The Club Mode needs a breath of fresh air. We mention 5 innovations that we wish for “Pro Clubs” in FIFA 18 wish.
Update: Here are the official innovations of the Club Mode in FIFA 18.
FIFA 18 is on the horizon! At the end of September 2017, the 25th installment of the FIFA series from EA Sports will be released. Cristiano Ronaldo is on the cover and an innovation for the “Ultimate Team” mode is already known: The Icons. So we don’t have to worry about refreshing FUT 18.
But what about the “Pro Clubs” mode? Many fans have complained for years that this mode is neglected. Does the Club Mode in FIFA 18 also receive improvements, or will it remain neglected?
We present 5 innovations that would suit the Club Mode well.
The gameplay can improve
For many players, Pro Clubs is the most interesting mode in FIFA. In it, you found a club, create your own characters, the so-called “Pros”, and try to rise through the ranks together. Every player takes on a position, allowing for 11v11 matches. In practice, however, the number of players is significantly lower, such as 4v4. Nevertheless: Teamplay and communication are at the forefront in the Club Mode.
This seems to be the fascination of Pro Clubs: It offers the most intense online experience in FIFA – a mode where truly a team of players steps onto the field. Together you win and together you lose. Egoists or lone wolves will not find happiness in this mode.
One aspect has caused frustration for years: The CPU players. Because every position not occupied by a human player is controlled by AI. And this repeatedly leads to “adventurous” moments. Defenders do not mark opponents or open spaces for the opponents. In sprints, they suddenly stop, causing passes to go astray. Every club player can tell lengthy stories about the “CPUs”.
To counter this annoyance, a player can take the “Any” position, which is referred to as “Any” in the German-speaking community. Then this player controls all remaining field players not occupied by human players.
However, there are also problems here: Many users report that these non-human players are hardly controllable: It takes forever for them to react – passing and shooting is something they cannot do anyway. Gameplay in the other modes feels significantly more dynamic. If you don’t have a top “Any” player in your ranks, this causes even more frustration.
In short: Gameplay is an aspect in FIFA – especially in the Club Mode – that can be further improved.
A more exciting progress system in Pro Clubs
Until FIFA 16, there were so-called “Achievements” in the Club Mode. Upon completion of the requirements for an achievement, your Pro received a bonus to their attributes.
In FIFA 17, these achievements were replaced by a new progress system which allowed the Pro to earn skill points through completed matches, which can be used to acquire certain abilities, as well as points for their overall rating.
Since the former achievements required many “selfish” actions, one goal of the new progress system in FIFA 17 was to bring teamplay more to the forefront. Depending on the match rating, players now earn points.
However, there are several issues: The maximum skill points are reached after just a few games and in the overall rating, there are no concrete goals to aim for. In other words, monotony sets in early. You only conclude one game after another to gain a few percentage points to the overall rating.
Here EA Sports could bring a more exciting progress system for the Pro. For example, unlockable cosmetic items. Or varied “achievements” that require teamplay. There should be more goals to foster long-term motivation.
More customization options for Pro Clubs in FIFA 18
Since FIFA 17, you can create your own kits and crests in “Pro Clubs” for the first time. However, the customization options are quite limited. We hope that the aspect of individualization will be further expanded:
- More options for customizing the Pros (more hairstyles, tattoos, etc.)
- More customization options for kits and crests
- Build and manage your own stadiums
Additionally, it would be useful to set the takers for set pieces before a match. Also, the captain.
Training arena and skill games
In “Pro Clubs”, you can do two things:
- Compete against other clubs with your club
- Spontaneous games, where you are matched up with other Pros
However, this mode still has much more potential. Why is there no training arena or skill games where users can play against each other or together? While they wait for other players to come online.
In Pro Clubs, many players gather with their Pros. Amusing mini-games and a greater focus on the social component would surely benefit the mode.
Spectator mode – Join in
If club members have already started a game and you happen to arrive one or two minutes late, you have no options to join the match or watch the gameplay. A spectator mode or the option to join later is missing.
The “joining in” is a tricky subject. If you are playing a 2v2 match and suddenly 5 players join the opponents’ team, that is an unfair advantage for the opponents.
But a spectator mode should not pose problems here. Also, concerning “eSports”, it would certainly be interesting. A spectator mode where you can freely choose the cameras to follow the action from all possible perspectives. How about that?
A look at social networks shows that many gamers enjoy playing this mode and organize themselves in groups to find new members or to join a club themselves. It offers a unique online experience that can be improved and expanded in FIFA 18. We are excited about what is to come in “Pro Clubs” in FIFA 18.
Last year, there was first information on the Pro Club of FIFA 17 during Gamescom. If EA Sports sticks to this schedule again this year, there are still a good two months to speculate on possible innovations.
What do you wish for the Pro Club in FIFA 18?
Interesting: FIFA 18: The 10 biggest wishes of the community
