Sunstrikuuu

Under the new training system, I've never noticed differences in development that couldn't be explained by playing time, with the exception of rare regens who show up as 180 CA 16 year olds. But even something like 'all the development happening between 16 and 22' is an example of what I'd like to stop happening. The other end of the development curve, the decline phase, is still really flat, it seems like. Again, I'd like variance. Admittedly, I can't speak to FM 23. Maybe it's all different and better! I don't know, I didn't buy it because there are other problems unrelated to development and AI squadbuilding that are absolute dealbreakers for me. But it is nice to see the same issues coming back year after year.

I really liked the old NBA 2K system (I can't believe I'm favorably comparing NBA 2K to FM!) where players were assigned development curves. Some players grew quickly, had a sharp spiky peak, and declined quickly. Others grew more slowly with later peaks. The best grew quickly, had long, high, sustained peaks and declined slowly. I'd kinda like to see something like that implemented in addition to the PA/CA system, where players can have separate growth, peak and decline values blended into a single developmental curve. That would give some variance to player development and allow for a little more mystery.

Are you not allowed to ask, or does the board reject you?

This basic principle underpins many problems outside the match engine as well. What the game shows you -- 'this player isn't playing well' -- is contradicted by other systems -- "in light of my client's impressive form, I would like to open talks on a new contract". Players achieving excellent results not being picked for national sides or drawing transfer interest is another example of the information the player can see not matching the simulation.

At least it's not non-negotiable! Yeah, this kind of thing is one of the reasons I stopped playing FM22 (I didn't buy '23 because interaction bugs weren't addressed).

No, but you'd also expect mistakes to be tracked as mistakes. It is very frustrating to see players making mistakes that cost the team goals, but not have that reflected in the stats, which has a knock-on effect on other systems. If actual mistakes aren't tracked correctly, then player ratings will be artificially high. That leads to contract requests 'in light of my client's impressive form' after actually bad games. It means you can't use the warn/fine system. It means the player will be less likely to accept correction via interaction ('cut out the mistakes or I'm going to have to drop you'). If I were designing a system to make players of my game tilt, that's something I'd do -- making the underlying stats not match the visual presentation.

Maybe it takes into account total spend including agent fee, signing-on fee, weekly wage and all the various bonuses and clauses. I mean, I don't think that's the case, but it could be.

That's why I didn't buy 23.

Carryover problem from FM2022. Are they also offering Fringe Player status?

Are you kidding? Spanish finances are broken again?

I think this one also includes not being mean in team talks. But yeah, promises are awful, the whole system sucks, sorry developers but it's true.

PSG seem like the obvious one, or a second act at Barcelona. My question, I suppose, is whether he took a pay cut to go to Chelsea.

You aren't missing anything. Player interactions have always been like this. I genuinely think it's the worst feature that's even been added to a game, at least a game like this. My rule for buying FM23 was: no improvement to interactions, no purchase. Good/sad to see that was a line worth drawing.

You're right, AI squadbuilding is completely fine, and that's why the entire reputation curve in game shifts older as the game goes on. It's very normal for eight of the top twelve players in the world to still be there sixteen years later. This is an exact 1:1 representation of reality.

I don't want to hear that it's a beta when it's got the same problems with interactions that FM 22, 21, 20, 19, 18 and 17 all had. That was my hard line this year -- no changes to the interactions, no purchase. The interaction feature is game-ruining, and I won't put another penny into the game or the company until it's changed. A lot of people here have had a lot of patience over the years.

I hope some level of work has gone into the interactions module, because it was the worst part of last year's game.

You can also put in a reason for asking for the refund, and in the past I've been able to get refunds with ~100 hours played by saying specifically that it's a pre-order beta test, not a final release, and I do not believe the final product will be acceptable.

I've been pretty committed to using a Pressing Forward on attack with inverted wingers flanking throughout FM22. That's worked for me in 3-4-3, 5-2-3, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 configurations.

For what it's worth, I have never been able to get a player to accept lower salary in exchange for higher playing time. My experience across the last, dunno, five versions has been that salary and playing time expectation are linked. Offering a higher-than-expected squad status increases the player's salary demands, not both.

This absurd chip from the center circle was scored against me in the French third tier.

The best part of this is that, because you've put an asking price on him, the AI will assume you're trying to get rid. And because each transfer offer is handled in isolation, you can't create a bidding war if two or more clubs are interested!

I think it's the best it's been in a while, but there are a couple bad items (dribbling, central defender positioning in on-on-ones and under long balls, movements during counterattacks by forwards) kludged together. It basically works out, and when the ME is clicking it produces some really, really slick moves, but hoo boy I hate seeing my Ballon d'Or centerback watching balls go over his head because he won't take one step back when it's kicked towards him.

Also undecided. I like a lot about FM22, but since the final patch the number of unfixed bugs and odd design decisions have been really wearing. I know people complain, with some justification, about the match engine, but the match engine is the part of the game where I'm most at peace. When I leave the match, I feel like I'm juggling hand grenades, and if I miss one it'll ruin my season. And it's just... it's frustrating and it's stressful, and I have to hit Continue so many times and I'm literally afraid to hit the Holiday button because every time I do my assman creates a ****ing crisis in the squad.

Been a problem _forever_. I know I bug-reported it in 2017, and maybe in 2015 as well. It's a save-killer sometimes, too; you can get fired for not getting promoted when you're in the playoffs. And, like everything else, it interacts badly with the promise system.

Not sure when Mister Deadly took up management, but damn he looks fly.