Training vs friendlies

[ponzu]

If I want to maximize skill point gain over burn points, am I better off playing friendlies with my second team or training? In all cases, I am considering the 30% "Practice match" training option in the phone app with all players set to default intensity (i.e., not using web app).

Friendlies PROS:

1. Earn boosters, including valuable health packs if successfully avoiding tackles.
2. Fun to watch
3. Easy wins over weaker friends = morale boost (but not always!)
4. Explore formations and tactics against even or higher rated friends.

Friendlies CONS:

1. Possibility of overtime. Do players even get extra skill points for extra time played? What about PKs?
2. Takes time.

Training PROS:

1. Quick
2. Maybe less chance of an injury? (big "maybe")
3. Consistent point gain stats for comparison of player trainability (while needed)
4. Possibly slightly higher skill point gain per burn point.

Equals/Unknowns

1. Injuries. Is the likelihood of an injury lower in training? I have not had one in a while since I improved the pitch, knock on wood. All my injuries have been happening in matches.
2. Skill points gain per burn point. I think my players gain about the same number of skill points in a friendly as they do in 30% training, but spend about 10.5 burn points on average in a match, whereas in training it is said to be 9 burn points on average (I did not measure). Is that about right?
3. In a friendly, do players improve more if playing a stronger team? I don't think so.
4. If I train in the web app instead of the phone app and start tweaking training intensity per player (power train), can I squeeze extra skill gain out of burn point, or is it always the same proportion?

[nikolgiorgos]

There is an analogy between the condition loss and the gaining/progress and it's the same everywhere (2-3 bars training, friendly, official game).
Injuries are random.
You don't earn anything extra if playing vs higher q teams.

[ponzu]

@nikolgiorgos With those questions answered, do you prefer to gain skill by training or playing friendlies? Or is it a matter of personal preference as there are pros and cons for each?

[khris]

To train external skills, normal training.
To see how is internally programmed the player despite the external quality, friendlies.
You can not see how a player play in trainings, even if you train this till 9 stars.
And train in friendlies, is not really best idea... maybe for the boosters that one recive is worth, but...

[nikolgiorgos]

the best for me is training in 3 bars, only the good/fast trainers but individual - not 3-4 or more players together.
Use some greens to earn some good sp (20,30 or more) in one day and then let your player rest for the next day.
Friendlies are good for my team lv18, where I have a full stadium of 260 K' and earn 10-12 M' from one game.
it didn't help me so far to have any conclusions about formation, tactics or the specialists but Khris saying that he can find them (the free-kick and the corner specialist I mean).

[ponzu]

I have a full stadium of 260 K' and earn 10-12 M' from one game.

I can't fill the stadium for friendlies unless I charge $1. At $2 I get 0 attendance, even if I invite a high level team. How do you get 10-12M? Do you charge $50/ticket?

the best for me is training in 3 bars

Simple math question: whether you went two rounds of training at 3 bars, or three rounds at 2 bars, do you feel you would get the same SP and burn the same amount of condition? Or does one scheme provide advantage over the other in terms of SP/burn?

[ponzu]

I tried training in the web app for the first time yesterday. There is a lot of clicking involved. Training with three bars simply burns twice the stamina for twice the gain. I don't see it as being any different from training twice with two bars (or in terms of the phone app, doing the "practice match" twice). The only way training with three bars would be beneficial is if the risk of injury is LESS than twice as high as trainign with two bars. But only developers could tell us that. I don't know what amount of empirical data from the Mythbusters Lab could help make an educated guess.

Assigning points is fun, but the phone app achieves largely the same by allowing to pre-assign them by unchecking the boxes next to "Defence", "Attack" or "P&M".

I still like training in friendlies for the boosters and the fun of it. Obviously, the one hassle is rearranging the squad. Wouldn't it be nice if Nordeus gave us the A/B squad buttons, kind of like the driver's seat memory button? Come to think of it, I am going to go an make a suggestion or second if it has already been made.

[nikolgiorgos]

I can't fill the stadium for friendlies unless I charge $1. At $2 I get 0 attendance, even if I invite a high level team. How do you get 10-12M? Do you charge $50/ticket?
Simple math question: whether you went two rounds of training at 3 bars, or three rounds at 2 bars, do you feel you would get the same SP and burn the same amount of condition? Or does one scheme provide advantage over the other in terms of SP/burn?

It's not the same. We are different levels and I have a stadium where I can have 260.000 people.
So, 260.000X 18$ =4,7 M' from tickets plus 3-4 M' from merchandise.

[Arion]

I tried training in the web app for the first time yesterday. There is a lot of clicking involved. Training with three bars simply burns twice the stamina for twice the gain. I don't see it as being any different from training twice with two bars (or in terms of the phone app, doing the "practice match" twice). The only way training with three bars would be beneficial is if the risk of injury is LESS than twice as high as trainign with two bars.

3 bars training is quicker than 2 bars (phone default) training twice, since each kind if session always takes 6 seconds.

[kynan]

I prefer to train via friendlies, due to the fact that you can keep track of exactly how much energy each player has and make as many subs as needed to take players off if needs be.

The other benefit is the packs and cash that is generated from these games. Granted cash becomes pointless later on, but the packs are useful in being able to power train or keep the team fit when you get given two games in a short period of time.

I only ever play friendlies after my days competitive games are over however - and I always make sure that if I am playing them the next game is not in the early hours of the next day. I very rarely use normal training methods, unless I am power training a player, or I simply don't have the time to sit and watch/sub through a game.