Player AI Lacks a bit of 'Common Sense'

[KingCanary]

First of all I've really enjoyed this years game- big step up from last year which I found infuriating.

One thing that I do think needs improving is players (both in my team and the opponents) 'common sense.' I feel this is most evident in and around set pieces- it is basic common sense to set a wall and cover your near post for a free kick in the channel next to the penalty area but too often players don't resulting in silly looking goals where a low free kick is played to the near post and a free man just scores- same with corners. For me it should be unless I've particularly gone out of my way to tell them not to set a wall then they should be doing it.

Another example is full backs facing their own goal and trying to play 30 yard back passes on their weaker foot, resulting in them passing it out for a corner. IRL a player might have an occasional brain-fart and do this but I see it a couple of times a game usually. Basic football training and common sense says a defender under pressure would put it out for a throw in or if not under pressure would switch it to their stronger foot.

[wackiewim]

Common sense is probably one of the most challenging to "code".

Though I agree with your point that there are a couple of those recurring which make it less immersive and unnecessarily frustrating

Other examples imo.

- Game play changes and positioning & marking. from attacking to defensive for example. When you have your MC to stay backwards (defenders up to head) and you lose possession from the attacking corner, all players will start running to hold their assigned marked man ( if any) However that can lead to situation where opposite party is countering rushing with 4 men forward while one of the back guys (e.g. MC) actually runs the opposite way not even bothering what the opposite counter is doing. Logics would be that the MC as given task stay backward, will stay backward and do the defensive task and cover until the team is back in position and then switch to mark.

- Goalkeeper would not take freekick at own corner (committed issue by SI I understand)

[KingCanary]

I think maybe common sense is the wrong term, maybe 'football sense' is better. The AI is good but players do have a habit of doing some things that for me fall under 'football training 101' particularly defenders.

[brawla123]

Those back passes give me constant headaches. I think goalkeepers don't have the football sense to position themselves properly in this game. Most of the long shots I see that go in, could have been saved. There's also the huge amount of near post goals that go in.

[Marabak]

My most annoying bug bear is when I have a free kick from out wide, swing it in to the channel between the 6 yard box and the penalty spot, I always score, and the scorer is ALWAYS offside. Without even moving. Meaning that he was standing in an offside position the whole time. It's not like the defence pushed up, as everyone is pretty much stationary.

I could forgive this once, maybe even twice. But I swear it has happened to me at least a dozen times a season.

[scott MUFC]

the worst thing are when players are out wide that shoot instead of pass.

[jere_d]

Long ball over top defender running to it keeper running to it ten yards away from ball both players stop and striker jogs in and slips ball past keeper and into the net. SMH

Other thing is player played in and goal slows down as soon as he touches the ball allowing all of the defence to catch him. "Just keep running" I cry in Anguish as he's crowded out before he reaches the box

[Sunstrikuuu]

Players falling over in attacking positions and in midfield. C R U M P L E B O Y S

And even worse is when the ball isn't cleared and the player stands up without moving, as if they're stuck.