The Ask-SI-Anything Thread

[theopert]

Wat.

Just feel like we could learn so much more about how FM works if we were to see AI behaviour. It's not even under the hood stuff, it'd be similar to me sitting next to Klopp at the next Liverpool match and seeing how he sets the team up and what changes he makes during the 90 minutes.

One match would be enough for me, just one match watching an AI manager's reaction to how the game develops. The AI knows how the game works, it knows which out of the hundreds of tactical combinations there are work, but as a userbase we're not part of the Matrix, as it were, we're just looking in from the outside and there's lots of trial and error. Sure, there's people on here who know a hell of a lot about the ME and how best to react to stuff, but it's not the same as watching the combination of the AI and ME together because those two are intrinsically linked.

The best education in anything comes from watching someone who knows exactly what they're doing.

I agree.

Knowing the answers before and not after works best.

That's how there's continuation as trade secrets are passed from generation to generation.

[Neil Brock]

Could you consider adding Croatian Thrid League (East, West, South) in game if you get proper data??

I'm afraid this is very unlikely as leagues are only really added due to demand (people playing FM in a specific country, number of fans watching said leagues). There's nothing to stop you creating the leagues yourself via the editor though.

[Luke Cro]

I'm afraid this is very unlikely as leagues are only really added due to demand (people playing FM in a specific country, number of fans watching said leagues). There's nothing to stop you creating the leagues yourself via the editor though.

Neil is there any way to import data in editor via some tool or program? I'm asking because every year I'm making huge Croatian database and every year I have to add every player, club, stadium etc. manually so there's to much work...What I'm trying to ask is how you add that massive data to editor/FM database??

[Tecmo]

Does altitude have an impact on players so games in Denver or Mexico City, for instance, would see players tire more quickly?

[Neil Brock]

Does altitude have an impact on players so games in Denver or Mexico City, for instance, would see players tire more quickly?

Yes, it does and by looking into this found out it was first added in 2006. If you notice any problems with it not seemingly having any effect though, please do raise it in our bugs forum. Thanks.

[Neil Brock]

Neil is there any way to import data in editor via some tool or program? I'm asking because every year I'm making huge Croatian database and every year I have to add every player, club, stadium etc. manually so there's to much work...What I'm trying to ask is how you add that massive data to editor/FM database??

Not as far as I'm aware I'm afraid. Maybe someone in the Editors Hideaway may have a better idea, but I don't believe there is.

[Neil Brock]

Wat.

Just feel like we could learn so much more about how FM works if we were to see AI behaviour. It's not even under the hood stuff, it'd be similar to me sitting next to Klopp at the next Liverpool match and seeing how he sets the team up and what changes he makes during the 90 minutes.

One match would be enough for me, just one match watching an AI manager's reaction to how the game develops. The AI knows how the game works, it knows which out of the hundreds of tactical combinations there are work, but as a userbase we're not part of the Matrix, as it were, we're just looking in from the outside and there's lots of trial and error. Sure, there's people on here who know a hell of a lot about the ME and how best to react to stuff, but it's not the same as watching the combination of the AI and ME together because those two are intrinsically linked.

The best education in anything comes from watching someone who knows exactly what they're doing.

But you can already do this essentially by watching a combination of the Formation screen and a full match within the 3D match engine. You wouldn't get every single instruction, but you'd certainly get a feel for how the team is playing by just watching. Like real football when you watch your own team - you don't know the EXACT instructions but I'm pretty sure if you've got a tactical mind you'd be able to get a very strong idea just by watching the game.

[Stouters]

Will there be any more nations added to FM without having to download them? Africa is seriously under-represented in FM. If not, then why?

[Duncan Greenwood]

Will there be any more nations added to FM without having to download them? Africa is seriously under-represented in FM. If not, then why?

I think this would cover the second part of your question.

I'm afraid this is very unlikely as leagues are only really added due to demand (people playing FM in a specific country, number of fans watching said leagues). There's nothing to stop you creating the leagues yourself via the editor though.

Regarding the first part, we've not announced FM17 so we're unable to comment on if any leagues/nations will be added to the game in the future.

[Stouters]

Thanks. I really hoped I could avoid the 'we've not announced FM17...' comment. Completely forgot about Neil's reply.

[Lordluap]

Does altitude have an impact on players so games in Denver or Mexico City, for instance, would see players tire more quickly?

One for SI to maybe expand on.

Is the Altitude weighted in the home team/nations favour at all?

Home games are weighted to benefit the home team (as it should be) but if, for example, one was playing with Bolivia (La Paz, 3600m) would one gain any added benefit as Bolivia do (look at the WCQs leading up to South Africa 2010) when they beat Argentina and Brazil at home for their only 2 wins of the campaign - and witness Messi vomitting and Di Maria needing an oxygen mask. Even players using Viagra before recent games to encourage more oxygenation/blood to muscles.

[MBarbaric]

Neil is there any way to import data in editor via some tool or program? I'm asking because every year I'm making huge Croatian database and every year I have to add every player, club, stadium etc. manually so there's to much work...What I'm trying to ask is how you add that massive data to editor/FM database??

err you can load the database in new editor.

[Luke Cro]

err you can load the database in new editor.

yes druže, but with each new game/editor unique IDs are messed bith for clubs, and players and non players etc... when I try load older databases, they are never in mint condition -.- right now I'm making large scaled croatian database for 2016/2017 and from autumn i'll try making statistics so I can have playing histories for LL players...

[herne79]

Even players using Viagra before recent games to encourage more oxygenation/blood to muscles.

Yeh my wife recorded that match. She's watched it a few times over since. She must really like football.

[Lordluap]

Yeh my wife recorded that match. She's watched it a few times over since. She must really like football.

Ever tried playing football having taken Viagra? I play up front and prodded a few home...

[Chinook2000]

One for SI to maybe expand on.

Is the Altitude weighted in the home team/nations favour at all?

Home games are weighted to benefit the home team (as it should be) but if, for example, one was playing with Bolivia (La Paz, 3600m) would one gain any added benefit as Bolivia do (look at the WCQs leading up to South Africa 2010) when they beat Argentina and Brazil at home for their only 2 wins of the campaign - and witness Messi vomitting and Di Maria needing an oxygen mask. Even players using Viagra before recent games to encourage more oxygenation/blood to muscles.

Wouldn't you get distracted and be to embarrassed to use the showers after? Anyway This is a game played by kids so I don't think showing the effects of taking Viagra is something FM should be doing.

[Lordluap]

...Anyway This is a game played by kids so I don't think showing the effects of taking Viagra is something FM should be doing.

Think you've missed the point by a quite a bit there mate... unless some humour has been lost in digitisation...

[vikeologist]

I'm afraid this is very unlikely as leagues are only really added due to demand (people playing FM in a specific country, number of fans watching said leagues). There's nothing to stop you creating the leagues yourself via the editor though.

With regard to Africa though, I'd like to make 3 points.

1. It's sort of hard to know how many people are watching football in Africa. i think that of the top FIFA nations, it's only Ivory Coast and Ghana that don't have readily available figures for football attendance.

2. Given that each year you have to come up with hooks to make people buy the new version of the game, I'm sort of surprised that you don't go with the easy option of just adding a couple of new nations or divisions every couple of years. I appreciate that each new nation adds to the time and money needed, and adds to the chances of nation specific bugs. Actually i'm convincing myself here. I can see that bugs and delays in updates would probably outweigh the benefits of adding leagues.

3. Now that there's the CHAN (for players based in a domestic league) it makes the lack of domestic leagues in Africa a real pain in the arse.

That said, I do realise that adding most leagues and divisions is relatively easy.

[samuelawachie]

Does having coaches that were former players with PPMs help in PPM coaching? Will it be faster than a normal coach teaching it? FM 2014 by the way.

[FrazT]

I am fairly sure that only the coach's attributes in each of the different fields will affect their ability to coach, so I doubt that an ex-players ppms will have any effect

[Neil Brock]

I believe FrazT is correct, but could be nice if that carried over. Something to consider for a future version.

[MBarbaric]

i am sure i've read some people were looking for old players with specific ppm's and signed them so they could make them coaches for that ppm. if true, that would suggest that it is already in the game, or at least it was.

[mleitc3]

Young Player Compensation

So it's more than likely I have the understanding of the rule incorrect, however this is something I can't find the answer to anywhere else. When a young player from another club refuses to sign a deal, I need to pay compensation as that player is under 23 and has been given a contract equal to or greater than what he was already on.

Yet when I have a young player that has outgrown the club, I can't even offer a deal because he says he's not interested in signing due to his ambitions blah blah...

But that means other clubs can sign him for no compensation whatsoever, and on top of that its more often than not that the board/fans are extremely disappointing that I chose to let him go!

Am I missing something or not understanding how it works??

Thanks all!

[Neil Brock]

Young Player Compensation

So it's more than likely I have the understanding of the rule incorrect, however this is something I can't find the answer to anywhere else. When a young player from another club refuses to sign a deal, I need to pay compensation as that player is under 23 and has been given a contract equal to or greater than what he was already on.

Yet when I have a young player that has outgrown the club, I can't even offer a deal because he says he's not interested in signing due to his ambitions blah blah...

But that means other clubs can sign him for no compensation whatsoever, and on top of that its more often than not that the board/fans are extremely disappointing that I chose to let him go!

Am I missing something or not understanding how it works??

Thanks all!

For the second aspect I agree it's not worded correctly and there's two sides to the reasoning behind this. Yes, you didn't want the player to leave and certainly not on a free, but on the flip side you didn't manage to keep the player at the club which is ultimately your responsibility. And from the boards perspective you've let potentially very good player go for nothing when you could have sold him earlier and received a transfer fee. So that's why the confidence is low, but I agree the way it's phrased and appears to the user isn't ideal and is something we'll look to address in any future versions.

For the first I'll check this out internally and see if that's the case. Definitely sounds like a bug though.

[Lenzar]

Why do goalkeepers never get red cards anymore? I remember it being possible in older (pre-FM) versions.

Now even if they do charge for the ball, they always win it or get beaten without fouling the attacker.

[Qwqwqw]

I also remember Emile Heskey punching the referee in one of my CM3 saves Do these things still exist for regens (I know they've been removed for real player, for legal reasons)?

[Neil Brock]

I also remember Emile Heskey punching the referee in one of my CM3 saves Do these things still exist for regens (I know they've been removed for real player, for legal reasons)?

If they are, they are EXTREMELY rare, even for Newgens. I remember I had Victor Renner formally of Wimbledon banned for six months for a headbutt.

[Neil Brock]

Why do goalkeepers never get red cards anymore? I remember it being possible in older (pre-FM) versions.

Now even if they do charge for the ball, they always win it or get beaten without fouling the attacker.

It's one of those balancing issues for the match engine. It's not a case of entering a figure into a table where there should be x amount of red cards for goalkeepers this season, it's all about the match engine in some many different variables, in the attempt to make the game more realistic and reflect real life football more, this has perhaps reduced to a level lower than expected. As always it's a huge balancing act and something we're working on very hard with every iteration of FM.

[max787]

For goalkeepers, is "rushing out" a tendency like "tendency to punch" or is it a reflection of how good the goalkeeper is at rushing out? I've seen it described both ways online in the past. Also, what exactly is eccentricity and why is it useful for sweeper keepers?

Is it true that the set-piece attributes (corners, free kicks, long throws, penalties) don't cost any CA and are essentially "free" attribute points?

[DiasV]

In earlier versions it has been a sort of managerranking system due to either reputation or some sort of points earned through achievements. I see that when manager of the month is chosen you see you win percentage and then your points (f.ex 280). Why is there not a list where you can see how you are ranked compared to other managers world wide and a list of how you are ranked with points within you league og even world wide?

Especially playing online with friends its fun to see how your ranking gets better compared to your friends and the AI managers.

Since this has been implemented before, why is it gone and it there any chance bringing it back?

[samuelawachie]

Okay, 2 questions.

1. Is there a guide somewhere where someone can know how severe some injuries can be to the attributes? And are some injuries more detracting from attributes than others or is it simply a matter of length of time out.

2. Is there a way of knowing when the national team world rankings are done? I often check one too many times and it's annoyingly repetitive. Also can someone get the U21 or other rankings or is it only the senior side that are ranked?

(FM 2014)

[forameuss]

Okay, 2 questions.

1. Is there a guide somewhere where someone can know how severe some injuries can be to the attributes? And are some injuries more detracting from attributes than others or is it simply a matter of length of time out.

2. Is there a way of knowing when the national team world rankings are done? I often check one too many times and it's annoyingly repetitive. Also can someone get the U21 or other rankings or is it only the senior side that are ranked?

(FM 2014)

On the second one, rankings are done every month. Don't know if there's a fixed date, but they'll mirror the real life FIFA rankings. They don't update during that month, just once every month. There are no U21 rankings.

[duccio]

Promotion of clubs from non-manageable feeder leagues seems to be based on the clubs' reputations. Very often clubs within the feeder leagues have widely diverging reps, which means that the ones with low reputation rating have little chance of promotion.

Among others, these clubs were promoted from the Spanish Tercera Division at the end of the real life 15/16 season:

At. Mancha Real

Boiro

El Ejido

Palencia

Saguntino

Zamudio

Each of the above clubs have very low reputation in FM16 and therefore virtually no chance of promotion. In my opnion this is something that should be looked at.

To make it possible for clubs like the ones listed to be promoted, the reputations of clubs within the feeder leagues should be made more equal. Since the clubs have the reps they have and the general intention has always been towards realism in the db, it might not be pertinent to modify the reputations too radically. I don't know what is possible from the game development perspective, but the following does not sound incredibly complicated:

Simply make promotion more random with less weight on reputation.

or

Retain the current system with reputation held in high regard, but add possibility for frequent ”surprize” promotions of teams of lesser stature. For example, if say 10 teams are going to be promoted, reserve 7 spots for the weighted draw and 3 spots for a completely random draw.

Is this something that SI might consider? I have been talking about it in the request thread for several years without ever noticing discernible change within the game.

[Neil Brock]

Promotion of clubs from non-manageable feeder leagues seems to be based on the clubs' reputations. Very often clubs within the feeder leagues have widely diverging reps, which means that the ones with low reputation rating have little chance of promotion.

Among others, these clubs were promoted from the Spanish Tercera Division at the end of the real life 15/16 season:

At. Mancha Real

Boiro

El Ejido

Palencia

Saguntino

Zamudio

Each of the above clubs have very low reputation in FM16 and therefore virtually no chance of promotion. In my opnion this is something that should be looked at.

To make it possible for clubs like the ones listed to be promoted, the reputations of clubs within the feeder leagues should be made more equal. Since the clubs have the reps they have and the general intention has always been towards realism in the db, it might not be pertinent to modify the reputations too radically. I don't know what is possible from the game development perspective, but the following does not sound incredibly complicated:

Simply make promotion more random with less weight on reputation.

or

Retain the current system with reputation held in high regard, but add possibility for frequent ”surprize” promotions of teams of lesser stature. For example, if say 10 teams are going to be promoted, reserve 7 spots for the weighted draw and 3 spots for a completely random draw.

Is this something that SI might consider? I have been talking about it in the request thread for several years without ever noticing discernible change within the game.

It's done on reputation mixed with a random chance. That generally would be the most realistic way to do it. There is a possibility that a low rep team could come up, but yes it is a lower chance. I think it's be quite unrealistic if we made it too random I'm afraid.

[duccio]

It's done on reputation mixed with a random chance. That generally would be the most realistic way to do it. There is a possibility that a low rep team could come up, but yes it is a lower chance. I think it's be quite unrealistic if we made it too random I'm afraid.

Chance for lower reputation clubs to come up is smaller, and for the Spanish teams I mentioned its practically zero. Yet they have done it in the real life, and similar scenarios with low stature teams promoting happen every year in Spain and in other countries. And by low stature teams I mean clubs that would have very little chance of coming up in FM.

Generally the promotion based on reputation mixed with randomness works rather well, but there are frequent real life low rep "anomalies" that leave the system used in FM unsatisfactory. In my opionion the way the promotion works would be improved by adding a limited but recurring element "wild card" promotion. Fill most of the promotion spots the same way they are filled now, but fill the rest with a more indiscriminate selection from the pool of eligible clubs.

[Spurs08]

It's done on reputation mixed with a random chance. That generally would be the most realistic way to do it. There is a possibility that a low rep team could come up, but yes it is a lower chance. I think it's be quite unrealistic if we made it too random I'm afraid.

If you go and look at, say, threads from the Dafuge Challenge for years gone by, the first few pages are normally people re-loading to try and get certain teams - but the same few always repeat and it is nearly impossible to get lower reputation ones. It's right to have it weighted, but in my opinion the weights given are too strong at the moment: it fails to replicate the amount of surprise successes seen in lower-league football.

[duccio]

If you go and look at, say, threads from the Dafuge Challenge for years gone by, the first few pages are normally people re-loading to try and get certain teams - but the same few always repeat and it is nearly impossible to get lower reputation ones. It's right to have it weighted, but in my opinion the weights given are too strong at the moment: it fails to replicate the amount of surprise successes seen in lower-league football.

With the Dafuge's and other similar challenges in mind I made a post in the wishlist thread asking for a possibility to just choose a club from the lower division. Somehing along the lines of add yourself as a manager of team X in the feeder league, and the next time the seasons change the club you chose comes up with you as the manager. It would save a lot of time by making re-loading redundant.

[Delvi]

A couple of questions to SI:

- in FM 2017 there will be Under 17 teams? It would benefit a lot several leagues (Italy, Germany...) and would be really cool to have U17 FIFA World Cup in the game;

- which will be the resolutions supported by SI? Only FHD or there are plans for WQHD and UHD as well?

[Neil Brock]

A couple of questions to SI:

- in FM 2017 there will be Under 17 teams? It would benefit a lot several leagues (Italy, Germany...) and would be really cool to have U17 FIFA World Cup in the game;

- which will be the resolutions supported by SI? Only FHD or there are plans for WQHD and UHD as well?

Nothing has been announced for FM17 yet, in fact the existence of FM17 hasn't even been announced yet, so please don't use this thread to ask about any potential future features.

Thanks.

[Guest]

iirc u17 matches are played over 80 minutes which I assume would require some felting of the ME to make it work.

[Delvi]

iirc u17 matches are played over 80 minutes which I assume would require some felting of the ME to make it work.

They could play 90 minutes like other teams. But we are OT, my fault.

[Adzke]

Just had a player go from being a legend at my club to now being listed as an icon. What could trigger that? He's scored 190 goals for the club over his first four seasons here, and he almost single handedly won the Champions League final, scoring four goals there.

[Guest]

Pretty sure that icon is above legend in the rankings & scoring 4 in a Champions League final would be enough to push a player into the higher bracket.

[Adzke]

Pretty sure that icon is above legend in the rankings & scoring 4 in a Champions League final would be enough to push a player into the higher bracket.

They changed that on FM16?

It goes LEGEND | ICON | FAVOURED PERSONNEL on screen, so that would seem odd not to put them in order, though?

[Adzke]

Looking at the players here, it doesn't make much sense if the icons are more revered than legends.

[Bababui]

When is SI going to make their forums available on Tapatalk? All the other forums I visit (including ex SIers OOTP Developments) are already there. Its much more mobile friendly then what we have now. Please give this a bit of consideration.

[Guest]

Forum update is planned & mentioned in the first sticky - http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/460477-Our-Forums-are-changing

[Fmfan00]

Question..

Each season in the news there is this, what does it mean?

[Neil Brock]

Basically they've checked your youth facilities and setup for what level they should be graded at and it means you've been categorised as a level four.

There's a long list of what's checked from obvious things (training facilities, changing rooms) down to less obvious things (education offered for scholars etc). The top categories have all of those things at the best level.

The audit is essentially a check on all of the above plus the costs needed to run at the recommended level.

[Neil Brock]

They changed that on FM16?

It goes LEGEND | ICON | FAVOURED PERSONNEL on screen, so that would seem odd not to put them in order, though?

It is Legend -> Icon -> Favoured. Legend is the best.