EA should start to remove the vs AI completely

[6194life]

Theres probably too many to generate a list, but there are many things the AI can do with ease, quickness and success that even the best human players cannot. I've found these problems on all difficulty levels, the higher you go the more often they happen.

- The AI has the amazing ability to pass whenever they want, however they want. We can't, the extra second it takes for us(even the quickest reactions aren't good enough) I've personally hated manual passing since it was put in simply because there is no way you can tell me I have to "power up" in real life to make a pass. I can get a bullet pass off just as fast as I can a feathered one. Most people here who play real hockey would also agree that the they would never have as many errant and just plain terrible passes in real life. Of course mistakes are going to be made but even the worst of pickup shinny players can make a simple 2 foot pass easier than Crosby can when I'm controlling him. How many times have you literally looked down at your thumbstick and been like WTF, how did I manage to miss BOTH of my dmen at the point. The R-Trigger is too random as far as I'm concerned. When I need to move the puck up ahead to my winger who's literally a stick lengths away, Crosby winds up and fires a pass as hard as he can and it bounces off the wingers stick. Turnover. When I'm on a 2-on-1 and need to pass the puck across with some jam or I see my teammate get behind the defense, he's open for a breakaway feed, I hit the right trigger, and Crosby flubs one a foot in front of him. Turnover. Or how about a simple dump in into my zone, I already have to worry about Derek Boogaard outracing Kris Letang(more on that next), but I also have to think that A) I'm going to get hit or B) I'm pinned before I can pass the puck. I understand that sometimes you do get pressure on the forecheck immediately but it doesn't happen 9 times out of 10. Regardless of who's racing for the puck, I see the play developing and whats going to happen.."Ok, im going to retrieve the puck and hit RT right away to pass it to my dman partner." But this doesn't happen, instead, I retrieve the puck, and there is this delay between the retrieval and the pass animation, this Boogaard has already pinned me and I have to try and kick it out. However the AI has this ability to quickly move the puck to avoid hits, and pins. The game of hockey, like all sports, involve split second decisions, I shouldn't be handicapped by having to hold down a button to make them.

-Constant hustle has become a problem when Matt Duchene can't escape the grasp of the speedy John Scott. It seems regardless of whether the AI has the puck, its full throttle, ALL SHIFT. I mean even an average skater could get away from most defenseman and forwards with a few quick strides. As the human player were constantly dealing with the juiced up superfast AI and by the time they catch up we're stick lifted with precise accuracy. Also baffling players is the defensemans ability to go from flatfooted to full speed break up a breakaway dive right away, when the forward has a step or more on him. Not ever defenseman is named Mike Green or Drew Doughty, yea amazing defensive plays do happen but really how frustrating is it to blow past Hal Gill with Ovechkin only to see Gill step up to Mach 4 and flying lariat the puck away from Ovi's stick.

-Other moves worth noting are their ability to spin and shoot, or choose the ability to spin around or backhand the puck. Everyones had a play where they've had the puck, but their back is to the net. Their goalie is down and overcommitted to one side, you have an open net! just spin around and rifle one top corner! Oh wait! you instead flubbed a backhander into his chest. Meanwhile, even the worst players(in game) can turn around mid shot and pick their corners. How can we not have complete control over what and how we want to shoot?

-The dump in/rip around the glass. This is a real downer since I play the dump and chase game, or at least to the best way EA allows me. It's either flip dumps or LB slap shot just outside the blueline. But wait, didn't I just see the computer ENTER the zone and then wrist the puck around the glass? Why can't I do that?

-Since when did ever offensive zone entry have to begin with a toedrag or juke?

-Is there any way to have the ability to hold the blueline as well as the computer does?

-Why on earth did EA add the "auto swat puck" into the game? How many times has it worked for anyone? First, if it does, it goes down the ice and its not called on a blatant icing. Either that of your dman grounds out to first(the point) and their defenseman fires it back at the net.

-I like playing this game, but the more realistic EA tries to get, the more boosts and abilities go to the computer. What about a hockey game completely dependant on the right and left thumbstick along with a trigger. Left stick is your body(skating) and the right is your stick. want to make a pass? Hold the right trigger and flick the right stick up and in the direction you want it to go. If Madden can take away all the face buttons for running backs, why do I need to still use triggers and bumpers if your skill stick gives me complete control?

-I'm slowly drifting to the idea of just abolishing vs AI modes altogether. You really can't trust your AI teammates(offensively or defensively) so why not play 6 vs 6 and have people who are thinking the game as the play is developing. Give me complete control over anything I want to do with a puck or not, and let me play with 6 human players.

/rant

[RealmK]

Um how bout no? Not all of us want to be forced into playing online thank you very much.

[JayhawkerStL]

Here's a glitch goal EA needs to get rid of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkIXY_5m7Dg

I'm sick of these kids glitchin' their way just to make the goalie play like an idiot. What's the point?

[JayhawkerStL]

Quote: Originally Posted by RealmK

Um how bout no? Not all of us want to be forced into playing online thank you very much.

The funniest part of his rant was that it just highlighted how bad he is at the game, not how poor the AI is.

While manual passing is not going to be directly as realistic at it is in a real game, it's not random. Personally, I love deciding how hard my pass is going to be based on the situation at hand. It took a bit to figure out, but it is second nature. Plus it creates more imperfect passing speeds, which is closer to realistic.

I understand why people think they need to get a pass off at the touch of button, but it takes longer to see your man and perform a pass in real life than it does to power up a long pass. I'm sorry, but the ability to ping pong the punch around to guys is not realistic at all.

The rest of it just seems like he wants the game to be easier, not better.

[crosbie87]

This kid can't score goals so he is whining like a little baby ..... This game is incredible and its the first time in a LONG time that I get good games against the CPU. I can sometimes dominate, win by 1 goal, lose by 1 or get killed. I LOVE IT !!!

[FBeaule04]

It's kind of funny, because when I put the difficulty level at Pro with all the sliders in my favor, the score ends up around 25-0!

So, I would suggest starting from the easiest level and find your breaking point.

No offline play? Yeah right, that would be awesome. Great idea!

You have other ideas like this one, we're all waiting for them!

[adayinthelife]

I can agree that the "auto swat" thing is kinda stupid, and I also would like to see a little more separation in the players (you're Duchene/Scott example there), the rest of this rant is pretty off base.

I don't mean to be a prick, but the vibe I got from most of this was that either a) you're not that good at the game (not an insult, it's a game for **** sakes) or b) you're playing on too high a difficulty. The difficulty thing seems to be be causing issues for a lot of people and I don't get it. No one knows what difficulty you play on, and frankly no one cares. If you play on rookie or you play on superstar what the hell does it matter? You play the game to have fun, and clearly that's not happening on whatever difficulty you're at, so change it.

What are you trying to say with your holding the blueline comment? I have absolutely no issues what so ever keeping the puck in the zone when it is realistic to do so, and I have no issues working the line with my d men to set up screens and point shots. I believe I commented in this forum upon my first time playing the demo back in August that this part of the game is the best it's ever been.

Also, to comment on your manual passing complaint: yes you do have to "charge up" a hard pass in real life. There is absolutely no way you can fire a pass to me across the ice in real life with the same amount of effort that you would if I were 2 feet away. Not even a robot could do that, it's not how things on this planet work. Hard pass = more power behind it = more effort from the passer.

I was thinking about doing a blog on this, but I feel like the online aspects of sports gaming are really ruining the offline experience for a lot of people. Guys who play mainly online play to win, every. single. game. Those of us who play primarily offline games just like to see good realistic results, and realistic records in our franchises. However, when you take someone who's been playing 90% online games where the focus is just to win at any cost and you put them in the offline environment where perhaps their exploits or whatever don't work, they get pissed off.

[jayshaw91]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jayhawker

Here's a glitch goal EA needs to get rid of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkIXY_5m7Dg I'm sick of these kids glitchin' their way just to make the goalie play like an idiot. What's the point?

Oh my GOD was that a sweet goal! And yeah, why play real life hockey if you can just glitch a goal in real life, too? MAKE ALL ATHLETES JUST PLAY VIDEO GAMES!