retired_rboker

just wondered if anyone has ever watched a full match? tell me all about the game and why you watched it. what was it like when you scored or conceded, was it better? what did you learn about tactics? was it really easy to make the tactical decisions, did you learn more about your players from actually seeing the game?

retired_bsouders

I always play the game with full highlights at normal speed, always have done. It can be pretty tense stuff sometimes. especially those important games.

So i guess that makes me not qualified to compare it. But i feel that it gives a good overview of team formation and movement, etc....

retired_ambular0820

It usually takes me up to an hour to complete a single match. I usually spend the minutes 1-20 and 65-90 on full view - darn AI is tricky this release.

retired_janellewood86

I use full match to develop a tactic with a new team, extended for normal situations and key for those gmaes I don't care about/have already won.

Full match gives you such an insight as to how your instructions have translated into the match engine (let's face it - sliders are pretty ambiguous tools, eh?). It can take me anything from two or three friendlies to six months to get that right. Then I use extended to show me when I'm letting too many chances go or I'm not creating enough. That's when the tweeks come in (see Cleon's thread).

To be honest, full match to anyone willing to actually watch it (and it doesn't have to be on that slow a setting) will expose many of the gaping holes in your or the oppositions' tactics. And show you some interesting insights.

Did you know, for instance, that when I make my side strikers pick up the opposition wingers to hold a lead my shape becomes 6-1-2-1? Yeah, I thought it would be crap too. But it works.

retired_sharonverm

The full match engine is invaluable. I watch the full match for at least 10 games at the start of the season to iron out the kinks. It's usually as clear as day why you are succeeding/failing. Watching the highlights is great for excitement once you have a solid tactic but it can distort the reality of what's going on. This, I feel, is why a lot of people think the AI cheats. I know the frustration when it seems from the highlights that the computer just comes up the pitch and scores from nothing. It 'seems' that it's cheating when it really isn't, and you would see that if you watched the match.

In a nutshell: watch the full match until you are certain your tactic is sound (can takes many games) and then go to highlights when you are confident. By then you should have a number of tactics that you know work for different situations.

retired_krissyski

I find I'm too impatient to watch every full match. I like the concept of time compression and the unfolding of a full season - or several. But I agree with Millie - it is most definitely the best way to analyze your tactics.

Unfortunately, there isn't as much variety in FM as there is in the game IRL, and so the matches can be somewhat repetitive. I tend to watch most matches at extended until the matter is settled, and I use the split screen to show my team's stats and my opponent's formation. That way, I can see when "they've" made a key subsititution or changed tactics. The AI generally changes formations when it changes tactics.

retired_krissyski

:thup:

retired_janellewood86

I'm not so sure. I've found them quite entertaining, but I do have quite a one-dimensional tactic so I kinda expect that sort of thing! But I do think that it is very good. And some of the touches in player movement, the way they're facing etc. are very clever.

retired_krissyski

Yes, it does seem to get better with each new version of the game.