Anyone find a solution for CPU for the Dump and Chase?

[KvltBear]

Finally got the game for a few weeks now. I'm mainly a CPU vs CPU or coach lock player. Tweaking sliders has been a huge headache. And man am I tired of seeing the CPU dump the puck and fail to retrieve it 99% of the time. Anyone found a magic solution for this?

I've got bouncing puck receptions at 0, which helps if the puck bounces but this is actually pretty rare. I hate acceleration, it looks bad, but it seems to help the CPU actually reach the puck in time if it's at least 20. I'm not sure if reception reaction time actually effects the defense picking the puck up. I've messed with the board interaction sliders and the non puck carrier bouncing off the boards helps. But even that is rare. AI learning seems to help them on the forecheck if the opposing team gains possession but I'm still on the fence if I actually like that slider.

Nevertheless, even if the forechecker can make it in time to force a board battle, the CPU forechecking team can rarely manage to gain possession of the puck even if they "win" the board battle. Seemingly because the defender always ends up between the forechecker and the puck and they just can't maneuver around them to get it. Or, no one else from the forechecking team comes to support and poke the puck loose. Even if the defenseman bounces off the boards and the puck is literally loose, it's like they're going too fast and can't pick it up properly.

Yeah, the flip in to the end boards sucks. Why, why didn't EA hardcore them to flip it to the opposite corner? The dump along the boards animation they do is actually occasionally effective as it goes 3/4 around the boards and the opposite winger actually can get to it. If only they could do that from anywhere instead of being pressured right at the blueline by the boards.

[phillyfan23]

Quote: Originally Posted by KvltBear

Finally got the game for a few weeks now. I'm mainly a CPU vs CPU or coach lock player. Tweaking sliders has been a huge headache. And man am I tired of seeing the CPU dump the puck and fail to retrieve it 99% of the time. Anyone found a magic solution for this? I've got bouncing puck receptions at 0, which helps if the puck bounces but this is actually pretty rare. I hate acceleration, it looks bad, but it seems to help the CPU actually reach the puck in time if it's at least 20. I'm not sure if reception reaction time actually effects the defense picking the puck up. I've messed with the board interaction sliders and the non puck carrier bouncing off the boards helps. But even that is rare. AI learning seems to help them on the forecheck if the opposing team gains possession but I'm still on the fence if I actually like that slider. Nevertheless, even if the forechecker can make it in time to force a board battle, the CPU forechecking team can rarely manage to gain possession of the puck even if they "win" the board battle. Seemingly because the defender always ends up between the forechecker and the puck and they just can't maneuver around them to get it. Or, no one else from the forechecking team comes to support and poke the puck loose. Even if the defenseman bounces off the boards and the puck is literally loose, it's like they're going too fast and can't pick it up properly. Yeah, the flip in to the end boards sucks. Why, why didn't EA hardcore them to flip it to the opposite corner? The dump along the boards animation they do is actually occasionally effective as it goes 3/4 around the boards and the opposite winger actually can get to it. If only they could do that from anywhere instead of being pressured right at the blueline by the boards.

You have bouncing puck reception low thats good. Also pick up type effect needs to be adjusted.

But have you messed with the team strategy of the forechecking team??

You need to have an aggressive 2 man forecheck, with forecheck level higher for dump and chase teams. Also need to put carry/dump slider to lean heaviernon the dump. So they look to dump to retrieve the puck and not just to change lines.

I can tell you it is better in 25 than 24 because the flip puck is stronger and they use hard around dumps as well.

With edited strategies, the cpu has gotten many scoring chances/goals via the dump and chase.

[KvltBear]

You know I think team strategies are probably as much to blame as the AI itself. So many of the line strategies are so close to the mid line it's kind of meaningless. And the default 50-50 is way too quick to shoot. But, alas, the game is balanced around 3 minute periods at 4/6 speed. I was hoping to avoid editing team strategies so I could play franchise but maybe I'll give it a shot just to see.

Yeah the hard around is great, it actually works normally sometimes. The flip much less because they don't hustle to go pin the guy to the boards or battle for the puck. Or they run into them so fast they can't pick up the puck properly. I wish they could do the hard around from anywhere on the ice. As well as a slapshot that would travel all the way to the half boards on the other side. That's honestly probably the best type of dump type. Would really freshen things up instead of skating it in all the time. If the game was on PC we could probably mod it in but...yeah.

With the AI learning slider at a value greater than 0 they seem to carry momentum into the zone when they dump more often than at 0 and forecheck in general better. That's the only slider I've seen meaningfully affect their, uh, dumping behavior.

Pickup type has helped as well but it's tough to tweak as it's probably the most sensitive slider on the passing tab. I've got it at 55 and it seems to make a difference. I think having reception ease at 40-50 has buffered it ok because before, at 0-20 range the players couldn't pick it up.