Pre-Match Scouting Report

This is mainly suggested with Career Mode in mind, but I guess there's not much reason why it shouldn't apply to any game mode.
The current implementation of the Scouting Report is anything but. It's little more than a teamsheet, which shows me who is playing for the opponent (but nothing about them), what formation they are playing (which I already knew, and it's not even displayed correctly here), their recent results (which, as we know there's no form or morale involved, becomes meaningless), and any suspensions or injuries (fun to know, but not crucial).
Worst of all, this screen appears AFTER I've already set my own team up! So how is this useful in any way?
A useful and meaningful Scouting Report would:
a) provide information that prompts you to think tactically about this fixture;
b) help to communicate what makes this fixture and this opponent unique, different from the previous one.
Here are some ideas:
1. Please make it accessible from the Squad Management screen. Then, while I'm setting up my own team's gameplan, I can refer to it as much as I wish. It could still reappear afterwards while Loading, like it already does, but at least I can have optionally viewed it beforehand.
2. Outline the expected outcome of the match. This would presumably be based on the relative talent (combined OVRs) of the two competing squads - not including suspended/injured players in that calculation - modified by the factor of home advantage. It could simply state that Team A/B is stronger/favourite, or that they are evenly matched. The importance of this is the atmosphere it generates around the fixture; to go in knowing you are the favourite or the underdog might affect how you approach the game, both in your expectation/mindset and what you do tactically. Already the fixture feels more unique.
3. Compare the two teams in an octagonal graph. This is a quick and compact way of comparing the overall abilities of the teams, so you can see how much of a talent gap there is, or if one team has an advantage in a particular category. It gives you an idea of how you compare to today's opponent.
4. Display some details of the opposing starting eleven. Rather than just listing the names as text on a teamsheet, visualise them graphically, showing their name, their OVR, and their Position and Player Style. Stick the Speciality shields on them if they have any, and display their single highest attribute. If Form makes it into the game, mark on here who is on/off form. In the World Cup game, star players would be marked with a star icon; this could be brought back here. Now I'm learning about today's opponent and who I might want to look out for during the match, something that will help describe why this fixture should feel different from the previous one.
5. Give a brief overview of the opposing team's gameplan. Basically a hint at the tactics they will start with. Don't take the lazy route (like in 09/10) of just pasting the contents of their default Custom Tactic, though! It has to be accurate to today's match and a useful description. Something like e.g.: "Slow Tempo, Short Passing, Defensive Mentality." Or, if that is considered too detailed, even just a hint at an overall approach - "Team B are likely to be defensive today" - could be fine too. It ties back into the AI's use of tactics, showing if they adapt to a fixture.
6. List suspensions and injuries (as already exists). Okay, not massively going to affect your gameplan, but it is still fun to know if your opponent is without an important player today - you got lucky. This already works fine as it is.
7. Compare the current standings of the two teams. If it is a league or group stage, show their positions in the table and points totals. If it is a cup game, show who they eliminated in the previous round. Gives the fixture a bit of background.|||Another top post the devs need to see.
While adding greater diversity for how teams play is desperately needed, it's also critical that the player is given some level of information regarding what to expect. Not only does this contribute to the experience and immersion, but it also would highlight what differences are in the game between various teams and their tactics.|||Good post. Again PSP has a small detail thing like what your saying, but no were near the detail what your saying before the game. It explains the teams style and there top player to watch out for. Im still baffled why next gen doesnt have this.|||Good post. IMO there is guaranteed to be a lot more depth in CM this year than last, and I made as much noise as I could about things like this and how hard it is to make changes to your setup, whether just of your own accord or specific to a particular opponent. Some of the things we talked about were on your list so fingers crossed they will take action!
As I've said in a thread before, I'd love if they did something new and innovative with those shoulder-button drop down menus to give you things like smart player lists (e.g. all your RBs to replace your starter), and to use the analog stick to tweak formations without separate screens, and to be able to actually look at what you're playing against...! There's a lot that could be done with the UI and it's high time they did given that things in this department have arguably regressed since 09.|||Agree, although i think for it to have any significance the tactics really need to have more impact on the game. For instance Barca in real life dont let their opponents have any time on the ball, even if they're in their own penalty area. However in fifa even on legendary it is far far too easy to keep the ball where ever you are on the pitch, and when they have the ball they play like every other team does.
To be honest i think fifa should start an entirely new 'tactics' system, and be able to adjust stuff like: how deep the defensive line is, how far up the pitch they will press, how wide they want wingers to be, how far up the full-backs or wing-backs will be, whether you want your strikers to try to beat the off-side trap, or instead come to look for the ball, how much space there should be between the defenders and midfield, and midfield and attack, how close they want their the center-mids to be together, whether they want both center mids to attack, sit back, or alternate when one goes forward, the other sits back, ect.
One of the main things fifa has to incorporate is how the team gets their best players on the ball, or looks to take advantage of a strikers height like Crouch and play loads of long balls with VDV or Defoe trying to get the knock downs, while Lennon or Bale stay wide so they can take advantage of their pace, with Jenas or whoever feeding the ball out to them.
Once teams all have their unique style, then i think the scouting system would really stand out|||Yeah if the tactics actually play a proper role, then I'd be happy to be bothered with them (via my assistant and scouts) to "study" them before the game and make my approach to each game different (and interesting). Right now though, there's absolutely no need to change your formation aside from perhaps very minor adjustments, and rotating tired players. The matches' main "source of difficulty" comes from the handicap system (comparing the overall skill of both teams and deciding what the actual match difficulty will be, with its penalties/rewards to player skills, nothing tactical). So I manage Everton and I lose to United, but it's not because I'm being out-coached by SAF.
So as Witton says, the screen is useless right now as it appears after you've finished setting up your team and there's no way back, but frankly it'd still be useless if it appears a whole month before the match :)
Off topic, but related to making certain fixtures unique: I do want to feel more build up to matches (at least important ones). Say in 3 weeks there's an important clash against my rivals, or a team that's rivaling me this season for the top spot / relegation battle / european spot..etc, I'd like to get emails about it, read news about it..etc. Build that match up well before it happens. It's not going to change the game mechanics but it'd make some matches feel more interesting than others. On FM I'm managing a Belgian team and I know nothing about Belgian football, but I can already feel certain matches are more important than others because they receive more build up "coverage."|||There are so many great ideas on these forums that it can't help but feel like FIFA is only held back by whether and when EA will listen.
While the UI needs an upgrade, sadly i don't see major changes coming until the next gen of consoles. In any case, there is quite a lot that the rest of FIFA could learn from UT and UI is one of them. (That UT has morale, fitness, and chemistry while CM does not is ridiculous, but that's a post for another thread.)