Thread: NHL 09 Wish List

I didn't feel this topic really fit in the NHL 09 News section and it'd probably be lost in the shuffle so I'm starting a separate thread...

The question I pose to you is this: "What features do you wish were included in the game that's not available now?"

My focus is going to be on the BAP Mode.

Since they take away your ability to make trades and sign free agents while being a player what else do you really have the ability to do? Change your jersey number and your equipment, do drills, and look up stats. That's it. I don't know about some of you, but I wish they had more options for you to do things when you're in BAP Mode.

Here's my own little wish list that I've got going:

I'd like to be able to demand a trade if I decide I'm rather bored playing for a particular team and don't want to wait until my contract is up for a shot at changing venues.

I want to be able to choose what teams I sign with instead of being limited to only a handful of teams who throw offers at me. If I want to play for Toronto, for example, I should be able to go to them on my own (through the agent) and see what kind of contract they could offer me.

I want the option to negotiate the terms and figures of my contract up or down on my own.

I want the ability to not have to decide what team to sign with right away, just like how the CPU players get to take as long as they want to make a decision during free agency in Dynasty Mode.

I like the idea of being able to switch positions. They had this feature in one of the NCAA college football games where during the off-season you could switch a defensive tackle to say offensive guard and it gives you a projected number of what their overall rating is going to be right off the bat. Then there's a training phase where your stats potentially go up as you train in your new position.

I want to be drafted at the start of BAP Mode. You pick what region you want to be playing your junior career in and the system picks a team and generates random numbers that you're going into the draft with. At that point you get to choose whether you just want to go straight into being drafted/not drafted or if you want to try doing the draft combine drills to try and increase your draft position.

That last one might seem tedious, but I think some people would get a kick out of being say the #1 pick in the draft or even being the next Datsyuk or Zetterberg as a draft day steal in the late round.

I'm curious what you all think and what personal ideas you guys might have.

I haven't looked much into it, I just cracked open the game the other day and I played BAP mode with Kopitar and haven't explored anything else...

I love it!!!

But sometimes I just want to play a quick game in BAP mode (like just be one player) and not be in BAP mode...u know what i mean? like play now feature, but be able to just play as one player...I hate playing as one player forever and then go to play now and play as a whole team

I also wish that the players resembled the real life players a little more. I feel that NHL 08 did a better job at this. Kopitar looks nothing like Kopi. Jack Johnson is bald and our coach looks nothing like Terry Murray. In the past NHL series they did a good job of making players look like their real life counterparts...this year its like they rushed it.

Oh and I'm a big stifler when it comes to hockey sticks. I suggest putting in the blue Easton S17's not just the red ones and the alternate coloured Warrior Domonite sticks as well! I hate seeing Kopi with the Blue warrior lol!

i just wish the refs would crack down on interference in online mode. everytime im racing someone to the puck the other player just checks my player to the ice.

Originally Posted by luckyluc20

i just wish the refs would crack down on interference in online mode. everytime im racing someone to the puck the other player just checks my player to the ice.

They need to call these stuff online BIG TIME. There are a bunch of jerks out there who will intentionally check you all game long, because they refs will not call it 95% of the time. That's ridiculous.

I understand that the game shouldn't call a penalty on everything because people wouldn't enjoy playing this game if they're stuck in the box. But they definitely need to tweak the calls somehow, especially for the people who check people away from the play all game long.

In BAP mode, I'd like to see other players get switched on lines also. It seems that 99% of the time, I am the only player moving up and down lines. If you're going to kick me back down the the 2nd line because I haven't scored a goal in the game or two, what about the other guys that haven't scored a goal in weeks?

Another is the RIDICULOUS trades that happen. There should be players that have <1% chance of ever going to another team, and if they do it should be something blockbuster. I'm in my 3rd BAP season and Ovechkin has been on 3 different teams. NOT LIKELY. Kopitar was traded to the Islanders after my first season. And Datsyuk and Zetterberg are no longer Wings. Riiiight.

And I too would like to see a 'hold out' type option. If you're only going to give me 3 or 4 choices to re-sign somewhere, then I should have the option to see who those teams sign in the offseason before I make a decision. Heck, I'd be happy to just be able to look at their current rosters before signing. Its not right that I have to make a choice without any information on the teams offering me contracts.

That being said, its still my #1 game.

1) How about the computer actually plays "aggressive" when you set it to "aggressive" mode.
2) My players just stand around the net in the offensive zone and are you usually being escorted by defenseman which makes it near impossible to setup any plays. The offense needs tweaking and the forwards need to move around if they are being covered by the d-men.
3) The stick lift is way too effective in online mode and in the game in general.
4) The fighting still sucks.

Originally Posted by luckyluc20

i just wish the refs would crack down on interference in online mode. everytime im racing someone to the puck the other player just checks my player to the ice.

Absolutely agree with this one.

Originally Posted by Mr. Irreverent

3) The stick lift is way too effective in online mode and in the game in general.

Again, I agree 100%. I definitely like the addition of the stick lift, but come on already... some people are way too good at it. And while they're not exactly at the very top of the list, how about little things like:

-hats being thrown on the ice for hat tricks

-the occasional (and I mean occasional, EA) broken stick where you have to skate back to the bench (like to the little red circle in BAP mode) to get a new one. It would be cool to try and play D without a stick in certain situation, where if you hit the poke check button your player tries to kick the puck out of the zone, something along those lines.

-player momentum carrying through after goals. I know they've fixed it a little bit, but if I'm crashing the net and knock the puck in, there's no reason my player shouldn't also follow through and barrel into the goalie, boards, net, etc. A lot of times they just immediately stop and celebrate...

-occasional scrums in the crease when the play is blown dead

-penalties for hits after the whistle

-maybe add in a higher chance of getting injured when laying on the ice to block the puck? Don't think I've ever had a player injured in that position.

-something characteristic in each arena that comes up from time to time (read: not every single game). A celebrity (fake or otherwise) in the crowd in LA, octopus on the ice in Detroit, various mascots, etc.

etc...

Most of all, and I guess it's a lot to ask and may be impossible, but test the hell out of the thing and eliminate all cheese goals. There's still that damn shot from the top of the faceoff circle (similar to the curve shot) that goes in almost every time.

A few of these are ridiculous things to ask for, but fun thoughts anyway...

Originally Posted by Watti

-hats being thrown on the ice for hat tricks

-the occasional (and I mean occasional, EA) broken stick where you have to skate back to the bench (like to the little red circle in BAP mode) to get a new one. It would be cool to try and play D without a stick in certain situation, where if you hit the poke check button your player tries to kick the puck out of the zone, something along those lines.

-player momentum carrying through after goals. I know they've fixed it a little bit, but if I'm crashing the net and knock the puck in, there's no reason my player shouldn't also follow through and barrel into the goalie, boards, net, etc. A lot of times they just immediately stop and celebrate...

-occasional scrums in the crease when the play is blown dead

I agree with all of these. Id also like them to include the gameface feature in BAP mode. EA included the gameface feature in Tiger Woods 08. You could take a photo of yourself, upload, and create an almost exact image of yourself into the game.