Official NHL 14 Thread

[Nail]

I'm on Xbox now and willing to lend some collections. Have Ambri-Piotta, Lausanne, Rapperswill and HC Davos from the National League (worth 21K each), Brandon and Calgary from the WHL (worth 9K each) and Florida from the NHL (worth 37.5K). I am asking for 1/3 of each teams worth to lend them out. I will need a collateral if I don't know you very well as a CDC user. PM me if interested!

[JE14]

Just did some collection trading (thank you Nail) and now have a pretty sick (for me) forward roster.

HL Wheeler PWF 90 - HL Berglund PLY 90 - HL Skinner SNP 90

Neal PWF 88 - Backstrom PLY 87 - Voracek SNP 88

HL Steen TWF 87 - Carter SNP 88 - HL Okposo PWF 87

HL Landeskog PWF 87 - Backes PWF 87 - Lucic PWF 87

I put the cheap speed consumables that I get from bronze packs on the players on my fourth line (mainly Lucic). They just hit and score.

[Nail]

Just did some collection trading (thank you Nail) and now have a pretty sick (for me) forward roster.

HL Wheeler PWF 90 - HL Berglund PLY 90 - HL Skinner SNP 90

Neal PWF 88 - Backstrom PLY 87 - Voracek SNP 88

HL Steen TWF 87 - Carter SNP 88 - HL Okposo PWF 87

HL Landeskog PWF 87 - Backes PWF 87 - Lucic PWF 87

I put the cheap speed consumables that I get from bronze packs on the players on my fourth line (mainly Lucic). They just hit and score.

No problem. Glad to see it worked well for you. I think JE made a 90K profit from all our collections. Anyone else who wants some of this profit PM me.

[Blueberries]

You know whats needed real badly?

A mute all button.

[Alex the Great]

Just wondering, how does Sean Monahan develop?

[Alex the Great]

Alright, I've gutted the team for picks over two years and this is what I've got for prospects :

McDavid

Ekblad

Mantha

Nylander

Sprong

Honka

Baillie

Jurco

Bennett

Draisaitl (Picked with my original 9th Overall pick)

Fleury

Dal Colle

Goalies :

Polivka

Edmonds

Ohlund (My 9th Overall pick 2015)

I only made offers when it came to the first overall pick, the rest came to me lol

[WillyFox]

What builds do you guys prefer for eashl and what do you think is the most effective build? I only use the power forward build [80] overall and it seems like it works pretty well with a good mix of skill and grit to lay the body. I made my guy around 6'2 208 so he dosent sacrifice speed and agility.

[î мцšт вяздк чфµ]

fcuk, still no news on next gen nhl15...

[DollarAndADream]

fcuk, still no news on next gen nhl15...

If I remember correctly, there never is info about the next NHL game at this point of the year.

[î мцšт вяздк чфµ]

If I remember correctly, there never is info about the next NHL game at this point of the year.

i guess but seeing thats its a next gen scenario, you'd think they'd try to atleast entice us with something by now.

[DollarAndADream]

i guess but seeing thats its a next gen scenario, you'd think they'd try to atleast entice us with something by now.

Are you saying that......you expected differently from EA? Come on.

[Pears]

This info was released a week and a half from now last year so maybe we get something sometime next week? Not this week but the week after.

http://espn.go.com/b...-to-virtual-ice tl;drNew hitting/physics engine. Don't use the right stick to hit anymore, you just "drive through them."New fighting engine via Fight Night. Size and strength matter, one punch KOs, and apparently from the article you see other players and the referees during the fight.Upgraded skating engine. Tuned to allow smoother and better skating for defenseman.

[CaNuCkSLoUiE23]

What builds do you guys prefer for eashl and what do you think is the most effective build? I only use the power forward build [80] overall and it seems like it works pretty well with a good mix of skill and grit to lay the body. I made my guy around 6'2 208 so he dosent sacrifice speed and agility.

I was a 82 overall power forward at 5'11, 195 lbs. Had my endurance at 84, but always seemed to get tired halfway through the period when I barely clicked hustle. I decided to change to a grinder because I wanted more speed. It's been pretty good so far, but I do miss the insane passing ability I had as a PWF.

[MayRayDown]

Too bad they dont give you an option of rotating goalies. Like how much games each should get. Had a Lehner and bobrovsky combo and I wanted a 1a, 1b scenario but they only gave Lehner like 20 games

[î мцšт вяздк чфµ]

http://polystomper.com/whats-ea-sports-nhl-15-part-3/

What’s next for EA Sports and NHL 15? – Part 3

BY DEVON TEEUWEN · MARCH 1, 2014

Explosive speed.

As I wrap up our 3-part series on EA and their NHL series, we will talk about what EA needs to focus on, what the next generation of consoles means for NHL,and how EA can clean this series up before it’s too late. EA needs to go back to what they know, and keep it simple. You can read part 1 & part 2 here if you missed them.

The NHL provides EA all the inspiration they need, and the game has arguably never been more entertaining and certainly never been so diverse in regards to skill. Every team has at least one or two superstars. What separates the winners from the “almost” is a little bit of luck and dedication to the teams systems and philosophies. People talk about defense winning championships, as well as having a talented, hardworking team with a goalie who plays out of this world. A combination of all the above makes for great hockey.

EA needs to capture this; the magic of chemistry. The playoff magic that is second to no other sport. The desire to lift Lord Stanley’s mug is the ultimate goal. Beyond personal gain, playoff hockey reveals what makes hockey such an easy sport to love. Sportsmanship, teamwork, selflessness. You want to win for the guy next to you; your brothers, your friends, your teammates. If EA can manage to capture ANY of the above, they would recapture their fan base. It would light a fire in the hearts of frustrated hockey fans across the world. From there it can only get easier.

Nowhere else I’d rather be..

EA needs to use their best source material; the National Hockey League. Capture the emotion, the atmosphere, the aura surrounding an NHL arena in the thick of a playoff series, and really hook the player on an intimate level. What is currently offered feels so hollow and stale. The same story re-written for 8 years straight.

So with that, I’ll touch on Part 1 and 2 of our series which focused on what EA should build on, and where EA has lost its hardcore fan base. True Performance Skating, Engaging Hitting Engine, and the ever evolving tool shed of offensive tools that always entertain. These are EA’s strong points. They like to keep you entertained, and they want you to have fun. It simply never gets old scoring gorgeous goals, destroying a 5’7 speeding winger with a massive hit, all while the TPS engine quietly and smoothly offers up a visual treat to “ice” the cake. Part 2 focused on EA’s blunders, as well as the lack of respect for one another in online play. EA clearly has a lot of work ahead of them, but with a little bit of tunnel vision, and quite a few small steps forward, EA can make up lost ground in a hurry.

Balance. Consistency. Polish.

Balance in NHL 14 is very lopsided. The offensive side is definitely fully equip to dangle and weave like Pavel Datsyuk. The game play is tuned in their favour and I have no problem with it. If EA is going to let people think they are Pavel Datsyuk, let the opposing side counter with Niklas Lidstrom, Scott Stevens, or Ray Bourque.

The defense needs to be given equally effective tools to challenge the opposing offence, forcing them to rely on their teammates – this is a team sport after all. Too often one-man teams will walk all over an inexperienced crop of defence-men, without so much of a hiccup. This needs to stop. Pavel Datsyuk does not walk through entire teams, he may do it once during an 82 game season. These are rare occurrences in the NHL, and for good reason.

It needs to be consistent. EA always releases their NHL titles to their massive fan base knowing exactly what they want. Increased AI difficulty, increased goaltender difficulty, and increased difficulty in scoring. This is true to the NHL. There is no doubt in my mind that EA knows what they are doing. They please the hardcore fans to start the year, collect the coin, and then tune the game after the hardcore fans promote the game to their casual “on the fence” friends. This needs to stop.
Keep the original game play. Be consistent. Be true to your vision. This is the only way new fans will learn how to play the game. This increases the competition, the desire to play, and the replay-ability beyond just online play. You create a culture that will truly grasp the game, and in turn, these casual fans become intermediate players, who become expert players, who in turn sell the game to their “Casual” friends. Win-win.

EA needs to think beyond their current development year – the payoff will be huge. The NHL is pulling in record viewership in the United States. EA needs to translate the high quality product of the NHL to their series.
Consistency also means putting the control back in the user’s hands. Anyone who plays this game knows what this means. Auto-Everything. These canned animations and AI decision-making processes need to be effectively removed.

Speaking of Artificial Intelligence…

What does it take to win a game of hockey? Skill? Offensive/Defensive strategy? Persistence? Dedication? Truthfully, you need all of this, plus a little bit of luck. Luck is equivalent to fortunate bounces that go your way during game play. These bounces along with all I’ve mentioned should be determined by the user. There should be no programming and no handicap other than player to player competitiveness.

EA over the years has implemented comeback logic that is questionable in this regard. Eliminate it. For the game to take a true step forward, most of the automated aspects of the game need to be eliminated. Things like auto-poke, auto-check, auto-save and auto-anything, are anything but helpful. They extinguish the skill which would normally be needed to execute these simple commands, and the requirement to learn how to utilize them intuitively.

Goalies auto-pass to opposing forwards. You can call for the puck and the AI teammate will immediately pass you the puck (even with multiple coverage which results in a turnover). The AI should pass you the puck if you are open. Period. The goalie should pass the puck out with no opposing players within a 15 foot radius. Simple. No more calling for pucks.

Put the skill and control back in the players hands. AI intimidation and ultimately human controlled AI decision-making
should not exist in online play for obvious reasons. This is a competitive sport and it should be represented properly in game play. The AI can actually be quite effective in most cases, it’s the human controlled input that creates chaotic situations and game deciding outcomes. If this is eliminated, you create fluid, natural offensive and defensive structure
which forces people to adapt and learn on the fly.

With NHL 15 around the corner, its always easy to fantasize about what EA might do next. Going into NHL 15 and Next Generation Consoles, EA has an incredible opportunity to mend some bridges. One easy way to do this is simple.

Polish. Polish. Polish.

This cannot be understated. When I speak of what the hockey experience means to the fans – this is a no-brainer.
EA could simply put 100% of their resources into just polishing NHL 14 and re-release as NHL 15, and people would be ecstatic. Graphics overhaul. Presentation overhaul. Customization Overhaul. This is only the tip of the iceberg. EASHL has been virtually the same since its inception. If anything it has become bland and lifeless. The reason for this is simply lack of team, player, and arena customization. This should be a major focus for NHL 15. EASHL is the most played game mode in NHL 14 – EA should embrace this. Full-blown customization. From goal songs right down to the color of your players laces.

If this became a reality, you win back your fan base.

Of course this is easier said than done. If EA spent less time trying to add in the “next best game mode”, they might find the time and resources to put some love into the existing game modes. They could all use some major fixes and
progressive upgrades.

Can EA improve the AI?

Hopefully with Next-Gen hardware EA can get behind their brand new Ignite engine and really put forth a legitimate demonstration of what it’s capable of. The NHL series is without a doubt the best and most practical way to put this engine into action. Hopefully things like hit detection get a massive look from the developers in Vancouver. Sound and the play by play announcers could be re-tooled. More dialogue, more carryover from previous games, and more depth.

So much of the NHL experience involves end to end, balanced game play. Realistic outcomes to calculated, obvious play. Physics need to be fully realized and implemented properly. There should be absolutely zero adjustments to cater to newer players. Mastering the game should have nothing to do with dekes and manipulation – it should rely upon knowledge and implementation of the basics of hockey, and building upon that. For this, EA needs to introduce a tutorial to teach new players about the game at a basic level. Offensive strategies, defensive strategies, etc. and exactly what they mean.
The Fifa series has a great system for teaching people not only the controls, but the basic techniques and strategies for the game of football. This needs to make its way to the studios in Vancouver.

If EA can take a step back, take a big deep breath, and really listen to what people are asking for, the rest will come naturally. Let the players show you what this game is all about. Put the hockey back in the NHL series.

We recently reached out towards EA Sports and pointed them towards our thoughts and what we would like to see in NHL 15, they have yet to send us any comment. When they do we will certainly be sure to post an update, so follow us on the site here or on Twitter & Facebook. And don’t forget you can leave a comment below to give us (and EA…) your perspective and ideas on what you think should be next for NHL 15.

[goalie13]

does anybody else ever have it where you fight a guy but only you get 5 for fighting and an additional 2 for roughing? I got it twice in one game and the guy got 2 7 minute powerplays.

I haven't had that happen yet.

Maybe it only happens online? I just play BeAGM and the computer opponent never backs out of a started fight.

[Guest Gumballthechewy]

http://polystomper.com/whats-ea-sports-nhl-15-part-3/

I agree with everything this man said.

[Alex the Great]

I think after the draft, when you are looking at teams to see who went where, there should be apage in the scouting services to see the draft selections by round.

[c00kies]

NHL 2004 was awesome. They should look back and see what made that a success. It was harder to score on the hardest difficulty in that game than in NHL 14.

[Saskatchewan Canucks Fan]

Whats the best way to get contract cards in HUT? Should I be saving up the 6000 pucks to buy gold packs? Or getting them in the trading section? Im relatively new to HUT