Franchise House Rules

[Jeffrey Smith]

As I sit patiently waiting for any news about The Show 21 I’m left to ponder plans for a new franchise at launch.

Almost every year I start a franchise day one and then restart because of a bad trade or signing, a roster update or the release of OSFM etc....

But this year I’m going to stick with it. I hope.

Anyway I have some pretty basic house rules. Don’t rip off the CPU in trades. Manually injure any player who starts camp on the IL with an injury as close to real life as possible and never trade within the division.

What are everyone’s own house rules?


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[disk]

Re: Franchise House Rules

1. Only trade for players from "rebuilding" teams and who have either 6+ years of service time, be a rental, cash dump or are in arb and would demand a decent salary. Way too easy to fleece the AI in trades so I try and keep a bit of realism during the trade deadline, offseason, etc.

2. Never extend players into FA, I let all my guys hit the open market. A lot like my trade rule, this is done to help the AI and keep me from running out a team full of all-stars every year. Even with this rule I find I usually have a draftee ready and waiting to fill the spot anyway.

3. If a prospect is eligible for the rule-5 draft thus needing to be added to the 40-man but would not be a starter, trade him immediately. Again to try and help the AI, I suppose I could just expose him to the draft instead but...

4. I am a sim guy and don't play many games (cubs/sox games not withstanding), but will allow myself to play playoff elimination games.

Those are most of my only hard rules, there are others I have from time to time that are more situational but are more off the cuff kind of things gathered from years of playing the show I can't seem to remember right now.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I've got a few but my biggest is this.

Whatever happened, happened. No resets, no turning back trades, not matter what time moves forward.

While it's true that is pretty easy to fleece the CPU (although it's thankfully getting harder), I've been shocked over the years how many times a trade that I thought was bad ended up working out over the years.

I actually thing other teams see different things then you do when it comes to potential. You'll see it sometimes where a team will put higher value on a prospect that looks like any other from your perspective.

The issue is it's a raw value game to the CPU, making them too easy to fleece by giving them something they shouldn't want or need.

But this extends beyond trades. Got shutout by the worst pitcher in baseball? It happened. Your star player went down with an injury even though the ball was nowhere near them? It happened. Your team made 16 errors in a world series game? It happened.

This inexorable march forward is what gives my baseball universe character. The temptation to play God and toy with fate is something that needs to be resisted at all costs.

I've got other house rules, but that's the big one to never be broken.

I would suggested abandoning the idea of "real life" baseball right now. Most people abandon their franchise due to it not mimicking real life baseball enough. Think of this as a different universe. Some people use fictional franchises in order help with that, but either way if you really want to immerse yourself in a franchise, you need to find a way to detach from your expectations.

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[Jolly Roger]

Re: Franchise House Rules

These are more gameplay house rules, but I only play Franchise, so it's kind of one and the same for me:

(1) On hits to the outfield I throw to second base and not the cutoff man because sometimes the AI misjudges a throw to the cutoff man as a chance to stretch it to a double when it's clearly going to be an easy out at 2nd. I only throw to the cutoff man when it's clear the AI wouldn't try to stretch it (hard hit, quickly fielded).

(2) I try to take my time when fielding double play situations in hopes of letting the AI have a better chance at being safe at first. They still ground into 3 or 4 DPs per game regularly (then again, I have a staff full of sinkerballers).

(3) I rest my catcher every 4th or 5th day, even though he doesn't need it.

[Jolly Roger]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I would suggested abandoning the idea of "real life" baseball right now. Most people abandon their franchise due to it not mimicking real life baseball enough. Think of this as a different universe. Some people use fictional franchises in order help with that, but either way if you really want to immerse yourself in a franchise, you need to find a way to detach or from your expectations.

I learned this a few years back and have enjoyed sports games so much more, especially the Show. The irony is, the closer sports games get to reality, the more those few inaccuracies and deviations from the actual norms can bug you. My biggest gameplay pet peeve is the poor bunting. As a result, I just go universal DH in Franchise and mash away. I've got 4 players on pace to smash Bond's single-season home run record (very unrealistic), but I'm rolling with it.

[Caulfield]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I'll keep it simple, short & sweet:

1) - there's no crying in baseball
2) - all is fair in love and war. and baseball. anything goes

[Endorphinrush3000]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I just want season mode back.

It was simple, clean, easy to navigate and short seasons for the love of God short seasons. Overwhelming majority doesn't play 162

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[itsmb8]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I would suggested abandoning the idea of "real life" baseball right now. Most people abandon their franchise due to it not mimicking real life baseball enough. Think of this as a different universe. Some people use fictional franchises in order help with that, but either way if you really want to immerse yourself in a franchise, you need to find a way to detach from your expectations.

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I really like this one, although I usually forget it. Just take 2018 (or was it 2019?) for example. MLB juiced the hell out of the ball and we saw the offensive numbers SOAR to the point MLB immediately had to change the baseballs again to reduce the numbers back to "normal." You just have to think of the sliders the same way. Test and find a set that works well, but once you do, roll with it for the entire season.

[tessl]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I have some very restrictive trade rules.

[countryboy]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I don't use any house rules at all. Whatever happens, happens. If the Yankees want to trade me Aaron Judge for a couple of jelly beans, then I'm doing it.

The only "house rule" I use is that I limit the time per day in the offseason to 5 minutes.

I'll set a timer of 5 minutes and use that to look at potential moves, my roster, make offers, etc....

Reason being it helps the offseason feel "alive" and active and not just me getting free reign to pick and choose who to target and see what deals work versus what doesn't.

Actually, its something I'd love to see added (optional of course) where each offseason day has a timer that counts down and that the events are "real time" in bidding wars with the AI controlled teams.

[Jeffrey Smith]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I don't use any house rules at all. Whatever happens, happens. If the Yankees want to trade me Aaron Judge for a couple of jelly beans, then I'm doing it.

The only "house rule" I use is that I limit the time per day in the offseason to 5 minutes.

I'll set a timer of 5 minutes and use that to look at potential moves, my roster, make offers, etc....

Reason being it helps the offseason feel "alive" and active and not just me getting free reign to pick and choose who to target and see what deals work versus what doesn't.

Actually, its something I'd love to see added (optional of course) where each offseason day has a timer that counts down and that the events are "real time" in bidding wars with the AI controlled teams.

I would love to see actual bidding wars for FA in the off season. As it is now sometimes I’m the highest bidder for a certain player and he’ll sign with another team (for less) and I don’t even get the chance to revisit my proposal.


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[IndianSummer]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I run mine a lot like CB does, anything goes as it does when the CPU trades with other CPU teams.
I would have tried to get Judge for one jelly bean.

[TheBrew101]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I like what TheWarmWind posted.

I try to use that general philosophy as well though at times it us hard. The only house rule I use other than trying to be realistic (what is realistic in my mind anyway) is when doing trades keep the number of players you receive the same as you trade.

If you receive 3 players you must trade 3 players, if you receive 2 you must trade 2, etc. Not sure how much this actually matters but just feel it helps keep trades more fair for CPU evaluation

[Caulfield]

Re: Franchise House Rules

I don't use any house rules at all. Whatever happens, happens. If the Yankees want to trade me Aaron Judge for a couple of jelly beans, then I'm doing it.

The only "house rule" I use is that I limit the time per day in the offseason to 5 minutes.

I'll set a timer of 5 minutes and use that to look at potential moves, my roster, make offers, etc....

Reason being it helps the offseason feel "alive" and active and not just me getting free reign to pick and choose who to target and see what deals work versus what doesn't.

Actually, its something I'd love to see added (optional of course) where each offseason day has a timer that counts down and that the events are "real time" in bidding wars with the AI controlled teams.

this is excellent, I wish I'd have figured this out years ago. I waste far too much time just looking through the off season whether I do a little with what I learn, or nothing. and it's usually nothing.

also, better to hold on to those jelly beans, they could be magic.
and you can make a lot of bats from a giant beanstalk

[Ax88amp]

Re: Franchise House Rules

My main house rule is that if I win by more than 3 runs I up the difficulty. If I lose, I’ll drop the difficulty. Sometimes I’ll jump up 2 difficulty levels and then lose and drop but I think it makes me better and makes it more exciting.


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