A comment on NHL 2005 I am worried about...

[Johan Eriksson]

No matter how I try to understand it the "create more open ice" bit sounds worrying. It's obviously good that players won't go for the open ice big hit all the time in the neutral zone, but the reason this is good is because it means that they could play better positionally and by doing so close down the open ice - not expand it. Does this mean that they will all be standing in their own zone waiting and then try to steer you out towards the corners? I guess we'll have to wait and see, as always.

[Jill]

I hope they have less fights. cuz not everyone wants to fight after someone gets checked.

[Jimbo66]

at the rate and progression EA is fixing everything it'll be NHL2009 before they finally fix all the problems with 2004 (and I still think that was a very playable game compared to the running JOKE the series was before 2004). Making players without the puck look for ways to "get open" should be a GIVEN. By doing this EA is allowing (again_ huge unrealistic gaps in the ice that will have to be fixed by better A.I. in 2006). What they should be doing (BUT WON'T By continuing to cater to the 10 year old play it once a month crowd)is finding new ways and using the motion cap to actually allow plays to develop in the offensive zone where you'll have active passing going on and in area's especially he powerplay where the CPU shoots once then changes off leaving the lone guy with the puck to get pummeled in the attacking zone.............If EA wants to continue catering to the kiddie crowd then some other company such as the producer of ESPN hockey has to step up to the plate and make a realistic PC game for the hard core gaming crowd which predominates this market share....EA wants to make a game that sucks fine, but make a semi useful game for the PC market that's all I ask...........

[Flyermania]

I thought EA did a great job with 2004 in catering to sim and arcade fans...I'm just hoping that it continues down that path with 2005 and beyond.

[Johan Eriksson]

Indeed. 2004 was a major step in the right direction, though it still had some issues that at least to me very slightly too annoying (especially the feeling of not quite having an effect on the outcome of a game).

Anyway, it's obviously a good thing if your team mates looks for open ice and tries to make use of it. But it's also very important that the defensive AI makes it's best effort to close down the open ice - otherwise the game could turn out terribly unbalanced.

Another defensive feature the series really needs is the possibility to turn while standing still. As it is now it's very difficult to defend in front of your own net as you player starts skating away every time you want to turn him slightly.

[DrezzXIII]

I think I understood that you can control how to open the ice by pretty much setting up pre-fab plays, and activating them while on the rush.

Its up to the AI to recognize the set up and readjust, which would also be easy to do.

You'll be able to create more open ice - if the defense lets yu. That's how I understood it.

[Gatt]

I definitely liked how you didn't have to fight when the fights would occur. You just simply pressed the "fight button." Caters to arcade and simulation.

[waster]

Originally Posted by Gatt

I definitely liked how you didn't have to fight when the fights would occur. You just simply pressed the "fight button." Caters to arcade and simulation.

i found that pretty gay actually... In real life when a guy wants to fight the toher will if not he's a ***.... and about the Clutch and grab you will still have it.... but only with a smoother engine and with more control

[rk2k3]

Personally I like NHL2004's gameplay, except for the hookathon's that occurred. Everytime you trip someone, a penalty is called, but when you hook someone, 70% of the time it doesn't get called. That is indeed one element that could be improved. Seeeing the various videos, seems already that the players already have too much speed and too much open ice to play with. Hopefully that was only on the most basic and easiest of levels. The goalie though is still making those crisp and easy passes, another element that needs attention.

[tiburon_racer]

Why bringing up a 2 year old thread?