I'm ready for LEGEND mode....

[R-Tistic]

I donno about y'all...but the Superstar mode has gotten toooo easy. Back in 98 when they first got Superstar, I was used to winning in All-Star but Superstar was pretty hard...but since 2000 or 2001, Superstar has been like Starter to me. On 2003, I did a franchise using the draft, and made the Lakers get the last pick so my team was always ranked #29...but I still finished the season #1. I lost the first playoffs but won the championship the next few years. I don't like losin but damm, it gets boring after winning every single version of Live at it's hardest level. They need to make it hard enough so that the 80's Legends have trouble defeatin the Memphis Grizzlies...because I can kill the computer with any team, but I still don't beat people I know as much.

[Andrew]

I personally think they should fix Superstar difficulty before they add a higher difficulty level. Unfortunately I don't find Superstar difficulty as easy as you seem to - I feel that it often borders on unfair rather than simply being challenging.

[R-Tistic]

Hmm...I donno if it's because I have been playin so long or what. I notice that I have been playin longer than most people I know, so I utilize EVERY single part of the game....also, on superstar, u HAVE to call plays in order to win. I used 2 get heated when I played because I'd always lose on supa, but when I started usin plays, it was a done deal...now it's too easy to win, but I'm gonna keep callin plays.

[Andrew]

I'm no stranger to the NBA Live series, but I find Superstar difficulty a little too extreme in NBA Live 2003 - all our complaints about the game (too many steals for example) are really magnified at the highest difficulty setting. Also, my PC could really use an upgrade, so shooting free throws with the T-Meter moving so quickly and only a decent framerate to boot is quite frustrating.

[Icebane]

Yeah in NBA 2000 superstar was too easy... I was winning by 50 points per game...
But 2003 just makes your teamates stupid, they make bad passes which makes me angry and I end up turning the game off...

I want to play with 12 minute quarters, but the scores are unrealistic... Because I use player lock, I position I am in (say SF) the SF of th opposing team, no matter how crap will always outscore everyone. probly because I play bad defense who knows... But I still get like 12 steals and 15 blocks a game;)

[Andrew]

It also seems that in Live 2003, you either win by a lot or lose by a lot. There aren't many nail-biters, down to the wire games won and lost in the final seconds. Or maybe I can only play really well or really badly, never in between.

[smithy_17]

yeah maybe, i haven´t had too many blowouts. sometimes i jumped out to an early lead but experienced that the cpu often comes back. maybe it also depends on your team. i like to play with defensive, physical teams where there is a higher chance of getting close games. there seemed to be a tendency of letting games get close. but there were also big-margin-wins so maybe it´s just a wrong impression. i liked the close games, except when the cpu comes back on ridiculous, challenged treys. i hope that´s fixed in 04.

[Andrew]

I'm no stranger to the CPU mounting a comeback, but I haven't had a team manage to come all the way back and win a game. Nor have I managed to do it myself, on the harder difficulty levels at any rate. It's probably just the way I play though.

[Colin]

There aren't many nail-biters, down to the wire games won and lost in the final seconds.

I was playing with my friend (on the same team) and the cpu made a comeback from down 25. So we were down by 3 with 4 seconds left. I used player lock, on caron butler playing with the heat, and passed the ball in. Ran to the three point line pressed pass, got it back and shot. It went in and we went to overtime. It was the closest game I've had yet, probably because my friend isn't very good.

[Icebane]

I have nail biters alot... I was playing against the magic and we were down the entire game. But in the final 50 seconds we scored about 15 points, to win by like 8... It was stupid.. A game doesn't dominate the WHOLE game then die in the closing seconds...

I have in the first quarter scored 50 to 10 (8 min quarters) and thats with my CPU teammates scoring mostly off fast breaks. I tried to keep them below 10, but a stupid stupid Goaltending and Foul made them up to it:(

[Andrew]

There aren't many nail-biters, down to the wire games won and lost in the final seconds.

I was playing with my friend (on the same team) and the cpu made a comeback from down 25. So we were down by 3 with 4 seconds left. I used player lock, on caron butler playing with the heat, and passed the ball in. Ran to the three point line pressed pass, got it back and shot. It went in and we went to overtime. It was the closest game I've had yet, probably because my friend isn't very good.

I guess it is me - playing really well or playing really badly, never in between.

By the way, congrats on reaching 1000 posts.

[Colin]

By the way, congrats on reaching 1000 posts.

*Colin steps up and takes a bow* Just glad I'm not a spammer poster

And I know what you mean about never being in between. I usually win by about 20 in my franchise (that I never play because I get angry with cyber-Colin because he can't stop Baron Davis) and it gets kind of annoying. I play on all-star so I don't get as much BS as superstar (not to mention the free-throws) but it can still present a challenge. During 37 games I've had one, count it one, nail-biter that I won by 1 point over the Magic. I had 9 seconds left and wasn't fouled, and that pissed me off because i thought maybe I'd go into overtime in just me against the computer for the 1st time. But in hindsight it's good because no matter how perfect I thought the free throw was I'd miss it and the CPU would hit an impossible three to win, and it would probably be hit by Lindsey Hunter (who's unstoppable BTW.)

[Andrew]

I play on All-Star for that reason too - the free throws. I realise the need for a challenge, but I feel the T-Meter speed is a little extreme. I've also noticed that Live 2003 really demands perfection on free throws. Compared to previous Lives, you really can't afford to make a slight error. As you said, what you think is good enough to make the shot will turn out otherwise.

[Icebane]

If you have a low rating in free throws and are a little off you miss by a mile. But if you have a high rating, you ball in the Metre can go about a centrmetre out of the hoop and still roll in..

Has anyone ever tried to get the T Meter ball to stop at the TOP then on in the middle to see if he will hit it off the backboard???

[Andrew]

If you have a low rating and you're a little more than slightly off you can forget it, which is how it should be. However, I've noticed that even good free throw shooters miss shots that I feel should go in.

[Icebane]

Yeah, I have also noticed some free throws that should have missed go in...

What is annoying is when Shaq nailed 11 of 11 on me... Thats plain wrong

[Andrew]

Yes, the CPU can often avoid free throw follies. Better than Shaq hitting threes though. Right Colin?

[Colin]

Yes, the CPU can often avoid free throw follies. Better than Shaq hitting threes though. Right Colin?

Yeh, I played one-on-one with him against the Hulk and hit 3 threes (or twos in one-on-one) in an 11 point game. Amazing.

[Icebane]

Why didn;'t the Hulk just throw him 100 million ks away?

[Andrew]

Wilt's actually not a bad three point shooter in one-on-one either.

[Icebane]

A 7'7 player with an 85 in 3s will hit more than a 5' person with 99 in threes;)

[Jowe]

It also seems that in Live 2003, you either win by a lot or lose by a lot. There aren't many nail-biters, down to the wire games won and lost in the final seconds. Or maybe I can only play really well or really badly, never in between.

i actually won the nba championship at the buzzer with a vince carter 3 ...
using the roster u made andrew hahaha

[Andrew]

I play with my roster as well, but I've concluded that my style of play yields mostly very good or very bad games, with only the occasional close game in between. I have had some closer games recently.

[sixerfan03]

I'm no stranger to the NBA Live series, but I find Superstar difficulty a little too extreme in NBA Live 2003 - all our complaints about the game (too many steals for example) are really magnified at the highest difficulty setting. Also, my PC could really use an upgrade, so shooting free throws with the T-Meter moving so quickly and only a decent framerate to boot is quite frustrating.

I can't play superstar because I can't hit free throws. I end up loosing by 9, but I missed 25 free throws.

[Andrew]

I've had more success on All-Star now that I've turned down my detail settings. I'm going to give Superstar another shot, since a poorer framerate really makes free throw shooting difficult. Since I don't have the specs to run the game at max detail and gameplay is more important than graphics, I'm prepared to have the lower detail settings (which are not terrible) for a better framerate - and an easier time shooting free throws.