OOTP 16 - Now Officially Licensed

[KyzBP]

The league I joined had been going for some time so the players were all fictional, as were the teams.  I think there were 12 or 14 teams in 2 divisions.  All teams were human controlled.  We simulated in either 10 or 14 day increments.  I think we simed on Tue, Thu, Sat.  They had a website for the game but I don't think it's necessary although it did help with immersion.

The great thing about OOTP is how flexible it is.  We could set it up however we wanted with expansion as an option if the league garners more interest.  I believe you can mix human and CPU teams.  If we weren't going to use real players and teams, I'd suggest starting with OOTP15 to keep it as economical as possible.  We could upgrade to 16 when 17 comes out and so on.

I'm definitely in as long as someone else is the commish.

[MetalDog]

If it was fantasy baseball, I'd commish in a heartbeat.  I just don't have that experience with OOTP.  So...I nominate Bison.  :P

[Bison]

I'll look at how to set a league up.   I just remember it being a convoluted pain in the ass or at least that's what I remember thinking when I read it last time.

[Grim.Reaper]

I'll look at how to set a league up.   I just remember it being a convoluted pain in the ass or at least that's what I remember thinking when I read it last time.

On my first read, I got the same impression....

[Bison]

Yeah a league requires an FTP server to host and a few other things that are just a pain in the ass. 

[Grim.Reaper]

Yeah a league requires an FTP server to host and a few other things that are just a pain in the ass.

Yep, way too much work for me unfortunately.....

[vyshka]

I might be able to get something set up. Let me play around a bit.

[MetalDog]

Reached the end of the demo.  Wondered what they would do to send you to the purchase screen.  Turns out that it cuts you off at the trade deadline.  :(  That's ok, though.  I gained some valuable insight and experience.  Still a bunch of stuff to learn, but I'm looking forward to it.

[Bison]

Well I've been playing my fictional league and completely forgot how much of a rebuilding mode my team is in right now.  I need some many positions and skills it's frankly frightening.  I thought I'd managed to put a solid bandage on my middle relief and 4 and 5th starters, but my bullpen has struggled and my 3B, 2B, and CF are awful offensively and defensively.  Not good.

[MetalDog]

Was that a through the farm system build?  Or mostly Free Agents?  Or a mixture?

[Bison]

Mixture.  I only play down one level in my farm teams and the international pool.  I just find it to be too much micro once I get beyond AAA.  I play basically a stats league, which means I've turned off the stars and simmed out a few years to create a history.  Now when I look at free agents, trades, and across the major and AAA leagues I see players with I think 4 years of stats history.

I do most of my rebuild pieces with free agency filling bench and AAA with decent players that can play off days or fill in case of an DL stretch of a starter.  I tend to hurt myself during with my stars prior to free agency because I hate 6-7 year contracts with huge guaranteed money.  I just lost the best 2B in the league that way because I could not free up the cap space and get him to sign a lesser contract.  Oh well, I signed a decent older 2B for a 2 year contract at about 3 mil per season with the hopes a younger player shows up in free agency or the one prospect I have at AAA develops into a mid-tier starter in 2 seasons.

[MetalDog]

Hired coaches that I thought would help Fielding and Pitching.  Negotiated a couple of ML contracts.  I let the AI Auto Draft the MLB Amateur draft and then negotiated the contracts myself.  But I haven't set Lineups at any level and only manipulated the roster for call ups and disabled list.  I'm seriously digging this though.

[Bison]

It depends at what level I'm playing the game.   Generally I just play GM and let my manager set the lineups.  I'll check them, because lord knows they make some head scratching decisions.

[MetalDog]

I had Lineup decisions driven home to me.  I wanted to sit my rookie 2B because the vet was performing better.  I changed it and left the screen to simulate the next month.  At the end of the month, I got a notice that my rookie 2B had one Rookie of the Month.  Go figure.  Really what I want to manage is roster, signings, and try to impose a Pitching/Defense philosophy throughout the organization so I can build from within and add Free Agents as needed.

[Grim.Reaper]

Release dates announced...

Pre orders get their copy on March 20, everyone else march 23.