Best FM?

With the patch currently pending. Want to start a new game on a different FM to pass the time. Will maybe even find it fun. With this in my which in your opinion is the best game to play?

CM 97/98 for me.

From the above list I'm going to be controversial and select FM2009

This is what I'm doing with FM07 started a game with York earlier tonight 2 more pre season friendlies left. And going on those (not the most accurate way, yes) looks like I could be going up.

I went with fm 11, once i get my hands on the newest version of fm there's no going back for me.

fm 07 best evr bar none

it gets my vote

easy way to pick up and play, winning matches a good challenge and all round great game

this post would make much more sence after the release of the last patch. Because as it stands we are voting between "complete" game and one incomplete (so far) game

fm 2007 hands down, not had a better save than on it

fm2007 was great but my vote goes to fm2010. 10.3 was super even though it had the corner bug. I must admit though, that every new release of fm keeps getting more immersive.

FM 08 was a great game.

I went with fm 11, once i get my hands on the newest version of fm there's no going back for me.

im exactly the same

Despite the flaws I do think the game pretty much improves over time, and I probably prefer FM11 over FM10.

Championship Manager 2 96/97 was like the greatest of all the games so far! Or I might just be thinking that, because its the game i've spend most time on..... ever........

Probably spent the most time on FM08 and what with my Sunderland team with the likes of Palacio, Toni Kroos, (and Kevin Doyle...) I'll go with that.

I enjoyed the old SI CM games of old, but I don't remember them largely. Out of recent FM, FM2010 was my favourite, just had a lot going for it, it felt right too. FM2009 I didnt like, because it felt like I needed a degree to play it properly, it was too complex with all the sliders. Fm2011 is alright, but the whole feel of the game feels.. weird, and I miss being able to tactic tweak with impunity.

the fm11 ME is so far the best one I have seen, if one disregard the MR/ML wide player acting like defenders bug that is, so yes i cant really see myself going back to any of the old games anytime soon

if i was to go back to anything i think it would have been fm08, but i stupidly purged that game from my system to make place for more music and fm10 on my hard drive, so it wont really be the same w/o my awesome save games

fm 07 best evr bar none

it gets my vote

easy way to pick up and play, winning matches a good challenge and all round great game

this. loved fm 2007. also get to be my team manchester city while they were really bad and become a legend by making them top of the world !

this. loved fm 2007. also get to be my team manchester city while they were really bad and become a legend by making them top of the world !

had not the first big steps with obscure owners and sven already been taken at that point?

If anyone in the world plays FM 11 first then played any of the other versions, I can guarantee they'd all pick FM11. Its a much complete games to the others and I don't know why people say FM11 is the worst FM release

Tough one.

I'm ruling out CM03/04, FM05 and FM06 because of their age. I recently had an evening of sad FM nostalgia and installed these three (and also CM01/02) but found that they didn't quite match up to the more modern games for me personally. I definitely feel that if you're going to go back to an old version, it should be from FM07 onwards.

There are three versions on which I have had some fantastic saves and those are FM07, FM08 and FM10. Overall, I've played more seasons on 10 than any other FM game; then it would probably be 08 and finally 07.

If I was going to go back to an older game, I think it would be FM08. FM07 was a great game but I feel some great features were added for FM08, including coach reports, the transfer centre to track transfers, board/fan confidence, the best eleven feature and FaceGen. Plus, FM07 had the overpowered target man problem. Don't get me wrong, FM07 was awesome at the time, but I felt that FM08 with the 8.2 patch was a better football management game.

FM09, I have to say, was the most disappointing of the whole series for me personally. It was very slow and unresponsive on my laptop. I found various problems that irritated me greatly.

FM10 was a return to form as far as I was concerned. Still, there are a few minor issues with this version for me personally. I fall in love and out of love with FM10 regularly. Most of the time, in love, but sometimes I just get irritated by some of the features and by aspects of the game that make it feel less smooth and accessible than I would like it to be.

I'm personally quite disappointed with FM11. I really wanted further development of the tactics creator (with the possibility of customisation!), an overhaul of team talks and perhaps training too, plus a look at all aspects of the game to make it even more accessible and entertaining. What we got was agents, match preparation and more 3D guff. The match preparation feature sums it up for me: here we have a new feature that seems to be in total contradiction to other aspects of the game (in particular, the TC and the shouts). I'm getting a bit tired and fed up of compromising over some of the unwanted features in the game, to be quite honest.

Maybe I just have to face up to the fact that FM began the process of ceasing to be the game I wanted it to be when 3D was introduced. I know one thing for sure, and that is the fact that I have never felt less like loading up a save on the new FM. Somewhere along the line, 'half-arsed' features like match preparation have wound me up too much, while I've also become frustrated at some of the boring bloated stuff like agents, press conferences and 3D graphics.

Somewhere along the line, I feel as if the fantasy and imagination has gone out of the game. It's just my personal opinion but that's how I've been feeling lately. I'm not sure where I go from here. Perhaps I become a 'retro-FMer' and just play the older games. Or maybe I just give up on football management games entirely.

Anyway, I have gone very much off track now, so I'll get back on topic!

I think my overall order for the games would be something like this: 07 = 08 = 10 > 06 > 05 > 11 > 09

I actually really loved CM03/04 and had an awesome save on that version. I don't have too many complaints about any of the old CMs actually. I started with CM2 and played all of them, pretty much, with most versions proving to be great fun.

05 and 06, I remember being quite fun at the time, but I didn't play them quite as much due to having a lot going on in my life back then (working and studying for a degree part-time). I did have at least one decent save on each though and I remember enjoying them.

I started getting massively back into the game when FM07 came around. I had such a great save on that version. Then, FM08 came out and initially I remember not enjoying it at all. I went back and did an FM07 save until the final patch came out and then, all of a sudden, had an epic 08 journeyman save.

FM09 was a game that I can actually say that I hated without exaggerating too much, so it simply has to be last. When FM10 came out, I found it a wonderful change for the better, as if all of the criticism for 09 had been taken into account. I remember thinking, when FM10 first came out, that if SI 'polished' all of their games and all future editions were as good as FM10 on release, then this forum would become pretty quiet from now on! Unfortunately, this hasn't quite been the case with FM11.

Anyway, this has been quite a long post, so I'll sum up. When deciding to go back to an older FM, I would personally rule out the earlier games, as they feel like quite a big step backwards. I would say anything from FM07 onwards should be considered. If you want a retro-FM experience, I would suggest not going beyond FM08. So this means that while FM10 is one of my all time favourites, I'm not voting for it in the context of this thread. It's too new to be considered retro!

I'm going to vote FM08 as my preferred retro version. FM08, for me, represents some kind of dividing line between some of the new features which really helped the accessibility and that started with 08, and the newer versions (FM09 onwards), which can often seem bloated with new features to me. I guess it's all about personal taste etc., but I will say that when I go back to FM08 for a quick look around, I'm always struck by how smooth and accessible it is in comparison to the newer games. So, FM08 gets my vote - a great balanced game when patched to 8.2, a solid match engine, with some excellent features, not too much of a step backwards from the newer games, and really smooth and accessible to play.

Football Manager for the ZX Spectrum.

All done in 48K.

Now that is an achievement.

only one from the list above that i didnt have was FM09.

my fave out of them is FM10, although FM11 isn't too far from it and may even surpass it if the patch does the trick.

favourite of all time is CM01/02. played that game to death and had my longest season.

added myself into the game (would have started at 17), had an awesome career, retired as a player but had good coaching stats so stayed on. i then found my regen and attempted to match my glorious career. must have played over 30 seasons in that save and by then it was getting really slow to save

FM07 by a country mile.

No game in the series before or since has fully captured its perfect blend of great user-friendly U.I. and addictive, deep, near-flawless game engine.

I've always enjoyed FM08 too (the last bastion of the 'old' FM era ), but the dodgy regens issue and smaller/slower ME have always placed FM07 above it.

FM11 is great but I feel the series' ultra realism now is starting to make it lose sight of the instant fun aspect that made earlier CM/FM so much fun in the first place.

For me FM08, best saved game and has to this date never crashed

I've always enjoyed FM08 too (the last bastion of the 'old' FM era ).

Sniff, sniff.

For me FM08, best saved game and has to this date never crashed

How far in are you?

but the dodgy regens issue

My feeling is that this has been slightly exaggerated. I don't think it's as bad as people make out.

Some great FM08 regens in this thread: http://www.thedugout.net/community/showthread.php?t=39643

smaller/slower ME have always placed FM07 above it.

Technically it's actually a bigger ME because you can do full screen mode, which I don't think you could do for FM07 (might be wrong though). And slower isn't a problem because you can just speed it up using the controls.

... the series' ultra realism now is starting to make it lose sight of the instant fun aspect that made earlier CM/FM so much fun in the first place.

Sort of the same feeling here.

I still think this year's one is the best in the series, just a few little things to make it more realistic !

I went with fm 11, once i get my hands on the newest version of fm there's no going back for me.

This, I've only played FM06, FM10 and FM11 though

I'm this way with games anyway though usually Fifa, CoD etc

FM07 for me but 11 is going to push it close I reckon. I enjoyed 05 and 06 aswell. Bought 08 but it broke so I never bought 09 or 10 so cant comment on them.

FM11

despite all the bugs and what have you, SI improves the game every time.

FM10 is probably my favourite version, although that may change after the final patch and a few more months playing FM11.

I have most liked FM08. At the time it has those arrows on tactics and after last patch it was nierly perfect game.

I personally cannot stand FM11, i have gone back to my FM10 save. Is there an online forum as im hoping to find someone to start an online game using FM10.

FM11 for me...

like it's been mentioned, once i go on the latest, the previous seem so bare and empty. Bit like my girlfriends really.

CM03/04 - FM10 - FM07 for me.

I'm still undecided on FM11, waiting for the final patch before i make my judgment.

FM09 was one of the worst imo.

My feeling is that this has been slightly exaggerated. I don't think it's as bad as people make out.

Some great FM08 regens in this thread: http://www.thedugout.net/community/showthread.php?t=39643

Technically it's actually a bigger ME because you can do full screen mode, which I don't think you could do for FM07 (might be wrong though). And slower isn't a problem because you can just speed it up using the controls.

Sort of the same feeling here.

Full screen mode? How d'ya do that? All this talk of retro FM has made me give FM08 another go this aft using my old update and I have to say it's brought back some happy memories so far.

The pitch feels smaller in 08, but I find things like text font to be the most annoying, the player names and 'dots' in the ME are smaller and harder to read than 07's. The clearest ME of the series though for me is probably CM 03/04, it's a shame it's just so blummin' slow.

As for 'slower', I should've elaborated with that, it's not a speed issue with '08 to be fair, the game seems to show more ME highlights than FM07 I think and the clock ticks by a minute at a time rather than flies by like older FM/CM, which I find slightly frustrating if you ever just want to get a game over with (when getting hammered for example ).

Had a great save on 10.3 so thats how i voted. We'll see how new patch is for fm11 i guess.

FM10 because FM11 has lots of annoying bugs. If the new patch corrects them, then FM11 will probably be my favorite.

Full screen mode? How d'ya do that?

I can either send you a mod that adds a button to the match screen or alternatively there is a shortcut that you can use. The actual shortcut keys escape me at the moment but you can check it by going to the shortcuts bit of the preferences menu.

The pitch feels smaller in 08, but I find things like text font to be the most annoying, the player names and 'dots' in the ME are smaller and harder to read than 07's. The clearest ME of the series though for me is probably CM 03/04, it's a shame it's just so blummin' slow.

You need the Flex skin! That's awesome! It's what I use on FM08. I'm sure you can still download it somewhere but I'll be happy to upload it otherwise.

As for 'slower', I should've elaborated with that, it's not a speed issue with '08 to be fair, the game seems to show more ME highlights than FM07 I think and the clock ticks by a minute at a time rather than flies by like older FM/CM, which I find slightly frustrating if you ever just want to get a game over with (when getting hammered for example ).

I know what you mean there then but it's still super quick compared to FM09/10/11!

Got the wrong thread first time around.

MorrisseyMuse, it's Alt-Enter for full screen mode on FM08. I just checked.

FM 08 was a great game.

totally agree with you

While 05 was a great game i loved, when i went back and played it i felt it lacking in certain areas when compared to 09, and to some extent 11.

I voted 09 as it was the one i got most into and enjoyed my 20 year save which is something i had never achieved before. 11 is alright too i suppose, just getting into it now.

FM 2007 FTW, simple but fun to play, and with a really nice skin/player attributes color.

best and most addictive football manager for me.

I can either send you a mod that adds a button to the match screen or alternatively there is a shortcut that you can use. The actual shortcut keys escape me at the moment but you can check it by going to the shortcuts bit of the preferences menu.

You need the Flex skin! That's awesome! It's what I use on FM08. I'm sure you can still download it somewhere but I'll be happy to upload it otherwise.

I know what you mean there then but it's still super quick compared to FM09/10/11!

Cheers for the shortcut guv, I'll give it a go when I next play the game.

I think I've just found the Flex skin, it looks alot like FM07's? I'll test it out in the ME anyway.

My feeling is that this has been slightly exaggerated. I don't think it's as bad as people make out.

Some great FM08 regens in this thread: http://www.thedugout.net/community/showthread.php?t=39643

This thread highlights some of the problems, from what I remember the physical attributes and set pieces were the two big problems I noticed. Even that thread you've linked to shows a few technically great players without the physical attributes to go with it, the top regens just didn't match up physically to the top players in the original database.

I think this is why I always struggled with long term games with FM08, because the regens were so much worse than the original players. FM09 seemed a lot better in this respect, the regens blended in with the original players a lot better from what I remember.

FM08 was the game that revived my CM/FM addiction after years of half-hearted saves that never went past the 2nd/3rd season, but I'll have to go with FM09, the one I've played the most since the old days of CM2 and 97/98.

All in all I can say no new FM game has been "bad", despite the many annoying, chronic and unresolved bugs, issues and flaws that have been plaguing them year after year...

But in the same vein, I have probably never enjoyed any of the newer ones as much as I used to enjoy the old-school editions, up til CM4 or so...

Sure, the games were really simplistic and "empty" compared to the gargantuan current incarnations, but what all the details, the nice tidbits and the questionable fluff in modern FM can't make it up for the good old out-of-the-box fun factor older games used to have.

No need for psychological guess-work on players, no need for hours of data mining, no need for overcomplicated trial-by-error tactical making... it was easier and more enjoyable on a very basic level.

Then again, you couldn't really "see" what was going on, but at least you had an excuse for not understanding what was going on in the simulated matches... nowadays you can see it, but still can't really understand why things happen anyway... So I'd rather play in blissful ignorance than in troubled and puzzled half-awareness.

This thread highlights some of the problems, from what I remember the physical attributes and set pieces were the two big problems I noticed. Even that thread you've linked to shows a few technically great players without the physical attributes to go with it, the top regens just didn't match up physically to the top players in the original database.

I think this is why I always struggled with long term games with FM08, because the regens were so much worse than the original players. FM09 seemed a lot better in this respect, the regens blended in with the original players a lot better from what I remember.

Thanks for the link Dafuge. I never realised this when I was playing FM08, although I don't think it would have stopped me enjoying the game anyway.

I might dare to suggest that the natural fitness and stamina attributes aren't the end of the world, given that FM08 was very generous indeed with allowing players to go on and on (rotation for fitness wasn't a necessity in the same way that it is in recent games)! Set-pieces might also not be so important with the famous corner bug as well.

On a serious note, I'm not going to defend the game against the indefensible. The stats don't look good. However, I can't say it was something that I particularly noticed when I was playing. In fact, one of my main and fondest memories of 08 involves a favourite regen with astonishing pace and acceleration who was banging them in for my team on a regular basis. So I can't say I noticed much. :o Having said that, perhaps my training schedules made up for some of the natural deficiencies. I don't know. All I can say that it wouldn't stop me from going back and enjoying the game again anyway and I'd still recommend it to others if they were thinking of going back to an older version.

2011 is top notch .....only down fall is for the 3rd game in a row the international part has not inproved

It's almost a dead race between CM01/02 and FM10 for me.

But as CM01/02 isn't on the list i had to pick FM10.