NHL 10 Roster Update 7 and Tuner Set 1.03 Available, Post Impressions Here

[Redshirt_EA]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fiddy

so, a new one a day later was released? 1.04? or is that a typo? http://www.easports.com/blogs/inthec...-v104-released

Just a typo. Still working on a minor update but it isn't done yet.

[Qb]

Only got one offline game in before playing 4 or 5 EASHL games. Offline, I played as the Rangers against the Penguins to see how I'd do with a top-notch goalie against a talented team. I used the exact sliders I've been using for a while now -- no changes to my Screen/Reaction settings of 6/0 for both HUM & CPU -- on All-Star/Hardcore w/ manual passing.

I lost 5-3! Now I'm joking a bit with the exclamation point, but I really can't remember the last time I gave up that many goals. If I had to guess, I'd say in the past 10 offline games I played, I probably held the AI to 2 goals or less in at least 7 or 8 of them. The AI's goals as best I can recall:

1. Dupuis slapper from right around the faceoff dot to Lundqvist's stick side. I went for a poorly-timed pokecheck in the high slot, he cut outside and wired one shortside topshelf. I smiled.

2. Crosby five-hole wrister on the PP. Shot from the point deflected & bounced around in front, before Sid gathered it and beat Lundqvist cleanly with a wrister.

3/4. Slappers from farther out through traffic/screens.

5. Pretty pass from the halfboards across the front of goal to a pretty well-covered Dupuis who one-timed it home the edge of the crease. This was simply a perfect pass -- I was covering Dupuis manually, giving him a few crosschecks & trying to block the passing lane. The puck went between me & the goalie and Dupuis was free just long enough to score. Wish I saved the replay...

My goals:

1. Terrible turnover on a missed pass between Pittsburgh D-men that hit the side of the net. Callahan swooped in on the forecheck after a dump-in and gathered the loose puck just to the left of Fleury. He went for a pokecheck and I stepped around it, roofing a backhander far side he had no chance of stopping.

2. Slapper from the point with a screen on the PP by Roszival.

3. Drury cross-crease after some good cycling pulled the D out of position. With manual passing, I feel no shame in a cross-crease goal...

Keep in mind I played with screen effect maxed and reaction at zero for both teams and it was only one game. If this tuner means I have to raise reaction that's a good thing. I'd much rather have to go back & tweak my sliders than still feel the goalies stop too many shots they shouldn't.


*****

Funny thing happened in trying to evaluate the goalies in OTP -- we played human goalies in all but one game. The game against the CPU goalie was 6v5 and went to OT at 0-0 (we won). Can't really attribute that to the goalie, as neither team reached double digits in shots in a game that would've made Jacques Lemaire fall asleep.

A few other things we noticed:

* It appears deflections are more prevalent now. It wasn't mentioned by Redshirt (didn't see blog yet), but we saw a lot more successful attempts and several goals.

* A few people felt checking might be easier and I did notice my 90 balance PWF went down hard more than usual. I didn't have much luck hitting people, but for some reason I've never been a good hitter in OTP.

* We saw a few goals that seemed to indicate the reaction tuning may affect human goalies as well. We scored on a few shots when the goalie wasn't playing his angle all that well and no auto-save animation bailed him out. It would make sense if true, but maybe we just ran into a few bad goalies...

[Qb]

Fiddy posted while I was rambling, so now I see we weren't imagining the deflection increase. But if I may ask, why are the increases in deflections and screen effect online-only? I think the offline game would benefit from this as well...

[omelete]

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

* A few people felt checking might be easier and I did notice my 90 balance PWF went down hard more than usual. I didn't have much luck hitting people, but for some reason I've never been a good hitter in OTP.

Interesting. I found the exact opposite last night. My defensive D-man ( with 90+ checking, balance, aggressiveness ) just bounced off of everybody last night. More so than pre-1.03.

Hopefully it was just an aberration. I've felt that the number of "big" hits in NHL 10 has perhaps been a bit low ( but much better than NHL 09 ) but I was hoping this tuner would provide more middle ground ( checks that don't destroy your opponent, but separate them from the puck ). So far it looks like checking has been nerfed even more.

[Qb]

I was not in the group that felt checking was easier, it was a teammate or two. And now that I see the list from the blog, it wasn't mentioned. Maybe the attribute range changes played a part in why they felt it was...

[MattyAction]

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

Fiddy posted while I was rambling, so now I see we weren't imagining the deflection increase. But if I may ask, why are the increases in deflections and screen effect online-only? I think the offline game would benefit from this as well...

Thats exactly the first thing that I thought. Why not do it for both. I love offline play and would love to see these changes made for both modes. Strange really...

[Vikes1]

I played a couple of more games with 1.03 in my BEAGM. [All-Star hardcore 9 minute periods.]

Playing as the Wild...I lost the first game vs the Pens 2-1 in a SO. The second game, I lost 1-0 to the Canucks.

I've learned not to judge things with the NHL game by way of just a few games. Thankfully, there are just too many variables with it, to do that. I mean one game theres a total of 50 SOG...the next it's nearly 80. It's awesome imo, that the game somehow varies around so wildly like that. I'm however getting the sense, that I may have to still have the cpu's reaction speed set down a ways. I seemed to be seeing a few more scoring chances with 1.03. It to me anyway, seems quite subtle...which is good. But I have the very early feeling I may not be good enough to take advantage of them.

Again...overall I'm pleased with the minor changes with 1.03. And I'm in a very good place with my setup, with the exception of my continuing troubles scoring. The game seems unwilling to bend, to accommodate a hack like me, with no skills. I love that! I'm enjoying the heck outta trying to get better.

[BleacherCreature]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

And I'm in a very good place with my setup, with the exception of my continuing troubles scoring.

Being a Rangers fan I know all about scoring troubles

I noticed the CPU powerplay is very lethal with the latest tuner set. In back to back games the CPU powerplay was 4-6 and 3-4 against me. Ouch.