OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Suggestions: Game Engine / Player Modeling and Development

sixto · 08-13-2007, 12:30 PM

suggestion
Revise the way players develop new position abilities in the minors so that they gain (and lose) abilities at positions more quickly in the low minors, and also so better hitters are not blocked by better fielders.

Reason
Before they sign, most prospects are the best players in their little worlds. As a result, most players are pushed along the "defensive spectrum" (from the SS/CF end to the 1B/LF end) until they find their pro level. The very best defenders stay at SS and CF; everyone else has to move downward.

Using the defensive spectrum as a guide, one understands that if a player has above-average offensive ability, his pro team is motivated to find a place for him to play, and the minor leagues are where he learns new positions, especially the low minor leagues. In OOTP as it stands now, if two minor-league players are rated at only one position, the better one will play, and the lesser one will not. This should only happen if the lesser player is rated more poorly than players at other positions near his on the defensive spectrum.

In the same vein, if a very young player is rated 1-5 (out of 20) at a certain position, isn't that much the same as saying he's not good enough to play that position? Seems strange to me that you would have a SS prospect who can hit, but who is rated a 2 at SS and only SS, and have an 2B prospect rated 20 on defense, who can't hit - at the very least, these two players should be switched on defense.

Very young players should gain - and lose - defensive abilities at a different rate than older players, and their ability to learn new positions should be tied to the defensive spectrum. If an 18-year-old is blocked at SS, the AI should recognize that he is in a low level minor league and move him to a new position. At those low levels, he may very well lose the ability to play SS because he isn't practicing at it, but he would gain skills at a position where he might make a better big leaguer.

At higher minor-league levels, players who have defensive skills should learn new positions at a slower rate than the low minors, but faster than in the majors. And considering there are roster limits at the higher levels, players should end up learning new positions out of necessity. AA and AAA is where utility players learn their utility skills.

Priority
In my opinion, medium high or high. IMO the current system does not make any sense.

08-13-2007, 12:30 PM	#30 (permalink)
sixto Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,266	suggestion Revise the way players develop new position abilities in the minors so that they gain (and lose) abilities at positions more quickly in the low minors, and also so better hitters are not blocked by better fielders. Reason Before they sign, most prospects are the best players in their little worlds. As a result, most players are pushed along the "defensive spectrum" (from the SS/CF end to the 1B/LF end) until they find their pro level. The very best defenders stay at SS and CF; everyone else has to move downward. Using the defensive spectrum as a guide, one understands that if a player has above-average offensive ability, his pro team is motivated to find a place for him to play, and the minor leagues are where he learns new positions, especially the low minor leagues. In OOTP as it stands now, if two minor-league players are rated at only one position, the better one will play, and the lesser one will not. This should only happen if the lesser player is rated more poorly than players at other positions near his on the defensive spectrum. In the same vein, if a very young player is rated 1-5 (out of 20) at a certain position, isn't that much the same as saying he's not good enough to play that position? Seems strange to me that you would have a SS prospect who can hit, but who is rated a 2 at SS and only SS, and have an 2B prospect rated 20 on defense, who can't hit - at the very least, these two players should be switched on defense. Very young players should gain - and lose - defensive abilities at a different rate than older players, and their ability to learn new positions should be tied to the defensive spectrum. If an 18-year-old is blocked at SS, the AI should recognize that he is in a low level minor league and move him to a new position. At those low levels, he may very well lose the ability to play SS because he isn't practicing at it, but he would gain skills at a position where he might make a better big leaguer. At higher minor-league levels, players who have defensive skills should learn new positions at a slower rate than the low minors, but faster than in the majors. And considering there are roster limits at the higher levels, players should end up learning new positions out of necessity. AA and AAA is where utility players learn their utility skills. Priority In my opinion, medium high or high. IMO the current system does not make any sense. Last edited by sixto : 08-13-2007 at 12:31 PM.