Franchise Hockey Manager 2014 - General Impressions/Etc

[Animal31]

Good thing I paid money for this game

[Rubbinio]

Good thing I paid money for this game

... yeah that is how i feel ... ... now let's see how quick they fix it, i sent them all the save game data they asked for so we will see

[nino33]

The first patch is expected this Friday/Saturday.

There's a "Patch Progress" thread http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/f ... pdate.html

Better filtering on the free agent screen is also on the radar http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/f ... creen.html

[Rubbinio]

Thanks for this info ... i am slightly more optimistic given the update but i guess only time will tell

[cdndragoon]

I played a couple of hours last night and, since I had been letting the beta versions go by for a while, I admit that I was pleased with the progress made in some areas. The trades make more sense (adding a 7th round pick doesn't suddenly grant you Crosby) and the staff signings seem to have been sorted out much better.

Areas that still don't blow my doors off, though are the overall UI and the hassle in setting rosters. It always seems to grab the wrong name, skip ahead to the player info page and cause me to have to 'back up' to the line-up page.

I'll probably leave things alone for a couple of weeks until the first few patches are in (disappointing, given that this was the release version) but I have to say that FHM looks better than I thought it might a couple of weeks ago.

I haven't deleted my data from EHM2007 - is that the most telling hangup over how FHM has not yet taken over the fanbase? Even if FHM gets better, how many of us will stick with EHM regardless?

[Tasku]

I'm definately looking for a replacement for EHM and hoping FHM will be it. My confidence is based solely on my experiences with their baseball game. But I'm not going to buy this game until this thread stops getting filled with posts about crashes and bugs.

But yeah, I hope FHM will become my future EHM replacement. Not sticking with EHM, no matter how good a game it is.

[Lazion]

I haven't touched to EHM since January but I can probably play few NHL seasons in EHM, that's all.
For me FHM is nearly there.. all I need is good player filter plus some tweaking/fixing and then I can fully enjoy it. Surely I miss EHM tactis but I seem to suck in FHM even with so little tactical variations so I'm fine with that for now.

[CeeBee]

Nothing seems easy or intuitive with FHM. I'm trying to like it but it's not easy. At this point I'm still enjoying EHM and I honestly don't see that changing until FHM makes a lot of improvements and adds a lot of things like a head coach, better tactics, better navigation et al.

[jhart05]

Does anyone know why there isn't a demo 7- or 14-day trial period?
I'm pretty sure their baseball game has this.


One other thing. Did "Reset Morale" make it into the Hockey game? You should see it somewhere in the options. Gives you the ability to reset every player's morale to basically zero. It was something I found in their OOTP13 game. I started a new league, moved a lot of players around and also let the AI set up all the other teams. I ended up with about 75% of the players red-faced angry, before even moving one day into my league. Which didn't seem right to me. So they added this option. If it doesn't have it, those of you in contact with the developer may want to request it.

[CJ]

One other thing. Did "Reset Morale" make it into the Hockey game? You should see it somewhere in the options. Gives you the ability to reset every player's morale to basically zero. It was something I found in their OOTP13 game. I started a new league, moved a lot of players around and also let the AI set up all the other teams. I ended up with about 75% of the players red-faced angry, before even moving one day into my league. Which didn't seem right to me. So they added this option. If it doesn't have it, those of you in contact with the developer may want to request it.

Imo there shouldn't be an option like that. Moving a lot of players in a team might do so to a team. The whole team becomes unseattle (red faced). Every decision you make should impact your team, so it's more realistic. Resetting players morale would be a "cheat" imo. Maybe there could be an option for it, I wouldn't mind as I wouldn't use it.

[philou21]

Every decision you make should impact your team, so it's more realistic. Resetting players morale would be a "cheat" imo.

I thought the same. Though I think what jhart meant was that he created a fantasy league and that players were unhappy after it. So if you take the database and move everyone in different places and start a brand new game with everybody unhappy that sucks.

[dave1927p]

One other thing. Did "Reset Morale" make it into the Hockey game? You should see it somewhere in the options. Gives you the ability to reset every player's morale to basically zero. It was something I found in their OOTP13 game. I started a new league, moved a lot of players around and also let the AI set up all the other teams. I ended up with about 75% of the players red-faced angry, before even moving one day into my league. Which didn't seem right to me. So they added this option. If it doesn't have it, those of you in contact with the developer may want to request it.

Imo there shouldn't be an option like that. Moving a lot of players in a team might do so to a team. The whole team becomes unseattle (red faced). Every decision you make should impact your team, so it's more realistic. Resetting players morale would be a "cheat" imo. Maybe there could be an option for it, I wouldn't mind as I wouldn't use it.

I disagree. I love options like that and "Force Trade" in ootp. There are times when I just want something to happen in my game world. Is it cheating? I'd considering it creating or changing aspect of my game world but yes some might call it that. So what? I hate games that punish people in "cheating". If someone wants to cheat, then by all means. I like creating (forcing) scenarios and things like forcing trades and forcing injuries are great for me. Too bad I can't force an injury. I always wanted to force my star goalie a nice long term injury and have to compete with my backup.

[MWE]

Will the first patch be out today or tomorrow?

[Primis]

FWIW, I stay up late most nights after the rest of my family goes to bed, because otherwise I get NO time to myself anymore. I generally play XBox in that time. But last night I sat down to try some more FHM.

After 15 min. of fiddling in FHM, I instead loaded nino's 1974 EHM DB and started a game there (switched Seattle Totems for Seattle Metropolitans and started with a blank roster and staff). That's... quite damning.

I disagree. I love options like that and "Force Trade" in ootp. There are times when I just want something to happen in my game world. Is it cheating? I'd considering it creating or changing aspect of my game world but yes some might call it that. So what? I hate games that punish people in "cheating". If someone wants to cheat, then by all means. I like creating (forcing) scenarios and things like forcing trades and forcing injuries are great for me. Too bad I can't force an injury. I always wanted to force my star goalie a nice long term injury and have to compete with my backup.

I "cheat" all the time in EHM, although not to my own benefit necessarily. AI GM makes a dumb trade and I'll take over teams and undo the trade. Or sometimes I'll get mad at an AI team for various reasons (sometimes RL reasons) and decide to gut them and make them suffer for some seasons. Or I'll decide to do a trade to help a random other team.

I have my reasons. I can't imagine ever playing FHM in a way except with Commish Mode.

[nino33]

FHM has no Pregame Editor! If you want to edit FHM teams/leagues/rosters you have to start a game, make your changes in-game (via Commissioner Mode), and then save the game (OOTP calls these saves "Quickstarts").

Also you can turn Commissioner Mode on/off at will at anytime.
Click on your name at the top and select "Manager Options" - on the actual Manager Options screen (where the choices at the top are Manager Home, Manager Options, Manager News and Available Jobs) if you select the Manager Options you can then turn Commissioner Mode on/off.....so one wouldn't need to "play" in Commissioner Mode (just turn it on when needing to edit, turn it off when playing)

[kabbott50]

Are the Swiss really that bad that they won't let you use their league as a playable one? Or am I way off on how that works?

[nino33]

Are the Swiss really that bad that they won't let you use their league as a playable one? Or am I way off on how that works?

Essentially the playable leagues in FHM are basically only restricted to the availability of a volunteer researcher (or researchers) for a league. It is an enormous amount of work! AFAIK there is currently no researcher for the Swiss (did you notice the UK thanks to Archi's efforts has 4 playable leagues in FHM!)

[archibalduk]

Thanks for this info ... i am slightly more optimistic given the update but i guess only time will tell

Wow, now there is a blast from the past! Welcome back!

[jhart05]

Every decision you make should impact your team, so it's more realistic. Resetting players morale would be a "cheat" imo.

I thought the same. Though I think what jhart meant was that he created a fantasy league and that players were unhappy after it. So if you take the database and move everyone in different places and start a brand new game with everybody unhappy that sucks.

Yes, this.

I created a brand new league. Set up 3 or 4 levels of minor leagues. Imported my players, at this point no player is actually on a team yet. They are just assigned to that organization. Then I let the AI place players on teams according to each league's player limit, and whatever other built in criteria it uses, to fill out the MLB and the 3 or 4 levels of minors. Started my game and just about all of my 2,400+ players were red-faced angry. Hadn't even advanced one day in my league yet. That's not realistic at all and yes, as philou21 said, that sucks.

Sure someone could constantly be clicking that button while he progresses in his league, but what's the fun of that.

But you should be able to start on a level playing field, with all players being neutral.

As a side note here, I have found the morale system in OOTP to be way too touchy anyway. Sometimes seems like all your players are 12-year old girls. Most players should know they've been stinking it up, grow a pair, and take the demotion to AAA like a man.

[YZG]

Are the Swiss really that bad that they won't let you use their league as a playable one? Or am I way off on how that works?

Essentially the playable leagues in FHM are basically only restricted to the availability of a volunteer researcher (or researchers) for a league. It is an enormous amount of work! AFAIK there is currently no researcher for the Swiss (did you notice the UK thanks to Archi's efforts has 4 playable leagues in FHM!)

No, there's one now (rouschen). I'd say the Swiss leagues are rather close to become playable, like a couple of others. It's just a matter of finishing the research and testing the leagues.

[nino33]

Thanks for clarifying YZG!

[Animal31]

So if I volunteer to research the BCHL, it can be playable?

[nino33]

So if I volunteer to research the BCHL, it can be playable?

There already is a BCHL researcher!
But a bunch of researchers (including the BCHL researcher and myself) just started about 6 weeks ago, so it's going to take some time to get things done

[dave1927p]

So if I volunteer to research the BCHL, it can be playable?

There already is a BCHL researcher!
But a bunch of researchers (including the BCHL researcher and myself) just started about 6 weeks ago, so it's going to take some time to get things done

I would much rather them turn all leagues on as optional but with fictional players. I don't understand why they must be all filled with real players. Lets face it, in 2-3 seasons the team is filled with fictional players anyways. A decision I just don't understand..

[Animal31]

So if I volunteer to research the BCHL, it can be playable?

There already is a BCHL researcher!
But a bunch of researchers (including the BCHL researcher and myself) just started about 6 weeks ago, so it's going to take some time to get things done

I would much rather them turn all leagues on as optional but with fictional players. I don't understand why they must be all filled with real players. Lets face it, in 2-3 seasons the team is filled with fictional players anyways. A decision I just don't understand..

Multiple settings for each league?

Enhanced = playable
Standard = standard
Light = fictional

maybe?

But leagues like the BCHL need to have real players, as if they didnt, there wouldnt be guys like Lucic, Turris, or Zajac