FM09 - My biggest disappointment ever.

It has taken me a while to even be bothered to write this post such is my annoyance with FM09 and with my time being spent playing FM08 again.

Firstly I would like to say that I have bought every single version of Championship Manager (upto the split) and subsequent Football Manager series and never have I been so disappointed with a new version I have bought.

Anyway, like many others I pre-ordered well in advance and was delighted when my copy arrived the day of the release date, game installed and spent the four hours to register the game on-line (I have been told this was good by friends who spent far longer).

I will be honest that I probably would not buy any future versions of the game just for the reason that it is now required to access it via Steam. This takes forever and is pointless from an end user perspective - it is just to catch you with unauthorised software on your PC.

However, if I was feeling charatible I could get over my annoyance with the Steam software (and I really really hope they aren't a victim of the credit crunch - sarcasm - I love it) I am still left frustrated by a giant step back in terms of playability of the latest version. It has introduced alot of pointless functionality that doesn't really add anything to the game from a serious players perspective and takes an age to navigate around reducing the playability.

Some of my frustrations (trying to remember as I never got past 6 games into either season I started) :-

Tactics - whats up with the arrows? Nothing wrong with how the tactics screen worked before - this is far worse.

Game - 3D match engine - ridiculous - my biggest moan. It doesn't work properly, the pop-up boxes get in the way, it's slow and even when I watch on the lovely classic 2D view its not the same as FM08.

Press-conference - send my assistant manager but whats the point?

Game speed - it takes forever to get through the season. I am not a student who can spend all his time playing a season. Get back to FM08 pace please.

I am even getting too annoyed to write the rest such is my fury with FM09. Sadly SI this is the last money you will recieve from me, I would rather spend my time updating the players database on FM08 - a truely classic version.

Aside from a rant and moan and points made which have been made before (the tactics one generated a long thread in which the merits of the old style of arrows v.s. the new were debated), is there anything new you'd like to add?

Did I say that they hadn't been made before? I was simply stating my feelings on a poorly concieved release by SI games.

You can keep your attitude.

Boring. This would've been better done as a letter to SI or just a post in an already existing thread.

Besides, you should be very happy with your life if a yearly edition of a computer game is your biggest disappointment ever!

that it is now required to access it via Steam.

It's not, You could of used Unilock which is a lot quicker.

next!!!!!!!!

It's not, You could of used Unilock which is a lot quicker.

Agreed, You do not need to access the game through Steam. I used Unilock and the game activated in no time for me. All i did was use my head with the code. If the 0 did not work then i tried O. Quite simple and with the tons of help i got from around here, I have only had the problems of some bugs which i agree are annoying but SI are working hard to sort out these problems as they always do.

The arrows - prior to the change they were making players do ridiculous things when they did and didn't have the ball. Personally, I think if you can change the forward-runs via the sliders then get rid of the arrows altogether.

Blimey, the thread title is a bit dramatic!

You have some points, mainly 3D feature.

But i must disagree that 2009 instalment is a disapointment. In my opinion the game is imenselly emersive due to tactics.

The reason they have changed arrows system is because it was causing problems in the way AI would assume your instructions.

And now we can clearly see that your team does play the football you tell them too.

This is a a big step, since you can now control your team in tactic issues.

For my point of view, i've now started to watch games in 2D since i can apply my instructions. before, i just had the text on.

I also found transfer system much better, but also agree that some new features, as press conferences, are more cosmetic and maybe even boring that usefull or interesting..

One thing though. I feel SI has just missed th point. Instead of improving some needed areas, like training and player and staff interaction, they went for 3D which is a disapointment.

Anyway, you are obviously in tittle to your opinion, but mine is very different. I find FM 2009 the best instalment ever

I often wonder if there's some automated form to make these posts. Someone should make one since they all seem to always follow a standard procedure:

1. Say you have been playing this game for many years or editions. [Very important because it will let the rest know the OP knows his stuff and we can no longer shun away these "detailed" posts)

2. Say that this will be the last time you will ever buy the game. [Also very important to make people know this is very serious]

3. Make up a list of problems without providing any significant details. [No details are needed because of point 1]

4. State as fact that there are many many many people everywhere with the same problems. [VERY important to show that all these blatant problems with the game are spreading like a virus]

5. Last but not least, state that anyone standing up for the game is a brown-noser or extremely lucky. [somewhat important and useful as a preemptive strike]

OP got annoyed and skipped points 4 & 5. An automated form would have let him write this post quicker without any of those annoyances.

there is no product in the world (besides pure drinking water) that everyone is satisfied with.

OMG why are people still writing about Steam. I downloaded it on release day, got the game, created a shortcut from the steamspps folder, and haven't opened Steam a single time since. Why are so concerned about having a piece of software on your PC that never needs to be started unless there is a problem with the registration of the game??????

I just can't fathom how people could have that big of problem with it that would drive them to complain on the Internet about it!!!!

there is no product in the world (besides pure drinking water) that everyone is satisfied with.

I don't like pure drinking water tbh. I prefer either flavoured water, or maybe mineral water.

there is no product in the world (besides pure drinking water) that everyone is satisfied with.

Bill Gates is going to be devastated to hear that ..

4. State as fact that there are many many many people everywhere with the same problems. [VERY important to show that all these blatant problems with the game are spreading like a virus]

I wonder why they feel the need to add that part... "And Im not the only one. A lot of ppl (NOTE: also replaceable by everyone) have this prob too !!!!11"

One thing though. I feel SI has just missed th point. Instead of improving some needed areas, like training and player and staff interaction, they went for 3D which is a disapointment.

I'm afraid you missed the point right there. 3D was added cos the fans are the ones who kept demanding it and that it had been being worked on for several years, rather than the one year you presume. The people demanded it, the people got it, the people whined within a second that it was included.

Welcome to the human race.

I'm afraid you missed the point right there. 3D was added cos the fans are the ones who kept demanding it and that it had been being worked on for several years, rather than the one year you presume. The people demanded it, the people got it, the people whined within a second that it was included.

Welcome to the human race.

You actually believe that the 3D engine was worked on for several years?

Dear God...

Usuallly i buy this game on release day but this year didn't bother as for me the series had lost some of its appeal,anyway thought sod it i'll give it another shot and have to say FM09(patched) is the best i've played in years,love the 3D and the tactics seem to have more of an affect now,yes its got a few bugs but certainly not a disappointing game.

Blimey, the thread title is a bit dramatic!

Yes, I wish my life had been so easy that a computer game could be my biggest disappointment ever!

I agree with some lines with you're post Wimpey. I already had 2 big errors that caused that i couldn't play the game and previous data were lost.. absolutely frustrating! But i'll give it another go. FM is still the best football game!

Why does almost everyone feel the need to tackle the OP if there's a "complaining" thread? I'm a bit disgusted by the fact that so many people feel the urgency to do that..

FM 09 is far from great and just like everyone else, he's got the right to complain about it. He bought the game, had high expectation and was let down. It's only human to feel the need of complaining, nothing wrong with it.

Yes some of you guys are here like 24/7 so you've seen tons of these threads. So yes, maybe you get annoyed by them. Then still, no one's forcing you to reply, so if you read a title which suggests a "complaining thread", just skip it. Don't dive into it with only the purpose of taking down the OP.

--

I agree with the guy that the game - compared to 2008 - is horribly slow. I think SI have been trying to ignore this one, or just reply on it like Paul did earlier in this thread. I don't know why that is, they seem to not want to confirm it's a bug. Probably because it's not one which has an easy fix.

Why does almost everyone feel the need to tackle the OP if there's a "complaining" thread?

Because it's bloody boring but more importantly is cluttering up the forum.

The OP is fully entitled to his opinions of the game. In my case the first FM I played was 08 and I feel that 09 while it has it's flaws is a much better game. eg, the fact that when playing as a club in leagues other than the big leagues ie premiership, you get the opportunity to find good youngsters who have been released from a club in the summer due to the trialist matches.

No one's trying to deny someone their opinion. I think some people just get a bit bored of the same crap over and over again. There are plenty of threads that this could have been posted in.

Personally, I wasn't especially bothered with the post. I was just amused by the melodramatic thread title.

This is one I am intrigued by, as it shouldnt differ significantly from FM2008 as far as I am concerned. Are you setting up a similar no of leagues, database size and detail level?

All the best,

Paul

FM09 is massively, comprehensively slower than 08. I've had to halve my leagues running just to get a playable (in my eyes) speed. The UI is sluggish, the processing is turgid, the "setting up match screen" doesn't help and the endless press conferences only slow it down yet further.

I know this smacks of the typical "whoo a SI bod has replied, let's spam the thread" but hopefully it's in keeping with the point at discussion.

The main point I agree with here, is that the game is so slow. SI really needs to speed loading up, or FM10 will S-U-C-K. As it is now, you have to play with one single league playable and small database to reach down to the pace of ALL Leagues loaded and large database in FM08. That simply sucks. Can't really be excused, I mean, honestly, who exactly will bother to play to 2015 in FM09 if that takes 50h, while playing to 2015 in FM08 takes less than 20h...?

I agree with the speed issue. FM08 used to run super quick for me and i had 256 mb RAM. Now i have 1.5 gb RAM for 09 and its YET very slow.

I suppose people are entitled to open a thread to complain about the game if that's how they feel, but those who like the game have the same liberty to reply to that thread with their views on the game and the content of the thread in general. I thought that's what a forum was; an exchange of opinions between people, although I've been wrong before...

If we stick to the rules of the forum, nobody has the right to create a duplicate thread. You're supposed to post in one that's already open.

I agree with the speed issue. FM08 used to run super quick for me and i had 256 mb RAM. Now i have 1.5 gb RAM for 09 and its YET very slow.

I have 2 Gb and tbh the processing is exactly the same for me... No difference between 2008 and 2009.

But what I hate is the "Setting up match" screen... The previous versions didnt have it and I wonder why does it have to appear even for people who dont watch 3D or not even 2D.

In my desktop (Quad Core Q6600) I dont care that much as the "Setting up match" disappears quickly but in my laptop (weaker dual core) it takes ages to "set up" the match... geez seems like a minor thing but it is quite frustrating for me...

But, then again, I still think that even FM07 was too slow for what it was. One good thing about the CM series (2006 onwards) is that it can simulate the whole world (like the view-only leagues) without affecting the performance like FM.

Because it's bloody boring but more importantly is cluttering up the forum.

To be honest fanbois whining about whiners if far more boring and who cares if the forum is being cluttered?

A forum is there for people to voice an opinion wether you like it or not. Have you not stopped to think for a moment that every time you venture into a post and moan about it being boring you are creating "clutter" in their thread?

Sure the OP should have possibly posted in the 9.0.2 thread, but his opinion wether it is clearly spoken/contstructive or not, still has vailidity.

As far as I know, you are not a moderator so your opinion on what should and should not be posted holds no validity whatsoever. If you don't like a topic, just avoid it.

Regarding the speed:

- Processing of matches etc.....this shouldnt be significantly slower.....well, our soak tests dont show anything major.

- GUI responsiveness....I have seen this mentioned elsewhere and I know some lower spec machines struggle with 2D now. Unfortunately we changed things around to allow for 3D and this has had knock ons. We are continuing to look into improving it.

- Press conferences etc....the workaround is to send the assistant

- Setting up match screen. A necessary evil for 3D, but shouldn't happen in 9.2 for people not using 3D.

Is the 1 on 1 issue ever going to be fixed? Should we expect the defenders behaving more rationally? Can we hope of a game that is not so dependent on unrealistic tactical micro management? A training that makes sense?

Can you respond to those please since they are big factors of disappointment for the series and FM09?

To be honest fanbois whining about whiners if far more boring and who cares if the forum is being cluttered?

The people who use it.

A forum is there for people to voice an opinion wether you like it or not. Have you not stopped to think for a moment that every time you venture into a post and moan about it being boring you are creating "clutter" in their thread?

You cannot clutter clutter though.

As far as I know, you are not a moderator so your opinion on what should and should not be posted holds no validity whatsoever. If you don't like a topic, just avoid it.

I gave no opinion on what should and should not be posted. However, it's a rule and just polite and unselfish, and logical, to post in a thread dedicated to the subject. My post was valid, tough luck.

Regarding the speed:

- Press conferences etc....the workaround is to send the assistant

- Setting up match screen. A necessary evil for 3D, but shouldn't happen in 9.2 for people not using 3D.

Press conferences : The workaround is to not make them so gut-wrenchingly dull. Assistants can really mess with the teams morale.

I don't use 3D, in fact with the match engine problems I don't have highlights at all anymore. Since 9.2 I don't get it at the tactics screen anymore, but it sets up at the end of every match, after I've given my team talk.

But there you go. Not everything is perfect otherwise you wouldn't be able to sell FM10

Regarding the speed:

- Processing of matches etc.....this shouldnt be significantly slower.....well, our soak tests dont show anything major.

- GUI responsiveness....I have seen this mentioned elsewhere and I know some lower spec machines struggle with 2D now. Unfortunately we changed things around to allow for 3D and this has had knock ons. We are continuing to look into improving it.

- Press conferences etc....the workaround is to send the assistant

- Setting up match screen. A necessary evil for 3D, but shouldn't happen in 9.2 for people not using 3D.

How about the massive slow-down between December and March in most games? Still waiting to hear anything official on that issue, and it's a quite major issue.

I ran 10 countries, ~ 30 leagues on FM08, with no problems. I would play in Windowed mode and watch movies, surf the internet, no problems.

Since then, I have formatted my computer, added RAM, but in FM09, I can't run more than 5 countries and 10-15 leagues without having to wait 5 minutes between turns. I can no longer multi-task while I play, which has caused me to drastically reduce the time I spend playing, and thus, my enjoyment is severely dampened.

My CPU seems to inexplicably clock at 100% at all times while FM09 is running.

The clocking at 100% load is very annoying, yes, and ridiculously increases my CPU's core temp by around 10°C. Other than that, though, I have no issues with it.

OP: I too was disappointed at first...took me a good month to seriously try and play. Reverted back to 2008, but there was something amiss....

So I took my time and got back to the latest installment...disable the 3d (seriously a CBM64 got better graphics) which is (IMHO) utter crap and completely useless, there were other more interesting things to be worked/focused on rather than that...thing.

Took me several "new games" to figure out my tactics, now I got them down to 2 that I use based on whom I play with and I am sailing through Serie A and UEFA with AC Milan (can't be bothered playing with other teams anymore) and I am actually enjoying myself...I am still on 9.1 since I don't feel like taking chances that my tactics will get effed up (will happen next season more than likely, no need to rush it) and I am doing fantastic as far as injury goes, nothing major only 3 players out for 2 months (would've been nicer if not all at the same time, but hey can't complain too much) and only one so far, knock on wood, out for six months but was a reserve goalie and has been sold anyway...

I've found the new transfer system more realistic and a little easier to get rid of the dead wood without loosing a fortune, the contracts might need some work done for FM10 and so does the player interaction; enjoying so far the press conferences even though I can almost answer without reading the questions anymore (drop the 3d and work on this side of the game).

The match engine seems class compared to the previous versions, tactics are extremely important to be perfect (or close to it) if you want to have a slight chance....Can't go without setting up individual instructions anymore.

So to sum it up, it is a good improvement over FM08 on several points. But please SI don't focus too much on the (useless) 3d engine. We don't need another Fifa Manager or Ultimate Soccer Manager, the 2d engine was good enough to sort out your tactics (actually even the commentary only is) let's keep it simple and keep the game playable. Even for the ones who do not have 24hr a day to spend on the computer.

Keep up the good work SIGuys.

The main point I agree with here, is that the game is so slow. SI really needs to speed loading up, or FM10 will S-U-C-K. As it is now, you have to play with one single league playable and small database to reach down to the pace of ALL Leagues loaded and large database in FM08. That simply sucks. Can't really be excused, I mean, honestly, who exactly will bother to play to 2015 in FM09 if that takes 50h, while playing to 2015 in FM08 takes less than 20h...?

I hope the bit about one league playable and a small database is tongue in cheek. I run about 20 leagues on 09 which is about the same as in 08 and i haven't noticed alot of difference in speed. And i don't know anyone who can honestly play to 2015 in less than 20 hours and in fact 50 hours is still less than 10 hours to play a season which imo is not alot.

I agree, 10 hours to play a season is decent, considering it was 3-4 hours in CM01/02 which had far less.

Yeye, it was more about showing the ratio than those times being very accurate.

I often wonder if there's some automated form to make these posts. Someone should make one since they all seem to always follow a standard procedure:

1. Say you have been playing this game for many years or editions. [Very important because it will let the rest know the OP knows his stuff and we can no longer shun away these "detailed" posts)

2. Say that this will be the last time you will ever buy the game. [Also very important to make people know this is very serious]

3. Make up a list of problems without providing any significant details. [No details are needed because of point 1]

4. State as fact that there are many many many people everywhere with the same problems. [VERY important to show that all these blatant problems with the game are spreading like a virus]

5. Last but not least, state that anyone standing up for the game is a brown-noser or extremely lucky. [somewhat important and useful as a preemptive strike]

OP got annoyed and skipped points 4 & 5. An automated form would have let him write this post quicker without any of those annoyances.

Hahahaha classic so true its hilarious

I am even getting too annoyed to write the rest such is my fury with FM09. Sadly SI this is the last money you will recieve from me, I would rather spend my time updating the players database on FM08 - a truely classic version.

FM 08, classic version? (/speechless in horror)

True, it was classic how bad it was, with all bugs and exploits that were there.Only CM4 was more "classic " that way.Or you mistyped it and actually wanted to say comical, which is much closer to reality?

Hint, that's why it was easy to play it.If you said '07 i would most likely agree, but FM o8 ? C'mon, even some FIFA games were better then that.

Nice thing about FM is that if you don't like newest version , you can always go back to previous one easy.At least, that's what i did last year, and i didn't blame anyone for that, but was rather happy to get away for FM 08.

P.S. Arrows in FM 08 were perfect for people that wanted to exploit poor AI (not that it needed to be cheated). I am glad that they are gone, because i don't see any "super" tactics around anymore.

I'm going to make a point that is relatively off topic. If everyone who has spent any of their time bitching and moaning, about something that really has little or no effect on their quality of life, went out and spent a fraction of that time doing something positive we could quite possibly solve world hunger.

More positivity people!

My biggest disappointment ever was when I was at the end of school party and went upstairs with a girl who looked like she had big hooters, only to remove her top and discover it was all wonderbra. FM09 is nothing compared to my teenage disappointment that night.

She removed her top and you were dissapointed?

You sad sad man. You can never be disappointed with boobies.

You can never be disappointed with boobies.

I have one thing to say......Seconded