Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

**aarontab** · 09-28-2011, 06:33 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

I notice it every match. It's the one glaring issue with the game i've found.

**russ99** · 09-28-2011, 07:43 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Originally posted by rjv3

Is anyone else having an issue with players standing around/ball-watching instead of marking-up, challenging headers and/or following shots? It's become very noticeable and extremely frustrating for me today. I probably put in about 3 hours of playtime today and over this period I can't tell you how many times I've seen my defender give a forward 5-7 yards or more of space at the top of the box.

Also, guys just stand around and watch (while giving space) the AI team as it goes up to win a header (in the middle of the field, not on a corner). Unless I control the guy myself, he doesn't even attempt a challenge...just stands there and watches. The same thing is happening on shots. None of my guys follow a shot looking for a rebound. None. In 3 hours I've seen it one time. I uploaded a quick clip of the latest one to my EASports football world account. Notice how the guy in the middle (green boots) just backs off and doesn't even think about looking for the rebound. That guy also has one of the best goal-scoring records in Serie A history. That guy is Pato.

Service Unavailable

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/95261663

This happens wayyy to frequently. Is there something that can be done about this? Maybe a slider tweak? I'm thinking this needs fixed by EA because it appears to be an AI issue. Anyone have any ideas/suggestions? I can snag more clips too, if needed, because this stuff happens constantly...

I'm beyond frustrated with this game.

It's two completely different teams on the pitch:

AI - one who makes quick accurate passes, frequently uses wing play for the cross, is difficult to take off the ball, gets space in the box.

My team - stands around, doesn't go up for headers, doesn't challenge for the ball at all, can barely win even the easiest tackle, can't use the wings at all, gets taken off the ball quickly in the box and loses possession of the ball quickly after they get it

I feel like I'm controlling my local pick up team against Man U.

EA bit off way more than they can chew this year. I hope they can fix it at some point or I want my $60 back.

**seawolves9** · 09-28-2011, 07:48 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

I noticed the same. It does get incredibly frustrating at times. Sometimes I'll make a ground pass to player about 10-20 yards away and he'll start retreating from the ball like it's a cancer while the AI defender cuts off the ball. It doesn't make any sense. Same can be said for rebounds and loose balls. The AI players go after those balls with intensity and aggression while my players wait to get the magical hand of action pressed onto them before they attempt anything. AI teammates having any sort of intelligence has always been one of the issues with FIFA, so I'm not too surprised at this sort of thing..

KG · 09-28-2011, 08:47 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Yeah I've noticed this a lot. There aren't too many 50-50 balls to begin with but your players don't close down on loose balls at all. That and the backline allows ST's to get the ball way too easily. It's like most backlines will play behind the attacking players and it happens for both CPU & Human defenders. In the box defenders naturally give attackers way too much space.

**dlouismartin** · 09-28-2011, 09:20 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

I am far from a football expert, and I am sure a lot of my defensive woes come from poor play, but even I noticed that sometimes the defenders just stand there. It's like they are recalling some wonderful memory, and they just sit there - or rather stand there - and allow the offense to do whatever.

**Bat** · 09-28-2011, 09:39 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

The AI is definitely more sharp. I don't mind the genreal defensive play though. The first step is the most important and using the R bumper to have your defensive player chase down a guy while you protect the lane is nice.

On the RARE corners I have the computer usually does own that. They do shut down the wings really well.

I just want there to be fouls called. I think that alone would open up more stuff.

**aarontab** · 09-28-2011, 09:41 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Originally posted by dlouismartin

I am far from a football expert, and I am sure a lot of my defensive woes come from poor play, but even I noticed that sometimes the defenders just stand there. It's like they are recalling some wonderful memory, and they just sit there - or rather stand there - and allow the offense to do whatever.

Worse is when they sometimes seem to actually move themselves out of position...it's almost like the devs thought the game would be too easy unless they made your teammates make dumb errors.

FWIW, the higher the user's acceleration is vs cpu acceleration, the less noticeable that cpu advantage is (mainly because you can make up for the weird "pause" they force you to go through when you have a chance at a loose ball). As long as the two numbers are within 5 of each other, it seems to even out nicely.

**RoyceDa59** · 09-28-2011, 10:34 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

This has also been my main issue too. Defenders do a lot of ball watching.

**rjv3** · 09-29-2011, 07:40 AM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Originally posted by KG

Yeah I've noticed this a lot. There aren't too many 50-50 balls to begin with but your players don't close down on loose balls at all. That and the backline allows ST's to get the ball way too easily. It's like most backlines will play behind the attacking players and it happens for both CPU & Human defenders. In the box defenders naturally give attackers way too much space.

I'm seeing my back line do the same thing. There were a couple instances where a ball was played into the target player from the wing (on the ground) and my CB had a great angle on on it, BUT... instead of jumping the pass or putting pressure on the ST so that he couldn't turn, he took some steps back, allwed the ball to cross his body (!!!), showed the ST the goal (didn't even try to force him wide or towards help D), and let him dribble by. I wanted to clip this one but it cost me the match (2-1, 87') and I just hurried through the replay.

In no way do I want my D reading every pass/intercepting every ball but I've yet to see an AI Defender step up and win a ball/tackle when the opportunity to do so was there. It's too passive and there's too much backpedaling and allowing the attackers time.

Are y'all noticing the issue with the following of shots? This one is still bugging me. A few times I have a guy in position for a great rebound opportunity and he just stands in the box and watches as the AI defender clears.

**EZ Esquire** · 09-29-2011, 09:35 AM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

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oNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w

ontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w

ontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> I think it may be a level we normally play on.

I have not done this in a few years but I believe on lower levels they will do more on their own. The higher the level the less helpful your own cpu controlled players are.

I will check it out later or maybe someone can test this.

I still do not like how they back away from balls in the box…even if I take control quickly, they have already started backing up. Corners are the worst because you have so many players around the ball and they all just stand around watching until you take control.

There are sliders and tactics to help with defensive aggression though.

**mjarz02** · 09-29-2011, 09:53 AM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

There is a slider to adjust the marking of your defenders, its not perfect but it can help. Also, its my understanding that sometimes you need to use R1 to have the cpu apply pressure.

My cpu defenders seem to apply more pressure on their own than fifa 11, but maybe thats just me.

Also in order to make my players go on more runs, there is a slider for that and I switch my tactics to Attacking and use L1 to send players on runs.

**WhoCares?** · 09-29-2011, 10:14 AM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

I think the game is designed for the person that has more human control with their players has more success (Ever play Madden against someone that manually catches with the WR!!!)

You have to be very quick with selecting a new player as the ball is in the air. If you manually switch to a computer player and take control you can make plays.

**BezO** · 09-29-2011, 03:54 PM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Is the FIFA dev team present on any sites? It would be nice to get an explanation and suggestions.

**Inverarity** · 09-30-2011, 05:36 AM

Re: Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

Totally agree and it's the one issue I have with the game. Unfortunately, it's a major issue. I've played 19 matches in my career mode and the problem is easy to recognize (set to Professional difficulty; default sliders; 10 minutes a half; set auto-changing to manual; using Blackpool in the English Championship).

The CPU's AI will accurately mark, chase after balls, play aerial balls, etc. Everything you should expect of an AI. My AI players do some stuff okay, but they never deal with aerial threats, so I know that if the CPU gets a ball in for a cross I'm screwed. My AI will move out of the way, block my own keeper, etc. As a result, I have to over-protect against runs down the wings. Offensively, my AI will just stand there on rebounds from shots and volleys from headers.

One other thing I've seen happens late in the match, when the CPU puts on, for lack of a better way to describe it, a "full court press" of sorts. In this situation, which has happened to me twice now (both times after scoring a late goal), my AI will not come back to help me, and the CPU eventually forces a turnover because I have no one to pass it to. My "guys" just stand there and in some cases, even run away from me.

It's as if someone forgot to program the use of the AI for my players. I've tried changing the custom tactics without success.

I can live with all the "play on" fouls (not that there are a lot of fouls, but 99% of them don't stop play, which is completely unlike soccer in any form). I can live with the ludicrous transfers that occur in career mode. I can even live with the fact that the collision system, while a nice first step, needs some serious tweaking because it's still too easy to take the ball away by just running into someone (at least call a foul if this happens). But the dumb teammate AI is going to seriously shorten the lifespan of this game for me.

I have to assume that the Virtual Pro mode doesn't suffer from this same issue, so I wonder if that's the way to play this game and playing as the whole team just isn't going to work.

Not marking, challenging 50-50 balls, or following shots

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