Trades are IMPOSSIBLE (20.12)

[Francoeurstein]

The AI is incapable of making rational trades.

For example, I start a modern game and select the Dodgers. I offer Clayton Kershaw (95) to the Angels for Carlos Perez (70). I get hit with the "I hate my job. Shoot me now." I try a cheaper Corey Seager instead and I get the same response.

What has happened? How am I expected to play when the AI can't craft a rational deal? I'm just confused and I can't believe no one else has mentioned this.

[daves]

The AI is incapable of making rational trades.

For example, I start a modern game and select the Dodgers. I offer Clayton Kershaw (95) to the Angels for Carlos Perez (70). I get hit with the "I hate my job. Shoot me now." I try a cheaper Corey Seager instead and I get the same response.

What has happened? How am I expected to play when the AI can't craft a rational deal? I'm just confused and I can't believe no one else has mentioned this.

You make a valid point. I guess I always focused on free agency and farm development more than trades. When I trade I usually am spending extra cash.

[Francoeurstein]

You make a valid point. I guess I always focused on free agency and farm development more than trades. When I trade I usually am spending extra cash.

Trading has always been an essential part of the game for me. The trades that the Computers with each other make sense, so the AI can't be completely screwed up.

[BINGLEBOP]

Trading has always been an essential part of the game for me. The trades that the Computers with each other make sense, so the AI can't be completely screwed up.

I've noticed the same thing when I offer certain players up for trade. Have you experimented to see which players the AI would trade for? I tried to find a player similar to the one I was attempting to trade (which, for whatever reason, got the same messages that you pointed out) to see if it would work in a trade, and then I'd unfortunately have to substitute the original player and force the trade through.

Also, have you noticed if it differs during different parts of the season? I remember in older versions how you could sign a free agent in the offseason, and no matter how amazing he performed or how good of a contract he had, there was zero interest for even the worst players on other teams -- the same "I hate my life, shoot me now" responses. I don't remember the exact day, but it seemed after a certain point during the season, he was again treated like a "normal" player and generated trade interest.

[Clay Dreslough]

Kershaw should be hard/impossible to trade because of his salary. The Dodgers felt he was worth $30 million. If the Angels had thought he was worth $31 million, then they would have signed him. This is the paradox of any MVP-level player with more than 6 years of MLB experience -- they are basically worthless in a trade.

As for Seager, I just had a really easy time trading him straight up for Carlos Perez on either Fan or Coach mode. I didn't test Manager or Mogul, but if you can't make that trade you probably need to tone the difficulty level. I realize the computer is unwilling to make even trades at Mogul level, but that's the only reliable way to make sure that a dumb computer doesn't get outsmarted by a human brain.

EDIT: I'm digging into this a bit more. Most of the time that I put Seager on the Trading Block, I get a list of offers. But I sometimes get zero, so you might be bumping into the same problem and I need to figure out why it's not working 100% of the time.

Clay

[Francoeurstein]

Kershaw should be hard/impossible to trade because of his salary. The Dodgers felt he was worth $30 million. If the Angels had thought he was worth $31 million, then they would have signed him. This is the paradox of any MVP-level player with more than 6 years of MLB experience -- they are basically worthless in a trade.

As for Seager, I just had a really easy time trading him straight up for Carlos Perez on either Fan or Coach mode. I didn't test Manager or Mogul, but if you can't make that trade you probably need to tone the difficulty level. I realize the computer is unwilling to make even trades at Mogul level, but that's the only reliable way to make sure that a dumb computer doesn't get outsmarted by a human brain.

EDIT: I'm digging into this a bit more. Most of the time that I put Seager on the Trading Block, I get a list of offers. But I sometimes get zero, so you might be bumping into the same problem and I need to figure out why it's not working 100% of the time.

Clay

Thanks for the edit Clay. No matter what I do, at what point in the season, I can't create a rational trade. I thought the AI trading from a few years ago was perfect.

[daves]

This is still a valid concern. I am using version 20.20 and the trades are totally unreasonable.

[Francoeurstein]

This is still a valid concern. I am using version 20.20 and the trades are totally unreasonable.

Yep. The whole AI is screwed up. They don't value prospects at all.

[Clay Dreslough]

I'm currently working to improve this. I agree that prospects are undervalued in the default settings. As for the original post, many teams can't afford $30 million -- even for Kershaw. If they could have, they would have outbid the Dodgers. But I should definitely fix the response text to reflect that fact instead of saying "I hate my job".

HOWEVER, there is a way to adjust the Trade AI in-game. I just made this feature hard to find because I wasn't sure if it was "ready for prime time".

1. Turn on Commissioner Mode.
2. Go to League Settings and click "Editable Trade AI Settings" (under "Artificial Intelligence (GM)").
3. Open the Trades Dialog (from the Player menu).
4. Click the 'Trade AI Settings' button at the bottom.

To get teams to accept a highly-paid player (like Kershaw), set "Discounting For Player Salaries" to a negative value.
To increase the value of prospects, increase "Weight Given To Prospects" (I'm guessing +50% is a pretty good choice until I've fixed the AI).

Thanks!

Clay

[daves]

I'm currently working to improve this. I agree that prospects are undervalued in the default settings. As for the original post, many teams can't afford $30 million -- even for Kershaw. If they could have, they would have outbid the Dodgers. But I should definitely fix the response text to reflect that fact instead of saying "I hate my job".

HOWEVER, there is a way to adjust the Trade AI in-game. I just made this feature hard to find because I wasn't sure if it was "ready for prime time".

1. Turn on Commissioner Mode.
2. Go to League Settings and click "Editable Trade AI Settings" (under "Artificial Intelligence (GM)").
3. Open the Trades Dialog (from the Player menu).
4. Click the 'Trade AI Settings' button at the bottom.

To get teams to accept a highly-paid player (like Kershaw), set "Discounting For Player Salaries" to a negative value.
To increase the value of prospects, increase "Weight Given To Prospects" (I'm guessing +50% is a pretty good choice until I've fixed the AI).

Thanks!

Clay

Does changing this once update for all the teams for all years on the mog?

[daves]

So setting the discounting for player salaries as attached will allow high priced players on the trade block to be traded for a reasonable price?

Does a +100 on Team Standings mean losing teams will trade veterans for prospects and winning teams will look for veterans for prospects?

+100 on Team payroll budget increase the likelihood that high priced veterans will be traded to relieve the cap?

[Francoeurstein]

I'm currently working to improve this. I agree that prospects are undervalued in the default settings. As for the original post, many teams can't afford $30 million -- even for Kershaw. If they could have, they would have outbid the Dodgers. But I should definitely fix the response text to reflect that fact instead of saying "I hate my job".

HOWEVER, there is a way to adjust the Trade AI in-game. I just made this feature hard to find because I wasn't sure if it was "ready for prime time".

1. Turn on Commissioner Mode.
2. Go to League Settings and click "Editable Trade AI Settings" (under "Artificial Intelligence (GM)").
3. Open the Trades Dialog (from the Player menu).
4. Click the 'Trade AI Settings' button at the bottom.

To get teams to accept a highly-paid player (like Kershaw), set "Discounting For Player Salaries" to a negative value.
To increase the value of prospects, increase "Weight Given To Prospects" (I'm guessing +50% is a pretty good choice until I've fixed the AI).

Thanks!

Clay

Didn't make a difference to me.

[daves]

Didn't make a difference to me.

I agree. Also, when trading for highly paid players, wouldn't you want a positive value?

[Clay Dreslough]

So setting the discounting for player salaries as attached will allow high priced players on the trade block to be traded for a reasonable price?

Yes.

Does a +100 on Team Standings mean losing teams will trade veterans for prospects and winning teams will look for veterans for prospects?

Yes.

+100 on Team payroll budget increase the likelihood that high priced veterans will be traded to relieve the cap?

Are you refering to "Importance of Team Payroll Budget"? That's a sub-category of "Discounting For Player Salaries". At +100%, rich teams will care much less about player salaries than poor teams. At -100%, all teams will weigh player salaries equally (i.e. the AI won't be affected by the size of each team's payroll budget).