Captain If Ace (Free Command Soccer) Introduction and Review

This is an article introducing "Captain If Ace," a game made with RPG Maker 2003 that was unveiled at "VIPRPG Kohaku 2024."
This is a soccer battle game that requires very little action, relying instead on strategy, tactics, and luck.
This film is a legitimate evolution of the previously released "Captain What If".

There are various ways to enjoy the game, such as a scenario mode where you compete with a limited number of members, and a roguelike mode where you have to cleverly manage randomly added members.

There isn't a definitive ending, but I'm writing this article after playing for a total of about 20 hours.
I have already completed Story Mode and Tournament Mode.

Game Overview

First of all, when you hear the term "soccer game," you might think of it as a sports game that requires skillful actions.
However, this game requires almost no action skills, and it's easier to imagine it as a simulation RPG with battles between 11 players on each side.
(Note: There are times when you will need to control the game in real time, but only at specific moments during defense.)

To get the ball into the opponent's goal more often, we select the players, decide on a formation, and place the optimal number of players in each position.
You'll decide on roles such as DF (Defender) who prevents the enemy from attacking, MF (Midfielder) who is versatile in defense, ball carrying, and attacking, and FW (Forward) who aims to score the enemy's goal.

This is practically the same as preparing for war.
We will prepare by considering specific strategies, such as who will target the enemy general, who will draw their attention, and who will defend against them.
Some players might opt for an aggressive strategy, imposing their preferred attack patterns, while others might adopt a strategy that adapts to the enemy's movements.
Another possible strategy is to adopt a defensive formation to withstand the enemy's attack, and then launch a swift counter-attack.
Conversely, another strategy might be to completely disregard defense and focus on attacking the goal with a large number of players.

In any case, it's a simple game where the team that scores one more point than the opponent wins.
Preparing in advance to ensure your tactics are effective is a crucial point.

Let's take a look at the actual flow of the match.
You control a character holding a ball, moving it using the directional keys to carry it.
If you do not perform any actions at this time, time will not pass.
Each time you take a step forward, the overall timeline advances.
You can take your time to think carefully about how to move the ball.

Players can view the field situation from directly above.
The ball icon shows the current ball position, the white numbers represent your teammates, and the opposing goal is always on the right (in real soccer, the positions switch between first and second halves).

To score a goal, you need to shoot from near the goal, so deciding which route to take to get closer to the opponent's goal is crucial.
Immediately after kickoff, both teams have solid formations, so there's little open space on the field, making it difficult to create routes to the goal.
Therefore, we will try to create gaps in the enemy's defensive line by passing the ball around among our teammates.

The image above shows a situation where the ball is being passed between opponents and kept in possession near the center (where the ball is marked).
Next, pass to number 7, then dribble towards the opponent's goal on the right and try to cut in.
By the way, there is no offside rule.

Besides passing, there are various other attacking methods, such as one-two passes (moving forward together) that can be used when a teammate is nearby, and dribbling to try and break through on your own.
However, in all cases, the opponent will interfere if they are nearby, and there will be a success/failure judgment, so it is important to pass the ball around as quickly as possible before the opponent gets close.

As number 7 moves to the right, his teammate number 9 also runs alongside him towards the finish line.
Here, with no opposing players marking him, number 9 is free, so we'll make a cross (pass the ball from the edge of the field towards the goal in the center) and aim for a goal.

When the ball is passed to number 9 in front of the goal, the opposing goalkeeper will try to block the shot.
At this time, if there are other enemies nearby, they will interfere with you in equal numbers, making it harder to score.
Therefore, when aiming for a goal, it is important to create a situation where there are no opponents around.

Here, we're in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper, so let's select "Shoot" and try to score a goal.
Depending on the situation, you can choose to "through" the ball, passing it to a teammate behind you, and then aim for a free shot at the wide-open goal.

Depending on the character, special moves can be used under specific circumstances.
In attack, this would be when receiving a high ball in a cross in front of the goal, or when receiving a low ball, etc. In defense, it would be when trying to stop an opponent who is dribbling.
While special moves are powerful, they consume a significant amount of Guts (similar to stamina), so it's best to use them at crucial moments.

After this, the opposing goalkeeper will either jump to block the shot or use a special move to defend the goal.
You can only score after you've managed to get past those defenses.
It's incredibly satisfying to slip past the opponent's defense and smash the ball into the wide-open goal.

The general flow of events leading up to a score is roughly as follows.
Next, I will discuss defense.

When the opponent has the ball, we can move freely and defend.
The yellow character is the playable character, so use the directional keys to make appropriate movements and interrupt enemy attacks.
During this time, everything is in real time, so be aware that other characters will continue to move even if you do nothing.
You can switch between playable characters using button controls, but usually the game automatically assigns you to the most suitable character, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

When you make contact with an opponent who has the ball, you can input defensive commands.
This includes techniques like cuts, which are effective for passing and shooting, and tackles and duels, which are effective for dribbling.
Predict the enemy's actions and decide what defensive action to take.

If multiple teammates can make contact, one can tackle in preparation for a dribble, while another can intercept in preparation for a pass.
When defending, it becomes easier to win the ball back if multiple players are involved.

I chose to cut, and just as I predicted, the opponent passed the ball.
However, even if your prediction is correct, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to win the ball back.
The success rate will vary depending on factors such as the opponent's passing ability and our own interception ability.
In the above scenario, since the pass lost momentum, if another player had intercepted it, they could have won the ball.

If there are teammates in the path of a pass or near the person the pass is going to, everyone will try to intercept the ball, so positioning yourself to block the pass makes it easier to win the ball back.

Roughly speaking, the defense proceeds in this manner.

Once you steal the ball from the opponent, it's your turn to attack.
By using the team command "Everyone advance," you can send your teammates who have retreated to defend their own half towards the opponent's goal, creating an attacking opportunity to counterattack.
If you want to attack cautiously, it's best to avoid using team commands and instead focus on building up your formation through reliable passing.
This area allows for customization based on the player's preferences.

The goal is to score as many points as possible within the time limit by continuously repeating this seamless offensive and defensive strategy.
Even if you lose, you'll gain experience points, and leveling up will increase your team members' abilities.
Depending on the game mode, I think you can eventually win if you keep trying.

Next is a brief introduction to the game modes.

First up is Story Mode.
The game is designed to help you gradually get used to it.
While the team members remain largely fixed as the story progresses, the degree of freedom increases towards the end, allowing you to incorporate members from defeated opposing teams, for example.
You should start by playing this one.

Legacy Mode includes the story mode from the previous game.
This is a prequel to the story mode, but you don't need to play it beforehand.
If you're interested, you might want to try playing it as one of the story modes.

There are three bonus modes to choose from.

Tournament mode is a mode where you select three initial members and fight against random opponents to win your way through the tournament.
When you win, you earn money, which you can use to hire new members or buy items to strengthen your team.
Even if you lose, you can gain experience points and try again.
Since opponents and shop inventory are random, you can enjoy a relaxed roguelike gameplay experience.

Factory Mode is a mode where both your initial team members and your opponent's team are randomly generated.
After winning, you can swap three members with the opposing team, but the members that are added are random, so luck plays a big role.
Since there's no stamina recovery after matches, this can be considered a more challenging tournament mode.

Adventure Mode is a mode where you strengthen your team by alternating between match parts and adventure parts.
The adventure part feels like a typical RPG, but there's a sense of tension because once a character is defeated, they can never be revived.
This mode has plenty of events and lots of replayability.

Finally, we have Edit Mode.
You can edit original players and special moves, and even create your own story mode.
If you're a player whose creative spirit has been piqued, why not try creating something and distributing the data?

Below, I will post the publicly available edit stories.
The fun part of Edit Story is having to make use of members you don't normally use.

Edit Story *Updated whenever found

Ice-san's Soccer Understanding Festival [Author: 89 (Reminiscence)]

With a strong team from the start, you can fight with a certain degree of confidence.
However, the final match is extremely difficult, making it clear that the previous matches were merely warm-ups.

In the final match, we replaced our starting players, whose fighting spirit had run out, with reserves, and ultimately won through an all-out effort.
With a one-goal lead near the end of the second half, Neo Alex unleashed a shot to tie the game, but Dullahan miraculously countered it with a goal to score and seal the victory.

Force Force! [Author: Asohaya]

I chose Donna because durability was the most important factor for me.
However, their tactics were far from solid; they played an aggressive, attacking style of football, and somehow managed to secure the win.
The final match was tough, but Morisaki made a series of incredible saves, allowing us to somehow get out of the jam and secure the win.
The final match, where all four leaders gather together, is really exciting, isn't it?
(Like Knight Gundam Story 2)

Super What If Sisters [Author: Asohaya]

I experimented with various formations from the initial setup, and ultimately fought through the match using my personal favorite, the V-formation.
We've placed strong players in the crucial center position, which involves both the left and right sides of the field.

Chikuwa Daimyojin can often score by placing two or more players in front of the goal, passing to the first player, letting them through, and then shooting.
Shiozawa's younger sister is a strong player in the penultimate match, so we made sure to mark her with three midfielders and thoroughly prevent her from passing the ball around.

Dora Dora Dora RPG Extra Chapter [Author: Amaten Ebi]

Since there were relatively few named members, I didn't have any trouble deciding on a lineup.
Since everyone except Hokkai has a special shot, it would be a good idea to use Dragonas, Sukadra, Nasun, and Dragon as forwards to aim for goals.
Since the opponent also has relatively few named members, their strengths are limited.
It's best to ignore your opponent and focus on your strengths, which are your offense, as you go on the offensive.

thoughts

I was very engrossed in it and had a lot of fun playing.
I'm not familiar with the Captain Tsubasa game that's supposedly the source material, but I really liked Blitzball in FF10, so I was happy to be able to play it so extensively.

I had never played a soccer game before, but this game doesn't require strong action-oriented controls, so I was able to get into it easily.
I think there are similarities between this game and SRPGs (Strategic Role-Playing Games), particularly in how you plan your attack against the opponent's formation at kickoff.

I now understand the importance of making quick passes and dribbling into open spaces, as being surrounded by an opponent hinders your actions.
I think there are some similarities to real-life soccer matches in this area, so I feel like I'll be able to watch them with more interest in the future (I'm just a casual fan who only watches during the World Cup).

After somehow managing to defend our own goal, I sent a long pass forward and smashed the ball into the wide-open opponent's goal with my special move. It felt like I had seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I was filled with great excitement and a sense of accomplishment.

Once our scoring patterns become somewhat established, the battle becomes about how to bring the game into those patterns, and there is a tendency for our attacks to become repetitive.
However, I believe a truly strong team is one that can impose its scoring patterns on any opponent.
Therefore, if you can create a team that can consistently win using a single, predictable strategy, it can be considered a kind of perfected form.

Modes with a large random element, such as tournament mode, offer a different kind of fun and enjoyment, as you have to manage your forces to win your way through.
As you replace generic members (like slimes) with named members, and your personnel increase from the initial shortage of manpower to a level where you can consider placement, team composition becomes more interesting.

I didn't play Adventure Mode much because the RPG part was a bit too difficult, and losing your character meant losing them permanently.

I've written about a lot of things, but I think this is a work that can be enjoyed even by people who aren't particularly interested in soccer.
It's difficult to just blindly push through, but I think this is a game that people who enjoy gradually solidifying their own tactics will get hooked on.