Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

[cj2008nw]

I've been playing association/franchise mode since 2k3! and This mode used to be the main game mode to play other than 24/7 mode and a few other modes before they made "My Player". Ever since My player was ever implemented association hasn't changed much since 2k10.. The only thing that makes a difference to me that has changed is that they added player finder and trade finder...

I've been hoping they change the development part of Association for YEARS!!! we haven't had a drill to improve inside scoring shot close or even DUNKING for a while!... We haven't had a passing drill since 2k9!!

The only thing they added to association that I was happy about was how they added D-League to 2k12 but it was implemented horribly... since the whole D-League consisted of just created players... just for it to be removed in 2k13..

[cthurt]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I doubt it sees much improvement in the current gen but hopefully it gets alot more attention in next gens 2k14. Im an association guy to and your right association hasnt been at the top of the priority list for 2k since myplayer was installed. My only hope is that they build a soild fondation to build the association mode from instead of adding things one year just to take it away a year or two later.

[2kCharles]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I hope so, but my main hope would be that they improve the potential system, hopefully they would implement that minutes/injuries and other factors would actually affect improvement, hopefully then they would bring back the d-league, with a couple of random players that can actually become role players eventually. (Minutes in D-League games would also affect rating increases but not as much as regular season games)

Sadly it is unlikely that this would ever happen since they love to minimize the improvement as little as possible.

[Eaglerock562]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

Sadly, I must say that they need to completely overhaul the Association mode. They need to strip it down and build it back from the ground up because they have dropped the ball over the last 3 years in this mode when they could've fixed lingering yearly issues that many of us on here and other sites have been bring to everyone's attention. I would really want them to invest their time and put together this mode like Madden did for its franchise mode where you were the owner and you had ALL the power that an owner/organization had. Then again, Madden doesn't branch out and create 2-3 modes for the game that are just completely a waste of time or are actually infact it's franchise mode but with a little twist (myPlayer = association mode where you control your player) (myLegend = association mode where you control one current player), both of those modes are association mode with thier little twist, so why have the same mode really in your game 3 times? That's taking up space where focusing on the actual association mode would need in order to give the user a much more simulated realistic experience.

[kjjnesb]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

This is a million dollar question to me. I get MyPlayer is the main mode now but 2K has treated the Offline Association and Online Association crowd pretty badly the last couple of years.. Last year we practically had to beg 2K for an Association insight and the only additions were really only Total Sim Control and CBA compliance. The AI and CAP are both in need for an overhaul and the mode needs some innovation bad so fingers crossed.

I really hope 2K comes through this year for us Assocation folks lol

[cthurt]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I just want to know 2k's direction becuase as of now its more thought and work being put into modes that makes us create players then the modes that include the real life players which is just totally backwards in my opinion.

My main goal of playing a sports game is to get as close to what i see on tv when i watch the game, once i see i cant do that i cant enjoy the game which was my main problem with 2k13, the game was pretty much just alot of additions with no substance and the association mode was pretty much nothing but a longer season mode, where the only fun was in the playoffs the regular season was dull and lifeless to say the least.

I just hope 2k will focus on the association mode for us guys that want a true NBA experience not just a basketball video game.

[Vni]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I doubt anything major is coming for association. They will focus on myplayer again I'am sure. Just look on youtube, they all play it... It's the mode that sells and promotes the game.

[cthurt]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I doubt anything major is coming for association. They will focus on myplayer again I'am sure. Just look on youtube, they all play it... It's the mode that sells and promotes the game.

This is true BUT the main reason there aren;t many association youtube guys is becuase 2k never adds anything new or excitiong to the mode so your just basically watching a guy play games and make any trade they want, no suprises no unexpected things happen just same ole repeated seasons one after another.

[VDusen04]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

I just want to know 2k's direction becuase as of now its more thought and work being put into modes that makes us create players then the modes that include the real life players which is just totally backwards in my opinion.

My main goal of playing a sports game is to get as close to what i see on tv when i watch the game, once i see i cant do that i cant enjoy the game which was my main problem with 2k13, the game was pretty much just alot of additions with no substance and the association mode was pretty much nothing but a longer season mode, where the only fun was in the playoffs the regular season was dull and lifeless to say the least.

I just hope 2k will focus on the association mode for us guys that want a true NBA experience not just a basketball video game.

I'm totally with you on that. After 2K13, I'm definitely wondering about their direction. I'm really curious as to whether 2K14 is sort of a return to simulation form or just something that builds upon the fantasy world of its predecessor.

I was actually just thinking about this last night, as I posted in the thread about which current gen 2K was most fun and which was least fun. It occurred to me that a big part of why I loved 2K's features in past iterations is they were real NBA-related. For instance, The Jordan Challenge. It had to have been a huge undertaking for 2K and it was a divergence from focusing only on the current NBA basketball season, but it was all inherently a replication of real life NBA basketball, just with classic teams... and it was awesome.

On the flip side, 2K13 largely felt as if it were focusing its large scale implementations on fiction and fantasy. It felt it became less about replicating real life and more about buying packs of player cards so you could hopefully acquire a Carmelo to play in your Hawks retro uniform on your Kings home court.

To be clear, I'm fine with those modes existing, but I'd just like the underlining focus to remain on the NBA itself. I was pretty cool with MyPlayer even - I played it for a bit - but again, I thought it worked a ton better when it was immersed in a deeper sense of realism. There was no getting around the fact that creating myself as an NBA point guard was going to be a giant work of fiction, but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to be paid in a small amount of gold coins. It also doesn't mean I want realistic aspects of the NBA journey to be willfully removed (D-League, Summer League).

Overall, it kind of felt like 2K13 was launching into space a little bit, seemingly forgetting or dismissing the idea of attempting to offer a semi-authentic NBA experience.

[Icxikul]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

So much more control in other modes when it comes to players than it is in Association. Nothing is more boring than the regular season and the playoffs becomes stale. You would think that the more players you have a your desposal the more responsibility you'll have. That's certainly not the case here. I hope the Assocation modes get some love.

[cthurt]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

Could not agree with you more VD well said. Im glad to see more and more association guys stepping up and showing there displeasure with the state of the current association mode.

[Crystar500]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

An expansion draft woul be nice. We can select if we want to add a team to the league before each season, like how we choose to handle the rookies.

And I know you're just the GM, but I'd like it if you were able to change up the logos and team colors sometime down the road, or even the team name.

[cj2008nw]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

An expansion draft woul be nice. We can select if we want to add a team to the league before each season, like how we choose to handle the rookies.

And I know you're just the GM, but I'd like it if you were able to change up the logos and team colors sometime down the road, or even the team name.

THAT WOULD MAKE ME WANT TO PLAY 20 seasons of association!! there would be too many possibilities with that if things started to get boring in association

[Timmay]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

Player development system needs a major overhaul
Scouting system needs to be more in depth.
Trade logic still horrible
Free agent demands are decent, but still out of whack when you get into year 5+ of the league
Needs D League

[Wildcats302]

Re: Will 2k finally improve Association?! in NBA 2k14

THAT WOULD MAKE ME WANT TO PLAY 20 seasons of association!! there would be too many possibilities with that if things started to get boring in association

Yeah, I agree it would make it more fun to keep playing...but 20 years? How could one possible play all those games? LOL I'm sure you are exaggerating but curious question for everyone that is hardcore association.

How many seasons do you usually play? I tried to play through 81 games last year with the Lakers but got bored after about 30 games and had to sim to the playoffs. I keep saying I will play through a whole season. I think this year I am going to do a real life replica of the Lakers season, play on the day they play and then the next day, and so on. That will spread it out a long time and hopefully not bore me.