MyTEAM 2K18 Dev Blog Associate Producer Peter Cornforth
Wow, its already time to start talking about MyTEAM again. While you were watching last year’s NBA season and playing NBA 2K17 we were hard at work building amazing new features for our upcoming NBA 2K18 MyTEAM mode. There are a ton of new features and content coming this year but I want to start with two all-new game modes we will be adding.
Pack and Playoffs
We knew coming into this year that we wanted to add a draft mode to MyTEAM. It’s something that we’ve been thinking about for quite a while so when we got started designing the mode we had all kinds of ideas from table-top and collectable card games, fantasy sports, and video games. We wanted to borrow the best design elements from each of these and use the framework of MyTEAM 2K18 to create a draft mode experience that is truly unique.
For us, the fun of a pack draft is the excitement of building the best team possible with what you are given. Sometimes the universe throws you all-around superstars and sometimes it throws you role-players and unproven rookies. Those who can adapt to a new play style and change it up based on the cards they are given will thrive even when luck is not on their side. Pack and Playoffs is a new lineup and a new experience every round.
This year in MyTEAM coaches matter more than ever before. All of our modes will use our new system proficiency tech that optimizes teams based on eight different systems. The first thing you will do is open a coach pack and pick a coach for your team. The coach you pick will determine what system your team will run. As you fill in your lineup you’ll want to look for players who are a good fit for the coaches preferred system so that your team runs as efficiently as possible on the floor. Watch for O.G.’s Defensive blog coming soon for all of the details on the new coaching system proficiency tech.
Next, you will continue to fill out your team by opening packs and picking players. You have five player position slots to fill and each choice you makes affects your team’s system proficiency. Once you pick your 5 player squad and make any position swaps you need you’ll be ready to roll.
You will compete in 5 on 5 games against other drafted teams through four rounds of playoffs leading up to the Finals. Each round in the tournament is a best-of-seven elimination. Win four games and advance, lose four and you’re bumped. Each time you advance you will redraft a whole new lineup or you can use VC to hold onto players that are working for you and re-draft the ones who aren’t.
Not only did we bring back the prize boards from MyTEAM Blacktop we added new exclusive players you can’t get anywhere else. There are also special cards that you can pull that will give you an edge on your competition. In addition to that we’ve also added a prize ladder. The further you advance before being eliminated the bigger the prize you can earn. There is even a grand prize for the Finals Champion. The best part is you can draft your team and play all you want for free.
Super Max
The other big change we wanted to make was to our other online play mode. We wanted to create a place where players of all skill levels could come to compete online and take on the world. What we came up with we’re calling MyTEAM Super Max.
Super Max adds salary cap and season gameplay to online competition to create an experience that stays fun, fresh, and competitive all year. Each time a new round starts the salary cap will be updated and you will build the best team possible with cards from your collection under the salary cap.
Here’s the best part. We’ve built a system that adjusts individual card’s cap values based on how often they are used. If everyone is using the same card then the cap value of that card will increase. Some cards could be so popular that their value increases to “Super Max” levels. You will need to think carefully, balance your super stars with role-players, and seek out hidden gems that others may have missed.
Super Max will be a full length 13-man roster online game. To start you will compete in placement matches against random opponents to gauge your skill. Based on your performance you will be placed into a league with others at your skill level. That means whether you are a MyTEAM legend or it’s your first time stepping onto the court every matchup will be fun and competitive.
As you play matches and win games you can claw your way up through the leagues earning prizes at the culmination of each round. Grand prizes will be awarded for your combined performance in each round at the end of every season. Be careful though, you can also lose points for a loss. In Super Max every game matters so show up ready to play.
Coaches
We’ve added a new card type this year called Strategy Cards. Strategy Cards can be played during timeouts and add temporary bonuses to your point of emphasis for a short amount of time. When you are in a tight situation you can call a time out, set your P.O.E., burn a strategy card, and go light your opponent up on the floor.
Coaches also have gem level colors and rarity from Bronze all the way to Diamond this year. Depending on the level of your coach you will be able to bring more Strategy Cards into each game and get a bigger boost multiplier when you burn them.
Schedules
For those of you that wanted more offline content this year we definitely have you covered there too. This year we are adding Schedule Challenges to our challenge mode. You will play through a 30 game schedule for each of the 30 NBA teams. Earn MyTEAM Points and prizes as you work your way through 900 unique challenges based on the 2017-18 NBA season schedule. These will all be available day one.
All-Time Domination
But wait, that’s not all. For all of you maniacs who can dominate every NBA team and every Historic NBA team we have even more offline content. 33 All-time lineups comprised of the best players in each franchises history. Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Jerry, Kareem, Wilt…talk about a super-team.
Auction house
This year we’ve made some updates to the auction house as well. We’ve made our auction house real-time so you will now see your auctions up just moments after you post them.
We’ve also added reserve bidding. Now you will be able to set a maximum bid price you’re willing to spend and we will incrementally increase your bid to keep you in the lead until your reserve price is reached.
Also, new to the auction house this year are stacks. You can now sell stacks of 20 consumable items like shoes, badges, and contracts rather than posting each one individually.
MyTEAM Goals
This year you will unlock prizes just for exploring and playing the mode. We’ve introduced MyTEAM Goals which will guide you through your entire MyTEAM experience from exploring the menus on your first day all the way through completing each game mode. If you’re ever not sure what to do next just open up your goals menu.
Collections Menu
We’ve added a ton of new cards to the game mode this year and we have even more planned for release later in the year so to help you sort through all of the cards we’ve improved our collections menu. Now you can jump straight to the collection you’re looking for without having to page through every other collection to get there. You will just select the collection and select the team or collection icon and, boom, there you are.
Dynamic Duos
Dynamic Duos are coming back and this year we’re adding even more duos than last year. We’ve also added a quick reference for Dynamic Duos cards that will allow you to quickly look up a Dynamic Duo partner. Just highlight one half of the duo and bring up the Dynamic Duo guide again. As a special bonus the Legend Gold edition will come with not only a Ruby Heat Shaquille O’Neal but will also include a Ruby Heat Dwyane Wade that boost your Shaq to Amethyst level when they share the floor!
Other awesome stuff
This year you’ll be able to replace badges you apply to a card. If you decide you want to make a change you can now replace any of the custom badges you’ve already added with a new one.
Shoes can now have up to 5 attribute boosts. We’ve added hundreds of new shoes and colorways each with a unique combination of boosts.
We’ve upgraded our main menu to include progress tracking for all of our play modes all in one place. You will be able to check out your next Domination match-up, your challenge tokens, and see when the next MyTEAM Super Max round starts all in one dashboard view right on the main menu each time you enter the mode.
…and so much more awesome to come.
Those of you who have played MyTEAM before know that launch day isn’t the end of our content it’s just the tip-off. This year will be no different. Stay tuned to our social media channels to stay up to date with new pack releases, promos, events, challenges and more.
NBA 2K18 MyTEAM mode is adding so many new features, new game modes, and new content it’s shaping up to be the biggest MyTEAM we’ve ever done. Launch day is right around the corner so I need to go back to helping the most talented and dedicated team of artists, producers, and engineers I have ever worked with finish up all of the final touches that will make this the best MyTEAM experience ever.
