Speaking of editing match length, could Konami do more to implement co-op in eSports for a footy title? But also re-thinking the rules that require a pause at half-time, instead of the 2 halves, could we get 3 periods like hockey? This way performance is rewarded fairly over the whole match and we don't fall for the cliché, whereby the match is deemed "a tale of two halves."
The above is just a mere suggestion and not at all an inference of scripting (or RNG) dominating an eSport ready title. It might be widely accepted that at its height and most pressurized level sporting contests are not purely a performance but a battle of attrition as well. How do you justify input lag being so emphasized that it alienates a seasoned competitive player? Do players maximize there players overall by their builds or do they optimize progression points, keeping in mind how different stat thresholds might be affected by stamina?
Also here is where it might all go wrong for me with 'realistic' stamina. Competitive users (whether co-op or single) don't care about outside factors so much. They may actually want to brush off the whatever RNG that may happen as an infinitesimal anomaly. "Why is my highlight Camavinga so tired after one half of 'simulated 45 mins'?" That last phrase is wherein lies the trick a lot of people don't get. Maybe you didn't sweat the pad in the first period, but the game A.I. has been doing it's part. The variance in stamina from kick-off until the half-time whistle may not have been top of mind for you to player lock onto your DMF whom you've set 'anchoring' on anyway, even though you might know full well that something went on that turned your stamina bar from 'green' to 'yellow' should that be a feature of your UI. Who actually speaks of scripting as a hard outline that guides the ebb and flow of a match that can't be undone?
Anybody? No one of note really. Ever since 2 eFootball connects ago, the question had been raised by the video presenter from viewers allegedly: "Is there a script in eFootball?" "There is none," I can paraphrase. Nothing seems to favor one team over the other. However, there are more gaps that typically open up when users manually switch the cursor about. In a nutshell, if your defense leaves great spaces open for your opponent to pass through, you should watch your cursor moves and reconsider your own user error. Can we go in depth into the meta with the resources available to us, namely plenty here, or also the wonderful world of Youtube? So meta (aka most effective tactic available) is not the be all end all. We might be led to believe we can strongly influence our own gameplay, we can effectively translate or transmit our playstyle to various situations at varying levels obviously. But we don't try to grasp as much the contextual rendering of the game to simulate a basic tale of two halves. We want to play attractive football, being expansive with build-up (or not! just long to the target man), sending our team forward, creating lots of chances and outscoring the opponent. You versus the opponent on a level playing field defending opposite ends one half and switching by half-time--sounds fair enough, doesn't it? What form can RNG take, how about the highs and lows being on offer from kick off only (because the games only began at the start of kick off)? Your average playstyle should allow you to have fun sometime high, sometimes low but not too much. The extreme swings in form should not appear out of nowhere. They are not normal. The conditions of the match should not vary that greatly from the first minute to the 90th (just stamina) or from match to match (just because of the opponent). Dry matches will rarely happen because you will rarely meet an extremely skilled player who is able to shut you down truly from your own division. Conversely you will rarely reach your peak potential unless you are dialed-in perfectly in your playstyle and calculating the appropriate risk. The meta is not so OP that anyone can see it and choose to ignore it. Again let's entertain the meta being subtly hinted to by RNG.
Let's take Smart-Assist for instance. The game is widely played and widely successful because it appeals and pleases an overwhelming amount of its fanbase, shall we say? (more than it frustrates hopefully). Smart-Assist is on by default to onboarding new users to the game. Is it a good thing to separate it from divisions 1,2, & 3? The average consensus would seem to say Yes, keep it separate from rank. A mere setting barely perceptible visibly and again professed not to affect gameplay could be meta in the right hands. That to me describes how meta is not really OP in eFootball, so much so a competent player can make the necessary adjustments to swing the match in a more positive way for them (before a ball is kicked). Non-smart assist users prefer to play without it because they feel it my hamper their style.
Let us remember the gameplay feeling heavy, weird, or loose or too unpredictable or losing an average match is reason enough to want to let off the pad or turn off the system. At what point do we start making excuses for on gameplay? There is no shame in recognizing where DDA (dynamic difficulty adjustment) might need to come in to play a part (that is when the game is difficult yet still rewarding but we don't want 'boring'). Is that why we 'play meta'? Maybe so. How do we observe meta in a match? Simply put repeat effective actions (which incur less risk) and avoid ineffective actions that could cost you goals or scoring chances against you. Should you set the tone early on to impress onto the game state? Why not? It's a level playing field only upon kick off.
In defense, being set-up to play on the counter attack is a good reason why Long Ball Counter and Quick Counter playstyles are considered meta not typically Possession. Time your 'Attacking Surge' forward and you might have a chance. Don't wait until half time just because stamina levels are generously replenished. Adhering to precedents in-match (or priors based on self) will make you more likely to control the play in your favor. Doesn't adhering to any precedents in match also leave me susceptible to risk being open at the back? That's a smart question. Draw from your own experience and notice what is meta, that is, what works for you.
In my opinion, meta can be argued as an outline of the back and forth swing of the match but it's an incomplete argument for bland matches or close results (or even high scoring ones), even considering the subtle art of finessing it via RNG, DDA or whatever. For the record we want to minimize those from gameplay as much as possible. That's why it is welcome elsewhere for random pack opening, unexpected events in Master League offline, form arrows in game (or maybe those should go away too). Whatever mixed views come forth when discussing micro transactions, could we reach some common ground that they shouldn't be the absolute deciding factor in wanting to play our beloved footy game (whether casual or competitive). Game play should be king, no? Did we once hail a King of footy games or is it just nostalgia from us older heads? Why is the game continually being played so much? How much more popular is it in places like China, Japan, South America than the rest of the world? How much is it drawing on a younger generation customer base since the recent statute in Brazil which upgraded the game's rating from everyone to 16 and up? Passable gameplay and a brilliant financial model couldn't be enough for sustained success, could it? That is where we come in.
We need consensus to push back fully against scripting in the game or so-called loose cursor switching. We don't want our gaming to just be a boring repetitive activity of learn to play the game meta and win, or PTW, or F2P can't compete with crumbs of average in-game rewards and exceptional skill and proficiency (on a given eFootball Open qualifier event). We want a deeper dive into what meta is or should be, even though we don't see playing non-meta or un-meta as a viable alternative. Let's Play Crazy should be our adopted motto! Don't just first time pass to your forward slipping through the middle (with one-time shot skill) and press shoot and shape your left stick into a helix at the point of locking roughly in the direction of your opponent's goal.