NBA Elite 11 Q&A, 3 Screenshots Included (Gamespot)

[b2tha2ndpwr]

Gamespot has posted an interview with David Littman, Creative Director for NBA Elite 11.

Gamespot: "There's a new shooting mechanic too, one that sounds a bit like the skill stick in the NHL series. How will it work?"

David Littman: "In real life, shooting is skill based. Players practice every day to become better shooters. In basketball video games, shooting has not had much skill attached. Sure there is some skill to get it to your best shooter who is open for a shot, but that is more strategy than skill. Once a player shoots in almost every basketball game ever made, it is up to player attributes, how open he is, an under-the-hood formula, and a tiny bit of when you release the button to determine if the shot will go in. I do not feel very satisfied when I make a shot in basketball games. With the new shooting mechanic, it is all skill based, but at the same time it users player attributes. If you have played Tiger Woods golf, you have an idea of what the shooting mechanic is.

The shot is based on real life. You move the right stick up to start your shot and release it to release the ball. You have control of the accuracy and the distance. If you move the RS perfectly up to 12:00, your shot will go straight. If you miss left, the ball will go left. Miss it right, and the ball will go right. When you release the ball will control the distance. Release early, and the shot will be short. Release late, and the shot will be long. The system is so realistic that you can do manual bank shots by purposely aiming left or right and a bit long."

[Jano]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Nice find off to read!

Lol this pic looked like a PSP game when I saw the thumbnail:



I think it was Thomas body it looks a little awkward there imo.. Skin textures look great though that shiny look is gone.

[Bolt957]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

The players look dulled down. The read is promising, but I have to see the graphics, gameplay, and features in action to decide if this could possibly be ok or better.

[Jano]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

This sounds great:

4. Anything can happen/Emergent gameplay--Real-time physics and hands-on controls are two new innovations, but that is not even close to what else is new. We have over 200 gameplay improvements including a ball that is almost always considered "loose". We had a play yesterday where I went to block a shot, and Novell made a pass instead of shooting. The pass hit my player in the arm and went to my teammate who was off on a fast break. Every time up the court you can see something new and different.

This is very cool there has never been a "live" basketball at least to my knowledge.. interested to see this in action.

The shot is based on real life. You move the right stick up to start your shot and release it to release the ball. You have control of the accuracy and the distance. If you move the RS perfectly up to 12:00, your shot will go straight. If you miss left, the ball will go left. Miss it right and the ball will go right. When you release the ball will control the distance. Release early and the shot will be short. Release late and the shot will be long. The system is so realistic that you can do manual bank shots by purposely aiming left or right and a bit long.

Wow this is unexpected I would have never imagined the system would be like this.. I cant wait to try that out myself.

This whole interview gets a WOW!! from me.. controllable euro steps, steal swipes while moving backwards, analog stick movements during replay..

I'm excited I just hope it looks as great in motion and in my hands as it sounds on paper.

[BiggD]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Is it me or have all the player faces in those screen shots gone back to the "angry face" of live 08,09 ??

i loved the players models in live10.. why the heck did they change them again!!

[Stumbleweed]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

"We will have the analog sticks visualized on the screen so you can see exactly what you are doing with the sticks. This will be set to on during the interactive tutorial, manual replay, and in one-on-one practice mode."

Nice little touch there...

"The shot is based on real life. You move the right stick up to start your shot and release it to release the ball. You have control of the accuracy and the distance. If you move the RS perfectly up to 12:00, your shot will go straight. If you miss left, the ball will go left. Miss it right and the ball will go right. When you release the ball will control the distance. Release early and the shot will be short. Release late and the shot will be long. The system is so realistic that you can do manual bank shots by purposely aiming left or right and a bit long."

People who hated the shot stick will really hate this, but I think it's a great way to reward manual dexterity and skill while also differentiating skilled NBA players from guys who can't shoot worth a damn (the Nash vs. Shaq FT windows for example). I'm all for it.

This game sounds extremely promising. I got burned again last year, but here I am again, waiting for the next crop of b-ball games. This sounds right up my alley though... excited to see how b-ball + physics turns out.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

sounds good man! cant wait to hear more/ see how this turns out...very innovative sounding right now..

[P21J]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

This sounds quite promising....I'm really interested on these extra game modes, specifically the Dynasty....hopefully these modes will be as deep or deeper than 2k's.

[b2tha2ndpwr]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Yep, from the interview it does sound promising. Esp. saying they want to compete against Fifa, NHL, and MLB The Show instead of just 2K.


Also good to know that Littman is running nearly every aspect of gameplay through one of the former pro basketball players on the team. May slightly ease the concern I've read up here in other threads from people saying the team doesn't know anything about basketball.

[Da_Czar]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Nice read was most happy to hear they didn't gut what went right with live 10. Great news.

[Jano]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

I wonder how freestyle passing and direct passing is going to work this year? Hopefully both are still in the game was one of the areas I really enjoyed in Live 10.

[loadleft]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Nice read was most happy to hear they didn't gut what went right with live 10. Great news.

Agreed. I am still a little concerned about skill based shooting, but whatever. It sounds promising, but it always does. I really hope they deliver this time.

[Rob. D]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

Good read

[krazyboy225]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

This is sounding really promising.

People who worried about having the old control scheme there you go.

[RipCity71252]

Re: NBA Elite Interview (Gamespot)

The way they're determining shot power is opposite of what happens when you shoot a basketball in real life.

When you release the ball early, you have more legs in the shot, it's more of set shot in a sense. The longer you hold off your release, your shot power comes more from the forearm and wrist.