What's the 'best' FM Match Engine?

[obinna]

I wish people would stop calling this a horrible game just because they think it's too difficult. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but those are 2 separate issues. Plus it's a bit unfair to call this game "horrible" or "unplayable" when it clearly isn't. Tone done the rhetoric.

[Santa Claus]

I wish people would stop calling this a horrible game just because they think it's too difficult. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but those are 2 separate issues. Plus it's a bit unfair to call this game "horrible" or "unplayable" when it clearly isn't. Tone done the rhetoric.

You have to respect other people opinions, if it is good for you it doesn't necessarily means it is for everyone. I for eg. have found success in FM 14 but still, it doesn't feel like a proper football simulation for me, and I'm having a hard time "getting into it".

[obinna]

You have to respect other people opinions, if it is good for you it doesn't necessarily means it is for everyone. I for eg. have found success in FM 14 but still, it doesn't feel like a proper football simulation for me, and I'm having a hard time "getting into it".

I totally understand but the exaggerating the problems won't help fix the game. What you posted is constructive criticism and I have no issue with that. This game is certainly not perfect, but it seems the conversation is getting hijacked by ultra negative posters who add nothing to the discussion.

There is nothing wrong with like FM12 or FM13 better. But to say the game is "unplayable" is a distortion of the truth.

[Psycrow]

I would have said FM10 if it wasn't for the aerial play: they just. don't. score. with. headers. there.

Apart from that, it's definitely my favourite engine that I revisit from time to time: very good passing, smooth overall performance of the teams, decent amount of long shot goals (some might say excessive, but in this particular area I prefer fun over realism) and, most importantly, very realistic 1v1 chance conversion - something that is missing from FM11, perhaps my second most favourite engine, and the current one.

[Guest El Payaso]

I would have said FM10 if it wasn't for the aerial play: they just. don't. score. with. headers. there.

Apart from that, it's definitely my favourite engine that I revisit from time to time: very good passing, smooth overall performance of the teams, decent amount of long shot goals (some might say excessive, but in this particular area I prefer fun over realism) and, most importantly, very realistic 1v1 chance conversion.

And no defending included.

[Psycrow]

And no defending included.

You mean compared to FM13-14's defending where people run through fullbacks and centerbacks as if they were incorporeal ghosts?

I wouldn't say FM10's defending is any worse than any other instalment's, can't remember having too many issues with it that weren't related to a player's ability or tactical problems.

[Guest El Payaso]

You mean compared to FM13-14's defending where people run through fullbacks and centerbacks as if they were incorporeal ghosts?

I wouldn't say FM10's defending is any worse than any other instalment's, can't remember having too many issues with it that weren't related to a player's ability or tactical problems.

Well like I've said; defending is bad in both 14 and 10 version but when I look back at those earlier versions FM 10 always pops up as the worst edition in terms of ME for me. I remember especially those European ties where the games were always goalscoring competitions both with Everton and Benfica sides that I managed for long time. In the league especially with Benfica most of the teams were 'afraid' of playing against us and we didn't basically concede at all in the league (I think that the lowest amount of conceded goals was 3 goals in a season) but like I said, it really wasn't because of my defenders but the opponents' not willing to try...

I think that FM 09's excellent match engine highlights the fact that FM 10's for me was really poor. It was such a big drop from good to bad.

[Psycrow]

...

Fair enough, it's all subjective, after all.

I think defending has always been the primary issue with the match engines, and while FM11 & 14 tried to solve the problem by nerfing down clear-cut chance conversion, FM10 was a lot more generous to the strikers in 1v1 positions, so I was a lot less frustrated with them and, therefore, liked the game itself much more.

I guess I should revisit FM09 when I have the time - unlike 10 and 11, I never played it apart from the year it was actually the current version.

[dfa120374]

FM11 for me. Nobody else likes FM11's match engine?

I do. Mentioned on the previous page Got a really good save going on that just now. Obviously not as detailed as FM13 and 14 but it's a good engine I think

[Jjtreml]

Ok just my opinion since I have played every game in the fm series

2005. Very good debut, enjoyed it a lot

2006. Buggy and boring, bland

2007. Awesome, huge improvement

2008. Very good

2009. Very good

2010. Excellent, enjoyed it a lot

2011. Bland, dull and unrealistic (couldn't get into it)

2012. Best version yet !! Simply amazing

2013. See 2011***

2014. Haven't purchased yet as I'm on the hunt for a new laptop

Conclusion

Over the years I have had huge enjoyment and I think S.I. Do a great job year in, year out to be fair. Yes some years are not as good as others but overall I have been very pleased

[Guest El Payaso]

Fair enough, it's all subjective, after all.

I think defending has always been the primary issue with the match engines, and while FM11 & 14 tried to solve the problem by nerfing down clear-cut chance conversion, FM10 was a lot more generous to the strikers in 1v1 positions, so I was a lot less frustrated with them and, therefore, liked the game itself much more.

I've always thought that with the pre-made roles and such defending can never really be good as the tactics system doesn't give you enough options to break a real solid defence. You set up roles and duties logically and still can't get chances... There's not much other things you can do then. Okay, maybe there are some ways like hitting early crosses and put big players inside the penalty area but still quite few I think. If the engine is going to be more football-like the tactics do need versatility and be more like puzzle-games are; solving problem areas. And that means that you should be able to influence much much more on how your team moves on the pitch, how they close down and how and where they pass.

I guess I should revisit FM09 when I have the time - unlike 10 and 11, I never played it apart from the year it was actually the current version.

It might be that time golds memories but yes I think that 09's engine was a really good one and more a tactical match engine as you didn't get too many of cheap scoring chances because defenders just stop playing or completely forget to mark players, no super dribbling as far as I remember. And ah, the old slider system which 'forced' you to have tactical identity.

[hitking100]

I didn't have any real gripes with previous match engines. I still remember loving 05 and 07, everything up to 12 was ok, 12 was the one i "happily" wasted the most hours on. 13 was such a dissappointment i deleted it before the final patch came out. Some say it redeemed itself it the end, but i doubt it. And this year...well, a + for putting more effort into classic mode, but i really don't see myself playing this version ever again.

[Jjtreml]

I didn't have any real gripes with previous match engines. I still remember loving 05 and 07, everything up to 12 was ok, 12 was the one i "happily" wasted the most hours on. 13 was such a dissappointment i deleted it before the final patch came out. Some say it redeemed itself it the end, but i doubt it. And this year...well, a + for putting more effort into classic mode, but i really don't see myself playing this version ever again.

I did exactly the same with fm13.

[onur7]

FM10 best, FM12 most enjoyable version.

i like the FM08,too.

FM14 is the hardest and worst version, i think. i cant do anything i want on FM14, is driving me crazy

[dan99]

I didn't have any real gripes with previous match engines. I still remember loving 05 and 07, everything up to 12 was ok, 12 was the one i "happily" wasted the most hours on. 13 was such a dissappointment i deleted it before the final patch came out. Some say it redeemed itself it the end, but i doubt it. And this year...well, a + for putting more effort into classic mode, but i really don't see myself playing this version ever again.

Shame, as the 13 final match engine was head and shoulders above the 12 ME.

[y02chs07]

fm14, simply because sliders are removed

[onur7]

I never played fm13 with latest patch. Is it realy good and more realistic than fm12

?

[vlobben]

So many people, so many different responses. It makes me suspect that what we're indeed seeing here isn't which match engine is the best but rather which version of the game people had the most enjoyable save on.

[onur7]

what about the FM14 after last patch 14.3.0 ?

[Luckz]

So many people, so many different responses. It makes me suspect that what we're indeed seeing here isn't which match engine is the best but rather which version of the game people had the most enjoyable save on.

Sadly this is a large amount of the replies, and then there exists a disagreement whether a 'good' match engine is one that is balanced, allowing for many tactical approaches, and looks like real football or if a good match engine is 'good' because the human manager can't win as easily.

As I only play with teams that at least have ambitions of taking part in continental competitions, seeing top teams play utter rubbish bothers me greatly; I believe it was FM 13 that regularly featured up to five defenders running at a single attacker? I remember most of the match engines between CM 03/04 and FM11 or FM12 tended to look somewhat like real football, and didn't have utterly immersion-breaking behaviour.

So I like being able to score from long shots as well as 1 on 1s, scoring the occasional header but not scoring from every corner (not even talking about corner exploits), I want all tactical approaches from 3-x-x to 5-x-x to be viable, and I want defenders to engage in believable play as well.

I remember some games in the FM09 to FM12 range were plagued by unbeatable star player solo runs (Bale or Neymar or whoever goes past five defenders and scores, every second match), and another set by defenders merely shadowing attackers instead of going in for tackles. Those really make a game completely unenjoyable for me. Another big issue would be player morale being infinitely more important in deciding a game result than player quality or tactics. I might however be remembering issues that were fixed by the respective final .3 patch? And as I made somewhat clear, I can't even recall which of those games were troubled by which issues.

While games in the FM05 to FM07 range maybe had too many crazy long shot goals (if you had the right players!), that didn't detract from their fun potential in the way a broken regen system (not the subject of this thread) or completely unrealistic player behaviour does.

[AmuntValencia]

I have been very succesfull with my psv team but I still find it extremely Repetitive. Every game has at least 5 highlights of inside forwards pummeling shots wide at the near post,long shots are non existent (both for and against) and if I had a pound for every time one of my crosses hit the bar I would be a very rich man!

[Guest El Payaso]

whether a 'good' match engine is one that is balanced

For me balanced is the word that I would use for good match engine. The current one is a playable one but it's not balanced. Attacking play is at times even way too slick (dribbling, first touch passing and so on) and on the other hand even basics of defending is badly lacking. It starts from closing down, proceeds to midfield (which doesn't look like a battle zone as it should be) and ends up to the defence where there are many errors made and generally the defending play just looks soft. This leads to too many chances in most of the games and that is balanced with finishing. It is a common situation where you see 5 CCCs and 7HCs (I know they're not always counted right but anyway) and most of the HCs are also kinda chances that would likely be buried in real life.

This current engine for me isn't that tactical either. Chances open up from out of nowhere: teams kinda like go to an attacking mode and combine 10-15 short passes and the attacking move end up to a shot at goal. Or the second scenario is that a winger makes long run with the ball even when at the beginning it would be impossible to dribble in real life and how common for example long dribbles are in real life? I don't remember seeing any from players like Willian or Oscar in real life, even Hazard is quite in-effective when his ability to dribble is being defended away (Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have done it recently against Chelsea in real life).

Also when thinking tactically: even when you don't have big attacking players who go inside penalty area, you still are likely to be effective from crosses. And on the other hand if you're having a good goalkeeper aerially and big centre backs, you're still going to be in trouble when defending crosses even though there are only midgets with bad bravery against you in the penalty area. Attacking players just seems to have huge edge inside the area and that isn't logical.

Current one for me is quite annoying because of those two major things.

[Fond Foat]

Since switching to watching full matches and then comparing that with 12 and 13, there is no doubt in my mind that 14 is the most balanced, most tactically engaging, and best match engine of the three. Yes, 05-08 were fun but not a patch on this.

The ebb and flow of the game is there to see and can be countered or built upon if you get the timing right. The slight adjustments you make are also visible though often not successful because they have been countered or your player just can't do it. The difference in style between my hulking forward and my smaller more skilled forward is easy to see even when giving the same instructions for the same role. This is how it should be. Your tactics become unique because they are designed around your team and the different players in that team. Creating different instructions for different players and seeing that unfold is rewarding. FM14 rewards those who want to play the game as a manager and not a director. Is that fun? Obviously not for everyone, but it is for me.

After not being impressed with 14 for quite a while because I simply didn't get it, the latest patch has made this my favourite ever version.

[El Presidente]

Generally players enjoy games they win at. Yeah you'll get the odd one that doesn't but FML proved that players do not enjoy losing!

[Loki679]

FM12 was decent. Actually looks like real football most of the time at least. The current one has too many mistakes unfortunately, hopefully FM15 will improve upon it.

[Cougar2010]

FM12 was decent. Actually looks like real football most of the time at least. The current one has too many mistakes unfortunately, hopefully FM15 will improve upon it.

FM14 looks more like a real football match than FM12 ever did IMO if you use reasonable setups.

[Aim_Less]

FM 10 was probably the better one

FM 14 one is terrible

[markantony]

FM 14 looks nothing like a football match. The amount of massive scrambles and three or four players running into each other is something i don't see every week in the EPL.

[Aramith]

FM 2012/13.

Current FM14 ME and game was awful.

So long since my last post that I forgot my login after I burned everything SI from my mind, I swore I'd never play FM again.

FM14 got binned and uninstalled by me, at the time I felt like I might as well got £40 out my wallet and set fire to it, HATED IT would be understating it somewhat.

Sure it had new lighting and other fluff but It played 'IMHO' like s**t, and reading the forums of some popular FM sites it seems it hasn't got much better.

For me the removal of sliders from tactics was a very VERY bad move that in fact angered me, it felt like this was no longer an SI football Manager game anymore.

Seven/eight months had passed and I was getting this nagging itch, I kept catching sight of my boxed copy of FM13 (which for some reason I kept)

A few days ago I succumbed, I caved in the overwhelming urge to get my FM fix....I FELL OFF THE WAGON and installed FM13.

Got to admit FM13 has it's flaws but it plays 100 times better than FM14 and unless SI reintroduces sliders FM14 will be my last purchase.

[Lawlore]

what about the FM14 after last patch 14.3.0 ?

I am happy to revise my earlier opinion in this thread, as I think the final patch did go some way to address some of my major issues with the FM14 engine, particularly with regards to balance.

Generally players enjoy games they win at. Yeah you'll get the odd one that doesn't but FML proved that players do not enjoy losing

It would be a gross oversimplification to suggest that was the reason FML struggled to retain players- a lot was to do with the game's unique economy that new players were severely disadvantaged in. But that's another thread for another day.

[skybluedude]

Seem to recall the FM13 match engine with the last update was fairly solid, certainly gave me less WTF moments then the current engine with corner kicks hitting the crossbar and other weird things.

[Al Bundy]

Fm 2014.

[milnerpoint]

Fm 2014.

quoted for truth.

[Luckz]

FM 14 looks nothing like a football match. The amount of massive scrambles and three or four players running into each other is something i don't see every week in the EPL.

Does anybody remember which game / patch added that to the match engine? It's so terrible to see five guys chase one... yet so common.

[Cougar2010]

Does anybody remember which game / patch added that to the match engine? It's so terrible to see five guys chase one... yet so common.

I rarely see that, as always it all about your tactical choices and the bottom line is there is a section of the userbase that simply don't know as much as they think they do about them.

[Fond Foat]

I think the FM14 match engine is misunderstood. Some of the things people talk about occur when your team is not used to the shape or style of your football or the instructions they have been given. Also, just look at the tactics section. Many players try to get things to work they are always going to cause some problems.

The game has to represent the differences between teams who know what they are doing and teams that don't. I stand by my original point that watching the game in full over the course of a season, you get to see just how well constructed this match engine is. Yes, there are strange things at times but they get less and less as your teams understanding and your own tactical ability improve. Those who say that 12s or 13s match engine is better have selective memories I think. Also, I agree that it did take until the latest patch for 14s ME to work as good as it does.

People trying to claim this ME is a disgrace just don't really get it how FM has evolved. The suggestion that this version means that 4 or 5 players are chasing the ball is one. I just don't see that. Maybe in a pre-season game when I am experimenting but never with a tactic I have developed over time. The players are responding to whatever instructions have been given to them. I think that is excellent. The trouble is the player blames the ME.

I just want to add that I do not mean to be having a go at people. but I simply don't get how this game is considered by many as a mess. Read the tactics forums, stay away from the general bitching forum, and get value from this game!

[ctfm2012]

As for me every other fm release except this one. FM14 has to be the most unrealistic for me in terms of results an e.g. my team is in the top 3 of my league and I end up beating QPR away in uefa league but when I play a team from my league who is in relegation zone ends up beating me 5-2. Amazing what can i say. I re simulated the game using different tactics and player roles and i still say it's a waste of time. Not happy at all.

I got say i had better luck with FMC than FM.

[fromthefuture]

Bah this 2014 ME is totally unrealistic. Playing as Chelsea, destroy Arsenal 6-0. Next match lose to Crystal Palace 1-0 on an OG. lulz

[milnerpoint]

As for me every other fm release except this one. FM14 has to be the most unrealistic for me in terms of results an e.g. my team is in the top 3 of my league and I end up beating QPR away in uefa league but when I play a team from my league who is in relegation zone ends up beating me 5-2. Amazing what can i say. I re simulated the game using different tactics and player roles and i still say it's a waste of time. Not happy at all.

I got say i had better luck with FMC than FM.

FM and FMC use the exact same match engine............

[milnerpoint]

Bah this 2014 ME is totally unrealistic. Playing as Chelsea, destroy Arsenal 6-0. Next match lose to Crystal Palace 1-0 on an OG. lulz

Your right, Chelsea scoring 6 goals in one game is pretty unrealistic.

[coady]

The simulation for me is poor on this game. The results are often fine (which seems to be every over defensive person of the game's response), I just personally feel the way the games are played out looks unrealistic, with almost all of the plays coming from the same certain set of situations.

My biggest realism gripes are:-

1) My favourite role in football to watch is the Pirlo/Gerrard/Huddlestone role, where they come in the hole and glide passes comfortably out to full backs, wingers and occasionally in behind. This never happens in FM.

2) Even if you have 'more direct passing' employed as a tactic, you still often play short passing football with many square passes and side ways moves. A Sam Allardyce team scored a 27 pass move against another AI team in the FA Cup final!

3) Most attacks in open play for both teams (even in AI v AI games) come from the pass in behind the full back. I know in the last patch the Wingers have been make to shoot from all angles when they would pass across goal IRL to combat this, as well as making CCC's often saved or missed from the Striker's feet.

4) While shots hitting the woodwork has been fixed since the January patch, it now seems to have been translated to every other corner (no matter where in the box you ask your corners to be hit).

5) Defenders letting the ball bounce or missing simple headers to put strikers in happens many times per game.

6) The predictability of penalties! (I won't expand on this one as they acknowledged this as a problem to work on)

Please don't be fooled, I love this game and happily enjoy playing it. So all of you defensive people who say change your tactics and all that can calm down because I'm happy with the game and playing it regularly. All I'm saying is SI pride themselves on making the most realistic simulation and I feel these elements of the ME being addressed would aid their desires significantly!

[Dagenham_Dave]

Bah this 2014 ME is totally unrealistic. Playing as Chelsea, destroy Arsenal 6-0. Next match lose to Crystal Palace 1-0 on an OG. lulz

I'm really hoping this is sarcasm. Because if not, I'd strongly advise you to look at the results in the real life EPL from last season.

[Loki679]

People trying to claim this ME is a disgrace just don't really get it and probably struggle with football tactics as a whole.

Or, just possibly, they simply have a different opinion to you.

[Dagenham_Dave]

Or, just possibly, they simply have a different opinion to you.

Probably based on just not getting it and struggling with football tactics as a whole.

[jon157uk]

I wish people would stop calling this a horrible game just because they think it's too difficult. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but those are 2 separate issues. Plus it's a bit unfair to call this game "horrible" or "unplayable" when it clearly isn't. Tone done the rhetoric.

It's only difficult because it doesn't work not because of the challenges.

For me, I think 13 might be the best as far as matches go but even that wasn't great.

[markantony]

I rarely see that, as always it all about your tactical choices and the bottom line is there is a section of the userbase that simply don't know as much as they think they do about them.

My tactics don't make players run into each other, stop, do it again, lose the ball, run into each other again, then stand still as the guy who eventually wins the fight runs off.

[Dagenham_Dave]

My tactics don't make players run into each other, stop, do it again, lose the ball, run into each other again, then stand still as the guy who eventually wins the fight runs off.

Yes, but that never actually happens though. And I won't be convinced it does until someone shows me video evidence.

[markantony]

Yes, but that never actually happens though. And I won't be convinced it does until someone shows me video evidence.

Obviously not in the fantasy version of the game that only exists in your head.

[Cougar2010]

My tactics don't make players run into each other, stop, do it again, lose the ball, run into each other again, then stand still as the guy who eventually wins the fight runs off.

What you are describing there is a 50/50 ball between two players of the opposite teams where one of them eventually comes away with the ball.

The 3d doesn't perhaps show that as cleanly as you want to see it but its the sort of thing you see in RL football matches.

[Sussex Hammer]

14 has potential but there are issues. The classic pass between the full back and centre back is one of the obvious glitches and that's for both the user and the AI. And before anyone says it's your tactics I've used many a defensive set up, high, deep, various roles on defenders and midfielders and it still happens with varying levels of regularity. I think that this classic issue is down to certain factors. Firstly I think supporting creative strikers are overpowered compared to attacking goal scoring forwards. Andy Carroll for me plays a majority of these passes to the wingers and stat wise Carroll should be pretty hopeless with his passing!! Likewise wingers with far lower stats in finishing outscore my strikers pretty comfortably in a season especially shot to goal ratio. Secondly defending is pretty horrific at times especially with a back four and nutty full backs. If anyone has found a solid back four set up please usher me towards it because every set up I use tends to be the same!!

Passing and phase of play wise I think the first patch had it right. I can remember a lot of cross field balls and different types of goals. Obviously there were some pretty bad issues as well hence being patched again but I do find this last patch a bit predictable with the same phases of play being replicated and very little variety. Set pieces seem to have been toned down that now a rare near post goal from a corner tends to come of my centre backs shin rather than his head! And headed goals from crosses from my strikers are few and far between, I see one cracker then it doesn't happen again for 12 months.

Roles seem similar in a lot of ways. I don't see a great difference in behaviour from most roles for example a BWM, AM, DM, DLP don't actually seem to play much different. I bought Huddlestone for his passing range but despite setting him up to play that way he seems to prefer short passes to the full backs!!

It's certainly better than 13 when any type of play through the middle was totally nuked in the last patch but it has massive room for improvement.