NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

[jyoung]

So I was wondering why my center who is 6'1" 215 pounds can't hit anyone.

I tried going down to my old NHL 13 build of 6'1" 190 pounds and now I am crushing people.

Same attributes and equipment. The only thing I changed was the weight.

Once again, it seems that speed still has way more importance to making hits in this game than it should. Extra weight should be a boon to hitting, not a hindrance. But the game still has it backwards.

[savoie2006]

Quote: Originally Posted by aparks87

Nope. CPU penalties are again a complete joke and non-existent.

I beg to differ. I can draw at least three a game. Play style, fatigue settings and period length must be taken into consideration.

[aparks87]

Quote: Originally Posted by savoie2006

I beg to differ. I can draw at least three a game. Play style, fatigue settings and period length must be taken into consideration.

I commend you for taking the time to fix the game to get the results you want....but out of the box....im not seeing it. I play All-Star difficulty on Hardcore with 7 min periods and pretty much default everything else. I average 3-4 pens a game and the cpu takes maybe 1 if im lucky. Do the tuner sets have anything to do with the results im seeing? I have the latest. I remember last year everyone said certain tuners produced better stats. Idk. Maybe im trying to hard to dislike the game. I guess if i give it time....someone will come out with good sliders. The game isnt even out yet.

[orion523]

Disappointed by the last couple of versions, I wasn't expecting much here either, but after playing all weekend I must say I really like it. I may even purchase the game, but the Be A GM problems with progression are very concerning. Can anyone else confirm the issues?

[timdj84]

Online ,eashl,the bread and butter I might add,is still awful. Fix the pokes,unbalanced AI, horrid AI passing even when not called for. If I keep seeing the wrap glitch and stupid shots that bounce 10 feet off a goalie for a rebound goal ,I'm going to throw up. My team is up 3-0 and I **** you not,the other team got 4 rebound goals....and not good ones. I'm talking impossible,stick through body,no look, hope and pray rebound goals. Meanwhile we work it around,pass, cycle, play D and get **** on? EA...catering to the casual.

[Nittany]

Just a few quick observations after playing 30 EASHL games on XBOX. The first thing that must be fixed is the automatic fighting. I can understand if a guy takes a shot after the whistle or even cheap shots a player...but not for LEGAL hits. Just because I make a legal awesome hit shouldn't make me have to fight and then sit in the penalty box for 5 mins each time. This has happened 2 times in the last 4 games alone. NEEDS TO BE FIXED!!!

The only other thing is actually quite amazing and I give EA credit. For the 1st time in 4 years of playing EASHL, the computer AI actually tried to score on a PK with less than 2 mins left and down by 1 goal. Instead of always dumping the puck, the CPU actually skated the puck into the zone and tried to score. Now they did not pull the goalie...that would be really impressive. But they did try to score. 1st time I have ever seen it...hopefully it was not a 1 time thing. That was my biggest pet peave in all of the prior EASHL seasons.

Going to take some time to build up players. Not seeing a lot of breakaways yet...but that could just be that the human speed is not fast enough yet. Can't really breakaway from the cpu D just yet. Hopefully, this year the breakaways will be toned down. No reason for breakaways when you are on the PK. The cpu D should immediately go back on faceoffs...not into the O zone. Simple hockey....

That's it for now. Please EA...fix the automatic fighting. Only make it on illegal hits...but don't penalize me for making a clean, vicious hit.

See you all in the EASHL! Best mode in video game sports....

Nit

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nittany

Just a few quick observations after playing 30 EASHL games on XBOX. The first thing that must be fixed is the automatic fighting. I can understand if a guy takes a shot after the whistle or even cheap shots a player...but not for LEGAL hits. Just because I make a legal awesome hit shouldn't make me have to fight and then sit in the penalty box for 5 mins each time. This has happened 2 times in the last 4 games alone. NEEDS TO BE FIXED!!!

I understand this needs to be toned down, but in the real NHL a fight almost always breaks out anytime a big legal hit is made.

Hopefully EA can add the instigator to anyone who starts a fight after a hit (even though, again, in the real NHL, this doesn't happen every time as it should), and maybe if hits were put down to 0, the bigger, 'blow-up' hits will happen less frequently.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

I understand this needs to be toned down, but in the real NHL a fight almost always breaks out anytime a big legal hit is made. Hopefully EA can add the instigator to anyone who starts a fight after a hit (even though, again, in the real NHL, this doesn't happen every time as it should), and maybe if hits were put down to 0, the bigger, 'blow-up' hits will happen less frequently.

I agree to an extent.
There will often be fights, but guys like Berglund or Steen aren't likely to fight, even after getting someone clean on a hit.
They'll shove back, but they're not likely to drop the gloves. My only problem is it seems like you're forced into it. Apparently moving the right stick in some direction can allow you to avoid the fight, but if not, it's going to be frustrating having your best players off for 5 minutes every time you get a clean hit.