Create and Just Watch?
 

Hi... I have a question regarding OOTP19 before purchasing.

What I am interested in doing, and please forgive my dorkiness in this matter, is creating a fictional league with fictional divisions and teams, using real current players, but then, instead of "taking a job" and managing a team, I just want to be able to sit back and watch my fictional baseball universe unfold, without any intervention needed from me. I want to be able to sim a day or two, watch whatever game(s) I want to watch, get news and updates about trades the teams are making and the latest on injuries and such, but without having to make any of the managerial decisions whatsoever... I just want to watch my fictional baseball world unfold. Is this possible in 19, or do I have to take a job and manage at least one team (which I really don't want to do)? Also, if "yes" to the above, can I assign real stadiums to each of the fictitious teams?

There is a way to create a fictional league with real players but its gonna take some explaining.
You can watch a game from any team even if you are a GM or MGR but its easier to do when you are not.
You can assign real parks to fictional teams, yes. In my EBL every team has a real park with a fictional name
The Batcave Yankee II
Mon Mothma Park Old Commie
Octopus Garden Wrigley but no wind
Arsenal Park Baker Bowl with some modifications

Absolutely all of that is possible. In fact, that is how I play out a huge majority of the different solo leagues I run. You can be in what is called "commissioner mode" and never run a team, or step in any time you like in the same game and take over as many teams as you like.

I love doing this myself with historical leagues and just watch player's careers develop and see teams build dynasty's or suffer through terrible slumps. I do not do it is much with fictional league structure and real players but it can be done with a little tinkering to your player pool.

Stadium-wise, yes you can assign any of the stadiums in your ballparks folder to any of your teams.

Awesome, guys... so "Commissioner Mode" eh? Thanks so much for this info... I am now completely sold!

make use of incremental templates during creation process.. if oyu are going to edit structure and move stuff around... try to save it in steps and name the template the description of the work you completed.

1-rearranged mlb
2-rearanged mil

etc... then you can easily backtrack if necessary... trust this will save tons of time when you make a small mistake and you don't have to start over from scratch.

you can make templates after a game is created too. from main Game setting or Global settings page (named one or the other asa Tab under Leauge Settings, multiple ways to get there)

since these templates will contain the real players, the files wil be 200mb+.. after you complete the process of altering the real mlb, you may want to delete all or some of the templates that aren't important to keep.