NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

[milesizdead]

Hmmm, I think that the game has improved a lot since 08, but for me it's all about online. EASHL, GMC and even VS have all improved so that most games are won by the better player. Which is all that matters to me.

I can see how people are tired and bored by the series if they play offline, only reason I play offline is to unlock boosts for my EASHL pro. And I hate the grind of it, AI is predictable and cheats with checking and shots since they don't have reaction times, they know what happens on the ice before your puny little human brain can process the same info.

This year I think EA should just focus on perfecting the game modes that are already there, nothing new, just polishing. Save all the fancy gimmicks and improved physics to nextgen release.

[Blackwood Bully]

I might be in the minority, but I love the having the Legends in the game. I do wish that They would have complete Legend teams instead, so You could have tournaments and stuff like that.

[Dougie_G_93]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

So this is a thread with us all just wishing out loud? I mean seriously, an article advising EA on what NHL14 should and shouldn't do is kinda therapeutic for us, But EA could really give less than 2 craps what we want or think. The main focus on gaming is multiplayer. Have you ever checked out EA's forum? Its filled with hut this and hut that and spoiled kids whining about trade piles.
NHL 14 will add a few minor tweaks to the game, both graphical and with the ai. Then they will package it all up, say there are over 200 gameplay enhancements and put there little bogus award sticker on it. And start raking in millions. And Mark Savard is guaranteed to be on Boston's active roster.

But we will buy it because:
a: we are sheep
b: we need it because of re-alignment
c: we are like cub fans and maple leaf fans, we hope this is the year they get it right.

[bwiggy33]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

I will not, and I mean will not, purchase this game on day one next year (or at all) unless I can see with my own two eyes things have changed. I'm doubting anything drastic will be changed, but it's badly needed.

Everyone so far has pretty much nailed all of the issues in the head but there's still one thing left.

PUT OFFSIDES BACK IN THE GAME

How the hell is it that I can go multiple games in a row without myself or the CPU going offsides? The most times I've ever gone offsides in a game is 3, and that's still playing 13 minute periods. When they revamped the offside logic back in NHL 10 or whatever it was, it absolutely killed this game from feeling anything like hockey. The game is just a constant ping pong battle of flinging the puck up to the oppositions blue line (EA's version of a realistic breakout), shooting and repeating. Sure you can set up in the zone, but really you can create better chances without passing, then you can when passing.

Honestly I could go on and on. It just absolutely sucks that all EA would need to do is take one or two years of listening to the more sim gamers, and this game could be a great representation of the sport for both the caual and sim fans. I know hockey is probably the most difficult sport to replicate in a video game, but I know for damn sure it can be replicated way better than what it is.

From what I have heard though, the best way to reach the EA developers is to post this sort of stuff on the EA NHL forums. They don't come around here like The Show dev team does. Also when Redshirt was around a couple months ago he mentioned this as well. I think if we have any chance at them seeing our opinions, we have to do it on the EA forums.

[bwiggy33]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

So this makes it a bad game?

Yes for some people it does. If you want a more sim experience that's not what you are going to get with NHL. I'm looking for a more sim experience so I absolutely dislike the game. It has some good things, but overall I don't enjoy it at all. It's just my opinion. What I or someone else may think is a bad game, isn't for someone who enjoys it.

As Money said, sliders only do so much for this game. If EA isn't going to make the AI play like a real hockey player or team would, they need to give us more sliders or AI options that allow the user to create the AI that they want to face. EA barely allows us any of that. If they expand on the Build your AI feature from 13, that will drastically help this game though. Adjusting those settings was pretty much the only time I enjoyed the game, and it wasn't adjustable for BAGM. I'm not saying my opinion is the only way, but I can bet that most if not all people would love more options to create the AI they want to face during games.

[CaptainSuperman]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

Yes for some people it does. If you want a more sim experience that's not what you are going to get with NHL. I'm looking for a more sim experience so I absolutely dislike the game. It has some good things, but overall I don't enjoy it at all. It's just my opinion. What I or someone else may think is a bad game, isn't for someone who enjoys it.

As Money said, sliders only do so much for this game. If EA isn't going to make the AI play like a real hockey player or team would, they need to give us more sliders or AI options that allow the user to create the AI that they want to face. EA barely allows us any of that. If they expand on the Build your AI feature from 13, that will drastically help this game though. Adjusting those settings was pretty much the only time I enjoyed the game, and it wasn't adjustable for BAGM. I'm not saying my opinion is the only way, but I can bet that most if not all people would love more options to create the AI they want to face during games.

But your grading the whole game based on one feature. That is not a complete way to rate a game "bad". If you play a game against a friend, all the mechanics are there for a good game. That is the point I'm trying to get across. The game of hockey is a good one. If you want bad a bad game as far as hockey goes, go play NHL 94. As fun as it was, it's not a true sim of hockey, even against a friend. EA has done the best job so far, yet they get **** on by everyone for little to no reason, other than fans expectations are super high. And why are they that high? Cause they've been going such a fantastic job, go back and look at EA's NHL scores from reviewer sites, they are always 8's or 9's. So with great results, come great expectations. That is the only reason people are ****ing on EA and NHL

[bwiggy33]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

But your grading the whole game based on one feature. That is not a complete way to rate a game "bad". If you play a game against a friend, all the mechanics are there for a good game. That is the point I'm trying to get across. The game of hockey is a good one. If you want bad a bad game as far as hockey goes, go play NHL 94. As fun as it was, it's not a true sim of hockey, even against a friend. EA has done the best job so far, yet they get **** on by everyone for little to no reason, other than fans expectations are super high. And why are they that high? Cause they've been going such a fantastic job, go back and look at EA's NHL scores from reviewer sites, they are always 8's or 9's. So with great results, come great expectations. That is the only reason people are ****ing on EA and NHL

Fully but respectfully disagree. For me I really don't have fun with any game mode. If I play against a friend it's still the same issues that plague the game (Goalies, teammate AI, hitting physics). As I said to me it's a bad game with good parts to it. I used to think it was a great game, but I no longer do. Maybe it's a little harsh but if I don't enjoy the game then I don't really have any reason to say it's good. It's just my opinion. This game is great for someone who enjoys North South no offsides hockey. It's perfect for people who want a quick game against a friend or online, but to me I don't want to play that way offline, or in any other mode.

Also as for saying they get shi* on, that's a little harsh. We are bringing up issues that have plagued this game since 07. They've made some really good improvements but overall the game plays very similar to earlier versions. I'd be completely o.k. with this, if there weren't areas of the game that need big improvements. The game had a solid foundation in 07, but they just haven't done enough to build upon it IMO. When they leave the same things unattended to each year, it just shows to me that they really don't care.

I'm glad you like the game, but you can't hate people for bringing up areas of the game they don't like. Every game has it's flaws and the only way to make them better is to bring them up. Also you are 100% correct that NHL 94 was a fun game but not realistic. Expectations have changed since then though. With the technology they have we expect a lot.

[MDSportsFan]

they NEED to tune down the goalies

[Money99]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

bwiggy33, you brought up NHL07 and I fully agree with your comments on that game.
There were some things that were done so well that year, but for whatever reason were removed since:

1. The player types were far more pronounced. Snipers sniped, danglers dangled and passers passed. You could tell which guys were on the ice.

2. I loved how the one-timers were handled. If the pass wasn't right on the tape, the player entered into an animation where they'd have to coral the puck, and then adjust their body before getting a shot off. And depending on their body position it could end up being a very weak backhand.
This forced the HUM player to make sure the puck got into the hands of a good playmaker, because their passes were more likely to get into the wheelhouse.
It also changed the game completely as you didn't always want to automatically perform a one-timer because the pass might be off.
On those occasions, instead of just mindlessly pressing the 'shoot' button, you'd have to readjust your strategy and perhaps recycle the puck, or wait to coral the puck and get off a better shot.
It completely changed the game and made it more of an organic feel.
From NHL08>>>NHL13, the game regressed back to the tried-and-boring 'pass-onetime' fest that was before and after.

3. CPU AI got smarter when moving up in difficulty instead of receiving cheats.
It was great to play on the highest difficulty without worrying about some 4th-line scrub turning into Bobby Orr.
The players just played smarter, but they still played within the limits of their player type and attributes.
Again, for reasons that baffle me, this was removed in NHL08+.

Until I see those changes make their way back to the EA series, I won't buy it again.

P.S. CaptainSuperman, I didn't say I never played NHL13, I said I didn't buy it.
The short time I had with it, I did notice an improvement in skating, but I still saw the CPU do things a HUM player could never do - which is why I didn't waste another $60 on a cheat-fest hockey game.

[geisterhome]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

NHL 13 pretty much sucked so it won't be hard to best it. It will be impossible to make a good game out of the mess NHL 13 is.

[TDKing]

Custom season length for GM mode online and offline 20/42/82 PLEASE... Also the abiltity to set up a 7 game series online against a friend. Hey maybe even some type of online tournement mode.

[hydroshubong]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

Fully but respectfully disagree. For me I really don't have fun with any game mode. If I play against a friend it's still the same issues that plague the game (Goalies, teammate AI, hitting physics). As I said to me it's a bad game with good parts to it. I used to think it was a great game, but I no longer do. Maybe it's a little harsh but if I don't enjoy the game then I don't really have any reason to say it's good. It's just my opinion. This game is great for someone who enjoys North South no offsides hockey. It's perfect for people who want a quick game against a friend or online, but to me I don't want to play that way offline, or in any other mode.

Also as for saying they get shi* on, that's a little harsh. We are bringing up issues that have plagued this game since 07. They've made some really good improvements but overall the game plays very similar to earlier versions. I'd be completely o.k. with this, if there weren't areas of the game that need big improvements. The game had a solid foundation in 07, but they just haven't done enough to build upon it IMO. When they leave the same things unattended to each year, it just shows to me that they really don't care.

I'm glad you like the game, but you can't hate people for bringing up areas of the game they don't like. Every game has it's flaws and the only way to make them better is to bring them up. Also you are 100% correct that NHL 94 was a fun game but not realistic. Expectations have changed since then though. With the technology they have we expect a lot.

I agree!
I don't know why, they know that there's a lot of problems , but they don't want to fix it! A lot of the issues are in the game since nhl 09! That's what they look like , when we find a problem

[06woz]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

EA's NHL series has been the same thing every single year.

Woefully inadequate AI that is compensated for by robot-like goaltending in which Scott Clemmensen will play like a prime Hasek. The reason that EA hasn't added realistic goaltending: Every game would have 10+ goals scored because the tactical system play is non existant.

I also am not a fan of the oversights they have made to obvious hockey play.
-You cannot move your feet and hands at the same time. How is this still in the game?
-A standing still player looks unrealistic because they are standing still! Odd concept right?(sarcasm) Look at NBA's 2k series, at any given time every player on the court is doing SOMETHING. A player standing still with the ball isn't locked into one frame as players are in NHL.

[KeyserSoze15]

NHL 13 is a good game that needs some polishing arond the edges. Next year they need to bring a few things back and get rid of a few things.

1.I would say 85% of people play EASHL. So put some effort into it EA. Bring back ability to choose what division to play in. If my club is wants tough competition I should choose Elite.If I am a casual player let me be in pro or Amateur Division. Rename the Divisions Elite becomes NHL ,Pro be called AHL, Amateur be CHL. .
2. Stop catering to NOOBS . If I am Legend with 500 games played 1800 points along with the rest of my teamates ranked in Elite playing a amateur team with leading scorer having 200 games played and 150 points dont give them a Patrick Roy in net and my CPU a Ray Charles in net.
3. Not every EASHL team has 6 guys so stop giving bad teams awesome CPU D and Goalies. Go back two years ago if you were the better team you would dominate them 10-1 not put your skill ranking and team skill ranking a factor in CPU.
4. Allow better Custom Jersey Designing like NCAA Footbal has allow me to create my own logo. Have a Moderating or report thing like Call of Duty. Same logos for 3 years now shows lack of effort EA.
5. Better Physics hopefully I can be a 6'0" 200lb Playmaker skating full speed into a guy who is standing still and he doesn't budge. But I can stand still with a 6'0 200 Defenseman and Check a guy no problem. Physics busted still.
6. Make the game more SIM based. My club can set up play after play with 12 minutes of attack to oppsing teams 4 minutes attack with no offensive zone set up and throw crap on net but they score and be out shot 35 to 12 but there goalie stops everything from breakaways and Cross Creases. They shoot a weak wrister from point no screen and it goes in. Get a Momentum System in place.
7. Goalies stopping one timers on cross creases needs to be tuned way down . In the NHL a cross crease goes in probably 90% of the time. How to stop it if your opposing team its called play defense break the pass up.
8. Too many garbage goals.

[kerosene31]

Re: NHL 14: Keys to Best Last Year's Effort

I think the problem with the AI is that the new skating engine "broke" the CPU AI.

AI has never been a strong thing with the game, but this year the skating engine just ruined the offline game. The CPU can never take speed and momentum into account. They just keep getting beat by faster skaters over and over. We humans adjusted to it no problem, but the CPU never does.

To compensate, they cranked up the CPU cheese even worse than before.