To Coach's Suggestion or Not, that is the Question.

[OrioleMagic]

I recommend newer GMs ask how each option affects your players and think it through.

My .015 cents is that 5-5-5-5 is most optimal for 95% of your players, while a couple might benefit from clicking "coaches".

[Prez WilCo]

Yea I don't understand this. Is this for development of all players in ST or just prospects. Would it be worth me saying coaches suggestions? Or will it hurt my team.

[Kingdom]

I agree with OM.

It's more worth leaving it as is and it's for everyone on your entire team. Who it affects can vary. Coaches' suggestions can help but they can also hurt. It's really up to you which route you want to take.

[Providence A's]

It usually doesn't have much of an impact, which is why I won't bother with manual changes anymore. I used to do it and it's not worth it. Most people didn't do manual changes, but invariably some took advantage of me allowing it by changing a ton of players so I had to put a limit on it. The same people obviously would put the max all the time and little would change. It just creates more work for me and the result isn't worth it IMHO.

Basically, each category is assigned 5 points (I would have to look again to see the specific categories for hitters and pitchers, but it's not really the point I'm trying to make here) and in order to improve one category, you have to take points away from another. Example: 5,5,5,5 to 7,4,4,5 or something like that. Often times nothing noticeable happens as we use a 10 point talent score (in reality it's 100 and players can have ratings/talent above that). A "1" is actually 0 - 9, "2" is 10 - 19, etc., etc., "10" is 90 or above. Sometimes there will be a change for the positive, but usually that is bundled with a negative in the category or categories you took points away from.

It really is a PitA to be honest and it doesn't usually help much, if at all. It's much more complicated than it needs to be for what you get out of it. Also, it's like real ST, but the game won't show you box scores or anything. Players can get hurt in ST, too.

If you choose coaches' suggestion, the game will change a few that it feels will need help to boost a certain area. They may lose a little something though. Most of this applies to ratings, but it could impact their talent as well.

[Impossibles]

Question - I've read somewhere that you can try players out at different positions for ST, what's the best way to do that?

[HollywoodLeo]

You have to take a full 5 points away to try a new position if he allowed manual changes.

Even if he did allow them, I understand you're better off just playing him there and hope he learns out than risk the loss that comes with deducing five ST points.

[HollywoodLeo]

It, not out.

[Kingdom]

Yeah, you would risk less by starting him at said position in the Majors or Minors. I've always had a lot of success that way.

[OrioleMagic]

You have to take a full 5 points away to try a new position if he allowed manual changes.

Even if he did allow them, I understand you're better off just playing him there and hope he learns out than risk the loss that comes with deducing five ST points.

I agree with this as well. It usually works with Hickmon in S3SL being the exception... However, even though he refused to learn the new position, I played him at SS for several seasons and he did well there.

Regarding my original post, I didn't mean for anyone to question manual settings in ST. Provie made his decision and I accept that.

What I was referring to is this. OOTP AI (or clicking "ask the coaches") ALWAYS attempts to even out a players ratings in all categories. The AI wants your players to be 7-7-7-7-7 whether pitcher or hitter. For instance, if a player has 10 eye and 6 contact, coaches will take away 1-4 points (I've never seen the AI take a full 5, but it could happen because I've done it manually) from eye and move them to contact. So your player may be a 6 in contact, a 8 in power, a 10 in strike zone judgement (eye), and a decent fielder (defense). I personally would like this change, HOWEVER, if the categories were inverse, I would NOT! A prototypical lead-off hitter is the best example. If a player has 8-10 contact and 2-6 power, which over 50% of our players probably fall into this category, asking the coaches will take points from contact and try to make that player a 3-7 power rated player. To what end? I build my lineup where OBP, BA, Steals in that order are at the top, and OBP, BA, and Power are in the 3 and 4 slots, and power over OBP and BA in the 5-6 slots, and so on with doing the best you can at the bottom of the lineup. I don't know if this is the best strategy, but I damn sure don't want my lead-off hitter losing contact just so his power can go from a 4 to a 5!

The same happens with pitchers and stuff, control, velocity, and stamina. We all value a certain category more than other categories. I do not want the AI taking valuable stuff points just to add them to velocity and make it 89-92 instead of 88-91.

I have done some tracking on this and it takes about 3 years to see a real difference with manual changes during ST. Most changes were 2-3 points on a 1-100 scale, with many being only 1 or sometimes none.

In summary, we make our selections in the draft or FA based on the players ratings setup in the first place. Staying 5-5-5-5 will at least evenly enhance what is already in place, in theory...

[Kingdom]

OrioleMagic, the OOTPmetrician. I'm going to move our banter to a thread so it's cleaner for PA to use for it's intended purpose.

[OrioleMagic]

OrioleMagic, the OOTPmetrician. I'm going to move our banter to a thread so it's cleaner for PA to use for it's intended purpose.

I may be a complete OOTP looney tune. I also learned some things from IMing General when he was drunk!

[Kingdom]

I'm sorry.

[OrioleMagic]

I'm sorry.

I did NOT learn anything about Dry's Mom!