2070 Season Review - The Financials (Part 1) - Overview
Apr 15, 2024 17:57:46 GMT -5
AstrosGM_Shane, Sean_RedsGM, and 1 more like this
Post by Tim_GiantsGM on Apr 15, 2024 17:57:46 GMT -5
Introduction
OOTP is unique in that it is the only simulation experience I have encountered that includes the financial dimension. Understanding the financials and what actions we, as GMs, can take to help ensure that a franchise is healthy on and off the field is of paramount importance. But what actions might a GM take that might have a positive impact?
To gain a, hopefully, better understanding, I will use actual data from the 2070 season as the basis for analysis and observations. This effort will not be a comprehensive statistical analysis. Nor will it include data from multiple years. It will focus only on 2070 financial and attendance data collected from OOTP pages and StatsPlus.
The goal is to examine and compare subsets of the data and attempt to develop observations and pose questions. I believe that the data can serve as the basis for meaningful results. By sharing the results with everyone, I hope many will benefit. The information may also trigger additional ideas, observations, and questions that we might pursue.
We are extremely fortunate to have the data we have available to assist us individually and collectively. This was not always so. Consider my personal experience with table and computer-based baseball games.
Personal History – Baseball & Baseball Games
Once upon a time I was introduced to baseball. When I visited my maternal grandparents in Marblehead, Massachusetts, they always had the Red Sox game playing on the radio. They loved the Splendid Splinter. When I visited my paternal grandparents in Vermont, my Dad listened to the Red Sox radio broadcast as he tinkered with his woodworking projects and drove to and from the local golf course with my brother and me in tow. Soon after, I found myself playing Little League baseball and playing ball before school, during lunch breaks, and after school. Baseball quickly became a lifelong passion. Perhaps you had similar experiences that prompted you to love the game.
The game so captivated my interest that I turned to table games. I first played All-Star Baseball, which was perhaps the first of its kind. It was a “spinner game” that still exists. It was fun, but I quickly determined that I wanted to play a more robust game. I turned to dice-based games. I found APBA, which I played for many years back in the days when I needed to compile and calculate stats for each player and each team by hand. I began many seasons, some with very few teams, but never completed one. The task was too daunting.
Next I branched out and played in a couple of APBA-based face-to-face and mail leagues before migrating to Replay Baseball to play in a Replay mail league (with Bill James competing as a co-GM of one of the teams) for several years. I found that the multi-player experience was much more fun than playing solo! During that period I also experimented with Strat-O-Matic Baseball and Pursue the Pennant. As you may imagine, maintaining the stats was always an incredibly time-consuming chore. At least the daunting task was a shared one. Seasons were played and memorialized with stats.
Computerization of table games radically changed the hobby.
My first experience with computerized baseball was with Diamond Mind Baseball, but I soon migrated to Dynasty online league play. Automatic stat updates complete with an explosion of additional stat categories! This was a whole new world! I competed in Dynasty leagues for several years. During that time I realized that the development curves for players were too predictable for my taste. I wanted more realism. Fortunately, I was introduced to OOTP, which is the experience I was always seeking: realism on steroids.
Financial Information
One feature OOTP has that none of the other games I have played has is the financial dimension. For me, financials are a key component of a complete simulation experience. At first (version 13), I found the financial screens to be somewhat informative, but incomplete and riddled with terminology discrepancies. To this day, the Finances Report, which we all can see, contains weaknesses. However, about eight versions ago OOTP redesigned the Accounting page, which is available to view only for the team a GM controls. The redesigned page clearly reports several years of revenue and expense data, profit & loss results, and other information. For reference, the reports are located by navigating as follows:
• Finances Report = PBL >> Reports & Info >> Finance Report
• Accounting page = [team] >> Front Office >> Accounting
All financial data considered for the study was obtained either from StatsPlus, which extracted data from OOTP, or directly from OOTP. In addition, market size, fan loyalty, ticket price, and attendance data were collected.
Another page I constantly monitor is the team Finances page available as a team Front Office selection. For the two sections available with optional views, I use the Revenue and Expenses options as follows:
• Revenue = [team] >> Front Office >> Finances >> Revenue
• Expenses = [team] >> Front Office >> Finances >> Expenses
The net of projected revenue less projected expenses enables a GM to quickly determine whether the team is projected to earn a profit excluding any post-season adjustments (e.g. bonus playoff revenue; revenue sharing) as the season is progressing.
The Finances page also enables a GM to view attendance and, during the season, test the impact of changes in ticket price.
Objectives and Limitations
My primary objective is to obtain a better understanding of revenue, expense, budget, and attendance categories and their influence on each other. Ultimately, I envision some observations emerging that may enable GMs to effectively and profitably guide their franchises.
The study is limited to data categories and relationships observed directly via total team results. Many underlying “drivers” of revenue and expenses are built into the game engine, but their impact on team financial results is not known. One example is the impact of popular players on attendance and revenue.
Another limitation of the outcomes is that this effort is not a mathematical analysis yielding statistically valid recommendations. Yet, the study should be thorough enough to identify tendencies and develop observations to guide GMs.
Finally, I am but one voice. I don’t have all the answers, but I believe I have the professional background and experience to provide food for thought that: a) will serve as the springboard for further study and refinement; and b) many GMs will find beneficial.
Next Steps
This is the initial installment of several posts. In each upcoming segment, I plan to address an area of interest, examine results for the league, and examine the impact on other categories. Given that the segments will be available in multiple forum posts, GMs will be able to weigh in with comments, ideas, and suggestions that could generate further discussion.
Next up: team expenses
OOTP is unique in that it is the only simulation experience I have encountered that includes the financial dimension. Understanding the financials and what actions we, as GMs, can take to help ensure that a franchise is healthy on and off the field is of paramount importance. But what actions might a GM take that might have a positive impact?
To gain a, hopefully, better understanding, I will use actual data from the 2070 season as the basis for analysis and observations. This effort will not be a comprehensive statistical analysis. Nor will it include data from multiple years. It will focus only on 2070 financial and attendance data collected from OOTP pages and StatsPlus.
The goal is to examine and compare subsets of the data and attempt to develop observations and pose questions. I believe that the data can serve as the basis for meaningful results. By sharing the results with everyone, I hope many will benefit. The information may also trigger additional ideas, observations, and questions that we might pursue.
We are extremely fortunate to have the data we have available to assist us individually and collectively. This was not always so. Consider my personal experience with table and computer-based baseball games.
Personal History – Baseball & Baseball Games
Once upon a time I was introduced to baseball. When I visited my maternal grandparents in Marblehead, Massachusetts, they always had the Red Sox game playing on the radio. They loved the Splendid Splinter. When I visited my paternal grandparents in Vermont, my Dad listened to the Red Sox radio broadcast as he tinkered with his woodworking projects and drove to and from the local golf course with my brother and me in tow. Soon after, I found myself playing Little League baseball and playing ball before school, during lunch breaks, and after school. Baseball quickly became a lifelong passion. Perhaps you had similar experiences that prompted you to love the game.
The game so captivated my interest that I turned to table games. I first played All-Star Baseball, which was perhaps the first of its kind. It was a “spinner game” that still exists. It was fun, but I quickly determined that I wanted to play a more robust game. I turned to dice-based games. I found APBA, which I played for many years back in the days when I needed to compile and calculate stats for each player and each team by hand. I began many seasons, some with very few teams, but never completed one. The task was too daunting.
Next I branched out and played in a couple of APBA-based face-to-face and mail leagues before migrating to Replay Baseball to play in a Replay mail league (with Bill James competing as a co-GM of one of the teams) for several years. I found that the multi-player experience was much more fun than playing solo! During that period I also experimented with Strat-O-Matic Baseball and Pursue the Pennant. As you may imagine, maintaining the stats was always an incredibly time-consuming chore. At least the daunting task was a shared one. Seasons were played and memorialized with stats.
Computerization of table games radically changed the hobby.
My first experience with computerized baseball was with Diamond Mind Baseball, but I soon migrated to Dynasty online league play. Automatic stat updates complete with an explosion of additional stat categories! This was a whole new world! I competed in Dynasty leagues for several years. During that time I realized that the development curves for players were too predictable for my taste. I wanted more realism. Fortunately, I was introduced to OOTP, which is the experience I was always seeking: realism on steroids.
Financial Information
One feature OOTP has that none of the other games I have played has is the financial dimension. For me, financials are a key component of a complete simulation experience. At first (version 13), I found the financial screens to be somewhat informative, but incomplete and riddled with terminology discrepancies. To this day, the Finances Report, which we all can see, contains weaknesses. However, about eight versions ago OOTP redesigned the Accounting page, which is available to view only for the team a GM controls. The redesigned page clearly reports several years of revenue and expense data, profit & loss results, and other information. For reference, the reports are located by navigating as follows:
• Finances Report = PBL >> Reports & Info >> Finance Report
• Accounting page = [team] >> Front Office >> Accounting
All financial data considered for the study was obtained either from StatsPlus, which extracted data from OOTP, or directly from OOTP. In addition, market size, fan loyalty, ticket price, and attendance data were collected.
Another page I constantly monitor is the team Finances page available as a team Front Office selection. For the two sections available with optional views, I use the Revenue and Expenses options as follows:
• Revenue = [team] >> Front Office >> Finances >> Revenue
• Expenses = [team] >> Front Office >> Finances >> Expenses
The net of projected revenue less projected expenses enables a GM to quickly determine whether the team is projected to earn a profit excluding any post-season adjustments (e.g. bonus playoff revenue; revenue sharing) as the season is progressing.
The Finances page also enables a GM to view attendance and, during the season, test the impact of changes in ticket price.
Objectives and Limitations
My primary objective is to obtain a better understanding of revenue, expense, budget, and attendance categories and their influence on each other. Ultimately, I envision some observations emerging that may enable GMs to effectively and profitably guide their franchises.
The study is limited to data categories and relationships observed directly via total team results. Many underlying “drivers” of revenue and expenses are built into the game engine, but their impact on team financial results is not known. One example is the impact of popular players on attendance and revenue.
Another limitation of the outcomes is that this effort is not a mathematical analysis yielding statistically valid recommendations. Yet, the study should be thorough enough to identify tendencies and develop observations to guide GMs.
Finally, I am but one voice. I don’t have all the answers, but I believe I have the professional background and experience to provide food for thought that: a) will serve as the springboard for further study and refinement; and b) many GMs will find beneficial.
Next Steps
This is the initial installment of several posts. In each upcoming segment, I plan to address an area of interest, examine results for the league, and examine the impact on other categories. Given that the segments will be available in multiple forum posts, GMs will be able to weigh in with comments, ideas, and suggestions that could generate further discussion.
Next up: team expenses