Greatest Problem Facing The NHL Series

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by jake19ny

I don't believe that....and trust me I have been as unhappy as most hardcore hockey fans but I think EA has made a legit attempt at listening to us. It's not that they don't care. I'm a realist and hockey is low on the sports gaming food chain they have a budget and try to fit in what they can. Unfortunately not everyone thinks like me. Many do but just as many don't. Like a previous poster said, to paraphrase, a bunch of people can have a bunch of different complaints....that's why I'm leading toward better slider implementation and the choice of tuners....to beat a dead horse, one size does not fit all.

I think this is bang on. I think the hockey video game is a hair above niche title these days. I've been really impressed with what the devs have tried to do—especially Ben Ross. I think a lot of the series' problems just comes down to resources and budget.

I'd recommend anyone who hasn't go and check out the developer back an forth on the official EA NHL forum. Some great insight about gameplay design in there.

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/li...r/9427035.page

[stevostl]

this is in response to your Online section ONLY

Quote:

Hockey might be one of the most difficult sports to achieve a quality on line experience. Anyone who has played even casually online will probably admit that most online VS games or EASHL games barely resemble anything close to real hockey.

Not so sure about that. When the EASHL first released.. I believe in 09 - NHL11.. 6 v 6 hockey was great those first 3 years of the EASHL when it started. In fact it was the best thing ever when it comes to anything related to sports games and nothing even compared. There was no other video sports games experience that beat that in those times.

Quote:

Lets face it even if your a hockey enthusiast and true sim guy, that tends to go out the window in an online game. Your playing somebody and you want to win period...You have to base your game on the way the opponent plays and deal with it that way. We have all played the guy who skates end to end with the puck and rips the money goal complained about for years. How about the guy who is highly skilled at lining up those crushing checks that frustrate you, notice he never gets called for charging or elbowing? How about in EASHL and someone playing as a D man is constantly as deep as possible in the Offensive zone because he couldn't be the winger he wanted to be. These things happen more often than not in the online experience.

the experience you talk about are more seen in vs mode or something like that or maybe OTP. A 6 v 6 there is no glitch goals back in the days.. a manual goalie would save it .. a manual defender would stop any cheese moves as well. The only time things like you are talking about come in to play when you get the computer AI involved which is not what the EASHL is about.


The thing about NHL series is things in the past are always better.. I remember I use to say I rather play NHL 94 or whatever on the Sega Genesis than any NHL ever on PS1 or PS2….

It wasn’t until around NHL09 and the EASHL that I finally would rather play that because the EASHL was the best thing going in sports video game period.

But now again on the new systems … I find myself again when Playing NHL on the PS4 saying.. damn I rather play NHL09 – NHL11 on PS3 than this crap… this is what is BAD about the NHL series..

It shouldn’t be this way. NHL was once one of EA’s top sports games that they put a lot money into. The reason the NHL series has went downhill is because it’s no longer even close to the top or being important. Around the NHL12 days I think it was when EA switched the majority of the attention to FIFA and their online with online clubs and what not. This is also when a bunch of the large NHL EASHL community that got built up started switching over to FIFA because of that fact as well because EA started switched all their attention to that online modes.

This is the major issue with the NHL series.. it’s just not important any longer. It use to be recognized as one of the top sports games year in and year out… it’s no longer even in the top 3 yearly.

EA puts a lot more time and money into FIFA that comes out around the same time… even the NHL EASHL attribute system they took away which made them money in the past is gone. The default player build idea was the worst idea ever. They will now come out next year with a “NEW” feature saying look you can edit your players in the EASHL again. This was available in NHL09 on the PS3. This is what is so sad about NHL now as there is options and features that NHL on the PS4 still don’t have that were on the NHL09 on the PS3.

They slowly started killing the online NHL community on the PS3…. I mean I got hyped about this years version and even got a PS4 last summer before it came out basically just for NHL16. Whatever happened to OTP chat lobbies? It’s very sad.. NHL was by far the best sports game in 09 on ps3.. these days it’s near the bottom of the list.. that’s the truth and I have no hope for this series going forward..

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

I think this is bang on. I think the hockey video game is a hair above niche title these days. I've been really impressed with what the devs have tried to do—especially Ben Ross. I think a lot of the series' problems just comes down to resources and budget. I'd recommend anyone who hasn't go and check out the developer back an forth on the official EA NHL forum. Some great insight about gameplay design in there. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/li...r/9427035.page

I think the fact that hockey does fall so far down on the totem pole is what frustrates me. Not that people have expectations for EA, and they may not be able to meet them. But the fact that we don't have the tools to do it ourselves.

One of the biggest things was roster sharing. We've never had an officially supported means of doing that, and when a workaround was found, it was a lot of fun. People dedicated to it could converse with themselves and the community to make a set of attributes that they felt best represented the players in real life, the statistics people wanted in game, and most importantly, worked within the confines of the NHL engine. At the end of the day, we're stuck with the engine they give us. Despite that, people did a lot of great work to make the gameplay as close to realistic as was possible. Through attributes and sliders, people were getting a lot of great gameplay, and stats that matches real life. Something that matters a lot to some. Others care more about the scoreboard (I'm still struggling to dial in the games so that real scoring chances work, but every game isn't a 4-3, 6-4 affair).

I would love it if EA took the opportunity to take advantage of the talents people have, and opened up their gameplay and allowed real sharing. There are people who are willing to make insanely accurate player faces and equipment selections for their favorite teams, and others. There are people who sit on roster moves like hawks, and can give you an up-to-the-minute rundown on any big moves in the league, and minor league players getting called up. There are people (myself included) who would love to recreate national jerseys, and some of the more requested and rare team jerseys in photoshop and add them to the teams.

EA has the team available, and best of all, they don't even have to pay them. Add in releasing those features in an "As is" release format, where they get it working, and how you use it in game is up to you, and they don't even have to bother with supporting it. Just toss up some servers and give people the means to share and create.

EA's on ice gameplay I think has gotten a bit better recently. It's far from perfect, but it's certainly looking better than it was 10 years ago. The graphics are stunning, and really could benefit from better creativity (in terms of player faces, body types, and equipment. It would be great to do custom gloves where you can customize the regions of the gloves, similar to goalie equipment).

There's tons that EA could leave to the community (save themselves the time spent on jerseys, faces, equipment, etc) and then they could focus on the big picture items. It would be awesome.

[TheBigTicket205]

This is a great post Jake... I agree 100% with a lot of the other post as well... Me personally I'm a huge hockey fan and sim head, and although the NHL series has made strides; I dont feel they are making them at the same rate as other games. I would love more control over they way my game plays and the results I see in gameplay, stats, etc. I think more specific individual sliders that actually work would be huge; as well as complete customization and roster sharing. I know EA doesnt have a budget that rivals 2k, but 2k is on the right track when it comes to how their game is constructed. They allow the consumer to completely modify the game exactly to their liking (offline). Then online is its own seperate thing. I think EA should look into this approach, it would easily satisfy both offline and online gamers.

[azy19]

Quote: Originally Posted by Simple Mathematics

I want to view stats from other leagues from around the world like the SHL.

Don't forget actually being able to play as a european team. They have the league systems(atleast for the SHL) already in place so I don't see why this isn't here yet.

[DirectFX]

I agree resources and some budget might not be the same as other sports but FIFA was not a new series it's been around for awhile. Plus many other series have started to take away money/resources like UFC/MMA series. You also forget certain series ended/folded so EA should use the resources and budgets from those games like NCAA Basketball, NCAA Football and MLB series back into established ones so I don't think that's a big drain as series come and go.

I think one game feature which has taken away real resources/budget and development from any EA sports title online or offline and that's Ultimate Team mode, I can't stand it and it seems to get bigger every year and every sports game seems to be suffering as they want to focus on that mode because it makes all the extra money beyond just the starting price . All those packs etc add up and EA obviously choosing that mode over the real backbone/fans/players that keep the series going n growing before Ultimate Team was around

[yankeesgiants]

The problem is the series no longer has an identity. When you go back to 09 to about 12, it look like they where going the FIFA route. Acquire a bunch of leagues under the NHL name and create a nice ecosystem. Then HUT happened. From there it seams like the game has been a rudder less ship on a slow death spiral. I honesty don't think '16 is a good or bad game. It just feels like a soulless empty game and I cant put my finger on what the emptiness is.

[half-fast]

When I play with friends and family online and offline, the same things are being shouted at the screen by all, things like: "I didnt pass it there!", "Why would my d-man skate AWAY from the forward in front of the net?!?!", "Why was my goalie only covering half of the net?!".

EA is sooo far from making a decent hockey game, it's not even funny. Presentation-wise, as mentioned already, has been nailed. AI and hockey feel? Not even close. Passing feels slow and stupid, quick release shots just do not happen as they do in real life, goalies either spend all game making stops they have no right to make, or cant even stand in the centre of the net properly and let everything in.

The AI is poor, the team is understaffed and the game has to use these terrible tricks to balance gameplay, other things like not changing to a player even remotely close to the play is a cheap trick to give the other team one more chance to score.

I understand how people are let down. Im done being let down, I just flat out will not buy another game. EA NHL hockey, is well, well, far below the quality of every other major sports title - it doesnt even come close.