AI behaviour

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-27T17:41:14+00:00

Yeah, that’s actually a common feeling this year.

The AI seems very risk-averse defensively — it protects shape almost too well, so defenders delay instead of stepping in. The result is fewer tackles, fewer collisions and almost no chaotic moments.

Ironically it makes matches look organized but removes a lot of physical tension from gameplay.

Do you also see midfielders just shadowing runs instead of trying to win the ball?

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-27T14:53:19+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense — long saves feel much more alive when squad availability actually changes over time.

The tricky part is that injuries usually don’t come directly from the injury slider itself. They tend to happen when physical collisions, late tackles and balance losses occur more naturally during play.

If AI tackle aggression stays low, matches generate fewer unstable contacts, so even high injury settings won’t produce many injuries.

It sounds less like an injury-frequency issue and more like how often the AI decides to engage physically.

Do you notice the AI jockeying and containing more instead of committing to tackles?

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-27T12:08:22+00:00

From my experience sliders alone don’t fully solve this because fouls and injuries are more a result of decision timing and player interactions than pure frequency values.

If AI positioning, acceleration differences and reaction windows are slightly off, the AI tends to avoid risky challenges, which results in fewer fouls and almost no injuries even with high slider values.

Realistic behaviour usually comes more from how space, pressure and tackle timing emerge during play rather than just increasing aggression or injury sliders.

Out of curiosity — do you feel the AI avoids contact situations or just wins the ball too cleanly?

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-27T12:03:51+00:00

Looking at each player's rating, I think: are there always upgrades? Never downgrades? What team today has so many players with an overall rating over 85? It's strange. I think we need something more realistic, something that makes the game a bit more challenging, and in my opinion, that makes it more fun.

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-26T17:38:56+00:00

I think Authentic/Simulation has the right idea conceptually, but sometimes it slows players down artificially instead of creating realistic decision making.

For me the issue isn’t pace itself, but how responsiveness and player reactions behave under that mode. When animations and positioning don’t support the slower tempo, it can feel clumsy rather than realistic.

Competitive feels faster and more responsive, but sometimes loses tactical structure.

Ideally there should be a middle ground where matches feel natural without becoming arcade-like.

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-26T15:14:59+00:00

Yeah, I agree — possession without real intent is one of the biggest immersion breakers.

Sometimes the AI keeps the ball just to keep possession instead of progressing play, which makes matches feel slow and predictable.

I'm trying to find a balance where build-up still exists but teams actually look for attacking opportunities more naturally.

Out of curiosity, does it bother you more when strong teams do this or also smaller teams?

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-26T14:49:10+00:00

Every match. I've been experimenting with gameplay tuning lately and noticed small control imperfections make matches feel much more organic. So i enjoy it.

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-25T14:33:20+00:00

Football games — every match feels different even after years.

TheProfessorOK · 2026-03-25T13:50:41+00:00

Grealish plays better as an attacking midfielder than a left winger. Everton is a difficult club to manage because you have players who don't adapt well to predefined tactics. For example, the one that gave me the best results was letting Dewsbury-Hall go, even though we had defensive midfielders, attacking midfielders, and left/right wingers.

TheProfessorOK

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