Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

[The 24th Letter]

Hey just wondering.....I feel like everytime im jumping to contest a shot anywhere on the court I have no control at all....seems like they delay or just jump a random way...causing an uncontested basket....

is it something im doing wrong? any advice is welcome

[left4dead]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Nope, that's just how the game plays (unfortunately). I'm hoping that EA will release a patch to fix this and about a dozen other glitches in their game.

[23]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Make sure you're facing the right direction (footplanting causes some of that)

Lay off the turbo button and just press jump

[sportyguyfl31]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

its not a glitch. I'm telling you, it has everying to do with positioning. At like the previous poster said, lay off of turbo.

Turbo should be used sparingly in this years game. NBA Live is no longer a turbo-fest.

[Bumble14]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Read the 5 defensive tips article. All your questions will be answered.

[Pared]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Can't fix the random directional jumping.

Footplanting or not, the game should compensate for a player's ability to jump TOWARDS a basketball. If I'm sideway, I shouldn't jump straight up and gravitate to a general, seemingly random (at times), direction.

It really needs improvement for '10.

[23]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Sure it NEEDS improvement I agree , but facing a certain direction absolutely has some correlation along with the footplanting.

Its not impossible to block or contest shots though. Alot of guys here had that issue initially but you dont see them talking about it anymore because they figured out how to balance it.

That's one reason I posted those two vids of Josh Smith and Chris Kaman blocking a couple of shots.

[Chairman7w]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Yep, I don't think it's too much to ask that when you're next to a guy that's shooting, and you press the block button (unless you're facing 90-degrees the other direction), that your guy go up to block that shooter's shot.

For the block to "block" empty air in another direction is silly.

[cherone21]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Yep, I don't think it's too much to ask that when you're next to a guy that's shooting, and you press the block button (unless you're facing 90-degrees the other direction), that your guy go up to block that shooter's shot.

For the block to "block" empty air in another direction is silly.

In order to make people miss on this years game you do not jump to block jump shots. How many times do you see a jump shot blocked in the NBA?

You face and use the defensive lock. Your player will slide toward the jump shooter with his hands in his face causing missed jump shots. Once you get used to controlling this animation it is actually very realistic.

[Sluggo]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Well I rebooted my dynasty mode this morning after the roster update. Contesting shots is still a huge problem for me. So you say run the defensive drills in the practice gym....I did...a lot. Here's the problem. I'm Parker and I'm guarding Nash. I'm playing him close with like 13 left on the shot clock. So what happens? Nash does a fade away 3 from a few feet behind the point line and makes it. It wasn't Nash hitting those either. It was 3 or 4 times where instead of passing out of my lock down, they'll chuck up a fade away shot and make it.

It's also times where the O player just dribbles past me when I'm not in lock down mode and pull up for a jumper right inside the 3 point line.

It's also been some times where on O, I hit the dunk button instead of the shot button and the shot goes in after some crazy animation.

[Pared]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Yep, I don't think it's too much to ask that when you're next to a guy that's shooting, and you press the block button (unless you're facing 90-degrees the other direction), that your guy go up to block that shooter's shot.

For the block to "block" empty air in another direction is silly.

In order to make people miss on this years game you do not jump to block jump shots. How many times do you see a jump shot blocked in the NBA?

You face and use the defensive lock. Your player will slide toward the jump shooter with his hands in his face causing missed jump shots. Once you get used to controlling this animation it is actually very realistic.

Both posts have some truth to it. However, the "broken" mechanic stems deeper than that.

Currently, it's true you have to face the direction you want to block. But that begs the questions brought up: why would I want block 90 degrees away from a guy because my player does not recover to his position fast enough? A player in the game is treated as one static thing. Their feet direction is their general direction and players can not "turn their torso" because of the animations in the game. Any basketball player, even if they are out of position with their feet, STILL turn to their man and attempt to disrupt the shot. Your only chance to do this in Live's current system is using the block button or the hands up animation. That same animation would go the direction the player is facing.

Why would I put my hands up to the air to the left of the player I'm defending to disrupt the shot?

I understand what they're doing but more animations need to be in the game to compensate for this. The rebounding, blocks and so forth suffer because of it. You may get accurate numbers for blocks but it's more the result of this implementation.

You can change the way it works and keep the same low block numbers.

Sure it NEEDS improvement I agree , but facing a certain direction absolutely has some correlation along with the footplanting.

Its not impossible to block or contest shots though. Alot of guys here had that issue initially but you dont see them talking about it anymore because they figured out how to balance it.

That's one reason I posted those two vids of Josh Smith and Chris Kaman blocking a couple of shots.

Personally I don't agree with you. They just learned to work within the system. There's really not much else you can do at this point.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Yeah, maybe its not a glitch, but that aspect of the game is broken.....footplanting or not. When I quickly switch back to a defender I want to contest the shot....not jump in a random direction....its a little frustrating..

[23]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Say what you will, but its the truth in THIS game.

Footplanting absolutely has something to do with the way its done, same as jamming the stick in one direction or the other, which works in the other games but the controls are different here.

I'll repost that kaman video where i slapped al harrington's dunk. It may not be perfect yet , but its not cheesy, and nor is it going to suck you into place just by mashing the button.

Truth of the matter is, defense is totally under user control for the most part in this game, from the perimeter to the inside. The positioning might be a little off on the inside but its definitely workable to the point that you can either contest or block a shot.

Itsthe learning curve trying to figure that stuff out that's frustrating but as bumble said, check the defense thread and practice the things people said in there. It makes a difference, which is why guys are no longer having the same issue as you are like they were then.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

Its more of a work-around and deal w\ it rather than a learning curve IMO
Ive successfully contested plenty of shots...but that mechanic is wack...thats one bit of control I dont want. Never have I felt like I was being sucked into a defender in ANY bball game just b\c my defender actually jumped AT a shooter lol thats just something thats just always been there...

Its all good though.......

[23]

Re: Contesting....am I doing something wrong?

NO

Live used to have that suction blocking in the past. Its something theyre still working on.

They had rebounding problems all the from old gen until last year but I think they finally got a good enough hold on it.

This in particular is definitely not perfect but the momentum in the game prevents you from jamming the stick in one direction and expecting to stop on a dime.

Traditionally we are used to holding turbo and hitting jump and there is the perfect block, but its not that way in this game.

You dont even need to use turbo honestly, but from what was told, they are taking out the gather and lunge block animation in the patch.