Haha thanks
I figured it might benefit other players as well, so here is another question answered which marcnelson22 sent as a pm. If anyone sees anything that they think is incorrect, please post it!
i was just wondering if the potential ability is what the players will go to if i just leave the training as it is or do i need to do training aswell becasue i have never done that before
Potential ability (PA) is a fixed number (so it
cannot change unless you edit the data with a dataeditor) set by the game and you can kinda see it like the 'budget' the player is allowed to spend on attributes. The PA is the maximum amount the CA can reach.
Current ability (CA) is a variable number (so it changes) that can increase if a player is trained and plays enough matches or decrease if he doesn't.
The rate at which it changes is also very dependent on the players mental traits. They are hidden in game (though scouts can give some vague information about it), but are viewable in Genie scout. (ambition and professionalism are the traits that influence it, as well as the players age)
An easy overview is given in the bottom left of the player screen on genie scout, indicated with 'Ability', as you can see below.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/schermafbeelding2011061s.png/
If the box before 'show potential attributes' at the top is unticked, this table shows you the CA the player has at the moment, the players PA and the players progress rate. The progress rate is a measurement made by genie scout which includes the players professionalism and ambition
If we now tick the box before 'show potential attributes' (see below), the table in the bottom left will show a different CA. Namely, the CA that genie scout expects the player to reach at his peak. To calculate the maximum CA, genie scout not only takes into account the progress rate but also other factors like training facilities (I am not sure which other factors exactly are included), so if a player with a low CA and high PA is at a 'bad' club, his maximum CA will probably not be equal to the PA. But when you sign him and you have better training, he is likely to reach his PA. (Note that the calculation done by genie scout is
not perfect! Though it gives a rough estimation)
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/schermafbeelding2011061d.png/
As you can see, this player has a very high progress rate and is therefore very likely to reach it's PA.
The following player (see below), however, has a low progress rate. His CA is therefore very unlikely to reach his PA. In fact, he does not even come anywhere near it. This shows of how great influence the progress rate is. Also, I have to note that regens start with different CA's, and sometimes a player with a low CA, high PA and decent progress rate will not reach his PA, as the player does not develop quickly enough.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/schermafbeelding2011061.png/
So no, the PA is not what players will go to if you just leave the training as it is. However, the CA that Genie scout shows, if you have the box before 'show potential attributes' ticked, is.
To further answer your question: Yes, it is advised to edit the training. You do not have to edit the training schedules if you do not want to/do not know how to, though signing better coaches is
highly recommended as they greatly influence the development of your players. If you want to know how I can explain you
