Football Manager 2014 - Update 14.3.1 Update FEEDBACK THREAD

[llama3]

Can you visit the bugs forum, specifically "media/news and press conferences section" found here: http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/366-Media-News-and-Press-Conferences

Start a thread with the problem, and upload the save to the FTP. Instructions to do so can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/368795

[FWT]

Can you visit the bugs forum, specifically "media/news and press conferences section" found here: http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/366-Media-News-and-Press-Conferences

Start a thread with the problem, and upload the save to the FTP. Instructions to do so can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/368795

I'll try to get it done sometime today.

[FWT]

Thats certainly not amongst the most extreme examples I've seen FWT and not outside the realms of possibility.

Its four years in the future and you have Stoke in the semi finals of the Champion's league so you must have a good team.

I have seen examples where my team have been somewhere around 1/20 or 1/30 favourites earlier in a continental competition despite the opposition players being significantly better than mine.

No way is this right(or if it is right its very unrealistic) you will NEVER see those kinds of odds given against such a massive side unless Bayern had completely slumped over the last 4 or 5 years and they haven't, they are currently 9 points clear in the Bundesliga and EVERY player even has superb morale.

[ltdamn]

Pretty tired of getting run down in the second half by a team that couldn't find the ball in the first but is now playing like Brazil, and reading after the game that 'Player X claimed it was Manager X's words at half-time that inspired the team to blah blah blah'.

No variation of team-talk, mentality or formation prevents it. It's almost better to be 0-0 at half time instead of 1-0 up and the game is starting to feel like Morale Manager.

[yuy]

I'm not sure I agree with this. It's a known fact that a portion of the user base is struggling more in FM14 than in previous versions and tend to blame it on the ME. It's also a known fact that some users have very poor tolerance for mistakes or bugs and tend to go off on one when they lose a game because of either. It's also a known fact that the ME is never going to be perfect.

However, I don't see any argument for the current ME not being a significant step forward from the FM13 one, which was equally a significant step forward from the FM12 one. There's so much good going on in the current ME, which is unfortunately obscured by people focusing on its flaws.

FM14 worse than FM13? YES !!!

Just look at where the judge is at a shootout in the edition of 2013, and where in the 2014 edition.

[FWT]

Just an update on my frustrating Stoke save, I will NOT use the C word as instructed.

So here's what has happened over the last few seasons that has flat out made me sick.

Season3

Doing well and challenging for the title when my two best and key players(aml and amr) are injured until the end of the season, I also lose my two back up wingers and end the season having to use full backs out of position. We ended up third, 6 points behind the champions.

I took this on the chin, although it was very frustrating.

Season 4

Absolutely smashing the league and 18 league games unbeaten when we inexplicably only managed 1 point from our final 3 games(in which we were the better side) and ended up losing the title on goal difference.

Extremely peeved and almost quit.

Season 5

Take a look at this............

Seriously, how utterly ridiculous is that?

That's three seasons in a row now where something out of the ordinary has cost us the title.

By the way, here are my game stats for the season.

Games Played 64

Games Won 47

Games Drawn 14

Games Lost 3

Just 3 games lost in an entire season and one of those was a penalty shootout in the FA Cup Semi Final. We did not lose a single game in the Champions League, beating a poor Barca 3-1 in the final.

Chelsea were outplayed many times(I took 4 points off them) but they somehow just kept winning?

Surely you can see from that why I would have to question the integrity of the game?

[chesterfan2]

I'm not sure I agree with this. It's a known fact that a portion of the user base is struggling more in FM14 than in previous versions and tend to blame it on the ME. It's also a known fact that some users have very poor tolerance for mistakes or bugs and tend to go off on one when they lose a game because of either. It's also a known fact that the ME is never going to be perfect.

However, I don't see any argument for the current ME not being a significant step forward from the FM13 one, which was equally a significant step forward from the FM12 one. There's so much good going on in the current ME, which is unfortunately obscured by people focusing on its flaws.

I am certainly finding FM14 a lot harder than FM13, but that's because the tactics that worked very well for me in FM13 are not so successful in FM14. I'll simply have to work out what works in FM14 and what doesn't, and I might go to the tactics forum for a bit of help.

Just because what worked in FM13 doesn't work in FM14 doesn't mean it's broken, it probably means it's better at coping with the tactics that worked for everyone in FM13. It used to annoy me that I had to change tactics every version, but now I realise that's bound to be the case. To improve the ME is to make it cope better with what has worked best against it in the past. If the ME never improved tactically then we'd all end up winning every game, and trust me the public would soon lose interest in that.

So to sum up. I'm NOT saying 'it's your tactics', I am saying 'it's the ME's tactics, they keep getting better'.

[chesterfan2]

No way is this right(or if it is right its very unrealistic) you will NEVER see those kinds of odds given against such a massive side unless Bayern had completely slumped over the last 4 or 5 years and they haven't, they are currently 9 points clear in the Bundesliga and EVERY player even has superb morale.

The pre-match odds have been bust for at least a couple of versions prior to this one. Right from when they were introduced, they have never worked correctly. I'm sure I raised a bug report about this for FM13 (or was it FM12 I can't recall), but it has never been fixed. I've had matches in my Northampton Town save on FM13 where I've been in the Conference and been favourites away from home in the FA cup at Championship Wolves, which isn't right.

[Alexivan]

How about that ?

[llama3]

Just an update on my frustrating Stoke save, I will NOT use the C word as instructed.

So here's what has happened over the last few seasons that has flat out made me sick.

Season3

Doing well and challenging for the title when my two best and key players(aml and amr) are injured until the end of the season, I also lose my two back up wingers and end the season having to use full backs out of position. We ended up third, 6 points behind the champions.

I took this on the chin, although it was very frustrating.

Season 4

Absolutely smashing the league and 18 league games unbeaten when we inexplicably only managed 1 point from our final 3 games(in which we were the better side) and ended up losing the title on goal difference.

Extremely peeved and almost quit.

Season 5

Take a look at this............

Seriously, how utterly ridiculous is that?

That's three seasons in a row now where something out of the ordinary has cost us the title.

By the way, here are my game stats for the season.

Games Played 64

Games Won 47

Games Drawn 14

Games Lost 3

Just 3 games lost in an entire season and one of those was a penalty shootout in the FA Cup Semi Final. We did not lose a single game in the Champions League, beating a poor Barca 3-1 in the final.

Chelsea were outplayed many times(I took 4 points off them) but they somehow just kept winning?

Surely you can see from that why I would have to question the integrity of the game?

Lost the title on a previous FM despite getting 94 points. Felt deflating.

Best question to ask - how is your man management? Any trends in results regarding pressure and expectations?

[Guest El Payaso]

However, I don't see any argument for the current ME not being a significant step forward from the FM13 one, which was equally a significant step forward from the FM12 one. There's so much good going on in the current ME, which is unfortunately obscured by people focusing on its flaws.

I think that those two older versions of the ME had much better balance between defending and attacking play. IMO in FM 2014 defending has never reached good level in any of the updates and it's generally really bad I think. I've provided quite much of an evidence to the bugs forum...

And I admit that I am one of those who don't like to see cheap goals conceded but I don't feel rewarded when we score cheap goals either. I've done quite well in this version also: over-achieving with every team I have played but I don't feel that I'm being successfull because I'm good tactician in this version: most of my goals are scored from illogical plays: small players finishing from crosses after unrealistic successful run from my winger who by the way is 'decent Premier league player'. Also regularly conceding and scoring from near post headers both from corners and open plays and the third one is a through ball which defenders aren't able to defend in this version. I see nothing tactical in that kind of goals scored and conceded.

With Chelsea the success came kinda automatically as very few teams actually did properly challenge us but when they did my defence was always in trouble even though they are all leading Premier league players.

The defensive side of the ME is really badly lacking in all possible ways: physical play is completely missing, reacting is slow or non existent and even when they win the first ball in the penalty area, the clearance is almost always a poor one. If this version was going to be a 'balanced' one it should include bad first touches and inability to dribble for attacking players and those things should happen a lot then.

[Moose-Stuff-For-Money]

I have been asked an odd question at a press conference.

"Despite Boca's convincing 6-3 Copa Libertadores Second Round Second Leg aggregate win over Cruzeiro, your side has been eliminated from the competition, just how disappointing is that?2

Well erm not very considering I am in the quarter finals against Santos after beating Cruzeiro 6-3 as you alude to in your question.

[saiyaman]

Looking at many users being disappointed with SI deciding to take the bugs to FM 15, I think I could have a suggestion.

The users are right in asking for their money's worth and so are SI in having a cutoff time to begin doing the next new version.

How about something like this?

Let's say a period of time begins from the day the last patch is released and ends before 3 months of the next release. In this period, the bugs which are reported by users and confirmed by SI will go into a list.

The maximum number of bugs reported and confirmed by a user gets him/her a discount of 30% off the next FM version.

Second place could get 15% and third place could get 10%.

This way, SI benefits from a real world test environment and the users wouldn't be angry about buying a new version. Three prizes wouldn't cost that much.

What do you think?

[forameuss]

Looking at many users being disappointed with SI deciding to take the bugs to FM 15, I think I could have a suggestion.

The users are right in asking for their money's worth and so are SI in having a cutoff time to begin doing the next new version.

How about something like this?

Let's say a period of time begins from the day the last patch is released and ends before 3 months of the next release. In this period, the bugs which are reported by users and confirmed by SI will go into a list.

The maximum number of bugs reported and confirmed by a user gets him/her a discount of 30% off the next FM version.

Second place could get 15% and third place could get 10%.

This way, SI benefits from a real world test environment and the users wouldn't be angry about buying a new version. Three prizes wouldn't cost that much.

What do you think?

...oooooor they could just do it like they always have, like every single other developer would do in their situation, and concentrate on getting an FM15 product which is as good as it can be. Sounds much better than a ill-thought-out fad which makes no mention of the biggest part of bugs - actually fixing them.

Chelsea were outplayed many times(I took 4 points off them) but they somehow just kept winning?

Surely you can see from that why I would have to question the integrity of the game?

Not really - you just sound like a bad loser. Champions often grind out results, so much so that it has become quite the cliche. It's nothing to do with the "integrity of the game". Would you call the integrity of the Premier League into question if Chelsea win the league having ground out a 1-0 win at Swansea last week?

[milnerpoint]

Looking at many users being disappointed with SI deciding to take the bugs to FM 15, I think I could have a suggestion.

The users are right in asking for their money's worth and so are SI in having a cutoff time to begin doing the next new version.

How about something like this?

Let's say a period of time begins from the day the last patch is released and ends before 3 months of the next release. In this period, the bugs which are reported by users and confirmed by SI will go into a list.

The maximum number of bugs reported and confirmed by a user gets him/her a discount of 30% off the next FM version.

Second place could get 15% and third place could get 10%.

This way, SI benefits from a real world test environment and the users wouldn't be angry about buying a new version. Three prizes wouldn't cost that much.

What do you think?

One of the worst ideas on the boards yet.

[Kriss]

All except three of the users would be even angrier I reckon

[FWT]

Not really - you just sound like a bad loser. Champions often grind out results, so much so that it has become quite the cliche. It's nothing to do with the "integrity of the game". Would you call the integrity of the Premier League into question if Chelsea win the league having ground out a 1-0 win at Swansea last week?

No way am I having that, I would agree if the extraordinary had happened once, twice at a bit of a push, but three times in a row? no chance.

As for the Chelsea remark, your talking about a one off, i'm talking about a whole season.

Be reasonable.

[forameuss]

No way am I having that, I would agree if the extraordinary had happened once, twice at a bit of a push, but three times in a row? no chance.

As for the Chelsea remark, your talking about a one off, i'm talking about a whole season.

Be reasonable.

I'm not going to go back through the archives, but given it's become so cliche, I don't think "grinding out results" is a one-off or even anywhere close to it. Top teams have to grind out results. It doesn't matter if you win by 8 or by 1 unless it comes down to goal difference. It doesn't even matter if you play well.

Maybe if you ground out one of those games you lost, you'd have been champions. Just a thought.

[milnerpoint]

No way am I having that, I would agree if the extraordinary had happened once, twice at a bit of a push, but three times in a row? no chance.

As for the Chelsea remark, your talking about a one off, i'm talking about a whole season.

Be reasonable.

It seems odd you find it reasonable that Stoke could challenge for the EPL after 2 seasons, yet find nothing wrong with the top clubs beating you to the title. Stoke being able to compete for the title after that amount of time is far more worrying than your squad falling apart at the last hurdle. You appear to not have managed your team in either of the 3 seasons when the real pressure hit your team. Chelsea winning every game is not a sign of a problem with the game.

[offleyhornet]

Not sure if this has been corrected for FM14, but when a club's board decided to build a new stadium, can the researchers come up with some interesting alternatives for stadium names, so that the game avoids choosing names like 'Watford Stadium', 'Colchester Stadium', 'Bournemouth Stadium' etc.

Perhaps each club researcher could input 2/3 nearby sites/street names of their club into the database so that IF that club does end up building a new stadium, they have some more imaginative names to choose from, rather than the bog-standard, boring names.

[RTHerringbone]

Not sure if this has been corrected for FM14, but when a club's board decided to build a new stadium, can the researchers come up with some interesting alternatives for stadium names, so that the game avoids choosing names like 'Watford Stadium', 'Colchester Stadium', 'Bournemouth Stadium' etc.

Perhaps each club researcher could input 2/3 nearby sites/street names of their club into the database so that IF that club does end up building a new stadium, they have some more imaginative names to choose from, rather than the bog-standard, boring names.

Excellent idea - would you be so kind as to add the same in the wish list thread? I agree that the stadium names are usually bland and crap.

[offleyhornet]

Excellent idea - would you be so kind as to add the same in the wish list thread? I agree that the stadium names are usually bland and crap.

Will do.

I expect my free copy of FM 15 in the post in several months' time

[saiyaman]

One of the worst ideas on the boards yet.

What is so worse in that? It benefits both the sides and it is a win win situation for si when they have real world environments by the thousands.

[milnerpoint]

What is so worse in that? It benefits both the sides and it is a win win situation for si when they have real world environments by the thousands.

Because then you make bug reporting a game, which it should never be.

Si already have a list of what needs fixed, in the priority they see fit, they dont need a competition to make the game better.

[Pelz]

Been away for two weeks in Dubai... Warm weather training, if you will... So glad I've come back to the same people arguing the same points... As though I never went away !

[saiyaman]

Because then you make bug reporting a game, which it should never be.

Si already have a list of what needs fixed, in the priority they see fit, they dont need a competition to make the game better.

Makes sense I suppose. Was just trying to ease things. No problem.

[themadsheep2001]

Been away for two weeks in Dubai... Warm weather training, if you will... So glad I've come back to the same people arguing the same points... As though I never went away !

Did you expect anything different?

[Football Manager.]

Not sure about the rest of you but I've even having a right laugh reading through the last page of this thread. FWT is hilarious can't believe he's not had the banhammer yet. This mod merry go round a few months back has really given a more laid back approach to moderating!

On topic only obvious thing I've seen is world class strikers going through 1 V 1 against keepers and missing. It's quite unrealistic but if it's the M.E ' sway of saying your tactics are wrong ect I don't know but it happens a lot to me and against me in the premier league with the best teams and obviously happens even worse when morale is low.

[CityAndColour]

Excellent idea - would you be so kind as to add the same in the wish list thread? I agree that the stadium names are usually bland and crap.

Am surprised it isn't already in the game tbh. It's been suggested since about FM08 and is a cracking idea.

[howhigh1337]

well, started to play after a break and have to say patch 14.3 certainly made this game better (although it wasn't THAT bad for me before, just followed this thread and was under influence of moanings), haven't seen any notable bugs/flaws yet after finishing half of season

[scott MUFC]

far too much going on with the collisions on players.

players falling over when the ME shos othing, players being "pulled back" from slide tackles?

oh and the most annoying thing is.

Player has taken a knock

quicksub

it sits there and doesnt go away until you click it, happens with any + injury gets frustrating because 8/10 i wait 5-6 minutes of gametime to read that the player has took a knock but can shake it off.

tell me this instead of the other thanks.

[FWT]

So harsh

[keithfc]

far too much going on with the collisions on players.

players falling over when the ME shos othing, players being "pulled back" from slide tackles?

oh and the most annoying thing is.

Player has taken a knock

quicksub

it sits there and doesnt go away until you click it, happens with any + injury gets frustrating because 8/10 i wait 5-6 minutes of gametime to read that the player has took a knock but can shake it off.

tell me this instead of the other thanks.

I think the problem is the design of the defensive logic in the ME. SI may think that slide tackle is equal to all in defense. Too many tackle in this ME.

[andu1]

So harsh

Happens to me all the time.. I think the counterattacks in this game are too overpowered.

[Cougar2010]

Happens to me all the time.. I think the counterattacks in this game are too overpowered.

So you set your team up to be weak against counter attacks then say they are overpowered?

When you choose your tactical setup you either accept the risk of being counter attacked which usually means you are looking to dominate the match or you defend against it.

[SkinningForumVisitor]

FWT you clearly have your strikers taking crap opportunities

Its also easy to be selective with results shown. When my Ayr team were in the lower 3 leagues in Scotland they often would dominate matches, and I'm sure you could pick out 5 or 6 games from every season that went like the ones you show. Doesn't mean they all did. In the SPL we struggled to get a shot on target though...

And yes I'm saying I clearly had my players playing too attacking leading in them attempting too many half-opportunities

[crippledx]

i just lost to west brom 1-0 with them not getting a single shot on target while i have 22 shots and 8 shots on target. can someone tell me how to get my inside forwards to shoot properly and striker to score?

and i cant upload any images.

[FWT]

FWT you clearly have your strikers taking crap opportunities

Its also easy to be selective with results shown. When my Ayr team were in the lower 3 leagues in Scotland they often would dominate matches, and I'm sure you could pick out 5 or 6 games from every season that went like the ones you show. Doesn't mean they all did. In the SPL we struggled to get a shot on target though...

And yes I'm saying I clearly had my players playing too attacking leading in them attempting too many half-opportunities

Clearly.............

It clearly makes FM and the ME look like its levelling the playing field when these kinds of things KEEP happening.

[HUNT3R]

i just lost to west brom 1-0 with them not getting a single shot on target while i have 22 shots and 8 shots on target. can someone tell me how to get my inside forwards to shoot properly and striker to score?

and i cant upload any images.

The 8 shots on target mean nothing if they're of poor quality, but your stats mean nothing without us seeing how good the chances were. If you're looking for proper advice, the Tactics Forum is the place to ask!

[Guest El Payaso]

I finally gave up with this year's version. This is the first version of the game that I kinda 'love' where I've been forced to watch games on full speed and sometimes even on commentary and I have actually always been a manager who concentrates a lot in every game I manage. The ME is just pain to watch for someone who is looking for a good balance between defending and attacking. The whole engine seems just random as chances seem to open quite randomly: not because you're doing something right or wrong tactically. Big teams walk through defences without having to do make any real effort. Just... far from real football and not balanced at all so it's unplayable for me.

But yeah, it was worth the money I paid and gave me a lot of good moments but generally this year's version felt like an 'intermediate model of Football Manager' without real tactics system or training systems. Hopefully both of these big parts of the game get some versatility and challenge on them. I'm buying the next version as always.

[dooro23]

Clearly.............

It clearly makes FM and the ME look like its levelling the playing field when these kinds of things KEEP happening.

The only thing your posts tell me, is that you have absolutely no clue what you're doing tactically. Nice league table, but while using efficient downloaded tactics might help you overachieve, they won't make you learn the game, so you know why you lose those matches [randomly insert one of your match stats screenshots that don't tell very much actually].

Your low level of tactical playing depth, combined with trying to put together conspiracy theories against official SI statements, really doesn't make you look good. Nothing against playing it casually when it comes to tactics, but one should consider that before making wild claims.

[FWT]

Absolutely worst thing I've EVER seen since playing FM.

I've started my second season as Swansea boss after finishing 2nd in season one. We have won our first two games comfortably and have scored 6 conceded 0. Our next game is away to Derby who have just come up, who have so far lost both their first two games very heavily and have scored 0 conceded 8 and morale is through the floor.

Strangely we are not clear favourites for the match(we have won our last 10 btw) so I start the match with my "standard" tactic. At half time we deservedly lead 4-0 and it could have been more, whilst Derby have not even had a single shot on our goal.

I switch to my "counter" tactic that rarely concedes(only lost one 2 goal lead in hundreds of games) within 5 minutes of the restart Derby have scored a "fluke" goal and from a direct free kick with their first two shots of the game. I don't panic but i'm annoyed, they have just been lucky, but oh no that's not the end, they score a third with their next attack and with time running out they even manage to nick a last gasp equaliser in injury time.

It gets better. during me writing this post I have just played Hull again away from home. Similar circumstances we are 3 up at half time. I switch to "counter" as I have done in countless hundreds of games and countless saves and after we scored again Hull manage 2 shots on goal and surprise surprise they go in and the game ends 4-2

Something is definitely amiss here.

[Dagenham_Dave]

Something is definitely amiss here.

Yes there is.

You.

[SkinningForumVisitor]

Something is definitely amiss here.

You talk about tactics, but what if you told them at half-time that the job was done and they could just waltz to the end? What if you winning ten in a row gave them that idea even if you didn't tell them to relax?

Don't bother saying you did everything perfectly, because there are so many variables that could have led to it, some of them even outside your control. This is exactly how FM should be and is what makes it so beautiful.

I bet you are the type who would write that you were winning 1-0 after 12 mins against the league's bottom team having been unbeaten in your last 70-odd home games, but then losing after a dodgy penalty meant the game was fixed.

Your whole "good team in not winning every game shocker" stories are so pathetically tiresome it makes me wonder if you have ever watched any football

[HUNT3R]

FWT, what is the aim of your Counter tactic? How is it different to your Normal tactic? I have to ask, how much of the game do you watch?

[Dagenham_Dave]

And more importantly, when it went to 4-3, clearly indicating that Derby were well in the ascendency, what did you then do to change it?

Simply changing from 'attacking' to 'counter' at half time in a game when you're winning might well work if your players are good enough, but it's not guaranteed. And when the opposing team gets right back into the game on such occasions, it's clearly not working, so then it's time to tweak a bit more. Did you do this?

[Jimbokav1971]

This is the most depressing thread on the forum, (when SKELETOR is not posting). Can we up the SKELETOR quotient in this thread please.

[Dagenham_Dave]

Just started a new Gladbach save recently, first match away to Stuttgart, and I'm 4-1 down at half time. Being absolutely destroyed.

For FWT's benefit, this is how it finished...

I guess the game just doesn't want the AI to win

93rd minute too - nice.

[Jimbokav1971]

OOhh ooh ooh. I have an even better one. Hang on a minute.

[steele]

Dagenham dave great comeback mate. Tactical tweak with a killer teamtalk. Killer cocktail