New Star Soccer 5 (PC/Mac/iOS/Android/Flash)

[Guest]

One real issue for me is that early game that it comes down to the fact that you don't need to play any games. You can forfeit them and train skills until level 60 in all skills, without penalty.

So - im transferred from conf to L1. Just because I've increased my skills. Seems a but strange.

I still find the change in prices for levelling up an issue. Let's say I purchase X amount of bucks, then I level up. Suddenly theyre devalued without warning.

Really that's not a very good deal for customers. Is it even allowed within apple T+C's?

Additionally I use a drink that's supposed to put my skill up. Yet my skill is 60. The skill does not raise. I've now potentially wasted money on a purchasable item that hasn't done what it has claimed.

Small issues yet important.

[siread]

The NRG price thing is not a device to get people to buy in-game currency, it's a device to keep the game challenging (hence why the price also rises on the Flash and Android versions).

Currently (in version 1.04) the basic can of NRG rises from ★2 to ★29 at level 10.

You wages starts at ★2 and goes up to about ★15 at level 10 (plus you get a goal bonus and sponsorship cash so somewhere around ★20-★25 per match).

If the price of NRG remained at ★2 you would soon be able to buy umpteen cans of the stuff and max your stats and relationships out in no time. One solution might be to restrict the player to using 1 can of NRG per match, so any remaining cash could be spent on lifestyle. This is basically what NSS5 does (you even get cans for free from your sponsors) but the downside is that it takes away the energy management aspect of the game because you always have enough cash to top up your energy.

So from a gameplay aspect it is better to have some kind of price scaling, in my opinion. If anyone can suggest a better solution then I'm all ears.

[Timmo]

I'm level 16 and NRG now costs 48, it didn't cap, bug?. Not really a problem since I'm earning 24+5pg+(15-20) which is more, plus having all but two properties mean I don't need NRG anymore now anyway.

[siread]

I'm level 16 and NRG now costs 48, it didn't cap, bug?. Not really a problem since I'm earning 24+5pg+(15-20) which is more, plus having all but two properties mean I don't need NRG anymore now anyway.

Oops, I just checked. You're right, it isn't capped.

[klargon]

Not sure what just happened. I chose to help my girlfriend move her parents or something, and instead of it taking the 25% off energy, it took about 80% off every life criteria. I didn't get any explanation for this. I can't see the point in carrying on now - it'll take ages to get the bars back up.

[Timmo]

Another bug/glitch - got five 10s in a row but didn't unlock the award...

[siread]

Not sure what just happened. I chose to help my girlfriend move her parents or something, and instead of it taking the 25% off energy, it took about 80% off every life criteria. I didn't get any explanation for this. I can't see the point in carrying on now - it'll take ages to get the bars back up.

What platform/version are you playing?

[Guest]

How many drinks can you buy at once? Surely if you're a lower level then it's advantageous to stock up.

Well the issue isn't so much the levelling, and I'm sure the design isn't based around making money - however because the rise comes without warning it annoys. The belief is with your pay rise all purchasable items are going to be quicker to get. This isn't true in this case - and the important part the people care about is the levelling. The other items are ancillary to the game, while important, they aren't core. So that youre closer to getting them doesn't matter - and of course with drinks more expensive it keeps them being pushed back anyway.

There aren't 4 drinks then. There are 4 x the star levels. So you could present them like that. It's a visibility problem, as well as if you'd bought currency early on it becomes devalued.

[siread]

There aren't 4 drinks then. There are 4 x the star levels. So you could present them like that. It's a visibility problem, as well as if you'd bought currency early on it becomes devalued.

Yeah, I guess that might work, have drinks for each level on the shop screen to begin with, and have them greyed out if not for your level.

Regarding the drinks not increasing maxxed out stats, I will make them increase your star rating instead in the next update.

[Pupponvesh 2]

I bought this for my Android phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace). It's really good, love how you start off at the bottom and work your way up and the in-game parts are a lot of fun. I get regular crashes (Monkey Audio thing), but my phone isn't the quickest around and I've not lost any data.

My only complaint would be the NRG drinks that increase in price. As others have said, it doesn't really make sense, and they inflate to some crazy prices late in the game (I'm 10 years in, playing for Man U and the prices are 62/104/146 respectively). I can understand that they could wreck the balance of the game, but maybe just put a limit on how many you can consume between each match.

I'm still having loads of fun though, and plan to recommend it to a few people who I know would love it. Hopefully, future versions will incorporate more in-game actions like corner kicks, one-twos, more defensive options, etc. In fact, having more control over defensive aspects would be great as well.

Overall, great little game. Totally worth the £1.99.

[Timmo]

I didn't find the drinks unbalanced ever. You can demand higher wages when your star level goes up and you should always be earning more per game than an energy drink costs.

I found that never working on the sponsor bar was the best way to go after maxing everything out. It drops, you lose the top sponsor, it drops, you lose the next, you then regain that one and always seem to be getting 20 per game from sponsorship without doing anything to keep the relationship up. This way you end up not needing energy drinks at all once you've maxed everything out and have most of the properties. You just don't get the top one of two sponsors, which aren't worth battling to keep anyway.

Won the prem with Derby the season after getting promotion.

[Guest]

Yeah, I guess that might work, have drinks for each level on the shop screen to begin with, and have them greyed out if not for your level.

Regarding the drinks not increasing maxxed out stats, I will make them increase your star rating instead in the next update.

Course option 1 means big lists...depends which way you want to go. Only one guys opinion after all.

As far as increasing the star rating goes - if 60 is the cap then the drink potentially shouldn't broach it correct? Otherwise it's unbalancing things. It's more the issue that I pressed to upgrade the stat and it didn't - yet it used the drink. So allow me to choose another stat maybe? If they're all maxed out then fair enough, yet not with only one maxed out and others still available.

[klargon]

What platform/version are you playing?

iOS version on the latest gen iPod Touch.

[Guest]

Anyway regardless of my nit picking the core game is excellent. A genius design in my mind - focussing mostly on the ball and not player control (which is always the most frustrating element of any football game).

In that regard its spot on, and you do start to learn more and more through practice. The gameplay is always teaching you something new.

With bouncing/differing ball positions that result in varying types of strikes, you can't always predict exactly what you're going to do (although there may be text hints, I've not noticed).

And even when you feel you've mastered it there's the chance you'll miss by inches or by miles - its unpredictable like real football...and yet unlike FIFA it never feels like it was anything other than your fault..and you can live with that because there always another chance around the corner.

[smackie]

Been playing this all weekend. Cracking little game with lots of potential and well worth 69p.

One thing that needs fixed in the next update is the SPL split. After 33 games, the league splits into top 6 and bottom 6 but all points reset back to 0 so it's like startnig a new league for 5 games. Just needs a wee tweak.

Plenty of good ideas being suggested so far. Keeping with the Footballer of the Year aspect, how about introducing International call ups and Champions/Europa League qualification?

[humdrum]

So from a gameplay aspect it is better to have some kind of price scaling, in my opinion. If anyone can suggest a better solution then I'm all ears.

It would probably be too much of a redesign at the moment but maybe for version 2. but what about having the energy bar metered. so like for a 1 star player, the energy bar is 1 to 10, for a 2 star player is 1 to 20, a 3 star player is 1 to 30.

Then you could redo the NRG drinks so that rather then maxing out your energy bar, you then buy cans that gives you a boost of 10, 20, 30 so on. so that the cans stay the same price but the effect they have on your energy bar is decrease as you improve.

[siread]

Plenty of good ideas being suggested so far. Keeping with the Footballer of the Year aspect, how about introducing International call ups and Champions/Europa League qualification?

The code is pretty much good to go for international and club continental competitions but the Monkey language I use has a 1mb save-limit (to ensure cross-platform compatibility). I am looking for a way around this as it's only really Flash and Html5 that need to be limited. Adding internationals and continental comps would actually provide a good incentive for players of the free version to buy the mobile version.

It would probably be too much of a redesign at the moment but maybe for version 2. but what about having the energy bar metered. so like for a 1 star player, the energy bar is 1 to 10, for a 2 star player is 1 to 20, a 3 star player is 1 to 30.

Then you could redo the NRG drinks so that rather then maxing out your energy bar, you then buy cans that gives you a boost of 10, 20, 30 so on. so that the cans stay the same price but the effect they have on your energy bar is decrease as you improve.

Hmm, interesting idea. Will give it some thought. Only issue there I guess might be that the matches would drain a smaller and smaller percentage of your energy as you level up.

[humdrum]

Hmm, interesting idea. Will give it some thought. Only issue there I guess might be that the matches would drain a smaller and smaller percentage of your energy as you level up.

Could you not have it so that the drain on energy for playing matches still has the same effect as it currently does. but maybe work it out by percentage rather the points(if that is how it currently works it out in the background), so playing a full match takes off 70%/80% of your total energy.

As the amount of energy you lose for playing a game seems about right to me at the moment.

[Fry Crayola]

I think then you've just got a different artificial barrier in place.

"Whoo, I've levelled up so I get more energy! I'll play this match.... WAHHH!"

[SaintM]

I think that could fly if you accept that the higher the level of the game (as in Prem vs Conf) then the higher energy levels the player expend.

At the end of the day though it's fine as it is for me. I've not felt the need to buy any extra and have a near-maxed out player in the Prem. A little more variety in the interactive bits is about the only thing I want for right now.

[joeplus]

Ugh, I'm in a terrible rut. Been playing for Rushden & Diamonds then got sold to Leyton Orient. Both teams have had a startling habit of conceding two or three goals within half an hour, more often than not. As such even if I make all the passes I get presented with, the bastard fans still hate me because we lost. Can't afford enough drinks to try and improve relationships because of my crappy wage either.

I love this game but it isn't half a bastard sometimes.

[John0]

You could have it so that the higher your stars/stats the more energy drinks it takes to refill your energy bar. I guess that's pretty much what you've done, but might make a bit more sense to the player that way, rather than jacking up the price...

Or you could put a similar system into the PC version, where binging on energy drinks has some sort of negative effect on your health. I think this would be great, actually. But a bit less immediate than the PC version. So you can binge on energy drinks as a one-off, but keep doing it too much and you get ill and have to miss games with stomach problems. It'd bring about a nice balance, I think.

Still enjoying it though, worked my way up to the Prem with Everton... and yeah I agree a bit more variation in the interactive bits is pretty much the only thing I'd change.

[John0]

Also, I went back to the PC version over the weekend and really liked it. Started off as an MC and did the obvious thing of bombing forward trying to get goals and assists. Butthen spent one game hanging back and trying to shield the back four, and the boss complemented me on my positioning. Really loved the way it spotted what I was doing. So converted myself to a DMC and now trying to break up play as much as possible with the occasional burst forward. Only problem now is I seem to be getting 10/10 almost every game and am worth about £7m still playing for Hinckley Utd. Seems positioning boosts your rating a wee bit too much, but it's still fantastic how well the system works.

[joeplus]

Oh come on, my girlfriend talked to the papers and slagged off my team-mates? I'm tempted to start a new career here, getting wretched luck.

[John0]

I thought that was a really nice touch. Only seems to happen to me when relationship with girlfriend isn't in the 80s/90s...

[Strangelite]

Si: I'm playing the IOS version: Here's some suggestions, feel free to tell me to get lost. This is an absolutely top game and I'm being picky here!

Could you make it so that when you're playing blackjack (and presumably, roulette/slots) - if I have 14 starbux, bet 10 and lose, it automatically trims your stake down for the next go? (so in this case it'd knock it down to 2)

(currently it leaves it set to 10 and then says "not enough starbux BYAATCH")

And just off the top of my head (and therefore just a suggestion) it'd nice maybe to be able to give your team mates some sort of directional sense. Just like in real life, team mates point to where they want a pass to.. it'd be nice if I could click on one of my team mates and say "run in this direction" and then I can pass to intercept them in their new location. It's just sometimes I have an impossible shot on goal, and a team mate who's marked and I have to basically try and fluke a lucky bounce. Anyway, just an idea, appreciate it'd complicate the control method and probably therefore isn't wise.

Also, could you make it so that the interceptions, the ball is played from the bottom of the screen to the top? (again, just a suggestion) - as my thumb is always in the way of the three little guys running down below me and I can't see their pass request speech bubble.

On the loading screens, it might be helpful to have quick hint texts.. (I'm on a 4s so they might be a bit short, but just a thought) If they were really short one liners they might help...

If the crowd graphic tinted to your team colours that'd be a nice touch. (when you're hitting the ball)

Put some billboards up behind the goal to advertise your other games (like they did in sensible soccer)

Some of your training mini-games are a bit similar to each other. (I think it's power and vision) - could you maybe nick that one they had in Pro Evoultion Soccer which is "lobbing into a roundel and you get 3 stars for the center (red), 2 for white, and 1 for blue? (Although I'll concede this is stepping away from the "three goes" mechanic you have, so you could just do a circle)

could you put an option somewhere to skip the casino animations? (or at least make it so if you tap the screen it skips them) (being very picky now)

Anyway, it's a top game...

[joeplus]

Ooh siread, I found a small bug. Played a pass to team-mate in front of goal. Team-mate had a shot, it hit the keeper but still crept in. The "ASSIST" graphic didn't flash up so I was a bit miffed at first, but then I saw in the stats at the end of the game that I'd been credited with the goal myself!

Also I didn't ragequit my career. Still bumbling along with Orient. We're so going down.

[siread]

Thanks for the comments.

I have some big ideas for the match action. No major changes to the basic mechanic, just a lot more situations with better AI and all on one proper sized pitch image with pinch & zoom.

[Gabe]

Also, could you make it so that the interceptions, the ball is played from the bottom of the screen to the top? (again, just a suggestion) - as my thumb is always in the way of the three little guys running down below me and I can't see their pass request speech bubble.

I find that for interceptions it's easier just to have a thumb on each side of the screen so you can quickly change your direction if you are out of position. Also, I prefer it coming from top to bottom so perhaps having this as a setting rather than a default would be good?

Anyway, it's a good little game (a few crashes on Android though). Some thoughts:

Some of the dilemmas are a little harsh, especially when you don't have any bux for drinks - i.e. see the boss or the fans: you see the boss, then get told off for not having enough energy for a match.

Also, why didn't I get paid my wage for a game I wasn't picked for? A wage should be paid whether I play or not - but the game really is giving us an appearance fee, not a wage. I doubt anybody other than me cares about that enough to mention it but I needed to get more energy, man!

Finally, how is the match rating calculated, as it seems a little schizophrenic at times. For example, in one match I made 2 out of 3 passes (all forward passes over 10 yards) - and got a 2.9. In another match I think I missed 3 out of 5 and got a high 3/low 4 score. No goals or assists in either game. Is it linked to work rate at all? In the lower-rated game I had to play on the lowest to have enough energy to make it through the match.

Like others have said, a little more variation in match situations would be great. And I'm not sure how this would work, but somehow implementing headers would be really good - perhaps you have to time the jump which determines the contact and direction of the ball?

Anyway, this is the only game I've ever bought (or indeed played) on my phone, due to the overwhelming positivity in this thread, and it hasn't disappointed. Look forward to further updates!

[Gabe]

I tell you what else I would absolutely love - a full career breakdown, showing the clubs I played for, my appearances, goals and assists for each club and also my career acheivements - so x league titles won/promotions/relegations/cups etc (if that could be shown easily by club it would be even better).

This could then become an individual hall of fame on my phone - so when I start a new career I can compare it to previous careers I've had. I love stats like that, and it would give me a reason to have multiple careers (to see if I can do better).

I appreciate you are working within memory constraints and stuff, but I really do think it would add so much to it. Think of how the old Spectrum game 'Striker' presented career information (which this reminds me of - perhaps more than Footballer of the Year).

Damn, this game has so much potential! Seriously, I want this to happen so I can give you more money!