Re-assessing controls

[steph_wheeler]

Hi, all,
Just of the top of my idea, I want to propose a couple control schemes that sort of add up to a revamp of how we currently play eFootball. Feel free to participate in poll in favor of which if any of the choices might tickle your fancy.

A. 'Triple tap bridge' might suggest a novel way of unlocking speed off the dribble.

B. 'Man mark on the fly.' By pushing down match up + physical press simultaneously, you can initiate A.I. man tracking/shadowing given you get close enough to opponent. Might possibly force a reassignment only provided a sub-tactic is being used.

C. Rhythmic/cadence dribbling could refer to the not-so uncommon gait most good dribblers use to reach a desirable optimal speed. Just hold triangle after beginning dribble sprint to dribble quickly yet consitently just without overdribbling where you might take too heavy a touch. Releasing the stick smoothly before pressing sprint again can up your players dribble speed a notch. But then again, it's just a matter of letting go of sprint button and holding Triangle for Cadence, ideal to use to drive forward on the counter attack or to pick up a loose ball and turn on the burners but ensuring the ball remains close. Thus gait might vary between 1 touch-1 step or 1 touch-3 steps when you can stretch your legs out. Evidently players with double-touch trait will be easily adept to the ball kissing their weaker foot.

P.S. Please note I may have to expound upon my ideas in the OP with further explanation as needed. As a bonus, your voting is changeable as well.

 

[steph_wheeler]

Shameless self-bump

Not to run on a soliloquy, I could only imagine the ramifications of tweaking the control pad yet again.

Hopefully, some of those combinations may appeal as worthwhile:
- Physical Press + Match Up (nearby an opponent) --> coax the A.I. to Man Marking instructions on the fly
- Slip off the rails of auto tract dribble, just push the ball out in front SprintX3, and manually track with the RS.
- Rare few may remember R2 controlled sprint dribbling, which also facilitated the side-stepping of opponent (not the current double touch); as well you could time hurdling an oncoming slide. The days of jackhammering TRIANGLE for sprinting speed are behind us.

 

[steph_wheeler]

'Test my limit' matches ought to push to fix certain Manual settings standard. With some rose tinted glasses, I could foresee the game changing for the better and going in a direction marginally different than catering so features such as "smart assist'. If I could invite you to join this thread for more than a second, would you consider the following idea(s):
- Super Cancel Hold (against Auto turnover reaction/AI influence). Maybe this could help pressing the goalkeeper versus assisted players who take too many liberties playing with the goalie. After pressing a goalie and he passes the ball out, why can't I be anywhere near the goalie in the event of a return pass back to him? This command could be realized by hold down super cancel, staying relatively still and not getting yanked by the AI assistance.
- In the case of the turnover reaction, which we often gripe about for the lack of control but can accept in the name of 'fairness/realism', could this alleviate the feeling of freezing by smoothly transitioning to a short, calculated pause and going again preserving momentum? It makes sense from a realistic standpoint that players brace themselves in the event of a potential concertina bunching up, as well as trying to avoid certain collisions. Abusing this might have the consequences of stopping yet more abruptly, slipping the standing leg and falling over on the arse.
- Lastly what would a Late Super Cancel Tolerance option add in terms of realism? Competitively it would cut out spamming and canceling power ups. Turning it on would eliminate the chance of the game feeling "not responsive enough" to accept a super cancel. A late cancel would slice up a late pass that could end up anywhere. The chance of super canceling would remain but critically with a risk of user error.

 

[steph_wheeler]

I submit to you a couple items to consider: "not a foot wrong defending," "yield drive," and "certain first touch."

The lot of them may have some semblance in the game already. For instance, a feature like first touch control has been in Fifa since 2005. Please allow me to explain some of the thinking behind those control choices and elaborate how they may change gameplay satisfaction.

Defending notoriously gets a bad rep not only for disrupting beautiful attacking football, but also seemingly destroying it cultivating stale anti-football play. However, not so surprisingly they are an essential foundation for building up should possession be regained reliably and definitively. Defending happens all over the pitch, but most games don't reward the endeavor. The critical stamina of any player is not sufficient to allow for such dominance off the ball to track, harry, and dispossess the opposition. As well the precision and timing of the challenge could not be underrated either. Hence it is often seen as a compliment to say of a defender not to have a put a foot wrong during his performance. The super fine close-up and manual closing down should be rewarded more than just rush down L1+X, (hold and wait for A.I. challenge). Don't get me wrong defenders getting away with cheap shots is blurring the line of fair versus foul, which is not absolutely uncommon at the sharp end of competition. Yet the basic meta of once caught in possession and swing the LS (anywhere)+match up (hold) is the cheapest tactic to defend passively and basically wait for the opponent's play to cool down and predictably regain possession to restart the cycle of counter attack after counter attack, and so on, and so forth. As boring as the defensive side might seem, it cannot be dismissed because no honest 50-50 duel is without the risk of jeopardy. Going on the ensuing break is never a guarantee if one is not prepared to get a little gritty versus the mere hope of clean tackle-back.

Sports games are often likened to a board game like chess, because the movement of pieces should be coordinated, regulated, and bear predictable consequences. Pieces of a similar archetype share similar capabilities for both players. However, Sports games are different from chess in that they are not limited to strict turn-by-turn moves. Momentum swings appear to play a part but they cannot be the end all be all to making marginal gains (or scheming versus the opponent). Fortunately the tactical pad can be switched between an offensive and defensive sub-tactic on the fly, but the threat of the counter-attack almost takes up a life of its own due to good fortune more so than a fair defensive challenge. Can I yield ahead of my opponent going on a break should I anticipate that I am losing the ball? Of course my opponent can attack down the lane I vacated but my player can manually track back but avoiding the ball carrier for the risk of committing a clumsy foul from behind. Should I run back early enough to regain an opponent facing defensive position, yielding should keep me out of that offensive lane except for icon switch to alert defenders.