Slider Questions: Attributes/Coaching Strategy
Now that there is a small lull in the forums and before NHL26 comes out, I would like to get some final clarification about some sliders and a comment about another. The answers here can be very helpful in adjusting the game for NHL26 and provide a better understanding of how moving one slider affects others. Okay.. here we go.
Attribute affects slider: For these questions I will reference a player rated at 69 and another one at 99. So you have a gap of 30 between the two. Questions. What does the attribute slider actually do? Does the slider compress or expand or both? I know it uses some mathematical equations to make this work, but I would like to know what is the affect on a player. My understanding is that at 0/10 all players are the same. Attributes are no longer taken into account and in the course of a season, a 69 rated player has the same chance to be the scoring champion as a default 99 rated player. A 75 goalie has an equal chance to win the Veznia as a 95 rated goalie. In other words.. all men are crated equal. But the question is did the slider compress the highest rated player or expand the attributes of the lowest rated player or both? At 0/10 all players are at your EA default, but where is that rating? At 0/10 do they all play like 69 rated players? 85 rated players or all bumped up to 99 rated players? They all cant be 0 rated because they can skate, pass, shoot and hit. So they have to have some attributes to play so would like to know at 0/10 what is the rating equivalent for all players? There has to be a fulcrum or a pivot point.
If I move the slider to 10/10 does this mean all attributes are exact or enhanced? I know that at 10/10 there is no way a 75 rated player will be in the top 10 in scoring and a 75 rated goalie will not be in the running for a Veznia. But does this mean there will be a true 30 point attribute gap between the highest and lowest rated player? Or does it amplify the attributes and now a 69 rated player plays like a 64 rated player while the 99 plays more like a 105 rated player? I’d like to think this is the truest setting since at 10/10 and 100% of the attributes are being used.
Or is 5/10 the true attribute setting where there is a 30 point gap and any tick up or down compresses or expands the difference between the lows and the highs? Is this the fulcrum where any tick upwards will expand the gap or compress the gap between the highest and lowest or do we have only about a 15 point attributes gap because the computer is only using 50% of the attributes? The default is 5/10 so does this mean 5/10 is where there is that true 30point gap? This attribute slider affects the entire game at a global level when playing a season. It’s one of the few sliders that not only affects the game you’re playing but other players you are not playing. At 0, you can find 70 rated players as the top goal leader boards. Ive read in other forums they believe 6 or 7/10 is the truest setting but this doesn’t make sense to me. It’s either 5 or 10.
BAP. AI coaching strategy slider: Under “Assisted Strategies” The description says “Determines how often your BAP Coach will change the team strategy based on game context. But under game play sliders in the AI tab “CPU Strategy Adjustment” it says Determines if the CPU will change their strategy based on game context. Maximum means more aggressive changes”
Asking about the Game Play Sliders under the AI tab CPU strategy slider. Does this slider affect BOTH coaches or just my opponent’s coach? Does this slider only affect the offensive aggressiveness or does it also touch the defense? For this example, my BAP team is up 2-0 in the 3rd. At 6/6 does this affect my BAP coach since there is a separate slider? Does the AI for my team prioritize offense or will it adjust to become more defensive? If the other team is up 2-0 in the second will the opponents coach still be aggressive and leave their defense open to scoring? The Slider says “aggressive changes” is this offensive changes only or both offense and defense depending on the game’s score? My understanding is that at 0/6, the AI coach for both teams will not make changes and just play the EA default offense and defense. What slider setting would make the best and truest setting? The default is 3/6. Im afraid that if I turn it up to 6/6 I could be up by 1 with 2 min left and the forwards will still be aggressive and try to score. So in short, does the Game Play Slider affect only offensive aggressiveness? Or both offense and defensive adjustments.
Why have Assisted Strategies slider at all? If game play slider affects both coaches, then why have a slider just for your BAP coach? If I have the Game Play slider at 0/6 No changes but have the BAP strategy adjustment slider at 6/6, then will there be any changes made at all? What if I reversed it and had 6/6 for game play sliders and 0-0 in BAP sliders then does this mean that my BAP coach wont make any changes. Do they counter act one another? Thats why I ask if the Game Play slider affects both or only the opponents coaches.
Okay, sorry for all the questions, but those sliders can greatly change the game. Now for a few comments: Please please please change the AI behavior of the PK squad. I hate it when they clear the puck, then all 4 rush the opponents offensive zone to try and score. The Pk should clear and hang back or make a line change. Not try to score leaving yourself open to a rush. And last comment. Please Please fix the “Aggression” slider under the Checking tab. I know EANHL is all about the hits. They dont slo mo goalie saves, but they slo mo the hits so a hit are a big part of the game, but in reality, the NHL only averages about 50-60 hits per game total per game. But in 7min periods even with my aggression slider set to 5/100, I’ll get about 80 hits per game. Thats 4 hits per min in a 21 min game. That means if I play a full 60 min game, I’ll see 228 hits in that game. I’ll see the defensemen hit a guy after the opponents has already passed the puck. Or hit a player for no reason at all. EA NHL is just a hit fest and there is no slider that I have found that can cure this. The default is 50 and in a 7min periods I’ll see as much at 110 in a 21 min game. Thats just too much. So what can I do for NHL26 to prevent seeing so many hits in a game.
Okay, rant done.. Sorry for the book, but better get my questions out now before you hear how NHL26 is. You can reply here or just shoot me a message. I just want to make my game better and if this helps others. Thats great too.
