Suggestion: Career Game Improvements

Now there is a large proportion of people who enjoy the wham, bam, thankyou maam approach to playing FM. They want to jump in quickly have some fun, play a couple of season with their favourite team and be done.

Also, as we know, there is a large section of the community who enjoy long career games. Whether it's with one club or spanning a host of different clubs and international positions.

I feel very strongly that there is not enough emphasis on these sort of career games. There is very little in terms of tracking your career, rewarding your successes and penalising the failures. Each season with the same club, each new job with the same manager, carries over such little relevance to what you've played already that it's like starting a new game each time, I really think there's a huge scope for development in this area that would make me (and I'm sure many other) very happy.

The best we have at the moment is what is available in the Manager Overview section, which really is just a log of certain events, most of which have little to no baring to anything that happens in game.

A few idea that I feel would help:

1. Favoured Personnel

I really think this great idea needs to be implemented correctly. At the moment it seems very half-done and is basically the biggest indictation that we have had a successful saved game. It's not a complicated request, but if I've taken Witton Albion to 40 years of Premiership trophies, I expect to be a legend, even after I've left the club. I also expect to be on a lot of players and staffs favourite personnel list.

Expanding the idea even further would be the opportunity to comment on your previous clubs affairs in the same way that current legends comment on your transfers/big games.

2. Expansion of relationship with other Managers

Feels you two could be friends/Has a fairly poor opinion of you just doesn't cut the mustard as far as immersion goes. There should be rivalries (possibly leading to new club rivalries as a result), proper friendships, more mind-games, more taunting, more rants, more praise, more respect. It's all part of the media circus that the nation knows and loves about the modern game, and it really should be included.

3. A simple "Achievements" screen

Achievements that show what you did and who you did it with (i.e. "Won 3 Champions Cups with Manchester City") and those achievements are referred too in other sections of the game. There is currently some limited parts of this, again it's something that I think could be expanded quite a bit. Press conferences before a final with the media asking "Are you looking forward to winning the 4th Champions cup of your career?" etc.

4. A career confidence bar

Expanded on in another thread, but as well as the current confidence bars that reset each season, have a set that relate to your career as a whole with your current club. Players, competitions, successes and failures.

5. Manager stats/attributes

I'm my own manager, how I play the game is totally different to my mates and there should be some attributes and stats that relate to that. The ones that exist currently again seem half-implemented and don't seem to work correctly (e.g. preferred marking style ont he personal screen).

I would love to see a set of number than breaks down what I'm like as a manager, I'd like number to say that I'm a wheeler and dealer in the transfer market, I please the media and I'm quite angry in the dressing room. I also want it to show what my current favourite formation is as well as playing style.

I think it would be fantastic if these attributes and stats related to other game content too. Media/Other Manager comments about me and my personality and my preferred playing style. This is in already in a very limited fashion and could be expanded on.

6. The Manager dot!

I want to show on the sidelines during games and my players run over and hug me when they score if they like me!

Number 1 is a must have for me, I need some sense of recorded achievement to really make me feel like I'm enjoying the game. I don't think many of the above would require too much effort vs the reward they would give to the players in terms of immersion and sense of achievement.

Good post, i think that is exactly what is needed for the game, and it gives another reason to keep going in the game, when people are disheartened by their current save, i know for a fact that i wouldn't quit so many saves if i knew i could become a legend with a lot of hard work.

If this is the kind of post you make after coming back from a ban, I think you should get banned more often CP

All fantastic ideas IMO, but, for me, 1-3 are all absolute musts for inclusion in the game at some point in the, hopefully near, future. Whilst all 6 of these would increase immersion into the world of the game, those 3 are ones that really would make things feel much more real

Top work CP

i really like all these ideas mate, all the games i start are always a carear game where i choose a few leagues pick up a random team and just go for it, always trying to do the best, i took peterbrough recently to the champions league and i didnt feel much from it like hardly any news items saying what a good job ive done etc, ive also never been on a clubs favoured personal or anything like that. Also i think there should be a few more features in the manager profile, just a feature like say you are managing team a, and you play 100 win 40 lose 60 then you leave club, play as team b win 45 lose 5 then on your manager stats i know theres something that says overall carear stats but what would be good was if it showed say a list of clubs you been at with that record instead of your current club and overall. Example

Blackpool - Played 10 Won 10 - left 2009

Bayern - Played 350 Won 100 Lost 100 Drew 150 - Current Club

Overall - Etc

Get the point just anice little thing i would like to see instead of just current and overall stats i would like to know how ive done at each club in a list somewhere in my profile. Little features with stats like this make me love the game more.

Also would love the manager dot would love to see me running on the pitch after a final when my keeper saves the winning pen and gets a pile on....

I agree with number 1 without a shadow of a doubt. I see alot of people on these forums who have had very long, successful careers and still aren't favoured personnel at the club they have brought all the success too.

I also like the idea of number 2 with the manager interaction being expanded and more in depth. The rivalries thing would be a nice addition also. I'm sure Man Utd and Arsenal weren't really that big rivals before the Wenger - Fergie years!?

Number 3 would be a nice touch to have on your manager profile screen or as another tab etc.

Number 5 doesn't really bother me that much as I know myself how well I'm doing as a manager without having to see if my attributes as a manager are increasing/decreasing. However, another nice idea - especially the one about the favoured formation that would coincide with the style of play you like to adopt.

And finally.....number 6 would be a fun thing and I would like it if SI maybe include this in future versions of the game. It can't take up that much man hours to introduce, surely?

Overall, some nice ideas CaptainPlanet

I feel I should write something saying I dont like one of your suggestions CP but I cant because they are all brilliant.

What you have summed up there is for me the main things I would like to see worked on, improved or added for fm2010 and beyond. I didnt really career games before this year but I am enjoying my one this year and will continue to in future years. The things you have suggested are all great ideas that would bring more enjoyment and involvement in a long term game.

Oh and welcome back

Witton Albion to 40 years or Premiership trophies

You mean 'of' Sorry, had to be picky:p

Great post mate, I've got to say that I agree with all of these.

1. I like these idea's, I would also like to have clubs and players added to my favored persons after a while. For example, if I put Arsenal as my favoredclub at the start, and play as Fisher Athletic, I would love to see Fisher added to my favorite clubs without doing it myself. I wouldn't mind seeing Tommy McMadeup added to my favored personel after 15 seasons of being a rock in my defence.

2. A sort of Benitez thing is needed imo, being able to seriously criticise other managers. It would add a personal thing to the game, and allow you to feel like a real manager rather than a gamer.

3. I like this idea, I can't see it being incredibly hard to implement but I think it would be an interesting addition. I would love to see everything I have won, without having to search through 'Nobby Peters appointed vice captain' and other information like that.

4. I'm not completely sure what you mean by this. Do you mean, like, one extra bar on the confidence section, saying about the board confidence about your entire career? If so, is this not covered in 'Overall Confidence'?

5. I also like this. I would like to see the right side of normal manager's attributes in my profile, as well as the ones we already have.

6. Love it. Should have been implemented by now, as everyone would love it!

Good post mate, and welcome back:thup:

great post here.These has clearly taken some thought.These considerations would clearly improve the game and i support them all

Great post CP!

And, I could not agree more as these would make my career games alot better.

Fantastic post CaptainPlanet and I agree 100%. I don't know what more to say as you have covered many things that I would love to see implemented. The biggest problem for me is that when I move a club, it does indeed feel like I have started a new game with the 'real players' box unticked.

Great stuff.

All good suggestions IMO, especially points 1 & 2.

As for the "mini-me" on the touchline, I like that too, but only if it comes with a selection of clothing... for me it would have to be the fat cigar and the sheepskin coat

Loving all those ideas, I would also like to add one of my own as well. What about building a 'back room team'. How many managers insist on bringing their own staff in when they move clubs? Certainly all the big managers. So why not on FM?

Lets say you are managing Juvenus and leave to take the Manchester United job. Why not have an option that says 'I'll take the job but I want to bring my back room staff with me' and then you get to choose which staff come with you. Maybe on the basis that the staff will come if the job is high rep enough and you are favoured personnel with the member of staff.

Your staff would have to decide whether or not to come with you and equally the Manchester United board would need to decide if they were willing to pay compensation to the current staff members and the associated costs of hiring the new staff.

Hope that makes sense and that CP doesn't think I've hijacked his thread.

tottally agree with all points barring point 6 that for me is pointless

but 1 to 5 gets a definate thumbs up

This can be done if the staff have you on their favoured personnel list if i remember correctly.

Unless you mean your former backroom staff as a unit?????

This can be done if the staff have you on their favoured personnel list if i remember correctly.

Unless you mean your former backroom staff as a unit?????

Yes taking the team as a unit, or selected members of the team as a unit

Fantastic post CP, I, myself enjoy career style games, and you're spot on saying somethings missing.

Would be great just to see a couple of these implemented, the more, the merrier, etc..

Great post, great ideas!

SortitoutSI ah no ImplementitinSI

Now, these ideas would make a carrer game so much better! Any single of these ideas:thup:

Is this a list of ideas you've seen before and liked?

All excellent ideas and I hope SI have a look at them.

Loving all those ideas, I would also like to add one of my own as well. What about building a 'back room team'. How many managers insist on bringing their own staff in when they move clubs? Certainly all the big managers. So why not on FM?

Lets say you are managing Juvenus and leave to take the Manchester United job. Why not have an option that says 'I'll take the job but I want to bring my back room staff with me' and then you get to choose which staff come with you. Maybe on the basis that the staff will come if the job is high rep enough and you are favoured personnel with the member of staff.

Your staff would have to decide whether or not to come with you and equally the Manchester United board would need to decide if they were willing to pay compensation to the current staff members and the associated costs of hiring the new staff.

Hope that makes sense and that CP doesn't think I've hijacked his thread.

This is a great idea, I would like the current exodus of staff thing to be expanded into having your own backroom staff team to bring in.

4. I'm not completely sure what you mean by this. Do you mean, like, one extra bar on the confidence section, saying about the board confidence about your entire career? If so, is this not covered in 'Overall Confidence'?

Overall confidence is based on the other bars and is also reset at the start of each season - it's certainly not indicative of a 10 year spell at the club and it's not split down to cover individual sections such as player signings and competition success.

What a cracking thread. Having read through, i agree with all of the suggestions here, and i have often felt slightly disillusioned that the Manager Overview screen really does nothing for me. Personally i love a game starting at the bottom tier, so to actually have the relationships and reputation grow and actually change things in the ways you have suggested would be brilliant to see.

I wholeheartedly support this thread!!!!

Fully agree with 1-5, not too fussed about 6 but hardly an idea worth criticizing either.

Number 4 and 1 are the crucial ones for me. There's been a few times I've had a great career with a club, then one dodgy season and I'm out the door and nobody even remembers my name the following week. I'm sure if, say, Wenger finishes 5th this season, he'll still be at Arsenal next season, and even if he wasn't, he'd be popular and remembered as somebody who overachieved considering how little he spent.

Brilliant idea and I think that would make a long career all the more worthwhile!

Also agree with Kain, nothing is more frustrating than having success for like 5 years, then have a bad run and you suddenly see yourself booted out.

All good ideas. With regards to point 2 in CP's post it would be good if there were extra transfer/loan options available between managers that you build up friendships with. For example sending and receiving players on loan between managers in the same way we can with feeder/parent clubs. This happens IRL quite a bit (e.g. Steve Bruce and Wenger). Also the ability to ask fellow managers about potential transfer targets.

Really like the idea of being able to take backroom staff with you when you move jobs too!

I agree completely. There are definitely a few areas that need a bit more focus to enrich the career experience and should be relatively simple to implement. I think the Icons/legends area is something that needs a lot of work anyway. If Phil Neville is rated as an Icon for Man Utd, then my captain who has won World footballer of the year five times leading my side to an unparalelled domination of the Premiership and Champions league is a God!

Great ideas - 100% agreement.

I'd like to see the 'mini-me' run onto the pitch at full time and do a little dance like David Pleat did. All good ideas that would enhance our enjoyment.

It seems this thread cannot be ignored by SI!

What CP has done is clearly take the features members find most annoying and feel they could be expanded, and put them into one constructive post.

Well done CP

This is exactly the kind of stuff I’ve been thinking about, little touches that would make the game much better.

I was also thinking they should expand the starting reputation. Instead of just giving you the basic option of International footballer, professional footballer etc etc etc you should be able to define your playing history and give yourself more of a background such as:

Solid centre back who played for West Ham his whole career

Flamboyant winger who played at the top across Europe

Billy Nobody who has worked in the backroom at Woking for 10 years

Career ended by injury at his prime but has now completed coaching badges

etc etc etc. This could also effect the clubs you can manage, if you spent you playing career in the lower leagues you are hardly going to come in and manage Man U, its a minor thing really and could be optional, I just think it would give you as a manager more background and give more variety to the media section too...

I agree with everyone above me. This really can't be ignored. It would add so much more to the game.

Well done CP

A few cosmetic features here, but they would be fun, and a good achievement to get.

1: Have a statue made of you (Before game you could set your weight and height, so that you don't get a statue of some anorexic you when in reality you are a 10 tonne brick house)

2: Get a part of the stadium named after you (In my case, Griffin End)

A few cosmetic features here, but they would be fun, and a good achievement to get.

1: Have a statue made of you (Before game you could set your weight and height, so that you don't get a statue of some anorexic you when in reality you are a 10 tonne brick house)

2: Get a part of the stadium named after you (In my case, Griffin End)

I'd like these as additional news items

Yeah, you could imagine "Player X scores a screamer from 35 yards, winning the game at the last moment, and runs to the fans at Planet Stand"

Agreed CP

Excellent, well thought out post CP

I would like to see all of them, but feel 1, 2, 3 and 5 are the most important and should be looked at in the immediate future hopefully. I don't really play the 'big team' games and 95% of the time I go for a career game so your points would really add to my enjoyment of the game and hopefully a lot of other players enjoyment too.

This thread has lots of good ideas....I hope the right people view it.

oh yes naming the stands would be amazing.johnyboy end and the john stand

Yeah, you could imagine "Player X scores a screamer from 35 yards, winning the game at the last moment, and runs to the fans at Planet Stand"

I actually think introducing the current stands would be worthwhile, rather than just the stadium names.

Creating more immersion by whatever means is one of the main roads to go imho as well. There are many ways which would lead away from the spreadsheet feel the game can at times have back to the feeling of immersion which I felt back in the CM days. Being informed about what's going on around you in a better way than now is one part, but having a more personal record about one's career is certainly also a very good way to achieve this.

So I love the suggestions, all of them (some would be more important than others of course)

Imho the game in its present state does not need too many fancy new features if the little things which add up to a feeling of immersion are improved a lot (and tactics...). Then it would be immensely rewarding to play the game.

It's more than just a bit of immersion to me, it's reward for all the hardwork people have put in! Self recognition and patting yourself on the back just isn't enough for me!

Great ideas in this thread! I like the idea suggested about expanding on the relationships with other managers and players so that as a lower club your friendship with a premiership manager could pay off and get a good loan signing.

Your past players could become managers and respect you. The likes of Steve Bruce would rather deal with Ferguson than some guy from Real Madrid due to player-manager relationships

Love the idea about players running over to hug you when they score. Made me smile would be an awsome addition to the game.

Great posts / ideas all keep up the good work and lets hope SI/Sega see this

Definite +1 on all the ideas presented.

Loving all these ideas. The one I'd add, that's bugged me for years, is the ability to set your hometown; clearly the game has this enormous database of places, so it should be possible to set one of those as you hometown rather than leaving it blank.

have to agree, we NEED more of this kind of thing. please reward us in the game with some nice features like those mentioned above.

have to agree, we NEED more of this kind of thing. please reward us in the game with some nice features like those mentioned above.

This thread perfectly illustrates what people want in FM2010, and how over the last few versions SI seem to have lost their way a bit, and that the game has started to stagnate to a certain extent.

Surely the guys at SI shouldn't need us to tell them what is missing from the game.

Maybe they are just 'too close' and can't see 'the woods for the trees' so to speak.

Any one of the ideas in the OP are far better than the ill-thought out and implemented, repetitive press conferences in FM2009.

Hopefully one of the MODS or SI guys on here will read the OP and put a team to work straight away on putting them into FM2010!!!!!!!!

SI know that it helps them to get that much feedback as they do one here, no worries

I hope they realize that the game has got worse (or maybe just not improved as much as in other areas) in all those little aspects mentioned in here and those related which add up to this feeling of immersion which many seem to have lost.

Thanks for all the agreement all

Couldn't agree more. A big fat +1 from me.