NHL 16 Thread

[bubbsy]

so, after a week or so in, the game is slowly becoming unplayable online.

I don't know about what others think, but i want to be rewarded for playing my d well positionally. That means, if i stay goalside with good body position, and team support positioned well, i should be rewarded. Instead, folks have figured out how to basically figure skate where they are basically UNTOUCHABLE. As much fun as it is to have Bickell figure skate around in the offensive zone, and just wait to have a guy ready for a cross crease, what a bore this game has become.

until the foundations of the game is fixed around puck control, getting a piece of a guy (not like NHL 1_ where a hit is a boolean either you hit a guy fully or miss completely) and having cpu teammates that can cover cross crease passes, any changes they make are going to feel like putting lipstick on a pig.

The foundations of the EA nhl game just are so flawed, that until those are fixed the game will feel piss poor.

I'll wait till the first tuner but after that i'm off online/hut.

[AcGold]

I think the defensive side of the game is fine. Yes people figure skate a lot but you just have to keep them on the outside and stay in the passing lane. Classic camera helps, overhead is nearly unplayable because the precision required needs a closer camera. If there's a guy dangling and weaving around I'll just make sure not to let him inside and if he tries to cut across for a shot poke check as he's crossing the middle.

The hard part is scoring goals, get the puck to the front of the net and the 2 players standing there will swing and miss on a puck sitting in front of an open net most of the time. Cross crease passes hardly work either. If you play online versus this is more noticeable as otp and Eashl are chaotic nonsense a lot of the time.

[Ashasx]

I feel like I can't stick handle fast enough to the point where it's unrealistic.

I need to give myself a ton of space if I'm going to deke on a breakaway (like I need to start my deke at the top of the circle) otherwise I just run out of room.

Makes it very difficult to score any half-decent looking goals in close.

[Street Pharmacist]

Cross ice passes through traffic rarely work in real life too. It was way too common previously. I prefer it this way

[Hockeyguy15]

Low shots and rebounds work very well.

[northcrunk]

I've noticed this year it is much more realistic and you can just take it end to end, dangle and score. I was playing yesterday and my opponent was stuck on the trap and was having a hard time gaining entry. He scored off a good play where the slot opened up. After this I started playing dump and chase and would take the puck behind my net and set up if it the neutral zone was clogged. I came back and won 5-1. There is no throwing the puck through 3 players to the slot for a one timer and it actually makes you use hockey strategy.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Low shots and rebounds work very well.

go on... which kind of shots from where? I've deked and dangled through an entire team pulled the smooth forehand drag and missed many times. It's nearly impossible to score for me so I need help.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by AcGold

go on... which kind of shots from where? I've deked and dangled through an entire team pulled the smooth forehand drag and missed many times. It's nearly impossible to score for me so I need help.

Coming down the wing on a rush and a slapshot/wrist shot low far side will usually kick out a big rebound. Low slapshots from the point can be tipped easier.

[northcrunk]

I find the best goals this year come from good shots in space from the slot area. Your speed is a big factor it seems this year and you need to glide for half a second before you shoot or pass. Last year you could just bear down on the turbo button but this year you need to cut back a bit and glide more.

Backhanders are super effective this year. The short side cheese is doable but you wont hit it every time and you need a decent shooter to hit it.

My best line has been John Scott - Kevin Hayes - Joe Colbourne. Dump the puck in, full forecheck, and cycle behind the net with protect puck. Leads to all kinds of opportunities. You really need to know the strategies and when to mix it up this year.

[gaffobohs]

I'm really sucking at HUT. I've never played it before and 9 games, 9 losses. It feels like every poke check for my opponent works but mine rarely do, my players completely miss the puck when set up for a one timer. Literally can't score! I tried the online versus mode and enjoy that and have an ok record. Its really frustrating!

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[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by gaffobohs

I'm really sucking at HUT. I've never played it before and 9 games, 9 losses. It feels like every poke check for my opponent works but mine rarely do, my players completely miss the puck when set up for a one timer. Literally can't score! I tried the online versus mode and enjoy that and have an ok record. Its really frustrating!

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It's probably because of your roster. Your roster in HUT makes a huge difference

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by LGA

For the people that have it, how is the BeAGM mode? It's basically the only mode I play, and it really hasn't changed in the last few years. Wondering if the morale system actually plays a role in the game, and if development of prospects is any better.

Anyone have an answer for this? I pretty much only exclusively play offline when it comes to sports titles.

[Russic]

I'm playing GM mode, but now that there's a fully functional minor system again, progress is going too slowly to figure out if anything is changing along with morale.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Russic

I'm playing GM mode, but now that there's a fully functional minor system again, progress is going too slowly to figure out if anything is changing along with morale.

I guess I'm more curious about how immersive the mode is in general. I pretty much gave up on the NHL series after 11 or 12 because they hadn't updated Be a GM mode and it was flat-out boring and buggy as hell.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I guess I'm more curious about how immersive the mode is in general. I pretty much gave up on the NHL series after 11 or 12 because they hadn't updated Be a GM mode and it was flat-out boring and buggy as hell.

Hmm. I see. I'm trying to think if I'd call it "immersive". You can send scouts around the world, play as your minor league team, and the CPU is pretty good at wanting realistic trades... beyond that I can't think of any revolutionary shifts in the Be a GM mode to be honest. The biggest one I'd say was when Be a GM went online in '14, but that was removed and has no timetable to return. I can't help but feel if you found '12 boring you might find '16 boring too.

[gaffobohs]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

It's probably because of your roster. Your roster in HUT makes a huge difference

Yeah it must be. This is my first year playing HUT so not entirely sure how to set it up properly

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[bubbsy]

Anyone else feel that online HUT is getting unbearable due to inability to defend protect puck figure skating again this year? Once a player goes into an animation, there's still a bubble around the guy where it is impossible to make any contact to nudge him off the puck.

[northcrunk]

Try protecting the puck when your opponent is poke checking or slow your speed and turn in a 45 degree angle. For opponents protecting the puck just try and maintain body position and either angle them off or poke when the puck is in front.

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Anyone else feel that online HUT is getting unbearable due to inability to defend protect puck figure skating again this year? Once a player goes into an animation, there's still a bubble around the guy where it is impossible to make any contact to nudge him off the puck.

I haven't encountered it yet. Some people are better than others at controlling the play though. I finally lost last night to a guy who was 33-1. I'm 20-1 now

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Russic

Hmm. I see. I'm trying to think if I'd call it "immersive". You can send scouts around the world, play as your minor league team, and the CPU is pretty good at wanting realistic trades... beyond that I can't think of any revolutionary shifts in the Be a GM mode to be honest. The biggest one I'd say was when Be a GM went online in '14, but that was removed and has no timetable to return. I can't help but feel if you found '12 boring you might find '16 boring too.

Yeah, that sounds pretty similar to the last time I played the mode. Do they still use the stupid Blackberry trade system? I really like manager mode in FIFA, and it's not like it's super complex or anything. Same with Connected Franchise in Madden. MLB the Show also does a pretty good job in this area. I don't really understand why the NHL series can't make a half-decent GM mode.