The Weight of Key Attributes: Which matter the most?

[Gnemi]

How much does Speed, Acceleration, Finishing, Vision, Marking, or Balance affect the viability of players you select, recruit, or buy on the open market?

I thought of adding this thread to the Youth Academy and Player Growth thread, but feel it's better explored as a discreet topic since it influences every aspect of playing the FIFA series.

I've played FIFA '12 and '13 quite heavily and I've relied upon anecdotal evidence to support some of my ideas on the subject of which attributes affect my players the most. Admittedly, I've grown too attached to the value of Speed and Acceleration, probably as a result of how much FIFA gameplay emphasizes speed. Am I being shortsighted? To illustrate my point, I recently promoted a 17 year-old CM with an OVR of 72 and a POT of 90-94. I'm over the moon for him. He has high/medium work rates, a strong weak foot, and excellent long shots and shot power. On the surface, he seems like a young Steven Gerrard. Still, I was really disheartened to see that his Speed/Acceleration are 63 and 65. I worry that he'll just be too slow and never quite "feel" right on the pitch.

Feeling a bit disheartened, I went to SOFIFA and found that some of the absolute monsters of world football have Speed and Acceleration in the 60's. They include Fabregas, Xavi, Schweinsteiger, and Cabaye.

So, how about it folks? What are the attributes you've found that make the most difference according to position? Should I stop thinking that a player, in particular a central midfielder, will be weakened by poor Speed and Acceleration?

In my last Career Mode, I found a Free Agent (probably a regen) Italian CM with Speedster. He was only 21, but he had all the other incredible traits you'd expect of an outstanding CM. He was a finisher, had great long shots, short passing, and could even mark and defend well.

[NaturalSelected]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gnemi

How much does Speed, Acceleration, Finishing, Vision, Marking, or Balance affect the viability of players you select, recruit, or buy on the open market? I thought of adding this thread to the Youth Academy and Player Growth thread, but feel it's better explored as a discreet topic since it influences every aspect of playing the FIFA series. I've played FIFA '12 and '13 quite heavily and I've relied upon anecdotal evidence to support some of my ideas on the subject of which attributes affect my players the most. Admittedly, I've grown too attached to the value of Speed and Acceleration, probably as a result of how much FIFA gameplay emphasizes speed. Am I being shortsighted? To illustrate my point, I recently promoted a 17 year-old CM with an OVR of 72 and a POT of 90-94. I'm over the moon for him. He has high/medium work rates, a strong weak foot, and excellent long shots and shot power. On the surface, he seems like a young Steven Gerrard. Still, I was really disheartened to see that his Speed/Acceleration are 63 and 65. I worry that he'll just be too slow and never quite "feel" right on the pitch. Feeling a bit disheartened, I went to SOFIFA and found that some of the absolute monsters of world football have Speed and Acceleration in the 60's. They include Fabregas, Xavi, Schweinsteiger, and Cabaye. So, how about it folks? What are the attributes you've found that make the most difference according to position? Should I stop thinking that a player, in particular a central midfielder, will be weakened by poor Speed and Acceleration? In my last Career Mode, I found a Free Agent (probably a regen) Italian CM with Speedster. He was only 21, but he had all the other incredible traits you'd expect of an outstanding CM. He was a finisher, had great long shots, short passing, and could even mark and defend well.

All depends on position for me.

CB - Height, strength, marking, heading
LB/RB - Marking, tackling, acceleration
CDM - Tackling, short passing, ball control
CM - Ball control, short passing, vision <----------- I don't rely on speed here, I find it's more important for the CM to set up the speedier player with the right pass
CAM - Ball control, finishing, short passing
LW/RW - Acceleration, sprint speed, ball control
ST - Finishing, heading, sprint speed

Consider the source though - I play a primarily short game with play around the box and shorter shooting distance. More emphasis on shooting/long shots for CM/LM/RM/LW/RW makes sense if you're setting up longer strikes.

[Yeats]

Some ratings affect User-controlled players/gameplay (Speed, Accel, Finishing, etc.) while others only affect CPU-controlled players/gameplay (Vision, Passing and Crossing for example). That's something to keep in mind. One can create a 20-rated AMF or 40-rated FW who is the most dangerous striker in the game (Shot Power, Curve, Penalties and Finishing all 99). So that kind of tells you how useless many of the ratings actually are. Really hoping this aspect of the game is addressed with next-gen. For anyone interested, a list of which ratings affect players' overalls, by individual position:

http://forum.ea.com/uk/posts/list/2153391.page

[JJT]

Age, speed thats pretty much all you need in fifa, which is a shame

[MattyEdgeworth]

Speed is by far the most important, for the others it depends on the position.

[NaturalSelected]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Some ratings affect User-controlled players/gameplay (Speed, Accel, Finishing, etc.) while others only affect CPU-controlled players/gameplay (Vision, Passing and Crossing for example). That's something to keep in mind. One can create a 20-rated AMF or 40-rated FW who is the most dangerous striker in the game (Shot Power, Curve, Penalties and Finishing all 99). So that kind of tells you how useless many of the ratings actually are. Really hoping this aspect of the game is addressed with next-gen. For anyone interested, a list of which ratings affect players' overalls, by individual position: http://forum.ea.com/uk/posts/list/2153391.page

Good post, very helpful thanks!

A lot of this you see intuitively but everything spelled out is solid.

[Yeats]

Quote: Originally Posted by NaturalSelected

Good post, very helpful thanks! A lot of this you see intuitively but everything spelled out is solid.

Thanks bro!