The lack of hype for NHL 18
Doesn't seem to be a lot of talk/hype/etc. for this year's game. I think expectations are low since the community is ignored when it comes to feedback. Is it just me or am I correct about this general feeling?
Fix the exploits instead of creating a 3v3 mode that will get old real quick.
Fix the exploits instead of creating a 3v3 mode that will get old real quick.
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This year's game will be a dud. Every prior year I played the beta for its entire time frame and was hoping for a little more time with it. This year I gave it less than two days and I had my overfill of it already. I played 1/2 of an EASHL game, 9 VS games, and about 15 3-on-3 games, and it was clear to me that the online latency was still gonna be a problem. None of the 9 VS games played made it to the end. Either me or my opponent quit out every single game...probably because of lag.
Another telling story was how all the big named Twitch/YouTubers had abandoned the game a few days into the beta as well.
I think this is the beginning of the end.
For the NHL series hype has always been an issue in years that the bigger stars of the virtual sporting world are revealing major additions, and Madden once again stole the spot light from NHL by getting Frostbite for Madden 18.
That doesn't mean I've enjoyed the media on NHL 18, because honestly the information has been rather lackluster this year. Not sure what happened across EA Sports this year, or if it was just my perspective, but the media machine that generally is going strong behind titles like Madden and NHL just wasn't there in 18, like it was in 17, and if we're being honest 17 wasn't all that ampd up either. They were a far contrast to what we saw in 16 and years prior.
I'm not sure if it was an effort to not "over-sell" the series and create disappointment, but the lack of fan-fair at all was much worse. I would really like a more concerted effort by the media team to hype the product and get involved with the the message boards, and in other forms of media.
I feel part of the problem is playing up programs like HUT and MUT so heavily. I realize these modes have become part of EA's bread and butter with their sports series, but to me that doesn't drive excitement for the game, and if I may speak for many that don't live and breath HUT, the special editions only providing HUT bonuses and being released early felt like a huge drop of the ball on behalf of the marketing team. It felt like not only where we were robbed of our regular hype train for the product, but that we got not one but two slaps in the face for as long time buyers of the NHL series.
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I also like that NHL 18 has 4K support. The defensive skill stick and more dekes are welcome, but there are still many issues with the gameplay and user experience.
The beginning...
The franchise is in a dire state, gameplay-wise, and a lot of posters on here don't even realize how good this game was pre-TPS...
Next year has to add a push button for board play/net battles and it has to GREATLY enhance skating and responsiveness at slow speeds and bring back vision control as it used to be... which is "hold L2 to face the puck".
The game isn't fun anymore, the fun factor just isn't there. I played the beta for 3 of the 15 days or whatever it was available and only 3 of my 35 NHL friends kept playing it until the beta's end.
I personally blame Ben Ross' questionable gameplay decisions concerning vision control and his absolute refusal to consider hardcore player feedback, but it's probably time for Rammer to go. True Performance Skating remains an undisputable failure until vision control is fixed and responsiveness is back. THIS is single-handedly killing the franchise and I won't support EA anymore until there's a palpable change in philosophy... I fear the NHL team will get swamped in another year or 2 of changes to the game engine (frostbite), so I'm not holding my breath about virtual hockey anymore. There's a 35% chance that I'm completely done with this, like I was between 2000 and 2009 (OK, I played 3 months of NHL 2K5 which was quite alright).
I disagree, now I would agree this game is a shell of its former self compared to it's glory days of NHL 09/10/11/12 where the community was it's largest, most active, and most enjoyable. However the addition of 3's EASHL (not arcade 3's) I'm talking about 3's EASHL, it will save this game this year.
I'll come back and admit I was wrong if proven to be so but I predict 3's EASHL will be "HOT" game mode this year, dwarfing 6's EASHL. All the buzz/talk will be about 3's EASHL this year. The beta proved this mode to be very fun to play. Since EA has not fixed the input delay and clunky TPS, 3's EASHL allows for more open ice to navigate the clunky skating giving you more room to skate and set up passing plays with teammates, setting up plays is very enjoyable which has a feel of NHL 09/10/11/12 to it.
6's with input delay and clunky TPS and also a broken vision control is a loose puck fest while getting stuck in mud skating, not enjoyable.
With 3's EASHL I'm actually excited about this years game, which is an improvement from previous years that have gotten worse and worse year after year, its been downhill since NHL 13, this 3's EASHL will at least be fun to play.
I do see your point about the 3's becoming the go-to mode this year, but that isn't real hockey. We shouldn't be forced into a 3-on-3 mode in order to be able to set up plays and pass the puck like a hockey player can. We should be able to do all of those hockey things in a legitimate 5-on-5 game as well. We used to be able to do all those things without a problem.
It's just terrible how the input delay/lag combined with the clunky TPS skating has become the defining factor above everything else with regards to quality of game-play. NHL 16 had it. NHL 17 had it. NHL 18 showed it to be even worse based on the beta. That's strike three. Honestly, how many years in a row does this need to happen before either A) People jump ship, or
I honestly do not plan on buying this game this year.
I already pre-ordered the game
Yeah I don't think I've read anything about Xbox One X or PS4 Pro enhancements. Hopefully NHL 19 we get Frostibite, native/checkerboard 4K/60 FPS, etc.
Xbox Live - The Snake Esq
It was confirmed by David Pritchett to be 4K on the Pro.
https://forums.ea.com/en/nhl/discussion/comment/1651904/#Comment_1651904
Awesome. Thanks for the heads up.
Xbox Live - The Snake Esq
Plus I think my 7 year old mobo and cpu are kinda bottlenecking me some.
No one cares, eh bud?
60hz has been standard on 4K screens for a while now. Also, the resolution is primarily dependant on your GPU and not your CPU. If your CPU can do 1080p/60fps, it can do 4K/60fps provided that your GPU is up to the task.
As far as my PCs capabilities I can run games at 60 easily but not at max settings due to some dated hardware. My gpu is brand new but my cpu, mobo and ram are all older. So I can tell I'm being bottlenecked. Not a big deal rn but eventually I will upgrade.. Or buy a new gun. Lol.
4k is neat and all but imo not worth it without max settings. Might just do an ultra wide or something instead.
Perhaps I misunderstood but I thought the new 3's mode was basically 3 player forwards with AI defensemen and goalies. Or do they have a straight up 3v3 mode as well ala NHL arcade style?