A true beginners guide for ambitious players!

[Al Svanberg]

How are the ratings on your Striker Zapegol League ,CL & cup ?

This is his individual stats and how they look in relation to the rest of my team:






What do you think?

[Al Svanberg]

WEEKLY UPDATE 8 AND 9 -- "We choose to go to the moon" -JFK

Introduction

On this date 54 years ago, 12 September 1962, John F. Kennedy delivered the "Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort", or better known simply as the "We choose to go to the moon" speech in Houston, Texas. JFK said:

We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win!

It was the start of the race between US and the Soviets to first put a man on the Moon, and preferably get him home too albeit that was secondary (IIRC Johnson had a speech prepared for the scenario of Armstrong and Co. not coming home). And it was a Race the US won, some claim much because the Soviet architect of their space program -- Sergei Pavlovich Korolev -- died in the midst of the race from a heart attack. But still.

Seeing this famous date in the Calendar got me thinking, what can I choose to do not because it is easy but because it is hard? What am I doing with my life? I couldn't stop my self from starting to question what I am doing with my twin accounts in TE. What would be the equivalent to going to the moon in this game? Then it hit me, I need to build an optimal team!

Building the optimal team

What I really have noticed playing this game the last weeks is that I have entered a phase where I have gone from building two news teams, to now starting to manage two teams and how I now can aim to take them to the next level. When you start playing, you have players with 2-4 stars, little money and resources in general. Instantly, the game -- as described in my guide -- becomes about getting ahead as fast as possible. Somewhere a long the line, getting great players ASAP, getting your hands on as much resources and so forth might not be as important as building/getting the "proper" players, and maybe letting it take some time instead of maxing their development.

For example, a 18 y/o fast trainer can get to 8 stars in a season, after that his development will level off. If you get 3 fast trainers per season, you can push them to 8 stars in a year, and then the following 2-3 years keep them at or just under 7 stars by just playing them in games and training them regularly without using rest-packs. After 4 years, this means that you will have 9 players at or just under 8 stars, and another couple of players aged 22 in the the range 6-7 stars. But, that will be as far as you can push this team. In years 5-6, you could easily maintain a lot of these players at a very high level without getting new fast trainers and spending every rest pack you get on them or your old players. Ie., at this point you will have a 7+ star team, and extra resources, so what should you do with them?

Naturally, since players are so very slow to train when they get above 8 stars, it seems adviceable to spend the extra available resources on extra positions ("EPs") and Special Abilities ("SAs"). Because the above development does not include the development of any EPs or SAs.

As explained in my guide (or at least what I will explain in my guide when I get the time to update it, its due now!), EPs and SAs should be developed instantly when you get a fast trainer. Why? Its simple, a fast trainer develops the fastest instantly when you get him, when this kid gain stars, his training rate will drop. The training rate will however -- not -- drop when adding EPs or SAs. In short, if you want to get a kid to 8 stars, 3 positions and 1 special abilitiy, You will get there much much faster, almost twice as fast, if you first develop the EPs and SA and then the "stars", as opposed to first the stars and then the EPs and SA.

When you start playing the game, in Season 1, its undoubtedly better to push stars instead of getting EPs and a SA with a fast trainer. You will be on the same level as everyone else in all competitions and EPs and SAs won't win you any games, you need to build a platform. Players that you can buy cheap and sell expensive, and you need to win money in the competitions you can participate in.

But like I said, in order to get an "optimal" team, somewhere a long the way, maybe in season 2, maybe in season 3 where I am now, or maybe even in season 4, you need to shift your focus and aim to get the "perfect" player for your team down the road. For example, the next DC I pick up, I will instantly give two new positions (DMC and MC) to get as few grey abilities as possible, and I will also add a special ability. Not sure if it will be Aerial-Defender or Defensive Wall, or maybe even play-making for Al FC that has 3 DCs and can have one of each. This will cost me 50x3 "Skill-Points", or about 180 rest packs (basically 6 days of farming rest-packs). It will hold back my development of ability at first, but down the road it will give me potential to get an "optimal" team.

The Optimal Team

For Al FC that plays 4-5-1, the optimal team will maybe look something like this (with all players around 7-8 stars):
Striker (Free-kick SA)
ML (forward arrow) (AML, Shadow Striker SA)
MC (left, no arrow) (Dribbler SA)
MC (center, forward arrow) (AMC, Shadow Striker SA)
MC (right, no arrow) (Play-maker SA)
DL (forward arrow) (DML, Play-maker SA)
DC (left, defensive arrow) (Defensive Wall SA)
DC (center, forward arrow) (DMC and MC, Play-maker SA)
DC (right, defensive arrow) (Aerial defender SA)
DMR (Forward arrow) (MR and AMR, Shadow Striker SA)
GK (One-on-one stopper)

For HFF:
Striker (Free-kick SA)
AML (defensive arrow) (AMC, Shadow Striker SA)
AMC (no arrow) (AML, Shadow Striker SA)
MC (forward arrow) (AMC, Play-maker/Dribbler/Shadow-stiker SA (Any advice?))
DMC (left, no arrow) (DMC, MC and AMC, Play-maker/Dribbler SA)
DMC (right, defensive arrow) (DC, Defensive wall SA)
DL (Forward arrow) (Play-Maker SA)
DC (left, no arrow) (DMC and MC, Play-Maker SA)
DC (right, defensive arrow) (Aerial defender SA)
DMR (Forward arrow) (MR and AMR, Shadow Striker SA)
GK (One-on-one stopper)

Can I build this team, is this dream obtainable? Can I go to the moon? Lets make a rough budget. I intend to only spend my resources on fast trainers and a few cheap back-ups. IE, I will not buy any scout players or youths. I plan to develop 3 optimal players per season, to get my optimal team in 4 seasons. When the first generation of these kids will be 22 y/o. I will push these kids to 8 stars their first season, after that I expect them to stay in the 7-8 range thanks to non-rest pack funded training and playing games up until that age.

Budget

Resources (I estimate that I buy 1 rest-pack for 1 token):
+Rest-packs from farming - 28x30
+Rest-packs from making substitutions in games (app): 62
+Rest-packs from FA tournaments (app): 15
+Rest-packs from Gifts: 28
+Tokens from sponsor deal: 35
+Tokens from farming (aim is 3 per day): 28x3
-Tokens on buying 3 fast trainers and 3-4 cheap subs: 20
-Tokens to move home-games (esp. during FA weekends): 20
-Rest-packs wasted on none prioritiezed fast-trainers to get them in shape for Very Important Games (app): 28x4
Total (app): 968 rest-packs

Comment: For league and CL games and easy Cup games, I do not use a single rest pack to get my non-fast trainers in shape before the game. If they have 50-60% condition, I play them anyway and rotate my bench as much as possible. Even playing 1-2 star players at times. So I think 4 farm-packs on avg. per day is what I will waste on players that isn't

Cost for developing 3 fast trainers to Optimal Players per season (Counting to add on avg. one new position per kid, in accordance with my Optimal teams above):
New positions - 3x60 Rest-packs
Special Abilities - 3x60
Getting the kids to 8 stars (140%) (//I count on adding 2% ability per rest-pack on avg, this number is a bit unsecure, and I count on my fast trainers playing 45 games and gaining 3% on avg., ie (40%x15 abilities-3%x45)/2=235): 3x235
Total: 1080

Balance: minus 112 rest-packs

Ok, that is not insignificant. But I choose to try to do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because this goal will serve to organize and measure the best of my energies and skills, because this challenge is one that I am willing to accept, one I am unwilling to postpone, and one I intend to win!!

Lets see how the real numbers play out, many of the numbers above are very rough estimates. I have some good players already, maybe a few of them can hang around so that I don't have to develop 11 new players, but maybe only 8-9 per team. And so forth. I intend to give it my best shot! We will know the answer in early January!

Thoughts anyone?

Final note

I will save all regular updates from the last 3 weeks of season 3 to next week's weekly update. All I will say at this point is that I still got a shot at a double treble! Next weekly update will be the last weekly update. After that week I will make a special guide for season 4, which will be the last special guide for a specific season, that will cover negotiations. After this I will however not abandon this guide, but I will only give updates on my race to the moon on a monthly basis. I will also regularly upgrade guide as I learn new stuff.

Over and out!

[nikolgiorgos]

"We choose to go to the moon" -JFK

https://media.giphy.com/media/l3V0im...ized-large.gif



Good luck with your finals
Remember, don't train the players of your 1st squad

[Al Svanberg]

https://media.giphy.com/media/l3V0im...ized-large.gif



Good luck with your finals
Remember, don't train the players of your 1st squad

Thanks!

I have adjusted my budget above again, forgot about the Rests from gifts, 28 in total per season.

Niko, you know these board in and out, do you know where I can find someone else that made a "budget" like this? I know I have seen people mapping things out really well, but I can't recollect where it was. I have been in and out so many new and old threads. Would be nice to compare my thinking to someone more experienced, its so easy to miss something.

[Al Svanberg]

Hi guys!

WEEKLY UPDATE 8

I recon better late than never.

Season 3 finished on a high note for both my teams, a double treble. I thought I was looking at a double Poker, we faced an association we had beaten twice before in the semi's and an abandoned association in the Finals (very odd, this association in its turn faced a tanking association in the Semi's, never seen that before), but we lost our Semis on goal difference after being struck hard by bad luck and tough circumstances, we could only have two accounts online for the games. But to be honest, we have had a lot of luck before so we where basically due for a loss. It evens out.

Here are some picks:










I didn't go far a 9 star player. Ariel Zapegol that was at 145% with like 18 days to go started to train really really slow those last 15%. I found better use of my Rests so to speak.

I have received a lot of wonderful feed-back from players using this guide, both new and old. Both here and on Facebook. Thanks so much everyone! From now on I will aim to make new posts on the development of my teams on a monthly basis, and these updates will be focused on the development of my teams in terms of just how good I can get them and the paths I have chosen.

If anyone out there are using this guide, do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have!

[Al Svanberg]

SEASON UPDATE 4 - Part 1

Hi guys, here comes my first season update. As I have said before, in these season updates I will focus on the development of my team, not so much the result of it.

But a short recapture, Al FC won the league and CL, and lost a tough game in the Cup final, 3-2. Had the lead 2-1 after 81' minutes played, then gave up a counter attack and a FK and the game was over within the blink of an eye.

HFF won the Treble and got a Poker after my FA being successful once again, I think we are 11-0-3-0 which is really good.

Building the optimal team Al FC

Players developed

Season 4 was the first of the four seasons during which I plan to build my "optimal" team. The plan is to pick up 3 fast-trainers per season, get them to 8 stars, and with any rests left over, push the fast trainers from previous years as high as possible. The positions I have to fill are the following (old screen dump, but tactic is the same):



So last season I picked up the following three players for Al FC:



I only got 2 of the 3 kids to the planned 8 stars (Killichz stayed at around 135%). But, I used around 60-70 rests on my Striker Wessels to get him to 8 stars, he had a bit of catching-up to do from last years.

-Goran Kilichz is a Serbian DL I picked up. I gave him the special ability Play Making. He was a DL and DC when I got him, which wasn't optimal, was planning to make this guy a DL/DML/ML, but that wasn't possible. There aren't too many Fast-trainers available so you can't be too picky.

I regret making him a Play-maker though. In hindsight, I should have made him a Corner-Specialist. I just think Corner-Specialist seem to be a bit more effective than PMs at taking Corners, and this is the only wing player I have with room for that SA.

Further, I want to have 1 offensive DC and 1 defensive MC. Hence I molded the following kids:

-Jerome Bogotá is a hard nosed German DC with a great right foot. He has the Play-making ability and plays the DC/DMC/MC positions.

-Daniel Najngulan is a Chilean defensive minded MC. He has the Defensive Wall special ability and plays the MC/DMC/DC positions.

Kids to be developed during season 5

I got up around 5 am on Day 1 of this season and managed to pick up the following kids for Al FC:

The 200+cm German goalie Bert Hauer:


The 162 cm Croatian dribbler [B]Robert Modrivic[/B (will give him the Dribbler SA)]:


The speedy Brazilian winger Leonardo Luca (will give him the Shadow-Striker SA):


All in all, the development of these 3 will cost me

Hauer
1 on 1 stopper -- 48 Rests
99% to 120% -- 72 Rests
120% to 140% -- 138 Rests

Modrivic
MC - 48 Rests
AMC - 48 Rests
Dribbler -- 48 Rests
99% to 120% -- 72 Rests
120% to 140% -- 138 Rests

Luca
AML -- 48 Rests
ML -- 48 Rests
Shadow-Striker -- 48 Rests
99% to 120% -- 72 Rests
120% to 140% -- 138 Rests

Total: 966 Rests

This is basically the amount of Rests I will have available (see: http://forum.topeleven.com/tutorials...op-player.html). I have had a target to get 3 Tokens per day from farming, but I am pushing that a little harder right now to reach these goals.

One problem is that I am not 100% sure that Luca is a top Fast Trainer. When I have run drills with him, he seems to add ability a little slower than expected. He also cost me 9.5m which is a mil less than the other guys. Will run some numbers to see if I can confirm or debunk this fear...

It was a bit annoying, because of the top fast trainers available on day 1, 3 had the penalty shooter SA which disqualified them for me...

I will revert with info on HFF later when I get more time.

[nikolgiorgos]

It was a bit annoying, because of the top fast trainers available on day 1, 3 had the penalty shooter SA which disqualified them for me...

good for you to reject them

The 162 cm Croatian dribbler Robert Modrivic (will give him the Dribbler SA)

well, this is the 2nd worst sa after penalty specialists
better give him a 3rd position

[Al Svanberg]

good for you to reject them


well, this is the 2nd worst sa after penalty specialists
better give him a 3rd position

Is it?

I have seen some speculate on it being a possession booster? But I don't know? I have a player with it, and he has always been great. But OTOH, he has really high Q too... I have not started yet, can also give him shadow striker or play-maker.

I think its a bit hard with offensive MC's. I think play-maker can be good. I am not super sold on Shadow Striker for MCs, they tend to not get that many shots through against better opponents. I have 3 MCs, one is defensive and has the Defensive Wall. What would you give the other two? One has a forward arrow and the other has no arrow.

[Al Svanberg]

Hi Guys!

Playing TE has been so much fun and its an amazing game! I have especially had so much fun with the Assocaition games, wow have we had some exciting weekends! Very good draws, great format!

But I will face a ton of extra work at work during the spring and must stop playing. Who knows, maybe I will be back! Anyway, good luck ahead!

This place is also great, truly classy! Love you guys!

[Toxcatl]

Hi Guys!

Playing TE has been so much fun and its an amazing game! I have especially had so much fun with the Assocaition games, wow have we had some exciting weekends! Very good draws, great format!

But I will face a ton of extra work at work during the spring and must stop playing. Who knows, maybe I will be back! Anyway, good luck ahead!

This place is also great, truly classy! Love you guys!

What a sad news! =[
I really enjoyed talking to you and reading your posts. Needless to say, your contribution to knowledge and understanding the game mechanics is unprecedented. You are a true guru, my friend, first among equals. I hope to see you back one day.
Good luck with work and stuff, Ola. Respect!