Keep Spending or Rot

[Fate85]

I think this is getting a bit ridiculous. Fellow forumer BigB79 about 2 weeks ago mentioned about his experience of going from a tokener to a non-tokener, and his results suffered tremendously. Here's my experience to prove that this game is all about (yes, ALL) money-making, capitalising on the 80-20 rule and juicing the 20%.

For the first 5 seasons, here are my results:
Season 1 - Came in mid-season and finished 2nd.
Season 2 - Spent money on tokens. 1 scout player. Treble.
Season 3 - Spent money on tokens. 2 scout players. Double (League + CL)
Season 4 - Spent money on tokens. 1 scout player. Treble.
Season 5 - Spent money on tokens. 2 scout players. Treble.
Season 6 - Wanted to not spend a cent, but Nordeus paired me with 11 friends in the League of 14 teams, all of these friends being friends gained from transfer bidding wars and past CL / Cup finals. Ended this season with 2nd-placed finishes in both League and CL.

Zooming in on Season 6, a few points to note:
1. Nordeus paired me in the Quarterfinals with a Level 5 team (I was a Level 6) that's also a heavy tokener. I lost that one over two legs.
2. Because of how Nordeus has put me with all these tokeners in the League, I thought, bugger my plans to not spend, I am going to get myself 2 scout players. Well, another team in the League bagged 4 scout players and another bagged 8. Suffice to say, it was the end of story because I did not want to get drawn into a money war!
3. Look at my Champions League screenshot below.



Yes, I was 0-5 down in the first half, controlling possession and with the other side not even watching. This is just a furtherance of what's been happening in the League after the German team in the League bought 8 scout players. After his purchase, I would dominate games against minnows only to draw and to lose, when in the first half of the season I would walk these games by huge margins!

And yesterday, in Season 7 Cup, this happened:



I was paired with a Level 9 team. I am Level 7. The Level 9 team won his League last season but across the board, I have a better team, because I am a prudent trainer of my players. I have decided to stick to my plans to not spend on scout players. In past season, I bought my scout players mostly on the 1st day.

The repercussions???
I dominated shots: 21 vs 12
I dominated shots on target: 9 vs 7
I dominated possession: 59% vs 41%
I almost doubled his attacks: 16 tackles vs 28 tackles
From his 7 shots, he scored 5 goals.
All 5 goals were unassisted thundering drive, blistering drive, vicious shot etc.

I refuse to spend money on tokens anymore...
... but how long would I have to suffer these unfair punishments?

All of my know-how, tactics, tricks and tweaks have yielded crazy success in the first 5 seasons... oh wait, those seasons I spent money. So, what I thought I was really good at, perhaps I was misguided. I won because I spent, not because I knew how to play! The truth is, it doesn't matter how you play.

Nordeus pairs tokeners with tokeners and/or prudent users of tokens.
Nordeus pairs non-tokeners with non-tokeners.
Nordeus pairs low average teams with low average teams.
I have 9 separates teams spread across various levels, so I know.
Because I have these teams, I also know things like... if you train your players and 1 player gets injured for 4 days, chances are the other 8 teams, when trained the same way, would get injured for 4 days also. Imagine these happening to millions of teams worldwide, how many people would use packs to heal? Packs cost money for some people. So, it's a harvest day for Nordeus.

I won't spend again.

My advice to you? Don't spend. You may thrive in that particular season but you will suffer later, with all the algorithms in place to induce you to either spend or suffer the punishment of not spending.

[HULIANO]

Well, I won 3 trebles also. And then after that, I've been losing to much weaker teams in the CL even though I used pretty good counter formations ) So I feel you bro.

Btw, nice trophy room you have

[Qambu Yaasi]

It's harder to win when paired against friends in the league. If you play solo with strangers then it's much easier to win. Just an observation.

[fugazi]

This is just a furtherance of what's been happening in the League after the German team in the League bought 8 scout players. After his purchase, I would dominate games against minnows only to draw and to lose, when in the first half of the season I would walk these games by huge margins!

This touches on what I've seen happening in my team. I strongly got the impression that my slump was sparked not by me, but by fellow contenders rising (avg) quality. Strange thing is, against these teams I had done allright, but as they were getting stronger, I started to loose points left and right to teams I'd beaten before without any probs, just like you decsribe. It's like the engine was looking for ways to compensate for the new "balance of power" (in avg quality) I have written before that to me, it looks like avg quality by en large, is the main decider in this game.

Apparently this becomes less and less the higher you get in this game. I think the 2nd season is where you set yourself up for either buying, or not buying T. If you decide not to buy, then you just have to be content not to win trophies year in year out. Most people however have forgotten that you can have fun in games, without winning every league, cup and CL every year, and thus end up in a vicous circle of buying and buying....

[Cat Harrison]

I have more than one (too many really) teams and I haven't noticed this.

One is the StL Steamers, 35T League, won Cup, never won League but they are sharks...

Another is one I only farm on.. has won League and CL, not every season, but qualifies CL always.

Another couple I have farmed and bought (once during the good sale) they have both won many trophies, and generally finish in CL but not always #1.

My big team, BVB I have bought more than a few Tokens for, and have made many in game friends so I have active League. The system puts you in with your friends in a League regardless of token buying, I know a couple of my friends and they do not buy, and one is my fiercest competitor. I think general Quality must be a consideration after friends. I have only won Cup once but CL and league many times.

It is not necessary to buy Tokens to have fun and success in this game.

[Skidz]

Firstly I have never paid a penny into this game!, finished 4th L1 as I joined half way through with 13 games to go and was feeling my way around, since then I have won 5 league titles in a row so you dont have to spend money, sure it is a real help if you do and makes life easier but that is your choice, I have no intention of throwing money at this game, if that was needed then by by me!. second, it is quite common to hammer teams first time round then, struggle a bit second time because like you they will have upgraded there team, I expect that, I mostly up grade at the end of season and at the begining this reflects on me getting a really good start in the league. It may seem quite annoying to suddenly lose or draw to a weaker team but if you still do well in the league so be it, this has always stopped me getting a perfect 26W record, the best I have ever manged is 25W 1D, last season 24W 1D 1L. Third, if you find yourself in a league you cant possible win because of better quality teams then try for a cup or sacrifice a league to save tokens and upgrade, then when you start the same league next time round your team should be one of the favorites. At the end of the day it is up to you to decide what you want to do, its only a game! we all get hooked, pissed off, tear are hair out some days etc but the main point is theres people out there with no food, shelter , family etc who have real problems and you want to let this game get to you? Dont, close your eyes take a deep breath and go again!, if then you are still fed up bud then find another game....I would.

[Siddharth Shanker Singh]

Firstly I have never paid a penny into this game!, finished 4th L1 as I joined half way through with 13 games to go and was feeling my way around, since then I have won 5 league titles in a row so you dont have to spend money, sure it is a real help if you do and makes life easier but that is your choice, I have no intention of throwing money at this game, if that was needed then by by me!. second, it is quite common to hammer teams first time round then, struggle a bit second time because like you they will have upgraded there team, I expect that, I mostly up grade at the end of season and at the begining this reflects on me getting a really good start in the league. It may seem quite annoying to suddenly lose or draw to a weaker team but if you still do well in the league so be it, this has always stopped me getting a perfect 26W record, the best I have ever manged is 25W 1D, last season 24W 1D 1L. Third, if you find yourself in a league you cant possible win because of better quality teams then try for a cup or sacrifice a league to save tokens and upgrade, then when you start the same league next time round your team should be one of the favorites. At the end of the day it is up to you to decide what you want to do, its only a game! we all get hooked, pissed off, tear are hair out some days etc but the main point is theres people out there with no food, shelter , family etc who have real problems and you want to let this game get to you? Dont, close your eyes take a deep breath and go again!, if then you are still fed up bud then find another game....I would.

Yeah there is no need of spending because no matter how much strong or weak your team is, your team will be paired with equal quality teams...But having a weak team also helps in CUP because you will be paired with team 1 or 2 level below you...

[DiZZee]

It's harder to win when paired against friends in the league. If you play solo with strangers then it's much easier to win. Just an observation.

LAst season had 11 friends join me and I think the other 2 were friends of friends.
Top 4 stay a friends and found new active, similar level friends for the season. Hope to get them tomorrow.
It is challenging when playing against active managers, especially if they are in CL and Cup runs as well.
Well worth the risk of not qualifying in top 4. I think

[Cat Harrison]

I send a friend request to anyone who beats me or gives me a challenge in CL, that makes League better to have competition.

[gogs67]

Because I have these teams, I also know things like... if you train your players and 1 player gets injured for 4 days, chances are the other 8 teams, when trained the same way, would get injured for 4 days also. Imagine these happening to millions of teams worldwide, how many people would use packs to heal? Packs cost money for some people. So, it's a harvest day for Nordeus.

.

That's a very interesting point that I've never thought about, only playing with one team I can't compare.
So injuries tend to happen in bursts across all your teams at the same time? Hmmmm.....