Depch

Updated the information about awarenesses to the site in comments. It's a great site. Offfensive awareness overall has very little to play in anything at all, I also don't see it having any secondary purposes like defensive awareness seems to have a few. I view it almost as a non factor which is supported as evidence of Klima & Otto etc.

Votes are looking to shape in to plablegs with A/B separation (also separate drafts). Not sure I like that idea too much, but let the votes be cast. Player pools would be insane for around 10 user drafts. I changed my vote from Classic to Survivor as stated previously. So that stands at 5 atm. as well.

Survivor sounds like a nice idea as well, I might have voted for that as well, can't find an option to remove my votes and re-do them like in the old forums. This type of league would kinda gives room to truly view how players view eachother and what teams they are using against each other and who are you saving the monster teams for if so. This kinda supports the live tournaments as well. I also gave the option that not joining a league for now as expecting classic to begin, but if it is not being played for GENS this spring, then I would be open for something else propably, but perhaps testing SNES (as well?). I have no reason to see why SNES would not be run, but understand with the issues with GENS A.

I think it's mostly defence & goalie. Everyone can learn the 'trick' goals when you have open space for it, but if you don't get the chance you can't practise it much except on a 1on0 rom etc. Onetimers in GENS are only about timing and vision as you don't even have to aim them. I think everyone knows the basic dekes to take goalies down close down. It has also been shown that you are not required to use trick goals to win, think of Uncle Seth (recently he's picked up rebounds though). Knowing your goals will help a great deal though, especially the pass shots and rebounds. Keg toss is just novelty and low efficiency. Knowing how to score goals will help you anticipate them better and make you better to defend them. Majority of the breakaways and 2on1:s etc. come from forcing the opponent to turn the puck over in your zone, or you forechecking the puck in the mid-o zone. The faster you get the puck the better the chance for a good counter offence is when opponent guys are still skating towards the blueline and you you're going the other way with the puck. It's defence that creates offence. Often times the player who gets this game going on has the whole team game going on their way. Like their D is always sitting at home and just keep pushing and pushing while you will have hard time figuring anything out and your whole team is constantly on the move, no structure at all in defensive game. You can even try a "bitchy" way of playing a very passive defence if you have a hard time adjusting to opponent skating. A great defence requires you to be very reactive to the opponent offence. You have to be able to read and anticipate the play, but passive passive defence does not require so much on that field so it might help out if you look for results. Also someone like Swos uses that very effectively so it's not only for low caliber players. Also try different settings in GENS. A great defence needs fast response to your controls. You might be shooting yourself to your own leg if you use low settings even though it might feel better. I think it even might affect the AI. I have not gotten feedback on the other thread from others on that though. I'm completely fine with it just being a theory if it works as a placebo for me. You could try the other GENS that has the netplay save hax as well, but also under graphics setting has the latency settings to try out. It is a must knowledge to have so not anyone can take advantage out of it, it has been around for at least a few years, I can see clear differences with it. Also the mental side of the game is very important. You have to have a will to win and improve. You have to be mentally "there" to play alert and react well, read the plays and have a good vision of your game. I am in a better shape mentally and physically now to what I was a year ago and I think it affects my game a great deal as well. Confidence is a big thing, especially with your manual goalie. Playing tired, playing when you don't want to and feel forced is a reminder to take a break from the game and come back at a later time. You don't have to do it to the point that you are so exhausted about the game that you need to announce a retirement. Playing only recreationally with A guys will result in bad results as the mindset and will is completely different and there is no easy way around it. Brutus had a nice way explained with the goalie, pushing yourself out of the comfort zone and your negative habits, force to adapt. This works in real life issues as well.

Yes! I'm repeating here so people will understand the case. You are shooting yourself in the leg if others are using high audio or default compared to your low settings even though the response feels better for both if either one is using low (Just a bit worse for you so equal settings should be always prefered but it cannot be administrated in any way as of now). Try the Gens11svn in the link above and test the graphics setting for latency compensation as well if it will help, maybe start with the middle setting on 2 so you can use default/high audio to not get a disadvantage. I have not noticed that this causes more dropouts or freezes, just the sluggish response to controls and you can see when it's not equal for both.

I suggest to move to the gens provided in the link as the graphic settings for latency can at least improve your performance. But this is yet to be tested does it affect the opponent in a negative way. At best it is just to enhance local response. The thing is the lower the sound & render settings, the better the response for BOTH of you. So you can try to play it with max settings 44100hz, stereo and the other uses lowest settings like mono, 11025hz or even sound off. Then adjust it the other way around for the next game or so. Keep the latency setting in new gens out of that test and try it later, with 4 setting vs 0, does the opponent feel any difference with that holding the audiovisuals at the same etc. Best response should be with something like gfx interpolated scanline (it's ugly, but for test) & sound OFF for both. That should be even with a very good response. 3. Is just a wish that no one could take any advantage over anyone. At best we can figure out why the problem is like it is, but it would require the programmers to study it and that will take time and effort. Also it's not so easy to maybe find so it's merely wishfull thinking. The most heavy settings for opponent would be double, stereo, 44100hz & lag competency 4 frames and if he/she uses anything below, you should have the advantage over your opponent, you can try this against the lowest settings for example, if my theory is correct your team should run over the opponent team in initiative, but that can only do so much, skill should still prevail over that, but the difference should be seen. If there are non "believers" on this or there is proof against it, then it's just placebo on my end. Then it's just everyone use what they want, but people should know of all the options available, I know I will adjust from default and I previously have played with lower sound settings. I only recently found the lag compensation setting from the "new" one. Perhaps if that does not affect the opponent at all, then the solution is there for everyone. Worst case scenario is that it would force everyone to use max settings and full lag compensation, which would result in a bit notch heavier feel for the players if this theory is correct. IT would be sad as it could be much better, but that would level the playing field for everyone and no one can "secretly" take advantage. ps. Some of the old PC online games had a similar problem, make online play feel more responsive by adjusting some settings. This was in the late 90's to early 2000's, but Gens is very old and it goes back there at that time as well and perhaps it's only been upgraded on and the code for that has still stayed in the background. pps. My prefered settings would be renderer double (I know I cannot force anyone to use lower, but I've used interpolated scanline 25% sometimes.) & sound on, 11025hz, mono (I would be fine with sound off, as I often play music background nowadays, but this cannot be forced on people so the minimal sound settings should be sufficient). Also if lag compensation has no negative effect on opponent, then use that as will, but it should be tested.

I've been supposed to make this thread a while already, but been just too lazy to do it. I've had some public discussion about it already some time ago. In Finnish leagues we had a "belief" that the gens settings can affect the response rate of your online play. We had a gentlemans rule to have the sound levels adjusted to lowest level to make this happen for both. One can never know was it really followed trough. The problem with it is that while your response rate gets a notch better by decreasing the audiovisual settings, so does the opponents and if opponent has higher settings then you are not receiving the same advantage that your opponent gets aka it affects your opponent a bit better than yourself. But the response rate is not everything that goes along with it I think. I have a strong sensation that it also affects the "AI initiative". Your team can be on standing feet while the other team just keeps coming and coming at you, you are always one step behind. This is easy to experiment, it can be just in the head, but I think I notice it easily at least myself. This is why I want people to test it themselves as well. The default audiovisual settings used are: Screen render: Normal / Double & Sound: On, 22050hz, Stereo I have played often with Double & Sound On, 11025hz, mono. While this has given me a sensation of a better response, it has benefitted my opponent more who has played with default settings. I did not remember this but untill coming back from my break last year. I will give more examples. Someone running on default settings vs someone who upgrades the sound to 44100hz will make the game feel a bit more heavy and a small advantage for the player who has upgraded the sound setting. You guys can clearly test it by both running on heaviest settings double, sound on, 44100hz, stereo a first game and then change render to something like interpolated 25% scanline & sound off. And there should be a clear difference with the response to your controls for both of you. Try it out. This propably has more effect on higher latency, where the difference is easier to see. Those who play without sound, it would be better for you to have the sound off from volume only, not gens setting as if the other one is using default settings, you are shooting yourself in the leg while improving your own response as well. The cpu speed might have something to do with this as well as I had a lot of problems vs slow computers with my previous unit which was top notch. I've just very often felt that the response is not 100% even always and multiple things can have a cause for it, now we got 2 possible cases for it. I just know that I've previously had my share of playing with pylons against guys who just skate around them and that is not about dexterity of fingers. Not saying anyone is deliberatedly using it, but partially me using lower settings for better response and via that a shot in the leg against default users. I can say that this also can make a difference in manual goalie play and I've seen an increase of that in my game as of late, which has been piss poor compared to other A guys. The problem is that if this problem is just not in my head and making it up, then Gens could be much more responsive in the way it emulates online play.Try and test with an open mind and give feedback back to the thread. If it exists for you as well, then we know there is something that we could improve in Gens to make it much better for everyone. I had a confirmation from JV & J&J at least when I was playing with different settings. The problem is that if it is just done using the settings, then there is always the chance for abuse as you cannot know what settings the other one is using. I think Gens could be edited in a way that it always somehow uses the information like on lowest settings. We know Kega is much smoother, but it also emulates the game worse in making it too slow. This does not apply only for NHL94 only and is applicable for all Gens online games. It could be worthwhile to look for other Gens game communities and have they dealt with this somehow, perhaps someone already has and has the knowledge but just kept to himself. https://code.google.com/p/gens-rerecording/downloads/list - Download gens11svn.zip But this is not everything, majority of the players are propably using normal Gens netplaysave, but there is a modified version of Gens above that Smozoma suggested to me when I was having trouble running Gens under Linux. This version of Gens has way more settings than the normal one and is 100% compatible with the normal Gens netplay and also has the same netplaysave included. The thing is this version of Gens has also "latency compensation" under graphics menu. There are 5 different levels of it and it can definately make a difference to yourself in response when I've used it, but I cannot say does it have any effect for the opponent, this should be easy to test out. This as this is not information that anyone should be holding on to as this can make improvement to the community and the online play in general. What I would wish for is that if this is confirmed by other players as well. Some of the programmers could check on what is causing it and we get a gens version that has the online response set to like with minimal settings for both, but can use whatever audio & render mode you want. Preferably not done by gens.cfg as it could be modified or then just the other modes scrapped off and not working. Also a check that the gens version checks that the other one is using that as well. Yea, yea, let's just confirm it first.

A tool to add leagues and have a few admins to do this. I understand that the leagues are run on a database so it shouldn't be hard to integrate a web page that has a tool that would add a league to it. This could be done easily with dropdowns for example. -How many teams and which teams are in -Assign which user controls which team -Be able to use players database as a classic or update a sheet for trade leagues, or even have the option to do it manually from classic database that which players are in which teams. It is not a huge job as draft leagues currently can have 8 to 11 players in the teams. -Able to set league / tournament type (divisions, number of games, schedule) Or maybe Chaos has something like this already ? We had a similar one in nhlgamer.com where we played newer NHL games and some nhl94. You can see multiple authors have issued leagues to the site. It's a pity that at least that snapshot does not allow me to see the leagues. Also not all nhl94 leagues were there, many had their own dedicated sites. https://web.archive.org/web/20071018024804/http://www.nhlgamer.com/? Also as you can see, we used IRC as a chat for our leagues. It would still propably be easy for main guys to set up their clients and it allows really easy to use web chats integrated on the page even to allow random guys hop in easily to the channel. Propably the easiest chat to integrate to a site. Actually found a snapshot from early 2005 that allows a couple leagues playoffs to be seen for the most curious ones. https://web.archive.org/web/20051221082004/http://www.nhlgamer.com/?p=league&id=23 https://web.archive.org/web/20050221183516/http://nhlgamer.com/?p=league&id=9 https://web.archive.org/web/20050203181420/http://nhlgamer.com/?p=league&id=5 https://web.archive.org/web/20050203190305/http://nhlgamer.com/?p=league&id=2

Have a nice and relaxing holidays. Be safe you all.

Trades with Brutus & Tex and Brutus & Depch + my FA move were missing from v24 & v25. All the moves by deadline should be in v26 and thus be final for preseason, get lines and such fixed for final final then. plabaxipreseason_v26.bin

DEADLINE

Yes. Might regret losing Esa intangibles, also there goes the most agile team! bye bye 955, 454, 654, 965, B42 to 544, 454, 654, 965, B42

Wsh: Drop Macoun Add Yuskevich edit: -Was about to remove the move as it wasn't done by v25 roster, but I'll hold on to it.

Wsh: FA move: Leschyshyn to Macoun

Washington trade list Taking offers, but not really looking to move: -Dale Hawerchuk -Esa Tikkanen -Curtis Joseph Locked to team: -Doug Gilmour -Paul Coffey -Slava Fetisov -Dmitri Yuskevich -Joel Otto

Washington makes a move. Drop: Smehlik (Surprise!) Pickup: Leschyshyn

Latest trades & FA moves and relocation of Florida to Washington. plabaxipreseason_v08.bin

Florida: Drop: Burt Pickup: Smehlik (Welcome back!) Drop: Andreychuk Pickup: Otto (Welcome back!) Moving from Florida to Washington.

FA Changes continue. It's a wild ride! Drop: Shanahan (Guy sucks, Otto is better positioning for onetimers) Add: Andreychuk

Florida continues on the market with Dallas Chelios & Nolan for Tikk & Burt

Florida continues with important FA moves and these propably won't be the last!: Drop: Smehlik Add: Fetisov Drop: Otto (I will regret this!) Add: Shanahan Drop: Francis Add: Nolan

Confirm

I have updated my FA-moves to the rom. plabaxipreseason_v04.bin

Florida makes a move: #1 Drops E.Davydov Pickup B.Bassen #2 Drops N.Borchevsky Pickup R.Francis Joel Otto has taken the lead of the team and managing how the game is supposed to be played. More toughness, defence and attitude is required!

There have been cases when I get some players with weird names and numbers. Like "Arena" 0 and guy is 99 ova or something. Not with this rom, but sometimes when I've tested players for drafts and my lines have been short of players.