Alright boyz, here we go!!! The NHL EHM 2005 Discussion

[Pumpy Tudors]

I WANT IT NOW.

[Karim]

I don't buy many games either Johnny. It's expensive. Including shipping from the UK, EHM 2005 costs $69.35 CDN. When it gets here, I'll probably have to also pay $7-$10 in customs fees. That is one of the main reasons why I didn't purchase FM.

The only difference between you and me is that I really like what I'm seeing from EHM.

I'm not too pleased with the staggered release but there's not much you can do. It's very unlikely I'll be purchasing the September version unless there are major bugs in the May version that aren't address and/or the new CBA is done and implemented in the September version. It will still have to be much less that what I'm paying now.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by Karim

I don't buy many games either Johnny. It's expensive. Including shipping from the UK, EHM 2005 costs $69.35 CDN. When it gets here, I'll probably have to also pay $7-$10 in customs fees. That is one of the main reasons why I didn't purchase FM.

The only difference between you and me is that I really like what I'm seeing from EHM.

I'm not too pleased with the staggered release but there's not much you can do. It's very unlikely I'll be purchasing the September version unless there are major bugs in the May version that aren't address and/or the new CBA is done and implemented in the September version. It will still have to be much less that what I'm paying now.

There isnt a game in the world i would pay 70 bucks for.....but thats just me.....I dont own any consoles, i dont have many games for my comp....just the 2 ehm's, Fof 2004, Ootp6 which i paid the 19.99 for.....Madden 2005, and NHL 2004...Thats it......IT kind of bugs me that im not interested in this game......Im a hockey fan, well aware of the text sim genre, and blah......maybe its the lockout, as i type this, im loading up my rimouski career i had going in NHL EHM, which i got bored of after 2 seasons.....so maybe that will rekindle me...until then, im expecting a dynasty from you.....full with Leaf updates

edit: I forgot to mention i also have TDCB, and the original TPB, but they have been retired

[riz]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

There isnt a game in the world i would pay 70 bucks for.....but thats just me.....I dont own any consoles, i dont have many games for my comp....just the 2 ehm's, Fof 2004, Ootp6 which i paid the 19.99 for.....Madden 2005, and NHL 2004...Thats it......IT kind of bugs me that im not interested in this game......Im a hockey fan, well aware of the text sim genre, and blah......maybe its the lockout, as i type this, im loading up my rimouski career i had going in NHL EHM, which i got bored of after 2 seasons.....so maybe that will rekindle me...until then, im expecting a dynasty from you.....full with Leaf updates

edit: I forgot to mention i also have TDCB, and the original TPB, but they have been retired

You don't "have to" pay 70 bucks for a game. It's just a choice some people have made when they want to especially import it all the way over the Atlantic to get they european boxed copy. I'd face the same choice myself if I wanted to get something released earlier in NA, either pay extra to get it imported right now or wait it out until I can have it at my local store (or alternatively go for a digital download version). It's a sad fact for both our NA customers and ourselves that we could not get a worldwide retail release with a decent distribution over the NA at the same time as the euro-release but I simply cannot help it myself at this point

And as for the "pay twice for the same game" point being a something of an issue. There have only been some early plans that Miles has talked about and nothing has been set in stone about pricing etc. regarding future (NA) versions of the game. And even in his plans, it was never suggested that we'd ever make people pay twice for the same product or a simple roster update. Why would we ? We're not an evil empire of some sorts. All I can say is that at the end of the day once all the NA stuff has been sorted out, I'm not expecting people to be out to lynch us. Well, atleast I hope they won't

As for the digital download version, we are still finalizing the system to be used with this version, so it will most likely be available within one or two weeks of the european retail release. This is because of the feedback received last year and the need to try out different systems to find one that suits our needs and your needs in the best possible manner. But we'll get this one done as soon as we can as well.

[Coder]

I got my shipping notification from cdon.se yesterday.. packages usually only take one day to arrive.. mebbe mebbe mebbe I'll have it a day early.. mebbe mebbe I'll have to take tomorrow off.. mebbe..

[gi]

Looking forward to the downloadable version...

[FrogMan]

fwiw, I paid what came to 68$ cdn for my copy of FM2005 and I've now logged 17 days and 5 hours of playing time on my one career. Let's say about 10% of that time is idle time when the game was loaded but I was attending to something else in the house, okay, that is still about 370 hours of playing time with that game. 68/370 = 18.4 cents per hour. I think it was a great buy. Especially if I compare to the less than 20 hours I spent with ITP, which I played $20 US, or say about 25 cdn, which looked like an amazing price at the time, but came out to over a buck per hour of play...

It's all about how much you want it and what you're getting in return. If you still like last year's version and feel like skipping a year, I'd say it's okay too

FM

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Karim

I don't buy many games either Johnny. It's expensive. Including shipping from the UK, EHM 2005 costs $69.35 CDN. When it gets here, I'll probably have to also pay $7-$10 in customs fees. That is one of the main reasons why I didn't purchase FM.

Don't know why, but when my copy of FM2005 came in the mail last November, I didn't have to pay any customs fees, it simply came to the mailbox, nothing to sign. Had ordered it from gameplay.co.uk... Good luck with that, customs fees suck!

FM

[gi]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

Don't know why, but when my copy of FM2005 came in the mail last November, I didn't have to pay any customs fees, it simply came to the mailbox, nothing to sign. Had ordered it from gameplay.co.uk... Good luck with that, customs fees suck!

FM

Custom fees do suck. I had to pay a ton to get my 24 cans of Caffrey's into the US from UK exporter direct.....

[riz]

Customs can be a pain sometimes. Especially if there is a strike of some sort. Last year there was a strike in Canada and some of the gameplay orders going to specific regions in Canada got stuck in customs for longer periods due to the strike.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Any word on when the downloadable version will be available? Any chance that it'll be before the weekend? Ideally, I'd like to spend most of my weekend playing this game. Just curious.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by riz

As for the digital download version, we are still finalizing the system to be used with this version, so it will most likely be available within one or two weeks of the european retail release. This is because of the feedback received last year and the need to try out different systems to find one that suits our needs and your needs in the best possible manner. But we'll get this one done as soon as we can as well.

This was posted this morning Pumpy. I doubt there will be anything updated beyond that until it's ready.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Bee

This was posted this morning Pumpy. I doubt there will be anything updated beyond that until it's ready.

Oops. Missed that. I guess I'll be ordering a boxed copy from Europe, then. Thanks!

[Pumpy Tudors]

I just ordered from Gameplay. I gather that I'll probably have it in a little over a week. I've never ordered from them before. I used the standard delivery since I'm not home during the day to sign for a package. Now I'll just have to wait patiently.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I just ordered from Gameplay. I gather that I'll probably have it in a little over a week. I've never ordered from them before. I used the standard delivery since I'm not home during the day to sign for a package. Now I'll just have to wait patiently.

fwiw, standard shipping took 13 days to get to me in Quebec City. Ordered on Nov 2, got to me on Nov 15. Gotta say November 15 is a Monday and we don't have Saturday delivery, so it could have been as early as 11 days... Good luck with your shipping!

FM

[scooter]

I've ordered CM/FM and last year's NHL:EHM from Gameplay. I'm not sure there is much difference between regular shipping and express shipping for us on this side of the Atlantic. Most of my packages from them took about 10-14 days to arrive here in Seattle. People on the east coast seemed to get their packages a day or two earlier.

All that being said, I think I'm going to wait a couple weeks and see if GoGamer puts it up on their site. I got a response back from them from my inquiry into whether they were going to have the game this year or not. They said that if they were going to have it, they would probably have it by the first week in June. I can get it from CA in about 2-3 days and it's the same game.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Oops. I could've just waited for the downloadable version, then. Well, no matter. I'll have it eventually. I just have to figure out what I'm going to play until it gets here.

[Marc Vaughan]

By the way in case you all aren't aware SortitoutSI (http://www.sortitoutsi.net) who do skins and suchlike for Football Manager have now started supporting EHM and our other forthcoming products (ie. OOTP).

There are a host of face-packs, rink graphics and that kicking around on that site for the original version of EHM and also a fair few for the new one which people have made for the demo ..

Hope this helps,

Marc

[Coder]

My copy was on the doormat when I came home from work

Everything looks good, but I did encounter a weird bug. Crashed to desktop just before training camp, but I think it had to do with the screen where I set my "Team Needs".

I originally had it set that I was looking for a center and a defenseman. However, after a few days where I had invited players to camp, signed a few FAs etc, I was going to "continue" on to the next day. But all of a sudden I kept being thrown back to the Team Needs screen.

I then noticed that ooops, while my needs were checked, the actual positions I needed had been reset. So I ticked off the first need, then the second and boom, as I ticked off the final need I crashed to desktop...

You SI-guys recognize this?

[Karim]

Getting excited...

Minstrel's skins rock. He has one customized for every NHL team. It was head over heels better that last year's default skins.

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Coder

I then noticed that ooops, while my needs were checked, the actual positions I needed had been reset. So I ticked off the first need, then the second and boom, as I ticked off the final need I crashed to desktop...

You SI-guys recognize this?

That sounds vaguely familiar. I think there were a few rare crash bugs that'll be fixed in the first patch, that may be one of them.

[Coder]

JeffR.. are you the one who made a HNC-skin? sortitoutsi was slow, so I gave up looking for a good skin there, any idea where I might find other neat skin (including the HNC one)?

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

There isnt a game in the world i would pay 70 bucks for....

Heh...I just shelled out $85 for War in the Pacific, and there are people on the Matrix Games forum saying they'd be willing to pay up to $200 for an enhanced version of it (which would probably be the only economical price to release it at, since the user base is so small.)

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Coder

JeffR.. are you the one who made a HNC-skin? sortitoutsi was slow, so I gave up looking for a good skin there, any idea where I might find other neat skin (including the HNC one)?

Yup, that's me. I'm not sure what's up with their site, it's been unusually slow the last couple of times I've checked it. Try this link to download it without fighting your way through the menus, which should speed the process up.

The other good site for EHM stuff is http://www.eastside-uk.co.uk/, but it hasn't been updated recently - Neil's probably been too busy working on the new editor.

[st.cronin]

When will I be able to buy this game in a store in the US of A?

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

When will I be able to buy this game in a store in the US of A?

i sure hope so, last year version was non existent in the US compare to other games. it was very hard to find. i never saw it at Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit city, Walmart, Target, Fry's Etc. and those places carry a lot of computer software.

i sure hope the US release makes it into all those stores like other software does.

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

When will I be able to buy this game in a store in the US of A?

Early fall, most likely.

[Coder]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Yup, that's me. I'm not sure what's up with their site, it's been unusually slow the last couple of times I've checked it. Try this link to download it without fighting your way through the menus, which should speed the process up.

The other good site for EHM stuff is http://www.eastside-uk.co.uk/, but it hasn't been updated recently - Neil's probably been too busy working on the new editor.

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately the *.skn file seems to be missing from the zip-file.

[DaddyTorgo]

got no problem with the "pay for the 2.25 update" policy here, if as someone else (MapleLeaf?) said it incorporates the new CBA etc. etc. If it doesn't well then right it probably wouldn't be worth picking up, although I would assume if there is a new CBA that it will pretty much have to be modeled in the game at that point. Other than that, probably waiting for the digital download version because unlike FM this isn't a game where I feel that overwhelming desire to have the CD, as much as it's a game I want to play. FM sometimes I like to have the CD so I can just sit there and look at it...caress it...etc.

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Coder

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately the *.skn file seems to be missing from the zip-file.

Oops, how'd that happen? I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it yet, the color file is missing, too. Here they are http://members.shaw.ca/jeffrid/HNICcolskn.zip, and I'll get the sortitoutsi file changed, too.

[JeffR]

I posted these player development results over on the SI forum, but might as well repeat them here if anyone's curious:

This is how the 2004-05 first-rounders turned out as of 2017 (note that this is a different game than the previous list I did.)

#1 pick - superstar, multiple Hart and Ross trophies
2 - solid #1-2 defenseman, no individual awards but has played in a couple of all-star games
3 - looked average in the early part of his career and had some injury problems, then turned into an elite player after he was traded at 26 - 100+ points the last 2 years
4 - pretty good second liner, reliable scorer but not a star
5 - star, gets 50-60-70 assists per season playing with an 04 pick who's arguably the league's best player
6 - awful his first few seasons after being rushed into the league at 18, then had a 50-point breakout year at 24 and wound up as the winger for the #1 pick mentioned above, where he's been getting 80+ points
7 - struggled, still a 2nd-line player but whenever he puts up a lot of points, his +/- has been awful
8 - a bust, didn't produce in the AHL after leaving junior, still eventually made it to the NHL but has been a career 4th-liner, sits in the press box half the time
9 - 2nd/3rd line forward, although he's coming off a career year (55 points) at 30
10 - good #1 defenseman, was a first team all-star and Norris contender in 2012, but ran into injury trouble the next season and hasn't quite been the same since
11 - solid #1 goalie, not a star but in the upper half of NHL starters
12 - slow, steady progress through his early career, then won the Smythe trophy (and the cup) in 2015 and has been a star since then
13 - 3rd/4th liner most of his career, although he's had more points the last couple of seasons as his team has declined and he took on a bigger role
14 - looked like a bust, up-and-down from the AHL in his early 20's, then finally managed to establish himself as a #5-6 defenseman
15 - journeyman forward, with his 5th NHL team, never broken 20 points
16 - borderline star, but point totals are very inconsistent (ranging from 30's to 70's) from year to year and has been traded twice
17 - 4th liner on bad teams/minor leaguer, was even stuck in the ECHL for a while
18 - looked like a future superstar in his post-draft season, and his rights were traded even-up for an established NHL star, but turned into a massive bust in North America - managed 2 points in 19 AHL games in two years, spent the rest of his time in the ECHL, then went back to Europe where he's been mediocre
19 - an AHL star, has produced when he's gotten a shot at the NHL but defensive liabilities keep him from sticking there permanently
20 - 3rd/4th liner that seemed to fade early and spent his late 20's shuttling between the NHL and AHL before going back to Europe
21 - looked only so-so, developed slowly and was traded twice - then suddenly found himself on Detroit's first line and had a 50-goal year; the Wings were smart and moved him at the deadline next year while his value was still high, and he fell apart after that; back at the 15-goal, 30-point level now.
22 - solid 3rd-liner, dependable for 30+ points a year
23 - goalie, never really established himself in the NHL and wound up back in the AHL after his one season as a (bad) starter, back in Europe now
24 - good AHL player that hasn't been able to progress beyond 3rd/4th line NHL status
25 - bust, had a huge AHL rookie year but wasn't able to repeat that in the NHL, went back to Europe after 36 NHL games in 5 years
26 - complete bust, wasn't even that reliable a scorer at the ECHL level
27 - goalie, paid his dues in the AHL and eventually established himself as a mediocre starter/decent backup at the NHL level
28 - career 4th liner, has only played more than 70 games once but has somehow always avoided being sent to the minors
29 - slow-developer that came on after turning 25 and became a good 2nd liner, although he slipped badly last season
30 - outstanding offensive defenseman, the steal of the first round, reliable 50-60 point guy who's been a 2nd team all-star and Masterton winner

The second round had worse busts than the first, five guys taken in it are no longer playing. No real NHL stars from the late rounds, but a dozen plus guys with solid multiple-year NHL careers, and a goalie taken #153 that's been a 60-70 game guy for the last half-dozen seasons.

Some more numbers, starting with the better late-round picks from 2005-2010. I counted "late round" as anything after the #180 overall pick - based on the research I did last year, that's the point where the likelihood of an extended NHL career gets very rare.

#210 overall, 2005: 281 career NHL games, reliable two-way defenseman, Dallas's #4-5 guy the last two years.
222, 2005: 476 NHL games, offensive defenseman, looked like he was going to develop into a 30-40 point guy but tailed off after a 31-point year at 25
182, 2006: 293 NHL games, very defense-oriented defenseman, #6 guy for Colorado
225, 2006: 439 NHL games, good college forward that somehow slipped way down in the draft, developed into a decent 2nd-3rd line player
247, 2006: 493 NHL games, defensive defenseman, Flyers' #5-6 guy for several seasons
227, 2007: 277 NHL games, defensive defenseman with some offensive skills, #4-5 guy for Phoenix
233, 2007: 259 NHL games, big two-way defenseman and a huge hitter, slow to develop but has turned into a #2-3 guy with the Leafs
245, 2007: 472 NHL games, 4th line checker/grinderwho's on his 7th NHL team, but somehow manages to stay in the league
228, 2008: 466 NHL games, big 3rd line shutdown guy who has some playmaking skills, came over to Canada after being selected by the Leafs and wound up being WHL MVP in his final year and going straight to the NHL after that
185, 2009: 229 NHL games, forward who was up-and-down from the AHL in his first two pro seasons, then stuck and had a 20-goal, 40-point year, hasn't repeated that but still a decent 3rd liner
246, 2009: hasn't played in the NHL, possibly because he's making more money in the Swiss league than he would on a 2-way contract with Nashville, but is one of the best defensemen in Europe - all-star at the 2015 World Championships, 38 international games played for Switzerland
183, 2010: 108 NHL games, utility D/RW who'd been back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL until the Canucks made him a full-time defenseman, after which he put up 36 points in his first full NHL season
251, 2010: 60 NHL games, 25-year-old rookie surprise in 2016-17 after being signed by Montreal as a UFA - had been buried in the ECHL for three years by Detroit, who signed him after Nashville didn't offer him a contract coming out of junior
266, 2010: 169 NHL games, huge scorer in the lower Czech leagues who didn't come to North America until he was 22, then made the Ducks out of training camp...big guy who's turned into an effective 3rd-line checker in the NHL

Origins of the top 10 scorers and top 5 starting goalies (by save %) in 2016-17:

1. Drafted in 2004, starts the game in Europe
2. Drafted in 2005, starts the game in Canadian Major Junior
3. Drafted in 2003, starts the game in US college
4. Drafted in 2007, starts the game in Canadian Major Junior
5. Drafted in 2005, starts the game in Europe
6. Drafted in 2009, starts the game in Canadian midgets
7. Drafted in 2001, starts the game in NHL
8. Drafted in 2004, starts the game in Europe
9. Drafted in 2001, starts the game in NHL
10. Drafted in 2011, regenerated player

(that's a little misleading as to how well the regens turn out - 5 of the #11-20 guys were regens)

1. Drafted in 2003, starts the game in Canadian Major Junior
2. Drafted in 2000, starts the game in Europe
3. Drafted in 2007, starts the game in Canadian Junior A
4. Drafted in 1995, starts the game in NHL
5. Drafted in 1994, starts the game in NHL

Nice balance between existing NHL players and young guys/regens - most of the guys who are stars in 2004-05 are retired or declining 35-40-year-olds by 2017. The NHL isn't dominated by current superstars as long as in last year's version of the game.

And finally, the draft positions of the top 10 rookie goalies and top 5 scorers from 2016-17:

Scorers:
1. 94th overall, 2013.
2. 11th, 2014.
3. 2nd, 2015.
4. 16th, 2013.
5. 37th, 2013.
6. 3rd, 2016.
7. 13th, 2016.
8. 29th, 2009.
9. 54th, 2013.
10. 19th, 2014.

Goalies:
1. 50th, 2014.
2. 13th, 2012.
3. 109th, 2013.
4. 15th, 2010.
5. 86th, 2014.

I'm pretty happy with this - neither list is dominated by top-10 picks. Looking through the NHL rookies-of-the-year for the last 10 years, I see pretty much the same thing - high picks mixed with some 3rd/4th rounders.

[riz]

Originally Posted by JeffR

I posted these player development results over on the SI forum, but might as well repeat them here if anyone's curious:

This is how the 2004-05 first-rounders turned out as of 2017 (note that this is a different game than the previous list I did.)....

You gotta love these reports JeffR comes up with Good stuff !

Maybe there is a subtle hint for a possible new future feature hidden in all this ?

[Karim]

Originally Posted by riz

Maybe there is a subtle hint for a possible new future feature hidden in all this ?

Getting really excited now after that report...

As for a future feature, how about draft screens like:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1995e.html

[klayman]

Originally Posted by Karim

Getting really excited now after that report...

As for a future feature, how about draft screens like:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1995e.html

Sure. Bring up the Steve Kelly over Shane Doan pick. You couldn't pick another year? Why do you have to hurt me so?

[Karim]

Originally Posted by klayman

Sure. Bring up the Steve Kelly over Shane Doan pick. You couldn't pick another year? Why do you have to hurt me so?

What you meant to say was Steve Kelly over Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla and Petr Sykora.

[ice4277]

Boy the Caps sure had a shitty draft that year.

[riz]

Originally Posted by klayman

Sure. Bring up the Steve Kelly over Shane Doan pick. You couldn't pick another year? Why do you have to hurt me so?

You can already see the past drafts in the game to check lists like this (except for Team Drafted From and the NHL totals but these two are on my list for future versions as well).

[Bee]

6. Drafted in 2009, starts the game in Canadian midgets

I didn't even know little people played hockey! That's awesome that you include their league and everything...

[Karim]

The first patch is already out...

[DaddyTorgo]

how are the initial "playable" impressions. not the #'s really, but how does the game "play" ? and yes i've checked out the demo, just want to hear impressions from someone who has gone further into the game

[jbmagic]

yep

what your guys initial impression so far with the new final release and latest patch for it?

[riz]

Changes since v2.0.0

News

Fixed problem where player who won an award in a league he was assigned to, spoke out to thank the wrong GM
Fixed AHL trade deadline/roster freeze news item texts~
Fixed World Junior Championship news item error
Fixed duplicate news items about a player's availability on the trading block/in the transfer market

Screens

Added "Inf" (player status) column to training camp screen
"Wvr" status now doesn't show on the waiver wire screen, since all players have this status set
Fixed an incorrect tooltip on the player instructions popup in the tactics screen
Fixed incorrect player biography text on draft screen coach/scout/assistant reccomendations
Fixed two-line pass text error on league info screen
Fixed penalty shoot-out selections for farm teams so players not contracted to the team but playing there can be selected
Fixed +/- buttons being disabled in the "Practice Area" of the Practice screen when they shouldn't be
Players on level points should be sorted by the goals scored (comp stats)
Fixed default physio on request physio report screen
Fixed stat totals in the player biography for players who are farmed out to an affiliate/junior team

Trades/Transfers

Fixed trades where rights were traded to a player on training camp
Tuned fringe NHL player interest in preferring European Elite leagues instead of the farm leagues
Tweaked language barriers in player/non-player interests
Tweaked ECHL roster planning for AI teams with affiliations
Fixed the signing of players between teams who have a junior affiliation between them to work properly
Fixed a problem where players with Canadian nationality thought that people in the USA spoke a different language(and vice versa)
Fixed a problem at game startup with the date of first NHL contracts for players, which caused some players wrongly to be exempt from waiver draft
Tweaked qualifying offers for youngish fringe players
Fixed players staying available for farm team tactics once loaned/traded away by the parent team
Tweaked drafting to better consider current prospect pool on the basis of players for each position
Fixed minor league assignments so players with no background from major junior/ jrA hockey can be sent to minor leagues even while under 20 and with CHL rights (the case of Ryan Suter for example)
Tweaked roster management for NHL teams
Fixed NHL games counted for waivers in certain cases
Fixed player stats bug, where stats were cleared when someone went back to an affiliate team when he was loaded to another team

Match Engine

Tuned scoring and penalties over all the leagues

Competitions

Fixed incorrect League dropdown button on Danish Cup screen
Tweaked DEL game dates
Tweaked suspension lenghts
Fixed Euro Hockey Tour game dates
Fixed International breaks' dates
Tweaked the number of game misconducts given in Slovakian league
Fixed World Championship Qualification Group player stats not added to total points
Fixed DEL play offs format

Other

Printouts now don't have an underscore instead of a ™ symbol
Fixed competition record configs for non-English languages
Fixed tournament based management jobs to be assigned earlier in advance of the games
Fixed problem where players got the same second nationality as their first nationality

As for comments of the gameplay, here's something from someone in Sweden who picked up the game yesterday:

i am "lucky" enough to live in europe and picked up my copy of NHL Eastside hockey manager 2005. I think it is a great improvment on a game that gae me hours and hours of enjoyment the first time around. Tons of improvments but for me the best is the new scouting reports and team report feature.

And another comment:

Pretty impressed to now. Been playing around about 3 different games. Won the World Cup with the US in the first. Played with the Preds the last two. They're too damn tight with budgets and left me with no one to sign after I re-upped Erat and Hall. Made a mistake of not bringing in my AHL/prospect guys to training camp, but somehow was able to sign Peter Bondra. Anyway I restarted that game just played the first of my original game beating the Wild 3-1. The newspaper thingy predict me to finish second to last. After I play a season or two I might try and play with the Caps and tank the first season to get Sidney and Ovechkin on the same team. ::drools::

Early comments seem to be pretty positive and I haven't seen much complaints about the new and improved interface, so I can only assume we have gone into the right direction

[Pumpy Tudors]

Must... have... patience.

[DaddyTorgo]

must....digitally...download...soon

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Must... have... patience.

Me too.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

must....digitally...download...soon

Can't... digitally... download... yet.

[Karim]

You know... I was using the config cheat with last year's version because of the lack of AHL and ECHL licenses. Even though we won't have the NCAA players, I don't think I'll miss it too much. The players are there on NCAA teams just with different names.

The 'real' AHL and ECHL is just a huge coup, even if they weren't playable.

[riz]

Originally Posted by Karim

You know... I was using the config cheat with last year's version because of the lack of AHL and ECHL licenses. Even though we won't have the NCAA players, I don't think I'll miss it too much. The players are there on NCAA teams just with different names.

The 'real' AHL and ECHL is just a huge coup, even if they weren't playable.

AHL and ECHL are now playable, you knew that right ?

There is an 3rd party editor in the works and a couple of other fan-projects as well to make new custom rosters with real college players etc.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by riz

AHL and ECHL are now playable, you knew that right ?

There is an 3rd party editor in the works and a couple of other fan-projects as well to make new custom rosters with real college players etc.

I know they're playable. I meant to say just having the real leagues in the game is a huge step forward, even if they weren't playable.

Thanks for the info on the fan project. I'll keep my eyes open for that.

[Karim]

With Memorial Day gone, hopefully those of us on this side of the pond will be getting copies shortly.

Just a bump to see if when people start receiving...