Directors of Football...their role is??

Not entirely sure of the role of the Directors of Football in FM10.

I am playing the demo as manager of Notts County and I haven't had any kind of news/involvement from Sven. You can't even click on him to show a profile, not entirely sure that this should be correct as I could easily see Sven managing a club sometime soon.

Do the Directors of Football have any role to play on FM?

DoF's don't do anything in FM, they are just names.

But don't you think they should have a role to play? Either getting in the media to talk about your success, future transfers etc?

How much media attention has Sven had over the last 3 months?

They should but don't. Sven's had slightly less attention than when he was England manager.

Yeah, I think they should have a role to play. I have no doubt that Schmeichel, Campbell, Hughes etc were all convinced to come by Sven.

However, I doubt many people would be happy if they started getting involved in transfers, often an area people enjoy most.

I don't think they should be involved in buying - maybe recommending or commenting on players signed?

Recommending could be a good idea. Not sure about commenting on signings though.

Even just a simple comment from the player as a reason they are joining the club due to the DoF or somebody else in the club perhaps?

Commenting is already kind of done, albeit by the board rather than a DoF.

Recommending sounds good, but that's also similar to 'Backroom Advice' I guess.

Commenting is already kind of done, albeit by the board rather than a DoF.

Recommending sounds good, but that's also similar to 'Backroom Advice' I guess.

Well maybe they should act as a head scout informing you about all of the scouts reports highlighting the good players\talents or if you are managing in Italy or Spain they handle the negotiations if you don't have enough influence in the club.

The more realism the better - they should have a role and influence the game, whether it be transfers or anything really. DoFs should be small in number though, but if you do well and get a good rep at the club, the DoF can leave and you have full control.

Fun comes over realism for me. To be honest, if I had someone else doing transfers for me, I wouldn't play the game.

That role is definitely something I would like to see expanding on. In a lot of other countries there are managers and head coaches with one handling recruitment and contracts and the other training and matches.

Definitely some scope for something there.

Although this may be realistic, I reckon the majority of users would prefer to control everything rather than a selection of things.

I agree that maybe more players should want to go to the club with a high profile DoF, but imo their roles shouldn't go too much further than that.

No, of course not. Don't be so ridiculous.

I meant shirt colours, mascots and cheerleaders

That role is definitely something I would like to see expanding on. In a lot of other countries there are managers and head coaches with one handling recruitment and contracts and the other training and matches.

Definitely some scope for something there.

Couldnt disagree more. SI seems to forget that this is a game. Recently added features like press conferences and team talks might be realistic, but they are tedious and boring.

If SI and some players want realism:

Make the game play out in real time...that way..through leading practices and scrimmages, managers can become expert on their teams and tactics. Boring to play at most two matches in a real week? Its realism!!

Include suspensions due to drugs and violence. Wait..thats TOOOOO real for SI and some others.

Make league rules adjustable at the start of each new season. Rules change IRL. Why must 2010 rules carry over into new FM seasons?

Lets look at ways to make the game more fun and flexible. That way the realism ascetics can have a game they love while others who like to play differently can also have a fun game.

"I reckon the majority of users would prefer to control everything"

Like Ticket prices, hot dog stands, and new stadium capacity?

Whats the matter with wanting to control stadium capacity? As a player of the game, I would like to control my entire budget so I can direct it where I will think it will do the most good..within budget. The whole board device is arbitrary and frustrating and often times completely illogical and unrealistic.

That role is definitely something I would like to see expanding on. In a lot of other countries there are managers and head coaches with one handling recruitment and contracts and the other training and matches.

Definitely some scope for something there.

Well, will it be likely that this role would be expaned for FM 2011?

Couldnt disagree more. SI seems to forget that this is a game. Recently added features like press conferences and team talks might be realistic, but they are tedious and boring.

Then skip them if you don't like them. Press "Send Assistant" for press conferences and "Ask Assistant" for team talks.

The bottom line is that the game contains more than enough things to enjoy. When you first join a club and have a press conference, there's usually a question asking how much you intend to be involved in the running of the club. And that's exactly the point: FM doesn't force you to pay attention to every single little thing, and with things like the Basic/Advanced modes for tactics, you don't have to fiddle around with slider settings if you don't want to.

If you find the game so intolerable even with the variety of features and ways to be involved through the gameplay, then FM probably isn't for you. If your idea of a fun game is something that allows you to boot home twenty goals and exercise direct control of your own players' movements, then get a game that allows you to do those things.

Blanchflower1 - Ter's a skinner, so I dunno what input he has on the dev side!

Bababui - Managers do not have a say in new stadium capacity. Nothing wrong in wanting to control it, but it's not the manager's job to tell the board how to spend THEIR money in the club's coffers.

On your reply to Ter:

1) Are you implying the game isn't fun? Then, why are you playing?

2) Press Conferences and Team Talks are perfectly valid, and no-one says they are perfect, I like the side of it. Press Conferences are much more fun when you're in a network game I think, but both of these aspects of the game are important. SI are constantly reviewing and improving these aspects (well Team Talks can be debated)... version on version. If you don't like it, get your AssMan to do it.

3) Suspensions for drugs and violence are in the game.... it just doesn't apply to 'real' players.

4) League Rules adjustable - impossible due to licences.

5) Fun and flexible - Hello. New Editor for creating leagues? Tactics creator getting rid of the sliders when creating tactics?

I'm increasingly getting the idea that FM is not for you.... What's wrong?

Its becoming clearer that besides stadium capacity that managers IRL also can have little say in transfers..PING: Newcastle et.al...yet FM doesnt reflect this reality; there is no reason why a FM manager cant and shouldnt control his entire budget just because it would be fun if desired.

FM 2007 was fun..each succeeding iteration is weighted down with mundane boring tasks which only slightly mirror reality and are frankly boring.

How do you know that League Rules are inflexible due to licenses? Have you read the contracts? If they are indeed inflexible after the first season, SI should fire their lawyers or dump licenses altogether as they arent needed for simply listing teams and players. Logos are a different matter.

Fun and flexible? FM 2010 dropped the option to edit EU status in the DB. They have dropped the ability to nickname players (not a big deal, but why??). Foolishly limiting some coaches to specific roles (GK or fitness etc) then limiting the number of coaches we can hire. A devastating handicap in lower leagues. For some reason, they fail to include an in-game editor. This makes fixing mistakes in existing games impossible. Its also an indication that customers dont factor very highly in SI planning.

why are you guys feeding the dam troll, just let him starve ,

why are you guys feeding the dam troll, just let him starve ,

Valid criticisms arent trolling. Attack the arguments; not the arguer.

Yeah, think I will now. His post history is riddled with slagging SI off for things not being the way he wants, and his contempt is probably driven by his annoyance that, living in America and all that, he bought WWSM (which compared to FM in patch terms) was poor.

Shame, really.

Message boards are for a discussion of ideas. You confuse dissatisfaction with contempt. You are also seemingly unaware of the programming philosophy of former SI partner Markus Heinsohn. His programming philosophy is "Its your game, play it like you want." and he makes his games as open-ended as possible. If we could take his philosophy and marry it with this great game, the end product would be magnificent. Custom games. Historic games. Utterly realistic games. All would be possible.

Bababui - From what you've posted on before, its clear that the game you are looking for is:

Pick up and play, and Tycoon Football Macro-Management.

For that, I feed you the devil

PS: Failing that, try FHM instead.

Im enjoying my the conversation Lucas. I am lobbying for an OOTP approach to FM. There are quite a few OOTP fans here..many American..who discovered this game because of that game. Is it wrong or trolling to ask, moan or beg for some of the options in that game??

League Rules are inflexible due to licenses because its well documented that SI don't put in league expansions for example (extra subsitutions on the other hand are a different matter). Besides, FM is not a time machine.

Your points on 'fun and flexible':

FM 2010 dropped the option to edit EU status in the DB.

- Not to my knowledge, but in any case, EU nations are EU nations, I don't see the point in adding Brazil into the trading bloc. You can create leagues and remove foreign restrictions as I understand.

They have dropped the ability to nickname players (not a big deal, but why??).

- Nobody really used it.

Foolishly limiting some coaches to specific roles (GK or fitness etc)

- Not foolish at all. Plenty of coaches only work in specific areas. Ray Clemence is/was (dunno if hes still there) often quoted as England's GK coach.

then limiting the number of coaches we can hire. A devastating handicap in lower leagues.

- Budget reasons and common sense. Besides, it would give unfair advantage over the AI if you could just poach all the coaches.

For some reason, they fail to include an in-game editor.

- SI have never been a fan of editing or 'cheating' - they don't include in game cheats either and they disable saving the game when you've started a match.

This makes fixing mistakes in existing games impossible.

- Like what?! Injuries? Stadium capacities? Finances? Pfft.

Its also an indication that customers dont factor very highly in SI planning.

- Don't be ridiculous. The fact that they interact on here is unheard of when you think of other major devs.

PS. If it irks you so much, then I suggest you go back to FM07 like you prefer, so you can use your 'Diablo' Tactic and win 10000000x times.

You misunderstand.

Besides adding Brazil, by 2014 nations such as Russia and Turkey might be EU nations. Why cant we edit them in??

Nobody used nicknames?? A couple mods posted in the thread that they use them and are sad they are gone.

Coaches are limited to certain roles in BIG clubs. In the game, I have come across coaches with high ratings in a few catagories; but because of the artificial limitation at a small club, they cant take advantage of these ratings.

Editing can be used for far more than cheating. This SI policy is needlessly inflexible and doesnt add to the fun of the game. If you dont want to use the editor, you dont have to. But to take it away from others is wrong IMO.

Markus was never an original part of SI - he was invited to join the company on the back of his success with OOTP. Markus left the company after just one release of OOTP under the SI banner. I'm sure he's left his mark, the Editor is a step in that direction.

Messageboards are a discussion for ideas but your tycoon suggestions have been suggested to death and there are many, many reasons already debated why most of them are not a good idea.

Football Manager is a SIMULATION, don't forget.

and to suggest SI are saying 'play it our way, or the highway', that is such a farce. The game can be played in as many different ways as you like. But as I said, it is a simulation, hence why SI don't go for the ingame cheats and things.

My point is; how the game is played should be the choice of the customer; not SI. That way we can all play the game in our unique ways. The game cannot be played in as many ways as I like for reasons listed above. And please stp throwing the word 'cheat' around. You are a bright man and can easily think of several instances where an in-game editor can be used without cheating.

it be good if SI do somethink with this like, if you manage a club with a dof he might not do anythink but at other clubs they might try and override you on transfers somethink like that.makes the game more real

Complimentary, yet condescending at the same time!

But in all seriousness, what is the point of an in-game editor? I'd be interested to know what you think is a valid reason; because the game gives us enough tools within the game to succeed and whatnot. Boundaries coded into the game (lets say, limits on coaches) are there for a reason. It can become quite frustrating and some circumstances might permit leeway in cases (lets say you're a ManCity and would rather use excess wage budget on staff if the board won't let you have more than say 3 coaches. But why you would want more than 26 coaches at a world class club, I don't know.)

I apologize if I came off as condescending. Not my motivation at all.

I never play the top leagues. Im a Leigh Genesis fan. I know this is proof that I am not only a fool but insane as well.

Here are a couple instances when an ingame editor might be useful IMO:

Change kit colors when you get tired of them

Overturn that 3 match suspension for that red card picked up in a match against your reserves

Edit the name of Leagues and Competitions to their real names

Add things like stadium expansions and/or moves

Add real life transfers

Add real life injuries

Allow the user to mirror real life staff changes

Allow for future rules changes

Allow for clubs to be edited down for financial reasons

Add a player at any time in a game

Add a team at any time in the game

I like the idea of active DoFs. May be their role could be in acquiring players who would normally not be interested in your club.

So you could ask them to try and persuade players, otherwise unattainable, to join the club. Or they could recommend players who they believe that they could attract to the club and you pick the ones you prefer.

This would get over the problem when sometimes a player dismisses your club because he thinks you can't afford his salary when you can. The DoF has a word and 'bingo' he's yours!

DoF's don't do anything in FM, they are just names.

Sometimes I wonder if they do a whole lot in real life too

mmm, cheerleaders. Can we view them in 3D Mode?

When it gets really sophisticated, we could do with female leagues so we can see them swap shirts at the end of matches!

Haha, the Tampa Bay Bucaneers were at the Watford game on Friday, little treat for the crowd

Really? Girls with six packs

I think the best way of starting to implement DoF involvement would be to see him as an extra scout - albeit one who works on his own, and you can't send all over the world on scouting missions. This would allow for the 'contacts' aspect that a lot of DoF's are trumpeted as bringing to a club when they come into post to be shown.

Perhaps it could work through the new 'Backroom Advice' feature (which is excellent, btw). Could also work for staff, as well as players - and, perhaps even more interestingly, if you as a manager have a low reputation, and have a board who are the type who will try to sign players for you, they could take their reccomendations from the DoF - which of course could open all kinds of cans of (media) worms about 'who is in charge of the club?' etc.

In short, as Ter said, there is plenty of room for things which could be added, and would add a hell of a lot to the game

Me? I'm just glad that Hailsham Town haven't got a Director of Football

TBH, I think all DoFs should just be put in as scouts. See Nicky Hammond at Reading as the prime example- DofF irl, scout in game. It works well, and requires no extra coding.

That role is definitely something I would like to see expanding on. In a lot of other countries there are managers and head coaches with one handling recruitment and contracts and the other training and matches.

Definitely some scope for something there.

In most clubs in Brazil, it's the director of football that takes care of the transfers, with the head coaches recommending the players they are interested in bringing in.

In the game, it could work like this: let's say you want a central defender, you make a list of five names in order of preference (within certain parameters, like value, realistic targets, etc) and then the director would negotiate with the players, trying to bring in at least one of them.

Of course, this should be optional, for those that want to play the game with more realism. You should still have the option to play as a manager, with total control over transfers. This way nobody would complain.