NBA Live 2004 Wishlist Submitted

[Andrew]

Thanks to everyone who helped compile the wishlist by posting their suggestions in this forum. The Wishlist has been sent, and no more wishes will be added.

I will post a copy of the Wishlist soon here in the forum, and again on the main site when the NBA Live 2004 section is up and running.

Everyone is more than welcome to continue discussing ideas for the next NBA Live, however they will not be added to the Wishlist that has been submitted.

Again, thanks for your interest and participation.

[LegoSHAQ]

Cool.... can't wait to read the wishlist.... thanks for doing it Andrew...

[Nick]

I didn't get to make my wishes

Still, thanks heaps! [insert thumbs up here]

[Andrew]

No worries guys. I say if there's a chance I can improve NBA Live by compiling suggestions into a text file and emailing it to EA, why not do it.

[Metsis]

I just hope they look at the list and say, well these could be done quite easily... I just hope we get a balanced game this year without any major flaws. I think that would make most of us very happy. Nba Live 2000 was pretty smooth the way the game ran off the court. But combining Live 2000 with the Live 2003 gameplay and a little bit slowing it down, and I think we would have a winner. They should really look into this...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the first official words from EA about the game...

ps. C'mon where's the official wishlist of the NLSC Forums??? I wanna see it, and I wanna see it now!

[Andrew]

I realise the suspense is getting to everyone already, but I'm afraid I'm going to keep you on the edge of your seat a little longer. I tried to include as many ideas as I could, though I was reluctant to add some huge wishes (the most notable omission is the single player career mode wish), as there's pretty much no chance of EA being able to add any big, new features at this point in development. I've also exercised editorial selection in some cases - for example, I have not added any wishes regarding the ability to start fights.

I'm definitely going to have to start sooner for Live 2005 though.

[BIG GREEN]

did you mention dunk competition?

[Andrew]

Yeah, full All-Star Weekend is pretty much always an automatic inclusion in the list.

[killerht]

I hope that NBA Live 2004 is going to be much better than 2003. I bought 2003 when it came out and gave it right back to the store. It sucked. Seriously, the game soo much like arcade. The graphics were the best feature in the game. The ratings were soo much different than 2001, so it seemed weird. (I only use PC so I didn't play 2002) The gameplay is soo dumb, it's soo easy to score, block, steal, and all that. You can drive to the rim and jump from like the free-throw line and make a acrobatic lay-up over and around two to three guys, and that with like a Earl Boykins kind player. Little guys block the shit out of big guys, and not just block, friggin slap the ball in the 3rd row. So, the game is an overall big waste and B.S.
So I really hope that 2004 is much much better. The wishlists that I read were alright, but a lot was missing and left out. I didn't get to sign up before the list was sent out, but a lot of the wishes were excellent.
Peace.

[Metsis]

I hope that NBA Live 2004 is going to be much better than 2003. I bought 2003 when it came out and gave it right back to the store. It sucked. Seriously, the game soo much like arcade. The graphics were the best feature in the game. The ratings were soo much different than 2001, so it seemed weird. (I only use PC so I didn't play 2002) The gameplay is soo dumb, it's soo easy to score, block, steal, and all that. You can drive to the rim and jump from like the free-throw line and make a acrobatic lay-up over and around two to three guys, and that with like a Earl Boykins kind player. Little guys block the shit out of big guys, and not just block, friggin slap the ball in the 3rd row. So, the game is an overall big waste and B.S.
So I really hope that 2004 is much much better. The wishlists that I read were alright, but a lot was missing and left out. I didn't get to sign up before the list was sent out, but a lot of the wishes were excellent.
Peace.

The blocking and shooting in Live 2003 are "crappy"... I mean that you either block a shot or it goes swoosh. And most of the problems are related to gameplay speed, but still with playing experience you can compensate for those. Yes you could score almost at will, but with the super-star, well so does the computer, so you actually got really tight exciting games in the final seconds. The game basically had so many franchise problems which really ruined the game. But you've propably read my wishlist which contains all these issues.

I'm hoping that we get a good solid game which is quite realistic, but has more speed then Live 2001. I'm hoping we get a solid and sound game without glaring flaws and a game where everything works. I would basically be happy with a game that was basically the same, but had a better user interface and everything would work like it was meat to work.

Been playing lives since '95...

[Colin]

In the next live there should be scarecly any blocked jumpshots unless there's a huge height advantage. If you watch a league game there's almost none of that. Only a couple happen in a game, if any.

[Metsis]

In the next live there should be scarecly any blocked jumpshots unless there's a huge height advantage. If you watch a league game there's almost none of that. Only a couple happen in a game, if any.

The problem here is not the number of blocks, but the difference between the real game and the Live game. In Lives the AI takes tons of just stupid shots that would be blocked in the NBA with ease. The reason why there are no jump shots blocked is just simply this: The attacker out maneuvers the defender and then takes the shot when the defender is making a hard turn etc. It is just hard to do with the game... This could be done with a whole new jumping mechanism... With a player backing down to stay between the man with the ball and the hoop has so much harder time jumping up then the shooter. And there's always the thing about reflexes too... I've noticed in Live 2003 the AI almost never gets a block when you move your defender first or vice versa. Most blocks are because of bad choices in the shooting department. And yes there are too many blocks and there is no "hand in his face" factor there either...

The fact that makes players like Kobe and T-Mac hard to defend is simply that they can shoot the ball as well as they can dunk it, and they are as fast as hell. That's why you can't go close enough to block, cause they'll just walk by you then and thus you cannot block them without back up. Back ups get a lot of blocks because they are the second obstacle in a players way (I'm saying that T-Mac and Kobe etc. are impossible to defend one-on-one).

But nobody wants to hear what I have to say... So better stop ranting right now...

[Andrew]

I did make sure to add a bit of an explanation with the item related to blocks in the Wishlist that I submitted - too many jumpshots blocked, not enough layups/dunks blocked (or even contested), and the blocks being too powerful. I also mentioned the amount of blocks, but if less jumpshots/three pointers are blocked and the shooter is simply put off by the defender jumping/raising arms to put a hand in their face, the number of blocks will likely be reduced anyway.

[Metsis]

I did make sure to add a bit of an explanation with the item related to blocks in the Wishlist that I submitted - too many jumpshots blocked, not enough layups/dunks blocked (or even contested), and the blocks being too powerful. I also mentioned the amount of blocks, but if less jumpshots/three pointers are blocked and the shooter is simply put off by the defender jumping/raising arms to put a hand in their face, the number of blocks will likely be reduced anyway.

The hustle blocking is quite realistic... Although it's still too easy. And size is less of an issue then it should be. Contested shots should be brought back. I mean a guy shooting from somebodys face is always harder then an uncontested shot, by simply the fact that you can't shoot the way you want to. But alot of this is because of the jumping.

Jumping well, you've propably all seen a guy from a standing position go up for a huge power slam like he was running??? What the hell is that. It's just impossible.

Lay ups and dunks being blocked are well you don't really block a dunk, I mean it is extremely hard, so is a lay up blocking. The real defense comes way before the shot does. There are too many dunks and lay ups in the game, but on the inside game the size should really be a factor. I think of myself as a pretty good blocker in the low post, but I can't stop them all, and basically I can block guys of my equal size. Taller guys are harder to block and smaller guys are faster and thus harder to block. Adding freestyle sort of controls to layups and dunks could make them more realistic compared to the situation now. You could in midair move the ball kind of like pumping it or from side to side or just taking it behind the head before slamming it down. Especially with slow motion dunking. Same could go with lay ups.

There are too many blocks for two reasons in my mind:
1. The AI takes incredibly dumn shots every now and then
2. Unrealistic jumping engine, or lack there of

[Colin]

there is no "hand in his face" factor there either...

There is, at least in one-on-one mode. If a player drives in on me then backs up and shoots I use the freestyle to put my hands up and he misses 50-60% of the time, if I don't it almost always goes in.

[Andrew]

Lay ups and dunks being blocked are well you don't really block a dunk, I mean it is extremely hard, so is a lay up blocking.

Agreed, blocking dunks is pretty rare, but every once in a while, it happens - and it makes a great highlight play. Dunks can be blocked from behind though, knocking the ball out of a player's hands before he can put it down.

Similarly, if a 6'0" guard drives into the lane where someone like Shaq is waiting, the chances of a block or at least a hurried layup that misses are pretty good.

There is, at least in one-on-one mode. If a player drives in on me then backs up and shoots I use the freestyle to put my hands up and he misses 50-60% of the time, if I don't it almost always goes in.

That's the problem, it works effectively in one-on-one, but doesn't seem to be as effective in five-on-five.

[Metsis]

Now this is just plain dumb... And three guys jumping in front of you trying to block the ball don't make your shot harder??? C'mon. The classic putting your hands up is basically the defenders way of saying, c'mon do your move already so we can get on with this game. In the real game the jumping guys make the shots so much harder. Although they tend to draw fouls too, but usually the shot does not go in. This is all crooked in Live 2003...

And tell me about using the free style controls on the pc while playing with the keyboard... One thing I couldn't understand was that why they didn't do the freestyle on the keyboard with simply another four key combination that would be directly the freestyle moves. And then you could actually move and do the freestyle (if your keyboard wouldn't jam on you that is) the same time with the keyboard.

Come on I speak for realism all the time... Could the coders actually try playing the real game before deciding on several facts that really aren't so.

[sixerfan03]

It annoyes me when Derrick Fisher can hit impossible layups. It annoys me when the cammera zooms in right before a player does a move, so you can't see anything. It annoys me that players can dunk from 13 feet while standing. It annoys me when Chamberlain can't block a layup when he was known to block dunks.

Agreed, blocking dunks is pretty rare, but every once in a while, it happens - and it makes a great highlight play. Dunks can be blocked from behind though, knocking the ball out of a player's hands before he can put it down.

They shouldn't be able to hit every layup.

[DrFunk]

i wish I had found this forum earlier, my wish was to be able to see next season's rookies at the start of the year (to tank a seasoon for a great player or to trade up for one)

great list though

[Andrew]

They shouldn't be able to hit every layup.

Exactly. Which is why I'd like to blocking improved - less blocks for jumpshots, more blocks when a 6'0" PG drives into the lane where there's a Shaq, Ming or Mutombo waiting, or at least a forced layup that will bounce off the back of the rim or be put off the glass to hard.

[Icebane]

I did make sure to add a bit of an explanation with the item related to blocks in the Wishlist that I submitted - too many jumpshots blocked, not enough layups/dunks blocked (or even contested), and the blocks being too powerful. I also mentioned the amount of blocks, but if less jumpshots/three pointers are blocked and the shooter is simply put off by the defender jumping/raising arms to put a hand in their face, the number of blocks will likely be reduced anyway.

Good cause i hate going up to block a pissy guy like Eric Snow or someone doing a layup then moving into that stupid lookign fetal position and missing the block or fouling...
2004 needs to be released NOW

[RedTorro]

Improve pratice mode so that you can actually improve your players ratings. Also, how about adding in some mascots. Would be cool if you could create your own custon headshapes and body shapes.