NHL EHM Beta Demo available

[Marc Vaughan]

That still doesn't answer the question, I don't think.

Someone above said that players in different leagues are rated on different scales.

How do we know when which scales are applicable?
Players attributes are on the same scale regardless of the league they are active within.

However obviously their in-game match stats (and ratings) will generally be higher for their ability if they're playing in a poor quality league which might make them look more impressive than they really are.

Finally bear in mind that there are a fair few hidden ratings in the game which simulate (mainly) personality characteristics and suchlike, you might find for instance that you purchase a player who on paper looks brilliant but just doesn't cut it in a high pressure league like the NHL because he can't cope with the limelight or possibly a player who can't speak the native language of a league and is slow to pick this sort of thing up might never settle in a new country etc. ....

Hope this helps,

Marc

[Marc Vaughan]

I assume it's much the same as in CM, where a 20 in crossing for a div.3 player isn't the same as the 20 in crossing for David Beckham. Most players in a lower league simply hasn't what it takes to play at the top, but if a player consistently develops and outperforms his competition, then he might be that diamond in the rough that has untapped potential. The scouts' opinions play a key role in finding them.

This is for a similar reason why you'll find similar things in NHL EHM occassionally (drifting back to soccer for a moment) - there are players irl in the English Div 3. who can cross as well as Beckham in practice, but who can't do it during a match because they don't think quickly enough or they can't handle the pressure of the match, they aren't clever enough to find enough space to recieve the ball without being under pressure from the opposition etc., a similar thing will happen in NHL EHM as I've mentioned above due to a players hidden stats.

As irl you'll never quite know for certain if a player is going to make it at the highest level until he proves it ...

[DeToxRox]

Ha, sorry to nitpick, I know it's two different cultures in a sense, and also others have talked about it as it is, but can we change the terms? Transfer --> trade, Purchase --> sign, etc.

Sorry, but something kinda bothering me, but still won't deter me from getting the game.

[Marc Vaughan]

Ha, sorry to nitpick, I know it's two different cultures in a sense, and also others have talked about it as it is, but can we change the terms? Transfer --> trade, Purchase --> sign, etc.

Sorry, but something kinda bothering me, but still won't deter me from getting the game.

Don't panic - we're looking into the possibility of an American language option within the game to ensure that these differences aren't a problem for people.

[scooter]

You gentleman that keep bringing up the language differences need to remember that this game isn't only going to come out in North America. There will be a number of other playable leagues that people from around the world are looking forward to managing in. Most of these people refer to trainers as physios and trades as transfers.

Your demands of this game having "North American" language seem short-sighted to me. I think we need to always keep in mind that while this game is going to be in North American stores, a big portion of the sales will come from outside of North America.

[Honolulu_Blue]

You gentleman that keep bringing up the language differences need to remember that this game isn't only going to come out in North America. There will be a number of other playable leagues that people from around the world are looking forward to managing in. Most of these people refer to trainers as physios and trades as transfers.

Your demands of this game having "North American" language seem short-sighted to me. I think we need to always keep in mind that while this game is going to be in North American stores, a big portion of the sales will come from outside of North America.

I agree that the game is geared for a worldwide audiance and people all across the globe will be purchasing it (perhaps more outside of NA than within). That said, the game is called NHL EHM, the NHL standing for National Hockey League. Yes, you can simulate other leagues, but I think the language of the game should match the language of the NHL (and all other NA leagues for that matter). Just seems a more accurate representation of the sport. I am not sure what words are used for these concepts in leagues outside of those in North America. It's very possible that they translate into something closer to "trade" than "transfer."

[jetpunk2000]

Still can't post over at SI. Does anyone know if it is possible to offer an older player a contract to coach?

[Marc Vaughan]

Still can't post over at SI. Does anyone know if it is possible to offer an older player a contract to coach?
If you're having trouble registering then feel free to PM me with details of what the problem is ...

[RPI-Fan]

Marc: Thanks much.

So let me try and make sure I understand... you're saying that in CM, no matter what league/division someone is in, if a guy has a 20 in "Crossing", he can physically strike the ball as well as Beckham on crosses. However, odds are his first touch and things aren't as good, and thus he won't be able to deliver the kick.

Likewise, in EHM, if someone in the Swedish 3rd Division has a 20 in "Shooting", he can physically strike the puck as well as anyone in the NHL? It's just the other things that make him not as good?

[BreizhManu]

Still can't post over at SI. Does anyone know if it is possible to offer an older player a contract to coach?

It is (seen it with Claude Lemieux who is UFA)

[Marc Vaughan]

Marc: Thanks much.

So let me try and make sure I understand... you're saying that in CM, no matter what league/division someone is in, if a guy has a 20 in "Crossing", he can physically strike the ball as well as Beckham on crosses. However, odds are his first touch and things aren't as good, and thus he won't be able to deliver the kick.

Likewise, in EHM, if someone in the Swedish 3rd Division has a 20 in "Shooting", he can physically strike the puck as well as anyone in the NHL? It's just the other things that make him not as good?

Yeah thats the gist of it, for instance irl I'm pretty good in the air for heading (hey I'm 6'6'' it helps :D) .... but I'm lousy in matches up-front because I don't make intelligent enough runs into position so I'm usually marked out of things.

In Hockey similar things will aply, if someone has 20 for 'shooting' then he might take too long to take line up the puck properly for a shot - meaning he's always blocked out ... or worse still he might simply be one of those players who can do it on the practice field but falls apart as soon as he's playing in front of a large crowd.

The differences are either down to complimentary skills which are required to get the best out of an ability or mental characteristics which affect a portion of a players game.

[Simms]

Mogilny just injured in my pre-season game agains Philly...out for 8 *months*. :(

Anyway...

One thing that I'd been wondering about, and maybe Marc and/or Riz can comment on this: In CM, drastically altering a team's tactics didn't always have an optimum effect right away (as it should be, IMO). Because of the positional requirements on such a large playing field, and the study that goes into perfecting a certain system, I noticed (the hard way :) ) that switching from, say, a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-1-1 at half-time didn't usually result in sudden improvement. It almost seemed, on some occasions, that the team would play worse after such a change (due to confusion over positions/instructions/etc., or so I imagined). Instead, it would take two or three games before a team would really respond well to a change in tactical strategy.

In hockey, obviously, things are a bit different. Teams will routinely switch from an attacking, hard-forechecking style of play to a sit-back, defensive/smothering style in the third period in order to protect a lead (or vice versa, if trailing). While teams might be better overall at one style of play over another, any team *should* be able to switch from one to another (or make minor adjustments within) mid-stream with a reasonable amount of success.

Now, I'm not saying I've noticed anything to the contrary, but at the same time, it would ease my mind considerably to be reassured that these kinds of changes to the game engine were, in fact, addressed. :)

[Marc Vaughan]

Just in case anyone is interested Riz has redesigned the trade screens a little in the view of some of the feedback we've recieved from the beta - prototype shot:

www.freewebs.com/riz_remes/trade1.jpg

Simms - Don't worry this the differences between soccer and hockey with regards to this are taken into account.

[Chubby]

Marc - clicking that link sends you to this thread :D

[Marc Vaughan]

No idea why - just copy and paste it into your browser ....

[druez]

No idea why - just copy and paste it into your browser ....


Any chance of a download option for the sale of Hockey and the new Football Manager?

[Maple Leafs]

More questions... I've never played CM, so I'm still feeling my way though this.

I'm seeing a lot of posts along the lines of "Well, if you want to know that you just have to scout the guy and/or ask the coach". But whenever I do that, all I get is one line of analysis... "He'd be an excellent signing", or "He is a dynamic player". Is there anyway to get more in-depth feedback?

Also, if I get a trade offer that looks OK but I want to scout the players first and I choose the "Delay" option... what happens? I never seem to hear from the team again, and I can't seem to "find" the trade anywhere afterwards.

[Ryan S]

Is there anyway to get more in-depth feedback.
Go to the screen of the player you have scouted, and look at the photo (ior the picture of a skater). At the top left you should see an arrow. Click on that, and select scouting report from the menu. That should give you some more information.

[Maple Leafs]

Go to the screen of the player you have scouted, and look at the photo (ior the picture of a skater). At the top left you should see an arrow. Click on that, and select scouting report from the menu. That should give you some more information.Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you sir!

[chrisj]

A picky thing...

Looking at the scourting service rankings that come out in October... looking at the one for the QMJHL, but players are listed from Alberta and Saskatchewan when they should only come from Quebec/Nova Scotia/New Brunswick/PEI/Newfoundland! And for the OHL, they come from PEI and New Brunswick when they should only be from Ontario.

[Johnny93g]

A picky thing...

Looking at the scourting service rankings that come out in October... looking at the one for the QMJHL, but players are listed from Alberta and Saskatchewan when they should only come from Quebec/Nova Scotia/New Brunswick/PEI/Newfoundland! And for the OHL, they come from PEI and New Brunswick when they should only be from Ontario.

Not picky...i dont think...accuracy is important....

Another thing....I really wanted to make a trade....really really bad....and kept getting turned down....so i offered Buffalo a Deal they cant refuse....3 1st round picks....2 2nds for Adam Mair and 1 1st rounder.....REJECTED....

also....the 2003-04 World junior didnt have a host......thought canada finished 2nd...grrr....like normal

[Johnny93g]

another quick question....I love the pictures of the NHL players....I think thats great...will the final version have coaches Pictures?

[RPI-Fan]

another quick question....I love the pictures of the NHL players....I think thats great...will the final version have coaches Pictures?

Not that it should matter, since you won't be buying it anyways, right?;)

[Hurst2112]

What the heck is the deal with guys coming back on my roster after I send them down to a minor league team? Do I somehow have my assistants making roster decisions for me without me knowing it?

Also, How can I have 44 people on my pro roster but am still able to move on throughout the season. The free EHM version used to make you only have 22 players on your pro roster.

Will the minor league season start in the beta or not? No games scheduled for the season.

This demo just makes me want the real thing even more.

[Johnny93g]

Not that it should matter, since you won't be buying it anyways, right?;)

Man.....you took that quote out of context....hehe....I want to buy it....I dont know if I will right now....Im enjoying the original more

[Marc Vaughan]

Any chance of a download option for the sale of Hockey and the new Football Manager?

Wait and see ..... (and keep your fingers crossed) ....

[Maple Leafs]

What the heck is the deal with guys coming back on my roster after I send them down to a minor league team? Do I somehow have my assistants making roster decisions for me without me knowing it?

Also, How can I have 44 people on my pro roster but am still able to move on throughout the season. The free EHM version used to make you only have 22 players on your pro roster.
Sounds like you're running into the same bug a few of us have. It seems like in the beta demo, if you have your coach running your games he will make roster and lineup moves even if you've set him not to. Some of the moves will be really bizarre, including calling up half your farm system.

At someone else's suggestion I've started viewing all my team's games. It slows down the simming a bit, but it's eliminated all the wacky roster issues. I'm guessing this will be fixed for the final release anyways.

[Joe Canadian]

Don't panic - we're looking into the possibility of an American language option within the game to ensure that these differences aren't a problem for people.

Please don't call it American... I'm not American and I don't speak American, yet I still use the terms trade, sign, and game.

[Joe Canadian]

You gentleman that keep bringing up the language differences need to remember that this game isn't only going to come out in North America. There will be a number of other playable leagues that people from around the world are looking forward to managing in. Most of these people refer to trainers as physios and trades as transfers.

Your demands of this game having "North American" language seem short-sighted to me. I think we need to always keep in mind that while this game is going to be in North American stores, a big portion of the sales will come from outside of North America.

I understand that... but the proper usage of terms for the NHL are tade, sign, and game. It's unrealistic when you get news reports about NHL teams denying "transfers" of certain players... such reports just would happen. I know it's minor, but we are all looking for realism here... and this is something that effects it.

[Chief Rum]

Please don't call it American... I'm not American and I don't speak American, yet I still use the terms trade, sign, and game.

I'm pretty sure all of those originated with baseball (an American sport), or were borrowed terms from previous use (by baseball). Canadians just borrowed them for hockey (naturally, as they spoke a version of English close to what the U.S. did, outside of the quebecois, of course). Quit being so nationalistic--no one's calling out Canada or nothing.

CR

[Kevin]

Joe:

I'll gladly put up with transfers and fixtures if only for the return of the proper spellings of labour and humour. Heck, I'd even put up with more Americanese for a good hockey game.

:D

[Maple Leafs]

If you're having trouble registering then feel free to PM me with details of what the problem is ...I've tried twice, and both times the confirmation e-mail is screened out by our virus-scanners. Is it trying to send an attachment of some sort?

For whatever it's worth, lurking at the SI Forums is reassuring me that the things that are bugging me about the demo are being fixed or at least reconsidered. Good work, guys.

[jetpunk2000]

I've tried twice, and both times the confirmation e-mail is screened out by our virus-scanners. Is it trying to send an attachment of some sort?

For whatever it's worth, lurking at the SI Forums is reassuring me that the things that are bugging me about the demo are being fixed or at least reconsidered. Good work, guys.


I actually got the confirmation, clicked on the activation link, but am still getting the following message when trying to post or search:

Please note that your membership is not yet active for the following reason(s):
-- Awaiting Approval: we have not yet approved your membership.

Until the conditions above are satisfied, you will only have access to our community as a guest.



Chris

I believe I registered on Friday.

[Joe Canadian]

I'm pretty sure all of those originated with baseball (an American sport), or were borrowed terms from previous use (by baseball). Canadians just borrowed them for hockey (naturally, as they spoke a version of English close to what the U.S. did, outside of the quebecois, of course). Quit being so nationalistic--no one's calling out Canada or nothing.

CR

Not being nationalistic... I just don't think it should be called American. Why not call it North American?

[McSweeny]

Not being nationalistic... I just don't think it should be called American. Why not call it North American?

why not call it a trout and stick in your rectum?

[Joe Canadian]

why not call it a trout and stick in your rectum?

You're cool!!

[druez]

You're cool!!

Ok Napeleon!

Canada number one at being the number one country directly north of the United States!

Dumb statements like the one you made above Joe are why I feel its so important to pick on Canada any chance I get.

[sovereignstar]

Ok Napeleon!

Canada number one at being the number one country directly north of the United States!

Dumb statements like the one you made above Joe are why I feel its so important to pick on Canada any chance I get.
Enter Tex.

[Ryan S]

Canada number one at being the number one country directly north of the United States!

Dumb statements like the one you made above Joe are why I feel its so important to pick on Canada any chance I get.
Cool it.

If this turns into one long flame war, those posts will be deleted, and worse may follow.

[McSweeny]

sorry about that, i was just being a wiseass... no harm intended

[Hurst2112]

Getting back to the origional subject of the thread:

I was interested in seeing per goal and assist incentives for renegotiating contracts. Is this something that is normal for minor league and European teams? Also, I see that there is a loan option for players. Obviously both of these features work well with a football game but is there going to be a way to have these not affect leagues like the NHL?

[Johnny93g]

Whats with picking on Joe....all he said was it should say North American, not American....he said nothing to warrant any kind of flame whatsoever.....Its not like he said call it Canadian or something.....Druez, your the one who is on the attack...relax...all he did is make a suggestion

[Joe Canadian]

sorry about that, i was just being a wiseass... no harm intended

Yeah I'm sorry about the snappy reply I made...

[bbor]

Getting back to the origional subject of the thread:

I was interested in seeing per goal and assist incentives for renegotiating contracts. Is this something that is normal for minor league and European teams? Also, I see that there is a loan option for players. Obviously both of these features work well with a football game but is there going to be a way to have these not affect leagues like the NHL?

Lots of NHL contracts have Goal and assist incentives...as well as award incentives and team incentives.

As for loans....the only loans in North America that i know go on are in the minor leagues and usually it is the low minors(ECHL,UHL..etc..)...not the AHL.

[klayman]

Lots of NHL contracts have Goal and assist incentives...
I think Hurst was commenting more on the per Goal/assist basis of the contracts. While it is common for a player in the NHL to receive a bonus for a set amount of goals like 20 or 30 etc, I think (although I can't say for sure) it is pretty rare for player to sign a $1000/10000/etc per goal type of bonus. I think the NHLPA would not approve of such a contract unless the player was making a significant base salary, but would certainly be interested if somebody knows for sure.

As for the loans, the CM3 engine can restrict loans in leagues and during certain circumstances for football, so I see no reason why the game couldn't restrict loans in the NHL and other leagues from happening.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I finally managed to fire it up yesterday. It looks good, so far. Not surprisingly it really feels like an odd mixture of CM and EHM. There are traits of both and it sort of confuses me at times, but I'll get a handle on it.

I decided to give the Wings a try, mainly just to get a feel for the team and checkout any database issues. There were a quite few database issues for the Wings (I checked the SI boards and they seem to have been mentioned and taken care of), the oddest being Kevin Miller (of the Kip, Kelly, and Kevin Miller bros) being listed as a young, hulking 6'4" defenseman and Jiri Hulder (the Wings top offensive prospect) being listed as a goalie. It sounds like those issues are behind us. Though with glaring database errors like that, you can't help but wonder what is wrong with the "hidden" ratings or other things you can't see that might effect game play. I have confidence though that, in the end, it will turn out all right. Also, I understand that the guy in charge of the database for the Central Division flaked out or something.

I only got through two exhibition games and, man, do the Wings suck! I was using the top line-up and lost 2-0 to the Rangers (getting outshot 38-16) and then beat the Caps 6-4. Perhaps it's the coaching or perhaps it's the database errors. I dunno.

[Karim]

I've been spoiled by previously playing CM 03/04. With a 2D perspective and an updated interface, EHM:FE seems sluggish by comparison.

[Tekneek]

NHL teams do loan players out. Not to NHL teams, but minor league teams that are not their own affiliates. For instance, when Daigle was sent down by the Lightning years back, he was loaned out to the Providence Bruins.

[Hurst2112]

I only got through two exhibition games and, man, do the Wings suck!

I made it through the whole season with the Wings. I started out really crappy. I was in 12th place by the end of my 17th game. Things started to even themselves out though. In spite of Yzerman and Hatcher having injuries that kept them out for around 3 months each (pretty realistic), the Wings fought back into 3rd overall with about 1 month to go. We bounced back and forth between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place...battling with the Kings and Avs. At the end of the season, the Wings finished 2nd in the West (about 15 pts ahead of it's closest central division opponent. Again, very realistic).

First round: Beat the Sharks in 6 games.

Second round: Was down 3-1 to Calgary. Came back to win in 7.

West Championship: Lost to the Avs in 5 games.

Devils beat Avs in finals 4-2.

I didnt make any transactions the whole year. Hull had 45 goals. I thought there were too many high scoring games...10 goals once, 6 several times, a couple 7s.

[gtmarc]

Ok, I haven't read all six pages of this thread, so if this has been discussed already, please just point back to it.

I'd pulled out the old EHM over the winter, and I was reminded of the one thing I didn't like about that game. In almost all sports sims, I like to watch and coach each game. And in EHM, the one part of this that was a little off was the bits where you chose what line to put on the ice, and the way line matchups worked. It probably worked ok for simming a week or months worth of games, but inside an individual game, it was harder to change up lines and very hard to get matchups like you wanted as the home coach.

How is this in the beta demo?

[Karim]

That's a good question, gtmarc. I didn't try line matching but I know there's an option for it.

I really hope it's checking line versus line #1 or defence pairing against line #1 and not line #1 vs. line #1, line #2 vs. line #2, etc....

[BigDPW]

One thing that bugs me is that the defensive pairings and forward lines seem to be linked... Meaning when your 1st line is our so are your top defensive pair...

You can choose to have the checking line against the opposing top line though...

[Maple Leafs]

One thing that bugs me is that the defensive pairings and forward lines seem to be linked... Meaning when your 1st line is our so are your top defensive pair... Are they linked in-game, or only on the Tactics screen? I assumed that was only a move to save screen real estate. If not, that's an issue.

[MizzouRah]

I finally managed to fire it up yesterday. It looks good, so far. Not surprisingly it really feels like an odd mixture of CM and EHM. There are traits of both and it sort of confuses me at times, but I'll get a handle on it.

I decided to give the Wings a try, mainly just to get a feel for the team and checkout any database issues. There were a quite few database issues for the Wings (I checked the SI boards and they seem to have been mentioned and taken care of), the oddest being Kevin Miller (of the Kip, Kelly, and Kevin Miller bros) being listed as a young, hulking 6'4" defenseman and Jiri Hulder (the Wings top offensive prospect) being listed as a goalie. It sounds like those issues are behind us. Though with glaring database errors like that, you can't help but wonder what is wrong with the "hidden" ratings or other things you can't see that might effect game play. I have confidence though that, in the end, it will turn out all right. Also, I understand that the guy in charge of the database for the Central Division flaked out or something.

I only got through two exhibition games and, man, do the Wings suck! I was using the top line-up and lost 2-0 to the Rangers (getting outshot 38-16) and then beat the Caps 6-4. Perhaps it's the coaching or perhaps it's the database errors. I dunno.
Excellent HB!


Thanks,

Todd

[BigDPW]

I am not really sure but they seemed linked on the tactics screen... How come we don't know who is on the ice with the demo anyway... I think I remember hearing this was fixed already...

[Maple Leafs]

Playing as, surpisingly enough, the Leafs... I've been shopping Alexi Ponikarosvky all year. Nobody wants him. I tried to package him in a deal for various players I like... Mike Fisher, Jon Cheechoo, and others. Everything was rejected. The trade AI seems very conservative. I end up leaving Ponikarovsky as "available" all season long with no takers.

Finally, today I get an offer. Oh happy day! Someone's willing to make a deal! I'll take anyone at all at this point! Just tell me what the offer is.

It's from the Blues.

They're offering Mike Danton.

(sigh)

[TroyF]

When Danton's agent is negotiating his contract as though it were a life and death situation, keep in mind that it might be just that. Throw in a few extra bucks for the guy, maybe he'll help you out on another client later on.

[Hurst2112]

1st Joe Thornton Bruins 82 52
2nd Todd Bertuzzi Canucks 80 49
3rd Erik Cole Hurricanes 82 46
4th Brett Hull Red Wings 77 45
5th Marian Hossa Senators 82 45
6th Ilya Kovalchuk Thrashers 81 40
7th Pavol Demitra Blues 66 40
8th Jarome Iginla Flames 82 39
9th Jamie Langenbrunner Devils 82 39
10th Glen Murray Bruins 82 37
11th Jere Lehtinen Stars 82 37
12th Alexander Mogilny Maple Leafs 78 37
13th Jaromir Jagr Rangers 79 36
14th Markus Näslund Canucks 82 35
15th Mike Knuble Bruins 82 34
16th Alexei Kovalev Canadiens 82 34
17th Rico Fata Penguins 82 33
18th Mark Recchi Flyers 79 33
19th Bates Battaglia Capitals 82 33
20th Patrik Elias Devils 82 32
21st Eric Lindros Rangers 66 32
22nd Alex Tanguay Avalanche 81 32
23rd Mike Modano Stars 82 32
24th Fredrik Modin Lightning 82 32
25th Anson Carter Kings 82 31
26th Scott Walker Predators 77 31
27th Olli Jokinen Panthers 82 31
28th Peter Bondra Senators 79 31
29th Jean-Pierre Dumont Sabres 82 30
30th Brenden Morrow Stars 82 30

Eastern Conference

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Pl Devils 82 30 3 8 154 82 22 5 13 144 125 113
2nd Pl Bruins 82 32 1 8 173 94 16 10 13 130 133 109
3rd Pl Hurricanes 82 22 7 12 144 97 16 6 19 107 122 89
4th Pl Rangers 82 25 5 10 134 89 16 6 16 98 110 97
5th Pl Senators 82 28 6 7 152 80 13 6 20 85 115 96
6th Pl Flyers 82 29 4 8 157 103 9 5 27 82 122 85
7th Pl Maple Leafs 82 21 6 12 130 99 14 4 21 95 119 84
8th Pl Panthers 82 25 1 14 113 91 10 9 20 88 122 83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9th Thrashers 82 25 5 9 136 104 10 3 26 90 150 82
10th Penguins 82 20 6 12 124 100 12 6 22 101 140 80
11th Islanders 82 21 8 10 125 99 9 8 23 94 135 79
12th Lightning 82 21 4 16 121 105 13 5 23 93 139 77
13th Canadiens 82 19 7 14 112 108 11 5 25 94 142 73
14th Sabres 82 22 4 15 126 106 11 1 28 89 144 72
15th Capitals 82 17 7 14 107 99 11 3 25 93 141 71


Western Conference

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Pl Avalanche 82 24 7 9 147 96 23 5 11 127 109 109
2nd Pl Red Wings 82 21 5 15 121 104 21 4 15 122 124 94
3rd Pl Kings 82 27 5 9 135 83 13 6 19 96 124 94
4th Pl Flames 82 26 2 12 138 87 18 3 20 99 113 94
5th Pl Canucks 82 29 3 9 163 95 10 7 21 100 127 91
6th Pl Stars 82 23 3 13 131 90 13 7 20 117 133 85
7th Pl Sharks 82 23 3 15 111 96 14 4 20 90 125 84
8th Pl Mighty Ducks 82 25 4 10 138 98 11 4 24 80 122 84
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9th Predators 82 19 9 13 133 109 16 3 22 110 139 82
10th Wild 82 20 10 10 110 72 10 6 23 70 130 79
11th Blues 82 22 5 14 131 99 11 4 24 91 136 77
12th Bluejackets 82 20 8 12 125 102 10 4 27 85 144 73
13th Oilers 82 20 8 12 116 102 8 7 25 77 124 73
14th Coyotes 82 20 5 15 121 104 9 4 28 85 148 68
15th Blackhawks 82 18 1 21 104 112 4 2 34 73 175 49

Pretty good stats. If anybody else wants to see other things, let me know.

[bbor]

19th Bates Battaglia Capitals 82 33

This looks wrong...but admitedly i don't know much about Bates.

[Hurst2112]

Well, it is a little high, but in their cup year, he did have something like 21 goals and 25 assists. Also, I think the rosters reflect the 'post talent dump' of the Caps. So, a guy like Bates would be a key player on a lower grade roster.

[klayman]

Come on. The Rangers making the playoffs? I hope they fix that in the gold master. :)

[Karim]

How come W/L/T don't add up to 82 for some of the teams? Are OTL off the screen?

[Tekneek]

When Danton's agent is negotiating his contract as though it were a life and death situation, keep in mind that it might be just that. Throw in a few extra bucks for the guy, maybe he'll help you out on another client later on.

If he survives. With the few extra dollars, Danton might not have to ask a 19 year old girl to find a hitman. ;)

[Maple Leafs]

Stats look pretty good for me so far. The "Drn" column on the stats screen will probably a confuse a few North Americans, but I realize all that is being looked at.

In my game (which is only up to half a season so far), I'm seeing very little trading around the league. I think there have been maybe a half dozen deals, and all have been very small.

Speaking of trades, the multi-day delays during trade talks is officially annoying me. It seems to be getting longer as the season goes on. I've actually had times where I load up my saved game, sim a few days, then suddenly get a note about some trade from a week ago that I don't even remember. I realize that the instant dealing of other sims is probably unrealistic, but shouldn't there at least be a "I need to know now" button? Not to mention that it seems to take a few days for a trade to go through after it's announced-- not realistic for an NHL sim. I've heard that the delay goes away for the trade deadline, which would be great.

On that subject, does anyone know what the "Delay" option does when finalizing a deal? I tried it once, but never heard back from the team.

Next to my goalies on the Tactics screen is a "B" button. What does it do, and why can't I click it?

Question: is there anywhere I can see my team's finances? The only mention of it I really see is the occasional info from the board about how much I can spend. Is there a payroll screen or some other area where I can see details about how I'm doing financially, or should I just assume it's OK until the board says it isn't?

[henry296]

The B I belive is for backup. You should also see a S

Todd

[Simms]

Question: is there anywhere I can see my team's finances? The only mention of it I really see is the occasional info from the board about how much I can spend. Is there a payroll screen or some other area where I can see details about how I'm doing financially, or should I just assume it's OK until the board says it isn't?
From your roster screen, click the grey "Info" button on the left. You'll see a page with general info about the league you play in, your affiliates, etc. At the top of that screen is a drop-down that says "View". Click that and select "Finances" (or "Income" or "Expenditures" if you want a more detailed balance sheet.)

[riz]

Stats look pretty good for me so far. The "Drn" column on the stats screen will probably a confuse a few North Americans, but I realize all that is being looked at.

In my game (which is only up to half a season so far), I'm seeing very little trading around the league. I think there have been maybe a half dozen deals, and all have been very small.

Speaking of trades, the multi-day delays during trade talks is officially annoying me. It seems to be getting longer as the season goes on. I've actually had times where I load up my saved game, sim a few days, then suddenly get a note about some trade from a week ago that I don't even remember. I realize that the instant dealing of other sims is probably unrealistic, but shouldn't there at least be a "I need to know now" button? Not to mention that it seems to take a few days for a trade to go through after it's announced-- not realistic for an NHL sim. I've heard that the delay goes away for the trade deadline, which would be great.

On that subject, does anyone know what the "Delay" option does when finalizing a deal? I tried it once, but never heard back from the team.

Next to my goalies on the Tactics screen is a "B" button. What does it do, and why can't I click it?

Question: is there anywhere I can see my team's finances? The only mention of it I really see is the occasional info from the board about how much I can spend. Is there a payroll screen or some other area where I can see details about how I'm doing financially, or should I just assume it's OK until the board says it isn't?

The trading response times during normal business hours (ie. away from deadlines and drafts) have been shortened nowadays and they will be instant around the crucial times as they are already in the beta.

[Maple Leafs]

The trading response times during normal business hours (ie. away from deadlines and drafts) have been shortened nowadays and they will be instant around the crucial times as they are already in the beta.Excellent news.

(By the way, does the "crucial times" include the Christmas roster freeze? I think I remember losing some deals around that time in the demo because the teams didn't get back to me until the freeze had begun.)

[Johnny93g]

some questionable all-stars

East
John Grahame....1 game...only 26 minutes played
Mike Dunham....6 wins, 15 losses, 3.14gaa
Patrik Lalime....becasue he's Patrik Lalime ;)
Marcus Ragnarsson...5 points
Colin White...11 points
ONLY 3 DEFENSEMEN were selected to the east team....

West
Johan Hedberg...he's a backup...played 11 games...won 2
Jocelyn Thibault....4 wins, 21 losses
Phillipe Boucher...11 points
John-Michael Liles...13 points
Robert Lang...20 points, in 51 games
Martin Rucinsky...21 points in 51 games
ONLY 3 DEFENSEMEN were selected to the west team

Also...will coaches be named to the team....1 head coach, and 2 assistants for each team

[Danny]

some questionable all-stars

East
John Grahame....1 game...only 26 minutes played
Mike Dunham....6 wins, 15 losses, 3.14gaa
Patrik Lalime....becasue he's Patrik Lalime ;)
Marcus Ragnarsson...5 points
Colin White...11 points
ONLY 3 DEFENSEMEN were selected to the east team....

West
Johan Hedberg...he's a backup...played 11 games...won 2
Jocelyn Thibault....4 wins, 21 losses
Phillipe Boucher...11 points
John-Michael Liles...13 points
Robert Lang...20 points, in 51 games
Martin Rucinsky...21 points in 51 games
ONLY 3 DEFENSEMEN were selected to the west team

Also...will coaches be named to the team....1 head coach, and 2 assistants for each team

Looks like more like crappy all stars then questionable. Hopefully this will be greatly improved.

[Maple Leafs]

some questionable all-starsWhere can you see the full all-star rosters?

I had Alex Mogilny get passed over despite leading the league with 35 goals, but I can't say if that's a bad pick since I don't know who went instead of him.

[Johnny93g]

I got a message in the news saying Sundin was called up to the east all-star team for a match against the west.....I just clicked on the "east all-star" part to bring up the roster....it was in the news section.....also...it should say Sundin was selected....or named to the team....or he was voted in by the fans......cuz he wasnt called up....

[Maple Leafs]

I got a message in the news saying Sundin was called up to the east all-star team for a match against the west.....I just clicked on the "east all-star" part to bring up the roster....it was in the news section.....also...it should say Sundin was selected....or named to the team....or he was voted in by the fans......cuz he wasnt called up....Until they fix it up in the gold release, I'll just be happy they didn't refer to the all-star game as a "friendly".

[scooter]

[QUOTE=Maple Leafs]Where can you see the full all-star rosters?QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure you can see the All-Star list if you go to the "Browse" menu (next to the "Game Options" menu), pick "Leagues", then "United States", and then "NHL All-Stars". I'm guessing because my screen says "The draw will be made on Saturday October 4th 2003". (Does that sound a little early in the season to anyone else?) I just play slow :D

[Hurst2112]

How come W/L/T don't add up to 82 for some of the teams? Are OTL off the screen?

I can't see the code I pasted (I'm on a mac right now and it won't let me see anything). I think that if you scroll over, there is another set of standings for each team. I believe that when I copied from the 'print to file' txt doc, I didn't copy the headings for the colums. It would appear that 1 side is home and the other is away.

I think this is what you are talking about.

[Hurst2112]

DOLA:

I like the fact that you can vote on some year end awards. I was able to vote for the Vezina.

Also, about the end of the year, has anybody else had trouble signing veterans? Both Hull and Yzerman refused to sign with me, even after I made it to the WCFinals. I didn't live up to the board's expectations per say (they wanted me to at least get to the finals). There was an option to sign both to my staff but each of them said they weren't done playing yet. Yzerman was hurt a lot during the season, but Hull would have been a good keep (45 goals) for at least another year. I would have put up with his complaining a little longer...more than most teams would.

[Karim]

I like the fact that you can vote on some year end awards. I was able to vote for the Vezina.
That's pretty cool. I know NHL General Managers get to vote on some awards.

[Karim]

Q: Can you play as strictly a GM? Alternatively, if you coach most games, do you need a Head Coach as part of your staff?

[Maple Leafs]

Q: Can you play as strictly a GM? Alternatively, if you coach most games, do you need a Head Coach as part of your staff?To the first question: apparently so, and you can even decide whether the coach can use his own strategy or has to stick to yours. But... it doesn't work right in the demo. They say the bugs will be fixed for the real relase.

The the second: I would assume you do.

[Hurst2112]

Concerning All Stars:

Is the skills challenge going to be in the final version? I noticed that it wasn't part of the All Star weekend. Also, I don't think I got an email about the All Star team selections.

[Maple Leafs]

I got a message in the news saying Sundin was called up to the east all-star team for a match against the west.....I just clicked on the "east all-star" part to bring up the roster....it was in the news section.....also...it should say Sundin was selected....or named to the team....or he was voted in by the fans......cuz he wasnt called up....OK, just checked my all-star rosters.

Bad news. I'm also seeing only three defencemen on each team. The player selection seems decent for the forwards, but the defencemen are terrible (Paul Martin, Colin White and Karel Rachunek in the East... total of six goals between them, if you're wondering). The goalies also seem to be mostly backups as well.

Not good... sounds like the all-star code needs a serious review.

[Maple Leafs]

The B I belive is for backup. You should also see a S
You are correct. Thanks.

Now the next mystery... what is the "L" button at the top of my lines screen, and why can I click it sometimes? And what does it mean when I click it and it changes color?

[Karim]

To the first question: apparently so, and you can even decide whether the coach can use his own strategy or has to stick to yours. But... it doesn't work right in the demo. They say the bugs will be fixed for the real relase.
That will be incredible if it's true and if the AI can do a reasonable job of creating lines and shifting strategy. Although I'll probably take a turn coaching here and there, I don't see myself doing the coaching for 82+ games and would prefer to be GM.

[Simms]

You are correct. Thanks.

Now the next mystery... what is the "L" button at the top of my lines screen, and why can I click it sometimes? And what does it mean when I click it and it changes color?
It "Locks" the settings for the active line. What "locking" protects against, I'm not sure (AI changes when not coaching?)

[EagleFan]

The total games don't add up in the standings. I guessed that they were home and away but take the Avalance for example.

It says that they played 82 games but the numbers are:
24 won, 7 draws and 9 losses for what I believe to be home games. 24+7+9 = 40
23 won, 5 draws and 11 losses in what I guess are away games. 23+5+11 = 39
40 home + 39 away = 79 total


My best guess is that over-time losses aren't showing. Adding up the point totals, you get 106 points witht he win/loss/ties that are listed and they are listed as having 109 points. This is 3 more points which is the differential in the games played and accounted for.

[Marc Vaughan]

EagleFan - I think you're probably right .. will try and check tonight at some point (believe it or not I'm on holiday today and tomorrow ... apologies for the delay, normal service will resume after my kids half-term ends on monday :D).

[riz]

Just to post a little update on some things discussed in this thread:

-All-star team selections have been fixed after the beta (both the quality of the selections as well as the 3 d-men issue)

-There is no skills competition in this version. I was planning on coding it but on the grand scale of things, it had to be postponed as there were more urgent areas to attend to. Will be coming in the future versions.

-Transfer/trade rumors. Fixed one of the most obvious things with this and trade rumors are now handled with better wording to suit the north american lingo :) You might still see "transfer" being mentioned when it is a player moving outside of the north american leagues or for example transfering from Europe to NHL. I know some of you'd prefer these to be referred to as "signings" and we'll work on developing a better terminology in the future to suit everyones needs :)

[Hurst2112]

-There is no skills competition in this version. I was planning on coding it but on the grand scale of things, it had to be postponed as there were more urgent areas to attend to. Will be coming in the future versions.

Thanks for the info. Not a real big loss if you are working on something else to better the game instead.

Rock on!

[Marc Vaughan]

Further to what Riz indicated - the printed league tables etc. have been redone and are working correctly now (ie. missing fields on tables now present etc.) ...

[Maple Leafs]

Not sure I've actually seen it mentioned anywhere... how long does the demo work for? Is it a one-season demo, 30-day trial, what?

[Marc Vaughan]

The demo runs for a full season in game time ... simply put - that should be enough time for you to get a decent feel for the game and decide if you want to get it or not ...

Hope this helps,

Marc

[Maple Leafs]

The demo runs for a full season in game time ... simply put - that should be enough time for you to get a decent feel for the game and decide if you want to get it or not ... Draft included?

If so, that should be plenty of time to evaluate the basics.

[Ryan S]

Draft included?
Yep, it expires just after the draft

[MizzouRah]

Damn, I need some time to mess with this demo.

Stupid work!


Todd

[Karim]

This has probably been answered already so I apologize but will this game be on the shelves in North America? I don't want to pre-order from overseas if I know I can just pick up locally.

[Marc Vaughan]

This has probably been answered already so I apologize but will this game be on the shelves in North America? I don't want to pre-order from overseas if I know I can just pick up locally.

It will be available in America at retail, details of stores used for distribution and a release date will be announced when we have them (please bear in mind it is looking likely that the American release might be a little behind the European one).

[Ragone]

So you think ordering from a euro distributer would get the game to us before a american release in retail?

[Karim]

Ragone stole my question...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not sure if this has been answered, so I'm just gonna ask (I looked, didn't see it, but could have missed it in a thread this size):

Is there an anticipated release date for a "gold" demo? If so, when?

(Best I can tell, the beta demo contains errors/problems that don't/won't exist in the final version, I think I'd rather wait & demo the real deal instead of the beta.)

Thanks in advance, and sorry in advance if I'm asking a question I should know the answer to.

Jon

[BreizhManu]

Not sure if this has been answered, so I'm just gonna ask (I looked, didn't see it, but could have missed it in a thread this size):

Is there an anticipated release date for a "gold" demo? If so, when?

(Best I can tell, the beta demo contains errors/problems that don't/won't exist in the final version, I think I'd rather wait & demo the real deal instead of the beta.)

Thanks in advance, and sorry in advance if I'm asking a question I should know the answer to.

Jon

the "real" demo is often available 2 weeks before the release of the game so maybe around the 20th of June.

[bbor]

What about a Canadian release?

[Marc Vaughan]

So you think ordering from a euro distributer would get the game to us before a american release in retail?
Fairly likely - although I can't confirm actual release dates at this time for America.

[3ric]

How about putting keyboard shortcuts in the gold master? To advance the game with the space key really helps, as do the enter key for selecting default choices.

[Ragone]

Well let us know as soon as its plausible Marc, so i can get a order into proper place :)

[Joe Canadian]

Fairly likely - although I can't confirm actual release dates at this time for America.

Not sure if anything has been mentioned about this yet, but has any pricing details been released for the North American released game?

[Marc Vaughan]

Not sure if anything has been mentioned about this yet, but has any pricing details been released for the North American released game?
I'm afraid I only deal with the development side of things and I have no idea of the expected pricing, I'd expect it to be similar to any new PC game ... its £29.99 in the UK (although you can shop around (especially online) and find it for much less than this).

[Maple Leafs]

I'm up to the trade deadline now. Some thoughts on the trade AI (I'd be interested to hear other opinions on this):

- I'm having a really tough time making any sort of major deal. This is actually a good thing -- I'm playing as the Leafs, and with their current older, highly paid roster they should have a tough time landing another big name through trade. So that's fine.

- But... I have to say I'm a little concerned as I flip through the league looking at other teams and their trade preferences. I've been checking the "Team Needs" screen and I've yet to see anything to indicate that the concept of "rebuilding" is in the game. Even the last place teams, well out of the playoff hunt, are still looking for "veteran presence" and guys who can "contribute immediately". Has anyone ever seen a team say they wanted to add youth or prospects?

- Similarly, I like the way that teams have certain players who are untouchable, but shouldn't this change based on the team's situation? In my game the Blue are out of the playoff hunt, yet still list $10M Chris Pronger and 40-year-old Al MacInnis as untouchable.

- So far, on the eve of the deadline, only two trades have been made in March league-wide. I'm hoping that a lot will happen when I click to go to the next day. The NHL trade deadline is a bigger deal than even the draft, so a hockey sim can't really claim to be complete if nothing special happens on deadline day.

[Maple Leafs]

Dola...

Just hit the button to advance past the deadline. No trades, other than the one I made, went through on deadline day. As best I can tell, there wasn't a single significant trade made in the NHL all season.

I also got messages about trade talks I had with other teams being cancelled due to the deadline, even though I didn't rememeber talking to those teams. The only conclusion is that these were trade talks from earlier in the year that teams had been "thinking about" for so long that I forgot about them.

I also had a message telling me the deadline had passed, then another a day later telling me about trade rumors involving other players.

Conclusion: You win some, you lose some. Sadly, the trade deadline in EHM is just not up to standards.

[Karim]

ML,

I took the liberty of posting your thoughts on the SI boards because I thought it was important that they are at least aware of this issue. Hopefully there's been some work on the trade AI since this demo.

[Schedule Junkie]

No one's mentioned this part of it yet, but how are the schedules? Do they look like real hockey schedules for the leagues included in the demo? Or do they have things that are unrealistic like a team playing 3 days in a row or playing the same team several times in a row or anything like that?

A proper schedule is an item often overlooked or little considered in games like this, so I'm wondering how this aspect holds up. I'm just curious if I'll have to branch out from my current baseball schedule knowledge expertise into adding hockey schedules to my repetoire...

[Maple Leafs]

No one's mentioned this part of it yet, but how are the schedules? Do they look like real hockey schedules for the leagues included in the demo? Or do they have things that are unrealistic like a team playing 3 days in a row or playing the same team several times in a row or anything like that?

A proper schedule is an item often overlooked or little considered in games like this, so I'm wondering how this aspect holds up. I'm just curious if I'll have to branch out from my current baseball schedule knowledge expertise into adding hockey schedules to my repetoire...I've only looked at the NHL, and we only have one year to go by, but so far the schedules look realistic.

[Maple Leafs]

I took the liberty of posting your thoughts on the SI boards because I thought it was important that they are at least aware of this issue. Hopefully there's been some work on the trade AI since this demo.Hopefully. To be honest, I don't think this is the sort of thing that can be done quickly in time for launch or even in a patch. I was disappointed to see that the deadline wasn't even as well done as OOTP's (where at least the teams seem to make a flurry of moves). Hoping for the deadline to be treated as an "event" (like the waiver or entry drafts) was probably overly optimistic, but then again EHM usually seems to get this stuff right.

In the end, it's one of those things that makes it feel like the game was made by hockey fans, but not NHL fans. A disappointment, although not a deal-breaker for most I suspect.

[Ryan S]

No one's mentioned this part of it yet, but how are the schedules? Do they look like real hockey schedules for the leagues included in the demo? Or do they have things that are unrealistic like a team playing 3 days in a row or playing the same team several times in a row or anything like that
It looks OK to me.

Teams will occasionally play back to back nights, but usually there are two, three or four days between games. As for consecutive games against the same team, in the one season have played, there were five occasions where we played a team for two consecutive games. In all five cases they were home and home series.

[Marc Vaughan]

ML,

I took the liberty of posting your thoughts on the SI boards because I thought it was important that they are at least aware of this issue. Hopefully there's been some work on the trade AI since this demo.

There's been work all over the place :D - please bear in mind that the beta demo is around 6-7 weeks old now (and the data is from Dec 2003 as it predates our research deadline).

Riz has been tweaking and tuning the engine a lot since the beta and has also redesigned the trade screen with the help of feedback from the beta demo.

A GM demo will be released in the next couple of weeks which will allow you to judge the final retail version accurately.

Hope this helps,

Marc

[riz]

Hopefully. To be honest, I don't think this is the sort of thing that can be done quickly in time for launch or even in a patch. I was disappointed to see that the deadline wasn't even as well done as OOTP's (where at least the teams seem to make a flurry of moves). Hoping for the deadline to be treated as an "event" (like the waiver or entry drafts) was probably overly optimistic, but then again EHM usually seems to get this stuff right.

In the end, it's one of those things that makes it feel like the game was made by hockey fans, but not NHL fans. A disappointment, although not a deal-breaker for most I suspect.

Yes, trade deadline activity was missing from the beta since it was on my to-do list just about after we submitted the beta demo code. There should be more activity at the trade deadline with the release version.

[Johnny93g]

Yes, trade deadline activity was missing from the beta since it was on my to-do list just about after we submitted the beta demo code. There should be more activity at the trade deadline with the release version.

Very happy to hear this....hopefully it will be at least as good as the original ehm.....Im still on the fence as to if im gonna buy it.....theres some things that i love about the new version, and some things i think are terrible.....Im still enjoying my game on the original, and for some reason right now, it feels more like hockey to me....

[Maple Leafs]

Yes, trade deadline activity was missing from the beta since it was on my to-do list just about after we submitted the beta demo code. There should be more activity at the trade deadline with the release version.Good to hear! What about the overall trade AI, any chance of last-place teams loosening up on the "untouchables" and going into rebuilding mode?

[Maple Leafs]

Big concern... I've seen this mentioned elsewhere, but there are way too many young FAs available. Guys like Ed Jovanoski and Dany Heatley are becoming UFAs. The only way that could happen in the real NHL is if the teams didn't even make qualifying offers. That's technically possible (see Paul Kariya) but very rare and certainly not something that happens to this extent. Is this being looked at?

Also, it would have been nice to go through the FA period in the demo, I was surprised to see it end on July 1 instead of, say July 31.

[Karim]

Yes, RFAs have very few options if they're qualified but refuse to sign - salary arbitration (if they're eligible) or holding out. It's highly unlikely Heatley or Jovanovski would not be qualified and if they did holdout and a contract couldn't be negotiated, they'd be traded. Not qualifying them means losing highly valueable assets for nothing.

Again, I'm crossing my fingers that this is a beta demo issue.

[Cards4ever]

Yes, RFAs have very few options if they're qualified but refuse to sign - salary arbitration (if they're eligible) or holding out. It's highly unlikely Heatley or Jovanovski would not be qualified and if they did holdout and a contract couldn't be negotiated, they'd be traded. Not qualifying them means losing highly valueable assets for nothing.

Again, I'm crossing my fingers that this is a beta demo issue.

Heatley would never be allowed to leave without high compensation, there should be some kind of tag for this player, maybe "Sign at all costs", similar to the "Untouchable" tag.

[Karim]

Right. I forgot about the draft pick compensation. Was Stevens/Shanahan the last time someone took a serious bid at a RFA?

[Maple Leafs]

Right. I forgot about the draft pick compensation. Was Stevens/Shanahan the last time someone took a serious bid at a RFA?That was the last one where the team didn't match. Federov and Sakic, I believe, also signed offer sheets but were matched immediately. Nobody really offers for RFAs any more because it's generally known that the team will match, and all you're accomplishing is drving up salaries.