NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

[THESHAMISASHAME]

Quote: Originally Posted by phillyfan23

I don't mind that they pass it around, I've played with default, low and high shot accuracy but it's the same. 99 percent of the cpu passes will reach their target. There's just not nearly enough ERRANT cpu passes where they pass and miss everything. This was unlike NHL 15, where the cpu sometimes misses on a cross ice defenseman pass point to point. I don't see this on NHL 16. This is how it was if I'm not mistaken from nhl 2010 to 2014.... nhl 15 had a more balanced pass error distribution, some cpu ai passes are intercepted, deflected, bad reception by cpu teammate and flat out errant missed passes. NHL 16 has all those EXCEPT the errant passes which gives off the robotic cpu ai feel and really really felt during the powerplays. The game isn't harder, 5 games play now on superstar I've won 3, lost 1 and lost a shootout. It just doesn't feel right when compared to nhl 15 as far as cpu passes are concerned. I will try to edit one cpu team passing ratings ( since we have edit game this year) and see if the cpu has more errant passes like nhl 15.

Quote: Originally Posted by onlybygrace

99 percent??? Give me a break. If you're gonna complain, then fine. But if the CPU is completing 99 percent of their passes, some of that falls on your shoulders.

99% ? I highly doubt that because I can keep the cpu in the 60% pass accuracy range if I hustle a bit more on the fore-check and stay in the passing lanes and thats on default Allstar .

IMO the key is you gotta put some effort into it and be disciplined kinda like blocking shots its timing to as it just doesnt happen magically and of course by using your proper skill level and sliders to compliment your style .

[phillyfan23]

Quote: Originally Posted by onlybygrace

99 percent??? Give me a break. If you're gonna complain, then fine. But if the CPU is completing 99 percent of their passes, some of that falls on your shoulders.

Regarding the 99 percent comment,what I meant to say was if the puck had a clear path to his teammate, it would reach it 99 percent of the time. Because as it is, the only time the cpu misfires on a pass is 2 things:

1) human interception/deflection
2) or a bad pas reception by the receiving player.

there should be a number 3, which are errant passes that misses EVERYONE.
NHL 15 had this and created a much more lively and sloppier gameplay, nhl 16 doesn't have it nearly enough or at all.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Because what separates a sidney crosby from a 4th liner in passing is the ability to be ACCURATE and tape to tape passing. If crosby were to pass to a moving target with a clear passing lane, he should hit him 19 times out of 20. The 4th liner? maybe 13 or 14 times out of 20.

This aspect isn't represented in nhl 16 on the cpu ai passing, it was in nhl 15.

I do hold the cpu to 70-80 percent passing on all star in 16, but even so, it still doesn't represent the real NHL where bad passers REGULARLY just miss their intended targets. What happens now is even a bad passer, would pass an accurate puck, but a stick from the human player or human cpu ai would intercept. The pass for all intents and purposes was accurate, but a good defensive play was made.

What I wanted to see was a cpu crosby would make those tape to tape passes and rarely miss his target , and a 4th line scrub would regularly miss his passes without a defensive play from the human player. THAT is what separates a crosby from a 4th line goon as far as passing and playmaking are concerned. I hope I made myself clearer this time.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by phillyfan23

Regarding the 99 percent comment,what I meant to say was if the puck had a clear path to his teammate, it would reach it 99 percent of the time. Because as it is, the only time the cpu misfires on a pass is 2 things: 1) human interception/deflection 2) or a bad pas reception by the receiving player. there should be a number 3, which are errant passes that misses EVERYONE. NHL 15 had this and created a much more lively and sloppier gameplay, nhl 16 doesn't have it nearly enough or at all. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Because what separates a sidney crosby from a 4th liner in passing is the ability to be ACCURATE and tape to tape passing. If crosby were to pass to a moving target with a clear passing lane, he should hit him 19 times out of 20. The 4th liner? maybe 13 or 14 times out of 20. This aspect isn't represented in nhl 16 on the cpu ai passing, it was in nhl 15. I do hold the cpu to 70-80 percent passing on all star in 16, but even so, it still doesn't represent the real NHL where bad passers REGULARLY just miss their intended targets. What happens now is even a bad passer, would pass an accurate puck, but a stick from the human player or human cpu ai would intercept. The pass for all intents and purposes was accurate, but a good defensive play was made. What I wanted to see was a cpu crosby would make those tape to tape passes and rarely miss his target , and a 4th line scrub would regularly miss his passes without a defensive play from the human player. THAT is what separates a crosby from a 4th line goon as far as passing and playmaking are concerned. I hope I made myself clearer this time.

I think it would be nice if passes not only missed, but guys had to try and pick the puck up.
Sometimes it all just seems too automatic for the AI. A lot of turnovers and offensive chances happen because a guy might bobble the puck. He gets a hard pass, bounces over his stick, and he has to turn to gather the puck off the boards. Suddenly, there's a forward crashing down who pokes the puck, and he's racing up ice around the defender to get the now free puck.
Things like that are harder to have happen in game. Sometimes you can poke a puck loose, but it doesn't really seem to happen as organically as it does in real life. The AI hasn't really ever seemed to struggle with possession, even if they were guys with lower ratings in their pass attributes. It would be really nice to see 4th liners maybe struggle to catch a hard breakout pass fired to them. So, if you get a guy like Steve Ott who breaks behind the defense and gets a perfect pass, instead of smoothly catching it on his stick, a hard pass might hit the backside of his blade and bounce a bit, requiring that extra second to corral the puck, and settle it down before you get a chance to shoot, which is a huge difference when a guy like Ott is skating in who shouldn't be a terrifying threat to a goalie, compared with someone like Tarasenko would could effortless catch the hard outlet pass, and then go straight into deking the goalie.

[norml]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

So one thing I do not understand at all is "precision skating." When I do it (Hold L2 and move the left stick according to the control instructions) I can't tell the difference between its effect and the old vision control that's been in the game forever. It certainly doesn't look anything like what the trailer showed. Anyone else know what's up with this?

When you're holding the precision skating/vision control button, to get the animations in the trailer just very slightly move the left stick or use quick flicks. If you push to hard the guy will just start skating backwards. It is wonky though and difficult to control.

[bad_philanthropy]

Quote: Originally Posted by norml

When you're holding the precision skating/vision control button, to get the animations in the trailer just very slightly move the left stick or use quick flicks. If you push to hard the guy will just start skating backwards. It is wonky though and difficult to control.

Thanks! Feel like they've tried implementing this sort of thing before and it ends up wonky like this.

[norml]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

Thanks! Feel like they've tried implementing this sort of thing before and it ends up wonky like this.

I think it would work better if vision control and precision skate were separate buttons. Leave vision control but move precision skating to L3.

[DJ]

Picked the game up today for the PS4. I haven't touched any sliders. All-Star/Hardcore, 9-min. periods.

Overall, I like the game. A definite improvement from last year. Game feels sloppier, which is good. Legacy issues remain (lack of penalties, CPU making unrealistic passes while pinned to boards, too easy to gain blue line) but I'm going into this game just looking to enjoy myself and stop stressing about realism. I don't fault those that want realism, but I've learned to accept the way EA makes sports games. I'm enjoying Madden 16 and now NHL 16 because I've given up looking for flaws and just play for fun.

If I didn't adopt that mentality, there'd be no point in me buying the game.

[Vmascarello]

Quote: Originally Posted by DJ

Picked the game up today for the PS4. I haven't touched any sliders. All-Star/Hardcore, 9-min. periods. Overall, I like the game. A definite improvement from last year. Game feels sloppier, which is good. Legacy issues remain (lack of penalties, CPU making unrealistic passes while pinned to boards, too easy to gain blue line) but I'm going into this game just looking to enjoy myself and stop stressing about realism. I don't fault those that want realism, but I've learned to accept the way EA makes sports games. I'm enjoying Madden 16 and now NHL 16 because I've given up looking for flaws and just play for fun. If I didn't adopt that mentality, there'd be no point in me buying the game.

Very well said. I dont think you can play EA sports games unless you adopt that atttitude, otherwise you will be disappointed every year. EA simply isn't going to make the game Im looking for, so you have to decide if the game has enough good in it for it to be fun, and I think it does.

There are still a few things they need to address, with all that being said. Such as the dumb glitches that are wll documented, season goal totals not coming up whenyou score in GM mode yet you can press pause and see how many goals that skater has by simply looking at the box score, and other fixable senseless issues. But, Ive accepted the game and am having fun playing it.

If you want GM mode realism, pick up NBA 2k16 on Thursday. That game is gonna blow minds. Maybe someday 2K will spread the love in other sports, namely hockey and football. Baseball is in good hands.