What direction would you like to see MyCAREER take?

[Andrew]

Spinning off from the Wishlist thread here, since it's a topic that invites some more in-depth discussion. As per the title, what direction would you like to see MyCAREER take?

It doesn't look like 2K are going to move away from the story-driven approach, which is fair enough, but as I've said before, I have mixed feelings about it to say the least. I think the main thing they need to do is decide whether they want it to be a pre-determined character, like GTA, or an RPG like Fallout where there's a story in place, but there's a bit of branching in the narrative and more freedom with your character.

In that respect, NBA 2K16 definitely seemed a little confused. You could customise your character of course, even scanning your face into the game, but Spike Lee clearly had a specific character in mind when he wrote the story for 2K16's MyCAREER. If you happen to create a white MyPLAYER, he looks seriously miscast and ridiculously out of place with his black twin sister, and black parents. When it comes down to it, the mode is trying to do two very different things: put yourself into MyCAREER, but have also have a set character and supporting cast that don't necessarily fit well with the player you've created.

Honestly, I'd like the option to skip the storyline altogether, getting straight to the stuff that's available from the second year onwards. I'd like my MyPLAYER to have his own background and backstory, and let the story be told through gameplay and the immersive off-court elements, such as endorsements, off-day activities/decision making, and so on. Not only would it appeal to anyone who doesn't like the story-driven approach, it'd also be good for second playthroughs, so you don't have to slog through the story all over again.

As for the story itself, I think it needs to be one that will fit any character you care to create, and there needs to be some flexibility in your player's character, too. If there are family members, their appearance should change according to the player you create. If Fallout 3 can do it, then it's certainly possible in NBA 2K17. The story itself should have some genuine branching options, so that not everyone has basically the same experience.

Finally, while it's not completely terrible in my opinion, I do find the story in NBA 2K16 to be a bit corny and cliche. I feel 2K should go with someone other than Spike Lee, next time.

[PeacemanNOT]

How about let us play 82 games in our first season?

NBA 2K14 Next Gen - You miss the first two games

NBA 2K15 - Half the Season

NBA 2K16 - You only get to play 8 out of the 82 and you only get to play 1 game of the playoffs.

Everything is just forced on you. For instance there was a scene in this year's game where they talk about whether you should go pro or not. It then forced me into going pro without asking me... why not give me the option to stay four years in college and develop my player more?

Add diversity so you don't have people complaining about racism etc. I mean how hard is it to scan in caucasian/asian/african american people etc. into the game to fit your character's skin tone?

Add the summer league back into MyCareer. The summer League is great in MyLeague and MyGM... so why not add it into MyCareer. The summer league should be used as a system to decide how much minutes you get going into the NBA. If I get drafted #1 I should automatically be a starter but how good I did in the Summer League should decide if I get 28 minutes or 36 minutes.

At least give me the option to fight for my minutes.

I'm being realistic because we know that not much will change. Basically try not to force things on me and give me the option to choose my path while still having the story/movie aspect there.

[Kevin]

If the game goes to a sims-like gameplay, I'd probably never stop playing it. I don't care if it's current-gen. I just want the gameplay.

[PeacemanNOT]

That's my problem also. I'm a sim nerd so If my MyCareer is averaging a triple double I immediately think this is just unrealistic, and end up starting a new MyCareer. Then you would say don't play 12 minutes a quarter then.... I can't play a basketball game and not play 12 minutes, I just feel out of place

[Rosque]

That's my problem also. I'm a sim nerd so If my MyCareer is averaging a triple double I immediately think this is just unrealistic, and end up starting a new MyCareer. Then you would say don't play 12 minutes a quarter then.... I can't play a basketball game and not play 12 minutes, I just feel out of place

I try to let my teammates do all the scoring in the first two quarters and I only shoot when I'm wide open or when no-one capable is on the court and I'm currently averaging 21 points, 7 rebounds (because I'm a stat padder) and 8 assists in 33 minutes per game. Maxed out athleticism, decent shooting(mid-high 70s) and good inside game (layup at 83+, post stuff at 65+). Also have 16 blocks in defense and few in playmaking since I only make simple passes. I try to play like a mixture of Jason Kidd and Jose Calderon.

[PeacemanNOT]

I think that's a huge problem in MyCareer is that if you don't score on HOF then you are going to lose so badly. You can't rely on your teammates for shit on HOF, even when you run plays. I remember I made a SG earlier on release and I got to play for Thunder.

I decided to just let them run plays but the problem is Durant and Westbrook miss everything.... I mean even the open shots. But if you play against them, they score everything. Kevin Durant once went like 20/21 FG on me one time in MyCareer, but when you play with them he can't hit shit, and you're forced to score.

It's almost as if the game makes your teammates shit to make you have to play better so you're character fits with the whole perfect basketball phenom story. What if I wanted to make a Dennis Rodman type player? A guy who doesn't shoot and only rebounds and plays defense... I can't do that because your teammates can't score. Don't get me started on defense. At times I'll put down the difficulty to see if my teammates will actually play better, but then my guy plays like he's Oscar Robertson on steroids.

It's so frustrating to play.... I've actually gotten to the point where creating mods is more enjoyable then playing the game itself.

[Rosque]

I play on SS/Sim and I'm currently with the Knicks. And we just blew 6ers out of the water. I played 25 minutes and had 14-3-7 with a steal. Melo was tearing it up. Melo and triangle offense, which I know by heart, are really making it look rather easy because there are always big-on-small and vice versa and I always dump it down low if there's a missmatch or if I wind up with Joel Embiid at the top of the key. For the first time in 3 years I'm enjoying MyCareer and actually paused my MyLeague where I played 55 games in first season with my LAL.

[Andrew]

What if I wanted to make a Dennis Rodman type player? A guy who doesn't shoot and only rebounds and plays defense... I can't do that because your teammates can't score.

That's a great point. MyCAREER is definitely geared towards being an all around superstar, or certainly a prominent scorer. I don't mind that too much myself, but it'd be nice to have options as to which career path you want to take, because there's potentially more than one way to play MyCAREER. Of course, that's the problem with the story-driven approach. "Be the Story" is more a case of "Be Spike's Story". One backstory, essentially one career path.

[PeacemanNOT]

I even tried to do it... it's impossible the way the game is. I love the way NBA Live 16 handled their Rising Star mode. When you create your person you get to chose your playstyle, this puts caps on what you can upgrade and what you can do. All 2K has is Outside or Inside... again all focused on one thing "scoring".

I also seem to recall in a Madden game you get to chose whether or not you're a lottery type player or a late 1st round player. It's interesting how EA do a way better job at giving the player more options when it comes to creating "your" player, rather than just calling you the next Michael Jordan even though you want to be a Manu Ginobili type player. Again, because they added the whole movie aspect you can't really do that anymore.

I know I went off topic about how my teammates play like crap, but I just had to add that in there.

[Andrew]

But that's important too. In a player locked mode, you shouldn't have to do everything yourself. There are still some issues with that in NBA Live 16 as well, though it was definitely an improvement on NBA Live 14 and NBA Live 15 in that regard. But yeah, same goes for NBA 2k16 and beyond, obviously.

[TGsoGood]

Allow users to define a path/style you would like to play and then allow you to grow into that role.

[Aliean]

remove the terrible upgraded system so i can actually make a player i want to play and remove the incredibly stupid online connection.must be the dumbest feature that a game developer has ever done implement single player and online and think you can ever balance it

[PeacemanNOT]

^^^^

Yes this also ties in to making your own player. If I wanted to be good at free throws but not be good at threes, why should I be forced to upgrade both.

[ThePointForward]

Personally, I'd like to see a natural progression based on player actions, but that would be probably too "hardcore" for an average player.

I recently started playing RuneScape again (MMORPG, originally browser based) and they have this Ironman mode - where you can't interact with other players, which means no boosting or trading and no gains from PvP (no combat skills experience or loot, but you risk losing your stuff etc). Generally challenging and mainly much more fun as player finally realizes how everything is connected within the game (there are 27 skills so far).

Thinking of MyCareer, I'd like to see something like this: Player chooses between regular and "natural" mode at the beginning. The only VC purchasable item in "natural" mode would be ability to transform it to "normal" mode. "Natural" mode players would get some special stuff, think of it as prestige items - something to distinguish them. Perhaps special flair, some clothing...
The main difference would be that "natural" players would upgrade theirs skills by playing the games and doing drills. Extra experience for challenges too.

[MaxMBox]

Personally, I'd like to see a natural progression based on player actions, but that would be probably too "hardcore" for an average player.
...
Thinking of MyCareer, I'd like to see something like this: Player chooses between regular and "natural" mode at the beginning. The only VC purchasable item in "natural" mode would be ability to transform it to "normal" mode. "Natural" mode players would get some special stuff, think of it as prestige items - something to distinguish them. Perhaps special flair, some clothing...
The main difference would be that "natural" players would upgrade theirs skills by playing the games and doing drills. Extra experience for challenges too.

I'm totally agree with this. They can add another character for MyPARK\Pro-AM, that can be VC-upgradeable (like PvP character in some MMORPG), for that type of gamers, who like to spend $200 in the day of launch and dominate online. Then gamer can go to MP with his MyCareer's character or with this PvP character.
And in "natural" mode you can spend VC for additional drills or for hiring good trainer during the Off-Season.

Another thing that I want to be fixed is that looks like MC designed for the first couple of seasons. After them there is no any progress in around-the-game stuff like conferences, contract decisions etc. For example in my 3-rd year KD, Harden and SC still calling me 'Rook' in before\after the game scenes. When my second contract contract came to an end it was not possible to re-sign the contract with my current team without going to the free agent, the off-season stuff is the same and after the first game with my old team + 2 new players I had the same press-conference with "How you're fit in your new team?" question. The Playbook doesn't change when the team changes the head coach and the Coach doesn't adopts it for the current set of players: during my 3 years with 2 different head coaches in LAL all last-seconds combinations have been set for Nick Young. After he left the team, we don't play these combinations at all. Even social tweets are the same through all these years (I mean tweets from characters like Cee-Cee, Ivette etc.).

[Dee4Three]

Why can't 2k just make the setup similar to MYLEAGUE? Most players who play 2k like the idea of playing a full season/playoffs, and being able to continue onto another season. It would be different than just player lock, because it would have the story behind it. I am not saying that after every game there would be a story, but the story would happen during different intervals of the season.

Am I missing something here? I think most players would die for that. Someone mentioned above how they can only play a few games, and a playoff game... that's not fun at all. Let us customize our players, have a decent story, and let us go through a real season....

[Andrew]

I imagine the compressed first season makes it a lot easier to integrate into the story, which I'd say they're still running with because it's an evolution of the career mode concept. It's all well and good if you like the approach and can get into the story. If not, it can certainly turn you off the mode.

As I discussed in this Friday Five, I'd like to see 2K take a similar approach as they did with MyLEAGUE and MyGM. Have a story-driven mode that transitions into the traditional MyCAREER experience, and one that starts out that way, with none of the cutscenes and pre-defined character background.

[Dee4Three]

I imagine the compressed first season makes it a lot easier to integrate into the story, which I'd say they're still running with because it's an evolution of the career mode concept. It's all well and good if you like the approach and can get into the story. If not, it can certainly turn you off the mode.

As I discussed in this Friday Five, I'd like to see 2K take a similar approach as they did with MyLEAGUE and MyGM. Have a story-driven mode that transitions into the traditional MyCAREER experience, and one that starts out that way, with none of the cutscenes and pre-defined character background.

Everybody I talk to says "so much story, not enough gameplay" and I agree. The story should not override the gameplay. I like your second paragraph here, that makes a bit more sense. Id like to see a story driven mode that revolves around a MYleague setup.

Either way, I like that 2k continues to keep/add new modes/options as opposed to removing them like Live. I do feel that 2k listens to it's audience for the most part.

[Andrew]

Yeah, in the first season of NBA 2K16's MyCAREER, the story/cutscenes definitely seem to outweigh gameplay, and that shouldn't be the case. You shouldn't go more than five minutes without some kind of gameplay or input.

[ThePointForward]

If they'll be doing something like this in 2K17, I'd appreciate "skip and simulate" option.

Because with my second MyCareer I did exactly that - skipped everything and simulated all the way to the second season. And the second season onward was amazing.

[Andrew]

That's the other problem with the story-driven approach: replay value. If there's no branching in the story, there's less incentive to play through it again, yet you have to do so (or mess around simulating) just to start a brand new career.