NHL 14 Official Trailer, Six New Features Announced

[darknmild]

I guess all EA games have issues. Going back to Madden and NCAA threads.

[canucksss]

Quote: Originally Posted by DJ

No mention of improvements to CPU AI or Be A GM = same old, same old for EA NHL.

exactly my thoughts. same old game with different cover perhaps?

Quote: Originally Posted by Zobitembois

Looked good and sounded good.........like in every video game commercial.

always good commercial but somehow fail miserably in the final product. I HOPE im wrong about this with NHL 14.

Quote: Originally Posted by soxnut1018

Looks interesting, but I need to seem improvements to AI and presentation.

yea....i'll not buy NHL 14 unless i see the improvements regarding these 2 points you mentioned.

Quote: Originally Posted by GROGtheNailer

I am bummed out nothing was mentioned on improving the defensive aspects of the game which is a large percentage of the game, or should be. I am surprised they leave this out each year.

after nhl 13, i stopped being surprised about the effort of EA. i will just resort to not buying it if i see the comments of some people here in OS that i highly respect.

[Dougie_G_93]

Geeze some guys act like EA is proposing a new revolutionary free health care system. It's a video game, and the best thing to do is rent before you go and plop down $60, which is what I did this year. In their first release they aren't going to go over every aspect that is new. Hopefully they correct the glaring flaws that have gone uncorrected for years

[Gotmilkman24]

All I want to throw in is that this looks good. Not great, but I'm sure there is more to come. However, some of you guys should stop complaining.. I mean go ahead if you want EA to have less devs for this game.. but this game needs as much support as it can get being that its on a low budget. I do know though that this little trailer release.. isnt everything they have. I'am excited for the new BaPro mode.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dougie_G_93

Geeze some guys act like EA is proposing a new revolutionary free health care system. It's a video game, and the best thing to do is rent before you go and plop down $60, which is what I did this year. In their first release they aren't going to go over every aspect that is new. Hopefully they correct the glaring flaws that have gone uncorrected for years

People get ticked off easily over this game because it's the only one to choose from.
If EA can't get it right, then there's no hockey game to be played.
That's the position I've been in since NHL10. And really, the last EA hockey game I really enjoyed was NHL07.

NHL14 is basically NHL 08.0.6.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gotmilkman24

All I want to throw in is that this looks good. Not great, but I'm sure there is more to come. However, some of you guys should stop complaining.. I mean go ahead if you want EA to have less devs for this game.. but this game needs as much support as it can get being that its on a low budget. I do know though that this little trailer release.. isnt everything they have. I'am excited for the new BaPro mode.

Stop Complaining? Most of us are not complaining. Some of us have strong opinions on this game because we are tired of seeing the same problems with the game year after year. This game has been pretty much untouched in major areas since 07, and it is being echoed by many many long time fans of the series. I have played this game since NHL 98 (Ages 7-23), I think I and many others have the right to express our opinions or as you say "complaints" with the game. Technology is improving with video games, and many of us expect more from the NHL series due to what other games such as MLB The Show have done. May I also add the many opinions that people are sharing, are extremely productive and not attacks at the developers.

I think we all know that the game has a much lower budget than most other EA games. We also know that the NHL team has less staff members. However, after 7 iterations of the series this gen, many people still expect more to have been accomplished. At minimum much better AI to play a dynamic and less repetitive game. I can deal with things like physics and skating not being perfect, in fact I don't expect that. What I do expect after 7 years is a much more dynamic and less repetitive AI, as well as a strong differentiation between teams and players. Those two areas are key for replay value with this game. I think that is the frustration with many people who have played the series year after year on this gen.

I do agree with you though that there are going to be more announcements. It's so early with information that it's kind of unfair to speculate that nothing else has been done to improve the game. With the track record of the series the past few years, many people aren't optimistic that the problem areas, will not be improved. You really can't blame people for that.

[canucksss]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gotmilkman24

All I want to throw in is that this looks good. Not great, but I'm sure there is more to come. However, some of you guys should stop complaining.. I mean go ahead if you want EA to have less devs for this game.. but this game needs as much support as it can get being that its on a low budget. I do know though that this little trailer release.. isnt everything they have. I'am excited for the new BaPro mode.

http://youtu.be/ZCb6Rlpv9Fg - look at 3:55 (EA Sports Hockey IQ) - at first this was working perfectly in my offline game, but after the patch, there's not even presence of neutral zone defense from AI. Defense became non-existence....do not suggest HOF mode because all the program does is make all players juiced-up.

http://youtu.be/P0iLGMBRhIg - look at 1:09 when Ram is talking about EA TEAM AI (IQ), it was there at the beginning but after the patch it was removed. WHY? PERHAPS MANY cry-babies are saying "this is difficult...remove TEAM AI.... coz i cant rush" kinda statements.

please dont suggest to try the sliders....ive tried cycloniac's and mk's, these guys devoted so much of their time to have a great sliders. but because ea removed the defense aspect in this game even the great sliders of these slider gurus cannot help this game, IMO.

that's why i am "COMPLAINING". these are only several factors why it irates me after spending $$$. dont say "why not rent it first" coz this EA TEAM AI was IN the game before EA decided to remove it post patch.

[archibalduk]

Quote: Originally Posted by bwiggy33

Stop Complaining? Most of us are not complaining. Some of us have strong opinions on this game because we are tired of seeing the same problems with the game year after year. This game has been pretty much untouched in major areas since 07, and it is being echoed by many many long time fans of the series. I have played this game since NHL 98 (Ages 7-23), I think I and many others have the right to express our opinions or as you say "complaints" with the game. Technology is improving with video games, and many of us expect more from the NHL series due to what other games such as MLB The Show have done. May I also add the many opinions that people are sharing, are extremely productive and not attacks at the developers. I think we all know that the game has a much lower budget than most other EA games. We also know that the NHL team has less staff members. However, after 7 iterations of the series this gen, many people still expect more to have been accomplished. At minimum much better AI to play a dynamic and less repetitive game. I can deal with things like physics and skating not being perfect, in fact I don't expect that. What I do expect after 7 years is a much more dynamic and less repetitive AI, as well as a strong differentiation between teams and players. Those two areas are key for replay value with this game. I think that is the frustration with many people who have played the series year after year on this gen. I do agree with you though that there are going to be more announcements. It's so early with information that it's kind of unfair to speculate that nothing else has been done to improve the game. With the track record of the series the past few years, many people aren't optimistic that the problem areas, will not be improved. You really can't blame people for that.

FWIW I agree 100% with the above. I'm in a similar position too, having played the game since NHL 98. For me, NHL 04 and 13 have been the most fun to play of the series to date. Since NHL 06 I've tended to buy the game every other year because I don't find there are enough changes year on year to warrant spending £40 annually. However, I personally felt there was little difference from NHL 09 through to NHL 12 and so NHL 13 is the first game I've bought since NHL 09 (although I play the demo every year to check it out).

AI is the big thing for me. I felt NHL 13 was a refreshing change because the devs appeared to be looking at developing the AI, tactics, goalies, etc and of course the brilliant skating engine. However, what has been announced so far is a real disappointment for me. I really wish the game was more of a simulation and less of an arcade game. Obviously there needs to be a balance between the two in order to keep the game enjoyable, but there are some simulation aspects I think are really missing. Board play is a huge omission from the game. What percentage of an average game in real life is spent battling along the boards? An awfully higher percentage than in NHL. And there seems to be only one or two board play animations in game (and much of the time it seems to kick in at the most unrealistic times). It's elementary things like this I wish EA would spend time fixing.

I'm still waiting to see what further announcements will be made, but from previous experience, I'm not holding my breath.