Are you taking the piss?

[stephen]

Why have you released 1.0 when there are so many bugs that have been reported for months and months, still in existence?

[Max Boyer]

All new games have bugs. The good news is, with the version 1.0.0, they can work from there into making the game with less bugs over time and add new things.

This team set the bar REALLY HIGH because of OOTP who has been around for 15 years. Lets give them our support by sending them what's not working instead of complaints.

I understand how you feel but they can do miracles with a few patches down the line. It takes time.

[Puckhead]

Originally Posted by Max Boyer

All new games have bugs. The good news is, with the version 1.0.0, they can work from there into making the game with less bugs over time and add new things.

This team set the bar REALLY HIGH because of OOTP who has been around for 15 years. Lets give them our support by sending them what's not working instead of complaints.

I understand how you feel but they can do miracles with a few patches down the line. It takes time.

I fully agree right here. There still are bugs that have been reported but it has to be mentioned that there are
A. Already three game modes in FHM in the first version
B. They try to be very accurate with rules, customization etc., so all modes take quite some time to make them right.
C. The developer team is pretty small, but they listen to the community nonetheless. And although some bugs are not fixed yet doesn't mean that they're not aware of them. They will patch them sooner or later. With EVERY version this game gets better and better so just give it some more time.

[stephen]

they've launched a game that some people cant play. I don't give a toss about future patches. When you pay for a product you expect it to be playable. It isn't.

[fireholder]

It's playable. You may not like the way it has to be played at first, but it's playable.

[pens66]

Originally Posted by fireholder

It's playable. You may not like the way it has to be played at first, but it's playable.

What do you mean "has to be played at first"?

[Mickeyb37]

The game is playable and it definitely sims faster. Just trying to work out a few work arounds for known issues with FA's. At the moment I'm trading mine for guys with a few years left on their contracts

[Puckhead]

Originally Posted by pens66

What do you mean "has to be played at first"?

Developing a game is a process, not a miracle. And since this is the very first full version of FHM, this is no exception. It'll get better when more updates are released. And they'll follow after version 1.0.

[Sturmie]

From what I've been reading, I'd have a hard time shelling out $40 for this game. I understand it's the first iteration and certain bugs (probably not all) will be fixed...but to charge a premium price for something that has so many reported issues is not a great way to get this franchise off the ground.

Personally, I've been waiting for a good, stable hockey sim for a LONG time and was excited that the OOTP guys were taking a crack at one, but maybe they should have priced v1.x a bit lower to start out.

Sturmie

[derek412]

Sturmie: This is where i'm at too. Too many bugs (a few of them not hard to see) for me to pay $40 right now. I may wait and see the end of week patch promised and see how it pans out. I want to support this (as I have OOTP) but right at this moment? A bit of a tough start out of the gate, IMHO.

[fireholder]

Originally Posted by pens66

What do you mean "has to be played at first"?

I mean the onslaught of "unplayable" comments because some things dont work as well as they should. Actual crashes are a slightly different matter.

People will spout about how historical or custom should have never been done and the game should be focused on more. But that would have just meant that entire markets of users wouldn't have been able to use the game at all for their playstyle.

some things that should work may not, and some may be absent or still in development. games are never perfect, particularly sports, elsewise no one would bother purchasing the next year's iteration. But the negative Nancies of the community seem to think the option was simple: do less features and focus more on the core game, or try a much wider approach (which is how it went).

Either way, many users aren't going to be able to do exactly what they want. either a few functions are on the wonky side early on, or we have a 1-league game that isolates anyone who wants to play a league other than the NHL.

[moore4807]

Steven, Sturmie & Derek

You are certainly entitled to your opinions - however as Puckhead pointed out and it apparently needed to be in caps... This is a small development team... a few people to do a HUGE job...

OOTP started out many years ago the same way. Look at where it is today.

We invest in the game to inspire the developers to keep working and pay thier bills, just as we have to do. I was there for OOTP and enjoyed the small market interactions with the developers directly, not some V.P. of marketing/blah,blah,blah and eagerly anticipate the same with FHM

When a huge ginormous game corp comes out with a piece of piss, your stuck with it (EA?). With these guys you get a forum with interesting topics and characters, along with timely responses to problems and a place to talk about them without whining...

Your choice - they already got my money, because thier history speaks for itself.

[Aliean]

I dont really understand why so many are defensive against criticism on here.i know what he wrote isent needed but this is far from an acceptable release even for a 1 time release of this series its still not acceptable that so many core issues is still not working.not saying they arent doing a good job but releasing a game far to early and at full price is not good and it isent fair to people who wants to buy the game and then get this.sure there will be a patch friday but if i bought today and got this i would not even hesitate and ask for a refund withing a few hours

[yzerwing]

The thing that bothers me about all the whining and moaning is that we have not had a proper hockey sim since EHM 2007. We finally get one that looks promising and all people do is bury it immediately. This is a brand new game and while it would be awesome that it was all up and running, the stuff that is wrong is being worked on by a very tiny team, and unpaid volunteers who have given their time to this game.

If all you do is whine and complain, then we may never get a new long running hockey sim. I get that people who pay money have a right to voice their opinion, but at the same time, this is a small team, that at least gives heads up to us about what is going on. Now if this was a massive company like EA Sports, etc., then complaining and moaning would be fair, as they don't react with their customers and never change much in their sports games, and certainly don't spend as much time talking and helping to people as ex., JeffR has.

[pens66]

Originally Posted by fireholder

I mean the onslaught of "unplayable" comments because some things dont work as well as they should. Actual crashes are a slightly different matter.

People will spout about how historical or custom should have never been done and the game should be focused on more. But that would have just meant that entire markets of users wouldn't have been able to use the game at all for their playstyle.

some things that should work may not, and some may be absent or still in development. games are never perfect, particularly sports, elsewise no one would bother purchasing the next year's iteration. But the negative Nancies of the community seem to think the option was simple: do less features and focus more on the core game, or try a much wider approach (which is how it went).

Either way, many users aren't going to be able to do exactly what they want. either a few functions are on the wonky side early on, or we have a 1-league game that isolates anyone who wants to play a league other than the NHL.

Targeting a wide audience is fine and makes sense, but what you have now is three modes and none of them is working properly. Yes - I'll freely use that word - the game is unplayable. You can probably the first season just fine, but you will run into a wall sooner or later and you will give up because the game in its current state is simply annoying (trades, contracts, drafts).

I've played EHM since the freeware, too, just like you. I know about the bugs in the SI era. The attribute decline bug was horrendous -- and it wasn't pretty in the forums. But all other versions of EHM were at least playable, despite its bugs.

Now, here I've been reading comments like "relax, this is just a beta" for months now and I'm tired of it. The same guys now say "relax, it's the first release, there will be patches". Of course, there will be patches. But that's the least you can expect.
I started a single savegame with the release build so far: a historical game in the 70s and I just let it run. I had to see Dennis Hextall posting two 100 point seasons. But I can ignore that. Then, fourth season. Crash. I don't know why and the savegame is now corrupted, can't be loaded anymore.

[drewst18]

Originally Posted by Aliean

I dont really understand why so many are defensive against criticism on here.i know what he wrote isent needed but this is far from an acceptable release even for a 1 time release of this series its still not acceptable that so many core issues is still not working.not saying they arent doing a good job but releasing a game far to early and at full price is not good and it isent fair to people who wants to buy the game and then get this.sure there will be a patch friday but if i bought today and got this i would not even hesitate and ask for a refund withing a few hours

Its all because there is two different stances. Frankly if the OP is how the OOTP fan base is I have no idea how Markus puts up with it.

This game has bugs, and we can debate the 1st version release strategy all day (personally historic and custom or one could have waited) but a thread like this does not bring anything positive to the software now or in the future. Not to mention nearly all of these bugs will be gone once online play is released (if you're into that). AI is always a question mark whether it be a 1 man development team who does it on the side or a million dollar company like EA. It is just going to take some time.

I agree a price point of 29.99 is likely a better deal and I don't think it will be long before that sale takes effect. That being said. A thread like this with this title deserves to be flamed til the sun goes down, especially today.

Too many people have been waiting too long for a new hockey sim to be released. If you look at the hockey Sim industry or lack there of this game is on point (see Simon T or Faceoff Hockey). This is a troll thread is what it is, you can at least wait a couple days and maybe the excitment will have cooled down and you can get somewhere useful with your complaint, but if you post like this when half the people are thrilled at potential and others are disappointed your bound to see a clash.

If you want to support the game support it, if you want your money back do it a more respectable approach. There is no room for threads like this, look around find an email address and talk to the company.

[yzerwing]

Originally Posted by pens66

But all other versions of EHM were at least playable, despite its bugs.

True enough, but this game already has more playable options, that just need to be fine tuned. Unplayable I think is unfair, as it works. Have you ever played Fallout 3, that was a huge game from a huge developer and it freezes every 10 minutes at times. This game has lots of good, and in time the bad will get weeded out.

Not saying their aren't disappointments, because there are, like no waivers at this point and RFA's not working properly, as well as game settings only having 3 adjustable settings, but I would imagine in a fairly reasonable time, they will be patched. This is the first version, and I think just be a little more patient.

EHM was great, but it still had a lot of annoying things that made us all wish for a new hockey sim.

[Sturmie]

Originally Posted by moore4807

Steven, Sturmie & Derek...

I get what you're saying, but correct me if I'm wrong, the original OOTP wasn't $40 when it was first released, was it? I mean if FHM 1.0.0 was say $19.99 or $24.99, it might be more tolerable and people would be more willing to be along for the ride...but at $40, expectations (at least mine) would be for a more polished product.

[Puckhead]

Originally Posted by pens66

Of course, there will be patches. But that's the least you can expect.

Take a look at EAs NHL series for the 360/PS3. Patches are needed there too, but are users getting enough of them to get the biggest glitches or bugs fixed? No, EA waits for the next year and demands $60. This game is way more popular than FHM although everyone knows that EA doesn't fix a lot of known bugs to sell the next version.

I think the developers of FHM are different compared to that. They are trying to giving us a near perfect product and that is very difficult. Plus there are a lot of customisation options, things that EHM or EAs NHL never had in such an extent like FHM already has implemented in version 1.0.

[Mickeyb37]

People are entitled to their opinions and some people will be disappointed. They have to be allowed to be disappointed and air their views not shot down by those that don't agree.

We have been hearing this will be fixed its a beta for a long time and now that has changed to this will be fixed its a first release. The game has been a beta for quite some time now and I am disappointed in some aspects of the release especially known major bugs that have been reported regularly. I am hoping those issues will be addressed quickly and the games potential can be realised. I also hope some of the others who are disappointed right now will change their minds as the game progresses.