Will 2K14 Shut fjccommish Up? Doubtful, but this Might Help

[JaoSming]

Will Superstars play like Superstars???????????????!??!1

Why don't Superstars play like Superstars

Just messing with you man, but I thought of you when I read these impressions. This is your thread, enjoy.

http://www.operationsports.com/features ... pressions/

-CPU AI: I swear every time I read one of these previews for a new NBA 2K game, the author is talking about how the CPU is so realistic and how each team plays like it does in real life. For the first time, I honestly feel like this year that statement is completely true. There are several examples I noticed:

Rockets v. Lakers- The AI consistently looks for Howard in the post, Lin in the pick and roll and Harden on Isos and pick and rolls. Shooters like Parsons hang out on the perimeter waiting for kick outs by Harden and Lin off picks. Houston also shoots a ton of threes like in real life.

Cavs v. Wizards – Irving absolutely destroyed me with the pick and roll(40 points and a game winning layup) but he didn’t ball hog. CPU ran several post plays for Bennett and Bynum. Waiters also got a few touches but he struggled in the game.

Grizzlies v. Thunder – CPU looks for Randolph and Gasol consistently in the post. Randolph plays like he does in real life. For example, he went to work in the post on two straight possessions. One ended with a baby hook in the lane. The second was him pivoting to face up Ibaka and sinking a 17ft jumper in his face.

-I was very impressed by the CPU’s defensive rotations and double teams. For example in a game with Clippers v. Heat, I had a mismatch with LeBron posting up Redick. Dudley came over to double to force me make a pass. The key here is that when Dudley left Ray Allen, Griffin rotated over to make sure that Allen didn’t have an open look.

-The improved help defense slightly improves the number of turnovers. What impressed me was that it didn’t feel cheap. If you dribble into traffic, there is a chance that you will turn the ball over because of the help provided by the CPU’s teammates.

-The CPU will also occasionally trap players in the corners and off of pick and rolls. In the Cavs’ game, Irving got really hot in the third and my CPU controlled teammates started to trap him. They did not do that in the first when he only had 8 points. It got so bad that Otto Porter (SF) started to cheat off of Alonzo Gee (All CPU controlled) to help Wizards PG John Wall keep Irving out of the paint.

More in the link

[sticky-fingers]

hope this "statement is completely true", it would save the game for me.

if not, i wll stay on 2K13 (and 11 and 10)

[shadowgrin]

I think every year it's always mentioned by 2K or reviewers that the superstars play like superstars only to leave people like fjccommish disappointed with the same old same old.

[JaoSming]

not 2K or a reviewer, OS staffer.

[shadowgrin]

An OS staffer that reviewed the game he played.

[JaoSming]

Except this isn't the review? What's your point if he is or isn't a reviewer? Mine is that he is from OS, knows his shit, etc.

[shadowgrin]

I consider a preview/impression a (early) review, semantics yes.
I don't question if he knows his shite but...

Over the past two days I have played eight exhibition games. I completed four of them and the rest I played up to a half. I played each game with 11-minute quarters, in simulation mode with a few tweaks to the foul sliders.

[JaoSming]

so? that is over 3 hours of gametime from someone experienced with the series. That isn't enough time to make the claims that may or may not appease Lord fjccommish?

[shadowgrin]

Definitely more than enough if it were an IGN full game review I guess but I want moar testing.

Like if I use Tony Parker for single coverage of Zach Randolph in the post, will the cpu go to Z-Bo all of the time as expected?

Granted it was a preview so he didn't have more time to go into particular situations to really find out if the stars play like they should. That's why it's still up to the end user's experience in finding out whether the change is really there or be disappointed again if it's the same old same and not some reviewer telling it that it is there.

[Andrew]

Promising to hear that there's been improvement in that area. Hopefully, that will prove to be the case over an extended period of playing the game.

The improved help defense slightly improves the number of turnovers. What impressed me was that it didn’t feel cheap. If you dribble into traffic, there is a chance that you will turn the ball over because of the help provided by the CPU’s teammates.

I hope there's a good balance to that, so that we don't see the CPU stripping the user too easily while casually waltzing into the paint at the other end without fear of losing the ball. It's nice to hear that the CPU is making some smarter decisions, which could mean that there's more challenge coming from intelligent play rather than conveniently occasional superhuman abilities, but CPU controlled teammates also need to benefit from any improvements to the AI.

[fjccommish]

We like what we see in that "impressions" article. But we shall see if superstars play like superstars when we play the game. Jao has given us our just due.

It would be nice to see LeBron and Wade take over games when playing against the Heat, instead of seeing some random role player leading the team with 13 points.

[JaoSming]

Take a look at the gameplay videos and analyze the suckers

[skoadam]

some random role player leading the team with 13 points.

Never played game against cpu with this kind of situation.

[hova-]

Despite some improvements in that regard, 2k has still struggled with making superstars playing like their real-life counterparts (despite advertising it each year). LeBron is the best example imho, he rarely played like he does IRL when I faced the Heat.

On the other hand, Kobe has been resembled quite well since being on the cover, so maybe LeBron will now also get some love. But there are enough star players I have not seen dominating like they should so far like Griffin, Pierce, Dirk, Curry (instead Klay Thompson always play out of his mind), Parker and some others.

Only guys hurting me regularly in a realistic way: Kobe, Melo, Durant (at times), Westbrook, Lilllard

Instead there have alway been some guys playing out of their mind: Thompson, Shannon Brown, Beal etc.

I hope they can improve with that.

[fjccommish]

"Never played game against cpu with this kind of situation."

Every game I played in 2K13 was that situation. I never did anything to address/try to shut down the opposing superstar. I never had to. Playing the Lakers, Kobe would take 8 shots in the game, while Howard hardly touched the ball.

It was particularly noticeable in the playoffs. Game after game in a series someone other than the supposed superstar had the most shots and most points. I stopped playing 2K13 after about a month. LeBron averaged 13 PPG in a 7 game playoff series, Wade averaged 11, Bosh was a rumor.

[shadowgrin]

Maybe it had something to do with the way they coded the 'stars' performance in the game that it's optimized and spread out in a full 48 minute game instead of those lesser minute quarters?

LeBron always gets to stat whore when I play against him though his play seems one-dimensional (scoring only) on occasions and not like the way he plays irl where he can score, pass, and rebound. The times he dropped 40+ on me he didn't even had assists.
Wade was always a blip when he played alongside LeBron or Bosh, I had more trouble with Shane Battier or Ray Allen than worrying about Wade. Only time he registered a blip in the game was when LeBron and Bosh were both on the bench.
Bosh shoots the occasional and annoying midrange shot here and there, nothing special with the exception of his and the cpu's force rebounding.

Kevin Durant's a pain to guard. Leave him with a bit of space and it's an automatic score. Stick with him and he goes through double screens where you get sucked in an animation and it leaves him open. He's an asshole. Westbrook is also an asshole to guard in the game.

Curry is like Durant when open, automatic score, except he's just a spot-up shooter unlike irl where he can create his own shot. Klay Thompson always seems to be the one score a lot like hova said.

Jeremy Lin in the game thinks he's Rose or Westbrook driving to the basket like the way he once reduced our 25 point lead in the last quarter as if Rondo, Bradley, and KG wasn't there.

[skoadam]

"Never played game against cpu with this kind of situation."

Every game I played in 2K13 was that situation. I never did anything to address/try to shut down the opposing superstar. I never had to. Playing the Lakers, Kobe would take 8 shots in the game, while Howard hardly touched the ball.

It was particularly noticeable in the playoffs. Game after game in a series someone other than the supposed superstar had the most shots and most points. I stopped playing 2K13 after about a month. LeBron averaged 13 PPG in a 7 game playoff series, Wade averaged 11, Bosh was a rumor.

my bad, i forget we talk about default 2k roster.