PS5: Contests need TUNING

[itsjustmattbrown]

I've seen your posts through the years and I feel like the nuances of basketball are always lack luster with 2K, like catching passes this year. I don't see 2k21 being in a good place. With covid and the nba season being different, plus its a year where their teams are split between current gen and next gen. I fully expect to sit this year out although I am eagerly awaiting more footage.

[ChaseB]

Contests needing tuning I think is the understatement of the year in 2K.

[MrWrestling3]

Quote: Originally Posted by itsjustmattbrown

I've seen your posts through the years and I feel like the nuances of basketball are always lack luster with 2K, like catching passes this year. I don't see 2k21 being in a good place. With covid and the nba season being different, plus its a year where their teams are split between current gen and next gen. I fully expect to sit this year out although I am eagerly awaiting more footage.

You make a good point. 2K tends to downplay risk/reward in favor of letting the player get highlight plays more often...the little nuances of fundamental play tend to get lost in the shuffle when you can just go for highlight plays over and over and not really be punished for it.

As Kushmir documented, players going off their feet at the wrong time or in the wrong position should be punished with fouls or giving up easy buckets.Moving your feet and correctly anticipating the ball handler with a good defender should be rewarded more often than it is now. Forcing or baiting players to take shots from bad spots on the floor should be a viable technique.

Like Czar said...play basketball, not video games.

[Kushmir]

Another example of how the game rewards bad/from behind contests. In the first clip Harden whiffs on a block. 1) His momentum should take him out of the play or get him whistled but 2) the engine registers it as a 18% contest when it should have zero value.



Both Tucker and Covington are good defenders (Covington is close to elite) but chase-down contests from behind like this one should have a higher chance of a foul than disrupting a shot. The game has to get out of the business of Neutral Outcomes and be much more Risk/Reward in the future.

[Dyslexicphish]

Good post. One thing you see in the NBA is when guys are out of position, they won't even contest because being out of position and contesting (especially around the rim) often results in a foul. In 2k this is flipped. Players are reward for hyper aggressive defense regardless of position.

[Kushmir]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dyslexicphish

In 2k this is flipped. Players are reward for hyper aggressive defense regardless of position.

Exactly. In 2K "beat" position is the best angle for a block--see the amount of chase-down attempts for proof. In reality these and other plays from bad position should be really risky...but presently even if you fail the game prioritizes Neutral Outcomes over a risk/reward balance and it hurts gameplay.

[Kushmir]

While Mike Scott (35 rating) blocking an elite finisher like Lebron shouldn't be impossible it should be really low percentage. Better options for him are contesting the shot or getting in position for a charge. Maybe 1 attempt in 20 should yield him a block. Much more likely is him missing completely or what happens below:



Also, missed blocks should result in being taken out of the play or fouls like above, NOT lower contest ratings. Blocks are a zero sum game. If you miss the block you don't get to contest as a reward for missing. This shot is 1% covered, but even that is too high...we can't reward the defense for bad timing--its literally the most important aspect of skill:

[keshunleon]

I don't know how many times I'm in great position to contest or block a shot, hands up in front of the shooter.
Then the game will make me slide back or away, or the shooter will go through me and make the shot.

THERE IS NO BUMP ANIMATION AT ALL!

If 2K fix all the clipping and make the ball tangible it'll fix 70% of issues.