Fantastic game, but agreed, looking too easy

I thought I'd add my thoughts on the difficulty level of this years game. First of all, let me just say that the game itself is immense. I've been playing since the CM games (late nineties I think) and this years version, is in my opinion, head and shoulders above anything SI have done before. The level of immersion is fantastic, interaction with players has taken huge steps forward and it runs like a dream on my PC (loving the player aminations on the new behind goal camera). May I also add that despite years of playing the series I've always been pretty poor at it. I always play LLM rules (no player search etc), scouting for players etc, although do not always start in the bottom league or with sunday league reputation (playing semi-pro this year). In general most years I rarely get promoted and hop from club to club in mid-level obscurity.

Which brings me to this year. Has the difficulty level been changed? It certainly feels like it. I'm playing as Brentford boss and have lost four games all season (currently 3rd in the league and chasing down the top two with every game). Apart from the first few weeks I seem to be walking over almost everyone I play. This is very unusual for me, and to be honest not what I really want. Of course, I want to be successful but I also want to earn it. I really don't think I have. To be honest it is getting to me and definitely spoiling what would be by far and away the best version yet (in my opinion).

At the moment morale seems to easy to keep 'superb'. Now, I am beginning to think I should start again as a Sunday league footballer in a lower league. However, if I did so would this have an everlasting effect on how well the players listen to my team talks or just until the got to know and trust me?

I know complaints about the difficulty level has been posted here a fair bit over the past few days and normally I just ignore them. In previous years I always struggle. However, in this case I suspect they are right. I refuse to believe I have become a good manager over night! So something is definitely going on.

Anyway, back to the game. Playing Sheffield United next (one place above me). To be honest I am almost hoping that I lose. It would be such a shame if this game was ruined by being too easy. Everything is almost perfect with it.

Why would playing in a lower league make it harder? Surely, the difference in the top vs bottom teams is at the top of any league pyramid.

I know how you feel. I have same topic about how easy game is. Don't know what to do about that. I have great ideas, can mods help this game be harder? Fm 11 was easy 2. What I really don't like is when you win premiership for the first time. After that point, you gonna win it every year.

I think the biggest difference is that it seems almost impossible to screw up team talks.

They always look motivated or fired up and you even have a second chance to "fire them up" with individual team talks.

I havent really played the game yet as I have been creating new leagues. This means I holiday a lot to make sure all is okay. I usually pick a random team and sit back, 9/10 times the team I holidayed with is at the top or challenging for top position. This is without me having any input.

I hope its not that easy. If holiday mode is a kind of default and you can do really well doing nothing, then having the extra input to be involved with team affairs would probably mean every game a walk over.

Hehehemann, you put some tactic at least? I mean, what you said now is catastrophic from my point of view. So you don't need to do anything, but your club will perform great? I feel sick now.

I did nothing other than go to holiday mode for 365 days. I'm just testing out leagues so I dont mess with anything.

Update from original post.

I just lost against Sheffield United (although tried to win) which to be honest I was pretty pleased about. However, as mentioned, I do think the team talks are too easy and seem to be making the game alot easier than it should be. Hopefully this will be looked at becasue other than that it is, as I have already said, far and away the best of the series thus far....

Hehehemann, that means that zombie can be manager and he would be in top 3 clubs. Anyone from SI is reading this?

I think the team talks have to change because it is a bit easier to keep them Motivated. It ideal should be one or the other, if you need to gee up the team then use the team talk. If only individual players need a talking to then use individual.

So, if you chose to use Overall team-talks the individual options should grey out, so if a player reacts bad then you cant gee him up.

if you use individual team-talks the overall option should grey out, if you don't praise the right player they could become upset and you can't change it.

I've been seeing quite a few fm2012 is too easy posts. I'm still early in the game and don't really have an opinion on this yet but I'm slightly worried however that if I manage to get a good run going, i won't know if it's my managing skill making me play better or the game allowing me to play better. Is this a topic that comes up every year an FM is released or did something actually change this year that makes FM easier?

Team talks really don't have anywhere near the kind of effect you think they do.

Really?

I hope so. However I do think it is perhaps a little too easy to keep morale high. Anyway, my Brentford team have now lost the last two games so I am half hoping that a degree of inconsistency creeps in. Everything else about the game is awesome. It would be a shame not to have too battle for success.

Try playing as Leeds, using Leeds real squad. The way SI has nerfed the team, you won't win anything.

I just lost against Sheffield United (although tried to win) which to be honest I was pretty pleased about

When we're happy to lose matches and frustrated when we're winning them... then the game has clearly gone bonkers.

Look, if it's not the team talks, it's clearly something. Prozac in the drinking water? My team's morale does not drop. It seems like it wouldn't go down if I tied a rock to it. Also, my team seems way more consistent than on 2011. There, the good runs would always be interrupted by spurts of my players forgetting how to tie their own shoelaces let alone kick a ball, causing the morale to go down, etc., sweet downward spiral. Now, they're brilliant week in, week out.

Not fun. I want my inconsistent, mentally deranged, useless gits from previous versions back.

Yeah, last version I played was 2010. In that game my seasons would implode by the time the January transfer window rolled around. Clubs would start unsettling my players, they'd want to leave and morale would go down in a drastic way. This time it is too easy to keep players content or happy and I go on winning. I'd like a happy medium in between the two.

Team talks really don't have anywhere near the kind of effect you think they do.

Which we've been pointing out on these forums for years. And how much effect has that had thus far, eh?

What about the following: I can get a tutor to tutor any personality, no matter how big the difference simply because if the "student" is calm i ask him calmly and he agrees to be tutored and if they are reluctant/assertive I ask them reluctantly and they want to be tutored.

I do realize this does not mean that the tutoring will be successful, but isn't this a little too straightforward?

Same goes for team talks, regardless of the effect they have on performance, they are too easy! if my team is expected to win 10-0, they win 2-1 and I say they did a good job they are all motivated?? Do they really not have any self criticism? What bothers me is that I figured this out playing 4(!!) practise matches and then just applied it to the rest.

Yeah, last version I played was 2010. In that game my seasons would implode by the time the January transfer window rolled around. Clubs would start unsettling my players, they'd want to leave and morale would go down in a drastic way. This time it is too easy to keep players content or happy and I go on winning. I'd like a happy medium in between the two.

Excellent point. Teams never adjust to your tactic, players never want to leave, and morale is always good.

I won the premier league with spurs in my 1st season very easily.... 2nd season i've already lost 3 out the 1st 5 league games with pretty much the same team.

I managed to destroy my own Roma team yesterday xD

Took a few matches and some firing speculation in the media before I rectified that. The whole team was in the abysmal/very poor morale area for a while after I called a team meeting and upset -all- of them. I really don't understand how and why but I won't go near that feature again until I have learned the logic behind it.

Not fun. I want my inconsistent, mentally deranged, useless gits from previous versions back.

This must be very frustrating for SI. I remember last year there was a massive number of threads demanding to eliminate those sudden drops in form and morale. Now when it's easier to deal with it, people are pissed off again.

I like this version better because, when something goes wrong, I have an idea what to do to fix it. In FM 11 everything was hunky-dory and then out of the blue we were on downwards spiral and I didn't have a clue what and why went wrong.

I really don't get the too easy comments. If you want something much much tougher do what I've done. Start as Solihul Moors. First season over, got promoted and now I've got to try keeping them in the confernece with a 2k a week. [Yes that's not a typo 2k a week] wage budget.

Now that's a challenge!

I really don't get the too easy comments. If you want something much much tougher do what I've done. Start as Solihul Moors. First season over, got promoted and now I've got to try keeping them in the confernece with a 2k a week. [Yes that's not a typo 2k a week] wage budget.

Now that's a challenge!

See alot of these qoutes, personally, Im not bitching about it been easy but also Im in the camp that its no fun at that level the players could be anyone, I like to sign a few guys I know

Come on guys... why don't ya'll give credit to yourselves for being better in the game.... better with tactics... better with player management... If you keep winning... it probably means you are better in the game!

AjaxNo1 - Understand your point of view. I like to research things as I play. I have google maps up to look at the grounds I'm playing at, and wiki or look at the clubs official sites as I look to sign players. That way, I educate myself in the process too.

Not suggesting anyone needs to play that way. But I certainly find it enjoyable. Beats sitting in my pants with a club tie on anyway!

Im Stoke and just lost in the 4th Qual for Europa League, against Minsk 6-4 Agg. It aint' been easy for me so far!

I've been playing this game since CM 95/96 so i class myself as a veteran, and had much success in the past. But definitely believe this version is not too easy

I'm undecided on the difficulty. I managed Plymouth in the demo and despite winning all of my friendly matches 5-0 or better, I failed to pick up a single win until I stopped playing around the end of October game time.

In the full game I'm managing Leicester and have failed to win just one game in the same time frame. I'm pretty sure that I haven't gone from awful to brilliant in the last couple of weeks, so I'd have to conclude that my impact as manager is fairly limited and it's the players that are getting the results.

I really don't get the too easy comments. If you want something much much tougher do what I've done. Start as Solihul Moors. First season over, got promoted and now I've got to try keeping them in the confernece with a 2k a week. [Yes that's not a typo 2k a week] wage budget.

Now that's a challenge!

See, this is the thing. We shouldn't have to start so low down just to get a decent challenge out of the game. The game should offer a challenge, regardless of the club you take over.

In my view the amount of tools/help available in the game now make it much easier than it used to be. Specifically the fact that you can now set roles for players, and you are told explicitly what attributes are needed for each role, so it's now incredibly easy to set up a decent tactic and then identify the perfect players for whatever roles are employed within this tactic. Previously it was much harder to do this when the game didn't spell it all out for you.

Add to this how easy it seems to be to sign players on FM12 using things like paying over 48 months (I spent about £4m in my first transfer window on my first Leeds save, there's zero chance of that happening irl), and the fact that it's so easy to find out who the guaranteed star players will be using sites like this or stuff like FMRTE if people want to, and it does become very easy.

I never use any editor 2 see who has best potential. thats why i dont use editors at all. I never been in any forum about best players, it kills fun. I dont use any cheat at all( i have "if you cheat, you cheat yourself" problem). But its still 2 easy.

I never use any editor 2 see who has best potential. thats why i dont use editors at all. I never been in any forum about best players, it kills fun. I dont use any cheat at all( i have "if you cheat, you cheat yourself" problem). But its still 2 easy.

I haven't used editors or looked at PAs etc either with the past few FMs, I agree it makes the game much more fun not to.

But even without doing that it's a lot easier than it was due to the fact that the game spells out stuff like player roles and required attributes now so it's dead easy to find the perfect player for any role in a team. And if people do choose to use editors and lists of player PAs etc (and a lot of people do) then it becomes even easier still.

Im too concerned about the difficulty level in the game. I am with Plymouth with a sunday league reputation and due to there financial problems built a team within the wage budget of free transfers and loan players. I lost all 5 friendlies but 1 game and am now 14 games into the season and am 2nd in League 2. Plymouth now have been taken over by a Tycoon who has plummeted 26mill into the club 11mill to boost finances and the rest for youth and facilities upgrade. However they havent boosted the tansfer or wage budget as yet. I forsee that this may happen in January when I will be able to hopefully spend money on my team but looking how there performing Im not sure if this will be required.

I am a veteran player and in FM2011 I won the league and cups at all clubs I managed at, these were top clubs (Ajax, Corinthians, Everton, Real Madrid) as I wanted to start at the top to sign the best players. In FM2012 I wanted to start at the bottom with what I percieved would be a difficult club (media prediciton 14th in table) but am finding that I am doing better that what I though I would with Plymouth.

Im too concerned about the difficulty level in the game. I am with Plymouth with a sunday league reputation and due to there financial problems built a team within the wage budget of free transfers and loan players. I lost all 5 friendlies but 1 game and am now 14 games into the season and am 2nd in League 2. Plymouth now have been taken over by a Tycoon who has plummeted 26mill into the club 11mill to boost finances and the rest for youth and facilities upgrade. However they havent boosted the tansfer or wage budget as yet. I forsee that this may happen in January when I will be able to hopefully spend money on my team but looking how there performing Im not sure if this will be required.

I am a veteran player and in FM2011 I won the league and cups at all clubs I managed at, these were top clubs (Ajax, Corinthians, Everton, Real Madrid) as I wanted to start at the top to sign the best players. In FM2012 I wanted to start at the bottom with what I percieved would be a difficult club (media prediciton 14th in table) but am finding that I am doing better that what I though I would with Plymouth.

Im not sure if Im just skilled at the game as been a veteran or the game is too easy even on Sun league footballer starting rep. Only time will tell I guess.

In my first season I won the Scottish 3rd division by about 20points. I've got Peterhead playing like Brazil, no joke

One idea could be to holiday a season or two and take over a club in new or different circumstances to real life. Similar to dafuge's challenge that I'm setting up a save with in this edition. These new and unknown situations mean us managers are thrown in at the deep end and don't already have knowledge of which players are outstanding and the miute details about existing clubs.

Just a thought. What do others think?

One idea could be to holiday a season or two and take over a club in new or different circumstances to real life. Similar to dafuge's challenge that I'm setting up a save with in this edition. These new and unknown situations mean us managers are thrown in at the deep end and don't already have knowledge of which players are outstanding and the miute details about existing clubs.

Just a thought. What do others think?

I effectively force myself to do that by starting with a team outside the top division and deliberately only signing regens from about the 3rd season on (and not using editors to look at their PAs), so I'm always signing unknown quantities, never real players where it might be possible to have prior knowledge on how good they will be on the game.

It definitely makes things more interesting and probably a bit harder in my view.

i'm in droylsden in the third season. I can tell you, BSN/BSS to bring up to the top league is utter ****. My chairman hates me, not giving me any funding, refusing to do anything to my facilities......and my team players are easily league 2 and one standards. But the BSP is ridiculously hard on my game

I'm participating in Gundos European adventure challenge and I can assure you managing in the Finnish first division with a previously unplayable club is far from easy, so far this is looking like the best FM I have played.

Haven't had this much fun in a save since FM08.

I think the problem is down to the kind of users who use this forum - the majority of us could be described as "seasoned" having played a lot of time over a number of iterations of the game. This means that we have got a very good understanding of the mechanics of the game, and have had a lot of time to adapt to the changes of the match engine. Therefore when we start a new game we are at a great advantage.

For example, in FM 11 you could've played 10, 20, 50 seasons of the game, and largely through trial and error have perfected our tactics and strategies. Now we don't make those mistakes that we made previously, or they are less frequently. If we see their attacking midfielder getting a lot of the ball, we now know how to nullify that threat. If we're seeing a lot of the ball without making many chances, we now how to improve on that area. Although the game has progressed one year, we have 50 seasons of experience.

I think the problem is down to the kind of users who use this forum - the majority of us could be described as "seasoned" having played a lot of time over a number of iterations of the game.

Especially as the match engine hasn't really changed this year. People are playing with hundreds of hours of experience and discounting the advantage this gives.

Well as the original poster I thought I'd continue with my thoughts. I might have to eat some humble pie. Been a particularly bad January for Brentford! We are now fifth and have only won one of the last six. An absolutely diabolical 3-1 defeat at home to Hartlepool in the last game. Things might be looking up (in a weird kind of way!)

Team talks really don't have anywhere near the kind of effect you think they do.

I'm not trying to sound like a plum here but are they kind of pointless then or do they have tangible effects?

Ive noticed my team take a down turn in form, Im scraping wins but getting what Id call scrappy ones rather than destroying teams

Excellent point. Teams never adjust to your tactic, players never want to leave, and morale is always good.

Wrong. This is nothing like I am experiencing.

I am playing as Southend, I am in the championship, it is Jan 2018.

For the past 4 years, every single year my top 5 or 6 players, newgens, have become unsettled and want to move to bigger clubs. NOTHING I do assuage this. They drop to abysmal morale and threaten to start unsettling other players. This causes me to lose my top players pretty much every season and for a pittance of what they should be worth.

If you're a team like Man City then yes it's too easy but try going a team you havent been before with not alot of money. It can be tough. I do find that the computer AI teams aren't very clever though and make terrible signings. Man City with all their money seem to buy useless players that end up in the reserves. Why arnt they putting in bids for players like Robben etc ?

Well as the original poster I thought I'd continue with my thoughts. I might have to eat some humble pie. Been a particularly bad January for Brentford! We are now fifth and have only won one of the last six. An absolutely diabolical 3-1 defeat at home to Hartlepool in the last game. Things might be looking up (in a weird kind of way!)

I am having a walkover with Bradford in L2 first season. On top of the league with 16 points down to 2nd place in March, eight matches to go.

However, they are a reasonably good team down there, so I didn't expect anything else since I managed to get 4-5 L1 and Championship-quality players to the club. I expect that L1 will be a success too, but once in The Championship I suspect that things will be different. I will no longer be able to loan good enough players on a free there (if things are like they were in FM11), and I will probably not manage to get PL-quality free signings so easily.

It is easy enough keeping a good morale as long as you're winning, but once you lose a couple of games in a row it -is- difficult to turn it around. Players with poor morale are awful!

I wish that SI would make the morale system less "bipolar". If the normal state of things is Fairly Poor, Ok or Fairly Good morale and a loss or two won't change that, there would be less weird results and less winning/losing streaks breaking people's suspension-of-disbelief. It should be as difficult getting Very Good and Superb morale across the team as Very Poor and Abysmal morale across the team. I mean it actually shouldn't be possible simply by winning and praising or by losing and slamming - you should need to have exceptional team bonding and rapport with the team to get the former, and exceptionally poor team bonding and complete loss of faith from the team to "achieve" the latter.

If you're a team like Man City then yes it's too easy but try going a team you havent been before with not alot of money. It can be tough. I do find that the computer AI teams aren't very clever though and make terrible signings. Man City with all their money seem to buy useless players that end up in the reserves. Why arnt they putting in bids for players like Robben etc ?

People keep saying this, but it's just as easy in the lower leagues....

I created a new team with no money and no players in the BSN. I signed my entire team of players from the free transfer market and I pretty much spank every team in sight quite often winning by 5+ goals. Maybe i've messed something up with the rep or something but pretty sure it all looks good.

I think i've lost a total of about 4 games across my entire time playing the game with 3 different saves!

I've held back from contributing to the "too easy" threads until I had a chance to put a good couple of seasons in.

I have played two season with Tottenham (thought I'd just play a couple with a top flight team to get a feel for the new version before entering the lower leagues).

Now, lets face it. Tottenham have a pretty good squad. But I won the league in my first season, finishing with 93 points and literally banging in 4 to 5 goals per game.

I take the point from the gent above, if you want a challenge, start with Solihul Moors. But I kind of think he's slightly missing the point as well. You want the game to be as realistic as possible. Number 1. Tottenham aren't that good. Number 2. I hate to admit it, but I'm not that good either. So to storm the league so easily was very disheartening. It even got to the point that I would cheer when other teams scored against me because I was hoping that my good run was just a flash in the pan, but no, sure enough, come the second half, Id thump four in and win the game.

I'd just like to finish by agreeing the the guy who started this post. The game itself is amazing! The best one yet, congratulations SI.

I'd just like to finish by agreeing the the guy who started this post. The game itself is amazing! The best one yet, congratulations SI.

It would be amazing if it wasent so easy. Been reading a lot on different FM forums, and this seem to be a common theme. In their first season people are winning their league with middel class teams, winning CL with teams like ajax, marseille or other teams of similar rep.