News Post

Keys to Success for NHL 09

03:28 PM - June 6, 2008 by RaychelSnr

Patrick Williams has written an article looking at what NHL 09 has to do to keep the series on the right track. Check out his article, Keys to Success for NHL 09.

Quote:


	"The Stanley Cup Finals took some crazy turns in the NHL and with hockey still on the minds of many it is time to discuss a little NHL �09. With EA Sports latest rendition of the war on the frozen pond in the books, it is safe to call �08 a success in my mind. Apparently I am not alone in my assessment either as some considered NHL 08 the best sports game of 2008. Perhaps now is a great time to discuss what the next installment needs to do to trump this past year's."

Game: NHL 09Reader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS2 / PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 47 - View All

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# 21 savoie2006 @ 07/18/08 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportmats


	The biggest key will be if the dev team can take away the cheating cheese goals.

The answer is quite simply NO.Developers would have to make the goalies UNhuman for the cheese goals to cease.What they could do is base ranking and skill,much like the Be A Pro.So if you are a player that uses one or two ways to score all the time,the CPU recognizes this and gives you less skill points for your next ranking.Until something like this happens though,I would just use these and other forums to try and find "sim" players and stick to them.

# 22 kerosene31 @ 07/20/08 01:35 AM

They need to stop being afraid of making a true hockey sim. People will adapt and love a true simulation of the sport.

NHL 08 was an arcade game. Yet it was a tough game long with other EA games like Fifa. 08 needed a lot of adjustments by players, and for the most part people do well.

A real hockey sim would be less frustrating for most than NHL 08 I would think

# 23 savoie2006 @ 07/20/08 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerosene31


	They need to stop being afraid of making a true hockey sim. People will adapt and love a true simulation of the sport. NHL 08 was an arcade game. Yet it was a tough game long with other EA games like Fifa. 08 needed a lot of adjustments by players, and for the most part people do well. A real hockey sim would be less frustrating for most than NHL 08 I would think

NHL 08 was arcadish if you play arcade style hockey.For that matter so was 2K8 and so on.The difference between 08 and 2K8 is 08's Cpu AI didn't have 2-3 guys skating around trying to knock the puck handler to the ice.So even if you try to play sim on 2K8,it often still feels arcadish due to the lame AI.

# 24 Splitter77 @ 07/20/08 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	Give me a break, a arcade game? You are joking right. I think you are getting 2k and Ea's game confused. This game was pretty damn accurate if you ask me.

the only thing that irked me was the scripted rebounds off the goalies. Hopefully thats fixed foir 09. also the herky jerky defensive controls.

# 25 kerosene31 @ 07/20/08 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savoie2006


	NHL 08 was arcadish if you play arcade style hockey.For that matter so was 2K8 and so on.The difference between 08 and 2K8 is 08's Cpu AI didn't have 2-3 guys skating around trying to knock the puck handler to the ice.So even if you try to play sim on 2K8,it often still feels arcadish due to the lame AI.

I'm not talking about 2k8 (a game even 2k fans don't like).

We're talking about NHL 08 from a huge company. This game plays little like real hockey. Passes are laser perfect and never miss. There is no play along the boards. Dump and chase is pointless...

The AI is overrated. The CPU can do amazing things because passes never miss.

Look at the real NHL vs 08. There is no neutral zone play at all because of the perfect passing and the AI backing off. Many real teams are playing trap or the left wing lock, yet in 08 these things are pretty much non-existent.

There is much more to hockey than just skating, passing and shooting.

# 26 savoie2006 @ 07/20/08 04:43 PM

Ok,from that view point,I can agree.08 definately lacks,especially in the areas you mentioned.The passing and dump and chase are suppose to be much more realistic in 09.I actually have faith in EA hockey right now,which is kind of scary,but I think the development team is really committed to making it as realistic as possible.I just think they aren't in any rush and want to improve in baby steps.

# 27 catcatch22 @ 07/20/08 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerosene31


	I'm not talking about 2k8 (a game even 2k fans don't like). We're talking about NHL 08 from a huge company. This game plays little like real hockey. Passes are laser perfect and never miss. There is no play along the boards. Dump and chase is pointless... The AI is overrated. The CPU can do amazing things because passes never miss. Look at the real NHL vs 08. There is no neutral zone play at all because of the perfect passing and the AI backing off. Many real teams are playing trap or the left wing lock, yet in 08 these things are pretty much non-existent. There is much more to hockey than just skating, passing and shooting.

Actually there is a way to get the ai to play that way through the sliders but then they will never hit. You will out hit them 50 to 2.

However there is a way to get the AI to play its defense up and the fowards back in a neutral zone defense. It just messess up everything else in terms of gameplay. They need to add a few more sliders to seperate one aspect from another.

1. Penalty shot frequency controls how far up the defenseman play. It does not actually control penalty shot frequency, just the level of depth for the defenseman playing so aggressively.

2. Aggression slider controls backcheck and forecheck for the AI. Max it out and the fowards only forecheck and no backcheck. Minimize it and the fowards rarely forecheck but backcheck alot more into the neutral zone. Problem is the AI will stop hitting (both fowards and defenseman) if you lower the aggression slider below 3.

There needs to be a few more sliders to seperate the functions between what each slider does. Several of the sliders control too many aspects all at once making it impossible to make it play perfect.

# 28 tabulaRasa @ 07/21/08 05:17 AM

It was my hockey game of choice last year. But it can be frustrating at times.

Like the amount of money goals online and the insane momentum shifts that are way way to influencial on the games. Also something needs to be done with the homing checks at the blueline.

But I love what EA has done with the positioning and covering. Really nice to reflect the true NHL.

# 29 savoie2006 @ 07/21/08 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabulaRasa


	It was my hockey game of choice last year. But it can be frustrating at times. Like the amount of money goals online and the insane momentum shifts that are way way to influencial on the games. Also something needs to be done with the homing checks at the blueline. But I love what EA has done with the positioning and covering. Really nice to reflect the true NHL.

Supposedly the homing checks have been lessened quite a bit,we'll see.

# 30 kerosene31 @ 07/21/08 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catcatch22


	Actually there is a way to get the ai to play that way through the sliders but then they will never hit. You will out hit them 50 to 2.

The sliders in this game never seem to work right. Every slider change I make breaks something else. If we had a better set of sliders, I bet it could be a great game.

I am optimistic that the dump and chase is supposedly viable in 09. I'm still not sure if they are making a hockey sim or not.

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