Desperately trying to save my interest.

[holtzie]

I have been off work this entire week so I have got to spend a lot of time with NHL 11. I played a good 50+ games since Monday. As excited as I was about this game when I first got it and as much fun as I had playing it the first week I had it, it is hard for me to comprehend the fact that I might put this game on the shelf.

I posted in another thread an "experiment" that I did to test CPU accuracy and shooting percentages when there was no score and then again when the CPU was trailing. The numbers speak for themselves. The shooting percentage for the CPU goes up tremendously when they are trailing. I know a lot of people have made threads and comments about a comeback logic and I'm not saying that I bekieve in that. Especially since EA has rtold us that it is not there. At least I do not believe that EA has programmed anything in the game to make it where, for example, "the next shot is going in" against the user.

However the more I have played the more clear it is that the CPU does, in fact keep games close, at least on superstar. I had more games than I can even remember where I had 15-20 shots in a period to the CPU's 2 or 3. And yet we would be tied at 1. On the other hand there were times when I had 10 shots and had not scored. The CPU had similar shot totals, no goals.

The final game that really did it for me was the last game I played. I had outshot the CPU 24-3 half way through the second period. No score. I scored on he 25th shot. Less than 1 minute later I passed a puck up ice that was intercepted at the blue line. The CPU wheeled around and threw a very slow, non-screened, non-deflected wrist shot past my goalies' glove side. Unbelievable. This was not the first time this had happened. And let me clarify one thingnabout this. 90% of the time when the CPU scored on me while they were trailing they were legitimate, good goals that I could accept. However, and this is a big however, up until these goals (the 90% I am talking about) my goalie was making the saves. But all of a sudden, when I get a lead, they go in.

At one time (after the CPU had tied the game after being down 2-0) I literally sat the controller down and let the CPU go to town. I wish I had the video to show you. It was simply laughable at how many miraculous saves he was making. Save after save, but then again, the game was tied.

I've often wondered how well the programmers at EA really know their own AI. I know it might sound crazy but I think it is entirely plausible that when you create a competitive AI program for a sports game there are going to be some details that even the creators don't understand. How does the CPU decide where or how to shoot? In a sense doesn't it know exactly where it needs to put a shot at any given time to beat itself (the human goalie)?

We can debate the issue all we want but in the games that I have played (which are many) since release day, I've seen this issue more and more each game. I tired to justify what was happening but the fact of the matter is that the CPU becomes unrealistically accurate when it is trailing. And unfortunately for me it is just a bit too much for me to enjoy the game.

To ignore this completely is crazy. There's been entirely too many people discussing he same issue(s). A lot of people simply take EA's word for gold, that there's nothing that gives the CPU an advantage. EA can tell me that all day but until they can explain to me how Ed Jovanovski can beat Patrick Kane to a loose puck the length of the ice when both players are fully energized and are both using hustle, I'm not going to believe everything I'm told. Sorry.

I didn't really mean for this to be such a long post but I guess I'm still holding out hope that there's an answer to this problem that I have not found.

[staffan]

Good post!
I have had similar experiences.
The game that made me put it on the shelf was when the CPU scored with 4 wristers in a row from the blue line. No screens or deflections. I had the lead 5-2 with 10 minutes left but lost 6-5!

Feels bad because I like the core game play.

Playing NBA2K11 and FIFA11.
Madden11 and NHL11 on the shelf.

[Flyermania]

Stop presenting facts, you'll anger the masses.

Good post...I've seen a lot of what you posted about, and unfortunately my playing time with the game has streadily decreased since its release. I don't see a lot of drastic changes for the offline game either since online is obviously the center of EA's attention.

[holtzie]

I'm now officially waiting for Fallout: New Vegas.

[Fiddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flyermania

Good post...I've seen a lot of what you posted about, and unfortunately my playing time with the game has steadily decreased since its release. I don't see a lot of drastic changes for the offline game either since online is obviously the center of EA's attention.

i made myself not play for 2 days bc the game was pissing me off. that was the first time i got angry at a game since i was like 10.

they present this as a realistic nhl experience and it doesnt even come close to it. same goals every game, online and offline. the ridiculous skating, stopping, starting, turning around and making unrealistic puck protects and dekes without falling down.. but yet when i make a normal turn i fall down and the puck glides right to them.. diving from all over the ice being an actual effective way to play defense. i could go on and on as some of you could.

hey ea, deep down i like the game and enjoy playing with my buddies.. but please stop adding things to the game until you get the gameplay in general working correctly... thanks!!

[NYJFan81]

Quote: Originally Posted by holtzie

I have been off work this entire week so I have got to spend a lot of time with NHL 11. I played a good 50+ games since Monday. As excited as I was about this game when I first got it and as much fun as I had playing it the first week I had it, it is hard for me to comprehend the fact that I might put this game on the shelf. I posted in another thread an "experiment" that I did to test CPU accuracy and shooting percentages when there was no score and then again when the CPU was trailing. The numbers speak for themselves. The shooting percentage for the CPU goes up tremendously when they are trailing. I know a lot of people have made threads and comments about a comeback logic and I'm not saying that I bekieve in that. Especially since EA has rtold us that it is not there. At least I do not believe that EA has programmed anything in the game to make it where, for example, "the next shot is going in" against the user. However the more I have played the more clear it is that the CPU does, in fact keep games close, at least on superstar. I had more games than I can even remember where I had 15-20 shots in a period to the CPU's 2 or 3. And yet we would be tied at 1. On the other hand there were times when I had 10 shots and had not scored. The CPU had similar shot totals, no goals. The final game that really did it for me was the last game I played. I had outshot the CPU 24-3 half way through the second period. No score. I scored on he 25th shot. Less than 1 minute later I passed a puck up ice that was intercepted at the blue line. The CPU wheeled around and threw a very slow, non-screened, non-deflected wrist shot past my goalies' glove side. Unbelievable. This was not the first time this had happened. And let me clarify one thingnabout this. 90% of the time when the CPU scored on me while they were trailing they were legitimate, good goals that I could accept. However, and this is a big however, up until these goals (the 90% I am talking about) my goalie was making the saves. But all of a sudden, when I get a lead, they go in. At one time (after the CPU had tied the game after being down 2-0) I literally sat the controller down and let the CPU go to town. I wish I had the video to show you. It was simply laughable at how many miraculous saves he was making. Save after save, but then again, the game was tied. I've often wondered how well the programmers at EA really know their own AI. I know it might sound crazy but I think it is entirely plausible that when you create a competitive AI program for a sports game there are going to be some details that even the creators don't understand. How does the CPU decide where or how to shoot? In a sense doesn't it know exactly where it needs to put a shot at any given time to beat itself (the human goalie)? We can debate the issue all we want but in the games that I have played (which are many) since release day, I've seen this issue more and more each game. I tired to justify what was happening but the fact of the matter is that the CPU becomes unrealistically accurate when it is trailing. And unfortunately for me it is just a bit too much for me to enjoy the game. To ignore this completely is crazy. There's been entirely too many people discussing he same issue(s). A lot of people simply take EA's word for gold, that there's nothing that gives the CPU an advantage. EA can tell me that all day but until they can explain to me how Ed Jovanovski can beat Patrick Kane to a loose puck the length of the ice when both players are fully energized and are both using hustle, I'm not going to believe everything I'm told. Sorry. I didn't really mean for this to be such a long post but I guess I'm still holding out hope that there's an answer to this problem that I have not found.

Absolutely great post. All points were made in sensible manner. Hope to hear more post from you.

Bump so everyone can read.

[canucksss]

playing 50 games in a week, thats about 7 games per day....how i wish i could do that.. hahahah.

anyhow, i dont want to sound genious in this game, but i just wonder what slider are you using? the default? your own slider? because i tried using a slider from OS (as posted in the sliders section) and suit to my likings. although i have some gripes about the game, but overall, i kinda like it. the comeback "hypothesis" i could see your point, i lost some games when the computer was "rallying" and somehow i cant get out from my zone, they press you like crazy. but in some games i was able to keep up the lead in fact i was able to score to put a gap on my lead. my record so far for my BeGM is 6-4-0 (AHL 2-6-1 bah!).
i think with AI it will be difficult, maybe near impossible, to have it react like humans, committing bad decisions and game-costing errors. i guess thats why EA develop this game (tuners) more to the Online gamers. i just hope they would have a balance concentration between Online and Offline gamers. because the way im reading some BGM modes kinda scary, progressions, trades, roster moves by the AI to name a few. this is just my request for EA, DONT NEGLECT the offline gamers.
and please follow the advice of Fiddy: "please stop adding things to the game until you get the gameplay in general working correctly" (both OFFLINE and ONLINE)

[bwiggy33]

Thank god some people realize this game isn't realistic. I absolutely cannot stand this game some times. It is the same thing over and over although I will say I'm having more fun with NHL 11 than I did with NHL 09 and10 that's for damn sure. NHL 07 and 08 were great games because the next gen interest was there and the lack of variety wasn't present due to having so much fun.

NHL is basically non playable offline because the CPU isn't dynamic. For the most part they do the same thing every time. It's pretty easy to stop after a while. But then you end up losing for the reasons you guys talked about in your posts. As I said above NHL 11 is much better offline than the past games although I really don't have much credential in that area because I play online most of the time.

The one thing that pisses me off is that there are so many fanboys for this game that they won't admit anything wrong with the game. The only way games get better is with criticism and the NHL does a terrific job at listening to the gamers. The only thing is we need to get them to fix the correct problems that have plagued this game since NHL 07. And yes, there are still problems from 07 that haven't been fixed. This game is so much fun but it still has such a ways before it is considered a sim in my eyes.