Defensive Compactness = Game Changer

B

bcthomas

Non-League
19 September 2012
So I've been experimenting with different tactics/settings just seeing how they impact overall game play. The tactic that had the biggest effect was compactness.

I played the same game five times, Old Boys (me) vs Boca Juniors.

With stock tactics, it was exactly what you expected. When I Put compactness at 0, BIG change.

Maybe it is in my brain, so I wanted to ask the community to give it a shot and see how it plays.

First, it seems like compactness is a double-variable. It extends both length and width. This sets the DMF as a stopper in front of the back 4. The back 4 also seems to sit a bit deeper.

It also makes the CPU really relax with the balls down the wing, as there is a fullback there to make a play.

In the five games the average possession split was 53/47 -- pretty nice. The CPU took 8 shots a game, I got around the same probably closer to 9.

The CPU also played more back passes/horizontal passes in the first half of the first game than they did in every game I've played before.

With going 0 compactness, I thought the CPU would destroy me with through balls down the middle. But the DMF and deeper sitting back 4 cut that out.

I'm no coding genius, but wider defense seems to stymie the AI incredible vision (which may be why they play so many long passes).

The AI did try to spring a counter a few times, but not 1/3 as much as 'normal' game play.

Try it out, I may be crazy.

I'm about to play Liverpool (me) vs Bayern in a Europa semi-final. I'll report back about how it goes.

***EDIT -- Make sure Player Support is no higher than 10. This causes the back 4 to creep too close to the midfielders.
 
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Defensive Compactivness 0 means the team will play with lots of width and the team will attack down the wings with players hugging the touchline and defend with width with the intention to stop attacks down the wing.

It's primarily for defending but it affects where the team looks to attack.

Shifting to attack designates how quickly each team builds up play. At 20 teams will look to break as quickly as possible, on 0 they play patiently and only break if there is a clear opening, or well not enough but that is how it's supposed to work.
 
This is something I believe shouldn't be ignored - tried to set Defensive Compactness to low values (0-6) today and got more or less the same results as bcthomas. If you defend deep, defense lines stay deeper, if you press high, front line players spreads out better chasing your defenders while your own defenders are not moving up like crazy giving cheap chances for counter attacks.

Definetely need to test more, but so far I really liked what I saw.
 
Playing wider on defense changes the entire game. I've kept this style and have an absolute blast playing this game. I'm seeing the CPU attack vary. I'm seeing different players for me make runs to space that they normally couldn't when all camped around the center circle.

When you change the width, you change the AI mindset, for the better.

Give it a go, you won't be disappointed.
 
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