Player Interaction: the beating heart of FM11

Ok, it's taken me a season to get to grips with this, but I'm now beginning to understand how things work and I'm a bit surprised to hear myself say that I'm impressed with the new Player Interaction feature. I think SI deserve a lot of credit for adding a new dimension to this game, and I'm loving the extra depth it brings with it.

If you get player chats wrong, it can ruin your game. The "I don't like what you just said, I want a transfer" tantrums are probably too extreme and need toning down. But apart from that, I'm finding that the chats add so much more to the game. Man-management now becomes as crucial as tactics and I feel more like a real manager as a result.

I'm actually thinking that this new addition to the game might be the key to success. Maybe from now on, when people whinge about badly their team is performing, the reply won't be "It's your tactics", but "It's your player chats" instead?

Well every player that gets a 7.5 or above i always go have a private chat with them and praise them about the last match and to keep it up.. soon enough i end up on their favoured personnel list, i used the confidence screen of players on FM2010 to see the best performers and praise according to that, i still use that method but now i mostly use the last game option.

A bad experience was when i fined a player for a violent tackle and tried to fix the situation through interaction.. all the options were so negative that i end up having to sell him lol.

A bad experience was when i fined a player for a violent tackle and tried to fix the situation through interaction.. all the options were so negative that i end up having to sell him lol.

That made me 'lol'

We have all been there.

Well every player that gets a 7.5 or above i always go have a private chat with them and praise them about the last match and to keep it up.. soon enough i end up on their favoured personnel list, i used the confidence screen of players on FM2010 to see the best performers and praise according to that, i still use that method but now i mostly use the last game option.

A bad experience was when i fined a player for a violent tackle and tried to fix the situation through interaction.. all the options were so negative that i end up having to sell him lol.

Yes, you have to work out when to chat and when to leave it alone. Definitely praise good performances, but criticise bad ones too. Also, keep an eye on training levels and comment on that. I've seen players go from Okay morale to Superb just by telling them to train harder. Obviously, my players like me to be a bit strict with them...

Also, keep an eye on training levels and comment on that

I find that also really useful, especially with developing youngsters that arnt putting in the hours, you can see a boost the month after

I think the problem sometimes is though that with chats and press conferances some of the comments can just be awful and you think does anyone out there actually use that!! For example I have just had Christian Benitez score a hat trick and a press officer asked if I was pleased with his performance. The option at the bottom was something along the lines of "All three were so flukey and the way he played he was lucky to get one!"

Now IRL a highly black humoured Harry Redknapp or Ian Holloway might come out with something like that with tongue firmly in cheek but FM's options don't allow for sarcasm!!

I would have to say player interaction is one area that's been improved the most.

Still not a fan. Too many times I have been forced to sell a player (for never more than their MV!) because I clicked the wrong multiple choice answer!

I'm all for getting the interaction module in the game, it is a big part of modern football IRL, but it is so basic, and so easy to p**s a player off. Would rather not have it at all than in its current format.

It has potential, but atm theres just so many negative responses ive found.