NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

[Nomah5]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

In my experience, raising the aggression slider to 5 or 6 does as much as anything (outside of maybe pass assist) to change the gameplay from flowing end-to-end rushes to something more uneven and unpredictable. Of course, I'm lowering acceleration, puck control, pass accuracy/reception, along with raising fatigue effect, but I think the increased aggression ties it all together.

CPU players on both teams make more of an effort to attack the puck, disrupting break outs more often, and keeping the puck in the attacking zone for extended periods. There are times when I really feel the need to clear the puck after getting pinned in my zone (fatigue!), but I can also do that to the CPU more effectively. This leads to more realistic scoring situations & chances and less "hot dog hockey" as someone (Kerosene31?) called it earlier.

It's not a panacea for all the gameplay issues and your opponent's strategies play a large part in how the game plays out (max out CPU strat adj to help with in-game variety). Zone entry is still easier than it should be and I'm sure one could skate in circles if they really wanted to, but I played several competitive games with balanced shot & TOA totals on All-Star. The big thing for me is that feeling of "I need to do something with the puck NOW" that really isn't there by default. Combine that with looser settings for puck control & passing, and it makes for a better game of hockey.

Qb did you post your slider set by chance?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[Qb]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

Qb did you post your slider set by chance?

I didn't. I won't put anything up unless I play a lot more offline. I haven't done that the last year or two, so we'll see. For now, here are some of the changes I'm playing with, working from the Hardcore Simulation preset. For now my User/CPU sliders are the same, but that could change if I play enough to dial them in. In no way am I saying these are "final" or the optimal setting... mostly me moving stuff up or down a click to see if how it plays.

Fatigue Effect: 4
Fatigue Recovery: 2
Puck Control: 0
Acceleration: 3

CPU Strategy Adjustment: 4 (I think, maxed it out)
Face-off Difficulty: 4 (I think, raised it one click)

Pass Assist: 1 or 2
Pass Accuracy and Reception: 0
Pass Interceptions: 4 (probably could go higher, but haven't yet)

Shot/Slap/One-timer Accuracy: 2

Aggression: 5 or 6
Hit Power: 0
Poke Check: 2 (could see raising CPU for challenge)

Goalies are the hardest for me. I'd ultimately like to raise screen effect and lower reaction time based on the idea of making it harder to create good scoring chances, but more rewarding when you do. I went a click in each direction for now and I haven't seen anything too noteworthy; most games have 4-6 goals total on around 60 combined shots playing 10 minute periods.

My plan was to start an offline GM to track some stats over a decent stretch of games. We'll see if I can find the time.

[Hockeynut99]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

So what is the verdict? And is the Xbox version better?

[Segagendude]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

So what is the verdict? And is the Xbox version better?

Appears to be a small upgrade from 13.

Don't know the answer to your second question.

[Money99]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

Really noticed some cool animations today.
Not sure if this was in NHL12 or 13, but in the previous versions I've played, it seemed that no matter what position the receiver was in, or how bad the pass, the one-timer always got off perfectly.

But I've noticed in '14, that it's more like NHL07, where if the pass is bad, or if the receiver isn't in a position to receive it on their forehand, the player will get off a weak one-timer, or they engage in an animation where they coral the puck, and then got off a different shot.

For example, in a game with the Sabres, Grigorenko took a pass from the right-wing boards, but had his back to the puck. So instead of just getting off a perfect one-timer, he took the pass on his backhand, then did a wrap-around type back hand shot on net.
The shot was pretty weak and the goalie stopped in easily.

I've been bugging EA to go back to how they did it in NHL07 and I'm glad to see it's returned.

[Splitter77]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now for Season Ticket Subscribers, Post Your Impressions

the game is pretty good after playing it a bit more. i think it plays best on all star mode at the hardcore sim preset, with some additional tweaks. i know i lowered shot accuracy, and put pass speed and accuracy to 0. that seemed to help alot.
definitely better than nhl13.

i just hate how you can gain the offensive zone too easy, but once in there, Ill admit, the cpu defense is pretty legit.

i also hate the animation when the players always receive a bad pass when its behind them. They also receive the pass behind them. I wish they would can that animation, and have the pass go by them or deflect off the stick. i hate that animation.

guess ill have to deal with it, because the game is pretty good otherwise.

only other issues i have with the game are the piss poor presentation, the season and gm modes suck and i hate the create team.

the season modes need a re-haul. They need more stats. boxscores. see mlb the show.
create team should be easier to get players on there. They should have preset players that you can just add on there so it doesnt take a week to create all the players.

also- when the hell is EA gonna allow us to edit all players names? whats the deal with this? The 2k series allowed us to edit anything.

[CanucksBruins]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I find it a solid game overall, much prefer it to NHL 13. It still features the frustrating 1 shot 1 goal for the CPU in games I have been dominating to that point. They also still have some players in the game who never cough up the puck ever it seems.

I noticed the faster load times and the lack of lagging NHL 13 was terrible for. If my goaltenders actually played like real goalies, I would probably give this a ten out of ten, but it's a solid 9.5 from a purely offline standpoint. I'll give HUT a shot when I get bored of Be a GM and have built up a ton of pucks to get a decent couple of packs with. I found the new team building system (bronze CHL, silver AHL, gold NHL) discouraging. I hate that the training cards still only last one game too.

[jonapaloma]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

How much have people tested how much effect ratings have this year? for example speed.

it is a long time ago I tested it myself in '11. Back then it didn't make a difference what the ratings were.

[Cletus]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

How much have people tested how much effect ratings have this year? for example speed.

it is a long time ago I tested it myself in '11. Back then it didn't make a difference what the ratings were.

I tested some sliders with teams that were far apart in ratings. I destroyed France with the Red Wings and chased down every loose puck. I didn't speed past anyone when I had the puck, but there was enough of a difference to get a little separation. The final score was 7-0 Red Wings.

Another game I was Modo playing against Nashville. Nashville outskated me and beat me 2-0. It was tough to get good scoring chances. Both games were on All Star level with 0 game speed and 0 acceleration for both sides.

[thedudedominick]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

So what happened to EA punishing people for not taking a grip on faceoffs?

[jonapaloma]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I tested some sliders with teams that were far apart in ratings. I destroyed France with the Red Wings and chased down every loose puck. I didn't speed past anyone when I had the puck, but there was enough of a difference to get a little separation. The final score was 7-0 Red Wings.

Another game I was Modo playing against Nashville. Nashville outskated me and beat me 2-0. It was tough to get good scoring chances. Both games were on All Star level with 0 game speed and 0 acceleration for both sides.

Ok but I meant player ratings. Sorry should've been more specific. Like trying to set player speed to 36 vs 99 and see if there is a difference ingame.

[Money99]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Played a game against the Wings as the Sabres.
Lost 4-1 (I suck), but what I noticed was there were 0 fights that game despite some big hits.
I guess the heavyweights of both teams like Ennis, Vanek and Zetterberg decided to let their play dictate the game, haha.

[Cletus]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Ok but I meant player ratings. Sorry should've been more specific. Like trying to set player speed to 36 vs 99 and see if there is a difference ingame.

I haven't tested ratings from a player vs. player standpoint, but I can tell you I noticed a difference when playing with an NHL team with good skaters like Detroit vs. skating with a team of average skaters like Modo. I could also tell a difference in skating with Bertuzzi versus Cleary. The attributes seem to matter this year more than in years past. I have the attribute effects slider at 3, as well.

[Money99]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I haven't tested ratings from a player vs. player standpoint, but I can tell you I noticed a difference when playing with an NHL team with good skaters like Detroit vs. skating with a team of average skaters like Modo. I could also tell a difference in skating with Bertuzzi versus Cleary. The attributes seem to matter this year more than in years past. I have the attribute effects slider at 3, as well.

Doesn't the attribute slider work in reverse? Meaning, if I have it at 0, then it takes all attributes at face-value? But at 10, it means everyone is juiced up regardless?

I remember reading that once here and getting confused over that logic.
I would have thought at 10, it would mean a greater divide between high and low ratings, but I believe it's the opposite.

[Cletus]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Doesn't the attribute slider work in reverse? Meaning, if I have it at 0, then it takes all attributes at face-value? But at 10, it means everyone is juiced up regardless?

I remember reading that once here and getting confused over that logic.
I would have thought at 10, it would mean a greater divide between high and low ratings, but I believe it's the opposite.

It doesn't quite work like that. At 0 everyone is equal, but at the highest setting the highest players get boosts. I'm not sure the exact scale but at the highest setting everything 90 and above is given a 99 rating. One of the devs explained it on here a couple of years back and said players play true to their ratings at 3. It's the most complex slider and if you're enjoying the game with the setting you have it on, it's probably best not to think about it.