(Yes - my initial posts are usually long ...)
I am going through the transition from FIFA15 to FIFA16 ... and I have a few thoughts / questions / talking points for the OS community. My general background is that I am an experienced FIFA player (since FIFA06 ... ten years!), I play exclusively career mode against the CPU, I have been playing full-manual since FIFA09, I do not sim matches, and I do what I can to keep things at least somewhat realistic.
-- -- -- -- --
#1 - Learning Curve / What to Watch For (Game Play)
How much is different or new with the game play for FIFA16? When I made the switch from FIFA14 to FIFA15 ... it took me more than two full seasons of career mode before I really felt like I had a decent control over what I was able to do. I understand that there will always be some adjustment period each time I switch from FIFA-N to FIFA-N+1 ... but last year was brutal for me. Is this year better /worse?
Is there anything that I will have to "re-train" myself to do (or not do) in FIFA16? What is a good way to get accustomed to playing against the CPU? I have played about 15 "mess around" matches so far ... I am doing quite poorly ... especially with regard to (a) scoring goals and (b) preventing the CPU from getting LOTS of shots on target.
#2 - Getting Fired / Reasonable Expectations
Another consistent annoyance for the career mode community ... I have heard/read that the "getting fired" threat is even more of a problem in FIFA16. You can no longer build team sheets with your worst eleven players as a work-around to get the board to ask for lesser expectations. I will be very sad if I get fired ... especially after you invest the time to make transfers / train players / build a youth academy.
The expectations for league finishes do not seem to be realistic. My main career mode team each year is Swansea City (go Swans!). The board expectations for me at the beginning of my career is "qualify for Euro League" ... which, in the EPL, translates to "finish in 5th position". A quick check of SoFIFA will tell you that Swansea are the joint 8th best club in the league (along with Stoke and S'hampton at 77 OVR).
(Sadly, in truth, the *actual* Swans look to be considerably *worse* than the 8th best side in the EPL this season ... but that is another discussion for another day.)
How close to 5th would be considered "good enough"? I agree that if Swansea barely clear the relegation places, the manager would be in hot water. But a reasonable Swansea fan would probably have been accepting of a top-half finish at the beginning of this season.
#3 - Legendary is Good?
I have also read/heard that playing on Legendary is actually well worth a consideration in FIFA16. I like a fair challenge from the CPU (winning 4-1 every time is not really "sim") ... but I do not like getting cheated. The argument for Legendary is that the CPU will play more fairly ... it may be difficult to win all of the time ... but your losses will not be so much of a scam job as they sometimes are in other cases. Are you seeing this?
Some years ago I was one who advocated for playing home games on one level and away games on one level higher (i.e. home = world class / away = legendary) ... I argued that this forced you to build a "home field advantage" into your game play (and team selection and tactics and so on). I have gotten away from this idea recently (especially since I had such a hard time when adjusting to FIFA15) ... but I might want to bring it back for FIFA16 ... especially if the opinion that Legendary is the right mix of "fair and difficult" is warranted.
#4 - Thoughts on Training
Seeing as this is 100% new for FIFA16 ... I expect that this will require a bit of iteration and trial-and-error before we all come to some consensus about the how / when / who of training. Some quick thoughts ...
a) Train a player who is still in your YA ... yes/no
b) Does too much training "stunt" a player's physical growth
c) Should you only train younger players (less than 23 years old)?
d) Which drills give you the most "bang for your buck"?
e) Sim the drills or play them yourself?
f) Train a variety of players or concentrate training on a few players
g) and I am certain that there are LOTS more "what if?" questions here ...
-- -- -- -- --
I am excited to get my career modes started ... and I understand that I cannot have everything perfectly figured out before I get going ... but I would love to kick some of these ideas around if any of you have some good thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks! OS never lets me down!
TL;DR ... Game play questions / Getting fired / Legendary / Training ...
I am going through the transition from FIFA15 to FIFA16 ... and I have a few thoughts / questions / talking points for the OS community. My general background is that I am an experienced FIFA player (since FIFA06 ... ten years!), I play exclusively career mode against the CPU, I have been playing full-manual since FIFA09, I do not sim matches, and I do what I can to keep things at least somewhat realistic.
-- -- -- -- --
#1 - Learning Curve / What to Watch For (Game Play)
How much is different or new with the game play for FIFA16? When I made the switch from FIFA14 to FIFA15 ... it took me more than two full seasons of career mode before I really felt like I had a decent control over what I was able to do. I understand that there will always be some adjustment period each time I switch from FIFA-N to FIFA-N+1 ... but last year was brutal for me. Is this year better /worse?
Is there anything that I will have to "re-train" myself to do (or not do) in FIFA16? What is a good way to get accustomed to playing against the CPU? I have played about 15 "mess around" matches so far ... I am doing quite poorly ... especially with regard to (a) scoring goals and (b) preventing the CPU from getting LOTS of shots on target.
#2 - Getting Fired / Reasonable Expectations
Another consistent annoyance for the career mode community ... I have heard/read that the "getting fired" threat is even more of a problem in FIFA16. You can no longer build team sheets with your worst eleven players as a work-around to get the board to ask for lesser expectations. I will be very sad if I get fired ... especially after you invest the time to make transfers / train players / build a youth academy.
The expectations for league finishes do not seem to be realistic. My main career mode team each year is Swansea City (go Swans!). The board expectations for me at the beginning of my career is "qualify for Euro League" ... which, in the EPL, translates to "finish in 5th position". A quick check of SoFIFA will tell you that Swansea are the joint 8th best club in the league (along with Stoke and S'hampton at 77 OVR).
(Sadly, in truth, the *actual* Swans look to be considerably *worse* than the 8th best side in the EPL this season ... but that is another discussion for another day.)
How close to 5th would be considered "good enough"? I agree that if Swansea barely clear the relegation places, the manager would be in hot water. But a reasonable Swansea fan would probably have been accepting of a top-half finish at the beginning of this season.
#3 - Legendary is Good?
I have also read/heard that playing on Legendary is actually well worth a consideration in FIFA16. I like a fair challenge from the CPU (winning 4-1 every time is not really "sim") ... but I do not like getting cheated. The argument for Legendary is that the CPU will play more fairly ... it may be difficult to win all of the time ... but your losses will not be so much of a scam job as they sometimes are in other cases. Are you seeing this?
Some years ago I was one who advocated for playing home games on one level and away games on one level higher (i.e. home = world class / away = legendary) ... I argued that this forced you to build a "home field advantage" into your game play (and team selection and tactics and so on). I have gotten away from this idea recently (especially since I had such a hard time when adjusting to FIFA15) ... but I might want to bring it back for FIFA16 ... especially if the opinion that Legendary is the right mix of "fair and difficult" is warranted.
#4 - Thoughts on Training
Seeing as this is 100% new for FIFA16 ... I expect that this will require a bit of iteration and trial-and-error before we all come to some consensus about the how / when / who of training. Some quick thoughts ...
a) Train a player who is still in your YA ... yes/no
b) Does too much training "stunt" a player's physical growth
c) Should you only train younger players (less than 23 years old)?
d) Which drills give you the most "bang for your buck"?
e) Sim the drills or play them yourself?
f) Train a variety of players or concentrate training on a few players
g) and I am certain that there are LOTS more "what if?" questions here ...
-- -- -- -- --
I am excited to get my career modes started ... and I understand that I cannot have everything perfectly figured out before I get going ... but I would love to kick some of these ideas around if any of you have some good thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks! OS never lets me down!
TL;DR ... Game play questions / Getting fired / Legendary / Training ...