EHM The Blue Line

The latest beta version (v0.9.19 - also incorporating a DB update) is available to download here: http://files.ootpdevelopments.com/fhm/v ... 4setup.exe

To install, just run the setup programme. There is no need to uninstall the previous version first (in fact, you should avoid doing so). Saved games created with v0.9.17 are compatible with this version.

Here's the changelist:

*** 0.9.17 (25 April 2013) ***

Changes:
Users may now select which leagues they want to be playable at the start of the game (NHL and AHL are not unselectable.)
Automatic movement/progression system implemented for the non-playable leagues: players in those leagues will no longer stay on the same team, but move elsewhere at appropriate times to simulate a normal level of player transactions (e.g., graduating junior players becoming professionals, the worst players on a team that's exceeding its roster size limit will be moved to a lower-level league, etc.)

Bug Fixes:

Teams should no longer sign, then immediately release, players.
Aging attribute for all players no longer being set to a very low number.
Shot Targeting, Checking, Switch Goalie, and Pull Goalie settings on tactics screen no longer revert to defaults after being changed.
Teams no longer placing recently-signed free agents on the trading block.
Certain contract negotiations should no longer result in the user's "Offered Contracts" value becoming negative.
Players on LTIR should now affect NHL salary caps correctly.
Teams in the Allsvenskan Relegation and Promotion tournaments should all play the correct number of games.
AI should no longer sign players to the user's team when AI manager options are set to off.
Draft picks that start the game traded to another team will now be used by the correct team in the draft.
Draft picks edited in commissioner mode should save to the correct year.
Editing draft picks in commissioner mode will no longer delete existing pick changes.
Users playing in Czech Extraliga should no longer get a message telling them they did not qualify for the playoffs when, in fact, they did.
Czech Extraliga now has a proper schedule after the first season.
"Setup Organization" will now demote players if the active roster is too large.
"Setup Organization" for KHL teams will now promote enough U-21 players to meet roster requirements.
Now possible to switch trade partners after leaving, then returning via the back button, to the trade screen.
AI will no longer put players with a very short injury duration on the injured list.
KHL rights should now work correctly.
Several crash-causing bugs fixed.

Data Changes (not a complete list):

No new years for the historical game this update (I'm the one that does those, and all my database editing time for the last couple of weeks has been spent getting the non-playable transaction system data entered for the ~2000ish teams in the database. I'm going to try to do 3 years per week in May to get caught up.)
NHL transactions include recent college/junior signings up to April 23.
Various changes to players in the following countries/leagues: NHL, AHL, ECHL, WHL, OHL, QMJHL, KHL, NCAA, Russia, Finland, Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia.
Destination teams for the non-playable transaction system set for all teams.

Game Look:

1) Submit button in trade screen and offer screen is still randomly not working, even when player is happy with the offer.

2) Keyboard shortcuts are definitely needed as they are way to many clicks to get to and from everything.

3) Team Stats missing include (at least, could be more) goals against and goals against per game, as well as shots against, and shots against per game.

4) In player profiles it should list when and where they were drafted.

5) Would be nice to have a list of Free Agents who left your team on July 1st.

AI:

1) Trade value is well off and is a game breaking frustration at this point.

-examples; AI Trade with AI saw, To NYR: James Neal
To Pitt: Martin Biron and a 6th rounder

-adding draft picks to a balanced deal turns to them not likely taking it, which makes no sense

-human teams player rights have absolutely no value to AI, even if said player is someone the likes of a NHL 1st rounder from 2012.

-draft picks have no value

-good players net nothing, example; the best I could get for Lubomir Visnovsky was a 5th round pick (didn’t matter whether they had cap space or not)

OTHER:

1) Goalies seem to be getting losses when their team gets and overtime win.

2) Goalie stats are still off, with losses and shutouts.

3) When I control both tactics and lineups it still plays the goalie I listed as backup. (particularly annoying issue to me)

4) No way to set player numbers.

5) No way to select shootout members.

6) You can assign protected list European players under contract in Europe to your own team and play them.

7) Same with non contracted members of your AHL team.

8) Contract demands are still too much per year and way too many years, and it seems to be worse with marginal players, who should feel lucky to be on your team, let alone diving after 6 and 7 year deals.

9) NHL still scheduling games on December 24 and 25 (NHL never does this)

10) Still can’t edit league settings such as: GPG, etc.

11) Fake players in Free Agent list (nothing more need be said about this)

12) Waivers still not functioning.

13) Still not seeing effects of the player ratings being different. Way too low of ratings for most players.

14) AI teams players always have way more stars then human team players.

15) NHL Awards are not named properly not sure if they can put real names or not, but the teams are named right, so I don’t see why not.

16) Lots of Awards missing.

17) ESC button not working when simming to next game.

I am sure there are more issues, but these are ones that I found and noted.

Conclusion:

Some of these issues might seem nitpicky or being harsh, but I want this game to be great, so I am pointing them out. It seems to me a fair number of these should be implemented by this point, and it does bring hopes down some. I know it is a first version in beta, which is still 4 months away from release, so I am taking that into account, just a little disappointed at this point. Maybe that isn’t fair, so sorry if it comes across wrong.

I've updated the link in the first post of this thread now that v0.9.19 has been released. Today's patch incorporates a speed fix and a crash fix. Saved games created with v0.9.17 are compatible with this patch.

Y2jerico - I can't disagree with you there. There is a hell of a lot of work to be done before September.

y2jericho wrote: Conclusion:

Some of these issues might seem nitpicky or being harsh, but I want this game to be great, so I am pointing them out. It seems to me a fair number of these should be implemented by this point, and it does bring hopes down some. I know it is a first version in beta, which is still 4 months away from release, so I am taking that into account, just a little disappointed at this point. Maybe that isn’t fair, so sorry if it comes across wrong.

Yeah that's what concerns me. It wasn't that long ago and we were saying "They have 6 months". And now 6 months is only 4.

I wouldn't see a problem if the delay it for a few weeks if they feel the game's not ready. I prefer they take their time to polish it. Even if I want to buy it, my life don't depend on this game at all cost.

Primis wrote:

y2jericho wrote: Conclusion:

Some of these issues might seem nitpicky or being harsh, but I want this game to be great, so I am pointing them out. It seems to me a fair number of these should be implemented by this point, and it does bring hopes down some. I know it is a first version in beta, which is still 4 months away from release, so I am taking that into account, just a little disappointed at this point. Maybe that isn’t fair, so sorry if it comes across wrong.

Yeah that's what concerns me. It wasn't that long ago and we were saying "They have 6 months". And now 6 months is only 4.

Yeah, I know, I feel the same way.

I am excited to see where this game can go but as others have said it does need a lot of work


on a related note I think someone needs to look at the trade AI:
I traded Ben Bishop for the rights to Evgeni Kuznetsov even up and saw what would go down as the dumbest trade in hockey history between two AI teams as the Ducks sent Bryan Allen to Pittsburgh for Evgeni Malkin

Yeah, trade AI is really terrible right now, and near impossible for a human to make any trade that doesn't insanely screw yourself over, and even then you can't always make them happen.

I was surprised to notice the beta wasn't shareware. With such a small market for ice hockey managing games, ruled by one superior product, you'd think a very early beta would be released as a demo version first. As I see it, it took EHM a good few free versions before the commercial games were released, and even then SI thought the sales figures weren't high enough to continue the project. How are you going get devoted EHM players to switch over from something they've found to be highly addictive since 2007, for a very unfinished product they can't even get to try out before deciding to jump ship. I'm one of those internet socialists, seeing the upside in giving something for free before demanding money for the whole package, and I believe it's a good way of getting people excited about an upcoming product they're not familiar with. There are just too many things I could throw my money at and unfinished beta versions of unfamiliar games are not among those things.

The purpose of the beta at this stage is to test the game for bugs. If the beta were a time-limited demo or limited in some other way then it wouldn't be possible to fully test (e.g. if it's time-limited, how could the new-gen player creation system be tested?). The beta is a pre-ordering bonus for those who are anxious to try out the game (because OOTP missed their published release date, and then some).

The beta isn't really playable yet. There's no point handing it out for free because it'll put all but the most hardcore fans off. If you take a look at some of the threads on the OOTP Forums you'll see how many people have completely unrealistic expectations of what the beta is. There are many posts debating whether the game is an alpha or a beta (it doesn't matter IMHO - whatever you want to call it, it's a test version whatever you call it) rather than testing the game for what it is. If you open it up as a free demo, you'll get even more of this.

Once the game is complete in September it'll be a much more playable game (I hope). It'll be at this point that OOTP will start marketing the game and, I think I read somewhere, a demo may become available. IMHO releasing a demo which is missing a lot of basic features and the database is incomplete would do more bad than good - surely it's better to wait until it's more complete (both in terms of gameplay and database) and when it's the beginning of the hockey season.

smokey wrote:you'd think a very early beta would be released as a demo version first.

I would actually think the opposite. Why would they freely demo an early beta to the public? I can't imagine what good that could possibly do at this point, showing people a rough, buggy, incomplete product.

smokey wrote:There are just too many things I could throw my money at and unfinished beta versions of unfamiliar games are not among those things.

Honestly, that's perfectly understandable. As with any video game, if you're not familiar with the game and are unsure of whether you even want to buy it at all, then no one expects you to pre-order it. Pre-ordering is just here for those of us who are familiar with OOTP Developments' games, and know we want this one. Everyone else will get their shot in September when the game is complete and officially released.

To put it in terms of a hockey game... if you're a big fan and want to watch the "behind the scenes" stuff like players warming up, then show up half-an-hour early so you can get down to the glass and watch. If you're not interested in that and just want to see a real hockey game, then don't show up so early; wait for the scheduled start time.