Soccer Gaming Catch-All

I attribute all my successes, which are moderate, not huge like some I read about to my skills in the transfer market, I liken my management style to Harry Redknapp's, very wheeler dealer. Nothing better than bringing in people on frees and Bosman's and either getting them to lead you to trophies or turning them around for a profit. I think it's because I have a degree in business management and treat people like commodities.

Prederick wrote:

And this is even after I took wwfan and Millie's formations, and tweaked them for LLM. Christ, i've got to figure out what's wrong

Upload your save somewhere and let me know, I'd be happy to see it. I need to know how deep you're into it.

Prederick wrote:

1.) I'm just awful or...

2.) FM is a puzzle game, essentially, and that there is a set answer to every situation, and once you know it, you'll be Manchester United with Chester City. Which would be really, really lame.

2.) is certainly true when it comes to 'countering' certain shapes. If you know what to do you could sometimes kill the game on teams that use unusual formations. As for tactics - not really, when it's plain 442 vs 442 there is no way to 'beat the system', you could just hope to overperform with what you have.

Don't concern yourself with TT&F. TTF won't necessary help you with building new tactics, it's more of an 'understanding engine and tweaking' guide. You could use pre-set formations and still have success in game. There are three steps:
1) Have adequate players for your aims.
2) Manage. Keep morale as high as possible, pick right players for games, rotate and keep them fit, etc. etc.
3) Build up on that. Devil is always in the details. Instead of getting fixated about 'right' tactics, devote your time and tweaks to make little chances count. Setting up corners right is perfect example here.
My way to go is to start with completely average tactic and do a lot of small fixes while watching games in full.

Well, I did it. I just placed my order for WSM09 from Amazon. It'll be here tuesday, so I have the weekend to finish The Witcher.

I read over the TTF thing and it game me some good ideas. I typically use the presets. I may do a little tweaking this time. I like your three steps UCRC, that is how I tend to play.

Have a good weekend!

I've got a question for everyone...

A while ago, during the CM 01/02 to FM years, I was totally into writing FM stories. Like, ridiculously into it. I mighn't have been, if not for Dixie Flatline's wonderful "How To Make Your Way In The Primera Liga" story, which is still my benchmark for FM stories.

My question is, if I started a new one here, would anyone be interested?

I'd definately read it. always interesting to see people's approaches and following the story of their team.

I would love to read it. I find those stories quite entertaining and occcasionally educatiaonal.

WSM09 will be here tuesday...

mark

I'd love that Prederick, but beware: I might be tempted to write my own too So there's some risk involved!

Prederick wrote:

I've got a question for everyone...

A while ago, during the CM 01/02 to FM years, I was totally into writing FM stories. Like, ridiculously into it. I mighn't have been, if not for Dixie Flatline's wonderful "How To Make Your Way In The Primera Liga" story, which is still my benchmark for FM stories.

My question is, if I started a new one here, would anyone be interested?

It'd be more fun if you edited us into it

has anyone thought about running a big slow multiplayer game of FM?

I know that there are various settings for how and when to continue the game. Maybe if someone had a spare box they could set up a dedicated server on we could log in and treat it like an old fashioned PBEM game. I call dibs on the Blue Square North Blyth Spartans!

That way we could ALL have a communal Goodjer story... Just a thought...

Prozac wrote:

has anyone thought about running a big slow multiplayer game of FM?

I know that there are various settings for how and when to continue the game. Maybe if someone had a spare box they could set up a dedicated server on we could log in and treat it like an old fashioned PBEM game. I call dibs on the Blue Square North Blyth Spartans!

That way we could ALL have a communal Goodjer story... Just a thought...

Well, I'd be all over it. Anyone got a good broadband? (Screw those exams I have in May!)

Prederick wrote:

My question is, if I started a new one here, would anyone be interested?

Don't, it will only make me jealous that I can't write my own cause my English is still woeful.

EDIT: Pred, it's shame you can't read some of Polish FM fiction/stories. They're really top-notch. In fact, they're much better than story you've linked.

Prederick wrote:

My question is, if I started a new one here, would anyone be interested?

Do it. I've been trying to give LLM style updates as my save progresses.

Well, I never noticed that before....my pitchside hoardings have an advert for the new James Bond dvd, which is out over here on Monday.

Must be a Steam thing, pity the film's sh*te.

IMAGE(http://www.issonline.pl/grafika/uploaded/PES2010_messi_PR01_RGB_psd_jpgcopy.Uyse.jpg)

KONAMI released first press statement three weeks ago, which is record early for any football game and says something about their intentions.
I won't go into details but few areas they're revamping are:
1) lighting (well, look above, yummy)
2) animation and dribbling
3) Master League

And of course gameplay, with focus on building better AI (from what I've read they're building separate AI packages for star players like Beckham and Messi). Next year we won't see just CL but probably also Europa League.
Looks like they're really serious about it cause they are said to have hired over one hundred new employees. After all, this year may be make or break for PES series on PC.

UCRC wrote:

KONAMI released first press statement three weeks ago, which is record early for any football game and says something about their intentions.
I won't go into details but few areas they're revamping are:
1) lighting (well, look above, yummy)
2) animation and dribbling
3) Master League

And of course gameplay, with focus on building better AI (from what I've read they're building separate AI packages for star players like Beckham and Messi). Next year we won't see just CL but probably also Europa League.
Looks like they're really serious about it cause they are said to have hired over one hundred new employees. After all, this year may be make or break for PES series on PC.

The lighting does look delicious, but I've become a real cynic when it comes to footie updates I'm afraid. I've been hearing "THIS year it will be, like, TOTALLY different we promise for real this time!" since FIFA '99. Playing is believing, and I'm not seeing the revolution PES desperately craves right now.

dejanzie wrote:

Playing is believing, and I'm not seeing the revolution PES desperately craves right now.

For past few years I didn't really want revolution in PES but just few steps in right direction. Instead, everytime they had fixed something, they were spoiling something else. This time around I believe they will take right steps. This won't be enough for people who is not in love with the series, but I don't care, because I'm not in that group ;] I want nice graphics, realistic gameplay and they've got me.

I really liked the PES series, but I wasn't impressed. If I see PES 2009 on sale I might give it another shot, but I had it for a few weeks and I'd rather plug in my old XBox and play PES5 or play FIFA09. Not that FIFA09 is great, but I am still playing it.

Speaking of FIFA09 ... they really need to revamp the transfer aspect of Manager Mode. I took on Notts County as 1/2 or 1 star League 2 team and via scouting and the lack of work permits I had a 3 1/2-star team by the end of the season. Then again this is coming from a person that needed a break from playing FM09 LLM style for 4-6 hours a day.

dejanzie wrote:

The lighting does look delicious, but I've become a real cynic when it comes to footie updates I'm afraid. I've been hearing "THIS year it will be, like, TOTALLY different we promise for real this time!" since FIFA '99. Playing is believing, and I'm not seeing the revolution PES desperately craves right now.

Seconded. PES does a lot right but as I mentioned before, they do not seem to understand that they can start making "Next-Gen" games yet. They're getting absolutely blown out of the water on the features front, and the series has been in desperate, desperate need of a AI overhaul. If they do it, i'll be happy. But after PES 08 and 09, Seabass has lost my trust. He has to prove it to me now.

There is an official Konami's blog on PES 2010 and second paragraph starts with this:

It's a bit manic at our Tokyo HQ at the moment. We've got short and long term plans for PES and Winning Eleven and for several months we've been reorganising
internally to make sure our baby really grows. We've got different teams working on different aspects not only for 2010, but well beyond.

What this really means is:
1) Much more people are working on series now. Good.
2) Because of that, they're reorganising into smaller teams that work on particular areas of game. Good.
3) Seabass is no longer leading designer. Given how three last games turned out: good.

And some interesting bits of gameplay news:
1) Master League finally evolved into real career mode, similar to one from FIFA. CL will finally be integrated with ML. Niiice.
2) Some sort of running instructions for players that don't have ball, a la FIFA or Wii version of PES.

First real in-game screenshot:
IMAGE(http://www.issonline.pl/grafika/uploaded/pes2010_messi_cap05011.LcRh.jpg)
And that's comparison with PES 09. Really, really impressive lighting.
IMAGE(http://www.issonline.pl/grafika/uploaded/tb_f_09to10m_ec8f34f.VhzX.jpg)

My concern is still the AI and gameplay, although this is a huge improvement over PES 09's horrifying homunculi.

Prederick wrote:

My concern is still the AI and gameplay, although this is a huge improvement over PES 09's horrifying homunculi.

Maybe this year they'll bring the graphics into this generation, and next year the gameplay (including AI)?

It's funny how jaded I am at age 27. Come to think of it, I've been following annual releases for 12 consecutive years now. Damn you EA and Konami with your annual marketing crap, I would be filled with excitement if it weren't for you!

dejanzie wrote:
Prederick wrote:

My concern is still the AI and gameplay, although this is a huge improvement over PES 09's horrifying homunculi.

Maybe this year they'll bring the graphics into this generation, and next year the gameplay (including AI)?

It's funny how jaded I am at age 27. Come to think of it, I've been following annual releases for 12 consecutive years now. Damn you EA and Konami with your annual marketing crap, I would be filled with excitement if it weren't for you!

No, no, i'm in the exact same boat as you and i'm two years younger.

dejanzie wrote:
Prederick wrote:

My concern is still the AI and gameplay, although this is a huge improvement over PES 09's horrifying homunculi.

Maybe this year they'll bring the graphics into this generation, and next year the gameplay (including AI)? :)

I didn't want to post any info on gameplay (because it's never substantial) but like always they talk in depth about improvements in mechanics. It would be stupid to judge gameplay by their comments but at least this year I feel like they're improving certain aspects that I wanted them to.

And by the way: PES 09 is still better than FIFA. No, really. I've tried half a season of FIFA, then half a season PES (cause, you know, I've got these exams ;]) and... damn, how could FIFA ever compare to this:

(Look for goal at 1:50. While other goals are a lot of practice, this is a great example how much creativity impacts the way you play.)
Of course my bias is entirely due to the fact that I can do some of these things in PES (I've got to make goals compilation) and I suck in FIFA.

Prederick wrote:

No, no, i'm in the exact same boat as you and i'm two years younger.

Well, that explains why I, the young one, am such huge fanboy

I really wish I could see PES in the same light that you do UC, but i've scored some goals in FIFA that I don't think i'll ever replicate in PES, especially ones that involve intelligent movement off the ball, which PES seems totally incapable of. And i'll be honest, the goal at 1:50 looked like crap AI.

Perhaps i'm the opposite of you, because I suck at PES and can't figure out 2/3rds of the damn game anymore, but am half-decent at FIFA.

If anything, both games still suffer from crippling cases of "playing the difficulty level, not the opposition team".

Prederick wrote:

I really wish I could see PES in the same light that you do UC, but i've scored some goals in FIFA that I don't think i'll ever replicate in PES, especially ones that involve intelligent movement off the ball, which PES seems totally incapable of. And i'll be honest, the goal at 1:50 looked like crap AI.

In which aspect? Player or goalie's movement? Because I singled that example out to show you what you can do with 'super cancel'

Prederick wrote:

If anything, both games still suffer from crippling cases of "playing the difficulty level, not the opposition team".

And they will, at least until next engine. (Personally, I can't wait for KONAMI to develop completely new mechanics from scratch. It will certainly be a lot of trial and error, but with fluidity of animations in systems like Euphoria it will be a-w-e-s-o-m-e. We will probably have to wait until next generation or longer till someone thinks about implementating dynamic on-the-fly animations, but it will be groundbreaking.)

Prederick wrote:

I really wish I could see PES in the same light that you do UC, but i've scored some goals in FIFA that I don't think i'll ever replicate in PES, especially ones that involve intelligent movement off the ball, which PES seems totally incapable of. And i'll be honest, the goal at 1:50 looked like crap AI.

Perhaps i'm the opposite of you, because I suck at PES and can't figure out 2/3rds of the damn game anymore, but am half-decent at FIFA.

If anything, both games still suffer from crippling cases of "playing the difficulty level, not the opposition team".

Apart from the ones finished with ludicrous chips, which look like something out of that street football title, some of those goals looked like ones that I scored in ISS about 10 years ago.

Still, I am a bit older than you whippersnappers...the first title that I played which went under the name 'football' was one of those Pong type home consoles where the conversion from table tennis to football was done by bricking in part of the wall at each end.

Single player AI was a bit suspect then as well

Is anyone picking up FM Live? I've yet to hear anything from you guys. at the moment it's US$22, on steam instead of US$50, and that includes your first 4 months of play.

I've never played an MMO and don't think I'll crack on this one, but I'd love to hear the opinions of you filthy enablers

I played the beta, and just couldn't get into it at all. I may be wrong here, but I'm also guessing that a price cut so early on indicates that the churn rate is quite high. I thought about the offer, but just wonder whether joining one of the servers at this point condemns you to constantly playing catch up in terms of getting decent players...and also whether playing it casually is an option for success.

I have never been able to mentally justify paying MMO subscription fees. I know the day will come when i'll have to to play ANYTHING online, but still. Oh, and UC, I was talking about player and goalie movement, and reactions.

Prederick wrote:

I have never been able to mentally justify paying MMO subscription fees. I know the day will come when i'll have to to play ANYTHING online, but still. Oh, and UC, I was talking about player and goalie movement, and reactions.

It's funny, cause thing I was trying to point out was player's movement Goalie isn't positioned well cause he doesn't expect the shot to come. And he shouldn't, cause in PES first time shots never work from such positions, but then player uses 'super cancel' (R1+R2) to run forward, instead of running straight at the ball, which positions him right between... Oh, wait. On a second thought it isn't that amazing if you're not PES player