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NBA 2K16: Some Ideas On How to Improve the Series

NBA 2K15 was a good game. Very solid and still playable. In its first year operating with a full-year of a next-gen system, 2K delivered above expectations and provided glimmers of hope for what’s to come down the road.

That being said, it’s never too early to start looking at NBA 2K16.

When it comes to video games, of course there are those who will be left wanting more. It’s the nature of the beast. No one goes into a game’s release date thinking, "This is going to be the most perfect game ever." And if that’s true, then more power to you.

With that said, here are five things that could be done to improve the game next year and make it an all-around great experience, from both a playing and features standpoint.

Improve low-post defense

2K has tried to make this work in the past. It’s been better the last couple of years, but if you’re controlling the likes of Anthony Davis or DeAndre Jordan, more times than none you’ve been called for a foul going for a block.

There’s a large number of fouls being called on taller players who have the ability to block shots at the rim, especially on harder difficulties. It takes the fun out of having a Davis or Jordan because they could foul out in a matter of five minutes. 2K has made strides in making defense playable, but this is the next step. This isn’t to say players shouldn’t block shots every time someone attacks the rim, but there needs to be a balance.

Improve defensive rebounding

This goes hand-in-hand with the low-post defense, but it should not be so difficult to grab a defensive rebound.

For example: Last week, I witnessed a game where a friend played the Boston Celtics online against the Atlanta Hawks. There are people who would probably bet house money that Kelly Olynyk wouldn’t grab 12 offensive rebounds in a game against the likes of Paul Millsap and Al Horford, but who am I to tell you otherwise?

That did happen, and there were even moments Olynyk glitched inbetween the two and grabbed a rebound, followed with an and-1 putback. It’s unclear whether or not there’s a surefire way to fix this, but if so, it needs to be addressed.

Make MyTeam more affordable

MyTeam can be a ton of fun. But why in the world does it cost 8,000-9,000 VC to buy a pack with no guarantee of a great player?

2K did good by making an auction house, but that can get just as expensive if you don’t possess enough MT. The more packs you buy, the more likely you get a good player. But not everyone can afford to stay elite.

Make the packs go for 5,000 VC, and make it affordable for everyone. That’s how you appeal to the non-MyTeam audience and make it a more meaningful game mode.

Expand MyCareer

The story idea behind this year’s MyCareer was actually brilliant: an undrafted rookie who has to sign multiple 10-day contracts before getting a contract for the rest of the year. It was brilliant. But it can be better.

It appears Spike Lee might be having a hand in the MyCareer story in 2K16, and if that’s the case, it might be the best one yet. But there are features to be considered, like bringing back the Draft Combine or implement the NBA Summer League. There’s so much that can be done.

Chance to make presentation overhaul

With Steve Kerr now unavailable to do any color commentary ever again on 2K, this is the chance to do a complete overhaul on presentation.

It doesn’t need to be a drastic change by any means. The pregame show with Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal is fantastic. Even the pregame intros brought back the old days of NBA 2K3. But here’s a chance to implement more: Get Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith under contract and make it a TNT-based video game.

Kevin Harlan can still do the calls, or you can bring back Marv Albert from the NBA Live days. Or bring on both. And you can still have Clark Kellogg if you want. If EA Sports can go full-on ESPN with their presentation, why not up the ante and give TNT some love? They already have the best gameday coverage for the NBA out there.

This is a long shot, but it would be fantastic appeal.

And just for fun...

Fix the sliders

I mean, you can’t get everything you want. But this is still a dire need


NBA 2K16 Videos
Member Comments
# 61 dubplate @ 05/07/15 11:12 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by redsox4evur
This has never been a feature in the game. Beluba (one of the devs) has to into these forums many a time and said that this so called comeback is NOT in the game.
That's odd, because myself and others have witnessed it on pretty much every game we've played. Starts toward the end of the third quarter and runs into the fourth. Suddenly your team struggles to make shots (missed layups abound) and the CPU goes on a ridiculous run.

Completely kills the game.
 
# 62 PhiPsi1 @ 05/07/15 11:22 AM
TENDENCIES....TENDENCIES....TENDENCIES....

I would like for the AI to utilize their star players in a more realistic way...

It is EXTREMELY frustrating to see the CPU absolutely ignore players like AD23 in favor of running the offense CONSTANTLY through Tyreke, Gordon, and Holiday! The AI seems to favor perimeter players MUCH more than the interior stars! Other examples I have seen where interior stars are ignored would be "Boogie" Cousins and Gasol...It is frustrating b/c I see the Grizzlies, who run their offense superbly through Gasol and Z-Bo...So I know this dev team can make it happen...

So...make it happen...

And of course (as mentioned in earlier posts)...the Highlights package at the end of the game...PLEASE make it work for games that have longer than 6 minute quarters!

Halftime show needs to return....

Momentum needs to be looked at...For some reason, I feel like without necessary slider adjustments, HUM players slide all over the place and feel like they are on skates...

Would be great to do a commentary overhaul (specifically, getting rid of Kellogg!)...

But seriously...if the dev team can get tendencies on point specifically running the offense through the stars of the team and not putting a bias in AI playcalling to solely focus on the perimeter...it will truly bring the game to another level!
 
# 63 redsox4evur @ 05/07/15 01:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dubplate
That's odd, because myself and others have witnessed it on pretty much every game we've played. Starts toward the end of the third quarter and runs into the fourth. Suddenly your team struggles to make shots (missed layups abound) and the CPU goes on a ridiculous run.

Completely kills the game.
Yep not in the game...
 
# 64 Saix12345 @ 05/07/15 05:25 PM
The most important thing to me is to improve simulation and gameplay. One of the things that bothers me the most is that almost no player can average above 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

In Nba History, over 250 players have averaged more than 12 rebounds in a season. DeAndre Jordan this year averaged 15.

Since the nba started awarding block titles, only 5 players have averaged less than 3 blocks and had the most blocks per game during a season. Part of the problem is the AI. Shot Blockers like Anthony Davis, Serge Ibaka and DeAndre Jordan often come from the weak side and soar in for blocks. The AI is not that smart and that is why no player can average more than 2.2 blocks.

Also bigmen need to have better shooting percentages. There are only a few that shot above 50% from the field in the game over the course of a season. In the real NBA most bigmen shoot higher than 50% because of the high percentage shots they get. But what bothers me the most is that some guards that shot 42% from the field in real life often shoot 50%+ in this game. Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard come to mind. Bigmen don't get enough touches and when they do, they blow easy layups because they get bumped or blocked by someone one foot shorter than them.

Making NBA2K16 more realistic simulation wise would be great.
 
# 65 itsVURN @ 05/07/15 05:42 PM
Improve sound (annoucers, music, crowd, effects etc), baseline abuse, zig zag cheese, My Team content, eliminate PD's, bald rookies with sideburns in MyGM, and make defense a priority.
 
# 66 DonWuan @ 05/07/15 06:18 PM
Game needs to be built from the ground up. To many core issues with bandaid fixes.
 
# 67 JayBall @ 05/08/15 02:46 AM
I just want to be able see what the roster looks like before i join them in free agency
 
# 68 LeonLeroy @ 05/08/15 03:36 AM
I would like to be able to program camera angles similar to play calling that I could switch-up during the game without having to exit gameplay. I would also like to see auto flipping on all cameras that it makes sense to have it.

It would be cool to have a set of camera angles I could cue up in the low post, on d, for iso moves, etc. totally on the fly--and not just change random angles--but also the zoom and height I set, or to be able to control autoflip on the fly would be great, too.
 
# 69 cima @ 05/08/15 02:24 PM
PLEASE bring back Playoffs mode! It drives me crazy that at this point in the year I can't play the playoffs accurately due to lack of Playoffs mode.
 
# 70 tbentley @ 05/08/15 03:50 PM
Things need to be fixed in nba 2k15

-Dribble moves cost stamina (this would eliminate left right cheese no stamina means lower shot percentage)
-Increase moving screen fouls calls
-only PF and C can get brick wall and bruiser
-When the ball handler runs into a teammate the ball handler losses the ball
-Not allowed to willing to go out of bounds behind the rim
-Not allowed to use the screen button in the paint
-Bring only bad team grade event. There used to be bad steal attempt, bad on ball screen.

Thing I like to see in nba2k16
-Fix inside scoring and make high inside scoring and athlete is required to dunk.
-Player complementary badges (example. Screen outlet doesn’t work on your player unless you are setting a pick for a player with pick and roll maestro. Gold version of badges do not work without a floor general on the floor)
-Complete revamp of the defense movement (especially blocks and contest and not tipping passes that are right behind you to a defender)
- You can make your player any size you want but default player heights in my park and rec
- No park boost
-Unique Mycareer events
-Get rid of those scrimmages
-Access to all attribute upgrades after playing 82 games
-Match making for Jordan rec and my park
-Squad spots on both side and 2 minute automatic kick off of got next spot
-Flashy passes are controlled by l2 and right stick (just like nba 2k14)
-Decrease highlight plays (entirely too many alleys, dunks, posters, steals)
 
# 71 CX1329 @ 05/08/15 05:20 PM
They should tighten up the dribbling. Sometimes I'm just trying to do something simple and the player I'm controlling either ignores my inputs or goes all over the place because of the skating and the canned animations that are still in the game, resulting in some ugly mess of a play or a turnover.

Also, speaking of animations, they should really remove that skipping animation that triggers when you're bringing the ball up. Once that animation begins, stopping it is a little tricky and it's possible to get stuck in it. I've had my guy dribble past the 3 point line and straight into traffic because of it.
 
# 72 moosecala @ 05/08/15 05:58 PM
that skipping animation is freakin annoying! I have played a game where the A.I would bring the ball up and go into that skipping animation and since I can't defend them or anything while they are in it they make it to the basket and lay it in as soon as the skipping ends.
 
# 73 Halloween @ 05/08/15 08:20 PM
Quote:
The pregame show with Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal is fantastic
Tbh not really. Questionable design choice to make it a cutscene. Who really watches it? Jup, nobody. Seen it once and skipped it since.

Implement it during pre game coaching and let the video roll while you setting strategies. Or at least after that so you have something to do while the game loads.


Overall I'd like to see 2k go back to it's sim roots but since 10 mil people/year buy it I understand VC is more important...


edit: Shot stick for shots. Shot stick + R2 for layups/dunks. Will drastically decrease unrealistic dunks and increase layup attempts by players who never lay the ball up in 2k (but live by that in real life like LeBron, Wall...)
 
# 74 rockchisler @ 05/09/15 03:30 PM
Ball rim Physics something similar to Nba Live 15..
 
# 75 jayman504 @ 05/09/15 04:44 PM
To start off NBA 2K15 is heading in the right direction...BUT there are still some MAJOR issues with this game and I'm hoping that they can be fix in future 2K's.


1. This "walk-up" animation that seems to trigger at random points in the game..take it out man!!! or have it tied to the left stick while not using turbo. and should only happen in the back court. When it's kicks in while running a fast break it feels "cheap" and as a tool for the CPU to hold you until they set up there defence.


2. Catching passes on the run. When making outlet passes your player shouldn't catch the ball then lose his momentum, it should feel fluid in movement. Right now it's "catch the ball" slow down then turbo to get going again, it shouldn't be like that.


3. Offensive Rebounding! Every game I'm outshot by 14-20 shots because of offensive rebounding(others may have different opinions). What makes it worst is that in the replays my player HAS the rebound in his hands only to have it "warp" into a cpu player.


4. Loose balls...You have to reward players for playing great defence man...you gotta. I can live with the occasional "shot clock cheese" whatever, but when I play great on ball d get the steal or block only to have it end up right back in the CPU hands until they score really sucks! It has BS written all over it.


fix these issues and I swear you'll be mortals among men 2k....
 
# 76 OrangeFriendlyFrog @ 05/09/15 06:27 PM
No more story mode, please. At least not without the option for the straight career mode. And take a cue from MLB The Show and start implementing year-to-year saves. That series being the only one doing this so far is crazy.
 
# 77 Hustle Westbrook @ 05/09/15 06:28 PM
Let's also be able to choose which sides picks are set on.
 
# 78 CoachDavid @ 05/10/15 12:43 AM
Get a statistic person to redo to odds on the game. For example flipping a coin and getting heads 10 times in a row does not mean the 11 coin flips odds of getting tails is higher. It is still 50/50

Shot percentage don't follow this rule. The game seems to change the odds on a per shot per game basis. Meaning a 67 rated play shooting 100 percent after 10 shots will not likely miss 8 or 9 of the next shots.
The odds work them selves out. Please as this is the most frustration part of the game. Turn overs, shot percentages both hot and cold.
Oh fix direct pass. I press icon pass and leave them up 90 percent of the time. The pass election is really bad. When a player is fronting and I press the icon my point guard should not this a chest pass directly to the guy fronting.
 
# 79 hesko @ 05/11/15 06:58 AM
Player recovery time. Chuck and Kenny joining Ernie & Shaq.
 
# 80 Cyrus09 @ 05/11/15 07:15 AM
-"start today" option for MyL/MyGM. Some years ago it was included, don't know why it got kicked out. Tough to recreate reality otherwise.

- realistic free agency movement- can imagine that this one is tough. But for years half the teams stack their roster without logical thoughts positionwise and the other half is simply doing nothing.

- Get 2 broadcast teams and switch them up, one for the weekends and one for the days between for example. Don't have to be real guys I guess.

- Why not combining MyGM and MyL? Give me the option of interaction in myleague and trade override for MyGM. No matter which mode I choose right now, I feel like somethings missing.

- Playoff presentation doesn't feel like playoffs right now. Only difference are the crowd shirts. I want to feel the pressure with sound and atmosphere. If I play 82 games to get to this point it should feel different then the games before.
 


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