Feedback on the Trade AI

[peachesgp]

I traded Seidenberg in the 2015 offseason to the Lightning for a first and a second. They turned around and traded him before playing a game because they were over the cap and got a mediocre prospect and a 4th and a 6th. AI should probably take that into account and not be looking to trade the guy they just traded for.

[peachesgp]

And I traded Crombeen to the Kings for a third and a fifth, they waived Crombeen, I claimed him and got him back. Surprised to see them offer that much for a guy they want to play in the AHL.

[saberhagen83]

Not really about the trading AI as such. But I found it quite funny how the board react to some trades. Like I had a guy they complained all year should NOT be part of our roster. Come the off-season, I line up a couple of players in FA that go in ahead of him in line. So I trade him to the East (from West) and get a 1st round pick out of it! Needed to cut salary so decided for picks first. I thought it was a steal as the guy was no more than a 4th liner for us (at best 3rd for a Cup challenger), even if he did have his best season with us last year. Board and fans alike rage over that trade. Guess the board valued him more then they claimed.

[Don Roshi]

I can trade David Clarkson to the Oilers for Nikita Nikitin and a 3rd. Now I love been able to get that awful contract off the books, but it should cost me a good prospect+ at least.

[MisterPenguin]

The AI gets way too adamant about trading a certain player to you, but then proceeds to trade that same player in a worse deal than yours. For example, as Winnipeg, I tried trading for Oscar Klefbom for Jay Harrison and a 4th late last season. The AI said it was a good trade, however it came back to me a few days later and said the trade was no good. The real kicker is that the Oilers proceeded to trade Klefbom to the Leafs for Stephane Robidas a couple of days later. Maybe that's why the Oilers are so bad?

[Smylie]

So I looked thru this and didn't find my problem so here goes. Picked the Oilers to start a new 2015/16 season and I think I set the hardness to Automatic..... did a lot of trading and won the Pacific Division and got dumped in the 3rd round of the playoffs. Did 16/17 with more trades and was 2nd overall in the whole league and won the Cup. got thru the draft and then signed some free agents that pushed me over the cap with only 42 players(my bad I know). Here's the issue..... As I am trying to trade my way out of this it doesn't matter if I set the team needs to "Rebuild thru the Draft" or "Winning Now" or "Balanced Approach", all I get are draft pick offers.... they are fair to a point for what I am giving up but I am seeing no players of any caliber being offered back....... Glitch? Bug? Am I that good? ( ROFLMAO).....

[nino33]

Wouldn't they be offering you Draft picks because you're over the Cap?
Regardless of the Team Needs with only 42 players and being over the Cap, wouldn't AI GMs see you as needing to move players for picks?

[Smylie]

See thats where I think that the AI is somewhat lacking....... I finally dumped a $5 mil contract for a 3rd and 4th pick but I would have much rather taken a couple of lesser minor leaguers for $1 mil each to pick up the total of players under contract.

[nino33]

The Oilers Budget is 1 million less than the Cap in 8.1, so if you're using the Oilers and the latest TBL Rosters you weren't just over Cap you were over your Budget set by your owner (so you needed to reduce the player salaries total, not just get under the Cap, and in those conditions the AI actions make sense)

[NorthernLights]

Kind of a strange trade happened for me today. I was negotiating a trade involving draft picks of the islanders when they then removed the player I was offering for the trade and added the rights I had to round 4 and round 5 players I have.

The game even knows the trade is good for me since I get the "Bruins fans celebrate a steal" and "happy board" news messages after it. Seems very weird that the Islanders would do this trade.

[Smylie]

The Oilers Budget is 1 million less than the Cap in 8.1, so if you're using the Oilers and the latest TBL Rosters you weren't just over Cap you were over your Budget set by your owner (so you needed to reduce the player salaries total, not just get under the Cap, and in those conditions the AI actions make sense)

Wish I could say that was the issue but the total players salaries set by the team was $81 million. Cap was at $71.4 Mil and I was sitting at at about $73.5 Mil.....

[Irriducibile11]

[Irriducibile11]

I experience the trade AI as 90% incredibly tough and 10% ridiculous, but nothing in between.

The 90% are when I try to make a deal. Every ordinary player or mid-range prospect is treated like a franchise player, you can throw draft picks and prospects at them, they won't take it. It's nearly impossible to get a player in this game.

The other 10% are that sometimes it's stupid easy to get a player, but that's mostly when CPU teams trade.

[lemming3k]

They seem to lose the plot completely just before the trade window closes. Trade 4x 5 star potential players for 1 4 star player to have a shot at the cup?

Or the goaltender I could barely get a 3rd rounder for suddenly being traded for a 1st round pick! Is this just the AI favouring trades with each other vs the human player or has the trade AI really become this bad?

[PaulNewman67]

An interesting read, I was looking forward to trading in season two of challenge 40, but now, I don't feel as though it is worth progressing, due to lack of realistic trades, very disappointing.. Other games FM2016, PCM 2016 manage transfers easily, for some reason, this series always finds it impossible..

[lemming3k]

Completed my first real 'blockbuster' trade.
Wanted to get my hands on a starting goalie and 1st line defender so went for Jake Allen and John Klingberg. The AI demands? Patrick Kane, Matt Murray, Brandon Gormley, Ryan Murphy.

Now to put that into context as PA can change - Allen is predicted 5 stars and currently 4 - looks like a potential top 10 goalie, probably top 15 in the league now but not the best.
Kingberg 5 star defenseman. Top 30 in the league I'd say but there's plenty better. Neither rated as Franchise players.

Kane? Number 1 RW on the game, nobody else even comes close - I just wanted to play my other RWs as I have so many young ones and improve the team as a whole. Stats not going up though so I don't think I can replace Kane.
Murray rated same potential as Allen but not there yet with barely any stat increases and I need someone that can play now.
Gormley 4 star rated (2nd line).
Ryan Murphy 3 stars, 3rd line, although not bad stats.

Now I know they might not want to trade those players, but I think it's probably safe to say they got the better of it just with Kane and Murray.

[saberhagen83]

I'm having a bit of an issue with the trading in this game right now. Teams aren't very willing to trade for a player cause he "hasn't seen much action lately". Kind of impossible seeing as the season is just about to begin plus he did play a full season in the AHL last year. Only way the game will "allow" me to trade him away is if I ask for much less in return.

[21Legend]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to add a thought that I'm sure we all have encountered. I'm currently playing as Minnesota Wild in the second season. I was struggling at the start of this season and the media criticised Matt Dumba, who is a complete stud in the game. He requested a trade to 'escape the media spotlight,' and while I have no intention of trading him, the quality of the offers for him have been disappointing in terms of realism.

Teams are offering player/prospects/multiple draft picks package, which I like, but it is never higher than a 2nd round pick, and the prospects/players are 3* at most. They are basically trying to get a 22 year old franchise D-man for nothing. It would be good if the AI was a little more willing to part with genuine top prospects/young players and 1st round picks rather than unrealistic low ball offers that no-one would accept.

I understand it's incredibly difficult to find the balance for the AI and the work that is going into the game is admirable by Riz at SI and everyone here. Really hope we can keep this series alive for many more years.

[Northbound]

It's not always that bad, 21Legend. Sometimes they don't have a 1st round pick that year to offer you. Other times they will low ball you for sure. Having said that I recently traded Filip Forsberg (I had Saska Laine, no idea if he's related to Patrik, and Jesse Puljujarvi ready to take up his spot) for a 1st round pick, 2nd round pick, a great prospect and two other decent prospects. The AI offered me that and I couldn't turn it down.

That doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. Forsberg himself is pretty amazing in this game and I felt bad for trading him.. but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Besides, he wasn't producing very high numbers.

Saberhagen83; play the player for a month or two and try again. Get him some points and try to make him more enticing. Do what Babcock did with Phaneuf, dress him up and make him look like they're not trading for a dressed up pilon.

[Daeni10]

I experience the trade AI as 90% incredibly tough and 10% ridiculous, but nothing in between.

The 90% are when I try to make a deal. Every ordinary player or mid-range prospect is treated like a franchise player, you can throw draft picks and prospects at them, they won't take it. It's nearly impossible to get a player in this game.

The other 10% are that sometimes it's stupid easy to get a player, but that's mostly when CPU teams trade.

Yeah thats my experience too. Everytime I make a trade the board or the fans rage about it although its a minor deal. I get a 2nd and a 3rd for a player I will never need, they are angry about it. And from time to time you have those steals where you or another team gets a good player for basically nothing.

[saberhagen83]

It feels to me like trading is a bit broken right now or the AI is just playing dumb. I try to trade for a player put up on the block by the Avalanche. So I go in with a 2nd & 4th and they come back with a counter offer, adding the rights to one of my prospects. I think it's a good deal as that prospects right was brought in from a previous trade before I took over the team and I won't sign him anyway. So I accept Avs offer...only for them to reject me right away saying they think they can get a better deal done. I mean...it was their idea.

[Beukeboom]

I think trading is better than ever and as frustrating as it sometimes is if you cant get a deal done it more and more feels realistic an challenging without getting anywhere close to unfair. Definatle yllos like ist on the right way more and more really enjoy the 98 database ATM with the current trading AI , the DB is just awesome balanced and the fixes to the trading AI make it it the best expierence of EHM ever. Just ha a nice Blockbuster, where i tried to get Jagr as other Teams seemed to be in the hunt for him an offered multiple 1st, prospects and stuff and couldnt get him...when suddenly Pittsburg come sback to me and says: Lookwhy dont you jsut give me Bure and a 2nd...which was an awesome dela of course , but actually totally made sense too because Bure was scoring much better than Jagr at the time, and was on an awesoem under 4 Million deal for like forever , while Jagr seemed a little out of form and while obviously the better Player and less injury prone it looked like a trade that could happen IRL with PITT fearing they can not sign him after his contract is up after 2 years and him just wanting out. Similar to the Situation wit him in Wahsington IRL maybe.What i wnated to say is ist an awesoem example of how the AI feels more and more real and making sense, it really hurt to let Bure go with his scoring and awesome contract and throwing in a 2nd jsut seemed to fitting for a dela where i get the better Player but a Little risk and more salary , and ist awesoem the deal was offered by the AI.
All in all the Ai seems to hold the Cards tighter in every Version without being totally stubborn ever, and i love it.

[Peat]

Hello all,

Got the game recently and am just at the start of my third season as the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I think one thing that feels off about the Trade AI is how cavalierly some teams trade away their First round picks. I get that's part of the Win Now philosophy, but when I'm getting offered a First (and a lower) for guys like Chris Kunitz and Eric Fehr - that's just nuts. And then the board shouts at me for doing so as well!

Incidentally, I traded Kunitz to Anaheim, who just missed out on the play-offs that year, then lucked out on the draft lottery and ended up in 3OA. Which was nice.

In general, the trades feel pretty good once I'm used to digging and digging for the right combination. My break through moment on that was my insane pursuit of Filip Forsberg - I ended up giving up Bonino, Bennett, Pouliot, two picks, and two prospects for him (and a decent looking makeweight). The board (predictably) went nuts, but I figure a prince's ransom for a prince sounds fair and it showed me what you could get if you really persevere with finding the right trade.

Although it is pretty weird watching them trade for a guy then stick him on waivers. I'm currently mulling over whether to reclaim Jurco - its the second time he's been available since I let him go (and I got him on waivers to begin with).

[StormCloudsGathering]

Need I say more?

[Peat]

So I just saw the AI trade the rights to Kieffer Bellows and a 1st for the rights to Tyler Johnson. Which sounds fair and sensible... save for that this Jan 20th, and Johnson hasn't played all year because he didn't have a contract! Bit mental that. Just looked and Vasilevsky and Draisaitl are both available as well as they've been qualified but not agreed new deals.