Slow servers, low ping, compensation?

@Gitarnik77 

Opening up the ports listed for PS4 (NHL 20) and PS4 at the top of the article can help. Does your router have Quality of Service (QoS) where you can designate your gaming as a priority with the bandwidth?

I've just opened these ports and will report soon if there's any difference. I do not have QoS option unfortunately...

@EA_Blueberry 

here's my ping chart. Doesn't look good, right? What could I do to make it better?

@Gitarnik77 

That isn't too bad because your connecting to a different continent. You're not getting any packet loss or wide ping variance. Can you try putting in the European IP instead to see if we can get a more accurate result though? There might be packet loss on the European path we can't see in the trace to NA servers.

Type easo.ea.com in the window where you see the server list. This works for most EA titles.

• If you're having trouble connecting to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, choose your server location from this list and test your connection to it instead of easo.ea.com:
  • East Coast: 159.153.92.28
  • West Coast: 159.153.68.252
  • Europe: 159.153.72.252

Here it is. Let me know what do you think about that @EA_Blueberry 

@Gitarnik77 

Looks great. Have you tried testing around with static and dynamic IPs, or even tried putting your console in DMZ mode? (Ubisoft has a guide here)

The team is dedicated in ensuring the servers are meeting expectations of the community and we'll make sure feedback about your experiences in game with delays are pass along. You've been very patient with us on troubleshooting this which I'm thankful for, but based off those UO Trace results it will be tough to give you a concrete answer on fixing this for you from your side. It could require extensive network testing in which I recommend reaching out to our Support to take a deeper dive into. 

DMZ is set already, correctly. Few people contacted me having the same problems - especially playing against Fins, the same nightmare. Take a look at attached file, this is what most of my games look like. 7-6 loss with a team of 80-82 plus 85 barkov and dreisaitl, against my 84-88 with 4 synergies (WC, SP, DK, BL) activated and 88 goalie.

Is it the case of the connection or this infamous handicap the game is punishing us?

I appreciate your help and hope to get somewhere with it, just to enjoy this game...more.

@EA_Blueberry 

Ports unlocked, DMZ opened. Little better with the speed, but...I realised how stupid I was to believe it was the only problem.

After few weeks, I got few responses from people having the same problem: with 86-90 overall team, with even 4-5 synergies activated, 8-9mins time on attack (2 times more than opponent), 3-4times more shots, 90% FO won and losing with a team with 82-84 overall, with speeding Eklabd 82 or Myers 79 like a hurricane around D with 93-96 speed and finally scoring 2 on 1 or 2 on 0 with frozen goalie. Same scenario keeps repeating with next opponents, and finally some lucky wins like mine from yesterday 3:2 with horrible player, that can't even win a face off. I thought there's something to do with setting up your team, but it's not that. I tried to mix weak players like 86 Ovi, 83 Hughes, 85 Karlsson, 80 Erixon with the real deal 89, 88 players, but there was no significant change.

How can we win an even game (it should be even on the start) and develop our skills when it's impossible to do anything when 81 defender chases your 91 McDavid and gets the puck? seriously?! What is the point of collecting players over 90 when 81-82 move, shoot and pass faster with super accuracy?!

I noticed few symptoms of HANDICAP that game is creating scenario for the game instead of letting us decide who's better, skillful and have better team full of synergies. First of all, the team that gets handicap assist from the game:

- has got better movement of players without the puck, they easily go into 2on0 with goalie or covers the space in the slot when in D

- it is very easy for them to have forwards in front of the net, sometimes my D goes to neutral leaving them ALONE in the slot

- one timer goals work apr 80% for them, even with my D in front of them (!!!). I check the stats of slap shot power and accuracy (from78-81) and it shocked my they go through 88 Ekblad or Carlsson

- goalie of the opponent (usually they know how to pick them - tall, big goalies like Dubnyk or Bishop) gets superpowers blocking or catching easily one timers from the slot (shots by Kuznetzov 89 or Laine 87); they let some of the shots from behind go, especially when covered by forwards.

- heavy hitters like Myers or Phaneuf skate faaaast and it's not a problem to catch speedsters like Duchene 91 or McDavid 91 even when they're way behind to defend a breakaway

- hits from the team that is assisted by the game go easily unpunished, while slight contact of a better team is called 2mins in sin bin. I got a double minor from Carlsson yesterday - he wasn't even around oppenent's forward. Do I have to tell you how much it takes to playin shorthanded?

My team skates slow, passes are aweful (usually they're taken by oppenent to start fast breakaway and 2on0 goal).

I'm really frustrated, but still hoping SOMETHING changes. Can you do anything about it? Geez, the fact the we have to post this kind of stuff is embarassing (for you). We stay here, looking for tips how to build a team of 83-84 and get a handicap assist from the game instead of playing our hard * of on the console. I feel good I'm not the only one having these problems. As I wrote - few people contacted me if I have any solution for it. We are all angry and frustraded not to have an EVEN GAME online that we thought we were promised while getting NHL20!

Do you care what we feel about the game?

PS thanks for the technical tips, but as you can see it wasn't enough to make it RIGHT.

@Gitarnik77 

There is no momentum, ice tilt, scripting, etc. The outcome of games is based on the inputs from the humans holding the controllers, the strategies you use and the ratings of the players on the ice. If you can get me some video of the issues you're seeing, I'll review them.

@EA_Aljo 

No problem. I'll try to catch some of these 80-81 wonders skating faster than 93 Josi and succeeding with bunch of 2on0 easy wins.

Вы так жеможете уровнять пинг в игре установив время отклика от сервера.

Например сделать минимум 25 мс.(опция)

Т.е. если у одного игрока пинг 5, а у второго 50, тогда разница в скорости обработки будет не в 10 раз, а в 2 раза! Это заметно уровняет шансы игроков и практически не будет заметно ни кому из игроков.

You will be able to level the ping in the game by setting the response time from the server.
For example, make a minimum of 25 MS (optional, mod).
I. e. if one player has a ping of 5, and the second 50, then the difference in processing speed will not be 10 times, but 2 times! This significantly levels the chances of players and almost will not be noticeable to any of the players.

As someone with an average 15 ping there's no way in hell I'd willingly kneecap my connection so someone else can have an easier time; the best solution is to add more servers and work on better matchmaking. A server browser/lobby would work well enough

@Gitarnik77 

Sounds good. Just post that video when you get it. Thanks!

@HameLeon66 

It would be near impossible to make sure everyone has the same connection. Adding more servers can help, but we may never have worldwide coverage that gives everyone the same connection. It's unfortunate those in more rural areas may face this issue, but that's also kind of out of our control. It's not as easy as you think to just set up servers everywhere. Not currently at least. Besides servers, we don't have control over the router your signal takes through your provider. That can always be an issue as well.

@EA_Aljo 

I'm working on it! I just realize it'd be easier using PS4 software and posting it on YT. Never done that before, because I've never needed that. I recently play much less than before, but when I do I get mostly equal opponents to my team and my skill. Recently, most of my games are wins, but I get sometimes 84 Hedman and 82 Ellis wonder teams, with hattrick hero 85 Abel passing through 91 Sergachev and 90 Reilly like a wind 🙂

Mod balancing the ping in game would solve this problem. Good idea @HameLeon66 , but is it doable? Though I had games where these 82-83 wonders devastated me and the ping was 60ms as my opponent admitted. I don't know if it was the ping's thing. Maybe it isn't.

@TTZ_Dipsyyou're not willing to equal the game? why?! are you scared of dropping the advantage of speed? Come on...

@Gitarnik77 

Yes. Using the built-in DVR of your console is always preferred. You can get really high-quality videos that way.

Nobody should have to raise their ping to even things out. I don't see why someone with a low ping should be punished that way. Personally, I play on an average of about 40. I don't have any lag or input delay. I don't feel that I'm at a disadvantage when playing guys with better pings. Regardless, it's on me to improve my connection. When it comes to us adding more servers, hopefully, that happens, but it's not something as easy to do as you might think.

@EA_Aljo 

I'll send a private message to you today or tomorrow with 2-3 games where you can obviously experience some kind of "assistance" given to weaker players (either noticeable in skills or ratings). I noticed after another few days of everyday play few things:

1) somehow my ping dropped from 45ms to 25-27ms (any new server around?) and I didn't change my connection; this momentarily allowed me to win few games ~7of10

2) Fins still having lower ping ruin regularly my 92 overall team with amazing slappers coming from 83-84 players out of the slot, through my 89-91 defence with 89 Bishop (...); but with lower ping I noticed I could most of the time easily win with players that had a team similar to mine (with 89-90-91 players), even from Finland! Oh boy... whatta relief! 😛

3) there's definately something about how Fins (I talked about them because I play almost only with them! why's that?!) complete their teams - they put max 2 strong lines with one or two 90< players that can do serious shooting or passing through and most of their team is 82 Gotisbehere, Trouba 82, 84 Ristolainen, 83 Pasternak, 82 Ekblad. THE GAME IS EVEN somehow when it comes to defending, positioning, speed and shooting. Their 82 Bishop (big boy) or Dubnyk (we all read about 'how to choose a goalie for a team in NHL' online) have 90-95% save % even when they're heavily pressured (mine TOA is almost always 1,5-3mins longer than opponent). How on earth is that possible?! Do stats matter anymore?!

4) I had some games with stats like: 2-3 goals, 40-50shots, 9-10mins TOA, 25 faceoffs, 25hits while my opponent 13 shots, 6goals, 4 faceoffs, 12 pen mins, 5-6min TOA, 5hits   and asked these guys what kind of magic is happening they're winning easily (I was called a weak player and noob 🙂 ) and challenged them for direct play (with invitation). What I experienced when we got into the game was HORRIBLE connection speed from their side in both games! Way slower than through the Rivals play. It went super slow with almost no reaction in time from my controller. I coundn't do anything to win with them because of that. They scored 4-5 goals of 9-10 shots, seriously! And believe my they had very low skill level (div7-8 tops) with only one tactic on - skating somehow behind my D and scoring 2on0 with goalie up in the slot.

So... is NHL20 recognizing in any way the connection speed of the opponent and gets mine super fast down to even it or match it somehow? Not minding the ping value. Or is it the infamous ICETILT you said doesn't exist?

And by the way - what do you do in EA? Do you help to develop the game or just keep the forum going?

@Gitarnik77 

There is no assistance whatsoever. Nothing besides the ratings for each player and the strategies you're using. Lower rated teams can beat higher-rated teams if they have the skill to do so.

Ice tilt does not exist. If you look at your own play and review the goals against you, you'll see where you made mistakes that let them happen. Focus on correcting those mistakes and your play will improve.

As far as your connection goes, we can step through some troubleshooting. Are you playing on a wired or wireless connection?

@EA_Aljo 

I went went through the tech stuff with @EA_Blueberry and he told me the connection was good. It's on previous pages. Yes, I play hardwired.

I agree that watching makes ones playing better, but it's not the issue here. I'm struggling to have an even game and would love to experience the difference between 82 Ekblad skating backwards and my 91 Savard.

@Gitarnik77 

Ok. If you change your mind about troubleshooting, let me know.

Can you get me some video of slower skaters beating faster skaters?

@EA_AljoI'm in for solving the tech stuff, your friend said it was ok so there wasn't any point of diggin deeper.

You're picking on my words and this disregards the intention I'm posting my issues here. I'll provide you with the best examples possible.

@Gitarnik77 

Sounds good. Just let me know what examples you have and we'll discuss them. Also, apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying. It's not uncommon that people think slower skaters are beating faster skaters so I thought that is what you were getting at.