NHL 11 News Post

Dynasty Musings: NHL 11's Be a GM Completely Misses the Mark

10:29 AM - October 15, 2010 by RaychelSnr

Hey everybody, I'm back for another edition of Dynasty Musings. This week I will be talking about the debacle that is NHL 11's Be a GM mode (BaGM for future reference), and the bugs that have made it completely unplayable until a patch comes out.

First off, there are some things that I like about Be a GM. The fantasy draft AI, for the most part, is absolutely fantastic. Teams appear to build their franchise somewhat intelligently, either going for a younger more higher-potential team or a veteran-laden squad that tries to win as soon as possible. This is very refreshing when you compare NHL 11's fantasy draft to other games' counterparts, such as the annoying logic in MLB 10: The Show in which nearly every closer is taken in the first three rounds, or in Madden 11 where you can assemble a team of young superstars by simply only taking guys under the age of 27. In BaGM, that's really not an option. If you want to create a young team, you HAVE to sacrifice short-term success.

Second, the addition of restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents is a great addition and something that's been needed for a very long time. Unfortunately, the bugs in the mode really get in the way, but the general idea is very good and hopefully it is fixed with the next patch (a patch that is horribly overdue already).

Either way, the game mode is unplayable as it stands now. Let's take a look at some of the problems that myself and others have found with the game.

Read More - Dynasty Musings: NHL 11's Be a GM Completely Misses the Mark

Game: NHL 11Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 36 - View All

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Member Comments

# 21 GlennN @ 10/17/10 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhibes


	Come on fellas. It's not THAT broken and it's not unplayable IMO. Of course it would be nice to have semi-realistic simulation stats and to have the in season XP fixed, but I can deal with it. Players still progress in the offseason at a very fair rate and as long as someone starts the season at the draft you won't have top prospects hitting the UFA market at age 18. Yeah the trade market may be off compared to previous years, but blue chip young talent is worth their weight in gold because a) young b) cheap c) have them under control for several years. I like that one can't pull the sheep's wool over the CPU's eyes and load up on stacked young blue-chip talent while they agree to take back Wade freaking Redden. Go look at NBA 2k11 My Player and how nobody can get past 20 games in because of a freeze. Could be worse.

I agree, Doctor! Yeah, things could certainly use a tweaking, but it is not unplayable at all. I am in my third year of BeAGM and the prospects are progressing reasonably. Also, I have managed several trades (nothing unrealistic that I noticed).

# 22 Jgainsey @ 10/17/10 02:05 PM

^ Agreed

This article does a fine job of pointing out some the main issues, but the sky isn't exactly falling here. It's still very playable, and if you've played FIFA's Manager Mode over the last few years it almost looks sparkling in comparison.

EDIT: Also, I don't wanna sound like a dick here, but this is a game that OS gave an overall score of 9. If a game mode as important as this one completely misses the mark, what is OS doing rating the game so highly?

I know, I know.. some of these issues take time and hours of gameplay before they become apparent, but many of these problems can be singled out after some siming and maybe a couple of days with the game. I'm just sayin'...

# 23 savoie2006 @ 10/17/10 04:37 PM

JGainsey, because it takes time with the game to discover all these issues. If they rewrote their review now, I'm sure the score would be considerably lower.

# 24 Jgainsey @ 10/17/10 08:39 PM

Yeah, I have no doubt that they would. It's just that many of these issues really don't take all that long discover. Most of them would become apparent just by simulating a few season.

I don't wanna make a big thing out of it, or bash OS, or anything like that. I just found it odd that the game was originally praised by this site, only to have one of it's most important game modes basically declared broken.

# 25 stlstudios189 @ 10/17/10 09:58 PM

I just need to know with all these bugs should I get NHL 10 instead? I have been playing 2k10 and looking for another game to play

# 26 onlybygrace @ 10/17/10 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stlstudios189


	I just need to know with all these bugs should I get NHL 10 instead? I have been playing 2k10 and looking for another game to play

Get NHL 11. Its not as bad as its being made out to be and the gameplay is really sweet. It's, by far and away, the best hockey game I've ever played.

# 27 Dave Pearson @ 10/18/10 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jgainsey


	Yeah, I have no doubt that they would. It's just that many of these issues really don't take all that long discover. Most of them would become apparent just by simulating a few season. I don't wanna make a big thing out of it, or bash OS, or anything like that. I just found it odd that the game was originally praised by this site, only to have one of it's most important game modes basically declared broken.

That was also a different person writing the review. Not everyone here thinks the same things about each game. I'm not bashing the reviewer at all, because I can guarantee that things that are more important to me (like franchise and dynasty modes) might not be as important to other potential reviewers. For instance, I love the gameplay. I like the new passing, and I like the way goals are scored with some slider tweaks. It's as real of a hockey experience as you're going to get.

# 28 Vikes1 @ 10/18/10 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDKing


	You left this off your list, " The option to customize season length in GM Mode 20/40/82". Not wanting to sim any games and the daunting task of having to play 82 games a season makes this mode unplayable for me.

Yep, this option is long overdue.

I don't like the idea of simming either...and to this point, refuse to do it.

The idea imo behind any franchise mode is to play multiple seasons. So you have the chance to develop your players and team. With having at least some type of life outside of playing NHL...really developing your franchise team isn't possible. Hence with NHL's GM mode...I just can't get out of it what I'd really like...to grow my team. I simply can't play several seasons of 82+ games. And would get bored to death trying.

I love off-line franchise mode. And I'd love to be able to play NHL's GM mode to it's fullest...but I can't. Please EA

, let us truly enjoy all the great things your adding to your GM mode, by providing us with the chance to play several seasons. As is this modes intention. By giving us the option to customize our season length.

# 29 DJ @ 10/18/10 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikes1


	Yep, this option is long overdue. I don't like the idea of simming either...and to this point, refuse to do it. The idea imo behind any franchise mode is to play multiple seasons. So you have the chance to develop your players and team. With having at least some type of life outside of playing NHL...really developing your franchise team isn't possible. Hence with NHL's GM mode...I just can't get out of it what I'd really like...to grow my team. I simply can't play several seasons of 82+ games. And would get bored to death trying. I love off-line franchise mode. And I'd love to be able to play NHL's GM mode to it's fullest...but I can't. Please EA, let us truly enjoy all the great things your adding to your GM mode, by providing us with the chance to play several seasons. As is this modes intention. By giving us the option to customize our season length.

Great post, Vikes. I agree 100%. I'm actually thinking about just doing a one-off Season instead of Be A GM since I know that there's no way I'll get through multiple seasons having to play all 82 games (I refuse to sim, too). I would really like to build my team and perhaps, if you don't buy games every year, you can do so, but if you buy the game yearly, it is really difficult. Especially if you play other video games in addition to NHL.

I'm glad that EA has Playoff Mode and Battle For The Cup as this does help increase the replayability of this game. You can make any matchup you want and get to experience some of the cool post-season presentation elements of the game without having to play 100-plus games.

NBA 2K11 is great b/c I can play either 29- or 58-game Associations, I'm not just stuck with 82 games.

Sports games are at their best when they give the user as many options as possible.

# 30 actionhank @ 10/18/10 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udungoofed


	I don't for a second believe that EA shipped the game without being aware of these issues, or at the very least some of them. I wish there was certain legalities behind a game publisher/developer marketing up game features that are shipped...BROKEN. EA does this far, far, far too often. Every game requires waiting on a patch to make the mode usable and in most cases it doesn't fully rectify the issues, or even worse, breaks something else (Madden Patch 3 breaking Gameplanning). It's just not right how the consumers get lead to believe something polished is coming, when it's actually entirely unplayable.

While i understand the frustration, too many people take patching to be a negative instead of the positive it really is.
Back before patching was possible (On PC it wasn't that common, and it's just now being done full scale for consoles) but now you have the ability to fix problems in the game post-release.
Before you would have been stuck with the game as is.
And while i'm sure it has in some cases lead to developers being forced to push a game out before it's fully complete, i don't doubt that it's less of an extreme, instead of the norm.
I can't think of the last game i owned for the PC that didn't require at least one patch.
It's just the nature of coding.
As things get more complex, and more advanced, there will be more flaws and openings for people to exploit.
It's impossible for them to be able to catch everything, despite the seemingly obvious flaws they missed in BeAGM

# 31 BaylorBearBryant @ 10/18/10 05:24 PM

These issues have been disappointing to say the least. I hate the one regarding prospect goalies and how they can't ever reach a 90 OVR. Once again with EA, the game looks good on the outside, but when you dwell deep inside, you find numerous flaws.

# 32 canucksss @ 10/18/10 09:22 PM

EA is going to release a new tuner tonite. my question is this, how come EA dont release a patch that will address the issues here in the BGM mode? ITS BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH now since the release and still this BGM mode is still not working properly (since 2009). Will this be their marketing ploy for 2012 "re-invented Be A GM mode" or a "breakthrough of all breakthroughs in Sim sports in terms of Franchise/BGM mode" etc.

# 33 Dave Pearson @ 10/18/10 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicatz


	There are some good points, but keep in mind it's simply your own opinion (which is no more valid than anybody else's) about whether or not the mode is "unplayable". Some of the cited aspects are frustrating to be sure, but i'm still having a great time with BAGM and find it very far from being "unplayable". Be careful of who you're trying to speak for when making blanket statements like that, because you sure don't speak for me.

Give me a break, man. I'm obviously not trying to speak for everybody. It's simply my opinion.

# 34 Perceptor @ 10/19/10 12:01 AM

What about some new rosters too lol? The GM mode does need to be fixed and while I still enjoy the mode, the points made in the article are accurate and need to be addressed. It is shocking we haven't heard anything from any of the devs.....

# 35 Qb @ 10/19/10 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perceptor


	It is shocking we haven't heard anything from any of the devs.....

There were a few brief statements from Redshirt here and other devs at the EA Forums. If I understood correctly, the patch is being tested -- didn't specify if its internal or external (ie, MS/Sony) -- which means they are reluctant to give specifics on what is included until it is approved.

I know it's frustrating to wait not only for the update itself but also info on it, but that's where we're at right now.

# 36 TDKing @ 10/19/10 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djwlfpack


	..... I'm glad that EA has Playoff Mode and Battle For The Cup as this does help increase the replayability of this game. You can make any matchup you want and get to experience some of the cool post-season presentation elements of the game without having to play 100-plus games. NBA 2K11 is great b/c I can play either 29- or 58-game Associations, I'm not just stuck with 82 games. Sports games are at their best when they give the user as many options as possible.

Yeah, those are great modes, but how come they are not available as ONLINE MODES???? EA, I want to play this game and all its modes with friends.
How come 2k can have custom season length in franchise mode but EA can't ? You can't say its to hard to do if the other company is doing it!!

# 37 Perceptor @ 10/19/10 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qb


	There were a few brief statements from Redshirt here and other devs at the EA Forums. If I understood correctly, the patch is being tested -- didn't specify if its internal or external (ie, MS/Sony) -- which means they are reluctant to give specifics on what is included until it is approved. I know it's frustrating to wait not only for the update itself but also info on it, but that's where we're at right now.

That's encouraging. As I said, the game is great and I really enjoy it. Once we get a patch, then BaGM will really fly hopefully because the additions are great

# 38 canucksss @ 10/19/10 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perceptor


	That's encouraging. As I said, the game is great and I really enjoy it. Once we get a patch, then BaGM will really fly hopefully because the additions are great

im mixed about this, i really hoping that EA will fix this, but this issue has been raised i believe since 2010 or even 2009, but still exist on 2011. with brief statements not even specific claims that they will address these issues make me skeptical in EA announcments. i really love this game and most of my time i play the BaGM mode, but these issues really frustrates me, not only because its there, but its been there since 2009.

# 39 Vikes1 @ 10/20/10 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDKing


	How come 2k can have custom season length in franchise mode but EA can't ? You can't say its to hard to do if the other company is doing it!!

Very true.

The 2K developers really seem to understand the importance of providing a wealth of options with their sports games. From sliders to other customizable options....they seem to "get it".

The EA Canada devs have been responding pretty darn well lately to the community wants/suggestions, through tuner sets. Hopefully they'll hear our cries for customizable season length for NHL '12'. I like to believe this is a pretty big issue for lots of NHL gamers.

# 40 patsfan188 @ 10/20/10 07:21 AM

Qb is there gonna be fixed trade AI in the next patch?

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