How do you stay interested?

What keeps you going in your FM save?

Whether its taking a team from lower divisions to Champions League success it nearly always ends up in a period of domination for your own team, so my question is how do you keep your interest up in the game? Do you set yourself aims or try and break certain records? Or do you try and take care of every single minor detail to feel as involved as possible?

Please share.

Long term targets are the things that keep me interested. I like to aim for things that literally take decades rather than years.

Makes sense, as I usually start with top teams this could help to keep me going to be fair!

Yeah, what dafuge says, long term goals, and flexible goals. My current save started out as a challenge from the CSE forum that took 13 years to complete, my next goal has just been completed 9 years later, and I have further goals in mind that will see me through the 30 years at one club quite easily.

What kind of goals are those?

I started off with the goal of winning the ECC, then the ECC with three different clubs.

Now I want to play the final with eighteen "trained at club" players. I doubt if I'll finish.

I just abandon the save when I'm bored with it after N seasons of domination.

Usually I don't jump ship easily... It takes way too long to get decent job offers (or job offers altogether), so by the time I get a chance to move on, I'm likely to have invested too much effort on the current club and I'm reluctant to leave "my" team in the hands of incompetent AI managers.

And there's always another goal to achieve, be it developing a youngster, winning a treble, etc... But even when I feel I've done everything I could at one club, I just start a new career elsewhere.

Can't really see myself leaving after a decade or so of success to join another Top club, probably in need of a huge overhaul.

Maybe i'm weird, but I usually quite like to stay at a club until everyone there (from the reserves, to all the staff to the first team) is one of my signings. Dunno why really. Guess I just like leaving my stamp on a club. Although I should stress that I don't get rid of people just to get to this point! I let it happen naturally. Having said that, at lower league clubs, I'll usually have a player and staff clear out ASAP, but that's just because I believe I can find better.

Right now in my Bury save 5 seasons in, there are only three first team players who are not "mine".

Once the domination phase sets in I like to have player projects. Normally a player from the youth system of my club that I want to make the greatest in history. So he'll get game time as soon as possible and if I'm the international manager too I'll start him getting caps as soon as I can. That way each club success means that little bit more as it's another honour for my chosen player. If I start with him aged 14/15 then his career should potentially last 20 years. Then if he wanted to become my assistant...

To take my club from League 2 to the point that we dominate Europe will take a very long time, and until that happens (if it ever does) I will always have something else to aim for. After 8 seasons I have only just got the the prem, so the challenge is still fresh.

I suppose if someone starts at top european club, then they may be fast tracked to the world domination.

I always start at the lowest level of English playable football, and don't stop until I have won every club competition available. By that point, the next version is normally released so I wait for the final patch and do it all over again.

In order for the game to stay realistic people need to stop doing stupid things, for example, no club ever just signs up a ******** of wonder kids and watches them grow. The process irl is much slower and calculated.

I keep the game interesting in a few ways. As the game goes on I start to ignore how leagues are going and concentrate on Internationals. I haven't gone long enough into the game but my hope is always to see a world class player(s) emerge from the US and see them as a superpower. I also don't stay at one team for years, I prefer to like take over a team in relegation zone, try work with them and take them where I can go. I never win leagues with these teams because frankly its unrealistic so I'm happy to just try get europe or whatever

In order for the game to stay realistic people need to stop doing stupid things, for example, no club ever just signs up a ******** of wonder kids and watches them grow. The process irl is much slower and calculated.

very good point, but its hard to find a work around to display the talent more vague

Another thing lads do people find the way clubs produce talent a bit weird? I mean once in a blue moon an academy will produce a world class player, but clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal etc. use their academies to make money on players who they know will never be good enough for them but will go onto make careers elsewhere. In Fm it seems either boom or bust and you either get loads of wonderkids or players who are completel crap.

@haunted1234 I think dynamic ability would help this maybe? I mean at one stage nobody would've said Gareth Barry would be a player for a league winning team, he had potential and got a few England caps in his younger years but that was as a left back utility man,

I move clubs when I get bored. This year's been a little easier as I'm attempting to win the Champions League in all 5 playable continents (without added on leagues), and moving to different countries that I've never played in before had kept me going.

it just baffles me that people tend to say "football manager is very realistic", but then again just send your scouts across the world, buy all the 5 star guys and dominate ever after... dont know how this is anywhere near realistic but i still like the game, it takes me always 15-20 seasons to get to this position, after that i either start a new game or quit for a month or two till i feel an urgue to do it all over again

Staying interested is a problem.

I generally start low leagues & take that team to as high as possible. If a good offer comes in from another potentially good team I take it. I like the start of the game best, fixing training, scouting players, setting tactics, etc. I never watch the games because that part of the game has become the most boring for me; I take a day's holiday on game day & watch goal highlights after.

Dynamic targets to achieve. Mine have been:

- Win the league

- Win the Champions League

- Win the treble

- Play on the stadium that is being built

I've done the first two now, and the stadium is two years away, hopefully I'll accomplish this before FM 2013. All the way through, my main focus have been developing talents, which makes the long-term save easier to get into, for me.

ive never play that long to actually be able to build a new stadium, but i wouldnt consider it a goal, in my opinion - i dont know how to put it but i would say its a "cheap" goal.. not in the sense that its easy to reach or anything, but theres just no appeal to it, no graphics that make it look shiny or anything, i really like to see buildings with actual graphics and stuff. just a higher number in the club information tab its not gonna cut it, at least for me.

i remember playing diverse soccer managers on amiga, after buying the players you want, nothing was more fun than expanding the stadium and add like stores and stuff, always something to look forward to

would add great replay value imo to this game, despite the fact that every hardcore fan gonna say "its not the managers job to build the stadium", hell no its not, but its still >THE< place everything takes action around your club... so i do think its important.

Become the richest club at the time - nearly there with Barnet.

Though the gap between Barcelona/Real Madrid and the rest is scary, hope that wont reflect in RL as well.

For me it's just seeing that next batch of youth players supplant my current starters.

One day, I'm going to play long enough to see Arsenal debt-free.

developing youth, simpily. More specifically, I want to win the world cup with Scotland. Surpisingly I got to the final on first attempt, we lead 2-0 at half time, but Argentina (who pretty much had several players of Messi quality in 2054, half of them developed in my Dundee Utd squad) went and scored twice, and then went 3-2 up in the dying minutes, absolute agony, but I was *so* proud of my players. Never been more proud of my team in FM, they were expected to struggle to get out of the group and instead they pushed it right to the end, even if they failed they came close and dared to dream.

I NEVER start with one of the big boys. I dont even start with my club I support who are hardly big boys either (Norwich City). I always start lower down in England and have goals. Usually its to eventually take over one of the big boys. But to start with its about making a name for myself with a small club, before working my way up achieving as much success as possible. Then once I make it to one of the biggest or best in the world I set about winning the biggest comps and then I set myself a goal of helping bring through the best youngsters I can so I no longer have to rely on big name signings for huge fee's.

I Love playing seasons down the line and seeing the youngster I bought as a 17year old becoming one of the greatest in the world.

Thats usually my goal.

If however it does get to that stage where you just fall outta love with the save and need to start a fresh I usually pick a league im not familar with. For example I played with 1 save from purchase of FM12 and by time I eventually got so bored with it I had to start a fresh I decided to start a save in the MLS! Now the rules in the MLS are different to say the least! Learning the rules and managing in a league totally different from anything Ive tried before has really got my interest levels back up and got me addicted fully again. I personally would suggest trying a league you've never tried before, MLS, Australia, Asia etc....if you get bored of the same old grind in England, Spain etc....

Ri's Youth Challenge is by far the best i've tried to do and I absoutely love it

I recommend it to anyone that is thinking of something new to do.

Oh and it takes years and years to be successful, I still haven't been promoted out of the BSS/N

You surprise me! I don't do micro management but I very rarely stay in those lower divisions more than 2 years. Just regularly setting tactics, picking the team & signing a few better players should get you out.

Ri's Youth Challenge is by far the best i've tried to do and I absoutely love it

I recommend it to anyone that is thinking of something new to do.

These challenges are ****. The game favors the real life player when it comes to youth development. Its so bad.

Better challenges would be to take over a club like QPR and make realistic signings they would make, do you really think QPR would blow their budget on a load of 18 year olds, nah irl they buy proven players to try and grow gradually. So instead of whoever everyone recommends as a 'player with great potential' joining you, you'd be really putting in a bid for Emerson Boyce or someone along those lines.

Long journeyman careers i love. starting at newcastle, i normally just move around to whatever tickles my fancy, and normally leave after winning a champs league title. I sometimes then like to take former big clubs back to the top, or spend my career changing the face of football, making teams like Parma and Racing dominant. Eventually i find a player who i love and will stay at one club for that players career before leaving.

Once at inter managed for 16 years and despite winning it non-stop it was always a challenge and i took one guy Diego Rocchi from youngster, to record breaker and assistant manager.

These challenges are ****. The game favors the real life player when it comes to youth development. Its so bad.

Better challenges would be to take over a club like QPR and make realistic signings they would make, do you really think QPR would blow their budget on a load of 18 year olds, nah irl they buy proven players to try and grow gradually. So instead of whoever everyone recommends as a 'player with great potential' joining you, you'd be really putting in a bid for Emerson Boyce or someone along those lines.

Crewe Alex have been doing this for 30 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You surprise me! I don't do micro management but I very rarely stay in those lower divisions more than 2 years. Just regularly setting tactics, picking the team & signing a few better players should get you out.

Yes, I have completed Dafuge's challenge every game/year, but this is first time I have tried a Youth Challenge.

These challenges are ****. The game favors the real life player when it comes to youth development. Its so bad.

Better challenges would be to take over a club like QPR and make realistic signings they would make, do you really think QPR would blow their budget on a load of 18 year olds, nah irl they buy proven players to try and grow gradually. So instead of whoever everyone recommends as a 'player with great potential' joining you, you'd be really putting in a bid for Emerson Boyce or someone along those lines.

That's what the LLM forum is for.

These challenges are ****. The game favors the real life player when it comes to youth development. Its so bad.

Better challenges would be to take over a club like QPR and make realistic signings they would make, do you really think QPR would blow their budget on a load of 18 year olds, nah irl they buy proven players to try and grow gradually. So instead of whoever everyone recommends as a 'player with great potential' joining you, you'd be really putting in a bid for Emerson Boyce or someone along those lines.

Teams like that don't buy proven players to grow gradually, they do it as a quick fix in the hope of still being in a job at the end of the season. Very few managers IRL have the luxury of being able to invest in youth and have it pay off a few years down the line.

Perhaps it is too easy to rely on scout reports as they are very accurate in predicting PA but I'm not going to go out and spend millions on established 30 year olds because "it's realistic", I'll continue with my youth investment policy because I get satisfaction from it.

Slowly move to the top through various clubs, after starting at the very lowest league possible

Win every big league (England, Italy, Spain, Germany) and win a Champions League with a club from every one of these leagues

Win back-to-back Champions Leagues

Finish a league season undefeated

Win every game in a league season

Move to South America and win the Libertadores

Take a club in a lesser league in Europe and win the Champions League with them

Win Euro (or other continental trophy)+World Cup with your country of birth

Win the Champions League with a team from Eastern Europe made exclusively of Eastern European players

Move back to the very lowest level and take them to Champions League glory

Move to Africa and Asia (and Oceania if you loaded add-on New Zealand league) and win every single continental club trophy, then the World Club Cup with a team from every continent

Win a Champions League with a club exclusively made of your youth academy players

Win the Euro+World Cup with a nation that had never qualified for a major competition previously

Win everything with the club you support in real life

There, that's enough challenges to keep you going for another 150 seasons at least.

There, that's enough challenges to keep you going for another 150 seasons at least.

"At least" is an understatement!

Anyone looking for a long term enjoyment save should try Queens Park - they cannot go pro and just as someone starts to perform for your team then get snapped up on a free.

For me I'm doing European Adventure Challenge managing in a club in Norway and have restricted myself to signing players from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Faroe Islands only. It keeps the game at a realistic level, is quite a challenge with these guidelines in place and thus keeps me interested.

For me I'm doing European Adventure Challenge managing in a club in Norway and have restricted myself to signing players from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Faroe Islands only. It keeps the game at a realistic level, is quite a challenge with these guidelines in place and thus keeps me interested.

That's pretty much the same idea as my "win a CL with an Eastern European club with only Eastern European players" except it's your Gundo challenge so you need to start from the bottom, and Nordic players are a lot more rubbish than Eastern Europeans. That's got to take a while.

After a massively succesfull career on FM11 with Liverpool I played with England on FM12 and then resigned after the Euros and took over Fulham in the summer of 2013 signing a 2 year contrac. I have decided i am only going to stay with each club for a maximum of 2 seasons.

I stay interested, because every match is different. It's as simple as that.

That's pretty much the same idea as my "win a CL with an Eastern European club with only Eastern European players" except it's your Gundo challenge so you need to start from the bottom, and Nordic players are a lot more rubbish than Eastern Europeans. That's got to take a while.

It is certainly the way to go in my opinion, really enjoyed my save this year and it has become my longest save on any version.

Agree quality isn't that great either, but who cares!

Past couple of FM's has been relying on the Academy and using whoever comes through.

In this Athletic Club save though, i've added a Manager of Aviron Bayonnais as well to give them around £15m a year from my transfer funds and get them into the French Ligue 1 in the hope of better Basque newgens

I might do the same with Gernika after i've finished bankrolling Bayonnais.

What keeps you going in your FM save?

Whether its taking a team from lower divisions to Champions League success it nearly always ends up in a period of domination for your own team, so my question is how do you keep your interest up in the game? Do you set yourself aims or try and break certain records? Or do you try and take care of every single minor detail to feel as involved as possible?

Please share.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/311225-You-Only-Get-One-Reputation-A-Potentially-Catastrophic-ToffeeViola-Career (press 'Proceed Anyway')

Past couple of FM's has been relying on the Academy and using whoever comes through.

That's what i'm doing on my current save with Sunderland. Allowed myself one summer window to bring in players and lay some foundations, and from that point on it was all about making profit to be used in upgrading the youth and training facilities, (It's been 7 seasons since I signed a player).

My only real goal was (and still is) to first win the FA Cup and then to aim higher and try to win a major trophy. Spending millions each summer with Everton to walk my way to the Prem and Champions League titles was entertaining for a while, but there was no real challenge in it and it eventually stagnated. I've already managed the League Cup, Europa League (twice) and European Super Cup (twice), but winning something bigger with what i've got would give me a far greater sense of achievement than what I did at Everton.

Just for the record, besides being runners-up to Villa in the FA Cup I haven't came close to even finishing in the Champions League places, nevermind topping the table, so this is a challenge that could take me some time haha

As a Rangers fan the only saves ive ever got into are with Rangers. If im honest i have no idea why. I did do one on FM11 when a i created a side and started to build them from the bottom, made a small error with a stadium for 2nd season onwards though that i didnt realise till the end of the second season when it said our annual profit was £80m most from ticket sales. I couldnt be bothered to start again so basically bought everything after that. Never won the CL with that side but not that im fused about that. My last CL win was on FM08 now.

seeing differant things, I have 2 united saves currently, with differant players on each due to differant situations,

my 2nd united save Bilbao got relegated opening new transfer opertunites as other transfer targets were doing far to well to be bought at a reasonable pirce, unilke the last save.

just did an olympic run, and won the gold, with some absolutly stupid results and a fluke win in the smies

Personally I like to start a save with my managerial experience as Sunday League and start with a club who are average like a League One side, and not only build the side and team up but also build up my managerial experience. The only goal I've ever really set myself is to win more than what Sir Alex Ferguson has done with one club.

Good to see a fellow NCFC fan on here and also good to see someone who does the eact same thing as I do. When the new FM of that year comes out I always start with minimal experience and start with a club without a gaffer in league 1 or 2. Then try work way up and set the challenge of getting in the hall of fame ahead of sir alex.

It's always been my goal to play long enough to have my "son" come into the youth squad. It's not happened yet.

It's always been my goal to play long enough to have my "son" come into the youth squad. It's not happened yet.

I can assure you that playing for long enough makes little difference