High Hopes?

[BrotherJRB]

Well another year of disappointment, albeit smaller than recent years(both EA and 2k's offerings were solid but each had major flaws that prevented me from playing more than a handful of games....didn't start a dynasty for the first time since Live 2001). SO here I offer my thoughts on 05 and hopes for 06

My least favorite flaws in 05
1) NO NBA PLAYS!!! Everyteam (CPU) ran the same sets and spaced the floor the same....it made the game absolutely boring for me. No NBA strategy detracted from this game so much that it nullyfied for me any of the other gameplay improvements.

2) Transistion game....Live is pretty fun and intelligent in the half court but from three point line to three point line it is embarrasing. THere is no flow to the game whatsoever with the transistion game. I have never been able to run a simple 3 on 2 fastbreak or have any semblance of an uptempo pace to the game.

3)800X640 screen resolution in the menus....ugh...EA if your making the game for the PC make it for the PC if not than give us a port with controller use in the roster management modes.

4)Create a player was pretty bad....something I need to use.
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My hopes for 06 is a little more strategy and team specific styles. In 05 every team set up the offense the same, every team lined up three guys around the 3pt line. I want to see curl screens, PG's posting up, pick n pop plays, Suns fast breaking. I have been playing Live since 1999 and the game is basically the same. I havn't had fun playing since live 2000 because the game at its base is a game that you are playing against the CPU who only has one strategy not 30 different styles to matchup and play against. Everyteam jacks up 25 3pt shots a game, everyteam runs pick n rolls and every team takes quick shots without running an offense. Hell they have all the plays in the game if they would just use them!!!!

Another addition needed, which I have heard rumored will happen, is that they will finally have a decent TV style camera....this is much needed! Half of the reason I played 2k5 was simply because the presentation.

The freestyle superstars looks pretty interesting but like last years improvements they are rather useless to me unless teams play with different styles and run NBA plays.

jrlocke

[Andrew]

Well said jrlocke. The only part I'd disagree on would be Create-a-Player, I thought that showed significant improvement with the headshape settings and flexibility with hairstyles and colours. I personally don't expect complete perfection, but as usual I'm hoping for satisfactory improvement. While I still had my gripes with NBA Live 2005, I was for the most part satisfied with it and am still having fun playing it.