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The Tactics screen is broken up into three separate tabs: Global, Unit, and Player. These tabs allow you to control your team from the top down, allowing you to make your tactics as general or specific as you'd like. If you're playing an offensive style but want to have one line use s much more conservative approach, you can make more defence-oriented choices for that line. Or if you're playing a light-hitting style but let a hard-hitting player go after his opponents with reckless abandon, you can adjust his individual settings.
The Global tab lets you make choices that apply to your entire team.
The Unit tab lets you modify your globally-set Tactical Settings and Tactical Tendencies to provide specific instructions to individual 5-man units. It also gives you an indication of the relative strengths, in 1-5 star ratings, of each unit. To override your global tactios for a unit, click on them in the "Lines" section to the left,
The Player tab lets you modify your global and/or unit choices to provide specific instructions for individual players. To override your global/unit settings for an individual player, select him at the left. Note that you are only able to adjust tactical tendencies, since the tactical settings cover behaviour for more than one player. Additionally, players are assigned their individual tactical roles on the player tab.
The individual components of your tactics are described below.
Global Preferences
Global Preferences allow you to control specific aspects of coaching behaviour. As the name suggests, they are only changeable at the global level, since they affect the entire team:
Pull Goalie (Down by 1 Goal) specifies the maximum number of seconds remaining in the game before you will attempt to pull your goalie for an extra attacker while down by one goal.
Pull Goalie (Down by 2 Goals) specifies the maximum number of seconds remaining in the game before you will attempt to pull your goalie for an extra attacker while down by two goals.
Goalie Switch determines how quickly your goalie will be pulled if he gives up several goals early or in rapid succession (assuming you don't pull him manually.)
Offensive Zone Faceoff Priority will determine which of your lines have the highest priority when a faceoff takes place in the other team's end of the ice. Your lines are listed to the left, and their priority in the dropdowns - if the 3rd Line is set to "1st", for example, it's likely to be sent out when an offensive zone faceoff occurs and it's well-rested enough to play.
Defensive Zone Faceoff Priority: will determine which of your lines have the highest priority when a faceoff takes place in your own defensive zone and you're capable of changing lines (i.e., not after you've iced the puck.) Your lines are listed to the left, and their priority in the dropdowns - if the 3rd Line is set to "1st", for example, it's likely to be sent out when a defensive zone faceoff occurs and it's well-rested enough to play.
Line Matching will determine which of your lines will tend to be matched against which of your opponent's lines (assuming you don't directly intervene in their selection.) Your lines are listed on the left, the line you want to try to match them to is listed on the right. You're more likely to succeed in matching when you have home ice, since you're allowed the last line change.
Tactical Settings
Tactical Settings determine what approach a team's players will typically take in a particular on-ice situation. These situations are generally defined by which team has control of the puck, what part of the ice the play is currently located in, and/or whether or not one team has a man advantage due to a penalty. These can be broken into four general categories, with three types of options in each:
Orientations: The Offensive and Defensive Orientation don't affect the team's play directly. Rather, these are guidelines for the AI when you ask it to make suggestions about what players and/or tactics to employ. If you select something other than a balanced approach, the AI will tend to favour players and tactics that are similar to your chosen description.
(Please see the Tactical Settings Descriptions page for a detailed description of all the choices available for each category.)
Offensive Even Strength
Used by the team with possession of the puck while both teams are at even strength.
Neutral Zone Offence: The attacking team's approach when moving across the neutral zone and entering the offensive zone.
Attacking Zone Offence: The attacking team's typical setup in the offensive zone.
Defensive Even Strength
Used by the team that does not have possession of the puck while both teams are at even strength.
Neutral Zone Coverage: The defending team's positioning and tactics in centre ice, once the offence has managed to break out successfully.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The defending team's coverage and tactics once the offensive team has established itself in its offensive zone.
Power Play
Used by a team that currently has a power play, regardless of whether or not they currently control the puck.
Attacking Zone Offence: The power play team's typical setup in the offensive zone.
Defensive Approach: The power play team's general approach when puck possession is lost to the shorthanded team.
Penalty Killing
Used by a team whose opponent currently has a power play, regardless of whether or not they currently control the puck.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The penalty killing team's coverage and tactics once the power play team has established itself in its offensive zone.
Attacking Approach: The penalty killing team's general approach when when it wins possession of the puck.
Tactical Tendencies
Tactical Tendencies influence the kind of choices made by individual players irrespective of their unit-level tactics.
Attacking affects the offensive behaviour of the player, trading off offensive risk-taking against more conservative play. The Intense setting will mean he'll produce more scoring chances, but will be less effective defensively. The Mild setting will have the opposite effect, better defensive play but fewer offensive chances.
Aggressiveness determines how much physical aggression the player displays. The Intense setting will create more hits, have the player go into traffic a little more willingly, and fight more often. The Mild setting will mean a more passive approach that takes fewer penalties, but doesn't challenge the opposition physically.
Backchecking influences the amount of effort the player makes in getting back to defend when his team doesn't have the puck. The Often setting will mean he always tries to get back, allowing him to get into defensive position more easily at the cost of being less effective at taking advantage of an opportune turnover. The Rare setting will mean he'll float a little, not getting into position as quickly but rewarding him with a few more offensive chances.
Pressure affects the approach the player takes towards checking an opponent who has the puck. Intense will result in him trying to close rapidly with the puck carrier and force the play, leading to more turnover chances but reducing his ability to react to the overall situation on the ice and sometimes pulling him out of position. Mild will mean a more passive approach, with the player holding back and watching the play from a favourable position, but allowing the opponent space to manoeuvre.
Hitting will determine how the player reacts when he's presented with a situation where he can make a hit. Often means he'll usually try to run at the opponent, making a hit more likely but possibly pulling him out of position. Rare means he'll prefer to react by limiting the puck carrier's options via careful positioning, rather than trying to knock him into next week.
Tempo dictates the pace at which the player will play when they have the puck. High-tempo players will try to move play up the ice rapidly and make faster, but often riskier, choices. Low-tempo players will take more time, slowing the play down but keeping better control of the puck.
Passing will influence whether the player tends to make a pass rather than choose other options when carrying the puck. The Often setting will produce more passes, the Rare setting fewer.
Shooting will influence whether the player tends to take a shot when the opportunity presents itself. The Often setting will produce more shots, even if they're from lower-quality chances, while the Rare setting will mean more passes aimed at attempting to create a better shooting opportunity.