"Don't play video games, play basketball" - Da_Czar
I remember hearing that back when I first saw a Czar video back in like 2K8 or something and it always stuck with me. I've been playing 2K since the original was released on Dreamcast and the 2K games have helped me develop an appreciation for the game of basketball at a much deeper level than I would have if I just watched the NBA. I've been on a bit of hiatus since I never got one of the newest consoles, but with us finally getting the latest version on PC I'm super excited to jump back in.
In this thread I'd like to describe the tweaks in how I'm playing that led to me having one of the coolest experiences I've had in a long time with a 2K game. I'd also like to hear similar approaches that you guys take to help make the game more enjoyable for you.
Since I got a PC, one of my obsessions has been modding games to make them as immersive as possible and I feel like it's had a huge impact in how I appreciate video games. Games like RDR2, Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Ghost Recon, etc. take on an entirely new level of immersion when you take away the HUD. I attempted to do the same with 2K and had a really awesome experience today that I'd like to share. The mods I'm using in the video below help a bit (better body types, lighting, hiding scoreboard, etc.), but I think the core of this experience could also be felt on consoles.
One of the reshades I was using had this add-on called "Border". It just adds black bars to the top and bottom of your screen. I'm not sure if it's by intent, but this hides the scoreboard. I decided to play a game (and watch a CPU game after) after accidentally toggling it on and had so much fun with it. I can toggle it on with a key press if I NEED to see it.
How I’m playing
The key idea here is to make it feel like you are in the stadium. Minimizing HUD elements helps keep everything "in world" and minimizes the uncanny valley and "video gamey" effects that you get if it's there.
1. Removing all HUD elements. The key change to “normal 2K’ that I have made is removing all HUD elements. If you play the game without play art, without a shot meter, without an arrow telling you where to go on defense, and without a silly sound effect and green flash giving you a dopamine hit every time you “green a shot” it feels like a completely new game. You find yourself thinking about things like an actual basketball player would instead of some omniscient basketball god that can see the entire floor and has HUD elements holding their hand along the way.
2. Playing with player lock. Playing with a player lock gives a different experience that a lot of people enjoy. Most of those people have moved on to MyPlayer, but that mode lacks immersion because of the intense competitive aspect of it. This way of playing with actual NBA players feels more like a “Luka role playing game” in this example that traditional 2K.
3. Camera setting. I’ve found myself using “Floor Swivel” as the camera with it zoomed in. This camera lets me see what I need to see ~90% of the time. I kind of like that though because it’s closer to what the player is actually aware of. If I’m locked in on denying the ball to my defender and a shot goes up, maybe I’m not in position for the rebound. Maybe I have trouble finding my matchup when running back on D, etc. It simulates real mistakes players make that simply doesn’t happen when using something like the 2K cam where you can see everything all the time.
Some examples of things I caught myself doing in this game that I never even considered:
- Looking up at the ACTUAL shot clock and scoreboard to see what’s going on. Having to remember, “alright there’s 2min left in the quarter and we’re up by 3” is the kind of thought a basketball player would have instead of someone who sees all that info all the time that’s playing a video game.
- Scrambling back on defense and having to find my matchup without an arrow guiding me.
- Feeling a sense of urgency when the initial action on offense isn’t working, having to glance up to the shot clock and adjust from there.
- Seeing my stat line on the jumbotron during a timeout when I have no idea what I’m at when I’m just in the flow of the game.
If anyone has any similar experiences or ideas, please share! If anyone tries this or something similar out, let me know what you think.
I was streaming this out into the ether on Twitch and the VOD was recorded, so here it is to see what I’m talking about. Here’s an in game image of what the gameplay looks like.
(I may upload to YouTube at some point to)
I remember hearing that back when I first saw a Czar video back in like 2K8 or something and it always stuck with me. I've been playing 2K since the original was released on Dreamcast and the 2K games have helped me develop an appreciation for the game of basketball at a much deeper level than I would have if I just watched the NBA. I've been on a bit of hiatus since I never got one of the newest consoles, but with us finally getting the latest version on PC I'm super excited to jump back in.
In this thread I'd like to describe the tweaks in how I'm playing that led to me having one of the coolest experiences I've had in a long time with a 2K game. I'd also like to hear similar approaches that you guys take to help make the game more enjoyable for you.
Since I got a PC, one of my obsessions has been modding games to make them as immersive as possible and I feel like it's had a huge impact in how I appreciate video games. Games like RDR2, Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Ghost Recon, etc. take on an entirely new level of immersion when you take away the HUD. I attempted to do the same with 2K and had a really awesome experience today that I'd like to share. The mods I'm using in the video below help a bit (better body types, lighting, hiding scoreboard, etc.), but I think the core of this experience could also be felt on consoles.
One of the reshades I was using had this add-on called "Border". It just adds black bars to the top and bottom of your screen. I'm not sure if it's by intent, but this hides the scoreboard. I decided to play a game (and watch a CPU game after) after accidentally toggling it on and had so much fun with it. I can toggle it on with a key press if I NEED to see it.
How I’m playing
The key idea here is to make it feel like you are in the stadium. Minimizing HUD elements helps keep everything "in world" and minimizes the uncanny valley and "video gamey" effects that you get if it's there.
1. Removing all HUD elements. The key change to “normal 2K’ that I have made is removing all HUD elements. If you play the game without play art, without a shot meter, without an arrow telling you where to go on defense, and without a silly sound effect and green flash giving you a dopamine hit every time you “green a shot” it feels like a completely new game. You find yourself thinking about things like an actual basketball player would instead of some omniscient basketball god that can see the entire floor and has HUD elements holding their hand along the way.
2. Playing with player lock. Playing with a player lock gives a different experience that a lot of people enjoy. Most of those people have moved on to MyPlayer, but that mode lacks immersion because of the intense competitive aspect of it. This way of playing with actual NBA players feels more like a “Luka role playing game” in this example that traditional 2K.
3. Camera setting. I’ve found myself using “Floor Swivel” as the camera with it zoomed in. This camera lets me see what I need to see ~90% of the time. I kind of like that though because it’s closer to what the player is actually aware of. If I’m locked in on denying the ball to my defender and a shot goes up, maybe I’m not in position for the rebound. Maybe I have trouble finding my matchup when running back on D, etc. It simulates real mistakes players make that simply doesn’t happen when using something like the 2K cam where you can see everything all the time.
Some examples of things I caught myself doing in this game that I never even considered:
- Looking up at the ACTUAL shot clock and scoreboard to see what’s going on. Having to remember, “alright there’s 2min left in the quarter and we’re up by 3” is the kind of thought a basketball player would have instead of someone who sees all that info all the time that’s playing a video game.
- Scrambling back on defense and having to find my matchup without an arrow guiding me.
- Feeling a sense of urgency when the initial action on offense isn’t working, having to glance up to the shot clock and adjust from there.
- Seeing my stat line on the jumbotron during a timeout when I have no idea what I’m at when I’m just in the flow of the game.
If anyone has any similar experiences or ideas, please share! If anyone tries this or something similar out, let me know what you think.
I was streaming this out into the ether on Twitch and the VOD was recorded, so here it is to see what I’m talking about. Here’s an in game image of what the gameplay looks like.
(I may upload to YouTube at some point to)
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