retired_hope

This has been an area of great interest to me and I believe I have identified a severe flaw in FM07 that is the root cause to most of the problems and complaints about this game.

After performing some of the tests identified in the AI Tactical Behaviour thread, it seems that the AI uses a global mentality of 10.

The AI makes heavy use of individual settings such as FWR and RWB to control how offensive defensive they play.

There is a bug that seems to affect managers within the game. After about half a season all the managers playing mentality become very cautious as displayed on their personal page.

The this has the affect that the AI will use increasing defensive tactics against the user as the season goes on.

Notice how after a while all the Scout Reports start to indicate counter attacking defensive formations.

This is not a problem with the scout report, just one of the inputs to the algorithm. Everything in these scout reports is valid.

Also do you notice that sometimes the scout reports are okay again for 1 match. This is because the issue only makes managers more cautious over about half a season. This is a new manager who has not started his decline into cautious oblivion.

I believe this answers a number of common problem that are mentioned on these forums every day.

Reranking can be explained by this issue as to can why tactics begin to fail.

This is not some great new AI that adapts to your tactics it is a flaw with the managers playing mentality.

The AI is pretty simple as we have seen in the other thread. It uses the managers tactical stats to determine how they play. It has defensive and offensive variations to this but these are quite simple.

The AI is quite simple. It looks at form and reputation to calculate how it intents to play against you.

This will be the base manager tactics or in the case of a big difference in the teams odds more offensive or defensive tactics.

This explains how you seem to be able to beat the better teams who have contradictory tactics e.g a VC tactic with offensive additions. Equally we all struggle against the weaker teams with the VC tactics with defensive additions.

I think also this explains the problem with massive shots on goal issue that many people have.

Final point is to other who want to see how the defensive AI works you need to test at least half a season into the game to get what tactic you will be facing week in week out.

retired_barbiej

I have to admit i never tested tactics far into the season( first 10 games max) so would it be possible for you to share your findings with us

retired_spoon30

I totally agree with that flawed scouting issue: It has to be some kind of bug, because suddenly all AI teams start to deploy a "defensive 442" possession style.

retired_B-Scott

In my main game, After 20 seasons playing with Forestm all I see see from the AI is 100% 442 defensive with the 424 sometimes rolled out at the end

retired_FaultyFate

Most non-defensive tactics imply higher closing down. If you have won everything for 5 seasons in a row, have a squad of superior quality, then it would be suicide for AI to play anything but defensive against you.

As for mid-season reranking, it might be an attempt to model real life form fluctuation. For example, if all AI teams are on general trainning settings, then they will suffer from bad form at the same time, which likely happens to be around Xmas. It is logical then for AI to switch to defensive tactic to minimize consequenses. Of course, irl each team has its own cycle and sometimes even avoid bad form at all, but in terms of program code it make sense to have "training-cycle" relationship.

retired_FaultyFate

Btw, 442 defensive posession corresponds closely to 'counter' tactic in wwfan's thread here.

According to his theory this tactic should be used when you are not favorite but have some chances. It could be what AI does if it feels you are better side.

retired_hope

I have Vauxhall in the Championship. However I am still a small team as I have been promoted. My squad is a lower CA and I cannot compete cash or reputation wise. These team should be trying to take me apart and even if they were not they would all be playing defensively on the break.

retired_FaultyFate

Well, it is just code. I mean, AI accumulates info how you play (hopefully, does not read your settings, which would be the worst cheating ) and tries to counter you. Personally, I play counter tactic almost always and I do not see '442 defensive posession' very often at least first 3-5 seasons, until I become a real favorite.

Another thing, though may not be relevant. Our scouts watch previous game to prepare report. Say my next opponent is Wigan and they played away against MU, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. I bet they had played defensive even without scout report

retired_cassik3

retired_hope

But when you next game is against Man Utd and they just played Wigan you shouldn't get a scout report about how man utd play defensive counter attack.