Hattrick

[Elwood]

Originally posted by champmanager
I asked this before, and I think CraigP answered it, but now I need to know for sure.
I'm in divIV in England. I took 2nd, the first place team being autopromoted. The demoted divIII team is a bot who forfieted the last half of last season. But I looked at his players, and if I PIC my match against him (the first match of the season of course), and the computer manager puts 11 guys on the field, he'll beat me. Can I be absolutely, positively, 101% sure it will be a walkover? Man, it would be great to be able to start and end the season by Playing it Cool, since I'm confident of winning my league and the improved team spirit would help my chances greatly in a promotion playoff.
Also, to people who train scoring (especially Elwood). What specialties are useful to strikers, and how much would they add to his value? When I first started playing I think the rules said Specialties "don't have any effect right now, but they will in the future". So I've never really paid attention to them. This weekend I transfer listed a veteran striker with Specialty: Head and he went for about double what I was expecting to get for him.
Thanks.

As for the Walkover. If team's lineup has been reset to 0-0-0, it should stay that way as long as it's a computer team.

But I don't know if div IV is a level where, in England, a new user can get assigned a team. So if a new owner gets assigned the team, be ready. I'd just check the status of the team daily, and as long as it's a comp team, and has lined up in 0-0-0 recently, that should be how it will be when you face it. Also, if it's in the Cup (and I think it should be), see what lineup it puts out next Wednesday. The same lineup should face you Sunday.

As for forwards, the one skill that I've noticed being especially good for them is Quick. I don't really track specialties all that much, though. But I've not really noticed much from the few Head guys I've had (though they've been usually playing in friendlies, which I don't check all that detailed). Technical, I've only noticed once, and it was the negative weather thing. Powerful, not sure if I've had a powerful forward. But Quick, I've seen lots of quick darts and dashes for scores (not only from forwards, either).

But a lot would have to do with weather, too.

For what it's worth, this coming season is my last training scoring, and I'll keep my top 2 trainees (and #6 for a backup), selling off 3-5. #1 has no specialty, and #2 is a technical one. #6 has none, either. The ones I'm selling have Head, Powerful (didn't realize that) and nothing. So it should be clear I don't really place a high price on specialties.

[Craig P]

Originally posted by Elwood
But I don't know if div IV is a level where, in England, a new user can get assigned a team.England's a six-division (10,920-team) league. Past history (england.hatstats.info) shows that walkovers demoted from III stay walkovers until they've demoted out of IV.

As for Quick, isn't that one the most finicky about weather, suffering in both sunny and rainy?

I believe Head can be very effective with a good set-piece player, but that's third-hand from the conferences.

[Footer Phooter]

Even if the owner gets reset, the team should still be horrible for it's first game, and you should be able to PIC it. It won't keep the same players.

[Elwood]

Originally posted by Craig P
England's a six-division (10,920-team) league. Past history (england.hatstats.info) shows that walkovers demoted from III stay walkovers until they've demoted out of IV.

As for Quick, isn't that one the most finicky about weather, suffering in both sunny and rainy?

I believe Head can be very effective with a good set-piece player, but that's third-hand from the conferences.

About Quick, yeah, that's what I thought. But, while not having studied it extremely closely, it appears to me that my team has gotten more 'event' goals from quick players than any other type.

The one forward that had this was recently sold (Misha Kapogianopoulous). But then again, looking at my roster, only 2 non-trainee starters have a specialty, and of course they're both Quick, so that's probably why I've seen more Quick goals than any other (2 or 3 Quick players on the field over the last 2-3 seasons, in big games, have more often than not been Quick ones).

But like I said, I don't follow specialties much, so could easily be wrong.

[champmanager]

Originally posted by Craig P
England's a six-division (10,920-team) league. Past history (england.hatstats.info) shows that walkovers demoted from III stay walkovers until they've demoted out of IV.



Thanks, I'm glad to hear it, but I just read this (among other things) in the "Hattrick 6.5" document.
"Ownerless teams lineup reset
Teams that have gone ownerless in the upper divisions currently have their lineup reset to walk-over-mode twice per season - before the Wednesday matches before match round 1 and 8. We now add a third reset point: Match round 15 (ie their lineup will be reset before they play qualification matches)."
I assume this will have no effect on my situation, right?
Anyone else get around to reading/analysing/ absorbing the changes? Looks like it'll be more fun, especially the addition of player-managers. I think I should benefit more than most div4 teams from the experience changes (I've been down there four full seasons now). If the new tactics take effect in time, I imagine I'm going to be seeing a lot of the "Destruction Tactics" later in the season.

[Footer Phooter]

I think I'll like the new changes, as they add more strategy to the game. We'll have to see though.

[Craig P]

Originally posted by champmanager
Thanks, I'm glad to hear it, but I just read this (among other things) in the "Hattrick 6.5" document.
"Ownerless teams lineup reset
Teams that have gone ownerless in the upper divisions currently have their lineup reset to walk-over-mode twice per season - before the Wednesday matches before match round 1 and 8. We now add a third reset point: Match round 15 (ie their lineup will be reset before they play qualification matches)."
I assume this will have no effect on my situation, right?It means that if you wind up in a promotion qualifier, and the team you're scheduled to face was abandoned after week 8, you'll get a walkover rather than a real match. It won't affect your situation during the season.

Anyone else get around to reading/analysing/ absorbing the changes? Looks like it'll be more fun, especially the addition of player-managers. I think I should benefit more than most div4 teams from the experience changes (I've been down there four full seasons now). If the new tactics take effect in time, I imagine I'm going to be seeing a lot of the "Destruction Tactics" later in the season.I'll be interested to see if the "counterattack" strategy can be effective against a team with a strong midfield. I think they might have set the coach prices a little high, but then again, I burned through $30,000 just getting a weak coach and there's no guarantee I would have done much better the next time I was feeling like running through some coaches.

[ArsenalTexan3]

Here is what is wierd. My current coach has brilliant experience and inadequate leadership abilities, but is defensive minded.

How do you train and what formation would you go for?

[O'Dubhghaill Rules!]

I searched all of the federations and realized that their wasn't one dedicated to BigSoccer. So I've created one. It's called "BigSoccer Entertainment Group."

Anyone and everyone is invited to join.

[Craig P]

Originally posted by ArsenalTexan3
How do you train and what formation would you go for?You get young players (17-19) at the positions you want to train, and do it. You can train two goalkeepers, five defenders (don't know if wingbacks get less) ("defending"), three inner mids (with wingers getting half training) ("playmaking"), four wings ("winger" or "cross passes", don't recall which it's called, and note that this has been beefed up) or three forwards ("scoring"). Make sure you're carrying two GK coaches and eight assistants if you're training outfield players, or vice versa if you're training goaltending (or seven GK coaches and three assistants).

Formations - training defense, a four- or five-defender formation. Training midfield, a 3-5-2. Training forwards, a 3-4-3. Training wings, a balanced formation, most likely a balanced 3-5-2.

From what I've been reading about the markets, prices may spike early in the season as a bunch of new money from bonuses gets splashed.

[ArsenalTexan3]

What happens to fired players? Do they go into a transfer pool of their own?

[Craig P]

No, they're removed from the game. That's why you're not allowed to fire a national team member.

I'm not sure but that they might be the new pool for external coaching hires as of 6.5.

[ArsenalTexan3]

Is it better to have the team attitude set at MOTS for just home and important games and then have it set at normal or PIC for away games?

Also how does the experience change? For example, a player might have disastrous experience and passable leadership abilities. Can anything be done to help change this?

[Footer Phooter]

Originally posted by ArsenalTexan3
Is it better to have the team attitude set at MOTS for just home and important games and then have it set at normal or PIC for away games?

Also how does the experience change? For example, a player might have disastrous experience and passable leadership abilities. Can anything be done to help change this?

I'm not sure about the experience, but you should use MOTS for Very important matches, and use PIC for matches that you're sure you can win.

[Craig P]

Originally posted by ArsenalTexan3
Is it better to have the team attitude set at MOTS for just home and important games and then have it set at normal or PIC for away games?How frequently you should use MOTS depends on how long it takes TS to recover. Myself, I don't plan to use it at all in the first half of the season, because it'll take me that long to make a realistic assessment of my series and who I can beat with the midfield boost.

You should PIC any game that either you can't win or you are more or less assured of winning. You can also PIC games you don't care about. Examples -- I'm PICing my first cup game against a bot, because I should still win easily. If I wind up matched with a III or IV team in the cup, I'll probably PIC again because I won't have a realistic chance of winning. I'll probably PIC away against the first place team in my series, same reason. I could even PIC in the cup even against a V team I could beat if I didn't care at all about the cup, but I probably won't do that because I'd like to get the gate from a home cup game (or two).

Also how does the experience change? For example, a player might have disastrous experience and passable leadership abilities. Can anything be done to help change this? Experience goes up from playing in games. The relative ratio is, 2 (cup games) : 1 (league games) : 0.2 (int'l friendlies) : 0.1 (friendlies). I think national team games give a player 3 on that scale, but there's also something in the rules indicating significantly less for some international games.

[kopiteinkc]

Considering the new changes to hattrick and quicker winger training, what are the best formations to get as many wingers trained as possible each week?

[Craig P]

Originally posted by kopiteinkc
Considering the new changes to hattrick and quicker winger training, what are the best formations to get as many wingers trained as possible each week? I don't see how you could do better than the formations with two wingbacks and two wing midfielders. That would mean a balanced 3-5-2 or a 4-5-1, most likely (any other formation would be likely to sacrifice a wing for an inner midfielder).

[ArsenalTexan3]

I want to kill someone right now. I just lost 1-0 to a bot. On the plus side, it was a D-wing back who got the terrible game award instead of a m idfielder. :)

[Craig P]

Damn, that sucks. Quite the edge in possession you had in the second half, too. :(

Do you always play a 4-3-3 with only two inner midfielders? That's a, um, atypical formation.

[mundial]

Well I beat a bot 4-0, which is kind of a close game considering I didn't PIC. Then again, it was 4-0 at halftime, my IM missed two scoring opps, and my ball possession rates were 80+ and 90+.

Next week I drew a human, but he's almost as bad as the bot I played today.

My only goal for the cup is to play one home match, which should come in round 4 or 5 or so.