Challenge #29 - The 1974 Atlanta Flames!

[bruins72]

All Challenge #29 discussion goes here!

[bruins72]

Oh yeah... I just wanted to add a little something to the challenge. It's not an official rule and you don't HAVE to follow it. It's more of a personal challenge for those that want to really challenge themselves. Nino had mentioned this the last time we did a challenge with the Retro DB. Back in 1974, most teams didn't really have scouts outside of North America. They wouldn't know much about European players. So to stay in the spirit of the era that the challenge takes place, try to not scout players in the draft that are outside of North America. When you scout for the draft, scout North America, Canada, and the US. I usually set it to only scout players aged 17-19 (maybe 20 at most). Then if you can sign a foreign scout, you can scout his home country or region. For example, sign a Swedish scout and you can scout Sweden and Scandinavia. Sign a Czech scout and you could scout the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe.

As I said, this isn't a rule for the challenge but it's something you can do to stay true to the spirit of the challenge. I planning on doing this just to add to the experience.

[timmy_t]

Retro Challenge -- Yay!

I like the scouting idea/suggestion to B72!

I'm definitely in on this one.

[bruins72]

Glad to hear it! I really enjoyed the last Retro Challenge. I just recently went back to my 74 Red Wings save and played a bit. It's fun to see familiar names coming up in the draft and it's also fun to learn about players from before your time. It's also a nice challenge from our regular challenges because that era had different types of players than we're used to now. You have to learn to use them a little differently.

[nino33]

I really didn't like seeing the modern background images behind my retro game, but I have NO photo editing knowledge/skill (can't do much in Paint! HaHa), but I did come up with a couple options to use for the default/main screens; they're black and white and nothing special, but they're retro/appropriate pics!

The one I usually use (from the 1974 SCF) http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 9fbe65.png
An Atlanta Flames background (goaltender Dan Bouchard) http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... ground.jpg

The files/pictures are found within \NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007\data\skins\ehm_default\background...
default.png - most commonly displayed in game.
office.png - displayed behind the 'Front Office' screen




I also replaced the initial start-up pics with (poor quality) retro/appropriate pics.
While they're again nothing special, and they're definitely not crisp/clean/focused pics...but I like to see them when I start up (the retro feel)

Here's the basic set I've been using for a long time (Phil/Tony Esposito, Ken Dryden, Bobby Orr, Rogie Vachon and Bernie Parent for the intro montage)...
licence http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 5d5733.png
sega http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... a99791.png
si http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 4011b7.png
warchild http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 0a0ac9.png
startup http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... a6e049.png

If needed here's the "Where to Install Add-Ons" wiki http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/wiki/inde ... :_EHM_2007

[CJ]

I never understood what these "challenges" are? Is there a link to something where I can read what this is all about?!

[bruins72]

You're playing the same team as everyone else and seeing who gets the best results out of them. If you read the new item on the front page about the challenge, it has links to the rules. Play the game using the team we've selected, using the database that we've selected, follow the rules, and then post your results where you're supposed. There's not much to explain. The rules pretty much tell it all.

[Asher413]

Nino (and others):

Here's a small collection I have of backgrounds for my "probably will never finish but I do have the league structure done" 1972-73 mod. They aren't all the best, and IIRC some of them have too many 'bright' colors to read attributes (also, some teams aren't in this mod that are in mine), so use at your own discretion (mixed in with challenge upload: first time with Photobucket and I haven't taken time to learn):

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/Asher413/library/

[CJ]

You're playing the same team as everyone else and seeing who gets the best results out of them. If you read the new item on the front page about the challenge, it has links to the rules. Play the game using the team we've selected, using the database that we've selected, follow the rules, and then post your results where you're supposed. There's not much to explain. The rules pretty much tell it all.

Thanks for the answer. I'm not gonna play this challenge, as I have too much to do. But maybe the next one.

[nino33]

Nino (and others):

Here's a small collection I have of backgrounds for my "probably will never finish but I do have the league structure done" 1972-73 mod. They aren't all the best, and IIRC some of them have too many 'bright' colors to read attributes (also, some teams aren't in this mod that are in mine), so use at your own discretion (mixed in with challenge upload: first time with Photobucket and I haven't taken time to learn):

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/Asher413/library/

Cool!

[jesterx7769]

I was enjoying the Sabres challenge before but got caught in moving. Looks like I checked in at the right time as a new one started. I havent played the retro db before so I will have to set it up and my gfx all suited

[bruins72]

Wow! I am having so much trouble scoring early on in the season. I've only had 5 goals in 4 games.

[jesterx7769]

I extracted the facepack png files but they arent showing up in game. Did I have to convert them first?

[nino33]

I extracted the facepack png files but they arent showing up in game. Did I have to convert them first?

XenHL created the facepack back when the 2006 start date was the only option, so all the players birth years are +32.....if you're using the CSD Patch to start in 1974, the players will need 32 years subtracted from their birth year on the picture's name for each player pic (i.e. Bobby_Orr_20_3_1980 needs to be changed to Bobby_Orr_20_3_1948)

[jesterx7769]

ty I was just doing research and figured that out, not worth going through each player and re-editing it.

[nino33]

While I have never used it, there is a "Facepack DOB Updater" http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... =88&t=6857

It seems there is an option to subtract 4 years from each player's picture file name...I would think you could run this 8 times to get the birth years reduced by 32 (probably just take a couple/few minutes!)

[jesterx7769]

Wow thank you very much that was great!

[nino33]

Wow thank you very much that was great!

Did you get it to work? Any idea why I can't get it to work? http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... 02#p158302


EDIT - Woo Hoo! I got it to work! http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... 05#p158305

[jesterx7769]

yeah it really helps the immersion. Time to see what I can do with the team in season 1 which will be tough.

[bruins72]

My team was really starting to turn things around and I lost one of my better defensemen, Bob Murray, for a month to a concussion. We're sitting at 9th place in the conference after 14 games. We're 6-3-1 in our last 10 games. Line combinations seem to be a really big factor. Some players really seem to work well together. Vail is killing it for me right now. He's got 10 goals and 17 points (with a +10) in 14 games.

[outdooral]

Looks like a fun challenge, but im going to have to pass again.Still lots to get done this summer.
I'll keep plugging along with season 6 of my Leafs team from #27 and should be ready for the next challenge in Oct or Nov.

[Asher413]

This has been my fail so far, lack of attention to details at the quarter pole:

Vial is awesome. I forgot to check how well Hextall was doing as my fighter... 363 PIMs in 20 games, 21 fights... lost 20 Half our goals are from powerplays (5 forwards, only 2 SH against so far), so I'll work on lines as seems to be working for Bruins72.

Personally, I'm getting a kick out of the scouting reports. According to my scouts, we have about 8 5th D-men and 12 3rd line forwards I do feel like this is more of a 'challenge' than the Sabres, as this team is more than a couple of pieces short, and sitting right in the gulf between WHA teams and NHL teams.

[eternium85]

So the first 20 games are wrapped up. Team is doing fine with a 10-8-2 record. Biggest concern is my PP, only 12,2%. Pk is decent with 85,2%. Best players so far are both goalies, Lysiak, Vail, Bennett and Houston.
My lines are:

Chouinard-Lysiak-Vail
Harvey-Bennet-Hextall
Graves-Richard-Talafous
Romanchych-Comeau-McCreary

Quinn-Manery
Fox-Kea
Murray-Houston

[bruins72]

I think we might be seeing random attributes at play here for a few of the players. Bennett is TERRIBLE in my game. He's got a 10 in almost every attribute. I've got him buried on my 4th line. Comeau is so bad that he's not even dressed. I've been using Hextall on the LW and he's been doing quite well there. I also found that Chouinard's skills are best suited towards center, so I can have him center a line and Lysiak can center another. I've also got Richard on one of my top 2 lines.

[jesterx7769]

Something I have always been curious about and never asked, what do you guys do when someone is struggling/disappointing in camp? Sometimes it is really good players.