My Personal Thanks to SI

So, I know there is a "Thank you" thread, but I have a bit more of a personal message that I believe needs its own thread. Here goes.

As I have stated in a number of other threads, I am a convert to FM from FIFA Manager. I loved the game during the 06 version, and subsequently played 08 and 09 (though I never got into them as much as I did in the 06 version). I converted after reading a Four Four Two article reviewing both games, and the review for FM was better so I thought I'd give it a try, so I bought FM 09 via Steam. At first, I had a lot of toruble with the tactics and couldn't even win friendlies against weak opposition, so I gave up the game in January of 09 and returned to FIFAM 09. After playing that game up until May, I got bored- I had won everything repeatedly as Tottenham, despite the fact that I hardly changed the team; FIFAM had become way too easy and way too, well, boring. I returned to FM09 with a determination to figure it out- I came to these and other forums and read as much as I could. I never figured out the sliders in FM09, so I downloaded tactics. I never won anything in FM09, but I grew to enjoy the depth and realism that FM offered as opposed to FIFAM. Most of all, I loved the fact that I couldn't win. I was hooked- then the FM10 demo came out with (what I believe to be) a much easier, more intuitive, and realistic tactical system and I have loved FM10 and FM11 moreso than any FIFAM game I've played, and more than FM09.

Why do I say this? Well, as a FIFAM convert, I must say- the game itself isn't all that terrible, just way too easy and not deep enough. Where the game fails is in its community. In FM, there is a very active community, both here and on fansites. People share all kinds of things about their games, share downloads, and, best of all, SI responds to the community. FIFAM does have some active boards and fansites, but all of them put together are not near as active, informative, and EA is terrible at responding to the community. As an example, here on the FM boards, when there are complaints about a bug or a data problem, whatever- SI takes heed and more often than not fixes the issue. On the FIFAM boards, people would bring up an issue- usually these posts would go without any response from an EA representative and, if EA did respond, it was quite common for them to say ONE TIME "we're looking at it" or "it will be fixed in the next patch". Of course, the next patch would come out without any resolution to many if not most of the issues brought up in the forums.

With FM11's release, I wanted to play as my favorite team: Athletic Club Bilbao. I eagerly started my save, only to notice the yellow cards bug. I talked about it in many forums, and was pretty annoyed with it and, yes, there was at least one instance where maybe I got a bit too ****ed off. Still, throughout the forums, representatives of SI and Sega have been very responsive, answering what questions they could and promising a fix. Today, that fix is in- just as promised. It did take a bit longer than I would have liked but, hey, if this were a FIFA Manager board I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have anything to thank EA for.

SI- thank you for, not only making the best sports simulation game out there. Thank you even more for listening to the community and delivering on your promises.

Yeah, I'm glad that you think FM is better than FIFAM because it is! There had been so many different football manager games i had tried from, LMA Manager to Total Club Manager and none of these were that great. I used to play CM but there was something missing from it. FM is god at football manager games. Unfortunately I haven't got the new FM2011 but I'll hopefully have it in the next month or 2.

EA suck ass when it comes to listening to the community and resolving issues.

KUTGW SI

This is the first year in a long time the forum has actually been very constructive with the criticism, and there are fewer abuse threads. I think due to that, SI are showing their face more on the forums, and that's a great thing.

Yes I agree SI do a great job with the game and are really good on here responding to the community. Listening to our comments and acting on them to make the game better. Fm11 is fantastic I haven't been this hooked on a fm/cm in about 5 or 6 years.

Kutgw SI!

This is the first year in a long time the forum has actually been very constructive with the criticism, and there are fewer abuse threads. I think due to that, SI are showing their face more on the forums, and that's a great thing.

This is true- but I also think that this year's version was the best one overall at release (at least compared to FM10, the only other FM I played from release).

This is certainly the best boxed release for me. FM08 still my fave FM, but this is coming very close. Who knows, if the Dynamic League Rep proves to do what I hope it will, this will most definitely be my fave ever FM / CM game.

No guys im sorry i still have a soft spot for the very first cm, but i do like the way how the game has devolped over time, ohhh they were the days when chris bart williams was a superstar in cm....

I lost summers over CM 1 & 2 and ate far too many packets of crisps and drank many bottles of coke during regular FM-a-thons. Halcyon days indeed.

Gary Mac was legendary, but just wouldn't leave Leeds.

And then along came CM Italia in which AC Milan were super-human with Maldini and Weah & friends. That was when clubs like Barcelona and Milan were held in such high regard and admired by all (probably because we rarely saw them play). A far cry from today's almost contemptuous attitude.

Ok, i'm back in the room...

I lost summers over CM 1 & 2 and ate far too many packets of crisps and drank many bottles of coke during regular FM-a-thons. Halcyon days indeed.

Gary Mac was legendary, but just wouldn't leave Leeds.

And then along came CM Italia in which AC Milan were super-human with Maldini and Weah & friends. That was when clubs like Barcelona and Milan were held in such high regard and admired by all (probably because we rarely saw them play). A far cry from today's almost contemptuous attitude.

Ok, i'm back in the room...

yeah I'm felling that rich10 great days, i wish i had a time machine to go back to them days:thup: