Thank you for the thread,
@El Pajaro. I had gone through dozens/hundreds of pages in the Discussion thread to build my current version of Fifa - It's great to have a precise, concise version of the information for a change.
I've always strayed away from the gameplay/DB changes (apart from tweaking the matchintensity table) because I don't think you can play Career Mode with database modifications, correct? It would mean Youth Academy players would be overpowered? Can you confirm this?
If so, it would be great to add a what this gameplay mod can or can't do in the first post? I'll leave these tips here any way for info's sake. I don't want to be seen as hijacking this thread or giving unsolicited advice.
Some other things that would add to the great info you have already provided -
1. Game EXE 1.0 vs 1.01. People should be aware how easy it is to download the Super Deluxe version of the game and play with 1.0 for a close to demo experience. (obviously it isn't piracy as you need a legal copy for Origin checks to pass). Maybe we can post a link or hose our own torrent?
@papinho81 had added some great context here comparing the two versions:
https://evo-web.co.uk/threads/fifa-16-news-discussion-thread.75194/page-225
2. What is the bare minimum you need to do to get the best out of the game:
i.e. - The right sliders, tweaking matchintensity, adding necessary lines in cl.ini and cmsettings
This bare minimum will allow a player to start on the path of 'simulation' in Exhibition, Tournament and Career Mode.
papinho's folder shared with Chris has some bare essentials I feel (All info provided in the readme files)
https://www.mediafire.com/file/u4x3vpdafg8vngd/Chris.rar/file
Then we could expand on the 'ultimate' simulation experience which includes the DB changes in your post, with the caveat being added that you can't play Career Mode due to DB changes. (Feel free to correct me here)
Also, we should take into account
@Chris Davies excellent posts way back in 2015. He had figured out the game settings back then:
Here are his sliders (Probably for 1.00 or 1.01):
https://evo-web.co.uk/threads/fifa-16-slider-thread.75656/page-2
He had suggested playing Legendary in some situations and Pro in others, because in a game of football, you need those 6-0 victories sometimes.
We could maybe add an FAQ of what this game can or can't be to keep the expectations in check. For example:
1. This game doesn't have any team ID and you cannot tweak much with any gameplay modifications. The opposition will play tiki taka in most matches and have a high passing success. Just ignore those stats.
2. The game also has scripting which can't be removed through any cl.ini settings. Matches against a rival will be sped up and weird things will happen. Cup games in Career Mode will always be made 'artificially tougher' by slowing down your players, passes, increasing lack of AI response to situations. Like when you pass to a player not far away, the player will take one step away from the ball to let the AI opposition player to intercept the pass. All these things happen in a much higher degree in the latest FiFas and PES's though, so it isn't game breaking - also you can still play defensively and get away from scripted matches with 0-0 draws sometimes - it's all about reacting to the first 10-15 minutes of a match - you'd know whether it's scripted or not.
What this game does provide though is a fun, random experience of 22 ragdolls battling for the ball and having the feeling of no two matches being the same - which newer games can't match.