Agree with most that's been said here. Goalgerd's file, if I'm not mistaken was gold dust when you had possession, but the problem was the option file was too responsive for the game, if that makes sense. I was getting silly scores like 5-4, brilliant going forward, some stunning moves could be put together. But trying to keep a clean sheet became impossible as everyone was just too responsive for the game engine.
I'm stuck in this very situation. PES2011 out of the box, brilliant, but too easy on Top Player. PES2011 with option files looks stunning with the kits etc, but the game breaks and there's plenty of game breaking through ball problems from the CPU. You also get these sluggish non responsive games which basically just spill into an all out shit fest. Then you have a good game, then you have two more shit fests. Then I go back into the cycle of uninstalling everything, playing the out of the box game, loving it, then finding top player too easy again - repeat, repeat!
If you read some of my other posts I've been obsessed this last month with finding the right game, I then went to PES6XBOX, then bought a PS2 just to play PES5 and then PES 6, that was after I bought every PES for next gen just to see how they all compare. I'm loving PES6 PS2 at the moment, perfect balance between attack and defence, obviously no 'how is this game going to play' issues, and generally a consistent, responsive joy, with perhaps a little too much emphasis on pace, but I don't mind that.
But coming back to PES2011, KONAMI really must sort out the AI, it's true. like so many on here say, there's winning for winning's sake, and there's winning (or losing) playing your brand of football. With the updates, option files etc all on, on top player, it is possible to win, but boy is it not the way football should be played. When playing Chelsea for example, who I think have high pressure on Top Player, it's basically just a hot potatoe, I could have Arnold Shwarzenegger shielding the ball and Torres would just waltzed through him like a little girl. That's what people are complaining about.
AI difficulty should be more about making space harder to come by, intelligent pressing when needed etc etc. Many variables should be exactly the same whether you're in beginner mode or top player. For example, Messi shielding the ball from say Kyriakos (sp), should always result in Messi maintaining possession, or a foul is given. You should't have Messi being able to do it in the first three difficulty levels, and then not being able to do it at the higher ones, it makes no sense at all. The stamina thing really pisses me off too on top player. If I'm playing Chelsea as say Liverpool then I know that the game sets them up as aggressive, pressing everything. But I should also know that if I maintain possession make them chase the ball a bit, and see off the storm, then they should tire a little?!? Not a chance. So there's no trade off between tactics in this situation. What Chelsea do most of the time against me is play a high line, high pressure and the game is so condensed, take into consideration that the responsiveness of passing is lot with option files introduced and what you have is a nightmare midfield shit fest, which ultimately the opposition will just wear you down through your stamina being drained.
The speed thing has to go, with defenders catching strikers easily, I can understand why they did it but it has to be eradicated. The whole CPU defensive thing needs to be ripped up. How many defenders go towards Bale and tackle him? None? Unless they have 2 or 3 defenders on him. This is where the game lets itself down again. If it's one on one defenders will back off, dropping deeper until there's support from other defenders. If a defender does make a challenge with forward momentum, and Bale does get round him, that's it by the time said defender stops his forward tackle thrust, turns, and starts to chase Bale is five to six yards clear and no stopping him.
Stuff like this really irritates me. The game has tried to go into great lengths tactically, but there needs to be more.
Every game should be a trade off, there shouldn't be a one way fits the victory. If you want to play fast, Premier League style football, then you can, but there will be a resulting stamina drain, and there'll be chances at either end (see Spurs-Arsenal), if you want to play a slow defensive game (ala some Bundesliga games), then that too should be possible. Through balls are way too accurate and way too powerful to accurately defend for ninety minutes in the game.
The Developers NEED TO GET THIS for this years installments, that increasing difficulty shouldn't just be cheap tricks by the CPU.
BUT, I also think we the consumer, especially with PES, need to seriously ask ourselves what WE WANT from the game. Every year we complain about this and that, but do we REALLY WANT REALISM. One of my main gripes is that if we want realism, then the football is way too easy to play in PES. I can play like Barce with Liverpool, well that shouldn't be. Man Utd don't play like Barce, they rely on a combination of defensive passing to create space in midfield, long balls up to the strikers, crosses from wide and counter attack. But I can play like Barce using United. Passing therefore I think needs to be more difficult, but individually it should be easier to keep hold of the ball. What I'm trying to say is that Konami need to free up the individual side of the game in respect to chance creation. I hate Rooney, but he should be a little dynamo, hitting long pin point balls here and there. When Ronaldo gets the ball for all you Barce-Real freaks out there, the defender should be shitting himself and backing off escorting him into a no danger space or buying time where others can assist in marking. Same with Messi. Berbatov, his languid slow and tight control of the football, technically brilliant should never get the ball off him. Gerrard, work horse running her there and everywhere. Tim Cahill, late runs into the box converting headers. Andy Carroll, should be a target for every Liverpool long ball, should win 80 per cent of headers to set moves going...etc etc, all this from player individuality. In football, I think the universal stat is if you don't score within say 5 passes you won't score. Goals are scored from mistakes, people under pressure, people tired, set pieces etc etc. Passing therefore at the top level isn't just for pretty's sake, it is designed to create space, so that people get dragged from their positions, to free up space for others. That's why pressing irresponsibly should be punished severely both from the players perspective and the CPU.
Lot of points, just a little rant off my chest!
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