Re: FIFA 16 News & Discussion Thread
I think this year's PES is great too, and the better game with the default settings I think (if I couldn't alter the sliders in FIFA I wouldn't play it, and I don't play it online any longer). But I'd say the potential with FIFA is huge, because so much of the game is already great. It's only the 10%-15% that's badly wrong (defending, CPU AI, team styles in general) that can spoil the rest of it.
I'm so glad that the producer is talking about overall tweaks and no big key features, and that defending is top of the list of changes. From my point of view, they couldn't be talking a better game.
I just hope it all comes together - I've not been this excited for a football game in years.
Great post, positive review, a nice change from the usual "FIFA sucks" and "PES is shit" diatribe around here. FIFA in fact has many more team style customization options than PES, it's quite far ahead in that regard. And yes, it takes some editing and tweaking.
1. Creating custom formations for CPU teams is one option: moving players' positions up/back/in/out in the formation has a significant effect on CPU positioning and gameplay (unlike PES).
2. Editing players' attack/defend workrates goes a long way in determining CPU attack/defend tendencies. (PES has this as well in the form of player ratings, but is not nearly as effective.)
3. Switching player assignments plays a huge role in CPU positioning and behaviour. One example: tweaking the standard LB LCB RCB RB setup to determine which defenders will join in on the attack or stay back to prevent the quick counter (see screen below). This also works with other positions in game: player positioning and team styles can be altered and greatly influenced by simply switching players' assigned positions. A CM playing in an AMF position will not push forward to the same degree as a AMF in the same position, for example. Likewise 4 DMFs playing the midfield will stay further back than CM/RM/LM players. Switching player assignments in this same way in PES has no affect at all on gameplay; this is yet another major advantage FIFA has over PES with regards to CPU team style customization.
4. And finally, sliders... Assigning custom slider settings for different teams, pre-game: line sliders, shot error, pass error, etc. Makes a huge difference in determining CPU team ability and how they play, this is where FIFA really annihilates PES in the customization dept.
For me, the issue with FIFA isn't team styles, as that can all be more or less successfully tweaked with a bit of work. The #1 problem with FIFA, the problem the game has had for a decade now, is the moronic CPU stat boost coding which, when it kicks at the start of games or at the 40 and 85 minute marks etc., totally and completely overwrites player rating values, slider settings, and all those team style edits. That's when you see third-tier CPU teams suddenly start dribbling and passing and attacking like a team of 10 Messis. I will not buy another FIFA game until EA rewrites this horrible, awful, juvenile AI coding. But given EA refuses to even admit this stat boost coding is present in the game, it looks like PES is going to be my only option for the next long while.
