I'm starting the lists! Credits for the information go mostly to @countvronsky from FM Match Lab's discord. I'll keep updating this post with feedback I get below.
for REALISM 1. download FM24 Increase Realism Megapack OCTOBER UPDATE (10.10.25) FINAL VERSION.zip from https://fmdaveincid.com/old-downloads/, put the contents in editor data"; if you start the season in 2024 or 2025 instead of 2023, you might also need 24_25 season fixes or 25_26 season fixes from the zip file that you downloaded 2. to improve the match engine by nerfing gegenpress + other changes that make AI take better decisions + etc.: download FM Match Lab v1.4 (player ratings revamped).fmf from https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/, rename it to simatch.fmf and put the contents in steamapps/common/Football Manager 2024/data/; optionally, you can use the FM Tweak's match engine manager to change between match engines
3. to improve training (including for AI) and nerf the "7x Recovery, 1x Quickness, 1x Match Practice, 1x Attacking" exploit: download training.fmf from https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/, put the contents in steamapps/common/Football Manager 2024/data/game_simulation 4. the in-game editor to remove unhappiness ; you can't have a bunch of pussies around (of course, to use it to add realism or save time in any way you want to) 5. for editor data, also add the missing competitions https://master1gor.github.io/FMSites/FM24/FIFA/readme.html; for example, if starting a game with Romania you'd add the file from FIFA_Club_v24.5 and also UEFA_v24.7\ROU 6. see here https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2024/essentials if you need anything from "FM24 Expanded Leagues and Nations" for the nation you've chosen to play in 7. fix name licensing issues: https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63651/fm24-real-name-fix
This is for example how your graphics/ folder should look like if you organize everything nicely under a new subfolder named faces/. You should have there DF11 Megapack, Daveincid and Regen content.
Does FM Match Lab handle counter-attack and low-block tactics properly now? Also, I’ve read that it didn’t completely remove the pace/acc meta but just nerfed it. What exactly does that mean? Can you elaborate a bit more? So with the new Match Lab, does that mean we can’t just rely on pace and acceleration anymore when evaluating players? Are attributes like vision, passing, and technique more important now?
Hi, thanks for your reply. Actually, I’m the one who asked those questions on Discord, and I’m surprised that nobody else seems to care about this topic
I’ve read that answer and all the blog posts as well, but I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the explanations. I’ve been following the background mechanics and META testing of FM since FM21. The long standing issue with FM’s match engine is this: a player with high Pace and Acceleration doesn’t just run fast, he also somehow becomes an excellent finisher, a great passer, highly technical, and even good at marking, even if all those attributes are below 10. When you watch a match in full detail instead of just highlights, this becomes even more obvious.
Now, the FM Match Lab team claims they’ve fixed this issue by increasing fatigue and injury risk in pace heavy tactics. However, they also admit that Pace and Acceleration are still hard coded METAs and can’t be changed. To me, that doesn’t really solve the core problem. Even if you increase injury risk, a player with high pace/acceleration or strong physical stats can still perform marking, tackling, and passing actions effectively, regardless of their actual attributes (even when using a low-block tactic).
So I’m curious: what’s your personal experience with the FM Match Lab engine in this regard?
Also, I’d like to share a topic-related mod, it removes the UEFA ban on Russian teams in the game: https://sortitoutsi.net/content/65513/russia-and-belarus-back-to-life-before-war I’m not taking sides in the war, I’m just sharing this because I think it’s a useful fix for players doing Journeyman saves who end up getting a job in Russia.
Please provide links and feedback related to mods required to make fm24 perfect, visually and especially to increase realism!
I'm starting the lists! Credits for the information go mostly to @countvronsky from FM Match Lab's discord. I'll keep updating this post with feedback I get below.
; you can't have a bunch of pussies around (of course, to use it to add realism or save time in any way you want to)
. I already did it, so if you want it easier just put in steamapps/common/Football Manager 2024/data/ the simatch.fmf I attach here, together with simatchviewer-pc.fmf that you can download from here https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm24-audio-match-commentary.html
for REALISM
1. download FM24 Increase Realism Megapack OCTOBER UPDATE (10.10.25) FINAL VERSION.zip from https://fmdaveincid.com/old-downloads/, put the contents in editor data"; if you start the season in 2024 or 2025 instead of 2023, you might also need 24_25 season fixes or 25_26 season fixes from the zip file that you downloaded
2. to improve the match engine by nerfing gegenpress + other changes that make AI take better decisions + etc.: download FM Match Lab v1.4 (player ratings revamped).fmf from https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/, rename it to simatch.fmf and put the contents in steamapps/common/Football Manager 2024/data/; optionally, you can use the FM Tweak's match engine manager to change between match engines
BLOG POST EXPLAINING THE CHANGES TO THE MATCH ENGINE, VERY INTERESTING: https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/the-history-of-our-mod-a-changelog-of-all-patches-and-versions/
And afterwards, you can read here with the additional changes to the AI file and the physics file from the latest version: https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/
3. to improve training (including for AI) and nerf the "7x Recovery, 1x Quickness, 1x Match Practice, 1x Attacking" exploit: download training.fmf from https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/, put the contents in steamapps/common/Football Manager 2024/data/game_simulation
4. the in-game editor to remove unhappiness
5. for editor data, also add the missing competitions https://master1gor.github.io/FMSites/FM24/FIFA/readme.html; for example, if starting a game with Romania you'd add the file from FIFA_Club_v24.5 and also UEFA_v24.7\ROU
6. see here https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2024/essentials if you need anything from "FM24 Expanded Leagues and Nations" for the nation you've chosen to play in
7. fix name licensing issues: https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63651/fm24-real-name-fix
for COSMETICS & FUN
1. to improve UI: the Sas2025Final.fmf skin from https://www.mediafire.com/folder/kxim8w96s6dnv/Sas24; there's a folder there with explanation on how to install it; differences between the versions:
- Sas2025Final.fmf - The main skin
- Sas2025Final-Background (background selector)
- Sas2025Final-Hidden.fmf - With Show hidden attributes button
- Sas2025Final-Hidden-Background.fmf (hidden attributes with background selector)
2. to get 229,865 unique faces for players and staff, use this torrent https://www.mediafire.com/file/z14ns6tobskopz7/DF11_Megapack_FM2024_%252812GB_Torrent%2529.torrent/file, and put the files in graphics; more details here: https://www.df11faces.com/post/megapack2024-free
3. to get realistic faces for newly created players in the game: Regen Facepack https://ngregens.org/
4. for better sounds and audio commentary, to use the free version from here https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm24-audio-match-commentary.html together with the match engine modification FM Match Lab v1.4, you can follow the guide from https://fmsoundpack.wixsite.com/audio/instalation (section "Installing with other mods"
COSMETICS & FUN of lower importance
1. enhanced turf (the content will end up in art/ instead of graphics/) https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm24-enhanced-turf-textures.html
2. trophy photos https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm24-trophies-megapack.html
3. these backgrounds:
- https://sortitoutsi.net/media/3544535/download
- https://sortitoutsi.net/media/3544539/download
- https://sortitoutsi.net/media/3544543/download
- https://sortitoutsi.net/media/3544545/download
- https://sortitoutsi.net/media/3544541/download
main sources for cool FM24 downloads
https://www.fmscout.com/c-files24.html
https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2024
This is for example how your graphics/ folder should look like if you organize everything nicely under a new subfolder named faces/. You should have there DF11 Megapack, Daveincid and Regen content.
other stuff
if using Genie Scout with the above setup, then:
- @Orion's ratings file: Orion_coeff_FM_Tweak.grf from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rtpoT6LU8gtoxkZO7fVEXtlVYlB1ix8Y
- layout for Genie Scout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KPFZBn-I2TQphmFqeChH_00hKB0uYxG7/view?usp=sharing
if anyone wants Match Lab v1.4 merged with Sound Pack v3 (instead of version 1.5), here's the file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1usSjwkfoikFVVeVvBe5Ax0JH1iHOOXs2/view?usp=sharing
you can get the other file simatchviewer-pc.fmf (v3) from here https://mega.nz/file/GDgVSbLL#f2MbeRBuJFohzwhoMXPdq-_8WhHRO66CgY-a4qJiFRo
Does FM Match Lab handle counter-attack and low-block tactics properly now? Also, I’ve read that it didn’t completely remove the pace/acc meta but just nerfed it. What exactly does that mean? Can you elaborate a bit more? So with the new Match Lab, does that mean we can’t just rely on pace and acceleration anymore when evaluating players? Are attributes like vision, passing, and technique more important now?
They answered the pace/acc question on Discord, see the image I attached with the answer.
@Sanfierro also, please read these two in order to understand all the changes:
BLOG POST EXPLAINING THE CHANGES TO THE MATCH ENGINE, VERY INTERESTING: https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/the-history-of-our-mod-a-changelog-of-all-patches-and-versions/
And afterwards, you can read here with the additional changes to the AI file and the physics file from the latest version: https://fmmatchlab.co.uk/fm-match-lab-mods/
Hi, thanks for your reply. Actually, I’m the one who asked those questions on Discord, and I’m surprised that nobody else seems to care about this topic
I’ve read that answer and all the blog posts as well, but I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the explanations. I’ve been following the background mechanics and META testing of FM since FM21. The long standing issue with FM’s match engine is this: a player with high Pace and Acceleration doesn’t just run fast, he also somehow becomes an excellent finisher, a great passer, highly technical, and even good at marking, even if all those attributes are below 10. When you watch a match in full detail instead of just highlights, this becomes even more obvious.
Now, the FM Match Lab team claims they’ve fixed this issue by increasing fatigue and injury risk in pace heavy tactics. However, they also admit that Pace and Acceleration are still hard coded METAs and can’t be changed. To me, that doesn’t really solve the core problem. Even if you increase injury risk, a player with high pace/acceleration or strong physical stats can still perform marking, tackling, and passing actions effectively, regardless of their actual attributes (even when using a low-block tactic).
So I’m curious: what’s your personal experience with the FM Match Lab engine in this regard?
Also, I’d like to share a topic-related mod, it removes the UEFA ban on Russian teams in the game:
https://sortitoutsi.net/content/65513/russia-and-belarus-back-to-life-before-war
I’m not taking sides in the war, I’m just sharing this because I think it’s a useful fix for players doing Journeyman saves who end up getting a job in Russia.