Changes to FM 11 and onwards- a vote...

The problem with GD especially around every new game or new patch release is the vitriol being spewed from every corner with nobody prepared to back down and take a moderate or considered view. That seems something few people could argue against, its "this game is rubbish i paid my money and as a consumer i'm disgusted" etc etc .vs. "its your tactics, i'm stevenage and I've just won 4 successive titles and now I'm in the champions league".

So the questions remain, are the criticisms valid or exaggerated amateur dramatics from 12y/os who can't accept not winning every game 5-0, or are they legitimate critiques of the game having discovered game-breaking bugs? Also the opposite applies, are the denials that there's anything wrong proof of the absurdity of the hysteria around the slightest loss in-game, or are they blinkered 'fanboys' on a boasting mission just stirring things up?

Well it seems to me as a regular reader but occasional poster on the forums that the key issues every time, and the subjects which provoke the most heated 'debate' (some would call it a slanging match) occurs, are (1) the transfers module, and (2) the match engine. Sure there's comments about training or media or team talks, but the two most common seem to be the realism (or possible lack thereof) of the ME and of the transfer system. So instead of just another generic thread wailing about how "I've just been beaten in the 95th minute by a 40-yard strike, it MUST be a bug!!" or point-blank denying it as "this has never happened to me, its definately your fault!", a poll might properly gauge opinion and show both posters on GD and SI themselves, in a constructive way, where the respective faults of players and wannabe-managers lie.

It may be that no-one is interested or this well-meaning attempt at discussion descends into anarchy and in-fighting but I figured it might be a good way to go about things, let's see shall we...answer three times, 1 or 2, 3 or 4, and 5 or 6.

Actually the most of the posters who complain about the transfers, are along the lines of "Aguero is worth £15m and I bid £15.5,m for him, Atletico came back with a counter offer of £100m. This game sucks". Frankly there is nothing wrong with this as teams will want to keep their stars (or at least get lots of cash for them) and I myself have paid high multiples for players. On my current save I paid £3.7m for a regen CB who was valued at £400k when I bid for him nearly 10 times his value, but as he had 4 1/2 star potential it was worth it. Now the transfer system is somewhat broken in the fact that the AI often buys stupidly and never gets a club's money's worth. But that will have to wait for a better AI model to be built generally (not just SI).

The second (ME) one is usually down to confirmation bias, in that a player is a lot more likely to remember when he is being hard done by and complain thusly. Everybody is prone to it, it can be lessened by knowledge and vigilance but not eliminated. Now there are ME bugs (the one on one one the most recent big one) and they are pointed out and often derided, but posters need to think about calling "Bug!Bug!Bug!" before posting.

And then there are some posters who expect to win everything with Northxich Victoria, and complain when they get beaten 1-0 away by Chelsea in the FA cup.

Sorry for the ranty piece, but it kind of spewed out. Now I'm off to watch Ireland pwn Brazil.

Actually the most of the posters who complain about the transfers, are along the lines of "Aguero is worth £15m and I bid £15.5,m for him, Atletico came back with a counter offer of £100m. This game sucks". Frankly there is nothing wrong with this as teams will want to keep their stars (or at least get lots of cash for them) and I myself have paid high multiples for players.

Now the transfer system is somewhat broken in the fact that the AI often buys stupidly and never gets a club's money's worth. But that will have to wait for a better AI model to be built generally (not just SI).

The second (ME) one is usually down to confirmation bias, in that a player is a lot more likely to remember when he is being hard done by and complain thusly. Everybody is prone to it, it can be lessened by knowledge and vigilance but not eliminated. Now there are ME bugs (the one on one one the most recent big one) and they are pointed out and often derided, but posters need to think about calling "Bug!Bug!Bug!" before posting.

Agree entirely, this is my point. People are so quick to scream to high heaven about being wrong, or smugly deny the game has faults, that only 1% of discussion ever seems to be taken constructively. The AI renegotiating after an initial response for example-

i bid 5m - we want 10m - ok, 8m plus 2m in installments - we want 14m

is very annoying, but has a backward sense of sanity in trying to get as much as possible for a player. The AI paying inflated prices or just buying useless players is a slightly different issue, I was thinking more along the lines of player-computer interaction rather than computer-computer, but you're right in what you say. More considered approaches would lead to a better atmosphere on the forums and more room for improvement in the game rather than multiple threads being closed down for petty squabbling.

I have no problem with an overinflated price, my problem is with the enquiry system - it just doesn't work. Everyone has a price, even if it is extortionate no matter what the owners might say. Currently the enquiry system is pointless, thats my big gripe with the transfer system. If City asked Valencia how much they want for Villa, i doubt they would say he isnt for sale, they would say £100mil etc, at the moment its just refused point blank - just isnt realistic and happens with pretty much every half decent player, you have to guess where to start bargaining.

No way at all you should be able to see prices or else you could plan out exactly from the start of the game who you are going to buy with your budget without any negotiating at all.