Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

[blackhawksfan4ever19]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

It allows the common man that still strives to compete and has an interest in the sport to par-take in it like he has the talents of a player or the mind of a GM/Coach/Manager/Owner. I mean most of us definitely like baseball more than Anthony Rendon we just didn’t have the talent or work ethic to get there. We enjoy the process of sport simulation just as much as the people getting paid to do it, but some of us are plumbers, teachers & architects.

I understand your reasoning and it sounds interesting to me.

Thanks hmmmm.

[HealthyScratch]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

The last 2 years of this game have been a grind at no fault of the game itself. I always wait for a roster I like with a solid amount of minor leaguers. No problem, but I've switched teams at least 10 times and thought I was finally getting in a rhythm with The Astros and then the trade deadline came and went and I'm itching to restart. Thought maybe I'd go and find trade deadline roster and start over but then I overthink it and decide no I'll start with opening day rosters and make the trades myself.
My other issue is choosing a team to rebuild but I get annoyed with myself using a team that won't spend in real life so I try to mimic that in game or I use a team like Baltimore or Miami and it irks me that many MiLB guys don't have names in game. Just hear number announced.
I know I'm being picky and I know it's dumb. How do I stop it?
I just want to be content starting from opening day and not stress over unrealistic trades or stuff like that. It's as if getting older ruined sports games for me. When I was younger I didn't know all the ins and outs of roster building and just played as my favorite team and hit start.....

Try using fictional rosters. It’s the only way I play this game. With fictional players there’s no expectations to match the real-life counterparts of actual MLB players. Plus you don’t have to worry about keeping rosters accurate and you can edit your players names and appearance.


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[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

The last 2 years of this game have been a grind at no fault of the game itself. I always wait for a roster I like with a solid amount of minor leaguers. No problem, but I've switched teams at least 10 times and thought I was finally getting in a rhythm with The Astros and then the trade deadline came and went and I'm itching to restart. Thought maybe I'd go and find trade deadline roster and start over but then I overthink it and decide no I'll start with opening day rosters and make the trades myself.
My other issue is choosing a team to rebuild but I get annoyed with myself using a team that won't spend in real life so I try to mimic that in game or I use a team like Baltimore or Miami and it irks me that many MiLB guys don't have names in game. Just hear number announced.
I know I'm being picky and I know it's dumb. How do I stop it?
I just want to be content starting from opening day and not stress over unrealistic trades or stuff like that. It's as if getting older ruined sports games for me. When I was younger I didn't know all the ins and outs of roster building and just played as my favorite team and hit start.....

Ask your doctor if fictional rosters are right for you.

[HealthyScratch]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Ask your doctor if fictional rosters are right for you.

My doctor said I should exercise more, work on lowering my cholesterol and use fictional rosters when playing the Show.


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[IndianSummer]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Take two nurses and visit your aspirin twice a year.

[kinsmen7]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

I agree with most of the things people here are saying, but the one thing that I'll add is this:

Pick a team that you don't really have any affiliation to, and just make it through year 1. That's when things really start taking shape.

As a Jays fan, I know that I can't use them because the outside reality starts creeping in, and that's when I want I start getting roster-itus. It's certainly fun to go on a World Series run with your favorite team, but I always found that I'd have issues similar to yours once the actual squad started making their own moves, or, I'd just get too good too fast, and while winning is fun, I prefer the grind.

I'm not going to lie and say that I came into the Rockies blind, but by having no reason to initially care about the prospects or players in the organization, it allowed me to more or less build my own storyline, and become attached to the roster that I've spent time building, and watch my drafted players thrive (Or not!).

It's also nice with them because I don't really follow them in real life, so I don't really have to worry about their transactions. Maybe not easy for some, but this works for me!

A very brief side note...I do play with 30 team control on, so I'll still pick away a bit with major trades around the league, even though I'm in year 3. Kopech to the Dodgers, with me fighting neck and neck with both them and the Padres, is going to be a devastatingly difficult obstacle to overcome.

[jcar0725]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

I agree with most of the things people here are saying, but the one thing that I'll add is this:

Pick a team that you don't really have any affiliation to, and just make it through year 1. That's when things really start taking shape.

As a Jays fan, I know that I can't use them because the outside reality starts creeping in, and that's when I want I start getting roster-itus. It's certainly fun to go on a World Series run with your favorite team, but I always found that I'd have issues similar to yours once the actual squad started making their own moves, or, I'd just get too good too fast, and while winning is fun, I prefer the grind.

I'm not going to lie and say that I came into the Rockies blind, but by having no reason to initially care about the prospects or players in the organization, it allowed me to more or less build my own storyline, and become attached to the roster that I've spent time building, and watch my drafted players thrive (Or not!).

It's also nice with them because I don't really follow them in real life, so I don't really have to worry about their transactions. Maybe not easy for some, but this works for me!

A very brief side note...I do play with 30 team control on, so I'll still pick away a bit with major trades around the league, even though I'm in year 3. Kopech to the Dodgers, with me fighting neck and neck with both them and the Padres, is going to be a devastatingly difficult obstacle to overcome.

Exactly what I do every year. I want to use the Guardians and get them a world series, but I have trouble using my home town team. So I pick a random struggling franchise instead that I don't care about, and build my own story with them.

[BDaniels20]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

I struggle with the same problems being too attached to my own favorite players and what's happening around the league, whether that be transactions or players having unexpected big seasons and breakouts. I've tried fictional rosters and on the opposite end of the spectrum, have run into some issues with being able to get attached to my team. Bacon's roster was fantastic and I was able to get into that a good deal but unfortunately that sets been left in the past and I just enjoy the newer games more so haven't had much desire to go back to play that.

Have actually been working on a project of my own on 23 that I hope will solve these issues and really unlock the game for me allowing me to get deep into a franchise. I made a "fictional" roster using entirely players from 1994-2024 (my lifetime) and built it out in a manner that I think allows for a good ratings distribution throughout the league. As I started getting close to finishing on that I got a bit worried that I'd run into the same issues I always have if I had left it just with everyone on the teams I know/remember them from so I decided to go an extra step and do a manual fantasy draft for the whole league and am in the process of inputting all that over now to my final set. Really hoping that this solves my struggles and lets me get off on my forever franchise. I should know in about a week/10 days lol.

For fun since I've been spending a ton of down time at work just looking through my spreadsheets of the teams, here's how the Rockies will be starting with me in control.

SP - Johan Santana (2005)
SP - Luis Severino (2017)
SP - Gerrit Cole (2015)
SP - Dontrelle Willis (2005)
SP - Mark Mulder (2001)
CP - Aroldis Chapman (2012)
RP - Carlos Marmol (2010)
RP - Dellin Betances (2014)
RP - Bobby Jenks (2007)
RP - Damaso Marte (2003)
RP - Chad Cordero (2005)
RP - Joel Zumaya (2006)
RP - Joba Chamberlain (2007)

C - Geovany Soto (2010)
C - Jason LaRue (2005)
1B - Mark Teixeira (2009)
2B - Brian Roberts (2005)
3B - Alex Rodriguez (2007)
SS - Miguel Tejada (2002)
DH/1B - Prince Fielder (2009)
IF - Freddy Sanchez (2006)
LF - Alfonso Soriano (2007)
CF - Kenny Lofton (1994)
RF - Justin Upton (2011)
OF - Juan Pierre (2003)
OF - Jacque Jones (2002)

[Bgrd1080]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Appreciate the advice everyone. Really trying to stay out if my head and roll with a Tigers dynasty. 2 weeks into games (4 days of actual life) and so far so good. Also realized I was doing far too much in terms of writeups, to the point it became a chore. So trimmed those down and am just letting what happens, happen. So far so good. Got Torkelson is awful with some updated overalls. But damn has it been a blast with Colt Keith and Skubal.
Will update on f4anchise thread once I get a few more games under my belt.

[mattynokes]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

As some have said, using a fictional/simming forward a few years can help. I dug up an old response for how I do Franchises now:


I used to get it all the time and as soon as something (performance, trades, free agency) went away from whatever I felt was normal/right. For the past few years, I've either played with fictional rosters or "created" my own fictional world.

Using the default rosters (or whichever roster really), I sim out 25 years - For MLB 24, it means I start playing in 2049. I create two profiles (one for me, "MLB", and one for the CPU).

1. I do absolutely nothing to intervene until 2045. All teams are under full Auto, "CPU" profile control.
2. I pick a team and start setting transaction specific things to Manual control on my "MLB" profile (Drafting, Trades, Contracts, etc...).
3. I try to select a team that has a decent blend on young and old talent (ranked around 15th-20th in the league), but will need some work to make the playoffs.
4. In 2045 I start drafting. This will give me 4 years of my own draft classes and anyone drafted at age 19+ in 2045 will be Rule V eligible when I start playing.
5. I fully take over transactions following the 2047 World Series. I keep things rather conservative for free agency and trades for 2048.
6. Then, following the 2048 World Series is where I truly was able to craft a roster/franchise they way I desire.

I don't get to play as much as I used to, so in order to keep things rolling along and fresh, here's my play/sim schedule:

1. I play the first game of each series. I Quick Manage the remaining games in the series, but will jump in, when desired after the 6th inning. Except for the final game of the series, which I solely Quick Manage.
2. In the playoffs, I generally play every game, but will Quick Manage some non-elimination games and jump in at any moment that I choose.

So, I'm playing roughly 54-60 games per regular season. I get to see a lot of my team, but also keep the season moving. In effort to keep things from getting stale and repetitive, I "sim" every third season. By "sim", I solely Quick Manage that third season of the cycle in order to retain complete control of my player's usage.

It's great seeing my draftees from the early years make it and turn into my core. It can be frustrating (yet great) to see a deal I made, for example, trading a promising OF prospect for a 1B and it turning to complete crap and that 1B being non-tendered after two seasons.

Overall, these things have made the game worth playing and continue to be invested in. I'm no longer upset if the CPU trades away a franchise icon or a guy on my team that I feel is underperforming expectations. It's my own universe. Just play and have fun.

[kinsmen7]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Appreciate the advice everyone. Really trying to stay out if my head and roll with a Tigers dynasty. 2 weeks into games (4 days of actual life) and so far so good. Also realized I was doing far too much in terms of writeups, to the point it became a chore. So trimmed those down and am just letting what happens, happen. So far so good. Got Torkelson is awful with some updated overalls. But damn has it been a blast with Colt Keith and Skubal.
Will update on f4anchise thread once I get a few more games under my belt.

Hang in there! Once you get deep enough to live through the ebs and flows of it all, it gets very fun. I just went on an 0/24 run with Jazz Chisholm (Who led the NL in WAR pre-slump), and the absolute joy that came when a ball that jussssst dropped in for a single had me off the couch.

[Cod]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

The last 2 years of this game have been a grind at no fault of the game itself. I always wait for a roster I like with a solid amount of minor leaguers. No problem, but I've switched teams at least 10 times and thought I was finally getting in a rhythm with The Astros and then the trade deadline came and went and I'm itching to restart. Thought maybe I'd go and find trade deadline roster and start over but then I overthink it and decide no I'll start with opening day rosters and make the trades myself.
My other issue is choosing a team to rebuild but I get annoyed with myself using a team that won't spend in real life so I try to mimic that in game or I use a team like Baltimore or Miami and it irks me that many MiLB guys don't have names in game. Just hear number announced.
I know I'm being picky and I know it's dumb. How do I stop it?
I just want to be content starting from opening day and not stress over unrealistic trades or stuff like that. It's as if getting older ruined sports games for me. When I was younger I didn't know all the ins and outs of roster building and just played as my favorite team and hit start.....

Another solution is to use fictional rosters. That way the only thing you know are the team and stadium names. You won't know any players, which teams should be good, what is realistic, etc. and can just enjoy the game. I started playing franchise this way in MLBTS a few years back after years of doing it in OOTP and I'll never go back. If I want to play anything close to realistic, I do a play now match or play some games in DD.

[jcar0725]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

It's not for me, but it is pretty fun to create customs teams, stadiums, uniforms and use fictional rosters.

[HealthyScratch]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Another solution is to use fictional rosters. That way the only thing you know are the team and stadium names. You won't know any players, which teams should be good, what is realistic, etc. and can just enjoy the game. I started playing franchise this way in MLBTS a few years back after years of doing it in OOTP and I'll never go back. If I want to play anything close to realistic, I do a play now match or play some games in DD.

Fictional is the best. I will never play this game with real rosters again.


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[DudeManE]

Re: Ugh why do I let reality get in the way of my playing?

Here’s how I’m doing it this year.

Got the first roster update and fixed everything to OD. 30 team control. Injuries too.

I hit only. No pitching setting problems. I hit every inning of every game for every team for about a week (trying to get through one rotation). Controlling both lineups and making the pitching changes when needed.

Then I picked one NL team and one AL team to continue playing every game. But also choose three other series to play for the next three games. Again hitting only. Switching between teams every half inning.

Sim the rest.

I then keep track of when I last played with a team and choose my next series based on how long it’s been since I last played with the team.

I keep a lot of stats (which interests me more than winning or losing with “my team”).

So I finish a day after five games. I move through a weekend after 15 games. And because I’m playing other series on a rotating basis I feel like I’m keeping up with the rest of the league.

I also keep track of the daily transactions through fangraphs every time the day changes. If that is the day the underperforming rookie was sent down (and he’s also underperforming in my league), I send him down. Same for injuries. All manual and I hurt them when they got hurt IRL. Reserving the right to make exceptions whenever I want.

Then… and this the worst part… when we get the roster updates, I manually enter those too. Takes forever and wish there was a better way but I’ve done it. That 8/2 update had pitch edits too and I put them all in (except for the relatively few players that I don’t have).

I’ve only gotten to 4/25 in my season so far but very immersed and enjoying the league tremendously.

The trade deadline will be a problem since there should be some disparity between my league’s needs and the real world needs. But who knows, I may not even make that far. I’m throughly enjoying April/May baseball and don’t have strong need to even finish this league.

I’ll probably get a current roster and play a postseason when the time comes.

But I do only hit. I don’t miss pitching. I miss defense a little bit. Wish there was a way to just play defense without a player lock. Just regular defense without having to pitch the ball first.

All told love the game and definitely getting my money’s worth!


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