Dynasty Musings: NHL 11's Be a GM Completely Misses the Mark

[tomzenns]

NHL 08 was, and still is, my fav.

[Dave Pearson]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jgainsey

Yeah, I have no doubt that they would. It's just that many of these issues really don't take all that long discover. Most of them would become apparent just by simulating a few season. I don't wanna make a big thing out of it, or bash OS, or anything like that. I just found it odd that the game was originally praised by this site, only to have one of it's most important game modes basically declared broken.

That was also a different person writing the review. Not everyone here thinks the same things about each game. I'm not bashing the reviewer at all, because I can guarantee that things that are more important to me (like franchise and dynasty modes) might not be as important to other potential reviewers. For instance, I love the gameplay. I like the new passing, and I like the way goals are scored with some slider tweaks. It's as real of a hockey experience as you're going to get.

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by TDKing

You left this off your list, " The option to customize season length in GM Mode 20/40/82". Not wanting to sim any games and the daunting task of having to play 82 games a season makes this mode unplayable for me.

Yep, this option is long overdue.

I don't like the idea of simming either...and to this point, refuse to do it.

The idea imo behind any franchise mode is to play multiple seasons. So you have the chance to develop your players and team. With having at least some type of life outside of playing NHL...really developing your franchise team isn't possible. Hence with NHL's GM mode...I just can't get out of it what I'd really like...to grow my team. I simply can't play several seasons of 82+ games. And would get bored to death trying.

I love off-line franchise mode. And I'd love to be able to play NHL's GM mode to it's fullest...but I can't. Please EA, let us truly enjoy all the great things your adding to your GM mode, by providing us with the chance to play several seasons. As is this modes intention. By giving us the option to customize our season length.

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

Yep, this option is long overdue. I don't like the idea of simming either...and to this point, refuse to do it. The idea imo behind any franchise mode is to play multiple seasons. So you have the chance to develop your players and team. With having at least some type of life outside of playing NHL...really developing your franchise team isn't possible. Hence with NHL's GM mode...I just can't get out of it what I'd really like...to grow my team. I simply can't play several seasons of 82+ games. And would get bored to death trying. I love off-line franchise mode. And I'd love to be able to play NHL's GM mode to it's fullest...but I can't. Please EA, let us truly enjoy all the great things your adding to your GM mode, by providing us with the chance to play several seasons. As is this modes intention. By giving us the option to customize our season length.

Great post, Vikes. I agree 100%. I'm actually thinking about just doing a one-off Season instead of Be A GM since I know that there's no way I'll get through multiple seasons having to play all 82 games (I refuse to sim, too). I would really like to build my team and perhaps, if you don't buy games every year, you can do so, but if you buy the game yearly, it is really difficult. Especially if you play other video games in addition to NHL.

I'm glad that EA has Playoff Mode and Battle For The Cup as this does help increase the replayability of this game. You can make any matchup you want and get to experience some of the cool post-season presentation elements of the game without having to play 100-plus games.

NBA 2K11 is great b/c I can play either 29- or 58-game Associations, I'm not just stuck with 82 games.

Sports games are at their best when they give the user as many options as possible.

[metallicatz]

There are some good points, but keep in mind it's simply your own opinion (which is no more valid than anybody else's) about whether or not the mode is "unplayable". Some of the cited aspects are frustrating to be sure, but i'm still having a great time with BAGM and find it very far from being "unplayable". Be careful of who you're trying to speak for when making blanket statements like that, because you sure don't speak for me.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by udungoofed

I don't for a second believe that EA shipped the game without being aware of these issues, or at the very least some of them. I wish there was certain legalities behind a game publisher/developer marketing up game features that are shipped...BROKEN. EA does this far, far, far too often. Every game requires waiting on a patch to make the mode usable and in most cases it doesn't fully rectify the issues, or even worse, breaks something else (Madden Patch 3 breaking Gameplanning). It's just not right how the consumers get lead to believe something polished is coming, when it's actually entirely unplayable.

While i understand the frustration, too many people take patching to be a negative instead of the positive it really is.
Back before patching was possible (On PC it wasn't that common, and it's just now being done full scale for consoles) but now you have the ability to fix problems in the game post-release.
Before you would have been stuck with the game as is.
And while i'm sure it has in some cases lead to developers being forced to push a game out before it's fully complete, i don't doubt that it's less of an extreme, instead of the norm.
I can't think of the last game i owned for the PC that didn't require at least one patch.
It's just the nature of coding.
As things get more complex, and more advanced, there will be more flaws and openings for people to exploit.
It's impossible for them to be able to catch everything, despite the seemingly obvious flaws they missed in BeAGM

[BaylorBearBryant]

These issues have been disappointing to say the least. I hate the one regarding prospect goalies and how they can't ever reach a 90 OVR. Once again with EA, the game looks good on the outside, but when you dwell deep inside, you find numerous flaws.

[canucksss]

EA is going to release a new tuner tonite. my question is this, how come EA dont release a patch that will address the issues here in the BGM mode? ITS BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH now since the release and still this BGM mode is still not working properly (since 2009). Will this be their marketing ploy for 2012 "re-invented Be A GM mode" or a "breakthrough of all breakthroughs in Sim sports in terms of Franchise/BGM mode" etc.