NHL 13

[MizzouRah]

I'm a hockey fiend and NHL 13 is sounding more and more like the giant leap we had with the skill stick back in 07.

Most of you hockey gamers have probably already read about the new skating engine and GM connected careers, but this really has me drooling:

NHL 13: GM Brain | EA SPORTS (http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/article/nhl-13-gm-brain)

[DaddyTorgo]

Haven't heard about it - looking forward to checking it out!!

[Icy]

Along with FIFA, my only "must" purchase year after year.

[DaddyTorgo]

Yeah - dis looks GOOD

[Chubby]

you bastards better not sucker me into buying this with an fofc gm MP league :)

[MizzouRah]

Yeah baby..

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[EagleFan]

A little worried that the changes are going to resul in a rash of 1-0 games with about 10 shots a game.

[Pumpy Tudors]

A little worried that the changes are going to resul in a rash of 1-0 games with about 10 shots a game.
Just play Minnesota vs. Edmonton every game and that's damn realistic.

[bhlloy]

See, that sounds pretty awesome to me. The problem with the NHL series has always been too easy to generate chances and having to make goalies unrealistically good as a result.

However, the first screen in that trailer has Visnovsky on the Islanders, which is clearly a bug. I won't be buying it for that reason alone.

[bhlloy]

DOLA - I do find it interesting that all these clips are human player vs player. I'm sure any game looks good when two of the devs are playing against each other. Just sitting back and watching an AI vs AI game would be much more telling IMO.

That being said, it really looks like they've taken a shot at making this a much more realistic hockey game and what we do see of CPU teammates looks pretty damn good.

[MizzouRah]

I don't think you will need to worry about scoring chances.

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Also, a good blog on the new GM Brain for Be a GM mode:

NHL 13: GM Brain | EA SPORTS (http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/article/nhl-13-gm-brain)

GM Connected mode

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[Mota]

I like the work they've done with GM Brain. Nice to see that the career mode has actually been looked at a text sim type level.

[Maple Leafs]

Honest question: Were people really complaining that the defense wasn't already picking off enough passes and knocking away enough loose pucks?

I don't play often so I'm far from a good player, but I already can't complete a damn pass in the offensive zone.

[DaddyTorgo]

Looking forward to the demos for this and FIFA.

[bhlloy]

Honest question: Were people really complaining that the defense wasn't already picking off enough passes and knocking away enough loose pucks?

I don't play often so I'm far from a good player, but I already can't complete a damn pass in the offensive zone.

I'd agree with that ML, my complaints would be that it's always been way to easy to just skate around and get a decent shot off and it's always been way to easy to gain the zone and play through center ice and get a rush going. Looks like they may have tried to improve defensive AI although the second video seems to contradict that somewhat

[yacovfb]

Honest question: Were people really complaining that the defense wasn't already picking off enough passes and knocking away enough loose pucks?

I don't play often so I'm far from a good player, but I already can't complete a damn pass in the offensive zone.

For the most part I'd agree but cross crease passes were overly deadly and went through way too many sticks. Dmen in front of the net tend to stop tying up the other player when the puck gets close by.

[Maple Leafs]

I'm just worried this is going to be what drove me away from Madden all over again.

Every EA Sports game is going to have certain fans who play the game 12 hours a day and develop ninja skills. Then those people go online, dominate, and then take to the forums and blogs complaining about how easy the game is.

So EA cranks up the AI to make it harder for the uber-players and promises that this time it's going to be super hard to even do basic stuff like complete a pass. The obsessive fanboys rejoice. And next thing you know, casual players like me are going 3-for-32 with 19 interceptions, quietly putting the controller down, and never playing again.

[MizzouRah]

Demo next Tuesday!

[MizzouRah]

Demo is out, downloading now. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

Played just one time so far - it plays like a more realistic-skating version of 12, which is a good thing. Maybe if I turn down the difficulty i can get some more shots on target in the shortened time period and see how the GKing and all is.

[MizzouRah]

Wow.. this is sports game of the year territory.

Ok.. a bit premature. :) But.. the new skating engine is all of that and then some. The game really feels like a hockey game. Put it on AS and I've seen a little bit of everything, loose pucks, dump and chase, penalties, scrums, offsides, teams being pinned in without being able to give up the puck, breakaways, etc..

What an excellent job they have done this year - especially where it matters most, gameplay and AI. My teammates finally have a hockey sense! Can't wait to see the full product!

[SlyBelle1]

How are penalties? Reading in the forums seems to indicate they are scarce as usual. That has driven me crazy in past versions and had to stop playing because neither myself or CPU could generate realistic numbers. Power play is too important in hockey for it not to be realistic.

[Icy]

Could only play one game yesterday but love the new skating engine!

You can feel the players weight now, and speed/agility and acceleration finally matter!

[MizzouRah]

How are penalties? Reading in the forums seems to indicate they are scarce as usual. That has driven me crazy in past versions and had to stop playing because neither myself or CPU could generate realistic numbers. Power play is too important in hockey for it not to be realistic.

I've had at least two in each game - and this is only 5 minute periods. Seems improved to me. Plus you can't move the slider all the way up.

[SirFozzie]

definitely want to do a league of this when it comes out.

[SlyBelle1]

I've had at least two in each game - and this is only 5 minute periods. Seems improved to me. Plus you can't move the slider all the way up.

I don't know, I am a little concerned...after about 10 games, I have only seen one penalty. The sliders might not be maxed, but maxing the sliders in past versions didn't do much good. I am really hoping the real game is not like this. If I am not mistaking the average number of PPs per game in the NHL is something near 6-7.

[Jack1974]

Am I interpreting correctly that there is an option to just coach the games from the bench? If so that sounds quite cool.

[MizzouRah]

Winter Classic..


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[Logan]

Any good deals to be had on this for XBox? I don't play video games at all anymore (a few months back, I fired up NHL 10 for a couple game), but this has me intrigued. Hard to justify the $60+ though.

[MizzouRah]

Try TRU.. Amazon has a $15 off next purchase deal.

[SlyBelle1]

Well, starting my season pass download, but will take me hours:) In the meantime, been reading some early impressions and seems like my biggest fear with this game might still exist...too few penalties:( Seems like they are seeing like 1 per team per game. I believe even one player had penalties maxed out. Sounds the same as past versions.

If this turns out to be true, this might be the first year I cancel my pre-order...just can't live with one of the most important parts of the game not reasonably implemented.

[Balldog]

Downloading now too

[Icy]

Downloading it now, but will take 4 hours, and it's midnight in Spain, so i better go to bed and play it when i wake up.

[SlyBelle1]

After playing a number of games last night, my fears are confirmed, penalties are still a major issue.....in all of my games but one, I only saw a total of "1" penalty combined for both teams. In one game I did see the CPU take 5 penalties, but my team had 0. So even if/when they are called, not evenly distributed like in most NHL games.

Big time disappointment and now struggling with canceling my order which is a shame because I like everything else about the game. I just have zero faith that EA will correct the issue during the season since it has existed for multiple versions now. For some reason I think EA believes gamers don't want to see penalties in their games (i.e. madden, NHL, etc.). I am OK if by default they lower them, but when we use the sliders and max out penalties and see no difference, that is just plain crazy.

[Chubby]

You say this like you actually expected to see penalties when we haven't in probably a decade...

[SlyBelle1]

You say this like you actually expected to see penalties when we haven't in probably a decade...

Your right about that....for some reason I hoped EA would eventually correct the issue.....this is one area the 2k series always did a great job with in their games. Just can't wrap my head around on how nobody during play testing identifies this issue. Only thing I can think of is they don't want penalties in their games.

[Balldog]

I am seeing the same issue with penalties. I have not played since NHL 11 and thought penalties were OK then but now I am trying to commit interference and it's not called at all.

[MizzouRah]

I'm assuming you all have turned them all the way up?

[Ajaxab]

Only thing I can think of is they don't want penalties in their games.

That is a really interesting observation. Not to excuse EA (because they don't need excuses), but are penalties difficult to program? Especially with EA's control schemes? I haven't played the NHL game for awhile now, but is it even possible to hook or slash another player? I know you can poke check or stick lift which could lead to tripping or high sticking, but hooking and slashing seem impossible. Interference would seem to be relatively easy to code, but it would seem like people would complain that it was being called too much on accidental collisions. Sliders, if they were effective, might fix that problem though. Intriguing hypothesis Slybelle...

[SlyBelle1]

I'm assuming you all have turned them all the way up?

Yep, sliders maxed plus even tried increasing hitting power and aggressiveness.

[SlyBelle1]

That is a really interesting observation. Not to excuse EA (because they don't need excuses), but are penalties difficult to program? Especially with EA's control schemes? I haven't played the NHL game for awhile now, but is it even possible to hook or slash another player? I know you can poke check or stick lift which could lead to tripping or high sticking, but hooking and slashing seem impossible. Interference would seem to be relatively easy to code, but it would seem like people would complain that it was being called too much on accidental collisions. Sliders, if they were effective, might fix that problem though. Intriguing hypothesis Slybelle...

Otherwise I just cant fathom how they miss this yearly....2k had this right.

[MizzouRah]

Yep, sliders maxed plus even tried increasing hitting power and aggressiveness.

Last year I would see about 3 per game on average, way too low for sure but their football games have no penalties in them either. :lol::banghead::p:eek:

[SlyBelle1]

Last year I would see about 3 per game on average, way too low for sure but their football games have no penalties in them either. :lol::banghead::p:eek:

Agreed...madden drives me crazy too:) But in madden at least you can crank up some of the sliders and get holding/offsides to at least represent penalties, even if not interference. In hockey different story. PP/PK is too critical to the game not to be there. 3 penalties per game is too low and often times I don't even see that many. Its a real shame since the rest of the game seems pretty solid or at least I could live with.

[MizzouRah]

It is a shame, maybe a fix via tuner or something?

I like the game play too much though. Played my weekly NCAA game last night and had maybe 1 penalty all game. :( It's just something I can live with.

[SlyBelle1]

It is a shame, maybe a fix via tuner or something?

I like the game play too much though. Played my weekly NCAA game last night and had maybe 1 penalty all game. :( It's just something I can live with.

I am hoping, but even if they "can", the question is "will they"....since past history is all we have to go on, it suggests they will not do a thing. I do enjoy the gameplay which is why this is such a shame....just give me realistic powerplays and this game would rock, versus being on the verge of me cancelling...

[CraigSca]

I think hockey is hindered the most when it comes to lack of penalties, but i do think they do it right where they turn off accelerated clock during the actual power play.

As far as the other sports are concerned, I'm not so sure people really want that many penalties. It might be something they actually tested and found that people were completely irritated by it because it's completely out of the user's control. And then, of course, you'd have the loud conspiracy voice stating the game is fixed against the human player because of that holding call the caused him to lose the game.

[gstelmack]

Last year I would see about 3 per game on average, way too low for sure but their football games have no penalties in them either. :lol::banghead::p:eek:

I get more than that playing NHL 12 (Be A Pro, all default settings), feels pretty reasonable. More like 6 per game or so.

[MizzouRah]

I get more than that playing NHL 12 (Be A Pro, all default settings), feels pretty reasonable. More like 6 per game or so.

Yeah, I played a full season and would have games with 1 or 2 and then a couple of games with 7 or 8. Playing 10 minute periods might have something to do with that too?

The only gripe I have is that setting the slider all the way up should greatly increase penalties, I mean, why have a slider?

Doesn't bother me enough to not get it though, I really love the new skating engine.

[SlyBelle1]

Yeah, I played a full season and would have games with 1 or 2 and then a couple of games with 7 or 8. Playing 10 minute periods might have something to do with that too?

The only gripe I have is that setting the slider all the way up should greatly increase penalties, I mean, why have a slider?

Doesn't bother me enough to not get it though, I really love the new skating engine.


That is my biggest complaint....we have sliders, so why can't they make them just work and then everyone can enjoy playing they way they want? Mind boggling.

I wish I could look past this issue myself, but PP/PK too important to the game of hockey. A group of us sent tweets to the official EANHL folks and they did appear to respond it would be something they would look into. However, they seemed surprised there was an issue so I don't have high hopes.

[gstelmack]

Yeah, I played a full season and would have games with 1 or 2 and then a couple of games with 7 or 8. Playing 10 minute periods might have something to do with that too?

It really could. We played a 5 minute period tourney at work and usually had 1 or 2 per game. For 15 minutes of hockey, that's not at all unreasonable.

[SlyBelle1]

I have played a couple of games recently on superstar/hardcore and both games had good penalty totals. One game had nine and another eight, with pretty even distribution. I had all penalty sliders maxed with aggression and hitting maxed. maybe this might work until all modes are usuable....it could also just be random luck:)

Only problem is playing on superstar, I typically stink:)

[Icy]

Nice save i made yesterday in BAP mode as goalie.

I made a first save, the rebound went to another forward who shoot again to the other side of the net and i jumped there to stop it with my stick.

http://cdn.content.easports.com/media2013/nhl13/40203834/401A0001_1_JPEG_SCREENSHOT_VFP.jpg

[Icy]

I love this game, only issue is low number of penalties by CPU, like 1 or 2 per game or even zero in some of them, this is with penalties maxed out in All star mode.

[SlyBelle1]

I love this game, only issue is low number of penalties by CPU, like 1 or 2 per game or even zero in some of them, this is with penalties maxed out in All star mode.

Icy, try my settings...when I used these settings, I am averaging 6-9 penalties. This is not the answer to fix ea's problem, but might get you through until they do. Don't worry about SS being too hard since you can alter some of the other sliders to play easier if needed.

Superstar/hardcore
set time for 12 minutes
max all penalty sliders
max agression slider
max power hitting slider
penalty scaling at 2

[Icy]

I understand that EA wants to please the casual crowd that prefers fast playing with no stoppages, it's clearly reflected in all their games, Madden, FIFA and NHL where penalties/faults are so low compared to real life.

But... that is what slider are for, if current settings are the middle point i'm fine, but at least have the slider working, so if i max it, there should be a ton of penalties. I wonder why is EA using sliders that barely affect the gameplay, imho the sliders should be more extreme at the min/max.

It's like if sliders were from 0 to 1 instead of from 0 to 100 so you barely notice anything when setting them.

[SlyBelle1]

I understand that EA wants to please the casual crowd that prefers fast playing with no stoppages, it's clearly reflected in all their games, Madden, FIFA and NHL where penalties/faults are so low compared to real life.

But... that is what slider are for, if current settings are the middle point i'm fine, but at least have the slider working, so if i max it, there should be a ton of penalties. I wonder why is EA using sliders that barely affect the gameplay, imho the sliders should be more extreme at the min/max.

It's like if sliders were from 0 to 1 instead of from 0 to 100 so you barely notice anything when setting them.

That has been always the odd thing with their games. Sliders never have the impact they should. If they did, ea could then serve both the casual and hardcore players. I can't figure it out why they don't see it either.

[gstelmack]

That has been always the odd thing with their games. Sliders never have the impact they should. If they did, ea could then serve both the casual and hardcore players. I can't figure it out why they don't see it either.

Sliders are the problem in my opinion. There should be an "arcade" and a "simulation" setting that should affect penalties, player movement, etc. Maybe a "casual" setting that simplifies the AI. That's it. Tune just those 3. Sliders are a problem in these days of tuning files, because your slider settings are obsolete whenever they release one.

Even their auto-adjust thing was a joke, because if you take a weak team and play a strong team and get crushed, it makes it easier so that when you play with the weak team you have a shot at winning. None of this takes into account skill disparity between your players and the CPU players. It's one interesting thing I've seen season-to-season in our NCAA 12 league, as my players changed the play on the field changed dramatically. That's a GOOD thing.

The real problem with difficulty, at least with the football games, is the CPU can't call plays or adjust its gameplan worth a darn at all. No amount of slider tweaking will fix it sticking with the pass to the bitter end when you've shut it down, no matter how much it gashes you when it runs...

[Sweed]

Sliders are the problem in my opinion. There should be an "arcade" and a "simulation" setting that should affect penalties, player movement, etc. Maybe a "casual" setting that simplifies the AI. That's it. Tune just those 3. Sliders are a problem in these days of tuning files, because your slider settings are obsolete whenever they release one.

Even their auto-adjust thing was a joke, because if you take a weak team and play a strong team and get crushed, it makes it easier so that when you play with the weak team you have a shot at winning. None of this takes into account skill disparity between your players and the CPU players. It's one interesting thing I've seen season-to-season in our NCAA 12 league, as my players changed the play on the field changed dramatically. That's a GOOD thing.

The real problem with difficulty, at least with the football games, is the CPU can't call plays or adjust its gameplan worth a darn at all. No amount of slider tweaking will fix it sticking with the pass to the bitter end when you've shut it down, no matter how much it gashes you when it runs...

I agree with most of this. The first paragraph is a good idea with the current tuner system. I would still want the sliders(working ones of course) "underneath" though for individual adjustment.

I liked the "my skill" auto adjustment system and think it worked well if you used it right. I would use it with each new version to get ballpark settings. Since I know who I played, and who I played with, I could temper what I was seeing MY SKILL saying my sliders should be noting in my mind what might be wrong with the MY SKILL suggestion. After a few games I would have a good foundation to start a dynasty and would turn off MY Skill and set up my own sliders based on the My Skill suggestion. The great thing about the My Skill IMHO was it was always on in the background. You could always set the game to My Skill and compare its settings to yours at any time and then go back to your custom setup. You were never locked into using it. I wish it was still there.

Totally agree with the last paragraph. Would it really be that hard to program the game to "understand" what was and wasn't working so it could at least try to adjust?

Penalties in any sports game should have a "realistic" setting that would require no guessing.

[Maple Leafs]

Nice save i made yesterday in BAP mode as goalie.

I made a first save, the rebound went to another forward who shoot again to the other side of the net and i jumped there to stop it with my stick.

They really seem to be pushing these "reaction" saves where goalies get out of position and then have to dive back, which makes me worry that they're going to happen on every second shift.

[EagleFan]

No posts today? I hope that means the game is so good that no one wants to step away from it to post about it.

[MizzouRah]

This is the greatest sports game of all time.

Yes penalties need fixed, scoring a goal needs to have more of a team celebration on the ice and I saw a puck go through a player's knee :) Bring back the 3 stars of the game!

I'm just amazed at how great this game is, pro defaults, playing 5 minute periods, beat Tampa Bay 3-1 and lost in OT to Carolina 4-3. Scored the absolute GREATEST goal of my hockey gaming life to tie the game vs Carolina with 5 seconds left. Steen shoots one and it goes off a Carolina player's thigh, hits the ice, bounces back up and Backes back hands the puck in mid air into the goal. I made my whole family watch it over and over. This is what gaming is about!

Replays now make sense, crowd is really into it and the commentary now talks more about what's going on in the game. It's just a really well done game and quite the gaming experience.

You can also tell who's on the ice, great players play like great players, speed matters, who's in goal matters, the AI is outstanding.. I'm really in awe right now.

[DaddyTorgo]

If you're playing 5 min periods you're going to end up with an unrealistic number of penalties I think. Simply not enough time elapsed for your AI teammates or opponents to take penalties.

[MizzouRah]

If you're playing 5 min periods you're going to end up with an unrealistic number of penalties I think. Simply not enough time elapsed for your AI teammates or opponents to take penalties.

Most definitely.. I'm going by purely what I've read on that matter.

Lost in a shootout against the Kings. I'm seeing so many different goals, puck just feels so loose, teams playing to their strengths, etc.. great game.

[EagleFan]

Two games in so far, playing a season (pro default 5 min).

First game: Crushed Boston 4-0. Dominated in all areas and got a little worried that the game may be too easy. 4 different players scored with only one being a slot slap shot. I love the new skating physics.

Second game: A little over confident and I lose 2-1 to the Islanders as they score with just over a minute left in the game and they held the play most of the game. Starting to see the differences in the player types now (like some players who may miss slap shots wildly which makes the snipers stand out that much more).

So far: Not one penalty in the two games. That needs addressed. I agree that the replays make more sense now. The game play is great.

Now for one major complaint. I have yet to be able to enter my game code so I can't get online. I am playing on PS3 and signed into the Playstation network. I try to go online and it brings up the end user agreement which I agree to. Then I get the screen to create an Origin account, no option for selecting an existing account. I enter the password and confirm and hit submit. It brings up the options for getting emails. I hit continue (submit?) at that point and I immediately get "Cannot access Account" and it takes me back to the main screen. Have tried this several times with the exact result. I hope it's just because the servers are getting killed and not a bigger more annoying issue.

[EagleFan]

Finally got the account created and applied my codes. Problem is that for the Stanley Cup Edition Bonuses it said to go the HUT Store and they would be there but I only have options to buy new packs. I'll look into that tomorrow.

[SirFozzie]

So, are we going to do a league? (I'm 360)

[MizzouRah]

Pro defaults (max penalties) seem fine thus far.. I'm a little afraid to move up to AS. :)

Probably going to bump up to 6-7 min games as shot totals are pretty close to RL on 5 minutes believe it or not.

It definitely has that "one more game" feeling to it and once the season rosters come out, it's time to dive into franchise play.

For 5 minute periods, penalties actually seem ok to me right now. This version is the most organic of any NHL game in the past, I've seen so many different goals and if you get caught pinching in, have fun trying to get back when someone like Jordan Staal shoots down the ice.

[EagleFan]

Dangerous game so far. The gameplay is about the best I have seen, it gives the NBA 2K games a run for their money.

Love how each game I have seen things that I replay just to see it again, no matter how small it may seem.

Had a shot ring the post and crop just in front of the goal line. Looked at the replay and the shot hit right in the elbow where crossbar and post come together which expained how it dropped where it did.

[MizzouRah]

I can't wait to play some more tonight, each team so far has played just like their RL counterparts.

I just hope going to AS doesn't make the goalies super human because right now on Pro, they are about perfect. I'm just outshooting most of the teams even though I'm not winning every game.

[SlyBelle1]

I can't wait to play some more tonight, each team so far has played just like their RL counterparts.

I just hope going to AS doesn't make the goalies super human because right now on Pro, they are about perfect. I'm just outshooting most of the teams even though I'm not winning every game.

I wish I could really share your exitement:( Until they fix the penalty issue, just can't get myself into it. Its sad to say since the rest of the game is promising. I know some people might think it is petty, but special teams are crucial in hockey. Some people might be ok with 1-2 penalties on 5 minute periods, but I need something that mirros hockey at 6-7 penalties. Really hoping EA comes through.

As for skill level, I have actually tried superstar and not as bad as I thought. You might have to adjust some of the CPU skill sliders, but I had some really good games on there and won most of mine.

[MizzouRah]

Maybe I'm used to NCAA and Madden :)

Try 10 minute periods to see if you get more? They do need increased, but for me, I'm fine with a couple a game. It is odd though, I'm like 5-6 on the PP right now - I've never been that good.

[DaddyTorgo]

I wish I could really share your exitement:( Until they fix the penalty issue, just can't get myself into it. Its sad to say since the rest of the game is promising. I know some people might think it is petty, but special teams are crucial in hockey. Some people might be ok with 1-2 penalties on 5 minute periods, but I need something that mirros hockey at 6-7 penalties. Really hoping EA comes through.

As for skill level, I have actually tried superstar and not as bad as I thought. You might have to adjust some of the CPU skill sliders, but I had some really good games on there and won most of mine.

You want 6-7 penalties in 5 minute periods? Never going to happen. Imagine how broken-up the game would be - the gameplay would be horrible.

If you're scaling down the length of the period you should scale down your expectation of penalties porportionately.

[SlyBelle1]

Maybe I'm used to NCAA and Madden :)

Try 10 minute periods to see if you get more? They do need increased, but for me, I'm fine with a couple a game. It is odd though, I'm like 5-6 on the PP right now - I've never been that good.

Too funny:) I am actually playing on 12 minutes right now and still don't see enough, especially on pro. I am lucky if I see 2 a game. In superstar mode with aggression and hit power totally jacked up, I do on occassion see the right number of penalties called. Just not very consistent.

[SlyBelle1]

You want 6-7 penalties in 5 minute periods? Never going to happen. Imagine how broken-up the game would be - the gameplay would be horrible.

If you're scaling down the length of the period you should scale down your expectation of penalties porportionately.

I don't recall I ever saying I played on 5 minute periods, I actually don't since that is way too short for me. I typically play on 10-12 minute periods. The penalty scaling feature evens it up anyways so I do believe the game should adjust penalties to the length you play. At 10-12 minutes and the use of the scaling feature, I do expect to see the NHL average for penalties. In addition, that is the purpose of having the penalty sliders so we all can choose how we want to play our games. If some people don't want a lot, that is fine, turn down the slider. If I want something realistic I should be able to increase the slider. But of course EA can't figure out how to make that work so that is not possible right now.

[MizzouRah]

Too funny:) I am actually playing on 12 minutes right now and still don't see enough, especially on pro. I am lucky if I see 2 a game. In superstar mode with aggression and hit power totally jacked up, I do on occassion see the right number of penalties called. Just not very consistent.

Well, I'm sure they are well aware of it and hopefully a tuner fixes it like they have hinted to.

[MizzouRah]

There was a total of 4 penalties last game, 7 minute periods. One of them was a major. Seems within the realm to me.

The average shots per game last year was about 29, so I think 8 minute games should be about perfect. I had 21 and NJ had 27 with 7 minute periods.

I beat the Jets 4-1 and NJ kicked my butt 4-1, so Pro has been a great mix of scores.

This game is freaking awesome.

[TCY Junkie]

I don't really like penalties, I'd like a simulation of what if the guy didn't cheat and there was no holding.

Now if they have guys in football for instance get past a OL and he hooks them than that should be a penalty but I never see that in madden. In NHL I have tripped people and that's obviously a penalty and I always get called for it.

It seems like guys want to get called for holding calls. Like have the computer programed to hold and sometimes it gets called and sometimes not. I don't like having the program programmed to cheat....... Probably buy this game as MizzouRah hasn't misguided me yet. Thanks for letting me know how awesome the game is, hopefully.

[SlyBelle1]

I don't really like penalties, I'd like a simulation of what if the guy didn't cheat and there was no holding.

Now if they have guys in football for instance get past a OL and he hooks them than that should be a penalty but I never see that in madden. In NHL I have tripped people and that's obviously a penalty and I always get called for it.

It seems like guys want to get called for holding calls. Like have the computer programed to hold and sometimes it gets called and sometimes not. I don't like having the program programmed to cheat....... Probably buy this game as MizzouRah hasn't misguided me yet. Thanks for letting me know how awesome the game is, hopefully.

And that is why the game has penalty sliders so people who don't want them could play that way while people who want a realistic experience could have them called like in real life. Problem is the sliders don't work. Personally I could never play it without penalties since special teams in hockey is a critical part of the game. I am not disputing the rest of the game seems good, just in my opinion ea dropped the ball in penalties which is a major part of real life hockey. If you don't want penalties, then this game is perfect for you:)

[TCY Junkie]

And that is why the game has penalty sliders so people who don't want them could play that way while people who want a realistic experience could have them called like in real life. Problem is the sliders don't work. Personally I could never play it without penalties since special teams in hockey is a critical part of the game. I am not disputing the rest of the game seems good, just in my opinion ea dropped the ball in penalties which is a major part of real life hockey. If you don't want penalties, then this game is perfect for you:)

If I trip a guy because he has an advantage but not a break away than penalty should be called. It's not as big of a problem in football as penalty minutes makes game more exciting and a big part of it, but unless you don't get called for obvious penalties which are pretty easy to avoid, it wouldn't distract me from buying the game. The 5 on 5 is the key part to me. To program the cpu to hold, trip, and commit more penalties I think would be extremely hard to balance and not effect game play. Guess I just accepted average game play in the last few years as I've purchased less and less.

[CraigSca]

Played my first game last night on pro and was down 10-0 against the Penguins after 2 periods. NHL 13 is definitely a "new" game.

[MizzouRah]

It is a new game and once you learn how to skate, the game really opens up as to what you can do.

Player separation is huge, when my top line is out there, they can make magic happen. :)

[samifan24]

Has anyone else experienced intermittent buzzing during audio of games? I can hear buzzing during play-by-play and even as I navigate though pause screens when when I pause the game and do nothing it goes away. It's not my TV, either. I think I'm going to swap out my copy for a new one.

[EagleFan]

Thought I heard something odd while navigating menus last night. Had the sound down at that point but something sounded off, like a possible buzzing like static.

[Logan]

Any good deals to be had on this for XBox? I don't play video games at all anymore (a few months back, I fired up NHL 10 for a couple game), but this has me intrigued. Hard to justify the $60+ though.

For anyone who didn't take advantage of the $15 off future Amazon purchases with the pre-order, it's down to $49.99 on there.

I ended up using a gift card and hope to have it soon.

[Mota]

So far NHL 13 is a big hit in our household!

[EagleFan]

Holy ****, after a 2-1 start in my first season mode game I have dropped the last 3 by a 12-1 combined score. Just when I thought I was doing okay I suddenly suck.

[Maple Leafs]

Holy ****, after a 2-1 start in my first season mode game I have dropped the last 3 by a 12-1 combined score. Just when I thought I was doing okay I suddenly suck.
Is that the new "IQ" feature kicking in? (i.e. where the AI is supposed to figure out how you play and adjust to it?)

[Sweed]

For anyone who didn't take advantage of the $15 off future Amazon purchases with the pre-order, it's down to $49.99 on there.

I ended up using a gift card and hope to have it soon.

All right you rat-bastards:mad: ;) Should have known to stay out of this thread but just had to take a look. Just placed my order with Amazon because of this post(seriously Logan thanks for the heads-up). Not bad though with a $15 Amazon credit I already had $34.99 and free Prime 2 day shipping.

Didn't get 12 but played a lot of nhl11 and had a great time. Anyone know if the huge sound pack from there will work in v13? I read a bit on OS and it sounded like they did some in game reverb that may require using the new sound packs? Any help here appreciated as the sound packs I used for v10 and v11 rocked my game room:)

[Sweed]

We bitch a lot about EA and with good reason. Well then lets give them some credit when they try to fix an issue. Interesting thread and poll by an EA employee regarding penalties in offline play at OS..
Offline Penalties - Page 12 - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ea-sports-nhl/580630-offline-penalties-12.html)

Also note a new 1.04 patch put out and according to the EA developer that posted the poll already is using some of the tweaks he's been testing.
New Tuner Update 1.04 - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ea-sports-nhl/581057-new-tuner-update-1-04-a.html)


Tuner 1.04
All Modes

Greater chance of penalty being called if a player is tripped (stumbles will now be considered trips)
Pokecheck less effective in HUT
Goalies less vulnerable on shots from distance on the rush on Game Styles Normal and Hardcore.
Decreased AI ability to make long stretch passes when Users were calling for a pass.



Offline

Increase penalty calls across the board
Increase effect of CPU Opponent and CPU Teammate penalty sliders
Increase chance of slash being called on stick lift from a bad angle
Increase likelihood of interference being called
Increase chance of CPU clearance being played over the boards
Increase chance of boarding, charging and hitting from behind being called
Increase time CPU will finish checks after puck is released


The developer states... Re: Offline Penalties
Changes should be up soon (actually they probably are already). We decided to hold back on some what I was looking at pending further testing, but there should be some improvement. Feedback on results will be helpful and we are still looking at this. The idea was to get a first pass out fairly quickly with the more straightforward things and assess how much more might need to be done after that.

Single game results will have a lot of variance so the ideal feedback would be penalty totals on a batch of games.

Redshirt_EA started the thread and poll and has been actively seeking feedback there to try to improve the penalties in offline play. It would be nice if this actually became the norm for EA.

[MizzouRah]

Very nice!!! Off to play some now!

[Logan]

It's been a while since I've played these games. Do the updates take effect with your current saved games?

BTW I love this fuckin game.

[MizzouRah]

Yes, tuners always apply to your saved games.

Lost 5-4 on AS difficulty, 8 minute periods. Had 5 penalties total, seemed about perfect to me.

[BYU 14]

Picked this up yesterday, any of the veterans here have any tips for playing defense?

I can move the puck and get a fair number of shots off, but often whiff badly on checks leading to too many chances. Is it better to stay in front of skaters and poke check?

[Mota]

Hold the left trigger when skating backward to keep facing the player. And don't play defense like me. :)

[MizzouRah]

On x360, right bumper to poke check and in order to cut, you have to let up on the stick to "glide" first. :) The new skating engine takes a bit to get used to.

If you go over to the OS forums, there is also an opening day roster set for x360, which is fantastic.

[dave731]

For those with the game, I have a quick question...in Online Co-op for franchise mode, does it play with the BAP camera or the overhead camera? A buddy of mine and I are thinking about picking it up and he wants to play goalie but only if it is the camera from the BAP series which makes sense. I haven't played since NHL 09 so I don't know how much has changed of late.

[BYU 14]

On x360, right bumper to poke check and in order to cut, you have to let up on the stick to "glide" first. :) The new skating engine takes a bit to get used to.

If you go over to the OS forums, there is also an opening day roster set for x360, which is fantastic.

I do love the physics, but yeah, definite learning curve. I am having a hard time with the finesse part (gliding) Still, in my third exhibition game I only lost 5-3 :)

Will have to snag those rosters, thanks for the heads up!

[Logan]

I feel very stupid to need to ask this. I'm playing in the Be a GM mode and I traded for Yakupov. Cost me a shit ton. But now he's nowhere to be found on my roster. On the NHL/AHL moves screen, he's not there. I can see him on my "contract" screen if I toggle from "major roster" (or whatever it's called) to "in the system". I'm guessing I need to do something else, sign him to a different deal or something, in order to get him on my roster so I can play with him. There's some kind of icon next to his name but despite having a 46" LED and great vision, I have no idea what it says or means.

Any help guys?

[MacroGuru]

So is it worth the purchase or not?

I might be up to getting a new game and trading in all my crap games I have on the shelf I don't play anymore.

[Jon]

I love this game but am having a hard time finding sliders that make me happy.

Anybody have a good/realistic slider set on PS3?

Thanks in advance!

[DaddyTorgo]

So is it worth the purchase or not?

I might be up to getting a new game and trading in all my crap games I have on the shelf I don't play anymore.

Yes - this question.

Is it a significant enough upgrade over NHL 12?

[Logan]

You bastards can find out if it's worth purchasing after my question for which I bumped this thread gets answered!!!

;)

[SackAttack]

I feel very stupid to need to ask this. I'm playing in the Be a GM mode and I traded for Yakupov. Cost me a shit ton. But now he's nowhere to be found on my roster. On the NHL/AHL moves screen, he's not there. I can see him on my "contract" screen if I toggle from "major roster" (or whatever it's called) to "in the system". I'm guessing I need to do something else, sign him to a different deal or something, in order to get him on my roster so I can play with him. There's some kind of icon next to his name but despite having a 46" LED and great vision, I have no idea what it says or means.

Any help guys?

Maybe if you post a screenshot, someone can tell you!

That said, I haven't spent as much time as I'd like with NHL 13 because of school, but I've enjoyed what I have played so far.

[Logan]

Maybe if you post a screenshot, someone can tell you!


Did some image searching, pretty sure it's the CHL logo.

[SackAttack]

Did some image searching, pretty sure it's the CHL logo.

What are you asking US for, then?

[Logan]

What are you asking US for, then?

JFC, did you read the rest of my post? I wasn't asking for help identifying the logo, but for help in how to get a player whose rights I now own onto my active roster.

[SackAttack]

JFC, did you read the rest of my post? I wasn't asking for help identifying the logo, but for help in how to get a player whose rights I now own onto my active roster.

Found this on another forum:

If you want to activate him you must have him on your nhl roster when the season opens. Same thing with Morrow. After that the players can move between the AHL and NHL, but if you don't call them up before waivers begin, they will play in juniors for the entire season.

I'd bet he's on a junior team right now and you acquired him after the waiver period began. You'll be able to call him up next season, but not until then.

[Logan]

Thank you.

[MizzouRah]

Yep, what SA said.

I just play on defaults AS and play every other game. Game is quite fun though, the skating in 13 is much improved, so yes it's worth it over 12.

[TLK]

What's the best way to play the game if I haven't played a hockey game since NHL 95? I played a few games on the default settings but was overwhelmed.

[MizzouRah]

What's the best way to play the game if I haven't played a hockey game since NHL 95? I played a few games on the default settings but was overwhelmed.

Start on rookie and go up from there. I believe there are tutorials as well.

[samifan24]

What's the best way to play the game if I haven't played a hockey game since NHL 95? I played a few games on the default settings but was overwhelmed.

You can also simplify the controls to the NHL 94/95 era controls. I've never tried it but the option is there if you want to check it out.

[DaddyTorgo]

Finally getting to where my skill level is getting in sync with the difficulty level I'm playing on.

Drafted a GM-mode team. My first season wasn't great because I was still trying to get my skill up to my difficulty level (I think the new skating had me out of position on defense too often). Probably also didn't help that I sort of ummm...forgot to draft a goalie early. So I ended up with Nabokov as my goalie.

Then again, my lines were something like this

D. Sedin - Thornton - Gionta
Heatley - Lecavalier - Iginla
Kreider - ? - Eric Cole
Mats Zucarello - ? - Cam Atkinson

Top 2 D-pairing were
Chara - Giordano
Ekstrom - someone decent and more defense

So my team wasn't BAD.

Let Iginla walk (despite wanting him back). Ditched Cole. Nabokov retired. Eddie Lack took over between the pipes (he was my backup last year) and he's up to like an 84, so I have some quality GKing.

Zucarello is up on the 2nd line wing now along with Heatley, and Atkinson and Kreider are playing together (yes I've thought about making a Boston College line including Gionta - but I might just create a custom team of BC alums like I did in NHL 12).

Had a close game that turned late into a 4-1 blowout in the 3rd period, followed by a 2-1 squeaker, where I gave up a goal with like 10 minutes left in the game and was hanging on from there. Also had some nice close losses in preseason.

I think the #1 key to turning it around and winning more consistently for me is letting the AI play more of the on-puck defense, because I still tend to overskate there, or take dumb tripping penalties.

Loving it though!!

[DaddyTorgo]

FYI in case anyone's curious I'm using Cycloniac's TrueSim settings from OS.

[DaddyTorgo]

Back-to-back 6-2 loss (I just couldn't frigging score, and everything they shot went right in) and a 5-1 win.

I'd say the difficulty is just right.

[MizzouRah]

This is my #1 sports video game.. played two full seasons, didn't make the playoffs my first season and then was a #4 seed in my second season after some trades and what not.

I beat the #5 team Minnesota in 5 games and then beat the #2 team Columbus in 6 games.

I'm facing the #1 team Phoenix in the Western Conference finals and they have quite a team and the best goalie in the league in Mike Smith.. good grief I'm now down 3 games to 0 and he saves every FREAKING thing! Halak is an 85 and Smith is an 84, but Halak sucks in this series!

Makes me feel like I'm taking on LA and Quick.

Well, once my season is over I have NHL 14 ready to pop in and start all over again. :(

[dave731]

I'm still playing this game also...I started a GM Connected with a friend and we are on the same team (Pittsburgh) and have the most fun I've ever had in a sports game...As long as they keep the servers up, I will not stop playing this one.

[MizzouRah]

I'm still playing this game also...I started a GM Connected with a friend and we are on the same team (Pittsburgh) and have the most fun I've ever had in a sports game...As long as they keep the servers up, I will not stop playing this one.

I'm excited to get into NHL 14, but I don't want to end this playoff run either. :(

[Travis]

I'm still playing this game also...I started a GM Connected with a friend and we are on the same team (Pittsburgh) and have the most fun I've ever had in a sports game...As long as they keep the servers up, I will not stop playing this one.

Are all the other teams run by the computer? Just curious as some friends of mine and I are doing a GM Connected in 14 and it's a blast, but I hadn't considered doing a dual owner team and playing co-op. I'm assuming you guys play the games together or are you acting as co-GMs and simming games?

[dave731]

Are all the other teams run by the computer? Just curious as some friends of mine and I are doing a GM Connected in 14 and it's a blast, but I hadn't considered doing a dual owner team and playing co-op. I'm assuming you guys play the games together or are you acting as co-GMs and simming games?
All other teams are cpu AI...we do make decisions about our roster/depth chart and possible trades. We also player lock on RW and LW. We have played every game together. Some crazy moments throughout...both of us have been the goat and the hero in many games.

[Travis]

All other teams are cpu AI...we do make decisions about our roster/depth chart and possible trades. We also player lock on RW and LW. We have played every game together. Some crazy moments throughout...both of us have been the goat and the hero in many games.

That's awesome, thanks for the follow up. I'm working on setting up something like this in NHL14 with a buddy and we're going to use some custom 89-90 rosters. We're both pretty excited about the idea and using the vintage Oilers lineup.