Deadwing

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  1. Like
    Deadwing reacted to bremitt in recall and assign   
    Not sure if mentioned, so i will apologize if it has and I am just being redundant.

    The Process of having to go to a players page, let it load, click on assign/recall, let it load, then authorize that choice, then let it load, is rather annoying.

    Could it be possible to set it up so that when you are on your roster page, and you click on a player, and the pop up comes up with his ratings and traits, at the bottom, like how you can simply click on "add to shortlist" or "remove from shortlist" have another bottom that we can assign/recall that player? That way we can just quickly go down our roster list and do it all from one page in a much faster process.
  2. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in [SOLVED] All Menus Struggling to Load   
    I deleted all of my World Messages and most of my World PMs and the page load time is now approximately 5 seconds compared to the previous 15-20 seconds.  A noticeable difference.  Still a slight lag from the other tabs which take about a second to load, but much better.
    Agree with Deadwing - with Discord and the new messaging system, we probably don't have a use for the World PMs.
  3. Like
    Deadwing reacted to GamePlanHockey in [BUI] Jersey editor broken   
    Thanks for the report and the info regarding the season switch. Will check this out.
    Question, the error message is displayed when trying to save your changes? Or when loading the editor?
  4. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in Scouting report attributes   
    Has anyone decided to try and decipher how certain attributes on player scouting reports impact a player's performance or what they mean?
    Here's the ones that I am currently curious about:  Focus, Persistence & Resilience.
    My best guesses:
      -  Focus - the ability of players to not be impacted by the other team trying to agitate or play tough - and/or a player's determination.
      -  Persistence - I could be getting this mixed up with my guess on Focus above - or it could be how well a player can endure all game situations and late in games.
      -  Resilience - I could also be getting this one mixed up with my guess on Focus - or it could be how well a player can break out of slumps over a period of games.
    I've run through quite a few scouting reports and many of my players differ in these areas, so I can only assume that they impact the game differently.
    Thoughts from other managers - and insight from the admins - are both welcome and appreciated.  Also, if there are other attributes that should be discussed, post 'em up.  I feel like the rest of them are self explanatory and can mostly be explained by looking at a player's ratings, size and traits.
     
  5. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from Paul T in [SOLVED] All Menus Struggling to Load   
    Same here. Everything else loads fairly good, but manager page takes sometimes up to 15 seconds to load (up to 30-40 seconds on tablet).
  6. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in [SOLVED] All Menus Struggling to Load   
    Is this still happening to anyone?  All pages are fine, except the Manager page.  It takes this 15-20 seconds to load.
  7. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Wick Schozen in defensive tactics   
    With player roles, line pairings and line focus I find a lot of it is just trial and error in seeking out what works. Sometimes certain players work well together that you would not normally expect. My top defensive pairing on my GHL team is a 92 overall stay-at-home defenseman paired with a 84 overall offensive defenseman. Together they have 75 and 76 performance rating and the 84 overall offensive defenseman has 24 points in 35 games (23 of which at even strength). 
    It's just about finding what players complement each other to work best as a line. I have their defensive pairing set to dynamic. 
  8. Like
    Deadwing reacted to ElvyJ in [SOLVED] cant change my team jersey   
    This can't be good
    The site is obviously not behaving properly.
  9. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from Peekaboo in Add a Response   
    If you're a whisky drinker and got some cash to spend I'd suggest Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Bowmore single malt is great, but also pricey. If you want something to enjoy more often, Famous Grouse is a good choice.
     
    From mixed drinks, I always choose Jack n' Coke. Better taste result than any rum I've ever tried with coke. I know rum n' coke is a thing, but I like my rum straight.
     
    From rums I like to go for the smoother ones, which means spiced mixes. Captain Morgan Spiced Gold and Negrita Golden Spice are both great ones to down while going through FA's during off season. 
     
    From whisky liquors Southern Comfort is the way to go. Sweet and easy.
     
    I know my poisons 🤪
  10. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from Kyle44 in Add a Response   
    If you're a whisky drinker and got some cash to spend I'd suggest Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Bowmore single malt is great, but also pricey. If you want something to enjoy more often, Famous Grouse is a good choice.
     
    From mixed drinks, I always choose Jack n' Coke. Better taste result than any rum I've ever tried with coke. I know rum n' coke is a thing, but I like my rum straight.
     
    From rums I like to go for the smoother ones, which means spiced mixes. Captain Morgan Spiced Gold and Negrita Golden Spice are both great ones to down while going through FA's during off season. 
     
    From whisky liquors Southern Comfort is the way to go. Sweet and easy.
     
    I know my poisons 🤪
  11. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from Tyrod Gibson in Netherhill Nightmares Relocation/Rebranding Notice   
    I like the design. Both home and away versions look nice.
  12. Thanks
    Deadwing got a reaction from bouncer in GHL playoff matchups   
    Congratulations Hawks!
  13. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Ana (Natives) in The Mystery of Winner Instinct (Mega Thread)   
    Its hard to even answer as good thread as this is. I have kept reading this post many times and wondering things around this topic. Thanks for Paul using so much time for this good thread, very good job!
    Every season i have had WI on green, so I cant compare really from season to season this. One thing I could raise above others from my experiences is goalies big games. For me clearly better goalie on paper has been always worse option than the ”worse” one with with good big games and traits overall. Also spirit can have positive effect on this but that is only speculation.
    Few other points I have given value, but again this is only my opinion to things and only thing that supports it is very good WI and ok team succes.
    - Captains have very large impact to winner instinct so not only the leadership but the whole profile and spirit is valuable.
    - Continue for latest. Is your captain more commander or true leader? How about other captains? Other players? Does they match? Difficult to make perfectly when building team but might be big factor.
    -Older players are important and could effect more with good traits and also reputation
    - Profile and big games of your star players
     
    Some mumbling from my experiences. You should approach this as a reasearch as there are not many season yet exprienced this.
     
     
  14. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from suomyyra in Admin power   
    Stay sharp, folks. In the next draft, the Cage managers have a chance to draft Tobias Glawing himself. Does he have some hidden skill that makes the opponent's goalie melt into a puddle of gatoraid? https://gameplanhockey.com/player?gpid=10833-A
  15. Hahaha
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in GHL playoff matchups   
    I haven't followed the West that much this season, but agree that Ricochet vs. Wolverines is probably the most exciting first round match-up.  Also, Rage is always my sleeper pick to turn it on in the playoffs.  Their coach is a lunatic and the players are downright scared to fail.
    In the East, the Nightmares and Bulldogs are solid teams, but the Minutemen and Red Tide are firing on all cylinders.  Bears vs. Duhawks should be the most even series.  For some reason I have always confused these two teams, as far back as season 1, so it's funny they are matched up against each other. 
    And my series with Peek's Dragons seems like a very even match-up on paper.  I like my team, but have come to realize we have some major holes to fix.  For starters, my goalie is already tired.  Jesus.  People talk about goalies blowing games for their respective teams this season, but I'd be willing to bet Amick has blow more games than every other goalie this season... games that the performance ratings and game stats suggest we otherwise would have won.  So my options are a tired/exhausted goalie... an anxious goalie... or a 79-rated affiliate goalie.  Again, I really like my team, but the past two seasons we've had the #2 seed and have won a combined 2 games, getting bounced by lower seeds.  This is also the 3rd straight season where we have been on a cold streak heading into the playoffs.  Would I be surprised if I win... maybe not.  But until the Stealheads prove they can win a playoff series, I don't have much confidence in them.  My only shot is if the Dragons goalies under-perform.
    Either way, thanks for pulling this together, Rain.  Good luck to everyone!
  16. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from Peekaboo in Player personalitites   
    I don't know, but a wild guess would be a slight yes. I've noticed a difference between big games traits per line for sure. Have them all nervous and you can count that the line will freeze in the playoffs, but have a heroic, stable and nervous/anxious and it works like a dream. Balance seems to be the key. 3 x heroic doesn't work either.. they just falter and die to put it in an exaggeratingly dramatic form. My guess is that personality traits might and could work in a similar way. I guess the biggest thing is to not be all afraid of red traits. They are needed as well as the greens.
  17. Thanks
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in The Mystery of Winner Instinct (Mega Thread)   
    If there's one thing that is a complete mystery in GPHM it is how to raise your team's Winner Instinct (WI).  Although I thoroughly enjoy the fact that the Admins have only shared a fraction of the information, leaving managers to figure it out for themselves... I also enjoy the conversations it creates - so why not try to crack the code together... or use the information contained here to crack the code on your own and keep it to yourself 😜
    I feel like getting this value perfect is like piecing together a puzzle.  There are many factors and you need the perfect balance of those factors, including: Big Games trait, Ego Trait, Team Captains, Reputation of Players & Certain attributes of players. 
     
    Below are the "official" notes from the Help Files.
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/10834-team-spirit-done/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/10844-roster-captains-and-lineup-done/
     
    Here's what I gather from the two links above:
    - WI is mostly impacted by the Big Games trait.  You need quite a bit of Heroic/Determined players, but not too many as it will create disputes within your team.  You will also need some Anxious/Nervous, but not too many.
    - In line with the above, you also need some Arrogant/Cocky players to boost your WI, but too many will negatively impact your Teamwork.
    - Team Captains have a large influence on WI.  From other help files, it is known that Player Reputation and the Spirit Attribute factor into the Captains influence on a team, so if your Captains have a larger influence on your WI, then those values may also have an impact on your team's WI.
     
    Other personal observations, related to the above:
    - I always struggled with WI (couldn't get it above a blue rating) as I mostly focused on Teamwork being Harmony (Friendly/Compassionate players).  It wasn't until I acquired some Arrogant & Cocky players that my WI rose to a green rating. (Others have shared this opinion - see links below).
    - When I have more Stars (players with higher reputation) on my team, my WI is higher.
     
    Below are some other links to various conversations around WI that have been created over time.  As you can see... if you are confused about this rating, you are not alone!  There are some interesting opinions in these threads, so if you are truly interesting in this topic, be prepared to do some reading.
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/7564-q-about-winner-instinct/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/7400-teamwork-winner-instinct/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/9702-improve-winning-instinct/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/7242-winners-instinct/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/10669-trait-preference/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/7461-winner-insticnt/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/8247-traits/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/7957-team-spirit/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/9702-improve-winning-instinct/
    http://forums.gmgames.org/topic/8759-so-nervous-i-peed-a-little/
     
    Below are a few opinions from the link above that stood out to me.  I can't confirm whether they are true or not.  They could be 100% correct or way off.
    - Captains with Heroic or Determined Big Games trait increase WI.
    - Only players in the immediate lineup impact WI, not affiliate or scratched players.  In another thread, the exact opposite was also stated.
    - Big Games of Goalies factor more than Skaters.
    - Don't worry about WI at all.  It is not required to be successful.
    - WI is established over time as players get to know each other.
    - Big games is overrated.  An Anxious/Nervous player can be just as clutch as a Heroic/Determined player.
    - Line placement matters (i.e. 1st line players impact more than 2nd line and so on).
     
    Personally, the questions I keep asking are "when does WI come into play?" and "how much does it even impact gameplay?".  I have seen nervous goalies play lights out in the playoffs and win it all.  I have also seen team's with Heroic WI get relegated.  But I am sure the opposite happens much more, so it is yet to be known exactly how much this rating matters overall.  As with most things in this game, it is chance based, so I'm sure it does have an impact.  Managers just need to figure out for themselves how much emphasis to put on getting the perfect team chemistry.
    Enjoy.
     
  18. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in Advanced stats help   
    Yup.
    Also, why would I want to waste my time playing a game that doesn't provide a challenge.
  19. Like
    Deadwing reacted to Paul T in Advanced stats help   
    I actually didn't take your post as ranting or an outburst.  At all.  What I'm coming to find out is how differently I view this game than others.  I could be wrong in a lot of what I am saying... who knows.  Maybe we do need more info and I'm the only one here who thinks more info would be a bad thing.
    On that note, I really hope you get to the GHL soon.  Good luck with the playoffs this season.
  20. Like
    Deadwing reacted to AlexanderRasputin in Advanced stats help   
    ^Agree, I also don't think your post was an outburst at all, Deadwing. I think all of this provokes interesting discussion at the very least, and uncovers things about this sim that are common between managers, as well as some key differences, as Paul mentioned above. Discussion is better than no discussion at all.

    I enjoy seeing more managers share any of their observations or complaints/proud moments, whether I agree with them or not, so keep it up! 
    Spill your dirty water here, or just talk about your team, or compliment others - all of that makes for a very alive experience.
  21. Like
    Deadwing reacted to rainsilent in Advanced stats help   
    I'm skipping on one and two because one got answered pretty much spot on and two I just ignore. I pretty much always have. That said I wanted to add on to three and four here if I may.
     
    I have no idea how to deal with underestimation. I have no idea what triggers it. I saw Rasputin's idea as for why and while I have no solid proof to otherwise I've not seen it work that way a few times myself.
     
    As for struggling to gain possession in the neutral zone it doesn't mean much ultimately. Watch a NHL game and note how many times there is a loose puck in the neutral zone and how often there is a fight for it. It isn't that often. Most NHL teams start a majority of possessions in their own end. I completely overlook this in the assistants notes. As I do the team focus hurt team momentum. I've changed the focus every way possible for a game and seemingly no matter how I changed it up it wouldn't go away.
     
     
    There is no reason for you to apologize. I think it is safe to say that we all have experienced that frustration to some degree. We all will again too. I went through it for the first quarter of the season with my buzzer team. All because my goalies got off to a cold start. Granted I also knew that I had a flawed team because I didn't have a good playmaker on my team which hurt my offense but theoretically my team still should have been decent. Instead it completely flopped. There are going to be moments of frustration. The difficulty is in piecing together what and why. Some of it we don't, and maybe never will, understand. However real GMs go through the same thing in real life. We all can name teams in all kinds of sports that had a lot of talent and underachieved or the opposite.
  22. Like
    Deadwing reacted to AlexanderRasputin in Advanced stats help   
    I agree with this - to an extent. We have some good tools - better even with advanced stats. The randomness Paul alluded to above is fine as well, and I completely buy his point that it makes the game more interesting and challenging, much like it would be in real life. Certainly I wouldn't complain about it or consider quitting GPHM because of some lack of transparency or challenge. 
    That said, there are a few things in this game that simply do not make sense when they happen, and there simply are not enough tools or consistency in what is visible, to be able to make conclusions based on it. Now, GPHM is already fantastic and full of great features, so to me, this is just part of the future as Anders and co improve the game.

    But here are some things that currently, I just do not understand:
    1. Periods of Poor Goaltender Performance: There are games and stretches of games when goalies are simply absolute trash. I expect this multiple times throughout the season now, and it can happen when they are fresh off a rest, when they are Heroic, when all tactical info is green (i.e. you perfectly match an opponent's tactics), and usually for 3-5 games at a time. Sometimes they simply lose you games and end up with a 50 - 60 rating for extended stretches for no particular reason. Some may say that in real life, goalies and players may go through similar stretches (i.e. Bobrovsky at the beginning of the current season). But in a sim like this, it would at least be good to know where this is coming from - i.e. is there a randomness element to player performance, and it just happens, or is this something we as managers can fix?

    2. Team Winner Instinct Decreasing: This has happened to me multiple times, and I believe someone else mentioned this as well. A team's Winner Instinct will go down a level, usually from Heroic to Strong, over the course of a few games - and stay there. This happened to me during a) stretches of wins and good performances, b) without any trades or player moves, and c) on teams with an optimal, or close to, balance of player traits. Mystery. 
    3. Underestimating Opponent Teams: My teams have consistently underestimated conference leaders and teams on hot streaks higher than them in the standings, as well as teams with better reputation. What this makes me think is "Underestimation" is based on the OVR of a team's players/lines/squad, rather than their position in the standings. Given that there is a clear directive in the design of this game to treat OVR as a loose guideline, this seems like a poor design choice (if true), especially because it can impact games heavily.

    4. And finally, the dreaded:  "The team struggled to gain possession in the neutral zone and had to start all attacks in the defensive zone" assistant report item. I get this sporadically in games I lose, and usually lose comfortably, but I have no clear idea of what it means. I've gotten this when my defence played Aggressive Forecheck, and I've gotten this when I've played Spread, as well as all kinds of combinations of attacking tactics. I initially thought this had to do with an opponent playing Dump and Chase and keeping my team in our own zone, but I've also had this in games where my team had more O-zone time. All I know is that I inevitably lose games with this message, it seems to appear without rhyme or reason, and though there is clearly something going on here, I have not yet discovered what it is.
     
    Interested to hear more thoughts on these and any other specific items - whether the other managers here agree or not.
  23. Like
    Deadwing got a reaction from AlexanderRasputin in Advanced stats help   
    I agree on that we need more tools and more transparency to determine what works well and what does not. The advanced stats are great, but they only go so far. I understand that RNG is always a part of the game, and it should be, a random chance of luck is a large portion of a real hockey game as well. Sometimes, and quite often actually, it feels like stuff is happening without clear understanding of what exactly is wrong, and that is not something I like in a manager game. It leaves me in the dark concerning pretty much everything. Great example is the current season. I started strong and won the first five games, then I dove deep and borderlined a crisis team, and then, out of nowhere, everything clicked and I began to perform well.
     
    Why? I didn't do anything drastic.
     
    I had a balanced team to begin with. My winner instinct sucked in the beginning and it keeps on sucking to this day, but it doesn't seem to have any effect to my team's performance. Suddenly everything just seems to work like a dream. My 1st and 2nd goalies are both doing well now, but they both had a streak of really bad games... why? A single game is easy to swallow. Okay.. shit happens in a real hockey game too, but over a longer period of time good players can turn it around and excel. In GPHM it seems to be quite random.... why?
     
    I just want to know more about why things happen the way they happen,  so I can adjust accordingly.. you know.. like a hockey team manager would.
  24. Like
    Deadwing reacted to GamePlanHockey in Tactics [DONE]   
    Updated October 28, 2019
     
    ## Tactics
    Tactics are an important part of creating a successful team. There are a number of aspects to consider when choosing tactics. First you need to evaluate what your roster's strengths and weaknesses are. Depending on your roster some tactics may be a better fit than others. You may also want to consider your opponents' tactics and choose a tactic that may give you the upper hand when facing them. Some tactics work better against certain tactics and vice versa. See explanations of the different tactics below.
     
    There are different tactics used depending on game situation; Equal strength and Special teams (Powerplay and Penalty kill). On equal strength you actually use two different tactics; One that your team will use offensively when trying to score goals and One that your team will use to obstruct and prevent your opponent's scoring chances.
     
    In addition to these tactics there are also a few different styles of play that impact the game performance in different ways; Fair play and Team focus settings. More below.
     
    To change tactics choose Tactics from the Action menu on your team page.
     
    ### Equal strength - Offensive tactics
     
    #### Puck Possession
    An offensive strategy in which a team having the puck and keeping control of it until you can gain the flow by regrouping. Patient teams will cycle in offensive zone until something opens up on the weak side of the ice.
     
    To be successful at this tactic you should look for players with great passing, puck handling and skating skills. You also want to have a few snipers that really can shoot the puck.
     
    To defend against this tactic you should try to play an aggressive style of play with high pressure and combine with defensive-smart players that also can skate well. Your defensemen should also be able to box out opponents and keep clear in front of the net. Goalies with great reflexes are invaluable when facing a puck possession team but they will also need to be well positioned, be able to control all rebounds and quickly move from post to post.  
     
    #### Transition rushes
    A strategy where a team tries to go on the rush creating for example 2-on-1s often starting with a quick long pass from the defensive zone. Not necessary a defensive style of play, instead the strategy is to outnumber the opponent by quickly setup an offensive play and enter the attacking zone with great speed.
     
    In order to succeed in this tactic you'll need fast skaters, especially fast forwards, and players with great passing skills in order to quickly set up a play. You'll also need players with great puck handling skills to get by opponents and players that can finish a 2-on-1 with a one-timer shot or to deke the goalie in a breakaway.
     
    When defending against this tactic a more defensive and passive approach may be appropriate to prevent the opponent from advancing too fast into the neutral and offensive zone. Your players should also have great skating skills in order to keep up with the opponent in the event of an attack. Also defensive smart players can read the opponent early and intercept the pass attempt. When facing 2-on-1s or even breakaways goalies need to be very agile and be able to move quickly sideways to make the save.
     
    #### Crash the net
    An aggressive strategy in which a forward charges towards the opponent's net in hopes of deflecting a shot, banging a loose puck in, obstructing the goaltender's view, or simply creating mayhem that could lead to a scoring chance for his team.
     
    If you're considering this style of play you'll need tough forwards that can overpower the defensemen and that isn't afraid to jump right into heavy traffic in front of the net. In addition to this your players need to make shots and dumps (passes) from decent angles and have enough stick handling skills to be able to deflect shots and make the most of rebounds.
     
    When facing an opponent that have this style of play the best way is to try to keep the opponent away from center ice and to outnumber the opponent in your own zone. Strong physical players are preferred and goalies need to be strong in their positioning, stay calm and control every rebound.
     
    #### Dump and chase
    An offensive strategy in which a team shoots (or "dumps") the puck into the attacking zone and aggressively pursues it in hopes of retrieving possession and setting up a scoring chance. Most effective for teams with enough speed and size to force opposing defensemen off the puck. On the downside the dump and chase is a quite non creative play and can be easily read by opponents.
     
    To be successful at this tactic you'll need gritty players with good skating skills that ain't afraid to both receive and deliver hits near the boards behind the net. They also need decent passing and shooting skills once they retrieved possession of the puck to setup a pass to a player in front of the net.
     
    To defend against this tactic it's important to not be too passive and stationary. By back checking and putting at least some pressure on the opponent you will in combination with strong and tough defensemen have a good chance of preventing them from regain puck possession. Goalies with good puck handling skills may also help to clear dumped pucks in the defensive zone.
     
    ### Equal strength - Defensive tactics
     
    #### Conservative trap
    The trap consists of one forechecker in deep and four skaters lined up along the blueline forming a four man wall to prevent the opposing offense from advancing into the neutral zone.
     
    This tactic is effective against counter attacks and tactics that try to find their way into center ice. On the down side your team may become quite stationary making them vulnerable for opponents with a more non creative direct style of play.
     
    If you're considering this tactic look for defensive minded players that also can play tough.
     
    #### Aggressive forecheck
    The aggressive forecheck causes the opposing team to fail in their defensive assignments since the four skaters down low aggressively attacking the puck in waves.
     
    The tactic forces teams with a passing style of play to make bad decisions but at the same time leaving the team more vulnerable to teams going for counter attacks and to outnumber their opponents.
     
    Players in this tactic need to be able to work hard, skate fast body check the opponent.
     
    #### Moderate forecheck
    The moderate forecheck consists of one forechecker down low, two forecheckers high and two defensemen back in the neutral zone. The basic idea is to funnel the offensive team to the outside, away from center ice and cut off passing lanes.
     
    This tactic is effective against teams that are trying to find their way into center ice or more non creative plays. The team may however be vulnerable for highly skilled passing plays.
     
    The team needs a combination of players where forwards need to be good skaters and be able to work hard and tough defensive players.
     
    #### Left wing lock
    The left wing lock always allows an offensive player to be used as a defensive safety valve. This allows the best skaters to be aggressive, but whenever there is a possibility of a transition from offense to defense, there is a third guy high to eliminate odd-man rushes in the goalie’s direction.
     
    This tactic will keep opponents away from center ice and preventing the opponent to outnumber the team in the defensive zone. Teams with a more patient passing play may however find weaknesses in the defence.
     
    Players should be able to play tough, work hard and to take good defensive decisions. Forwards, except the Left Wing, also need to have good skating skills. 
     
    #### Spread
    In the spread, once the opponent takes the puck behind his net, a forechecking winger moves from the right to flush him out. The other winger then moves from the opposite side and forces the enemy skater to get rid of the puck.
     
    The tactic work well against puck controlling teams but may open up space in the neutral zone making the team vulnerable for counter attacks and allowing opponents into center ice.
     
    The forwards forechecking should have great skating skills and be able to play tough and work hard. The defensemen in this system should have great defensive skills but also be able to play tough.
     
    ### Powerplay tactics
    During powerplay it can be wise to study in which direction your players are handed/shoots.
     
    #### Umbrella
    Three players near the blue-line forming a high triangle and two players low in the slot parallel to the goal line. The idea is to get the puck to the middle of the ice for hard blasts from the point.
     
    To be successful at this tactics you will really need to have good shooters, especially on the blue line. Forwards in front of the net should also be able to deflect pucks and play tough to obstruct the goalie.
     
    To defend against this tactic you'll need a strategy that cover most shooting angles and at the same time boxes out opponents in front of the net. You'll need defensive players able to read the opponent and be able to play tough in front of the net. Goalies must rely on a combination of reflexes and good positioning in order to stop pucks.
     
    #### Overload
    Overload aims to outnumber the other team along the half boards, thus creating a lot of three on two scenarios. The idea is to constantly cycle the puck and create a lot of movement down low, which causes defensive breakdowns.
     
    To succeed in this tactic you'll need players with good passing, skating and puck handling. 
     
    To defend against this style of tactic you'll need to keep the box together with players that are smart defensively and that both can skate and play tough. Goalies need good reflexes and be able to quickly move from post to post.
     
    #### The 1-3-1
    This strategy creates four triangles to pass around and take one-timer shots. This system forces the defense to focus on the middle players causing the PK to shrink.
     
    In order for this tactic to work you'll need great passing och puck handling skills among all players while moving around the puck. You also need players being able to take one-timer shots.
     
    To defend against the 1-3-1 you need to cover angles and put pressure on the opponent causing them to make mistakes. Your players should be smart defensively and being able to skate and work hard. Goalies rely on great reflexes and swiftly switching position.
     
    #### Spread
    The aim of the Spread is to overrun the slot with forwards and outnumber penalty killers down low. Causes opponent to abandon the blue-line, which allows your d-men to come in for one-timers.
     
    This tactic requires forwards that can play tough, work hard but at the same time set up a play. Defensemen should have a great shot.
     
    In order to defend against this tactic you'll need to keep your box together and perhaps put some pressure on the player with the puck. In addition to this your players should not be afraid to play very tough. Goalies with good positioning and that can control rebounds are invaluable when facing this tactic.
     
    ### Penalty kill tactics
     
    #### Diamond
    A strategy to cover shooting angles. A high forward is set up to defend against the power play quarterback, another forward and a d-man take the guys atop the circles and a low d-man covers the slot.
     
    This tactic is effective against shooting strategies in power play. Your players should be able to read the opponent plays and skate well to cover most angles. The defensemen need to be able to play tough in front of the net.
     
    The tactic can make your team vulnerable for power play strategies where the opponent are trying to outnumber your team finding their way in to the center ice.
     
    #### Simple Box
    The tactic basically allowing the other team to have the puck so long as they are along the perimeter. Using this strategy is more about having good stick work and not chasing after the puck carrier.
     
    This tactic will defend center ice making it hard for opponents crashing the net. Your players need to be strong defensively and box out the opponent by playing tough in front of the net.
     
    On the downside shooting strategies may punish your team and block the sight for your own goalie.
     
    #### Wedge
    Three collapsing players in the slot in a triangle formation while the extra manis free to run around and create havoc along the perimeter. Since this formation is always rotating, every skater needs to be aware of the responsibilities of every position they rotate into.
     
    This tactic puts pressure on the opponent forcing them to make mistakes when trying to find a pass into the slot. Players need a combination of good skating and defensive skills but also being able to work hard. On the downside it won't work as well when facing teams with a more patient approach or a strategy where shots are mostly coming from the point.
     
    ### Tactics familiarity
    Although there are benefits to adjust your tactic for each opponent your team will suffer when it comes to tactics familiarity. By sticking to one or a few different tactics your team will learn and eventually be experts on the chosen tactics. This may give your team advantages in certain game situations where your more experienced players are more likely to benefit.
     
    ### Fair play
    Instruct your team on how much they should push the boundaries of the rules to gain an advantage. The dirtier your team style of play the more likely is your players to take penalties. You can set the fair play style into five different ranks.
     
    #### Safe
    The players will avoid penalties at all costs. However, this may cause the opponent to gain great advantages in the physical play.
     
    #### Fair
    The players will hold back to avoid penalties and only play as tough as absolutely necessary. This may cause the opponent to gain some advantages in the physical play,
     
    #### Normal
    The players will play tough when necessary but will try to avoid any unnecessary penalties.
     
    #### Hard
    The players will play tough as often as possible. They will try to get the opponent out of balance. This will give them an advantage but it may cause more penalties.
     
    #### Dirty
    The players will play very tough and cheap shot the opponent to get them out of balance. This may cause many penalties but also give them a great advantage.
     
    ### Team focus
    Your team focus will set your team to an offensively, defensively or balanced style of play. This may also be varied depending on game situation. There are possibility to adjust your team focus depending on your team is ahead or below.
     
    Also note that if your team are set to, for example, an all offensive style of play for too long they may eventually start feeling uncomfortable in their defensive duties.
     
    #### Very defensive
    Players only focus on defence. All players will participate in the defensively play.
     
    #### Defensive
    Players won't take any chances when going on attack.
     
    #### Normal
    Players will go on attack when possible but doesn't ignore their defensive responsibilities.
     
    #### Offensive
    Players will go on attack as often as they can.
     
    #### Very offensive
    Players only focuses on going on attack. All players will participate in the attack to create a scoring chance.
  25. Hahaha
    Deadwing reacted to Steve in Greatest Single Game Performances   
    Truly epic.  In fact, my team was so impressed they kept stopping and watching him skate right on past!