Intl Amateur FA Budget unavailable

[PhysicsTeacher]

OOTP 17: I'm playing the Yankees, starting in 2016 and now in 2024.

Before the season, I budgeted $50,000,000 to spend on international amateur free agents, using the Player Development page. I also budgeted $18,000,000 for the draft, in which I was going to receive two 1st supplemental picks. Hal Steinbrenner did not have an issue with my plans.

Hal would not allow me to sign any regular free agents before the season began, as I was, in his opinion, over budget. No problem.

We reached the amateur player draft, and it proceeded as expected. I signed my top 5 picks, many of whom were either difficult or impossible, for a total bonus of $11,440,000, leaving 6,560,000 unspent of my draft budget.

Then we reach the International Amateur FA signing period. There are lots of attractive prospects, and I'm glad that I budgeted $50,000,000. I select a 5-star recruit, click on Offer Contract, and he wants $2,600,000 to sign. Great, I think, and I click on Ask for Response. I get, "Your owner does NOT approve this deal, you do not have enough money available! Your projected payroll exceeds your budget by $31,368,224."

Here's the deal: That is only correct if you count the unspent $50,000,000 Intl Amateur FA budget item. In other words, the game is counting that money as spent, but won't allow me to spend it.

If I had budgeted zero for International Amateur FAs, I'd have almost $20,000,000 available to spend. This is very frustrating.

Bob Breum

[Orcin]

That's the way the financials work in the game. Once you allocate budget space to the amateur draft or international free agents, it does not free up until the end of the year. The amount that you actually spend is used for the calculation of profit or loss, but the budget is fixed before the season.

[PhysicsTeacher]

I don't think you are following me. I can't spend any of the Intl FA money. That is why I noted my experience with the regular draft; it worked correctly, allowing me to pay signing bonuses, even though I was over budget on player salaries. The regular draft works correctly, but the Intl FA signing does not. I have actually lowered my salaries by almost $60 million, but it won't allow me to pay any signing bonuses.

This is most definitely broken.

[USF]

Originally Posted by PhysicsTeacher

I don't think you are following me. I can't spend any of the Intl FA money. That is why I noted my experience with the regular draft; it worked correctly, allowing me to pay signing bonuses, even though I was over budget on player salaries. The regular draft works correctly, but the Intl FA signing does not. I have actually lowered my salaries by almost $60 million, but it won't allow me to pay any signing bonuses.

This is most definitely broken.

Please post a screen shot of your Accounting Page.

[PhysicsTeacher]

[USF]

Originally Posted by PhysicsTeacher

Thanks for sharing! I took a quick look at your situation in this specific case.

See my comments below in CAPS.

Before the season, I budgeted $50,000,000 to spend on international amateur free agents, using the Player Development page. I also budgeted $18,000,000 for the draft, in which I was going to receive two 1st supplemental picks. Hal Steinbrenner did not have an issue with my plans.

HAL WAS VERY NICE TO YOU IN THAT HE GAVE YOU $3.3M OF MONEY TO HELP REDUCE YOUR LOSSES FROM 2023. YOU BEGAN 2024 IN THE HOLE FOR THE TUNE OF $3.4M LAST SEASON 2023, YOU EITHER DID NOT USE INT FA IN YOUR GAME OR DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CASE WHAT WAS RUNNING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU DECIDED TO SPEND NEARLY $57M MORE MONEY THAN LAST YEAR (INT FA + ADDITIONAL DRAFT BUDGET $). YOU ALREADY LOST MONEY THE YEAR BEFORE? "WHERE DID YOU THINK SPECIFICALLY YOU WOULD FIND THIS ADDITIONAL REVENUE"? AND REMEMBER THIS ASSUMES YOU MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE A SURE THING. IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IN 2024 YOU ARE GOING TO BE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HOLE.

YOU MENTION HAL DID NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS? I'M CURIOUS DID YOU OVERRIDE ANY WARNING DURING THE OFF-SEASON/PRE-SEASON ABOUT HAVING A NEGATIVE PROJECTED BALANCE? USUALLY THE GAME IS GOOD AT DOING THAT SO YOU DON'T SPEND/BUDGET MORE THAN YOU MAKE AND WHEN YOU TRY IT WILL CUT YOUR EXPENDIBLES DOWN FOR ITEMS SUCH AS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT/SCOUTING/INT FA/DRAFT ETC..

Hal would not allow me to sign any regular free agents before the season began, as I was, in his opinion, over budget. No problem.

BUDGET = $308M (2024) - MINUS CASH (2024) = $3.4M = $304.6M
PROJECTED EXPENSES (2024) = $328.2~M
SO YES NO FREE AGENCY FOR YOU! NET LOSS OF $23.6M (PROJECTED)
BUT....YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BY REDUCING YOUR DRAFT BUDGET AND/OR SCOUTING EXPENSES AND/OR PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AND/OR INT FA BUDGET DURING THE FA PERIOD. ALL YOU NEEDED TO DO WAS CLEAR UP $23.6M DOLLARS AND PLUS WHATEVER $ AMOUNT YOU NEEDED FOR THAT FREE AGENT YOU WANTED AND YOU COULD HAVE BEEN PLAYING IN FA. JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FOR FUTURE YEARS.

We reached the amateur player draft, and it proceeded as expected. I signed my top 5 picks, many of whom were either difficult or impossible, for a total bonus of $11,440,000, leaving 6,560,000 unspent of my draft budget.

GOOD JOB, UNFORTUNATELY THE GAME FOR ITS PROJECTIONS USES WHAT YOU BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECTION IN 2024 AND NOT THE ACTUALS. WHEN IT BECOMES AN ACTUAL YOU WILL SEE THE FIGURES SHOW UP IN THE YEAR TO DATE COLUMN FOR 2024.

Then we reach the International Amateur FA signing period. There are lots of attractive prospects, and I'm glad that I budgeted $50,000,000. I select a 5-star recruit, click on Offer Contract, and he wants $2,600,000 to sign. Great, I think, and I click on Ask for Response. I get, "Your owner does NOT approve this deal, you do not have enough money available! Your projected payroll exceeds your budget by $31,368,224."

THIS IS A RESULT OF YOUR PROJECTED BUDGET BEING IN THE RED ($LOSS IN 2024).

Here's the deal: That is only correct if you count the unspent $50,000,000 Intl Amateur FA budget item. In other words, the game is counting that money as spent, but won't allow me to spend it.

If I had budgeted zero for International Amateur FAs, I'd have almost $20,000,000 available to spend. This is very frustrating.


EVEN IF YOU BUDGETED $0 FOR INT FA IF YOU TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT LAST YEAR 2023 YOU HAD $315.5M IN REVENUE + $18M STARTING CASH = $333.5M INCOMING

EXPENSES YOU HAD $313M + $4 LOSS IN CASH DUE TO TRADES + OTHER MISC OF $8.9M (PLAYER BUYOUTS MOST LIKELY) = $325.9M OUTGOING

I'M NOT SURE WHAT REVENUE SHARING MODEL YOU ARE USING? BUT THIS TOOK $15.2M FROM YOU WHICH GIVES YOU A NEGATIVE ON THE SEASON.

SO COMING BACK TO MY POINT? WHERE DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO INCREASE YOUR INCOMING REVENUE TO HELP OFF-SET A SIGNIFICANTLY MORE AGGRESSIVE EXPENSE PLAN? THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON REVENUE IS TICKET SALES AND YOURS PROJECTS TO BE $9M LESS IN 2024 TOO!

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE UPSET - HEY THE GAME LET ME DO THIS SUPPOSEDLY SO WHY CANT I DO IT? I'M JUST PROVIDING YOU SOME 3RD PARTY NO HORSE IN THE RACE FEEDBACK FOR CONSIDERATION.

JASON

Bob Breum

[USF]

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ning-ootp.html

I posted this video in the new to the game forum - see link above.


Jason

[USF]

Originally Posted by PhysicsTeacher

I don't think you are following me. I can't spend any of the Intl FA money. That is why I noted my experience with the regular draft; it worked correctly, allowing me to pay signing bonuses, even though I was over budget on player salaries. The regular draft works correctly, but the Intl FA signing does not. I have actually lowered my salaries by almost $60 million, but it won't allow me to pay any signing bonuses.

This is most definitely broken.

You are spending more money than you make. Your player expenses are projected to be 40M less not 60M less. But your Revenue is coming down by the same amount approx. as a projection. So its even steven so to speak.

[PhysicsTeacher]

Two points:

1) The game allowed me to pay signing bonuses to my draftees under these circumstances. That is no different to paying signing bonuses to International FAs who are signing minor league contracts.

2) If I had budgeted zero for International FAs, I would have about $20 million to spend on them before Hal put a stop to it. So the lesson here is NEVER put a dime into the International FA budget.

I stand by my observation that the Intl FA budget code is broken.

PS The team has won the pennant for 7 years in a row, with 4 WS wins. At this point, we have the best record in MLB, and have won 11 in a row. I'm reasonably certain that we'll be returning to the playoffs.

[USF]

Originally Posted by PhysicsTeacher

Two points:

1) The game allowed me to pay signing bonuses to my draftees under these circumstances. That is no different to paying signing bonuses to International FAs who are signing minor league contracts.

2) If I had budgeted zero for International FAs, I would have about $20 million to spend on them before Hal put a stop to it. So the lesson here is NEVER put a dime into the International FA budget.

I stand by my observation that the Intl FA budget code is broken.

PS The team has won the pennant for 7 years in a row, with 4 WS wins. At this point, we have the best record in MLB, and have won 11 in a row. I'm reasonably certain that we'll be returning to the playoffs.

Even if you zero out your INT FA to zero & get the credit for the Draft money spent difference = you are still negative projected balance. Again where did you think you were going to find the revenue to pay for this spending? I did not get a response on that. I think the game should not even have let you allocate the budget for that spending in the first place and I'm surprised you were able to do that in the off-season from what I can see on the screen. In commissioner mode I can override things at my wish but, I always get a warning when my projected balance is in the RED like yours. I do not play solo so I have no idea if you get these warnings or not.

[PhysicsTeacher]

This has been confirmed as a bug. When I contacted Tech Support, their lightning fast response was amazing. I am sincerely impressed! I wish every company had support like OOTP!