NBA 2K6 Beta Impressions

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:38 pm

A few more ramblings....

A few decreases of the steal/rip slider, and I'm not seeing the steal frequency I did in my first game.

Insignificant as it is, the net animations are awesome.

Holy cr*p Steve Nash can distribute the ball! The f'n Suns are running me out of the building.

The flow of the game makes the game itself a joy to play. IMO, it has the right blend of sim and arcade.

On default settings, the A.I. is calling timeouts seemingly at the right time.

So far, the A.I. shows the intelligence of how much time is left on the game clock and uses it to their advantage.

At this point, I'd say that this is the most fun I've had playing a basketball video game. And that includes College Hoops.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:10 pm

Jason wrote:Can you manually faceup a player on defense or is it automatic like it's been the past two years?

Sadly it is automatic and it drives me nuts since I use (Control Setting A so I can use the "b" button for steals) which makes the L-Trigger the Double Team. On all other control settings it is "box out". These are all Xbox control settings and have no clue as to how the PS2 works out.

MAJOR GRIPE AHEAD: I hate that most of the control settings have the icon pass as the black button (only one has it when you push the R-Stick down - I want it as "Y" dag nabit)

CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROL SETTINGS ARE A MUST WIHT NEXT GEN!!!

They better have the "Drive" camera in College Hoops 2K6 or I will be pissed as it is my prefered camera. I am still more of a button guy then using the the R-Stick. Unfortuantely most of the control settings are geared toward R-Stick players. Shot stick and strip and rip work fine but I would rather just press a simple button. They are there on every control setting so I can use them as needed.

Alot of variance in the foul calling early on. I had a few over the back calls on offense with Duncan. Still a little problem with charges and the isomotion but it could be partly due to an attempt in getting more fouls called. R-Trigger and direction works fine for isomotion and the animations are so much more fluid then last year. I love the R-Stick free throw shooting and hope it carries of to the college game.

Auto subs are still poorly done and you are better off switching it to manual or you will have star players sitting out for almost full quarters.

I like it far better then 2K5 but will take some time getting used to the controls. I still despise the 24/7 mode and the 30 minutes I spent was all I could take. I had to end it when Ostertag called me out, oh no he doesn't (snap).

This one will tide me over until CH 2K6 hits. It definately has a feel of ID to it and the drive camera is a welcome edition to the game.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:21 pm

Iso-motion is definitely going to take some getting use to. Not sure if it's broke, but it's been redone and it's a bit confusing. Might be a bit too many configs and buttons for this old guy to master.

Found my first glitch. Oh, don't worry. It doesn't have to do with gameplay. While playing on the default camera, if you're playing from left to right, you'll see two refs on sideline in the upper right hand part of the screen. Well, one of the refs is having an epilitic seizure because he can't get past the other ref. Happens only when you're playing a slow down offense.

One of the more sweet things I've seen is a mad scramble for consecutive rebounds off of missed shots. I had one sequence where the A.I. missed three shots in a row and on the fourth miss, I finally pulled the rebound down. There was literally a battle going on between two of the Suns players and three of my Celtics players. Cool stuff.

That's about it for now. Extremely excited about College Hoops after playing this game.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 12:29 am

So far, I think it is a big improvement over last year. I really like the Drive camera, free throw shooting, fast breaks, number and types of fouls, loose and tipped balls, rebound variety (really cool that you can see the ball spin), shooting stick, and player movement. I can't really comment much on the AI yet, but it did pass the "Shaq test" in one half I played. I'm not seeing many CPU three pointers though and I think the CPU actually calls timeouts too frequently (wouldn't surprise me if they overcompensated). There are just an amazing number of animations and they flow incredibly in the game rather than having the game play you. I'm also impressed with the differences in speed and ballhandling of the players. The commentary and presentation is good, but I'm already sick of the "Power Bar" replays.

I can't wait to play more. I remember people saying "they really love baseball" when talking about certain developers and I'm really getting the vibe here. It just seems like this may be the basketball game for basketball fans. So far it just seems right...very fluid with great stats and very believable action on the court.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 1:08 am

I agree, Leebo.

Is anyone else just getting their butt kicked? I played it on HOF for a couple games, since that's what I played last year's on, and scored like 2 points in an entire half each time. So I bump it down to Superstar, still getting killed. Finally took it down to All-Star, and lo and behold I still haven't won a game yet. Granted, I'm playing with the Knicks, but I feel like I'm having to learn 2K basketball all over again. None of the usual stuff works. And I mean that as a positive. Mostly.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:29 am

The game is good...me like.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:09 am

Slumberland wrote:Is anyone else just getting their butt kicked? I played it on HOF for a couple games, since that's what I played last year's on, and scored like 2 points in an entire half each time. So I bump it down to Superstar, still getting killed. Finally took it down to All-Star, and lo and behold I still haven't won a game yet. Granted, I'm playing with the Knicks, but I feel like I'm having to learn 2K basketball all over again. None of the usual stuff works. And I mean that as a positive. Mostly.

I'm playing on the default level which I believe to be All-Star and I'm getting beat convincingly by a good 15 points. However, I am usually playing with a slightly weaker team than the A.I. But, I'm not complaining either. The A.I. for the most part plays smart basketball. Some of the "superstar" players can really carry a team on its back. Kobe is unreal in this game, D Wade is quick and smooth with his shot, and Shaq is an absolute beast on the boards.

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:16 am

I've read that the new ISO 3 is tough to pull off but I found this post over at OS. Beluba is one of the developers, I believe.

"I recieved some help last night from Beluba, so I think its only right that I pass this on...

· Drive move = Hold Aggressive and hold Left stick at a slight angle off-line toward the basket
· Crossover dribble = Hold Aggressive and quickly throw the Left stick in the opposite direction of your dribble hand
· Behind the back or Spin (ability specific) = Hold Aggressive and quickly spin the Left stick in a circular motion.
· Half Spin = Hold Aggressive and quickly spin the Left stick in a half-circle, then immediately spin it back the opposite direction
· Stutter = Quickly Tap and Release the Aggressive button
· Stutter Drive = Quickly Tap & Release the Aggressive button, then chain into the Drive move
· Stutter Cross = Quickly Tap & Release the Aggressive button, then chain into the Crossover dribble
· Hesitation Cross = Hold Aggressive and throw (at moderate speed) the Left stick in the opposite direction of your dribble hand
· In & Out = Initiate the hesitation crossover, then throw the Left stick back toward the ball hand for the In & Out
· Step Back = Hold Aggressive and pull the Left stick away from the basket
· Hop Step = Quickly Tap & Release the Shift modifier while dribbling (left thumbstick must be neutral or pointing toward the basket.)
· Hop Step Spin = Quickly Tap & Release the Shift modifier while holding down the Aggressive button
· Hop Step Back = Quickly Tap & Release the Shift modifier while dribbling (left thumbstick must be pointed away from the basket.)

Once I realized the spin and the behind the back were the same move, I can pull just about any move. Now I gotta work on chaining them... "

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:46 am

I'm also having keeping up with the CPU on All-Star, although most of my problems are related to turnovers. You really have to be smart with passes this year, especially in transition, and I'm just not doing it at this point. The CPU is also making too many shots even against what seems to be good defense. Both teams were shooting about 50-60% (nothing a couple slider ticks probably can't fix) in my games with the main difference being turnovers providing more opportunities for the CPU.

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:24 am

I played a couple of games this morning Heat (me) vs Suns on Superstar lvl. First game the Suns quickly got out to a 10+ lead and it stayed that way pretty much the whole game. They were hitting shots and fast breaking with Nash leading break and driving the hoop. I think they hit 55% of their shots, while I was struggling with my shot, hitting around 45%. They ended up beating by I think 15.

I played a rematch and this time I beat the Suns by 8. Dwade was driving and hitting his midrange shots and Shaq was dominating the paint. This time the Suns weren't hitting shots like the were the first game. One thing I noticed in those two games is that I didn't see many 3 pointers being taken. The Suns took maybe 2 a game, I guess this can be helped with sliders.

The controls, specifically ISO and POST moves, will definitely take some time to get the hang of. I really like the flow and animations and simply love the shot stick and the right stick for steals. Press up to swat up to knock the ball up and down to swat down to keep cotrol of the ball yourself. Also, like the tip balls on rebounds and the alley opps do not seem to be overly effective. Twice I saw the guy come down with the ball when a defender challenged and another time Nash totally missed his target throwing the ball into the stands.

Oh, and I played a couple of quick games of 21 on simulation. It was kinda fun. And it helps figure out the controls.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:41 am

Looks like I'm gonna have to pick this game up (even with the automatic facing up on defense

). I just wish that it was only $20.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:45 am

Jason wrote:Looks like I'm gonna have to pick this game up (even with the automatic facing up on defense

I don't understand this. I was using L1 to face up with no problem. It took a couple games to get used to using the stick for steals instead of B (which brings the double team, I think), but it was a lot better than having unintended double teams like I had last year because my brain is trained to hold in L1 on defense.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:48 am

Leebo33 wrote:I don't understand this. I was using L1 to face up with no problem. It took a couple games to get used to using the stick for steals instead of B (which brings the double team, I think), but it was a lot better than having unintended double teams like I had last year because my brain is trained to hold in L1 on defense.

So you were manually using L1 to faceup on defense, it wasn't done automatically? I really hope that's true.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:50 am

It appears the devs really pushed for more over the back calls this year. Normally not a big concern until I played the Nuggets and Earl Boykins got called for over the back on Robert Horry. It was more like over the waistline.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:54 am

Leebo33 wrote:
Jason wrote:Looks like I'm gonna have to pick this game up (even with the automatic facing up on defense
I don't understand this. I was using L1 to face up with no problem. It took a couple games to get used to using the stick for steals instead of B (which brings the double team, I think), but it was a lot better than having unintended double teams like I had last year because my brain is trained to hold in L1 on defense.

L1 (Trigger) I am assuming you are playing on the Xbox does not affect the defensive player when gaurding a player in any control set as best I can tell.

On default, B & C it is used for box out. On A which I use, it calls for a double team.

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:00 am

Yeah, I haven't noticed the L trigger putting you in a defensive stance. I tried it when my defender was way off the ball and he just stood ther normally. Jason, I am not missing the faceup button at all. The B button, or charge button (default control) really helps when you think the guy is going to beat you on the dribble. It doesn't just do the take the charge pose, I have noticed different animations when using the charge button depending on the situation.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:03 am

bdoughty wrote:L1 (Trigger) I am assuming you are playing on the Xbox does not affect the defensive player when gaurding a player in any control set as best I can tell.

That may be true, however, since the L button doesn't apparently do anything except box out, it really doesn't matter to me. I don't mind the player automatically facing up. In fact, if it is automatic it was done so well that I didn't even notice. There was never a point where I thought "why is my guy still facing up!" The CPU did a very good job of automatically doing it. The fact that L brought the double team was the problem last year for me.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:09 am

Leebo, you touched upon a good point. You simply cannot pass without giving much thought to whom you want to pass to and the angle in which you need to pass. If you try to pass in the paint without seeing how the D is set up, it's likely to be tipped or stolen. Several times just passing the ball around the perimiter, I've had the ball stolen for an easy fast break. I've learned to pass the ball away from the A.I. and this has resulted in lower shooting percentages for my opponent (less fast breaks).

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:11 am

Thanks for clearing that up guys. I've pretty much convinced myself to buy the game regardless. The automatic faceup is not a gamebreaker for me at all - it's more of a pet peeve I was curious about.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:42 am

One frustration... I'm not really sure what is expected of me on defense. Teams are routinely shooting 65-75% against me, and it's mostly on well-defended shots. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go the slider route, but it's not that fun watching them hit well-defended finger roll after well-defended finger roll.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:48 am

Slumberland wrote:One frustration... I'm not really sure what is expected of me on defense. Teams are routinely shooting 65-75% against me, and it's mostly on well-defended shots. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go the slider route, but it's not that fun watching them hit well-defended finger roll after well-defended finger roll.

Have not run across that. On All-Star the CPU seems to be in the 40-50% range. Are you giving up alot of layups on fast breaks?

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:54 am

Slumberland wrote:One frustration... I'm not really sure what is expected of me on defense. Teams are routinely shooting 65-75% against me, and it's mostly on well-defended shots. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go the slider route, but it's not that fun watching them hit well-defended finger roll after well-defended finger roll.

I'm getting pretty realistic shooting percentages in the low to mid 40 percent range. However, there will be quarters where the A.I. will shoot near 70 percent because of my errant passes leading to easy fast break points.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 1:04 pm

I finally won a game on All-Star, though I had to take the hated Spurs to do it, and it took two overtimes to sink the Lakers. I held them to 53% shooting, which is a record for me, heh. I'm glad you guys aren't seeing the percentages I am... I guess I just have to work on my defense. One thing I'm coming to realize is that the star players shoot for SUCH a higher percentage than the regular joes, you have to make a concerted effort to keep the ball out of their hands in the first place, which is something I've seldom had to think about in basketball video games.

I've seen some amazing sequences around the basket, i.e. blocks that go off the backboard, and rebounds being tipped around, up for grabs.

b_assassin · Post by **b_assassin** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:46 pm

My .02

Played a handful of games with the Sonics last night, and so far this feels like a better game than 2k5. I'm still trying to get the hang of the new controls, and figure out how to consistently stop the CPU on defense. I got schooled by the Spurs in one game, partly due to me playing badly, and the Spurs being a much better team (at least it felt that way).

I don't have any big complaints thus far, although I'm a little concerned about the controls being a little too complex for my simple hands

Drive camera is very nice, and for those that haven't already, re-map your playbook, it made a big difference for me on offense.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:00 pm

Well, there does appear to be a sub issue bug, but hopefully it will be rectified. A statement from one of the developer's who posted on OS:

The sub logic is pretty complicated... but the main things it takes into account are level of fatigue, injury, and desired playing time. I think there are some other things but I don't recall off the top of my head. Fatigue was redesigned this year to be a longer-term system rather than the up and down short term method in past games. The idea is that it would force the CPU coach (or the user) to think about minute management over the course of the game, rather than have guys go for a bit, get tired, come out, juice back to 100, then go back in. Guys are only slightly affected by fatigue when you get to about 60 or so and are hit a littler harder when they drop below 50.

The coach not putting the starting 5 back in after halftime is not due to fatigue. It's a minor bug that we didn't get a chance to fix. It will be addressed though.

*EDIT: Are you guys getting inaccurate playing time minutes in your games? Let me know and I'll look into it. If you can tell me what quarter length you're playing, that would be helpful.