Here is the 4th installment of the developer Q & A for NHL 16 EA via their Ask EA NHL page. There are already some great questions and answers as well as some additional feature information on EASHL mode. Checkout the questions below.
Will there be in-game simulation in be a gm?
Sim Intervention is back in the game and will be a part of Be A GM.
Will we be able to hire coaches this year in GM mode? If not, are there plans to add this in the future?
You will not be able to hire coaches this year in GM Mode. It is something that we are continuing to look into.
Will there be a Zamboni racing mode?
There will not be a Zamboni racing mode.
Will there be warmups?
No. There won’t be warm-ups in NHL 16. We have spent all of our time as a gameplay team this year focusing on the core balance of the game during play with a specific emphasis on core mechanics.
Are the animations back where the offensive players try hard to stay on-sides by dragging their leg a little at the blue line, or any other animations to help the players stay on-sides better?
Yes, one of our gameplay engineers spent time specifically tuning how players use a dragged skate to stay onside. We have seen some great moments where players are just barely onside using the technique before receiving a pass.
In EASHL, will we be able to play 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 5v5 (like in the past) or is 6v6 the requirement?
Playing 6s in EASHL is a great way to experience the game mode. However, we know that isn’t the only way our fans want to play the game (that plus sometimes it’s just difficult to get your friends together to play at the same time!). You will be able to play the same way as before where teams can enter gameplay with at least 2 human controlled players.
Can you update the roster more frequently in NHL 16? For comparisons sake, MADDEN updates the rosters weekly.
We are currently assessing the feasibility of more frequent roster updates. The most challenging part for us is the total number of leagues and players that need to be updated and are often dependent on one another. As an example, we cannot update just the NHL without making the corresponding changes to the AHL for players that have moved up or down.
Can you still play as your EASHL pro in Ranked OTP?
Hi Martin, thanks for your question. You can play as your EASHL Pro within EASHL while OTP players will use skaters from the authentic team rosters.
Can you show us some of the excitement and pitch up and down of Doc’s voice that you promise? I think it was awesome they way you changed from Gary Thorne etc but Doc is all about his excitement so that was a bit disappointing. But good that you fix it! Do you have any plans on making the intros longer? I love them and always watch them, feels more like a real game on NBC.
We have added a lot more contextual intros so that Doc and Eddie can follow along even closer as you progress through a season and take on different opponents. As examples of the detail, they even understand how you have fared on a long road trip or how important the final game of a home stand is before heading out on the road. They will track team and player success in the league and the new NBC overlays will back up all the stats and provide even more detailed information. As far as Doc’s level of excitement, that was the great challenge our audio team took on when Doc joined our team. For NHL 16, we wanted to try and get even closer to the level of energy fans have grown to expect when Doc calls a game. Doc can now get extra excited when a team is really putting on the pressure or trying to score late in a close game. Extra attention was also put into his goal calls.
Will a full featured practice mode be back?
A full featured practice mode is high on our priority list but currently not planned for NHL 16.
Are the menus changed and more streamlined then 2015? Have you improved menu performance?
The menus have been worked on and we have made improvements to usability and performance.
Will the AHL affiliate teams be playable in Be a GM mode just like in the previous NHL?
All the AHL teams are back in GM Mode and your AHL affiliate is fully playable. So you can try and win the Stanley Cup and the Calder Cup.
In Be A Pro, are there different ways to start your career or do you always start in the CHL?
Hello Bryan. Be A Pro will allow you to play in three different ways. You can start on any NHL team but you would still have to earn your way to the roster. You can start in the CHL and work your way to being the number 1 pick or you can start at the entry draft where you play in the Memorial Cup and then go to the draft to see where you are drafted.
Will there be more kinds of penalties in NHL 16?
We haven’t added new penalties to the game that we haven’t had in the past but we have put focus on ensuring our current penalty logic is more solid such as calling boarding, charging, checking from behind and both regular and goalie interference more reliably.
Will you be able to take Timeout and changing Goalies without pausing the game?
Not for this year. We have added the Timeout sequences back into the game though, respecting all the unique bench locations of each of the stadiums and also added in Goalie Swaps so that the broadcast team can focus on the new goalie before the start of the next face-off.
Will Doc yell “score!” like he does in real life when someone scores a goal?
Yes, our audio team has done a great job of capturing the energy Doc has around goal calls. You will even hear some unique calls for some of the stars of the game to make the experience even more authentic.
I saw on the create a player video that there was the ability to select different sticks. Will selecting one stick over the other have an effect on game play or is this purely cosmetic? Thank you!
The effect of a shot comes purely from the ratings of the player taking the shot and the context in which the shot is taken. We have revisited the shot model to ensure players are accountable for how in control they are, the angle of the shot to their target and the direction they are travelling compared to their target. All of these factors can have an affect on both accuracy and power.
In the EASHL mode, will you be able to create your own player from scratch again? I got confused with the OTP where it says you play as nhl players.
You will play as your created pro character in EASHL. You will be able to use authentic players from each of the leagues/teams in OTP.
Will there be some sort of progression on the individual and team level in terms of attributes for EASHL?
Hi Scott, thanks for your question. When we set out to develop the new EASHL, our goal was to create a balanced, competitive experience. One of the first things on our list of things to tackle was whether or not to allow progression that boosted attributes. While we get progression was a rewarding design in the previous EASHL, it didn’t necessarily create an even playing field for users who started playing later or didn’t boost their stats, etc.