Westy
14-01-2000, 01:40:AM
Well, there is so much I can comment on its scary.
Well, I suppose I better start somewhere. How about the things I hear since its the last thing that pissed me off.
Crowd Chants
How about specific crowd chants for each team. Surely the file sizes wouldn't be too insane since you only need 1 (maybe 2) specific crowd chants and the rest of the oes played are generic. I found it most annoying when Coventry City were playing Southhamption in F2K and the crowds were shouting 'United!'. Whats happening there?, did they turn up to the wrong match?
Music
I never did understand why EA pay so much to get some great music into their games but can't be arsed paying this money to display sponsors names in the game. If its in the game, its in the game?, when the hell did Robbie Williams become the official FIFA song?
Additional Sounds
How about having the managers shouting stuff from the sidelines (and not just the usual grunting noises they made in 99). A bout of "Come on ref, where the bloody hell are you looking?" or "Come on you blind sod, he's well offside" or words to those effects would surely be welcomed. Besides, it would save me the bother of having to shout them myself.
Custom Soundbanks?
Come on, Everyone wants them (i think). I've always wanted to change the commentary to me and my mates saying some different things than Mottie and Mark Lawrenson!. 'Oh dear Chris, looks like the refs got his head up his arse again!'. How I long for the day someone cracks the format of the audio files and allows us to make our own.... Either that or EA pull their finger out and give us what we want!
Next, ah, Graphics. I'd like to say good things but I can't. So lets start...
Crowd Animation
Well, i was looking forward to this the first time I saw the option but was sorely disappointed by the saturday morning cartoon style of the people that EA think go to matches. Coupled with the fact that everyone is caught in a permanent mexican wave the crowds just become a thing to slow the game down on high end PC's!. Next time some more varied crowd animation would be welcome.
Pointy players?
I don't know if its just me but I thought the players in Fifa 99 looked more rounded than their 2000 counterparts. I mean, we are all upgrading our systems all the time and have hardware that is more powerful than the Mars Lander so why can't the players be that little more realistic and not so pointed.
Facial Expressions?
I have no idea what posessed EA to include this. Are they running out of ideas?. If they must include the facial expressions (which albeit did look okay to a point) could they at least make it so that they don't appear to be gasping for air whenever a player scores a goal. I wonder how difficult it would be to lip synch "You useless t**t, that ****er took my ****ing legs off." towards the ref?
Player Faces
See the point made earlier about EA spending too much money on music. Surely they could get any football magazine, scan the faces and *BINGO!*, there you have your players with their proper faces!. I support Coventry and I never remember Keane having the unwashed face full of hair that he has adopted for Fifa 2000. Scan the player images in EA!!, it'll take a day or two but it'll be worth it!
Kits and Sponsors
Again, here is the dreaded music costing too much thing again. See above points. Surely the sponsors wouldn't mind some free advertising or did EA want too much money from them to put their logo's in the game. Don't be greedy for gods sake. Surely the sales of Fifa 2000/2001 will make up for any sponsorship costs lost, I mean how many people buy it?
Stadiums
Much more needed. Plain and simple. Maybe some customising for your team as well. (Height, Floodlights, Balconies etc.). Its all aesthetic really.
Extra Features
How about having some assitant referee's running up and down the pitch holding up their little flags and pointing them at the corners and so forth. Even some TV camera crews running up and down the pitch allowing you to possibly shift to their viewpoint. How about the comical newspaper camera folk who get their expensive Nikon cameras smashed when Shearer kicks the ball at 200 mph at them. So many things that could have made it better....
Highlights
I think it was good old Fifa 96 which had a compiled footage of highlights at the end of your match showing the action from different viewpoints throughout all in a TV edit sort of theme. That was brilliant and I do dearly miss it as it was great to see some of the matches highlights! How difficult could that be to include?
Next I move onto the gameplay which although has been improved is still a bit crap.
Keeper AI
What the hell happened here. Many a time has my keeper decided he is going to run out of his box only to be smashed to the ground by a CPU player and have a goal scored against him. Also, he seems to wait for the ball to arrive to him when its bouncing and then dive forward like Shamu clasping it up. Next incarnation, can the keepers have a bit more brains and act like people?
Player Selection
Although this is a bit better I have had many a corner where I've thought.. 'great!, that player will head the ball into the net' and for no apparent reason, the active player changes to someone nowhere near the ball.
Arguing for action!
How about allowing your players to lie on the ground and clutch 'supposed' injuries. Surely the ref will pay attention to that. Yes, yellow carding for faking but then you could have the players stretchered off. I've always shouted about the computer overacting and taking dives in Fifa 2000 (from what I can tell) and every time the ref awards a free kick and a yellow card. How about getting the chance to do it ourselves?
Customising the Software.
What a nightmare the new tranfser system is to use. I assume this is to appeal to the console owning folks which is who I think EA are targetting their software for more now. Why not release a windows application like FED for allowing you to change your players stats and teams from something a little less arcadey than the one you use just now in the game?
Although this is just a few points I've come across there are a whole lot more. Too many in fact. I understand that there are only so many things you can do with the game but a lot of PC owners aren't expecting to use their hardware to run games that could easily run on a Playstation or Dreamcast. They want extra options that make good use of their equipment. I just hope that the next time round EA pay attention to what people want and instead of looking for ways to cut corners (like Sponsors on shirts and player faces) they look at what people want to see in the game.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to a backlash of criticism over this!
Westy
Well, I suppose I better start somewhere. How about the things I hear since its the last thing that pissed me off.
Crowd Chants
How about specific crowd chants for each team. Surely the file sizes wouldn't be too insane since you only need 1 (maybe 2) specific crowd chants and the rest of the oes played are generic. I found it most annoying when Coventry City were playing Southhamption in F2K and the crowds were shouting 'United!'. Whats happening there?, did they turn up to the wrong match?
Music
I never did understand why EA pay so much to get some great music into their games but can't be arsed paying this money to display sponsors names in the game. If its in the game, its in the game?, when the hell did Robbie Williams become the official FIFA song?
Additional Sounds
How about having the managers shouting stuff from the sidelines (and not just the usual grunting noises they made in 99). A bout of "Come on ref, where the bloody hell are you looking?" or "Come on you blind sod, he's well offside" or words to those effects would surely be welcomed. Besides, it would save me the bother of having to shout them myself.
Custom Soundbanks?
Come on, Everyone wants them (i think). I've always wanted to change the commentary to me and my mates saying some different things than Mottie and Mark Lawrenson!. 'Oh dear Chris, looks like the refs got his head up his arse again!'. How I long for the day someone cracks the format of the audio files and allows us to make our own.... Either that or EA pull their finger out and give us what we want!
Next, ah, Graphics. I'd like to say good things but I can't. So lets start...
Crowd Animation
Well, i was looking forward to this the first time I saw the option but was sorely disappointed by the saturday morning cartoon style of the people that EA think go to matches. Coupled with the fact that everyone is caught in a permanent mexican wave the crowds just become a thing to slow the game down on high end PC's!. Next time some more varied crowd animation would be welcome.
Pointy players?
I don't know if its just me but I thought the players in Fifa 99 looked more rounded than their 2000 counterparts. I mean, we are all upgrading our systems all the time and have hardware that is more powerful than the Mars Lander so why can't the players be that little more realistic and not so pointed.
Facial Expressions?
I have no idea what posessed EA to include this. Are they running out of ideas?. If they must include the facial expressions (which albeit did look okay to a point) could they at least make it so that they don't appear to be gasping for air whenever a player scores a goal. I wonder how difficult it would be to lip synch "You useless t**t, that ****er took my ****ing legs off." towards the ref?
Player Faces
See the point made earlier about EA spending too much money on music. Surely they could get any football magazine, scan the faces and *BINGO!*, there you have your players with their proper faces!. I support Coventry and I never remember Keane having the unwashed face full of hair that he has adopted for Fifa 2000. Scan the player images in EA!!, it'll take a day or two but it'll be worth it!
Kits and Sponsors
Again, here is the dreaded music costing too much thing again. See above points. Surely the sponsors wouldn't mind some free advertising or did EA want too much money from them to put their logo's in the game. Don't be greedy for gods sake. Surely the sales of Fifa 2000/2001 will make up for any sponsorship costs lost, I mean how many people buy it?
Stadiums
Much more needed. Plain and simple. Maybe some customising for your team as well. (Height, Floodlights, Balconies etc.). Its all aesthetic really.
Extra Features
How about having some assitant referee's running up and down the pitch holding up their little flags and pointing them at the corners and so forth. Even some TV camera crews running up and down the pitch allowing you to possibly shift to their viewpoint. How about the comical newspaper camera folk who get their expensive Nikon cameras smashed when Shearer kicks the ball at 200 mph at them. So many things that could have made it better....
Highlights
I think it was good old Fifa 96 which had a compiled footage of highlights at the end of your match showing the action from different viewpoints throughout all in a TV edit sort of theme. That was brilliant and I do dearly miss it as it was great to see some of the matches highlights! How difficult could that be to include?
Next I move onto the gameplay which although has been improved is still a bit crap.
Keeper AI
What the hell happened here. Many a time has my keeper decided he is going to run out of his box only to be smashed to the ground by a CPU player and have a goal scored against him. Also, he seems to wait for the ball to arrive to him when its bouncing and then dive forward like Shamu clasping it up. Next incarnation, can the keepers have a bit more brains and act like people?
Player Selection
Although this is a bit better I have had many a corner where I've thought.. 'great!, that player will head the ball into the net' and for no apparent reason, the active player changes to someone nowhere near the ball.
Arguing for action!
How about allowing your players to lie on the ground and clutch 'supposed' injuries. Surely the ref will pay attention to that. Yes, yellow carding for faking but then you could have the players stretchered off. I've always shouted about the computer overacting and taking dives in Fifa 2000 (from what I can tell) and every time the ref awards a free kick and a yellow card. How about getting the chance to do it ourselves?
Customising the Software.
What a nightmare the new tranfser system is to use. I assume this is to appeal to the console owning folks which is who I think EA are targetting their software for more now. Why not release a windows application like FED for allowing you to change your players stats and teams from something a little less arcadey than the one you use just now in the game?
Although this is just a few points I've come across there are a whole lot more. Too many in fact. I understand that there are only so many things you can do with the game but a lot of PC owners aren't expecting to use their hardware to run games that could easily run on a Playstation or Dreamcast. They want extra options that make good use of their equipment. I just hope that the next time round EA pay attention to what people want and instead of looking for ways to cut corners (like Sponsors on shirts and player faces) they look at what people want to see in the game.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to a backlash of criticism over this!
Westy