EHM The Blue Line

As I wrote in my firsts post here at the forum, creating my own hockey manager game has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I thought it would be a good idea to finally start. So far I have only programmed a little to try different ideas mostly about the design of the game (I can probably post some images of my ideas if anyone is interested) but I will now start from the bottom with the database etc.

I wish I had as much database experience as programming experience so I guess this first step will take some time to get right. Any help would be appreciated both when it comes to the design (tables, relations etc.) and what you want in it in order to mod the game etc. So if there are any database experts around, please speak

Anyway, not a lot is decided yet but these things are:

• C# programming language
  SQLite database
  Freeware

My goal for the first version is something a bit bigger than the free version of EHM and after that keep adding new stuff.

If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know. I have probably forgotten to write some stuff but I will try to update this thread regularly.

I hope it is ok to post this here otherwise move/remove it; I will create my own forum sometime in the future. I thought it would be a good idea to post here since you guys will be able to give me the best feedback. I will now do some research and see if I can steal some ideas from EHM:NHL and FM .

Sweet! New hockey manager game! Always welcomed! I do not know anything about creating games, but good if some one knows!

McQwak wrote:Great idea and very long way to success. Check this thread for ideas that we gathered from users here. Very challenging dream

Regarding the database: I consider myself "a database guy", not sure about expert . Anyway, what do you want to know? Do you have some data model or basic relations etc. in mind yet? I'm not sure how I can help you.

I'd suggest you to discover EHM database using the pre-game editor and you'll see how EHM data model looks like.

I do like challenges, thanks for the link/tips btw.

I will post some more info regarding my database ideas/questions later tonight or tomorrow.

Sounds cool. Good luck!

The only suggestion i can make here is: make the game as customizable as possible. Allow the move of the game's start, allow leagues' rules customization - at least a little bit.

B. Stinson wrote:I agree on the death thing. It seems to get asked every year on the FM forums, but it's always rejected for being over the top. Personally, I think as long as it's implemented properly, it would only add to the realism.

Also, dabo, what aspect are you mostly concentrating on right now? It'd probably be better if we were all focusing on the same thing as you are, rather than throwing around scattered ideas and requests...

I know in ootp i've always wanted the death feature, mostly for retired players/staff.

Dabo, perhaps allowing some of us to help out with the database (editing players and teams). I know i'm more then happy to help out, however there would have to be some type of editor for i know absolutely nothing about programing. There's no sense in you spending time on things that some of us could possibly help out with. Don't know if it's a possibility but just an idea...i seem to have lots of free time lol

Dabo, did you read this topic at the SI message boards: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=163996

Wow this looks like it's going to be awesome.

Keep up the great work!

Alessandro wrote:Dabo, did you read this topic at the SI message boards: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=163996

Yes I did. Nice to see more people are insterested in creating hockey manager games.

dabo wrote:

Alessandro wrote:Dabo, did you read this topic at the SI message boards: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=163996

Yes I did. Nice to see more people are insterested in creating hockey manager games.

Why don't you try to join each other. I mean, maybe you can join forces. Dunno, just trying to be helpful

Dunno, he is talking about starting his own company and stuff thus he is looking to make money, I am not. I only work on the game part-time when I am not busy with my studies. I think I rather throw ideas around with you guys, it is a nice thought however.

Looks like you're off to a nice start, dabo! I wish you success in this. You know the whole EHM community is eager for something like this.

Good luck Dabo. I really hope you can pull this off! It looks like you're making a promising start.

Do keep us updated and let us know if/when you need any help/advice/suggestions/expertise as we're all very enthusiastic to help. I would definitely reiterate TWolf's advice of starting small and getting the basics done. I guess the most important bit to get done first is a basic simulation using a few basic attributes and then build it from there. There's no point putting time and energy into making a large database if you don't have the game simulation to go with it.

Oh this sounds so beautiful! Keep it up, I wish I knew half of what you knew in doing this sort of stuff. Keep it up man, we're all very eager to see your progress.

OMG this looks great, keep up this great work, and you can maybe do some money with it . You have same way that Remes had. Firstly doing freeware managergame, then sports interactive will be interested about you! nahh just kidding!
KEEP IT UP!

Can you make possible that national teams could play exhibition games before Olympics and WC's?

It's stupid that it's not possible in EHM

Had a look at the NHL rule book, this will not be fun

Time for an update.

I feel I have reached the point where I can add some random test data into the database in order to start writing a basic game (match) simulator; in other words a quick sim. I will then add more stuff iteratively as things progress.

But first of all I need to do the ground work so I can easily integrate it into the real project.

Even though the courses at the university have started again I hope to be able to spend quite a lot of time on the project.

Can you make doping tests possible?

Can you make it so that when you take over a team you only sign on for a certain number of years and then have to negotiate your own contract?

That would be an interesting idea. Make you, the GM, a part of the database that has a contract for a set length of time and certain salary demands.

Jypfan92 wrote:Can you make doping tests possible?

Should be possible yes.

Manimal wrote:Can you make it so that when you take over a team you only sign on for a certain number of years and then have to negotiate your own contract?

bruins72 wrote:That would be an interesting idea. Make you, the GM, a part of the database that has a contract for a set length of time and certain salary demands.

Yeah that is the plan, like in Football Manager.

dabo wrote:

Jypfan92 wrote:Can you make doping tests possible?

Should be possible yes.

Manimal wrote:Can you make it so that when you take over a team you only sign on for a certain number of years and then have to negotiate your own contract?

bruins72 wrote:That would be an interesting idea. Make you, the GM, a part of the database that has a contract for a set length of time and certain salary demands.

Yeah that is the plan, like in Football Manager.

YES!

Alessandro wrote:

dave1927p wrote:

dabo wrote:I was thinking of having a value in the database for each league saying how much goals are likely to be scored. Some leagues are high scoring leagues while others are not. I was not planing on having a slider in the game but I guess it can be discussed.

yeah, i gotta disagree with alessandro. I think it's quite important for us to control the average goals/game, be it with a slider or better yet an actual value (or both?). What if someone wants to start a season in the 80s or 90s? Those two time periods in the nhl are completely different stats wise. Or what if someone would like to make a league [as]completely different [as possible] then the nhl where goals are harder (or easier) to come by. i feel it's essential to be able to control that aspect of the game. If possible having that value or slider change in time automatically based on the skill level or era of a league (similar to ootp.) would be great to have...seeing your league avg statistical output change based on different circumstances...

Well, just for the sake of replying, it's not that in the 80s there were more goal cuz someone decided that. Goalies were different, the pace was different, players were different. I think that the DB and the game structure should influence the goal scoring, not a slider.
Some leagues are high scoring leagues, others are low scoring, because of the different aspects of the game. In the KHL players score less because of the different game (passing-skating game, not just bang bang and shoot, it takes more to create rushes and so on), not just because there is the concept of a slider...
In any case, in my opinion, we should not push the guy with brain cracking decisions or so. In my opinion he (or whoever else) should come out with a finished or half finished product and then start working around it, if we just throw ideas he'll never finish...

I certainly see your point and there are some things that should be higher on a priority list then having a slider/value for changing the avg goals in a game but if i were making a game it would be very high on the list.

Dabo, are you planning on making things like the Free Agent Eligibilty customizable? This is something i wish i could do with EHM...Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] rule changes.

dave1927p wrote:Dabo, are you planning on making things like the Free Agent Eligibilty customizable? This is something i wish i could do with EHM...Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] rule changes.

Can you be more specific about what you had in mind? Salary roof for example will be changeable. I wish I had a list of all the rules. Checked nhl.com but there are still a lot of vagueness.