NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

[kerosene31]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

Do you guys have leftover questions as it relates to this feature, gameplay, etc?

Basically, does it reward players for how well they play, or how often? As was said, will people with tons of time to play stack up a super team, and leave those of us with a life in the dust?

[RealmK]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

Do you guys have leftover questions as it relates to this feature, gameplay, etc?

The only question I still have Chase is what can be done about the passing being too tape to tape, can we get any confirmation that theres a slider for this and that it works properly when set lower, or has there been any changes to puck physics that allows the puck to hop over a stick blade on a long outlet pass? I know we have stick lifts this year and the redefined sweep checks look much smoother, but I'd still like to see less tape to tape passes in general.

[kerosene31]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

That would be great!

My question: Will we be forced to play dump n chase this year? I mean, does the CPU have good enough neutral zone a.i to where I have to dump it in and set up that way?

From the videos posted in that article, I'm not encouraged. Passing still seems fast and really accurate. The entire reason the trap or left wing lock works in the NHL is because passing through a crowded neutral zone is hard. In 08 passing is basically a click of the button, and automatic every time.

Why dump and chase when you can pass from end boards to end boards with lightning speed?

Being able to do it is one thing, but having a real reason to is another.

I'd so love to put a trap team together in this league and start frustrating all the hot dogs and cherry pickers who will play... but we'll see if that's even viable.

Also, unless they add an interference call, dumping is going to be hard. All I'm gonna do is hold you up at the blueline. Although this is the way the real NHL is going unfortunately as well.

They did say they've added it, and have added a ton of defensive controls, so somehow they are making defense viable in 09... I'm just skeptical. There is a lot more to D than poke checks and stick lifts.

[pf8363]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

The only way this will work for guys like us is if a team of sim minded players who know how to play hockey are able to counter all the cheese with proper hockey sense and play.

I seriously doubt that that we have enough tools to stop all the cheese especially if the league speed is above slow.
I think it might still be fun tho trying to frustrate the cheesers with a good sim team maybe play spoilers and take some of them down . Kinda turn the tides on them so to speak.

its not that hard to do in 08, i beat someone ranked in the top 5000 2-0 the other day, the guy had 4 shots all game! i kept forchecking and playing such solid nuetral zone D, that he got so frustrated and continuously turned the puck over. he was a cheeser too, one of those guys that just swerves around all the way up the ice hoping that his opponent is stupid enough to chase him and let him into the zone. the end result with these guys is usually a "cross-grain wrister," which we've all seen. the problem with the cheesers in 08 is that they no so little about actual hockey, and there are so few sim players, that when they see actual hockey, they dont know what to do.

[Choneen]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

It was just a general query. If you guys have various questions still about the game as a whole I'd pursue something to alleviate that.

My questions are concerning the online BAP.

In the Gamespot interview with Littman, he mentions that if you don't have enough people to play an EASHL game, your team is filled up with "average CPU players". I'm just wondering if these are random computer generated players, or actual players from an NHL team.

I'd also like to know approximately how many games they expect it will take to max out your created player.

Have they made any changes to how injuries are caused? Last year, it seemed as if the only way to have a player injured was with a hip-check. Are injuries enabled in EASHL?

Any additional info on the fighting engine would be nice too. (i.e. how fights are started, controls..)

[jaguar8311]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

2 questions that someone can clairfy regarding EASHL

1. if it's manual goalies, wont there be alot of goals being scored?

2. are there any line changes?

Thanks

[metallicatz]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

I'm not sure if i'm understanding this properly, but i'm a bit skeptical of playing in an online league that has no actual season. Just doesn't sound all that fun to me. It's cool if it's something that appeals to others, but it just doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

On a side note, i've had no problems with the NCAA online dynasty i'm in.

[metallicatz]

Re: NHL 09 Q&A: EA Sports Hockey League Revealed (Gamespot)

Of course, right after I make my above statement my online dynasty in NCAA gets messed up. LOL.