Looking Back and a bit overwhelmed

[Michael Hopcroft]

I've made several attempts at starting a game of OOTP 10 over the last couple of years and every time I find myself overwhelmed. I am wondering if someone could advise me on how to feel less overwhelmed so that when I but OOTP 12 (if I buy 12, which tempts me despite my ineptitude) I can actually enjoy the game.

Most of my experience has been as a stat sim player, where the only real things you do is direct the team on the field. That is where I'm most comfortable. When I try to deal with the deeper management functions I get kind of lost. How soon should you start trying to negotiate contracts with one of your players who might become a free agent? How does scouting work? Is it worth the trouble to set your own lineups and rotations?

The part I most enjoy is managing the games, which is something OOTP seems to do better than the other management games I've tried. But how do you prevent all the other things from overwhelming you?

[albatross11]

[QUOTE=Michael Hopcroft;3095192]I've made several attempts at starting a game of OOTP 10 over the last couple of years and every time I find myself overwhelmed. I am wondering if someone could advise me on how to feel less overwhelmed so that when I but OOTP 12 (if I buy 12, which tempts me despite my ineptitude) I can actually enjoy the game.

Most of my experience has been as a stat sim player, where the only real things you do is direct the team on the field. That is where I'm most comfortable. When I try to deal with the deeper management functions I get kind of lost. How soon should you start trying to negotiate contracts with one of your players who might become a free agent? How does scouting work? Is it worth the trouble to set your own lineups and rotations?

The part I most enjoy is managing the games, which is something OOTP seems to do better than the other management games I've tried. But how do you prevent all the other things from overwhelming you?[/QUOTE]


Don't do them. Turn off financials and scouting.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by Michael Hopcroft

I've made several attempts at starting a game of OOTP 10 over the last couple of years and every time I find myself overwhelmed. I am wondering if someone could advise me on how to feel less overwhelmed so that when I but OOTP 12 (if I buy 12, which tempts me despite my ineptitude) I can actually enjoy the game.

Most of my experience has been as a stat sim player, where the only real things you do is direct the team on the field. That is where I'm most comfortable. When I try to deal with the deeper management functions I get kind of lost. How soon should you start trying to negotiate contracts with one of your players who might become a free agent? How does scouting work? Is it worth the trouble to set your own lineups and rotations?

The part I most enjoy is managing the games, which is something OOTP seems to do better than the other management games I've tried. But how do you prevent all the other things from overwhelming you?

What albatross said, of course.

But if you really want to delve into the game, and learn what it's about, take one of your leagues that you know you didn;t set up properly as an example of what you could do differently.

Then go through the process of creating a new league, and take note of all the different rules and options. For the most part, you can play with full rules and options, and just ignore a lot of the more really crazy things, like adjusting for league averages. I would suggest, even to the most hardened of OOTP/baseball veterans to not touch league average options, unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing, and know EXACTLY the results you want.

Another suggestion I have, is to first write down on paper, or create a spreadsheet (whatever you are more comfortable working with) the numbers of teams you want, the names, their locations, their minor league affiliates, etc before you touch the league screen. Unless you are playing the default MLB set-up. Then don;t worry about doing any of that.

Basically, most of the options when setting up a custom league you don't need to worry too much about. Custom leagues will already have the options chosen for a standard MLB league rule set.

Now, to answer your more specific questions:

"How soon should you start trying to negotiate contracts with one of your players who might become a free agent? "

Not until the last month or two of your regular season at the very earliest. This means probably late August, and into September for a standard 162 game MLB schedule. Usually I wait until about the last week of the regular schedule, and sometimes as late as October.

Nobody wants to do any contract negotiations until then, because players want to hold off for a higher contract. Managers and GMs want to hold off to see how well the players do in the second half of the season, and to see where their team is at, in case of any major late-season injuries.

"How does scouting work?"

That's a pretty exhaustive answer. Long story short: It's all a part of the internal game mechanics.

"Is it worth the trouble to set your own lineups and rotations?"

It can be. The AI sets up a pretty decent lineup. That depends on the strategy you like to do for each game, and the reason why you signed the players you did.

Myself, I like to have the AI do it, because they do a poorer job than I would. I like to give my opposing AI small advantages like that. (Not like it is an advantage, because all the other lineups and rotations are less than ideal on other teams anyway.)

Plus, it saves on a lot of time to just have the AI set your lineup in the lineup screen on your team page. Makes it easier to do any minor tweaks, if you decide to do so.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Well, I'm at the start of spring training in a 1962-starting historical league. I'm running the Mets in Commissioner mode with non-firing, knowing that my first few seasons will be horrible and with the challenge of trying to build from nothng to a contender. It's a project I did in Puresim many times before. once winning the World Series in 1968.

There are a few functions I'm unsure of after long rust. Like how to manage my reserve roster (I don't have a full minor league system). I think this next sitting I'll want to go through spring training and see what happens.

[Djanvk]

Great post, I'm also a bit overwhelmed at times so far there has been some good information here.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by Michael Hopcroft

Well, I'm at the start of spring training in a 1962-starting historical league. I'm running the Mets in Commissioner mode with non-firing, knowing that my first few seasons will be horrible and with the challenge of trying to build from nothng to a contender. It's a project I did in Puresim many times before. once winning the World Series in 1968.

There are a few functions I'm unsure of after long rust. Like how to manage my reserve roster (I don't have a full minor league system). I think this next sitting I'll want to go through spring training and see what happens.

Sorry I didn't respond. I'll get back to this sometime tomorrow.

[brewdog]

Hope this help answer a question or two....

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/documentation/ootp11/index.php?page=reserve_rosters