Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

[TheRealHST]

I woulod love a no holds bars sports RPG...but I remember reading that couldnt do certain things i.e. players getting in trouble, for legal reasons

[tril]

One of the things NBA 2K11 and MLB The Show should do is take a page from the EASHL and form their own version of that with the My Player/RTTS. I know 2K11 has team up and my team but if they worked it out to where teams could get in and run seasons complete with trades, messages boards for smack talking among players and a virtual GM/Owner behind the scenes pulling the trigger on some of the deals, it would take on a life of its own. Rivalries would develop among individual players and owners while storylines would create themselves.

You enter the league as a young player who signs with a young owner of an NBDL team looking for talent. This process could also have different aspects to it with owners promising playing time, attribute boosts, etc. etc. Playing nets experience and boosted attributes allowing you to move up to the next level where a league exists with retiring veterans and young stars already developing. Someone could work out all the specifics in a one hour brainstorming session.

agree with this,
Man in a perfect world you could have an entire online sim world outside of the game, and all your actions in that world could effect what happens in your my player association.
folks on here mentioned the game The SIms alot. imagine taking your player into thatw orld and interacting with all sorts of people.
Based on all these mergers going in the gaming industr, the merging of titles is inevitable. Living your my player"second life" in a total different environment all together.
I see this slowly happening. but it willhappen.

great topic/article. Youve started a topic that could take gaming to another level. great follow up posts by everyone also.

[I_HATE_THAT_DUDE]

I wonder if it would be a good idea to do a sports game RPG version with online functionality be-it baseball, football,hockey or soccer (American sports only maybe??) where you would create your own player and have the cpu be the owner (or something along those lines). And you compete with other online users...I'm not into the player mode stuff myself but an online only function would solve the problem with the AI making dumb moves. maybe that would be too much lol but imagine that you create a guy along with say 25 other guys (baseball example) you build your player the same way you would on road to the show the owner offers you a contract based off the scouts report on your guy as well as the other created guys. The CPU controls the scouts, Gm, and The Manager etc...but bottom line you eliminate the head ache of the AI messing up instead you do have human error which would make it more realistic if you like the be a player mode. #winning

[SteelaNati0n]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

Create-A-Superstar in Madden is pretty fun if your a WR/TE or a CB/SS/FS because you always get to chase the ball =D

[stefangrey]

I woulod love a no holds bars sports RPG...but I remember reading that couldnt do certain things i.e. players getting in trouble, for legal reasons

Yeah, as great as a more true to life setup for my player would be, a lot of things won't make it, because the leagues and unions would never allow a game to make light of a players off field failings. Look at how quickly the NCAA Football games removed player behavior. It was in one year, I believe, before it was removed. I didn't follow the scene as closely as I do now, but I have to imagine the NCAA didn't like a game where your star player could be in trouble for taking improper benefits and you had to suspend him, no matter how realistic it is.

The closest thing I've seen for a career based game (and I know this isn't technically a sport) is Grey Dog Software's Wrestling Spirit. It's not perfect, but like KM said, the ability to form relationships that last in the games AI would be a huge step forward.

[kelvinmak]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

ps. @Kelvin Mak; Please tell me, you don't hang out at the "Drake" Hotel on Queen st? Or frequent the Brass Rail? LOL

Haha, nah man, The Drake is wayyyyy too hipster for me. And I've been to the Brass Rail once with a few buddies, too rich for my blood.

But I was a Ryerson guy, so I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Zanzibar. Especially during lunch time. Man, I saw a lot of things, warts and all. (Pardon the cheap pun)

[lowdru]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

I would like to see a deep straight RPG style sports game that let you create a player and live out his career in an online world against real players. Like a MMO-sports RPG.

[Felkmaster]

One person already mentioned it. MLB Power Pros.

[Ike04]

I for one really like playing career modes in sports games. The first one that was actually decent to me was madden's nfl superstar mode in the 06-09 period. However, now that madden has almost stripped that mode down to nothing, the closest career mode to real life is nba 2k's of course. they did a really good job in creating an immersive experience that did not get boring after a couple of hours. However, i think they need to add a few more elements, straighten up the teamate ai so they make better decisions, and they will have an even more realistic mode

[jwilphl]

I agree with the article. The fact is, these modes are typically too dry and devoid of content to make them worth replaying. A lot more depth is needed and in general, less repetition. Certainly there are routines as an athlete, but since this is all you can focus on in Be a Player modes, you can't distract yourself from the grind with any sort of perhaps more "fun" side projects. I've have gone into depth particularly with an NCAA Football RPG of sorts, and even as a stand alone game, it could really be a ton of fun.

These modes just aren't completely immersive and true to the experience. They let you experience what its like to be a professional or collegiate athlete only to a brief extent, and it is a short leash. With more depth, realism, and activities, these modes can add great variety to an existing game or even exist on their own as an innovative title. No one has tried it yet, and I'm somewhat surprised.

[blakenation11]

Great article. I've always had the same issues. The concept is awesome but there are little things holding it back from being completely immersing.

[Hellisan]

Really enjoyed this article. Thanks for taking the time to think of something new to say.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

Pro Evolution Soccer has the best "Be a Player" mode. Love it.

[15 Step]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

I like the way it works in Madden and NCAA. I haven't tried it in MLB 2k or The Show yet. I used to play it in the NHL games, but it just doesn't feel realistic enough for me. The stats always seem off, and I'm on the ice too much for a third line rookie scrub. It'd be nice if the be-a-pro in NHL was similar to Madden's in that you would take a 30-45 second shift, go back to the bench, and then press Y to skip ahead until you have your next shift. This would allow the game to sim properly so the best players on my team are actually scoring. And perhaps they could allow us to watch the game from the bench too if we want to.

Of course, the good thing about NHL's be-a-pro is the online aspect of it. EASHL is lots of fun if you join a team.

[BurghFan]

Re: Why I Don't Play 'Be a Player' Modes

When I was young I used to create myself and put myself on my favorite teams (this was in the days before any sort of be a player mode). As I got older, that idea lost its appeal and I wanted to play with my team as they were in real life. The last time I ever created myself was for the NCAA football series when I was still in college. I would create my Allegheny Gators and create myself as their star QB. Actually, sometimes I would create myself in race for the heisman and just mess around until named rosters came out. I play sports games to, well, play the games. I don't need to live vicariously thorugh some game.