It Has Been Awhile - mcdowell31's Blog

mcdowell31's Blog

It Has Been Awhile

Posted on October 20, 2024 at 04:22 PM.

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Google Chrome and Google Ads have made connecting to many of my bookmarks difficult. Many sites including this one, slow down or stop, due to conflicts. I do not know if the problem is on Google's end, or the webmasters' end through ineptitude or lack of clarity by Google on using the ads. What is funny: I have little to no problem connecting to porn sites. I have always said, as a society, we vote every day with dollars; whatever the hive mind of society deems important functions efficiently and best. After months of frustration, this site seems to operate for me again, so I am taking advantage and getting a thought out.

NBA 2K25 MyNBA mode is once again a blast! I am a sim-head basketball junkie so it was an easy sell. Pro-Scan continues to astound with contextual brilliance. It has definitely added back the "did I just see that" moment that requires replay to savor properly.

NBA 2K has been the best at AI decision-making, generally speaking, perhaps of any sports video game. I fully committed to 2K6 from NBA Live. After 28 years of some sort of competitive basketball from youth league until realizing my mediocrity as a walk-on with a D-1 program and moving to rec-ball, 2K6 exposed all the non-fundamental habits I developed in NBA Live.

NBA 2K25 continues building on AI. However, the in-game presentation needs to catch up. The best presentation was 2K11. I remember the development team saying a producer with TNT Sports was consulted, and everything from camera use and camera cuts to the top three plays of the game was all crisp and efficient and completely with purpose. It was so efficient games just flowed and I easily completed 48 minutes in 55 minutes or less. I was so consumed I would play 3 to 4 games in a day sometimes: As I said, I am a basketball head.

NBA 2K25 continues to suffer with repetitive cutscenes that serve no purpose. Any cutscene should provide more information and heighten the drama. For ten years we have had the redundant crap of cutting to players and coaches doing the same thing: Nothing or mundane gestures that are overused as they loop during every timeout or dead ball.

Solutions? I have said before less is more. If we cut to players actually interacting meaningfully every 3 to 4 minutes of game time, instead of every 30 to 60 seconds, the cuts would have more artistic weight. Also, a pan shot is usually superior to a cut: Seeing a player celebrate a play at the same time as opponents are lamenting is the drama we watch games for in reality. Sports drama is heightened by body language; the occasional cut scene is the spice that adds clarity.

Also, it would be nice if coding were optimized so that any cut could be skipped by depressing a controller button. I have often said to the screen in frustration "Sometimes I just want to play" not watch while holding the controller.

Now, every cut scene would be pumped up with on-court chatter. I was just playing and a basket-and-foul happened with a rare cut of shooter and defender onscreen together. It would be nice if trash talk could be heard at this point. This would be the extra information that a cut scene should provide every time.

This is the first of my ideas: Every year 2K becomes tedious because of the overuse of cut scenes and the lack of imagination they are accompanied with. I am sure my frustration will provide more.

Also, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE PLAYER LOCK CAMERA ANYWHERE BUT IN PRACTICE MODE. 2K this is innovative: I do not think anyone else has it in any sports game. Pro-Scan would go to another level with the accuracy and clarity that Player Lock provides. I curse every time the AI gets a cheap basket because I am forced to watch the opponent, whom I am not guarding, bring the ball upcourt. PLEASE COPY PLAYER LOCK CAMERA FROM PRACTICE MODE TO LEAGUE GAME MODE.

Aside from the preceding, I am having a ball. Check with you guys later.