FM12 Demo tactics - a little to easy?

[matty2323]

Been playing the demo a few nights now, first as Man United, then West Ham and now as Norwich. In all the games ive pretty much played 4-1-2-2-1 (4-3-3) just altering the position types depending on the player. Haven't gone into any tweaking, no using any shouts, but i seem to be scoring 4-5 goals per game and only conceding the odd long range shot. It got to the stage where as West Ham i knocked off Man City in the QF's of the FA cup 7-0! Just wondering if the Demo makes the game alittle easier with plenty of goals to entice new members... or if this is what to expect of the game? I feel like im playing FIFA on beginner or something....

[UnlikelyStory]

I found it a tad easier too, however not on the levels of beating City 7-0 in the FA Cup. Maybe you've stumbled on an awesome tactic? I have heard that a 4-1-2-2-1 is the way to go at the moment. Guessing that's 2 wingers and 1 DM right?

[matty2323]

I found it a tad easier too, however not on the levels of beating City 7-0 in the FA Cup. Maybe you've stumbled on an awesome tactic? I have heard that a 4-1-2-2-1 is the way to go at the moment. Guessing that's 2 wingers and 1 DM right?

haha, i highly doubt it. just pretty much playing a universal european tactic at the moment.

So as United i looked like:

Smalling (FB support) - Vidic (CD) - Rio (BPD cover) - Evra (FB attack)

Fletcher (DM defend)

Cleverly (AP attack) - Anderson (BWM support)

Nani (winger attack) Young (IF attack)

Rooney (DLF attack)

Should add that i rotated between control and counter styles of play.

[rich_barnes]

Yep its a piece of cake! I dont mind that but the problem is that alot do and it will spark complaints and then we will have to sit and wait for 3 patches and the game might finally be playable next march!

[matty2323]

Yep its a piece of cake! I dont mind that but the problem is that alot do and it will spark complaints and then we will have to sit and wait for 3 patches and the game might finally be playable next march!

im always a fan of winning, but i also enjoy a challenge! the fact i can start up any team on any save and win 99% of matches with them on default tactics is pretty boring.

[dribbler]

I wanted an easyish game so I'm trying Serie B Sampdoria and mostly playing 4-2-4 because of a dearth of wide midfielders in the shambles of a squad I inherited...and I won my first 5 games including an away win against a Serie A side...but my squad is probably way stronger than my opponents and will only need to be sensibly managed to get promotion.

"Just wondering if the Demo makes the game a little easier with plenty of goals to entice new members"...I've been generally struggling to score

"Maybe you've stumbled on an awesome tactic?"...I don't believe this for one minute...let's see how Norwich are doing at the end of February

"Yep its a piece of cake!"...really?...who are you playing and how far into the season are you?

Isn't this just a situation where you (we) generally manage the team competently, get morale high with easy friendlies and then have a good run of form playing attacking football in good weather? Over time problems will kick in and then we'll see whether or not Norwich succeed playing 4-3-3.

[matty2323]

I wanted an easyish game so I'm trying Serie B Sampdoria and mostly playing 4-2-4 because of a dearth of wide midfielders in the shambles of a squad I inherited...and I won my first 5 games including an away win against a Serie A side...but my squad is probably way stronger than my opponents and will only need to be sensibly managed to get promotion.

"Just wondering if the Demo makes the game a little easier with plenty of goals to entice new members"...I've been generally struggling to score

"Maybe you've stumbled on an awesome tactic?"...I don't believe this for one minute...let's see how Norwich are doing at the end of February

"Yep its a piece of cake!"...really?...who are you playing and how far into the season are you?

Isn't this just a situation where you (we) generally manage the team competently, get morale high with easy friendlies and then have a good run of form playing attacking football in good weather? Over time problems will kick in and then we'll see whether or not Norwich succeed playing 4-3-3.

firstly, interesting theory on the wet weather. although i take it into account and make my style of play more direct, i very rarely change the teams formation. As for the 4-3-3, i guess its a modern day adaptation of it where defensively its 4-5-1 (very solid) and attacking its 2-1-3-4 (full backs push on, DM holds and releases CM's, wingers and forward). Worked very well for me at all levels of the game as long as you have a decent core.

Not doubting anything, just saying im finding the game much easier. The only games ive struggled to score is where ive met the "super keeper" and its taken 5-8 CCC's to score 1! No way do i claim to have a special tactic, or even understand the finer details to tweaking tactics... im just saying that for default settings and throw together tactics, i seem to be able to make any team do well! its as if the game is on easy mode.

[dribbler]

Yeah but you chose Man Utd and West Ham so you did choose easy mode And for Man Utd you clearly picked a sensible formation for their players. Maybe if they had different players you'd have chosen 4-4-2 or whatever and that would be the tactic you'd be praising.

I think your Norwich experience will be much more interesting but I don't think it's really much of an experiment until you've played 30+ games and suffered some beatings and recovered from a slump in form.

I'd be interested to know how you get on though

[Graham206]

I remember last year a lot of people were getting through to Christmas doing very well then found things changed dramatically. There was a theory that after you had been doing well for a while "the AI cracked your tactic" - which isn't quite how it works.

What does happen around that time is that the weather changes, favouring more direct play and the fancy, short-passing which had worked earlier in the season is less effective; if you're top of the table teams will set out more defensively against you; and you will more than likely have a few injuries forcing you to play one or two players in positions which aren't their best. Then you lose a couple of games, morale starts to drop, and it's easy to spiral downwards.

Doesn't always happen, it does quite often.

Currently I've nearly finished the demo and Spurs are top of the EPL on goal difference from Man U and Everton but my next three games are Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea so it would be very easy to lose those, morale to take a hit and it could be difficult to turn it around. Things definitely become trickier around mid-season.

[matty2323]

I remember last year a lot of people were getting through to Christmas doing very well then found things changed dramatically. There was a theory that after you had been doing well for a while "the AI cracked your tactic" - which isn't quite how it works.

What does happen around that time is that the weather changes, favouring more direct play and the fancy, short-passing which had worked earlier in the season is less effective; if you're top of the table teams will set out more defensively against you; and you will more than likely have a few injuries forcing you to play one or two players in positions which aren't their best. Then you lose a couple of games, morale starts to drop, and it's easy to spiral downwards.

Doesn't always happen, it does quite often.

Currently I've nearly finished the demo and Spurs are top of the EPL on goal difference from Man U and Everton but my next three games are Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea so it would be very easy to lose those, morale to take a hit and it could be difficult to turn it around. Things definitely become trickier around mid-season.

having played FM for years this has happened to me countless times. ive figured out ways to get around it after 2 or 3 seasons of being able to develop my own squad. but majority of the time i like to play with the squad i start with and see how i do. Im not doubting that all these factors come into play after xmas etc, all im saying is that the Demo seems like the game is on easy mode in turns of how simple it is to win games and score goals. Will have to wait and see how things transpire in the full release!

[Scath]

What team instructions were using to get those results with United?

[Hazz_4]

I think the same, it seems an "easy mode". I hope the final game is harder than this demo.

[matty2323]

What team instructions were using to get those results with United?

using "attacking" and "counter". I know its weird for man united, but normally when i hit the front, id change to it and it would always lead to break away goals with rooney/young/nani etc.