Conrad Kaine

Oh yes, this has been well documented. I have still not managed to sign one single, solitary player under the age of 18 on a pre-contract. I keep trying though, so I must be crazy or stupid. It's just really poor implementation.

So it looks like no updates to the ME? It was a little ambiguous with the "gameplay" wording. I have to concur with some of the comments on here that I can't see myself buying FM anymore, unless the feedback on the ME is exceptional. I've been playing since CM2, but personally I just haven't enjoyed the ME in the past few years. The game lives or dies by the ME in my view. I did think the beta was excellent, I hope if SI have one takeaway it's to make ME update optional, however, perhaps that's technically very difficult to do.

How is the match engine, guys? Possibly in the minority here, but I thought the Beta was the best ever and the last update was abysmal. So I haven't played much since then. Central attacking play and passing were replaced with aimless lofted passes. The perennial problem of lack of cutting in returned. Inverted players - wingers, forwards, especially full backs - completely nerfed. Really hope they've fixed it.

A few more points before I check out until March: The number of offsides has gone through the roof -- Of the 14 games (comprehensive highlights) I've played since the update, there are over 3 times as many offsides on average per game compared to the 14 games prior to the updated. Obviously linked to the large increase in lofted through balls I'm witnessing. Shot selection has become terrible -- why pass to the overlapping player when you can hammer the ball over the bar from 30 yards on your wrong foot. Shooting from bad angles is back. Generally, I feel finishing has become very erratic, although that is just a rough observation. I'm MASSIVELY under my .xg in almost every game now. Pressing seems far less intense Mis-controlled first touches are happening weirdly often now. To be honest, I wouldn't have bought the game if this had been the release version of the ME and it's a bit annoying I've sunk so many hours into playing it now.

A plea to SI....Please make the ME updates optional. I know there is controversy every year, this seems the only solution to me, if possible. The release version was superb, possibly the best ever. Fair play to the devs, they did an amazing job. Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't see too many through balls, but instead the ability to carve open opposition defences with decisive passing was the best it has been for years. The new update is a travesty. It feels like all the fun has been sucked out of the game in one 10 second update. Replaced with plodding aimless sufferball. Knock it around the back for a while and then hoof a lofted through ball -- multiply by 90 minutes. Inside forwards and inverted wingers, totally nerfed. Dribbling -- don't bother, you'll lose the ball. Players now overlapping each others' positions and getting in the way of each other. Inverted fullbacks, what the hell has happened there?? Cut backs, cutting inside, incisive one touch counter attacks... all disappeared into the ether. The much marketed 'chaos' factor reduced to a few bumbling poor first touches. Personally speaking my motivation to play the game is greatly diminished now. I guess we'll now have to wait until March for a possible improvement, which doesn't seem very fair considering it will be nearly half-way through this year's product life cycle. Back to my original point -- while the customer base has provided some vital feedback, it also feels like too many cooks have spoiled the broth. I hope the devs can have strength of conviction in their own vision for the ME. And more than anything I hope we can choose which version of the ME to play. Rant over. Sorry.

Is there any way to install the patch without the ME changes? Pre-patch ME is the best for many years in my view, but I'd like the other fixes/changes.

Yes unfortunately I'm travelling for work at the moment, I'll upload some when I'm back but probably not before the full release. Hopefully someone else can. But I do also find the less than one year stipulation to be a bit artificial.

Isn't the issue more about the negotiating starting at 16(ish), rather than literally moving clubs at that age? Undoubtedly something that has been spammed by FM players over the years, but also certainly something that happens in real life. I think SI haven't quite got the balance right with the blanket 'no' / zero interest and I expect they'll tweak it.

I don't think it's an exploit, although people have abused it over the years, which is entirely their choice. Real life obviously has more variables influencing it. There are some very condescending comments earlier in this thread. I fall somewhere in the middle. It should be difficult to sign players on pre-contracts before professional terms are agreed. But a blanket solution where you can't even enter negotiations lacks nuance and I can see why that's frustrating. Arsenal famously signed Fabregas in a similar manner, and 20 years later they were so clearly worried about 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri being poached they played him in a Premier League match. So it does happen and it remains something prevalent in the game. The implementation from SI is slightly draconian and I think they'll revise it. If Arsenal are trying to poach a 15-year-old from Watford, for example, of course negotiations should be held. If Lechia Gdansk are trying to poach a kid from Yokohama FM, the issue is more complex. There should be more variables in play than a blanket 'no'.