What FM has that others do not

So, whilst lying in bed last night trying to fall asleep, I started thinking about FM and my current save (as usually happens), and who I need to buy during the summer transfer window, and will we finally push beyond the quarter final of the Champions League, etc. etc. etc.

And then I realized what sets FM apart from other games and what makes it uniquely addicting, in a sense.

FM has obviously never had the visual oomph of the FIFA franchise, for example, it doesn't push graphical boundaries, 80 percent of it is text and numbers...but that's a good thing. I realized how much I'm forced to imagine the world I manage in and construct it in my mind. Simple text from a press conference option (though much maligned) turns into a whole conversation between me and press officers about the team and our progress. A contract negotiation gets imagined into me sitting with legal representatives, the player, and his agent, hashing out details before sealing with a handshake. Halftime team talks aren't just me choosing an option from a drop-down box; instead, I'm in the locker room, some days praising my players while others I'm screaming at them to tighten up at the back, don't lose focus, etc. Even though I watch matches in the 3D view, there is still so much that the match engine doesn't show or show well, and I have to imagine that. There I am on the touchline, jumping for joy and pumping my fist when we score a goal, give the scorer a pat on the back as he jogs over. When the match is close, I'm there adjusting my tie nervously as I consult with my assistant about what to do next. When a player weaves in and out of the opposition, I imagine his incredible footwork and technique. And when a big match or derby has ended and we've won, there I go running across the pitch to celebrate with the boys.

As I was thinking about all this, I was reminded of how my mom would jokingly chastise me for wasting so much time in a fantasy world. But in many was, the amount of imagination and creativity that I put into FM while playing is like reading a book (don't get me wrong - I also love to read). Just like a book's text requires elaboration and constructing a world in the reader's mind, so too does FM.

So here's to FM, the best story ever told on a computer!

So, whilst lying in bed last night trying to fall asleep, I started thinking about FM and my current save (as usually happens), and who I need to buy during the summer transfer window, and will we finally push beyond the quarter final of the Champions League, etc. etc. etc.

And then I realized what sets FM apart from other games and what makes it uniquely addicting, in a sense.

FM has obviously never had the visual oomph of the FIFA franchise, for example, it doesn't push graphical boundaries, 80 percent of it is text and numbers...but that's a good thing. I realized how much I'm forced to imagine the world I manage in and construct it in my mind. Simple text from a press conference option (though much maligned) turns into a whole conversation between me and press officers about the team and our progress. A contract negotiation gets imagined into me sitting with legal representatives, the player, and his agent, hashing out details before sealing with a handshake. Halftime team talks aren't just me choosing an option from a drop-down box; instead, I'm in the locker room, some days praising my players while others I'm screaming at them to tighten up at the back, don't lose focus, etc. Even though I watch matches in the 3D view, there is still so much that the match engine doesn't show or show well, and I have to imagine that. There I am on the touchline, jumping for joy and pumping my fist when we score a goal, give the scorer a pat on the back as he jogs over. When the match is close, I'm there adjusting my tie nervously as I consult with my assistant about what to do next. When a player weaves in and out of the opposition, I imagine his incredible footwork and technique. And when a big match or derby has ended and we've won, there I go running across the pitch to celebrate with the boys.

As I was thinking about all this, I was reminded of how my mom would jokingly chastise me for wasting so much time in a fantasy world. But in many was, the amount of imagination and creativity that I put into FM while playing is like reading a book (don't get me wrong - I also love to read). Just like a book's text requires elaboration and constructing a world in the reader's mind, so too does FM.

So here's to FM, the best story ever told on a computer!

you need to get out more...

but you're right, of course, to truly enjoy FM you have to lose yourself in it - become a part of the game-world almost

I've actually been out plenty...haven't played FM in a few weeks since I'm about to graduate from university, and the end is always quite busy. I look forward to playing some soon though; I bet the team is disheveled without me

Thats the thing for my FM has over many other games not just football game but alot of AAA titles for consoles, i get completely immersed in it, and isnt that the plan with games for from immersion? to allow the player feel like they are in that world and not just looking in from the outside, the amount of imagination needed allows for that i feel,

(yes i have a life outside of FM lol )

I do play this game alot, but I don't use my imagination like the OP. I think of my players as names and numbers, and the game as a whole is just all about numbers to me.

But I like numbers.

Nice OP. I'm the same as you because the game is all about the imagination factor for me too!