Match preparation questions

[Exius]

I have several questions regarding match preparation.

1. How exactly boost from match preparation works? Is it a small increase in the corresponding attributes, or a small probability increase in ME calculations during the match?
2. How much the effect of these boosts is? Does it worth spending time on it? Do they sum up (e.g. if I have 10 "attaching corners" routines before the game - is the effect the same if I had just one)? If they sum up, is there any limit?
3. How long does the effect last? From what I see in the game (coach feedback), it's around 2 weeks. Is it constant during this period or does it fade out gradually?
4. Do AI managers use match preparation in their training as well?

It would be appreciated if somebody from SI (who knows 100% how this system works) could answer these questions. I have to raise them because it's totally unobvious in the game how it works and whether there is any effect at all. I can spend couple routines on Def. corners before the game and still concede from the corner and can have zero At. free kicks routines and still score from a free kick. The same applies to all other match preparation routines - you can have several Def. movement routines and still concede a lot of goals, practice Penalties before the Cup final and still loose by penalties and  so on... So, this is a very unclear system.

[herne79]

1.  Attacking set pieces = small boost to chance of scoring from one.

Defending set pieces = small boost to chance of preventing a goal from one.

Attacking movement = small boost to Decisions and Off the Ball.

Defensive positioning = small boost to Decisions and Positioning.

Teamwork = small boost to Teamwork and Team Blend (which is an ME modifier).

Match Tactics = small boost to tactical familiarity.

2.  Small boosts only.  Is it worth spending time?  Up to you - some may view it as not worth while, others like to take any small improvements they can get.

3.  The effect lasts for the next match only.

4.  If they didn't their tactical familiarity and Team Cohesion would be shot to pieces.

And as with everything there are no guarantees, so of course you can train defending set pieces (for example) and still concede from them.

[Exius]

@herne79 Thanks for such a quick reply! Just want to clarify a couple more things.

1 hour ago, herne79 said:

1.  Attacking set pieces = small boost to chance of scoring from one.

Defending set pieces = small boost to chance of preventing a goal from one.

Attacking movement = small boost to Decisions and Off the Ball.

Defensive positioning = small boost to Decisions and Positioning.

Teamwork = small boost to Teamwork and Team Blend (which is an ME modifier).

Do you know boost values, by any chance? At least approximately? I mean, if it's 1-2% - this is too small boost to even spend training slot on this routine. If it's 5-10% - this is something... And do these percents sum up if I have several routines of the same type?

1 hour ago, herne79 said:

3.  The effect lasts for the next match only.

If it applies to the next match only - why is it shown in Training section for about 2 weeks as "Special focus has been placed on the following area ahead of the match against..." even after a match or even couple of matches have already been played?

And one more question, even though it is not shown as match preparation, do "Chance creation" and "Chance convertion" routines have any effect on shots and their accuracy (i.e. goal probability) in the upcoming match? 

[Dfs]

4 hours ago, herne79 said:

3.  The effect lasts for the next match only.

As @Exius mentioned in FM19 this effect is shown on the screen for longer than one match so are you 100 percent sure that is still accurate that it helps for one match only? (Im aware it was this way in previous versions).

[herne79]

9 hours ago, Exius said:

Do you know boost values, by any chance? At least approximately? I mean, if it's 1-2% - this is too small boost to even spend training slot on this routine. If it's 5-10% - this is something... And do these percents sum up if I have several routines of the same type?

That information has never been released.  If it were, it would become a "must/must not do this" type of thing, rather than leaving it up to individuals to decide - which is what you've essentially already identified ("1-2% not worth it; 5-10% yeh baby lets go!")

 

@Andrew James @Seb Wassell  Can you please confirm if the Match Preparation effect is still for the next match only, or did that change for FM19?

[Seb Wassell]

3 hours ago, herne79 said:

That information has never been released.  If it were, it would become a "must/must not do this" type of thing, rather than leaving it up to individuals to decide - which is what you've essentially already identified ("1-2% not worth it; 5-10% yeh baby lets go!")

 

@Andrew James @Seb Wassell  Can you please confirm if the Match Preparation effect is still for the next match only, or did that change for FM19?

Match Prep. sessions affect the next match only.

The boosts are small but worthwhile. We won't be releasing the numbers behind the boost they give as it would go against our philosophy of creating a believable, immersive footballing world that promotes your Managerial expertise rather than min/maxing.

[Exius]

1 hour ago, Seb Wassell said:

Match Prep. sessions affect the next match only.

The boosts are small but worthwhile. We won't be releasing the numbers behind the boost they give as it would go against our philosophy of creating a believable, immersive footballing world that promotes your Managerial expertise rather than min/maxing.

Thank you very much for the clarification!

It's a bug then - that the boost shown in the Training screen even after the match.

I got your point why these numbers will never be released. Of course it would spoil the immersion. Could you please at least tell us - is there double/triple/... effect of having several match prep sessions of the same type before the match? I mean, if you have a week before the Final of the season, what is more effective - usual training routine with several match preparation sessions or spend the whole week on various match preparation routines?

[HUNT3R]

6 minutes ago, Exius said:

Thank you very much for the clarification!

It's a bug then - that the boost shown in the Training screen even after the match.

I got your point why these numbers will never be released. Of course it would spoil the immersion. Could you please at least tell us - is there double/triple/... effect of having several match prep sessions of the same type before the match? I mean, if you have a week before the Final of the season, what is more effective - usual training routine with several match preparation sessions or spend the whole week on various match preparation routines?

Match prep (of the same session) doesn't stack. So training 1x Attacking Set Pieces will be the same "boost' as training 5x Attacking Set Pieces.

 

You can train 1x Attacking Set Pieces, 1x Defending Set Pieces, 1x Attacking Movement etc and they all count for the next match though. 

[Seb Wassell]

1 hour ago, HUNT3R said:

Match prep (of the same session) doesn't stack. So training 1x Attacking Set Pieces will be the same "boost' as training 5x Attacking Set Pieces.

 

You can train 1x Attacking Set Pieces, 1x Defending Set Pieces, 1x Attacking Movement etc and they all count for the next match though. 

This ^

[Rashidi]

Perhaps an anecdote might help put things in perspective.  I was doing an episode of game changer where someone had an issue with his game. Essentially he started getting poor results and wanted to turn things around. His team was more than capable. I looked at his training and his tactics, and while his tactic seem half decent, what stood out to me was how poorly he did in some games. I took the game over played like 8 games for him and showed him where he needed to do things slightly differently;

He never did match preparation of any kind, which I found disconcerting, especially ahead of difficult matches. His team was also conceding goals from set pieces in almost every game. I tweaked his tactic slightly left his set pieces largely alone and just added set piece defensive training.  For tougher matches I had defensive shape rolling for each game with defensive set pieces. For matches we had a change of winning, attacking movement, set piece delivery and set pieces. For my own cup finals I do the whole gambit leading up to the final.

His performances improved and based on the feedback I am getting from him since that show, he doesn't encounter these challenges anymore.

Match preparation is a short term boost, and while people seem to eschew these in favour of sessions that offer raw attribute gains. I feel they are missing the big picture. A good performance is more important for overall training and development than sessions that deal with raw attribute gains. So a balanced training schedule which has some preparation not only gives you a chance of doing well, but a positive result in that game can also have a knock - on effect on training. This is one of the easiest things to do in the game. 

All one needs to do if they are too bothered with micro management is find an Assistant Manager who shares the same tactical philosophy as the manager then ask him to manage training. What you do as a manager is decide what kind of match preparation you need heading into the game. You take the weekly training sessions and simply add 2 sessions!

[autohoratio]

3 hours ago, HUNT3R said:

Match prep (of the same session) doesn't stack. So training 1x Attacking Set Pieces will be the same "boost' as training 5x Attacking Set Pieces.

 

You can train 1x Attacking Set Pieces, 1x Defending Set Pieces, 1x Attacking Movement etc and they all count for the next match though. 

I think I mentioned this in a post a while ago (and iirc the response was that it would be complex to code? don't quite remember), but I always thought it would make more sense that, if you wanted to become Tony Pulis and train set pieces every day, those set piece boosts should stack, but with diminishing returns, and of course it would come at the expense of having less sessions to train other things.

[Pav_Makarov]

1 час назад, Rashidi сказал:

All one needs to do if they are too bothered with micro management is find an Assistant Manager who shares the same tactical philosophy as the manager then ask him to manage training. What you do as a manager is decide what kind of match preparation you need heading into the game. You take the weekly training sessions and simply add 2 sessions!

Yep, pretty much this. I find new training really, really good. I used to complaint a lot about faulty matches, but later I've noticed, that training conversion or attacking set pieces (and I rely on them) really help me winning games. So it goes like this, AssMan plans a week and I make little changes on the go, for example if I stand against a league leader and expect to be pressed in my own box i just choose my counter tactic and set sessions to direct attacks, ground defense and attacking set pieces

[Rashidi]

21 minutes ago, PaulfromSCB said:

Yep, pretty much this. I find new training really, really good. I used to complaint a lot about faulty matches, but later I've noticed, that training conversion or attacking set pieces (and I rely on them) really help me winning games. So it goes like this, AssMan plans a week and I make little changes on the go, for example if I stand against a league leader and expect to be pressed in my own box i just choose my counter tactic and set sessions to direct attacks, ground defense and attacking set pieces

This is by far one of the best approaches to take to the game.  Its easy to do and while it may not be a min-maxers approach it does work. No one says the only way to do training is by going through each module picking up exactly which attribute is required for the team to play a certain brand of football. That is really hard to achieve. Personally I like that style it allows me to achieve the kind of football I am after. I like to do that when I have the comfort of extracting player attributes from the game and studying how they develop off nicely designed charts and diagrams. That though isn't everyone's cup of tea. People asked me for my approach so I shared it.  Is it the best? for me its fun so long as I can kick my legs up and spend like an hour of my life studying and co-relating. That though is really too much.  However that way is also incredibly annoying, tbh on my Twitch streams I am about to switch to a combo of having a good assistant manager setting my training, me setting individual focus and match preparation. Done and dusted. It makes me focus on one less thing while I stream.  It is a lot easier to play the game that way,  especially when the default training sessions don't need a lot of work, and I am glad people like @PaulfromSCB are following that approach and doing well.

[AFCBeer]

I’d have thought the percentage boost from match preparation would be somewhat fluid. If you have top quality coaches, with excellent training facilities, professional players who achieve a high training rating for the week, logically I’d expect to receive a higher boost than if I was poor in all these categories.