First Season Mistakes

opie · 04-09-2018, 04:35 PM

What are the top mistakes that new owners typically make? How can they be avoided?

JaBurns · 04-09-2018, 04:41 PM

Too many to make a list. Jump in head first, try different things,make mistakes, learn from the mistakes. Be prepared to blow up many leagues and start again with the things you learned from your other leagues.
People in these forums are very helpful, read the threads that interest you and ask questions.

mitchkenn · 04-09-2018, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaBurns

Too many to make a list. Jump in head first, try different things,make mistakes, learn from the mistakes. Be prepared to blow up many leagues and start again with the things you learned from your other leagues.
People in these forums are very helpful, read the threads that interest you and ask questions.

He says with the voice of experience .... we've all lost leagues, destroyed leagues, made non- salvageable mistakes and the world didn't end, amazingly. Try what you want to have your league look like and as JaBurns said, feel free to ask questions. Almost everyone here is more than willing to help, because we've made the same mistakes and been helped ourselves. (in fact, and this is a big secret, most of us are still learning from each other despite the fact we've been playing this game for years!)

now, git to it!!!

Bluenoser · 04-09-2018, 05:49 PM

Absolutely, without a doubt, more so than any other, beyond belief, beyond anything you can possibly comprehend -

T H E #1 Mistake people make - new and old

- they forget to make regular backups.

Other than that, do as suggested - dive in, have fun and learn while doing so - there is no end to the enjoyment this game will bring you.

opie · 04-10-2018, 07:21 AM

Thanks for the comments! Appreciate the candid feedback. Would still love to have a short list of at least some of the things y'all wish you could have done over/better that first season.

mitchkenn · 04-10-2018, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by opie

Thanks for the comments! Appreciate the candid feedback. Would still love to have a short list of at least some of the things y'all wish you could have done over/better that first season.

biggest mistake i made was not making a back-up BEFORE i tried a major edit or expansion. Those back-ups are vital. Now i back-up every time i finish a session. At the start of a new year, i delete old saves (except one) and start backing up the new season.

also another big mistake was manually expanding my baseball world too fast. Got some really weak teams for a few years and very inflated numbers for my stars.

NoOne · 04-10-2018, 09:30 AM

during game creation, i make multiple templates along the way. each noting what i've done along the way.

"0 - game settings"
"1 - add leagues & league structure modified"
"2 - mil setup 1 - structure"
"3 - mil setup 2 - settings"
...
you can delete these after the fact (..\data\world templates).. i typically keep just the final template. but, if you always use the same settings, this saves time when creating future league.. then go straight to editting structure or adding leagues etc.

easy to step back and re-start while saving time.

plus, after game creation of course use backups.. you can rename them like the templates above (in explorer, not in game)... then, make a "full backup" again for the next 'step'.

(if you don't do "full back" or "copy all files"-- i forget the syntax on screen; it's just a checkbox option -- after renaming or moving existing backup, you will only get an incremental backup. players and stats ar efine, but messages and transaction type stuff will only be since last time you clicked a normal "backup")

i'll usually name these by the year occasionally... typically if i make a change, and not just randomly. so i have a backup from before the change as well as the ability to backup while i play with the change. once i verify no problems, i'll delete the extra backup directories.

_______________________

as far as playing the game...

-understand aging.. avoid it's negative effects. don't make the same mistakes RL gm's make while pandering to fans... fans are incontrevertably dumb as a whole, lol. they cause stupid contracts like miguel cabreera signed until 43 y.o. at 30+M/year ... WTF?!?! the verlander deal was terrible too. lucky they unloaded him.. truly.

-be ruthless and don't get attached to players.

-understand what overspending is per player stats and draw a hard line in the sand of what you can and cannot afford per results given by that player. let some other gm overspend and damage their clubs probabilty of successful seasons for multiple years... just dumb.

-spend all that you can each year -- not necessarily on players... after you ahve 25man roster + depth, make sure to max out your scouting / development / IAFA spending budgets (iafa - the just 2nd amatuers).

- learn from mistakes... accept when a perception is wrong or detrimental to your win/loss columns. try something different based on why it failed so miserably.

-stick to concepts with tangible cause/effect and not magic, hopes, or personal wishes. you cannot put lipstick on a pig and expect results to change. be reasonable.

CurlyKarkovice · 04-10-2018, 02:18 PM

A few long winded things off the top of my head for major league and minor league GM of a franchise....

Pay up if you have a crappy scout. Get someone who is good or great at scouting everything. Depending on your team rebuilding or going for a world series the priorities are mostly good or great at Major league scouting (trades, free agents, the opponent), Minor leagues (trades, promotion/demotion), Amateur (the June 5th draft) then international (really young pieces you won't see for a long time). In that order.

Not a mistake but if you struck out on some free agent signings or executing trades at the beginning of the year, around opening day every team Waives and DFAs some pretty good players. Check it to see if you want to claim someone (check their contract to fit your budget) to fill any roster gaps or depth issues you may have for pro or minors. You will need room on the 40 man roster for pros or you will have to waive a player to make room.

40 man roster stuff. When the September call-ups happen you do not need to bring every minor league player that had a good season or high potential up from there unless they have a legit shot at getting some quality playing time for improvement into the next season of Major league playing time.

For one, the 40 man gets full and in the offseason you may need to possibly waive players (bench OR farm system depth) to sign major league free agents.

Two, when a lower prospect plays (if they haven't been called up earlier for whatever reason, injuries etc) they will lose a minor league option year. It is not worth it to lose an option year on a 20 year old who may not be a pivotal major league piece (bench or otherwise). No matter how excited you might be for the potential of your 1st round draft pick.

Players only get 3 option years and if they are fringe AAA and major league and you need to send them up and down for development reasons in 4 years they will have to be waived and DFA'd to get them that experience. Read up on 40 man roster rules and option year rules in the manual.

I would say the first offseason there a lot of things to learn from. I was a rebuilding team year one and made a lot of trades before the deadline. Then I signed some big time free agents after year one. I went all in on offering big contracts in the first week of the offseason. This is NOT necessary. Don't low ball a player you really want or need, they will get frustrated and demand an enormous contract. But don't meet the demand of a 35 million dollar player on day one.

Try 30mil with incentives (player opt out, starting lineup/roation, bonus for all-star team, PAs or IPs) and they will give you feed back on the offer. Or offer 15 mil to someone demanding 18, etc etc
The offseason menu of your Pro league will also show how many teams are in demand of said player. Pay up for high demand you need. Stay firm on low/no demand guys. The week before and during the Winter Meetings (December 15ish) is when things heat up for the big candidates. Trades are easier during and after the meetings because teams know their roster after some signings and know who is expendable. Veterans demanding huge long term contracts and average players can be negotiated with well into January, February, even after spring training starts.

Just some details from my one experience in year one. I am in my fourth year of the league now. Like everybody else said get after it and learn from mistakes on the fly. I don't think any one thing is detrimental that you can't come back from. Except not saving enough!

I have the setting on automatic save daily. Daily as in each calendar day of your league. That way if a crash causes a corrupt league data file, you can always paste the files from the "Auto-Save" folder in your *.lg directory. You will only lose one "day" of work. I use Windows 10 and that has only happened to me once though and I updated my video drivers and hasn't happened since. Avoid having any other programs open during in-game playing/managing.

Love this game!

NoOne · 04-10-2018, 04:05 PM

CurlyKarkovice, if you know your league's salaries well, wait even longer for those demands to drop... at risk of losing the guy, of course.. can't wait too long.

but, if they ask for ~35 and you know 99% of the time they will sign for 22-25/year, the only way you can offer that small amount is by waiting for demand to drop.

i've seen a high-quality guy go all the way to february before their demand dropped to a reasonalbe level in years past.

i always take a look at the payroll report during season at some point. it has the top 25 highest salaries listed. take note of the high-water mark over time. get used to what certain plaers will get paid if you don't offer.

ai can submit a low-ball offer without ruining negotiations.. so when it says 5 teams are competing, it doesn't mean they offered anywhere near that initial demand... could be 15m lower for all you know. we don't get that liberty like the ai does. (for good reason, of course)

04-10-2018, 07:21 AM	#5
opie Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 57	Thanks for the comments! Appreciate the candid feedback. Would still love to have a short list of at least some of the things y'all wish you could have done over/better that first season. Last edited by opie; 04-10-2018 at 07:35 AM.

04-10-2018, 09:30 AM	#7
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,227	during game creation, i make multiple templates along the way. each noting what i've done along the way. "0 - game settings" "1 - add leagues & league structure modified" "2 - mil setup 1 - structure" "3 - mil setup 2 - settings" ... you can delete these after the fact (..\data\world templates).. i typically keep just the final template. but, if you always use the same settings, this saves time when creating future league.. then go straight to editting structure or adding leagues etc. easy to step back and re-start while saving time. plus, after game creation of course use backups.. you can rename them like the templates above (in explorer, not in game)... then, make a "full backup" again for the next 'step'. (if you don't do "full back" or "copy all files"-- i forget the syntax on screen; it's just a checkbox option -- after renaming or moving existing backup, you will only get an incremental backup. players and stats ar efine, but messages and transaction type stuff will only be since last time you clicked a normal "backup") i'll usually name these by the year occasionally... typically if i make a change, and not just randomly. so i have a backup from before the change as well as the ability to backup while i play with the change. once i verify no problems, i'll delete the extra backup directories. _______________________ as far as playing the game... -understand aging.. avoid it's negative effects. don't make the same mistakes RL gm's make while pandering to fans... fans are incontrevertably dumb as a whole, lol. they cause stupid contracts like miguel cabreera signed until 43 y.o. at 30+M/year ... WTF?!?! the verlander deal was terrible too. lucky they unloaded him.. truly. -be ruthless and don't get attached to players. -understand what overspending is per player stats and draw a hard line in the sand of what you can and cannot afford per results given by that player. let some other gm overspend and damage their clubs probabilty of successful seasons for multiple years... just dumb. -spend all that you can each year -- not necessarily on players... after you ahve 25man roster + depth, make sure to max out your scouting / development / IAFA spending budgets (iafa - the just 2nd amatuers). - learn from mistakes... accept when a perception is wrong or detrimental to your win/loss columns. try something different based on why it failed so miserably. -stick to concepts with tangible cause/effect and not magic, hopes, or personal wishes. you cannot put lipstick on a pig and expect results to change. be reasonable. Last edited by NoOne; 04-10-2018 at 09:40 AM.

04-10-2018, 02:18 PM	#8
CurlyKarkovice Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Indianapolis IN Posts: 231	A few long winded things off the top of my head for major league and minor league GM of a franchise.... Pay up if you have a crappy scout. Get someone who is good or great at scouting everything. Depending on your team rebuilding or going for a world series the priorities are mostly good or great at Major league scouting (trades, free agents, the opponent), Minor leagues (trades, promotion/demotion), Amateur (the June 5th draft) then international (really young pieces you won't see for a long time). In that order. Not a mistake but if you struck out on some free agent signings or executing trades at the beginning of the year, around opening day every team Waives and DFAs some pretty good players. Check it to see if you want to claim someone (check their contract to fit your budget) to fill any roster gaps or depth issues you may have for pro or minors. You will need room on the 40 man roster for pros or you will have to waive a player to make room. 40 man roster stuff. When the September call-ups happen you do not need to bring every minor league player that had a good season or high potential up from there unless they have a legit shot at getting some quality playing time for improvement into the next season of Major league playing time. For one, the 40 man gets full and in the offseason you may need to possibly waive players (bench OR farm system depth) to sign major league free agents. Two, when a lower prospect plays (if they haven't been called up earlier for whatever reason, injuries etc) they will lose a minor league option year. It is not worth it to lose an option year on a 20 year old who may not be a pivotal major league piece (bench or otherwise). No matter how excited you might be for the potential of your 1st round draft pick. Players only get 3 option years and if they are fringe AAA and major league and you need to send them up and down for development reasons in 4 years they will have to be waived and DFA'd to get them that experience. Read up on 40 man roster rules and option year rules in the manual. I would say the first offseason there a lot of things to learn from. I was a rebuilding team year one and made a lot of trades before the deadline. Then I signed some big time free agents after year one. I went all in on offering big contracts in the first week of the offseason. This is NOT necessary. Don't low ball a player you really want or need, they will get frustrated and demand an enormous contract. But don't meet the demand of a 35 million dollar player on day one. Try 30mil with incentives (player opt out, starting lineup/roation, bonus for all-star team, PAs or IPs) and they will give you feed back on the offer. Or offer 15 mil to someone demanding 18, etc etc The offseason menu of your Pro league will also show how many teams are in demand of said player. Pay up for high demand you need. Stay firm on low/no demand guys. The week before and during the Winter Meetings (December 15ish) is when things heat up for the big candidates. Trades are easier during and after the meetings because teams know their roster after some signings and know who is expendable. Veterans demanding huge long term contracts and average players can be negotiated with well into January, February, even after spring training starts. Just some details from my one experience in year one. I am in my fourth year of the league now. Like everybody else said get after it and learn from mistakes on the fly. I don't think any one thing is detrimental that you can't come back from. Except not saving enough! I have the setting on automatic save daily. Daily as in each calendar day of your league. That way if a crash causes a corrupt league data file, you can always paste the files from the "Auto-Save" folder in your .lg directory. You will only lose one "day" of work. I use Windows 10 and that has only happened to me once though and I updated my video drivers and hasn't happened since. Avoid having any other programs open during in-game playing/managing. Love this game! Last edited by CurlyKarkovice; 04-10-2018 at 02:23 PM.*

04-09-2018, 04:35 PM	#1
opie Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 57	First Season Mistakes What are the top mistakes that new owners typically make? How can they be avoided?

04-09-2018, 04:41 PM	#2
JaBurns All Star Starter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Kelowna, British Columbia Posts: 1,273	Too many to make a list. Jump in head first, try different things,make mistakes, learn from the mistakes. Be prepared to blow up many leagues and start again with the things you learned from your other leagues. People in these forums are very helpful, read the threads that interest you and ask questions.

04-09-2018, 05:49 PM	#4
Bluenoser Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In The Moment Posts: 14,075	Absolutely, without a doubt, more so than any other, beyond belief, beyond anything you can possibly comprehend - T H E #1 Mistake people make - new and old - they forget to make regular backups. Other than that, do as suggested - dive in, have fun and learn while doing so - there is no end to the enjoyment this game will bring you.

04-10-2018, 04:05 PM	#9
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,227	CurlyKarkovice, if you know your league's salaries well, wait even longer for those demands to drop... at risk of losing the guy, of course.. can't wait too long. but, if they ask for ~35 and you know 99% of the time they will sign for 22-25/year, the only way you can offer that small amount is by waiting for demand to drop. i've seen a high-quality guy go all the way to february before their demand dropped to a reasonalbe level in years past. i always take a look at the payroll report during season at some point. it has the top 25 highest salaries listed. take note of the high-water mark over time. get used to what certain plaers will get paid if you don't offer. ai can submit a low-ball offer without ruining negotiations.. so when it says 5 teams are competing, it doesn't mean they offered anywhere near that initial demand... could be 15m lower for all you know. we don't get that liberty like the ai does. (for good reason, of course)