The Psychology of Sliders: How the Community is Changing NHL 17

[BigBadAss33]

Quote: Originally Posted by karlos

Could anybody suggest a particular slider set please ? I haven't delved into NHL17 this year but have 10 hours ea access. I like a sim type experience and consider myself slightly above average at the game having played it off and on for many years. Being in a league with Rich Grisham, thatsportsgamer etc when we had GM connected (Those were the days !) Cheers

i say use FIDDY's slider Set found here - http://www.operationsports.com/forum...7-sliders.html

give them a try.. they are tough but fair

thanks

[jake19ny]

Great article. Psychology aside I think the one reason we all get different results from the same set of sliders would be because individuals play the game differently. I still think because of the speed of real hockey and how many physical maneuvers are involved in a hockey players game as well as the quick thinking aspect of it makes duplicating the sport in a video game one of the hardest in all sports.

All that said I have never been convinced that sliders make a huge difference. Last year (NHL16) I experimented with just about all sliders maxed and just about all sliders minimum and the difference in many areas were negligible. That was based on 0-6 sliders. Now we have 0-100 sliders and I simply don't have the patience to experiment like that with these. I have doubts about the effect of some sliders.

Example:

On default for example shot accuracy had CPU at 50. The CPU averaged 25-39 shots per game. I lowered it to 10 and the CPU still averages same amount of shots

On Default pass accuracy and pass reception ease are 50 and 25 respectively...the CPU shots were 25-39 and pass accuracy around 84%. When lowered to 10 each the shots remained the same and pass accuracy was around 79%, a marginal difference.

[Gbpackerowner]

The ability to adjust the sliders to suit ones style of play is a wonderful thing. There are many great sets out there. The problem I have, is once I settle on a set, Ea releases a tuner update that completely throws the set out of kilter and then much time is spent tuning it again.

[jake19ny]

^^^ This 100%

[JayhawkerStL]

For me, sliders nearly ruined my love of sports gaming.

I've been playing sports games since the vibrating fields of electric football and the cards and spinners of All-Star Baseball. Whether it was the LED lights of Mattel's handhelds or even slot car racing, we tracked everything, filling countless wired bound notebooks with box scores and stats. And yeah, we were always wanting realistic results, even when it was just a fantasy.

Sports gaming on the early consoles was just fun. There was nothing remotely realistic about it. I mean, we thought Intellivision Baseball was the most realistic thing that could ever be created. But man, we played everything. Even our C64 was a sports gaming machine, with Summer Games, The World's Greatest Baseball Game, Hardball and Larry Bird vs Dr. J being our heavy favorites.

When siders first began appearing, it was welcome method to achieve realistic results in CPU vs CPU games. The idea was that once the CPU was generating realistic results, then it was fun to see how we stacked up. But at some point that changed, with sliders being created to give users a boost or to limit their results. That seemed great, at first.

The problem was that sports games then became a paint-by-numbers project. I wasn't playing for the fun and enjoyment of competition anymore, but to re-create reality as I perceived it to be. Now, instead of a long season where I competed, I was trying to force the games I played to re-create the results I thought validated the "sim."

Soon, that's pretty much all sports games became. And it wasn't pleasant. It was hours and hours on Usenet and forums, trading ideas and bitching about the "lazy developers." All we wanted was reality. could it be so hard?

Well, yeah. Before sliders it was never close to realistic. But it was fun and competitive. Now, with games becoming so much more realistic, we often spend weeks or months before we will even start a season, if at all. And even if we start to get realistic results, then we began picking apart how it looked getting those stats.

I'm not saying that doing all of that can't be fun. It is very much like working on puzzles. But I also saw how I and others began interacting wit the games and the developers. Our entitlement shot through the roof. We had sliders, just like we wanted, but now we hated that they weren't better.

I came to dread new releases for the work and lack of fun. And you see it in these forums. People have some of the greatest sports games ever created, but no one seems to be really happy. Well, some are, and they are mocked.

So I changed my outlook. I'll admit that Ultimate Team modes helped clarify what I liked about playing sports games. I wanted to compete, to have those moments in games where you had a hard decision strategically, to have moments when execution was critical, to enjoy the success of a well executed strategy. I stopped worrying about the stats, and just concentrated on playing the games.

First, the stats are never too far off. Games are great today. Second, by playing on default settings, it's like every other competitive gaming genre. I'm comparing myself to others using the same settings, the same playing field.

I mean, if you have tweaked the settings to get a result, how exciting is it really to see your stats? Not scoring enough goals? Tweak. No you got more goals. Yay?

I'm glad we have sliders. I'll still tweak a setting or two in a season mode. But I am enjoying sports gaming like a I did almost 40 years ago. That period where I didn't, I used to think it was the developers ruining games. I now look back at it as how I ruined my experience.

[DiddyGotGrillz]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jay D

For me, sliders nearly ruined my love of sports gaming. I've been playing sports games since the vibrating fields of electric football and the cards and spinners of All-Star Baseball. Whether it was the LED lights of Mattel's handhelds or even slot car racing, we tracked everything, filling countless wired bound notebooks with box scores and stats. And yeah, we were always wanting realistic results, even when it was just a fantasy. Sports gaming on the early consoles was just fun. There was nothing remotely realistic about it. I mean, we thought Intellivision Baseball was the most realistic thing that could ever be created. But man, we played everything. Even our C64 was a sports gaming machine, with Summer Games, The World's Greatest Baseball Game, Hardball and Larry Bird vs Dr. J being our heavy favorites. When siders first began appearing, it was welcome method to achieve realistic results in CPU vs CPU games. The idea was that once the CPU was generating realistic results, then it was fun to see how we stacked up. But at some point that changed, with sliders being created to give users a boost or to limit their results. That seemed great, at first. The problem was that sports games then became a paint-by-numbers project. I wasn't playing for the fun and enjoyment of competition anymore, but to re-create reality as I perceived it to be. Now, instead of a long season where I competed, I was trying to force the games I played to re-create the results I thought validated the "sim." Soon, that's pretty much all sports games became. And it wasn't pleasant. It was hours and hours on Usenet and forums, trading ideas and bitching about the "lazy developers." All we wanted was reality. could it be so hard? Well, yeah. Before sliders it was never close to realistic. But it was fun and competitive. Now, with games becoming so much more realistic, we often spend weeks or months before we will even start a season, if at all. And even if we start to get realistic results, then we began picking apart how it looked getting those stats. I'm not saying that doing all of that can't be fun. It is very much like working on puzzles. But I also saw how I and others began interacting wit the games and the developers. Our entitlement shot through the roof. We had sliders, just like we wanted, but now we hated that they weren't better. I came to dread new releases for the work and lack of fun. And you see it in these forums. People have some of the greatest sports games ever created, but no one seems to be really happy. Well, some are, and they are mocked. So I changed my outlook. I'll admit that Ultimate Team modes helped clarify what I liked about playing sports games. I wanted to compete, to have those moments in games where you had a hard decision strategically, to have moments when execution was critical, to enjoy the success of a well executed strategy. I stopped worrying about the stats, and just concentrated on playing the games. First, the stats are never too far off. Games are great today. Second, by playing on default settings, it's like every other competitive gaming genre. I'm comparing myself to others using the same settings, the same playing field. I mean, if you have tweaked the settings to get a result, how exciting is it really to see your stats? Not scoring enough goals? Tweak. No you got more goals. Yay? I'm glad we have sliders. I'll still tweak a setting or two in a season mode. But I am enjoying sports gaming like a I did almost 40 years ago. That period where I didn't, I used to think it was the developers ruining games. I now look back at it as how I ruined my experience.

(Mic Drop)

Very well said, sir.


For me, I have no problem getting beat by the CPU - in fact, I LIKE to get beat to know that I can't win every game. What's the fun in that?

When I adjust sliders it's to do one thing - to limit the CPU for doing things that I can't. That is the one thing that kills sports games for me, and as good as NHL '17 is, there are several things that need toned down.

(And I do think goalkeeping was broken out of the box. They couldn't stop anything! That would have killed my experience if we didn't have sliders to adjust.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike Lowe]

These responses have been great to read. Thanks, everyone!

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jay D

For me, sliders nearly ruined my love of sports gaming. I've been playing sports games since the vibrating fields of electric football and the cards and spinners of All-Star Baseball. Whether it was the LED lights of Mattel's handhelds or even slot car racing, we tracked everything, filling countless wired bound notebooks with box scores and stats. And yeah, we were always wanting realistic results, even when it was just a fantasy. Sports gaming on the early consoles was just fun. There was nothing remotely realistic about it. I mean, we thought Intellivision Baseball was the most realistic thing that could ever be created. But man, we played everything. Even our C64 was a sports gaming machine, with Summer Games, The World's Greatest Baseball Game, Hardball and Larry Bird vs Dr. J being our heavy favorites. When siders first began appearing, it was welcome method to achieve realistic results in CPU vs CPU games. The idea was that once the CPU was generating realistic results, then it was fun to see how we stacked up. But at some point that changed, with sliders being created to give users a boost or to limit their results. That seemed great, at first. The problem was that sports games then became a paint-by-numbers project. I wasn't playing for the fun and enjoyment of competition anymore, but to re-create reality as I perceived it to be. Now, instead of a long season where I competed, I was trying to force the games I played to re-create the results I thought validated the "sim." Soon, that's pretty much all sports games became. And it wasn't pleasant. It was hours and hours on Usenet and forums, trading ideas and bitching about the "lazy developers." All we wanted was reality. could it be so hard? Well, yeah. Before sliders it was never close to realistic. But it was fun and competitive. Now, with games becoming so much more realistic, we often spend weeks or months before we will even start a season, if at all. And even if we start to get realistic results, then we began picking apart how it looked getting those stats. I'm not saying that doing all of that can't be fun. It is very much like working on puzzles. But I also saw how I and others began interacting wit the games and the developers. Our entitlement shot through the roof. We had sliders, just like we wanted, but now we hated that they weren't better. I came to dread new releases for the work and lack of fun. And you see it in these forums. People have some of the greatest sports games ever created, but no one seems to be really happy. Well, some are, and they are mocked. So I changed my outlook. I'll admit that Ultimate Team modes helped clarify what I liked about playing sports games. I wanted to compete, to have those moments in games where you had a hard decision strategically, to have moments when execution was critical, to enjoy the success of a well executed strategy. I stopped worrying about the stats, and just concentrated on playing the games. First, the stats are never too far off. Games are great today. Second, by playing on default settings, it's like every other competitive gaming genre. I'm comparing myself to others using the same settings, the same playing field. I mean, if you have tweaked the settings to get a result, how exciting is it really to see your stats? Not scoring enough goals? Tweak. No you got more goals. Yay? I'm glad we have sliders. I'll still tweak a setting or two in a season mode. But I am enjoying sports gaming like a I did almost 40 years ago. That period where I didn't, I used to think it was the developers ruining games. I now look back at it as how I ruined my experience.

A great post here, and I echo many of its sentiments. I made the move back to default sliders for all sports games a couple of years ago and it was refreshing. The games are more enjoyable now that I'm not stressing over if sliders are working, not working, reversed, etc.