Wwe 2k16 Gameplay

[Sueann]

The problem with this system is that teams and personnel change over the summer, and some coaches add slight to major adjustments to their play styles from one year to the next. This meant that no matter how in depth we scouted -- and we have gone much further than any previous games have attempted -- as soon as the season began our playbooks were out of date.

I began a push to upgrade our tech to allow new plays to be added during the season without the need for a patch. We experimented with it a bit last year, but the tech was not fully developed. I am elated to announce that this year our wizard engineers have made this a reality.

For the first time ever, we have the ability to add completely new plays to the game as the season goes on via a roster update. I know this is the home of the Sim basketball fanatics, so I want to make it clear we are not talking about nightly or weekly updates.

We will be tracking the major play trends across the season with our initial focus being on new coaches and new schemes. We will not be adding new freelance offenses. Although, similar to last year, we will add depth to those already included.

You can expect the first major play update about a month into the season as we evaluate what all the new coaches are running, and give them time to settle into their new assignments. Any major coaching or philosophical changes will also be adjusted once a trend has been established.

You can go all the way back to the '60s and find plays those teams actually ran taken from gameplay footage. You can see the origins of the Chin offense with the Celtics and Knicks, and you can run the same sets young Jordan did when he torched the league in '86.

Since our play additions will be fluid, it only made sense to bring back some of our #SimNation loyalists by bringing back their favorite mode. I am happy to announce practice plays have returned. We allow you to practice your plays 5 vs. 5 versus various defenses in the game.

Play-Types are containers that allow us to assign many plays of a certain type to each player on a team. This year we expanded our play-types to further differentiate between the different types of players.

Additionally, we have upgraded our lite play diagram to include a screen icon over the head of any player setting an on-ball screen so you can tell if he's moving to a point on the court or if he's just coming to set a ball screen.

One of the most difficult things about making a sports video game is getting your A.I., which thinks in binary ones and zeros, to think and react to situations like a human would. This has been a stumbling block of most A.I. systems.

We came up with a solution we call Situational Awareness Modules. The modules allow us to present the offensive A.I. with a problem or a situation like a pick and roll. We can then give the A.I. basketball-based human solutions to each situation and allow it to actually read the situation and select the best course of action dynamically.

Along with the improved pick and roll controls covered in earlier blogs, we fully support the new controls with our dynamic pick and roll module. To support the ability to flip a ball screen on command, our pick and roll spacing will also adjust based on the final side the screen is set.

In addition, we can now adjust our spacing inside of a pick and roll based on ball and player positioning. This means that you can expect a Wing to fill in the backside if the defense looks to rotate and take away the roll man.

The A.I. would put its head down and relentlessly drive directly to the rim continuously bumping into the chest of the defender. This happened because our A.I. would pre-determine the depth of its drive prior to even beginning a drive attempt.

For NBA 2K16 we completely re-wrote our Drive Logic to work hand in hand with our 1 vs. 1 attack module. In what will become a common theme, we gave the A.I. fundamental basketball reads on which to base its drive decisions.

The engine can support custom options for every single freelance offense we have. This first year our focus is on making sure we have enough default coverage for every situation, but it is nice to know that the module has plenty of room to grow.

Last year we debuted what we called the Evolution of Freelance Offense. Freelance is a name for the default offense all basketball video games run when the user or A.I. is not calling a play. We also allow further customization of each freelance so each user can choose which flavor of freelance best matches up with their respective play styles.

This year we expanded our freelance offensive selection to include 21 freelance offenses and 8 motion offenses. Every freelance and motion offense in our game can have its own specific early offensive system.

When we announced the freelance offenses last year, I made note of the fact that for year one the freelance offenses were mainly for the user, and that it would take more time before the A.I. could use them as efficiently as a human.

Prior to NBA 2K16 the A.I. could only function with explicit commands. This is one of the reasons for the random quick passes you would see the CPU make when playing NBA 2K15. The CPU had no concrete concept of ball movement outside of defined actions.

A bit earlier I mentioned that our new motion system allows us the ability to insert intelligence into any part of our motion system. This was key for NBA 2K16 as we evolved from our play branching tech to dynamic decision points.

Even with the multilevel and multi-threaded branching we had in NBA 2K15, every player, regardless of his abilities, would choose to take the available path in front of him. The branches operated more on opportunity and availability than preference.

In NBA 2K16 at practically any point in a play or freelance action we are able to have the A.I. make a number of situational evaluations. In simple terms the A.I. can ask questions like, "where is my defender? Who are you? And who am I?"

We can use any of a number of logic variables to drive the action. For example, we can pick any three positions on the floor and drive the action based on touches tendency, shot I.Q., Mid range or 3-point shooting ability, defender location, or any of our player archetypes.

If this is a pick and roll player, choose this branch. But if this is a slasher, choose that branch. We also have default branches available in case the chosen player fits none of the filters we have selected for that situation.

You can see the same freelance operate slightly differently depending on the personnel on the floor. I know this is a lot to take in so I will be featuring videos after launch going into detail about specific sets and options.

Generally in NBA 2K15 how the A.I. started a game was most likely how it would finish. There was little variation between quarters or teams large enough for users to notice. Advanced users could play a single quarter and pretty much know what needed to be adjusted to change how the A.I. was going to play them.

For unknown lineups, we can determine what types of players at what positions define a lineup. Some examples are: perimeter shooter, mid-range shooter, shot creator, freelance scorer and freelance creator.

ACE is able to make fluid tempo adjustments during the course of a game. For the Charlotte Hornets, If a play is called for Kemba Walker we can enable early offense for that possession. However, if the play call is for Al Jefferson, the A.I. can select the walk it up tempo to ensure we get the ball inside.

In prior games a team would run their plays and then their singular freelance offense. A team like the Clippers in NBA 2K16 will run 3 Out 2 In, 3 Out 2 In Motion, 4 Out, 4 Out Motion, and 3 Out 2 In Fist -- in addition to their stacked playbook.

If we take the Clippers as an example, Doc traditionally will start games looking to get Redick involved in the offense. So when you play them the first quarter, they will attempt to get Redick going.

Another new element is the overhauled tie up system. Instead of just charging the opponent, you can initiate a tie up that will result in a rock/paper/scissor style mini game. From there you have to circle the right stick to find the red spot and hold it there. There are a lot of animations that are possible from this and I have had a blast using two technical wrestlers and really battling it out in this mode. This is bar far the most realistic incorporation of chain wrestling into a video game that I have seen to date.

It must be exceptionally difficult to transfer a pro wrestling match into a video game concept that captures the spirit of a worked match while also being fun for the player. This game does it as well as any that I have played. There is a steep learning curve, but once you get past it you are rewarded with a gameplay concept that is challenging, dramatic, and deep.

Bugs: We have to talk about all the bugs for a moment. I have personally encountered an issue where superstars wearing custom alternate attire (I put the Shield back together for my game) do not show up in the cut scene that follows a victory. I was overjoyed to see the shield enter to their real entrance, complete with those cool masks they wore towards the end, only to be highly disappointed to see the WWE tag team titles floating around on their own after winning a hard fought match. This occurs with any custom alternate attire and will require a patch.

I've now played the game for the past few weeks and have had more fun than I expected. It's not exactly a home run, and if you go in thinking it will be perfect you will be let down. But there's a lot to like about the game, and wrestling fans will enjoy battling it out with their favorite superstars.

WWE 2K games include a special Showcase mode that allows you to play historical matches and events. Last year's WWE 2K15 game focused rivalries between a number of high-profile wrestlers, such as John Cena vs. CM Punk and Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels.

Rather than focusing on a variety of different characters, the Showcase mode in 2K16 lets you play through the long and wild career of cover star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. It's straight wrestling nostalgia as you play as Austin against opponents like Bret Hart, Dude Love, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker and The Rock. The best part? WWE legend Jim Ross returns to call the matches.

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