Alright boyz, here we go (College Hoops 2K7 Thoughts!)

Pumpy Tudors · 11-20-2006, 01:00 PM

I actually don't have the game yet, but it's shipping today and should be in stores tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to this game, and it's become #2 on my yearly "gotta have" list right after NCAA Football. I didn't preorder anywhere, so I'll be checking out places like Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target tomorrow after work.

Is anyone else picking this game up on release day?

Eaglesfan27 · 11-20-2006, 01:03 PM

Yes. It's the only thing right now that could tear me away from FOF 2007. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow.

spleen1015 · 11-20-2006, 01:05 PM

Too many good games.....Sheesh.

I'm not getting this one right away, if at all. I have FFXII, Viva Pinta, and Zelda on Wii on the playlist right now. I am getting the Superman game next week.

It's a good time to be a gamer, but there's just too much.

Pumpy Tudors · 11-20-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Yes. It's the only thing right now that could tear me away from FOF 2007. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow.

With which school are you going to start your legacy? I have to be UNO, as usual.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-20-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

With which school are you going to start your legacy? I have to be UNO, as usual.

I like doing closed legacies. I think Nicholls State is the only school in Louisiana on that opening list. So, that is who I'll start with if that is the case.

My goal is to eventually move to one of the bigger schools in Louisiana and eventually springboard from that to go to USC

Mizzou B-ball fan · 11-20-2006, 01:14 PM

Is this being released for the PS3 now as well or does it come a bit later?

jbmagic · 11-20-2006, 01:15 PM

Still not sure if I will pick this game up. I already have NBA 2k7. The gameplay seems similar.

JimmyWint · 11-20-2006, 01:16 PM

The following is a list of all of the closed legacy teams:

central arkansas
prairie view
north florida
md-eastern shore
army
howard
grambling
nc a&t
centenary
northern colorado
navy
the citadel
vmi
texas state
dartmouth
nicholls st.
texas southern
jacksonville
morgan state
eastern illinois
hartford
arkansas pine bluff
stony brook
saint francis (pa)
morehead st
alcorn st
umbc
cambell
alabama a&m
alabama st
mercer
columbia
stetson
southern utah
colgate
bethune-cookman
hampton
brown
mississippi valley st
wofford

I took the Western Illinios Leathernecks in years past, but I see they are not on the list this year. hmmm

Eaglesfan27 · 11-20-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Is this being released for the PS3 now as well or does it come a bit later?

Tentative release date is January 15th, 2007. It was pushed back quite a bit for the 360 last year, and I wouldn't be surprised if that date changes a bit.

Sweed · 11-20-2006, 01:47 PM

I hope one of you guys will do a comparison with nba2k7. I'm leaning heavily to picking up a 360 for the Thanksgiving weekend (instead of waiting for spring and a ps3) and if I do will pick up either college hoops or nba 2k7 as my initial game.

I like the idea of the shorter college seasons and the tournament. But with no real players, faces, or signature moves (heard rumors nba signature moves will be used in CH?) I wonder if the game will lose some of it's "personality".

Anyway would appreciate any thoughts on this if you get the game.

Pumpy Tudors · 11-20-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweed

I hope one of you guys will do a comparison with nba2k7. I'm leaning heavily to picking up a 360 for the Thanksgiving weekend (instead of waiting for spring and a ps3) and if I do will pick up either college hoops or nba 2k7 as my initial game.

I like the idea of the shorter college seasons and the tournament. But with no real players, faces, or signature moves (heard rumors nba signature moves will be used in CH?) I wonder if the game will lose some of it's "personality".

Anyway would appreciate any thoughts on this if you get the game.

I'll provide what I can, although I won't be playing the game very much until the weekend, due to having friends visiting for Thanksgiving.

For me, the personality comes from the crowd and the wide variety of schools and arenas. No, you obviously won't get to see the actual NCAA players in the game, but I love taking my UNO team across town to play Tulane or into Denver for some Sun Belt action. I'll even go on the road to play a Top 25 team sometimes just to get a feeling for how it'd be to play in a big conference.

I guess part of it has to do with me not being a huge NBA fan anymore. I really only know my favorite team (Memphis) and the stars on the other teams. I probably couldn't name more than one or two bench players from any team except Memphis, Dallas, and Miami (because those last two were in the Finals last year). It's great to see how well 2K Sports created the NBA players, but I just like college basketball a lot more.

Obviously, your mileage may vary, and since I'll have both games, I'll do my best to give you a comparison. Basically, though, I expect both games to be so good that you should really just go with whichever one is more interesting to you. If you prefer the NBA, you'll love NBA 2K7, which is a fantastic game. If you prefer college, I'm sure that CH 2K7 will be an excellent choice.

RedKingGold · 11-20-2006, 02:18 PM

My gf is picking this game up for me (along with Gears of War) for Xmas, so I have to wait about a month.

But, I'll be eagerly reading all of your impressions.

Sweed · 11-20-2006, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I'll provide what I can, although I won't be playing the game very much until the weekend, due to having friends visiting for Thanksgiving.

For me, the personality comes from the crowd and the wide variety of schools and arenas. No, you obviously won't get to see the actual NCAA players in the game, but I love taking my UNO team across town to play Tulane or into Denver for some Sun Belt action. I'll even go on the road to play a Top 25 team sometimes just to get a feeling for how it'd be to play in a big conference.

I guess part of it has to do with me not being a huge NBA fan anymore. I really only know my favorite team (Memphis) and the stars on the other teams. I probably couldn't name more than one or two bench players from any team except Memphis, Dallas, and Miami (because those last two were in the Finals last year). It's great to see how well 2K Sports created the NBA players, but I just like college basketball a lot more.

Obviously, your mileage may vary, and since I'll have both games, I'll do my best to give you a comparison. Basically, though, I expect both games to be so good that you should really just go with whichever one is more interesting to you. If you prefer the NBA, you'll love NBA 2K7, which is a fantastic game. If you prefer college, I'm sure that CH 2K7 will be an excellent choice.

Thanks for the response. Like you, I don't follow the nba like I used to. 15-20 years ago I could probably tell you everyones starting 5 and top three off the bench. If you gave an obscure player's name I could probably tell you who he played for. Just don't follow as closely as I used to.

I keep reading here how great nba 2k7 is but my preference would be to get the college game expecting the same solid game play. My concern is if they get the facial expressions and physical reactions, by the players, done as well as they are in nba 2k7. Call it eye candy if you want but it would be my first next gen game and I want it to shine

Look forward to your thoughts on the game. I have seen some screenies but haven't found any video clips yet. I'll do some searching again, perhaps with the game due out tomorrow there will be something out there now.

MizzouRah · 11-20-2006, 02:22 PM

Thanks, I need to add this to my Christmas list.

Should be fun with Mizzou.

Phototropic · 11-20-2006, 02:29 PM

I'm going to have a hard time holding off. Last year's game was a slight disappointment with the patch issues although the game itself was great. The crowd and atmosphere appear to be the best I've seen yet in a sports game, and the improved open legacy sounds promising.

I remember facing Tennessee on the road back on 2k5 and dealing with the full court press in a packed arena is something I won't forget.

Swaggs · 11-20-2006, 02:31 PM

For the uninformed (namely me), what does a "closed" legacy team mean?

Pumpy Tudors · 11-20-2006, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swaggs

For the uninformed (namely me), what does a "closed" legacy team mean?

In a "closed" legacy, you can only choose from the teams on the list that was posted above. You have to work your way up to bigger programs. It's more realistic, I guess. In an "open" legacy, you can start with any team you want. I can't remember if you're free to change to any team between seasons, though. In a closed legacy, I'm sure that you can only change teams if other teams offer you the job. An open legacy? I can't remember for sure.

Icy · 11-20-2006, 03:09 PM

I'll get it, mainly because i don't have the patience to play the full NBA season and i find more exciting the shorter college one plus the playoffs.

Izulde · 11-20-2006, 04:46 PM

It's going on my Christmas list. Out of the closed legacy teams I'd probably take Morehead State cuz I love me them Kentucky schools... and likely try and work my way up to either Arizona, Arizona State, or UC-Irvine, my three most likely graduate school options.

Balldog · 11-20-2006, 07:01 PM

This year in Open Legacy you can get fired and offered other jobs.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-20-2006, 07:05 PM

Yeah, the developers answered a lot of questions on OS, and the only difference between open and closed legacy this year (besides the starting schools) is that closed legacy gives you a weak coach to start with that get development points based on meeting various tasks. Open legacy allows you to give your coach whatever ratings you want and the coach improvement is tied to the team's record only.

I just got the call that my pre-order will be in tomorrow. I should get plenty of time to play tomorrow evening before the in-laws arrive Weds for the holiday.

jbmagic · 11-20-2006, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Yeah, the developers answered a lot of questions on OS, and the only difference between open and closed legacy this year (besides the starting schools) is that closed legacy gives you a weak coach to start with that get development points based on meeting various tasks. Open legacy allows you to give your coach whatever ratings you want and the coach improvement is tied to the team's record only.

I just got the call that my pre-order will be in tomorrow. I should get plenty of time to play tomorrow evening before the in-laws arrive Weds for the holiday.

How many seasons you got thru so far on NBA 2k7?

Eaglesfan27 · 11-20-2006, 07:13 PM

About 2/3 of the season. I stopped playing when a lot of other good games came out and I heard about the patch (which is supposed to be done sometime in the next week per a developer on OS.)

I'll resume my season (and dynasty) once the patch is out. Not sure if I'm going to write a dynasty about this game, but leaning towards not doing so and just playing.

Edited to add: The only slight annoyance in my plan is that there are some control differences between the two games, but I'll adapt.

dervack · 11-21-2006, 12:41 AM

I want to pick it up tomorrow, but won't be able to till next week. This and Rainbow Six are the next two games for me.

CraigSca · 11-21-2006, 10:11 PM

So - did anyone pick this up?

Eaglesfan27 · 11-21-2006, 11:40 PM

Yes. Playing a game right now. Staying up too late to play this.

A few very early thoughts:

The signature shots aren't nearly as noticable as NBA 2k7. There are apparently over 60 different types of shots, but they don't seem very different from each other at least the ones that are assigned to the USC team.

However, all of the other improvements from NBA 2k7 feel like they are in it:

- Errant passes (which seem to happen more frequently the lower Unity is.)

- I think I'm really going to love the Unity concept. My starting 5 fills 5 (I'm pretty sure of 10 bars.) When I bring in my talented freshman, if I bring in just one or two the bars dropped to 3. When, I brought in all 5 just to see what would happen, it dropped to 0 bars. Then, I saw many more errant passes, poor shots, it even seemed like we were rotating slower on defense.

- There is also a seperate confidence rating. I was shooting a lot with my best player. At first, he was making shots and his confidence was skyrocketing. However, the other guys "were getting mad" and their confidence and ratings were going down slowly. He got cold suddenly, and his confidence went down after a few missed shots. Hard to come to any conclusions after only one game, but very early impression is that this could be done very well.

- Also, zones seem very well implemented and the AI is challenging to penetrate when they are in zone (on 3rd of 5 difficulty levels.)

- Playing a 20 minute game, had a score of 31-28 at the half. All I did was turn player speed down to 40 and game speed down to 40. Tempo sped up later in the game (more trapping) and eneded up with a score of 75-68.

At least in this one game, shooting percentages seem reasonable: 43% for my Trojans and 44% for the Beavers.

Some people will hate this, but I love it - It seems like shots inside are much less likely to fall if any significant traffic is in the lane. Although, this could just be my crappy inside players who can't even seem to hit a 6 footer if I get them an open look.

- Steals seem toned down to me. Well, steals resulting from stupid AI passes seem toned down. I still made plenty of stupid passes into the zone that resulted in steals.

- At least on the 3rd of 5 difficulty levels, fastbreaks seem just fine.

- The AI seems to be substituting earlier than in NBA 2k7 and smarter from this one game. They had their starters rested for the 4th quarter.

However, guys with high stamina (one of mine has 98) seem to fatigue slowly and recover very fast. 3 minutes on the bench and he was back to almost 100%. Not sure if this is good or not. Then again, I only took him down to 77% before pulling him.

Lots of scattered thoughts, but I think I'm going to like this very much and I'm going to have a hard time holding off on starting a legacy tomorrow (part of me would like real names, but if rosters aren't done tomorrow I might just start a career using the "generate names" option.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-21-2006, 11:42 PM

Dola -

Almost forgot the most important thing.

Got asked by the wife to turn down the sound - I had it up because the atmosphere is UNBELIEVABLE. I was down 24-9 in the aforementioned game, but my guys started playing great defense and we started making some big shots. The crowd was going insane. They also look very nice. The ball swishing sound is annoying, so I turned down "sound effects" and that is better now. Great atmosphere at the USC arena.

Edit: Oh yeah. Some people will love this, some will hate it: Alley-oops seem to be automated now. I see no directions on how to do them in the manual, but my PG threw one to my C on a fast break. Only problem is the stupid C was a FR and so was the PG. The pass was a little errant

2nd edit: Also, all of the camera angles from NBA 2k7 seem to be in this game as well. LOTS of camera choices to make.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 12:11 AM

Double Dola -

Just finished the second game which I lost 78-73. Shooting percentages were higher due to both teams trapping more which led to some easy baskets at both ends. 51% for Oregon and 48% for my Trojans. The only problem that I think might be lingering from NBA 2k7 is that rebounding might be unbalanced in favor of the CPU, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I see some more games. The substitution problem seems solved. Oregon worked me inside, so that seems better. I'm liking what I'm seeing early, and I've stayed up much too late but work is only a half day tomorrow, and I should get much more game time in after work as my wife is a chef and doesn't want me mucking around in the kitchen while she prepares the preliminary stuff for Thursday

Oh yeah, I think fouls needed to be turned up too. Not enough on default, but that isn't too surprising.

Phototropic · 11-22-2006, 12:21 AM

I've played a few 10 minute games. Keep in mind that I have never played the NBA 2k games, so I won't have much to relate to there.

Interface - The menus this year are really weird. Some screens are backed out of using the "B" button as you'd expect, but most of the time you have to use the right thumbstick to pull up a top level menu. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems awkward. However, I think the quick start load screen is the best thing I've ever seen. It starts with a messy coach's desk pounding from the stadium chants and zooms in on an open notebook with the team matchups. The first time it loaded I thought I was still on a cutscene at the team select screen. Very slick.

Sound - As mentioned above the sound is great. It's probably the best atmosphere I've heard in a sports game. In one game alone I heard at least 5-10 different crowd chants. I also agree that the sound effects leave a little to be desired, but I'll probably crank player chatter and crowd. The chant creator is a lot of fun, but I'm disappointed that Marshall isn't selectable. Most cities are in there, as well as mascots/team nicknames, but for some reason "Marshall" was left off the list, so no "We are..." chant for me.

Atmosphere - To go with the sound, the extracurricular activities have been stepped up. There are cheerleaders (male and female), guys mopping the floor, mascots, band members, and who knows what else running around during stoppages.

Graphics - Based only on last year's game, this looks more like what I'd expect from the 360. Animations are fluid, and everything looks cleaned up a bit more. Also, with each year I'm seeing less of the stupid inside the paint shot animations.

Gameplay - The game seems to play similar to last year's version with some nice touches that mainly add to the randomness of the gameplay. On 10 minute halves I'm seeing 4 or 5 combined turnovers off of errant and deflected passes. It doesn't feel scripted as a lot of times you can't tell who will come down with the ball. Guys will dive for loose balls and I even saw someone get floored down low trying to beat a pick.

I think this is the first year I'm going to have to play 20 minute halves which I never thought would happen. I'm getting around 30 shots for each team for games at 10 minute halves. Fouls are low as always, but I've yet to tweak them from the default. I did notice that FT difficulty is on a 100% slider which I think is new and should help dial in the perfect setting. The advanced moves take up 3 or 4 pages of the manual and I have no idea how to use them yet.

I love the team unity aspect. It's like NCAA momentum but way toned down. My team is only 2-3 bars at default, but after preventing a team from scoring 2 different times on defense (they still had the ball) my unity went up a notch. As for the confidence bar, I haven't seen that yet; I think some of those are hidden when using the broadcast camera.

Overall I am very impressed with what I am seeing.

RedKingGold · 11-22-2006, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

He got cold suddenly, and his confidence went down after a few missed shots.

Did you use the new Bobby Knight chin-slap feature?

Terps · 11-22-2006, 07:01 AM

I wanna pick this up but I'm having too much fun with Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 right now.

Pumpy Tudors · 11-22-2006, 07:34 AM

I only played with the chant creator a little bit last night. I think I'm going to have a lot o fun with that. My only concern (which may or may not be valid) is that if I use a "home" chant, it'll be a home chant for every team. It would be kind of silly to hear a "Let's Go Privateers" chant at New Mexico State. I'm not sure how that all works yet.

Anyway, I love playing 20-minute halves, so it sounds like things are going to be pretty good right out of the box. I expect to turn fouls up, and we'll see about the rebounding. I won't get to play much (if at all) until the weekend, but I'm excited! It's almost time to bring UNO to glory!

wade moore · 11-22-2006, 07:37 AM

OMG...

I went to add this to my Amazon Wish List...

It's only 19.99 for the PS2? Screw this, I'm just gonna go buy it this weekend

..

Phototropic · 11-22-2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I only played with the chant creator a little bit last night. I think I'm going to have a lot o fun with that. My only concern (which may or may not be valid) is that if I use a "home" chant, it'll be a home chant for every team. It would be kind of silly to hear a "Let's Go Privateers" chant at New Mexico State. I'm not sure how that all works yet.

Anyway, I love playing 20-minute halves, so it sounds like things are going to be pretty good right out of the box. I expect to turn fouls up, and we'll see about the rebounding. I won't get to play much (if at all) until the weekend, but I'm excited! It's almost time to bring UNO to glory!

The best part is I think we can knock out a full 20 minute half game in an hour of real time.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phototropic

The best part is I think we can knock out a full 20 minute half game in an hour of real time.

Seems right about where I am as well - took me about an hour per game. I'm going to dive right into my legacy this afternoon after work, can't wait to see the College Hoops Show and other things they have added for immersion. Nicholls State (probably) here I come!

Also, building on what Phototropic said, the graphics aren't a huge leap from last year and I think NBA 2k7 is a prettier game. However, at least until the patch comes out for NBA 2k7, I already like the gameplay better in College Hoops (although I think I dislike having the crossover button back as a face button - but I might get used to that again.)

Pumpy Tudors · 11-22-2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Also, building on what Phototropic said, the graphics aren't a huge leap from last year and I think NBA 2k7 is a prettier game. However, at least until the patch comes out for NBA 2k7, I already like the gameplay better in College Hoops (although I think I dislike having the crossover button back as a face button - but I might get used to that again.)

I agree with this completely. Actually, besides the chant creator, I went into practice mode for a little while to try the controls. It's weird to go back to using the B button for crossover, and I didn't even try the spin (Y) button at all. I'll have to adjust.

Something that I loved is that you apparently can't just take any player and turbo up the court or around people. I had my center dribbling the ball around in practice, and if I tried to do anything even remotely fancy, he'd lose the ball or stumble a little bit. Just from following the Privateers for the past few years, I know that Ben Elias (#32) couldn't handle the basketball in real life if you strapped it to him. In the video games, though, he could do a few crossovers and try to turbo around people. In this year's game, no way. That will change my strategy if I need to get some points in the paint. I'll have to keep it really basic for him and keep him from putting the ball on the floor.

I hope the Thanksgiving visitors at my house (who don't play sports games) will understand if I try to squeeze in a game or two tonight after I get home from work.

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 08:27 AM

Hehe. Yeah, USC's C was rated poorly in handle and he was losing the ball if I tried to turbo up the court too quickly with him and especially if I tried any isomotion moves. I think that is a change for the positive. Also, along those lines, while the fastbreak is better in this game, I love seeing that long passes can be errant as heck. I had one outlet LONG pass where the guy WAY overthrew the fast break and it went out of bounds

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 09:20 AM

Dola -

Per OS, I may have been wrong about automated alley-oops and may have done it by accident. There are people on there saying LT plus A will do an alley-oop.

MizzouRah · 11-22-2006, 10:29 AM

I hate having to wait for Christmas.

BUT keep the impressions coming!!

Pumpy Tudors · 11-22-2006, 10:30 AM

Since passes are going off the mark now, I think it might make traps and full court presses even more effective. That type of pressure is one thing that really separates the great teams from the bad ones. Assuming that the first season's schedule is the same as the real-life schedule, my poor Privateers will get killed at Ole Miss. Ole Miss isn't a great team, but the Rebels are certainly quite a bit better than UNO.

kingnebwsu · 11-22-2006, 11:06 AM

I hate you guys...now I want this

Keep up the triple-dolas EF27

spleen1015 · 11-22-2006, 11:47 AM

Can you import draft classes from this into the NBA game?

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Can you import draft classes from this into the NBA game?

Yes. Unfortunately, that option had to be enabled at the beginning of a NBA 2k7 career. Also, the developers have said it still isn't a perfect import process as far as the look of the player being exactly the same, but they say they have improved it so the player won't magically change skin color and such.

JonInMiddleGA · 11-22-2006, 01:22 PM

Any known differences in the XBox version vs the PS2 version?

Eaglesfan27 · 11-22-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Any known differences in the XBox version vs the PS2 version?

Nothing significant. Neither of them have the Weekly College Hoops show and a few other of the "next gen improvements." But, aside from some minor graphical differences the website lists them as having the same features.

Both also have some of the same older bugs such as the potential bug when you edit players.

MJ4H · 11-22-2006, 01:35 PM

If this is really $20 Im thinking of picking this up with my $20 best buy gift card I received recently.

bob · 11-22-2006, 01:50 PM

I have read that the PS 2 version does not come out until Dec. 11th.

MJ4H · 11-22-2006, 01:56 PM

well, now, THERE'S a log in my cheerios.

dervack · 11-22-2006, 02:07 PM

Man, waiting till next Friday for this game is going to be tough. Keep up the impressions though. I like what I;m hearing so far.

Icy · 11-22-2006, 02:39 PM

Damn, shut up guys!

I'm really really tempted to buy a 360 for the next gen sport games, but i have not used a lot my PS2 as most of my playing time is used on text sims. The only games that hooked me to the PS2 for a long time were Friday Night Round III and MLB the show.

On the other hand, a PSP tempts me too, to play anywhere anytime.

I need to take the decision for this Christmas.

11-20-2006, 02:31 PM	#16
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	For the uninformed (namely me), what does a "closed" legacy team mean? __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

11-20-2006, 03:09 PM	#18
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	I'll get it, mainly because i don't have the patience to play the full NBA season and i find more exciting the shorter college one plus the playoffs. __________________

11-20-2006, 04:46 PM	#19
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	It's going on my Christmas list. Out of the closed legacy teams I'd probably take Morehead State cuz I love me them Kentucky schools... and likely try and work my way up to either Arizona, Arizona State, or UC-Irvine, my three most likely graduate school options. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

11-20-2006, 07:05 PM	#21
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Yeah, the developers answered a lot of questions on OS, and the only difference between open and closed legacy this year (besides the starting schools) is that closed legacy gives you a weak coach to start with that get development points based on meeting various tasks. Open legacy allows you to give your coach whatever ratings you want and the coach improvement is tied to the team's record only. I just got the call that my pre-order will be in tomorrow. I should get plenty of time to play tomorrow evening before the in-laws arrive Weds for the holiday. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

11-20-2006, 07:13 PM	#23
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	About 2/3 of the season. I stopped playing when a lot of other good games came out and I heard about the patch (which is supposed to be done sometime in the next week per a developer on OS.) I'll resume my season (and dynasty) once the patch is out. Not sure if I'm going to write a dynasty about this game, but leaning towards not doing so and just playing. Edited to add: The only slight annoyance in my plan is that there are some control differences between the two games, but I'll adapt. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 11-20-2006 at 07:14 PM.

11-20-2006, 01:03 PM	#2
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Yes. It's the only thing right now that could tear me away from FOF 2007. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 11-20-2006 at 01:03 PM.

11-20-2006, 01:05 PM	#3
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Too many good games.....Sheesh. I'm not getting this one right away, if at all. I have FFXII, Viva Pinta, and Zelda on Wii on the playlist right now. I am getting the Superman game next week. It's a good time to be a gamer, but there's just too much.

11-20-2006, 01:14 PM	#6
Mizzou B-ball fan General Manager Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kansas City, MO	Is this being released for the PS3 now as well or does it come a bit later?

11-20-2006, 01:15 PM	#7
jbmagic Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2004	Still not sure if I will pick this game up. I already have NBA 2k7. The gameplay seems similar.

11-20-2006, 01:16 PM	#8
JimmyWint Mascot Join Date: Oct 2003	The following is a list of all of the closed legacy teams: central arkansas prairie view north florida md-eastern shore army howard grambling nc a&t centenary northern colorado navy the citadel vmi texas state dartmouth nicholls st. texas southern jacksonville morgan state eastern illinois hartford arkansas pine bluff stony brook saint francis (pa) morehead st alcorn st umbc cambell alabama a&m alabama st mercer columbia stetson southern utah colgate bethune-cookman hampton brown mississippi valley st wofford I took the Western Illinios Leathernecks in years past, but I see they are not on the list this year. hmmm

11-20-2006, 01:47 PM	#10
Sweed College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2003	I hope one of you guys will do a comparison with nba2k7. I'm leaning heavily to picking up a 360 for the Thanksgiving weekend (instead of waiting for spring and a ps3) and if I do will pick up either college hoops or nba 2k7 as my initial game. I like the idea of the shorter college seasons and the tournament. But with no real players, faces, or signature moves (heard rumors nba signature moves will be used in CH?) I wonder if the game will lose some of it's "personality". Anyway would appreciate any thoughts on this if you get the game.

11-20-2006, 02:18 PM	#12
RedKingGold College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002	My gf is picking this game up for me (along with Gears of War) for Xmas, so I have to wait about a month. But, I'll be eagerly reading all of your impressions.

11-20-2006, 02:22 PM	#14
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	Thanks, I need to add this to my Christmas list. Should be fun with Mizzou.

11-20-2006, 02:29 PM	#15
Phototropic Mascot Join Date: Nov 2006	I'm going to have a hard time holding off. Last year's game was a slight disappointment with the patch issues although the game itself was great. The crowd and atmosphere appear to be the best I've seen yet in a sports game, and the improved open legacy sounds promising. I remember facing Tennessee on the road back on 2k5 and dealing with the full court press in a packed arena is something I won't forget.

11-20-2006, 07:01 PM	#20
Balldog Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Macomb, MI	This year in Open Legacy you can get fired and offered other jobs.

11-21-2006, 12:41 AM	#24
dervack College Prospect Join Date: Jun 2005	I want to pick it up tomorrow, but won't be able to till next week. This and Rainbow Six are the next two games for me.

11-21-2006, 10:11 PM	#25
CraigSca Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Not Delaware - hurray!	So - did anyone pick this up? __________________ She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! She loves you, yeah! how do you know? how do you know?

11-21-2006, 11:40 PM	#26
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Yes. Playing a game right now. Staying up too late to play this. A few very early thoughts: The signature shots aren't nearly as noticable as NBA 2k7. There are apparently over 60 different types of shots, but they don't seem very different from each other at least the ones that are assigned to the USC team. However, all of the other improvements from NBA 2k7 feel like they are in it: - Errant passes (which seem to happen more frequently the lower Unity is.) - I think I'm really going to love the Unity concept. My starting 5 fills 5 (I'm pretty sure of 10 bars.) When I bring in my talented freshman, if I bring in just one or two the bars dropped to 3. When, I brought in all 5 just to see what would happen, it dropped to 0 bars. Then, I saw many more errant passes, poor shots, it even seemed like we were rotating slower on defense. - There is also a seperate confidence rating. I was shooting a lot with my best player. At first, he was making shots and his confidence was skyrocketing. However, the other guys "were getting mad" and their confidence and ratings were going down slowly. He got cold suddenly, and his confidence went down after a few missed shots. Hard to come to any conclusions after only one game, but very early impression is that this could be done very well. - Also, zones seem very well implemented and the AI is challenging to penetrate when they are in zone (on 3rd of 5 difficulty levels.) - Playing a 20 minute game, had a score of 31-28 at the half. All I did was turn player speed down to 40 and game speed down to 40. Tempo sped up later in the game (more trapping) and eneded up with a score of 75-68. At least in this one game, shooting percentages seem reasonable: 43% for my Trojans and 44% for the Beavers. Some people will hate this, but I love it - It seems like shots inside are much less likely to fall if any significant traffic is in the lane. Although, this could just be my crappy inside players who can't even seem to hit a 6 footer if I get them an open look. - Steals seem toned down to me. Well, steals resulting from stupid AI passes seem toned down. I still made plenty of stupid passes into the zone that resulted in steals. - At least on the 3rd of 5 difficulty levels, fastbreaks seem just fine. - The AI seems to be substituting earlier than in NBA 2k7 and smarter from this one game. They had their starters rested for the 4th quarter. However, guys with high stamina (one of mine has 98) seem to fatigue slowly and recover very fast. 3 minutes on the bench and he was back to almost 100%. Not sure if this is good or not. Then again, I only took him down to 77% before pulling him. Lots of scattered thoughts, but I think I'm going to like this very much and I'm going to have a hard time holding off on starting a legacy tomorrow (part of me would like real names, but if rosters aren't done tomorrow I might just start a career using the "generate names" option. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

11-21-2006, 11:42 PM	#27
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Dola - Almost forgot the most important thing. Got asked by the wife to turn down the sound - I had it up because the atmosphere is UNBELIEVABLE. I was down 24-9 in the aforementioned game, but my guys started playing great defense and we started making some big shots. The crowd was going insane. They also look very nice. The ball swishing sound is annoying, so I turned down "sound effects" and that is better now. Great atmosphere at the USC arena. Edit: Oh yeah. Some people will love this, some will hate it: Alley-oops seem to be automated now. I see no directions on how to do them in the manual, but my PG threw one to my C on a fast break. Only problem is the stupid C was a FR and so was the PG. The pass was a little errant 2nd edit: Also, all of the camera angles from NBA 2k7 seem to be in this game as well. LOTS of camera choices to make. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 11-21-2006 at 11:46 PM.

11-22-2006, 12:11 AM	#28
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Double Dola - Just finished the second game which I lost 78-73. Shooting percentages were higher due to both teams trapping more which led to some easy baskets at both ends. 51% for Oregon and 48% for my Trojans. The only problem that I think might be lingering from NBA 2k7 is that rebounding might be unbalanced in favor of the CPU, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I see some more games. The substitution problem seems solved. Oregon worked me inside, so that seems better. I'm liking what I'm seeing early, and I've stayed up much too late but work is only a half day tomorrow, and I should get much more game time in after work as my wife is a chef and doesn't want me mucking around in the kitchen while she prepares the preliminary stuff for Thursday Oh yeah, I think fouls needed to be turned up too. Not enough on default, but that isn't too surprising. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 11-22-2006 at 12:11 AM.

11-22-2006, 12:21 AM	#29
Phototropic Mascot Join Date: Nov 2006	I've played a few 10 minute games. Keep in mind that I have never played the NBA 2k games, so I won't have much to relate to there. Interface - The menus this year are really weird. Some screens are backed out of using the "B" button as you'd expect, but most of the time you have to use the right thumbstick to pull up a top level menu. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems awkward. However, I think the quick start load screen is the best thing I've ever seen. It starts with a messy coach's desk pounding from the stadium chants and zooms in on an open notebook with the team matchups. The first time it loaded I thought I was still on a cutscene at the team select screen. Very slick. Sound - As mentioned above the sound is great. It's probably the best atmosphere I've heard in a sports game. In one game alone I heard at least 5-10 different crowd chants. I also agree that the sound effects leave a little to be desired, but I'll probably crank player chatter and crowd. The chant creator is a lot of fun, but I'm disappointed that Marshall isn't selectable. Most cities are in there, as well as mascots/team nicknames, but for some reason "Marshall" was left off the list, so no "We are..." chant for me. Atmosphere - To go with the sound, the extracurricular activities have been stepped up. There are cheerleaders (male and female), guys mopping the floor, mascots, band members, and who knows what else running around during stoppages. Graphics - Based only on last year's game, this looks more like what I'd expect from the 360. Animations are fluid, and everything looks cleaned up a bit more. Also, with each year I'm seeing less of the stupid inside the paint shot animations. Gameplay - The game seems to play similar to last year's version with some nice touches that mainly add to the randomness of the gameplay. On 10 minute halves I'm seeing 4 or 5 combined turnovers off of errant and deflected passes. It doesn't feel scripted as a lot of times you can't tell who will come down with the ball. Guys will dive for loose balls and I even saw someone get floored down low trying to beat a pick. I think this is the first year I'm going to have to play 20 minute halves which I never thought would happen. I'm getting around 30 shots for each team for games at 10 minute halves. Fouls are low as always, but I've yet to tweak them from the default. I did notice that FT difficulty is on a 100% slider which I think is new and should help dial in the perfect setting. The advanced moves take up 3 or 4 pages of the manual and I have no idea how to use them yet. I love the team unity aspect. It's like NCAA momentum but way toned down. My team is only 2-3 bars at default, but after preventing a team from scoring 2 different times on defense (they still had the ball) my unity went up a notch. As for the confidence bar, I haven't seen that yet; I think some of those are hidden when using the broadcast camera. Overall I am very impressed with what I am seeing.

11-22-2006, 07:01 AM	#31
Terps College Prospect Join Date: Jul 2001	I wanna pick this up but I'm having too much fun with Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 right now.

11-22-2006, 07:34 AM	#32
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	I only played with the chant creator a little bit last night. I think I'm going to have a lot o fun with that. My only concern (which may or may not be valid) is that if I use a "home" chant, it'll be a home chant for every team. It would be kind of silly to hear a "Let's Go Privateers" chant at New Mexico State. I'm not sure how that all works yet. Anyway, I love playing 20-minute halves, so it sounds like things are going to be pretty good right out of the box. I expect to turn fouls up, and we'll see about the rebounding. I won't get to play much (if at all) until the weekend, but I'm excited! It's almost time to bring UNO to glory! __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

11-22-2006, 08:27 AM	#37
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Hehe. Yeah, USC's C was rated poorly in handle and he was losing the ball if I tried to turbo up the court too quickly with him and especially if I tried any isomotion moves. I think that is a change for the positive. Also, along those lines, while the fastbreak is better in this game, I love seeing that long passes can be errant as heck. I had one outlet LONG pass where the guy WAY overthrew the fast break and it went out of bounds __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

11-22-2006, 09:20 AM	#38
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Dola - Per OS, I may have been wrong about automated alley-oops and may have done it by accident. There are people on there saying LT plus A will do an alley-oop. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

11-22-2006, 10:29 AM	#39
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	I hate having to wait for Christmas. BUT keep the impressions coming!!

11-22-2006, 10:30 AM	#40
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	Since passes are going off the mark now, I think it might make traps and full court presses even more effective. That type of pressure is one thing that really separates the great teams from the bad ones. Assuming that the first season's schedule is the same as the real-life schedule, my poor Privateers will get killed at Ole Miss. Ole Miss isn't a great team, but the Rebels are certainly quite a bit better than UNO. __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

11-22-2006, 11:06 AM	#41
kingnebwsu College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Ohio	I hate you guys...now I want this Keep up the triple-dolas EF27

11-22-2006, 11:47 AM	#42
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Can you import draft classes from this into the NBA game?

11-22-2006, 01:22 PM	#44
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	Any known differences in the XBox version vs the PS2 version? __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

11-22-2006, 01:35 PM	#46
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	If this is really $20 Im thinking of picking this up with my $20 best buy gift card I received recently. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

11-22-2006, 01:50 PM	#47
bob College Starter Join Date: Oct 2004	I have read that the PS 2 version does not come out until Dec. 11th.

11-22-2006, 01:56 PM	#48
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	well, now, THERE'S a log in my cheerios. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

11-22-2006, 02:07 PM	#49
dervack College Prospect Join Date: Jun 2005	Man, waiting till next Friday for this game is going to be tough. Keep up the impressions though. I like what I;m hearing so far.

11-22-2006, 02:39 PM	#50
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	Damn, shut up guys! I'm really really tempted to buy a 360 for the next gen sport games, but i have not used a lot my PS2 as most of my playing time is used on text sims. The only games that hooked me to the PS2 for a long time were Friday Night Round III and MLB the show. On the other hand, a PSP tempts me too, to play anywhere anytime. I need to take the decision for this Christmas. __________________