Here's the worst problem when playing online/OTP

[qroach]

I've played a heck of a lot of online versus games in NHL09 (933 games played), NHL10 (1800+ games played) and now NHL 11 (287 games played). I've gone from being a bad player to learning lots of techniques people use online. However something has been alluding me in this game for a while. Sometimes you play online and for some reason the game plays totally strange. You play someone and they take one or two penalties a game, they skate circles around your players without ever losing the puck, they steal the puck off you with ease, they seem faster than your players and worst of all can win 95% of face offs.

Has anyone here ever played a online game like that where there was nothing you could do? feels like it was a different game right? I have, and it always seemed strange until now. It always seemed like the opponent was playing with some hidden controls, or cheating in some way that you didn't think was possible. Well technically speaking they ARE!!!

This is something I'd like EA to address quickly as it completely ruins the online game. It not only ruins it, but it's completely broken and unfair. It's probably also the reason we have people with over 4000 points online and 300 + wins with 11 or less losses.

It's the nhl94 controls built into the game!!!! If you get good with them, you can totally dominate other players using the advanced controls. I tested this theory last night. if you switch to using the NHL94 controls a bunch of things become easier:

1. I started winning 95% of face offs in a game. All you have to do is hit the A button to win every face off.

2. Your players seem to skate faster ( ever play a game where your opponents players are on you before you can do anything with the puck?). Since there is no push puck or hustle. It also seems they get tired less quickly. For some reason they are harder to body check too.

3. You can spam poke check and rarely get called for a penalty. On advanced controls doing this results in regular penalties being called.

4. You can turn left or right incredibly fast without losing the puck. Doing this on advanced controls results in your player blowing a tire or you just losing the puck off your stick altogether (unless you have someone with a high dangle rating). regardless you can spin around down low in the attacking zone in a way that is idiotic, and if you're good at it, you become unstoppable.

5. You don't really need to aim to shoot. So I'm assuming there is some sort of aiming assists happening with these controls.

6. Your best offensive play is cross crease one timer. However if you get good with these controls the inside outside deke is even easier than normal.

7. You hardly ever loose the puck!


Basically using these controls makes the game play in a way that gives the player an unfair or distinct advantage, and a difficult one to overcome if you're not expecting it. The worse part is that you hardly take any penalties and can win nearly every face off easily. Winning face offs is the best way to control the flow of the game. if you almost always have the puck, and it's harder to get the puck off you, it's a huge advantage.

I want EA to do something about this. At the very least if they can display what control scheme a player is using when you get matched up with someone, then you can choose if you want to play them or not. There's some players with really good records and it's not because they are good, they are exploiting an unfair advantage in face offs, speed, and holding onto the puck. It would be great if you do something about this and reset these players stats.

This really needs to be fixed and I decided to blow the lid off this nonsense!

[football0021]

Anyone else experience this? Sounds interesting. I have had these games sometimes, but I would have never guessed it something to do with the basic controls.

[Fiddy]

you know honestly, i have always wondered about this. a guy that plays a few club games here and there with us hates the default controls. i do believe he uses classic, not the 94 ones, he can shoot and pass with the buttons (as well as shoot with the right stick as well). when he uses the buttons to shoot, i swear to god its way to accurate.

this wouldnt be shocking that something like this has issues.. add it to the list if true!!

[qroach]

yeah it's true there's also some weirdness with both of those control schemes. Classic controls have an auto aim occurring I think. I'm also surprised so many people are viewing this topic but not posting in it. makes me think they are trying the theories out.

[bukktown]

That makes sense. It was always something that I noticed but didn't think the user could control when it happened.

[NHLandPESFan]

EA should fix and balance this in a way that people can still use the control scheme they would like. I personally despise the default scheme and stick to classic. It would be really nice if EA would let you customize the controls like games like Gran Turismo and Pro Evolution Soccer do. Until they fix it, seeing the other user's control scheme in the same place as GUESTS: appear would be a good thing to have in the meantime. I am grateful to see if there are guests as I refuse to play against any more than one person.

[CdnHockey]

Interesting find!

[bloemer]

Quote: Originally Posted by qroach

I've played a heck of a lot of online versus games in NHL09 (933 games played), NHL10 (1800+ games played) and now NHL 11 (287 games played). I've gone from being a bad player to learning lots of techniques people use online. However something has been alluding me in this game for a while. Sometimes you play online and for some reason the game plays totally strange. You play someone and they take one or two penalties a game, they skate circles around your players without ever losing the puck, they steal the puck off you with ease, they seem faster than your players and worst of all can win 95% of face offs. Has anyone here ever played a online game like that where there was nothing you could do? feels like it was a different game right? I have, and it always seemed strange until now. It always seemed like the opponent was playing with some hidden controls, or cheating in some way that you didn't think was possible. Well technically speaking they ARE!!! This is something I'd like EA to address quickly as it completely ruins the online game. It not only ruins it, but it's completely broken and unfair. It's probably also the reason we have people with over 4000 points online and 300 + wins with 11 or less losses. It's the nhl94 controls built into the game!!!! If you get good with them, you can totally dominate other players using the advanced controls. I tested this theory last night. if you switch to using the NHL94 controls a bunch of things become easier: 1. I started winning 95% of face offs in a game. All you have to do is hit the A button to win every face off. 2. Your players seem to skate faster ( ever play a game where your opponents players are on you before you can do anything with the puck?). Since there is no push puck or hustle. It also seems they get tired less quickly. For some reason they are harder to body check too. 3. You can spam poke check and rarely get called for a penalty. On advanced controls doing this results in regular penalties being called. 4. You can turn left or right incredibly fast without losing the puck. Doing this on advanced controls results in your player blowing a tire or you just losing the puck off your stick altogether (unless you have someone with a high dangle rating). regardless you can spin around down low in the attacking zone in a way that is idiotic, and if you're good at it, you become unstoppable. 5. You don't really need to aim to shoot. So I'm assuming there is some sort of aiming assists happening with these controls. 6. Your best offensive play is cross crease one timer. However if you get good with these controls the inside outside deke is even easier than normal. 7. You hardly ever loose the puck! Basically using these controls makes the game play in a way that gives the player an unfair or distinct advantage, and a difficult one to overcome if you're not expecting it. The worse part is that you hardly take any penalties and can win nearly every face off easily. Winning face offs is the best way to control the flow of the game. if you almost always have the puck, and it's harder to get the puck off you, it's a huge advantage. I want EA to do something about this. At the very least if they can display what control scheme a player is using when you get matched up with someone, then you can choose if you want to play them or not. There's some players with really good records and it's not because they are good, they are exploiting an unfair advantage in face offs, speed, and holding onto the puck. It would be great if you do something about this and reset these players stats. This really needs to be fixed and I decided to blow the lid off this nonsense!

i had the same theory some days ago and wrote an email to ea about it. now i found your post here what gives me confirmation that i'm not the only one who thinks that way. till now no reply from ea. i think many top 50 players in the leader board are using these control's to take advantage in the points you mentioned because i experienced the same things you wrote about. last weekend i played someone who won 89% of the face offs (my normal face off rate is 50-60%), the complete game was very slow, and all my players moved like lame ducks - always one step behind my opponent but he moved very quickly and scored easily . but I think there is nothing you can do about it.