NHL 16 News Post

NHL 16 Trial Available Now For EA Access Subscribers, Get 10 Hours of Gamplay

05:00 PM - September 9, 2015 by Steve_OS

The trial version of NHL 16 is available now (a day early) for EA Access subscribers. To start the download process, open up the EA Access hub, scroll over to NHL 16, click View in Store and download the trial.

For those of you that can download it, play a few games and let us know what you think!

REMINDER: You get 10 hours of gameplay, so make sure you exit out of the game if you are not playing. Don't pause and lose those precious minutes.

Game: NHL 16Reader Score: Vote Now
Platform: PS4 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 0 - View All

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Member Comments

# 181 knich @ 09/12/15 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake19ny


	So it appears albeit early to call that the offline penalty calling is indeed messed up again. It also appears reading other posts that the slider controlling penalty calls does nothing once again. Shame because despite all its flaws I was able to tweak NHL14 to be enjoyable but this problem made it really hard to enjoy playing a full season and if its present in NHL 16 I don't know if I can play through it.

I tried 20 minute period and 1 penalty. While that can happen IRL, the other games I played had no penalties at 15 min. I had to go down to 15 minutes (and now lower) because the ridiculous AI shoots 50 times a game and that's after it hangs in the NZ for 5 min each period.

# 182 jdl24 @ 09/12/15 03:23 PM

I'm confident that most of the gameplay issues can be corrected through tuner updates and patches. As long as the demand is there hopefully EA will comply.

# 183 BL8001 @ 09/12/15 04:26 PM

Ok I started making videos of when the cpu assists the scorer while facing backwards away from the play and then gave up because I could make a video almost every game of the cpu scoring this way. I have two vids on my ipad and 1 on my phone.

It's the same deal every time. The cpu is in a non threatening place being defended and facing the wrong direction but then makes a perfect tape to tape pass for the one timer goal.

On one the cpu was a righty facing the boards about a foot from them and I was behind him defending, he somehow warped the puck from his left to his right AND banked if off the board directly to his near post team mate who one timed it in.

EA must fix this. Simply nerf passing accuracy when facing the wrong direction.

This is what made me turn off manual passing. If the game is going to make it harder for me to pass it station to station facing the pass recipient on manual yet pull this passing nonsense on the other end...no thank you.

# 184 BL8001 @ 09/12/15 04:38 PM

Facing the wrong way passing accuracy video

# 185 actionhank @ 09/12/15 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdl24


	I'm confident that most of the gameplay issues can be corrected through tuner updates and patches. As long as the demand is there hopefully EA will comply.

I have yet to see that from EA. The penalty issue has been one brought up for at least the past 3 years, and EA has yet to address it, or the sliders that don't seem to do much.

It's beyond frustrating, because people should be able to decide if they want 1 penalty a game, or tons. Instead, no matter where you set the slider, you get nothing.

# 186 Cletus @ 09/12/15 08:03 PM

So basically this game sounds like an EA NHL game. If you want to play a video game version of hockey, it's fine and plays great. If you want a complete sim experience, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Whichever side you're on, it really isn't a "we're correct and you're not". This forum has never been like that. We all want the most complete hockey game possible.

To those that are enjoying it, keep enjoying it and don't listen to the "haters". Don't turn this forum into a war because of differing opinions.

# 187 mkharsh33 @ 09/12/15 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cletus


	So basically this game sounds like an EA NHL game. If you want to play a video game version of hockey, it's fine and plays great. If you want a complete sim experience, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Whichever side you're on, it really isn't a "we're correct and you're not". This forum has never been like that. We all want the most complete hockey game possible. To those that are enjoying it, keep enjoying it and don't listen to the "haters". Don't turn this forum into a war because of differing opinions.

But I thought the idea here was to point out the issues we see so the game can become a GREAT SIMULATION experience. I don't visit the other threads here and see "well, if you don't see any fouls in an NBA game - no biggy, just enjoy it." Or "not much variety in the kind of hits you're getting in an MLB game - no biggy, just be happy you've got a game to play."

This isn't about "hating" - it's about sharing what we see and what we don't see, and what we've been asking for. It's not a war...it's about providing the SPECIFICS of what our experiences are, hoping EA will listen to us because of the intelligence of the collective posters here who should be listened to because of our devotion to this title...

# 188 bad_philanthropy @ 09/12/15 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BL8001


	Facing the wrong way passing accuracy video

Great post. Can't like this enough. This sort of mechanic is a crutch that hinders better and more authentic AI development. I think this speaks to a greater AI issue/design where the cpu can make too many stupidly accurate passes when they should make more conservative plays like cycling or getting the puck deep, or trying putting the puck on net. I wish we had a dev presence on here like the Madden forum. I'd love to get some back and forth on AI design/play from someone on the dev team. Not because I want to tear them down, but I want to compliment what we saw on gen 3 vs. what I see right now.

And, no, I don't think we're looking for a "complete sim" game. Just a hockey game that isn't a goofy interpretation of the sport.

# 189 AdamJones113 @ 09/12/15 09:13 PM

Well, what can I say.

To everyone who enjoys the game—great! I'm happy you enjoy it and please post your best moments (the thread for it's kicking around somewhere).

To everyone who dislikes the game, I can commiserate. The dev team isn't big enough to totally overhaul the gameplay in one year, to meet the standard that we want.

BL8001, great job man. That's an excellent video right there that is a perfect example of a number of this game's flaws. Allow me to point out several obvious problems:

#14 on the Islanders isn’t active enough to cut off the Blues’ puck carrier, #17. #14 is too passive and pivots after he fails to cut off #17’s angle. #14 does a good job penning #17 into the boards, but Nick Leddy loses control of himself and just floats back, oblivious to the oncoming one-time threat. I don’t have a huge issue with the Blues’ #17 knowing that a teammate is coming in for a one-T (good players check & read the situation before they, to use this example, get run into the boards). The main problem, of course, is that the animation allows the #17 to put his stick through the boards and make a physically impossible, yet perfect, pass to the oncoming teammate.

Way too many problems.

# 190 headzapp @ 09/12/15 09:20 PM

^^ To be fair, it is Schwartz. Really though that is annoying. The puck should barely come out. It's hard to imagine that they can't tune that. My biggest thing that I've been wanting is board play. Press triangle or y to cover the puck with your stick or foot. The defender hit L1 or left trigger to push the player and use his stick to get in. Then the puck pops out the side.
That super perfect and strong skate pass shouldn't even be in the game.

From everything I've seen in videos and heard. This game is much better than last year (which I loved last years game) and another step in the right direction. If they start to fix the little things since there is more power to add things and fix them, in a few years we will have a great sim. I think there should be auto sim mode and arcade mode for those who want that.

# 191 bad_philanthropy @ 09/12/15 09:21 PM

Adamjones it almost reminds me of what happened when EA's Football titles (Madden and NCAA) moved from PS2/Xbox to PS3/360 and while things looked better, the AI, in terms of spatial awareness and general game awareness took a huge hit. Where on PS2 running backs and QB's in Madden and NCAA seemed capable of navigating space in a semi-sophisticated manner, on 360/PS3 I remember how shocked I was by how stupid runners with the ball were (especially QB's) up until NCAA 14/Madden 16.

# 192 AdamJones113 @ 09/12/15 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	Adamjones it almost reminds me of what happened when EA's Football titles (Madden and NCAA) moved from PS2/Xbox to PS3/360 and while things looked better, the AI, in terms of spatial awareness and general game awareness took a huge hit. Where on PS2 running backs and QB's in Madden and NCAA seemed capable of navigating space in a semi-sophisticated manner, on 360/PS3 I remember how shocked I was by how stupid runners with the ball were (especially QB's) up until NCAA 14/Madden 16.

See, if you look at it that way, then it seems clear (to me) that the problem is with the console upgrade. It's not even a problem. Think of it in terms of student popularity. In elementary school, you move up in status as you go from grade 1 to 5 (i.e. AI intelligence increases, or rather builds upon itself on one console). Yet that status needs to be rebuilt in middle school, but indeed does build up the more years you spend (in the same place/on the same console). So I understand that. Weird analogy, lol, but effective, I hope.

The big problem is the fact that all of a sudden, boards no longer matter! But we know that they matter when players contact them (hits into the boards, etc), so that means the problem is the stick. If we did indeed get better stick-on-skate collisions, there is absolutely no reason for the stick-on-boards collisions to be this poor. And that video shows us just how poor. That's the annoying thing.

# 193 bad_philanthropy @ 09/12/15 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamJones113


	See, if you look at it that way, then it seems clear (to me) that the problem is with the console upgrade. It's not even a problem. Think of it in terms of student popularity. In elementary school, you move up in status as you go from grade 1 to 5 (i.e. AI intelligence increases, or rather builds upon itself on one console). Yet that status needs to be rebuilt in middle school, but indeed does build up the more years you spend (in the same place/on the same console). So I understand that. Weird analogy, lol, but effective, I hope. The big problem is the fact that all of a sudden, boards no longer matter! But we know that they matter when players contact them (hits into the boards, etc), so that means the problem is the stick. If we did indeed get better stick-on-skate collisions, there is absolutely no reason for the stick-on-boards collisions to be this poor. And that video shows us just how poor. That's the annoying thing.

Agreed. Your analogy is spot on. Only problem is, I am pissed to accept a console/hardware generation migration equates to another decline in AI and gameplay quality. I think the board physics (?)/clipping is a huge issue. It allows too many impossible plays to happen—especially when you consider how many plays in hockey are started or sustained along the boards.

We also need a concerted effort to make the AI play hockey according to the physics the user is subject to, or proper hockey generally. The cpu rifling a no look pass should be a disaster most of the time—especially if they attempt to fire a behind the back pass from below the goal line. That should, in many cases, be a broken play, and battle for possession, or a turnover producing a two pass breakaway or two on one/two on two counter-attack situation.

I promise EA, the less tick-tack-toe passing, and the more authentic hockey the game plays, the more enjoyable it will be for all users.

# 194 jyoung @ 09/12/15 09:36 PM

Many of this game's problems can be traced back to the fact that sticks still can't physically interact with anything except the puck.

Until sticks become solid objects that aren't allowed to clip through everything on the ice except the puck, the gameplay will continue to feel more like ping pong than hockey.

# 195 bad_philanthropy @ 09/12/15 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	Many of this game's problems can be traced back to the fact that sticks still can't physically interact with anything except the puck. Until sticks become solid objects that aren't allowed to clip through everything on the ice except the puck, the gameplay will continue to feel more like ping pong than hockey.

This is a great point. I want to ask, as a user who has played and written a lot about the series over the past few years, would you agree that this gen the boards are more or less a non-factor in gameplay as well? Stick interaction has never been a part of the series (and it should be), but now it feels like the boards are minimized as well.

I think stick interaction, in addition to the boards are a fundamental pillars of gameplay in hockey differentiating it from other flow sports like soccer or basketball.

If I were to emphasize anything about gameplay development going forward it would be sticks and boards mirroring their role in actual hockey.

# 196 BL8001 @ 09/12/15 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	Adamjones it almost reminds me of what happened when EA's Football titles (Madden and NCAA) moved from PS2/Xbox to PS3/360 and while things looked better, the AI, in terms of spatial awareness and general game awareness took a huge hit. Where on PS2 running backs and QB's in Madden and NCAA seemed capable of navigating space in a semi-sophisticated manner, on 360/PS3 I remember how shocked I was by how stupid runners with the ball were (especially QB's) up until NCAA 14/Madden 16.

This, so much this...

To me, what happened is graphics took such a giant step forward and for whatever reason, gameplay/ai regressed.

I mean is this better than nhl 94? Of course it is.

But with how close to reality most of these games are becoming we want them to behave closer to reality too.

It is not too much to ask.

For the issue I had the video of, no look perfect passes from impossible situations, I dont know how they would fix this.

One plus for nhl is the cpu will score on you. I mean had he turned and passed it for the 1 timer it would have been fine. So maybe they can do that, maybe they can tweak it so cpu players need to use vision lanes better.

Because look, if I had the gameplay tutorial helper system on and put myself in the same spot the game would never tell me perfect pass would be behind you with a defender on your back.

# 197 AdamJones113 @ 09/12/15 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	Agreed. Your analogy is spot on. Only problem is, I am pissed to accept a console/hardware generation migration equates to another decline in AI and gameplay quality. I think the board physics (?)/clipping is a huge issue. It allows too many impossible plays to happen—especially when you consider how many plays in hockey are started or sustained along the boards. We also need a concerted effort to make the AI play hockey according to the physics the user is subject to, or proper hockey generally. The cpu rifling a no look pass should be a disaster most of the time—especially if they attempt to fire a behind the back pass from below the goal line. That should, in many cases, be a broken play, and battle for possession, or a turnover producing a two pass breakaway or two on one/two on two counter-attack situation. I promise EA, the less tick-tack-toe passing, and the more authentic hockey the game plays, the more enjoyable it will be for all users.

While I don't like accepting it as an issue, I have to admit I don't know enough to accept otherwise. History points in that direction, so I take it unhappily.

Yeah, board-play/physics needs an overhaul. This is an example of very poor board physics, which is distressing considering the fact that, as you say, board play in real life has many more repercussions.

There's so much to talk about in regards to passing, but people have said it all already. No need for me to reiterate, so I'll focus once again on this particular video. And yeah, this pass is literally impossible in real life. You just can't do it. Yet it's possible, apparently, in NHL 16. BL8001, would love to see some more vids!

EDIT: just saw jyoung's post. Damn. Great point...

# 198 BL8001 @ 09/12/15 09:45 PM

Bad, re: board play.

I think I have a video of a fine use of it. Right after I turned my passing from manual on to off I played a beautiful pass off the boards.

With manual on I would have tried to play it up to the forward but with it off the game decided off the boards would be a more safe path and it was correct.

Let me see if I have the video.

# 199 bad_philanthropy @ 09/12/15 09:47 PM

One thing I neglected to mention was that I though manual passing on gen 3 did a good job obeying physics and eliminating impossible passes like this. It wasn't perfect but you couldn't skate flat out and fire perfect cross ice (or short passes for that matter), and you certainly couldn't fire no look passes reliably into the slot. That sort of pass was rightfully a turnover. Passing, especially cross ice, is really hard in hockey, and contingent upon body and foot position, and skating momentum. I think representing the management of speed and passing was far better last gen.

On gen 3 the cpu offensive AI was pretty dull, generally, but below the goal line, instead of firing an impossible pass in front they probably would have worked it down low or up along the boards. That's all I want, an awareness/limitation of impossible passes and a compromise to the conservative play along the boards, or even trying to protect the puck in board play.

# 200 BL8001 @ 09/12/15 09:55 PM

Here is the better passing vid.

I apologize for the yellow circle, I now know how to turn that off.

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