Mat@MDickie.com
Grass Roots














 


One might assume it's quite courageous (or suicidal) for an independent to tackle the overpopulated sports genre - but the truth is that it's a woefully unexplored field. Although sports games have been flooding the release schedules for the past 20 years, 99% of them have instinctively tried to recreate the "professional" experience. The power of recognition practically guarantees commercial success, and yet it also imposes great restrictions on the gameplay. Fans of the wrestling games will be well aware of the differences between my "anything goes" exposés and the predictable merchandise of THQ and their WWE license. That difference is passion and creativity - qualities that can only be exercised when you step back from reality and inject a little imagination! And so it is with this simulation of football (soccer) as you've never seen it before...



Around The World In 80 Ways

Since we last caught up with the game, there have been no fewer than 4 brand new venues added to the list! The first is a large warehouse, which uses piles of boxes for goals - and keeps the detail high with steel shutters that open up to reveal a city skyline. Then came a more suburban version of the street setting - with dilapidated buildings that surround a dusty pitch (which should be handy for depicting the more impoverished areas of the world). Back in affluent civilization, a picturesque park was the third location to be added. It's uneven fields set it apart from an official grass pitch - as do the traffic cones that are used for goals! Most uniquely of all, there's even a pond beyond a stone path - which you can actually sink the ball into. And finally, we've recently seen the addition of a proper football stadium - which surrounds a pristine pitch with the structures of a wrestling arena. It's still a notch smaller than it would be in real life to accommodate the 5-a-side style, but other than that it does the job. And that's not all! There's still a handful of brand new locations to be added before the game wraps up...


New Balls, Please

The pitch variations are now joined by equally bizarre ball variations too - which range from all kinds of standard designs to "floaters" and beach balls! The latter even have noticeably different weights, so they react to power as surely as they would in real life. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there's even a special "flat" ball - which has a drag factor from being bent out of shape! And the editors amongst you will be pleased to know that it's actually possible to add your own balls. Along with the kit designs, the game scans the directory of balls and acknowledges any correctly numbered additions. You're then free to select them at the exhibition setup page - along with any combination of atmosphere and location...


Pimp My Side
For the past 2 months the game has been borrowing from the wardrobe of Wrestling Encore and co, but it's own style is finally starting to emerge! Brand new items of clothing are being drawn up each day - ranging from civilian clothes to sportswear adorned in logos. The soccer look has also arrived thanks to brand new leg designs that feature longer shorts, better socks, and more detailed boots. And, like the tops, the flesh in between is racially variable - so every character has access to every fashion! Meanwhile, the model variations are also keeping your options open. To help you make use of the shorts, you can now select a baggy top without making the legs baggy (although the option is always there for trousers). We're also starting to see a lot more attention to detail - such as the numbers which are pasted onto the back of each player's shirt to identify their team position! It's not entirely necessary, but it's a nice visual touch that passes your eye from time to time. Similarly, the keepers are now identified by an exclusive pair of gloves that they're forced to wear. Regardless of the costume you give them, the game will override their hand texture and make sure it's a glove-based material...


Super Sub
Underneath all the visual enhancements, the team management system continues to evolve. You can now access your options while a match is taking place, which means you can modify any tactics that aren't paying off. That may sound straight forward, but it's actually a very difficult feature to implement. Once an action-based game is up and running, the last thing it wants to do is put everything on hold for yet more menus! It causes a little bit of sluggishness here and there, but other than that I've managed to pull it off alright. The process of substitutions has been added as well, but that really does stretch the system. Adding new characters to a scene requires that they be loaded in from scratch, which obviously disrupts the game for a brief period. It's certainly better than nothing though, and allows you to exercise even more control over your team...


Map Quest

A major development is that the map navigation system has been implemented. It's promising stuff, as you explore the routes that stem from your current location. Along the way, there are plenty of colour codes and presentational tricks that help you make sense of everything - but I'll elaborate on those when the adventure mode takes better shape...


Enemy At The Gate

And that shouldn't be long now, because the meetings and confrontations that drive the career mode have finally arrived! Upon choosing the next territory to visit, you're taken to a cut-scene where you come face to face with the resident team. Words are then exchanged in the style of a wrestling promo, which will outline the rules of the match and put it into some sort of dramatic context. There aren't any such storylines as yet, but it's hoped that they'll flood in now that the template has been implemented...


Head To Head

In amongst the confrontations, you can also field suggestions from your team-mates and opponents as surely as you did in the wrestling games! As you can see above, those familiar cut-scenes now take place on the field with both parties sitting around the ball. You can even instigate the negotiations yourself in this game. After each match, you're given the option to dismiss members of your team and recruit members of the opposition. Since there's no money involved, the process is somewhat simple - almost random - as you state your case then pray for a positive response. It succeeds in adding a bit of character to the management of your team though, and keeps your experience evolving with each location you visit...


Winning Strategy

With the gameplay wrapped up, I've finally been able to address the presentation of the game. The screen is now adorned with colour-coded spot kick icons, time displays, score displays, and even a pitch radar to help you keep track of the action. Despite its apparent simplicity, it's actually an impressive piece of programming that translates your 3D activity into a handy 2D display. It even flips into a vertical position when you select the topdown camera angle! The same principle is also used when plotting your pre-match tactics. Here, a larger and even more graphical display (shown above) identifies each individual player and allows you to adjust both their attacking and defensive positions. By choreographing each player's movements, you can easily map out any tactic that comes to mind - and it can often mean the difference between success and failure. However, if you don't fancy getting technical, there are plenty of preset formations to select - ranging from sturdy squares to sharp diamonds that cut through the opposition...


Tale Of The Tape

When plotting your tactics, it's important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player. The different skill levels have finally been implemented, and they are as follows: "Power" governs how hard a player can kick the ball, "Accuracy" governs how successful those kicks are likely to be, "Skill" affects how easily the ball is controlled, "Speed" determines how fast a player can move (in all situations), and "Stamina" affects how long those stats will be running at full strength for. Between those 5 simple statistics, practically any playing style can make its way onto the pitch - and it's easy to see the difference between them. Not least because there's a great new display for each character's profile. The above wheel of statistics finally puts paid to the rectangle of text that we've seen in practically every game for the past 3 years! It sits to the right of the player's name, and shows all 5 statistics at a glance. The figures are even colour-coded based on how potent they are - with reds shades indicating weakness and green shades indicating perfection. As you can see, a player's profile also consists of a humble headshot (which is circular now to keep with the ball theme!) and a familiar health meter running along the bottom...


Sore Losers

As if the sporting attributes weren't enough, the characters even have their own unique celebratory animations and gestures - much like in the wrestling games (indeed, that's where many of them come from!). Upon scoring a goal, a player gives his signature celebration - and even maintains the pose when running back to his position. However, the most amusing gestures occur randomly in open play. Whenever two characters are standing close to one another, they'll occasionally trade body language - which ranges from innocent sportsmanship to provocative insults! It's great to see out of the corner of your eye, and gives the proceedings a little more personality...


Trick Shot

You can also use your talent to inject some personality into a game - thanks to the addition of yet more novelty trick shots! The latest moves to grace the pitch are a cocky "crossover kick" and a beautiful "flick up" that tosses the ball over your own head. Both are relatively pointless, but you can pull them out of the bag if you want to embarrass an opponent. And they couldn't be easier to execute either. You simply press Shoot and Pass at the same time to do the crossover kick, while Lob and Pass activates the flick up. Meanwhile, it's also possible to play mind games by pretending to be fouled! If you press Shoot and Lob at the same time, your character suddenly collapses for no reason - and your fellow players may be inclined to assume it was a foul. It's hard to pull off, but the opportunity is there for any swine that dares to risk it...


Racial Harmony

Of course, the most unique aspect of any character is their appearance - and that promises to be truer than ever thanks to the latest breakthrough in editing. Following on from the "selective colouring" of Wrestling Encore, we now have a system that applies 3 degrees of skin colour to ANY given costume. Not only does this mean that black characters have as many options as their white counterparts, but it also means there's a whole new shade for characters that fall in between! Considering this game will visit cultures all over the globe, it's good that South American and Asian appearances are finally possible. And the best news is that it's not the clumsy DIY colouring that we're used to. This is a proper texturing technique that's applied as smoothly as any costume. You don't even have to give it any thought! Simply select the face that you're looking for, and the game will automatically paint the rest of the body accordingly...


What Not To Wear

The breakthrough came once the all-new editor had finally been fully implemented. The team-based nature of this game means that you don't give as much thought to "which" top they wear, so much as "how" they wear it. Each kit has 10 variations - ranging from vests and bare skin to v-neck and crew-neck tops (each of which are further provided in both short and long sleeved form). Meanwhile, the legs and head are fair game as you select the accessories that make a character truly unique. All of which succeeds in making sure the characters can be identified as a team without losing their personalities. At the moment, testing is taking place with some generic black and white kits - but plenty of colourful designs promise to flood in over the following weeks. There'll even be the option to add your own - as the kit variations are stored in their own folders, and the game searches for them as surely as it does the textures in recent games like Wrestling Encore...


Grass Roots
Latest

In addition to the characters, the venue possibilities also continue to expand. Following on from the indoor gym, the latest stage is a bustling city street - and it's the best urban setting that my games have seen yet! With lessons learned from Popcorn's hit & miss sets, this brand new scene uses every trick in the book to produce a location full of detail. Nicely textured pavements lead onto a realistic tarmac clearing, while equally detailed buildings form the pitch perimeter - complete with a city skyline lurking in the background. Gameplay-wise, this truly urban location also boasts its own quirks - such as trashcans for goals, and cars parked up at the sides! Not only does that change the aesthetics, but it also forces you to reassess how you approach a somewhat "invisible" goal...


From Dawn 'Til Dusk

The different locations have finally been accompanied by atmospheric variations too. As you trek your way around the globe, you'll see different venues at different times of the day - ranging from varying degrees of daylight to the eerie darkness of the night. The camera system has also been finalized to help you get the most out of each setting. There are now several variations of both the horizontal and vertical angles - all of which are perfectly playable. Meanwhile, there's the usual selection of novelty ones too, for players that are happy to compromise their control for a more exciting view of the action! Amongst them are a downright unplayable "first-person" perspective, and my beloved "spontaneous" setting that gives you the cinematic angles you see in these screenshots...


The Quick & The Dead

In amongst all of these major developments, the match options have also found time to evolve - thanks to the addition of penalty shoot-out's! As in real life, this tense showdown occurs when a match is still tied after 2 halves of extra time - but it can also be selected as an exhibition match in its own right. In case you're wondering, there are no gimmicks when it comes to penalties in this game. You place the ball down and then plot on kicking it as surely as you would in outfield play (the only difference being that the keeper is more inclined to misjudge his saves). It works better than it sounds, and you'll often find yourself praying that a game stays tied so that you can go through the drama! In true MDickie style, the whole thing pans out in real-time - with the next taker picking up the ball and carrying it back to the penalty spot. All the while, the results are being clocked by a simple hit & miss record that you can see above - which actually uses the players' faces, so you'll always know who to blame!


Golden Touch

Although the gameplay side of things has been drawing to a close, there are still a handful of modifications that seep in from time to time. The latest is a series of ball control animations, which allow the players to salvage awkward passes. A ball that soars too quickly around the legs can be brought under control with either shin, while high balls are chested down wherever possible. It's all automated for your convenience and occurs so quickly that it doesn't interrupt play, so you're left to enjoy a more realistic feel and tighter control over your passes...


Trick Shot

Meanwhile, the various headers that were hinted at in the last preview are now joined by all manner of other volleys. Balls that fly low and close to the body can now be met with side-swiping volleys from either foot, and there's even a spectacular "scissors kick" for reaching overhead balls! It's beautifully animated, but unfortunately it's very hard to make use of (as in real life). The options are always there though, and they certainly add a little variety to the outfield action...


Hard Knock Life

Elsewhere, the ways of inflicting harm on your opponents have also been expanding. The lunging and sliding tackles are now joined by a violent shove - which can never be mistaken for a clean challenge! It guarantees to send the victim hurtling to the floor, and looks pretty good in the process too. And the ball isn't the only thing that players might fight over. Shoving matches can also come into play when the surrounding players are frustrated by the way things are going! Especially when they feel they're being obstructed from playing properly. The wrestling games may be on the backburner, but their aggressive spirit lives on...


Game Of Two Halves

The first proper matches are finally starting to take place now that the game has more structure. Not only are all the various spot kicks correctly identified, but the clock is also ticking on the final score. Depending on how long you choose the match to be, the whistle blows for half time and the players switch sides (which, in true MDickie style, takes place before your eyes in real time!). And urban rules dictate that there must be a winner, so the match can even spill out into "Sudden Death" extra time if the scores remain tied. I'm working on the possibility of penalty shoot-out's too, but that's not quite guaranteed yet...


Any Which Way But Loose

In keeping with the urban concept, there are several variations on the standard "team versus team" format. Not only can you change every little rule that makes up such matches (as in the wrestling games), but you can also select entirely different concepts - such as teams playing in one goal, or several individuals competing against each other. There's even the classic "pass & shoot" format for training purposes! I was hoping to add "headers & volleys" and "S.P.O.T." gimmicks too, but that may prove to be a little too ambitious. Whatever makes it into the final game, you can bet it'll be the most versatile interpretation of the sport that you've ever played...


The Great Outdoors

One of things I'm most pleased about as the game progresses is that the locations have been polished into their more finished forms - boasting background graphics that are as detailed as the pitches themselves. And the variations are starting to emerge too. The grassy woodlands you see above are also joined by a pitch in the mountainous plains, which should lend a more international flavour to the locations. Meanwhile, the beach from Wrecked that started it all has evolved into an official pitch - complete with a couple of makeshift goals made out of logs and vines!


Inside Track

The outdoor locations have even been joined by this, the first indoor pitch. It replaces the rough terrain of the outdoors with a nicely polished hardwood floor and claustrophobic walls. What you can't tell from the shot is that it also boasts the tangled multi-purpose (and multi-coloured) markings that tend to appear in gym halls. And to complete the transition, the goal nets have even been replaced by transparent Perspex glass! The beauty of this game, however, is that it's not just the visuals that change with each location. The feel of the game also changes, since each pitch has its own dimensions. In this case, the playing field is 25% smaller than usual - and makes for a faster (and more claustrophobic) game of football. It also means you have to reassess your ideas about where is and isn't worth shooting from, which forces you to adjust your playing style...


Home & Away

Wherever you play, the locations now enjoy a bit more atmosphere thanks to a crowd surrounding the pitch! It's the same old cardboard cut-out system from previous games (and the same old sounds as well for the time being), but it's still a welcome addition to the action. Until now, the game had been lacking something - but when every twist of fate is met with a crowd reaction, it suddenly brings things to life! The "Face versus Heel" dynamic from the wrestling games even appears in the sense that the crowd support the home side and jeer the visitors...


Dream Team

With the gameplay on safe ground, the characterization should finally come into play soon. An early version of the editor is already fully functional, and looks set to tinker with the display that I've been using for the past 4 years! Instead of placing the character in the middle and surrounding him with options, this game will move things to the side and offer a simplified list of big arcade-style options. The way it works looks set to evolve too, with players deciding "how" they wear a costume rather than "what" they wear. After all, the teams will be required to wear the same coloured top - so all that remains is to decide whether it's a short or long-sleeved version. More details on those options should emerge as the feature takes effect in the weeks to come...


Get A Grip

With the running and kicking in place, it's the goalkeepers that have been giving the game some structure in recent weeks. Since they handle the ball more often than not, it's like programming a whole other game for these 2 vital players! Thankfully, a smooth system is in place to allow them to take the ball in hand, walk around with it, and even place it back down again should tactics require...


Kick & Roll

Even though the keepers are CPU controlled by default, it's down to you once the ball is in hand. You're free to explore the designated area at will, before kicking the ball out of your hands or calmly rolling it to a nearby team-mate. If you're feeling confident, you can even stray outside the area to act like an outfield player - although he'll dutifully drop the ball to his feet to avoid any accusations of handball...


Super Keeper

Simply picking up the ball may get you through a friendly kick around, but a keeper needs to get airborne to keep a clean sheet in the heat of match! Every conceivable dive has been worked into the game to ensure that they have an answer for every shot. That amounts to some 10 unique animations - which cover every angle at every height. And they were even harder to program than they were to draw! The ball could be going anywhere at any speed, and some serious AI is required to monitor the action and execute the right move at the right time. After a worrying start, I eventually managed to fine-tune a system that's satisfyingly hard to beat. This perfect athlete can then be toned down to clumsier settings according to the difficulty level...


Using Your Head

It's not just the keepers that can get airborne either! Work has begun on accompanying the standard kicks with headers and volleys that can reach the ball wherever it may be. By simply pressing any command when the ball is out of reach, you launch into the most appropriate move - in this case a diving header for distant balls, and a vertical variation for high crosses. They work quite smoothly if you're fortunate enough to make contact. As in real life, the only problem is that it's hard to exact any accuracy on such wild moves...


Grass Roots
Latest

In addition to the keepers, the enforcement of rules has also helped to make Grass Roots a more structured experience. Whenever the ball spills off the pitch, the game correctly identifies either a goal kick, corner kick, thrown-in, or of course a "goal" itself! A whistle blows, and the nearest player concerned then trots over to the ball to return it to the appropriate position. In the case of throw-in's, that involves yet another range of alternative animations for holding the ball behind the head and tossing it in the chosen direction. The process is so alien to everything else that I actually considered dropping it altogether, but I'm pleased to say that I've emerged with a perfectly smooth system. That said, it may not appear in all matches - because the more unconventional locations may not have such clearly defined pitches...


Body Language

As in real life, the absence of an official referee in these impromptu matches means that the players have to police themselves. Whenever a rule comes into question, the victimized team point it out in earnest while the perpetrators shrug their shoulders in protest! In the end, mob mentality ensures that justice is done. It's one of many tiny details that give the game it's own personality. There can even bickering once the decision has been made. Whenever an opposing player is too close to the ball before it has been released, the designated kicker will refuse to proceed - communicating as much by shooing you away!


No Pain, No Gain

This attention to detail also seeps into the health system - with players demonstrating varying degrees of tiredness in their stance, ranging from hands on hips to full-blown exhaustion! Each player has an unseen health value that slowly deteriorates as they exert themselves - and it begins to have an effect on their performance over time. As with the wrestling games, it's even possible to be injured after a particularly bad challenge. In those cases, exhaustion is the least of their concerns - as they hobble around the pitch praying for the match to end! Even a healthy player can show signs of wear and tear thanks to the return of the scarring system. Whenever a player falls to the floor (whether by foul or voluntary dive), their body is littered with varying degrees of damage - which, in this game, amounts to little more than messy clothes...


Map Quest

As the gameplay progresses, the presentation also continues to advance. In addition to control indicators for the current player, the ball itself has its own displays to help you make sense of the action. If your character ever finds himself off-camera, a discreet arrow will point to his current location - allowing you to orientate yourself while you move closer...


World War 3

The true scale of the game is hinted at by this, the most ambitious graphic that my work has ever required! As with Wrestling Encore, playing the sport in question is just the tip of the iceberg - as you embark on a unique journey step by step. Starting from your homeland, you can choose to visit any neighbouring territory - but only a victory on the playing field will allow you to pass through. And so begins a Risk-style strategy game, where you thread your own story across 20 separate territories throughout the 6 civilized continents. For the sake of the game, it's a very simplified piece of geography - with many smaller nations clustered under one big representative - but it was still a bitch to put together. If you ever want to improve your knowledge of geography, try drawing the world! It hasn't been fully implemented at this early stage, but it's ready and waiting for when the game gets serious...


Box Art

Speaking of presentation, the menu system has also started to emerge. The off-pitch screens look set to use a grassy background, with big arcade style boxes showing your options in various shades of green, yellow, and brown. Naturally, there's also a ball icon to draw your focus to the option in question. We also have a brand new theme tune to resonate in the background of these screens. It's one of my best compositions yet - and even features a smattering of female vocals. Unfortunately, that makes it sound more like a Bond theme than anything to do with sport - so it's not entirely appropriate! It may hint at the more character-driven side of things though...


Back To Basics

Well, that "never before" bit was true when my idea was first conceived way back in 2002. An ill-fated project by the name of Park Life intended to take sport out of the stadiums and back to the streets that we can all relate to. Since then, EA Sports have stepped in with several entries to their FIFA Street franchise - which brings the concept to life in photo-realistic fashion. Not to worry though! When it comes to knocking out Goliaths, David and I have a few things in common: we use the little differences to make a big impact, and that's exactly what's in store for this game. While FIFA Street holds down the arcade crown, I'll be introducing the character-driven RPG elements that made my wrestling games so popular. Operating under the more self-explanatory (and less copyright infringing) title of "Grass Roots", this game will follow the exploits of a 5-a-side team as they travel the world using sport as their currency - and their language...


Fancy Footwork

The promised RPG elements will follow at a much later date. At this early stage, my only concern is creating some solid gameplay on which to build that narrative. After just a couple of weeks in development, I'm pleased to say that I've stumbled across an intuitive system that's more playable than most. Fans of Sensible Soccer will be interested to know that it tries to recreate that game's sense of control (or lack of it!). Instead of gluing the ball to your feet at all times, this game makes dribbling a skill in itself - as you seek to control a ball that reacts to your every move. As in real life, it can veer away from you at any time (depending on the character's skill) - and you either adapt or lose possession. It's not as hostile as it sounds, because there is plenty of assistance to help you keep possession during sensible play. In fact, it's very much a benefit that ensures you feel in control of the action at all times...


My Left Foot

I was hoping to continue that sense of control in the kicks themselves, but a satisfying experience has to win out over realism. If you had to engineer every kick of the ball with the precision of a physicist, the sport would soon lose its instinctive appeal! The compromise is that the game lets you pass and lob as your commands dictate, but shooting invokes a little more help to keep you on target. Regardless of which direction you're facing, the player quickly turns to the most sensible goal-scoring angle before releasing the ball. It's actually a neat piece of programming that I'm tremendously proud of! It'll certainly come in handy later when we need the CPU to play properly. Other than that, you do have supreme control over your kicks. Holding the button down invites more power (much like when throwing things in the wrestling games), while holding a direction adds various amounts of curve. And another nice touch is that there are both left and right footed variations of each kick, so the game can identify and use the most appropriate leg...


Nice Tackle

In addition to those basic kicks for when you have possession, there are also tackling commands to help you TAKE possession! A beautifully animated sliding tackle has got the ball rolling (so to speak), and is soon to be joined by a more subtle standing tackle. As with dribbling, these tackles have very real effects on the ball. Sometimes it gets snugly trapped in your possession, while at others it may be knocked out of everybody's control - leaving you with the mere "chance" to regain it. No tackle goes unfelt by the victim though - who stumbles rather satisfyingly whenever you get under his feet! He may even fall head over heels when fouls are brought into play. In any case, these aggressive measures aren't always necessary. The free-wheeling nature of the game means that you can often take possession by simply intercepting a player's movements...


Man Of The Match

Before you get to administer any of the above actions, you do of course need to assume control of a member of your team. At the moment, this is done automatically by identifying the closest to the ball - but there may be a manual option for when that doesn't fit into your plans. Either way, the character in question is then clearly indicated by an overhead label and a circular symbol underfoot (which lights up when the ball is firmly in possession). Of course, this assumes you'll actually want to control the guy in possession of the ball? As with the wrestling games, there should be an option to control a specific character - which would offer the genuine feeling of being a cog in the machine...


Any Which Way But Loose

Speaking of control, this game has already produced a breakthrough in that department. The game is designed to be played from a sideways perspective, but it's possible to select a top-down variation - which rearranges the directional controls accordingly! Whereas the exotic camera angles in the wrestling games left you struggling to play, here they're completely natural. That literally means you can choose the classic gaming perspective that appeals to you. I had assumed that would be tremendously difficult to program, but it couldn't be easier. The computer simply changes the way it interprets your commands, and everything proceeds as normal...


Escape To Victory

Making the computer play the sport is a little more complicated, and it's something that I'm dreading as the game develops. That said, I've already got the basics down. The nearest opposing player chases for possession, while the others adopt either an offensive or defensive formation. That produces a fairly functional (if uninspiring) game of soccer. Formations look set to play a major part in the game, so it may be down to you at the end of day. Although there are only 5 players on each side, you'll be able to dictate exactly where each one aims to be in both offensive and defensive situations. Between the two options, you should be able to paint your own team tactics - ensuring that your decisions off the pitch are just as important as those on it...


Fever Pitch

These preliminary developments are taking place in the safety of a standard Astroturf pitch. However, the game's 5-a-side nature means that even the most recognizable locations must be adjusted accordingly. A match involving half the standard number of players needs to take place on a pitch that's half as big, so some things may appear to be a little out of proportion! That hasn't stopped me from injecting as much detail into the pitches as possible though. A massive 3'000 x 3'000 pixel texture has been drawn up to offer all the chalk lines of a real pitch without compromising on quality. That said, it's not even confirmed that the pitch dimensions will be honoured. Rather than official matches, this game consists of "no holds barred" kick-around's where the only rule is to win! That being the case, it's unlikely that throw-in's and spot kicks will receive the respect they're accustomed to...


Away Matches

Indeed, most of the matches in this game won't even take place on a real pitch! The title, "Grass Roots", refers to the makeshift venues where all novice players hone their skills. The action promises to spill off the official pitches and onto sprawling beaches, fields, and streets. In fact, the first week of the game's production was spent on the south coast of Wrecked's desert island! A major breakthrough is that the action will take place on irregular terrain, which is no small feat. I had assumed that would be too ambitious, but some impressive programming has ensured both player and ball are at home in any environment. Not only does the ball roll along the given terrain realistically, but it also rebounds off the scenery when it meets resistance! In addition to the fantastic ball physics that were already in place, that makes for a very satisfying experience...


You've Been Framed

The most significant development is the hardest to illustrate. Grass Roots is my first ever 3D game to run at a swift 60 frames per second - as opposed to the 30 frames per second that Wrestling Encore and co were lumbered with! That basically means that this game has TWICE as many resources to work with - displaying the animations with twice as many frames, and executing the world physics with twice as much precision. The benefits aren't actually that noticeable to the untrained eye, but you can rest assured that the bar has been raised a notch. Critics of the slow, floaty feel of previous games will be pleased to know that it'll soon be confined to the history books! The only drawback is that it puts twice as much strain on your computer - but given that my games are low maintenance as standard, that shouldn't be a problem. I can still run all 10 characters onscreen without a shred of slowdown in the absolute highest resolution, so any half-decent computer should sail through the default 800x600 setting. I can't guarantee that it'll be the best soccer game you've ever played, but it'll certainly perform the best...

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