A Call to Reduce the Frequency of Shots Hitting the Post in Fm

[deacon74]

Dear Football Manager Development Team,

As a dedicated and long-time player of the Football Manager series, I deeply appreciate the intricate details and immersive experience your game offers.  However, I would like to address a particular issue that has become increasingly frustrating during my gameplay experience: the excessive frequency of shots hitting the post or crossbar in highlight animations.

In reality, it is not uncommon for shots to hit the post or crossbar, even in top-tier leagues where highly skilled players compete.  However, within the context of the game, especially when players are watching key highlights, the frequent appearance of shots hitting the post can quickly erode patience and enjoyment.  Personally, I would much rather see my players lose possession during an attack than watch every exciting moment end with a shot hitting the post or being flagged for offside.

The key difference here lies in the perception and impact of these events on the player's experience.  When a shot hits the post or is ruled offside, it primarily signifies a mistake or failure on the part of the player's team.  In contrast, losing possession or having a shot blocked reflects a more dynamic and competitive aspect of the game.  The former scenarios tend to feel more frustrating because they suggest a lack of success, whereas the latter emphasize the ongoing battle and resilience of the teams involved.

Moreover, within the Chinese player community, there is a prevalent belief that frequent shots hitting the post indicate a "scripted match"—a game determined to end in a loss due to factors unrelated to tactics, morale, or player abilities.  While I personally do not believe that the developers would intentionally implement such a feature, this perception highlights the extent of player frustration with the current situation.  The mere existence of such a widespread belief underscores how much players dislike seeing shots hit the post repeatedly, to the point where it creates tension and dissatisfaction with the game's design.

Given these concerns, I earnestly urge you to consider reducing the frequency of post and crossbar animations, especially in highlights.  By doing so, you would enhance the overall gaming experience, allowing players to better appreciate the strategic depth and excitement of the matches without being repeatedly disappointed by near misses.

Thank you for your continuous efforts to improve and innovate in Football Manager.  I look forward to seeing these adjustments in future updates, making the game even more enjoyable and realistic for all players.
 

[nms1987]

Agreed.  I assume for top leagues that there is some stat database out there that tracks the average number of times in a time a post or crossbar will be hit.  I would LOVE it for SI to then compare the amount of times it happens in an FM match in those same leagues and see how (dis)similar they are.  It's every 10 min in some of my matches!

Would also love SI to do the same comparison for offsides calls...

[boey]

My guess is that the Match Engine has been iterated over and improved over so many years that a lot of it is spaghetti code, written by people who haven't worked at SI for years. Hopefully FM25 comes with a refresh of everything which gives the devs a clean slate to fix basic problems like this.

Given how basic of a stat "Times woodwork was hit" is, I'm sure the devs are aware of this issue as they compare their match engine simulations to real life data that is much more complex. That's how they had to rework the engine so that Haaland wouldn't break it (I believe Nick Madden who previously worked on the ME spoke with Zealand about this in a video)

Edited June 18 by boey