It's not that bad

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

Got my 360 and have played LIVE a couple of hours now.

My early impressions are...i have NEVER seen such a mixed bag from a game.

Some things are amazingly well done...the sig J's look great and the 'feel' of arriving at a different venue is amazing. The arenas are seriously good, they make NBA 2K6's Arenas look years behind.

Player models are great...look at Lamar Odom...!!!... amazing the way they've captured a 'unique' guy like that. Really, really good.

There's tonnes of things I like so far...

HOWEVER...this game, honestly, feels like a BETA.

There's some moments where the camera follows the ball...and all I can see is the ball on the rim...by the time the camera comes 'back down', someone has already got the rebound and is half way down court.

Animations look great...but then comes a horrible moment where they don't link...

Really feels like a very, very rushed / 80% complete game.

More later.

side note :the game DESPERATELY needs sliders.

[WTF]

Re: It's not that bad

Monk, would you recommend this game to me? I'm seriously contemplating the purchase, but have heard from numerous people that this game probably wouldn't even give me any gratification other than the graphics.

I'd love to see the arena's and player models, but not at the expense of at least playable gameplay.

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

Monk, would you recommend this game to me? I'm seriously contemplating the purchase, but have heard from numerous people that this game probably wouldn't even give me any gratification other than the graphics.

I'd love to see the arena's and player models, but not at the expense of at least playable gameplay.

To be brutally honest, probably not Will. I doubt you'd like it / play it beyond a few hours. I mainly got it out of curiosity.

It's only been a few hours...but it's clear the gameplay is a long, long way behind 2K6 already.

There are some great elements...dunks look very nice, play calling screen is awesome, arenas really are amazing...

But the game overall really...and I can't empathise this enough...feels incomplete.

It just doesn't feel right.

Here's a small example. They have some really cool player free throw routines in the game. Jamaal Crawford does this touch his face routine, Danny Fortson taps his bicep...etc etc...

AND YET JASON KIDD does nothing.

Kidd's routine is probably the most famous out there.

Not a big deal...just an example that this game looks like they got to a certain point of working on it and then someone came in the office and shouted "tools down, game ships".

And everything just stopped.

Dissapointed also that double back screens are not there...well, I can't find them anyway. Lots of triangle plays though, so that's nice. I like to run a triangle offense

The pace is too slow...even on 100.

Really hard to explain. It just really does feel like an early beta.

[Meatball]

Re: It's not that bad

No way, if you mess with the sliders, and you really have to mess with them, the game plays awesome.

It takes some time getting used to, but after tweaking to your liking, it is a sweet experience. Kinda like Madden, you have to give it a legit chance.

The biggest thing is it has that WOW!!! factor which I like.

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

No way, if you mess with the sliders, and you really have to mess with them, the game plays awesome.

It takes some time getting used to, but after tweaking to your liking, it is a sweet experience. Kinda like Madden, you have to give it a legit chance.

The biggest thing is it has that WOW!!! factor which I like.

Agreed on that.

Played a couple more games and I can see it being pretty decent with a good set of sliders.

You have to admit though, there's no way it's 100% complete bro. There's weird things all through it that just scream "we ran out of time".

It does have a lot of small things going for it though...atmosphere is GREAT.

I played as the Knicks at MSG and was blown out by the Mavs...and the crowd was almost non existent. Hardly any noise at all

Very cool

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

Here's another example of what I mean by incomplete...

I am playing as the Sonics v Washington...using the broadcast CAM...

I call a 3 pt play...Rashard lewis goes to the corner, I find him...the camera 'swings over' to Shard...

And all I see on screen is his chest as I take the 3 ball.

Yes, just his chest.

I can't see who is defending me...can't see the basket...don't even see if I hit the shot...

No one can tell me they INTENDED that to be the final result of their default camera...

So many cool things in this game though...the play calling screens are so cool and I [B]really love the substitutuon screens. To see a graphic of your "small ball" line up etc on screen during time outs is very, very cool

So many new really good additions / really feels next gen VS so many glitches and faults...

Aarons review is spot on. One word summs this baby up : FRUSTRATING.

It could have been amazing. Instead, it's amazing at times...and f-ing frustrating at times.

[WTF]

Re: It's not that bad

Monk, does that happen on every camera? I still want to give it a whirl for some reason, just for a change of pace, but if that happens w/ every camera, then I may as well not even go for it.

[Meatball]

Re: It's not that bad

You have to admit though, there's no way it's 100% complete bro. There's weird things all through it that just scream "we ran out of time".

I agree 100%. It does feel incomplete. I really liked 2k6 for the 360. It is so silky, but it doesn't have that "oh sh*t!!" factor when your playing like Live does. I know I'm in the minority here. I guess I'm just a casual gamer.

[Meatball]

Re: It's not that bad

Here's another example of what I mean by incomplete...

I am playing as the Sonics v Washington...using the broadcast CAM...

I call a 3 pt play...Rashard lewis goes to the corner, I find him...the camera 'swings over' to Shard...

And all I see on screen is his chest as I take the 3 ball.

Yes, just his chest.

I can't see who is defending me...can't see the basket...don't even see if I hit the shot...

No one can tell me they INTENDED that to be the final result of their default camera...

So many cool things in this game though...the play calling screens are so cool and I [B]really love the substitutuon screens. To see a graphic of your "small ball" line up etc on screen during time outs is very, very cool

So many new really good additions / really feels next gen VS so many glitches and faults...

Aarons review is spot on. One word summs this baby up : FRUSTRATING.

It could have been amazing. Instead, it's amazing at times...and f-ing frustrating at times.

Court, use the press box camera with the zoom all the way to 10 and the height at 6. This in my opinion is the best camera angle. If you fast break, the camera sometimes won't catch up, but to me that is no big deal.

I believe Live 07 will be insane, but I imagine 2k7 will be just as nasty.

[WTF]

Re: It's not that bad

Have any of you messed around with the Create a Player yet? If so, do you think it's possible to create a great Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, etc? That, and just a change of pace for a game or two, are the only reasons that I would pick it up. Especially with the atmosphere. I can imagine Jordan in MSG tearing up the Knicks.

[rawdawg71]

Re: It's not that bad

Have any of you messed around with the Create a Player yet? If so, do you think it's possible to create a great Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, etc? That, and just a change of pace for a game or two, are the only reasons that I would pick it up. Especially with the atmosphere. I can imagine Jordan in MSG tearing up the Knicks.

The create player feature is nice!! But it can be a little limited in some of the selections like hair, etc, nothing major though!! U can create a player and use Ur own attributes points or U can pick or clone the SuperStars attributes
points, and U can Edit them!!!

U just given me idea on creating Jordan, Pippen, etc, I just hope Marv Albert and Steve Kerr call out their Names which should'nt be a problem, because my create player is getting his name called in the game with ease by both Commentators!! Overall I think U can create these players with little or no problems at all!!!

[WTF]

Re: It's not that bad

Good deal rawdawg... if you do create them, which I hope you do, let me know how they turn out.

Thanks brother

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

Monk, does that happen on every camera? I still want to give it a whirl for some reason, just for a change of pace, but if that happens w/ every camera, then I may as well not even go for it.

Will...there are some playable cameras. I like press + zoom and height 'maxed' as well as sideline + zoom and height maxed.

Both those are nice.

The boradcast camera...seriously...does not work. Can't believe they made that the default and let it out like that.

The courts look great on the two views I've listed, you just don't see the players up so close. Still look great though.

One thing I LOVE about the game is the lighting. It's a real buzz to play one game in a dark arena...then the next one in one really lit up. They've captured the lighting perfectly.

I am messing around with sliders and I do see the potential for this game to be good with a really strong set of sliders...

Out of the box, it's pretty much unplayable once the "wow" factor wears off.

Sliders really change that.

[Court_vision]

Re: It's not that bad

Court, use the press box camera with the zoom all the way to 10 and the height at 6. This in my opinion is the best camera angle. If you fast break, the camera sometimes won't catch up, but to me that is no big deal.

I believe Live 07 will be insane, but I imagine 2k7 will be just as nasty.

Shall try that one

At the moment, I am enjoying press maxed helight and zoom. Will lower the height and experiment.

The potential is there for this to be a beast by 2007. I'm already finding it hard to play other b-ball games simply because I freaking LOVE the way I can change plays within the game / see the diagrams etc / see my alternate subs : small ball line up / bigs etc / set my fast break and boxing out / set my match ups etc etc ALL from within the game.

I've always been someone who does all these things during games...I like to think like a a 'coach' etc as I play...and to be able to do all these while IN the game is just a huge, huge step forward for me.

Changing things while a time out is actually taking place on the screen is just very, very cool.

This should be mandatory from now on.

[WTF]

Re: It's not that bad

Alright, you have sold me. I've found it for $45 shipped, so that isnt' too awful bad. Especially since I'm selling 4 other games at the same time.

If the views are playable, and there are some actual plays, then this will find it's way in to my collection. Have you messed around with the CAP yet? You think you could see if a decent Jordan could be made?

Thanks monk!