NHL 12

[killgod]

http://www.ea.com/nhl/videos/nhl12-legend-final-unveil-


rofl at Lemieux. Not sure what's funnier, him wearing a Leafs jersey or a player in a Leafs jersey raising the cup.

 

[Krebs]

four of the players played for detroit :smug:

 

[Maynard]

last hockey game i owned was NHL 2K7 - it was great. seems like these EA hockey games are pretty dam good these days.

 

[wingsfan77]

NHL 12 demo comes out Tuesday.

 

[Ravin]

For those that were interested in tournaments/leagues, here is the forum set up for my tournament stuff.

http://www.virtualsportsdaily.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1289

Going to try and recruit some people from different places to build the NHL section, so hopefully this works out.

 

[Ravin]

downloading.

 

[Loco]

Ok I'm playing my first BAP game in this demo and some crazy shit is happening on offense. I pass to Kaberle at the point he shoots and it deflects off Chara's toward the blue line and bounces of a Vancouver players chest into the net.

 

[Ravin]

Here are my first impressions on the demo:

Defence AI is fixed
This was a thing of beauty. Coming down on the wing and trying the old, defence fuckery, only to have the defence *gasp* skate backwards and move their stick back and forth to disrupt the play. They didn't come and challenge, they played their spot. CPU uses a lot more stick waggle this year, and it actually makes it a challenge to play. I was playing pro and All Star, and each game felt really challenging like I wasn't just getting a win. I didn't win actually which was nice.

With this as well takes away the cross crease a lot, as defence are playing properly, and it seems so far that Def AWAR means something. Better defencemen make better plays. I tried a bunch of times to do a cross crease, and they were not getting through. My final gola in OT, I did a semi one, as Chara went to hit Sedin and he put it in, but that was 1 for like 20 tries.

AI is just so amazingly improved in this game I can't get over it. Some many exploits are gone from the game (until they are found) because the AI is actually doing the job. Even when you have the puck at the point, they don't sit there on a post and wait. They come up and make a play on you more.

Demo is slow
The tempo seemed really slow to me compared to NHL11. I'm debating if I like it or not, but this is probably something you just get use to considerng just 7 hours ago I was playing NHL11.

Checking is...something
One of the first big hits I blew up Horton and it looked really WTF? I also noticed when you hit people they seem to fall forward for some reason and not back. But it does look like size might matter, as this year I wasn't blowing guys up on the boards with regular players and it was a more fluid hit hockey should be. Some of the big hits look a little wonky, but it isn't a deal breaker for me, as hits on the boards look good. Though one thing that worries me is I just bumped Krecji near the bench and he went right over.

Net play is there
I was swinging the puck at the point all my guys were in front battling for position. Put the puck on net and picked up a fat rebound for my goal. It actually looks like it was done right this year.

Shooting and rebounds
Shooting seems better. It isn't these rocket shots, but looks fluid and more real then last year. Also rebounds actually bounce, they don't just come out onto the stick. I took a slap from the left dot, it went to the right and bounced off the ice.

 

[Ravin]

Some BAP thoughts

The sim was good, as I played about 4 shifts. I do have a concern though in that the time on default seems to play 20 minute periods. Which I guess is nice, because if you play 5 minute periods and you hit the ice, you could be out there for 7-8 minutes per shift in game. What happens is, when you hit the ice, it goes to real time, so if you play out there for 2 minutes, you play 2 minutes of time. (So like from 10:15 to 8:15 in the period) So the "short shifts" thing will come into play.

I guess my issue is, if I'm one line one and have to play like 27minutes in a period, my game is going to take that long. People who play BAP defence are going to have some long ass games if you are pulling down Chara numbers.

You got two options for simming. Press Y when on the bench and "Sim to next shift" or "text sim" which you can control the speed from 1x to 8x. I only had one coach comment, but I also simmed most of the time, and not text. When you sim, it loads for a second, then goes back into the game.

It also feels like every year the "Play your position" means something, as you can't just run around like a dumbass. I hope this is a sign of things to come with this game, as if things stay the way they are in this game, playing EASHL is going to be great as little bitches can't do the same shit, and playing proper hockey might make a return.

 

[wingsfan77]

Downloading now but won't get to play until later probably, is the curl back wrist shot from the circle still a goal 90% of the time?

 

[Ravin]

Downloading now but won't get to play until later probably, is the curl back wrist shot from the circle still a goal 90% of the time?

From what I have played so far, no it isn't a goal. Defence come up and play you, or rather stop skating back as far. When you go to shoot, they get in the lane and they play the man. I didn't score that way at all. I did a few of the curl back shots to test them out. These were some of the "better looking" shoots I found, and to me it is done correctly, not glitchy.

I am going to try and do a bunch of the glitch goals later on and see if they work. But with the AI being improved what seems like 10 fold, its hard to even get shots of in the slot when you got 2 defencemen there as well.

 

[Ravin]

I will also suggest to people to play on All-star and not pro. I find All-star gives you a much better game and you see more of the AI then on pro, which should be fairly obvious.

 

[killgod]

realtime in BAP eh?

so goalies = 60 minute games?!

Hmmm

 

[killgod]

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/nhl-12/video/6329921/nhl-12--gameplay-video-preview

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/spo...s-season-pass-and-game-improvements-interview

 

[killgod]

the first video showing off BAP looks fuckin wicked. the 2nd one is a waste of time.

 

[Krebs]

im in love with the new gameplay. its so amazing!

 

[Krebs]

oh yeah, and checking the goalie is fun

 

[Ravin]

realtime in BAP eh?

so goalies = 60 minute games?!

Hmmm

I'm not sure about that because obviously there is no shift changes with goalies. If so, have fun playing an hour long NHL game and getting pounded with shots. I'd suspect like 60+ shots easily per game. Unless there is an option to change the game speed.


I don't mind it to much having to play real time, as you can run through half a period in one shift. My issue will be if you play as a dman or a 1st liner and PP, in that your game is going to take forever. 4thliner4life!! game done in 3 minutes. What I hope they do is set it so the roles matter. So if I want to be a 3rd line player, I'm a fucking 3rd line player. Don't put me on the Pen's and have me take Crosby's spot. I always hated that. To me, it should move you around. So if I am a centre, and I get drafted to the Pen's, I should be moved to the wing on the first line because Crosby is centre. Same thing with San Jose, Vancouver, Detroit, etc. And then would be nice if teams who need a #1 centre, ala Toronto, would be more interested in my service. But until then, the coach puts me on the wing.

 

[godspeed]

You guys have any general tips for the novice players out there?

I played the game two years ago and I wasn't that great at it, wanted to get back into the nhl series.

Thanks in advance.

 

[StealthShot]

Well DL and the game was noticeably slower I don't know if that was the intent or it's a change that they will be making in the full game.

The checking is great I like the hitting and bumping feels a lot more realistic.

Goalies getting hit and getting bumped is way to easy hopefully this is beefed up in the retail version.

I also found it odd that I was able to fight a player using Luongo I was fighting Horton with him and gave him a few shots but 3 shots I went down.

Went to a few shootouts and from the CPU side looks like the goalies are a lot better at it, so maybe they will be better at the break away money goals this time around.

The shooting is good as well it's not always on target and slapshots bounce off the boards more now. Puck physics are also a good touch.