A few questions...

[kinsmen7]

Happy new years!

NHL is on sale, and after a couple years away from the game, I'm considering biting the bullet to pick it up.

Before I do so, I've got a few questions regarding things that the series has done poorly over the past decade, and whether or not the issues have been fixed, even if only slightly. Keep in mind, I'm an offline-only player.

Goaltending:

-What kind of save percentages are you guys seeing? I like a sim/realistic type game where numbers will (sort of...) relate to real-life. I have no issue getting beaten, but the 3-4 goals against per game on 18-20 shots against, when the vast majority of goals were outside of the high danger areas kind of killed the immersion for me. Is this something that has been improved?

-I've read that the overpowering one-timer goal has been nerfed. Has this improved your goaltenders numbers, or did it break something else to keep CPU scoring levels up?

-Are you seeing improvement from an overall goaltending perspective vs. the product that was released over the past few years?

-Is there any differential between a 90 OVR goalie and a 78 overall goalie? I found in the past that there was little to no reason to invest in goaltending, because it didn't really matter who was between the pipes.

Offence:

-I know that there are glitchy plays/goals in every sports game, and that it is virtually impossible to eliminate them all, but are you seeing improvement this year?

-I've seen a few threads mentioning that sliders absolutely help, but that every time you adjust 1, 2 others seem broken. Any recommendations on the best set of sliders right now for a "realistic-ish" type game?

Little things:

-Can you remove the pressure meter overlay? I like to play sports games with a clean screen, and while I like the idea of the feature, I don't really feel like I need a meter showing to be able to feel it.

-I'm assuming expansion mode is still a thing?

-Are the improvements to the trade engine and free-agent signings helpful? Consistently seeing a number of high-end young guys not being able to be signed by their teams because of the cap was kind of game breaking a couple of years ago.

Thanks in advance for the help fellas!

[dubplate]

Re: A few questions...

Ice tilt has been absolutely out of control for me. If that’s something that doesn’t bother you then you’ll likely enjoy the game.

It is wearing thin for me and becoming a game killer. Not sure why something like that would be in without a way to toggle it off.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[MiracleMet718]

Re: A few questions...

Ice tilt has been absolutely out of control for me. If that’s something that doesn’t bother you then you’ll likely enjoy the game.

It is wearing thin for me and becoming a game killer. Not sure why something like that would be in without a way to toggle it off.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

What ice tilt are you seeing? I haven’t seen any this year tbh. I’ve seen the CPU pick it up and play more aggressive when they are losing, but nothing that can’t be defended.

[dubplate]

Re: A few questions...

What ice tilt are you seeing? I haven’t seen any this year tbh. I’ve seen the CPU pick it up and play more aggressive when they are losing, but nothing that can’t be defended.

The computer players suddenly become tanks and can’t be moved off the puck, and when you finally do get it lose it finds its way right back to them.

I’ve started using a different slider set on Superstar and am not seeing the same level of bull**** I was previously which is honestly surprising.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[MiracleMet718]

Re: A few questions...

The computer players suddenly become tanks and can’t be moved off the puck, and when you finally do get it lose it finds its way right back to them.

I’ve started using a different slider set on Superstar and am not seeing the same level of bull**** I was previously which is honestly surprising.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Do you try to hit them or are you forcing them to the outside. I used to try to hit a lot more and realized I was just getting out of position and giving up easy chances. So now I poke more and force shots from the outside and don’t see any ice tilt. Like I said I do get pressured when I’m up, but I expect that since the CPU strategies should make them more aggressive.

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Re: A few questions...

Happy new years!

NHL is on sale, and after a couple years away from the game, I'm considering biting the bullet to pick it up.

Before I do so, I've got a few questions regarding things that the series has done poorly over the past decade, and whether or not the issues have been fixed, even if only slightly. Keep in mind, I'm an offline-only player.

Goaltending:

-What kind of save percentages are you guys seeing? I like a sim/realistic type game where numbers will (sort of...) relate to real-life. I have no issue getting beaten, but the 3-4 goals against per game on 18-20 shots against, when the vast majority of goals were outside of the high danger areas kind of killed the immersion for me. Is this something that has been improved?

-I've read that the overpowering one-timer goal has been nerfed. Has this improved your goaltenders numbers, or did it break something else to keep CPU scoring levels up?

-Are you seeing improvement from an overall goaltending perspective vs. the product that was released over the past few years?

-Is there any differential between a 90 OVR goalie and a 78 overall goalie? I found in the past that there was little to no reason to invest in goaltending, because it didn't really matter who was between the pipes.

Offence:

-I know that there are glitchy plays/goals in every sports game, and that it is virtually impossible to eliminate them all, but are you seeing improvement this year?

-I've seen a few threads mentioning that sliders absolutely help, but that every time you adjust 1, 2 others seem broken. Any recommendations on the best set of sliders right now for a "realistic-ish" type game?

Little things:

-Can you remove the pressure meter overlay? I like to play sports games with a clean screen, and while I like the idea of the feature, I don't really feel like I need a meter showing to be able to feel it.

-I'm assuming expansion mode is still a thing?

-Are the improvements to the trade engine and free-agent signings helpful? Consistently seeing a number of high-end young guys not being able to be signed by their teams because of the cap was kind of game breaking a couple of years ago.

Thanks in advance for the help fellas!

I played this game since it was invented and I can honestly say gameplay is the best it's ever been but how you play is also key I have a great set of sliders.

It's the first year I'm actually having balanced statistics even time of possession and shots.

I definitely see a difference in goaltending but even the 78 rating goalie can play great I have all their consistencies at zero and I know what I had the goalie consistency at 2 92 rated goaltenders were letting in all types of soft goals

[Fiddy]

Re: A few questions...

I played this game since it was invented and I can honestly say gameplay is the best it's ever been but how you play is also key I have a great set of sliders.

It's the first year I'm actually having balanced statistics even time of possession and shots.

I definitely see a difference in goaltending but even the 78 rating goalie can play great I have all their consistencies at zero and I know what I had the goalie consistency at 2 92 rated goaltenders were letting in all types of soft goals

Did you see the 4 season test Vasy did on this?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-uQObcrIBk?si=a_c2sV1P5cTxwQgo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Check out 19:28 of the video he shows all 4 season worth of stats for the goalies for comparison.

Very interesting in all seriousness.

[kinsmen7]

Re: A few questions...

I played this game since it was invented and I can honestly say gameplay is the best it's ever been but how you play is also key I have a great set of sliders.

It's the first year I'm actually having balanced statistics even time of possession and shots.

I definitely see a difference in goaltending but even the 78 rating goalie can play great I have all their consistencies at zero and I know what I had the goalie consistency at 2 92 rated goaltenders were letting in all types of soft goals

I'm 19 games in right now, and I'm enjoying it.

Re: Goaltending, I'm definitely seeing some great saves at both ends, which is a relief. When it comes to my own goalies, I'm running a Spencer Knight/John Gibson tandem (Expansion franchise), and dear lord are they ever getting lit up.

There are certainly some caveats/reasonable excuses for some of this-I haven't played in a couple of years, and defending is 1000 times more difficult. I found during my first 15 or so games that I was reverting to the old "Hit 'em, hit 'em, hittttt 'emmmmm!" strategy that worked so well in the past. Welp, nowadays it seems that positioning is the most important part.

My D-Core (And team as a whole) is also rated pretty low, because I traded some good ones (Ekholm/Carlo) back to their original teams to pick up picks/prospects instead.

Fluky-goal-wise, there has definitely been a handful, but for the most part, I'm finding that my poor defensive positioning seems to be my main issue. I'm hoping as I get back into the swing of things (Played every version from '94-'22), it'll improve, as will my goaltending numbers.

Thanks everyone for the help. Much appreciated!

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Re: A few questions...

Did you see the 4 season test Vasy did on this?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-uQObcrIBk?si=a_c2sV1P5cTxwQgo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Check out 19:28 of the video he shows all 4 season worth of stats for the goalies for comparison.

Very interesting in all seriousness.

I'm watching it now but I play all my games and this guy is doing a Sim maybe it doesn't work the same way if you're playing ? As I said earlier I played a Ken Dryden rated 93 and all types of weird goals were going on for two games.

I then changed it to zero and all the weird goals especially the ones bouncing off his glove stopped ?

Thanks again for posting this very interesting

[dubplate]

Re: A few questions...

Do you try to hit them or are you forcing them to the outside. I used to try to hit a lot more and realized I was just getting out of position and giving up easy chances. So now I poke more and force shots from the outside and don’t see any ice tilt. Like I said I do get pressured when I’m up, but I expect that since the CPU strategies should make them more aggressive.

Combination, but O’ve been trying to hit less lately and use the poke check more. The puck going right back to the CPU after drives me nuts. Like sure, it can and does happen, but not at the frequency it was, making playing D nearly impossible for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[MiracleMet718]

Re: A few questions...

Combination, but O’ve been trying to hit less lately and use the poke check more. The puck going right back to the CPU after drives me nuts. Like sure, it can and does happen, but not at the frequency it was, making playing D nearly impossible for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Makes sense. My tip to you is don’t “attack” the player on defense. Meaning if you are going to poke check, do it while skating backwards instead of going at the offensive player. It’s more important to be between the puck carrier and his options in the middle, so if you poke and/or hold the poke button to do the manually stick sweep, it helps from the times when the CPU trailer picks up the loose puck.

Also make sure to protect the slot and force outside shots. So again instead of rushing the puck carrier all the time, sometimes it’s better to just block the passing lane and cover the space than try to win the puck. The more you pressure them, the easier it is for you to get beat.

There are still some crappy AI issues on defense, but it’s significantly better this year. I still lose games since I make some mistakes, but when I play solid coverage defense, I’ve gotten plenty of shutouts.

[Fiddy]

Re: A few questions...

I'm watching it now but I play all my games and this guy is doing a Sim maybe it doesn't work the same way if you're playing ? As I said earlier I played a Ken Dryden rated 93 and all types of weird goals were going on for two games.

I then changed it to zero and all the weird goals especially the ones bouncing off his glove stopped ?

Thanks again for posting this very interesting

I have no clue lol. After reading your post I did some digging bc I was interested and just came across his video. I use his rosters a lot and I went through them and they didn't mass change goalies one way or another. Probably just used the 0, 1, 2 to get guys close to their save % numbers?

But just another thing with this game that nobody has an actual answer for. Frustrating to say the least.

[MiracleMet718]

Re: A few questions...

I have no clue lol. After reading your post I did some digging bc I was interested and just came across his video. I use his rosters a lot and I went through them and they didn't mass change goalies one way or another. Probably just used the 0, 1, 2 to get guys close to their save % numbers?

But just another thing with this game that nobody has an actual answer for. Frustrating to say the least.

IIRC, consistency is a legacy stat and it used to impact how on/off a goalie is in every game based on if they start multiple games in a row (i.e. if they make similar saves vs if they lets some bad ones in). I don’t think it actually impacts anything if you sim, only if you play games. It’s been in the game forever so I’d be shocked if it even works correctly anymore .

Also from watching the video, simming one year and then restarting is not as helpful as it would be to sim multiple years and then start over and compare over that time. Simming multiple seasons provides better insight into the stat differences.

[Fiddy]

Re: A few questions...

Simming multiple seasons provides better insight into the stat differences.

Or does it? LOL

But yeah, I remember that now being a thing on the older games last gen.

I'm not sure things work properly at all with this game. Simming games, playing games, the settings/sliders, and the feel always being off etc.

It's a dang mess IMO.

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Re: A few questions...

IIRC, consistency is a legacy stat and it used to impact how on/off a goalie is in every game based on if they start multiple games in a row (i.e. if they make similar saves vs if they lets some bad ones in). I don’t think it actually impacts anything if you sim, only if you play games. It’s been in the game forever so I’d be shocked if it even works correctly anymore .

Also from watching the video, simming one year and then restarting is not as helpful as it would be to sim multiple years and then start over and compare over that time. Simming multiple seasons provides better insight into the stat differences.

The thread I read from 10 years ago said it was reversed zero was most consistent and as I said earlier simulating is different than playing. I had enough of a taste of this with a 93 rated Ken Dryden letting weird goals hit off his glove like he was punching at it I later saw his consistency was at 2 I switched it to zero and it magically not Mets Magic went away.