How do you maximize OOTP's AI

[majesty95]

Wow. I just read this whole thread from start to finish. It was an interesting journey!

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by ScottM816

What do you do about the draft if you can't see ratings though? I'd rather not have to use feeder leagues. I guess i could always just have my scout draft for me.

Sim forward four years until everyone has stats.

[ScottM816]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Sim forward four years until everyone has stats.

Well I'd rather not, since im in a standard MLB league. By year 5, would there be stats?

[majesty95]

Originally Posted by ScottM816

Well I'd rather not, since im in a standard MLB league. By year 5, would there be stats?

I believe the game generates stats each year. I think he's saying that is you sim ahead four years, then high school and college seniors with have 3-4 years of stats making it easier to gauge their potential.

[Okay]

Well, if we are talking v16, wouldn't a human player acting only as a manager help even the field? Or was this available before?

[ra7c7er]

Originally Posted by MKG1734

Furthermore, to expand on The Wolf's most recent comment:
I understand how to make the game 'harder' for myself. What this thread is attempting to ensure, though, is that the game AI is as "decision making error-free" as possible. I may not make the correct draft pick each and every time ... or sign an international leaguer when I should have. The development engine allows enough randomness that I will miss here and there. What I won't ever do, though, is make an incorrect 40-man roster move, incorrectly use my player options, hire a substandard scout/coach/trainer when a better one is available, etc. These are the things I want the AI to avoid, always. OldFatGuy states that the AI will make poor decisions with these options. Sweed doesn't seem to think so. Lukasberger, are these the options you mean that the AI won't handle as well as a human player? The Wolf, I understand your point about stats only, and agree that it can have a massive effect on both the AI and human player and will be using it to see if the AI uses it correctly. This is not about me, the human player. I'm not going to make mistakes with regard to the intricacies of roster management. Its impossible to always accurately gauge the development engine and that is a good thing. This is about the AI playing against the AI and ensuring that the AI games and rosters are managed correctly.

a couple things...

The AI playing against the AI is always "fair" no matter how correctly or incorrectly the game is managed by the AI, no matter how many bugs the game has, or anything. Since every AI team has the same advantages and disadvantages. You say this is about the AI playing the AI but you are constantly bringing it back to the AI vs. a human. If you are truely talking about just AI vs. AI none of any of this entire thread matters or any thread here would matter since the AI will always be using the same AI engine based on what you set.

The first bolded line from above... You will make all of those. Except maybe for the coach signing. Personally I feel that is an area where the human has 100% control over the AI. The difference is though that the AI will always go for the best available coach it can get (Taking budget and personalities and league rep, etc. into the decision). All of the moves you stated are a guess and they will sometimes be wrong. The difference is not that you won't make them, which you will, it's that you can fix them immediately.

Pertaining to the second bolded line... Are you really saying you never make a mistake in game? That's a pretty bold statement. I'm going to try and decipher what you meant and not just believe your a narcissist. I think you mean you're moves can't be "wrong" to you as a human player because you picked them. Your always picking what you perceive to be the best move. But what you perceive to be the best move isn't always the best move. Personally I'd venture to guess the AI is a lot better at all those things then you think it is. It's not perfect but it does a great job at what it does. remember when looking at what the AI does you only see the action not what went into the action.

[RchW]

That was a very interesting post.

[jaysdailydose]

I've just recently returned to the forums but I feel like I definitely can comment on this from a point of knowledge, so let me step in here.

The Wolf and I have actually talked about putting together like a "Legend" level quickstart, and TRY to make it hard. It didn't really get off the ground because of real life, but it'd be damn difficult anyway because everyone is so different.

0/67/22/11 like he states works VERY well for AI player management, at least up until 15, with stats only.

One suggestion that I had made to him on a previous occasion was to make things more difficult turning off ratings for your scouts and your coaches might be the most important thing. There have been at least two complaints here that everyone is able to get the "best coaches and scouts across the board" -- no, you've got the best RATED scouts. If the game tells you that you have a Legendary scout, you know to trust your information.

I do consider myself one of those "high-level" players one of the previous posters spoke of. If I play on default settings, odds are I'm going to be competitive 90% of the time if not dominant.

But, I'm not looking to game the AI, I'm looking for realistic baseball where my management decisions matter. I see the value in stats only, but I've also discussed it that ratings are used in scouting as well, in real life, so there isn't anything inherently wrong with it.

The key to having a really solid AI in terms of player management is having the AI get its info in a way that makes sense, which is making it look at performance. 0/67/22/11 or 5/62/22/11 for the person who really wants to use ratings is a VERY solid way to go, and it has been tested by quite a few people.

As always, your mileage may vary.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by ScottM816

Well I'd rather not, since im in a standard MLB league. By year 5, would there be stats?

I can guess The Wolf's response... if you are truly looking for challenging play, play fictional.

Your knowledge of the major leagues (which is the reason you don't want to skip ahead) is going to give you an inherent advantage. Play with a bunch of players that you don't know from Adam, and it is more challenging.

You could always turn ratings on during the draft in that scenario -- but if you aren't using feeders, you're going to get stats generated for your drafts anyway. Obviously, your major leaguers already have stats, and I believe MiLB stats are included too?

[Okay]

Originally Posted by jaysdailydose

I've just recently returned to the forums but I feel like I definitely can comment on this from a point of knowledge, so let me step in here.

The Wolf and I have actually talked about putting together like a "Legend" level quickstart, and TRY to make it hard. It didn't really get off the ground because of real life, but it'd be damn difficult anyway because everyone is so different.

0/67/22/11 like he states works VERY well for AI player management, at least up until 15, with stats only.

(snip)

The key to having a really solid AI in terms of player management is having the AI get its info in a way that makes sense, which is making it look at performance. 0/67/22/11 or 5/62/22/11 for the person who really wants to use ratings is a VERY solid way to go, and it has been tested by quite a few people.

As always, your mileage may vary.

I'm interested in using one of these settings in a new historical fiction league I'm starting. What happened beginning with v15 with the setting. And, if course, what kind of an actual (or discernable or practical) difference does a 5 value for ratings make? An earlier post says the game relies on ratings for many things.... Doesn't such an emphasis on current stats cause a problem for the AI to build long term? I mean, do potential ratings come into play at all?

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by Okay

I'm interested in using one of these settings in a new historical fiction league I'm starting. What happened beginning with v15 with the setting. And, if course, what kind of an actual (or discernable or practical) difference does a 5 value for ratings make? An earlier post says the game relies on ratings for many things.... Doesn't such an emphasis on current stats cause a problem for the AI to build long term? I mean, do potential ratings come into play at all?

I've played with both, but the way it's felt in prior versions is that the 5 for ratings would allow "hype" to play into decisions a little bit. It felt like it would give thoughts of what a players perceived abilities were (ratings) while still keeping the main focus on the players production.

The best way to see the difference is to set up one test league, run four seasons, and then scout the league using each setting. Do it in commissioner mode and go look through the AI teams and see what changes they make off this change in evaluation. You'll get a clearer view of what it does than me explaining. You can do it with a very small league with no minors and cut out all the guff like baseball cards and the like so it sims ultra fast.

The biggest change in the difficulty for me has been turning coaches and scout ratings off. Then you have to actually see who scouted or coached well instead of it telling you who is a legend so you always have the best and know to 95% trust the info you receive.

[Okay]

I guess my more fundamental question is does the AI take into account *potential* ratings when the setting is 0/67/22/11?

[SirMichaelJordan]

Originally Posted by Okay

I guess my more fundamental question is does the AI take into account *potential* ratings when the setting is 0/67/22/11?

Or injury rating.

I am stats heavy in my evaluation but I give ratings 25%.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by Okay

I guess my more fundamental question is does the AI take into account *potential* ratings when the setting is 0/67/22/11?

Yes, it does.

[evanbarth]

Do people use in trading "heavily favor prospects" or "favor prospects" -- practically, what's the difference?

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by evanbarth

Do people use in trading "heavily favor prospects" or "favor prospects" -- practically, what's the difference?

Obviously, heavily will make them favor prospects even more strongly...

[evanbarth]

Obviously -- I guess my question is what makes trading more challenging (or more realistic)

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by evanbarth

Obviously -- I guess my question is what makes trading more challenging (or more realistic)

This answer is going to be different for everyone.

I personally only use Very Hard combined with either Heavily Favor Prospects or Neutral, depending on what type of league I'm playing.

EDIT: Generally I use Heavily Favor in a MLB league or ML environment -- and neutral in some fictionals.

It all depends on what type of environment you are trying to simulate.

[evanbarth]

I guess that is my question -- what does heavily favor versus favor yield?

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by evanbarth

I guess that is my question -- what does heavily favor versus favor yield?

I really don't get what you're trying to ask.

Obviously it makes them favor prospects more than they do on the "favor" setting... I would think this would be self-explanatory?