New features in My Career

[Slava Medvadenko]

My Career is the most popular mode in the game according to 2k, but most people would agree that it hasn't really changed much since it debuted in 2k10. Aside from the AI getting better(and still having a lot of room to grow), it actually has less features that deal with gameplay; the combine, summer league, preseason practices, and D-league have been removed. When this mode first came out I thought it had more potential than any mode in the game, but it hasn't introduced many new gameplay features since then. I'm starting this thread to compile a bunch of ideas I've had or read about over the years. Also, if anyone has an idea to add to this mode this would be a good place to post it, even if you posted it before somewhere.

A) An actual combine to determine your starting attributes. Someone on this board suggested a combine similar to the Madden combine, where your athleticism and skills would be determined. This would be a good way to mix up your starting attributes so all the players don't start out at 64 overall(or whatever it is) all the time. Stuff like running drills could affect your athleticism, and various shooting and defensive drills could determine your attributes in those areas(the drills that are already in the game could be used for a lot of these). After your attributes are decided upon in the combine, your performance in the rookie showcase would still determine your draft position.


B) The reintroduction of summer league, preseason practice, and D-league. I understand that a lot of players and reviewers didn't like these and wanted to get to the NBA as fast as possible, but there are those of us who think that it takes away some of the realism of simulating a rookie experience. I think they should be optional, with incentives to play them. A box after the draft asking you if you would like to do summer league and practices would be fine(the D-League will always be there if you aren't cutting it on the big team).

The incentives would go like this: summer league would give you 2x points on every game, giving you a great advantage coming into the league. It also would give you(depending on you performance) a big boost to your teammate chemistry, so people would be more willing to pass you the ball when you first enter the league. Preseason practices would give you regular attribute points, but also greatly influence the minutes you get. Instead of starting 6 minutes or whatever every time you start a My Career, your starting playing time would be determined by these practices. If you do very well you could start on opening day, which has been impossible in previous games.

C) Coach sit downs between games. A new feature I quite liked this year was the GM sit down, but I would like to influence other aspects that I can't control. A coach sit down would let you say stuff like 'We should run more', 'We should stay at home on 3-point shooters', or 'We should double team in the post more', things I've wanted to influence in My Career but never could. It would affect the coaching profile(which should be visible in My Career, btw) and team tendencies. Like the GM sit down, whether the coach will listen to you would be determined by your standing on the team(starters and stars would be given better consideration, as well as vets and players with allstar appearances).

[Slava Medvadenko]

New post just to break this stuff up.

D) Talking to teammates during timeouts. Ever wish you could tell specific teammates to not leave Ray Allen all alone at the 3 point line, or to box out on rebounds, or not jack up forced shots? How about telling them about it during timeouts, since you don't do anything during timeouts in My Career anyway. When a timeout is called, the four XYAB buttons would give you a choice of talking to certain teammates already in the game. Then you could tell them four offensive or defensive suggestions such as 'box out on rebounds more' etc. Their standing on the team, how many years they've been in the league compared to you, and their personality along with your teammate chemistry would determine whether they listen to you or not. A star veteran with an unpredictable personality would blow you off if you were a benchwarming rook, and your teammate chemistry would take a dip. If they say yes, they will do more of what you ask for the rest of their tenure on the team.

E) Press conferences would only be held after key and playoff games. Its a little thing, but its always been funny to me that I get a press conference after every single game. That should only happen on special occasions. Most of the time post game questions should only happen in the locker room, which they already have modeled in the game from the GM interviews after the rookie showcase.

F) Regular and simulation career progression(with offseason workouts). Some of us would like a more realistic career progression instead of trying to get to 99 overall as quickly as possible. Since there are also people who want to get to 99 asap, maybe there could be two options when you start My Career: regular and simulation career progression. Regular would be they way its always been, letting you get to 99 in a season and a half. Simulation would give you less attribute points per game and would make attribute upgrades more exponentially expensive. Minutes per game would be go up much slower; ideally most mid-first round picks and below would be coming off the bench the first year, unless they do extremely well. Sim mode would also take away some athleticism points during injuries. After age 34, the athleticism attribute caps get progressively lower.

Simulation would also allow you to have offseason drills and scrimmages, which would give you more attribute points than normal. Offseason is where players really improve in real life, so this would be reflected in the sim progression. The drills would be the combine drills and the scrimmages would be a mix of NBA players, legends, and random CAPs. The drills would allow you to only spend your points in the categories that they represent, but give you more points for them. The scrimmages would give you regular points and let you spend them on whatever. The less drills and scrimmages you do in the offseason, the more you would show up to camp with attribute points taken away, and you might be several pounds heavier(like late-career Shawn Kemp did in the 99 lockout), which you'd have to shed over the year.

G) Player rivalries. If a player scores 40+ points on you, hits a game winner on you, or dunks on you really hard(and it has to be an embarrassing, soul-destroying facial), that player is marked as your personal rival, and you can get revenge on him during the same game or the next time you meet. If you score 40+ on him, or hit a game winner, or mash on him, then your team would a get a temporary boost during the game (if its not a game winner) and you'd get extra attribute points after the game. Hitting a game winner would give you the most points, and dunking on him would give you the least.

H) Action-based attribute upgrades. This might be a too much change for this mode, but maybe attribute upgrades could be determined by what you do on the court, kind of like some rpgs. For example, you mid range shot would be given some points(not a full attribute point) for a 'good shot quality' grade even if you miss the shot. If you make it, you'll be given more points, and eventually you'll advance a full attribute point. It would work in real time, so you can go up an attribute point during a game. I'm not sure how this would work for some attributes like athleticism, and there should be another way to, say, improve your 3 point shooting other than by bricking a lot of threes until you get good at it. Maybe drills between games, like in association but you actually do them. Once again, this might be to much change for this mode, but its an interesting idea.

If you have other ideas for My Career, post em' if you got em'.

[KyotoCarl]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slava Medvadenko

B) The reintroduction of summer league, preseason practice, and D-league. I understand that a lot of players and reviewers didn't like these and wanted to get to the NBA as fast as possible, but there are those of us who think that it takes away some of the realism of simulating a rookie experience. I think they should be optional, with incentives to play them. A box after the draft asking you if you would like to do summer league and practices would be fine(the D-League will always be there if you aren't cutting it on the big team). The incentives would go like this: summer league would give you 2x points on every game, giving you a great advantage coming into the league. It also would give you(depending on you performance) a big boost to your teammate chemistry, so people would be more willing to pass you the ball when you first enter the league. Preseason practices would give you regular attribute points, but also greatly influence the minutes you get. Instead of starting 6 minutes or whatever every time you start a My Career, your starting playing time would be determined by these practices. If you do very well you could start on opening day, which has been impossible in previous games.

This. I don't need to get into the NBA as quickly as possible. If I'm not good enough at the game u should be in the d league. I should have to earn my way to the NBA not get there if I'm playing like crap.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[shmitty]

Love all of these. Coaches, assistant coaches and veterans need more input.

I know they want to include legends but id rather go through those training camps with coaches or teammates.

[kongemeier]

Let us use sliders!

I understand that it could be an issue with gamers setting CPU sliders to all 0 to get to get everything maxed ASAP! To avoid this let us choose to play the game "offline" AND adjust sliders.

[Khaos_Kiwi]

The player creator also needs much improving:

-Wingspans
-Muscle mass

These two are a must.

[Roland44]

Quote: Originally Posted by KyotoCarl

This. I don't need to get into the NBA as quickly as possible. If I'm not good enough at the game u should be in the d league. I should have to earn my way to the NBA not get there if I'm playing like crap. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Couldn't agree more. It's far more satisfying if I worth it to be there...

[Slava Medvadenko]

Quote: Originally Posted by kongemeier

Let us use sliders! I understand that it could be an issue with gamers setting CPU sliders to all 0 to get to get everything maxed ASAP! To avoid this let us choose to play the game "offline" AND adjust sliders.

Definitely. How did I forget that? Sliders are a must. As a PC player I could say, without exaggeration, that it makes the mode twice as good.

Quote: Originally Posted by AsianPowwwa

I know some people won't like this, but I wish your skills would regress near the end of your career. Maybe 2k can have like a casual and sim option before starting a new myplayer.

I mentioned this under 'Regular and simulation career progression', where after age 34 your athleticism attribute caps gradually get lower. It would add to the realism.

I'm trying to think of an incentive to actually play My Career to age 34, also. Maybe if you can get a 'franchise player' designation after years of being a 'star', the GM would come to you every year and really take your input seriously on coaches or players you want, and the style of play you prefer. Something along those lines. Maybe they'll take your input for a new design of the locker room, or a new stadium, or the team uniforms. I doubt this happens in real life, but its just an idea.