10 for '10: Gameplay

[Andrew]

As we're still waiting for the NBA Live '10 news and previews to really start flowing in (and for the green light to do some Q&As and such), I've decided to do a few features talking about the ten things I'd like to see in different areas of NBA Live '10, which I'm calling 10 for '10. Obviously there's only so much that can be done within one production cycle and as the features go on my hopes definitely get a bit lofty and unrealistic as far as being accomplished in one year so some are definitely ideas for the future too. I guess it's part Wishlist for '10, part Wishlist for the future and part critique/reflection on NBA Live 09.

It's a multi-part series with the first instalment taking a look at gameplay.

Having more or less recovered from a Fallout 3 addiction (for which I completely blame Bethesda Softworks) and with NBA Live '10 news and previews right around the corner, I've picked up my NBA Live 09 Dynasty game once again. As I continue to play my way through the season, I'm reminded of all the things I really liked about NBA Live 09 on the Xbox 360 but also a lot of things I'd like to see improved in NBA Live '10. I'll be talking about those much desired improvements beginning today in a feature I'm calling 10 for '10, comprising of the ten things I feel need to be done for NBA Live '10 (and am hoping to see) in different areas of the game ranging from gameplay to Dynasty Mode to online features and more.

First up: Gameplay.

Check it out here. Please feel free to comment and discuss the ideas I've posted, as well as your own ten most wanted gameplay improvements.

[ThaLiveKing]

To be honest, I was playing Live 09 today with the updated rosters, and I actually enjoyed the game. I've been enjoying it, but as of late, it's like I'm more excited playing it, maybe its because Live 10 is coming out and i'm amped about it.

What I think they need to have is players falling down after hard fouls, they need that. I'm gonna read ur list now!!

[Rukawa_11]

The out of bounds question are a great problem of the Live 09, i hope the Live 10 resolve that

[bee-boy]

yeah the boundaries are big problem. the thing i would like to see major improvement in is the rebounding system.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the feedback guys, hope you enjoyed the read.

I didn't put the items in any particular order, but I must admit that the out of bounds calls (amongst others) are some of the things I notice most as I'm playing the game so they were one of the first things that came to mind when I was thinking about things I'd like to see cleaned up this year. As I said, it's frustrating when you force the CPU to make an error and step out or go back across halfcourt and they get away with it. In retaliation, you don't get too upset when you get away with it yourself but ideally it shouldn't happen for either side.

[JaoSming]

Finally, offensive foul calls are very sketchy in NBA Live 09. All too often defenders are able to draw offensive fouls when they're moving or jump into a player who's attacking the basket.

The collisions that occur that automatically force you into a jump animation without pressing block need to go as well.

I still haven't been able to master the Quick Strike drills in the Academy as I find it extremely difficult to shake defenders end-to-end. And even when I do get by someone, they're in front of me again within a couple of seconds.

The full court drill is the most annoying drill in the academy by far for 09. You only get quick strike success when you have canned animations of the defensive player getting beat and no award for blowing past your defender using the regular quick strick.

Improve directional passing

The main problem I have with the directional passing in 09 that you didnt mention is when you do pick and rolls or other plays. The guy has an 'A' over his head making you think that if I tap A, the ball is going to him. But if you are moving, it wont happen it will go to someone else and sometimes when I am standing completely still and tap A it goes cross court for an interception. Thankfully Beluba said that this will be fixed in 10.

leading to the player making a little hop without even putting their arms above their heads,

That animation and the random running 1 arm up spaz thing seriously make me turn the damn game off. Especially when I am doing the academy. Lately I have been trying to box out more, but it doesnt help.

To that end, I wouldn't even mind if the mandatory timeouts were reflected by the game (eg the one called at first dead ball after the six minute mark in the first quarter).

Completely agree.

[Andrew]

The collisions that occur that automatically force you into a jump animation without pressing block need to go as well.

Agreed.

The full court drill is the most annoying drill in the academy by far for 09. You only get quick strike success when you have canned animations of the defensive player getting beat and no award for blowing past your defender using the regular quick strick.

Glad to know I'm not the only one still struggling with that drill. The way the points register is definitely a problem but it wouldn't be so bad if defenders didn't recover as quickly when they've been shaken. Everyone's an All-NBA defender in that drill, and I suppose it should be challenging, but to me it's damn near impossible.

The main problem I have with the directional passing in 09 that you didnt mention is when you do pick and rolls or other plays. The guy has an 'A' over his head making you think that if I tap A, the ball is going to him. But if you are moving, it wont happen it will go to someone else and sometimes when I am standing completely still and tap A it goes cross court for an interception. Thankfully Beluba said that this will be fixed in 10.

Very true, the one instance where you don't want to use the directional pass method (and you're not using Direct Pass) is the one where it is actually recognised the way you normally wouldn't. I too am very glad to hear that's going to be cleaned up in 10.

That animation and the random running 1 arm up spaz thing seriously make me turn the damn game off. Especially when I am doing the academy. Lately I have been trying to box out more, but it doesnt help.

Like the Quick Strike drill, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. The official patch improved things a bit but there'll still be times, especially in the Academy, where your player just doesn't respond as if they don't want to make the effort.

[kingjames23]

hopefully they have fixed the following,

intentional fouls. when the cpu wants to do it, they warp to you and you cant make a pass to run off the clock, yet when you try to do it, your teammates stand around and let the offense run off some time

you knock the ball free from the dribbler and try to get to the loose ball, you cant. your check manages to get the ball back, or his teammate warps to the ball.

likewise, when you are on the fastbreak, and you pass it to the wing... the guy receiving the pass stops, letting the defender check him, disrupting the break.

you get beat off the dribble, your teammates dont rotate to clog the lane, they just watch the guy score. every time.

[Andrew]

you knock the ball free from the dribbler and try to get to the loose ball, you cant. your check manages to get the ball back, or his teammate warps to the ball.

The hustle plays they showed in the latest video with Mike Wang will hopefully put a stop to that as it showed players scrambling and diving for the ball, knocking it around and other players coming in to scoop it up.

[Andy92_man]

yesterday when i decided to boot up the game again, i noticed that a lot of times a player drives, he goes right into his man instead of going on the side of him... that's really annoying, and i really hope that the size-up thing they have will fix it!!

[Andrew]

Lockdown D was definitely a bit too effective in the hands of the CPU and the waterbug recovery didn't help matters. The "size-up" moves shown in the latest Mike Wang video suggest it won't be so much of a problem in 10.

[kingjames23]

ive just had two games of 09 ruined by poor teammate AI. both times i was down by 2 or 3 points, needed to foul, and hit the intentional foul button and nobody would foul, letting the cpu run down the time. in both games. then, when i needed a 3 to tie in game 1 and passed the ball in, my point guard jumped over the 3 point line to catch the pass and i didnt have time to step back and shoot. so what would have been a made 3 was a made 2 and i lost, due to bad spacing! nobody else went to the 3 point line either... the other time i needed a 2 for the win but had less than a second to get a shot off, i passed the ball in to my SF for what i thought would be a layup, instead... he decided to post up. time ran off the clock and i lost because apparently my teammate thought he should do the dream shake with .08 left on the clock. i lost 2 games back to back because the user side cpu is retarded. live 10 had better fix this crap. your team AI should understand the context of the situation, what is needed at the end of a game, we need to foul, we need a 3 not a 2... that sort of thing... and to play with urgency in those situations.

[Andrew]

Agreed, some of the contextual moves in 09 definitely don't work to your advantage. I think sometimes you need that though, the players need to react to what's happening and if they're running to a spot for a catch and shoot their momentum is going to be an issue. What we need is the ability to force up a shot regardless, even if it's a wild fling if that's all a player could manage, just to get a shot off a little easier. It might not always be a good shot (and shouldn't be) but inbounding for a game winning attempt and getting stuck in a post up animation and seeing time expire is somewhat anti-climactic.