Rubber band effect(?)

[NinthFall]

How can anyone claim that NHL 18 doesn’t have it? It’s painfully onvious each game you play. And that difficulty model is so old, so boring, like watching a hollywood romcom full of cliches. EA has even banned discussions regarding this topic from their own forums. You can lie to yourself, but not to us. Thankfully we can edit the gameplay via sliders for FM, but HUT still remains cancer. Wish they’d just listen to the players instead of being so ignorant regarding this issues that has fans raging and complaining literally every year.

[jake19ny]

This is going to sound like typical bash EA rubbish but I’m at the point I truly believe it. EA NHL now cares about one thing and one thing only....how many HUT packs they sell. Judging by people’s teams, despite a multitude of legitimate complaints, people are spending more money than ever. As long as poor souls and the ignorant pour their hard earned dollars into this mode nothing else will see improvements. This years release proved that to me.

[MizzouRah]

Even editing the game play via sliders does not fix the AI players on your team who constantly leave players open in the slot, skate into each other and do other non-hockey basic defense type plays.

I've said this before, but the actual game play has become predictable and stale in this series.

[jake19ny]

Quote: Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Even editing the game play via sliders does not fix the AI players on your team who constantly leave players open in the slot, skate into each other and do other non-hockey basic defense type plays. I've said this before, but the actual game play has become predictable and stale in this series.

In addition to the issues you mentioned, which are yearly issues, NHL18 also added AI teammates that freeze after face offs for a few seconds and ignore passes coming their way as if it’s an open skate instead of a hockey game. It’s really sad how this game has failed to progress and in many areas has taken a few steps back....but again I think it’s by design. Spend as little as possible on production and rely on cash cow HUT.

Bottom line: when NHL 14 on a last gen console was a better hockey experience than a game released 4 years later on current gen it means a) they are not even trying or b) they are inept

[BlacknBlue]

It is abundantly obvious that for online play the person(s) with the lower credit rating will benefit from an algorithmic boost in each game. That boost seemingly impacts both team’s AI and human players, resulting in an advantage for the lesser “skilled” team.

This has been evident for years now, and is likely in place as a safeguard to ensure that lesser talent continues to purchase the product each year and play the game.

[MizzouRah]

Quote: Originally Posted by jake19ny

In addition to the issues you mentioned, which are yearly issues, NHL18 also added AI teammates that freeze after face offs for a few seconds and ignore passes coming their way as if it’s an open skate instead of a hockey game. It’s really sad how this game has failed to progress and in many areas has taken a few steps back....but again I think it’s by design. Spend as little as possible on production and rely on cash cow HUT. Bottom line: when NHL 14 on a last gen console was a better hockey experience than a game released 4 years later on current gen it means a) they are not even trying or b) they are inept

Yep.. we can go on and on about the lack of innovation for the offline/franchise community of players. I keep going back to NHL Legacy on my x360 as it just plays a much better game of hockey to me and much less frustration.

[NinthFall]

It's like if you have a lead, you just know the CPU is going to score. There's nothing you can do to stop it from happening. I start most of my games by scoring a couple and then let in a couple so that it's always a tight game until the end, sounds like it's been planned that way... hmmm. So much fun.

If this happened often I'd be fine, it's quite common, but it happens about 95% of the time, which is not very realistic or fun. It's like every time I have a lead, I get that bored look on my face because I just know they'll score soon and as soon as they score, it's not even a beauty, it's some easy cheap pass that rolls in the net and I'm there like yep... was waiting for this.

[BlacknBlue]

It is also why the game plays differently in play now mode than it does in a franchise mode. Or if you notice how if you go into settings and adjust one slider and then move it back and save them it will reset the algorithms. The same happens if you exit the game completely and restart it.

But online is the worst. Nothing like completely outplaying your opponent and having the game keep them in it because of scripted bounces and overpowered AI help.

I have tons of screenshots from games where the stats read a 2-1 loss and I outshoot my opponent like 29-3 with time on attack 12 minutes to 1 and the goals scored against were just when they barely got it over the blue line and panicked and flicked it on net and my goalie goes into some dumb animation and it trickles in. Meanwhile, I am cycling low, high, feeding back-door one-timers, and getting constant breakaways and odd-man rushes, only to see an OP AI goalie have no push-off and go post-to-post multiple times and rob my players.

The speed boost if the most obvious and then the puck pickup and handling boost is the next, too. You finish the game and check your opponent's record and see that they were new or awful and because you have a high rating or rank you get screwed. But god forbid they let the better player succeed because they are more likely to buy the product again than a guy that can't accomplish anything each year.

Heck, I see people put down the controller when they are losing 4-0 rather than quitting the game, only to see their AI pick up a loose puck and stand there with it and I cannot poke it from them or knock them off the puck. How is that fair?