Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

by captainmonarch14
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Original Post

Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

★ Novice

Product: NHL 18
Platform:Microsoft XBOX One
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Play as any team in Franchise Mode, or any mode that requires the game to auto-generate names for prospects in the upcoming year.
What happens when the bug occurs? Auto-generated names do not resemble names (and accompanying nationalities) that are typical within that particular league.
What do you expect to see? Authentic auto-generated names with matching (or at least closely associated) nationalities.
Was the issue in online or offline mode? Offline
Insert Game Mode or Feature here Franchise Mode
What time did you see the bug? (HH:MM AM/PM) N/A
What is your time zone? EST (IET) - GMT - 5:30
What is your gamertag/PSN ID? CaptainMonarch
PS4 Crash Reporting: Please copy the text you put in the crash report here. N/A
EASHL issues? Please insert your Club Region. N/A
What is your game language? English

I love the EA NHL franchise of games. I've been playing since NHL 99. I have always enjoyed the game and marveled at how it seems to get better each and every year. I know this is not a sentiment shared by (what appears to be) many, but I thoroughly enjoy the game.

 

My biggest gripe about the game, is one that dates back as far as the first release on XBox 360. I'm talking about the auto-generated names that pop up in modes like Franchise and Season, and I'm assuming any other on or offline mode that requires populating prospects for the following year's NHL draft.

 

While I understand that there are some legal issues concerning the NHLPA and the usage of player names/likenesses especially for players that aren't even draft eligible. I'm not as concerned with those cases as I am with the players the game generates to fill out the number of draftable players from all the various foreign leagues you're able to scout.

 

The following are real examples I've witness with regards to (what I believe to be ridiculous) name/nationality combinations of auto-generated prospects in foreign leagues.

 

SHL - Sheldon Shyngtime - Danish

*Not only is Shyngtime not a real name (prove me wrong if you find a real life example) but if this individual did exist, I'm willing to bet he's not Danish.

 

Russia - Vic Kariya - Polish

*I'm confident that there has never been, and possibly never will be, a person with this (traditionally Korean) surname to ever come out of Poland

 

Czech League - Scott Fukufuji - Hungarian

*Again, I'm willing to bet this person has ever, nor will ever, exist, at least not in Hungary

 

Swiss League - Abraham MacMillan - Swiss

*Is it possible that someone from Ireland or Scotland would play in the Swiss league? Sure. Is that person likely to be of Swiss heritage? Probably not/

 

DEL - Rocky Nakamura - Flemish (from Belgium)

*Are you starting to get my point? This is an unlikely combination of names for someone coming from this country.

 

Let me perfectly clear. I'm not xenophobic by any stretch of the imagination. Furthermore, I love that hockey, in real life, is becoming more diversified. There have been unique drafting situations like Nathan Walker (from Australia) drafted out of the Czech league. The NHL series even got this detail right when he was in the game as a prospect! Similarly, the EA NHL game was true to life when Auston Matthews opted to join the Swiss league before getting drafted. Yet another example of EA getting it right!

 

My biggest issue is, given how the EA NHL series of games strives for authenticity (a trait that I'm sure attracts hockey and gaming enthusiasts) why is this where the game seems to drop the ball? How difficult would it be to consult a hockey fan or scout or foreign culture expert to get these names to be as authentic as the rest of the game strives to be? Even if you didn't want to consult, I'm sure writing the code for this type of program could not be very difficult.

 

I'm aware my issue is small, but it is one that has been around for years and yet somehow never gets corrected. Even if it's a feature that fans/gamers want to keep, then why not have a game setting that can be toggled (or switched on and off) to more authentic names/nationalities versus bizarre, random ones? Please, if someone from EA NHL reads this, consider how many hockey purists you'd win over by making this small, seemingly insignificant change to how prospects are generated in foreign, draftable leagues are generated.

Message 1 of 5 (3,448 Views)

Re: Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

★★★ Newbie

This has also irritated me for many years. 

Another thing that I find unrealistic are the races of some of the nationalities. 

Message 2 of 5 (3,102 Views)

Re: Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

★★ Expert

@captainmonarch14 

Check this out and see if it gives you the Solution your seeking.

If this fixes your issue with creating Authentic name tags then please credit me with the Solution & XP me.

 

Part 1 of 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4P0liaqj7E

 

Part 2 of 3 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQT0U3rPJaA

 

Part 3 of 3 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_CTpljsmkY

Message 3 of 5 (2,440 Views)

Re: Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

★★★★★ Apprentice
@BLVD69 Nice advertisements. But these do not give us the solution. Plus, that isn't even the problem this person had. Not only that, but it's 2023, and generated prospect names are somehow still an issue.
Message 4 of 5 (509 Views)

Re: Prospect name/nationality generation - Please Fix

★★★★★ Apprentice
@captainmonarch14 Paul Kariya is of Japanese descent.
Message 5 of 5 (490 Views)