Couple of 11.3 bugs

Been playing it now for around 8 hours, and noticed the following things:

1. My assistant is set to take the press conferences, and he was asked who we were going to use to counter an opposition threat, and he said Nigel Reo-Coker. However, Reo-Coker is transfer listed and in my reserves and I haven't ever played him. To handle the threat of their attacking midfielder, I'm probably going to use my defensive midfielder Stiliyan Petrov, who I've used in every game so far. Stupid assistant. Reo-Coker is now pleased with my assistant's comments and determined to prove his worth to the team. I don't want him determined, I want him annoyed so he's more likely to agree terms with another club!

2. When I transfer list a player and then put him in the reserves, he always comes moaning at me the next day about how he's unhappy I've put him in the reserves. I'd have thought being transfer listed was a bigger problem for you! If I don't put him in the reserves, he still comes moaning but this time about being transfer listed but at least then I can say "I don't see a future for you". Why does the "I'm in the reserves" moan take priority over the "I'm transfer listed" moan?

3. I tried to buy a player, and had to pull out at the contract negotiation stage. Since then, I've bought someone else. However, every week, this club keeps offering him this player. I keep rejecting, and the next week, there's another offer. How can I tell this club to go away? Even more irritatingly, every week the offer is £100,000 higher than it was last week - it's gone from £3.5m, £3.6m, £3.7m and it was last at £3.8m! Stupid team.

4. Sometimes (more often than not) the 3D match (TV View) will freeze and the players will run on the spot for 5-10 seconds. This typically happens in the first 10 minutes of a match. I had this in 11.2 as well, but fixed it by right-clicking the FM shortcut and "disabling Windows themes", so whenever I load the game, Windows turns off visual themes and Aero peek views, and it ran fine with no freezing. However, for 11.3, it's back!

5. I'm now hitting the post and crossbar about 5 times per game. I hardly ever hit it in 11.2.

6. The newspaper comments and the news items don't seem to match. I won my Europa League qualifier against Lausanne 3-2 and after the game, the little newspaper comments section said "Aston Villa did win like I expected but I did expect them to win by much more, so they'll be disappointed". When I went to my messages (the Inbox screen) it said "Villa overcome difficult opponents". They can't be both difficult opponents and have me expected to win by loads - that doesn't work!

7. Without fail, 100% of the time, whenever my backroom team ask me to tell a player to "switch the ball to the other flank more often", the player always refuses and gets stroppy. Any other instruction is accepted happily, but that one always causes problems.

8. Related to the one above, sometimes players like Downing and Ashley Young will be picked by my backroom team for the "switch to other flank" instruction, and that's fine - that makes sense as they're wingers. However, sometimes central defenders like Richard Dunne will be picked, and that makes no sense (no wonder he refuses it!). What's the "other" flank to a player that plays centrally?

9. Whenever I rest players and play youth (such as in the 3-2 win against Lausanne) my fans spokesperson says things like he's "satisfied". Why doesn't he recognise that I played mostly youth, and it was therefore a pretty impressive win against a full strength Lausanne side, away from home in Europe? I wanted him to say he was pleased with the quality shown by the youngsters and it was a good performance.

10. I'm trying to sell Robert Pires. I've set him to transfer listed and put him in my reserves. His personal status is now "brought to the club under false pretences". For a start, he shouldn't think that because the team has changed manager since, so I didn't bring him here, so that's a slightly wrong status. However, that aside, his status makes it sound as if he's annoyed and would be happy to leave. However, when I offer him out to clubs, I get a message back saying no club thinks it's viable because of Pires' reluctance to leave! He doesn't sound reluctant to me!

11. There is a permanent PR flag next to most players saying "happy my efforts will be rewarded with a high win bonus". I understand you're happy, but all the time? Can't you just be happy once, or can't the PR flag be removed when I've read it? I keep thinking they've reacted recently to something.

12. When the backroom team give me advice, such as "I think you should use hard tackling against Joey Barton", I don't really know what to do with this. I've already got "automatically apply assistant's opposition instructions before games" ticked, so I will be using hard tackling against Barton, so the only button I can click is Dismiss Advice, and I'm not really dismissing it, I'm grateful for it and will be following it! I don't want my backroom team getting annoyed because I keep dismissing their advice. Why isn't there a "Thanks" button so I can show I've read it and appreciate it, instead of dismissing it?

13. As you may have guessed, I'm Aston Villa and have around £1m in transfer budget left (the starting budget dropped from £15m in 11.2 to £5m in 11.3, presumably because of Darren Bent). We've got a reasonably good youth setup with players like Clark, Bannan, Delfouneso, Lichaj and Williams so youth seems to be the way to go. Therefore, I ask my board to develop the youth setup, and they reject it saying they'd prefer I sign players rather than hope someone comes through the ranks. I'd like a reply option to be "Who do you want me to sign with only £1m - can I have more money then please?".

14. I tried to sign Alex Chamberlain (he's not called Oxlade-Chamberlain, for some reason). I had the bid accepted by Southampton but the agent refused to let me speak to him. Annoying. A few days later, he sacked his agent, which I thought was a cool feature, as he'd obviously been annoyed that his agent had stood in his way (although he didn't seem to be annoyed in his personal status). Anyway, I tried to sign him again, had the bid accepted and he still refused to talk to me! In real life, if Aston Villa offered him a big pay rise, and promise of first team football, he'd definitely move! He'd at least listen to the offer! I felt like shouting the offer at him to make him listen, and I'd imagine him standing there with his fingers in his ears!

Oh, and by the way, this is one for the Villa data forum, but Bent is absolutely shocking on the game and Delfouneso is God-like. Very odd.

Oh, and by the way, this is one for the Villa data forum, but Bent is absolutely shocking on the game and Delfouneso is God-like. Very odd.

Odd indeed. When I signed Bent, he scored for fun in Man City...

And in 11.2, my central defenders were scoring about 1 every 3 games from headers from corners. This has now been drastically changed, so much in fact that my central defenders haven't scored any in 15 games. I'm not saying this isn't realistic, maybe it is, but the funny thing is that SI haven't altered some code to give the central defenders less chances - they're still getting the same free headers 5 yards out that they were in 11.2, but this time, they're hitting the post or crossbar more. If that's the altered code that SI have done, it's a little lazy!

I haven't changed tactics from 11.2 to 11.3 (although I did start a new game, I'm using the same tactics) so it's obviously a match engine change.

some good points, some bad, some rants... shame really, the good points will likely get missed because of the rants

I dunno how someone can complain that their assistant isn't doing their job for them properly?

I'm more than happy to do my job for me, but if there's an option in the game that allows the assistant to do the press conferences (like Mike Phelan at Man United for the BBC), then why can't he do them properly?

some good points, some bad, some rants... shame really, the good points will likely get missed because of the rants

I dunno how someone can complain that their assistant isn't doing their job for them properly?

Yeah there are a few rants, but the underlying issue is a valid one, isn't it?

I completely agree with 4.

I'm probably getting most annoyed by 1 and 9 so far.

Strange, In my current save I have seen an increase in centre half headed goals. Last match was a 3 -0 away win with all 3 goals scored by centre-halves from corners....

Numbers 2, 4, 9, 10, 12.

Agreeing with you completely on that.

Fans and others should see that you are playing with your 2nd, 3rd or youth team, and fans should not be angry if you lose to a much stronger team.

Hmmm... your thread title says a couple of bugs?? Heck! , I'd hate to see a full analysis from you. I count 15 , if you include the second post!

But, frankly, most of them are just fluff. Put it down to the games nuances. Get over it and move on. Learn to adapt to the changes and maybe you'll go forward. Scream bugs!! and your not going anywhere very fast.

none of these points are actually bugs. before you screem bug, you are going to have to establish what is a bug. the points mentioned more look like just how the whole thing works

I hope SI don't include any new features in FM2012 and just drastically improve graphics and iron out 99% of the bugs. On top of this, I expect them to hire a number of writers just for the "Role Playing" aspect of the game and sit down and write a few hundred different articles, news reports and press conferences. They need to remove the repetitive nature of many aspects of the game and include some "easter eggs" in there to add some excitement to the franchise.

I am so deeply dissapointed with what SI's been able to produce the last few seasons. I just hope they get things back on track...regardless of what anyone says, this is my personal opinion.

There are bigger issues. Such as Hercules play a formation with 2x DMCR....

I would class a bug as anything that doesn't work as it should.

12. When the backroom team give me advice, such as "I think you should use hard tackling against Joey Barton", I don't really know what to do with this. I've already got "automatically apply assistant's opposition instructions before games" ticked, so I will be using hard tackling against Barton, so the only button I can click is Dismiss Advice, and I'm not really dismissing it, I'm grateful for it and will be following it! I don't want my backroom team getting annoyed because I keep dismissing their advice. Why isn't there a "Thanks" button so I can show I've read it and appreciate it, instead of dismissing it?

I am pretty sure that your backroom staff dont get annoyed when you dismiss their advice. Since they do not become unhappy EVER why do you say this is a bug?

My personal opinion is that none of these are bugs.

I havent been hitting the post more then I was before, since its one of the things that you bring up. It is rather annoying that my defenders get free headers from corners but seem to put the ball over the bar a majority of the time, but they are not meant to have the skill to put a ball in the back of the net.

Number 10 has been in the last few FMs but maybe not 2010 (I'm not sure I tried in that one). Something to do with buying a player and then trying to sell them straight away. They made it so the player wont leave so you cant do it. I think it was too stop cheating or something. Getting freebies and trying to sell them straight on for a profit.

Does Bent have the same stats he had at Sunderland?

I am pretty sure he does so your tactics might not suit how to get the best out of him. For my Sunderland side he scored at least 25 goals a season for 4 seasons and is still scoring now as a bit part player at 32.

Just had a quick look at Bent's history.

2010-11 - 38 goals in 41 matches

2011-12 - 34 goals in 46 matches

2012-13 - 31 goals in 43 matches

2013-14 - 25 goals in 33 matches

2014-15 - 14 goals in 22 matches

2015-16 - 21 goals in 20 matches

You still make some very valid points especially 10 and 11. 14 and 4 are also quite annoying, players do seem to freeze and run on the spot quite a bit at random times and it really annoys me.

I'm more than happy to do my job for me, but if there's an option in the game that allows the assistant to do the press conferences (like Mike Phelan at Man United for the BBC), then why can't he do them properly?

Why is he doing them wrong? He's not you, he can't speak for you, he can't think for you, his AI allows him to "think" for himself, I don't think SI have yet mastered an AI that can think for a human (but if they did it would be full of bugs ).

There are no right or wrong answers to the press conference questions, just different reactions amongst yours and the opponents players that YOU (as their manager) have to deal with! (If your assistant upsets them, maybe he does it for a reason?)

1 little minor bug which was in last years 2 is the half time ratings sometimes disappear, but a workaround is to check the tactics instead. More of a slight inconvienience than anything else.

the first one makes me laugh

Why is he doing them wrong? He's not you, he can't speak for you, he can't think for you, his AI allows him to "think" for himself, I don't think SI have yet mastered an AI that can think for a human (but if they did it would be full of bugs ).

There are no right or wrong answers to the press conference questions, just different reactions amongst yours and the opponents players that YOU (as their manager) have to deal with! (If your assistant upsets them, maybe he does it for a reason?)

I don't want the Assman to be human, but choosing a player that's not transfer listed and in my reserves would be a good start!

Just had a quick look at Bent's history.

2010-11 - 38 goals in 41 matches

2011-12 - 34 goals in 46 matches

2012-13 - 31 goals in 43 matches

2013-14 - 25 goals in 33 matches

2014-15 - 14 goals in 22 matches

2015-16 - 21 goals in 20 matches

You still make some very valid points especially 10 and 11. 14 and 4 are also quite annoying, players do seem to freeze and run on the spot quite a bit at random times and it really annoys me.

That was probably on 11.2. I'm sure Bent's stats have stayed the game so he should play roughly the same, but I've found him to be pretty useless so far. Maybe I'm not getting the best out of him, so I'll work on that, but so far Delfouneso and a new signing (Christian Benitez) are banging them in. His stats do look low, finishing of 14 for England's most potent striker every year for the last few seems a tad harsh.

I am pretty sure that your backroom staff dont get annoyed when you dismiss their advice. Since they do not become unhappy EVER why do you say this is a bug?

My personal opinion is that none of these are bugs.

I havent been hitting the post more then I was before, since its one of the things that you bring up. It is rather annoying that my defenders get free headers from corners but seem to put the ball over the bar a majority of the time, but they are not meant to have the skill to put a ball in the back of the net.

OK, perhaps "bug" was a little strong for some, perhaps I meant "things that don't seem as intuitive as they should be, or wrongly worded buttons or confusing areas to me". :-)

Dismiss Advice just seems a little "cruel" somehow, but I guess that's just a wording issue.

I do think the "defender getting a free header" is a slight bug though because if a strong defender who's good at heading got 4 free headers 5 yards out every game, you'd expect him to score a few. Maybe even them all. The game had a problem with too many defender goals from corners, so I think SI have amended this for 11.3, and the way they've done it is not by correcting the issue, but by making them miss more. Just seems a lazy solution.