NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

[bad_philanthropy]

A couple videos, and I'll preface this by saying I like a lot of the mechanics and what EA has done with the game.

Take a look at passes one and three in this sequence and the way the puck changes directions off the stick.

Since the AI is able to make so many impossible passes it negates the need for the AI to provide support in the d and offensive zone.



Here is Shawn Thornton looking dominant one on one and successfully doing a little dangle. This should probably never happen. Player differentiation needs to be better.



Shawn Thornton again showing off some amazing hands gathering a rebound, getting it to his forehand before rifling a perfect pass.

Second part of the vid, how does the Panthers player get so much power and accuracy on the pass from that position.

[Vmascarello]

I like the game and Ill play it alot. But, I just took a look at tge feature set for NBA 2k16 MyGM and it looks absolutely amazing. EA has no shot in hell of ever coming close to 2k in terms of single player offline experience.

If anyone has a chance and pull up the new features and overhaul of MyGM for NBA 2k16, and youll see what I mean. If I was a multi-millionaire, I would fund 2k to make a hockey game. Because, until they do, I dont think GM mode enthusiasts will be satisfied.

In the meantime, EA has at least put together a game that is worth playing and fun. Even if it seems way behind in terms of things you'd like to see as a GM mode player.

[BL8001]

Yep bad_p,

All EA games suffer from this need for the puck or ball to always go to someone. It's never enough for it just to be loose.

It seems to be getting a little better each game they put out but that spectre remains...

Secondly, when a player, particularly the CPU is interacting with the ball or puck there is always this rush of animations transitioning them from loss of control to perfection.

That vid of the perfect pass across the goal mere seconds after the puck bounces off his chest is so indicative of this.

If after he hit it he played a so so pass or even just choose to bring it back out and reset, either would be acceptable. Instead the games favor the outlandish and improbable, particularly in regards to CPU behavior.

[MizzouRah]

For the player separation issue.. anyone mess with the attribute effect slider? I though that slider allowed you to tweak how the attributes effect the players?

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by MizzouRah

For the player separation issue.. anyone mess with the attribute effect slider? I though that slider allowed you to tweak how the attributes effect the players?

It's supposed to, but I know in the past, it's never been very effective.

Those vids bad_p posted are pretty bad and it's what many of us have been pointing out for years now.

To be honest, if it was an elite player getting off those pin-point passes so quickly I'd have no problem with it. It would help separate the top playmakers from scrubs even more.

Those quick animations and decision making should be tied to offensive awareness and playmaking abilities.
For someone of Shawn Thornton's ilk, his animations should be noticeably slower, and his decisions should be shallow as well.
I would imagine a player with limited offensive abilities such as himself probably would have shot instead of passed.
But more realistically, it would have taken him oodles more time to knock the puck down, get it settled and then look up to make a play. By that time, he would have had the puck knocked away, or been body checked.
Instead, we see him make a play Wayne Gretzky would have envied.

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

It's supposed to, but I know in the past, it's never been very effective. Those vids bad_p posted are pretty bad and it's what many of us have been pointing out for years now. To be honest, if it was an elite player getting off those pin-point passes so quickly I'd have no problem with it. It would help separate the top playmakers from scrubs even more. Those quick animations and decision making should be tied to offensive awareness and playmaking abilities. For someone of Shawn Thornton's ilk, his animations should be noticeably slower, and his decisions should be shallow as well. I would imagine a player with limited offensive abilities such as himself probably would have shot instead of passed. But more realistically, it would have taken him oodles more time to knock the puck down, get it settled and then look up to make a play. By that time, he would have had the puck knocked away, or been body checked. Instead, we see him make a play Wayne Gretzky would have envied.

Exactly what I was getting at with the vids. I also don't think if we nerf Shawn Thornton's abilities the cpu offense will die. Have Thornton bat at the puck there (in the video). Maybe he bangs a greasy one home. Or, maybe he knows he isn't going to be able to corral the puck there and make a play so he gets it in his feet and gets his body between the defenseman and goalie. Once he establishes a stable platform he can get the puck down low to someone else or something.

There's just no decision-making from the AI any more elaborate than pass or shoot in too many situations where another option is the applicable hockey play.

[bad_philanthropy]

Here's another great example of why the gameplay ends up way too ping-pongish/ back and forth. Passes like this from Niskanen are a huge part of the cpu AI's arsenal moving the puck, and this sort of thing is a huge tool for the AI to get out of it's zone and quickly transition to a counter-attack.

I just don't believe this element of AI game design represents "fun" if I can have a possession or an o-zone turn into a counter-attack in a second by a pass like this from behind the net.

[brandon27]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

Here's another great example of why the gameplay ends up way too ping-pongish/ back and forth. Passes like this from Niskanen are a huge part of the cpu AI's arsenal moving the puck, and this sort of thing is a huge tool for the AI to get out of it's zone and quickly transition to a counter-attack. I just don't believe this element of AI game design represents "fun" if I can have a possession or an o-zone turn into a counter-attack in a second by a pass like this from behind the net.

That's painful to see.

Sadly it happens all too often, as you mentioned though. It's unfortunate, because as I've said before, it's the stuff like this that really ruins the game experience, especially when stuff like it leads right to a goal for the CPU. It doesn't end up in a fun hockey battle, it ends up with you feeling like you got scored on, or lost because you were cheated by something that shouldn't be possible.

The more I play, the more this really becomes my only legit gripe. Lack of penalties still bothers me, but this stuff really takes the cake.