NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

[matt8204]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

What EA markets this game as, is exactly what's broken and had been broken for years. It's a shame because that is the one area that really brings this game down. Not everyone has time to play a full NHL schedule. And when the stars aren't even getting over 30 goals or not even reaching 80 pts a season, it's bad. The statement "maybe next year EA will address this" is about 3 years over used.

Remember NHL 2004? Guys would lead the league with like 300 points if you played with 10-minute periods. It was nuts.

I'm happy with the game, though. Gameplay is the biggest issue for me and they've done a great job this year.

[Splitter77]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Remember NHL 2004? Guys would lead the league with like 300 points if you played with 10-minute periods. It was nuts.

I'm happy with the game, though. Gameplay is the biggest issue for me and they've done a great job this year.

yeah-i am super pleased with the gameplay, but with the sim engine broken, season mode and gm mode is useless to me.

I will only play exhibition and playoff mode now.

[savoie2006]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Yeah, the game's not perfect, but it's still enjoyable. The Cpu roster managment and the sim engine leave plenty to be desired, but realism is overrated anyways . It was OK to be arcadish when we played Techmo Super Bowl, NHL 94, Baseball Simulator, or Double Dribble. All games that most of us grew up on and loved dearly. Why? Because the gameplay was fun.

[kt-od]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Yeah, the game's not perfect, but it's still enjoyable. The Cpu roster managment and the sim engine leave plenty to be desired, but realism is overrated anyways . It was OK to be arcadish when we played Techmo Super Bowl, NHL 94, Baseball Simulator, or Double Dribble. All games that most of us grew up on and loved dearly. Why? Because the gameplay was fun.

My two favorite games of all time. Man, I need to buy a NES just so I can play those again.

[capsdude69]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Yes, I simmed a season, Ovie had 32 goals. Stamkos had 21. Crosby ended up with 51 however. Crosby ended up with 101 points, and #2 had 90. Forget who it was however. Only like 6 guys greater than 40 goals.

If I have time, I'll run another sim, and post the actual stats.

My guess is that the problem is that the sim engine is distributing goals based on the players surrounding the aforementioned guys. Ovie and Stamkos both play with high powered offensive teams and hence their stats are cut down using this approach. Crosby plays on a team with mostly crap up front, hence he racks up good point totals.

I used to work on the sim engine / player ratings for the old Hockey League Simulator from Bethesda Softworks in the early 90's. Wish they'd give me a crack at EA's product because obviously the people they have working on it now are clueless. We used to use formulas that calculated the number of shots on goal generated by each line and then you broke down the goals, assists etc based on the skills of each player on that line. So if you had a stacked lineup you generally got more shots, more scoring, and if the logic made sense you would get a reasonable distribution of stats. We also had ratings which told whether each player was more likely to shoot or pass, which gave a more realistic breakdown of goals and assists.

Of course, with EA's sim engine, it doesn't even look like the CPU pays attention to the lines that have been set, which is a MAJOR FAIL in my opinion.

[Double-J]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now, Post Impressions Here (PS3)

CPU was better at cycling the puck and seemed to have more of a purpose than before. They were also more aggressive and better at stopping me from cycling when I had the puck. Time on attack was almost even for the first time in I don't know how long. Passing was a bit more difficult for me I felt. I thought it was actually easier for me to enter their zone than before, as I could skate in with 4 guys around me and not have them try anything. That may have had more to do with them having a healthy lead though. I haven't lost this significantly, this early on for quite awhile.

About the same for me. What I also noticed in the handful of games I've played since the patch are a ton of shots hitting the posts, which wasn't that common before the patch. I'd say 1/4th of the shots both I and the CPU took dinged off the post and took a wild bounce that didn't really make sense, or else landed on top of the goalie and play stopped. Weird.

For the first time in offline mode, I had a player lose an edge last night, which was pretty cool. Not sure if that's because of the patch but I hadn't seen it before except online.

I know they said the patch would fix some issues with increased speed for pushing the puck, but I still end up losing the puck when trying to deke during the shootout. If anyone saw the Sabres/Devils game last night where Kovalchuk flat out lost his handle on the puck in the shootout to end the game, that still happens to me when I try to use an L1 deke.

[JezFranco]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now, Post Impressions Here (PS3)

I know they said the patch would fix some issues with increased speed for pushing the puck, but I still end up losing the puck when trying to deke during the shootout. If anyone saw the Sabres/Devils game last night where Kovalchuk flat out lost his handle on the puck in the shootout to end the game, that still happens to me when I try to use an L1 deke.

Isn't that one of the things that will be adressed with the tuner that will be released when the xbox patch is ready?
A few of the patch fixes also needs to be tuned.

/J

[Splitter77]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

ive definitely noticed more one-timer slapshots by the cpu since the patch.

[Double-J]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now, Post Impressions Here (PS3)

Isn't that one of the things that will be adressed with the tuner that will be released when the xbox patch is ready?
A few of the patch fixes also needs to be tuned.

/J

Ah, if that's the case, then it makes more sense. Thanks for the info.

[DJ]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Yeah, the game's not perfect, but it's still enjoyable. The Cpu roster managment and the sim engine leave plenty to be desired, but realism is overrated anyways . It was OK to be arcadish when we played Techmo Super Bowl, NHL 94, Baseball Simulator, or Double Dribble. All games that most of us grew up on and loved dearly. Why? Because the gameplay was fun.

Yep, it's like the article posted (I think Dustin wrote it) the other day on the site about how we - the hardcore sports gamer - need to kind of take a step back and enjoy the games for what they are.

When you think about how much the games have changed from 10-15 years ago to today, it's pretty mind-blowing. Of course there are things different people would like to see in these games and I'm no exception, but I think just backing off of that and focusing on fun-factor will do a lot of people a lot of good.

Looking forward to the 360 patch tomorrow

[EntroMak24]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

sorry but the fact that the sim engine doesn't at very least give the players anywhere near close to reasonable stats completely ruins the game for me. almost 90% of the reason i even play this is to experience developing a franchise through the good times and bad. And in a video game, all it has to measure a players strengths weaknesses and abilities are the stats. and even if you do play all 82 games, (most dont anyway) the sim stats for the CPU teams will still be off. Stamkos with 21 goals? seriously?

even if the gameplay was near identical to real life it would feel pointless because it has no future development, no advancement, no payoff, just pointless matchups with a computer program.

[clarkerots]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

I used to work on the sim engine / player ratings for the old Hockey League Simulator from Bethesda Softworks in the early 90's. Wish they'd give me a crack at EA's product because obviously the people they have working on it now are clueless.

I played the HELL out of that game back in the day. WGH was the best. Those are memories long gone.

[Splitter77]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

I played the HELL out of that game back in the day. WGH was the best. Those are memories long gone.

i agree. great game. the simulator was even better though. ea needs to hire you.

[qroach]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

after getting the patch and new tuner set on 360, I've played two games online in versus. I won the first game 7-2 and the second 4 -0 and both games have not been recorded as a win when I check my stats online. both games show up in my last games played, but my current win streak is two and those both came yesterday.

Something is very odd!

[Steven547]

Re: NHL 11 Patch Available Now for PS3, Post Impressions Here

Played my first game post patch on the PS3. Did I read the patch notes wrong about the TOA? Did they say it's supposed to be more "even" now? If so, I know I only played one game so far, but I DOUBLED the CPU on TOA.

And for the shots, the CPU had only 13 shots going into the 3rd period. End of the game, they had 28 total shots to my 31. It seemed odd because the whole game, I swear I hardly saw them shoot the puck. And when I saw the shot total, it amazed me because I didn't think they even took that many shots.

Game does feel "looser" and the CPU actually misses passes now. I might have to increase their pass accuracy now a click.

Not sure what some are saying about lack of penalties, because I had quite a few in this game per team.

Anyway, just my thoughts for now after ONE game.