Newbs Guide to the PBL
Dec 8, 2020 23:13:59 GMT -5
AstrosGM_Shane, Rich - Former GM, and 9 more like this
Post by detroitcarl on Dec 8, 2020 23:13:59 GMT -5
[Updated November 2021 (real-time) after I have played a few seasons]
The is not a how-to-win guide, that would assume I know how to do that.
For background, I had not even touched OOTP 8 weeks before joining the PBL. This is a set of things I have picked up during my first cycle through a PBL season. PBL veterans will likely not get much out of this (and might correct things) and even experienced players from other leagues might not get much. I am targeting this at people like me, who thought the game was pretty cool and decided to join an online league.
Important League Settings
Several key league settings impact the player attributes in a huge way.
100% Accuracy on Scouting
What you see is accurate. It does not mean they will hit their potential.
Batter Aging Speed: 0.250 (default 1.0)
Pitcher Aging Speed: 0.375 (default 1.0)
Players in the PBL will retain their ratings much longer than using the default settings. They will still age, but it is not uncommon for players aged 35+ (especially hitters) getting big contracts and producing.
Talent Change Randomness: 67 (default 100)
Batter Dev Speed: 1.0 (default 1.0)
Pitcher Dev Speed: 0.9 (default 1.0)
Pitchers will develop on average 10% slower and there will a significant reduction in random talent spikes. My read on this is you need to acquire good players and develop them properly in your minor league system. You won't get as many gifts (or talent nosedives presumably)
Talent Level
The overall talent level in the PBL can be higher than on offline sim. One reason is reduced player aging keeps players at their peak values longer. GM's in PBL are on the whole better than the AI at managing progression, but OOTP 22 IMO has narrowed that gap.
Note also that the Injury Setting for the league is Low.
Minor Leagues
PBL has a reduced amount of minor league teams than MLB. There is no DSL, only one rookie league, and no High A. So you have 5 levels in your minor league system. Also low A is a full season league that starts in April.
The Rookie draft is scheduled for July 3 after Rookie ball starts. Depending on when you sign your players, they won't usually get a ton of experience in their first year. Also, ghost players are turned on in the minor league in case your rookie team is not full for some reason.
With the reduced amount of levels, and the 10% damper on pitcher dev speed, you might need to adjust the speed at which players progress in the minors. Since we know current ratings, that and stats can be used.
Scouting
With 100% Scouting Accuracy, having a great scout is not important. However there are two reason to have one. First, you will get scouting discoveries. Second you can on demand scout players. The only budget you need to set is international, and there is some debate as to whether this makes a difference or not in the quality of players signed. This is particularly helpful in the offseason.
During the regular season, OSA will produce scouting reports at a regular pace. That appears to fall off during the off season and in spring training. However, you can ask for a scouting report on players through your scout.
Offseason
The big thing to remember about the offseason is that the sim periods are 1-2 weeks in length. One area this will impact is free agent signings. You can submit an offer and get the result on the next sim that the player likes your offer. On the next sim, another team could outbid you and depending on the sim length the player might just sign with another team without you having a chance to up your offer. Just something to plan for.
Recent changes in PBL offseason sim schedules have made this easier as the two week sims occur before the FA signing period starts.
General Stuff
Again, this is mostly for players somewhat new to OOTP online leagues. I made no major moves my first season. I would comb the transaction log and see what fetches what. Also, I would strongly recommend looking at the top teams in the league at that time. How did they get their players (draft, discovery, trade)? What was the player rating at the time of the trade? Could the GM have known the 0.5 star current / 3 star potential would turn into a 5 star monster? Maybe it was a throw in that got touched by the Hand of God, maybe not. There is a fair amount of randomness in the game, but it is still a computer program with algorithms and rules. Which should have patterns. I spent a ton of time looking at player progression charts and trying to understand the game engine.
The rest is easy, just need to make really good trades and don't screw up your players in the minors
Last, my single most important thing to focus on:
Winning. I don't mean trying to win the pennant. But get the team to .500 if it is not already. There are plenty of cheap players that can get 2 WAR results and just replacing bad players makes your team better. This is a computer game designed around the single player experience. Happy players, owners, and fans all have very positive outcomes. Is having a top three pick nice, sure. IMO the cost in terms of negative results, and missed positive, is not even close. And people trade picks in this league.
The is not a how-to-win guide, that would assume I know how to do that.
For background, I had not even touched OOTP 8 weeks before joining the PBL. This is a set of things I have picked up during my first cycle through a PBL season. PBL veterans will likely not get much out of this (and might correct things) and even experienced players from other leagues might not get much. I am targeting this at people like me, who thought the game was pretty cool and decided to join an online league.
Important League Settings
Several key league settings impact the player attributes in a huge way.
100% Accuracy on Scouting
What you see is accurate. It does not mean they will hit their potential.
Batter Aging Speed: 0.250 (default 1.0)
Pitcher Aging Speed: 0.375 (default 1.0)
Players in the PBL will retain their ratings much longer than using the default settings. They will still age, but it is not uncommon for players aged 35+ (especially hitters) getting big contracts and producing.
Talent Change Randomness: 67 (default 100)
Batter Dev Speed: 1.0 (default 1.0)
Pitcher Dev Speed: 0.9 (default 1.0)
Pitchers will develop on average 10% slower and there will a significant reduction in random talent spikes. My read on this is you need to acquire good players and develop them properly in your minor league system. You won't get as many gifts (or talent nosedives presumably)
Talent Level
The overall talent level in the PBL can be higher than on offline sim. One reason is reduced player aging keeps players at their peak values longer. GM's in PBL are on the whole better than the AI at managing progression, but OOTP 22 IMO has narrowed that gap.
Note also that the Injury Setting for the league is Low.
Minor Leagues
PBL has a reduced amount of minor league teams than MLB. There is no DSL, only one rookie league, and no High A. So you have 5 levels in your minor league system. Also low A is a full season league that starts in April.
The Rookie draft is scheduled for July 3 after Rookie ball starts. Depending on when you sign your players, they won't usually get a ton of experience in their first year. Also, ghost players are turned on in the minor league in case your rookie team is not full for some reason.
With the reduced amount of levels, and the 10% damper on pitcher dev speed, you might need to adjust the speed at which players progress in the minors. Since we know current ratings, that and stats can be used.
Scouting
With 100% Scouting Accuracy, having a great scout is not important. However there are two reason to have one. First, you will get scouting discoveries. Second you can on demand scout players. The only budget you need to set is international, and there is some debate as to whether this makes a difference or not in the quality of players signed. This is particularly helpful in the offseason.
During the regular season, OSA will produce scouting reports at a regular pace. That appears to fall off during the off season and in spring training. However, you can ask for a scouting report on players through your scout.
Offseason
The big thing to remember about the offseason is that the sim periods are 1-2 weeks in length. One area this will impact is free agent signings. You can submit an offer and get the result on the next sim that the player likes your offer. On the next sim, another team could outbid you and depending on the sim length the player might just sign with another team without you having a chance to up your offer. Just something to plan for.
Recent changes in PBL offseason sim schedules have made this easier as the two week sims occur before the FA signing period starts.
General Stuff
Again, this is mostly for players somewhat new to OOTP online leagues. I made no major moves my first season. I would comb the transaction log and see what fetches what. Also, I would strongly recommend looking at the top teams in the league at that time. How did they get their players (draft, discovery, trade)? What was the player rating at the time of the trade? Could the GM have known the 0.5 star current / 3 star potential would turn into a 5 star monster? Maybe it was a throw in that got touched by the Hand of God, maybe not. There is a fair amount of randomness in the game, but it is still a computer program with algorithms and rules. Which should have patterns. I spent a ton of time looking at player progression charts and trying to understand the game engine.
The rest is easy, just need to make really good trades and don't screw up your players in the minors
Last, my single most important thing to focus on:
Winning. I don't mean trying to win the pennant. But get the team to .500 if it is not already. There are plenty of cheap players that can get 2 WAR results and just replacing bad players makes your team better. This is a computer game designed around the single player experience. Happy players, owners, and fans all have very positive outcomes. Is having a top three pick nice, sure. IMO the cost in terms of negative results, and missed positive, is not even close. And people trade picks in this league.