NHL 23 Discussion

[Flamesfan62]

I’m in free agency in 2024 and the contracts seem broken? Aho, Lindholm, Sorokin, Shesterkin, Helly, Matthews, Nylander all asking for crazy low money on short term deals. Between 2-5 million. Not the first time this has happened either. I don’t like signing them because it’s cheap but then other teams just scoop them all up for nothing. Anyone else seen this and is there a fix?

 

[Dreakon13]

There's really nothing more demonstrable in regards to how weirdly good/bad the AI is in online modes, then playing a game of Online Versus against someone with a higher rated team and they just put the controller down for a few minutes. The vast majority of the ways to strip the puck from them doesn't work.

Attempting to stick lift the dead player is a penalty 99% of the time, and even you luck into that 1% once you separate the player from the puck the AI goes into god mode and just immediately grabs it back. Poke checking just sends the puck towards another opposing AI player every single time because without the confusion of player activity the opposing AI's input reading is in full gear. You can't hit them because to get enough momentum to actually knock them off the puck it'll be a charging penalty, or boarding or checking from behind or whatever other nonsense the game comes up with to even the odds.

The AI's transition from "utterly confused and helpless because they can't follow basic player movement/strategy" to "god mode, these 3 passes are going to just hologram through 5 people no matter how well positioned you are because f*** you" is just so damn jarring and unfair most of the time.

The game needs to stop using the AI to elevate crappy players online. Let them sink or swim, it's okay, that's literally how every other multiplayer game works.

 

[Carlzner]

Is there some kind of “hot goalie” glitch or feature???

I got this game like 2 months ago after skipping 22 and have actually been enjoying the gameplay I have going with the sliders setup.

I’m in the 5th or 6th year of a franchise mode and I’ve never seen this before. The team I’m facing in the playoffs right now has an 81 ovr goalie who has now shut me out in THREE straight games. (Rage quit one of them so technically only two real losses lol)

I try not to get cheap cross crease goals too much but he’s even stopping them. I’ve switched up offensive tactics and still can’t score. Multiple miraculous saves a game. It’s completely ruining my enjoyment… while I don’t mind losing series, this is just ridiculous. 94 ovr X-factor Vasilevskiy was super tough in a tight 7 game series like 2 seasons ago but at least it seemed realistic and I was able to score with the right tactics, I guess this goalie with 0 stats above 90 is superior???

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Shit game. I'd give it away for free if I had it on disc.

Also why does it take 500 years to edit a player's caphit? Took me hours to edit every new player. Going from Wheeler's old caphit to the new one took at least 2 minutes... should take 10 secs tops.

I will not be buying an NHL game for at least 2-3 years. They need to revamp everything.

 

[Neil Racki]

Got the game a few weeks ago. I just play career be a pro mode.

Super happy you can actually intercept/disrupt passes. Before Id have perfect defensive position but the puck would get passed right through me for a goal. Frustrating bc you could do everything right and still computer player passes found their mark.

Now its almost to easy to float in between the circles and intercept passes.

Feels like the players weight and contact w other players is more realistic.

I like it.

 

[Dreakon13]

Feel like such an asshole in Online Versus, when I actually generate a decent variety of chances by trying to be a little creative and outsmarting the other guy... when other people literally just pick better teams and wait for the CPU to generate breakaways or 2 on 1's for them. Mostly in the sense that I can't control every player on the ice at the same time, the game has no idea which player to change me to most of the time, and the AI has zero response for people who "press up, go fast".

There are times on a rush I literally have to change to every player several times before it puts me on the correct defensemen. By that time they're basically set up for whatever garbage goal they've been trying to score all game and I can't really do anything about it.

 

[542365]

Feel like such an asshole in Online Versus, when I actually generate a decent variety of chances by trying to be a little creative and outsmarting the other guy... when other people literally just pick better teams and wait for the CPU to generate breakaways or 2 on 1's for them. Mostly in the sense that I can't control every player on the ice at the same time, the game has no idea which player to change me to most of the time, and the AI has zero response for people who "press up, go fast".

There are times on a rush I literally have to change to every player several times before it puts me on the correct defensemen. By that time they're basically set up for whatever garbage goal they've been trying to score all game and I can't really do anything about it.

I just switch to the last man back most of the time. Hold the pass button and press in the right stick and it will automatically switch to the last guy back.

 

[Dreakon13]

I just switch to the last man back most of the time. Hold the pass button and press in the right stick and it will automatically switch to the last guy back.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but why would I switch to the last guy back on a 2 on 1? I want to be the 1 and stop the one timer, not the last of the 4 not in the play.

 

[542365]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but why would I switch to the last guy back on a 2 on 1? I want to be the 1 and stop the one timer, not the last of the 4 not in the play.

The one is the last guy back if you’re defending a 2 on 1. By “last guy back” I mean “closest player to my own goalie”.

 

[Troublesome 85]

Now that im playing this version again

Cant get off a pass
Cant get off a clean shot

Somehow gameplay is kinda worse maybe have to get used to it

 

[Dreakon13]

Here's a very concise example of why these games are garbage and will forever be garbage.

I'm standing next to the goalie who has the puck, I call for a pass. Instead of passing it to me, to the left/kinda behind him... he passes it straight forward, to no one... to the other team, who then score.

As much as I want to blame myself for calling the pass, had the goalie actually passed it to me it would've been a free exit and probably a breakaway 'cause I had a plan. This game just does WHATEVER it feels like most of the time. It doesn't have any sort of ice tilt, it's not physics or lucky bounces... it's just extremely irrational non-systemic randomness that tends to benefit someone.

 

[Malkinstheman]

The AI in franchise mode is comically bad. Teams will hoard players at 1 position (usually Center) and have AHL level players everywhere. 3-4 years into a sim and a bunch of teams will have 8 82+ overall centers.

 

[FerrisRox]

Biggest thing I want is better player customization, there are games from like 2000 with better customization. How is there a game in 2022 that you still have to just pick from a list of faces instead of having sliders for each facial feature? Need better hairstyles too.

I think it's crazy that in a hockey game I can't put scars on the face of my player, or knock out a tooth or two.

Customizable goalie mask designs seems like another no-brainer.

 

[Wally1112pac]

'23 was the worst NHL of all time imo.

Worse than '95.

They completely butchered the game play with how easily you could get knocked off the puck. And their gimmick of the 2nd chance to make a play thing was a disaster.

Hopefully EA smartens up with '24 but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Petey O]

'23 was the worst NHL of all time imo.

Worse than '95.

They completely butchered the game play with how easily you could get knocked off the puck. And their gimmick of the 2nd chance to make a play thing was a disaster.

Hopefully EA smartens up with '24 but I'm not holding my breath.

Something something definition of insanity.

EA will EA and there's nothing any of us can do about it other than just stop buying the game.

 

[MiddleEarth]

wait....95 was a bad game?!!

 

[Wally1112pac]

wait....95 was a bad game?!!

I'm coming from the perspective of how '94 was the Holy Grail of hockey games.

Than '95 came out and the game play felt a lot different. Goalies would spaz out and leave their crease on 1-timers for some reason.

The game play was fixed when '96 came out though. You can say '96 was '94 part 2.

Anyway. '23 was a disaster. One timers not even worth taking because they were always stopped. No D to D 1-timers ever went in. Players getting bumped off the puck with the slightest of contact. It seems EA can never find the sweet spot when it comes to those issues.

 

[Lions67]

NHL 97 was the absolute worst game of the series. It was the first time on the PlayStation then. 95 was still a very solid game

 

[Pickles]

Anyone know of a good roster to download for updated rosters?

 

[LokiDog]

Anyone know of a good roster to download for updated rosters?

I can make my roster available maybe. I’ve never tried, but it’s fully updated with prospects and signings and such.

 

[andora]

I'm coming from the perspective of how '94 was the Holy Grail of hockey games.

Than '95 came out and the game play felt a lot different. Goalies would spaz out and leave their crease on 1-timers for some reason.

The game play was fixed when '96 came out though. You can say '96 was '94 part 2.

Anyway. '23 was a disaster. One timers not even worth taking because they were always stopped. No D to D 1-timers ever went in. Players getting bumped off the puck with the slightest of contact. It seems EA can never find the sweet spot when it comes to those issues.

94 was the best gameplay i ever remember. I do wish 94 had had fighting i remember, but when i needed a fix i would load up 93 and play tampa chicago

It is amazing how 1994 was amazing gameplay and it changed so drastically to 95's turd

 

[OKR]

Fantilli and Dahlin were doing mo-cap for the game at the NHL 24 Community day, so atleast we know they’re probably adding some new animations to the game.

 

[Favster]

I was GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins in LGNHL PSN side and I gotta say, NHL23 is the worst game they have ever made for competitive EASHL. I swear I see more goals go in from the corner than from between the hashmarks in front of the net. It's ridiculous lol

The game feels like they've been adding layers to a broken engine for 10 years to the point where even the developpers don't know how the game will react or what the fundementals of the game are. It's actually hilarious how most of the goals are scored and they need a complete overhaul. The game is dying a slow death and desperately needs help.

Do something EA

 

[Pickles]

I can make my roster available maybe. I’ve never tried, but it’s fully updated with prospects and signings and such.

Thanks very much.

 

[Gaud]

The game is shit and too easy. I beat the A.I quite comfortably on superstar difficulty.

Oddly, it is harder on AllStar for me.

I find the difficulty (no matter what it is) to be uneven. I feel like there is a script to every game - "ok this game, you will get in fights every 2 minutes whether you liek it or not" followed by "this game, you will get penalties the entire game!". Some games you score so many in the first you can just let time run out on the other 2 periods and still win. Some, it is a grind the whole game because your goalie lets them all in (and i mean all ) no matter where they come from, but their goalie stops everything.

At least they seem to have fixed the icing issue where both sides had to stay on the ice (23 or 22?) - I hated that because it effectively gives the one doing the icing an advantage.

I think it's crazy that in a hockey game I can't put scars on the face of my player, or knock out a tooth or two.

Customizable goalie mask designs seems like another no-brainer.

Amen!
I think HUT would also be so much better if you could customize your logo, arena, masks, name, etc.
I also wouldn't mind having one player (that is essentially you) on your roster that gets better as you accomplish certain things. Like "score 50 goals" gets you a +1 overall. 100 Checks gives you a plus one to checking, etc.