Another Gaming Interlude
I thought I would indulge in a bit of video game fun here. Last week while watching Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final, for some reason the thought stuck in my head - darn it, I want to see MY team win the Cup1. So I made the decision then to start a new "Be A GM" mode in NHL Legacy. I couldn't do it for a few days because I wasn't home, so that gave me time to set out some self-imposed rules - to keep it interesting, but also realistic.
Here they are, in no particular order:
- No trades until at least 20 GP
- No unrealistic trades - i.e. no future franchise players for picks
- Abide other teams’ trade blocks
- Don't trade for superstar players
- Accept offered trades
- Free agent signings must be based on need - so no superstar signings just because they're available
- It's OK to try to get Claude Giroux
- Wingers and Defensemen (enforced for Top 4 only) must play their natural side (NHL only, AHL doesn't matter). Make player moves accordingly.
I feel it might be useful to explain some of these. First, the rules about trades; in the EA NHL games it's ridiculously easy to game the CPU AI to "win" a trade and get a player you want by utilizing the "trade value" meter and also try to throw in draft picks to make your offer more "valuable". In previous GM modes, I've acquired players that I would normally have no business trading for - the other teams simply wouldn't dump a highly touted future prospect for a middling prospect and high pick in real life.
And then I've also traded for superstar players in that same way, because it's fairly easy to fleece the computer if you structure the trade properly. Sometimes it can actually be difficult, because the CPU tries to stick to its trade block requirements; and for rule #7 it's darn near impossible to get some players2. So I'm going to try to keep to realistic trades, and pay closer attention to team trading blocks (but also, the game helpfully highlights players other teams want, and that they're giving away).
Other things like no trades until 20 games played - that's to prevent me from making trades to get players I want rather than players I need. 20 games is roughly a quarter of the way through the season, and is a good indicator of what direction the team is going. I plan on simulating several games, and the game's simulation engine tends to injure some key players too, so 20 games in you might find you need a winger or defenceman because they're out for a few months or something. But also, if you're 20 games in, and things are going well - no need to make a trade to shake things up right away. Good barometer.
"Accept offered trades" - I'm wavering on this one. This is a rule I see come up in a lot of other players' self-imposed rule sets, but some of the proposed trades that come my way when I've played in the past don't make a ton of sense. So I may scratch this one out. And then the "sign free agents based on need" - in other words, if I have a solid D-core set up and a superstar defenceman becomes available in the offseason, I should figure out if a) I need a new D-man and b) if he actually fits on my team (salary cap, etc.).
Oh crap, I just realized I'm going to need to manage my salary cap with this set-up...
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