I've seen numerous threads about FM13, ranging from people saying its got harder right through to the conspiracy theories that the games scripted to ensure you lose.
If you are getting whipped in every game, or even if you are just struggling mid table when in charge of utd or city, it's probably about time that YOU admitted defeat instead of blaming the game.
This watershed moment has been coming for a while, there have been signs of it for at least the last 3 editions. It's becoming increasingly difficult to simply accumulate some world class stars, throw them on the pitch and expect results from day one. Especially if you don't properly commit to things like training and tactics, and I mean PROPERLY. This just isn't realistic, look at the first galactico era at real Madrid as an example.
The thing I've also noticed is people moaning that they hit the wall after a certain number of games. Ie they have a string of good results then bang it's like their tactics no longer work. 90% of these people are in charge of a big team. Surprise surprise this is just the game becoming ever more realistic.
Barcelona aside, how many top teams play exactly the same way every week? If they did then the smaller teams know exactly what they can do to attempt to shut the top side out and ****** a draw or even a 1-0 win. Interestingly the people moaning about this 'problem' say they are winning a lot of games 4 or 5 nil and then going on a run of draws or narrow defeats.......
Look to man utd this season as an example. Fergie was using 3 central midfielders and a front 3 that relied on rooney pulling wider. Then he started using the diamond a few games in a row. For the Chelsea game I think everyone expected the diamond, or maybe even the 3 centre mids to combat Chelsea's talented midfield, but no, he goes back to 2 proper wingers and tricks everyone, grabbing a win.
If you are playing a smaller side, the AI is going to try and sit back, hit you on the counter, these possession 'wonder tactics' that have yielded great results against bigger sides won't necessarily work, this isn't a bug, it's realism.
Now I'm not saying the game doesn't have it's fair share of bugs, of course there are problems with this game, just like every FM release before it. But complaining that the AI has worked your tactics out and AI teams are adapting to try and shut your team out (just like real life) or complaining that you just can't get any results with your newly assembled team of world beaters (just like real life) doesn't really make sense.
Personally I'm enjoying the realism and the challenge. Studying how my upcoming opponents are playing and ADAPTING MY TACTICS to exploit their weaknesses is something that seems pretty alien to most FM players. I've been doing it for years with little/no noticeable result. This year finally I can do everything I've ever wanted. My oppositions left back is injured, they have a youngster, unproven at this level who is likely to be the only option. Firstly I talk about him in the media, trying to unsettle him, secondly I put my quickest player with the best dribbling skills on the right wing, thirdly I focus my passing down the right. Boom my winger gets 3 assists in a 4-1 win.
Why play the same way every week if it isn't working? A lot of people seem to think this means scrapping your tactic totally, it doesn't. It means making subtle changes like the one I described. Or maybe moving one of your midfielders to DM, or AMC, or whatever. Trying to anticipate what your opposite manager is going to do to combat your tactics, as well as trying to exploit his teams weaknesses has added a whole new level to the game for me.
So yes I'm still tearing my hair out when a silly match engine bug costs me dearly, but this will be fixed soon enough. In the mean time, I think people should have a close look at themselves before spitting The dummy.
If you don't think you're up to this new challenge called realism, then luckily I have a solution. It's called FM Classic. If you yearn for 'the good old days' when all you needed to do to guarantee a win was name a stronger starting eleven than your AI opponent could muster, and play a semi sensible formation, FMC is for you.
If you are getting whipped in every game, or even if you are just struggling mid table when in charge of utd or city, it's probably about time that YOU admitted defeat instead of blaming the game.
This watershed moment has been coming for a while, there have been signs of it for at least the last 3 editions. It's becoming increasingly difficult to simply accumulate some world class stars, throw them on the pitch and expect results from day one. Especially if you don't properly commit to things like training and tactics, and I mean PROPERLY. This just isn't realistic, look at the first galactico era at real Madrid as an example.
The thing I've also noticed is people moaning that they hit the wall after a certain number of games. Ie they have a string of good results then bang it's like their tactics no longer work. 90% of these people are in charge of a big team. Surprise surprise this is just the game becoming ever more realistic.
Barcelona aside, how many top teams play exactly the same way every week? If they did then the smaller teams know exactly what they can do to attempt to shut the top side out and ****** a draw or even a 1-0 win. Interestingly the people moaning about this 'problem' say they are winning a lot of games 4 or 5 nil and then going on a run of draws or narrow defeats.......
Look to man utd this season as an example. Fergie was using 3 central midfielders and a front 3 that relied on rooney pulling wider. Then he started using the diamond a few games in a row. For the Chelsea game I think everyone expected the diamond, or maybe even the 3 centre mids to combat Chelsea's talented midfield, but no, he goes back to 2 proper wingers and tricks everyone, grabbing a win.
If you are playing a smaller side, the AI is going to try and sit back, hit you on the counter, these possession 'wonder tactics' that have yielded great results against bigger sides won't necessarily work, this isn't a bug, it's realism.
Now I'm not saying the game doesn't have it's fair share of bugs, of course there are problems with this game, just like every FM release before it. But complaining that the AI has worked your tactics out and AI teams are adapting to try and shut your team out (just like real life) or complaining that you just can't get any results with your newly assembled team of world beaters (just like real life) doesn't really make sense.
Personally I'm enjoying the realism and the challenge. Studying how my upcoming opponents are playing and ADAPTING MY TACTICS to exploit their weaknesses is something that seems pretty alien to most FM players. I've been doing it for years with little/no noticeable result. This year finally I can do everything I've ever wanted. My oppositions left back is injured, they have a youngster, unproven at this level who is likely to be the only option. Firstly I talk about him in the media, trying to unsettle him, secondly I put my quickest player with the best dribbling skills on the right wing, thirdly I focus my passing down the right. Boom my winger gets 3 assists in a 4-1 win.
Why play the same way every week if it isn't working? A lot of people seem to think this means scrapping your tactic totally, it doesn't. It means making subtle changes like the one I described. Or maybe moving one of your midfielders to DM, or AMC, or whatever. Trying to anticipate what your opposite manager is going to do to combat your tactics, as well as trying to exploit his teams weaknesses has added a whole new level to the game for me.
So yes I'm still tearing my hair out when a silly match engine bug costs me dearly, but this will be fixed soon enough. In the mean time, I think people should have a close look at themselves before spitting The dummy.
If you don't think you're up to this new challenge called realism, then luckily I have a solution. It's called FM Classic. If you yearn for 'the good old days' when all you needed to do to guarantee a win was name a stronger starting eleven than your AI opponent could muster, and play a semi sensible formation, FMC is for you.
