1 thing would make this game awesome for me

For the last 4 or 5 years I have continued buying this product each year despite only playing 10-30 hours or so before getting bored and going back to an earlier incarnation. Its fair to say everyone's fave CM/FM will be relative to when they had the most time to play it and maybe I thought that getting older and having more commitments were why i couldn't get into the games anymore. The major concern for me was every year it got harder and harder and harder to the point I am now pretty much crap at the game. I think winni8ng is important for enjoyment as well so i think that as a cumulative with the other issues has been the reason I have drifted in and out for a while.

I have however really got stuck into this one and already have over 24 hours clocked up and it was going great I was really enjoying pre seasoin and was gettinggreat results, the players i had brought in were doing the business and all was well. But the reguar season started 2 months ago now and I am doing terribly.

And then it clicked.

My Assistant takes care of all the friendlies and thus he makes changes dynamically throughout the match. I however do not, in fact I design a tactic and thats it i crack on withthe game. No home and away tactic etc. Just 1 tactic and I like to manage where my whily skills in the market, good handling ofthe media and tight budgetary control is where i excel. Its not that i cannot do the tactics side its that I simply dont care to.

I find the game very boring if Iam having to change tactics all the time. Even twice a season when its been "cracked" annoys the heck out of me but the latest games are a case oif having to change for every single game. This simply takes to long for me and involves a level of management I just dont care to get into. I used to be able to get a season done on a saturday if I pulled an all dayer, with the new system that is pure fantasy now and I think 3 seasons is the most i have managed with any team inthe last 4 titles.

I like to buy players and watch them develop and become club legends etc, with the game as is that is simply not accessible to me anymore, I thouht about going on holiday for a week at a time but found I miss too much and decisions i want tomake are made for me.

So i came to the conclusion what I want is an option for my Asistant to do the in game tactics, I will set the general parameters but he is free to tinker and change depending on how things are playing out. I would stil;l like to watch the match but for the sake of ease of programming I would be happy with the same format you have with him taking control of friendlies.

This would allow me more time to scout around and find players. It took me 7 hours to get to August so that should indicate just how much looking around I like to do.

I Know that people are probably going to say stupid things like "go play fifa manager " or some other dullard response similar but there must be more people like me who simply dont want to be as involved? The framework is in place as well for your assistant to be able to run the games so could this be patchable?

i think that would be a very good addition to the game actually im like you i pick one tactic and stick to it until it goes wrong lol but having the assistant maybe not choose it for you but as an adviser during the game making suggestions on which formation to play at any given time or maybe before the match

So i came to the conclusion what I want is an option for my Asistant to do the in game tactics

Go on holiday on matchdays?

Tactics are never cracked.

Try changing minor things tactically for different games. When you're expecting to win easily, playing attacking. When you're playing a team at a similar level to yourself, play balanced. When you're expecting to get a beating, play defensively.

Doesn't take very long to setup 3 tactics like that. Once you have made the first one, you just adjust and resave. Simple.

No team in real life uses the same tactical approach every game.

Go on holiday on matchdays?

I tried that but its not the same. I also dont get to watch the match.

Tactics are never cracked.

Try changing minor things tactically for different games. When you're expecting to win easily, playing attacking. When you're playing a team at a similar level to yourself, play balanced. When you're expecting to get a beating, play defensively.

Doesn't take very long to setup 3 tactics like that. Once you have made the first one, you just adjust and resave. Simple.

No team in real life uses the same tactical approach every game.

Appreciate totally that it would be slightly unrealistic as to the way real teams work but this is a game after all.

i think that would be a very good addition to the game actually im like you i pick one tactic and stick to it until it goes wrong lol but having the assistant maybe not choose it for you but as an adviser during the game making suggestions on which formation to play at any given time or maybe before the match

That could work as well but its not what im looking for, this would still involve me doing the tinkering. The whole point is so i dont have to.

I've said for three years that the asst manager should be able to be allocated some of the tactical stuff.

It shouldn't be 100% accurate that he gets it right every time, but just enough to stop the idiocy.

also, more AI would be useful.

Yes. I want me players to pass down the flanks.

No. I don't want them to do that on the one occasion in the match that my striker is going to be clear one-on-one if they pass it down the middle.

Yes. I want my defensive midfielder to hang back most of the time.

No. I don't want him to stop running in the centre-circle when my winger is breaking down the flank and he is, for some reason, the only player ahead of the rest of the opposition defence. I want him to belt up field in support.

Yes. I want my players to waste time when we're winning.

No. I don't want them to do that by standing in the centre-circle with the ball, wating to be tackled.

I think the tactics are a little too much for some, I tried to play a 2 player game with my step dad, and he just couldn't get into the game, there was far too much going on for him, good for us, but no so much for people who want to pick up the game for the first time.

I tried that but its not the same. I also dont get to watch the match.

Appreciate totally that it would be slightly unrealistic as to the way real teams work but this is a game after all.

That could work as well but its not what im looking for, this would still involve me doing the tinkering. The whole point is so i dont have to.

yes but with his advice could come a little tactical box with choose to change to assistants suggestion so its seamless

I don't agree with this 'get your assistant to take over tactics' idea.

But where I do think you have a point is that the default tactics are, quite frankly, rubbish. The game should include some simple tactics that actually work and will be reasonably effective without any tinkering.

The trouble with having either simpler tactics or an assistant option is that it would take part of the ambiguity out of the game. Ambiguity is required to ensure that the game doesn't just become a case of clicking a few boxes and you win your games. Tactically, FM must be equivocal, so that you can't always overachieve and sometimes you struggle to get the best out of a team. This is obviously a matter of how 'realistic' you want the game to be but it is not merely just that. It would become a very boring game if there was no ambiguity because success would be a guarantee.

It shouldn't be 100% accurate that he gets it right every time, but just enough to stop the idiocy.

also, more AI would be useful.

Yes. I want me players to pass down the flanks.

No. I don't want them to do that on the one occasion in the match that my striker is going to be clear one-on-one if they pass it down the middle.

Yes. I want my defensive midfielder to hang back most of the time.

No. I don't want him to stop running in the centre-circle when my winger is breaking down the flank and he is, for some reason, the only player ahead of the rest of the opposition defence. I want him to belt up field in support.

Yes. I want my players to waste time when we're winning.

No. I don't want them to do that by standing in the centre-circle with the ball, wating to be tackled.

Every real life manager up and down the country wants to stop the 'idiocy' of their players when they make the wrong decision. There has to be room for errors and mistakes. That's the beauty of football and of football management, surely? No matter how hard you prepare and how good your plans are, you can't do anything about a player taking a wrong decision and either following your instructions to the letter of the law or ignoring them entirely.

I do think though for user 'idiocy', i.e. an FM user who selects options that perhaps contradict each other, that this new assistant advice system could be very useful. At the moment, I think it is no where near its potential. But it could really help the new FM managers get any major errors worked out of their tactics.

Sorry, but no goalkeeper just ambles over to the side of the penalty area for no reason.

It's not idiocy to select contradicting options, because no one has the first clue what they actually do.

The assistant manager might help people to undrstand what the hell is going on.

I don't agree with this 'get your assistant to take over tactics' idea.

But where I do think you have a point is that the default tactics are, quite frankly, rubbish. The game should include some simple tactics that actually work and will be reasonably effective without any tinkering.

The trouble with having either simpler tactics or an assistant option is that it would take part of the ambiguity out of the game. Ambiguity is required to ensure that the game doesn't just become a case of clicking a few boxes and you win your games. Tactically, FM must be equivocal, so that you can't always overachieve and sometimes you struggle to get the best out of a team. This is obviously a matter of how 'realistic' you want the game to be but it is not merely just that. It would become a very boring game if there was no ambiguity because success would be a guarantee.

I disagree, I wasnt guaranteed success in CM 01/02 or CM4 even but i didnt have to fanny around with tactics every two seconds. I could design a basic framework and work from there.

This would be an "OPTION" not a default setting so it wouldnt effect you 1 iota if you didnt want it in game.

Sorry, but no goalkeeper just ambles over to the side of the penalty area for no reason.

It's not idiocy to select contradicting options, because no one has the first clue what they actually do.

The assistant manager might help people to undrstand what the hell is going on.

Nail on the head.I have read the tactical document and whilst all that makes sense and i can design a decent tactic that might work here and there it wont work consistently because realism stops it doing so. Okay fine well let my assitant make the minor changes to make sure we are doing what we can all the time.

I*m losing the majority of games not from being outclassed tactically but from not being arsed to make adjustments. I can actually watch the engine and see whats going wrong and i sit there and think "shall i spend 3 or 4 minutes tinkering to get it right with only the promise that it will work until they adjust their tactic or shall i just think meh and it all be over a lot quicker".

At teh very least the assitants feedback to be exapnded to actual step by step of what to do but that wouldnt really help me for what i want specifically but it would be better.

Obviously with this being the case a carefully selected Assitant would be paramount to my success as I rest so much responsibility on his shoulders but i would like that as I like tobuild a top notch backroom staff.

It's not idiocy to select contradicting options, because no one has the first clue what they actually do.

Not so. All instructions are elucidated in the manual. Also, the tactics forum is full of information that you can read in 5 minnutes or so. Following that you would have a good chance of making a good tactic.

The assistant manager might help people to undrstand what the hell is going on.

This is exactly what I said. I think the assistant manager feedback should be clearer and give more information about contradictions.

I disagree, I wasnt guaranteed success in CM 01/02 or CM4 even but i didnt have to fanny around with tactics every two seconds. I could design a basic framework and work from there.

This would be an "OPTION" not a default setting so it wouldnt effect you 1 iota if you didnt want it in game.

I never 'fanny' around with tactics as you so eloquently put it.

I set up a basic 'standard' framework and then save 'defensive' and 'attacking' versions of it. Takes me about 10 minutes to setup tactics at the start of the game and then I'm sorted. I alter tiny things at the beginning of each new season depending on personnel.

So, you see, it really is easy to come up with a solid tactical set without much effort.

I never 'fanny' around with tactics as you so eloquently put it.

I set up a basic 'standard' framework and then save 'defensive' and 'attacking' versions of it. Takes me about 10 minutes to setup tactics at the start of the game and then I'm sorted. I alter tiny things at the beginning of each new season depending on personnel.

So, you see, it really is easy to come up with a solid tactical set without much effort.

I think its a good system you have and I expect i could just about bring myself to change between defensive, normal and attacking versions of the same tactic at the start of each game................

Now just to make a good tactic

Nail on the head.I have read the tactical document and whilst all that makes sense and i can design a decent tactic that might work here and there it wont work consistently because realism stops it doing so.

You need to think in terms of a tactical set instead of just one tactic.

Tactics don't just stop working but sometimes you need a different approach.

If you're managing Liverpool and playing Man Utd away, you'll likely have a different approach than playing West Brom at home, for instance.

I have a tactical set that has worked for me consistently and it will continue to be solid and work well. As for getting the absolute most out of a tactic, tinkering is necessary. But that doesn't mean I have to get really complicated and tinker for hours. As it happens, I tweak for personnel ever so often.

I*m losing the majority of games not from being outclassed tactically but from not being arsed to make adjustments.

News flash here. You are losing, most likely, because you are being tactically outclassed and because you are approaching the game in the wrong way. There is a difference between making adjustments and just switching to a more defensive version of your tactic set.

You need to think in terms of a tactical set instead of just one tactic.

Tactics don't just stop working but sometimes you need a different approach.

If you're managing Liverpool and playing Man Utd away, you'll likely have a different approach than playing West Brom at home, for instance.

I have a tactical set that has worked for me consistently and it will continue to be solid and work well. As for getting the absolute most out of a tactic, tinkering is necessary. But that doesn't mean I have to get really complicated and tinker for hours. As it happens, I tweak for personnel ever so often.

News flash here. You are losing, most likely, because you are being tactically outclassed and because you are approaching the game in the wrong way. There is a difference between making adjustments and just switching to a more defensive version of your tactic set.

Dont suppose you would like to share these illustrious tactics? Like upload the 3 so i can see how you set all your sliders etc up?

Jay Awes, I have sent you a PM.

You could try downloading some of WWFan's tactical sets too and have a gander at how he sets up his silders for different tactical approaches.

I agree that the assistant commens should be more helpful. I also think that the default tactics should be setup into basic configurations that will work in a standard way at any team but that can be tweaked for different squads to maximise efficiency. At the moment, the default tactics aren't good enough.

Jay Awes, I have sent you a PM.

You could try downloading some of WWFan's tactical sets too and have a gander at how he sets up his silders for different tactical approaches.

I agree that the assistant commens should be more helpful. I also think that the default tactics should be setup into basic configurations that will work in a standard way at any team but that can be tweaked for different squads to maximise efficiency. At the moment, the default tactics aren't good enough.

Thanks for all your help thus far fella, I will report back when I have played 10 or so games.