Home ice advantage - last change

[iFnotWhyNoT]

Was this ever in the game?

With better player separation hopefully coming in terms of ratings separation from elite to 4th liner, i would like a visual prompt where the line changes icon is to let me know who the cpu put out there before i choose my line.

If its already in the game and ive missed it then disregard this, but i haven't seen it, im choosing my line during the cut scene and i dont know who the cpu puts out there until the cut scene is over...and then it shows. Needs to happen instantly when the cutscene begins. Give me my advantage por favor...gracias.

[bad_philanthropy]

Never in the EA series. 2k had it back in the day.

[jyoung]

The developers have said before that they don't want last change in the game because they believe it would unbalance the online play and make people quit the matchup screen until they get randomly assigned to the home side.

The funny thing is that people already do just that to get the host internet connection since online versus is using a peer-to-peer connection system.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

The developers have said before that they don't want last change in the game because they believe it would unbalance the online play and make people quit the matchup screen until they get randomly assigned to the home side. The funny thing is that people already do just that to get the host internet connection since online versus is using a peer-to-peer connection system.

Which doesn't even touch on how frustrating it is that realistic offline features are dictated by EA's inability to separate the two game modes appropriately...

Edit: Also, I believe it was sort-of in the game at one point. It would show the other team's lines, and you could quickly try and change yours. I think maybe NHL13? That said, if you hit X or A to skip the cut scene, you generally blasted right through your chance to confirm the lines and change as needed.

I want to say it was in the lower-right corner, and would pop up during the cut scene, allowing you to select the line you wanted to go out and face theirs.

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

The developers have said before that they don't want last change in the game because they believe it would unbalance the online play and make people quit the matchup screen until they get randomly assigned to the home side. The funny thing is that people already do just that to get the host internet connection since online versus is using a peer-to-peer connection system.

Didn't know that. Terrible excuse. Put it in the game and turn it off for online play. Worked well in 2k. You could also set auto line matchups in that game too. They were a bit buggy at times, but it was a nice feature.

[ChubbyD]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

Never in the EA series. 2k had it back in the day.

It was actually in the game until about 2012. That's when they really pushed the online part of the game and people would quit when they saw they were the away team, so EA took it out.

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by ChubbyD

It was actually in the game until about 2012. That's when they really pushed the online part of the game and people would quit when they saw they were the away team, so EA took it out.

I'm almost certain it wasn't. Anyone else remember?

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

Didn't know that. Terrible excuse. Put it in the game and turn it off for online play. Worked well in 2k. You could also set auto line matchups in that game too. They were a bit buggy at times, but it was a nice feature.

Yeah. It was nice, but definitely not refined. If you waited a split second too long, your lines didn't get out there (not much different from now). I believe I remember part of the frustration being that the animations between play were a bit choppy, so sometimes it lagged just getting the menus up. By the time you'd pressed, and pressed again, who knew what line you were sending out.

Match-ups would be a great thing to have. It would be nice to say "Backes matched to Toews" or something like that, and then in game you could do something like hit up on the D-pad to send out Backes whenever Toews was on the ice. That way you still control it, so your center isn't just skating away on a powerplay to swap when Toews jumps on, but you also don't have to fumble with the line change buttons. Being able to assign lines to the d-pad would be nice. I honestly don't mess with the strategy settings much (never really noticed a difference) but being able to assign Pietrangelo and J-bo to left on the D-pad, or Backes and Steen to the right button, maybe my scoring line with Tarasenko to the down direction, it would really make it easier to get the line I want out there, when I want it.