My_Evo

An area in need of serious attention in Football Manager are the options we have when creating set-pieces.

Now, many people want a full-on free set-piece editor, which I understand and is certainly the ideal.
However, that carries huge match engine implications that could see "super set pieces" for years to come, conveying a major advantage to the human user. But that doesn't mean we should see no change.


There are several changes I'd like to see, and I'm going to lay them out here.


Kick-takers

At the moment, we can list corner-kick takers and free-kick takers by side. For corner takers this is fine, but not for free-kick takers.

I'd like to see the pitch broken down so we select out kick takers on the basis of location on the pitch as well as side.

Essentially, this would see a half-pitch broken into 8 sections:
-Either side of the box, up to the 18 yard line.
-Left/Right, 18-25 yards, up to either edge of the box.
-Left/Right, wide of the box, 18 yards back to half-way line
-Left/right, 25 yards to halfway line

Hopefully you can visualise that. If anyone out there wants to try do that graphically, I'd be happy to see it!


Attackers

The current options for corners and free-kicks on what the receivers should do are also too limited. We can specify where they should stand, which is fine. We can also specify where they attack, which is fine.
But ideally we need to be able to set the "to and from". e.g.
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Attack -Near Post From -Far Post (Deep) -Far Post -Far Post -Keeper -Near Post (Deep) -Near Post -Central (Deep) -Central</pre>

This allows you to determine the runs your players make in attacking the ball, or decoying their marker.


Delivery

I'd then like to see, alongside each kick-taker, a "Preferred delivery" option. This allows us to define what we want that specific player to do from that specific area (similar to the current corner options).
I'd expand this to add shoot/cross/pass as the first level of instruction.
If you pick cross, as well as where, we should be able to set how - Floated/Whipped-in/Chipped



These are just some initial thoughts to prompt discussion. There are many more things I'd add in an ideal world (for instance, allying tactics, set-pieces and the training model). But for now, asd an improvement and a way to spark ideas, this is a step in the right direction.

retired_jon2508

I agree with pretty much everything. I called for a set-piece editor before FM2008 was released, and I believe that's what SI should be aiming for. As you said though, that'll be tough to get right, and your suggestions would be a step up, as I feel limited in set-piece choice presently.

One addition I will make is the ability to save set-piece routines so you can use several different routines in a match, rather than the same one every time.

You've also reminded me of something else away from set-pieces I'd adding, and that is being able to tell a player what type of cross to play, but that's for another topic.

My_Evo

Nobody else want to add their thoughts?
Am I really going to have to haul out the "this place has gone to the dogs" line?

retired_macca1875

I've got to agree, I'd like to be able to make the distinction between a free kick taker who will shoot on goal and one who will cross the ball in.

I also agree that a set piece editor would be bad considering that the tactics experts will quickly exploit it in a similar way to the wibble/wobble tactics module.

rodrigo

I'd like the opportunity like on Pro Evolution Soccer where you can have Long Free Kick takers and short! Everything you have stated is quite superb!

retired_w0lfpack1

There's several things I want along this line.

One is, give me the ability to save set-piece routines separate from my tactic. So, for example, if I want to propogate a set-piece routine from tactic A to tactic B, I have a better route than doing it all manually.

Two is, give me the ability to have multiple set-pieces I want to run at a given instant. In my American youth-team, we had a couple different "plays", and a keyword the captain would call out to tell us which play we were going to run. That way, if we got three corners in a row, we didn't run the same routine three times in a row.

retired_may reardon

There's several things I want along this line.

One is, give me the ability to save set-piece routines separate from my tactic. So, for example, if I want to propogate a set-piece routine from tactic A to tactic B, I have a better route than doing it all manually.

Two is, give me the ability to have multiple set-pieces I want to run at a given instant. In my American youth-team, we had a couple different "plays", and a keyword the captain would call out to tell us which play we were going to run. That way, if we got three corners in a row, we didn't run the same routine three times in a row. </BLOCKQUOTE>

A bit like American Football? You could always show´which one to use with your fingers and the captain nods or shakes his head.

>.<

retired_w0lfpack1

The other thing I'd want ..

.. I'm not sure how to describe this one, so I'm going to outline the problem.

Say I've decided I want the following corner-kick routine:

1 Corner taker
1 Near-post flick
1 Challenge GK
2 Forward
1 Stand on Far Post
1 Attack Near Post
1 Attack Far Post
1 Outside Area
2 Defenders Back.

If I want to have two different corner-kick takers, one for the left, and one for the right, I have to give them the same instruction as part of the routine.

The problem arises if one is tall, and one is short, or they are in some other way not interchangeable: for half of my corner kicks, a player is doing something that he isn't suited for.

Worse, if I sub on or off somebody, and I want to juggle who is where, I wind up having to go through and juggle everybody!

So, say my right wing is tall (15+ Jumping, Heading). I might want him on Near Post Flick. If I sub him off, replacing him with a short player, I might want to "percolate" positions around: pull the previous "Challenge GK" player over to Near Post Flick. Pull one of the previous "Forward" players to "Challenge GK". Pull the "Stand on Far Post" player to "Forward", etc..

I'm not sure what the right solution for that is - but it winds up that this action is taking the majority of my tactical tweaking time now!!

If we went down the line of "Individual Player Instructions", maybe I could give my players preferred routines: e.g., my tall winger I might give:
- Preferred: Near Post Flick
- Alternates: Challenge GK, Forward, Attack Near Post, Stand on Far Post

Then let the engine figure out what the best allotment of my players is considering the personnel currently on the pitch (minus the taker).

My_Evo

Yep. The "different line-up, different preferences" issue is a tricky one.

In reality, they do just tweak it every match.

retired_tuhina

Another aspect that needs help is attacking throw-ins. The current system (thrower always makes the exact same throw, as far as he can toward the near post) leads me to do weird things such as a) always bringing far side midfielders "short" while taking near side mids and moving them "forward", and b) bringing DC's to the near post while leaving forwards on "default"; all in a bid to get as many players as possible to contest that open space on the near side of the box where the ball is inevitably going to be placed. It's a very artificial and distortive system.

For this, too, what I'd really be looking for is a preference system. What do I want to accomplish with the throw?
- Possession/time wasting
- Ball to feet of playmaker/crosser
- Ball to head of target player for flick-on
- Ball into box
- Ball outside of box (to switch field or generate a longer shot)
This is actually a case where *less* detailed control over player positioning may make more sense. I don't really want to detail where everybody is going to stand, so much as declare an intention and have the players work toward that end.

I think this kind of modification, where we have more control over what the set-piece taker is going to do, is much more important than "diagramming" set-piece movement (which is, as noted above, rather wibble/wobble-like and will tend to give the human player excessive advantages). So I'm in agreement with Dave C's preferred delivery options and any good solutions to Amaroq's right/left issue.