aqualizard

Can't say I agree with this. You should jump into online play. Exis to start. If you play solo 100 games versus against opponents 100 games, you will improve exponentially better against real opponents in the same amount of time. Just jump in, amigo! Download AIM and come on in!

Sure, no prob. This is in the feeling out stage. But it is encouraging two top coaches are up for the challenge!

Ok, fair enough. So would you play in a league of this type? I figure I need at least 4 A guys.

So you think from SJ down? SJ TB FLA OTW ANH Would you play if you were limited to those 5?

Cool! So can I pencil you in, if this thing happens? I figure at least 4 A guys are needed to "maintain the integrity" of the idea... Coach, I don't want to do any hacks to the Classic ROM. As for swinging by your place, that would be awesome! But it is unlikely to happen Sept 23rd... would need to be a summer time, if I werein that area. (I do hope Ko94 ][ is in Vegas!!) I get your point. But, I think if I played CHI or DET against KingRaph's PIT, I would win some games. He is one of the best guys, and I am a middle-B guy, and he would still beat me > 75% of time, but I would win some. I think. Hell, I'd love to try. Also, chances are that Raph would not get first pick, so he is more likely to get stuck with STL or NJ or even TB. The bottom 10 (that is, 17-26) from here are: PIT STL WSH NJ NYI SJ TB FLA OTW ANH Perhaps I should make it bottom 8, from WSH onward? Or maybe A guys will take it as a challenge and badge of honor and *want* to play an ANH or OTW?

Update: This League is happening now, and here is the ROM: NHL94PnP.bin Update 2: The gamesaves can be submitted now. See Stats Thread Below is the original first message... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, with the success of Plab's small, tight league (no slackers!) I am thinking of other league ideas. Would you play in a league where: 8 guys, 4 As, 4 Bs B level picks from complete Classic list, A level pick from bottom 5 Each team plays the other team 2x (home and away), for 14 games total Aim for 7 games per week, so: season complete in 2 weeks No playoffs. Whoever has most wins, wins (If there is a tie, we then look at: GF, GA) As and Bs draft teams separately based on random draw I am wondering if A guys would consider such a league? On the one hand, it is more fun to play with a stacked roster. However being able to compete with a crappy team would be a real testament of skill! And of course, things would balance out between As and Bs, or at least balance better. Let me know your thoughts, especially A players. If the idea sucks, no biggie, just thinking out loud here. Edit: I updated the rules above as the discussion evolved, so they were slightly refined, though the spirit of the idea remains.

That is awesome, Coach! Love the Checking Ability column! Thanks!

Well, I think I kinda sucked in the VHL draft. The first one I did, I ended up playing guys I drafted late more than my early picks, and the 2nd draft I was out of town, so Skip did it for me. Also, Skip's ROM is kinda star studded, so there is not the same sort of variance as thr Classic ROM. (We kinda all winded up with All-Star teams.) But still, thanks for the advice. I do hope that Brutus is able to make a Google Sheet that has the Total Adjusted Check Rating info (Check rating and weight combined in some weird formula), like Skip had. (I think it didn't show up for VHL 1, but did after.) With the links Depch proved, the info Brutus provided, and hopefully with some sort of Total Adjusted Check Rating in the spreadsheet, I shuld be able to un-knot my panties.

Well what about "practice & honest analysis of your game" AND playing higher talent? Everyone is different. But if you took 1000 B-level guys, and had 500 of them play only A level guys for 3 months, and the other 500 play only B level guys, I am confident there will be bigger improvements with the guys playing higher talent. Not everyone of them. But more of them. As you mentioned, a newbie, or a C level player who would get creamed (like a rank amateur fighting Mike Tyson), yeah, it won't help getting killed repeatedly. But a solid B guy that is tying to improve, and wants to improve, and seeking to improve, yeah, in my opinion he will benefit from playing more As. I strongly feel in my own case I would. (But hey, I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. ;))

Do you have enough beers on hand to fuel a video? If not please reconsider this endeavor until you have filled your fridge.

Interesting. Big jumps for: Forwards Lemieux Neely Lindros Turgeon D-Men Zalapski Bourque

Thanks, guys. Depch, those links are worth a 1000 words. Brutus, your explanation of "C/b disabled WBF" makes sense to me now.

Let's get this thread back on track: How can we turn more Bs into As? I think HABS hit the nail on the head -- in the first post of this thread -- with mentoring. But, related to that, I think the key is A guys simply need to play B guys! I bet if all I played were A level guys, I would get better (sort of) fast, even without any actual advice. That is a big part of "mentoring", simply mingling and playing with guys worse than you. (I do have to give a shout out to King Raph, cuz the dude is better than anyone at playing guys much worse than him. And if all the A guys had his attitude, there would be a helluva lot more A guys in the talent pool. WTG Raphy!) Anyhoo, to facilitate A guys playing B guys, maybe we should have an AIM group called "B Workshop" (or whatever) that is every Wednesday at 9pm EST, where a few A guys will try to be around with the express purpose of playing B level guys, and then chatting in between games about improvement. Or even no chat, just play the dudes! That is the key! I am not saying have 4 A guys committed to 9pm every Wed., I am saying have a bunch of A guys *aware* that 9pm EST is workshop time, and if some B guys show up in the group, and s Sensei Master A dude happens to be free, he plays a few games with a B instead of doing 2on2 or seeking out more A guys or watching Netflix or whatever. Throw. Some. Bones. To. B. Guys! It can only help in the long run! Ja?

I am still trying to wrap my head around the implications of a WBF league. Especially regarding drafting. BLitz ended before I started playing online. I started a separate thread so as not to pollute this one: How To Draft for a WBF League Please throw a lizard a bone over there.

I have never played with the Classic 94 roster in a weight bug fixed (WBF) leagued? How do things change, as far as drafting is concerned? Before you tell me, if there is a link to drafts in the past, that is the most useful info. Blitz was before my time here, but did it use the classic roster? If yes, can I see how the drafts went, like exists in that GDL Google Sheet with Average Draft Position? I am sure JR is going to take a huge hit? Who goes first in a WBF league? (Bourque? J/K, but I bet he goes pretty high.) Also, as I understand it, WBF means no CB checks. Does this mean that glitch has been removed? Is this removal the same thing that makes it WBF? Or will CB still" work" in some instances, or is it completely useless?

That is the amazing thing about these glitches: both pass shots, and CB checks require skill. Even though they weren't in the game by design, they truly add an extra depth. If they were easy to do, they would make the game shallow, and I would hate them. It is one of the miracles of NHL94 (on Genesis) that these accidental gems exist. I especially love that CB was only discovered 20 years after the game was released. (And I do think CB checks, at the hands of a master, have more impact than pass shots.)

To be clear, the Blitz ROMs are Weight Bug Fixed, right? (So lighter guys are not Gods.) And yeah, I am in no matter what the rules are... Edit: I see you mentioned it is WBF after I wrote what I did....

Well the informal poll says NYC, but seems many are hoping for Vegas (me included)! Guess we have to wait and see...

That is really nice work! Wish you had a Youtube "Making Of" video? I salute you, Sir!

Yeah. It seems most like the Penalty Shots. Smozoma gots to do a hack that keeps all penalties off except those rare ones that result in a Penalty Shot. Would be super cool!

I voted but bottom line is I just like to play. I was hoping GDL would be starting soon? Plabax is having great success with: 1. strict milestone enforcement 2. 16 coaches I think GDL should be this way. If we need to stick to tradition and have 24 players, then a new league -- just like GDL but with 16 coaches and strict milestones -- would be awesome. I also like the Plablegs league, and hope he keeps rolling it over. I never want to play with line changes on. Aside from that, I will play in almost any league! Thanks!

That is an interesting tidbit. So no point in choosing "Other". This is good to know, because I would travel to any of those cities! (Except maybe NYC which would cost a ton.) My feeling is Detroit has little chance, and D.C has little chance. Seattle doesn't feel right either. I think favorites have got to be LA, CHI, and NYC. Las Vegas is a wild card, but it would be so cool. San Fran, why not, but can it be a favorite? (EA hq is located near SF, in Redwood City!) Despite what the Cray super-computer said, Boston doesn't seem right either. Yup, LA, CHI or NYC!

Yeah, when I made the options I looked at the biggest passenger airports in the USA. But I can't see the KO94 II being in the south, so that filtered out a lot of options. And small cities, like Minneapolis, also seem unlikely. But hey, if you think it's a city not on the list, choose "Other" and tell us about it!

Mentor me, HABS! We can play every Wednesday at 8pm or something? I am struggling, but yes, I always get my games in. Throw me a bone!!!

This is a good topic and one I have a special interest in, being in danger of being a career B level player. Out of the gate I was quite poor, then a couple months in got to middling B level. That is where I am now. I remember King Raph of all people took time to help me along, even pausing during our exis to point out what I did wrong. It did help, but I just feel it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. If any A guys want to mentor me, I am certainly open to it! There was awhile when I played more than anyone possibly, though nowadays I go long stretches without playing. Would love it if someone saw a huge hole in my game and said "Your problem is manual goalie. Work on that and you will be 50% better."