Re: Fifa 11
I'm dead against VPs being identically skilled. That's not how football works. We've been talking very extensively about how we think VPs should work in a hidden part of the official forums, as well as one of the Q&A threads over there. I think I stuck it in the feedback thread in here? Basically the latest stage we were at is that I'd like a system where you choose an initial template for your player and then, from there, you should be able to level up to a point (say 1/2 of all the achievements available?), after which you cannot unlock any more permanent stats improvements. From that point on, your improvement in certain areas is based on your form in that area (I'm aware that the form system would need to be overhauled for this, but let's assume that it is for arguments sake!).
So basically you spend the first part of your VPs career defining what sort of player he naturally is, and then if you want any further improvement in those areas (or you want to play in a different position and need to get up to scratch in other areas) then you can get a further, form based tweak to your base abilities via form.
The whole system would have to be overhauled for that, let alone the form system, not that what you're suggesting isn't along the right lines. I wonder what you/others are thinking on the physical side of this? One of the main flaws, in my opinion, with the system as per FIFA 10, is that the physical side is stepped. There are two weight brackets, and 4 height brackets. Now I don't know (but I suspect it doesn't) whether 'weight' has any real advantage in and of itself, but with height this is a pretty bizarre concept - because you only ever see 4 heights of players. 5'6", 5'10", 6'2", and 6'7". The way this effects the mechanics of heading in FIFA's VP is pretty ludicrous - because at 5'6", you'll never win a header, at 5'10", you'll pretty much never win a header, at 6'2", you'll win most headers, and at 6'7" you'll win almost every single header. Not only that it means that, if no-one on your team is 6'7", you basically CANNOT stop the 6'7" players having free headers on a corner. Now, personally (and this follows for my team), I don't want to play as a 6'7" player because I think it's, frankly exploitative (and that's the can of worms which centers on the point in the post above this and the post above that). But at the same time, being 6'3", is just stupid. You get an extra inch for a fairly considerable nerf on your stats.
Now, partially this is caused by the rather borked airplay mechanics, which will at least I'm confident be improved, but I think it would be nice if we saw a nice array of player heights - and preferably a more centered distribution (ie, most players closer to 6 foot than 5 foot or 7 foot) - and surely the best way to solve this is to make it so each inch effects the ratings, as opposed to every 4/5 inches.
The same can/should be applied to weight - though with that it's less of a problem. There was a fair discussion beginning in that FIFA + RPG elements idea that BZM was getting into - but like all FIFA forums (at least those for us plebs), djedwardsmith25, the great Kieran v xRooney debate, and vehement campaigns to get the second division of Barbados in the game are more important - and I didn't see much in the way of people's ideas about physical stats.
As for the rest of the stats, I think you're pretty much on the right lines. We need to get back to a situation where players are not these sort of jack-of-all trade (and masters of all) types. Players should be becoming archetypal, and specialising at things. Part of this is just the flaw of any system like the current one which is primarily based on accomplishments which almost all will be accomplished eventually by almost anyone no matter how they play. Part of any renewal of the system in FIFA 10 will be a complete rewrite of the accomplishments.
The main difficulty with the system I think you want, is how you actually manage to create the accomplishments. I mean, what, as an example, would the 'Accomplishments' be for a target man, or midfielder like Xavi - who gets almost no goals at all (Just 3 in la Liga) - and yet is thoguth to be one of the best creative players on Earth. The difficulty is in actually counting things which are going to make one player different from another. Goals and assists won't do, they are too general - but almost every shooting and passing stat accomplishment is based on them.
