Signature Skills: Tied to Player Progression for CAPs

UPDATE #4: See viewtopic.php?f=146&t=87547&start=100#p1548130

UPDATE #3: Scratch that. The 3 levels for signature skills only apply to your MyPlayer, and not the rest of the roster or any other mode. Same could be true about ratings requirements.
viewtopic.php?f=146&t=87792

UPDATE #2: MyCareer developer insight reveals levelled Signature Skills with ratings requirements and the 2 MyCareer exclusive ones![/size]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DuLeJ2M ... e=youtu.be

UPDATE #1: Dev Diary explaining all (but 2 MyPlayer exclusive) Signature Skills is here!
http://2ksports.tumblr.com/post/3059927 ... s-in-depth

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#8 of 2K Sports Community Update mentions 2K will be at PAX Prime (Penny Arcade Expo), and during their live-stream they will be revealing all the signature skills offered in NBA 2K13.

ignature Skills are a new feature for the NBA 2K franchise, which gives specific players "a higher probability" on specific things. We've already gotten a taste of those in action, as one of the latest videos coming from Gamescom showed LeBron James getting floored by a Kendrick Perkins screen, who was dubbed to have the Brick Wall skill "equipped".

Players will be able to have a maximum of 5 signature skills enabled at once, and getting them on your player in NBA 2K13's MyCAREER will be possible, as revealed by the achievements list posted for the game.

PAX Prime takes place starting next Friday, August 31, and lasts up to Sunday, September 2. Until then, what's your thoughts on this? Do you like players being able to have specific signature skills outside their ratings and abilities? What signature skills would you like to see in the game?

Big props to daddy123 for the heads-up on many of those.

Signature Skills Revealed

• Shot Creator: Can make shots at a higher percentage when creating space for the shot.
• Microwave: Can "heat up" in a hurry. Takes fewer shots for a player to get on a hot streak.
• Deadeye: Late-arriving defenders have less of an impact on a shooter with this ability.
• Closer: Raises their game in clutch situations, notably in the fourth quarter.
• Finisher: Adept at finishing dunks and layups when there is contact.
• Acrobat: Can change his shot mid-air without too much penalty on shot success probability.
• Floor General: Raises teammates offensive awareness while on court.
• Ankle Breaker: Can break the ankles of the opponent while doing isomotion.
• Highlight Film: Will look to perform the most spectacular dunk available amongst his repertoir.
• Posterizer: Will look to dunk on defenders when possible.
• Hustle Points: Known for his ability to score following an offensive rebound.
• Lockdown Defender: Top-notch perimeter defender who automatically neutralizes most of the offensive signature skills of the player he's guarding

Specific Players' Signature Skills Revealed

• Kevin Durant: Shot Creator, Microwave, Deadeye, Closer and Finisher
• Derrick Rose: Closer, Acrobat, Floor General, Shot Creator and Ankle Breaker
• Blake Griffin: Highlight Film, Posterizer, Hustle Points
• Michael Jordan: Shot Creator, Lockdown Defender, Acrobat, Finisher, and Closer

As long as the "skills" don't turn 2K13 into an arcade-styled game, it shouldn't be a huge deal. I remember a more recent NBA Live game had those "skills" too and it totally threw the game off balance.

hrbulls, this is different than the "recent" (Live 07) game's Freestyle Superstars. Instead of giving specific players special animations or moves, these affect the more "roll of the dice" actions on the court. Increasing the likely hood of a screened player getting floored by the screen, increasing shot accuracy in clutch moments, and the likelyhood of successful chasedown blocks.

If anything it makes the user want to use specific players the way they should be used, rather than affect the gameplay to make it more arcadey.

Rim protector needs to be a skill, and KG type screens.

I must admit Freestyle Superstars came to mind when the feature was first revealed, though it sounds like they won't be so overpowering. I actually didn't mind the Freestyle Superstars concept in NBA Live, it didn't pan out as well as it could have but it was a step towards differentiating player skills and talent levels. I imagine this approach is going to work out much better for 2K, giving players some abilities that set them apart and represent their real life strengths and playing styles, but not giving us moves that we can just spam.

In my opinion it sounds like a great edition because right now players aren't as different as they could be. It's kind of a role-play element that could really help making players more different.

For example during offseason, when I need a backup center, the only thing I really look for is the overall rating and maybe size or age. So when you had like two players of the same rating, playing-wise, it would not matter who to take. With those additional skills it could really make some players more valuable. For example the ´set hard screens´ ability, which would be great if you like to set a lot of screens for your perimetre scorers.

Everything that makes players more different is welcome in my opinion.

Absolutely, it's an extra element that should hopefully make certain players a little more useful and everyone much more like their real life counterparts.

In my opinion it sounds like a great edition because right now players aren't as different as they could be. It's kind of a role-play element that could really help making players more different.

For example during offseason, when I need a backup center, the only thing I really look for is the overall rating and maybe size or age. So when you had like two players of the same rating, playing-wise, it would not matter who to take. With those additional skills it could really make some players more valuable. For example the ´set hard screens´ ability, which would be great if you like to set a lot of screens for your perimetre scorers.

Everything that makes players more different is welcome in my opinion.

This sums up pretty well why I'm looking forward to have that feature in 2k13.

Someone want to clarify something for me. I understand most of it is speculation at this point, but from what I read these Sig Skills just increase the odds of certain 'events' or animations occuring.... Well isn't that precisely what player ratings and skill attributes are for?

I get some of them give attribute boosts to your entire team, that's cool, and genuinely new. But say for Perkins 'Brick Wall' skill for settings picks. Wouldn't adding a 'Pick Setter' attribute accomplish the exact same result? While I'm excited for more info, I don't want this to turn into Freestyle Superstar bullshit from Live which essentially gave the player a few more animations unique to that 'skill'. I still remember Ilgauskas from the Cavs having the post scorer "freestyle superstar move" which basicallly just let him do a nifty hookshot. That's it....

I mean there's a Corner Specialist signature skill (picked up from a Gamescon Video), I would assume increases this players chance of success from the corner 3. What's the point of having attributes and hotzones then? Or is that what they're doing, changing nothing and just adding an extra 'label' to the player to show the user he's a corner specialist (similar to the Star icon, dunk icon, 3pt icon, defense icon below players already implemented) ?

While I'm excited, I just hope a lot of them don't end up being redundant. There's no need for Corner specialist, Clutch Player, Brick Wall, etc. with properly implemented Skill Attributes, Hotzones, and Tendency Sliders, which is why I'm a little confused after hearing the title of many of them. Hopefully they get fully described in PAX.

I don't know. You make some really good points Volsey. I mean, even the Brick Wall trait that made it so exciting to see Perkins floor LeBron James with a screen, could have been down to a player having the Pick Setter attribute along with some good strength in his ratings.

But then, 2K is saying, are all "pick setters" with high strength good enough at setting picks and being tough enough to hold position so that the opponent is floored, or is that something additional, something that can't be put into ratings and attributes? That's how I see it right now.

Corner Specialist I don't get either, to tell you the truth, since we already have tendencies and hot zones, as you mention. Along with Clutch Player, which is now an "either you have it or you don't", instead of a rating that would affect a player's performance on clutch moments. So for things like that, we've gone from 0-99 to 0-1. Doesn't sound like an improvement.

Granted, I'm still hoping for some Signature Skills that can't be put into ratings and tendencies and abilities and play style... but, we'll see. For example, as I said in the 2nd podcast, seeing as wingspan is not a factor we expect to see in 2K13, players with big wingspan could have a signature skill to help them in some factors of the game where it would matter. Still, it's not the same as having a fully adjustable wingspan attribute, but it's still better than a player's wingspan having no effect at all.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one not totally sold on the very vague info we have of the new feature so far. I'm all for differentiating players and making each individual more unique or play more to real life, and I also like the idea of giving the user the on-the-go option to see the traits or signature skills that each player has. Heck I don't even mind if they are just a few animations or 'moves', as long as they're balanced they could be fun.

As you said I'm also looking forward to seeing the other skills that have a more varied affect than just increase chance of ______. Floor General in particular sounds interesting, giving your entire team +5 off. awareness, I'm sure there'll be a similar skill on the defensive end, let's hope skills like these are not in the minority.

I'm assuming it's simply an expansion upon the existing ratings and attributes, another layer to player data.

I too question what a 'signature skill' can achieve that attributes and tendencies etc already can. But we will have to wait and see.

What ones have been revealed so far?

I believe it's a case of "a rose by any other name", here. I expect it's simply a marketable name for an expansion/enhancement to player attributes, ratings and tendencies, albeit a welcome one.

Via Ronnie2K:

Kevin Durant Signature Skills - Shot Creator, Microwave, Deadeye, Closer and Finisher

F that presentation, I really do hate it...

SO. MUCH. GOLD.

Yikes theres a lot going on design-wise in the UI. I've always been a fan of EA's minimalist black/silver UI, but what can you do. I do like the emphasis on Height, Weight, Age though, maybe putting further emphasis on the improved physics this year, maybe weight actually means something.

Shot Creator - Boost to shot success on contested shots
Microwave - Able to get hot quicker, or stay hot longer
Deadeye - 3 Point shot increase
Closer - Boost to shot success in closing minutes of the 4th Quarter
Finisher - Better fast break dunks (checkered flag)

Those would be my guesses.

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if we can only merge the presentation, textures, team colors of live to 2k, that will be sick!

I'm sure that'll cause some concern that the game will be taking an arcade route, but so long as they're not overpowering it should be fine. If it works as well as advertised, stars should stand out from the crowd and key role players should also have more significance.

Damn that screen which showed Durant's ratings and skills looked really slick

Wiki page also now up for everyone's reference:
http://www.nba-live.com/nbalivewiki/ind ... ure_Skills

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Seems that they decreased Durant's ratings a bit? He was announced as 95 overall. He's 94 here.

Good eye, didn't notice that.