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NBA Live 99 Wishlist

The NBA Live 99 Wishlist was compiled using the suggestions of the NLSC Team and fans in the community. It was submitted to the production team on December 10th, 1997.

Top 10 Wishes

  • Put ALL focus on the AI and the Realism and try to make it as intelligent and real as possible, esp. on the more difficult levels
  • Make sure the computer opponent distributes his shots fairly, i.e. stop center and point guard dominance
  • Spend A LOT of time playtesting and don’t rush the game out
  • Enhance the GM Mode by introducing Salaries and the Salary Cap option with all its rules, 10-day contracts, free agency etc.
  • Add a Slam Dunk Competition
  • Add polygon player introductions of the starting five on the courts just like in the NBA, i.e. first the bench players come in, then it gets dark, laser show starts, starters will be announced with court depending music (if possible, use the Bulls announcer Ray Clay for that)
  • Add ability to see sideline crowd, commentators, coaches (walking and shouting) and bench players (all with emotions on the game)
  • Make the presentation more like in NHL 98, e.g. second commentator, intelligent crowd, different sounds for different arenas
  • Add possibility to select the Length on which the Stats for other teams are calculated, i.e. you play 8 minute quarters but the stats for other teams are calculated for 12 minute quarters
  • Try to get Michael Jordan in the game (it’s about time :))

Gameplay/AI/Realism

  • Put ALL focus on the AI and try to make it as ‘intelligent’ as possible, esp. on the more difficult levels. Currently there are too many stupid out-of-bounds dribblings and standing-around on the court scenarious. In general, try to make the Simulation Mode really what it says and clearly distinct between Arcade and Simulation.
  • Simulation Mode must have:
    • Decreased influence of Turbo Button, e.g. let it wear out fast
    • Increased difficulty and lower fg percentage
    • More fouls must be called
    • More realistic dunks
  • Arcade Mode could have more ‘unrealistic’ stuff like people dunking all over the place, higher fg percentage etc.
  • Above all, make sure the computer opponent distributes his shots fairly, i.e. stop center and point guard dominance
  • Spend A LOT of time playtesting and do not be satisfied until absolutely nobody will take 50 shots per game anymore like they do now (On realism in general: When you match up the computer against itself, the numbers should resemble a real-life box score instead of breaking a dozen NBA records)
  • Further improve the Auto Subs, e.g. when you’re way behind or in front of the other team, put the Starters out and the Bench Players in, also to get a more realistic rotation
  • Improve the AI in the final minutes, especially intentional fouls
  • Make players do more ordinary layups and dunks instead of too frequent fancy moves
  • Do not make Injuries and Flagrant Fouls depend on each other; a Flagrant Foul can happen without an Injury and Injuries can happen when landing after a dunk
  • Players should be able to dunk or lay-up without run-up from very close distance instead of jump shooting.
  • Introduce new ratings to give more realistic control over dunks so that for example Luc Longley can’t do any 360s
  • Improve the ability to the computer controlled players on the user’s team when the ball is loose on the floor, e.g. after a rebound or check
  • Stop players from getting hot and launching many shots over a short period of time
  • Allow dribbling and shooting with the opposite hand
  • Reduce wrist slap fouls
  • Enhance the dunk animations so that the players actually touch the rim and the ball
  • Reduce the stopping of players to catch a pass on a break
  • Add lead passes
  • Add ability to get off shots with 0.2 secs left on clock, which is the least possible amount of time to get off a shot in real life
  • Add signature moves
  • Add tie-up and jump balls
  • Add a hotkey to call Timeouts
  • Add possibility to argue with/insult/punch/kick/fight opponents/refs so that there will be technical fouls
  • Add ability to have players dive to the floor after loose balls
  • Add opportunity to disconcert FT-shooting opponents using the crowd

Before the Game

  • Add polygon player introductions of the starting five on the courts just like in the NBA, i.e. first the bench players come in, then it gets dark, laser show starts, starters will be announced with court depending music (if possible, use the Bulls announcer Ray Clay for that)
  • Add an Option to make adjustments (Strategy, Team Settings etc.) before the game, i.e. not having to go the Tip-Off and press ESC then
  • Show ALL information on the players, i.e. birthdate, birthplace, etc.

Stats Engine

  • Bring back the Leaders Stats Screen
  • Allow option to keep track of ‘Record Books’ to mark season-high and Career-high performances
  • Bring back ability to sort stats by each category in game stats screen
  • Bring back option to sort shot display by quarter
  • Bring back the information window for each shot in the shot display
  • Add more statistics, e.g. Tendex Ratings

Artwork/Presentation

  • Add ability to see sideline crowd, commentaors, coaches (walking and shouting) and bench players (all with emotions on the game
  • Add polygon cheerleaders and mascots to the sideline
  • Add ability to see refs run and actually make hand gestures on calls
  • Add ability to see subs walk in and off the court
  • Make the presentation like in NHL 98:
    • Add a second commentator who gives some facts about certain players and teams (try to hire Bill Walton)
    • Improve the color commentary, e.g. use players’ nicknames
    • Make a combination of Arena Announcer and Play-by-Play Commentator
    • Add Individual player stat-recaps during the game, i.e. FG’s Made, FG%, etc. both for the current game and career
    • Show more Stats and Facts during the game, e.g. Bench Scoring, Leading Scorers, etc.
    • Improve the “Current Run” feature so that it will not only be displayed when there’s a xx-0 run, but also a xx-2 or so
    • Show a scoring flowchart
    • Have the crowd react more to the gameflow, at the moment it makes no difference whether you’re behind or in front
  • Add an ‘intelligent’ crowd, i.e. if you’re not doing well in the season the arena will not be sold out
  • Add more sounds like an organ player, also add specific sounds for different arenas
  • Add even more crowd chants
  • Have the Players calling out the plays audiably
  • Make the players react to the situation in the game even more:
    • Grunting, shouting
    • “Not in my House” Finger wiggle
    • Players “Hi-five” or do the “Chest-bump” after a facial dunk
    • When a player makes a nice assist, have the finisher who scored point to the dude who threw him the ball (Like “nice pass”) randomly
  • Make the courts even more authentic, try to use the real arenas like in NHL 98 and court depending music
  • Make the names on the back of the jerseys bigger
  • Use Shawn Kemp for motion-capturing the Dunks
  • Enhance the look and realism of the players, e.g.: – add different face expressions – add different shoes – add more accessories like elbow bands, tattoos, knee pads – add more hairstyles, e.g. Afros
  • Make the backboards crash when heavy people like Shaq make a slam and hang on the rim
  • Add crowd excitement in the stadium after winning the championship at home, with confetti, noise, crowd rushing the floor, etc.
  • Add a Doom-style first person camera view

Quarter Break/Halftime

  • Add an option to notgo back to the game directly between quarters, but dropping to the “Pause” Screen instead to make substitutions
  • Add Half-time updates including scores from around the league and highlights from the current game, maybe show the ones that the user saved during the game
  • Add Polygon-based cheerleaders and mascots instead of the videos which you’ll only view once anyway
  • Display player stats in substitution screen (like in NBA 97)

Season/Playoff/GM

  • Enhance the GM Mode by introducing Salaries and the Salary Cap option with all its rules, 10-day contracts, free agency etc.
  • Add Pure Coaching Mode which for example could let the user call plays when the CPU controls both teams
  • Add ability to play any quarter you length
  • Add possibility to select the Length on which the Stats for other teams are calculated, i.e. you play 8 minute quarters but the stats for other teams are calculated for 12 minute quarters
  • Have computer teams attempt to initiate trades both with your team and other computer teams
  • Add an end of season draft
  • Add a training camp
  • Put “NBA Playoffs” and “NBA Finals” logos on the floor
  • Add a Player Of The Week and a Player Of The Month and present more awards like the Playoff and Finals MVP
  • Recalculate the Players’ Ratings based on seasonal progress, i.e. FG, FT and TP shooting
  • Have the Team stats carry over to a new season (97-98 stats carried over to a new 98-99 season)
  • Allow the CPU to make trades and FA signings for its teams
  • Let players have real slumps during the season
  • Let the players have real minds, for example like a dialogue box popping up and a player demanding to be traded

All-Star Weekend

  • Add a Slam Dunk Competition
  • Turn the All-Star Game in a Season to a true All-Star Weekend complete with slam dunk contest, three point shootout and the $1.000.000 Half Court Shot
  • Add a $1.000.000 Half Court Shot
  • Add a Rookie Game

NBA Rules/Realism

  • Improve the injured list so that it is possible to have less than 12 players on the active rosters even with players on IR
  • Extend the injured list to more than 3 players (which the NBA can allow in certain cases) or add a suspended list
  • Add 10 second free throw rule
  • Add illegal isolation and offensive screens rules
  • Add TV timeouts
  • Add 20 second timeouts
  • When a player is fouled and injured in the process, you should be allowed to select a free throw shooter
  • Improve illegal defense calling
  • Add opportunity to select a player for a throw-in

Player Creation/Custom Teams/Rosters

  • The feature that the rosters are rearranged by the CPU after making a trade or releasing a Free Agent should be optional as it can be very annoying
  • Have the announcer try to pronouce the names of the created players, i.e. by letting the user pick any first and last names that are already in the game
  • Add ability to record your own sound files
  • Add option so that players on the Custom teams wear their own teams home and away uniforms as the rookies do in the Rookie Game
  • Allow to edit the user stats for a player when he creates someone with Years Pro greater than 0
  • Have a dialog box come up and allow a player’s number to be changed when a player gets traded
    and his jersey matches the same number on the team trading to

Misc. Stuff

  • Add ability to play over the Internet, either using a built-in solution or Kali/Kahn/Multiplayer
  • Try to get Michael Jordan in the game (it’s about time 🙂
  • Add ability to change uniforms and All-Star Game courts
  • Add 1-on-1, 2-on-2, and 3-on-3 games, this could be accomplished by a special option that allows less than 8 players on the team
  • Add fun and interesting hidden codes
  • Add ability to save ALL settings in the User Log, i.e. the Crash Boards Option, Box Out, etc.
  • Improve the coding to make the game run fast without needing a super high-end machine
  • Add a Pause Key which only pauses the game without dropping back to the Pause Screen
  • Add great teams from the past, like the ’93 Bulls, the ’83 76ers, and an All-Time East Team and an All-Time West Team plus the Dream Teams
  • Add ability to create your own Offensive/Defensive Sets
  • Add more locations/courts from all over the world, e.g. McDonald’s Open in Paris
  • Add a practice mode
  • Add an ‘Emotion’ Rating
  • Add a ‘Boss Key’ that takes you back to the Desktop instantly

German Version

  • Add Frank Buschmann and Michael Koerner from the German Sports Channel DSF as the announcers and commentators, the current German commentary is the worst in the Series yet; it sounds like they’re reading directly from the paper 🙂