Idea = Generic Stadiums

This quote from Paul Collyer got me thinking

We cant attempt to represent the stadiums. You can see from the screenshots that currently we have a kind of "abstract" stadium effect. I should imagine that will be something the user can turn off - we will see.

At the moment in the development process have an "abstract" black stadium effect, see below

Perhaps a field in the stadium file could be included for what "kind" of stadium each one is. Thus there would be generic stadiums and the seat colour would change in order to give club some identity.

For example

Field with fence

Field with one small stand

Stadium with one small mainstand and fence around the rest

Capactiy > 5k with 4 small stands

Capacity between 5k and 10k with 4 small stands one being grandstand

Capacity between 10k and 20k with 2 terrace stands behind goals

Capacity between 10k and 20k "bowl" stadium

Capacity between 20k and 30k with 4 separate stands

Capacity between 20k and 30k "bowl" stadium

Capacity between 30k and 40k with 4 seperate stands

Capacity between 30k and 40k "bowl" stadium

Capacity between 40k and 50k with 4 seperate stands

Capacity between 40k and 50k "bowl" stadium

Capacity between 50k and 60k with 4 seperate stands

Capacity between 50k and 60k "bowl" stadium

Capacity between 60k and 70k with 4 seperate stands

Capacity between 60k and 70k "bowl" stadium

and so on...

Also have a main seating colour field for each stadium; Red, blue, white, green, yellow, black etc

The research team indicates which the stadium currently is. As Southampton researcher I would tick for St. Marys the "Capacity between 30k and 40k bowl stadium" and the "red seating" box.

You could also have the types of stadium as a flow chart showing how the stadium can improve and as it is upgraded it changes in the match engine screen. So a stadium may start out as a "Capacity between 5k and 10k with 4 small stands one being grandstand" and process through the flow chart on a path to become a stadium with " Capacity between 20k and 30k "bowl" stadium". Different stadium would take deiffent development paths.This method gets around the license issues some stadia may have and gives each club the correct "feel" on match days.

Of course this is only a cosmetic touch and the match engine takes priority but I hope that all makes sense and we see it eventually in an FM game. I would guess something along these lines is already planned but thought I'd mention it

i didn't realise they wern't going to put stadiums in....that is a bit silly really. i'd rather have the full works rather then just the pitch if i was to use 3D at all. perhaps the technology isn't "there" after all.

I like the idea MatthewLeGod, would definately add a touch more authenticity to the match engine and would show the difference between bigger and smaller clubs and sounds fairly easy to implement.

Moaner - They can't put all the stadiums accurately in due to lack of licensing and time constraints but maybe MatthewLeGod's idea can be implemented in FM10

Yes, I like this idea too. It would really add to the experience of taking a small club through the ranks imo.

Moaner - They can't put all the stadiums accurately in due to lack of licensing and time constraints but maybe MatthewLeGod's idea can be implemented in FM10

bit of a bummer. oh well. 2D it is for me!

Even FIFA only recreate a few of the stadiums, the rest are generic. I think this is a very good idea.

i didn't realise they wern't going to put stadiums in....that is a bit silly really. i'd rather have the full works rather then just the pitch if i was to use 3D at all. perhaps the technology isn't "there" after all.

Surely the important thing is the match engine? If that works great, does it really matter what the stadium looks like? - Besides, I don't think that there is a stadium in the current 2d view, and if there is, I haven't been bothered enough to notice it over the last 3/4 years.

I do like the idea of having Generic Stadia...I don't forsee any means that would enable the real things to be used at this point, or any point in the near future to be fair.

I like the idea of this. Putting in all the real stadiums is just unpractical, but putting in generic ones depending on the stadium capacity would be ideal for now

Moaner certainly suits his name

I'm not too bothered either way, no stadium = no threads about stadiums not looking right.

Yeah, I've mentioned in the past that some sort of 'stadium-gen' pic would be nice to see, just to tart up the team info screen a little. Now they've decided to go 3D it would be a perfect idea for the game day pitch.

I wouldn't care if it's not exactly like real life, it would just feel better than having nothing there.

i wasn't starting a fight i was just saying if i was to use 3D, i wouldn't want to be playing in a black box. which is why ill stick to what i know- 2D.

I was only joking lol. A generic stadium would be nice, but people have wanted 3D for long enough now and I say lets see what it's like and if we feel it's necessary add a stadium to the FM10 wishlist. ATM people are actually just worrying/complaining about things in their imagination

I was only joking lol. A generic stadium would be nice, but people have wanted 3D for long enough now and I say lets see what it's like and if we feel it's necessary add a stadium to the FM10 wishlist. ATM people are actually just worrying/complaining about things in their imagination

oh ok. im not complaining about anything in my imagination, im complaining about that 40ft high, black perimetre fence around AFC Wimbledons stadium:p

I just noticed they have a stadium shadow on the pitch, surely some generic stadiums must be in the works, if not for this version then maybe for next year.

Nice idea

Great idea, Matt

I guess as soon as SI have got the basics right for the 3D view they'll turn towards the icing, like hairstyles and the rest of which the stadiums should be a mayor part.

It would be nice if they added in generic stadiums, but its doubtful that they'll go with it at the moment.

A nice thing to do would be to add a very basic stadium editor. It wouldn't have to be very advanced, just a few different models for different types of stands, with the ability to select the number of rows and seats etc. Add to that the ability to put an athletics track around the field (for the countries that need it) and a few different settings, like for example how far there is from the edge of the stand to the field etc.

There wouldn't even be a need to add roofs etc, as that is out of the view of the match engine. It would be fairly easy to implement, but I don't think SI would want to, out of fear of bugs, instability etc. and I guess having a lot of different stadium models, however basic, would be a memory hog. Also, I guess they have enough to do with just getting the basics right at the moment.

i take it no-one else feels they'd like the whole matchday feel (stadium, fans) rather then just have the pitch?

I'd like proper fan chants back like we used to have in CM01/02, but I don't want 50,000 statuesque blobs around the edges of the pitch meaning that the pitch has to be smaller in order to fit them in the view!

i take it no-one else feels they'd like the whole matchday feel (stadium, fans) rather then just have the pitch?

I would prefer a perfect 3D engine as everyone else.

As long as I can't have that, I prefer SI to concentrate on the important issues first and just then move to more cosmetic (yet deesirable) areas of the 3D view. And everything on the pitch certainly is more important than everything off the pitch.

However, this could be just an awesome area for modders. Looking forward to the downloads available once the game is out

However, this could be just an awesome area for modders. Looking forward to the downloads available once the game is out

Yeah, that's going to be brilliant. Looking forward to seeing some really realistic stadia

What does it say in the top right and corner of the screen?

Work in progress.

You'll have grounds to criticise there being no stands and just a black border if it is still like this in the finalised match engine.

Really like this idea, surely because of the camera views as well it's not necessary to re-create entire stadiums, but at most twenty isles of seathign high? Or do you have full camera control so you could see the entire stadium?

I think it's pretty pathetic people expected a proper stadium and a bunch of fans as well, people complaining about it, despite it being a MASSIVE step to what we've ever had in 2D

You'll have grounds to criticise there being no stands and just a black border if it is still like this in the finalised match engine.

have grounds to criticise the grounds (or lack of) eh?! lol

seriously though, its a good idea, and i'd like to see it in, although we should really wait and see, maybe it is already?!

What does it say in the top right and corner of the screen?

Work in progress.

You'll have grounds to criticise there being no stands and just a black border if it is still like this in the finalised match engine.

SI already said this won't change until the release.

As long as the 3-D view improves incrementally over the next ten years, I'm content with a single generic stadium for a first go. I think Matthew's idea in the O.P. is a fine approach for round 2, and in fact will be necessary even years down the line for leagues where we can't get the licensing data or that aren't worth the effort to model.

I'm sure, eventually, we'll get to a point where the 3D match engine equates to John Madden football - every face modeled in recognizable detail, and every stadium we can get the license for modeled in recognizable detail ..

.. but SI have approached this in a wise way: they bit off a target that they knew that they could deliver, rather than aiming for "perfect" right out of the box.

They should do matthews idea but add the option for user to make/download thire own like with kits, badges, etc...

They should do matthews idea but add the option for user to make/download thire own like with kits, badges, etc...

That's actually a very good point - at least make it configurable by team what stadium model to use ... even if, due to licensing and resource constraints, the game only ships with a single stadium model.

That way, if we-the-community build a number of 3D models of famous stadiums, Old Trafford, Wembley, etc, we'll be able to put them in the game.

That's actually a very good point - at least make it configurable by team what stadium model to use ... even if, due to licensing and resource constraints, the game only ships with a single stadium model.

That way, if we-the-community build a number of 3D models of famous stadiums, Old Trafford, Wembley, etc, we'll be able to put them in the game.

Well, exactly. We can encourage SI to maybe leave some hooks in for adding these things ourselves this year. Could spur development for the next year if the community comes up with some nice models and perhaps triggers (doubt those hooks would be hung out though) for different stadia.

I guess its fair to look at the suggestion as "They deliver 3D, now the fans want even more", but I prefer to look at it as "3D. Awesome. Lets see if the fans can help expand on this."

I don't understand the pleading for stadia, we've done fine in 2D without it for many years.

Also consider the polygon count in a bare bones pitch of a lower league team... and the polygon count of a top tier 100k seater bowl.

Needless to say there's big difference, thus a big difference in framerate... So as you profit and build up your stadium, you're effectively punished with lower framerates.

Personally I'm curious whether... um weather effects are modelled... like rain, a muddy pitch, or even daytime/nighttime.

If stadiums AREN'T included in FM09 i's be very disappointed. The OP's suggestion is simply common sense as to how stadiums could be implimented without licenses and SI's apparant failure to go this way is quite frankly shocking :|

Personally I'm curious whether... um weather effects are modelled... like rain, a muddy pitch, or even daytime/nighttime.

Pitch state is, but not weather apparently ... it was mention in 1 of the [official] threads.

Weather is modeled in FM08, so I'm sure it is in FM09. The question is what visuals will we have of it? I'd imagine ball physics, as that's been in for ages with weather, and player sluggishness, and etc.. But puddles and raindrops don't sound like they'll make the grade.

We need the gophers from the video on the pitch too. And some seagulls