Football Manager 2018 *Official* Feedback Thread

[Swindon69]

I've just played a few games away from my main save and it's quite obvious from the text that ai wide players aim pretty much every cross at the far post - I'm done for a while because it seems that the key is one dimensional attacks.

[Guest El Payaso]

7 minutes ago, Swindon69 said:

I've just played a few games away from my main save and it's quite obvious from the text that ai wide players aim pretty much every cross at the far post - I'm done for a while because it seems that the key is one dimensional attacks.

Based on my experience all of the AI teams seem to be one trick ponies: a long ball either to a striker or a winger who dribbles past couple of players and either gets a shot or cross in. No variation at all in my games as even Barcelona played like that. The inside forwards (Messi and Dembele) seem to simply stay wide like wingers when they attack and by that it's really hard to create team goals. Well I'm seeing this too from my inverted winger and WM. If players are told to roam, then why don't they come into the middle to provide passing options and create overloads? The attacking play really looks poor in this FM and I don't wonder anymore why MC or DMs aren't providing basically any goals or assists. 

In terms of defending during two matches watched on full I haven't seen a single occasion where a defending player actually nicks the ball of from the player in possession. There are some sliding challenges but that is all. The only occasions that the ball is actually won back seems to be poor passing decisions leading to obvious interceptions. The marking/positioning simply is too loose so retaining possession even at final third seems super easy.

[Swindon69]

1 minute ago, El Payaso said:

Based on my experience all of the AI teams seem to be one trick ponies: a long ball either to a striker or a winger who dribbles past couple of players and either gets a shot or cross in. No variation at all in my games as even Barcelona played like that. The inside forwards (Messi and Dembele) seem to simply stay wide like wingers when they attack and by that it's really hard to create team goals. Well I'm seeing this too from my inverted winger and WM. If players are told to roam, then why don't they come into the middle to provide passing options and create overloads?

The attacking play really looks poor in this FM.

Prior to the update my strikers would lay the ball off a lot more now it doesn't seem to happen much.

[warlock]

53 minutes ago, Swindon69 said:

Prior to the update my strikers would lay the ball off a lot more now it doesn't seem to happen much.

And yet I'm seeing the opposite - since the update I've been impressed by the number of times my strikers knock down headers, or lay off a simple sideways pass, for a teammate to score.

If SI could just cut down on the number of ludicrously off-target shots, and the too-common incidents of passes being hit against a teammate or an opponent a yard way, I'd be really, really happy with this ME.

[kidfist0]

Just an observation, but I've played just 4 matches since the update and had two players stretchered off with identical cruciate ligament injuries.

Anyone else notice an increase in serious injuries mid-match?

 

Edit: Another little observation, not exactly game breaking, but just forced an own goal from a Southampton defender and the commentary flashed up as 'goal for Southampton'

Edited December 20, 2017 by kidfist0

[kingjericho]

I still don't agree with the decision to limit scout demands to 50 players at a time.

Is it really that unrealistic if I have a team of 10-15 scouts and hand them a list of 150 players and say "I need a report on all these guys, I know it willtake some time but present me 1 report per day and we're good" ?

This limitation adds nothing and I can still go around it, I just select 50 players and request a report, and immediately after I select another 50 and do the same. It's just that I have to keep counting groups of 50...

[Flohrinho]

So since 18.2 there seem to be a lot more injuries than before. It feels like every game I have to sub of at least 1 player with an injury, not too uncommon to even sub of two. Also AI seems to suffer the same problem, always one or two players with a light injury on the field.

[HUNT3R]

1 minute ago, Flohrinho said:

So since 18.2 there seem to be a lot more injuries than before. It feels like every game I have to sub of at least 1 player with an injury, not too uncommon to even sub of two. Also AI seems to suffer the same problem, always one or two players with a light injury on the field.

Injuries/Injury levels weren't touched for this update. It was confirmed by SI in the bugs forum.

[fm2020.smith]

on your analysis dude then nothing that goes wrong is a bug. if you can pick up world stars like griezman for 50 mill then the transfer market needs looking at hence the word bug. barca end up with an average squad after a few seasons as do real and bayern. your logic doesnt make any sense.

yes its been logged by lots of people but they all must be wrong about it being a bug 

[Flohrinho]

19 minutes ago, HUNT3R said:

Injuries/Injury levels weren't touched for this update. It was confirmed by SI in the bugs forum.

Anything else that might have a knock on effect? Like higher weight of injury prone players getting injured? Just asking because I play with Dortmund in 18.2 who happen to have a lot of injury prone players. I have to also admit that before it might not have been very realistic, once got through two hole seasons without Jones or Smalling picking up an injury at Manchester United.

[HUNT3R]

5 minutes ago, Flohrinho said:

Anything else that might have a knock on effect? Like higher weight of injury prone players getting injured? Just asking because I play with Dortmund in 18.2 who happen to have a lot of injury prone players. I have to also admit that before it might not have been very realistic, once got through two hole seasons without Jones or Smalling picking up an injury at Manchester United.

There could be other things affecting it, but SI do keep an eye on the amount of injuries overall. You may just be hitting a rough patch.

[KUBI]

vor 6 Minuten schrieb Flohrinho:

Anything else that might have a knock on effect? Like higher weight of injury prone players getting injured? Just asking because I play with Dortmund in 18.2 who happen to have a lot of injury prone players. I have to also admit that before it might not have been very realistic, once got through two hole seasons without Jones or Smalling picking up an injury at Manchester United.

Dortmund is difficult to manage in reality too, due to a lot of injured players, only Köln is even worse.

 

[Flohrinho]

Just now, KUBI said:

Dortmund is difficult to manage in reality too, due to a lot of injured players, only Köln is even worse.

 

That's definitely true. So yeah might just be the change of team that's the reason for the rise in injuries I'm seeing.

[jackob]

14 hours ago, Crb1986 said:

Last weekend, I had the chance to start what it would be my long term save. This kind of save, I usually start in December and end in July/August. Unfortunately, after a few hours, it ended in complete disappointment.

 

Playing this game for almost 20 years, what I love about CM/FM series is the way it takes me out to an imaginary reality: Immersion.

 

I consider Immersion as the moment where you’re “drowned” into your save, imagining yourself as football manager instructing your players, doing press conference and “seeing” your team playing, amongst other football manager duties.

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of CM 97/98. We only had commentary but I used to imagine all the gameplay in that background picture as commentary would go along. Of course, the game has come a long way in the last 20 years, but I feel that immersion is fading with some features that take reality out of the game.

 

 

 

- Intro (SI LOGO): The intro of the game felt immediately wrong. It looks like a video being played on a tv filmed with a cellphone.

 

- Split View: I understand there are now widgets, but it doesn’t feel the same. I normally use 3Dview with key highlights. When there are no highlights, that 3D panel sits on the right with nothing in it.

 

- 3D Stadiums: There’s a slight improvement but I can’t understand where the designs were taken from. I have never seen lunch benches or hot dog tents inside professional football stadiums. The lighting is way too bright and sometimes it even hurts my eyes.

 

- Regens: This is maybe the worst aspect of the game. I just can’t understand how regens were released the way they are. It’s beyond any explanation. We used to have in previous versions, the chance to put automatic regen replacements (pictures) which would take the game into another level of immersion. This should be standard option when the game is launched. Again, the game is moving away from that feeling of “reality”.

 

- Skins: For years, I have been downloading beautiful skins as a result of the wonderful work of Steklo, CFM, Vitrex, OPZ, etc. It looks like SI hasn’t learn anything from this great skin designers. Each year, the default skins are boring and yet again, moving away from the immersion feeling.

 

- Manager picture: Another one beyond explanation is the removing of the manager picture for a poor quality 3D manager face. It feels like this is a whim from somebody in charge. I have never seen in any feature request the desire for a 3D manager face. Unrealistic.

 

- Extra Clicking – I think I can bear with this one, but it is very annoying to have so much extra clicking on pre/after match and in the search/filter players.

 

I believe the SI statement of direction was making the best football manager simulation possible. I’ve been quite happy seeing SI denying plans of manager personal life (buying cars, houses, etc.) as this is the kind of thing that moves away from that statement of direction. Still, with the aspects mentioned above, Immersion (at least for me) is being taken out. FM 18 is, in my opinion, the worst version of the series so far.

 

I really hope to see improvements in the future and a better version next year

 

For now, I’m getting back to FM 17.

 

Thank you.

 

how elegant, credible and - typography aside - oddly modern that old CM97 image looks.  It felt like you were writing history you know? The emotional heart of the game for me at least...

The developers today could honestly learn so much by studying that image: 

visually, it spoke the language of the editorial/football TV programming of the time. It felt 'real' and it felt like it 'mattered'.

The presentation is unfussy, uncluttered and simple - no avalanche of data.

(excepting the rights issues at play here) the background  stadium image placed you right at the heart of the action.

 

Interesting...

 

How w

[doIT49]

The game is ruined for me after the update. I play in Championship and 90% of the goals are from crossing the ball at the far post. My strikers aren't able to score a single goal from an open play and the only time they're scoring one on one vs the gk is from counter attacks. I don't remember a single goal from an open play scored one on one vs goalkeeper. Maybe just long shots. And free kicks. Oh my God, where do I start? There is no goal from direct free kicks. I remember in fm17 there were lots of goals from dfk, maybe too many, now this thing is practically gone. It's sad because now when I have some free time to play I have to take a break from the game.

Oh, and I have a question. I don't remember for idk how many FMs, there's goals after the striker is rounding up the keeper? SI really have to make the ME more dynamic. I feel like I'm playing the same match every time. Same goals, same plays, same everything. 

I know it's hard but maybe they should start the ME from scratch for fm19. I enjoyed the ME much more on fm 15 or fm 16 tbh.

Edited December 20, 2017 by doIT49

[rdbayly]

Let's take a look at the below goal my West Ham team scored against Monaco from FM17. It is a counter attack using a 4-1-4-1 formation with lots of deeper roles set to attack duty. It didn't always work, but when it did it was very satisfying.

Look out for:

- How deep my striker comes to pick up the ball and launch the counter attack - I can't recreate this with the current game

- The intelligence shown for the two cross field passes from wing to wing - In FM18 these type of balls frequently cannon in to other players or are played behind runners

- How the AML actually squares it - In the current engine they shoot MILES wide every single time

- The first time through ball and finish - Very rare to see this kind of link up play between central midfielders and strikers on FM18

Why I am posting this? Because after 400 hours of FM18 play, I have never seen my team or the AI play football like this. The FM18 engine is stifled, rigid, lacking in variety and intelligence. I feel a huge disconnect between the TC and ME this year

Closing down instructions are consistently ignored with giant spaces between stratas - raising d-line / shape does not improve things and creates problems with over the top balls. Defending at set pieces is still a mess due to odd hard coded behaviour in the second phase.

Look at the stadium and crowd too; higher resolution, less monotone with no sign of the current MS Paint style red and brown colours that look like something from the 1990s.

It's all very sad.

[KUBI]

Reading some of the bug reports shows how different people are playing this game. There is one who does scouting 1000 players and there is another who added 44 managers to his save. 

[Flohrinho]

I don't think the match engine is actually that bad, especially since 18.2 I feel like the movement of players has become a lot better, if there is space, they will try and make the most out of it.

There are a few things though that are irritating like the fact that I see way too many long shots from completely open players sore miles past the goal, or the cross that comes really close to the crossbar and is headed by a striker onto the bar out of like half a meter distance every time.

Also there seems to be an imbalance in the game right now when it comes to wingers vs. inside forwards, wingers are completely deadly while IFs are borderline useless, unless you make them faux IFs, which are essetially wingers just playing at tad more narrow.

The defending needs some work imo as well. Closing down is utterly weird at times. Sometimes you have players not reacting to opposition with the ball just so that in the next second three players that aren't really in a good position to close down all rush at the same target, opening massive gaps elsewhere. I do get that mistakes in defense need to happen but I'd prefer those mistakes to be less illogical and more realistic ones. That being said I feel the ME is on a fairly good way.

[Crb1986]

7 hours ago, jackob said:

how elegant, credible and - typography aside - oddly modern that old CM97 image looks.  It felt like you were writing history you know? The emotional heart of the game for me at least...

The developers today could honestly learn so much by studying that image: 

visually, it spoke the language of the editorial/football TV programming of the time. It felt 'real' and it felt like it 'mattered'.

The presentation is unfussy, uncluttered and simple - no avalanche of data.

(excepting the rights issues at play here) the background  stadium image placed you right at the heart of the action.

 

Interesting...

 

How w

Absolutely! It's "this emotional heart" that I'm failing to catch in FM18.

Thank you.

[PJHoutman88]

 

I suppose this is more a feature request rather than just feedback, but still:

 Would it be possible to add why dressing room atmosphere has gone down? Maybe as a tool tip when you hover over the down arrow? Right now it just says there has been a decrease in dressing room atmosphere, but I'm pretty sure even an 8-year old could work that out from the red arrow pointing downward. I know it's very likely to be due to my three losses in a row just now, but before this I had 4 wins in a row and it still went down. No reason given. 

This is my first FM18 game so it remains to be seen exactly how disastrous this will be for the team, but I'd still like to see exactly why things are moving in an upward or downward direction. 

[Dagenham_Dave]

4 hours ago, Crb1986 said:

Absolutely! It's "this emotional heart" that I'm failing to catch in FM18.

Thank you.

Emotional heart? Have a word, it's a computer game. 

Anyway, since the update, I've noticed that when an  own goal is scored, the flashing commentary shows that it's a goal for the opposition, presumably because it's one of their players who 'scores'. Sloppy stuff SI in a game which has been riddled with sloppiness since the beta. 

[PJHoutman88]

14 minutes ago, Dagenham_Dave said:

Emotional heart? Have a word, it's a computer game. 

Anyway, since the update, I've noticed that when an  own goal is scored, the flashing commentary shows that it's a goal for the opposition, presumably because it's one of their players who 'scores'. Sloppy stuff SI in a game which has been riddled with sloppiness since the beta. 

I've already logged this in the bug forum. It's supposed to be under review. 

[Rashidi]

2 hours ago, PJHoutman88 said:

 

I suppose this is more a feature request rather than just feedback, but still:

 Would it be possible to add why dressing room atmosphere has gone down? Maybe as a tool tip when you hover over the down arrow? Right now it just says there has been a decrease in dressing room atmosphere, but I'm pretty sure even an 8-year old could work that out from the red arrow pointing downward. I know it's very likely to be due to my three losses in a row just now, but before this I had 4 wins in a row and it still went down. No reason given. 

This is my first FM18 game so it remains to be seen exactly how disastrous this will be for the team, but I'd still like to see exactly why things are moving in an upward or downward direction. 

Dynamics>Happiness. There should be a big grid showing which areas the players are unhappy about, there’s a lot of detail there already

[PJHoutman88]

3 minutes ago, Rashidi said:

Dynamics>Happiness. There should be a big grid showing which areas the players are unhappy about, there’s a lot of detail there already

I know that, but you can't see the trend on that one. You can't see why it went down compared to for instance two weeks ago. My point is that if there's an arrow showing a trend, you should be able to see why the trend's happening.

[KUBI]

vor 19 Minuten schrieb PJHoutman88:

I know that, but you can't see the trend on that one. You can't see why it went down compared to for instance two weeks ago. My point is that if there's an arrow showing a trend, you should be able to see why the trend's happening.

I give you an arrow, because I remember you. 

[PJHoutman88]

2 minutes ago, KUBI said:

I give you an arrow, because I remember you. 

I'll give YOU an arrow...

[Flohrinho]

So what is SI take on long shots right now. There seem to be very little scored.

As you can see from the 46 goals I scored in domestic competition just two have come from long shots and my opponents have scored 0 of their 18 goals from outside the penalty area. That seems a bit low or is that somewhat realistic and I just overestimate how many goals are scored from outside the penalty area in real life football?

Those are all games played in the 18.2 patch and I mainly use a 4-2-3-1 wide DM formation.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Flohrinho

[Guest El Payaso]

Funny to watch especially Atlético in this ME version. No movement from the midfield whatsoever but a long ball either to Griezmann or Gameiro who waits for support, a pass to winger or midfielder then, couple of passes in the midfield and Gameiro makes a run to a channel unmarked and either scores himself or puts a pinpointer for Griezmann to score. Last two games they have scored 6 or 7 goals like this. That 4-4-2 seems more overpowering than it has ever been. Just for fun uploaded the most recent two games. Haven't watched anything else but the goals but certainly something needs to be done on how defenders defend against strikers when a ball is played to them either long or to a channel. 

E: so uninspiring to watch that I actually deleted the game. 

 

Atléti 2.pkm

Atléti 1.pkm

[Glenn Wakeford]

We've just released a little hotfix to address some issues - you can find the changelist here: 

 

Happy Christmas!

[kandersson]

Brief play but it doesn't feel much different from 18.1 except for more goals (I score a lot more, and concede slightly more, AI vs AI also seems to generate more goals) and the strong return of goals from far post crosses (I could have done without). Chances from set pieces and especially attacking throw in are out of control for me. Throw in, pass, pass, shot (usually from just outside the box) is almost automatic with any set-up and I see several of these every game; I do score more than I concede because I usually attack more than AI but it's pretty boring to watch, also this unstoppable pattern often results in high number of corner kicks (10+ is pretty normal) and long shots (despite having virtually all players on shoot less often PI,  plus work ball into box TI and even refrain from taking long shots PPM). Highlights really are a set piece & throw in festival.

[jackob]

Just on the 'emotional heart' piece - appreciate the phrasing by me was deeply wanky, but - hold on a minute! - how else would the game work on you?!!?

Being moved by stuff, being excited by it, being immersed in it - I honestly can't understand why else you would classify something as a good way to spend you free time?! 

I mean, bejeesus, if it's rational for us to be sat down burning hours of our lives playing a textured uber-spreadsheet, then we really do need our heads tested!

[kandersson]

3 minutes ago, jackob said:

Just on the 'emotional heart' piece - appreciate the phrasing by me was deeply wanky, but - hold on a minute! - how else would the game work on you?!!?

Being moved by stuff, being excited by it, being immersed in it - I honestly can't understand why else you would classify something as a good way to spend you free time?! 

I mean, bejeesus, if it's rational for us to be sat down burning hours of our lives playing a textured uber-spreadsheet, then we really do need our heads tested!

I've said this in a previous feedback/bug report/rant of mine: the minute I decide to treat this game and this company with some level of rationality, this game has lost me (and my money) for good. So yes, the 'emotional heart' is rationally a valuable asset of this game!

[jackob]

"We are feeling machines who think" and all that. 

Anyhow I shall disappear now. Back to my Newcastle struggles...

[Guest El Payaso]

https://community.sigames.com/forum/67-tactics-sharing-centre-uploaddownload/

Doesn't really surprise that most of these are 4-4-2. I hope that SI can fix these issues that especially a multi forward systems are producing.

@kandersson been reporting a lot about throw-ins during the years but they simply seem to be a thing that cannot be fixed into decent level. As long as I remember throw-ins have been a solid start for build-ups and even creating goals while in real life they pan out totally randomly. And they even promote these throw-in exploits on Twitter which is really odd. Same with two men lurking outside the area in corners. Would think that they wanted to fix these easy exploits instead of promoting them to the players. 

[kandersson]

@El Payaso in my experience this year is the worst for throw ins: I remember in past editions the old 'throw in,  pass back to unmarked throw in taker, cross, chance/goal' pattern (this isn't very common in FM18 I think) but not with the frequency of this year 'throw in, pass, pass, shot from edge of the box'. It really is one of (if not the) most common type of highlight that I see both attacking and defending. Add similar patterns on indirect free kicks and really HL are often hard to watch.

[corn_onthecurb]

Is there a a way to re-enable the 3D cut scenes appearing when playing in 2D or commentary only?

 

It made games more immersive

[rdbayly]

3 hours ago, kandersson said:

@El Payaso in my experience this year is the worst for throw ins: I remember in past editions the old 'throw in,  pass back to unmarked throw in taker, cross, chance/goal' pattern (this isn't very common in FM18 I think) but not with the frequency of this year 'throw in, pass, pass, shot from edge of the box'. It really is one of (if not the) most common type of highlight that I see both attacking and defending. Add similar patterns on indirect free kicks and really HL are often hard to watch.

My shoulders sink when the AI start passing it around in my half as there is just no way to get the ball off them. You get passed into oblivion, even by teams with poor technique. Marking and closing down is mostly ineffective, and if you get stuck in that just results in waist high tackles and red cards. For the love of God, where is the middle ground of just putting your foot in for a challenge?

I'm yet to see a player with superior levels of tacking, aggression and anticipation actually dominate a midfield. If I could wish for one thing to improve in this ME it would be for more defensive players to be more combative and aggressive when the AI is in possession. I despise seeing my team allow lofted balls to be collected at the feet of unchallenged lone strikers, while my entire defence just stands there and watches.

 

[Colorado]

I really would post that in the tactical forum and you will definitely be able to get some help with that. 

[rdbayly]

6 minutes ago, Colorado said:

I really would post that in the tactical forum and you will definitely be able to get some help with that. 

I've spent hours in that forum reading the woes of others with the same problem. The suggestions of using stoppers and raising the d-line are logical, but has made no difference.

[Guest El Payaso]

It's more of a match engine thing than tactics. Especially the AI struggles with that. I was able to limit Atletico Madrid decently well but all the AI teams fail in it. I think that @rdbayly is spot on on what he is writing there. Currently using two stopper CBs and a high line fixs it a bit but which AI team is going to be using that. Also a lot is down to the fact that the centre backs stay too deep when the side is attacking and AMs and strikers have huge space to exploit there when the defending team gets the ball back. 

[Lazaru5]

FM is no longer football manager, we're not allowed to manage our teams/tactics as we could in the older versions, now we're expected to use arbitrary "roles" and "mentality"s that have fixed and unchangeable options that if they don't fit in with how you want your team to play then it's tough.

Whoever decided on what each "role" entailed and what should be locked in have removed our ability to "manage" our teams in our own, personal, ways. You MUST use these arbitrary roles even when they don't do what you want them to do. I explain a little bit in this post why the roles don't work for me.

Yes, playing around with team mentalities adjusts the player's mentalities but I'm still forced into having my full-backs (and other players) doing what someone else has decided they should do, even if that doesn't work with the players in my squad. For example, with the full-backs, they either cross from byline (but they have to get further forward) or they cross from deep which means my 5'7" and 5'9" strikers get no service and the opposition centre-backs get "meat & drink" hurled up to them.

This is the first time I've bought FM since FM11 and to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. Take my game last night, 3-2 up with 88 minutes on the clock and yet the only way to get my players to waste time was to change mentality to "contain", something that my lower league players obviously couldn't do because we lost 4-3! Had I been able to just adjust the time-wasting slider to often then the control we had over the game and the result would probably have been much different.

I don't know when the classic tactics were taken out of the game but with the current system it is impossible to get my team to play the way that I want them to play, I have to go with SOMEBODY ELSE'S arbitrary way of playing because they think that's the way it should be.

It isn't. It should be up to me how I set my team up, there should be nothing locked in and unchangeable. Fine, let there be suggested/recommended PI's, TI's and OI's, but don't lock them in because they don't work for every team, every situation or for every human player.

#SortItOutSi

Edited December 21, 2017 by Lazaru5

[rdbayly]

Agree about the ME point. In fact each year's ME lives and dies by its variety and dynamism. This year's version has so few ways of visually showing you how you have conceded, to resorts in forcing your defence into making terrible base positioning / passive closing down errors. We then blame ourselves and make counter-intuitive tweaks to our tactics which go against what we have learned over the years.  

Also @El Payaso - You mentioned about the pattern of play when the defending team gets the ball back; they don't win it back, as 9 times out of 10 (for both human and AI) it is gifted back following a terrible pass. 

Edited December 21, 2017 by rdbayly

[rallav]

34 minutes ago, rdbayly said:

[...] We then blame ourselves and make counter-intuitive tweaks to our tactics which go against what we have learned over the years.  

 

Iam now forcing the game to take my tweaks. ;-)

It works for me! now! and  i have to disregard some of the Statements i made before.
My static approach at the tactics which i used in slight variations (*) since fm13 are now reworked and my underdog team does what i want, i still have some occassional weird happenings like mentioned before by other users and me.5 games into the new Patch (18.2.1) i see the ME more and more positively and i'm happy to invest another 1330 hours into this games which would add nicely to the 600hours there in now.
Ofc i reload many times because me tactics did not work and i always progress at least 10 years before i take any team.

It feels right again to play this game. Maybe Fm18 is not the best for me in this series yet, but @jackob and his nostalgia picture really touched me.
I have so much love for this series please continue delivering like you SI guys do.

*=4-1-2-2-1/4-1-2-3Dm Wide

Edited December 21, 2017 by rallav
forgot line

[Guest El Payaso]

44 minutes ago, rdbayly said:

Also @El Payaso - You mentioned about the pattern of play when the defending team gets the ball back; they don't win it back, as 9 times out of 10 (for both human and AI) it is gifted back following a terrible pass. 

Exactly and usually through some stupid cross-pitch pass attempt, ball hitting other player or some mindless through ball attempt. All of them basically ones that players don't even try in real life as they have vision. Watched Rashidi's video with Ajax just for fun and it told me this story all along: Bayern playing with 2 DMs plus centre backs which all were world-class players and yet even that kind of system wasn't able to limit Dolberg's touches on the ball and basically 80% of the attacks (just an assumption not a correct number) were running through him. In real life with that kind of situation Dolberg would hardly see the ball throughout the game and most of his touches would be the ones where he is under pressure and having to try one touch passes. On my save for example Calleri sums 40-70 pass attempts every game and creates couple of chances every game. Would think that the more deeper ones would be more of those through whom the attacks flow and chances are created as they should have more space and touches on the ball...

I've been asking all these things ever since FM 2010.

[Matorko]

I'm on custom skin. Since 18.2.1 text in Titlebar is bolder as well as the selected news in inbox, player attributes *numbers*. Was that a part of an update? Everything worked fine before.

Because I have this issue with Gotham font when I select longer headline.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Matorko

[rdbayly]

42 minutes ago, El Payaso said:

Exactly and usually through some stupid cross-pitch pass attempt, ball hitting other player or some mindless through ball attempt. All of them basically ones that players don't even try in real life as they have vision. Watched Rashidi's video with Ajax just for fun and it told me this story all along: Bayern playing with 2 DMs plus centre backs which all were world-class players and yet even that kind of system wasn't able to limit Dolberg's touches on the ball and basically 80% of the attacks (just an assumption not a correct number) were running through him. In real life with that kind of situation Dolberg would hardly see the ball throughout the game and most of his touches would be the ones where he is under pressure and having to try one touch passes. On my save for example Calleri sums 40-70 pass attempts every game and creates couple of chances every game. Would think that the more deeper ones would be more of those through whom the attacks flow and chances are created as they should have more space and touches on the ball...

I've been asking all these things ever since FM 2010.

Yep, lone DLFs are lethal. Especially with an attack duty. Mine is frequently allowed to bring the ball under control and play a through ball to wide attackers, who cross it in for him to score. 

[Tony Wright 747]

1 hour ago, Lazaru5 said:

FM is no longer football manager, we're not allowed to manage our teams/tactics as we could in the older versions, now we're expected to use arbitrary "roles" and "mentality"s that have fixed and unchangeable options that if they don't fit in with how you want your team to play then it's tough.

Whoever decided on what each "role" entailed and what should be locked in have removed our ability to "manage" our teams in our own, personal, ways. You MUST use these arbitrary roles even when they don't do what you want them to do. I explain a little bit in this post why the roles don't work for me.

Yes, playing around with team mentalities adjusts the player's mentalities but I'm still forced into having my full-backs (and other players) doing what someone else has decided they should do, even if that doesn't work with the players in my squad. For example, with the full-backs, they either cross from byline (but they have to get further forward) or they cross from deep which means my 5'7" and 5'9" strikers get no service and the opposition centre-backs get "meat & drink" hurled up to them.

This is the first time I've bought FM since FM11 and to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. Take my game last night, 3-2 up with 88 minutes on the clock and yet the only way to get my players to waste time was to change mentality to "contain", something that my lower league players obviously couldn't do because we lost 4-3! Had I been able to just adjust the time-wasting slider to often then the control we had over the game and the result would probably have been much different.

I don't know when the classic tactics were taken out of the game but with the current system it is impossible to get my team to play the way that I want them to play, I have to go with SOMEBODY ELSE'S arbitrary way of playing because they think that's the way it should be.

It isn't. It should be up to me how I set my team up, there should be nothing locked in and unchangeable. Fine, let there be suggested/recommended PI's, TI's and OI's, but don't lock them in because they don't work for every team, every situation or for every human player.

#SortItOutSi

This is one of the reasons I am playing FM12

[steve dewilde]

With hotfix now: better passing, more variety it seems but no matter what tactics im using from previous striker is crap, main concern now need to tweak again this position-_-

Edited December 21, 2017 by steve dewilde

[Svenc]

8 hours ago, kandersson said:

I do score more than I concede because I usually attack more than AI but it's pretty boring to watch, also this unstoppable pattern often results in high number of corner kicks (10+ is pretty normal) and long shots (despite having virtually all players on shoot less often PI,  plus work ball into box TI and even refrain from taking long shots PPM). Highlights really are a set piece & throw in festival.

I have a few beefs here too but out of interest, are you on one of the more popular download tactics this year? They all seem to go narrow overload again. In their case, to a degree, I consider the big amount of set pieces plus rushed/long shots a good thing, as that's illogical and rightly oft struggles to create space (in particular against opposition that drop deep and compress the area itself -- they just have it easy to engage any attacking player then as they have no distance to cover and are rarely, if ever, actually stretched for position). Kinda like this (last season's -- except that this season the wide players 11+10 would help defending centrally, making life a few more difficult) -- reported a few due to creating funny stats, but got no reply.  Mind, to a degree AI is oft doing it all themselves, sadly. I can't watch it either when they just push every single player forward (all players on at least support), no less as there is no decent ball circulation going on, possibly. In FM 2016, I demonstrated to somebody how the win ratio of a top team playing like some AI does could go down by a good 15-20% almost all itself. Just not believable "top class" management, as it's violating team sports basics, rather than any "tactical masterstroke". Happy holidays anyway, k!

Edited December 21, 2017 by Svenc

[Tore Dahl]

I would like to say thank you for job well done on this hot fix update. The last week i had problems with my save , the error  " running dangerously low on memory , please quit the game and free up some memory" arrived while loading my save. Now after this update, i can load my save again , and continue with my 2026/27 season. So again , a big thank you for a job well done, and a merry christmas to you all


Tore