Despite all the criticism....

Rasmuth · 07-08-2014, 05:03 PM

...and most of it is warranted, I am enjoying this game.

I picked it up a few weeks ago and I took over the Buffalo Sabres and instead of losing on purpose to get higher draft picks, I revamped the team and tried to win.

I re-signed Vanek to a 5 year deal.
I traded Ryan Miller and a 1st round pick to Dallas for rookie Valeri Nyschuskin
I also got Gustav Nyquist from Detroit.
With every move I made, my goal was to get younger...except for Vanek.

This first season....2013-14...Sabres won 35 games.
I took Leon Draisaitl with my pick in the draft.
I made other moves and managed to pluck a few quality guys from Europe.

In 2014-2015...we won 40 games....with Enroth and Hackett in goal...but just missed the playoffs.

In the free agency period, I aggressively pursued Patrick Kane and signed him to a huge deal. Welcome home to Buffalo Mr. Kane! This team is no longer the anemic offensive team Sabres fans are used to.

In 2015-2016....we won 50 games and lost to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.
Kane led the team in scoring and Matt Hackett emerged as the #1 goaltender.

In 2016-17....Patrick Kane went down with a season ending injury 26 games in. But this team wouldn't be denied. I picked up goalie Cam Ward 1/3 of the way through and he went nuts....overall he won 45 games for the season and really solidified the team. Meanwhile Nyschuskin really blossomed, scoring 50 goals, leading the league.

Ward got hurt the last game of the season and missed the first round of the playoffs...never fear, Hackett stepped in and stepped up.

Ward and Hackett split time in later rounds with Hackett remaining the hotter goalie...and he shut down San Jose in the last two games of the finals and FINALLY...my beloved Sabres have a Stanley Cup.

This game is fun, despite certain imperfections.

I'm NOT a fanboy....I'm just saying...for me, it's been real fun.

Let's go Buffalo!

Antonin · 07-09-2014, 08:49 PM

Nice to hear that you are enjoying it. I have been thinking about buying it, although I am more interested in fictional play.

I have family in Buffalo, so I'll join you in rooting for the Sabres even though I know very little about modern hockey.

tictacktoe5 · 07-16-2014, 12:39 AM

That's interesting because I also have a Buffalo dynasty going on and in the 2014 draft I also took Leon Draisaitl (along with Ekblad) in the first round.

As far as the game is concerned, I like it a lot. Is it perfect? No it is not, but is anything ever perfect the first time around? This is a new game series and one I believe has a lot of potential. It offers a lot more depth than any other sports game I've played. The one glaring problem for me is the match engine. I see a lot of high scoring games and great goalies with GAA of no lower than 2.55. But this is OOTP's first attempt at a hockey Sim. They have a better understanding of what consumers want and can better deliver on those wants. They have so much potential. This game is solid. It's not perfect, but it isn't terrible. I can't wait for the next one.

Oh and good luck this year Sabers fans. I haven't seen any Sabers games, but if Hodgson is anywhere near as good as he is in my dynasty (league leading 44 pts in 33 games), him and Reinhart are going to be a deadly one-two punch down the middle in the foreseeable future

07-09-2014, 08:49 PM	#2
Antonin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,508	Nice to hear that you are enjoying it. I have been thinking about buying it, although I am more interested in fictional play. I have family in Buffalo, so I'll join you in rooting for the Sabres even though I know very little about modern hockey. __________________ "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" - Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols), San Francisco, 14 January 1978

07-08-2014, 05:03 PM	#1
Rasmuth All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Upstate Western NY Posts: 1,760	Despite all the criticism.... ...and most of it is warranted, I am enjoying this game. I picked it up a few weeks ago and I took over the Buffalo Sabres and instead of losing on purpose to get higher draft picks, I revamped the team and tried to win. I re-signed Vanek to a 5 year deal. I traded Ryan Miller and a 1st round pick to Dallas for rookie Valeri Nyschuskin I also got Gustav Nyquist from Detroit. With every move I made, my goal was to get younger...except for Vanek. This first season....2013-14...Sabres won 35 games. I took Leon Draisaitl with my pick in the draft. I made other moves and managed to pluck a few quality guys from Europe. In 2014-2015...we won 40 games....with Enroth and Hackett in goal...but just missed the playoffs. In the free agency period, I aggressively pursued Patrick Kane and signed him to a huge deal. Welcome home to Buffalo Mr. Kane! This team is no longer the anemic offensive team Sabres fans are used to. In 2015-2016....we won 50 games and lost to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs. Kane led the team in scoring and Matt Hackett emerged as the #1 goaltender. In 2016-17....Patrick Kane went down with a season ending injury 26 games in. But this team wouldn't be denied. I picked up goalie Cam Ward 1/3 of the way through and he went nuts....overall he won 45 games for the season and really solidified the team. Meanwhile Nyschuskin really blossomed, scoring 50 goals, leading the league. Ward got hurt the last game of the season and missed the first round of the playoffs...never fear, Hackett stepped in and stepped up. Ward and Hackett split time in later rounds with Hackett remaining the hotter goalie...and he shut down San Jose in the last two games of the finals and FINALLY...my beloved Sabres have a Stanley Cup. This game is fun, despite certain imperfections. I'm NOT a fanboy....I'm just saying...for me, it's been real fun. Let's go Buffalo! __________________ http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=250426 Last edited by Rasmuth; 07-08-2014 at 05:09 PM.

07-16-2014, 12:39 AM	#3
tictacktoe5 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 31	That's interesting because I also have a Buffalo dynasty going on and in the 2014 draft I also took Leon Draisaitl (along with Ekblad) in the first round. As far as the game is concerned, I like it a lot. Is it perfect? No it is not, but is anything ever perfect the first time around? This is a new game series and one I believe has a lot of potential. It offers a lot more depth than any other sports game I've played. The one glaring problem for me is the match engine. I see a lot of high scoring games and great goalies with GAA of no lower than 2.55. But this is OOTP's first attempt at a hockey Sim. They have a better understanding of what consumers want and can better deliver on those wants. They have so much potential. This game is solid. It's not perfect, but it isn't terrible. I can't wait for the next one. Oh and good luck this year Sabers fans. I haven't seen any Sabers games, but if Hodgson is anywhere near as good as he is in my dynasty (league leading 44 pts in 33 games), him and Reinhart are going to be a deadly one-two punch down the middle in the foreseeable future