by Patr1ck on Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:17 am
I don't know about that. It's so easy to trash EA and come up with reasons of "why they can't make a good game", etc. But we can't give up. I was incredibly frustrated by my first few experiences with the demo. I don't think it's the same game, though.
As for sling shot layups and dunks, the system they use seems to be the same they have always used. Each animation has a start point and an endpoint, and certain requirements need to be met in order for that animation to play out(i.e. clear path or not, what speed(or just moving or not) the player is moving, ratings, distance, and angle, animation packages, etc). Their path seems to be going beyond this, and hopefully they can just use the players input on whether to choose a type of layup or dunk with the players angle of attack, speed, and decision, while the results end up based on the context. So the player can make a good decision on their angle and choice of layup or dunk type, or they can be penalized with a charging foul or a wild bad attempt in traffic.
In 15, you just go to the basket and score, since the way EA tuned jump shots and inside defense made them less effective for many players. In the 16 demo there are some good collisions and sliders to increase or decrease those collisions when you are going to the basket or trying to finish. It's a lot better than the 15 clipping prevention style of having offensive players just move defenders arms out of the way.
Responsiveness is still an issue. I call it slippery slidery. I think this is why we can't tell a big man from a guard. The players have a tough time moving from a stand still or changing direction, as if their movement is based on a wheel or sphere, rather than balance, footwork, planting and explosiveness, and differentiation is lost. Big players should cover a lot of ground when they are moving and have less responsiveness while smaller players should cover a bit less, but have more responsiveness. Purely from the fact that smaller players legs are shorter and from a physical stand point, they are generally quicker when it comes to moving and changing direction. Some passes also take a long time to initiate and then complete, destroying creative possibilities. I am pretty sure that rebounding is predetermined at a certain point, even at times it looks like it could be a battle. There is no reason to cancel out my rebound attempt when I am not boxed out just because another player happened to be in the exact position of where the ball was going and I wasn't boxed out but heading right in that direction. I just walked into him as he started to jump. It decided my rebound attempt wasn't sim. I know they can improve it, though! There are spots in the game where it is immediately reponsive. So responsive that it catches me off guard and I end up in a position I didn't want to be or releasing a shot late, etc.
I had the hitches, slowdown and stutter when doing a pro am game against bots. I'd have to try playing offline to test if it was a server issue or something with the game. Remember last year when the game would oddly skip forward the gameplay with some kind of fade or blend effect when the ball was getting brought up half court? That was really odd.
I see the hunchback issue and if you look at the proam trailer, I think it's their shoulder blades and neck/shoulder line during certain animations when players are bent over a bit. Most of the upright animations don't how it.
I'll keep it real. Every game is a money grab. I heard that Live 15 sold around 200,000 copies globally. I would be surprised if that gets them even close to breaking even, while also considering revenue from micro-transactions. There is no reason to give up hope. The fact that you notice these recurring issues is the reason you should speak up in a more constructive manner. Most people don't even notice those details, they just say "Live is trash" which doesn't help anyone. I can yell at my monitor and talk trash about devs, but it accomplishes nothing.
This year, I am not buying the game until the responsiveness issue is resolved. It's the main thing that is keeping me from enjoying the game. I don't care how much it has improved or how great the other aspects and features of the game are. I can't enjoy the gameplay when I can press a button on the controller, go to my kitchen to make a sandwich and come back to see the outcome of the animation. The characters are supposed to represent professional athletes, but they perform like they are in a few inches of water or are wearing ankle braces. I have a feeling, once again, 2K found a way to improve their game with IK technology, allowing the feet to "grab" the floor so players can plant their feet when they want to change direction, providing both foot planting, and potentially better response. I'll have to wait and see, though.
