Preferences: Sim or Play Each Game?

[KG Erwin]

I've tried both, going with the sim method for experimental purposes.

For the ultimate career sim, going very long -term, I gotta go with managing each game. Yeah, it's time-intensive, but THIS is how you get to know your players, and when it gets down to it, the game on the field is all that matters.

In playing each game of YOUR team, each one can become a drama in of itself. I haven't played that many blowouts. The AI manager isn't bad at all.

Yes, available time and patience play a big part, but I'd recommend that each of you newer players pick a couple of real ballparks and play out a game for each at-bat. You'll be surprised at how immersive it can be.

[matt0177]

I havent simmed past a game yet, managed each one.

[tbear2b]

I always have two associations on hand: One where I manage each and every game, getting to know the players and the teams, and another one where I sim quickly through seasons building up history and seeing people break longstanding records, expanding the league, and watching the almanac get to enormous sizes

[JimboJ]

I manage every game, but I also play a shorter season (81 games) with a small fictional league (12 teams).  While I enjoy the GM aspects of the game, I like managing more than anything, and the shorter season allows me to play more seasons.

[BauerPower]

I sim the first 5 innings and play the rest. My team seems to do better when I sim than when I manage. I don't know if it is bad luck or bad managing.

[akcranker]

I have 2 associations.  One where I manage every one of my teams games and the other association where I sim each game and just manage injuries, trades, draft, free agency & some GM tendencies.

[Cantankerous]

I almost never manage individual games (even playoff and world series games).  I like that ProSim Baseball gives players the option to manage games, but I find such things to generally feel like they're too much of a micromanagement issue.
 
I get my enjoyment out of following the careers of my players, tracking their stats, and watching my prospects develop while wondering what kind of major leaguer they might make.  I want to know if my best players will make to the hall of fame and if my current players will be All-Stars, but I'm content to let my AI manager determine whether or not a player should steal a base, who should pinch hit for whom, or which relief pitcher should enter the game.  I do look at box scores and game logs if my closer blows a save or if my team scores three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, but I don't scrutinize every one.
 
I like to play this game as a General Manager and leave the game choices to my AI field manager.  The "downside" of this is that I don't get to follow the players as closely (from an At-Bat-to-At-Bat standpoint) and I probably don't know very much at all about players on other teams (with the exception of the upper-echelon players whose names show up on League Leaders lists).  But I'm willing to give up this detail in order to sim more seasons at a faster pace, but not so much that I would let the game sim unattended.

[risk_doc]

I usually manage the game until it gets to be a blowout (for the other team).  Then, I assume that I have been thrown out of the game and turn it over to my trusty AI bench coach.[;)]

[henry296]

I sim a week at a time, although I do manage the playoff games and other important games in September.  At least by checking the stats weekly I get some immersion with my players.
 
I've now simmed 13+ seasons from 1920-1933.  Babe Ruth just hit home run #600.

[JungleJim99]

Henry296 - I need to verify something with you please (my decision to purchase PureSim 2007 hinges on the answer - no pressure .... [;)]

If I am reading your post correctly, PureSim 2007 allows you to create an historical league (your league must have started somewhere around 1921) and then continue with the real players that were populated from Lahman's database in the first season (and taking into account any roster changes that were made through trades, injuries, and retirements) in subsequent seasons. Am I correct?

The reason I ask is that I am trying to decide whether or not to buy PureSim 2007 and my biggest disappointment with OOTP and ActionPC Baseball is that you cannot do exactly that. I have OOTP2005 and created a league that started in 1927, made some trades (I was able to pry rookie Freddie Lindstrom from the NY Giants) and other improvement only to find that when the season ended I could not continue to 1928 and so on! VERY FRUSTRATING. From what I can tell of ActionPC Baseball you have to buy additional season disks and there is not the option to use Lahman's database.

I am really hoping that PS2007 can do continuing historical leagues so that I can build my own 1920's dynasty!!!!

Thanks for your help! [8D]

[henry296]

I started with the players assigned to their 1920 teams.  From there everything is subject to trades/free agency (if you want) and draft to determine the history of your league.   When you continue to the next season the players who debuted that season are included in the draft.  It is brand new history.  I've decided to allow free agency, but you don't have to.  Babe Ruth stayed with the Yankees through the 1932, but signed with the Cubs in 1933. 
 
FYI. Freddie Lidstrom has turned into a really good player in my league.  However, Lefty Gomez suffered a career ending injury.
 
I'm having a blast and learning about these players. 

[JungleJim99]

That answered my question and is exactly what I wanted to hear!

The draft including all players who debuted in a particular year is an interesting twist (and something to keep me on my toes because my years of reading have imprinted the players on the team where they spent their career - maybe Ernie Banks will actually have a chance to play on a winner!).

Now to wait until midnight to make my purchase - $15 is way too good of a deal to pass up!

Thanks again!

[Sonny]

Manage.

[SittingDuck]

Sim - don't have the time to manage.

[Nukester]

ORIGINAL: JungleJim99

The reason I ask is that I am trying to decide whether or not to buy PureSim 2007 and my biggest disappointment with OOTP and ActionPC Baseball is that you cannot do exactly that. I have OOTP2005 and created a league that started in 1927, made some trades (I was able to pry rookie Freddie Lindstrom from the NY Giants) and other improvement only to find that when the season ended I could not continue to 1928 and so on! VERY FRUSTRATING.

You can do this in OOTP

[Claymore Cut]

A combination of both, I usally sim about 80% of my games and play out the other 20%. I just wish I could manage out my games in Multiplayer mode....

[cdvalenta]

I also manage each game. I love watching as players go through slumps and then get hot again and pull themselves out of it. It is also enjoyable to go through the ups and downs of the season. I really like it when I absolutely need to have a win and the pressure is on my team and they come though for me.