gameplay is the focus of forum session #1.
Derrick Aynaga will be answering your questions, so here's a little info on him...
A veteran team member since NBA 2K on the Dreamcast, Derrick Aynaga has always stressed the importance of offensive and defensive balance in an NBA game. When he's not spending countless hours finding new customizations for his import car, Derrick is spending time with his newborn daughter... in training her to become the ultimate video game girl.
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NBA 2K5 Developer Question & Answer
#1: Gameplay - with Derrick Aynaga, Project Manager - ESPN NBA 2K5
techgeek
Q: Is it still easy to make the defender fall for your pumpfakes and drive past him most of the time?
A: It's definitely easier to get a guy up in the air with a pump fake in the ROOKIE difficulty, but the AI gets much smarter when you crank up the difficulty level. The AI defense will tend to react less in the higher levels, and will even poke the ball loose if you start to use the pump fake too much.
paulcb8134
Q: Are there a much wider selection of plays that we were use to seeing back in the old 2k games, and if so are there more?
A: Yes there are many more plays available this year. All of the plays for this year's game are brand new, completely written from scratch. In fact the entire offensive AI system has been rewritten with the goal being better emulation of team and player tendencies as well as a more realistic selection of plays for the user.
BigMike34
Q: In 2k4, the players seem almost interchangeable, what I want to know is are there individual player tendencies, and if so, are they editable?
A: Differences in player speeds will be the most noticeable difference, but more subtle differences include defensive reaction speeds. Terrible defenders will be easier to get around and will also be more prone to get burned by off ball cuts. So it's important to know each of your player's skill set. All behaviors and reaction times are controlled by the player's attributes, so if you wanted to make someone better in a particular department, all you would have to do is edit their attribute values. As far as swapping players into different positions, you will not have very much success putting a PG in at C and vice versa.
midboss
Q: Will the CPU be cognizant of who the "go-to guys" are on it's team, and look to get those players the most looks, especially during crunch time?
A: Yes, the AI is well aware of who the star players on the team are and will run more plays to get them the ball. However the AI is also very adept at recognizing opportunistic plays. What this means is if you double Iverson all day, the AI will find and take advantage of the open man. Of course the speed at which the AI makes this read is determined by difficulty level so in ROOKIE the AI is much less likely to exploit this. But at higher levels be prepared to switch off your man if you like to double team as the AI will find and hit the open man.
BklynBoy718
Q: Last year it was so easy to draw the charge against the CPU when they used IsoMotion. In 2K5....will the CPU be not so predictable when using IsoMotion? Will they do little fakes and shoot or just drive to the basket?
A: Isomotion2 encapsulates both offense and defense, and both systems were re-written. The specific issue of the charges was high on our list this year and we've tuned the game appropriately. Don't get me wrong, the AI defenders in Superstar are still very tough, but you should get fewer charges and more defensive stops this year. This still penalizes the defense but allows the game to be more free-flowing compared to last year.
GojTron
Q: 2K4 was "not too great" at passing around for open perimeter shots. Will we be able to kick it around more like 2K3?
A: Passing was re-visited this year and is tighter than ever. Along with improved accuracy, you'll notice a host of new animations and better logic to determine what type of pass to throw based on where the defenders are standing. My favorite is the wrap around bounce pass I often see when hitting a guy on a fastbreak.
LKizzle
Q: Will players have different dribbling styles. Like Steve Francis dribbles diff for Dirk Nowitzki?
A: Yes, player dribbles for both simple cases like bringing the ball up the floor, and Isomotion are split up by ball handler ability.
Konex
Q: Will there be sliders online and in leagues like in NHL 2K5?
A: Yes, both features are supported in ESPN NBA 2K5.
Blumatic
Q: How are the mid-air collisions? Like when some one goes for a dunk and someone jumps to block and their bodies collide while he still makes the dunk?
A: This year we really wanted to make dunks and layups more difficult to attain so we've re-introduced contact shots. The idea is if you go strong to the rim, but have heavy defensive presence nearby you'll get a shot that's still aggressive but has the shooter change his shot automatically to try to get around the defender. These shots naturally have a lower percentage associated with them. So with all of these changes, you will need more of an open lane to get a clean dunk or layup. It's definitely a more realistic model that helps to balance gameplay.
15/15
Q: Will there be a bigger assortment of fouls in the game (ie. loose ball, over-the-back, flagrants, non-violation technicals) and a more aggressive style of CPU play to draw these different types of fouls in addition to the shooting fouls?
A: Yes. This year we've added loose ball fouls for rebounds. It actually adds a lot of depth to the rebounding game, rewarding good position, and penalizing overly aggressive rebounders who have bad position. We've also added a new type of traveling violation. In older games the only type of traveling you had was off a jumpshot where you didn't release the ball. I've always thought this was bad since you hardly ever see this in a real NBA game. So what we've done is attach it to the hop step and spin step modes. Do it from a stand or after you've terminated your dribble and you'll get called. This will penalize players who button mash and reward players who take the time to really plan out what they are doing.
Wiz200
Q: What post game additions and subtractions have made to the game and what spots of the post game need some help?
A: There are several advancements in the post this year. The first and most obvious will be the ability to back an opponent down. Fans of the series have complained about this in last year's game so we took some extra time to make sure this was right. Move wise we've added an up and under which is especially great for heads up games. You basically back your opponent down then give him a head fake. If he jumps you then have the option to roll left or right taking the shot as far away from the help defenders as possible. It all goes down pretty quickly but it adds a completely new dimension to the post. Combine this with all of the other moves like the drop step, the hop step out of the post, and the various shots, and what it amounts to is a very impressive arsenal of moves that will revolutionize post play for videogames.
yuckmouf
Q: With the new momentum based animations and gameplay, what will players need to look out for or look forward to in getting used to this new system? This feature has been imparted very nicely into NFL 2K5, and I know you're not gonna let those football jocks outdo you... ...Right?
A: Of course not : we have a friendly rivalry with the NFL team so we have to keep pushing each other! The biggest thing the next movement does is make the game look more realistic. This is something every user will enjoy whatever the skill level. For the more experienced users, the next movement will put a greater stress on their ability to use Isomotion2 effectively. It won't be as easy to take a ball handler and simply turbo run around a defender for a jam unless there's a huge disparity in the player speed ratings. Users will have to learn to use the other tools of the game to ultimately be successful at the highest difficulty levels.
Pointguard13
Q: How will the defense be improved from last year? It seemed that all I had to do was do a few free-style moves and I could get a lay up any time. And there was rarely a help side defender from either the guard position of a big man to step over and help when I drove past my defender.
A: The help defense has been greatly improved. They actually collapse very quickly now which helps eliminate uncontested shots. But at the same time, having an aggressive defensive AI also opens up outside opportunities. So with this year's game the best players will definitely take advantage of jumpshots earned off drive and dish and passing out of the post type plays.
harlem101
Q: I remember playing nba 2k2, and the higher the difficulty the more intense the challenge was. I never had to change sliders for gameplay. How close is the challenge of 2k5 to the challenge of 2k2, probably the most challenging cpu game in the series?
A: I think you'll find this year's game extremely challenging. Set it to Superstar and you will be in for a fight. One thing we spent lots of time on is making the AI difficult in the higher levels. The time consuming part wasn't making it tough, but making it tough and fair at the same time. We do not cheat by upping player attributes. Instead we spent the time to finely tune reaction times and decision-making based on each player's individual attributes. The end result is an AI that plays you the way an extremely good human opponent would. This opposed to every single basket dropping for the AI and not for you. That's not fun.
foodeatin
Q: Can you explain, in depth, how IsoMotion will be used on defense? Will it be a defensive stance type of thing, trying to draw charges, or will it give you counters for the various offensive IsoMotion moves?
A: Defensive Isomotion is context sensitive meaning it gives you the best defensive move based on your position to the ball handler and the move being performed. So for example, let's say the ball handler is trying to cross you over, hitting the defensive Isomotion button will slide you into place. By contrast, let's say you are in front of a ball handler who is going to dunk. Hit the Isomotion defense button here and you'll get a stationary take-charge move. So the skill is really more about reading what you opponent is going to do, positioning your defender appropriately, than hitting the Isomotion defense at the right moment.
Dr Malice
Q: Will players be able to get away with charges by using certain IsoMotion moves. And will the hop be too effective at getting you in the lane?
A: The balance between offense and defense is really tight this year. I'd say it's the most balanced version in the series. As far as the hop steps goes it will not be overlay effective as it has been in other games. Some things we've done to balance it out are make the move more vulnerable to the steal, hook it into Isomotion defense so you can draw the charge, and make the AI aware of the move so it can steal more when it's done in a crowd.
cody_ai_fan
Q: does the IsoMotion in the air also mean you can do different dunks in the air like you can layups?
A: Isomotion is a name for all of our moves. Every move is connected which is why it all falls under the same system. However to answer your specific question, the in air moves refer to your ability to control changed shots. We had this before but we've upgraded the system to allow you to choose which way you want to adjust. So if you are going up for a right hand jam, but have a defender on your right, you'll be able to pull the ball away, transfer it to you left hand, then put up the shot as far from the defender as possible. You can adjust you shot forward, left, right, and even away from the basket.
gamingwizard2004
Q: is the defense back? In the last game it seemed as if it was an offensive showcase...is there actually gonna be tough defense, which will make it harder for us veteran ESPN players?
A: The defense is extremely tough in this year's game, especially at the higher difficulty levels. And every new offensive move (and every existing move) was designed with a defensive counter in mind to preserve the game play balance. So if you know your opponent well enough, you'll be able to take advantage of them more easily by performing the appropriate defensive counter move at the proper time.
BeanTownBrawler
Q: Will the buttons be more responsive than they were last year?
A: Yes this was a big deal for us this year. We did a lot of work on passing in particular to ensure they are fast and crisp. All areas received the tuning treatment actually. Everything from Isomotion to shooting was worked on to ensure maximum responsiveness.
Don Figures
Q: When playing last years game facing the your basket or any other angle, the camera view was way to far away from the court. It appeared we had a press box view of the court. Additionally, Zoom in the paint did not seem to work. Will this be addressed and drastically change?
A: Cameras were rewritten from scratch this year. We've also moved to an ESPN Broadcast camera as our default. The follow cam we used to default to will still be there but it is now an option called the "2k5" cam. As far as adjustability goes, you will be able to customize things like camera type, zoom, and height. Some cameras even have other options like reverse view and key focus (zoom). We also have a reset to default button that allows you to go back to the original settings in case you don't like the adjustments you've made. All told we have 6 new camera types to offer each with customizable options.
og15
Q: Will shorter players still be able to block taller players? I mean there are the really athletic guys that will get blocks, but in the video, we had Sam Cassell blocking Andrei Kirilenko, will that be fixed?
A: I know of the videos you are referring to. These were all captured in ROOKIE mode where most actions are easier to pull off. However when you set the game to higher levels, you can certainly expect way more realistic results. So while Sam Cassell might block Andrei once in a blue moon, it will most certainly not be the norm.
coolguy
Q: Will there be any kind of bounce passing, you know the way kings play?
A: Passing was reworked this year to improve the ability to choose the right pass for the appropriate situation, which includes bounce passes. So you won't see a great number of bounce passes on the perimeter (at greater distances), unless a defender is in the way, but you will see more on the fastbreak where passers often use the bounce pass to keep the ball out of reach from the defender. You also see many more step-out passes when defensive pressure is high.
hotsauce
Q: in terms of dunk and layup packages can we expect to see even more dunks and layups than we saw in ESPN NBA 2K4? And in relation to that will we see dunk and layup packages as expansive as they were in NBA 2K3 because there was a good variety of player specific packages in terms of dunks and layups in that game.
A: While you will see a greater variety of dunks in ESPN NBA 2K5, you will not have the same high frequency of dunks. What I mean is there are many new dunks in this years game as almost all of the animations are new. However since we've beefed up the defense it will not be as easy to get them to play off as much. You will really need to pick and choose your spots to get an opening for a jam. I think the end result will be players appreciating the dunks more since they are tougher to get. But just like everything else in our game, the difficulty level can be turned down to offer an easier and less defensive oriented experience. More dunks will definitely be available playing under this setting.
jordan0386
Q: on default settings, ESPN NBA basketball wasn't all that challenging after about a week of play. what improvements have been made to the defensive AI to ensure a fun but challenging basketball experience that will increase replay value?
A: There are several new offerings on this front. First the gameplay itself has been greatly expanded and aimed to offer a longer lasting gaming experience. Difficulty levels have been rewritten to make it less attribute boost based, and more reaction based. That means it will now behave more like a great human opponent who simply reacts faster and takes advantage of your mistakes more often. This makes for a more believable AI opponent while allowing for more control over the difficulty ramping of the levels.
There are also a host of new moves to explore, both on offense and defense. Things like the up and under, the changed shot, hop step, and spin step will take some time to master, and will take a greater deal of time to learn how to defend. Isomotion was intentionally designed as a system of move and counter move. And because there are so many different variations to take advantage of, players will be able to spend hundreds of hours learning how to best their friends.
vicarcaligulush
Q: will the user be allowed to determine if the shot selection in the post is a layup, hook shot, or jump shot, or will the CPU determine that like it did in 2K4? I think it would be great if the user was allowed to decide if the shot should be a hook shot or jump shot/layup.
A: Isomotion in the post will give you full control over every shot. You can choose to put up a hook, shoot left or right, or do a fake setting up the defense for an up and under. In addition to shooting, you can also drop step, hop step out of the post, and even face up to use dribbling Isomotion moves like crossovers, spin, and hop steps. That's the beauty of the system. Isomotion encapsulates all aspects of the offense allowing you to string together moves creating your own highlight reels. This however is balanced against the defense so if you are playing against a skilled opponent, or high level AI difficulty setting, you will not be able to do these moves at will.
Vast
Q: If your man gets past you, will other defenders will realize and collapse on him, thus helping you out and forcing the offensive player to pass the ball?
A: Yes, the help defense this year is very aggressive and will collapse on ball handlers who get by their primary defender.
afroman
Q: Will online players be able to independently adjust their camera angle w/o affecting their opponents view?
A: Yes, this is something ESPN gamers demanded so we brought it back.
YoungVern
Q: How will the CPU utilize IsoMotion? For instance, will they use it, will they counter it better than last year, will there be more difficulty using it?
A: AI Ismotion defense should be pretty forgiving on the lower difficulty levels. You'll notice that you be able to drive to the basket much more here. But start cranking up the difficulty and the AI will start to use Isomotion defense more, creating more defensive stops and sometimes drawing the offensive foul. Everyone on the team realizes this is a delicate balance so we've taken great care to ensure the interaction between ball handler and defender feels fair and yields realistic results.
Thank you Derrick!
