Hockey, hockey, hockey

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Tue May 07, 2002 1:21 am

Well, the Avalanche blew tonight. With the exception of parts of the second period, they were pretty thoroughly beaten in every part of the game. At this point they need to get Parker or someone in there; no one on the Avs except Kasparaitis is hitting, and one of his hits led to the Sharks' winning goal. Arrgh.

But, that's not everything I wanted to discuss. For some time, I've been hoping -- nay, praying -- for a hockey equivalent to Championship Manager. Finally, there is one -- and it's free -- at http://eastside.peliplaneetta.net/.

I don't know if anyone here aside from Robb has even a remote interest in hockey, but oh my God what a great game. It's the first game since Half Life that's had me stuck at the computer for hours, nearly forgetting to go to work.

Greg

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Tue May 07, 2002 10:57 am

What the!?!?

Retaliations and brawls?!?!

Five-round entry draft??!

Contract negotiations?!?!

RFA offersheets??!?!

Oh man. My unborn spawn are currently sitting in the kindgom of Heaven Innocence waiting for me to meet the "right" girl so I can give birth to them and allow them to start their fruitful, happy lives. Well GUESS WHAT, future brood of mine... it's going to be a lot longer wait then you thought!

To play it safe I'll wait until tonight to download this. I had no idea a game like this was anywhere in development, much less out. YES.

Da King · Post by **Da King** » Wed May 08, 2002 9:18 pm

OK... so talk to me about this thing.

Is it a true arcade-type game, where I'm actually breaking head-to-head with RobB, where I can play any crappy team (IE, Belarus) an he can play any crappy team (IE, Philly) and I can spank him 8-1?

Or is it purely simulation? Draft a team, and it just spits stats back at you?

Please... expand on this.

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Thu May 09, 2002 6:59 am

It isn't arcade style; no controlling players and so forth. It's not just a stats generator, though -- you can change lines/strategies and so on during the game. But no graphics other than the most rudimentary.

I've been playing all week, and it still seems pretty realistic. Players getting upset, injured, traded, waived, and nothing bizarre like Lemieux-for-two draft picks trades. The Sakics and Hejduks score a lot more than the Yelles and Hinotes. Judging by the message board, it generally stays pretty solid through career mode, though I'm still in the first season.

Greg

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu May 09, 2002 11:31 am

I haven't grabbed it yet, but I plan on doing it ASAP (so this question will soon be answered myself) -- but how does it deal with upset players? Does it say something like, "Roenick is pissed off at the organization" after a game? Or does it have a table that shows the happiness level for all the guys? I gotta get this thing. I need to take a week off work and just catch up with all the quality gaming content that's been released recently.

Players don't get upset with their own team-mates, do they? That would be one of the greatest things ever put into a computer game. Which is odd, seeing how such a thing destroyed my football team last season, but still.

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Thu May 09, 2002 11:37 am

It does all of those things. It'll tell you something like "Roenick is displeased with his role", "Roenick wants clarification on his future", "Roenick is upset about his lack of ice time" and whatnot. There's also a fluctuating morale rating, and a bar that shows his general attitude.

And when a player isn't performing well, it lets you know that the captain takes him aside for a talk, and you can sort of read an attitude-check into their responses: if they're genuinely humbled, they'll say something like "I know I've got to get better", but if they're not happy it's something like "I guess they need someone to blame."

I'm theoretically in the process of moving right now, and it's getting delayed severely because each time I come back to the old place (I haven't moved the computer yet) I play this damn thing for an hour.

Greg

Da King · Post by **Da King** » Thu May 09, 2002 2:35 pm

This game sounds ROCK FUCKING SOLID.

As if I"m not addicted enough to Dungeon Siege right now... I have to get another game. Oy.

Thanks for the synopsis!

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Fri May 10, 2002 11:25 am

Awright, I didn't grab it last night because I had a softball game. (We lost.) Today is "Do No Work Friday" here at National (not an "official" designation, just the one I gave it) so it's time for me to manage the game I love... and hate... so much.

Oh, and if there is any way possible to move franchises, I am grabbing Carolina and turing them back into THE WHALE.

Da King · Post by **Da King** » Fri May 10, 2002 2:45 pm

I was so ticked... got a league set up... drafted my team... etc. Couldnt find a way to save the season, so assumed that it did an auto-save... and it did not. MOther effers!

Be careful of that thing, because you can only save your season at certain points. (IE, when you "finish" a day, not when you are just starting one... you can't hit "Next Day" or whatever, and then save it. Seems kinda screwy to me).

Anyhow, my Sabres went 5-2-1 in the preseason, so I cant be too upset there. The real games start this weekend. Woohoo!

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Fri May 10, 2002 7:18 pm

Craaaaap ... I was gonna mention the only-save-at-end-of-day thing (I got caught by it twice), but don't have internet at home right now and have to do all my posting here at work.

You can move franchises (and change the logo). Not sure how, but it's described in detail on the message boards. You may need the editor program.

Haven't noticed any real severe bugs, though there's a couple goofy things. Occasionally my scouts will tell me that a 37-year-old unrestricted free agent has "superb" potential. That sort of thing.

I'm playing as the Avs now, natch, and it's going well ... though I've hit injury time in December, with Blake and Yelle going down almost simultaneously. Since it uses 2001-02 rosters, it's got Forsberg out for several months, and the pickup I made to fill in at second-line center was a giant bust too. Once I get a bit more accustomed to the thing, I'll probably start up a game using the Thrashers or Blue Jackets, just for the process of "building" a team.

Greg

Da King · Post by **Da King** » Sun May 12, 2002 9:33 am

Dude... do the fantasy draft thing and just start from scratch altogether. I'm loving this little simulator!

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun May 12, 2002 11:10 pm

I am going to give the fantasy draft simulator a try, first.

Cos, really, let's say I take the Flyers to the Stanley Cup. All that would do is cement rage I currently have in the organization. I'd be unfairly setting myself up to get pissed off at a franchise that is already the receptor of much red anger.

And away we go!

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon May 13, 2002 12:07 am

MAN is that deep.

I mean, shit -- I have the option to send Ron Hextall to scout people in Slovakia if I want. HEXTALL TO SLOVAKIA. I didn't, though, as WWIII would arise if he was over there.

How soon can you make a trade? I drafted at #15 and had my choice between Kariya or Recchi. I took Kariya, and Recchi went a few slots later. That's what I get for going with my head and not my heart. He's the only guy I currently feel like trading for... gotta get my boy on the team.

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Mon May 13, 2002 7:28 pm

I did the fantasy draft the first time around, before I figured out the "save" function properly. I'll come back to it soon. I'm wrapping up my first season; the Stanley Cup finals (between my Avs and the Flyers) are about to start. The little news reports mentioned the media "praising the job Flyers GM Bobby Clarke has done." I guarantee that's the only time that line has appeared anywhere in the past year.

You should be able to trade immediately, up through the trade deadline. I probably went a little too wild with trades (got rid of Tanguay and never adequately replaced him), but if all goes well, I'll have the Stanley Cup and the #1 overall pick in this summer's draft. One reason to not start with an elite team, I guess.

Damn, I'm having a lot of fun with this.

Greg

Da King · Post by **Da King** » Tue May 14, 2002 4:54 am

I'm halfway thru my first fantasy season, and somewhat frustrated because (a) I only drafted one REALLY solid defenseman, and (b) my goaltending is mediocre at best.

I've grown to hate Peter Bondra.

But the game kicks ass. Thanks for turning me on to it!

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Tue May 14, 2002 10:41 am

Bondra, eh? I meant to grab him. But didn't. The draft did a good job of not just lifting guys off the top of their queue there.

I'll post my roster tonight if I can get the Recchi trade through. It's probably thoroughly mediocre. How's Dunham in the game? I missed out on a top-flight goalie, so I tried to take one of the best guys in the "second tier." Unfortunately, I haven't been playing as close attention to the pro game as I could -- I'd imagine that this season he was surpassed by Sean Burke and Steve Shields, but I couldn't take either one of those guys in the game because of how they have (in their own, special ways) dropped the pathetic organization I follow in real life in various ways.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Wed May 15, 2002 7:28 am

Haven't had time to get back -- but can you change your coach to a guy not currently coaching? I'd have never thought so, but man, they include scouts. (I'm wondering if I can make the Hitchcock manuever, or even the Ted Nolan one.)

(The "Hitchcock Manuever" sounds like a bad porno, natch.)

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat May 18, 2002 4:17 am

OK, I had some serious time to spend with it tonight:

I was 7-1 in the pre-season and STOKED. I started the regular season... and fell straight on my ass.

After starting out 8-10-1, I canned Craig Ramsay and hired Ted Nolan. He won his first game (just simmed it) and I'm going to shut it off here for the night.

Messier bitched about his role after he announced that he was retiring. So I shipped him to Bah-stin for Joe Reekie. Unfortunately, Reekie is also retiring at the end of the season. Fortunately, he makes $3 million less.

Do you guys find scheduling "extra practices" gets your team out of a funk? Any tips to break losing streaks?

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat May 18, 2002 4:18 am

Oh, and Luke Richardson was suspended for seven games for injuring some scrub on the Predators. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

gsdgsd · Post by **gsdgsd** » Sat May 18, 2002 7:20 pm

No real tips on breaking out of a losing streak... I generally will bench the "low/very low/slumping" morale players for a game (unless it's Sakic or someone), fiddle with the lines, etc. I've never done the extra practices.

One thing to try: assign one of your scouts to scout your own team. Then check the scouting report on each player; it gives a list of who they may play best alongside.

I ended the first season with a 7-game Stanley Cup loss to ... the Flyers. About a month into season #2, I'm tops in the league, but had Drury, Nedorost and Vrbata go down within two weeks of each other. Between that and some budget-cutting trades (I traded for Pronger and gave Forsberg a contract extension, so my costs were HIGH), my roster is looking like half-Hershey right now.

Greg