The "Shot Defense Strength" Sliders Explained

[Luke Skywalker]

Quote: Originally Posted by EccentricMeat

Wow, sorry for the month-late response to this! For your first question about CPU at 48 and USER at 52, those are correct from 2K. As I point out in the first section of the OP titled "WHO DO THE USER/CPU SLIDERS AFFECT?", I give a pretty good example that explains this: "If you want the USER AI to play better defense, you need to increase the CPU Defense Strength sliders, and vice versa.". So as the difficulty settings increase, the value of the CPU defense strength sliders decrease while the USER settings increase. This means that the affect of your defense against the CPU decreases as you increase the difficulty, and the affect of the CPU defense against you increases with the difficulty. To save confusion, 2K should just swap these settings so that the USER settings control the USER defense and the CPU settings control the CPU defense. Why don't they? Who knows, it's 2K As far as Help Defense Strength and Steal Success, those two sliders are not "reversed". Increasing Steal Success for the USER means USER steals are easier. Increasing it for the CPU means the CPU will have more successful steal attempts as well. Help Defense Strength is the same way, increasing it for the USER means the USER's help defense is better positioned and has more favorable animations, having a higher affect on layups/shots.

Well now - that explains a lot!

[BallinBenni]

Thanks for the breakdown. Just to get sure, you said:

"Luckily for me the foundation of these settings has stayed the same throughout the years: The Layup/Jump Shot Defense Strength sliders affect the defense AGAINST whoever they're listed under.

For example, set the USER sliders to 100 and the CPU sliders to 0, and the CPU will play fantastic defense AGAINST the USER, while the USER's defense will have very little effect on the CPU. If you want the USER AI to play better defense, you need to increase the CPU Defense Strength sliders, and vice versa."

So does this also apply for the other defense sliders? For example Help Defense Slider also "affect the defense AGAINST whoever they're listed under"?

Thx in advance.

[EccentricMeat]

Quote: Originally Posted by BallinBenni

Thanks for the breakdown. Just to get sure, you said: "Luckily for me the foundation of these settings has stayed the same throughout the years: The Layup/Jump Shot Defense Strength sliders affect the defense AGAINST whoever they're listed under. For example, set the USER sliders to 100 and the CPU sliders to 0, and the CPU will play fantastic defense AGAINST the USER, while the USER's defense will have very little effect on the CPU. If you want the USER AI to play better defense, you need to increase the CPU Defense Strength sliders, and vice versa." So does this also apply for the other defense sliders? For example Help Defense Slider also "affect the defense AGAINST whoever they're listed under"? Thx in advance.

Answered a few posts above yours. To quote:

“As far as Help Defense Strength and Steal Success, those two sliders are not ‘reversed’. Increasing Steal Success for the USER means USER steals are easier. Increasing it for the CPU means the CPU will have more successful steal attempts as well. Help Defense Strength is the same way, increasing it for the USER means the USER's help defense is better positioned and has more favorable animations, having a higher affect on layups/shots.”

I assume this all holds true for 2K21 since it seems to be the same game as 2K20, but I haven’t played 21 and don’t plan to until next gen.

[BleedGreen710]

are the defense strength sliders still reversed on 2k19? I have been playing cpu vs cpu for years and just saw this thread its got me wondering if my shot defense strength sliders which I have set for CPU (never bothered to change for user) have been reversed this whole time and have been having no effect and I really need to be changing the USER shot defense strength sliders to effect the CPU. thanks for this thread by the way i screenshotted a bunch of posts that will help me make accurate gameplay sliders

[JSmooth2312]

What sliders do I need to change to get realistic poster dunks to trigger?...Like if a player has more momentum going to the basket and the defender is under the basket, I wanna make sure they get dunked on...or if a defender is trying to cut me off on a fastbreak and I start my dunk animation I wanna be able to dunk on him especially if he's smaller

[BallinBenni]

does anyone know if the defensive sliders also work that kind of inverted way as it is pointed out in the original post for the next-gen?

I am testing right now and not quite sure.

[EccentricMeat]

Quote: Originally Posted by BallinBenni

does anyone know if the defensive sliders also work that kind of inverted way as it is pointed out in the original post for the next-gen? I am testing right now and not quite sure.

Yes, it all still works as detailed in the OP. An easy way to test: Turn on shot feedback for all shots. Set USER defense strength sliders to 0 and CPU defense strength sliders to 100. The CPU's defense will be HORRIBLE and have almost 0 affect on shot success, while the USER's defense will be aggressive and well positioned, with almost every shot being smothered.

So if you want the CPU defense to be better and have a higher affect on shots, increase the USER defense strength sliders.

(For those playing CPU vs. CPU, just make sure the USER and CPU sliders are the same. I have no idea how it works for CPU vs. CPU gameplay so having them set the same will eliminate all doubt)

[jk31]

Is there any slider that one could increase to improve the Help Side and Rotation behaviour of AI teammates? I feel that 2k21 is one of the worst games in that regard and adjusting defensive settings accordingly only has a very small effect.