Re: NHL 20 Feedback Discussion

@TTZ_Dipsy 

I've left it at 95% because it works well for me. I just turned it down to 90% though to experiment with it more. Manual saucer passes are always unassisted though. Just FYI there. 

Whenever I have an AI defender, I use the High Pressure strategy so they hit more. When people complain about their AI not hitting, but their opponent's AI are, that's probably why. They'll step up more.

As far as their bad passes go, just like humans, they aren't immune to those. I've probably seen more bad passes from human-controlled players than AI. The best way to get them to make better passes is to give them better options. Like I said, so many forwards just instantly skate to the NZ hoping for that stretch pass that leads to a breakaway or odd-man rush. In most cases, the AI players will carry the puck and look for open lanes, but obviously there are times they don't.

I've gotten pretty good at manual switching since it's inclusion last year. It's just sort of become a habit at this point. It can feel awkward but works really well when you want the last man back especially. Player switching is always something the dev team is looking to improve so hopefully it'll be fine-tuned more in the future.

The hip-check changed due to including the DSS controls. I believe that was why. If I recall, hip-check was mapped to a combination of RB/R1 and something else. I could be wrong. It may have been due to the new deke moves that were added a couple of years ago. It's now pretty clunky, but some guys are really good with it. Like so much of this game, it just becomes muscle memory. Regardless, it had to change to accommodate adding other functionality.

lol I've only ever done saucer passes with maxed out sliders in BaP for those trophies; I cannot for the life of me do them effectively in regular play 😛

Nah man, my team loves high pressure but it leads to a severe amount of penalties; our ai hacks and slashes like nobody's business and it's a darn shame for sure. We've had to adopt other strategies simply because constant 5on4's and 5on3's are too much to handle. We've noticed it's better to have 2 ai D's or 2 human D's - there is absolutely no inbetween with this since the LD constantly moves over to my area and never goes back until I hug the boards and then obviously becomes a pylon when the other team rushes on the left.

A lot of the time I'll pass left from behind the net and the computer just waits to get crushed by the guy coming down the center or tries passing towards the center ice logo. More often than not I'll be on the right side in the defensive zone, completely open but the computer will zoom behind the net and just hail mary it into the slot - Hockey 101: do not pass up the middle. We've tried all settings and while yes, sometimes my C or LW will be up in the NZ, they don't call for the pass since they are swarmed by a bunch of dudes. You need to hang so far back for them to set up it can be frustrating. I can forgive most if not all of that though if the computer stopped trying to bank the puck directly left/right and skate to the blue line only to pass backwards for whatever reason.

For sure - players who can master the player swap are super deadly in modes like HUT and they deserve their edge.

Hip check used to just be bound to click R3 and "aim" with L3, now it's L1 (passblock) and then click R3 before he fully goes down, then aim which is extremely janky. I must be missing something then, can you please tell me what other things R3 does for your players without the puck? This new set up causes awkward block attempts, loss of momentum, and even trips (just like when you're forced to poke to make the ai shoot the puck; please also look into alternative button mapping for this).

It would just be nice to have the option to have more button layouts if not a whole full customize option. I'm not fond of L1 responsible for all the dekes as there are just too many to do them effectively on the fly.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

I use saucer passes very frequently. They're incredibly useful. Especially with a 2 on 1. Saucing cross-crease works really well.

That's interesting about the penalties. My AI player(s) rarely ever take penalties. I take more than they do for sure. I can get bad with the poke checks. If AI players are constantly out of position, chances are good the human controlled players are also. They will try to cover the empty space left when someone is out of position. They'll rotate and shuffle around to try to cover the open areas. I see human players abandon their positions very frequently. Usually, because they chase the puck. So, keep an eye on your positioning. I'm not saying the AI will never go out of position when humans are in perfect position, but this is a big contributor to it.

It kinda sounds like you're passing to a player that's covered. If they're getting crushed right after you pass to them, they weren't really a good option for the pass. If the AI are passing straight up the middle of the ice and no one is calling for it, that's obviously not good. I'll keep an eye out for it, but if you have any video, let me know. I think my problem is that most of the games I play only have 1 AI player or none at all so I'm not experiencing the same issues as often as you are. I do see the occasional bad pass or see where they don't pass at all and carry the puck into the zone when they have open passing options. In the end, they're AI. They aren't going to be perfect. Neither are humans though. 

Occasionally I play as a center. When we're breaking out I always hang back so the AI have another option for a pass. They hit me very often as my forwards are frequently covered. A short pass to me means my forwards can get open better which very frequently leads to gaining their zone. If you watch real hockey, you'll see the same thing or you'll see defenders carry the puck up more. In this game, however, forwards most often take off as fast as they can and don't really consider the opposition around them. Having a forward hang back to help breakout can be very beneficial.

Without the puck, R3 is the chop. Which used to be bound to RB/R1 and then flicking the right stick in the direction you want to chop it. Since R3 became the backhand toe drag, the hip-check was moved.

Customizing buttons would be nice for sure. I hope it happens someday. I don't know that I'd change much except the chop. I never use that backhand toe drag move so it would be nice to just ignore that and put the chop as well as hip check back where they were.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

Also, aggressive strategies don't make your AI players commit more penalties as in they aren't going to attempt stick lifts or poke checks more frequently. They will be up in the play more so it's possible that could contribute to more penalties. However, they aren't choosing to stick lift or poke check more than they did before. They just have more opportunities to attempt them.

Computer keeps intercepting seemingly easy cross-passes so I'll maybe crank my pass assist and try some legit saucers.

Last few weeks have been pretty brutal for my team; you can pretty much guarantee at least one computer penalty. We've made a strict rule not to poke so our stick infractions are near 0 but I get tons of lame charging and interference penalties to balance all that out. I understand what you're saying, but that doesn't exactly instil trust in our AI, especially when they are so far into the offensive zone and the humans are already back defending. Could just be another 2-player thing - more chances for things to go wrong with 4 AI players on the ice.

I should be able to find some clips next time I play that show what I'm trying to say. in regards to defensive blunders.

Makes sense; computers don't think like humans and humans just can't naturally play like a computer so mistakes are bound to happen - I just hope to find that right pattern to use so we keep those mistakes to a minimum while still getting our names on the board.

[EASHL] Above all else I love their ability to cover you when you shift position (I'm now a LW playing on the right side of the ice so our new left winger has a better stick handedness for one-timers - please allow us to customize our team btw), BUT, and this is a huge but, it's extremely frustrating when I am a RD. I don't even have to get half the way to the middle of the ice before LD zooms into my side and just plants himself right beside me - He should want to go back to his proper position but I literally have to touch the boards for him to move back; In all that time, the left zone is dangerously open. From what i can tell, it's a problem specific to the LD wanting his handedness closest to the boards (this carries over into HUT where all players refuse to stay in the positions I set (I like inward-facing sticks) - this absolutely kills the mode for me).

Taking EASHL slow is definitely the route to go - it gives you proper defence and allows everyone to catch up to the play in the offensive zone. <- Thrown out the window in 3s of course.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

Pass assist doesn't help manual saucers though. They are always unassisted. I've seen those interceptions as well. Saucer passes will help, but your aim has to be spot on.

If you poke more, you'll learn how to use it better. Not using it at all is taking away an excellent defensive tool. This could be part of why things have been so brutal for you guys. I have way more successful pokes than unsuccessful ones. In the end, I may take a penalty in each game, the number of plays I break up far outweigh any negative effects of taking a penalty. 

Charging and interference are also under your control. It really sounds like you guys just need to play a more disciplined game if you're taking a lot of penalties.

What did you want to customize with your team that you can't already?

My main position is RD, but I can play LD equally as well. I forced myself to get used to the handedness of both sides so I could play most any position. It also greatly helps with HUT and Online Versus. 

That's interesting about the LD. I'll have to watch out for that, but again, video will help so I can see what you're experiencing. He should only be going over there if he has a good reason to. He could play the strong side if there's no one there defending. He shouldn't be there for no reason though.

My HUT players tend to stay in position pretty well because I'm constantly switching players and keeping them positional. You see them get more out of position when you skill zone and control one player that is out of position. Like, planting a forward in front of the net. Then, the rest of your team is going to move around to cover the space you left open. There are times I'll play out of position if the play dictates it, but only if it's not going to mean triple-teaming the carrier and leaving the weak side of the ice totally open. It's all about looking at the options your opponent has and trying to limit them.

Yeah, 3s is a whole different game. You can't play it the same as you play 6s. 3 guys that have great chemistry and know how to back each other up can dominate quite well.

@EA_Aljo 

Assist for general passing and more saucers for cross creasers. I actually looked at my settings and it reverted back to 100% assist so I'll lower it again (never had major issues passing to intended people anyway, just that they get intercepted up close). When in doubt I can do thr classic OP pass from behind the net.

My buddy still tries stick lifts and always gets penalties, I constantly tell him to stop but that's on him. I've done a total of 6 stick lifts - 3 were slashes and the other e were successful but the opponent instantly took the puck back so I'll never do em again. I'm actually really good at poking with my Grinder but I just dislike the sensitivity of pokes - you touch one atom of their skate and you're in the box. Even though they don't make a difference I tend to just hit; all you can really do when thr puck just slips through your legs anyway.

Charging is definitely my fault but 8 times out of ten the game allows me to go from my net to theirs and send some sap to another dimension and go about my shift so I'd advise the team to look into charging.

As for interference, well, I'll accept no more than 33% responsibility for those calls. We enjoy injuring people or flapjacking (hipcheck) them out of nowhere when we are ahead which is blatantly obvious but as I've mentioned before, there are times you cant breathe without getting called for interference.

I can accept getting the call when I take two players out at once, but I've been called after hitting someone less than a second after the puck leaves their stick. It's just inconsistant like boarding.

Computers actually have more penalties than we do if you don't count troll bodychecking. I've been a good boy this year - only had 11 fights; I'd normally have well over 100 by now haha.

Simple things like picking their equipment/appearance/celebrations would be nice. I want to choose what handedness they are, I absolutely need an option to stop them from dumping the puck no matter what, I'd like to pick builds or at least bench them when they aren't playing well, they need more fine-tuned strategies/pathing/placement, and being able to change goalie playstyle would be awesome.

I don't mind that the Dman comes towards me but yeah, he just stays there. We took off close support and strong side slant ages ago. It's been fine as a RW but I can certainly go back on D and check it out.

As I mentioned, I want all my players' sticks facing inward but every single time, without fail, they all tey to switch back to the positions they're used to (in order to get my set up, 9 times out of 10 a player is forced to play thr exact opposite side they like). I accept me going out of position causing a side switch, but I feel like they have no desire to correct themselves when they have the opportunity. It's all good though as I just avoid HUT now that trophies arent associated with getting to div 1.

3s would benefit from some penalty and ragging changes, in its current state they are very easy to manipulate.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

I definitely get the frustration with tripping calls. Probably 85% of my penalties are from tripping, but they're also because sometimes I can lack the necessary discipline. It's definitely better for me than when 19 first launched. That was a learning experience for sure. However, the risk vs. reward is worth it for me. I regularly cause turnovers and takeaways from well-placed pokes. The same goes for stick lifts. I use them quite frequently and slashing calls are rare. Hooking is different as obviously stick lifting from behind has that chance. If you're in front of them roughly around 7:00 - 5:00, chances are excellent you'll get a successful lift. I guess we can agree to disagree on these though. I just think not using them is going to be detrimental as practice makes perfect.

Can you get me some video of the interference calls? There's a brief window, about a second, where you can still hit someone after they pass the puck and not take a penalty. Charging calls are super rare for me. Penalties from hitting in general are, but I also don't hit a lot because I choose to poke, stick lift, use DSS or incidental contact to cause turnovers and break up plays. It kinda sounds like you and your buddies like to "put on the foil" so to speak. Playing more aggressive like that is going to cause more penalties. Boarding I haven't seen any inconsistency with. Smashing guys from behind on the boards is most often going to be a penalty. I definitely recommend boardplaying more often.

Can you show me the AI dumping the puck when they shouldn't be? They'll obviously do it on the PK, but they will also do it if they don't have any other good options and need to get rid of it at the blue line. If they're dumping it in other scenarios, that's something we need to look at.

It would be nice to individually customize your AI players. Hopefully, we'll see that happen someday. On the other hand, though, EASHL is meant to be played with as many humans as possible. The AI players are there to fill in. They aren't really meant to have their own individuality and really be a regular part of the team. We want to encourage more humans playing together, but give you the option to play with computers when you don't have enough.

Ragging has been an issue for years. I don't know if anything is going to change with it, but it would be nice to see. The best you can do is pressure the carrier, but in 3s, that leaves a ton of open space to send the puck deep to a couple streaking teammates for a 2 on 1 or a breakaway. Hopefully, something changes in the future.

@EA_Aljo 

Well, the sensitivity I'm speaking of is more directed towards your stick just brushing against someone. Tripping penalties should be for slew footing, yanking at skates, and getting your stick in-between their legs causing them to fall - These are all strong players that shouldn't be taken down so easily; We all may be playing on ice, but my blade isn't made out of banana peels. I actually have the most takeaways and least giveaways out of the two main players on the team so I understand when it's my fault for bad things happening, it's why we've been trying new things lately.

There just isn't enough of a benefit for me personally to stick lift since more than half the time the player just instantly regains the puck, much like hits (You can smash someone but the momentum just carries you both across the ice - their corpse is in your way and when they get up, boom, they have the puck and have regained all their stamina while getting up).
DSS is detrimental to the play since it's all backwards and forces the Dman to keep making a play, not the attacker; the offensive player can just skate directly into it knowing they'll get tripped and you bet they'll exploit it as much as they can. Also, you're way too open for them to pass through your player while initiating this - a good sniper will know to pass directly to the middle as soon as they cross the blue line to open a man for one of those snipes. This could all be different in your 6v6 matches, but 2v2's and 2v2+'s are a total cluster. Most of the people on the other forums keep saying the game has no defensive tools but I think it does, just not on par with offensive ones.

Eh the tinfoil hats only come out when the other goalie makes constant saves of the century and ours is majorly inbred but that is a whole other discussion I'm sure both of us don't want to tread. Trolling people with hits give obvious penalties that we don't care about (normally we use them for bathroom breaks while ahead by 3 or 4 goals). Boarding calls are consistent and you knowingly take that chance every time you make that play but the team will definitely need to look into charging calls. Just because it's a big hit doesn't mean I should be punished and the same goes for clean hits that initiate a fight. In the minors, I think you're allowed a 1 stride distance left and right, NHL up to 4? I could be wrong, but in any case, you can get charging anywhere from 3 to 15 strides and it's all random. Again, this hurts defensive play when you anticipate a pass and go for the hit accordingly. I should have to initiate a glide every 5 seconds in fear that, when something happens out of nowhere and I need to hit, I get a penalty.

Oh, nono, I have 0 qualms about interference penalties when hitting someone, like, 2 seconds after getting rid of the puck; My issue is with things like bumping off a player and the hit just follows through to another, simple and dainty little shoves/taps that get you 2 minutes, the fact a puck is right under someone and you get a penalty for hitting them out of the way, the other player deliberately goading you into a hit only to not touch the puck (this is not a penalty in the NHL since the other player has intent), and last but certainly not least goaltender interference when the goalie has already recovered from whatever it was that disrupted them. Simple tap and retreats from even the computers are enough to get goals disallowed and you can even be pushed into the goalie by the defensive team and still get it disallowed.

What I mean is, I don't want them dumping it literally at all when they aren't on PK since the other team will get it 99% of the time. It just doesn't work, even when you know they're gonna dump it you most likely won't get it. Dumping is a viable tactic in real hockey but certainly not in this video game in matches with lower player counts (ie, 2v2s where the computer D will always beat you to puck races). No need scouring for videos since they're basically just normal plays. Just cross the line, that's all my team asks. A guy can be barrelling down towards them for a hit but all they need to do is just pass to the middle or to the boards - one of his human masters will take care of the rest. At the end of the day, the AI are disposable tools for humans to use. the ai can't think like a human which is a shame; there are ALWAYS options.

We're fully aware the team cares more about HUT than EASHL, it would just be nice to customize the players more on your custom team that you play and win for every single year. I'd see changing AI players differently if some work was put in and their names would constantly change, but my boy Kong is a beast and Andrews will go down in our club's record books as the god and hero he is. (basically, there are actually people who care about their teams).
2v2 EASHL games are massively more popular than the team thinks; Honestly, I find it weird many don't see it. It's very hard for 6 friends who like hockey (and each other), have similar connections, enjoy EASHL, AND have the time to sit down for matches at the exact same time to play together. 

It's simple - 3's specifically needs a shot clock. It may not be realistic, but neither is the mode.
Penalties should either add players to the other team or reduce players on your team for, say, a minute. I would much rather be the only guy on the ice during a 1on3 or even 5 if it gets that bad than allow those ridiculous penalty shots on the extremely easy difficulty goalies. You can exploit the computer and eventually get penalties from them too which is asanine; even if you try to rush to keep the computer at bay, you're just allowing them to pass for an advantage.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

You're talking about incidental contact. Yes, it's pretty sensitive, but it is kind of realistic. There should be a response when a stick comes in contact with the puck, another player's stick, their skates, etc. Obviously the stick clips through players and objects as needed due to not being able to control your stick like a real-world player. However, I get what you're saying when it comes to the puck coming loose easy. That's something the studio is always trying to improve.

I love the DSS. It lets me guide the carrier to where I want them or sweep the puck away. Your chances of taking a penalty are a lot less. As the defender, you need to be conscious of the carrier and not let them get so close that your stick passes through their leg. You have to go from inside-out to cause a penalty with it. If you go from outside-in, it's not going to cause a trip. A defender that's good with DSS can very well interrupt a play and force the carrier to make a bad pass, shot or change up what they're doing in general. It takes away their options. I'm not seeing people exploit DSS by just skating into the defender using it. Maybe because I pull my stick back before tripping them. I'll keep an eye out for it.

As far as a good player recognizing a defender's DSS and passing around it goes, that's part of hockey strategy. The defender needs to recognize the options the carrier has and do their best to take them away.

Hits along the boards often end up with the puck being tough to get since their body is in the way. You just can't skate around them as easy to get the puck. In open ice though, that's different. The puck is loose and can be picked up easily by either team. Regardless, it breaks up the play and gives you a chance at a turnover.

The only time fights are initiated is if you injure a player. The idea behind it is that your teammate is standing up for you. That's pretty realistic. It's not exactly unusual that a guy goes after the player that laid out his teammate, who is now crumpled up on the ice. So, while the hit may be clean, you just injured his teammate and he's not happy about that. Again, it's a risk you take if you're playing really aggressively.

I know what you mean about anticipating a pass and taking out the receiver as soon as they get it. If the timing is right, and you're not charging, it's a good play to make. You also have the option of stick lifts, but we'll agree to disagree on those.

Hmm. I'll need to see where the small taps are generating penalties. That really shouldn't happen. I have seen some rare instances where an animation didn't play out, but the hit warranted the penalty. When the puck is under someone, you should be able to hit them out of the way. That's a battle for the puck and a penalty shouldn't be called unless it's a charge. Goalie interference is obviously very sensitive though. That's something the dev team wants to improve on. It's a lot easier said than done though.

Dumping works well when everyone is on board with it. I always call out my dumps and where it's going so a teammate can race to it. That or I ring it around the boards with a slap pass. You also can just sauce it into the middle of the ice. It obviously all depends on the situation and placement of everyone. Dumps can be great, but I think a lack of communication makes them not work as well as they can. When it comes to computers though, they should only be doing it when it's the best option available. So, if they have clean zone entry, they'll carry it. If there's a teammate that's a good option for a pass, they'll usually pass. The biggest problem I see is human-controlled players not getting into good position for passes so the computer doesn't seem as a good option. In the end, they are AI and dependant on the variables they determine. They aren't perfect and that's another area that is always trying to be improved.

We don't care more about HUT than EASHL. If that were true, you'd see HUT get more attention. Which it doesn't. Yes, there are special packs and players that earn special items, but that's all content that is already in the game. There isn't a ton of extra development resources working on those every day. EASHL also has it's own time-limited content you can earn. Tons of stuff has been added to EASHL over the last few years. It's a mode we're very dedicated to. Personally, it's my favorite and I know I'm not the only one here. HUT is obviously very popular, but EASHL has a hardcore fanbase that we continue to support.

We know 2v2 matches are popular. That's also part of why you can have AI players fill in those spots. That way you can still play and don't have to rely on drop-ins or waiting for all your buddies to come on line.

A shot clock is an interesting idea. Not sure it would work in 3v3 EASHL as that wouldn't really be very authentic. Plus, it could cause trolling. What if someone just lets the clock run down and takes a penalty or it causes a faceoff? That could potentially get really out of hand. Still though, it's an interesting idea.

@EA_Aljo 

I actually like how the new poke system works as it definitely rewards skill more than previous years; In my opinion, the sensitivity only needs to be toned down by as little as 10%.

There must be more of a player respect thing going on in 6's because the players I normally go up against will just rush straight into the stick; you can pull your stick back in time but then your personal space has been invaded and you have no choice but to go for that last-ditch hit or collapse to the net which allows the hash marks to be occupied. It works excellently on ai opponents though. It's like anything else that requires more skill to pull off well but I just feel you're at more of a disadvantage in a 1 on 1 setting than an attacker - minutely tweaking sensitivity on trips would get more people using it (at times it feels like I can go 30 games without seeing it, maybe because games are faster with few players).

Pushing off the boards, hitting the puck away as they are writhing in pain, and the ability to extend your stick to pick up the puck you earned would help tremendously in these situations. Skating in place over someone is more jarring than anything.

We're given the ability to manually initiate fights at any time on the ice and yes I see people rushing in with bare fists immediately in the real NHL but that is total garbage that a player has to defend a clean hit, at least at that exact moment. You could literally break someone in two and it shouldn't be a penalty if it was a clean hit. I can spam L1 right away, yes, but to say I'm accepting a fight when I just want to hit isn't right. An aggressor/momentum shift mechanic after the fact where you're a marked man for bruising the other team and having faceoff fights, among other things, would be both realistic and fun. Even if you were to lose that fight, at least you'd get a bit of momentum/energy back for your troubles. A death battle where everyone has torches isn't needed but to have your teammates cheering you on would be entertaining.

I'm one of "those" people who really enjoyed the custom builds back in the day and would totally love to get them back. Adding paid features like with HUT would bring more focus to EASHL and I personally think a combination of the two modes would be absolutely amazing. I can't co-own a HUT team with my friend but to create a unique team in EASHL with certain HUT-esque upgrades would be a real gamechanger. The team added a ton of cosmetics which is nice but that also brings the problem of waiting longer to earn things you truly desire.

Ah so if you ask literally anybody who doesn't rag the puck, they'll say they'd love anything that reduces this dirty tactic. Like, actually please do a public poll on Twitter or reddit or something - it'd be crazy.
The problem is already bad enough in a 2v2 setting, but playing against 3 people who choose to rag is the worst thing you can imagine. By forcing a team to at least get the puck over the red line you allow both teams a chance. If they take a penalty, well then you get a penalty shot which is pretty much a guaranteed goal. If they flip the puck out of play you get a 50/50 faceoff which is infinitely better than nothing. Higher skilled teams will still do better on faceoffs but that's just the game.

@TTZ_Dipsy 

If your personal space is invaded, the defender has an advantage as they can just let go of DSS and use incidental contact to knock the puck loose. Getting a body in the way of the carrier really limits their options. In the end, 1 on 1 situations have a lot to do with anticipating what your opponent is going to do. When I'm dealing with this, as a defender, I usually stay on their forehand since they are often coming in for that short or far side snipe.

I get what you're saying about players on the ice. I hope something changes in the future with this. It's a tough one for sure since you can't really dig the puck out from under someone on the boards or quickly jump around them.

Thanks for the feedback on fights. It's definitely appreciated. Obviously fighting hasn't changed in a long time. In the grand scheme of things, there's a short amount of time to work on the game each year. Fighting takes a back seat to bigger issues that need to be addressed first.

Personally, I'm on the fence about the old system. It was nice, but also lead to people focusing more on numbers and maxing out just the most important abilities instead of a build that accents the way you play. Namely, speed and shot. Plus, it didn't create as even a playing field. The way it is now, there's a better level of competition since you don't have hardcore, L3 players going up against the casual guys who are at a big disadvantage because they don't have as much time to play. I'm preferring the new system, but it would be good to get more customization back. I like the traits and specializations as they at least give you more options to tailor a build to meet your playstyle. 

I'm well aware of the feedback on ragging. I just had to deal with one of them when I played on a break here. It's frustrating for sure. I'd like to see them lose the puck, blow a tire or get so exhausted they're easily overcome and cause a turnover. The best I can tell you is that it's something the dev team is very well aware of.

Incidental defending works wonders when the attacker is on a slower, more lateral movement pattern and is my go-to after reducing my poke checks. Even when you know how they're going to shoot (left side looking for a cheesy rebound goal or going down the right side of goalie for a diagonal cross) it still feels like the puck goes right through my skates, even when I'm staring directly at it.

First-person fights were glorious - full tilt right and spam left punch, and when they finally clue in (if they're not already dead) full tilt left and spam right punch. ahh good ol days of over 300+ fights... Anyway, I think the old system allowed you to better customize your character so you could really play exactly how you wanted. With traits and stuff, you are kind of shoehorned into a specific style of play and to be honest, the pros/* of each trait don't make a whole lot of sense.

Beast Mode - Higher puck control but less accuracy on wristers.
Heavy Hitter - Body checks but you lose on accuracy again; no added strength or
Hockey IQ - You gain awareness but lose strength?
Human Shield - Defensive awareness doesn't raise and you lose hand eye
Defensive Minded - I don't get why slap power would be negatively affected.
iron man - gives up on discipline?
Core Balance - why would have a great core make your wrist shots worse?
Cardio Master - I don't understand why this would reduce puck control and defensive awareness

People complained that there were meta builds but it's pretty much the same now - Snipers are pretty much the only people who can go very fast and Grinder is the obvious choice for anyone who wants a medium-large build. Those old builds were balanced when you consider the better stats cost more and everyone could create those builds to even the playing field.

3's will mainly consist of Snipers (and danglers when you reach higher CR's) and 6's is pretty much all heights of sniper with the odd grinder or two-way forward (I've literally never seen a single 2way D), added in. DD is dangerous with few human players on your team since you need to rely on them to score, grinder outclasses the enforcer, enforcer D is just not good, and oh how the team nerfed my precious offensive D to the ground. Grinder beats out the puck-moving D in my mind because of the extra balance and strength.

While we're talking, can you please explain just what offensive Awareness actually does for a human player? I asked this in the main forums and nobody there knows either. Like, you already see the entire play with a top-down camera, and there are specific stats for shooting and passing already so it doesn't make much sense. I can only assume it helps you receive passes and rebounds easier - I know it says you have a knack for finding the back of the net but that's what shooting stats are for.

Blasting a puck ragger and scoring is one of life's greatest pleasures

@TTZ_Dipsy 

@TTZ_Dipsy 

Traits need to add something while taking away another. It's part of the balance otherwise you'd be able to stack traits and have unintended bonuses. Some of the ones you mentioned make sense as well.

Beast Mode - focus is on control, not shot accuracy

Hockey IQ - you're more aware defensively and using your intelligence of the game to defend better rather than physical strength

Human Shield - your focus is on defending, not using hand/eye which is more for deflections and batting pucks down

Defensive minded - slap power is lowered because that's a more offensive trait. Even though it's used by defenders to clear the puck from their own zone

For the others, I can see what you mean, but it's still also part of the balancing. Otherwise, you'd get too many bonuses and are less focused on what matches your style of play and go more for boosting the most beneficial traits which most see as speed and accuracy. The current system promotes a more even and competitive playing field. It's always possible this could change. We'll have to see what the future holds.

I get how important speed is. This is hockey, but faster speed also promotes less teamplay as people are more likely to be a one-man show than use their teammates. There are frequent complaints about how the game doesn't play like real hockey. It most definitely does, but many choose not to play it that way. I see teams all the time that don't pass back to wide open defenders and instead for cross-crease passes through traffic that just get turned over. Your speed doesn't matter in those situations. It's more about setting up good scoring chances by pulling your opponents out of position with working the puck around and good passing. Instead, you see more focused on their own skills and trying to be the hero dangling through traffic. In most cases, they just cause a turnover. The system we have now helps promote more team play. Which is a core aspect of hockey.

I play only 2 way D. I like to have a mix of offense and defense so I have more utility. It's how I like to play so that build matches my playstyle better and how the rest of my team plays as they are looking to use me for some added offense when needed. I've also played with a lot of 2 way defenders in LG. Which is a league more often focused on team play than individual efforts.

Offensive awareness is your overall offense. Tips/deflections and accuracy are the main ones. While you have a top-down view, that doesn't mean you don't have to aim your passes. Your passes, as well as shots, have more margin for error so your aim can be more off and still create a shot on target when without it you'd go wide or hit the post. 

Yes. Making them pay for ragging is incredibly satisfying 🙂

Beast mode - Puck control directly affects shot accuracy so by reducing the accuracy there is no real point in having Beast Mode in the first place; I might as well just remove it and fire snipes from the hash marks like everyone else. 

Hockey IQ - There's not really much else to take away, I get it, but it just seems weird to me since strength has nothing to do with one's ability to see/make plays

Human Shield - Hand-eye is what allows a player to catch/block a shot/pass and should be considered when batting pucks away with your stick. It should hold just as much value on D as it does it the offensive zone. 

Defensive Minded - See, I would understand seeing the accuracy of both slap and wrister be lowered to compensate; shot blocking should be increased.


To me, it just feels like you're forcing us to play a single role; you wanted to remove meta builds through traits but made them worse with all the 5'7 169lbs snipers with quick step skating around (this only gets worse in 3's mode with penalty shot exploiting and ragging). What the team has done is make everybody the same with no wiggle room for creativity; It definitely wasn't perfect and a lot of players hated it, but you can't deny the old system at least gave you more options.

The team needs to make a decision on whether they want to sell a hockey simulator or a hockey (arcade) video game - it's the tiptoeing on the fence that is making everyone so mad. From what I can see in your posts, you're definitely someone who "plays hockey" - while my buddy definitely "plays the game". I'm kind of in the middle so it's easy to see each side's argument. A team setting up plays is a force to be reckoned with but trust me, the game does allow players to be a one-man wrecking crew when they want. There can be a ton of turnovers, but they only need to get that shot the one time because they know it'll work - this makes it extremely frustrating for people who want to play regular hockey. 

OK cool, thanks. It seems pretty obvious at first but it kind of gets confusing when there are so many other stats to consider. I'm hoping future titles will overhaul the stats screens for better comparisons as well as informing you how hidden bonuses/debuffs work

You're welcome to try sniping from the hash marks, but good defenders know how to stop those. When you see someone doing the same thing over and over again, especially that shot, you set yourself up to stop it and it's rare they will get that shot off.

I get your point with the traits. Hopefully, we'll see them updated in the future. However, keep in mind, this is a video game. There's balancing that needs to happen that might not perfectly reflect real-world scenarios.

It's fun playing guys that choose the smaller builds. They are very easy to hit so you wait for them to stop dancing and step up. Some guys definitely have that advanced skill where they can weave through traffic. They should also be rewarded for that so I don't see a problem with it. My club played 3 games last night against teams with tiny forwards. We won each game as they didn't get a lot of time to do anything with the puck. Knocking them off the puck was quite easy so we generated a lot of turnovers. My point is, no matter the build you choose, it's going to have its pros and cons. Your own skill and chemistry with your team comes in to play. 3v3 games are of course very different. You can probably get away with smaller builds easier since you have more room, but using your teammates is still pretty crucial to success. What a lot of people don't seem to consider with traits is their own play style. I wouldn't go with an offensive D man because that doesn't fit me. Those traits are a wasted bonus if I'm not shooting or getting involved in the offense. When I play as a center, I use a 2 way forward build because I drop back to defend a lot so I use traits that help round out my more supporting role. Choose what you want, but the intent is to give you options to enhance how you play.

We have a very diverse audience. We can't just choose to go full sim or full arcade. We have a bit of a hybrid, but there are options for both. Hardcore sim guys can play offline modes with the settings cranked for more realism. The online sim guys have the option to play EASHL. Which is more forgiving than full sim, but also depends on how your teammates play. There's Threes and Ones for the guys that want more arcade action. HUT and OVP lean more towards realistic than arcade, but it's also tuned for fun so you still get highlight-reel moments. We need a game that is fun for as many people as possible. I'm definitely a guy that likes to "play hockey" as you put it, but I also like the hybrid of arcade and sim we have. If want to play real hockey, I can do that. When I play video games, I want them to be fun. That's the goal in the end. To have fun. For almost everyone, games are a leisure activity and we strive to bring that to your living room.

That one-man wrecking crew is going to have a hard time getting that shot off though. At least, against a good team that knows how to defend it. So, you hopefully take pleasure in stopping almost all their shots. Yeah, one may get through, but you know that guy is getting frustrated because he knows how to do one thing and you're not letting him. 

There really aren't hidden bonuses and debuffs. The builds, traits and specializations are pretty detailed, but people being who they are will use their own confirmation bias to turn their assumptions into "fact".

@EA_Aljo 

I don't really think you're taking 2v2 and 3v3 games into account here - the ai has a massive impact on the game and their inability to do simple things at times makes teams feel like they have to do everything - this is where custom builds would be huge. As I said before, I just feel like being funnelled the way we currently are just isn't as fun as it could be; having negatives is obvious, I'd just like to control those slightly better. Two-way is on the lower end of mid-tier all around so there are better options imo.

You can hit small guys all day but since intimidation was removed, the only thing hits are good for are the odd chuckle here and there. You can literally regain all your stamina before you get up, and still have a great chance at retaining the puck after getting destroyed.

The main stats you need to really worry about are shot, strength/balance, and speed in relation to your style so it shouldn't matter if you use an offensive D or enforcer as your centerman.

I've been a global ONES champ already and my buddy is probably top 100 HUT at the moment - playing EASHL is like pulling teeth sometimes because you think it'll be split right down the middle, but everything is so inconsistent. The ai can play absolutely amazing one game but need to be taken back behind the shed the next game. You can have 50 perfect, primo shots and cross-creasers in a game and not score, only to have their computer shoot from the blue line and it trickles in. There is no perfect defence for the rebound cheesers because the puck is so random and it just goes right through your legs and seemingly through your body anyway - it gets to the point where you literally have no reason not to believe in the tilt that doesn't exist. These moments are what need fixing for the mode and yet it has remained the same for years.

Confirmation bias is all well and real for many players but I honestly don't see how the team can sit back and not agree that even 1% of stuff going on is strange. You can say "well NHL is random" but there are patterns and stuff keeps happening every other game. This is why I've been pining for more of those short videos from the team explaining plays and the percentages of things happening on the ice; it should be pretty simple for you to show how we're wrong and I think that should make players feel better about what they think is happening.

Nothing is more frustrating than playing so hard and so well for one-trick-ponies just needing that one shot and getting it because you were one pixel off. All the defence in the world can't handle every single shot (we've brought teams to 1 and 2 shots for the game before but it's horrible to be scared of ANY shot that is taken, simple flicks from center included).

When I talk about the hidden stuff I mean aggression, intimidation, momentum, types of injuries and how exactly they are affecting you, the reason for cold and hot streaks, and how much specialties and traits actually affect your stats. "x trait gives a slight boost to x" isn't as detailed as it could be. You said offensive awareness increases everything, well, it could at least show exactly what is gained.
When I mentioned stats comparisons I was referring to how the system has changed over the years. Before you were able to compare old builds with new builds side by side and it was all streamlined and easy to read. This is a minor quality of life gripe I have but it's still important.


If you play on PS4 I would love to get a best of 7 series going - 2v2 or maybe 3v3 ( both in 6's) if we can get our other friend to play

@TTZ_Dipsy 

I guess we can agree to disagree. I've seen a lot of success with beating smaller players with a more physical game. Regardless of how much stamina they regain, the puck is most often now in your possession. Which was the point of the hit to begin with. To separate them from the puck. Unless you're hitting them on the boards, chances of causing a turnover are high. Even on the boards, if a teammate knows what you're doing, they should be able to recover the puck. Which, I realize requires some double teaming, but this can also pay off well. Especially when you have teammates that also recognize the potential play happening and get open for a quick pass.

This requires more human players than you normally play with though. Like discussed previously, AI players are there to fill in. They aren't meant to absolutely replace the human element that comes when playing with friends or even just guys you have natural chemistry with. The core of EASHL 6s. I know many teams won't have all 6 on at a time so the AI are a decent replacement, but they will never think or play just like humans. In many cases they play better, but there are of course times they don't quite do what you want them to. Having the ability to create those players for your team and assign builds, traits, specializations, etc, sounds like a cool idea, but I think it kinda takes away from promoting playing with other humans. We'll have just have to see what happens down the road, but I'll pass on the feedback.

Are you able to predict every play of every real hockey game? I'm going to assume not. That's because there is no real inconsistency. Each game is different. You can't predict every bounce and rebound. Sure, you can predict angles and where the puck is going instead of where it is, but the dynamic nature of the sport means it's more chaos than consistent. There are times goalies stand on their heads. There are times they let in muffins from the blue line. This happens in real hockey and it happens in the game. You've scored your fair share of highlight reel goals as well as ones that you don't feel so good about. Again, you see those in the real world as well. I mean, look at Mike Smith scoring in his own net because the puck landed in the back of his pants. Weird stuff happens. You accept it in the real world because you don't have any control over it. You expect more control over a video game and when you don't have it, it's easy to say there's a problem with the game. I'm not saying NHL 20 is perfect. Like any game out there, or piece of software for that matter, it's going to have bugs and glitches. That's the nature of software. However, to say the game has a problem when a dynamic sport like hockey is inconsistent, I think that's more just how the sport is rather than a problem.

There is no ice tilt whatsoever. If there were it would mean all your wins were because the computer chose you to win and scripted the outcome. It would mean your sitting at the top of the Ones leaderboards would be because the computer forced you to win. Seems pretty unlikely, right? I get that it's easy to believe in the mythical tilt, but you'd be better off focused on your own play and recognizing where you can improve instead of believing the game chooses when you're allowed to win and lose.

One thing many people don't realize is that the AI depend heavily on what the human-controlled players are doing. If you're constantly out of position, they are going to try to make up for that. If you aren't giving them good options for passes, they're going to look elsewhere. So many humans just call for the puck from the computers when they're not open, then blame the computer for making a bad pass. Yeah, they aren't perfect. I get that for sure, but they're also not as bad as they're made out to be. Then again, I'm frequently playing with 1 or 2 AI players so there's going to be a different experience when you're playing 2v2. When I have done that, I've paid attention to changing strategies throughout the game according to how my opponents are playing. 3 AI players can be deadly though. Especially if they are all forwards. When you let them play, they can do quite well. When the human element starts interfering with that, it can spiral out of control. Which, again, brings me back to how AI players depend on good play from their human teammates.

None of what you think is hidden is actually in the game. There's no momentum or aggression. Injuries are in, but they aren't hidden.

Most of the time when I show someone they're wrong, they don't accept it. The tilt theory is a prime example. We've said for years it's not real, but rarely are believed. There are devs that break down mechanics in the forums and still get told their wrong. These are the people that make the game, but they are also told that what they are saying is incorrect. So, it's often a fruitless effort when you try to give someone insight into the game when they don't believe you.

There are real games where teams win after being dominated with shots. Don't you think a real team is scared of any shot that is taken? They all have a chance of going in as long as they are on net. There are times off-net shots even go in due to odd bounces. That's hockey for you though. It's been happening for more than 100 years.

I'm trying to get more details on what exactly offensive awareness takes into account. When I have some news on it, I'll let you know.

I play on Xbox. Besides, we don't give out personal gamertags/PSN IDs. It would certainly be fun to play though if it were possible.

IMPO, most of not all EA Sports games are getting the same backlash every single year. we want to adjust to good gameplay, not bad/horrible GP and bugs on top of it. I will say this once again.....players are tired of paying $60 bucks to beta tests all these sports titles and then have to wait for patches to gameplay and/or content that will not or many never be put in each game. we all have been screaming at the top of our lungs about these issues for YEARS...it makes no sense that much older EA Sports titles (Madden, FIFA, NHL, NBA, and MLB) games have had franchise content REMOVED in order to sell loot boxes, boost up the graphics and spend more time on Ultimate Play in each title than bringing out very deep franchise/career modes.

and it needs to stop. NOW.

Hi there, @jimmarshall.

NHL has received many updates when it comes to Franchise Mode over the last few years. Is there something, in particular, you'd like to see added to the game?

well one.....it coming to PC. and two...a deeper franchise mode, along with FIFA and Madden.

@jimmarshall 

I'd love to see NHL return to the PC. Hopefully, it happens someday. We'd probably need to see a bigger interest from the PC community for it to happen. It's not impossible by any means though.

What would you like to see change with Franchise Mode? A lot has been added to it in recent years.

@jimmarshall 

I get that to you and your friends that play on PC make it seem like there's a huge audience for it. With hockey being more of a niche sport, it doesn't have as much participation as say Soccer or Football. I promise you, we'd love to have a PC version, but it also has to be worth diverting resources away from the version that currently everyone plays to satisfy a much smaller crowd.