Career The Care and Feeding of Regens, a Hoarder's Experiment

[akbrim]

Hello everyone.

It's two days til the release of FMM18, and since I'm chewing my fingernails and chomping at the bit while waiting for the new game, I thought I'd share my final career of FMM17.

This should not be taken as a serious attempt at a career, nor should my achievements and trophies be counted as legitimate (note, I won everything. EVERY YEAR, because dammit, the Reds deserve some silver). 

I decided the one thing I hadn't done was actively seek out and groom regens, and while there are guides to finding regens, I haven't seen anyone showing what their players developed into.

In short, I'm bored, and I had fun doing this, maybe you'll have fun reading about it.

Here's a link to an article about finding regens: 

 

It works well.

What also works well, and what I did in this save to ensure that I got who I was looking for is using @jaymarvels wonderful iScout tool, find the PA of the player you're looking for, and search meticulously for a player with the same PA, from the same country, with the same foot and positions, then snap them up before their value goes up.

NOTE: using iScout to find regens is not considered "legitimate" play, and would definitely qualify as "cheating" for any challenge related activity.

I've got 20 players to show you, this is not all of them by any means, but an example of what "can be", if you want to live in a dream world of goals, goals, goal and MOAR GOALS.

[akbrim]

Look at that smiling face. What a man, What a ponytail, What a way to start a thread on regens.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Baby Zlatan developed nicely!

For just the low low price of 4.5mil, We got an anchor for the attack at Anfield, and a personality unrivaled.

Keep in mind that I rotated all my players heavily during these season, so the stats could have been higher for many individuals.

Not-Zlatan was a bit inconsistent on the scoring front, sometimes struggling to get into games, but I can't say I was disappointed to have him around. 

After one year out on loan to develop enough to crack the first team, he established himself well, and was never far from the starting lineup.

 

 

[akbrim]

Drogba! The beast, the marauder. I always loved watching him play, even as he aged and went to MLS, he had such a nose for goal.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Yeah baby! My only complaint was that his stamina and strength never really developed to the level I thought they should. 

Remember, the Evogen system means that subtle differences do occur, and while the player is a "regen" sometimes certain stats will be different.

On to the history:

3.6mil seems a trifle for what this guy brings to the table.

At this point, I often ran 2 at the top, with Drogba and Zlatan leading the line. I also did heavy rotation, and struggled at times to find the right ways to get my full quiver of strikers all firing at once.

Rarely injured, Not-Drogba was a monster in the biggest games, delivering a hat-trick not once, but twice in cup finals.

[akbrim]

Bald, Dutch, lefty, and loves to cut inside, this guy doesn't need Batman, it's ROBBEN!

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

He's fast, he shoots well, and he's the biggest reason I couldn't get my strikers going! The bastard wanted all the goals for himself!

Now for the sad part. Not-Robben just can't stay healthy. It seemed like he was always out of the lineup with a nicked forehead or a broken fingernail. Once I got him back from an injury, subbed him on in the 65th minute for his first appearance back, he score 2 goals in 10 minutes, then promptly twisted his ankle and missed another month.

Still, I just can't quit Not-Robben. When he's in the lineup, my squad is better, and I'll just keep waiting for the physios to clear him, time after time.

[akbrim]

This list certainly couldn't exist without CR7, and frankly I wouldn't want it to.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Again, a player who didn't develop the stamina I would like. Perhaps it's because I'm rotating so much? Who knows?

6.75mil is the cheapest you'll ever find arguably the greatest player in the world, and he's earned it several times over.

A monster on free-kicks, who developed into a lovely passer as well, much like Not-Robben, Not-Ronaldo is a big reason my strikers didn't score more.

My only complaint is that this particular version of the Portuguese phenom is a greed little bugger. I had to give him a new contract twice in ONE YEAR. 

Worth every penny, because I was able to retrain him to play all over the attack, and he's the first name on my sheet every match. 

[akbrim]

Falcao, a player I'm not nearly as familiar with in real life, mostly from watching international fixtures. Probably underappreciated on my part, and I suppose it shows in what happened.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Great stamina, bad teamwork, That ain't gonna fly on a squad with Robben, Zlatan, Drogba and Ronaldo competing for touches.

So I paid 1mil for him, and that's about the level of contribution I got.

After struggling on loan, and not ever making a big dent in the starting 11, I decided that if you hate something, set it free. Sold him for 26mil to West Ham and never looked back.

He seems to be enjoying blowing bubbles, so it's probably for the best.

[Ehrick_M]

??????

[akbrim]

One of my favorite players ever, the hard working, ridiculous, incredible David Villa. If you don't pay attention to MLS, he's still good for a screamer or two, and is one of the most passionate "retirement league" signings that has ever come to the states. His class, professionalism and dedication to his craft are a joy to watch.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Low stamina and teamwork again. He never really had a chance to break through for the Reds,

Injuries held back his development, and I was forced to move him at a loss. He did okay for Stoke, then Arsenal decided that they wanted my castoffs (again), so he's underperforming for them now.

This evogen is the cautionary tale. Just because it's a regen, doesn't mean it's going to be galactico.

[akbrim]

That's right, you know what's coming...

Dirty, dirty, beautiful Luis Suarez. Love him or hate him, you can't deny that he's an all world talent.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Another oddball evogen, the positions are a little different, and the physicals are a little reversed, but it's him.

Loaned out a couple of times after paying 5mil, he developed beautifully and became the first sub off the bench for a couple of years before I shipped him to his natural Catalonian habitat for 115mil.

I didn't need the cash, but it seemed a waste to have him hanging out on the bench. Plus, he's a biter... Ewww

[Nick11]

Nice article . Enjoyed reading it . I used Drogba's regen alot . 

You missed out on Samuel Eto's regen . I remeber him appearing in every save after 1-2 year & he used to devlop very quick . 

[akbrim]

34 minutes ago, Nick11 said:

Nice article . Enjoyed reading it . I used Drogba's regen alot . 

You missed out on Samuel Eto's regen . I remeber him appearing in every save after 1-2 year & he used to devlop very quick . 

Oh, he's coming. And I was the 1 vote in the FMM 2017 Awards for Eto as Favorite Regen

[akbrim]

By popular demand:

An early regen, and one I'll be on the lookout for in FMM18, the versatile Samuel Eto'o!

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

 

BEAST. This guy was easy to retrain to every position in my front 4, and he played them all. great pace, good stamina, he scored a few goals, but his consistent creation in the AMC role was a joy to behold.

Snapped up on a Bosman, he made an instant impact. I milked his form for all it was worth, then sold him to Barca for a cool 100mil when my Messi regen was ready to be promoted.

10/10 would regen again.

Edited November 8, 2017 by akbrim

[akbrim]

Another early regen, he'll always be a favorite of mine, forever flying through the air to beat Spain with his head. The glorious Robin Van Persie!

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

No amount of begging, pleading or cursing at the gods could raise his stamina beyond 10. with no teamwork, and so little Positioning he barely knew which goal to shoot at, he was never a truly elite option for this stacked roster.

Even with all my complaining, I still made a little profit, and I'll always remember RVP fondly, even if his regen annoyed the crap out of me.

[akbrim]

Show of hands, how many of you even remember this guy exists now that he's been in China for a while?

Sure, he took the money and ran, but that doesn't mean Carlos Tevez can't still ball out with the best of them.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

I never managed the real Tevez, but let me tell you, with 20 Technique, 20 Decisions, and all of those beautiful green stats where it matters, Fede Vietto was a real treat to put in the lineup.

I sold him for a tidy 80mil profit to some little French club, but he'll always be remembered as one of the most dominate number 10s to ever suit up at Anfield. Wow, just wow.

He made everyone around him better, and while he complained a lot about my intensive training methods, when a big game was on the calendar, he strapped on his big boy boots and came to play.

Another casualty of regen-Messi getting promoted to the first team.

[akbrim]

Speaking of...

The great one. The left foot to end all left feet, Gifted beyond measure, words fail to describe the diminutive genius that is Lionel Messi.

A maximum of 200 PA according to iScout, the only player in the game who can make that claim.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Meet Jose, he's only 21, but boy is he shiny.

He developed quickly, and so far, I have to say this evogen might end up better than the original.

Purchased for a pittance, he's just starting his career with the Reds, but the word is out already.

I don't think you need me to tell you that a front 4 of Zlatan, Ronaldo, Robben and Messi at the 10 is very, very, very effective.

I'm thinking that before this save is through, I'm going to use @BatiGoal's TKO formation and see just how many goals I can score if I put everyone in at once.

[BatiGoal]

5 hours ago, akbrim said:

I'm thinking that before this save is through, I'm going to use @BatiGoal's TKO formation and see just how many goals I can score if I put everyone in at once.

Not the easiest tactic to work with but goodluck with it and let us know how it goes

[UKFootballScore]

Awesome read :-) thoroughly enjoyable

[samhardy]

Interesting stuff here. Suarez' regen can't play on the wing!

[akbrim]

3 hours ago, UKFootballScore said:

Awesome read :-) thoroughly enjoyable

Thanks! I normally don't go intentionally for regens, so I figured I'd go all the way once just to see what I could do. 

1 hour ago, samhardy said:

Interesting stuff here. Suarez' regen can't play on the wing!

Yup ? 

Major disappointment there, wanted him out right to flank opposite Ronaldo, but he wasn't having it ? 

[salohcin]

Great stuff you got here! A unique idea indeed! Well done man!

[akbrim]

43 minutes ago, salohcin said:

Great stuff you got here! A unique idea indeed! Well done man!

Thanks! More coming later today I hope. A couple of dominant midfielders. 

[veerus]

Wait, I thought the evogens on the new system didn't have to exactly match the nationality or position and yet that's all you've shown in this thread... Have you ever seen any mismatches?

[akbrim]

21 minutes ago, veerus said:

Wait, I thought the evogens on the new system didn't have to exactly match the nationality or position and yet that's all you've shown in this thread... Have you ever seen any mismatches?

I really haven't. It's possible that I missed some guys, and there are a few decent young guys that have entered the world that I don't have a quick comparison to, but all of the world class evogens I've seen matched nation and foot. 

Certain stats are always the same (via iScout) such as hidden stats like big matches and injury proneness, but others like workrate, finishing and all the visible ones are different each time. 

I did about 40 reloads on the day Messi regened just to see how the system works. It seems that position can vary slightly, age range from 15-24, and while PA is consistent, CA is totally random, as low as 60 and as high as 140 depending not on on age of regen, but pure chance as well. 

For Messi, he was always green left foot, yellow right, with natural striker and AMR, but AMC varied from red all the way to green. His creativity was sometimes as low as 11, and as high as 19.

I like the way it's implemented, because even if you know who the play is, it doesn't automatically mean that you know the best role for the evogen, or even if they will develop in the way you hope. Evogens are just like any other random new player. 

The one near cheat code I'm seeing is the players like Messi, Ronaldo and a soon to be named CM are nearly unstoppable on free kicks. If there's a direct line at goal, it feels like you can expect a score at least 80% of the time. 

This is a trait that is a hidden stat and definitely locked in. 

[akbrim]

Last on the attacking front:

Another guy who can be found early, and another HUGE disappointment for me.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

UGH. Low stamina, but that's not the problem. Look at that Teamwork! BALL. HOG. What good is 19 Passing if you never bring your teammates into the game?

On top of being a selfish ball-hog, The Brazilian show-off couldn't stay healthy to save his life. After 3 years of mediocre performance and general managerial angst, I shipped his sorry ass to France.

Your mileage may vary, but I'm not interested in dealing with his brand of play. 

[akbrim]

Moving on to the midfield:

Hello beautiful. Xabi Alonso is a player I was familiar with, but never truly appreciated until play FMM and learning more about the MC roles, and specifically the DLP role.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

What a sexy beast. Technique, Creativity, Decisions, Pace, Teamwork, hell even Leadership of top class.

Not-Xabi also benefits from the hidden stat Free Kicks, which you can see in the traits screen "Hits free kicks with power".

Holy cheese on a triscuit, this guy is a free kick monster. While Messi and Ronaldo's regens are great as well, I like to imagine that their beautiful arching shots bend perfectly into the corner.

Even with the limitations of the EME, I can easily visualize Not-Xabi stepping up to a dead ball and blasting it straight through the wall, as the incredulous keeper makes an easy save, only to be knocked into his own goal by the sheer force of will channeled through the laces of Antonio de la Red.

Can you tell I like the guy?

I got him young, and he took some time to develop, but El Rojo Hombre turned into a marauder of top class.

10/10 would Regen again. I ain't sellin' don't care who's askin'.

[akbrim]

A man who needs very little introduction:

The Maestro, Conductor, Weaver of Webs, Threader of Through-balls, Magnificently bearded, and put out to pasture in New York. An undignified end to a glorious career.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

The stamina may be a bit lacking, and I might have to sub him late, but that's a small price to pay for the level of control he exerts on the game. Everything just runs a bit smoother with him on the pitch.

For a big game, I like to put Not-Xabi Alonso at CM, with Not-Pirlo as DLP, with Not-Messi at the top of the triangle. 

A late bloomer (for my squad), last season was his first with the full team after 3 season on loan. I'm crossing my fingers that Pirlo will still be in FMM18, as he should be a quick regen that can be easily taken advantage of by most teams.

[akbrim]

Another monster of the midfield, Vidal is like an invading force storming through a breached wall. You can easily forget about the contributions he makes, but when he makes an entrance, whoooo boy.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

A good player, who made quite a few appearances for me, but I wanted a little more offense, and I don't usually use a BWM, I let him go.

He was good at what he did, but man did he know how to get under a ref's skin. 

No complaints, just not a great scheme fit.

[akbrim]

Moving on to the back line:

Danny didn't get a fair shake from me, as I was also really interested in developing Trent Alexander-Arnold, so RB was a clogged position.

Still, he deserves to be seen.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

I wanted more pace and Stamina from my backs, so obviously he wasn't a great fit. A definite Meh.

Still, it's not like I paid much for him.

[akbrim]

Another once great footballer who's living out his retirement in MLS. I didn't even realize he was still in the game.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA

Now "Come on," you say, "don't fall in love with a Wing Back!" 

It's my team and I'll do what I want! Just look at that PACE! The Stamina, the strength, the skills going forward! Poor bastard's been run into the ground, as I start him every chance I get.

Rarely injured, always looking to get a cross onto Not-Zlatan's head, and sneaky with his left foot if you leave him a window to shoot.

I didn't go looking for this guy, I just really needed some help and depth at Left Back and the gods saw fit to grant me this grace.

[akbrim]

2 more guys to show developed, and one more for the future:

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Hasn't cracked the first team for me yet, as Donnarumma's in his prime now.

FAST-FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2025!

Nicely developed and ready to start working into first team rotation.