The following guide is a high level overview of Hardball
Dynasty (HBD). It is intended for first time users. Please keep in mind that each page in the game has content-specific
help which goes into much further detail. HBD is a deep game and this guide is
not intended to be all-inclusive or provide you with the only method for
running your franchise. It is simply a tool that can be used to hit the ground
running in your first few seasons of Hardball Dynasty. If you notice any errors
or have additions you can suggest them by following this
link.
After you've decided which world to join, you'll get to pick a city and a name for your franchise.
Picking the city is important, because each city has a home ballpark.
Each park has unique elements which impact game play. These park elements (wall height, dimensions, surface, etc.)
dictate the park factors. The park factors are the most significant aspect of a ballpark as highlight how a park
will perform. A park with a factor of 1.00 is average, above 1.00 should favor
hitters, and below 1.00 should favor pitchers.
The effects are illustrated on a -4 to +4 scale where
the likelihood of each event is altered by the effect. These ratings are
representations of the actual inputs. For instance, a neutral rating will not
alter the likelihood of an event, while a +2 may increase its likelihood by a
few percent and a +4 a few more percent. +4 for doubles does not necessarily mean
the exact same thing as +4 for triples.
By looking at the effects for your ballpark you can identify what type of team
would do well in that park. Keep in mind that the ballpark affects both teams
on the field equally – it just may be better served for the strengths of one team over the other.
Once a world fills, its schedule is generated within the next 24 hours. On the schedule, you'll notice HBD has three events each day which represent three actual days.
These events are broken down into two halves. These event cycles
run at the following times and worlds are processed in the order by which they were created:
The World Office page will always let you know what you should be doing. For a look ahead to the entire season, you can view the World Schedule page available from the World...Schedule menu options.
Setting your franchise budget is the first item on the schedule. It can be set as soon as the schedule is created. The budget is
very important because it will impact how your franchise is run for the season. Take your time and think about how you want to
run your organization.
Player payroll covers all player contracts for the entire season. It also includes signing bonus money except
in the case of amateur draft picks and international prospects. When setting this value, think about your existing players,
arbitration cases, free-agent needs, promotions, 40-man roster additions, waiver claims and any other player acquisition or roster move
that may be necessary during the season. In other words, don't short yourself in this department.
Prospect payroll covers all signing bonuses needed to land amateur draft picks and
international prospects. We recommend keeping at least $6 million allotted in your prospect payroll
so that you can ensure signing all of your draft picks.
Coach payroll covers all coach contracts for the season.
Most coaches at the ML level will demand in excess of $1 million and could go
significantly higher. Keep in mind that great coaches create great players so
be sure to allot enough money to mold the future of your franchise as well as
the present.
This refers to the value allotted to scouting college players from Canada and
the United States who are eligible for the upcoming amateur draft. All scouting
budgets work similarly. The number of prospects discovered and the accuracy of the reports
is based on the budget item. The higher your budget, the more prospects you'll have the opportunity to
discover and the more you'll be able to rely on their accuracy.
This works the same way as the college scouting department, but pertains to
high-school players eligible in the Amateur Draft.
This works the same way as the college scouting department, but pertains to
international prospects.
The advance scouts are responsible for projecting the ratings of all signed
players within the franchise and on other franchises. The higher the budget,
the more accurate your projected ratings will be for all players who have not
yet reached the peak of their career. After a player turns 27,
projected and current ratings are listed as the same.
This refers to the value allotted to preventing injuries. Training
specifically refers to the preparations made by players and staff to keep the
team healthy. While some players will always be more injury-prone than others,
spending money on training can significantly limit or minimize player injuries. Training
also helps slow down the aging process.
The medical staff works with injured players. The better the medical staff, the faster players will
heal. If you've got a franchise of veterans, a higher medical budget may be in order.
From season to season, an owner can only adjust his non-payroll budgets (players, coaches) by +/- $4M. Since such dramatic shifts in these areas
require the firing/hiring of resources, the owner of the franchise limits the fluctuations.
After the first day of the season (3 HBD event cycles), budgets are locked and cannot be modified. However, you will have the option of
transferring excess budget funds from your player, coaching or prospect payroll. However, a transfer comes with a rather steep 50% expense.
The offseason is packed with events that will shape your franchise's outlook for the season and beyond.
After setting your budget, you'll be allowed to rehire some of your previous season's coaching staff. You'll
also have first crack at bringing back any players eligible for free-agency. Then, it's time for arbitration.
After that, things get more intense. The free-agency and coach hiring stages begin where you'll compete with other owners
for the services of players and coaches. This activity is fast paced, as owners make offers and receive feedback
during every four hours of the day.
Following free-agency and coach hiring is the Rule 5 Draft. As a first-time user, the
Rule 5 Draft is key. Be sure to read the rules and protect your best prospects!
Every season of Hardball Dynasty has an 18-game spring training schedule.
You can have up to 70 players on your spring training roster and the
combination is up to you. Do you have some players that you
think have a shot at the Bigs? Call them up for spring training to see how they
fare. Spring training is also a great way to begin to identify which players
might need a promotion or, alternatively, need some seasoning before playing in
the majors. For even more detailed information you can refer to Knowledge Base article
#547.
The regular season consists of a full 162-game
schedule complete with interleague play. Once the season starts, it is your
duty to handle the big league squad. If you'd like to take on more
responsibility, the option is available to manage each minor league level. In
any case, as manager you're responsible for setting lineups, pitching staffs,
managerial and player settings, and managerial hierarchies. You will want to
monitor player fatigue and react to injuries. While there are recommendations
available on all manager pages, it's your personal touches that can make the
difference. Make the right decisions and you could end up in the Playoffs.
At the conclusion of the regular season, each playing
level will participate in the playoffs. There will be four division winners in
each league as well as two wild card winners. The two best division winners from each
league will receive a first-round bye. The first two rounds are a best-of-5, followed
by a best-of-7 League Championship and culminating in a best-of-7 World Series.
Win the World Series and a very prominent trophy will be displayed in your
office the following season.
Franchises can continue to make roster moves until the final game of the World Series. Towards the end
of the season, it is very important to evaluate your franchise and promote those players that should be promoted, protect eligible 6-year minor league free-agents and cut loose
dead weight.
Promoting players is important. If a prospect is left at the same level for multiple seasons or if he's too old for his level,
he may decide to retire.
A player that will have six years of pro experience at the end of the season will be eligible for free-agency if he's not on the club's 40-man roster.
As a result, you should protect those players meeting this description that you don't want to lose as 6-year minor league free-agency.
If you have players that you know will never make the majors and are no longer needed because better players have entered the system,
you may want to consider releasing them so you don't have to take on their contract for the next season.
Any player not under contract for the following season that returns to your franchise and that is not eligible for free-agency or arbitration will
have their contract automatically renewed at the same salary or with a small raise.
You'll have up to 3 days after the conclusion of the World Series to renew your franchise for the following season. Most owners do this early, so other
owners can see who's coming back (noted with an asterisk on the Standings page).
This is an indicator of how good the player currently is. Everyone sees the same current
ratings for every player. These numbers will change throughout the season as
the player develops, is promoted/demoted, suffers an injury, etc.
Projected ratings give you an idea of how good this player could potentially be. Your
Advanced Scouting budget will dictate the accuracy of your projected ratings.
In other words, every owner will see different projected ratings for each
player. Not every player will hit his projected ratings and that is due to
injuries, untimely demotions, poor work ethic, lack of playing time and inferior coaching.
+ Show Player Ratings
Overall
The Overall rating combines a player's overall skill set into one value.
Range
Range reflects how mobile a player is in the field, how skilled at positioning himself in the field for
different hitters, and plays a key role in determining what position the player is capable of playing.
Glove
The Glove rating indicates how skilled the player is at fielding balls.
Arm Strength
Arm Strength plays a key role in what position a player can handle. After all, weak arms
don't end up on the left side of the infield, behind the plate or in right field.
Arm Accuracy
Arm Accuracy is used in every fielding play that involves a throw.
Pitch Calling
Pitch Calling indicates how well the player handles pitchers behind the plate.
Durability
The Durability rating determines how much time off a guy needs
during the course of a season and how quickly he can bounce back between pitching appearances.
Health
Health dictates a player's ability to avoid injury. A rating of
100 indicates a player that is incredibly durable.
Speed
Speed signals how fast the player is.
Patience
Patience plays a role in a player's ability to deal with adversity
following demotions, injuries and lack of promotions.
Temper
Temper reflects how well a player deals with spur-of-the-moment
adversity such as being hit by a pitch or called out on strikes.
MakeUp
Makeup is similar to work ethic and plays a key role in a player's ability to improve and hold off decline.
Contract
Contact determines how well the player can make contact at the plate.
Power
Power determines how well a player hits the ball and plays the primary role in slugging percentage.
Batting Vs. LHP
Batting Versus Left-Handed Pitching determines how a batter fares
against lefties, both in terms of making contact and power.
BAtting Vs. RHP
Batting Versus Right-Handed Pitching determines how a batter fares
against righties, both in terms of making contact and power.
Batting Eye
Batting Eye involves plate recognition and dictates a player's ability to draw the walk,
avoid the strike out looking, and taking advantage of mistake pitches.
Base Running
Base running determines how adept the player is at running the bases.
This includes taking an extra base or holding up, and knowing when and when not to steal a bag.
Bunt
The Bunt rating is a good indicator of how well the player is at
laying down sacrifice bunts as well as laying down bunt singles.
Push/Pull
The Push/Pull rating indicates whether the player is a pull hitter
or opposite field hitter. A rating of 0 indicates an extreme pull hitter.
Stamina
Stamina indicates how many pitches a player can make in a ballgame.
Control
Control indicates how successful a pitcher is at locating his pitches.
Effectiveness Vs. LHB
Effectiveness Versus Left-Handed Batters determines how the pitcher fares against left-handed hitters.
Effectiveness Vs. RHB
Effectiveness Versus Right-Handed Batters determines how the pitcher fares against right-handed hitters.
Velocity
Velocity determines how fast the player can throw a pitch.
Groundball/Flyball
The Groundball/Flyball rating determines a pitcher's ability to
induce a groundball versus a flyball. A rating of 0 would be a pure flyball pitcher.
Pitch 1
The Pitch 1 rating determines the skill with which a player can throw his #1 pitch.
Pitch 2
The Pitch 2 rating determines the skill with which a player can throw his #2 pitch.
Pitch 3
The Pitch 3 rating determines the skill with which a player can throw his #3 pitch.
Pitch 4
The Pitch 4 rating determines the skill with which a player can throw his #4 pitch.
Pitch 5
The Pitch 5 rating determines the skill with which a player can throw his #5 pitch.
Player development is of the utmost importance in HBD. It is impacted by a multitude of factors:
the player's makeup rating, the quality of the coaching staff, playing time, injuries,
age appropriateness for level of play and potential demotion setbacks.
All players are unique and each has a different peak age. Players may continue to develop up until this
peak age. Pitchers tend to peak a little later than position players.
A player may see a ratings hit after a demotion. The penalty is dictated by the player's age, experience, level and
patience rating. A player with a high patience rating can handle a demotion better than an impatient player.
Some players may also take a turn
for the better, and see their projected ratings increase. These players are known as "Diamonds in the Rough" and are usually
mentioned after the All-Star Break.
Injuries are an unfortunate occurrence, but just like
in real life they do happen in Hardball Dynasty. A player's likelihood of getting injured
is based on his health rating. When a player is injured, the time he will be out is based on
the severity of the injury, the player's makeup rating and the medical staff.
When a player is injured and placed on the disabled list, you may see a hit to his ratings. These ratings
will gradually come back as he heals, but the rate and level of recovery is based on the medical staff.
While most injuries occur on the field, there are also some freak injuries in the game. In addition, anytime a player is injured for
more than 3 days, you'll receive some correspondence regarding the injury.
Building a strong coaching staff is essential in HBD. The coaching staff plays a significant role in player development.
At the big league level, you'll need a bench coach, hitting coach, pitching coach, bullpen coach, 1B & 3B coach. The 1B & 3B coaches contribute to the
development of players' basestealing and baserunning. The hitting coach, with a little help from the 1B & 3B coach, contributes to the development of all hitting ratings.
The pitching coach, with some help from the bullpen coach, contributes to the development of pitcher ratings. The bench coach takes over as manager after any managerial ejection.
At the minor league levels, only hitting, pitching and bench coaches are needed. The bench coach plays a role in all rating developments. The hitting coach
focuses on hitting and baserunning ratings and the pitching coach impacts pitching ratings.
A franchise must also hire a fielding instructor that roves the system. He impacts a player's fielding ratings.
Coaches improve with age. And their demands for role, level and money also increase with age.
+ Show Coach Ratings
Hitting IQ
This is the coach's hitting IQ rating. The higher the rating, the more he'll help your players
develop their batting skills.
Pitching IQ
This is the coach's pitching IQ rating. The higher the rating, the more he'll help your players
develop their pitching skills.
Fielding IQ
This is the coach's fielding IQ rating. The higher the rating, the more he'll help your players
develop their fielding skills.
Baserunning IQ
This is the coach's baserunning IQ rating. The higher the rating, the more he'll help your
players develop their baserunning skills.
Patience
This is the coach's patience rating. The higher the rating, the easier it will be for him to
tolerate and coach younger players. Of course, if he's really good in the other
areas, his lack of patience may be acceptable.
Strategy
This is the coach's strategy rating. The higher the rating, the more likely he'll succeed as a
bench coach. Bench coaches are important, because they can improve/hurt the
day-to-day management operations of a minor league franchise as well as affect
in-game decision making (even at the big league level if the manager gets
ejected). They generally have different managerial settings than the ones
you've set, for instance.
Discipline
This is the coach's discipline rating. The higher the rating, the more focused he'll be on the
fundamentals such as bunting, throwing strikes and hitting the cutoff man. Of
course, this means he'll spend less time on some of the other important aspects
of his role.
Loyalty
This is the coach's loyalty rating. The higher the rating, the more likely the coach is to re-sign
with your club.
There are a significant amount of roster moves that are
available to you and each move has its own intermediary page that will describe
the impact it will have on that player. A full list including descriptions is
located in the table below.
+ Show Roster Move Definitions
Demote
Send a player down at least one level (i.e. ML to AAA). In order
to send a player down from the big leagues, the player must either have options
remaining or clear waivers. An injured player may not be demoted. A player
demoted from the big leagues may not be recalled for 10 days (Hardball cycles)
unless a player at the big league level is placed on the disabled list.
Promote
Bring a player up at least one level (i.e. AAA to ML). In order to
bring a player up to the big leagues, the player must be on the 40-man roster.
Being promoted typically results in a pay increase, since each increasing level
has a higher league minimum.
Release
Remove a player from your franchise entirely. If the player is
under contract, the team issuing his release is still liable for the remainder
of his contract. If another team signs him, they only have to pay a prorated
amount of the league minimum. Anytime a player is released, he goes thru the
waiver process.
Assign
Move a player needing assignment to a specific level within the
organization. Whether the player can move to certain levels depends on his
40-man roster status and option years.
Designate
If a player is out of options, he may be designated for assignment. This means he is immediately
removed from the big league roster and the 40-man roster. The franchise then has 10 actual days (30 HBD cycles)
to make a decision on this player. He may be traded, released or placed on waivers. If he clears waivers, he may be outrighted to
the minors (assuming he'll accept the assignment). Players who have been designated for assignment for 7 actual days and are
not part of an accepted trade and who have not gone through waives will be automatically waived. After 10 days, they will
be automatically released.
Waive
Attempt to have the player clear waivers for future decisions
(demotion or trade). In order to demote a player out of options, he must clear
waivers. In order to trade a player after the trade deadline, he must clear
waivers. Prior to the trade deadline, a player that is claimed cannot be pulled
back. After the trade deadline, he may be pulled back.
Add to 40
Add the player to the 40-man roster. In order for a player to be
on the big league club, he must be on the 40-man roster. Once a player is on
the 40-man roster, his option years start ticking down from 3. A player on the
40-man roster is not exposed to the Rule 5 Draft.
Remove from 40
Remove the player from the 40-man roster.
Add to DL
Add a player to the disabled list. Only injured players may be
placed on the disabled list. Any player on the 60-Day DL frees an additional
spot on the 40-man roster.
Remove from DL
Remove a player from the disabled list. The player is required to
return to his previous team after removal.
Add to Inactive
Add a player to the minor league team's inactive list. The
inactive list simply means the player can't play in his team's games.
Act. from Inactive
Remove a player from his minor league team's inactive list.
Add to Playoff Roster
Adds a player to the roster of players eligible for postseason
play at the big league level.
Rem. from Playoff Roster
Removes a player from the roster of players eligible for
postseason play at the big league level.
Rule 5 Return Accept
This will accept a Rule 5 Draft pick back onto your franchise. It will
cost $25,000 to do so, but it allows you to bring the player back. This will also clear
his Rule 5 status so he can be demoted/assigned without any additional rules in place.
Rule 5 Return Decline
This will allow the franchise that currently controls the Rule 5 Draft pick
that was drafted from your system in this season's Rule 5 Draft to keep the player rather than
returning the player to your franchise for $25,000. This will also clear
his Rule 5 status so he can be demoted/assigned without any additional rules in place.
Rule 5 Offer Back
This will begin the process of offering a Rule 5 selection back to his original franchise for $25,000. First, however,
the player must go through the waiver process so that the other franchises have a chance to land the player while
maintaining his special Rule 5 selection status.
The trade market is one of the most active parts of
the entire community. There are several pages in place to help facilitate trades between two clubs including a trading block,
posted trade needs, trade chat & general world chat. Trades may include anywhere from 1 to 3 players per franchise and may also include cash.
When a trade is agreed upon by two clubs, you will see other teams' trades available for you to vote
upon in the World Office. Essentially, if you disagree with a trade you do have the ability to veto it. Any trade with 10 or more vetoes
will be vetoed.
After the transaction deadline, any player on a club's 40-man roster must clear
waivers before being traded. Don't worry though, you can place the player who
you want to trade on "revocable waivers" so you won't lose him if someone puts a claim on him. If one or more
teams put a claim on a player who is on revocable waivers, he may only be traded
to the team that would have been awarded the claim.
Players with less than one year of pro experience may not be traded.
Any player who is
not under contract for the current season is considered a Free Agent
and he is open to negotiating a contract with any franchise.
Keep in mind that some of the top tier players will have several franchises
bidding for their services and that will cause their contract value to increase
dramatically. Sometimes it's better to sign a couple above average players
rather than a high profile player. However, much like every aspect of Hardball
Dynasty, that decision is entirely up to you.
Occasionally, when you negotiate with a player you will see that he is either a Type A or
Type B free agent. Type A free agents are defined as players in the top 20% of all
players at their position groups based on current ratings. The position groups include C, 1B/OF/DH,
2B/3B/SS, SP and RP. If you sign a Type A free-agent, you will forfeit your
first round pick in the upcoming Amateur Draft to the player's previous
franchise. If your first round pick is in the top 16 of the draft, then you
forfeit your second round pick instead. The player's previous franchise also
receives a supplemental round pick between rounds 1 and 2.
A Type B free-agent is defined as any player who falls in the top 21% - 40% of
all players at his position group. If you sign a Type B free-agent, the
player's former franchise will be compensated with a sandwich pick between
round 1 and round 2.
You may also see released players under contract for the season in the free-agent market. These released players
have cleared waivers, so they can be signed at the prorated amount of the league minimum. They may or may not accept a minor league
assignment -- it depends on their experience and desire.
During the offseason, free-agents will get back with you at a later time via Inbox correspondence. After the offseason
free-agency period, players get back with you immediately.
The waiver wire can be a great place to sign a player who might give you an
edge when you need to fill an open slot. The order in which the waiver claims
are processed is determined by franchise rank. For worlds in season 1, this is
the reverse order of the amateur draft. For any other world it is based on the
previous season's record and then dynamically changes after 30 days into the season
based on current record. You are allowed two waiver claims per day and 50 total
waiver claims per season so choose very wisely.
There are two very different
ways that players can show up on the waiver wire. The first is, obviously, that
they have been waived from their current club. If a player is waived and you
win the claim then you are responsible for a prorated amount of his full salary
for the current season and the full amount for all subsequent years under his
current contract.
The second way that a player will show up on the waiver wire is if he is released.
If you are awarded the claim on a player who was released then you are only
responsible for a prorated amount of the league minimum for the current season
and the league minimum for all subsequent seasons under his current contract.
His previous franchise is responsible for the rest of his contract.
Once the transaction deadline has passed, players on the waiver wire may be on revocable waivers. If you
are awarded the claim for a player on revocable waivers, the franchise will pull the player back. The owner may then work out a trade
only with your franchise for that player. After the transaction deadline, many players are passed through waivers as some owners try to sneak
a player through so they can trade or demote him.
One of the most important ways to build the future of
your franchise is through the amateur draft. The draft consists of 25 rounds, including
a supplemental round at the end of the first round. The draft order is
determined by the previous season's record, save for season one where it is
determined by the average overall rating of your entire franchise.
On the Amateur Draft Settings page, you can tailor the draft according to your tastes.
If you need a flame throwing left-handed starter or a speedy center fielder,
the option is available to you. Keep in mind that you always want to target
enough pitchers to complete a full Rookie League season (which begins soon
after the draft).
One other important area to consider when adjusting your draft settings is the
signability of the player. Each prospect has a signability risk. You can set
the signing risk that you are comfortable with for each round of the draft. A
"very conservative" approach will ensure that any player drafted in that round
will be signable. Alternatively, a "very aggressive"
approach will ensure that any player that you draft will have no limitations
meaning that the player you pick may not sign.
You may also manually rank players on the Amateur Draft Player Pool page.
Most owners in Hardball Dynasty will at least rank their
top 25 picks but the decision is entirely up to you. If you want to rank all
500 prospects that option is available to you. Also, keep in mind that if you
do change any of your draft settings after you have ranked your prospects it
will change your manual rankings. It is highly recommended that you first
determine your settings and then manually rank your players.
The Rule 5 draft is very similar in function and
form to the Amateur Draft. The big difference here is that you are drafting
players with professional experience. Any player with at least 4 years of pro
experience, not on the club's 40-man roster and not signed beyond the current
season will be exposed to the draft. To protect your players from being exposed
to the Rule 5 draft you must add them to your 40-Man roster prior to the freezing of rosters on the day
of the draft.
There is one small difference in the settings and that is you will only draft up to
as many players who meet your target settings. In other words if you target 0
players you will draft 0 players. You also must have enough excess money in
your player payroll to draft a player and you must have room for the player (i.e.
your 40-man roster can't be full) in order to draft a player in the Rule 5
draft. The last stipulation is that the maximum number of players you can take
in the Rule 5 draft is 10.
During the season, your international scouts will send you correspondence regarding an international
prospect. International prospects are a great way to obtain either some minor league filler or potential
superstars. Other franchises in your world may see the same players as you, so always remember that
bidding can be very aggressive. Bidding on some of the elite players has reached well into the $20M -
$30M range. Any negotiations you have with a player will be acted upon in the next cycle and, rest
assured, they will let you know exactly how they feel.
The Management Console lets you specify how much control you want over your system. For instance, do you want to
manage injuries at the AA level or would you rather have the AI do it?
The console also lets you provide default values for some common player settings. You can also run all the recommendations
for your team at the click of a button per level.
There are up to four different types of lineups to
account for the combinations of vs. left and right handed pitching, with and
without the DH.
By default, the recommended lineups are used. To return to these recommended
settings at any time, click the "Show Recs" button and then the "Save Current
Lineup" button. To change the lineup at any time, select the position for the
player from the drop down menu and choose the numbered spot for him. Lineups
will only save if they are set with unique players at each position and a
player at each spot in the batting order. For non-DH lineups, the pitcher will
bat in the spot left open. This does not have to be the ninth spot.
In order to leave a player out of the lineup, but available for play, set his spot to bench.
To rest a player for that game, set the player's order to Rest and he will not play unless
he needs to be brought into the game due to injuries and no one else is
available.
To help with position assignments, the player's natural position is always noted with an "*".
Secondary positions are always denoted with a "^". Playing a player at a position he's not suited for can
have disastrous results. You can toggle the listed positions for a player on the Player Settings or Edit Rosters page.
Managing a pitching staff in Hardball Dynasty is
vital to a team's performance. Fatigued pitchers can suffer extreme penalties including injury
so it is very important to keep as many pitchers healthy as possible.
When editing the pitching staff, consider a balance between starting and relief
pitching. Rotation sizes can vary from 1-6 man rotations with an additional option
of using tandems. By default, rotations are set to recommendations, with an
emphasis on stamina for starting pitchers. To return to these recommended
settings at any time, click the "Show Recs" button and then the "Save Roles"
button. For more detailed information on all of the different pitching roles
you can also consult Knowledge Base article
#728.
The lower you go in the minors, the more pitchers you should have on the roster. It is very common at the low levels
of the minors to see pitchers to go to and from the inactive list after games.
You can set your managerial tendencies for each level within the franchise. These include your tendencies to
sacrifice bunt, hit and run, pinch-hit, pinch-run and double-switch. You can also indicate how aggressive you'd like to
be on the base paths, stealing bases and arguing calls. You can also indicate when you'd like to use
defensive replacements, provide rest to your starters, when to use a mopup pitcher and when to use the closer.
The pinch-hitting hierarchy dictates
which players will come in during pinch-hitting situations. Each box is labeled
for the type of situation (i.e. Late/Close Need Power, Late/Close Need Contact,
etc.). In addition to each scenario, the hierarchy is further broken down by
the handedness of the pitcher. It gives you complete control over whom you want
to come in to pinch-hit during each type of situation. You will surely see the
impact of your managerial decisions during games throughout the season.
The Defensive Replacement hierarchy dictates which player will enter a game for defensive purposes
at each position. The manager evaluates these decisions in the order of difficulty (the defensive spectrum).
The Player Rest hierarchy dictates
who will come in to rest your players in the field when the conditions you have
set have been reached.
These recommendations can be filled quickly by using the recommendation buttons on each page.
On the Player Settings page, you can set the individual settings for your pitchers and position
players. These decisions are important and will directly impact the engine
which could be the difference between a win and a loss.
TPC is the Target Pitch Count. A pitcher will
attempt to reach this many pitches in each game. In extenuating circumstances,
he may pitch beyond his TPC, but will never exceed his Max Pitch Count. A
pitcher will always come out of the game within a few pitches of his MPC
(usually his TPC) based on the situation. In general, an HBD inning takes about
15 pitches. The stamina rating is directly related to how many pitches a
player can throw in a game without fatigue
Auto Rest refers to the fatigue value under which the player will automatically be set to rest
for the next game.
The Relief checkbox indicates a player who may pitch in relief. You may also allow your
starters to come in as relief. Position players or starting pitchers able to relieve are viewed as
long relievers.
The Call Bullpen setting designates your patience
with a pitcher who has not yet reached his TPC. It is on a scale from 1-5 where
1 is very patient and 5 is a quick trigger.
For PH, PR, Def Rep and Allow Rest, these are
players for whom it is ok to remove in these situations.
Prizes are based strictly on the big league level and are broken down as follows:
League Championship Runner-Up (2)
$12 Credits
Divison Championship Runner-Up (4)
$8 Credits
First-Round Runner-Up (4)
$4 Credits
*World Series winners who used a promo code or took over a team without
paying receive $25 in credits instead of Reward Points.
**Credits won can only be used for future seasons of Hardball Dynasty.
As an extra reward for maintaining a franchise for 5 consecutive seasons, you'll earn a $10 credit for a future season of
Hardball Dynasty. After the 5th straight season controlling the same franchise in the same world, the credit will be distributed
shortly after the final game of the big league World Series in the world. So, if you joined a world in season 3 and stay with that
franchise, you'll earn the credit after season 7, 12, 17, etc.
If that all sounds exciting, we haven't even touched the surface when it comes to what else is available. There are pages detailing
just about every stat or transaction you can imagine in a variety of ways.
Boxscores are incredibly realistic (view the current
World Series Highlights as an example). Every stat is tracked.
It's an immersive world and we hope you join!
We're constantly improving the game based on user feedback, so if you find an area you wish was different, our ears are always open. Just click the Customer Support link at the bottom of every page.
We hope this info helped. If you want more, you can always turn to the page-specific help, the
rules,
the knowledge base, the
forums, or our
dev chats. Additional questions? Try visiting the
FAQ.
Good luck with your franchise!