2 draws and 2 defeats in the last 4 matches, yep you guessed it, it’s December, this means its time for the annual ‘slump’ that the game enforces upon you, whereby your players seem handicapped, your inputs don’t work, and the opposition is a constant stream of 70’s Brazil. It’s tough going, all you can do is ride it out and try to get more draws than defeats, as wins are like rocking horse shit.
As a result I’ve slipped to 3rd, and a few points off 2nd, and even more off top, the title is very unlikely from this position now, we will keep plugging away but its fair to say the cup comps are now my main priority, of course we still need to ensure a top four finish to achieve Champions League footy for next season, the board have demanded so.
Also notice unlikely league leaders Wolves, rather than being a randomly generated wildcard, doing a ‘Leicester’ and having one stand out season, they have gradually been building over the last few seasons, and finished higher each season
In my previous post I commented how a priority for this season was a much tighter defence, and that I was pleased with having the best goals conceded record in the league, well, I obviously jinxed that because in the very first game after that post, I was dicked 6-2 by Stoke City. Stoke fucking city.
It was one of ‘those’ games where nothing I did worked, deflections, bobbles, 50/50’s, all fell favourably to them, my players couldn’t pass for shit, and every single attack they had resulted in some kind of wonder goal. So as a result, my GA column is no longer so healthy.
Anyway, we are still in all the available cup competitions, we are due to start in the 3rd round of the FA Cup shortly, and defeated Burnley 1-0 in a tight match at Turf Moor to seal a place in the Semi-finals of the Carabao cup, Fulham, Wolves & Man City also made it through, no need to guess who we got drawn against. I’m relishing the tie though, a win and it will be our first cup final, City are always a massive test though, usually we draw, or they win, I’m due a result against Peps boys.
And the Europa League, we had already qualified going in to the final group fixture against Anderlecht, the winner would take the group winner spot, and receive a supposedly more favourable draw in the next round.
I rested most of the team for this game, as we had a Premier league match just 3 days later, taking the opportunity to play some of the youth and fringe players to gain experience, I gave a first run out to recently scouted potential ‘Wonderkid’ Saavedra, he did very little except one snapshot that fizzed wide, but he’s still very early in the development cycle.
We won that match 2-1 and grabbed top spot, the result was a decent draw away from home in the first leg.
Stade Rennais, another new team to play, should be a good occasion.
Below is a 3 goal mini-clip:
- A goal in the Europa League match from youth player Thomas, notice as he hits it, the cursor flashes Green, this is a result of the ‘Timed Shot’ feature new to FIFA 19.
As you shoot, you tap the shoot button again just as your player strikes the ball, time it correctly and stop the needle inside the reticule (I have this hidden) and it increases your chances of accuracy and power. - Another youth promotee Diaz, grabbing a great header to win the Carabao quarter-final against Burnley, I love the leap he makes to power home the header.
- Frodë, my new DMF signing, doing what every decent footy game DMF should do and popping up in that hole outside the box and letting rip,
FIFAFX.com 
Do EA still deny that there’s any element of scripting (in-match or in-Career Mode) in their game at all? I remember a few years ago the topic was formally banned on the official EA forums because they said the code had been examined line by line and there was no trace whatsoever of any scripting that kicks in at any time. This was a good 6 years ago I think – FIFA12 era, or thereabouts. I don’t even know if that official EA forum is still going.
As we all know there’s no way any football game could exist without scripting. It’s there and it’s undeniable. Suddenly your players can’t do X, Y, and Z without messing up. That’s not you, the player, messing up, that’s a palpable environmental change in the game variables. The scripting sceptics would say ‘but that’s realistic, other teams can step their game up and make you misplace passes’ etc., but the point is that it’s taken out of our hands and imposed on us.
You’ll know you’re getting to the title-winning phase of your CM when you can get through the December slump with points added to your tally.
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NG – No idea, I wasn’t even aware there was a scriptingh debate. It HAS to exist though, it does in every game, and I’ve seen it enough, at the same point within the game to know its not just coincidence.
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I just checked and found the official EA forums still up and running, with an interesting discussion about fouls in the General section: https://fifaforums.easports.com/en/categories/fifa-19-general-discussion
Re. scripting in football games, as you know I have an amateur interest in all things psychological, and it’s interesting how even though we KNOW that scripting exists in all footy games and always will, and we KNOW this as certainly as we can know anything at all (a whole other debate, but leave that aside for now) – we also know that there are scripting sceptics, and this makes us constantly doubt and discuss and re-affirm the reality of scripting, instead of simply accepting the truth, that it’s there. A curious example of how the existence of scripting doubters makes the reality of scripting something that needs to be repeatedly re-stated, even though we know it exists.
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I have never doubted the existence of scripting in football games, you’d have to be blind, or just narrow minded not to see and accept this fact.
It’s there because the evidence is palpable, physical, on screen evidence, and its there because no game designer in their right mind wouldn’t use it.
FPS shooters, hordes of enemies all encroaching at once, shutting off linear paths and taking longer to die, whilst increasing your re-load time in a certain scenario in the game.
Car racing games – suddenly your car cannot accelerate as quickly, or take corners as well, AI cars can all go fast,
Footy games – COM opponents ramp up their game, your players suffer a drastic loss in ability, etc
Its all a framework in which games devs attempt to simulate the real-world occurrence in dips in form, ability, off days, however you want to put it, and its possibly the ONLY framework they can currently use with todays technology and AI.
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@Paul – may i ask on which difficulty level you playing? I just get promotion with Sunderland to Championship and at the beginning of new season one tier higher I’m still winning quite easily, wondering if I supposed to switch to Legendary or just keep going on World Class. wouldn’t like to change tho, as WC seems like the way to play this game together with OS Community Sliders for the most accurate gameplay to the reality.
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Abbes – I’m on world class with the latest set of OS sports sliders
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Timed shot sounds very much like EA’s Tiger woods/Rory Mc power sweet spot mechanic. Incidentally a game that would be perfect for the Wii and its highly accurate motion controller….
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I’m just going through a manufactured period of poor form in mid-season so feel your pain Paul. I end up messing around with formations, tactics etc without any impact on what’s happening. I wish there was some subtlety to it, just making it so I’m unable to score is a bit blunt. Maybe a dodgy penalty or red card or something.
I’ve been spending too much money on wages and the board isn’t happy about it so I have to challenge for promotion this season too meet the main objective. This adds a certain amount of pressure to some games, 1 loss isn’t too bad but when I haven’t won for 4 or 5 games the anxiety is creeping in. It’s good though, it grabs my attention and I find myself daydreaming about tactics and whether that new forward is going to be any good.
I’m currently 5th with 18 matches left, play-offs should be acheivable but I’m not quite ready for promotion yet, enjoying the Championship too much.
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Paul – looks like you’re coping better with the December slump phenomenon. A bit disappointing that it’s so basic, I don’t mind a game introducing bad slumps or purple patches but a little variation would have been nice. Now you know it’s always in December so you can anticipate. Would be cool if it were December the first season, February the next, perhaps August the season after that. I think that would make it a bit more realistic and easier to “cope” with.
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Cook – its frustrating. And the tinkering with tactics, formations etc can be a vicious circle when results aren’t going your way.
People say, “you know the December wobble is coming so can prepare for it” but you cant, there’s nothing you can physically do when the game f*cks you over.
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#1 – See comments above. and today’s post for more on this.
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Ah I see. Is it so severe then? In that case it seems really poorly implemented. Will have a look at the new post in a minute.
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