FM Match Lab v1.4 – The Revamped Player Ratings File

Hello all,

Here we are again to explain to you all what we did, how and we did it. In this blog post we will explain what we did with the player ratings file, the changes we made and the reasons as to why we did it. So let’s get into it!

THE WHY

During our work with the match engine file we started to notice some inconsistencies with the match ratings a player would have during a match. We also did a review of feedback posted by players about this issue and then we decided that it was time to take care of this issue because we believe that FM24 deserves a holistic approach to being modded. This means that we decided that changing the physics file is not enough, we need to go further to make sure we are offering a full package to those who wish to play a different FM while still honouring the amazing work made by the SI devs. Therefore we decided that changing the player ratings in such a way they would look more balanced and realistic was the right approach and consistent with our motto: a more realistic and balanced FM.

THE HOW

We followed the same approach that we adopted for the physics file. With one major difference: no one did this before, which meant that we needed some time to study the file and its parameters. That also meant that we needed more time to get it right because the only way to make sure we were on the right track was by doing and testing several proof of concepts. What this means is that we changed the parameters in ridiculous way which then, in-game, showed the full effects of the file and it’s values. This allowed us to have a window to understand the file, what each parameter does, how each parameter relates to each other inside the file, and also how those parameters communicate with the game. This particular issue – how the parameters work in the game – unfortunately it is based on assumption on what we see when playing a match and testing different solutions because we do not have access – only SI – to the source code of the game which is the only place where all the required info is stored.

Therefore we spent some time learning those parameters and understanding how we could change them such that the effects in-game would be the ones we wanted. We changed them, polishing them and at the same time we would conduct several tests to make sure we were not creating imbalances in the file.

The way we approach our testing is to be very detailed and to make sure what the changes we are making will be consistent not only during the first five seasons but also for long-term saves. This is due to the fact that we decided that it is important, through our work, we are able to revitalise that part of the game: the long-term saves where the game starts being populated by newness and the respective issues that arise from that. The player ratings file and the AI file that we published earlier in our project, are the first steps to achieve that aim. More will come in the near future and we will announce it here and on Reddit as usual.

THE CHANGES

As you’ve seen, or will see, when reading the patch notes what we did was to revamp the whole file. We made sure that any player, any roles would be affected by our changes and we set our sights in the following:

– To make sure the game realistically recognises the defensive work of defensive players, rewarding them accordingly but also not penalising them too much for offensive mistakes such as failed passes, or missed shots, because it is not their primary concern;

– Related with the previous point, we tried to make sure that Fullbacks (not the role, but the player position) are recognised in a balanced way. Differently than pure defensive players such as central defenders, and considering that some players like to have very offensive full backs, our approach was so that those players can be benefited by performing well in the pitch, but in terms of ratings downgrade for defensive mistakes or offensive mistakes our approach was to make it as balanced as possible. But since perfection is impossible, outliers will still exist;

– For offensive players, our goal was to code a balance in the same way as defenders, ergo, offensive plays are better rewarded and the drop in ratings due to defensive mistakes will be less significant.

– Related with the previous point, we tried our best to make sure there’s a balance in positions such as wingers, attacking midfielders and central midfielders. That was the basis of our balancing act: to make sure those type of positions are well rewarded but in a balanced way. Which also applies to defensive midfielders, either more defensive minded or offensive minded.

– We found during our testing, and also via the feedback of our community on Discord, that there was some issues with two particular positions: goalkeepers and strikers. In terms of strikers, the problem was increased by some issues with our ME file with the lack of goals in general (according with some feedback, others appreciate the current goal count) and also in terms of some striker roles. With this in mind we decided to solve the strikers ratings issue via the player ratings file and also via the ME file. For keepers, and we believe honesty is always the better approach, we had a hard time but we think we got the balance right, but some outliers are to be expected.

SUMMARY

There you have it. A revamped player ratings file, a further polish to the match engine file and, we hope, a much more better balanced player ratings that will enhance your gameplay and also allow your players to develop better. And this is not the end of our journey. More to come in this month of May: a second patch to the AI file to solve some issues with subs and our next file – a fully revamped training file, such a way it was never done before.

We hope you appreciate reading this blog post.

Thank you for all your support and feedback

The FM Match Lab team