Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 Demo #1 Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here

[RoyceDa59]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Since Konami removed individual player tactics/assignments a few years back, the game has lost much of its customization potential. After months of experimenting and testing, I was finally able to get CPU teams in FIFA 12 playing differently, and one reason had to do with the ability to customize each CPU player's attack/defend assignments. I love a lot about the gameplay in the PES demo, the most sim-football experience ever IMO. But after playing around with ratings and formation edits, I can already see there's probably very little one can do about getting teams to play much differently than they already do. I don't believe there are enough tactic and formation modifiers in the game to compensate for the individual player customization options they removed from the game three years ago. (And last year as well BTW when they removed additional and IMO critical player ratings from the game.)

Very true, they have attack/defence awareness but last year I hardly could tell the difference when I altered it. It is really a shame but did any of you notice some lopsided possession stats using the demo modifier for the PC.

[Yeats]

Quote: Originally Posted by RoyceDa59

It is really a shame but did any of you notice some lopsided possession stats using the demo modifier for the PC.

Royce, I had an couple of comments, but deleted them because I really need to run some tests before jumping to any conclusions about PES. I haven't played the game for a couple of years, so it could be some things have changed with the tactics customization options, we'll see.

EDIT: Well after some test edits and playing some games last night and this morning, it appears the CPU tactics setup possibilities are in fact extremely limited. Regardless of settings, the CPU seems to play a relentless attack game. Getting the CPU to play a possession game seems impossible to program. I was able to set things up so the CPU would once in a while make a few back passes in their end, but that was it.

Much different from FIFA 12 where, through a combinaton of team tactics edits and individual player tactics edits, it's possible to set things up so that CPU teams play a strictly possession game for example. They'll literally pass the ball around for minutes at a time and will often end up with only one or two shots on goal per half. I've gotten to the point with that game where I've had to ease off on the CPU tactics settings, otherwise I spend the entire game just watching the CPU pass the ball around in their half of the pitch. Not very exciting lol.

At this point I'd say spartansocc hit the nail on the head with his demo concerns.

[RaptorMania]

Haven't bought a PES game since the ps2 days, this demo is fantastic and I just might buy the full game depending on how the final product is. The game plays really well and the gameplay is just great. I will most likely get it for PC if the demo looks good on my laptop, much more mods are available on PC.

[ezio]

The demo is so much better than the last copuple of years efforts. Looking forward to the second demo. Hopefully not too much changes.

[spartansocc12]

Konami has done an excellent job of handling individual player controls. This is not something they really need to work on. The passing, shooting, tackling, running, positioning, turning, sprinting etc make this game a job to play.

It really is the opponent AI when attacking that needs to improve immensely. Are konami aware of this? One can only hope.

[aloncho11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Since Konami removed individual player tactics/assignments a few years back, the game has lost much of its customization potential. After months of experimenting and testing, I was finally able to get CPU teams in FIFA 12 playing differently, and one reason had to do with the ability to customize each CPU player's attack/defend assignments. I love a lot about the gameplay in the PES demo, the most sim-football experience ever IMO. But after playing around with ratings and formation edits, I can already see there's probably very little one can do about getting teams to play much differently than they already do. I don't believe there are enough tactic and formation modifiers in the game to compensate for the individual player customization options they removed from the game three years ago. (And last year as well BTW when they removed additional and IMO critical player ratings from the game.)

Well, the reason for Konami to remove the player runs arrows was that they cancelled player's natural behaviour dependeing on ther position, stats and special skills. For example, if you gave a forward arrow to Gerrard playing as a CMF, that arrow immediately cancelled him moving on the pitch according to his stats and special skills. Arrows (offensive and defensive) were meant only for players you wanted to behave differently than they do IRL, but most gamers overlooked that and often abused them by having their team full of arrows. That caused the game to be unbalanced

Arrows were ditched and then player cards came in, in an attempt to mix special skills (one touch, 1 on 1, passer, flicking, etc.) with movement/running tendencies (incisive run, track back, fox in the box, marauding, etc.) with many tendency cards available just for certain roles. This translates into players behaving differently according to their position and role on the pitch, although the change is subtle.

So going back to Gerrard's example, now he has the "box to box" card that makes him run back and forward playing offensively and defensively all game long (no need for forward and backward arrows). You can also add to the mix his attack/defensive awareness ratio...

[Yeats]

Quote: Originally Posted by aloncho11

Well, the reason for Konami to remove the player runs arrows was that they cancelled player's natural behaviour dependeing on ther position, stats and special skills. For example, if you gave a forward arrow to Gerrard playing as a CMF, that arrow immediately cancelled him moving on the pitch according to his stats and special skills. Arrows (offensive and defensive) were meant only for players you wanted to behave differently than they do IRL, but most gamers overlooked that and often abused them by having their team full of arrows. That caused the game to be unbalanced.

I don't know about that. The more customization options, the better. Konami has removed several options and player ratings from the game the past few years, to the detriment of the overall gameplay IMO. That's the bottomline as I see it.

Quote: Originally Posted by aloncho11

You can also add to the mix his attack/defensive awareness ratio...

That's one of the options they changed/tinkered with that just doesn't work. Set every CPU player's attack to low and defense to high, and the CPU will still relentlessly attack. Whereas if you do the same thing in FIFA 12, the CPU will continually pass the ball back and forth without really moving forward. Those settings work so well in FIFA that you can allow the CPU to enter your half, and then if you pressure them they'll pass the ball backwards and exit back to their own side of the pitch. Nothing like that is possible with PES' tactics settings as far as I can see.

[Yeats]

Quote: Originally Posted by spartansocc12

The passing, shooting, tackling, running, positioning, turning, sprinting etc make this game a job to play.

Freudian slip, lol.