BKarchitect
Registered User
NHLX20 Pre-Release
So I'm working on something fairly big and it's just time consuming so in the meantime since it's almost the end of November and I haven't released anything new, I am releasing an updated NHLX database - we will call it a pre-release since it's not 100% yet (see release notes below) - but it's definitely more than a beta. And you do get both varieties to play around with:
Option 1 - Standard: The pre-baked database let's you start right up with a full expansion roster and basic staff. As usual the rosters are based on a very extensive mock dispersal draft and are continuously tweaked. Staff are filled by "fake" personnel that are rated to be decent but not outstanding for the NHL level. The point being A) I don't want to start assigning real staff that could be moving to different teams in real life and B) I want the user to be able to jump right and not worry about signing a whole team staff if they don't want to but at the same time - you always can upgrade your staff with real personnel in the game if you desire.
Download NHLX20 v1.0 - Standard
Option 2 - Blank: Empty NHLX teams and staff (aside from real staff already signed to Seattle such as Ron Francis). Comes with two import files, one for expansion draft players and one for staff. If you run both files in the EHM Editor prior to starting a game, you will end up with the exact Option 1 - Standard database. If you don't run either, the NHLX expansion teams will start completely from scratch. And you can edit either import file to customize initial rosters and staff if you desire, just be sure to import with the EHM Editor prior to starting a game. The formatting is pretty easy to figure out if you open the import files. Also - if you create your own import files - simply save them somewhere handy and you can use to upgrade any future release version of NHLX to your own specifications!
Download NHLX20 v1.0 - Blank
Graphics: You need these of course...always being updated to match the database update. Keep in mind you can still change Seattle's identity with the EHM to one of 8 identites baked into the database and the graphics pack. See the readme file in the database download.
Download NHLX20 v1.0 Graphics Pack
Other notable changes would be:
- World transaction for major league as usual including loans plus ratings updates for top players and new younger players in many major leagues...I do NOT vouch for 100% accuracy on rosters across the world though as this is still an NHL(X)-centric database. If you need your Swedish 3rd division or British all-leagues cup fix, please go get the wonderful Pivot/TBL rosters! My goal is to keep top leagues and cups running accurately with real looking league leader lists, national team rosters and potential targets for NHL or other pro clubs...but definitely will not have the levels of depth for European leagues that the Pivot/TBL database has.
- Champions Hockey League and Continental Cup are updated with seeding based on 18-19 league and cup results around Europe. Now, we still cannot change the CHL format to reflect the real-life format - so still the old setup...where needed, I simply moved teams in/out based on last year's season results to ensure the competitions run and run with as accurate of a field as possible to reflect 19-20.
- Every single NCAA commit in the game, current team updated, future transfer to NCAA school set (with well over 1,000 - if there are any errors let me know, commitments can be very fluid) - this includes setting future projected USNTDP classes for '04 and '05 which will matriculate through the USNTDP before college/draft. So a guy like Seamus Casey starts 19-20 with the Florida Alliance (midget), will spend the two years after that on the USNT and then head to the University of Michigan in 2022.
- Extensive updating of all NHL depth charts and ratings to reflect quarter-season results/rosters and recent trends/call-ups/rookies. Of course with the extra NHL teams - depth and rookies will get more playing time than you might be used to in a standard 31-team NHL database.
- A complete cleanup of NHL staff (although you will notice I only go 4-deep on scouts - scouting staffs are huge so I tend to just focus on scouting directors and heads) and eliminating all the ancient old free agent staff who are retired...or deceased)
- Adding a ton of 2004 and 2005 born prospects with lots of potential to fill out future drafts to keep your NHLX team building viable and exciting well into the future. Real, young players with solid starting ratings and high potentials. I subscribe to several online scouting services to simply get enough info to help populate these players - of course at that age, sometimes vitals are hard to find and of course the scouting reports are fairly basic - but at least there's enough info to fill in a few blanks and keep real players in the game as long as possible. As player development is so fluid, new prospects and revised potentials change from update to update with the database. For example - so far over 110+ 2005-born prospects - all with roles and ratings worthy of potentially getting drafted and many will be stars and impact players as early as their rookie post-draft seasons.
- And I've started adding real future teams beyond the 19-20 update (complete with graphics) such as the Cranbrook Bucks to the BCHL (begin play in 20-21) and moving Trinity Western from the BICHL to the playable U Sports league (another move for 20-21) but it may temporarily render a few of these smaller/junior leagues temporarily unplayable in full-GM mode. I know the CJHL setup won't work at the moment because I have integrated Cranbrook into the BCHL schedule template.
- Other extra goodies...the WHA, Latinoamericana Superliga, International Club Cup, playable Aussie and NZ leagues, Fed Cup, KHL expansion, NCAA expansion, playable U Sports (pending adjustments as noted above), added promotion/relegation to top European leagues.
Enjoy - always looking for feedback - keep in mind as always, the NHLX-series is somewhat experimental in nature!
So I'm working on something fairly big and it's just time consuming so in the meantime since it's almost the end of November and I haven't released anything new, I am releasing an updated NHLX database - we will call it a pre-release since it's not 100% yet (see release notes below) - but it's definitely more than a beta. And you do get both varieties to play around with:
Option 1 - Standard: The pre-baked database let's you start right up with a full expansion roster and basic staff. As usual the rosters are based on a very extensive mock dispersal draft and are continuously tweaked. Staff are filled by "fake" personnel that are rated to be decent but not outstanding for the NHL level. The point being A) I don't want to start assigning real staff that could be moving to different teams in real life and B) I want the user to be able to jump right and not worry about signing a whole team staff if they don't want to but at the same time - you always can upgrade your staff with real personnel in the game if you desire.
Download NHLX20 v1.0 - Standard
Option 2 - Blank: Empty NHLX teams and staff (aside from real staff already signed to Seattle such as Ron Francis). Comes with two import files, one for expansion draft players and one for staff. If you run both files in the EHM Editor prior to starting a game, you will end up with the exact Option 1 - Standard database. If you don't run either, the NHLX expansion teams will start completely from scratch. And you can edit either import file to customize initial rosters and staff if you desire, just be sure to import with the EHM Editor prior to starting a game. The formatting is pretty easy to figure out if you open the import files. Also - if you create your own import files - simply save them somewhere handy and you can use to upgrade any future release version of NHLX to your own specifications!
Download NHLX20 v1.0 - Blank
Graphics: You need these of course...always being updated to match the database update. Keep in mind you can still change Seattle's identity with the EHM to one of 8 identites baked into the database and the graphics pack. See the readme file in the database download.
Download NHLX20 v1.0 Graphics Pack
Other notable changes would be:
- World transaction for major league as usual including loans plus ratings updates for top players and new younger players in many major leagues...I do NOT vouch for 100% accuracy on rosters across the world though as this is still an NHL(X)-centric database. If you need your Swedish 3rd division or British all-leagues cup fix, please go get the wonderful Pivot/TBL rosters! My goal is to keep top leagues and cups running accurately with real looking league leader lists, national team rosters and potential targets for NHL or other pro clubs...but definitely will not have the levels of depth for European leagues that the Pivot/TBL database has.
- Champions Hockey League and Continental Cup are updated with seeding based on 18-19 league and cup results around Europe. Now, we still cannot change the CHL format to reflect the real-life format - so still the old setup...where needed, I simply moved teams in/out based on last year's season results to ensure the competitions run and run with as accurate of a field as possible to reflect 19-20.
- Every single NCAA commit in the game, current team updated, future transfer to NCAA school set (with well over 1,000 - if there are any errors let me know, commitments can be very fluid) - this includes setting future projected USNTDP classes for '04 and '05 which will matriculate through the USNTDP before college/draft. So a guy like Seamus Casey starts 19-20 with the Florida Alliance (midget), will spend the two years after that on the USNT and then head to the University of Michigan in 2022.
- Extensive updating of all NHL depth charts and ratings to reflect quarter-season results/rosters and recent trends/call-ups/rookies. Of course with the extra NHL teams - depth and rookies will get more playing time than you might be used to in a standard 31-team NHL database.
- A complete cleanup of NHL staff (although you will notice I only go 4-deep on scouts - scouting staffs are huge so I tend to just focus on scouting directors and heads) and eliminating all the ancient old free agent staff who are retired...or deceased)
- Adding a ton of 2004 and 2005 born prospects with lots of potential to fill out future drafts to keep your NHLX team building viable and exciting well into the future. Real, young players with solid starting ratings and high potentials. I subscribe to several online scouting services to simply get enough info to help populate these players - of course at that age, sometimes vitals are hard to find and of course the scouting reports are fairly basic - but at least there's enough info to fill in a few blanks and keep real players in the game as long as possible. As player development is so fluid, new prospects and revised potentials change from update to update with the database. For example - so far over 110+ 2005-born prospects - all with roles and ratings worthy of potentially getting drafted and many will be stars and impact players as early as their rookie post-draft seasons.
- And I've started adding real future teams beyond the 19-20 update (complete with graphics) such as the Cranbrook Bucks to the BCHL (begin play in 20-21) and moving Trinity Western from the BICHL to the playable U Sports league (another move for 20-21) but it may temporarily render a few of these smaller/junior leagues temporarily unplayable in full-GM mode. I know the CJHL setup won't work at the moment because I have integrated Cranbrook into the BCHL schedule template.
- Other extra goodies...the WHA, Latinoamericana Superliga, International Club Cup, playable Aussie and NZ leagues, Fed Cup, KHL expansion, NCAA expansion, playable U Sports (pending adjustments as noted above), added promotion/relegation to top European leagues.
Enjoy - always looking for feedback - keep in mind as always, the NHLX-series is somewhat experimental in nature!
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