, you are going to need to keep a close eye on the everyday mechanics of your team. You will need to make game-time decisions such as resting a position player who may be tired, or is struggling against a certain type of pitcher. You will also need to make sure you get your bench players an occasional start, and will need to manager your bullpen properly. Depending on the team you have chosen to play with, you may only have one or two really dependable guys coming out of the bullpen. It may be very easy to want to bring them into late game situations all the time, but their energy level may be severely affected by doing this, and that player will be less effective over the long haul.
 

Like we mentioned previously, all of the information can be daunting to try and take in at once, and for your enjoyment and sanity, we suggest taking it one step at a time. Learn the basics, then move onto the intricate details, and in time you will start to see the bigger picture. Running a franchise in MLB 14: The Show is a lot of fun, and most decisions are customizable to help out new users. Just understand that each decision that is made can have both short term and long term effects on the direction your ball club is heading, so take the time to learn as much as you can up front, and keep learning while the season progresses. If you do this, your experience as a virtual General Manager/Manager will be a much enjoyable one.