EHM The Blue Line

My first reaction was utter shock. I've put more time into EHM2005/2007 than all other games combined in my life. About every few months I start googling for sports management games to fill the void left from EHM07. My mind is blown a new EHM was released out of nowhere.

I am initially skeptical and I'm wondering if this is just EHM07 with some graphics updates but for only $17 to find out, you're going to shut up and take my money.

Just downloaded it and I'm probably going to put a bunch of hours into it tonight. Will report back with what I think of the game.

SuplexCity wrote:My first reaction was utter shock. I've put more time into EHM2005/2007 than all other games combined in my life. About every few months I start googling for sports management games to fill the void left from EHM07. My mind is blown a new EHM was released out of nowhere.

I am initially skeptical and I'm wondering if this is just EHM07 with some graphics updates but for only $17 to find out, you're going to shut up and take my money.

Just downloaded it and I'm probably going to put a bunch of hours into it tonight. Will report back with what I think of the game.

There is more to the game than what meets the eye.
However, it is Early Acces and there are things to improve

I purchased this last week and I have dove in a little bit and can't thank you enough for doing this...it is a completely updated version that completely maintains the integrity and feel of the old game...addiction rating high! Thank you VERY much for continuing this tremendous game...very unexpected surprise.

Wow was I out of the loop. Was so turned off by the debacle that was FHM I hadn't even been back to these forums in a long time.

Very pumped, soon as I get home from work buying the early access to try it out .. hopefully it can blow FHM out of the water and stack up nicely against FHM2 when and if it ever releases.

After new update game seems working faster than before on the same large database even with more leagues loaded on start! Good job SI!

Mordrehl wrote:Wow was I out of the loop. Was so turned off by the debacle that was FHM I hadn't even been back to these forums in a long time.

Very pumped, soon as I get home from work buying the early access to try it out .. hopefully it can blow FHM out of the water and stack up nicely against FHM2 when and if it ever releases.

As someone who's played FHM and EHM:EA it blows it out of the water for sure. Too be honest it wasn't hard to do so since FHM was a mess from the start. I hope that both games are successful though, because then everyone wins. I will be personally supporting EHM and FHM and hoping they can make the best game as possible.

Sooooo...

SI threw out a band-aid for the resolution issues by having Borderless Window Mode added in the most-recent update. I'm hoping it's a temporary band-ad because it still really doesn't quite do it, you still have to auto-hide the taskbar (which is problematic at times). Giving it a spin on my laptop right now this way: I couldn't even do Windowed previously on 2007, it wouldn't allow it. So tired of having to Remote Desktop in to a desktop PC in order to play around with it.

Very much appreciating Steam though. Updates are a snap. I mean, I use Steam for other games, but it never really occurred to me how useful it would be for a game like EHM.

krownroyal83 wrote:

Mordrehl wrote:Wow was I out of the loop. Was so turned off by the debacle that was FHM I hadn't even been back to these forums in a long time.

Very pumped, soon as I get home from work buying the early access to try it out .. hopefully it can blow FHM out of the water and stack up nicely against FHM2 when and if it ever releases.

As someone who's played FHM and EHM:EA it blows it out of the water for sure. Too be honest it wasn't hard to do so since FHM was a mess from the start. I hope that both games are successful though, because then everyone wins. I will be personally supporting EHM and FHM and hoping they can make the best game as possible.

I have put 100s of hours into EHM2007 ... and tried very hard to like the original FHM. I'm more curious how the new EHM:EA (which I'm now playing, and does blow FHM out of the water but is essentially a patched version of EHM2007) ... how EHM:EA compares to FHM2 for anybody that might be in the beta on that

FHM2 isn't in beta as far as i know. Well i guess it is but is currently being tested by a select group of people who had to sign confidentiality agreements so we won't get any info on the game unless it's by the developers or wait until the game launches. I have a feeling that both EHM:EA and FHM2 will each have things that they do better than the other. The Developers failed to consistently update the original FHM. The last update was like a year ago. If they do that this time the game is going to flop once again unless they some how manage to get the game perfect on release day and let's face it that's not possible for a game as complex as this.

Primis wrote:Sooooo...

SI threw out a band-aid for the resolution issues by having Borderless Window Mode added in the most-recent update. I'm hoping it's a temporary band-ad because it still really doesn't quite do it, you still have to auto-hide the taskbar (which is problematic at times). Giving it a spin on my laptop right now this way: I couldn't even do Windowed previously on 2007, it wouldn't allow it. So tired of having to Remote Desktop in to a desktop PC in order to play around with it.

Very much appreciating Steam though. Updates are a snap. I mean, I use Steam for other games, but it never really occurred to me how useful it would be for a game like EHM.

Personally I've always had my taskbar on left side of screen, so no real issues. Maybe try that?

comatose wrote:Personally I've always had my taskbar on left side of screen, so no real issues. Maybe try that?

That's how I got around it with EHM 2007. Real happy with what they did with the latest update so that it's windowed. It doesn't really matter to me that the bottom is covered by the task bar because:

a) mine is shaded so I can still see it.
b) the status bar is not at the bottom like it was in 2007 so there really isn't that much cut off or overly important there anymore.

It's great to see them consistently providing updates too.

Not sure where to put this, but do I have to start a new game to make the changes in new updates active?

Saapas wrote:Not sure where to put this, but do I have to start a new game to make the changes in new updates active?

Mostly yes, but your old saves will work.

So I heard about this from a friend of mine online.

Researched it and bought it up. Glad to support a title that's been dead for 8 years, and from what I can tell... without any advertising... and 8 years of nothing I heard we're 11k in sales already, which is tremendous for this game. I hope it continues... I'm enjoying it mostly.

The main thing I have a problem with is that I have mastered Be A GM on NHL 15, and that game basically sucks compared to the depth of EHM EA.

The interface seems kinda overwhelming for me in EHM EA. Like I'm afraid that I will skip things or not notice them because it's so deep. I've messed around with it, but not went through a whole year yet (cause it would take a great deal of time to simulate 1 year straight for testing purposes).

So I'm wondering if the game prompts you to do things... or do you have have to remember... I guess I'm saying I want to be able to do everything that I can...

I mean I get how a GM works... but the scouts and all that... when I assign them, they just stay there? I'm just lacking a little bit of clarity I guess. Just wanting to understand everything completely.

lafontaine83 wrote:The main thing I have a problem with is that I have mastered Be A GM on NHL 15, and that game basically sucks compared to the depth of EHM EA.

The interface seems kinda overwhelming for me in EHM EA. Like I'm afraid that I will skip things or not notice them because it's so deep.

lafontaine83 wrote:So I'm wondering if the game prompts you to do things... or do you have have to remember

You're right about the game's depth, and that's the appeal of the game!
There are some reminders for some things (like expiring Contracts/Rights) in-game via your Mail received, but the game doesn't really prompt you to do things in a tutorial/helper style

lafontaine83 wrote:I guess I'm saying I want to be able to do everything that I can.....I'm just lacking a little bit of clarity I guess. Just wanting to understand everything completely.

Then you'll want to do some reading!

There's Guides for EHM05 and EHM07, and much of the insight/instruction/explanation is applicable to EHM:EA. There's also the EHM:EA Manual. Links to all 3 of these can be found at the top of this page.

lafontaine83 wrote:but the scouts and all that... when I assign them, they just stay there?

IIRC some scouting assignments can be set to permanent, and some can not (I don't think you can set NHL Draft to permanent, you'd have to reassign the Scout each year). For further understanding read the Scouting Section in the EHM:EA Manual (pages 40-42)


There's also the Even Strength Tactics Thread http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... =17&t=4331 the Special Teams Tactics thread http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... =17&t=3624 and the Practice Thread http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... =17&t=2345

There's LOTS of good advice in the Game Knowledge Discussion section http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=17
For example, here's some recently posted guidance on Training Camp http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... 17&t=14064

Primis wrote:Sooooo...

SI threw out a band-aid for the resolution issues by having Borderless Window Mode added in the most-recent update. I'm hoping it's a temporary band-ad because it still really doesn't quite do it, you still have to auto-hide the taskbar (which is problematic at times). Giving it a spin on my laptop right now this way: I couldn't even do Windowed previously on 2007, it wouldn't allow it. So tired of having to Remote Desktop in to a desktop PC in order to play around with it.

Very much appreciating Steam though. Updates are a snap. I mean, I use Steam for other games, but it never really occurred to me how useful it would be for a game like EHM.

I don't have that problem with the toolbar, since I always have it on the left-hand side of my screen. Have been doing it that way for years. Not sure how it started but it pays off now haha

Okay, so it took me awhile to start playing the game. I initially downloaded, sent them my money and put a hour into the game. Thinking all that was updated was a couple of graphics, I put it down and didn't touch it again.

Recently started jonesing for EHM, downloaded a updated roster pack and I just spent three days playing it.

+ The trading system has been greatly updated which in turn has made the whole game more challenging and more fun. It used to be so easy to rob the computer of good players and draft picks. You can still do this but it's much more challenging and engrossing now. It feels more realistic and for hardcore EHM players like me, just that alone has made EA worth the purchase. I like that I can't trade all my 7th round picks for a 1st round pick now.

+ The gameplay seems greatly updated. You used to be able to set a couple of settings in tactics and even with a mediocre team, you'd dominate. Playing through this run, it took me awhile to build a winner and I had to build a team that fit the system I want to play. My mind was blown that I lost over 50 games in my first season haha, I actually had to turn on my brain to play again.

+ I like that the importance of scouting has been updated. It used to be really easy to pick out good players during drafts and you wouldn't need to even bother with your scouts. Now its more difficult and you have to use your scouts more.

Those are the three big new positives I've experienced with EA. Now for the negatives.

- I don't feel like theres a whole lot new with EA other than some gameplay tweaking and graphic updates. The first time I played and put a hour into it, like I said I closed it and was disappointed thinking nothing had changed.

- I cannot for the life of me figure out how to find Restricted Free Agents. They don't come up in search anymore and I have to find them by sifting through young players in general search.

Overall, I really like this effort. It took hardcore EHM binge to figure out whats new with EA but it's great Beta effort and addresses a lot of the ways to exploit 2007. I'll definitely keep supporting and throwing money at this project.

1. I 100% agree with you on the trading being tightened up as a good thing. Not sure why people always think they should be able to get 8 first round picks and win the Stanley Cup trading every year for superstars with minor league scrubs. In some cases there are still some weird deals, but way way toned down from before. Totally good news and welcome aboard Suplex. GREAT NAME.
2. yes and no. I have had ridiculous success with the exact same tactics from EHM 2007. I find myself playing around alot with them in order to make team a bit different and more offensive. (I know...most people have a hard time with defensive...I never really have)
3. Absolutely---it seems the scouts are a bit off in some cases more often than in others. But at the same time...there are some who are pinpointing exactly. Good thing again.
4. Yeah--this is coming, I believe as time goes on. They are judging interest in the game originally and are making some updates and if they decide to go full out release there will be more I am sure. I am hopeful.
5. LOL--RFA were always hard to find for me.


Absolutely...this is awesome news. And again, great name and welcome aboard.

batdad wrote: 5. LOL--RFA were always hard to find for me.

no, I think this is actually a bug. It has been reported on the SI boards, hopefully it will be fixed.

YEah I realized that. Just think its funny since I can never find, and never look now because of that.

Now that I have had the game for about three weeks and the "wow its back" feeling has worn off; the need for a pre-game and save-game editor start to become more prevalent, much like we had in 07. In the long term (and I realize there are far more pressing issues to the developers, hence why I say "long term"), we're going to have to have these for more user-friendly customization. I'll be hoping they are on the to-do list at some point down the road.

And I have to say it: It's still too easy to win the Stanley Cup.

You can use the EHM2007 Pre-game editor to edit an EHM2007 database and then import it in the game. (Go to the addons forum to find out how.) No Save-game editor has been made as of yet.

Nice to see a ringing endorsement of the game from the head coach of Oxford City Stars: https://twitter.com/Simonhockey45/statu ... 2294518784

Guys, Happy New year! Can you give me link of Early acces, pls? Where I can download it?

AK992 wrote:Guys, Happy New year! Can you give me link of Early acces, pls? Where I can download it?

Steam...