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FM Synergy Lab — The Complete Guide

Build, read, and improve tactics with the 18-zone model and the SparkPlug engine.

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Video User Guide: A Short Overview

Table of Contents (Text Version)

1) The 18-Zone Tactical Grid

The Lab organises the pitch into 18 distinct zones. Every FM role and duty maps to specific zones, letting the engine judge spacing, coverage, rest-defence, verticality and overall balance. This framework powers the Synergy Score and the Tactical Audit.

The 18-Zone Tactical Grid
The 18-zone grid used for coverage and balance.

2) Reading a Player Cell

  • Circular Meter
    Role DNA (ATT/DEF ratio) — the ring shows the proportion of attacking vs defensive zones for that role + duty. It’s a footprint, not a score.
  • Neighbour Bar
    Neighbourhood influence — quick read of the surrounding pocket: more red = defensive neighbourhood; more blue = attacking.
  • Border & Glow
    Solid blue border marks the active player in that cell. Once all 11 are placed, a zone glow appears:
    • Green = optimal coverage.
    • Amber = overcrowded / inefficient (often fix by redistributing duties/lanes).
    • Red = uncovered, critical weakness. All red zones must be resolved before a tactic is considered stable.

2b) Mouseover & Hover Features

The grid is interactive — hovering a cell reveals extra context:

  • Zone highlighting: shows the role’s full DNA footprint across all affected zones.
  • Movement lanes: roles that drift or invert (Mezzala, IWB, IF) show shaded lanes/arrows.
  • Border emphasis: active cell border brightens before click.
  • Report context: hovering nodes/links in Passing Network & RDA maps highlights connections for clarity.

3) Building Your XI (Interactions)

Left-click

  • Active player: open the modal to change Role, Duty, Traits.
  • Empty cell (fewer than 11 players): add a player, then configure.
  • Empty cell showing red glow (with 11 placed): opens Zone Fix Suggestions with roles that would cover the gap and a projected change to your Synergy Score (raw delta). Resolving red cells is non-negotiable — they’re exposed zones opponents will exploit.

Why can a suggestion show a negative score?

If you already have 11, pressing “Try This” creates a temporary 12th to simulate coverage. The engine penalises this hard, so the projected score can go negative. That’s deliberate — it warns you not to add players; you should swap roles/duties to fix the gap.

Right-click

  • Active player: deactivates/removes them (the Goalkeeper cannot be deactivated).

4) SparkPlug Synergy Score

The headline rating (percentage + stars) of how well roles interlock across the 18 zones: spacing, links, vertical staggering, rest-defence baseline, and global balance. Use it to compare iterations — better scores should correlate with cleaner coverage and fewer flags.

5) Tactical Audit (Rules)

The Audit is a rules-based integrity check. It flags structural issues using clear principles:

  • Rule of Lines: aim for max 3 per horizontal line and 2 per vertical lane to keep staggering.
  • Maximum Occupancy: don’t exceed 3 in a single zone (amber glow often indicates inefficiency here).
  • Connected Triangles: ball-carrier should have two close options to maintain circulation.
  • Rest Defence Baseline: maintain at least 3 behind the ball-line in attack; protect both half-spaces.
  • Width & Height Balance: ensure wide occupation on both sides and sensible vertical staggering for progression and counter-security.

6) Reports & Visuals

6.1 Passing Network

Visualises likely passing links and their relative strength. Direct-ball arcs highlight braver distributions (e.g., SK or Regista). Click/hover nodes to isolate links and see how a role change ripples through the network.

6.2 Golden Zone Threat

Measures how well your tactic threatens the highest-value central zones (prime assist & shot creation pockets around the box and half-spaces). It correlates with chance quality rather than pure volume. Improve it by:

  • Ensuring central presence (AM strata, underlaps, or interior forwards).
  • Creating diagonal connections into the box (e.g., IW/IWF + SS, W + CM(A)/MEZ).
  • Maintaining a rest-defence 3 so attackers can hold aggressive positions without exposing transitions.

6.3 RDA Maps (Rest Defence & Rest Attack)

Show supportive/defensive shapes around possession changes. Dashed vectors mark movement from starting spots to computed “rest” positions. Use them to verify counter security and attacking support.

6.4 Trait Boost & Alignment %

Compares a player’s selected Traits to their role’s recommended tendencies. The Alignment % indicates how well their natural behaviours complement instructions. Use it to guide training and recruitment:

  • High alignment → role executes naturally; boosts consistency.
  • Low alignment → consider different role/duty, or train traits to reduce friction.

7) James — Your AI Analyst

Ask James targeted questions (“why is my right side over-committed?”, “how to add a rest-defence 3 without losing width?”). The Lab shares your grid/report context so replies are coach-level and specific.

8) Practical Workflow

  1. Lay out your base shape.
  2. Assign roles & duties with Role DNA and neighbour context in mind.
  3. Resolve all red glows via Zone Fix Suggestions (swap, don’t stack).
  4. Check the Tactical Audit against the rules above.
  5. Refine using Passing Network, Golden Zone Threat, and RDA maps.
  6. Use James for trade-offs and final polishing.

9) Where to Use the Lab

Access FM Synergy Lab (Beta) here: fmstreamed.com/lab. Watch breakdowns on the Streams page.

10) Support the Project

The Lab is free, but AI and hosting aren’t. If it’s helped you:

Support on Ko-fi

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