Too Much Success Forces Handicaps?

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ArsenalHard

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Hello guys,

This is my first post here and I'm look for help regarding an issue I believe I am suffering with on FM2011.

My friend and I have been playing a network game and we are into our 7th season now. I am Arsenal and he is Liverpool. In seasons 4 and 5 my team was completely dominant in the league and in the summer before season 4 I won the World Cup with Argentina and won the Copa America a year after. For both club and country I used the same formation and tactics system and was thoroughly enjoying my football. In season 6 I was heading to a third year of domination with Arsenal, my two strikers had scored 90 goals between them in February! Then my main striker Cavani who was also my captain got a 4 month injury ruling him out for the season and we dropped our form which is understandable and came 2nd in the league. The moment Cavani resumed light training the other striker Sanogo who went on to score 76 goals picked up an 8 month injury ruling him out of the game until the following January. That summer after coming 2nd I had a Confederations Cup with Argentina to play and we were knocked out early and I got the sack, losing to some daft teams. I then went into season 7 with Arsenal and 14 games into it I have lost and drawn almost every game. I have tried tweaking my system and trying different things but nothing enables me to win. Certain things are happening forcing me to believe the game is not allowing me to win, most teams are scoring last minute equalisers against me through daft mistake and I went on a 7 game streak of hitting the post in every game. My system that dominated club and international football for 3 years is completely useless now. Once Sanogo resumed light training my third most important player was ruled out for 6 months, or in other words out for the season. My best 3 players will not have played on the same pitch for 18 months, I know injuries occur in football but I feel the engine is going out of its way to handicap me and keep the game competitive.

On the other hand my friend has all of a sudden won every game of the season so far and is heavy favourite to take home every trophy around. I feel as though the game is trying to balance things out not by handicapping me and boosting my friend.

Has anyone else experienced being super successful for a few years before being unable to even beat newly promoted teams? Do you feel the game does attempt to balance things out in order to remain competitive for all parties?

I would love to hear your thoughts,
Thanks
 
From my expierences at least, the game doesn't use a handicapping system. Many people complain after years of success, things start going wrong, but it shouldn't be blamed down to the game engine. Even with a Tactic that was worked well before, for each and every team you play, you should be checking any flaws in your tactic that might be countered against- Any players you might want to put in, to help your team.

As for the injuries, that just seems like a massive slice of Bad-Luck. It certainly isn't the game trying to even its self out, not at all. I would reccomend having good-enough back-ups, always keep tweaking your tactic as the game advances, and using your scouts report wisely.
 
wow, you are in a very very BAD LUCK.

Well, certainly that kind of thing can happen, rarely. So in seven years, I think you would find that kind of bad luck :)
 
I dont think theres a handicap system as the game is normally fair. You might want to change your tactic as the AI normally wisens up to it after a few seasons. You have also probaby had some very bd luck concerning injuries and matches (as saind above) if you keep on conceding last minute goals, you might want to think about changing your strategy in the last 10/20 minutes and/or making more substitutions.
Hope that helped :)
 
mlequi said:
wow, you are in a very very BAD LUCK.

Well, certainly that kind of thing can happen, rarely. So in seven years, I think you would find that kind of bad luck :)
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Giggles said:
From my expierences at least, the game doesn't use a handicapping system. Many people complain after years of success, things start going wrong, but it shouldn't be blamed down to the game engine. Even with a Tactic that was worked well before, for each and every team you play, you should be checking any flaws in your tactic that might be countered against- Any players you might want to put in, to help your team.

As for the injuries, that just seems like a massive slice of Bad-Luck. It certainly isn't the game trying to even its self out, not at all. I would reccomend having good-enough back-ups, always keep tweaking your tactic as the game advances, and using your scouts report wisely.
Click to expand...

While I do understand what you guys are saying, I do still strongly believe I am being handicapped. I feel that because this is a network game and there are then two human players, the game feels that it needs to keep things competitive between us human players. I'm pretty sure the game adapts to your abilities for example I first started playing Football Manager when I was 11 and still won the Premier League with Arsenal whereas 9 years later I am 100x a better manager but that doesn't mean I win 100x more games, the engine surely adapts to your abilities and therefore with two human users I feel the game is attempting to maintain a stable competitive state between us.
 
I wish thing get wrong for me too. It's boring to win everything.
 
ArsenalHard said:
While I do understand what you guys are saying, I do still strongly believe I am being handicapped. I feel that because this is a network game and there are then two human players, the game feels that it needs to keep things competitive between us human players. I'm pretty sure the game adapts to your abilities for example I first started playing Football Manager when I was 11 and still won the Premier League with Arsenal whereas 9 years later I am 100x a better manager but that doesn't mean I win 100x more games, the engine surely adapts to your abilities and therefore with two human users I feel the game is attempting to maintain a stable competitive state between us.
Click to expand...

Yes, because 9 years later the AI is 1000x better :)
I mean, SI improves AI every year.

On the other hand, look at the real life, or perhaps, current Barcelona. Now every team would like to beat them. If they don't careful, they will slump, won't they? The same happen for yours I think.
Look at Inter after Mourinho, they slump because almost no replacement was made and perhaps the team is not hungry at success anymore. That is why Moggi always made wholesale changes despite winning everything with Juventus.

It is not unusual as you winning things, people will start trying to beat you, whatever the price is. Maybe the price is injuring some of your key players :) The game simulates that, I believe.
More closing down as opponents face you, more hard tackling.

I myself have experienced that and I kinda expect that. After great success with Lazio in first season, every team now fields a defensive side against me, with closing down set all times and fierce tackles flying all over the pitch.

They do adapt :)
 
sorry for double post. Internet in Indonesia kinda sucks.
 
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ArsenalHard said:
While I do understand what you guys are saying, I do still strongly believe I am being handicapped. I feel that because this is a network game and there are then two human players, the game feels that it needs to keep things competitive between us human players. I'm pretty sure the game adapts to your abilities for example I first started playing Football Manager when I was 11 and still won the Premier League with Arsenal whereas 9 years later I am 100x a better manager but that doesn't mean I win 100x more games, the engine surely adapts to your abilities and therefore with two human users I feel the game is attempting to maintain a stable competitive state between us.
Click to expand...

Your logic is flawed. You assume that because you have got better as a manager, you can control absolutely every variable in the game - this obviously isn't the case. To win 100x more games, you would have to play 100x more games; whilst, yes, as you improve as a manager your win % must increase, there is, and always will be, an element of sheer dumb luck.

As Ferguson himself put it - Teams work in cycles.
 
White Wolf said:
Your logic is flawed. You assume that because you have got better as a manager, you can control absolutely every variable in the game - this obviously isn't the case. To win 100x more games, you would have to play 100x more games; whilst, yes, as you improve as a manager your win % must increase, there is, and always will be, an element of sheer dumb luck.

As Ferguson himself put it - Teams work in cycles.
Click to expand...

Just want to put that point. You beat me to that.

Teams work in cycles. Ferguson himself said that and the cycle is about three years to four years. After that, they need to be replaced by younger ones and then they need to bond themselves with each other, get used to your NEW tactic and learn to play as team. As they gel, they reach they peak again and then they need to be replaced again.
 
Nightmarewalkin said:
^Play as a lower league team, especially in the Spanish B4 division.
Click to expand...

Still, I would win promotion after promotion after promotion and I bet I would win primera in 5-6 years. Just like I did with Morecambe in prem.
 
mlequi said:
Just want to put that point. You beat me to that.

Teams work in cycles. Ferguson himself said that and the cycle is about three years to four years. After that, they need to be replaced by younger ones and then they need to bond themselves with each other, get used to your NEW tactic and learn to play as team. As they gel, they reach they peak again and then they need to be replaced again.
Click to expand...

I understand the concept of teams going through cycles etc. What I don't get is the way the system stopped performing over night for BOTH club and country. With Argentina I won the World Cup, Copa America and was top of the qualification group for the upcoming World Cup and all of a sudden I was losing to teams much lower ranked. The same with Arsenal. I can understand if it slowly began to become predictable for AI etc. but for it to be completely failing at club and international level is too much of a coincidence. My Arsenal squad is very young, nobody left the squad and I made one signing that Summer.
 
Yes, but you didn't change anything - It could be a sudden thing. After all, it happens in real life. If playing a 4-5-1 means that your team is beaten 3-0, it's likely more teams will play a 4-5-1, just against you.
 
Nightmarewalkin said:
With the 49 downloads? ;)
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Im using my original tactic. I even posted it on another forum. If you want I can give you link to it ? Send me PM and I'll do it. Sorry if this game is more difficult for you than it is for me.
 
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