Shallow as it is (and I'm being a hypocrite here after tearing apart those posts from EA about the Ultimate Team "pack opening" animations), because of all the stuff FIFA gets right off the pitch (the manager mode, the PL stadia etc.), I'm trying to force myself to like it.
I had some enjoyable games this morning as Middlesbrough - and I found a real difference playing against Stoke and then against Arsenal (on World Class I should add, Legendary is too robotic for me).
Stoke conceded a penalty after 20 minutes (which I totally fluffed because of the new penalty system), and that felt really good, I've got to admit. It was a midfield mess, but that's how it should have been.
Arsenal were much sharper, moved the ball better, but their passing felt fair (though the way they held onto the ball less so - see below).
It seems to feel pretty good playing as four-star-and-below teams, because the control "clunkiness" is pretty spot-on (not trying to offend anyone with that description, I just haven't got the verbal dexterity at 10 in the morning to pinpoint what I mean by it).
But every game is a real grind. It's not mentally challenging as much as it's mentally exhausting. I'm not observing patterns of play or anything, because A) there's no time (see next paragraph), and B) there's not much point (see the paragraph after).
Out of possession, my defenders give their players tons of space (whatever the tactical instructions), so I'm constantly manually pressing, but it's pointless because the AI will just do constant 180-360 turns and retain possession until it hits a bad pass (though obviously - and seeing as this is the comparison thread, I'll make the comparison - it's nice to actually see a bad pass from the AI).
Once I've got possession back, no matter who the opposition is, their defensive line is already perfect, and counter-attacking isn't usually an option because of how well they'll intercept the ball in midfield. So, no matter what team I'm playing as, I'm forced to play slow, build-up football and do the AI's trick of rotating around the ball to avoid being dispossessed. Which I want to be forced into, sometimes - but NOT every game!
With the top teams, I don't feel "free" when I give the ball to a pacey player or a fancy dribbler. There's player individuality, certainly - I'd even argue that it has more of that than PES does (I'm never concerned about whether the guy I'm controlling needs to pass with his right foot rather than his weaker left, for example). But with those more creative players, the "clunkiness" of the controls isn't loosened, the button-lag doesn't improve, and I feel like I'm dribbling with a lower-league star, not a Premier League star.
If I up the game speed to "normal", that improves marginally, but then the ball physics seem absolutely crazy to me. I've not kicked the new Premier League ball or anything, but if it's anything like the way it flies in FIFA on "normal" speed, it's half-balloon.
sliders allow developers to put as little time into game play AI development as possible
EA never mention sliders in their PR, never. You can't use them online, they don't affect Ultimate Team, and 99% (literally) of the people who buy FIFA don't even know they exist. Sliders are an afterthought. They're for the career mode guys, who they don't give a flying fuck about. They stick the sliders in to shut us up.
This idea that sliders mean they're lazy with the gameplay is utterly bizarre to me. They can't even respond to someone who says they hate the gameplay with "fix it with sliders" because it just doesn't apply unless you're playing offline, and the vast, VAST majority play online.
Man stop being so defensive over a game. I get you like it but you need to appreciate other people don't like it as much as you and have issues with it.
