So Sick Of EA's Random "Difficulty" Coding

[Sami 1999]

What has become of us...
I hoped we will never see the day when we'll consider using the pirated version because it's better than the original but that day arrived in my opinion with fifa 17.
I wish I could refuse buying the game in september but it's part of me, having bought every edition since 2004 I think and is that feeling just before the release and the joy when you play it for the first time plus the hope it's better than last year. Ofcourse, the frustration after a while is imminent.
I bought pes almost every year since and do not have the same feelings.

With Google pushing streaming console, I think after 10-20 years, every game will become a stream service. Which will suck ass because that means you don't have control over your game anymore, heck you wont even have your game forever if devs decide to stop their service. And no mods.

But I think that's what they will do eventually, aka death to modding which would be death to Fifa for me.

 

[bangus]

That's weird. Did you try opening the exe file instead of launching it from Origin? See if that works.

I will check if update gets forced on me next time there's an update for Fifa 18.

It seems to happen when I accidentally try and start Origin without my internet connection on. It then asks me to log in, and of course I can't because the Internet isn't on. When I realize the issue, I switch my Internet back on and then start up Origin again. But then it's too late. Origin seems to have determined my game isn't properly registered or something, and blocks me from launching the game until I update.

 

[bangus]

But I think that's what they will do eventually, aka death to modding which would be death to Fifa for me.

We're getting close to that day now. Modding isn't much more than cosmetic now, adding kits faces etc. Game play mods on the other hand do very little to improve the game compared to a few years ago.

Any way to download the original, release day exe only? Maybe that could work as far as trying to get back to the original version.

 

[bangus]

BTW the women's game play is FAR superior to the men's. Better animations, and much slower overall as the women players have real weight and momentum. Very close to the game play feel of the original men's game, before it was patched. It's the weight and momentum in the men's game that EA has systematically eliminated via their patches this year.

I created a test file with just women on all teams in the game. I'm actually very happy with it, I haven't used the men in almost a month. While it would be nice to have the option, I honestly don't need to revert back to the original game at this point. For anyone who wants to try my women-only test db:

http://www.soccergaming.com/index.php?threads/fifa-18-questions-thread.6459588/page-7#post-6505503

 

[Sami 1999]

We're getting close to that day now. Modding isn't much more than cosmetic now, adding kits faces etc. Game play mods on the other hand do very little to improve the game compared to a few years ago.

Any way to download the original, release day exe only? Maybe that could work as far as trying to get back to the original version.

I don't know if the crack was totally unpatched. But it was released on 30th september [or a day or two before that]. So if the game was okay before 30th sep, then the cracked version should be fine.

 

[campeador]

If fifa had gameplay from pes it would be a complete game. Look at how players move, is as close as possible to reality

 

[bangus]

If fifa had gameplay from pes it would be a complete game. Look at how players move, is as close as possible to reality

Do you think so? It's honestly hard to tell if you're being facetious. I think the beauty in PES is in the way the game looks when players AREN'T running up and down the pitch like crazy (those two people playing in that video, wow they're bad, that's not even close to football). The running and sprinting animations look really clunky to me, dorky like that Monty Pythons skit where the twits are racing.

Whereas the standing, walking, jogging, shifting and short passing animations look very close to real life. When the game is played slowly and realistically -- walking the ball up the pitch, passing back to the keeper, etc. -- that's where PES knocks it out of the park in terms of realism. Plus the day time lighting is exceptional, incredibly realistic. It really is shocking to compare how badly EA screwed up the lighting in FIFA; whoever programmed the lighting in FIFA quite obviously had no idea what they were doing.

If you want to see the biggest and best difference between the two games motion-wise... sprint up the pitch, then stop suddenly and turn and run the other way. In FIFA, there's no weight or momentum or transition animation. The player pivots on a dime 180 degrees, and runs the other way without even losing any speed. It's like watching a top spin, or a Roadrunner cartoon character run and turn.

In PES, the player goes into a "brace for a stop" animation which becomes a kind of "slide on the grass for a meter" animation, after which it takes a second before the player is able to collect himself, turn, and then start jogging the other way, building up speed as he goes. In other words, exactly like real life.

 

[regularcat]

In PES, the player goes into a "brace for a stop" animation which becomes a kind of "slide on the grass for a meter" animation, after which it takes a second before the player is able to collect himself, turn, and then start jogging the other way, building up speed as he goes. In other words, exactly like real life.

I agree with this and FIFA needs this bad, agility in FIFA is super human almost as if there is no law of physics.
They run, stop and turn and continue running and passing you could be facing 9:00 and hit a pass to 2:15 with pin point accuracy.

PES looks incredible but the running mechanics are the same as they have always been, a few times in the video it also looks like as soon as a player
receives a pass he is frozen for a second then starts to make a move. Watching the video it almost looks like players don't attempt to move to the ball until the ball is relatively close to the player also.

Hopefully this is due to the beta code these people were playing with and not the release day code.

I'm dying for one more reason for EA to make me switch, the lack of offline mode gameplay and Career Mode fixes was the first draw, the blatant tend to
the FUT crowd was the second, please give me a third and it will be PES or nothing for me.

The one thing I do know is I refuse to buy two shit games, it will be one of the two or neither.

 

[paulv2k4]

I'm dying for one more reason for EA to make me switch, the lack of offline mode gameplay and Career Mode fixes was the first draw,

The one thing I do know is I refuse to buy two shit games, it will be one of the two or neither.

If PES sorts its Career Mode / Manager Mode out I will switch immediately. I played PES for 6 months last year and was loving it then I realised 3 things.

1. The goals scored by AI are always the same - long shot or flick into corner
2. The transfer system is a complete joke and makes FIFA look realistic!
3. Once you get team chemistry above 80, every single game is easy!

If you think about it. That isn't a long list but they are very strong points which irritate you into switching back.

EA's "difficulty" / "speed changing" system is their attempt at making games "different" by "randomising" abilities of players / teams by approx 20-40 points. The idea is fine in writing, but hasn't been tested enough over a season of career mode.

FIFA 19 has (finally!) changed the team tactics to take in depth and width. So who knows whether the sliders have been removed now.

 

[bangus]

EA's "difficulty" / "speed changing" system is their attempt at making games "different" by "randomising" abilities of players / teams by approx 20-40 points. The idea is fine in writing, but hasn't been tested enough over a season of career mode.

Yes, every sports game since 2002 or so has had a version of this. That's about the time gamers started demanding more and more realism. Apparently realism means screwing up the game and making it unplayable. Because no game developer in 15 years has ever gotten this right.

 

[paulv2k4]

Yes, every sports game since 2002 or so has had a version of this. That's about the time gamers started demanding more and more realism. Apparently realism means screwing up the game and making it unplayable. Because no game developer in 15 years has ever gotten this right.

Its a lazy way of doing it really but works for the most part i guess.

At least PES AI changes tactics during a match. Nice touch in my opinion.

 

[bangus]

At least PES AI changes tactics during a match. Nice touch in my opinion.

That's true, that game has some impressive looking tactic programming. Just not sure how much of it works. My first tests are showing me the back line positioning commands are pretty much broken.

 

[paulv2k4]

That's true, that game has some impressive looking tactic programming. Just not sure how much of it works. My first tests are showing me the back line positioning commands are pretty much broken.

Well. Each game is certainly tactically different but the AI scoring problem is a showstopper really.

What impresses me with PES AI is that it man marks "good" players too. I play locked to one character, one or two games I have been completely marked out of the game. Its hard work & enjoyable.

There is also a stark difference in player's skills in PES. I managed to loan in Danny Ings into Rotherham (unrealistic i know) and it made a HUGE difference that the team had a classy finisher!
FIFA does not have this at all. I could play a drunk John Terry up front and he would always score, no problem. I could play my nan (with skills all on 1) up front and she would score.

Real pity that the manager mode as a whole isn't that engaging & very unrealistic. Otherwise, i wouldn't be working on FIFA any more.

 

[bangus]

There is also a stark difference in player's skills in PES. I managed to loan in Danny Ings into Rotherham (unrealistic i know) and it made a HUGE difference that the team had a classy finisher!

FIFA does not have this at all.

See, I consider that one of the issues with games like PES, and with developers coding these games to include stuff like team chemistry and player contentedness. I only play PES on exhibition specifically because you can shut that off in the settings, as well as equalize both teams' form pre-match.

What you're describing is essentially a programming cheat that undermines the entire point of having player abilities, traits and overall ratings. Meaning the game relies less on actual player values and your skill as a user, and more on pre-determined scripting.

 

[regularcat]

The way FIFA 19 will go about deploying tactics and removing the d-pad tactics was very much needed, the question is will the tactics actually do anything
and bring anything to the game.

I hope they don't remove the sliders and add a foul and a weight slider as both will make a tremendous difference in pace of play.
These are what is needed as well as Career Mode fixes, an absolute must.

 

[AmazR]

I thought I was going crazy. Last night I played a buch of great matches, using Pure Control mod, and it was just perfect. Every single game, I had that smile in my face, even when loosing a match, because the game was just spot on.

Today...I did a few matches and I had to quit the game and see if everything was properly installed. All mods, all sliders set. Unfortunately, everything was ok. It was just FIFA being the garbage it's always been, with its randomly bs.

 

[paulv2k4]

The way FIFA 19 will go about deploying tactics and removing the d-pad tactics was very much needed, the question is will the tactics actually do anything
and bring anything to the game.

I hope they don't remove the sliders and add a foul and a weight slider as both will make a tremendous difference in pace of play.
These are what is needed as well as Career Mode fixes, an absolute must.

spot on RC. exactly what my thoughts are. unfortunately each installment of 'new tactics' has been met with real disappointment. the last 'new tactics feature' was basically saying that tactics never worked before. yet they still dont work if you watch the team play. especially individual tactics.

fingers crossed more tactic and slider settings please. NHL sliders are much better!

 

[bangus]

Today...I did a few matches and I had to quit the game and see if everything was properly installed. All mods, all sliders set. Unfortunately, everything was ok. It was just FIFA being the garbage it's always been, with its randomly bs.

I case you or others are interested... I've come up with a few very effective edits that nullify most of the CPU random/boost stuff. I've been playing for a few days now, and each time I play I'm having very decent games.

The most effective edit -- and it doesn't alter the db and affect career mode, bonus -- is to lower teams' defense pressure rating. I lowered it to 1 for all teams, and the CPU attackers now back off me when I have the ball in my end. It slows the game and allows me the time and space to stop and think about what I want to do next. That one change makes a huge difference to the game play.

 

[bangus]

Every single game, I had that smile in my face, even when loosing a match, because the game was just spot on.

France-Belgium happening now:

FIFA 18 with CPU (in blue) team defense pressure set to 1:

 

[AmazR]

France-Belgium happening now:

FIFA 18 with CPU (in blue) team defense pressure set to 1:

Gonna try it next time I play the game. By "set to 1", you mean the sliders?