Major Breakthrough thread

[techboy11]

Okay, I'm just starting a thread that others can add if they wish about breakthroughs that improve the game. I can only speak from experience, but just now I had a huge breakthrough in gameplay.

I've been frustrated by AI cheating and shit over this last few days and was ready to ditch it for a bit, a little time out. So I thought fk this, if I'm going to get anything out of the game I'm going to play it at speed 0 and on pitchside cam, just the way I like it, at least if I'm going to get raped I'll go down the way I want to want a match on my 50"!

So then played Fulham. I checked their tactics, set out a formation that I thought would do a good job and started the game. It just wasn't working out think they played long ball and I had a standard sliders thing going on. They had lots of shots and I was lucky to be 0-0 after half an hour.

It may be good to note now that I like to play a slow possession game, build it up to their box, but what normally happens is that the move move break down and the counter attack is on.

What I always have thought in the past is that I am desperate for my central DMF's to stay back and not let too many people past the ball with regards to player support so that I'm not over committing this leaving myself open to the counter attack.

HOWEVER - it seems in this game this is the worst thing you can do.

For the second half I set the sliders to counter attack (which has a player support of 16 I believe), and the results were amazing.

I believe that by having a low player support slider you are asking to be dominated by the CPU, I think this is because as you commit more men to the attack, so to do you commit the CPU players, thus in fact making it MORE difficult for them to counter because more of their players are now tracking runs.

More to the point, I hardly saw ANY CPU cheating second half (on TP).

The other thing I wanted to bring up is that I think in this game it is absolutely CRITICAL to pass the ball around your back four and probe into midfield then bring the ball back amongst the back four. Especially to teams defending deep, this has the effect of bringing the CPU out to you. Once you have had a good few minutes drawing the CPU into you, it is far easier to begin an attack and to exploit their slightly higher line as everyone presses slowly from the CPU players.

Because of the two things I have highlighted I am
1) Ensuring the CPU takes much longer to attack me from deep in their half
2) By passing the ball around the back four am drawing the CPU onto me thus creating more space for my players not only in between the midfield and their defence but also some space behind their defence as they push up higher.

I scored a dramatic 85th minute winner to take the points and had a great deal of play time in their half instead of the usual me attack, they attack.

So, just to recap, I'm going to persevere with my high player support slider until I either prove myself wrong or others prove me wrong.

What do you think guys?

 

[Makavelian]

The biggest breakthrough i've had is when your playing the A.I on top player or superstar is hardly use the pressure button button .It makes the AI better the harder you press.

 

[JMTD]

Yeah, tactics are a MASSIVE thing in this game and changing the likes of the sliders can seriously make the world of difference. I was having a bit of a bad run in MLO and redid my entire team tactically and changed the system and sliders and suddenly everything changed. It's crucial to experiment with different systems and sliders. A good idea to fill all four of your tactical spaces up too.

There was a slider breakdown by Klashman actually (which hopefully he doesn't mind me posting here, just passing it along for anybody that may want to read it). Very helpful, good little read I thought.

Player support:

So this basically this dictates how teammates move around the ball carrier, so it's correct in it's called player support, where it's confusing is offensive and defensive.

So values 1-6, what they do is make players provide options sideways and many backwards 'safe options' to the ball carrier. So with Barca for example, this is set to 0, so it makes Barca play a lot of safe, backwards, sideways passes, So overall it means, 'slow orientated build up'.

values 7-13 (balanced) Just means teams will attack normally and player on the ball as standard look for options ahead of them unless the player isn't in clear space, teammates won't always run ahead of the ball carrier.

values 14-20 means fast attacking, team mates always look to get ahead of the ball carrier and the team is encourages to look only for forward passes!


Support Range:

Support range shows how close the players stay to around the ball carrier, so values 1-6 mean the players keep close together, (Barcelona Arsenal) it's useful for short passing game, tiki taka etc..

7-13 is standard

14-20 means players spread away from the ball carrier, this is useful for teams that counter, and teams like Stoke etc.. for long balls, Long passing game hoofball etc..

Position Switch

Position switch dictate how much freedom players have to temporarily play in different designated positions or switch places with players in similar positions.

1-6 means player rarely if ever switch positions (tactically disciplined)

7-13 means players will now and gain switch with players in a similar position, so for example the left central midfielder and right central midfielder or two strikers will change the sides they are playing, same with centre backs even.

14-20 is similar to that above but If a player finds himself out of position he will then take up the nearest position designated for a while, the drop back to his designated position.

So for example if a center back charges forward, if he ends up in midfield he will stay there for a bit, then move back, same with striker coming back to defend. It's built to give you the option to give your players the choice to swap around a bit in bid to confuse the opposition and say if a center back is getting the better of a striker, maybe swap for a secound with a winger and see if it confuses him.

Attacking Style:

Attacking style is quite important for player runs and general player movement when attacking.

1-6 means players will drift and congregate out in wide positions to support the ball carrier in making attacking moves out wide

7-13 (balanced) players will maintain their shape

14-20 players will congregate more in the middle, and wide men for example will come inside to offer support through the middle.

Pressing

Pressing is both how intense your team presses the oppositions ball carrier and also i've noticed a zonal element to this.

1-6 (loose) makes players stand off the ball carrier and the player will focus much more and working with his teammates as a unit.

7-13 players, won't actively close down the opposition, they will tend to hond shape unless the opposing ball carrier enter is, well 'zone' (Zonal marking) Maybe.

14-20 tight players will actively close down the opposition, 14-20 dictates how intense they move out of their formations shape to meet the ball carrier

Defensive Line:

Self explanatory really

1-6 Deep

7-13 Normal

14-20 High

Compactiviness:

This dictates how closely compacted your team is when closing in around the ball carrier

1-6 The team forms up as a unit very tightly in the center of the pitch

7-13 Normal

14-20 The team spreads out around the ball carrier.

Finally you should now that: 1-6 and 14-20 dictate how extreme you want your team style to be for each parameter so 14 is say relatively far from the ball carrier and 20 is very far etc..

7-13 Dictates you want a balance but with a slight favor towards a parameter. So 7 or 8 would mean your players your players would move slightly out wide, and say 11 12 would make them move slightly towards the middle etc..

 

[orlandoSPUR]

That was a good read, thanks for sharing I was working it out somewhat...i play a possession game and I get capped off on my sliders is that the same for everyone or is there away I can take the cap off to alter the sliders more?

 

[.Lee.]

That was a good read, thanks for sharing I was working it out somewhat...i play a possession game and I get capped off on my sliders is that the same for everyone or is there away I can take the cap off to alter the sliders more?

I don't think so, I think the sliders MAKE the style of play so you could set them how you want on (Standard) which gives the sliders no restrictions.

Don't quote me on this but it seems if you put it on (Standard) and set the sliders up how it would be on (Counter Attack) for example, it would play like you had set it to (Counter Attack).

 

[orlandoSPUR]

I don't think so, I think the sliders MAKE the style of play so you could set them how you want on (Standard) which gives the sliders no restrictions.

Don't quote me on this but it seems if you put it on (Standard) and set the sliders up how it would be on (Counter Attack) for example, it would play like you had set it to (Counter Attack).

That makes a lot of sense, I'm going to change to standard
And play around

 

[MysteryMan]

So what you figured out was how to play soccer?
Interesting.

 

[techboy11]

No smartass, I figured out that the sliders can have a dramatic impact on how much the CPU rapes you. But thanks for that input (sigh).

Which may be bad actually because if your tactics board and slider levels have so much weight in the final outcome of a game, then the actual playing of the game may be of almost inconsequence. It makes you wonder how much is decided before a ball is even kicked, all we then just escorting the game to a conclusion that has almost always been decided?

 

[techboy11]

COMPACTNESS -

I was recently getting hit by lots of lofted through balls down the wings especially against teams like Chelsea and Arsenal. I moved my full backs out wider on the tactics screen but this had little effect. I then changed Compactness to a higher rating say 12/13/14 and it made my full backs track their speedsters properly.

So, so far I have learned

1) It's better to have player support high to pen oppo in their halve longer and to reduced the pace of counter attacks
2) Against teams that are mauling your full backs with lofted through balls change the compactness to a higher number. This stops them acting like mongs and constantly coming inside leaving acres of space on the wing.

Can somebody try and prove or disprove this theory too please?!?