Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

[FBeaule04]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

sure, they will have the updated conference/division in NHL 14 but still not buying if i dont see/read significant changes in offline BaGM.

I'll be really honest. I said I woulnd't buy NHL 13 and I did because I was attracted by GM Connected. It was just the same for me and my friends again, deceptions over deceptions and finally, after trying sliders, tuner, etc, we ran out of patience and drop the game to the shelf.

I'm playing BeaGM with the glaring holes, only to get my hockey fix, but I'm not buying NHL 14 unless the community who are doing the test comes out with a sentence like : "After 2-3 months, all I have to say is that's the best game of hockey we've ever played".

I'm even considering letting the XBOX go when next generation hit the shelves to buy a new PlayStation so I get MLB The Show. I would play this game and NBA 2K, that would be enough.

There just a limit we're I'm feeling paying 72$ (with taxes for us here) to do beta testing that are made ok only 2-3 years later.

[bwiggy33]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

I'm even considering letting the XBOX go when next generation hit the shelves to buy a new PlayStation so I get MLB The Show. I would play this game and NBA 2K, that would be enough.

I would suggest doing this if you don't play any XBOX exclusive games. For me all I play is sports, and I do buy GTA every release. Each year I buy MLB The Show, FIFA (for me plays exactly like NHL but on a field) or PES, and NHL. All I will need is a PS4. It will be weird playing games like NHL and soccer on Playstation but I'll get adjusted to it. It's going to save me a crap load of money since I won't just play The Show on PS3. Now I can buy one system and play each game on it. The only reason I bought a 360 before PS3 was because NHL 07 was only out for 360.

As for the article, I think the most alarming thing Littman said were the two stats he gave on why NHL is popular. The stats were taken from an online mode, and a mode that you basically cheat at in order to accomplish. When Littman gives two stats based on these features, it straight up means they are going to cater to the casual and online players.

Now why do people think online NHL is so fun? Because it isn't the true sport of hockey. It is a constant battle of who can poke check the puck away, fling a pass to the far blue line and go in on a breakaway. It's fast paced and what many people find entertaining. TBH that is how most people want to play when they play against another person. I don't personally like to play that way all the time, but most people do. Until EA can find a way to separate game play styles for offline and online, we will not see a sim game. EA will just keep adjusting gameplay features that don't turn this game into real hockey.

[Nittany]

They better fix the AI teammates in EASHL. For 2 years straight now, the AI is horrible. How hard is it to have the AI know that if you are down a goal under 2 mins...but on the PK...to not dump the puck everytime. It's ridiculous.

EA has to realize that not every EASHL team has 6 humans. Most are 2 and 3 human teammates with the rest AI. As a winger, I should not have to immediately head back to my own net on every faceoff since the AI is going to give the puck up....

Here's hoping....

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

The Game is still very playable realistic and fun offline but I think we can all agree EA spends too much time for online and EA even tries to force us to play online which I hate jeez look at all the games trophies 85 % are for online.
Im not saying they shouldnt but dont ignore the offline gamers or at least give us separate tuners as we are a pretty large group and we just dont wanna play online .

[Reiny09]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

Living and breathing hockey comparatively speaking to who ?

I believe comparatively to those who are no longer living and breathing.

[Fiddy]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

I'll be really honest. I said I woulnd't buy NHL 13 and I did because I was attracted by GM Connected. It was just the same for me and my friends again, deceptions over deceptions and finally, after trying sliders, tuner, etc, we ran out of patience and drop the game to the shelf.

yeah, the GMC Mode was a dud this year. it just was their online league they already had, just fluffed up with menus etc. I thought it was going to be a blast. i was wrong. hopefully they spent sometime beefing this mode up and make it fun to play. having a shorter 29, 41, or 48 game season is a MUST. end of story, a must!

[Rubio809]

Just make sure it comes out on the Vita this year...

[jmaj315]

i would love if there was a mode similar to CC that we have in madden..thats the only thing keeping me from being a yearly buyer of NHL

[fmedges]

Something that has also bothered me about this series is the lack of deflection goals or deflections at all. I see one once in a blue moon in NHL13, yet in watching games on tv I would say that deflections happen at least 50% of the time on shots. I guess I'm so sour on this series becasue it looks nothing like it's real world counterpart.

[Fiddy]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

Something that has also bothered me about this series is the lack of deflection goals or deflections at all. I see one once in a blue moon in NHL13, yet in watching games on tv I would say that deflections happen at least 50% of the time on shots. I guess I'm so sour on this series becasue it looks nothing like it's real world counterpart.

i have played hundreds of games with all the different player types in the EASHL.

the best player type attempting deflections is the two way forward. attempts putting his stick up on majority of shots coming through and also does a lot of the jumping out of the way animation so he dont block the shot.

next best, the sniper. yup. makes no sense, but the sniper build gets sticks on pucks almost as much as the two way.

most the other builds, grinder, tough guy get some here and there but not like the above.

[Crapula]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

If EA advertised they overhauled the menus, making them lighting fast and reducing clutter, and added pinning favorites to the home screen... I would go pre-order this game right now.

But seriously, all talk and no video. I doubt they have anything to show. They're probably just releasing this crap to get a feel of what they should actually work on.

I'll help you out EA (because I know you are going to read this)... Defensive stick control allowing stick tie ups, tie downs, stick taps, aimed poke checks, manual hooking and slashing, pushing down on skates, stick and body control in front of the net and on the boards (not the automatic crap you have now), stick tie ups with body collisions while fighting for a loose puck, and stick control when fighting along the boards (and the quick stick lift, turn body into player to separate from puck).

100% collision detection with stick awareness (skaters actually move their stick away so it doesn't clip through bodies, faces, and legs). Pucks don't morph through skates, legs, goalie gloves, etc. If a shot is taken with the defenders stick an inch away the shooters stick collides with the defenders stick, ruining his shot. Awareness of stick during dekes, example, if you are 5' 7" pulling off a deke where the stick goes over your head, you should high stick the other player if they are a few inches taller. Ability to tap stick lifts or hold stick lifts. Ability to hook the stick from behind but also risking hitting the hands and taking a hooking penalty. Player awareness of boards, no more stick through boards and puck floating.

Remove everything automated including, poke checks, the hitting vortex (Hold check, let go of left stick and you'll see what I'm talking about), rerouting the puck mid flight to find the smallest gaps (offensive awareness attribute helping people who can't aim score), goalie desperation saves, goalie saves in general, deflections (give us control of deflections!), anything else that is automated.

Call checking from behind and interference penalties.

Have endurance actually mean something, force people to play a slower paced game and really pick their spots to go balls out. Hockey is not fast break basketball for f's sake. Breakaways happen way too often, it should be exciting to get one, not as simple as skating straight. Why does the AI offline on Superstar with difficulty sliders maxed give up 5 breakaways a game in 15 minutes?

5' 7" players with 92 speed are not faster than 6' 4" players with 92 speed, the fastest skaters are over 6'. The fastest people in the world, skating, running, swimming, are usually over 6' 3". What's the advantage to being small in sports? NONE! I know I know, if you had speed done accurately then everyone will create 6' 9" skaters with 92 speed. Ok, figure something else out. Pre-created skater types with certain heights and abilities (like selecting a player from pre-created players in an RPG game).

And last, the menus. They are slow, cluttered pieces of filth (GMC has the most frustrating menus in the history of video games). I don't care about cool backgrounds and animated text menus. Allow me to set favorites on the home screen, why do I have to go through 6 options to do something I do every day.


Sorry for all the name calling and general lack of respect.

[fmedges]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

i have played hundreds of games with all the different player types in the EASHL.

the best player type attempting deflections is the two way forward. attempts putting his stick up on majority of shots coming through and also does a lot of the jumping out of the way animation so he dont block the shot.

next best, the sniper. yup. makes no sense, but the sniper build gets sticks on pucks almost as much as the two way.

most the other builds, grinder, tough guy get some here and there but not like the above.

Oh I've never played EASHL I was talking about offline be a gm mode. In that mode I feel there isn't many deflections or "dirty" goals, just a lot of cheap ones

[Fiddy]

Re: Producer David Littman Talks NHL 14

Oh I've never played EASHL I was talking about offline be a gm mode. In that mode I feel there isn't many deflections or "dirty" goals, just a lot of cheap ones

well, the player types are obviously involved. how many of those players i mentioned on the ice together at the same time? ya know? but yeah, the lack of these types of goals in the game in general really sucks. bc a lot of goals happen via deflections, rebounds, etc. not much grinding it out in and around the crease.

[addybojangles]

They better fix the AI teammates in EASHL. For 2 years straight now, the AI is horrible. How hard is it to have the AI know that if you are down a goal under 2 mins...but on the PK...to not dump the puck everytime. It's ridiculous.

EA has to realize that not every EASHL team has 6 humans. Most are 2 and 3 human teammates with the rest AI. As a winger, I should not have to immediately head back to my own net on every faceoff since the AI is going to give the puck up....

Here's hoping....

Oh, man. How this hasn't been addressed is one of the silliest things ever. I am constantly dumbfounded by CPU AI behavior in EASHL.

Here's something else: the weird tie-ups in front of the net. Give me an option to get out of the weird jostling animation, please.

[onac22]

Oh, man. How this hasn't been addressed is one of the silliest things ever. I am constantly dumbfounded by CPU AI behavior in EASHL.

Here's something else: the weird tie-ups in front of the net. Give me an option to get out of the weird jostling animation, please.

Yeah it sucks when the puck is in the corner and the game won't release the player. Same happens when a player gets by another on the boards only to be sucked back into a battle. Hopefully all the sucking animations are gone this year.


Edit: Ha! sucking animations. that just sounds like no good in any context.