NHL 14 ... as if you even care!

[Scott_Arm]

New developer diary on improvements to skating and dekes

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/article/nhl14-developer-diary-one-touch-dekes-t-p-s

 

[expletive]

New developer diary on improvements to skating and dekes

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/article/nhl14-developer-diary-one-touch-dekes-t-p-s

So whats the thinking for someone who hasn't bought an NHL game in 3 years, buy this one and then wait 2 years for the non-rushed next-gen version?

 

[Scott_Arm]

So whats the thinking for someone who hasn't bought an NHL game in 3 years, buy this one and then wait 2 years for the non-rushed next-gen version?

The first next-gen version will be NHL 15. NHL 14 is going to be current-gen only. I think because they share a game engine with all the other sports titles that NHL 15 should be in pretty good shape. The engine and tools they use should be refined by the development of FIFA 14, Madden 14, NBA and their UFC game for next gen.

I think NHL 14 should be very good. They made some big changes to the way the game plays last year, and that ended up causing a few issues, mostly for people who played defense. Seems they've tuned those problems, and the improved the physics should iron out some of the other gameplay issues. It's a refinement on last year, but that's a good thing.

 

[NavNucST3]

The first next-gen version will be NHL 15. NHL 14 is going to be current-gen only. I think because they share a game engine with all the other sports titles that NHL 15 should be in pretty good shape. The engine and tools they use should be refined by the development of FIFA 14, Madden 14, NBA and their UFC game for next gen.

I think NHL 14 should be very good. They made some big changes to the way the game plays last year, and that ended up causing a few issues, mostly for people who played defense. Seems they've tuned those problems, and the improved the physics should iron out some of the other gameplay issues. It's a refinement on last year, but that's a good thing.

Ok, I know I've complained about physics...every year since you've been talking to yourself over the years in these threads, well, I actually liked what I saw (doesn't hurt that the Blackhawks are good again, either).

 

[Scott_Arm]

Here's the new fighting engine

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news/article/nhl14-developer-diary-enforcer-engine

This sounds like the biggest change to this years game, to be honest. If you run a goalie, or lay a big hit on a star player, someone is going to grab you and start beating the crap out of you. You can no longer turn down fights in certain situations. Having a team with some size and toughness will be important.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Goalie improvements http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-14-gameplay-improvements-goalies

Goal scoring http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-14-goal-scoring-balance-improvements

And NHL 94 Anniversary mode
http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-94-in-new-york-city

 

[djskribbles]

I'm a huge hockey fan (or sports fan in general) but I don't play many sports games oddly enough. The last hockey game I played was NHL 94, which many still argue is the best hockey game ever made. Man did I play that game a lot.

Got excited when I heard about the NHL 94 anniversary mode, but it looks like the controls are kind of a hybrid of retro and modern.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Online mode improvements.

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-14-online-modes-improvements

The division structure with relegation and promotion from FIFA will be a great fit for EASHL mode. Much better than the loosey amateur, pro, elite system they've had for a number of years.

Edit:

Huge win for people who aren't on a club and just play Online Team Play. Instead of having a two stage lobby where you accumulate players in one screen then ready up, and then select your position in the second screen, this game will just have one screen for both position and ready. In 13 you frequently get 12 people ready up and then they can't get the position they want and they back out leaving you with less than 6 vs 6. In this one you'll drop into the lobby, select the position you want and then ready. People who get matched into your lobby will see their position is taken and leave right away, allowing someone else to come in and take something else. I have no idea why it took them years to figure this out. OTP experience should be more consistent for 6 vs 6, and that's great.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Now some stick skill tweaks to improve the mechanics and realism of pokes, chops, passing, dekes http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-14-gameplay-improvements-stick-skills

 

[Scott_Arm]

Goalie contact and incidental contact. Hitting and other contact looks much more realistic. They supposedly took the contact physics over from FIFA, abandoning their own hitting physics they'd introduced over the last few years that were notoriously buggy.

http://www.easports.com/nhl/news-updates-gameplay/article/nhl-14-goalie-and-incidental-contact

 

[Scott_Arm]

Demo on August 20th

 

[Scott_Arm]

It's demo day. Do it.

 

[Scott_Arm]

If you have the EA Season Ticket, you can play NHL 14 this weekend.

 

[Yemeth]

Cannot find the demo on EU PSN?

Am I the only one?

To those who buy it, would you please write how the menus are. Meaning if the responsiveness etc. still in every new iteration slower and slower? In NHL13 I have many times not started the games because of the very slow menus (I play 99% of the time be a GM, so it is probably a much bigger deal than people who e.g. play only online).

Thanks in any case!

 

[Scott_Arm]

Menus are redone and a little faster, I think. I only really use the menus for online play though. I don't touch the other modes.

 

[Yemeth]

Menus are redone and a little faster, I think. I only really use the menus for online play though. I don't touch the other modes.

Scott_Arm, thanks a lot for you explanation! As they are not much, much faster I will skip this one for sure.

For all your free PR help, EA should give a code to unlock a new mode e.g. "crash Bettman into the boards and after that start a new lockout and negotiations with him" (of course, they need to add a grading system where your hit and negotiations are graded in each try).

Still, looking forward to read your analysis when you get your hands on the full game...

 

[poopypoo]

lol... I like the sound of Bettman mode..!

Scott, I really enjoy your threads each year, not just for the news on EA's NHL, but for the childlike optimism you display year after year after year! XD I'm sure this one does improve on NHL 13 in areas. But tell us straight: what works? What are the new gimme goals? How's the hitting? Can you hit with someone Theoren Fleury-sized? Can you not always be obliterated by someone Jason Arnott-sized? Do bouncers from past center ice still periodically float in? And most importantly, for me, is there still a game speed slider? I hate playing shortened periods and racing up and down the ice constantly. Is the game more horizontal this year? Can you properly scrum along the boards (and not just have the CPU instantly realize it has the puck and pass it out)? How are the franchise details? I really do love a nice sim and I'm ready to buy, it's either going to be this or MLB the Show 14. I am sorely tempted by the latter -- even though I hate RL baseball, it's such a damn good video game...

 

[Scott_Arm]

I pretty much exclusively play the online club mode (EASHL), so I can't answer many details about franchise modes. Hitting is improved over the last few years. Size matters. If you get lined up by a bigger guy, get ready to be crushed. That's online and offline. The strength, balance and durability stats are important. Physics glitches seem to be minimized from last year, and the end result is the hits look a lot better. As for gimme goals, I don't know. There are a few one-timers that are high percentage, and some wrist shots in good scoring areas around the top of the hash marks, or just inside the top of the circle. There's nothing overly glitchy from what I've seen where it's 100%, and at least you can defend them well. I haven't seen any really dumb goals like center ice goals. I don't fight because I don't like being taken off the ice for 10 minutes, but the new fighting is great. They did an incredibly good job with it.

 

[poopypoo]

Thanks for the input, as always. I've always wanted to get into EASHL but, I know that even if I had the time to commit to getting good, I could never really play something like that with my ping in HK. We used to have pretty good internet and it was still touch and go on US servers; nowadays our internet is about as slow as broadband gets here (old building) ._.

But thanks for the info. The size thing gets me a bit sometimes; in just about every EA game, guys like Jagr (who never hits) constantly steamroll everyone smaller than them. But I'm really hoping they'll include some good board play one of these days, something a little different to make it all look more like real hockey and less like speed skating for the net.

I'll have to read a review of the franchise options; I know MLB the Show's are amazing but I'ma little burned out on the previous version, tbh.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Yeah, they could do a lot more with play on the boards. You can pin people on the boards, and it is a very effective strategy. I just think the pin is too much like a hold, where in real hockey the player you're "pinning" would still be able to move a bit more.

I have my guy set up to resist checks, so unless I get caught straight on, I can usually bounce off. Guys need to get me at a good run to knock me over.

EASHL is a lot of fun. I'm not sure how well it would work for Hong Kong though. I know you can a region for your team, and that dictates which countries dedicated servers you play on. I know there are servers in Europe, but that's probably the only place besides North America.