2k13 Gameplay, What i Would do: Part I-Defense - piccolomair's Blog

piccolomair's Blog

2k13 Gameplay, What i Would do: Part I-Defense

Posted on June 4, 2012 at 04:30 AM.

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Everyone makes wishlists for 2k, but i, probably like most of you out there, like to consider what innovations i would want to be added to 2ks nba games. This is the first of what i hope many of my thoughts on such innovations that perhaps can still be applied to nba 2k13 (oh who am i kidding, they obviously have the framework designed already).

Gameplay is what seperated the 2k games from the EA games, however in its search for great gameplay 2k has been hit with a double edged sword of 'canimations'. I think back to my experience with the nba elite demo, and using what i have seen and experienced in the 2k12 engine, i figure the following advancements arent out of the questions and should still mostly utilize the tech that is already present. At any rate, here is my entry on what i would do to change 2ks Gameplay....

Defense-
I want to start with what i would change in 2k's defensive gameplay.

First off...get rid of the steal button. This might seem extremely weird but instead I'd like the game to focus more on the physics engine to establish the ability of steals (just like blocks). Instead id like the right stick to have a lot more of a central stage on defense. LT would remain the "lock down" trigger. With more emphasis this time around holding down a defensive stance.

Holding LT would cause your players to move more similar to nba 2k5, where guys are more holding down position. Back and forward movements become much slower (step by step) but the strength attribute takes more affect. In this stance you can use the right stick to dictate the movement of the hands and upper body allowing you to guard two guys if playing a zone defense, or just keep mediocre ball handlers in front of you. How good a players defensive attributes are would dictate how well this position could be held (sort of like a stamina bar, instead it would be a concentration bar)

When holding down the LT button, your player would take a tight defensive stance, low to the ground, hands in "prowl mode". By pushing up on the right stick you would force your controlled player to raise one hand (depending on which side you are slightly shading) a quick swipe down on the right stick (while you are holding it up) would cause that hand to come down, which if timed (and aimed) right could cause the ball to get knocked loose (if the opponent is holding it, or going for a shot). Move the right stick to your dominant side (so if the right hand was raise, rotating the stick from the up to the right position without letting it come to neutral) would extend that arm to the side, continue moving it down and the hand would be lowered below the ball. Swiping the stick to its opposite side would always make the player also make a swipe for the ball in that way.

Move the stick towards your less dominant side (so if right hand was up moving it towards the left without letting it get to neutral position) will cause the defender to heavy shade towards that directiong (meaning you are playing him strictly for that drive in that direction, in this case your left). If the opponenet then drives in that directly you will remain in front of him (however the length of time you stay in front of him depends on a combo of your defensive awareness and their quickness attribute).

This should severely limit cpu and human playaers scoring from baseline drives. When facing good defenders (offensive players would be able to use step backs or ride out the contact and go into a dribble move to try to fake out the defender, but are difficult options, though certainly not impossible dependin gon the players.)

Holding LT and RT would create an aggressive lock down defense stance. Visually its the same stance, with the right stick still acting in the same way, however the movements would be more aggressive. This means swiping the ball would be done with more power, this increases the chances of knocking the ball loose, but also makes you pay dearly for every miss by knocking you off balance in that direction (feet no longer set as well). Aside from that instead of taking steps back and fourth you would now HOP back and fourth. So you can really get tight against a defender or hop quickly in any other direction in an attempt to cut off a drive. This would essentially be how you could now take charges (instead of just b). In agresssive lock down mode you use up your stamina quicker, and hence your concentration bar as well.

If you dont hold any modifiers, the games defense is the same as 2ks, you can use the right stick to waive your hands around just like in 2k12. You can use this defense to contest and even put some body (light) on an opponenent, but the bodying up is far less effective, and ultimately its easier to get baited into fouls because of the lack of control of the body. and more use of the hands. Holding RT only just makes you more out of control though quickens reaction (the same as 2k12 does now).

So what of the X button? The X button would not become your help defense button. Pressing it once will cause a nearby defender to act upon the ball handler depending on the situation, if there is a screen pressing x while moving away from the screens direction will cause you to switch defenders. Pressing x while moving into the screen will force the help defender to hedge, pressing x while there is no screen will cause the nearest defender to attempt to steal the ball. Pressing x after you have been beaten and the ball handler in the paint will cause the closest man to (in) the paint to jump for a block. Holding the x button will bring a double team over.

The Lb button in which case now becomes your defensive menu. From here you can command your A.I. team mates to take certain precautions. You can ask for an immediate double team, an immediate triple team, you can ask the team to loosen off their man (so they are more ready to give you help defense, although this moves them out of position on their guys, so if a pass happens and you switch to the nearby ball handler you will have to scramble a bit to get back in position) or play tighter (the exact opposite of the previous scenerio, where they leave you on an island with your matchup, but play their matchups tight so if a pass happens you can switch to another player who is already right on top of the action).

This combo of new control schemes on defense will allow the user to have more control over not only his own action, but the actions of his team while not compromising for the computers ill advised actions. It also limits the idea of luck on defense and places more emphasis on skill. It also gives previously created abilities (Such as the different array of moves you can do while holding the ball) more incentive since you can use those tricks to not only protect the ball but trick opponents into drawing fouls, or have the defender best you and take the ball away. More importantly this should limit the use of the steal button which is frustrating for both offense and defense players (defensive players hate that they constantly have to reach in order to play defense which constantly leads to reach fouls, and offensive players hate random steals animations just because the guy guarding them has a high steal attribute) and also limits the cheesy cpu's 'fixing' of games (instead the a.i. stealing the ball when it wants or just stopping you when it wants and you unable to do the same, now you at least can predict the computers moves and force him into bad situaitons)

Hopefully you guys liked some of the ideas i presented. Please let me know what you think, and what you would change. Ill hope to get a blog about what i would do to the offensive side, the attributes, and using tendencies.....no promises, although like most writers, encouragement is great motivation.