NBA 2K14 Video - Gameplay Developer Insight

[alabamarob]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

I think this is what 2K is struggling with this year, how to convey feeling. It's hard to do with words that will make sense for everyone and even harder to show with videos especially from people that really don't know how to play properly. Well what we here consider proper.

The game has a better feel to it that you can only appreciate by getting your hands 'dirty'.

The truth of the matter is that 2k13 was an unbalanced game that wasn't very realistic defensively. 2k doesn't want to admit that 2k13 was a step in the wrong direction so it will be hard for them to explain the difference without trashing 2k13.

1) spacing is better and fouls will be called. What they are really saying is zone defense and gimmick trap defense were overpowered in 2k13 because the spacing was poor, and the defense could sprint around the floor and dive into shooters to block or contest shots.

2) balance. What they are really saying is you can protect the paint this year with positioning as opposed to attempting to trigger contact layup animations like in 13.

3) blocked shots. We are making the ball live throughout the shot, dunk, and layups as opposed to waiting for the ball to be released from the offensive players hand like 2k13.

So 2k handled their business and fixed the main issues. I don't expect them to trash last years game so I am cool with the "balance" and "it feels right" angle. But to be 100 they are really saying is we made the game more realistic this year.

[JasonWilliams55]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

The truth of the matter is that 2k13 was an unbalanced game that wasn't very realistic defensively. 2k doesn't want to admit that 2k13 was a step in the wrong direction so it will be hard for them to explain the difference without trashing 2k13.

1) spacing is better and fouls will be called. What they are really saying is zone defense and gimmick trap defense were overpowered in 2k13 because the spacing was poor, and the defense could sprint around the floor and dive into shooters to block or contest shots.

2) balance. What they are really saying is you can protect the paint this year with positioning as opposed to attempting to trigger contact layup animations like in 13.

3) blocked shots. We are making the ball live throughout the shot, dunk, and layups as opposed to waiting for the ball to be released from the offensive players hand like 2k13.

So 2k handled their business and fixed the main issues. I don't expect them to trash last years game so I am cool with the "balance" and "it feels right" angle. But to be 100 they are really saying is we made the game more realistic this year.

Wrong direction? I hear ya tho, but I would say just another step in the dance.

Remember Jay-Z was branded on the game, so alot of newcomers would be flocking to the game... if the game was too hard they would potentially lose returning some of them. So the obvious choice (whether from DEVs/Marketing/Suits doesn't matter) was to make the game 'playable' for them. IMO.

[alabamarob]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

Wrong direction? I hear ya tho, but I would say just another step in the dance.

Remember Jay-Z was branded on the game, so alot of newcomers would be flocking to the game... if the game was too hard they would potentially lose returning some of them. So the obvious choice (whether from DEVs/Marketing/Suits doesn't matter) was to make the game 'playable' for them. IMO.

True. They made the game they wanted, so wrong direction calls for speculation. Lets just say this. 2k13 was never intended to be a thinking man's game. People complained about live ball and they took it out. People complained about canned animations and they took out most of those. There was no way they could get a balanced game in 13 with such a short time to tune a game with no live ball and limitied 2 player animations.

Hopefully, 13 will be the game that took a step back in many areas in order to make the game better in the future.

Similar to adding lanes into a highway. Construction will slow traffic for a while and riding in one lane will be horrible for the year of construction but once all the lanes are running the highway will be better and more efficient.

[Vni]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

I would like to know if in the post the right stick defense is still as good as it was in 2K13. It requires no skills at all and was overpowered. It lead to defenders never biting on fakes. I'am hoping that they have slightly raised the effectiveness of the post fadeaway aswell as the hook shots to make the right stick defense not as efficient as before.

[papaey]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

Everyone who has played it has enjoyed it.

Every aspect in gameplay has been carefully looked at and balanced. It's just extremely smooth. Visually, yes, we're near the limits on CG, but the feel of it is outstanding.

JasonWilliams can attest to this as well. He had tons of hands-on in Vegas and believe me, you OS'ers came with questions hard and fast. Glad the fellas that were up there could play it and FEEL it for themselves.

Current gen users have a TON to be excited for. Game is FUN and balanced.

Marketing Strategy....

[thedream2k13]

Re: NBA 2K14 Video - Gameplay Developer Insight

found a microsoft store in my area! looks like it will be getting current gen version as well

[Slava Medvadenko]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

I think this is what 2K is struggling with this year, how to convey feeling. It's hard to do with words that will make sense for everyone and even harder to show with videos especially from people that really don't know how to play properly. Well what we here consider proper.

The game has a better feel to it that you can only appreciate by getting your hands 'dirty'.

Exactly. Some people are complaining about this being a complete rehash without having experienced the game yet. This is what I call 'Whine Time', the months before and after a 2k release when exaggerated statements are the norm. 2k is a game about subtleties like animation responsiveness and how contact feels, which can't be properly judged just from a video.

[SpartanBaller]

Maybe there won't be as many missed put backs at the rim now

[clipperfan811]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

THIS is how the developer insights should look like! All of them!
This was more like the old written insights used to be, but in video form, which is way more informative and hypes me up for the game even more!

Yeah I agree this video did have that written insight feel. Still not quite as in depth but a very nicely put together video. It's cool because it seems like the focus of their marketing is geared towards us, the SIM crowd. I'm very intrigued to get a feel for 2 things, the improved passing and that solid feeling defense JasonWilliams55 keeps talking about.

[clipperfan811]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

Spamming the block button will result in a collision, that much is certain. Spamming steal I don't think will cause any type of advantage for the defense, I didn't have success in the build I played on (spamming steal).

What I think a lot of people are waiting for is a collision system that mimics how steals occur in real life. If your hand hits ball, you disrupt the ball. If your hand hits flesh, you could be called for a foul.

Right now it's more of a roll of the dice based system so you have hands going through the ball, you have hands going through body parts and sometimes a steal happens, sometimes a foul happens and sometimes nothing happens. I was stoked about the live ball stuff from 2k12, I also get why they took it out. I know realistically any hope for the collision system I want to see lies with the Next Gen.

Another thing that I'm excited about is what we've been hearing about ball handler push offs and drawing charges. Those type of risk reward interactions are huge and have been largely missing. As the collision system evolves and more momentum and weight is taken into account this should really make the game more enjoyable. I'm actually way more excited about that type of innovation on next gen than I am for prettier graphics.

[JasonWilliams55]

Re: NBA 2K14 Gameplay Developer Insight (Video)

What I think a lot of people are waiting for is a collision system that mimics how steals occur in real life. If your hand hits ball, you disrupt the ball. If your hand hits flesh, you could be called for a foul.

Right now it's more of a roll of the dice based system so you have hands going through the ball, you have hands going through body parts and sometimes a steal happens, sometimes a foul happens and sometimes nothing happens. I was stoked about the live ball stuff from 2k12, I also get why they took it out. I know realistically any hope for the collision system I want to see lies with the Next Gen.

Another thing that I'm excited about is what we've been hearing about ball handler push offs and drawing charges. Those type of risk reward interactions are huge and have been largely missing. As the collision system evolves and more momentum and weight is taken into account this should really make the game more enjoyable. I'm actually way more excited about that type of innovation on next gen than I am for prettier graphics.

The question for me is how much control will there be with this from both sides of the ball? How is it gonna work... things like that.

YES the defense can push back, but at the same time, you can push off on offense (not just that shoulder lean in animation out of triple threat) I mean off the drive, you can forearm shove (not sure if its contextual or controllable) more than likely its gonna be controllable/contextual meaning that when a riding animation starts, (LD2K made it sound controllable but it has to be in the right circumstances, so to me a combo control/context) if you push for the step back jumper/dribble move you will see the forearm come out and extend giving that separation and even with that, the defense has a counter for that, to flop and draw the offensive charge foul call. So there are definitely levels upon levels of strategy in the gameplay. As said, 11, 12 and 13, mashed, re-tuned and balanced out.

(Think back to 11, when we had that defensive ride out animation where you could get the charge call and extend out that strategy aspect two more levels). So no longer is the offensive player locked into that rideout and no longer can the defensive player force the charge, now, you can fall back and try and get the call, you can break out the rideout on offense with the push off.

This is what I said... going back and looking at it now... damn that sounds like a lot, but really, as said, how controllable is this gonna be... is it gonna be one of those "oh I got the animation!" type things, or is gonna be "okay, i got him right here... bam!, got'em coach" type things.

Contextual vs controllable... have to wait and see.

[sead94]

Everyone who has played it has enjoyed it.

Every aspect in gameplay has been carefully looked at and balanced. It's just extremely smooth. Visually, yes, we're near the limits on CG, but the feel of it is outstanding.

JasonWilliams can attest to this as well. He had tons of hands-on in Vegas and believe me, you OS'ers came with questions hard and fast. Glad the fellas that were up there could play it and FEEL it for themselves.

Current gen users have a TON to be excited for. Game is FUN and balanced.

LD2K, thank you for giving insights about 2K14 in this thread. NBA 2k13, às great as it is, but nevertheless my gaming experience was constantly bothered by one major flaw or disbalance (at least for me it was a flow and a major onehow easy it was to play offense (dribble,and shoot, especially with quick shooters like Melo, JR, KD, etc) and how hard was to play defense, I mean basic things, like stay in front of guys and contest shots, not to mention blocking). As a result of this a common feeling was that every twelve year old can pick up a game and just shoot the heck out of the basketball (transition threes were my most arcade-ish segment of 2k13), and be more than competitive, while sim-guys as me were left in despair trying to practice hours and hours some basic skills like contesting shots and preventing threes. When you mention balance do you mean that there is necessary and fair learning curve for both offense and defense, or are there just more options for us to use on defense? I think the later would not be enough, there should be also more balance regarding developing your skills, dribbling and shooting touch for offense as well, as it is for defense. Cheers.

[J_Posse]

Re: NBA 2K14 Video - Gameplay Developer Insight

Might be a little off-topic, but I liked Josh McRobert and Dennis Schroeder's cyberfaces and the rookie even has his tattoos. Very encouraging news for the other rookies in-game.

The colors also seemed to stick out to me. The dreaded errors with red and blue looked better, yet that could have been do to a host of things. Can't wait until October 1st and whenever the next-gen iteration releases.

from Spurs Nation/Bills Backer HQ

[Seidowskyy]

Re: NBA 2K14 Video - Gameplay Developer Insight

thank god i didnt see someone running side to side losing more defenders doing that , instead of actually trying iso moves and barely losing a person.

[Taer]

Re: NBA 2K14 Video - Gameplay Developer Insight

I am looking forward to a defense that is as emphasized as the offense has been in the past. I am purposefully remaining skeptical yet an ability to play defensive ball at the same level that you could play offensively in years past is very exciting to think about.

Spacing, correct paint pressure, blocking, and the solid balance advertised will benefit all the modes equally and if everything is as advertised every single gamer will be able to appreciate what is released.

Thanks for releasing this insight.