[official] FM2009 features announcements - improved modules from FM2008

Have team talks been reworked? Are there a wider variety of options than on 08?

And regens have also been improved....[/font]

I think everyone will be happy...if it works that is

Can you go into any more depth about the transfer modules, ie will it be easier to sell players, will we be able to sign players for around their value instead of 4 or 5 times?

Also regens, how have they been fixed and what can we expect from this in this new version?

Hi Miles

I think the general consensus around the forums is were looking at a great addition in the 3D Match Engine and keeps the 2D fans happy by it being included still (presumably an improvement we can discuss, although not listed in your opening post)

I do sense there is some anxiety however around what kind of system and graphics card we might need to be able to use 3D.

I am sure specifications will be announced just around the corner, but are we looking at a major jump in what is required from FM08?

Many thanks

...featuring over 5,000 playable clubs from over 50 countries, and around 350,000 players and staff from around the world...

I can't recall off the top of my head, but how do these figures compare to FM'08? More clubs? Leagues? More countries?

Was looking forward to the new version before all these major announcements, now I'm literally itching to try all the new stuff! Have been moaning about the media interaction for a while now, I hope there's an option to say "The last goal they scored in the 95th minute from 3 yards was bloody lucky and they didnt deserve the 3 points" lol. The team talks thing is more important to me however, we need more options for when ur 2 or more goals ahead - at present ur team basically ignores u and switches off...

Hoping the new 3D match engine will be more consistent with the "actual" engine, so if the chance is genuinly not very good for our striker we can actually see that, rather than believing the opposing keeper has become superman...

Updated Competitions – Fully updated for the new 2008/09 football season with all the latest league, club and player data, featuring over 5,000 playable clubs from over 50 countries, and around 350,000 players and staff from around the world, drawn fresh from the famous Sports Interactive database. ]

Not that it really matters but do you have an English Premier League Licence for the logos etc?

Are these [official] threads going to be Stickies?

Hi - RE Updated Competitions does this include the Champions League qualifiers changes and the reformatted UEFA cup next season?

And regens have also been improved....

Miles I'm going to fly out there and give you big kiss on the face. Seriously be expecting me. I'm sorry I doubted the beast that is FM. I will never ever again speak out of turn. I think I was just getting inpatient but I will from now on believe in what Miles and the staff at SI do. Sorry.

P.S. Ter and others are next in line for big sloppy wet ones.

And regens have also been improved....

If there was a "bow down" smilie, I'd use it right now. For long term gamers, the Regens is something we've desperately needed fixed. Above all else, the thing that let me down in FM08 is that when you get around the 2028+ seasons, regens that are ruling the prem would only be low prem players / Championship players. I hope the way the attributes are distributed are a lot better, so that we don't get technically and mental gifted 16 year olds who can run for toffee and fall over at the slightest gust of wind.

Does Carling Cup/League Cup has less prestige, compared to FA cup. I mean, if I do an Arsene Wenger and play youth players in it, will board understand my decision?

I think if you lose they will be ****ed as a cup is a cup. I will tell you when Arsene lost to us 5-1 in the Carling Cup they were probably ****ed. He most likely won't do that again.

Does Carling Cup/League Cup has less prestige, compared to FA cup. I mean, if I do an Arsene Wenger and play youth players in it, will board understand my decision?

The League Cup has no less prestige than the FA Cup tbf, but I agree, we should be allowed to play youngsters in them (and the CL too, come to think about it).

I'm looking forward to hear more about the regens...

^ Agreed. I want to hear more too

No we don't

FIFA pretty much has the monopoly on this and i'm not convinced that will ever change...

And regens have also been improved....

Yip and yay!

FIFA pretty much has the monopoly on this and i'm not convinced that will ever change...

It's a heckuva lot of money that needs to be shelled out for a feature that a few dedicated and much-loved fans produce for free, season after season. Not that I wouldn't love to see the game fully licensed from the start but if it means all those bags of cash go into development and providing Miles with a very swish chair then I consider that money well spent.

Though on that note, what was with that chair, Miles? Were you thinking "Hmm, interview in my office... must get biggest, most luxurious chair I can find!!" ?

I want that chair almost as much as I want FM2009, seriously >.>

"even more realistic transfer system"

The original was realistic??????

"even more realistic transfer system"

The original was realistic??????

Maybe not 100% but it was still more realistic than any other football management sim I've ever played

I hope the transfer system now gives us an option to tempt players that would not normally sign for you if you can convince them that you are looking to add to the squad with other quality players.

An optional text line of maybe "You're the first of many international class lads I'm bringing in"

Then, if you don't bring in any other top quality signings the original player has a right to be aggrieved.

It would also be great to be able to convince the board to be much more flexible with the wage budget if you can convince a truly great player to sign for you. I'm fed up of having to adhere to such a rigid wage bill. Where's the Peter Ridsdale disregard for the future gone?

Let's have it all now and to hell with the future!!

And regens have also been improved....

Have a shave and my missus has agreed to give you a kiss in thanks.

Or don't and me saying "thanks" will have to suffice

rather than believing the opposing keeper has become superman...

You called??!! :D

I think if you lose they will be ****ed as a cup is a cup. I will tell you when Arsene lost to us 5-1 in the Carling Cup they were probably ****ed. He most likely won't do that again.

Yes he will

I'm looking forward to the new transfer system. I was glad to hear that they ripped the code out and wrote it from scratch. What i'm worried about is realistic transfers. As everyone knows, Man City have just bought Robinho, and are planning on buying a lot more like him. How can a game predict something like that when in it's self is a little unrealistic despite it happening in the real world!

I'm also curious if league reputations can increase thus halting the "I've won it all, I'm filthy rich but nobody likes me" issue.

Easy, they bought Robinho because they had the money....so if in FM a club gets richer or is bought by a sugar daddy, such a purchase would become realistic...

It's not realistic, though. That's the crazy thing about it. Even though it's happening in the real world. Think about it, what if in the game Dumbarton get taken over and start buying the worlds best players. Where does the line get drawn?

Have team talks been reworked? Are there a wider variety of options than on 08?

This. Team talks and player interaction was extremely poor on 08. Terrible in fact. Also I hope the media interaction improvements also include being able to comment of crap referee decisions and not being told that the referee is right everytime?

Not sure if this thread is the best for my comment, or if I should start a new thread, but:

I would love to hear about any improvements to the overall game engine and processing. Almost every version of CM/FM improved the rate at which the game simulates. True for FM'09, too? How would SI characterize the overall game speed improvements? "Similar"? "Improved"? "Overhauled and made great strides"? This is something that people with older PCs (with less processing power) would be interested in - as well as those who would like to make a few more leagues playable than they have in the past.

Realistic Finances – SI have listened to feedback from all of their researchers to try and model every single financial area of the game correctly for each country, including transfers, staff wages, budgets, ticket prices, season tickets, competition bonuses and club sponsorships.

Could you expand on how this has been done. For example, the welsh finances have been wrong for years. Chairmen over spending, part time clubs richer than FT clubs. Are you confident it will be more realistic this time?

Updated Competitions – Fully updated for the new 2008/09 football season with all the latest league, club and player data, featuring over 5,000 playable clubs from over 50 countries, and around 350,000 players and staff from around the world, drawn fresh from the famous Sports Interactive database.

Could you also tell me whether the split of the welsh premier league into 2 tiers in 2009/2010, will be implemented in the game? Coders were informed of it but justs wanted to make sure it was in.

I would wait for testing results but they are normally only for one season, so I would not find out.

Thanks

Regarding the new transfer module, from VideoGamer.com's interview with Miles:

VideoGamer.com: We're particularly interested in how you've completely rebuilt the transfer system. How will it be different for the player?

MJ: The user will not see much difference. It will be a hell of a lot faster. Quite a few of the features that you'll see in the game will be made possible because we've rewritten what we call the shortlist manager, that controls all the transfers. They'll see a lot more transfers that make sense. They'll see more things like what you've seen this year in the transfer window; there were a lot of season long loans with views to a permanent transfer afterwards, you'll be seeing more of those in there. It's just more flexible, more efficient, and makes it easier moving forward as well as easier this year. You know that system has been in place for many many years, so it was due a shake up.

Does the new transfer system code mean transfers are dealt with any differently? Or is it still "Make offer -> If accepted, offer contract -> Confirmed?

If so, maybe a nice line of text in the confirmation news item saying "Having successfully completed a medical, the transfer of 'Player X' can now be confirmed."

How about Undisclosed Fees?

Fingers crossed you can keep trasnfers private. There was an option in 08 I believe but everyone used to find out anyway

The new transfer system is my favourite feature so far. I hope it is as good as I am hoping it to be since it's an integral part of FM. Hopefully the confidence module now works much better and is more realistic in terms of longetivity of success. I am hoping for a mircale.

No, it's more the AI behind it all which has been rewritten

Does that mean that it will be the same as before but without the dumb AI decisions? Well that's a let down for me

I was hoping for a complete rework with more options than we have now. Now what we have is just too simple

What other options do you need?

What other options do you need?

I for one would be interested in improving the negotiations with the player module. I would like to see much more flexible contracts such as pay-to-play contracts, and also the ability of extended contracts such as optional years added on after a certain amount of years, etc.

I hope the negotiation of contracts with players has been improved as well since it was flawed in certain areas.

For example;

Player X wants 5K/week.

You offer him 2.5K/week with 20K signing on fee as well as goal and appearance fees.

What I'm saying is, I hope the contract negotations are more realistic and flexible now and not so one-sided.

Can you bid for two or more players from the same team at once?

I wonder what club stature actually means.

As I happen to work for a club, let me take it as an example:

3 years ago my boss said he wants the club to be among the 20 biggest in Europe. Today we are economically Nr. 15 according to Deloitte's latest study. On pitch however I would rather rate us Nr. 37 as the UEFA ranking says.

So if I took over 3 years ago:

- would my boss have been unhappy from the start as he wanted the club to grow to where it wasn't yet?

- would he be happy now? what are the criteria?

Can you inform us if the new Brazilian Serie D will be on game?

What other options do you need?

Sign player with option to extend for example.

Buy a player that stays loaned at other club for a year or two. (no i don't think it's the same as if i send him to a feeder club and he can reject that)

More clauses in contracts.

A way to talk to players to try persuade them to come to a league they normally wouldn't join.

That's enough for you? That's just some things there are lots of thins SI could ad but i guess you just want Player X wants Y, you offer Y, player X signs for club Z.

I wonder if there are any new nations to manage in this year

Updated Competitions – Fully updated for the new 2008/09 football season with all the latest league, club and player data, featuring over 5,000 playable clubs from over 50 countries, and around 350,000 players and staff from around the world, drawn fresh from the famous Sports Interactive database.

Thanks Miles,

Are there any new leagues? Are there any new licenses for logos and jerseys obtained for leagues currently in the game?

will you have a more player interactions like encouraging players to take up citzenship. Also love all of the features that you have told us about so far apart from the female managers because i would never use it but i can see you have it there so yer that is a good feature aswell