Mental Health and How Bad This Match Engine Is

[Drystone]

Hello folks,

 

This is my first post so I'm not sure whether this should go here or another forum.

 

To put it plain and simple, this years match engine is a disaster, I play a journey man save and also start off with about 50 league loaded and unemployed. So, I normally get a job in the lower end of England or Sweden. I've had no real problems with earlier versions of FM's match engine, but this year is a disaster. Yet, I like to play the game (and the latest edition) because SI knows how to hook us.

 

Problems with Match Engine I've Seen After Over Two To Three Hundred Games:

How many times does my players have to head the ball onto the bar or crossbar?

Attackers running behind defenders and the defenders just stood there like statues.

The amount of long shots that hit the cross bar and go in are immense.

Players passing the ball outside the line when they have it for a corner to the opposition.

Goalkeepers (that aren't sweeper keepers) running out and losing the ball when they should keep the ball in their box.

Goals for and against that are clearly offside - I mean "clearly".

Free kicks that come out of nowhere and get scored, and leaves you questioning "why did that free kick happen in the first place?"

 

Now this is only small list but it is making the game dreadful to play.  I have no problem with losing, but when you are a fit team who should win (hands down) over the opposition and you lose by a goal or two its annoying, yet when this happens over and over because of these errors and you have adjusted your tactics to supposedly stop these things, you ask yourself why do they keep happening?

 

I cannot understand how this game is so difficult. As I have said, when you are losing and losing, it is not good for mental health. So, you walk away for an hour or two, or even a day, but the problem is still there. Does SI know they are creating a game that is not good for mental health. I am not saying I want it easy, but this is not "real football" it is a game and aren't games suppose to be fun?

 

As a person who is half blind and finds it difficult to read all the information thrown at me in the game, having a match engine that is built to make you feel bad and have you lose is insulting. I'm guessing nothing is going to be done now that the last patch is out too, but just for future editions of the game, please SI, get your match engine working correctly or start from the ground up. 

[KillYourIdols]

14 minutes ago, Drystone said:

I cannot understand how this game is so difficult. As I have said, when you are losing and losing, it is not good for mental health. So, you walk away for an hour or two, or even a day, but the problem is still there. Does SI know they are creating a game that is not good for mental health. I am not saying I want it easy, but this is not "real football" it is a game and aren't games suppose to be fun?

This isn't an SI Issue....If its that bad, then you need a doctor, rather than this forum.

[el_manayer]

32 minutes ago, Drystone said:

Does SI know they are creating a game that is not good for mental health. I am not saying I want it easy, but this is not "real football" it is a game and aren't games suppose to be fun?

Well I am not here to defend the game or the ME or whatever, but if you are not having fun, why do you keep playing? Just play something else, or any of the older versions you like, it is not like FM progressed enormously in the recent years. But if the game is not doing you any good and you keep playing, it is simply an addiction rather than a game.

[Zapoleon]

I have stopped playing 23 because there are many annoying things like you have listed. There is no point in forcing yourself to play if you are not enjoying it. I am having fun and enjoying other games. 

Older and past versions had their issues but I don't remember one like 23 where there is so many glaring issues. 

23 is never going to be fixed now, so its about enduring the long wait for 24 and hoping they make a better effort this time around. 

[2feet]

1 hour ago, KillYourIdols said:

This isn't an SI Issue....If its that bad, then you need a doctor, rather than this forum.

It is an SI issue because the game is poorly implemented, and players are trying to play it, but the game is failing to help, guide or inform the players how to play it.

Too much in this game insists on withholding information from the player about what is going wrong. The game offers few avenues for finding out how to solve problems. In real life managers would receive advice from support staff much more on formations and tactics and data.

So this is a really good comment and SI games need to own their failings and not rely on commentators gas-lighting anyone who posts comments highlighting these failures and the consequences.

[SimonHoddle]

Sorry to hear it’s impacting your health. FM should be a pleasant diversion, not the be all and end all. I think taking the advice of other posters above is very sensible. It is, after all, only a game.

I agree that this is the silliest FM and their lack of communication as a company is woeful and probably shows that it’s not a happy camp tbh.

offsides can’t be wrong as it’s a computer game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wrong offside in FM. 

 

[vikeologist]

@Drystone I'm sorry that you're finding things tough. 

There certainly have been times when FM has ceased to be fun for me. I can blame SI for some of those times. Others, well I can also blame them for creating a game where poop has just happened (repeatedly).

I think that by posting above you've realised that things have become unhealthy. It happens. Speaking for myself, it's easy to fall into patterns that aren't good for you, but you could always do what you've suggested SI do, start again from the ground up. Reboot yourself. There's a computer thing called thrashing where things just go into a loop. The only answer is to just press the off switch on your computer and restart it. (This is not IT advice. I take no responsibility for lost data).

If it's stopped being fun, just stop for a while, and ask yourself why you play the game. Hopefully there's a positive reason there somewhere and you can find it again. Don't just stop playing FM for a while, do something else instead that you've been putting off.

[Poison]

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

How many times does my players have to head the ball onto the bar or crossbar?

That might be true this year. There are a lot of crossbars in real life too though.

 

 

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

Attackers running behind defenders and the defenders just stood there like statues.

Get players with better defensive attributes or better defensive coaches. Also that's exactly what good footballers with good movement do irl. Also, you might be playing with too aggressive mentality. Also there's a "drop off more" instruction, if you don't want this make sure it's enabled.

 

 

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

Players passing the ball outside the line when they have it for a corner to the opposition.

I'm pretty sure that "play for set pieces", "cross more" and "cross from byline" fixes this.

 

 

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

Goalkeepers (that aren't sweeper keepers) running out and losing the ball when they should keep the ball in their box.

Not too sure about that, could be high eccentricity combined with poor decisions. Try "be more disciplined" as a team instruction.

 

 

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

Goals for and against that are clearly offside - I mean "clearly".

The game replicates real life, so mistakes happen sometimes. Why does it bother you?

 

 

2 hours ago, Drystone said:

Free kicks that come out of nowhere and get scored, and leaves you questioning "why did that free kick happen in the first place?"

Switch to "cautious mentality", "ease off tackles" or just add the trait "does not dive into tackles" if the player is mentally poor.

 

 

45 minutes ago, 2feet said:

The game offers few avenues for finding out how to solve problems. In real life managers would receive advice from support staff much more on formations and tactics and data.

There's literally a whole section in "Data hub"?

 

 

34 minutes ago, SimonHoddle said:

offsides can’t be wrong as it’s a computer game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wrong offside in FM.

That's not true, there's an "error factor" from referees in the game which I personally love.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Poison

[fc.cadoni]

Rule #1: When you don't enjoy something, leave it. The more you go into something which don't produce joy, the worst will become.

Mental health issues are serious. Take a break my son.

[Oliver Roland]

I would stop playing this game years ago because I do not like so many things but I have kept playing because I am mentally ill. Now I am hoping for recovery from my illness so I do not play. Main thing which keep this game alive is addiction not quality.

[santy001]

Obviously the hope would be that everyone does enjoy the game. Yet, it is important to realise that the game won't be for everyone. Over time your feelings towards the game can change so it might be something you enjoyed in the past but don't anymore. Realistically you have to step back and question if this is how you feel as a result of the game and what you expect from it, is it something you wish to continue playing?

FM is ultimately a leisure activity. If you're no longer enjoying it for any reason, then walk away and do something else. 

[Hovis Dexter]

As others have said please take a break from the game or, preferably, all computer games for a couple of months. Your health and your relationships with your family are a zillion times more important than a (computer) game.

[iAlwaysWin]

10 hours ago, KillYourIdols said:

This isn't an SI Issue....If its that bad, then you need a doctor, rather than this forum.

Or just dont play it, i refuse to play this version of FM because the match engine is terrible, the beta was fine but they ruined it for some odd reason.

[KillYourIdols]

16 hours ago, 2feet said:

It is an SI issue because the game is poorly implemented, and players are trying to play it, but the game is failing to help, guide or inform the players how to play it.

Too much in this game insists on withholding information from the player about what is going wrong. The game offers few avenues for finding out how to solve problems. In real life managers would receive advice from support staff much more on formations and tactics and data.

So this is a really good comment and SI games need to own their failings and not rely on commentators gas-lighting anyone who posts comments highlighting these failures and the consequences.

SI Cannot be held responsible if a game affects your mental health. If its stops being fun and you're getting frustrated, walking away is the only option. It MAY affect your mental health, but to say its SI's fault, when mental health issues manifest differently in different people, isnt fair.

As someone who gets easily frustrated from a head injury/Depression, I know my Limits. FM is fine for me, yet other games are not. Its no-ones fault.

[podunkboy]

I gave into the madness years ago and accepted that 1) things don't always go your way 2) the world is an imperfect place and...oh, we're talking about FM, right? When you play FM, you get FM'ed. I've probably played 20,000+ hours of FM and it is what it is. 

[JordanMilly]

For anyone who is having mental health issues, related to FM or otherwise, please do seek help. As someone who has had long term depression and generalised anxiety for over 20 years, and recently finally got diagnosed with ADHD and got help and medication that changed my life, I know things can get better if you're willing to talk about it.

@Drystone, I would strongly suggest you speak to either your GP, or seek out one of the many mental health services available via the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/