Hi there.
Well, I keep coming to the site just to look at your avatar
Actually, I've been quite busy these past days, and will be so for the following weeks - I'm getting married in 17 days.
Nonetheless, I've been playing PES2009 a lot, and I've been enjoying it so far. I usually don't like the demos as much because I like to play with smaller clubs, I don't like to play only with the big teams. I get lots of satisfaction from playing with my poor Sporting Lisbon, and maybe that's why I'm more of a Master League type than a full manager type guy. I like to take the small teams to the top.
That said, I'm liking to read a lot about people enjoying BAL. As I've been saying for quite a while, it is THE mode that I wanted in a football game ever since Libero Grande hit the PS1.
I've played it a bit in the beginning, I signed for "Wearside" (what's their real name? It's where Chopra plays, and Weir), but so far, in Top Player, I have only played training matches. Nonetheless, it's only been 6 or 7 weeks, and so I deleted my save file. I'll start it from scratch later.
I decided to play a CL with Sporting to make time for the patch to arrive, because I know that the moment I get my hands on BAL again, I won't put it off, and I would rather have the real team names for that mode.
I've also tried playing 2 matches online, 2vs2, and I simply recalled why I hated going online with strangers. There were these two guys with mics who spent all the time talking trash. Nonetheless, one of them had a red connection, and as such we never played a single game until the end. Also, both games were Inter vs Chelsea. At one time, I asked if they wanted to play with Portuguese teams (since we were all Portuguese in the room), and they all decided to create a new room to play... Inter vs Chelsea.
Sigh.
I'll be going online for some Legends matches when I have a BAL player to play as. I'm really looking forward to playing that mode - and as I said before, if anyone wants to add me to PSN, my nick is pjft (if I remember correctly).
@FreMM - thanks for adding me. However, I'm having another problem: how do I find players online by their PES Id? Mine is also pjft (if this is, indeed, the ID that I should be giving).
About the game, I get a lot more satisfaction from playing it than I had for the 2 weeks where I forced myself to play FIFA. That was self-inflicted pain for my taste. In the end, my joy lies with PES.
I can face that PES's graphics don't have the gloss FIFA's have - it's actually pretty obvious in my LCD.
I can live without the clan features or the 10vs10 online mode.
I'm simply enjoying the game for what it is, and loving every moment. I managed to tie the game against Barcelona with Sporting (3-3) at the last minute, and I jumped off the couch and started celebrating. FIFA never gave me that. It was either "yay, I scored the goal on the 90th minute", "damn, they scored", or "well, I'm losing 2-0, let's see what happens now".
With PES it's more "F*ck, they scored, I have to get my act together", "Damn, I'm 2 down! I've got 30 mins to try and tie at least. Bring it on, suckers" or, finally, "Hell yeah, take that! And you thought you were going to take the 3 points with you!". I'm actually living the game.
I can completely empathize with pboreham when he said in the BAL thread that "he understands the Pros now for being pissed off when being subbed" or that he is always afraid of being subbed every time the ball goes out in the second half
I'm not going to try and preach PES to anyone. I wouldn't mind if I was the only one playing PES. If it is THE game I enjoy - and due to work life mixing with family life and playing time, it is the game that I play for 90% of my playing time during the whole year - I'll gladly keep playing it and enjoying it.
Why has Badgerman been away from the thread, as well as me? Because most of the negative comments that come out nowadays are mainly repetitions of things that don't add anything to the discussion, and it won't change our mind. It is mostly people trying to convince us that they are right and that their truth is THE truth, and that nuisance will only detract from our PES experience.
I won't let the haters ruin PES for me
I'll keep following the thread, mind you, and I sure hope to meet some of you online in a Legends match, or for a Sporting Lisbon vs whichever club you choose

I'm a fair sport, I don't mind if you win the matches against me - I'm a though cookie, nonetheless, or at least I'll put up some challenge

- I just want to have some nice matches against people who are mature enough about games and playing against others.
Still, it is not likely that this will happen in the following weeks, since I'm full of stuff to take care of for the wedding.
Best regards, and keep up the great mood we have here!
Paulo Tavares
P.S. - I have a question about OFs, however. Do they bring the chants over, or do we have to setup the chants individually?