Keep on running
Well, well, well. After yesterday’s 130MB patch for PES2008 on the PlayStation3 (the game’s second huge patch), hopes were high that a number of sticky issues would be resolved. But it turns out that – officially, at least – this patch was all about resolving a stuttering issue for people playing on standard definition TVs. Kit selection certainly hasn’t been resolved. Whether or not any gameplay issues have been addressed is an open question right now.
I’ve played a handful of games online and it does seem a bit better, although lag and teleportation issues are still present. I haven’t played online for a couple of months, so this marked improvement might not be due to this new patch. It should be noted that the improved condition of online play merely raises the quality from absolutely shockingly, disgracefully bad, to terrible. Will PES2008 online ever be fixed? Will it ever play the same online as offline – as Seabass notoriously stated that it would? No and no, is my bet.
I’m not too bothered about the online game but it’d be nice to have the option. It’d be great to have the choice of getting into the online game, if that’s what I want to do. Where’s my copy of the Trade Descriptions Act?
I played five online games last night. I lost two games 2-0 and I won two games 1-0. I drew the other. When I play online I set out to control the pace of the game. I’m one of those players who delights in passing it around and waiting for an opening, rather than giving the ball to one player and simply running with him at goal…
Everyone I played chose Barcelona. All of them. No exceptions. No hesitations. Within a nanosecond of the team selection screen popping up, they’d insta-navigated to Barcelona.
Not only do the majority of people online choose to play with Barcelona (or Inter or Brazil or whatever) – they all play the same way too. They play the game in much the same way that I used to play when I had Elcherino in my ML team last season. No thought, no tactics, no build-up. Just give the ball to the star man and get running.
Their entire tactical plan consists of running with Ronaldinho/Henry/Messi. Brilliant! My 5-4-1 alt formation, mapped to a strategy button, mostly took care of that little plan. Apart from one occasion, when I rashly dived into a tackle on Henry and the other player skilfully sidestepped and ran on to score, I mostly conceded from corners and free kicks.
And why must people online incessantly press your defenders for the ball when there’s no chance of getting it? They’re almost psychotically obsessed. All it does is tire their players. I suppose that sometimes they do get the ball through constantly pressing, so they must feel it’s worth it. They got it off me a few times when I wasn’t concentrating properly, or when I tried to be over-elaborate at the back. But this must have accounted for less than 1% of the time. These players, to a man (or boy), must spend entire games clamping their controllers either in pursuit of the ball or running with the ball. Don’t their wrists get tired? I could make a pretty obvious joke here, but I’m not going to.
Next-gen PES2008 online isn’t up to much, in my opinion. Putting aside the chronic technical problems, some elements of PES gameplay are too easily – and boringly – exploitable. Messi shoulder-barging his way past three six-foot defenders? Paul Scholes sprinting – yes, sprinting - through a crowded midfield, past half a dozen tackles, sliding and otherwise, as if he’s surrounded by an invisible forcefield? No thanks.
I suppose it’s a question of temperament, in the final analysis. I started out playing ISS/PES on my own, solo, man against machine. That’s the game that I grew to love and I want to continue playing it, even now, almost 10 years later. Online just isn’t the same. I’m sure that online players do get something out of it. Probably when two of these players meet they have lots of fun taking turns to run at one another, but I don’t see the attraction.
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My Master League career continues. I regret allowing Macco and Gutierrez to go out on loan at the start of this season. I’m already limiting my squad size to 25 players. Effectively reducing it to 23 players was a mistake. As the games come thick and fast, it’s so hard to pick a team with fully-fit players. Having two more players to choose from wouldn’t make much difference but it’d be some help. I won’t be sending players out on loan ever again.
Espanyol 3-0 Singers FC
Thumped. I had Jackson sent off early for nothing. I conceded three sucker-punch goals whilst pressing dangerously for a goal. I always play well with 10 men, and I did play well in this game too. Apart from losing it 3-0, of course.
Singers FC 2-3 Lazio
I was really disappointed not to take anything from this game. Lazio went into an early two-goal lead and I fought back to 2-2, only for Lazio to sucker-punch me with an injury time winner. Caracciolo got my two goals. For a big man he’s surprisingly skilful. Yes, just like the real-life Peter Crouch, Caracciolo has a good touch for a big man. At the moment he’s the understudy for Altintop, but I’m thinking of playing both of them from the start.
Napoli 2-2 Singers FC
I was 2-0 down by 70 mins but just scraped a draw thanks to two rebound goals from Kmolo and Altintop.
Singers FC 1-1 Atalanta
Caracciolo scored my goal in this one. El Moubarki played at right-back (Postma was unfit and I needed Maldini in the centre of defence) and had a great game, playing well above his lowly status.
At the end of this season I’ll have to make a decision about which 5 of my remaining Default players will stay in my squad until they retire (it’s one of my House Rules). El Moubarki might be one of them based on this display.
When I moved back to Kansas and started supporting the Wizards (Kansas...
Yes, El Mo is definitely a keeper.
Mirandinha – I’ve been looking at all of their development graphs, and of my remaining Default players El Moubarki is second only to Gutierrez. He’s still pretty young too, so at the end of the season I think the 5 will be El Mo, Gutierrez, Ruskin, Macco, and Jaric. I might add to the House Rules as well, and ‘borrow’ one of cklarock’s – if an offer for one of my players comes in from a higher-ranked club, I have to sell that player. Ahhh, but then I’d probably lose Camacho once he started getting seriously good…. I’ll have to see how it goes.
I thought you’d keep Ettori and Van Der Berg. I think Macco’s pretty much useless, at least on the PS2.