NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

[Vic Viper]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

The Plateau has been reached, but its not the same plateau. Everything I highlighted has been available in LIVE 15, even if not to some people's standard/satisfaction/knowledge. Playing the game now, the game definitely plays and animates much better than at release, and I and many others were able to do all of the above mentioned moves at release, and it has only gotten better.

NBA LIVE series does its best game play work with the right stick, below the rim. NBA2K series does its best work above the rim with the right stick, neither game can compare to each other in those right stick area functions that each specializes in at this time. Each is pick up and play in its own right, and each is complex in its own right. Its up to the user how they implement "sim" gameplay, as you can easily turn either game on any difficulty setting into NBA JAM style, depending on team used and gameplay style(search forums for cheese complaints from both communities).

If you like breaking down your defender with pace and accurate right stick dribble/movement controls, Live is much more responsive. If you like right stick shooting adjustments and shooting accuracy and variety, 2K series is the game that excels in that area.

Therein lies the fundamental game play difference of the two games, and where each has obviously concentrated their game play efforts to date. The graphical gap has been closed IMO, and will come down to art and motion capture style choices, but the right stick functionality and familiarity will be the wedge that truly keeps them separate in preference, unless LIVE offers a control scheme that can be "modified" to entice right stick shooters, as 2K did by including face button shooting and right stick shooting as an option, many releases ago.

Personally, I prefer dribble control over shot control, especially after playing countless hours of FIFA 15 and LIVE 15, and becoming familiar with this physics engine. I don't mind how LIVE handles the contextual shooting around the rim, though it could use tweaking and more animation variety in the post moves, which has been reportedly been updated tremendously. Yes, you CAN perform "dream shake" in various ways in LIVE 15.

However, without offering a NBA2K-like control above the rim as an option, it will be much harder to entice back old discouraged LIVE gamers, without adding A LOT of bells and whistles (full online leagues /CCM, fully developed be a pro mode, wanted game modes, slider options, full editing, etc.) to catch their eye.

I actually hope LIVE 16 surprises evryone like Golden State did, so that this NBA video game cold war can truly begin, and guaranteeing that we the gamers are the ones who truly will win in the end, with 2 awesome games in two differing styles to choose from. Year 3, this year's release, is supposed to be THE year.

Did you just say "NBA Video Game Cold War?!" Well....I support USA. lol

[The 24th Letter]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

Breaking down a defender off the dribble has never felt great to me in he Live series....it felt more like a game of getting the "defense is off balance" animation to trigger...

This look's to be changing in Live '16 from what little I've seen in the videos...all about those angles...I think thing's are going to open up a lot more this year..

[Haval93]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

One of the biggest issues with the Live series and dribbling moves is the dribbling moves in motion are horrible to say the least. Stationary dribbling in Live 15 is nice with all the size-ups but once you start moving and trying to cross over in the lane or go behind the back, the player's dribbling is worse than anything I have ever seen. They aren't smooth or nice, they are awkward, robotic looking, and don't resemble anything an NBA player would ever do in motion. Being quick and having a deadly cross or quick handles doesn't exist in the NBA Live series, even in the videos posted already. It doesn't feel or look good, I don't see the explosiveness that we see in real life. Players should have the ability to chain crazy dribbles together and get players off balance rather than wait for the right animation to trigger. I don't ever remember being able to ever do a double cross and drive or shoot in NBA Live. It seems the NBA Live team's focus is the highlight moves and dunks, which are nice for about 10 times, then it just gets old. This blog or none of the videos have excited me in the least, they need to do some serious work to be relevant again.

[seanhazz1]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

Sorry man i wholeheartedly disagree about 15 in some of your points(not even worth debating seeing the game offensively is not even worth playing right now and even dribbling has no effect you can barely create your own shot because the defender is glued to your player no matter what you do besides call a "pick"....there's so much to be said but its not even worth defending 15 with the state they left it in for ea access or to still be charging 12.99-29.99 for an almost unplayable game) And Yes I've played it recently without logging into ea servers and all and it still plays,looks,animates, the same as if you were logged in (after patch)..no bueno still...but heres looking forward to 16 setting the bar..and from the e3 footage it looks to......peace

Sent from my Illudium Q-36 Space Modulator using Tapatalk

I will have to agree to disagree. I can show you how to "separate" from your defender easily. Keep in mind in LIVE 15 you need to have the right guy on offense and the favorable defense matchup to do so, especially if I can do it with Isaiah Canaan or Tony Wroten from Philly. I am not even one of the best I've seen doing the dribble moves and tying them together, but personally I have close to 600hrs (easily verified) of game time in it, on both PSN and XBONE platforms combined, so I am well "practiced" in dribbling myself free with the right stick and exploding by a defender without spamming it up. I'm not trying to be condescending, but I can create a video for you if you'd like, of that and many other things people claim is not possible, many of which have been improved even more since launch. It may not be to the standard you wish, but its in there, and to say it isn't possible is not a totally true statement.

As The 24th Letter suggested, "it felt more like a game of getting the 'defense's off balance' animation to trigger...", and he is correct, as that is EXACTLY how it happens in the NBA (ex. Iverson crossing Jordan, Curry repeatedly crossing Paul). You will only get it to trigger with the right matchup and ratings difference, and not the universal turbo zig-zag method many bring from playing many hours of 2k, JRC, or the Park, expecting to be as successful. Think of how Jordan rocked Bryan Russell for that famous finals winning shot (minus the push off). Put Kyrie or Wall on Canaan and its all day dribbles right by the defender just like that, the reverse matchup?,... well not so much.

If its troublesome, I suggest trying hesitation pull-ups (tap right stick towards ball hand and shoot in rhythm), as a basic shot to practice, the space is there and better shooters (Harden, Curry, Ray Allen) kill it with just that simple move alone, from everywhere now, and with minimal space needed after patches. Throw in a hesitation cross with a step back and you can see Curry-like movement. Hesitation cross to a spin fade-away, and you are doing Kobe-like moves. Some players just can't dribble (Korver) and get free just like in real life, but still will still stick the shot if the spacing allows.

I'm not saying its all easy or perfect for everyone, but I practiced it a lot, no i'm not the best or perfect by far, but it IS in there which is my stance, as well as where each game has been focusing its gameplay improvements annually, as I previously stated.

ON THE FLOOR is where almost all of the game of basketball is played, not in the air, and its why I preferred LIVE this year (online association fiasco aside), because they are taking care of on the floor options, interactions and controls over aerial options and controls. IMO, this helps to teach users a truer version of the game we think we see on TV, leading to "SIM" styles, while the other inherently promotes NBA JAM style play, focusing on dunk package options and an aerial assault. Just my observation and opinion. In Live's case, many people hang their hat for what the game isn't instead of what it is, and that's because they actually want LIVE to fill in the obvious gaps that 2K has left open for them, without openly saying so. Why else come to a moderated LIVE forum?. In the end I too just want a good game of great basketball, hopefully we get two games, that offer differing styles but produce the same results,... tight controls, fun game play, and a similarity to a real NBA game as seen in real TV broadcasts.

[swac07]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

I will have to agree to disagree. I can show you how to "separate" from your defender easily. Keep in mind in LIVE 15 you need to have the right guy on offense and the favorable defense matchup to do so, especially if I can do it with Isaiah Canaan or Tony Wroten from Philly. I am not even one of the best I've seen doing the dribble moves and tying them together, but personally I have close to 600hrs (easily verified) of game time in it, on both PSN and XBONE platforms combined, so I am well "practiced" in dribbling myself free with the right stick and exploding by a defender without spamming it up. I'm not trying to be condescending, but I can create a video for you if you'd like, of that and many other things people claim is not possible, many of which have been improved even more since launch. It may not be to the standard you wish, but its in there, and to say it isn't possible is not a totally true statement.

As The 24th Letter suggested, "it felt more like a game of getting the 'defense's off balance' animation to trigger...", and he is correct, as that is EXACTLY how it happens in the NBA (ex. Iverson crossing Jordan, Curry repeatedly crossing Paul). You will only get it to trigger with the right matchup and ratings difference, and not the universal turbo zig-zag method many bring from playing many hours of 2k, JRC, or the Park, expecting to be as successful. Think of how Jordan rocked Bryan Russell for that famous finals winning shot (minus the push off). Put Kyrie or Wall on Canaan and its all day dribbles right by the defender just like that, the reverse matchup?,... well not so much.

If its troublesome, I suggest trying hesitation pull-ups (tap right stick towards ball hand and shoot in rhythm), as a basic shot to practice, the space is there and better shooters (Harden, Curry, Ray Allen) kill it with just that simple move alone, from everywhere now, and with minimal space needed after patches. Throw in a hesitation cross with a step back and you can see Curry-like movement. Hesitation cross to a spin fade-away, and you are doing Kobe-like moves. Some players just can't dribble (Korver) and get free just like in real life, but still will still stick the shot if the spacing allows.

I'm not saying its all easy or perfect for everyone, but I practiced it a lot, no i'm not the best or perfect by far, but it IS in there which is my stance, as well as where each game has been focusing its gameplay improvements annually, as I previously stated.

ON THE FLOOR is where almost all of the game of basketball is played, not in the air, and its why I preferred LIVE this year (online association fiasco aside), because they are taking care of on the floor options, interactions and controls over aerial options and controls. IMO, this helps to teach users a truer version of the game we think we see on TV, leading to "SIM" styles, while the other inherently promotes NBA JAM style play, focusing on dunk package options and an aerial assault. Just my observation and opinion. In Live's case, many people hang their hat for what the game isn't instead of what it is, and that's because they actually want LIVE to fill in the obvious gaps that 2K has left open for them, without openly saying so. Why else come to a moderated LIVE forum?. In the end I too just want a good game of great basketball, hopefully we get two games, that offer differing styles but produce the same results,... tight controls, fun game play, and a similarity to a real NBA game as seen in real TV broadcasts.

Lol man...sorry i still dont agree...our experiences with 15 DEFINITELY differ..if i had never played the game for myself for countless of hours I wouldve definitely believed what you are saying.....but nah fam.. .hopefully live 16 gets it right

Sent from my Illudium Q-36 Space Modulator using Tapatalk

[ThaLiveKing]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

Breaking down a defender off the dribble has never felt great to me in he Live series....it felt more like a game of getting the "defense is off balance" animation to trigger...

This look's to be changing in Live '16 from what little I've seen in the videos...all about those angles...I think thing's are going to open up a lot more this year..

I did some crazy ankle breaker, then stepped back J to end the defender's life in 2K with George Hill that I could never pull off in Live, any of them!!! There's just a lot more variety in that context. But the dribble moves really looked revamped in 16 from the short video they released, but I doubt it's too that extent that 2K has of right now in 2k15

[Jay Jay]

Re: NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

I agree that Live doesn't have as many moves as 2k does but to say you can't break defenders down is wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2GSZBlNtNo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEj5F8QRw0A

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="<a href=" target="_blank" aej5f8qrw0a"="" embed="" www.youtube.com="">https://www.youtube.com/embed/aEj5F8QRw0A</a>" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[The 24th Letter]

NBA Live 16: Freestyle Control and Player Movement

That definitely would be a wrong statement (that's why no one said it) It's especially possible against a human like the first video showed who don't have that same ability the CPU does to hold you in place......

It is what it is, and that's how it's been for a while. Like I said though, looks to be changing for the better...