EA SPORTS FC 26

[fernadez]

Imagine putting defending into a football game and describing it as a feature.

 

[Woodzy]

I’m not optimistic about it all be implemented well, mostly because I don’t think it’s something they can simply get right in such a short space of time.

What I’m optimistic about is that last year and now this year, they have clearly identified that there is a market for a simulation experience and it bodes well for the future.

The irony is once the authentic gameplay becomes polished and accurate (in however long that takes), I would not be surprised to see that become the most popular mode in the game for online play too, at least outside of Ultimate Team.

 

[H_G]

French website mods tested the game.

 

[Bravez]

I'm in shock at how much better authentic animations looks. Players look like they have a bit of weight and animations aren't being skipped to the point the game looks ridiculous.

I'll obviously remain entirely skeptical until I play it, and I don't expect it to be anywhere near perfect BUT this change (if done correctly) is a fundamental one needed for me to play a football game and the reason I still play eFootball from time to time.

Genuinely shocked

 

[tomjaz]

They should put this competitive mode out, and more than half of the players will lose. 😁

 

[Bravez]

I’m not optimistic about it all be implemented well, mostly because I don’t think it’s something they can simply get right in such a short space of time.

What I’m optimistic about is that last year and now this year, they have clearly identified that there is a market for a simulation experience and it bodes well for the future.

The irony is once the authentic gameplay becomes polished and accurate (in however long that takes), I would not be surprised to see that become the most popular mode in the game for online play too, at least outside of Ultimate Team.

I would normally agree but from what they’ve said and shown, they appear to have a very clear idea on what needs changing and even more importantly, have made conscious decisions to do the opposite in the past. It doesn’t look like they need to do anything drastic other than tweak values on what’s already there. I think that’s why I’m more positive about this than I have been on anything I’ve read in the last 10 years regarding this game.

 

[Anth James]

I'm a little underwhelmed based on the authentic mode footage, but there's very little to go off admittedly.

There are still examples of defenders just jogging away from opponents, which is a killer...

...and even when it's the user-controlled defender doing it, the fact that they glide away so quickly (with the intertia of a car, not a human being) and have so little grounding to the man they're supposed to be marking...

Yeah, I need to play it, but I'm less hopeful than I was. It still looks to me like a game about scoring goals, with little emphasis on the technical aspects of defending (and the joy of it). Passes to feet still look insanely accurate and with no control needed from the recipient.

Also, the list of features in the trailer that "apply to both gameplay presets" include things that don't sound complimentary to me...

E.g. more responsive everything - you can't make passing more responsive if the ball is free and is a distance away from the player - there has to be a delay as they catch up, and if there isn't, you're still faking physics for "fun's" sake, which shouldn't EVER be part of a sim mode.

Same applies to the "winning the ball more often" stuff... If that applies to authentic mode, like they say it does, they're overriding the physics of where the ball should end up to reward the player. Again, that doesn't belong in a sim mode.

That's not to say there aren't positives - love the sound of the shielding, love the sound of the improved dribbling, love the sound of the simplified trick-stick.

Well summarised Chris.

As you said, we need to see more to fully see what's there before making a real call on it. There are some things that sound promising, some things that sound concerning and like you said some things that sound like they don't quite fit together!

I think the fact that the authentic mode still has a slider set attached to it shows that it's not completely separate gameplay. It's a step in the right direction though. Until we see more...

 

[DerleiPT]

Talking to the devs. I asked for context about the updates of the Competitive Gameplay not influencing those of the Authentic gameplay.Example: Update 8 in FC25 would only be for the Competitive, meaning the adjustments or changes would not impact the Authentic gameplay.

 

[Isslander]

It's been a while since I bought one of these, I really want this to be tolerable enough to buy since eFootball is doing f*ck all once again.
I did play the trial for 25 but am trying to remember, were the "authentic" sliders locked in that one?

 

[cristobal64]

French website mods tested the game.

I watched the video and when he talks about the authentic mode, he just regrets that he is not implemented in online modes and that's it ...
The author of the tweet comes to the conclusion that Authentic = Sliders when it is never mentioned in the video ...

 

[tomjaz]

No need to add.

 

[Madmac79]

I watched the video and when he talks about the authentic mode, he just regrets that he is not implemented in online modes and that's it ...
The author of the tweet comes to the conclusion that Authentic = Sliders when it is never mentioned in the video ...

Well, as others pointed out when they show the Authentic mode on the menu sliders look greyed out exactly like last year, tho. Why would it be the case if it's such a grand and separate thing from competitive as they claim?

I don't want to be negative at all costs, but until I'll see at least coherent CPU movement/awareness with my eyes/pad in hands, I'll just stay skeptic and rather prepare for it to be the usual empty gimmick they randomly like to throw every year.

 

[stuartyd]

Is there any clarification if Authentic mode can be used in Online Seasons? I saw it was locked to competitive in FUT but it didn't mention Seasons. Here's hoping

 

[Matt1234]

Is there any clarification if Authentic mode can be used in Online Seasons? I saw it was locked to competitive in FUT but it didn't mention Seasons. Here's hoping

In the pitch notes(see below) it says it’s locked in competitive unfortunately

“Competitive Gameplay is mandatory/locked in FUT, Clubs, Online Seasons, and Online Friendlies. It is optional in Kick-Off and Career Mode.”

 

[Anth James]

Well, as others pointed out when they show the Authentic mode on the menu sliders look greyed out exactly like last year, tho. Why would it be the case if it's such a grand and separate thing from competitive as they claim?

I don't want to be negative at all costs, but until I'll see at least coherent CPU movement/awareness with my eyes/pad in hands, I'll just stay skeptic and rather prepare for it to be the usual empty gimmick they randomly like to throw every year.

From what I understand, the slider set is part of the authentic gameplay, but not all of it. The difference is the 'Authenticity Features' which seems like an additional component of gameplay adjustments outside of the sliders. Exactly how impactful it is remains to be seen at this point.

 

[Sovereign Hope]

 

[VierGraustufen]

After 178 (Video starts after 178) seconds, you can see how the defenders move away from the dribbler. It looks like FC25. Defending is just no fun. In PES2019, I really enjoy defending because the defence is programmed in such a way that there are cool duels and I am proud to have defended well.

To the hardcore players of FC25. How do you feel about defending compared to PES? Do you enjoy it? Please compare it to the ‘newer’ versions such as PES2019, PES2020 and PES2021.

 

[Bravez]

The dribbling in that video looks horrendous but it also looks totally different to what was shown in authentic mode which appeared far more deliberate, with less micro-animations/touches.

I was thinking about competitive mode yesterday and the only way I can describe what they're doing, and what this game has become, is comparing it to removing all of capabilities of AI players in a Madden game. You cannot control all players at all times, the whole point in team games is tactics, teamwork and then individuals to do their jobs (even when you're not controlling them). Imagine in Madden all play calls became completely pointless because the only thing that mattered was 1v1s, the game would be pointless and frankly awful. It blows my mind this is what people genuinely want from a football game. "We've decided the OL are doing too much to pressure the QB, so unless you're controlling one of them, they won't do anything. Oh, the same is true for all of your cornerbacks and safeties, if you wan to track a receiver, it's on you." Dumbing down a game like that is a fucking travesty.

All of these things were obvious when playing, but to hear devs openly talk about how they're consciously making games end to end, stopping defenders defending and forcing unrealistic bounces is wild. How is that a representation of football? Even wilder is the responses I've seen outside of this forum are OVERWHELMINGLY positive toward the changes in comp mode.

It's no surprise I've not lasted more than a half of football on these games in the past 5 years after listening to these devs. I can't state how much I hope authentic mode does what they are claiming.

 

[Paul-v]

Is it just me or am I seeing de ja vu?

Every year on this forum it follows the same pattern; the thread is created, a few videos are released with some text, people seem to get hyped up for a bit until release, release happens, everyone buys it, then comes back to this thread (or YouTube) to complain about how bad it is.

After spending some time reading the pitch notes, it reads to me in this way:

"It is FC 25 but slightly different" - and remember after 1-2 patches - "It is FIFA21"

The "new" "agile next generation awesome sweet on god shizzle my dizzle amazing dribbling" is really unrealistic. Once again, they showcase 1 or 2 players being extremely agile in the new dribbling system rather than showcasing DIFFERENCES between several players with different attributes.

If they showed me multiple videos of differences between good and bad players and on top of that AI playing different styles of football (i.e. long ball versus slow passing) then I would be hyped. But once again, its the same old game in a different skin.

See you all in 3 months time after we've all bought the game

 

[dontellmama]

"Keegan Sabatino, Gigo Navarro, and Thomas Caleffi, designers and producers from the FC Gameplay Team"

new blood

 

[saturator]

I don't know if there is a more hated game than FIFA/FC series since FIFA 2020.
I don't think so.
Even if we are seeing something cool or going to the right direction, we are thinking than EA is lying to us to sell FIFA/FC, it's a marketing trap.

I don't want to trust a single trailer or a very long deepdive.

On the virtual field, we will have the right answer : a miracle or a fake news! FC 26 will be the redemption game or a definitive divorce.
Because if they are lying again, many people will not buying a EA FC game again.

 

[subtra3t]

I don't know if there is a more hated game than FIFA/FC series since FIFA 2020.
I don't think so.
Even if we are seeing something cool or going to the right direction, we are thinking than EA is lying to us to sell FIFA/FC, it's a marketing trap.

I don't want to trust a single trailer or a very long deepdive.

On the virtual field, we will have the right answer : a miracle or a fake news! FC 26 will be the redemption game or a definitive divorce.
Because if they are lying again, many people will not buying a EA FC game again.

Doesn't matter how shit FC 26 is, the series won't die because there is no competition. This isn't the make-or-break game.

 

[etb10dmk]

Doesn't matter how shit FC 26 is, the series won't die because there is no competition. This isn't the make-or-break game.

That's also the reason why they'll not even bother to inject effort and money into improving something that already sales like fresh bread... All those fancy words and footage are marketing. All the effort is already focused aggressively into FUT for the last decade and so. FIFA is dead and EAFC for me was always just another live service puppet... Nothing consumer friendly, nothing fresh in offline, and nothing good on the pitch besides some fancy presentation and updated seasons...

 

[Sami 1999]

Did they downgrade the cloth physics again?

Is Brazil back?

 

[Chris Davies]

"Keegan Sabatino, Gigo Navarro, and Thomas Caleffi, designers and producers from the FC Gameplay Team"

new blood

Tom Caleffi isn't. Given his responses to me in the past, I sincerely hope he isn't anywhere near the "authentic mode" team.

 

[Marlon Anthony]

Eg. more responsive everything - you can't make passing more responsive if the ball is free and is a distance away from the player - there has to be a delay as they catch up, and if there isn't, you're still faking physics for "fun's" sake, which shouldn't EVER be part of a sim mode.

Same applies to the "winning the ball more often" stuff... If that applies to authentic mode, like they say it does, they're overriding the physics of where the ball should end up to reward the player. Again, that doesn't belong in a sim mode.

Exactly, the whole point of the sport is that it requires timing & judgement, that's what contributes to the challenge & the reward of an action being successful. This just sounds like whiney players who want ease & convenience without any of the skill, which kind of contradicts the catagory of competitive mode.

They should've called it arcade mode because let's face it, that's what it resembles. Even then, in arcade games timing & skill is essential. It would be like playing Super Mario 3 without worrying about timing jumps or Street Fighter & being able to damage your opponent without having to risk being near them.

If we're playing games without any consequence to failing at them at some point, then where's the satisfaction in accomplishment going to emerge from?

 

[SmichiW]

its like the last 2-3 yeare, we only get some graphics Update and thats all, people pay for this little things 60 bucks...
you could easy stay with FC 25 + ESim and Gameplay Mods

 

[DerleiPT]

I have some great news!

if sliders can be customized with authentic gameplay ...

..."Yes they can the important part here is the competitive toggle in the menu. We have an authentic slider preset combined with competitive toggle "off" which changes AI behaviour etc to authentic. If you want to balance your own gameplay with sliders you change to custom and also put the competitive toggle to "off". Then you will have the authentic improvements and can change the sliders for your own balancing."

 

[Bing Bing Wahoo]

Is it just me or am I seeing de ja vu?

Every year on this forum it follows the same pattern; the thread is created, a few videos are released with some text, people seem to get hyped up for a bit until release, release happens, everyone buys it, then comes back to this thread (or YouTube) to complain about how bad it is.

After spending some time reading the pitch notes, it reads to me in this way:

"It is FC 25 but slightly different" - and remember after 1-2 patches - "It is FIFA21"

The "new" "agile next generation awesome sweet on god shizzle my dizzle amazing dribbling" is really unrealistic. Once again, they showcase 1 or 2 players being extremely agile in the new dribbling system rather than showcasing DIFFERENCES between several players with different attributes.

If they showed me multiple videos of differences between good and bad players and on top of that AI playing different styles of football (i.e. long ball versus slow passing) then I would be hyped. But once again, its the same old game in a different skin.

See you all in 3 months time after we've all bought the game

You missed the part where after the first trailer everybody loudly exclaims that they won't buy the game this year, just to silently backpedal on that one week later.