Challenges

[jyoung]

Is it just me, or are most of these challenges unfairly difficult?

The CPU will play its starting five almost the entire game without substituting or showing any signs of fatigue. Meanwhile, I'm busy rotating my guys in and out like normal to keep them fresh.

CPU players with shooting ratings in the 70s will swish contested shot after contested shot. Meanwhile, my gold and silver players with 80 and 90 shooting ratings are constantly missing layups and wide open looks.

Are these challenges on Hall of Fame difficulty or something? The CPU just feels extremely cheap. I'm winning these games by incredibly thin margins, but I'm not having much fun doing it.

[Readysetdiego]

Re: Challenges

Is it just me, or are most of these challenges unfairly difficult?

The CPU will play its starting five almost the entire game without substituting or showing any signs of fatigue. Meanwhile, I'm busy rotating my guys in and out like normal to keep them fresh.

CPU players with shooting ratings in the 70s will swish contested shot after contested shot. Meanwhile, my gold and silver players with 80 and 90 shooting ratings are constantly missing layups and wide open looks.

Are these challenges on Hall of Fame difficulty or something? The CPU just feels extremely cheap. I'm winning these games by incredibly thin margins, but I'm not having much fun doing it.

Its harder than domination thats for sure. One thing thats annoying me is that on contests from the weak side my players hands are going through the ball, and its not being registered as a block, instead its a foul somehow and it goes in swish. Gets annoying after a while.

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

on contests from the weak side my players hands are going through the ball, and its not being registered as a block, instead its a foul somehow and it goes in swish. Gets annoying after a while.

I've seen a lot of that junk as well. Your defenders' hands will often go right through the ball, yet the shot still swishes the net, and you get called for a foul.

[gezat]

Re: Challenges

Its harder than domination thats for sure. One thing thats annoying me is that on contests from the weak side my players hands are going through the ball, and its not being registered as a block, instead its a foul somehow and it goes in swish. Gets annoying after a while.

Somehow challenges is extremely easy for me than domination. Ive gotten 10+ steals and every open shot hits even with early releases. I blowout teams by 60pts. Yet domination games are close games.

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

I made it to the final challenge today, and you have to beat three teams in a row that are full of Hall of Famers to unlock sapphire Bob Pettit. If you lose, it resets the challenge and you have to start the sequence of teams all over again.

The first game is easy, since it's just a bunch of old, slow guys with no outside threats.

The second game is against DRose, prime Kobe, Durant, prime Duncan, and prime Shaq. Those guys just gave me the biggest whooping I've had since I started challenge mode. As usual, they make contested shots all game long and they get every rebound the instant that it goes up for grabs. And the CPU's starting five never gets subbed out the whole game, yet somehow, they never seem to fatigue at all. So so cheap.

What makes it even harder, is that you can only have three gold players in your lineup. It may take a lot of restarts to beat this final challenge.

[Readysetdiego]

Re: Challenges

I made it to the final challenge today, and you have to beat three teams in a row that are full of Hall of Famers to unlock sapphire Bob Pettit. If you lose, it resets the challenge and you have to start the sequence of teams all over again.

The first game is easy, since it's just a bunch of old, slow guys with no outside threats.

The second game is against DRose, prime Kobe, Durant, prime Duncan, and prime Shaq. Those guys just gave me the biggest whooping I've had since I started challenge mode. As usual, they make contested shots all game long and they get every rebound the instant that it goes up for grabs. And the CPU's starting five never gets subbed out the whole game, yet somehow, they never seem to fatigue at all. So so cheap.

What makes it even harder, is that you can only have three gold players in your lineup. It may take a lot of restarts to beat this final challenge.

Gl, let us know about the ratings for some of the Sapphires. For now im trying to get RTP out of the way so that when the Jordan cheese begins, it wont bother me much because I'll simply be playing to have fun with different lineups.

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

Gl, let us know about the ratings for some of the Sapphires.

I've already got the ratings and badges posted for Tom Chambers, Rick Barry, and Jalen Rose:

<iframe width="540" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aMDV8-WR5QM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="540" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TL0TO2chkxs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="540" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Qb-8AkDH-Sc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rick Barry is the only one of those three that's any good IMO, and even then, he's basically just another guy that you'd want to bring off your bench as a reserve. At least he's versatile enough that he can play anywhere in the backcourt. Chambers has great dunking stats, but he's so slow and so weak at rebounding/post defense that I just can't consider playing him at power forward.

I still need 1 more Suns player so I can start up the gold Kevin Johnson challenge. Chambers doesn't count towards your Suns card total, unfortunately. That challenge looks to be pretty tough.

[AsYouSwish]

Re: Challenges

I made it to the final challenge today, and you have to beat three teams in a row that are full of Hall of Famers to unlock sapphire Bob Pettit. If you lose, it resets the challenge and you have to start the sequence of teams all over again.

The first game is easy, since it's just a bunch of old, slow guys with no outside threats.

The second game is against DRose, prime Kobe, Durant, prime Duncan, and prime Shaq. Those guys just gave me the biggest whooping I've had since I started challenge mode. As usual, they make contested shots all game long and they get every rebound the instant that it goes up for grabs. And the CPU's starting five never gets subbed out the whole game, yet somehow, they never seem to fatigue at all. So so cheap.

What makes it even harder, is that you can only have three gold players in your lineup. It may take a lot of restarts to beat this final challenge.

The second one was the hardest of the three for me. The third is Magic, Jordan, Bird, Malone, and Robinson. I ran a 2-3 zone for most of all 3 games because trying to play one on one against these matchups just won't work. When you get to the 4th quarter they'll start missing jumpers because they play the same guys all game and they're fatigued. The zone forces them into jumpers.

Haven't had a chance to play with Pettit yet but his stats look beastly. Great rebounder, post, and inside guy for a PF.

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

Well the Kevin Johnson challenge wasn't as bad as I was expecting. You only have to win 3 of the 4 games. I thought it was going to require 4 straight wins. Prime Shaq is on 2 of the teams and he kept killing me inside. But Rick Barry hit a couple of clutch shots in the final minute to secure the game 3 victory for me.

Here are gold KJ's ratings and badges:

<iframe width="540" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KdiC1Hskvjw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When you get to the 4th quarter they'll start missing jumpers because they play the same guys all game and they're fatigued. The zone forces them into jumpers.

Yeah my new strategy in these challenges is to never call a time-out to help maximize the fatigue effects on the other team. Because the CPU just never subs their starting five out for some reason. So now I'm rolling all 12 of my players in and out of the lineup to stay fresh without needing to ever burn a TO.

The third is Magic, Jordan, Bird, Malone, and Robinson. I ran a 2-3 zone for most of all 3 games because trying to play one on one against these matchups just won't work.

Nice, it helps to know what I'll be up against in game three. I plan on playing DeMar DeRozan at the small forward and attacking Larry Bird off the dribble all game. Then I'll keep doubling the ball carrier with whomever is guarding Magic Johnson, since he can't shoot. I stubbornly refuse to play zone in an NBA game.

[manu1433]

Re: Challenges

I just rage quit against the chuckers team.

Nothing you could do to them defensively.

Melo and Kyrie combined to shoot 20-27 before i just gave up. All jumpers.

Your teammate AI seems to be absolutely non-existent.

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

I just rage quit against the chuckers team.

Nothing you could do to them defensively.

Melo and Kyrie combined to shoot 20-27 before i just gave up. All jumpers.

Your teammate AI seems to be absolutely non-existent.

It helps to have defenders with the "lockdown permimeter defender" badge. That will neutralize all of their man's offensive badges. Some cheap guys with it are Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, and Matt Barnes. Those were my three go-to perimeter defenders.

Against good shooters, I always set my on-ball defense to "smother" and off-ball defense to "tight." That will help you out too.

The only "lock down post defender" I have is Samuel Dalembert, and he's pretty useful against teams with strong big men.

[manu1433]

Re: Challenges

It helps to have defenders with the "lockdown permimeter defender" badge. That will neutralize all of their man's offensive badges. Some cheap guys with it are Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, and Matt Barnes. Those were my three go-to perimeter defenders.

Against good shooters, I always set my on-ball defense to "smother" and off-ball defense to "tight." That will help you out too.

The only "lock down post defender" I have is Samuel Dalembert, and he's pretty useful against teams with strong big men.

I have always done the bold

i would assume cp3 would have that badge....though i haven't looked

i had my melo and durant vs their melo and i doubt either one of them has that badge....so that explains Melo at least

i believe i just ran into some bad luck to be honest....seemed like they beat the shot clock buzzer on me at least 6-7 in this game....getting really annoyed at the late shot clock shots/buzzer beaters in this game

[jyoung]

Re: Challenges

DeMar DeRozan comes through with 19 points and 15 assists in game three to unlock Bob Pettit!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8DDd5uzszKY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pettit's 89 post fade rating makes him a great Domination mode player. But without much size and athleticism, I doubt I'd use him in normal games, where I run a 4-out, 1-in.

[MavericksFan1989]

Re: Challenges

DeMar DeRozan comes through with 19 points and 15 assists in game three to unlock Bob Pettit!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8DDd5uzszKY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pettit's 89 post fade rating makes him a great Domination mode player. But without much size and athleticism, I doubt I'd use him in normal games, where I run a 4-out, 1-in.

It looks like he has very good rebounding stats so at 6'9 he could be a very useful PF off the bench

[bpietro]

Re: Challenges

The first weekly challenge is out!

best of 5 against class of 14'

only bronze allowed.