The Lord Of The Rings Challenge

Hi, just before I hear shouts of 'This isn't your challenge!', and 'You didn't think of this!', I just wanted to say that I know I never

It has been, quite shamelessly, taken from the Stories forum, where it was created by HD, and was taken with HD's permission. If this goes well, I'm thinking of posting one out of the forum every couple of months - whenever the intrest dies down from the previous one.

Just to clarify, thanks HD

###

The Lord of the Rings Challenge - HD

Phase 1 - The Shire

This is the initial stage of the Challenge. Choose any team from the top division in England or Scotland and stay there for two seasons improving on your pevious league position both times.

Phase 2 - The Road to Rivendell

The decision to leave the Shire is a surprising one, and must be made during your third or fourth season (any time after the season update at the end of season 2) at the club from Phase 1. The road to Rivendell is fraught with danger, and is not a journey you ever planned to take. In game terms this involves dropping down at least two divisions to a poor team (flexible on this, basically not a ‘big’ side that’s been relegated since the game started, a rich side, or a team looking in a good position to be promoted.)

Complete Phase 2 by reaching ‘Rivendell’ - the top division - with this team.

Phase 3 - Rivendell

Rivendell is a peaceful place. This phase is similar to Phase 1 and requires only two complete relegation-free seasons in the top flight. The timeframe for moving at the end is the same as for Phase 1.

Phase 4 - The Fellowship of the Ring

Eventually you must leave Rivendell and proceed towards Mordor. Find a job at a club in a European league (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Portugal or Sweden) at no higher than the Third Tier of football. (e.g. Second Division in Sweden, Serie C1 in Italy, National in France) (and for bonus lambas points preferably lower!) Lead this club to the top flight, the Fellowship must then split.

At this stage you, the challenger have a choice to make - will you follow the path of Frodo and Sam and make your way to Mordor, or go with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to face the challenges of Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith?

Phase 5a - Frodo & Sam

This part of the challenge relates to our noble hobbits’ journey from the time they leave the Fellowship behind to the time they reach the long stair to Shelob’s lair. Without their guides Frodo and Sam become disoriented - you too will feel this as you move to a league you have never managed in before (or if you’re sad enough to have tried them all, one you’ve not used much). This can be any league, you can set it up at the start, though my instinct is to suggest an Eastern European league. Do ensure you go in no higher than the second tier. Your first task is to create your ‘Gollum’ - do this by repeatedly fining a player until he hates you. This player must be selected in every match, barring injury and suspension. Phase 5a is complete when you again reach the top flight in your new country.

Phase 5b - Legolas, Aragorn & Gimli

The equivalent journey for our three friends takes them from the shores of the river to their arrival at Helm’s Deep. The key elements involve tracking an enemy, reviving a friend, beating a retreat. Take a club in England or Scotland (whichever you DIDN’T use in Phase 1) who have a rival in a higher division. Firstly achieve promotion to their division and secondly reach the top flight before them (or if they are a top flight club, finish above them in the top flight). This completes Phase 5b

Phase 6a - Shelob

Having reached the top flight you encounter a nasty challenge - survival. Stay up and you complete Phase 6a, go down and Shelob has killed you. You should sell or release your ‘Gollum’ at the start of this Phase.

Phase 6b – Helm’s Deep

This is not the toughest challenge you will face, but still the odds are against you. Given the nature of the division, and the story of Helm’s Deep any players signed after the end of Phase 5b cannot be used until the final ten games of the next season. Complete the Phase by surviving, if this is your first season up, or finishing with more points than in your best season in the top flight to date if not.

Phase 7a - Crossing Mordor

Despite gaining some familiarity with your new surroundings, there are still dangers and challenges to face. Complete Phase 7a by qualifying for Europe with your team. If you do this easily it is clear you prefer the movie version of LOTR to the books.

Phase 7b - The Paths of the Dead

You now face a tough path, you must leave your current team, but remain in the country, dropping to the lowest league division (Third Division in either country) and persuade the ‘dead’ to play. In other words you can only use current squad members or players acquired on free transfers. To qualify as ‘dead’ the player must not have played a competitive game in the preceding season. These restrictions apply until you rejoin the Riders of Rohan and meet up with the people of Gondor at Minas Tirith - the top division!

Phase 8a - Mount Doom

This is the hardest part of your challenge, you must win the UEFA Champions League (or UEFA Cup if you’re a pussy), but first you must resign your ‘Gollum’, whatever the cost. This need not be immediate, but your European triumph will only count if he has played every competitive game in that season, barring injury and suspension. If he is injured or suspended for the final it doesn’t count.

Phase 8b - Minas Tirith

Signing restrictions are off and your simple challenge is to win a European trophy with the club you are at, preferably the Champions League.

Phase 9 - The Scourging of the Shire

Whether you followed path a or b you must now return to the Shire. If your team from Phase 1 has fallen out of the top flight you can return there, else take control of another ‘big’ team which is no longer in the top division and complete the challenge by winning a domestic title. For a definition of ‘big’ use common sense, or consult myself at the relevant time.

Notes

Minimum number of divisions needed is 8 when attempting the ‘Frodo’ challenge (e.g. 3x Scotland, 3x France, 2x Poland) or 10 for ‘Aragorn’ (eg 4x England, 3x Scotland, 3x France.) Obviously you will want to take your own specs into account when deciding on additional leagues/divisions and database size.

###

Rules for this Thread

Player naming is allowed. (This is a warning for those of you who do not wish to see this)

Discussion on tactics is allowed. (This is another warning for those of you who do not wish to see this)

Progress of your club should be documented using this thread. We want to hear the story of your club all the way through (success and failure), So please keep us updated, even if you are doing really badly.

At the end of every season, could everyone post some kind of season review, including the minimum of a screenshot of the league table. If you give this a title in bold it makes it a bit easier for others to pick out.

There is no winner or points system here, but I will try and keep an updated list of all people taking part in the challenge. Please do not update this list yourselves, I will take care of it and update it at least once a week.

How to Post a Screenshot

1. While in FM, press the 'Prt Sc' button (usually next to F12 on your keyboard).

2. Open an image editing program such as Paint and paste the image

3. Save the file as a JPEG

4. Upload the image to an image hosting website such as Photobucket or Imageshack

5. Post the direct Url to the image here.

Remember it's not a competition against other users, as long as your are enjoying the challenge that's the main thing.

Screenshots for anything are encouraged.

So just enjoy the challenge

will definitely try and fail at this some point between now and when FM09 comes out

Ta-da.

I've attempted to encourage people to try the FMS challenges in this forum in the past but there wasn't much interest. I guess we could try again.

Yeah, it's a great challenge imo - If it takes off then I might re-post it for FM 09

Anyone else taking up the challenge?

Im just loading up the game now

Good luck. I guess this should be more do-able now that people have computers that can handle the requisite number of leagues.

Just a quick question. Wouldn't it be really hard to re-sign the 'Gollum' as he hates you? He'd just reject the contracs surely?

People have managed it. Money talks!

Anyone taking up the challenge?

I think you'd need to be really prepared to immerse yourself in this, it's not one to dabble with.