NHL 13

[Aristo]

I feel lik this year they are really emphasizing the need to continually alter your strategies in order to be successful. If you don't, the CPU will settle in on the right defense or offense and make you pay. But if you switch up, you can catch them off guard.

[pk500]

Finally got my mitts on a retail version of NHL 13 tonight.

It's funny: We've spent a bit of time in the Madden 13 thread debating whether this year's Madden is the best ever. There is no debate regarding NHL 13. This is the most realistic, fun hockey video game I've ever seen out of the box.

If this game was any more organic, it would have moss growing on the case and loamy compost under the disc.

I've seen goals crashing the net. I've seen a goal by my player after a stick lift in the crease. I've had Ruslan Fedotenko blast a slapper from the top of the circle after a rush into the far corner for a goal. I've scored on rebounds when defensemen have abdicated their responsibilities. I've seen the difference in speed -- and felt the fear -- from little ice dragsters like Matthew Lombardi and Michael Cammalieri.

And this is just in ONE F*CKING NIGHT. Incredible.

[Diablo25]

Finally got my mitts on a retail version of NHL 13 tonight.

It's funny: We've spent a bit of time in the Madden 13 thread debating whether this year's Madden is the best ever. There is no debate regarding NHL 13. This is the most realistic, fun hockey video game I've ever seen out of the box.

If this game was any more organic, it would have moss growing on the case and loamy compost under the disc.

I've seen goals crashing the net. I've seen a goal by my player after a stick lift in the crease. I've had Ruslan Fedotenko blast a slapper from the top of the circle after a rush into the far corner for a goal. I've scored on rebounds when defensemen have abdicated their responsibilities. I've seen the difference in speed -- and felt the fear -- from little ice dragsters like Matthew Lombardi and Michael Cammalieri.

And this is just in ONE F*CKING NIGHT. Incredible.

Yeah we know...we've had the game since launch! Now get your ass into a club game and help us lose!

[toonarmy]

I've seen the difference in speed -- and felt the fear -- from little ice dragsters like Matthew Lombardi and Michael Cammalieri.

Bingo. This is the first NHL game where I have a lot of "ah hell!" moments when I slightly misplay a speedster or skilled shooter with my defender and know that I am about to get scored on. In the past I could usually recover and not worry too much. This year you better learn to play positional defense or you will pay dearly much of the time. I'm still trying to break the habit of chasing a player around the ice trying to get the puck away from him and allowing other men to get open for a quick pass and score. It's much harder to abuse the AI this year.

[pk500]

Yeah we know...we've had the game since launch! Now get your ass into a club game and help us lose!

Not tonight. Martinez-Chavez Jr. fight. Soon, though!

[Naples39]

Ugh, EA sports f*cked me in HUT.

Got Markstrom, overall 81 with 6 upgrade slots. Get him with 35 games under contract, and apply 6 upgrades (3 really expensive ones) and getting him up to 89. Then he unexpectedly sucks in his first game, and I discover he's now an 80 overall with all 6 upgrade slots re-opened, but the upgrade cards I used gone.

Makes it hard to get back into the mode...

[ddtrane]

This is the first time I've seen the dump and chase work, cycling the puck, and playing behind the net actually works this year. This game is total badass online!!

[Aristo]

This is the first time I've seen the dump and chase work, cycling the puck, and playing behind the net actually works this year. This game is total badass online!!

Hence all the crying at OS. I saw one guy actually lament that onetimers were not longer easy and automatic. EA has created a pretty damn good game that will reward you for using smart strategy and changing things up. The online kids at OS are having a fit.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Last year, the kids won as they continually tuned the online to game to be less and less dependent on strategy and more on pure stick skills.

[pk500]

This is the first time I've seen the dump and chase work, cycling the puck, and playing behind the net actually works this year. This game is total badass online!!

Hence all the crying at OS. I saw one guy actually lament that onetimers were not longer easy and automatic. EA has created a pretty damn good game that will reward you for using smart strategy and changing things up. The online kids at OS are having a fit.

Hilarious!

[pk500]

Great line from my 7-year-old son, who is starting his fifth season of youth hockey this year, as he played NHL 13 for the first time this afternoon.

ME: "So, do you like this game?"
LANDON: "Who doesn't?"

[Jimmydeicide]

I know lots.

[ddtrane]

This is the first time I've seen the dump and chase work, cycling the puck, and playing behind the net actually works this year. This game is total badass online!!

Hence all the crying at OS. I saw one guy actually lament that onetimers were not longer easy and automatic. EA has created a pretty damn good game that will reward you for using smart strategy and changing things up. The online kids at OS are having a fit.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Last year, the kids won as they continually tuned the online to game to be less and less dependent on strategy and more on pure stick skills.

One timers are no longer guaranteed goals, you have to work for everything you get. Strategy has been introduced into this game. Myself and Hugo Hackenbush completed 2 onetimer goals, but we put effort and strategy to make those happen. Nothing will be easy this season.

[ddtrane]

You must play hockey this time, which means positional defense, no gambling, and sound awareness.

[Diablo25]

You must play hockey this time, which means positional defense, no gambling, and sound awareness.

Agreed....especially on the 'no gambling'. You will get destroyed if you just attack the puck carrier. I have found myself make conservative runs at puck carriers and then haul ass to get back on D because I know it will be exploited.

[Jimmydeicide]

The biggest and most realistic thing is turnovers, they do kill and will you as we see with all the breakaways.
Not to merge both threads but DSP Dragons especially, easier said than done with 60 rayed guys.

Any suggestions on what attributes to upgrade first?

[JRod]

This is the first time I've seen the dump and chase work, cycling the puck, and playing behind the net actually works this year. This game is total badass online!!

Hence all the crying at OS. I saw one guy actually lament that onetimers were not longer easy and automatic. EA has created a pretty damn good game that will reward you for using smart strategy and changing things up. The online kids at OS are having a fit.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Last year, the kids won as they continually tuned the online to game to be less and less dependent on strategy and more on pure stick skills.

One timers are no longer guaranteed goals, you have to work for everything you get. Strategy has been introduced into this game. Myself and Hugo Hackenbush completed 2 onetimer goals, but we put effort and strategy to make those happen. Nothing will be easy this season.

Heck just getting off a one-timer in front of the net feels satisfying.

[Naples39]

The biggest and most realistic thing is turnovers, they do kill and will you as we see with all the breakaways.
Not to merge both threads but DSP Dragons especially, easier said than done with 60 rayed guys.

Any suggestions on what attributes to upgrade first?

Thus far, FWIW I have been prioritizing wrist shot accuracy, passing, puck control, agility, stick checking. Those seems to me be the most crucial skills in this game.

[10spro]

I finally had time to tinker with HUT last night. Now, for those guys that have the NHL app is it necessary to have a CM started in order to view your activity on HUT? FWIW, I don't have a CM career yet but plan to join Terry's league and the HUT mode is totally greyed out on my app.

[Zeppo]

Vader, check your PMs.

Terry, I wouldn't want to hijack this thread, so I wonder if maybe we can start a thread over in the Madden League forum area or something? It'd be nice to have a spot to set up v HUM matchups and such but I wouldn't really want yet a third subforum to have to check. It's lame the game doesn't give you, as commish, any info about who has what left for each block. On the other hand, I'd never mind a handful of my games getting simmed if I missed a deadline, there are so many games. Until we get closer to playoffs, of course.

[TCrouch]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I can't tell crap from the interface, so we'll likely just have to roll with set sim times. I originally just did the thing as a quickie test and didn't plan on it being a big league (figured not many people played on Pro), but I probably should have named it something else for those purposes. I half expected it to be something that existed for a day and then we'd delete.

But Vader and I got hooked, and here we are. Not sure what to do about a thread. One in the Madden league forum is probably a good idea.

[Leebo33]

When I first got the game I played around 10 Play Now games with the Penguins on default Pro with penalties maximized and 8 min periods prior to starting a season and I had a blast. Lots of variety in scores and fantastic gameplay. I know it's a small sample size, but I started a season with the Pens and all of my games so far have been low scoring with some visible robo goalie action. I am 3-3-1 averaging and conceeding about 2.0 goals a game. Most of the scores are 3-1, 2-1, etc. In fact, if it wasn't for some very late game heroics, a few overtime games, and a couple of empty netters then the scoring would be about 3.0 goals total per game. Most of the games have been 1-0 or 1-1 heading to the 3rd period. I think I am using the latest tuning set which worries me because maybe something changed for the worse. For now I will just chalk it up to a small sample size but I definitely had more fun in the Play Now games.

I hope this is just a bump in the road or a bad stretch because prior to the past few nights I thought this might be the best sports game I ever played and certainly the best hockey game.

[TCrouch]

I've had stretches like that, but almost 40 games into the GM Connected season, I'm seeing a lot of scoring. Some games I'll shut out the CPU 2-0, sometimes it's a 3-1 game. Then last night I went down 2-0 in the first, got back to 2-1, gave up another goal to make it 3-1, ended up tying it up with :25 left and won it in OT with a quick breakaway. The next game had no scoring in the first or third periods, but I got FIVE goals from five different players in the second.

I haven't seen a single robo-goalie in half a season. On the contrary, I can take quick shots when I see an opening in the net on my approach and net a lot of goals on quick wristers. I think I've had a good mix of blue-line slappers through traffic, quick wristers up tight, one-timers from behind and around the net, and rebound shove-ins.

There are certain goals that work for me the most, but only in specific situations. I've found myself having to hit B to see what the current offensive style is (Behind the Net, Overload, Crash Net, etc) to see how I'm supposed to be playing at the time. Sticking to that strategy has really opened up the scoring for me.

[JRod]

When I first got the game I played around 10 Play Now games with the Penguins on default Pro with penalties maximized and 8 min periods prior to starting a season and I had a blast. Lots of variety in scores and fantastic gameplay. I know it's a small sample size, but I started a season with the Pens and all of my games so far have been low scoring with some visible robo goalie action. I am 3-3-1 averaging and conceeding about 2.0 goals a game. Most of the scores are 3-1, 2-1, etc. In fact, if it wasn't for some very late game heroics, a few overtime games, and a couple of empty netters then the scoring would be about 3.0 goals total per game. Most of the games have been 1-0 or 1-1 heading to the 3rd period. I think I am using the latest tuning set which worries me because maybe something changed for the worse. For now I will just chalk it up to a small sample size but I definitely had more fun in the Play Now games.

I hope this is just a bump in the road or a bad stretch because prior to the past few nights I thought this might be the best sports game I ever played and certainly the best hockey game.

The things I did to get more goals was.

1. Use star players better.
2. Send the puck into the net. This wasn't really ever an effective strategy because of the super goalies and glue sticks in past games. If I have guys around the net but I'm at a tough angle, I'll send it towards the net.
3. If you don't use manual tactics/strategies, change the slider human assisted strategy. That's really helped both in defense and offense in having teammates try to score or protect a lead.

[LAking]

I'm getting a little frustrated with the face-off difficulty on All-Star difficulty. If it's set to max or one notch below max I can at best win 1 out of 5 face-offs. If i set it 2 notches below max I win at least 60% of the draws. I can't find a happy medium. I'd like to see face-offs in the 50-55% range. It really affects the game. If i'm winning most of the face-offs I generally dominate the CPU and outshoot them. If they get most of the face-offs they generally outshoot me by a wide margin. Just goes to show how important face-offs can be.

I just wish the slider has one notch in between the two I've been trying.

[10spro]

Two common ways for the CPU scoring on me last night on Terry's GM mode. Top shelf wrister blocker side and garbage rebounds. The ones we saw too often last night too on EASHL, where the winger coming down just throws the puck at the net and the keeper shoves it aside to the opponent that's too content to bury it away.