Submitted on: 10/15/2010 by
Dave Pearson
Hey everybody, I'm back for another edition of Dynasty Musings. This week I will be talking about the debacle that is NHL 11's Be a GM mode (BaGM for future reference), and the bugs that have made it completely unplayable until a patch comes out.
First off, there are some things that I like about Be a GM. The fantasy draft AI, for the most part, is absolutely fantastic. Teams appear to build their franchise somewhat intelligently, either going for a younger more higher-potential team or a veteran-laden squad that tries to win as soon as possible. This is very refreshing when you compare NHL 11's fantasy draft to other games' counterparts, such as the annoying logic in MLB 10: The Show in which nearly every closer is taken in the first three rounds, or in Madden 11 where you can assemble a team of young superstars by simply only taking guys under the age of 27. In BaGM, that's really not an option. If you want to create a young team, you HAVE to sacrifice short-term success.
Second, the addition of restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents is a great addition and something that's been needed for a very long time. Unfortunately, the bugs in the mode really get in the way, but the general idea is very good and hopefully it is fixed with the next patch (a patch that is horribly overdue already).
Either way, the game mode is unplayable as it stands now. Let's take a look at some of the problems that myself and others have found with the game.
2. Trading Block - The trade-block screen is basically worthless because it's very difficult to actually get accurate readings on what the team actually wants. Why? In real life, if I was a GM and I were to call another GM about a potential trade, would he really try to confuse me into what he is looking for? Does that make any sense to anyone?
3. 1,500 XP Glitch - A topic that has been discussed throughout the community -- it's also one of the biggest complaints -- dealing with players not gaining anymore experience after reaching the 1,500 XP point barrier in a season. This really should have been fixed in testing.
4. Junior Players Losing Rights One Year After Draft - I absolutely LOVE the idea of being able to stash prospects in juniors and signing them when I please. I absolutely HATE the idea of losing their rights for no reason after one year instead of two. Being able to keep the rights of a player who's not quite ready to play in the NHL at 19 years old should be one of the best features in this mode, but it's ruined by this glitch.
5. 20-Year-Old Players Not Being Able To Play in the AHL - Junior hockey is junior hockey, not 20-year-old hockey. Once my player turns 20, I should be able to put the prospect in the AHL if I sign him. Again, that's not the case here. I had to send Jordan Eberle back to juniors even though he's not even eligible to play there.
6. Lack of Decent Prospects - I've done eight or nine separate entry drafts, with my first-round pick ranging from the top to the bottom, and it's still very difficult to actually pick up a legit NHL player. And never mind getting a goalie, they are almost impossible to find (again, just like previous years) in the draft. I've taken a top-five or top-10 rated goalie three times, and all three times, after five years of simulating and making sure the goalie gets consistent playing time, the goalie has never reached past an 85 overall.
7. Attributes of Prospects - This is another issue that's been longstanding within the game. If I draft a 5-foot-10, top-five rated left wing, he better have at least 75 speed to even be considered an NHL player. I can't count how many times I've drafted a player with completely unrealistic attributes. I've drafted a 6-foot-6, 230-pound defender with 95 speed and 91 agility that was rated a sixth rounder and ended up being 63 overall. In real life this guy would never even sniff the second round. Big defensemen that can skate always get picked very high in real life, which is just not the case in this game.
8. Awards Going to Goalies - If you win the Cup, your goalie is a lock to win the Conn Smythe, even if he gives you a 4.50 GAA in the playoffs. I won the Stanley Cup with my fantasy draft team, playing every game in the playoffs, and Mikko Koivu finished with nearly two points a game. Josh Harding finished with a 3.37 GAA and a .883 save percentage and ended up taking home the hardware. Is there a reason for this?
9. Poor Simulation Logic - The big issues that were apparent last year are still there this year -- those being the goalie stats being absolutely awful, and the unbelievably terrible stats for all fourth-line players. In the last BaGM mode I simulated, Ryan Miller led the NHL in GAA with a number of 2.48 (which was the lowest I've seen in about 13 total simulated seasons, with the average being around 2.55 or 2.60 for the leader). Last year, in real life, Tuukka Rask of Boston led the league with a 1.98 GAA, and Ryan Miller came in with a 2.22 to lead goalies who got the bulk of their starts. This happens every single simulated year in this game. In addition, the fourth liners again are horribly underrated in terms of plus-minus. Patrick O'Sullivan led the NHL at minus-35 last year, and there were only eight players that were worse than minus-20. In NHL 11's Be a GM mode, there were 29 players that stooped to a minus-20 or worse. It's just unrealistic and should have been fixed already.
To sum all of these issues/glitches up, the mode is marred by bugs, and the fact that it has been over a month since the game was released and there still is no patch to fix any of these bugs is simply unacceptable. It really is a shame because the changes that the developers did make to the mode are very conducive to a deeper, more enjoyable experience. For franchise nuts like you and I, it really is a shame to see how little attention was paid to the mode when it has such a vast amount of potential.
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