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Back To The FIFA: Pro Clubs/OTP

 

Another week, another Back To The FIFA post for you to start thinking about. If you’ve missed this before, you can catch up on the previous posts with this tag.

In the last post we asked about Online Modes, but this week we wanted to concentrate specifically on Pro Clubs and OTP. Virtual Pro hacking has been an issue ever since unlockable progression was introduced. There are always assholes that don’t want to level up fairly and just want an edge as quickly as possible, but there must be a solution.

Is having two virtual pros the answer? Having one stored online and one offline removes the issue of VP hacking, but it presents it’s own issues. Do you keep the existing accomplishment system and have to unlock everything twice? Do you remove the accomplishment system from online altogether? If so how do you reward frequent play and determine growth? Should VP progression stay offline and have stats levelled out like FIFA 09 online? How about a system where your VP is stored on the cloud and pulled down when you log in to the servers, with unlocks only being available if you’re connected?

What about features? What do you think is missing from the modes that would make managing and playing with your club easier and more enjoyable? Could there be more options in place for OTP to deal with idiots? We want to know what you guys think about all of this. As ever, let us know in the comments.

If you want to add feedback via Twitter use the hashtag #WishFIFAWouldBe and head over to Sweetpatch.TV

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  • Andrew

    1. Fix the mismatch between non-VP players and your VP’s. Every team in the world having 85+ strikers and the rest of the team being around 70 is frustrating and, frankly, ridiculous. Make the full backs default to 80, CBs default to 85, keepers at 83, wingers at 82 and CMs at 80. Every team should pretty much be set up as a five star team. Or hell, the overall ratings aren’t even that important, just make it so they don’t all function like braindead players against virtually unstoppable superstars.

    2. As everyone has mentioned, a lot more customization. Kits, set piece takers and formations are a must. Also, make it so one of the VPs (preferably the captain) is wearing the armband. It’s weird for a non-VP to always be wearing it.

    3. With regards to ANYs, I always play as one, but I would love for the option to be removed. I wouldn’t play as one if I didn’t feel that playing with the AI controlling my team would lead to certain defeat against any halfway decent FIFA player. Personally, I like having it because my club is never bigger than 3 players (and I never want it to be), but I wouldn’t be upset to see it go. At least I don’t get angry when I’m not controlling the defenders making inconceivable mistakes.

    4. Goalkeepers. Either cap them at 75 for online and force them to play manually, or get rid of them altogether. They’re superhuman and it’s completely unfair to play against them. No goalkeeper in the world would catch a powered free kick to the top corner, but against a VP GK, it’s almost expected. In 11, I could see what everyone’s position was before accepting the match, and therefore could avoid them. Now I can’t, and as someone who doesn’t quit matches on principle, having 80% of my matches against GKs leading to 0-0 draws or narrow losses, I think something must be changed.

    5. High pressure should lead to unplayable amounts of fatigue. There are way too many teams who have their super speedy dwarf strikers track back to defend with 10 at the back, and then somehow never lose enough energy to be unable to counter attack. It’s totally unrealistic and infuriating.

    6. Speaking of speedy dwarf strikers, can you somehow make it so that they can’t power past my 6 foot plus defenders, win almost every aerial challenge, and defend like they’re an actual defender?

    7. Auto switching. This applies to offline modes as well, but for anyone who has ever controlled an entire team with their pro on it, why is it so hard to switch to your own player? Regardless of using the right stick or LB, switching to my guy when attacking is a daunting task and doesn’t actually make any sense to me. Whenever taking corners, even when already controlling my VP, the game will switch away from my VP, sometimes to guys who aren’t even in the box, and lead to nobody contesting the header.

    Furthermore, being unable to control a player who has the ball because the game hasn’t switched to him is unacceptable. Furthermore, just improve the AI of auto-switching. The amount of times I have a guy standing three feet away from the ball only to have the game switch to a guy 10 yards away is pretty outrageous.

    8. Do something about people playing 5 at the back. I understand that people hate losing (I’m one of them), but the fact that 80% of teams in Pro Clubs play with 5 defenders is unrealistic, and takes a lot of the fun out of the game. I know it’s a valid tactic, and sometimes I’ll use it late in games to preserve a lead, but I really hate that almost every team these days plays like this. Maybe offer bonus points/perks to teams based on the amount of defenders they play?

    9. Having certain basic abilities as perks seem weird to me. Maybe make the perks actual perks that other players don’t automatically have, like power header, outside of the foot shot, driven pass, early cross, etc. I don’t understand why VP’s have to choose to have things like flair passing/fancy flicks (whichever one RB + A is), skilled dribbling and power free kicks when even the idiotic AI players have them by default.

    10. Quick formation changes, and the option to a) see what formation your opponent is playing during the loading screen and b) alter yours to accommodate theirs. Much like quick tactics, there should be preset formation changes you can switch between on the fly. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve gone behind or been dominated early in a game because the other team started with a better formation, and I can do nothing about it because I’ve not had the time to actually fix it.

    11. The points system. I don’t really understand it, I don’t like it, and the fact that it doesn’t take into account what level you are when matchmaking is annoying. I don’t understand why drawing with a team that is a bit below me leads to 0-1 points, losing to them costs me 60 points, and winning only gives me 15-20. I also don’t understand why losing to teams above me also generally loses me about 60 points. How about just 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss? Seems easier and less likely to punish the everloving crap out of you for having an off night.

    12. Is it just me, or do referees seem way more inept in Pro Clubs than compared to other game modes? Apparently off the ball fouls are only a foul 5% of the time, fouling a guy in the penalty area is only a penalty sometimes, yellow and red cards seem to be fairly arbitrary, obstruction of a run isn’t a foul (this one is huge), aerial duels never lead to fouls (as opposed to real life where they are very common) and an offside advantage doesn’t exist. In fact, the advantage system is pretty frustrating in general. Sometimes I’d really rather have the free kick, but there’s no easy way to actually get it. I’d like it so that if you hit, say, the back/select button when the advantage sign is up, you could just have the free. The way it is now, you can try stopping your movement or losing the ball and hope that the referee doesn’t just decide that it counts as an advantage and not give you the free.

    There’s probably a lot more I’d like to fix, but I think all of these things are the most important.

  • David

    I have an idea for virtual pro in career mode. First, I say EA should keep the achievement system and just make it deeper. What I want to bring up is a second version of virtual pro that should be available to make this mode for involving, compelling and deep. Here is my idea:

    In this second version of VP everything is done manually. Everything from passing, shooting dribbling, jumping, heading, tackling, etc etc. is done manually. So everything will be your work. Now there will be some exceptions and these would be for situations that are reflexive, that are done more instictively and in a reflexive manner. That way sluggish play is avoided while keeping things manual. This would work well here, it could not be done perhaps in regular play where you control the entire team because you shift from one player to the next and making every little thing done manually would be too cumbersome.
    Now about yout player development and ratings: When you create your virtual pro you create his body type, height weight and outer looks, accesories, nationality etc. However, you dont create his ratings like speed, passing etc. You have to develop them through actual physical training. So to develop speed, acceleration, jump etc. you have to build a good training and exercise regime. You will have to choose a diet, then your training and finally your performance during matches. If you can combine the right training and diet you will keep your VP in good shape physically. You should also be capable of taking nutrients and diet supplements by buying them with money you earn from playing.
    Now mentally: Your mental ratings like aggressiveness, awareness etc. will be determined more by grades given by the cpu or your coach based on how you actually performed on the controller. So if you run at players allot and play very physical you will get a high “grade” for aggressiveness. So that means that these mental ratings are subject to frequent changes throughout the season depending on how you are at controlling your VP on the pitch so it really reflexs you as a gamer, like in real life. So mental ratings are based on how intelligent, or brutal you play out there.
    Now skills: Your skill rating on your profile will be like the mental ratings in that they will be actual “grades” based on how scouts and coaches see your manual controls are performed on the pitch. So your skill ratings like passing, shooting, heading, tackling etc. will literally be a refleccion of how well you do on the controller with the extremely manual controls. This is why everything will be manual so that the cpu can assess your performance on the controller which will give you skill grades after every match and training session and ultimately determine your skills rating at the moment.
    Skill moves, specialities and traits: Advance right stick moves will come to you as a sort of “gifts” that you receive as an award for continuosly and consistently putting in good ball control and limited right stick moves performances in other words by keeping yourself physically fit and doing good with the manual dribbles and limited right stick moves you earn more advance right stick moves. You will have to continuously put good performances and keep your body fit enough to retain these advanced moves. Traits and specialties should also come as “gifts” or recognition based on performances.
    Training: When you step into the pitch your coaches and trainers will be observing you (literally, since is you on the controller and level of fitness) and based on your performance will assign the correct training for you. For example, if you did poor in passing that means you were not targeting correctly or not powering your passes enough on the controller. Therefore, next time in practice your trainer will have you make passes to a target so that you can improve on the controller. Your trainer will also let you know how you are doing fitnesswise so he might recommend running around a track or doing weights or other things that you need. So you wil have to look after yout VPs physical fitness and health as well, like he could get sick or suffer other physical stress if you dont take care of him, then the rest depends on how you do on the controller with manual controls and your decision making on the pitch and in practice. So this is how your coach and trainers would regulate you.
    Career as a VP: In a career as your VP you would begin as a 15 year old, you would create your parents and name them etc. At first you dont make enough money so you cant buy expensive boots or accesories. You cant train in state of the art rooms, your father trains you and gives you money, he also finds a Sunday league team for you. Later you have the coach who trains you and has you attend team practice. With the little money you have you can buy some nutrients or create a good recipe yourself by combining plants or different diets etc. Later on you meet your girlfriend so she joins your family circle. She attends yout games and tells you she wants to see you score, make tackles etc. Then you are scouted and they sign you to a division 2 or 3 team after joining their youth academy. You now make more money and can buy more accessories, get cooler haircuts and also have access to more state of the art training facilities and gyms so you can build yourself physically, plus your trainers and doctors advice. Later you join a Premier league team and you make tons of money and can buy really nice cars and a new house for your parents. You also help in charities etc. Later you become a world reknown footballer and make millions and upgrade to the best cars and mansion etc. You also develop your own boots aftet your name and get to write a book and publish it etc. You get extra recognition if you gave to charity and helped your parents etc.
    So thats it. Two versions of VP career modes, one the now commom achievement type and the other a fully manual and more involving and personal type of VP career mode. This would make VP career mode allot deeper, thanks for reading. :)

  • David

    One more thing about the version 2 of virtual pro career mode: Your position or positions on the team for example centre forward or winger etc. will not be chosen by you. You will only choose a position that you aspire to but depending on the coach you play for, squad situations and mostly on how you play with manual controls etc. your position will be determined by your coach or manager based on their judgement.
    Also, your coach will have certain uses for you on the pitch and will have you practice for them. For example, your coach might observe that you perform your crosses well (manual) and he might have a plan for you and will let you know so then in practice he will have you play crosses to another player. Then, when matchday come around, he will remind you and send you out there with instructions and you, having practiced certain plays would set out to perform what the manager wants.
    You will keep in communication with everyone from your manager, teammates, trainers, scouts, agents, parebts, girlfriends, fans etc etc. through a dialogue communication system. You will also, once in the top leagues sign supporter autographs, sign fan team shirts and footballs. Once a reknown footballer when performing well will get calls for interviews which will appear in the press the following week etc.
    When you get to be team captain you will have different roles on the team.
    Also, you will communicate with your teammates during matches, foe example a centre forward on yout team might approach you and tell you something like “keep giving me those crosses in the box, I feel I can score on one of those” and things like that you would then be able to respond so you will keep relationships with your teammates as well as the other teammates amongs themselves as well etc.
    Thank you.

  • BOB

    FIFA 13 VP/clubs needs to be like NHL your pros have xp to be

    spent as you see fit, I hate the cookie cutter pros and this way

    everyone is different and play to their strengths. Along with that

    being able to pick specific positions and styles would make VP and

    clubs enjoyable.

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