things I hate about this game and which need fixing

[Hopsing]

First of all, I think it is the best nba live so far and ea did really improve it.
The sliders are the greatest feature on earth and give you the possiblitiy to adjust the game to your needs. Though I think there should be more sliders. EA should include sliders for everything. 200 sliders would be great. There can't be enough of them. Moreover, there should be a possibility to save and load them. We should create a wishlist for sliders.
Now my complaints:
- what is really pissing me off is when I pass from the post to my outside shooters and they stand on the 3-pointline or a half meter behind, thats so stupid and, in my opinion, easy to fix
- why the hell do my players in the postarea an emergency shot instead of a normal fadeaway jumper? They jump and somehow try to throw the ball into the basket instead of taking a normal and sensible jumpshot
- I can absolutely not understand why it is impossible to fake under the basket? the player always makes a layup or a jumper; even if I only tip the shotbutton
- another new "feature" of the game is that when you run into an opponent that you bounce off(or something like that). I have almost never seen an nba player who is thrown back by another for some reason or another. In NBA Live 2004 you dribble to the 3-point-line and your opponent stops you. Kobe Bryant can not pass Greg Ostertag! Is EA kidding me?

I hope you will comment on these points and can understand me.
Those are the small points I hate and make me throwing my pc out of the window.
Hopsing

[Ymakino]

agreed. THis is the best live yet, much props to EA!

one thing to add to your list that needs fixing

- once you commit to a doubleteam, i'm not able to back out of it...

[Colin]

- why the hell do my players in the postarea an emergency shot instead of a normal fadeaway jumper? They jump and somehow try to throw the ball into the basket instead of taking a normal and sensible jumpshot

This "jump and try to throw the ball into the basket" is called a jump hook. Shaq's main offensive move.

To fadeaway you have to press your D-pad, or right analog, whichever you use for controlling you player movement, away from the hoop.

[ask1]

I don't think he's refering to the jump hook animation, but the one where players try to force a gimpy looking layup.

[Lotto]

1. Best Live game by far and probably best BBall game out at this time. I used to really like NBA 2k1 and NBA 2k2 but Live 2004 has it all this year.

2. Addictive game play! Wow, I can play online all day. Hell, I stopped playing all my others games including Madden 2004.

3. Customization. You can customize anything you want and I love it!

Bad stuff

Bugs! EA needs to patch the bugs defanitely this year!

[bishibashiboy]

Yeah the "pump faking under the basket and throwing up a screwed up looking shot thing needs to be fixed." It's really annoying when I'm using Shaq and I'm pump faking and he just chucks the damn ball up there like he's getting killed or something.

Another thing I agree about is the player collision thing. It's totally over-done when you're trying to play tight D. A lot of times the computer just bumps me about 4 feet away and just launches an uncontested shot.

I also don't like the way a player turns his back to a defender automatically. Sure it's good to protect the ball that way, but it's retarded if you want to free-style properly from behind the 3-point arc. I run outta bounds sometimes cuz of this.

Is it just me or is it hard to contest shots in this game as well? I get a hand up a lot of times on the cpu's shots and it seems as though unless my hand is actually RIGHT in front of where the ball is released it doesn't do jackshit. It's kinda annoying too, cuz it's not like you can really pick where your arm/hand moves when you contest the shot. A lot of times my left arm is way out to the left while the shooter is right handed which leads to a swish I find the only adequate way i can contest someone's jumpshot by jumping on defense, is to stay slightly to their shooting arm side. When they go up for a shot I jump up as well and it seems to contest their shots better this way. Any tips?
Don't tell me to try pushing my right analog straight in the air cuz that doesn't really contest shots too well either and reminds me a lot of Live 2003 at times.

[HINrichPolice]

Regarding the problem of having your back to the defender which prevents you to use freestyle and makes you dribble out of bounds, here's the solution:

To turn around, simply tap R3 either directly horizontal left or right while your back is facing the defender. This will automatically make your player face the defender. You'll see what I mean. Hope that helps!

[Lotto]

1. How about you turn the ball over by passing it out of bounds or something, then immediately (like nanoseconds) after that the other team is whistled and turns the ball right back over. Happens alot on EASO.

2. Points counting when they shouldn't.

3. Menu Resolution set to 640x480.

4. Substituting the center can be tough when dragging the replacemnt up to the center position.

[Bad_Intentions]

player 1 gets called for an offensive foul and if the shot goes in gets the points and the ball..that has happened 2 or 3 times.

Also need I say rebounding?? I'd still rather get less offensive rebs than an insane amount but I think they can find a happy medium next year. At least make them try to go after the ball instead of just standing there.

Dynasty mode still isn't right...scrap the point system and use actual money. Also sometimes low rated players like Wilcox demand 200,000 points for 6 years!

Too many fouls on 3 pointers when you are just trying to get a hand in the face of the shooter(primarily in 2 player mode).

More smoother fastbreaks, i know you can fast break alot but they look kinda funky and rarely are run right...alot of times i'm bringing the ball up the middle 3 on 2 and the wing guys stop running and go into the play instead of streaking to the basket. this is something espn bball does well, players should try to get the easy bucket and if thats not there then break into the called playset(or running teams like Sac, Dal, or NJ should try to go into a secondary break.....i know there are secondary break plays in 04, haven't messed with them yet though...has anyone put them in the quick plays and tried to run one after a failed fastbreak attempt??????????)

Ability to control the type of pass we throw, especially against the zone I'd like to maybe fake a pass or throw a lob, bounce or bullet. Maybe tap the button for a lob and hold it down for a bullet(like on madden).

Have the pg come back to the ball after a PF or C rebounds it.

Sounds funny, but the court seems too small, like it isn't wide enough.

Maybe a biorhythm system where players can go on hot and cold streaks.

Not really important, but kinda irks me when the clock is stopped and a player has to be touching the ball before I can make a sub...it has been like this forever

Also after a turnover like a 5 sec violation, they seem to put the pg ahead of everyone else so you can inbound it to him and have either a layup or foul call alot of the time.

[JL2]

Yeah, forgot to add that gimpy-looking shot in my list of complaints.

Also hate the fact that I fake some guy off the ground and STILL have trouble dribbling by him for a dunk. I can't count the number of times I fake his socks off, only to dribble right into him and bounce off. I can only avoid this if I dribble wide around him - but then that just attracts his teammates and gives him time to recover his socks.

[Eon Blue Apocalypse]

- not sure if its only me, but when i'm on a open court fast break, the computer is still somehow able to run faster than me and get back (i AM holding the turbo button btw)
- pro hop is too powerful, but thats only if you can get pass that 10 foot wall aka your defender.
- on the same note, when they do full court press and plant themselves in front of you, there is no way to get around him
- long passing is way too accurate, all the long-fast break passes should not connect,especially if theres a defender near him.
- yea, i think the court is slightly too small, theres no proper spacing
- the computer double team's WAY too often when you throw it down into the post. if i'm passing it down to JYD, unless he's on fire is there really any need to double on him?
- lets say you throw it into the post, the comp double teams...when you kick it back out, the computer gets back onto the ball carrier too quickly, no chance to run towards the paint.

[fgrep15]

about double teaming.....i also don't like how as soon as you get close to an opposing player who is being guarded by someone else you get drawn into the double teaming animation and you can't back out of it that kinda sucks cause many times ive had it happen and leave good 3 point shooters open

the force field around players is very annoying, when you pump fake a player should sometimes jump past you and then you can drive
....and also how the defense reacts so quickly to you pulling up for a jumper and they can elevate quicker than you can even if they jump late.....

so many fouls on 3 pointers

i also hate how sometimes i'll fall for a fake or something and give the AI a clear lane to the basket and instead of going straight to the hoop they slowly drive then jumpstop and do a layup WHY?? aggressively attack the basket geez

[alsldls]

My biggest gripe is that Kobe /AI / Mcgrady cant go around Greg Ostertag on the open court with just speed alone. it like there is a magnetic field tht prevents you from going around lumbering slow ass players.

[Carmo]

When you are drawn into a double-team to get out of it press up on freestyle so your player puts his hands up and he gets out of the double-team. It works for me anyway!

[Metsis]

I got the game yesterday and played a few games... There are only three gripes that got to me in the gameplay.

1. The bumping effect down low is way too radical, but it can be controlled to some extent I believe...

2. What with the players going to fetal positions after inside moves? It takes absolutely too long for the players to recover from a lay-up or a dunk. Or atleast a lay-up... The players shouldn't be that helpless and this majorly effects the offensive rebounding, when you effectively take out your center or power forward just by taking a shot with them. The guy should be out of place etc. but not able to even go for the rebound.

3. The last one is the passing... Why does the player catching the ball always jump up into air? It takes valuable time to do that and a pass from a good passer shouldn't require this.

And one thing about the animations look dumb... When you pressure the guy bringing the ball up, well he side steps up the court cause he's protecting the ball... And this looks funny, but it is only cosmetical.

Otherwise the game seems good and balanced... After getting blown away in my first two games by 20-30 points, I only lost the last one by 6 points and it was decided in the final period. A close game...

This is, although these idiotics, a good game... And I'm glad I finally got it!

[no.47]

i hate it when my players hit their shots of the backside of the back board. They're NBA players for God sake. :lol

[no.47]

i hate it when my players hit their shots of the backside of the back board. They're NBA players for God sake.

[Ymakino]

commentary is horrible in this game..

[busta_cap]

commentary is horrible in this game..

It's better and more realistic than any Live game that's come before. It does get a bit repetitive, but it's not infuriating. It's also reasonably responsive to changing game conditions and the comments are for the most part appropriate to the game flow.

It's not like having Marv and Mike actually in your living room, but it's pretty good for a game.

[Ymakino]

I think its terrible and buggy as hell..

Ginobli dominates in a game, and in the after game comments they say that he didn't step up?

why do the commentators say that Duncan is a 70% freethrow shooter when i'm shooting 80%?

i've even heard commentators say someones going to the line when they never do.