NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

[ThePsychicSaw]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Hi all, new here about to post a link to my massive NHL series analysis that's on the official forums in the NHL 15 thread here, just need 5 posts before I can put a link up

[ThePsychicSaw]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I agree. This drives me crazy.

Some of the worst puck physics I've ever seen

[Sekumpulan]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I have an idea to make 30 teams with all made up players with random stats and ages (using nhlview) on nhl 14, then get 30 people to each own a team, and I will live sim each game, I do not want to put all the time it will take into this idea until I know atleast 10 people are interested, so far my rough version will include these features:

*Each player will pick one nhl team, already made up of random players, you will not know the stats of your players. (This way everyone will pick their favorite team or at least a team they actually like)
*After enough people agree to play I will then include a list of each team's players (name, age, overall, position, role) everyone will be able to see each others players, you can move around your players however you like and I will make the adjustments accordingly.
*Every game will be live sim'd between two computers (I will try to adjust the options to create realistic gameplay between cpu's while also having them try to do highlight goals) and I will create a real schedule for the season and release the dates to you guys, every game will be updated between periods, and every night I will select one game to update live with pictures and highlights. (probably through facebook with a madeup account)
*The game will be have to be played in season mode, therefore there will be a few different out of game rules I will mention later.

if anyones interested let me know theres a bunch of more ideas I have for this and anyone can suggest anything.

[ggazoo]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

So I finally picked this up last week - really great game, but Live The Life is a bit odd.

In my first preseason game after being drafted (to The Sharks) I scored 2 goals and was rated "A" across the board during the whole game. After the game was over (we lost), the front office tells me that I'm not living up to expectations, and I'm down to the 2nd line! I' m wondering if this game forces you to eventually go to the minors first, regardless of your play in the NHL?

[letsgopens66]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I'm about 70 games through my season in BAGM, and I have to say this game is a 6/10 at best. Here's all the things that need to be fixed, in my opinion:

-The brain dead AI is terrible. My players have no idea where to be on the forecheck, and often all drift to one point the ice, leaving their assignments. In the offensive zone, my forwards can never seem to settle in the correct spot in the slot, no matter the formation. Also, they are absolutely terrible providing support along the boards. Oh, and get rid of that 'play' where the D will pinch towards the slot every time I move up the half boards with a winger in the offensive zone.

-Speaking of board play, it needs to be completely redone. There still a ton of suction going on, and the fact that players can kick it in any direction is ridiculous. For instance, just today I was playing a game where Wayne Simmonds was pinned on the boards behind the net and managed to kick it out perfectly into the slot where a Flyer (can't remember who) one-timed it past my goalie. Absolutely ridiculous and not realistic at all. Overall, board play is just a vast simplification of the actual board play in the NHL and it needs to expanded on and fine tuned.

-Hitting. Not every hit needs to be a huge hit, EA. It's dumb that I can't even skate towards a lose puck without accidentally running into an opposing player and getting two for elbowing/charging/boarding. I've also lost two defensemen for the season in my BAGM because they were steamrolled at the blue line while just standing in the offensive zone. They both broke their legs. Seriously, how often do defensemen get crushed at the blue line while cycling the puck? The hitting engine needs a decent overhaul.

-CPU AI quirks. Because god forbid I ever get the puck standing still within two feet of a CPU player. Whenever that happens, I'm instantaneously spam checked until the puck magically flies off my stick and right to another CPU player. It's like the CPU players go into overdrive and I just have to hold on for dear life.

-Goalie puck cover logic needs to be rewritten. Half the goals I give up are because Fleury misses a puck he tries to cover.

I mean I'm 40-22-4 in my BAGM right now (playing on default Superstar hardcore), so it's not like I have problems winning. The problem is that this game is not even close what we all want in a hockey simulation. NHL 08 got everyone pumped for the future of hockey gaming, but the games haven't progressed like I imagined they would. There's always next gen hockey, but I doubt it gets any better.

[CommonDreads94]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Anyone ever start a Live the Life as a goalie? Most of the questions aren't edited to reflect the fact that you're the goalie. I trashed "the goalie" which is me in a post-game interview and my teammate grade went down.

[13whitebread]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

After a hockey hiatus I played NHL 07 briefly at my nephews really like that skill stick but waited for NHL 08 I thought it was simply an amazing game. NHL 09 was ordinary a slight step back from 08 and NHL 10 slightly better than 09 but the last few years not much improvements the same problems plague the series from practically no presentation, peanalties not being called plus ice tilt. I am really hoping with the new systems this will open the door to fix these issues. I know the NHL is making more money hopefully this will translate to EA sports hiting a home run with NHL 15 no more excuses.

[jengo]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Sorry Ea Sports but this years game is horrible. First off is the penalties or lack there of. Second is the overall play of the a.i. The only strategy the a.i uses is a long pass up to center ice. Every time I have the a.i pinned in their own zone as soon as they get the puck it's a long stretch pass up ice. Would be a lot more realistic if the a.i would try to clear the puck off the boards once in awhile. On top of that is the 9,257 passes the a.i makes every 5 seconds and the lack of any time of possession in my zone. Very seldom does the a.i ever close me off along the boards and force me to dump the puck in. I could go on and on but overall the true essence of hockey is missing. Really thought by now the game would be much better. I honestly can't find any settings on this years game that even make it playable. This is the 1st year I am at a point of shelving it.

[HingleMcCringleberry]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

playing goalie in online is a nightmare... does anyone online play D in online? i can't stand how nobody understands that forwards aren't supposed to cherry pick all game and that defenders aren't supposed to just go for hits instead of cutting off passing lanes. then when it comes down to it, i get 3 or 4 hate messages since i can't save 95% of the 3 on 0 breakaways at goalie.

I really hope they make a lobby for legitimate players vs. the EASHL dangle and cherry pick kiddies who use the goalies as scapegoats when they can't do their jobs on either side of the ice.

[jermball]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Lots of input lag and very slow loading on PS3.

[18 eighty 5]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I'm about 70 games through my season in BAGM, and I have to say this game is a 6/10 at best. Here's all the things that need to be fixed, in my opinion:

-The brain dead AI is terrible. My players have no idea where to be on the forecheck, and often all drift to one point the ice, leaving their assignments. In the offensive zone, my forwards can never seem to settle in the correct spot in the slot, no matter the formation. Also, they are absolutely terrible providing support along the boards. Oh, and get rid of that 'play' where the D will pinch towards the slot every time I move up the half boards with a winger in the offensive zone.

-Speaking of board play, it needs to be completely redone. There still a ton of suction going on, and the fact that players can kick it in any direction is ridiculous. For instance, just today I was playing a game where Wayne Simmonds was pinned on the boards behind the net and managed to kick it out perfectly into the slot where a Flyer (can't remember who) one-timed it past my goalie. Absolutely ridiculous and not realistic at all. Overall, board play is just a vast simplification of the actual board play in the NHL and it needs to expanded on and fine tuned.

-Hitting. Not every hit needs to be a huge hit, EA. It's dumb that I can't even skate towards a lose puck without accidentally running into an opposing player and getting two for elbowing/charging/boarding. I've also lost two defensemen for the season in my BAGM because they were steamrolled at the blue line while just standing in the offensive zone. They both broke their legs. Seriously, how often do defensemen get crushed at the blue line while cycling the puck? The hitting engine needs a decent overhaul.

-CPU AI quirks. Because god forbid I ever get the puck standing still within two feet of a CPU player. Whenever that happens, I'm instantaneously spam checked until the puck magically flies off my stick and right to another CPU player. It's like the CPU players go into overdrive and I just have to hold on for dear life.

-Goalie puck cover logic needs to be rewritten. Half the goals I give up are because Fleury misses a puck he tries to cover.

I mean I'm 40-22-4 in my BAGM right now (playing on default Superstar hardcore), so it's not like I have problems winning. The problem is that this game is not even close what we all want in a hockey simulation. NHL 08 got everyone pumped for the future of hockey gaming, but the games haven't progressed like I imagined they would. There's always next gen hockey, but I doubt it gets any better.

I agree with all of this. It is a shame that the CPU gets such obvious advantages because the complete transparency in what is happening really detracts from the good stuff in the game.

I would love it if the CPU just didn't have such severe boosts even if it meant I won every game because at least the play would center around some balanced universals. Those universals would dictate how hitting and suction behaved They would dictate the speed of the skaters according to the stats of the players and would either allow both teams to have small, fast turning circles or turning circles dictated by stats and the physics engine.

It is a killer to see so many loose pucks go straight to the CPU who are given faster bursts of speed, tighter turning, bubble protection and magnetic sticks.

The other thing is to rework how all AI respond to loose pucks evenly or according to their stats. The CPU already knows where the puck is going to be the moment the puck comes off a stick, goalie or board. The human player ai are so transparently dumbed down on this that it looks ridiculous to see elite hockey players unaware and incapable of doing simple things like motor for the loose puck or take possession of the damn thing as it comes within stick reach. The player ai are made to look plain foolish and again it takes away from the immersion of playing in the NHL.

Also, why is every team rated so high? Is it because they don't want potential customers turned off the game if they discover their favorite team sucks as bad as it does in real life? Is it to stop everyone from playing with only the best teams? I don't understand this. If it is to appease the potential consumers that they can have a competitive team no matter who they support then I think that is silly. It is irrelevant in the end anyway because the poor AI and weighted CPU advantages will make up for it the end.

[shogunofharlem3]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I agree with all of this. It is a shame that the CPU gets such obvious advantages because the complete transparency in what is happening really detracts from the good stuff in the game.

I would love it if the CPU just didn't have such severe boosts even if it meant I won every game because at least the play would center around some balanced universals. Those universals would dictate how hitting and suction behaved They would dictate the speed of the skaters according to the stats of the players and would either allow both teams to have small, fast turning circles or turning circles dictated by stats and the physics engine.

It is a killer to see so many loose pucks go straight to the CPU who are given faster bursts of speed, tighter turning, bubble protection and magnetic sticks.

The other thing is to rework how all AI respond to loose pucks evenly or according to their stats. The CPU already knows where the puck is going to be the moment the puck comes off a stick, goalie or board. The human player ai are so transparently dumbed down on this that it looks ridiculous to see elite hockey players unaware and incapable of doing simple things like motor for the loose puck or take possession of the damn thing as it comes within stick reach. The player ai are made to look plain foolish and again it takes away from the immersion of playing in the NHL.

Also, why is every team rated so high? Is it because they don't want potential customers turned off the game if they discover their favorite team sucks as bad as it does in real life? Is it to stop everyone from playing with only the best teams? I don't understand this. If it is to appease the potential consumers that they can have a competitive team no matter who they support then I think that is silly. It is irrelevant in the end anyway because the poor AI and weighted CPU advantages will make up for it the end.

Try the edits I posted in this thread. No CPU boost, they have to play fair and square like us. Give it a go. I was done with this game until I started tinkering with it.

Hoping to get NHL View working and I'll take the last EA update and globally edit and post that roster with skater and goalie attributes.

Check this thread: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-ea-style.html

[18 eighty 5]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Try the edits I posted in this thread. No CPU boost, they have to play fair and square like us. Give it a go. I was done with this game until I started tinkering with it.

Hoping to get NHL View working and I'll take the last EA update and globally edit and post that roster with skater and goalie attributes.

Check this thread: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-ea-style.html

Whoa, cheers Sho. Will do. I am on PS3, does that change anything?

[shogunofharlem3]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

Whoa, cheers Sho. Will do. I am on PS3, does that change anything?

Shouldn't. Give it a go. Enjoy.

[meep316]

Re: NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

I just played NHL for the first time in a long time, and was reminded of how downright terrible the AI is. It's been the same for YEARS. I'm not kidding, it's unplayable. How the **** this dog **** won sports game of the year ever, nevermind multiple times, is literally the craziest thing I've ever heard. I can't even put into words how terrible it is.

Players just have absolutely 0 awareness whatsoever, especially in terms of where to skate on a breakout or entering the zone. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Unable to do the most obvious things, like skate to open space instead of crowding the guy with the puck (not supporting him, literally skating into him or just getting in the way). I know mites with better hockey sense than the AI in this game, and these are supposed to represent NHL players. Just garbage.