D
Dauby
Guest
Hello everybody!
As a professional computer journalist and as a player I can hardly believe that EA Sports had done it again.
After reading the topic "the future of the FIFA series" I've been trying to answer why EA is making us all angry about their FIFA-series. Why on earth they are putting the pressure on nothing but visual and audio quality. Maybe its us, users that are taking their offering all wrong...
...I've got so much things to say about this game, that I can fill pages with it (and I will do it in my review for our magazine). EA just have to look around on some elements of their own games, like NHL2001 or the upcoming NBALive2001. If you have played with the latest instalment of the NHL-series you certainly know what I'm talking about: AI, tactics, crowd graphics, in-game action and postgame stats and so on.
I've been a rigourous player of all volumes of the series from the beginning to this last and I simply can't stand it no more that EA keeps on selling us "crap", with unrealistic moves (spinning move, hurdle move and so on, tackling computer players, awesome goalkeepers saving 1000% percent goals and letting in nearly rolling balls), unrealistic stats (my two forwards and middlefield players are always on top of the scorers list by a huge margin), unrealistic weather (will it be dynamic in 2005), unrealistic referees (injuries and blazing fouls are tolerated), with my players doing nothing on the pitch in the terms of defense and offense just taking their position (it's too boring to tackle everybody by yourself and watching your computer controlling defense just standing by the attackers…). With this all new shot-system, we've got nothing but surreal goals in witch balls fly like bullets from a shotgun barrel. And the goalscoring is just all the same, from free kicks you can nearly always finish with an overhead kick - keepers simply can't stop them - and when you're in front of the keeper, you just need to swerve the ball around or hurdle him and so the goal is there. All this world-class thingie is driving me nuts because its too easy with these keepers, its sure tougher in ball-possession and passing because of your static players who hide behind the enemy defense making it unlikely to receive your pass. Stadiums is the next thing…just five of them: they're taking us!
So I'm fed up with the FIFA-series, I was totally nervous last year too, but I've done my review of 87% (from 100%) saying maybe this year will be our saviour. It's not the case and I think I'll barely give it 83% just because of awesome graphics (minus crowd), good music and excellent commentary which is focusing a lot on your team position in the league or teh different cups.
About the tactics, I've got nothing to say, it's fairly correct, but I'm missing my favourite thing what EA had withdrawn from the series: you had the possibility to fine-tune every players field position by drag'n'droppin' him on the pitch.
One last thing about graphics: in the age of 1000 Mhz processors I want the chance to have more options and not automatic LevelOfDetail. This LOD is just silly stuff, look at your players far from the camera, they are just silhouettes not men! They've taken the polygons off'em, the numbers and they're barely recognizable. It's not pretty, if I have the machine I like to have the option to turn this LOD on or off on players. This graphic configuration utility which needs you to exit to Windows is dated stuff without any option at all.
There's no fine tuning of the game, and the guys who've tried NHL2001 know what I'm talking about with all the adjustable sliders making the game of your choice if you prefer simulation to arcade style, because FIFA2001 is nothing but arcade soccer, boys. I want more control on this huge pitch, more movement, more tyring from my men and from the opposition, more AI on defense and goalies. I want simulation with injuries that have names and consequences in team play (NHL-series), so that I must play with my full squad, not the regular 11. I want the AI to make subs, but not only field players, keepers too - it's good to hear it in the commentary but the act of subbing a goalie never produces even when I really shake the opposition with 6 or more goals. Could this be possible? And please, make the opposition use the AI more efficiently, if I can have the chance to play the offside-trap and pressing why on earth the computer never comes up with it???
So, dear EA try to give us THE THING and not just another new edition with little touches on the inside and too much outside showing. We need the real stuff, watch your NHL2001 game and learn from it, and I'm sure your sales will too increase in frenzy!
But until then we can do nothing because "EA has killed" all the other developers…let us hope for a patch that will solve some of these problems.
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As a professional computer journalist and as a player I can hardly believe that EA Sports had done it again.
After reading the topic "the future of the FIFA series" I've been trying to answer why EA is making us all angry about their FIFA-series. Why on earth they are putting the pressure on nothing but visual and audio quality. Maybe its us, users that are taking their offering all wrong...
...I've got so much things to say about this game, that I can fill pages with it (and I will do it in my review for our magazine). EA just have to look around on some elements of their own games, like NHL2001 or the upcoming NBALive2001. If you have played with the latest instalment of the NHL-series you certainly know what I'm talking about: AI, tactics, crowd graphics, in-game action and postgame stats and so on.
I've been a rigourous player of all volumes of the series from the beginning to this last and I simply can't stand it no more that EA keeps on selling us "crap", with unrealistic moves (spinning move, hurdle move and so on, tackling computer players, awesome goalkeepers saving 1000% percent goals and letting in nearly rolling balls), unrealistic stats (my two forwards and middlefield players are always on top of the scorers list by a huge margin), unrealistic weather (will it be dynamic in 2005), unrealistic referees (injuries and blazing fouls are tolerated), with my players doing nothing on the pitch in the terms of defense and offense just taking their position (it's too boring to tackle everybody by yourself and watching your computer controlling defense just standing by the attackers…). With this all new shot-system, we've got nothing but surreal goals in witch balls fly like bullets from a shotgun barrel. And the goalscoring is just all the same, from free kicks you can nearly always finish with an overhead kick - keepers simply can't stop them - and when you're in front of the keeper, you just need to swerve the ball around or hurdle him and so the goal is there. All this world-class thingie is driving me nuts because its too easy with these keepers, its sure tougher in ball-possession and passing because of your static players who hide behind the enemy defense making it unlikely to receive your pass. Stadiums is the next thing…just five of them: they're taking us!
So I'm fed up with the FIFA-series, I was totally nervous last year too, but I've done my review of 87% (from 100%) saying maybe this year will be our saviour. It's not the case and I think I'll barely give it 83% just because of awesome graphics (minus crowd), good music and excellent commentary which is focusing a lot on your team position in the league or teh different cups.
About the tactics, I've got nothing to say, it's fairly correct, but I'm missing my favourite thing what EA had withdrawn from the series: you had the possibility to fine-tune every players field position by drag'n'droppin' him on the pitch.
One last thing about graphics: in the age of 1000 Mhz processors I want the chance to have more options and not automatic LevelOfDetail. This LOD is just silly stuff, look at your players far from the camera, they are just silhouettes not men! They've taken the polygons off'em, the numbers and they're barely recognizable. It's not pretty, if I have the machine I like to have the option to turn this LOD on or off on players. This graphic configuration utility which needs you to exit to Windows is dated stuff without any option at all.
There's no fine tuning of the game, and the guys who've tried NHL2001 know what I'm talking about with all the adjustable sliders making the game of your choice if you prefer simulation to arcade style, because FIFA2001 is nothing but arcade soccer, boys. I want more control on this huge pitch, more movement, more tyring from my men and from the opposition, more AI on defense and goalies. I want simulation with injuries that have names and consequences in team play (NHL-series), so that I must play with my full squad, not the regular 11. I want the AI to make subs, but not only field players, keepers too - it's good to hear it in the commentary but the act of subbing a goalie never produces even when I really shake the opposition with 6 or more goals. Could this be possible? And please, make the opposition use the AI more efficiently, if I can have the chance to play the offside-trap and pressing why on earth the computer never comes up with it???
So, dear EA try to give us THE THING and not just another new edition with little touches on the inside and too much outside showing. We need the real stuff, watch your NHL2001 game and learn from it, and I'm sure your sales will too increase in frenzy!
But until then we can do nothing because "EA has killed" all the other developers…let us hope for a patch that will solve some of these problems.
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