Building on the foundation... Skill stick --> stick stick

[bucks_oil]

Hi All,

This is my first post... although lurking for sometime... so I wanted it to be important (at least to me)....

Let me start by saying that on offense, the skill stick is fantastic. I certainly am enjoying re-learning how to play EA Hockey... really for the first time since the Genesis days.

But I gotta say that on defence there is SOOOO much more potential. To me, using the skill check for checking is silly. I mean if the skill stick is the "stick-stick" on offence, shouldn't it be on defence too? Why not map the poke check function entirely to the skill stick? I know you can use the stick to augment the RB poke check function, but shouldn't it just "be the stick" as it is on offence?

Imagine being able to freely swing your stick to put it in the passing lanes on D, or make a forward/roll/back to reach around, get a grip and hook a player back while he tries to pull away on a . Perhaps I want to cross/check or pin a guy on the boards... the slapshot (back/forward) would really help pin him up against the boards so that the puck is no longer on his stick... then the two of us would battle for the puck with our feet by using the left stick (the foot/skate stick).

What do you think? Wouldn't it make it even another step less video game like if we further isolated "feet" functions (skating, kicking, and even directing a check) to one stick, and the "stick" functions (shooting, hooking, poke checking and cross checking) to the other stick? As they currently are, the defensive functions seem un-natural to me and could be improved by making a purer feet/hockeystick distinction.

The RB, LB, LT, and RT would essentially become modifiers used in conjunction with the foot stick and the stick stick.

Let's begin the discussion now so that we have a unified voice as the "testers" for this fantastic new game. NHL 2008 is just around the corner.

Discuss... (and let the noobie hazing begin.)

[fastballspecial]

I would really like EA to map a lot of the defense to the right analog stick instead of just checking. Hitting should be with the RB instead.

[renton]

Funny...I was going to start a very similar topic.

That's the exact thinking I had.

The 2K controls of LT and R-Analog for stick control on defense is great.

I would love for EA to run with their new skill stick ideas and make the R-Analog your stick on D as well. You could make it 3-Dimensional too. While in the free stick swing mode (without any modifiers pushed), the neutral R-Analog is just the normal skating position with the stick in both hands in a natural position, or it goes to one handed if skating fast...you know...the normal player just skating around.

But you can use the R-stick to swing your stick any direciton you want, push it up and it's in the air high sticking, so to sweep while on defense you're pushing the stick down and swing around the bottom 180 degrees to make the swinging motion, if you push up you bring the stick off the ground and can wack and highstick.

If you're in a battle with another player, holding down on the stick means your player has applied pressure with their lower stick hand to tie up the other player.

If you're being tied up, you battle that by pressing up on your analog stick.

Attributes etc determine the winner of these battles:)

Then you can bring in modifiers.

While going into the corner behind someone you can hold in a shoulder button and push the R-stick up to bring your stick high and cross check the player into the boards. Not a check type crosscheck that would be a penalty, more of a contained cross check as you're not using a check button, just your stick still.

I don't know...I think there is tonnes of potential here. But I'm not a game programmer...so who knows how much energy something like this takes if it's possible at all. I think it would be very cool though!

Skating engine needs to be redone for 08 next gen...please oh please...just steal 2K's if you need too...it's just soooo damn smooth.

[bucks_oil]

Originally Posted by renton

Funny...I was going to start a very similar topic.

That's the exact thinking I had.

The 2K controls of LT and R-Analog for stick control on defense is great.

I would love for EA to run with their new skill stick ideas and make the R-Analog your stick on D as well. You could make it 3-Dimensional too. While in the free stick swing mode (without any modifiers pushed), the neutral R-Analog is just the normal skating position with the stick in both hands in a natural position, or it goes to one handed if skating fast...you know...the normal player just skating around.

But you can use the R-stick to swing your stick any direciton you want, push it up and it's in the air high sticking, so to sweep while on defense you're pushing the stick down and swing around the bottom 180 degrees to make the swinging motion, if you push up you bring the stick off the ground and can wack and highstick.

If you're in a battle with another player, holding down on the stick means your player has applied pressure with their lower stick hand to tie up the other player.

If you're being tied up, you battle that by pressing up on your analog stick.

Attributes etc determine the winner of these battles:)

Then you can bring in modifiers.

While going into the corner behind someone you can hold in a shoulder button and push the R-stick up to bring your stick high and cross check the player into the boards. Not a check type crosscheck that would be a penalty, more of a contained cross check as you're not using a check button, just your stick still.

I don't know...I think there is tonnes of potential here. But I'm not a game programmer...so who knows how much energy something like this takes if it's possible at all. I think it would be very cool though!

Skating engine needs to be redone for 08 next gen...please oh please...just steal 2K's if you need too...it's just soooo damn smooth.

There we go!

Some great ideas there! I like the idea of an "aggressive" modifier (say LT)for the less legal stick use... use the modifier at your own risk, the more you pull the LT in, the more agressive your modification becomes (ie, it could be used for a "pushing" cross check or a "thundering" cross check depending on how much you pull the trigger in... I am correct that the triggers are modulated right?).

You could do the basics with the unmodified stick and never/rarely risk a penalty unless the player steps on your stick.... and perhaps a second "less agressive" modifier would increase the possibilities.

As for checking, the RB combined with L-analogue would be a good checking system (and more seamless since you NEED to skate into a guy to perform a check anyway).

[renton]

Originally Posted by bucks_oil

As for checking, the RB combined with L-analogue would be a good checking system (and more seamless since you NEED to skate into a guy to perform a check anyway).

Ya that would basically be putting the "body check" into a button, cause you'll be skating towards a player to hit them any ways.

Checking on an analog stick is kinda cool, but I don't really know if it's a feature that really requires the cool feel and use of a stick. It really is just a single function. I'd much much more prefer stick motions to be all on a stick like they've done on the offensive side than having checking on the stick. I think you'd get more out of the game with sticking swinging, checking, tieing, slashing, etc on the stick than just a body check.

I'm sure they've discussed this type of stuff. It's comes as a natural topic after implementing the stick on offense!

[bucks_oil]

Originally Posted by renton

Ya that would basically be putting the "body check" into a button, cause you'll be skating towards a player to hit them any ways.

Checking on an analog stick is kinda cool, but I don't really know if it's a feature that really requires the cool feel and use of a stick. It really is just a single function.

Well exactly... I mean in real life all you do is skate toward a guy and tense your shoulder/arm against your body. That is until you hit the guy... then you follow through by lifting your arm.

Actually there is an idea... the button becomes "tense" and when you let go, you release and follow through... if you release too late (or not at all) you end up just bumping the guy off the puck, but probably not knocking him over (unless you both collided head on)... if you release too early, you might clobber the guy, but risk an elbowing penalty because your elbow came up too early.

That would add some "skill" instead of simple mashing of a button.

[fastballspecial]

you guys have some good ideas. let EA know what's up for next year's version! haha.