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One thing in Hattrick that seems very strange to me is that you can train your players only in one single skill. So I made a list of changes which would make the training more realistic.

1. Trained skills depend on played position and individual orders

It is quite obvious that players should train the skills they use on the field.

Some examples:

• GK - Keeper
• CD - Defending
• OCD - Defending (70%), Playmaking (30%)
• WB - Defending (70%), Winger (30%)
• OIM - Playmaking (70%), Passing (30%)
• OW - Winger (60%), Passing (20%), Playmaking (20%)
• F - Scoring (70%), Passing (30%)
• FTW - Scoring (40%), Winger (40%), Passing (20%)

The set pieces taker improves his set pieces skill, let’s say he will gain one level per season. (no more set pieces “factories”)

If a player is used on two different positions in one week the training is split.
Example: CD / OCD -> Defending (50%) / Defending (30%), Playmaking (20%)

Every player trains the skills he needs the most. The famous “multiskilled players” will be the rule, not the exception.

2. All players are trained at least a bit

I don’t like the fact that I buy a 20 year old forward whose skills won’t change for the next 10 seasons because I don’t train scoring or that I have to sell 90% of my passable youth pulls because they don’t fit in my training scheme. All players that get to play in your team should receive some training. That doesn’t mean we have to give up the old system completely.
My suggestion is that you can focus your training on defense, midfield, attack or stamina.

Defense: 70% training for your defenders and your keeper, 30% for the rest of your team

Midfield: 70% training for your midfielders, 30% for the rest of your team

Attack: 100% training for your forwards, 30% for the rest of your team
(forwards are trained faster, since you can train less players; this means forwards reach high levels faster, but they will also loose levels earlier when they get older)

Stamina: same as now, only stamina is trained, form drops

It will take more time to reach high levels in a mainskill, but I don’t think this is too bad. Instead of buying a “world class” forward who will stay on this level until he gets old, you might now consider to buy a cheaper 20 year old “brilliant” forward who will (thanks to 30% training) reach “world class” at the age of 25.

3. More training for the first team

Playing league games should not only give more experience but also better training than friendlies. A young player cannot become a superstar if he only gets to play in the second team. If players that played only in a friendly or cup game get only 50% training, this would be a reason to give one or two young players a chance in your first team.
A player that took part in both games should receive 120% training and lose a bit more stamina.

Of course it’s much easier for teams in the lower leagues to play 17 year old talents in their first team. The better teams will have to buy players that reached a certain level from those teams.

Summary

• Every player is trained in the skills he needs the most. -> multiskilled players
• A player’s skills develop during his whole career, not just in the first seasons.
• To reach “divine” in a skill will be much harder than now.
• You decide with your lineup what skills you train.
• You can still put a focus on defense, midfield or attack, according to your playing style.

I know that this would be a big change to the game and that the numbers would require a lot of tweaking by the HT-gods to achieve a new balance but I think it would be worth the effort. Maybe it would be possible to change the system gradually from 100 % | 0 % to 70 % | 30 % over three seasons.

Comments are most welcome!

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