NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

[kolanji]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

1. Is the drop ball animation still in the game ?
2. control responsiveness improved/same/worst?
3. is bumping still have a high frequency to compensate for the ease of easily being out of defensive position?
4. over physically and collisions animation.....improved/same/worst?

[Kushmir]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

We really appreciate you giving us this feedback, Mike:

Spamming Long passes and passes into the paint...how is this being resolved?

How is the transition and PNR defense? (is the initial ball-handler still getting to the basket?)

Are illegal screens back in 2K18?

Does block and steal timing matter? Are missed blocks/steals punished yet?

Is the shot meter a choice in 2K18?

Any more loose ball fouls?

Has the over-dunking in 2K17 been rectified?

Has contesting shots (right stick) been improved?

Are user-contests still too strong?

How effective is lead passing?

How are defensive rotations? Are AI defenders still over-helping and creating huge holes in the defense?

[silverskier]

NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Hi all,

I'm heading to 2K Games in Novato, CA later today, and tomorrow will be getting a chance to play some NBA 2K18. I asked on Twitter already (@MikeLowe47), but wanted to start a thread as well for you folks to ask any questions that you may want answered about gameplay.

Keep in mind, this is just in regards to gameplay. Please be specific and constructive. I'll only be asking the best questions, so there's some motivation for you!

Direct quote to me from 2K Dev Team: "You're going to have a lot of time on the sticks with the team, so be ready to grind."

Hi Mike, thx for accepting requests

I would like to know :
-if the pnr and lead pass vs human and versus cpu are still easy to perform.
- if you can actually get by you defender with dribbling skills
- if the pnr roller man is more effective placing the screen and if the duration of it is controlled by the user and not by the contact with the defensive player
- if the defense going under the screen during a pnr can be really punished this year
- if there is body check contact during the cut of the offensive players to the paint in order to make them harder to be successful; and if the lead pass in these situations is not as easy as is in 2k17
- if the freelance is faster and more precise
- if the execution of plays of playbooks is faster and more precise
- if defense settings are easier to set up and if they are really taken into account
- if you can really create space between the offensive player and the defensive player with the dribbling skills - does inertia really exists in this kind of situations in order to make pay a bad defense basically
- if the pg layups are still so slow and ineffective. Playing with isaiah thomas, kyrie irving, etc, should represent a danger to the defenses with their super fast anne skilled layups

[ForeverVersatile]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

How's the responsiveness of dribbling? Are the mechanics the same?

How's the passing? Are passes still floaty at times?

Are there any new controls?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile app

[MavsManiac4Life]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

1. Has AI defensive movement improved? (faster switching, improved recognition of offenses etc.)
2. Sliding on both ends: High, low, so/so?
3. Has the fast break AI improved (actually attacking the rim, filling lanes, no pull up 3s with open lanes etc.?)

[LeBronistheKing]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Is the fast break push ahead dribble animation still unable to be continued on a fastbreak, where the animation forces you to stop the dribble?

Is that ridiculous bumping animation gone which allows defenders to cut off faster more physical players? Tired of having point guards physically stop LeBron James's progress to the basket in a one on one situation or a fast break.

Have dribble moves and ball handling been improved? There are some dribble animations that look unrealistic and unnatural. Would be nice to know if these are no longer present.

Are there any new classic teams?

Have any legend players seen significant improvements to their player models? For example, the 96 and 98 Bulls Dennis Rodman 96 and 98 Bulls Steve Kerr and 60s era Bill Russell were improved dramatically from previous 2ks. Players that could use improvements to their player models to make them more accurate to the year represented are...

1986 Michael Jordan
1989 Michael Jordan
2000 Vince Carter
2006 Dwyane Wade
2006 Alonzo Mourning
2007 LeBron James (looked pretty accurate in 2k16 and looked more like a 2009 LeBron in 2k17)
2013 LeBron James (just the current LeBron model was used with a headband, when in actuality 2013 LeBron looked different. No shoulder blade tatoos and different facial hair)


Would like to know if those specific legend player models were addressed.

If not, would still appreciate answers to my gameplay questions.

Thank you for allowing questions.

[lvnba]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Hi Mike!

These are my questions for you:

1) Are players setting better screens? I mean, do they actually place themselves beside the defender and block his path? In 2k17 screens were no ineffective...

2) Are there more free-throws/fouls in the game?

3) Do you see more cuts to the basket in your CPU-controlled teammates?

Thanks!!

[Harrypotheadd]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Has the sticky defense been addressed? Currently, everyone is basically a lockdown defender & it's borderline impossible to explode to the basket

[Harrypotheadd]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Also, how responsive is the dribbling? I'm sooo damn tired of getting forced into post-up animations 24/7

If it's anywhere close to where it was in last year's prelude, then I will be extremely happy (as long as they don't ruin it with patches at some point down the line)

[alabamarob]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Thanks for looking out Lowe.


1. How do perfect releases work this year? Is it 100 percent or a small ratings boost.

2. How are "LIGHTLY" contested jumpers treated? Is it a huge percentage drop or 1 in line with real life.


3. Does the shot block rating matter this year or is everyone over 6'11 a rim protector?


4. Can guys like Isiah Thomas finish layups around the rim?


5. Do on ball def ratings matter this year or are defenders with low on ball ratings still Kawhi like?

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

I don't have questions per se, but if you could, I'd love it if you could just keep an eye out for/bring up some of the following things and see if they appear improved from 2K17.

Ball-handlers probing in the paint
It used to be far too easy to keep your dribble inside, so at some point, 2K made the ball feel far more exposed, but it's now swung too far in the other direction IMO. Ball-handlers should try to protect the ball on their own IMO by trying to shield off defenders with their arm, butt, etc. I don't have any video clips handy, but I believe this is something that Chris Paul is pretty famous for doing, but it's something that a lot of PGs have learned to do. In 2K17, it pretty much felt like you had to either immediately get into a layup/dunk animation when you get in the paint, or you would dribble off a random body part; this is something that I'm hoping has been adjusted in 2K18.

Off-Ball Screens
Offensively, I think off-ball screens need to be triggered in a more organic fashion compared to 2K17. As one of the other posters mentioned, off-ball screeners basically run over towards the player they're trying to free up, and stop for a few seconds before going into the actual screen animation. I also think that the player coming off the screen should be able to adapt better. If the defender anticipates him coming off the screen and cheats way out in front, our player should be smart enough to cut backdoor or use the screen as a flair away from the defender instead. If the defender is trailing him, our guy should instinctively curl around the screen to create space towards the rim/free-throw area. If the defender simply gets hit with the screen, then our guy should come around the screen the usual way, opening up a 3 pointer/mid-ranger. The curl versus regular path thing can be done manually already by leading the receiver with icon passing, but stuff like the backdoor/flair options should be in the game IMO.

Defensively, 2K17 provided the ability to adjust settings for how to defend off-ball screens, but unfortunately, they appear to rarely work. Using the Bucks, I'd set it up so that my defenders would switch all screens, but unfortunately, the actual results were extremely hit or miss. Beyond switching, defenders would often go under a screen even if you set them to go over. It seemed that the only way to really defend off-ball screens in 2K17 was by switching to the defender and manually maneuvering the screens yourself.

Pick and Roll
Offensively, due to the sometimes clunky ball-handling, you couldn't set defenders up for the screens the way you see it done in real life. If the player defending the screener jumped out to hedge, it was almost impossible to split the screen without turning the ball over. I think this is more to do with the ball-handling controls rather than specifically the pick-and-roll, but I believe the pick-and-roll is where these issues commonly came up.

Defensively, the player defending the screener often times wouldn't really impede the ball handler even if he hedged. The help rotations were also generally far too aggressive.

Rebounding
It seems that pure athleticism factored into rebounding too much. For example, Thon Maker is a hilariously pathetic rebounder in real life. He's so skinny that almost all centers are easily able to push him around, so he's almost always out of position on the glass. He also has poor hands, so even when he's able to get position and elevate to get the ball, he's unable to corral it. In 2K17, he's a rebounding god because he's a 7 footer with explosive leaping ability and the game is unable to replicate live ball situations appropriately. In the NBA, you see so many instances of players just sort of tipping the ball in the air off of missed shots and then quickly grabbing it with their second effort. You see players fight for the ball. You see players bobble the ball at first. None of these scenarios really played out in 2K17.

Lonzo Ball
I think this is probably a long-shot because I don't believe a tendency existed in 2K17 that would create a player like Lonzo, but has 2K found a way to replicate the way he's constantly trying to push the ball up the floor to teammates?

He's also pretty much the antithesis of a ball-dominant PG, likely due to a combination of how much he prioritizes moving the ball as well as his relatively poor ball-handling (for a PG). I'm nervous that Lonzo will behave like a traditional PG in the game when in reality, he doesn't handle the ball much in the half-court, and when he does, he's constantly looking to give the ball up. I'm curious if 2K has found a way to accurately replicate his game.

Drawing Fouls
As irritating as it became at times, there is clearly a new trend in the NBA in terms of drawing fouls coming off of screens. Has this been made a thing in 2K18?

I'm curious about the ability to draw fouls in general, because it's always been low, but the above scenario is a very specific type that I'm interested in.

[SuperNoVa27]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

How is the spacing? Do players have space to work in the post without being steps away from another man?

Can larger players closeout from insane distances like this year (ties into the spacing)

Have the bump animations by the CPU on D been toned down on higher difficulties?

Any new post moves? Is the post fake spin back? Any way to protect the ball high from players reaching?

Do Bigs have better control of the ball? You could often just turbo into them this year and get a steal.

This is more of a head to head question but can players still successfully get blocks when they completely mistimed their attempt? Especially when they are coming down when the offensive player is going up

Do players get punished more for trying to aggressively swat every shot attempt?

[killaxxbearsxxx]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

How fluid is the offense? Do you notice ai teammates/cpu teams quickly getting into their actions smoothly? Or are there still long pauses in between each actions as they try to decide what to do next?

What are the physics like? Off ball and on ball? Do collisions and interactions still feel static and wall like on ball? Have they found a decent balance for off ball collisions yet?

Is movement and animations tighter?

Are things such as snaking the ball screen or putting a defender in jail (there was a thread on this) possible?

[isdatyt]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Is on-ball defense as "bump & grind" as it was late in the life cycle of 2K17.

Are passes still "floaty" and is there a way to control the speed at which you pass.

Is help defense smarter this year and defense in general including: getting back after a made/missed bucket, not randomly leaving shooters wide open.

Are canned animations still prevalent, and if so, how often do you feel they are triggered? Barely/Just enough/Too much

Are the in-game sub and play calling menus still that jumbled nonsense. No specifics really needed, just have they changed.

[Csmooove32]

Re: NBA 2K18 Questions Thread: Hands-On Gameplay Aug 3rd

Is the defense improved...see If playing defense is fun.