NHL 11 News Post

NHL 11: Physics, Faceoffs, Broken Sticks, & New Dekes

10:40 PM - June 8, 2010 by Steve_OS

LuGer33 has posted his thoughts on the new real time hitting physics, new faceoff system, broken sticks, and some of the new dekes available in NHL 11. He has answered a lot of questions in the thread as well.

Quote:


	"You guys saw a tiny clip of this in that recently released video, and that was really only a taste of what this year's hitting engine offers. It's definitely the best that I've ever seen in a hockey game, and even though big hits were tuned up in the version I got to play last May, I still didn't see anything alarming like in NHL 07 or NHL 09 where there were way too many big hits. When someone landed a big hit, it looked and felt very real and very satisfying. One of the aspects of this area that I'm most excited about is how glances have been implemented. In years past, players could bump into each other and nothing would happen, it would be like two solid blocks colliding and the game didn't recognize this as a collision; well, that has been changed this year as slight nudges and glances will actually impact your control of the puck and player movement. I had a guy glance off a defender in the offensize zone at one point during my playtest only to then be absolutely crushed by someone else who finished a big hit. It was really a thing of beauty, and I found myself watching it on the replay again and again. Safe to say that over 8 hours of play time, I didn't see the same hit twice. One thing I have to caution people though is don't expect NHL 11 to be a hockey version of Backbreaker. The game is using a new real time physics engine for hitting, stick on stick / stick on puck collisions, but things like skating, goal celebrations, goaltending are improved but still similar to what they have been in year's past. This is understandable because it would be very hard to turn NHL 10 into Backbreaker in the short year long development cycle, however as Littman mentioned in an interview (and he told us too), it's a 3 year plan to get the game entirely physics based just like Backbreaker, and from what I've seen so far, NHL 11 is a very darn good start."

Game: NHL 11Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 36 - View All

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Member Comments

# 41 Money99 @ 06/15/10 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qb


	One of the remaining big announcements will be exciting for many, but possibly "meh" for others... Most of the stuff I was thinking of is more along the lines of cool little tweaks & additions based on the stuff we asked for over the past year or two. I made it a point to check out the menus/settings/game modes/etc to look for changes. Encountered some surprising stuff, although much of it isn't "back of the box" material. It's more about depth & satisfying all of us internet crazies and our damn wishlists.

We can finally fight the hotdog vendor??? The 4-year-olds on the EA boards are going to flip!!!

# 42 Lightbringer719 @ 06/15/10 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qb


	There is still more "feature" news to come, plus I stumbled across a lot of cool improvements/additions while checking out the various game modes that aren't big ticket items. Too bad I can't talk about most of them yet...

Improved creation modes......improved creation modes...

# 43 Qb @ 06/16/10 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	We can finally fight the hotdog vendor??? The 4-year-olds on the EA boards are going to flip!!!

You can fight the hotdog vendor if you wish, but not in NHL11.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightbringer719


	Improved creation modes......improved creation modes...

Not something I was speaking vaguely about

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapdinger69


	QB, can you tell us if they have a choice for 20/40/85 game seasons? I would love to actually play every game of a multiple year GM or BAP!

I cannot. I can say that I spent some time pitching it to the right people.

# 44 actionhank @ 06/16/10 05:38 PM

I'm just hoping i can finally make a player that looks like me.
Game face would be a plus (If it works, i haven't looked into it much) but even a model animator like the one in fight night round 3 would at least let me get closer than the few pre-made faces i have now.

# 45 UwantRadie @ 06/16/10 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by actionhank


	I'm just hoping i can finally make a player that looks like me. Game face would be a plus (If it works, i haven't looked into it much) but even a model animator like the one in fight night round 3 would at least let me get closer than the few pre-made faces i have now.

GameFace works REALLY well as per my expirience and that was dating back to Tiger Woods 08. I never understood how this hasnt made it into the game yet. Especially with the EASHL! Maybe that will be one of the big announcements still left?

Also, we need more players to look like themselves. I understand it is a time consuming thing, but look at Marc Staal in NHL 10... he looks Puerto Rican!!! I mean, even if you dont consider him a top 10 defenseman (which he surely is) he is easily one of the best players on the Rangers. To not have him look ANYTHING at all like the real life really makes me shake my head. Things like this need to be fixed... Especially becasue some of my favorite cutscenes are moments when they are showing players and I am like "ooh. there's whats-his-face talking to whats-his-head", all just by recognizing their faces.

# 46 TheSilentDude @ 06/17/10 05:56 AM

Speaking of the physics engine, will checks in the back or boarding finally be proper penalized? I really hope you won't be allowed to check the opponent around like crazy.
This would really be an opportunity to use the checking system smartly.

# 47 plaidchuck @ 06/17/10 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSilentDude


	Speaking of the physics engine, will checks in the back or boarding finally be proper penalized? I really hope you won't be allowed to check the opponent around like crazy. This would really be an opportunity to use the checking system smartly.

I find the game makes those calls to much to begin with, i.e. the "checking from behind" penalty which is never called in the NHL.

# 48 actionhank @ 06/19/10 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UwantRadie


	GameFace works REALLY well as per my expirience and that was dating back to Tiger Woods 08. I never understood how this hasnt made it into the game yet. Especially with the EASHL! Maybe that will be one of the big announcements still left? Also, we need more players to look like themselves. I understand it is a time consuming thing, but look at Marc Staal in NHL 10... he looks Puerto Rican!!! I mean, even if you dont consider him a top 10 defenseman (which he surely is) he is easily one of the best players on the Rangers. To not have him look ANYTHING at all like the real life really makes me shake my head. Things like this need to be fixed... Especially becasue some of my favorite cutscenes are moments when they are showing players and I am like "ooh. there's whats-his-face talking to whats-his-head", all just by recognizing their faces.

I wouldn't mind a full face editor, or something that would allow us to import our own pictures.
I understand that creating faces for each individual player has to be a time consuming pain in the ***, especially for players who aren't well known, or don't get too much publicity outside of their respective cities (Like TJ Oshie on the Blues, he still has no picture (although he was on the roster to begin with, and they do say his name) but he looks nothing like himself.
If they would give us an enhanced face/player model editor, we could fix it ourselves.
Then, if they paired that with the ability to upload players/team rosters, and have them download to your game, or even a jump drive that you could upload yourself, that would be heaven.
I wouldn't mind spending some time making the Blues look right, and i know others who are more die-hard fans would love to do it for their teams.
Then it would just be a matter of getting them online for others to enjoy.
I would love to have an NHL11 game with rosters that were updated, and player models that were perfectly made.
I think that would be a huge fix.

# 49 TDKing @ 06/19/10 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapdinger69


	QB, can you tell us if they have a choice for 20/40/85 game seasons? I would love to actually play every game of a multiple year GM or BAP!

and Online Franchise Mode

# 50 bcgudely @ 06/21/10 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenReign86


	Seriously, can you tell us if players loose their balence and edge on their own without contact this year?

This is doubtful. Only player/stick contact has been revamped for NHL 11. Skating is the same system, but should be addressed in 12 or 13.

# 51 swil @ 06/21/10 07:14 PM

not sure if you can talk about penalties QB, but did the team address weak calls; like a roughing or cross check penalty when you barely touch the guy?

# 52 UwantRadie @ 06/22/10 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenReign86


	Online franchise for NHL, NBA, MLB video games would be hard to implement, more so then it is for football games. Mainly because you have an 82 game season in NHL and NBA, and 162 games in MLB. So it would be hard to maintain any franchise, when everyone would have to play 82 games over multiple seasons. In order to even get to year 3 in any franchise you would have to play 2-3 games a day, and it's hard to find people that are willing to do that. But I guess they could always give us the option of doing a 20-30 game season.

Oh yeah. I imagine that if playing multiple seasons, then a 20 game season is small enough to work, but large enough to create decent standings. Then a full playoffs...

It's very hard to pull off. The rewards are worth it, but be prepared to WORK!

I ran a moderately successful 30 Team Online Franchise in Madden and can attest to how hard it is to keep things together... that took A LOT of time and no matter how cool people seem.. everyone (myself included) ended up screwing up something or someone and it turned into several HUGE fights.

# 53 plaidchuck @ 06/24/10 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	This scares me. MAYBE ... just MAYBE it was ever so slightly off the ice and tipped the stick, but even then -- it doesn't seem a logical outcome of a puck hitting a lightweight stick peice.

Agreed. With these things they need to sit down and say "Have we ever personally seen this happen in an NHL game? If so, how often?" and adjust accordingly.

# 54 Vikes1 @ 06/25/10 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	This scares me. Rammer has mentioned this a bunch of times, but to me the physics are WAY off on that one. When we used to play pond hockey - if we didn't have a goal or net, we'd use bats, hockey sticks, shoes, etc. Never once when we scored by hitting those items, did the puck flip into the air. It usually pushed the items in a circle or something. MAYBE ... just MAYBE it was ever so slightly off the ice and tipped the stick, but even then -- it doesn't seem a logical outcome of a puck hitting a lightweight stick peice.

You know Bama, I never really thought of just how improbable it would be for a puck to skip up off the ice very far by hitting a broken stick lying on the ice.

And if I remember correctly, I think Rammer said the puck when hitting the stick, hopped over the goalies shoulder. Imo...that would seem very unlikely. But I do have confidence in these guys to not have this be much more than a very rare occurrence.

# 55 mercalnd @ 06/25/10 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikes1


	You know Bama, I never really thought of just how improbable it would be for a puck to skip up off the ice very far by hitting a broken stick lying on the ice. And if I remember correctly, I think Rammer said the puck when hitting the stick, hopped over the goalies shoulder. Imo...that would seem very unlikely. But I do have confidence in these guys to not have this be much more than a very rare occurrence.

The only way I can see this happening is if something is holding the stick in place, such as the stick "resting" against the skates of a player right in front of the net but even that sound a little far fetched.

# 56 TDKing @ 06/26/10 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenReign86


	Online franchise for NHL, NBA, MLB video games would be hard to implement, more so then it is for football games. Mainly because you have an 82 game season in NHL and NBA, and 162 games in MLB. So it would be hard to maintain any franchise, when everyone would have to play 82 games over multiple seasons. In order to even get to year 3 in any franchise you would have to play 2-3 games a day, and it's hard to find people that are willing to do that. But I guess they could always give us the option of doing a 20-30 game season.

It could work! You just need a customizable season length. Heck we should be able to have a 5 game season if we wanted, but I would settle for 20/40/82 as choices. Choice of season length can be done because it has already been done!!!

# 57 swil @ 06/27/10 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikes1


	You know Bama, I never really thought of just how improbable it would be for a puck to skip up off the ice very far by hitting a broken stick lying on the ice. And if I remember correctly, I think Rammer said the puck when hitting the stick, hopped over the goalies shoulder. Imo...that would seem very unlikely. But I do have confidence in these guys to not have this be much more than a very rare occurrence.

depends... if the puck was rolling(or even slightly tilted), I can easily see it popping up over a broken stick and over the goalie...

# 58 Vikes1 @ 06/28/10 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swil


	depends... if the puck was rolling(or even slightly tilted), I can easily see it popping up over a broken stick and over the goalie...

Your right Swil.

I never thought of the puck being on it's side. Good point.

# 59 havoc00 @ 06/28/10 10:01 PM

If I get a 5 min penalty in the 3rd with less than 5 mins left I would like to be ejected this bugs me to no end in bap

# 60 headsigh @ 06/29/10 04:52 PM

Minor gripe, but as much as I like this year's iteration, NHL 11 looks to have the same graphics as '10.

Which has the same graphics as '09.

Which has the same graphics as '08.

I just wish they're improve on that.

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