@heavydutyrammer wrote:
@johum2886 It would be nice to get a confirmation on theories like this.. and why developing prospects is so frustrating because so often they never pan out despite putting up great numbers.. and why their overalls plateau at 77-82 @EA_Blueberry
it would be nice to know if there is some kind of algorithm..
Good points. Is there an algorthm, formula? or is it precoded when a prospect is generated, regardless of their potential?
After researching this on reddit and elsewhere all I really have are more questions.
Other posts over the years claim the following:
1. Putting them on a line that fits their role is more important than minutes and morale.
(see above posts)
2. playing with morale skews the game and development
(Time to turn off morale? It seems it might affect development, especially playing on 3rd or 4th lines and they miss the icetime)
3. NHL minutes matter more than AHL minutes
(But why? Does playing them in the AHL cause them to be flagged by the game as not worthy of developing?)
4. X-factors always develop to their potential
(Not for me. x-factor abilities up their trade value but don't seem to predict if a prospect will develop no matter where they play)
5. NHL minutes are not enough, you need to put them on the top line.
(Does the sim engine focus on your top line as players worthy of development? ignoring the rest? That would really suck.)
6. Top 10 in every draft have a higher chance of developing.
(Again, I have seen this fail and players not develop despite NHL minutes so the question remains)
7. Players stop developing after age 26.
(as @kyl_35 wrote above, in reality it seems closer to age 22-23 that we should let them go if nothing has happened by then.)
8. Not all players reach their potential.
(Indeed, but does what we do as managers have any effect on said development? Are we just stuck in the matrix?)
In my next franchise I will do some experimenting; more NHL time, etc. Thanks to all who replied, hope to hear from more of you.
EDIT: (April 22nd 2022) I have added more below:
9. Simmed games have a different effect on your player's development than games you play manually, even if point totals are similar
(I stumbled upon this recently, and I think it may really be a thing, sadly.)
10. Playing the games manually has a larger affect on development, espcially with high point totals
(Hard to say if this is true, but I guess it really makes sense if you are playing every game, and you try your best to have your player get points. If you play every game yourself, line chemistry won't matter as much then, but will if you end up simming as well)
11. Line chemistry should be high as possible for simmed games
(higher chemistry means more points in simmed games, so getting a +5 is desireable for their line and special teams, and +3 and +2 on your other lines as well)
12. Coaches matter
(An A rated coach won't matter if your star player hates them? Brutal if true. It seems a good idea to shop for a new coach that is B rated at least that fits well with your star player. But, even then, they may still dislike each other. Morale may play a role here as well, but it is unclear.)
13. Coaches teaching ability matters
(sigh..)
14. You signed a bust and your scouts did not notice
(I thought that revealing full potential and comparison meant you knew if your potential pick was a bust or not, but it seems that may not be true. Buyer beware)
15. Gems may only have a boost to stats from the start, and are not guarateed to develop into stars
(Considering that most gems are Top 6s and rarely Elite med potentials it seems pointless to take them unless you really want them and they will get ice time)
16. The Gem identified by your scout was actually a bust.
(This is more Rumor than anything else, but I thought it worth mentioning here)
17. The sim engine will focus on your top players for stats for simming.
(Don't expect line 3 or line 4 players to develop unless you are playing manually and have high point totals)
18. It is all random, and even players left scratched for several seasons in the AHL may or may not grow.