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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Which NBA video game will you buy?

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  • #61
    Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

    you should download the Live demo. It is fun to run the triangle. And Bynum on the Lakers is scary.

    Comment


    • #62
      Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

      Here are some of the meatier features of 2K9.

      None of them excite me, but they all seem solid.

      NBA 2K series fans, prepare yourselves for the 2K Insider because he's going to have a big effect on the future of your favorite basketball series. The mystery blogger/statistician/arbiter of all things NBA 2K will make his first appearance in the upcoming NBA 2K9 as the centerpiece of a new online feature the developers behind the game are calling Living Rosters. We had a chance to get a sneak peek at the Living Rosters feature, chat about the 2K Insider, and get a feel for the new franchise mode in NBA 2K9 during a visit by 2K Sports developers earlier this week.


      The new Living Roster feature will ensure your NBA 2K9 roster is up-to-date based on real-world information.
      First of all, the developers at 2K are entirely aware of the competition. As any hoops gaming fan knows, EA Sports' NBA Live 09 announced its player DNA feature a few months back, whereby in-game player attributes will be updated based on real-life results. 2K understands that Living Rosters might sound like a similar feature, and they're quick to point out its essential differences. The crucial distinction, as they put it, is the "human touch" of the 2K Insider, a hired employee whose job it will be to not just act as the face of the 2K Sports community, but to also have a real impact on the rosters in the game.

      As with the competition, you can expect to see roster and attribute changes when you download a new 2K roster in NBA 2K9, all based around what's happening in the real world. However, rather than update things on a daily basis, 2K devs told us that the plan was to change a roster when it was warranted. Naturally big-time injuries or huge trades will be reflected in the game on a timely basis. What seems to set 2K9 apart, however, is how those changes are made and how much they can add to the gameplay experience.

      The 2K Insider will be able to communicate important news via a blog on the company's Web site, as well as through calling out specific players via an in-game 2K Insider screen that will highlight the latest news and biggest movers in the NBA. In addition, the 2K Insider will be able to affect the stats of players on a regular basis. If Derrick Rose has had a consistent streak of missing from beyond the 3-point line, you can expect to see his 3-point percentage take a hit in the game, courtesy of the Insider.

      But while the 2K Insider can take away, he can also give. If Deron Williams continues his success of last season or O.J. Mayo begins to dominate during his maiden campaign in the NBA, you can expect to see not just attribute bonuses but actual new animations available to that player as the season progresses. These new animation packages will be mo-capped, produced, and added during the course of the season by 2K devs and added to deserving players who have excelled during the season (or perhaps even developed a new signature move). In other words, this is new content developed during and relevant to the 2008/09 NBA season, not merely unlockable animation packages that are already in the game.

      So, this 2K Insider seems like he will have a lot of power over how 2K9 plays after the game is released in October. While developers say that a lot of his judgment calls will be based on his opinion (and thus open to argument from 2K fans), none of the really important decisions (such as for attribute changes or animation package additions) will be made in a vacuum. The dev team and the Insider will all be discussing big changes in the game, whether new animations that make their way into a specific player's arsenal of moves, right down to the smallest attribute change. In other words, don't blame the 2K Insider if your favorite player takes a huge ratings hit; blame the entire development team. Or better yet, blame the real-life player who blows it on the court in the first place.


      Think of the 2K Insider as Stephen A. Smith, if Stephen A. Smith was better-informed and less annoying.
      While the Living Rosters approach to game updates seems like a gamble of sorts, the improvements to NBA 2K9's franchise mode--dubbed Association 2.0--seem like a sure bet. Franchise mode has always been one of the series' strengths and for NBA 2K9, the team seems to be building on those strengths. One of the biggest changes is the look of franchise mode, now redesigned with an NBA.com flair, with lots of dynamically generated news stories filling up the "front page" of Association mode. These news stories can include everything from key roster changes to big-game performances and career milestones, as well as juicier news such as players going public with their team grievances, and a rumor mill that will feature a mix of realistic and unrealistic stories based on what's happening in the league.

      NBA 2K9 introduced player roles and personalities into the franchise mode, essentially a way to gauge how quickly a particular player might express (or repress) his displeasure. For 2K9, a new player attribute--ambition--will work into the franchise mix. Ambition will be measured across three factors: play for winner, financial security, and loyalty. Every player in the league will weigh these three factors slightly differently, and how each of these factors is considered by a player will determine what he or she is looking for from your team. For example, a young player might be looking to make as much money as possible, while an experienced player or veteran staring at the end of his career might want to focus on getting an NBA Championship.

      These player ambitions seem to go a long way toward improving the authenticity of the player signing and trade logic in the game. In the past, it was far too easy to build a dream team of players in the NBA 2K series, because you had first rights toward re-signing any player. With 2K9, a player will field multiple offers and decide on what's best for him based on his ambition logic. Another aspect of authenticity in 2K9: Bird rights, where a team over the salary cap can re-sign its own free agents if those players have played three or more seasons without changing teams in free agency. Essentially, this gives your team the right to exceed the salary cap to re-sign a player, while other teams will have to use salary-cap space to sign him.

      While authenticity is clearly a big priority for the developers at 2K Sports, it's heartening to see that approachability has gotten a nod in Association 2.0 as well. User interface has always been one of the biggest weaknesses of 2K Sports games in general and the menus in the game look to be improved this time around. For instance, player ratings have been consolidated from the numerical ratings across tons of attributes into simple, easy-to-understand grade ratings for a smaller number of attributes (though the numerical ratings are still being used, and can be viewed if you like). In addition, if you want to try franchise but aren't necessarily the next Daryl Morey, you'll be able to automate a ton of different options for your franchise, including lineup management, simulation strategy, prospect scouting, player trading, NBA Draft, training camps, and more. There's also an improved trading screen that makes three-way trades easier to understand, if not pull off.


      Player ambitions will play a big role in how a player reacts to your team's success or failure, especially when it's time to talk contract renewal.
      While the 2K Insider, Living Rosters, and Association 2.0 are big, it's certainly not the entire story with NBA 2K9. The game will also include five-on-five online play for the first time (we hope to get hands-on with this in the near future) as well as little touches like the correct Oklahoma City Thunder uniform and logo (sorry about that, Seattle Sonics fans), improved crowd animations, and more. We'll have more information on NBA 2K9 in the near future; for now, check out an in-depth interview on NBA 2K9's new features with 2K Sports developers Rob Jones and Erick Boenisch on GameSpot's weekly sports gaming podcast, From the Bleachers.
      http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/spor...ml?sid=6197851

      Also, here are previously announced features:

      GAMEPLAY FEATURES

      Shot Stick Advanced - The revolutionary Shot Stick control system takes it one step further, allowing you to change your shots in mid-air.

      Adaptive AI - Adaptive AI will read, react, and adjust in real time to your strategies. Your teammates will initiate cuts, picks, and post-ups based on how you handle the ball, while your opponent modifies strategy to fit the pace of the game.

      The Association 2.0 - The BEST just got even better. With NBA.com, you'll have access to all the latest rumors, trades, scores news stories and more, plus new features like Player Personalities, Ambitions, and Player Roles, a plethora of customizable options, and NEW mini-game drills make this is the deepest and most robust Franchise mode on the market.

      PRESENTATION FEATURES

      2K-HD - Drastically improved facial and skin textures, better uniforms, improved eye movement and more realistic crowd reactions bring the game alive like never before.

      All-New Broadcast Team - Analyst Clark Kellogg and sideline reporter Cheryl Miller join color commentator Kevin Harlan to create one of the most knowledgeable broadcast teams in the game.

      Better Replays & Cut Scenes - End each quarter with enhanced, multiple angle replay highlights, and be rewarded like never before with all-new, true-to-life celebration sequences after you capture the NBA championship.

      ONLINE FEATURES

      NBA 2K Online Features - 2K Sports' industry leading online service gets all-new features like 5-on-5 Multiplayer mode with Total Team Control and a new ranking system--from Bench Warmer to Rookie to Pro to Superstar--that shows you how to match up against your opponents.

      2K Share - Create, upload, and share rosters, sliders, and even players created with the all-new Player DNA feature. This also includes the newly revamped Reelmaker, where you can now direct your own digital video highlight reels and post them on 2KSports.com or your personal web page for all the world to watch and admire.
      http://2ksports.com/games/nba2k9 (This link has some videos of the game as well)

      Comment


      • #63
        Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

        The trailer was fantastic, I can't wait to play as J-Craw...

        And here's the first official look at some gameplay (in HD):

        http://www.gametrailers.com/player/40261.html


        I am very much looking forward to Oct. 7th.

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

          I'm listening to the podcast where they interview the 2k guys, and their improving the player signatures by bringing in not just fluff like custom celebrations for different players, but now they're looking at defense. Supposedly we'll be able to tell just by watching that Lindsay Hunter is a ball hawk, Shane Battier gives up his body, Sheed is great with his hands, etc.

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

            I'm hearing the new AI they've added on O and D will have your computer teammates acting more intelligently and realistically. Like if you're standing dribbling with the ball for a while, a teammate might come set a pick for you. Some will roll, but if it's someone like Sheed, he'll probably fade instead.

            If a player sometimes in real life shows a pick, but sometimes doesn't actually set it and quickly run back to the basket, he might do that.

            Of course, you can always manually command players to do that like normal to your liking.

            Comment


            • #66
              Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

              It sounds like roster updates will be more automated this year, too.

              "We're going to update as needed. If we need two updates in one day, we'll do it." - 2K developer on the podcast.

              The Insider will apparently explain big changes to the players' ratings as well, as well. Nice that it won't just be roster changes, but stat changes.

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                I'm wondering since they've changed the code to where they can add new content to players, such as animations and abilities, if they will change the OKC arena or have the announcers say their team name. I'm doubting it, but you never know.

                At least they'll have the right logo and jerseys.

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                  "If a player has a sweet layup or dunk during the NBA season, we'll probably be adding it as an animation."

                  Interesting how detailed they want to be. Talking about if Derrick Rose, for example, proved to be a big flopper, they'd add that characteristic to him in the game itself.

                  I like how the Insider is supposed to explain all of the changes they make as the season goes along, and apparently it will be possible to respond to him as well. Should be cool.

                  The more I'm digesting this and hearing about it, the more neat it sounds.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                    Lastly for now, something that's big for me as an Association user is being able to automate certain things. I got so tired of having to keep telling my scouts to do their jobs. I'm definitely going to let them handle the heavy load and just reap the benefits of their reporting when I have the time, and tell them to focus as necessary.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                      how does this 24-7 roster changes and game styles effect the dynasty mode..

                      Dynasty is the main reason i play any game... a chance to take the franchise to the Promised Land..

                      if there is a trade in the real world... do they have the skills to make it work in dynasty mode ( only when Applicable, Say Player A is still on Team A )

                      On first glance i'd say NO, but i'd like to hope the game for a first time might release a overight option or password where you can make the change if you desire...

                      maybe i'm being to complicated...
                      Ya Think Ya Used Enough Dynamite there Butch...

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                        I think it might be expecting too much to have the changes infiltrate a dynasty game because you could have been making your own trades or the CPU might be making trades.

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                          Originally posted by Hicks View Post
                          I'm wondering since they've changed the code to where they can add new content to players, such as animations and abilities, if they will change the OKC arena or have the announcers say their team name. I'm doubting it, but you never know.

                          At least they'll have the right logo and jerseys.
                          Originally posted by sniped from your article above
                          as well as little touches like the correct Oklahoma City Thunder uniform and logo (sorry about that, Seattle Sonics fans)
                          I believe NBA Live and 2k had the logos and unis a while before they were announced to the general public.
                          ...Still "flying casual"
                          @roaminggnome74

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                            http://www.sportsgamer.com/content/2...guard-ratings/

                            First ratings out, and apparently this same site will be releasing the rest during next week (so 2-guards will be on Monday).

                            I'm shocked at some of the huge miscalculations here. Baron Davis is overrated and his 3PT rating is absurd... Andre Miller is woefully underrated, even JT is rated higher...

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                              Nice, looks like they made TJ Ford a speed demon with great ball handling..

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Re: Which NBA video game will you buy?

                                NBA 2K9 demo is out. PS3 only for now.

                                It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                                Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                                Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                                NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

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