Ultimate thread: Have you enjoyed FM09 as much as you would have hoped?

It has now been 5 months since the release of Football Manager 2009 and I feel that is enough time to build up a deep opinion of Football Manager 2009.

I would like you to answer the poll and post a small (or large) explanation. I don't recall having one of these simple polls so this is the place for you to exclaim your opinions.

I would have to sit on the fence and say that I have enjoyed FM09 'to some extent' as it has kept me playing and I have always been drawn back to it. There are a few areas that have let me down that I explained in my thread but I have still enjoyed FM09.

edit: Could someone edit my title please

Simply put, yeah. Im still relatively new to FM, i started on FM06, which i simply loved. FM07 was great, i wasnt all that keen on FM08 but i love FM09. I think its a bit system intensive, but all modern games are, so i cant really complain. Apart from "injury spouts" i dont have anything to complain about, i simply love this game! If only i was better at it!

This is still by far the best game out there. For me to be walking about during the day wondering how me and my team are going to progress. Well that says it all to me

Sadly, I just haven't been able to get into this game as much as previous versions, so it has to be a no from me. There's just something missing from the game this year which I can't quite put my finger on that makes long term saves less enjoyable. This has completely turned me away from the game, & it's uninstalled now

I now spend all my FM time on FM Live.

I went for the middle.

Taking the question literally I would have had to tick 'no', but in all fairness my hopes regarding FM are always on a severely unfairly high level

I'm happy with the game, yet I do have my opinion on where I would like to see it improved (not talking of new features).

This is still by far the best game out there. For me to be walking about during the day wondering how me and my team are going to progress. Well that says it all to me

same here, fantastic game

Sadly, I just haven't been able to get into this game as much as previous versions, so it has to be a no from me. There's just something missing from the game this year which I can't quite put my finger on that makes long term saves less enjoyable. This has completely turned me away from the game, & it's uninstalled now

I now spend all my FM time on FM Live.

Strangely it has been the opposite for me, I struggled to get a long term game going last year but this version has kept me going much further. I think the improved regens have definitely helped it for me in the long term games.

After playing it full on since release the only thing that grates on me now is the animation in 3D, I didn't expect more than what we got and I'm happy with it but I'm starting to want better and more realistic player movements etc.

Edit: Also the whole AI transfers still need looking at. They never buy young top quality talent, after 7 or so seasons the majority of squads are full of over 30 which really annoys me considering the game is built on realisim.

This coupled with clubs paying 30million for players that sit on the bench makes a mockery of the whole system after a few years. This, IMO, really needs to be sorted out for FM10 as the regens are now of top quality, allowing for long term games, however the AIs way of playing the game long term is just sub-standard.

definitely yes

I have really enjoyed this release, especially after discovering the LLM ethos. However, I still think there is room for improvement on a few things without implementing anything massive for the next edition.

I had stupidly high hopes of FM09 that haven't quite been matched. I've enjoyed it, though.

I'm going to have to say no. The major new features such as the 3D view and the press conferences have been a total disappointment for me. I did not expect or want FIFA style graphics or anything like that but I did expect much better animations. Basically, I didn't expect it to feel like a football game from early 90's.

Removing the arrows made sense but not giving us any other new instructions didn't. I would also say the match engine in FM09 is a disappointment. Not that it's bad but really, how much progress has been made in that department in the last couple of years? How much is the match engine better than the one in FM07, if it's better at all?

It's still a good game but definitely not the best in the series IMO so I can't help but feel disappointed about it.

I have found it somewhat enjoyable, my Laptop says otherwise.

1st time I've bought from the FM series, I've always played this game on the old PS2 called 'Let's Make A Soccer Team!'

Wierdly enough, I splashed the cash because of the 3D on the box!

Soon enough changed to 2D classic

Have I enjoyed it...

Hell yeah!

When I summarize the experience I've had and are still having a great time. The end product is the best FM yet imo. I have only one major gripe, which is really with the gaming industry in general and not restricted to this game. The latest FM is likely the last game in any category I will ever buy until the last patch has been released. There are surely many factors involved and I am no expert when it comes to the process involved. At the end of the day though, as a consumer I just won't accept paying full price for a beta product on release day.

I've thoroughly enjoyed FM09 so yes.

The strangest thing though is that I've only one save on the go, whereas normally I would have several as per previous releases. I've really got into this particular save and just can't pull myself away from it.

I wasn't particularly concerned about the 3D match engine when I bought the game, though I now view all my matches using it and feel that it's been a great addition, especially after the last patch.

When I summarize the experience I've had and are still having a great time. The end product is the best FM yet imo. I have only one major gripe, which is really with the gaming industry in general and not restricted to this game. The latest FM is likely the last game in any category I will ever buy until the last patch has been released. There are surely many factors involved and I am no expert when it comes to the process involved. At the end of the day though, as a consumer I just won't accept paying full price for a beta product on release day.

Thats a great point to make, cos its so true. You get the feeling that FM09 on day one really was just a beta. I mean, why not beta test the game for a month or two before release? its how xbox games are made, why not PC?

Not sure what it is with this version but it's way to addictive. My bro thought i was chatting rubbish when i said that to him when he hadn't played it yet but then when he did he understood what i was saying. There is just this feel to the game, little thing's are set out easier in way of the interface & with the new feature's as well (which will get better in time) it's added a new dimension to the game & more enjoyment. People who say this game has been ruined for whatever reason may not just like the change's that are being implemented to help take this game further, yes the match engine isn't perfect but then what footie match engine is? How many people who play this play Fifa 09 or Pro Evo & shout at the screen for something to be wrong but still play it? THIS IS THE ULTIMATE FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT SIM!! Nothing will come close to this (where did champ man run off to?)

In fairness though I can't think of any recent PC game release that's not required a patch of some form or another. It's the unfortunate way that the industry is heading I'm afraid.

Some would say vote with your wallet, but if the masses do that, then inevitably the PC games market will fade away in favour of the consoles. I've already begun to see that here in Spain. MEDIA MARKT is a massive electrical store near me that has probably the biggest overall gaming department and selection of anyone around the city of Granada. Over recent months, the selection of PC games has literally halved in favour of expanding the selection of console games.

as much as it's enjoying, it can also be anoying, small thing's such as bugs and to many press conferances which are same old all the time, no variety or choice of answers..

It's a fantastic game but it's FM so you expect it to be great. There are a few things that could be improved but still loving it!

Once I overcame the daunting challenge of getting to grips with all the new additions and changes to the game it has become the most enjoyable and immersive game in the series for me, bar none. This is down in no small part to the dramatic improvements in the match engine.

Absolutely yes! Much, much better than FM08 especially after the last patch and the much improved match engine.

Looking forward to FM10

Much more than I expected. Due to where I live, I had to wait a month to receive and begin the game, by which time the first patch was out. I'd read so much negativity on this forum that my expectations were very low. I didn't even expect to be able to use the 3D.

True, I started with the nightmare of activation, but once I was up and running (and immediately patched) I was absolutely thrilled, and have remained so. The remaining bugs and irritations are minor ones for me, and the 3D is utter heaven.

I'm now getting excited about the developments in FM10, but that doesn't take away my enjoyment of FM09; I just wish I had more free time to play.

Ive loved it even tho it is hard i still love it

its great extra features make the game more realistic. however, due to the fact i started with celtic, i find myself doing the same old same old every season. i wish the game didn't charge so much for next gen greats!!

I have enjoyed FM09 as much as I hoped.

I had to borrow a tactic though in order to get going on the game, and when I managed to understand the game a bit more I tweaked that tactic with excellent results - took about 3 months though!

For future FMs I would like to see less reliance on the tactical side of the game for success...

So far, i have no complaints. Except a couple of problems with freezing, which has been resolved.

Things to look at:

Just explain in real terms what each tweak of a slider will do.

Things to look at:

Just explain in real terms what each tweak of a slider will do.

Looking already - coming in FM10!!

I have voted Yes as now the 9.3 patch is out I beileve this is now the best version in the series and I am really enjoying it. The activation was a complete nightmare though so I'm hoping SI have learnt their lesson for FM10.

I've always had trouble getting into a long term game and getting bored after 7-8 seasons then starting again but I'm currently on my 14th season with AFC Wimbledon and loving it due to the high quality of regens

I've gone for 'To a certain extent' simply because it took me so long to get into the game.

If you'd asked me a month ago I would probably have said no, but I'm now really enjoying my Sunderland save. I think getting to grips with tactics since the removal of arrows really stunted my enjoyment of the game. In 9.1.0 my strikers simply played terrible no matter what I did, which sucked much of the enjoyment out of the game for me. Then when 9.2.0 was released my midfielders seemed to play very poorly, but my strikers we're better, so that was something. This was also the point at which I decided that a one tactic approach simply was not going to work any more.

In previous FM's I'd offset the fact that a one tactic approach was becoming less successfuly by lowering my expectations. I would always still manage to build one balanced tactic that allowed me to slowely progress and simply concentrate on improving my squad. This was how I enjoyed playing the game.

In FM09 I found this impossible, and for a while this was very hard for me to take and led to massive frustration with the game for me. I then spent a fair while making four versions of the same tactic and switched them as and when was necessary. To my amazement I found that I actually enjoyed this way of playing more, reacting to situations and changing my tactics to effect the game was much more satisfying. I'd worried that playing this way would be much more time consuming, but in fact it wasn't.

Then 9.3.0 was released and my tactic set that I'd spent so much time creating, and had taken so much enjoyment from seeing work, suddenly became worse than useless. So again I was completely frustrated with the game, and after trying to tweak my tactics had no joy at all, so I wrote myself a big thread about it on here as I really was disappointed.

After stepping back and starting from scratch I found the original weaknesses in my tactic that seemed to have been exposed by the new patch and turned it around, to the point where my tactic set actually seemed more effective than before.

So I'm now loving the game again, but it's been a rollercoaster ride for me this time round.

when i first started playing it, i didn't really enjoy it whatsoever.

Now with the updates, i really do enjoy playing it

I've gone for 'To a certain extent' simply because it took me so long to get into the game.

If you'd asked me a month ago I would probably have said no, but I'm now really enjoying my Sunderland save. I think getting to grips with tactics since the removal of arrows really stunted my enjoyment of the game. In 9.1.0 my strikers simply played terrible no matter what I did, which sucked much of the enjoyment out of the game for me. Then when 9.2.0 was released my midfielders seemed to play very poorly, but my strikers we're better, so that was something. This was also the point at which I decided that a one tactic approach simply was not going to work any more.

In previous FM's I'd offset the fact that a one tactic approach was becoming less successfuly by lowering my expectations. I would always still manage to build one balanced tactic that allowed me to slowely progress and simply concentrate on improving my squad. This was how I enjoyed playing the game.

In FM09 I found this impossible, and for a while this was very hard for me to take and led to massive frustration with the game for me. I then spent a fair while making four versions of the same tactic and switched them as and when was necessary. To my amazement I found that I actually enjoyed this way of playing more, reacting to situations and changing my tactics to effect the game was much more satisfying. I'd worried that playing this way would be much more time consuming, but in fact it wasn't.

Then 9.3.0 was released and my tactic set that I'd spent so much time creating, and had taken so much enjoyment from seeing work, suddenly became worse than useless. So again I was completely frustrated with the game, and after trying to tweak my tactics had no joy at all, so I wrote myself a big thread about it on here as I really was disappointed.

After stepping back and starting from scratch I found the original weaknesses in my tactic that seemed to have been exposed by the new patch and turned it around, to the point where my tactic set actually seemed more effective than before.

So I'm now loving the game again, but it's been a rollercoaster ride for me this time round.

I read your problems with your Sunderland save.

It did seem obvious that you needed to start over from scratch now knowing what the problem areas where. Its good to hear you have worked them out.

As recently as last night i started a new game with Salzburg (one of my fave teams) so im looking forward to the challenges that await me with them. I love waiting to see if i need to create a new tactic and fine tuning it until it works. I micro-manage EVERYTHING. I study and study and study until it works or doesnt (depending on what factors are at fault) and then create something that does

I have to admit I was expecting the gameplay to be a bit better. But I've still enjoyed FM09 the same as the others. Sure certain things can fixed and I wouldn't mind the press conferences being fiddled with a bit.

Overall, I'm still glad I shelled out the money for it and, for the majority, its been worth it. Now all I need is a laptop upgrade though.

Yes, that fair (though I had to buy a new PC to play it!), ......and have hated the DRM more than I ever imagined I could!

Yes, Its the best game of its genre by far in my opinion.

Hard to master (at least so far) Frustrating at times but ultimately as close to real life as I can imagine.

Fantastic depth and superb detail, yes there are flaws but head and shoulders above the competition.

I didn't enjoy it until 9.0.3 however it could be that I just gained at better understanding of tactics after playing FML which I now dislike, so everything has gone full circle.

I didn't enjoy FM08 so much and never really got a good long-term save going. I've loved FM2009 though, and so far I can say its the best of the series.

After reading few TT&F and Simplicity recently I have grown to really enjoy Football Manager 2009 (9.3.0) but the problems I listed in the big thread stil remain. My advice would be to really stick at one save game as that is how most people who complain about 'not getting into the game' can be cured.

I have enjoyed FM09 but not as much as I had expected I would, the release date problems, Arsenal's over-ratedness in the earlier patches and the "Bojan Bug" meant it's taken me a good 6 months to get into the game properly. I think the game has suffered from ridiculously high expectations, partly because of us consumers but SI are in no way guilt free here.

Since the 9.3.0 patch come out i have enjoyed it alot more but did enjoy it.

Very good game

if id have hoped for a game so buggy it takes 3 patches then yes, but i didnt hope for that

It was a bad idea to buy the game on release because we all know what a shocking state it was in, and even after 3 patches I don't think the game is of an acceptable standard. The amount of unfixed bugs is a disgrace, and I certainly won't be wasting any more money on this series until SI sort themselves out and show they are prepared to finish a game to a high standard. I'm sick and tired of the same old promises that things will be fixed in the next version.

More than I thought I would. Up there with CM99/00

It was a bad idea to buy the game on release because we all know what a shocking state it was in, and even after 3 patches I don't think the game is of an acceptable standard. The amount of unfixed bugs is a disgrace, and I certainly won't be wasting any more money on this series until SI sort themselves out and show they are prepared to finish a game to a high standard. I'm sick and tired of the same old promises that things will be fixed in the next version.

Fully agree with this post. Wouldn't be surprised if FM10 didn't sell a lot.

I finally got a computer that could handle FM09 last week, and am now coming to the end of my first season with Liverpool.

My thoughts from my first week of play is that its a good game, but its one that I am finding it very hard to achieve any level of consistency on. I'm Liverpool, and currently in fourth place, but all too often I find that I (a) have 20 shots to 3 and still draw/lose, or (b) play utterly terrible, for no apparent reason.

I appreciate that its probably my tactics and the fact that I just dont appreciate the complexity of the tactical side of things (which after playing every football manager iteration since 93/94, I thought I did), but still, surely it shouldnt be too hard to get some consistency in performances? I have developed a set of tactics to switch between in match situations, but still it almost seems to my mind to be a game of scissors, paper, stone, where if you pick the wrong one you get stuffed. Hopefully its something I will come to terms with though.

There are little things that grate as well, like Wenger tapping up Torres, Gerrard and Alonso, which is unrealistic in the first place, and to add insult to injury, them being flattered and willing to consider any offers forthcoming! Or the puzzle of just how you get AMR and AML to bother to close down. Or too many shots cannoning off the crossbar. But they are minor...

Overall, I would say its a good game, but also a frustrating one. I just hope I can come to terms with it!

It hasn't been as enjoyable as I had hoped because of various things like press conferences and team talks which have not been developed properly, a less than brilliant transfer market and an unintuitive tactical system. That, coupled with the bugs and the unrealistic player behaviour which we saw before the latest patch improved things to some extent has made the experience rather a disappointment.

It has now been 5 months since the release of Football Manager 2009 and I feel that is enough time to build up a deep opinion of Football Manager 2009.

I would like you to answer the poll and post a small (or large) explanation. I don't recall having one of these simple polls so this is the place for you to exclaim your opinions.

I would have to sit on the fence and say that I have enjoyed FM09 'to some extent' as it has kept me playing and I have always been drawn back to it. There are a few areas that have let me down that I explained in my thread but I have still enjoyed FM09.

edit: Could someone edit my title please

i recently moved from xbox which i really liked for years as id never owened a computer,initially i thought fm09 was extremley difficult but after my 3rd game i am offically the greatest manager that has ever lived..i thought it would b much harder than it it so im just a little disapointed:(.

I think the Match Engine of FM09 is the greatest simulation of football this brand has produced.

I think the Match Engine of FM09 is the greatest simulation of football this brand has produced.

Couldn't agree more