FHM Maintenance Update 9.2.82 Now Available

[JeffR]

A maintenance update for for FHM9, version 9.2.82, has just been released.

To apply the update:

-If you are playing the FastSpring version, just download the setup file and install it over your current installation. There is no need to uninstall or unlicense your current copy! However, you should quit the game before installing it, of course.
-If you are playing the Steam version, the game will auto-update if you have that option active. If you don't see the update in your Steam update queue, you may need to exit and restart your Steam client.
-If you've purchased from the Mac App store or Epic Store, the game will auto-update, but since those updates need to go through an approval process, it may be delayed slightly

Download link for PC (FastSpring):
Main server: PC Installer Fastspring

Download link for Mac (FastSpring):
Main Server: Mac Installer Fastspring

This update fixes a few issues left after the December content update that were either too serious to leave until the next content update (likely in February) or were very easy to fix.

Your existing savegames will be compatible with the updated game, but some of the update's fixes may not retroactively correct certain problems in existing saves; this normally happens when the problem is inherent to data created at the start of the save.

Changes:

-fixed potential game freeze in leagues that use shootouts (after overtime) to resolve playoff games
-fixed potential issue that could cause quickstart-created games to crash near the end of the setup procedure
-editing a team that is not in the top-level league in a custom game will no longer result in it losing its current farm team/reserve list
-players who play on in the new historical Challenge Cup and Rendez-Vous 87 tournaments no longer get stuck on INT status after the tournament is over
-fixed issue that could cause a crash when particular national teams are present in an international tournament
-the "Frozen Four" achievement no longer happens regardless of whether or not the user is controlling one of the four teams that make it
-the "Zero to Hero" achievement (winning a championship after finishing last the previous season) will no longer trigger for some teams that didn't finish last in the previous year
-if a historical team is imported into a custom game, their retired/honoured numbers will no longer be set (they wouldn't import properly due to the correct player records being missing in the custom game, and trying to import them was leading to several odd issues with the retired/honoured numbers)
-during the national signing day draft, it's no longer possible to nominate via right-click players who've already signed
-edited arena data is no longer re-set to their pre-edit values on the following July 1
-AI will no longer occasionally overrule a human choice not to compete for a player on National Signing Day
-autoplay no longer skips over the NCAA draft-type events
-during the national signing day draft, some players will no longer fail to appear on the draft's Commitments tab despite having verbally committed to the team previously
-if the waiver draft is active for a league, new expansion teams are now seeded first rather than last
-walk-on players are now being generated properly if no real players are eligible to walk on
-in historical games started in 2021, attempting to switch the league to one of the nonplayable generic leagues will no longer cause a crash
-Norwegian promotion now works properly if a second-division team wins the finishes first or second in the relegation tournament
-loser of the German second league relegation tournament is now relegated properly
-it's no longer possible to for the user to manually dress more than 2 goalies; if there are currently 2 goalies dressed clicking on a third one shouldn't dress him until one of the others is scratched
-if a user attempts to negotiate with some Russian players and the player eventually gets tired of the offer, they no longer respond as if they were discussing a KHL buyout
-adjusted message titles when staff contracts expire to avoid misleading descriptions

[boscoJJ]

Thanks it fixed the crash of Custom Quickstart
But the Player abilities are gone

[Swedishgamefreak]

No improvements to the weak draft classes after 2026.

[Habsfan18]

Originally Posted by Swedishgamefreak

No improvements to the weak draft classes after 2026.

I think for the most part they may look “weak” because of how overloaded the first few years are at the start of the game.

The telltale way to check to see if player generation and development is working as intended is to simulate 30 years or so into the future so the game is 100% game generated, and look at the NHL rosters league-wide. If the rosters look in-line with those from the start of the game, that means everything is working as intended. And in my test files, at least in the ones I was doing, everything looked good there for the most part.

I think the issue is the potential ratings and what we see. I wish the game did a better job of generating higher potential in teenagers at draft time, even if they end up “busting” and not reaching that. Much of the problem, I think, is that we players get to the end of round 1 in the draft and we start seeing that the best players available are 2 star potential. Now, in the game this is actually an NHL quality player, but the reality is no NHL GM is going to draft a player being viewed as having “just” a 2 star potential out of 5 on a scale, in the 1st round of an NHL draft. So what I wish the game would do is have these prospects at least in the first 2 rounds all have high potential, even if there is something in place to ensure a number of these guys “bust”.

[mschinner]

Originally Posted by Habsfan18

I think for the most part they may look “weak” because of how overloaded the first few years are at the start of the game.

The telltale way to check to see if player generation and development is working as intended is to simulate 30 years or so into the future so the game is 100% game generated, and look at the NHL rosters league-wide. If the rosters look in-line with those from the start of the game, that means everything is working as intended. And in my test files, at least in the ones I was doing, everything looked good there for the most part.

I think the issue is the potential ratings and what we see. I wish the game did a better job of generating higher potential in teenagers at draft time, even if they end up “busting” and not reaching that. Much of the problem, I think, is that we players get to the end of round 1 in the draft and we start seeing that the best players available are 2 star potential. Now, in the game this is actually an NHL quality player, but the reality is no NHL GM is going to draft a player being viewed as having “just” a 2 star potential out of 5 on a scale, in the 1st round of an NHL draft. So what I wish the game would do is have these prospects at least in the first 2 rounds all have high potential, even if there is something in place to ensure a number of these guys “bust”.

Also, there are other factors like the quality of your scouts. They may have a lower grade on a player because their potential scouting rating may not be great.

I never really put too much stock in star ratings. It's more of a quick reference. When you build a team, you need to look at skillsets and how they complement other players on the team. I prefer to use game ratings instead of star ratings. It really shows how they preform.

[Duranium]

Originally Posted by Swedishgamefreak

No improvements to the weak draft classes after 2026.

They aren´t weak, they´re more realistic (no more 4+ Potential players from pick 12-15 onwards).
The Drafts from 22-25 are rated too high imo.

[Savoie45]

I'd like to see half the updates to the game be like this and half be content/small improvements updates.

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by Duranium

They aren´t weak, they´re more realistic (no more 4+ Potential players from pick 12-15 onwards).
The Drafts from 22-25 are rated too high imo.

Oh yeah I am not complaining about first or even second round. But in third round and after that, there are only 2-1,5 star potential players. Basically only depth players at NHL level. It's maybe a bit too low since there are a bunch of players that got drafted in lower rounds that became really good players. I have never seen them develop that much and gain higher potential in those later rounds after 2026.

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by Habsfan18

I think for the most part they may look “weak” because of how overloaded the first few years are at the start of the game.

The telltale way to check to see if player generation and development is working as intended is to simulate 30 years or so into the future so the game is 100% game generated, and look at the NHL rosters league-wide. If the rosters look in-line with those from the start of the game, that means everything is working as intended. And in my test files, at least in the ones I was doing, everything looked good there for the most part.

I think the issue is the potential ratings and what we see. I wish the game did a better job of generating higher potential in teenagers at draft time, even if they end up “busting” and not reaching that. Much of the problem, I think, is that we players get to the end of round 1 in the draft and we start seeing that the best players available are 2 star potential. Now, in the game this is actually an NHL quality player, but the reality is no NHL GM is going to draft a player being viewed as having “just” a 2 star potential out of 5 on a scale, in the 1st round of an NHL draft. So what I wish the game would do is have these prospects at least in the first 2 rounds all have high potential, even if there is something in place to ensure a number of these guys “bust”.

Ok yeah I can see what you mean with the first drafts being too strong. I just don't like when it's such a big difference. The problem I have with it is that it feels like players with 1,5-2 star potential have not got a higher potential over time. There are so many players in real life that got drafted in later rounds that became big players: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Luc Robitaille and so on and I have yet to seen that happen in this game. :/

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by mschinner

Also, there are other factors like the quality of your scouts. They may have a lower grade on a player because their potential scouting rating may not be great.

I never really put too much stock in star ratings. It's more of a quick reference. When you build a team, you need to look at skillsets and how they complement other players on the team. I prefer to use game ratings instead of star ratings. It really shows how they preform.

I have great scouts with 17 or higher on scouting potential. I also have 20.0/20.0 in every area so I doubt that is the issue.

[spb06]

I've been playing on one save since the release, so I'm about 25 years in and here are some things I've found:

- the salary floor caps out at $100m
- there are resrictions on what I can offer ($20m), which means top-end FA's (even my own) won't sign with me because other teams can offer more
- too many years of low prospects later in the game, not enough mid-tier prospects and all the top-end prospects seem to appear in one year then there are none for 4-5 years
- the scouting map never works right and I pretty much have to guess on how it will update with my scouting hires
- the olympics always in japan

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by spb06

- too many years of low prospects later in the game, not enough mid-tier prospects and all the top-end prospects seem to appear in one year then there are none for 4-5 years
- the scouting map never works right and I pretty much have to guess on how it will update with my scouting hires

100% agree with this! Even though I have great scouts and also have 20.0/20.0 in every area, there are always prospects that never gets scouted. There needs to be more high end and mid-tier prospects later in the game. Like someone said earlier, not everyone with a high potential has to reach it. There could be some busts. That's why I hope Jeff and the team improve the scouting and the draft experience in the next couple of years.

[Vaultechman2000]

nice

[Duranium]

After winning the Stanley Cup, this Billboard-kinda-thingy, which shows your way to the cup, ain´t popping up anymore since the last update. (at least not in my current save which i started before the update)

[Swedishgamefreak]

I think I found a bug. In my historical save, I clicked on transfer summary and then the game crashed. :/

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Swedishgamefreak

I think I found a bug. In my historical save, I clicked on transfer summary and then the game crashed. :/

Which season were you in when that happened? Seems to work OK in the few test saves I tried it in.

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Which season were you in when that happened? Seems to work OK in the few test saves I tried it in.

1993/1994 with Nordiques

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Swedishgamefreak

1993/1994 with Nordiques

Nope, not doing it for me when I set up a save like that. Upload your save and we'll have a look, must be something specific to yours that's gone wrong there.

[boscoJJ]

is age setting on custom leagues being added?

[Swedishgamefreak]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Nope, not doing it for me when I set up a save like that. Upload your save and we'll have a look, must be something specific to yours that's gone wrong there.

Seems to be working now