Advanced Controls

[Jason]

I've played quite a bit of FIFA over the past few years without learning or using the advanced controls in the game and it made wonder if I'm in the minority with this. It also got me thinking about some other games, like NBA 2K and PES, which also offer a ton of advanced controls that I don't really use. Even with Madden, a game I've been playing since 1991, I don't use the advanced, Street Fighter-type running controls they added to the game starting back with Madden 13.

Today I did spend a little time trying to learn some of the simpler advanced controls in FIFA 17 in the hopes it would bring some new life to game, and while I did learn some new tricks, I still felt a lot of the moves were overly complicated and not essential to really enjoy the game.

How deep do you guys go with learning the controls with sports games? Some of these games, especially the NBA 2K series, really require a big commitment to master all the controls and I question how much of it is needed to really enjoy the game or be successful, even on higher difficulties. I think some of it may have to do with me playing many of these games long before the controls became overly complicated, so I kind of stuck with what I knew and was comfortable with. It also doesn't help that some of the moves are so hard to pull off that the success rate in using them is very low.

I guess the most important thing is if I'm having fun with the games the way I play them, and the answer to that is yes, but I guess I'm wondering if they could be even more fun.

[Ted]

The older I get the more I need to keep it simple.  Slower reflexes.  And not a lot of free time to master advanced controls.

It has even extended to the little amount of flight simming I still do.  20 years ago I would have been very excited to be able to play a study sim like some of the expert modules in DCS world with fully clickable cockpits and 100 step engine starting procedures.  Now, if the module doesn't have an option to do a one button start I don't even want to consider it as a purchase.  I just don't have the time or interest to learn all the steps to "accurately" fly the plane.

[Brad Company]

You need the advanced controls to even hope of competing online. Not having them mastered puts you at a distinct disadvantage.
I've never put in the time to learn them, and if you dabble, you end up in unwanted animation strings. Completely annoying.

[Jason]

Glad to see I'm not alone. I have no interest in competing online, so that's not an issue for me.

I do agree about the unwanted animation strings and that's even if you triggered the right one. Some of the advanced moves are so complicated and have such a small window of success that you end up triggering something you never intended to.

Having said all that, I have incorporated a few new moves into my FIFA arsenal like Flair Kicks and different types of crosses.