Missing Out???

Okay - have been wondering whether I'm missing out on all the new upgrades that have been added to FM over the years - I've been playing the game since the CM days and still play it in the same way really...

1. Only ever watch matches on commentary - no highlights/replays and it's on the fastest setting so I can get through a season quickly.

2. Always download tactics - usually classic ones so haven't evened bothered with the pitch shouts (as I don't watch the matches anyway)

3. Use tried and tested training sets - left on the same for all year

4. Ass man does loads of the donkey work such as press conferences etc. I do my own team talks.

I've been wondering recently (more because of the 3d match engine) that I might be missing out on playing FM in a different way - trouble is I'm so used to it now that I'm not sure I could handle playing in a 'new' way.

What do others have their setup like for playing? And is it worth watching the matches for the use of shouts or any other benefits?

I always watch the match, just the key highlights. Can't learn anything otherwise. For example - you might notice your 6`8" centre-foward pulls wide to receive the ball, rather than staying central as you might prefer.

If your using downloaded tactics the chances are most of the thinking ( and i dont mean that in an insulting way at all) has already been done for you, these guys spend ages watching games and revising their tactics to make them as full proof as possible so watching games may not be a big issue there shouldnt be too many situations that come up that the tactics creaters havent already thought of or experienced. The 3d engine is brilliant for developing your own tactics and for getting an image of whats going on. It all depends on what you want from Fm tho, taking full control of all the things described will obviously slow your game play down and will require more thought and effort but if you enjoy blasting through seasons then stick to what your doing. Your only missing out if you are not getting enough out of the game, if you enjoy playing the way you do and get what you want out of it then do you really need to change?

I have in recent FM's taken more control, even now in training which i have ignored through most FM's and i find myself more immeresed than ever, i actually pay attention to who is improving in training because of my schedules, i always look at assistant feedback for team talks and such like, i do all press conferences, but then thats what i want, i only get through a season a week maybe now a days if i play 4-5 times during the week, but i have friends who do similar to you and get through seasons in a day each as succesful.

Whats the point in downloading tactics, thats half the game you've decided to give up on before you begin.

Never understood why people do this.

I've used some of my own tactics before but for about the last 3 FMs I've downloaded and used a variety - seem to be able to find what I want with the way I want to play usually - suppose that's why I don't need to watch the matches as such as suggested by milnerpoint - I do love being able to fly through a season quickly.

I play the game exactly the same as the OP, matches on commentary only, fastest speed, my AssMan does most of my actual work (press conferences, team talks, etc) its how ive always played the game and is how i enjoy it, FM is getting far too detailed for me its becoming more of a simulation as opposed to a game imho and SI should probably look into this as the "casual" players are probably getting put off by all the detail!

I play the game exactly the same as the OP, matches on commentary only, fastest speed, my AssMan does most of my actual work (press conferences, team talks, etc) its how ive always played the game and is how i enjoy it, FM is getting far too detailed for me its becoming more of a simulation as opposed to a game imho and SI should probably look into this as the "casual" players are probably getting put off by all the detail!

Surely it's always been a simulation? Never been a game.

I used to play the same way as the OP, in fact I did so until I first started looking for help online to understand the new features that were being introduced. Once I'd read up on a few fora about the different features I felt more able to play them myself and now I do practically everything! From tactics to training, press to player interaction and everything else in between, I do the lot... and I enjoy the game far more than I ever did in the days of downloaded tactics or worse, (even further back in time), the days of save/reload. I now save every 15 matches and micro-manage to the extreme so the game takes flipping ages to play but if I can manage to squeeze a match or two in per day I'm happy.

The sad fact there is that I had to read up on the forums how to use the various features before I felt competent enough to try them...

I've started doing more and more tactics/training-wise myself recently, I think it's much more fun

It's really just opinion - although if that's all you do I can't see what you'd gain from it. What version do you use and does it bother you not having updated squads? If you're enjoying it then I'd say stick with it.