* New * NHL21 EASHL Gameplay Changes/Updates

NHL 21 Beta releases today. Here is some info that benefits our community that the GameChangers were able to get changed or the Devs changed on their own to improve in the game. There were some things were were unable to get changed as they didnt agree with our opinion or think it was the best option for the community or they needed more time or wanted more time to do it the right way.

PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THESE THINGS WHEN PLAYING THE BETA AND IF YOU FEEL ANY ARE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY OR COULD BE DONE BETTER OR CHANGED, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN RELAY OUR FEEDBACK TO THEM TO ADJUST OR FIX FOR NHL 21



EASHL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK GAMEPLAY FIXES

1.) Ping is now listed different on the match screen
Good = 0-60
Fair = 61-120
Poor = 121+

2.) Double hit interference - fixed the double hit interference penalty


3.) Double shot or stuck in shot - added some animations to fix this, but I imagine all cases are not fixed so if you see any let us know


4.) Net bubble - The net bubble behind the net where players were getting stuck had some changes to it, it should fix most cases but could still happen so if you see any let us know

5.) Explosive transition passes slowing down the player receiving them or stopping them completely depending on if the pass was bad or slightly behind and the animation it triggered. Blended a few of these animations to improve those, still may occur, keep an eye out for them and let us know

6.) The datsyuk pull back. not flip (Hold r3), you can now do it and keep possession after and not lose it or pass out of it/


**Nerf Bumps - **We updated the thresholds for incidental to stumble and the animations for the lowest level stumbles on shoves from behind to branch out quicker. Bumps still are there but this is to help limit those times where we get bumped and cant pass or shoot. It prob will still happen, but hopefully less often



**Less Incidental -** We have added logic for incidental contact where a stick between your legs from behind unless a manual action like a poke or DSS can't cause stick on stick and we have also widened the angle and lowered the height of the stick blade where a stick from behind in general won't cause stick on stick puck loss.


**Increase Speed/Speed Differential -** We have updated how pivots and acceleration work together so that it is more advantageous to accelerate out in front of you than to have to turn to get going. Your player in the past could start accelerating in a new direction as soon as you requested it before but now, your player has to pivot more before they can actually start to dig in and get going. This will impact flat footed defensemen or those that get caught pivoting late. If you are just accelerating backwards, you are starting right away but obviously backwards skating doesn't have the same ability as forward so players will have to decide based on the gaps they have and the distances they need to go what will be better for them. This is similar to how it was in the NHL20 Beta


**Better Puck Pickups - **We have made improvements to the system for both the core mechanic and aesthetics but haven't made major changes this year. But last year we had made the change to the new system and if anything pickups were seen as too strong from a balance perspective, which we knew but had to wait for the green light that we had solved that main issue and then rebalanced interceptions. Looking forward, we want to reintroduce more balance pieces for how players are trying to pickup the puck and the speed of the incoming pass again into our base settings (obviously they are there for full sim and with custom slider tweaking) but it is also a piece that encourages team play and keeps things moving in the arcade vs sim balance of the game. And with current interception tuning, sticks and bodies disrupting pickups, one timers and pass receptions, it is still fairly balanced between offense and defense and favors a defense that is more active.






On top of these from the list, we have also addressed each of these in some capacity: Increase Deke Success Rate, Improved Tripping Logic, Nerf LT/L2 skating, Rebalance Goalies and Shooting, Increase Player Control, Improve AI Positioning Logic




**Increase Deke Success Rate:** We increased the success rates on the simpler dekes a couple of times last year and we also increased them again this year, especially toe drags. We obviously added new dekes that will helps specifically against the trap and zone entries against flat footed defenders (LB+RB are the new dekes for entries and behind the net)
***GLIDING TO DO A DEKE MAKES THE DEKE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL, HIGH DEKING BUILDS HAVE MORE SUCCESS DOING THEM AT TOP SPEED


**Improved Tripping Logic:** We now allow both the stick blade and shaft to make contact with puck carriers skate from the front without causing a trip to continue to reward good gaps and well positioned pokes. If you get shaft on leg, they will still trip though. We have also updated what we consider the front as the players move direction rather than their facing. This means if a player pivots to backskate as you are poking and you get their skate, you won't trip them. From behind, tripping will work exactly as it did and and any shaft on leg contact will work as it did. We did also improve collision detection of the stick to make sure to fix phantom trip calls, etc.. We have also improved our pokecheck animations to be much more consistent in range and direct angles which should help with blends into them in all situations.



**Nerf LT/L2: ** We obviously took some strides last year in the pieces we added in the patch and this year with the pivot and accel changes, it will impact the puck carrier as well. We are also still looking at the most exploitable pieces of it and how quickly you can pivot around from back to forwards. Will see what feedback during the Beta is like but it will be even more balanced for launch.


**Rebalance Goalies and Shooting: ** This was much improved last year with controlled saves/redirects and the tuning of reaction time for human goalies but for this year, we have added new controlled saves that will help both the ai and human goalies and we have worked on ai goalie abilities on pucks shot from further out. We have also tried some updated tuning for screen logic for human goalies so that a defense will want to challenge shooters rather than sit back and screen. We will see how this feels in the Beta.



**Increased Player Control: **Last year with pickups, this was a big advancement and overall, our feedback on control on both offense and defense scored fairly high but this year we continue to find pieces to refine control and responsiveness in this area when it comes to skating, deking, shooting, pokechecks, hitting, etc. and have really improved in this area for human goalies this year.





GAMEPLAY CHANGES WE WANTED THAT DIDNT HAPPEN

1.) shot aim on 1 timers, still locks you into the aim before it gets to your stick, from the pass or the rebound. Unable to change direction of aim which when you go to replay for 1 Ts and said not where I aimed is why. They want it this way, I dont know why and tried talking them into going back to how its been literally forever. So be sure to pound them about this in the surveys

2.) Dump puck height into o zone, can still flick the puck over the glass on dumps to the same side or middle, added it to their list to fix but didnt make it into 21


If you have questions on things, just quote or @ me. If can think of any other things youd like please add them below for us to relay for tuners/patches or next years game

 

Great info, thanks

 

1.) Double hit interference - fixed the double hit interference penalty

I got a double hit interference penalty in my 2nd game ):

 

Fix the screen tear already. Finals rink that we're basically playing every game on has massive screen tear.

 

fix the name on the screen where it shows our gt, either put that in the top corner and keep it in one spot or get rid of it.

fix the speed glitch where the player skates on the board with one hand, that needs to be patched or i feel that will be over used.

fix the michigan where you can actually pick the puck up on your stick.

i like how there’s not much wait time after a penalty is taken it jumps right to the faceoff.

loading into the game after you see your skaters before the first puck drop there’s a good pause if possible would like that to be fixed because it feels like someone dc or the game froze or something.

i like practice mode and the menus a lot!

poke checks seem alittle to overpowered from what i seen and last but not least, i play as a 5’7 sniper and i’m able to knock people on their ass.. i think that should be looked into because i don’t know if a 5’7 build should be able to knock people over imo.

besides that the beta/technical test looks very promising and i feel ea/nhl is on the right path and had made a big step into the right direction!

 

I dont mind being forced to play on an outdoor rink for the playoffs, but could they at least make the ice white like a winter classic ? I just find the chewed up blue ice super annoying

 

I’ve noticed my guy has taken a lot of shots from one knee especially in front of the net and in traffic. Anyone else seen this ?

 

Honestly my only issue is that the skating feels clunky. I miss being able to turn on a dime with puck in 20 whereas it feels clunky and slow in this game. Feel like having an extremely north-south game will be boring

 

Name on the screen won't be in the actual game. It's there because people aren't allowed to upload/share footage of the test and can easily be identified if you do upload footage. It moves around so it's hard to cover up the name.

That's not a speed glitch I don't think.. that's intentional. It's a new advertised deke in the game.

 

how do you do that speed glitch?

 

LB along the boards = you chip it and slide against the boards.
LB+RT along the boards = you chip it and jump out from the boards.

Both are intentional and meant to be used to get around defenders.

 

Thats bc LT was slowed down a bit and the new tools were added and pivoting is changed for skaters back to the NHL 20 beta which had pull away speed and speed wide along the boards.

 

Its just for the "finals" All season games basically 4 weeks of the month will be in doors, then the end of season finals (last week) will be played in there. The ice does look outdoor like with abut after people played on it like all day lol, ill pass it along

 

I passed it along, only seems to be happening on the older consoles but they are aware

 

Youre the first person i have seen have it, Did you hit them both or was it you hit the first guy then unintentionally hit the 2nd or bodies fell everywhere?

 

I have seen 1 or 2, ill keep an eye out for it. Have they been good or bad when it happens? Like are you getting a 1 knee shot and it sucks and youre not scoring or is it getting a 1 knee animation bc theres little space and its helping you get the shot off and on net?

 

I dont have an issue with the pivoting. Im talking about just the players ability to change direction being too slow. Like for example when you have the puck in the O zone and youre trying to turn your guy around a player with the left stick (no LT). just way too slow imo

 

I will look out for it tonight when I play more but actually thinking about it , it’s been in traffic, haven’t had a good shot from it but realistically I think with all the sticks and body’s in front it makes sense that my guy would try that. Definitely not a complaint.

 

There is still the bug where you are in instant replay with the HUD on as the time expires and you return to game, that the replay HUD will carry over to the game and block 20% of your screen. It happened in 20 and was never fixed

 

Hits feel off to me.
I played with a Defensive Dman yesterday and I barely slow down Danglers when I hit them directly... Or caused damage.
Also, they removed the "auto-aim" on hits. Dmen who used to pinch for hits will have a hard time this year. Especially with the rink self pass.