players gaining weight and height

[Metsis]

You shouldn't have to take a player to the gym... That would be just too time consuming and it would leave the players development too much in the hands of the player. You could just do the cheesy thing and train the players into a team of super-stars with time and that is just dumb.

You should be able to set training programs for off-season (or something like that) and the players would follow it according to a stat they were given. Work Ethic is a good name for it.

An in dynasty practise mode to test your new players would be welcomed, but no gym stuff. Maybe when we get the career mode where we play only one player.

[Dan's Brain]

And that reminds me, why is it that the computer re-orders our rosters automatically for us in Live 2003. It only used to be an optional thing in previous games.

It gets really annoying, every time (in simulated seasons obviously), a player comes back from injury, or better yet, when you make a mid-season free-agent signing or waive a player, the CPU totally re-organises your rotation.

It's annoying having to move all the players back to the positions you want them in. That's only a minor quibble, in respect to all of the gripes that people have, but it should really be re-addressed in 2004.

[Andrew]

Yeah, the ability to turn off automatic roster re-ordering would be handy. Another little thing that would make a welcome return.

[crimson_stallion]

The idea of the adding / taking off weight sounds ok, but I think it would be abit irritating if u are looking for a certain type of player at draft, and he developes into a completely differnt player. For e.g. you may want a big PF, and sign a 6"10 255lb guy, and he might grow to 6"11 and drop to 235 lbs, thus making him less useful to you. Although possibly this couls affect performance\ratings? e.g. if the guy does loose weight naturally, then his stength goes down, but quickness and speed and endurance increase? COmparitively, if a guy adds weight, sthrength may increase but the aforementioned ratings decrease. Maybe signing a 6"9, 215 lb SF, and playing him at PF, might result in his addign wieght to be better suited to the position. MAybe hed strengthen up to aroudn 230 or so. Maybe dumping a bigger guy into a lower position will result in them dropping weight to improve agility and endurance, and beter suit their roles? jsut a thought

[Andrew]

I understand where you're coming from, but players gaining weight would not be a random thing - it would be something they could potentially do, if needed. For example, if the scouting report of a generated rookie said "Needs to bulk up" or "Needs to slim down", it would be possible to have the player work on adding muscle or slimming down to a more desirable weight.

[Ruff Ryder]

I'm thinking that maybe in a later NBA Live we could get mini-games that allow that to happen. I used to own a dreamcast and Ready to Rumble Boxing 2. In that game you can train your fighter by lifting weights and other techniques that helps him progress. It mainly is meant to raise his attributes.

[Andrew]

NBA Live 2004 is supposed to have mini-games during the offseason, so it's possible weight training is one of them. I like Metsis's idea of being able to set the players training in a certain area - asking them to add bulk or slim down or work on their jumpshot. Depending on their CAREERPKG or maybe a "dedication" rating, they would either work at improving or not care about it.

[TRUball]

I agree, they should put in a dedication or work ethic. Because then lets say u get this really good player but he has no work ethic so though the years he loses skill by not praticing.

[EGarrett]

NBA Live 2004 is supposed to have mini-games during the offseason, so it's possible weight training is one of them. I like Metsis's idea of being able to set the players training in a certain area - asking them to add bulk or slim down or work on their jumpshot. Depending on their CAREERPKG or maybe a "dedication" rating, they would either work at improving or not care about it.

lol...Andrew...you really want that "needs to add bulk" weakness to mean something don't you? You bring it up a lot...

[Andrew]

Of course. If it's in the game, it's gotta mean something.

[Metsis]

"needs to add bulk"

It is a weakness... Although the game doesn't show it too much, but a good post player can't be good if he doesn't have the strength to push guys around. And on defense well, it's a very bad thing. And we are talking about mass and strength and such here.

It is just a very good example straight from the game. I myself like the "needs to be locked in the weight room" more.

[Andrew]

Whichever description the scouting report uses it means one thing; the player needs to add strength and bulk. These are attributes that could be manually improved in conjunction with a player's CAREERPKG.

It would be great if there were a means of setting a player to work on all of his weaknesses. The one I keep mentioning is just the most prominent, since there's currently no way of a player to increase his weight without a little help from an editor.