NBA 2K26 Offline content: actually good and SDS could learn from it
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To start: I am not saying The Show's offline content is bad. In fact, before this year it was tops out of the major ultimate team modes. It may still be.
But 2K made a few changes that made massive improvements
First, they made Salary Cap able to be progressed offline or online. Its half the rate of online play, but the rewards are the same.
Second, they took their unpopular board game mode and fixed it. Previously the time spent wasn't worth the rewards, where 2 hours spent could get you one main reward. Now you can get up to 5 main rewards, as well as a whole bunch of random smaller bonus rewards that speed up the process
Third, they added an offshoot of this mode where your cards expire after one use. This means you utilize your roster depth
Finally, and this impacts online as well, they added season completion rewards. There are three bosses you can earn by trading in mode completion items. All of the games major modes have these. They are quite grindy so getting all three may be difficult, but it is possible.
And as of now, and this can change, there is nothing online can get that offline can't also earn through gameplay. This should be game design 101 but SDS and so many others absolutely fail at it. Online should have better rewards, and faster access, but not exclusive rewards. That is outdated trash game design that SDS skates around by having all the online stuff sellable (also, cosmetics like the top 1k cards is good design)
Now for competitive gameplay 2K26 is absolutely pay to win. I would advise no one touch that part of the game with a 10 foot pole. the pack odds are beyond atrocious. But you can ignore all that and have access to a lot of content, and have the salary cap mode if you need your PvP fix.
Overall The Show is still the better product, but 2K26 absolutely does offer more for people who want to play more than hour a day offline. Hopefully SDS can adopt some of the non monetary bits to improve their game for offline grinders next year.
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@Teak2112_MLBTS said in NBA 2K26 Offline content: actually good and SDS could learn from it:
To start: I am not saying The Show's offline content is bad. In fact, before this year it was tops out of the major ultimate team modes. It may still be.
But 2K made a few changes that made massive improvements
First, they made Salary Cap able to be progressed offline or online. Its half the rate of online play, but the rewards are the same.
Second, they took their unpopular board game mode and fixed it. Previously the time spent wasn't worth the rewards, where 2 hours spent could get you one main reward. Now you can get up to 5 main rewards, as well as a whole bunch of random smaller bonus rewards that speed up the process
Third, they added an offshoot of this mode where your cards expire after one use. This means you utilize your roster depth
Finally, and this impacts online as well, they added season completion rewards. There are three bosses you can earn by trading in mode completion items. All of the games major modes have these. They are quite grindy so getting all three may be difficult, but it is possible.
And as of now, and this can change, there is nothing online can get that offline can't also earn through gameplay. This should be game design 101 but SDS and so many others absolutely fail at it. Online should have better rewards, and faster access, but not exclusive rewards. That is outdated trash game design that SDS skates around by having all the online stuff sellable (also, cosmetics like the top 1k cards is good design)
Now for competitive gameplay 2K26 is absolutely pay to win. I would advise no one touch that part of the game with a 10 foot pole. the pack odds are beyond atrocious. But you can ignore all that and have access to a lot of content, and have the salary cap mode if you need your PvP fix.
Overall The Show is still the better product, but 2K26 absolutely does offer more for people who want to play more than hour a day offline. Hopefully SDS can adopt some of the non monetary bits to improve their game for offline grinders next year.
No one actually believes this. The pay check must be nice to say this about one of the most money hungry games ever created.
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@Tylerslikewhoa_XBL said in NBA 2K26 Offline content: actually good and SDS could learn from it:
No one actually believes this. The pay check must be nice to say this about one of the most money hungry games ever created.
2K25 was one of the most money hungry games ever. 2K26 isn't out long enough to determine if it will be the same, but 99.99% chance it will be.
But since I don't play competitively online I can safely not care. Let the whales fight it out for their 10K weekly reward. I'll be enjoying the offline content (and maybe the occasional online salary cap game)
Its grindy as hell though. Which for a lot of people is a bad thing.
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The sport of basketball is boring in itself so for that reason the game isn’t appealing enough for me to even bother when they throw it at me for free.
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@fubar2k7_PSN said in NBA 2K26 Offline content: actually good and SDS could learn from it:
The sport of basketball is boring in itself so for that reason the game isn’t appealing enough for me to even bother when they throw it at me for free.
I feel that way about Madden. Football is great, but videogame football, particularly defense, is boring to me.
I'm less likely to watch an NBA game, but its fun to play (both sides of the ball) and translates especially well to co-op.
Baseball is the best of both worlds. Great to watch, translates well. Although the CPU hitting holds it back offline
