Editing Teams.dbf for better gameplay

[steeleman]

If you have the PC version of the game, I strongly recommend editing theteams.dbf file to gett much better gameplay from the CPU apponents.

Be default the CPU Offensive Team Strategy is set to "Shooter A" which often results in the PG taking an early drive or the CPU shooting the ball after only one pass. This was part of last years PG dominance issue that was improved somewhat (though not entirely) by making this same change.

The OPMAIN field in Teams.dbf is the field used to set the Offensive Team Strategy setting in the game. By default this value is set to 0 for all teams. To change the setting to a value that will improve the CPU play, edit this value for each team to any other play.

I tend to look at the teams best player and change this value to something that is more appropriate - like Highflyer SF or Scorer SF for Cleveland. The list of plays and their values to use are here (the plays and play numbers for the dbf files seem to be the same as Live 07...though I have not checked every one yet):

0 - Shooter A (don't use this play for OPMAIN)
1 - Balance
2 - Rocket Fuel
3 - Triple Threat
4 - Options
5 - Cavalier
6 - Zipper
7 - Sonic
8 - Philly
9 - Rising Sun
10 - Rip Iso
11 - Bulls Eye
12 - Boston
13 - Single Double
14 - Flare
15 - Double Power
16 - Double Back Screen
17 - Power C
18 - Power PF
19 - Mid Power
20 - Screen Game
21 - Highflyer SG
22 - Highflyer SF
23 - Shuffle
24 - Scorer PF
25 - Scorer SF
26 - Scorer SG
27 - Shooter B
28 - Back Door Play
29 - Secondary Quick Hitters

Use any program to edit the dbf file (like DBCommander Pro or even MS Excel - just make sure you save the file a a dBase IV file type) and change OPMAIN in Teams.dbf for each team to any value other than 0.

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for specific palys that yeild better results for any specific team.

[steeleman]

On a related topic - to set the quick plays - Go to the playmap.dbf in the currentdb folder in My Documents (Note - It isn't in the saves folder).

Set the play number in these fields - OFF_1, OFF_2, OFF_3, and OFF_4

If the mappings are the same as last year then:
Quick Play number 1 is: OFF_3
Quick Play number 2 is: OFF_4
Quick Play number 3 is: OFF_2
Quick Play number 4 is: OFF_1

Your quick play settings will now be set to the plays you chose without having to select them in the game every time you play.

[Beatboxer]

Thank you veeeeeeery much, bro !

I'll give it a try, and send my feedback here !

[chitovf]

Great!!! How about for Defense?

[TC#10]

Awsome steeleman, i'm gonna give it a try right now. but just one qs, do u use the teams.dbf in the folder where your saved roster is? or in the database folder where it has currentdb, originaldb, workingdb? Thanks

[TC#10]

i tried this method and it did kinda work... The team Strategy were alter successfully but the CPU team still played like it did before the changes were made. How do i know this? because when i was testing it out, i went into settings and then offensive strategy when i paused the game. I looked at the strategy of the opposing team and it was Triple threat. But the CPU team seem to ignore this and was playing the style that it was playing before, one pass - shoot... i think the AIACT needs to be alter as well, any ideas on how we can do it ourselves? or do we have to wait for some one to release one?

[roelchik]

has anyone come up with a playbook for each team with these id's?
are the id's in the game real as they should be ?

if so Atlanta has plays:
1.4 options
2.24 scorer pf
3.19 mid power
4.6 zipper

is this correct ?
then their starting pf, Marvin Williams should get his number called a few times
maybe this should be 26 scorer SG for Joe Johnson

[steeleman]

I also think that finding good current gen sliders has got to improve the gameplay experience as much as changes to the play settings in the dbf files.

I'll post my sliders in the sliders sticky thread, but generally I have found I need to:

Dramatically decrease short range shooting (in the 30s), dunk and layups (low to mid 30s) to keep the CPU from scoring at will at the basket. I keep medium, and long range shooting sliders a little highter (low to mid 40s) to encourage more jump shooting.

The human shooting sliders are a little wacky this year. Short range shooting, Dunks, and Layups can be in the mid 30s or low 40s. But Medium Range Shooting is in the 50s to low 60s while Long Range Shooting needs to be in the 70s or 80s to hit anything (or I just suck at this version of Live more than in previous years). Any one else finding this to be true? (make me feel better - please)

You need to turn blocks down to zero so you can shoot jump shots (and you still get blocked if not open) and keep dunk/layup blocks pretty low as well (or I find the CPU blocked shot stats are way too high).

The CPU comes up with too many steals/interceptions if you are not really careful so I have turned those down for the CPU. Howner I get very few steals/interceptions so the human sliders are higher.

You need to turn on ball defense and physical defense way up or the cpu drives to the basket too easily (and still does anyway).

Shooting fouls and in air collissions ned to be st a little higher or you don't get enough fouls.

Getting the plays right is part of the battle - but a good set of sliders is also going to be a key I think.

I'll get some sliders posted in the sitcky and we can discuss that detail there.

In the mean time - keep the ideas comming on good quick play sets and default plays if you find something that seems to make a difference.

[Spotlight]

Maybe you can try to upload your teams.dbf, I think then we got the best results? Please do it.

Thanks steelman.

[TC#10]

As I said earlier, i editted the teams.dbf file and it did not change the way teams play. In the menue it did display the offensive strategy i altered but teams were still playing like they were playing before the changes were made. I believe you have to edit the AIACT file to make it work properly

[nextnba]

Same with me. This edit did not do anything.

[steeleman]

Sorry guys - this change may have been a bigger deal in 07 than 08. I made several changes (this teams.dbf change, changes sliders, etc.) and was figuring out how to play better defense to get the PG to play the offinsive sets and not just drive or quickly shoot the ball. I don't really see the CPU just quickly jacking up shots or quickly driving the lane all the time so I thought the change to a default team strategy other than "Shooter A" was part of that result.

It sounds like others have not seen any change to the CPU play so it amy not have the same impact as it did last year.

For anyone interested I have posted my teams.dbf file here:

http://www.speedyshare.com/832940843.html

Let me know if you find these changes makes a difference in the gameplay at all.

[TC#10]

It's not the PG just driving in and score, the problem is that the PG PASSES to the Star player and that Star player immediately drives in/ shoot and score. There's no PG domination like 07 but there's only one pass then shoot philosophy. There's no set plays, there's no passing 3-4 times. there's ONLY one pass at midcourt then shoot. Even with the teams.dbf file altered there's still a problem. Can anyone alter the AIACT file? or does anyone know how?

[nextnba]

Yeah...experiecing the same here...one pass to star player..star player either drives or shots right away..no setting up plays..no passing to anyone else...game is unplayable until this is fix...

[TC#10]

I think the problem is that the CPU team plays at a higher pace, up-tempo style of basketball. The opponent PG does not walk up the court after u just score, he runs up and quickly passes to their star player for a shot. I've noticed that i've never seen the CPU PG walk up the court with the ball to set up their offense... and editting teams.dbf does not do anything, the solution is the AIACT file which i don't know how to edit, anyone knows how to edit it?

[TC#10]

hey guys i think i fixed the One Pass-Shot problem. This type of problem was regularly seen when i was playing against New Jersey, with Kidd passing to either Vince/Richardson midcourt and then they would drive in or shoot the ball immediately without involving their teammates. What i did was i edit the players.dbf file and lowered Vince Carter's Primacy from 82 to 79 and i also lowered Kidd's speed and quickness 4pts below what it was. After i made these changes, i noticed that Kidd wouldn't rush to his offense and instead of passing at midcourt, he would dribble and wait for his players to set up. But unfortunately most of the shots were taken by the big 3 leaving Kristic with garbage points. But at least Carter/Richardson doesn't drive/shoot right away after Kidd passes to them at midcourt each time, which makes it a lil more realistic.

I also believe as long as the PG is not the best player on the team, the passes from midcourt for an instant drive in/shot will not occur. After i altered the ratings of Kidd, VC became the best player on the Nets and the one pass-shot wasn't there. But when i played against NY, Stephon was still the best player (highest rating) on the team and the problem was still present with him passing at midcourt for an instant shot.

[nextnba]

Changing primacy rating has no effect. That was the first thing I tried. I changed Duncan all the way to 38 and he still shots everytime he touchs the ball.

[TC#10]

Well i think we need someone who can change the AIACT.VIV file like last yr. Does anyone know how to do that? tutorial? or can someone just alter it and provide it for us?

[Andrew]

Appreciate the research, steeleman.

[steeleman]

NP - As has been stated above, the changes I outline don't seem to have as much impact on gameplay as I had hoped (not like last year). I still think that these changes in conjunction with some better sliders and the modifications that we (tha's the global "we" 'cause I am not working on this ) will eventualy get to the aiact.viv file will make this a more playable game.

Its too bad it takes this much work...but we are almost used to it now, huh. In the meantime - keep the ideas flowing.

[RobberBaron]

I started using your slider recommendations and your team.dbf file Steelman, and I think it's definitely on the right track. But like others said, the PG/SG was still the dominate guy for most teams. I was playing against the Mavs, and Jason Terry had like 40 points, while Dirk didn't even take 10 shots.

I like the sliders though. Although I'm thinking about lowering the CPUs layups and dunks even more. Maybe even down near 0.

[TC#10]

Hey i used Pdub's AIACT.VIV tutorial but it did not work, i followed his instructions to allow more passes for the cpu but the changes made in the assignment.act file did not make a difference...

[stealth2920]

Where are your sliders steelman? I downloaded you AIACT, but can't find your sliders. I want to try them together. Thanks