Actua Soccer (1995)
Actua Soccer 3 (1998)
Actua Soccer 3 (1998)
For relaxation purposes I have played computer soccer for ten years. I find it generally relaxing except for the computer simulation which at times leads to what I call "cheating". What happens is the computer makes human player 1 soccer players and goalkeeper perform below regular ability and commit actions that were not committed by human player 1 with the game pad. This can lead to one losing games that they really should not have lost but were simply cheated in. This has lead my friends and I to sometimes adopt colouful language in anger which has to be repented for later! Worse yet, when the cheating occurs in human player 1 vs. human player 2 matches it is at times difficult to know if your opponent actually made a mistake or was cheated. This requires rules to be established which disallow "cheat goals". I have tried playing EA FIFA games and personally prefer the British games and I am pretty cheap when it comes to buying what I view as overpriced newer games.
Actua Soccer from 1995 is simplistic compared to Actua Soccer from 1998. I play the Mac version of Actua Soccer and it is more difficult to win at than Actua Soccer 3 against the computer because there is more simulation and cheating taking place. Actua Soccer 3 which I play on PC is more technically difficult to master than Actua Soccer, but I thought I was pretty much an expert after 1-2 years. However, I must state that playing a good human player on either game would be far more difficult than playing the computer and I would of course lose more games against persons that can change strategies than I would games against the computer.
My main reason for writing this article is not too discuss computer soccer, but to express ideas. As noted I thought I was pretty much an expert at Actua Soccer 3 within 1-2 years. I have now played the game for eight years. I am good enough not to lose to the computer in Actua Soccer 3, and only lose very occasionally in Actua Soccer, if much cheating takes place. With what I regard as the best team in Actua Soccer 3 in 2006 I played a league where I scored 468 goals for and had 3 against. Today I completed another league with the same team and equal opposition and I scored 601 goals and had 3 against in the same amount of games. That is a 133 goal improvement one year later and after 8 years of playing the game. That is also over a 22% increase in goals scored in one year. I was amazed that I could improve over 22% in goals for after playing the game for so long, and I often did not realize that I was improving that much. I do not state this to brag, once again admitting that if I played good human players I would lose far more than I would presently against the computer.
Taking these ideas from the Actua experience and applying them in general terms to theology. I have increased in knowledge and skill since beginning my formal academic studies. I am a finite being and not infinite and there is always room for improvement. There is therefore no place for arrogance on my part, but humility and confidence as God leads is required.
Russ:)
According to:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actua_Soccer
Actua Soccer
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Actua Soccer is the name of a football video game series developed by Gremlin Interactive and part of their Actua Sports series. It spawned 4 titles from 1995 to 1999, excluding the official video game of the Euro 96. It was the direct competitor of the FIFA series during the earlier years of the franchise, but ultimately lost to it due to Electronic Arts' better marketing abilities.
Its biggest claim to fame was its full 3D engine, used for the first time in a football game. Although other games applied graphics used a 3D field (used by several games for the SNES), players were commonly sprites, but in Actua Soccer players were also polygonal. While adding graphically beyond what all games done before, the gameplay suffered from that. Featuring only national teams, a version with English Premier League teams named Actua Soccer: Club Edition was released in 1996. Barry Davies assured in-game commentary from the first until the last game in the series.
Actua Soccer 2 was one of the many titles released between late 1997 and 1998 to capitalize on the 98 World Cup, and once again, included only national teams, but a more polished engine (optimized for 3D cards) and a new scenarios mode assured good sales and mostly positive reviews, losing only to FIFA' 98. Barry Davies was joined by Trevor Brooking, and the game featured English international and captain Alan Shearer both in the cover, but also for interviews about the game, and finally Michael Owen and Simon Tracey assured motion capture. It was bundled with Creative Technology's Voodoo 2 graphic cards, which helped to its widespread distribution and popularity.
Finally, Actua Soccer 3 arrived in late 1998 after EA clinched two crucial hits with both FIFA'98 and World Cup 98, leaving few margin of error. For the first time, both club and national teams were present, plus cheat teams (such as an all-girl team) and joke teams like in Sensible Soccer. While its predecessor was criticized for the absence of clubs, AS3 featured a total of 25 leagues, much more than most games still have, and only comparable to Sensible World of Soccer. Graphics used a slightly improved version of the AS2 engine, but with much improved weather graphics. Trevor Brooking was replaced by Martin O'Neill in commentaries. Again, it wasn't marketed as well as FIFA '99, and despite some better features, EA's ability in that sector and more responsive gameplay didn't managed allowed the game to top the charts again.
After Infogrames acquired Gremlin in 1999, the Sheffield software house still developed what can be considered a fifth game in the series: UEFA Challenge.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actua_Soccer"
I think it might be interesting/amusing to post the "rules" here, so readers can get a fuller idea of the extent of computer cheating...
ReplyDeleteOk Chuck, here are the rules, last updated in 2003. These are good for a laugh!
ReplyDeleteUpdated rules for AS3, AS, WLS99, UEFA 2000
Hopefully these will clarify in regards to problems. If there are any comments please let me know.
1. A significant internal malfunction by the game during the game, means that either team has the right to protest the entire game. This may not seem fair if someone is losing 16-1 and there is a malfunction, why should they have the right to protest the game and have it replayed?
Well, sometimes it is not as simple as one game, if even one goal occurred or didn't because of an internal malfunction it could affect overall standings in a league or tournament. A new game will be granted if deemed necessary by our group. As computer and game owner I break any voting ties!
2. Internal game fixing will be treated as the same as an internal game malfunction. This means if a game like, most notably UEFA 2000, or to a lesser extent AS3, makes a team’s players commit errors during the game which were not committed by the human player pressing the buttons, a protest can be made. A new game will be granted if deemed necessary.
3. A problem which is really major in AS3 in the "invisible checks". This occurs when clearly a check is made by a defending player and the player goes physically right through the offensive player, who quite often, when used by the computer, goes on to score. This is obvious computer fixing and is no goal. An offensive player can certainly break through checks and score a goal, but invisible checks are clearly just computer fixing.
4. Equally problematic are the "missing checks", which occur more often. This is when the defending player clearly checks the offensive player and should by physical laws interrupt the offensive player but instead has no impact. This often results in a goal by the computer, and is once again no goal.
5. If the B or X check buttons are pressed, clear contact should be seen or it must be clearly shown that the defending player missed the offensive player, in order for play to continue.
6. Fouls given in error by the computer will be disregarded, as will RESULTING FREE KICKS AND PENALTY KICKS. Red Cards given from fouls given in error may result in the game being replayed.
7. SEVERE, OBVIOUS, offsides missed by the computer cannot result in goals. By this I mean the situation where an offensive player is given a breakaway pass and the defending team has NO CHANCE of stopping the player from getting a shot on net because of the missed offside. This is a ploy used often by AS and AS3!
8. A forced human player bad pass by the computer cannot result in a goal by the opponent. A bad pass must actually be a bad play by the player. I know that this can be tough to judge, but if a player strongly denies that he made the bad pass, the goal will be disallowed.
9. External malfunctions, such as Norton Anti-Virus, or Windows that affect a game in significant, or a potentially significant way will be worthy of a protest. This means if someone is losing 1-0 and have a slim chance of equalizing yet an external malfunction occurs, they can protest and a new game may be granted.
10. External noise can be a reason for a protest, these games require outmost concentration, and a phone call or question from someone can ruin a player’s game.
11. We will keep our GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT that is namely that known malfunctions that can be avoided, will be during the game.
12. As always if someone says STOP during a game that means stop. However this cannot be abused, but can be called for if one is losing control of gamepad due to sweat, for example. If this occurs during a potential scoring play, some type of equalization may have to be reasoned out.
13. Computer malfunctions of standings and or schedule will result in me taking that work over.
14. Changes to line-ups during a game should be done after a whistle in human vs. human play. These line up changes must be done quickly.
15. During a competition, a player will be allowed a few minutes between matches to change their team roster. So, this could mean for example transferring a new player in playing AS3. Unlike real sports, my computer games will not feature set pre-competition line-ups which cannot be altered during the competitions. I see no reason to stop a person from making changes to their roster during a league or tournament. If this is to be forbidden, this will done by the games themselves internally.
However, a time limit of approximately 5 minutes will be provided after every game for a player to alter his team, and he must stay with that same club, unless a malfunction has made this impossible!
16. Competitions will move along as quickly as possible, but a team's human players can change, or the computer can take over a club as an option.
17. If a defensive player passes the ball to his goalkeeper and the goalkeeper misses, or ignores the pass which should be accepted, a goal cannot result.
18. A game pad error, which causes freezing of one team means that the play stops and then restarts.
19. If a game pad causes a check to be missed because of a circular checking motion, rather than a normal straight-line motion, then the play will stop and restart.
20. If a game pad refuses to change a player quickly enough and the malfunction results in a goal, the goal will be disallowed. This often occurs in the long ball situations when the goalkeeper kicks the ball to a striker with one opposing defender back to cover. The lone defensive player back should have an actual chance of stopping the breakaway. I think a free shot with no chance of defending is bogus. The breakaway player should at least be pressured to make a play, as the defender should be darting towards him. Thus if there is a problem with the defensive man changing, it should be no goal.
21. A defensive player cannot lose the ball and thus allow a goal for the opponent. The player can give the ball away in error or have it taken away.
RNM
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