Will the FM series ever introduce a 'difficulty' option?

I find FM far to frustrating to play for any length of time, mainly due to the difficulty. With each new version the number of options and difficulty seems to go up and up. I honestly have no inclination to read books on how the game engine works and how I need to spend hours upon hours studying pages upon pages of stats.

I remember the older versions of Championship Manager were not as difficult but I found the game far more enjoyable than the new versions of FM. I used to enjoy working on getting good players in (based on their stats and performances), treating them correctly and setting up normal tactics. It seems to me that more and more this aspect of play is being left behind in favor of more and more micro management.

With this in mind, are there any plans for SI to introduce a few difficulty options with future releases?

No i don't think there will ever be a difficulty option and i don't think there should be, try different teams for varying degrees of difficulty.

I wouldn't be in favour of having a difficulty level but they seriously need to rethink what makes a winning team.

In past FMs if you had the best players and best tactics you would win more often than not. On this game it seems more about how good your teamtalks are and keeping moral up then anything else.

And winning games is not the best way to keep up moral anymore but how good your teamtalks and press conferences are.

I would prefer real things to be more difficult like the quality of opposition, not the quality of my teamtalks. The AI need to learn how to make good squads not just win because I selected the wrong multi choice.

Tactics seem to either work or not. There doesn't seem to be much variation. I designed a tactic that did me well patch 10.2 but in 10.3 it wouldn't win a game. Why? Does only certain tactics work and you will fail until you discover exactly where to have the sliders. It shouldn't be that way.

No i don't think there will ever be a difficulty option and i don't think there should be, try different teams for varying degrees of difficulty.

Out of interest why would anyone be against a 'difficulty' level setting in the game. It gives players a choice how they want to play the game. I don't understand why anyone would be against giving players a option.

In terms of teamtalks etc I agree totally, the emphasis should be on football. For all of Fergies so called 'mind games' Man United have been at the top due to having the best players not because Fergie is some jedi guro who's teamtalks transform average players into superhumans.

Out of interest why would anyone be against a 'difficulty' level setting in the game. It gives players a choice how they want to play the game. I don't understand why anyone would be against giving players a option.

In terms of teamtalks etc I agree totally, the emphasis should be on football. For all of Fergies so called 'mind games' Man United have been at the top due to having the best players not because Fergie is some jedi guro who's teamtalks transform average players into superhumans.

Because i don't know that there will be a difficulty that will reflect the way the game is now, what exactly would a difficulty setting change? The AI managers really don't have that much of a bearing over their teams as it is.

Also although i think the effect of team talks is a bit too much getting your tactics right has a greater impact on how well you will do, as well as getting the right players to fill each role.

I'm against difficulty because it has no place in a game that is meant to be realistic (i know people hate that word, but its true)

what would it entail...worse AI? well thats just silly

easier transfers? well that would also be silly seeing Ribery go to sunderland because its on 'easy transfers'

It doesnt make logical sense to have a difficulty setting in a simulation game such as FM, you can decide to manage easier teams e.g. Man City, where you can just win everything or go for more chalenging e.g. start at level 10 and work your way up

Honestly I don't know how a difficulty setting would be implemented but the game needs one for sure. I feel that the game has totally lost its fun factor and simply added layers upon layers of minuscule complexity just to give the impression of new features.

The game simply needs to be made far far more accessible to people and the emphasis should be on the football and building squads, buying players etc. If SI added a option that slanted results in the players favor by 25% on the easiest level what harm would that do?

I feel at the moment that due to the way the match engine is, people could spend hours upon hours dissecting stats and looking at feedback and still have no idea why their team lost or where a mistake was made. That is a massive flaw in the recent versions of CM/FM.

I totally disagree with the difficulty option. It is one of the reasons i never play other manager games. also, the game is actually pretty easy. Depends on the team you choose though

The reason you dont play other manager games is because they offer you a difficulty option? I dont understand why people would be against a option that they have a choice of using. I can understand some people would just stick with the regular difficulty but i'm sure others would like a option, what harm does it do?

Honestly I don't know how a difficulty setting would be implemented but the game needs one for sure. I feel that the game has totally lost its fun factor and simply added layers upon layers of minuscule complexity just to give the impression of new features.

The game simply needs to be made far far more accessible to people and the emphasis should be on the football and building squads, buying players etc. If SI added a option that slanted results in the players favor by 25% on the easiest level what harm would that do?

I feel at the moment that due to the way the match engine is, people could spend hours upon hours dissecting stats and looking at feedback and still have no idea why their team lost or where a mistake was made. That is a massive flaw in the recent versions of CM/FM.

That just wouldn't be the right way to go with a simulation game, its not realistic and although not everything is going to be 100% realistic in the game this would just be ridiculous. Maybe instead they should reduce the impact of team talks and motivational issues.

If its too hard you should play FIFA10 Manager Mode

it has a transfer system, you can set-up formation/tactics and there is a difficulty option

It seems to me that if you have the money to do so, buy players such as Dzeko and Pato, you win everything in sight. It is not realistic to win everything just because you have a talanted squad by bying a load of players. That process does not always work. So I agree that a difficulty setting would add to the game.

Ethier that or the code is modified to the extent of having to play a realistic amount of games to mould the squad, rather just being able to buy a player whom then just starts banging in the goals like he has been there for a season or so.

I dont see what a difficulty option would do to benifit the game if you ask me. You choose your difficulty rating when you choose your team! Going Chelsea, Man Utd, Barcelona etc you could say you are playing it on easy but playing the game with Torquay or Fleetwood then you could say you are playing it on hard.

If SI do add in an optional difficulty setting, it'll be just that: optional. People can use it if and when they please. Therefore, I don't know what all the players who wouldn't use it are complaining about.

If SI do add in an optional difficulty setting, it'll be just that: optional. People can use it if and when they please. Therefore, I don't know what all the players who wouldn't use it are complaining about.

Whos to say it would be realistic? Whats exactly is going to change and would there be a difficulty setting that is similar to the game we have now?

You can't just make a difficulty setting, if the games become easier to win that will drain the game of any fun and if you play it on a harder setting, you may be able to assemble a great team with great tactics but you still can't win.

As people have already said try different teams for different levels of difficulty, introducing a difficulty setting would add nothing to the game imo.

Been talked to death. I hope they don't decide to put it in the game.

Whos to say it would be realistic?

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you.

Whats exactly is going to change and would there be a difficulty setting that is similar to the game we have now?

The 'normal' difficulty setting I presume would be for a normal game.

You can't just make a difficulty setting' date=' if the games become easier to win that will drain the game of any fun and if you play it on a harder setting, you may be able to assemble a great team with great tactics but you still can't win.[/quote']

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you. Some people will want to play on the easier or harder modes, regardless of what you want.

As people have already said try different teams for different levels of difficulty' date=' introducing a difficulty setting would add nothing to the game imo.[/quote']

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you. Some people will want to play on the easier or harder modes, regardless of what you want.

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you.

The 'normal' difficulty setting I presume would be for a normal game.

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you. Some people will want to play on the easier or harder modes, regardless of what you want.

If you choose not to use it, it doesn't affect you. Some people will want to play on the easier or harder modes, regardless of what you want.

How do you choose not to use it? Its a difiiculty setting presumably you would have to choose one.

How do you choose not to use it? Its a difiiculty setting presumably you would have to choose one.

Which I explained on 'normal'.

there should not be a difficulty level choice.

thats why fm is the best...

Which I explained on 'normal'.

You can't guarantee that a 'normal' setting would be exactly the same as the game is now, if SI start fiddling with the difficulty of matches the match engine could end up really buggy.

You can't guarantee that a 'normal' setting would be exactly the same as the game is now,

And you can't guarentee it wouldn't. Swings and roundabouts.

if SI start fiddling with the difficulty of matches the match engine could end up really buggy.

...You mean more buggy than it is now?

And you can't guarentee it wouldn't. Swings and roundabouts.

...You mean more buggy than it is now?

apart from the corner bug i don't think there are any obvious problems are there?

Besides the fact that nothing can be guaranteed backs up my point, why introduce something thats not realistic and could potentially detract from the quality of the game?

And you can't guarentee it wouldn't. Swings and roundabouts.

...You mean more buggy than it is now?

i think that SI shouldnt focus on adding more layers of difficulty, they should focus on perfecting the current layer so that people dont get as frustrated with it.

i think that SI shouldnt focus on adding more layers of difficulty, they should focus on perfecting the current layer so that people dont get as frustrated with it.

There we go thats a better way to explain it.

I am in the middle here. I am totally against a difficulty setting that effects the match engine - we have enough bugs as it is - but there should be difficulty areas for other areas of the game that do not effect matches, such as board confidence, attribute masking (how many players get masked and how many attributes), scout/coach report accuracy, backroom advice, in-match advice and possibly finances. This way people can make the game easier or harder without having a huge knock-on effect giving everyone the worst match engine in FM history.

This has been discussed many times before and I don't think it will ever happen.

FM is about trying to make the game as realistic as possible to immerse you into the football manager world, it isn't neccesarily like other games whereby you can master them and doddle through completing and winning everything you so wish (although it can be accomplished on FM).

I feel that FM10 has made the game better for novices with the new tactics setup and defaults, that is the way to go for me. Letting people who want to get into the game quickly and easily by having these default options can keep them happy and allowing other experienced or more serious users the chance to perfect and change the tactics to their minute specification can aso keep these users happy.

It's about giving everyone the same game but a different way of playing it that is important to me not a beginner, mid, or hard option as you don't get this in real life (also by picking the team you are it kind of does give you a difficulty rating anyway!).

Quite simply no, you are either a good manager who wins trophies or a bad manager who wins nothing and gets sacked it`s that simple, if you look at real life how many many managers win trophies? the answer is not many the ones with decent budgets and good squads and if you think about it there are good managers in the prem but most lose and draw more games than they win.

The one thing you have to remember is FM is a game and is controlled by a match engine, team confidence, and stats and once you have played for a while you can see how the ME and these things work this is how you win games and unfortunately if you don`t figure out the ME and the way the game works then this is where you fail and a lot of people have trouble and say I need a difficulty level when the difficulty level is already there its called the ME and all the experienced FM players will eventually beat the ME and others will struggle to beat it, there can be no easy, medium or hard level this is not real life I mean rafa benitez can`t set the difficulty to easy next season and go and win all the cups now can he.

To finish off I will say that FM games are not about winning everything straight away and every season it`s about having ups and downs good close title races hard to win cups, there is another difficulty level in the game it`s called great teams with lots of money and if

you can`t win with these teams then theres no hope.

no they wont . end of thread

There are already levels of difficulty added. If you want an easy game, manage Man City or another moneybags team. If you want a difficult game, manage a lower league team, or relegation fodder in any league.

There are already levels of difficulty added. If you want an easy game, manage Man City or another moneybags team. If you want a difficult game, manage a lower league team, or relegation fodder in any league.

'yarrr,' replied the pirate crew.

I want a "can not be sacked" option also I want an option so I will not pay dividend, these are the two things which bothers my game experience.

No need for difficulty option for me, this being said I wont mind if it is added, I just will ask what is the default and will stick with it.

Unless SI has major change of heart I do not see any of these or similar options making into game.

Going in circles a bit here. A lot of people complaining there is too much detail and it is too hard and that they just want the game to be simplified, some people say game is not realistic enough and then ask for more detail, some people are happy, some people are not happy...

Can you please everyone? No.

I agree with what many people in this thread have said. Choose a bigger team if you want it to be easier, and a smaller team for a harder game. Not really rocket science.

if i have to vote ill vote no, i like the no dificult make it more realistic....

There are already levels of difficulty added. If you want an easy game, manage Man City or another moneybags team. If you want a difficult game, manage a lower league team, or relegation fodder in any league.

There is also 'attribute masking'.

The one thing I think could be added, is to make scouting more 'hit and miss' like it is in real life; but with a 'perfect scout' option as the 'easy' way out.

I don`t think so.

I Don't get it. What do you suppose they make easier? If they make it easier to win games then they would have to tweak the whole tactics/morale system and this would change the way that FM was played. I am sure there would be alot of people on here that would moan as soon as FM was changed and it would probably be the same people that were moaning that the game was too hard.

The simple answer is choose an easier game to play Fifa Manager for instance or go back to an FM that you liked.

Please don't change this SI, I would rather they concentrated on improving the game and working on the bugs then waste time adding difficulty levels

Its simply a rubbish idea to have a difficulty option. Games who like an easy game will pick a top side and gamers who like a challenge will pick a lower league team and thats the way it should be. Having a difficulty option would destroy the realism that the game strives for.

i think that SI shouldnt focus on adding more layers of difficulty, they should focus on perfecting the current layer so that people dont get as frustrated with it.

People who get frustrated with the game are usually the ones not winning anything, so you're proposing SI make the overall game easier. :confused:

Fm levels of difficulty :

Big rich teams : Easy

Normal teams : Normal

Lower league teams : Hard

see easy

Fm levels of difficulty :

Big rich teams : Easy

Normal teams : Normal

Lower league teams : Hard

see easy

Um... *waves hand* Sorry, but I'm sorta the opposite. :o

There's no point in a difficulty setting. If you want a challenge, control a small rubbish team. If you want an easy game, pick a rich or talented team. IT's as simple as that.

There's no point in a difficulty setting. If you want a challenge, control a small rubbish team. If you want an easy game, pick a rich or talented team. IT's as simple as that.

This. There is no need for a difficulty button imo

I wouldn't be in favour of having a difficulty level but they seriously need to rethink what makes a winning team.

In past FMs if you had the best players and best tactics you would win more often than not. On this game it seems more about how good your teamtalks are and keeping moral up then anything else.

And winning games is not the best way to keep up moral anymore but how good your teamtalks and press conferences are.

I would prefer real things to be more difficult like the quality of opposition, not the quality of my teamtalks. The AI need to learn how to make good squads not just win because I selected the wrong multi choice.

Tactics seem to either work or not. There doesn't seem to be much variation. I designed a tactic that did me well patch 10.2 but in 10.3 it wouldn't win a game. Why? Does only certain tactics work and you will fail until you discover exactly where to have the sliders. It shouldn't be that way.

Brilliant post. I have to agree 250%

No, doesnt need it, and I dont want it.

There's no point in a difficulty setting. If you want a challenge, control a small rubbish team. If you want an easy game, pick a rich or talented team. IT's as simple as that.

You're missing the point of a difficulty system. Managing Man Utd shouldn't be easy - easier than managing, say, Burnley - but it shouldn't be easy. The game (without a difficulty setting) should still be a challenge no matter what team you are.

Say I choose 'Easy' - the point of the difficulty system would be to make it easy, even though it really shouldn't be. I might be the type of gamer who doesn't fancy a challenge, but that doesn't mean I only want to manage the top teams. A difficulty system would give me the freedom to still manage the lower teams and do well.

This isn't to say that I'm in favour of such a feature though.

The team you choose to be, and the way you choose to play is the difficulty level. I think at the top level the game is actually too easy. Managing big squads of star players and their ego's/playing demands should be more difficult than it actually is.

Also shouldn't be as easy to rip up a whole squad and buy a new one in 1-2 transfer windows without serious penalties to squad harmony.

Though it wouldn't really be in keeping with the general idea of what FM should be, I wouldn't be dead against difficulty settings being in the game. The problems I have with it are:

How would it be implemented?What exactly would be made easier? How much time and effort would be going into implementing these difficulty settings that could be spent working on something that I'd actually use? I'd be disappointed if difficulty levels were the main new thing for a new FM, simply because I'd never use it and so one of the new features would be completely worthless to me.

Also, "Its only an option, you don't have to use it, so you shouldn't be against it" is an awful argument really. You could say the same thing about absolutely anything, from being able to buy houses, bribing referees or something completely ludicrous like having a lovely game of Pacman before each match to replicate the idea of being bored on the coach going to an away ground. It doesn't make any of those ideas any less stupid.

So basically that would mean if you play the highest difficulty the opposition are going to completely annihalate you unless you are perfect in tactics?

I don't know if it's been covered but the only thing difficulty could and should change is the luck of your team.

For what it's worth it shouldn't be brought in in my opinion.

And i also agree that player and tactic quality should make up 75% of how you win at least. Morale 15 or so then other factors 10.