2012 improvements - a little late, but you never know

There are a few things in Football Manager that have always bothered me, and I wonder if they're getting addresses this time around:

1. After a match in which a player has been sent off, or a penalty given/not given, or a goal chalked off - you know, just refs being tools; why is it not yet possible to know (absolutely and without conjecture) whether the decision was right or not? I'm sick of being asked at a press conference whether it was a bad decision or not, and having to rely on my consistently 'I didn't see it, yessir' assistant manager. In modern football, at the highest level, I would KNOW if the ref was right, wrong or if it was just impossible to tell. I HATE this. Just don't bother asking the question if the game engine can't give me the information I would have in real life.

2. Why can't I slag off opposition players? I'd love nothing more than to identify Balotelli as the overpaid, overpriced lumox he is.

3. How about having a public pop at a ref? By name? For examples in real life pretty much just look at anything SIR alex ferguson gets away with saying on a weekly basis.

4. I am convinced that managerial regimes at clubs 'allow' certain ethos or cultures to develop at their clubs. Like maybe allowing the practice of diving (Hello Nani) or perhaps going in heavy, hard and filthy from the first whistle or such like. Not tactics (I am aware you can have hard tackling) but as a general culture... Might be a stretch this one.

5. How about the opportunity to be involved in kit changes on rolling seasons? Maybe getting to choose from a couple of choices for second and third kit changes?

6. Can we put all agents in a sack and throw them in the harbour? Just because an agent hates me should not preclude me being able to sign a player who wants to join my club. That, in short, is blx.

Erm......that's all for now, thanks for listening. I'm off to take my Ritalin.

1 - Agreed. Need to be able to look at the contentious decisions before the press conference, and have them be pretty clear. Especially with the penalties, the match engine is not good enough for us actually tell if a foul is a foul.

2 - Not sure about this one, doesn't tend to happen IRL. Plus I wonder if there might be legal issues if SI create a game where many recognisable real life figures can be mocked and abused.

3 - Same as above. We can have a go at them in the press conferences anyway if they make a contentious decision(though I don't like that sometimes I'll see a horrible decision in game and it won't even be mentioned in the press conference.

4 - Would tend to agree.

5 - Wouldn't mind this. Though depends how easy it is to code.

6 - I've not really had a problem with the. And actually an agent hating you is a fairly good reason for not signing a player, agents are very powerful. Wouldn't mind seeing an option to turn agents off at the start of the game.

Yeah, think you're pretty spot on, Chalky. Another thing has just sprung to mind though: after 6 years in management, and many hundreds of positive exchanges between me and, let's say, Rafa Benitez; why is the relationship status still only FEELS the two of us COULD become friends... Do all FM2011 managers have commitment issues? Let's be friends Rafa! Let your wife cook me dinner! Let's go to a bloody Take That concert or something!!

SHort note on 6; a switch to turn them on or off would be ace - but likewise, some way to get the bloody agents back in your good books would be good!! Apparently the only way is to be successful in other negotiations with them - but if they already hate you how can that happen? Catch 22 anyone. (which is an awesome book, btw)

1. Check the post match ref comment. It's usually very telling.

2. If it's working to some other purpose than to just be a huge douche bag... sure.

3. You'd just get fined. I think it's working pretty well now in that you can do it whenever there's been a controversial decision.

4. Collect players with this mindset and you're set.

5. I wouldn't mind. But it's not really a decision for the manager.

6. Agents are a big part of football; I'd rather just see them tweaked based on what SI has learned from FM11.

Issue number five is completely pointless.

I suppose it's as pointless as you find the color/design of your team kits.

Issue number five is completely pointless.

Not when it is fairly common to experience that it is impossible to tell the players from each other in the 3d match engine.

yeah, thanks tomtuck - good work.

issue 1 - i agree with, you can check up in the the post match report and usually if it says the ref was dodgy then you wont get in trouble but it would be nice if it was easier to tell.

issue 2 - pointless, it doesnt happen in real life except in the most extreme conditions so i dont see why it should be in FM.

issue 3 - again pointless, its against the laws of the FA, irrespective of SAF so it should not be in FM, what good could come from it anyway?

issue 4 - i dont really see man u encouraging Nani to dive, no chance, and i highly doubt any team is sent out with instructions to be dirty and overly aggressive, this could open legal issues as well for SI. I for one would never send a team out to hack others or to cheat, but others may i guess

issue 5 - legal reasons prevent that from ever happening, and it would be a waste of time for me anyway.

issue 6 - Agents need work, definately, but i wouldnt get rid of them completely.

yeah, thanks tomtuck - good work.

My reply was as in depth as it needed to be.

There are bigger problems in game/more important features that need improving on and adding to the game to be worth worrying about a fairly meaningless thing like kits.

Whilst I'm not for changing the kits every season, not even in real-life (money grabbing so-and-so's ), I'd like the opportunity to choose which kit my team actually play in away from home. Sometimes I think the AI makes a hash of it and chooses the wrong one.

The main thing I want back;

Match Speed slider, and Highlight speed slider. Why oh why oh why they combined these, I'll never know.

You either have to sit and let the match crawl through so you have highlights at a watchable speed, or sit with your mouse constantly on the slider button to slow the game down whenever something happens. Madness.