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How Schedules Work
Scheduling a baseball season is actually a pretty complicated affair. Read on for some more information on how schedules work in OOTP.
ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_a.ldsl
ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_b.ldsl
ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_c.ldsl
OOTP will recognize that all three of these files match the league structure, and in Season 1, it will pick the matching schedule with the highest alphabetical value in the comment block - in this case, the first file, because the comment block is "a". In Season 2, it will remember that it already used "a" last season, and will use the file ending in "b". In Season 3, it will use the file ending in "c". Then, in Season 4, it will cycle back to "a" again, and the cycle repeats.
Note: If you want to make sure that your league uses ONLY these files, it's probably better to use the Saved Game naming convention, so that you don't mistakenly pick up some other schedule files that match your league!
BGY_ILN_G120_S1_D1_T3_D2_T4_D3_T3
BGY_ILN_G120_S1_D1_T5_D2_T5
The same process can be used for leagues with multiple subleagues, as long as there are no interleague games. You would just use one schedule for each subleague, and schedule them separately
How does OOTP Assign Schedules?
When you create a league, OOTP checks in the dataschedules directory within your OOTP installation for a schedule that precisely matches the six league settings defined above. If a matching schedule is found, that schedule will be used.How do Schedules Work from Season to Season?
If only one schedule matching the league configuration exists, then in subsequent seasons the same schedule will be used, but the precise team matchups will be randomized. In other words, the pattern of games will be identical, but the matchups will be different from season to season. If more than one schedule matching the league configuration exists, then OOTP will cycle through the schedules. This is described a little more in the next section.Linking / Cycling through Multiple Matching Schedules
If OOTP finds more than one matching schedule for a given league configuration, it can "link" those schedules and use them across multiple seasons, allowing the user precise control over their schedule year-to-year. When multiple valid schedules exist, OOTP chooses a schedule by reading the values contained in the "comment block" of the schedule file name in alphabetical order. For example, let's say you have created 3 schedules that all match a league you have created. The league has 162 games, interleague play, an unbalanced schedule, and 2 subleagues with 1 division and 8 teams each. You have named your three schedule files as follows:ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_a.ldsl
ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_b.ldsl
ILY_BGN_G162_SL1_D1_T8_SL2_D1_T8_c_c.ldsl
OOTP will recognize that all three of these files match the league structure, and in Season 1, it will pick the matching schedule with the highest alphabetical value in the comment block - in this case, the first file, because the comment block is "a". In Season 2, it will remember that it already used "a" last season, and will use the file ending in "b". In Season 3, it will use the file ending in "c". Then, in Season 4, it will cycle back to "a" again, and the cycle repeats.
Note: If you want to make sure that your league uses ONLY these files, it's probably better to use the Saved Game naming convention, so that you don't mistakenly pick up some other schedule files that match your league!
When are Schedules Loaded or Created?
Schedules for the first season of a saved game are created upon the creation of the league. Schedules for each new season are created on the first day of the preseason.When can Schedules be Loaded?
Day to day schedules can be edited at any time within the in-game Schedule Editor. However, loading a new schedule file can only be done during the offseason or preseason.Schedules and Spring Training/Postseason
OOTP schedules generally only have the regular season specifically defined. Even if that is the case, OOTP will automatically handle spring training and postseason scheduling. However, if you wish, you can also build spring training and a postseason schedule into your custom schedule file.OOTP Schedule Generator
If you happen to create a league for which no matching schedule file can be found, OOTP actually has a schedule generation engine that will create a schedule for you. However, the schedule generator can only generate balanced schedules, without interleague play. It is theoretically possible that you could devise a league for which OOTP is unable to provide a schedule. In this case, you would have the option of designing your own schedule, or modifying your league structure to match an existing schedule. However, in the four years since we released the scheduling engine, we have not heard any reports of this problem!Schedule Substitution
Some schedules can be used for leagues that aren't an exact match for the league description. Any time a league uses a balanced schedule, it can use any schedule that is also balanced, and has the same overall number of teams. So, for example, a league with 10 teams and a balanced schedule could use either of the following leagues:BGY_ILN_G120_S1_D1_T3_D2_T4_D3_T3
BGY_ILN_G120_S1_D1_T5_D2_T5
The same process can be used for leagues with multiple subleagues, as long as there are no interleague games. You would just use one schedule for each subleague, and schedule them separately