Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

[SpHSpH]

Does anyone have any suggestions / explanations for why it seems that my players do not have the same interest / initiative as the CPU players when it comes to going for a loose ball? I see this annoyance when I am on both offense and defense. It is becoming a point of significant frustration.

On defense ...

A common example would be a situation when the player I am controlling, let's say I am controlling a CDM, makes a "sort-of" tackle on the CPU player with the ball ... and the possession is lost when the ball rolls away in an arbitrary direction. The player that I am in control of, the CDM, is usually unable to track down the ball because the CPU attacker gets in my way (obstruction?). So I am relying on my teammates to "notice" that there is a loose ball available - and that they should go get it. Nope. Instead, a teammate from the CPU attacking team more frequently (definitely more than half the time ... despite the fact that this might be referred to as a "50/50" situation) retrieves the loose ball, and the CPU attack continues on, merely a slight interruption - not the change of possession that I could really use.

On offense ...

Let's say my CAM is looking to make an advancing pass forward to my ST. I make the pass in the direction of the goal that I am attacking ... my ST stands still and waits for the pass to reach him ... meanwhile the CPU CB runs toward the ball, past my ST, and intercepts the pass. Turnover. Why didn't my striker attempt to get the pass, or attempt to keep his body between the CPU CB and the ball?

Another example ... the attacking pass I make is off the mark (I am playing with PASS ERROR at 68 per the OS Community Sliders) ... that is OK, I am sure this happens occasionally ... the CPU defenders are always quicker to react to the errant pass than my offensive teammates ... again, this seems like a "50/50" situation, but I do not think that my teammates recover to adjust to the errant pass half of the time. I agree that I should not ALWAYS be able to recover from a mistake pass ... but the frequency with which my teammates go to the ball seems to be alarmingly low.

Any ideas? Thanks!

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FWIW ... I play all-manual, World Class, Slow, 15 minute half, "OS Community" sliders, tactical defending ... I would consider myself more of a "sim" player (rather than an "arcade" player) ... I only play offline career mode matches against the CPU.

[Hutton]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

On offense ...

Let's say my CAM is looking to make an advancing pass forward to my ST. I make the pass in the direction of the goal that I am attacking ... my ST stands still and waits for the pass to reach him ... meanwhile the CPU CB runs toward the ball, past my ST, and intercepts the pass. Turnover. Why didn't my striker attempt to get the pass, or attempt to keep his body between the CPU CB and the ball?

You make very valid points, all of which I completely agree with as being huge issues in the core game logic.

The amount of teammate ball watching I see is absurd, and my #1 pet peeve , and there's simply no way to avoid it. It doesn't matter whom your striker is, RVP, Suarez, Messi or some Football League 2 chump on Rushden & Diamonds....they all stand and ball watch like total idiots.

[Matt10]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

Super cancel at the right times fixes about 90% of these 50/50 balls.

[SpHSpH]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

"Super cancel" = [ RT + LT ] ... yes?

How can I use this to solve my problem with my teammates?

Will it help on both offense and defense?

I would appreciate some more advice on this.

Thanks!

[Matt10]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

"Super cancel" = [ RT + LT ] ... yes?

How can I use this to solve my problem with my teammates?

Will it help on both offense and defense?

I would appreciate some more advice on this.

Thanks!

You have to switch ahead of time. So as soon as your player is performing the tackle - and you're sure it's going to be a loose ball - switch to the nearest player and super cancel into the ball's path, then determine what kind of control needs to be used...it could be a pass, clearance or even a hard slide tackle that usually allows you to maintain possession. Get stuck in on those ones

[SpHSpH]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

What is "super cancel into the ball's path"?

This is a way to take control of a teammate who can track down the ball?

And is there a way to use this to help me with my offensive troubles as well?

Thanks - I appreciate you help.

[Matt10]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

What is "super cancel into the ball's path"?

This is a way to take control of a teammate who can track down the ball?

And is there a way to use this to help me with my offensive troubles as well?

Thanks - I appreciate you help.

Yes, super cancel is not just to stop the "rails" of the intended path - it's actually to control the player freely when there is a 50/50 or even when defending. Instead of just pressing the super-cancel, you hold it down and move the player around. You can do this throughout the pitch if you'd like. It allows you to completely go off the programmed "rails" (although FIFA 15 doesn't have as many rails as previous iterations) and take control of a player completely.

[BL8001]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

If you want to laugh out loud at the AI...

Drop the cpu accel slider to 10.

Now let the cpu have the ball and choose someone off the ball to play D and hold RB to get your cpu team mate to pressure.

Watch how they race over but then hop and stop and mantain about a 3-4 foot cushion from the ball and do a little dance but don't get stuck in.

They will even back up and keep dancing if the cpu choose to push forward with the ball.

[SpHSpH]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

Another question about the super-cancel idea ...

Do I simply have to "pulse" on [ LT + RT ] ... or do I have to maintain holding both triggers with I also use the L-Stick to move my player?

This seems important. Thanks!

[SpHSpH]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

When do you take control of the player (your teammate) who is set to receive the pass?

Sometimes I feel like I should do NOTHING with the L-Stick during the time between when I release the pass from Player A until it is received by Player B. As soon as I take *any* control over the receiver, I feel like the CPU is "turned off" from moving him at all. But, if I leave it be, the CPU will move the receiver to gather the pass. Does anyone else feel this?

A second thought ... does it matter if the pass is a ground pass ('B' button), a through pass ('Y' button), or an in-the-air pass ('X' button)? I play with manual passing ... so I have always been unsure about if there is any difference for me between ground passes and through balls. Presumably they are both going where I point the L-Stick ... so are they the same? Does my teammate react differently if the game registers the pass as a ground pass vs. as a through ball?

Just keeping this topic in the conversation. Thanks!

[jemiller16]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

I haven't played FIFA 15 yet, but it's very disappointing to read this. The worst for me in FIFA 14 is when I send a cross into the box and the computer clears the ball. It will go near one of my guys and they just stand there as it bounces past them while I frantically switch players. Generally this leads to the computer picking up the ball and counter attacking.


There is almost no urgency from your computer teammates unless you hold R1, but that doesn't help for loose balls.

[JayD]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

The CPU players play like they should but your CPU controlled players act like complete morons when it comes to defending, attacking, lose balls, etc. This really has tempted to trade this game in several times.

[SpHSpH]

Re: Talking Points - Go To The Ball!

Yes - this is the frustration that lead to me building this thread. It seems like the CPU players on the CPU team have way more "hustle" than the CPU-controller players on my team (I can only control one of the eleven guys at a time!). It is not as if each team is equally "lazy" ... that would at least be fair ... it is more that there is a bias that favors the CPU ... and that is annoying. Lots of what would otherwise be thought of as "50/50" balls are *not* won by my team 50% of the time.

Grumbles indeed.