View source for Match engine updates

[[category:History]]
[[Category:Editorials]]
__NOTOC__
'''Next season, we will make the following 12 adjustments to the game engine. They will all take effect on January 2, 2006. We are making these changes in order to stimulate a broader use of different tactical (yet realistic) options, and to balance the game engine.'''<br>
''Article Originally Published December 21, 2005''

===More natural field positions===
'''1.''' Today, it can be hard to achieve balanced formations using repositioned players. To address that, players will now move into more "natural" positions on the field when a repositioning has been made. This applies to both the repositioned player as to players that are left behind. For example, central defenders (CD) and inner midfielders (IM) will be considered centered on the pitch when there is only one CD or IM remaining in the formation. Today, the player keeps either his left or right side orientation when the second player is moved away, creating a small gap in the defense or the midfield. Similarly, if a team part is boosted by an extra player; this player will be considered centered as well. A left defender repositioned into a midfield position will not, as today, keep his left side orientation in the match simulation but rather play in perfect center of the field.

Centered IMs will contribute half of normal to wing defense, but they contribute to wing defense on both sides. Thus, you can say that they divide their wing defense contribution equally on both wings. Similarly, a centered CD divides his contribution to wing defense onto both wings, and centered IMs divide their contribution to wing attack to both wings.

Repositioned players, and players that are the only IM or the only CD will always be considered centered. Only those two groupd of players will be centered.

===Defense modifications for midfielders and wingers===
'''2.''' The contribution to wing defense from all inner midfielders is reduced by 30%, except for IMs playing "Towards wing" where the contribution is the same as before. This is in addition to any changes to "centered" IMs and CDs mentioned in 1).

'''3.''' The contribution to central defense from IMs is increased by 10%.

'''4.''' The contribution to wing defense is increased by 40% for wingers with order "Normal" and with 30% for wingers with order "Defensive".

===Defense modifications for defenders===
'''5.''' The contribution to wing defense from CDs is reduced by 8% and the contribution to central defense from them (CDs) is increased by 8%.

'''6.''' A Central Defender with the order Towards Wing will have his contribution to wing defense reduced by 10% and his contribution to central defense increased by 10%.

'''7.''' Wing-Back with Defensive orders will lose 20% of his contribution to central defense.

'''8.''' Wing-Back with orders Towards Middle will increase his contribution to central defense by 20%.

===Goalkeeper adjustment===
'''9.''' We are making yet another small adjustment to the relative importance of keepers and defenders to the overall defense rating. The contribution of the keeper on defense will be reduced by 1%, and the influence of the defense skill of the defenders will increase by 1%.

'''New life for defensive forwards'''
'''10.''' The contribution from passing skill for forwards with order "defensive" will increase by 30%.

'''11.''' In addition to the increase mentioned in 10) above, forwards with defensive order that have the technical specialty will gain an additional 50% boost to the contribution of their passing skill to central attacks, and they will gain a minor contribution to wing attacks from passing skill. The thinking behind this is to help simulate the real-world option of the withdrawn forward (a central player between midfielders and forwards) who uses his sensitive foot to deliver great passes.

===More flexible lineups===
'''12.''' We will allow repositioning for wingers to inner midfielders. And we will allow repositioning for wing backs to central defenders. However, be aware that a winger repositioned as an inner midfielder will only contribute slightly more to playmaking than a winger that is playing with towards the middle as his individual order. This means that the price of abandoning the flank entirely is very high, just in order to gain that very minor playmaking benefit. But from now on, at least it will be possible to go against that recommendation.