They aren't going to make any changes to the game to make it more like hockey. It will be the same figure-skating exploit fest, with no physical play or loose pucks. They will show some flashy new graphics, animations, and dekes you see once a year and use some slick marketing language ("hypermotion") to drum up fake excitement. What good is a new engine if they can't even be bothered to fix skating backwards with the puck as an exploit for three years? They will make no changes to how the game is played or the awful AI, and then just disappoint everyone again. We have all been burned by EA too many times to fall for it again.
Have they even really made a significant improvement to gameplay since the skill stick in NHL 07? The skating is maybe somewhat better but still nowhere near what it should be, players have no momentum and float on the ice rather than skate on it.
Crazy thing but some people actually enjoy playing NHL series year in and year out even if they complain about it. And also what you consider broken/unrealistic might simply be things they are OK with in the game until they make a change they feel is better. There won't really be changes to the game on Xbox One/Playstation 4. The changes are coming to Xbox Series/ Playstation 5.
Yep this is true. Wish they’d give an online mode more based in reality though. I don’t care that the kiddos want to float around and pretend it takes some insane level of time and energy to learn how to press LT and hold RS out. That’s fine, I’ll gladly stay away. Just give me a mode where some sort of resemblance of real hockey can also be played. Idk why we only have the choice between very arcade, super arcade, and extreme arcade online.
If they were to bring back GM Connected I'd love to see the ability to customize sliders for your league that people would have to play under. I feel like that would be a huge thing for gamers like you who want what they feel is the best realistic hockey experience and also have the option to invite like minded people to enjoy your season.
I know I may not be welcome, but I would 100% be down to be in a league with you guys and the sliders you enjoy. Xbox Series X I hope
In my book - your always welcome.
As we already been sayin - crossplay, then we hit the ice.
Hopefully the game is enough good so we dosent have to put too much energy on that kinda stuff.
Just enjoy the ride - together, without being E-A 'd.
EA has been VERY tight-lipped this year about any NHL 22 news.
Last time they were like this was the release of NHL on PS4...and we all know how much of a disaster that was(basically a stripped down bare bones release...just for the sake of a release felt like). This is why alot of us are beginning to get a little concerned...history has a tendency of repeating itself
EA has been VERY tight-lipped this year about any NHL 22 news.
Last time they were like this was the release of NHL on PS4...and we all know how much of a disaster that was(basically a stripped down bare bones release...just for the sake of a release felt like). This is why alot of us are beginning to get a little concerned...history has a tendency of repeating itself
They are always this tight lipped. For NHL15 we didn't find out jack until 2 weeks before release. When we get inside of a month and we still don't know anything then its worry time. Right now is just super annoying marketing time.
I think the only reason some of you guys are so paranoid is because of what happened with NHL 15 and that's totally understandable. But I seriously doubt we're facing anything like that this time around.
I've made and deleted an essay like 5 times now, dunno how to word it.
Expect the worst and hope for the best. Battlefield 2042 is releasing roughly the same time so I'm good either way
Yeah...thing is, when was the last version that anything changed? Menu's are the same for the last 3 years now. Drop in has been shoved to single outdoor rinks with clown gear that, year after year, everyone complains about. The match making system remains atrocious.
I'm worried that literally the only thing changing is the graphics engine.
Im suspecting they got a team of like 3 people who struggle to make a patch in time (I mean a new AAA $80 game) for the new year and considering the plethora of bugs in the game, probably any minor changes they try to make risk bringing the whole castle down.
Besides that, there will be a bunch of marketable changes but in the end, its gonna be a bunch of LT abuse, fatmanlag, underpowered Defense, overpowered Offense, unfun goaltending like it is every year. Maybe upgraded graphics as if it compensates for the state of gameplay.
Im sure you will still see a #69 player named Black Hogan with a black guy and red beard and hair every game though, have no fear.
Yah im super pessimistic about it....I got roughly 10 years of the same to back it up in my defense.
Im suspecting they got a team of like 3 people who struggle to make a patch in time (I mean a new AAA $80 game) for the new year and considering the plethora of bugs in the game, probably any minor changes they try to make risk bringing the whole castle down.
Besides that, there will be a bunch of marketable changes but in the end, its gonna be a bunch of LT abuse, fatmanlag, underpowered Defense, overpowered Offense, unfun goaltending like it is every year. Maybe upgraded graphics as if it compensates for the state of gameplay.
Im sure you will still see a #69 player named Black Hogan with a black guy and red beard and hair every game though, have no fear.
Yah im super pessimistic about it....I got roughly 10 years of the same to back it up in my defense.
There’s an active NHL Legacy GMC community. Go watch their games. Lots of old exploits and terrible body physics, but just watch the pace of the game. It’s about 50x “slower” than 21 by default and it’s not “slow” at all. It just looks like hockey rather than NHL Hitz. The goalies are also much more dynamic. There’s “high percentage” goals in that game as well, but it’s much more dynamic than 21.
If 22 would have been with the same engine and to the ps4 and 360 serie - I would have had high hopes that they finaly could have nailed it.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
And now - when 'everything' change - with new engine, new generation - it's really hard to know what to expect.
I hope they get the chance to keep building on what they already got - and with a little bit of help from the power they got with frostbite(?) and ps5/Series X performance - can make it really good - perhaps create a hockey game we not been close to see before.
I have nooo clue how this will go - but I have a good feeling. The team has been prepared for this project to come sence before the realese of 21 - this could be it.
I feel it's 70-80% it will rock - 10-20% 'it's okey - with good potential - 9 -1% it will "suck" more then 21.
*And dipsy mention Battlefield 2042 as a comfort - I have to push for the realese of insurgency sandstorm to console - thats finaly seem to happen - in the nearest future.
A slow, hardcore, tactical shooter. Yummi! 😍
But if I had to choose - give me a hockey game in is purest form.. And I show you my greatest admiration.
Never been a big insurgency guy, I like RS2 and squad a bit better but insurgency is definitely fun!
I’m just interested to see what actually makes it into 22. Trying not to have any expectations really.
Yeah I havent played it yet or anything - just read reviews from other's that have - and watch some gameplay videos. It looks nice.
Abit same here like it is with nhl - I want to slow things down abit and have control of whats happening - COD and that stuff is just a frenzy madhouse with explosions everywhere. No time to think, or for that mather - be tactical.
Yeah you said it good - me too, im interesting to see what 22 will bring, would be surprised if it's not more 'new stuff' then we are used of having.
*all though im having a hard time to not have any expectations - too hyped already - for some reason. Might be who I am. New-year millennium, great expectations - bad night..... 😄
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
I can't say I agree, there's a lot to work on but I don't think they got offense wrong. Defense and goaltending need a lot of work. I'm not sure what you mean by user interface, in terms of gameplay anyway.
You've got that stupid racist crap on all games. NHL isn't exclusive to that. EA has made an effort to curtail that. But I don't agree when you say they support or encourage it. However, I still think they can still do more. I honestly believe this is an PSN/XBL issue, not so much an EA issue. In the 15 years I've been playing online stupid stuff has been said all the time. I just so everything I can to mute the mics of the other players.
I hate to disagree on so much but I just do. I think this game is better than you make it out to be. But it's still nowhere where it should be.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
Hehe that sounds much like a bad night - unfortunately, there is some 'bad nights' - perhaps too many of them.
But I agree more with 'BruinsHockey08' here, like alot of things, 'Life is what you make of it' - the game is what you make of it, all though thats not completely true, cause the game got some issues thats hard to 'make any good of'.
If you play competitive - this game is a self-destroying machine, I wouldn’t last long, but if you got some 'house rules' as we sometimes talk about here on this board - the game/gameplay can be pretty good. Even if you play against the 'super common' meta, player'.
Alot of things are good, compare to how it's been before, but there's also bad stuff going on, that unfortunately 'shine through' alot of the good stuff, the bad stuff takes over.. In a way.
But not competitive, 'house rules' - try to play hockey no mather what, and only a few games now and then... Aaaand you got yourself a decent hockey game.
Thats how I try to meet this game.
But ofc I wish for a game that would be more fun, relaxing to play, then to get upset a couple of times in almost every game you play, that dosent make us happy - win or loss.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
I can't say I agree, there's a lot to work on but I don't think they got offense wrong. Defense and goaltending need a lot of work. I'm not sure what you mean by user interface, in terms of gameplay anyway.
You've got that stupid racist crap on all games. NHL isn't exclusive to that. EA has made an effort to curtail that. But I don't agree when you say they support or encourage it. However, I still think they can still do more. I honestly believe this is an PSN/XBL issue, not so much an EA issue. In the 15 years I've been playing online stupid stuff has been said all the time. I just so everything I can to mute the mics of the other players.
I hate to disagree on so much but I just do. I think this game is better than you make it out to be. But it's still nowhere where it should be.
No issue for me and thanks for being polite about it.
Im surprised you disagree on offense though. I feel like that's one of the worse part of the game. At the level of play I see, people are abusing the crap out of skating on offense with LT garbage which springs the characters like crazy. The dekeing is mental, you have these giants like Chara all with the skating and hands of McDavid. The dekeing is WAYYYY too fast which makes goaltending feel like soccer goaltending. Honestly, if offense wasn't so bonkers, Defense and goaltending would require tons less work.
The racist crap is far from being curbed by EA, they still allow red hair on a black guy when that would require dye to accomplish IRL (they don't let white characters have blue hair....). There is 0 reporting tools for the terrible names that people use. I am really not sure what you refer to when you say they try to mitigate this because this is the game where I see the least mitigation yet. They could block #69 too if they wanted....not one NHL player ever wears that number anyways. You cannot report on XBOX for a name used in NHL, you can report for a name used as a XBOX handle.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
I can't say I agree, there's a lot to work on but I don't think they got offense wrong. Defense and goaltending need a lot of work. I'm not sure what you mean by user interface, in terms of gameplay anyway.
You've got that stupid racist crap on all games. NHL isn't exclusive to that. EA has made an effort to curtail that. But I don't agree when you say they support or encourage it. However, I still think they can still do more. I honestly believe this is an PSN/XBL issue, not so much an EA issue. In the 15 years I've been playing online stupid stuff has been said all the time. I just so everything I can to mute the mics of the other players.
I hate to disagree on so much but I just do. I think this game is better than you make it out to be. But it's still nowhere where it should be.
Im surprised you disagree on offense though. I feel like that's one of the worse part of the game. At the level of play I see, people are abusing the crap out of skating on offense with LT garbage which springs the characters like crazy. The dekeing is mental, you have these giants like Chara all with the skating and hands of McDavid. The dekeing is WAYYYY too fast which makes goaltending feel like soccer goaltending. Honestly, if offense wasn't so bonkers, Defense and goaltending would require tons less work.
Offens may be bonkers beacuse defense is more bonkers.
I personal find the hook passes and the 'strength' to 'glide off' any sort of contact as the best 'offensive tools' - your way to untouchable when you glide and put the puck as far out as you can to one of your side - and then just glide and keep turning/'curve' away from contact/opponent.
That force the gameplay to be pretty loopsided.
The puck need to be more open for play, players too.
Yah..
I dont think the devs play hockey. it makes no sense to me.
Its so much less about vision of the play, nice passes and plays and more about ballerina work and extreme (impossible) dekeing at 500mph.
Never been a big insurgency guy, I like RS2 and squad a bit better but insurgency is definitely fun!
I’m just interested to see what actually makes it into 22. Trying not to have any expectations really.
Yeah I havent played it yet or anything - just read reviews from other's that have - and watch some gameplay videos. It looks nice.
Abit same here like it is with nhl - I want to slow things down abit and have control of whats happening - COD and that stuff is just a frenzy madhouse with explosions everywhere. No time to think, or for that mather - be tactical.
Yeah you said it good - me too, im interesting to see what 22 will bring, would be surprised if it's not more 'new stuff' then we are used of having.
*all though im having a hard time to not have any expectations - too hyped already - for some reason. Might be who I am. New-year millennium, great expectations - bad night..... 😄
I made mistake of buying CoD BOCW the other night when it was on sale...all I can say is I can't wait for BF2042. I'm super curious and yet concerned about 22 now. We're down to what...two months til release and still nothing?
The racist crap is far from being curbed by EA, they still allow red hair on a black guy when that would require dye to accomplish IRL (they don't let white characters have blue hair....). There is 0 reporting tools for the terrible names that people use. I am really not sure what you refer to when you say they try to mitigate this because this is the game where I see the least mitigation yet. They could block #69 too if they wanted....not one NHL player ever wears that number anyways. You cannot report on XBOX for a name used in NHL, you can report for a name used as a XBOX handle.
Unfortunately, people are going to find ways to create racist content. There's obviously still work to be done, but every day across many of our titles I'm seeing bans handed out. I'm also seeing a lot more "Joe NHLs" in drop-ins these days. Which is probably a sign they were forced to change their name. We'll continue to do all we can to action these accounts.
We have a reporting tool built into the game. You can hit the report content option on the pause screen to report a player for an offensive name. The same goes for their club. You can find further assistance with reporting players here.
Hair and numbers are a different issue though. Those aren't exactly on the same level. We want to give people the freedom to create their custom players and I get that not everyone is going to agree with what others choose. While I do agree it's very uncommon to see real players with the combinations that are in the game, it's possible they could still be choosing something that expresses their own personal look or one they more identify with.
We're very well aware of the type of content people are creating and with the community's help, a huge number of accounts have been actioned. Please keep the reports coming. It's absolutely appreciated.
Yah..
I dont think the devs play hockey. it makes no sense to me.
Its so much less about vision of the play, nice passes and plays and more about ballerina work and extreme (impossible) dekeing at 500mph.
Many of them do actually play. The dev team is extremely passionate about the sport and are continually trying to make the game as realistic as they can while also keeping it fun. Hardcore simulations aren't fun for all just like the more casual features don't appeal to the sim crowd. We're trying to make a game that is accessible to all and not just an elite few.
When pivoting was put into the game with the RPM skating system, it wasn't the intent to have it used in the manner it has been. It's also not the easiest thing to remove as it would affect people legitimately using pivots. The dev team is very well aware of the community's feelings on this. Hopefully, they'll find a good way to balance pivots so they're not used so unrealistically.
Replies
omg if there's cross-play for '22... hells yes
Last time they were like this was the release of NHL on PS4...and we all know how much of a disaster that was(basically a stripped down bare bones release...just for the sake of a release felt like). This is why alot of us are beginning to get a little concerned...history has a tendency of repeating itself
That - or, you learn from history, and why don't give yourself a frostbite or hyper engine..when you already at it.
No worry.. 😉
They are always this tight lipped. For NHL15 we didn't find out jack until 2 weeks before release. When we get inside of a month and we still don't know anything then its worry time. Right now is just super annoying marketing time.
Expect the worst and hope for the best. Battlefield 2042 is releasing roughly the same time so I'm good either way
Yeah...thing is, when was the last version that anything changed? Menu's are the same for the last 3 years now. Drop in has been shoved to single outdoor rinks with clown gear that, year after year, everyone complains about. The match making system remains atrocious.
I'm worried that literally the only thing changing is the graphics engine.
Besides that, there will be a bunch of marketable changes but in the end, its gonna be a bunch of LT abuse, fatmanlag, underpowered Defense, overpowered Offense, unfun goaltending like it is every year. Maybe upgraded graphics as if it compensates for the state of gameplay.
Im sure you will still see a #69 player named Black Hogan with a black guy and red beard and hair every game though, have no fear.
Yah im super pessimistic about it....I got roughly 10 years of the same to back it up in my defense.
There’s an active NHL Legacy GMC community. Go watch their games. Lots of old exploits and terrible body physics, but just watch the pace of the game. It’s about 50x “slower” than 21 by default and it’s not “slow” at all. It just looks like hockey rather than NHL Hitz. The goalies are also much more dynamic. There’s “high percentage” goals in that game as well, but it’s much more dynamic than 21.
I feel their close with 21 - but still a really annoying 'meta' that drives everyone to play exactly the same, gets so repetitive. Not so many unique games - you forget the last game as soon as the next one start - and the same gameplay repeat itself.
Would be cool to remember some of the games you play. That could get you excited.
And now - when 'everything' change - with new engine, new generation - it's really hard to know what to expect.
I hope they get the chance to keep building on what they already got - and with a little bit of help from the power they got with frostbite(?) and ps5/Series X performance - can make it really good - perhaps create a hockey game we not been close to see before.
I have nooo clue how this will go - but I have a good feeling. The team has been prepared for this project to come sence before the realese of 21 - this could be it.
I feel it's 70-80% it will rock - 10-20% 'it's okey - with good potential - 9 -1% it will "suck" more then 21.
*And dipsy mention Battlefield 2042 as a comfort - I have to push for the realese of insurgency sandstorm to console - thats finaly seem to happen - in the nearest future.
A slow, hardcore, tactical shooter. Yummi! 😍
But if I had to choose - give me a hockey game in is purest form.. And I show you my greatest admiration.
I’m just interested to see what actually makes it into 22. Trying not to have any expectations really.
Yeah I havent played it yet or anything - just read reviews from other's that have - and watch some gameplay videos. It looks nice.
Abit same here like it is with nhl - I want to slow things down abit and have control of whats happening - COD and that stuff is just a frenzy madhouse with explosions everywhere. No time to think, or for that mather - be tactical.
Yeah you said it good - me too, im interesting to see what 22 will bring, would be surprised if it's not more 'new stuff' then we are used of having.
*all though im having a hard time to not have any expectations - too hyped already - for some reason. Might be who I am. New-year millennium, great expectations - bad night..... 😄
Close is quite a stretch. They got the offense wrong, the defense wrong, the goaltending wrong, the stats wrong, the user interface wrong, the Ai wrong, the whole club dressing room and mentality wrong, but everything else is great!
The only memorable games are those where some weird bugs make characters do wonky stuff, which is every other game thankfully. Probably not the best praise for a game if you ask me.
Other than that, its a bunch of kids on redbull, being racists and offensive in every sense of the word and supported fully by EA in doing so, while abusing every single glitch in the game (skating glitch, shot glitches, etc.) to desperately climb a meaningless leaderboard that only them look at.
Its brutal. We are so very far away from hockey. Why not just go back to arcade where it felt 100 times more realistic than it does now.
I can't say I agree, there's a lot to work on but I don't think they got offense wrong. Defense and goaltending need a lot of work. I'm not sure what you mean by user interface, in terms of gameplay anyway.
You've got that stupid racist crap on all games. NHL isn't exclusive to that. EA has made an effort to curtail that. But I don't agree when you say they support or encourage it. However, I still think they can still do more. I honestly believe this is an PSN/XBL issue, not so much an EA issue. In the 15 years I've been playing online stupid stuff has been said all the time. I just so everything I can to mute the mics of the other players.
I hate to disagree on so much but I just do. I think this game is better than you make it out to be. But it's still nowhere where it should be.
Hehe that sounds much like a bad night - unfortunately, there is some 'bad nights' - perhaps too many of them.
But I agree more with 'BruinsHockey08' here, like alot of things, 'Life is what you make of it' - the game is what you make of it, all though thats not completely true, cause the game got some issues thats hard to 'make any good of'.
If you play competitive - this game is a self-destroying machine, I wouldn’t last long, but if you got some 'house rules' as we sometimes talk about here on this board - the game/gameplay can be pretty good. Even if you play against the 'super common' meta, player'.
Alot of things are good, compare to how it's been before, but there's also bad stuff going on, that unfortunately 'shine through' alot of the good stuff, the bad stuff takes over.. In a way.
But not competitive, 'house rules' - try to play hockey no mather what, and only a few games now and then... Aaaand you got yourself a decent hockey game.
Thats how I try to meet this game.
But ofc I wish for a game that would be more fun, relaxing to play, then to get upset a couple of times in almost every game you play, that dosent make us happy - win or loss.
No issue for me and thanks for being polite about it.
Im surprised you disagree on offense though. I feel like that's one of the worse part of the game. At the level of play I see, people are abusing the crap out of skating on offense with LT garbage which springs the characters like crazy. The dekeing is mental, you have these giants like Chara all with the skating and hands of McDavid. The dekeing is WAYYYY too fast which makes goaltending feel like soccer goaltending. Honestly, if offense wasn't so bonkers, Defense and goaltending would require tons less work.
The racist crap is far from being curbed by EA, they still allow red hair on a black guy when that would require dye to accomplish IRL (they don't let white characters have blue hair....). There is 0 reporting tools for the terrible names that people use. I am really not sure what you refer to when you say they try to mitigate this because this is the game where I see the least mitigation yet. They could block #69 too if they wanted....not one NHL player ever wears that number anyways. You cannot report on XBOX for a name used in NHL, you can report for a name used as a XBOX handle.
Offens may be bonkers beacuse defense is more bonkers.
I personal find the hook passes and the 'strength' to 'glide off' any sort of contact as the best 'offensive tools' - your way to untouchable when you glide and put the puck as far out as you can to one of your side - and then just glide and keep turning/'curve' away from contact/opponent.
That force the gameplay to be pretty loopsided.
The puck need to be more open for play, players too.
I dont think the devs play hockey. it makes no sense to me.
Its so much less about vision of the play, nice passes and plays and more about ballerina work and extreme (impossible) dekeing at 500mph.
I made mistake of buying CoD BOCW the other night when it was on sale...all I can say is I can't wait for BF2042. I'm super curious and yet concerned about 22 now. We're down to what...two months til release and still nothing?
Unfortunately, people are going to find ways to create racist content. There's obviously still work to be done, but every day across many of our titles I'm seeing bans handed out. I'm also seeing a lot more "Joe NHLs" in drop-ins these days. Which is probably a sign they were forced to change their name. We'll continue to do all we can to action these accounts.
We have a reporting tool built into the game. You can hit the report content option on the pause screen to report a player for an offensive name. The same goes for their club. You can find further assistance with reporting players here.
Hair and numbers are a different issue though. Those aren't exactly on the same level. We want to give people the freedom to create their custom players and I get that not everyone is going to agree with what others choose. While I do agree it's very uncommon to see real players with the combinations that are in the game, it's possible they could still be choosing something that expresses their own personal look or one they more identify with.
We're very well aware of the type of content people are creating and with the community's help, a huge number of accounts have been actioned. Please keep the reports coming. It's absolutely appreciated.
Many of them do actually play. The dev team is extremely passionate about the sport and are continually trying to make the game as realistic as they can while also keeping it fun. Hardcore simulations aren't fun for all just like the more casual features don't appeal to the sim crowd. We're trying to make a game that is accessible to all and not just an elite few.
When pivoting was put into the game with the RPM skating system, it wasn't the intent to have it used in the manner it has been. It's also not the easiest thing to remove as it would affect people legitimately using pivots. The dev team is very well aware of the community's feelings on this. Hopefully, they'll find a good way to balance pivots so they're not used so unrealistically.