Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

New to SOM Online and noticed that I'm running into outs that I shouldn't based on baseball common sense...such as
1) don't make the 1st or 3rd out at 3b
2) attempting to steal 3B with 2outs and my #3, 4 or 5 hitter up
3) getting thrown out at home with big hitters coming up

Few more I'm missing I'm sure but you get the gist.

Now I realize I can toggle the levels of aggressiveness but its happening a bit more than it should. Anyone know what kind of logic HAL uses for base running overall and am I missing a setting somewhere??

Thanks

Each runner can be set for levels of aggressiveness and also the team level can be set for levels of aggressiveness.

I don't think anybody knows how the game engine decides what is an acceptable risk when judging your settings by player and team. I'd recommend you set your team at "conservative", and then only let your "A" base-stealers steal more often, leave your "B" base-stealers blank, and your "C" and "D" base-stealers set to "Do not steal" Go with that for a while, see what the game engine does for you, and adjust from there.

Rosie2167 wrote:Anyone know what kind of logic HAL uses for base running overall and am I missing a setting somewhere??

Thanks

Any sentence with the word "logic" and HAL in the same sentence is grammatically incorrect.

Seriously, you have discovered the poor base running decisions HAL is prone to. Some of us have begged for a way to reduce the steals of third. I've seen runners get thrown out in the 9th inning when their team is down by two or more runs.

Overall the game is still fun, and it does do a lot of things well. Baserunning, however, is not one of those things done well.

Jimmy_C wrote:Each runner can be set for levels of aggressiveness and also the team level can be set for levels of aggressiveness.

I don't think anybody knows how the game engine decides what is an acceptable risk when judging your settings by player and team. I'd recommend you set your team at "conservative", and then only let your "A" base-stealers steal more often, leave your "B" base-stealers blank, and your "C" and "D" base-stealers set to "Do not steal" Go with that for a while, see what the game engine does for you, and adjust from there.

I agree with this, especially if you are new to the game and the players: keep it basic at the beginning.

What you learn to do over time is come up with a basic set of guidelines you are comfortable with, such as what Jimmy wrote, and then adjust from there based on your personnel, your ballpark, and maybe even your division. If I have a lot of "A" and "B" rating baserunners, I might want to experiment with an "Aggressive" baserunning or basestealing team setting... but if the other 3 teams in my division are playing in Coors Field, or the other 3 teams in my division all have starting catchers and/or outfielders with great arms, maybe that isn't a good idea. Every situation is different, and sometimes the only way to find out is to tinker a little and see what happens.

Put the breaks on guys you don't want stealing, bunting or hit and running by checking the "do not" box on individual players. That at least stops the slow-footed guys from trying to steal second with a runner on third when down by one in the 9th. You can slow the number of guys stealing third by being less aggressive as a team but it also slows down your stealing of second. With runners on first and third, the runner on third almost never goes home when the catcher throws to second. But if that runner is safe, the pitcher often intentionally walks the next batter even if he has to face a better hitter next. None of us like this, but for now we accept this and try the best we can.

Thanks for the input, appreciated! Yes I've started down the path that you guys suggested. Don't get me wrong, I dig this game and it does SOOOO much right, this part not so much at times. The brakes have been set to all the C/D guys, so I'll live with the occasional 3rd out at 3rd base by Brock/Bowa with Bonds or Bench at the plate.

Cheers
Bob

Draft all guys wearing cement shoes and lugging around piano's on their back and play for the 3 run homer baby!

Phenomenal

I usually try to tell anyone C or less to not steal. I recently had brock Caught going for third with no outs . . . what a waste. But yeah, it can be a little silly. Currently seeing how it works with a slower team, set to conservative, and my one A stealer set to go more often.

Ragnarokpc wrote:I usually try to tell anyone C or less to not steal. I recently had brock Caught going for third with no outs . . . what a waste. But yeah, it can be a little silly. Currently seeing how it works with a slower team, set to conservative, and my one A stealer set to go more often.

I only recently started telling "C" runners not to steal, and I have noticed an immediate difference. I always figured that "C" runners weren't going to try too often anyways... but then I set a team based in a singles ballpark to "aggressive", and suddenly every "C" runner thought he was Vince Coleman. I have always set individual hitter settings, but now I pay much more attention to the team settings than I used to, even on a series-to-series basis... and it helps.