Final State of Gameplay: 2K17

After a lengthy amount of playtime with the final patch, its obvious too much of 2K17's gameplay has been reduced to an embarrassing spam-fest. While the game plays "sim" for people who prefer that, it still gives the "savvy" players the leeway to go for steals several times a possession on EVERY possession (total lack of risk/reward balance) dunks are too easy, blocks are as bad if not worse (timing and skill-set have no bearing on success) leaving us with gameplay that isn't worthy of the NBA 2K series. Defensive rotations continue to struggle when the opponent inbounds to half-court and further and passing into the paint is child's play. The issues with long passes persist and obvious fouls still go uncalled. We know its late and gameplay usually suffers at this stage of the game's life cycle (players have had ample time to make sure their cheese is well fermented) still....lets hope this is the last year 2K is reduced to this level of gameplay--yes, even late.


The game simply has to stop baby-sitting players and being too forgiving when they fail. This lessens the skill gap. Bad decisions have consequences--and should. The game has to focus on risk/reward outcomes and make more elements of gameplay zero sum. No more rewards for failure and letting spam yield positive results. 2K's E-Sports league will be on the grand stage next year...it simply can't look like this. The hand-holding cripples the competitive aspect of 2K. Removing the baseline "force field" in 2K10 was the perfect allegory for why 2K can't babysit contemporary users. When gameplay is too forgiving it cripples the experience, provides elite users with unfair advantages, crutches and destroys H2H. We've all had games where we're playing someone horrible--but the fact that they have zero conscience regarding reaching every play and going for blocks with any and everyone is actually REWARDED by the game....Don't protect users from the punishment that comes from making bad decisions and disregarding a players skillset/limitations. Here's an example of why: You create a spoiled, entitled playerbase that has horrible expectations of the game. Note: This guy gets mad because a 6-6 wing player (block rating 62) gets called for a foul instead of blocking a big in transition? C'MON.

Giving users a huge window for success or benign outcomes with only a small one for actual failure is the opposite of what we expect from 2K. Hold users to a higher standard (and trust them) we'll adapt to simulation gameplay.When you babysit players and don't require block timing or the shot-blocking skillset? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

When out-of-position and chase-down blocks are routine it lowers the value of elite defenders. The vast majority of these plays should end like this:

When you baby-sit players and don't make the bulk of long passes deflected out of bounds or turnovers via steal or bad passes out of bounds, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

 How the vast majority of long passes should end up.

Conversely, the bulk of steal attempts (esp when the defender has low steal ratings) should end like these.

And like this:

Leave the babysitting for offline where users can play on rookie and score 100 pts with their favorite player every game if they like. Online/Competitive play is the highest level of gameplay designed with skilled players and actual basketball in mind--and not for the faint of heart. STOP GRADING ON A CURVE and rewarding videogame behavior...start punishing players for doing things we'd never see on a real basketball court. 

Now even inbounds are much harder than they should be because all deflections require is button mashing after every inbound. And although average timing perfectly targets the ball and rewards you with a deflection (much too often) bad timing/missing the steal has no downside as the defender will conveniently miss the player/ball completely...NO WAY. Don't reward players for good timing and simply forgive them when it sucks.Where are the contact fouls and terrible defensive position we should see when players lunge for steals and miss? Again: more babysitting to the complete detriment of the game.

In order for NBA 2K to take its proper place among the pantheon of competitive games revered on Twitch and Youtube like Rainbow 6, Counter Strike, Starcraft (and surprisingly even titles like Rocket League) the quality of the game has to resemble the sport at its highest level. For that to happen, 2K needs to take a few more decisive steps away from arcade and double-down on simulation like never before.

Here are two examples of the state of competitive gameplay after the 4.9.17 patch, ask yourself how much it resembles basketball or if there are some necessary tweaks we need to filter out the spam. Players will do what the game allows, and the game simply allows too much at present.