NBA 2K17 News Post

NBA 2K17: Some Ideas To Make MyPlayer Better...

12:08 PM - June 3, 2016 by RaychelSnr

The following article is a guest post from Jeremy Hartman. If you are ever interested in doing a guest post or series of posts, let us know with an e-mail.

Every year when the latest iteration of NBA 2K is released, I race home to crack the game open and begin hatching my master plan to make the virtual NBA Hall of Fame. I head directly to MyPlayer mode and decide if my created point guard will be a 6-foot-1 Kevin Johnson clone or the next coming of Penny Hardaway at 6-foot-7.

I really don�t even bother with the other modes. I�m strictly a MyPlayer junkie. The amount of hours I spend in this mode borders on the insane. With that being said, the mode can oftentimes become a grind. The initial story wears off, and you really just continue trying to play games in order to gain new badges or attributes. However, I believe there are some simple ways to make the mode more engaging, and even more realistic. Here are a few ideas that could bring virtual NBA life more in line with reality.

Read More - Some Ideas To Make MyPlayer Better...

Game: NBA 2K17Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 14 - View All

Member Comments

# 41 theman824 @ 06/10/16 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retropyro


	"15)Your first 20 games YOU CANT go over an 80 overall (attempt to prevent a little bit of cheesing)" This is why I want separation between My Career and My Player. If I want to have an ungodly straight out of high-school legend who can dominate from the start, why can't I? The player I take online and the one I use for a single player experience should not have to be tied together.

This.
People who want to enjoy a (maybe story-based) offline MyCareer-Mode with High School-Games and College recruiting interviews and what not, will likely want something completely different than the ones who just want to "create" a great player as quickly as possible to enter the Park with.

Right now both players have to play the same game mode to get what they want and will never both be satisfied with it.

# 42 ChompskyHonk63 @ 06/19/16 07:27 AM

A lot of great stuff here already, so I'd just like to give my two cents very quickly and incoherently. It's less about features/updates/ect but more about the philosophy of what the Mode should be:

- Unfortunately, as long as the architecture for MyLeague/MyGM is flawed, MyCareer will never be fully worth the immersion and investment by players. I couldn't believe that after signing with the Warriors during my sophomore year we had 0 backup PGs and like 4 backup Cs (not even joking). Roster building, contract offers, trade logic, minute allocations, ect ALL need to be fixed if we're to have the best career mode experience. Not saying if not for that the mode won't be any fun, but rather it would feel very hollow and predictable very early.

- Why not FIX the game on 12 minute, All-star/Superstar w/ Simulation sliders? Obviously you'd keep the ability to sim as many games as you want but the idea is to have us focus and play 'for the fun of basketball', rather than to 'grind' it out until our players are all maxed out and pimped.

Also here's the advantages. It will force players old and new to LEARN how to play properly. To learn about the importance, besides the basic 101s, of pacing, off-ball play, all these subtle things which will only reward everybody in the long run and will potentially influence the online experiences for the better.

Along with the core gameplay, this can only be achieved if the entire mode gets some fine tuning. Look, not everyone aspires to be a Hall of Famer even in a fantasy world. Some of us just wanna be in a great situation, playing for a winning team, averaging like 15-20 minutes off the bench for our first couple of years, and all those humble cliches. For interesting scenarios such as that to happen, 2k needs to STOP SCRIPTING our path to super-stardom and base it on literally just letting us play the damn game. Our level of play, roster depth chart,the role we've been assigned by the coach, etc should determine the minutes we get, games we play, success we have... Folks want shoe deals? Billboards? Awards/Accolades? Have them work for it but in a matter that's fun and rewarding.

By doing this you're also putting a lot of pressure on the players to play sound basketball, asses your team's situation and how you can help, adjust your playstyle accordingly (provided the gameplay isn't broken) and not to mention, actually make Free Agency/Trade Requests a big deal since you can't have your way regardless of the choices you make. This allows us to stick with the mode for the long haul to make sure we experience the mode's full offerings, such as a lot of replay value with multiple MyCareers if say, things didn't work out the way you wanted it to so you can reflect on what happened and improve upon it on your second playthrough. The key is to not make everything scripted and make the mode organic and an adventure every single time.

Every other suggestions are well and good, wishlists on attribute/upgrade system, badges, pre-NBA careers, gameplay features... But we have to be careful not to focus on all the flashy/neat distractions we can add but rather back to the core mechanics of the mode. Gameplay, general AI logic within the mode, organic scenarios and forcing a bit of effort and consideration from all players old and new, hardcore and casual.

# 43 Man2ManD @ 06/19/16 07:54 AM

I just hope we can play different roles (6th man, lockdown defender, etc) and not forced to be the HOF player every game.

# 44 Roger_Black @ 06/20/16 11:11 PM

IMPROVE THE ‘VOICE ACTING’…. TO GIVE OUR MYPLAYERs SOME ADDITIONAL ‘PERSONALITY’:

First, as much as I liked Spike’s story this year…. I can see how it could alienate some NBA 2K gamers who never grew up in Harlem.

Therefore, perhaps 2K drop all the (mini-movie) storylines that become long ‘cutscenes’ about sleazy agents, wayward best friends, managers & girlfriends during the first 1-2 seasons in the NBA.

Instead, 2K should focus on creating a wide-variety RPG elements that will allow our MyPlayer to really SHINE during the ’halftime interviews’ & post-game ’press conferences’.

That way, we do not see the same ‘generic responses’ to Doris Burke’s questions as we play more & more seasons in MyPlayer mode.

To do this… 2K should probably hire more ‘writers’ and use at least 5 different ‘voice actors’, who have vastly different ways of speaking / responding. Not everyone in the NBA ‘grew up in Harlem’. And each one of these voice actors should be able to do at least 1 ‘international accent’.

Some players come from the Midwest. Some are from the Suburbs.
Some are born Internationally.

And our MyPlayers should reflect this great VARIETY.

But HOW?

Give us a ‘Disposition’ attribute.

Here are 7 examples of Disposition:

Serious
Professional
Unpredictable
Playful
Laid Back
Fired Up
International Appeal (spoken with Spanish, French, German, African, Canadian, and/or Australian accents)

Then let gamers pick any 2 types of ‘dispositions’ for our interviews, so that we can have a good mix of ‘responses’ during our interactions with Doris Burke on the sidelines, or in post-game interviews, like:

Unpredictable + Playful
Laid Back + Professional
Serious + Professional
Fired Up + Playful
Or Serious + International Appeal

These combinations will provide responses that are more ‘customizable’ toward an individual gamer’s very own personality.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Someone who is Serious & Professional… would probably give responses that tend to put Teammates first…. and/or talk about executing the Coach’s Game Plan…. And they wouldn’t give a very ‘egotistical’ response like: “My teammates should just give me the ball & get out of my way”.

But someone who is Unpredictable & Playful might give you some hilarious gems, or make whimsical jokes about their competition, or even their own teammates. (But nothing too malicious.) Or they might randomly ‘photobomb’ other teammates during their own interviews.

NEXT, MAKE OUR MYPLAYER A PART OF THE POST-GAME DISCUSSION BETWEEN EJ, KENNY & SHAQ.

Once 2K has implemented 'disposition' attributes… they should allow our MyPlayer to be a part of the post-game analysis / discussion.

i/e Give our MyPlayer a headset… put us on Satellite Camera in the studio… and let us just add a few 'color-comments' while EJ, Shaq & Kenny are watching / discussing highlight footage of the game & giving their feedback.

Based on our ‘disposition’ our MyPlayer could even chime in with comments like…

“I got really hot in the 1st quarter and shots just started to fall”….
or “I knew I would have a big game tonight”….
or “I struggled early, so I really wanted to execute the Game Plan to get back on track”...
or “I was looking to make something happen for my teammates in the 2nd half with all those assists”….
or “I was focusing on rebounding, so we could extend the lead”….
or “Hey Shaq, do you like how my sneakers looked on that dunk? lol”….
or “I had a block party tonight. And everyone was invited. lol”...
or “I played badly tonight. I’ll have to do better next game”

All of this would add to the 'immersion factor'.

Just my opinion.

# 45 michaelmeyerheim @ 06/22/16 05:02 AM

I've been a My Career NUT since NBA 2K11. I love the mode! I've used too many hours creating players, developing them into NBA superstars and trying to copy the attributes and styles of my favourite players. I love to take on the reporters, trying to do so in a manner which best fits the guy I am trying to visualise in my head. All the options, opportunities, customisations and visualising this mode allows is absolutely incredible, if you still hold on to that childish dream of being like Mike, like Lebron, like Kobe, like Shaq or like Steph. You can be the basketball player you always dreamt of being. Nothing makes me feel like a child - embarrassingly so - like playing 2K's My Career mode.

2K16's My Career didn't though.

The My Career mode in 2K16 was waaaayy below it's usual high standards - and I sensed it coming in 2K15 already. I blame two things for ruining the mode for me this year: The forced storyline and the online features affecting the offline part of My Career.

1: The corny story from Spike Lee.
It literally offered no options. Your path to stardom was scripted from the beginning. You're a black kid from Harlem, you're one of the top prospects in the country, you have a cheesy nickname, and oh yeah - completely contradicting the premises laid out - you have a starting overall resembling that of the biggest draft bust in NBA history at a 55. WTF. I kind of get what 2K was aiming for here. It was something completely to sports gaming, blending real cinematics into the game, but it was a failure, Spike Lee didn't deliver like he did in "He's Got Game", so don't make the same mistake again 2K. Please. Just make it fun and enjoyable to play. Make me able to chose my own path. That's why you call it "My Career". Because it's mine. The trailer even advertised - in the voice of Spike Lee: "You can even be yourself". Well, no. I couldn't. I'm a boring *** white dude. I didn't grow up in Harlem, I'm not black and I certainly wouldn't ever allow anyone to call me "Frequency Vibrations". I'd never do that celebration dance either smh. 2K14 was really on track story-wise. But I'd even take the less-story-focused more-decision-focused earlier versions ahead of the 2K16 version any day.

2: The online features (My Park etc.) hugely affecting my offline experience.
When first announced it sounded awesome being able to take your My Player online and compete against others in the parks. It still is, but there's got to be some way for me to still enjoy my offline career, while also enjoying the online modes like My Park. When I play My Career, it's because I want to simulate the feeling of being the next Jordan, the next Lebron etc. The attribute caps this year was ridiculous. Lebron is a 6'8 freak of nature, handles the ball like a point guard, passes like Magic, dunks like MJ, runs the floor like no other and can even shoot to an extent. Why can't I be Lebron when playing offline against none other than myself? The same with Steph and Kyrie: around 6'3, insane handles, knockdown shooters and with the ability to finish crazy circus layups around the rims. I can't even do that. I have to choose on or the other, unless I want to just be mediocre all round with the balanced style. Please 2K, I beg you: bring my enthusiasm for this mode back by making our online- and offline players separate, so that I can once again become the new Lebron, MJ, Kyrie, Steph etc. Go easy on the attribute caps and allow us to get creative with the style of player we want. Let me choose to be - as a starting "build" - an athletic Point Forward with lockdown D potential. If it's a VC issue for you, all right, then make us pay VC for adding extra starting "descriptions" on our players. Just allow us to make these players again. It was so much more fun.

I buy NBA 2K for two things only: the My League mode and the My Career mode. I was so disappointed this year. I'm the freak who buys VC to create my guy and make him into "The Next Phenom". I don't enjoy the grind of the My Career mode (which btw has always been on fo my problems with the mode); I enjoy the narratives you create for yourself. I really hope someone will read this and just consider the frustrations I had, because this year I will not pre-order (first time ever). I won't buy the game before I get a picture of what the My Career will be like this year, and if it's anything like 2K16 I'll save my money instead. Lat year it just wasn't very enjoyable.

# 46 nddot @ 06/22/16 12:08 PM

a lot of great ideas being tossed around.

IMO they must be too dep into the development cycle to include some of the ideas i read here.

i dont understand why 2k tends to drift away from what made this mode a success, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

That spike story line was cool, but forced and scripted.

get back to the basics for 2k18,

Thats what we need.

this mode should be a standalone game imo.

oh and get rid of the boring assistant coach, too much useless cutscenes.

# 47 Td1984 @ 06/22/16 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nddot


	a lot of great ideas being tossed around. IMO they must be too dep into the development cycle to include some of the ideas i read here. i dont understand why 2k tends to drift away from what made this mode a success, EVERY SINGLE TIME. That spike story line was cool, but forced and scripted. get back to the basics for 2k18, Thats what we need. this mode should be a standalone game imo. oh and get rid of the boring assistant coach, too much useless cutscenes.

Oh yeah. That assistant coach who follows you everywhere and says the same things over and over again. Gets very annoying, very quickly.

# 48 chisportsfan23 @ 06/23/16 03:19 PM

How is no one complaining about the lack of gameplay of anything from 2k17?? The game is 3 months away and we've seen NOTHING at all from this game. They are simply asking for money and using Kobe's last season to get preorders. How is this not bothering anyone?

# 49 Ray Vibes @ 06/23/16 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chisportsfan23


	How is no one complaining about the lack of gameplay of anything from 2k17?? The game is 3 months away and we've seen NOTHING at all from this game. They are simply asking for money and using Kobe's last season to get preorders. How is this not bothering anyone?

You must be new here...

# 50 DatGD12guage @ 06/23/16 08:09 PM

Necklaces and Gold teeth (drop the mic)

# 51 illwill10 @ 06/24/16 11:43 PM

Not trying to make this a wishlist, but:

-Go away from the story aspect. I liked the 2K15 way. Just add more depth to cut scenes and add more longevity past year 3.

-Bring back Key games. But ability to still do off-day stuff.

-Get rid of grouped attributes. That way you can truly create the type of player you want to.

-Expand the Playbook. I'm tired of seeing only 3-7 plays ran all game if you aren't a PG. Also being involved more play calling. You get touches, but rarely get play calls. I liked the old features of being able to pick 5 play calls you want to be call.

-Adaptive AI. I want to see teams(both CPU and user teams) adjust to what is going on. Like if your team keeps giving up three pointers, then your team should play tighter on team. If you gain the Defensive Anchor badge, then I would like to ability to be able to change defensive settings, like switching or playing tight on perimeter.

# 52 ChristonKirby @ 07/26/16 11:23 AM

Have players play and move like they do in real life games.

Add a variety of body types (idk why Dwight and DeAndre are THAT big in 2K) Dwight's upper is fairly diesel while his lower body is fairly small. DeAndre is swole but still looks small (I hope that makes sense) but in 2K they're just way too bulky IMO.

I'd also like for them to add different jersey fits such as tight (like Blake wears) etc. etc.
Short lengths (short, medium, standard)

And of course all of the things mentioned above by all of the guys/girls In the thread.

# 53 Vni @ 07/26/16 11:30 AM

Give the player an option for a non cinematic experience.

Make it more sim, give more bonus for doing the little things.

Have the coach shout plays that you have to select and run. When on the defensive end have him shout ICE ! ICE ! or Switch the p'n'r ! Zone ! We have no idea what kind of defense we're running or how the team is defending the p'n'r.

# 54 MBhoops @ 07/26/16 06:55 PM

Aside from gameplay which they always seem to improve I would like to see more immersive qualities.

First of all, I know it won't happen but your MyPark character and your MyCareer character should be completely seperate. There's no reason to have them connected.

Back in 2k12 etc you could create three completely different career characters, a 7ft black guy from germany that plays center, a 6ft white point guard from oakland and a 6'6 white shooting guard from spain. Anything you want, all with completely different names and appearances. Now you have to keep the name or change it on all of them. Same with general appearance.

MyPark Player - Online. XP/Attributes are grinded out, once you hit a certain point you unlock badges you can buy with VC (for example once you grind your way to a 90 moving 3 you can buy the limitless range badge etc). Caps on height/speed/shooting etc.

MyCareer Player - You can grind your attributes or buy them, your choice. Same with badges. No restrictions or caps on height/speed/shooting etc.

I also miss how you used to have meetings with the GM, sort of like the MyGM stuff but from the other side of the chair. Even just text based conversations about renewing your contract, what free agents you would like to see the team sign or who the team should try to keep. Even something about your minutes or whatever. Meetings with the GM and team mates or even emails back and forth would just add a little more to the immersive qualities.

I would love to see an in depth draft system, with the combine and recruitment. GMs/scouts interviewing you, they had similar things in previous games. It was fun and again added to the immersive qualities. That's what this mode is all about, it's essentially a basketball RPG.

More conversation options would be a welcome addition as well as the ability to opt in (or out) of more interviews, have us on 2K tv or DIME magazine etc, maybe even on the set with Kenny and Ernie etc.

This next one is a big thing for me, probably the most important. I love My Career, but I also play a lot of MyLeague/MyGM and recently MyTeam and Play Now Online. So I don't have the same time commitment for MyCareer as I used to. I would LOVE the option to play as a sixth man, at least for my first few years if not the entire career. Sort of like a Manu Ginobili, Jamal Crawford or Sarunas Marciulonas. Or even to have the setting to adjust stats/scores based on the minutes like what they have in MyLeague so I can play 5-6 minute quarters if I need to. Although I would much prefer the former but I understand I'm a niche audience and the majority of players just jump on this mode to beast. They don't want to be a sixth man haha.

The first 3 years of My Career always tend to be fun but then it fizzes out. Adding in all of these other things I've mentioned would just give it a little more replayability IMO.

# 55 VAWereWolf65 @ 07/26/16 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Bruce Wayne


	When people say "add more college teams or add more Historic teams" Do they not realize that doing so isnt that easy?

Playing with the same old college teams gets boring. They should add some better teams like Duke and North Carolina

# 56 fearthebeard13 @ 07/26/16 09:11 PM

Would love to be able to export my myplayer to a draft class that can be used in myGM, myleague, etc

As for the mode itself, it needs to become less repetitive and dry. The Spike storyline was an interesting idea but i feel like after the story nothing really happened, which was a huge let down for me.

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