Don’t worry, be happy
I’ve played all remaining games in my current Master League season on PES2009. There are no ’single-year’ seasons this year. In older PES games you started a Master League in season 2005, say, then the next season was season 2006, followed by season 2007, and so on. In PES2009, the first season is called 2008-2009. And I’ve now finished my second season, 2009-2010.
It’s been a pretty bad season, one of my worst-ever in Master League. First, the positive. Just before the end of the season I enjoyed my one and only victory, a hugely enjoyable 1-3 result at Gothenburg.
As much as I enjoyed the win (and after an otherwise winless season, believe me I enjoyed it), it gave me a certain sinking feeling for a brief moment or two. I’m very suspicious of PES2009 in the post-PES2008 world. I’m permanently on my guard. I’m forever watchful, waiting for the overhwelmingly positive experience that I’ve had over the past couple of weeks to change into a nightmare.
Any sign whatsoever of me playing well or scoring a few goals in PES2009 immediately makes me suspect that this could be the beginning of the end. That I’ll soon be literally running circles around entire CPU teams and scoring hat-tricks for fun, just as in PES2008. I’ve already seen enough of PES2009 to know that this probably won’t happen. But what if PES2009 has its own monsters lurking in the basement? Its own versions of the things that made PES2008 into A Game That Will Live In Infamy?
It does preoccupy me. I think I’ve mentioned the worry, in some form, every day on the blog since I started playing PES2009 again. I won’t be able to shake it off until I’ve grown very familiar with the ins and outs of PES2009. Which means winning Trebles in Master League, of course. How easy or hard that proves to be will ultimately determine how good or bad PES2009 is—for me, of course. This ‘Treble Test’ of a PES game’s worth is an entirely personal thing. Other evaluatory procedures are available…
Okay, enough hand-wringing and fretting about the future for PES2009. How did my current season end?
Badly, as I said. Here’s the final lower end of the table—who’s that at the bottom?
Ouch. Finishing bottom of the league with a W1-D9-L12 record is possibly my worst-ever finish in the second season in any Master League. I did fail to win a single game in my first season on last-gen PES2008. That was the worst worst-ever.
A win percentage of 4.55 is laughable. Even in my first season on Top Player I did better than that.
That final win didn’t do much to improve my transfer funds, really. I’m left with 6000 points in the bank and a 7500 salary bill. Negotiations are next. I’m thinking that pre-season friendlies might come to my rescue here.
Good idea to use the friendlies for money, i’ve never thought of that before!
Give up the pessimism, it’s taking away from your enjoyment! 11 Goals isn’t too bad either.
Decided that i’m gonna play Master League and Become a Legend in turns, so started a Master League career last night with a 0-0 draw against Rosenberg. Had a few decent chances and remembered that Burchet (pronounced Birdshit) is the worst finisher in the whole series. He put it wide in front of an open goal – 4 yards out. Clown. Though he is fast.
I normally don’t play Dodo, but after seeing the beauty he scored for you, i’ve decided to give him a run out.
Also got the PSP version in. Like what I see so far. Though I miss having the R2 button. Is there a way to do that super cancel thing where you can break the run (when following a through ball)?
Liam – super-cancel on the PSP version is Triangle+Circle. That’s what it was in previous versions anyway.
The thing about Dodo and any midfielder trying to score long-range or even medium-range goals in PES2009 is that you get closed down much more quickly than in any other PES game. The bread and butter goals from outside the box are much harder this year.
Out of all the defaults the only ones who consistently do anything for me are Ruskin, Macco, and Ordaz. But the myth of Castolo just won’t go away. He hasn’t been any good since PES3, when he was Castello!
I would give anything for your 3-1 win! Good to see your still struggling in a bizarre way, it’l be interesting to see when your up in D1 gunning for the title. It feels like a long long loooong way off for me. At least reading about your posts will remind me what it was like. Reading about your ML is my favorite part of your weblog, I hope 09 allows it to continue.
Yes a late one last night. I just had to get the start of the new season, i’m sure everybodys had times like that on PES. It was addictive even though I was being hammered every match. I do have some good players BUT they are mostly 17 and still useless for now. I really fear another winless season awaits me. I didn’t even score a goal last season which is hugely embarrassing, but there you go… Takahashi is terrible at the moment, worse than Guiterrez. I need to get the wages bill down considerably, and that means selling off a few of the players I have only just bought. If you release a player the penalty is less than their wage right? So releasing saves some money?
As for Burchet he is the scorer of my ONLY goal all season, in the cup. That was in extra time, and was a big error by the defence. Fallout is on my list to buy as well, it’ll be no surprise it’s dumbed down. Oblivion was hugely dumbed down from Morrowind (and Morrowind in turn from Daggerfall!). It seems everything is headed that way- or am I just being too pessimistic?
Anyway, back to PES!
Nice one, that should help a lot on the PSP. Cheers.
I too have a strange loyalty to Castolo, but i’ve never liked Ordaz. Gutierrez will be the main man this year. Macco can do a job in most places, and Jaric has a decent free kick on him. But it’s not a great squad! I’m sure Ximelez used to be a bit better too!
NotGiven – I’m surprised at your lack of goals if you managed to score with that Carthorse!
Not Given – if you don’t at least score a goal by mid-season, the game is trying to tell you something… (4-3-3?)
I’ve stayed with Professional difficulty for my next season, as you’ll see tomorrow. It’s plenty hard enough for me.
PES2009 might be ‘just another PES game’, but it’s also very different in ways I find hard to put my finger on. There’s the game speed—it’s the slowest PES since PES2, for my money. And the weird (weirdly good) passing takes time to adapt to. I’m still loving it and I’m at least going to play another ML season before going back to FIFA09 for a while. (I’m kind of waiting for the PS3 patch from EA.)
Oh – and the releasing players thing – YES – releasing a player from his contract will typically cost you a lot less than his salary. It depends on the outstanding time on his contract. 50 points is about average. When I’m really, really up against it at the end of a season I just release as many players as it takes to survive. (After trying to sell them first of course—I actually sold a player in the last negotiations. More tomorrow…)
Liam - all the defaults used to be better back in the day. Castello in particular was so good that I often kept him until he retired. That’s completely unthinkable now, with this rubbish ‘Castolo’ fella.
Jaric was great in PES6, but I’ve been disappointed with him in 2009 so far.
Hmmmm the lengths this game will go to. Totally dominated that match, chance after chance. By the 60th minute I knew i’d lost. They score in injury time with a penalty- i mean corner.
Hmmm
Nope there is no way back from this. Lost every game, 5 in a row. It looks like I can’t even get an ML game going on PES, and I can’t avoid the sack in FIFA. I am screwed for football games this year. I was making a few more chances than usual, but it’s still just auto winning every game. Usually winning within the last 5 mins, theres nothing more I can do..
I don’t like it, but i’ll have to give up…
Not Given – why not just go down to Professional difficulty and/or Normal ML difficulty? Don’t let your PES pride come between you and ML!
I’ve found Pro level to be about as hard as Top Player was on PES2008 (last-gen).
Nah i’m bored now in all honesty. After 3 matches in a row where they have scored in the last minute, i’m just bored. Against Stoke I actually watched in fascination, knowing what the game was doing was very interesting. I was holding the ball up on the 90th minute down on the corner flag, suddenly my tap of X sends the ball flying across goal straight to one of their runners, two passes later they are down the wing, the cross and enevitable goal. Why they continue to code the game this way is beyond me?? Is this suppose to make me want to keep playing?? Just to get stuffed in the last few seconds every time?
I don’t know what it is about this game. It blatantly scripts/cheats it’s own outcomes at times, it’s hugely flawed in some areas but I keep coming back. Been playing it all day despite cursing seabass on numerous occassions.
Been reading on the forums about people using the default team on top player and scoring screamers and winning the cups/leagues etc. I just don’t understand it! I’m by no means a great PES player but I can usually hold my own and when I play the CL mode with a normal club team I do fine on top player. I just find those defaults unusable and completely useless.
Not Given – I still think your settings are the main problem. Top Player is still ‘doable’ even for an all-new PES game—I played the first season on Top Player and still bagged 4 wins and enough goals to keep me reasonably happy. I suspect you’re a better player than me so it must be the ML difficulty of ‘Very Hard’ punishing you. Either that or your formation. Something.
I’ve always taken with a pinch of salt people’s claims on forums to achieve promotion, win Cups, even Trebles with the Default lot on Top PLayer. I’m sure some people have managed it (they must be obsessive maniacs!) but I think most PES players cherish winning just the odd game here and there in the first half-season with the initial Default players.
It’s when you start getting good players in and picking up results that ML catches fire. It certainly did for me. Until the first negotations period I was all ’so what’ about ML and PES2009 in general. Then I went back to it at the start of this current period of PES2009-play, and you know the rest.
I say stick at it and maybe consider a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. You’ll create more chances at the very least. Maybe change your overall ML difficulty to Normal. A season on Professional would probably do wonders for your PES-related blood pressure….
Ahaha my PES- blood pressure is always boiling. PES makes me fuming a lot more than FIFA ever did. I think it’s because you CANT play a defensive game in it, the CPU will score- and thats it. Have you found any way of keeping your players back? Mine just run for the ball constantly pushing up regardless of defence settings.
As for being a better player- definitely not. You started on top player and did well. I don’t score. We’ll play a game sometime and you’ll see! Into the knock out stages of the CL now, just playing this to cool down- because I know as soon as i’m back on ML, it’s back to losing every single game…..
Not Given – it’s really weird, as I’ve always complained loud and long about the CPU’s magical attacking moves, and they still annoy me sometimes but overall I’m defending well at the moment (I’m a long way into my next season now).
I feel I can hold off the CPU most of the time (except from corners) as long as I hold my nerve.
One thing I have found is that X+Square is a MASSIVE no-no in PES2009. Not only does it make your team go crazy (because as the CPU player travels along the pitch asnd you squeeze Square, the ’secondary pressure baton’ gets passed on between loads of your players, dragging them out of position), but often you’ll get an auto-sliding-tackle that gives away a penalty or gets a yellow/red card. So I hardly ever use secondary pressure now.
Be honest… are you clamping a lot (R1+X+Square)?
It varies, I don’t clamp when it’s 0-0, but as soon as they get that goal, I start in desperation to get the ball back. I can’t pass my way through the field with the defaults, they are shrugged off the ball easily, and I can’t get anywhere near the opposition box. Things are a bit better now, but it’s actually more frustrating. I went on a run of losing 5 or so games on the trot 1-0, and many of those games i felt i deserved a lot more. The game is giving me a sound beating- and it wouldn’t bother me half as much if there were no game overs in ML. It’s just that I know it will happen this season now- I can’t materialize 8000 points out of thin air- and then i’ll have to start all over again, with all the defaults. It’s not something I’m relishing…
The game seems to know when you need help and if you put a few players on the transfer list you should get some offers. Schedule the maximum amount of friendlies against teams you think you could beat, or at least draw against. (Don’t do what I did and accept the game’s choice of teams for friendlies. World XI thumped me 6-0. Everyone else the game chose for me beat me too. ALL of them.) Just one friendly win would get you 800 points. If you also release enough players you should be able to survive. Even if you have to go down to a skeleton squad.
Question is: do you want to survive? Restarting with different settings might be for the best. I really can’t recommend Normal ML settings enough! I’m loving my ML career far more than I ever loved any of my abortive MM careers on FIFA09.
Although if you do persevere and come through it (as you inevitably would eventually) you’d have a great achievement to look back on.
I bet I start up my PS3 in the morning and see that you’ve been up until all hours again…
I will persevere.. I don’t know what it is, but in PES it feels hollow if it’s not done on top player. That and I know if i get some decent players together I can play the game okay.
Tell me when you want a game. Hopefully it will work better than FIFA! I’ll probably be Spain, which I know is seen as a ‘cheap’ team by some. Do you know if you can play a different squad online? I like to play as Spain with the team ive been playing with for years- not just the best players. Need to get Vicente, Joaquin etc in the team. Can you play online with an edited squad?
PES2009 online is still a lagging, teleporting disaster isn’t it? That’s the last I heard anyway.
If they ever do get it sorted out, then I’d register and get that Konami ID thing and play online. I don’t mind what teams are used. I actually prefer playing Barca, Man U, etc.!
But yes, like I said, until it’s playable online I’m not even going to bother having a look. I keep an eye on the PESfan forums to see how things are going. It’s still atrocious.
I didn’t know that! I haven’t touched online, not really interested anymore. That’s disgusting that they have done nothing since 08. Apparently Seasbass said online was top priority. Wonderful.
I would use Spain or Valencia normally.
I’ve been watching this PESfan thread closely ever since it started –
http://forums.pesfan.com/showthread.php?t=207469
It’s been very interesting over the past few weeks. The last couple of pages should give you a nice summary. Not only is it technically appalling, but the entire game is forced onto Beginner level.
In short: I’d rather stare at a blank screen and eat bread and water for a week than spend an hour trying to ‘play’ PES2009 online.
From yesterdays post and the comments earlier here I’ll just bring in my views on Fallout 3. I to have had minimal time on the game, a couple of hours at most. It has been dumbed down to some degree but not quite to the level that we have seen in certain other games. It’s still a huge game with endless possibilities, something that has been seriously lacking in a lot of next-gen games so far.
It’s exciting yet dangerous, I really like the idea of the FPS elements being bought into what is essentially an RPG game, the day/night cycle works really well, there is nothing quite like entering an abandoned building at some crazy time of the night, shotgun in hand and as you search around for supplies and ammo you here one of the crazy mutant creatures walking in the next hallway, it’s genuinely frightening at some points but I’ve loved every minute of it so far and haven’t even scratched the surface.
PES2009 is still having to wait for me. I have one more uni exam left on Saturday before I head home and start working to ring in some much needed cash. I will then be able to fill up my PS3 games library as I want to, although getting the time to play them all will be very interesting.
FM2009 is also out today and I’d love to pick it up but yet again a lack of funds is preventing me from getting anywhere
stinger – thanks for the thumbnail on Fallout3, like I said I will definitely be picking it up eventually, as it’s my kind of game. I just constantly feel that games developers got rid of the traditional turn-based, strategically-deep RPG combat model far, far too easily.
I’ve played the first ten games of a season on FM2008 and I’m about to be sacked at Coventry City. Second-bottom of the table, without a league win so far. If I do get sacked I’ll go for lower-league management with a Bath City-type club. Like I’ve said before this is my first serious effort to get back into FM since FM2005, and I did the Coventry thing back then. I’ve been reading a lot on the official SI forums about lower-league management and I think it’s for me.
Bath City is well and truly the go. A club very close to my heart of course as I’ve reported previously, great success of FM06. LLM is awesome fun, picking up free transfers, anything you can to improve your team. Much like ML really
stinger – have you been following today’s release of FM2009 – ?! It’s been a disaster. The SI forums have been carnage.
I’m definitely going to stick with FM2008. It looks like SI have got 2009’s DRM-related issues sorted out now, and I’m VERY tempted just to go for the Steam download option. But I never played FM2008 and it’d be wasteful to skip it just for the few new features in 2009. No doubt I’ll ‘catch up’ with the FM series in a few months.
I think I will go for Bath City. You mentioned them the other day and something about the name just strikes me. And, if that was’t enough, in the LLM section of the SI forum they have an automatic team-chooser for the undecided – and it chose Bath City for me. It’s just meant to be.
It well and truly is meant to be and I wish you the best. I’m not a bragger but I have semi-mastered the art of LLM on FM over the past few editions so if you ever need some advice or suggestions feel free to ask.
I have been following the release and it’s exactly what I feared, thankfully here in Australia we have our own servers so have suffered no where near the problems that have been seen over there, I actually really feel for SI because they are trying to protect themselves but it has turned out horribly.
I haven’t picked up FM09 yet, I really am torn between what games to uy at the moment, Guitar Hero will be my next purchase as I agreed to go halves in it with a mate early next week which is always some good multiplayer fun. Then come next pay day it will be a big toss up for COD5, FM09 and PES2009.
If your ML reporting continues as is I will find it very hard to resist PES2009 and my laptop needs to go in for a tune up before FM09 is a viable purchase so I’mnot to sure what I’ll do reallly
stinger – LLM looks like a deep strategy game with a football theme. I’m tired of Civilization4 and the other PC games I have like it, so a spell of FM—my first for years—is well in order.
It looks as if the FM2009 DRM issues are fixed. I definitely will resist the purchase, though. I’d be crazy to get it when I’ve only just started playing 2008. I’m planning to get a proper gaming-friendly desktop PC in the spring, so I’ll probably jump to 2009 then.