Match engine for FM11

We know there have been a lot of positive changes, including animations and it looks wonderful, SI have also added a new feature which will give you a surrounding for the stadium depending on things such as where your club is based and its success etc.

Now, the thing I would much prefer is seeing more intelligence from the AI and for the players on the pitch. Sometimes the players do things that a beyond belief or just silly things and you think "why did he just stop running" or "Why did he not keep running into the box, instead he has ran backwards instead" and it can be quite frustrating.

Here is an example:

He is an attacking player, it is weird - like he thinks he should stop going for the ball when if he continues his run he would be in with a chance, I play football and if I did this my boss would kill me, I would not be playing as a striker again.

Oh and before you say he is offside, no - I have a screenshot and he isn't and secondly, how often does a player on attack think "best run backwards instead" PLAY TO THE WHISTLE!

question to SI, what has been done to ensure more in game intelligence?

ME is the most important thing for me in FM. I hope in FM11 it will be the best ever so far.

Agreed, it makes the whole game which is why I am hoping there are a lot more little things that will make it more enjoyable. This thread is not a criticism of FM, I believe it has the best ME for any football game but I do think the AI needs a little kick in the right direction.

I agree with you ,mate in every letter you wrote

I don't understand what this thread is really getting at. The match engine that SI has made has been in constant development since the early 1990's and continues to be worked on, it isn't something that is going to stop. The introduction of FML has also helped this greatly as gives more data to work with.

I don't understand what this thread is really getting at. The match engine that SI has made has been in constant development since the early 1990's and continues to be worked on, it isn't something that is going to stop. The introduction of FML has also helped this greatly as gives more data to work with.

its simple, how much effort goes into the AI intelligence? What changes are there this year to stop the things above and to change the way goalkeepers act (bending over to save) etc.

They are forever updating and improving the match engine. That and the database are the most important things football manager has so you can expect to see it better every time.

I think the OP is getting a bit confused between the underlying ME and the graphical interface which overlays it (i.e. the 3D), a lot of supposedly ME problems are down to either there not being an appropriate animation yet or the computer picking the wrong animation for the action picked by the ME.

While there are problems with the ME and there is definitely a huge need to expand the animations, in most cases, especialy if you reread the report, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what the ME has done for a particular set of actions.

I think the OP is getting a bit confused between the underlying ME and the graphical interface which overlays it (i.e. the 3D), a lot of supposedly ME problems are down to either there not being an appropriate animation yet or the computer picking the wrong animation for the action picked by the ME.

While there are problems with the ME and there is definitely a huge need to expand the animations, in most cases, especialy if you reread the report, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what the ME has done for a particular set of actions.

I've heard this argument a few times and to me it is weak and flawed. If the game doesn't have the animations to match the calculations in the match engine then the 3D interface should not have been released. When I see an animation in my game then that is what happened, I couldn't care less about the underlying calculations or what the match report might say.

No, the OP wants to know how much effort is put into a graphics overhaul compared to working on the things like keepers etc see above again

The video with the finger made my day

I like you man

Yes, the example the OP gives is an issue that I have encountered in my games, and it's infuriating. It's not a question of animations. It's attacking players very rarely following up another player's shot to try and knock in the rebound. This almost never happens in the game, in my experience, and it's extremely frustrating and should be looked at.

Another issue I have is when players cut in from the wings and shoot from almost impossible angles from the by-line. If there isn't anyone in the box to pass too then fair enough, but at the top level most players would be looking to cut the ball back into the six yard box for an onrushing player. It's extremely rare in the game for a player to even attempt this, let alone make a successful pass.

The match engine in FM, especially since FM 09 has been pretty much perfect. The problem, as far as I'm concerned, isn't the match engine but the many small and (sometimes) crippling bugs. It's either defenders not closing down, super keepers, inability to score from headers or over abundance of long shots. In addition to these bugs it's the game braking tactics that kill the ME. When you can waltz through your league with using one tactical set-up, without the AI posing much of a problem, then that's a visible flaw in need of fixing badly.

However, that being said, this is still the best match engine out there, at least as far as football managers are concerned.

Yes, the example the OP gives is an issue that I have encountered in my games, and it's infuriating. It's not a question of animations. It's attacking players very rarely following up another player's shot to try and knock in the rebound. This almost never happens in the game, in my experience, and it's extremely frustrating and should be looked at.

Another issue I have is when players cut in from the wings and shoot from almost impossible angles from the by-line. If there isn't anyone in the box to pass too then fair enough, but at the top level most players would be looking to cut the ball back into the six yard box for an onrushing player. It's extremely rare in the game for a player to even attempt this, let alone make a successful pass.

This. Also when having a counter attack, why does my player instead of running through the middle with ball and having a 1-on-1 chance, he goes wide to put the cross in for...NO ONW! And no, it's not my tactics.

The match engine in FM, especially since FM 09 has been pretty much perfect. The problem, as far as I'm concerned, isn't the match engine but the many small and (sometimes) crippling bugs. It's either defenders not closing down, super keepers, inability to score from headers or over abundance of long shots. In addition to these bugs it's the game braking tactics that kill the ME. When you can waltz through your league with using one tactical set-up, without the AI posing much of a problem, then that's a visible flaw in need of fixing badly.

However, that being said, this is still the best match engine out there, at least as far as football managers are concerned.

Which tells you that's it's not that much perfect as you said in the frist place, though in 10.3 it's the best one ever so far. but, I really hope for it to improve in FM11.

Another example;

Player doesn't even attempt to get a foot on the returning ball, just keeps running.

The example in the first post just looks like a player with fairly miserable anticipation stat. The second video: He's just taken a shot and the ball comes back to him on his standing leg side about 0.5 sec later. Unless he is virtually perfect he's never going to react in time.

Another example;

Player doesn't even attempt to get a foot on the returning ball, just keeps running.

That's an animation issue.

It goes without saying that SI are constantly trying to improve the ME- just look at any ME changelist released with a patch.

The example in the first post just looks like a player with fairly miserable anticipation stat. The second video: He's just taken a shot and the ball comes back to him on his standing leg side about 0.5 sec later. Unless he is virtually perfect he's never going to react in time.

No way can the ball travel that far in 0.5 metres. I play football and that wouild be some power for something returning to you

The match engine in FM, especially since FM 09 has been pretty much perfect. The problem, as far as I'm concerned, isn't the match engine but the many small and (sometimes) crippling bugs. It's either defenders not closing down, super keepers, inability to score from headers or over abundance of long shots. In addition to these bugs it's the game braking tactics that kill the ME. When you can waltz through your league with using one tactical set-up, without the AI posing much of a problem, then that's a visible flaw in need of fixing badly.

However, that being said, this is still the best match engine out there, at least as far as football managers are concerned.

You are contradicting yourself in quite a major way.

You can't claim that the the "match engine in FM...is... pretty much perfect" and then go on to list a whole bunch of faults.

Look, please lets just get real hear because we all want the same thing, ie a great match engine. You don't need to defend it - SI don't even want you to defend it!

They want your input as to how to improve it, so please, no more of this - it is perfect nonsense.