aqualizard

Updated Oct 18, 2017 NHL94.com Overhaul I think that the main site, NHL94.com, should be scaled waaay down and made more attractive. It should be one big, glossy "brochure" page, with no other pages, and only a handful of links like: High quality external Writeups like the Arda Ocal article on www.msgnetworks.com Guide For New Users (link to forum) (I wrote this recently. See here.) Upcoming events (link to forum) (See nhl94.com/events.) A couple high quality articles (links to forum) (like some of Raph's masterpieces) Bottom line, this site should serve as a slick looking "face" that then funnels people -- especially new recruits -- where we think they need to go. In my opinion all of the existing "articles" on the main site should be converted to forum posts. The scaled down nhl94.com I envision does not need any navigation bar, but it should have some "hidden" vanity URLs like this: nhl94.com/joinus -- with info geared towards recruiting people from live tourneys nhl94.com/pixelated -- with info geared towards recruiting people from Pixelated Heroes credits nhl94.com/events -- a redirect to the forum thread on events nhl94.com/xyz -- any other short, easy to share URLS that can be used to funnel people to where we want them

Updated Oct.26, 2017 Ideas Big and Small to grow and nurture the NHL'94 community. The meat is in posts below, but here is the overview: Big Ideas Overhaul NHL94.com Overhaul NHL94.com/forums <--- this is the key to it all Overhaul NHL94online.com Keep running awesome Live tournaments!! (Add a tweak or 2) Smaller Ideas Newsletter (Jer_33 thought of this, and is willing to take ownership of it) Video tutorials to help with "Getting Started" Have Business cards/flyers to hand out at tournaments with nhl94.com/joinus Dream Ideas (in order of unlikeliness, for fun) Recode some tools (emulator, kaillera), or find new tools, to make online play easier (.01% chance of happening) Recode NHL'94 in modern language (.00001% chance of happening) Related Threads Recruitment Ideas for getting tourney players to join forum and play online Player Retention Ideas - how to attract and keep new players?

Hey wbgs, you can join in the next VHL, VHL5. The current one is in playoffs mode, and it has been dragging a bit. If you are jonesin to play NHL'94 online right away, your best bet is the "Fall Classic" league, which will be open for registration soon. Or join our DIscord and ask for "exis" (pickup games) they happen every night pretty well. Check out the Guide for New Members -- it mentions current leagues near the bottom. I am not sure when VHL5 will be starting, but definitely not until the last season is over. At which point skip will ask people to indicate they are joining in a forum message in this section. His ROMs are amazing and it is worth the wait!

Your MTL vote didn't register? (You can vote as many times as you like...) Actually many commenters here did not get a votes in? (Yourself, Smozoma, Plabax, Clockwise among others...)

Also, what is the method of acquiring them? Craiflist? Kajiji? Something else? Maybe I will do the same just in case...

Yeah, those sound smaller than I expected. (I guess if you sit super-close, it is huge! ) Do you have one big one for the Championship games? I see the benefit -- for transport -- of having small. But would you prefer big ones? Or it really is not worth the extra trouble. (Extra trouble in the idea I propose, is relying on other people, and hoping they follow through on bringing them!)

You don't think we could use volunteer TVs -- brought by participants -- at the events themselves? (Only for unofficial hotel room games?) Having our own TVs seems like it could come in handy across the board, but maybe I am (once again) over thinking things?

You know, I think I heard or read Coach brought a TV to the Vegas event. (I could be confused. I was there when he brought a TV across the street, from the event venue into the hotel lobby... maybe that is what he did?) Anyway, I also read we had plenty of donor consoles in Vegas, but were short old CRT-style TVs. This got me thinking. 1. Why doesn't everyone in the Northeast snag 1 CRT-style TV off of Craig's List or whatever, and 2. At the next event, if needed, we each bring a TV? (Or at least we have that option.) Obviously, if you have to fly, you aren't bringing a TV. But if you are driving, and have room, or if the event is in your home city, why not? I know I played a couple times on an LED TV in Vegas, and it felt funny. (Don't know if it was lag or just the look of it.) I also am worried in a short while CRT- TVs will be hard to come by, but right now they can be gotten cheap or even free! Let's each grab one!

I am playing Coach for the consolation series tonight. Not sure if this means if I lose I might be in last and (possibly) fired, but now I like the idea even less. (Seems like everyone feels no one should get fired for being last, though. Except maybe Coach, and he is the commish.) People should get fired for not playing games, but with this carefully picked crew that is not an issue.

Hey, I had this exact same idea, and was even going to volunteer to do the write-up, too! (Though I will defer to you, if Coach takes volunteers, cuz I am writing some other stuff atm.) With a little prep, have the a short bio for each retro dude, plus there skill attributes, in a little "manual" (forum post). Last time the Retro dudes kind of caught us unaware when the draft charged ahead...

Finland would be cool! And I would go -- if I knew it was going to be well attended. But after seeing Vegas have a mediocre draw, I think Finland would be 5 Finnish dudes and 3 or 4 guys from the forum. I think we have to go where the numbers are; where most of the community is. That is, in the U.S. or Canada, no further west than Chicago, and no further east than Boston. The vast majority of our "regulars" are guys in the Northeast. Secondary to where our regulars are, is the city itself. It should be well populated, and being a hockey city helps, too. I know for Toronto, if there was enough notice given, I bet you could get over 200 participants. Everyone male I know between 35 and 45 years old (and a few outliers) is familiar with this game. When it was in Toronto 2 years ago, I think over half of the entrants were local. In Vegas, there was 1 dude. And the Toronto tourney had 2 months notice. Whatever the city, as long as it is one of the ones listed above (besides Ottawa -- I just put that there for fun and cuz there are a lot of guys here from there), if we put up some posters, gave flyers to the Retro Gaming stores, maybe took out an ad or 2, it could be huge. (Not that it needs to be huge, but the bigger it is, the more recruits to our community. Once we figure that part out. )

Hey Coach, the season is done for you and me I guess. (I am up for the 7 game losers thingy, but I mean there is no playoff for us.) Season was excellent. First of all, I liked that there was a league to play in. Second of all, this was a high caliber league. No whiners, slackers or drama queens, just 6 solid dudes that want to get games in! Love the ROM, too. Addressing your first two questions: 1. Brutus in / Last place gets fired I like Brutus in, I don't like people getting booted. 2. Keepers and Retros I think the last 50% should keep 2 guys, the top finishing 50% should keep 1. If we keep more than 1 or 2 per season, we will all have all star teams in 3 seasons. As for Retro guys, I like the idea, but the way it worked out, with people choosing them last, kinda gamed the system. Only you, me and Jer picked them early, and it didn't work out for us. (Well Jer did awesome, but you and me didn't benefit, I don't think.) I say boost the skills or weight of the Retro dudes, but you are a purist, and I can't see that happening. What about this? Make it mandatory to start your retro guy in the starting lineup? (You can only sub them out if they are injured?) Then they would matter, and get picked earlier. Also, why not let them be carried over? (It will pain you to let Gordie Howe just disappear, no?)

Can't believe Toronto and Montreal are ahead right now? Is this all Canucks skewing the poll? (I live in Toronto but I think I would prefer Montreal! Definitely the most "foreign" place, IMO.) I would go to any of these cities, though. Don't think I would have another Vegas or West Coast site in me...

I think that should count at 2 NYC's, but that is ok.

Awesome!! I added a short listing of this to http://nhl94.com/events with a link to this thread.

My criteria for choosing those in the poll? Or the criteria for each user choosing? My criteria was selecting cities I thought would have a good draw, that had good hockey followings (original 6)... As for each user choosing a couple, that is up to them entirely. You never know what motivates people.

Edit 2: It has been decided: Vancouver is officially hosting. Edit 1: Oct 19 added Green Bay, Vancouver and Minneapolis, What city should host the next big event? Please choose 2, so people don't just choose their own city! I chose Original 6 cities, and threw in Ottawa for good measure. I do feel that the next big event should be in the Northeast USA area, or close by in Canada. Disclaimer: I have no say in, nor inkling regarding, where the next one will be, and am not sure who would decide? (Maybe Halifax decides?) I do think the next one won't be driven by Mikey or his doc, but I could be wrong there, too. Bottom line, this is just a fun "thought experiment".

I see. And then you add the rightful ending that they are lacking, which amounts to: "Plabax was right, after all. I am the best. I told you so." Good stuff.

Thanks, man! That is the aim. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I am open to hearing them (though recognize cuz you are new, you might not yet know what you would want to know -- Doh!)

Hey Scamy, I wrote a Guide for New Members you may want to look at. And there are videos if you look around, including whole 7 game series as well as small tutorials, but you have to hunt them down here and there. But if you are competitive, you should join a league! Fall Classic is open for registration any day. Welcome!

Hey Jer_33, just so I can wrap my head around it, how much easier would it be to use a server as you describe? Would this just get rid of Hamachi? And if we get rid of Hamachi, would it actually add *more* steps, because configuring Kaillera would be harder? Not being a naysayer, just trying to wrap my head around it. (And that is very generous of you offering to pay for it... before you did that we definitely have to make sure it is worth it.)

Coach, can we set time for our 4 games? How is this Wed at 9pm EST? (6pm your time, I think?).

Congrats, Slapshot and Skip! Another awesome contribution to the community!

Ok, two pages have been added now: 1. http://nhl94.com/joinus/ 2. http://nhl94.com/events These are nice, simple URLs as we discussed, that can be put on flyers or even just spread by word of mouth. The "Events" URL just redirects to the a forum thread in a new subforum called "Latest Info" where an overview of Upcoming Events, both Live and Online, has been added. (I think having its own page, with radio buttons for "live" or "online" is a cool idea, but the forum thread approach is the quickest...) Note: the "Join Us" is quick and dirty, but functional. I will add some graphics, and change wording. Feedback is welcome.

(Last updated: Feb 24, 2022) Live Events Looks like we can finally get back to live events! [March 13, 2022 - Vancouver BC] - Battle of Vancouver II [TBD Fall 2022 - Toronto ON] - King of 94 VII (no details yet) [TBD Summer 2022 - Long Island NY] - Long Island Retro Gaming Expo (no details yet) [TBD Feb 2023 - Minneapolis MN] Modano Mo Problems III (no details yet) Online Leagues/Tournaments Fall Classic: http://www.nhl94online.com/html/registration.php?lg=114 Don't Puck with me: https://forum.nhl94.com/index.php?/topic/21224-dont-puck-with-me-draft-team-draft-league-sign-up-thread/ PAST EVENTS We weren't very good at keeping this up-to-date! Over the past few years we've run the usual online leagues and tournaments but also added a charity event supporting the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Live Events Event: King of 94 VI When/Where: December 2021 / Online Video: https://www.twitch.tv/collections/Sp4CzXDe1hZ5_w?filter=collections (10 videos in collection) Event: SoCHEL Distancing Tournament 2021 (Mario Lemieux Foundation charity event) When/Where: June 2020 / Online Video:https://www.twitch.tv/collections/FmjQhaLyNxZckg (7 videos in collection) Event: King of 94 V When/Where: December 2020 / Online Video: https://www.twitch.tv/collections/DozFX4je1haxqw?filter=collections (6 videos in collection) Event: SoCHEL Distancing Tournament 2020 (Mario Lemieux Foundation charity event) When/Where: June 2020 / Online Video:https://www.twitch.tv/collections/FmjQhaLyNxZckg (7 videos in collection) Event: King of 94 IV When/Where: September 2019 / Toronto, Ontario, Canada Video: Sega Finals games 1-6, Sega Finals game 7 Event: King of 94 III When/Where: October 28 2018 / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Video: Round Robin . Online Leagues League: Fall Classic Details: About to start. This is Genesis and SNES and is the longest running online league. Registration is opening soon, and the league will begin in November. Click here to see more info.