Master League Mode

From Pro Evolution Soccer - Wiki on Neoseeker

In the Master League, you create and manage your own team with the aim of becoming the strongest team in the league. There are four leagues, each split into Division 1 (20 teams) and Division 2 (20 teams), and you compete against computer teams in a round-robin tournament. Teams are promoted or relegated depending on their results, and high performance teams are invited to take part in big tournaments. The Master League never ends. You can keep playing until your team gets to the level your ambition drives it to. There are 3 choices when you go into the mode, pick Master League Default Players, Match Mode Players or Create Original Team.

The default Master League screen on PES 2008

You get Game Over under the following conditions:

The team's points fall below zero.

The number of players in your team falls to 15 or below.

Development

Development is regarded by many as one of the most enjoyable parts of the Master League, but it is optional. Players gain experience with every match they appear in, and with the training they do off-season. When a player's experience reaches 100%, their ability level will increase. The parameters of players who have aged and past their peak will start to decline. When players reach retirement age, they will make an announcement mid-season. When the season ends, the player will be removed from the roster. After a player has retired, they will be 'reborn' as a new player, and will be available to sign the season following their retirement from the "Newcomers" section in Negotiations.

Popularity

An example of a team's popularity rising on PES 2008

One of the newer features of the Master League is popularity. Players and teams are all allocated a particular letter which represents their popularity, from no popularity at all through D, C, B, A and eventually S. The user can improve their team's popularity by winning (and sometimes drawing) matches. Similarly, popularity can fall when a team loses matches. The higher a teams popularity is, the harder it is to progress to the next level. The higher a team's popularity is, the easier it is to sign higher-profile players.

Squads

In Master League, a full and capable squad is often needed to compete as a rotation policy needs to be implemented. This is necessary because of the easily diminished stamina of your players. Some people have criticized this system because of its departure from realism, in that players can play every game of a season and suffer no ill-effects. Others have welcomed it as an incentive to try new formations and combinations of players. Members of your squad also get called up for International Duty throughout the season. Usually only members of one or two nationalities are called up at a time and will return back to your squad after one week.

Money

In Pro Evolution Soccer you get money or as its called PES points. With PES points you can spend on buying players or gain by selling your player if at a certain point during the Master League you don't have enough PES points the game will end.

Criticism

Although Master League mode is said to be the best part of PES it has remained virtually unchanged since PES 4, some find there are still many let downs in the ML mode:

Many fans are sick of the deja vu

• You cannot swap between teams; Once you choose your team, you cannot leave and manage another team - Unlike 'Manager Mode' in FIFA.
• The currency is fictional.
• Some players such as Aguero and Benzema are almost impossible to sign even in the easiest Master League level.
• Transfer system still not as authentic as FIFA's.
• Master League's version of the Champions League is unlicensed despite the Champions League mode being licensed.
• You can't build a team from scratch now and you only have 1000 when using a custom team.
• Lack of lower league teams make promotions less interesting.

Changes in PES 2010

It has been announced that the Master League mode in PES 2010 will receive an overhaul. The UEFA Champions League and the newly licensed Europa League will be integrated into the Master League. The participation to the European competitions will also lure the strongest player to join your team, and transfer contracts and dealings will be now more complete with the management operations that will be in real currency. Scouts have been added who deal with the negotiations on behalf of the user and players can only be signed if they play for a club (this rules out players who play for their national team only too).

The real currency will replace the highly criticised PES points system that had been in place.

The Master League in PES 2010

Although the new Master League in PES2010 has been given an overhaul, some mistakes are still in place. For example, you are unable to sign a player who is not affiliated into a club before starting a Master League. For example David Beckham, who is a member of the England national team but not a member of a club.

Useful links

• Master League Default Players
• Master League Youths
• Recommended Players

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