I've been playing HBD since August of 2017 and I have yet to come across a single owner that runs a completely different strat in each World. What I've mostly found is that each owner finds a strat that works for him and then applies that strat to every World in which he participates. There are a bunch of different strats I've seen, but for the most part, owners pick their version of one of the below and just run it over and over again. Sure, they tweak the rotation or the lineup, but the high level GM strat remains the same.

1. The most common blueprint -- re-build/contend strat that consists of low payrolls, low win totals and high scouting budgets during a re-build period followed by high payrolls, high win totals and low scouting budgets during contention periods. This strat is rinsed and repeated over the long haul and is likely the easiest to implement and most commonly used strat;

2. The high mlb payroll strat -- little to no scouting or coaching budgets, maybe maximize training and have some in medical. They might switch it up a little by adding more money to pay MLB hitting and pitching coaches so they can win free agent tie breakers, but there isn't much more to it. Just run a 125+ million payroll at the mlb level and fill your mlb roster full of the best free agents every season;

3. The master negotiator strat -- trades, trades, trades. Find trade partners to improve your squad. This can really be mixed with any of the other strats listed here, but some owners rely on it much more than others;

4. Control strat -- consistently have players being pushed through the organization by having high scouting budgets at all times. Mix in trades, FA signings, but only to fill holes or make way for better more controllable players. MLB payrolls are rarely low and rarely high because there is always a mix of veterans and young players.

These are the main four strats I've seen. Obviously, owners can combine some of these and, of course, some owners have found more success than others using these strats.

What I can't figure out, is if it is commonly known that each owner has their own blueprint and, in almost all cases, the owner rinses and repeats his blueprint in every World in which he participates, why would he complain about certain rules in certain worlds?. Afterall, the complaining owner is using his blueprint, right? If his blueprint is superior, shouldn't his blueprint work in every World? I know I've said this before, but many people that play this game have played this game so long and have only used their blueprint for so long that they can't see past their own blueprint. They don't think of things that would make the overall quality of the game better, they only see things that will make their blueprint easier to implement.
4/1/2023 10:26 AM
I actually don't see using the same strat in each World as a criticism. I do the same. I guess where I'd offer a criticism is more along the lines of being so blind (or stubborn???) in one's own blueprint that one can't see the value that certain rules may have. If a world rule infringes on their ability to freely implement their blueprint, they refuse to adapt to the rule. They prefer to try to convince others or complain/vent about the rule instead of understanding why the rule is in place and the utility that it gives to the world as a whole.

4/2/2023 5:19 PM
Posted by bripat42 on 4/2/2023 7:21:00 PM (view original):
I suppose I don’t understand why owners join worlds with rules they dislike so much that they feel the need to complain vehemently about them.
Yes. Exactly.
4/3/2023 9:51 AM

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