NBA Elite 11 Blog: Real Physics

[Super Glock]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nokstar

Some of you guys seem really ignorant about how developing these games work...more importantly...sports games that release every year. You can only do so much...you know it takes work and programming to achieve these things every year right? Unfortunately you HAVE to make improvement piece by piece and you can't overhaul everything within 9-12 months. Be appreciative that we are even getting a gameplay overhual (which probably takes the most work out of every other improvement you can think of) and not some "polishing" over something that needed more work than anything else. You guys flip flop so much...one minute u want a team to overhaul engines...then the team FOCUSES on that...now you want to complain about them not dedicating everything to adding all these animations. Ok..you want both...but if you want both...expect minor improvements on both. Well the problem with that is...the gameplay needed major improvement..so that is going to take time away from other things. This is with any sports game that releases every year...they sacrifice EVERY year to get things done in certain areas...its just something that you guys need to learn to accept. Some of y ou got real hard heads though...you've been on this site for many seasons and still cant wrap you head around that concept? Im happy that they finally got the picture and are focusing on something that the MAJORITY of people on here have been complaining about. The game will be fine and if the gameplay is the major focus, isnt that the best thing they can focus on?

I agree , give them time and everything will be added.

[Nokstar]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackCloudDoggy

I think alot of people are still thinking it's all about controls and physics because that's all we've pretty much heard about, so they feel that's the only thing the Elite team has been working on. Gameplay is the focus but there's more to gameplay than just controls. I'm guessing and hoping that they have a lot of other improvements that they made, we just haven't heard about them yet. It's still very early as far as getting out info so lets see what else they did with the game.

exactly...all the guys are saying is the focus is on gameplay this year..its not like they arent improving anything else. But its just the unrealistic cats in here that think there can be a major upgrade in everything within a year that's annoying to me. This could be the best upgrade to the series in like 7-8 years man...give these dudes a break, lol. What they are doing is something i've been dreaming about for years...if they can deliver atleast close to that im very satisfied.

[loadleft]

Yeah that patience part is huge! If the physics thing actually fixes some the glaring issues of the past then all well and good, however it seems EA's logic is flawed to some degree always choosing to add a new feature instead of fixing the current problems first. It's as if I bring my race car into the pits because my tires are worn and my crew chief tells me hey I changed the engine so now instead of 0-60 in 2.5 you can go 0-60 in 2.2. That's great but what about the tires? Well we'll get that next pit!. I come around again and it's we've adjusted the wings/spoilers for better control and we just didn't have time to change the tire we'll get to them next pit and so on.

I personally don't care about signature animations but I understand the point that if that's what's getting you beat (not just that but authenticity in all areas) why not fix that first then add to it?

You may say that the RTP does fix things like rebounding and such but if that's so then you should be saying it, instead of saying hey we got better control when most would agree traditionally the control was Live's strong suits.

Maybe I missed the memo but I haven't seen "gameplay" as being the focus it was "controls" and too me that's not the same thing. I think 2K proves that! Traditionally 2K doesn't have the best controls but apparently the majority thinks it has the better gameplay. For me gameplay revolves around things like 23 mentioned w/CPU cheating after pump fakes or player tendencies like PG dominance, or rebounding that's more about proper button timing that proper player positioning, or team success that's more about proper shot stick use than team strategy etc. Again I don't know that these things aren't addressed because that's not what's being promoted it's new controls!

[BlackCloudDoggy]

You're right loadleft that's all we've been hearing about is controls, but I gotta believe there's more to this game than that. Hopefully soon we'll get some info on some other aspects of the game.

[Nokstar]

Quote: Originally Posted by loadleft

Yeah that patience part is huge! If the physics thing actually fixes some the glaring issues of the past then all well and good, however it seems EA's logic is flawed to some degree always choosing to add a new feature instead of fixing the current problems first. It's as if I bring my race car into the pits because my tires are worn and my crew chief tells me hey I changed the engine so now instead of 0-60 in 2.5 you can go 0-60 in 2.2. That's great but what about the tires? Well we'll get that next pit!. I come around again and it's we've adjusted the wings/spoilers for better control and we just didn't have time to change the tire we'll get to them next pit and so on. I personally don't care about signature animations but I understand the point that if that's what's getting you beat (not just that but authenticity in all areas) why not fix that first then add to it? You may say that the RTP does fix things like rebounding and such but if that's so then you should be saying it, instead of saying hey we got better control when most would agree traditionally the control was Live's strong suits. Maybe I missed the memo but I haven't seen "gameplay" as being the focus it was "controls" and too me that's not the same thing. I think 2K proves that! Traditionally 2K doesn't have the best controls but apparently the majority thinks it has the better gameplay. For me gameplay revolves around things like 23 mentioned w/CPU cheating after pump fakes or player tendencies like PG dominance, or rebounding that's more about proper button timing that proper player positioning, or team success that's more about proper shot stick use than team strategy etc. Again I don't know that these things aren't addressed because that's not what's being promoted it's new controls!

you have good points but i actually do think controls may be the most important part of gameplay. If we dont have proper controls to make the players do what we want them to do...then its less of a game...and the whole purpose of playing the game. We are getting closer and closer to watching a game instead of playing it lol.

So yea...technically the focus is on controls....but the controls play a very significant part to how the gameplay is.

2k has been the better game for years to alot of people...but you have to admit alot of the reason is because of graphics and animations.....i consider that to be the better looking game. In all honestly..as far as 2009 and 2010 games on both sides, they have been disapointing gameplay wise and i only give 2k the nod for the overrall look and advanced online play (well..lets just say leagues...stability issues are a problem). But make no mistake...if the gameplay in either one mimicks real basketball with real control...that trumps all that imo.

[loadleft]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nokstar

you have good points but i actually do think controls may be the most important part of gameplay. If we dont have proper controls to make the players do what we want them to do...then its less of a game...and the whole purpose of playing the game. We are getting closer and closer to watching a game instead of playing it lol. So yea...technically the focus is on controls....but the controls play a very significant part to how the gameplay is. 2k has been the better game for years to alot of people...but you have to admit alot of the reason is because of graphics and animations.....i consider that to be the better looking game. In all honestly..as far as 2009 and 2010 games on both sides, they have been disapointing gameplay wise and i only give 2k the nod for the overrall look and advanced online play (well..lets just say leagues...stability issues are a problem). But make no mistake...if the gameplay in either one mimicks real basketball with real control...that trumps all that imo.

I don't play 2K regularly that's why I said apparently the majority thinks gameplay is better there. IMO, control is important and even integral to gameplay BUT when it's not bad but other aspects of the game border on terrible, I think the priorities should be elsewhere. I think the priority should be get the WHOLE game up to snuff then add features. Again, that's all on the assumption that what's been added doesn't address the past issues because I really don't know since no one is saying. For me I want a game that mimics the challenges and achievements (strategy, fundamentals, compensation for team deficiencies, etc.) of the real NBA game first then everything else second. I am probably in the minority there so I just try to put my 2 cents in and see where it all ends up.

[loadleft]

Here's another thing FOR ME. To my knowledge no game has yet accurately reflected what it takes to win in the NBA. I see guys on here praising skill based this and skill based that but the reality is the relative difference in player's skill in the NBA isn't as big as the average fan thinks. Also it's not the most skilled players that win, it's a the best teams, otherwise guys like Kobe, LBJ, Wade, Melo, etc. would always win instead of teams like Boston and Detroit.

I am probably showing my age but I just wish the game would put just as much of a premium on basketball fundamentals as it does the shot stick, button timing, etc. When I see the name NBA X I assume it's simulating what's in the NBA not what individual players can do whether in the NBA or not, but most of what I read/hear is how we are giving you the individual the ability to do X. What about the complexities that differentiate the NBA from other leagues?

Look at the League's leading scorers last year (top 2) neither one was in the conference finals let alone NBA Finals and that's just as much because of team deficiencies as their individual ones (no matter what your personal feelings are towards either of them). Where is that reflected in all these new physics? Why isn't Elite touting that they've given us better team options like the ability to tell your CPU players to double team in the paint or on the catch or on the dribble? 2K has had some of that for a while! That's my beef w/all this control stuff! The truth is now we can come closer to being able to replicate an And 1 mixed tape than we can a true NBA game! We simply don't have the options to do the things that are done in the NBA we can only mimic individual players which isn't any different that mimicking Helicopter.

[rEAnimator]

Quote: Originally Posted by coolcras7

I understand everything you said, but the fact still remains if everyone act and plays the same then game will not be a try sim game at release this year, like I said it is good that they are looking towards the future but at the present they might suffer for that, and what worries me is that Elite sales number and rating will suffer because of this and EA is in the business of making money, so I just don't want another shake up and starting over from scratch next year if they don't meet hyped expectation, and face it with the other game having you know who on the cover means they will get alot of press and sales and Elites new feature may not be enough to grab the average user especially if the can't imitate there NBA heroes exactly.

Rest assured that everyone won't act and play the same. Far from it. We have some really amazing AI tech that hasn't been announced yet that I think you guys will really like that was put in specifically for AI behaviors.

All I'm saying is we did not focus on individualizing through animations.

You still have all the sig anims from last year and effort put in on individualizing behaviors of AI players.

Our focus on the animation side was control and physics.

But there are many aspects of a players abilities and behaviors that differentiate him in Elite.