Dear Mike Wang...

[guesswhozbak17]

Dear Mike Wang,

I have some simple questions about NBA 2K19 as a 2K user since the original NBA 2K on Dreamcast.

As a Play Now Online player, I have ALWAYS played with the substitution method on Auto and Timeout method on Auto. This week I decided to switch timeout to Manual because what I’m seeing online is people RARELY making substitutions and appearing to not be penalized for it...

Also, deep down inside, I’ve always felt that “fake runs” would occur to force the me to call timeout. So in an attempt to combat this, I turned it off and I might say, I’m no longer seeing a random foul that would trigger a timeout as well as random runs. This could all be my pseudo thinking though.

I surely am noticing my players with the gatorade icon underneath them so I know my players are fatigued, what about my opponent?

I ask this because I’m not seeing noticing any change between Lebron James in minute 1 of the game compared to minute 18 of the game (approximately the final two minutes of the game) when he hasn’t sat the entire game for rest. So my follow up question is what is the risk/reward for players who never rest?
I would ASSUME more missed shots, slower running, easier to force turnovers...but I’m just not seeing that in the 20 minute games in PNO. Lebron is still going 8/8 in the 4th with NO REST.

I would love an explanation on this.

Also, in the Coach Settings, why is it that every single game that I play, I HAVE TO manually turn “Team Communication” ON?
I set it up offline, I’d rather not waste valuable seconds in the pause menu EVERY single game turning it on...ACE as well. If I change my settings once, they should just stick.

Offensive play calling, defensive play calling, Late-Game fouling, all of those other options stick except for ACE and Team Communication.

I would love an explanation on this.

TIMEOUTS/Be The Coach

As a former college basketball player and current high school coach, I would love some explanations on these settings. I would like to know the risk/reward and use of each of these settings. I posted what I’m currently interpreting from them as well.

Offensive Coaching Emphasis

Tempo: What is the risk/reward for this?

-I would assume Patient Offense means my players setting up offensive sets slower and are conserving energy to run our offense and Push The Pace means they’re setting up faster but using more energy to do so? That would make sense to me but you’re the game designer, I would love an explanation on this.

Defensive Coaching Emphasis

Aggression: What is the risk/reward for this?

-I would assume Play Conservative means my players are using less energy to play defense. Possibly, “playing safe” and not gambling? So the risk would be my players not going for steals and keeping their assignment in front of them on and off-ball? But the reward would be minimal defensive breakdowns? All my assumptions so I would LOVE clarification on this.

-I would assume Play Physical means my players are using all they’re energy to play defense. Possibly, “playing risky” and gambling? So the risk would be my players ARE going for steals and bodying up with their assignment which in turn should generate more fouls? But the reward would be more potential tips/steals/blocks/forced turnovers? Once again, my assumptions so clarification would be great here.

Also, I would like to know why when I call timeouts with offensive possession of the ball, why I cannot coach my defense? I only have the option to coach the offensive sets. If I call timeout while on defense, I can only coach the defensive sets.

I played point guard all my life, it was required of me to always be a play ahead. So if I’m down to my last timeout in a game and want to make changes to offense AND defense, I cannot. As a coach, I can’t think “if we score on this possession, go into a full court press immediately” because I’m limited to coaching only one side of the ball.

I would love an explanation on this.

Play Now Online Advancement game

When it comes down to the final game for me to win to advance in a new league, why does the game difficulty suddenly increase? Playing against a Nets user while using the Warriors, I find it very coincidental that Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant all decided they forgot how to play basketball. Turnovers left and right, missed layups, missed “wide open” shots...just the most unbelievable game ever. It resulted in a loss and I had to restart the league I was in for PNO. The following game against a Celtic user, everything played as it “should” have. This could also be a pseudo effect as well, but CONSISTENTLY when I’m playing the game to advance, I find that the STRANGEST things ever seem to happen all in favor of the opposition...as if 2K doesn’t want me to advance.

I would love an explanation on this please and thanks in advance.

Enjoying the great game you guys made this year!

[guesswhozbak17]

Dear Mike,

I just finished playing a Warriors user.

What is the risk/reward for pressing the steal button off-ball (estimating...&#129300 maybe 30 times in one possession that lasts 24 seconds?

This user made it impossible to pass to anybody who was open. He seemed to spam the steal button while switch to the nearest defender. So the on-ball defender was swiping while the nearest defender was swiping as well. So anybody I passed to, he would practically switch to him and have a steal attempt. Not by design, rather than by the user just being able to do that.

Currently, I think the stealing should be toned down SLIGHTLY but ON BALL fouls just need to be increased. NOT fouls universally, just on-ball..

My reasoning behind this is that being the current state of online games (5 minute quarters), there’s little risk in on-ball fouls given the success rate of spamming the steal button. If the defender can take 30 risks in ONE possession and the only penalty is a low chance of a foul being called, due to shortened minutes, the offense is at a disadvantage.

I’ve seen quite a few posts of guys lobbying that foul outs should be 3. In theory, that makes sense since the quarters are so short. You just cannot simulate fouls and proper coaching with such short minutes. But for the sake of immersion, it wouldn’t be wise to change an NBA rule... I think on-ball fouls should be increased to combat the steal spamming that’s going on online.


Also, if I pump fake in the paint, the primary defender bites and jumps, the help defender comes flying in to block the shot and misses...how is it my player misses what should register as a fairly open shot...?
OR
...even worse, the ball magically falls out of my hands and rolls out of bounds and it’s a turnover on me?
Getting a defender in the air should expose the defensive player to something negative happening, not something positive, especially if they’re out of position. More times than not, this should be a foul...not a turnover.

Once again, I would love and explanation about this. Thanks in advance Mike.

Sincerely,

...a loyal 2K user since Dreamcast

[The 24th Letter]

"Dear devs" threads arent permitted and we have various threads on steals.