Full Presentation
I'm excited that the focus this year was offline, specifically franchise mode. But I have to say, I am equally disappointed that full presentation is not back. The team knows how requested it is, and...
Forum Discussion
But there are presentation improvements. We saw it in the form of more detailed players and Franchise presentation menus getting improved. They didn't promise full presentation would return but simply understand they know it's wanted.
But there are presentation improvements.
Jarring and predictable camera cuts to the coach were the only presentation elements I saw changed in this full gameplay video that was put on YouTube today. Although, the score clock no longer eating up so much real estate and being moved to its proper home in the top left is a nice change.
We saw it in the form of more detailed players and Franchise presentation menus getting improved.
The new player models seem to have negated what the previous models accomplished in terms of player differentiation. It seems they all have the same skating stride now and appear to all look the same.
The Franchise menu, while seemingly a nice upgrade, has nothing to do with the 'Presentation' that the community has been clamouring for.
They didn't promise full presentation would return but simply understand they know it's wanted
True, nothing is ever promised when it comes to this game though. We're all left in the dark about potential changes during the year and during this release cycle, we literally got our first true gameplay video a few days prior to early access.
Do they know it's wanted? I know they say they know, but do they truly know? Because the public consensus is that people want an experience that they can immerse themselves in and EA seems to believe that means Fortnite dances, pond hockey and single player celebrations that don't accurately convey the celebratory nature of this team sport.
Based on what we know about '25, we're still going to be forced into pond-hockey environments for EASHL drop-ins while still being forced to see players wearing full body suits that may or may not be a werewolf. Still going to likely continue the trend of having to rename our clubs after a salty opponent takes a loss and weaponizes EA's algorithmic censorship system. Chances are, we're still going to be stuck in 2009 when 1 player out of 12 can pause the game for everyone. Still going to be stuck with senseless 30-second delays in-between periods.
EASHL has dedicated servers, so it begs the question as to why we still don't have a lobby system where we can coordinate pickup games without having to use outside websites.
Griefers will still dominate the landscape in HUT, OVP and EASHL. I was playing MLB The Show the other day and after taking the lead against my opponent, he decided to begin hitting all of my batters. After the 4th straight bean in the 5th inning, the game literally just ended. Went right to the end-of-game highlights with the commentators thanking everyone for watching. I got the Win and was able to move right into another game.
In EASHL HUT or OVP - players are able to use the mechanics to play keep away, rag the puck and otherwise be a disturbance with almost no repercussions.
Seeing these quality-of-life issues continue to be ignored year after year while the representatives continue to say "we're aware of that" is starting to reinforce the notion that maybe they don't actually know what's wanted and are instead having their efforts go into following trends rather than shoring up a hardcore base of users.
- EA_Aljo
Community Manager
It was pretty uncommon that I saw someone ragging. Not to mention, you slow down a lot when ragging so I think that deterred this. It was also very satisfying to pressure them, cause a turnover and score. Regardless, I'd love to see us do a better job with griefers. Especially in drop-ins when it comes to goalies leaving the net, laying down, and goofing around in general.
I'd also love to see a return to drop-ins being indoors. Hopefully, that happens.
I think we all need to keep in mind that when it comes to public consensus, that's actually a pretty small portion of the overall playerbase. There is a FAR higher population that doesn't partake in community forums. This means there are also a ton of people that either like or aren't concerned enough with the presentation style to complain about it online. Complaining online is practically a pastime for this game and pretty much any other. People are less likely to go to online forums just to praise something. So, of course it looks like everyone that plays doesn't like the current presentation style.
We get complaints that the game is copied and pasted every year. Then, we change stuff up, give it a new presentation style and what do we get requests for? The same look we had previously. So, why make that complaint and then just request the old aesthetic anyway? I get people would want new cut scenes that are more representative of the sport. However, there is a much flashier look to TV broadcasts now. It's been going in this direction for awhile. I know they don't have the pre-game animations our game has. I too would rather see skating around the ice, partaking in the national anthems, walking out the hall, etc. Regardless, there are a lot of people that like this as these have been quite popular. There's a very diverse playerbase. It's not all just hardcore players just wanting a rerelease of NHL 14. I hope in the future, we can find a good balance that keeps the authenticity of what we see on TV while adding some flair to satisfy the people that want to personalize their player more.We get complaints that the game is copied and pasted every year. Then, we change stuff up, give it a new presentation style and what do we get requests for? The same look we had previously.
I make a bad sandwich, you tell me it's bad. I make a worse sandwich and you tell me it tastes worse. That doesn't mean the bad sandwich is good, it means it just means it's not as bad as the new one.
Do you understand what we are saying?
Well the hope is always to make the sandwich better than worse. I mean there are people like me who actually love the new presentation. I mean look at what the NHL has done with Disney using the Big Greens. It's not exactly something that interests me but it feels geared more towards the the younger/future generation of kids. With the new presentation stuff I feel they are going that route of trying to attract the younger generation with the "fortnite" flash.
I personally don't know why Full Presentation isn't back in the game how you all asked for it on forums and other places . I mean you have seen lots of the creators talk about wanting it too so you should get the sense that it's requested and the higher up do know it's wanted.
It was pretty uncommon that I saw someone ragging. Not to mention, you slow down a lot when ragging so I think that deterred this. It was also very satisfying to pressure them, cause a turnover and score.
This is only true when the player retains possession in their own zone. All one needs to do is skate the puck to the neutral zone, make a few passes and then return to their own zone. Rinse and repeat, you've got the grief.
when it comes to public consensus, that's actually a pretty small portion of the overall playerbase. There is a FAR higher population that doesn't partake in community forums. This means there are also a ton of people that either like or aren't concerned enough with the presentation style to complain about it online.
Why do the indifferent opinions of the rest of the player-base supersede the desperate cries from your most loyal players? The thing about listening to the "pretty small portion" of the player base is that they're trying to ring alarm bells about the foundational aspect of the game that casuals (the 'ton' of people) would otherwise be impartial to. They're imploring EA to take a more realistic approach to everything and deviate from this Fortnite path. It's alienating the precise portion of the player base that would make this game go viral for the right reasons (depth of realism, engaging broadcast style presentation, etc.).
Complaining online is practically a pastime for this game and pretty much any other. People are less likely to go to online forums just to praise something.
You got that right. I can't argue with this LOL
So, of course it looks like everyone that plays doesn't like the current presentation style.
Regardless of the reactionary cynicism, this should tell EA something that they're currently not listening to. Once you filter out the noise of the casual cynics out for online validation, you're left with a growing base of yearly customers who are trying to scream from the rooftops that the style of presentation (among other elements) is becoming less palatable for the most loyal portion of your fanbase. Casting them off as a 'small portion' of the user base in favor of appeasing casuals in the hopes they'll dump $$$ into HUT is painfully obvious to those of us who've been around here longer than we should.
We get complaints that the game is copied and pasted every year. Then, we change stuff up, give it a new presentation style and what do we get requests for? The same look we had previously.
Although EA rightfully recognized there was an appetite for modern presentation, they took a turn into a presentation style that was obviously meant to capture the Fortnite style theme of hyper individualism. They took a team game with team-based presentation elements and chopped it up in favor of individualized scenes with 'emotes'.
It's not that people always want EA to revert back - it's that people want the essence of what made that presentation good and for it to be improved upon rather than ripped out, chopped up and re-introduced as 'new'.
I get people would want new cut scenes that are more representative of the sport. However, there is a much flashier look to TV broadcasts now. It's been going in this direction for awhile.
You're not wrong, but those flashier presentations build upon the already established flow, camera shots, stat presentations, etc. They haven't stopped giving a goalie matchup screen. They haven't starting using on-ice drones to capture replay angles that a normal broadcast wouldn't be able to capture. They're still providing quick replays and color in between whistles without flashy graphics (for the most part).
It's not all just hardcore players just wanting a rerelease of NHL 14
No, but there's a very good reason why EA is acutely aware that this title is held above all others by the most ardant critics and loyal devotees alike. All we wanted was for this game to be built upon.
None of this is directed squarely at you and I'm sure you know that. This is just a general commentary on the direction of the franchise and in no way am I chastising the developers or community managers who keep it together in the face of such criticisms. I just feel that whatever data EA is looking at whether it be telemetry data gathered during the life cycle, social media comments, survey results, etc... I don't think the extrapolating of this data is accurate.
True but the forum is where the devs go to collect feedback. And on the forums there were multiple 100 page-plus threads requesting full presentation back. I understand what you're saying about keeping things the same vs. trying new things, but I've never seen another issue so unanimous and repeated so often.
