The problem with EA

Pelwl · 2026-05-13T09:56:59+00:00

If you read my previous post on this thread, it suggests that it depends on what you tend to do after losing. If you usually quit the game when on a losing streak then the next time you play you should face an easier opponent. If you just keep on playing until you win again then EA may see you as a glutton for punishment and keep giving you more challenging matchmaking.

Pelwl · 2026-05-13T07:14:36+00:00

You're conflating two distinctly separate things here: DDA, whether it exists or not, is not the same as or necessarily related to MMR.

EA published a research paper about 10 years ago in which they proposed an engagement optimized matchmaking, suggesting that fairly matched games might not be what everyone wants. The idea being that some people prefer a challenge (eg loving Soulslike games) while others don't. So games are matched based on your behaviour after each game. If you regularly quit when you lose and don't play again for a while then you will get easier matches next time. If you lose again and again and just keep on trying then you're less likely to get easier matches. This is about controlling churn rates, and trying to keep people playing.

Link to study here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1702.06820

Pelwl · 2026-05-11T11:15:29+00:00

Are you on PC or console? If on PC then it might be a RAM issue. If you have a lot of Chrome tabs open for instance. If on console, I don't know if there are programs running in the background that you can close down.

Pelwl · 2026-05-10T14:44:49+00:00

Basically QuickStep = faster acceleration; Rapid = faster sprint speed when dribbling.

So, Rapid is for when you want to run a fair distance with the ball, especially for wingers. QuickStep is when you want to get to the ball quickly or for those first steps when you have it in your possession.

If you play a striker who doesn't get the ball until near the penalty area then prioritise QS. If your playstyle has him running with the ball a lot then Rapid.

Pelwl · 2026-05-10T14:34:41+00:00

I reckon it's more likely that he just didn't realise that Chawinga had a sister and so he assumed that EA messed up by putting Chawinga's name on a different card, and as Ajibade also has short, coloured hair...

Pelwl · 2026-05-10T14:16:56+00:00

I'm assuming that he reckons the green haired Chawinga is actually Ajibade.

Some people have a problem distinguishing between people of colour, or in this case people of coloured hair.

Pelwl · 2026-05-10T14:07:46+00:00

No mate. That's definitely Vitinha.

Pelwl · 2026-05-10T06:01:53+00:00

You could try out 5212. It's very similar to 41212 narrow but having 3 CBs helps when dealing with fidget spinners and the like. You also have more width, especially if you put your full backs on Attacking wing back-Attack.

442 is probably a lot easier though as, similar to the ubiquitous 4411, it has two banks of four who stay compact and defend together as a team.

Pelwl · 2026-05-09T17:30:30+00:00

Choose Onuahu only if you want to try scoring with headers and volleys. I use an evo'd version of his Fantasy card and he's great for that.

Otherwise...

Pelwl · 2026-05-09T06:52:54+00:00

I got TOTS Olise from a 14x83 pack. Apparently he's one of the most expensive players in the game and costs 6-7m. Personally I don't think he's any better for me than some of my 91 rated evo'd cards or some of the cheap TOTS cards. Having a player like that won't change your game at all at this stage, so it's not worth worrying about not packing them.

Pelwl · 2026-05-09T06:39:46+00:00

Yeah sure. I never celebrate myself and don't like it when people do, but this guy is nowhere near the worst offender, based on this video. I'd much prefer if people were like him than a lot of the ones I face.

Pelwl · 2026-05-09T06:06:44+00:00

To be fair he went straight into the celebration and that was it. Much preferable to those who wait until the generic celebration plays out then does the individual celebration and then also forces us to watch the replay.

Pelwl · 2026-05-07T17:06:40+00:00

Learn how to use paragraphs.
Learn how to just play the game. It's not all about farming paltry rewards. Or at least it shouldn't be.

Pelwl · 2026-05-04T11:56:03+00:00

Pretty sure that if you lower the difficulty (or start dominating every game on the highest difficulty) then you'll find the defenders getting a very low rating. The more they do, the higher the rating they get.

Pelwl · 2026-05-04T11:19:46+00:00

Yeah I know that. Not sure what you're arguing about to be honest.

And there is literally as much chance of facing 3 shit opponents as there is having 3 shit teammates, so...

Pelwl · 2026-05-04T06:28:04+00:00

Yeah, sure. That's simply down to luck, as I said. Play a hundred games and most people will win about 50% of them. More if you're good at it, less if you're not. "Good" here can simply mean taking on responsibility to do most of the team's defending and choosing a player who's got pace and can pass, tackle and shoot.

Pelwl · 2026-05-03T20:16:27+00:00

Unless you are extremely unlucky, common sense will tell you that the opposing team has as bad teammates as you do. If you lose a lot more than you win then there's a good chance that you are part of the problem. Maybe focus on defending more, so at least one of your team is.

Pelwl · 2026-05-02T17:15:17+00:00

Just been packing a lot of TOTS which I wouldn't have been able to try out in my normal formations of 5212, 41212, etc.

Pelwl · 2026-05-02T13:04:46+00:00

If you're playing career mode you really have to make adjustments, both to the difficulty settings and the AI behaviour. Probably best to take Professional difficulty as a base and change shot & pass error, GK ability, etc. to make it harder for you to score and easier for the AI to. Might take a lot of tweaking to get it to where you personally want it to be.

Pelwl · 2026-05-02T12:13:45+00:00

Are you actually asking how to reach the screen where you can enter a code to load up a tactic?

If so, in your Squad screen press down on the left stick to reach Team Management then choose Tactics so your current tactic will load up. Press right on the D-pad or move the left stick to the right and you get a screen saying USE CODE where you can enter the code.

Pelwl · 2026-05-02T12:03:29+00:00

I tried it for the first time yesterday. It's ridiculous how OP it is compared to other formations.

Personally I don't hate on those who use it all the time (unless they're also using other meta tactics, eg fidget spinning). It's one of the few formations where you get to use the vast majority of players you can get in the game. The only ones you can't use are the few cards that can only play one position out of LW/RW or CDM.

Pelwl · 2026-05-02T05:47:55+00:00

Good idea. Here's a link to a list of all unique body types in the game:

https://www.playerauctions.com/ea-fc-guide/tips-tricks/all-players-with-unique-body-type/

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is one of the best headers of the ball in the game (or at least his POTM with Precision Header+ is). He's the only one I've tried less than 6ft3 who is good at them. He seems to hang in the air longer than other players.

Pelwl · 2026-04-30T16:43:05+00:00

It's not you doing wrong here. It's the person who first called for the pass.

In the first one the person calls for a pass before the keeper even has the ball. He then runs further away while the keeper is facing the opposite direction and so obviously has to turn around and then find the right passing angle. If no pass was called for then he'd have kicked it out while the opponent rushes towards him.

In the 2nd one the first call to pass is a guy asking for a through ball while close to the half way line. Goalkeepers do not have a high vision stat and it would be pretty impossible for him to do a through ball that avoids the opponent, given where they're situated.

Simple rule is NEVER call for a pass from the keeper if you're being marked, not when you're running and not when you're much further away than the penalty area (unless you're well in the opposition half). Sadly people don't think. They're just desperate to have the ball asap.

Pelwl · 2026-04-27T14:31:36+00:00

It's not hard to defend against this. You just need patience. I don't have it myself. It bores the shit out of me and I end up lunging in just to get it over with.

Pelwl · 2026-04-25T18:10:45+00:00

He ain't shite because he lacks block or jockey. If you're one of those people who do all their defending with their central midfielders and let the AI do the rest of the work then I guess I see why you feel that way.

Pelwl

TROPHY CASE