Nhl 08 Gameplay Suggestions (please Read This Ea!!!)

WiiTim · 04-11-2007, 08:31 AM

Ok hockey fans.

I'm not sure if this is the best forum to get a message out to EA. (I was actually thinkinking of writing to them) They definetly must have NHL 08 coming to the Wii with the gameplay controls down pat or many won't be happy.
There are many forums out there that look for suggestions on the next NHL game, but everyone gives the same crap about better AI, music, voices, animation, etc. etc.

Let's talk about the controls for the Wii to set it apart from the other consoles. Here are my suggetions or concerns for the game.

-

SHOOTING - Wouldn't it be awesome to do a slap shot with the nunchuk and wii remote?
But here's the dilema; how does this translate onto screen for left handed and right handed players? (I shoot right, does that mean Crosby will shoot right handed on the screen too?

-

PASSING - Any suggestions for passing controls? Forehand? Backhand? or How about a drop pass between the legs?

-

BODY CHECKS!!! This will be fun. Here's my suggestions;
- CROSS CHECK - nunchuck and wii remote extended like you are actually crosschecking someone high in the face (get 25 game suspension

), or low on the lumbar area.
- SHOULDER CHECK - Chris Pronger is skating backwards with Ovechkin coming down hard on the LEFT. Extend both the nunchuk and wii remote hard to the LEFT and Pronger flattens Ovechkin with a game ending shoulder check.
- HIP CHECK - Same thing as above with Pronger and Ovie coming down on the LEFT. Pronger decides to upend Ovechkin instead with a hip check by extending both the nunchuk and wii remote to the RIGHT instead to simulate a hip check.

-

FIGHTING - This will be a favorite. I'm right handed so I'll extended my nunchuk out in front while holding down the "Z" button to grab Todd Bertuzzi's jersey while I pound his face with the wii remote in my right hand. Vice versa for the controls if you're left handed.
Wanna slow down the fight? How about both the nunchuk and wii remote extended out while holding menacing George Laraque's jersey with the "Z" and "B" button so that you can just jostle with him.

With the wii controls, the gameplay suggestions are boundless. Keep sending your suggestions and hopefully

EA will read these before the release of the game.

AndiOne · 04-11-2007, 12:52 PM

Interesting thoughts

But about the skating?
Perhaps the nunchuk for skating and the wii-mote as your stick.

WiiZero · 04-11-2007, 01:46 PM

1st off EA will not read this hate to break it to you second I don't think EA should make Madden 08 it's better with a regular controller

FWELR · 04-11-2007, 05:56 PM

as far as the shooting goes, you can hold the wiimote in either hand, so that shouldn't be a problem. i like the rest of your ideas (especially the hitting), and would like to add some more.

HOLD A and move wiimote to pass
HOLD B and move wiimote to shoot (quickly=wristshot, long motion=slapshot)
move wiimote to deke

Nunchuck-analog stick to move
C=speed burst
Z=turn your head around

I think that playing as the goalie would be fun, since the nunchuck could be your glove hand and the wiimote would be your stick hand. but that would prob. only be in like a special shootout mode.

WiiTim · 04-11-2007, 06:54 PM

That seems like the most logical way to set up passing and shooting with the A and B buttons. I just hope you can thread some good passes.
C button for speed burst = good simple idea.

If EA doesn't read this post. Where will they read it?

scubasteve · 04-11-2007, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FWELR

as far as the shooting goes, you can hold the wiimote in either hand, so that shouldn't be a problem. i like the rest of your ideas (especially the hitting), and would like to add some more.

HOLD A and move wiimote to pass
HOLD B and move wiimote to shoot (quickly=wristshot, long motion=slapshot)
move wiimote to deke

Nunchuck-analog stick to move
C=speed burst
Z=turn your head around

I think that playing as the goalie would be fun, since the nunchuck could be your glove hand and the wiimote would be your stick hand. but that would prob. only be in like a special shootout mode.

ah you beat me to it, playing as goalie would rock, i played my first time a week ago, (in my league) i let in 7 shots out of 24, and my team won our first game this season, it was our fourth game to play so we needed a win, pretty good if i say so myself,anyway,the controls would be easy, nunchuk for glove, wiimote is the stick, and maybe press B and Z to drop to your knees. somone made a comment about skating, that would just be done with the joystick, we don't have to go crazy with motion sensing ya know. and somone said c for speed burst, that would be a good idea.

Deadpoolio · 04-12-2007, 01:18 AM

Having an NHL game for the Wii would be amazing however I think that it would take a while to even work on the dynamics of the game.
I would have to agree that the passing and shooting would have to be associated with the A and B buttons.
In regards to threading passes, I think that as long as you point in the direction you want the pass to go with the Nunchuk joystick, the pass should be effective.
Agreed on the skating issue. Skating should just be done with the joystick, no need to over complicate things.
As far as shooting is concerned, there would have to be an option in the settings to determine the handness of the gamer. Options between right and left should be chosen, where the on screen player just mocks the gamer's movements regardless of the hand.
I believe that it would be better and more effective to have dedicated buttons to assist in checking (body and poke) as well as hooking and blocking. Some of the movements are hard to do and mapped buttons would definetly help.
Tactics could be controlled via the D-Pad on the Wii Remote.

Also, who said EA had to come out and develop this game. I'm sure someone will try and take on this challenge, EA or not.

ilikecookies · 04-12-2007, 02:53 AM

I would love to see hockey come to the wii but it is hard to make the controlls, it's going to be "neat" to see how they do if it comes.

p.s. the goalie idea would rock

scubasteve · 04-12-2007, 04:20 AM

Hellz yea, I'm thinking about doin goalie permanently, it was so fun, and everytime i made a save somone congradulated me, i don't score a whole lot so im not quite used to being the "hero" of the game if you know what i mean.

StevenNevets · 04-12-2007, 04:38 AM

Um, they won't read the post, anywhere, ever... You can try emailing it to them but you'll just get an auto-reply or they'll delete it.

Discusion of the game is good but unless you work for one of the top game sites or manage to get millions of peoples attention to where the info is bound to get to them don't bother trying to get them to read it.

Sorry to tell you but that's just how this is, getting suggestions to developers in general by yourself is something that can ussualy only be done with small games and small companys (such as little mmos)

WiiTim · 04-12-2007, 04:48 AM

Where do I look to for help?
That's right....EA doesn't have to be the one, but I've played their hockey games the most and I just want it done right. I just think EA has the most money to devote developers to doing it right. Is there any game developer out there who are hardcore hockey fans that can make this game? (Wishful thinking)
I love all the suggestions so far, especially the goalie idea. That'll be great if the expand the controls in the fighting modes.

Anyone like the idea of having optional automatic or manual stick handling modes? I got hands of stone, but some skilled hockey players would probably like to stick handle their own way in the game.

Eif87 · 04-12-2007, 07:50 AM

Good ideas. But instead of EA, why don't you send them to 2K sports. The NHL 2K series are way better than EA in terms of realism and control scheme. I've played ice hockey for almost 15 years now, and I can tell you that playing a game of NHL 2K7 is as close as the real thing as you will ever get. But, if you want Arcady gameplay and good graphics, stick with EA I guess

FWELR · 04-12-2007, 07:53 AM

Eif87: I agree with you that 2K makes better sports game than EA. More realistic, anyway. I disagree with you that sending it to 2K will do you any good, seeing as how EA decided to jump on the Wii's bandwagon early, with lots of ports of other games (Godfather, SSX Blur), plus adding most of their sports franchises over (Madden, Tiger Woods, NBA Live for 08). We know that EA will make a hockey game, will 2K?

Eif87 · 04-13-2007, 04:40 AM

Good point FWELR. I guess I can't really complain about EA anymore, because they have been huge supporters of the Wii (and Godfather is simply amazing). It was just wishful thinking on my part :-) Would be an amazing game though

WiiTim · 04-13-2007, 06:26 PM

Good points on EA. They seem to be going full steam ahead with the Wii. Good news people. I just found an old high school friend who works with EA on motion capture animation. I'll send him this thread and see if he can direct us to the right person in charge of NHL 08.

BTW: any comments on the optional automatic or manual stickhandling with the wii remote?

FWELR · 04-13-2007, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiiTim

BTW: any comments on the optional automatic or manual stickhandling with the wii remote?

yeah, should be optional. some hotshots will want it. beginners will get tired of it.

WiiTim · 04-14-2007, 05:51 AM

At one point I saw the NHL 08 had a release date of September 19, but no it's gone. Maybe it's harder to develop than many think, because of the controls.