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If you order before the release date, you'll be able to immediately download and start playing the pre-release version of the game. We welcome you to post your thoughts on our FHM forum. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest FHM news. The Only Hockey Management Game You'll Ever NeedWe've spent 15 years working on Out of the Park Baseball, so we know a few things about sports management games, and we've applied all those lessons learned to Franchise Hockey Manager 2014. Take control of one of more than 300 teams across 19 leagues and run every aspect of its operation: set lineups and strategies, draft the next crop of superstars, haggle over trades, negotiate with free agents, navigate the choppy waters of injuries, and prepare your players for the grind of the regular season and the playoffs.
You can expect a new version of FHM every September, just in time for the latest NHL season. To get ready for FHM 2014's September 3 release, we'll leave you with the first installment in our Road to Release series.
FHM 2014 - The Road to Release, Part 1: All About RatingsAs in Out of the Park Baseball, FHM 2014 uses a wide variety of mental and physical ratings that govern a player's success - and as in baseball, hockey players typically see their abilities improve over time before decline inevitably sets in and they head toward the twilight of their careers. Players' ratings are divided into six groups: Offense, Defense, Goalie, Mental, Physical, and Hidden. While Hidden ratings can only be seen when you turn on commissioner mode, most of them don't change. The Offense, Defense, and Goalie ratings can increase or decrease each month according to a series of checks the game performs for each player - see producer Jeff Riddolls' in-depth explanation of the process on our forum to learn more.
Those ratings can't exceed their potential ratings, but there is the occasional chance that a potential rating will increase and offer more headroom for improvement. Checks against Physical ratings happen twice a year. They are most likely to improve when a player is young - any chance of improvement ends at age 28. Some of the Mental ratings will almost never change while others may improve by one point, at the most, every four years. The ratings are listed below. For an in-depth explanation of each one, see Jeff's Game Systems: Attributes post on the forum.
Player Aging and RetirementSlightly less than half of a player's ratings will decline over time, primarily the Physical ones. On average, typical first-line NHL stars will see a decline to baseline skills in about four years, with another three or four years before they become fourth-line players whose careers are close to wrapping up. When you turn on Commissioner Mode, you'll see an Aging rating among the hidden ones. Aging changes according to events in a player's life - major injuries will force a premature career decline (if they're still young, normal improvement will somewhat counteract that) while players who remain relatively healthy will have more years of productivity. With a bit of luck, a few players will remain superstars much longer than most.
In general, most players in high-level leagues who have productive careers and remain free of major injuries will probably retire in their late 30s. Jeff's Game Systems: Player Aging and Retirement post on our forum goes into this subject in more depth. Stay Tuned For MoreThanks for reading this newsletter. Look for two more installments in the FHM Road to Release series, one covering the intricacies of custom and historical leagues and the other delving into scouting, background leagues, and other related topics. We'll see you at the rink! The OOTP Developments Team> > > Click to Pre-Order FHM for PC Windows and Mac OS X < < <
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