INTRODUCTION

Hi guys, for the uninitiated, this blog, just like the FIFA08 blog, will follow my exploits through PES 2008 and its Manager Mode equivalent, the Master League(ML) mode. Now, for those of you wondering why i'm starting this blog when i already have the FIFA blog, its because of one simple reason : PES is just WWAAAYYY more FUN!!!

Sure FIFA has the licenses, the hundreds of teams, the tens of thousands of players, and infinitely better music but i think its a testament to PES's greatness that its still so popular with just 4 leagues(of which 3 are actually licensed), the EPL, the Dutch Eridivisie, the Fench Ligue 1 and the Spanish Superliga with a small list of extra clubs with only Bayern Munich as a representative of the Bundesliga.

When we first choose the New Master League option, we are presented with three choices :
1. Master League Default Players - Use the basic, fictional PES ML team in the Master League with a real life team. Basically, the same as creating a custom team except you are under the guise of a real team.
2. Exhibition Mode Players - Use the real world teams.
3. Create Custom Team - Use the basic, fictional PES ML team in the Master League and create your own emblem, flag,etc....

For my playing(and your reading) purposes, i'm gonna use Option 2.
I'm gonna choose West Ham United. Now, for the newbies, due to the lack of teams and leagues, the Master League acts like a dumbed down version of real world leagues. Basically there are four leagues and you choose which teams go to which league (No actual EPL or SSL, but you can customise it to get your favorite league up and running). After that, you choose the rest of the teams and yourself in the 2nd division of any of the four leagues you have made. Yup, you cant change clubs or leagues mid-game(or for that matter, anywhere in the game). Or you can just choose to enter the 1st Division but that would be boring and unfulfilling. Each league has space for 20 teams, so totally doing a little math, that comes to 80 1st Division teams, and counting your own 2nd Division League of 20 teams, 100 teams playing simultaneously.

So the Leagues are split like this,
League A (My League) Division 1 gets all the EPL guys but since i'm West Ham and i'm choosing to start from the 2nd Division, Bayern Munich get to play in the EPL as my replacement.
League B, League C and League D have the Italian, Spanish and French League teams respectively.
In my League A DIvision 2 league, the teams i have chosen are, besides myself, Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV from the dutch league, and PES United, WE United, River Plate, Dinamo Kiev, Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Rangers, Celtic, SC International, Benfica, AEK Athens, Olympicus Piraeus and Panathinaikos of the Other Leagues.
Now, after choosing the required teams i proceed to the settings. The settings i've chosen are :
Game Level - Top Player(Hardest Level)
Match Time - 15 Minutes(Full Time)
Ball Type - Random
Master League Level- Very Hard(Hardest)
Player Development - Yes
Transfer Frequency - High
Hidden/Classic Players - Yes
Reset Prevention Feature - No
After making these settings, i confirm them and select autosave on and choose a save slot.