NHL 23 Trial Available Now For EA Play Subscribers

[HipNotiiC_x]

Put another hour into this trial, still not seeing enough to warrant a purchase. Tried my own set, tried Karl's, I'm still seeing the same AI issues, the same outdated shooting animations from NHL 07 that lead to unrealistic goals, the same very easily exploitable AI, the same no mans land in the slot that's existed for years and years, I just am not finding much that's better than what I was able to achieve in 22.

On a positive note, really happy to see the CPU goalies getting those RS animations, I think that's a big step forward for the series. Next step is to make screens more realistic and to remove some of those super insane reactionary animations and just allow the goalie to be okay making a blocking save in order to make in-tight plays more realistic. There's still a noticeable lack of scrambles and general desire to attack and defend the slot in this series. The AI want to cycle while maintaining a hand on the glass at all times and the D want to stay a foot to the inside. Real hockey is played a lot on the perimeter because it's so hard to get to the slot, not because there's no desire to get to the slot.

It's an okay EA experience, but I've found a spot in 22 via sliders/rosters that gives me 98% of the on-ice experience I've been having with 23. Can genuinely say I've tried my best to get hooked to this game to justify bringing my league to 23, but it's just not doing it for me. I'm passing around the AI the same way I am in 22. I'm scoring the same goals, I think my hitting feels better in 22, so it's just too much of a wash for me this year. I hope others enjoy the game, I'll be continuing the league on 22!

[PernellKarl076]

Quote: Originally Posted by HipNotiiC_x

Put another hour into this trial, still not seeing enough to warrant a purchase. Tried my own set, tried Karl's, I'm still seeing the same AI issues, the same outdated shooting animations from NHL 07 that lead to unrealistic goals, the same very easily exploitable AI, the same no mans land in the slot that's existed for years and years I just am not finding much that's better than what I was able to achieve in 22.

Thanks for trying my sliders man, it's an honour 😀 Have you tried them with my recommendations ?

I’m not sure I fully understand every time you talk about the AI not wanting to attack or defend the slot ? On the contrary, I find that the AI, in the games I play, that's all they wanna do… In my sliders thread, there's a couple videos of different situations and I see the AI all over in the slot ? Maybe it's because I play Player Lock ?

Quote: Originally Posted by HipNotiiC_x

On a positive note, really happy to see the CPU goalies getting those RS animations, I think that's a big step forward for the series. Next step is to make screens more realistic and to remove some of those super insane reactionary animations and just allow the goalie to be okay making a blocking save in order to make in-tight plays more realistic.There's still a noticeable lack of scrambles and general desire to attack and defend the slot in this series. The AI want to cycle while maintaining a hand on the glass at all times and the D want to stay a foot to the inside. Real hockey is played a lot on the perimeter because it's so hard to get to the slot, not because there's no desire to get to the slot.

Just saw a goal earlier where the Bruins passed the puck on the point, when McAvoy took a slapper while there was a bunch of guys in front of the net and you could see that the goalie was scrambling looking for the puck, and as the puck got in, he was still looking, lol !

Again I agree to disagree, I can take a couple of clips just from one period I played earlier, lots of scrambles, lots of attacking the slot, I don't know if I’m dreaming or were playing the same game ? No offense…

Quote: Originally Posted by HipNotiiC_x

It's an okay EA experience, but I've found a spot in 22 via sliders/rosters that gives me 98% of the on-ice experience I've been having with 23. Can genuinely say I've tried my best to get hooked to this game to justify bringing my league to 23, but it's just not doing it for me. I'm passing around the AI the same way I am in 22. I'm scoring the same goals, I think my hitting feels better in 22, so it's just too much of a wash for me this year. I hope others enjoy the game, I'll be continuing the league on 22!

Again, I’ve never seen soooooo many different types of goals than in 23 ! Deflections are a major upgrade over 22 it’s not even funny, the puck is alive ! I’m gonna take a look if I have a clip of that certain goal earlier….

Again, the hitting in 23 got a major upgrade and like I said in a different post it takes time to get use to, because now the AI will shrug and try to avoid certain hits when they can and it takes the hitting to a different level… With my settings it's really hard to send a guy on his *** but when you do it feels soooo rewarding like in real hockey….

Things that the AI does way better than 22 is the zone exits, the winger on the half board use to infuriate me, when in the back of the zone you would pass to that said winger, he used to "freeze" there or comeback in the lower half of the zone and screw the entire exit…. Another one is that the AI will sometimes switch the exit by going behind the net, something I never saw in 22…

In my slider thread, I show a clip where Alex Tuch sees that one side of the zone is clogged up, so he switches side by going behind the net and starts a breakout on the other side. So nice to see 😀

Another area where it definitely improved, is the cross crease pass when there’s players in the slot, now it feels organic, where the puck can go through skates and sticks…. Even with pass interceptions set at 0-1 it was a brick wall there in 22…

I’m not even looking for this, but there's a small gameplay clip around 18 seconds, that will show what I’m trying to say with visuals…

The way Mittelstadt gets out of the zone from the half board, when receiving a not so perfect pass… When he enters the zone, he get's hit pretty hard by McAvoy, but stays in the play only by getting on one knee…. The crowding of the slot… The scramble in the slot and even in the blue paint… The type of goal, and I see this kind of gameplay very, very often… Is it only because of my settings ?? Probably not, but I don't know 🤔 I don't wanna play even on the EA "Simulation" settings, are you kidding me, lol !

BTW, I’m controlling no.19 Krebs in this vid.



At the end of the day, when we nitpick, we can find many things that the AI doesn’t do perfectly, but in 23 it does so many things better in my opinion that it reaches another level… And remember, it's just a game after all… Hockey is such a difficult sport to translate in a game with it’s speed and everything that's going on at the same time.

I’ve loved 22 for different reasons, but I had to do so many things especially the DMEN in the O zone to bring it to my expectations, but even if….After playing 23 for awhile, there's no way I wanna play 22 again….

But to each their own 😀

[HipNotiiC_x]

Quote: Originally Posted by PernellKarl076

Thanks for trying my sliders man, it's an honour 😀 Have you tried them with my recommendations ? I’m not sure I fully understand every time you talk about the AI not wanting to attack or defend the slot ? On the contrary, I find that the AI, in the games I play, that's all they wanna do… In my sliders thread, there's a couple videos of different situations and I see the AI all over in the slot ? Maybe it's because I play Player Lock ? Just saw a goal earlier where the Bruins passed the puck on the point, when McAvoy took a slapper while there was a bunch of guys in front of the net and you could see that the goalie was scrambling looking for the puck, and as the puck got in, he was still looking, lol ! Again I agree to disagree, I can take a couple of clips just from one period I played earlier, lots of scrambles, lots of attacking the slot, I don't know if I’m dreaming or were playing the same game ? No offense… Again, I’ve never seen soooooo many different types of goals than in 23 ! Deflections are a major upgrade over 22 it’s not even funny, the puck is alive ! I’m gonna take a look if I have a clip of that certain goal earlier…. Again, the hitting in 23 got a major upgrade and like I said in a different post it takes time to get use to, because now the AI will shrug and try to avoid certain hits when they can and it takes the hitting to a different level… With my settings it's really hard to send a guy on his *** but when you do it feels soooo rewarding like in real hockey…. Things that the AI does way better than 22 is the zone exits, the winger on the half board use to infuriate me, when in the back of the zone you would pass to that said winger, he used to "freeze" there or comeback in the lower half of the zone and screw the entire exit…. Another one is that the AI will sometimes switch the exit by going behind the net, something I never saw in 22… In my slider thread, I show a clip where Alex Tuch sees that one side of the zone is clogged up, so he switches side by going behind the net and starts a breakout on the other side. So nice to see 😀 Another area where it definitely improved, is the cross crease pass when there’s players in the slot, now it feels organic, where the puck can go through skates and sticks…. Even with pass interceptions set at 0-1 it was a brick wall there in 22… I’m not even looking for this, but there's a small gameplay clip around 18 seconds, that will show what I’m trying to say with visuals… The way Mittelstadt gets out of the zone from the half board, when receiving a not so perfect pass… When he enters the zone, he get's hit pretty hard by McAvoy, but stays in the play only by getting on one knee…. The crowding of the slot… The scramble in the slot and even in the blue paint… The type of goal, and I see this kind of gameplay very, very often… Is it only because of my settings ?? Probably not, but I don't know 🤔 I don't wanna play even on the EA "Simulation" settings, are you kidding me, lol ! BTW, I’m controlling no.19 Krebs in this vid. At the end of the day, when we nitpick, we can find many things that the AI doesn’t do perfectly, but in 23 it does so many things better in my opinion that it reaches another level… And remember, it's just a game after all… Hockey is such a difficult sport to translate in a game with it’s speed and everything that's going on at the same time. I’ve loved 22 for different reasons, but I had to do so many things especially the DMEN in the O zone to bring it to my expectations, but even if….After playing 23 for awhile, there's no way I wanna play 22 again…. But to each their own 😀

When I say "attack the slot" I'm talking from an off-puck experience. This game plays closer to a modern NBA offense than a modern NHL offense. I get that making real-life AI would be an impossibility, but it just seems like the off-puck offensive AI are way too content with sitting in cycle positions on the wall rather than exploiting open areas in the slot. I wish when you cycled low with the carrier on the halfwall, that the AI was programmed to hard cut to the net rather than kind of just standing still.

These are the types of improvements I'm wanting to start seeing before I purchase again. When I have the puck, I just don't see enough realistic off-puck movement nor do I see a patient enough defense to takeaway the slot while simultaneously sacrificing some perimeter passing options. I just don't find the zone any more or less realistic in 23.

[PernellKarl076]

Again I don’t know if it's because I play player lock, but in just that small clip, I control no.19 Krebs and I have Mittelstadt and Okposo "attacking" the slot, I see these things over and over again… The other clips I have in my thread, I see this also even when I go and retrieve the puck in the corner (Alex Tuch vid), we cycled the puck behind the net for a bit and then they are quick to go back in front…

OH ! It's true that I'm a "crash the net" type in my strategies, lol ! Could that be it ? If you have a couple of hours left in your trial, try that… Also if you don’t mind, try with my recommendations in my slider thread 😉

I know, I’m in no way implying that I wanna tell you who to play the game, lol ! But if you do let me know…

[HipNotiiC_x]

Quote: Originally Posted by PernellKarl076

Again I don’t know if it's because I play player lock, but in just that small clip, I control no.19 Krebs and I have Mittelstadt and Okposo "attacking" the slot, I see these things over and over again… The other clips I have in my thread, I see this also even when I go and retrieve the puck in the corner (Alex Tuch vid), we cycled the puck behind the net for a bit and then they are quick to go back in front… OH ! It's true that I'm a "crash the net" type in my strategies, lol ! Could that be it ? If you have a couple of hours left in your trial, try that… Also if you don’t mind, try with my recommendations in my slider thread 😉 I know, I’m in no way implying that I wanna tell you who to play the game, lol ! But if you do let me know…

Yeah I'm usually a "Crash the net" guy too. My point isn't to say that 23 isn't better, it's just that it's not enough better for me with everything I've done in 22. I get most of the same experiences + I don't have to create 500+ CAP's to keep playing 22 lol. There aren't enough "huge" changes to make me want to commit to that time commitment.

[PernellKarl076]

Quote: Originally Posted by HipNotiiC_x

Yeah I'm usually a "Crash the net" guy too. My point isn't to say that 23 isn't better, it's just that it's not enough better for me with everything I've done in 22. I get most of the same experiences + I don't have to create 500+ CAP's to keep playing 22 lol. There aren't enough "huge" changes to make me want to commit to that time commitment.

I get the time commitment it would take for you to get it where you want… For me since I play with NHL teams, 23 was almost a "plug and play" experience… Done sooooo much tweaking with 22 that I was "practicing" more than playing the game, lol ! In 23 adjusted sliders that really were bugging me and voila !

But as you may know by now, I’ve seen so many beautiful things in 23, that it's a "I’m never coming back" type of deal with 22…

Like I said, if you play player lock Action cam, that's where you see the beauty of it all in 23 IMO… Try it 😀

If you know, you know !

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by phillyfan23

The penaltykilling issue can be fixed by changing team strategies. The 1-2-1 is the default for ALL teams and that has one free guy always pressing the puck carrier. Try passive box or even diamond, and they will play more passively. Again this depends on the teams real life strategies. If they do employ the 1-2-1. You have to keep the puck moving. Also game speed affects this, if you use out of the box game speed, you wont have time to breathe on the PP against the 1-2-1. I have my game speed at 0/6 and skating speed at low 40s. ( default is 50/100). Out of the box, this game to me is unplayable. I think the Dev team thinks with sliders, they have given enough tools to adjust for offline gaming. And for NHL 23, sliders alone could fix most gameplay issues, except the cpu ai dmen offensive and shooting behavior. Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Hey, thank you for taking the time to type this up, this is great to hear and I will try this later on and see if it helps the game play more to my liking!!