Is EHM:EA really too easy for some people ?

[RomaGoth]

I'm pretty bad at the game haha. In my 3rd season as the Flyers and have yet to make the playoffs, still having fun at least.

That's not because of you, it is because they are the Flyers (maybe you are channeling your inner Bobby Clarke?)

[nino33]

I'm pretty bad at the game haha. In my 3rd season as the Flyers and have yet to make the playoffs, still having fun at least.

That's not because of you, it is because they are the Flyers (maybe you are channeling your inner Bobby Clarke?)

He must be channeling Bob Clarke if he's losing...Bobby Clarke lead the Flyers to glory

[RomaGoth]

I'm pretty bad at the game haha. In my 3rd season as the Flyers and have yet to make the playoffs, still having fun at least.

That's not because of you, it is because they are the Flyers (maybe you are channeling your inner Bobby Clarke?)

He must be channeling Bob Clarke if he's losing...Bobby Clarke lead the Flyers to glory

hahahahaha, all those stanley cups with Lindros were awesome....oh wait.

[Manimal]

That's not because of you, it is because they are the Flyers (maybe you are channeling your inner Bobby Clarke?)

He must be channeling Bob Clarke if he's losing...Bobby Clarke lead the Flyers to glory

hahahahaha, all those stanley cups with Lindros were awesome....oh wait.

Nino is referring to Bobby Clarke the player, not the GM

[nino33]

hahahahaha, all those stanley cups with Lindros were awesome....oh wait.

I was a Flyer fan from the 1970s until the 1990s...it didn't take Bob Clarke/Lindros/etc long in the 1990ss to make me lose my passion for the Flyers, and I've never gotten it back

It was the 1970s into the 1980s that were the glory years

[saberhagen83]

I find the game pretty challenging for the most part. But for some reason I'm tearing it up with my Florida Panthers team in my 5th season (think it is). But I do have 2 very good lines, seen better in the game, but they are playing so good together. But I just never seem to be able to get my 3rd/4th line to work, though they are superb on the PK now. And now I can't seem to get my defence to not let in goals despite conceeding way fewer shots compared to a couple of years ago. It's all about offence for me, can't seem to find a good balance at all. Even if we manage to shut down and cut the amount of shots against, the AI seem to still be able to find ways to score on me. Think I need 0 shots against...and that ain't gonna happen I belive!

Was thinking about firing up another save and just simply be the GM. My question to you who play this way, is the head coach THE most important piece of the puzzle (maybe even coaches), or will I be able to win with a good coach (not great) and a great team at all?

[Tasku]

I also find the game just the right amount of challenging. I'm currently in my 6th season with the Caps, having been in and out of the playoffs. No cup yet.

[Joe]

Was thinking about firing up another save and just simply be the GM. My question to you who play this way, is the head coach THE most important piece of the puzzle (maybe even coaches), or will I be able to win with a good coach (not great) and a great team at all?

I just recently tried playing like this for the first time. I'm starting to like only being the GM, dealing with tactics and practice on top of being the GM just kept getting old, too much to deal with for me. I noticed letting the coach run things gave me better results compared to me coaching. However it is frustrating when the coach is scratching good players or giving the players not enough or too much ice time so sometimes I check the boxes for using current selection and lines. Considering this is a GM type game, I think

[Primis]

Was thinking about firing up another save and just simply be the GM. My question to you who play this way, is the head coach THE most important piece of the puzzle (maybe even coaches), or will I be able to win with a good coach (not great) and a great team at all?

I just recently tried playing like this for the first time. I'm starting to like only being the GM, dealing with tactics and practice on top of being the GM just kept getting old, too much to deal with for me. I noticed letting the coach run things gave me better results compared to me coaching. However it is frustrating when the coach is scratching good players or giving the players not enough or too much ice time so sometimes I check the boxes for using current selection and lines. Considering this is a GM type game, I think

I never, ever, EVER coach. I hate that aspect of the game, so I never do it. Not coaching lets me get though seasons so much quicker, as well.

I also check the option though for my Lines/Roster to override my coach's choices, and then sometimes still Ask Coach if I see the need to mix things up.

Your tactics you set have far more an effect than your coach, IMHO. If my team is young, I make sure my coach and assistants all handle Youngsters very well. But aside from that... talent and tactics are the bulk of things from what I see.

[batdad]

Heh. I am the opposite Joe. Polar opposite. When I coach I win, when I do not I lose. I have (other than challenges) decided I will not coach my team anymore as it increases the challenge for me. Even when I do not coach I will tell the coach who the lines are. NO way he gets to put Todd Harvey on the PK. Or Donald BRashear and Joey Kocur. Least of all taking the draws.

Coaching-How i decide things in terms of lines and adjustments (between periods) as well as practice set ups....Difference maker #2.
TACTICS for my team---how I do these, difference maker #1. Does not matter how bad my goaltending and D are...I can still win with my tactics and get ridiculous defensive #s.


Which is why I have moved to GM only for outside Challenge games.

[Primis]

One thing to note: letting your coaches run practice really wrecks your players developing IMO.

So instead I just leave everything on my "OFFSEASON" everything-Intense schedule all the time right now. Because I have no interest in micro-managing practice schedules. I don't see it as cheating, since players on AI teams develop way, way easier than for human-controlled teams, almost to the point of silliness.

[batdad]

Absolutely it does. AI coaches develop them better, for the most part and it makes me crazy at times.

[jackknife77]

Was thinking about firing up another save and just simply be the GM. My question to you who play this way, is the head coach THE most important piece of the puzzle (maybe even coaches), or will I be able to win with a good coach (not great) and a great team at all?

I just recently tried playing like this for the first time. I'm starting to like only being the GM, dealing with tactics and practice on top of being the GM just kept getting old, too much to deal with for me. I noticed letting the coach run things gave me better results compared to me coaching. However it is frustrating when the coach is scratching good players or giving the players not enough or too much ice time so sometimes I check the boxes for using current selection and lines. Considering this is a GM type game, I think

I never, ever, EVER coach. I hate that aspect of the game, so I never do it. Not coaching lets me get though seasons so much quicker, as well.

I also check the option though for my Lines/Roster to override my coach's choices, and then sometimes still Ask Coach if I see the need to mix things up.

Your tactics you set have far more an effect than your coach, IMHO. If my team is young, I make sure my coach and assistants all handle Youngsters very well. But aside from that... talent and tactics are the bulk of things from what I see.

I play the exact same way as you.

[visualdarkness]

I'm only good at on thing....losing. That says it all.

[Be26]

And I thought I was just doing an amazing job as coach, getting the Maple Leafs to Stanley Cup glory within two seasons and with Phil Kessel taking the league scoring titles twice in a row. Clearly, I'm going to have to stop coaching and stick to being the GM.

Although maybe just one more Cup first...

(There is one minor bugbear I'm going to include here because it directly relates to the Cup-winning team - what does a brother have to do to get some pre-season respect? After winning the President's Trophy in the first season and getting to the Finals, in the season preview Toronto were rated #22. This year, after winning the goddamn STANLEY CUP and tearing the rest of the league apart, not to mention adding Keith Yandle in free agency, we've risen to the heady heights of...#21.)

[Greg4]

Well I got the Blue Jackets to the semi finals in my first season (lost in game 7 OT) and then won the Stanley cup and Presidents trophy during my second year. I also kept the team mostly the same during this time and only made 1 major trade. Not sure if it was just because of my amazing tactics or if the Blue Jackets are just meant to be that good in this game. I also had a lot of players getting 30+ goal seasons who really probably should not be in real life, and had two rookies (Wennberg and Bjorkstrand) put up some pretty insane numbers.

Currently trying a GM-only game as a small team in Finland. I'll see how that goes before making a final judgement but this game does seem kind of easy if you know what you are doing.

[demons19]

I find the game fairly challenging....tactics that once worked are not quite as effective.
The trading is impossible and actually hurt my enjoyment of the game.
Someone had posted its still easy to take advantage of the trading AI....can someone give me an example?
One isolated bad trade does not prove it. I think trading is broken in the wrong direction.

[Iceman90]

I would like to see some of the AI such as tactics and trading user adjustable. We all like to play the game differently, and this lets everyone play their way.

[demons19]

I agree iceman...in a very old version the trading difficulty was adjustable if my memory serves....tactics are something we can all tweak as our talent changes so I'm fine with old ones not working as well.

[nino33]

I would like to see some of the AI such as tactics and trading user adjustable. We all like to play the game differently, and this lets everyone play their way.

I don't think I'm a fan of this idea, as I think the required programming makes the game "less organic/natural" for my liking (EHM's supposed to be a simulation not a video game)

[sutekii]

I'd have to say that the game has been a little too easy for my liking. I won the cup with the Jets within 3 years, with a team had potential but wasn't a cup winner. I started a new save with the Sabres and decided to not coach any games (to increase the challenge), but having added a few fairly decent players at the end of the first season (Ramo, Williams, Shinkaruk) we're up to 4th in the East, with most of the season done. Is there any way to make the game more difficult/realistic?

[A9L3E]

I'd have to say that the game has been a little too easy for my liking. I won the cup with the Jets within 3 years, with a team had potential but wasn't a cup winner. I started a new save with the Sabres and decided to not coach any games (to increase the challenge), but having added a few fairly decent players at the end of the first season (Ramo, Williams, Shinkaruk) we're up to 4th in the East, with most of the season done. Is there any way to make the game more difficult/realistic?

You could try hiding the attributes.

[nino33]

I'd have to say that the game has been a little too easy for my liking. I won the cup with the Jets within 3 years, with a team had potential but wasn't a cup winner. I started a new save with the Sabres and decided to not coach any games (to increase the challenge), but having added a few fairly decent players at the end of the first season (Ramo, Williams, Shinkaruk) we're up to 4th in the East, with most of the season done. Is there any way to make the game more difficult/realistic?

Are you playing Full Sim? That might help
Are you using the latest rosters? That might help
Are you using realistic ice times?
Are your trades realistic/fair?

EHM:EA is in early access, and I'm sure there'll be further tweaks that will make it more realistic/difficult, but I also see posts from those that say it's to hard/not to easy too (including in this thread), so it's certainly not a universal belief that EHM:EA is to easy.

I'd have to say that the game has been a little too easy for my liking. I won the cup with the Jets within 3 years, with a team had potential but wasn't a cup winner. I started a new save with the Sabres and decided to not coach any games (to increase the challenge), but having added a few fairly decent players at the end of the first season (Ramo, Williams, Shinkaruk) we're up to 4th in the East, with most of the season done. Is there any way to make the game more difficult/realistic?

You could try hiding the attributes.

That's a great idea!

[helmespc]

I don't find it quite as easy as EHM2007. I'm in 2026-2027 and have only made the finals 1 time and lost in 7 games. I have reached a point where my team is pretty well stacked for the foreseeable future, though, so we will see in a few more seasons.

[Epic]

I've somehow created a monster. The Bolts just cruised to their 6th cup in 7 years. Had a flawless record in the playoffs, scoring over 4 per game and giving up less than 1. Scored 7-8 goals a couple of times. Bishop had 6 shutouts. He's one of nine players still remaining from the original roster. It does seem too easy. To my knowledge I haven't been using a supertactic. It's been pretty much the same since the start, only made minor tweaks to fit the units.