Difficulty Spikes

[knight13951]

Has anyone noticed massive difficulty spikes that force you to lose? I have been playing a fantasy draft association with a few friends on superstar. I can usually hold my own but after a few wins, the computer comes back with a vengeance. They start getting crazy amounts of offensive rebounds (15 to 3 in the last game) even when my players have the other team effectively boxed out, the ball will take weird angles and roll between multiple rebounders straight to the computer. They also knock down all sorts of rediculous contested shots. Timeouts don't help either.

Anyone else deal with this on a regular basis?

PS: This is what it feels like when the computer does this.

[RustyRocket56]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

It happened to me on mycareer, the spike happens from time to time and there is nothing you can do but accept the loss and move on. I did not and ended up scoring 68 points 14 reb and 3 blocks and we(celtics) lost to bucks 126 110 . I was subbed out for 4 mins 1st quarter and when I came back they were leading by 20, no matter what you do the lead stays around 20 all game.

Even though its frustrating, it usually lasts a game or two for me then its back to normal.

[AntiBandwagoner]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

There was a forum like this a while ago. I totally agree. I lose in the 4th all the time.

[other]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

Every game there seems to be a few minutes where you miss uncontested lay ups and every defensive attempt is a foul. Especially if you're using a weak team against a good team.

[puja21]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

absolutely ~ this year more than any other has descended into "scripted gameplay"

I consistently go through stretches where I get outrebound by a 5-1 margin only "during the scripted run", with players like Mike Dunleavy jumping over the back of Love, reaching through the player model sans clipping and "suction rebounding" with no foul. Changing the sliders merely makes it immediately unfair in my favor during other scenarios... e.g. suddenly I will start getting defensive rebounds I had no business getting where I didn't even move the controller and the ball "flew to me" ~ that is no better. I wish I could confirm with video replay, but that feature is totally broken this year too and hasn't been patched.

Timeouts definitely do not help. I just finished a game with five separate runs roughly "15-2" or so flip-flopping back and forth between Boston (me) and LAL. Late in the second quarter I went 15-2 to get to a 50-50 tie ~ during much of that run, I didn't even feel like I was really dictating the action -- I would get a steal away from the ball, when I tried to slow up the break and go into halfcourt, the NPC players just ran the lanes perfectly baiting me to take the free points, and the computer didn't get back RIGHT until it was time to give up an and 1 in my favor. It wasn't even a satisfying comeback.

I called my own timeout just as I felt the computer responding favorably to the momentum swing from their timeout at 50-50, but it was useless. You can literally "feel" the fun slipping away via the under/over responsiveness of the controller. All of a sudden my human controlled help defense was either stuck in molasses OR if i took control of KG before I even got to the stick he had "run out to the 3pt line" botching the post fronting and leaving dwight for an easy and 1 (no way to stop the help defense from fouling in that half-second interval). It's just not enjoyable to move the stick one way and see a player just glued to the spot or go through some silly unrealistic animation to allow the offensive player space.

When you consider the ratings, these runs are even more head-scratcing. A run will make Steve Nash an incredible chase down defender and Antawn Jamison immovable in the post.

What makes it hard to quit for good is that games are always close, the stats "acceptable", you get a few rewarding plays where suddenly the controls respond and you feel like you are actually running the off/def set to perfection... just enough to keep you interested. And of course you get the occasional vice-versa game where everything favors YOU, help defense slides over perfectly when you recklessly reach for steals, YOU get suction rebounding when you didn't bother to block out.

It's just disappointing because the right stick iso motion and left trigger modifier for shot stick is so much more comfortable, I WANT to love this game, but I just can't.

I have no problem losing by 20, in any of these scenarios:
1) I don't run a gameplan that favors my team's strengths --e.g. what the real life lakers have been doing all year

2) I get exploited by computer matchups through their good ball movement -- e.g. getting jamison in the post on rondo repeatedly through switches

3) I take stupid contested shots or "off the dribble" on a fast break, throw the ball into double teams, or drive into help defense

4) the player ratings simply favor the computer so dramatically, that even playing the perfect game makes it unlikely for me to win. e.g. bobcats (me) with kemba and MKG out versus a healthy dreamteam (CPU)

^this rarely-to-never happens though. i never thought i would vent about a 2K game, because the flaws are usually completely manageable or small enough to ignore and the game plays great enough to carry through it all (e.g. NFL2K5). Never come away from a good feeling with 2K13 though. Sad day for me

[Coach2K]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

I know it's recommended to call time outs and I wouldn't say you shouldn't do that. What matters more than a time out is what you do during the time out, subs, any adjustments in defense and then after on the court it's important to execute.

It's a combination of those things and in particular the execution part.

I've seen the phrase "scripted game play" before. I am not sure I buy into that only because there are so many variables of things you can.

I'd say it's more likely that the possibility exists that the CPU has a pretty good idea what your tendencies have been and shuts you down.

[puja21]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

Maybe "scripted" is too strong of a word ~ clearly I'm not talking about 100% fixed events. I mean a series of similar and extremely unlikely occurrences that repeat AND are all strung together. For me at least, it's not a problem if the intelligence is reading my style~ that would be addressed in my last points as "acceptable ways to lose"

Rather, what I am specifically addressing is CPU behavior (either opposing team OR my players I am not controlling) that is unrealistic in terms of physics or player ratings... something that is outside the bounds of what I would deem fair, since a human player has no means to control it/repeat it

this could mean a player exceeding/dipping below his ratings dramatically like the Dunleavy example above or Nash running down and blocking a Rondo dunk. It could also mean animations that seemingly "break the physics engine" e.g. clipping goes away on rebounding (also the Duleavy example again), Jamison sliding over faster than any player can move w/o moving feet on help def, me physically not being able to move a player because of "molasses shoes"

These are "scripted events" to me because they continually happen, no matter what the two teams' variance is in ratings OR what style you play. It also seems to drive towards keeping the game level/close. I'm fine with getting caught throwing the same pass ten times or anything that can be explained by VIP/profile tracking

This is different in my opinion, however.

[toneqdup]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

Has anyone noticed massive difficulty spikes that force you to lose? I have been playing a fantasy draft association with a few friends on superstar. I can usually hold my own but after a few wins, the computer comes back with a vengeance. They start getting crazy amounts of offensive rebounds (15 to 3 in the last game) even when my players have the other team effectively boxed out, the ball will take weird angles and roll between multiple rebounders straight to the computer. They also knock down all sorts of rediculous contested shots. Timeouts don't help either.

Anyone else deal with this on a regular basis?

PS: This is what it feels like when the computer does this.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's the way the game works this year. I play on SS/Sim with a young, but talented Kings team in association. 3 things you must know.

1. Always run plays. Also learn how to do many things on the same play. This is how I always get good, wide open shots (most of the time).

2. If you are up by 20, or go into the 4th up by about 10, ALWAYS turn your fast break to 0. Yeah, they'll still get some off. boards, but atleast you know you couldn't do much about it.

3. The one I don't like. If they cheese you (Turbo lead pass in the paint or crazy oops) you got to cheese them back to get back momentum. I was up on the Cavs by 20 who got Dwight and Iggy, and they attempted about 9 standing still oops on me in the 4th. Hit about 7 of em. Plus when they were down by 4 Dwight flew in the lane at 100mph morphing through dudes and dunked. I had to do a cheesy up and under and a standing still under the hoop dunk to win/ break momentum.

[puja21]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

the fast break in the 4th qtr is a good tip~ thx

edit: should have said "no" fast break slider

[sword1986]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

The purpose of the difficulty spikes is to force you to change up your strategy. On Superstar, the difficulty spike is high octane and if you make a mistake it goes in bunches. I know this because I play exclusively on Superstar/Simulation with everything set to Manual because the CPU does not help out much on those levels.

Try changing up your game plan and you will see a drastic difference from the CPU's game play - listen closely to the subliminal messages the commentators say and success you shall fine! Then again, you can do everything right and still lose, but it should help out a lot.

EDIT: Also, you can always adjust the Game Sliders to your likely. Mess around with the Fatigue. I usually put Fatigue Rate around 70 so a team's bench depth matters more and it also skews the CPU's field goal percentages rather than adjusting the Shot Success Sliders.

[mmcnab91]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

I feel like this happens a lot in the second and third quarters of games I play. I usually take a big lead, and then I start missing uncontested shots and getting killed on the glass. Playing against Kobe sucks at times like these, because he apparently hits every shot regardless of the defense in his face. Games where the center is particularly astute at rebounding on offense (DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Pekovic come to mind) there's usually a huge disparity in second chance points and offensive rebounds.

[Kaanyr Vhok]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

The purpose of the difficulty spikes is to force you to change up your strategy. On Superstar, the difficulty spike is high octane and if you make a mistake it goes in bunches. I know this because I play exclusively on Superstar/Simulation with everything set to Manual because the CPU does not help out much on those levels.

Try changing up your game plan and you will see a drastic difference from the CPU's game play - listen closely to the subliminal messages the commentators say and success you shall fine! Then again, you can do everything right and still lose, but it should help out a lot.

EDIT: Also, you can always adjust the Game Sliders to your likely. Mess around with the Fatigue. I usually put Fatigue Rate around 70 so a team's bench depth matters more and it also skews the CPU's field goal percentages rather than adjusting the Shot Success Sliders.

a lot of that has to do with non-starters being so underrated. That is a problem in itself

[VDusen04]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

I don't know if I'd call this a spike but I saw someone mention offensive rebounding and it caught my attention. I played a Blazers/Magic NBA Today matchup last night and after my user Blazers gained an early 20 point lead, Nikola Vucevic proceeded to snag nine offensive rebounds on his own to lead a charge back into contention. Orlando had 19 offensive boards as a team. Then again, Orlando had 17 offensive rebounds in real life last night (6 from Vucevic) so it doesn't seem too crazy.

All that said, I play 9 minute quarters and they had something like 36 rebounds overall, so the percentage of offensive rebounds grabbed was a little skewed. And as others mentioned here, the rebounding seemed pretty normal at first but once I established my lead, it seemed as if LaMarcus Aldridge and J.J. Hickson suddenly began using poor rebound animations - they'd have excellent position and they'd correctly time their jumps but their hands would reach away from the ball, allowing a Magician to slide in through their body and gain possession themselves. I can't tell if the game is truly compensating or if I'm really just pressing and making mistakes. It really feels like the former in many instances (playing on All-Star).

[prototype561]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

Yep, I definitely see it. I just played a game vs. Hornets, I was up 26 going into the fourth qtr. Then the cpu went into beast mode, all of sudden every pass I attempted the cpu intercepted, players started warping into position to contest a layup, cpu making contested shots, and 1's the works. Everyone on cpu team has on ball defense like MJ, the same guys that I was torching the first 3 qtrs. I was shooting 60% going into the 4th, I ended shooting 20% in the 4th, with 13 turnovers. The cpu is shooting 39% through 3, shoots 73% in the 4th, with 0 turnovers. I ended up losing by 2.

I can maybe see this from a team like the Heat, OKC etc. but the Hornets, needless to say I haven't played the game in few days because I was so heated.

[apriliand]

Re: Difficulty Spikes

Since difficulty spikes usually happen after you dominate a quarter (so as to help your opponents come back into the game) I just look at it as appreciation of my good game

So the AI cheats because I was too good to handle hehe.

More seriously: if this happens, start cheesing (up and unders etc) and pray for the pain to go away. Not much else you can do.