Cwcox01

I think I've formed a pretty decent idea of how to get tactics to work. Typically I wouldn't concern myself with the little details. My starting point is to get the formation to perfectly suit the squad and the game I want to play with that particular squad. Then I roughly tune the team, using the basic sliders like tempo, passing etc. in no more than 3 points (low, medium, high). I let the game handle the player instructions automatically, and adjust where necessary (fi a winger with a bad dribble, I put "run with ball" on low). Anything else I feel is just guess work, and I don't care about it.

I'd like to tell my strikers to stay in the center while the team should play wide. I'd like to tell my wingers to not try to get a corner, either cross if there's space or try to shake of their man. I'd really love to tell my attacking mid who runs forward a lot that he should often try one-twos with one of my strikers. I don't have a clue how I should get these messages over to my players, and the game doesn't really give me any hints how to do it. I flat out hate the tactics interface. Then again I've never encountered a game where I like the tactics. Perhaps it's just too complex.

retired_hasmith

Personally I have never used the tactics forum and pick a tactic based on the team that I have, I would like to believe I have a good knowledge of general tactics having watched a lot of football, and not just the football in the glare of the medi,a but English lower league football.
I very rarely change a formation or tactic during a season unless I get into a slump which I must admit does happen from time to time.

Although during a game if my tactics don’t seem to be working I am often willing to make a drastic change, for instance switch from a more direct route to a slower short passing game in order to increase my amount of possession, or vise verca if I am getting lots of possession but not doing anything with it.

So to cut a long story short YES I understand the tactics.

However despite this I still get my tactics wrong which I believe may be where a lot of people start to complain saying “the tactics are all wrong” or “I get loads of shots but don’t score”, but hey that is another story.

retired_aries

I'm quite happy I understand the tactical side of the game and how to work it with the match engine.

I find that the much mentioned 1v1 problem is solved most often by playing wide, attacking football. That seems to be something that has got better in FM08. In a couple of the previous versions, most success seemed to be obtained using tight "through the middle" type tactics.

Dispite the knockers of this "buggy" match engine, IMO it's actually the best and most realistic to date.

I think that people are expecting too much of a game for it ever to be a trully realistic football experience. I do think however, as the game has become more detailed over the years, it has frightened more casual gamers.

retired_cepeda46

Sometimes I think I understand tactis but then again sometimes I don't, when you are winning everything seems logical but when you start losing it can be anything and this can be very frustating.
Sometimes I even win matches and wonder why my team played so well

I do think that things happening around the actual football match and tactics, like team talks and media responses, have a to big impact on what happens on the pitch.
Thats why I completely ignore the media and such.

And it would be nice to have the following tactical option for defenders: "If you really cant think of anything else just hoof the ball forward". Instead of just standing still and let the ball taken away and leading to a counter attack.

in fm08 nothing is certain

retired_dego72

You would think that but actually a single click (out of 20) can transform a tactic- and this is where the main issue lies with FMs tactics in that a teeny change can be light and day in terms of how a tactic performs. This is why people will get frustrated as this is pure luck and tinkering, its nothing to do with tactical knowledge.

A recent example I have is that I switched my L1 Burnley side to a slower paced, short, defensive game in order to try and get around the 1v1 issue.

Anyway I had a degree of success- after 10 games I was 5th with 4 wins and 6 draws- very tight at the back and having loads of possession but I reckoned I should be doing better as Id managed to aquire a striker that was borderline Premiership quality and had a couple of good AMX/STs with good finishing.

Anyway I raised tempo by one notch out of 20 and suddenly I won the next 7 games, raising my goals per game from 1.something to nearly 3 per game.

This is just plain wrong- real life managers do not make teeny changes like this and even then a single notch should not be able to transform a tactic.

Sliders should ideally be 5 notches- eg:

None, Rarely, Occasionally, Often, All the time

Or some variation of this. The current system is madness as for many casual players success could just be down to pure luck in your slider choices.

Emm

Except that my big fat GK will score more than your big fat GK .

retired_hasmith

Anyway I raised tempo by one notch out of 20 and suddenly I won the next 7 games, raising my goals per game from 1.something to nearly 3 per game.

This is just plain wrong- real life managers do not make teeny changes like this and even then a single notch should not be able to transform a tactic.

</BLOCKQUOTE>

I dont think it is the sliders that are "plain wrong" but your analysis of what the sliders did, you were already on a good unbeaten run, is it conceivable that it was your players high morale and believe having gone unbeaten for a long time that made them raise their game and start scoring freely and not they slight change in tactic.

I am not trying to criticise your post but give you an objective view of your great run of form

retired_dego72

Agree totally.

Especially when for some reason SI have never chosen to give us the options to speak to our players and manage them in a more subtle and realistic manner.

Saying that subtlety is something I dont associate with FM, as too often new features are introduced that seem to have to show they are in the game by having huge positive or negative effects that at times ruin the game, even when your on the end of the positive effects.

retired_dego72

Anyway I raised tempo by one notch out of 20 and suddenly I won the next 7 games, raising my goals per game from 1.something to nearly 3 per game.

This is just plain wrong- real life managers do not make teeny changes like this and even then a single notch should not be able to transform a tactic.

</BLOCKQUOTE>

I dont think it is the sliders that are "plain wrong" but your analysis of what the sliders did, you were already on a good unbeaten run, is it conceivable that it was your players high morale and believe having gone unbeaten for a long time that made them raise their game and start scoring freely and not they slight change in tactic.

I am not trying to criticise your post but give you an objective view of your great run of form </BLOCKQUOTE>

Its a good point, but this happens every new FM, at some point I hit a sweet point through tinkering and then that tactic is the one I use until the next release.

Regardless of this there is just no good reason for having so many notches on the sliders- if the effects are subtle then they will have no perceivable effect that is visible to the user, if they are not subtle then we get the issue I point to.

retired_dego72

I suppose this ambiguity is one reason we all want more feedback.

This is where the media could be useful- if its a confidence issue or a tactic geling then maybe the media can give a match report that states that the team looked confident or just more comfortable in the system.

ALternatively if it is the tactical change- then then could say that we played with more urgency and they couldnt live with how quickly we played the ball about.

The "fact" that it may be this or it may be that is why even longterm players of the game may at times find FM a bewildering and frustrating experience.