The one biggest thing that SI could do to improve my enjoyment of the FM series

I have been playing FM since the Italia version (93?), and I have enjoyed most of them very much - it's the only game series I am guaranteed to buy every year. However, my biggest quibble is that I am always scratching around for user-designed updates to keep my game up to date.

I was discussing with a friend a great way of keeping it up to date, and that would be by SI offering monthly updates (with all changes like transfers etc made, league tables - the lot), but in exchange for a small fee - perhaps £2.50-£5.00 per month? This may also go some way to making up for the loss of revenue FML going offline would make.

I would be more than happy to pay this charge, and so would my friend - but that is hardly a massive pool of market research! Would others pay this, and if not, why not?

I start my career when the game is released.

This career continues.

I don't start anymore games.

Therefore, updates are useless to myself.

Not sure what the point of updating the league table is?

I'm out.

Don't start new games that often really.

What about £2.50, that's less than a pint a month?

I tend to start a new game and then play it for the whole year, so data updates are no use to me.

I start my career when the game is released.

This career continues.

I don't start anymore games.

Therefore, updates are useless to myself.

Not sure what the point of updating the league table is?

I'm out.

I like to start new gamesevery now and then, when I've conquered the world! It would be nice to be able to join a game 'live' in November or march for example and see how you could do better than their real manager does.

Same as the others I have somewhere between two & four saves per version.

Currently we get a full update with each version once a year while transfers are updated twice a year after each of the main windows. Thats enough for me and I definitely wouldn't pay for others.

I like to start new gamesevery now and then, when I've conquered the world! It would be nice to be able to join a game 'live' in November or march for example and see how you could do better than their real manager does.

No. It's a crazy amount of extra data to include.

What's been said before, and also: Licensing!

What's been said before, and also: Licensing!

I cannot see how any more licenses would be required, all you'd be doing is updating the existing data.

I cannot see how any more licenses would be required, all you'd be doing is updating the existing data.

Sounds pretty simple then!!

Would make more sense for you to do all this updating, and we'll pay you if you're lucky. Deal?

I would not be happy to pay for this! They already release patches which include transfers and fix bugs, and these are free.

I don't see the advantage of updating league tables every month, I like to start at the beginning of the season.

It would take up a lot of their time if they were to prepare an update every month, and this would probably impact the quality of the next release, so I'm afraid I am out.

I cannot see how any more licenses would be required, all you'd be doing is updating the existing data.

You need a license to reproduce the official fixture lists. FM doesn't have this currently for most countries but if they were going to do monthly updates they would need the official fixtures so that FM mirrors real life.

Aside from the the amount of testing required to make it work mean its very unlikely to happen.

At the end of the season there should be something thats released that lets us start ahead of the 11/12 season instead.

This smacks of a 'let's float this and see what happens' idea from SI.

'What if we charge for updates ?' is where this is going, you see if I'm not right.

At the end of the season there should be something thats released that lets us start ahead of the 11/12 season instead.

Like FM12?

I play a maximum of 4 games each year so no.

You seem to think this is just a case of copying and pasting the league table from BBC Sport. Hey presto - brand new update guys!!

Bear in mind there are a total of 51 playable nations and 117 playable leagues.

You can't just update one and not the others.

Logistical nightmare, as they say.

Wait wait wait, did championship manager not try to do something like this in one of its most recent fails?

Wait wait wait, did championship manager not try to do something like this in one of its most recent fails?

They still make that game?

You seem to think this is just a case of copying and pasting the league table from BBC Sport. Hey presto - brand new update guys!!

Bear in mind there are a total of 51 playable nations and 117 playable leagues.

You can't just update one and not the others.

Logistical nightmare, as they say.

Which is exactly why a fee would need to be involved. It would allow a dedicated member or members of the team to work exclusively on this.

This smacks of a 'let's float this and see what happens' idea from SI.

'What if we charge for updates ?' is where this is going, you see if I'm not right.

You are wrong. I don't work for SI, but I would be willing - indeed delighted - to pay a monthly fee for a monthly update which keeps my game realistic. Simple.

I hate playing at this time of year, as my game is out of date and there are no updates - I want to start a new up to date game and play it until the new version comes out. 10 monthly updates for a monthly fee of 2.50ish each would keep me very happy.

How far do you get in one career, generally?

How far do you get in one career, generally?

Between 3 and 7 seasons in, usually at a big club and pretty dominant by this point. Bored, so start again - I like the beginning of the game when I'm plotting turning my team into world beaters. I very rarely join more than 3 clubs (including national jobs), as by this point I'm bored.

You must play very quickly.

You must play very quickly.

I play through seasons reasonably quickly, I spend most time pre season readying my troops! I also have a super quick computer, which makes a big difference.

I also only play the 3d engine in big games, as I find it a bit irrelevant and boring.

To be honest, I hate the updates. I buy the game as it is, having to re-learn all the new players every time is a pain. Any blatant mistakes I fix myself (spend the first hour going through the editor checking out various teams around the world).

What about £2.50, that's less than a pint a month?

Nobody above is arguing the cost.... just the point of it all.

Monthly updates? Where would you stop! Play a game month, then want the real life tables. Play another game month, then scrap all that for the real life tables. If you want constant, up-to-the-date tables, then quit the game and go and watch real life football!

The point is it's your game world - yes it's nice to start with the right teams and have everything as it is in real life - but from the moment you click Continue Game, anything could happen. Arsenal buy Eden Hazard, Hibs win the SPL, Rafa Benetiz gets the England job, Fergie retires.... for 'tis a game!

They already release updates for free? why would you want to pay for them?!

Personally, I'd suggest that you're not really getting the most out of the game - the way you're playing it. Your decision though. No chance of getting regular updates just to please a very, very small minority. FM11 is finished with, as far as SI are concerned. They are looking at the next version.

Personally, I'd suggest that you're not really getting the most out of the game - the way you're playing it. Your decision though. No chance of getting regular updates just to please a very, very small minority. FM11 is finished with, as far as SI are concerned. They are looking at the next version.

I'd suggest that I'm getting from the game what I want from it - as I have done for the near 20 years I've been buying the series! This is an improvement I'd enjoy far more than 3d match engines or improved training options, it may not be popular, but I know that at least some people would be interested in it.

Perhaps instead of quitting and starting again when you get bored, you could just leave that team and join another team? That way, you can start your domination plotting again but without starting a new game. This is the way I do it, and the game is better for it. If I start a new game I already know who the good players are and it's too easy.

Perhaps instead of quitting and starting again when you get bored, you could just leave that team and join another team? That way, you can start your domination plotting again but without starting a new game. This is the way I do it, and the game is better for it. If I start a new game I already know who the good players are and it's too easy.

I hear you, but it annoys me when managers who have left their respective clubs 2 seasons ago in real life start mind games with me, or a player who is at another club and has been for some time scores against me. Little niggles, but they irritate me after a few seasons.

I totally agree with the post 7 above.

Between 3 and 7 seasons in, usually at a big club and pretty dominant by this point. Bored, so start again - I like the beginning of the game when I'm plotting turning my team into world beaters. I very rarely join more than 3 clubs (including national jobs), as by this point I'm bored.

You should take over a very small club...that should keep your interest a little bit more.

That way you dont have to worry about things like monthly updates.

Personally something like this would be of no use to me or anyone else who plays a long term save. Heck I am still playing my only save on FM10.

If SI started charging for updates they would be worse than Sepp Blatter.

If SI started charging for updates they would be worse than Sepp Blatter.

I meant an optional service for monthly updates, not charging for the patches.

You should at least ask for a free update first, telling SI you are willing to pay more money is a bad way to start negotiations. You should go on The Apprentice!

Licensing for a start would be a massive issue. Honestly can't see this one as a goer, sorry.

I know it's unlikely, but it would be excellent. Even just a data update with transfers and player ability data would be good.

Audio Commentary when viewing full matches would be sweet but i dont think that will happen as it would be hard to implement. Also actual voices from the press asking questions instead of having to read them.

I know it's unlikely, but it would be excellent. Even just a data update with transfers and player ability data would be good.

Why dont you just download an unofficial update theres loads floating around Editors section i assume.

Didn't the last Championship Manager actually offer this service till it all went horribly wrong for them?

Audio Commentary when viewing full matches would be sweet but i dont think that will happen as it would be hard to implement. Also actual voices from the press asking questions instead of having to read them.

They have tried audio commentary in the past (not on Football Manager but on one of the earlier Championship Managers) and it was pretty awful.

Also, it would get very repetitive very quickly, and I would imagine that most people would turn the commentary off after the novelty of it wore off. I for one know that it would just annoy the hell out of me and wouldn't ever be used.

I would also much rather that SI worked on improving the core mechanics of the game rather than messing around with things like this which add nothing to the game.

As for the data updates, can't see the point in it. As things stand you get one large data update after the January transfer window, and the amount of transfers outside of the Summer and January transfer windows is very small, so you would be paying money for a tiny handful of transfers and an up to date league table. Seems like a complete waste of money to me.

Here it is:

http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php/articles/2327-championship-manager-2010-season-live-qaa