FIFA 08

Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Just been playing some single player as I haven't played in ages. Thought to myself it was quite good really, having left it for a while.

Then the CPU takes a shot which taps my goalie and is TRICKLING to the goalline. My defender catches up to the ball, I'm frantically hitting the B button to clear it away ... and he doesn't. He runs for about 5 yards with the ball on his feet right into my goal. He took about 3-4 steps while he had the ball. People can say this game reflects physics and that's why it's slow and seems like its unresponsive. But in real life, there's no way a player could walk with a ball, controlling it, for four steps and not have four chances to clear it.

The games response times are buggered, it really is a pile of shit. Improve those response times, improve the dodgy AI and we have quality. But until then, it makes single player (and multiplayer really) a waste of time. If I want to play an unresponsive slideshow, I'll get FIFA 08 for the PC and play it on a Pentium 2.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Ouch, haha. I've had that happen to me three times but all three times it's been online. I'm playing a career game now with Chester and I'm loving it, plus (because it's a lower team) everything's slower and a bit easier to get into. I'm even learning about the best tactics to use (i.e. set your defensive line higher and the defender wouldn't be close enough to the goal to walk it in ;)).

I'm sharing my time between three football games at the moment, FIFA, SWOS and Football Manager (after going mad and adding 72,001 different graphical elements to it last night). Something's going to have to give...
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

DagsJT said:
Just been playing some single player as I haven't played in ages. Thought to myself it was quite good really, having left it for a while.

Then the CPU takes a shot which taps my goalie and is TRICKLING to the goalline. My defender catches up to the ball, I'm frantically hitting the B button to clear it away ... and he doesn't. He runs for about 5 yards with the ball on his feet right into my goal. He took about 3-4 steps while he had the ball. People can say this game reflects physics and that's why it's slow and seems like its unresponsive. But in real life, there's no way a player could walk with a ball, controlling it, for four steps and not have four chances to clear it.

The games response times are buggered, it really is a pile of shit. Improve those response times, improve the dodgy AI and we have quality. But until then, it makes single player (and multiplayer really) a waste of time. If I want to play an unresponsive slideshow, I'll get FIFA 08 for the PC and play it on a Pentium 2.
Click to expand...
Can the response times not be adjusted via an update or is it the whole code that's at fault, It does get annoying waiting for the player to do his little dance before he does what you asked for. By which time the comp player has nipped in taken the ball had a sandwich and a cuppa, cleaned his boots, signed a few autographs and gone... it does grind somewhat.. ;)
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

They said from the start their aim was to make the responses slower than other games (i.e. suPErSpeed). The exact line was "when a crowd watches Gerrard winding up for a long shot there's a second of anticipation, and we wanted to capture that". So even though it's incredibly annoying, and it is stupid, it was done with the best intentions and they won't be changing it as the whole code and the animations were written/captured around it.

Just hope that the new project lead makes it his first priority when they start on EURO 2008.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Jack Bauer said:
They said from the start their aim was to make the responses slower than other games (i.e. suPErSpeed). The exact line was "when a crowd watches Gerrard winding up for a long shot there's a second of anticipation, and we wanted to capture that". So even though it's incredibly annoying, and it is stupid, it was done with the best intentions and they won't be changing it as the whole code and the animations were written/captured around it.

Just hope that the new project lead makes it his first priority when they start on EURO 2008.
Click to expand...
That would be fine if the AI had the same handicap, and I can understand you can't stop and turn on a dime, but to take three touches when even in real life a player wouldn't is just nuts JB. They must realise it's implemented incorrectly?
Roll on 08..
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

09 you mean ;)

But yea, I've said it countless times that the CPU doesn't have the same disadvantage and can spin around while human's can't. And why isn't there a button to shield the ball? Because apparantly the CPU has one, and LB does sod all to shield it.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Nick Cave said:
That would be fine if the AI had the same handicap, and I can understand you can't stop and turn on a dime, but to take three touches when even in real life a player wouldn't is just nuts JB. They must realise it's implemented incorrectly?
Roll on 08..
Click to expand...
Unfortunately it seems like there isn't a programmer alive who can program a modern-day 3D football game that doesn't cheat when you play the CPU. Which is sick, really. The things that man has achieved but they still can't prevent a computer game from resorting to superman abilities to beat you.

As for the three touches, yeah, I know. I'm not defending them, the reactions are horrible (not as bad as they have been, but still not right). It just depends on what the new project lead thinks, he will have played the game and he will have a list of things he wants to concentrate on. In the past those lists have included moving hair, birds that fly over the stadium, shiny goalposts etc... But last year it was about gameplay thanks to Joe Booth, so this year you've got to hope the EA bigwigs say "hey, this sold millions last year because the last guy focused on the gameplay - new guy, you do the same or you're fired".

The new guy used to work on Championship Manager so it could go one of many ways. He could concentrate on the gameplay (because he knows the little dots running around the 2D pitch on his old game were far more realistic than these 3D lumps that don't react properly when the ball is in-front of them), he could concentrate on the teams and the manager mode (for obvious reasons) and leave the gameplay the way it is. He could concentrate mainly on the sound and the atmosphere, which is a rumour I heard a few weeks ago (but saying the word "contact" gets you beaten up on Evo-Web nowadays and rightly so after the PES fiasco).

But we shall see.

DagsJT said:
But yea, I've said it countless times that the CPU doesn't have the same disadvantage and can spin around while human's can't. And why isn't there a button to shield the ball? Because apparantly the CPU has one, and LB does sod all to shield it.
Click to expand...
I've managed to kind-of replicate this against the CPU on Professional, you hold LB (or LT depending on the config) and constantly face the opposite direction to the guy pressing you. The CPU does that all the time on FIFA and I HATE IT, it's almost like they're saying "you can't touch me cos you'll get sent off, ner ner ner ner ner..."
 
Last edited:
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Holding LB and facing opposite doesn't work, the CPU manages to still get a foot in and tackle you.

Oh well, back to SWOS :)
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

DagsJT said:
09 you mean ;)

But yea, I've said it countless times that the CPU doesn't have the same disadvantage and can spin around while human's can't. And why isn't there a button to shield the ball? Because apparantly the CPU has one, and LB does sod all to shield it.
Click to expand...

lol yeah 09 in 08... I have shielded the ball a couple of times but have no clue how, just seems to be let go all buttons and push stick?
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Thanks Placebo :) I'll give that a try when I play next! I played two random rankers this morning:

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
Man Utd 1-2 Arsenal

\\:o/

Playing FIFA after about 10 games on SWOS, was mental! It really made me see how realistic FIFA is, the speed of the game, the animations, the ball physics, everything was spot on :) Especially Van Persie's goal in my game against Liverpool, there was a kind of lucky deflection and bounce of the ball and it just rolled perfectly into his path and he hit it first time, low and hard and it went right into the corner :)
 
Last edited:
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

That sprint button doesn't work because sometimes you want to walk whilst shielding the ball and obviously the moment you touch a direction, he runs off. Also means you can't shield by turning your body.

There's just too much wrong with this for me to enjoy single player. Defenders clearing the ball straight to their forward is another annoying "feature". I've just had enough of single player now, it's boring, no fun, and bug-ridden.

It doesn't even feel like you're playing a fair, proper game of football because you have to constantly fight the reaction times etc. There's been versions of PES where it really felt like I was playing football and could concentrate on my game and my style of play. FIFA 08 completely restricts that and forces you to play a certain way to compensate for the bugs.

It's a shame PES 2008 is utter crap because I've really gone off FIFA now and it feels a bit mad that I prefer to play a game that's 11 years old compared to games that use modern technology (I use that phrase lightly in regards to PES).
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

If you can just see past the annoyance of the bugs and enjoy FIFA for what it is trying to accomplish, you would be so much happier Dags :(

But like you say, if it annoys you that much, then that's all really. Hopefully everyone will like 09!
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

That's my point though Tim, I don't want to play a game and have to make do with bugs and shitty AI etc. There's enough good games on the 360 which play MUCH better, with no bugs serious enough to ruin my enjoyment of the game and let me actually play the game how I want to, not how I'm forced to play it to compensate.

I can see what it's trying to accomplish, and for the most part it does accomplish. But it's what it doesn't accomplish that kills it for me. Everyone has varying levels on what can ruin/kill a game. And the stuff I've mentioned kills it for me, yet I know guys like you and Plan M love the game and have a higher threshold for bugs etc.

Very good game, in the right scenario. Unfortunately for me, the wrong scenario happens far too often.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Yea, exactly mate, I get ya. All I really play is FIFA08, so if I didn't like it, I'd be pretty fucked :lol:.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

What a bloody game I've just had. I hit random quick match, and it paired me up against the guy ranked 400th in the World...

Liverpool.........3-5........Arsenal
Torres 12', 17'.......Van Persie 40'
..........103'.............Adebayor 45'
.....................Eduardo 112', 115'
.................................120'

An 8 minute hat trick from sub Eduardo in the 2nd half of extra time! Incredible! :D
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Jack Bauer said:
They said from the start their aim was to make the responses slower than other games (i.e. suPErSpeed). The exact line was "when a crowd watches Gerrard winding up for a long shot there's a second of anticipation, and we wanted to capture that". So even though it's incredibly annoying, and it is stupid, it was done with the best intentions and they won't be changing it as the whole code and the animations were written/captured around it.

Just hope that the new project lead makes it his first priority when they start on EURO 2008.
Click to expand...


I know what you mean. Though, they couldn't have intended it like it is now.

The way they said the exact quote, it has nothing to do with the human interaction with the game, but purely game speed. In real life you obviously have no interaction with Gerrard, so the anticipation you feel when he shoots comes purely from the game-speed in general being, obviously, realistic. So anticipation in their quote has nothing to do with the response of controls. Just having proper animations and a realistic speed of animations and ball etc gives you the moment to anticipate a shot and such.


But examples like players ignoring commands for long periods of time cannot be other than bugs, because they couldn't be considered realistic features. If I am running in real life and get the idea of taking a shot immediately (the equivalent of pressing the shot button), I obviously will be able to respond as soon as I have set myself up properly footing-wise etc. Can take a step or two depending on the situation and how far away from the ball I am.


But for the most part FIFA08 is great. As long as they eliminate the situations where commands take longer than necessary to execute.


Beside the mentioned delay in command and execution, there are also some changes needed in the dribbling and such that need improving. Players now just seem to sluggish. More specifically, they are usually way to slow when wanting to for example stop dead and immediately shuffle the ball in a direction or such to get past an opponent. They suffer from the syndrome of seemingly needing to play out the full "stop dead and touch the ball with your foot to trap it"-animation without being able to, in mid-air, moving it in another direction and also mid-air preparing for a direction-change. They are just slower than seemingly necessary to move from one move to another, and lack the ability to always have the ability to prepare and respond to our commands even if they are in the middle of the air, or in the middle fo another animation.


I really wish they would tighten things up more in the next version, preferably with new systems for making quick(er) transitions between moves possible, so that you with the best players can move as fast and instinctively as they can. For example being able to wait out an opponent and then very quickly take a touch on the ball as they lunge for it. Simply put, currently players seem to not want to move their legs at the maximum speed, which causes an opponent to get a touch in before you can touch the ball past his foot, even though you had the ball at your feet and technically had the upper hand. Players, for example standing still with the ball, need to be always ready to start moving the millisecond the command goes through the gamepad, so that we can flick that ball away from an opponent that is reaching for it.


The only really good thing I liked in PES2008, was the new R2 dribbling system. on it's own, it is very nice and looks quite organic, and it's not clunky. Players move in the direction you want and quickly shuffle the ball from foot to foot. Particularly it is possible to quickly press a direction, and then another, and the player will do a quick 2-foot feint or such (not the same as the normal one that you do with the stick while running).

Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZO1Y6RB2EE


Trying to do that in FIFA08 leads to a much wider, slow and clunky move where the player doesn't control it as closely in the PES video. ALso notice that the PES video really doesn't feature any sliding feet or such that would make it impossible for FIFA's physics to do it.


Another PES video of R2 dribbling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf2MuqkCStQ


Notice how the feet in this particular example don't need to switch around instantly or slide a long way for the player to quickly make the transition (obviously if I had tryed to mvoe the ball slightly earlier or later the player might have had to slide the feet to do be able to execute it exactly when I wanted, but again, in this particular video there are no real physics violations that make it inherewntly impossible to replicate in the FIFA engine).



So I suppose my wish is FIFA09 with the close control of the PES R2-dribbling. Or something along those basic lines... :)
 
Last edited:
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Sadly I'll still be at work at 4pm, but I'd like a friendly or two around 6.45pm, if yourself or anyone else fancies it? :)
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Hey 360 guys, I noticed there is a secret achievement with the icon that looks like a team bus. I wondered if anyone could please post what it actually is, and what it's for? Cheers :)

Put a spoiler on it too as some people may not want to know.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

From looking at my achievements list, its for playing a game in every stadium
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Tried giving FIFA another chance on single player, it just seems to get worse. Hammer them, tons of shots and possesion only for them to score on their only shot because the CPU wouldn't let me change the defender.

And what's with wanting to do a first time pass and the player wanting to control it first, meaning he gets tackled. Completely put off single player. I might even be tempted to get PES 2008 on the cheap, FIFA just doesn't give me any enjoyment playing it now, just irritates me with the ridiculous bugs and slow speed of movement/reactions.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Just played some single player myself and the CPU cheating is ridiculous. Went to extra time and the CPU became absolutely untouchable. I couldn't even get near them to hack them down. Bullshit. Luckily, the Online is enough for me to be more than satisfied with this game though. Playing on a level playing field against another human over Xbox Live is immense.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Alright you lot I got a 360 + Fifa for Christmas so add me: StayingPower

The game is bloody hard I can barely win on amateur, and I'm used to always winning on Legendary (Fifa)/Top Player (PES). I decided to start a Bundesliga as Bayern Munich, I figured that would be the easiest thing to do to get in the game. Won the first game 2-0, might bump it up to semi pro.

The manual controls are hard to get used to. I've got everything on semi/manual for the moment but through balls and shots are especially difficult. It's a brilliant game though.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Got the game on christmas and i love it. Its a shame that the faces look terrbibe but if EA change this it would be the best football game.

2 questions:

Why are the goalkeeper gloves black? Is it my tv or is it EAs fault?

Why can't I play on nightsettings in every stadium?(for example Dortmund-night but Nou Camp-afternoon)

I have Fifa on the 360.
 
Re: FIFA 08 (Next Gen Chat)

Plan M said:
I have a question regarding the Manager Mode: After the first league cup game, all of the opposing teams seem to have NO ENERGY for a few games afterwards. Does this happen to any of you? I played Liverpool roughly 4 games after a league cup game and most of their players' energy bars were only half-full.
Click to expand...

I have posted this in the 'Manager Mode Adventures' thread aswell. Could someone shed some light on this please? Every team I play only ever have half-full energy bars at the most. Is it like this for everyone? (Obviously my energy bars are always full because I put the fitness to 10 at the beginning of the season).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom