FIFA 15 News Post

FIFA 15's Tactics Are a Disappointing Mystery

12:10 PM - October 6, 2014 by 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

Game: FIFA 15Reader Score: 8.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 9 - View All

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# 1 Krebstar @ 10/06/14 12:18 PM

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.

# 2 ty5oke @ 10/06/14 12:19 PM

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.

# 3 orion523 @ 10/06/14 12:50 PM

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.

# 4 ryestye @ 10/06/14 02:01 PM

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.

# 5 Krebstar @ 10/06/14 02:07 PM

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.

# 6 kwebbvols4423 @ 10/06/14 02:21 PM

I am looking forward to giving PES a shot in November.

# 7 Cubone_Jones @ 10/06/14 03:31 PM

Dang it guys, I am just trying to enjoy my dog garn football game and you guys have to discuss problems that might ruin it for me.

I hope you feel horrible about what you've done.

# 8 HenryClay1844 @ 10/06/14 03:59 PM

Defending and marking is just simply poor. Your CDM won't stay back if you tell him. There is no reaction to the ball or to an opposing player by the players you don't control. Players constantly jerk forward or backward at terrible times. Worst of all manual controls continue to be ignored, there is no real manual switch and headers and parries still rebound directly to the AI constantly. I really thing this game could be leaps and bounds better.

# 9 RandyBass @ 10/06/14 04:28 PM

Haven't played 15, but this is what ultimately killed 14 for me. It just felt like I was playing the same game over and over.

If FIFA ever gets this aspect of fútbol down they are going to have one heck of a game.

# 10 TheCloser @ 10/06/14 05:26 PM

Honestly, i cannot believe it took a lot of you this long to realize this. This isn't just a fifa problem, it's an EA sports problem. The teams just don't play like themselves. Their games are bereft of individuality. No individuality through animations, ai behavior, player accessories, etc. They all play the same and the AI plays the same. This is true in NHL, FIFA and NBA. I found it astonishing when i was playing fifa and i saw Messi do a rainbow. At that point, i just turned off the game. Its been a problem for the fifa series since it's inception and i haven't seen a willingness to address the issue. Every year, they focus on superficial issues while ignoring the core issues. Reviewers continue to give the game an undeserving score and they continue to deceive themselves thinking that they made a 'good' game.

# 11 Krebstar @ 10/06/14 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCloser


	Honestly, i cannot believe it took a lot of you this long to realize this. This isn't just a fifa problem, it's an EA sports problem. The teams just don't play like themselves. Their games are bereft of individuality. No individuality through animations, ai behavior, player accessories, etc. They all play the same and the AI plays the same. This is true in NHL, FIFA and NBA. I found it astonishing when i was playing fifa and i saw Messi do a rainbow. At that point, i just turned off the game. Its been a problem for the fifa series since it's inception and i haven't seen a willingness to address the issue. Every year, they focus on superficial issues while ignoring the core issues. Reviewers continue to give the game an undeserving score and they continue to deceive themselves thinking that they made a 'good' game.

In terms of FIFA, a lot of us know it's an issue, but this is the first time in the last four years that we haven't been able to easily fix it. Custom tactics have fixed the issue in past years.

It's not as if we all just now started to smell the roses and realize it's been an issue, while previously ignoring those telling us it was. This is the first year it's been an issue to this degree.

# 12 zarzelius @ 10/06/14 06:01 PM

Hi there guys. I loved the analysis. This is why i was waiting this year to see if i bought it or not. Im starting to think ill go with PES this year.
If you dont know me, i made a mod, which was used in FIFA 14 with Matt10 sliders. (you can still find the mod on his thread for FIFA 14 sliders) which brought back to the game long shots, physical play , better AI and other stuff.
I have no idea if the commands and files we used to tweak in order to mod the old engine, will work on the new one. That is why , i still not sure if i should spend the 40 bucks just to, then, fail at doing anything like i did with the previous game.
And now i see even more people complaining about how tactics arent taken in account by the AI, which gives me even more doubts that , even with modding, anything can be done.
I guess ill wait a bit more time, see if others can check if the modding system is the same, and then maybe, go try with this one.
If any of you would like to take my mod from Matt sliders thread, and try to "port" it to fifa15, please do!. Just knowing that it CAN be done, is a huge plus for all of us here at OS.
Cya, and again, great post.

# 13 Gosens6 @ 10/06/14 06:57 PM

I noticed your comment about Madden. Funny thing is, the cpu ai rarely passes the ball more than 10 yards down the field. Disappointing to hear this about fifa as I was planning on picking it up

# 14 xSubzer0x @ 10/06/14 07:39 PM

It's still a VERY fun game guys.

# 15 TheLetterZ @ 10/06/14 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xSubzer0x


	It's still a VERY fun game guys.

I'm happy for you that you're enjoying the game but please don't pretend like everyone who doesn't have the same preferences you do is misguided or confused.

# 16 Krebstar @ 10/06/14 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xSubzer0x


	It's still a VERY fun game guys.

It's clear that some people don't realize how subjective "fun" is. We all want different things from the game, and above that, there are certain groups of us who want certain things from the game.

For some of us, fun means realism, and realism means a variety of play and attacks from the AI opposition.

Without that, the game isn't very fun to me. It just isn't. But I understand that to some people, that will not factor into how fun they think they game is.

Just throwing that out there, as it seems many people don't understand why some of us who are caught up on this don't see the game as fun. It's not that it can't be fun for us—it's just that the elements to provide the fun for us are missing or are currently not working.

In short, some of us are really nerdy, and really picky.

# 17 gopher_guy @ 10/06/14 07:55 PM

I just get confused by the hardcore sim people who are upset by these games every year.

You have to know what you're getting with this game, right? I mean, has FIFA ever been a wonderful sim game? It's just not going to change in a year.

# 18 TheLetterZ @ 10/06/14 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher_guy


	I just get confused by the hardcore sim people who are upset by these games every year. You have to know what you're getting with this game, right? I mean, has FIFA ever been a wonderful sim game? It's just not going to change in a year.

It's never been a wonderful sim game but it's been a passable sim game with a lot of other strong elements, thanks to the terrific work done by certain people, several of whom are in this thread.

FIFA 15 in its current state is not a passable sim game.

# 19 Hitwise @ 10/06/14 08:09 PM

How come editing team tactics is not working this year?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

# 20 zarzelius @ 10/06/14 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher_guy


	I just get confused by the hardcore sim people who are upset by these games every year. You have to know what you're getting with this game, right? I mean, has FIFA ever been a wonderful sim game? It's just not going to change in a year.

The thing is, with sliders and the modding community, we have been able to enjoy the game. I've played fifa 14 for over 3000 hours after finally using Matt sliders and my gameplay mod. It took us both a couple of months but after that, it was a great game and as close as FIFa can get to sim. Now, the same happened with 13, and even when i didnt play 12, i know this community always worked towards getting the game to be what each finds fun. Be it sim, or arcade or whatever, we have been able to tweak it to our liking. The problem with ignite engine apparently , is that is so unfinished that even the sliders and the ingame tactics dont stick.Dont work, so i dont know how far we , the guys who love to tweak it to match our style, can do this year. :S
Sad face, sad face, looks to PES on november..... :P

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