01-11-2016, 01:47 PM
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#8
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MVP
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Re: Scripted momentum/equalizer cheese
I agree that momentum is over the top, especially in MyTeam. But I don't think that there's such a thing as scripted outcomes etc. I believe that the reason this is more extrem in MyTeam than in regular gameplay is that everybody has so many players with great (personality) badges that will stack and create this over the top momentum. You can combat it, you need to call timeouts, change your lineup/POEs/offensive strategy. When jumpshots aren't falling you need to go in the post or try to get a layup. A certain player is killing you on offense? Put a different defender on them, even if you're already guarding them with a good defender.
I wrote a longer post on this in the main forum a while ago, quoting it since it's relevant:
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Originally Posted by QNo |
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I feel like a lot of posters in this thread focus on only one or two of the variables that have an influence on runs. This leads to everybody thinking that they're clearly right, when they're only taking part in a subsection of the debate. The following are some of the variables that can influence runs. The first 4 are obviously part of the game, while the last 2 are debatable. Let me know if you can think of any others, as it helps focus our discussion.
1) User Performance: The user may play worse when his opponent is on a run. They may also become lazy when they're up a lot, thus giving their opponents an advantage. This is clearly part of the game and indisputably something that can have an effect on runs.
2) Random distribution of shots: One may play the same when on a bad run, but might get bad luck of the draw for a period of time. Bracketing other variables, if a corner 3 with a corner specialist has a 50% chance of going in, 25% of the time you will miss to consecutive ones. Half the time you'll either make 2 in a row or miss 2 in a row, with 6 points in 2 possessions obviously being a huge swing. This is also obviously part of the game.
3) Players getting hot/cold: This is signified by red and blue rings around players. It's not obvious exactly how and when players go cold (except some instances, like getting your shot blocked), but it's obviously part of the game. It's also clear that this can have an effect on how runs play out.
4) Badges: Some personality badges, such as Heart and Soul, Closer, Alpha/Beta Dog, Mentor, Fierce Competitor seem like they might have direct effects on runs, too. When things get out of hand, Draymond Green rallies his team together. Beta Dogs step up when the Alpha Dog doesn't, Alpha Dogs step it up when the whole team is playing poorly. Microwave makes KD go hot quickly which can be a game-changer. A team that has a lot of guys with such badges is more likely to go on a run and come back. This is thus especially true for top teams and might be part of the long-held reason for why the community thinks that top-teams have a distinct advantage when down and are scripted to come back. Clearly, badges play a role in runs and comebacks.
5) 'Comeback Code': The idea is that 2k has scripted the game in such a way that they are determined to be close. Since devs have denied this multiple times we should probably assume that there is indeed no such code.
6) 'Momentum Code': However, there might still be 'momentum code'. Something like getting a steal leading to a dunk when your team is down a lot may give you a temporary boost. This is really hard to evaluate without a dev chiming in, since a lot of other variables (such as badges) are not well-explained at all. But it seems fair to assume that there is such code, since czar recently stated that there is code that makes it so that calling a timeout will help you stop a run. Though one can also argue that calling a timeout has an effect on some of the other variables mentioned, such as cooling players down (if they dont have the Unfazed badge, of course).
I think that focusing the debate on these individual variables will only help it. A lot of the current discussion is simply too murky and doesn't help to clarify the issues at stake. We should try to identify the importance of each of these variables. This is difficult to do since they may be different from user to user. If someone rages quickly, that might be more important than the game mechanics. For the Buddha that may not be a factor at all.
It is also important that we all acknowledge that there is more than one variable at play, e.g. it is not only the comeback code or the 2k rage that makes runs happen. Such comments are too narrowly focused to help sharpening our understanding of how comebacks work in 2k. It seems to me to very hard to deny that 1)-4) all play part in comebacks.
My personal intuition is that there are certain plays that cause momentum shifts and that this is often exacerbated when a team has lots of guys with good badges on them. This can lead to a chain reaction, causing one to make almost every shot and get defensive stops. I see weird runs more in MyTeam than in PlayNow, so it seems to me that badges are an important factor here. In PlayNow I often stop playing seriously early on, since I like to use tier 2/3 teams. If they quit before the 4th quarter I don't get my bonus wins so I'm happy to leave them in the game. I would never do this in MyTeam where it is much rarer for me to blow out my opponent.
(Yes, the average MyTeam starting 5 is much better and can thus score much more easily, but they also defend much better, so that in itself is not an obvious explanation.)
I really hope that there is no momentum code, let alone comeback code, since the number of variables that has an effect in comebacks is already very large. It seems to me that badges are too effective, thus making comebacks happen more often than not. User skill, randomness, players being hot/cold, and badges should be more than enough variables to emulate the kind of runs we see in the real NBA. Right now runs seem to be triggered too easily.
Testing: Another question that should be part of this debate: How can we test which of these variables are important? Since the devs seem unwilling to share how any of this works, apart from denying the existence of comeback code, testing is the only way for us to gain knowledge on which variables matter, and how much. I watched an excellent video on the importance of the shot meter earlier today. Testing comeback code mechanics won't be as easy, but some of the great minds around here might have some good ideas.
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Scripted momentum/equalizer cheese
