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@TWBruz said in Some rules to make Franchise harder:

A couple years ago after winning my fifth World Series in a row, I realized I needed to figure out a way to make this mode harder until SDS actually put a minute of time into it. Still waiting on that last part but as anyone who has played this mode knows, it's super easy to dump bad contracts, make unbalanced trades and generally patch any holes you have until you've built a 130 win juggernaut every year. So I put a few rules on myself which has made the game a bit more enjoyable:

-Always have budgets on. I know it can be annoying because the bank doesn't really make that much sense but it does keep things in check financially.

-Turn trades off from the start of the season until after the draft. This just mirrors real life. There are hardly ever any trades during this stretch of the season and in Franchise it's a time when the CPU makes a bunch of those weird roster balancing trades that throw off the rosters. Last year in mid-April the White Sox traded Eloy for Jorge Alfaro and Lewis Brinson... just cuz.

-After the draft you can start building your trade pool. You'll need a piece of paper. In June, the only teams you're allowed to trade with are those who are already double digits out of a Wildcard spot and their division. Once you get to July, you can trade with any team that is under .500. I'm going to refer to this as "shopping" for the rest of the post.

-As for trading specifically, if they are on the trade block, they are fair game regardless of what team they are on. Who knows why some guys get put on there but it is what it is.

-If you are "shopping" for a player who is not on the trade block but is on one of those teams from the bullet above, you are not allowed to build your own trade package. You have to hit square to get an offer from them and you take it or leave it. This prevents you being able to throw in guys who for whatever reason, the CPU likes even though they shouldn't (a 67 OVR who is 29 but has A potential). If a player is on the trade block, you can build your own trade package.

-There is a bug regarding offseason trades in which you'll offer a middle reliever and they'll offer their best prospect in return. There is also one where new draft picks don't have any trade value in the offseason and you can just throw them in to any trade you want. These are two I haven't been able to find a "fix" for yet other than just holding yourself accountable to not do it. If you're working on a trade and you add a player whose decent and the interest bar doesn't move at all, it's a bug. If you're offering Casey Sadler and the Rays are offering you Wander Franco, it's a bug. But obviously, that's up to you.

-I'm also messing around with some ways to convert starters to relievers in a way that mirrors real life but haven't gotten the perfect solution. Something like you trim 20 points from stamina but get to put that 20 into fastball velocity but it still tanks their OVR. I'll update if I find something that works.

Just a comment on the last bullet. Velo control and break have no affect on overall. Only stamina per nines and clutch and those things (fielding too)

I just manually adjust it when necessary. If a prospect is consistently performing well I bump him up to A or B. Haven't really had to bump anyone down as I have found that if they don't perform well, they don't see a ton of benefit from the A. For example I am in year 2025 and had a CF prospect who started somewhere around 74 OVR with A potential. He hung out in the minors for the first few years and has now been in the bigs for the last 2 seasons as a depth player. I think he's up to 79/80 now. ~1 OVR per year is fairly reasonable for that situation in my mind.

@TWBruz said in Promoting minor league players to the majors - salary and morale:

One of the many bugs that should be an easy fix but has existed for years. If you think they might get called up within the next year, sign them to a deal worth at least 300k to mitigate it.

It's not a bug. It's a game mode that they only value as something to string along the hardcore sim fans by adding a new feature every year. That "feature" is usually half-baked b.s. that never gets fully fleshed out. Fuk SDS. Fuk 'em in the brown eye.

I Think it's in the options called'' Specific mode options'' or something like that. Let me know

VR VR VR VR, opps I thought that was a Codemaster F1 forum.

July Update 4: We will get to me in a second first. Let me provide some key league updates.

AL Futures win 9-5.
Arenado wins HR Derby in 3rd swing off round.
AL All Stars win 15-14 in 13 innings.
PCL All Stars win 5-4.
EEA All Stars win 4-0.

Key Trades:
Yankees Orioles: Santander for prospects.
Cubs Rangers: Gallo for Happ & Rizzo.
Cubs Pirates: Frazier for prospects.
Ray's Rockies: Story for Morton, Margot & Adames.

Now on to me. I find myself struggling at the deadline. In 3rd behind the Ray's and Yankees. In striking distance but hanging by a thread. I decided I cant let some of these guys walk without getting anything back. So I become a seller and fire sale a bunch of my players in last year of contract as well as one to clear salary. Through suggested trades and some trade block creativity however, I may remain a contender. I net mostly mid (C potential) level prospects. I do however add a handful of guys who may help me contend down the stretch and still have some years of team control (a win now rebuild if you will) and a few I consider rentals.

A Recap of pre July trades

June:

Padres. Prospects for prospects.

3 team with Nationals and Braves. Nationals get Morland & Hernandez. Braves get Perez & Eaton. I Get Newcomb.

My July deadline trades were as follows:

Bradley to Cubs for prospects. (CPU sugedted)

Eovaldi to Twins for prospects. (CPU suggested)

Rodriguez, Plawecki & a prospect to Reds for Senzel (5 years control ). Say hello to my new Brock Holt.

A three team trade with the Dodgers and Pirates. Dodgers get JD Martinez, prospects. Pirates Get Workman, Hernandez, Peraza, prospects. I get Peterson & Archer (both rental place holders) Graterol (6 years control and grooming in minors to be my new closer) Stripling (2 years control) Bell (2 years control).

Despite the fact that I may have just handed the Dodgers the World Series, my new look Red Sox will hopefully be a contender down the stretch and for years to come. I cap off July by calling up Newcomb (who I got from the Braves in June) he will round out my rotation. I also sign Devers to a well deserved 8 year extension worth 160 mil. Back loaded. On to the dog days of August.

I usually do the same as you. It was hard to start a franchise this year but I'm playing through one and making my own trades and stuff for once just to see. I admit it feels weird being at the trade deadline in the game and it still being April in real life

Try switching the players you’re sending, so that you don’t add as much salary to their payroll.

@Dronery687 said in The Best Roster for Hardcore Sim Franchise Players Is Live! (See Details):

Nice! These rosters are really well put together!

Thanks! Glad you and others are enjoying them

Thanks @HustlinOwl - I did read this one, which is where I found most things. But it sounded like downloading a custom DB of fictional players (see the article text "The first thing you’ll need is access to an excellent custom roster with fictional players. Bacon from the Operation Sports community..."). I was really looking to built the "import" file with real players, just reallocated to different teams. For example, paste of roster from our league below. Assume that was called Fictional Team 1 - trying to find the easiest way (for 30 teams) do redistribute the players.

S Name P Bats Age AVG PW AVG PW Sac Hit Run Stl Jmp Injury Clutch
Michael Brantley lf Lsp 32 .282 Fr .323 Ex Fr Av Av Av Pr Normal Terror
Alex Bregman 3b Rp 25 .350 Ex .274 Ex Pr Pr Av Ex Pr Normal Normal
C.J. Cron 1b Rsp 29 .326 Ex .225 Vg Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Prone Normal
Brandon Dixon 1b Rsp 27 .278 Vg .238 Vg Pr Pr Av Ex Av Normal Normal
Ben Gamel lf Lsp 27 .354 Fr .220 Av Fr Pr Vg Fr Fr Normal Normal
f Erik Gonzalez ss Rsp 27 .333 Pr .213 Fr Fr Fr Av Ex Av Very pr Normal
Robbie Grossman lf Ssp 29 .173 Fr .250 Fr Fr Pr Av Av Av Normal Normal
Yulieski Gurriel 1b Rp 35 .241 Ex .320 Ex Fr Pr Fr Av Fr Normal Normal
f Ian Happ - 2nd 2b Ssp 24 .233 Ex .273 Ex Vg Pr Av Vg Fr Normal Normal
Ramon Laureano cf Rp 24 .296 Vg .285 Ex Fr Pr Ex Ex Av Prone Normal
Tim Locastro lf Rp 26 .225 Av .265 Pr Fr Pr Av Ex Vg Normal Normal
Jeff McNeil lf Lp 27 .312 Av .320 Ex Fr Av Av Pr Fr Prone Normal
Max Muncy 2b Lsp 28 .268 Ex .242 Ex Pr Fr Av Ex Pr Prone Terror
Wilson Ramos c Rp 31 .346 Vg .270 Av Pr Pr Pr Fr Pr Normal Normal
f Christin Stewart lf Lsp 25 .236 Fr .232 Av Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Prone Normal
f Lane Thomas - S cf Rsp 23 .364 Ex .296 Ex Pr Pr Av Fr Vg Prone Normal
Trea Turner ss Rsp 26 .316 Av .292 Ex Vg Av Av Ex Ex Prone Normal
Matt Wieters c Ssp 33 .195 Ex .220 Vg Fr Pr Pr Fr Pr Prone Normal
f Justin Williams - U rf Lsp 23 .000 Pr .000 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Normal Normal
Total 27.4 .290 .270

vsLHB vsRHB --Bunt- Dur

S Name P T Age AVG AVG Sac Hit Run Stl Jmp S R Hld WP BK GB% Jam Injury
f Ronald Bolanos sp R 22 .250 .206 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Ex Ex 30 71 47 Normal Normal
Zack Britton mr L 31 .158 .191 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Vg 32 18 80 Normal Iron
Yimi Garcia mr R 28 .171 .182 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Av 11 500 33 Tough Normal
Domingo German sp R 26 .242 .210 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Ex Vg 23 0 43 Normal Prone
Gio Gonzalez sp L 33 .147 .257 Av Pr Pr Pr Pr Fr Av 36 0 54 Normal Very pr
f Jandel Gustave - 2nd mr R 26 .242 .189 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Vg 15 67 46 Normal Normal
f Conner Menez - X mr L 24 .182 .243 Av Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Av 73 76 33 Normal Normal
Charlie Morton sp R 35 .227 .202 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Vg Vg 17 144 55 Normal Iron
Adam Ottavino mr R 33 .241 .177 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Pr 29 403 44 Normal Iron
Hyun-Jin Ryu sp L 32 .199 .245 Ex Pr Pr Pr Pr Vg Vg 0 0 61 Normal Prone
Casey Sadler mr R 28 .241 .230 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Vg Ex 8 35 59 Normal Normal
Stephen Strasburg sp R 30 .192 .224 Av Pr Pr Pr Pr Vg Fr 25 0 59 Normal Iron
Felipe Vazquez cl L 27 .191 .199 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Vg 33 21 50 Tough Normal
Wei-Chung Wang mr L 27 .220 .254 Pr Pr Pr Pr Pr Av Av 13 500 43 Normal Normal
Total 28.7 .212 .219

And if the fictional/Bacon thing is actually that, I apologize. Just didn't sound like it in the article. Again appreciate the info!

They also have a few years before they are Rule 5 eligible.

@karateguy58 said in SP not regaining stamina:

Yeah, this bug is almost unforgivable. I have to sim each game individually to play every 5th with my created pitcher. Pain in the a$$!

I found a solution. My pitcher had high hitting attributes. I'm thinking the game maybe had him as a 2 way player. I lowered his hitting ratings and it fixed the problem. Hope that helps!

You’re welcome

Did you ever figure out the issue and how to fix? Same thing is happening to me. Thanks

MAIN MENU -> OPTIONS -> ROSTER CONTROL -> SELECT TEAM -> MANAGE CPU ROSTERS -> PLAYER MOVEMENT -> Add David Ortiz from Long Ball Beasts to Boston Red Sox DATA UTILITY -> SAVE DATA -> ROSTER then start up franchise with that roster file

@IIJACKINTHBOXII said in Should I purchase this game?!:

@Matty-Tomato91 said in Should I purchase this game?!:

He's been banned lol

Really? That's kinda hilarious. I think I'm the only one on the entire forum that even remotely enjoys his posts.

Its okay I'm back folks, Collin or whoever decided to give me a week's vacation because the truth was too much to handle but I'm back with more common sense and non noob/casual things to divulge 🙂

I can see them adding 1 dome & 1 open air stadium next year that can be edited by the user.

Update:

I only have the Dodgers and Giants left to edit. Once completed, I'll give everything a quick once over and then I'll publish them in my locker. Expect that to happen by tomorrow night.