[New Ideas] Reform of Special abilities

[FBmanagerneverwalkalone]

I, myself, together with some managers feel disappointed to the extent that we can hardly alter the game during life matches.

Most of the time (~90%) we will lose when we are behind even if we try to do something like the real life managers, such as changing tactics, formation, players, etc.
For sure, we hope the circumstance will change in the future. For example, we can add a new special ability which is called super-sub, which the players possess it can have a better impact when making substitution.

This thought, nonetheless, enlighten me ideas of special abilities reform. The special abilities (SA) in the game has existed long enough to be updated. 11 abilities may come from the idea that we have eleven players in the starting lineup. However, we cannot have them all since we can only have either penalty stopper or 1 on 1 stopper for our GK. So, it is somehow meaningless for having only 11 SA.

Some of the SA, in addition, are thought and practiced to be not as effective as one another. All the 11 SA and comments are as follow:

1 on 1 scorer:
Almost none of the manager learning this skill for their ST while in high managing level. The reason is simple, this skill can only pop up when it comes to 1 on 1 with the goal keeper. This condition is hard to trigger, even worse, almost every ST can dribble through the GK and score without this skill. So, I cannot see any purpose of having this skill.

Shadow striker:
Have no thorough understanding when it will pop up. Popular skill in high manager level and perform well in game.

Dribbler:
To my best understanding, this skill should be having a better chance of dribbling through the defenders. The weird thing is only ML, MC, MR can learn this SA. It is not in line with the reality, the strongest dribbler in real life football should be ST, AMC, AML, AMR, examples like Messi, C. Ronaldo, Ronadiniho, etc. In this game, i have not often seen this skill pop up, but i am not sure of its effectiveness since i have few players having this SA. In my opinion, this SA should be learnt by most of the players except GK. (Honestly, i am not satisfied with the current dribbling status for the attackers during 1 on 1, exp ST.)

Playmaker:
A special SA, which has a high upper limit and low bottom limit. Some of the players can hardly pop up, some can pop up but useless, and some can do well but never get an assist. In real life football, the keypasser, like Ozil, Debruyne, D. Silva can pass the ball through the defensive line and get the assist. In this game, players always pass through the defensive line (if pop up), but always be the one who pass the ball to the assist one not scorer. The mechanism is weird, hope changing to sometimes who can get direct assists and also need a small buff, not likely to see a nice keypass that cut through all the denfensive player.

Defensive Wall and Areial Defender:
Two excellent SA existed in the game, likely to pop up and effective, should be kept.

1 on 1 stopper:
Similar to 1 on 1 scorer, though have a better use than that. The problem is GK with 1 on 1 stopper is still performing badly when 1 on 1 with the goal scorer. Need to buff it. (In this game, I have never seen a Buffon that can save many nice shooting in many games and carry the team; sometimes a goalkeeper can do pretty well in one game. How about thinking chance of making Degea or Buffon possible to manager?)

Penalty stopper:
Unlikely to stop penalty kick even with this skill, but in reality, some top tier penalty stopper (GK) can save 7 out of 10 penalty kick. Since penalty kick is a rare situation, it has no sense to have this skill if it is too weak. Certainly have its value, should be buffed at most can be as strong as those excellent penalty stopper GK in reality.

Free kick and Corner kick:
Nice skills in the game like arieal defender and defensive wall, should be kept.

Penalty taker:
Has its value and make sense though not really practical to spare one person to learn this skill since penalty stopper (SA) is too weak.

So, the current SA in summary

Work well and keep:
Arieal denfender, Denfensive wall, Free kick taker, Corner kick taker, Penalty taker.

Should be buffed:
Penalty stopper, 1 on 1 stopper

Should be altered or small rework:
Dribbler, Playmaker

Unknown:
Shadow striker

Should be cancel or big rework:
1 on 1 scorer

Other than the current SA, I am going to suggest some new SA to make this game and SA more fun to play.

1. Super substitution (mentioned earlier)
2. Attacking Header (skills that increase the success rate
of goal using heading)
3. Granade throw (adding new functions during life match
of throw after the ball is outside the sideline; this SA
aim at reproduce a strong throw-to-goal scoring football
tactics)
4. Defensive leader (SA that for DC, DL, DR, solidify the
denfensive line when player possess this skill - should
be expensive coz it buffs the whole denfensive line)
5. Long shot (Increase the range of shooting and power, so
players can shoot in a long distance like some midfield
players' style in real life football, the strongest can
score near the kick off circle)
6. Tackler (increase the rate and efficiency of tackling)
7. Wide vision (increase the rate and efficiency of placing
himself on the pitch and intercept passes)
8. Crosser (increase the accuracy of crossing from two
wings, sometimes early cross before getting to the end
line so that can surprise the defenders )

I am wondering if the game can also add some play style for football players, maybe adding them into SA or create a specific system.
Style like
1. Box-to-box midfielder
2. Attacking wingback (DL, DR who is likely to help attack, eg. Marcelo)
3. High Covering space (midfielders willing to run and cover the space eg. Kante)
4. Cut Inside (AML, AMR, ML ,MR who love cutting inside to the penalty area or half space to shoot)
......
......
Others Like ST who loves staying in the penalty area and/or goal area to score
Players who like to dribbling
......
......
etc.

I am a fan of this game and hope this game can keep improving. Some concepts and play style cannot catch up with the modern football theory and real life football. Also, manager can hardly customised a relatively unique team than one another, such as create a team that can have solid defensive line with 3 defenders, like Chelsea or Conte; or create a team that the DC will get the ball and make key pass often like Guardiola's football philosophy; or reproduce a throw-to-goal system as a core of the team.

I think the old SA system has remained a plenty of problems even after a few slight changes. Adding the above mentioned SA or even more to the game is the first little step to the glory. I am sure this will be pretty fun because there are only 11 players on the pitch and managers need to choose SA that they want and have a slightly unique team than others. For example, if there are only two DC on the pitch, manager needs to choose skills from arieal defender, denfensive wall, tackler, wide vision, defensive leader, etc. Managers, therefore need to sacrifice some SA, not because they are useless but because they cannot have them all at starting lineup.

[texhorn60]

No need for Super sub. You can train a player. Penalty stoppers are important if you ever have to win a cup or cl final, and it makes a difference.

[KenoticFC]

I appreciate your idea and you remind me a lot of a hopeful me in the beginning of playing this game. The thing is the game is way more simplistic than you think. Special abilities on the other hand are a strange case on their own, I am of the idea that giving a player a special ability is useless and won't make him better, I've tried this with several players in different positions. Until TE is more clear about how and when SA is useful and for the live animation to reflect the actual match I don't see any benefits to more visual features.

[FBmanagerneverwalkalone]

I have the same thought that SA is pretty useless when i was level 10 or something, but when you get higher level with stronger opponents, you can see how strong that arieal defeneder, denfensive wall and free kick are. Trust me. I will say they are a must for a strong team if you would like to go further.

[Oluwafemi]

I agree with you on SA but training players takes a long period of time there by making the player quality slow
I think S.A. training shouldn't affect the star progress of a player

[Oluwafemi]

I also think strikers should have the dribbling S.A. the one on one S.A. seems pretty much useless as I've noticed a striker I got from scout with the ability misses shots often compared to its counterparts

[Doors FC]

actually i like it the way it is.you have to think twice before making a move like that and learn SA.
the think is how SA actually work the way they should be.

[smk fc]

Great ideas. I wish Nordeus would pay attention to them. Could someone from Nordeus please pass this on to the devs??

[Jeeves]

Still reading through your post FBmanagerneverwalkalone (wow that name is long ), but I like what I'm seeing. Really comprehensively written feedback.


EDIT:
So yeah. Great way to provide feedback on one of the game' systems. Lot'a depth to it. It's useful to both see what the player feels/sees can be changed/improved about special abilities and where they're coming from. Certainly shows that you had some good few seasons under your belt and know your stuff.

About you suggested extra SAs - I'm personally a fan of this sort of adding some more complexity under the hood. Especially with having more choices into something than you can possibly employ, i.e. more SAs than the active player line up of a match. Lets you customize to a greater degree and have to (cherry)pick what to add to your players and what to forgo. Like min-maxing stats in other games. Several good options but you can only pick a third of them.
Ah and the Play Style suggestion - I've read a lot of similar suggestions actually. I'd agree with it, again because I really like to have as much strategic depth as possible in my games, choices choices choices. Plus these add another layer from the-actual-game-of-football which improves the feeling of managing a team that has to compete in the actual sport.

I think that the Special Ability system could go with a little touch up after all these years, bring it up to speed if you will. I hope that it's technically possible to add additional stuff like what you and others propose on this matter.

Anyway, I've added this to my report along with the rest of the suggestions. And thanks for taking the time to make this comprehensive list.