Been reading some of the official info over at EA.com and there's something bothering me: EA are emphasizing midfield build-up play for FIFA 14 but I just don't see how the improvements they've made jive with what they're suggesting gameplay will be like.
In their press release, EA says that "Fans will be able to create rewarding build up to opportunities and have the tools to dictate the tempo of a match through four new features." The four features they list are Protect the Ball, Teammate Intelligence, Sprint Dribble Turns, and Variable Dribble Touches.
But I'm having trouble connecting the dots between these four features and shifting FIFA's gameplay from a non-stop counter-attack to more midfield and buildup play. The only connection I can make is between Teammate Intelligence's improved marking, so it's not quite so easy to pass forward (though on the other hand they're improving attacking AI too). What else is there? If anything, it's hard to imagine how the changes to dribbling at speed won't further compound the problem.
I totally agree with the problem - too much easy counter-attacking; not enough midfield and buildup play - but I just don't see where EA are coming from with these supposed solutions. Am I missing something?
In the past, even if I didn't agree with EA's ideas, I at least usually understood the logic in what they're trying to do. This year I'm not quite getting it. That's not to say the changes won't be for the better, it's just I don't see how they're going to make the difference EA say they will to overall gameplay.