Fictional vs Real Players

[KG Erwin]

To pass the time, let's reconsider this old argument. I favor real players and real ballparks. I think that the historical model for gameplay is pretty good.

The totally fictional/fantasy approach doesn't do anything for me. There are arguments for either mode, but why do you favor one over the other?

For me -- I'm a history buff, but for games like this , I like to construct a what-if alternative history. Apart from that, I do want to use players that I'm familiar with or have read about. Totally fictional players just don't appeal to me. I wanna see real faces in my games. This provides a semblance of reality, even if a draft league results in Joe DiMaggio playing for the Cubs, or Warren Spahn with the Pirates.

So, what method appeals to you guys, and why?

[Nukester]

Thats pretty much the same for me. I love the history of baseball, so I like using the real players. However, I usually start with a fantasy draft, and take over the Yankees (I usually just let the CPU do the draft and I take whatever the Yankees end up with). I also like doing the amateur draft where players dont necessarily go to the same team as real life. As long as the final league stats are near the real stats for that year, Im happy. I dont care if Phil Rizzuto some how becomes a power hitter, so long as it doesnt skew the league stats as a whole. I just attribute it to different friends, different trainers, different atmosphere, different parallel universe [:)]

Ive tried fictional players and have a hard time getting into the leagues. There are enough real players I dont know anything about.

[motnahp]

Perhaps, someday, I'll get into the fictional aspect of things. For now though, I prefer to use real teams and players. I like to make little "what if" tweaks and see how things play out with PS.

I've done the AL from 1969-1993 with no free agency, DH, or injuries and it was loads of fun. I'm about to start my second NL season with the same parameters.

On the back burner I have a "Random Players Association". In this assn., teams were stocked completely with players (1901-2006) chosen randomly using the "random" function on baseball-reference.com. I made sure all teams had the same number of pitchers, catchers, outfielders, middle infielders, and corner infielders. I also set a minimum standard for AB and IP for the season imported, keeping teams from getting an overabundance of "5 point scrubs".

[cdvalenta]

I used to do strictly replays with real players and occassionally a "what if scenario", but now I must admit I strictly use fictional players. When I first got Pure Sim it was strictly replays but for a change one day I tried a 40 game season with fictional players and I have never looked back. I enjoy not having any pre-concieved notions on how a player should or shouldn't do. I also enjoy watching my Association have a living history with my own league and team records being broken and players developing their respective careers. I even get to the point where I root for certain players to do well and I swear there must be a secret "clutch" rating hidden somewhere in the game.

Don't get me wrong I love using real players and doing season replays as well. I have done my share of replays and such, but lately I enjoy the fictional aspects of the game. That is part of the beauty of this game... I can get the best of both worlds!

[SirWolf1960]

I am a fictional guy. I understand that when you play fictional, you don't have a clue who these guys are. But they develop a personality.
 
Take my aging right fielder. I aquired Thomas Graves in a trade, and he went from the ML bench of Toronto, to my AA team. The next year, he was ready for the majors, and has been anchoring right field ever since. He is now 38 years old, and approaching 600 home runs. I know I have a younger guy who would probably would produce more now. But how do you bench a guy who has 6 mvp's to his name? The fans would never stand for it. I imagine him receiving standing ovations every time he comes to the plate.
 
Fictional players' names also can give the guys personality. My closer right now is named Jesus Swanson. His nickname? I had to call him "The Savior." Can you imagine it getting to the top of the 9th, and the PA announcer yells, "HERE COMES THE SAVIOR!!!"??? I had a starter named Brain Sanchez once. I know it had to be Brian mispelled, but since his SP rating was never above a 30, I figured he just had to pitch with his head.
 
Yup, to me, it's fictional all the way.
 
Steve

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: SirWolf1960

I am a fictional guy. I understand that when you play fictional, you don't have a clue who these guys are. But they develop a personality.

Take my aging right fielder. I aquired Thomas Graves in a trade, and he went from the ML bench of Toronto, to my AA team. The next year, he was ready for the majors, and has been anchoring right field ever since. He is now 38 years old, and approaching 600 home runs. I know I have a younger guy who would probably would produce more now. But how do you bench a guy who has 6 mvp's to his name? The fans would never stand for it. I imagine him receiving standing ovations every time he comes to the plate.

Fictional players' names also can give the guys personality. My closer right now is named Jesus Swanson. His nickname? I had to call him "The Savior." Can you imagine it getting to the top of the 9th, and the PA announcer yells, "HERE COMES THE SAVIOR!!!"??? I had a starter named Brain Sanchez once. I know it had to be Brian mispelled, but since his SP rating was never above a 30, I figured he just had to pitch with his head.

Yup, to me, it's fictional all the way.

Steve

I understand what you're saying, Steve. That "Savior" bit is pretty funny. [:D] Reminds me of Charlie Sheen's character in "Major League". He comes out of the bullpen, wearing his new horn-rimmed glasses, and over the PA comes Joan Jett's version of "Wild Thing". That's one of my favorite movie moments. [;)]

[XCom]

I've always preferred fictional players and play that way almost 100% of the time. There just seems to be more poetic license in a fictional league. You have no preconceived notions about any of the players and you can watch superstars be "born" right before your eyes. Sure, Reggie Jackson is probably going to clobber alot of homeruns and Ty Cobb is going to be a hit machine...if it doesn't work out that way then to me it doesn't feel realistic since we almost subconciously expect certain results. If you can get past that and enjoy the real players no matter what the individual results then that's cool. But when my 30 year old fictional catcher who never has hit more than 15 homers in a season goes out and cracks 28 this year that feels fine to me. If that catcher is real life Michael Barrett then I start to feel like "that would be pretty unlikely".

It's all about personal preference and what makes you feel good and keeps you coming back to Puresim time after time. [:)]

[robpost3]

Fictional players always, the games depth really shines when you start a league and and then history just unfolds from that first pitch, to the first shut-out to the first dinger. Kinda gives you that ol good feeling specially with the smaller markets and the painted stadiums and and logos, you just dive right in there and it really captures the spirit; you can have marquee cities like LA or create a hometown apple pie "big league" with cities like Duluth and Portland as major teams...renaming the stadiums, all the tweaks makes it pleasurable just starting scratch associations.[:)]

[looneyluden]

I have to agree with the fictional guys here. That is the only way I play. I use fictional players, smaller market cities like Tucson, Anchorage, Raleigh-Durham, etc. I downloaded logos and stadiums from padresfan's site and I created team names based on the logos I chose for each city. I play out all of my games. I try to follow league leaders, and the PSPN pages and all of this definitely helps bring familiarity with the players in the league. I even keep a separate note pad for keeping odd league happenings on paper that the game doesn't record. Things like the first time players hit back-back-back homeruns in a game and such.

Someone mention earlier about not having pre-conceived notions about fictional players. That is very true, and leaves me no reason to be angry if a player doesn't perform the way I thought he would. I play with ratings set at 1-5 which allows a huge question mark as to how talented a player really is. That to me adds alot more fun and much needed difficulty to the game.