Personally I didn't have much of an issue with Be A Pro but agree that really it is 3 game modes for the same experience.
I find that people who get demoted usually have good points and a certain skill but their Team Play stat is a D- and they get demoted because of that.
Maybe not the most realistic (nobody with a 2 PPG is getting demoted) but kind of like that it actually tries to teach people to balance how they play and rewards different attributes.
The one thing that will always hold the game back is the AI (even more noticeable in Be A Pro when relying on Computer AI). I saw some potential in those videos (forward actually finding a soft spot in the defense and opening up for a one timer) that hopefully carries over but that is what holds the series back.
Again though, Live the Life, be a Pro, Be a Legend, all the same thing, but none of them work very well. Instead of having three different brands on one subpar gaming mode, why not put the effort into making a better gaming mode. A problem in one iteration of the game I can understand and won't fault too harshly depending on what it is, but to have the same problems in multiple releases, year after year? It's inexcusable in my opinion.
I don't know of many people, or read about them either, who play those modes because they are so crappy. It's a novelty that wears off quickly when you get sent to the minors with A+ positioning and 2 points per game average.
Instead of fixing what is a huge problem in that game mode, they gave us NHL 94 mode which limited gameplay...
I play Live the Life almost exclusively, and have for about as long as the game mode has existed.
It was pretty stale for a number of years, but they made some great improvements in 13 and 14. The switch to "Live the Life" was fun and added a bit more depth to the mode, but it still lacks a true career story aspect (things like commentary that remembers what you've done, comments if you leave a club you've been with a long time, adding in things like RFA and true FA instead of the 5 team selection on July 1).
No doubt there are things to be improved, but I can't vouch for there been any glaring problems with the game mode. What you mentioned is a complete anomaly, and while it has happened once or twice in the last few years, it's so incredibly rare that I wouldn't consider it a legitimate problem. In fact, I don't think it happened at all with NHL 14.
A lot of people play modes like Live the Life and Be a GM exclusively. I bet there would be a half dozen people contributing to this thread right now that would agree. So while I agree certain problems need to be solved instead of spending any time on garbage like NHL 94 mode, I don't know if your general outlook on Live the Life is particularly well founded IMO.
EDIT: And perhaps that's why some people disagree on the state of the EA NHL franchise. It's all subjective, so if you only play online maybe it's frustrating, but those that spend a lot of time in Live the Life and Be a GM have seen tangible improvements over the last few years.
Last edited by Chill Cosby; 08-21-2014 at 10:32 AM.
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Personally I didn't have much of an issue with Be A Pro but agree that really it is 3 game modes for the same experience.
I find that people who get demoted usually have good points and a certain skill but their Team Play stat is a D- and they get demoted because of that.
Maybe not the most realistic (nobody with a 2 PPG is getting demoted) but kind of like that it actually tries to teach people to balance how they play and rewards different attributes.
The one thing that will always hold the game back is the AI (even more noticeable in Be A Pro when relying on Computer AI). I saw some potential in those videos (forward actually finding a soft spot in the defense and opening up for a one timer) that hopefully carries over but that is what holds the series back.
I have a few issues with Be A Pro, most of which involve AI and free agency. There were also some issues with play by play that I rarely noticed outside Be A Pro, hopefully most of them are gone with the new commentary. Still one of my favourite game modes since the issues aren't exactly gamebreaking.
Also they need to have my last name added to the list of play by play names for created skaters. I feel like my last name is the only one that isn't included.
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Before you call me a pessimist or a downer, the Flames made me this way. Blame them.
Also they need to have my last name added to the list of play by play names for created skaters. I feel like my last name is the only one that isn't included.
Ha, I know this too well! My last name is actually extremely close to the name of an NHL player (another swede name) so I'm able to use that and it sounds close enough to make me happy.
What would be NICE would be having your first name in there too, so that they say your name during the announcement of your goal.
Such a minor thing I know, but still!
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Be a Pro would be fun if the AI weren't complete morons. Especially the defense. There's an open guy on the boards ready for a pass, no I'll just spin around and shoot it down the opposite boards instead.
This wasn't a business decision in any way it was a development decision. The developers were unable to compete the additional modes in the time they had so they went forward with what was completed. To again reference that it wasn't a business decision, EA themselves have said EASHL as well as online GM will be in upcoming releases. If it's not good for business now it's not good for business A year later.
You are correct, I should have said development or project decision. I just believe that they knew they were behind schedule and something had to slide until NHL 16. From my perspective, dropping EASHL would have the least impact on sales. It really boils down to the ROI of each individual feature. It's just speculation either way without the actual figures though.
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Be a Pro would be fun if the AI weren't complete morons. Especially the defense. There's an open guy on the boards ready for a pass, no I'll just spin around and shoot it down the opposite boards instead.
Yea, if there was no "call for pass" in Be A Pro it would be completely unplayable because of the AI.
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EDIT: And perhaps that's why some people disagree on the state of the EA NHL franchise. It's all subjective, so if you only play online maybe it's frustrating, but those that spend a lot of time in Live the Life and Be a GM have seen tangible improvements over the last few years.
I'm primary a Be A GM player, and personally after having seen the mode grow stale over the last handful of years I actually felt they took a slight step back in NHL 14. Didn't stop me from investing most of my time in that mode (and somehow actually enjoying it more than previous iterations), but it would have been nice to see some substantial improvement.
I expect that step to be made in NHL 16 after spending a year of development on the new systems.
__________________ "It's a great day for hockey."
-'Badger' Bob Johnson (1931-1991)
"I see as much misery out of them moving to justify theirselves as them that set out to do harm." -Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran
When the Sony announced their RAM specs for the PS4, I know some people close to EA were very interested. One comment I heard was that due to the RAM levels in (what was at the time) the current gen machines, AI capabilities were basically maxed out. Obviously they aren't going to come out around NHL 12 and say "ok, well this is pretty much what we've got to deal with until we get a new system".
That's not to say 15 will be a pristine example of AI, but I wonder if we might actually see some improvements over the next few iterations. The tactics of the cpu over the past few games has been a little different at times, but nothing resembling the sweeping overhaul many are hoping to see.
When the Sony announced their RAM specs for the PS4, I know some people close to EA were very interested. One comment I heard was that due to the RAM levels in (what was at the time) the current gen machines, AI capabilities were basically maxed out. Obviously they aren't going to come out around NHL 12 and say "ok, well this is pretty much what we've got to deal with until we get a new system".
That's not to say 15 will be a pristine example of AI, but I wonder if we might actually see some improvements over the next few iterations. The tactics of the cpu over the past few games has been a little different at times, but nothing resembling the sweeping overhaul many are hoping to see.
It would be one thing if the first paragraph was the case.
It would be quite another if the first paragraph were the case and they were lying to their customers about the improved AI.
It's been a selling feature the last 3 or 4 installments and is more or less unnoticeable between games (with the exception of features added, I.E. fighting after the whistle). In fact, after firing up NHL 11 the other day, I noticed that my AI teammates go offside LESS in NHL11 than they do in NHL 14.
They keep telling us they've improved the AI but won't answer how or what.
So Flash, when you don't get the game does that mean you will stop coming in here to rag on it?
Or are you going to buy it anyway and complain the whole time?
what's the point of this thread if it is not to talk about the game??? I'm buying the game for sure, but will be pretty honest and blunt in my opinions of it. paying $60-$70 a year over the last 20 years as a loyal customer gives me the right.
It would be one thing if the first paragraph was the case.
It would be quite another if the first paragraph were the case and they were lying to their customers about the improved AI.
It's been a selling feature the last 3 or 4 installments and is more or less unnoticeable between games (with the exception of features added, I.E. fighting after the whistle). In fact, after firing up NHL 11 the other day, I noticed that my AI teammates go offside LESS in NHL11 than they do in NHL 14.
They keep telling us they've improved the AI but won't answer how or what.
I don't think it's totally crazy to suggest they may have lied about it. I'm not saying they did, but if that were the case I wouldn't be bowled over. They certainly worked on it and made tweaks, but as you said I'm not sure it improved on the whole.
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You can't be serious? How is that clip even remotely related to the 12 players live that they've added this year? Have you watched the game play videos?
I think the problem with the AI on the last gen consoles si that they only really had enough power to code the AI as a team. And having to react to you. I noticed if I was trying to do something the AI would just stand around and watch. But if I ran the strategy as is then they would cycle the puck and I would get some great scoring chances. It was more a team situational type of AI.
With these new consoles they can actually program each individual to react differently in different situations... so for me, I am expecting an improvement. Might be small.
Problem with hockey and AI is that it's so dynamic and ever changing. Basketball, Football, and to some extent soccer it's a little easier given that it's more static and slower.
But given that they can now program each individual player to think and react differently I expect better. And not to say your teammates will go offside, they do in real life so can't see why they wouldn't in a video game
