List of Goaltender Fixes For NHL 16

[shogunofharlem3]

If it is in the game as the ea slogan says, could we add a backup goalie door opening rating to get guys off the ice on line changes. I know as a backup in high school I could open a door like no other!

In all seriousness, I am watching the Bruin's game now. I am focusing on Tuukka when the puck is in the zone. He is simple yet dynamic. Short, compact, quick moves. There was just a situation where the pass went back to the dman and he had tons of time to skate in with the puck, wound up slapshot and Tuukka was coming way out to challenge, the guy sort of faked and wound back up, Tuukka had made his move.

Guy ripped it, hit the pile of guys and watching Tuukka retreat quickly, not desparation, just stayed low, and pushed himself backwards into the net and played percentages, next shot hit his pad and he never saw it. But is immediate instinct to get back into the net and take away the bottom half was awesome to watch.

That said, the leverage system needs to be worked on so players can't so easily lift every puck into the corner. Adding a leverage system will help with the goalies save selection. I know when I see a guy with the puck in front of him and pressue coming at me, I stay low because no way he'll be able to lift the puck, let alone perfectly place it in the corner.

Now, back to door opening ratings. I'd be a 99 all day!

[bigwill33]

Quote: Originally Posted by shogunofharlem3

If it is in the game as the ea slogan says, could we add a backup goalie door opening rating to get guys off the ice on line changes. I know as a backup in high school I could open a door like no other! In all seriousness, I am watching the Bruin's game now. I am focusing on Tuukka when the puck is in the zone. He is simple yet dynamic. Short, compact, quick moves. There was just a situation where the pass went back to the dman and he had tons of time to skate in with the puck, wound up slapshot and Tuukka was coming way out to challenge, the guy sort of faked and wound back up, Tuukka had made his move. Guy ripped it, hit the pile of guys and watching Tuukka retreat quickly, not desparation, just stayed low, and pushed himself backwards into the net and played percentages, next shot hit his pad and he never saw it. But is immediate instinct to get back into the net and take away the bottom half was awesome to watch. That said, the leverage system needs to be worked on so players can't so easily lift every puck into the corner. Adding a leverage system will help with the goalies save selection. I know when I see a guy with the puck in front of him and pressue coming at me, I stay low because no way he'll be able to lift the puck, let alone perfectly place it in the corner. Now, back to door opening ratings. I'd be a 99 all day!

You could have even taken this one step further because Rask didn't start tonight. Compare what you saw with him versus Svedberg, who didn't look so good.

[shogunofharlem3]

Tuukka was playing when I was watching. I was at baseball. Missed the early part. I'd give Sveddy an EA 86 overall on door opening....wouldn't want that player separation too much.

[TheChillUmpire]

When shogunofharlem mentioned backup goalies, it got me thinking that there should be a stat related to a backup goalies effectiveness when entering a game cold. Some backup goalies come into games better than others. Some come in and are as effective as they normally would be while others have a hard time coming off the bench cold.

The stat would be a general representation of how well the goalie will preform once he is called on to replace the starter as a result of injury or poor play. The stat could also be dynamic in that the goalie could play worse if he is called on with no time to get ready (ie. Injury to the starter) or better if he does (ie. The starter gets pulled after the first period and the backup has the entire intermission to get ready).

To make that work to a degree, the ability for a goalie to get injured during play would have to exist. That might be one way to stop goalies from interfering with opponents on free pucks. The problem would be the other team running a goalie to get him injured.

[AdamJones113]

Here is the list of fixes for the initial list (which I will edit later today or tomorrow):


1. Skating/Movement Overhaul
Currently there are no T-pushes, which is a keystone of goaltender skating. The poor skating and movement leave goalies susceptible to so many backhand-forehand goals; even the slightest feint will send goalies miles out of position resulting in easy goals. Goalies are not very fluid: they have to go down before they can move side-to-side in the butterfly, as opposed to moving side-to-side while going down. Same with standing up. Also, goalies would like to skate with the puck please.

This is something that has to be fixed with programming. Goalies have to be more fluid and more representative of real life. Implementing T-pushes and proper cross-crease movement is the first step. Warping also has to be decreased for this to work, and with 12-player physics it looks like physics for the oh-so-important 11th and 12th players (numbered by EA's logic) is possible.

2. Save Mechanics Overhaul
Desperation saves are way too common in the game. This is a result of the poor movement, but the focus here is how unrealistic the patented warp-fly across the crease is. Goaltenders (in game) do this as much as they can. Again, it is a stretching problem. No goalie in the game stretches their glove (or blocker, more rare though) to make a great on-the-line save, as is "common" in the real NHL. It's a classic case of EA trying to make the position glamorous, by putting in famous saves like the pad stack and the Hasek roll but not getting the fundamentals right.

Yet another thing that the game itself has to do right. And really, it is not right at all at the moment. Stretching may seem tough to implement, but the physics should be similar to a poke check, with the arm stretching itself. This cuts out the ridiculous warp-dives. As shogun said, there are a lot of different saves. The goalie has to be programmed to play the puck with all of the goalie's equipment (i.e. gloves, blockers, pads) rather than trying to get his body in front of the shot.

3. Goaltender Differentiation
This has been talked through to death by now, because it's a problem with skaters as well. But, as someone said in a recent thread (don't remember who, sorry), if I were to not see the goalie's name and if it weren't the team he's associated with I would have no clue which goalie I'd be playing against. Martin Brodeur played the same as Carey Price and the same as King Henrik (plays? Did they take Marty out or not?). There is barely any difference and again, the real NHL (which I hope emulating would be the goal) is miles apart.

This is something that can be programmed (preferably, but doubtful) but more likely something that roster editing would allow. And I'm fine with that. I'd prefer to see focus on things only programming can take care of, and let us do the goaltender differentiation.

4. Proper Positioning and Rotations
I have already made several threads about the VH and reverse-VH. That's merely an example of positioning. And recurring examples—such as short-side snipe after short-side snipe—need to be fixed. Location, location, location. What I mean by rotations is that goalies shouldn't pivot and let the puck trickle in that way. You've all seen it.

There are two ways to do this. EA can and should program goalies to reflect real-life styles and mannerisms (which is necessary in some cases), as bigwill said, but once again I wouldn't complain too much if there were options to edit goalies—in depth. VERY in-depth.

5. More Autonomous Equipment Movement
I refer mainly to the stick, which does pretty much nothing. Of course, the control scheme would have to be reworked... but I'm sure most people are OK with that. This would also revolutionize goalie passing... I know everyone is OK with that.

Programming. See fix for #2.



Keep it coming. I feel like this thread has been very productive and will only get better... something that the 'GameChangers' can bring to EA's studio.

[AdamJones113]

Wondering—does it feel like goalies bite too hard on a backhand-forehand or do they react too slowly?

[csamuelsvt]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamJones113

Wondering—does it feel like goalies bite too hard on a backhand-forehand or do they react too slowly?

They do. They go down SUPER early as well. EA just needs to completely mo cap at least 3 different goalie styles.

Bring in 3 goalies, butterfly, standup, hybrid and whatever else and mo cap them and put them in the game.

I believe EA for NHL 07 used Alex Auld for their Mo Cap...time to update the styles/animations. Some of them are hideous. I hate how I aim glove side and think its a great shot then the goalie does that stupid butterfly glove animation where he makes it look like its nothing and it goes right into the glove.

[AdamJones113]

I am compiling a packet of info that will be passed on to EA. If you have anything specific you want in please PM me ASAP, I'll be passing it along in the next few days.