Is NBA 2K Becoming Madden? - mcdowell31's Blog

mcdowell31's Blog

Is NBA 2K Becoming Madden?

Posted on January 9, 2021 at 04:44 PM.

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Right now I am still on current-gen, so I cannot answer that question. However, I have to add more steps to MyLeague's new season administrative duties: 1) Globally zero-out badges to get fundamental basketball play. 2) Globally subtract 25 from the Free Throw attribute. 3) Globally subtract 70 from the Speed With Ball attribute.

I accidentally started using badges again last summer when continuing an NBA 2K20 MyLeague file with a new season. I forgot to zero but actually had fun for the first two games of the season as the badges seemed to add character and were not overpowered. I tried picking up in 2K21, but badges ruin fundamental basketball for me once again.

Now, the strategy of "lengthening" a game by drawing fouls on offense, or putting an opponent on the line to gamble on getting the ball back without a score is out of the window without global editing. Without the edit, a free-throw strategy is meaningless if every free-throw goes in for both sides.

I had edited Speed With Ball for season 1 only to have everyone improve back to normal: Would be good, but we all know dribble-drive defense is non-existent, so to have some semblance of intelligent play I have to severely handicap ballhandling. As I am typing I realize I need to go to the off-season Speed With Ball improvement slider and zero it.

I am trying to withhold judgment of 2K21 until I get an Xbox Series X: For the first time, I am seeing the point of pre-order. Of course, once I have Series X I will never pre-order; I am an old man, and the world will be normal again by the time I will have to consider a pre-order. HOWEVER... trying to play simulation basketball without fundamental strategy is not fun... casting some judgment on current-gen.

I have been playing a lot of College Hoops 2K8; I promise to fill all of you in on my adventures/observations in the next write-up here soon.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM: College Hoops is 13-years old and it just works. Points in the paint; three-point attempts by the AI; I always have a positive experience without having to compensate for careless coding and silly mechanics. I have not been able to say that for NBA 2K the entire Xbox One generation. It is not just 2K this generation: I think of Madden and Bethesda, and most recently CD Projekt Red.

I will not ask that you please return to a semblance of detail when making a simulation just yet; I still have to experience 2K on Xbox Series X. But, just so you know, this teammate is not having much fun. As The Czar says: Don't play video games, play basketball.