retired_nnifeitak

Exactly - if you watch current day Man United, whoever is out wide, sat Ronaldo and Giggs, will push forward far enough to create a 4-2-4 in effect. However they also push back in the build up so it's not strictly a two man midfield, which would get eaten alive.

retired_jessicanicholls

I have to agree with what a lot of others have said already. SI say this is the best version yet, and I would broadly go along with that. But it will only be seen as such by us, the players, if the issues that have been so well covered over the last few months get resolved.
I can't say that I have seen anyone caning sides in terms of shots 11 v. 11 in my game post-patch (but then I did go back to Beta 1), but what I have seen is the 'cracked tactics' issue, whereby my team who had previously lost two in eleven - and only four in twenty-five - suddenly couldn't find any space whatsoever, couldn't shoot, and even when defenders were goal-side, couldn't stop shots flying past the keeper from well outside the box.
Due to other posts here, I started watching games in their entirety and saw my players suddenly ignoring the instructions that they had previously adhered to well, while at the same time I started losing 3-1 despite the opposition only having three shots on target - my previously tight defence and MOM winning keeper were suddenly looking as easy to beat as my nephew's side would be against Arsenal's first XI.
Losing I can handle, and although I knew better than to think the game cheated (why would it, even if it could?), I felt that something was very wrong with the AI's ability to adapt. I don't mind it learning to deal with my tactics and players at all - it's realistic for managers to try to nullify threats while also keeping their own options open - but this isn't a battle of wits between bosses, it's something else, as nothing I tried had any effect.
Again as others have said, the ME is a huge problem area. I have had strikers in good form not bothering to go for crosses, watching them run out instead, and crosses themselves are a problem, as I have to set the wingers to 'cross often' for them to cross at all...and of course regardless of instructions they tend to overhit crosses or smack them into the box despite no one being there.

Ultimately, though, all the players complaining about these things can't be wrong. SI might say that it's a simulation, you have to do X, Y and Z, as a real manager would, but while I am all for accuracy in some respects, I really don't have the time (or inclination) to treat a computer game that seriously. A bit of thought, yes, but if I wanted the stresses and strains of actually managing, I'd get my badges and start earning the rewards. Plus, as has been said elsewhere, IRL there would be more interaction with players, telling them where they had gone wrong, what they needed to do to improve, etc. - things that would be too time-consuming and fiddly to include in FM.
I just hope that SI realize the strength of feeling surrounding this game and do it justice, if not...well, people might not take a punt on 09. As things stand, I won't. I told the missus that 08 would be the last version I got - though I said that about 06 and 07.
This time I fear I might not have been kidding. But we shall see what we shall see.

retired_jessicanicholls

Sorry about long post, btw. :eek:

retired_alyj7

A lot of people seem to be getting frustrated watching games. Defenders running in treacle, forwards shooting straight at the gk, players not going for crosses.
But the graphics are just a representation of events that have already been calculated. So if the match engine calculates a missed chance the graphics find a way to display that. The problem seems to be a two part one, first the game is calculating too many chances in some circumstances, second the unrealistic ways this is sometimes displayed. Once SI work out what is causing the first problem and adjust it the graphics part won't be so obvious.
Strikers shooting straight at GK's is nothing new it has always been in FM, it is just more noticable due to the large number of chances.

retired_jorgenmb

I think KDR has many valid points in his post, but as he also is mentioning, one gets to feel that SI isn't taking it to seriously. I especially recognize the feeling that no matter what you do, it won't affect the match result, as AI kind of has decided that it should win this game. If tactics should have the influence that it has right now, and I then mean that tactics beats ability and the AI-cracking of it, then at least it should a battle of tactics and not AI pre-calculations. Also "normal" tactics that doesn't has to be changed and tweaked all the time, must have it's value..

When it comes to hammersjj post, I just don't hope he is correct. It's a very interesting post, but if it's correct then SI might as well just get rid of the 2d-engine, and rather work on developing the normal one towards perfection.

retired_cr8zjoe

Location: England
Registered: 06 October 2003[/quote]
Exactly - if you watch current day Man United, whoever is out wide, sat Ronaldo and Giggs, will push forward far enough to create a 4-2-4 in effect. However they also push back in the build up so it's not strictly a two man midfield, which would get eaten alive.
KDR
Amateur

Exactly. This system succeeds because they have the players to make it work.

The problem at the moment is that match engine allows AI managed Farsley Celtic to use it to devastating effect.

Also, the match engine has been tuned to make other super tactics less effective. In real life these 'super' tactics just do not exist.

retired_GoBlue31

It's interesting you attribute this to your tactics being cracked. I have suffered the same thing for the last couple of versions but never put it down to that. I find that I always go on stupid runs on FM. It's like win 20 games in a row, lose 10 in a row, draw 10 in a row. There seems to be no sensible distribution of results sometimes. It is one of the many things which annoys me with it !

retired_10secsleft-t

sorry this has nothing to do with the post and i can;t start new threads so here it goes.

italy have just won Euro 2008 on my save. i get a new message on my news screen showing the European Championship Dream Team. nothing unusual until i take a proper look. the WHOLE starting 11 where Italian! WTF!!!

Biased voting if ya ask me.

retired_allisoncopening

this is the worst version yet its feels so rushed when you play it everything doesn't seem to glide smoothly for me the whole match day bit looks tacky I actually wonder if EA made this game it's that bad ?! I would normally just go play pro evo until that sorted the game out but that's just as bug ridden !

retired_alyj7

The graphics are basically a movie of the game that the engine has worked out before it starts, if you make any changes (subs etc) the engine recalculates from that point on based on your change and generates a new movie. But if you and the opposition made no changes the result of the game is known before the graphical game starts. Just not known to you so the effect is the same.