Is there anything for me, the casual?

[MurrayTheMac]

First ... please try and not dismiss what I'm asking for on the grounds that I'm a pariah, as I get the feeling that footballing casuals are not viewed in the best light in the FM community (forgive me if this is unfair, that's just the impression I've received).

I try to get into Football Manager, but I'm not a tactical genius. I'm never going to pick up the intricacies of football strategy and tactics via the games I watch on TV. And I never can create a tactic of my own, not because I don't have ideas of how to utilise my player's abilities, but simply because I have no idea how to correctly ascertain whether my tactical intent is coming to fruitition. I realise that this is something that's difficult to do in football anyway, but in this game, I have no idea. I'm too much of a casual fan to be able to deconstruct the stats and the analysis. I'd much prefer if I could learn the concepts of tactics in full, how to link up player abilities properly to create effective player combinations, and how to recognise when a plan is failing beyond just losing the match. All the tactical bibles and guides merely explain tactics which work, not specifically why they do and how to recognise failure.

Does this make sense? It's all very well for me to think "I have a winger who's good at crossing and a striker who's tall and good at heading, so I'll aim to play down the wings and cross into the box to score goals", but if I can't recognise where a tactic is failing, all the good intentioned plans in the world are useless to me.

Is there anything out there for the casual player like me?

 

[coolguyrko]

Yes there called downloadable tactics.Im the same.This year for some reason Im just not able to do it.Last year I was able to do it in a celtic save I had but this year nothing.Ive found myself using other peoples tactics and scoutmeister to give me an edge.

 

[MurrayTheMac]

I'd rather not just plug and play tactics. I want to learn.

 

[coolguyrko]

I'd rather not just plug and play tactics. I want to learn.

Well then talk to TheBetterHalf He has written a thread on tactics.

 

[superbladesman]

Tactics all depend on the team you are managing and the game you are about to go in. Most people who make tactic guides have probably been playing the fm series since it began and before that the Championship Manager series.

I am the same in a way. I can tell when a tactic works and when it doesn't but I never go really in depth into the player instructions I just use the basic selections.

If you want to learn what I would do is create a save and just have a play with the tactics and see where it takes you. If you find one tactic brings positive results it might be worth saving for a serious save.

No disrespect to the people who upload their tactics but I think the best way to learn is to find out yourself rather than just downloading a tactic because like you said you don't know why it works.

 

[SirToppumsHat]

In addition to learning the dynamics of the match engine, I suggest perhaps reading into real life tactics as well. I highly recommend having a look at zonalmarking.net, it will provide some insight into WHY teams play the way they do, and the effect of their tactics on the opponents, and obviously a firm grasp of real life tactics will only improve the tactics you create in game.

 

[MurrayTheMac]

Tactics all depend on the team you are managing and the game you are about to go in. Most people who make tactic guides have probably been playing the fm series since it began and before that the Championship Manager series.

I am the same in a way. I can tell when a tactic works and when it doesn't but I never go really in depth into the player instructions I just use the basic selections.

If you want to learn what I would do is create a save and just have a play with the tactics and see where it takes you. If you find one tactic brings positive results it might be worth saving for a serious save.

No disrespect to the people who upload their tactics but I think the best way to learn is to find out yourself rather than just downloading a tactic because like you said you don't know why it works.

No offence, but none of that really helps me. Obviously tactics depend on the situation, my issue is that I want to learn how to recognise the situation and what's going to work and not work in it. Playing around is useless to me if I can't understand what's happening and why; it's something I've done before.

What I want is something which says "if you're seeing THIS happen, it's most likely because of THIS, and possible solutions include THIS". Straight and clear guides for casual players to learn why things go wrong and what you should be aiming for to fix them. Has nobody done anything like that, for us casuals?

 

[Jake]

I'd rather not just plug and play tactics. I want to learn.

First port of call for you should be the TT&F.

We used to have it hosted on our site, but the authors kicked up a big fuss, and have since left the FM affiliates scheme. So you have to go to their website and tap in your email address, they will email you the download links.

If you are looking to learn, there is nothing better in the FM community, and even though it was designed for FM10, all the principles remain relevant. It's pretty extensive, but well worth a read, it has taught me a few things, and i'm a pretty experienced FM campaigner.

FM-Britain - Tactical Theorems ’10 | Football Manager 2011

 

[MurrayTheMac]

Thanks Jake, but I've already read that particular guide, and found it didn't offer the kind of teaching I'm looking for. It explains tactical theories very well, but offers little in the way of diagnostic teachings for when tactics are failing and you want to find out why and how to fix them.

 

[Mike.]

Thanks Jake, but I've already read that particular guide, and found it didn't offer the kind of teaching I'm looking for. It explains tactical theories very well, but offers little in the way of diagnostic teachings for when tactics are failing and you want to find out why and how to fix them.

Try these:

How to Play FM: A (Very) Short Guide to Match Preparation, Strategies and Motivation

[URL="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/258788-How-to-Play-FM-A-(Very)-Short-Guide-to-Understanding-the-Match-Engine-and-Manager-AI"]How to Play FM: A (Very) Short Guide to Understanding the Match Engine and Manager AI

[URL="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/258767-How-To-Play-FM-A-(Very)-Short-Guide-to-Confidence-and-Match-Expectations-Management"]How To Play FM: A (Very) Short Guide to Confidence and Match Expectations Management

[/URL][/URL]

 

[Mike.]

One of the biggest problems with the game is the very poor official documentation, and its no surprise newcomers and casual gamers quickly get confounded and frustrated with it. Been raised lots and lots f times on the Official thread and hopefully things will change for FM12

 

[Thestaggy]

You know, I really get into Football Manger, but not seriously into the tactics side of it. And my way of playing with simple tactics has worked pretty well for me. I have never played more than half a season with a big club (Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barca, Real, etc. . .), prefering to take a lower league club on a journey to the top and I have succeeded every time. I even took South Africa to a World Cup final, before being shattered 4-1 by Argentina.

I just find something that works and stick with it. As an example, I am currently playing with AFC Telford in the BSN. I play a basic 4-4-2, yet it is the setting of my two forwards that works like magic. Both are average by even BSN/BSS standards yet the one is the league's top scorer and it is because the other forward is the player with the best pass completion percentage in the BSN (88%). I have instructed the two how to play as a unit via tactics and that is the reward I get. The one with the accurate passing links my midfield, which is pretty poor, to my golden-booted hitman. It does help that my deep-lying forward has a high work rate and I have been training him to focus on passing. I am also well aware that there are tactics and gamers out there that will do better than I but I am happy with my little touch that I know is working well. I have no special instructions beyond the basic for the rest of my players but I know why I succeed. And I change my wingers from ''attack'' at home to ''support'' on the road, nothing fancy.

My advice, do what you are confident with and just make one change at a time. You'll know if it is working or not. And give it time. My start to the season was dreadful, considering I was a promotion favourite, and neither of my forwards could buy a goal. Now, while the league leader has run away, I am in 2nd and the team in the best form, thanks to my golden combination up front.

 

[krujap777]

First ... please try and not dismiss what I'm asking for on the grounds that I'm a pariah, as I get the feeling that footballing casuals are not viewed in the best light in the FM community (forgive me if this is unfair, that's just the impression I've received).

I try to get into Football Manager, but I'm not a tactical genius. I'm never going to pick up the intricacies of football strategy and tactics via the games I watch on TV. And I never can create a tactic of my own, not because I don't have ideas of how to utilise my player's abilities, but simply because I have no idea how to correctly ascertain whether my tactical intent is coming to fruitition. I realise that this is something that's difficult to do in football anyway, but in this game, I have no idea. I'm too much of a casual fan to be able to deconstruct the stats and the analysis. I'd much prefer if I could learn the concepts of tactics in full, how to link up player abilities properly to create effective player combinations, and how to recognise when a plan is failing beyond just losing the match. All the tactical bibles and guides merely explain tactics which work, not specifically why they do and how to recognise failure.

Does this make sense? It's all very well for me to think "I have a winger who's good at crossing and a striker who's tall and good at heading, so I'll aim to play down the wings and cross into the box to score goals", but if I can't recognise where a tactic is failing, all the good intentioned plans in the world are useless to me.

Is there anything out there for the casual player like me?

Murray, here's what I would suggest for a player like you...

The next time you play.. setup the tactics that you would find interesting, or would like to see work. What formation interests you? The standard 4-4-2? A single striker tactic? Packed midfield? Whatever intrigues you, for whatever reason.

Then, play one match in Full scene mode, so that you see the entire match from start to finish, not just the highlights. Watch your key players, or your wingers, or whichever positions are critical to your formation succeeding.

Note who is creating errors, who is failing their first touch, who is overhitting their passes, who is running with the ball too much...

You get a lot of feedback and ratings in this game on how your players are, but a lot of it can be misleading or not important. You can still pick up things in the match engine that the game won't really tell you about.

Also, your players won't succeed with the formation unless they are in a good mental state either.. which means learning how to manage your player's happiness. If your players aren't happy, there's almost no way to gauge the success of your tactics.

 

[martinj77]

Also, your players won't succeed with the formation unless they are in a good mental state either.. which means learning how to manage your player's happiness. If your players aren't happy, there's almost no way to gauge the success of your tactics.

i must agree with this last piece of info. keepin player morale high is vital to ur teams success. i was resonably successful in my games as i have played from 00/01. but i have been unstopable thanks to wolfsongs guide. it will help u out alot. http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...-training/29092-woifsongs-teamtalk-guide.html.