A way to make nhl 18 gm mode the best ever

[jonasty]

i wish they would make it so in franchise we dont know players overalls that are on other teams, we need to pro scout to find ratings and roles out so that trading will take awhile to come together because you will send pro scouts out to scout nhl or ahl teams or certain players

Say if im looking for a 1st line rw and i try to trade for a guy w 2 30 goal seasons if i dont scout him he may be only 83 overall and only have had 30 because his linemates may have just boosted his stats ect. It would add alot to the mode Imo

And on top of that.... Add custom draft classes and spread out the overalls for players more to differentiate them more
And also ofcourse free agency and the deadline should acctually feel like a frenzy with a clocl counting down and players rumoured to be on block and you you can make a big board that will update if those players are traded or signed or rumoured ect.

Last thing id like to see is lile madden has... Development traits but have them compliment the potential so maybe i can have a franchise center with a slow development so he may take afew years to develop opposed to a top 6 with fast development and if they have this just have the red /green and indications of risk or chance they will acheive

[Money99]

LOL, that didn't take long.
NHL '17 is more than a month away from release and we already have our first "NHL 18 needs this" thread, haha.

[skrody]

to be honest that change to the fifa franchise ruined that game for me. i like the idea of having scouts and putting them to use. i'd rather use them for international players / prospects than anything though.

[Simple Mathematics]

It may be early, but I agree with everything the O.P. said. I suggested the hiding of overalls a few years ago too. I think it would add a sense of realism.

[Roscosuper]

I don't like the idea of hiding overalls. It's really not a mystery in any sports world as to who's who. Scouts should be looking for weaknesses in the other team. That could be things like matchups, changes in strategy, changes in the lineups, possible injuries, a rookie that's getting a chance, hot and cold streaks etc. I'm sure the list could go on and on. Basically it's data that the coaching staff can use to formulate a game plan.


How that could work with our current state of sports gaming? It would probably have to start out very basic and grow over time.

[jonasty]

It would add the chance of adding duds in trade or free agency ... In the game now theres no way of doing that, its like when the leafs signed clarkson they thought they were getting a 1st line winger... I just beleive theres no chances yoi can take in the game right now that can completely alter your franchise negatively. It would just make me personally deal with my franchise later if i thought i was getting a 1st line winger for 5x5mill but instead they turn out to be a 4th liner

[actionhank]

I really like the "Fog of War" idea for ratings. I think a better way to have it would be a very general overall, that could raise or lower based on how much is known about them.

No one's going to question anything about someone like Ovechkin or Crosby. But, it would be nice to have those random players in a team's farm system, or minor league players have a more vague number with no specifics. Sure, you might know that the top scorer in the AHL belongs to another team, and he's putting up points, but you won't have a real reflection of how good his wrist shot is, specifically how quick he is. You'll just know that from what you've heard, he's a sniper, he's got 20 goals on the season, and he's listed as "Speedy and creative, with a good shot". Then having your scouts check some of his games out could focus it in a bit more. You'll see that his skating isn't the best, but he practices hard, so you might be able to improve that. Your scouts could give you a guess on his potential ceiling, and where he sits now. That would be an awesome addition for people who really want to get into scouting out their perfect players.

Another thing I would love would be more interaction between the NHL and other leagues. Being able to try and get players to come over from European leagues. Having your rookies play overseas and signing them to new contracts and getting that hot Finnish goalie prospect to come play for your AHL team.

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but I think the international coaching opportunities from World Juniors and up would be huge, and a lot of potential fun, especially now that World Cup hockey is something they've added to the game. It would be great to get offers from other nations, and goals based on those offers. Obviously, Canada will be expecting to push for gold most of the time.
One of the most fun aspects of my seasons with the GM mode in FIFA was always being a manager of my European team and just playing along, until it came time to get some offers for International teams. I started trying to just get Finland qualified in the game, and had to look at our group and what kind of teams I was going up against. The same thing would be great in NHL. Do you opt for an older more experienced team, or do you go with a younger team and try to win with speed and transition play? Similarly, their demands might change. A team like Slovenia may be content with just making the tournament, and anything after that is just icing on the cake. Team USA on the other hand will be severely disappointed if you don't make the tournament, and might not invite you back if you can't at least place for a medal.

Other than that, more interaction with the players in the game would be huge. It doesn't even have to be players being mad about their ice time (though that's nice, if it actually affects their play, and potentially the locker room around them) but things like negotiating contracts mid season (and having players demand more/less depending on their performance and age) and just making free agency and the trade deadline more interesting. Right now, teams just seems to pick guys up and trade them for whatever reason. A team that's in 2nd to last place might still trade rookies and picks for a veteran, even though it's the last thing they need. Similarly, at free agent time, it would be awesome to see a players' value rise and fall depending on what is available, what teams need, and more importantly their performance and age. A 26 year old center who has had 4 straight seasons of prime scoring should be able to demand big money when it comes time, and ask for longer term. Similarly, a 29 year old center in a market that's pretty dry should also be able to ask for more money and term, forcing GM's to decide if they want to suck it up and take those 2 good years, along with the 3 bad ones at the end of the contract.

On that note, I think player development needs to be looked at. Younger players developing would be great if you could potentially influence it, and maybe have guys change positions with training and practice, but maybe also have their be a negative hit to their attributes if they're in a position they don't normally play. Similarly, older players should start to fall off at a certain point. I think it would be interesting to have some algorithm that takes their current skills and moves attributes down as they age, based on performance, injury history, and age. This way, guys who have really great hands and shots will still hold value. Iginla type players will still have use in the game, but might have to be used more smartly. They won't be able to just dominate and carry play on the 2nd line, due to their durability, speed, and skating slowing down and getting worse, but thanks to their hands, vision, and shooting they will still be able to contribute on the powerplay with more open ice, and when properly used and setup in the offensive zone. This would also force teams to get younger players up, and shift their teams around. As it stands now, Jackman is still more valuable to your team over younger rookies, because he doesn't suffer from the affects of age or speed deteriorating.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by skrody

to be honest that change to the fifa franchise ruined that game for me. i like the idea of having scouts and putting them to use. i'd rather use them for international players / prospects than anything though.

I think like most of these options, they would be better if they could be selected either on or off.

Not everyone cares about scouting, so maybe let them switch off "Ratings Fog" or something like that, forcing them to utilize their scouts to get player ratings, while others can just play free of the worry.