NHL 2K6 Impressions

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:22 am

After going to a couple Wild games this week, I've been fired up to play this game. Finally had a chance to last night, playing a handful of games.

I'm struggling with finding the right balance between ice friction and game speed. It always either seems a little sluggish or a little too fast. Not impeding the enjoyment of the game, though.

On the Pro level, the CPU sometimes doesn't get enough shots on goal (6min periods) either. Will probably move it up a level tonight to see how well that goes.

The goal variety is flippin' sweet.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:29 am

I'm getting great goal variety on All-Star. The AI more times than not scores on slap shots, rebounds, and the occasional one timer. Just happy to see it's not a one time fest like it was last year.

I'm playing at a speed of 4 clicks and it's great end to end action. It probably doesn't reflect pure sim speed, but I just wasn't enjoying the game at speed of 2. In regards to shots on goal, it's right around the mid to upper 30s range.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:42 am

What the hell...so last night I play again, hoping my 9-2 score was a fluke...this time 8-3. Waaaay too easy to score on the goalies as they go down to their knees and never get up after a shot. I'm going to have to do some major tweaking with the goalie and shot sliders...I need to tone it down a bit.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:17 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:What the hell...so last night I play again, hoping my 9-2 score was a fluke...this time 8-3. Waaaay too easy to score on the goalies as they go down to their knees and never get up after a shot. I'm going to have to do some major tweaking with the goalie and shot sliders...I need to tone it down a bit.

I'm not seeing this at all on either Allstar or Pro. Most of my scores are of the 3-2 variety. Why dont you try "VENOM"s sliders? I think you can get them on the OS boards.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:19 pm

My problem with Venom's sliders is that they play too much like the "old NHL." A lot of traffic in the neutral zone and a lot of tying up and pinning along the boards.

Venom's are damn good sliders, but they don't feel like the "new NHL," at least not from the numerous games that I've seen in the first two weeks of the season.

Take care,
PK

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:24 pm

pk500 wrote:My problem with Venom's sliders is that they play too much like the "old NHL." A lot of traffic in the neutral zone and a lot of tying up and pinning along the boards.

Venom's are damn good sliders, but they don't feel like the "new NHL," at least not from the numerous games that I've seen in the first two weeks of the season.

Take care,
PK

I've been using Venom's, but you're not the first person I've heard compare them to the "old" NHL. Has anyone tried Pengman's from the 2khockey.net forums?

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:27 pm

Those are the ones I'm using Sully. The goalies suck, even on All-Star.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:28 pm

I'm playing with Venom's original sliders. Haven't checked to see if there are revisions, because frankly I don't want to spend all my time tweaking a game. All I've changed is the speed and upped the penalties. To me at least, it plays a pretty open ice game.

I struggled last night against Edmonton because they have a damn good defense. Oh how I miss Pronger....

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:43 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Those are the ones I'm using Sully. The goalies suck, even on All-Star.

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll stick with Venom's for now.

FifaInspected · Post by **FifaInspected** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:59 pm

I don't play this game except for my one league game per week. However, I just tried Venom's sliders and had the most enjoyable offline hockey experience ever. So, it looks as if my offline hockey season is sure to start this weekend.

Is there a way to set these sliders for online play? (non league)

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:03 pm

Right now I'm suffering from severe slider-itis. I've spent so much time playing with all of the major slider sets out there at OS and 2khockey.net, Venom, CDN2K, PhillyPhan, Pengman, etc., and I'm not happy with any of them. Each has at least one thing that I find very unrealistic, not fun or annoying.

So I'm starting from scratch. I'm going to go with the base Sim sliders, play a few games and see what happens. I may tweak slightly from there.

I still think Leebo was on the right path with his tweaks. All he did from the Sim settings was equalize the human and CPU speed burst settings and set the game speed at 3. Everything else was stock Sim. I've had my best games with those settings so far.

Damn you, Grog! Your NHL 2K5 All-Star slider set was so perfect that you've spoiled me. Yep, I tried a direct translation of those settings to 2K6, and it was a mess. The programming definitely is different this year.

Speaking of Grog, has anyone heard or read anything from him around here in a while? I miss that dude, especially during hockey season. Good guy.

Take care,
PK

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:14 pm

PK,
Problem with slider fixing to make it more like the NHL is that no game can ever be like real life. Took me a while to learn that oen with slidering Madden, NCAA, etc.

You could make the QBs throw like their NFL counterparts only to have 55-45 games every time out. You fix pancakes only to have sacks broken.

As sad as this is, the less I try to make it like real life the more I enjoy it. I enjoy NHL becuase there's no way I know enough to make it realistic. Now with MVP, this year I tried not to Sliderize that thing to death. It worked. I still enjoy that game very much. But you just have to suck it up and accept their are problems. Hard to do with sports you follow closely.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:25 pm

I'm playing on Hall of Fame, basically default 'sim' settings with Leebo's tweak of equalizing the speed burst. I also bumped interference calls down five notches. It plays great. I just wasn't seeing any scoring from the CPU on anything lower than HoF. Seven minutes quarters, I see 25-35 shots per team.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:29 pm

JRod wrote:But you just have to suck it up and accept their are problems. Hard to do with sports you follow closely.

So true, John, so true. Hockey and racing are my "thing," the sports I know really, really well, so I try harder to make my games in those genres mirror reality than in football or baseball, for example.

I guess I just need to chill and play.

Thanks,
PK

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:29 pm

So, I'm guessing there is no fix for the face-off bug?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:34 pm

sportdan30 wrote:So, I'm guessing there is no fix for the face-off bug?

Yes, there is! I stumbled upon it by mistake.

Solution: Let the CPU take the draw.

Seriously, go to your control settings and change the player that you initially control to any player besides the center. The CPU will take the draw, which is more realistic anyways because success depends on ratings instead of your reflexes.

I have yet to see the CPU center not enter the faceoff circle to take the draw since I switched to this new format.

Just to clarify, you're not locking on to a player other than the center. You're just starting play at every faceoff controlling a skater other than the center.

So far, it works! Hope you see the same results.

Take care,
PK

marino · Post by **marino** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:35 pm

FifaInspected wrote:I don't play this game except for my one league game per week. However, I just tried Venom's sliders and had the most enjoyable offline hockey experience ever. So, it looks as if my offline hockey season is sure to start this weekend.

Is there a way to set these sliders for online play? (non league)

Fifa

Just set up your online options for sliders for non ranked games and you would be able to adjust sliders for games.I think pengman has some sliders at 2khockey.net for online play.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:39 pm

So who wants to play online this weekend?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:40 pm

Leeb:

I'd love to play -- during the week. I'm usually pretty tied up on weekend nights, either out with friends or watching football, racing, soccer and the NHL on the tube. The DVR usually gets quite a workout on weekends.

But let's hook up during the week -- at a reasonable time -- sometime.

Take care,
PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:41 pm

Sounds good.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:56 pm

I'm up for some online action this weekend. As long as my son is ok to go to Chicago with the wife tomorrow, I'll be free all day Saturday and Sunday. He came down with a nasty cold this morning, but we're drugging him up with Benedryl and he's on the nebulizer.

When are you going to be online this weekend?

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:27 pm

sportdan30 wrote:So, I'm guessing there is no fix for the face-off bug?

If you let the cut scenes play out you shouldnt have a problem. But if your like me just press and take the loss if it happens. If its an important draw in your end were if the cpu wins it and shoots that 1 timer then i suggest letting the cut scenes play out, could save a loss.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:34 pm

Thanks Jimmy. Thanks Pk. Gonna give both of these hints a try.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:38 pm

One of my gripes with the game is the penalty calls or lack thereof. There's been a few adjustements from Venoms sliders to Pengmans but I still find the penalty calling not consistent.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:52 pm

10spro wrote:One of my gripes with the game is the penalty calls or lack thereof. There's been a few adjustements from Venoms sliders to Pengmans but I still find the penalty calling not consistent.

10s:

Go to the 2khockey.net forum and use Q*bert's penalty settings. Drop his interference slider anywhere from two to four clicks depending on your preference, and you're golden.

He really has nailed the penalties in the "new NHL."

That 2khockey.net forum is a gold mine of info. for NHL 2K6. Hardcore players and really knowledgable hockey guys who are extremely welcoming of new people who treat that board and its members with intelligent respect. A very good place.

Take care,
PK