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--- game_mechanics:start [2020/04/27 22:21] – [Scouting] stripeyjoe
+++ game_mechanics:start [2020/04/27 23:33] (current) – removed stripeyjoe
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-===== Game Mechanics =====
-==== 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]]
-----