What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

[Steven547]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

I'd like to see CPU vs CPU fighting as well. I don't want to be the only player being able to start a fight. Especially in BAP or position lock mode.

More strategies would be a big help and to have your teammates actually follow through with those. I change strategies a lot and it seems like my players never do what I want. Seems like create a play is the only way they will "Crash the Net", etc.

[wlawrence67]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

some of the improvements I have been reading about are great. I am really looking forward to the fighting sounds like it is going to be awesome. I also like the idea of no constant tape to tape passing. I have to admit I like the penalties for shooting after the whistle as well as the face wash

[barthez4]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

1. More organic/weighty feeling players. In 09, the players feel light as a feather (even the big slow guys) and can turn on a dime, and it feels and looks effortless. Even with more "sim" settings with lower speed and acceleration... There should be a sense of weight and momentum in the players as they turn, skate, accelerate, etc... This is particularly big when chasing down a puck behind the net. A defenseman can be going full steam to the puck, and as soon as he picks it up he can turn on a dime and avoid an incoming check. Stuff like running into the boards makes no difference as the player just "bounces" off and keeps going. I would like to see a sense of realism in the way they move and skate. EA's Fight Night Round 4 has a really awesome collision detection system where limbs can get tangled up and players can really lean right into each other and react accordingly. Obviously, it's not as easy to implement into a hockey game with 12 guys on the ice and sticks, but I would like to see some sort of realistic collisions when players interact other than checking. Two players going shoulder-to-shoulder chasing down a puck to spring or stop a breakaway - but not a scripted animation or a mini-game, make it something that happens naturally if the two players get in each others way. If my idiotic defense partner runs into me when I'm rushing the puck, don't have us just bounce off each other.


2. Tieing up the stick. 09 introduced the stick lift, but surely anyone who watches a hockey game will see more dynamic play with the stick than just that one action. Defensemen in the slot will jam down on a camping forward's stick, pull it to the side, lift it and hold it up, etc. In the corners and board battles, similar things occur as players jostle for the puck with both their bodies and sticks. Maybe since the Y/Triangle button is no longer used for figthing (or at least that's the impression I got), it can be used for a "stick pull" that generally jams down on an opponent's stick. As players tie up, the "pull" and the "lift" can counteract each other. If you're a forward in front, and a defenseman is lifting your stick, you can either use the "lift" and free yourself up, at the risk of high sticking as well as taking your stick off the ice as a target, or you can attempt to jam it back down using the "pull", giving your teammate with the puck a target for a quick feed in front that you might be able to get a stick on, even if it's not going to be a great shot. Likewise, if you're stick is being held down by the defenseman, you can either use "pull" and release your stick, or "lift" and jostle for a better position so that he can't get his stick on yours. Things like Strength and Balance would influence this. Same thing in the corners and along the boards. To balance this, using a mistimed/misplaced Pull could result in a trip or a slash to the legs, but the reward is that it can disrupt shots, passes, and obstruct players who are about to pick up the puck.


3. "Grazing" checks. Another thing that is influenced from EA's Fight Night Round 4. That game has Grazing punches that just barely miss, but still make some contact and have some minor effect. Similarly, hockey isn't a game where players either miss their checks or decimate their opponent. If I line someone up at center ice but they step out of the way of the majority of my shoulder, it should react that way. I guess this sort of ties in with my first point. How many times in 09 did you have someone skating along the boards and you just pasted them easily, completely taking them out of the play? Probably a lot. How many times did you see this in the league this year? Not nearly as much. Because players are able to escape hits without taking too much damage, and continue skating. This makes it so that defensemen have to be more cautious of lining up a hit, but also makes it so that those "tweeners" - where you technically miss the hit but stil make some contact - have some impact, whether it is making the offensive player slow down a little, lose his balance for a second, or whatever...



Long-winded, but these are some things that would really enhance the game. I might come back and edit in 2 more things.

[deg089]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

Most has already been said but I really hope they improve the create a player/edit player mode. It's all good up to the point of changing the potential rating. It resets to its default rating after editing the player and you can't create a player with a high potential either, it just defaults to 80 or less. I would also like to see the ability to use the face of any player in the game as the face of your created player like they did in 2002 or even be able to import your own picture into the system and crop on there for your bio pic.

A more realistic loose puck and controllable stick for whacking at the puck or hitting it out of the air or whatever else would be nice.

Also they have to do something about those fights, I mean seriously, my blades of steel game for Nintendo did a better job a fighting then this game does.


FiretrUCK

[Eski33]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

1) Classic teams...Teams from the 50's without helmets...

2) Hartford Whalers jerseys....

3) Raising of the championship banners the following season

4) Octopus in Detroit during playoffs...

5) Zamboni mini-game....Allow the player to clean the ice....

6) White-out, red-out, etc. games

7) Broken glass

[leafsfan2008]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

What I'd love to see in Dynasty mode is no trade clauses in player contracts. 2K's NBA games have this feature, so I don't see why EA can't implement it into their hockey games.

[B_rad13]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

1. Custom music but after watching Littman on one of his blogs videos he said that it will be in this game for PS3.
2. Actual looking coachs behind the bench
3. Better intros before the game, nice step in 09 but it could be built on.
4. Able to sign upcoming free agents in Dynasty mode
5. Having two refs and two linesman on the ice.

[madrob]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

i just want goal review that's such a big part of realism

[adamgod8]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

I would love the option for a shorter season...maybe 41 games?

[codes]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

Equal amounts of penalties called against the player AND CPU. I understand that not all games have equal amounts of penalties called on each side, but come on. Over my last 10 game stretch I have averaged 6 penalties per game called on me and the CPU has averaged a little over one penalty per game. It seems like the only way I can get a penalty called on the CPU is if I am shorthanded and get a fight going; causing the CPU player to get an instigator penalty.

Also, why can the CPU players poke the **** out of my players and not get a single penalty called on them but when I poke just once its an automatic tripping? Same thing goes for the stick lift. The CPU tries to lift my stick all the time and no penalty gets called. But when I try to lift the CPU's stick it almost always results in a slashing or high sticking call.

P.S. I have penalties set to level 1 out of 4.

[savoie2006]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

You have the penalties set to 1 out 4 and you're complaining. Set it to 3 at least and work the puck around more. Use puck protect and work near the boards alot. This will draw alot of holding calls. I have no problems drawing penalties from the CPU.

[savoie2006]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

i just want goal review that's such a big part of realism

So long as it's not a crapshoot like Maddens Video Review.

[LuGer33]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

-Realistic Neutral Zone Play. It's way too up and down as it is; there actually needs to be some neutral zone play. Make it so that entering the zone can sometimes be challenging.

-More Goalie Animations. Way, way more. There aren't nearly enough. Goalies make saves on pucks with animations that have no business being put in motion. Like when they just go butterfly and slide backwards when the puck flutters above them. How about some animations where they actually grab at the puck, instead of letting it roll off their back?

-Better teammate AI. It seems my teammates just stand around doing nothing. I literally stand at the blue line with the puck, waiting for someone to crash the net - I even change the strategy to Crash the Net - and yet players just stand around by the boards picking their noses.

-Better controls. No automatic backwards skating; better dumping of the puck in the zone.

-Less accurate passing. I recall an EA developer making a snarky comment about one of the recent NHL 2k games along the lines of "tape to tape passing"... Well what exactly do you call NHL 2007, 08, and 09, then? In 2k I can turn Pass-Aim Assist to 0 and pass the puck anywhere I want. In EA's NHL it forces the puck towards a player, even if I didn't want to pass to him.

Umm... is EA responding directly to this post with NHL 10?

[Qb]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

Umm... is EA responding directly to this post with NHL 10?

We'll have to wait & see on the first & third points, as they're AI-related and we won't know for sure until we can log some time with the final build. Two and four have been confirmed by EA, although while they've added animations, their effectiveness and appropriateness will be a 'proof is in the pudding' scenario. And as for passing, we'll have the option to use hardcore for complete control, but it remains to be seen to what extent the CPU will be affected. Also, we'd better hope that the option equivalent to NHL 09 passing can't be used in ranked/EASHL play or it's all for naught.

So, yes, it sure seems like the team is headed in the direction many of us want (I know my list would be awfully similar to Timmay's). But it we won't know how well it all comes together for a few months...

[ManiacMatt1782]

Re: What 5 GAMEPLAY improvements/additions would you like to see in 2010?

additional penalties being called on a delayed penalty. the team that has the penalty being called on them is free to commit more penalties without the penalties actually being called