WOC suggestions

First of all, I’d like to discuss this from the perspective of competitive gameplay WOC.

First, the NET BATTLE system needs to be revamped. We have it in the game, complete with impressive animations and an interesting concept, but currently, it's useless.
There’s a nice start to the net battle, appealing body pinning, effective stick checks, and the ability to push opponents away—it all looks great.
However, there’s likely a simple solution: we need to increase the effectiveness of these actions. 

Players should be able to target the opponent they want to engage in a battle with. For instance, you could press the triangle button along with the left stick in the direction of the opponent,
and your skater would turn to face them and initiate a net battle.
In real hockey, a defenseman can see their opponent and angle towards them.

Additionally, we should implement a mechanic that allows players to grab and slow down opponents who are gliding towards them at a slow pace.
This would physically affect their movement and help disrupt their flow. 

We currently have effective dodge animations available, which gives opponents the chance to react quickly and either perform a dodge,
release the stick, or lift the stick in response.
Responding with a push is also an option.
The strength and size of both the attacker and defender will play a crucial role in these interactions.

This would provide players the ability to defend more skillfully and attack more adeptly,
thereby enhancing the significance of size and strength. Moreover, it would allow for diverse playing styles.
Importantly, the foundation for this system already exists; it just needs to be refined.

_____________

The second point revolves around the tip-in system. The "Big Tipper" skill is too overpowering and has been banned by many leagues.
Overall, the tipping system is quite random.
When you're skating as an offense player, you often find yourself in a position where you're unsure whether to deflect the puck, jump to intercept it, or just not react at all.
There’s a desire for more predictable actions.
The same goes for defense: when you're in the defensive zone, the defenseman often does not react to the puck coming towards him.
There’s a genuine need for more predictable maneuvers—blocking the shot, deflecting the puck, swinging your stick to disrupt the opponent's play, using your body to shield the puck, or pushing the opponent away.
You really need to be positioned right on the shot line and release the puck at the perfect moment. I respect those types of goals.

In our game, there are two types of shots that are really challenging to execute with consistency and quality: R1+LS+RS_Up and slap pass RS_Down to LS+R2.
These shots require manual control selection.
In the past, they indeed provided an advantage, as the receiving player would automatically redirect the puck. It looked fantastic and resulted in beautiful, skill-dependent goals.

There’s a suggestion to reinstate the advantage of manual tip-ins.
We should introduce manual control for tipping, such as L2 + RS_Down to get ready for redirecting.
Additionally, revamping the "Big Tipper" to improve accuracy specifically for manual tip-ins and redirects while allowing players to choose the direction could enhance the gameplay experience.

________________

The third point centers around changing the skating system. It’s no secret that using L3 wears down controllers. Many players specifically buy controllers with paddles just for our game.
The sprint using L3 doesn’t replicate the true essence of hockey skating at all.
Few players can effectively pass and receive the puck while sprinting.
During a sprint, players tend to poke the puck ahead, dump it into the zone, chip it along the boards, or use their body to shield the puck.

There are also very few accurate shots or passes that can be made while sprinting. This is where the concept of X-Factor skills could come into play, allowing players to perform a limited set of actions while in motion.
For example, a rework of the tape-to-tape passing could be beneficial. Currently, there are some inaccuracies in reception, but they are minimal and don’t stimulate battles for loose pucks.
This suggests that weight, strength, and size are less critical than they should be.

We should consider reworking the acceleration mechanics and assigning it to a different button.
Adding a controlled gameplay mode with reduced speed, also mapped to a button, could enhance the experience.
Additionally, we need the ability to stop on a dime or turn towards the right player on the spot, which could be implemented with a slow skating button or initiating a net battle with LS direction.
For instance, it would be great to allow slow skating to dump pucks from the crease, aiding in clearing the front of the net.