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Limiting the number of teams that show in the play-off brackets in NHL '94


LaTormenta

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Evening all

@UltraMagnus has just finished an awesome EIHL version of '94, which I have been putting through its paces this evening.

The EIHL only features 10 teams, so I was wondering whether there is a way to amend the in-game play-off bracket screen so that it only shows the 10 teams in the league, rather than the hidden NHL teams.  The ROM has already been tweaked in EARE so that only the 10 EIHL teams are selectable for a play-off run.

Bracket.png

I know you can change the brackets in NOSE but I couldn't see anything that allows you to actually delete teams from the brackets.  Ignore the names here, as we have padded the ROM with other British teams so that the "EA Hockey Night" score banner does not look too ridiculous by showing, say, Manchester Storm playing the Maple Leafs!

NOSE.png

Ideally, the bracket would feature 8 teams, as this is how it works in real life.

Like with every question I seem to ask, I suspect that there probably isn't an easy solution to this but I just wanted to check. 

Thanks!

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When you create the rom, make the first ten teams be the teams of the league (as you've done).  Download EARE and for the Selectable Teams window, select 10 for the Playoffs as it will only limit to the first 10 teams you created (as you've done). 

Unfortunately, you'll still need to include 6 filler teams (teams 11-16) but they won't feature in your playoffs as long as you don't make them an opponent of any of the 10.  But, NOSE requires you enter 16.  For the actual (visual) in-game brackets, create 6 special banners (possibly blank blue ones to resemble the background) to cover the banners that will appear for teams 11-16.  I recommend checking out any of Coach Mac's Original 6 roms.  If memory serves, he's done this concept with 6 teams.

Edited by Sauce
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And by saying NOSE requires 16 teams, for each bracket, of course, I mean the game does.  I'm not sure if there is a way to change that or not.

Now, if only 8 teams make the brackets, the easiest way to do this, with limited work on your part, is make all 8 teams face themselves in round 1.  That way, you fill all 16 brackets.  Then, round 2, is a true 8 team bracket.

Edited by Sauce
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You can limit the EA Hockey Nights Teams.  If you only want you 8 or 10 teams to show, you can limit it to just them.  Credit goes to @slapshot67 for this hack.
 

 

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22 minutes ago, Sauce said:

And by saying NOSE requires 16 teams, for each bracket, of course, I mean the game does.  I'm not sure if there is a way to change that or not.

Now, if only 8 teams make the brackets, the easiest way to do this, with limited work on your part, is make all 8 teams face themselves in round 1.  That way, you fill all 16 brackets.  Then, round 2, is a true 8 team bracket.

@LaTormenta easiest fix is that. Pretty straight forward. And just copy and paste the same match up for each setting. Make sure you have atleast 4-6 different layouts....just for diversity sake.

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10 hours ago, Sauce said:

And by saying NOSE requires 16 teams, for each bracket, of course, I mean the game does.  I'm not sure if there is a way to change that or not.

Now, if only 8 teams make the brackets, the easiest way to do this, with limited work on your part, is make all 8 teams face themselves in round 1.  That way, you fill all 16 brackets.  Then, round 2, is a true 8 team bracket.

That's a really good shout and a helpful workaround. To be honest, I sorta knew it would be difficult / impossible to drop teams from the bracket, as that sounds more like a programming job than a straightforward mod. 

I might be being a bit dim here (I've been up since 5am catching up on the Leafs and Marlies games and am having a quick break from reviewing docs!), but I'm not sure how you could ensure that none of the non-EIHL teams don't progress if they are on the bracket.  Wouldn't an EIHL team always end up facing an NIHL team at some point or does the "10 team" rule mean that, once you get past the first round (where, as you mention above, all of the EIHL teams have to face one another), the EIHL teams will always progress and the human player could never face an NIHL team?

(Admittedly, this is a basic bracket and there might be a way of structuring it difficulty, but this is the best I could come up with in 2 mins in MS Paint!)   

image.png

 

Edited by LaTormenta
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1 hour ago, LaTormenta said:

That's a really good shout and a helpful workaround. To be honest, I sorta knew it would be difficult / impossible to drop teams from the bracket, as that sounds more like a programming job than a straightforward mod. 

I might be being a bit dim here (I've been up since 5am catching up on the Leafs and Marlies games and am having a quick break from reviewing docs!), but I'm not sure how you could ensure that none of the non-EIHL teams don't progress if they are on the bracket.  Wouldn't an EIHL team always end up facing an NIHL team at some point or does the "10 team" rule mean that, once you get past the first round (where, as you mention above, all of the EIHL teams have to face one another), the EIHL teams will always progress and the human player could never face an NIHL team?

(Admittedly, this is a basic bracket and there might be a way of structuring it difficulty, but this is the best I could come up with in 2 mins in MS Paint!)   

image.png

 

As I think on it, now, I don't think you can.  However, I haven't tried it so I am going off of the logic of the game.  You'd have to give it a whirl to confirm or, as I mentioned somewhere above, to try out Coach Mac's Original 6 roms and see if it works or not.  If it doesn't restrict them from appearing in a playoff game(s), then I recommend the alternative idea of having all 8 teams play themselves in round 1 so that round 2 is realistic.  Like Magnus said, if you go that route, consider different scenarios for the 8 teams as you have 10 to work with in the game.

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For an 8 Team Bracket


Do your 8 teams on the left side of the bracket.
Put an Easter Egg team or teams on the other side.
I also make all the banners for the Easter Egg Teams Blue like the screen

My 1968-1970 Roms have 8 team brackets.

1967 and before have 4 team brackets.

I do not know of a way to actually make the bracket, just 8 teams.

I would love to be able to hack the rom to be best of 3 (H A H) and Best of 5.

 

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To Mac's point, you could put 8 of your 10 teams on one side of the bracket and on the other, just repeat team #9 or team #10.  As you get a max of 32 playoff bracket scenarios, you can do this several times so that the eight random teams will always be guaranteed a particular opponent in the Finals.  I did a similar concept with my Game of Thrones rom.  I was random with the various Houses(teams) entered on one side but on the other side, you always end up facing off against the Night King and the White Walkers.

Unfortunately, the older the game, the less hacking you can do without "breaking" the gameplay.  And in some cases, some hacks just aren't possible.  The game was developed with a certain concept(s) in mind.

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