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amjohnson636 · 10-31-2024, 02:39 AM

Yes, I know there is an alternative meaning for this word and I’m using it as a form of clickbait. Get baited.

Consider this less of a traditional gripe but rather an opening of a discussion as I am posing many questions that I would love to be answered.

While the word has a double meaning it is still the topic of discussion. Much of this comes from my ignorance of the sim we use in the SHL but I am also reflecting on the stats I have seen throughout my time in both the J and the SHL. The first thing that comes to mind is, if I am making an impact on my team, and if that impact is doing more harm than help seeing as I am often penalized for my build. I feel as if the sim often penalizes users who increase the aggression attribute in their players while also not producing enough hits in doing so. Further, I see my defensive game rating above normal, but am I actually lowering the offensive game rating of the opposing team’s players? While goons are often considered meme players and I understand that fighting is more of a “fun” statistic rather than one that increases team play, I feel that there should be some sort of boost for going this direction. For example, I would love it if the sim gave some sort of boost to team morale and physical traits if their team member won a fight that game. I would also love to know if there is an impact when it comes to hits in a single game versus in a playoff series, as we all know hits can have a lingering effect in a playoff series as the opposing team is gradually worn down over time.

I took some time to reach out to two fellow users in this league, Bamford and Aleris. The reason behind this is that both of these users are making players similar to my own. We all have fighting many levels higher than average and the same for aggression. After talking to both of them we came to the conclusion that we suffer the same issues with our players and lack any way to justify the high levels of aggression we want to put into our players.

Bamford, utilizing his artistic talents wrote a poem expressing his feelings on the issue:

I wanna fight with everyone but no one wants to fight with me
My reward for trying to fight, a penalty
So tell me why o why we can’t fight
Someone tell me how that’s right
Maxed fighting, high aggressiveness as well
All for some more time in the cell

My discussion with Aleris ended in us concluding there needs to be some sort of intelligence or discipline statistic in order to balance aggression. Sure, there is a portion of big guys that like to fight and are looked at as techniqueless oafs that just throw their bodies around and behave like a caveman on the ice. I don’t deny that there are dumb goons. What I will argue is that in a league where we are given the opportunity to create a specific type of player, why can we not create someone who is aggressive and intelligent? There is an art to avoiding penalties and they are undeniably part of the game as is knowing when to use physicality for the betterment of your team.

The other statistic where I have been disappointed is with fighting. No, this is not the Simulation Mixed Martial Arts League (kinda sounds badass won’t lie), but fighting is a reality within hockey. I am not asking for the league to turn into an all-out brawl fest, but as of now in the S79 season (about 60% of the way through the season), the total number of fights throughout the entirety of the league is nine. I’m not asking for realism compared to the NHL but I feel as if fighting should be increased even if it’s only a smidge. Let the boys goon.

My next point deals with my ignorance of the sim as I was wondering if there is any sort of bonus for winning a fight. Such as the team getting some sort of morale boost or a brief period of time where the quality of play is increased for the team of the player who won the fight. Additionally, if a player loses a fight they should have a significant decrease in their level of play for a brief moment of time. Then again some would argue that even the loser of the fight can energize not just themselves but also their teams.

After digging a little bit in the portal, I noticed that there is a “temperament” category that we are not allowed to update. While I know it is fairly balanced at 15, why not let people raise it beyond that? This, along with some of the other mental skills could be the exact thing we need in order to fix the issues I am mentioning.

One last thing I would love to see is an award given out to the best enforcer or fighter in the league. It could be a formula or sort of balancing fights won with hits and such. Or just make a championship belt to give to the fighter with the most fights won or who has beat the person who held the best previously. This is a comical suggestion but hey we gotta show more love to the big guys.

I would like to see fighting and physicality play more of an optimal role for teams. I initially thought my character would be a meme character with max fighting and no skill. As I have progressed in the league I have found balance in the appreciation to both score and lay down some hits.

I would really appreciate insight on how the sim deals with physicality and fighting so feel free to enlighten me on these topics. I wanted to bring up new ideas in case no bonuses exist for additional aggression as it currently seems only to be a detriment. Thanks and go goon.

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