Despite all this time, I would never claim to be any kind of tactical wizard on FML (many would be nodding at this point if they were reading), but in real life I feel like I have a good grasp on tactics. So, I work on gut feeling and try to apply real world tactics to the game (apart from employing the obvious contender of corner banging, but never played 4-6-0 *shows badge of honour*). This works sometimes, and sometimes not. I appreciate football has large elements of luck and 'the unknown', that is what makes it so emotive. Players have personalities and can be utter tools but have uses (Barton), hair-pullingly inconsistant (Torres), can implode on themselves (Rooney), be petulant like a child (Balotelli), and as stupid as a bucket-full of shrimps (Bramble) but the manager tends to know what is wrong, despite not always being able to deal with it.
Herein lies the problem.
Are my playing being inept morons because of the tactics/shouts/morale/etc... or is it just because they, or I (or both) are inept morons. How do I know? Not a Scooby. I suppose it could be me. Entirely plausible. I know it must be sometimes- be it through a lack of time prepping or looking at things- but often I am in the dark. I like to be to blame for winning. Human nature is as it is when I lose and expect it must be the game! :p
Beta has some new features being tested that give a little more clue, but I really feel this needs to be ramped up. I'm not suggesting people get nursed through management.... let people find out themselves. But at least give them the opportunity. Signpost huge errors. Player feedback to say why they are hacked off. More opportunities to interact with players. Some feeling of control.
Many think they might be tactical geniuses (whilst still playing at 2.5 speed, don't look much at stats, use the 'power formation' of the moment, never change home and away tactics and allow silly things like letting their 5ft6 winger mark the best jumper in the opposition), and some of them will always moan. They know football. They live it. After all, they watch it every week, how could they not... In offering additional signposts FML might actually be doing society a service in proving to these internet warriors that they are sometimes/often wrong.
I try not to blame the ME. It is what it is- the best out there. Not perfect, never will be perfect, but a work of art that is as close to being real as anything in the world has at the moment. As ever though, the FEELING of control is king... and that control needs to be easily accessible, not at the end of a 50 page thesis on stats. I want to make a decision and to know that it had an effect- be it positive or negative -or- whether I win because of it or not. If this brings a reduction to the moans about it being the ME's fault, more the better!
Some work/analysis= Yes.
Reams of analysis= Not casual friendly or, in the main, Hardcore friendly.
Nice post matey.
ReplyDeleteAn assistant manager or more feedback has been long over due in the game, although I do like the watered down version of FML, its a fine middle ground between FM which is too in depth for my liking and FMlight.