Scoring too easy?

[VeNOM2099]

So since the pre-release, I noticed that scoring has become a whole lot easier. Yes, the clapper from the points were there in the BETA, but at least all the cheesy goals from NHL 16 had been cleansed from the game, like the "walk-in blue line soft wrister" and the infamous "circle around and shoot cross post from the high slot".

Unfortunately those cheap goals seem to be back in the full version of the game. And they brought a friend in the "cut across the crease at full speed holding backhand" cheese that everyone does now.

Now I know what some people are going to say: "Well you just have to get better defensively and prevent those attempts". Which is an asinine thing to say, because even real NHL clubs can't prevent EVERY single chance. I'm also not expecting every shot to not go in, sometimes you can get lucky. But I'd like for scoring to be a bit more geared towards creating plays than just "skate in, shoot, score..."

Maybe upping the goalie difficulty levels in the next tuner. Maybe toning down the shot power and accuracy a bit too. Right now most games simply degenerate into the same types of goals scored by your opponent every single game. It's getting boring. In the end, you have to resort to using the same tactics as them in order to keep up.

[RedBull1973]

Another problem with this year's (and years past) games is the skater's ability to snipe anywhere on the ice no matter what the body position is. For example, there could be a loose puck sitting on the goal line and a random skater can just skate in full-speed and take a shot, and the shot will hit the net with perfect accuracy just about all the time. There doesn't seem to be a shooting power/accuracy penalty for taking a shot when you are skating full speed or not facing up to the net.

This has always been a problem as long as I have played the NHL series (since 07ish?)

[Pikesburgh]

Man I have the opposite problem but I play BAP exclusively. It's impossible to score because of stupid AI teammates who just turn the puck over. Shooting, 50% of my goals are unintentional. Like the CPU puts it in their own net, or I try passing the puck towards the net and the goalie freezes as it goes 5 hole. I wish it was easier in BAP. I'm 5-17-2 so far.

[NEOPARADIGM]

What I think is the legacy issue with this franchise is that shots are too easy to get, not goals. There were more than 30 players last years who had shooting-percentages over 15%. If you pepper the hell out of a goalie with 58 shots or something, you should probably get a few goals, regardless of tactics. What this game has traditionally lacked is that getting shots and quality scoring chances is what should demand some strategy and quality stick-skills. That you can be a complete bum and still rack up shot after shot is what has always been "off" about this franchise. "Easy" goals I don't mind at all, and if anything goalies seems pretty awesome a lot of the time. What I mind is how easy it is to get to 40+ shots.

[JimmyDeicide]

They seem to have put back in some glide since the update , its harder to hold your position or fine adjustments on D

[Cerberus1]

Yeah i find scoring is just much easier in this one, it's annoying tbh.

[VeNOM2099]

Quote: Originally Posted by NEOPARADIGM

What I think is the legacy issue with this franchise is that shots are too easy to get, not goals. There were more than 30 players last years who had shooting-percentages over 15%. If you pepper the hell out of a goalie with 58 shots or something, you should probably get a few goals, regardless of tactics. What this game has traditionally lacked is that getting shots and quality scoring chances is what should demand some strategy and quality stick-skills. That you can be a complete bum and still rack up shot after shot is what has always been "off" about this franchise. "Easy" goals I don't mind at all, and if anything goalies seems pretty awesome a lot of the time. What I mind is how easy it is to get to 40+ shots.

I agree with this, 100%.

Shooting and scoring should be the result of a good understanding of the game of hockey. Shots from a good scoring position are very hard to come by in real hockey, which would be a bit too much to handle for your average EA NHL player to grasp right away. After all the game is tailored to be played at higher speed than normal on 4 minute periods. Still, I believe that if EA tweaked the game to require a more methodical approach, after a bit of a learning period, I think they'll adapt and the game will be better for it.

[RedBull1973]

Quote: Originally Posted by VeNOM2099

I agree with this, 100%. Shooting and scoring should be the result of a good understanding of the game of hockey. Shots from a good scoring position are very hard to come by in real hockey, which would be a bit too much to handle for your average EA NHL player to grasp right away. After all the game is tailored to be played at higher speed than normal on 4 minute periods. Still, I believe that if EA tweaked the game to require a more methodical approach, after a bit of a learning period, I think they'll adapt and the game will be better for it.

FIRST POINT: I can't count the number of times I attempt shots based on setting up, cycling, one-timing, and sometimes drawing a penalty doing so only to have nothing good come from it (more so in 16 than this year) BUT then watch my opponent skate into my zone, deke once, take an unscreened shot and beat my goalie. You should NOT be rewarded for that style of play...ever!! You should be rewarded for better hockey knowledge and skill.

SECOND POINT: A few things they NEED to do in this process would be to decrease puck control for those players who make a living stringing together a bunch of one-touch dekes in a row. The offensive advantage for this is ridiculous the way it is now. The skater with the puck is WAY MORE agile than the defender trying to just stay in position. The defense should have the agility advantage here since he doesn't have to worry about the puck following his movements.