Get Rid of Elite Edges/Wheels in EASHL
I've owned every single EA NHL game. I still have my Sega and all of those original games going back to the NHLPA Hockey days. To say I'm a devoted fan, and sometimes an apologist to this franchise, ...
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There's nothing dynamic or exciting about being forced to play the same boring, conservative chore defense every single game, especially given that forcing them outside isn't even that much of an advantage given how terrible goalies are at holding the post.
The whole driving point for X-Factors is that they promote variance and make builds feel different and special. If every forward is using the same ones, and thus forcing the defense to use all the same ones, there's nothing dynamic about it and they might as well not be in the game to begin with.
You're right defense is inherently boring for someone who enjoys seeing multiple goals, celebrations, flashy dekes and flashing lights. Both defense and goalie have to be motivated by something else. I can only speak for myself, and it might come across a bit sadistic in that I find enjoyment frustrating other teams. Crying about not getting a breakaway all game, I like that. Crying about not being able to cheese cross crease passes through 3 guys? I like that. Crying about getting stonewalled by a goalie on 1T after 1T, I like that. So for me, a 0-0 on the score sheet means nothing as long as we get the W. I know that my opinion is not common with that of the majority of the community and I can respect that. However, it doesn't make the approach or strategy less effective.
especially given that forcing them outside isn't even that much of an advantage given how terrible goalies are at holding the post.
AI goalies still need work as does everything in the game as we continue to grow as a community. I as well think AI goalies need to hold the post better, however I also think as a defense we need to protect straight lines to the net. AI goalies have cross crease reactions that I could only dream of, so I assume their fault on the near side is to balance this, even if unintentional.
The whole driving point for X-Factors is that they promote variance and make builds feel different and special. If every forward is using the same ones, and thus forcing the defense to use all the same ones, there's nothing dynamic about it and they might as well not be in the game to begin with.
I agree with this statement whole heartedly. With every action there is a equal and opposite reaction. Every forward is using the same build right now because it works against the defensive strategies that we currently have. We both want variety, but were both looking to get it different ways:
You would like EA to make changes to make these builds less relevant. (And I don't disagree.) Where we differ is that while these builds are the meta, they are only the meta because they work. If people started playing a more conservative defense like were talking about, these builds would not be as effective and you are going to see forwards change and adapt, different builds would be used because you cant just skate past everyone anymore. We have just as much control over the meta as EA does in this particular instance.
