Flex Moments - A Constructive Critique

The campaign for choice starts here! Some players are enthused, others aren't. Whilst these could be fun for milestones, I believe they will quickly be resented. Even if community reviews are positive, this one currently enforced presentation element would personally prevent a purchase this year.

All of these issues could be null and void if the dev team implement a choice of having Flex Moments on or off, or by keeping them for critical, game deciding points only.

What are the issues?

After a slap shot from the point and a lucky tip in front by a center, the center doesn't wheel away as if he's scored the best goal of the night in the league. He goes towards the shot taker. Unless it's OT in the playoffs that's how hockey plays out for this kind of goal.

A lot of the custom celebrations that exist already are rooted in real hockey, there's a humble stick raise, a humble point to a teammate. Under the previous years system these work well; if you assign your default celebration to these, the player has agency to recreate what looks like an authentic reaction to a team goal. The point to teammate falls flat in this new moment given how they seem to be floundering behind you.

Remember: tic-tac-toe is a selling point of icon passing. The hyper individualization of scoring is totally at odds with the team ethos.

The Flex Moment kicks in far too quickly, the UI overlays that went in for 22 aren't digestible. The statistics of the goal, who scored, who assisted... are ignored. I get this could be represented on the dasher boards but authenticity takes a massive hit here imo.

Why does the rink go excessively dark? Could the scene not just have segued from game to scene with spotlight? The current effect is far more theatrical performance rather than authentic game celebration.

Contextually, these scenes happening after every single goal makes little sense. If you're winning 7-2 in a blowout, players don't go wild after cashing in on a rebound off a backup goalie. Unwritten rules of hockey get enforced on the goalscorer if he did.

Likewise, if you're losing 6-1 at home with five minutes left in the third and you score to make it 6-2, your crowd don't want to see you prancing up and down like the Karate Kid.

What happens when you score on the road? For offline Season or Franchise, the Flex Moment's post fx shouldn't trigger. The player and his teammates can make an exhibition of themselves, but the opposition's arena presentation team wouldn't help in the theatrics.

What happens with Empty Net Goals? Are they Flex Moments too? Presumably so... and that's a little odd.

The "bunch of pixels" comment from the deep dive that was given for the reasoning for implementing this Moment isn't wholly correct. It assumes everybody plays on a zoomed out camera that is advantageous for Online play. As an offline player, I use Dynamic Medium and see the goalscorer perfectly well. Again, an online decision is enacted to the detriment of offline immersion.

Feel free to add, I didn't want to just say "these are silly", rather, give solid reasoning why they seem so off-putting as a long time hockey fan.

12 Replies

TTZ_Dipsy
Hero+
3 years ago
You bring up some very good points, and I agree with em, BUT my team loves to rub it in so I gotta give my vote to keeping em for every goal, sorry.

I have no doubt they'll be tweaked some time in the future though
Froommey
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
In my opinion, the skating style also needs to be improved. Players in the NHL glide on the ice more than they skate with their feet. In EA NHL it is exactly the opposite. There, players run with their feet more than they slide. The transition from forward movement to backward movement could also be improved somewhat. The turnarounds from players at the blueline I mean. Forward, backward movement style. The best way to see the comparison between the NHL and the EA game is in the power play with the defensemen on the blue line.
PackBeak
Seasoned Veteran
3 years ago
@TTZ_Dipsy
RIGHT-O
Sega82mega
3 years ago
@Rigu7

Great science of mind and behavior, hockey psychology.

So importen for everyone that care but also for everyone that dosent think they care.

😏👏👍
Sega82mega
3 years ago
@Froommey

The NZ is usually were the skating are, also deep low in the zone when they cut for speed a la Mcdavid and the opponent goes... 'oooh boooy.. Here he comes'...

But ye feet goes way too much/fast, same time I dont like how protected players get from contact when they do glide.. I think that was how the 'hit bubble' was invented.

Don't know though how the state of that is today, sounds like its better after the playtest.

But frommey your right about the skating, could look and feel much smoother I think.
KlariskraysNHL
Hero+
3 years ago
@Sega82megaHaving a controlled glide is meant to withstand hits better and thus a bubble is made. But don't worry reverse hitting is gonna be the new bubble but also with punishment.

They aren't gonna add the unrealistic gliding from the PS360 era. NHL 17 when they had gliding kinda there was the complaints of being stuck in the mud...especially on defense. So if they remove more of what they call ice friction it means figure skating becomes easy. And if a player doesn't need to LT
Sega82mega
3 years ago
@KlariskraysNHL

As it should I guess - it just has to look natural, the 'hit bubble' drag down the whole gameplay so much. Created a big bowl of frustration and LDL cholesterol!

I think hockey team need to beg for hypermotion, FC 24 talk much of how good that tool is to capture real life motion.

Give NHL some (more) love big lovely EA bosses!
KlariskraysNHL
Hero+
3 years ago
@Sega82mega Fifa/FC has hilarious glitches that happen more often than weird NHL ones do shockingly. I mean in WoC we can change our skaters stride and such. I use one that is completely ugly but I swear it helps protect the puck better when hustling down the side.
TTZ_Dipsy
Hero+
3 years ago
@KlariskraysNHL

My guy bobs up and down and whips his arm(s) out like he's flapping his wings - It's hilariously stupid but I'll bet money it helps me
KidShowtime1867
Hero
3 years ago
I hope it's a phase and, in the future, we return to a realistic approach to presenting the game in a way that pays tribute to the team aspect of the sport. It's weird because the developers have made great strides in in broadcast realism; improved lighting, shaders, models, textures - not to mention new camera angles and such. It's just a shame that a majority of this tech is now being used to shine a spotlight on individual players in some attempt to be like Fortnite.
The sad reality is this is the state of multiplayer gaming in 2023. Your average player needs to be able to 'express themself' and in turn, the presentation needs to be geared towards putting the user front-and-center because, unfortunately, that's the mental state of your average gamer these days. They need to be the center of attention, or they think any given game has no "replayability."
I don't lump fans of the NHL series into the 'average gamer' category though. I think the majority of NHL gamers aren't overly concerned with them being the focus of attention and this thread is a good example of how many users just want to feel a realistic broadcast experience that encompasses the entire team.
But EA SPORTS needs to make money. Most of their energy is spent trying to create, implement and streamline features that grab new players. And this day and age, new gamers need an individualistic approach to any new game they try because otherwise, they get bored.