NHL10 Hockey Shop Discussion (w/ article from Team XBox)

[Redshirt_EA]

Quote: Originally Posted by sroz39

First qb, now Redshirt lol. I apologize, Redshirt, if anything I said was taken as a direct insult at you in a previous post of mine. It was not intended that way, but if you took it that way, again, sorry. I was simply para-phrasing what you said to make a point about Hardcore mode in OTP. I respect the fact you come on here to answer questions and even moreso respect the fact that you stood up for us "sim" guys, in a way, by being opposed to this idea from the start. Thank you

I wasn't offended by anything anyone said, I just wanted to set the scene here -- I able unable to justify or even apologize for everything about the game because they aren't things I'm responsible for. I can't even say with certainty that overall, everything considered, the way it was done is the wrong way to go -- it is just my opinion (and I lean pretty heavily to the sim/hardcore end of the spectrum). It certainly is wrong for what I personally want in the game.

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Now, as for what Realm said, I typically agree with him 95% of the time but I know that from my experience last year with the juicing in the EASHL, 5 attribute points does make a difference. I had my Legend card (legitimately) and before succumbing to juicing my player myself, tried to put every available point I had onto puck control. This attribute, at 99, bugged me the most because virtually every loose puck went the juicers way. Well, with my guy's puck control at 95, it still wasn't good enough. Not even close. Had a little more luck with it, but not much. There was obviously a few other attributes involved as well, in the general helpless feeling when going up against a juiced player, but this was one small example (and what eventually drove me to do it myself, after MONTHS of waiting for a patched solution).

I don't think that there would be a great difference between 95 and 99 puck control -- the problem here is that once you feel there is a reason outside of your control for losing a puck battle (or anything else) it is natural to attribute it to that unfairness. Even after the juicing was absolutely 100% gone there were a lot of people who felt it was still there. I think this is one of the issues with allowing attribute increases -- I was even against the experience cards last year, but besides the little hitch with the 99 attrib thing that didn't go over too badly.

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Now, I know, this is slightly different. I can unlock the same gear these guys can buy etc etc. The point is, I don't WANT to wear stupid gear and I don't WANT to need it just to stand a chance. I've mentioned before, I am in no way a stick jockey. I played and excelled at D1 last year because of sound hockey fundamentals. But if you give these kids/immature adults an available advantage by allowing them to buy a better player as opposed to earning it, my chances of unlocking the gear by accomplishing certain goals (which I'm sure aren't easy to begin with) becomes so much harder for me in the first few weeks.

A lot of the gear is unlockable offline -- in fact most of it. So far I've played through one full Be A Pro (simming 40 games), simmed 8 years of Be A GM, played through a playoff season and played about 40 online games (mostly OTP/EASHL). I have all my three slot gear, filled with eight +5 boosts and four +3's. Not all if it is on the exact attributes I would target, but it mostly is.

Again, I'm not defending it, I still don't like it, but it I also don't think it is disastrous like people are worried it will be.

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It shouldn't be this way. If it's all about making a quick buck, offer the crazy gear for MS points but without attribute bonuses. I'm telling you, people would still buy it to personalize their guy. Look at the avatar items for your XBL avatar. Has no advantage to any gameplay in any game yet people are probably swallowing the stuff up because it makes their avatar "different". Every attribute counts at some point in the game, especially a tight one. I'm going to feel awful lousy knowing I lost a game because some guy bought better acceleration to speed by me on defence or something to that extent.

I can't sincerely make the argument that it won't sell a lot more downloadable content if it means something than if it doesn't. Other than that, I don't disagree with anything you say. The level playing field wasn't really there last year either though (even ignoring the 99 attrib problem) because players who got their cards faster were ahead of others. I don't think this will play out any worse than that.

[sroz39]

^^^ Thank you for the responses, Redshirt. You're easing my mind slightly, especially knowing I can unlock some of this stuff offline. I've gone from raging mad, contemplating boycotting a product I am going to love, to being slightly agitated with some cautious optimism

[Redshirt_EA]

Quote: Originally Posted by sroz39

That's quite a difference. But, to be fair, the equipment that you've unlocked and wear, that you say isn't too hard on the eyes lol, what are the attribute bonuses for that? Because if someone is using equipment that is allowing them a +9 bonus and you're wearing stuff that gives you +5, that's not great but not terrible..

Any of it. The gear just opens the slots and the actual attribute bonuses are separate, so any three slot gear is as good as any other.

[kerosene31]

It isn't even the money that irritates me. I really am not going to gripe over a couple bucks here and there. I put tons of hours into sports games and I get my "bang for the buck" many times over.

My problem is that people wanting to wear real gear are being punished. If the real stuff had the same bonuses, I wouldn't be so upset (I still don't like the silly stuff, but I accepted that). Some argue that a few points doesn't make a big difference, but it does. It isn't just about a few points. There will be people on EASHL who buy everything and who have nothing to do all day but level up their player.

By the first weekend after the game comes out, these "kiddies" will have a major boost against someone like me. I don't have a lot of time to play and my player is already behind the curve because of it. Throw this on top and it just makes the gap bigger.

Maybe the casual league will actually work and be a good place for me to play. Unfortunately, with the ranking system, people will smurf/sandbag to get down to there. It is a given. Any online leaderboard in any game has always been like this. There are people out there who will do anything to get their name/team on top.

Ultimately, adding boosts to only the silly stuff will guarantee that it is the only stuff that gets used by most players. If the boosts were equal, at least many players would choose not to wear it. Now? Many more will.

Why not just make the realistic equipment have the same boosts and the same costs? I just don't get it. You wouldn't make any less money (probably more actually).

[Redshirt_EA]

I pretty much agree with all of that -- though I don't think the "the curve" is as big a deal as you make it out to be because the ceiling is fairly low, nobody will be anything close to a fully juiced out 99 attrib player at any point, even if they spend $100 on day one. For the experience cards it is games played that matter, not wins.

I agree with the main point though -- boosts should be independent of what gear you wear.

[sharks]

Dynamic DNA would solve these issues!

[Redshirt_EA]

Huh?

[sroz39]

Quote: Originally Posted by sharks

Dynamic DNA would solve these issues!

Yeah, I'm in the same boat...confused lol. What did you mean by Dynamic DNA?