NHL 15: First Gameplay Video Emerges

[Mikey88]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trevelyan

What do you guys mean when you say online is a cheatfest? The better team wins the vast majority of the time, thats all you can really ask for in my opinion.

Yup i agree . Im level 62 so i get matched up with some really good players in online versus . And i gotta say is its extremely challenging at that level . Its tough to gain acces to the O-zone, and if you dont capitalize on your chances u will lose

[Icelandair]

I might consider more online play if they had a way to integrate it into a season mode and not just random online games against the same 3 teams.

Not like GM connected, where you have to play the same people in your league and make appointments to get games in, but rather a mode where if I'm the Devils in my season and my next game is against the Rangers it randomly pairs me with someone who chose the rangers as their team. Of course that system would break down when I had to play someone like the Panthers who would have 3 people total who would do their season as them...

[18 eighty 5]

Quote: Originally Posted by jayenomics

The AI was on sim, not hardcore, so there is a huge difference there. I'm not paid or an edorser of EA, but unlike you keyboard warriors, I understand what goes into making a product. It's hard. You are never going to get everything right, and you're never going to please anyone. If there are some improvements from last year, which I can already see there is, then that's a step in the right direction. I don't ever expect them to fix everything, but with the tweaks they are putting in, and some of the things they have changed, the game is going to be much better than 14.

Why charge full price for a few changes then? We have paid top dollar for 'tweaks' for years. Not having a shot at you but this game feels like it has been in limbo since nhl 2008. The entire body of work put into this series since 08 up till last year has probably been enough to make one new game in equivalent terms. BUT they release incremental updates each year and charge us full fare for it. 2014 plays different to 2008. Two different games that had years of gradual, subtle changes released as new games each year in between.

Again, it is becoming as stale as this series to say that a competing NHL game is desperately needed to deliver better consumer products.

I am not won over by anything shown or said so far about NHL 15 for new gen. The only thing they can guarantee for new gen is that the disk label will have the new gen system name on it.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

Nope being serious, the major issue with the AI in EA's game is the lack of neutral zone pressure. Again we're looking at it from 2 completely different angles, you're an online player, I'm not. EA's AI you can breakout how you'd like, either from behind the net going D to D, or the side boards. In NHL2k10 the second you touch the puck in your own zone, you're entire team, including the D pair can't wait to get to center ice to go on the attack. It's the same with positioning on defense, EA's AI will stay in position and at least try and block shots. 2k's AI is too focused on buzzing around the zone trying to hit everything that moves. Really the one complaint that could be levied against EA's AI is it can be too passive at times, but EA gives you tools to make plays. Where as with 2k's game you're stuck with flat out terrible AI regardless of sliders. The perfect description I've found in regards to 2k10 is bumper car hockey, that's exactly what it is. If EA can fix neutral zone pressure on higher difficulties and expand how the attributes effect slider works, I'll be pretty content.

I completely agree with you on the creativeness of breakouts (creativity in general is the best part about this game) and the fact that you can pretty much do what you want, but I still don't think EA does breakouts correctly. It's better than 2k's, but in EA you can still fling the puck to the red or far blue line almost every time to your winger and he's uncovered. There's nothing you can do to stop that winger from flying all the way up the ice like that either. It's one thing if he's covered by a defender but he's always open so that's why it's a huge issue. The strategies, Build AI, and sliders don't matter or anything. I've tried it all.

EA still has work to do on breakouts but I don't see it changing. The reason they allow that winger to fly up is to create that fast paced ping pong match game. They want you to fling it up and go 1 on 3 or whatever into the zone then shoot on the rush and let the CPU get the puck and then do their thing. Neutral zone pressure is number one on my list for biggest issues and the fling the puck to the red or far blue to the winger breakout is number 2. Yes, you can stop yourself from breaking out that way but the fact of the matter is it shouldn't be like that. I've said it before but you should never have to create house rules to make a game playable because the devs can't code a game properly on two pretty glaring things. I give credit to people that do that, but I for one cannot keep forcing myself to make certain plays just because the CPU is incapable of being coded properly.

[SpectralThundr]

Quote: Originally Posted by bwiggy33

I completely agree with you on the creativeness of breakouts (creativity in general is the best part about this game) and the fact that you can pretty much do what you want, but I still don't think EA does breakouts correctly. It's better than 2k's, but in EA you can still fling the puck to the red or far blue line almost every time to your winger and he's uncovered. There's nothing you can do to stop that winger from flying all the way up the ice like that either. It's one thing if he's covered by a defender but he's always open so that's why it's a huge issue. The strategies, Build AI, and sliders don't matter or anything. I've tried it all. EA still has work to do on breakouts but I don't see it changing. The reason they allow that winger to fly up is to create that fast paced ping pong match game. They want you to fling it up and go 1 on 3 or whatever into the zone then shoot on the rush and let the CPU get the puck and then do their thing. Neutral zone pressure is number one on my list for biggest issues and the fling the puck to the red or far blue to the winger breakout is number 2. Yes, you can stop yourself from breaking out that way but the fact of the matter is it shouldn't be like that. I've said it before but you should never have to create house rules to make a game playable because the devs can't code a game properly on two pretty glaring things. I give credit to people that do that, but I for one cannot keep forcing myself to make certain plays just because the CPU is incapable of being coded properly.

On Superstar with my sliders, flinging the puck past the red line generally equates to a turn over. Again you're ignoring memory limitations last gen, as if they don't matter. On the PS3 NHL13 did not run at 60 fps at all times. In NHL 14 if you're playing in the over head view it does, but if you use the broadcast camera it struggles mightily to keep a solid 60fps.

I truly believe they were handcuffed in regards to complicated AI run routines, simply because the systems just wouldn't have been able to handle it, so they had to scale back their ideas for Hockey IQ.

I would imagine AI in a hockey game is likely the hardest thing for any developer to get right in that only Treyarch got close producing 2k3 for Sega. Once 2k took that series over it was all down hill from there with a couple bright spots, NHL2k5 was solid, and they had good looking goalies late in the series yet lacked every where else, including AI for said good looking goalies. I share the same major complaint you do with neutral zone pressure. It's something EA NEEDS to address going foward here.

I also get where you're coming from in wanting better tender animations I truly do, at the end of the day though I'd rather competent tenders rather than flashy.

I think they can get there this gen, I get the feeling it won't be year one with how much they put into upgrading presentation which you and I both know seriously needed attention. I hope to be pleasantly surprised seeing how the game plays on Superstar this year but I am not going to judge the AI on Pro with two knuckle draggers at the controls.

[Griffey30]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mikey88

Yup i agree . Im level 62 so i get matched up with some really good players in online versus . And i gotta say is its extremely challenging at that level . Its tough to gain acces to the O-zone, and if you dont capitalize on your chances u will lose

I agree, I think im low 60 levels also. I play very defensively only allow around 14 shots a game. I also only take about 15. When you play the good players online you really need to dump the puck in and grind it out instead of having the game wide open. Neither player really wants a wide open game cause at that level it would be a shootout

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

On Superstar with my sliders, flinging the puck past the red line generally equates to a turn over. Again you're ignoring memory limitations last gen, as if they don't matter. On the PS3 NHL13 did not run at 60 fps at all times. In NHL 14 if you're playing in the over head view it does, but if you use the broadcast camera it struggles mightily to keep a solid 60fps. I truly believe they were handcuffed in regards to complicated AI run routines, simply because the systems just wouldn't have been able to handle it, so they had to scale back their ideas for Hockey IQ. I would imagine AI in a hockey game is likely the hardest thing for any developer to get right in that only Treyarch got close producing 2k3 for Sega. Once 2k took that series over it was all down hill from there with a couple bright spots, NHL2k5 was solid, and they had good looking goalies late in the series yet lacked every where else, including AI for said good looking goalies. I share the same major complaint you do with neutral zone pressure. It's something EA NEEDS to address going foward here. I also get where you're coming from in wanting better tender animations I truly do, at the end of the day though I'd rather competent tenders rather than flashy. I think they can get there this gen, I get the feeling it won't be year one with how much they put into upgrading presentation which you and I both know seriously needed attention. I hope to be pleasantly surprised seeing how the game plays on Superstar this year but I am not going to judge the AI on Pro with two knuckle draggers at the controls.

Agreed. I'm holding out hope that they're using a very early build. Because this looks like NHL14 with a fresh coat of paint.

Honestly, if i can just see that there is some effort outside of visuals, i will be pleased. I just want the promise of better things to come in NHL16.

[SpectralThundr]

Quote: Originally Posted by actionhank

Agreed. I'm holding out hope that they're using a very early build. Because this looks like NHL14 with a fresh coat of paint. Honestly, if i can just see that there is some effort outside of visuals, i will be pleased. I just want the promise of better things to come in NHL16.

I think the player models look better, the faces are a bit more detailed and the cloth physics are nice to have. If they're being accurate about the puck being able to stick in player equipment even goalies then say get tipped in from a battle in front, it will go a long way with the new puck physics to create some more dynamic situations as well.