I Really Hate To Say Goodbye

I have played this game for so long and been hooked since day 1, so this is a really sad day for me.

Since patch 14.2 onwards i have just not been able to get into a single saved game that i have started and have become absolutely and totally disillusioned with the whole thing.

I must have started between 15-20 new games over the past week alone, some i have not even managed to get through pre season, whilst others i have had to quit due to pure frustration.

Below i'm going to try to explain just why i'm at such a low ebb with FM14.

1. Injuries - Since 14.2 onwards a lot of my new saves have been ended due to a massive increase in injuries as early as pre season. I usually start the game with the transfer window closed to maximise the realism, but due to injury issues since the afore mentioned patch(es) where i have had as many as 50% of my first team players injured before the season even kicks off, i had to start new games with the window open just so that i could add extra numbers to the squad in the hope that i would have a decent 11 to play when the season started.

2. Morale - Again since the afore mentioned patch(es) found that my overall team morale would drop significantly from one match to the next and players with very good and superb morale just days before would see their morale drop significantly by the next game. I tried to delve into the reasons behind this and started to take notice of opposition Manager interviews and my own, but nothing seemed to point to any particular reason.

3. Substitutions - I'm not going to start guessing at actual stats, but i'm sure that i read recently that the time the actual ball is in play in a game of football is around 30=40 minutes out of the 90. I cannot grasp how in some of my games i have seen it take up to 12 minutes to make a change? During this time i find that i can either lose a player to a worse injury or not be able to immediately change my tactical style, for instance to shut up shop for the final minutes of a game.

4. Tactics and the Match Engine - This has become my biggest issue by far, below i will post some screenshots of stats from my most recent saved game and then go on to explain why this is such a massive issue.

Games like the above can add up to as much as 80% of matches played, this is an absolutely excessive amount, especially when you take into consideration that the amount of game i WIN in these situations is a whopping 0%, yes 0%.

I worried that i might be making some glaring mistakes, so apart from watching more in depth highlights and logging the statistics, i went back to square 1 and started scrutinizing what i thought to be the most important parts of the game.

(a) Training - Read through thread after thread of other peoples take on training and set my principles as usual to the most respected and proven idea's.

(b) Team Talks - I noticed i was getting much less reaction in recent patches, but nothing seems to have changed in this manner according to FM Forums.

© Corner Routines - Both attacking and defensive, again little has changed in this respect and i simply went with forum favourites.

(d) Tactics - This was a gargantuan endeavour, as i not only tried putting together my own using principles suggested on this very forum as well as others, but also trying d/loaded tactics that were the cream of the crop in some very well perceived tactic tests, but results as usual were similar and familiar with those of the few screenshots posted above.

I then started to take notice of the in game stats, especially shooting/goals stats, including ccc's, hc's, set pieces, long shots, individual error, og's etc etc. And in every single stat noted and considered it somehow averages out that the AI is more likely to score from any any of the aforementioned possibilities at a rate of more than 4 to 1 against the human manager(based on stats taken v's the human manager only)

This is a absolutely massive difference, but clearly shows why so many of my results end up as i've shown and why i am finding it absolutely impossible to carry on with any given save since patch 14.2 onward was released.

So before i finally quit for good my obsession with FM, i just wanted to ask if what i have stated above are known issues and that the next(final) patch will largely make things right again within the game and make FM playable once again?

Thanks

My posts are still invisible i take it?

Please reply if you can actually read this thread, thanks

I completely agree with everything you've written.

Especially the problem of loosing (or drawing but to a lesser extent) games even though my team has completely dominated the match. I realize these things do happen sometimes and the winning team is not always the the "best" one, however when you consistently create at least 4 to 5 times as many chances as your opponent (including CCC) and still only win about 3 games out of every 10 then you really start to consider that the game is deeply broken...

I've been playing football manager (and championship manager before that) since CM98-99 so it's not like I'm just **** at the game, sadly the FM2014 seems to be the worst game SI has ever released and now months after release still seems to have comprehensive flaws which make it borderline unplayable.

You could have played the game since day one and still not be very good at it, the length of time you have played Champ/FM has no real bearing at all on FM14.

As for the OP, i think your over thinking things. Its a game afterall, if your not enjoying it, just walk away from it, find another game you enjoy, or go back to a previous FM you did enjoy.

So you get a lot of these "OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!" posts and topics, but the one question remains. IF it's broken, then why isn't it affecting absolutely everyone?

You could have played the game since day one and still not be very good at it, the length of time you have played Champ/FM has no real bearing at all on FM14.

What I mean to say is that I have a good understanding of how the game works and the problem isn't that I don't know how to play the game but that the game is fundamentally broken. As I said, you're never guaranteed to win a game just because you are dominating it, but if you dominate game after game you should at least end the season with more wins than defeats.

The amount of games where the opposing team has only 1-2 shots on goal yet score on every shot is ridiculous. As OP stated, its not realistic that all other teams seem to have a higher ratio of scored goals to chances than your own team. Sure, it can happen every so often but not in every single game.

Maybe your a poor manager? lol I have started plenty of saves on FM14. Some pre-seasons are great and some are poor. Pre season isn't about winning, its mainly about fitness and gelling the team together.

Stats never tell the full story. Take West Ham v Swansea this weekend. 65% Possession went to Swansea but they lost 2-0. Swansea also had 20 shots compared to West Hams 11.

So you get a lot of these "OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!" posts and topics, but the one question remains. IF it's broken, then why isn't it affecting absolutely everyone?

I have no idea. I can only speak of my experience of the game and from that I can only conclude that there are a number of issues that are game breaking and/or makes the game completely unrealistic.

The other issue is that most people on here start looking for problems.

Sorry to say it's really amazing how you speak always and only in defense of the game, without being objective, even if the evidence is clear and proven, as a fanboy kid...

Or maybe you're the lawyer of sigames in this forum....

What evidence?

I have no idea. I can only speak of my experience of the game and from that I can only conclude that there are a number of issues that are game breaking and/or makes the game completely unrealistic.

Ok, I take your point on some things that genuinely are there but matter to some more than others. I'm specifically talking about ME "issues" like most of the screenshots in the OP. If they truly were as game-breaking as claimed, then how come they're not affecting everyone?

Sorry to say it's really amazing how you speak always and only in defense of the game, without being objective, even if the evidence is clear and proven, as a fanboy kid...

Or maybe you're the lawyer of sigames in this forum....

:lol:I'm just explaining from my own view of the game and the experience that I have had from my own saves. Or can we only post if we want to criticise the game now?? Was only providing my view with an example of recent RL stats

What I mean to say is that I have a good understanding of how the game works and the problem isn't that I don't know how to play the game but that the game is fundamentally broken. As I said, you're never guaranteed to win a game just because you are dominating it, but if you dominate game after game you should at least end the season with more wins than defeats.

The amount of games where the opposing team has only 1-2 shots on goal yet score on every shot is ridiculous. As OP stated, its not realistic that all other teams seem to have a higher ratio of scored goals to chances than your own team. Sure, it can happen every so often but not in every single game.

So what you are saying is you set your tactics up to dominate possession but give little thought as to how you are going to defend against a team when they counter attack?

Yes the game needs work in some areas but blaming the game for everything that goes wrong isn't right either you need to take some responsibility yourself.

Ok, I take your point on some things that genuinely are there but matter to some more than others. I'm specifically talking about ME "issues" like most of the screenshots in the OP. If they truly were as game-breaking as claimed, then how come they're not affecting everyone?

As post #10 pretty much.

So you get a lot of these "OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!" posts and topics, but the one question remains. IF it's broken, then why isn't it affecting absolutely everyone?

Because the "window of success/doing it right" is too narrow and/or too close to what the AI does?

It would be nice to see an official representative from SI comment about this thread as i have just bought FM 2014 today, i was hoping for the 3rd and final January window patch which fixes everything?

Any idea when it will be released?

Because the "window of success/doing it right" is too narrow and/or too close to what the AI does?

But is it that narrow? That's mostly rhetorical, and another story entirely, but personally I think it's overstated by a lot of people how hard 14 is to get right. You get the complaints of people not wanting to read an essay on tactics, but that's just not needed. I think it just takes a blank canvas and some common sense, throwing out any preconceived notions of FM's before.

If there is a window of success though as you put it, then surely the game isn't broken? Broken suggests you cannot win, which is patently untrue.

It would be nice to see an official representative from SI comment about this thread as i have just bought FM 2014 today, i was hoping for the 3rd and final January window patch which fixes everything?

Any idea when it will be released?

You won't get an official comment, or a date. It'll be announced when it's out, and probably drop sometime between the end of February and end of March. Anything more is pure speculation. And if you're expecting a silver bullet that solves every woe then once it is released, you probably won't get that either. They're working on a few things.

If like last year it will be March and when its ready. If its rushed then more people will complain its been rushed and untested.....

Also, if the OP is still around, this sentence is pretty telling

I must have started between 15-20 new games over the past week alone, some i have not even managed to get through pre season, whilst others i have had to quit due to pure frustration.

So, what, a handful of games in each save? How are you possibly going to get a feel for how a save is going if you give it a few minutes?

So you get a lot of these "OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!" posts and topics, but the one question remains. IF it's broken, then why isn't it affecting absolutely everyone?

There are those that it doesn’t bother, those that it doesn’t matter to, and those that will just simply say whatever SI do is fantastic/great. That doesn’t mean that a product isn’t ‘broken’, for want of a better word.

I think, and this is only my opinion, that the general consensus is that the game broken. That was always the way the series was going to head when SI continually use the paying public as their testers. What I would suggest to the OP is do what I do and, in the future, do not buy the game till it is properly patched in Feb/March. That way, you still get a years worth of game, and, if enough people do it, it may encourage SI to not release a, generally considered IMO, sub optimal product.

jimbob. I agree with a lot of what you are saying but if you don't mind me saying, (please don't take this the wrong way because I promise I am not just trying to rile you), but...... you are the issue.

It's not about this tactic or that tactic or this bug or that bug, (of course there are bugs), it's about your mentality.

What I mean is every time you see something you don't like, you start again.

I must have started between 15-20 new games over the past week alone

I played half a season with the demo, (I wasn't aware that you could keep going), and then started the save I am on now. I'm now Feb 2023 and doing ok. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been good. I was relegated in 04/05 and lost all but 2 league games that season. (I thought my head was going to explode). Now, once again, i am in a save that will keep me going until.... whenever.

I have been relegated, lost playoffs, seen the best 2 San Marino newgens in the game also come through with Italian as a secondary Nationality and choose to be Italian, I have lost the last 2 Cup finals, conceded more goals from long-throws than Rory Delap has had wet dreams about and..... oh yeah, the San Marino local council planning officer ******* hates me.

That being said, there is nothing short of getting busy at work, serious illness and laptop malfunction that will stop me playing this save. (Well maybe a couple of blonde's and/or a skiing holiday might also drag me away for a while.

I'm lovin it!

So what you are saying is you set your tactics up to dominate possession but give little thought as to how you are going to defend against a team when they counter attack?

Dominating possession is usually the way to try to counteract a counter attacking team, no?

Yes the game needs work in some areas but blaming the game for everything that goes wrong isn't right either you need to take some responsibility yourself.

Which is why I mentioned that I have a long experience of SI games, I've also read extensively on this forum (as well as other sources) to understand how this new game is different from the old ones so as to understand how tactics work and so on. Even when playing very defensively and even when playing in a way so that my team only concedes a couple of shots per game the AI controlled teams all score goals at a ridiculously effective shots to goal ratio. I have tried a number of different solutions including reading team guides and downloading tactics (and so on) the problem is much deeper than me not being good at FM.

But is it that narrow? That's mostly rhetorical, and another story entirely, but personally I think it's overstated by a lot of people how hard 14 is to get right. You get the complaints of people not wanting to read an essay on tactics, but that's just not needed. I think it just takes a blank canvas and some common sense, throwing out any preconceived notions of FM's before.

If there is a window of success though as you put it, then surely the game isn't broken? Broken suggests you cannot win, which is patently untrue.

No Broken = Unbalanced. Unplayable = Unenjoyable to the point of it being pointless playing.

FM14 is too narrow in its tactical approaches if WWfan's guidelines of movement between lines, role pairings and passing strategy are not overridden by player quality and/or AI decision intelligence to a high enough degree.

Getting it right should be a skill that requires effort to master. It should give you an advantage over the AI, but that is all. It should not determine the larger functionality of the tactic. If you choose to delve into it, you should be rewarded. If not, the other two aspects of the game, Squad Building and Man Management, should compensate enough unless the tactic is beyond stupid; like for instance three target men up front, or no midfielders, or only narrow players. A tactic which has enough players taking risks and enough players playing it safe, where you create many types of chances and can defend against an ok variety of other approaches should at the very least allow your team to perform at around their expected level. The amount of people complaining and a close reading of what they are actually saying tells me that FM14.2 does not have this balance quite right.

The fact that some do not experience any of that has no bearing on anything, although suggesting that the complainers post their tactical setup is always a good idea given the expectation that you could do the above in the past and so you should be able to pick up the game and play now as well. That is what SI should read from the complaints, imo.

Dominating possession is usually the way to try to counteract a counter attacking team, no?

It is one way, yes. You can't have 100% possession, so you have to think about how your team will defend when the opposition eventually gets the ball.

Unplayable?

Player and team history vanishing makes the game unplayable to those who experience it.

Unenjoyable in no way at all, EVER, equates to unplayable.

Come on guys. Unplayable is the black screen of death or the injury problems with CM4, (now there was an unplayable game).

This game isn't perfect, but which FM ever is? Last years was pretty decent, but was it decent before the patches? Really?

Some of you come on here and haven't even experienced bugs. You just see others posting about them so jump on the bandwaggon. Why don't you see if you can find a workaround for any potential bugs. There are bugs with human controlled attacking long throws and defensive corners. It's by no means fool-proof but I have a workaround for both.

I remember there was in issue with full-backs in.... (I think it was FM08 but not sure), where your defender wouldn't get goal-side of the attacker properly and it was almost impossible to turn him inside. Well after what seemed like ages experimenting, I finally managed to do it only to have a patch be released 2 or 3 days later and make my accomplishment null and void.

Look. This is a game. It is meant to be fun. If you are not having fun then don't play it.

I love FM but at some point even the die hards like myself have to admit that the ME is appalling at the moment. It's just a fact, it doesn't resemble a game of football at all for me. Aside from that, this is generally an exceptional effort from SI but that ME is woeful.

Unplayable?

Player and team history vanishing makes the game unplayable to those who experience it.

Unenjoyable in no way at all, EVER, equates to unplayable.

Come on guys. Unplayable is the black screen of death or the injury problems with CM4, (now there was an unplayable game).

Well I mostly play FM online with a friend and we pretty much never go through a playing session without the game having crashed at least once. Also, sometimes the game will just kick me out (he runs the server) and we both have to restart the game for me to be able to reconnect to the game. Sometimes even before we have started playing the game I cannot connect to the game and in those cases we both usually restart the game a couple of times before I'm able to connect to the game.

Once in the game, I also experience the bug (that many others have reported) which means that staff advice doesn't work at all. Also, we can't watch each others games (whenever we don't have games at the same time or one is finished before the other). Usually that means the game crashes about 70% of the time.

So, sadly, yes the game is nearly unplayable. In fact, after our gaming session last night my friend said he's had enough and doesn't want to play the game anymore. That's pretty much the reason I'm here on the boards now. I feel like this incarnation of FM is the worst, I remember last year also being poor until the last patch but this seems worse than the last one (comparing both pre final patch) but maybe I'm just getting old and don't have as much patience any more...

I love FM but at some point even the die hards like myself have to admit that the ME is appalling at the moment. It's just a fact, it doesn't resemble a game of football at all for me. Aside from that, this is generally an exceptional effort from SI but that ME is woeful.

I think you need to re-check the definition of the word FACT......

Well I mostly play FM online with a friend and we pretty much never go through a playing session without the game having crashed at least once. Also, sometimes the game will just kick me out (he runs the server) and we both have to restart the game for me to be able to reconnect to the game. Sometimes even before we have started playing the game I cannot connect to the game and in those cases we both usually restart the game a couple of times before I'm able to connect to the game.

Once in the game, I also experience the bug (that many others have reported) which means that staff advice doesn't work at all. Also, we can't watch each others games (whenever we don't have games at the same time or one is finished before the other). Usually that means the game crashes about 70% of the time.

So, sadly, yes the game is nearly unplayable. In fact, after our gaming session last night my friend said he's had enough and doesn't want to play the game anymore. That's pretty much the reason I'm here on the boards now. I feel like this incarnation of FM is the worst, I remember last year also being poor until the last patch but this seems worse than the last one (comparing both pre final patch) but maybe I'm just getting old and don't have as much patience any more...

Have you posted in the technical issues forum if it crashes so often for you? They can have a look and help you out.

Dominating possession is usually the way to try to counteract a counter attacking team, no?

Not at all.

The opposition choosing to counter attack is usually a result of your team dominating possession, not the other way round.

A lot of users also seem to overestimate the importance of possession, its not how much you have but what you do with it that counts - Man City/Chelsea last night being a good example of that.

Which is why I mentioned that I have a long experience of SI games, I've also read extensively on this forum (as well as other sources) to understand how this new game is different from the old ones so as to understand how tactics work and so on.

As has been pointed out already, extensive experience of FM and football in general is no guarantee that a person develops good tactics as proven by many users this last six months (Talking in general btw not specifically at you as I haven't seen your tactics).

Formations & tactics in football include a tradeoff, too attacking and you leave yourself open at the back, too defensive and you struggle going forwards. Now more than ever in FM you need to find a balance between attack & defence going more attacking or defensive when the need arises.

Even when playing very defensively and even when playing in a way so that my team only concedes a couple of shots per game the AI controlled teams all score goals at a ridiculously effective shots to goal ratio. I have tried a number of different solutions including reading team guides and downloading tactics (and so on) the problem is much deeper than me not being good at FM.

The ME is the same for every team and does not distinguish between human & AI manager. If the AI managers convert a higher % of their chances then its simply because they are making better tactical choices than you are.

Its probably worth pointing out that this includes building tactics that aim to dominate possession. An inherent flaw of this type of tactic, not just in FM but RL also, is that when the opposition make a successful counter attack it often leads to a good chance to score. The flip side is that you aim to minimise these opportunities.

ormishen. I get that. If a game keeps kicking you out then it is indeed unplayable. I play an online game with my son and apart from having a few problems when we set it up, (and my laptop overheating), we have never had a problem. If you do though, make sure you report it. There might be a really basic fix that they can help you with. The guys in the testing team can be really helpful. You do realise though that with any online game, external connections issues might play a role? (Just might).

Look, I'm not trying to defend everything, (far from it), but either play or don't play), but don't waste your time complaining about it. It's pretty much the same every year isn't it?

Lot's of people decide that they are not gonna buy next years issue or whatever, but the reality is that they do.

I stayed with FM09 until most of the way though FM13. Didn't play a demo and rarely came onto the forums. That's the way to do it when you have a game that you like. The problem is that everyone is attracted by this new and shiny issue each year and the cycle starts again.

It's your choice.

Sorry but I have to say that I'm also playing online with 2 friends and we face none of these problems, except from the staff advice for clients not working. It's a known issue as far as I know.

But no crashes, no disconnects or need for a game reboot etc..

And generally, I think people are exaggerating in this topic, a lot. The game is not by any chance "unplayable" but it does have issues. Some may hate them more than others but calling it "unplayable" is too much.

What I honestly don't get though generally, is why MEs have to be so different each year. I mean why not just take the last one of FM13 and improve on it? Was there a need for a whole new one? Was it actually a new one or they fiddled with the old one and got these results?

I mean I find weird that wingers almost can't cross without hitting a wing back...this was never an issue in past years. Is there a need for a new ME each year?

I really struggle with these kinds of threads I must be honest.

Are there problems with FM14? Yes.

Is the game unplayable? No

Is it your tactics? Normally

From a personal point of view I am enjoying this years game more than any other. Yes there are issues with the ME and such like but it doesn't ruin it for me and looking at the amount of time I've played the game compared to last year tells its own story already.

The screenshots you have posted show what? You had more of the ball, more chances and were indeed the better side but didn't win a game. There are plenty of times this happens week in week out. I notice you've put three matches up but it's the end of October so you've played what, 10 to 15 games of the season. What's happening in the other games? Seriously, Is it a case that you've won a few and because you won the game everything is perfect.

I have just very quickly had a look at this season stats for West Ham in the Premier League and from what I've seen they have had the most possession in four games so far this season and amazingly in those four games they have:

Lost 1-0 with 60% possession having twice as many shots (18 to 9) and five on target to the oppositions 2.

Drew 0-0 with 59% possession having 17 shots to 8.

Lost 3-1 win 53% of the ball having less efforts that the opposition but again it is only 1 goal from 12 efforts.

Finally they drew 0-0 with 63% possession, not scoring with 11 efforts.

That makes 58 shots on goal in four PL games and scoring just the once and picking up two points.

Finally in real life West Ham have lost 1-0 to both Hull and Stoke and drew with West Brom so basically you are better than Big Sam, because that's how it works, right?

A tactic which has enough players taking risks and enough players playing it safe, where you create many types of chances and can defend against an ok variety of other approaches should at the very least allow your team to perform at around their expected level.

I'm more inclined that is part of the problem for some, actually. Others having been pointed out, such as the OP stating he started 34374987 saves without even making it through pre-season.

As long as battering rams such as these evidently prove successful, I remain unconvinced of the theory that one dimensional and static tactics always completely override player quality and squad/man management. :-) Unfortunately, it comes down to the individual. As it might take levels of persistence and nerves of not getting all riled up over the odd individual statistically dominated but still lost match, levels which not everyone is ready to invest ("started countless saves already", "barely make it through pre-season anymore"). For others, that is less of a problem.

I love FM but at some point even the die hards like myself have to admit that the ME is appalling at the moment. It's just a fact, it doesn't resemble a game of football at all for me. Aside from that, this is generally an exceptional effort from SI but that ME is woeful.

There are no facts, just opinions.

The best thing I ever did was get onto the tactics forum and have a good read. Honestly it's changed how I play and I've been playing for more years than I care to admit.

The other thing to do of course is to just try and work it out yourself. (It's huuuuugely rewarding and enjoyable when you have even a small amount of success that you know you are responsible for.

From what people say on here, rather than going into T&TGF to read and understand and learn, what they actually do is copy and download so that when tactics might need a tweak or a player doesn't quite fit in, then they don't know what is wrong and more importantly can't work out how to fix it.

My advice to everyone, (including me). Read more and type less.

I think you need to re-check the definition of the word FACT......

Funny guy!

I'm not slating the game, because I think outside the match engine it's by far the best effort SI have ever produced, I just think the ME is a huge let down this year and is extremely poor. It's an opinion, but one shared by an awful lot of people this year. I think if the ME gets sorted we have an incredible game.

To come from the "ive played this game since the dawn of time" point of view. I have played FM/Champ for as long as ive been able to, and i had to sit down and re-think my approach this year, i made a thread, i got some much needed help and ive not looked back. Its just not the same game it was tactically years ago. Your almost better coming to FM14 having not played previous versions, in a tactical sense, as you dont fall into the traps previous versions have allowed.

I go on other forums with FM threads, these guys dont post on here, or most of them dont, and they really dont post up alot of the so called issues, if they struggle they ask the other guys for help, and most of them enjoy the challenge of winning at the game. If you ever get to the point where you think of FM as more of a chore than a game, then its time to walk away, even for a period of time. There really is no point sitting down to play a game you dont enjoy night after night and there is even less point playing a game you dont enjoy every day, just to post on the forums to say your still not enjoying it.

Funny guy!

I'm not slating the game, because I think outside the match engine it's by far the best effort SI have ever produced, I just think the ME is a huge let down this year and is extremely poor. It's an opinion, but one shared by an awful lot of people this year. I think if the ME gets sorted we have an incredible game.

So its an opinion, not a fact, thats all you had to say in the first place.

The other thing to do of course is to just try and work it out yourself. (It's huuuuugely rewarding and enjoyable when you have even a small amount of success that you know you are responsible for.

From what people say on here, rather than going into T&TGF to read and understand and learn, what they actually do is copy and download so that when tactics might need a tweak or a player doesn't quite fit in, then they don't know what is wrong and more importantly can't work out how to fix it.

My advice to everyone, (including me). Read more and type less.

Exactly that. "Why doesn't this Dortmund tactic I downloaded work with Barnsley? Its the ME, the game is broken."

That is the kind of thing I see and hear all the time. Even upto FM13 I was one that would load up the game, select a formation and just play with maybe changing a couple of sliders. I did ok, was never going to take Whitehawk to the Champions League but I was happy enough.

This time round I started a save and played about with tactics but couldn't settle at a club. My second save on FM14 was with Cambridge, I've just past the 900 games in charge and I am in 2031. For the first four or five seasons I was almost a game away from the sack constantly it seemed but I kept tweaking an working on different things tactically, understanding more about the roles etc.

Now im 900 odd games in and loving it. I won't spoil exactly how I'm doing as I have a Career Thread here but it is by far the most enjoyable save I've ever had. Not bad for a broken game...

To come from the "ive played this game since the dawn of time" point of view. I have played FM/Champ for as long as ive been able to, and i had to sit down and re-think my approach this year, i made a thread, i got some much needed help and ive not looked back. Its just not the same game it was tactically years ago. Your almost better coming to FM14 having not played previous versions, in a tactical sense, as you dont fall into the traps previous versions have allowed.

I go on other forums with FM threads, these guys dont post on here, or most of them dont, and they really dont post up alot of the so called issues, if they struggle they ask the other guys for help, and most of them enjoy the challenge of winning at the game. If you ever get to the point where you think of FM as more of a chore than a game, then its time to walk away, even for a period of time. There really is no point sitting down to play a game you dont enjoy night after night and there is even less point playing a game you dont enjoy every day, just to post on the forums to say your still not enjoying it.

Well said that man.

Now im 900 odd games in and loving it. I won't spoil exactly how I'm doing as I have a Career Thread here but it is by far the most enjoyable save I've ever had. Not bad for a broken game...

You now have another reader.

You now have another reader.

I've already spoilt how I do against Stoke on penalties, so sorry! Enjoy the read.

ormishen. I get that. If a game keeps kicking you out then it is indeed unplayable. I play an online game with my son and apart from having a few problems when we set it up, (and my laptop overheating), we have never had a problem. If you do though, make sure you report it. There might be a really basic fix that they can help you with. The guys in the testing team can be really helpful. You do realise though that with any online game, external connections issues might play a role? (Just might).

Look, I'm not trying to defend everything, (far from it), but either play or don't play), but don't waste your time complaining about it. It's pretty much the same every year isn't it?

Lot's of people decide that they are not gonna buy next years issue or whatever, but the reality is that they do.

I stayed with FM09 until most of the way though FM13. Didn't play a demo and rarely came onto the forums. That's the way to do it when you have a game that you like. The problem is that everyone is attracted by this new and shiny issue each year and the cycle starts again.

It's your choice.

I'm fully aware that the online issues may very well be due to other issues and that's the reason I didn't include any of it in my previous posts. Tbh I'm not attributing any of the online issues to the "unplayability" of the game. My problems with the game are mainly gameplay related, such as having way to many injuries, conceding way to many goals from corners, teams basically being unable to score from one-on-one chances (though the AI has no problems with this, hmm...) and so on. Other ME problems like my players running into each other waaaaaay more often than what should be realistic and the AI teams scoring from basically every chance they get.

As I said, I play the game mainly online with a friend and I know for a fact that he experiences the exact same problems despite playing a completely different game from me tactically. We have also saved multiple files and run them with different tactics, done extensive research/reading forums (here and elsewhere) reading guides to tactics and general guides to games, including how to set teams up, what kind of player roles suit each other and what mentalities of players affect each other and so on. Saying that my tactics don't work because I don't know how the game/tactics in the game works is BS. At this point I could probably write a master thesis on the inner workings of FM if I so choose to. For me, there is no other explanation, the game is fundamentally broken, and to be perfectly honest, the AI cheats.

Yeah, I probably should stop buying FM and supporting a product I've stopped enjoying but there isn't really an alternate product which I could buy instead, and I suppose I am in a way an addict that needs his fix haha.

such as having way to many injuries,

Is it possible that you or your coaches are partly responsible for this? The reason I ask is because it is not happening to the majority as far as I'm aware, (and certainly not happening to me).

conceding way to many goals from corners,

This used to happen to me. Now I have created a tactical workaround that now sees me do this to the AI. I am lucky I am/was a ruby player so had a slight different perspective on things.

teams basically being unable to score from one-on-one chances

I must admit I have never really encountered anything seriously wrong with that. I'm just lucky to get a one on one. lol

Other ME problems like my players running into each other waaaaaay more often than what should be realistic and the AI teams scoring from basically every chance they get.

I must admit I quite like the players running into eachother.

ormishen. Do you mind if I ask, do you usually play with a team that might be expected to win more games than it loses?

At this point I could probably write a master thesis on the inner workings of FM if I so choose to. For me, there is no other explanation, the game is fundamentally broken, and to be perfectly honest, the AI cheats. .

See that's the problem there. Until you realise that there are things that you can do tactically to influence things then there is just no point. It's the same problem with OP Jimbob starting save after save after save. Why is it that I can lose all but 2 games in a season and not blame the ME and then work out a way to succeed, (so my game isn't broken), but yours us? Why is the game only broken when we lose?

Why isn't is also broken when I score too many corners.

Why isn't it broken when I San Marino gets to 2 consecutive Italian Cup finals when we should be getting relegated?

Why isn't it broken when I beat Inter and Juve and whoever else?

I'll tell you why. It's only broken when we want it to be broken.

The history bug is a game-breaker. If that happens to me I would stop playing immediately and not start again before the patch. As it is, (touch wood), I'm ok so far, but if it happens then I will probably just go back... actually I dunno what I would do. I might be tempted to do a challenge or an experiment or something to prove that something that everyone says is broken is not broken at all.

I remember, (I think it was with FM07 but not sure), everyone said that Target Man instructions were broken and it was impossible to have a Tm dominant in the air. There used to be a records thread back in those days for gloating and boasting and the like and I was able to show that i could get my TM to win 67 consecutive headers while everyone else was saying that they couldn't win 1.

There used to be a saying back in the day that is now, (as I understand it), considered quite rude. It suggests in a very blunt way that the cause of your problem might be linked in some small way to the instructions that you give your players/team.

Saying that my tactics don't work because I don't know how the game/tactics in the game works is BS. At this point I could probably write a master thesis on the inner workings of FM if I so choose to. For me, there is no other explanation, the game is fundamentally broken, and to be perfectly honest, the AI cheats.

You honestly make good points, except that bit. Until you realise that is wrong, you really wont get anywhere with this game. Its not ment as an insult to you or your footballing knowledge, but your knowledge is clearly not at that level, or you wouldnt be making these posts. Read the what the actual experts say, people like Cleon (who in no way works for SI) and Wwfan. Those two know more about the game than me and you could ever hope too.

If it was as broken as you say, Ackter could not make Messi score 70 odd goals a season, or none of those guys would be successful, or any of us.

The AI also doesnt cheat, but again, until you accept that, you cant really help yourself go forward.

@Jimbokav1971

Is it possible that you or your coaches are partly responsible for this? The reason I ask is because it is not happening to the majority as far as I'm aware, (and certainly not happening to me).

Can't be sure as there is no clear pattern how the players are being injured. Sometimes in training, in games and of course away at international duty.

This used to happen to me. Now I have created a tactical workaround that now sees me do this to the AI. I am lucky I am/was a ruby player so had a slight different perspective on things.

I have also been able to score a lot off of corners but I still concede way more than should be expected.

I must admit I have never really encountered anything seriously wrong with that. I'm just lucky to get a one on one. lol

It's horrible, every time a player only has the goalkeeper to beat he will almost always miss. I can see bad morale affecting this but if the striker isn't completely **** and his morale is good (even though, as many other have said morale goes up and down like a yo-yo I've always had pretty good morale) I don't see how a world class striker misses about 8/10 chances being one-on-one with the keeper.

I must admit I quite like the players running into eachother.

It really takes away from the realism when it happens over and over and over and over and...

See that's the problem there. Until you realise that there are things that you can do tactically to influence things then there is just no point. It's the same problem with OP Jimbob starting save after save after save. Why is it that I can lose all but 2 games in a season and not blame the ME and then work out a way to succeed, (so my game isn't broken), but yours us? Why is the game only broken when we lose?

The game isn't broken because, for example, a team can win with 1-0 even if they only have one shot on target and the other team has had 6 clear cut chances. Things like this do happen over the course of a season, but when it happens more often than not you start to think there's something wrong with the game. When this happens even when playing completely different teams and different systems, even after you've saved at one point and then run multiple saves for the same team and tried completely different approaches on each save to see which systems are more successful, after having spent hours reading guides and forums only to still experience the same problems, then what?

Even if I was completely **** at this game, and even if i had the worst team in the league, if my team consistently dominates the opposition and rarely concedes more than 3-4 shots on target, for the combined stats of all opposing teams to be that they approach somewhere of 70% goals ratio to shots isn't realistic at all. Even if I played with no goalkeeper i should be able to concede fewer goals, it's not just because my tactics suck, there is definitely something else at work h

ere. Believe me, it's not like I've just played the game for like one season and then gave up...

@milnerpoint

You honestly make good points, except that bit. Until you realise that is wrong, you really wont get anywhere with this game. Its not ment as an insult to you or your footballing knowledge, but your knowledge is clearly not at that level, or you wouldnt be making these posts. Read the what the actual experts say, people like Cleon (who in no way works for SI) and Wwfan. Those two know more about the game than me and you could ever hope too.

You don't mean to insult me and then you do exactly that?

Players running into each other, players being unable to score from one-on-one chances and very rarely scoring from open chances at that. Yea, not broken at all...

When this happens even when playing completely different teams and different systems, even after you've saved at one point and then run multiple saves for the same team and tried completely different approaches on each save to see which systems are more successful, after having spent hours reading guides and forums only to still experience the same problems, then what?

Then you've chosen several different systems that all fail in some way. It's a lot easier in FM14 to get it completely wrong, which I did for months when the game came out. You're acting like there's only one way to fail, so something else must succeed by default.

I'm not insulting you at all. Saying your knowledge of the game is not as good as you think it is, is not an insult at all. We're not all experts at the game, and clearly by what you have posted, you are not. Again this is not an insult, not unless you take it personally when someone says your not as good at a computer game as you think.

Its worth noting there are less injuries in FM, than there are in real life.

You say players shouldnt miss 8/10 one on one's, but do you know the actual conversion rate of those chances, it might surprise you when you find out the actual numbers, again not what your perception of the numbers may be.

One last time, read the tactical forum, ask for advice, its the only option left to you now, except to not enjoy playing a recreational tool, which seems a very odd way of going about things.