Not enough knowledge about game mechanics leading to frustration - Please help

[sergei791]

Hi, started playing FM17 two weeks ago, but I'm sure the mechanics are similar or many of you have played FM17 before FM18. The situation I'm in is as follows:

• I usually play by finding tactics online, and build my squad around them (a 4-2-3-1 wide).
  • Needless to say, I'm an extremely casual football fan who doesn't have much tactical knowledge around football (what's the difference between an advanced forward and deep lying forward?). This has been a pretty limiting factor in my play. Any resources to help me with this besides the extremely confusing guidetofootballmanager.com?

• Started a game as Groupe Sportif Consolat (France, National League) as I really wanted to get into the details of running a club and larger clubs posed too much micromanagement.
  • With my online tactics, finished 1st in the league, way above my predicted finish. It was a pretty fun season.

• Now I'm in Ligue 2 and this is where the frustration starts - I've made quite a few player transfers which I regard as very good - their scouting potential was "Sign ___ whatever the price," but I managed to get them at the same price as any other player, and have successfully negotiated their contracts to keep payrolls extremely low - the board is even impressed.

With my bolstered squad, I finished 3rd in my second season, way above pre-season expectations to avoid relegation. Along the way, I've beat top Ligue 1 teams in the Coupe de la Ligue such as SC Bastia, PSG, and L'OM - even finishing runner-up. However, in the third season (second in Ligue 2), when I go back to league games, I eat it from teams barely avoiding relegation or standing mid-table. Why is my team performing so inconsistently? I've already tried keeping track of morale, and it is consistently above "Okay." How is a team that is capable of beating Ligue 1 giants and relegated Ligue 1 teams (sometimes 4-1) even able to lose such bad teams?

It's gotten so bad my personal life is affected. When I'm on a string of losses to crappy teams, I feel depressed in any activity in the real world that I do afterwards. I can't stop playing sometimes just so I can reach the point where my string of losses has stopped. FM17 has significantly ruined my productivity - at this rate I'll be failing my classes. As a side note, how can I manage this as well?

So, how do I fix this inconsistency? How am I beating top teams but failing against **** teams, time and time again?

 

[darren151991]

Me and my friends all have that. All different teams using different tactics can beat 2nd and then lose to 18th the next game. Could probably guess what ganes we will win and lose half the time

 

[ChivuStoica]

This thread is about FM 15 but it still applies (despite the addition of some new roles in more recent games). It's a great breakdown of what the mentalities, player roles/duties, and tactical/player instructions do in terms of the match engine. This is the absolute best place to start to learn to design your own tactics and I recommend that every beginning tactician read it: https://community.sigames.com/topic...acticians-handbook-for-football-manager-2015/

 

[Snorks]

It's gotten so bad my personal life is affected. When I'm on a string of losses to crappy teams, I feel depressed in any activity in the real world that I do afterwards. I can't stop playing sometimes just so I can reach the point where my string of losses has stopped. FM17 has significantly ruined my productivity - at this rate I'll be failing my classes. As a side note, how can I manage this as well?

It's not just me then........:S

 

[KentClark]

As a veteran Championship/Football Manager gamer I have shared your anguish.

Having said that if the game was easy & you won all the time it wouldn't be much of a game would it?

The fact downloaded tactics are not having as much of an impact as much as usual is a good thing as it's promoting the idea of the gamer developing tactics, which surely is what the game is about?

 

[wicksy360]

Hi, started playing FM17 two weeks ago, but I'm sure the mechanics are similar or many of you have played FM17 before FM18. The situation I'm in is as follows:

• I usually play by finding tactics online, and build my squad around them (a 4-2-3-1 wide).
  • Needless to say, I'm an extremely casual football fan who doesn't have much tactical knowledge around football (what's the difference between an advanced forward and deep lying forward?). This has been a pretty limiting factor in my play. Any resources to help me with this besides the extremely confusing guidetofootballmanager.com?

• Started a game as Groupe Sportif Consolat (France, National League) as I really wanted to get into the details of running a club and larger clubs posed too much micromanagement.
  • With my online tactics, finished 1st in the league, way above my predicted finish. It was a pretty fun season.

• Now I'm in Ligue 2 and this is where the frustration starts - I've made quite a few player transfers which I regard as very good - their scouting potential was "Sign ___ whatever the price," but I managed to get them at the same price as any other player, and have successfully negotiated their contracts to keep payrolls extremely low - the board is even impressed.

With my bolstered squad, I finished 3rd in my second season, way above pre-season expectations to avoid relegation. Along the way, I've beat top Ligue 1 teams in the Coupe de la Ligue such as SC Bastia, PSG, and L'OM - even finishing runner-up. However, in the third season (second in Ligue 2), when I go back to league games, I eat it from teams barely avoiding relegation or standing mid-table. Why is my team performing so inconsistently? I've already tried keeping track of morale, and it is consistently above "Okay." How is a team that is capable of beating Ligue 1 giants and relegated Ligue 1 teams (sometimes 4-1) even able to lose such bad teams?

It's gotten so bad my personal life is affected. When I'm on a string of losses to crappy teams, I feel depressed in any activity in the real world that I do afterwards. I can't stop playing sometimes just so I can reach the point where my string of losses has stopped. FM17 has significantly ruined my productivity - at this rate I'll be failing my classes. As a side note, how can I manage this as well?

So, how do I fix this inconsistency? How am I beating top teams but failing against **** teams, time and time again?

Liverpool beat an undefeated Manchester city, then lost to Swansea. Aka this is realistic, there is no tactic to beat every opponent 5-0 and never lose.

Think about the real Liverpool example: when teams play high up and press onto them, they usually play better as their tactic of exploiting space behind is enhanced by additional space behind their opponents defense. Then they come to Swansea, who sit 5 men deep and dont leave Liverpool an inch of space, suddenly they cant play through the low block, and their tactic that was magnificent the weak before, leads them to lose 1-0.

Summed up: one tactic cant cover all possibilities.

As for the personal life; if playing a game is leading you to be depressed and negatively impact you and the others around you, stop playing. Games are supposed to be fun, but it sounds like you are placing far too high a value on completely intangible performance. It also sounds like you could benefit from meetings with a qualified medical practitioner or a counselor.