NHL 27

SzuperSkillz wrote:

My understanding is that this stick-reaching move (as well as the L1 function where you drop to a knee) is specifically an attempt to prevent a pass;

The poke check stick reach is only meant to disrupt puck possession. There are times where you get lucky and a poke check will deflect a puck during a pass, but that's pure luck and the mechanic isn't designed to do that. 

SzuperSkillz wrote:

if the blade is in the way, the puck hits it and usually deflects into the stands or changes direction. In other words, you can use this to poke the puck away from the opponent or intercept a pass, but it shouldn't automatically result in you gaining possession of the puck every time.

The only mechanic that attempts to allow you to deflect passes in this way is the defensive skill stick. Because it's just a 1:1 movement of your right stick and isn't tied to tracking anything, you can place it in passing and shooting lanes to get the deflection you're describing. However, I feel EA needs to add some tracking to this because like others have said, defenders need to have 100% accuracy whereas offensive players get a lot of wiggle room. 

RickyLaFlora wrote:

I think there should be a big nerf to offensive pass reception and slight buff to defensive interceptions. Offense has it way too easy in this regard.

Agreed. I think the problem EA faces is once you start increasing the difficulty for players to make a ton of passes to score one-timers and get breakaways etc, it kills the 'fun' for the majority of users who prefer arcade-style hockey. 

I think the majority of us who engage in these discussions around the game prefer a simulation style of play that can sometimes only be achieved by making drastic adjustments to sliders, yet we also want to compete in online modes that tend to slant more towards the arcade vibe. 

PlayoffError wrote:

 Maybe an "attempt interception" button with some kind of downside to prevent spamming it is the way to go.  It would fit in more with the "active defense" mantra.

 

100%. I've always wondered if holding poke check, the same action as defensive skill stick, could act as an interception anticipator mechanic. Basically, while you're in DSS or if you can see a pass attempt coming from a mile away (habitual D-to-D one-timer users, cross crease hunters) the interception pickup is able to trigger more often than when not anticipating.

Right now, being in DSS, it disables the ability for an interception pickup to trigger. I'd argue it should be the opposite and would go a long way in buffing manual defending. 

Thank you for reiterating this point. Offense pass reception has little to no constraints compared to a defender trying to intercept a pass. It makes me curious if icon passing has exacerbated this issue, I remember in nhl 20 magnetic was an important perk to receive passes but now it seems like magnetic is built into our players.  

I think there should be a big nerf to offensive pass reception and slight buff to defensive interceptions. Offense has it way too easy in this regard.

My understanding is that this stick-reaching move (as well as the L1 function where you drop to a knee) is specifically an attempt to prevent a pass; in real life, if the blade is in the way, the puck hits it and usually deflects into the stands or changes direction. In other words, you can use this to poke the puck away from the opponent or intercept a pass, but it shouldn't automatically result in you gaining possession of the puck every time.
After all, no one asks if you were holding down a specific button, and it isn't fair for the game to decide the puck misses just because you pressed the wrong buttons or the move wasn't intended to make contact with the puck. If the stick hits the puck, contact occurs. Perhaps the game should do away with the "poke check" entirely and replace it with an R3 function, like a "puck poke" ?

KidShowtime1867 wrote:

The intended method for intercepting the pass in this scenario is to actively skate towards the passing lane without taking any actions (no poke checking, no body checking, and avoid using the hustle) and this would trigger the interception pickup animation.

I've always had the impression that it's the disconnect between what defenders need to do to intercept a pass ( like you said, thumbs off the stick and pray the animation kicks in ) versus what the target of the pass needs to do to receive it ( skate full speed, spin, have your back to the play, basically anything they want ) that is generating most of the frustration from defensive players.   Defense has essentially zero room for error while on offense it's incredibly difficult to not pick up a pass that's anywhere near you.

I'm not sure what the solution is.  Making defensive interceptions as easy as offensive receptions probably makes for generally frustrating gameplay as well.   Maybe an "attempt interception" button with some kind of downside to prevent spamming it is the way to go.  It would fit in more with the "active defense" mantra.

There is no timing mechanic in this scenario though. This is a travelling puck, and the poke check mechanic is not intended to target the puck in this scenario. 

A poke check will always target where the puck is at the frame when the poke check button it pressed. So in the above scenario, it stands to reason that your poke would be inaccurate by design. (again, this is just an opinion on how the mechanic works and not an endorsement. I'm not here to debate what 'real hockey' is. I'm just trying to outline what I interpret the intended design to be)

The intended method for intercepting the pass in this scenario is to actively skate towards the passing lane without taking any actions (no poke checking, no body checking, and avoid using the hustle) and this would trigger the interception pickup animation. 

The timing is spot-on and the blade is in the right place; the fact that it is too high is something we cannot control. The AI ​​hits the puck from there with 100% accuracy.

SzuperSkillz wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQJwwDXU7oY

Again, this is a perfect example of what I was saying:

KidShowtime1867 wrote:

poke check is not an 'intercept pass' button. It's an action that, when timed incorrectly, has the consequence of not being able to execute a subsequent action. Furthermore, it disables any automated pickups/interceptions.

It's not the greatest angle for the video so hard to tell if it's really going under the stick. However, the defender has their back turned to the play and one hand on their stick. They're not in a good position to make an interception. If you're seeing players not make interceptions when facing the play, and they have enough time to react, get a video so we can review it for any issues. Thanks!

The huge number of interceptions is actually the reason why players play without passing, instead trying to weave through the entire rink on their own. The AI ​​intercepts passes far too often. In "Be a Pro," I personally can't seem to pull off interceptions because the puck just goes right under the stick like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQJwwDXU7oY

Btw. 2BCproduction videos is very good. (even though they are spiced with fairly forthright opinions.)