NHL 09 Preview

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by kerosene31

Also: -Regular season mode, including fantasy draft (why does every EA Sports game skip this?) -Effective sliders -Many more controls (zone dumps, etc) -Other game modes (2 on 2 pond hockey with no rules would be a blast in 08) -Timely roster updates Not that 2k8 wasn't a total disaster this year. I could actually like 08 if there were some sliders to reduce the perfect pass accuracy and slow the game down to a realistic pace. I doubt EA will allow us to customize the game like that though, for some reason EA wants you to play the game one way and only one way.

I agree about passes being too accurate, I hope thats toned down for 09. I play with game speed set to zero and it seems pretty sim to me at that speed, everyone has different desires for game speed though. The sliders that 08 have work as far as I'm concerned.

Meh about the whole control thing too, you can dump using the skill stick, I do it all the time, its not 100% perfect but its functional, kinda moot since 09 fixes that too with a dedicate dump. To be completely honest part of the problem I have with 2k hockey as it stands is theres just too many controls and most of them aren't implimented in an intuitive fashion. I realize some really do like the whole bumpers to pass and shoot and thats cool, the problem for me is I almost feel I need to be a contortionist to play 2k8 at times. And this is coming from someone who's played every 2k hockey game on advanced controls since 2k3.

The whole tons and tons of sliders thing is a double edged sword really. In the case of NHL2k who really wants to tweak 30 different sliders just to try and make the game play sim? I'm sure its not completely impossible, and the idea that the're available for those who want to do that sort of thing is fine by me, don't take me the wrong way, I just don't want to spend hours messing around with sliders. Been there, done that, burned the Tshirt.The sliders in 08 feel pretty sim to me for the most part really. *shrug*

-Other game modes (2 on 2 pond hockey with no rules would be a blast in 08) eh I rather they would have gotten their deep franchise player progression working properly rather than add more pointless mini games really. Thats what pisses me off the most really being a franchise guy. 2k has always had pretty deep franchise stuff, and some good ideas, the problem is 99% of the time the features either don't work as intended or are just halfassed in implimentation. (like Rivalry games changing sliders on their own for example)

-Timely roster updates er um you're joking right? Did they actually even release a roster update after the trade deadline this year?

[kerosene31]

Quote: Originally Posted by RealmK

The whole tons and tons of sliders thing is a double edged sword really. In the case of NHL2k who really wants to tweak 30 different sliders just to try and make the game play sim? I'm sure its not completely impossible, and the idea that the're available for those who want to do that sort of thing is fine by me, don't take me the wrong way, I just don't want to spend hours messing around with sliders. Been there, done that, burned the Tshirt.The sliders in 08 feel pretty sim to me for the most part really. *shrug* -Timely roster updates er um you're joking right? Did they actually even release a roster update after the trade deadline this year?

2k8 did sliders perfectly. They had different presets for sim hockey or more arcade-ish hockey. EA could do this so easily so that people who wanted a more sim-like game could.

You don't need to spend hours tweaking sliders. You play the game and find something that is a little off and tweak a slider here and there.

Bottom line is none of us will ever agree what a sim hockey game should be (obviously), so why not give the users individual control? In EA when I don't like something, I'm stuck. If I could make passing less accurate, I probably would be a huge 08 fan like everyone else.

The perfect passing means there is little play in the neutral zone and nothing to breaking out of your own zone (unless you have a guy on top of you). 2k7 actually made you think while breaking out of the zone, and forcing you to actually circle back just like in real life. Little things like that are what EA lacks.

As for rosters, 2k8 had a roster update out the day the game hit stores, then one more after that long before EA had any kind of roster update. IIRC it took months for EA to get any kind of roster update out. How are you supposed to start a franchise when half the summer free agent moves aren't in the game?

Anyway, hopefully both games can improve considerably. 2k9 needs a totally new skating engine and the AI there took a huge step back. EA needs some sliders and a REGULAR season mode.

[BigH2k6]

Quote: Originally Posted by RealmK

EA seems to at least make an effort for our yearly 60 dollars. Which is far more than I can say about Kush/2k the last couple cycles.

Roles seem to have reversed for the last couple of years. from 2000 to 2006, including 2007 to some extent with the useless defensive control, EA was bringing out garbage except for maybe NHL 2004, while VC/Sega was listening to the community and bringing out a more realistic sim type game culminating with ESPN 2k5.

Since 2007, VC/Kush has been bringing some useless things such as cinemotion and not fixing presentation (although they did make great strides I thought in 2k8 with the goalies and I really like the pro control) while EA made great improvements since 2007 in making their game more sim and improving presentation as well as bringing inovative controls (even though I'm not paticularily fond of the skill stick).

Hopefully, taking Kush out of equation will bring some improvement and a new perspective to 2k hockey.

[BigH2k6]

Quote: Originally Posted by kerosene31

. EA needs some sliders...

I agree with you 100% on this. 5 or 6 levels of slider adjusments like in 08 are definitely not enough to cater to everybody's style of game.

[BigH2k6]

NAd seperate sliders for human and CPu are definitely needed.

[catcatch22]

Quote: Originally Posted by kerosene31

As for rosters, 2k8 had a roster update out the day the game hit stores, then one more after that long before EA had any kind of roster update. IIRC it took months for EA to get any kind of roster update out. How are you supposed to start a franchise when half the summer free agent moves aren't in the game?

I wasn't aware that nhl 2k8 had the complete AHL league and players in their game. Or am I mistaken.

[Vince]

Quote: Originally Posted by kerosene31

2k8 did sliders perfectly. They had different presets for sim hockey or more arcade-ish hockey. EA could do this so easily so that people who wanted a more sim-like game could. You don't need to spend hours tweaking sliders. You play the game and find something that is a little off and tweak a slider here and there. Bottom line is none of us will ever agree what a sim hockey game should be (obviously), so why not give the users individual control? In EA when I don't like something, I'm stuck. If I could make passing less accurate, I probably would be a huge 08 fan like everyone else. The perfect passing means there is little play in the neutral zone and nothing to breaking out of your own zone (unless you have a guy on top of you). 2k7 actually made you think while breaking out of the zone, and forcing you to actually circle back just like in real life. Little things like that are what EA lacks. As for rosters, 2k8 had a roster update out the day the game hit stores, then one more after that long before EA had any kind of roster update. IIRC it took months for EA to get any kind of roster update out. How are you supposed to start a franchise when half the summer free agent moves aren't in the game? Anyway, hopefully both games can improve considerably. 2k9 needs a totally new skating engine and the AI there took a huge step back. EA needs some sliders and a REGULAR season mode.

The problem with tons of sliders is that tweaking one thing can screw up another aspect of the game and you are left with compensating for every little tweak you do.

[kerosene31]

Quote: Originally Posted by catcatch22

I wasn't aware that nhl 2k8 had the complete AHL league and players in their game. Or am I mistaken.

What does that have to do with roster updates?

I'd like to see a company the size of EA be able to at least give us NHL rosters with the summer moves sometime before the season starts. We shouldn't have to make all those moves each year.