NHL 20
NHL 20: Talking Goaltending Strategies and Frustrations in the Forums
The niche aspects of these sports games is part of why I love the Operation Sports community. Over on our NHL 20 forums, there’s a discussion right now about playing goalie in the game this year. The discussion has been going on-and-off for about a month, but it just reminds me of my own experiences playing goalie in NHL OTP. There is nothing quite as brutal and rewarding in all of online team play than playing goalie in an NHL game.
It’s a thankless job, and you have to be at least a little psychotic to subject yourself to the game-to-game torture of it — or at least be someone who played goalie in real life. You are constantly yelled at, blamed, and criminally underappreciated. In drop-in games, people will quit on you all the time, leaving you in games at times where it becomes 5-on-3 in terms of humans vs. CPU after all the quitters bounce.
But we still come back. Why do we come back? Well, again, because we’re at least a little psychotic. But also because the rush of actually putting a team on your shoulders can be incredible. In FIFA, the rush isn’t quite the same when you have a big save or two because the sheer volume does not match up. But in NHL, oh man, you can be peppered with breakaways and one-timers multiple times per period. If you end up standing on your head, you feel like such a king. And while people will quit on you in a split second, they also will praise you like randoms usually never would in most sports games.
Of course, in the thread there’s also general complaints and misgivings about the goalie animations. There’s also talk about how foolish some human CPU defenders are while trying to “help” you defend the crease. There’s a discussion about weird physics, why your goalie sometimes just allows odd goals, and all the other stuff you would expect from a forum thread. Either way, scope that thread out if you’re one of those crazy people who still gets between those pipes, even though you know it will probably end in misery.
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According to EA: "Goalies just gotta get sniped sometimes". No matter how good you are or how perfect your positioning is, you will have to rely on the game to make saves. Sometimes you will, sometimes you won't. Nothing you can do about that.
My suggestion? If you're gonna play this position, just go into it knowing NOTHING you do will actually matter. You will win and lose mostly based off the team in front of you, not your knowledge or skill in net.
Goalies are the least enjoyable position to play as in the game since NHL 16. Even if you are good at it, and you played this position before in real life, you will hate nearly every moment you play this position. Win or Lose.
My suggestion? If you're gonna play this position, just go into it knowing NOTHING you do will actually matter. You will win and lose mostly based off the team in front of you, not your knowledge or skill in net.
Goalies are the least enjoyable position to play as in the game since NHL 16. Even if you are good at it, and you played this position before in real life, you will hate nearly every moment you play this position. Win or Lose.
Yeah, been trying to remind myself that. I think my biggest complaint is it always seems like that piles on in the third period. First two periods go smoothly and the third, the AI suddenly remembers how to score hahaha
Been watching a lot of videos on YouTube and I definitely want to enjoy playing goal, but it’s tough.
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Perfect example, last night I had a shutout on 28 saves with 10 minutes to go leading 4-0 in an AHL be a pro game. 5 minutes and 5 shots later I had given up 4 goals!!! One own goal, one soft wrister over the glove from between the circle and blue line with no screen, one 100 mph 1 timer, and something else. Don't remember because I was enraged by then.
If it happened occasionally that would be one thing but it happens a lot. I would estimate 75% of the time.
It's a shame because for 50 minutes it's a lot of fun but those last 10 absolutely RUINS everything.
That's what happens when bean counters are in charge
Perfect example, last night I had a shutout on 28 saves with 10 minutes to go leading 4-0 in an AHL be a pro game. 5 minutes and 5 shots later I had given up 4 goals!!! One own goal, one soft wrister over the glove from between the circle and blue line with no screen, one 100 mph 1 timer, and something else. Don't remember because I was enraged by then.
If it happened occasionally that would be one thing but it happens a lot. I would estimate 75% of the time.
It's a shame because for 50 minutes it's a lot of fun but those last 10 absolutely RUINS everything.
Glad I’m not the only one that’s run into this problem hahaha
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Question about online goaltending. As an offline goalie I hate that the cpu frequently over rules my input, that is I may press RT to go to butterfly but my input is delayed because the cpu wants to do something else. Is it like that online or do you have complete control?
Not at all. I feel like the online controls for goalies are very responsive and give complete control. Haven’t had an issue.
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Playing goalie in OTP is simultaneously the most infuriating and enjoyable thing. You can stand out and be a legend, and then let in like one "kinda soft" goal and people quit or go nuts. It's a wild time.
Totally. 100% accurate
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It's the same, except you also have to battle online latency (lag). And if you thought your AI teammates were bad... Just wait 'till you meet your Human Teammates in drop-ins.
Like the others said, it's at the same time the most exhilarating and most mind numbing and frustrating thing ever. If you get lucky and the game decides to give you some good save animations, you'll have a good time. And then that one time you are in position, challenging the shot and it goes in because of... reasons? You'll want to throw babies at people!
As an actual real goalie, there is not enough control if you're a goalie in this game. All you can do is "be in position" and then hope the game makes a save, which is like if you're playing Halo and all you do is line up the cross-hairs and then "hope" the game pulls the trigger at the right time.
The "auto-save" feature was toned down this year so that if you don't actually press RT to make a save your goalie will just stand there like a lemon.
Like the others said, it's at the same time the most exhilarating and most mind numbing and frustrating thing ever. If you get lucky and the game decides to give you some good save animations, you'll have a good time. And then that one time you are in position, challenging the shot and it goes in because of... reasons? You'll want to throw babies at people!
As an actual real goalie, there is not enough control if you're a goalie in this game. All you can do is "be in position" and then hope the game makes a save, which is like if you're playing Halo and all you do is line up the cross-hairs and then "hope" the game pulls the trigger at the right time.
The "auto-save" feature was toned down this year so that if you don't actually press RT to make a save your goalie will just stand there like a lemon.
I just got NHL 20 and started playing. Goaltending definitely feels different. Best way I can describe it is more “soft” goals getting passed me. In previous years I’ve had an 85-95 save percentage, giving up 1 or 2 goals a game. In my first couple games, I gave up 6 then 8 goals, and the guys I was playing weren’t anything special. Granted some of that could have been rust, and also the fact that no one was covering my backside on defense, but it for sure feels different this year. But I can’t put my finger on what it is.
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The goalie should still go into butterfly, but best practice is still generally to get down if you want to protect the bottom of the net.
Regardless of the mode, human goalies are limited to what we're allowed to do. Meaning, automation overrules our input, no matter what our intentions are. It's getting more frustrating to play as a goalie, in this game, because of what we're limited to and also the fact that the forwards are overpowered. Of course, it doesn't take much skill to score in this game, but as long as there's face masks and pre-game dance intros, gameplay doesn't matter.
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How is that possible?
Quite simply because this game has taught people that goalies can't make a save, so the best idea to prevent a goal is to crowd the front of the net and block shots themselves. Because heaven knows that the reason a goalie doesn't stop a puck on an open one-timer or the 15th breakaway in a row is because he just doesn't want to. Obviously if a skater was there he'd be able to block the puck instead of the goalie!
This leads to the always hilarious scenario of your teammates smashing into the goalie in his crease and pushing the puck into the net themselves.
And then they blame the goalie...
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai2MbSzcJE92gwMZrSj0r7PWh-rh
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai2MbSzcJE92gwMZrSj0r7PWh-rh
That's absolutely ridiculous! Next time that you're assuming the role as a goalie (we know that's what we're doing because we're not really in control of this scripted BS), hug the right post, with the blocker and stick on the ice, let go and see what happens. Also, try stacking the pads to the left, and that's even more interesting. When you see what happens, for both scenarios, think of the sound that Mario makes (Super Mario Brothers for the NES) when he eats a mushroom.
You mean this?
How about this:
Didn't know users could use the Force to redirect the puck in midflight... Although it makes sens since EA has the Star Wars license.
Last one:
So much for the fixed puck covers, eh? :/
and this?:brickwall
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai2MbSzcJE92fj9h9JiYdXOqbv8?e=XveNQR
and
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai2MbSzcJE92gwX_TfiRisK8H1VP?e=4Dqjm9
How about this:
Didn't know users could use the Force to redirect the puck in midflight... Although it makes sens since EA has the Star Wars license.
Last one:
So much for the fixed puck covers, eh? :/
Yes, sir, that's what I'm referring to. You know, it's bad enough that the CPU/AI takes away some of the control of what a human inputs into the controller, it also takes away from the fun, compete and enjoyment factor. Ha, and get this, EA seems to think that this current version, in somewhat similar wording, "is in a good place". How? And who, not only being responsible for what the majority wants and what we expect, especially being long time players, fans, and purchasers of this game, makes the decisions for this lacklustre effort and continuous ignorance?
The last tuner/game update was October 25th, 2019, and now it's December 1st, 2019. That's un-f******-acceptable.
EA SPORTS, "It's in a good place."
The last tuner/game update was October 25th, 2019, and now it's December 1st, 2019. That's un-f******-acceptable.
There isn't any tuners, dude. They just released a patch that "fixed" some bugs like the goalie puck covers (HAH!!!), added a few new things to some modes, like the RIVALS mode in HUT. But they didn't release a tuner yet because, as you said, EA thinks "the game's in a good place gameplay-wise".
This entire game is basically unplayable right now in this state. The only viable option is to play skater, mostly forward, unless you're a good d-man.
They're never gonna fix it. This game is going to stay like this until next year when NHL 21 comes out for PS5/Xbox Scarlet. And don't expect anything great with that either. Remember when NHL 15 made the jump to PS4/XB1?
Expect more of the same from this team...
My next game as a goalie, in EASHL, well, with 2 human goalies and eventually going up 3-0, the opposing goalie decides to quit. Then, after our 3rd goal and ensuing faceoff, there's a little scramble, but one of their human players auto shoots (some automated turn around shot) from just outside of our blue line, and the puck goes into the net off of the side of my mask. It's now 3-1. We score another goal to go up 4-1, and it wasn't long before we were on the wrong side of a 5-4 score, with all of their goals bouncing or trickling in off of me. I now can't (fully) stop anything. We tie the game at 5, and then I get mysteriously kicked out of the game. Although it didn't show up right away, it now shows that the team that I was on won the game, 6-5, and I have no idea if I was given the win, loss or the game didn't count.
This game is f****** hateful.
How about this:
Didn't know users could use the Force to redirect the puck in midflight... Although it makes sens since EA has the Star Wars license.
Last one:
So much for the fixed puck covers, eh? :/
I just seen this post, in the EA forum. I would've also posted something there, but there's some grudge holders (moderators) that keep banning my attempt at commenting, regardless of how much time has passed. That's ok, though, because there's other means and avenues to get my point across. Constant suppression only shows weakness, and an inability to face the facts.
The first goal one of my teammates I assume was trying to clear the puck from the corner with absolutely no one around him. He took a slap shot (for what reason I’ll never know) but was facing my direction. I wasn’t paying attention as there was no one around him, and it hit off my butt and bounced in to the goal.
The second guy took a rebound from a blue line shot I made a clean save on and skated it right into our goal. Again, no one else around. I assume he couldn’t stop his momentum.
The game loser in OT was my own guy redirecting a shot with his stick that I had perfect positioning on. I’m sure he meant well, but he killed us.
It was an absurd game. Very frustrating.
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UpWqvdHXXfQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UpWqvdHXXfQ
In EA's world, that's called "realism". Here's more of their "realism" for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szYG6NbWpRs
And yeah, that's been in the game since NHL 14...