An off-day regimen is essential to any young player's growth and possible longevity in the NBA.
That's precisely why NBA 2K16 has put so much effort into building its 'Off-Day' feature. As Dan Indra, part of the NBA 2K development team explains in a recent NBA 2K clip, being a player in the league means more than simply showing up on game nights, ready to play...and that's why 'Off-Day' training is key in constantly improving your character. Think of the function as a complement to the story aspect of the game's My Career mode.
Gamers have 75 levels to upgrade their player with an extra 25 that they could earn by achieving goals in drills — such as shooting tests like 'Beat The Pro: 15 Feet' and 'Beat The Pro: 'Elbows' — during live practice. These drills being part of a live practice have been unchartered territory for the NBA 2K series until this year's installment.
The ability to run your player through live practice drills is enhanced with the random factor of "every so often, you could have legends show up," as Indra explains.
Imagine working on your post game in practice...only for Shaquille O'Neal to drop in and show you the ropes. (Shaq is also interviewed in this 2KTV clip).
Another aspect off an 'Off-Day' is your character's ability to create connections or friendships with other players around the league. Successfully doing so will enable your character to do everything from choose his intro music to make a special game-day jersey selection and more.
Each component is pretty true to life, considering an NBA regular season spans just over seven months, covering 82 games...which means plenty of time to work on your game and build friendships. But to the latter aspect, making too many plans to hang out with fellow ballers could backfire, when, say, an endorsement engagement requires your time and you stand your friend up, as Indra explains.
The same also applies for endorsers, who will aggressively approach you as you complete certain goals. However, they're not too happy when you don't meet their requirements, either.
Spend your time wisely.
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