Rules for not exploiting the AI

jdh79 · Post by **jdh79** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:06 am

As far as Carey Price goes, about 1/2 the time, it seems like the Habs don't even bother to sign him to an entry level contract before his rights expires and all the teams have this huge rush to sign him. If I am playing as the Leafs, he always takes my offer.

TW Triton · Post by **TW Triton** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:05 pm

I'll admit that there are plenty of great players that you can acquire through trades that tend to make no sense at all.

Plus, it's even worse when you can get great players for peanuts.

By the way, if you want to grab those other players in a legit way. Then give that team what you think they should get for someone like Niittymaki and so forth.

Post by **Shadd666** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:58 pm

In the game, Niittymäki is at the same level of a Brodeur or a Luongo, who are both untouchables. So i always consider Niittymäki as an untouchable player, even if i know i could lend him for peanuts and he could win me the Stanley Cup all by himself, even with an AHL roster. I won't land him unless he is either put on the block or free agent.

jdh79 · Post by **jdh79** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:33 pm

One thing I have always thought of doing but never actually carried through with is editing the database I am using to neuter his ability because it just bugs me seeing a naff NHL backup dominating year after year. If I just reduce his potential and actual ability to say 130 and 110 or something, would that fix the problem or do you have to change all the attributes too.

What sucks is usually he does wind up being put on the block and traded to another AI team for like a 4th round pick, which is just embarrassing. Granted, the Flames got Kiprusoff for peanuts too, but it isn't like they were looking at his juicy attributes while doing so. In the TBL database, the Flyers get a little better at keeping him, but still over 50% of the time they bench him for a clearly inferior Biron. At least with Esche, he has somewhat similar attributes.

For that matter, I think taking the Flyers, at least the default database version of them is a form of exploting the game in and of itself. Gagne IMO is one of the top 10 players in the whole game and is signed to a reasonable long term deal, Pitkanen and Niity are monsters and Carter and Richards also become superstars. Which really sucks, because in real life Niity is a marginal backup goalie, Pitkanen is an enigmatic, frustrating player, and Carter and Richards are not that great, plus Gagne is overrated and injury prone. The TBL database version with the 2007 rosters is much more balanced, because you have no Pitkanen, and the Briere and Timonen contracts are two of the worst in the game.

Post by **Shadd666** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:24 am

If you start to deal with editing one player, then you'll probably want to edit others that you find under/overrated. The risk is to completely unbalance the game. Plus, the more you edit things, the more you have a chance to see the game crash, from what i've heard here and there.

Plus, it's pretty hard to evaluate precisely the abilities of a player on a 1-20 scale (let alone the 1-100 scale). It would be way easier to do on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale, but the game is on a 1-20.

Post by **B. Stinson** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:08 pm

the more you have a chance to see the game crash, from what i've heard here and there.

I can stand behind this one. I had a nice game going with the TBL unfake 1.1 where I folded Nashville, and brought back Winnipeg. Somewhere in my second year my save apparently became corrupt and no longer loads. Had to start all over yesterday, this time with a less risky DB.

Post by **Tasku** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:18 pm

I don't think attribute editing or moving players from team to another would increase the risk of crashing, it's the affiliation changes, team and league changes that are known to possibly cause instability.

jdh79 · Post by **jdh79** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:02 pm

I don't think Niitymakki's dominance would be that untolerable if at least the AI Flyers were smart enough to realize the talent that they have. It is just painful to see them play Esche over him year after year, trade him for like a 4th rd pick and sometimes waive him to clear salary cap space.

What's really interesting is Niitymakki actually has a lower potential rating that Jose Theodore, which probably proves the point that potential ratings are really overrated.

Post by **B. Stinson** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:52 pm

I hate to nitpick, but it's actually Niittymäki - with two T's and one K.

Post by **Shadd666** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:43 pm

In my game, the Flyers realized how much Niit' is talented and even won the Cup in season 2 thanks to his incredible performances. In most of the games i played, they use him for what he is in the game: a superstar goalie.

Tasku: you're probably right about edited DBs

I'm just not enough into this stuff to make reliable comments (reason why i initially mentionned the "from what i've heard", which is not the most reliable feature

)

Post by **Tasku** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:45 am

B. Stinson wrote:I hate to nitpick, but it's actually Niittymäki - with two T's and one K.

I've been holding myself back, trying my best not to make a post just to say he's constantly misspelling Niitty.

Other misspells around the forums as of late:

"Vanneenen" = Väänänen
"Raask" = Rask

... and plenty others... I'll just shut my mouth about it, seems the English speaking world will never be able to spell our names correctly...

Carry on

Post by **Calv** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:26 pm

For Tasku:
Niitymakki...Niitymakki...Niitymakki...Niitymakki...Niitymakki...

Post by **Tasku** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:42 pm

Okay Kälv, settle down now...

Post by **batdad** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:54 pm

Yeah Tasku...How do you spell the last name of a former Oiler captain now playing in Colorado? How about the Duck defenseman who decided to unretire.

And Kälv...is awesome! I likes it.

So anyway, the biggest rule is now to spell all Swedish names correctly, and get all Finish ones wrong!! (Intentional on the finish thing, cause I am finished with the Finnish)

Post by **Tasku** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:28 pm

What? Niedermayer? Easy!

I have no idea, who's this former Oilers captain you speak of!

Post by **batdad** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:00 pm

He wears #94

Post by **Tasku** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:06 pm

Wayne Gretzky?

Post by **B. Stinson** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:41 pm

Tasku wrote:Wayne Gretzky?

No! Ha!

...Gretzky wore #92.

Post by **batdad** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:46 am

I thought it was 39. No wait, that was Jamie Macoun.

jdh79 · Post by **jdh79** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:04 pm

In another game I was just playing using the TBL 1.3 database, the AI Flyers traded Niittymaki (spelled right this time?) to the Wild for a 4th round pick so they could start Biron every game. They went on to go through 3 GMs in 5 years.

jdh79 · Post by **jdh79** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:37 pm

TW Triton wrote:I'll admit that there are plenty of great players that you can acquire through trades that tend to make no sense at all.

Plus, it's even worse when you can get great players for peanuts.

By the way, if you want to grab those other players in a legit way. Then give that team what you think they should get for someone like Niittymaki and so forth.

That idea I definitely agree with. For example, if you are taking the Predators and obviously need a goalie and want Niittymaki, the AI Flyers will take Shea Weber for him. Weber is the Preds' (at least with the roster update) only property that has any value and he becomes a Gonchar-level franchise offensive d-man, so I think that's reasonable.