How do you guys play your franchise?

[DirtBallNation]

Getting close to the release and starting a new franchise with the updated rosters has been on my mind for weeks now.

I want to know how you guys play your franchise. Play every game? Sim some, play some? Curious to know what everyone does so if there’s an idea that peaks my interest that I could take it and possibly use it. Basically just trying to stay attached to the franchise as much as possible without losing focusing and becoming bored.

This year, I really want to focus on one franchise to start the year and play as many games as I can without burning myself out and simulating as few games as possible. (Years past i would end up starting more than one through the season and do a lot of simming.) I know there is the traditional way to play every pitch of every game but i know by time i got done with spring training, I’d be bored or lose interest.

So I was thinking about when I start my first franchise this year, playing about 6-8 spring games, sorting out our roster and then eventually getting to the regular season and playing every other game on the calendar. Hopefully being impactful of what happens during the season but being able to advance through to see the playoffs/off-season.

Or if you have any other ideas that you have heard of that may be fun and work.



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[My993C2]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

Getting close to the release and starting a new franchise with the updated rosters has been on my mind for weeks now.

I want to know how you guys play your franchise. Play every game? Sim some, play some? Curious to know what everyone does so if there’s an idea that peaks my interest that I could take it and possibly use it. Basically just trying to stay attached to the franchise as much as possible without losing focusing and becoming bored.

This year, I really want to focus on one franchise to start the year and play as many games as I can without burning myself out and simulating as few games as possible. I know there is the traditional way to play every pitch of every game but i know by time i got done with spring training, I’d be bored or lose interest.

So I was thinking about when I start my first franchise this year, playing about 6-8 spring games, sorting out our roster and then eventually getting to the regular season and playing every other game on the calendar. Hopefully being impactful of what happens during the season but being able to advance through to see the playoffs/off-season.

Or if you have any other ideas that you have heard of that may be fun and work.



Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I am likely in the extreme minority here, but I am a season only player. I am not interested in playing a multi-year franchise. In fact I will start a new franchise only because a few years back SDS removed the Season mode from the game. As far as how many games will I play? It's always the same year after year. I go in with the best intentions of playing all 162 games + playoffs if my team makes them. But I have never been able to complete a season without doing some CPU vs CPU games. I usually get into June when the weather is finally better and then lose my interest in playing a computer game and spend more time outside enjoying the world. Then November/December or January rolls around, I begin showing interest in the game and often (but not always) finish my season. This has happened every year for me since 2012 when I first saw the game on YouTube and picked it up.

[jcar0725]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

Getting close to the release and starting a new franchise with the updated rosters has been on my mind for weeks now.

I want to know how you guys play your franchise. Play every game? Sim some, play some? Curious to know what everyone does so if there’s an idea that peaks my interest that I could take it and possibly use it. Basically just trying to stay attached to the franchise as much as possible without losing focusing and becoming bored.

This year, I really want to focus on one franchise to start the year and play as many games as I can without burning myself out and simulating as few games as possible. (Years past i would end up starting more than one through the season and do a lot of simming.) I know there is the traditional way to play every pitch of every game but i know by time i got done with spring training, I’d be bored or lose interest.

So I was thinking about when I start my first franchise this year, playing about 6-8 spring games, sorting out our roster and then eventually getting to the regular season and playing every other game on the calendar. Hopefully being impactful of what happens during the season but being able to advance through to see the playoffs/off-season.

Or if you have any other ideas that you have heard of that may be fun and work.



Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I'm a franchise guy and I feel like the only way to really get hooked is to be involved in every game, hands on.

The game gives great options for speeding things up without just simming through months, which becomes very anti-immersive. I play every pitch of every game but you can also quick manage, which really speeds things up.

You can play a game where you just hit, and quick manage the pitching. OR vice versa. That cuts the game time in half. Or you can quick manage each game for periods of time if you wish.

It's also fun (for me at least) to completely rebuild a team from scratch.

[DirtBallNation]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I'm a franchise guy and I feel like the only way to really get hooked is to be involved in every game, hands on.



The game gives great options for speeding things up without just simming through months, which becomes very anti-immersive. I play every pitch of every game but you can also quick manage, which really speeds things up.



You can play a game where you just hit, and quick manage the pitching. OR vice versa. That cuts the game time in half. Or you can quick manage each game for periods of time if you wish.



It's also fun (for me at least) to completely rebuild a team from scratch.

I agree, that’s the best way to be involved in a franchise. In years past, I would tell myself, “alright I’m going to rebuild a team, I just want to get through the first year, go through the off season and then start playing”. Then i would get to that point and not be satisfied and lose interest and quit lol.

That’s why this year, i plan on trying to play every game, using quick counts and for games I don’t want to play the full games. Use quick manage so I can see what’s going on with players and games.


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[jcar0725]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I agree, that’s the best way to be involved in a franchise. In years past, I would tell myself, “alright I’m going to rebuild a team, I just want to get through the first year, go through the off season and then start playing”. Then i would get to that point and not be satisfied and lose interest and quit lol.

That’s why this year, i plan on trying to play every game, using quick counts and for games I don’t want to play the full games. Use quick manage so I can see what’s going on with players and games.


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I hear ya. I find it a lot of fun to trade for young prospects and try to turn them in to stars. And then find random players that have some good traits and try to turn them in to serviceable players, and then go for the championship.

[JoshC1977]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I play every pitch of every game for my team's season. I really struggle with the concept of simulating games, this is not a text sim, it's a baseball game!

Yeah, it's a LONG climb, but I adore seeing the little storylines pop up as the season progresses. I love the game-to-game nuance, seeing a lesser player go on a "mini streak", to face a poor club that is just playing well at that time. Because I split my MLB time with other modes, I tend to get through a season per cycle...but I'm gunning for 2 seasons this year (we'll see).

As for my franchise setup, I use SDS stock rosters (though that may change this year - I'm skeptical about the full minors roster interfacing well with the mode, the custom ones always have always caused issues in the past - so I may wind up carrying over my MLB 19 franchise I started with "fake" minor leaguers in an SDS roster).

I'm a single-team control guy as well and I've found that with a good, well-balanced roster (which SDS' usually are), the AI does a really nice job overall. I DO, however, save after advancing each day - in case the CPU makes a seriously bad deal that makes no sense. If that happens, I back out of the mode, reload the file, and re-advance to the next day. I think I had to do that only one time the previous season I played.

I'm also a slider minimalist. As good as this series has been, this is the one sports game that I always feel needs a couple of very minor tweaks - but that's it.

I'm definitely not one for "house rules". But, I DO tend to do one thing whenever I play sports games. When executing a trade with the CPU, I always ask myself, "does it make sense for THEM?". I look at the actual ratings and depth charts vs focusing on "who" the player is. I don't look at it like I am trading for Wander Franco, I look at it like I am trading for a prospect with a certain ratings setup and potential. By basing my evaluations on the ratings, I find myself being FAR more objective.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

2014 carry over, every pitch of every regular season game, quick manage every minor league game while hopping in on the odd occasion to scout (never play a full game though). Spring training lasts until my team is solidified, which often but not always takes most of it.

I'm now in 2021 about half way through a season, and plan to continue the carry over into The Show 20.

Maximum commitment to franchise. It's pretty dope to be playing with guys I drafted way back in 2014 or whenever.

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[The Kid 24]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I think I worry about pitching stats way too much... Like it bothers me when pitchers aren't K'in guys like they do in real life.

For example, starters like Cole and Sale and then relievers like Chapman and Jansen.

I'm guessing stats like those tend to work themselves out during the course of the season?

[sharkdaballer]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I like to throw a created player in my franchise and act as player/GM.

I have a Marlins franchise in MLBTS '19 and simmed the whole first year, then edited a player to look like me and play like I would want to if I were a Major Leaguer. I was a rookie in '20 and we won 81 games. I played every 5 games or so on player lock.

[jcar0725]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I play every pitch of every game for my team's season. I really struggle with the concept of simulating games, this is not a text sim, it's a baseball game!

Yeah, it's a LONG climb, but I adore seeing the little storylines pop up as the season progresses. I love the game-to-game nuance, seeing a lesser player go on a "mini streak", to face a poor club that is just playing well at that time. Because I split my MLB time with other modes, I tend to get through a season per cycle...but I'm gunning for 2 seasons this year (we'll see).

As for my franchise setup, I use SDS stock rosters (though that may change this year - I'm skeptical about the full minors roster interfacing well with the mode, the custom ones always have always caused issues in the past - so I may wind up carrying over my MLB 19 franchise I started with "fake" minor leaguers in an SDS roster).

I'm a single-team control guy as well and I've found that with a good, well-balanced roster (which SDS' usually are), the AI does a really nice job overall. I DO, however, save after advancing each day - in case the CPU makes a seriously bad deal that makes no sense. If that happens, I back out of the mode, reload the file, and re-advance to the next day. I think I had to do that only one time the previous season I played.

I'm also a slider minimalist. As good as this series has been, this is the one sports game that I always feel needs a couple of very minor tweaks - but that's it.

I'm definitely not one for "house rules". But, I DO tend to do one thing whenever I play sports games. When executing a trade with the CPU, I always ask myself, "does it make sense for THEM?". I look at the actual ratings and depth charts vs focusing on "who" the player is. I don't look at it like I am trading for Wander Franco, I look at it like I am trading for a prospect with a certain ratings setup and potential. By basing my evaluations on the ratings, I find myself being FAR more objective.

The slideritis thing is real. In the past I've tweaked sliders so often that I lost interest in the game and started over because I had no idea where I was supposed to be (in the slider setup) But a couple of you have taught me to be that slider minimalist and it's very true.

[cme26wvu]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I like to play 1 game then sim the next 5. That way when I play the next game I get the next guy in the rotation. And I'll either quick manage or manage the sim games because I like to set the lineups everyday.

[Caulfield]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I am likely in the extreme minority here, but I am a season only player. I am not interested in playing a multi-year franchise. In fact I will start a new franchise only because a few years back SDS removed the Season mode from the game...

same here. I have a carry-over Braves franchise but every year I play as 1 team from every division for the current season of that years Show. except for the NL Central, sometimes I dont have time to get a season in that division but most times its just that the teams in that division hold no appeal for me. when I do play as an NL Central team its as the Pirates usually and the Reds occasionally.

my other dedicated 1 & done season teams are:
AL East - Orioles | AL Central - White Sox | AL West - Mariners usually and the A's occasionally.


NL East - since I already have a Braves franchise I dont play a 1 & done season here. but if I did it would probably be a Braves season though a Marlins run-through wouldn't be out of the question. | NL Central - Pirates usually and Reds occasionally | NL West - Rockies usually and D'Backs occasionally.

[Sabrio]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I play every pitch of every game for my team's season. I really struggle with the concept of simulating games, this is not a text sim, it's a baseball game!

Yeah, it's a LONG climb, but I adore seeing the little storylines pop up as the season progresses. I love the game-to-game nuance, seeing a lesser player go on a "mini streak", to face a poor club that is just playing well at that time. Because I split my MLB time with other modes, I tend to get through a season per cycle...but I'm gunning for 2 seasons this year (we'll see).

As for my franchise setup, I use SDS stock rosters (though that may change this year - I'm skeptical about the full minors roster interfacing well with the mode, the custom ones always have always caused issues in the past - so I may wind up carrying over my MLB 19 franchise I started with "fake" minor leaguers in an SDS roster).

I'm a single-team control guy as well and I've found that with a good, well-balanced roster (which SDS' usually are), the AI does a really nice job overall. I DO, however, save after advancing each day - in case the CPU makes a seriously bad deal that makes no sense. If that happens, I back out of the mode, reload the file, and re-advance to the next day. I think I had to do that only one time the previous season I played.

I'm also a slider minimalist. As good as this series has been, this is the one sports game that I always feel needs a couple of very minor tweaks - but that's it.

I'm definitely not one for "house rules". But, I DO tend to do one thing whenever I play sports games. When executing a trade with the CPU, I always ask myself, "does it make sense for THEM?". I look at the actual ratings and depth charts vs focusing on "who" the player is. I don't look at it like I am trading for Wander Franco, I look at it like I am trading for a prospect with a certain ratings setup and potential. By basing my evaluations on the ratings, I find myself being FAR more objective.

I'm pretty much the same way. Although this year I'm planning on starting a franchise with fictional rosters.

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[JoshC1977]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I'm pretty much the same way. Although this year I'm planning on starting a franchise with fictional rosters.

Yeah, since we can import MLB 19 rosters into a new MLB 20 franchise, I could very well fire up Bacon's roster right at launch. But....since I like to do a slider thread, I prefer doing that testing using stock rosters so as to not bias the results - so that may wind up waiting....

[mariner690]

Re: How do you guys play your franchise?

I think playing every pitch of every game is the most satisfying. But with life and kids I struggled to find time to play this way. I tried quick managing pitching and it definitely saved a lot of time but didn’t feel authentic.

I tried quick counts last year and have found it to be the most satisfying way to play if time is an issue. The stats look and feel authentic and can cut the time it takes to complete a game almost in half.


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