NHL 18 Franchise Mode :Expansion Edition
- Thread starter IHaveNoCreativity
- Start date
BruinsFTW
Registered User
Did you sim most of your season or? I find it funny and pointless when people win the cup in their first year of Franchise mode. I mean yeah long as you can make the playoffs you can just dominate your way to the final and win. Well All-Star and Superstar mode maybe not so much this year unless you REALLY edit the sliders.
But to me that seems boring. Why bother even playing it anymore. Usually why I try to pick a **** team or rebuild team and see what I can do. But that's just me. If I win the cup first year I'd have no interest playing the next year. Seems silly. That and I hate NYR n we know they can't beat LA in the finals =p
But to me that seems boring. Why bother even playing it anymore. Usually why I try to pick a **** team or rebuild team and see what I can do. But that's just me. If I win the cup first year I'd have no interest playing the next year. Seems silly. That and I hate NYR n we know they can't beat LA in the finals =p
NYRangers3061
Lets Go Rangers!!!
I sim every game except for the very first game of the regular season. For big playoff games I technically "play" them, but I don't really because I switch so I'm not on either side and just watch.
It definitely does feel a little less motivating now but I built the team so it could win in year 1 because we won't have Hank forever (although I did create Sheshtyorkin).
Hey I didn't think we'd beat the Pens or the B's either but we did
Just won the cup with Vegas in 2025. The new cup celebration is really friggin good. So much better than the old crappy one. Finally looks like an actual cup celebration.
Had to snap a pic of the boys who did it
Bunch of young kids with crappy playoff beards I guess. Lehner makes up for it though
Had to snap a pic of the boys who did it
Bunch of young kids with crappy playoff beards I guess. Lehner makes up for it though
Wow. And immediately my immersion into the game mode gets broken, when Conn Smythe winner Robin Lehner drops 2 ratings after the best season of his career, AND despite wanting an extension and having FULL MORALE he tells me "I'm not happy on this team anymore and I think its time for me to leave"
BruinsFTW
Registered User
I sim every game except for the very first game of the regular season. For big playoff games I technically "play" them, but I don't really because I switch so I'm not on either side and just watch.
It definitely does feel a little less motivating now but I built the team so it could win in year 1 because we won't have Hank forever (although I did create Sheshtyorkin).
Hey I didn't think we'd beat the Pens or the B's either but we did
Yeah I can't blame people simming right now..for multiple reasons. One because the "real" rosters aren't even out so some people are just checking stuff out and seeing how the simming, scouting, drafting, trading etc changed this year.
I usually play other modes until what I consider the "real" rosters come out haha. I like to play majority of the games so no sense in starting now.
Plus I usually have two going on. I play Bostons as the real time games happen, I try to play the one game that day or nearby or at least do the week. Wish NHL had a mode like Madden that made it similar. And then I have my other one of whatever team and doing whichever, I try to play most games but I wind up simming here n there because it gets to be a lot. I play majority of the playoffs however.
Just won the cup with Vegas in 2025. The new cup celebration is really friggin good. So much better than the old crappy one. Finally looks like an actual cup celebration.
Had to snap a pic of the boys who did it
Bunch of young kids with crappy playoff beards I guess. Lehner makes up for it though
Nice! 2025 wow. Lot of seasons simmed. How the rosters look? And development?
Also I've heard a few people say the celebration is a lot better. Good to hear. About goddamn time!
Wow. And immediately my immersion into the game mode gets broken, when Conn Smythe winner Robin Lehner drops 2 ratings after the best season of his career, AND despite wanting an extension and having FULL MORALE he tells me "I'm not happy on this team anymore and I think its time for me to leave"
Lmao. classic. Gotta love it. But I mean sometimes it happens. I mean after 2013 and Bostons cup run Horton bailed to CBJ for more money. He was doing great in Boston. Tho the rumors with Seguin and his wife may of had something to do with it. But sometimes it's just money, family or the young rook banging your wife, Ya never know. But yeah I will admit it's odd, and sucks.
WeegarUnderwood
Fan of Intangibles
So I'm playing New Jersey for GM mode and I'm in the year 2 draft (2019) with the fourth overall pick (even though I had the worst record, stupid lottery) and the entire first round was full of guys no higher than 57 overall lol. Literally every top 5 pick was 55/56 overall and had top six or top 4 potential.
I thought EA said drafted players were gonna be more NHL ready and stuff? Pretty stupid, now I have to edit a bunch of guys just to make rebuilding worthwhile.
Classic EA smh
I thought EA said drafted players were gonna be more NHL ready and stuff? Pretty stupid, now I have to edit a bunch of guys just to make rebuilding worthwhile.
Classic EA smh
tacogeoff
Registered User
So besides the expansion draft. has franchise mode been upgraded at all? In terms of static/realistic development, scouting and the draft?
I'm having roster issues like last year even with morale and all that garbage turned off, stacked team, can't even make the playoffs
by stacked I mean 85+ 1st liners 83+ 2nd liners 81+ 3rd liners 79+ 4th liners
Def 85+ 83+ 81+ pairings
85 goalie
all simming.
by stacked I mean 85+ 1st liners 83+ 2nd liners 81+ 3rd liners 79+ 4th liners
Def 85+ 83+ 81+ pairings
85 goalie
all simming.
SlapshotTheMovie
Registered User
- Jan 18, 2013
- 3,101
- 1,174
Scouting is the same. Trade Block is the same. Simming is just as random. Drafting is horrible. The only real thing added is being able to extend players mid season. However its either broken or flaw in that so you sign someone to a two year exctension. In the second year you can sign them to an extension again. It only lets you sign players that are currently on a deal done in Free Agency or resign period.
Free agency is still broken in the sense that players dont sign deals for a week after free agency starts when in real life every big name is done in the first 48 hours.
The new menu's are kinda alright but realistically its the same exact mode as 2017,2016, and 2015 but looks nicer.
Shad
Registered User
- Mar 5, 2011
- 1,128
- 1,065
tacogeoff
Registered User
Thanks for the detail and it is good to know. Was going to give it a test run at a friend's house who bought it tonight BUT I don't think the expansion draft and extensions are enough to get me to buy this version. on to wait for 19 I guess ha.
The year 2 draft is **** because they fixed the game's generated prospects, but didn't edit any real life guys to be good for the second year.
It's weird, after a while the low ratings seem to go back to normal and there are a ton of 90+ guys. Kucherov is a 96....
Player roles are weird. They said 80 was a good third liner and fringe 2nd liner, but my 80 Cody Glass has been stuck as "depth forward". He puts up points tho
I met a couple of them, but right before the draft I was fired, guess I should've made the playoffs?
Dagistitsyn
Registered User
Dagistitsyn
Registered User
Cyborg Yzerberg
Registered User
I'm in year 4 and it takes everyone that isn't Dahlin, Hischier, or Patrick YEARS to develop into NHL players. It's really, really bad. It makes doing the 32 team expansion impossible, because none of your prospects develop quickly.
Dagistitsyn
Registered User
Do you have these prospects that are not developing signed or no? Are they playing ?
Patch is out, it's a big one:
https://www.operationsports.com/nhl...date-available-now-full-patch-notes-included/
Re-Alignment is in, lazy EA should of had it right away.
East Coast Icestyle
Registered User
I mean, it's been a week since release, it's not as if they left it out for half the year.
