Online matches are ridiculously too difficult

My main problem is inconsistent gameplay....

Delay between pushing a button and player performing the action is anything from immediately to a couple of seconds late.

One example:

• I am on counterattack 
• I push shoot
• Nothing happens for a second or so
• Now the position of the player is no longer good to shoot, and I figured the game didn't register the command
• I push ground pass to pass it to the player in better position to shoot
• Instead of passing, my player performs fake shot
• I am "ecstatic" and questioning my decision of playing this game when getting a root canal surgery would be equally enjoyable 

Few years ago, while playing on Xbox, I created a list of friends (40+) of people that played the game without abusing broken game mechanics, and just played friendlies against them. It is completely different game that way. I enjoyed it very much.

These days...... you may wish for skill players, because the alternative is "headless chicken" players with constant pressure, depth 100 that holds R1 and X buttons and spams O button... who gets favored by the game and god help your controller that is about to get smashed on the floor.

There are games where 95+ rated players are playing on the same level as Bronze players. I am sure about that as I did play with Bronze players and they even performed better than 95+ players, go figure?!

@RadioShaqs

If wish it was about my connection and/or setup, because than I would be able to do something, but unfortunately it is not.

I play on PS5 and this only happens while playing EA FC.

@RadioShaqs 

And, BTW, sometimes (I guess every 20 online games), my players would lose their stamina as if Thanos drained life force out of them: like losing almost all stamina in the first half.

And no, I don't play high pressure and similar OP crap.

PS

I would rather lose the game than abuse broken mechanics.

@RadioShaqs I don't have a device to record my controller inputs. 

I play FIFA for more than a decade, playing from different countries, continents, connections etc.

Way back when EA had real support, I had a few interesting conversations with support engineers. I am sure it is not me.

I remember the old system and in my opinion it was much better than now. It was more fair, balanced, and less exploitable by abusers. I guess EA have also figured that out so that is why they are reverting back to the old system.

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@RadioShaqs wrote:
@Boy_SystematicsYou don’t need anything special. It’s just the online input overlay setting. Then in game it shows two controllers on screen. You push a button on one then depending how fast it light up on the other that’s how much delay you have.

One controller on screen is local the other is the server. If say the stick or button press is 6 seconds apart then you have massive delay. If when you move a stick or push a button they are close or in sync then you have little to no delay.

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@RadioShaqs Thanks!

I can try that, but I am at the point where I lost trust to EA, and whatever that analysis tool says.....

I played so many games this year (1500+), and I am 100% sure that this is not the game for me anymore. It became tailored to people who doesn't want (or can't) invest time in learning how to play. So, those type of players can win 25-33% of the time almost no matter what. Don't believe me (and why anyone should), try making 4 consecutive wrong passes in a row. Just try it, it doesn't take much time. If you try, one thing is guaranteed.... you will be surprised.

Also, any game that makes you not feel good even when you are winning, is not worth playing.

@RadioShaqs Thanks! 

I will try and post it. But, we are not talking here about independent tools, and whatever comes out of it may be fake.

Look, it is not just a delay, and it is not just online play.

Let's talk about right stick player shifting for a second.... it feels like having a stroke. I push right stick up and it select random player to the left. Sometimes it takes 3-4 right stick movements to get to the player that was supposed to be the first choice. And, in very competitive game that make all of the difference.

Of course, one may wonder: why not using L1 to switch to the player that has that white triangle above its head?

Well, because when it really matters, L1 will not switch you to the player that had white triangle above its head.

I am not sure that I will have (or make time), but there are so many situations where it is obvious the game is messing up with you.

It doesn't have to be online, try playing squad battles on Ultimate. You will see some mumbo jumbo that shouldn't exist.

@RadioShaqs OK, so I tried. Where do you see the delay?

Also, both controllers registered movement, but my player didn't do what it was supposed to do. Why is that?

If a game always hands you higher odds of losing than winning it becomes toxic and negates the purpose of playing it. It doesn't have to be this way if they implement what all other games in the world have and that is dropping and rising in divisions based on your skill level. This will reduce the amount of match losses and people will be less frustrated and enraged. 

@wassimabdul There are many things that I (or many people in this thread) consider problematic.

It would be unfair to say that every game is tilted in opponent's favor, especially when it is not the case.

But, when game is obviously tilted in my favor, I don't feel good as well. What is the purpose of winning that way?! 

Recently in Rivals match, I was trailing 3:0 and it was unplayable: my players are moving as if their shoes were made of concrete, took ages before responding to commands, and I could forget about any skill move because they were not happening. And then, suddenly, 180 degrees turn, not only that my players were responsive and fast, every single shot I made was a goal. Game ended 7:3 in my favor, and me messaging the opponent how unreal all ended up. So, yes, even winning doesn't feel good when it is a product of mumbo-jumbo tilting the odds in my favor.

I could find a justification why EA built gameplay like that, also EA might had good intentions on their mind, but the result is something I don't agree with.Also, those mumbo-jumbo things created very toxic environment.

Let's compare this with real life when you go to the playground to play football:

1. People are playing on your level and very respectful -> you will continue playing with them
2. People play like idiots - you will not play with them any more
3. People are much better than you - you will ask them if it is OK for you to play and let them know that you are not on their level
4. People are not even closely good as you - you will play on their level or a bit above their level so they will want to play with you again

If you are not professional: winning and losing is just the result of the game. For amateurs, playing the game and experience is more important.

It’s not the gameplay is too difficult it’s the players don’t do what you ask, one defender always running back playing people onside for no reason, try to move your player and the games trying to force them somewhere else, player switch is broken even more so this year than last, goalkeepers standing off their line watching balls just go past them into the net, tackling means nothing since the ball just always goes back to your opponent, I’ve even been flagged offside in my own half, switch a player and the one you switched from follows the one you switched to, goalkeeper has the ball in his hands so what does he do he throws it out for a corner, so much wrong with this game and ea just ignores any mention of it and you get told it must be your connection 

@StuBoy1984 wrote:

It’s not the gameplay is too difficult it’s the players don’t do what you ask, one defender always running back playing people onside for no reason, try to move your player and the games trying to force them somewhere else, player switch is broken even more so this year than last, goalkeepers standing off their line watching balls just go past them into the net, tackling means nothing since the ball just always goes back to your opponent, I’ve even been flagged offside in my own half, switch a player and the one you switched from follows the one you switched to, goalkeeper has the ball in his hands so what does he do he throws it out for a corner, so much wrong with this game and ea just ignores any mention of it and you get told it must be your connection 

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@StuBoy1984 Many, many years ago, when consoles didn't exist, universal excuse was PC configuration. These days, when players mostly play on consoles, that argument just can't fly.

One of the nice people ( @RadioShaqs ) on these forums suggested me to turn on virtual controller to see the delay between my system and servers.

And although delay does exist at times (not a big one though), I realized is that it is NOT my connection as EA server registered input, but player didn't react according to input. IMHO, that proves that (at least in my case) it is not due to connection.

If you want to make sure it is not your connection, go to Settings/Game Settings/Visual/Input Overlay and select option to show both your input and server response.

PS

I may be wrong, but it seems to me that a defender who is running back to allow offensive players to be onside only "shows" in online matches. So, the same team, same tactics, two different behaviors.

PPS

Switching with right stick - that doesn't work as you need to start switching so early and it feels like the system doesn't let you to select that player, so it takes 4-5 and sometimes more right stick pushes to get to the player.

I will pay more attention to it, and try different things to prevent it. I'll post if I find a "cure". :-)
 

20 out of 20 games in division 1 and all of them losses. I'm enjoying this game a lot.