FIFA 15's Tactics Are a Disappointing Mystery

[RaychelSnr]

How well does FIFA 15 represent real players and clubs?

I wanted to try to answer this question. After all, I’m a realism nerd in my sports games. I always have been. “Do AI clubs and players in FIFA 15 play like reasonable approximations of their real-life selves?”

Let's find out.

Read More - FIFA 15's Tactics Are a Disappointing Mystery

[Krebstar]

I was quoted! I feel special.

In all seriousness, this year's tactical implementation is definitely underwhelming, disappointing, and to an extent a failure.

On the surface, team sheets sounded fantastic—the ability to customize a specific formation and tactics for every single team in the game? Brilliant. However, the actual gameplay itself has gotten in the way of the tactics being implemented by the AI when facing them.

Also, I miss the previous formation editing which allowed you to set "positioning", and attack/defend work rates. The new "Instructions" system does not seem to be nearly as in depth.

All hope does not yet seem to be lost, though. Hutton has made a little discovery which could bring the AI long ball back, and Matt10's sliders are constantly trying to also bring the variety of play back into the game.

It still seems like a shot in the dark, though. FIFA 15 with FIFA 14's custom tactics would be a heck of a game. Sadly, at this point, I'm still having more fun with FIFA 14.

I do have a spreadsheet full of updated tactics ready to unveil in the near future, though. This includes not only updating tactics for teams that have changed managers, but also tweaking all tactics to preform a little better.

Okay, time to go back to work.

[ty5oke]

Thanks for the read. I almost caved this weekend and bought Fifa but after reading this I'm glad I didn't. I'll wait for PES to come out so I can read the reviews on both games before making the purchase.

[orion523]

I hate to say it but the game is outright lousy tactically, so much so that I just don't see myself playing the game at all once PES releases. Every single game it's more of the same. I've tried everything slider wise to get some kind of variety, unfortunately though I just came up empty. In the end I settled on a slider set that highlights FIFA's strengths, one on one play, and those highlight reel quality moments. I was this series' biggest fan for a long time, but I'm a football fan first and foremost, and the football fan in me is appalled at what we were given this year gameplay wise.

[Hutton]

Plain & simple, tactical variety in FIFA15 is terrible.

EA should be ashamed of themselves. Team Sheets, while good in concept, fall completely short due to the removal of core features present in '14 (man marking assignments & form workrates) and the lack of tactical settings (namely build up speed) having any effect on CPU gameplay style.

I've found some encouraging slider/tactic settings that at first glance appear to allow the CPU to play some longer more dangerous passes, but it's a shame that we've had to spend nearly 2 weeks concentrating on getting a English prem club to play a single damn long ball.

Below is a video I took last night of a CPU Soho player using a long ball to great effect. I will test more & see if it was just a rare occurrence or if it actually works.

[ryestye]

EA Sports has never been able to implement this in any sport. They make a game that looks like the real game, but it never plays like the real game, at least not the individual players or teams. They suck at being able to replicate player tendencies and the player ratings seem to be mere window dressing used for the simulation aspect only.

[Paradingwolves]

The only thing I'll disagree with in this article is the lack of width. I play a 4-4-2 diamond with 4 CMs and the computer always runs down the lines against me, but if I switch to say a 4-4-2 with 2 CDMs and 2 wide midfielders they will play centrally. I play only EPL so far.

Other than that I'm upset with the loss of man marking assignments and the ability to set the positions. I used to push the starting position of my wide MFs up the pitch, now I can't. also the instructions tab for CDMs is broken, doesn't matter what you do he will run up and join the attack. and only have 1 instruction for the back 4 is weak, very very weak.

[Krebstar]

Quote: Originally Posted by ryestye

EA Sports has never been able to implement this in any sport. They make a game that looks like the real game, but it never plays like the real game, at least not the individual players or teams. They suck at being able to replicate player tendencies and the player ratings seem to be mere window dressing used for the simulation aspect only.

What's sad is that in past years, we the users at least had the ability to make the game play like the real game.

However, this year we're struggling to do so.