How GTN & Player Growth SHOULD Work

[Get Blunted]

Like many of you out there who enjoy playing CM, I've found the attempted implementation of the GTN and player growth to be pointless, confusing, and down-right maddening. For instance, I'm playing a CM with Leyton Orient because I like building a squad from the bottom (or near bottom) up to the top of the Champions League over the course of 5-8 seasons, but the latest "features" in FIFA 14 CM have often made this journey more of a headache than an enjoyable experience. I won't get into specifics about my CM because we've all heard the same issues I've been experiencing over and over again. However, what I will tell you is how I believe the GTN and player growth SHOULD work under the current game design.

First, let me start off by saying that I don't think the GTN and random player growth are completely terrible ideas. They're just implemented insufficiently, which comes off as EA appearing to be just plain lazy. My primary issue, as expressed by everyone else, is how the random player growth has no balance. In other words, there's no way to tell if a player will grow to their potential or not until you've bought and played a season or two with them. I strongly believe that if a mechanic existed for people to find out growth potential for players before buying them in their specific CM, regardless of the "real life" player potential and what is listed on sofifa.com, there wouldn't be anywhere close to the number of complaints we hear about now. This lead me to thinking about the following set up that would not only improve the GTN but also allow for random player growth. So if you're still with me congratulations, here comes the important part..

1. The more a GTN scout is assigned to a player, the more info you get about that specific player. (I'll use Adryan as an example as I explain all of this.) Lets say your club starts with two 1* GTN scouts and you're thinking of putting in a bid for Adryan, so you send one of them out to scout him. As a 1* scout, it will take him 30 days to scout Adryan. For this initial scouting trip you receive a range of attribute stats for his current ability. For example, your scout will come back after 30 days and give you stuff like Acceleration 75-80, Ball Control 73-77, etc. If you send your 1* scout out to Adryan again, after 30 more days, your scout will come back with his exact current ratings, weak foot, and skill moves. If you send your scout out to Adryan a third time, after 30 more days, your scout will come back with information about Adryan's absolute peak growth potential.

This is where EA could get away with the random player growth. If your scout comes back from the third trip and tells you that Adryan has a peak growth potential of 83 (as listed on sofifa.com) then you know he will reach his full potential as long as he stays in good form and avoids multiple major injuries. If your scout comes back from the third trip and tells you that Adryan has a peak growth potential of 75 (or any OVR less than 83), then you'll know that he won't reach his full potential (if you check sofifa.com) and you may chose to not put in a transfer bid for him.

2. The GTN scouts star ratings determine how quickly they can scout players, and have nothing to do with getting true ratings of the players they scout. In the example above a 1* scout requires 30 days each time he's sent out to scout a player. 2* scouts do the same work in 23 days, 3* in 15 days, 4* in 10 days, 5* in 5 days, and better scouts are purchased the same way youth scouts are currently purchased in CM. An alternate method for upgrading scouts could be based on how many fully scouted players are signed by the club. For example, if Adryan is fully scouted and then purchased (regardless of his OVR potential) that scout would receive points towards increasing their star level.

This mechanic provides an actual incentive toward using the GTN scouts, unlike it's current implementation, and maintains the dynamic player growth for the individual CM. It's important to note that the mechanic I described wouldn't be a necessary step to buy a player, you'd just be taking a big risk on buying a player without thoroughly scouting them first.

Now let's all take a minute to enjoy this fantasy world where EA implements a new feature that actually works and makes the game more enjoyable..

[JibberSkin]

I really, really like your ideas. I definitely agree that GTN and player growth need some kind of tweak.

[Gnemi]

tl;dr - The GTN is a bad joke meted out on the FIFA-loving world by well-intended but clueless game designers.

Maybe they'll get their heads out for next year. If they try to force the GTN on me, I'll quite literally stop playing FIFA. (No, not joking.)

[doyce7]

scouts take way to long. Should be 1* = 15 days, 2* = 10 days, 3* = 8 days, 4* = 6 days, and 5* 4 days. and then impliment the process you listed(ie have to scout 2 or 3 times to know everything). If I have a guy "FULLY" scouted, I should know pretty well how good he will be. I also think that when you hire a scout they should already have reports on say 5 players from the scouts home country. In theory these scouts have been working as scouts before you hired them and as such should bring some level of scouting knowledge. just some thoughts.

Player growth gets better the deeper into a career you get. Had a 9 year CM and by the end I had 3 guys 25 and younger that were at least 86 OVR