PES 2021 eSim REALISTIC Gameplay Mod

The “eSim” REALISTIC Gameplay Mod for PES 2021 2.0 by tufkar84 is a tweaked dt18 file.

I am sharing not only the dt18, but also the common folder for those who use the Gameplay Loader.

The MAIN goal of the mod is to basically make the gameplay even more a simulation, getting rid of arcady stuff like PERFECT accuracy or DEEP LINES that make the game easier and funnier for some people, but not people like me. I want the closest possible thing to a football match: very tight, very slow, but with bursts, since we are talking about TOP athletes.

1) having a more compact shape:
Width has been lowered, defensive line has been raised, but not all the time.

2) slowing off the ball players:
I have changed a few values that seem to have an impact on this, but the effect on the gameplay really changes from game to game and from team to team, so not easy to be sure about this.

3) adding unpredictability:
Pass accuracy has been reduced indirectly, and this adds to more random situations. I have achieved this not by lowering pass accuracy, but by raising the pass interception rate to max (now defenders will ALWAYS put their leg out, so lots of deflections, rebounds, interceptions); and also by lowering the ball control to minimum (this will not affect dribbling, just trapping the ball: now players trap the ball with less accuracy, sometimes it takes 2-3 touches, leading to lots of loose balls or missed chances; players will also always prefer their strong foot)

4) physicality:
Defenders will now push more, tackle more, slide more, press more, dribble more. Goalkeepers will be more aggressive too and be more ready to come and get the ball

So here are versions 1.0 and 1.0 LITE:
https://sharemods.com/op5n2jr475w0/eSim_1.0_LITE.zip.html
https://sharemods.com/8zbjp611czel/eSim_1.0.zip.html

CHANGELOG
I tweaked ball physics: heavier (but very much alive), less useless bounces on ground passes, rolls a tiny bit longer, a bit more bounce in other situations, less balloon-like high balls, slightly more powerful shots to counter the added “weight”. All in all, I think it’s a much more realistic ball, and one that allows BRAND NEW situations, and unpredictability, which I love.
I have also made the ball control a bit better, but not too much to stay true to my idea.
Other minor tweaks

But the BIG news is that I have edited the database to have ALL teams play higher and more compact, press more aggressively, play the offside trap and stay close to the ball (short support), and turned all goalkeepers into aggressive goalkeepers (not possible for VirtuaRed).

A GAME CHANGER.

EvoWeb: https://sharemods.com/3ctz1762vd84/EDIT00000000.html
VirtuaRed: https://sharemods.com/wrjzxuidnq7c/EDIT00000000.html
SmokePatch : https://sharemods.com/tchlvhxwrg7z/EDIT00000000.html
DreamPatch 2021: https://sharemods.com/7h9t7jq7h2ym/EDIT00000000.html
Pes2020: https://sharemods.com/ppdqg02lroqc/EDIT00000000.html

These are default Edit Files for these patches, with my personal tactical changes, nothing else.

1.0 LITE, TOP PLAYER, speed 0, pass assist 1

VERSION 0.4
https://sharemods.com/2oorumb72rgv/eSim_0.4.zip.html
0.4 Changelog: lines’ width is now more compact, and ball is a bit heavier, allowing for a slower tempo for the games. Other adjustments.

VERSION 0.4 LITE:
https://sharemods.com/m8nl48fe9u5k/eSim_0.4_LITE.zip.html
0.4 LITE Changelog: fixed (for what I have tested) the goal/kicklow free kick positioning bug by making lines less compressed vertically compared to full 0.4 version. Defensive Line and Midfield Line are halfway between default lines and 0.4 lines. EVERYTHING else is the same as 0.4. It did not call it 0.5 or 0.4FIX because this version goes against the goal of the mod, which is to make lines as compressed as possible. But I have found that it’s the version I’m currently playing because I can’t stand bugs, and because I am testing editiing the database to compress the field with good results.

OLDER VERSIONS (0.1-0.3)
https://sharemods.com/2h2c50ys45fr/eSim.zip.html

Includes previous versions too.

Version 0.3
I worked mainly on Levels.
Levels on PES are deducted from the point where Konami got with its AI. So, let’s say Konami got to 70/100. In order to beat human players that are better than that, they will boost stats and team spirit of the CPU, as well as nerf human player’s stats. This is basically what Legend and to an extent even SuperStar is.

The best balanced level is Top Player, where I think you can see the most honest effort from Konami’s AI without boosting or nerfing anything. The point is that it’s too easy for most people.

But Konami also NERFS its own AI to make lower levels easier. And this includes Top Player.

So, in my latest version, I tried to SET LEVELS FREE. No penalizations for any level, just Konami’s AI. (Of course, not all values are in the dt18, and scripting and stat boosting can’t be removed in the dt18…)

This means Top Player and Superstar will be smarter and play more like Legend. OF COURSE, up to a limit…

There is ONE exception: after some testing, since ALL levels were playing too fast and too direct, I have tweaked a few values for them to play slower.

Everything else is just corrections on my second version (0.2)

————————————————-

I am also sharing my findings on what changes what in the dt18, limited of course to what I was trying to achieve.

The MAIN goal of the mod is to basically make the gameplay even more a simulation, getting rid of arcady stuff like PERFECT accuracy or DEEP LINES that make the game easier and funnier for some people, but not people like me. I want the closest possible thing to a football match: very tight, very slow, but with bursts, since we are talking about TOP athletes.

1) having a more compact shape: PARTIALLY DONE, WIP
Width has been lowered, defensive line has been raised, but not all the time.

2) slowing off the ball players: PARTIALLY DONE, WIP
I have changed a few values that seem to have an impact on this, but the effect on the gameplay really changes from game to game and from team to team, so not easy to be sure about this.

3) adding unpredictability: DONE
Pass accuracy has been reduced indirectly, and this adds to more random situations. I have achieved this not by lowering pass accuracy, but by raising the pass interception rate to max (now defenders will ALWAYS put their leg out, so lots of deflections, rebounds, interceptions); and also by lowering the ball control to minimum (this will not affect dribbling, just trapping the ball: now players trap the ball with less accuracy, sometimes it takes 2-3 touches, leading to lots of loose balls or missed chances; players will also always prefer their strong foot)

4) physicality: DONE
Defenders will now push more, tackle more, slide more, press more, dribble more. Goalkeepers will be more aggressive too and be more ready to come and get the ball

HOW I’ve done this. This is very important for me, because most people share a mod and don’t say what they have done, leaving everyone interested to guess, and to start from scratch. I want the opposite. I would love EVERYONE to contribute and for the TEAM to understand how to edit things at will. Then everybody can have his own mod.

Constant Match bin, User Play Tendency Test:
Dribble: raise for the CPU to dribble more
One Touch Play: reduce to reduce tiki-taka style possession
Set Play Goal: reduce to reduce accuracy on free kicks
Sliding: raise for the CPU to do more slide tackles
Tackle: raise for the CPU to do more standing tackles
Intercept: higher values introduce more interceptions and unpredictability
Offside trap: SHOULD make CPU teams use offise trap more, but I didn’t have great results…
Middle Shoot: raise so CPU shoots more from distance

Constant Player bin, Trap.o
Ball control Rate: lower for bad controls
Ball control weak foot: lower so players use their strong foot more and make more mistakes with weak foot

Constant Player bin, Gk.o
Base Pos Rate Classical GK: raise to make them more aggressive (I multiplied x3)
Base Pos Rate Offensive GK: raise to make them more aggressive (I multiplied x3)

Constant Team bin, Base Position
Press Rate: raise for more pressing

Now, the hard part.

Slowing off the ball players down:
I have had good results in Constant Team bin, Diagonal Run, Move KPH Min: 1 (default is 9). Lower than 1 and I haven’t seen a difference… If this really is kilometers per hour, minimum 9 means that in these specific situations, all players will be forced to RUN, and I want them to WALK instead.
Another field is Constant Team bin, Base Position, Force Jog Dist and Force Walk Dist, 2,4 and 1,2 by default and I put them at 12 and 24.
There are MANY other lines that might affect this. Everytime you see WALK, JOG, RUN and DASH. I haven’t tested them all.
You can find them in Constant Team bin, Base Position; Constant Team bin, Support; Constant Team bin, defence; Constant Team bin, defence cover; Constant Team bin, defence mark

Width.
This is expressed as Width or Z
This is actually pretty easy. Constant Team bin, Base Position, Min Width and Min Width Defensive. Lower them by a couple of units and you can see a BIG difference.
I suspect also DF Group Rate and MF Group Rate have the same effect. If you put them to 1, you should see players only playing in the center line of the field…

Length.
This is expressed as X (it took me weeks to realize)
Here is HELL for PES modders.
In Constant Team bin, Base Position and all other folders, there are MANY values that SHOULD affect this. The main problem is that MOST of these only work in SOME situations. Like Goal kick, free kick, throw in. SOME work SOME of the time. But there are still MANY situations where things revert to default.

There is no such thing as Min Length, or Base X DF. If there was, it’d have been easy. No.
Very likely to have an impact:
DF Line
DF Line Adj Max
DF Line Back
DF Line Center Adj Max
DF Line Center Adj Min

I tried -99 -49 0 1 10 20 49 99. It is not clear what are the min max values and where is the midfield line

Length DF
Length DF Retreat
Length DF Super Retreat
Length OF
You might think that lower values mean shorter defense. And maybe it’s like that. So I like 1 here. But ANY value could work, as explained above.

You have also all the Adjust lines, that affect the lines above and more. I like to put them to 0, because they fuck with base parameters, but I have tested several values here as well, same story. Some values seem to work better, but no value is the ONE.

There is also Xposi Rate Custom, at the end. On/off. Off by default. My guess is that you have to put it on ON to edit the length. But it’s a guess.

In Constant Team bin, Defence Mark, there is something interesting: Target Last Dist for Gap and Target Play Dist For LineUp. I put them from 30 and 20 to 3 and 2. And it seems to have an impact. But again, not every time, not with every team.

Might have an impact:
Any voice in Constant Team bin, Base position; Constant Team bin, Support; Constant Team bin, defence; Constant Team bin, defence cover; Constant Team bin, defence mark that mentions X, Dist, Lineup, Offside, Gap… They are so many, and believe me, I have tested almost all of them… But haven’t find any magic value unfortunately.

Possible Workarounds:
One think I tought, was that if I couldn’t set the defensive line so high, maybe I could find other ways to get the same result. For example, not having the FW attack the space so much (Constant Team bin, Base position, Adjust FW line?) but this means they will not press either…

Also, I tried to tell ALL players to mark a player IN FRONT of them, no matter the distance (Constant Team bin, Defence Cover and Defence Mark, everywhere you see Mark X, Mark X Limit, Mark Front X limit…). This does seem to get you more pressing, and maybe push the team a bit forward, but teams lose their shape a bit too much… and you might see weird behaviors like MF marking a DF, but the FW at midfield…

Constant Team bin, Base position, Space Cover Rate and Adj Space Cover Rate.
This is important. 0 and players stay more true to the tactical shape, but leave LOTS of space between the lines. 1, and they will be more COMPACT, but the countereffect is that the gameplay will feel faster and more chaotic.

Constant Team bin, Base position, Support
This might be interesting. I have set most values to 1 here, but I’m not sure if it made things better for me, since there were already MANY values altered everywhere else to notice…
Base X dist MAX seemed like the holy grail to me… but ended up making no real difference, from what I see. But it’s worth testing a lot more here, everywhere we have X and Dist.

And I think that’s pretty much it…

Weeks of testing, written down in a very confusing way I’m sure… but I hope you will
1) like my mod
2) test yourself with different values and new parameters

Because the focus here is to reach a common goal.

I will keep testing myself, and probalby share weekly updates. But I feel like I’ve hit a wall, both in terms of my head exploding from modding more than playing, and in terms of not being able to make new discoveries from my current perspective. New eyes are needed and welcome. Credits: tufkar84.

New Update 30/05:

Mod Set: https://sharemods.com/b1152vlso7o0/eSim_2.0_mod_set.zip.html
Edited Database: EvoWeb 5.0 DP6: https://sharemods.com/bwt80vsm1dva/EDIT00000000.html
EvoWeb 4.0 DP5 https://sharemods.com/vie93vp1e8sl/EDIT00000000.html
SmokePatch EF DP6: https://sharemods.com/ne22fc1np56b/EDIT00000000.html

NEW IN 2.0!!!
Completely revamped ball physics: more roll, more bounce, less floaty effects, less extremely curved balls, more range
Shoulder-to-shoulder speed fights: you can now outpace a defender even shoulder-to-shoulder, since the forward will not stumble when the defender stretches the arm.
Crosses: you can now make decent crosses even while running at high speed, but crosses are “flatter”, so you better use a soft cross in these situations.
New ball control system: players have less control on the ball, allowing for NATURAL mistakes. Players with great ball control really make the difference.
Slighly harder free-kicks: due to the different ball physics, but it’s still pretty easy to adjust to this change and score free kicks, just not every single time.

Tighter lines
Defensive lines playing the offside trap
More Pressing
Weaker weak foot
More fouls
Better defensive readings
More interceptions and 50-50 balls
Slower tempo
Aggressive and improved keepers
More randomness
Difficulty levels are all set free of handicaps, so higher difficulty in general.

Best played with edited Edit Files.

What is changed in the Edit Files?
Highest defensive lines
Defense-Offense distance more compact
Aggressive Pressing
Short distance Support
No switching positions
Aggressive Goalkeepers (when Edit Files are not locked)
Long Range Shot added to all players

EASY INSTALLATION
Choose your version, copy the dt18_all.cpk file inside the folder, go to the eFootball PES 2021/Data folder, paste and overwrite when asked.

ALTERNATIVE ADVANCED INSTALLATION WITH GAMEPLAY LOADER (if you don’t know what Gameplay Loader is, you can just ignore it. To find more about it, go here)
1) Install Gameplay Loader and test it.
2) Choose the eSim versions you want to use, copy the full folder (ex: eSim 2.0) into the eFootball PES 2021/sider/content/gameplay-loader. You can copy as many as you want.
3) Locate the gameplay-mods file in the eFootball PES 2021/sider/content/gameplay-loader folder, open it with a text editor, and add the title of the mod folder you have pasted in a dedicated line. (ex: eSim 2.0)
4) Launch the game via Sider, activate it and scroll until you see the Gameplay Loader module, select the gameplay mod you want to use.

FAQ:

Q: Can I use it without the edited Edit File?
A: Yes, but you lose an important part of the mod, with all features mentioned in the specific section.

Q: Which exe is compatible/should I use?
A: The mod has been made and tested with default Konami exe, what some people call Vanilla exe. It is PERFECTLY compatible with Incas’ Golden Exe. It is PARTIALLY compatible with any modded exe by Holland, or any other modder, although some aspects of the mod (ball physics, difficulty level and more) might not work as exepcted, but you might still love the combo.

Q: What are all the versions in the EXTRA folder?
A: I’m sharing not just the final mod, but the whole process and partial results. 1.0 version is what was previously known as 1.0 LITE. ALPHA versions are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED test versions with different values with ball physics. BETA versions are versions made public and tweaked based on user feedback. Feel free to try them all, and play with the one you like best!

Q: Goalkeepers are too strong/too dumb
A: Version 2.0 has GKs at 0, which means they are LEGENDARY level. I have added a version 2.0 with GK 3 for all levels (3 is SuperStar level).

Q: I like the mod, but I don’t like pressing, or strong defenders, or harder free kicks
A: You might like version 2.0 MINI then. It only has ball physics (but slightly more similar to default), fouls, dribbling, slightly higher defense and slighly more compact lines, general instructions and slightly reviewed crosses and shots.

DONATIONS

Some users have asked how to support my work: I edit because I like the challenge and the reward to have the game exactly as I want it, as close to real football as possible. I’m happy to freely share my mods and my findings as a way to give back to the community that gives everybody free stadiums, turfs, kits, faces, balls, accessories and everything else. If anybody wants to make a donation for me, please donate to UNICEF, WWF or a local charity of your choice. I’d be SUPER happy.

UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/
WWF: https://support.wwf.org.uk/donate-to-wwf