NHL 17 Impressions

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by pistolpete1980

I've been wondering if the game is meant for us to be that quick on switching to the defender or pass to the winger in that moments. IE I better pass to that winger who should be about to cut or else he's going to stand on the half-wall and my should be 2-1 won't happen. I don't know. Either way, I am having more fun with this game than in any NHL in other years past either. I feel like the half-ice game is awesome, and franchise mode is the best I have seen in ages.

I'll definitely say the game is playing better than any of the past NHL games. I just find myself constantly frustrated by the AI's lack of movement in some situations, and the really awful defense around the net sometimes.

I feel like a lot of the times in the offensive zone, the AI doesn't really seem to try and find the open ice where they can get a shot off...instead they kind of cluster around the net, but end up standing next to a defender, essentially taking themselves out of the play entirely. It's the same thing that happens a lot in my novice hockey league. Guys end up focusing on the person with the puck and forget to make themselves a target. The AI seems to have the same issues. Also, knowing their handedness would be huge. Too often I see right handed players keeping their sticks in awful shooting positions, instead of angling their body to actually get a good shot on net.

[Splitter77]

im in a rage w this game right now.

im in game 7 in my create team franchise. its coference semifinals.
i feel the outcome of this game is predetermined.
ive shut the game off at least 8 times now because ive blown a late lead or the other team just couldnt do no wrong.
those deflections. unrealistic skating moves while staying still and backing up into slot.
cpu always comes out w the puck in board play. its infuriating. my guy always goes to the wrong side.

im not finishing this game 7 until i win. how many games ya think it will take?

[actionhank]

Another thing I would love to get rid of is goalie control when they get the puck. I can't skate with the goalie, or make saves, so it's kind of just worthless as a feature.

It would be much more helpful to not have me control the goalie at all, but stay on whichever forward/defender I had when the goalie got the puck. It's annoying that the AI seem to skate away from the goalie when he makes a save.

Also, AI awareness of their momentum and position would be a huge boost. I must have had 10 offsides calls on powerplays last night because the AI defender backs out of the zone for no reason when I pass to them, or they move the puck over the line while skating and take it offside when doing some weird pivot, instead of skating along and keeping the puck in like they do in real life.

[cjonesfan921]

I recently purchased this game over the holiday break. I've played mostly online.

I must say, the defensive AI is not good. Far too many breakaways for me and my opponent. And, it's usually something odd by the defensive player that leads to a breakaway.

There's a lot that doesn't seem right with the game play. I can't put my finger on it but there's something off.

[BXBRUINS]

Does anyone find this game physically and mentally exhausting?? Desperately playing against an AI with pinpoint passing and super skating skills that refuses to lose the puck!! It is to the point that I know when they will score!!! Very frustrating!! I use a slider set. Doesn't matter. By the time a game is done I am literally exhausted lol!! Not even first person shooters does this to me!! This game is driving me insane!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by cjonesfan921

I recently purchased this game over the holiday break. I've played mostly online. I must say, the defensive AI is not good. Far too many breakaways for me and my opponent. And, it's usually something odd by the defensive player that leads to a breakaway. There's a lot that doesn't seem right with the game play. I can't put my finger on it but there's something off.

I think it's mostly due to their positioning, and how they play the puck. The players don't really seem to react to what's happening on the ice, so much as they seem to play their specific position.

I say this based on the number of times you will see a potential 2 on 1 or 2 on 3 turn into a 1 on 1, because the players on your team stop skating and take "their position". So in the NHL, a defender may well skate in through the middle, and crash the net with a forward to generate a scoring chance...but it seems that more often than not, they slow down in the game to take their place by the blue line once they're in the offensive zone.

On the defensive side of things, I honestly don't know what the AI is doing sometimes. I have had so many goals scored because my AI defender (we'll say the LD) either skates in behind the opposition forward, but never actually tries to catch them...they just skate at the same speed a few feet behind. So the AI defender is never trying to hit their stick, knock the puck loose, or anything like that, they're just coasting along until that forward stops, at which point if they stop by the net, the LD might bump into them and start the tie-up animation.

Similarly, I've had a lot of times where as the RD I will pursue a forward into the right corner to try and get the puck. Normally this means the LD will then slightly shift towards the middle of the net, but not leave the net unless the puck goes into their left corner. But a lot of times the LD will also follow my RD into the corner, as a winger comes down the boards, all 3 of them trying to get the puck, and no one covering the front of the net. Generally the center seems to get tied up in the high slot, but this almost always leads to a goal against, as there's an unguarded forward just waiting for a pass.

Generally when I notice this, I'm frantically switching, but since you tend to switch to the player closest to the puck, it's not a guarantee you get to the LD, or a guarantee that you make it back to the net before the pass.

[DJ NEO]

Quote: Originally Posted by BXBRUINS

Does anyone find this game physically and mentally exhausting?? Desperately playing against an AI with pinpoint passing and super skating skills that refuses to lose the puck!! It is to the point that I know when they will score!!! Very frustrating!! I use a slider set. Doesn't matter. By the time a game is done I am literally exhausted lol!! Not even first person shooters does this to me!! This game is driving me insane!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hahaha.

Edit: yes

[MizzouRah]

Speaking of deflections...

https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/berg...738/c-48181703