Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

Quick answers about ActionSims. For step-by-step walkthroughs, see the full baseball documentation.

01. General

Does it cost anything to use ActionSims?: No. Every game mode is free to play, and you don't need an account to play a game.
What sports can I play?: Baseball is live now. Basketball, football, hockey, and soccer are planned for the future.
Do I need to download or install anything?: No. ActionSims runs entirely in your web browser.
Can I play on my phone or tablet?: Yes. The site works on mobile browsers as well as desktop, though phone support is best effort. iPhone in landscape orientation in particular isn't very playable right now.
Can I share a game's result with someone who doesn't have an account?: Yes. Any finished game you're viewing has a Publish button. Turn it on and you get a public link that shows just that one game's box score, and lets whoever you send it to generate its newspaper article. Nothing else about your account is visible through that link. See the baseball documentation's Box Score & Game Log section for details.
How does the sim decide what happens in an at-bat?: Every plate appearance is one weighted draw against a probability table built from three real stat lines: the batter's season, the pitcher's season, and the whole league's season. Those are combined using a weighted formula. A player with a thin season is blended toward the league average in proportion to how much of a full sample he actually has. Handedness, ballpark, fielder range, pitcher fatigue, and times through the order each adjust the table before the draw.
Why do some old seasons never produce a hit batsman?: Because the source records don't have the stat. Hit by pitch wasn't tracked for batters until 1884, so seasons before that have a league rate of zero and the sim leaves it at zero rather than inventing a number. The same rule applies to any stat a given season's records don't carry.
What are newspaper recaps?: After a game, you can generate a newspaper-style article recapping it: a headline, lede, and story that reads in a voice matching the era you played, plus what the result means for the standings and any streaks. You can attach up to 3 of your own photos to the article before it generates.
Can I attach images to a forum post?: Yes. When you start a thread or write a comment, you can attach several images at once. You can add or remove images later from the Edit screen.
What is forum karma?: Clicking any username in the forum takes you to that person's profile, showing their karma (2 points per thread started, 1 point per comment, and 1 point for each upvote their posts have received) along with links to a paginated list of every thread and comment they've posted.

02. Game Modes

What's the difference between Manager/GM Mode and Game Manager?: In Manager/GM Mode you set the lineups and strategy up front, then let the computer play the game hands-off. In Game Manager mode you make each decision live as the game unfolds. See the setup guide for details.
What is a Single Game?: A one-off matchup between two teams. Pick a single game to get started right away.
Can I pick which ballpark a single game is played in?: Yes. When you set up a single game, it defaults to the home team's real ballpark, but you can change it to any park in the database.
What is World Series mode?: Replay a historical World Series matchup or build your own custom series between any two teams.
What is an All-Star Game?: A one-game showcase where you build and manage a roster of standout players.
Can I play a full season?: Yes, Season mode lets you manage a team through a full schedule, including the roster, rotation, and standings.
How many games are in a season?: Whatever the real team actually played that year. Most modern seasons come out to 162 games, but earlier eras and strike-shortened years will be shorter.
Can I build my own custom season?: Yes, if you have an account. The custom season builder lets you pick any teams from any years, even mixing different eras and franchises together, and set your own games-per-team schedule length and playoff format.
What season styles are available?: A standard season replays a real team's actual schedule and playoff format. A custom season lets you set your own schedule length and playoff format with the teams you pick. You can also skip the regular season entirely with a tournament style that goes straight to a bracket, or run a hybrid style with a regular season followed by knockout rounds instead of a traditional playoff series.
Does the schedule show where each game was actually played?: For most teams every home game is at the same park all season, so the schedule doesn't bother repeating it. If a team really did split its home games across more than one site that year (a mid-season relocation, a handful of games at a neutral site), the schedule calls out the games played away from its main park.
Can I play every game in the season myself?: Yes. Every game on the schedule can be played by hand from Advance Day. See the season guide.
Are any season games simmed automatically?: Only if you want them to be. Advance Day lets you Auto-Sim any single game, sim your opponents' games while you play your own, or sim an entire day at once.
Can I see ballpark photos and dimensions for each team?: Yes. Every season has a Ballpark page in its nav showing photos, dimensions, and facts for each home park the team used that year. If the default photo doesn't fit the era you're playing, or a mid-season move sent the team somewhere with no photo on file, you can upload your own. It only shows in that season, for you.

03. Playing & Strategy

How do I make my own decisions during an at-bat?: Play a game in Game Manager mode and you'll get controls for baserunning, bunts, defensive positioning, and more at each at-bat. See the at-bat guide.
How do I make substitutions or pitching changes?: Manager controls for pinch hitting, pinch running, fielder changes, and pitching changes are available during the game. See the manager controls guide.
Where can I see the box score and game log?: Both are available live during and after the game. See the box score & game log guide.
Where can I find strategy tips?: The strategy notes cover things like pitcher fatigue, infield positioning, and small ball tactics.

04. Accounts & Support

Do I need an account to play?: No, an account is entirely optional. Every game is playable for free without signing up.
What does creating an account get me?: Registered users can save and resume single games and World Series matchups, and access their saved games from an account dashboard. Create a free account.
Can I update my email or profile after I've signed up?: Yes. The profile update page lets you change your email address and newsletter preferences. Changing your email sends a confirmation link to the new address first, and the change only takes effect once you click it.
How do I stop getting the newsletter?: Every newsletter email has an unsubscribe link in the footer, no login needed. You can also turn it off from the profile update page. Either way, you'll still get account emails like sign-in and security notices.
I forgot my password. How do I get back in?: On the login page, click "Forgot your password?" and enter the email address on your account. We'll send a link to set a new one.
How do I report a bug?: Use the Report a Bug button below the play-by-play panel during a game. The current game state is attached automatically. If you land on an error page elsewhere on the site, it has its own short report form too.
How do I get in touch with other questions?: Reach out through the contact page.