Dead already

[leafsfan67]

This forum died early this year. EA wake up, you're losing customers. The game is not just HUT.

[Sportsfan28]

Re: Dead already

This forum died early this year. EA wake up, you're losing customers. The game is not just HUT.

Kinda like the Leafs in the 1st round every season? Haha Go Habs Go!


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[VeNOM3099]

Re: Dead already

Kinda like the Leafs in the 1st round every season? Haha Go Habs Go!


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Well no, this game has always been dead, kinda like... Well, kinda like the Leafs I guess. :P

[The EVHL]

Re: Dead already

Well no, this game has always been dead, kinda like... Well, kinda like the Leafs I guess. :P

This game was really alive from 09-12 it was quite the experience and vibe. TPS kind of ruined a lot of the fun for me because the "realistic" skating engine didn't allow for any lateral agility (no backwards crossovers, pivots as slow as an 18-wheeler lol...like come on) and turned the game into rod hockey. Then this gen came around and they forgot about EASHL, then had the captain lag for a whole year, then made the MOBA-style classes but forgot to actually force players into making MOBA-style decisions with their builds, then introduced RPM hitting which was extremely good and favorable for the 19 beta, then ruined it for the 19 full release, and now they release games and don't change them whatsoever while using the crutch "last time we changed something mid-season, people didn't like it so we don't do that anymore" lol.

Like I said in another thread, they can't get out of their own way.

[leafsfan67]

Re: Dead already

Kinda like the Leafs in the 1st round every season? Haha Go Habs Go!


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Low blow lol.

[VeNOM3099]

Re: Dead already

This game was really alive from 09-12 it was quite the experience and vibe. TPS kind of ruined a lot of the fun for me because the "realistic" skating engine didn't allow for any lateral agility (no backwards crossovers, pivots as slow as an 18-wheeler lol...like come on) and turned the game into rod hockey. Then this gen came around and they forgot about EASHL, then had the captain lag for a whole year, then made the MOBA-style classes but forgot to actually force players into making MOBA-style decisions with their builds, then introduced RPM hitting which was extremely good and favorable for the 19 beta, then ruined it for the 19 full release, and now they release games and don't change them whatsoever while using the crutch "last time we changed something mid-season, people didn't like it so we don't do that anymore" lol.

Like I said in another thread, they can't get out of their own way.

That's the thing: this game was "dead" to me because, even though you had mobility, the skating looked awful. Like a player on a magic carpet just floating everywhere. I think it was DJ Neo who had made a video showing how you could move from one end of the rink to the other end without actually moving your legs. That just killed the immersion for me.

Don't get me wrong, I played NHL 11, 12 and 13 with friends, but it was the laid back, arcade, "Hey let's get some drinks and snacks and just be silly" type of game for me. And that's the other thing, it was "fun" with a bunch of friends sitting on the couch. But if you played this alone (especially online) it was akin to stapling your scrotum to the floor and then smashing them with an anvil, and then burning them to dust with a flamethrower.

Then they tried to apply a more realistic skating engine in later games by going in the completely opposite direction. And they expected people to just like it?? "Let's GIVE them realism but take away all the mobility they had in previous games". Why? I've skated on real ice before. Heck, I was a goalie in a competitive league here in Montreal and I had much more mobility, with all the equipment, than EA would allow with their skaters in the game. That is until NHL 19, 20 and 21 where Forwards are allowed to do whatever they want, however they want, with the puck even! Smash into the sideboards and bounce off like a trampoline while still in control!! Yaaaaaaaayyy!!! While Defenders and Goalies can just sit their with their junk in their hands and allow goals by the bucketful. Fun!!!!

There's never any grey with their developers, it has to be Black or White. Nothing in between. There is no Balance.

*sigh*

[The EVHL]

Re: Dead already

That's the thing: this game was "dead" to me because, even though you had mobility, the skating looked awful. Like a player on a magic carpet just floating everywhere. I think it was DJ Neo who had made a video showing how you could move from one end of the rink to the other end without actually moving your legs. That just killed the immersion for me.

Don't get me wrong, I played NHL 11, 12 and 13 with friends, but it was the laid back, arcade, "Hey let's get some drinks and snacks and just be silly" type of game for me.

Then when they tried to apply a more realistic skating engine, they went in the completely opposite direction. Let's GIVE them realism but take away all the mobility. Why? I've skated on real ice before. Heck, I was a goalie in a competitive league here in Montreal and I had much more mobility, with all the equipment, than EA would allow with their skaters in the game.

There's never any grey with their developers, it has to be White or Black. Nothing in between.

*sigh*

Yeah, totally agree. They went from floating on the ice to literal rod hockey guys who couldn't move laterally and could just sprint forward with the TPS era lol. Now that they have RPM, an engine that can actually provide both some sense of realistic weight without sacrificing the agility we see hockey players have, they choose to just tune it back to NHL 09 floating...like come on! The tech is there! The sliders are there! What are they doing lol??

[VeNOM3099]

Re: Dead already

Yeah, totally agree. They went from floating on the ice to literal rod hockey guys who couldn't move laterally and could just sprint forward with the TPS era lol. Now that they have RPM, an engine that can actually provide both some sense of realistic weight without sacrificing the agility we see hockey players have, they choose to just tune it back to NHL 09 floating...like come on! The tech is there! The sliders are there! What are they doing lol??

Here's the thing: the game could be a bazillion times better if they make the Offense more challenging. That's it!

Slow down the speed of the game in general. But let them retain their maneuverability. Real players can go full tilt forward, hit the brakes and go in a completely different direction in a fraction of a second. Why does it have to feel like trying to turn an 18-Wheeler in this game?? No more using the boards as trampolines to keep control of the puck. No more passing through 5 players to a teammate. No more Backwards skating into the zone, getting hit 10 times and still keeping the puck. There's absolutely NO need to let them score 13 times on 12 shots. Make it more challenging. Keep Defense as it is. Maybe allow them a bit more precession while skating from a stand-still. And Boost Goalie reactions if they're in good position a fraction more while punishing 6'5" goalies that just stand at the goal line with slower reactions.

Another thing that would make the game better: punish players that rag the puck. You don't need to invent the wheel again, just hit them with a rule that already exists in the NHL: Delay Of Game. If a player stays behind his net or the goal line for more than 30 seconds, penalty. If the player doesn't bring the puck over the red line within 45 seconds, penalty. And if they don't bring the puck over the opponents blue line within 60 seconds, DELAY OF GAME PENALTY!!!!!

They keep doing it, they get booted from the game. Simple.

"Oh but people are gonna complain if we do that". I don't see the same sympathy for people who go AFK. They get outright booted don't they? If they don't like it and complain, they should probably start learning how to play Hockey.

It's about time people in general start learning how to play the sport online. Here's your chance (EA) to teach them...

[Zigs44]

Re: Dead already

Couldn't agree more with you guys. Online is nothing like the sport of hockey, especially in HUT and EASHL. Online VS is the only time I've seen real hockey being played but even that's a lucky occasion.

My gripes are with the offline modes. GM Mode was severely downgraded from the 360/ps3 generation and I still don't think it's caught back up. Other than the expansion draft the rest of their new features are shallow or flat out don't work. Chemistry is frustrating, scouts are tedious, coaches have way too many things to try to match with your team, and owner mode is boring with no charm at all (remember the GM office in NHL 04-05?).

Sim speed is still incredibly slow compared to MLB The Show (even on next-gen consoles), and MLB simulates 3 leagues with complete statistical breakdowns.

Be a Pro was a solid attempt, but again a new feature that was more tedious than fun. Games are interrupted 3-4 times a game for "challenges" that are always either scoring or preventing the other team from scoring. Conversations happen every off-day and don't really even impact relationships. Worst of all your player is referred to as "the rookie" even if you're 10 years deep in your career.

Rant over, here's what I'd add/change:

Make players more individual. Adding more player types will give each player a bit more personality while adding more options for chemistry. They could easily add the EASHL classes to the rest of the game, especially for defensemen who only have 3 player types.

Make scouting more simplistic. Hiring and managing 20 scouts is incredibly time consuming, especially throughout the season. I get they tried to do what FIFA does, but they limit it to 6 scouts while also allowing 3 youth academy coaches. NHL should limit scouts to 6-10 that automatically update player profiles and notify you throughout the year how they feel about certain players and that region in general. It's not fun having to pick a bunch of players and individually set them to scouting specific traits.

Steal the depth chart feature from MLB The Show that not only shows your current lines but also allow you to look at your potential lines in future years. This let's you see upcoming free agents as well as monitor your young players' developments (MLB has a projected overall stat for players that are still developing and aging players' regression). This was huge in MLB for managing teams in the long-term.

Add simulation moments. Stop simulation when an event is happening that could gain your team momentum. Things like a 3rd period power play when your team is down 1, finishing out a shutout, or overtimes.

Make Be a Pro choices more impactful. Challenges are fine but if my player is already good enough for 100 relationship across the board there's no drive to complete them. Challenges should be season-long. Things like scoring 20 goals, 60 points, or keeping a positive +/- that don't interrupt you after every game.

Give your player a personality type that influences stats and relationships. A cocky player would have higher shooting stats with sacrifices to their teammate relationship, a leadership personality would give better two-way stats as well as buffs to teammate and GM relationships.

Steal the March to October game mode from MLB. A single-season game mode that focuses on single season management, almost like a campaign mode for each team. Before the season starts there's a breakdown of your chosen team's previous season and their expectations for the current year. Throughout the season you're given decisions to make about players to bring up, trades, and challenges that impact your entire season. Some games you're given control of one player in hopes of increasing his overall for the rest of the year, while team challenges give you momentum for simulated games.

TLDR: Just make a hockey version of MLB The Show


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[Armor and Sword]

Dead already

March to October freaking sucks.

The new depth chart from MLB? Come on.

You guys need to appreciate what NHL does 100 times better than The Show.

We are dying for scouting like NHL has on The Show. Literally dying for it. Scouting on MLB is horse**** compared to NHL.

I find it crazy people are
Clamoiring for scouting to be simplified when in fact scouting for Hockey and Baseball is far from simple. You have minor leagues to develop, and player development in MLB and the NHL is far more involving than the NFL and NBA.

I wish The Show had a lot of features NHL 21’s franchise mode had….like a lot of them.

The Show could learn a lot from the NHL scouting/owner/financial system that is in place. And the expansion mode is great!!!

Lord please do not bring the crap that infested MLB The Show into NHL. I just really got into NHL 21 and while I am a pure amateur hockey guy per se…..the depth NHL’s franchise mode has with scouting is awesome.

If it is that tedious for some….auto scout.

I think you are going to get opinions all over the map.

I am coming from a un jaded non invested place.

Come over to The Show forum and you will see the same whining and bitching about MLB’s franchise mode which has been virtually untouched. The depth chart is whatever. That was the biggest add they had and it was not even needed. You can see your entire system without it and make all your roster decisions easily without it.

Pure horse crap.

Rant over.


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[Funkycorm]

Re: Dead already

Couldn't agree more with you guys. Online is nothing like the sport of hockey, especially in HUT and EASHL. Online VS is the only time I've seen real hockey being played but even that's a lucky occasion.

My gripes are with the offline modes. GM Mode was severely downgraded from the 360/ps3 generation and I still don't think it's caught back up. Other than the expansion draft the rest of their new features are shallow or flat out don't work. Chemistry is frustrating, scouts are tedious, coaches have way too many things to try to match with your team, and owner mode is boring with no charm at all (remember the GM office in NHL 04-05?).

Sim speed is still incredibly slow compared to MLB The Show (even on next-gen consoles), and MLB simulates 3 leagues with complete statistical breakdowns.

Be a Pro was a solid attempt, but again a new feature that was more tedious than fun. Games are interrupted 3-4 times a game for "challenges" that are always either scoring or preventing the other team from scoring. Conversations happen every off-day and don't really even impact relationships. Worst of all your player is referred to as "the rookie" even if you're 10 years deep in your career.

Rant over, here's what I'd add/change:

Make players more individual. Adding more player types will give each player a bit more personality while adding more options for chemistry. They could easily add the EASHL classes to the rest of the game, especially for defensemen who only have 3 player types.

Make scouting more simplistic. Hiring and managing 20 scouts is incredibly time consuming, especially throughout the season. I get they tried to do what FIFA does, but they limit it to 6 scouts while also allowing 3 youth academy coaches. NHL should limit scouts to 6-10 that automatically update player profiles and notify you throughout the year how they feel about certain players and that region in general. It's not fun having to pick a bunch of players and individually set them to scouting specific traits.

Steal the depth chart feature from MLB The Show that not only shows your current lines but also allow you to look at your potential lines in future years. This let's you see upcoming free agents as well as monitor your young players' developments (MLB has a projected overall stat for players that are still developing and aging players' regression). This was huge in MLB for managing teams in the long-term.

Add simulation moments. Stop simulation when an event is happening that could gain your team momentum. Things like a 3rd period power play when your team is down 1, finishing out a shutout, or overtimes.

Make Be a Pro choices more impactful. Challenges are fine but if my player is already good enough for 100 relationship across the board there's no drive to complete them. Challenges should be season-long. Things like scoring 20 goals, 60 points, or keeping a positive +/- that don't interrupt you after every game.

Give your player a personality type that influences stats and relationships. A cocky player would have higher shooting stats with sacrifices to their teammate relationship, a leadership personality would give better two-way stats as well as buffs to teammate and GM relationships.

Steal the March to October game mode from MLB. A single-season game mode that focuses on single season management, almost like a campaign mode for each team. Before the season starts there's a breakdown of your chosen team's previous season and their expectations for the current year. Throughout the season you're given decisions to make about players to bring up, trades, and challenges that impact your entire season. Some games you're given control of one player in hopes of increasing his overall for the rest of the year, while team challenges give you momentum for simulated games.

TLDR: Just make a hockey version of MLB The Show


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

You make some decent points but are also off on some. I personally turn some of the gm stuff off in NHL franchise but that is just me as I don't want to worry about budgeting for arena improvements.

First, the depth chart in MLB 21 is broken. It doesn't pay attention to potential. It will take an 80 overall with 82 potential rookie and show them as a 95 in five seasons. You can see this stuff easier on the roster screen without needing an ugly menu.

And march to October. Lol. Just lol. It is canned story line and just poor across the board.

I think scouting in NHL is great where it is. I can choose where to focus my scouts. We can scout multiple facets of a player and that is great. Wish we could get that in MLB. And I have been asking for better scouting in MLB for a long time now. I would say of the 4 major sports and 5 if you add FIFA, that NHL has the best scouting. Scouting to me is the best part of the NHL franchise experience.

Yeah I think there is room for growth in the NHL franchise as well and it is far from perfect, but we want to keep that hokey MLB stuff that got added as back of the box features away from other games. I think the coaching staff and line chemistry can grow and improve as well.

I wish we could edit ratings in franchise and share rosters and possibly even edit draft classes. I think those would be cool features but please don't bring MLB feature modes to other games.

For the record, I do not play be a pro so I can't comment on that.

[SuperGoalies]

Re: Dead already

I did hear one time, that NHL 21 was ahead of the competition, somehow, they had stuff in it, that other games didn't have, am beginning to agree with the narrative on that basis, NHL 21 might indeed be ahead of other games, by far ahead, NHL 21 judging it by my perspective, this might be best NHL game yet.

am still playing NHL 21 as we speak, it's very addictive, am playing be a pro, I had won the Stanley Cup with Tampa bay lightning as backup, we went 16-4 in playoffs if this is a bold prediction of NHL 21 sim engine, could Tampa bay lightning win it again this year?

[Zigs44]

Re: Dead already

I absolutely cannot fathom how anyone who's played current sports games can say any of them are ahead of The Show.

It's light and day how much better SDS handles their game compared to EA/2K.

I'm not at all afraid to die on that hill


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[Funkycorm]

Re: Dead already

I absolutely cannot fathom how anyone who's played current sports games can say any of them are ahead of The Show.

It's light and day how much better SDS handles their game compared to EA/2K.

I'm not at all afraid to die on that hill


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

On field, MLB 20 is the best. Not referring to that. MLB 21 though is a big downgrade from 20.

Talking off field here about the hokey stuff they added. The lame depth chart, March to october, and their "improved" contract and trade logic.

And SDS is no better that EA and 2k these days with their focus on online competitive modes.

NHL scouting is better and deeper than MLBs. That is fact.

Point is that no one should want to take the hokey stuff from MLB 21 and add it to NHL.

[VeNOM3099]

Re: Dead already

I am a pure amateur hockey guy per se...

And that's all you need to know about that post.

As for "on the field" gameplay and which one recreates the sport it is trying to emulate the best? NBA 2K, MLB (from what I've seen)and even F1 2020 win hands down and isn't THAT why you play sport games?

I don't play F1 because it has the driver management from real life. Ditto for NBA or any other sport game (sorry, I don't play MLB because Baseball doesn't really do it for me).

NHL plays NOTHING like the real sport. Not in offline Franchise mode and especially not in Online (HUT, VS or EASHL). It's a joke. A friggin slap to the face while getting kicked in the balls.

I get it that casuals love it because it makes them feel good when they wiggle the sticks, press UP on the right thumb stick and score. It feels good to have results. But to others, we value complexity, the challenge of succeeding. The Journey if you will. Gimme a game where you actually have to think and have knowledge of the said sport to get points any day of the month and twice on a blue moon Sunday.

Leave the "NHL 21s" of the world in the bargain bin where little Tommy likes to find his easy 5$ games...