@Treb - Good timing!
NHL32X 1.0
NHL32X is the next phase of my sandbox experiment database editing. It combines a totally updated NHL32 database with Seattle with my new playable WHA league, some other new league options and seven different Seattle identities with the updated NHL32X Graphics Pack. NHL32X is meant to be a hybrid database - firmly rooted in updated and accurate players, prospects, ratings and rosters but with obviously fantasy-based add-ons such as the Seattle NHL team, the entire WHA and ICC leagues and streamlined European leagues with added promotion/relegation for many.
***NOTE***
The database has been tested with ALL leagues on enhanced with added players and staff to about 2029 in my test sims with no errors that killed the game. Every once in a while there is an error that you click through with no issues. The ONLY EXCEPTION is that the British Second Tier (NIHL) is not yet working properly.
DO NOT SELECT THE BRITISH NATIONAL ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE when starting a game until notified otherwise. The Elite Ice Hockey League works just fine though.
Features of NHL32X
Seattle as the 32nd NHL team
- Seattle is of course in the database. And includes an updated Seattle expansion draft import file with modified results based on refined ratings. If you use the import file, you'll get to start off with a fairly solid team in Seattle.
The big news with this update though is there are SEVEN Seattle identities included in the database and associated NHL32 logo pack. Which means you can use the EHM pre-game editor to customized your Seattle club identity with just a few clicks...each identity comes with a complete set of logos and colors. You can even switch your Seattle identity with the editor in a saved game if you get bored of one look and want soemthing fresh. There is a TXT file with all the Seattle identities listed, with correct naming and suggested color schemes to match the logos. Can be edited into either a pregame database or saved file with archi's EHM Editor.
Click here to preview all the identities you can use:
Eastside Hockey Manager - Part VII
The World Hockey Association and Intercontinental Club Cup
- Added the WHA and ICC as playable leagues. The WHA is of course a reboot of the old WHA league of the 70's and early 80's and features a Canadian, American and European divisions. The ICC is a major intercontinental competition featuring top European (via CHL and Continental Cup), Russian (Gagarin Cup champs) and WHA (Avco Cup Champs) teams in an effort to crown the best club outside the NHL. There is also a WHA diserpsal draft import file that will seed each WHA club with 12 current NHL players/prospects (6 forwards, 4 defenders and 2 goalies) to give each club a bit of a boost to start. I find it helps make things more active with trading and giving the WHA clubs a nice reputation boost.
Click here to read more and see some of the graphics in action:
WHA Reboot - League Info & Testing - EHM The Blue Line
All-Star Game Fix & Config Debug
- The NHL All-Star game has been fixed (was previously not working in NHL32/36. Also the AHL, ECHL, KHL and new WHA All-Star game competitions should all work fine. Additionally, the Debug Mode has been fixed in the extra_config file so Players Likes/Dislikes, Full Transaction Bio Info and all detailed Scouting Report info/comparisons should all be working. Big thanks to archi for the info!
Other Updates
- All major world transactions/extensions as of January 26 - been a while since the last update so there are a lot of changes.
- Mid-Season ratings adjustments for NHL/AHL and top players in major European leagues. Based on 2018-19 seasons thus far for club and for country. Of course, not going to be perfect but should result in much more realistic sims with guys who are breaking out this year and older guys who are faded adjusted. NHL depth charts, Top 10's and prospect lists should behave pretty realistically (though keep in mind what you see on the screen can vary per your AGM/scouting staff). The goal is to have results that are in line with what is happening this season, not what was predicted. You'll probably see teams like the Kings, Blackhawks and Blues struggle mightily while others like the Flames, Islanders and Montreal look surprisingly good. Of course, individual games will vary but seriously - try out the Kings if you want a challenge, they are old, slow and suck and getting a haul via trade for Doughty and Kopitar is easier said than done!
- Complete overhaul of international nations with updated IIHF point rankings, adjusted club colors and completely updated logos for all national teams in the game. I've switched the logos from being those of the "federations" to the actual crests/logos used by the national teams on their jerseys. So, for example, Tre Kronor get the crowns logo for both men's and U20, home and away. And teams like Czech and Finland recently updated their logos. My goal is to eventually add more nations as "hockey competing nations" and start boosting some reputations to try and encourage the CPU develop a broader range of nationalities in the regens.
- Hundreds of new prospects for future NHL drafts added with mid-season adjustments for both drafted and future players with Hlinka, WJC and WHC U17 rosters and results taken into account plus all the knowledge at HFB Prospects forums and national forums. 2019, 2020, 2021 draft classes should behave pretty accurately to the current general "consensus" and a some guys even further down the line in 2022 and 2023 drafts with big potential added.
- Huge clean-up of UFAs...removed retired players (including Nash and Gorges) and tons of old guys and toned down the still unattached players.
- Complete re-do of the NCAA future transfers...almost 1,000 recruits from 2019 through 2023 added (every single NCAA D1 recruit). Streamlined class years so that no team gets overwhelmed by 20 new recruits in a season (which causes the CPU to stupidly release tons of players). Will update year classifications as they solidify.
- Cleaned up British leagues - again, as part of streamlining, I've taken some liberties here, using a two-tier concept with the EIHL still at 12 with Murrayfield Racers taking the place of the old Edinbrough club (they tried to make the 2018-19 season and were rejected but a team in Edinbrough makes sense). NIHL reduced to a single large second-tier competition with all Division 1 (North & South clubs) and a few added clubs like Chelmsford (a traditional D1 power now in D2) and Aberdeen (a Scottish league power). And now there is promotion/relegation from EIHL to NIHL. And rosters have been "cleaned" and updated with top 2018-19 players but aren't going to be full. So yeah, if you want 100% accuracy with British leagues, go with TBL or xECK's rosters - I'm more interested in a concept/challenge where a second-tier British minnow team can eventually win the EIHL and perhaps the Champions League and even the new ICC and be crowned "best in the world" outside the NHL.
- Cleaned up/added Denmark, Norway, Poland, Belarus leagues, now all playable. Rosters tuned up like Britain - cleaned of all old players, teams filled with top performers of 2018-19 (and national team players) but you'll find they aren't full 20+ player rosters. My "cleaning and simplifying" project for club competitions has now touched pretty much all of Europe aside from the Baltic states and some of the old USSR countries. Then next then on to some more unique nations like South Africa, Mexico and Australia - again, to try and encourage some player development in interesting places.
- Graphics Pack includes some several newly discovered update logos in the VHL and MHL over in Russia, re-branding of Sioux Falls Stampede Jr. to Sioux Falls Power and a bunch of other minor updates. Also All-Star logos have been converted to match league logos - tired of seeing 2017 All-Star game logo, etc and even if I update to 2019, it will quickly be out of date. So going with matching league logos for those All-Star league screens. Kootenay has been relocated to the new arena under development in Winnipeg for next season but for now I'm still calling them the Ice (Winnipeg Ice) until the official name and colors drop.
DOWNLOADS
NHL32x 1.0 BETA database
The database download includes: the NHL32x database, associated extra config file, Seattle identity text file, Graphcis credits text file and two import files - one to stock Seattle with an expansion drat and one to stock the WHA clubs with some NHL players/prospects via a dispersal draft as a boost to start with. You of course don't have to use both or either draft file if you don't want to alter current NHL rosters too much and prefer to build your franchise from scratch.
Dropbox - NHL32x 1.0.zip
NHL32x 1.0 Graphics Pack
The Graphics Pack includes all the club/comp logos, national team logos and scratched ice backgrounds for the NHL and WHA (the backgrounds will only be visible at the highest 1920x1080 game resolution). You MUST have the latest dani9 logopack installed first - then overwrite when asked with the graphics in the NHL32x logopack.
Dropbox - NHL32X 1.0 Graphics Pack.zip