Interfering With Play – Tuesday 28th April 2009
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 28 Apr
IWP League Champion 2008: Martin Ginnelly (River Plate)
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Another exceptionally busy week for me regarding PESGaming.com, as I have started to put the wheels into motion for a handful of new features, along with putting the finishing touches to this year’s hotly contested IWP League. The final table will be published on PESGaming.com later this week, along with a brief round up of proceedings. For the 360 gamers amongst you, information regarding the IWP World Cup is included in this week’s column, so read below if you are interested in taking part. As for other things, the next few weeks will see a number of changes to the PESGaming.com site, whilst still retaining the features regulars have come to expect. If your interested in writing a review of a football game (see previous post) then feel free to e-mail me, and the much delayed Nintendo Wii Video review of PES 2009 should be posted this week! With all the above said, let’s move on to this week’s Interfering With Play.
“You Just Don’t Know”
I’d like to start this week with a little message to all posters and comment makers out there. PESGaming.com is an independently run website, all those involved give their time for free and go to exceptional lengths to ensure the latest PES information is waiting for you when you log on. We have an active forum community as well as a number of columnists whose job it is to write weekly articles. Recently, an in keeping with this time of year, a handful of individuals seem to find posting rude, derogatory and abusive comments on this site, directed at other members and in some cases, forging the identities of regular contributors. Name calling and sinking to their level will not be something featured on Interfering With Play, but I would like to remind all community members of the way this site works.
Each columnist is 100% responsible for the content of both their column, and the comments that relate to these columns. Each columnist, as an individual therefore has the power to delete any comments he finds inappropriate, something which is left totally to the discretion of the author. In other words, Double D looks after comments on PES Off and I look after comments in Interfering With Play. It is personal opinion which comments are deleted, and is left totally up to the columnist involved. Personally, I welcome a wide variety of comments, even if the views posted directly criticise of oppose my own. Any abusive language towards other community members or any content which I feel has no place on this site will be removed as soon as possible, usually on my return from work. I would like to point out that I do not wish to censor comments in IWP, and therefore if you have an issue you wish to make, please keep it clean.
We, as a team of columnists also have the ability to view the IP Address of every individual who posts a comment. This means we can see exactly which computer is being used to post a comment, and can tell if it is the genuine author, or just someone using his or her name. IWP now has a zero tolerance policy on fake posts, and anyone posting using a non-unique name will have their comment removed immediately! If you have something to say, please don’t hide behind someone else’s name, and show a pit of integrity by using your screen name. Finally, we also have the power to block IP Addresses from visiting PESGaming.com, or posting comments in general. This is a last resort, but has occurred in the past. Hopefully it will not be a road we need to go down again, but is one that we can walk if required. I know we have a die hard community, as well as a visiting number of thousands. It is simply 7 or 8 people who make up the tiny percentage spoiling it for others. We will do our very best to keep this community about PES.
“You Gotta Fight, For Your Right”
Following that little piece of housekeeping, I must thank the community for their excellent points raised on last week’s Interfering With Play comments section. As I have said many times, I do take the time to read each post, and all of which will definitely not be vain over the coming weeks, as a new project will be coming to the table. I am also fully aware that handballs are an issue I have raised on more than one occasion on this site. I make no excuses for doing so, as I personally believe they are a fundamental part of football, and whilst rarely intentional are present in over 75 % of football matches. In a game which features such nice touches as shirt pulling and diving, handballs should be thought about and discussed. The general feeling was that the game is not ready to include the feature, and this is the whole point of a community, to discuss these issues and get these views across.
Last week’s column made me realise that I was probably slightly naïve to leave all idea’s and suggestions up to Double D. Personally, I was slightly disheartened by the lack of interest shown by Konami in my 2008 PES letter, and thought someone else could give it a shot. Double D did an excellent job, however I feel there are a number of issues that can still be addressed, and other the next few weeks, I am going to bring a couple of the better ones to the table. By doing this, if any Konami representatives are viewing this site, they will be receiving a fresh and bang up to date outlook on potential features the PESGaming.com community is talking about, and hopefully will take these on board for the future.
This will be coupled by a feature called ‘The Big Survey’, which over the next few weeks will take a look at some of the talking points raised within the community, and how you feel about them. Not everyone wants to comment on a post, and therefore I feel it only fair that there is more than one way to get your opinions across. Last week’s column brought up a handful of brilliant talking points, which will last a few weeks no doubt. If you have raised a point in last week’s column that doesn’t get mentioned this week, do not worry, as it will more than likely be spoken about in a future article.
“Out Of Control”
The AI is a huge talking point in PES, so much so that one week would not be enough to cover everything. Regulars such as Simon, Amateur, Dave O and Passthedutchie have all addressed it on different levels, and I will look into these over the coming weeks. However, this week I am going to address the quite reasonable accusation that PES 2009 ‘cheats’.
Many gamers will have been there. One goal up against a very average opponent with 10 minutes to go, and all of a sudden the game seems to go into overdrive. By the end of the game, you have lost 2-1 and are exceptionally frustrated that you felt powerless to anything you could have done. Angry, you feel like the game has cheated you out of 3 points, or the next round of the cup and blaming everything from the controller to your on screen players to your mobile phone!
It is no secret that over the course of gaming history, there are certain titles that have been accused of cheating. This is not to be confused with a game that is just difficult or a challenge. For example, your first play through on Resident Evil 5 could be seen as difficult, a challenge, but at no point would you be able to accuse the game of cheating. The guy with the chainsaw was just quicker than you, or that zombie simply outsmarted you. However, there are games which have earned a reputation for being less than fair. Mario Kart on the SNES was one of these, with the AI drivers sometimes driving a perfect line at incredible speed just to catch up. Seth in Street Fighter IV seems to have more moves and can just do things much quicker than anyone on a harder difficulty setting. If these actions were being performed by another human being, it would be referred to as a skill, but when a machine does these; the helpless feeling immediately tells us the game is cheating.
I for one personally feel these moments reflect real football quite well. How often have you seen a team claw a victory from the jaws of defeat? Only a few days ago, the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game saw two cruel, last minute goals fly in. If the human player manages to gain this victory against the AI, than he or she is happy, but when the computer does so, it is outrageous! As mentioned in the comments section, Konami will have programmed the game to pick up its performance at certain points. This is seemingly at random, something which arguably frustrates gamers most of all, however it makes the game much more challenging for that brief period. Just like in real life, some set pieces are seemingly undefendable, and whilst this is exceptionally frustrating when it happens to you, it is a true aspect of football.
So how do Konami combat this? How do they bring in this feature to make it fair, make it more realistic, and make it slightly more playable? Well, my personal suggestion would be giving each team a group of statistics that could help players plan their actions. Some sides may prove to be exceptionally resilient and difficult to break down, however, when a goal goes in, they could ship two or three quite quickly. Some teams on the other hand would respond strongly to a goal being conceded, and come back all guns blazing. Some sides may be dangerous from set plays, whilst others keep the ball, and require you to get men back and defend. Finally, some teams may have a ‘big last 10’ or ‘big 2nd half’ just like Liverpool, who seemingly turn it on and have gained so many results in the later stages of games. All of these statistics could be on display, and potentially could be scouted in Master League. For example, imagine having the option to buy a scouting report on your next opponent, at a cost of course. Failure to do so may leave you susceptible to a late surge from an opponent, but would save you the money. Doing so may allow you to plan ahead, not giving away corners or simply overloading the defence for the last 20 minutes of a match.
In the comments section, Amateur has mentioned some interesting views on the in game momentum shifts, and these will be further addressed in future weeks, but I am looking on the team as a whole, and how preventing your opponents gaining these momentum advantages could be just a start to a new look PES. Finally, it would be interesting to see how many people actually change their style of play throughout the game. I know some gamers have one way of playing and stick to it. A mate of mine will single out one player, and then work the game around him. Another always plays using wide players. When playing these guys for the first time, most people will struggle, but once you learn the way they play, it becomes easier, either by man marking the single player, or doubling up on the wingers. When the AI starts to become seemingly untouchable, I wonder how many gamers honestly adapt their play, even by changing tactics or simply the style of play to ‘ride out the storm’. I am usually one to pass the ball out from the back, but openly admit when the AI starts to turn the screw, the statement anywhere will do is more appropriate! It is all very well blaming the game for ‘cheating’ but I am interested to see how many players change their game when the pressure is on.
“Football’s Coming Home”
Finally this week, I would like to announce the Interfering With Play World Cup is set to be held this year, on X Box 360. Issues such as teams, format and rules will all be revealed in due course, but for the time being, I need to test the water for interest. So, if you are an X Box 360 gamer with PES 2009, have it up to date with the latest updates, and would like to take part in the online competition, please e-mail me with your name, age, location (country) and a valid msn e-mail address. I am looking for 16 participants; slots which I believe will fill up quite quickly, so register your interest now to avoid disappointment. E-mail can be sent to the usual address.
That’s your lot for this week. There is quite a lot for you guys to take from this week, so hopefully something will have tickled your interest. The Big Survey and Wii Review will earn their own separate posts, whilst news regarding the IWP League will be posted on Thursday. interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk is the place to direct all e-mail to. I try my best to respond to all e-mail personally, so if you have anything you wish to discuss, please feel free to do so via there or alternatively in the usual manor of a comment.
Thanks for Reading
Another good article Dan, u seem to be carrying this site on your own, or indeed being held down by other columnists. In relation to your censorship policy, well I only think you use it as a last resort.
In Dougies case he used it to delete every critical comment wrote about him! He is not perfect and well the mood has been reflected in the responses to his articles. Anyway I for one want to advocate to remove Dougie “fascist” D from the site!
Good article Dan. Very interesting to read about how many players actually change their tactics when the AI ups their game. I have always tried to play the same way attacking and trying to score more. I hadnt looked at it like that. I still think the AI on yours and the opposing side seem a little suspect in this years game but i suppose the ‘anywhere will do’ or other negative tactics when defending a lead instead of trying to score more goals may well be what is needed to to stop an opponent scoring. I think the fact that its far easier to score goals in this years game fools you into an attacking mentality so you tend to put less emphasis on the defensive side (unlike PES 5/6) and thats maybe where the opposition catches you out. Good point.
Dan,
The question of AI, well, I’m with you 100% on that. I actually enjoy those last ten minutes of the game more than anything, and I don’t think of it as cheating. Good to hear I’m not the only one who appreciates it in some way. Also, I think we need to define cheating a little better. For example, cheating would be when the opposing player shoots the ball and is more likely to score, whereas I think that them pushing up and wokring harder as a team to create chances is reflective of the kinds of changes real life coaches make in tactics late on in a game, not to mention sheer determination.
For the most part I find that the CPU creates more chances in the last ten minutes, but they don’t convert them any more often. Last week this happened in a game against Tottenham. They earned themselves a late penalty to tie, but Robbie Keane missed the net! Then, they had one more chance and hit the post on a sitter. Cheating, to me, means those would have gone in. Moreover, I have won my fair share of late victories myself, so maybe I’m the cheater!
That’s the way I see it anyway, but I can understand how others would interpret it as cheating since it is essentially decided by the cpu.
As for ajusting my game – I do, but not the tactics. I generally play quite defensively anyway. However, I can say that this year I fight harder to score that second or third goal when I’m 1 or 2 up just because I’m less certain I can hold on.
PS – If you think people are posting fake comments based on their IP how can you be sure they aren’t just on another PC (at work, internet cafe, etc)?
good article Dan Bolas, i would like to read though how you think the handball should be implemented in pes, because i think if it happens randomly it would be consired cheating,
so my question is on what situations should you opt for a handball what would be the controls to use? also, if this is implemented this would also have to raise the AI of the referee and lines man. judging their decisions by where they are located on the field and how clear they see the foul
Have to agree on the ‘cheating’ thing.
I tend to play one way, but, more often than not, I’ll hold the ball at the back for the last ten minutes of a game if it is particularly tight.
If the opposition do not have the ball, there is no way the CPU can cheat and I am yet to notice any dodgy stray passes when I am holding onto the ball that I could blame on the CPU cheating. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but, I tend to see it as simply pressure building towards the end of a game.
Off topic, but, don’t think anyone has responded. Has anyone else noticed that the advertising boards do not change when logged into XBL when playing Master League. I know I’ve mentioned in the past, but, I’m worried I may be going mental!
Good IWP again.
i dont mind the opposition AI improving to get a goal at all. what annoys me is when my defenders just stop or leave opponents unmarked at key moments. that i would call cheating
Yeah I love the whole ‘obviously programmed in’ momentum shift thingy- except when it’s obviously thrown in towards the end of the game and it prevents me from winning. having said that, becasue I play 10 minute games , it may be random and just seem like the game has decided to pick up at the end when in the scope of things it’s just 1 quarted of the match, that just so happens to be at the end.
On the whole though it adds so much to the game.
Regarding scouting an upcoming team, I don’t think one should have to pay for a scout, but rather the game needs to have a better AI simulation of other results. Taking into account factors like how a side would play to begin with, their ‘habits’ would become a matter of public record as the season progresses. That would be more l=real life like IMO.
But I guess with the whole idea that it would be good to be able to account for how an AI opponent habitually or tectically plays.
I really like your ideas in regards to the habits of squads, 2nd half giants, set peice masters, etc. I think Konami should take a hard look into incorporating something of this sort.
All football games over the years have not done enough to distinguish the characteristics of squads.
Let’s make them unique.
I dont really like the ‘habits Of squads’ idea and here’s why, after continued play the game will become predictable and somewhat easier. For example if u keep on playing a team like bolton and u know they are going to keep using long balls then this can easily be countered. I feel if individual players are given further characteristics/stats and each have thier own style of play, then the habits of teams should naturally differ.
Hello guys…
does anybody knows what was the system update on pes2009 yesterday? because nothing changed.If anyone knows something please write it…
Great post as always, Its amazing how these articles/forums continue to bring ideas to the table I would never dream about an its just gets me excited about what could be. Brilliant.
Completely agree with Post 10.
And this is my Main Problem with the “Scripting”. Sure it may give the game a bit of an edge… but soon after it all becomes very repetitive and boring.
Which is WHY I think Konami must come up with an Unpredictable and Unbiased Concept like the “Confidence Level” Concept.
We must have more control over the AI-Controlled “momentum shifts”. Playing by the COM rules gets boring after a while: because it lacks depth and logic.
The whole thing about “Habits of Squads” would be done by simply adding New Stats to the game; making each player and team feel more unique. There’s no need for another COM-Gimmick.
To expand on my earlier post and agree somewhat with Amateur in post 13. There should also be a unpredictability stat.
By making teams unique would we be making them to predictable otherwise.
There should be multiple dimensions to teams. Most teams that is, as some are predictable, and one-dimensional. I think the better that teams manager is, the more they should be able to adapt.
Personally, I like to play a quick passing game with many overlaps and one-twos. However, when I feel like the A.I. changing the momentum or they score a late equalizing goal,I go into dribbling-fest mode with Giovinco who can literally run with the ball glued to his feet. I simply exploit how the defenders falls for the shot-fakes and quick spins. I don’t like doing this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Good article Dan
I really like your idea of having a scouting report on your next opponents for a certain cost. It could mention their last 5 results, their most dangerous player, top scorer, style of play etc.
I rarely change my tactics to accomodate an opponents to be honest. I nearly always play a 3-5-2 formation with two fast wingers. I only really change who I play in certain positions depending on the opponent eg- quick defenders if playing against Villa’s Young and Agbonlahor.
As for the cheating A: I mention last week that, although frustrating, I find it actually quite realistic because you often see a team pinned back in their own half in the last 10 mins and there are often late goals when this happens in real life.
It’s certainly more fun to play a challenging game..and it’s predictable that if you score some late winners, the CPU will score some too.
BUT you must feel like you have some control over the game. PES 2009 is so fustrating because it gives you so little actual control. It makes you feel like everything is pre-decided, everything works by some random numbers and possibilities.
For example.. You re playing a match and you have made 15 shots on target..the goalie pulls out an unbelievable save for every one of them (some times these crazy double saves when he bounces off the grass and immediately jumps again to catch your rebound shot) . You know the game won’t let you score whatever you do. And then, once you ‘ve tried about everything, it lets you score one. FROM A CORNER. Feels like a compromise. It also feels predetermined, like you don’t really play an important role in what’s going to happen next.
I don’t want to score a header from a corner, where everything is predetermined and all I have to do is press one button! I want the goal for which I worked so hard but the goalie pulled out a one in a million, Flash-Gordon double save and stopped.
In the PS2 days, Winning Eleven would score some amazing goals and you wouldn’t care that you had lost. It felt like you had control over the game, but it had just outsmarted you. The scripting was just not that obvious.
Of course I expect the big teams to build up pressure in the last 10-15 minutes of a game, but if the AI is too stupid to create some chances and the CPU is going to pull my defenders out of position to score, don’t make the bloody game at all. It’s just not a finished product.
The gameplay engine this year was a bad job, period. That’s why the “cheating” is so obvious, why the players feel chunky, and why the game feels repetitive. PES should GIVE YOU THE FEELING THAT YOU RE IN CONTROL once again, and feel a bit RANDOM (ass opposed to the predetermined & repetitive PES 2009).
So good luck next year Konami, you re gonna have to do a much better job to convince us.
Dan,
Please try to make this blocking IP adressess process alot quicker so that immature fools using other peoples names can be banned from Pesgaming.com. We as a community deserve to be able to express our views and discuss them but this is not possible when people hind behind other’s identities.
Regarding new stats for PES 2010, does any body have any ideas for what they could possibly be???
I think the following stats should be added:
Marking
Positioning
Vision
Work rate
FK Technique
Tackling
I cant think of any more right now. I also think that a player’s special abilities need to have more of an impact on the player’s individuality.
Hey Amateur, thought you were leavin’ this site for good? What happened to that then eh?
@22 FK technique wouldn’t do anything I don’t think, since shot technique determines how well your player can connect with the ball under pressure, off balance, etc. During a FK none of this is happening.
I also, wanted to say that I think Dan’s idea about certain teams being characterized in certain ways is nice, but it might be better if it were random or determined by their form. I’d like to see a lower ranked team go on a string of late come-backs as opposed to just the top teams behaving this way whether they’re in form or not. I think the reason Konami have not done this previously is because it opens up a lot of problems in terms of play testing. They would need to do a lot of testing to be sure that the form of a team doesn’t make them unbeatable, for example.
Also, speaking of form, I’d love it if they made the player performance arrow based on form (i.e. previous game’s ratings). There was an EA NHL hockey game once that had this (hot/cold streaks) and it made it a lot of fun to try to keep your in-form players on a streak. The more they continued their brilliant form the more likely they could continue it, because they have the stats boost to go with it. Of course, some degree of randomness (random slight degradation in form based on the player’s streakiness) would help make it less black and white.
Speaking of NHL, @21, if you think PES 09 is bad in this way, then try NHL 09 from EA. It’s unbelievable how much the scoring is entirely determined by when the CPU wants to let one in. You can shoot 500 times and one finally goes in, but you have no idea why that shot was better than the first 499. Tonnes of cheap goals in that game too, but it got amazing reviews in almost every magazine and website. In comparison PES 09 is much less determined by the CPU. Again, personally I don’t see that as a problem, but I can see how others interpret it that way.
hello ladies ..read this
http://uk.gs.konami-europe.com/blog.do
i think having stats for a player like “acceleration” or “top speed” are one thing. very easy to see. but something like “momentum” or “bonus meter” are out of the question. this eliminates the individual skill of the gamer and lets the COM take over the AI players. i’m anti that all day.
out of curiosity, do you have your tournies and cups for just europe, or do you also have another for america? until konami allow our sides of the pond to play each other (***have you ever brought this up with them?***), we need something like that.
Post18.
It is my understanding that Childish Responses will be removed from now on… if it keeps going that way I don’t see why I should go.
However if Childish Insults start popping up all over the place – I will certainly go. There’s no point in trying to generate a healthy level of debate with immature people.
I simply don’t want to be part of something pointless, and this community could become a “laughing stock” if childish responses are still allowed.
What do you you think Konami would think if they visit this site for feedback -and- all they find are childish insults that have nothing to do with PES??
I will certainly part ways with this community if the same level of freedom is allowed. I don’t want to be part of a laughing stock.
But it seems like further precautions will be taken, and hopefully the absence of childish responses will give room for better debate.
By the way, about the STATS… the current set of Stats and Special Abilities is well out of date.
The addition of New Stats and New Special Abilities will only make the game better and more realistic.
@22 Amateur.
We could all do better to represent ourselves. I think we all need to be more open minded and willing to listen to others opinions.
This includes everyone. To me it’s obvious that some people bring this upon themselves though. If you start out every post with closed statements and don’t allow for the possibility that anyone else can have their own opinions, then it is inevitable that they will attack you behind your back. They do it because, like you, they feel like they are not being listened to… that, or they just want to piss you right off because it’s fun. Anyway, like any bully, you can’t respond to their game. It just makes them want to do it again and again and again and again.
I am also trying to be more open myself to listening to others and not ridiculing people for their opinions. It’s difficult… But I AM trying, which is what’s most important.
I think Facebook might help. Maybe Seabass will join too.
It’s a sad state of affairs, the web is rife with idiots.
You go anywhere public online – youtube is a prime example- and you are over-run by idiots who havne’t been taught how to treat other people. They destroy any flow of decent discussion and everything becomes a shouting match.
I understand what Amateur meant when he wishes for a mature community portal. Threatening to leave may sound like “I’m taking my toys home.”, but I think when you look at it the context of what people have to put up with then it’s not so much a threat as a plea for sanity and decency.
I personally don’t see any benefit in being so open to anyone on a site like this – ban the idiots first time. Well, maybe 3 strikes and your out.
I am very pleased to read your comments on AI response/performance. Just this weekend, I thought I was going to give up PES for good.
I always play as Man U. I have been trying to develop my skills at the “Top Player” level over the preceeding week, by playing exhibiton matches against the big teams (Barca, Chelsea, Inter etc..). This weekend, feeling that I was finally ready, I decided to have a go at a Champions League tournament using Top Player.
I set up the tournament to reflect the real Champions League for 2008-2009. As Man U, I placed myself in Group E along with Villareal, Aab, and Celtic. 10 minute halves.
I won the group with a record of 6-0-0, 15 goals scored and only 5 conceeded. I was on fire! Then came the round of 16 first leg match against Bayern Munich. I didn’t change the the way I played at all.
After the first 5 minutes I was down 0-3, with the 4th Bayern goal called back for offside! I play with 4 at the back and it looked like I had 1 at the back. 3 goals in 5 minutes!! I didn’t know what hit me. The first goal came at less than 40 seconds. I lost posession at the kick off after my striker attempted a back-pass to a midfielder.
I knew the game was lost after they scored a 4th goal in the 21st minute. The final score was 1-7. I don’t think I made more than 3 consecutive passes the whole. Passes that went to nobody and inevidably picked up by Bayern. I had a total of 6 shots, 1 on goal. It was extremely frustrating.
The second leg proved less disastrous winning 2-1. But how do you come back form a first leg 1-7 defeat?
That one game made me a true believer that I am at the mercy of the AI, both my own and the opposing team. What a sick feeling.
After putting down the gamepad for 2 days, I just couldn’t resist having another go at Bayern. This time I beat them 3-0. How do you explain that? The competition? Me? I don’t know.
Anyway, I thought I would share my experience (frustrations).
Thanks
hugzinton – Post 17.
I’m working on a List of Stats… but it still a work in progress.
I’m going to post just a few of the Stats that I’ve come up with… but before doing it I want to explain a bit about Why I think this STATS would be a good addition.
——————————————————–
Pro Evolution Soccer does NOT haves:
* Enough differences between “Balance” and “Strength”.
* Enough differences between “Sprinting with the Ball” and “Dribbling with the Ball”.
* Enough differences between “Acceleration” and “Explosiveness”.
Acceleration: determines how fast a player reaches his Top Speed… But is “Dribbling with the Ball” and “Running with the Ball” the same thing??
No they aren’t, when you Sprint with the ball you usually go for Open Spaces. On the other hand when you Dribble with the ball you do it because you don’t have any spaces to run into.
There’s a difference between “Knocking the ball forwards” and actually Dribbling with the ball.
Zinedine Zidane Dribbled with the ball through small spaces -whereas- on the other hand, Thierry Henry Sprinted with the ball by Knocking it forwards into Open Spaces so he could exploit his Top Speed.
Explosiveness and Technique are more important when Dribbling with the ball. On the other hand; Top Speed and Acceleration are more important when Sprinting with the Ball.
When you Accelerate you cannot Dribble: you have to Dribble 1st and Accelerate 2nd -and- when you dribble with the ball you use your Explosiveness.
Explosiveness: is that thing you use when you start dribbling in front of an opponent, you Dribble 1st and Accelerate 2nd -but- because you’re not really running you’re not really “accelerating”. You are actually using your explosiveness.
When you Shift from a Stationary stance to a 100% Sprint: you are not using your Acceleration because you are not Running.
——————————————————–
Here are some of the Stats that I’d like to see:
* Strength: determines for how long the player can protect the ball when “posting up” and when “dribbling at a slow pace”. This attribute is important when Stationary or dribbling slowly.
* Slow Dribble: determines accuracy when Dribbling at a Slow Pace. This attribute is directly linked with Strength.
* Posting Up Ability: determines the ability to create space with the use of the body -when- Stationary. This attribute is directly linked with Strength.
* Balance: the player holds the ball better when going at high speeds. This attribute haves little to do with Strength.
* Sprinting with the ball: determines the accuracy when Dribbling at High Speeds. This attribute is directly linked with Balance.
* Explosiveness: determines the burst in Acceleration when Dribbling with the Ball, when “Cutting the Ball” -and- when Shifting from “Stationary into Movement”. This attribute is more relevant when Dribbling at a Slow Pace -and- In Small Spaces like the Penalty Area.
* Acceleration: determines how fast a player reaches his Top Speed -once- the player is actually Running with the Ball. This attribute is more important when you have the space to exploit it.
* Inside Cut: determines the accuracy when a player “Cuts the Ball” with the Inside of the Foot. This attribute is directly linked with Explosiveness.
* Outside Cut: determines the accuracy when a player “Cuts the Ball” with the Outside of the Foot. This attribute is directly linked with Explosiveness.
My Opinion: I think those STATS would establish some fundamental differences that cannot be defined with the current set of Stats and Special Abilities.
I forgot to add a very important FACT:
* When you Run at your Top Speed you have less control over your dribbling. Therefore, people usually Slow Down a bit so that they can dribble more accurately.
Some extraordinary players are very good at Dribbling at High Speeds -but- FACT remains that options are LIMITED when going at your Top Speed: you can only Cut the Ball.
On the other hand, when you Dribble Slowly you have a whole arsenal of tricks: the Roulette, the Drag Back, Step Overs, etc, etc…