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Forum LockedHitz Pro Hockey Primer

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TedSGN View Drop Down
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Joined: 01-26-2006
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    Posted: 01-27-2006 at 2:57pm
Before I get into specific tactics to use in Hitz Pro I would like to begin with this primer.  I'll be defining some terms here that I'll use in later posts.  Furthermore, much of what I describe in this and future posts may be applicable to other titles, but the tactics that I'll be describing are specifically meant to help players improve their game against human or AI opponents in Hitz Pro.  Finally, since sliders are in Hitz Pro and sliders can severely alter the effectiveness of any tactics I will advise anyone that I minimize the hitting power slider while leaving every other gameplay slider at default and that I play at the allstar difficulty level.

The Zones

When you look at a hockey rink you notice a lot of lines.  The redline across the center of the ice is called the redline.  The two blue lines are called bluelines.  Simple enough.  It is what these lines divide that will help you understand what you should be doing when the puck is in certain zone and have or don't have control of it.

The space between the two blue lines is the neutral zone.  The spaces on each side of the neutral zone are the offensive and defensive zones for each team.  Your defensive zone is the one with your goaltender and net and your offensive zone is the one with the other teams goaltender and net.  Your opponents offensive and defensive zones are defined the same way.  Thus, your offensive zone is your opponents defensive zone.

Offense and Defensive Terms

During any game there are transitions from offense to defense.  When you control the puck you are on offense, obviously, but there are different stages of offense.  When you are in the defensive zone and control the puck you are on the breakout.  You are trying to break out of the zone.  You can break out of the defensive zone by carrying the puck out of the zone, passing it to a player who is already out of the zone or will carry it out of the zone, dumping the puck out of the zone, or clearing the puck out of the zone.  Once the puck is out of the defensive zone you are no longer on the breakout even though you may still be in the defensive zone.

Once you are in the neutral zone with the puck you attempt to gain the offensive zone by either carrying the puck into the zone, passing it to another player who then attempts to carry it into the zone or dumping the puck into the offensive zone.  Note that the puck must preceed all players on your team into the offensive zone otherwise you are offside.

Once you have gained the offensive zone and have possession of the puck you are truly on offense

Clearing the puck typically refers to flipping the puck up into the air and down towards the opponents end of the ice.  Clearing is effective when you are overwhelmed and tired in your defensive zone and need respite from your opponents attack.  It usually results in an icing call which results in a faceoff in your defensive zone.

When you do not have the puck you are on defense; however, like offense there are stages of defense.

When the puck is in the offensive zone and you don't control it you are on the forecheck.  You are on the forecheck whether or not your opponent possesses control of the puck.  When the puck is in the neutral zone and you don't control it you are on the backcheck.

When the puck is in the defensive zone and you don't control it you are truly on defense.

No matter where you are on the ice or where the puck is on the ice, if nobody possesses control of the puck it is considered loose or called a loose puck.

The Positions

You have 5 skaters and 1 goaltender.  The 5 skaters consist of 3 forwards (a center and two wings), and 2 defensemen.  In real hockey these skaters stick to their assigned positions  pretty rigidly.  In Hitz Pro they do not.  While this has been listed as a negative aspect in terms of realistic play I have always found it a positive for hockey video gaming.  I'll explain this further in future posts.  For this post I want you to realize that when I use the term forward or defenseman I'm not necessarily referring to the players assigned position, but rather where he is on the ice at that moment.  These 5 skaters do their work in shifts and when a shift is over another 5 skaters takes their place.  This is called a line change.  Line changes are usually done by groups.  The forwards will change as a group of three and the defensemen will change as a pair.  Thus you will always see the same 3 forwards on Line 1 and you will see the same two defensemen on the first pairing, but you may see forward Line 2 playing with defense Pairing 1 and many other combos as well.

The Main Differences

The main differences between Hitz Pro and real hockey (or other hockey games) is that Hitz Pro does not have line changes on the fly.  Line changes only occur at whistle stops.

Hitz Pro goaltender also rarely, if ever, come out of their net to play the puck behind the net or in the corner.  While this used to be listed as another negative of the game it has now been rendered mostly moot with the new rule changes to real hockey.

Hitz Pro defensemen will not set up behind their own net for a rush breakout.  I've never considered this a negative because the only other game that does it does it so poorly that it is ineffective to use and a joke to watch.  Hitz Pro was right to not implement this because that is a play that is used while the other team is changing lines on the fly or regrouping from an delayed offside and since Hitz Pro doesn't change on the fly it is unnecessary.

Hitz Pro players will not tie up another player along the boards or tie up their stick.  The only game I know that allows stick tie ups is NHL 2004.  The 2k series allows players to tie up and hold each other on the boards.  This has been implemented in a way that looks appealing, but the effectiveness of it is arguable.  Hitz Pro has its own system of board play which is effective and fun to use.  I'll address this in future posts.

The reason I list these differences is because sometimes when we play games we think we need to do what we see being done in real life.  While this may or may not be so, I'm going to try to show in future posts that the important tactics in hockey, which aren't effective enough in other hockey video games, can be used very effectively in Hitz Pro.  And I believe it is so beautifully implemented that once you start using these tactics you will get more and more hours of enjoyment out of this game and learn to appreciate the game of hockey even more.


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