Eastside Hockey Manager - Part VII

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filip85

Registered User
Feb 7, 2017
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I never do vacation. I keep myself occupied with setting up exhibition schedules, tours, and whatnot.

I usually go to vacation after I signed players I want to (that's usually till mid-May) and came back on June 30th to see UFA/RFA and see if some NHL veteran is wiling to sign with me.
 

The Feckless Puck

Registered Loser
Sponsor
Oct 26, 2006
18,236
10,488
I never do vacation. I keep myself occupied with setting up exhibition schedules, tours, and whatnot.

The only times I go on vacation are when I've missed the playoffs and I want to get to June 7th quickly. I do vacation from the start of the playoffs until May 3rd, then after I sign whichever prospects I want whose rights are expiring, I go back on vacation until June 7th.
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
@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
 
Last edited:

abo9

Registered User
Jun 25, 2017
9,082
7,177
@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 Graphics Pack.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

Thanks for all the hard work :O I cannot wait to try this little gem!
 

Treb

Global Flanderator
May 31, 2011
28,179
27,934
Montreal
@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.

-snip-
:banana::banana::banana::partytime::partytime::wave::highclap::highclap::hyper::hyper::hyper::vhappy::vhappy:


Well, there goes the rest of my day. :laugh:
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
Seattle Expansion Draft Results - Import File

If you use the Import File as is for the Seattle expansion draft, this will be your starting depth chart. Of course, you can customize the results as you want!

2743d15cea46175c85ebaee2f87f48e2.png
 
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BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
WHA Dispersal Draft Results - Import File

If you decide to play around with the WHA I highly suggest you use the import file for the WHA Dispersal Draft. It will stock your club and all WHA clubs with at least the start of a roster.

Drafted players from the NHL clubs were selected so as not to totally kill any NHL club's depth chart at any one position, although obviously between the Seattle Expansion Draft and WHA Dispersal Draft, NHL teams are losing around 7-8 players each so it will make an impact.

All WHA USA clubs start with all USA players, all Canada Division clubs start with all Canadian players and all Euro clubs start with Euro players. I even tried to give some of the Euro clubs a hometown star (ie, Bellemare for PSG, Nielsen for Copenhagen, Martinsen for Oslo and Perlini for London...Perlini of course is also Canadian but his brother plays for GB and so I've switched his allegiance to GB as well for fun). The Nordiques also start with all native Quebec players. There are no domestic/foreigner rules though so as the game progresses you can sign or trade for whomever you want.

4f9df20539220b22a78452c24b5add45.jpg

80671fb3fb3172ae47541ef0bfe5a6cb.jpg

1c8ed6419711df16343d0d64c6ce8064.jpg
 
Last edited:

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
I'm particularly interested if anybody tries out a WHA franchise, what that is like. There is no draft ability so that's a bummer but I've tried to make the WHA as fully-featured as possible. All-Star game, full weekly, monthly and end of season awards to match the NHL basically, the Intercontinental Club Cup as an additional competition possibility, etc. Interested in seeing the highest level of players people are able to attract and if they can keep hold of them or if they eventually get poached by NHL clubs.
 

Treb

Global Flanderator
May 31, 2011
28,179
27,934
Montreal
First thing I see is that most teams let go of one of their 2 goalies within the first month when you use the wha draft file. Might need to get them a lesser 2nd goalie.
 
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BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
Forgot to mention - if having the WHA isn't your thing and you just want to be able to play with a 32-team NHL, simply don't turn on the WHA in the setup options and obviously don't run the WHA Dispersal Draft import file. I think you'll find the impact of just having the WHA in the game as an unplayable background league will have extremely minimal/no impact on your managing an NHL team.
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
And since I'm always tinkering, I've already thought of where I want to take the WHA next after perhaps some testing by people with this initial NHL32X database...

Basically the goal would be a new division in Central/Eastern Europe to give the WHA 24 teams and allow me to break the structure up into 2 conferences...North America and Europe, with USA, Canada, Eastern Europe and Central Europe divisions. The schedule would be mostly within conference with perhaps a single round of North America vs Europe games in the middle of the season. That would be fairly realistic - and then each conference would have playoffs resulting in a North America vs European team Avco Cup each season.

The time consuming part will be creating the schedule. For teams, I'm thinking the following....I again am going to avoid countries that already have rich leagues so no Swiss or German teams and avoid countries that have a KHL presence.

- Austria: This is easy. I'd promote Red Bull Salzburg to the WHA and keep an "EC Salzburg" based on their traditional history prior to Red Bull in the EBEL. But having a Red Bull funded team in the WHA that is trying to compete with the KHL for best league outside the NHL makes a ton of sense.

- Poland: Another no-brainer choice for me. Relatively small domestic league but a population base that could support growth market for a centralized WHA team. Could promote a traditional power like Cracovia or Tychy but I'll probably create a new super team and leave the domestic rivalries intact.

- Italy: I think here I'd just promote HC Bolzano who are by far the most high profile club to the WHA. They already don't play in the same league (EBEL vs Alps) as the rest of the Italian clubs. I'd just have to fill their spot in the EBEL with another Italian or Austrian club.

- Ukraine: This one may be a bit out there but I really like the idea of a Ukrainian club for growth of the sport in that country. Donbass would be the historical choice to promote as a former KHL member but that could be touchy logistically and politically so probably looking at a new club in the Western portion of the country, Kiev or what not.

- Hungary: Like Bolzano in Italy, Fehervar already don't play with any other Hungarian team (they are in the EBEL) so it would be simple to promote them and just replace their spot in the EBEL.

- Czech Republic: I know I said no teams in countries with big established leagues but perhaps a single team in the Czech Republic could be the WHA version of the KHL having Jokerit in Finland. And I wouldn't have to mess with breaking up any of the current Extraliga, I'd just bring back Lev Praha who were a new team from years ago that tried to establish itself in the KHL.

Other options would be to bring Medvescak in...as a former KHL team, they have some credibility and like Bolzano and Fehervar, they currently play in the EBEL. They are probably in as #6 if I don't use Lev Praha for the Czech Republic. Iceland probably doesn't have the population base but they'd be an interesting case - they'd make a lot of sense as a bridge between the N.A. clubs and Europe (I'd move Copenhagen most likely to the Central Europe Division in this case). Slovenia could be an option although I think Kopitar aside, Hungary is a stronger candidate. Spain would be an off-the-wall choice but heck, if I wanted to try and develop some new hockey market, that would be kind of cool - perhaps an ice hockey off-shoot of Real Madrid or Barcelona sporting clubs (like I did with PSG).
 
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abo9

Registered User
Jun 25, 2017
9,082
7,177
I'm particularly interested if anybody tries out a WHA franchise, what that is like. There is no draft ability so that's a bummer but I've tried to make the WHA as fully-featured as possible. All-Star game, full weekly, monthly and end of season awards to match the NHL basically, the Intercontinental Club Cup as an additional competition possibility, etc. Interested in seeing the highest level of players people are able to attract and if they can keep hold of them or if they eventually get poached by NHL clubs.


I've begin playing with the Amsterdam franchise, empty rosters as I was super curious to see what the league would look like with only "unwanted" players. I started in August but I would recommend starting earlier as the AI GM's of the other teams are pretty slow.

One thing I've realized and that's pretty cool is the ability to buy players from other European teams, all ages (so can go snag Anton Lundell, Kaapo Kakko if you want). Which could lead in the WHA becoming the #1 league for Europeans if each club manage its money well.

Only thing is I don't think the AI will really use their excess money to pull superstars into the league like that but I will wait and see.

Anyway the roster works flawlessly right now and it's a very refreshing challenge!
 

Treb

Global Flanderator
May 31, 2011
28,179
27,934
Montreal
And since I'm always tinkering, I've already thought of where I want to take the WHA next after perhaps some testing by people with this initial NHL32X database...

-snip-

Something you might want to look at is change the dispersal draft so that player are taken from Euro league instead. It would make sense for Euro stars to want to join the WHA who boast itself to be the 2nd best league in the world. NA players playing in the KHL might also be interested in playing closer to home in a league that is at least talent/salary wise similar to the KHL. Makes more sense IMO than NHL players leaving the NHL for a lower league.

It would have the problem of weakening instantly the euro leagues, but that's gonna happen within a few year with the WHA anyway.

EDIT: Just saw my first player aggreeing to return to the NHL. John Moore is transferring from my team to the Canucks on june 19th 2019. That changes my roster plan :laugh: Part of the fun! :thumbu:
 
Last edited:

filip85

Registered User
Feb 7, 2017
1,589
779
And since I'm always tinkering, I've already thought of where I want to take the WHA next after perhaps some testing by people with this initial NHL32X database...

Basically the goal would be a new division in Central/Eastern Europe to give the WHA 24 teams and allow me to break the structure up into 2 conferences...North America and Europe, with USA, Canada, Eastern Europe and Central Europe divisions. The schedule would be mostly within conference with perhaps a single round of North America vs Europe games in the middle of the season. That would be fairly realistic - and then each conference would have playoffs resulting in a North America vs European team Avco Cup each season.

The time consuming part will be creating the schedule. For teams, I'm thinking the following....I again am going to avoid countries that already have rich leagues so no Swiss or German teams and avoid countries that have a KHL presence.

- Austria: This is easy. I'd promote Red Bull Salzburg to the WHA and keep an "EC Salzburg" based on their traditional history prior to Red Bull in the EBEL. But having a Red Bull funded team in the WHA that is trying to compete with the KHL for best league outside the NHL makes a ton of sense.

- Poland: Another no-brainer choice for me. Relatively small domestic league but a population base that could support growth market for a centralized WHA team. Could promote a traditional power like Cracovia or Tychy but I'll probably create a new super team and leave the domestic rivalries intact.

- Italy: I think here I'd just promote HC Bolzano who are by far the most high profile club to the WHA. They already don't play in the same league (EBEL vs Alps) as the rest of the Italian clubs. I'd just have to fill their spot in the EBEL with another Italian or Austrian club.

- Ukraine: This one may be a bit out there but I really like the idea of a Ukrainian club for growth of the sport in that country. Donbass would be the historical choice to promote as a former KHL member but that could be touchy logistically and politically so probably looking at a new club in the Western portion of the country, Kiev or what not.

- Hungary: Like Bolzano in Italy, Fehervar already don't play with any other Hungarian team (they are in the EBEL) so it would be simple to promote them and just replace their spot in the EBEL.

- Czech Republic: I know I said no teams in countries with big established leagues but perhaps a single team in the Czech Republic could be the WHA version of the KHL having Jokerit in Finland. And I wouldn't have to mess with breaking up any of the current Extraliga, I'd just bring back Lev Praha who were a new team from years ago that tried to establish itself in the KHL.

Other options would be to bring Medvescak in...as a former KHL team, they have some credibility and like Bolzano and Fehervar, they currently play in the EBEL. They are probably in as #6 if I don't use Lev Praha for the Czech Republic. Iceland probably doesn't have the population base but they'd be an interesting case - they'd make a lot of sense as a bridge between the N.A. clubs and Europe (I'd move Copenhagen most likely to the Central Europe Division in this case). Slovenia could be an option although I think Kopitar aside, Hungary is a stronger candidate. Spain would be an off-the-wall choice but heck, if I wanted to try and develop some new hockey market, that would be kind of cool - perhaps an ice hockey off-shoot of Real Madrid or Barcelona sporting clubs (like I did with PSG).

When it comes to Ukraine it should be no brainer - You should re-born traditional Ukrainian club Sokol Kiev, club produced many NHL-ers :)

As for new markets, try Turkey. Big population (around 80 milion), many traditional sport clubs that are also sport societies (spelling ?) which means they have clubs in multiple sports, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas to name a few.
 

dellzor

Bo Horvat's Head
Nov 21, 2016
1,146
730
Vancouver, BC
@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
Omg it's here. Cya guys in a week.
 
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GBHockey

Registered User
Jun 2, 2018
170
114
Hope I don't sound like an idiot, had a long day.. How do I go about downloading and playing the WHA? It looks real exciting and I'd love to give it a go!

Edit: I've attempted to make it work but for whatever reason it won't, once I've downloaded both of the files I 'extract' them (think that's right) but it just sits on 0% and doesn't move and then eventually crashes.

Any tips would be awesome!
 
Last edited:

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,407
78,002
Redmond, WA
Question for people, has anyone actually figured out how to get good ratings out of your centers and how to get production out of your bottom-6? It seems like every team I have ends up with 2Cs with ratings below 6.75, 3Cs and 4Cs with ratings below 6.25 and bottom-6 groups who can't score. In my most recent game with the Oilers, my 3rd line was Dzingel-Jarnkrok-Puljujarvi, but they combined for like 3 ES goals in 40 games and Jarkrok was right at a 6.00 rating (despite being a 150 PA player).

I've played the game for like 1900 hours, but I still haven't figured out how to make a productive bottom-6. Pretty much every time I win the cup, it's because my goalie is putting up a .930 save% or better and my team is winning every game 3-1.
 

Treb

Global Flanderator
May 31, 2011
28,179
27,934
Montreal
Hope I don't sound like an idiot, had a long day.. How do I go about downloading and playing the WHA? It looks real exciting and I'd love to give it a go!

Edit: I've attempted to make it work but for whatever reason it won't, once I've downloaded both of the files I 'extract' them (think that's right) but it just sits on 0% and doesn't move and then eventually crashes.

Any tips would be awesome!

When do you get the 0%? At extraction? When you load the database in the game?
 

GBHockey

Registered User
Jun 2, 2018
170
114
When do you get the 0%? At extraction? When you load the database in the game?
It was at extraction, I restarted my laptop and it then worked fine so I've managed to get the database into the game all good but haven't figured out what to do with the logos/photos yet.
 
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