Well, I think this is it, as I'm starting to see some higher-scoring games as I improve on offense and the CPU responds. These are just what I feel give the game a nice balance of realism, fairness and difficulty for someone who likes to play a realistic game and isn't an absolute wizard with the sticks (well just yet anyways!)...
-10 MINUTE PERIODS, PENALTIES maxed, FIGHTING at halfway or maxed if you really want to fight when you hit Y. NHL rules for all others. All gameplay sliders are on a zero to six scale...
GAME SPEED: 0**
PUCK CONTROL: 0
FIGHT DIFFICULTY: 0 (I really have no idea how to fight in this game and this seems to slow it down some)
FATIGUE EFFECT: 5
AI LEARNING: 6** (More on this later!)
FATIGUE RECOVERY: 1
PLAYER ACCELERATION: 2**
HITTING POWER: 0
AGGRESSION: 4**
POKE EFFECTIVENESS: 6
PASS SPEED: 4 (the puck should be faster than the players!)
SAUCER PASS SPEED: 6 (trust me, this allows you to 'soft dump' with manual control)
PASS INTERCEPTIONS: 6
GOALIE PASSING: 3**
SHOT ACCURACY: 3
SHOT POWER: 3
SHOT BLOCKING: 6
HOOK EFFECTIVENESS: 6
PENALTY SHOT FREQUENCY: 6
GOALIE COVER FREQUENCY: 6
OK, I had a chance to sit down and play about 10 games between Saturday night and Sunday between football games and I think these will be my final sliders. Here are my final thoughts:
1) DO NOT TURN DOWN AI LEARNING. I know what I said before, but for some reason after losing five in a row while scoring only four goals (3 of which came in one game), I decided to turn AI learning back up to the max. Why? Why not! To my surprise, the game opened up, I started seeing breakaways, I could outskate the CPU and most of all, I STARTED SCORING GOALS! I scored 21 goals in my next five games, with CPU tallying 24 goals! I swear that the 'AI cheats/boosts' that some are complaining about in other threads are a result of lowering AI learning, almost like EA programmed the game to over-compensate if you tried to lower it in your favor...
2) CREATE SOME PLAYS! As I said, recently I've been lighting it up, without really changing any sliders. Other than re-maxing AI Learning, I made plays for the offensive zone strategies and on almost every play I have one guy (two in crash the net) going right to the edge of the crease, usually right it front of the goalie. Now I'm seeing more screened shots, a few deflections, some rebound goals and some beautiful tap-ins when I'm able to sneak a pass through the crease/slot.
3) PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Particularly one-timers and one-timing rebounds. Both are very dangerous ways to score if you execute them properly and can aim your shot while doing it. Many of the 'ridiculous saves' people are seeing on those cross-ice one-timers I suspect are because they are not aiming the shot where it needs to go. Besides, sometimes goalies do make 'impossible' saves. Pick one of the practice modes with no defensive players (I like 5 on 0) and just fire low slappers and try to bang in rebounds with the one-timer. Remember to aim to the open part of the net... This practice will pay off in games, as it will almost become instinctive, which is necessary because the goalies recover very quickly.
4) VARY YOUR PLAY! I think this goes without saying, but you need to mix it up. The game rewards you for it. Listen to Bill & Gary when they comment on strategy, read the between periods suggestions, change your pressures, carry it in the zone, dump it in, cycle the puck and aim low sometimes, except when you see the goalie butterfly -- then pick a high corner! I think what I'm getting at is the game will reward you for 'realistic' play as the AI Learning will have a hard time adapting and will actually make some mistakes by guessing what you'll do next. I've seen at least 3 or 4 clean breakaways in those last five games, after not seeing barely even an odd-man rush playing with it on lower settings.
Liking the goalie mode seems like fun for a while.