Re: NBA Live 19 - The trailer, the ONE & more

NBA LIVE 19: LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILD YOUR SQUAD

In this article, we’re focusing on the brand-new concept of being able to Build Your Squad. This gives you the ability to completely create your own squad, recruit NBA players and legends, and take on your friends and other competitors along the way to fight for global dominance. I caught up with Game Developer Ryan Santos to talk about the inspiration behind some of the developments in the game’s newest mode.



Your Squad Against the World

“What we're doing in 19 is, allowing you to build your squad,” said Santos. “Not only can you compete in The League and The Streets, but whether or not you’re in the streets, you'll also be able to go around the world now as we extend the courts out to different global courts where you’ll be able to recruit players that you play against and compete with, then form your squad as you go from game-to-game, court-to-court, and country-to-country.”

A lot of what the team has tried to mimic is the style that many role-playing games have set forth in terms of creating an online party-style mode. This is a mode where, not only can you play against friends, but you can actively try to one-up and compete for bragging rights. While the majority of global courts are yet to be released, this seems to give a nostalgic feel similar to the classic EA Sports’ NBA Street franchise.

“I worked on NBA Street back in the day, and I played all those games growing up so there’s definitely an aspect of streetball that is just core to any basketball fan,” Santos began. “It’s where you grow up playing – in a driveway, on a streetball court, on a playground – and so, we started a few years ago, introducing these authentic venues and these authentic streetball courts or Pro-Am leagues into the game because we wanted to bring that core love for the game and experience for the game into NBA LIVE.”


Do the Shammgod!

The amazing part – aside from being able to do streetball moves like the Shammgod dribble – is that you can do all this while competing for rank and prizes. A number of NBA LIVE 19’s Live Events will be centered around this concept of building your squad, and you’ll get to do so in the most interactive way possible, where you really may only have one or two chances to pick up a certain player and add him to your team.

“Last year, we could just reward you player gear, cosmetics for your player,” responded Santos. “What we’re doing this year is really upping that rewards system to include other items that could be a player that you recruit if you play against them in this special challenge.”


While Build Your Squad is the newest feature to hit NBA LIVE 19, it seems like it’ll become an instant hit with a number of LIVE players. The staple that is pick-up basketball is something that runs so deep in the culture of hoops, at any level, that it’s so important to have that reflected in a video game. Whether you squad up with your friends, or you look to take them on with a group of your hand-picked starting five, NBA LIVE 19 gives you the freedom to create your own legacy.

-Rahul Lal (Follow Rahul on Twitter @rlal95)

NBA LIVE 19: INTRODUCING THE NEW ICON SYSTEM

In this article, we’re diving into the Icon System that NBA LIVE 19 will be instituting in the upcoming game! Last year, we all stressed out over which Playstyle to create our player in the mold of, to make sure we could become The One. This year, NBA LIVE 19 is creating an even more authentic, all-encompassing system to progress and enhance your players to make them both realistic and dominant. The Icon System was created with the intention of providing gamers with wider strategy options and providing more meaningful depth in the game’s most marquee, and customizable, mode.


A Fully Customizable Experience

In NBA LIVE 19, you can change your game up to model some of the greatest who have ever touched the hardwood by incorporating the skills, abilities, and personalities of current and retired stars. If you want to lead your teammates like Magic Johnson, you can. Say you want to make the other team suffer after a turnover, get out on the break like Russell Westbrook. You can. Want to be a dominant paint presence? You can – just add in some elements of former Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo’s game to your own and become a menace down low. With the new Icon System, all of this possible.


General Player Progression Path

In NBA LIVE 19, you’ll progress down Icon Paths that give you unique ability upgrades, skill boosts, and even exclusive gear associated with that Icon. Let’s break down the progression path of developing your player:

• Icon System
• Trait System
  1. New Traits (approximately ten with three tier levels each)
  2. Better ways to level-up and upgrade Traits

• Skill System
  1. Better balance
  2. Swappable Icon Skill

• Signature Ability System
  1. Three unique decision points for upgrading your Signature Ability
  2. Swap your Signature Ability on-the-fly by switching your Icon

Icon System Terminology

In addition, each Icon contains the below, which add extra individuality.

• Icon Ability: Exclusive gameplay boost that can only be experienced by equipping the Icon.
  1. Example: Magic Johnson gives teammates a shooting boost when he passes to them.

• Icon Skill: A particular Skill that is only available within a Playstyle by equipping the Icon.
  1. Example: Russell Westbrook is the only Slasher with a Dunk skill path.

• Icon Boosts: Rating boosts, which are specific to an Icon.
  1. Example: Example: Dirk Nowitzki gets Post Move boosts, but other Stretch Fours do not.

• Icon Unlocks: Animation, gear, and boosts that are only unlocked by playing with an Icon.
• Icon Path: A Levelling path that includes all upgrades and unlockable items.
• Icon Ability Upgrades: Found on the Icon Path, these are three decisions to signify how you want to upgrade your Icon Ability.

Traits and Skills

Traits and Skills have largely stayed the same. stemming from five Playstyle Skills, one Hero Skill, and three Traits, and here they are:

• Two Primary Skills, which have the highest skill caps (95)
• Three Secondary Skills, which have a lower skill cap (86)
• One Hero Skill, which has an intermediate skill cap (88)
• Three Trait Slots, which contain Traits that can be swapped out before and after games

What Does This All Mean?

So, let’s put this into context and take an example from the game! If we take a look at the Slasher Playstyle, you’ll notice two different Icon Abilities highlighted by the skillsets of popular players. For Slasher, you can choose between The Beast (Russell Westbrook), The Answer (Allen Iverson), and The Spark (who is . . . hey now, we’re not giving you all the spoilers). You can begin by choosing your Icon Ability, then take a look at the Skill and the Boosts.



For Russell Westbrook, you’ll get the Dunk Icon Skill, several boosts that affect both sides of the ball, and even physical boosts touching on speed and stamina. If you choose to play with Westbrook, you get the special ability that enhances your speed and finishing at the rim after a change of possession.

Now, let’s run through the same progression for Allen Iverson! By playing with The Answer, you’ll get the chance to see increases in your ability to beat defenders off the dribble, make tough-to-hit step backs, and also have a higher finishing rating. Where Westbrook had a Dunk Icon Skill, AI’s skill stems around his steal ability. That leads to unique, personal skill boosts in other categories on both sides of the ball for his skill boosts.

When we dive further into Iverson’s skill progression Icon, the next step is looking at the Icon Paths. Essentially, you can now unlock unique content by playing with a specific Icon. Each Icon has their own path divided by bronze, silver, and gold tiers. Within each tier, you’ll get five rewards created by the XP earned, which contain different prizes such as attribute boosts, accessories, moves, and the final reward will always be an upgrade to the Icon Ability itself.

Let’s analyze another NBA legend like Dikembe – in the following screenshot, you’re looking at the Silver Tier decision point where you get to choose between two options that affect the opponents shooting percentages when activated. In Option A, you’ll be able to increase the radius for how close the player needs to be for this ability to take effect. In Option B, you’ll be able to impact how much of a penalty the opponent will get to their shot percentage. Because of this level of customization, you’ll be able to truly make a unique superstar that encompasses the best traits of several talented legends.




What Other Icons Are there?

Look, we’re not ruining all the surprises! You’ll have to wait for the full list. But a few of the Playstyles that will be available consist of Slasher, Wing Shooter, and Rim Protector. As you’ve already seen, there are three Slasher styles offered, then there will be three Wing Shooters, and two Rim Protectors. As we get closer to launch, we’ll reveal more Icons and Playstyles, as well as the player archetypes that you can play with! No matter if you want to play as a Guard, Wing, or a Big, you’ll have the chance to level and advance your players in the most unique ways possible. As you progress in the game, you can decide just how you want to have your player control the flow of the game.

-Rahul Lal (Follow Rahul on Twitter @rlal95)