Rant: Helping you out of necessity and insipid rage

[blues rocker]

i agree with a lot of the stuff in the original post. after playing this game for a while and getting used to the movements I am able to beat the CPU on sim/HOF without ever calling plays. I simply do a "freeflow" offense using icon lead passing to direct my players into good position and using simple pick and rolls (L1 button) to create opportunities.

A lot of the time the CPU will simply make cheesy shots that you can't defend...(post up turn around shots, crazy contact shots in the paint, ect.). but you can defend jump shots and you have to make sure you defend them well. the most important part of playing defense is to not move "side to side" in relation to your defender...only move straight back toward to hoop to cut off his drive. when moving backwards, utilize the L2 intense defense button to keep your man facing the ball handler so you can bump him more easily and cut off his drives. keep plenty of space between yourself and the defender so he can't drive by you. if you give him too much space and you see him start to shoot, quickly hold turbo and run toward him while pressing the block button.

by doing these things I am able to beat the CPU on sim/HOF about 85 percent of the time. i usually shoot at around 62 percent and can hold the CPU under 50 percent most of the time. sometimes the CPU will go on a ridiculously cheesy run where they make all kinds of contested and contact shots and those games you can't win...but usually you can overcome the cheesy runs by the CPU.

[Sam Marlowe]

You shouldn't have overcome CPU BS. Thats the whole point. Difficulty in this game should be translated like it is in the NBA. Based on situation and place. The progression should be something like regular season, playoffs, finals. Higher difficulty should mean better decisions and more intensity. Not dumbed down player teammate AI and CPU cheese.

[The Fight]

Quote: Originally Posted by blues rocker

i agree with a lot of the stuff in the original post. after playing this game for a while and getting used to the movements I am able to beat the CPU on sim/HOF without ever calling plays. I simply do a "freeflow" offense using icon lead passing to direct my players into good position and using simple pick and rolls (L1 button) to create opportunities. A lot of the time the CPU will simply make cheesy shots that you can't defend...(post up turn around shots, crazy contact shots in the paint, ect.). but you can defend jump shots and you have to make sure you defend them well. the most important part of playing defense is to not move "side to side" in relation to your defender...only move straight back toward to hoop to cut off his drive. when moving backwards, utilize the L2 intense defense button to keep your man facing the ball handler so you can bump him more easily and cut off his drives. keep plenty of space between yourself and the defender so he can't drive by you. if you give him too much space and you see him start to shoot, quickly hold turbo and run toward him while pressing the block button. by doing these things I am able to beat the CPU on sim/HOF about 85 percent of the time. i usually shoot at around 62 percent and can hold the CPU under 50 percent most of the time. sometimes the CPU will go on a ridiculously cheesy run where they make all kinds of contested and contact shots and those games you can't win...but usually you can overcome the cheesy runs by the CPU.

You're a better man than I. I have to run plays in order to get the freedom/respect from the D that I want in Free Flow. I haven't actually tried to go the whole game without at least running the quick plays but if that works for you, more power to you.

Small thing to add/ask about, relying on the intense D burns that person out more and leaves you more susceptible to more complicated isomotion moves like half spins, how often do you have to help out on D on one guy? How often do you make subs?

[hq3000]

Not to nitpick but I think you used the word insipid in the wrong context. Insipid means boring, bland, banal. You can't have insipid rage because the words don't make sense together.

Anyway good post though, but lets not put ourselves on a pedestal because we can play at a high level. Part of what makes video games so great is that they can be enjoyed on many levels.

Just stick to the tips and not to your insipid charges that some people on this website are upset that they are having trouble playing the game. People complain because they want answers. If you have the answer, explain it to them to the best of your abilities.

[The Fight]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sam Marlowe

You shouldn't have overcome CPU BS. Thats the whole point. Difficulty in this game should be translated like it is in the NBA. Based on situation and place. The progression should be something like regular season, playoffs, finals. Higher difficulty should mean better decisions and more intensity. Not dumbed down player teammate AI and CPU cheese.

Agreed.

My thing is, that on HOF, the computer does make better decisions (including more timeout adjustments, quarter to quarter adjustments and at the half adjustments). They go on smarter runs (spurred on by mismatches) and it feels harder to stop a run on the road than it feels at home. I seriously don't feel feel it on All-Star and below. Superstar makes me think, but they go back to doing the same thing after timeout.

[AdamBa17]

the good thing about this thread is that it actually has some really mature answers.

its making me think that we (because i agree with you OP) are a bit extreme in our views, because although we are right in many ways, we are also wrong.

i think we are at one end of the scale and the moaners are at the other end. the sweet spot may be somewhere in the middle.

[erickonasis]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Fight

Hello people, Moving on to where I want to get to, In playing the game for some time now, I realize that there are a number of you still struggling to beat the computer (or anyone for that matter) on All-Star or higher and resort to changing gameplay sliders in an attempt to get the game to be "more-realistic" (easier to beat). .

See Signature

[blues rocker]

Quote: Originally Posted by The Fight

You're a better man than I. I have to run plays in order to get the freedom/respect from the D that I want in Free Flow. I haven't actually tried to go the whole game without at least running the quick plays but if that works for you, more power to you. Small thing to add/ask about, relying on the intense D burns that person out more and leaves you more susceptible to more complicated isomotion moves like half spins, how often do you have to help out on D on one guy? How often do you make subs?

i don't do manual subs...i usually just let the game make subs for me and that works for me.

i don't hold the intense d button (L2) all the time. Only use it when the ball handler is driving at you and you want to bump him and cut him off...when using intense D in brief spurts like this it doesn't drain much energy.

i usually don't do much helping out on D. I usually just guard the ball handler and try to cut off his drives. if he beats me I will switch to another defender and try to use him to defend the ball handler...but usually once the ball handler beats you it's too late anyway and the CPU will get a basket.