Interview with Brian Nichols of Fast Break Pro Basketball 3
February 26th, 2013 - Brian Nichols, aka Heavyreign, has been making basketball games for years. His newest effort, Fast Break Pro Basketball 3, is on the verge of release (you can currently download the beta version and play it to your hearts’ content.) Furthermore, you can give him feedback, on the GreyDogSoftware forums.
I have long been entranced with his college product, Fast Break College Basketball, and wanted to pick his brain regarding his latest work.
John Comey (GM Games): What have you found to be the most difficult part of making FBPB3?
The tough thing for me has been finishing. I've stopped and started so many times and each time you start up again it takes time to figure out where you were. The original code for the historical database was done in 2004 or 2005. The game has seen three different interfaces. The whole issue with the Sonics being sold to Clay Bennet and moved to Oklahoma City actually killed my interest in the NBA for a couple years. When I started working on programming again in 2009 it just made sense to me to work on the college game instead because I was still frustrated with the NBA.
John Comey (GM Games): Is there something about making this game that has changed you as a fan or developer? Is there any chance that any of these changes will find their way into future games?
The amount of statistical data available around the internet has gone up dramatically the last few years. One of the biggest things for me has been the data about how much players shoot from the different zones on the floor. This has been a huge help in making the engine more realistic. When I start working on the next version of the college game I'll need to make similar changes.
John Comey (GM Games): How close is FBPB3 to the ideal basketball game out of the box, in your opinion?
What I'm shooting for is a game that is fun for as many people as possible. The ideal game for me might be something like Football Manager with basketball and I've got a lot of work to do reach that point. I'm someone who feels like there is always more that could be done so it isn't really possible for me to look at the state of one of my games and be satisfied.
John Comey (GM Games): What feature has surprised you the most?
I've had a ton of fun playing around with the historical mode. I've spent a bunch of time just starting up the league in a certain year and then watching to see what happens.
John Comey (GM Games): What feature hasn't lived up to your hopes or expectations?
I'd hoped to get more done with the foreign leagues. Really this whole section of the game could've been the basis for a new release all on its own.
John Comey (GM Games): What is atop your to-do list, in terms of future features?
Long term one of the major goals will be expanding on what I've offered with the option to run leagues all over the world at the same time. There are competitions between teams from multiple leagues like the Euroleague so I'd like to build towards adding those. From there you can get into international competitions like the Olympics. These things help the universe feel more alive.
John Comey (GM Games): We live in a community that seems to predicate more in immersion. Have you adjusted your approach to your games, either philosophically or in terms of actual development, as a result of this? Basically, how have your own thoughts about what your games should be aligned with what your market has sought?
What makes a game immersive is different for everyone so I try and add things that appeal to different people. The print screen option was a big help for people who write about their own dynasties. The historical database would make the game more interesting to people who are interested in the history of the game. The customization options are big for people who want to create their own world or possibly mimic a system that is already in existence. Another big thing was making it possible to run multiple leagues at once. Just having a larger game universe means there are more stories out there to follow. Football Manager is a very immersive game for me and very deep but you have to be careful about what you add. Added depth can also mean added busywork that is less fun.
John Comey (GM Games): The one thing I see in other games, that I have yet to add, is...
The big thing these days seems to be a 2d or 3d display of the action. I'm not sure if that is something I'd ever want to attempt however.
John Comey (GM Games): What sets you apart from other developers? What sets FBPB apart from other games?
One thing I've heard from people is that I am more open to feedback than most developers. I've added small things that it is possible only matters to one person but if it won't make the experience worse for everyone else then I have no problem taking a little time doing that.
As far as the game, the big thing for me is customization. If you get bored with one format the possibility is there to mix it up.
John Comey (GM Games): I know that the creation of FBPB has been a difficult process, from a personal standpoint (as you've spoken about the issues you've gone through in the past). What has been the most satisfying aspect of making this new game?
Honestly, the feedback I got when I posted the first public beta has been a huge boost to me. I actually had it ready for close to a week before I posted it but I was nervous about what the response would be. It has been such a long process and I wasn't sure how I would handle it if the feedback was massively negative. It probably says something about the various issues I've been going through that I considered that to be a possibility. I've been kind of conditioned to expect the worst. It kind of goes back to the first FBCB. I think I started living alone for the first time in my life about a month or two before FBCB was finished. I made a game that I enjoyed playing. I'm sure it didn't come near the type of sales that Jim (Gindin) or Markus (Heinsohn) likely get but I was happy with it. The initial feedback was good but there was also a ton of drama going on at the time. A big thing was the whole issue with Joe Stallings trying to negatively influence a review of FBCB. My frustration with what was going on at the time combined with the issues with living alone resulted in me staying away from text sims for a while. It didn't really sink in for me how much fun people had playing the game until several years later when I was reading though the main thread for the game at FOFC.
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Preview of Fast Break Pro Basketball 3
Hall of Fame Potential? A Quick Look at FBPB3
February 23rd, 2013
I’ve finally had some time to sit down and play the Fast Break Pro Basketball 3 (FBPB3) demo. This is a game I’ve been looking forward to ever since Grey Dog Software announced it, which already feels like ages ago.
I’m not sure what’s going to happen first: a Led Zeppelin reunion tour or the actual release of FBPB3. I’m not sure if the senior citizen version of Zeppelin would be worth the wait. Judging by the demo, FBPB3 probably is.
3 Cool Things:
• Everything you would want in a basketball sim appears to be in this game. That sounds overly simplistic, but it sums the demo up perfectly. The groundwork for an awesome game is built. Let’s see if the full version fulfills the potential displayed by the demo.
• The game is easy to navigate. The menus and design aren’t as pretty as Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3, but they feel more practical. I don’t have to pause and think about where I need to click in order to get to where I need to go.
• It doesn’t take long to get immersed in your basketball world. The easy-to-navigate screens make it simple to access and read about everything happening in the league. I can only imagine how much more immersive the game will be once some photo sets, logo packs and other user mods are created.
Play-by-Play and In-Game View
3 Things I Wish Were Different
• I wish there was a career basketball sim with a coaching mode where you could actually call plays during games. You can call individual plays in Action PC Basketball, but that’s a single-season replay sim.
• I’m not a fan of the colored squares on the player rating’s screen. I forget what each color stands for and it drives me nuts.
• Editing the depth chart should be easier. You have to highlight a player, then click a “move up” or “move down” button get him where you want him. There should be a drag-and-drop or dropdown menu option.
3 Final Thoughts
• The first rule of career sims: Don’t judge them on the demo. I purposely didn’t discuss the realism of the game’s stats, trade logic or other AI factors. I know the developer is still tweaking a few things in these areas and we should reserve judgment until the full game is released (For the record, nothing stood out as egregiously off).
• The historical aspect of FBPB3 will make it an all-time great, or just another fun game. The demo allows you to play the 2012-13 season, and that’s it. The full version is set to have complete rosters and ratings for every player and team going back to 1946 (at no additional cost). If that portion of the game runs smoothly and is as cool as it sounds, this game could end up in the career sim hall of fame.
• A few misc items to finish up: 1) Importing draft classes from FBCB2 was easy; 2) The game developer has been great about answering questions and providing support on forums here and here; 3) No release date has been announced, but it sounds like we’re getting close. Check back here for a full review once the game is available
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Review - DDS College Basketball 2
Review of Draft Day Sports: College Basketball 2
Coaching in college is a lot of work. But it can also be very rewarding.
December 8th, 2012
Why anybody would choose to coach college sports over professional sports is mind-boggling.
I realize most college coaches would jump at the opportunity to coach in the pros, but there are a handful who choose not to. Those coaches are crazy.
I suppose there is something to be said for being the king of a campus instead of just another pro coach that has a slim chance of lasting more than a few years. But look at how much more work coaching in college is!
• Recruiting. Forget about game-planning and scouting your opponent. A good chunk of your time is visiting the inner-cities, suburbs and farmlands of America, trying to convince 16- and 17-year-old kids to come play for you.
• Homework. You have to worry about your players flunking out of school. Can you imagine if Phil Jackson had to keep on Jordan and Rodman to do their homework?
• Athletic Directors and Boosters. The boosters are paying for your fancy new practice facility and the athletic director is a bureaucrat with a PhD.
I think you get the point. Coaching in college is a lot of work. Tedious work. But it can also be very rewarding.
All of that is captured in Draft Day Sports: College Basketball 2 (DDS: CB2).
Staying Busy
As soon as you dive into DDS: CB2, you will be busy. You need to know that before starting. Otherwise you will get overwhelmed.
This isn’t a game where you can just adjust your gameplan a bit, pick up a few players with high star ratings and watch the season unfold.
Once you create your coach and get hired by somebody, you start right up with summer travel to camps held throughout the country. You need to learn a bit about each camp, consider the cost to attend, and pick the one you think best meets your needs.
Sure, it’d be nice to attend the Indy Elite Camp, but would it be smarter to attend a cheaper camp and use your recruiting budget elsewhere? (Going broke early in the recruiting process is a bad strategy, by the way.)
Once you decide which camp to attend, your schedule really gets hectic.
Recruiting
This is where the real work starts. When you first open the recruiting screen, you might just stare at it for a while, trying to figure out where to start. It can be daunting, but once you get the hang of it, you start to develop a system and some strategies so you don’t feel so overwhelmed.
The entire country is at your fingertips when you recruit. Want to pursue the No. 1 kid in the country? Go ahead. Want to focus on your own state? That’s not a bad idea. Want to mine a certain region of the county? Also doable.
Build your program .. Get recruiting!
Of course, your strategies depend on who you’re coaching. If you’re a top-ranked program like Duke or North Carolina, you’ll be chasing the top recruits. If you’re a tiny school that few people have heard of, you’ll be wasting your time if you recruit the top guys instead of focusing on players in your own state or region.
Of course, recruits don’t decide if they want to play for you right away. You need to stay in touch by putting them on your call list, inviting them to campus, and monitoring their interest. Eventually, depending on how well you do in the courting process, they’ll sign a letter of intent or tell you to buzz off.
I’m not going to explain every last detail of how recruiting works because that would take too many words. If you’re looking for a game with a fair recreation of what actual recruiting probably feels like – the highs, the lows, the excitement, the disappointment, the work – this is the game for you.
If you don’t want to be consumed by recruiting like a real-life college coach, you should probably find a different game.
Presentation
I’ve always found it difficult to make a connection with players in college sims. There are thousands of players from hundreds of schools with all kinds of ratings and stats that you have to sort through to find guys you might want to recruit. It can feel like combing through a spreadsheet.
DDS: PB2’s presentation does as good a job as possible of helping you get to know a player so he doesn’t just feel like a giant glob of text and numbers.
Each player has a face photo. His ratings and stats (and there are a lot of them) are organized in a way that makes sense and is easy to read. If you want to add a player to your call list, watch him live, watch him on film, pay him a visit, etc., you can do that easily with one click from the player information screen.
Player Card - Huskers Shooting Guard
The theme of this review so far has been how much work being a college coach is, especially recruiting. It’s also a lot of work in DDS: CB2, but the game’s presentation makes that work a lot more fun than it otherwise would be.
Gameplay
While everything you do off the court is in-depth, rewarding and very real, on the court leaves you feeling a little empty.
DDS: CB2 suffers from the same thing as its counterpart pro game suffers from: Once the actual games start, you’re pretty much relegated to being a spectator.
Yes, you can set your overall team strategies, depth charts, rotation grids and all that. You can even adjust your strategies during each game, but there are no options to call specific plays on a possession-by-possession basis. It’s frustrating because the game feels so hands-on off the court that you want it to feel just as hands-on on the court.
You want to have the option to control each possession so you can really make sure your recruiting and game-planning strategies pay off. Instead, once the games actually start, it kind of feels like a letdown.
Some players might like the more distant approach to the actual games. I guess that’s a personal preference. But it’d be nice to at least have the option to immerse yourself into each game with specific playcalling.
Final Word
If you’re looking to dive headfirst into all the ins and outs of being a college basketball coach, this game is more than worth your time. The depth and realism of recruiting is amazing and the all the other little things that represent the good and bad of college coaching are well-represented.
If you get scared off by in-depth player research and daily grind type of activities and would rather just call plays during a game, you might want to look elsewhere.
Everything that makes DDS: CB2 great will likely scare some people off. It’s very realistic, probably too realistic for some. Not everyone is going to be patient or dedicated enough to do the work required to recruit and maintain a successful program.
Those who do want to put in the time will appreciate the game’s presentation and immersion making their jobs more enjoyable.
Official Download - DDS: College Basketball 2
Operating Systems:
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GM Rating |
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Total score out of 10 |
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Gameplay Recruiting is deep and realistic. Stats and results are realistic. There are plenty of stats and ratings to pore through. The only thing lacking is in-game strategy and playcalling. |
8.0 |
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Customization |
6.0 |
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Replayability As long as you have the patience to keep plugging away, you will always find yourself coming back to this game. Something the game feels like work, though, which might force you to take a break for a while. |
8.5 |
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Online |
? |
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Presentation |
9.0 |
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Overall GM Games Score |
8.0 |
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Review - DDS Pro Basketball 3
Review of Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3
Could a Basketball GM sim revolution be on the horizon?
November 8th, 2012
Stats and analytics aren’t just for baseball nerds any more. The geeks have made their way into basketball.
Due to its endless statistics and 162 games worth of data, baseball has traditionally been the sport that was the most popular in the text sim world. With analytics and stats now taking hold in basketball front offices and the hoops blogosphere, could a basketball GM sim revolution be on the horizon?
If it is, one of the games leading the charge will be Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3 (DDS: PB3), the latest offering from Gary Gorski at Wolverine Studios.
DDS: PB3 features a completely revamped user interface, artificial intelligence, contract rules and the introduction of season disks that allow you to start with a full league history and import draft classes.
The second version of Gorski’s pro game was excellent and more than filled my need for a fun, realistic and challenging NBA sim. I recently started playing the third version, so let’s take a look at how it stacks up:
Great Look
The first thing you notice after firing up DDS: PB3 is how great the game looks. It’s the GM sim version of a picturesque painting that hangs on your living room wall.
I don’t play GM sims for fancy pictures and graphics, but man, when the game looks good, it really ups the immersion factor. The studio-type setup during the draft and office-type of layout during the season really sucks you into DDS: PB3 and makes it easy to connect with your team and individual players.
Everything is laid out well, too. There’s a lot to do in this game, and it’d be a major hassle if you had to click 10 different times to do certain tasks. Thankfully, you don’t have to. It might take you a little bit to figure out exactly what you have to do and when you have to do it, but once you get your bearings, getting where you need to go is simple.
Playing the Game
Ok, so the game looks good. How does it play?
The short answer is very well. Statistics are realistic and it feels like you’re getting a very real-world simulation of professional basketball.
The first thing I noticed is improvement in the play game screen. I thought playing your games in the second version was a little clunky, but thanks to the new gameview mode, playing your games in DDS: PB3 is much smoother. Stats, play-by-play, subs, strategy options and the court are either all on your screen or just a click away.
One thing I would like to see added is the ability to call specific plays or call for specific players to try and score. For example, for each possession, I’d like to call for the ball to be dumped into the post to Dwight Howard, or simply select Kobe Bryant if I’d like the offense run through him on a possession.
It wouldn’t always have to work out as I call it, but I think that option would make the user feel like they have more control over the game. I like to feel like I have the power to actually execute some of the strategies that form in my head.
You do have some control over what your team does in-game (defensive sets, offensive sets, subs, etc.), but it could be a little more specific.
Solid AI
Want to try and trade Michael Beasley for a first-round draft pick? Not going to happen. The AI is strong and difficult to trick.
When simming games, sometimes I question why certain players shot so often or don’t shoot enough. Having a play-by-play log for each game would help simmers better understand the why and how of each contest. But you’re not completely powerless in what your players do, either.
If you choose to control your team as a coach in addition to being a GM, you can set your philosophies to favor fast breaks, jump shots, zone defenses, crash boards, etc. You can also run certain types of offenses.
If you think Derrick Rose is shooting too many 3s, you can call him and tell him to stop shooting so many 3s and drive more. He might even listen to you.
Navigating the NBA’s financial system can get a little tedious, but the game offers the option for a simplified system if you don’t want to deal with the ins and outs of Bird rights and the luxury tax.
Play-by-Play and In-Game View
Digging Deep
Basketball is a simple game. You take a ball, you shoot it in a hoop, you run down the court and try to prevent your opponent from doing the same. However, there are all kinds of intricacies that take the simplicity of the game itself and make it much more challenging.
DDS: PB3 captures this. The game feels really simple from a basketball-sense, but forces you to think beyond just finding five guys who are good at putting a ball in a hoop.
I feel like I have the most success in DDS: PB3 when I either a) develop an overall philosophy and acquire players that match it, or b) change my philosophy to match my players. You can’t just cobble together five guys with overall ratings about 3.5 out of 5 and think you’ll win.
Ratings matter, and not just the overall rating. If you find yourself only looking at the overall rating, you’re going to get burned. You need to build a team with players that complement each other in order to be successful.
A strategy that I use is trying to always win the points in the paint battle every game. That means I favor shot blockers and strong defenders in the front court and a point guard and/or small forward who likes to drive to the hoop. I supplement this with a 3-pointing shooting specialist off the bench and a defensive specialist.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, putting a ball in a hoop sounds simple, too. But it’s not.
Final Word
DDS: PB3 is the best professional basketball GM sim I’ve played and likely will only get better when Gorski starts releasing season disks that incorporate the full history of basketball.
Realism, immersion, easy-to-navigate and easy-on-the-eyes screens and menus, stats, and challenging AI, it’s all here.
It’d be nice to have a little more control over the in-game action and some additional data to pore over after each game. More options for customization would also probably attract more players. Those faults are hardly deal breakers, though.
Basketball GM sims might not ever reach the popularity of baseball sims, but who cares? It’s pointless to compare the two sports, anyway.
DDS: PB3 is an excellent GM sim. Period.
Official Download - DDS: Pro Basketball 3
Operating Systems:
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GM Rating |
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Total score out of 10 |
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Gameplay Whether you're watching games play out live or simming straight through, the stats are realistic, strategy adjustments matter and the action is easy to follow. More in-game control and a play-by-play log would be useful. |
9.0 |
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Customization |
6.5 |
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Replayability This game never gets old. There are always new challenges to undertake and the beautiful look of the game mean you won't get bored. The replayability of this game will likely go closer to 10 as more season disks are released. |
9.1 |
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Online |
? |
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Presentation |
9.4 |
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Overall GM Games Score |
8.5 |
Discuss DDS Pro Basketball 3 in Forums
The 2012-13 Season, As Told By Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3
November 6th, 2012 - The 2012-13 NBA season, arguably the most intriguing and anticipated season in well over a decade, kicked off last week. I admit, I'm much more into this season than I have been since the late-90s. The me-first generation is gone, replaced by a collection of the most diverse talent the league has ever seen. It is truly a global game now; the NBA has become our version of the Premier League. We are truly living in a wondrous time, if you're a basketball fan.
Not only do we have the most talented league in decades, but we also were handed a gift from the heavens on the eve of the season. Of course, I mean the James Harden trade. How often do you, as a fan of any sport, get such a conversation topic right as the season starts? I cannot think of many stories that carried the weight of the trade, nor the amount of questions that arose out of it.
It was like Christmas in October.
I then had a thought: Why have there been no season previews? Why have there been no simulations of how the season may go? We have a perfect program with which to run such a what-if scenario.
And so, for your reading pleasure, I bring to you:
The 2012-13 Season, As Told By Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3.
The Preview to the Preview:
Eastern Conference:
1. Miami: The defending champions still have the Big 3 and the best player in the world. This cannot be hyperbole. LeBron deserves it. Add in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis' ghost to the bench, and it's obvious to see why they are the frontrunners. I have to admit, I'm interested in seeing Norris Cole this season.
2. Philadelphia: So they have Bynum. They also have Nick Young. I don't know what to make of this development. I don't buy them as the second-best team in the conference (I believe that's Boston, hands down), but we'll see.
3. Boston: They have the young bucks on the bench, though I'm surprised to see Jason Terry starting. Granted, the game doesn't account for his desired role, so Courtney Lee comes off the bench. How will Jeff Green and Avery Bradley fare? They are the keys to this season.
4. New York: Makes sense. The pieces are all there. If Amare can stay healthy, and Carmelo can prevent himself from becoming 'Melo, this team can be dangerous. I wonder who will get the bulk of the minutes at the backup PG spot: Pablo Prigioni, Iman Shumpert, Jason Kidd's mummy, or starting PG Ray Felton.
5. Brooklyn: Andray Blatche. They're screwed. Want to see the Teletovic kid play.
6. Chicago: The sleeper. By that, I don't mean "what Vladimir Radmanovic does during the game".
7. Washington: They have rebuilt themselves from laughingstocks to also-rans quite quickly. I look for them to be the newest in a long line of Razor Ramons...they are the NBA equivalent of the wrestler that looked kind of menacing, but could never get over The Hump. Most recently, this was the Atlanta Hawks.
8. Milwaukee: Intriguing team, ready to be sabotaged by two guards who will continue their season-long game of HORSE during the games themselves. Oh, and Drew Gooden.
9. Atlanta: Their 2012-13 Slogan is, "Hey, we're rebuilding! Come play 'Where's Anthony Morrow'!" Fans whiter than Kyle Korver get in for free.
10. Toronto: Landry Fields decided not to get steady run in New York so he could sit next to Dom McGuire in Toronto. Shouldn't that have been a tip to Toronto about his decision-making?
11. Indiana: Obvioiusly, losing Darren Collison *really* hurts. This is way too low.
12. Cleveland: ....and we're back on track.
13. Detroit: They have a breakout feel to them. That is, until the rest of the league catches on to their plans of slowly turning Tayshaun Prince into a zombie, and unleashing him on the league.
14. Charlotte: They have MKG and Ben Gordon. On the flip side, they also have Tyrus Thomas and Ben Gordon.
15. Orlando: Andrew Nicholson not getting minutes of Hedo Turkoglu is preposterous. Yup, I'm on the Magic bandwagon this year. It's quite roomy...I can stretch out.
Western Conference:
1. LA Lakers: Don't buy them. They have two legit crazy guys on their team, along with Metta World Peace. Meanwhile, Steve Blake is going to miss chunks of time while he's off filming "Breaking Bad". This spells disaster for the Lakers.
2. Utah: I have to admit, I'm pulling for the e-version of Terrence Williams. Out of the Williams Family Trio that Utah has, I like him the most. Marvin and Mo gang up on him, give him wedgies...it's okay, Terrence. I'm rooting for you! By the way, do Utah residents think Gordon Hayward is one of them?
3. Denver: They will lead the league in shot-clock violations...not because they'll be inept offensively, but because they have seventeen guys who prefer the assist to the shot itself. And Javale McGee. He reminds me of that Sesame Street song, "One of these things is not like the others, one of these does not quite belong..."
4. Oklahoma City: I would imagine, with Harden, they were the favorites. With Kevin Martin getting the minutes now, they slide to the four spot. I still think they're better than anyone else in the conference.
5. San Antonio: I coached high school basketball in PA when DeJuan Blair was at Schenley High, along with DJ Kennedy (who played big minutes at St. John's) and DeAndre Kane, who played at Marshall. Kane led the NCAA in technical fouls last year with seven. Just thought you might want to know.
6. Minnesota: There's a joke in a Family Guy episode where they cut to the Legion of Doom. This is how I imagine the Wolves' locker room. It's either that or a Rocky IV montage involving Kevin Love holding a befallen Brandon Roy, while Andrei Kirilenko looks over him, saying, "If he dies, he dies." That will lead to video montages that will end with Love and Derrick Williams hugging awkwardly in short shorts on a beach in Santa Monica. Wait, that's Rocky III. Damn.
7. LA Clippers: I feel like Grant Hill and Lamar Odom are secretly engaged in a tug-of-war for Caron Butler's soul. He could really go either way here. Eric Bledsoe, my guitar gently weeps for you. You'd start on at least a third of the teams in the league...and you're behind Chris Paul. I hope you get traded.
8. Dallas: Meanwhile, OJ Mayo is about to have his Matrix moment. He can either become a Dirk disciple, or become more like Shawn Marion, minus the defense. One is more successful, one is more fun and less filled with awkward German humor. Decisions, decisions. I expect Elton Brand to blow up huge here.
9. Memphis: They're too low to me. Then again, their bench is really weak. Jerryd Bayless, Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington? Darrell Arthur is promising, but...Hamed Haddadi? Really?
10. Sacramento: If a team plays in Sacramento, and nobody goes to see it because of inept ownership, does anyone give a damn about Tyreke Evans?
11. Golden State: Way too low. This is one of the deepest teams in the league, in terms of what-if scenarios. I think I'm on the Golden State bandwagon here, too...they could average 140 a night. And give up 140 a night. They will be the most fun team in the league to watch, hands down.
12. Phoenix: I have no idea what to make of this group. I'm not sure they do either. They're a United Nations of unused potential. Meanwhile, Luis Scola will suffer multiple concussions from bashing his head into the basketball supports.
13. Portland: I'm waiting for Nicolas Batum's heel turn, where he lays out Damian Lillard and pulls off his jersey to reveal a "I'd rather be in Minnesota!" shirt underneath. You know you're waiting for this, too. If you're Ronnie Price, you're already scheming this, too.
14. New Orleans: Lots of potential...doubt much of it will be realized this year, though. Will be interesting to see Anthony Davis get a triple-double based on rebounds-steals-blocks.
15. Houston: I don't buy this, either. They have quality parts...Harden and Lin alone should propel them up a few spots. Patrick Patterson is underrated. I love Royce White. Chandler Parsons is quality, too.
Since this is my preview, I'll offer my own little predictions.
Top seed, East: Miami
Top seed, West: Oklahoma City
Eastern Finals: Miami over Boston
Western Finals: Oklahoma City over Denver
MVP: LeBron James
ROY: Anthony Davis
All-NBA First Team: Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Andrew Bynum
All-NBA Second Team: Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard
Biggest surprise: Golden State
Biggest disappointment: Philadelphia
Oklahoma City's record: 58-24
Houston's record: 33-49
Follow more of our 2012-13 NBA Season Dynasty Blog using DDSPB3
DDSPB3 2013 Rosters Released
November 1st, 2012 - Gary Gorski of Wolverine Studios has distributed his newest major release for Draft Day Sports - Pro Basketball 3. Some of the major changes of version 1.3 include a complete update of rosters for the 2012-2013 season. This includes the James Harden trade to the Houston Rockets.
In addition, Wolverine Studios has enhanced the AI logic on how they behave with restricted free agent offers. Graphics have also been improved for scoreboards.
To stay up to date on Basketball simulators, visit our forum and be prepared for a review of DDSPB3 from GM Games in the near future.
Discuss DDS Pro Basketball in Forums
If there's a text sim, I've probably owned it
When I broke open the box with Randy Johnson on the cover and installed the Sierra Sports classic, I played it like you were “supposed to” play sports video games, meaning I mashed buttons on the keyboard and played arcade style. To my 16-year-old mind, the game didn't seem all that different from RBI Baseball on the NES or World Series Baseball on the Sega Genesis.
Then one day – and I can’t remember why – I started using the simulate game option instead of the usual button-mashing. The family computer wasn't the fastest machine in the world, so it still took an hour or so to sim a couple weeks of games, but I was fascinated.
The stats were realistic. Transactions resembled real-life. Righty/lefty splits and player ratings actually seemed to matter. From there, I discovered the fantasy draft option and – despite taunts from my brother -- became hooked on GM sim-style gaming.
I eventually discovered an early version of Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) and became instantly addicted. I can’t tell you how many hours I wasted in college playing OOTP. A 10-page paper due in two days? Eh, I’ll sneak in a few games of OOTP before getting started.
Four hours later, I’d be lucky to have 10 sentences of my paper finished, but it didn’t matter because my stud first-baseman in my OOTP world was well on his way to the home run crown.
Along the way, I also discovered games like Front Office Football, Fast Break Basketball, Eastside Hockey Manager, Dave Koch’s Action PC Games and many, many more GM sims that ended up occupying way more of my life than they should have.
I still have a hard time explaining to people why I’d rather simulate a game on Out of the Park Baseball instead of play one out on PS3's MLB: The Show. Maybe text-based GM sims are something you have to experience on your own before fully understanding what they’re about and how much fun they can be.
Sideways looks from my wife and blank stares of confusion from my friends haven’t deterred me from continuing to dive deeper and deeper into the GM sim world. I’ve lost track of how many GM sims I own. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, golf…heck, even pro wrestling and horse racing. If there’s a text sim for it, I’ve probably owned it at one time.
I’m going to mainly focus on basketball here at GMgames.org. Basketball recently underwent a bit of a stat nerd revolution and numbers and metrics are becoming a bigger part of how players are evaluated. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with my interest in GM style hoops games, but I think it means only good things for the future of the genre.
I look forward to interacting with everyone, answering questions, diving deep into discussions, and maybe even arguing every now and then. There are a few upcoming or recently released basketball games to discuss, so be on the watch for my first review.
Finally, don't be shy. If you have a topic you'd like me to discuss or a hidden-gem of a game, let me know I'll gladly look into it.
Discuss (If there's a text sim, I've probably owned it) in Forums
Discuss Basketball Simulators in Forums
DDS: College Basketball 2 Released
Oct 3, 2011 - Wolverine Studios has released their version of College Basketball. DDS: College Basketball 2!
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