There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

[ch46647]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I am very frustrated with the computer on-ball defense. While I understand it IS possible to occasionally get by a defender, it just does not seem organic.

I play with Steph Curry, and on rare occasions I will get a great launch out of a dribbling move and it feels great (I do not always beat the defender, but it feels good to be in total control). However, it seems very inconsistent and more often than not, I get that "stuck in mud" animation with no acceleration at all.

It really feels as if the CPU defender is sucking you in an animation and not allowing for that burst or explosion, even when he is not riding your hip. You can almost feel it, and when it happens you feel completely powerless.

I am not someone who isolates much at all.. I enjoy running plays and I am trying to learn the freelance offense. However, it is frustrating that when I want to drive and set something up, it feels nearly impossible to do so.

Edit- you also see a TON of suction and warping from the CPU defense when going through picks. Their recovery rate is MUCH greater then it should be.

[Smirkin Dirk]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

My point is how often does Steph Curry beat a guy off the dribble in real life (without a screen)?

[UnbelievablyRAW]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

Playing on-ball defense isn't inherently more virtuous than playing off-ball. We have been given all sorts of defensive settings this year and they are all instructions for the CPU defense. This isn't 1 on 1 we're playing. You do what is necessary to break down your opponent. The real NBA isn't iso-heavy and neither should this game be. If your opponent is "hiding" what is that to you? We have the most extensive freelance offense scheme ever in a basketball game. You have so many tools at your disposal. Use them! Your facing a human, humans have patterns. Recognise them early and use them to your advantage.

If you've come across a person who likes to turbo off every inbound, first of all I think 2k should have a look at it just to make sure it's not over-powered so don't think I don't consider it cheesy. Having said that we have more ways than before to stop stuff like this (some of which I haven't tried myself). OK, maybe Limit Transition isn't enough, but you could half court press him once in a while, half court trap him if he likes to turbo near the sidelines, force him baseline, pick him up manually if you're good enough on D (anyone know how to make CPU do this?) etc. You could get a little cynical yourself and start intentionally fouling him when it seems he's got the step on you. Maybe you're doing the right thing by using your best defender on him but is your defender's stamina low? Can you use another defender that might not have the wingspan of your best defender but has more lateral quickness?

What I love about this game is that it makes you think more than ever. Calling timeouts and making adjustments no longer seem to be superficial with placebo effects.

I'm sorry but this doesn't really offer any solution to the fact that barely anyone plays on-ball defence in this game online. Whether or not its beatable isn't really the question, its whether or not that method of playing makes sense to what Play Now is supposed to be.

The mode is advertised as a definitive ranking system aimed to separate players into tiers based on skill. If barely anyone plays on-ball defence, the data is telling 2k that the skillful maneuver online is to not play onball defence as you get more benefit from letting the computer play defence for you. Just like an online FPS can show the developers which weapons are the most used among the playerbase (and their job is to figure out 'why' in order to balance the game).

It's very clear that players use the AI as a crutch on defence, and simply monitor passing lanes with passive players while the CPU defends ballhandlers. This crutch is especially more efficient when the player is using teams with guards that are lockdown defenders, giving even a bad player a boost online if they use a good team, simply because their AI teammates will pick up the slack.

[hanzsomehanz]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

If there is a Neo out there who knows how to exploit the cpu on ball defense : he should be a maverick or icon out there in the head to head world

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[The 24th Letter]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I love when they leave CPU defenders on me tbh....


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[hanzsomehanz]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I been practicing my 1 on 1 game by playing 2 on 2 versus computer on Blacktop

CPU was D. ROSE and rookie Jordan
I had my My Player who is a 90 in My Career but only an 81 outside of this mode. My partner was Oscar Robertson

All Games were on Superstar and I kept failing continuously. I messed with sliders but after about the 2nd or 3rd night I came close to winning on Default and reached my goal of 19 points...

I felt Oscar was decent and could shoot but would not dunk and his release was terribly slow... so I switched to using Lillard (my career teammate) and my god,,, the flood gates opened...

In the process of all this, I found the CPU to be way easier to beat when the defensive assist strength was maxed out ( in 15 it was the reverse experience).

I start blowing by Jordan and Rose with simple spin moves almost at will and am now consistently blowing by them even on Simulation.

I play on game speed of 85 but maxing out defense assist strength completely changed the CPU on ball defense reactions.

I saved clips to my Xbox one but don't know how to Upload them to a server site that can host clips like others do.

Anyhow, for those struggling with cpu on ball defense experience : raise your game speed and defense assist strength

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[Optik]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I'm sorry but this doesn't really offer any solution to the fact that barely anyone plays on-ball defence in this game online. Whether or not its beatable isn't really the question, its whether or not that method of playing makes sense to what Play Now is supposed to be.

The mode is advertised as a definitive ranking system aimed to separate players into tiers based on skill. If barely anyone plays on-ball defence, the data is telling 2k that the skillful maneuver online is to not play onball defence as you get more benefit from letting the computer play defence for you. Just like an online FPS can show the developers which weapons are the most used among the playerbase (and their job is to figure out 'why' in order to balance the game).

It's very clear that players use the AI as a crutch on defence, and simply monitor passing lanes with passive players while the CPU defends ballhandlers. This crutch is especially more efficient when the player is using teams with guards that are lockdown defenders, giving even a bad player a boost online if they use a good team, simply because their AI teammates will pick up the slack.

I know it wasn't a solution to what you think is a problem, because I don't see it as a problem. This isn't last gen 2k. Your offensive players aren't just standing around doing nothing, we have a ton of freelance sets. I run my offense pretty much regardless of what my opponent is doing on defense but on defense I'm the complete opposite. If my opponent is just literally driving in a straight line and the CPU can lock him up why should I choose to defend that nonsense myself?

[ehh]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

Yeah, I do too. In that video Czar talked about how that happens to a lot of players because they focus so much on the shot/right stick that they are a little off on the left stick and the jumper triggers.

Following up on this, I paid close attention last night (played four games) and I was not letting up on the LS. Not a huge deal to me but I don't believe it's user error, at least not all the time.


Another tip that I really honed in on last night, and it's anti-sim to a certain degree (gasp!), is to go a little wider/more horizontal than you would IRL when you're trying to beat your man off the dribble. Not turbo cheese left/right btw.

This has long been an issue I've struggled with in 2K, trying to go shoulder-to-shoulder like you're taught in real life and when you do that it seems to lead to a lot more warping and bumping. Almost like there's a small invisible forcefield around the defender, you need to not only get around the defender that you've shaken but also his small forcefield of warping magic. .

For example, on the 2K Cam in an isolation at the top of the key, if I create a little space with my ball handler my instinct is LS to 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock (depending on driving left or right) to try to shoulder-to-shoulder past my defender. In part because that's how you do it IRL, if you go wide you're dead, and in part because I'm looking for that nice blow by animation a little too often I guess.

Last night I switched it up and was making my initial LS movement to 9 and 3, albeit brief, and then going to 10 or 2 and eventually 12. I found I had much more success getting away from my defender and warping was almost non-existent. I never touched the sprint button unless I had fully turned the corner and had a clear path to the hoop - even then I didn't always use it.

I had been shooting so many jumpers with Melo the first three games of my franchise because I was struggling to get to the hole, in my final game last night (and lone win) I got in to the lane pretty often using the 9-3/horizontal approach. I will also add that my PG's had been useless in the PnR game (since they're a 73 and 69 ovr) when using the 10/2 approach because they got blown up on nearly every screen, using 9/3 they were much more effective.

So in short, changing to this more horizontal approach allowed me to keep space after I'd created it and I feel more confident that when I have space I'll be able to utilize it, as opposed to hoping for a blow-by animation. Again, this is on Pro so it may be useless on higher difficulties.

[Sovartus]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I found the solution to the bumping issue.

When you are making a dribble move, hold the LS to one direction, make the RS dribble move but don't point the LS in the direction you actually want to go until AFTER the move is completed. I have been blowing by weaker defenders with ease now.

My guess is that, like I was, many of you are moving the LS as you make your move with the RS. This is probably registering with the CPU and it is reacting before the RS move plays out. Moving the LS afterwards eliminates the cpu psychic powers from my experience.

Let me know if it works for you like it does for me.


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[hanzsomehanz]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I found the solution to the bumping issue.

When you are making a dribble move, hold the LS to one direction, make the RS dribble move but don't point the LS in the direction you actually want to go until AFTER the move is completed. I have been blowing by weaker defenders with ease now.

My guess is that, like I was, many of you are moving the LS as you make your move with the RS. This is probably registering with the CPU and it is reacting before the RS move plays out. Moving the LS afterwards eliminates the cpu psychic powers from my experience.

Let me know if it works for you like it does for me.


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I been experiencing something similar as I wiggle the left stick in the opposite direction I want to go as I initiate the move. I then change directions out of the move.

Blacktop on Superstar and HOF has been a great playground for this practice and others. I'm a lot more confident in my driving abilities and am now expeeicnign a new concern : the fail rate of layup attempts on blow by in contrast to the high success rate the CPU has on these difficulties.



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[BegBy]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

My point is how often does Steph Curry beat a guy off the dribble in real life (without a screen)?

Pretty much at will. Seriously, guys like him have handles and the rules are largely in favor of the ballhandler. That's why defense is a team effort. If it were left to one vs one match ups all day it'd be a mix tape. Even guys without crazy handles can beat good defenders with a first step. From there it's just physics.

Do you honestly believe Steph needs screens to beat guys?

[DaWu]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I have quit the Game for now. This bumping and morphing makes it unplayable.

I am getting shot clock violations every 2nd attack now because half of my 24s Are beeing used up by bumping animations. Horrible gameplay experience!

[KDurant35]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

My point is how often does Steph Curry beat a guy off the dribble in real life (without a screen)?

I think you're missing the point. It's not a question of how often he beats the guy irl but when he does beat someone off the dribble irl, does the defender magically just catches back up to him?


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[Sovartus]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I have quit the Game for now. This bumping and morphing makes it unplayable.



I am getting shot clock violations every 2nd attack now because half of my 24s Are beeing used up by bumping animations. Horrible gameplay experience!

You need to read my post.


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[P Shirls]

Re: There is nothing wrong with the CPU on-ball defense. Here are some tips....

I'm sorry but this doesn't really offer any solution to the fact that barely anyone plays on-ball defence in this game online. Whether or not its beatable isn't really the question, its whether or not that method of playing makes sense to what Play Now is supposed to be.

The mode is advertised as a definitive ranking system aimed to separate players into tiers based on skill. If barely anyone plays on-ball defence, the data is telling 2k that the skillful maneuver online is to not play onball defence as you get more benefit from letting the computer play defence for you. Just like an online FPS can show the developers which weapons are the most used among the playerbase (and their job is to figure out 'why' in order to balance the game).

It's very clear that players use the AI as a crutch on defence, and simply monitor passing lanes with passive players while the CPU defends ballhandlers. This crutch is especially more efficient when the player is using teams with guards that are lockdown defenders, giving even a bad player a boost online if they use a good team, simply because their AI teammates will pick up the slack.

Ima have to cosign this post. Let me preface what im about to say by saying that Im on ball defense all game and i take no possessions off. However, once i notice that my opponent is playing off ball D while im trying to fine tune my game playing on ball D all game i make sure to give them a dose of their own medicine and play offball D end of game.... esp if its a close game .....the joy i have when they no longer can just get by due to human error and lag and get bumped into oblivion....the joy is heightened when i see that the AI basically mirrors every move my helpless opponent makes while i wait in the wings for a pass just like my opponent did ALL GAME....the joy is taken to an even higher place when my cpu teammate causes turnovers while my opponent frantically looks for the open man as i wait for a steal or rebound off the ball ....i secretly enjoy the idea of my opponent going after that loss but secretly hate i had to stoop to their level to get that win.....ah well...scorned onball defenders can be very dangerous lol