Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

[PrinceKasra]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

There has got to be some custom tactics that help control the game against the cpu. Specially with defending. They always find a way to grab a crucial goal. If im guarding everything they score by curving the ball past my defender on the edge of the box into the corner of the net. no matter how close i guard them. There has to be some secret to this. I am playing on legendary but there still needs to be a tactic to make defending much better. If anyone knows of any style or formation of play let me know.

[FalseNine]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

For what it's worth, I've recently completed a career season at world class 45W-1D-0L and got promoted to premier league.

I think I was 14W-1D-0L at one time and realized that I could go for an invincible season. I decided to play some matches multiple times if necessary to make that happen. I had to play about ten matches more than once. Those were the typical "tough" matchups (relegation zone team, rival for the league title or promotion, etc.) Every now and then a 10th place team, cruising comfortably, decided to raise hell, but otherwise it was predictable.

In these tough matches you absolutely cannot afford to fall behind, especially in the first half, because the other team tightens up like Chelsea v Barca. I have a feeling that you also don't want to miss 3-4 chances in a row, which also seems to turn the other team into monsters. Preferably you want to lead 2-0 before the 80th minute, which usually means at least one goal in the first half.

Before the 80th minute sub out midfielders for fresh ones and go 4-5-1 because *accidents* will happen. Yes, you can also score on a counter, but you don't have to.

I had no problem with losing. Once with a lower league side I met Arsenal in the FA cup and they trashed me 4-0 and I actually like it. It was fun to try to play counter attacking football with my limited players, pull out heroics with the goalie and still lose.

But, the way this stupid AI is written made me its enemy. I wish there was a menu option to turn this stupid nonsense off even if it would also put 5 past me every match.

Even in legendary mode the game AI bizarrely incompetent (offensively) most of the time, except when it decides to score, and then the goal is usually strange and unimpressive. Easily 25% of their goals are tap ins after hitting the woodwork. A similar figure for tap ins off the goalie. If the ball goes in directly, it's almost always a laces shot to the bottom corner. Never a finesse shot. Ground crosses are extremely rare and 99% of them are are so off target that they go out for throw ins. The CPU is pathetic at one on one's with the keeper; I always know exactly where it's going to shoot and only have to press the button quickly enough.

None of these things are hard to fix. EA apparently doesn't care.

[dubcity]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I could be wrong, but it seems like I see quite a bit of odd ball physics consistently working in the CPU's favor in these types of games. I saw it a lot in FIFA 12 as well, but not really much in previous FIFAs.

Example: I just finished a Brazilian league match. I (playing as Ronaldinho) was running down the flank towards the opponent's goal line. I reached the line, and attempted to cross it in with more than enough power. It hit a defender's chest at point blank range, it then dropped straight down to his feet and he kicked it directly to a teammate about 30-40 feet away at midfield. It was like he was receiving a soft lobbed pass, but it was actually Ronaldinho hitting the hell out of the ball straight into his body.

Stuff like that, where the ball doesn't seem to move with proper freedom or physics, where it seems to follow a predestined path, it just drives me more insane than any video game in history. In such a precise game, where your player moves with silky smooth responsiveness, and passes flow so perfectly, little scripted moments like this are absolutely infuriating to me.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

CM games seem to take a distinct character once someone actually scores. Seems easier for me to score, and then once I do it's easier for the cpu to score. Case in point, as I got better at scoring this year my goals conceded went way up. Early on when I was scoring one or zero goals on average per match I was having lots of 1-0/0-0 type draws. Now that I can score at a decent rate I'm losing 4-2, drawing 4-4, 3-3 on legendary.

[FalseNine]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I reached the line, and attempted to cross it in with more than enough power. It hit a defender's chest at point blank range, it then dropped straight down to his feet and he kicked it directly to a teammate about 30-40 feet away at midfield. It was like he was receiving a soft lobbed pass, but it was actually Ronaldinho hitting the hell out of the ball straight into his body.

You are absolutely correct and I believe this was happening in FIFA 12 as well. I think this is true for the majority of blocks and deflections; the game checks the "scenario" and tries to force the physics to fit that.

Speaking of blocks, isn't it curious that whenever you line up for a laces shot and hold the shoot button down, as soon as you release the button you realize that a defender was close enough, and he had already jumped in the air or slid down and blocked the shot, but the next time if you were to fake the shot at the last instant, you never see that defender jump or slide pointlessly? Though I dribble past defenders in legendary until their heads are spinning, I have yet to see a defender or goalie bite hard on any of my fake shots. There's zero anticipation going on; they know what you're really doing.

[Zangash]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I came into something like this today. I somehow got matched up against my B team in the Copa Del Rey (Playing as Barca). I went into the game feeling somewhat at ease, especially since I went 2-0 up in the first 10 minutes.

But then things spiraled out of control.

Suddenly their passing was perfect, their tackling was perfect, their positioning was always able to intercept, their keeper (Who, if you think about it, is really MY 3rd/4th string keeper) turned into a brick wall in the rare occasions their defense didn't perform an outstanding sliding/jumping block, and their finishing was just absurd. How do three players on their team have a 9.4-9.7 rating without even making man of the match? Sergi Roberto and Rafinha even made it a point to juke my defenders out like they suddenly got Ronaldo's AI or something.

[PrinceKasra]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I was losing 2-1 to Hoffeinheim with FC Bayern and the referee gave 1 minute stoppage time and i had the ball near their goal and down in their goal, one of their players randomly fell in the rain and the referee stopped the game, gave them the ball and they shot it to my goalkeeper all the way from their side of the field when i didn't even foul them. Then the whistle was blown so I restarted that. Ridiculous. Unrealistic and never should happen. I am 1st on legendary in the tables and I am ok losing but not going to count it if that happens. Anyways just really angry at this game. First time that ever happened to me. If their player randomly falls on the wet grass that is their fault. Either give me more stoppage time or kick the ball out of bounds next to where they stopped me in my passing. If I lost like that it would have been ok but anyways ya. Stupid game

[Vermilion]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

Never have this happen. Maybe every once in a while, but that's to be expected since they can score late just as well at they can score early. If anything, they usually miss sitters in the last few minutes. That being said, they seem to get a lot more aggressive in the closing minutes, but again, it makes sense for that to happen. Usually, I'm the one to score late goals.

[SpHSpH]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I just finished the second leg of my home-and-home with AC Milan in the Champions League knock-out stage ... here is the relevant portion of the box score ...

AC Milan (CPU) v Swansea City (HUM)

3 - Goals - 2
10 - Shots - 20
3 - Shots on Target - 12

You might say ... "hey, wait a minute, Milan only had three shots on target, and yet they still scored three goals? That seems very unlikely!" ... exactly. And, for further context, both of my goals came from penalty kicks ... so that means I was an astounding 0-10 for my shots on target during open play (again - I should remind you that Milan were 3-3 with their shots on target). Seriously - what a pile of ...

I ended up losing the tie with Milan with an aggregate score of 7:2 ... Milan hit me for seven goals in the two matches ... in the other 44 games that I have played so far in the season (Premier League, CapOneCup, FA Cup, Champions League group stage, etc.) I have allowed a total of 45 goals. So - giving up 7 goals in two matches is VERY unlikely. (And I have score 99 goals in the other 44 games as well.) But whatever ...

Why is it that EA care so much about ensuring that the game is able to cheat me? Why is that something that warrants the programmers' time? There are so many other better things that could be coded into the game!

I really wish that the game would tell you at the start of the match when it has pre-decided that you are going to lose - it would save me the time from actually playing the match - I am going to lose regardless of what I do - it seems inefficient to go through with the match ...

[Zangash]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I just finished the second leg of my home-and-home with AC Milan in the Champions League knock-out stage ... here is the relevant portion of the box score ...

AC Milan (CPU) v Swansea City (HUM)

3 - Goals - 2
10 - Shots - 20
3 - Shots on Target - 12

You might say ... "hey, wait a minute, Milan only had three shots on target, and yet they still scored three goals? That seems very unlikely!" ... exactly. And, for further context, both of my goals came from penalty kicks ... so that means I was an astounding 0-10 for my shots on target during open play (again - I should remind you that Milan were 3-3 with their shots on target). Seriously - what a pile of ...

I ended up losing the tie with Milan with an aggregate score of 7:2 ... Milan hit me for seven goals in the two matches ... in the other 44 games that I have played so far in the season (Premier League, CapOneCup, FA Cup, Champions League group stage, etc.) I have allowed a total of 45 goals. So - giving up 7 goals in two matches is VERY unlikely. (And I have score 99 goals in the other 44 games as well.) But whatever ...

Why is it that EA care so much about ensuring that the game is able to cheat me? Why is that something that warrants the programmers' time? There are so many other better things that could be coded into the game!

I really wish that the game would tell you at the start of the match when it has pre-decided that you are going to lose - it would save me the time from actually playing the match - I am going to lose regardless of what I do - it seems inefficient to go through with the match ...

I bought the rematch button just for stuff like that.

You wanna screw me out of the win? I'll restart this and try again until I either win or lose by something non-BS. Took me an entire day to beat Barcelona (Pedro is NOT a striker! Argh!), but I did it eventually...

[SpeedyMikeWallace]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

All EA Sports games since the mid-2000s have done this. Call it "comeback mode" or whatever you want. It's one of the most annoying "features" in any game.

[Yeats]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

All EA Sports games since the mid-2000s have done this. Call it "comeback mode" or whatever you want. It's one of the most annoying "features" in any game.

That's why I buy the PC version. You can edit the database files and eliminate the comeback AI. No more annoying!

[Mouse]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

Things I've experienced during "fixed" fixtures:

Centerbacks letting strikers run past them.
Players being able to maintain the same pace while dribbling
multiple balls hittng the posts.
CPU 2-3 shots on goals but scores 2-3 goals
ball moving without a player touching it, usually ends up benefiting the CPU
tackles inside penalty box not being called

[SpeedyMikeWallace]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

The last second toe poke and last second blocked shot are a bit ridiculous. I can see it happening a few times a game, but I have it happen 90% of the time. I should have at least 11-12 shots on goal a game but it's reduced to 2 or 3 because of that.

[PrinceKasra]

Re: Unwinnable Career Mode Fixtures

I had to reset the game by turning off the ps3 to not count another cheating situation. I was playing Kaiserslautern with Bayern Munich on my second season now and I was winning 2-0 but then the game just started crashing. The cpu gets trapped and kicks the ball all the way to my goal area and the ball is bouncing towards the box and Manuel Neuer is running to it without me having him run there. I tap the button to hold him back, doesn't work. I tap the shoot button at least 10 times to ensure he kicks it but what does he do? He bounces the ball of his chest and it rolls forward and out of nowhere their player comes from the side of my screen and grabs it then scores. 2-1. Then a few minutes later after the cpu tackled my guy in the box and there was no penalty, they get the ball into my box and it bounces on their player's hand then onto my player's hand but the referee only sees my foul and gives them a penalty. 2-2. Then the end they slam the ball to my goalkeeper and it bounces off his body right to their player who scores while Manuel Neuer is on the ground. This is unacceptable. Second time I was losing with a cheating cpu so I had to restart.