Re: NHL 20 Feedback Discussion

@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.