Your reason for playing Franchise

[Ballgame59]

What is the biggest reason that you play Franchise seasons? Is it to play the 162 games? To see how many seasons that you can get through? Or is it to rebuild a team? See players come through the system that you choose?

I've only played on-line Franchise and I really hated the off season business. I played to play and manage the game/season. Now that there is no On-line seasons, I was thinking about starting up a franchise. I really only want to play and manage. I don't want to deal with the off season monotony. I also really enjoy historical rosters (I'm currently playing as the '86 Mets in Post Season mode. So - what is the reason that you play your franchise mode? What gets you excited about it year after year?

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

If I could distill it down to just one thing, it's that I like to tinker. Franchise mode provides the most toys for me to play with. Basically, I enjoy doing everything you don't. I view the "off season monotony" as a way to shave $500K off my budget. Or get that switch-hitting, defense-first 4th OF. Or very carefully consider whether my 7th best prospect should be promoted now or a month from now. Et cetera. Granted the depth in this mode is not close to where I'd want it to be (I want to tinker even more).

It sounds like bringing back season mode would be good for you. Hopefully the devs decide to do that.

[BigOscar]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

I like the stories I can create in my head. The game just provides the platform for them. So when I'm bored at work, I'll be thinking about the games I played the night before, about how player x is on target for a 30-30 season if I just try and steal a few more bases, how that injury might mean I need to make a trade or is it time for that prospect to come up. I end up scheming in my head what I might do next. (and on various scraps of paper)

I can't get that kind of narrative with DD, or any other mode really.

[Ballgame59]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

If I could distill it down to just one thing, it's that I like to tinker. Franchise mode provides the most toys for me to play with. Basically, I enjoy doing everything you don't. I view the "off season monotony" as a way to shave $500K off my budget. Or get that switch-hitting, defense-first 4th OF. Or very carefully consider whether my 7th best prospect should be promoted now or a month from now. Et cetera. Granted the depth in this mode is not close to where I'd want it to be (I want to tinker even more).

It sounds like bringing back season mode would be good for you. Hopefully the devs decide to do that.

Season mode would definitely be good for me. I mean, I did ok at the off season stuff but was so afraid of screwing up the team for the long term. Plus off season advance was usually on weekends when I work. That put me off as well. The league was around for a long time (and still is with '17) and I didn't want to ask them to change anything.

[countryboy]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

My reason for playing is to get lost in my own virtual baseball world. See how things play out in my franchise versus that of the real world. Where do the stars sign? Who gets traded where? How well does a top prospect develop? Things of that nature.

And with carryover saves, that enjoyment that I seek and reasoning for playing is only further enhanced as now I don't have to start over and can let my virtual world continue to play out.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

I like the immersion. I can't just play a bunch of play now games, I need to be working towards a long term goal in order to keep me playing

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

My reason for playing is to get lost in my own virtual baseball world. See how things play out in my franchise versus that of the real world. Where do the stars sign? Who gets traded where? How well does a top prospect develop? Things of that nature.

And with carryover saves, that enjoyment that I seek and reasoning for playing is only further enhanced as now I don't have to start over and can let my virtual world continue to play out.

This pretty much sums up why I love and exclusively only play franchise mode in all my sports games (NFL, NBA, NHL).

Getting lost in my virtual universe and the challenge of creating a dynasty. And of course the Storylines.




Sent from Palm Trees and Paradise using Operation Sports

[Lexicon]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

Main reason for me is to have a constant. I hate playing exhibition modes in sports games, as I feel they're the biggest waste of my time. Once an exhibition game is over, that's it. Feels like the game didn't even matter. With Franchise, I can play for an hour or two a day, then come back the next day and build upon what I did the previous day. And unlike a normal "Season Mode," Franchise allows me to keep going for quite some time.

I would really like these modes to be more immersive than they are. I'd probably spend double the time in them. Even still, Franchise will always be my default mode for sports games.

[millertime98]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

I play franchise to rebuild. The first team I always select is my Reds. While I love that they've finally improved the team IRL, I'm not a fan of that in the game. I enjoy bottoming out with a team that is already bad or in between. Then, I like to build them up with draft picks, young prospects I've traded for, etc. The updated rosters are a blessing and it makes the game fun. I like to take over the aspects of a GM and only play a few games of a season at first (unless I have a young, stud, pitcher).

[Greencollarbaseball]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

For me it's the joy of building the team my way. I started my original Athletics franchise in 2014 and carried that one over until this year, I was in the year 2025 and played every game. It was really fun to see how guys that I drafted or signed developed and what kind of seasons they had, or even guys that I traded away. I'd probably still be playing that franchise now, but I was really excited about this new crop of Athletics players (real life) and I wanted to play with them and see their development in my virtual world. Another thing I do is usually create a young player, usually myself or son who starts out at 18yo 60-65ovr and 99 dev (obviously lol), and see what kind of career he has. That created player is on my team but doesn't get any special type of treatment except never being traded. Both franchise's it took about 2 seasons before he was ready for the bigs. For me this adds a layer of investment to the game that would probably not be there if I just had real life players.

[ECUoak]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

For me it's the joy of building the team my way. I started my original Athletics franchise in 2014 and carried that one over until this year, I was in the year 2025 and played every game. It was really fun to see how guys that I drafted or signed developed and what kind of seasons they had, or even guys that I traded away. I'd probably still be playing that franchise now, but I was really excited about this new crop of Athletics players (real life) and I wanted to play with them and see their development in my virtual world. Another thing I do is usually create a young player, usually myself or son who starts out at 18yo 60-65ovr and 99 dev (obviously lol), and see what kind of career he has. That created player is on my team but doesn't get any special type of treatment except never being traded. Both franchise's it took about 2 seasons before he was ready for the bigs. For me this adds a layer of investment to the game that would probably not be there if I just had real life players.

I do the same thing, except I edit the appearances of draft picks to resemble players I’ve coached or from movies with but leave the stats the same for the most part. I currently have Hamilton Porter (Sandlot) as my #2 catcher in my Dodgers franchise.


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[Bigwebb48]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

As said above, storylines are key. I love going through a sort of talk show in my head when I make a big trade... such as trading a big name player for prospects to rebuild or vice versa. I love calling up a top prospect and playing their first ever game.


Or what I do in some franchise modes is after say 5 years of not a ton of success. I go for it all 1 last year, Sell the farm, acquire as many studs as possible and make 1 last run before calling it quits. theres endless possibilities, even with a mode as "barebones" as MLB the show franchise, I still enjoy it.

[Funkycorm]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

For any franchise mode, not just MLB, it is all about rebuilding a challenging team, and watching the players I draft make an impact on the team so I try to sim as many years as I can then play a season or two, depending on the sport, with my personally crafted team.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

It's because my team sucks in real life.

[Ballgame59]

Re: Your reason for playing Franchise

It's because my team sucks in real life.

If you're talking about the Padres, I feel ya. They've been one of my favorite teams since since '88 when I was stationed there. Bringing the brown back in 2020.

That is one team that I would like to rebuild.