**mkharsh33 Superstar Sliders (10 min)**

[mkharsh33]

November 12 - Patch and Tuner 2.0

Game Settings
Superstar
10 minute periods
offsides delayed...icing on...injuries on
penalties: maxed
post-whistle: authentic
penalty time scaling: 5
fighting: 1 (of 2)

GENERAL
tuner set: latest (2.00)
cpu aid: hardcore
broken stick freq: 3
game speed: 2
attribute effects: 3
fatigue effect: both at 4
fatigue recovery: both at 3
injury occurrence: both at 5
puck control: human 1 / cpu 0
player acceleration: human 1 / cpu 0

A.I.
created plays: user pref.
AI learning: maxed
cpu diff. adjustment: 3
cpu strategy adjustment: maxed
BAP / hum. strategy adjustment: 0
cpu face-off diff: 5
fight diff: 5
cpu penalties: maxed
cpu teammate penalties: maxed

PASSING
pass assist: 3
manual passing: on
pass speed: 2
saucer pass speed: 3
pass accuracy: human 1 / cpu 0
pass reception ease: human 1 / cpu 0
pass interceptions: human 1 / cpu 0


SHOOTING
shot accuracy: human 2 / cpu 1
shot power: human 4 / cpu 3
slap shot accuracy: human 2 / cpu 1
slap shot power: human 4 / cpu 3
one-timer accuracy: human 2 / cpu 1

CHECKING
hitting assistance: 1
aggression: human 5 / cpu 4
hitting power: human 0 / cpu 2
stick lift effectiveness: both at 2
poke effectiveness: both at 4

GOALIES
goalie passing: maxed
goalie cover puck freq: 3
goalie screen effect: both maxed
goalie reaction speed: human 4 / cpu 2

[Steady Eddie]

Quote: Originally Posted by mkharsh33

I had another thread in which I created a set of All-Star sliders, but wanted to start a new one as I've been tweaking away with Superstar level and here's what I've come up with. I love the pressure the cpu provides me, but tweaked some things to take away the unfair cpu edge at this level. Feedback welcome...thanks! Mike

indeed ! - the intensity level going on here takes another dimension

mkharsh -

I've given these sliders a decent test out over 8 games (play-now mode) and they're a great foundation for people looking for that game with extra challenge.

I played 4 games with Colorado v Toronto (as NHL11 more or less matches these teams up in terms of offense , defense , goaltending) and 4 games with Vancouver v Boston.

Once I'd adjusted to the intesity level on superstar (which took 5 games) I was better at keeping my composure at least on defense - eventually managed to pinch a game 3-2 and kept the other 2 fairly close (both OT losses) - the first 5 games were all regulation losses , a 0-4 blowout , a 1-4 loss , a 1-3 loss , a 1-2 loss , a 2-3 loss.

I've been using my own all-star sliders with a challenging level of difficulty from the CPU and they're not too far removed from a lot of the key area sliders you have here - without doubt gamespeed 2 , 0 player acceleration and the factors of low puck control and passing attributes keeps things on a reasonably level ground for myself and the CPU - the CPU still passes far too well IMO but at least some passes are missed and the whole feel is 'loose' as compared to magnetic.

No doubt in my mind that the sliders that affect both attribues and agression play a big role to determine what the CPU does in this game - part of me accepts that the attribute affect slider needs to be set high so the differential between the top 2 line 'players' can be clearly seen from the 3rd & 4th line 'sluggers' - however it also seems to sometimes have the effect of making superstars near untouchable - it's a difficult slider to get set right IMO - set at default (3) doesn't give the differential , set at high (6) can cause issues.

Likewise the aggression slider follows a similar pattern to the attributes slider I feel - set at default (3) the CPU can often seem lethargic , set at high (6) they can go beserk - the setting of 5 finds that level of good challenge without too much hyper-drive I feel.

I've posted comment in the things to improve in NHL12 thread on this forum and asked if the sliders could be made more sensitive (on a true sliding scale) and less cross-correlated - at present I feel some of the sliders have a very distinct black & white difference between 1 click to another ... ie: at 3 a certain slider seems just about OK , click it to 4 and the just about OK becomes totally unacceptable - there's little middle ground to fine tune in some areas IMO.

What I really like overall about this slider set you have here though is the feeling of the correct pace & flow of the game , the hitting is right , the shift times for the lines work out , the TOA all works out , the shot totals work out - I was previously unsure of tuner v1.05 but now I've tested it over these 8 games it seems OK .. I'm still unsure if the GK's make too many incredible fast cross crease saves or that my shot aiming is just really so poor ?

Hopefully the patch might address some well known AI issues and if so then this game has real potential to be outstanding in a lot of areas.

[mikeymayhem]

this is a great set of sliders mk have you found any changes yet... I've tried piles upon piles and found yours with saome tweaking gives me a real solid game

[mkharsh33]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikeymayhem

this is a great set of sliders mk have you found any changes yet... I've tried piles upon piles and found yours with saome tweaking gives me a real solid game

thanks! no, no changes. but i haven't played this for about a week (waiting on the new roster update).

just curious...what tweaks did you make?

i've really had to change a few things to get them like this because of the cpu cheats that are built into superstar level. from all my tweaking i've found that shot power is critical to slowing down the cpu from scoring 6 or more goals a game.

[Dwils]

I think ill give these a shot later on and post results. Im looking for some challenging sliders where the CPU gives a lot of pressure.

[Steady Eddie]

the only few changes I eventually made to the OP sliders as presented was to knock the 'attribute' slider back to a setting of 4 and to lower the CPU 'aggression' slider back to a setting of 4 ... my reason of thinking here (esp. for superstar mode) is that the CPU AI is already quite juiced up in this game as regards how its coded and doesn't particularly need the hyper-boost of attributes that setting 6 loads on it and likewise the aggression setting at 4 seems sufficient on this level.

I noticed both in superstar and all-star modes that keeping the attrbute & aggression sliders not too far from default allows a more balanced game and gets the CPU AI to consider its play more - (instead of the crash & bang ~ rush & hit style that juicing it up gives) - any difficulty level you wish to attain can be achieved via the CPU difficulty slider.

certainly for tuner v1.05 the shot power for the human may even need to go to 5 to counteract how the GK's can cover their crease so fast - if you find yourself scoring too easily on superstar (unlikely) then raise the GK reaction slider up a notch or two.

[mkharsh33]

^^ nice thoughts.

i found that by raising the human goalie to 6 and lowering the cpu's to 0 that I was still seeing crazy scores. the difference was in shot power. that one slider changes everything.

i am a HUGE believer in cpu difficulty adjustment at THREE... that is THE key number to pressure - put it lower and you can still own the offensive zone, put it higher and the cpu cheese kicks in.

thanks for your thoughts!

[Steady Eddie]

Quote: Originally Posted by mkharsh33

^^ nice thoughts. i found that by raising the human goalie to 6 and lowering the cpu's to 0 that I was still seeing crazy scores. the difference was in shot power. that one slider changes everything. i am a HUGE believer in cpu difficulty adjustment at THREE... that is THE key number to pressure - put it lower and you can still own the offensive zone, put it higher and the cpu cheese kicks in. thanks for your thoughts!

totally agree for superstar - 3 is an ideal balance.

for all star I found 4 or even 5 to be good.

no doubt in my mind that since tuner v1.05 the GK's have improved / speeded up / whatever ?

I find it difficult (as in accepting to myself) to put the GK for the CPU on a setting of zero - (I have it on 4 in all-star) - even in superstar but with a human shot power of 4 the CPU GK was still stopping shots with ease that IMO should cause it trouble - I moved human shot power to 5 and increased the CPU GK speed setting to 2 and it appeared a little better once I'd also dropped down the attribute slider .. top line snipers that you'd expect to trouble the GK's at least I felt seemed like they could.

As I've stated previous in a few threads some of the sliders are so very black & white in how they affect the game in just 1 click - I personally wish they were a little more fine tuned.