Fastest way to get your team familiar with your tactics.

[ademac]

This really really annoys me.

It is now November and my side have been trained exclusively in tactics since the middle of July. My coaches are amongst the best in the world. All my training facilities are the best they can be and they are only around 70% familiar with the trained tactics ( 3 different tactics ).

How do you do it? It still seems patently absurd that players have to re-learn the exact same tactic they have been playing for over 5 seasons each year. I can't think of any other way of doing it other than how I'm doing it no and I always feel like I dont have full control over my team until they are 100% familiar, which is often the start of December.

Surely I'm doing something wrong?

[Spurs + Eastbourne 4eva]

Are you training tactics or is your match preparation focused on tactics?? To get your team familiar with your tactics its your match preparation that matters

[ademac]

Match preparation focused on tactics, slider as far as it will go to the left. 7 coachs assigned to tactics and their attributes for tactic training are 17,19,17,12,12,11,11. Hence why I'm not sure what else I can do.

How long does it take for you to get your side familiar. Only other thing I can think as a reason why it takes so long is because I have alot of player instructions and team instructions, and the fact I'm training 3 different fairly complex tactics. But I've raised this before and think its absolutely ridiculous that players go on holiday for 6 weeks and completely forget how to play the exact same tactic they have been using for the past 5 years.

[kingjericho]

Having coaches assigned to tactics has nothing to do with familiarity. That will set the coaches to train the players for tactical attributes (positioning, off the ball, antecipation, etc). Whai I do is set the match preparation bar at 50%, and then set match preparation on: tactics only. When the squad return from holiday it takes them about 3 weeks to regain 100% familiarity.

[Spurs + Eastbourne 4eva]

When you say the slider is as far as it will go to the left, am I right in thinking that's focusing fully on training and not at all on match preparation? Im sure more to the right is more match preparation. (Cant check as I am at work so may have got that wrong). As the guy above says, training has nothing to do with tactics, training is purely for players attributes, as are your coaches. Match preparation is the only thing you need for tactics familiarity. I do the same as the guy above, slider about half way, tactics only focus during pre season, and all 3 tactics are at 100% by the time the season starts

[Kojak123]

Having coaches assigned to tactics has nothing to do with familiarity. That will set the coaches to train the players for tactical attributes (positioning, off the ball, antecipation, etc). Whai I do is set the match preparation bar at 50%, and then set match preparation on: tactics only. When the squad return from holiday it takes them about 3 weeks to regain 100% familiarity.

I set the bar at max match preparation, tactics only, have 2 friendlies a week, team training on team cohesion and still they are not higher than accomplished on formation familiarity by the end of december. As I want to train some set pieces, attacking and defending I then stop with tactics only. And it does not go higher anymore.

What FM are you playing, kingjericho? In FM 13 formations were learned much faster.

[Kojak123]

When you say the slider is as far as it will go to the left, am I right in thinking that's focusing fully on training and not at all on match preparation? Im sure more to the right is more match preparation. (Cant check as I am at work so may have got that wrong). As the guy above says, training has nothing to do with tactics, training is purely for players attributes, as are your coaches. Match preparation is the only thing you need for tactics familiarity. I do the same as the guy above, slider about half way, tactics only focus during pre season, and all 3 tactics are at 100% by the time the season starts

The further the slider is to the left, the higher is the match training. I'm also at work but very sure of that.

[ademac]

The slider all the way to the left is 100% focus on match training, ( or match prepartion as it was called in FM13) with exclusive focus on tactics. Reassigned my coachs to their normal assignments now, didn't realise that so thanks. As for the familiarity, I will try setting at 50% and see if its any faster, though I can't understand why 50% focus on match training/tactics would be faster than 100% match training/tactics.

It was exactly the same for me in FM13. Clearly if what your doing is working for both of you, its something I'm doing wrong. I've done what you do now so I'll see how it goes. thanks.

[Liquid Cool]

Check out this thread: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/348337-Approaching-Pre-Season-My-take-On-It

"Tactic Familiarity

Probably the most important thing to concentrate on for me. The sooner everything is fluid the better because it means your tactic will play better and the players are used to every aspect of it. You can get tactic familiarity fluid before the start of the first game of the season if you play properly. It takes around 11 friendlies to do this and while this might seem like an excessive amount of games to play, it isn’t really. Remember that I am picking very weak opponents to play so this means it doesn’t matter if I have to play my youths or not. No matter what side I put out I should win. I tie this in with getting everyone at the club match fit. So I tend to play a game every 2-3 days to get both fitness and tactic familiarity up.

I’ve seen people post saying they set general training focus to tactics to get familiarity levels up however that doesn’t actually work despite the misleading name. What you have to do is set the match training focus to tactics. This is what gets tactic familiarity up."

[Kojak123]

Check out this thread: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/348337-Approaching-Pre-Season-My-take-On-It

That's in fact what I'm doing (and have done so in all previous FM I played). I usually play 10 or 11 friendlies, weak opponents (mostly vs. nearby teams) but I don't get anywhere near "fluid" by the end of the preseason on most sub categories. I'm positivly surprised if I manage to reach "accomplished"...

I'm yet to play a second season though. If they don't drop as far down during holiday as they were when I introduced the tactic (4-2-3-1 mostly on default settings) it will certainly help. They started on something like 20% on all bars...

[ademac]

When you say the slider is as far as it will go to the left, am I right in thinking that's focusing fully on training and not at all on match preparation? Im sure more to the right is more match preparation. (Cant check as I am at work so may have got that wrong). As the guy above says, training has nothing to do with tactics, training is purely for players attributes, as are your coaches. Match preparation is the only thing you need for tactics familiarity. I do the same as the guy above, slider about half way, tactics only focus during pre season, and all 3 tactics are at 100% by the time the season starts

I've just read Cleons linked thread on pre-season and tactic familiarity. It appears that its taking so long because I'm training 3 different tactics each with a different formation. 4-2-2-2, 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1. Are your 3 tactics all the same formation ?

[Spurs + Eastbourne 4eva]

I've just read Cleons linked thread on pre-season and tactic familiarity. It appears that its taking so long because I'm training 3 different tactics each with a different formation. 4-2-2-2, 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1. Are your 3 tactics all the same formation ?

Nope I have 3 different formations and always have. Last year I had 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 and this year I'm using 4-4-2, 4-5-1 and 4-2-3-1. First season it probably took til about the 2nd week in September to get fully familiar but after that it's usually done by the start of the season. I don't play an excessive amount of friendlies either, usually around 7.

[Riz Remes]

The number of tactics being trained at once does also count here. If you only have one tactic being trained, it is much faster for the players to get accustomed to it. With three complex tactics being trained at once, the familiarity obviously takes more time to reach fluid levels.

[ademac]

The main points I took from that thread.

1. Arrange friendlies yourself and try to play atleast 10 pre-season games against very poor opposition.

2. Only train 1 tactic.

3. Have Match training set around 50% until familiarity is fluid.

4. Have general training set to fitness and high intensity.

5. When your assistant manager asks you the formation you wish to use, set the formation that best represents your tactic.

6. Always have a 10 day training camp if your club can afford it / offer it.

7. Once tactic is fluid and your squad is fit, change to teamwork and team cohesion to help any new players settle faster.

I'm too far in to a season to start over again so will try this next pre-season. One thing I will say is I don't like the fact that training more than one tactic severely slows you down. As will having your formation different to the ones offered by your assistant manager in pre-season. Especially when what I'd call a 4-4-2 with an AMR/AML the game calls a 4-2-2-2. So if 4-2-2-2 isn't an option it will severely hinder how fast you team learn the tactic.

Also I have designed 3 tactics for different scenarios. Easy home game I like to play a 4-2-2-2 ( 4-4-2 with an AMR/AML ), tough home game/easy away game to play a 4-2-3-1 ( the 3 being an AMR/AML/AMC playmaker role ), and finally for against the really top teams home and away to play a 4-1-4-1. I don't like the idea that I'm being restricted in this way. It seems its a case of want familiarity early in the season - train only 1 tactic.....want familiarity and an option of tactics - sorry but you'll have to wait until October.

I have learnt quite a few things though and didn't realise the formation you say to your ass man played such a huge roll in familiarity. On that subject I would like the formations he suggests to be clickable because quite often what I'd call a formation and what the game calls a formation are completely different. I still find it ridiculous how you have to go through this every single year often with the same players that were 100% familiar 6 weeks ago and appear to have forgotten everything in that time. I personally think this area needs a dose of looking at, as it is, hardly reflects the real world IMHO.

[ademac]

Nope I have 3 different formations and always have. Last year I had 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 and this year I'm using 4-4-2, 4-5-1 and 4-2-3-1. First season it probably took til about the 2nd week in September to get fully familiar but after that it's usually done by the start of the season. I don't play an excessive amount of friendlies either, usually around 7.

Are they just default formations or ones you have designed yourself ? How complex are they in terms of player instructions and team instructions ?

[Dagenham_Dave]

I don't really have any issues with having to re-learn tactics per se, although I do hope it's the same for the AI. It's another one of those things that you just have to trust SI with (as you'll never see it yourself), just like their claim that the AI is also hampered by awful pitches the same way you are - which is one I'm sceptical of, but that's another story.

[ademac]

So I quit training 2 of the 3 tactics and its January. 1.5 months further on and my team is still not fluid. Spurs + Eastbourne 4eva, how on earth can you get all 3 tactics perfect by the start of the season?

Of the 8 categories I'm fluid in 6. I have stay wider as a team instruction and I'm only at around 50% on width. I'm playing and training a 4-4-2 with the ML/MR playing as AML/AMR. The game calls it a 4-2-2-2. I'm playing as Manchester United.

How on earth can pushing the ML/MR about 10 yards further up the pitch to play as AML/AMR take the team so long to become familiar with. Equally, why is my team finding it so difficult to play wider ? None of this makes sense to me and to be honest, it's really doing my head in. January and I'm still at 100% match training in tactics. Seriously SI, this really needs looking at, because as it currently is, I find it to be a joke. Don't mean to be negative but this is the single most annoying thing in the game for me atm.

[TheBetterHalf]

Could this huge difference people are experiencing have something to do with some people having player instructions assigned to the role, and some have roles and player instructions assigned to the specific player ?

[ademac]

Could this huge difference people are experiencing have something to do with some people having player instructions assigned to the role, and some have roles and player instructions assigned to the specific player ?

Thats what I'm thinking. I use a self made tactic with quite a few team instructions ( I have 7 ) and player instructions, appears to make your team take longer to become familiar. What I find silly is MUFC finding it so difficult to accept a 4-2-2-2 as the game calls it ( basically a 4-4-2 with the ML/MR playing as AMR/AML ). I'm nearly in January and have had tactic/match prep at 100% since the middle of July. I'm now fluent in everything except width and formation. I went back to an earlier save and checked what formation I instructed my Ass Man. I said 4-1-4-1 ( which I thought was the closest ), with the AMR/AML pushed up. The game calls this a 4-3-3 ( I've just checked the formation in the tactic wizard ). A flat back 4, 1 anchor/regista/deep lying playmaker, 2 central midfielders, an AML and AMR, and 1 forward. To me that formation is a 4-2-3-1. The 3 being an AMC/AP/IF with an AMR/AML. When I set that formation in the tactic wizard it comes back as 4-3-3.

In my mind 4-3-3 is a flat back four, 3 central midfielders, 3 central strikers. No AML/AMR. I checked back and the formation I gave to my Ass Man when I was asked at the start of the season was a 4-5-1. I thought that was about as close as I could get to the actual formation I use most of the time ( a flat back 4, 1 dm, 2 central midfielders, an AMR/AML, 1 striker ). It's now the start of Feburary and I'm fluid in everything except formation. How can MUFC take the best part of 6 months to learn a formation that the only difference is the ML/MR are playing ten yards further forward as AMR/AML.

Next season when prompted by my ass man, I will suggest a 4-3-3 or 4-2-2-2 ( if I'm allowed those options ). I'm pretty sure that me telling the Ass Man my preferred formation was 4-5-1 is having a huge detrimental affect on how fast my team is taking.

[tieio]

This is an interesting issue, of the people I talk to who play this (5 in my house alone), this is something we have discussed at length. It is ridiculous, one must come to these forums to even figure it out, should that be necessary? None of this stuff is in the manual, a new user would be blown away by this stuff. The tactics familiarity should not be this complicated. This issue is common really and it does have to do with a number of factors, which is knowledge never offered to you in the game itself... as I have stated before in a previous post, it really feels like this is one of the many new things added to challenge the few elitists who complained the game was too easy and thus, the average user is now being spanked for it.

[Soccer]

My team usually reaches 'Accomplished' level of familiarity in almost all of the categories after about 10 to 12 friendlies, and I think that's good to go...

[xambo]

I think player instructions do affect the rate to accomplished level of familiarity. Last season I did not have much player instructions and the the team learned the tactic quicker than this season, which I had much more player instructions. But like others said more friendlies, one tactic at begining of season will help in achieving accomplished.

[Luke159]

Personally I don't change the team training focus, I set it to team cohesion and leave it like that till the team have learned at least 60% of the tactics or all the players are familiar with each other in which case I change it to team work and again leave it like that. I don't change the intensity levels ever. By October my team are normally familiar with the tactic and squad harmony is 100%. I let my assistant manager setup the friendlies and I don't bother to watch them, but I like to have between 8 to 12 friendlies in pre-season.

[ljwjones]

The main points I took from that thread.

1. Arrange friendlies yourself and try to play atleast 10 pre-season games against very poor opposition.

2. Only train 1 tactic.

3. Have Match training set around 50% until familiarity is fluid.

4. Have general training set to fitness and high intensity.

5. When your assistant manager asks you the formation you wish to use, set the formation that best represents your tactic.

6. Always have a 10 day training camp if your club can afford it / offer it.

7. Once tactic is fluid and your squad is fit, change to teamwork and team cohesion to help any new players settle faster.

How on earth do i set up a training camp. I am OM in france so suspect we can afford it, and see no reason for board to not allow it, so how do i set it up.