retired_anitarobinson

I've been thinking a lot lately about the individual instructions, it’s easy to fall into bad habits, where you set up a player (mainly a defensive player), and give him lots of rarely instructions. I’m sure this is a bad thing. Let me explain why.

The default tactics have the CB’s playing mixed TTB, long shots and cross ball, by habit I would lower them all. But hang on, I’ve seen the AI’s CB’s score the odd goal from distance from a cleared corner…mine don’t do that, they just pass it about and not shoot. So maybe the option to shoot from distance for ALL players isn’t such a stupid idea. Even wingers. They aren’t always wide after all.

Another default is cross ball mixed, you think to yourself you don’t want a CB pulling wide and crossing, so that gets set to rarely also. But maybe this has to be looked at in a different way, just as long shots take over from normal shooting at a certain distance, just maybe cross ball takes over (with possibly also TTB) when a pass reaches a certain length, or to put it in a better way, a DIAGONAL long pass. How many times does a CB or GK pass the ball straight up the field? Just maybe the default is there for the cross-field long passes to happen.

Another example? My habit is for MCd’s to get put on rarely FWR. Since I’ve set this to mixed (the other CM and the wingers are on often) he doesn’t get left behind when the others attack so much, the hole is still there but he’s also in a far better position when a ball is cleared out from an attack. Some people have even set this player to rarely for all except mixed TTB, maybe this is why he dallies on the ball so much.

The moral is? Mixed for all, often on those you want them to do all the time (I.E. FWR and RWB for wingers) and maybe just use the rarely instruction for CB’s FWR. (And maybe not even then, I’ve not tested it.)

That is all, please discuss.

retired_gwenlyn

The way I set mine up is like this. If I want my players to decide when and how often to do something I just leave them all in the middle. But this only works well if your player has a decisions attribute rating of 16 and above. If a player has less than this as his decisions making, I'll make sure he then can't do the things he isn't good at. So, for example, if a playe has only 10 for decisions and isn't good at long shots, I'll set long shots to rarely. Equally, if a player has a decisions rating of 10 or less and he is good at running with the ball, I'll allow him to run with the ball often.

This seems to work for me most of the time although there are still some combinations of attributes and sliders that cause conflict because I've not yet worked out how to use them properly yet.

retired_dellydoolittle

my basic settings are;

- DC all mixed
- FB all mixed, FR and Cross often
- MC all mixed, TTB often (sometimes), one MC FR often
- Wingers all mixed, FR often, RwB/Cr often sometimes
- STrikers all mixed, RwB/FR often sometimes

I think AI plays smth like that also. I like the idea of "mixed" instruction becouse I think a player can choose what he wants to do. but you must have a quality for that. if I don't want someone to do smth then I set it to rarely. I also adapt instructions like RwB/TTB/Cr based on opposition quality. there is no much point to give your team a lot of TTBs if your forwards lack pace. also I don't give RwB to a player if his marker is much better (pace, marking, tackling...) then him...

retired_anitarobinson

Thats the point I was trying to make, who knows what effect the sliders could have in all terms where the match engine is concerned. Does mixed Fr on CB's mean more movement in the area at corners? Who knows!

retired_gwenlyn

I think forward runs are quite straight-forward and that they do NOT have any bearing on corners or free-kicks. But you are right that some of the other sliders can be confusing when used in combination. I believe heathxxx is looking to set up a thread about this also. Perhaps watch this space.
CLICK HERE

retired_anitarobinson

I'm keeping an eye on that thread, its just that it was more about tempo, etc not individual instructions

retired_FaultyFate

Cannot agree. TB means that pass does not go directly to the feet but rather to empty zone, which could be 1 meter from the player or 20 meters from the player. In any events it is not necessary addressed to forwards and has to do more with Off The Ball movement than pace. In my game I see a lot of through balls from DCs and DM towards flanks where wingers pick those balls up. So I use TTB often on all players except GK, 1 of the 2 AMCs, and ST.

Btw, I tend not to use FR often on any players. The reason is because this instruction causes too many players up the pitch while ball is not there yet. As a result DCs often don't have good option to pass and either just puff ball up or make stupid mistakes. I find that FR mixed works much better as FBs and DM move up only when ball is already crossed the center line.