Yeah i'm also not a video editor guy and i never record anything myself.
It's not a point if i believe you or not,it's just that i never saw that particular animation the player makes when he takes a dipping shot and the ball actually dips for example,before 19.And i've played hundreds of hours in 18.In 17 less but also many hours.Rising shots also.I'm pretty sure they've added this in 19 for the first time.But they don't occur very frequently in the game.
Maybe because you only play the cpu and it always makes the same top corner shots etc it gives you the impression that there's no variety and outcomes.But i pay attention at my shots in replays and vs other users because i play 95% online and i'm seeing a bit more variety in trajectories than last years and surely more error.I remember last years you could only miss the target by centimeters most of the time,it was more assisted.Now i'm seeing the ball going wide 2-3 meters or even near the corner flag in some cases if you shot from very wide angle with bad body position and timing.
It feels more free and stat based.Not by much as i said because there are engine limitations and general stiffness still.But there is a bit of improvement in my opinion.Kinda like the PA1 this year is a bit more free than last years.The same goes for shooting i think.
I think the whole shooting is more complex and it cant be summarised by simple "shot variety" statement.
I agree with you that there is more animations on 19. I would also probably be inclined to agree that there is more trajectories, due to improved ball physics.
But, IMO, they made it more complex and more simple at the same time.
18 was a weird mutation between 17 and 19.
So lets forget 18 and rocket shots for the moment (because I agree that there was far less error there) and focus on 17 Vs 19.
And lets take initial stage of shot: Ball-Player contact.
In 19 I feel I just have to press the button, and animation will do the rest for me. Most of the shots go on target, or close to it.
In 17, if I dont press the button at the right time, I can have a total flop. I've seen complete misses, where player fell without even touching the ball, or sky high shots, that went almost straight up in the air.
Due to better response and the ball being separate entity, shots are much more unpredictable on 17. You never know if you will have an absolute screamer, or an absolute fail.
Then, on the other side you have end result. We all know how difficult is to score from long range on 19. After few patches long range goals just stopped.
In 17 I feel like I can have an attempt from pretty much anywhere on the pitch.
IF I hit it right, there is a decent chance for scoring a screamer, or at least forcing GK to parry it, giving me a chance to tap it in.
(In 19 GK very rarely deflect the ball ahead, 90% of the time its out for a corner)
Dipping shots might not have same animation, but ball trajectory, the actual "dip" of the ball was there before.
I agree with you about more freedom in passing. But for some strange reason, the ball felt more free and random in 17. Especially when it comes to shots. The spectrum of possibilities and outcomes was much wider.
They might look pretier on 19 and they might have more animations, but there is very little unpredictability there.
And all this is only from user perspective.
AI is another story, not even worth mentioning.
But hey, this is all my personal opinion.
The whole Pes mechanics are a mystery to me sometimes and all I can go by are my feelings there. This game is build out of some really weird elements..
