What is Keeping This Game From Being Perfect - PLEASE HELP!

[simcrazy]

First, I just want to thank all the people responsible for this fine product. It truly has added joy to my life. Ever since I was a little kid I've been looking for a platform for a fictional league of which I control one team in a challenging arena. This game finally has satisfied that.

I don't want to sound ungrateful. It's just that this game is so close to being perfect that I want to acheive that... ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK ON THE BELOW IS APPRECIATED!

I am wondering if the patch addresses the following issues which I have encountered and prevent it from being a perfect game if there truly can be such a thing. Some of these are more like questions:

1) It seems that the AI minor-league managers don't play the top prospects all the time. Is there a way to fix this or does the patch fix it?

2) Is there anyway to un-do a mistake? For example, I place my replacement right-fielder in the game as a pitcher - can I un-do it if I catch it right away?

3) There are too many balks. A major league team will have maybe 5-10 balks in a year and my teams experience more like 5 a month.

4) I'm sure this has been discussed plenty, but I like the injury frequency because I like challenge and realism. However, the amount of season-ending injuries are definitely not realistic.

5) PBP: I've seen the play 2-6-3 multiple times with no one else on base. I'm not sure how this could possibly happen.

6) Is there an option to make everyone's financials "fair"? Everyone on an even ground to start (I want things to adjust as teams play poorly or well) - can it happen?

7) Is there a way to make all parks grass without going to every park and making the individual change in commish mode?

8) I've seen a player's actual rating listed as higher than his potential rating (I use a 1-100 scale)

9) I try to use a 1-100 scale for everything, but overall and potential ratings are on a scale from 20-80

10) Opposing AI managers misuse the intentional walk. No manager would ever, ever walk a guy when up in the game and the batter hitting a homer would not change the lead in the 9th inning. I see this often. For example, Team A is up by 3 in the 9th and there is a man on second for Team B. Team A would never walk the batter because a homer doesn't change the lead.

11) I once saw a player's history indicate that he was selected by two different teams in two different rounds in the innagural draft.

12) I have had a couple minor leaguers with no service time on minor league contracts get injured and my minor league manager (AI) puts the player on the 60-day DL where he starts accumulating service time. This is an error.

Please let me know if there is a way to fix these or if the patch fixes these.

Thank you!!

[gord]

To answer a few:

1) In the player's game strategy, you can force start them at a certain position.
2) No way to undo a substitution

8) You can set it so that rating exceed the maximum or not

[simcrazy]

A couple notes:

I think this list is pretty comprehensive. In other words, if these things are addressed, the game would be perfect.

If anyone else has found un-realistic things, please feel free to use this thread as a storing place for problems that need fixing.

Thanks again to the geniuses who created this game!!

[simcrazy]

Originally Posted by gord

To answer a few:

1) In the player's game strategy, you can force start them at a certain position.
2) No way to undo a substitution

8) You can set it so that rating exceed the maximum or not

Thanks for the reply!

1) OK, but if I have a player at the position I want, shouldn't my minor league manager find a way to get him in the lineup if he is a young player and/or a top prospect?

2) They should change this. Of course, in real life, when you make a change it's final BUT in real life, a simple mis-click can't lead to you putting your rightfielder in to pitch11

8) OK, thanks but I still don't get what it means that a player's potential is 37 and he is rated an 80?

[SteveP]

It seems that the AI minor-league managers don't play the top prospects all the time. Is there a way to fix this or does the patch fix it?

If I understand this correctly, the answer runs like this: the AI has a built-in logic for doing whatever it is going to do with the players on any active roster, major or minor. Your ability to control or influence this is pretty limited, and with respect to your specific concern that ability is, IMHO, essentially zero. Don't foresee that changing.

Is there anyway to un-do a mistake? For example, I place my replacement right-fielder in the game as a pitcher - can I un-do it if I catch it right away?

No. The only un-do is a drastic one: that is, to go outside the game to your system and abort or force quit the game, in which case the game will revert to your last save. If you save really often that be can an effective un-do, but there are obvious trade-offs.

There are too many balks. A major league team will have maybe 5-10 balks in a year and my teams experience more like 5 a month.

It will likely to even itself out over a period of time. It's possible that your staff is more prone to them than other teams, so you really need to look at it on a league-wide basis.

I'm sure this has been discussed plenty, but I like the injury frequency because I like challenge and realism. However, the amount of season-ending injuries are definitely not realistic.

Let us ... please ... not get started on this item.

PBP: I've seen the play 2-6-3 multiple times with no one else on base. I'm not sure how this could possibly happen.

Need more info on this. Are you talking about something in the game log? Are you saying that a 2-6-3 play is leading to a single out at 1B? Or what?

Is there an option to make everyone's financials "fair"? Everyone on an even ground to start (I want things to adjust as teams play poorly or well) - can it happen?

As commissioner, you can edit the financial parameters for all the teams to whatever you want. I don't believe there is a single option you can select which would do that automatically

Is there a way to make all parks grass without going to every park and making the individual change in commish mode?

No, don't think so.

I've seen a player's actual rating listed as higher than his potential rating (I use a 1-100 scale)

Probably means he is currently having a peak year in his career.

I try to use a 1-100 scale for everything, but overall and potential ratings are on a scale from 20-80

Yep, that's correct, but keep in mind that these scales work quite differently (e.g., a 50 on one scale doesn't mean the same as a 50 on the other)

Opposing AI managers misuse the intentional walk. No manager would ever, ever walk a guy when up in the game and the batter hitting a homer would not change the lead in the 9th inning. I see this often. For example, Team A is up by 3 in the 9th and there is a man on second for Team B. Team A would never walk the batter because a homer doesn't change the lead.

I'm sure you'll find others who agree with you on this. You'll also find people who disagree (on the basis that the AI is trying to increase the probability of ending the game quickly). In general, IBBs are low in OOTP compared to real life, which probably has more consequences to the game than specific instances.

I once saw a player's history indicate that he was selected by two different teams in two different rounds in the innagural draft.

If you see it, report it (with a picture if possible).

I have had a couple minor leaguers with no service time on minor league contracts get injured and my minor league manager (AI) puts the player on the 60-day DL where he starts accumulating service time. This is an error.

I believe this is a deliberate design decision in the game in order to prevent other types of problems from occurring, but someone else will have to elaborate because I don't remember the specifics.

[cbbl]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

1) It seems that the AI minor-league managers don't play the top prospects all the time. Is there a way to fix this or does the patch fix it?

It doesn't and this is an area in need of improvement. See this thread:
Protecting Player Development

Originally Posted by simcrazy

2) Is there anyway to un-do a mistake? For example, I place my replacement right-fielder in the game as a pitcher - can I un-do it if I catch it right away?

There is not, and another good suggestion. For now, be very careful when you make substitutions -- I suggest you first set the position to the "-" status, swap the players, and then set the positions accordingly.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

3) There are too many balks. A major league team will have maybe 5-10 balks in a year and my teams experience more like 5 a month.

You can control this in the League Strategy tab by changing the LCMs.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

4) I'm sure this has been discussed plenty, but I like the injury frequency because I like challenge and realism. However, the amount of season-ending injuries are definitely not realistic.

A lot of conversation on this and its debatable whether such injuries are not realistic or not. Sample size is always a factor -- you may just have an unfortunate bout of bad luck. See this thread: More realistic injury file

Originally Posted by simcrazy

5) PBP: I've seen the play 2-6-3 multiple times with no one else on base. I'm not sure how this could possibly happen.

Can't help with this one.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

6) Is there an option to make everyone's financials "fair"? Everyone on an even ground to start (I want things to adjust as teams play poorly or well) - can it happen?

Yes, you can contol team finances as the Commissioner under each team's Options tab.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

7) Is there a way to make all parks grass without going to every park and making the individual change in commish mode?

I don't think so, although others with more knowledge may say otherwise. I think you could export and import the parks, but I'm not sure. I've always done the one-by-one approach -- note that once you are in the ballpark editor, you can easily switch between parks, so it shouldn't take long to accomplish.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

8) I've seen a player's actual rating listed as higher than his potential rating (I use a 1-100 scale)

This is intentional, and a OOTP X feature. From a post by Markus in the Beta team forum:
"Hey guys,

the next build will have an option called "Overall rating based on AI evaluation, not pure ratings" in the global options of the game setup. If enabled, then the overall stars use the AI evaluation settings (stats + ratings) instead of pure ratings. This may result in overall stars being higher than potential stars, since potential stars are always based on just pure potential ratings.

The default setting is 'disabled', meaning overall stars are now based on pure ratings by default.

This option takes care of BZ 3235."

Originally Posted by simcrazy

9) I try to use a 1-100 scale for everything, but overall and potential ratings are on a scale from 20-80

I'm not at my computer where OOTP is installed, so I can't verify if the 1-100 option is available for OVR and POT. I think it isn't. FWIW, 20-80 is the scale used by most scouts in professional baseball. Those that don't use the 20-80 scale tend to use a 2-8 scale, which, obviously, is pretty much the same.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

10) Opposing AI managers misuse the intentional walk. No manager would ever, ever walk a guy when up in the game and the batter hitting a homer would not change the lead in the 9th inning. I see this often. For example, Team A is up by 3 in the 9th and there is a man on second for Team B. Team A would never walk the batter because a homer doesn't change the lead.

Can't help with this one.

Originally Posted by simcrazy

11) I once saw a player's history indicate that he was selected by two different teams in two different rounds in the innagural draft.

Did you start the draft and then reset it? Sounds like there is an overwrite in the player history text file. This can happen if you do things like CTRL-ALT-DEL out of the game, etc.

[QUOTE=simcrazy;2765605]12) I have had a couple minor leaguers with no service time on minor league contracts get injured and my minor league manager (AI) puts the player on the 60-day DL where he starts accumulating service time. This is an error. [/QOUTE]
I can't speak to this one, although I'm 100% confident someone else can.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

Thanks for the reply!

1) OK, but if I have a player at the position I want, shouldn't my minor league manager find a way to get him in the lineup if he is a young player and/or a top prospect?

2) They should change this. Of course, in real life, when you make a change it's final BUT in real life, a simple mis-click can't lead to you putting your rightfielder in to pitch11

8) OK, thanks but I still don't get what it means that a player's potential is 37 and he is rated an 80?

1. It depends on the AI evaluation of the player vs the roster you have. Use the strategy settings on the minor league team to favor prospects. Any other setting will likely cause a veteran or older "suspect" to get playing time.

2. This may sound harsh but too bad. Blue Jays Manager Cito Gaston made a blunder last week in Philly where he did not go to the umpire first when taking a pitcher out. Because of that simple mistake he could not make a double switch and had to pinch hit for his new pitcher who led of the next inning.

8. Do you mean individual skill ratings like contact, power, or his overall AI rating like 37/70. If the former, that indicates a declining development curve and is ok but annoying. If the latter, but reversed 72/44 for example, that would seem to be a bug.

[wrestlerjrh]

make sure the player drafted in multiple rounds by different teams was not in different years, some players have been drafted multiple times and failed to sign, a player could get drafted out of high school, not sign and go to college, get drafted after junior year (and some after sophmore year) and not sign again and go back for a senior year so a player old enough to be eligble after sophmore year could potentially get drafted 4 different times before starting their professional career

[bababui]

The financial model is broken for historical/fictional leagues when you add the Japanese and Korean leagues. They become much wealthier than the users league. It should be easy to fix because its simply incorrect info in the db. Here is an example, finances in my game at the start of the second season.

1)My fictional 1980 universe

2)Japanese League

3)Korean League

[satchel]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

3) There are too many balks. A major league team will have maybe 5-10 balks in a year and my teams experience more like 5 a month.

In the past 20 years, teams average about 15 balks per season.

[Eumel]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

12) I have had a couple minor leaguers with no service time on minor league contracts get injured and my minor league manager (AI) puts the player on the 60-day DL where he starts accumulating service time. This is an error.

This seems strange indeed, but from what I can gather, it works like that in MLB as well. Players on the 60-day DL accumulate major league service time. Of course players who aren't on the 40-man roster should not be placed on the 60-day DL.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Eumel

This seems strange indeed, but from what I can gather, it works like that in MLB as well. Players on the 60-day DL accumulate major league service time.

Yes, but simcrazy specified minor league players, by which I presume he means players not currently on the 40-man roster. There was an issue in beta with the minors only have a 15-day DL and not a long-term 60-day DL; I can't recall exactly how that got resolved (if at all).

And as a bit of trivia:

The minors, for many years, only had a short-term 10-day DL, and no long-term one. Then, possibly around 1990 when the majors changed their DL rules, the minors changed the short-term DL to 7 days and implemented a long-term 60-day DL.

[simcrazy]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Yes, but simcrazy specified minor league players, by which I presume he means players not currently on the 40-man roster. There was an issue in beta with the minors only have a 15-day DL and not a long-term 60-day DL; I can't recall exactly how that got resolved (if at all).

And as a bit of trivia:

The minors, for many years, only had a short-term 10-day DL, and no long-term one. Then, possibly around 1990 when the majors changed their DL rules, the minors changed the short-term DL to 7 days and implemented a long-term 60-day DL.

exactly!

[simcrazy]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

exactly!

this should definitely be fixed. It can lead to top prospects gaining service time before they have reached the majors. PLEASE let me know that you hear me OOTP!

[simcrazy]

Originally Posted by simcrazy

this should definitely be fixed. It can lead to top prospects gaining service time before they have reached the majors. PLEASE let me know that you hear me OOTP!

has anyone else had problems with this? Losing service time to top prospects is very hurtful.

[BMW]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Yes, but simcrazy specified minor league players, by which I presume he means players not currently on the 40-man roster. There was an issue in beta with the minors only have a 15-day DL and not a long-term 60-day DL; I can't recall exactly how that got resolved (if at all).

And as a bit of trivia:

The minors, for many years, only had a short-term 10-day DL, and no long-term one. Then, possibly around 1990 when the majors changed their DL rules, the minors changed the short-term DL to 7 days and implemented a long-term 60-day DL.

In the majors, there is a functional difference between the two DLs. The 15-Day DL makes room on your Active (Major League) roster for an additional player. The 60-Day DL makes room on your Active and 40-man (Secondary) roster.

The 40-man roster isn't a major league roster, it's a roster that spans your entire organization. You could have guys all the way down to rookie ball on your 40-man roster. Taking a player off that 40-man roster without having to pass the player through waivers is a major benefit. For that benefit you pay a cost: the player accruing service time. You can see rules regarding service time here.

I haven't played with the 7 Day Minor League DL yet, but if it works as I suspect, it just lets you put a player on the DL for a minimum of 7 Days. If, like every other DL, it doesn't require you to take the player off after 7 days, why is this an issue? Just leave the guy on the minor league DL for 60 or 100 or 250 days.

There are a few scarce commodities in baseball roster management, and among them are payroll dollars (of course) and even though the Mets could theoretically have 10,000 players under contract, only 40 of those can be on the 40 man roster (meaning that eventually they are exposed to the Rule 5 draft if they aren't).

To reiterate, moving a player off the 40-man roster is a major benefit. If you don't need to reclaim a 40-man roster space (for example, the player is in A-ball and has no impact on your ability to field a major league lineup at that time, or you have only 38 of the 40 slots currently filled), then don't use the 60-day DL. If you do need to reclaim a 40-man roster space, then you pay the cost.

[simcrazy]

Originally Posted by BMW

In the majors, there is a functional difference between the two DLs. The 15-Day DL makes room on your Active (Major League) roster for an additional player. The 60-Day DL makes room on your Active and 40-man (Secondary) roster.

The 40-man roster isn't a major league roster, it's a roster that spans your entire organization. You could have guys all the way down to rookie ball on your 40-man roster. Taking a player off that 40-man roster without having to pass the player through waivers is a major benefit. For that benefit you pay a cost: the player accruing service time. You can see rules regarding service time here.

I haven't played with the 7 Day Minor League DL yet, but if it works as I suspect, it just lets you put a player on the DL for a minimum of 7 Days. If, like every other DL, it doesn't require you to take the player off after 7 days, why is this an issue? Just leave the guy on the minor league DL for 60 or 100 or 250 days.

There are a few scarce commodities in baseball roster management, and among them are payroll dollars (of course) and even though the Mets could theoretically have 10,000 players under contract, only 40 of those can be on the 40 man roster (meaning that eventually they are exposed to the Rule 5 draft if they aren't).

To reiterate, moving a player off the 40-man roster is a major benefit. If you don't need to reclaim a 40-man roster space (for example, the player is in A-ball and has no impact on your ability to field a major league lineup at that time, or you have only 38 of the 40 slots currently filled), then don't use the 60-day DL. If you do need to reclaim a 40-man roster space, then you pay the cost.

Right, but these minor league players (who were never on my 40 man) are being put on the 60-day DL without me doing anything. Then there is seemingly no way to take him off and put him on the minor league DL.

Does anyone know how to do this, or if it is possible?

[mm7607]

This game will never be perfect until a decent record book is added, either as a third party mod or in game add on. Plus it would be nice to be able to print the game scores in list format.