This year we’re changing the format slightly. In the past, we simply separated a list of wishes for the upcoming game into different sections and compiled a shortlist of the most popular wishes. While this year’s list still aims to be detailed and comprehensive, we’re going with a new format that will hopefully better emphasise the things we feel the game needs, some other important additions or improvements that we’d like to see followed by miscellaneous suggestions for the new game.
Here’s a quick rundown of the new format:
ESSENTIALS: As the name implies, this section is for all the things we feel the game needs to have. In contrast to previous Wishlists that focused on missing elements and additions we’d like to see, this section may also including existing features that we don’t want to lose (such as Player Lock); in other words, all the elements we feel need to make up NBA Live. It will also include all “must fix” items, such as the sim engine and issues related to gameplay AI and Dynasty logic. Items in this section have the highest priority.
THINGS WE’D ALSO LIKE TO SEE: These items need not be essential for most players but will be comprised of much talked about and popular ideas for the series, as well as some. This section could probably best be summed up as things we’d like to see but their absence will not be as big a deal as an item missing from the Essentials section. Items in this section generally have lower priority.
THINGS TO FIX & AVOID: A shortlist of prominent and recurring bugs that get in the way of the game or otherwise bother us.
Before we begin, a couple of notes:
- As always, we’re trying to do something constructive with the NBA Live 09 Wishlist so please keep the EA Sports bashing to a minimum. We want to be taken seriously here, so we’re after constructive ideas, not insults.
- Please understand that what seems essential to some people may not seem essential to others, so we do have to exercise some editorial rights when compiling the Wishlists. It’s unlikely that everyone will agree with the list point-for-point, so please don’t take it personally if a suggestion does not ultimately make the Essentials list. What we’re trying to do is provide as accurate a cross section of the expectations and wishes of the NBA Live community as possible, so popular opinion counts. In other words, if you’re the only person who feels that adding the “Monstars” team from Space Jam is an essential move, chances are it’s not likely to end up in the Essentials list (and yes, despite being a huge Michael Jordan fan I’m going to veto that one right now).
- EA Sports have indicated that the inclusion of elements such as unsportsmanlike technical fouls and fights is mandated by the NBA and the NBA’s stance is that they do not want them included in any video games with the NBA license. As such, they aren’t included in the Wishlist.
- I myself am not a huge online gamer and as such I probably tend to overlook wishes concerning online play. Therefore, if you’re an online gamer and have ideas about NBA Live, please post them. We certainly do care about those issues and online players but those of us who are mostly offline/Dynasty players tend to think about other things.
- Extra detail is certainly welcome, especially where a brief explanation would be beneficial. As I said before, we’d like to make the list as comprehensive as possible.
I believe that’s about all. So, without further ado, here is the NBA Live 09 Wishlist in progress.
ESSENTIALS
- Port the PC version from the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 version rather than the Playstation 2 version.
- Balance the shot distribution so that it is realistic (ie no position domination, correct players taking the most amount of shots).
- Ensure that all players (no matter what the position) fatigue and are automatically substituted at the same rate, according to their Fatigue ratings.
- Have each team run the specific plays they do in real life so that each team has its own distinct style and plays the same as their real life counterparts. Allow these players to change according to the players on the roster.
- Have players behave like their real life counterparts with different levels of logic, eg Steve Nash looks to pass but will also look to score if given the opportunity or the team needs it, Kobe Bryant looks to score first but can also find his teammates, etc.
- Adjust the simulation engine so that all players get true to life statistics based on their real counterparts, including bench players who normally play a significant amount of minutes.
- Smooth, realistic player animations/physics that the user can break out of (as with Quick Strike Ballhandling).
- Allow players to reorder their rosters through the traditional method (ie the same Reorder Rosters screen that is accessible from the main menu) in Dynasty Mode, so that players can easily change their starting lineup and bench order.
- Allow players to set their rotations (but make this separate from ability to reorder the rosters).
- Allow players to toggle between interest and contract information (size and length) on the Trade Players screen.
- Include the Free Agent negotiation mini-game and trading/counteroffer system from the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 version of NBA Live 08.
- Include the Mid Level Exception, Veteran Minimum, Bird Rights, 10 Day Contracts, etc in Free Agency.
- Make the offseason less linear, so that rather than progressing in stages, users can sign perform different offseason tasks throughout the offseason calendar.
- Reduce the number of trades involving star players and eliminate wildly unbalanced trades (ie stars for role players) that sometimes occur between CPU teams in Dynasty Mode.
- Bring back the option to make multi-team trades.
- Add a Trading Block feature where you can make players available to offers and see which other players are available.
- Allow users to select multiple teams in Dynasty Mode if desired.
- Make use of the "push" approach to Dynasty Mode, as used in the Xbox 360/PS3 version of NBA Live 08.
- Improved selection of All-Star teams, All-NBA teams and individual award winners in Dynasty Mode.
- East & West Player/Rookie of the Week/Month in Dynasty Mode.
- Adjust generated rookies so there are less undersized players, guards with low dribbling abilities and poor speed/quickness ratings and players whose height and weight is out of proportion (eg 5’11” point guards who weigh around 230 lbs).
- Factor playing time into player progression/development.
- Allow players to save games in progress so that they can finish them at a later time.
- Include Scenario Mode.
- Include Player Lock.
- Include the ability to save statistics screens, boxscores, screenshots and replays in all game modes.
- Allow players to select a 29, 58 or 82 game season in Dynasty Mode.
- Allow the creation of custom teams using a set of generic basketball themed art (or custom art we create ourselves)
- Add the ability to hire and fire head coaches in addition to other team staff.
- Allow player accessories to be modified in Edit Player.
- Include as many sliders as possible so that we can tailor gameplay aspects to suit our needs.
- Allow all gameplay sliders to be modified for online play.
- Discourage cheating in online play by punishing players who intentionally disconnect with a loss. This could perhaps be made fair by calling the result according to the current score when a disconnection occurs since most intentional disconnections happen when a sore loser has fallen behind.
- User profiles with the ability to track individual user stats.
- Display career stats in table format (ie similar to NBA.com and the back of trading cards) complete with career totals.
- Include a database of first and last names so that generated and created players can be assigned commentator/PA audio.
- Include Signature shooting styles and Go To Moves. Allow the user to manually trigger Go To Moves videos in Practice Mode.
- Add an expanded Practice Mode that allows players to practice free throw shooting and other aspects of the game.
- Allow the user to toggle the frequency of automatic replays.
- Utilise a more PC friendly user interface with the PC version that takes advantage of the mouse (drop down and pop-up menus, use of the scroll wheel, etc).
- Add the ability to control more than one team in Dynasty Mode or allow the users to switch teams more readily and easily.
- Place more focus on ratings so there are fewer overrated rookies/underrated players.
- Allow offensive players to dodge defenders to avoid committing a charging foul.
- Allow players to tie up with the ball, leading to a jump ball.
- Allow the user to select which player inbounds the ball, instead of always being the small forward.
- Allow teams to exceed the 15 player limit after a trade, but force the user to waive players as necessary.
- Allow players to effectively use their speed or size to take advantage of their opponents, particularly when there's a mismatch. Allow weight in particular to determine the outcome of collisions (particularly those in midair), ie players like Shaq still being able to get off good shots when bumped.
- Reward users for playing defense, particularly in the paint, rather than allowing the CPU to score at will once they get inside for a dunk or layup. Make it tougher for both the human user and CPU to score inside with better collisions and defensive presence.
- Expectations from the team Owner in Dynasty Mode.
- Increase the speed of passes (or the ball's flight) so that crisp passing can beat the defense if done properly.
- Add a voting system to kick users in Online Team Play who abuse the gameplay or try to spoil the game for everyone else.
- Single player career mode similar to Madden.
- Owner Mode similar to Madden.
- Expanded Practice Mode similar to NBA2K, including the ability to practice free throw shooting.
- Ability to track career milestones and break NBA records.
- All-Star voting in Dynasty Mode.
- Larger roster of international teams for the FIBA World Championship Mode.
- Team rankings in team selection screens (Scoring, Defense, Rebounding, Ball Control, Overall etc) similar to early NBA Live games.
- The skills challenge and shooting stars contest in the NBA All-Star Weekend
- Include retro jerseys for all teams in all versions of the game.
- Include Legends (including as many from the 90s who have disappeared over the last few years as possible) in all versions of the game.
- Weekly highlight/recap shows & fictional news articles in Dynasty Mode.
- More variation of musical genres in the soundtrack and/or the ability to easily import our own music.
- Realistic lighting and atmosphere in arenas, as well as cheerleaders, mascots etc.
- Have players on the bench wearing warmup gear (or suits if they are on the inactive list)
- Allow the user to edit Dunk Packages in Edit Player.
- Have players assigned to the D-League in Dynasty Mode for additional experience/training.
- Allow more than 15 players on the roster during the offseason, force the user to cut the roster to a maximum of 15 by the time the season begins.
- Display current game leaders in the pause menu.
- Facial animations reacting to the current action.
- Expanded commentary with remarks on a team's record and performance before and during the games.
- Create-a-Jersey Mode
- Signature shooting forms at the free throw line.
- Allow the user to add/remove players from the various All-Star and FIBA teams from within the game.
- Dynamic Player Shadows
- More realistic player intros without the artistic effects; something closer to actual intros as shown on TV.
- Fewer video game references from the commentary (ie in the Dunk Contest or when the wrong button is pressed).
- Add obstacles to leap over in the Dunk Contest.
- The ability to save and edit the default playbooks for all teams.
- Changing venues for the All-Star Weekend in Dynasty Mode.
- Skills Competition and Shooting Stars Contest in All-Star Weekend.
THINGS TO FIX & AVOID
- Shot attempts, particularly layups, resulting in the player being taken behind the backboard during the attempt resulting in the out of bounds call.
- Blocked shots counting for two missed field goal attempts instead of one.
- Player indicator disappearing when making a substitution through the pause menu.
- Lengthy loading times for the Xbox 360 version.
- Players stepping out of bounds or committing backcourt violations that aren’t called.
- Various graphical/clipping issues where players pass through one another or appear to be sitting on thin air instead of on the bench and coaches walking through the scorer’s table.
- Three point line in FIBA World Championship court inaccurate.
- Database errors (eg incorrect player bio data, positions, weird ratings).
- Framerate issues in the Playstation 3 version when bringing the ball upcourt.
- Avoid players stockpiling talented players at the same position, ie teams ending up with several highly rated generated point guards. Allow these players to slot in at another position if appropriate or avoid CPU teams creating huge logjams in their rotation.
- Alley-oop logic and physics, eg awkward passes and lobs to the wrong player. Allow players to jump straight up to catch lobs rather than always taking a couple of steps, since this often takes players out of bounds or behind the backboard.
- Remove the delay with the Direct Passing icons. Also, do not make Direct Passing a toggled on/off option but rather the traditional hold/on, release/off control method.
- Win/Loss stats when there's a disconnection during online play. In particular, the player who isn't responsible for the disconnection often gets assigned the loss, meaning sore losers can deliberately cause disconnections by "accidentally" pulling the plug and avoiding losses.
- The inability to switch players or move/box out when the CPU is attempting its final free throw.
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