defensive ai infront of the net is awful

[ParisB]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

It's funny you mention that because there are times when I catch myself chasing the puck and inevitably, there is a pass to the slot where I should be and BLAM, it's a goal.

Same here but sometimes don't have a choice. My teammates don't go for loose pucks so the alternative is to let the cpu control possession and rack up 50 shots.

[speels]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Same here but sometimes don't have a choice. My teammates don't go for loose pucks so the alternative is to let the cpu control possession and rack up 50 shots.

Yup, like I said in an earlier post, the defence plays positions on the ice and doesn't consider anything else, like where the puck or the other team is.

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Fiddling enough, helps.

Ive made my goalie reaction slider higher, their shooting lower, maxed out my poke check.

The main thing is taking control of a big physical defender and Ding up on anyone in the slot.

Yup you gotta play tough D and good position or you will get undressed fast and stay in the lanes eh !

[mikey87]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Yup, like I said in an earlier post, the defence plays positions on the ice and doesn't consider anything else, like where the puck or the other team is.

Didn't they advertise how all the ai players are much more aware of everything going on on the ice in 15? How were the ai players in 14 then?

[Cletus]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Didn't they advertise how all the ai players are much more aware of everything going on on the ice in 15? How were the ai players in 14 then?

pylons until you got stuck in the ufo beam tie up. Then you couldn't move. If you jacked the sliders they would intercept everything, but it was more of the sliders working than the AI.

[bigwill33]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

You cannot even play as the 3rd guy back and cover the slot or lanes in this game. If you do that your computer defensemen will never go and get the puck and you will be in your own zone. You have to take control of a man and attack the puck carrier and defend his passing/shooting lanes.

And when you do any of that the backside defender will lose his guy nearly 50-75% of the time and the result is a prime scoring chance.

Your only hope is to slider it up and hope it limits their accuracy and chances once the pass finds it way to that prominent area of the ice.

Just another major gameplay flaw that direly needs to be addressed with this game.

[mikey87]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Are different type of players acting accordingly in front of the net? I mean, does someone like Matt Carkner keep clearing the front harshly while Torey Krug type of defenders are using their stick more? Or are all of them just standing there and watching the opponent skate around?

[bigwill33]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Are different type of players acting accordingly in front of the net? I mean, does someone like Matt Carkner keep clearing the front harshly while Torey Krug type of defenders are using their stick more? Or are all of them just standing there and watching the opponent skate around?

There is no discernible difference between players when it comes to AI controlled defenders, that I have found.

[mikey87]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

That's a shame. I guess that's the case for all the other areas of the game too, you just can't see any difference between skilled players and grinders? I bought nhl 14 for 5€ a few days ago, I guess I'll stick with that for now. I started playing hockey games in 1994. If I remember correctly the game was NHL 95 on PC. Back then, you could really see and feel the difference between players. Attributes really did matter. EA, bring that back please.

[fishdiggity8812]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

I agree, it's almost like the defensive AI is setup as an X's and O's thing. They know where they should be, it's just that once they get in position, nothing matters after that. It's frustrating because when I am breaking out of my end, I actually see the forwards looking back for the pass, almost trying to anticipate when I will give it to them, however on D, the players just seems to focus on where they should be on the ice and not what to do if things happen.

EA removed the tie-up animation which was good because everytime you went to the front of the net, you were caught in a sequence that took away your ability to do anything. But they also took away our ability to protect that area if the ice. What they now need to do is increase the puck/stick/player collision and allow us to not tie-up the player by basically interferring with him doing anything, but to get in his way so that the puck may not get there, the poke checks are trying to hit the puck, and maybe we can tie-up his stick so he can't get a shot off. Positioning allows players to score and defend, EA has to give us more reward for getting into good positions.

So glad this topic is being discussed! AI in general is lacking, but defensive awareness is especially horrendous and it makes the CPU on superstar difficulty almost impossible to shut down. As I stated in another Forum boardplay hasn't been addressed in years and needs to be reworked. I don't mean to sound picky,but with the game missing so many modes and basic features i'd expect the gameplay to be near perfect ,not mildly improved. I mean what else have they been working on for two years if not gameplay? The graphics and the puck physics are really well done.

[Vikes1]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Yup, like I said in an earlier post, the defence plays positions on the ice and doesn't consider anything else, like where the puck or the other team is.

i think your right, speels. One thing i've found that helps some defensively is to adjust the don't block slider to 0, for all your lines. That slider actually seems to work fairly well.

[havoc00]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Are different type of players acting accordingly in front of the net? I mean, does someone like Matt Carkner keep clearing the front harshly while Torey Krug type of defenders are using their stick more? Or are all of them just standing there and watching the opponent skate around?

I wish that happened

[dodgerblue]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Try controlling a forward to help the middle part of the ice (Center). let the cpu control your D. tendency once you control Dman - you start running around and give up a centering pass

I've been using this strategy, the man I control, either Dman or forward and put him in front of the net to tip passes or get in the way of the offensive player. I don't run after guys so much and only periodically switch to the players in the corner. It seems to work ok but I agree, it would be much better if your defenders would cover the front of the net!

[speels]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

i think your right, speels. One thing i've found that helps some defensively is to adjust the don't block slider to 0, for all your lines. That slider actually seems to work fairly well.

I will have to try that. I haven't messed around at all with strategies simply because they don't save.

[brandon27]

Re: defensive ai infront of the net is awful

Been one of my biggest gripes with the game. Probably every goal I've given up to the CPU is because they've got a guy wide open in front of my net with nobody covering him, and even in the rare instances when someone is covering him, they aren't for long.