Do you find FM too easy?

I cant be the only one out there that finds FM to be an easy game? I'm a big fan as a lot of you are & I go back as far as CM 93/94 when Robbie Earle was one of the top stikers in the game. But I buy FM every year & usual start the game with either Derby or Burton. And I find with Derby I can be a top 4 side within 3-4 seasons & I've once achieved with burton in the FM 08 addition to get them to the premiership after 5 seasons & I won the UEFA after 7 seasons, I must admit, I can couldn't get them to a top 4 side though, probs coz of the low stadium count. I never cheat, but just make sure I have the best staff I can possible, get rid of the riff raff & but good young players where I can. I also surpose buying all the bargain buys & wonderkids helps, but this wouldn't happen in real life.

I surely cant be alone that thinks??? Does anyone else think that they should make the game more realistic with how a teams grow & develop?

No I don't think its easy.

I've never got Stockport past a Championship play off semi final yet, and that was on FM09 when I was robbed by Bolton in one of those 'the ball will go anywhere but the net' games.

I like it the way it is.

Perfect for me. Still a challenge and played every version.

No I don't think its easy.

I've never got Stockport past a Championship play off semi final yet, and that was on FM09 when I was robbed by Bolton in one of those 'the ball will go anywhere but the net' games.

I find though, if you search hard enough & bring in foreign players, you can get players that are future wonderkids there are prepared to go to championship sides. Thats why I love being a championship side coz after 1 season if you dont get promoted, you have a mid table premiership side playing in the championship & when you then get promoted you are still building & usually finish quite high in the 1st season of the prem.

I just find the FM game to be too predictable, dont get my wrong, I love the game, but I just find its predictable wot will happen....

... For example: I will start with Derby in FM10 & within 1-2 season I'll get promoted, then finish about mid table in my 1st season in the prem, next season I'll get into europe finishing about 7th, then I'll be a top 4 side.... Guaranteed!!!

Yeah I do find it's quite easy to have enormous success with lower league teams in long term games as you say. Whatever is it that stops teams having the same success in real life, which I suppose is mostly financial and also not being able to attract decent players, should be made more challenging IMO. I think the game does a good job in short term games though, it's difficult to overachieve in the first season.

I think it is maybe a bit easy to take a small club up the divisions, but like you said becoming no 1 in the country is hard work, usually takes me about 6-7 seasons with Newcastle to establish them at the top.

Its been discussed before, but if the rules regarding stadiums being of a required standard to enter a higher division were implemented it would probably make the game more realistis, but there would be too many complaints on these forums I reckon.

Not really, at my success rate I have the occasional triumph or great run of seasons with smaller teams but more often then not I fail to achieve much, its a case of sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Its much harder to stay at the top if you're not a superclub. I've managed it in 09 but that was just because I was fortunate to get a most exceptional bunch of players between 18-20/1 within the space of a few years. Once they started declining I've remained a 'there or thereabouts' club but proper triumphs have been far harder to come by, even more recent titles have been much closer than before and non-consecutive so clearly that was an exceptional run which I'm unlikely to ever come near again. Plus it always starts with trying to get promoted which is definitely very tough even with a well-assembled squad.

Robbie Earle wasn't a striker. He was a midfielder.

Robbie Earle wasn't a striker. He was a midfielder.

yeah, but in the 93/94 edition of CM he use to play stiker

I find the difficulty level perfect I hope FM10 retains the same difficulty level.

Oh right. Weird.

In a word, no!

I cant be the only one out there that finds FM to be an easy game? I'm a big fan as a lot of you are & I go back as far as CM 93/94 when Robbie Earle was one of the top stikers in the game. But I buy FM every year & usual start the game with either Derby or Burton. And I find with Derby I can be a top 4 side within 3-4 seasons & I've once achieved with burton in the FM 08 addition to get them to the premiership after 5 seasons & I won the UEFA after 7 seasons, I must admit, I can couldn't get them to a top 4 side though, probs coz of the low stadium count. I never cheat, but just make sure I have the best staff I can possible, get rid of the riff raff & but good young players where I can. I also surpose buying all the bargain buys & wonderkids helps, but this wouldn't happen in real life.

I surely cant be alone that thinks??? Does anyone else think that they should make the game more realistic with how a teams grow & develop?

How do you find the players & staff that you sign?

I find some parts very easy. Getting promoted with any club is normally easy if you can survive the first 1 or 2 seasons in a league. I can get a bottom of the lowest league team into that countries top league, but generally not back to back promotions. I generally find winning the top league in a big country fairly difficult, those teams in the CL have a lot more money and more importantly better reputations.

Despite that I find the game can still be frustratingly difficult at times. Mainly due to a (perceived maybe) lack of feedback about why a game went against you, or a player played poorly.

on FM09 doing well with a low level english club is quite easy. I also made my own team, put them in the BSN and got consecutive promotions till I reached the CCC. Couldn't get to the premier league though. Great to see layers coming through my ranks and playing for me in the league or selling them for 3-4 million.

Is it easy? I would say no. I had to work hard to get where I did and games were by no means easy.

Got to say that I don't find FM09 too easy. I have enjoyed many seasons with "lesser teams" trying to improve them and build a squad that can take the step up - but only done it once with AFC Wimbledon. Currently enjoying a love-hate saved game with Bolton where I have built an awesome squad (for bolton) and cannot seem to get the team to gel and progress.... But as long as they don't make the future games easier, I'll keep buying them.

Despite that I find the game can still be frustratingly difficult at times. Mainly due to a (perceived maybe) lack of feedback about why a game went against you, or a player played poorly.

That's my main gripe. You can spend ages looking at your tactics and faffing about with the liders etc, then lose 3-0 and you can't even ask your assistant 'WTF happend there?'

You should be able to ask your assistant to do more than just your team-talks, because somtimes you might not spot something conflicting within the individual instructions that could kill you.

The ast man could almost be a de-bugger.

HAHAHA!

With all intended respect (love how people say that just before they insult someone ....)

Your complaining its to easy/predictable when you do the same thing year in year out?

Why not go random? start unemployed? Adjust your starting rep etc....

Of course you will generally eventually win. Human intelligence will always trump the AI in the long run, as they dont hunt and horde young talent like we do, cant think and react like we can... *sigh* one day... then people will complain that they cant beat a computer... . Will never please everybody huh?

Why dont you quit your job after taking them to the top and see if you can bring another team and then trump your old one, see who will come with you etc.... there are plenty on ways to spice up your games. Heck, bother off to another country all together! Win different cups and so on. The steam achievments will also help add incentives!

The thread title is an oxymoron. "FM" and "easy" should not appear in the same paragraph, let alone the same sentence

I would say it's just fine. At some clubs I find it easy at others I find it a good challenge

I find it a bit too easy aswell, but many find it too hard ,soo i wouldnt recommened FM change it! Im sure the new tactics wizard will make things harder!

Im a little concerned the new tactics adviser and backroom staff advice will contribute to making FM10 too easy. What do you guys think?

The level of difficulty is spot on and I hope this continues.

personally I have struggled to get to grips with the tactics on 09, I've played it for a whole year and still dont understand everything!

My only particularly successful game was with Fiorentina where I won Serie A for 2 of the first 3 seasons but then made the mistake of taking over from Fergie at United when their squad was average and eventually lost interest.

I wish my wife was this easy.

Oh wait, she is.

Football manager is the perfect challenge.

It furiates and rewards in equal measure....hence how i end up playing for "just one more hour" into the early morning

maybe try not using search bars and filters and just using your scouts. Maybe you do that already but that would help I guess. For me I find it hard enough, I plod along and get a promotion or 2 but I never play a game ong enough to do what you do with Burton unfortunately, definitely plan to with FM10 though

I often find myself struggling in the first couple of seasons (which is why I often enjoy the first couple of seasons the most), but then after I get the tactics right and obviously am superior to the AI in the transfer market.. it does become quite easy to constantly do better and better.

That's really why the game could, in my opinion, use some kind of risk factors when it comes to scouting talent (variable attributes would be a start) and perhaps even training (my main gripe here is there's really nothing you can do wrong here, thus your players will always develop well as long as you play on a high enough level.. also I think training should affect things like team gelling and such. Training just needs more depth to it than the current sliders offer IMO.). Not to mention it's pretty easy to make a profit just by buying and selling the average talent.

This game is very challenging so it is not easy!

How can you say it’s too easy? It depends on your own goals! I would like to see you manage an IFA Premiership team, and get them to win the Champions league, within, lets say 10 years.

How can you say it’s too easy? It depends on your own goals! I would like to see you manage an IFA Premiership team, and get them to win the Champions league, within, lets say 10 years.

I agree with this; it is easy to make the game as challenging or straightforward as you like. Pick a top 4 team and the game will be straightforward, pick an obscure team and the game will be more difficult.

stop buying the same old garanteed wonderkids then... easy

How can you say it’s too easy? It depends on your own goals! I would like to see you manage an IFA Premiership team, and get them to win the Champions league, within, lets say 10 years.

My Regensburg team (not IFA, but should be a challenge surely realistically), which makes a total of about 4 million euros from ticket sales in a season, is coasting towards the second consecutive 1. Bundesliga championship (2015/16 season) without losses so far. I haven't had any "same old guaranteed wonderkids" from the original database either, just the best newgens I've managed to scout. Actually my team only has three players that actually exist in real life. (Emiliano Viviano, Hamed Namouchi, and my only original Regensburg player Emre Güral )

I'm not a very good tactician either. I just spent a good amount of time scouting and kept improving the squad by a good amount every year. So yes, I do think the game is fairly easy in this regard (obviously after the initial learning curve, which is indeed quite a steep one). Surely it should be a massive challenge to rise from say Blue Square South to Premier league champions, but honestly it isn't that hard.. (as many have proved with the various challenges organized on this forum.)

I play the game in lower leagues nowadays, but still manage to keep winning.. just takes longer to build the team up because of lack of reputation and money.

My Regensburg team (not IFA, but should be a challenge surely realistically), which makes a total of about 4 million euros from ticket sales in a season, is coasting towards the second consecutive 1. Bundesliga championship (2015/16 season) without losses so far. I haven't had any "same old guaranteed wonderkids" from the original database either, just the best newgens I've managed to scout. Actually my team only has three players that actually exist in real life. (Emiliano Viviano, Hamed Namouchi, and my only original Regensburg player Emre Güral )

I'm not a very good tactician either. I just spent a good amount of time scouting and kept improving the squad by a good amount every year. So yes, I do think the game is fairly easy in this regard (obviously after the initial learning curve, which is indeed quite a steep one). Surely it should be a massive challenge to rise from say Blue Square South to Premier league champions, but honestly it isn't that hard.. (as many have proved with the various challenges organized on this forum.)

Yes. that isn’t that difficult. I will grand you that. But manage a team from a league with low rep! And make them the best in the world! That’s the most difficult thing to do imo

Do that and I will kneel before you, my master!

Yes. that isn’t that difficult. I will grand you that. But manage a team from a league with low rep! And make them the best in the world! That’s the most difficult thing to do imo

Do that and I will kneel before you, my master!

Tempted to try with FM10 eventually , I'm already planning to use the editor to add the Finnish 2nd and 3rd divisions...

I cant be the only one out there that finds FM to be an easy game? I'm a big fan as a lot of you are & I go back as far as CM 93/94 when Robbie Earle was one of the top stikers in the game. But I buy FM every year & usual start the game with either Derby or Burton. And I find with Derby I can be a top 4 side within 3-4 seasons & I've once achieved with burton in the FM 08 addition to get them to the premiership after 5 seasons & I won the UEFA after 7 seasons, I must admit, I can couldn't get them to a top 4 side though, probs coz of the low stadium count. I never cheat, but just make sure I have the best staff I can possible, get rid of the riff raff & but good young players where I can. I also surpose buying all the bargain buys & wonderkids helps, but this wouldn't happen in real life.

I surely cant be alone that thinks??? Does anyone else think that they should make the game more realistic with how a teams grow & develop?

I think you are being unrealistic to be honest. If you got Derby up and then finished mid table, in real life the manager would be applying for bigger jobs at bigger teams. He would never in his right mind stay, he would be snapped up by a bigger club. David Moyes from Preston to Everton for example. If Moyes had stayed Preston would have been promoted by now and would have had every chance of establishing themselves in the Prem under Moyes.

However Moyes moved to Everton and will probably move to a bigger club in the future, which is far more realistic.

Try starting unemployed and try and build your own career rather than just one club, try and move up the leagues with different clubs, it is a much fresher challenge

I see you've started this thread which has been closed.

Is it any wonder you find the game easy if this is how you go about playing it

FM is the right difficulty I like how S.I put it and mate its not easy depending what team you are.

The game becomes easy long-term because it is stat based, and as such the user being blessed with human intelligance will outfox the computer AI who will take into account player reputation for a purchase - even if they are 35 and crocked - rather than spot that precocious 18 year old with perfect stats.

If you get through the first season, you're usually set. But that doesn't mean FM is too easy - more that it's not actual football!

The game becomes easy long-term because it is stat based, and as such the user being blessed with human intelligance will outfox the computer AI who will take into account player reputation for a purchase - even if they are 35 and crocked - rather than spot that precocious 18 year old with perfect stats.

If you get through the first season, you're usually set. But that doesn't mean FM is too easy - more that it's not actual football!

it cant be easy you need to have intelligence to make it easy some might find it hard some might find it easy and it depending on your team and its harder for long term because the players might have over confidence.

I have a face its easier start early mid season then end season because you have to keep them happy and ect and if you don't do the right stuff they will miss one of ones and ect.

Football manager is the perfect challenge.

It furiates and rewards in equal measure....hence how i end up playing for "just one more hour" into the early morning

Exactly.. Spot on my friend. i could easily play from when i wake up untill like 8 or 9 in the morning the next day. further actually. i think its just right.

i mean, imagine if it was identical to real life. it would be pretty god damn pointless going a blue square team if it was literally IMPOSSIBLE to move up the leagues and improve. the non league sides release half their squads every season and only the ambitious ones move up.