No Draft in MyCareer-- But we were SO close.

[Sundown]

Every year, we soak up information weeks before 2K's release, eagerly anticipating news of each year's big updates. Without fail, we are always being blown away by details regarding one new mode, one new feature, or substantial improvements to an old one. That are-you-serious, game changing addition to a franchise already marked by passion and ambition. Now if you're a reasonable person, you realize that some things might be necessarily modified, simplified, or even lost from one year to another on the often windy road to progress.

But if you're anything like me, you're also hoping that this might be the year. The one year where the other shoe DOESN'T drop. You're quietly suppressing that tiny sense of dread, the one that tells you there's going to be one change-- THAT change-- that is going to hurt, and hurt bad. Not just because it's a technical issue. Not just because it's lost in the streamlining of gameplay. But lost because it makes so very little sense to lose, because it was one of the strongest aspects of the game just a year ago, because it's been a mainstay to the franchise, and because it was a decision that seems otherwise incomprehensible. No basketball reasons. But seemingly just because.

Or rather, because somewhere, somehow, at the 572th hour of design meetings covering every minutia of simulating the sport in which SO many things go SO right, the priorities were confused in one small, tiny moment.

That moment brought us this moment. The one I dread each year. Indeed, my time has come.

Getting drafted is the BIGGEST part of starting a MyCareer. It was the one remaining item of authenticity in the game regarding the career starting process after the Draft Combine, Summer League, and D-League was removed since 2K11. And now the last shred of authenticity-- the Draft-- is gone.

THE NBA DRAFT. IS GONE.

The summer event that makes and breaks franchises. The singular event almost all players worthy of mention are judged by and the context whose careers are framed around. This is the actual storyline I know I care about. And now our players will never be allowed to connect to a franchise and the league's history in this manner. All presumably to shoehorn in a script of an extremely unlikely NBA career that parallels almost none of the greats or 99% of players most folks can even name.

Now playing for 10-day contracts seems interesting. But where are we actually playing these games? They could have been lent an air of authenticity if they were actually played in the D-League affiliates-- hoping that a stint for the Red Claws or Big Horns might catch the eye of a scout or assistant GM of the Celtics or Kings. But a playable D-League was one of the first casualties of the MyPlayer authenticity axe. Are we playing pickup against a hopefully no-longer-mute Cousins? One-on-one against a rehabbing Rose? Horse against Steph Curry for Bob Myer's phone number? Okay admittedly, this might actually be somewhat amusing.

At any rate, MyCareer has been and should be an NBA career simulator with story elements to lend immersion and authenticity. Unfortunately, it seems 2K is progressively getting it the other way around. Linsanity was great, but we don't all need to be forced to play out that story. I'll still have fun with it-- my last name is an upside down letter away. I'll go with the story in my head that I'm mockingly named Liusanity-- but this is a huge, huge blow to the MyCareer experience, especially when we're FINALLY able to see our real selves in the game.

Every year there seems to be one major 2K change that makes you go HUH?, severely hurts the package as a whole, and seems utterly unfathomable if it were suggested any of the previous years. This looks to be this years' glaring omission that holds 2K15 back from a having a common sense, no-duh approach in all modes and features.

It's a shame because we seemed oh so close.

["The Veal"]

Nah, that feeling of dread for something so obvious being taken out was last year when the entire Association mode was taken out and VC was implemented in MyGM for making changes to your roster.

[Sundown]

Association wasn't so much taken out in next gen as it wasn't fully implemented in lieu of MyGM. And we knew some modes would suffer in the transition. And VC for roster changes was an addition not an omission. Arguably a poor addition, however.

It was Defensive Settings that was the unfathomable removal. Because, um, basketball?

[mqtcelticsfan]

I'm disappointed with the decision, but I don't think it's really going to greatly affect my enjoyment of the game. It'll only really change a short stint of MyCareer, where you're playing out the free agency at the beginning. After that, I'm sure it'll be pretty unimportant.

[KDurant35]

At least we'll be able to experience free agency. Never had that before, if I'm not mistaken


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Trackball]

Then don't buy the game.

"Problem" solved.

[Bornindamecca]

I don't like that you're not going to be drafted, but we have to see how they handle tryouts and free agency before I can say. Yeah, it's ridiculous that we're all going to wind up with a Lebron caliber player who wasn't drafted. It's even worse if you're not a PG, because NBA teams rarely pass on a tall athletic player with even a semblance of skills.

On the flip side, if you put up monster numbers in your first year or two, we might get to experience a very dramatic free agency bidding war. That'd likely make up for a sloppy, implausible beginning.

[kadzier]

It's sad almost, with the super authentic MyCareer in 2k11, I remember thinking how awesome this mode would be in future years with new technology- a truly authentic simulation of being an NBA player.

And sure we've had better graphics and tightened gameplay, but so many areas almost seem to have regressed. With each year we seem to move further from a realistic mode where your skill earns you a spot on the team and any "story" was supplementary and ultimately revolved around your success (or failure) at performing on the court. Now we've moved more towards an instant gratification mode where 12 year old kids can jump into the NBA and instantly be treated like MJ and be buddy buddy pals with lebron, almost like a Saturday morning cartoon.