Faceoffs
So I have been having trouble winning faceoffs in Versus mode. No matter what I do, I only seem to win maybe 1/10 faceoffs. This is troublesome for me because when I play club, I only play center, and my win percentage is closer to the 65-70% range. So I started to do some tests to see what could be causing the issues.
My first thought is because I play exclusively as the Buffalo Sabres. Their average face off ratings are Mid-70s and when compared to the rest of the NHL, they are definitely at the bottom for this category. Before I confirmed this as being the definitive answer, I figured I should see if maybe there was some type of input delay or lag that could be causing my issues.
I decided to turn on the On-Ice Trainer and I found every face-off I attempt says, "Good Timing" followed by "Toss Up" or sometimes even "Lower Skill". So I am ruling out lag/delay, but now I'm wondering if the On Ice Trainer keeps telling me "Toss Up", why am I only winning about 10% of my faceoffs? Is "Toss Up" a fancy way of saying RNG and if that is the case, how do I have such awful probabilities?
I am not exaggerating when I say 10% either. I just won 2/25 faceoffs my past game against the Capitals. Which is even more puzzling as their team is mid to upper 70s in faceoff rating as well. And just to reiterate, I know how to play Center, I know there are different stances and approaches to winning faceoffs and I do just fine in Club...
This may not sound like a big deal, but losing faceoffs in the defensive zone can be devastating when the opponent wins it directly to the Star defenseman and they instantly take a slapshot at the net. Though most of these go wide, many of the opponents I play will get 4-5 off these possibilities and at least 1 will go in. Which frustrates me so much as I see these goals as simple RNG.
So I guess here is my question, How much does faceoff tie to "user skill" vs the overall faceoff rating? It seems like there are too many factors that go into winning a faceoff especially in versus. I think I already answered my question as it's probably the team I am playing with, but it would still be nice to get an answer to my question
My first thought is because I play exclusively as the Buffalo Sabres. Their average face off ratings are Mid-70s and when compared to the rest of the NHL, they are definitely at the bottom for this category. Before I confirmed this as being the definitive answer, I figured I should see if maybe there was some type of input delay or lag that could be causing my issues.
I decided to turn on the On-Ice Trainer and I found every face-off I attempt says, "Good Timing" followed by "Toss Up" or sometimes even "Lower Skill". So I am ruling out lag/delay, but now I'm wondering if the On Ice Trainer keeps telling me "Toss Up", why am I only winning about 10% of my faceoffs? Is "Toss Up" a fancy way of saying RNG and if that is the case, how do I have such awful probabilities?
I am not exaggerating when I say 10% either. I just won 2/25 faceoffs my past game against the Capitals. Which is even more puzzling as their team is mid to upper 70s in faceoff rating as well. And just to reiterate, I know how to play Center, I know there are different stances and approaches to winning faceoffs and I do just fine in Club...
This may not sound like a big deal, but losing faceoffs in the defensive zone can be devastating when the opponent wins it directly to the Star defenseman and they instantly take a slapshot at the net. Though most of these go wide, many of the opponents I play will get 4-5 off these possibilities and at least 1 will go in. Which frustrates me so much as I see these goals as simple RNG.
So I guess here is my question, How much does faceoff tie to "user skill" vs the overall faceoff rating? It seems like there are too many factors that go into winning a faceoff especially in versus. I think I already answered my question as it's probably the team I am playing with, but it would still be nice to get an answer to my question
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EASHL - Dedicated servers
That could be playing a part in your face-offs. As for user skill vs face-off rating...I'd say knowing the counters and timing matter more than a rating, but if it's like 10 difference then I would say the rating matters a good amount.
That's what I would believe as well. But if I am getting "Toss Up" everytime time I lose one, wouldn't you think that means I would win one eventually?
I really don't think it is a connection issue. I just know I am better than 2/25 haha
What you are saying is de-regarding what the On Ice Trainer is telling me. If it's saying "Good Timing" and "Toss Up", I feel that there is something I am missing. So though your idea is probably my next step, I'd rather wait for an EA explanation as they most likely can give a better idea of what these terms actually mean and if they are even accurate to begin with. If Timing, Faceoff Stance, and Player Ratings all factor into winning a faceoff, then is something favored over the other? Is the percentages evenly split on what matters most?
When you get the toss up message, it means there's a tie. You both had good timing and your faceoff ratings should be the same. So, it comes down to basically a coin toss. That will happen when a faceoff can't be decided by better timing and ratings.
I assumed that this is what it meant, but then why is it that I am winning the "coin toss" only 10% of the time?
On a broader note, it sounds like there is 3 different sequences that can occur:
If you have "Good Timing" but lose the faceoff, your opponent probably had a better counter to your stance.
If you have "Good Timing" followed by "Lower Skill", your opponents player obviously had a higher faceoff skill.
If you have "Good Timing" followed by "Toss Up", it should be a 50-50 shot of winning the faceoff.
The majority of my faceoffs are the latter two. Meaning it comes down to what I originally believed. It will almost be impossible for me to win faceoffs playing as Buffalo.
Do you use the counters correctly or are you just choosing whatever grip and trying to time it right?
Is there instruction in game for these?
If the counters are still the same as NHL 19, then yes, I believe I am doing them correctly. I actually have an image that someone posted online awhile back...
Again, are we saying On Ice Trainer is not accurate? If I am prompted "Good Timing", I would assume that I am timing correctly?
The counters are still the same. So, if you know them, I assume you're using them right. Good timing means just that. Do you have the same problem with faceoffs in other modes than Online Versus? P2P connections typically aren't as good as dedicated connections so that could be playing a role in this.
No, as I mentioned before, I do just fine is EASHL. I would be pretty disappointed if the issue is due to P2P. I finally was able to make the switch to fiber, but I guess that wouldn't matter then...