NHL 11 Demo Review Roundtable

[Scottdau]

HUT will be a game I play a lot. I like it and I love having those cards to buy. But I think I will just play a lot of exhitbition games this year. I have more fun being other teams than I do my own team now. So I might not start a franchise.

[cheechoo98]

Quote: Originally Posted by Keirik

trolllllllllllllllllllll alert

I'm not a troll... I play both hockey games.

It's just that, the statement by Jayson Young kind of bewildered me. He has never before seen the A.I move to open spaces in a hockey game?

I was commenting about the Demo, in that when I set my Breakout to: Aggressive or Full, I still find 3 of my forwards standing still at my blueline. Try it, take your D-Man behind the net to start a breakout, and look where your Forwards are. In hockey, your forwards are always moving, if there is no option, they are circling back looking to receive a pass as they circle forward...

Conversely, in 2K, when I set my breakout to 'aggressive/all out' and 'free-flowing' my forwards are criss-crossing, doing anything to try and get into a nice passing lane for a real 'breakout'. With aggressive strategy in 2K, you can make one guy hang out at the opposing blueline looking for that super-long breakout pass up the middle. I just wish EA's would do the same thing...

Another example of A.I.: There is a strategy in 2K, where if you cycle the puck down low enough, the diagonally opposite D-Man, if he sees an opening, will swoop down low, backdoor, looking for a pass for a tip in/ or one-timer, I've never seen that in EA's game, yet.

I will give the Demo credit, in that the forwards don't just stand off to the side away from the net anymore. They actually go to the front of the net... I scored a couple with Hossa in front screening...

I'm not the 1st person on these boards to complain of the static A.I. in the NHL series. But for the people who have played 2K, they know how good the A.I. is/was.

peace.

[TreyIM2]

I haven't been into the NHL franchise since my last purchase circa PS2's early days but I have played the demos on my PS3 since getting a PS3 in late 07.

One thing that still bothers me is how the players turn around. Seems like they need more animation frames. Very unrealistic and arcadish. One of the "roundtablers" mentioned that and it is something I have noticed for a while since the NHL 08 demo. I've gotten over it with the 09 demo and already have my pre-order for my first NHL game in a very long time, but still, it needs to get worked on, for real, for next year.

Also they need animations for when a player just happens to go directly into the board on his own. At least have the player stick out his arm to brace himself against the wall and have his body turn appropriately. No way that should be still going on in this current gen. Reminds me of that hockey game for the NES. Lol.

Other than that, I still think the game lacks some oomph. I just read about how to use the hustle feature correctly than what I originally knew so I will try that to see if I get more oomph, in a moment, but otherwise, the game feels too slow, overall....yet I like it and want this game.

[swil]

Hats off to the Dev team!

This is the unpolished demo and it still freakin rocks!!! HUT mode is going to keep me busy for a long time.

Love the new hits - I cant get enough of smashing players on the boards. I took Kane and tried to check Pronger and got blasted into next week- gotta love that. Also really glad that skaters do cross-overs when they are protecting the puck and trying to wheel around a defender. 100% more realistic there!

The biggest improvement that has me grinning is the AI, however. The Def is rock solid - pushes puckcarriers to the outside and clogs the hell out of the slot lanes. Almost NONE of my old tactics work on these guys. LOVE IT.

The offense, well, actually looks like a real hockey offense! Pong passing is gone! Praise the lord!

[cheechoo98]

I'm going to take back what I said earlier about the breakout strategies. I do see lots of aggressive breakouts with my forwards.. I'm loving the demo, especially, now that I've gotten into the Ultimate Team more.

EA has keyed on the collecting mentality that we all had as kids. I also like the return of user celebrations (I think 2002) was the last time it was in... Hey! That was also the last time there was card collecting too!
Although, I wish the celebrations lasted maybe, a couple of seconds longer.

It's gonna be a great game this year!

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by cheechoo98

I'm going to take back what I said earlier about the breakout strategies. I do see lots of aggressive breakouts with my forwards.. I'm loving the demo, especially, now that I've gotten into the Ultimate Team more. EA has keyed on the collecting mentality that we all had as kids. I also like the return of user celebrations (I think 2002) was the last time it was in... Hey! That was also the last time there was card collecting too! Although, I wish the celebrations lasted maybe, a couple of seconds longer. It's gonna be a great game this year!

Yeah I was almost guessing you were playing a different 2k10, as there's esentially no breakout strategy employed by the AI in that game. If you have the puck in one corner with a dmen, the other dman rather than sag back on the other end for a regroup pass is gone already in the neutral zone along with the forwards who break for the neutral zone the second you have the puck in your own end. The AI flat out doesn't support the player at all.

In EA's game on the other hand the dman makes himself available for a behind the net pass should you need to change the flow due to a forecheck and the forwards support at the blue line to help move the puck out. Which is the proper way to do it.

It was actually my biggest frustration with 2k10 right up there with the goal tender AI. I don't even want to get into what the problem is there, the list would be too long.

[cheechoo98]

No, RealmK. 2K still has fantastic Breakout plays. I was commenting on how in NHL11 Demo, my forwards are stuck stationary at our own blueline w/ FULL ATTACK breakout on. But now I see that it varies depending on the situation. Sometimes, I see a guy waaay up there in the neutral zone, and sometimes they hang back.
No more 2K talk here, ok? I'll agree to disagree. cheers.

I'm getting addicted to the carding of Ultimate Hockey League...

[gosensgo101]

Quote: Originally Posted by cheechoo98

I'm not a troll... I play both hockey games. It's just that, the statement by Jayson Young kind of bewildered me. He has never before seen the A.I move to open spaces in a hockey game? I was commenting about the Demo, in that when I set my Breakout to: Aggressive or Full, I still find 3 of my forwards standing still at my blueline. Try it, take your D-Man behind the net to start a breakout, and look where your Forwards are. In hockey, your forwards are always moving, if there is no option, they are circling back looking to receive a pass as they circle forward... Conversely, in 2K, when I set my breakout to 'aggressive/all out' and 'free-flowing' my forwards are criss-crossing, doing anything to try and get into a nice passing lane for a real 'breakout'. With aggressive strategy in 2K, you can make one guy hang out at the opposing blueline looking for that super-long breakout pass up the middle. I just wish EA's would do the same thing... Another example of A.I.: There is a strategy in 2K, where if you cycle the puck down low enough, the diagonally opposite D-Man, if he sees an opening, will swoop down low, backdoor, looking for a pass for a tip in/ or one-timer, I've never seen that in EA's game, yet. I will give the Demo credit, in that the forwards don't just stand off to the side away from the net anymore. They actually go to the front of the net... I scored a couple with Hossa in front screening... I'm not the 1st person on these boards to complain of the static A.I. in the NHL series. But for the people who have played 2K, they know how good the A.I. is/was. peace.

There's a simple solution to this: create a play.