May 2022
@Tobbish wrote:It does seem very random to me. I know it's not that simple, but also, it seems a lot harder than it should be to focus on developing specific players (in specific ways also, would be nice, depending on where they fall short).
They should benefit from getting chances to make the team and stuff.
But I often feel like when I try to develop players, it doesn't make much difference what I do. After a couple of seasons, some players are ready and some are not.
What I've done when I go for a rebuild is simply add some interesting prospects, and then simulate and some of them grow into something, and some don't. Also try to use the best possible coach, but I haven't really paid attention to wether or not this has really benefited particular players.
I guess that is "realistic" in a way, but also, it would be nice if it was easier to make an effort with players you want to develop faster and in a specific skill.
So much to experiment with...
@Tobbish Yes it really does seem random… was hoping to get a confirmation from the EA team on what actually dictates growth… there’s a lot of things like chemistry.. coaches.. potentials.. playing time.. roles.. etc that just are NOT explained whatsoever.. and we’re basically all just guessing at this point… it would be nice if EA could actually tell us if it is completely random… or if the factors (specifically which factors) even change the possibility.. and if some are more important than others..
ie coach development skill A+ but only getting 9:45 TOI, vs coach dev skill C+ with 17:30 TOI, what is weighted more that factors into growth?
Is it detrimental to play a prospect that has a role of 4th liner, in the AHL with top line minutes? Or is it good?
Nothing is explained… and was hoping @EA_Blueberry could shed some light on this situation…
things like this is why I miss having instruction manuals included in game cases back in the day lol… also with big companies and annual releases they just rush their game out the door and take their money and start on the next one to repeat the process…
May 2022 - last edited May 2022
I also was hoping @EA_Blueberry might help us out here. I have been experimenting, and really only gotten more confused. I used to think that if you had a top 6 player at least you could give him lots of minutes and put him on the first line and develop him, but even with time in the NHL on the top line, with great season point totals, a lot of them do nothing, even when they are 1st round picks. If the 1st round pick is lower than the top 10, it is even more likely they will not develop regardless of what you do.
I still get lucky with some late picks, but can't figure out what causes them to grow. Third liners in the AHL all of sudden have develped past everyone who was on the first line. It would be interesting, if it was something that happened rarely. Instead it seems to happen all the time and rarely works out for your favorite players.
The only way to make sure you have a player that grows is to trade your assets away in the draft and slect the first overal, or top 5. The sim engine seems to have them flagged usually as players that will grow no matter where they go, but that is not surprising or really interesting to be honest.
EDIT: I did find a way to grow players; trade them away. The sim engine on other teams seems to push players to their potential more often than when on my team. Sad but true. I now release a lot of players I like by age 22 if they have not developed, and often they develop on other teams, and I trade for them again later. Lame, but it works.
May 2022
@3c10yn2rqqxo wrote:I also was hoping @EA_Blueberry might help us out here. I have been experimenting, and really only gotten more confused. I used to think that if you had a top 6 player at least you could give him lots of minutes and put him on the first line and develop him, but even with time in the NHL on the top line, with great season point totals, a lot of them do nothing, even when they are 1st round picks. If the 1st round pick is lower than the top 10, it is even more likely they will not develop regardless of what you do.
I still get lucky with some late picks, but can't figure out what causes them to grow. Third liners in the AHL all of sudden have develped past everyone who was on the first line. It would be interesting, if it was something that happened rarely. Instead it seems to happen all the time and rarely works out for your favorite players.
The only way to make sure you have a player that grows is to trade your assets away in the draft and slect the first overal, or top 5. The sim engine seems to have them flagged usually as players that will grow no matter where they go, but that is not surprising or really interesting to be honest.
EDIT: I did find a way to grow players; trade them away. The sim engine on other teams seems to push players to their potential more often than when on my team. Sad but true. I now release a lot of players I like by age 22 if they have not developed, and often they develop on other teams, and I trade for them again later. Lame, but it works.
@3c10yn2rqqxo Now that I think of it… I’ve experienced that as well… trading them away and then they develop… seems like everything I do doesn’t work to develop them… could be med franchise… med elite.. high elite.. high top 6F/4D… doesn’t matter.. but if I trade them they skyrocket in overall…
It really would be nice to get a proper confirmation on how they develop from @EA_Blueberry because it clearly isn’t self explanatory… this is why it would be nice to have Franchise Mode deep dives… have things explained… because we know that EA’s NHL hardly ever works like it should lol so we can’t just fumble around in the dark trying to figure out how to play the game for hours instead of enjoying it….
May 2022
May 2022
@heavydutyrammer wrote:
@3c10yn2rqqxoJust a quick bump to hopefully get a real answer…
To be honest I think the trading away is the real answer, that and trading your assets for players in the top 10 (top 5 even better) in the draft, and the rest just put on the AHL team and check couple times a year to see who developed.
Not the answer I was looking for, but it is what it is.
May 2022
Lol remember when we got the Franchise Mode “deep dive” before release and they just talked about X-Factors for three minutes and call it a day? Good times.
May 2022
August 2022
I've often struggled with those who aren't elite or higher when it comes to development. But the elites will usually have a jump from the 70s into the 80s and then work their way into the NHL. Every playthrough right now I see Hirose and Ho-Sang fall from Top 6 to Top 9 potential - every time without exception unless I edit it.
I do remember that years ago when Aleksandr Barkov was first drafted, whether or not you had him play in a good AHL line made the difference whether he became a top player or fizzled out as an AHL Top 6 or such. But I think much of it is supposed to be random to illustrate the uncertainty in potential -- high potential players tend to move up a setting when they move and low potential players tend to move down when they move. Low Elites are supposed to be a grab bag where they might be great, but are likely to fizzle out - whereas a high elite can very well change to a medium franchise.
Part of it should involve your ability to get them onto the third line for offense or second line for defense to give them a chance to grow - and if you have a good team that can be hard to do.
But, yes. I agree fully that EA needs to start being transparent with how things work - because otherwise they don't. They seem too afraid that a competitor will figure it out and copy it to make it usable and an actual asset at all.
August 2022
September 2022