Online franchise mode is a must

[coachmac75]

I just played a user vs user with a colleague from my madden online league and seriously this game is amazing in user vs user.

Ok i am not talking about the fantasy rubbish of ultimate team. No hockey fan can be excited by that.

Real hockey fans want immersion. Real teams, real players, Real uniforms, rookies, free agents, cap management... ok you can do offline but like madden it is a different planet when you play a solid online league with 30 users managing their team season after season.

So how can a licensed NHL game only offer fantasy garbage online experience instead of a real nhl like experience?

When do we get the online franchise in the game?

How is it possible that it is missing?

[mikey87]

Wasn't there a GM connected in one of the more recent versions of the game? That would be just what I'm looking for. Eastside Hockey Manager is great, but it's just missing the gameplay. If 21 would have this feature, I might be willing to overlook other issues and actually buy the game.

[Sportsfan28]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikey87

Wasn't there a GM connected in one of the more recent versions of the game? That would be just what I'm looking for. Eastside Hockey Manager is great, but it's just missing the gameplay. If 21 would have this feature, I might be willing to overlook other issues and actually buy the game.

Yes. I believe it was NHL 14 or something close to that. Honestly NHL 20/21 has one of the more deeper franchise in sports games despite not being able to go online with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[mikey87]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sportsfan28

Yes. I believe it was NHL 14 or something close to that. Honestly NHL 20/21 has one of the more deeper franchise in sports games despite not being able to go online with it.

It doesn't really matter how deep the offline franchise mode is. Playing against other people is just so much better and there's always some ways to exploit the ai.

[coachmac75]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikey87

It doesn't really matter how deep the offline franchise mode is. Playing against other people is just so much better and there's always some ways to exploit the ai.

That the point

Cannot understand a nhl licensed only offers fantasy garbage for multiplayer. It should be part of NHL requirements to promote nhl.

It is so hard to find enjoyable gameplay offline and you will never even get close to the enjoyment of online lg with human users managing their team.

Last time i played cpu in madden was madden 03, i have been 100% online franchise since. It is so frustrating to see such a good franchise and detailed mode wasted without online league features.

They must give us online franchise back.

[Zkibu]

I ve seen couple of comments of Franchise mode being deep. I am curious to know what makes it deep and different from another franchise modes? is it the line chemistry or what? I am not trying to gotcha or argue anyone's perception, but after spending years with the Football Manager, the mode feels like it has just the bare minimum. Online mode would obviously be the best thing to have, but also it is just weird that you can't see the box scores after exiting the match? EA is using the off zone timer, which NHL don't use anymore. Why not use that and give virtual GM's some advanced stats and what about lines matching?

[JayhawkerStL]

Quote: Originally Posted by coachmac75

I just played a user vs user with a colleague from my madden online league and seriously this game is amazing in user vs user. Ok i am not talking about the fantasy rubbish of ultimate team. No hockey fan can be excited by that. Real hockey fans want immersion. Real teams, real players, Real uniforms, rookies, free agents, cap management... ok you can do offline but like madden it is a different planet when you play a solid online league with 30 users managing their team season after season. So how can a licensed NHL game only offer fantasy garbage online experience instead of a real nhl like experience? When do we get the online franchise in the game? How is it possible that it is missing?

Maybe you should reassess what "hockey fans" are excited by.

To be fair, I agree, Online league play is something that has turned to crap this generation in all sports games, and it's something I think should be a staple in every sports games. Competition should be the heart of sports games.

But sim gamers kind of ruined that. Only sim gamers would have imagined a world of online league modes filled with CPU teams being run by braindead AI. But for them, sports games has been more about how games look than actual competition.

EA produced one of the worst online league modes I've ever played when they introduced their Connected Franchise mode. You can no longer run a short season with 5 friends each taking other teams. No, you have to play your friends and all the other braindead AI teams.

So gamers looking for actual competition, have flocked to the card mode games because sim gamers ruined online leagues. Some hockey fans actually love the idea of playing with players from different teams and forming combinations of players with different synergies.

HUT and Chel make up most of my gaming time because the franchise mode stuff is really weak. Why does anyone think bargaining agreements are a good source for game features?

[The EVHL]

Quote: Originally Posted by JayhawkerStL

Maybe you should reassess what "hockey fans" are excited by. To be fair, I agree, Online league play is something that has turned to crap this generation in all sports games, and it's something I think should be a staple in every sports games. Competition should be the heart of sports games. But sim gamers kind of ruined that. Only sim gamers would have imagined a world of online league modes filled with CPU teams being run by braindead AI. But for them, sports games has been more about how games look than actual competition. EA produced one of the worst online league modes I've ever played when they introduced their Connected Franchise mode. You can no longer run a short season with 5 friends each taking other teams. No, you have to play your friends and all the other braindead AI teams. So gamers looking for actual competition, have flocked to the card mode games because sim gamers ruined online leagues. Some hockey fans actually love the idea of playing with players from different teams and forming combinations of players with different synergies. HUT and Chel make up most of my gaming time because the franchise mode stuff is really weak. Why does anyone think bargaining agreements are a good source for game features?

I don't like the cries for Online "franchise" but I'd love to see online leagues with customizable team slots, divisions, conferences, slider sets, rosters, you name it. We need an in-depth online league feature for these competitions, not a league where 20+ teams are inevitably CPU-controlled. I 100% agree with you there. That's why I never got into GMC back in the day. Default slider gameplay was so arcadey and you have to join a league with super sweaty people if you wanted a full human-controlled league. My friends and I played the heck out of the old "online leagues" mode where there were simple 1-to-1 trades and a simply single or double round-robin schedule + playoffs.

I'll never get people wanting a inevitably CPU-dominant or sweaty randoms-dominant mode over a fully customizable league feature that will keep you and your trusted friends immersed and having fun throughout the year.