UK fan more used to FM - how do you play through seasons?

Colorado · 02-08-2023, 03:30 PM

I've bought a few versions of the game as my baseball knowledge and confidence in stuff like contracts and stats gradually improves, but have never really got into the game properly (I also tend to play FHM).

My background in sports sims is Football Manager, where you play every game out without simming through weeks on end. With there being so many more games in baseball, what do you guys do??

Do people actually play every single game or one from every series, or just those against divisional rivals and play-offs??

The fact it's almost impossible to play through every single game loses a bit of immersion for me, so I wanted to know what people generally do when they are playing the game?

Sweed · 02-08-2023, 03:55 PM

I play every inning of every game. Spring training, regular season, and playoffs. Takes 10-12 weeks, or so, to play a season. I couldn't stay connected to my baseball world any other way.

I know many sim and look at stats, box scores, game logs etc. It's not for me. Trying to read a game log puts me to sleep. It would take me longer to read it then to play out the game.

While I don't read through any game logs and only review a rare few box scores, of other teams, I do review the scores of all games daily on the "score" screen. I then rotate through standings, news, and all transactions daily, which takes approx. 5 minutes. It's how I keep up with my league.

I wish OOTP produced a traditional score score sheet in addition to the game log. With that one could see, with a quick scan, how the game flowed. I wouldn't use it to take the place of playing out my games. I would use them to peruse the games of other teams.

Pelican · 02-08-2023, 05:09 PM

I use the same approach as Sweed; although it takes me longer to push through a season. For my team, I want to act as field manager, not just GM or owner (where I would set up rosters and lineups and rotations and then sim the games). That's my choice, because I love the challenge of game strategy as much as drafting and signing and trading players. And, if you think about it, I'm still simming fourteen games a day (with thirty teams), while playing one. So, it's mostly simming. I too read the other game box scores (though not the logs, unless I have a question about a play). And in Commissioner mode I make lineup and rotation changes for other teams that need them. I'll even promote and demote players from the minors for other teams. I want a competitive league.

But hey, your approach may well vary, depending upon the time you have/want to devote to the game. I know some users sim until the late innings, to move games along faster. The game is flexible about how/when to intervene. And of course you can play every pitch, which truly drags out games while promoting true realism (and much truer for steals), or one-pitch mode. In order to save some time for the rest of my (non-OOTP) life, I play one-pitch until crucial points in the game, or post-season games. YMMV.

WestCoastGuy · 02-08-2023, 06:44 PM

If I'm controlling a team, I'll play out every regular-season and postseason game that it plays on one-pitch mode.

If I'm an observer wanting to see how the seasons play out, I'll sim nearly everything, just playing out parts of games that intrigue me going down the stretch during a pennant race (for historical games) and/or in the playoffs.

Bobfather · 02-08-2023, 07:25 PM

O manage/GM and play out every regular season and post season game. I find the faster animation speed I can get in a series or more a day. I play year round and get in 3.5 to 4 seasons a version. Importing the league into each newer version.

mytreds · 02-08-2023, 10:31 PM

I’m more of a simmer myself. As in I don’t watch every single game. I like the macro management of players in my minors, watching prospects grow, looking for diamond in the rough players, that one piece to the franchise that will help the push to the playoffs, etc.

oldfatbaldguy · 02-10-2023, 06:19 PM

I play every game. The spring training games are the only part that gets boring. I play them out anyway because I want to control playing time and make sure guys aren't getting more or less playing time than I want them to get.

I do play in one-pitch mode, and most nine-inning games take me about 20 minutes.

I also watch every second of every match in FM, so those take ... about as long as a real match. And I watch my reserves or youths or whatever teams I'm delegating the management of in "comprehensive highlights" mode.

BBGiovanni · 02-11-2023, 11:19 AM

This is a good question and the variety of responses will really be helpful to new players.

There are pros and cons to different approaches, but there's a VAST universe of options between "play out every inning" and "sim a whole season so you can get to arbitration again".

I play out most of my team's games via "one pitch" or simulating until RISP (runner in scoring position) at the beginning of a game. In Spring Training, I usually set the lineup and sim 3-4 innings. When the starting pitcher is tired, I pull him and manually sub in the next pitcher and whomever I want to get playing time at a position, and sim the rest of the game.

For most regular season games, I sim early innings until RISP, and then go batter by batter when the short men are in out of the bullpen. I usually do the same in early-round playoff games but usually play them out one batter at at time.

Finally, this all assumes I have a competitive team. If you are running an expansion team or take over a terrible MLB team for a total rebuild, you should sim games and weeks. I also "sim to finish" games where my team gets blown out, like an 8 run deficit in the 5th inning or something.

Also, without spinning this off-topic, I and others don't like how the AI handles pitchers. I like to have pitchers that give up a lot of runs keep going until they're tired, use long men out of the bullpen to save my short relievers, and so on. This isn't a dig at the AI/game, I just can't get the sliders and pulldowns to do everything I want them to do. So I sim early innings and when the starter tires I take more control so my closer doesn't pitch in the 5th inning of a blowout and so on.

So, TLDR try different approaches until you're happy! Rob Manfred isn't going to send you a free t-shirt if you play every inning of a Pirates 100 loss season :P

EDIT: I don't use animations either.

Colorado · 02-12-2023, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldfatbaldguy

I also watch every second of every match in FM, so those take ... about as long as a real match. And I watch my reserves or youths or whatever teams I'm delegating the management of in "comprehensive highlights" mode.

As a long term FM player, this is hardcore!!

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Definitely good to get some context as to how people play.

Jakeydude18 · 02-18-2023, 12:02 AM

I know you asked how we play OOTP, but I wanted to point out one VERY key difference between FM and OOTP. In OOTP, you can import your save from one version of the game to the next (from OOTP22 to OOTP23 for example). I think this plays a major part in how we play our OOTP saves because there is no pressure to get to a specific point in time in our save before the next version of the game comes out.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are players here who are playing the same world they started in say OOTP15

Sweed · 02-18-2023, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakeydude18

I know you asked how we play OOTP, but I wanted to point out one VERY key difference between FM and OOTP. In OOTP, you can import your save from one version of the game to the next (from OOTP22 to OOTP23 for example). I think this plays a major part in how we play our OOTP saves because there is no pressure to get to a specific point in time in our save before the next version of the game comes out.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are players here who are playing the same world they started in say OOTP15

My game started in OOTP4.

02-08-2023, 03:30 PM	#1
Colorado Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 386	UK fan more used to FM - how do you play through seasons? I've bought a few versions of the game as my baseball knowledge and confidence in stuff like contracts and stats gradually improves, but have never really got into the game properly (I also tend to play FHM). My background in sports sims is Football Manager, where you play every game out without simming through weeks on end. With there being so many more games in baseball, what do you guys do?? Do people actually play every single game or one from every series, or just those against divisional rivals and play-offs?? The fact it's almost impossible to play through every single game loses a bit of immersion for me, so I wanted to know what people generally do when they are playing the game?

02-08-2023, 05:09 PM	#3
Pelican Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Wilmington, Delaware Posts: 2,885	I use the same approach as Sweed; although it takes me longer to push through a season. For my team, I want to act as field manager, not just GM or owner (where I would set up rosters and lineups and rotations and then sim the games). That's my choice, because I love the challenge of game strategy as much as drafting and signing and trading players. And, if you think about it, I'm still simming fourteen games a day (with thirty teams), while playing one. So, it's mostly simming. I too read the other game box scores (though not the logs, unless I have a question about a play). And in Commissioner mode I make lineup and rotation changes for other teams that need them. I'll even promote and demote players from the minors for other teams. I want a competitive league. But hey, your approach may well vary, depending upon the time you have/want to devote to the game. I know some users sim until the late innings, to move games along faster. The game is flexible about how/when to intervene. And of course you can play every pitch, which truly drags out games while promoting true realism (and much truer for steals), or one-pitch mode. In order to save some time for the rest of my (non-OOTP) life, I play one-pitch until crucial points in the game, or post-season games. YMMV. __________________ Pelican OOTP 2020-? ”Hard to believe, Harry.” Last edited by Pelican; 02-08-2023 at 05:11 PM.

02-08-2023, 07:25 PM	#5
Bobfather All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Boston Ma. Posts: 1,556	O manage/GM and play out every regular season and post season game. I find the faster animation speed I can get in a series or more a day. I play year round and get in 3.5 to 4 seasons a version. Importing the league into each newer version. __________________ I play out every game—one pitch mode.

02-08-2023, 10:31 PM	#6
mytreds All Star Starter Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 1,115	I’m more of a simmer myself. As in I don’t watch every single game. I like the macro management of players in my minors, watching prospects grow, looking for diamond in the rough players, that one piece to the franchise that will help the push to the playoffs, etc. __________________ “Baseball isn’t statistics; it’s Joe DiMaggio rounding second.” “Once, centuries ago, it was the beloved national pastime of the Americas, Wesley. Abandoned by a society that prized fast food and faster games. Lost to impatience.” “ The term ‘WAR’ should be replaced by ‘WAG’. WAR isn’t an actual measurement; it’s just a wild-ass guess” -Bill James RIP National League 1876-2022 Floreat semper vel invita morte. I make custom ballparks.

02-11-2023, 11:19 AM	#8
BBGiovanni All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Republic of California Posts: 1,874	This is a good question and the variety of responses will really be helpful to new players. There are pros and cons to different approaches, but there's a VAST universe of options between "play out every inning" and "sim a whole season so you can get to arbitration again". I play out most of my team's games via "one pitch" or simulating until RISP (runner in scoring position) at the beginning of a game. In Spring Training, I usually set the lineup and sim 3-4 innings. When the starting pitcher is tired, I pull him and manually sub in the next pitcher and whomever I want to get playing time at a position, and sim the rest of the game. For most regular season games, I sim early innings until RISP, and then go batter by batter when the short men are in out of the bullpen. I usually do the same in early-round playoff games but usually play them out one batter at at time. Finally, this all assumes I have a competitive team. If you are running an expansion team or take over a terrible MLB team for a total rebuild, you should sim games and weeks. I also "sim to finish" games where my team gets blown out, like an 8 run deficit in the 5th inning or something. Also, without spinning this off-topic, I and others don't like how the AI handles pitchers. I like to have pitchers that give up a lot of runs keep going until they're tired, use long men out of the bullpen to save my short relievers, and so on. This isn't a dig at the AI/game, I just can't get the sliders and pulldowns to do everything I want them to do. So I sim early innings and when the starter tires I take more control so my closer doesn't pitch in the 5th inning of a blowout and so on. So, TLDR try different approaches until you're happy! Rob Manfred isn't going to send you a free t-shirt if you play every inning of a Pirates 100 loss season :P EDIT: I don't use animations either. __________________ Let's Go (San Jose) Giants, Let's Go Mets! Current Project: WBAT/AABBA: Organized Base Ball And the "New Normal" World Baseball Aid Tournament 2023 trophy round underway! Last edited by BBGiovanni; 02-11-2023 at 11:21 AM.

02-08-2023, 03:55 PM	#2
Sweed Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 6,608	I play every inning of every game. Spring training, regular season, and playoffs. Takes 10-12 weeks, or so, to play a season. I couldn't stay connected to my baseball world any other way. I know many sim and look at stats, box scores, game logs etc. It's not for me. Trying to read a game log puts me to sleep. It would take me longer to read it then to play out the game. While I don't read through any game logs and only review a rare few box scores, of other teams, I do review the scores of all games daily on the "score" screen. I then rotate through standings, news, and all transactions daily, which takes approx. 5 minutes. It's how I keep up with my league. I wish OOTP produced a traditional score score sheet in addition to the game log. With that one could see, with a quick scan, how the game flowed. I wouldn't use it to take the place of playing out my games. I would use them to peruse the games of other teams.

02-08-2023, 06:44 PM	#4
WestCoastGuy Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: American in Europe Posts: 196	If I'm controlling a team, I'll play out every regular-season and postseason game that it plays on one-pitch mode. If I'm an observer wanting to see how the seasons play out, I'll sim nearly everything, just playing out parts of games that intrigue me going down the stretch during a pennant race (for historical games) and/or in the playoffs.

02-10-2023, 06:19 PM	#7
oldfatbaldguy Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 387	I play every game. The spring training games are the only part that gets boring. I play them out anyway because I want to control playing time and make sure guys aren't getting more or less playing time than I want them to get. I do play in one-pitch mode, and most nine-inning games take me about 20 minutes. I also watch every second of every match in FM, so those take ... about as long as a real match. And I watch my reserves or youths or whatever teams I'm delegating the management of in "comprehensive highlights" mode.

02-18-2023, 12:02 AM	#10
Jakeydude18 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 99	I know you asked how we play OOTP, but I wanted to point out one VERY key difference between FM and OOTP. In OOTP, you can import your save from one version of the game to the next (from OOTP22 to OOTP23 for example). I think this plays a major part in how we play our OOTP saves because there is no pressure to get to a specific point in time in our save before the next version of the game comes out. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are players here who are playing the same world they started in say OOTP15