Manager Mode

David Watts · 03-31-2015, 11:04 AM

Just wanted to say thanks to the development team for adding this to the game. For years I have been playing manage only by turning everything over to the AI. But, it never felt real. I was still hired as a GM, evaluated as a GM and in the end fired as a GM.

This years version with manage only almost feels like a whole new game for me. Love that when I agree to take a job with a team it comes with a contract for a set number of years. Can't wait to see what happens when I reach the end of my contract....I guess that should say IF I reach the end of my contract. The best thing is, I finally feel like I have that "stake in the team" feeling that I've felt lacking in earlier versions.

The best thing is, now that manage only is part of the game, the skies the limit. There are unlimited ways this feature can grow and improve. I think it's so cool that we have this forum to discuss OOTP. I think it's incredible that we can air our suggestions and more often than not, the developers listen. Thanks.

bigsmooth · 03-31-2015, 11:10 AM

I haven't purchased the game yet --- soon!!

Do you have to apply for managerial jobs, or just take a ML team that you want? I cannot wait to try this new feature out as well.

Grafton19 · 03-31-2015, 11:26 AM

I hated giving up control, but I like having to play with the hand dealt and might just play out my games to get full feel

GM makes moves I hate at times, but I think it forces me now to play games out..

Manager Only is like giving up when you get married

gads · 03-31-2015, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsmooth

I haven't purchased the game yet --- soon!!

Do you have to apply for managerial jobs, or just take a ML team that you want? I cannot wait to try this new feature out as well.

You can take any team you want. Just choose a team and select manager mode.

BIG17EASY · 03-31-2015, 11:37 AM

Thanks for posting this, David. I haven't had a chance to try that aspect of the game yet, but after reading your post, it's definitely something I'm going to try out soon. I'm typically more of a simmer, so playing out games seems slow to me. But now knowing that managing truly feels like managing, I'll anxious to try it.

Grafton19 · 03-31-2015, 11:47 AM

I am the same way as a simmer, but since I am not calling and making the moves. I feel as Manager playing out the game now is how I can make most of team

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

Thanks for posting this, David. I haven't had a chance to try that aspect of the game yet, but after reading your post, it's definitely something I'm going to try out soon. I'm typically more of a simmer, so playing out games seems slow to me. But now knowing that managing truly feels like managing, I'll anxious to try it.

David Watts · 03-31-2015, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsmooth

I haven't purchased the game yet --- soon!!

Do you have to apply for managerial jobs, or just take a ML team that you want? I cannot wait to try this new feature out as well.

When you create a league choosing the role you want to play as is now part of the setup wizard. If you choose manage only, when your league is created, you will only be offered jobs as a manager be several teams in your league and from several different levels. You can still go into commish mode and take a job with any team, but that's up to you.

David Watts · 03-31-2015, 12:19 PM

When you play a lot of historical or random debut, manage only mode is a great way for you to keep things on an even keel with the AI. It's frustrating when the AI trades away someone you had big plans for, but I'm sure many a real life manager has felt that very way.

This will sound silly, but this version with manager mode has getting all nostalgic. It really brings back all the Strat-O Matic memories from my childhood. Minus all the paper of course. Oh to be 10 years old in this day and age.

Painmantle · 03-31-2015, 12:51 PM

I started in Rookie League and 11 seasons into it(and after toiling in AAA for 8 years) I finally won a AAA Championship,

Didn't even get a congratulatory e-mail from the Mother Club and after Looking they won 108 games this year <sigh> Doesn't look like they will have a Job Opening anytime soon

But I'll keep truckin' till I get fired or get a ticket to "The Show"

Fyrestorm3 · 03-31-2015, 12:56 PM

On the same note, playing GM-only also feels amazingly more realistic. Just the process of trying to please your owner, fans, players, and manager at the same time adds a whole new level of depth to the game.

Ironically, I had just switched from GM/Manager to GM-only in my main league right before this feature was announced, so the transition feels totally natural.

Markus and the gang have outdone themselves this year.

David Watts · 03-31-2015, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

On the same note, playing GM-only also feels amazingly more realistic. Just the process of trying to please your owner, fans, players, and manager at the same time adds a whole new level of depth to the game.

Ironically, I had just switched from GM/Manager to GM-only in my main league right before this feature was announced, so the transition feels totally natural.

Markus and the gang have outdone themselves this year.

I think that's what makes this version so incredible. I've never been disappointed by a single version of this game. (I didn't buy the one, is it 6 that everyone rails against), but this year's version has me anticipating future versions more than any other release. I just think a huge bottle of potential has been opened and wow! I want to see what happens.

Matt Uk · 03-31-2015, 02:40 PM

I totally agree. I've started in the Mexican League with all Leagues on and I can't wait to see where my career will take me. If I start well will I grow attached to the team and not want to move on and up or will I get fired before my contracts up and scratch around for another similar level team to take me on. So many different scenarios could pan out and it just adds to what was already a brilliant game. So far my GM has been pretty low key and the owners goals for him are not going to effect me too much but I'm only 11 games into the season so we shall see!

As I'm managing in an international league I wonder what happens when you are managing a minor team in the MLB. Does the GM have any particular goals for you other than the W/L expectation? It woud be good if they told you they wanted a particular prospect to be started or learn a new position, or to protect a pitcher's arm perhaps who is a little injury prone, little things like that.

smiller · 03-31-2015, 03:43 PM

Fyrestorm3,

I plan to buy the game after the 3rd patch, and was going to play as GM/Manager, but your reply is making me rethink to playing as GM only. Although David's is also making me wonder about going the Manager route alone. Perhaps, i need to play two leagues. Would be interested in hearing more of your experiences.

swoboda · 03-31-2015, 03:59 PM

I play one league as GM/Mgr and one as GM only.

Do I now need to add a third as Mgr only to get the full OOTP experience ??

Or do I want to stay happily married ?

Hmmm

Painmantle · 03-31-2015, 04:22 PM

One thing I've noticed after 8 seasons in AAA, all the guys kicking ass at the ML level is guys I'm very familiar with, they are "My Guys" we grew up together, I can't wait for a chance to Manage them in the Big Leagues. Also I had the Luxury of having Albert Pujols up and down on my roster for 3-4 seasons at the end of his career, eventually I just had to Bench him and he got sent to AA, But he did put some butts in the seats I guess

Grafton19 · 03-31-2015, 05:55 PM

So as GM I can make trades, but still don't have time to mess with all minor league teams and let AI make moves, so as manager I can just play without the worry of that.

Do I like some of my GM moves? No, but I feel it has a flaw. I started over with Detroit and my GM didn't sign Felix Pie to my team. I think owner goals and weakness may play a part in their move. I adjust my GM around my strategy before the season and it's fun to see it play out and if I get the urge to trade, I can also click GM/Commish. Make the trade and go back 😄 to manager.

Fyrestorm3 · 03-31-2015, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smiller

Fyrestorm3,

I plan to buy the game after the 3rd patch, and was going to play as GM/Manager, but your reply is making me rethink to playing as GM only. Although David's is also making me wonder about going the Manager route alone. Perhaps, i need to play two leagues. Would be interested in hearing more of your experiences.

Long story incoming! My experience with OOTP has been as follows:

When I started playing (with OOTP11), I pretty much played GM-only. I made all the transactions, ran my organization, and simmed every single game - barring playoff games, which I managed. While this was fun, and while I successfully built quite a few championship teams, I started to feel like I was becoming disconnected with my teams. I had garnered a reputation (in my fictional universe) of essentially ignoring the fans; I would trade away star players like they were nothing, all in the name of improving the club. I wheeled and dealed every offseason, flipping the club on its head almost every year. And it worked. But it felt lacking.

It was either in OOTP13 or 14 where I decided I needed to take a more hands-on approach to my team. I was GM of the Rays in 2016 in my main game at the time, when Joe Maddon, out of nowhere, retired. So I took the opportunity and I created the in-universe story of becoming the MLB's only GM/Manager. I still made the transactions, but I delegated much of the smaller duties, like minor league promotions/demotions, to the AI. And my in-game persona changed almost overnight.

By playing out every game of every season (I didn't sim a single inning - I was in the dugout for every game, after all), I grew so attached to my players. Scrubs who would have been trade fodder in the past grew on me to the point where I didn't want to get rid of them. "No, no, play him one more year," I'd tell myself. "This'll be the year he shows what he can do. Remember that series against New York? He was phenomenal! He's totally capable of great things!" I experienced the highs and lows alongside my players, and they became real to me. They were so much more than names. And so when it came time to make the big moves... more often than not, I stood pat. Of course, there were still big deals that I pulled off, but they required a lot more thought on my part, and they were no longer as easy as just pushing a button.

I vividly remember one of the hardest trades I ever made: I needed a fifth starter, so I was negotiating with Houston for one of their young relievers, who looked like he had the potential to start. I was willing to give up an infield prospect, but Houston wasn't budging. They wanted a reliever as well, to replace the guy I was taking. Specifically, they were asking for J.P. Howell, a 37-year-old at the time. Now, Howell was a guy who'd done pretty good for me out of the pen. He was the grizzled vet of our staff, someone who'd been with us for almost all of his career, barring a two-year stint in Seattle. But he wasn't GREAT. His WHIP hovered around 1.30 most years, his ERA around 3 or 4. A very serviceable reliever, but that's all he was. Plus, he was 37 years old with a single year left on his deal. He should not have been hard to give up.

And yet, I literally had to sleep on it. I had to close my laptop and go to bed. Howell had been with me for so long, we'd been through so much together - could I really just send him off like that? It was a whole new layer of immersion in the game that I had never experienced when I did not watch all of my games play out. For the record, I pulled the trigger on the deal, and I'm glad I did. Howell played out his final year with Houston and retired, while the pitcher I got back has been fairly solid.

Now, you might ask, why would I ever go back to GM-only, if playing GM/Manager had such an effect on me? Basically, it just took too long. This was an MLB league, so it was a full 162-game schedule. I would get through a season in about 2 months. There's nothing wrong with that, really, but one of the coolest parts of OOTP for me is building a history. Seeing guys you've drafted rise up through the ranks and into the annals of history. I'm already imagining the day when I retire my star first baseman's number. Except, that day would be real-life years away if I continued to play out every game.

So that's why I made the switch back. I wanted things to progress at least a little faster. But I'm not simply simming away like I used to - I watch at least a few innings of most games. Generally I'll start a game and sim to the 4th, check the Game Log, then sim to the 7th. If it's a close game, I'll watch it play out. If not, I'll sim through to the end. I feel like it's a good balance, even though I do miss the immersion that playing every single game brings. The good news is that the new features like Owner Goals give GM-only a lot more depth.

I have contemplated starting a new league, a fictional one with a shorter schedule, so that I could play out every game again. But I really don't want to leave this one behind. Thanks to my 6 seasons of being a manager, I'm more attached to these players than I ever have been to any group in the past. And we've STILL yet to win a damn World Series!

tl;dr: Play out your games if you can. It's far more immersive.

RchW · 03-31-2015, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swoboda

I play one league as GM/Mgr and one as GM only.

Do I now need to add a third as Mgr only to get the full OOTP experience ??

Or do I want to stay happily married ?

Hmmm

I can only give you the quote from my wife when she was asked what she thought about "this silly game he plays"? Her answer, "at least I know where he is at night".

smiller · 03-31-2015, 10:16 PM

Fyrestorm3,
Thanks for your story. It's given me a lot to think about. I'm in the eighth season of my fictional league (still OOTP15, but I'll transfer when I get 16 next week). I started out as GM only, but didn't like my manager's lineup decisions, so I took over that aspect of the game along with the pitching rotation, and left in-game decisions to the manager. I play out most games, but I've had some seasons where i did more simming just so I could get to the off season and make moves to strengthen the team. What I'll probably do with 16 is keep my fictional league the way it is and start a real major league season as GM only and see how I enjoy that experience. Again, the great part of this game is that it does give you so many options.

03-31-2015, 11:04 AM	#1
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 9,850 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Manager Mode Just wanted to say thanks to the development team for adding this to the game. For years I have been playing manage only by turning everything over to the AI. But, it never felt real. I was still hired as a GM, evaluated as a GM and in the end fired as a GM. This years version with manage only almost feels like a whole new game for me. Love that when I agree to take a job with a team it comes with a contract for a set number of years. Can't wait to see what happens when I reach the end of my contract....I guess that should say IF I reach the end of my contract. The best thing is, I finally feel like I have that "stake in the team" feeling that I've felt lacking in earlier versions. The best thing is, now that manage only is part of the game, the skies the limit. There are unlimited ways this feature can grow and improve. I think it's so cool that we have this forum to discuss OOTP. I think it's incredible that we can air our suggestions and more often than not, the developers listen. Thanks.

03-31-2015, 12:19 PM	#8
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 9,850 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	When you play a lot of historical or random debut, manage only mode is a great way for you to keep things on an even keel with the AI. It's frustrating when the AI trades away someone you had big plans for, but I'm sure many a real life manager has felt that very way. This will sound silly, but this version with manager mode has getting all nostalgic. It really brings back all the Strat-O Matic memories from my childhood. Minus all the paper of course. Oh to be 10 years old in this day and age. Last edited by David Watts; 03-31-2015 at 12:43 PM.

03-31-2015, 12:51 PM	#9
Painmantle Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Greenfield ,IN Posts: 3,053	I started in Rookie League and 11 seasons into it(and after toiling in AAA for 8 years) I finally won a AAA Championship, Didn't even get a congratulatory e-mail from the Mother Club and after Looking they won 108 games this year <sigh> Doesn't look like they will have a Job Opening anytime soon But I'll keep truckin' till I get fired or get a ticket to "The Show" __________________ “As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher's mound. It was as if I'd been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy.” -Babe Ruth “Ruth made a grave mistake when he gave up pitching. Working once a week, he might have lasted a long time and become a great star.”-Tris Speaker My Dynasties The Beantown Bambino

03-31-2015, 03:59 PM	#14
swoboda All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Guarding The Line Posts: 1,220	I play one league as GM/Mgr and one as GM only. Do I now need to add a third as Mgr only to get the full OOTP experience ?? Or do I want to stay happily married ? Hmmm __________________ "...If you want to look ahead to the bottom of the ninth, the Mets will be sending up Buddy Harrelson, Jerry Buchek , and Don Bosch, we'll be right back after this word from Rheingold Beer" The late great Lindsey Nelson

03-31-2015, 04:22 PM	#15
Painmantle Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Greenfield ,IN Posts: 3,053	One thing I've noticed after 8 seasons in AAA, all the guys kicking ass at the ML level is guys I'm very familiar with, they are "My Guys" we grew up together, I can't wait for a chance to Manage them in the Big Leagues. Also I had the Luxury of having Albert Pujols up and down on my roster for 3-4 seasons at the end of his career, eventually I just had to Bench him and he got sent to AA, But he did put some butts in the seats I guess __________________ “As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher's mound. It was as if I'd been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy.” -Babe Ruth “Ruth made a grave mistake when he gave up pitching. Working once a week, he might have lasted a long time and become a great star.”-Tris Speaker My Dynasties The Beantown Bambino

03-31-2015, 11:10 AM	#2
bigsmooth Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 437	I haven't purchased the game yet --- soon!! Do you have to apply for managerial jobs, or just take a ML team that you want? I cannot wait to try this new feature out as well.

03-31-2015, 11:26 AM	#3
Grafton19 Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 470	I hated giving up control, but I like having to play with the hand dealt and might just play out my games to get full feel GM makes moves I hate at times, but I think it forces me now to play games out.. Manager Only is like giving up when you get married

03-31-2015, 11:37 AM	#5
BIG17EASY Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,291	Thanks for posting this, David. I haven't had a chance to try that aspect of the game yet, but after reading your post, it's definitely something I'm going to try out soon. I'm typically more of a simmer, so playing out games seems slow to me. But now knowing that managing truly feels like managing, I'll anxious to try it.

03-31-2015, 12:56 PM	#10
Fyrestorm3 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tampa Bay, Massachusetts Posts: 2,928	On the same note, playing GM-only also feels amazingly more realistic. Just the process of trying to please your owner, fans, players, and manager at the same time adds a whole new level of depth to the game. Ironically, I had just switched from GM/Manager to GM-only in my main league right before this feature was announced, so the transition feels totally natural. Markus and the gang have outdone themselves this year.

03-31-2015, 02:40 PM	#12
Matt Uk Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: UK Posts: 450	I totally agree. I've started in the Mexican League with all Leagues on and I can't wait to see where my career will take me. If I start well will I grow attached to the team and not want to move on and up or will I get fired before my contracts up and scratch around for another similar level team to take me on. So many different scenarios could pan out and it just adds to what was already a brilliant game. So far my GM has been pretty low key and the owners goals for him are not going to effect me too much but I'm only 11 games into the season so we shall see! As I'm managing in an international league I wonder what happens when you are managing a minor team in the MLB. Does the GM have any particular goals for you other than the W/L expectation? It woud be good if they told you they wanted a particular prospect to be started or learn a new position, or to protect a pitcher's arm perhaps who is a little injury prone, little things like that.

03-31-2015, 03:43 PM	#13
smiller Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Pittsboro NC Posts: 430	Fyrestorm3, I plan to buy the game after the 3rd patch, and was going to play as GM/Manager, but your reply is making me rethink to playing as GM only. Although David's is also making me wonder about going the Manager route alone. Perhaps, i need to play two leagues. Would be interested in hearing more of your experiences.

03-31-2015, 05:55 PM	#16
Grafton19 Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 470	So as GM I can make trades, but still don't have time to mess with all minor league teams and let AI make moves, so as manager I can just play without the worry of that. Do I like some of my GM moves? No, but I feel it has a flaw. I started over with Detroit and my GM didn't sign Felix Pie to my team. I think owner goals and weakness may play a part in their move. I adjust my GM around my strategy before the season and it's fun to see it play out and if I get the urge to trade, I can also click GM/Commish. Make the trade and go back 😄 to manager.

03-31-2015, 10:16 PM	#19
smiller Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Pittsboro NC Posts: 430	Fyrestorm3, Thanks for your story. It's given me a lot to think about. I'm in the eighth season of my fictional league (still OOTP15, but I'll transfer when I get 16 next week). I started out as GM only, but didn't like my manager's lineup decisions, so I took over that aspect of the game along with the pitching rotation, and left in-game decisions to the manager. I play out most games, but I've had some seasons where i did more simming just so I could get to the off season and make moves to strengthen the team. What I'll probably do with 16 is keep my fictional league the way it is and start a real major league season as GM only and see how I enjoy that experience. Again, the great part of this game is that it does give you so many options.