Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

[phillyfan23]

From impressions thread, but here I include videos to illustrate.

Scoring feels worse in nhl 25 because of how the goalie animations move way too fast. Their reflex is too quick and it doesn't make for a satisfying goal. It's not making it harder to score, but it feels cheaper and it makes it feel like you are beating an animation not the ratings of a goaltender.

For example: U have auston matthews shooting high glove right underneath the bar, in real life, the puck whould whizz so fast, that the puck goes ABOVE the glove because the goalie just wasn't quick enough. This is how it was in nhl 23/24.

But in nhl 25, the goalie's glove animation is TOO quick, that he overplays puck, so the puck goes underneath the glove. When the puck passes the goalie, the goalie's glove is ABOVE the cross bar.

Here are some videos I uploaded. These 5 goals were from just 2 games and a period.

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lbUpZWX83A

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA8Xq_0MW_g

3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS6OOUjRMdo

4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6uzCp3JMvQ

5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKs7FHOrZOw



If this happens rarely just like real life fine, but it happens way way too much and it's just not believable. practically every game has this goal. One game I scored 2 of these goals, and the cpu also scored 2. I tried putting goalie save reaction 0, 100, editing goalies down by 30 points in each of their high low glove/stick. Still there.

Same thing happens when you shoot blocker side, the blocker is so unrealistically quick, that the puck will go between the blocker and the goalie's body. Just not realistic at all. It's like the goalie is missing frames. I'm playing a game of nhl 24 and the cpu has scored 3 goals BEYOND the reach of goalie limbs, not between limbs like described above. This is a huge deal for me as it completely takes the joy of scoring when these instances happen. BTW I have my shot power slider at 68/100. Tried at 50/100, and problem still there

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

Now I post 3 videos from only 1 and a half period played on NHL 24 and see the diference.

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFuMggkKzwI

look at the cpu 5 hole. how it is not completely closed when the shot arrives. The reflexed looks believable and results in a good hockey play. a harder wrist shot from foerster or tippett, could have beaten the goalie 5 hole.

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1F40trcwdQ

A slapshot attempt on the rush yields a beautiful looking save. The puck goes BEYOND the glove, but was saved by the lower pad. Again believable reaction times and results in a good hocley play.

3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4mRF7V7Doo

a high glove shot by the cpu properly handled by goalie ai. no overplaying, no cheap goal.

sorry for the long pause in this video, had to admire my created michkov.

I'm vocal about this because believe this can be fixed via a tuner. I've already sent this to an EA game rep, so hopefully it can be passed along. Last time I tried this was for Madden 22 playcalling in 4th quarter. They actually changed it in a patch a month later. Hopefully this can happen here too.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

Double post

[KvltBear]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

I don't own the game yet but I've noticed the same thing from the cpu v cpu games I've been watching on youtube. Couldn't really put my finger on it until you explained it but yeah, goalies look drastically worse and completely unsatisfying unlike in 24. They look totally robotic now and I'm really confused why they changed anything. Would be great if they changed it back.

[PernellKarl076]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

This thread gives me chills down my spine ! 😮

You know what we went through with our ROBO Goalies back in 23… Ouch !

Now, phillyfan23, since I didn’t play 24, were the goalies without question mark in that edition ? If they were better (animation and in general) why would they have gone backwards in 25 ?

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

I don't own the game yet but I've noticed the same thing from the cpu v cpu games I've been watching on youtube. Couldn't really put my finger on it until you explained it but yeah, goalies look drastically worse and completely unsatisfying unlike in 24. They look totally robotic now and I'm really confused why they changed anything. Would be great if they changed it back.

When I played during trial mode, I felt it was robotic right away. But when getting the gamebafter release and a lot more sample size, the problems showed themselves like the vids I showed.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

This thread gives me chills down my spine ! ��

You know what we went through with our ROBO Goalies back in 23… Ouch !

Now, phillyfan23, since I didn’t play 24, were the goalies without question mark in that edition ? If they were better (animation and in general) why would they have gone backwards in 25 ?

The goalies in 23 had fast reaction times but they stopped the puck yielding low scoring games and too high a save percentage. We just reduced 5 rating attributes by 30 points : high/low glove, high/low stick and 5 hole, and it fixed the problem.

Nhl 24 had zero issues and was great at release.

Nhl 25 is hardcoded animations. I reduced the goalie ratings by 50 points this time, and the cpu goalie let in more or less the same amount of goals due to the overplaying the puck animations. Ive been editing sliders and goalie ratings for 25 with zero success. Needs a patch to dial it back to 24.

I think they did this perhaps for online where goals are scored using money plays. These animations could maybe reduce those money plays. I cant comment because i dont play online.

But for me, it is the number one issue for 25. It makes playing a 93 rated goalie morenor less the same as playing an 81 rated goalie. Both use the bad animations.

In 24, the higher rated goalies had quicker reflex animations than lower rated goalies like it should and every thing was still believable. You still score proper goals agaiinst the good goalies but realistic and makes playing shestrkin a much more different experience than when you play a backup scrub.

25 Needs a patch/tuner to dial it back because sadly, ratings/sliders cant fix this right now, unlike 23.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

Check the nhl highlights of last night game bw van-cgy....11 goals were scored.mostly clean shot goals.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yb6HS8UEU_g

ALL the clean goals scored, the puck went beyond limbs. High shots went above the glove or blocker stick. Lower shots went beyond pads.

Not one instance of a high glove shot that the goalie overplays due to god like reflexes and the puck goes underneath the glove/blocker or between the body and the blocker which happens every single game Ive played on NHL 25. At least one of those type of cheap goals by me and the cpu. Too many cheap leaky goals.

Nhl 24 goalies and scoring events resemble the highlights I posted.

[PernellKarl076]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

Hey buddy !

I don’t mind when that happens once in awhile, but like you said it happens way too often…

Goalies with XFACTORS are even worse I find with their ROBO blocker 😳

I think XFACTORS on my goalies across the league are gonna be taken out. The XFACTORS, not the goalies themselves, lol !

I also see that deflections are always on target like in 23. Do you remember how much we took out of the HAND EYE rating in our roster so that deflections miss the net sometimes ?

I'm vocal about this because believe this can be fixed via a tuner. I've already sent this to an EA game rep, so hopefully it can be passed along. Last time I tried this was for Madden 22 playcalling in 4th quarter. They actually changed it in a patch a month later. Hopefully this can happen here too.

And did you get any feedback on this ?

Thanks !

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

Hey buddy !

I don’t mind when that happens once in awhile, but like you said it happens way too often…

Goalies with XFACTORS are even worse I find with their ROBO blocker 😳

I think XFACTORS on my goalies across the league are gonna be taken out. The XFACTORS, not the goalies themselves, lol !

I also see that deflections are always on target like in 23. Do you remember how much we took out of the HAND EYE rating in our roster so that deflections miss the net sometimes ?




And did you get any feedback on this ?

Thanks !

Hand eye I think it was -20 or -30 points.But maybe use -25 points to be in the middle.

Subtracting hand eye will result in more bobbled passes as well I believe. so might need to counter balance with pass reception ease slider.

Regarding the goalie save animations issue, I sent a PM to the EA moderator aljo, message was read but no response. If there are any other EA mods I'd send to them as well, but it seems like he's the only one active on the website.

I tried to put my message in the main NHL 25 boards, but I was unable to for some reason.

[PernellKarl076]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

I just checked the discord, it was -20… Not sure I wanna go down that road again 😒 Will do some testing in the practice facility with different players and values to see how it plays out.

[Christian9]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

EA sorely needs to implement mass changes, something like NBA 2K has. Makes roster changes almost enjoyable lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[PernellKarl076]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

EA sorely needs to implement mass changes, something like NBA 2K has. Makes roster changes almost enjoyable lol.

Agreed 110%

You don’t know how many times I asked EA or how many dreams I had about this, lol !

[MiracleMet718]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

What difficulty are you guys playing on? Only asking because I’m playing on superstar and while I do see these, most of the time it’s because a screen is set and the goalie is reacting because they can’t see the puck. I personally find it better because in previous years they would save everything hit near them when in real life goals are scored from goalies being screened and reacting late or missing a puck by just a little bit.

The only goals I’m seeing that are OP are the “perfect” one timers from the point that seem to beat the goalie low to the side even when there is no screen.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Bad goalie animations = cheap feel in scoring (Videos)

At least this issue is being discussed more in the EA FORUMS. A number of users have posted about this issue and it has been passed iver to the devs.

Hopefully they can fix it, because NHL 25 ai is a level above NHL 24, but this goalie animations issue was a huge step back making scoring not rewarding on many many goals both by user and cpu.

Last game I played, it was a tight checking 1-1 game late in the 3rd period. With 2 mins remaining in3rd and Outshooting cpu 23-21 (on 10 min periods), I score this cheap blocker side goal.

Ruined the whole game experience.