NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

[GSW]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

So does this mean the pick n roll cheese is gone? (AKA calling for a pick, getting the defender stuck in the going over pick animation then darting the other way)

[alabamarob]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

BTW - Once this game is in your hands I would love to do some morning or late night "film sessions" to break this down even further. If that's something that would interests you, let me know.

Thanks alot O'Gallagher great work.

Is there a defensive setting that allows us to choose who to help off of this year? Or is that only an ACE decision?

Guys constantly run 4 out with non shooting bigs. Can we choose as a setting to help off of Faried if he is standing at the 3 point line?

[OGSPORTS]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

So does this mean the pick n roll cheese is gone? (AKA calling for a pick, getting the defender stuck in the going over pick animation then darting the other way)

I'll let you be the judge

[MarkWilliam]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

I love all of the responses, guys! I plan to respond to as many as I can. It looks like some of you are just finishing this blog. I want this to set in before I go into deep dive mode with you. Apologies for the length!

Firstly, don't ever apologize for a long blog.... ever....

Second, question on the heavy sag on Simmons. If he happens to get the catch and knock down a J, will the AI defender tighten on the next possession?

Do adjustments relate specifically to the in game action or to players ratings/tendencies in general?

[WTF]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

Excellent read. This is the good stuff.

Looks like AI off ball PnR help defense is more active but will still have to test it.

If I'm not mistaken there are two sides of the ball that need blogging about

From what I heard, Da_Czar is doing a #Czar10for10

[Smirkin Dirk]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

Love it OG.

In 16 I found the pick and pop was a money play. Big was left open too often.

17 was better although not as consistent.

I can see myself running a heap of smith Jnr/dirk pick and pops. Will the AI send a weak side defender to my pop guy if they hedge or double the ball? Will the big hug up on my pop guy and concede the 1 on 1 if they have a good ball defender?

My question got too long. TLDR will the Ai have a full suite of options when defending pick and pops?

[Peter_OS]

[Kstat]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

This is going to sound stupidly simplified, but will there be a way to opt out on celebration animations this year and get back on defense? Watching my guy stop and do a fist pump after a made basket while my man ran by me at full speed was a needless exploit.

[MarkWilliam]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

Also I'll ask here while I can.

In 2K17 I was able to run PnR all game when a hedge man showed on the pick.

Wait for the roll, time the pass and get 2 points every time. 11/11 FG in the first qtr with Roberson (OKC) on dunks or layups.

AI weak side help on the roller was the same all game (late or not at all).

I'd like to know if the help defense will be different after a play is successful and be less "scripted" to a teams scheme.

Thanks in advance OG!

[BluFu]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

OG,

Was the defensive positioning after tip-offs and made baskets worked on at all this year?

[Guard-ian]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

I wonder if this System Proficiency stuff also works or it is customizable for MyLeague Online... Is it something you could confirm @OGSPORTS ?

Cheers! ;-)

[OGSPORTS]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

Firstly, don't ever apologize for a long blog.... ever....

Second, question on the heavy sag on Simmons. If he happens to get the catch and knock down a J, will the AI defender tighten on the next possession?

Do adjustments relate specifically to the in game action or to players ratings/tendencies in general?

This depends on the team but it will take more than one most likely. Especially with a player like Simmons. It's also looking at his efficiency before adapting.

[MarkWilliam]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

From what I heard, Da_Czar is doing a #Czar10for10

#Czar10for10

(Trending in here aswell )

[Smirkin Dirk]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

We have to play in superstar or hall of fame to have all the adjustments. What if playing with custom sliders?

Mike wang told us last year you could turn the difficulty to HOF. Adjust sliders from there and you'd get full ace. It was a nugget buried on the forums that only a few of us saw. It explains why many of us who saw it came away with a more positive experience with the Ai.

[LorenzoDC]

Re: NBA 2K18 AI Improvements Blog From Scott O’Gallagher

Yup! this speaks to my initial paragraph on going back to the fundamentals. We looked at back doors and rub actions immediately. Adding cutter help and proper position loads on particular sets helped even more. You know how spread the game is these days, much different from 8-10 years ago. We had to adapt just like the league is. Five, good spacers is still going to cause the same issues that it would in the league. That's why I mentioned how important your offball positioning settings this year.

Scott, first of all, thanks for this detailed blog and all the things you focused on this year. They were the right things! I especially appreciate the greater level of explanation on the user screens for the defensive settings - that will help a lot of people we've been trying to help in previous years with the defensive settings wiki thread.

Question: most #simnation players have tended to use one approach to PnR defense almost all the time, like catch hedge, because other settings, like hard hedge or ice, were often really ineffective. The problems were because of limitations in the animations around the pick itself and also lack of AI intelligence for help in the paint.

So my question is, do you think all the PnR defensive strategies will be legitimate situational weapons (rock-paper-scissors) this year and genuinely vary their effectiveness based on defensive player ratings? Will bigs still be able to recover speed unrealistically coming out of PnR plays based on animations again? I'm hoping we don't find again that, in spite of all the efforts, just one or two core strategies become templates for playing all opponents, just maybe varying whether the guy on ball goes over or under.

Thanks.