Controls

[atlwarrior]

I really hope they bring the shot adjustment controls back for nba live '11 especially with all the contact that goes on in the paint in live '10. But not as jerky as it used to be. It would be really nice to avoid the contact every now and then. That was one of the things i cherished in the older lives along with some of the other older controls like pro-hop, drop-step and the defense controls i wish they wouldve kept the same also (same as the older lives of course).

[Andrew]

Absolutely. Having full player control and being able to make midair adjustments and attempt everything from tips to putback dunks on the offensive glass is a must. In terms of what would make desirable gameplay, complete and effective controls are right up there with players reflecting their real life tendencies, abilities and playing styles, teams utilising their real strategies, smooth animations and realistic player movement. If NBA Live 11 can produce satisfactory results in all those areas, then the gameplay should remain solid at the very least.

On the subject of controls, I'm kind of used to the change to the shooting button though I wouldn't be opposed to changing it back and certainly in favour of allowing custom controller configurations. I'd like to see more modifiers that allow us to perform specific moves like 2K's shot stick; I don't like Isomotion and have always liked the idea of dribbling moves on the right stick since it was introduced with Freestyle back in NBA Live 2003, but I do like the idea of using a modifier trigger to assign other moves to the right stick as they did with Freestyle Passing in NBA Live 10, as Pdub suggested back when we were compiling the Wishlist. Control-wise, it could be implemented in a similar way as Freestyle Superstars was. FSS didn't work out as well as we would've liked, the concept was worth exploring but in practice the moves were too overpowering. An evolution of that concept could be great for total player control though.

I like the double tap method for adjusting a shot in midair, though agree it has to be a better than before as adjustments could (and would) easily take a player under the rim or behind the backboard when a double-clutch would be more appropriate (and realistic). Utilising the face buttons to perform different actions on the offensive glass similar to the old Freestyle Air still seems the best way to go as well. If need be, a modifier trigger could be used although that should probably be a last resort if a sufficient number of face buttons are available to use. Same deal with pro hop/drop step, though they mustn't be able to be abused. Sliders to control the effectiveness should help there.

[atlwarrior]

Agreed. Earlier this this year i also enjoyed the one shot button but now Im like Jaosming. I miss having a shot button and a dunk/layup button but idk why maybe bc you had more options and control while driving to the paint. Hopefully they consider putting that back back into the game.

[Andrew]

I have mixed feelings about two shot buttons. It certainly streamlines things to have the one button and the use of turbo etc to control dunks and layups was intuitive enough, but at times it did feel like you were at the mercy of the game and its contextual system. I could go either way on that, having picked up NBA Live 06 again I've found it pretty easy to switch between the two control methods so if they changed back this year or went with something else that worked just as well then I reckon I could pick it up fairly quickly.

I still miss the old T-Meter though, the way it was used from NBA Live 2004 through NBA Live 06. None of the other methods have really appealed to me quite as much, though I prefer the current one to the right stick method.

[atlwarrior]

The t-meter definitely is the best free throw system ive seen thus far but i didnt like it so much on the backboard like they did in 06 but its better then the current free throw system.

[Patr1ck]

I would love to have some in-air style back but only if it doesn't defy physics. I think two basic options like a clutch during contact to avoid a defender's contest and a switch hands or reverse in air would be suffice.

I think the current one button scheme is ok as long as they keep the directional options and variety with a modifier like the turbo button.

[Andrew]

Yeah, so long as we've got those extra layers of control and don't have to rely solely on contextual moves then one button plus modifiers should work out just fine.

[Axel The Great]

The t-meter definitely is the best free throw system ive seen thus far but i didnt like it so much on the backboard like they did in 06 but its better then the current free throw system.

Agreed, with the current free throw system, it's rare for me to miss free throws, even with Big Ben.

[Andrew]

The other advantage of the T-Meter was that if you were going to miss or wanted to miss, you were still able to aim the miss so that it would come off the rim towards a teammate; just as players do in real life.

The reason I preferred the T-Meter on the backboard as we saw it in NBA Live 2004 through NBA Live 06 is because they varied the size of the rectange according to the player's free throw shooting ability. When it was just the T-Meter, players with better free throw ratings did have a little more leeway if you weren't dead centre but it didn't seem quite as precise nor the difference too great between a poor free throw shooter and an excellent free throw shooter. There was a larger variation with the 2004-06 method which meant the difficulty of the attempt better related to the shooter's abilities. It was also a bit better for the atmosphere without the T-Meter popping up beside the action, integrating it more into the action.

[Axel The Great]

With the current FT system, every make is a swish, although once with Pau Gasol I went past the blue bar and the ball bounced on the rim a couple of times and went in. My point is, not all makes are swishes in real life, but that's just a very minor issue in this game.

[Andrew]

Agreed, I think that's a detail that's important in its own right but it's something that can ultimately be looked past. On the other hand, quibbles with the free throw shooting system itself are something you have to deal with every time you shoot one.

[davenz]

I'd really like to see more of a feeling of control on defence. I'd love them to bring back the defensive stance position. Used to be R2 from memory.

[Andrew]

Same, though the Defensive Assist feature has proven itself useful.