Alright Boyz, Here We Go!!!! (OOTP 2007 release thoughts!!!)

[Senator]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Muddy Ruel is always a player I watch in historical replays.....must be the name. He was definitely slow as molasses, but a pretty good hitter and a decent enough Catcher....

Is the Big Train still with you?

Walter is going strong, obviously the core of my pitching staff. Bucky Harris and especially Joe Judge have made me competitive. I thought about going and getting Babe Ruth, by I rightly understand it would not be very realistic.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

The AI doesn't really value the MRs very well either in the draft. You can get pitchers who are borderline starters with great talents into the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds. Since everything else by then is garbage, it's pointless to pass up these MRs.

I think alot of the MRs are often starters in disguise with pretty high endurance ratings or closers with very good stuff,control and/or movement but very low endurance. I haven't done any extensive research on this in the game but I seem to be noticing it as I play and have been chnging alot of the MRs to starters and sometimes closers.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Which screen are you talking about - their history screen on the in-game screen? The in-game screen has different buttons to click at the top where you can view pitching/hitting/fielding stats separately. I find those to be a pain because they default to hitting, even for pitchers. On the player's history "card," I've found that it only shows Babe Ruth's hitting stats. I assume that once he switched from pitcher to hitter, the game recognizes him solely as a hitter and nothing more. I'd like the pitching stats to be there, too, but he's so rare that it probably doesn't make sense to spend too much time trying to get that to work correctly. If you're having that same issue with other players, maybe they also switched from pitcher to hitter in their careers? Who are they (assuming this is an historical league)?

The history screen is what I speak of. Al Orth is one of these pitchers, I will have to load up the game to see the other. He played a handful of games at other positions over the years (including in real life) but 90% (in total games played, more than that in time played at a position) at pitcher but it shows his batting and fielding stats only and not what he was actually elected for which is his pitching numbers. In a bit I'll be loading up the game and I'll get the actual numbers.

[EagleFan]

Dola: Al Orth was one. It looks like the last games he played as a position player but the percentage is so lopsided toward him being apitcher that it shouldn't consider him anything other.

The other was Jesse Tannehill. HE has other positions in he history prior to the 1901 league starting date but did not play any other positions from 1901 until the end of his career during the sim so that blows out the last position played before retirement idea. Even the positions he played before 1901 in his stats not once did he start elsewhere and the numbers are minimal at best.

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I think alot of the MRs are often starters in disguise with pretty high endurance ratings or closers with very good stuff,control and/or movement but very low endurance. I haven't done any extensive research on this in the game but I seem to be noticing it as I play and have been chnging alot of the MRs to starters and sometimes closers.

Exactly, which is why the AI needs to draft them.

[Ksyrup]

There should be no pitcher categories, just ratings and endurance levels to determine how they should be used.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

There should be no pitcher categories, just ratings and endurance levels to determine how they should be used.

I know we've been saying that for a while. I hope they start to listen. I don't mind converting pitchers when I see them, but the AI misuses entirely too many.

[Eaglesfan27]

How do I scout the draft class? I've gone to the draft page with a list of all of the prospects, but I can't find the option there to scout the draft class.

Nevermind, I was looking at the wrong draft class page.

[Ksyrup]

I've decided to take over one of the 1977 expansion teams as my first real in-game experience. Right now, I'm up to 1971 auto-simming. Ed Kranepool is a Phillie and only Willie McCovey stands in his way of a triple crown. Yep, recalc is off.

[Buccaneer]

I've read that most do this (sim up to your year). I find that interesting for I wouldn't do it that way. I have no problem with starting in a particular year, picking up from real life and playing it forward. Of course, I use "Remaining Career" since I would always want a declining player to continue to decline till retirement. As much as I want to forego any type of "historical replay" when playing my career, I want my history up to my starting point to be as is or at least, irrelevant. Go figure.

[Buccaneer]

Chris, what did you decide on viewing ratings?

[lynchjm24]

Why do I always get my hopes up with this game?

Mid 2009 I decide to check out the free agent pool.

19 year old FA potentials of 12con, 13 gap, 10 power, 9 eye, 14 avoid K
can play all 4 infield positions including an 8 rating at SS

Was drafted in the fifth round in 2008 by Tampa, then released the day of the 2009 draft. So I bring up Visalia the team this player was released from. Would easily by the 2nd best position player at that level for the Rays.

So the problem is 2 fold
A. Why release him?
B. Why has no one else signed him - he'll take a minor league deal?

He's not the only one, there are a bunch of other examples just like this.

[EagleFan]

One complaint that I have about this, and other current baseball sims is the need to classify pitchers (as has already been mentioned). Classify them as a pitcher and have their ratings reflect things such as endurance and how they can pitch in the clutch and leave it up to the manager to figure out where they should be played. FBPro did this and I loved that feature. Granted a draft report would print Starters and Relievers but that would be a "soft report" based on their endurance and more of a suggestion and not a hard position.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I've read that most do this (sim up to your year). I find that interesting for I wouldn't do it that way. I have no problem with starting in a particular year, picking up from real life and playing it forward. Of course, I use "Remaining Career" since I would always want a declining player to continue to decline till retirement. As much as I want to forego any type of "historical replay" when playing my career, I want my history up to my starting point to be as is or at least, irrelevant. Go figure.

So if you chose to start in 1977, you'd just import for that year (or maybe the year before so that you could do the expansion draft)?

I can see that...I guess I don't have much problem with how the history has played out (simmed or real), since I'm about to mess up history anyway. BTW, I don't use anything but remaining career as well.

I'm starting in 1977 for two reasons - one, I can take over an expansion team, and two, I pick up right before I first got into baseball, so I'll be knee-deep in the players and teams I watched and grew up with from around 7-8 years old and forward.

I decided to turn off all ratings except the secondary ratings like baserunning, etc. I couldn't figure how I'd be able to tell from stats who was a good versus bad baserunner. SBs, maybe, but a couple of the categories seem a bit amorphous.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Why do I always get my hopes up with this game?

Mid 2009 I decide to check out the free agent pool.

19 year old FA potentials of 12con, 13 gap, 10 power, 9 eye, 14 avoid K
can play all 4 infield positions including an 8 rating at SS

Was drafted in the fifth round in 2008 by Tampa, then released the day of the 2009 draft. So I bring up Visalia the team this player was released from. Would easily by the 2nd best position player at that level for the Rays.

So the problem is 2 fold
A. Why release him?
B. Why has no one else signed him - he'll take a minor league deal?

He's not the only one, there are a bunch of other examples just like this.

In the context of historical sims, I've seen the AI not be aggressive enough with FAs. And also, not do a good job filling need positions. Also, I've seen some of the same historical players released early in their careers and bounce from team to team before they stck. Lou Gehrig was released 3 times before sticking with Pittsburgh' Hank greenberg seems to get dumps often, as does Willie Stargell. And this is across multiple sims and different setups. I'm not sure what their ratings look like at the time they are released, but they certainly go on to have productive careers.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Why do I always get my hopes up with this game?

Mid 2009 I decide to check out the free agent pool.

19 year old FA potentials of 12con, 13 gap, 10 power, 9 eye, 14 avoid K
can play all 4 infield positions including an 8 rating at SS

Was drafted in the fifth round in 2008 by Tampa, then released the day of the 2009 draft. So I bring up Visalia the team this player was released from. Would easily by the 2nd best position player at that level for the Rays.

So the problem is 2 fold
A. Why release him?
B. Why has no one else signed him - he'll take a minor league deal?

He's not the only one, there are a bunch of other examples just like this.

Make sure that minor league clubs have ample roster sizes. I noticed a ton of sign and release draft picks earlier in my universe. But when I made minor league clubs able to hold more teams, I didn't see it as much anymore.

But I agree that it's a dizzying problem that makes no sense with this game and never really went away.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

So the problem is 2 fold
A. Why release him?
B. Why has no one else signed him - he'll take a minor league deal?

He's not the only one, there are a bunch of other examples just like this.

Do you have your AI evaluation ratings (under game setup/AI options) set at default (30/50/15/5)? Or did you change them? You might want to set the ratings weight higher that the default 30%.

Granted, I don't know whether that is a weight for current ratings or a weight for a combined current/potential ratings. If it is just for current ratings then it won't fix your problem.

[MJ4H]

A full college team league file might get me to buy this game. With correct rosters and jerseys. SirFozzie was working one last I saw. Is that where that mod is headed?

[DaddyTorgo]

okay here's a question.

While watching the game in the SION Webcast (kickass feature btw), you can see a pitch-by-pitch breakdown. Only problem is if the AB is over 6 pitches long you end up with a little scrollbar to scroll down to see the other pitches. But clicking any button or mouse key continues to the next batter and you lose the pitches.

Kinda frustrating. solution?? anyone?

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by twothree

Do you have your AI evaluation ratings (under game setup/AI options) set at default (30/50/15/5)? Or did you change them? You might want to set the ratings weight higher that the default 30%.

Granted, I don't know whether that is a weight for current ratings or a weight for a combined current/potential ratings. If it is just for current ratings then it won't fix your problem.

I moved ratings to 50%. I have it at 50/30/15/5.

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

A full college team league file might get me to buy this game. With correct rosters and jerseys. SirFozzie was working one last I saw. Is that where that mod is headed?

The feeder leagues are a work in progress. I believe that there is a college league with the uniforms and colors, but I haven't seen anything that would have real life college players.

[MJ4H]

I don't care about players, just like 100+ college teams in their correct conferences with logos and colors correct. Is this already done?

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

I don't care about players, just like 100+ college teams in their correct conferences with logos and colors correct. Is this already done?

Well then why did you say correct rosters?

I think there is a template for a feeder league with 112 college teams with the right logos and colors.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

I moved ratings to 50%. I have it at 50/30/15/5.

This is probably a catch-22, because one of the issue we've seen is the AI dumping good pitchers for what appears to be a slight drop in ratings. A guy will pitch effectively one year, sometimes even winning the Cy Young, then end up in the minors, or released, or traded, before the next season, based on maybe a 2 point drop in stuff. I've actually put the rating weight down to 0 and still see the problem, which leads me to believe the game is not properly evaluating players based on stats, if at all.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Why do I always get my hopes up with this game?

Mid 2009 I decide to check out the free agent pool.

19 year old FA potentials of 12con, 13 gap, 10 power, 9 eye, 14 avoid K
can play all 4 infield positions including an 8 rating at SS

Was drafted in the fifth round in 2008 by Tampa, then released the day of the 2009 draft. So I bring up Visalia the team this player was released from. Would easily by the 2nd best position player at that level for the Rays.

So the problem is 2 fold
A. Why release him?
B. Why has no one else signed him - he'll take a minor league deal?

He's not the only one, there are a bunch of other examples just like this.

do you have scouting turned off so you can see his real ratings, and not those of your scout? also, make sure the stats-based AI is turned off, otherwise the AI will be evaluating the player based partially on his stats, and you seem to want the evaluation to be based entirely on ratings.

[Ksyrup]

OK, here's a question - how am I supposed to evaluate the expansion draft? Is there no report that I can generate? Do I have to do a player-by-player evaluation myself? There's like 54 pages of players!

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

do you have scouting turned off so you can see his real ratings, and not those of your scout? also, make sure the stats-based AI is turned off, otherwise the AI will be evaluating the player based partially on his stats, and you seem to want the evaluation to be based entirely on ratings.

Scouting is off. Scouting still sucks.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

OK, here's a question - how am I supposed to evaluate the expansion draft? Is there no report that I can generate? Do I have to do a player-by-player evaluation myself? There's like 54 pages of players!

There's got to be a "Generate ____ Report" button somewhere, right? Maybe it's in the same place where they put my "Roster Report" button that I loved so much.

[MizzouRah]

I would REALLY like that screen that is displayed when simming to stay up after the sim is complete.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I would REALLY like that screen that is displayed when simming to stay up after the sim is complete.

Yep. Most useful screen in the game, and you can only see it when the game is simming.

I'm trying to play with the regular ratings off, so that I only have stats to work with, but one of the ratings that isn't shown now is endurance. Huh? I just wanted stuff/control/movement to be blanked out, not endurance. That makes no sense. Am I the only one who thinks "stuff" is a bit different than endurance?

Looks like I'll be using limited ratings...

I still don't see any way to scout the expansion draft other than player by player. Unbelievable.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Well then why did you say correct rosters?

I think there is a template for a feeder league with 112 college teams with the right logos and colors.

habit I guess. Didn't mean it. Sorry.

edit: no I just meant to say logos. Didn't realize I left that out so it was just a substitution error.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yep. Most useful screen in the game, and you can only see it when the game is simming.

I'm trying to play with the regular ratings off, so that I only have stats to work with, but one of the ratings that isn't shown now is endurance. Huh? I just wanted stuff/control/movement to be blanked out, not endurance. That makes no sense. Am I the only one who thinks "stuff" is a bit different than endurance?

Looks like I'll be using limited ratings...

I still don't see any way to scout the expansion draft other than player by player. Unbelievable.

You should probably post these issues you have over at the ootp forums. Maybe a search over there will turn up some help?

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

A full college team league file might get me to buy this game. With correct rosters and jerseys. SirFozzie was working one last I saw. Is that where that mod is headed?

I did two versions,

Version one is a 294 team monster, with all the conferences.. but unfortunately, since you can't attach it to a league later, it's not a feeder league.

Version two has 112 teams, attached to Icy's Major League template, and there is a logo pack out for it now

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yep. Most useful screen in the game, and you can only see it when the game is simming.

I'm trying to play with the regular ratings off, so that I only have stats to work with, but one of the ratings that isn't shown now is endurance. Huh? I just wanted stuff/control/movement to be blanked out, not endurance. That makes no sense. Am I the only one who thinks "stuff" is a bit different than endurance?

Looks like I'll be using limited ratings...

I still don't see any way to scout the expansion draft other than player by player. Unbelievable.

1. Is there a way to make the sim go "slower" so you can watch that screen more closely?

2. What do limited ratings give you?

The reason I like the various "reports" we got in earlier versions because they can tell a story simply. I am reminded of this in reading Balldog's latest FBCB dynasty. Go take a look at those reports - clear, concise and very readable when printed out or pasted in a thread. Baseball can have many, many more stats but when playing this game, only a handful can be used to make decisions off of as well as tell your story.

[EagleFan]

Has anyone had any blue screen of death crashes? That has happened a couple times when running the game now and the message is something about a new driver or software. The only thing installed recently has been OOTP (which is also what is running at the time of the crash).

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Has anyone had any blue screen of death crashes? That has happened a couple times when running the game now and the message is something about a new driver or software. The only thing installed recently has been OOTP (which is also what is running at the time of the crash).

nope. I havn't seen it crash at all honestly.

[DaddyTorgo]

dola

dammit. I just had my young slugger finish 6 RBI's shy of the triple crown. might be because with pujols/howard/dunn behind him he was batting in the #2 spot...grrrrr. no more!

[Ksyrup]

The only crashes I've had are when trying to add a league to an existing universe. Each time, it crashed the first timewhen trying to add the league, then when I did it the second time, it worked perfectly. I've had that happen 5 times, so each time I add a league, I don't even bother with the correct settings, I just let it crash as if it was a dry run, then add the league for real the second time around. It's bizarre.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

1. Is there a way to make the sim go "slower" so you can watch that screen more closely?

2. What do limited ratings give you?

The reason I like the various "reports" we got in earlier versions because they can tell a story simply. I am reminded of this in reading Balldog's latest FBCB dynasty. Go take a look at those reports - clear, concise and very readable when printed out or pasted in a thread. Baseball can have many, many more stats but when playing this game, only a handful can be used to make decisions off of as well as tell your story.

There's no speed setting. I have no problem watching it while the sim is going, it's just that when it reaches the end of the sim, or you stop it, it defaults to the schedule screen and the screen that comes up when the games are being simmed doesn't exist as its own page to be viewed.

The limited ratings are just the ratings for the various player attributes, and you can choose to have them hidden totally, or in 1-5, 2-8, 1-10, 1-20, 20-80, or 1-100 increments. I really wanted to go with no ratings, but not having a clue about a pitcher's endurance seems silly to me, so I'm going with the 2-8 ratings.

However, that still doesn't change the fact that I can't find a report to print out in order to prepare for the expansion draft.

[Honolulu Blue]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

However, that still doesn't change the fact that I can't find a report to print out in order to prepare for the expansion draft.

You have to wait until the day of the draft. Well, in theory, the protection lists come out the day before the draft and you can research everyone that's NOT on that list, but that's just too tedious. Much easier to wait 'til the day of the draft and save the game there.

Go to the Expansion Draft and Protection Lists menu option for your league. Select the "Continue Draft" tab. Pick your scout (if you have those turned on). Pick your sorting option. Pick the filter. Pick the view. Write report to disk. Print. Make coffee. Repeat as necessary, using different filters/sorts/views. Save game. Study list(s) over coffee. Done.

[Ksyrup]

Thanks. That's the screen I was looking at, but I think you lost me at write report to disk. I don't think I even knew that option existed. I would never have thought to go through that many steps to get what I was looking for, but I'm glad to know it can be done.

In any event, I decided to scrap that league and just import to 1977 to play with the actual expansion teams. Problem is, my laptop, which sims games much, much faster than my desktop, is now in its 10th hour of importing the players from 1901 until 1977. Bizarre. It's at 94% right now, and I started around midnight.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The only crashes I've had are when trying to add a league to an existing universe. Each time, it crashed the first timewhen trying to add the league, then when I did it the second time, it worked perfectly. I've had that happen 5 times, so each time I add a league, I don't even bother with the correct settings, I just let it crash as if it was a dry run, then add the league for real the second time around. It's bizarre.

I too have seen this problem before, pre- and post-patch. I just let it run its course.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Thanks. That's the screen I was looking at, but I think you lost me at write report to disk. I don't think I even knew that option existed. I would never have thought to go through that many steps to get what I was looking for, but I'm glad to know it can be done.

In any event, I decided to scrap that league and just import to 1977 to play with the actual expansion teams. Problem is, my laptop, which sims games much, much faster than my desktop, is now in its 10th hour of importing the players from 1901 until 1977. Bizarre. It's at 94% right now, and I started around midnight.

that seems like there's something wrong. I've had it take significantly < 1 hour to do everything up until 2006. But I dunno your specs versus my specs...

[Ksyrup]

The computer's about 3 years old, but it runs the sims way better than my 18 month old desktop, so I've been playing on the laptop. It finished up, though, so I'm ready to go. Twelve hours later, but it worked!

[EagleFan]

lol, had one of those: "why did the game do that?" moments before I remembered that I have the league set to not allow fictional players in to the majors. The league just finished the 1958 season and I was browsing through the minor leagues for the heck of it and saw a player that has been dominating AAA.

His last 6 seasons:
.317 / 59 HR / 179 RBI / 130 R / 123 G
.385 / 78 HR / 219 RBI / 146 R / 122 G
.322 / 70 HR / 203 RBI / 120 R / 122 G
.313 / 72 HR / 225 RBI / 132 R / 123 G
.286 / 61 HR / 152 RBI / 111 R / 127 G
.283 / 62 HR / 178 RBI / 106 R / 123 G


Now there is one problem with this feature though. There have been a couple trades that appear as though the major league team trading for him valued him as if he would actually be a major league prospect (example: being traded along with a throw away fictional player for Robin Roberts plus a throw away fictional player). Also see a pitcher that was just like this, over 300 career wins and 4720 strikeouts that was traded twice for actual players (the team getting him was easily getting robbed as he can not make the majors and one of those trades included a hall of famer in return).


Edit: my initla why did that happen moment was for the player never making the majors, just to clarify. The trade information came about after looking a little deeper.

[Leonidas]

Anyone else think the interface is just a piece of crap? I love all the features. It does everything a wet-baseball dream sim should do. But damn it's a Godawful tub of lard to play. I'm sorry but when it comes to any kind of computer game to play, the playability is far more important than the features. And this one, like its predecessor, fails that test.

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by Leonidas

Anyone else think the interface is just a piece of crap? I love all the features. It does everything a wet-baseball dream sim should do. But damn it's a Godawful tub of lard to play. I'm sorry but when it comes to any kind of computer game to play, the playability is far more important than the features. And this one, like its predecessor, fails that test.

As my league grows it slows down the interface to a crawl. I know I don't have a great machine, but I'm only in 2009 with a 30 team league and only 3 levels of minors.

[Galaril]

so, apparently the AI is still messing with depth charts, lineups though the option to do that is unchecked and especially using ghost players in historical leagues with real players is hosed right now. This really has put a halt to playing historical until it is patched. I am aware that Marcus has some personal issues that supersede a game but hopefully this can addressed sooner that six weeks from now which is what he said is a rough estimate on the next patch.

[Marc Duffy]

Originally Posted by Leonidas

Anyone else think the interface is just a piece of crap? I love all the features. It does everything a wet-baseball dream sim should do. But damn it's a Godawful tub of lard to play. I'm sorry but when it comes to any kind of computer game to play, the playability is far more important than the features. And this one, like its predecessor, fails that test.

What can we do to improve it?

[jbergey22]

Marc, If you get a chance could you stop by OOTP forums and squash a couple of anoying threads? Thanks!