NHL 15

[Diablo25]

Still haven't bought this and that is unreal considering the hype for this game. With no EASHL I just wouldn't play too much. Sure I'd play some 1 vs 1 but that just isn't enough in my opinion. Maybe I'll change my mind because I LOVE hockey video games...favorite sport for video games.

[Inuyasha]

Game is fun still. Puck up games or 1v1 is still good. You'll enjoy it. Just wait for the price drop then.

[MizzouRah]

Kicked off my BeaGM tonight with the Blues and the 9/3 roster. One thing you have to do is set your sliders and then go back and change it from "custom" to "hardcore" I noticed if I set it to "hardcore" and then made a few changes it would go back to "custom" and some hardcore settings such as game speed were back to the simulation settings. When I changed it back to "hardcore" it kept my settings but also moved the default hardcore settings back to where they should be.

First game at home vs the Rangers.. lovely. They started backup goalie Cam Talbot and stopped all 31 shots, my best chance was a breakaway with Oshie and he got a right pad out to stop what I thought was a sure goal.

Let me say this.. I've played more NHL 13 and NHL 14 games than I can count and to each his own, but NHL 15 next gen on the ice is the BEST representation of the sport that I've ever played. I'm just talking about the game play package. There were only two penalties, but the game play was just fantastic and even though the CPU AI teammates lack at times, especially on defense, it just felt like a real hockey game to me. We both had 31 shots on goal and I don't think the hit tracker is accurate for the CPU team because I know they laid me on my butt way more than 10 times.

It was a real sloppy game at times and then there were stretches where the tops lines were skating around and working flawlessly together. It was 0-0 after the first period and NY would get two by Carl Hegelin, one was a slapper from the point and the other a deflected shot over Elliott's glove. Rick Nash would add a slapper and we could never crack Talbot's armor even though we had our chances.

I saw things I've never seen before, the puck stopping on a clear out at the other end due to the ice surface deteriorating late in the period, a slapper on a bouncing puck that went way up into the crowd, the referee getting caught up in a play which caused the puck to bounce oddly and turn over to the other team, players taking each other out causing some really neat scrambles for the puck, etc.. etc..

Hopefully they enhance the game, especially all the missing modes and I really want BeaGM to get the updates promised, but the on the ice game play is fantastic IMHO.

Next up is Calgary... hopefully we can get on the board with some goals.

[MizzouRah]

Game 2 vs Calgary we go down 1-0 just 4 minutes into the game and it's a back and forth battle with both goalies playing well until late in the third period when Petro scores his first of the season to tie the game and with under a minute to go Tarasenko scores his first goal to give the Blues their first win on the season!

We have some days off and then we head to LA to take on the Stanley Cup Champions.

Before the game it talked about a player from Calgary who leads the league with 4 points so far and showed an overlay of his stats.

Had 3 penalties for each team too, including a coincidental minor penalty on two players.

Shots were Calgary 32, Blues 31

[Naples39]

I'm up to about 50 online games (all HUT). I"m only about .500, despite the fact that my HUT team is much better talent-wise than usual. The last few years, my HUT is always vastly out-talented, but I was about .700.

Mainly, this is because positional poke-checking and stripping just doesn't work in this game. Exhibit A:


These are not anomalies. Plays like this happen several times every single game. You simply cannot strip a puck carrier when defending face to face in this game no matter how mind-numbingly exposed the puck is.

You can poke check from behind, and poke check to mute shots. My only hope is to play passive defense, with last minute interventions. I also can't hit, but I get hit so I'll chalk that to user error.

I keep playing this game like it's an abusive relationship...

[Aristo]

You ever notice in these videos lamenting player's inability to X that no one ever drills down and shows all of the ratings of the players involved? I haven't noticed the lack of poke check a ton, but I've mostly been playing Play Now games with NHL teams. I have to believe that the Poke Check skills of the defenders are out of whack. And since this is HUT, they could be really, really bad.

Ratings either matter, or they don't. The guy in the video even said that they should make it harder to hit the puck, but let the poke check work when he hits it. Think about that. He is now asking the game to prevent him priming moving the player the way he wants, as though that would not result in another video. This is the same in Madden when people go ape s*** about blockers missing their responsibilities and DB's playing like idiots. Programmers have not reached the level where they can make players screwing up look smooth. It's always awkward.

In HUT, I'm only 1-2 against live players. But they have been low scoring, twice going into OT tied 2-2. So it is not like you can't defend, and I've definitely poke checked and stick lifted some pucks away. Does ramping up the poke check actually solve a problem?

And believe me, when people rage and the poke check's ability is increased, there will be an equal rage by people claiming that the poke check has been super powered and is ruining their games. And then we will have EA altering the tuning every other month appeasing a different bunch of folks that refuse to learn to play the frame as it is. When I play solo, I really don't care. I find a tuning that I like, and I stick with it. But playing online and in HUT, it changes the freaking gameplay all the time.

[Naples39]

You ever notice in these videos lamenting player's inability to X that no one ever drills down and shows all of the ratings of the players involved? I haven't noticed the lack of poke check a ton, but I've mostly been playing Play Now games with NHL teams. I have to believe that the Poke Check skills of the defenders are out of whack. And since this is HUT, they could be really, really bad.

Ratings either matter, or they don't. The guy in the video even said that they should make it harder to hit the puck, but let the poke check work when he hits it. Think about that. He is now asking the game to prevent him priming moving the player the way he wants, as though that would not result in another video. This is the same in Madden when people go ape s*** about blockers missing their responsibilities and DB's playing like idiots. Programmers have not reached the level where they can make players screwing up look smooth. It's always awkward.

In HUT, I'm only 1-2 against live players. But they have been low scoring, twice going into OT tied 2-2. So it is not like you can't defend, and I've definitely poke checked and stick lifted some pucks away. Does ramping up the poke check actually solve a problem?

And believe me, when people rage and the poke check's ability is increased, there will be an equal rage by people claiming that the poke check has been super powered and is ruining their games. And then we will have EA altering the tuning every other month appeasing a different bunch of folks that refuse to learn to play the frame as it is. When I play solo, I really don't care. I find a tuning that I like, and I stick with it. But playing online and in HUT, it changes the freaking gameplay all the time.

A low poke check rating shouldn't make your stick an imaginary object. It would be better if it was harder to get your stick in there, but actually predictable and logical when your stick does get on the puck than the baffling system now,

The NHL series are always skewed towards stick handling. I deal with it. This year the balance is the worst it's ever been. I'm asking for some more predictability, and some more risk reward for players that dangle throught the middle of the ice. Your chance of getting your pocket picked is nonexistent, and that's a major major flaw.

Every skater can dangle too.

What would you say if you played Madden and passes over the middle were never intercepted, and Manning could make 50 yard juking scrambles?

Right now stick handling balance can't be called gamer preference, it's just bad. Play a few more games online against good players, and once you give up 3 goals in the same game that look like the first clip in the video and you might feel differently.

[Inuyasha]

Ya love that game. It's broken but addictive.

[Aristo]

I'm headed out, so I don't have time to edit one video. But I just posted 11 poke checks, most of them by me, from a single HUT game I just played. The poke check works fine.

Consider that many of my defenders on my HUT team or rated sub 60. They should suck. I also use a Head Coach that is rated a -2 in DEF because I want the ext a boosts to offense, that I obviously need, having lost this most recent game 1-0.

It's not any more broken (in regards to poke checks) than it is when people complain that the poke check is too powerful and they hate the gamers that spam it all game. There is no balance that keeps everyone happy.

And in the end, the game produces a fair amount of shots, a fair amount of goals on those shots, some decent sloppy play and missed passes, and the ability to adapt and change strategies in ways that make sense. It's a great game of hockey on the ice. I look forward to net year when they actually finish the game.

[TCrouch]

I think the point is the player you're playing against. When I play against buddies and other people who don't do the dangle-wiggle-through-the-zone gibberish, it plays a competitive game and the poke check is great.

I've played 2 guys online in NHL15 that I perform the same thing, squared up and straight in front of them 3 feet away, and they just do a hilarious stick weave and bobble through anything I try and do. It's like any random CPU guy the player may be controlling is the direct connection to Howe and Gretzky rolled into one.

It's not that the poke check can't work--it's that a really good dangler Human player will be able to pass through a poke check as if it's non-existent. I haven't seen your video, but I'd be curious to see what the opposing player was doing. I could tell very quickly whether it's one of "those" guys or not. I have my doubts that it was, because I've only run across a couple so far, but I'm with Naples--the poke check and positional defense is useless against those guys.

[Aristo]

Definitely not one of "those" guys. He never did anything but the one touch deke.

Danglers are a pain in the ass to play. I usually just try to play positional, and force them to take bad shots. I mean, I always lose to them, because I pretty much suck.

[Gangrel]

Mizz, either here or OS you said you had some good sliders, I am just wondering what did you change from the defaults?

So far I am playing hardcore AS, with only the penalties maxed, and goalie cover maxed.....oh and attribute effect at 3. just curious what you may be doing.

[Naples39]

I'm headed out, so I don't have time to edit one video. But I just posted 11 poke checks, most of them by me, from a single HUT game I just played. The poke check works fine.

One game sample size. Sounds legit!

Besides its not like no poke checks work. It's the balance. You can't strip a guy clean, and the poke check is particularly awful in face to face defending, which is when it should be most effective. As a defender in this game, the best place to be is on the puck carriers back shoulder, not in front of him. That is absurd.

All I will say is, and this is not a subjective statement, that stick handlers have significantly more puck suction this year than ever in this series.

Another objective statement is that the new skill stick allows puck carriers to make cuts on the ice that no other player can make.

Take a series that already favored stick handling, give the puck carrier more suction, and make them the most agile player on the ice. That is a recipe for a gameplay balance disaster.

I am also unaware of anyone here who would say stick handling was too hard in this series and needed a boost for more dipsy-do goals, but maybe those people are out there somewhere...

[MizzouRah]

Mizz, either here or OS you said you had some good sliders, I am just wondering what did you change from the defaults?

So far I am playing hardcore AS, with only the penalties maxed, and goalie cover maxed.....oh and attribute effect at 3. just curious what you may be doing.

Make sure it says "hardcore" I've seen it change to "custom" in my BeaGM and that screws up the sliders.

I'm heading to work, but pretty much hardcore/AS/10 min/fighting - penalties max/pass reception down a notch as well as accuracy/same for slap shot accuracy

[Jimmydeicide]

Its frustrating because you play sound defense, the guy has position on the attacker he tries a stick lift because poke and a hit didnt work. At least make the limited amount of tools the defensemen has work.
Is it coming down to ratings again? the attackers puck handling trumps defensemens poke, rock paper scissors bull s*** .

Im downloading the demo right now guess ill see my self.

[10spro]

Its frustrating because you play sound defense, the guy has position on the attacker he tries a stick lift because poke and a hit didnt work. At least make the limited amount of tools the defensemen has work.
Is it coming down to ratings again? the attackers puck handling trumps defensemens poke, rock paper scissors bull s*** .

Im downloading the demo right now guess ill see my self.

From all my online HUT games all have been rather close affairs. Yes, there are times where you just want to throw the controller up in frustration because the poking and puck lifting is not working as it should or the bloody strategic menu gets stuck in the screen or faces too fast before you had a chance to make any changes.

Or when you overskate the puck low in the corners more than a fair share after a dump in. Fortunately, I haven't had any cheesy dribbler as the type we would see in our Dragons games and overall I am really enjoying the new puck physics.

It still feels like an incomplete game, even when the game loads and asks you to press A, there's a delay before you can choose the mode that you want to play. The gameplay has been good enough despite the smaller annoyances that I will get my BaGM going soon.

[Aristo]

Posting for 34. Somebody has a new HUT card:

[XXXIV]

Posting for 34. Somebody has a new HUT card:

Spot on!

If I didnt love me loser lambs so much I would make that me avatar.

[Naples39]

Regarding gameplay, Ramjag is in the case!!

TUNER SEPT 19
- The effectiveness of cross-body one timers has been reduced.
- Various goal scoring exploits have been addressed.
- Improved goalie positioning and reads for breakaways.
- Reduced the goalie’s bias to protect the forehand side slightly, as low far side slap shots are sometimes exposed.
- Lower hit assistance on the hardcore difficulty setting and online matches.
- Offensive players are now easier to knock over during big stride dekes.
- Puck control has been tuned down when the puck carriers’ stick incidentally collides with an opposing players.
- Shot accuracy will decrease when a player has low puck control.
- Puck control will decrease slightly if you string together multiple dekes.
- Increased poke check effectiveness for the hardcore difficulty setting and online matches.

I'll try it out and hope for the best...

[MizzouRah]

New tuner is great.. beat Chicago 5-3 was a great game!

[Naples39]

Old NHL bugaboos such as dumb AI, physics defying strips from behind and one man keep away are still very much there, but I think the new tuner is a big improvement and really cuts down on attackers going straight through defenseman.

[Gangrel]

Does it download automatically?

[vader29]

Why has this incomplete game that has gotten bad reviews just about everywhere and has been out for almost two weeks not selling for under 30 bucks yet?

[videogamehockeywithdrawal]Trying to hold out until a black Friday deal.[/videogamehockeywithdrawal]

[Inuyasha]

Rumor has it that if you complain about the game to an Amazon rep they'll give you 10 percent off.

But by next weekend I'm sure you can get this game for under retail.

Check Ebay stores especially buy.com. They'll probably have it for 45 by next week.

[XXXIV]

Why has this incomplete game that has gotten bad reviews just about everywhere and has been out for almost two weeks not selling for under 30 bucks yet?

[videogamehockeywithdrawal]Trying to hold out until a black Friday deal.[/videogamehockeywithdrawal]

I wish you luck!