What are the major issues of the NHL series?

[geisterhome]

hey guys, i havent been playing any icehockey game since NHL 2003 or 2002. back then i was a huge fan of those hockey games even though they would probably suck in every aspect compared to today standards lol.
anyways i was thinking abt picking up this years edition of ea sports nhl series, meaning nhl 13.
now i read around a little bit here in the forum and it seems to me there is a considerable amount of issues which have been excisting for years and not much has been done abt it. one thing i got was the lack of original faces, another is the lack of presentation which is the same since 3 years or so. what exactly is wrong with it? and is it really just bad or ppl are only bored of it after being the same for so long.. little i got to know abt the rest, so what are the other issues?
btw for me it doesnt matter much if some things havent been changed for few years now since i havent played the prior editions, just saying since i read that ppl complained abt the lack of evolution.

[jyoung]

The AI bugs me the most of anything. Specifically:

AI intelligence -- They are just too passive defensively. The CPU never stands up at the blue line, and generally lets the offense skate all over it with minimal resistance. The CPU also has a bad tendency of sagging back into the goal crease and completely ignoring offensive threats directly in front of them.

AI skating/puck handling -- The CPU skaters let themselves get pinned against the boards way too easily. Many times, the opportunity for a simple chip along the boards is there, but instead, the CPU holds the puck and allows itself to be pinned.

AI passing -- If you call for a pass from an AI player, it is usually terribly slow and off-target. Calling for a one timer from the CPU works maybe 1 time out of 15 to 20 attempts. In online teamplay, the CPU players only pass to each other and completely ignore all human teammates.

AI Shooting -- They struggle mightily to get shots on the net. Most of their shots miss the net wide or get blocked and stuck in traffic.

AI Goalies -- They give up way too many short side goals and are terrible at protecting the post. For some reason, they also like to pass the puck out through traffic after making a save, even if no one on your team calls for a pass.

[savoie2006]

I think it you're thinking NHL 13, you're making a wise decision. It appears to fix alot of things that have plagued the game for years now. Of course I don't know that for sure yet, but I would still say NHL 13 is the best restarting point for you. Even if the learning curve will be a bit steep for you at first.

[13whitebread]

One of my problems after using the sliders to call more penalties against the CPU it does not happen. After playing a season the power plays for and against are way too far apart. On the bright side NHL 13 directly addresses this saying they will be comparable this is certainly a good thing for the series for those of us who do not play online.

[Flamesfan102]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

The AI bugs me the most of anything. Specifically: AI intelligence -- They are just too passive defensively. The CPU never stands up at the blue line, and generally lets the offense skate all over it with minimal resistance. The CPU also has a bad tendency of sagging back into the goal crease and completely ignoring offensive threats directly in front of them. AI skating/puck handling -- The CPU skaters let themselves get pinned against the boards way too easily. Many times, the opportunity for a simple chip along the boards is there, but instead, the CPU holds the puck and allows itself to be pinned. AI passing -- If you call for a pass from an AI player, it is usually terribly slow and off-target. Calling for a one timer from the CPU works maybe 1 time out of 15 to 20 attempts. In online teamplay, the CPU players only pass to each other and completely ignore all human teammates. AI Shooting -- They struggle mightily to get shots on the net. Most of their shots miss the net wide or get blocked and stuck in traffic. AI Goalies -- They give up way too many short side goals and are terrible at protecting the post. For some reason, they also like to pass the puck out through traffic after making a save, even if no one on your team calls for a pass.

And I'm pretty sure EA has covered all of that with Hockey IQ and the fact that they have spent more effort on AI this year than the last 3 years combined.

[Broncos86]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flamesfan102

And I'm pretty sure EA has covered all of that with Hockey IQ and the fact that they have spent more effort on AI this year than the last 3 years combined.

Here's hoping. I get tired of saying "Really, man?" to my team. Personally, I have more faith in EA Canada than Tiburon (which is on a "prove it" basis).

[bukktown]

Quote: Originally Posted by geisterhome

hey guys, i havent been playing any icehockey game since NHL 2003 or 2002. back then i was a huge fan of those hockey games even though they would probably suck in every aspect compared to today standards lol. anyways i was thinking abt picking up this years edition of ea sports nhl series, meaning nhl 13. now i read around a little bit here in the forum and it seems to me there is a considerable amount of issues which have been excisting for years and not much has been done abt it. one thing i got was the lack of original faces, another is the lack of presentation which is the same since 3 years or so. what exactly is wrong with it? and is it really just bad or ppl are only bored of it after being the same for so long.. little i got to know abt the rest, so what are the other issues? btw for me it doesnt matter much if some things havent been changed for few years now since i havent played the prior editions, just saying since i read that ppl complained abt the lack of evolution.

The issues with the game won't bother you if you play mostly online or with friends.

If you play offline, as long as your understanding of hockey is between novice and intermediate you probably won't notice many issues.

If you are a puck head then you will notice all of the AI deficiencies that JYoung mentioned.

[wildthing2022000]

My major issue which should be fixed with the new AI is that every team is the same in that the Devils will play like the Penguins who play like the Bruins who play like Team Canada and so on where the only difference in each game is the colors of the jerseys.