Alternate, Fictional History -- And Some Help Requested

awick · 03-21-2017, 04:57 PM

A few months ago I decided to take up a long-term project to build an alternative baseball history using fictional players -- and decided to wait for the release of OOTP18 to do so. So I started to set things up yesterday.

[I should insert here that despite having played many, many seasons in the past several years, I have never before gone deep into the past. I've just moved from now forward in time and not worried with how my stats compare with history.]

I'm beginning with the 1871 National Association and last evening I did three fast sims of that first season. Now I think that I don't understand how the function to auto-calc modifiers on the Stats & AI page under League Settings works. I brought in the historical NA 1871 stats and verified that they are the actual, historical totals. Then I hit the button to auto-cal modifiers and simulated the entire 1871 season. Many of the resulting stats (BA, OBP, SP, HR, SB, etc.) were pretty close to the historical numbers I expected.

But there were some surprising large differences between historical totals and my simulated totals which I don't understand. Consider these.

Historical Simulated
CS 123 293
SB Pct .782 .530
Errors 1934 1568
Runs 2659 1800
ERA 4.22 3.38
CG 231 134

I have no reason to think this is a problem with OOTP18 but I tried the same thing last night with OOTP17 with similar results.

My first question: Should I select the option to "Automatically adjust league totals modifiers for accuracy"? (I did.)

Next, should I also select the option to "Automatically control in-game engine". (I did not.)

Now, I can manually fiddle with the modifiers themselves to get statistical results I'm happier with -- but I've never done that before and don't look forward to doing it every year as I move forward in time.

Have others seen this sort of issue before? Does anyone have any recommendations for me? Am I just doing something wrong? And if so I hope it's something obvious, something easy to correct.

I can add more information, screenshots, etc. if that would be helpful to anyone in diagnosing and correcting the statistical differences I see.

Finally, let me say that I love this game and that I can proceed happily whatever the circumstances are or will be. OOTP18 looks like all that I had hoped it would be and I anticipate that the future holds ever more improvements.

mitchkenn · 03-21-2017, 05:23 PM

the only thing real about pre-1901 in the game are the players. Leagues, teams, etc are pretty much cosmetic. i've never played that era, but from what i've read of Spritze's comments on other pages, it's got a long way to go before being historically correct, to put it mildly.
i'm not certain i can answer your questions since i don't play that era, but thought you should know about this essential issue.
When i play, i start 1901 and i leave the "Automatically adjust league totals modifiers for accuracy" and "Automatically control in-game engine" to whatever the game default is. i found as long as i tell the game what year i'm in and let it adjust to that, things work out OK.

awick · 03-21-2017, 05:30 PM

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I've done the same as you for the modern era and always been happy with the results. I think I'll look for past comments from Spritze and others regarding the 19th century before I try to move forward.

scott1964 · 03-21-2017, 05:45 PM

I have found out thru trial and error, that the very first year is way out in left field so to speak. But the next year is more or less in line. The first year is when a batter or two will hit over .400 and hit a good number of HR, not a ton but more than historically was possible.

03-21-2017, 04:57 PM	#1
awick Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Lansing, NY Posts: 313	Alternate, Fictional History -- And Some Help Requested A few months ago I decided to take up a long-term project to build an alternative baseball history using fictional players -- and decided to wait for the release of OOTP18 to do so. So I started to set things up yesterday. [I should insert here that despite having played many, many seasons in the past several years, I have never before gone deep into the past. I've just moved from now forward in time and not worried with how my stats compare with history.] I'm beginning with the 1871 National Association and last evening I did three fast sims of that first season. Now I think that I don't understand how the function to auto-calc modifiers on the Stats & AI page under League Settings works. I brought in the historical NA 1871 stats and verified that they are the actual, historical totals. Then I hit the button to auto-cal modifiers and simulated the entire 1871 season. Many of the resulting stats (BA, OBP, SP, HR, SB, etc.) were pretty close to the historical numbers I expected. But there were some surprising large differences between historical totals and my simulated totals which I don't understand. Consider these. Historical Simulated CS 123 293 SB Pct .782 .530 Errors 1934 1568 Runs 2659 1800 ERA 4.22 3.38 CG 231 134 I have no reason to think this is a problem with OOTP18 but I tried the same thing last night with OOTP17 with similar results. My first question: Should I select the option to "Automatically adjust league totals modifiers for accuracy"? (I did.) Next, should I also select the option to "Automatically control in-game engine". (I did not.) Now, I can manually fiddle with the modifiers themselves to get statistical results I'm happier with -- but I've never done that before and don't look forward to doing it every year as I move forward in time. Have others seen this sort of issue before? Does anyone have any recommendations for me? Am I just doing something wrong? And if so I hope it's something obvious, something easy to correct. I can add more information, screenshots, etc. if that would be helpful to anyone in diagnosing and correcting the statistical differences I see. Finally, let me say that I love this game and that I can proceed happily whatever the circumstances are or will be. OOTP18 looks like all that I had hoped it would be and I anticipate that the future holds ever more improvements.

03-21-2017, 05:23 PM	#2
mitchkenn Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Oregon, not by design Posts: 2,872	the only thing real about pre-1901 in the game are the players. Leagues, teams, etc are pretty much cosmetic. i've never played that era, but from what i've read of Spritze's comments on other pages, it's got a long way to go before being historically correct, to put it mildly. i'm not certain i can answer your questions since i don't play that era, but thought you should know about this essential issue. When i play, i start 1901 and i leave the "Automatically adjust league totals modifiers for accuracy" and "Automatically control in-game engine" to whatever the game default is. i found as long as i tell the game what year i'm in and let it adjust to that, things work out OK. __________________ "This is my opening farewell " - Jackson Browne “They make a desolation and call it peace.” ― Agha Shahid Ali "Maybe she just has to sing, for the sake of the song - And who do I think that I am to decide that she's wrong." - Townes Van Zandt "I saw a young man leaning on his wooden crutch - He called out to me, 'Don't ask for so much' And a young woman leaning in her darkened door She cried out to me, 'Why not ask for more?' " - Leonard Cohen "Hello darkness, my old Friend ...." - Paul Simon Before Mays, before DiMaggio, there was Oscar Charleston. "All the lies about Babe Ruth are true." - Waite Hoyt Avatar is the late great Townes Van Zandt. rip.

03-21-2017, 05:45 PM	#4
scott1964 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Denver Posts: 5,622	I have found out thru trial and error, that the very first year is way out in left field so to speak. But the next year is more or less in line. The first year is when a batter or two will hit over .400 and hit a good number of HR, not a ton but more than historically was possible. __________________ This just feels more like waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. PETA.....People Eating Tasty Animals.

03-21-2017, 05:30 PM	#3
awick Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Lansing, NY Posts: 313	Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I've done the same as you for the modern era and always been happy with the results. I think I'll look for past comments from Spritze and others regarding the 19th century before I try to move forward.