Arachnotron
Club Supporter
Hi all,
Thanks in advance for reading and taking into account this post.
I have played (and own) every FIFA game since the original in 95. Throughout the years I, as most other FIFA fans, have experienced mixed feelings of joy and anger. As some features, graphics, licenses and inmersion tend to improve every time, there are a bunch of features that get wiped out every year without any reasonable explanation.
I am a PC player. I understand the series has aligned to console objectives in the last 4 or 5 editions. However, I feel this game needs MAJOR revamping of features.
What is very sad is that these features are VERY easy to implement (I am a PC developer) and would not impact on EA timelines. However, I think EA has geared towards simpler, arcade-like football. While this style is acceptable and fun, I think more serious players should have the opportunity as well to satisfy their needs with FIFA games.
Here are the 7 most needed features for the upcoming FIFA game, in order of importance.
1) Better Team Management
There is simply no excuse for not having a better team management. One should be able to:
- Set team formations freely. Current football does not use fixed formations but rather variations. For example, 4-4-2 might have one of the wingers move slightly forward, a defender might be positioned lower in the pitch, etc. The team formation screen should be a FREEFORM formations screen with preset templates but with the ability to create (and save) your formations.
- Set offensive and defensive strategies. I mean USEFUL strategies like offside traps, all-out attack (perhaps with a scale - maybe on the top notch even the goalkeeper would attack on corners looking for that tying goal, etc.), man to man marking with aggresiveness slider (perhaps the only way to stop an attacker is by wearing him down), etc. This is NOT a management game but it should NOT be a "click-and-score" game either.
- Be able to choose who takes a free kick in REAL TIME. We all know all teams have long range shooters (more power), technical shooters (more placement or curve) and it is completely unrealistic that every single time a single player takes all kicks. Same with corners.
- Better tactics. Counter-attack, attraction trap, walls, long-range shots, etc. so teammates actually do something good for once. You should not have to do everything by yourself - that's what teammates are for.
To sum up this feature - don't treat gamers like goal-scoring machines who don't care how the team is set up, what opponent are they playing, what instance is it, pressure, etc.
2. Unrestrained controls
Ok, so we know there are a bunch of people who would rather push a single button to make that perfect pass than to actually calculate and THINK where it is best to place the ball for the running attacker.
What I'm talking about is having responsive, UNRESTRAINED controls for players. If EA decided to give support to arcadeish players, there could be an option for toggling these "advanced controls". However, not having them is just silly. They are:
- Unrestrained ball effect. You should be able to freely curve ball leftwards or rightwards in PASSES, LOBS and SHOTS without restrain. Fifa 99 (I can't remember which one) had this and it was fantastic.
- Unrestrained passes. It is stupid not to have a button for passes in which you can choose direction (360°) and power. Again, if EA wants, the usual "auto-pass" button could still exist.
- Actual controllable shots. The last FIFA incarnations have decided to make the shot button a random button. What exactly are you controlling with the power meter? Height? Power? Likelihood of missing the shot? The power bar should be, well, a POWER bar. You should be able to control curve (see above) and height with other buttons. Also, you should be able to actually miss shots more often and not just drive the shot to the goalkeeper.
3. Dynamic AI
All right EA, we know every time you announce a game you say "improved AI". However, we know this is long from being true. I am talking about both the opponent AND your team's AI. BASIC features it should have are:
- Actually respond to the game's events! This is unbelievable. For the sake of an example, in FIFA 2006 you are losing 2-1 in minute 88 in Pressing mode and yet each time the opponent has the ball your players stand on the pitch comfortably jogging and walking backwards instead of proactively pursuing the guy with the ball.
Another unbelievable situation is in two-legged matches where apparently the AI does NOT know what it has to do to advance. I'm talking about the AI laying back because it thinks it is enough to win 1-0, when in reality you won the first leg 3-0 and thus they need two additional goals. These kinds of things are completely unacceptable.
In short the AI has to be PROACTIVE and respond to your TACTICS rather than floating around the pitch waiting for you to take control. It also has to TAKE INTO ACCOUNT the game's events.
4. Statistics and Simulation Engine
It is STUPID that you cannot see the most important statistics of players, teams, etc. We have had FIFAs where you cannot even see who wins the tournament, league or cup. This is UNBEARABLE. We need a serious statistic gathering engine. You should have the ability, AT LEAST, to see:
- League results by day, game, team. For ALL the leagues. Just because I am playing with Manchester United it doesn't mean I don't want to see results for the A League or even unrelated leagues like the Mexican league. This is a basic need.
- Top scorers, cards, clean sheets, caps, etc. I MEAN TOP PLAYERS BY LEAGUE, not only by team!!! This is perhaps the most ridiculous thing EA has done on FIFA 2005, where you could not see the global top scorer list for the league. ROFL
- Ability to see ENTIRE fixtures both for league and knockout stages of ALL tournaments. Again, you commonly cannot see who is playing who in an understandable format in FIFA games.
Talking about the simulation engine, well, it is amazingly simple. Simulation cannot be based solely on player statistics! The game should take into account previous results, pressure, experience of the players, injured/suspended players, other relevant matches being played at the same time, luck, referee mistakes and yes, also player statistics.
This should also be reflected in having much more detailed statistics for each match (event log with goals, cards, injuries, substitutions, etc.) and even game highlights for each simulated match.
5. Better multiplayer modes
I'm talking about better Direct IP, LAN and EA Lobby modes.
- For some odd reason a certain game developer decided, you cannot play X-players vs the computer in multiplayer since FIFA 2003. Who decided this? It is STUPID - just take out the restriction. If nobody but a few use this mode, then leave it open for the player to decide. It doesn't matter and it does not affect anyone! The same thing happens with X-players vs the computer in league/tournament mode.
- Since when did players decided having multiplayer league/tournament support in-game wasn't cool? Get the support for whole league/tournaments and not just individual matches.
- LAG and disconnection issues. This area was improved in FIFA 2006. But it is unbelievable that the netcode is still so unstable at this moment of time.
6. Rewarding the player
Ok, so you spend 45 actual days playing your team through the entire league, planning, setting strategies, playing, sweating, etc. You win the final in the last minute and you are thrilled. What does the game do? Gives you a crappy 10-second animation (including a crappy 10-second commentary) in which even the animated winners don't seem as happy and the animated losers don't seem as sad.
Moreover, after this stupid animation, the game automatically forces you to go to main menu and you cannot study statistics, see top scorers, watch match highlights, etc.
The game should be much more inmerssive in this topic. It is not the same thing winning a league match than winning the Champions League final! The momentum and pressure is totally different. EA should recognize this.
7. Game Highlights
Personally I think highlights and cutscenes add A LOT to the game experience. I think it was a GREAT move to have the best plays in a reel both in half time and in full time. But...
But the selection of plays is simply OUT OF ANY COMPREHENSION. The game decides that a foul you made as an attacker after losing the ball in their end is a great play. And then your six first-time passing sequence ending on a fake shot and chipping the ball over the goalkeeper does NOT make the reel?
It is unbelievable that EA doesn't even have a SIMPLE criteria for choosing highlights - at least show all goals! Hint hint EA, goals are exactly what soccer fans live for. These should be the features of the highlight reel:
- Show ALL GOALS
- Show ALL shots/headers/etc. hitting the post
- Show the most relevant missed goals, missed penalties, etc.
- Show fouls that end in double yellow cards or red cards, INCLUDING the referee animation showing the card.
- AFTER ALL THESE, show some random fouls.
What difference does it make to show 3 random highlights than to show ALL of them in this order? After all, players who don't like watching the highlights will just skip them.
A final note on highlights. The match highlight reel should be saved and you should be able to watch it later (see above). Also, for simulated games a highlight reel should also be generated.
These are the 7 most important things FIFA needs, in my opinion. I hope EA takes them into account for upcoming FIFA games. As enjoyable as FIFA is right now, it seriously needs these enhancements to breathe new life into the franchise.
Thanks in advance for reading and taking into account this post.
I have played (and own) every FIFA game since the original in 95. Throughout the years I, as most other FIFA fans, have experienced mixed feelings of joy and anger. As some features, graphics, licenses and inmersion tend to improve every time, there are a bunch of features that get wiped out every year without any reasonable explanation.
I am a PC player. I understand the series has aligned to console objectives in the last 4 or 5 editions. However, I feel this game needs MAJOR revamping of features.
What is very sad is that these features are VERY easy to implement (I am a PC developer) and would not impact on EA timelines. However, I think EA has geared towards simpler, arcade-like football. While this style is acceptable and fun, I think more serious players should have the opportunity as well to satisfy their needs with FIFA games.
Here are the 7 most needed features for the upcoming FIFA game, in order of importance.
1) Better Team Management
There is simply no excuse for not having a better team management. One should be able to:
- Set team formations freely. Current football does not use fixed formations but rather variations. For example, 4-4-2 might have one of the wingers move slightly forward, a defender might be positioned lower in the pitch, etc. The team formation screen should be a FREEFORM formations screen with preset templates but with the ability to create (and save) your formations.
- Set offensive and defensive strategies. I mean USEFUL strategies like offside traps, all-out attack (perhaps with a scale - maybe on the top notch even the goalkeeper would attack on corners looking for that tying goal, etc.), man to man marking with aggresiveness slider (perhaps the only way to stop an attacker is by wearing him down), etc. This is NOT a management game but it should NOT be a "click-and-score" game either.
- Be able to choose who takes a free kick in REAL TIME. We all know all teams have long range shooters (more power), technical shooters (more placement or curve) and it is completely unrealistic that every single time a single player takes all kicks. Same with corners.
- Better tactics. Counter-attack, attraction trap, walls, long-range shots, etc. so teammates actually do something good for once. You should not have to do everything by yourself - that's what teammates are for.
To sum up this feature - don't treat gamers like goal-scoring machines who don't care how the team is set up, what opponent are they playing, what instance is it, pressure, etc.
2. Unrestrained controls
Ok, so we know there are a bunch of people who would rather push a single button to make that perfect pass than to actually calculate and THINK where it is best to place the ball for the running attacker.
What I'm talking about is having responsive, UNRESTRAINED controls for players. If EA decided to give support to arcadeish players, there could be an option for toggling these "advanced controls". However, not having them is just silly. They are:
- Unrestrained ball effect. You should be able to freely curve ball leftwards or rightwards in PASSES, LOBS and SHOTS without restrain. Fifa 99 (I can't remember which one) had this and it was fantastic.
- Unrestrained passes. It is stupid not to have a button for passes in which you can choose direction (360°) and power. Again, if EA wants, the usual "auto-pass" button could still exist.
- Actual controllable shots. The last FIFA incarnations have decided to make the shot button a random button. What exactly are you controlling with the power meter? Height? Power? Likelihood of missing the shot? The power bar should be, well, a POWER bar. You should be able to control curve (see above) and height with other buttons. Also, you should be able to actually miss shots more often and not just drive the shot to the goalkeeper.
3. Dynamic AI
All right EA, we know every time you announce a game you say "improved AI". However, we know this is long from being true. I am talking about both the opponent AND your team's AI. BASIC features it should have are:
- Actually respond to the game's events! This is unbelievable. For the sake of an example, in FIFA 2006 you are losing 2-1 in minute 88 in Pressing mode and yet each time the opponent has the ball your players stand on the pitch comfortably jogging and walking backwards instead of proactively pursuing the guy with the ball.
Another unbelievable situation is in two-legged matches where apparently the AI does NOT know what it has to do to advance. I'm talking about the AI laying back because it thinks it is enough to win 1-0, when in reality you won the first leg 3-0 and thus they need two additional goals. These kinds of things are completely unacceptable.
In short the AI has to be PROACTIVE and respond to your TACTICS rather than floating around the pitch waiting for you to take control. It also has to TAKE INTO ACCOUNT the game's events.
4. Statistics and Simulation Engine
It is STUPID that you cannot see the most important statistics of players, teams, etc. We have had FIFAs where you cannot even see who wins the tournament, league or cup. This is UNBEARABLE. We need a serious statistic gathering engine. You should have the ability, AT LEAST, to see:
- League results by day, game, team. For ALL the leagues. Just because I am playing with Manchester United it doesn't mean I don't want to see results for the A League or even unrelated leagues like the Mexican league. This is a basic need.
- Top scorers, cards, clean sheets, caps, etc. I MEAN TOP PLAYERS BY LEAGUE, not only by team!!! This is perhaps the most ridiculous thing EA has done on FIFA 2005, where you could not see the global top scorer list for the league. ROFL
- Ability to see ENTIRE fixtures both for league and knockout stages of ALL tournaments. Again, you commonly cannot see who is playing who in an understandable format in FIFA games.
Talking about the simulation engine, well, it is amazingly simple. Simulation cannot be based solely on player statistics! The game should take into account previous results, pressure, experience of the players, injured/suspended players, other relevant matches being played at the same time, luck, referee mistakes and yes, also player statistics.
This should also be reflected in having much more detailed statistics for each match (event log with goals, cards, injuries, substitutions, etc.) and even game highlights for each simulated match.
5. Better multiplayer modes
I'm talking about better Direct IP, LAN and EA Lobby modes.
- For some odd reason a certain game developer decided, you cannot play X-players vs the computer in multiplayer since FIFA 2003. Who decided this? It is STUPID - just take out the restriction. If nobody but a few use this mode, then leave it open for the player to decide. It doesn't matter and it does not affect anyone! The same thing happens with X-players vs the computer in league/tournament mode.
- Since when did players decided having multiplayer league/tournament support in-game wasn't cool? Get the support for whole league/tournaments and not just individual matches.
- LAG and disconnection issues. This area was improved in FIFA 2006. But it is unbelievable that the netcode is still so unstable at this moment of time.
6. Rewarding the player
Ok, so you spend 45 actual days playing your team through the entire league, planning, setting strategies, playing, sweating, etc. You win the final in the last minute and you are thrilled. What does the game do? Gives you a crappy 10-second animation (including a crappy 10-second commentary) in which even the animated winners don't seem as happy and the animated losers don't seem as sad.
Moreover, after this stupid animation, the game automatically forces you to go to main menu and you cannot study statistics, see top scorers, watch match highlights, etc.
The game should be much more inmerssive in this topic. It is not the same thing winning a league match than winning the Champions League final! The momentum and pressure is totally different. EA should recognize this.
7. Game Highlights
Personally I think highlights and cutscenes add A LOT to the game experience. I think it was a GREAT move to have the best plays in a reel both in half time and in full time. But...
But the selection of plays is simply OUT OF ANY COMPREHENSION. The game decides that a foul you made as an attacker after losing the ball in their end is a great play. And then your six first-time passing sequence ending on a fake shot and chipping the ball over the goalkeeper does NOT make the reel?
It is unbelievable that EA doesn't even have a SIMPLE criteria for choosing highlights - at least show all goals! Hint hint EA, goals are exactly what soccer fans live for. These should be the features of the highlight reel:
- Show ALL GOALS
- Show ALL shots/headers/etc. hitting the post
- Show the most relevant missed goals, missed penalties, etc.
- Show fouls that end in double yellow cards or red cards, INCLUDING the referee animation showing the card.
- AFTER ALL THESE, show some random fouls.
What difference does it make to show 3 random highlights than to show ALL of them in this order? After all, players who don't like watching the highlights will just skip them.
A final note on highlights. The match highlight reel should be saved and you should be able to watch it later (see above). Also, for simulated games a highlight reel should also be generated.
These are the 7 most important things FIFA needs, in my opinion. I hope EA takes them into account for upcoming FIFA games. As enjoyable as FIFA is right now, it seriously needs these enhancements to breathe new life into the franchise.
