I really dont know where to start here to be honest.
Firstly, yes I play mainly offline. 8 seasons on ML gives me a decent understanding of the game. The Player Cards make a huge difference, either you havent played the game enough, or you dont really know what your looking for, and I dont mean that in an insulting way.
As an example, Emnes for me in my ML always struggled with the accuracy and consistency of his general passes and his through ball's. After giving him the Passer playing card, the difference to his game is like night and day. If I time the pass correct and the run is on 8 times out of 10 he will complete the pass, with pretty much perfect weight. I play with the same set of players game in game out, so I can see VERY cleary the difference it makes. The same thing goes for the 1st touch Player Card, that has massively improved many of my ML players ability. The 1 on 1 Finish Player Card once issued to my strikers has improved their finishing around the box by a good 50%.
The Attacking Card, Balance and Defence all have massive implications on which runs the players make, that is also like night and day. To the point were if for some reason I have forgot to activate the Attacking Card, I can notice it during the game immediately by the postioning of my players, and I then switch it on.
The Fox in the Box, Mazy Run Cards etc I have never used as none of my players in my ML have it. I would be very surprised though based on the Cards I do use that they do nothing at all. Why have them in ?
The sticky touch shuffle you mention, although not the best to look at visually is there to serve a purpose to a theory, which is all based again around individuality. It's to show the difference between technical players and non-technical players. Defenders are more likely to be dispossessed by quick strikers looking to nick it off their foot due to the cumbersome nature of a defender. The exception to the rule are for players like Alves, Cole, and Ramos et al, which are represented accordingly in PES 2010. This has never been highlighted to such an extent in any PES game. Again adding to the individuality.
As for any player with 70 dribbling accuracy having no individuality ? What about the influence of every other stat they have ? Sure they cant pull off the advanced feints but that doesnt mean they cant excel in other areas of the game.
And any player with 80+ with dribbling accuracy can pull off all the feints, including Drogba, so I'm not sure where you get that from. Try tapping forward then down or up and watch how quick he turns.
I agree with the fact that Real Madrid and Barcelona online are still way too good in a ranked match. Alot of this though is down to the default 'Regular' AI setting that comes with a ranked match. I play online in a Community and play on Top Player AI and the defence is far better and can cope with Messi and Ronaldo etc. The bottom line is that PES has always been completely stat based, obviously we are never going to get every player exactly how we think they should be, alot of that is subjective anyway. I have played the likes of Barca and Real online in a ranked match and it did infuriate me that I was getting beat by players that just looked to use the cut-back and sprint button. I had hoped this would have been sorted but it hasnt, the best PES player doesnt always win in a ranked match, due to the likes of Real and Barca being so good and the Regular level AI being so shit defensively.
When you play with one of the lesser teams, you instantly feel the lack of quality throughout the team. Then play with Real or Barca and your at the very top end of the food chain and it's reflected accordingly. The bottom line is when your facing the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo, Benzema and co, your facing the cream of world football.
There is a fine line though between making the worlds best players god-like. I remember everybody moaning with PES 5 because Henry couldnt out-sprint a slower defender, and how unrealistic that was. Now it's the other end of the scale, although not as much as 08 and 09.
You say Lorente cant control the ball because he is tall, but Ibra can take the ball dead, and he's tall. This also highlights what you have said about PES 6. Yes all PES games have incorperated the 1st touch, but none have done it as drastically as they have in PES 2010, in my opinion.
As for PES 6 being far better, maybe if you prefer a more arcade attacking style game. I played PES 6 on my PS2 about 8 months ago and couldnt beleive how arcadish the gameplay was. It was like playing Fifa on fully assisted but with individuality. Pressing pass with my eyes closed found a player with ease. I think PES 6 was where Konami started to move away from a more simulated approach. We then got the horrific PES 2008, which I hated with a passion, and PES 2009 which was a big improvement but still nothing like the realism of PES 2010.
Anyway, we all see games differently I guess so each to their own.
