Full set-piece designer

You know exactly what we want. Divide the pitch into zones for free kicks. Free kick taken in a given zone - game picks any one of our preset set-pieces (we can set an unlimited number) and executes it. We design player starting positions and possible runs.

We have been asking for this for years. Is there any chance we can actually have it soon? It was possible in Alex Ferguson's Player Manager on the original PlayStation. Surely it is possible now.

I have been asking for this since about CM03/04, think it would be a great addition. It wouldnt be too tough to implement as it could just be like the old school with ball and without ball pitch view

I remember a long-long time ago, there was a football managing game that did this. you could set up a play from kick off, free kicks and corners. except i often found it went wrong half way through because i lost possession so i didn't use it. It wasn't an FM/CM game, some random competitor that was good for one season then dissapeared

I think this would be alot harder to implement than some people think. If SI couldn't get the arrows to work properly without breaking the engine and allowing for tactics which make it easier to win then a set piece designer like this would be difficult.

It would be great to see if it worked though.

I've suggested this before, but I have to disagree with one thing - the unlimited choice of set pieces. There is simply no way that should be the case. Most footballers can barely remember where they are meant to be sleeping that night, let alone remembering an unlimited number of set pieces!

One other point, SI have said that they can't implement somthing like this because it would be too easy to exploit in a manner the AI can't. I would like to think a set piece designer is still possible, but it will perhaps have to be more limited in scope.

I think this would be alot harder to implement than some people think. If SI couldn't get the arrows to work properly without breaking the engine and allowing for tactics which make it easier to win then a set piece designer like this would be difficult.

It would be great to see if it worked though.

I agree with this. I can see them adding a little each year, though. Start off with DFK/IFKs in the final third with similar settings as corners, and work on it from there. Am sure they could have arrows and farrows and whatever working by 2011.

Been asking for this for ages. Would love to see it included.

To be fair, nothing abouit tactics has been revealed so maybe it has been added? In the Videos there are a lot of cut scenes showing x's and circles with arrows.

I'd just be happy if I could give more instructions to players re free kicks and corners i.e. being able to tell my players who to mark.

I remember a long-long time ago, there was a football managing game that did this. you could set up a play from kick off, free kicks and corners. except i often found it went wrong half way through because i lost possession so i didn't use it. It wasn't an FM/CM game, some random competitor that was good for one season then dissapeared

I think it may have been Ultimate Soccer Manager.

Ultimate Soccer Manager was a great game I even enjoyed it more than CM2 back then (tho CM2 was strangely more addictive), but yeah it died after USM98, and then CM3 came out, end of competition

I remember a long-long time ago, there was a football managing game that did this. you could set up a play from kick off, free kicks and corners. except i often found it went wrong half way through because i lost possession so i didn't use it. It wasn't an FM/CM game, some random competitor that was good for one season then dissapeared

i believe this was USM because it was the first management game on the pc i ever played, i have since beclared it to have been the worst ive ever played at the same time lol.

However i feel maybe if SI where to work on a feature like this for maybe two or three years before it actually became part of the game they could get it working correctly. However the system they currently have s good enolugh for me.

I would at least like a graphical representation of the current system, so you could actually get a view of the part of the pitch where the set-piece is taking place, and where you can drag your players to the various positions (e.g. lurk outside area, stand on far post, etc), instead of the current drop-down-menu. It would allow you to get a much quicker overview of what's going on and where you need to allocate your players.

I'd just be happy if I could give more instructions to players re free kicks and corners i.e. being able to tell my players who to mark.

Agree. Football pundits in real life spend all their time discussing the relative merits of zonal or man marking at corners, yet we can't even choose this, which seems crazy to me.

Sounds bloody awesome!

Personally I'd prefer different set pieces.

The types of set pieces could be determined by your coaching staff, players, captain, PPMs, playing styles, training regimes and opponents with your input on them being minimal.

It would be more about shaping set pieces than spelling them out.

It would allow set pieces to be far more fluid than they are now, changing from set piece to set piece based on the most up to date information on the match.

Just the ability to select from a dozen preset set pieces and train 3 or 4 at a time would be sufficient. If they are preset then there is no possibility to exploit. Human and AI have the same capability and there is enough variation in set pieces to keep the interest up.

Just the ability to select from a dozen preset set pieces and train 3 or 4 at a time would be sufficient. If they are preset then there is no possibility to exploit. Human and AI have the same capability and there is enough variation in set pieces to keep the interest up.

But it would still be massively limited.

Set pieces need to be as fluid and realistic as possible, and the only way to do that without giving human managers an inherent advantage is to do it in a way similar to what I have outlined above.

I think a full set-piece editor has massive problems.

But an improved version of the current system, one that allows us to define who takes from which areas, is a necessity and I'm disappointed it's still not been done.

I'd also say it's a necessity to be able to define different plans in relation to different takers.

What about something like a the tactics screen?

Simply put, have an arrow showing the taker where to put it (like the ones in the tactics screen) to say 9 different areas. Then have twelve spots for players to stand- the nine for the arrow, plus three more further back.

I've tried to create a picture of what I mean in Paint, but my image skills aren't great.

Dark blue and red dots are player locations, light blue dots could also be player locations.

Pink dots are places players could stand using the current system- posts, 'keeper, short, wall, lurking. I'd like to see these instructions kept (as well as back of course).

Black dot is the ball- arrow indicates the flight it should take, depending on the abilty and PPMs of the taker and the wind. The arrow must end on a red dot.

In case you haven't worked it out, green dot is oppo's keeper, white dots are the wall.

It could be complicated for a beginner, but for more advanced players it could be fun.

Sorry to say, but this isnt an idea I like, due to the inherent advantage it would give over AI.

I know this is obvious, but bears saying I think:

How about designing an AI that could take significant advantage of Set Pieces?

I have high hopes that the AI starts learning and adapting in future versions of the game. As it is right now it seems the game has painted itself into a corner wrt tactics. C'mon SI, you can do it! FM2012: Baysian Botland edition. I'm ready.

I think a full set-piece editor has massive problems.

But an improved version of the current system, one that allows us to define who takes from which areas, is a necessity and I'm disappointed it's still not been done.

I'd also say it's a necessity to be able to define different plans in relation to different takers.

I have to agree about the set piece designer, and would also like to see more options.

Think Dave has mentioned it before, you should be able to set different takers for crossing and shooting from free kicks, and on the left, right, centre, from deep and from around the area.

It'd be a great addition IMO

It is used in reallife, so I think it would be good to be added but with no possibility to exploit. Which would be hard to get other than having preset ones, but that would not give you the freedom of making your own, so everything comes with good and bad things

Anyway, ANYTHING would be better than what happens now, where for EVERY SINGLE CORNER each player lines up in EXACTLY THE SAME POSITION because you can only tell them one thing to do, unless you want to go into Tactics between every single set-piece and change things around just for the sake of realism.

Sorry to say, but this isnt an idea I like, due to the inherent advantage it would give over AI.

The AI could have their 'default' or simple designs of set-pieces, much like they do with tactics.

I think it would be a great addition, it wouldn't even need to be completely complex. For example, a set piece taken in the left attacking midfield position/zone (on the tactics screen).

Simply be able to set 5-6 players make runs from the edge of the box to the 6-yard line and have a right footer cross to the far post.

Though of course, I have no idea how difficult this may be to implement.

Also, changing it so our main set piece taker stops laying it off to a centre back when taking a free kick just outside the box would also be great.