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Rookie
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Revolutionizing Be a Pro Mode (Very Detailed Guide)
I created this topic on the EA forums and I would like to see some of the opinions from the guys here. Hope you like it.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
First Feature: Path to the Draft
Second Feature: Real-Time Drafts
Third Feature: Ego and Agent
Fourth Feature: Contracts
Fifth Feature: Salary
Sixth Feature: Endorsements
Seventh Feature: Trade Deadline
Eighth Feature: Presentation
Ninth Feature: Practices
Tenth Feature: Chemistry
Eleventh Feature: World Junior Hockey Championship and Olympics
Twelfth Feature: Making the Game Similar to an RPG
Thirteenth Feature: Bench Interactions
Fourteenth Feature: Injuries
Fifteenth Feature: Playoffs
Sixteenth Feature: Milestones and a Trophy Room
Seventeenth Feature: The End of the Career
Eighteenth Feature: Boost Multiplier
Nineteenth Feature: Offline Be a Pro Leaderboard
Twentieth Feature: Gameface
Twenty-First Feature: Coach’s Tasks and Experience
Twenty-Second Feature: Offline to Online Transition
Twenty-Third Feature: Scouting Combine
Explanation of having so many cut scenes
Suggestions by Mad_Habber, C_Schultz, VolcomKid911, ALB71878, ThrowinSauce14, Dylan1771, and Oilersguru
Features that have been confirmed!
Big news from Scarface909: “I forwarded your post to one of the devs and he said he'll take a look at it and circulate it amongst the team.”
The onem4n4rmyy Be a Pro experience (end of article)
Introduction: Since we are still a few years away from a new console which would allow for better graphics and physics engines, I think it is EA's duty to at least be working on the content of the game. I have created a very detailed guide on what EA can do to make the most revolutionary game mode of any sports game. Be a Pro is already a great mode but it has way more potential. I’m here to breakdown exactly what can be done to make this mode live up to its potential. I think one of the biggest points you can take from this guide is that menus upon menus don't ever immerse you into a story. I think one of the biggest things that could separate this mode from the others is to enable us to live the career through our player's eyes and actually move around and interact. Be a Pro mode is an RPG type of mode. So, let’s make it more like an RPG without making it childish. How do we do that? We make it as realistic as possible and add as many gripping features as we can.
First Feature: Path to the Draft. This is the most important feature.
Why not utilize the CHL and the European leagues a little bit more? I’m personally not a fan of having so many leagues in a game that wears the title NHL but since we’ve got them, I think it’s a good idea to use them properly. Let these be the options for the draft:
Starting out on a CHL team and playing a full season with a team. If the player chooses this as an option, the player will be able to gain more experience by playing the full season and therefore enter the draft with a higher overall rating and a greater likelihood of being the #1 overall pick. The player will be given tasks such as: record 150 hits, score 30 goals, assist on 50 goals, have a save % of .920 or better. If the goals are completed, the likelihood of being drafted higher goes up. Also, include a Hype Meter: which shows where “central scouting” or whatever EA would like to name it has you listed and update it monthly/weekly. In addition to earning more experience, playing in the CHL for the full season and performing well will enable you to be selected for the World Junior Hockey Championship. (**It has been confirmed that you can play four full seasons in the CHL)
Starting out on a CHL team and playing in only the Memorial Cup playoffs. If the player chooses this as an option, the Be a Pro will still gain decent experience and still have the chance to impress the scouts and become a #1 overall pick but it will be less likely. At least the player will not need to play as many games in the minors.
Starting out in Europe in one of its leagues. The player could play a full season or play an abbreviated season in Europe and choose to be a European born player and at the draft, the announcers (the draft will be a real-time event) will point out that this is a European player and not a North American born player. This I’m sure will appeal to a lot of players that live in Europe and even some that don’t. In addition to earning more experience, playing in Europe for the full season and performing well will enable you to be selected for the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Starting out right at the draft or on a desired team. If the player chooses this option, the player will start with a lower overall and will be forced to play in the AHL for at least a short time. The player will also not become a first round pick and will have to prove to the teams that passed him that it was a costly mistake.
Second Feature: Still on the subject of the draft. Make the draft a real-time event. Every player in the NHL that has not won a Stanley Cup will tell you that his favorite moment was being drafted. I think it is essential to make the drafting process much better. Have the draft take place wherever the hosting city for next year’s is and show general managers talking on phones at their tables. Also, pan around and show some of the rookies that are featured in the game on the prospect’s list. Have a menu pop up when a team completes a trade.
Have the announcers discuss some of the top rookies available (with the “Craig Button’s best available” type of thing). Have the announcers discuss a few cut-scenes of players scoring goals or making nice passes on their CHL team or wherever. Don’t forget, I am talking about an absolute BaP revolution. I want this mode to be so in-depth that everyone will be unable to pass on it. I don’t believe that it would be difficult to make a few cut scenes of top rookies. Also, the player will need to save highlights from the season from games that he has played in the CHL or Europe that will be featured at the draft. The top 3 plays from that season could be saved for example. The plays could be saved as goal, assist, defensive play, hit, or save. The announcers could then show the player’s top 3 plays and make a remark such as: “What a terrific goal by the youngster! This guy has a lot of potential to be a star in the NHL.” You only get drafted once and since it will be the same draft class every time, it wouldn’t be hard to do all of this. For players that have already played the mode once, have them be able to skip certain parts of the draft but not the actual drafting.
If your player is projected as a top2/top3 pick, make the announcers do something similar to a Taylor Tyler and talk about who should be drafted first. There's a lot of creativity to be made here.
Now, when the player is actually drafted show your created player in a suit getting up and hugging his generic family after the team’s representative announces his name (the rep could be one of the regular announcers just saying: with the # pick in the draft, the Boston Bruins select Forward from the Kitchener Rangers, John David. Then, show the player shake the hand of the team’s representative and put on the jersey and take a picture. Replay some of the highlights and have the announcers say “I really like this pick, I think he will be a good fit in Boston.” End of path to the draft.
Third Feature: Give the player his own ego and his own agent.
The player will be given an ego / morale / whatever word can best describe who he is: whether he is a Terrell Owens / Radulov or a Bergeron / Toews type of person. With the new agent feature, there will be times when the ego can be affected based on demands and what not (described in the agent paragraph)
Negative ego players: These type of players have the ability to progress in skill or experience much quicker and the ability to pump up the crowd, giving the team a morale boost when the player is performing well. When the player starts to slide, the team will have less morale and he could become a disturbance in the locker room. Certain teams such as Detroit or Boston that have coaches with a set system will be very unlikely to trade for or offer a contract to a negative ego player. Negative ego players have the ability to make more money than positive ego players. It will be very unlikely for a negative ego player to become a team captain. Negative ego players are better at asking for trades and for extra playing time.
Positive ego players: These type of players have the ability to make the players around them better. If the player has a high enough ego, he can actually help his line-mates progress in shooting and passing. Positive ego players will not be disturbances in the locker room and will be given offers by most teams. Positive ego players will not progress as quickly themselves -- which is the worst part. Positive ego players have a greater likelihood of being team captains. Positive ego players will not be offered as much money as negative ego players but will be offered longer contracts.
The Ego could be a BaP exclusive to avoid having to give every player an ego rating. I think if EA would like something like an ego for all players, it would be better to give everyone a leadership rating instead. The leadership rating could determine chemistry. Having a player on a line with high leadership could affect the line chemistry. I think you should see where I'm going with this.
The player will be able to use his phone to call his agent whenever he wants to discuss getting an interview with the media, to demand a trade, to demand more playing time, or to negotiate a new contract (during FA). When asking to get an interview, the player will be shown like in NBA 2K11’s talking to the press and interacting with the questions about opponents, about the team’s chemistry, and about himself. When demanding a trade, you will have the option of being subtle (positive ego and no interviews unless the information is leaked) or asking openly (negative ego and an interview which comes with a better chance of being traded.) The player can choose which 10 teams he would like to play for and in the order.
Fourth Feature: Revamping the way we do contracts. During free agency, the player will be given a screen which asks: salary desired, years desired, and (if a UFA) top 5 teams you’d like to play for. If you’re like Vokoun and you really want to win a cup, you might want less money. The agent will then present the top 5 team’s best offers. Also, very important: If you did not meet the coaches’ goals for you or you are a problem in the locker room because of your ego or demands, the team you were on should not give you an offer to come back. There should also be unexpected trades (very rare).
Added (suggested and inspired by oilersguru): Your Be a Pro should be an RFA until he is 26. If your team does not like how your are in the locker room or you demand to be traded, your team could trade away your rights instead of re-signing you. Also your agent should let you know if the team is going to keep trying to re-sign you and what teams have given you offer sheets. Would be a very exciting addition to have other teams basically bidding on you.
Suggested by Dylan1771: NTCs need to be brought into the game. As part of your contract negotiation, you can tell your agent you would prefer a NTC or NMC. If your gm/coach is presented with a good trade offer, he might ask you to waive your NTC. (No trade clause and no movement clause).
Fifth Feature: Make the salary useful in the game in some way. That way, at the start of your career you will want to be paid really well and not just accept a lower contract because you want better players on your team. The salary could be used to get better agents who will in turn give you a better chance of demanding trades with success and be able to get you long term deals. Maybe the salary could be linked to unlocking certain boosts for your online / offline BaP. In addition, the salary could be used for an apartment/house upgrade if they decide to go that course. Salary can also be used on the leaderboard through a multiplier (explained later).
Sixth Feature (Suggested and Inspired by dylan1771): Endorsements. As a rookie, you’ll be given a low-paying endorsement which enables you to use only low-end caliber equipment. As you progress through the season and get some more notoriety from the league, the endorsement offers will get better. When you get a new endorsement offer you have the option of signing with them or not. If you sign with them, you are now able to wear their equipment. The equipment will be better than the previous endorsement offer. Sometimes an endorsement offer will offer more money but less of a equipment bonus. Every time you get a new endorsement, you can customize the color scheme (not the actual main colors though). To the developers: in order to avoid infuriating the hockey equipment providers, the order of which endorsements come could be randomized but the benefits of which particular endorsement # the player is up to can stay the same. Example: Bauer is the first endorsement one time and offers the worst equipment bonuses. In another BaP career, Bauer could be the last endorsement offer and give the best equipment bonus. Endorsements can only be achieved by actually playing the mode (at least 50% of games each season).
Seventh Feature: Trade Deadline. Give the trade deadline its own event. If your team is failing and you’re a star player who wants to move to a contender, let your agent know. If your team is really close to the cap, maybe you’ll be surprised to see yourself on the move. The trade deadline could recap who has been traded and have a rumor mill type of thing of who could be on the move. It could also indicate whether or not your player is on the block.
Eighth Feature: Spice up the presentation. This game should be something that EA is proud of and presentation of the game is the best way to show your pride and confidence that the best sports game has been created. Show scenes of players arriving at arenas and getting off the bus to go to the game (similar to what madden does). Show the coach in the locker room wrapping up his pre-game speech and then the players going out on to the ice. Have the announcers do a better job of announcing who the star players are and highlighting them (especially if the BaP is a star player). During intermission, show the coach wrapping up his intermission speech and then heading back onto the ice again. Very important: places like San Jose need to have the Shark Head on the ice! (It has been confirmed that the shark head is in the game).
Inspiration and suggestions courtesy of C_Schultz: On presentation of the game: EA needs to do a better job of getting your highlights. What I mean by this is that you should pick a few highlights from the game, similar to how you can go back in MLB The Show and look at every play, and then they should be highlighted in a weekly top-plays breakdown that gathers other top plays from around the league. I know one of the big features for NHL12 is the new simulation engine. I think for NHL13, a new highlight engine would be great. The Madden Series has been doing “The Extra Point” for quite some time now and I think it could be useful in Be a Pro as well as the Be a GM mode. A special presentation show should be made for the winter classic regardless if the user’s team plays in it. Also, the ability to save top highlights should be a priority for EA to work on. These highlights could be used to make your own top-10 list from all various game modes and then upload to EA Sports World. I think that feature would be adored by this community because who doesn’t like to show-off his skills? Highlights, highlights, highlights; get working on this aspect.
Ninth Feature: Practices. As part of progressing your player, you will need to go into practices with your team mates. Practices will give you experience points and will improve chemistry with your team mates. Practices could include skating, shooting, checking, defensive, power play and penalty kill, screening and deflection drills, goalie training drills (this has an extremely high potential - the drills could include 2 on 1s, one-timers, rebound control, skating, and screening drills). The practices will be optional and will give permanent experience points. Each practice will have 3 drills that take approximately 1-2 minutes. 2 drills will be selected by the coach based on what the player is having trouble in games with and 1 drill will be selected by the player. Also, instead of the coach automatically giving you PP and PK time, force the player to earn it in practice. Every once in a while the coach should give you some PP and PK drills and if you do well, you should be finding more special teams ice time.
Tenth Feature: Chemistry. Seeing as how there will be an ego, it is only fitting to add chemistry. Keep in mind, the chemistry and ego will only be given to the BaP player alone and does not necessarily need to be done across all game modes. Chemistry can be affected by your ego compared to the egos of players on your line and team. If line mates have exceptional chemistry then passing attributes will be boosted. If team mates have poor chemistry then passing attributes will be negatively impacted while they remain on a line together. The chemistry will go up if the player elects to participate in practices, if the line performs well together (chemistry will be just under neutral when the BaP is placed on a new line), if the player types fit well together, and if the line has been kept together for a while. Chemistry goes down if there are too many ego problems, if the team and line slumps, and if the player types don’t coincide.
Eleventh Feature (inspiration and suggestion by ThrowinSauce14): World Junior Hockey Championship (WJHC) and the Olympics. As an added bonus to playing the full season in either the CHL or European leagues, you have the chance to be selected to represent your country in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship or WJHC. Also, it is surprising that the Olympics are not in the game. I think in either the ’02 or ’04 game they had the Olympics. Not sure why it was left out for these new generation consoles. This would take some effort on behalf of EA but could be introduced as one of the big new features for Be a GM and Be a Pro Modes.
Twelfth Feature: Make the game like an RPG in a sense. I think it would be revolutionary if the game could have every team’s city and instead of a bunch of menus (although the player could choose to play with menus on) the player will actually move around and go to different buildings including your player‘s own apartment which will include a laptop where you can do a lot of the menu things. On the laptop you can check NHL.com and see the standings and player stats along with big news. I think it would make this mode feel much more real and be a lot more entertaining if they added this. ** This is the least-needed feature since it would be very time consuming for the developers.
Thirteenth Feature: Show your player interacting with others while on the bench. Have buttons which allow the player to: pump up his team if they’re in the middle of a rut, celebrate, tap his stick on the outside of the bench, drink water, and talk (but no actual dialogue) to the player next to him. Also for goalies: allow them to skate to their net and drink water by pressing LB/L1. Shorten the amount of playing time that the BaP receives. Forwards should not be getting 30 minutes a game. Instead, if the player does not like sitting on the bench, allow the player to speed up the simulation of the game. I know that in one of the videos showing the new simulation engine you can do a x8 speed simulation. I think a fast-forward button would be cool and then go back to real-time when a goal is scored. With a fast-forward button, we could actually be able to play with full 20-minute periods and take realistic length shifts. Make it happen EA! (It is has been confirmed that there is a way to simulate to your next shift with the Action Tracker)
Suggested by / Inspiration by: ALB71878 On the topic of bench interactions. If you notice that your player is frequently losing his edge, allow him to get up and go to the locker room to get his skates sharpened. If you want to change your stick curve during the game, allow the player to alert an assistant. Remember, this is like an RPG. You should be in complete control of your player.
Fourteenth Feature: Injuries. When an injury happens, show your player go into the dressing room and be treated by trainers. If it is not a severe injury, have the trainer ask him if wants to continue the game or stay out.
Fifteenth Feature: Playoffs. Add intensity to the playoffs that can be noticed. Make the hits harder, the stamina lower, and the crowd louder. During clutch moments, have the crowd be completely drowned out and have a heartbeat sound. Give the player an option of growing a beard. Have special interviews after each series for the BaP. Have the weekly broadcast show cover some of the series that are happening and have the announcers make predictions on the outcomes and point out who needs to step up. Make winning the Stanley Cup a much better experience -- it is the greatest achievement in hockey. Allow the player to skate with the cup and show the team in the locker room celebrating. Have an interview after the game as well.
Sixteenth Feature (Inspired by / Suggested by: VoLcOmKiDd911) Milestones and a Trophy Room. Milestones are really fun to achieve. What would make them better is if there was a trophy room which highlighted all of your major milestones. Everytime you accomplish a milestone, such as scoring your first goal, allow the player to skate over to the puck and throw it over to an assistant on the bench. Have the puck from when you scored your first goal that has tape on it with the date and “first goal.” In addition to having displays, have the game pause to take a video of each milestone you accomplish. For instance, after you score your 100th career goal, the game will recognize this and take a video of the goal. In your trophy room you could actually watch replays of your milestones. Your 500th career assist, your game 7 winning goal, your 50 in 50 goal, your 1000th career point. It will make the mode feel more complete if you could go back at the end of your career and reminisce.
Seventeenth Feature: The End. Have the player be inducted into the HoF if worthy and have announcers present the top 10 plays of his career (that have been saved throughout the BaP career). Have a special broadcast on the player’s career stats and achievements.
Eighteenth Feature: Create a multiplier for successes that unlock boosts in be a pro mode or be a gm mode. If the game requires you to score 100 goals with your BaP, have it so that rookie = 0.25, pro = 0.50, all-star = 1.00, and superstar = 1.50 of a multiplier to every stat that you get when attempting to unlock something. So if you play on rookie, you will need to score 400 goals to unlock the 100 goal challenge. There needs to be incentive to playing on a higher difficulty when there are boosts available. There already is incentive for the other modes because of the fun and the challenge, but when you just want to go unlocking boosts there is no incentive to playing on a higher difficulty.
Nineteenth Feature (inspiration and suggestion by C_Schultz): Offline Be a Pro Leaderboard. All of the main Be a Pro stats will be put into an online leaderboard. You would only be allowed to select one of your Be a Pro careers to represent you on the leaderboard shown online. In addition, there will be a further breakdown of your stats on your EA Sports Card which show how many games you played on rookie and all the stats, how many games played on pro and all the stats, etc. Salary earned will also be featured on the leaderboard using the difficulty multiplier. This will encourage players to play every game for the full length of their career.
Twentieth Feature: Gameface. I don’t think this needs a lot of explanation. Gameface would significantly increase the enjoyment of this mode and the online mode as well.
Twenty-First Feature: Coach’s Tasks and Experience. I think it would be more enjoyable to actually play the game if you knew what you were playing for (aside from enjoyment and stats). What I mean by this is that sometimes when I play I get 20xp even though I had 2 points. Other times, I get 70xp for even less. After every game there should be a breakdown for how you earned experience. For example:
Offensive
Scored 2 goals: 50xp (25x2)
Assisted on a goal: 20xp
Drew a penalty: 5xp
3 Turnovers: -15xp (-5x3)
All-Star Difficulty Multiplier = x1.00 (60x1 = 60)
Total offensive experience: 60xp
Defensive
Recorded 5 hits: 15xp (3x5)
3 Takeaways: 15xp (5x3)
Saved a goal: 40xp
2 Blocked Shots: 20xp (10x2)
Minus-1 Rating: -10xp
Less than 50% Faceoff: -10xp
All-Star Difficulty Multiplier = x1.00 (70x1 = 70)
Total defensive experience: 70xp
Athletic
Athletic will be a split between offensive and defensive experience earned
All-Star Difficulty Multiplier = x1.00 (65x1 = 65)
Total athletic experience: 65xp
Completed or failed coach’s tasks will be used as a wildcard experience that you can assign to be used in offensive, defensive, or athletic areas after the game.
Coach’s Tasks
We need you to get in front of the net and disrupt the goalie: (Completed) 20xp
We need you to fight #17 after that dirty hit he put on our star player: (Completed) 20xp
We need a big goal on one of your next three shifts: (Failed) -10xp
We need you to play solid defensively and slow things down: (Completed) 10xp
We need to generate a lot of shots on this power play: (Failed) -10xp
We need to kill this penalty: (Completed) 20xp
All-Star Difficulty Multiplier = x1.00 (50x1 = 50)
Total Wildcard Coach’s Tasks Experience Earned: 50xp
With in-game performance, practices, and coach’s tasks experience bonuses, I think that people will feel a greater need to participate in their Be a Pro’s career rather than simulate season to season. Instead of punishing people who like to just simulate by moving them down lines, just let the total experience earning possibility go down. Give incentive for playing the game but don’t really hurt people that like to simulate.
Twenty-Second Feature: Offline to Online Transition Last year and I believe in years past as well (didn’t try NHL10), playing the offline Be a Pro mode has helped you to unlock boosts for online play as well. Well this year, in addition to the boosts (which must be obtained through the difficulty multiplier), endorsements also play a role. As I stated earlier in the endorsements section, you can only obtain a new endorsement deal by playing at least 50% of your games. With the new sim-to-shift engine, this shouldn’t be too difficult or too much to ask. The endorsements that you obtain offline are the same endorsements that will be given to your online BaP. Also, as a bonus to playing the offline BaP mode, you can also achieve an enhanced start to your online EASHL career. For NHL12, they have decided that there will be 18 levels/cards to get to. So if you reach level 18 in offline BaP mode, your online character will start out as a level 6. The last few levels of offline BaP must be extremely difficult to achieve EA!
Twenty-Third Feature: Scouting Combine. Have your rookie participate in the scouting combine. When it is time to decide whether or not to participate in the WJHCs make a note that your stamina will be lower when you participate in the combine. Have the drills that rookies perform in real life with a mini game for each of them. Pretty simple.
It's been stated that much of this article pertains to cut scenes and so let me explain why:
I have based most of this article on just the addition of cut scenes but it is the cut scenes that get you immersed in the story of it all and cut scenes don't take much time to create. If they create varying cut scenes and not just the same 2 or 3, the story becomes much more appealing and it will attract you to this mode. This mode is very similar offline as it is to online. The online mode should be all out gameplay. The offline mode needs to have a story for it to appeal. It felt like a punishment going through those 2 seasons of BaP to unlock the boosts. There needs to be a story.
Path to the draft is extremely important. This is what sucks you into the mode and creates your initial journey. At the very least, they need to implement this type of feature and add the agent as well. Keep in mind, you only get drafted once and so it is important to make that first experience appealing enough to grab your attention. Maybe I'm asking for too much to get interviews and virtual apartments and I probably am. But those features can be developed and worked on over time and don't need to go in right away.
I think that most of these requests are reasonable if EA is serious about this mode and wants a revolution. If you have anything to add I’ll make a spot on the OP where you have made a good suggestion and also credit you with what you’ve said.
Suggested Features:
Suggested by / inspired by Mad_Habber: Salary could be used as a way to make off-season improvement in training availability. Also, salary could be used for charity to increase ego. The different leagues should give different pros and cons. Some leagues will give you more playing time + experience, but less salary and notary. Here is what Mad_Habber suggested:
CHL: low pay, high playing time, mid competition (high draft status)
Most Euro Leagues: Mid pay, low playing time, high competition level (high draft status)
Swiss League: High Pay, mid playing time, mid competition level (poor draft status)
KHL League: High pay, low playing time, high competition level (poor draft status)
AHL: mid-high pay, low to high playing time, mid/high competition
NHL: high pay, low to high playing, highest competition level.
With these differences, players may actually want to take the extra year in the Juniors or AHL after the draft to earn more experience and have the better shot at rookie of the year. I think that would be interesting.
Features that have been confirmed! It has been confirmed that you will be able to simulate to your next shift. This will allow you to take realistic shift lengths and have a realistic amount of time played every game. Also, you could even afford to play the game with full 20 minute periods. This also allows your team mates to accomplish more, taking some of the pressure off of you. In addition, it has been confirmed the at least the HP Pavilion Center will feature the Shark Head on the ice! You can also play four full seasons in the CHL.
Once again, special thanks to Mad_Habber, C_Schultz, ALB71878, Volcomkid911, ThrowinSauce14, Dylan1771, and Oilersguru for their suggestions.
Here is the onem4n4rmyy Be a Pro experience:
You finally get to put in that new NHL12 game you’ve been waiting all summer long for. You first check out HUT mode to find no changes worth trying (just kidding). You’ve been reading about how Be a Pro mode has been revolutionized for NHL12 and so you decide to go for that first even though you’re more of an EASHL fan. Plus, the bonuses available in Be a Pro will still help your online pro as well.
You are brought to a menu which says: Full CHL Career (4 years), One CHL Season, One European League Season, Memorial Cup, Choose Team. You decide to play just one CHL Season.
And so your journey begins. You have selected to play a full season in the CHL. You decide to play for the Windsor Spitfires. You have already created your player at this point and so you have him exactly the way you want him: 17 years old, 6’1’’, 190lbs. You are brought to an arena and the coach is sitting down at the bench calling you over. You go over to the coach and he tells you that you better get on that ice. You step on the ice and the assistant coaches are running some drills. First, are the defensive drills.
You are matched up against one of the average players on the Spitfires and asked to defend him one-on-one. In your first round you attempt to hit him and miss, leading to a goal. The coaches and the team look disappointed in your performance and skeptical about your skills. From there on out you perform quite well though. At the end of the practice the coach tells you that your role for the season is to be a playmaker, based on the fact that you excelled in the passing, you were a good stick-checker, poor hitter, and not that developed with your shot yet. You accept your role and receive a 100xp bonus to all areas. (If you decline the role and choose another you will not receive the bonus).
Now, you go back to your apartment. There, you look around and see a TV which is playing your favorite show: NHL On The Fly. You see an unopened laptop and a bed. Being a 17 year old CHLer you only have access to a studio apartment. This isn’t The Sims and so you don’t have to eat or do anything ridiculous. Your phone goes off; it’s the GM and he would like to welcome you to the team. You now exit the apartment and head over to arena where the GM is waiting for you.
You enter an office that has the GM, coach, and your agent. The GM says that he is thrilled that you have decided to play for the Windsor Spitfires and that he expects you to help maintain their winning tradition. The coach then says that he thinks you will fit in nicely with their system and become an elite playmaker. You then are pulled aside by your agent.
Your agent gives you the rundown on how the new mode will work. He explains to you that what you say in interviews will affect how you are regarded by your team mates and media; you are warned. He tells you that you have agreed to stay with him for your first year and that he hopes you choose to keep him when you move on to the NHL because he knows you will be a star.
Before your first game you are given your first endorsement deal from Warrior. This deal will give you free equipment and give you very limited boosts. You then proceed to play throughout the season.
As you play you participate in practices, communicate with your agent, and take notice of your draft hype meter which also includes a more detailed listing of where the scouts think you’ll end up. You perform quite well throughout the year, completing most of the tasks that the coach assigns you and are able to get up to a 77 overall. You decide to grow a playoff beard seeing as how your team has managed to make the memorial cup playoffs. You manage to win the cup with a 4-point performance in the deciding match. Your performance in the memorial cup has won you the MVP and your draft hype has gotten you to 2nd overall on most scouts lists.
At this point you are extremely anxious to begin your career in the NHL and you want to be fully rested for the scouting combine so you forgo the World Junior Hockey Championships.
The scouting combine has come and it is time to perform. You do well but not the best at the combine. All the tests are run like mini games having you balance the analogs and repeatedly hit buttons.
Finally the draft has come. Your agent wishes you luck and says he expects you to go early. You are welcomed to your seat which has your family waiting for you. The announcers are presenting who they think will go in the top 10. You are listed as the probable #2 selection. The announcers show your top plays from the year that you have previously saved and make note of how much potential you have. They say that you are probably not NHL ready but that it wouldn’t surprise them if you were to make it on an NHL team. Now the draft starts and you see 3 players go before you with Nail Yakupov going as the first pick. Your player starts to look nervous and disappointed. The scouts are a little flabbergasted that so many teams have passed on you. Finally, Gary Bettman walks up to the podium to a resounding “boo” and announces that the fourth pick belongs to the Edmonton Oilers. Moments later, the Oilers GM goes to the podium to announce that with the fourth pick they have selected from the OHL and Windsor Spitfires, John David. The announcers discuss how great a pick that is for them and how they expect there to be a dynasty in the making with all of the great young talent in Edmonton. The announcers are a little surprised they’ve drafted another forward early in the first round but note how they could not afford to pass on you. You go up to the podium and are given an Edmonton jersey with 12 on it and take a picture. You are then escorted to the front where your first interview is waiting.
You arrive at the hot-seat and told you will be on the air in 10 seconds. You are nervous as you have never had this kind of national attention before. The interview begins. The first question is asked:
“How do you feel about being drafted by Edmonton?”
Option 1: “Honestly, I hate Edmonton and can’t stand the thought of spending any more time in Canada.”
Option 2: “I am anxious to begin my career as an NHL player and I am excited to play for any franchise.”
Option 3: “I have grown up watching the Oilers and I think that I am joining a team that has a bunch of great guys that are looking to get back to winning and I like what the organization is doing.”
As a positive ego type of guy, you choose option 3 and receive +2 to your ego that is noted on the side.
Question 2: “How do you feel about going fourth in the draft when most scouts had you at #2?”
Option 1: “You know, it really doesn’t matter to me. As long as I am drafted it doesn’t matter when I go.”
Option 2: “I think those teams have made mistakes as it is obvious that I will be a star in the near future.”
Option 3: “I was a little disappointed but at this point I need to forget that and get ready for camp.”
You choose option one and receive +2 to your ego. There are a few more questions and the GM also has some comments about drafting you.
You are now back at the apartment and your TV is replaying your draft. You open the laptop and go to NHL.com where it has some news about the draft. You are actually a little disappointed going fourth but yet happy to be in Edmonton. The articles seem to be rather positive about you and most writers are a little amazed that you slid to fourth considering the potential you have.
You then proceed to training camp where you will undergo a week of practice capped off by a prospect game. You perform well in the camp and you are able to get your overall to a 78. You also manage to assist on two goals in the rookie game and the coach has something to say at the end. “You have managed to impress us this off-season and we are looking forward to what you can do in the preseason. If you can continue to perform you may be able to make the NHL squad.”
You are happy about this opportunity to skip the AHL as you really just want to get started. Preseason comes and goes and you played well yet again. You manage to get up to a 79 overall now. The regular season is just around the corner and Oilers.com has some opinion articles suggesting that you should make the squad. Your agent calls you to inform you that the team would like you to start with the Oilers all the way up on the 2nd line. You are amazed but confident that you can fill the role. The Oilers have decided to keep you as a playmaker and you choose to accept. Your offensive attributes look like this:
Deking: 81
Hand-eye: 78
Offensive Awareness: 76
Passing: 86
Puck Control: 82
SSA: 75
SSP: 73
WSA: 78
WSP: 76
You are also regarded as a positive ego player and are able to help influence your team mates’ progression in shooting attributes minimally as you are still only a rookie.
You arrive at the arena and it is your first game. You are escorted to the locker-room and see all the different Oilers getting dressed. Your locker is located right in between Taylor Hall’s and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins‘, hopefully foreshadowing your role as the first line RW. Your coach comes in and gives the pre-game speech and you go out onto the ice to practice and warm up for a few minutes. There are a ton of pucks on the ice and you are skating around without your helmet shooting on the goalie and getting a feel for the puck. The fans are still arriving but it is already quite loud in the building.
The puck is dropped. You wait on the bench and decide to watch the first shift instead of simulating. Goal, Florida. You can’t believe the season has started out this way. Your coach is screaming and your task is to go out and make something happen. The face-off is won back to the defense who passes up to you. You skate into the zone, make a loose-puck deke around the defender and make a terrific pass to Jordan Eberle who roofs it just past the blocker. The crowd is going insane and a team mate has picked up the puck from the net and given it to you.
The game ends 3-2 and you have won. The coach is happy, you are happy, and the fans are happy. You are elected as the first star of the game with two assists. An interview awaits you.
Question: “How does it feel to get off to such a great start?”
Option chosen: “It feels great. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and I am so relieved it has finally come.” +1 ego
Question: “Where do you go from here?”
Option chosen: “Only up. I think we have a great bunch of guys here and I think that we will do great things this season.” +1 ego
You go back to your apartment and in your trophy case now lies a puck with tape on it stating: “First assist.” You also have a tape next to it with the highlight of your great deke and then pass to Eberle for the goal.
Your rookie year is about over and the Oilers have failed to make the playoffs. The coach is disappointed in the team but not necessarily you. You were able to get to the first line and you had 18 goals and 51 assists for 69 points. Pretty good for a rookie considering you weren’t playing with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. In fact, good enough to get you a nomination for rookie of the year. You lose the Calder to Nail Yakupov who scored 37 goals and recorded another 40 assists for 77 points. The headlines on NHL.com are Nail nails the Calder. You are disappointed as this was your only rookie season and only chance to win the Calder (obviously).
It is now year 4. In year 2 you recorded 23 goals and 63 assists but had a first-round exit in the playoffs. In year 3 you had 31 goals and 58 assists and made it all the way to the conference finals. Your overall is now a 87 with Hall as a 89 and RNH as a 87 as well. Your ego is high enough that in-game you were able to give a total of +6 to Hall’s and RNH’s shooting attributes that you decided to just give Hall. It is now the off-season and you are a restricted free agent. You have gotten a new agent due to your skill level who is better at getting you the deals you want. Your agent asks you what your interest is and gives you these options:
Option: Stay with Edmonton
Option: Demand a trade
You decide to stay with Edmonton.
Your agent then asks you what you are looking for in terms of years and dollars. You decide on another 3 years with 6 million per.
Your agent comes back to you a few days later and presents the Oilers offer: 5 years, 5.5 for the first three and 7.0 for the last two. You decide to just accept rather than haggle and risk making a scene.
In your fourth year you manage to win the Stanley Cup. Actually, you repeat in your 5th year as well. You are in the making of a dynasty. The 6th season is just starting and you have averaged more than a point per game throughout your career. You are truly a star but no Gretzky (you are playing on superstar difficulty to receive the maximum multiplier bonus). You have 2 Stanley cups and 1 Conn-Smythe. The first week of the season is over and you are a surprising 0-3. You receive a phone call from the GM announcing that they have decided to trade you to the Los Angeles Kings in return for Dustin Brown and two 2nd round draft picks. The NHL.com site is titled: “Gretzky all over again?”
You are disappointed in the trade but also anxious to make a difference in Los Angeles. In your first season you find yourself paired up with Kopitar and another EA made player. Your overall is now a 92 and you are finally getting really good at this mode. Your role for the Kings has you as a Sniper now. You score 53 goals and record another 78 assists for 131 points. You win the MVP and you also win the Stanley Cup in the first year with the Kings. For your 7th year you are now wearing the ‘A’ on your jersey and are regarded as a true superstar.
Your 22 season career ends and you finish with 2,362 points and just over 1,000 goals. You have won 6 Stanley cups, 7 MVPs, and 4 Conn-Symthes. You finish as a 83 overall with your highest overall being a 98. You are regarded as one of the top 3 forwards of all-time and you are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Your first 5 seasons were spent with the Oilers and your final 17 you remained with the Kings. You can now always go back and look at your highlights you’ve saved from your career including your first 50 in 50 goal, your 1000th career goal, and your 2000th career point. You also purchased a mansion in Edmonton and Los Angeles. You reached the maximum levels of cards (18th) and can start the EASHL as a 6th level player. -onem4n4rmyy
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07-30-2011, 05:11 AM
