Monday Tip-Off: The Habit Basketball Gamers Can’t Break
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with a look at the habit that most basketball gamers struggle to break.
By now, many of the basic concepts and mechanics in basketball video games are well-established. That familiarity allows experienced virtual hardwood gamers to get acclimated with new titles swiftly, and in turn, enjoy them sooner. To that point, when there are major changes to an aspect of the core mechanics, it’s far more likely that the initial impressions will be negative, or at least mixed. Sometimes this is because the changes that have been implemented failed to improve upon the previous concepts. Other times, it reveals our inflexibility regarding certain habits.
There’s one habit in particular that I believe most of us have trouble breaking. It’s not entirely our fault, of course. Basketball video games encourage us to make habitual use of this mechanic. It represents a core aspect of playing the sport, and allows us to perform advanced moves. We’ve always had to be careful about how we use it, as its short-term benefits are balanced by finite availability and long-term drawbacks. As sim games in particular have become even more realistic and sophisticated, overuse of this mechanic has been exposed as a bad habit. I am of course referring to sprinting – or turbo, as it’s also been called – and our tendency to constantly move at top speed.
I could probably write an entire Wayback Wednesday retrospective on the importance of sprinting and turbo controls in basketball video games. When you go back and play a really old basketball game that doesn’t have a sprint control, you’ll notice the impact immediately. Its absence is a key factor in early titles not holding up as well as some of their successors, generally being very slow-paced with all of the players running at the same speed. That lack of an ability to have a quick burst of speed makes driving tedious, with defenders sticking to their man like glue. Arcade games like the original NBA Jam often do have sprint controls, and thus they hold up much better as a result.
Of course, give us the ability to move faster around the court, and we’re going to want to do that a lot; or, to be honest, constantly! And so, to add a sense of strategy and/or realism, basketball games have meters that prevent us from holding down the sprint or turbo button, and running about at top speed indefinitely. This goes hand in hand with a separate fatigue meter, which will drain faster the more often we sprint or use turbo, at which point our players’ abilities decline. As advanced dribbling controls have been added, they’ve also come to impact sprint and fatigue meters. Because turbo/sprint also doubles as a modifier for more aggressive moves, it can also result in more fouls.
These are simple concepts we all know about, yet they’re so important to account for and implement properly. Furthermore, even though we know that we can’t hold down sprint/turbo constantly without disadvantaging ourselves – more immediately when a meter runs out, or over the course of a game as our players are more fatigued – we still overuse it out of habit. It’s hard to avoid the temptation of moving as fast as a player can run, with or without the ball. We want to break ankles with the most advanced dribbling moves, using modifiers. In arcade games, many of us like to shove to get steals. Most of us won’t think to let off the gas when we’re driving hard to the hoop.
Our tendency to charge towards the rim like a bull at a gate is a great example of how we misuse sprint/turbo. If we’ve already drained the sprint/short term fatigue meter in the process of getting to the hoop, a player won’t have the energy to finish effectively in the paint. Constant use of sprint/turbo will also lead to more attempts at finishing with a dunk. Not only will this exert more energy leading to quicker fatigue, but an aggressive finish isn’t always ideal. Sometimes, it’s more effective to get to the rim with a burst of speed, but then pull back for a more elusive more and finesse finish. It’s tempting to go for dunks though, feeding into the habit of constantly sprinting.
For the most part, our habit of overusing sprint/turbo doesn’t hold us back from having success on the virtual hardwood. I’d suggest that games are designed with this habit in mind, especially arcade titles. However, some games have definitely been harsher in their penalties for trying to sprint too much. Recent NBA 2K games have made a point of discouraging careless overuse of sprinting and spamming dribbling moves. Instead, we’re encouraged to save our energy for quick and timely moves, or situations that involve more exertion, such as sprinting on the break or attempting a chasedown block. The feedback on this approach has revealed our sprint/turbo habits.
That’s not to say that the results out of the box have been perfect, and that some post-release tweaks weren’t in order. However, these changes to sprint and fatigue meters revealed that we are prone to constantly sprinting, and many people would rather the games allow that than change their habits. I can certainly understand, because I’m as guilty of it as anyone else. When I’m bringing the ball up the court, whether locked to my point guard MyPLAYER or controlling a real NBA player, I’m sprinting in order to get into the frontcourt as soon as possible. You’ll want to do that to avoid an eight second violation, but players will tire quicker than normal by always going full blast.
Again, the developers are clearly aware of this habit, and have endeavoured to find a balance that ensures challenge and realism, without compromising the fun. As with any other aspect of basketball video games, the task of finding the right balance that pleases the majority of the userbase is easier said than done. It’s interesting to revisit different games and see how generous or harsh they were about frequent sprint/turbo usage. As you may be aware, I’ve been playing a lot of NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4 recently. Constantly sprinting (or using the sprint control’s modifier functions) drains the meter very quickly. It also refills rather slowly, placing you at a disadvantage.
Indeed, noticing this in comparison to other basketball video games I’ve been playing lately, and my attempts at curbing the habit, are what prompted me to write this very article. NBA 2K17, another favourite that’s returned to the rotation in recent months, also discourages careless use of sprint. It’s extremely easy to pick up charging fouls in NBA 2K17; perhaps a little too easy, with the officiating being somewhat generous to defenders. However, out-of-control sprinting will increase the likelihood that you’ll be whistled for an offensive foul, which is only fair. There were too many questionable calls though, so it was the right move to cut down on charging fouls in future games.
As I said though, I’ve been making an effort to use sprint and turbo controls more judiciously. It’s allowed me to avoid committing fouls when attempting to fight through screens in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER. In sessions of NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, I have more energy to get back on defense after a turnover, or jump for a block. That’s not to say that I avoid old habits without fail. They’re hard to break, because again, the benefits of sprint/turbo have great allure. We want to leave our man in the dust, soar for thunderous dunks, and when there are no fouls in play, send opponents flying with a big shove. When a strategy works, we’re bound to repeat it.
In attempting to conserve my sprint meter more effectively, I’ve also paid attention to some of my other virtual hardwood habits. I have a tendency to perform a behind-the-back dribble when bringing the ball up the court. It’s not even an elusive move most of the time; it’s just a habit. To put it in perspective, I glanced at the Tendencies for my MyPLAYER in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER, and noticed that my tendency to perform behind-the-back dribbles was 100, compared to the average of 26 among point guards! My size-up and dunking tendencies were also significantly higher than average, indicating other areas where I was making frequent use of the sprint control.
While it leads to moments of frustration – again, achieving a desirable balance is vital – ultimately, I do like this aspect of basketball video games. In the sim genre, it’s an element of realism that games need. We often talk about players who only make an effort at one end of the floor, perhaps saving their energy on defense in order to score more easily. Even though players like Richard Hamilton and the late John Havlicek were renowned for their ability to play heavy minutes and never tire, they weren’t running flat out every second they were on the court. The best athletes still need to pick their moments, and it makes sense that their virtual counterparts must do so too.
Even in arcade titles, which obviously toss realism out the window, we need that balance and challenge. It also facilitates power-ups such as unlimited turbo – a benefit that is granted in NBA Jam when you are “On Fire” – affording useful temporary boosts that can swing the momentum of a game. When gaining such a power-up, our habit of overusing turbo naturally works to our advantage! That is the time to just hold down turbo, dashing all over the floor, shoving opponents to clear them out at both ends, and racing towards the hoop for high-flying dunks. The key is to break the habit and return to sensible turbo usage once your fire runs out, or is extinguished.
However, it’s also imperative that games not only punish us for bad habits with our sprint/turbo usage, but also reward us for a more careful and strategic approach. This would incentivise us to change the way we play, rather than demand that the games are changed accordingly. This also means that players can’t feel like they’re plodding and running in mud when we don’t sprint. When players feel heavy and slow, we’re even more inclined to constantly sprint, just so the pace of the game is enjoyable. Slow-moving players and unforgiving sprint meters are a bad combination. While we still need to work on our habits, those are valid complaints about a game’s design.
Needless to say, this isn’t the only habit that we basketball gamers have. It’s one that has persisted through multiple generations and technological advancements, though. It makes sense. At its best, basketball is a fast-paced game with dazzling moves and displays of athleticism. That explosiveness needs to be represented on the virtual hardwood too, and when we’re in control of these amazing athletes, it’s tempting to go all-out, all game. For games to be balanced and/or realistic, we need to be challenged with limitations to sprinting. As long as those meters drain and refill fairly, it’s on us to take our foot off the pedal once in a while, and moderate our speed effectively.
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