Reflection on EA Sports NHL Franchise Mode

[Maxssi]

Long post. translation supported by gpt chat. if it is not understandable delete it 😀

I don’t understand why the NHL team doesn’t take inspiration from FC or Madden NFL. In those games, Franchise Mode isn’t undervalued like it is here.

Here are some thoughts I’d like to share about NHL’s Franchise Mode:

I like playing all the games—82 regular-season games plus the playoffs. Managing trades, contracts, and more is fine, but if I only wanted to manage, I’d buy a simulation game like Franchise Hockey Manager 8! Give it a try—you’ll love it. When I watch Franchise Mode videos on YouTube, I’m stunned to see so many content creators go through entire careers without playing a single game. Unreal!

Why isn’t Franchise Mode designed like a coach’s career? Based on performance, I could be fired or receive offers from other teams. I could give pre- and post-game interviews, talk to players, and manage a staff to help with daily tasks. A broadcast-style presentation could keep me updated on other teams, scores, drafts, trades, and end-of-season awards. If you enjoy simulation, that’s fine—it’s a personal choice. The tools already exist; they just need better implementation.

Why don’t players have fluctuating form during the season? EA talks a lot about simulation, but this omission isn’t realistic. It feels like every player is always at full energy. Adding training sessions, like those in FC, would make the game more engaging.

The obsession with sliders needs to stop. Enough! We spend months tweaking sliders to find the perfect settings, only to never achieve a satisfying result. I want a more polished product with fewer, well-thought-out options. I haven’t completed a season since NHL 97! For a while, I played NHL 2K, which handled this much better. EA, make a game that’s either good or bad, but make it properly configured for Franchise Mode!

Too many stats complicate the experience. Tracking an excessive number of metrics forces us to replicate them in the game, which takes away the fun. Do we really care about passing percentage? Even NHL.com doesn’t include that in its game reports. Do we need to know how many power plays or penalty kills a team has, or would it be more useful to see just the success rates? For goalies, do we really need to know the total number of shots faced, or is a save percentage enough? Reducing both team and player stats to only the most essential ones would make the game much more enjoyable—and ease the stress over sliders!

In general, if I want the experience of a real game, I’ll go to the arena. I play video games to have fun, not to replicate every tiny detail of reality, though I do want a sense of realism that fits into the time I have available.

I hope that someday, Franchise Mode and career players can truly enjoy this amazing sport in video game form again. That’s my opinion.

Thank you for reading.

[Fiddy]

Good post!

Just my quick thoughts.

Playing all 82 games plus the playoffs is a chore, thats why creators don't do it.

Piggy back above, sliders/settings, we are not even sure they work properly so again why play the game and dig deep into a mode where we are still unsure if they work. Have to save, quit apps, restart consoles, rinse and repeat and hope that works. Again, a chore. (Although I personally feel you don't have to do that anymore and that using an unsaved preset works, but does it? lol)

I also agree, we don't need games to be a 100% sim experience thats where sports games have gone wrong over the years. Yes, need to have that as an option, but these games need to be engaging and also fun to play and if they are not fun to play, then I just won't play. lol

As far as the other stuff, I agree as well but we are asking a lot and if they can't get sliders and settings to work properly we shouldn't expect much elsewhere.

Frustrating for sure.

[MiracleMet718]

I’m probably the opposite guy when it comes to Franchise mode as I enjoy all of the stats and realism. But there should be a way to just pickup and play.

As much as 2k has frustrated me with certain things the last few years, the fact that they have all of the franchise settings open and available for you to choose if you want to manage them or not is the best part of that game. I wish all sports games had that where you can have it as detailed or simple as you’d like with a mixture of settings in between.

NHL does do a pretty good job of it, but I do wish they would add a few more things around trade frequency and free agency pickups/roster management automation for the CPU.

[Maxssi]

thanks for the post. i agree with what you write. absurd to see that the sliders do not make changes. for this they should be reduced in number. on the saves i do not express myself. there are no words. let's hope that nhl of ea can change. we only have hope.

Quote: Originally Posted by Fiddy

Good post! Just my quick thoughts. Playing all 82 games plus the playoffs is a chore, thats why creators don't do it. Piggy back above, sliders/settings, we are not even sure they work properly so again why play the game and dig deep into a mode where we are still unsure if they work. Have to save, quit apps, restart consoles, rinse and repeat and hope that works. Again, a chore. (Although I personally feel you don't have to do that anymore and that using an unsaved preset works, but does it? lol) I also agree, we don't need games to be a 100% sim experience thats where sports games have gone wrong over the years. Yes, need to have that as an option, but these games need to be engaging and also fun to play and if they are not fun to play, then I just won't play. lol As far as the other stuff, I agree as well but we are asking a lot and if they can't get sliders and settings to work properly we shouldn't expect much elsewhere. Frustrating for sure.

[Maxssi]

Franchise settings should be more open. Something has been done in recent years but too little.

Quote: Originally Posted by MiracleMet718

I’m probably the opposite guy when it comes to Franchise mode as I enjoy all of the stats and realism. But there should be a way to just pickup and play. As much as 2k has frustrated me with certain things the last few years, the fact that they have all of the franchise settings open and available for you to choose if you want to manage them or not is the best part of that game. I wish all sports games had that where you can have it as detailed or simple as you’d like with a mixture of settings in between. NHL does do a pretty good job of it, but I do wish they would add a few more things around trade frequency and free agency pickups/roster management automation for the CPU.

[stlgamer09]

I have something similar to this but it's what would make the NHL series better in this forum too.

I usually simulate the 1st and 2nd period and play the third just to get better results.

This for me falls under more interactions and presentation. Kinda like how the game Head Coach worked. Phone ring you get a trade notification. Offers back and forth. Players telling you they want to be traded. Convincing players to sign with. Scouting meetings coaching meetings. Yes that's alot of detail but also something how FC does it. Quick and no dragged out.

Full energy yes. I think injuries in the game are broken. There should be injuries in practice, off ice injuries, sickness, birth of a child, injured during warm ups.

Agree sliders are broken and need a revamp that actually works.

Passing percentage no. PP and PK stats yes but just the percentage. Yes, I think shots and saves, and percentage is good. Because if you have a goalie, come in for relief and faces only 2 or 3 shots it's going to say 100% saving thats why you want the how manys. But I like stats and think they need to add more in the record books. Which I cover this in my write up.

For me I like the realism of the game. I like the small details that are missing and should be in. I get it its just a game for some but there's still a lot that liek the details and realism of the game.

[kinsmen7]

Quote: Originally Posted by stlgamer09

I think injuries in the game are broken. There should be injuries in practice, off ice injuries, sickness, birth of a child, injured during warm ups.

I'm less concerned about the extra injuries, and more concerned about how, for as long as I can remember, the only way a goalie is ever injured is if you're simulating.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to see a situation where I actually *need* to have some goaltending depth, because if you're playing every game, there's really no need for a solid AHL goalie, aside from if a) You plan on trading one of your two NHL goaltenders, or b) You care about winning the Calder Cup.

Re: Sliders...I agree that they continue to be broken. One thing that I will say though, directed at the OP, we don't all play the same way, so having sliders (especially sliders that work), is extremely helpful.

In my case, I've played this game for a long, long time, and through years of working a physically demanding job, some heavy hockey, and a few stupid moments, my hands aren't the same as they used to be. So, the ability to slow the game down (on both sides), but still use a high skill level to keep the competition up, is important to me.

All that being said, I made it 3 games into year 2 of my expansion franchise before the power went out the other day and corrupted my franchise file. So, it's either jump back to mid February of year 1, or start over. Whomp, whomp, whompppppp....

[stlgamer09]

Quote: Originally Posted by kinsmen7

I'm less concerned about the extra injuries, and more concerned about how, for as long as I can remember, the only way a goalie is ever injured is if you're simulating. Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to see a situation where I actually *need* to have some goaltending depth, because if you're playing every game, there's really no need for a solid AHL goalie, aside from if a) You plan on trading one of your two NHL goaltenders, or b) You care about winning the Calder Cup. Re: Sliders...I agree that they continue to be broken. One thing that I will say though, directed at the OP, we don't all play the same way, so having sliders (especially sliders that work), is extremely helpful. In my case, I've played this game for a long, long time, and through years of working a physically demanding job, some heavy hockey, and a few stupid moments, my hands aren't the same as they used to be. So, the ability to slow the game down (on both sides), but still use a high skill level to keep the competition up, is important to me. All that being said, I made it 3 games into year 2 of my expansion franchise before the power went out the other day and corrupted my franchise file. So, it's either jump back to mid February of year 1, or start over. Whomp, whomp, whompppppp....

Yes the goalie non injuries is annoying. When you simulate they over play too. Goalies with 60-70 games played which is unrealistic.