Beginner tips

[Randombagginz]

I have decided to buy NHL 13 this year, and after playing the demo I must say that I SUCK.This is to be excepted because I have never played a hockey game, and I don't know anything about hockey. Last year I decided to buy my first soccer game, and I sucked at it just as much as do at NHL, but soccer ended up becoming my favorite sport and I love FIFA. So I decided to pass on Madden and try out NHL instead.

I have played the demo about 10 times, and scored 0 goals while giving up 1. Any help is greatly appreciated. I have no idea what I am doing out there, but I know that once I get the hang of things the game will be amazing.

I don't know how to score, I don't know the rules of hockey, don't really know the controls, so really anything will help me out.

Thanks in advance

[geisterhome]

Re: Beginner tips

I have decided to buy NHL 13 this year, and after playing the demo I must say that I SUCK.This is to be excepted because I have never played a hockey game, and I don't know anything about hockey. Last year I decided to buy my first soccer game, and I sucked at it just as much as do at NHL, but soccer ended up becoming my favorite sport and I love FIFA. So I decided to pass on Madden and try out NHL instead.

I have played the demo about 10 times, and scored 0 goals while giving up 1. Any help is greatly appreciated. I have no idea what I am doing out there, but I know that once I get the hang of things the game will be amazing.

I don't know how to score, I don't know the rules of hockey, don't really know the controls, so really anything will help me out.

Thanks in advance

im almost in the same position as you. also going to give NHL a try this year after not playing and watching any NHL for abt a decade.

concerning your questions. controles are in the manual, for the basic rules you could check wikipedia, dont think there is much use in trying to explain all that here.. otherwise im wondering abt the same things as you, what is the best tactic for a beginner and what is the best approach to getting to know the basics of the video game.

[takki]

Re: Beginner tips

The NHL series is one of the harder sports game out there to learn. It is made even worse by the amazing goalies in this years game, which will make it tough for newbies to score, even on the easiest difficulty.

God, how am I going to explain everything to you....

Lets just concentrate on scoring for newbies.

You have three different shots. Slap shot (down then up on the right stick), wrist shot (click in the right stick, then press up on the right stick, that's the easy way to do it) or quick shot (just press up on the right stick).

You must also aim your shot at the same time as shooting with the left stick.

To have the highest chance of scoring, you want to shoot in the "slot', the zone colored in this picture. You also want to shoot to the stick side of the goalie, as he cannot save the puck as easily on this side of his body. It usually is the left side.



If you are far away from the net, slap shot. If you are very close, quick shot it. If you are at medium range, wrist shot it.

The three easiest ways to score are slap shots, wrist shots from the slot, or rebounds.

Slap shots - Let your player stop moving (if you don't, the puck will drift away). Press down on the right stick to wind up. While you are doing this, aim the shot with the left stick to the top left corner, then press up on the right stick while still holding the left stick.

Wrist shots - Click in the right stick, while you are doing this, aim with the left stick to one of the top corners. Before your player finishes the leg kick animation, press up on the right stick. You MUST perform wrist shots to your players "strong" side. If you try to wrist shot with a backhand shot, it won't go very well. Your strong side is the way your stick points while skating forward. Most players are using their strong hand when you are skating from the right to the left of the ice.

Quick shots - whenever a puck is "loose" (noone is touching it), you can skate up to the puck while holding the right stick up and the player will automatically shoot the puck when you touch it. This is how you score rebounds. If the puck bounces towards your player on a missed shot or if you pass to your teammate for a one timer, hold the right stick up and skate into the puck. Right before you touch the puck, aim the shot with the left stick to the side of the net that you are approaching.

Go to practice mode in the demo, skate into the slot and practice wrist shots or slap shots until you score one. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

[gopher_guy]

Re: Beginner tips

Solid post, takki. The only thing I would change is when you were explaining wrist shots. You don't have to do the fake shot (clicking in the right stick) all the time. What I usually do when taking a wrist shot is move the RS to the right or left (whichever is your player's strong side), then bring the RS "back" [or down], then straight up.

Go into free skate and just practice shooting the puck and find what works from where.

As far as learning the actual rules of hockey, I'd recommend the article series posted here on OS earlier this year.

A Guide to Hockey for The Hockey Illiterate (Part One)

A Guide to Hockey for The Hockey Illiterate (Part Two)

A Guide to Hockey for The Hockey Illiterate (Part Three)

[jyoung]

Re: Beginner tips

Yes, most of the OS guides written from NHL 09 to NHL 12 still apply to the new game.

http://www.operationsports.com/strategyguides/

Just filter the guides by sport and choose hockey.

The only new thing that will probably need explaining this year is the additional team strategy settings.

For shooting, these are the best places to aim:

[kerosene31]

Re: Beginner tips

Just some overall advice on offense, the #1 rule in this game is patience. For years and years in hockey video games, you'd skate over the blueline, maybe make a move or two, then make 1-2 passes and take a shot on goal. That's just how games played back then.

For the past few years now, the game really punishes you for not having patience on offense. You have to set up many passes in the zone and wait for a good scoring play to develop. If you rush it, you'll not score most of the time.

So, think patience. Shoot less, pass more. Next, think "space". Which player on your team is open? Don't look to the net, look for a teammate who has space. Lots of times this might be a defenseman on the blueline. Pass back to him, and look for the next guy who has space. Maybe that is the other d-man.

Hockey is all about lanes, passing lanes and shooting lanes. The AI wants to take both of these away from you, but there is usually an open passing lane. Keep passing and eventually the AI will get more disorganized and something will open up. Maybe you now have a clear shot to the net with one or your players right in the goalie's face for a screen shot opportunity and/or tip/rebound goal. Maybe you can skate in and use a player from the other team as a screen. Maybe you find someone open in good shooting position. Patience, patience, patience is the key. Often times, as you try to score more, you shoot more but take much worse scoring opportunities.

The CPU AI is trying to do the same thing to you when they are on offense. They try to get you to chase the puck and get out of position. They are patient and wait for you to mess up. Do the same thing to them.

Also, vary up your shot locations. I've never known this to be a fact in the game, but to me it always seems to punish you if you always shoot for the same spot on the net. Lots of times I find myself always shooting to the top corner glove side on the goalie and that isn't always good. Mix up shooting high/low/middle left/right, etc. It always seems to work for me.

[LREC]

Re: Beginner tips

I've been playing the demo quite a bit too, and even though I have played NHL dedicatedly since NHL 09 (back to NHL 99), I am having trouble with it to. I've started to get the hang of it, so here are some tips I've used.

Pushing in the left stick gives you a big burst of speed, which is useful in the neutral zone. I like to pass the puck to Simon Gagne and just zip into the zone and either pass to Jeff Carter or wait for my team to arrive.

Cycling the puck is still key. Pass back to your D, pass back to a winger, back to D; basically wherever there is an open man. Hopefully the defense makes a mistake you can exploit.

I've found that shots have a greater chance of going in this year. What I mean is wrist shots and quick shots are easier to score than in say NHL 12 or NHL 11. So feel free to pass to the winger from the point and shoot a wrist shot. It's how I beat NHL Moments.

Don't try to hit. I was a hitter in NHL 12, but with True Performance Skating it's become insanely difficult. I stick with stick lifts and poke checks, but above all, positional skating. They can beat you very easily this year, so give them space when they're coming up, and close in on them when they enter your zone.

Hope that helps!

[geisterhome]

Re: Beginner tips

I've been playing the demo quite a bit too, and even though I have played NHL dedicatedly since NHL 09 (back to NHL 99), I am having trouble with it to. I've started to get the hang of it, so here are some tips I've used.

Pushing in the left stick gives you a big burst of speed, which is useful in the neutral zone. I like to pass the puck to Simon Gagne and just zip into the zone and either pass to Jeff Carter or wait for my team to arrive.

Cycling the puck is still key. Pass back to your D, pass back to a winger, back to D; basically wherever there is an open man. Hopefully the defense makes a mistake you can exploit.

I've found that shots have a greater chance of going in this year. What I mean is wrist shots and quick shots are easier to score than in say NHL 12 or NHL 11. So feel free to pass to the winger from the point and shoot a wrist shot. It's how I beat NHL Moments.

Don't try to hit. I was a hitter in NHL 12, but with True Performance Skating it's become insanely difficult. I stick with stick lifts and poke checks, but above all, positional skating. They can beat you very easily this year, so give them space when they're coming up, and close in on them when they enter your zone.

Hope that helps!

It does. Thanks! Some very good tips (and links) here in general. Really helpful for a complete noob who wants to get in hockey like I am! Hoping for even more

[Vikes1]

Re: Beginner tips

Just some overall advice on offense, the #1 rule in this game is patience. For years and years in hockey video games, you'd skate over the blueline, maybe make a move or two, then make 1-2 passes and take a shot on goal. That's just how games played back then.

For the past few years now, the game really punishes you for not having patience on offense. You have to set up many passes in the zone and wait for a good scoring play to develop. If you rush it, you'll not score most of the time.

So, think patience. Shoot less, pass more. Next, think "space". Which player on your team is open? Don't look to the net, look for a teammate who has space. Lots of times this might be a defenseman on the blueline. Pass back to him, and look for the next guy who has space. Maybe that is the other d-man.

Hockey is all about lanes, passing lanes and shooting lanes. The AI wants to take both of these away from you, but there is usually an open passing lane. Keep passing and eventually the AI will get more disorganized and something will open up. Maybe you now have a clear shot to the net with one or your players right in the goalie's face for a screen shot opportunity and/or tip/rebound goal. Maybe you can skate in and use a player from the other team as a screen. Maybe you find someone open in good shooting position. Patience, patience, patience is the key. Often times, as you try to score more, you shoot more but take much worse scoring opportunities.

The CPU AI is trying to do the same thing to you when they are on offense. They try to get you to chase the puck and get out of position. They are patient and wait for you to mess up. Do the same thing to them.

Also, vary up your shot locations. I've never known this to be a fact in the game, but to me it always seems to punish you if you always shoot for the same spot on the net. Lots of times I find myself always shooting to the top corner glove side on the goalie and that isn't always good. Mix up shooting high/low/middle left/right, etc. It always seems to work for me.

Great advice, Kerosene! And advice I need to get much better at taking.

Patience like you said does seem to be very important. I think maybe my biggest problem scoring is...I'm playing the '13' demo like I use to play NHL '12'. And it's not working for me. Because '13' is not '12'. The game has changed for the better, but I'm still struggling to adjust. I need to focus on the solid advice you mentioned above.

[ps3veron]

Re: Beginner tips

This is an awesome read and very useful to a noob like msyelf.

2 Questions, I've been having an easier time scoring with the "Classic" controls (buttons). Do I need to learn the new controls (stick movement with "R")? Is it worth the effort?

Also whats this vision control (LT/L2)? Does it really help?

[Hawks_in_6]

Re: Beginner tips

This is an awesome read and very useful to a noob like msyelf.

2 Questions, I've been having an easier time scoring with the "Classic" controls (buttons). Do I need to learn the new controls (stick movement with "R")? Is it worth the effort?

Also whats this vision control (LT/L2)? Does it really help?

I think it is very much worth the effort. The stick control alone will make you less predictable and offer much more control.

[Mitchrapp]

Re: Beginner tips

Maybe this is the place to ask: Any tips for winning faceoffs? I stink at it, I play on Pro..

Thank you.

[dubbs88]

Re: Beginner tips

Anyone have an idea of how to do the slap dump around the boards? I see lots of guys using that strategy and it seems more effective than using the high flip dump.

[Zyre]

Re: Beginner tips

Maybe this is the place to ask: Any tips for winning faceoffs? I stink at it, I play on Pro..

Thank you.

This is just from trying different things out, so dont give me **** if this is all wrong. But I usually use both the left and right stick. Right stick i go left or right for a stance. If i want to get it to the guy behind me on the right I will start with a left side stance(RS to the left) and vice versa. I always aim with the LS towards the guy I want the puck to go to (not sure if this actually does anything). I then pull down the RS to 6'o clock position when the linesman makes the dropping puck move.

Sometimes I mix it up, go into a a stance (doesnt matter which) and just push both LS and RS to 12'o clock at the drop to let one of my wingers pick up the puck instead.

[JohnMcClaneTW]

Re: Beginner tips

Anyone have an idea of how to do the slap dump around the boards? I see lots of guys using that strategy and it seems more effective than using the high flip dump.

If you are outside the blue line, it's just a standard slapshot obviously. If you are past the blue line and in the offensive zone, hold R1 while shooting or doing a slapshot to shoot the puck in any direction you want.

As someone who plays defenseman mostly, I use this a lot when I receive a pass in the offensive zone. In EASHL people rush you a ton so I just like to immediately dump the puck back behind the net if possible.