A true beginners guide for ambitious players!

[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!