AI inconsistent in Squad Battles/HUT

Hi there, @MarlieCash.

Can you post those clips where you're getting beat by lower-rated teams? They'll be reviewed for any issues. Thanks!

@MarlieCash 

I was considering posting a topic about this, but I'm glad you did. I feel the experience is completely random, and agree that my 90 OVR Squad Battles team should not be challenged at all on All Star by these 77 OVR teams with no synergies, and about 2 actual NHL players. The amount of boost makes me wonder why Superstar even exists. But then, some days, I'm lucky enough to get two of these team in my list, and I'll struggle to beat one 3-2, then blow the other out 11-0 like it's on Pro.

If there was any benefit at all to winning an evenly-contested game, I wouldn't care much, but this scoring system is all about "the 5 goals scored". If I shut a team out 2-0 on All Star, I still get more points if I just blow them out on Pro, instead, so what's the point to ramping up the difficulty? And when complete garbage teams get so boosted on All Star, what's Superstar even for?

To further the point, here's a screenshot from tonight's games. These were boring AF. There's very little difference in points based on level and results. The two games with no replay available, I played on a level up, and lost each 3-2, so had to replay and kill them on a level lower. The 12-0 game was I believe a 91 OVR team with synergies, the 4-0 game, like an 81 at best, without synergies. The 14-2 game, I didn't bother playing a level up. I sit on the line between Elite 3 and Elite 2, but 1000 coins and a black pack just aren't worth the frustration of trying to beat these teams on a higher level. I can just coast through every game on Pro, instead, and not have the frustration and stress level for what isn't even close to a worthwhile reward.

First game of the day (sat March 6) 77 overall team with goal lamp synergie - I have game footage of 9m of attack time lol with all base cards - I’m playing the other games to I can play those higher overalls no problem- but these base cards are cheese. Needs to be fixed - where can I send bigger files too? YouTube? Twitter? Please replay like you have in my first post with a quick fashionable response time. Thank you 

I don't have additional media to share, but FWIW, since this topic was raised, I've counted 6 opponents in the 76-79 OVR range with no synergies, and every one have them has played like Team Canada.  I'm having zero issues with teams other than these.

So I lost one game and had to replay it but I can see the active synergies I don’t mind a tougher game- I replay it and still win but the passing % is almost always above 90% for AI. It’s crazy how u can’t hit them and the avoid the body check like nothing, but AI can bump and poke the puke with ease. If you play the game yourselves on superstar difficulty you’ll quickly see what I’m talking about - how do we fix this moving forward??

@MarlieCash 

Can you get some video of what's happening? Stats don't really show us how the game was played. Video can be uploaded to YouTube or published using the built-in game DVR functionality of your console.

I play on Superstar myself. I never check the stats at the end of games. Other than seeing if I had 20 shots or not. I'll take a look at the passing next time. Regardless, the AI are very good at passing so you need to try to cut off their options. They are always looking for open lanes for shots and passes. If you aren't controlling the player closest to the puck and instead are letting the AI play defense, you probably won't see them getting so many interceptions. Playing manual defense will normally cause more turnovers. Unless you're constantly chasing the carrier and giving them the space to pass.

I haven't had a problem with hits though when I have them lined up right and there's enough force behind the hit. I'd need to see some video to understand what you're experiencing better.

Sounds good I have been saving gameplay- I’ll upload them and let you know the link to them - thanks for the response 

@MarlieCash 

Great. Thank you very much. Just get back to me when you can and I'll check out your videos.

Hopefully @MarlieCash uploads some videos.

I have a new screenshot to share today, and before anyone just responds "dude, you're just not good at the game", OK, fine, if that's true, then tell me why there's such a discrepancy between Pro and All Star, when there's also a Superstar level above these.  For those that play on this level, what's the secret?  Because it's not "the AI teams play better hockey".  EA has not built a true AI... they increase difficulty by bloating stats in the CPU's favor, and the amount of bloat is ridiculous.  As stated previously in the thread, a mid-70s OVR team with no synergy should not at all be able to keep up with a 90 OVR, NHL-player stacked team on All Star.  You want to give that much boost on the top level, it makes sense there.

From left-to-right in the screenshot:

Game 1: 76 OVR team with no synergies.  On All Star, a 3-2 loss, with the 3rd goal against coming in the final minute of regulation.  All three goals were garbage, but I get it, this is a video game, not the NHL.  Stupid sh*t is going to happen in the name of "difficulty".  This team had two NHL players, and maybe 2-3 more NHL 4th liners that are usually healthy scratches.  One of the NHL players was Marc-Andre Fleury, so it's fine, he'll make some ridiculous saves.  The guy is tanking his team's overall rating with his backup though, because MAF is no 72 OVR (tanking your rating like this is a rampant action in this community).  Replay on Pro, 8-0 shutout, they had 3 shots for the entire game.  MAF got pulled in the first period after giving up 5 goals, and somehow the backup stoned me until midway through the 3rd.  How does this make sense?  How is there this big of a gap between Pro and All Star?

Game 2: 81 OVR team with no synergies.  On All Star, a 2-1 OT loss.  This team at least had 3 lines' worth of NHL players, and some D-men, but nobody's ever heard of the goalie.  Replay on pro, can only muster a 3-0 win, so the point gain suffers badly.  No-name goalie continues to play out of his mind, their shots were somewhere in the teens for the game.  Again, why such a gap in the two levels, but also why are we penalized so badly for not reaching "5 goals" in this scoring system?  This was a dominating shutout, but I miss out on ~130 points.  Any team would want to play this good of a game... the reward should be commensurate.

Game 3: 77 OVR team with no synergies.  I honestly don't even remember where their two goals came from, aside from just chalking them up to "it's All Star... they're going to be given some goals".  As we can see this time, however, the replay was not needed, because I managed to score normally.  The major difference between this 77 team and the previous 76 team?  No Marc-Andre Fleury.  So we're saying, then, that just a goalie is that big a difference-maker on All Star?  If so, ok, but I ask again, what's Superstar level even for?  And then I would further ask, why doesn't my Patrick Roy also get this kind of boost?  Yeah, I already know the answer to that one... it's how they make the game more "difficult".

Game 4: a 91 OVR with 4 synergies, IIRC.  I don't bother trying these on All Star, at this point... I already know it'll make me want to destroy my controller.  Only real comment here is again about the "5 goal" scoring.  the 3-0 game was a far better game for my team, but this game scored better, because I got to 5.  That's just nonsense... we should be rewarded for good defense.  Defense wins championships.

Anyway, as I said before, I sit on the line between Elite 3 and Elite 2 in Squad Battles, and the reward gain just isn't worth the effort.  I can accept if "this is how we built the game", rather than there actually being something wrong, but it would be nice to have an explanation on why this level gap is just so big.  What are we supposed to expect?  And for those players that have this "solved", care to share the tricks with the rest of us?  This scoring system and this level gap are big reasons why I put most of my effort into Franchise Mode... there, I can customize the sliders better so that games on All Star "make sense" and "look like real hockey", and there's no downside for having good, close games, or *gasp* losing.  Hell, you're supposed to lose.  I know... losing isn't what this mode (or any of HUT) is about.  Again, I would just like information on why this mode is the way it is (if there is, in fact, nothing wrong), and for "better players" to maybe help us figure out why they're successful where we're not.