Franchise Hockey Manager is due to be released on the 3rd September 2013, but preorders will be taken on the 4th March. Preorders will grant access to the game’s beta.
The developer posted on the official forums what to expect from the beta, with a candid look at how advanced each feature is, and what they expect to improve as the beta goes along.
Some of the highlights from the FAQ include:
On playable leagues: ”The tentative playable list for now is NHL, AHL, ECHL, KHL, DEL, Elitserien, SM-Liiga, WHL, OHL, QMJHL, and the top two levels in the UK. There are 3-4 other leagues that are fairly close, probably no more than a month or so away, and about 6 that will be longer-term projects (and that last group will grow). Of the playable leagues, the most at-risk ones are the CHL leagues; they’re a package deal because of the Memorial Cup, but the player ratings in a couple of them may be a little more incomplete than the other playable leagues right now. I’d prefer to keep them playable, but if I look at them this weekend and decide one or more isn’t in a useable state (or at least in one that I can get useable with a late night or two), they could get pulled temporarily.”
On the AI: ”The AI is OK at a few things right now, mediocre at many others, and just plain bad in places. It can choose lineups and build lines reasonably well and has a crude but effective grasp of tactics, but isn’t that great at managing its roster. Not terrible, it just signs some strange contracts, tends to bungle the re-signing of its own players, and likes to collect and hoard starting goalies…. The trading AI in particular is very much a work in progress.”
Check out the rest of the FAQ here.
