Playing Smart: Why Realism Is Not Always the Answer

[sportyguyfl31]

just have the games depict the dang sport accurately, and in a way that doesnt bastardize the game.

Is that too much to expect?

[aggro77]

I think EA has kind of been experimenting with this with their simplified, everybody play controls. I don't think they have found the perfect system, but I will say that this year is the first time I have enjoyed a FIFA game since 2003 thanks to the option to use a simplified control scheme. The simplified controls haven't allowed me to walk all over the CPU and win every game, I've gotten my tail kicked when I've tried to take on a superior opponent or when I make bad decisions or mistakes.

[KG]

Quote: Originally Posted by sportyguyfl31

just have the games depict the dang sport accurately, and in a way that doesnt bastardize the game. Is that too much to expect?

easier said than done man

[songa]

why not have both? or at least something very similar to both extremes? the option of having a super realistic game AND a fun, casual type game would make the most sense. after all, isnt that why we have different difficultly settings? for example, lets say we're playing madden. have a casual, once-in-a-while gamer, play on rookie or pro settings, while the hardcore, realistic gamer plays on allpro or even all madden for the ultimate challenge. shouldnt that make the most sense?

[songa]

now, i read somewhere that someone prefers live over 2k9 because 2k9 was too hard, although more realistic. ive owned both, but returned live, and i consider myself a casual bball player as well. the reason for this is, like i stated above, i just changed the difficultly settings! i may never takt eh time and practice to master 2k9's intricate controls, and i may forever just play 4 button basketball. in any regular settings, i would get crushed by the heat, even if i was the celtics. i usedt o get so frustrated that any shot i took, even only slightly contested, and every layup i took, only about 10% of them would go in. thats no fun, esp when you dont want to get into the intricacies of the game and of basketball and you just want to give the ball to KG and let him slam i thome. all i did was change difficulty settings and/or adjust game sliders, and right away, you have a game almost as arcadey as any bball game ever made but stilll REALISTIC. i guess...its REALISTIC, just not POSSIBLE. haha. in other words, you can make it with realistic gameplay with a team full of jordans in their prime. hahah impossible yes, but unrealistic? not at all!

[songa]

long story short, and im taking 2k9 as an example, any level of player, whether it be casual to hardcore, can beat the celtics with the heat by 40+ points every time if they really wanted to. that may not be fun for some, but may be very fun for others. for most, maybe winning by 15-20points is more fun, or maybe 5-10 points, etc. but for each level, you can just adjust the sliders or difficultly settings accordingly. i believe every game should have that flexibilty!!!

[thunder008]

people want OPTIONS. nba 2k9 already has the options 'arcade' and 'simulation.' so if you have some of your 'casual' gamer friends over to play, then put it on arcade simple enough. I don't think learning the controls should be overly hard though, because the skill can come by other things like timing and strategy. as long as their are OPTIONS it's fine - like EZ iso in nba2k games. realism is what fans of any sport usually want (especially if you're going to buy a particular game called a "simulation.") if some casual fans don't like realism, then don't buy a simulation game. the reason nba 2k has grown and become more popular is BECAUSE of realism. more people began to discover that nba2k series was more like the real thing so they switched from the arcadey nba live.

[Wiffyjustus]

I suppose what I want to see in a game is this... (I'll use basketball as the example)

You get rewarded for playing like a basketball player. The guys who win are the ones who can read the court better than anyone else, find the open man, drive when they find an opening.

When I want to play a basketball game I want to be sucked into the game of basketball. If I want to memorise Street Fighter like controls then I will play Street Fighter. (which is an awesome game btw)

Sports games elevate themselves to another level when you start thinking the game and you are no longer thinking about the controller.

Last night I had a great online game with some dude, We were seeing open lanes, running plays, getting out on fastbreaks, finding open men (Boy that sounds dodgy). It was a game between two basketball nuts. Not a game that has some schmuck pwning a noob.

There is no getting around the fact that you need to practice / learn a control scheme. I put a bit of time into NBA Live 09 and I am now seeing results on the court. (in both wins and enjoyment)

Bottom line: the more intuitive the devs can make their controls the better.