Re: NBA 2k14 Association Mode: The Good, the bad and the ugly (A more in depth look)
First off, agreed with almost everyone here and second, excuse this kind of rant/wishlist/complaint/very broad and all over the place post I am about to do.
One of the things that irk me the most, is how customization and editing - two of the 2k franchise most important pilars, yet more underappreciated - have been gradualy neglected and therefore, association.
While not all issues could be fixed with editability and customization, many of the flaws could be lessen, handled or dealt with. Also, to a degree, we all have different ideas on how the game should simulate our view of the NBA.
A greatly expanded editing and customization feature, would not only help 2k cater its two very distinct markets (sim/harcore & casuals), but by doing so, by giving us more and more options we would be complaining less and less ... some examples:
* Players.
- They have some ratings, tendencies, hotspots, sigskilss, animations, play types, YET some of them are hidden or ineditable and most significantly affect the oncourt experience (we cant design hotspots nor hot/cold zones, enough said).
- We cant edit the players goals, so we cant decide what we think they prefer (a winning club, getting paid, what role they´ll have, expossure, city size or legacy, playing with friends, forming supersquads, preventing rivals ascendsions, etc).
* Teams.
- They have coaches and other staff members, but we cant alter their contracts, we cant "trade" them nor create them, we cant even edit their grades or performance value (this affect drafting, progression, sim engine and should affect oncourt teams performance).
- We cant decide on what stance is a team/GM (stand still, trade active, going for youngs, going for picks, going for veterans, going for role specific, going for overall, for position of need; the same for drafting logic).
- We cant alter teams chemistry nor rivalries (this affects attendancy and also, team records while simming, btw, should also affect teams oncourt performance of running plays and D rotation).
* Others.
- We need full CBA rules integrations (many, many things yet to be accounted).
- No integral migration of rotation/roles edits when initiating association (like it once was, demenishing the time one invest on editing).
- We need the option to have all players portrait to be their cyberfaces (all with same shot frame/angle, to counteract the dreaded black sylhouttes) and this should premeate into all modes, includding lineups presentations and roster screen.
- We need to bring back NBDL and all related features like combine and summer circuit (so we can add some source and sort of say on players development and team roster movement and call ups).
- We need to be able to either edit draft picks values or relate them to the mock draft rookies reflected on an specific timeframe (so if a rookie stands above them rest, that 1st pick should be threated alike, or if all rookies are seen alike, so should the draft picks value).
- Still room for separating oncourt of offcourt variables, Total Sim Control is leaning toward that goal but still needs to be expanded and tweaked (we need ore range of results).
- Having said that, we need to tweak the sim engine to further consider hystorical accomplishments, instead of only recent seasons (so we can have players averaging around 20 rbds, 13 assists, above 30 pts, 5 blks, etc)
- We need to be able to do relocation, contraction or expansion (just because it has happened and is a part of the NBA).
- We finally need bugless stat screens (glitched team records, players stats, team stats).
ETC, ETC ...
In sum, I see both (customization/editing options and association, online & offline) as very interrelated, while not the cure of all, improvements and expansion to the first, would certainly be a way of attention to the later, all while helping 2k broad its market share.
I am hopeful 2k abandons the wrong ideology that custom rosters are their competition, when in fact, they should be seem as value adders to their game and enhancers of the experience, also as sources of improvement.
I have HUGE expectations of the next gen consoles and their touted prowess, so here is to hope for the realization of all that have been said here by me and others, there shouldnt be more excuses: 2K14 (on PS4)** ought to bring improved association, customization and editing tools !
** = The same is true for XBONE too, is just that I preordered the other.
First off, agreed with almost everyone here and second, excuse this kind of rant/wishlist/complaint/very broad and all over the place post I am about to do.
One of the things that irk me the most, is how customization and editing - two of the 2k franchise most important pilars, yet more underappreciated - have been gradualy neglected and therefore, association.
While not all issues could be fixed with editability and customization, many of the flaws could be lessen, handled or dealt with. Also, to a degree, we all have different ideas on how the game should simulate our view of the NBA.
A greatly expanded editing and customization feature, would not only help 2k cater its two very distinct markets (sim/harcore & casuals), but by doing so, by giving us more and more options we would be complaining less and less ... some examples:
* Players.
- They have some ratings, tendencies, hotspots, sigskilss, animations, play types, YET some of them are hidden or ineditable and most significantly affect the oncourt experience (we cant design hotspots nor hot/cold zones, enough said).
- We cant edit the players goals, so we cant decide what we think they prefer (a winning club, getting paid, what role they´ll have, expossure, city size or legacy, playing with friends, forming supersquads, preventing rivals ascendsions, etc).
* Teams.
- They have coaches and other staff members, but we cant alter their contracts, we cant "trade" them nor create them, we cant even edit their grades or performance value (this affect drafting, progression, sim engine and should affect oncourt teams performance).
- We cant decide on what stance is a team/GM (stand still, trade active, going for youngs, going for picks, going for veterans, going for role specific, going for overall, for position of need; the same for drafting logic).
- We cant alter teams chemistry nor rivalries (this affects attendancy and also, team records while simming, btw, should also affect teams oncourt performance of running plays and D rotation).
* Others.
- We need full CBA rules integrations (many, many things yet to be accounted).
- No integral migration of rotation/roles edits when initiating association (like it once was, demenishing the time one invest on editing).
- We need the option to have all players portrait to be their cyberfaces (all with same shot frame/angle, to counteract the dreaded black sylhouttes) and this should premeate into all modes, includding lineups presentations and roster screen.
- We need to bring back NBDL and all related features like combine and summer circuit (so we can add some source and sort of say on players development and team roster movement and call ups).
- We need to be able to either edit draft picks values or relate them to the mock draft rookies reflected on an specific timeframe (so if a rookie stands above them rest, that 1st pick should be threated alike, or if all rookies are seen alike, so should the draft picks value).
- Still room for separating oncourt of offcourt variables, Total Sim Control is leaning toward that goal but still needs to be expanded and tweaked (we need ore range of results).
- Having said that, we need to tweak the sim engine to further consider hystorical accomplishments, instead of only recent seasons (so we can have players averaging around 20 rbds, 13 assists, above 30 pts, 5 blks, etc)
- We need to be able to do relocation, contraction or expansion (just because it has happened and is a part of the NBA).
- We finally need bugless stat screens (glitched team records, players stats, team stats).
ETC, ETC ...
In sum, I see both (customization/editing options and association, online & offline) as very interrelated, while not the cure of all, improvements and expansion to the first, would certainly be a way of attention to the later, all while helping 2k broad its market share.
I am hopeful 2k abandons the wrong ideology that custom rosters are their competition, when in fact, they should be seem as value adders to their game and enhancers of the experience, also as sources of improvement.
I have HUGE expectations of the next gen consoles and their touted prowess, so here is to hope for the realization of all that have been said here by me and others, there shouldnt be more excuses: 2K14 (on PS4)** ought to bring improved association, customization and editing tools !
** = The same is true for XBONE too, is just that I preordered the other.
Comment