Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

What differences do you see in the AI (HAL) in the online game vs the CDROM game? Try as I might, I can't seem to get the my online settings to match the CDROM settings.

One example I'll throw out is baserunning. The "normal" setting in the online game seems to be a bit more aggressive than the "normal" setting in CDROM.

Anyone who plays both notice any others?

STEVE F wrote:What differences do you see in the AI (HAL) in the online game vs the CDROM game? Try as I might, I can't seem to get the my online settings to match the CDROM settings.

One example I'll throw out is baserunning. The "normal" setting in the online game seems to be a bit more aggressive than the "normal" setting in CDROM.

Anyone who plays both notice any others?

It's an interesting observation. I get the CDROM game about every second year. Even when I get it, I play more games on line than on CDROM. I did a lot of games with the 2009 card year. I think I know what you're saying, but I didn't think that the differences were that obvious to me. The one thing that I really like about playing the CDROM game is that I can see much more clearly what strategies are being used by HAL (and myself), and I can see what game plays are being affected by those strategies.

One of the cool things that you "notice" by playing CDROM is things like the extra base running result being affected by the catcher's range rating on the making the tag at home plate, or the outfielder's defense rating affecting whether or not a homerun occurs. But not all of the rules are used in the online game. I understand that the catcher's play at the plate IS used in the online game, but perhaps not the outfielder's range rating affecting the homerun or out result. If anyone knows for sure, please chime in here.

But the transparency of playing on CDROM, where you can see the strategies and their results, makes it worth playing the CDROM game for sure. It's very interesting, and helpful to see and understand the strategies.

specific example: in a recent CDROM game, with baserunning set at conservative, 1 out and a runner was held up at third with a 1-16 chance to score. I can't see this ever happening in the online game no matter what the settings, the runner would try to score

STEVE F wrote:specific example: in a recent CDROM game, with baserunning set at conservative, 1 out and a runner was held up at third with a 1-16 chance to score. I can't see this ever happening in the online game no matter what the settings, the runner would try to score

I dunno. My own personal managerial preference is to run bases aggressively. So, I really dislike it when HAL (online) chooses to hold up even though there are good odds to take the extra base. I actually notice this more than you would think. So when I have a singles oriented, speed team, I always set baserunning to "aggressive" and leave it that way all year long! (Stealing I set to "normal", and I leave good stealers simply unticked, because I don't like the way HAL tries to steal third base all the time - but baserunning I set to aggressive).

I find that when I DON"T set baserunning to aggressive, then I DO find that HAL (online) holds up with good odds far too often for my liking. So my observations (from my own perspective) don't seem to be the same as yours.

If I have a power home run team, then I will usually set baserunning to "normal". And then I do find that HAL (online) will hold up baserunners. With a homerun team, that is maybe the appropriate/best decision. But I like aggressive base running, singles, doubles and triples hitting teams - that's my normal choice. And for those teams, my preferences are more aggressive than what HAL (online) does at the normal setting. That's my experience.

I find the CD-rom to be a much better AI than online--and I agree with Steve that I can't get any setting that compares running wise or especially with usage as the CD-rom limits low usage players if there is anyone on the team with more ABs at that position.

I find Hal (online) tries to take 3rd way to much with aggressive running---I don't mind getting thrown out at the plate, but don't like getting thrown out at third with no or two outs---I find a setting of Normal or Conservative to be better--if fact Conservative ratings with a very fast players seems to work well, as third don't get taken often, but home just as much as normal settings--especially if you have two groups of slow 8-11 and fast 15-17 players (which I usually do) its that middle group 12-14 that is hard to get right.

The CD-rom is completely different (and much, much better) as you can set your super-hal advanced running up just the way you want as far as odds go.