Forum Discussion

65481028154b7c3's avatar
2 years ago

NCAA 25 vs NHL

Man am I excited for the NCAA 25 game. Everything I read… “we made the game for the community”, “we interviewed players and coaches to get a better understanding”, “we listened to community wishlists”. I’m sorry, what? They listened to community wishlists? Weird. NHL 25 needs to find a way to satisfy the online gamer and the offline gamer. I, myself, am an offline gamer. Be a pro and Dynasty are my modes. And like in NCAA, the whole point is to build a winning college program. Exactly what I love doing in NHL. Drafting, trading, scouting. Please expand upon these areas. Option for being at the actual draft if you’d like, sitting at the tables in the war room, calling your player to the stage. Would be electric. At least for the first round. Can skip, have the option to turn it off, whatever. Fix the “draft interviews”. That is a decent idea? But holy smokes is it the most worthless thing the game has in it. Why can’t I interview players throughout the year? And why am I asking players “how long until you’re nhl ready?” Also, whenever fog of war is on, there’s absolutely no reason my own players have hidden attributes going into FA or at other times during the season unless it’s a newly added draft pick. Deadline day and free agency day are basically holidays in the hockey world. Interview a player, go back and forth with contract talks, or add in performance bonuses, social media updates or news that inform of signing or trades with more hype. You guys are on the right track with teams adding FAs to fill needs, but still can’t seem to figure out how to have teams not be stupid enough to allow young elite players be restricted FAs because of cap issues. Teams would never allow Reinhart or Pettersson to be RFA until December and then not play because of these cap issues. Then you look at their roster and they signed 4 dudes in FA for absurd 2-3 year contracts. Furthering their cap problems. 

Be a pro. Now this game mode is flat out unplayable. And I wish I could. It’s so boring. Snoozefest. Like I said, I want nothing more in the game than to be the mastermind of creation and build my team through scouting, drafting, FA, etc. Be a pro I also want to be the mastermind of creation. It’s BE A PRO. Not “play a bunch of games with a position lock”. Nothing happens in this game mode. Rookie year has some hype, then you’re old news. Can’t contract negotiate, buying the “perk items” is basically worthless because by the time you can afford some of it, the “attribute boosts”

don’t really matter. Needs to be a practice mode. Maybe a gym mode, I don’t know. Anything. Influence on who comes to the team in FA or trading. Chemistry amongst teammates like how Debrincat was a huge reason Kane came to Detroit. The identity of your player is basically worthless. Interactions with other players are boring. I want interactions with teammates, opponents, media. I want to be able to update my own social media account if I choose. I want to use the perks I’m purchasing. I want to be able to have a rock star identity, or be a true leader and perfect human like Lidstrom. Marchand is a pest on the ice, sometimes has some great comments to the media, but his teammates love him. Ovie is a man child. Wants nothing more than winning, but has fun while doing it. Crosby is as pure a leader you can have. These qualities need to be in the game. 

Anyone else build on this? More ideas. J want to hear what you guys got and see if it sparks my brain as well. NCAA listened to their wishlists and community? Will NHL do the same? And forgive me if any of these changes have been made, I have played A LOT less of this game recently. 

10 Replies

  • @65481028154b7c3a See NCAA in general is just built for the single player type life. Where NHL is more of an online community. Think of it like this. You play 1 offline game that is 1 person game played. Then you have us in EASHL playing 6v6 humans so that is 12 human games played. That is a huge chunk of the pie that needs satisfied. Also can't forget the money maker that is HUT that will need changed and such each year to bring those people in because money.

    The last NCAA game was 14 so this upcoming one will sell like hotcakes, but then what happens after NCAA 25 and you are probably just essentially as many here call it... buying roster updates for full price. EA had to nail this out of the park because it is them getting back into the college football game and my guess is will sell better than Madden this year.

    During an interview last year they talked about GM Connected and the dev said they are looking into it but mentioned Online Franchises also. So my guess would be is Online Franchises becomes a thing then offline Franchise would receive some of that love too.

    If you want my guesses what NHL 25 will hold it will be. The Women's Hockey League, HUT makeover to be more like how FIFA is, and gameplay changes that will be ok but nothing revolutionary that people will fall in love with.
  • 65481028154b7c3's avatar
    65481028154b7c3
    2 years ago

    Oh for sure. Totally understand that NCAA is going to be done well. Or it should be done well at least. And yes, it’ll sell way more than madden. And I do get the fact that online is a huge chunk of NHLs money making scheme. I get it. But, to neglect be a pro almost entirely (with the exception of slight improvements a few years ago) is insane. There is a whole group of people out there who want to play the game the way I do. Offline. Online is cool I guess, but I grew up playing hockey, went on to play through college and after. Had a long career. Now I have kids. I just want to chill on the couch with a beer and do the things in my mind the red wings cannot do physically haha. It’s frustrating to have lived the life to a degree and have that game mode be soooooo boring and worthless. Just want to see the offline game mode get some love 

  • KlariskraysNHL's avatar
    KlariskraysNHL
    Hero
    2 years ago

    @65481028154b7c3aI mean they had tried to do some changes to Be A Pro but people weren't keen on that. Going all out for a mode that people usually get tired of the repetitive stuff is tough. Like people wanted celebrations changed so they changed it kind of, but that lasted like 1 year before they wanted those changes. Presentation probably takes up a bunch of hours and with other changes needed in that department it might not be feasible to get the experience that say FIFA or Madden had.

    But hey hopefully they make changes to appease offline people more.  Trust me I've seen it over the years people asking for improvements.

  • admiral745's avatar
    admiral745
    Seasoned Veteran
    2 years ago

    I play Franchise Mode mainly, and occasionally BE A Pro, but BAP is so stale and dry that I move back to Franchise. Both of these modes need major overhauls to make them fresh and more interesting. Give them proper storylines that change with each playthrough. I have written wishlists on these before so won't get into those here. Its one reason why I have suggested focus groups for the offline part of the game, so that they can hear suggestions from people and get them involved in the changes that are desperately needed. 

  • 65481028154b7c3's avatar
    65481028154b7c3
    2 years ago

    Well, maybe if they went all out and did BAP right, people would be keen to play? Who knows. I know it’s a Niche group that plays it, but it has so much potential to be incredible. We have an entire game mode that could be playable and fun if done right, but celebrations are what people want? I mean, yeah.. change them to make them better, but it shouldn’t take priority over a full game mode. Nobody plays BAP because it’s sucked for 10 years. Fix it and people will play it. Wishful thinking I guess. 

    I’m sure it does take many hours to do this kind of stuff, but I’d almost rather have the game come out every two years so they have ample time to fix things. I can manage with a roster update for a year and then get a nice fresh game the following year. Rather than getting hopes up, then having them shattered, and essentially getting a roster update anyway for the offline guys. 

  • jjbyrd04's avatar
    jjbyrd04
    Rising Veteran
    2 years ago

    @65481028154b7c3a wrote:

    Man am I excited for the NCAA 25 game. Everything I read… “we made the game for the community”, “we interviewed players and coaches to get a better understanding”, “we listened to community wishlists”. I’m sorry, what? They listened to community wishlists? Weird. NHL 25 needs to find a way to satisfy the online gamer and the offline gamer. I, myself, am an offline gamer. Be a pro and Dynasty are my modes. And like in NCAA, the whole point is to build a winning college program. Exactly what I love doing in NHL. Drafting, trading, scouting. Please expand upon these areas. Option for being at the actual draft if you’d like, sitting at the tables in the war room, calling your player to the stage. Would be electric. At least for the first round. Can skip, have the option to turn it off, whatever. Fix the “draft interviews”. That is a decent idea? But holy smokes is it the most worthless thing the game has in it. Why can’t I interview players throughout the year? And why am I asking players “how long until you’re nhl ready?” Also, whenever fog of war is on, there’s absolutely no reason my own players have hidden attributes going into FA or at other times during the season unless it’s a newly added draft pick. Deadline day and free agency day are basically holidays in the hockey world. Interview a player, go back and forth with contract talks, or add in performance bonuses, social media updates or news that inform of signing or trades with more hype. You guys are on the right track with teams adding FAs to fill needs, but still can’t seem to figure out how to have teams not be stupid enough to allow young elite players be restricted FAs because of cap issues. Teams would never allow Reinhart or Pettersson to be RFA until December and then not play because of these cap issues. Then you look at their roster and they signed 4 dudes in FA for absurd 2-3 year contracts. Furthering their cap problems. 

    Be a pro. Now this game mode is flat out unplayable. And I wish I could. It’s so boring. Snoozefest. Like I said, I want nothing more in the game than to be the mastermind of creation and build my team through scouting, drafting, FA, etc. Be a pro I also want to be the mastermind of creation. It’s BE A PRO. Not “play a bunch of games with a position lock”. Nothing happens in this game mode. Rookie year has some hype, then you’re old news. Can’t contract negotiate, buying the “perk items” is basically worthless because by the time you can afford some of it, the “attribute boosts”

    don’t really matter. Needs to be a practice mode. Maybe a gym mode, I don’t know. Anything. Influence on who comes to the team in FA or trading. Chemistry amongst teammates like how Debrincat was a huge reason Kane came to Detroit. The identity of your player is basically worthless. Interactions with other players are boring. I want interactions with teammates, opponents, media. I want to be able to update my own social media account if I choose. I want to use the perks I’m purchasing. I want to be able to have a rock star identity, or be a true leader and perfect human like Lidstrom. Marchand is a pest on the ice, sometimes has some great comments to the media, but his teammates love him. Ovie is a man child. Wants nothing more than winning, but has fun while doing it. Crosby is as pure a leader you can have. These qualities need to be in the game. 

    Anyone else build on this? More ideas. J want to hear what you guys got and see if it sparks my brain as well. NCAA listened to their wishlists and community? Will NHL do the same? And forgive me if any of these changes have been made, I have played A LOT less of this game recently. 



    You're barking up the wrong tree. There's no universe where anything you mentioned has any breath of a chance of happening. I've been giving the exact same feedback on the exact same bugs, issues, and short comings of franchise mode for, at least, the past 6 years. 

    They can't even get roster limits correct after the trade deadline. The chemistry/coaching system is a train wreck, and draft prospects after the first draft are missing player preference templates : Forwards are missing "carry" "efficient" and "don't' block" | and Defensemen are missing "balanced/balanced" "balanced/shoot" and "balanced/cycle."

    If it doesn't factor in to EA making money, its nowhere close to being on their list. The only thing EA will do is continue to remove features, further alienating offline players until there's so few of us that it will justify them removing franchise mode all together.

    Trust me, I'd saw off one of my legs in the most painful way possible and give it to EA to have franchise mode at least somewhere in the realm of respectable. It's just not in their business model, and unless another studio shows up to make an NHL game or every single gamer stops giving EA their money, then EA has 0 incentive to put any effort into this game.

  • @65481028154b7c3aCFB 25 built a game that was marketed as "play your (the community's) game"—focusing on in-depth presenation, dynasty modes & revamped passing— and got over 750k active players **at launch**.

    NHL 24 was a game that marketed CHEL costumes, an exhaust system & one button trick shots & hitting and it took putting the game on PS+ & Gamepass to hit 75k players consistently.

    Not a comment at anything in particular, merely an observation

  • Bahamuta's avatar
    Bahamuta
    New Ace
    2 years ago
    @KlariskraysNHL But they didnt nail it out of the park with CFB 25. Team builder still doesnt work right, the SIM logic in the game is busted, you have FCS teams beating Bama and Ohio State like constantly, plus you have 7-4 teams as #1 in the nation while undeafeted and 1 loss squads are out of the top 25.

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