NHL 15: The Legacy of the Failed to Launch Title

[nddurst]

Quote: Originally Posted by actionhank

My frustration with rosters and player models has always been that EA for whatever reason (Understaffed, too many other more important focuses, all valid reasons) has never been good at all. They miss handedness, player hair, size, skills, and player moves all of the time. They're also bound to the rules that they are handed by the NHL when they sign the contract as to when players can be added (Due to the NHLPA and having to play a certain number of minutes or games, if i remember right). This could all be easily alleviated if they just added an in-depth roster editing and player creation system. Sure, it would take time, but considering how long they've been using the same system for current player creation (I believe the Player Editor in 14 was for all intents and purposes, the exact same as 09, maybe even earlier than that, with small things added. Even the face models were largely unchanged), EA could create a new system, find a way to either allow offline file sharing through rosters that could be shared, downloaded, and installed via flash drive (no need on their end to monitor a server, track uploads, and host files), or if they really wanted to go the extra mile they could add the online side of it, and host servers to share sliders, rosters, and created players. The Show (yet again) is a great example. Guys have throwback teams, improved rosters, improved attributes (Something the Revamped team used to be able to do, but that was taken away for whatever reason). The Show allows near total customization, but more importantly, they made it easy to share those things with others, whereas EA seems to handcuff you. I've gone on and on before about how awesome it would be if they allowed us to share/edit rosters, and give us a better create a player interface with more options, but they could even take advantage of the powers of the new system and find a way to give access to things like importing image files for things like jerseys and face scans. Guys have been doing it in NHL04 on the PC forever, and that game still gets played by people. Doing the same for NHL would mean people could create their own jerseys, better team customization with custom jerseys for that, and then better face scans without EA having to lift a finger past launch. EA just needs to take the reigns off of the users, because OS alone has a talented user base that's more than capable and willing to do the leg work to improve visuals and rosters, not to mention tweak sliders and attributes to get a more perfect game.

Great points.

The fact is EA doesn't have to make a perfect game. Just improve some of the fundamental engines driving gameplay, give us sliders that actually work, and allow us to fully edit players. It would make the game 100% better.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by nddurst

Great points. The fact is EA doesn't have to make a perfect game. Just improve some of the fundamental engines driving gameplay, give us sliders that actually work, and allow us to fully edit players. It would make the game 100% better.

Exactly. I think the more games borrow from sandbox styled games, the better. Let the people have their NHL player likenesses, give them the arenas and the physics and AI to simulate hockey, then let them tailor the rest to suit themselves.

Sliders that properly work would be another huge addition. If i want an arcade experience with 100mph wristers and diving goalies, let me adjust that. But if i prefer to create plays, and get rewarded for playing realistic hockey, i should be able to. The AI behavior would be another thing that would be a huge plus. Being able to set 'behaviors' for players in create-a-play, and then make routes around the offensive zone/breakout would be huge. If I've got a guy like Backes, let me create a play and not try to force him in front of the net, but set him to 'Screen' and then watch the AI strategically place Backes in the highlighted area i 'draw' on the ice, and then have the AI try to keep him between the goalie and the puck. Then, this behavior set would allow him to try to deflect the puck, dodge out of the way, and turn on a shot to try for the rebound. Similarly, you could set a players like Ovechkin or Stamkos to a 'One-Timer' behavior set, then 'draw' the area you want them to perform this behavior in. They will move in the determined area to stay open in regards to where the puck sits, trying to avoid passing lines, and scoot up and down the circles as the puck moves behind the net, or out to the walls. Then they would break and chase down loose pucks, only when it appeared to be heading to the corner near them, or along the boards.

Just small additions like that (obviously small in terms of the idea, I'm sure it's a mountain of coding and testing) would make a huge difference from the current AI that either gets hit with point shots and blocks them, or stands still until they wander into a poor position for the play. Cross-ice passes were never really useful to me on the PP. Even if i managed to find the guy in the circle, the goalies moved too quickly post-to-post to be an effective strategy, but some simple AI changes, and gameplay additions could make it a huge tool. AI players being useful would be huge. I can't count the number of times I had AI d-men skating up ice with me on a 2 on 1, only to have them stop just past the blue line to wait in their determined spot, or the number of times I just had 2 forwards on a powerplay crosschecking back and forth with defenders while the guy with the puck moves around in the corner with no one to pass to.