A Heartfelt look at FM09

I have been engaged in a long time love affair with FM, and its previous CM incarnations. I am also one of the few, it seem, that loved FM08 as it gave me lots of enjoyment and was easy for me to get my head around. In FM09 however something has changed. I am finding it nigh on impossible te 'get in' to a save at the minute, no matter how hard I try I don't 'feel' it with FM09. I think this boils down to a few things, many of which have been mntioned on the forums before and due to that I shan't go into to much detail as you will know the argument.

Firstly, I feel that a lot of my frustration is down to the fact that I don't feel as in control in this game as I did with others, in fact I would go as far to say that i'm at a loss as to some of the things that happen in the game, and in particular the actual matches. I seem to decide on a way of playing based on my philosophy and squad, as well as league, climate etc etc. After painstakingly spending hours on end going through pages of theories and tactics on the forums I think my knowledge is pretty sound and I set my team up, the first few gams go ok, I get the results but perhaps not the football but that is to be expected my tactic is a work in progress and I continue to tweak modify etc. Finally happy I set out to play through a season, yet about half way in my team suddenly loose their way, my team talks seem to do little to rally the troops, and I end up back at square one. My first greivance is that I am utterly clueless as to what the problem was, we were going well one minute then poorly the next, I find this dramatic change in form bewildering and if I am honest annoying. I realise the game is tresting me and tryng to figure me out, and that is a fantastic achievement, yet, I find it perhaps slightly unfair if i'm honest that my team suddenly plays poorly, it would in my opinion be better if instead of the AI 'cracking' your tactics (if indeed that is what they do) they could perhaps start to play better against me gadually over a period of games this way I realise that something is wrong and can look at it over a few games rather then play well one game and poor the next.

The tactics issue is a popular one at the moment, and I always thought I had a good grasp on it, indeed in FM08 I am on a league run of 124 games unbeaten and understood why my tactic worked well, this was because my tactic suited my team, my style, and my league, I understood how to do teamtalks and bring my team from the brink of a defeat to a thrilling victory (mainly down to wolfsongs guide) and found that success brought enjoyment and fun, surely the main purpose of a computer game. Now in Fm09 I don't feel like I understand anymore, I saw on another thread someone mention that watching the full game would beneit you greatly, which is fine if you have the time or inclination to spend 90 minutes observing your match but I sadly do not, with work and family commitments I really just want FM to be a place I can escape to and have fun, without having to read theories and micromanage my team, if SI are willing to pay me the thousands a week a real life manager gets I will be happy to micromanage and watch a full 90 minute game ;-) lol.

I thought the idea of an assistant manager giving feedback was very good and well done SI, it would be nice if you could implement his suggestions in one click perhaps but that maybe for a future FM. I also thought that perhps to help people understand why their tactic is or isn't working there could perhaps be a feedback system taking the form of a pundits review or something, like MoTD or a the excellent tactical reviews David Pleat has in the Guardian. Something like;

Team 'x' has not been in full swing at the moment, there pace seems to be all wrong, and I would like to see them play faster.

or

Player 'a' has been in fine form at the minute his manager seems to have given him enough freedom to be damaging opponents on a regular basis.

or

If Team 'x' doesn't ort out their defensive line I can see them being in real trouble, they are leaving far to much space behind them in order for strikers to exploit.

or

Player 'b' has been in woeful form, its no wonder the fans aren't happy, his passing is particularly abismal, mayb if he was making shorter more simple passes he may start winning his fans back.

They are just a few thoughts, that could be implemented in a playful ammusing manner, maybe have a picture of Alan Hansen above the comments lol.

I admire SI for their brave steps forward, the 3D ME had me drooling when first announced, but it just hasn't worked out. Though an admirable and positive step it was, the 3D itslef just isn't ready, the glitches in the animations are so frustrating, the side ways crab movements, the sliding tackle which you or your opponent either stay down for for about minute or jump up from in a milisecond, are well to borrow a phrse from Peter Griffin 'really grinding my gears'.

I don't want to sound ungrateful to SI, they have produced fine games that took over my adolesence and now formative years. I also appreciate the need to move forward, ad the great amount of effort it puts in to listening to we the consumer ( we have our own forum for crying out loud). I also appreciate that hearing people hark on about how poor, or haw many floors are in something you have put a great deal of effort, passion, and heart into is tough to take, but it is because we are such loyal customers who have (many of us at least) been here for over 10 years we feel the need to help keep SI informed as to our grievances or the games shortcomings. No matter how much the people at Si, who do a stirling job, may love Fm and how much effort they put in, we love it equally as much if not more so, and it pains me to see it turn away from the fun experience which was Fm, a game that would literally take hours of your life, have you sleeping on the setee as the missus had enough of you staring at 'bloody dots' instead of her lol.

I just want SI to remeber that it was the fun in the game that put them on the map, not the ultra realistic micromangement and fancy sliders.

(If I have posted this in the wrong place I apologise most sincerely, and also please understand that the tone of this post is not one of condemnation, or just a moan)

Cheers,

Lawd.

Well I'll start by saying that you have posted in right place, after all this is GD and you have a post I feel requires general discussion (hopefully without flaming and trolling which would detract from the OP's points)

Yes the 3D me isnt all we hoped for but its new and Im sure will improve in years to come. I fully intend to buy 10 on release day as I have done for many years. The tactics sliders are too much and make the game very difficult to pick up, this one takes time unlike fm08 which you could just play. I didnt come out of pre season with a clear idea of my tactics for the season and what all the buttons did. I didnt digest the tactics guide that had been put together. I prefered to learn from my mistakes and there were a few I can asssure you.

The assistant feedback is an improvement I just wish I understood what it all meant and could react quick enough. I certainly dont have the paitence to watcht the full 90 minutes. Im not completely sure I like your MOTD style idea at the moment but I think something like that could be incorparted into AM reports and a feedback brief after the match, much as I imagine managers have IRL

I did find it hard to get into a save at first but after a season or two of tinkering im there and really doing quite well (infact I even have stadium named after me!). I can understand why you may be finding hard and can only suggest you bear with it and It will come with time.

And I do agree that maybe some of the fun has gone from 09. Just hope the balance can be redressed in 10 to as many people as possible happy.

If your team starts performing poorly it's time to start changing tactics. My teams always lose their way after a while and I've found the only solution is to change formation/mentality.

Well that illustrates my point, I'm not sure I like the fact that we have to change our tactics in what seems a radical manner every so often, in older versins you built up a squad of good players got them into a system that suited them and enjoy the game now it seems i'm re starting every 10-15 games or so, which for me at least is to time conuming, and repetitive, honestly I just want to put the game on and play it, not manage, play. But I totally respect that other fans enjoy the cpmplex micromanagement and tinkering, it is just not for me.

I hate the thought of the AI "cracking" your tactics every now and then as well. Tell me, in real life, how many teams have "cracked" the Man Utd 4-4-2?

Still working ok for them, isn't it?

Exactly, now no team wins every game and some teams have off days and are beatable by anyone, aswell as the magic of cup games which see minnows topple giants. However as you rightly say Man Utd don't change all that much they, well at least this is my interprtation, they rely on how they play as opposed to catering for their opponents. Obviously Sir Alex will give specific instructions where due, but I doubt he plabs every asspect of the way Man U play. Though I totally realie the difficulty in transfering rreal life freedom into a computer game.