NBA 2K23 Gameplay Improvements | Field Report 2K23 (2023)

NBA2K23is close and includes improvements in the gameplay that raise the intensity of the competition in all aspects. The main pillar for us this year can be summed up in one word: Authenticity. The team has worked hard to ensure as much parity as possible on the pitch between the current generation and the next. Here's everything you need to know about the updates coming in the latest version.NBA 2Kfranchise.

Last year's game focused on defense, but NBA 2K23 is so packed with new features and improvements to the offensive end of the court that it's the perfect starting point. NBA 2K22 was a landmark year for perimeter players: small defenders had plenty of advantages over their taller counterparts, and outside shooting reigned supreme in online games. Thinking about how we could add more authenticity to our gameplay, we looked at how virtual games stack up against the real NBA, and it became clear that we needed to give more love to slashers who love to finish on the edge. This meant expanding the attack tools to the recycle bin.

UPDATED PRO STICK

The most obvious improvement is the addition of new gesture combinations to the Pro Stick. Internally, we refer to the new mechanic asdouble shots(by moving the Pro Stick in a certain direction, letting it come back, then quickly moving the Pro Stick back in the same direction) andserpentine(Move the Pro Stick in the direction you want it to be centered, then quickly flick the Pro Stick in the opposite direction.) These new emotes introduce many new weapons for shooting and holding the ball.

TIRE FLEX

For dunks, the measured dunk abilities from NBA 2K22 (the ability to force hard dunks in traffic with a shot timer) return, but new commands allow us to expand the dunk controls to let you dunk exactly how you want without shooting. accidentally a skill dunk, which you weren't expecting. When driving to the basket with the Sprint trigger pressed, the new Pro Stick control map for dunks looks like this:

UP = two hands
RIGHT = Strong Hand
LEFT = weak hand
DOWN = Wheel suspension
UP-UP = Brilliant two hands
DOWN-UP = Brilliant with one hand
UP-DOWN = Normal Ability Dunk with Gauge
DOWN-DOWN = Rim Hang dunk con manómetro

You will notice that with this new map, you now have control over the hoop locks. With New Gen, we've taken that control to a whole new level with physics-based simulated tire suspension! It's an incredibly fun and wonderfully complex piece of technology that's been in development for several years. It allows you to control when and how you hang from the rim after a dunk.

The controls are simple. Use one of the new hanging hoop dunk emotes mentioned above while driving to the hoop, but hold the Sprint trigger once the player gets their hands on the hoop. You can hang indefinitely as long as you hold the trigger, and with the left stick you can adjust the momentum of your swinging body and with the right stick you can pull the hoop up. It's all done with a physical simulation instead of canned animation - it looks and works amazing. It is one of the best things to do in the city (only available in new generation)but watch out for the techies if you play too long in NBA games.

GET TO THE STAND FAST

For slashers who want to finish with a little more finesse, double-throw emotes are used to place jumps, while toggle emotes are used to place euro-steps and cradles, which feels very natural. A simple push to the left or right will create a whole new set of quick rule layouts. They're great, especially for smaller defenders who want to pass the ball quickly before they can react and block a shot.

Bigger/stronger players will also enjoy the many new contact stacking elements that aptly demonstrate what should happen when the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo plow through everyone in their path.

Plus, we've added several new outfits for the new and current generation, including Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and more.

For post players, double shots can be used for post drop steps and jump shots. Switch gestures will give you arrows and swinging hooks. Also, this year there are several new poles and hooks to choose from.

COMBINE HONOR SKILL MOVES

Dribbling in NBA 2K took on a life of its own and became a kind of game within a game. Ball keepers will love 'combo' in NBA 2K23, as new emote combos give you even more options in your arsenal. Swap Gestures will now perform dedicated Double Cross and Hesi Crossover combinations that you can assign as part of the exclusive Mobile Crossover pack, which has been increased from 15 options to 28. Learn stick speed and cast time Your signature animations now are especially important.

You can mix and match standard sizes specific to your player by rhythmically moving the Pro Stick back and forth. Quick double spins will give you these new combos. And moving the Pro Stick back and forth a few times produces a whole different set of animations called Signature Combos that look amazing.

Another major change to dribbling is the introduction of "attack boosts". One of the things we wanted to improve on dribbling in NBA 2K was that while the increase in size seemed great, it wasn't very useful. The new offensive sizes provide much more side-to-side movement and make the defense drop and slide much better, allowing you to lure them in one direction and then attack them in the other, something all the great ball dealers do so well. in real life.

RISING THE ADRENALINE

Another new feature to prevent excessive dribbling is the concept of Adrenaline Boosters. There are three buffs available per player, per possession, displayed as three small bars below the stamina gauge.

The buffs are consumed every time you do a heavy or explosive sprint. Once all three of your boosts are gone, you'll notice your speed and acceleration drop significantly for the rest of your possession. As with dribbling combinations, it's important to play basketball smartly and be efficient on the move, rather than aimlessly weaving back and forth trying to get past defenses.

BUT AUTHENTIC PHOTOS

Shooting also gets some cool improvements for NBA 2K23. In NBA 2K22, success from the outside had a huge impact on scope. If I could get an open look, I could balance bad grades and inaccurate timing. This year, we wanted a more authentic shot model that captured the essence of what the NBA's great scorer can do.

The first big change is the addition of shooting attributes. From the beginning of the iconic 2K basketball jump shot, the animations were more or less cosmetic, but functionally the same. This year, each signature jump shot has unique shot statistics to help determine its effectiveness.

rate of fire- How quickly the shot reaches the ideal firing point
exemption amount- How high did the shot go?
defensive immunity- How effective is the shot against defensive fights?
Impact over time -Adjust shot windows to reward good timing at the cost of a higher penalty for poor timing.

We're also adding a huge number of shot animations to choose from, more than twice the number of any previous 2K version, and they're much more accurate to each player's actual jumper. For MyPLAYER players, the shooting animations will be based on the shooting ratings, so you'll need to experiment with all the options to find out what works best for your skill set and play style. We expect to see much more variety in the community's signature shot selection with this next evolution of shots.

SHOT METERS AND FEEDBACK

There are also five new shot meters to choose from, with 15 more to unlock in seasons over the next year! Some big, some small, some on top, some on the sides, and some below the handle. Each meter fills to capacity all the way, which is the perfect starting point, and then empties on the late side ala 2K17-2K20. The new shot meter options have been a common question from the community, so we're sure everyone will find an option they like, or even several.

This year, you'll also notice a subtle change in how arrow feedback works. We use arrowheads to help indicate whether you're early (high arc), late (flat arc), or on time (perfect arc), so by paying attention you can easily tell right away if the trigger is off. Also, when shot feedback is enabled, we are delaying the time/range overlay and green ball toss animations until the ball hits the basket. It's a minor change, but it really brings back some of the drama that the green lights were sometimes lacking, and also encourages everyone to keep playing with possession instead of giving up and running back to the pass.

FACILITATION OF CRIME

For quarterbacks, you'll also find several new tools at your disposal. The Lead to Basket pass returns to New Gen, making it work the same as the current generation, allowing you to simply press and hold Y/TRIANGLE to have your receiver walk to the basket and release the button to launch the pass.

Another alternative is the new Spot Up passing mechanic. If you hold B/CIRCLE, the receiver you're targeting with the left stick will do a quick v-slash or flare to open up on the perimeter. This is a very useful quick play to get an open look when you don't have time to play the full game for your teammate. MyPLAYER players can also equip a signature passing style to emulate some of the greatest generals of all time, including Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Jason Williams, LeBron James, and more.

Whether you prefer to attack the line, post defenders, or spot from behind the arc, NBA 2K23 offers a wide range of tools to meet your offensive game plan.

As always, defense remains a high priority for the gaming team. We know all the offensive buffs in the world aren't fun if you can't stop them, so let's talk about some great buffs on the other end of the court.

Shot defense has been rebuilt nicely in NBA 2K23. Until last year, we used simple shot defense calculations that took into account two specific points: the position of the defender at the start of the shot and the proximity of the ball when it is shot. It worked well, but it also had its drawbacks. If the defender's hand or arm moved slightly to the wrong position, exactly at the point where we were calculating the shot, he could get a bad coverage score even though it looked like a very good fight.

This year, we've created a system that evaluates a defender's fighting hand across the entire shot movement window. This larger set of samples gives much more accurate results and helps match coverage values to what players expect based on what they see on screen.

DEFENSE WITH THE BALL

For on-court play, defensive ball movement and body lift have been significantly updated with new content that more accurately represents today's 1v1 player interactions. You'll also notice a new indicator on the Ball handler when in a defensive position. This is a new defense shader mechanic. The three bars on the indicator represent the three zones: Straight Up, Shadow Left, and Shadow Right. The area in which the defender is located is marked in red. If the ball carrier tries to attack the red line, he will be cut off, miss the dribble, or lose the ball.

Great Defenders can anticipate where a PDC will attack and will now be more clearly rewarded for that. The shadowing system works for both defenders on the ball, protecting the perimeter and post, and communicates well to both attacker and defense why collisions are resolved the way they are.

SHOT BLOCK

Shot blocking has been tweaked a bit this year as well. In NBA 2K22, we put a lot of effort into improving block aiming and giving players the ability to stop every shot that hits the paint. In NBA 2K23, blocks have been tuned to a more realistic level, leading to much more predictable results, with the correct players making the correct saves when they time their block attempts well. No more little guards pulling out LeBron James-level chasing blocks like last year. He will also notice a noticeable improvement in ball security for good dunks.

In the past, trying to pull out tomahawks and backscrapers has always been risky when defenders are even close. Made some changes to encourage good dunks to use a broader repertoire of dunk packs. Feel the reward of dunks with pivotal reels with significant acquisition boosts in the right situations without the fear of the ball always being removed on the way up. The shot lock system now includes "flyover" locks as well. When you approach perimeter shooters late, overshooters will do a better job of trying to get their hand up while preventing the defender from hitting the shooter and sending them into lane.

STEEL BELTS AND BALLS

Ball Bars are new and improved this year with lots of new content and better coverage. So if you're a lesser defender, quick hands can be just as effective at slowing down slashers and big in the paint as a good shot blocker. We've also added bare contact failed fusions to ensure defender steals are honored, not ignored.

When the ball is shot through a screen or interception, you'll notice better touchline awareness when playing matches. Interceptions near the out of bounds line are much more reliable, as are dive saves that put the ball back in play. I've seen some amazing 50/50 saves that Dennis Rodman and Alex Caruso would be proud of!

One of the first things everyone does when picking up a new version of 2K is to experiment with creating a new MyPLAYER. This year, the main goals for Player Creator were refinement, polish, and balance. You still have full control over any player's build, but the new builder ensures that all builds, regardless of size or specialization, will be fun and balanced.

The 5v5 environment that was used last year to test player-created builds is now complemented by a 3v3 environment. For next-gen gamers, this is especially useful if you love playing basketball on the courts of the town and you want to make sure your competitor is roaming around. streets.

Another great addition to the build system is that animation purchases will now be tied to an account, not just a single save file. In other words, if you buy an animation for your playshot version, it will be available to equip your slasher version, assuming your player meets all the animation requirements. Current generation users are no longer limited by the pie chart system of the past few years as it has been replaced by the more reliable Player Builder that the new generation is using.

THE NEXT GENERATION SIGNAGE SYSTEM

The most impactful change when it comes to player building is the new badge system for Next Generation. Looking at telemetry from previous years, we noticed that players were often leaning towards the same badges, and as a result, getting a bit overbearing when combining certain badges. We are moving to a tiered badge system this year. There are 16 badges per attribute category: eight at level 1, four at level 2, and four at level 3. Tier 1 badges have less power for your player, but they also cost fewer badge points. Costs increase as you level up and earn more meaningful badges. The basic idea is that you have to equip a certain number of badges at lower levels before you can equip badges at higher ones.

The rationale behind this change was to encourage players to make tough choices when crafting badge recipes, make gear more valuable as a trait, and generally improve overall game balance with badges. Along with thresholds, we're also introducing "Basic" badges, which are four unique badge slots (one per attribute category) that can be filled with badges that don't count toward badge points. Each badge will have a challenge requirement which, when met, will allow the badge to be placed in the main badge slot. We also made some changes to the badges, which are highlighted below:

REFINEMENT

Slippery- Makes it easier to meet in traffic by avoiding collisions and lanes
Masher- Increases the ability to finish kicks in the middle over defenders
air mage- Ability to successfully complete lanes - ups and putbacks
intimidate- Like Giannis and LeBron, capable of finishing with power, making their way through traffic
Removed Badge:hook specialist

SHOOTING

Agent 3- Ability to hit difficult 3-point shots while dribbling
half wizard- Improved ability to take down mid-distance jumpers off the rebound or post, like MJ
amplified- Reduces penalties to shot attributes when tired and moving too much before shooting
Claymore'a- Increases the shooter's ability to take down grapples and shoot jumpers the longer they stay stationary before firing
come back baby- Improved the ability to shoot perimeter bridges while shooting in-game.
Hand down, man down- Makes an outside shooter even deadlier if the opponent fails to bring their hand to their face
creator of the cosmos- Previously a playoff badge, now increases the ability to hit jump shots and jump shots, and causes defenders to stumble more often.
unlimited range- An old favorite is back making shooters more effective with every 3PT deep shot attempt
Removed Badges:Chef, Hot Zone Hunter, Lucky #7, Mismatch Expert (movido para jugar), Set Shooter, Sniper y Limitless Spot-Up

PLAYING

deadly combinations- Improved dribbling efficiency with larger sized dribble moves (basically a combination of the Fast Chain and Strong Grips badges from last year)
Break clamps- Help ball handlers win more 1v1s with body shots (vs clamps)
replacement handle- Improves ball safety immediately after securing a rebound, catching or picking up the ball. A great badge for the greats!
breach expert- Previously a marksmanship badge, this badge now helps smaller guards split taller defenders in the event of a 1v1 mismatch
Removed Badges:Bullet Passer, Downhill, Glue Hands, Stop & GoI Space Creator (powered by fire)

DEFENSE/RECEIVE

Anchor- A key badge for the great last lines of defense, improving the ability to block and contest shots in the paint
boxing beast- Help rebounders win boxing battles in both offensive and defensive rebounding situations.
horse of battle- Pat Bev Badge that increases your ability to throw balls 50/50 and play tough defense without tiring
Glove- Named after legendary defender Gary Payton, it helps strip players as they rally to shoot and clears the ball out of carrying hands.
pretender- Improves the effectiveness of round shooting competitions.
Removed Badge:defense leader

NEW TEAM ACQUISITION PROJECT

Takeovers are special abilities that you can equip with MyPLAYER and that you can activate after collecting Takeover counters. Basically like getting horny in real life. While the primary and secondary acquisitions remain the same, the equipment acquisition has been redesigned.

In recent builds, the player activated team takeover for the entire team and powered everyone up after the first, secondary, and then team takeover counters were filled in sequential order. In NBA 2K23, Team Takeover works like a cooperative team system where the entire team is one meter apart. Each player on the team has an equal share in their responsibility for performing well on the field and being good teammates. Once each player has filled their portion of the meter, the team takeover is automatically activated for the entire team. The new design makes a lot more sense and better captures what it means to be a hot team and take charge of the game as a unit.

NBA 2K23 is packed with AI goodness on both ends of the court for next-gen consoles. Here are some of the highlights that Da Czar and IA engineers have prepared for you.

OFFENSIVE UPGRADES

The first thing we wanted to address this year was how the offensive AI uses its dribbling arsenal to attack. The goal was to make the AI more aggressive in setting up its moves and more thoughtful about what moves it uses in different situations. We've improved the AI's ability to understand a defender's position with the new defensive shading system we discussed earlier. AI ball handlers will better assess the situation and then dive into their arsenal of moves to perform the most appropriate attack. They now understand how to set up a defender, read a counter, and then attack openings with the right combinations based on their move set and tendencies.

We knew that in order to make the AI attack more effective, we needed to mix up the timing of the AI attack attempts. To do this, we designed the AI to prefer the earliest attack opening, or what we call first move attack priority. Given the chance, the AI will quickly attack after a move or even before making a move. However, if the user stays in a great defensive position, the AI will still line up singles and doubles to try and create an opening.

In addition to making the AI balls more intelligent attacks, we also wanted to make sure they were true to their real counterparts. So we created a new AI signature attack system that allows us to assign all stars a dynamic signature attack package that includes up to four signature combinations. Each individual combo can contain up to 4 individual move sets or two combined move sets. We can even create variations that allow the progress of the AI movements.

For example, we can combine the Kevin Durant crossover with the crossover and the step back. With early move priority, these moves will not be scheduled. He can throw and attack after passing between his legs in one move, or he can throw after crossing his legs. If the user is still in a great defensive position, he can choose to attack with any other combo from his attack set or just get up to shoot. It's a very powerful system that we can dynamically update throughout the season and ensures that our AI is never predictable in a one-on-one game.

Another major improvement is the AI pick and roll. In NBA 2K23, the skater knows how to maintain the correct distance from the ball handler and can change the path of rolling to the rim depending on the ball and the way they defend. To complement this, the AI passer was given a much better understanding of open and covered pass lanes, lane-oop opportunities, and high-over-the-back pass opportunities. You'll have to keep track of the shooters coming off the screen in this year's game. The AI is very aware of what shots are available based on defensive coverage, so you'll see AI shooters use different readings to score on pick and roll.

When it comes to managers, dynamic game plans give us flexibility in how the AI plans to attack from game to game. AI Coaches will track performance by looking at Possession Points for Game Types, Standalone Pick and Roll, Standalone Posts, and Standalone Isolation Actions. They will also track mismatch tests for isolation and fasting, as well as mid-range weapon possession and three-point shots.

Instead of predetermining the team's leading scorers and who should get the most offensive possessions, the AI coach performs matchup evaluations before the game, adding more weight to the player with the best matchup. He can also dynamically change the weight throughout the game based on each shooter's performance on the court. If LeBron James has better playability and shoots well, the game plan will go deeper and give more weight to the plays he's most successful at. On the other hand, the AI will also adapt if the main shooter has problems. Therefore, if LeBron has a bad night, he will see that the second and third scoring options will give him more plays.

DEFENSE UPGRADES

We built and rewrote almost all of our major defense systems in the past year. This year, we focused on refining them to ensure the best possible effort. Each phase of our defense game has improved. From Inter-Defense, where we can determine when a ball carrier has gotten up by allowing the anchor to come out of the paint and onto their player, to getting the NO 3-THE setup working as intended. Rotations are sharper and more varied; pick and roll defense is more accurate and intelligent; And this year, players can turn off the drive, pick and roll. We've also refined the individual slice assists to give you more control over your defensive approach setup.

NBA 2K23 also includes performance-based defensive adjustments. In the past, we knew how many points and assists the best attackers had and made adjustments based on that information. However, the adjustments made by the AI had to be general, as it was not obvious how any particular player would rack up this many points and assists. This year, our refactored hit and action engine can track exactly how marksmen deal damage. This engine can figure out post-score scores, off-screen activities, isolates, and whether players are maxed out. You can spot shots on goal against players who like to go down and shoot 3-pointers from distance after a few dribble moves. Each of these scenarios has its own defensive adjustments that the AI will automatically make based on how effectively the marksmen shoot. As a user, with our adaptive engine enabled, these adjustments will be made automatically. But if you want, you can also make your own adjustments using the defensive settings.

The defensive AI is more stingy when it comes to sending help until we know that the opponent can really benefit from a particular opening. So early in the game you might see drastically less help while your teammates wait to see if the opponent can actually use an open lane compared to last year. Of course, he can turn off autocorrects and have his teammates help him out early on if that's how he wants to run his defense.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

This year, you'll see improved gameplay on both ends of the pitch, which should translate to more wins and smoother action. We can't wait for the community to experience this year's game, discover all-new features, and discover the many hidden things we've smuggled into the game.NBA2K23goes on sale September 9, but you can pre-order your copy today!

Now that you've read about all the new gameplay enhancements in NBA 2K23,join our nba 2k community server on discordAnd let us know what you think!