Taking Advantage of the Modding and Tools Section

[sitew33]

Hey guys/gals.... As a new member of this forum I've noticed that people will tend to make post asking for help or "this or that" isn't working. I myself just got NBA 2K on CPU in this past December. I knew absolutely nothing about modding, how to mod, how to add mods to the game. I pretty much knew 0. I went thru the Modding and tools section and actually read it. By Jan I had figured out how to change wingspan lengths, change and edit hairs and bodies using blender, ect. I have yet to encounter anything that doesn't work. I still figuring out and learning more every day and it's thru going back to that tutorial section. TGsoGood has spent a ridiculous amount of his personal time making tutorial videos in fact he created the Mods and Tools section. Even though I made a post explaining how to modify wingspan he still even went out of his way to make a tutorial video to show hands on how to do it. I know we live in this I want more with the least amount of effort age but it would really benefit you in enjoying the modding of this game if you actually spend some time going thru that section. There is tons of info and knowledge from super experienced modders there for everyone's use. Go this before posting help me post it will benefit you, trust me.

[bluejaybrandon]

I couldn’t agree more. You can learn so much from that section. I think a major problem is that people want things done for them. It’s much easier to post “plz give Kobe afro and long arms plz lol” then to learn to do it from the resources available. Hopefully more people take your great advice and look into that section.

[Dee4Three]

I take it this post was partly inspired by myself helping that dude with NBA 2K17 explorer.

Agreed that a lot of people don't want to put in the effort. I also think people believe they will screw something up, or they are not qualified somehow, or that they think things are more complicated than they really are.

I am not an elite modder, but I certainly try my best, and I have a solid grasp of the tools for each game. I think people need to take the time to try modding themselves (even the super basics, like Limnono trainer edits).

[sitew33]

Not your response Dee4Three but his post. These post are popping up more frequently and you can just tell that they have put little effort in using the info that's available to them. To be honest i was feeling the exact way you were feeling. I even entertained myself by downloading and testing it for myself before you even responded just to confirm that I knew it was working just fine.

Bluejay I used the tutorials and tried doing the things myself and eventually got it.

[Andrew]

We definitely have some great resources thanks to TGsoGood and our other contributors, and people are still working towards figuring things out, so there are some great starting points for others who want to tinker with the game. I'd certainly encourage everyone to check them out.

I can personally attest to resources getting ignored over the years. I used to get emails or PM's from people who claimed to have "searched everywhere" for information that was readily available and clearly linked. While we were hosted by Gamespy (and again, screw Gamespy), we had to use Fileplanet for file hosting; it was a bit fiddly and none of us liked it, but it was part of the hosting agreement. The situation and how everything worked was explained in the very first question of the Downloads FAQ we had, which was prominently linked on the main page. Still, people "searched everywhere" for it, and claimed they couldn't find it. If linked directly to it, they'd have "read the whole thing and couldn't find the answer", even though the explanation of how Fileplanet worked was the very first piece of information in the FAQ. Some people want to be spoon fed, or if they don't immediately grasp a tutorial, have a new tutorial created just for them, rather than asking specific questions about places they're stuck, or keep working on it.

On top of higher than basic computer skills, modding also takes intuition and persistence. I used to just make rosters for NBA Live on PC, but as fewer people made art updates, I gave them a try and found out that I could make some of them. There are some things I've never been able to get a handle on, but I was able to figure other things out using the resources, and trial and error. Not everyone is willing to do that.

In all fairness, not everyone has the proficiency with computers or skill and patience to create mods, so it's understandable that they'd rather leave it to people with a greater aptitude for it. It's also more difficult/cumbersome than it used to be with NBA Live back in the day, which probably turns some people off. The 1% rule is also in effect, I'd say. Still, we do have those great resources, so it'd be great to see more people trying their hand at it. Even if you're not making a lot of stuff that you're releasing publicly, it's handy to be able to mess around with your own game for your own enjoyment.

Encouraging people to do that is easier said than done, but it's obviously worth pointing people in the direction of those resources. I'd also encourage new modders to ask specific questions when they're stuck (i.e. "I'm not getting this particular step, can you clarify/further explain [whatever]?"), and not be afraid of trial and error. Make backups, and you can mess around all you like.