sliders - post reflection

[Maxssi]

hello I don't write English well and the translator helps me. sorry

after years of playing nhl ea sports i'm tired of never ending a season. never.
I want to play games not simulate.
the problem is the gameplay and the sliders that are used to improve the game.
so the game is very simulation. it takes a long time to play a game. I don't have enough time to play, work and be with family and friends.
it's frustrating.

I would like to play many seasons in frinchise or be a pro.
if it takes the same time for a real match it is better to watch real nhl.
i want to play digital hockey.

be happy with the game, have a minimum of realism in the game and statistics. Finding simulation ideas and not the real simulation.
do we need all the statistics? do we really have to adjust the sensitivity of the stick or the puck too? the sensitivity of everything? Absurd.
we spend time, days and hours making sliders to make a game like in real life. We are not satisfied.

The creator of the game (EA) must find a balance. Statistics, credibility, reality, playability, TV-style involvement of trade news that is totally missing. We pay them to modify everything in the game!
I'm sorry but all of this is missing.

I like soccer. I play Pes. I buy games with Christmas discounts. At Pes 21 bought in January I am in season 7. if I have 30 free minutes I can play 2 games. I can play over and over days. With Nhl no. Ok they are different sports but can you change? many years ago i had so much fun with nhl. it was simple.
I know you disagree with me.
I write this because I am old. i started playing video games in the 90's. so i don't like it anymore.
I won't buy nhl anymore and I'm sorry because I like and enjoy hockey.

[Jackrabbit JB]

Just curious, but in regards to gameplay, what do you think could be improved?

I'm generally of the same opinion that we need a hockey game with simpler gameplay. There are certain hockey mechanics that don't really need to be in a game to make it fun (e.g. pinning along boards, dozens of deke types).

[The EVHL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jackrabbit JB

Just curious, but in regards to gameplay, what do you think could be improved? I'm generally of the same opinion that we need a hockey game with simpler gameplay. There are certain hockey mechanics that don't really need to be in a game to make it fun (e.g. pinning along boards, dozens of deke types).

Honestly, board play needs the biggest rework. It's a chore right now because you just get warped into the animation and have mindless digging for 10 seconds until someone just pops out with the puck. I'd rather see a bunch of checking animations that branch into "pins" with a loose puck than what we have now. Eliminate the dig element, make boardplay more fluid without removing the ability to cut someone off using the boards.

As far as bridging the balance between realism and "digital hockey" they need to make players feel more unique, they need fatigue to matter more and quicker, and they need to figure out how to have more scrambles and chaos in this game + more dynamic goalies and goals. The game is just flat-out boring because no matter the slider set, the same few goals go in. The AI inevitably breaks down in the same ways, the goalies get beat with the same moves, there's just nothing "random" or exciting about playing real hockey in this game.

I still believe NHL Hitz Pro was the greatest balance between sim and "digital hockey" we've ever seen. Had some sliders that you could tweak to make certain plays more or less successful, but at the end of the day, the action was fast and fun, the defensive AI challenged you a lot with pokes, checks, and blocked shots, the goalies made some incredible scramble saves, but they also had weight and fatigue so scrambles and shots and passes lead to a tired goalie who eventually just got beat to a spot or couldn't recover if you got a rebound and made a nice pass to the open man.

If there's any game they need to model the whole "feel" of, it's that game. So many scrambles, gritty goals, diving shot animations, diving shot blocking animations, it was just really desperate hockey in-front of the net which is what hockey is. If anything, that game lacked the ability to score "pretty" goals which got a little mundane in it's own right, but it's definitely a lot closer to "the real thing" than the current game with 10x the action and fun.

[Maxssi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jackrabbit JB

Just curious, but in regards to gameplay, what do you think could be improved? I'm generally of the same opinion that we need a hockey game with simpler gameplay. There are certain hockey mechanics that don't really need to be in a game to make it fun (e.g. pinning along boards, dozens of deke types).

Hello,
for example I agree with you. we need simplification, fluidity.
do not give up on graphic beauty.
strange that many goals scored in real matches don't exist in the game.
you need to have the way to play matches that are consistent with the time available. the match must last no more than 25 minutes. and team and player statistics must have some connection with reality.
But which ones? all? I do not think so. Do we really need to know how many minutes individual players play? so you will always try to make sliders that are difficult to do in balance with less duration of the single game. is it not enough to have goals, assits, points, goals and points in PP and PK? the more stats there are, the worse it is for sliders. let's abolish the sliders !!!

[Maxssi]

Quote: Originally Posted by HipNotiiC_x

Honestly, board play needs the biggest rework. It's a chore right now because you just get warped into the animation and have mindless digging for 10 seconds until someone just pops out with the puck. I'd rather see a bunch of checking animations that branch into "pins" with a loose puck than what we have now. Eliminate the dig element, make boardplay more fluid without removing the ability to cut someone off using the boards. As far as bridging the balance between realism and "digital hockey" they need to make players feel more unique, they need fatigue to matter more and quicker, and they need to figure out how to have more scrambles and chaos in this game + more dynamic goalies and goals. The game is just flat-out boring because no matter the slider set, the same few goals go in. The AI inevitably breaks down in the same ways, the goalies get beat with the same moves, there's just nothing "random" or exciting about playing real hockey in this game. I still believe NHL Hitz Pro was the greatest balance between sim and "digital hockey" we've ever seen. Had some sliders that you could tweak to make certain plays more or less successful, but at the end of the day, the action was fast and fun, the defensive AI challenged you a lot with pokes, checks, and blocked shots, the goalies made some incredible scramble saves, but they also had weight and fatigue so scrambles and shots and passes lead to a tired goalie who eventually just got beat to a spot or couldn't recover if you got a rebound and made a nice pass to the open man. If there's any game they need to model the whole "feel" of, it's that game. So many scrambles, gritty goals, diving shot animations, diving shot blocking animations, it was just really desperate hockey in-front of the net which is what hockey is. If anything, that game lacked the ability to score "pretty" goals which got a little mundane in it's own right, but it's definitely a lot closer to "the real thing" than the current game with 10x the action and fun.

Hello,
I haven't played NHL Hitz Pro
I analyzed videos on the web. it would be a good start. Today the improved game would be in the right direction.
I don't want an arcade game but I don't want a game that simulates reality too much.