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-===== Game Mechanics =====
-==== The Superphysio ====
-Occasionally a special member of staff may come up for auction in the newsletter, namely a Super
-physio. This member of staff works above and beyond the range of a normal physiotherapist in that he is
-so good at his job that he can actually help prevent injuries. Having a Super physio on your side is
-basically almost as good as playing a physio point each and every session; if you ALSO play a physio point
-as well, then the chances of picking up any injuries during a session are very slim indeed.
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Injuries|Injuries]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Physio Points|Physio Points]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Aggression (AGG) and Disciplinary Points (DP'S)|Aggression (AGG) and Disciplinary Points (DP'S)]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Derby Matches|Derby Matches]]
-----
-==== Home Advantage (HAD) ====
-The home side in any game is also given additional levels to allocate between his outfield areas (NOT GK
-or SW), simulating the lifting effects of a home crowd on their side. The number of levels available for
-each match depends upon the present session (Basic HAD) and the relative positions in the League of
-the two teams involved (Bonus HAD). The exact number of HAD levels available for a game is just the
-Bonus HAD plus the Basic HAD added together.
-The Basic HAD Levels available for each session are:-
-  * If the teams involved are in the same Division then the difference between their League positions at the beginning of the session produces the following Bonus HAD.
-  * If the teams are from different Leagues or one team is from the Non-League then the Bonus HAD is 4.
-  * If the teams are from different Divisions but in the same League then the Bonus HAD is (1 + Difference in
-Divisions).
-{{ :game_mechanics:had-basic.png |}}
-{{ :game_mechanics:had-positional.png |}}
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Motivation Points|Motivation Points]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Offside|Playing Offside]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Style|Playing Style]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Application of Additions|Application of Additions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Weather and Pitch Effects|Weather and Pitch Effects]]
-----
-==== Motivation Points ====
-Each club starts the season with 35 Motivation Points (MP’s). These represent the manager’s ability to
-inspire his team, to lift them on that special occasion - in short, to motivate them. These may be used in
-any match, with a maximum of ten per match, and once used are lost for the remainder of the season.
-Apart from via the auction where they may be bought, and through successful management of an
-International team, there is no way of obtaining more during the course of the season, so they should be
-used sparingly. MP’s may NOT be carried over from one season to the next. Please note that when using
-MP’s it costs 2 MP to raise a GK or a SW by one performance level for that match, in the same way as
-with aggression points.
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Home Advantage (HAD)|Home Advantage (HAD)]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Offside|Playing Offside]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Style|Playing Style]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Application of Additions|Application of Additions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Weather and Pitch Effects|Weather and Pitch Effects]]
-----
-==== Playing Offside ====
-If you opt not to play a game with a Sweeper, or at least ensure that your Sweeper is occupying a
-defensive position not a Sweeper’s role, then the Offside trap may be played. Playing the offside trap
-will restrict the opposing forwards scoring chances by pushing your defence up the field as the ball is
-played towards them, leaving them in an offside position, and removing the danger.
-However, by
-applying this tactic you are inviting the opposition to push forward with their midfield players, and thus
-play the game through the middle of the park. If their midfield players are more talented than your own,
-or they have greater midfield strength through the sheer number of players in that position, then this
-might backfire on you.
-The only other time the Offside tactic is NOT available to you is if your side opt to
-use the Diamond formation (see [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Style|Playing Styles]]) - the two tactics CANNOT be used together.
-Keep your eyes on the newsletters for teams that have Wingers or Attacking Defenders (WG or DF/A),
-because they can make an awful mess of an offside trap. Whatever the circumstances of either team’s
-formation or make-up, the performance level of the WG or DF/A determines how successful he will be
-at breaking down an offside trap. The better the player, the less effective the offside trap will be on his
-team’s forward line.
-Marking wingers successfully will reduce their performance level and thus their
-effect on the game. Basically the Offside game is very effective against a side pushing more men
-forward, while perhaps not quite as good against those who don’t. The actual number of players in the
-forward line affects just how many of the possible chances for goal attempts are stopped before they
-become actual shots. Without giving away too much of the formula or drowning you with numbers, if a
-side with a five-man forward line is caught in the offside trap, then he will see roughly two-thirds of his
-chances spoiled by having his players adjudged offside. Four men will be slightly less of a hazard, while three attackers is counted as the norm. For a side with two forwards up front, an offside game against
-them is now less effective than it has ever been, trying to simulate the difficulties of having a defensive
-line operate as a perfect unit against so few men.
-Wingers will unlock the offside game based both on their skill and upon the number of strikers they are
-playing with. For example, a winger in a five man forward line is still going to gain chances that
-otherwise would have gone begging, but he is not going to be as effective as he would be in a three-man
-attacking force. And, since WG’s are eligible to play in the middle of the park too, they can have an
-effect in a similar manner. However, if TEAM A is being caught in an offside trap, and TEAM B has more
-men in the middle of the field, then the WG’s in TEAM A are going to find their skills in unlocking this
-trap somewhat restricted. Basically, the more men TEAM A has in midfield to support the WG’s the
-better the offside trap will be beaten. This rule is the same for DF/A’s too and works on a similar vein
-when more than one winger is played.
-For a team that chooses to play an offside game with a midfield that is weaker than its opponents, the
-trouble starts. Basically, for every man that the side being played offside against has spare in the middle
-of the park, the more chances his side will put forward by breaking through the offside attempts.
-See also...
-  * [[players:start#Player Positions|Player Positions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Home Advantage (HAD)|Home Advantage (HAD)]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Style|Playing Style]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Application of Additions|Application of Additions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Weather and Pitch Effects|Weather and Pitch Effects]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Motivation Points|Motivation Points]]
-----
-==== Playing Style ====
-For every game that you play you can choose to play in one of five playing styles
-  * Positive,
-  * Neutral,
-  * Negative,
-  * Adaptive or
-  * Diamond style.
-The effects that these styles have are associated with your playing formation as described below, and
-only certain styles can be adopted, depending upon your chosen formation. Choosing a playing style
-that does not match the requirements of a formation with those played will result in not only the lack of
-any gain, but in the loss of any possible style gain that the formation could have been used with.
-To use a **POSITIVE** playing style, your team must be prepared to break forwards at every possibly
-opportunity, throwing men forward whenever the chance is offered. This will result in many more
-attacking runs, but tends to leave the men at the back exceptionally vulnerable. For the formation to
-work, you need to play with a full forward line of 5 attackers (the maximum). This means that players
-such as the DF/A will not be able to add their own skills to the attack, and that your Sweeper will
-doubtless be too busy filling in a role as a normal Defender to be much use in a Sweeper’s normal
-capacity.
-Formations that qualify are...
-  * 2-3-5,
-  * 3-2-5, and
-  * SW-2-2-5 (with a SW selected, though he will only count as a DF).
-If the style is successfully adopted, then five levels are added to the Forwards total skill levels.
-If you play **NEUTRALLY** with your side, then you are really asking the players to fill in where they are
-needed. Basically, they will tend to drift to wherever they see weaknesses, though this will not
-necessarily be where they are most needed. The Neutral style, if successfully adopted, will gain you a
-bonus of five skill levels in your lowest skilled area, after category (Skill, Power or P/S) additions. For this
-tactic to work, your side must be structured so that the number of players in any one outfield area does
-not out-number another area by more than one player.
-Formations that qualify are...
-  * 3-3-4,
-  * 4-3-3,
-  * 3-4-3,
-  * SW-3-3-3
-When a player opts to play a NEGATIVE game, he tends to draw back his players and try to block efforts
-on his own goal with sheer weight of numbers. This tactic is all about getting bodies behind the ball, and
-tends to result in a more compact, solid defence. To use the tactic effectively, you must have more than
-defenders (including SW if selected) and only 2 attackers playing in the match.
-Formations that qualify are...
-  * 4-4-2,
-  * SW-3-4-2,
-  * 5-3-2.
-If the style is successfully implemented, the team will gain five skill levels added to its defensive totals.
-With an **ADAPTIVE** style, the idea is to play a side that closes down your opponent’s chances, rather
-than gain you any additional attacking strength. It is a useful tactic to adopt if playing a team you know
-little about, and as with all other options, this style will provide you with five extra levels. However, the
-location of these levels is not something you can predict in advance, as they will be allocated to the area
-in which your team is most overpowered. For example, if your defence is likely to leak the most shots in
-the chosen match, the five levels will be pushed into that position, if it’s your midfield, then they will
-gain them, and finally, if your Forwards are finding it difficult to hold back the thrusting runs of the
-opposing defenders, they will be added there.
-This style only tends to be effective if you are not overwhelmingly more powerful than your opponents,
-and the only formation that will allow the tactic to work 4-2-4.
-This lets the players in both attack and defence drift towards the centre of the park to help close down
-attacks through the creative play of the opposition.
-The **DIAMOND** style allows a side to adopt a primarily defensive posture while giving the team the
-ability to “hit on the break” almost. The main problem is that Kickabout only has three outfield areas, so
-formations like 4-3-2-1 are not really on. What closest fits the diamond style is something like many reallife
-sides now play, with two midfielders tending to play as left and right wing men, attacking more often
-than dropping into defence.
-If you want to use the Diamond playing style you must field a side playing with a 3-5-2 formation. The
-bonus levels gained are still the same five (as with other styles) and are going to be applied to your FW
-line. The down-side to choosing this playing style, which at first seem to have more benefits that some
-others, is that even with a five man midfield the team is unable to affectively operate an offside game,
-as the “wing men” in midfield are more often rushing up the field to assist an attack than sitting back
-waiting to catch the opponents offside.
-**Note:** If both options ARE selected, then both the offside tactic and the Diamond formation are lost,
-simulating the players caught, trying to do two jobs, and doing neither at all.
-There is no point selecting a particular playing style if your team does not conform to the formations
-that allow its use. For example, by selecting a 4-3-3 line-up, and then selecting Positive as your playing
-style, you are losing out on the levels you might gain by choosing a legal style. Some formations might
-not fall into any playing style bracket, so be careful when making your selections. If no style is entered,
-then no bonus will be gained, regardless of whether the team fits a particular style or not. Occasionally
-you might want this to be the case, such as when you play 2-4-4 or SW-2-3-4 for example.
-See also...
-  * [[players:start#Player Positions|Player Positions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Home Advantage (HAD)|Home Advantage (HAD)]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Application of Additions|Application of Additions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Weather and Pitch Effects|Weather and Pitch Effects]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Motivation Points|Motivation Points]]
-----
-==== Application of Additions ====
-After you have added modifiers for HAD/PD, Captain’s influence, Aggression, and Motivation Points, as
-shown in your totals column on your turn sheet, the remaining modifiers are applied in the following
-order...
-  * Additions for team category (power, skill, power/skill),
-  * Additions for playing style (Positive, Neutral, etc)
-  * Deductions for marking,
-  * Assignment of MF/G levels (if any),
-  * Adjustments for weather and ground effects
-**Note:** the totals shown on your squad printouts are the totals after all these modifiers have been
-applied.
-See also...
-  * [[players:start#Player Positions|Player Positions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Home Advantage (HAD)|Home Advantage (HAD)]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Application of Additions|Application of Additions]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Weather and Pitch Effects|Weather and Pitch Effects]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Motivation Points|Motivation Points]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Playing Style|Playing Style]]
-----
-==== Scouting ====
-There are a number of ways in which you can employ your scouts over the season, and you have a
-couple of them available every session. Scouting can be applied to a particular side’s league and/or cup
-matches, any cross-league “European” ties or to get information on a single individual player.
-Scouting a specific team - You may, and should, scout your forthcoming opponents.
-A scouting report
-will tell you the totals of the scouted team’s GK, SW, DF, MF, and FW before additions for category,
-playing style, marking and weather (i.e. the scouted team’s totals as shown on their orders sheet). It also
-shows the players involved in the game scouted and what position on the pitch they were playing in.
-You are also told how many Aggression or Motivation points that team used in the game you scouted,
-whether he played offside or not, if a physio point was used, the team’s playing style and category, if he
-played defensively away from home, and his penalty taker.
-To scout a team normally costs 25K. If you purchase a SUPER SCOUT in the auction during the season,
-or as an International Manager receive one free then you can scout two teams per session free until the
-end of the season when the SUPER SCOUT leaves your employ.
-The use of such reports is up to you to decide. Remember that just because a team used certain tactics
-in one week it doesn’t mean they used the same the week before, or the week after!! Apart from the
-basic details given above you can assign extra cash (in units of £1k) to glean EXTRA SCOUTING INFO (ESI).
-ESI tells you the name and code numbers of all the players in the scouted team’s squad (at the end of
-the session after transfers).
-The code numbers are essential if you wish to mark players of the
-opposition in future matches. It does not tell you positions and performance levels. Nor can you use a
-code number that has been reported to another manager by ESI. The numbers generated are encoded
-and unique to each team. Trying to use the wrong numbers will have your players attempting to mark
-thin air with a consequent penalisation of your team, so don’t try to be clever, it will backfire on you!
-Scouting a specific player - if you are unsure what position or skill a specific player in an opponent’s
-team plays at, then you can find out more about him by using the Scout Player option (which is free).
-This is done in the same manner as scouting a match, and the effectiveness of tactical ploys and extra
-scouting information, but needs a slight change to the way you fill in the details. You need to identify the
-team name as normal in the first box, skip the “venue” box altogether, and then enter the name of the
-player you want to scout in the next box. Whether or not you gain the details of this player is dependent
-upon how much money you spend on Extra Scouting Info when compared to the Tactical Ploys of the
-scouted team. If the tactical ploys are higher, you’ll gain nothing at all, while a successful scout will
-reveal all the players relevant details, along with his code number for marking purposes.
-European match scouting - You will be allowed to scout any match played in a pre-determined
-European tie, either in the Champions or Cup-Winners Cup or Super Cup. To scout a match you identify
-the two sides as normal and after the match has been played (at the end of that same session) you’ll get
-a report on both teams in the same way as normal scouting information is revealed. This is expensive
-however, and to scout a European game will cost you 150k per scout. Please note that any European
-game must be highlighted as such when filling in your scouting, on the off-chance that you choose to
-scout a side that is in the same league as your own team, and may be confused as a normal scouting
-mission.
-Also it is wise to bear in mind that you don’t receive these scouting details until the session AFTER the
-one in which you scout the game. European games are played at the end of each session, so the
-information will be revealed on the NEXT session’s printout.
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Tactical Ploys|Tactical Ploys]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Marking|Marking]]
-----
-==== Tactical Ploys ====
-If you suspect that your team might be the target for markers then you can assign some cash each
-session to TACTICAL PLOYS. Other teams can only gain details of your squad through ESI if the cash they
-assign to this function is greater than the amount you allocate to TACTICAL PLOYS.
-**HINT – It is wise to put money here every session!**
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Scouting|Scouting]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Marking|Marking]]
-----
-==== Marking ====
-There are two different ways in which a player can attempt to use marking in a match to give him a
-tactical advantage over his opponent; Man-to-Man marking and Zonal marking.
-===MAN-TO-MAN MARKING ===
-To perform any type of man-to-man marking it is necessary to get as much
-information as you can on the player you intend to mark through ESI. A successful scouting report is
-composed of a list of player names and numbers showing the full squad of the side scouted, and a
-“marking number” for each player. These numbers are uniquely encrypted for your side, and no other
-team will be able to use the same numbers with the same results. Players’ squad numbers are encoded
-in this way to prevent managers from passing the squad numbers of his rivals to other teams.
-Once you have these numbers you can then assign a maximum of two players from your side to manmark
-your opponents players. To do this you must give the squad number of your own player and the
-encrypted “marking number” of the player you want him to man-mark.
-Only players in your defence and/or midfield can be assigned as markers, and your sweeper - if you have
-one selected - has other duties to attend to. Defenders are restricted to marking opposing forwards
-while your midfielders mark their counterparts.
-Every player in the game has a marking skill, which is normally hidden from sight unless it is described as
-being above and beyond the norm. All defenders in the game (sweepers included) begin life with a
-pretty good man-marking ability, with all midfielder being rated nearly as well too. Utility players who
-occupy either defensive or midfield roles in a match are perhaps the next best option for marking if
-normal players are unavailable.
-When the above criteria are met man-marking can take place during the game. Any player assigned to
-man-mark another player will generally hit the mark about three times out of four, modified by the
-marking skill he possesses.
-A marking player immediately loses one quarter of his current playing levels (rounded-up) and this
-increases to one half of his levels if he is assigned to mark an MF/A, MF/D or MF/G, and by threequarters
-if the marked player is an MF/A/D.
-The percentage of levels lost by the marked player, as a base rate, is determined by the
-following formulae:-
-**%LOSS = 50 + ((Markers Level - Marked Players Level) X 5%)**
-This formula will give the “normal” loss of levels for the marked player. It is POSSIBLE for the marker to
-lose more levels than his opponent, thus swinging the advantage in favour of the marked player, but this
-normally occurs when a very low-skilled player is assigned to mark one of the better players of the
-opposing side; don’t do it! These losses are modified in a minor way by the marking skill of a player too.
-A superb marker is likely to lose fewer levels and make the opposing player lose considerably more in
-return. This can make it very difficult to calculate the exact loss on either side.
-So, to see an example of how marking works; let’s say that we have a level 12 DF mark a level 10 FW in a
-match.
-The DF will lose quarter of his normal levels and drop to a level 9 DF while the FW would lose (50 %+(
--10) x5%) = 60% of his performance levels. This figure is rounded upwards so this would leave the FW
-operating at a skill level of just 4; an effective marking indeed!
-If the marked player is an MF/A, MF/D, MF/G or MF/A/D then the loss of levels are applied to every
-relevant area of the game he effects. It should be obvious why these players are normally a priority
-when selecting marking for most managers.
-Also, any marked player operates at this reduced efficiency
-level for the whole game, as does any marking player, so it is similarly useful to try marking opposing
-WG’s to reduce their effect against unlocking the offside game, or opposing FWS’s to reduce their
-chances of scoring.
-Don’t mark with midfield specialists; it is a horrible waste of their talent!
-UT’s are generally not a good choice for marking opponents with, and tend to be somewhat easier to
-mark (if you know where they are playing) as they are never quite as sharp as a definitive DF, MF or FW
-of the same skill level. If you try to “guess” the code number of a player you want to mark and get it
-wrong (very likely!) then the marking player will still lose 25% of his levels.
-If you try to mark a player
-that is playing in the game but not in the correct position then the marking player will still lose 25% of
-his levels. However if you try to mark a player who is not selected to play but is in the opposition’s squad
-then you are not penalised. Therefore, make sure that you have the correct information regarding any
-players you want to mark.
-For each successful marking a player performs, his marking skill will rise by a small amount, allowing him
-to become even more effective on his next attempt. For every miss of course, there is a subsequent
-reduction to go with it. However, these gains and losses will only apply to COMPETITIVE matches and
-will remain unaffected by any marking attempts in friendly games. The gain/loss factor is dependent to
-some part on the relevant skills of the two players involved. The gain that a level 14 DF makes for
-successfully marking a level 5 FW is going to be very small, while the opposite scenario (a 5 DF on a 14
-FW) is going to yield a much bigger gain for success.
-Whatever the marking chance, there is always a factor in the formula which allows for a one-off failure,
-no matter how spread the skills of either player; nothing is ever certain.
-===ZONAL MARKING===
-Often a manager knows that his side are going to need to mark their opponents if
-they are to come out of a game with a result, but they have been unable (or unwilling) to put the
-expenditure into scouting to come up with the code numbers of the relevant players. Or they may be
-facing an opponent who has come fresh out of a replay that they didn’t scout, or have a cross-league
-opponents that they can’t use normal scouting on.
-For these cases we have a different marking system, which is primarily defensive in its style, and is once
-more aimed at hurting the sides with the specialist players; zonal marking.
-By selecting this option you are giving your entire defence and midfield instructions to pick up whoever
-drifts into their area, rejecting man-to-man marking in favour of a more reactionary system. This will
-obviously work better if you have men to spare in that part of the field, so using four defenders to zonal
-mark against two attackers will be very affective, while two defenders will have a few problems doing
-the same to two attackers.
-Two things should be immediately apparent from the way this is being
-described; the system is going to be more use to the defensive sides that field 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formations
-than it is to those who favour more obscure attacking styles. The in-vogue at present is to use this ploy
-when fielding a 3-5-2 formation and, as this is a formation that is becoming more and more popular, it
-will work quite well when opposing an identical formation.
-As zonal marking reduces the effectiveness of both the marked player and the marking player, it is not
-going to be too wise if a team with midfield specialists opts to use this system. If a midfield specialist is
-either zonally marked, or chooses to play in a zonal marking system, his effectiveness in all the relevant
-areas of the park will be reduced. This reduction is in no way as dramatic as if he is man-marked, but it will hurt all the same.
-The reductions are calculated in a simple manner. Basically, the marking team’s
-defenders are compared with the opposition’s number of attackers. If there are an equal number of
-players in both areas, then the marker’s defenders will all lose one level per man, while the marked
-player’s forwards will lose two levels per man. If there are more defenders than attackers then the
-reduction to the levels of the attacker’s increases by another half a level per man, for every additional
-defender there is playing. Any half levels are randomly rounded up or down at the end of the
-calculation. This same calculation is also applied to the marking and marked midfields to, with the same
-conditions.
-For example...
-A team playing a 4-4-2 formation chooses to zonal mark a side that fields a 4-3-3 style. The marking
-players are compared with the marked players in each area, so the reductions are;
--1 per man for the marking defenders
--2 per man for the marked attackers (plus a chance of each -0.5 level being rounded to a -1 per man)
-and
--1 per man for the marking midfielders
--2 per man for the marked midfielders (plus a chance of each -0.5 level being rounded to a -1 per man)
-that gives a total reduction in levels of eight for the marking player and between twelve and eighteen
-levels lost for the marked player - a healthy gain!
-The problems come when a player tries to zonal mark and finds that he does not have enough men in
-the area to provide affective cover. In such a case, let’s say when three defenders try to zonal mark four
-attackers, it is the marked player that loses just one level per man, while the marking player is subject to
-a reduction of two levels per player, and has the same random chance of each additional half-level being
-rounded to yet another deduction too.
-In case it has not been made obvious why this is not a tactic to choose if you have specialists, just think
-what a loss of -2 per man will do to your side’s midfield if one of the players is a MF/A/D; your side
-would lose all the normal midfield levels plus another -2 to both the attack and the defence, due to this
-players reduced effectiveness.
-Basically, don’t do it with specialists unless you are certain that it will hurt
-your opponents more than it hurts you! Don’t fall into the trap of bunging down zonal marking each and
-every time either, as there are a few drawbacks to choosing this option.
-You cannot choose both Zonal and Man-to-Man marking together; either one or the other. Man-to-
-Man marking remains the most effective way of taking a particular player out of the game. A manager
-using the Zonal marking system will find that his side is more concerned with holding up the opposition
-than making chances for themselves. If this option is combined with a “playing defensively” selection
-too, there is little chance that the side will make any progress at all into the opposition penalty area! The
-man-to-man marking information gained through Extra Scouting Information remains current for as long
-as the side retains the players listed (you obviously can't mark someone who no longer plays for the
-team), and only for the duration of the season. Once the season ends, you'll need to regain these
-numbers if you wish to mark in future matches.
-If you are unsure of which players are worth marking,
-then it is an idea to pay close attention to the Newsletter, and then try Player Scouting to learn more
-about their abilities.
-See also...
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Scouting|Scouting]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Tactical Ploys|Tactical Ploys]]
-----
-==== Ballwinner (BW) and Creative (CR) Stats ====
-It appears that some managers still have little idea how the Ball Winner and Creative statistics affect the
-game as a whole. They have opted to ignore these rather than try to grasp WHY they have been
-introduced and when their team loses 1-0 and the newsletter reports how superbly creative their
-opponents were, those same managers start moaning about their ill fortune.
-The Ball Winner and Creative statistic were added to the game for a good reason in that they
-differentiate between players of the same basic type in a manner that was previously untouched. There
-can be no doubt that certain players in real life are very similar types of players. Let us assume, for sake
-of argument, that both can be called level 11 MF/D’s and, again for the sake of argument, both are
-power players.
-In ‘old’ Kickabout that would be that. There was previously no way of trying to simulate
-the fact that one player was the kind that could break from midfield with powerful runs and get into
-the box while another was more likely to play just in front of the back four. The Ball Winner and Creative
-stats were introduced to make that difference. A player who is a good Ball Winner is one that will be in
-there where the tackles are flying and will, basically, have an edge when it comes to breaking up the
-moves of the opposition. He will have the better chance of coming away with the ball from a 50-50
-challenge than normal. His ability to put his foot in will make the difference between someone getting in
-a shot and having it blocked. Ball Winners are designed in a defensive frame of mind.
-Creative players are just the opposite and, as you would expect, it is they that have the ability to turn a
-loose ball into a goal scoring chance. They thrive on the more skilful type of play, getting the ball on the
-floor and playing it to feet. They may not be the greatest of tacklers but they will be able to provide that
-extra touch that puts a striker through on goal. Every player in Kickabout, with the exception of
-Goalkeepers, has two figures recorded against them to show their abilities in both these basic areas.
-Often, these two figures will add up to a 100, and in this way they can be looked upon as percentages.
-The first of the two figures is the player’s ball winning ability while the latter is their creative skill. So if a
-statistic reads “65/35” it becomes immediately apparent that the player is far more suited to a physical,
-tackling game than he is likely to be putting in killer passes. These figures may sometimes not add up to
-a hundred, or may total to a good deal more or less. Some player occasionally have figures of “65/65”
-and above which are very formidable, a type of character who has no problem in tracking back and
-winning the ball when required. Whatever the case may be, these two numbers DO have an importance
-in the game now and they should be taken note of by EVERY manager.
-=== So What Do These Figures Mean? ===
-The new statistics are aimed at a simple game mechanic - they are used to give a side additional chances
-of scoring during a game or they are used to nullify efforts created by the opposition; it doesn’t take a
-genius to work out which does which. The individual statistics of each player are only the “base value”
-for each formula that uses them. The figures shown are modified by any number of different conditions
-before they are given a final rating, which is used to determine if he directly affects the match in any
-way. The kind of players he is playing with, the number of players in his part of the pitch, the weather
-and the team’s formation are all mitigating factors in how this base value is modified.
-**Ball Winners** are
-players that thrive in the heat of battle, that love to mix it with the opposition and find their talents
-easier to use when in packed areas of the pitch. They are primarily defensive players and tend to have
-more effect if the overall stance of the side is weighted in that direction. For each element of this make
-up that goes their way, they receive a bonus on their ball-winning ability, along with a subsequent
-penalty to their creative skill. So, if the Batty of our example starts the game with figures of 75/25 then
-he will be completely happy playing in a full Power side, with a 4-4-2 formation that uses a negative
-style. If the weather is cold and the pitch muddy then he has about everything he can get in his favour.
-The only ways of bettering this if for him to be playing in a five-man midfield, but then you lose the
-negative advantage and his figures won’t look all that much better. Each one of the factors in his
-advantage will add a certain percentage to his abilities and in the example shown it would not be a
-surprise to see one player’s eventual stats change from 75/25 to perhaps 105/10 or so.
-**Creative players** are the opposite end of the scale, they like warm days with a good surface to play one,
-they like space to play in and a style that allows them to attack the opposing goalmouth. It doesn’t take
-too much to work out what sort of formations and playing positions will get the best from them. It may
-well seem that there are more opportunities in the game for ball winners than there are for creative
-players - this is a fact. The balance to this is that when a BW or CR affect kicks in, it only kicks in at the
-position the player is located. A BW chance by a player in midfield will kill off a shot from the opposing
-midfield area for example, while a striker picking up a creative chance will do so from his forward
-position. The creative chances always result in an additional chance whereas ball-winners need to have
-something to stop if they are to be effective. If a side adds an extra four Ball-winner chances to their
-midfield and the opposition isn’t creating anything in that area, then these efforts are wasted. Thus,
-while there are many more ways of aiding your ball-winning players, their abilities are not always as
-valuable as the creative players.
-=== How do the Numbers Work? ===
-Basically, if a player’s individual ability tops the 85 figure then there is a chance that he will have some
-effect on the match. If it tops 100 then he will definitely have some effect. In each case it means that he
-will add a ball-winning stop or a creative chance to the side’s usual tally of stops and shots. Every
-percent above 85 tests that player’s ability against a simple dice roll and, if they do come up trumps, you
-will see them registered in the CR/BW report underneath your normal match stats. If they top the 100
-range then they will activate without any number being tested and will again show up in that area.
-These chances are also shown in another way, particularly in terms of the creative chances. If a team is
-listed as having no shots but, say, two on target, then you will know where these two efforts came from.
-The same may well apply to a side getting no shots on target from a host of chances. That, for
-individuals, is the basic way things work. However the way that the whole team performs is also affected
-by these figures and this is done by generating the average BW/CR figure for all the players playing in
-the same area of the pitch. These averages are also used to find out if that area manages to create or
-stop a chance that would otherwise be ignored.
-The best way of showing this is by an example; let us assume that a side has players out in a 3-4-3
-formation and that the players have BW/CR stats as shown here;
-/35 60/40 80/15 - Defence
-/50 30/70 75/25 60/40 - Midfield
-/50 60/40 55/45 - Attack
-These figures are checked to give averages of 68/30 in defence, 52/48 in midfield and 55/45 in attack.
-None of these are particularly outstanding, as you can see, and each is tested in the same way as a
-player. Any figure above 85 has a chance of making something happen so, in this case, nothing does.
-Let us assume the opposing team is set up as follows;
-/70 20/80 40/60 - Defence
-/80 10/90 50/70 10/90 - Midfield
-/90 0/100 10/90 - Attack
-This is a far more attack-minded side with better creative players in it. Their averages are 30/70 in
-defence, 30/82 in midfield and 07/93 in attack and immediately we have a chance of an additional creative chance from up front. One chance might not sound a lot and there is a second test applied to
-every area in the game. In this test the area BW figure of the defenders of a side are tested against the
-CR figures of the opposing forwards and the BW of the midfielders are tested against the opposing
-midfielders CR stats for both sides.
-In our examples we would compare a 68/30 DF with a 07/93 FW, on both sets of stats, both ways. While
-the second side’s creative ability has the edge on the BW ability of the defenders, the strikers own BW
-ability is way, way below the creative skills of the defenders they are facing. This disparity gives us a new
-figure (in this case 25) and this number is plugged into a second set of formula. Any figure above 15 has
-some chance of giving that AREA of the pitch an additional affect, be it ball winning or creative. This
-figure of 23, for example, means that the defenders might find themselves able to break away quickly
-without much effort to stop them by the forwards of the opposing side. With this comparison being
-done both ways, for both teams, there is clearly a fair chance that the figures in these areas might
-provide a game-turning event too. These are also shown in the BW/CR reports beneath your match
-statistics. So it should hopefully be clear that while these new figures are not a truly earth-shaking
-chance to the game, they are not something that you can simply ignore. A good set of BW/CR stats can
-make a player very valuable indeed, particularly if he is a Skill player with good BW figures or a Power
-player who is exceptionally creative.
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Calculating the Result|Calculating the Result]]
-----
-==== Order of Processing ====
-  - Players are coached to their new levels.
-  - Any All-Season Injuries are treated (if required).
-  - Scouting is entered.
-  - SP’s are turned to cash.
-  - Miscellaneous spending, Penalty taker and Captain are nominated.
-  - Teams are entered and injuries/suspensions reduced.
-  - Matches are played and new injuries/suspensions added. (Match Order is: League Games, Re-arranged Games, Cup Games, Bowl Games, Trophy Games, LeagueCup games, Cross-League Cup Games, Friendlies.)
-  - Gate Receipts & Prize monies are added.
-  - League tables are updated.
-  - Players are sold to the non-league.
-  - Transfers between managers are processed.
-  - Auction is carried out.
-  - New players are entered into the next Auction, including out-of-contract players.
-  - SP’s for the following session are calculated.
-  - International and/or Representative Matches are played.
-  - Outstanding Cross-League matches are played (at end of session for all leagues involved)
-See also...
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Coaching|Coaching]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#The Superphysio|The Superphysio]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Scouting|Scouting]]
-  * [[finances:start#Converting Success Points to Cash|Converting Success Points to Cash]]
-  * [[players:start#Club Captain|Club Captain]]
-  * [[game_mechanics:start#Injuries|Injuries]]
-  * [[finances:start#Rewards for Success|Rewards for Success]]
-  * [[finances:start#Sales to the Non-League|Sales to the Non-League]]
-  * [[finances:start#Transfers|Transfers]]
-  * [[finances:start#The Auction|The Auction]]
-  * [[overview:start#International Matches|International Matches]]
-  * [[overview:start#Cross-League Matches|Cross-League Matches]]
-----