+- Simulation Soccer League (https://forum.simulationsoccer.com)
+-- Forum: Player Development (https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Capped Point Tasks (https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=23)
+---- Forum: Articles (https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=46)
+---- Thread: A few thoughts after the academy season (/showthread.php?tid=9991)
A few thoughts after the academy season - Haramcha - 2026-06-21
(In case anybody’s following, Joe’s Journey is on break for a week due to overseas travels – last week I managed to find a bit of time, but it’s now Sunday afternoon and all I have is this ramble I wrote late at night the other day)
A new season is upon us, and it is a very special one at that. Why is this season special, you might ask. I’ll let you know why. Season 26 of SSL is special because it’s the first season of the S26 graduates. As for why that makes it special, it’s obviously because the Season 26 graduates are special. Take that however you want. Anyway, special season ahead, I figured it would be as nice an occasion as any for writing a few thoughts I’ve had about my experiences with the SSL so far.
First order of business: player types, development, and TPE.
Some of you might have read my first ever post on the SSL forums a couple of months back, and a few of you might even be able to remember the general gist of the article (which I barely do myself at this point). Maybe due to an obsession with the SSL. A love for reading. Too much spare time. Hell, even an appreciation for what was shared, or having had similar thoughts of one own. Who knows. Point is, some of you might remember, but if you don’t: I was curious about the extent to which players are built around the meta of FM24, and about the level of freedom and creativity we see in players. I returned to this in my Academy Task 5-article from a different perspective (it was more about the different types of players one could be looking at when they are at the peak of the TPE). Well, when I wrote the first article, I thought I would like to steer somewhat clear of meta builds, instead constructing a player that would be inspired by a few of my favourite regens in FM. Looking back, I may have been a tad naïve. Something I really came to understand when I was writing the Academy Task 5-article. I had already been made to understand the importance of the so-called paccel (the pace + acceleration attributes), which I had first thought could perhaps be negated a little by the fact that (almost) everybody has maxed them out (of course the reality is that if everybody else is extremely fast, you’ll just be beat to every single ball if you don’t also max out the attributes). Writing the Academy Task 5-article, I realised something much more significant: the sheer amount of TPE we eventually end up with, and just how strong that can make a player. Your players will all end up being overpowered to an extent that is vastly beyond what is possible in regular Football Manager. As a result, you will end up with a nigh-perfect player regardless of your priorities in player-building.
I would still love to see more unique, or even just, well, realistic player builds, but the reality is that this would require not only an overhaul of the TPE system (we gain way too many attributes over a career; what I would find really interesting would be for most players to reach the bracket of 180-200 CA (for non-FM players, CA or Current Ability is the measure of a player’s combined attributes), which we probably reach at like 1000~1300 TPE (I’m sure someone has the actual numbers)), and more importantly, a change to FM’s engine. The former would probably not be too popular; we all love seeing our attributes improve, and going weeks for each upgrade would likely kill motivation for many of us. As for the latter, that’s simply out of our hands. Maybe if we switch over to FM27 once it comes out (as if SI will prioritise fixing the imbalance of attributes and improve the relevance of others). As such, I must admit that I have backtracked somewhat on this. I believe each player will have a number of seasons during which they are fairly realistic, after which they become overpowered beasts. And that’s fine. If anything, that’s like being in peak form during your career. We all get to be early-Barca Ronaldinho for a couple of seasons. And then we slowly fade away. That’s fine.
Next up: Academy experiences and rivalries.
Approximately five minutes into my first academy match with VFE, one thing was already clear: van Huntelrooy was going to be a menace. His aerial ability versus a goalkeeper who, at the time, had 5 or 6 in aerial reach? Nightmares for days. Or for one matchday. Van Huntelrooy was immense. He smacked us one, and I was secretly a little excited to see something other than paccel to work out. I really do wonder if the paccel hype might not be caused by the means of attribute testing and meta tactics. Gegenpress is the meta-approach, and it is further strengthened in SSL by all players being at the max 20/20 stamina and natural fitness, in addition to having their tiredness and injuries reset between matches. Gegenpress is all about hunting down and stressing your opponents, as well as winning duels. It’s not necessarily (purely) an engine issue when attributes that enable you to do so are then going to be the most valuable. Maybe different testing would churn out different results. Imagine attribute testing done with tiki taka. Maybe vision, passing, first touch and technique would matter more. Or maybe it’s already been done with paccel coming out on top regardless. To return to van Huntelrooy’s haunting of the Victoria Falls Eagles on Matchday 1, it also birthed a bit of a (one-sided) rivalry. At least for me, personally. I was desperate to beat Stockholm. Seeing them stay top of the league for weeks didn’t dampen that feeling one bit. Later on in the season, several of the Stockholm-players became among my favourite characters in the SSL. Great contributions to the league, good, fun, and active users on the Discord. I wonder if any of those early feelings still play into how one perceives other players in the SSL. Will I always be more inclined to banter with @Jeanious (aka van Huntelrooy) than with other people I’ve spoken just as much with, such as @nckkss (Nick Kasak) and @Definia (Barry McGlynn)? Perhaps I’m not even doing so now, but it does feel like it at times.
In conclusion, it’s been really cool getting to know people better. Every single one of you has turned out to be a likable character, and I appreciate the contributions to the league. For those I have yet to really talk to, I’m excited to get to know you better.
Finally: From academy to minors – what happens to the academy grounds?
Without occupying a job that grants access to all the academy locker rooms, I can only speak for my experience at VFE. Things may be very different to other users. For us, the locker room was never too active. Manager @Giacomino_raiola would do extensive, informative write-ups before and after each match, describing what would be happening in terms of tactics/positions, how matches might go, congratulating players on their accomplishments post-match and so forth, all great stuff. The players would comment a bit after the matches, and reactions would be glued onto the messages. However, there wasn’t too much in terms of casual conversation. My suspicion is that the small locker room size meant that most of us saw the main SSL Discord as being better for posing questions or chitchatting. Where is this going? A great community developed across the entire draft class. Within it, there was banter across the teams to be sure, and while most of us seem to have tried to stick up for our teammates, friendships have blossomed across teams (but largely within the draft class). Now that we have moved past the draft, it does feel a bit different. The organisation locker room is a lot more active than the academy team locker room, and the fact that it is shared with people who are going to be one’s teammates for a long time, it feels more valuable somehow. It’s not just about making friends, but also about ensuring that you are able to work towards common goals. About supporting each other, and all having fun, so that one’s teammates will be further motivated to stay active and help the team. In that sense, it better competes with the SSL Discord for one’s attention.
I still love the SSL Discord, and its high level of activity is a great part of what makes SSL so enjoyable. The organisation locker room is a great addition, and serves different functions, even if casual conversations take place in both. The S26-class channel will still remain one of my favourites. And perhaps I’ll try to do miniature versions of Gia’s write-ups for my new organisation’s locker room. Let’s see.