cdj
08-22-2016, 01:53 PM
An excerpt (http://www.polygon.com/2016/8/22/12561530/nba-2k17-preview-gameplay-hands-on-impressions):
On defense, it was already tough enough to stop Curry and the Warriors. Now, opponents will have to contend with Durant as well, and it’s almost a sure bet that the Warriors will be the most popular team in NBA 2K17 online play. What recourse will players have?
One strategy will be to rely on the game’s artificial intelligence. Jones told me that Visual Concepts did a lot of work on AI for coaches and players in NBA 2K17. That manifests itself in coaching decisions like the personnel on the court, and in the action itself, it means that players move with intent — they go to a spot on the floor for a particular reason, such as to help out with defense in the paint or to set a screen.
NBA 2K16 brought in authentic "freelance offenses" for clubs like the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, but NBA 2K17 will have them for every team. This means that you’ll see players move in accordance with their coach’s offensive system, just like in real life. But to stop high-powered teams like the Warriors, you may have to go into the strategy screen and set up your defense yourself — something that only NBA 2K die-hards will know how to do.
Positioning improvements on defense also became clear during my hands-on time with the game. Jones pointed out that blocks are more realistic this year in the way they come about — namely, from help-side defense, which is a fundamental basketball philosophy. I saw teammates leave their assignment to stop someone from getting an easy basket in the paint.
Another big change comes in the steals department. Steals have felt random in pretty much every basketball video game ever made, but in NBA 2K17, the opportunity to make a play is in your hands.
"If I can expect you to make a move and show the ball unprotected, I can time my button press" and knock the ball away, said Jones, who did this exact thing to me when we played each other. This applies to passes, too. Jones acknowledged that throwing the ball willy-nilly into the key was almost a "money" play last year. In about half an hour playing NBA 2K17, I saw multiple passes to the paint get deflected and even picked off. The ball just felt more live, whether on passes, steals or rebounds.
Because it’ll be so important to protect the ball, Visual Concepts has built more control into dribbling in NBA 2K17. Jones pointed to the series’ "signature size-ups," the dribble moves that superstar players like Chris Paul and Steph Curry can pull off, as an area that needed work. The moves had certain branch points that allowed players to break out of the animations, but if you misjudged the timing — or didn’t know where the branch points were — you were stuck. This year, you’ll still be able to re-create those signature dribble moves, but NBA 2K17 will offer one-to-one responsiveness to your movement on the analog sticks, according to Jones.
You’ll have to pay more attention to the sticks when you’re shooting the ball, too. Visual Concepts introduced a shot meter in NBA 2K15, and last year, the player’s release timing only mattered for jump shots and shots in the post. Now you’ll need to time layups properly as well, and aiming is a factor in addition to timing — a jump shot will fly true only if you pull straight back on the right stick.
Jones also said that the studio wanted to bring to life the toughness of driving toward the basket, while affording players more control on how they got there. You’ve been able to select a layup type before, but couldn’t truly convey whether you wanted to use a straight-ahead power move or go around someone. In NBA 2K17, the direction in which you move the left stick will make a difference, so contact won’t necessarily come from the defensive side alone.
On defense, it was already tough enough to stop Curry and the Warriors. Now, opponents will have to contend with Durant as well, and it’s almost a sure bet that the Warriors will be the most popular team in NBA 2K17 online play. What recourse will players have?
One strategy will be to rely on the game’s artificial intelligence. Jones told me that Visual Concepts did a lot of work on AI for coaches and players in NBA 2K17. That manifests itself in coaching decisions like the personnel on the court, and in the action itself, it means that players move with intent — they go to a spot on the floor for a particular reason, such as to help out with defense in the paint or to set a screen.
NBA 2K16 brought in authentic "freelance offenses" for clubs like the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, but NBA 2K17 will have them for every team. This means that you’ll see players move in accordance with their coach’s offensive system, just like in real life. But to stop high-powered teams like the Warriors, you may have to go into the strategy screen and set up your defense yourself — something that only NBA 2K die-hards will know how to do.
Positioning improvements on defense also became clear during my hands-on time with the game. Jones pointed out that blocks are more realistic this year in the way they come about — namely, from help-side defense, which is a fundamental basketball philosophy. I saw teammates leave their assignment to stop someone from getting an easy basket in the paint.
Another big change comes in the steals department. Steals have felt random in pretty much every basketball video game ever made, but in NBA 2K17, the opportunity to make a play is in your hands.
"If I can expect you to make a move and show the ball unprotected, I can time my button press" and knock the ball away, said Jones, who did this exact thing to me when we played each other. This applies to passes, too. Jones acknowledged that throwing the ball willy-nilly into the key was almost a "money" play last year. In about half an hour playing NBA 2K17, I saw multiple passes to the paint get deflected and even picked off. The ball just felt more live, whether on passes, steals or rebounds.
Because it’ll be so important to protect the ball, Visual Concepts has built more control into dribbling in NBA 2K17. Jones pointed to the series’ "signature size-ups," the dribble moves that superstar players like Chris Paul and Steph Curry can pull off, as an area that needed work. The moves had certain branch points that allowed players to break out of the animations, but if you misjudged the timing — or didn’t know where the branch points were — you were stuck. This year, you’ll still be able to re-create those signature dribble moves, but NBA 2K17 will offer one-to-one responsiveness to your movement on the analog sticks, according to Jones.
You’ll have to pay more attention to the sticks when you’re shooting the ball, too. Visual Concepts introduced a shot meter in NBA 2K15, and last year, the player’s release timing only mattered for jump shots and shots in the post. Now you’ll need to time layups properly as well, and aiming is a factor in addition to timing — a jump shot will fly true only if you pull straight back on the right stick.
Jones also said that the studio wanted to bring to life the toughness of driving toward the basket, while affording players more control on how they got there. You’ve been able to select a layup type before, but couldn’t truly convey whether you wanted to use a straight-ahead power move or go around someone. In NBA 2K17, the direction in which you move the left stick will make a difference, so contact won’t necessarily come from the defensive side alone.