NHL 18 News

[XXXIV]

I heard it. Also she said YES to Xbox One X. Wow...

I do not remember that part...

[vader29]

I heard it. Also she said YES to Xbox One X. Wow...

I do not remember that part...

Yeah we heard it was a yes to the One X and a 4K tv.

[tjung0831]

I might be going retro this year. I started messing with the rosters on NHL 13.....it will take some time to edit and add but I might give it a go. I popped that in the 360 last night and that game plays and looks great.

[pk500]

Played two or three offline games in NHL 18 with EA Access trial last night.

I'm VERY impressed by the improvements with stick-based defense this year. Better poke checking, stick-lifting, stick pinning, etc. More effective defense for humans.

But the same old EA offline CPU AI bullsh*t exists.

The CPU offense and defense skate much faster in their offensive and defensive zones than human skaters not controlled by the player, winning far too many loose pucks, even when the human-controlled team is in position. The CPU lifts sticks without penalties far more often than human-controlled players can. The CPU centers park in the slot while both defensemen chase pucks behind the net, with no coverage support from wings. And it's far too easy for human players to win faceoffs.

And, yes, I'm playing at the highest Sim setting.

Those flaws in the offline AI logic -- which have existed for this entire decade -- continue to ruin this series for me. Way to go, Rammer: You're doing a heck of a job.

NHL is the most moribund EA Sports franchise, by far. It may be a better game than Live, but at least EA is trying to improve Live to become a legitimate competitor to NBA 2K.

EA is letting NHL wither on the vine with minimal improvements each year, milking the teats of the niche of puckheads who buy it without question every year.

I'll see you in eight months, NHL 18, after you're released into the EA Access Vault.

[DivotMaker]

If they aren't careful, NHL could go the way of Golf and no more games.....

[pk500]

If they aren't careful, NHL could go the way of Golf and no more games.....

Nah. The NHL wants a game and has been with EA forever. EA probably can low-ball the NHL on licensing, as the league doesn't have much of an alternative for a publisher and developer since 2K left the hockey business.

Plus NHL 18 isn't a terrible game. Not at all. It's just a stagnant franchise, with legacy offline AI problems stretching back a decade or more. But online gaming is the focus these days, so Rammer and Co. probably give three sh*ts about fixing offline AI.

Remember when there were three licensed hockey games for the original Xbox? EA's NHL, NHL 2K and Microsoft's NHL Rivals, with its fantastic pond hockey mode! "PASS THE F*CKING PUCK, JACK!"

I doubt the PGA cares as much about digital strategy for gaming as the NHL. The PGA is run by old dudes for old dudes.

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, good points....but EA is driven strictly by profitability and the minute Golf lost money two versions in a row, hello EA Vault and goodbye Golf franchise.

It amazes me in this day and age that a company with EA's brand and market penetration, can't make money with Golf....or any of their franchises. To me, they get complacent and lazy, especially genres that have no competition. Yet they still deliver financial results to stockholders in spite of themselves,ves.

[Jimmydeicide]

I hope they dont make another NHL game, they can kiss my arse. What sucks is they are going to blame the consumer and not their own efforts which is nil this year for 18.
I dont know if their deal is year to year or thru a set time frame, knowing them they will sit on the license till 2020 and no one will be able to make at least a licensed Nhl game.

I really thought we'd be light years ahead Cpu AI wise than we are now and that goes for all games not just NHL, its still all about eye candy first.
Come on did Fifa need to get better looking this gen? i dont think so but they did and it does look even better but put that power into the AI for crying out loud.

[MizzouRah]

Madden has AI complaints too.. even though I'm enjoying it this year.

EA doesn't put much into NHL it seems though.. many people probably love the new 3's but us hardcore hockey fans are not a concern for them anymore I guess.

All this exclusive crap needs to go away. We need competition, because without it you see what we get. I can only imagine what 2k hockey would look and play like on next gen consoles.

[MizzouRah]

Update 1.02 available.. pretty damn impressive.

CONTENT UPDATE 1 - (Available Sept. 19th, 2017)

General

Added option for Champions League Aggregate Scoring
Improved faceoff formations during 3 on 3 play.


NHL® THREES

Added updates to prevent players from moving before they were visible on screen after play resumes from a stoppage in NHL® THREES
Added ability to change team strategies in NHL® THREES gameplay
Updates to faceoff camera timing in NHL® THREES


Puck Physics

Updates to improve stick on puck collisions during poke checks
More accurate stick on puck physics volume collisions during Defensive Skill Stick.


Offensive and Defensive AI

Improved AI puck carriers in 1-on-0 situations during play and in shootouts
Updates to Defensive AI decision making so that they stay with their check more consistently
Updates for AI teammates that would skate into shooting lanes instead of standing in better positions to deflect the shot or get the rebound instead.
Updates to AI shooting logic during penalty shots.
Logic updates for AI goalie pull situations.
Improved shot logic for the AI
Improved positioning for offensive AI players away from the puck so that they take their stick position/handedness into account more and position themselves and adjust their facing better based on their intention.
Added improvements for AI skaters that would switch to skating backwards during breakouts.


Coaching Feedback/On Ice Trainer

Added new videos and Training to Hockey Canada Training Camp
Support added for button dekes in coaching feedback and Hockey Canada Training Camp


Offense

Added the ability to blend back into skating faster out of deking
Various shot animation improvements
Added improvements to skaters that were missing the puck too often if they were directed to perform a shot without picking up the puck first (one timers and shots from loose pucks).


Defense

Updates to improve animation blend issues out of shot blocks.
Improvements added for players doing a board pinch when the puck position didn't make sense for it.
Blending improvements when transitioning into defensive skill stick.
Updates to allow the Defensive Skill Stick state to override hit intent if the hit hasn't started to be thrown yet. This allows players to be on and off RB/R1 without letting go of the right stick.
Updates to improve an issue where the Defensive Skill Stick state caused user skaters to lose pickup functionality
Added in variance of error to the new poke check system based on player control, direction from the players facing and relative speed of the puck. This means that a player is most accurate when skating in a controlled manner and poking a still puck in front of themselves and least accurate when poking against their momentum behind themselves at a fast-moving puck. Each of these factors are also tied to the player's attribute ratings.
Improved hip check controls to prevent clashes
Poke check animation assets improved for increased poke checking accuracy before any error is added.
Added reaction delay based on a player’s awareness after a puck is deflected off a stick/body as players were reacting too quickly to defensive deflections.


Goalies

Better precision when detecting puck position during saves for User goalies.
Responsiveness updates to User goalie butterfly motion.
Added updates to help User goalies challenging shots and tracking the puck. If a user is requesting to move towards the puck, allow the requested motion to transfer into the upcoming save but if the shot is back against the grain, it will not add in momentum to the save.
Updated save logic to reduce issues that were causing the user goalie to make save attempts on pucks that were far from the net.
Improved responsiveness for actions after quickly switching into control of the goalie
Added updates to prevent goalies from knocking their net off in EASHL as an exploit.
Added the ability for flinching saves to abort sooner when the puck is deflected away from the net.
Improved responsiveness when blending in and out of saves for goalies.
Added new VH poke coverage.
Added logic to read how much the goalie should lean based on the puck position as they slide into butterfly leans. This allows for better blends and ability to seal off more of the net on the side where the puck is.
Various animation improvements for saves where a goalie’s limbs were clipping with each other.
Updates to prevent an issue where a user goalie was unable to move post-to-post after a poke check.
Updated some saves that were causing the puck to deflect into a goalie's net.


Hockey Canada Training Camp

Improved end of game flow to allow users to pick next training item.
Added the option to select training item from pause.
Added the ability to play videos from Training Camp pause screen


HUT

Added an auto-fill option in Edit Lines. This option will allow a user to automatically replace all the players in their lineup based on player overall and position.
The end of round Competitive Seasons reward screen will now show in the HUT HUB rather than the user needing to enter the season to claim their rewards.
Removed the 1-minute grace period for offline and online games. Game will now count right at puck drop


Online

Improved Online Coop Matchup Load Screen to allows users to see more information about their teammates/opponents for team composition and latency for all online game modes (e.g., Online Vs., HUT, Threes Online, etc.) except for EASHL
Adding Team Overall to matchmaking rules to all online game modes (e.g., Online Vs., HUT, Threes Online, etc.) except for EASHL
PS4 controller light will now match the Game Setup and gameplay player color indicator
Updated the Game Setup screen functionalities in online game types (e.g., HUT, Online Vs. Threes Online, etc.)
Display Offense, Defense and Goalie ratings by default
Remapped the Ready button to tile option
Remapped the Settings tile to a button
Resolved an issue where users would crash when performing goalie swaps in the intermission pause menu for HUT, Draft Champions, and Online Vs.


EASHL

Added the ability to award a penalty shot in EASHL 3s rather than go on a 4-on-3 or 5-on-3 Power Play.
Fighting turned off in EASHL 3s.
3-on-3 strategies added to EASHL.


Game Modes

Added Season Modes for additional leagues (EBEL, HockeyAllsvenskan, and the Champions Hockey League Tournament)
Added Division Re-Alignment to Franchise Mode. This allows the user to move teams around within the divisions before the start of a Franchise Mode.
Added the ability to allow the user to edit their custom or relocated team’s jersey and mascot during the offseason in Franchise
Added the ability to see all the CPU lines in View Lines
Added the ability to allow a user to change strategies in 3-on-3 Overtime
Added the ability to view all the pending free agents in the upcoming FA class as well as 2 and 3 years out in the Pending FA Screen.
Added a “Sim to Regular Season” option in quick links during the preseason
Added the option to view player information on the offer sheet pop-up
Added the option to decline a trade and change your trade block in a CPU trade offer
Added option to switch teams while in the trade screen in the player select pop-up
Improved FA logic where Team Chemistry is still taken into consideration deep into Free Agency when they should be willing to lessen demands.
Improvements added to correctly apply stats growth to a player who received stat growth the previous year.
Added updates to help resolve an issue with Scouting showing semi-accurate potentials of players that should be Unknown potentials.
Improvements added to prevent the morale of a player being set to “angry” immediately after signing in Free Agency.


Audio

Added in Birthday goal calls in EASHL
Added in various speech improvements


Presentation

Added in the EBEL Championship Sequence with trophy
Added in the Champions Hockey League Championship sequence with trophy
Added in a Champions Hockey League mode unique wipe
Various camera improvements for environment geometry blocking play


Art

Added Away uniform for Ottawa Senators
Added Away uniform for Toronto Maple Leafs
Added Away uniforms Nashville Predators
Added CCM Premier 2 Goalie Pad Set
Improved Portland Winterhawks Uniform


Hockey Canada and Training Camp Videos

Added 4 New Button Deke videos
Added better shot quality changes, better shots and sizzles for 8 Hybrid & 94 Controls videos
Updated the audio from Ray Ferraro in 3 Skill Stick videos (Shot Aim, Faceoff Draw, Faceoff Tie-Up)
Added/Improved 8 Hockey Canada Rules Videos:
Offside - Shot Improvement
Icing
High Sticking
Delay of Game
Tripping
Interference
Penalty Shot
Goalie Delay of Game
Added 5 Hockey Canada Goalie Videos
T-Push vs. Strafe
Angles vs. Positions
Butterfly
Butterfly Slides
Hug Post

[pk500]

Curious about AI improvements. Maybe I'll reinstall the Access trial. Thanks for note.

[MizzouRah]

Just beat Nashville 2-1 in a play now game at home with the Blues.

It was a fantastic game though, 3 fights, great goalie play, 33 SOG per team, lots of hitting, a couple of injuries.. felt like playoff hockey.

I think I love the game of hockey so much that it really takes some out of this world wonky s*** from this game before I can pick at its flaws.

[pk500]

Curious about AI improvements. Maybe I'll reinstall the Access trial. Thanks for note.

Reinstalled updated game trial through Access. Same game, same dipsh*t AI on Sim setting.

Uninstalled. See you next spring on EA Access, NHL 18.

[tjung0831]

Curious about AI improvements. Maybe I'll reinstall the Access trial. Thanks for note.

Reinstalled updated game trial through Access. Same game, same dipsh*t AI on Sim setting.

Uninstalled. See you next spring on EA Access, NHL 18.

Can I now anoint NBA Live 18 as EA's 3rd overall best game behind FIFA and Madden now? Can I ? Can I ?

[pk500]

Curious about AI improvements. Maybe I'll reinstall the Access trial. Thanks for note.

Reinstalled updated game trial through Access. Same game, same dipsh*t AI on Sim setting.

Uninstalled. See you next spring on EA Access, NHL 18.

Can I now anoint NBA Live 18 as EA's 3rd overall best game behind FIFA and Madden now? Can I ? Can I ?

Nah. I wouldn't go that far. NHL is solid but moribund. NBA Live still is lacking in many areas despite its improvement this year.

[tjung0831]

Nah. I wouldn't go that far. NHL is solid but moribund. NBA Live still is lacking in many areas despite its improvement this year.

Damn you Paul Kelly!!!!!

[sportdan30]

4K update along with game play fixes....

But more importantly, it includes the new video board at the Scottrade Center (St. Louis Blues)!

https://www.easports.com/nhl/news/2017/ ... date-patch