Forum Discussion

Rising Traveler

4 months ago

WOC Defense

Nonexistent. Kinda getting ridiculous at this point. Poke Checks rarely work, stick-lifts are non existent. maxed out d awareness with quick pick and force passes are going through two defensemen. S...

world of chel

EA_Aljo

Community Manager

4 months ago

These games have always been tuned around forwards, because they almost have to be. Scoring is fun, and for a young or casual fan that's probably what they notice most about the game, because it's what gets the most attention. Can't really fault them for that. If you pick up the game as a casual fan and can't score, you probably won't play it very long.

The game isn't tuned so that young and casual fans have fun scoring. Tuning is based on creating a competitive, even playing field between offense and defense. Obviously, defense is a very challenging position to play and I agree it needs a boost. Except for Truculence which I agree needs a nerf. I also think that possession of the puck is regained too easily by the carrier when it's poked away. That doesn't mean that we specifically tune the game for offense though.

I also agree speed is too high. I'd love to see this get a nerf as well. All this feedback has been relayed to the team. It's possible there could be tuner updates in the future.

FourZeroVI

New Veteran

4 months ago

Just wanted to share an example of where I feel like my defender played very solid staying with his guy to defend a backdoor tap in and I still got scored on and he was not rewarded with a breakup of some kind. I feel like this is the feeling of the majority of players, that any slight movement on the ice places you in a position that will not get you rewarded and that being in position is one thing but then also to have stick position makes defense unbalanced from that of the offense. I realize he's not in perfect position but that kind of brings home my point that its alot easier to hit a pass on offense (especially with icon passing) where as on defense you need to be a little too perfect because they're not aiming for you. I think it needs to be more forgiving on defense, making it a little more important for the offense to find a true open lane.

Personally, I don't think the game is specifically tuned to make offense easier but that doesn't mean that it isn't that way even if unintended. I do think a massive bump in defense is needed and has been needed for years, its a bit overdue.

tnic73
New Adventurer
4 months ago
the game is tuned for tons of pucks to go in the net no matter what that's why you see so many own goals
- EA_Aljo
  Community Manager
  4 months ago
  
  the game is tuned for tons of pucks to go in the net no matter what that's why you see so many own goals
  
  The game is not specifically tuned for own goals just to raise scoring. That is completely false.
- MostlyHubris
  Rising Adventurer
  4 months ago
  I don't really think that's the case. I just don't think they test enough. If you just lob shots from wherever at the AI goalie, they're pretty good. Honestly, if you just skate in and do a no-frills cross crease one-timer, he'll probably get it half the time, maybe more. You add in a late man coming down and he starts to cheat off the post, and he might get it one out of ten times. Then you add in the intangibles like goalie screen effect, the "pressure meter" (which I am not a fan of at all), I think the numbers start to get all jumbled up. We played a game last night where I was crossing over and my defenseman hit me in the **bleep** with his shot when I was in the circle. The AI goalie absolutely sent it with his save attempt in an absurd way and I just backhanded the loose puck into a completely empty net for the game winner. This guy had previously been very good. I just think the intangibles like deflections or things that aren't intentional directions of the puck toward the net don't make it onto their radar. Missed passes go in a lot, bounces off the defenseman go in a lot. Sucks.