Game Rules
9. Mental skills and talents

Unlike other player skills, mental skills are not gained through training. Instead a percentage of a skill is given to each player each day. Staying alone in training on that day will give you a higher percentage. When you reach 100% you will get a skill point, which you can use to allocate in any of the given mental skills. There are 9 mental skills in total described below:

Anticipation: The ability of the player to change his current action and to realise that his current action is not the optimal one. The higher the anticipation skill, the faster the player will realise if his current action is not the optimal one and the faster he’ll change his current action.
Composure: The ability of the player to recover from a previous action. The higher this skill is, the faster the player will recover from an action he just completed and the less time he gets “locked” into position doing nothing.
Concentration: The ability of the player to asses the situation in the field and act accordingly. The higher his concentration, the faster the player can read other players’ positions on the field and act accordingly.
Consistency: The ability of the player to perform consistently with his ability. The higher this skill is, the lower the chance of the player to perform below his current skill abilities. When underperforming players will get a penalty to all their skills during a match, the more consistent players having a lower chance of that happening.
Decisions: The ability of the player to decide what the best course of action is. The higher this skill is, the higher the chance of the player realising and making the best course of action available to him.
Flair: The ability of the player to make unexpected moves. The higher this skill is, the higher the chance that the player will get a boost on all his skills during the next minute. This check is made every minute and the boost the player gets is a fixed percentage to his current skills.
Bravery, Creativity, Influence: These mental skills do not have any practical use during the match, but they are used as prerequisites to learning different talents.

9.1 Talents
Talents are special moves your player can learn that allows you to be better in some areas of the game at the expense of being worse in others. There are 51 talents in the game and you can view all of them in the “Mental Skills” page on the right hand menu of the “Player / Training” page. Each one of the talents has an appropriate skill point cost attached to it and some skill prerequisites you must fulfill in order to be able to unlock it (for example, you cannot take the “Inspired” talent unless you already have 90 Decisions and 90 Concentration and 15 skill points to pay the cost of the talent).
You can take how many talents you want, but you will only be able to use a maximum of two during any game. You can activate them by going to the “Match Orders” page under “Player” in the top menu and selecting “Talents” in the right hand menu. You cannot activate two talents of the same type (i.e. two talents that have the same beneficial effect) during the same game (for example, you cannot activate “Powerful Free-Kicks” and “Super Powerful Free-Kicks” at the same time).
Also, you need to know that talents have 5 levels. The higher their level, the more often they will be used during a match. To increase the level of a talent you must activate it for your matches. Each match you play with the talent active will give you one level of talent. Each match you play without the talent active will decrease it’s level by one.
There are two types of talents: general talents and positional talents, described below.

9.1 General Talents
These talents can be taken and used by everyone. There are 37 general talents described below. You should know that the second, stronger type of talent always has a bigger advantage and disadvantage and also bigger prerequisite requirements (for example “Crowd Pleaser II” gives more morale at the expense of more composure, concentration and flair than “Crowd Pleaser I”; it also has more requirements).
Crowd Pleaser I and II: These talents give morale to the player’s teammates (all of them, but not himself) at the expense of some of his Composure, Concentration and Flair. They cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Winds Up Opponents I and II: Winding up opponents means that you will increase your opponent’s chance of committing a foul against you, but you will also increase your chance of getting a yellow card when you commit a foul. They cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Diver I and II: Diving will also increase your opponent’s chance of committing a foul against you, but you will also increase your chance of committing a foul while you’re dribbling (diving is penalised after all). They cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Stops Play I and II: When stopping the play, the player will gain Game Vision, Concentration and Decisions at the expense of his Speed, Positioning and Composure. These talents cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Powerful and Super Powerful Free-Kicks: Taking powerful free-kicks means that the player gains a bonus on Finishing and Long Shots when taking free-kicks, while at the same time taking a penalty on Technique on his free-kicks. These talents cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Technical Free-Kicks I and II: Technical free-kicks are the opposite of powerful ones. The player gains a bonus in Technique when taking free-kicks, while his Finishing and Long Shots are reduced at the same time. These talents cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Outside Foot Crosser: Outside foot crossing means that when a player crosses he does it with his outside foot (that being the one farthest from the center of the pitch, meaning when crossing from the right side he will use his right foot). This will improve the direction of the player’s crosses, but will reduce the ball speed when crossing. It costs 5 skill points.
Substitute Hero: This talent gives a player a bonus to all his skills only when he enters the field after the 60th minute. It has no penalty other than the fact he must always be playing less time in order for this to work. Substitute Hero costs 15 skill points.
Equalizer: Equalizer gives the player an even bigger bonus to all his skill, but only if he enters the field after the 80th minute and his team is down by 1 goal. This talent costs 25 skill points.
Lightning Speed: Lightning Speed is calculated by the minute, giving it a random boost on the player’s speed and positioning, but when it activates it also incurs a penalty in game vision as well as extra fitness losses. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Aggressive I and II: Aggression of a player means that he is going to get a boost to his stamina and a boost to his tackling and heading while confronting the opposite players, but will take a penalty on speed, game vision and positioning while playing. These talents cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Dribbler I and II: Taking the dribbler talent will give you a boost on your dribbling and technique while taking a penalty on your speed, concentration and decisions. These talents cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Every man for himself: This talent will make your player play better when your team is winning. He gets a boost to all his skills if your team is leading and will take a penalty to all his skills while your team is down. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Sore loser: This is the opposite of every man for himself, meaning that the player gets a bonus to all his skills when his team is down, while getting a penalty to his skills when his team is leading. It costs 15 skill points.
Inspired: Inspired makes your player get a bonus to all his skills while playing with a rating of 6 and higher while getting the same penalty while playing with a 5 or lower rating. Inspired costs 15 skill points.
Auto-motivator: Auto-motivating players get a bonus to all their skills while playing with a 5 or lower rating, but take the same penalty when playing with a 6 or higher rating. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Utility-Player I and II: This talent reduces the penalties you normally take while playing in a different side or position from your player’s, but you also take a penalty on your concentration and speed. These cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Terrace Hero: This talent will get you a bonus to your team’s home attendance while taking a penalty to all your skills during the match. The maximum attendance boost in a single match can be achieved with 5 “terrace heroes” anything more than that won’t give you any more bonus. This talent costs 25 skill points.
Second Wind: Second wind players get a bonus to all their skills in the last 15 minutes of each half and a penalty to all their skills in the first 30 minutes of each half. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Initial pressure: This talent gives the player a bonus to all his skills on the first 15 minutes of each half, but it also incurs a penalty to all the player’s skills on the last 30 minutes of each half. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Slider tackles: Sliding tackles means that your player will get a bonus to his tackling skill while tackling. This talent also increases the chance of your player to give away fouls and to get booked. This talent costs 5 skill points.
Technical Finisher: This talent increases your player’s technique at the expense of his finishing skill. It costs 15 skill points.
Powerful Finisher: This talent increases your player’s finishing skill at the expense of his technique. It costs 15 skill points.
Motivator: This talent increases your team-mates’ confidence. When they become overconfident, they receive a decrease in confidence instead. This check is made every minute and it incurs a penalty on your player’s composure, concentration and flair. The talent costs 15 skill points.
Efficient and Superb Long Shooter: These talents increase the player’s long shots skill at the expense of his technique. They cost 15 and 25 skill points respectively.
Technical and Super Technical Long Shooter: These talents increase your player’s technique skill at the expense of his long shots. They cost 15 and 25 skill points respectively.

9.2. Positional Talents
These talents are specific for a certain position on the field and have an effect only if the player is playing on that position. For example, if you have the “Sticky gloves” talent, you will only get it’s effect if you play as a goalkeeper. If you play as a defender you will no longer get it’s bonus (note that your current favourite position does not count, meaning that if you are a goalkeeper and you play as a defender you still won’t get the talent’s effects). There are 18 positional talents, described below:

9.2.1. Goalkeeper talents
Eccentric: Being eccentric means that you get a bonus on your out of area and agility skills, but you incur a penalty on your throwing and handling skills. This talent costs 5 skill points.
Sticky gloves: Sticky gloves gives you a bonus of handling and out of area and a penalty on your reflexes and agility. It costs 25 skill points.
Area boss: This talent gives a bonus on the positioning, game vision and concentration of all your team’s defenders at the expense of your concentration, anticipation and out of area skills. It costs 5 skill points.
Penalty stopper: This talent gives you a bonus to all your skills while defending a penalty kick and incurs a penalty to all your skills the rest of the game. Penalty stopper costs 5 skill points.
Set pieces expert: This talent gives the player a bonus to all his skills during set piece situations and incurs a penalty to all his skills in the rest of the match. This talent costs 5 skill points.

9.2.2. Defender talents
Sticky marker: This talent gives the player a bonus on his positioning in marking situations and incurs a penalty on the player’s speed. It costs 5 skill points.
Defender boss: The defender boss gives every other defender in the team a bonus on their positioning, game vision and concentration and incurs the same positioning, game vision and concentration penalty on himself. This talent costs 25 skill points.
Area defender: This talent improves the player’s tackling and heading when he is positioned inside the area and incurs a penalty on his tackling and heading while outside the 16m area. It costs 15 skill points.
Defending air stopper: This talent gives the player a bonus on his heading skill and incurs a penalty on the player’s tackling and composure. It costs 15 skill points.
Marauding Wingback: Being a marauding wingback means that you take a bonus in your dribbling, technique and crossing skills and a penalty in your tackling, heading and positioning. This talent costs 5 skill points.

9.2.3. Midfielder talents
Distributor: The distributor takes a bonus in his short passes and long passes skills and a penalty in his positioning and speed. This talent costs 15 skill points.
Midfield organizer: The midfield organizer is the player that gives a positioning, game vision and concentration skill bonus to every other midfielder in your team and takes the same skill penalty for himself. This talent costs 25 skill points.
Air stopper: This talent gives your player a bonus in heading and a penalty in your player’s game vision, short passes and long passes. It costs 15 skill points.

9.2.4. Forward talents
Super Technical Finisher: Technical finishers prefer placing shots instead of powering them in. This talent gives a bonus on your technique while incurring a penalty on your finishing skill. It costs 25 skill points.
Super Powerful Finisher: Powerful finishers tend to blast the ball behind the net. This talent gives a bonus on your finishing skill while incurring a penalty on your technique. It costs 25 skill points.
Tower and Target Player: These talents give you a bonus on your heading skill, while incurring a penalty on your speed and finishing skills. They cost 5 and 15 skill points respectively.
Influential Striker: The influential striker is the player that coordinates the team’s attacking players. This talent gives all the other forwards a bonus on their positioning, game vision and concentration skills and incurs the same penalty on the player. It costs 25 skill points.

9.3 The psychologist
The psychologist is the part of FootStar that allows you to unlearn talents and mental skills. You can find it under the “Psychologist” page in the right hand menu of the “Player / Training” page. There you can set a daily investment of interaction points and a mental skill or talent you can choose to unlearn. The more interaction points you invest into the psychologist the faster you will unlearn a skill/talent. You can see your current progress on the Unlearning Progress bar. When the bar reaches 100% you will have been successful in unlearning the mental skill/talent and you will get the respective skill points back. After that you can reallocate those skill points wherever you want.


Previous SectionAll rules in the same pageNext Section