Having just gotten NHL12 for Christmas I decided to give the new and improved BAP mode a shot. What I've found is that while they made a few very nice improvements to the mode feature wise, many of the same gameplay flaws from previous installments still rear their ugly head.
The biggest reason is the AI. I understand the difficulty of programming bots to play realistic hockey, but that's no excuse for many of the issues that I see in every game. For starters, is there a reason why when I tie up the opposing centerman my CPU teammates never make any attempt to go for the puck? Even on a 5 on 3 they'll make zero effort to dig out the puck and watch helplessly as it gets cleared down the ice.
A bigger AI flaw, and probably the most detrimental overall, is the AI passing system. I can be open on the breakout, but unless there is a mile and a half of ice between me and my checker, chances are they'll ignore me. That kind of cautiousness is especially confusing because immediately after they'll make some horrendous pass to another teammate where the lane is completely blocked off. There is just no consistency with being able to recieve passes from your teammates to the point where you have to resort to tapping your stick on the ice like a monkey. This almost always results in a completely inaccurate pass that lands right on the tape of the other team.
Offensive zone AI needs quite a bit of work as well. Far too often when my teammates have the puck they make no attempt to protect it and are easily stripped when confronted by a checker. Defenseman are the biggest offenders of this in my experience. If you pass them the puck at the point they'll typically hold on to it for a few seconds, do nothing, and lose the puck. What really is weird about that is that defensively when I pressure the points the opposing defenseman are extremely quick and decisive with their decision making. They never just stand there and do nothing while I attempt to strip them of the puck. In fact, the offensive AI is much better for the opposing team in every facet of the game (playing on all-star, btw). They make quick, accurate passes on the breakout. They whip the puck around in the offensive zone like it's nothing. When they don't have a passing option available they dump the puck in or around the boards to a streaking winger. My teammates never do any of these things with any kind of consistency and it absolutely ruins the mode for me.
I'm not sure if it's the game attempting to handicap you or whether or not injecting a human player into a team of AI players throws them off. I can see both, but I'd lean towards the latter. With 5 AI skaters they all know exactly what's going on at all times. When they have the puck they know exactly where their teammates are going to be, and they're all in perfect position for whatever it is that they're trying to accomplish. The AI simply can't handle the nuances involved with incorporating a human player into the mix because it throws off their timing and positioning and they don't have the means to adjust on the fly.
BAP is a nice idea on paper and I'm sure a lot of people enjoy it, but to me the AI is too much of a drawback to spend significant time in this mode. I'd rather play Be A GM where the AI's flaws are mostly covered up. That's my take, anyways. Feel free to agree or disagree.
The biggest reason is the AI. I understand the difficulty of programming bots to play realistic hockey, but that's no excuse for many of the issues that I see in every game. For starters, is there a reason why when I tie up the opposing centerman my CPU teammates never make any attempt to go for the puck? Even on a 5 on 3 they'll make zero effort to dig out the puck and watch helplessly as it gets cleared down the ice.
A bigger AI flaw, and probably the most detrimental overall, is the AI passing system. I can be open on the breakout, but unless there is a mile and a half of ice between me and my checker, chances are they'll ignore me. That kind of cautiousness is especially confusing because immediately after they'll make some horrendous pass to another teammate where the lane is completely blocked off. There is just no consistency with being able to recieve passes from your teammates to the point where you have to resort to tapping your stick on the ice like a monkey. This almost always results in a completely inaccurate pass that lands right on the tape of the other team.
Offensive zone AI needs quite a bit of work as well. Far too often when my teammates have the puck they make no attempt to protect it and are easily stripped when confronted by a checker. Defenseman are the biggest offenders of this in my experience. If you pass them the puck at the point they'll typically hold on to it for a few seconds, do nothing, and lose the puck. What really is weird about that is that defensively when I pressure the points the opposing defenseman are extremely quick and decisive with their decision making. They never just stand there and do nothing while I attempt to strip them of the puck. In fact, the offensive AI is much better for the opposing team in every facet of the game (playing on all-star, btw). They make quick, accurate passes on the breakout. They whip the puck around in the offensive zone like it's nothing. When they don't have a passing option available they dump the puck in or around the boards to a streaking winger. My teammates never do any of these things with any kind of consistency and it absolutely ruins the mode for me.
I'm not sure if it's the game attempting to handicap you or whether or not injecting a human player into a team of AI players throws them off. I can see both, but I'd lean towards the latter. With 5 AI skaters they all know exactly what's going on at all times. When they have the puck they know exactly where their teammates are going to be, and they're all in perfect position for whatever it is that they're trying to accomplish. The AI simply can't handle the nuances involved with incorporating a human player into the mix because it throws off their timing and positioning and they don't have the means to adjust on the fly.
BAP is a nice idea on paper and I'm sure a lot of people enjoy it, but to me the AI is too much of a drawback to spend significant time in this mode. I'd rather play Be A GM where the AI's flaws are mostly covered up. That's my take, anyways. Feel free to agree or disagree.
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