NBA 2K21: This is how artificial intelligence and My Player improves on PS5 and Xbox Series

The new generation version of NBA 2K21 for PlayStation 5 Y Xbox Series X/S go beyond improving graphics, adding new playable features and improvements for consoles next-gen from Microsoft and Sony.

Mike Wang, director de gameplay of the basketball simulator, explained how the artificial intelligence on the court and the customization of My Player have changed.

Changes in artificial intelligence

Regarding the greater intelligence on the court, this has been designed “from scratch”. “Some of these aspects instantly noticeable, and others only the most knowledgeable basketball fans will notice, “explains the designer. The news applies both in attack and defense and they are numerous.

Defending

New switch logic: We have reprogrammed the logic of blocks with or without the ball, and the logic of automatic defensive changes has been refined to reduce bad decisions. There will be fewer cases where the AI calls for a defensive change without a block and leaves a player open.
The Adaptive Training Engine (ACE) is now capable of recognizing and adapting different types of off-the-ball actions, such as open blocks, blinds, from behind and direct ball deliveries.
Improved the logic of CPU defenders when it comes to positioning themselves for offensive fouls.
Various aspects of defensive transitions have been improved.
We have revised the Hedge defense system to improve the placement of the blocks and the selection of the angles.

Now, you can press L1 / LB to call for help on defense instead of asking for a simple two-on-one. This mechanic is very useful to defend the player with the ball; Instead of waiting for the AI to pick the right time to send help, it is now up to you with an action as simple as holding down the button.
Defenders’ logic has been improved to dodge each other when there are obstacles. This enhancement works great alongside the off-the-ball movement changes I discussed last week.

Attack

New Generation Party Plan: A novel feature, which makes players and AI have more specific match plans for their teams. Before, you could choose to play block and follow-up plays with LeBron, but this new system allows the AI to select the best players on the team. So in the case of the Lakers, not only will they block and carry on, but you can choose to have them done only with LeBron and Anthony Davis. There is a new match plan option in the pause menu. Here, players can choose from 8 pre-selected match plans that they can access during the match through the on-the-go training dashboard (ESLM). There are default options already set for each match plan, so the player can choose only one option and have all the important details of that plan available. Here are two examples of the match plans you can choose from:
Center game on star: With this match plan, the ACE automatically chooses the team’s best scorer and focuses on finding scoring options for him through team plays and solo. It also automatically sets the pace and rebound options to suit your star’s playstyle.
Put balls inside: The ACE automatically chooses the team’s best post scorer and is solely dedicated to exploiting that option.

Intelligence to counter the two against one: You will see that the AI moves less and creates more space for shooters behind the 3-point line, punishing the excess of two against one.
End-of-match logic: Improved the AI’s ability to operate the possession clock in end-of-match and over-the-horn situations.
Favorite starter and bench plays: This year we have expanded Favorite Plays so that players can set up one set of plays for the starters, and another for the bench.
Player specific ball plays and blocks have been moved to the L1 / LB button. This was something that a lot of people asked of us, to have quick access to the lock control icon again. Favorite plays have been moved to the crosshead.
Play fluidity and independent style: the fluidity of the plays and the independent style in attack has been greatly improved with the passage to the new generation. In previous 2K, there were a lot of actions that we struggled to run smoothly, but thanks to updates to the logic and the vastly improved motion engine, everything now flows seamlessly in Next-Gen NBA 2K21.
Fixed the issue of AI players being positioned off the pitch.

Pick and roll space: The way to create space has been adjusted, which affects pick and roll plays and clarifies in the dribble penetration. It is much more consistent now, but we hope to improve it further throughout the year, through updates to the AI and the game itself.

What’s new in MyPLAYER

Wang promises that the creator of My Player is now “pure customization” by adding more options. Instead of the “cheeses” with which the avatar ability is adjusted on the PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions, a limited number of points to the various attributes of the athlete. Obviously, you can’t add everything to the maximum, but “you’re going to have a lot more control when it comes to creating exactly the type of player you want to be.”

The insignias and the operation of Domain has been changed. Regarding the former, the favorites will be available, but most have “undergone significant changes” and new ones have been added, while others have been removed and some other deliveries have been brought back.

As to Domain, instead of dividing players into eight Dominion types, there are now 24 such skills. Players will have a primary and a secondary ability to equip (they can be the same). To the have the ball, the main skill bar fills up, and once full, it can be activated or wait for the secondary to be filled as well to activate both. If you wait even longer, you can refill the Team Mastery meter.

You can see all the badges and skills of mastery in the official blog.