Football Manager 2014 - Full Game Feedback/Tilbakemelding 14.1.3

[Eddie Menuek]

The game's biggest issue right now is they whatever they did to rebalance the runaway scoring in an earlier beta version has resulted in a jarring disconnect between what the game depicts and how it registers 'clear cut chances', and really poor shot selection all around, especially by strikers presented with one-on-ones.

Yep; pretty much exactly what I've observed as well.

I thought I was going crazy when a couple of open chances that occurred were fired right at the keeper - who, in some cases, was on the ground right next to one of the goalposts - and not registered as a clear cut chance in the match stats widget.

As I posted earlier I've been feeding a quartet of forwards with finishing/composure attributes ranging from decent to good, effectively, over the course of eighteen matches and they haven't hit double figures between them (while my centre backs are hovering around a similar number of goals between them). I don't want the game to be easy, and in that sense I love that the tactics creator is as challenging as it's ever been before, but I'm struggling to see how such an aspect of the match engine can be put down to tactics and not potentially considered a problem with the game (particularly when I've noticed opponents suffering from the same issue).

[Dagenham_Dave]

I'll let you get on with being the ultimate defender of the game

Hardly. I've been most critical of the contract issues and player movements on here. And certain other aspects.

What I don't do every second post is type 'OMG!!! this game is broken and unplayable lolz', so it's quite understandable that you've missed it.

[iamtheshaman]

One other thing...though the ball physics have improved I have rarely seen goals curled into the net the way Henry used to (I cannot actually recall any but I'm sure it's happened). The ball doesn't 'draw' very well but 'fades' way more frequently...it's fade or power shots which result in goals...is this a reason for shortage of goals from direct free kicks ?

I would say that is possibly a reason, and I certainly have seen the same thing in my games. For example I have had a right footed player hit the bar from a corner kick from the right side (if facing op goal), so it swung in, as if he took it with the outside of his boot, rather than his instep and the corner being an outswinger, seems very weird.

That said though I have had at least 2 direct free kick goals, one was Rooney and the other scorer I forget, both were 30 odd yard thunderbolts. Not yet seen a curling placed one go in.

Hopefully this element of ball physics you raise may be improved upon in the next updates of match engine.

[Sunstrikuuu]

The only serious match engine problem imo is the corner goals.

There's also a problem with sheer number of shots at times, but at least that balances out.

The fullbacks problem is just a problem with the ratings, not the player performance, so I wouldn't consider that to be major.

Other than those, the match engine is in pretty damn good shape imo

I couldn't disagree more.

The shots issues are linked to the fullback problems. It's not just ratings; it's fullback defense being too passive, allowing for more chance creation. So chance conversion is toned down to prevent rugby scores.

Keepers have problems, the most prominent of which is the distribution issue.

Passing in general seems sluggish, and players will often put the ball into touch or pass it to an opponent when under very little pressure. As I typed this I watched Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hurl the ball from a throw-in two-thirds of the pitch and out for a goal kick.

[nozshand]

I couldn't disagree more.

The shots issues are linked to the fullback problems. It's not just ratings; it's fullback defense being too passive, allowing for more chance creation. So chance conversion is toned down to prevent rugby scores.

Keepers have problems, the most prominent of which is the distribution issue.

Passing in general seems sluggish, and players will often put the ball into touch or pass it to an opponent when under very little pressure. As I typed this I watched Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hurl the ball from a throw-in two-thirds of the pitch and out for a goal kick.

My left-back just tackled my DM who has the ball, both of them then stood there idle while the opposition striker picks up the ball, walk up to the keeper and score.

Its like the system has a predicted result and if the opposition can't score, they just make your defenders do stupid things.

I think I'll stop play this game

[xNAMOz]

I can't deal with this game anymore. A grayed out team super keeper just saved 7 consecutive shots at goal in the space of 10 seconds, yet their striker scored 2 rockets from outside the box and also hit the bar when he went for goal from HALFWAY.

[wackiewim]

The game's biggest issue right now is they whatever they did to rebalance the runaway scoring in an earlier beta version has resulted in a jarring disconnect between what the game depicts and how it registers 'clear cut chances', and really poor shot selection all around, especially by strikers presented with one-on-ones.

Indeed fullyagree andmany others do. But its your tactic apparently !

Excellent point on questioning how the game defines CCC. Have experienced quite some moments watching game in full and wondering after clear cut chance again stupidly hitting pist or blasting over or side of the goal " this wasnt a CCC? "

Can we get a better clarification how CCC is defined. If we could prove with bug thread that this part is flawed, we automatically can prove we gave more CCC in generaland then the argument from some denyers thats its yur tactic as you dont create enough CCC becomes redundant.

[Blueflash]

An eighteen year old striker with his only noteworthy stats being a fifteen in pace and acceleration scored a hattrick against me last week( Part of the reason i quit the game until the next patch) Honestly, usually I'd laugh and say "Well, would ya look at that." or something along those lines. What actually pissed me off was Carlos Fierro( The well known wonderkid striker) with 16 in finishing and composure four seasons in had earlier missed two CCC's. "He might be having a bad day" You might say, but he had also missed at least 6 similar CCC's in the three games prior to this one. That was what made me shut down the game and ban myself from playing it until the new patch. I'd rather not have a fist-sized hole in my laptop.

[wackiewim]

I guess its yur tactics! :-)

I experience so the same, and many more are. But we obviously suck in FM and knowledge of football.

[podunkboy]

I've just started a save with Stirling Albion, and although there's the occasional "player in possession flops to the ground with no one near him and gives up the ball" and "really bad keeper keeps making acrobatic saves when there's no physical way he COULD make that save"...I'm 3-0 in the league, scoring 5.7 a game, giving up 1.2 a game. There's obviously some cosmetic work that needs to be done to the ME, but it's no worse than it was last year at this time.

[thermo]

You have to laugh at the people STILL insisting one of the series' most exploitable match engines - Yes FM12, I'm looking at you - is the most 'realistic' one.

You are right about FM2012's match engine being exploitable. However, the movement of the ball or the reactions of the players was much much more realistic than those in FM2014's match engine. There is no way FM2014 can keep up with FM2012 when it comes to being playable.

[RTHerringbone]

My two cents:

FM12 was one of my least favourite games of the series, it never "did it" for me and Steam shows I played it for 200 hours less than FM11, 500 less than FM13 (!)

As far as ME issues go, I think improvement is needed with:

Wide engagement

Goalkeeper distribution

Corner "bug"

Increase match ratings

Tackle count needs to reduce - more blocks instead?

Long shots need to reduce a bit

Stop keeper carrying ball out of box and getting red card

I think that covers everything for me. Just 7 issues, of which the first two and last one are the most significant.

[Svenc]

You are right about FM2012's match engine being exploitable. However, the movement of the ball or the reactions of the players was much much more realistic than those in FM2014's match engine. There is no way FM2014 can keep up with FM2012 when it comes to being playable.

The less fluid animations of players reacting yes (as in their simpler nature they synced better), the rest not so much. The thing about FM2012's engine is that it's really just FM 2011 reloaded, which in turn was a re-vamped FM 2010 engine, and so forth. Read: It had been in the making for years, and saw a re-run job of FM 2011's latest patch, really.

Part of the issue is that people blatantly failed to recognize how their strikers would run straight through defenders, and the truth is that people watch this thing so superficially even that I've seen players getting ripped to pieces by applying risky specific marking duties on their CDs without ever having noticed what that instruction has been actually doing before for years (and rage-quitting rather than giving it a second look). Hell, there's barely a professional reviewer who saw the current overhaul as anything else but a "simplification" even when it's flat out obvious that the behavior of, for instance, a "half back" wasn't even doable before, and where this is really heading above the improved accessibility. Add to that a plethora of myth, such as players interpreting 30:7 advantages in crack-on-goal statistics and a draw as a clear sign of the AI getting out-of-the-box advantages in finishing, the ME awarding the AI late goals when it's needed and bad theory on how the ME works in general, the general state of internet forums and you're in for Drama Central.

That's obviously a blatant generalization or two in there too, and I'm not too fond of the issues the current iteration has either, but there you go.

[Dagenham_Dave]

I've just started a save with Stirling Albion,

Good man! Try keeping a hold of Jordan White for the 2nd season. He scored 37 goals for me in the first season. But, oh wait, strikers don't score...

[Mr U Rosler]

My two cents:

FM12 was one of my least favourite games of the series, it never "did it" for me and Steam shows I played it for 200 hours less than FM11, 500 less than FM13 (!)

As far as ME issues go, I think improvement is needed with:

Wide engagement

Goalkeeper distribution

Corner "bug"

Increase match ratings

Tackle count needs to reduce - more blocks instead?

Long shots need to reduce a bit

Stop keeper carrying ball out of box and getting red card

I think that covers everything for me. Just 7 issues, of which the first two and last one are the most significant.

Erm, i'm not sure we need more 'blocks', definitely not blocked shots anyway, the ball is already bouncing around the penalty area like a pinball machine. When a check analyse my shots on goals, the vast majority of shots are already being 'blocked'.

[hluraven]

2-0 half time lead.

It's deadly, i'd rather be 1-0 up as so often a 2-0 lead is overturned to a 3-2 loss. It happens far to often to be just bad luck!

This was exactly what I was suspecting about my game. I thought I was letting loads of 2-0s slip to draws/defeats. I went back at the end of the season and checked. 9 times I went 2-0 (or 3-1) up, and ended with 6 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats. Not massively wrong, if at all.

The main thing I think is "wrong" is that in very few did I go on to win by more than 2 or at most 3. As Man City v Norwich shows, a clearly better team should look to add goals not just desperately hang on to leads when dominating. I was Ajax with a much better team than my opponents, at home when I go 2-0 up early I would expect to win by more than 2 more often than by 1 or not at all. That said, second season I walked the double, and never let a single 2 goal lead slip - but by then I had so many quality Bosmans in the squad (a much bigger problem in game - how easy that is to do) that I should never have lost to anyone.

[Mr U Rosler]

My two cents:

FM12 was one of my least favourite games of the series, it never "did it" for me and Steam shows I played it for 200 hours less than FM11, 500 less than FM13 (!)

As far as ME issues go, I think improvement is needed with:

Wide engagement

Goalkeeper distribution

Corner "bug"

Increase match ratings

Tackle count needs to reduce - more blocks instead?

Long shots need to reduce a bit

Stop keeper carrying ball out of box and getting red card

I think that covers everything for me. Just 7 issues, of which the first two and last one are the most significant.

Erm, i'm not sure we need more 'blocks', definitely not blocked shots anyway, the ball is already bouncing around the penalty area like a pinball machine. When i analyse my shots on goals, the vast majority of shots are already being 'blocked'.

[hluraven]

Erm, i'm not sure we need more 'blocks', definitely not blocked shots anyway, the ball is already bouncing around the penalty area like a pinball machine. When i analyse my shots on goals, the vast majority of shots are already being 'blocked'.

I think that means defenders blocking forwards with their bodies, either to get the ball or to break up play. You don't see that in FM, you just see slide tackles when they get close together.

[Mr U Rosler]

I think that means defenders blocking forwards with their bodies, either to get the ball or to break up play. You don't see that in FM, you just see slide tackles when they get close together.

In that case...... I agree!

[daylight]

My two cents:

FM12 was one of my least favourite games of the series, it never "did it" for me and Steam shows I played it for 200 hours less than FM11, 500 less than FM13 (!)

As far as ME issues go, I think improvement is needed with:

Wide engagement

Goalkeeper distribution

Corner "bug"

Increase match ratings

Tackle count needs to reduce - more blocks instead?

Long shots need to reduce a bit

Stop keeper carrying ball out of box and getting red card

I think that covers everything for me. Just 7 issues, of which the first two and last one are the most significant.

I will add to your list.

Defenders engaging the attacking players more instead of just running beside them.

Players choice of pass/shot at goal made better.

Players when clean through and a chance at a good pass/shot at goal turning and trying to then win a corner by playing it off the opposing player needs to be stopped.

An extension of that one with players in general trying to win corners seems too high in general.

The game needs to be better at identifying what is a clear cut chance, I am baffled at times that what is clearly a sitter not being classed as a CCC.

I would say there are just too many shots at goal in general, resulting in a lot of missed chances, some are very easy chances at that.

A team scoring right after the other team has scored seems way too high, granted it does of course happen in real life but it is quite amazing how often I see it in both my saves.

To have the assistant managers tips stay on the screen for a bit longer, maybe 6 seconds or so.

I think that will do for now.

[stevemc]

Would be nice to see a patch released pretty soon, holding off starting a new save until its released.

Games been out well over a week now.

[jam jameson]

The only serious match engine problem imo is the corner goals.

There's also a problem with sheer number of shots at times, but at least that balances out.

The fullbacks problem is just a problem with the ratings, not the player performance, so I wouldn't consider that to be major.

Other than those, the match engine is in pretty damn good shape imo

Akter, with all the respect for your opinion, but if this is the dev direction and assessment of the ME i'm worried...no problem in defending? no problem in ratings? no problem in following instructions? no problem in GK distribution? no problem in stupid passing decisions? ...brrrr....

[milnerpoint]

Meh ive just logged 14 hours on FM14 over the weekend, i feel for those not enjoying it, this is a brilliant game

[El Presidente]

My take on this is simple. How simple it is to fix only SI know.

The one and only serious problem is full back ratings. Because they are terribly low they get slated by the fans, press, ex-players. This has a dramatic effect on morale. This causes a even worse performance and so the loop continues leading to regular scores of 4-3, 7-3 and I've even had an 8-6 defeat. :o

If it was a quick fix I'm sure SI would have done it by now.

Now considering the game is the same for the AI teams in your Division, I do not understand why the AI only has this problem as well when they play against you and NOT other AI teams.

[jam jameson]

My take on this is simple. How simple it is to fix only SI know.

The one and only serious problem is full back ratings. Because they are terribly low they get slated by the fans, press, ex-players. This has a dramatic effect on morale. This causes a even worse performance and so the loop continues leading to regular scores of 4-3, 7-3 and I've even had an 8-6 defeat. :o

If it was a quick fix I'm sure SI would have done it by now.

Now considering the game is the same for the AI teams in your Division, I do not understand why the AI only has this problem as well when they play against you and NOT other AI teams.

I'm sorry i do not agree...in my opinion we have two major issues: i) the ME looks totally RANDOM, under every point of view...; ii) the AI seems to use a different ME, since they're easily able to perform such thing we'll unable to do for years...nobody expects a 100% realistic ME, but the 'random feeling' is too strong this time to enjoy it...

[jam jameson]

My take on this is simple. How simple it is to fix only SI know.

The one and only serious problem is full back ratings. Because they are terribly low they get slated by the fans, press, ex-players. This has a dramatic effect on morale. This causes a even worse performance and so the loop continues leading to regular scores of 4-3, 7-3 and I've even had an 8-6 defeat. :o

If it was a quick fix I'm sure SI would have done it by now.

Now considering the game is the same for the AI teams in your Division, I do not understand why the AI only has this problem as well when they play against you and NOT other AI teams.

I'm sorry i do not agree...in my opinion we have two major issues: i) the ME looks totally RANDOM, under every point of view...; ii) the AI seems to use a different ME, since they're easily able to perform such thing we'll unable to do for years...nobody expects a 100% realistic ME, but the 'random feeling' is too strong this time to enjoy it...

[RTHerringbone]

I'm sorry i do not agree...in my opinion we have two major issues: i) the ME looks totally RANDOM, under every point of view...; ii) the AI seems to use a different ME, since they're easily able to perform such thing we'll unable to do for years...nobody expects a 100% realistic ME, but the 'random feeling' is too strong this time to enjoy it...

Statements like these do tend to dilute the value of any points made therein.

i) What looks random about it?

ii) Absolute nonsense

[Dagenham_Dave]

the AI seems to use a different ME, since they're easily able to perform such thing we'll unable to do

That's where your argument collapses I'm afraid.

[Defensive]

Its funny how some moderators and fan boys NOW all of a sudden find all the problems in FM 12. ^^ When FM 12 came out they all said FM 12 would be the greatest FM ever. I bet when FM 16 comes out these people will say that FM 14 was one of the worst because the game felt random and the defending was terrible. Its so obvious that these people say everything to promote the current version.^^

[milnerpoint]

Its funny how some moderators and fan boys NOW all of a sudden find all the problems in FM 12. ^^ When FM 12 came out they all msaid FM 12 would be the greatest FM ever. I bet when FM 16 comes out these people will say that FM 14 was one of the worst because the game felt random and the defending was terrible. Its so obvious that these people say everything to promote the current version.^^

How were any of the "Fanboys" able to compare FM12 to FM14? FM12 at the time was the best compared to the previous versions where the ME was more basic, but there was no way to compare it to future versions.

Oh and stop using Fanboy, its pathetic.

[Kriss]

Must be Monday morning, what a miserable load of sods, did your teams all lose over the weekend?

Now lest just cut out all the angst before we decide that even feedback threads aren't worth the trouble and close everything.

In my humble opinion just about all relevant points have been made so unless you actually have something new to add to the discussion, try disconnecting your keyboard, that includes pro and anti's.

I'd also remind people that the house rules have been updated and you need to read them if you don't want to risk an unexpected forum holiday.

Finally there's no such thing as a patch anymore in SI parlance, and if you ask when an update is coming EXPECT your post to be deleted.

[michael_andrews]

Nothing like a fall on sales to change your philosophy. Now, go and play with this toy of yours and delete this.

[Richey2008]

I'm fed up with the word 'fanboy' - it's puerile and an easy, empty word to say. A label used by those unable to express an opinion with any eloquence looking for a convenient stick to attack with.

[luka_zg]

What are these unrealistic ways?

I'm genuinely keen to hear what's unrealistic and how they fare to previous versions?

And I will just say, there are few who know the game better than Ackter.

Can I answer you like this..having 44 shots on goal in a game of football is absolutely unrealistic. Average shot count for my team is around 25-30 shots per game. That is laughable.

Strikers are missing way too much chances. Having often a case where my IF or W will come into box and shoot from crazy angle ,keeper saves player shoots again keeper saves player shoots again keeper saves..match stats say..3 CCC, 0 goals.

Having teams coming from behind way too much, and I wouldn't have a problem with this, but if you have 29 shots and opposition has 1 shot in the 80 minute, comfortable 2-0 lead. And all of a sudde a team that mustered 1 shot in 80 minutes scores two goals in 3 minutes,and finish the match with 3 shots on goal scoring 2. Of course I finish with 30 something shots,scoring also 2.

Also, why do user need 30 shots per match to score 1,2 or 3 goals and AI needs like 5-10 to score the same? It's my tactics I guess

The ME is not in a good shape.

[Kriss]

Nothing like a fall on sales to change your philosophy. Now, go and play with this toy of yours and delete this.

I didn't even need to check to know who you are

[valehannes]

Just to confuse things a bit, most of the goals scored and conceded in my games over the weekend came through the middle from through-balls and a striker beating the trap or long shots way out of the box. The amount of goals scored from corners was similar to those from direct free kicks.

[Dagenham_Dave]

Also, why do user need 30 shots per match to score 1,2 or 3 goals and AI needs like 5-10 to score the same? It's my tactics I guess

I think you might be onto something there.

[BiggusD]

I think you might be onto something there.

It is beyond me why you continue this charade. You have clearly found a ME-exploiting sweet spot since you're not experiencing anything untoward with player positioning, on and off the ball choices in all three phases (defending, transition, attack) for both teams.

What you're doing is trolling, nothing more, nothing less. Just like the one guy last year camping in the feedback thread 24/7 from November to March - until he was banned.

[bignev72]

Must be Monday morning, what a miserable load of sods, did your teams all lose over the weekend?

Now lest just cut out all the angst before we decide that even feedback threads aren't worth the trouble and close everything.

In my humble opinion just about all relevant points have been made so unless you actually have something new to add to the discussion, try disconnecting your keyboard, that includes pro and anti's.

I'd also remind people that the house rules have been updated and you need to read them if you don't want to risk an unexpected forum holiday.

Finally there's no such thing as a patch anymore in SI parlance, and if you ask when an update is coming EXPECT your post to be deleted.

The irony of this post

Call us miserable sods and then post a diatribe like that.

I suspect that this isn't in the manual for customer service best practice. There a was definite "we don't give a %$^$" vibe there

Sounds like someone has a case of the monday's.

[akkm]

Central attacking midfielders are not as effective as they should be. Too many goals come from wide areas where irl crosses are easier to deal with defensively...wide play and crossing is more of a percentage play and the better the defense the easier it is to deal with it. High class creative players playing lower level opposition would very consistently destroy trash and have the abilities and talent to open up defences through the middle but this is not well represented in this years or last years match engine. It seems the complaint people had about fm12 me was it was vulnerable to fast forwards and the protection the last two years ME has tried to negate this too much. Creative players with good and intelligent movement will still find gaps in a packed defence but this ME definitely seems to need wider play to enable the scoring of goals more frequently which is not how it should be. Fm12 enabled effective wide play and central play with instructions this current ME does not, it is too vulnerable to wide play. Also the high number of tackles and interceptions and lower pass completion rates unfortunately reek of protection of faults in the current ME

The less fluid animations of players reacting yes (as in their simpler nature they synced better), the rest not so much. The thing about FM2012's engine is that it's really just FM 2011 reloaded, which in turn was a re-vamped FM 2010 engine, and so forth. Read: It had been in the making for years, and saw a re-run job of FM 2011's latest patch, really.

Part of the issue is that people blatantly failed to recognize how their strikers would run straight through defenders, and the truth is that people watch this thing so superficially even that I've seen players getting ripped to pieces by applying risky specific marking duties on their CDs without ever having noticed what that instruction has been actually doing before for years (and rage-quitting rather than giving it a second look). Hell, there's barely a professional reviewer who saw the current overhaul as anything else but a "simplification" even when it's flat out obvious that the behavior of, for instance, a "half back" wasn't even doable before, and where this is really heading above the improved accessibility. Add to that a plethora of myth, such as players interpreting 30:7 advantages in crack-on-goal statistics and a draw as a clear sign of the AI getting out-of-the-box advantages in finishing, the ME awarding the AI late goals when it's needed and bad theory on how the ME works in general, the general state of internet forums and you're in for Drama Central.

That's obviously a blatant generalization or two in there too, and I'm not too fond of the issues the current iteration has either, but there you go.

Some good points there re fm12 at the time being a vastly improved ME given the efforts that preceded it. Essentially tho the ME/3D visuals are an effort to simulate/represent real football as well as they can and the version this and last year do not represent them as well as Fm12 particularly the visuals with the poor movement of the animations/sliding and that it actually makes it literally unwatchable to the point of turning it off. In that sense players movements/passing/ball control etc was represented much much better in FM12...once this gets corrected it will be a vast improvement. Advertising the best visual ME yet doesn't help either...best in still shots, yes but not once the thing starts to move !!!

As for the ME itself most can see that it offers the potential to simulate the best ever but right now it is simply potential albeit progress has been made on last year which provides some encouragement at least. Yes fm12 had its flaws with occasionally players walking thru others and fast forwards/poachers scoring but as an overall representation of football it provided an overall better more dynamic/fluid feel to a game of football than the current ME does in that fm12 enabled both good and effective wide play and more importantly better and more effective play through the middle where central/technical/creative midfielders were more effective and certainly more willing to perform as asked with better pass selection and movement and interaction within a top third of pitch attacking formation/fluid set up...fm14 play breaks down too much top third in the middle and goals are coming from wider areas way way too often even with vastly different abilities between teams where creative midfielders would slice open a weak defence through intelligent movement and crisp incisive passing so this is a HUGE flaw in what ME is representing at the moment ...it is a fundamental breakdown in operating as it should ie to represent real football though the whole balancing thing will surely help here. There is certainly an element (though much improved on last year) of the ME being more random than it should be (tho I have seen with rigid set up they do stick to instructions more but in terms of intuitiveness fluid creative attacking play shouldn't be enabled by s rigid instruction ie rigidly make players play more through balls !!!

If you want to talk about realism and exploits of FM12 Vs Fm13/14 then take away obscenely high tackle count and high interception rates and poor passing in fm13/14 and just see then how exploitable the current ME would be...you'd have 10-10 draws every match which means there are more defences of current ME than possibly ever before so a way of stopping 'exploits' is to create more unrealistic match conditions with tackles etc...as I said many pages ago this is not the way to evolve the ME or allow it to achieve its true potential which I am the first to admit is vast.

Anyway enough for now but simply Fm12 despite its shortcomings represented/simulated a real football match and an ability to implement instructions/more responsive players and more fluid creative attacking play better than fm13/14 has done to date tho I have no doubt in the future ME WILL represent real football better than ever before but it is understandably frustrating to have taken backward steps to go forward.

To be honest the reason why it keeps becoming annoying is the animation movements/sliding thing to the point of unwatchableness and ultimately turning off!!!

Bad defending/too many shots/poor passing/poor movement/poor pass selection/too many goals from wide areas/poor effectiveness of central playmakers/ICE RINK EFFECT/poor ratings/inefficient transfer system...please get fixed

I look forward to the update/patch 

[Dagenham_Dave]

You have clearly found a ME-exploiting sweet spot

Clearly...

And anyway, I fail to see how it's 'trolling' to point out the ME is the same for the AI as it is for human players.

However, if I've offended, I apologize.

[milnerpoint]

Im sure next year FM14 will have had the best ever ME, then the year after we will be told that FM15 had the best ever, this is a repeating pattern every year.

[akkm]

Sorry Kriss just saw your post after I wrote...also that box at end should have been a smiley face lol

[BiggusD]

Clearly...

And anyway, I fail to see how it's 'trolling' to point out the ME is the same for the AI as it is for human players.

However, if I've offended, I apologize.

Well that is true, of course, but there is obviously -something- that makes user-made tactics somehow less realistic than the tactics the AI uses - according to what SI intended. You are not only commenting on the "unfair ME" comments, but just about every argumentation against the balance of the game. You shouldn't do that - your subjective experience of the game is no more or less true or false than what anyone else is saying, and is therefore as worthless an argument as the "here's a youtube video of that happening in real life!" posts.

So you lose 2-8 at home and attribute that to a tactical mistake you made? To "this could happen in real life because it has and does"? A random snapshot of the positioning of the 22 players on the pitch in this ME should immediately tell you that all of them are bad. That's even before looking at player decisions on the ball and off the ball decisions reacting to the ball carrier.

I'd argue that everything that could be wrong with the ME, is wrong. Football simply isn't played the way FM14 is depicting it. No wonder SI has retreated to "the dungeon" and are probably working around the clock to fix it.

[Ackter]

Yes, and that -something- is a lack of understanding and intense stubborness.

[nozshand]

I think there is a glitch in closing down, too many times my defender would run past his target then turn around and walk slowly back, allowing opposition to face the keeper 1 on 1.

[BiggusD]

Yes, and that -something- is a lack of understanding and intense stubborness.

How's that? Can you show an example of defensive cover functioning properly?

[Ackter]

How's that? Can you show an example of defensive cover functioning properly?

So you genuinely think the AI can do things the human manager can't?

[Guest]

Right, so I've played around 2 seasons now and here's where I stand with the ME.

The interplay, playing out of defence, keeping possession, etc, works so much better than previous versions and the 'ice effect' has been almost eliminated (even though this is only a cosmetic issue).

The main problems with the ME as it is:

CCCs - These just aren't getting scored by the better teams. The team on top misses so many of these it's ridiculous, whether it's AI or human controlled teams. Strikers with amazing finishing stats who are clean through on goal are shanking efforts wide or hitting them straight at the keeper. If I'm playing against a better team, I'm now not at all bothered if their star player is clean through because he's only going to score about 1 in 10 chances. If I'm playing against a weaker team, it's more like 5 in 10.

Fullbacks - Literally cannot defend. I don't want to play an attacking 442 but I've found myself forced to because the flanks are the best source of goals, and the defending is so bad in this ME that it's better to go all our attack and try to out-score the opposition.

Keeper distribution - Keepers ignore instructions and just boot it straight down the pitch to no one a lot of the time.

Long shots/through balls - This is another reason why wide play works better, central midfielders seem incapable of playing any kind of through ball and instead nearly always opt to shoot from distance or pass it square.

Cut backs - If you choose to work the ball into the box and keep possession, when any player (inside forward, winger, trequartista, deep lying foward, it doesn't matter) finds himself almost inside the 6 yard box and practically on the byline, he'll nearly always opt to shoot from a tight angle instead of cutting it back for an oncoming midfielder or playing it square for a striker to tap in. Even if you've set him to 'shoot less often'. I don't know if this is due to lack of movement from other players, but it bugs the hell out of me and I remember seeing it in the FM2013 ME before it was tweaked. Having said that, players seem happy to cut the ball back 30 yards to midfielders sitting deep. Weird.

I'd also love to know why things happen because it's not always obvious. For example, if your team is suddenly getting beaten in tackles by the opposition, is it because:

1 Morale is low

2 The opposition are playing with a more attacking mentality

3 The opposition players are simply better/have the right stats to win tackles

4 The team talk you gave wasn't motivational enough

5 The opposition are set to 'get stuck in' (even though you might be too)

6 It's your tactics lol

Anyway, I can see the improvements in the ME and it's definitely making progress after FM2013. I'm expecting the next release to iron out a lot of the issues, which look like they mainly stem from fullbacks being an utter shambles right now.

Wait... one more thing, probably the most annoying thing. When your tactics aren't working or morale is low, that seems to be represented in the ME by your players suddenly playing like they're down Power League in Slough on a Tuesday night. In the rain. With a half inflated ball. And no bibs. If, for example, Swansea are getting a hammering from another team, Leon Britton doesn't start thumping the ball off the pitch/straight to the opposition when he's in 10 yards of space. Swansea stick to their tactics, they stick to their philosophy. In the ME, this isn't the case and teams/players instead start playing like they have no instruction and can't pass a football 5 yards under zero pressure.

Man, I really hate it when there's no bibs.

[tianren]

A couple of things I notice when I went to full match.

1. Irregardless of the options that I chose for set-pieces ('best headers, long, short etc), they always hit it low and straight towards the wall.

2. My Wing-backs always run towards their own goal post and leave the opposition wingers unmarked.