Observations from a casual gamer

I bought this game every year since '04 because I love football, and it's the best footy sim hands down. Mostly when I play, it's after a couple of pints or whilst watching the game on Sunday - used to love FM 2008, probably played on that the most.

One thing I've never worked out is why I seem to spend 50%* of the time watching players walking over to pick up the ball or take a corner when I've selected 'Key Highlights'. With all the improvements to the way matches are viewed (going 3D etc.) I thought this might have been looked at.

I'll have a go at a couple of tactics using the wizard, but the ME in recent FM releases is getting too hard to play. For example, I read on these forums that you should change your tactics every 10 games or so - why? Bolton don't, AC Milan definitely don't, Inter/Chelsea/Bayern Munich/Ajax** don't, apart from the odd tweak or OI here or there. I have a season ticket up at Arsenal, and I can tell we don't change our tactical outlook every 10 games or so. However I may be crap at tactics. Barcelona have been playing the same way for the past 2,930 years...

That aside, the new negotiations are quite good, if agents are this annoying in real life I can see why most clubs despise them. I was offering Connor Wickham a contract and his agent, jesus^, it was like banging your head against a brick wall. The 3D match view is obviously quality stuff, better now the crowd is there.

Cheers

*wild estimate

**obviously most clubs play more compact/cautious or whatever away from home

^not his real name

I've not changed my tactic for 3 seasons, won the league for the last two, not doing quite so well this year, but not bad.

nice post mate enjoyed reading that a reasonable outlook and yeah i dont change my tactics either

I don't know who told you that. Changing your tactics every ten games is a good way to get your ass kicked.

The OP on this post (http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/238375-FM11-GHOST-TACTIC-Gorgeous-High-Possession-Let-Weak-Teams-Play-like-Barcelona) says:

Ghost Tactic V3

Please DO NOT use only 1 tactic for the whole season, as AI will get used to your tactic.

Sure I read the 10 game thing somewhere, however I could of course be talking out my arse*. Thanks for the replies though chaps, will stick with the tactic I've been using this season and see what comes from it. Despairingly, we've just lost 3 nil away to Stoke. Gah

*it's happened before

i very rarely change tactic and i dont seem to suffer, just make sure you keep ontop of moral and your team will continue to do well.

i've stuck with the same tactic for years. went 10 years in FM10 before it was 'cracked' (i finished 2nd in the league rather than 1st) [EDIT: this is my backwards way of saying that the AI does not crack your tactic]

thing is that with PPM's, making changes to your line-up affectively changes your tactics bacause players play differently. one of my AML's may run with the ball down the channels and another may make late runs into the box. this difference affects the way my team play.

i wouldn't worry too much about having to change tactics regularly because you are without realising.

i'd imagine this was different in the old days before PPM's and thierry henry played pretty much the same as RVN

i rarely change tatics with my Lyon team. Seeems to work for me, top of the league in february.

occasionally i will change a formation or tactic to counter a specific team, but generally i stick with the same tactic for most of games during the season

changing after every 10 games just for the sake of changing makes no sense

The OP on this post (http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/238375-FM11-GHOST-TACTIC-Gorgeous-High-Possession-Let-Weak-Teams-Play-like-Barcelona) says:

Sure I read the 10 game thing somewhere, however I could of course be talking out my arse*. Thanks for the replies though chaps, will stick with the tactic I've been using this season and see what comes from it. Despairingly, we've just lost 3 nil away to Stoke. Gah

*it's happened before

The AI does not learn your tactics. Fact.

One thing I've never worked out is why I seem to spend 50%* of the time watching players walking over to pick up the ball or take a corner when I've selected 'Key Highlights'. With all the improvements to the way matches are viewed (going 3D etc.) I thought this might have been looked at.

I'll have a go at a couple of tactics using the wizard, but the ME in recent FM releases is getting too hard to play. For example, I read on these forums that you should change your tactics every 10 games or so - why? Bolton don't, AC Milan definitely don't, Inter/Chelsea/Bayern Munich/Ajax** don't, apart from the odd tweak or OI here or there. I have a season ticket up at Arsenal, and I can tell we don't change our tactical outlook every 10 games or so. However I may be crap at tactics. Barcelona have been playing the same way for the past 2,930 years...

I hate being shown loads of time with the ball out of play, I think the ball and players should immediately be where they need to be and we shouldn't be shown the boring bits that happen between.

The need to change your tactics drastically every 10 matches or so is a fallacy, there's no such need at all. You just need to make sure that you aren't asking each individual to do something he's not very good at (e.g. don't have Aaron Lennon cutting inside, don't have Wes Brown overlapping).

Why can't Aaron Lennon cut inside?

i've stuck with the same tactic for years. went 10 years in FM10 before it was 'cracked' (i finished 2nd in the league rather than 1st)

Tactics don't get cracked, for goodness sake!

You were obviously just second best that season!

Why can't Aaron Lennon cut inside?

I was talking generally, but he's no Messi or Ronaldo, is he? He's much better at getting to the byline and getting the ball in the middle.

Tactics don't get cracked, for goodness sake!

You were obviously just second best that season!

i know that - i guess my post was too subtle

One thing I've never worked out is why I seem to spend 50%* of the time watching players walking over to pick up the ball or take a corner when I've selected 'Key Highlights'. With all the improvements to the way matches are viewed (going 3D etc.) I thought this might have been looked at.

*wild estimate

Well said that man.

Ive found the AI get used to my tactic but If i change it to another one for a couple of days then Its fine.

The need to change your tactics drastically every 10 matches or so is a fallacy, there's no such need at all. You just need to make sure that you aren't asking each individual to do something he's not very good at (e.g. don't have Aaron Lennon cutting inside, don't have Wes Brown overlapping).

Hmm yes this may be where I'm going wrong, but I can't tell if my tactic is rubbish due to what I'm asking the players to do individually, or what I'm asking them to do as a team.

For instance I have Arshavin and Walcott both quite attacking, run from deep often, cut inside, which is what they do when I see them play. But then just like Arsenal this season, my team seems incapable of defending anything down the flanks* as the wide men are off up the other end of the pitch. So the opposition always seem to have treble the amount of corners and crosses, and most of the highlights. Could be my closing down/pressing.

Reading the tactical theorems for inspiration.

*unfortunately Arsenal seem incapable of defending anything. Barca are going to rip us apart!

i know that - i guess my post was too subtle

Far too subtle for me.

Hmm yes this may be where I'm going wrong, but I can't tell if my tactic is rubbish due to what I'm asking the players to do individually, or what I'm asking them to do as a team.

For instance I have Arshavin and Walcott both quite attacking, run from deep often, cut inside, which is what they do when I see them play. But then just like Arsenal this season, my team seems incapable of defending anything down the flanks* as the wide men are off up the other end of the pitch. So the opposition always seem to have treble the amount of corners and crosses, and most of the highlights. Could be my closing down/pressing.

Reading the tactical theorems for inspiration.

*unfortunately Arsenal seem incapable of defending anything. Barca are going to rip us apart!

As well as closing down/pressing, you have to look at work rates. If the game's realistic, then Arshavin's work rate should be about 2, and he won't track back no matter what settings you have him on.

That aside, turning on tight marking often helps to get them tracking back to mark attackking FBs.

Incidentally: Barca rip most teams apart tbf, but if you can get a couple of lucky counter attacks, you might just put Walcott in behind their defence a couple of times - they're not too pacey at the back. And there's no shame in losing to unarguably the greatest club side since at least early 90s ac milan.

What you really want to worry about is the amount of tapping up and "come home" shenanigans Barca are going to get their players doing to Fabregas.

actually arshavins recently been tracking back more, particularly against chelsea but in the past he hasnt, wether thats him being lazy or being told not to by wenger i dont know.

i do see what the op is saying though, it seems you do have to change tactics for most games, ie control to defensive. which i couldnt disagree with more as an arsenal fan i too know how we play, and we dont play counter or defensive away from home, whereas in fm im forced to play defensivley in away matches or ill get punished. i also remember there being a tip ingame something along the lines of 'dramatic alterations to style of play will not help your team...' surely going from attacking to defensive is a dramatic alteration?