Hi,
Just some ideas which are a bit more holistic and at a zoom out level but I do think there's a unique opportunity for SI when it comes to the game mechanics and the Unity engine. Appreciate these suggestions will be too late for FM25 but maybe for beyond. Just my opinion as a non-dev guy but an SI player since 1998...
Storytelling: bringing the storytelling elements of FM to life through the Unity engine graphics for 'cut scenes' or similar mechanics. Similar to EAFC24. All the elements of a good story are already in FM i.e. news & emails, squad dynamics, social media feed, rivalry dynamics etc. but bring those to life better with Unity. A great way for users to be more immersed in their own universe/world they create in FM.
Better Stadium and/or Infrastructure Control: appreciate that not all managers have a say on what a new stadium looks like or training facility and essentially become an architect. But managers DO have a say in things such as changing room layouts, whether the training ground has sleeping pods, the layout and decision of how many pitches for the new training facility etc. etc. you can google this happening with Sir Alex Ferguson, Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho and more. So have this option in FM. For example, for a new training ground when a request to update the training facility is accepted, you have the option as manager to select which areas you'd like the new build to focus on e.g. more training pitches, better rest/recuperation, better nutrition or something similar, then the new build has those features built in and you can see a direct impact for when a player gets injured he can recover 1 week quicker than another team with worse facilities. Similar for a new stadium, where you get to impact the layout of a dressing room which can directly impact positively on squad dynamics. The Unity engine can bring all this to life by showcasing that new dressing room in the new stadium (or upgraded stadium), show you the fancy new training ground and you can physically see this infrastructure through the new engine to get a better feel and payoff in terms of game mechanics and control.
Innovation: a new budget capability where the user is able to spend R&D budget on new innovations in e.g. technology, nutrition, training development etc. which improves certain aspects of player development and/or squad development. This happens IRL where agencies or companies will pitch teams on new ideas. Liverpool recently did this superbly with Zone7 on player rotations. Teams also have sponsorship's IRL with the likes of Microsoft to help improve different aspects of the club from data & analytics to CRM (selling more season tickets) to improved player recovery. This could be reflected in FM through either choosing a sponsor that can help benefit the team or having a budget provided by the club and companies pitch new innovations that impact performance and can be linked to other features (such as the infrastructure/stadium control above). As they say it's all about 'marginal gains'.
New Voting Mechanic: bit more controversial suggestion but with football constantly becoming more about politics now and FFP, why not reflect this more in FM? I know it is already represented but there's the potential to scale it after a certain amount of time e.g. after 3 years in a league you get voting rights to decide the future of the league and certain scenarios are played out. Each team has a voted and then you're weighed against one another to decide whether the vote has passed. Motorsport Manager does this brilliantly. It's a great way of keeping saves fresh and providing new challenges. Currently, users have to be inspired by influencer challenges or similar, but this gives the user to essentially create their own in-game. Every year there are some minor and some major changes to (for example) the Premier League and this could add an amazing dynamic to game play imo.
A New Game Mode/Role: maybe a new game mode option here but the possibility to be either a 'manager' or 'head coach' and that then means you have different roles and responsibilities that impact the game. For example, if you're a manager you're responsible for youth development, stadium, training, infrastructure, finances (see above), etc. and as a Head Coach you're responsible for the first team only, training etc. It's essentially re-branding the staff responsibilities page in a more immersive way through the game play mode/role.
Would be keen to learn of people's thoughts on this? Both FM players and SI personnel
Hi, Just some ideas which are a bit more holistic and at a zoom out level but I do think there's a unique opportunity for SI when it comes to the game mechanics and the Unity engine. Appreciate these suggestions will be too late for FM25 but maybe for beyond. Just my opinion as a non-dev guy but an SI player since 1998... Storytelling: bringing the storytelling elements of FM to life through the Unity engine graphics for 'cut scenes' or similar mechanics. Similar to EAFC24. All the elements of a good story are already in FM i.e. news & emails, squad dynamics, social media feed, rivalry dynamics etc. but bring those to life better with Unity. A great way for users to be more immersed in their own universe/world they create in FM. Better Stadium and/or Infrastructure Control: appreciate that not all managers have a say on what a new stadium looks like or training facility and essentially become an architect. But managers DO have a say in things such as changing room layouts, whether the training ground has sleeping pods, the layout and decision of how many pitches for the new training facility etc. etc. you can google this happening with Sir Alex Ferguson, Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho and more. So have this option in FM. For example, for a new training ground when a request to update the training facility is accepted, you have the option as manager to select which areas you'd like the new build to focus on e.g. more training pitches, better rest/recuperation, better nutrition or something similar, then the new build has those features built in and you can see a direct impact for when a player gets injured he can recover 1 week quicker than another team with worse facilities. Similar for a new stadium, where you get to impact the layout of a dressing room which can directly impact positively on squad dynamics. The Unity engine can bring all this to life by showcasing that new dressing room in the new stadium (or upgraded stadium), show you the fancy new training ground and you can physically see this infrastructure through the new engine to get a better feel and payoff in terms of game mechanics and control. Innovation: a new budget capability where the user is able to spend R&D budget on new innovations in e.g. technology, nutrition, training development etc. which improves certain aspects of player development and/or squad development. This happens IRL where agencies or companies will pitch teams on new ideas. Liverpool recently did this superbly with Zone7 on player rotations. Teams also have sponsorship's IRL with the likes of Microsoft to help improve different aspects of the club from data & analytics to CRM (selling more season tickets) to improved player recovery. This could be reflected in FM through either choosing a sponsor that can help benefit the team or having a budget provided by the club and companies pitch new innovations that impact performance and can be linked to other features (such as the infrastructure/stadium control above). As they say it's all about 'marginal gains'. New Voting Mechanic: bit more controversial suggestion but with football constantly becoming more about politics now and FFP, why not reflect this more in FM? I know it is already represented but there's the potential to scale it after a certain amount of time e.g. after 3 years in a league you get voting rights to decide the future of the league and certain scenarios are played out. Each team has a voted and then you're weighed against one another to decide whether the vote has passed. Motorsport Manager does this brilliantly. It's a great way of keeping saves fresh and providing new challenges. Currently, users have to be inspired by influencer challenges or similar, but this gives the user to essentially create their own in-game. Every year there are some minor and some major changes to (for example) the Premier League and this could add an amazing dynamic to game play imo. A New Game Mode/Role: maybe a new game mode option here but the possibility to be either a 'manager' or 'head coach' and that then means you have different roles and responsibilities that impact the game. For example, if you're a manager you're responsible for youth development, stadium, training, infrastructure, finances (see above), etc. and as a Head Coach you're responsible for the first team only, training etc. It's essentially re-branding the staff responsibilities page in a more immersive way through the game play mode/role. Would be keen to learn of people's thoughts on this? Both FM players and SI personnel