WOC Grudge Matches
This isn't a major problem with the game, just a bit of a personal pet peeve. Could we get some balancing of the bonus X-Factors that get added during a grudge match? The devs have already acknowledged that some X-Factors have more of an impact than others by making the more impactful ones cost a lot more to equip. It would be nice if the bonus X-Factors in grudge matches were at least somewhat cost-equivalent. More often than not one team gets a high-end X-Factor ( Truculence, Quick Release ) while the other team gets a low-impact one. It's not as big a deal in 6v6, but if you're playing 3v3 and the McDavid on the other team suddenly also has elite Truculence it gets a bit silly. Personally, I'd remove the bonus X-Factors entirely and just keep the match history aspects of grudge matches, but I doubt that's an option.Possible to fix X factors?
I think most of us agree X factors are pretty poorly implemented, and it's only gotten worse. The idea of incorporating them isn't bad imo.. but what we currently have and the level of difference they make is too extreme. Ankle breaker- imo not xfactor should make the opponent worse. If i don't get tricked by a deke why would my skater be forced to? If we want a deke ability then just boost dekeing and open up the window for lacrosse goals. Backhand beauty- this is already a great ability without added speed on backhand shots. This boosting accuracy on shots and passes off the backhand IS exactly what an Xfactor should be, it boosts something that attributes can't and separates skaters with it from skaters without it. It will fit some playstyles but not others. Big Rig- honestly never used it.. Big Tipper- Someone without the xfactor can already tip extremely well. An Xfactor needs to differentiate. In NBA 2K they have a rebound ability that can tell you where a loose is going to go. Maybe this needs to be mixed with that eclipse ability but have an indicator saying exactly how much we are blocking the goalie vision then maybe a green cone showing where we are set to tip. Born leader- never used it Elite edges and Wheels- there are already attributes for these.. increasing speed, agility, and acceleration is just always going to be too good. The devs knew that in the last game, then forgot? Hipster- good, balanced, differentiates a player. No contest- good, balanced, differentiates a player. One T- differentiates.. maybe a little on the high end of effectiveness though? Pressure+ - this would be okay if players didn't just skate in and throw it on net and get the meter so high. I would get rid of this. Quick pick- good, balanced, differentiates a player. I think this could use a boost. I feel like I get less interceptions when I have this on and see more deflected passes instead. Quick release- just like with speed, this is just going to be too good. No way for this to be balanced. Shot power is already an attribute. This is unnecessary. Rocket- similar to ankle breaker, having abilities that make another player worse (in this case the goalie) is bad.. also rebounds are already too good. Offensive players are just holding up on the right stick hoping to get one, and they will be drawn into the puck, while D has to get to it first. Second wind- endurance is already an attribute.. doesn't differentiate.. bad. Send it- honestly I don't hate this one.. Spark plug- why would it give a speed boost after a hit? What player in hockey gets a boost to speed after a hit? Stick em' up- good, balanced, differentiates a player. Tape to tape- good, balanced, differentiates a player. Truculence and unstoppable force- both far too effective. Truc players stay down for too long, auto targeting too effective, window of time to make a hit after they get rid of the puck is too big. I'm fine with the ability existing, but just give a targeting buff we have attributes for hit power, maybe also add some type of alternative animation unique to truc users / players with high enough discipline that keep them from boarding or something. Unstoppable force, I've seen players run around reverse hitting people over and over.. they try to poke or just get into position and get hit.. I can understand if the player they're doing this to is a 5'10 160 sniper it would still look a bit silly with how it currently works but if they're making contact totally cool with reverse hitting working.. I would remove the ability for anyone without the xfactor and make it very sitautional/ only use it vs smaller players for people who do have it. They tried to balance these by using points.. but when they added EA builds, and grudge matches we see how that isn't the fix. They are supposed to differentiate players but everyone is using the same small handful of these even with the points added. I know EA needs xfactors in all their games, and NHL only has so much they can do to differentiate players. We gotta get rid of game breaking xfactors and unbalanced ones even if it means having less.. Xfactors to consider? Enforcer- the option to fight is given when when the opposing team takes a penalty against their team, they get a boost to fighting, if they win the fight not only will their team gain energy but the opposing team loses a significant amount due to a drop in morale. Currently enforcers can't even be enforcers. (This being said I also think clean hits should NOT mean we can be forced into a fight, if female characters can't fight, allow me to have my male character not fight) Refresh and reset- having this xfactor will slightly increase stamina of team when taking a draw in offense or defensive zone, it will also significantly reduce the pressure meter/ get rid of full pressure when taking the draw in the defensive zone (if not after an icing call) DSS master- no speed penalty when using DSS, very low chance of penalty when poking stick out/ sweeping the DSS. Human shield- defensive player will get in front of a high danger shot if in the vicinity of its path. Loose puck psychic- shows best angle to retrieve any loose puck, including rebounds (this would be a line on the screen) Deke on a dime- if you successfully pull off a deke you get a limited time boost to agility and acceleration. Back net magician-faster speed on lacrosse goals and bigger window of success, more speed on passes/ and some auto sauce when passing from behind the goal line. Rat- if hit after the whistle there will be a penalty. This player can hit others, pester, shoot on opposing net without having to answer the bell or getting a penalty of their own. If someone challenges them to a fight they can choose not to answer and have the other skater sit for enticing it. Just think about the different NHL strategies or the different archetypes in the NHL and what skills those would entail.Possible Bug
So I had a guy quit game right at very end after I officially won but somehow it disconnected me from the network and gave me a loss. Time just ran out so idk if this is some sort of glitch or what but was strange. I tried getting help on ea sports website but the chatbot wouldn’t connect me to anyone. I requested my data to see if I can tell anything but wanted to let you guys know. Also there’s a video on YouTube called no penalty shot! or something like that. Would like some clarity on that as well. I have been on the other end of that where there shouldn’t have been a shot for other team so not sure how that is figured out.EA Help Me Understand
I just finished a ranked game . I am in Peterborough Ontario and I get matched up against a guy from Dartmouth Nova Scotia... What?. I also have by Max ping settings at 20. My ping for the game was 11 and he told me he checked and his was 26- 30. Why was I matched up with him? My skaters were in mud compared to his. The whole purpose of the max ping settings is to play even to close to even ping games. I would like a response from a moderator or dev on this because I would like to understand when I use the tools EA provides me to have a fair game why I am stuck with issues like this.Reverse hits are a bit OP
This might just be a personal gripe as a defenseman, but they make playing defense impossible. I understand if you're going in for a hit and they do the reverse check, But I don't hit really, and they're still able to do it to me. It makes it so you can't gap up on your check at all. It makes it so you can't Gap up on your check at all. If I go to make a poke check I can be reverse hit? Why? In most instances, I'm not even trying to go for a hit or a poke check, I'm just skating into their body position gain control of the puck. Which is what you're supposed to do. If I have Superior positioning you're not supposed to have a get out of jail free card which is what that gives you. Attached is a video of someone going in for a reverse hit, when I'm not even moving, I'm actually trying to back up, but because they do the move they lose the puck, I get the puck against my will because the animation forces me to, and they're able to execute it anyway, because I now have the puck. I can't get anywhere near anyone, there's no perk or mechanic that counters that mechanic. The warrior perk mitigates it at best. And all it takes is a hit of a button to execute. The options I'm left with are to attempt to just go for charged hits with truculence (taking you out of position and easy to evade, which is not my style) or allow them to gain the zone uncontested and exclusively cover passing lanes. Which becomes a problem when we also have a pressure mechanic, that builds with time in the zone, completed passes and shots at the net. I have two ideas to fix it. What I would like to see is an interference penalty assessed to someone who doesn't when I am not trying to engage in a hit. A simpler solution would be put the mechanic behind a perk wall. It still would be abused as a meta-tactic, but at least then not every single person can do it. There's a lot of reasons this game, in my opinion, is one of the worst ones to play defense in the last 7 years, I don't have solutions for those but this is the biggest problem I come across most often. Thank you for taking the time to read.