Training Specific to Player Roles

[TheUnderdog]

The training part of FM is something I've always neglected and never really had the inclination to even try to understand. I've always relied on training schedules created by geniuses such as Tugs and now Maestro Ugo and have always been happy with the outcomes.

Recently I've been playing FM with more emphasis on individual player roles and using different players with different roles to have different effects on the game (pretty much like real life really). However one thing that I can't find anywhere is training schedules that are specific to individual player roles.

I'm not talking about different schedules designed for defensive and attack minded midfielders or for strong and fast strikers, I'm talking very specific. I wouldn't want a ball winning MC on the same schedule as a deep lying playmaker, despite them both being initially set up in the same position. The same goes for strikers. Even though they are both attacking roles, a poacher would require different training to a target man, for instance.

Has anyone tried to develop training schedules for player roles or knows of anyone whose already done it?

I'd have a go myself but I'm not nearly as talented as some of the guys on here.

Thanks.

[ham_aka_stam]

I make training schedules for all of my players individually now. Using the player's own screen, I go to training and there you have 3 tabs.

The first you can use to view which attributes are affected by which training sections, and I use that to decide which section needs high, which needs medium and which needs low training. Then a quick balancing act so that there's enough of a gap between the three on their sliders without taking them into heavy and I'm set.

I did previously use something like you mention, but the problem was that (using your DLP example) I might have both Carrick and Pogba who I want to train and play as DLPs. But Carrick has passing and creativity ~17, so I'd rather work at improving him physically than the "attacking" option. Conversely Pogba is relatively (he's still young) strong physically, and really needs his technicals worked on to get him up to standard.

If you still want to make role-based schedules, pick one of your players who you think typifies the role you're looking at, and use the method I outlined to create a schedule for them, then add all your other players of that role to the same schedule.

[pigfacemonkeyman]

I make training schedules for all of my players individually now. Using the player's own screen, I go to training and there you have 3 tabs.

The first you can use to view which attributes are affected by which training sections, and I use that to decide which section needs high, which needs medium and which needs low training. Then a quick balancing act so that there's enough of a gap between the three on their sliders without taking them into heavy and I'm set.

I did previously use something like you mention, but the problem was that (using your DLP example) I might have both Carrick and Pogba who I want to train and play as DLPs. But Carrick has passing and creativity ~17, so I'd rather work at improving him physically than the "attacking" option. Conversely Pogba is relatively (he's still young) strong physically, and really needs his technicals worked on to get him up to standard.

If you still want to make role-based schedules, pick one of your players who you think typifies the role you're looking at, and use the method I outlined to create a schedule for them, then add all your other players of that role to the same schedule.

TheUnderdog, it's then just one small step further to modify these to suit individuals as they develop. (whilst on the 'role schedule' select 'new schedule' and tweak)

[ham_aka_stam]

That's a really good point.

On a slightly related note, I'm experimenting with some very extreme schedules at the moment to try to sort out players with massive weaknesses. Anderson's shooting for example.

I have all his training in the Light section except for:

Passing - Medium

Tactics - Medium

Shooting - Intense.

I say slightly related, because so far, I've seen no ill effects, what I believe this will show is that no training is wrong. Yes players dip, and some plateau before they reach PA, but you can't "break" a player with training.

[TheUnderdog]

Thanks.

When doing this, do you start with a 'base' example such as the default setting for a striker, for instance and then just tweak from there? What am I looking for regarding workload? Is heavy too much?

Looks like I might have some work to do.

[Karnage94]

Thanks.

When doing this, do you start with a 'base' example such as the default setting for a striker, for instance and then just tweak from there? What am I looking for regarding workload? Is heavy too much?

Looks like I might have some work to do.

If I'm working off a base, I generally use my best player in that role as the example. As for workload, slightly above heavy works well, never very heavy. If players are complaining you can use the private chat function and try keep them happy that way or reduce the workload if you need to. Players with high professionalism will not complain as much. I wouldn't use a base for first team players but if you want to shape a youngster into a potential replacement long term for your mid twenties centre back captain, then it is a good idea.

[Marsupian]

I just have schedules for each type of player I want. If I have a midfielder who is very strong attacking but lacks defensive capabilities I just put him on my defensive midfielder schedule and visa versa. Creating individual schedules is probably better but it's a bit too much work for my taste and my schedules tend to be pretty balanced so they don't have that big of an impact anyway.

[ham_aka_stam]

Thanks.

When doing this, do you start with a 'base' example such as the default setting for a striker, for instance and then just tweak from there? What am I looking for regarding workload? Is heavy too much?

Looks like I might have some work to do.

Personally, I set all the bars in the middle (4 clicks from Light, 4 from High) and then add four clicks to those I want trained harder and 4 for those I want lighter. That gives me a base to work on, and I then shift the three blocks up and down until the Overall Workload is where I want it (a few clicks below High), whilst maintaining a decent difference between blocks.

Some players will still whinge, just drop all their training categories by 1 click.

[furiousuk]

Personally, I set all the bars in the middle (4 clicks from Light, 4 from High) and then add four clicks to those I want trained harder and 4 for those I want lighter. That gives me a base to work on, and I then shift the three blocks up and down until the Overall Workload is where I want it (a few clicks below High), whilst maintaining a decent difference between blocks.

Some players will still whinge, just drop all their training categories by 1 click.

Any reason you use 4 clicks as a basic movement? I'm guessing this is just that its enough of a movement to elicit a response?

I move the sliders depending upon how many attributes are in each category, for example, there are 5 in ball control so that moves up or down by 5 each time I want a change whereas defending only moves by 3. I start from 0 and work up using the number of attributes as a marker for each slider movement.

Also, what are the 3 blocks? Physical (Str, Aer), Mental (Tac, BC), Technical (Def, Att, Sho) ?

[ham_aka_stam]

Any movement elicits a response. It's almost for aesthetic reasons if I'm honest with you, but then I adjust them al depending on how much I want that player to concentrate on those sections anyway. It's just an initial marker while I'm deciding which groups are priorities and which aren't.

The "number of attributes" theory has been denied by SI, it's not included in the game's calculations.

The blocks I meant were Aerobic, Strength, GK H, GK SS, Tactics, Ball Control, Shooting, Defending and Attacking, wasn't sure what to call them, and I've called them sections in this post just for further confusion

[furiousuk]

Yes I figured the 'number of attributes' wouldn't strictly follow but it allows me to make logical decisions on which areas to train and, even if the game doesn't specifically take into account the number of attributes in each category, if I train 2 categories the same and see (for example) a 5 ability rise in each category then it makes sense that these might be spread amongst the 5 outfield ball control attributes whereas there would be a double-up for the attacking category (with only 3 attributes).

Don't think that made a lot of sense!

I'm interested to see how your more extreme schedules pan out. I've always figured that if you want to radical change you have to design a radical training schedule and that most are just far too tame to see any discernible difference from the general schedules that come with the game (I think this is another thing that SFraser advocated). I've tried a quick, intensive blast of training over a 1-2 month time to see if I could quickfire an attribute point or 2 before fatiguing a player but the result wasn't really conclusive - the players didn't seem to gain points any quicker or tire out any quicker!! I'd be interested to see how this pans out over a season or 2 of use though, I would imagine it would work really well. I design my schedules so that my young players pack on as much physicality as possible and then catch up mentally & technically as they become strong & quick enough to handle 1st team experience but fear that my schedules may still be too tame to really elevate a player above where they would end up if left fairly neutral.

[ham_aka_stam]

One thing I have done is kept the overall workload the same, so if I've decided (using Anderson as an example), I want to sacrifice his Physicals for some Shooting and Tactics, I've got his Physicals on the highest notch of low (iirc) and Tactics and Shooting on the highest notch, with the others somewhere in the middle, but nearer the physicals. So his total intensity is the same as all my other players (physicals affecting intensity more than others).

If I see him picking up CA on those middling sections I'll drop them further and sacrifice overall intensity for more of a difference between what I want him to improve on, and those I'm willing to sacrifice (in the literal sense for physicals and in a "sacrifice improvement" sense for the middlers).