Having played the Beta for quite a bit now, both before and after the update, the match engine seems a decent improvement but it's still not there yet. The defensive positioning has improved but the marking remains too loose. There's a serious problem with tackling and attacking loose balls.
The latter in particular is completely broken. Defenders can almost stand on top of a loose ball for several seconds without reacting to it, while attackers do seem to be aware of the ball. On my game this has resulted in several goals where the 2 CB's and the goalkeeper are on top of a loose ball, only for the striker to get to it first from several yards away and score a lame goal.
That said, defending from crosses has improved but it's still too dangerous a weapon because full backs give wingers too much time on the ball and don't get close enough. Also, pace seems exaggerated which also causes wingers to get into more space than you'd expect. Goalkeeper reaction on crosses that are very close to them are also flawed, leading to panic and sometimes own goals as well.
On the attacking side, there's a distinct lack of quick and incisive passing. Unless the ball is with a winger out wide running at pace, the game is played at a very slow pace, no matter the tactics. Players attempt too many short and simple passes, leading to spectacular completion rates but a slow build up. It looks like Barcelona at times, but without the sudden increases in tempo and penetrating passes. As a result, the games look boring and precious few goals are scored from good bits of play through the middle.
To top it off, ball physics look off. It isn't completely rubbish or anything like some might claim, but it has a certain floaty look to it. It's most apparent on goal kicks, where the ball often looks like a balloon. I suspect it isn't just a cosmetic issue and has an impact on the match engine as well.
Now all of these together lead to a match engine that can be frustrating and looks very unfinished. I suspect it's mostly balancing issues which can be quite tricky. Bearing in mind that this is more or less an overhaul of the ball physics and match engine AI, balancing issues were to be expected. But it's definately disappointing that they're still this severe in the demo. It leaves SI with a very short time frame to fix them, probably too short. I will be very surprised if they can sort everything out by release. Let's hope they take a more active and frequent patching strategy this time around. To be honest I think they probably needed another year to get this new match engine right. I'm pretty certain it'll turn out to be superior to the old one in the longer term, but at the moment it doesn't seem ready yet.
Still, it's not all bad news. There's a lot of potential in there and I like most of the other changes and improvements. This is the most significantly changed Football Manager in a long time, and I'm glad SI decided to take that risk, as it was getting a bit stale. It's annoying and frustrating at the moment though and I do wish SI would do a lot more extensive Beta testing.
The latter in particular is completely broken. Defenders can almost stand on top of a loose ball for several seconds without reacting to it, while attackers do seem to be aware of the ball. On my game this has resulted in several goals where the 2 CB's and the goalkeeper are on top of a loose ball, only for the striker to get to it first from several yards away and score a lame goal.
That said, defending from crosses has improved but it's still too dangerous a weapon because full backs give wingers too much time on the ball and don't get close enough. Also, pace seems exaggerated which also causes wingers to get into more space than you'd expect. Goalkeeper reaction on crosses that are very close to them are also flawed, leading to panic and sometimes own goals as well.
On the attacking side, there's a distinct lack of quick and incisive passing. Unless the ball is with a winger out wide running at pace, the game is played at a very slow pace, no matter the tactics. Players attempt too many short and simple passes, leading to spectacular completion rates but a slow build up. It looks like Barcelona at times, but without the sudden increases in tempo and penetrating passes. As a result, the games look boring and precious few goals are scored from good bits of play through the middle.
To top it off, ball physics look off. It isn't completely rubbish or anything like some might claim, but it has a certain floaty look to it. It's most apparent on goal kicks, where the ball often looks like a balloon. I suspect it isn't just a cosmetic issue and has an impact on the match engine as well.
Now all of these together lead to a match engine that can be frustrating and looks very unfinished. I suspect it's mostly balancing issues which can be quite tricky. Bearing in mind that this is more or less an overhaul of the ball physics and match engine AI, balancing issues were to be expected. But it's definately disappointing that they're still this severe in the demo. It leaves SI with a very short time frame to fix them, probably too short. I will be very surprised if they can sort everything out by release. Let's hope they take a more active and frequent patching strategy this time around. To be honest I think they probably needed another year to get this new match engine right. I'm pretty certain it'll turn out to be superior to the old one in the longer term, but at the moment it doesn't seem ready yet.
Still, it's not all bad news. There's a lot of potential in there and I like most of the other changes and improvements. This is the most significantly changed Football Manager in a long time, and I'm glad SI decided to take that risk, as it was getting a bit stale. It's annoying and frustrating at the moment though and I do wish SI would do a lot more extensive Beta testing.
