NBA 2K16's Sixth Patch Finally Balances MyPark and Pro-Am

Feature Article

Submitted on: 05/12/2016 by Jayson Young

NBA 2K16 released its sixth title update last week on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (PC users are still waiting to receive the patch), fixing some of the most popular gameplay exploits in the Pro-Am and MyPark modes.

Ninety-foot outlet passes finally fly off-target at an acceptable rate (though I'd like to see the error percentages increased even higher), paint campers can't reset their three-in-the-key count by stepping out of bounds, and the dance between dribblers and defenders has become more believable with the elimination of unnatural speed boosts. Certain hop steps (Stephen Curry) and hesitation moves (#3) still animate much faster than the highest-rated defenders in the game are able to react. But this is probably as balanced as NBA 2K16 can be without significantly reducing the speed of those lateral dribble moves, or adding some new defensive slide step animations that can keep pace.

The purpose of this article, though, isn't providing gameplay impressions (there's already a 400-post thread discussing that), it's figuring out why it has taken until May (seven months after the game's September 25 launch) for Visual Concepts to finally achieve reasonably balanced gameplay in their online MyPlayer modes.

One large contributor to these long stretches of unbalanced gameplay NBA 2K fans suffer through every season is the developers' insistence on using the same grind-intensive MyPlayer system in their online and offline game modes. Each year, it takes a few months before the general population of online MyPlayers becomes 99-rated, 60-badge superstars. After users have finally maximized their first MyPlayer's abilities, they are still limited to providing accurate feedback for only one player build, since several dozen hours of earning badges and unlocking attributes are required to make a firsthand comparison between, say, the outside skills of a five-foot point guard versus a six-foot point guard, or the inside capabilities of a six-foot center against a seven-foot center.

Because of this grind-heavy player-building model -- something that no other major eSport uses -- it's difficult for NBA 2K fans to provide quality gameplay feedback during the weeks when the developers are most capable of making changes (immediately after launch). The community cannot know right away whether something is fundamentally wrong with the gameplay, whether their individual character simply needs improving, or whether an on-court problem can be solved by switching to a different player build. Gameplay exploits also take longer to emerge because cheesers can't sit in their labs repeating experiments and fully dissecting the game until they have access to its full toolset.

Take for instance, the absurd passing boost that was being generated by the gold Breakstarter badge, which was allowing centers with a 60 pass accuracy rating to complete 90-foot outlet passes at a 90 percent success rate. Because it took so long for centers to unlock this badge, Breakstarter is something people didn't start abusing heavily until January. But once the community discovered this exploit, it plagued Pro-Am's gameplay for the four following months. That's far too long for an exploit of this magnitude to exist, especially when it's a key contributor to the success of teams that are competing in a $250,000 tournament. Having played against many of the teams at the top of the weekly leaderboards, I have no doubt 90 percent of the clubs who qualified for NBA 2K16's Road to the Finals tournament got their spot by abusing the gold Breakstarter badge. For Visual Concepts to finally patch this problem on the last qualifying weekend, even though it was killing Pro-Am's gameplay for several weeks before the tournament started, shows that the company's current method of discovering and addressing gameplay flaws (at least, the ones that aren't related to shooting percentages) isn't working very well.

Next season, Visual Concepts needs to decide whether it wants the online MyPlayer modes to only be a cash cow or only be a competitive playground, because the past two years of balancing failures have shown that these modes cannot successfully mix both elements. NBA 2K15 is still remembered for the seven-foot demigod glitch that never got fixed and permanently ruined its Parks and Rec Center. And regardless of last week's changes, NBA 2K16 will be remembered as a year where the game was dominated by five-foot speed boosters and seven-foot quarterbacks.

If NBA 2K17 wants its online MyPlayer modes to become a serious eSport, then the developers must eliminate all of this badge earning, attribute grinding, animation unlocking, boost buying, park-card purchasing nonsense. Everyone who picks up a controller should instantly have access to the same characters with the same ratings and the same movesets, just like they do in Street Fighter tournaments. If microtransactions and account leveling have to stick around, then their benefits must be limited to cosmetic items only, like the extra flags and wheels in Rocket League. People should get to equip only a few badges from carefully segregated categories, similar to how Call of Duty's perks work. And players should be forced to select one of several prebuilt characters, like in NHL 16's EA Sports Hockey League. This way, all of the different player builds can be easily tested by the community and easily tuned by the developers:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pick Your Player Type

Point Guards

Wall –- Elite athlete, good defender, good passer, mediocre shooter

Curry –- Elite shooter, good passer, good dribbler, mediocre defender, mediocre athlete

Kyrie -- Elite dribbler, good shooter, good athlete, mediocre defender, mediocre passer

Rondo -- Elite passer, huge wingspan, good defender, mediocre shooter

Lowry –- All-around skillset but physically undersized

Wings

Korver –- Elite shooter, good size, mediocre defender, mediocre athlete

Tony Allen –- Elite defender, good athlete, good wingspan, mediocre offensive skills

"Old" Odom –- All-around skillset with good size and good wingspan but physically underweight and mediocre athlete

"Old" Wade –- Elite slasher, good mid-range shot, good defender, mediocre three-point shot, mediocre athlete

"Old" Kobe -- Elite mid-range shot, good post-up offense, good slasher, mediocre three-point shot, mediocre defender, mediocre athlete

"Young" Carter -- Elite athlete, good slasher, mediocre shooter, mediocre defender

Bigs

Dirk –- Elite shooter, good size, mediocre defender, mediocre rebounder, mediocre strength, poor athlete

Bosh -- All-around skillset with long wingspan but physically underweight and undersized

Bol –- Extremely tall, but also extremely frail, slow, and offensively unskilled

Jefferson – Elite post-up offense, good defender, good rebounder, good strength, mediocre athlete, physically undersized

DeAndre –- Elite athlete, good defender, good rebounder, good wingspan, good strength, physically undersized, no offensive skills

Duncan –- Elite offensive skills, good defender, good rebounding, poor three-point shot, poor athlete, mediocre strength

Quote:

Originally Posted by Choose Your Badges

Pick One: Dimer, Deadeye, Posterizer, Limitless Range, Shot Creator, Microwave, Unfazed, Perimeter Lockdown Defender, Post Lockdown Defender

Pick Two: Lob City Passer, Lob City Finisher, Fade Ace, Bank is Open, Tear Dropper, Flashy Passer

Pick Two (Point Guards & Wings only): Killer Crossover, Pet Size Up, Spin Kingpin, Stepback Freeze, In & Out, Hesitation Stunner, Behind the Back, Euro Step, Hop Step

Pick Two (Bigs only): Eraser, Bruiser, Offensive Crasher, Defensive Crasher, Brick Wall, Post Stepback, Post Hop, Post Spin, Up & Under, Drop Step, Post Hook

Pick One: Transition Finisher, One Man Fast Break, Break Starter, Relentless Finisher, Acrobat, Pick and Roll Maestro, Corner Specialist, Screen Outlet

Pick One: Closer, Swagger, Mind Games, Enforcer, Alpha Dog, Beta Dog, Spark Plug, Floor General, Defensive Anchor, Hardened, Volume Shooter, Road Dog, Cool and Collected, Prime Time, Wildcard

Pick One: Scrapper, Charge Card, Pick Dodger, Hustle Points, Interceptor, Pick Pocket, Chase Down Artist

NBA 2K16 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 The 24th Letter @ 05/12/16 06:15 PM

Completely agree with the feedback and steps that need to be taken to reach that next level. They need to carry momentum into 2k17 wothout taking steps back.

That said, I didnt expect the entire tone of the article to be 'what took you so long"

I personally won't remember 2K16 for speedboosting, I'll remember it as a game I eat playing deep into the next year because gameplay was balanced. I appreciate the effort.

# 2 jarredmiles0320 @ 05/12/16 07:30 PM

Heres my gripe with pro-am/RTTF:

1.Un-realistic player sizes and rating caps
Ex. 1 The max height restrictions need to be reduced. Centers need to cap at 7'0". That alone eliminates a lot of the paint cheese. Also the rebound cap should vary based on height. 7 footers should not have 94 rebound rating. There should be a penalty for being taller just like the guards and small forwards.
Ex 2 Outside players should not be able to dunk unless they are 6'5" and above. And even then it should be in the low 60s.
Ex 3 The draw foul rating should be reduced for outside players. Inside players should have the highest. Free throw rating cap should be reduced for inside big men as well. (deandre Jordan effect). That will cut down of just forcing standing dunks all game. Makes bigs think twice about going to the free throw line.

Road to the finals should have been about winning games instead of about stats. A ranking points system should have been inputted. Playing against an evenly matched team in was basically a waste of a game.

Also it should have been mandatory 5v5. And if the other team lost more than 2 players they should be auto disqualified. Disqualification should resulted in a 1 event suspension as well to prevent people from quitting.

# 3 jattnanga @ 05/12/16 09:03 PM

I like the ideas presented here. The MyCareer mode should be separate entity than the online competition without a doubt andt he player builds are almost a necessary next step to allow user skill to shine and emphasize team play.

The only area I would disagree with would be the choosing of move-sets. Individuality is so much a part of basketball compared to other sports, the shot animations and dribble moves (and really even passing animations) should be customizable but should be a matter of preference rather than one having a discernible advantage over the others.

# 4 NINJAK2 @ 05/12/16 09:14 PM

Good read. I think 2k released this patch to prepare people early on for the direction they will be going with the gameplay for 2k17 so they can gauge feedback(At least I hope so).

I think 2k went overboard in regards to capping the SF's based on that position being abused in 2k15, especially in the ball handling department. I like your idea of the base model (Ex: Wall, Dirk etc.). Go back to the old 2k in the sense that you select base positions such as pass 1st pg, defensive specialist sf, etc. I think 2k needs to make a user establish early on one or two categories where the user will focus on as a primary strength and go back to stat building by individual categories rather than the terrible grouping together of things like they did this year.

Given how profitable 2k has been in regards to their current "pay to get better faster" system it's hard to see them stopping that all together unfortunately.

# 5 Rockie_Fresh88 @ 05/12/16 09:43 PM

Really liked this article and I don't understand why this took so long to fix an exploit especially with 250k on the line smh .

I won't remember 2k16 for speed boosting because I was pretty good at guarding it . But break starter was just too much and too unrealistic . M

I also agree . The grind is very heavy for a guy who likes to have multiple players . I just want to pick up and have fun. I like the pick your style a lot and I hope 2k introduces this . Many games have had that feature.

# 6 ILLSmak @ 05/12/16 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NINJAK2


	Good read. I think 2k released this patch to prepare people early on for the direction they will be going with the gameplay for 2k17 so they can gauge feedback(At least I hope so). I think 2k went overboard in regards to capping the SF's based on that position being abused in 2k15, especially in the ball handling department. I like your idea of the base model (Ex: Wall, Dirk etc.). Go back to the old 2k in the sense that you select base positions such as pass 1st pg, defensive specialist sf, etc. I think 2k needs to make a user establish early on one or two categories where the user will focus on as a primary strength and go back to stat building by individual categories rather than the terrible grouping together of things like they did this year. Given how profitable 2k has been in regards to their current "pay to get better faster" system it's hard to see them stopping that all together unfortunately.

I dunno if I agree cuz being a pass first pg, assuming it grows into a good player is no different than being whatever crazy badge heavy thing they have this year; should still make the same money.

The issue is they HAVE to make it so that you have an advantage. Like put silver/gold dimer as a pass first only badge. Or create a new badge that makes it so that you can impact the game by playing pass first PG.

Same with like bruiser PF. If they don't make them excel at something, people will just roll tall 3 point shooters.

It's almost like they need to make it so that each player has a set height/weight. I know that sucks, but... if they rolled out like 50( mixtures of pure positions and tweeners) total types of players, it would be alright. Then they could actually balance it. Give each player potential badges and max attainable badge levels.

If they wanna make an e-sport... they need balance. If they achieve balance, they may realize that people don't care as much about LOL99 players as they think. Dudes just wanna ball out and be as good as they can be. Let them grind for gear or something, not badges.

-Smak

# 7 Caelumfang @ 05/12/16 11:17 PM

I proposed a limit to the number of gold and silver badges for next year.

7 to 10 gold (what you want to be great at)
10 to maybe 15 silver (what you want to be good at)
The rest bronze

Bam. Balance.

# 8 NINJAK2 @ 05/13/16 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILLSmak


	I dunno if I agree cuz being a pass first pg, assuming it grows into a good player is no different than being whatever crazy badge heavy thing they have this year; should still make the same money. The issue is they HAVE to make it so that you have an advantage. Like put silver/gold dimer as a pass first only badge. Or create a new badge that makes it so that you can impact the game by playing pass first PG. Same with like bruiser PF. If they don't make them excel at something, people will just roll tall 3 point shooters. It's almost like they need to make it so that each player has a set height/weight. I know that sucks, but... if they rolled out like 50( mixtures of pure positions and tweeners) total types of players, it would be alright. Then they could actually balance it. Give each player potential badges and max attainable badge levels. If they wanna make an e-sport... they need balance. If they achieve balance, they may realize that people don't care as much about LOL99 players as they think. Dudes just wanna ball out and be as good as they can be. Let them grind for gear or something, not badges. -Smak

When I allude to the positional categories I'm essentially stating that only those certain categories would have access to certain badges because they would be the only ones capable of reaching a high enough rating to achieve it. For example, A pass-first pg or point forward should be the only positions able to achieve a dimer badge. A defensive specialist should be the only player capable of getting a lockdown defender badge. A Bruiser PF may be the only player capable of Brick wall badge or Post lockdown defender badge but he may suffer in the speed/athleticism categories. These are just quick examples. Treat it like an RPG in a sense. If you select to build a Mage he/she may not be able to be as proficient in hand to hand/weapon combat or as strong as a knight/warrior. No Mage or Warrior can reach the speed/dexterity as a Rogue/archer. In other words you have to build your character based on the strengths of your class. So what I'm saying is all specific categories will be able to excel in something...

If you don't want to be as strict as that you could allow other categories outside of that specific one to only be able to get a BRONZE portion of said badge at best.. Some may say well "Guys like (Insert real nba player) have dimer, lockdown, Posterizer, etc so I should be able to as well if I want. IMO, I don't think user's should be able to make a myplayer exactly like LEBRON, CURRY, KD, etc. because those players SHOULD stand on their own as individuals which would make them even more diverse and tougher to match up against in your career(I know I'm probably in the minority here).

# 9 KingTocco @ 05/13/16 04:09 AM

The whole Pro-Am and RTTF thing is a joke honestly, 2K doesn't know what they are doing in terms of E-Sports...and I don't consider it one either.

As someone else mentioned, you need balance in an E-Sport where the main separating factor is skill level and not a character's rating (just an example).

The thing I most hate about 2K right now is the fact that MyPlayer doesn't feel like MyPlayer. I understand why they brought in attribute caps but I think it's wrong, at least for MyPark and MyCareer. The whole attribute bucket system is awful and a whole other topic, I won't get into that.

If they want to keep MyPark and Pro-Am separate in the future as it is now, they need to separate the two. Pool MyPark/MyCareer together and open the customization and restriction on that at least a little, otherwise you'll have everyone flocking to 2-3 types of players.

Then they make the Pro-Am have set builds that you can choose from (someone else had a similar idea) and go from there. They all need to be balanced by 2K to compliment each other, no one build can be better than the rest. You will then have a nice building block for a potential E-Sports competition. The rules for the E-Sport would need to be completely re-worked, which is again a whole other topic.

Just my two cents.

# 10 TheVinylHippo @ 05/13/16 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NINJAK2


	Good read. I think 2k released this patch to prepare people early on for the direction they will be going with the gameplay for 2k17 so they can gauge feedback(At least I hope so). I think 2k went overboard in regards to capping the SF's based on that position being abused in 2k15, especially in the ball handling department. I like your idea of the base model (Ex: Wall, Dirk etc.). Go back to the old 2k in the sense that you select base positions such as pass 1st pg, defensive specialist sf, etc. I think 2k needs to make a user establish early on one or two categories where the user will focus on as a primary strength and go back to stat building by individual categories rather than the terrible grouping together of things like they did this year. Given how profitable 2k has been in regards to their current "pay to get better faster" system it's hard to see them stopping that all together unfortunately.

Yes, I agree. I miss the old template system. I have no problem with the grinding if I start off being proficient at something. Starting off as a 55 OVR is absolutely ridiculous when your character is billed as a basketball prodigy.

# 11 Caelumfang @ 05/13/16 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheVinylHippo


	Yes, I agree. I miss the old template system. I have no problem with the grinding if I start off being proficient at something. Starting off as a 55 OVR is absolutely ridiculous when your character is billed as a basketball prodigy.

Lol, leave it to this place and we'll be starting as a 40 again like in 2k10. They already whined about starting as a 70-something some years back.

# 12 Korrupted @ 05/13/16 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	The purpose of this article, though, isn't providing gameplay impressions (there's already a 400-post thread discussing that), it's figuring out why it has taken until May (seven months after the game's September 25 launch) for Visual Concepts to finally achieve reasonably balanced gameplay in their online MyPlayer modes. Read More - NBA 2K16's Sixth Patch Finally Balances MyPark and Pro-Am

I don't think many people were complaining about Speed Boosting during the early stages of the game although a lot of people were doing it one month into the game. Everybody main issue was rebounding cheese, illegal screens, and 3 seconds in the key. Speed Boosting didn't get heavily complained about until RTTF. It's the same with breakstarter. Nobody really said anything until RTTF kicked off.

2k needs to balance positions in order for the game to be balanced altogether. SG's, SF's, & PF's were damn near pointless this year. The attribute caps were way too harsh for the 2 and 3 position.

# 13 ruxpinke @ 05/13/16 02:22 PM

My experience and 2 cents.

This is my first year playing MyPark/ Pro Am. Traditionally have been an NBA Today/Play now online dabbler. I liked the way online felt this year as far as the lag/responsiveness so I got into it alot more than the past. In 2k15 i probably played ten park games, this year I played about 800 so far.

I hate MyCareer. I just dont have fun with the idea of sticking myself into the current NBA, and Id rather play with real NBA teams and control all 5 players. Again, personal preference.

When i liked what I saw in the park this year, i bought 20 dollars of VC during a sale and was able to get my OVR right up to an 88. Yes i bought my way to an 88. Not ashamed of this because my time is valuable, and I dont want to spend my limited gaming time grinding through mycareer if i dont get enjoyment out of that mode.

At this point my 88 overall 6'7 SF can compete with anyone, even with zero badges. I do wish that the online modes gave you the ability to earn badges. In a way I think earning them against real competition online should count for more, in MYCareer you can adjust the difficulty and exploit that to get badges if I'm not mistaken. If i want to create a Myplayer specifically for online use, Id like to have the shot to earn badges.

I dont like thats its tied to a mode (my career) I have no interest in playing. Heck, I wouldnt mind grinding my way up through the park to get my OVR up as well. I bought my way to an 88 because I dont want to play MyCareer, and thats the only vehicle to increase my OVR/earn badges.

# 14 10 @ 05/13/16 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruxpinke


	My experience and 2 cents. This is my first year playing MyPark/ Pro Am. Traditionally have been an NBA Today/Play now online dabbler. I liked the way online felt this year as far as the lag/responsiveness so I got into it alot more than the past. In 2k15 i probably played ten park games, this year I played about 800 so far. I hate MyCareer. I just dont have fun with the idea of sticking myself into the current NBA, and Id rather play with real NBA teams and control all 5 players. Again, personal preference. When i liked what I saw in the park this year, i bought 20 dollars of VC during a sale and was able to get my OVR right up to an 88. Yes i bought my way to an 88. Not ashamed of this because my time is valuable, and I dont want to spend my limited gaming time grinding through mycareer if i dont get enjoyment out of that mode. At this point my 88 overall 6'7 SF can compete with anyone, even with zero badges. I do wish that the online modes gave you the ability to earn badges. In a way I think earning them against real competition online should count for more, in MYCareer you can adjust the difficulty and exploit that to get badges if I'm not mistaken. If i want to create a Myplayer specifically for online use, Id like to have the shot to earn badges. I dont like thats its tied to a mode (my career) I have no interest in playing. Heck, I wouldnt mind grinding my way up through the park to get my OVR up as well. I bought my way to an 88 because I dont want to play MyCareer, and thats the only vehicle to increase my OVR/earn badges.

Pretty much my exact thoughts and what I did. I'd rather spend $20 than grind through mycareer. It wouldn't be fun for me even if I wasn't trying to grind for vc or badges. Having the two tied together is one of those things that 2k does that makes zero sense. Mypark and pro am are great ideas and outside of how you develop your player are implemented fairly well.

For me it would be a much better if say every time you hit a milestone in park (100 assists, rebounds, etc.) you got a +1 to that rating. Starting out at a 55 or 60 is crazy too. Starting in the mid to high 70's and building from there would be more fun. It'll never happen but vc should be removed entirely from a mode that's supposed to be competitive and on an even playing field, especially if they're going towards e-sports in the future. As stated in the article this is done in no other e-sport for a reason.

# 15 KingTocco @ 05/13/16 02:37 PM

I will say that I made a 6 foot 7 PG yesterday and I'm loving it. Previously I only had a 7 foot 1 center.

I would make my PG taller if I could, not to cheese the game but because I want a Magic Johnson clone since he's my all-time favorite.

I did go with an outside PG just because of the importance of shooting in the Park, the badge grind is gonna be real but I'm excited.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

# 16 jeebs9 @ 05/13/16 03:14 PM

Great write up!!! Hit every point of why I don't play those modes!

# 17 riichiieriich @ 05/13/16 06:35 PM

All anyone ever does is complain about this game. Instead of adapting or learning how to do things, people complain to the devs. The game ends of being completely different from when it first came out.

# 18 ViolenceFight @ 05/13/16 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riichiieriich


	All anyone ever does is complain about this game. Instead of adapting or learning how to do things, people complain to the devs. The game ends of being completely different from when it first came out.

Yes, but in this circumstance the complaints were valid. It didn't come down to adaptation. Speed boosts are defendable. Breakstarter was a little OP, but get someone back after a shot goes up.

The problem is that the current Meta revolved around those two, or dealing with them. No diversity in styles.

# 19 Rockie_Fresh88 @ 05/13/16 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10


	Pretty much my exact thoughts and what I did. I'd rather spend $20 than grind through mycareer. It wouldn't be fun for me even if I wasn't trying to grind for vc or badges. Having the two tied together is one of those things that 2k does that makes zero sense. Mypark and pro am are great ideas and outside of how you develop your player are implemented fairly well. For me it would be a much better if say every time you hit a milestone in park (100 assists, rebounds, etc.) you got a +1 to that rating. Starting out at a 55 or 60 is crazy too. Starting in the mid to high 70's and building from there would be more fun. It'll never happen but vc should be removed entirely from a mode that's supposed to be competitive and on an even playing field, especially if they're going towards e-sports in the future. As stated in the article this is done in no other e-sport for a reason.

Is it bad that I agree ? I grinded out a 6'11 PF inside earning all VC and badges just to find out I don't like him. So I've bought VC multiple times after that. The grind is too time consuming for me now.

# 20 Caelumfang @ 05/14/16 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockie_Fresh88


	Is it bad that I agree ? I grinded out a 6'11 PF inside earning all VC and badges just to find out I don't like him. So I've bought VC multiple times after that. The grind is too time consuming for me now.

No, it's not bad at all. To be honest, the people that disagree tend to have no wife, kids, and/or job. Otherwise they'd realize that some people simply want to play online with the precious hour or two that they can get during the day/week, and don't have time trying to grind all year for VC.

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