IMPORTANT UPDATE: ECL ’26: Spring - All Abilities Banned

7 minutes ago, iSvamp said:

I actually think what you are describing is exactly the same in real hockey.

You cannot leave a gap, because if the shooter manages to hit that gap, whether through skill or luck, it is a goal. Just like in real hockey, it is not only up to the goalie to be ready for the short side, the slot, and the back post at the same time. You have defensemen in front of you who are supposed to block shots, do the right mechanical things, clear the crease, and take away passing lanes.
The idea that a goalie in a game should be like some kind of superhero who can cover all three threats at the same time would actually be unreasonable. At that point even I could play goalie.

In every situation, regardless of position, you have to give up some part of the ice. It comes down to hockey sense and making the right read. And even with sponge or abilities, there are still bugs in the game today where goalies fly around in butterfly. That is something we will probably never fully get rid of when these developers keep releasing unfinished games year after year. It is what it is.

 

 

 

i hope you are right. i think i will be saving the same amount nothing will change so much lets see how it end up in games. just i am a bit worried about goalie situation because hut and 1v1 and offline goalies is realy bad. my goalie cant cover shortside lol, i take away this far side, and player dont even need to beat goalie far side :d he just snipes easy shortside with some stupid move.

Edited 1 hour ago by saagssy

21 minuter sedan, Janikka säger:

It really isn't, though. You need a game like Rocket League to get something like that or at least much closer to it.

This is a tempting sentiment, right? Especially because people have teams or players they don't like so much, so obviously those teams or players will be bottom of the barrel once they can no longer rely on their beloved abilities. But we have both been around a long, long time. We have seen plenty of changes and their impact to the game, and I think we'll find history repeating itself. The players who were good using the traits will still be good going forward, and vice versa. Maybe there will be an adjustment period to get rid of certain bad habits from using the abilities. But eventually, I think we will simply have a different flavor of the game. Possibly a preferable one.

It is tho, the game will only be skillbased? 

No perks = only skill

Good decision!

From goalie perspective:
Imo elite sponge and other save related abilities just gives you way too many unrealistic saves when you're out of position or just too late to one tees etc. 

Reason for funny looking goals against are weird animations, which have nothing to do with the abilities. And I think that is sadly just part of the game at this point. Rng just throws it at you when the code tells it's time for scoring😄 What I've tested without abilities, I had more balanced gameplay and more solid animations between the pipes. 

Survey would have been nice? 

Only gold abilities maybe?

1 minuutti sitten, Snus97_ kirjoitti:

It is tho, the game will only be skillbased? 

No perks = only skill

To be clear, I am not suggesting the more skilled team doesn't usually beat the less skilled team in this game. The game just doesn't match my interpretation of a "pure competitive experience". I agree that the abilities brought NHL even further from games I hold up as examples of this (such as Rocket League or Counter-Strike). But to me, the core game itself still has various aspects outside the abilities that take away from that purity. Most of these are from EA trying to recreate actual hockey, with varying success.

There are many changes I have always liked to see. On the defensive side, the poke check is one example and puck interceptions are another. I would like these features to be more manual and consistent at the same time. I would like to see a game where you truly had to control the poke check for yourself (whereas now it is always initially aimed at the puck on pressing R1, regardless of whether you leave the button held or not) and where you truly had to control the interceptions for yourself (whereas now you merely position and orient your player correctly for the best chance at an automatic interception).

I am not saying poke checks or interceptions currently require no skill or awareness of game mechanics whatsoever. They certainly do. But in my ideal game, these things would require more skill than now while being more powerful than now whenever correctly executed. This would make them more difficult to use, but also more rewarding when used well.

Of course, I'm straying rather far from the topic.

I genuinely think there were some great ideas on how to make this decision in a much better way, whatever the outcome would have been. 

Perhaps this is the best for the game. It’s impossible to say yet. Maybe we will actually like it much more, we’ll have to see.

BUT the way this was handled, like it seems with all the other decisions, was quite poor. We are all paying for this, so I would have at least hoped that the teams/captains had actually been asked what they really wanted, instead of making dictatorship-like decisions.

This was first announced too early (in the middle of the season) and then deleted after the reactions.

“We have come to this decision based on community feedback.”

I’m sorry, but this feels like total nonsense. Where did you get this feedback from? Not here. From what I read and understand in the comments, it’s more like 50-50.

32 minuuttia sitten, Janikka kirjoitti:

There are many changes I have always liked to see. On the defensive side, the poke check is one example and puck interceptions are another. I would like these features to be more manual and consistent at the same time. I would like to see a game where you truly had to control the poke check for yourself (whereas now it is always initially aimed at the puck on pressing R1, regardless of whether you leave the button held or not) and where you truly had to control the interceptions for yourself (whereas now you merely position and orient your player correctly for the best chance at an automatic interception).

Good times😭