Back to FM06

[JSteel]

I feel I need to air my views over what has been a part of my life for many years - Football / Championship Manager. It is, in my opinion, the greatest game ever. I have played it since day 1 on the Amiga when it was Championship Manager (Domark) and have been hooked ever since (well until Football Manager 2007 anyway). I bought FM2007 and within a few weeks I was playing FM2006 again. I am currently playing the 08 version and guess what, yep, i'm thinking of going back to 06. The reasons for this (there are many) are mainly the media features (which apparantly don't mean anything so why are they there) and what is becoming a very erratic match engine which sometimes throws up very unrealistic results. For example, i'm Crystal Palace, mid-table and on a poor run playing away against the top team Burnley. I won 8-1. There are also a number other little irratations which are cropping up - too many to mention.

Tempted as I have been to wear rose tinted spectacles and re-visit Champ Man 03/04, I have so far resisted as it will probably be very slow, so I think i'll stick to what is in my opinion the next best version - FM2006. The actual 2D match higlights are better in 08 but the actual engine which creates the results is, like I mentioned earlier, inconsistant.

Having just read the PC Gamer review of FM2009, and apart from the 3D match screen, they have hit the nail on the head as to what is happening to the series - it's stagnating. I think Sports Interactive should now be releasing updates each year, just concentrating on the match engine and updating the database for each season instead of adding unnecessary media crap which doesn't mean anything. For people who have recently started playing the series, they might think its great but I would like the opinions of seasoned veterans like myself.

I know that SI / SEGA will continue to release FM every year as a full package but 'At the end of the day' I think they should 'Set their stall out' and concentrate on what they WERE good at, making great Football Manager games.

[LAHoward]

nice post jsteel

[dazbowski]

I don't agree, i've also been playing since my amiga days and i loved fm07 and the newest has all the makings of the best yet in terms of match engine and all round game.
I agree the media is just padding but some people enjoy it and by having it there is no bother to me as i just get my ass man to sort it!

[Ben Mann]

I know it sound crazy, but maybe there needs to be a year off? Let SI really get to the bottom of these issues and just release a complete squad update for free or even a small fee for 2010?? Because it seems they are rushing things because let's face it they aren't the biggest company in the world and still people require the same quality levels.

[A.D]

why would you be dissapointed with beating the top side 8:1 ? The it's safe to say you wont even worry about fm10 and onwards ?

[achurchill]

I don't know how much they've done yet for media, but the potential for it is a lot better than just meaningless padding.

Every question is loaded in a way that it will please one group but annoy another. Depending on your answers, you are either going to annoy a) the board b) the players c) the fans or d) the media.

if you upset the board, the usual requests become harder because they don't like you, **** them off too much and it will result in you being sacked.
if you upset the players, it affects results on the pitch, or causes transfer requests, you could lose control of the dressing room, and your job.
if you upset the fans, they begin to boycott matches, call for your sacking, and so on, which could lead to the board replacing you.
if you upset the media (refusing to answer questions) , they start to stir **** up by generating more ******** stories about your players wanting to leave.

Using your assistant manager all the time will effectively give the same result as upsetting the media. They want the real deal, not the assistant answering their questions.

I thought this was already how it now works in FM2009 to some extent, but I might be wrong. If it isn't already, i suspect this is what they're aiming for, and it's on the right path, so it's not exactly just padding...it provides an extra element that you have to keep on top of in order to have a successful management career. Would be nice if it had more variety in the questions though.

[digsy11]

If they could add a lot more variation and phrase the questions and answers in a more realistic tone press conferences would be one of the best parts of the game.As it stands it's to simple and (like 08) to repetitive.

[Andy20]

I feel I need to air my views over what has been a part of my life for many years - Football / Championship Manager. It is, in my opinion, the greatest game ever. I have played it since day 1 on the Amiga when it was Championship Manager (Domark) and have been hooked ever since (well until Football Manager 2007 anyway). I bought FM2007 and within a few weeks I was playing FM2006 again. I am currently playing the 08 version and guess what, yep, i'm thinking of going back to 06. The reasons for this (there are many) are mainly the media features (which apparantly don't mean anything so why are they there) and what is becoming a very erratic match engine which sometimes throws up very unrealistic results. For example, i'm Crystal Palace, mid-table and on a poor run playing away against the top team Burnley. I won 8-1. There are also a number other little irratations which are cropping up - too many to mention.

Tempted as I have been to wear rose tinted spectacles and re-visit Champ Man 03/04, I have so far resisted as it will probably be very slow, so I think i'll stick to what is in my opinion the next best version - FM2006. The actual 2D match higlights are better in 08 but the actual engine which creates the results is, like I mentioned earlier, inconsistant.

Having just read the PC Gamer review of FM2009, and apart from the 3D match screen, they have hit the nail on the head as to what is happening to the series - it's stagnating. I think Sports Interactive should now be releasing updates each year, just concentrating on the match engine and updating the database for each season instead of adding unnecessary media crap which doesn't mean anything. For people who have recently started playing the series, they might think its great but I would like the opinions of seasoned veterans like myself.

I know that SI / SEGA will continue to release FM every year as a full package but 'At the end of the day' I think they should 'Set their stall out' and concentrate on what they WERE good at, making great Football Manager games.

Well my favourite FM has to be 2007, I had some great career games on that and I didn't get FM 2008 until around May/June this year. When I got it I couldn't grow to like the match engine even after I downloaded the patch. It seemed that players wouldn't use common sense and close down when it was needed or clear the ball rather than waiting and getting challenged in their own 6 yard box.

I have gone back to FM 2007 and I am enjoying it a lot. It's a bonus that there is a September 2008 update for it that someone has made so I started a new career the other day. Playing the game on my new computer means I can play 40+ leagues and it runs like a gem and that has made it even more enjoyable. I'm not sure why you prefer 2006 over 2007 as 2007 is very similiar but in my opinion the best match engine of any Football Manager game and also the other additions like parent and feeder clubs is brilliant.

It seems no one really agrees with me about FM 2008 match engine being poor even after the patches. I cannot explain what it is about FM 2007 match engine that does it for me but it just feels right. Players close down when I tell them to, I have a player with 20 pace and 18 acceleration in a low league and he gets numerous chances but his finishing is about 4 and his composure is about 4 and misses most of them which I think is realistic.

Other side of the coin though, if I have a striker with good finishing and composure in a low league he usually bags 15+ goals a season which again is realistic. So all in all I think I won't be getting FM 2009 at all and sticking with the trusty FM 2007 for another year.

[Tyke]

I agree with PC gamer in some respects - I think SI is too focused on adding a new feature or two every year instead of improving/fixing the fundamentals - it means every year they go through a 're-inventing the wheel' phase where the same old problems from the previous version turn up again - like player condition/injury in the 09 version. I would much prefer seeing them refining the match engine than adding press conferences before/after matches.
Having said that, I am pleased to see the scores seem to be quite realistic so far in my game world - lots of fairly tight defence with mainly one-goal wins. If they can sort some of the annoyances out in a patch or two quite soon I'll be quite happy.

[paulsgruff]

I've played since CM2 and agree that FM06 was easily the most fun I've had on the entire series, closely followed by CM01/02. I always get the newest versions at some point when they are released, but I very rarely play them for longer than 5 season games, yet had several 40 season saves with FM06. I found 06 to have the perfect blend of difficulty and enjoyment for my style of play.

I don't know if I just lost interest at some point or if I just couldn't be bothered to put the time into the game that I used to. I find the newer games far more fiddly, complicated and time consuming over the little things that don't seem all that important to me: Press conferenecs, figuring out how to train players effectively and not understanding the cryptic relationship between your comments in team talks/media and the players resulting morale. I'd just rather be looking for new players and playing games and not worry about the rest. The option to use an assistant manager to fill in these things was a good idea and suits people like me, but often seems to lead to a drop of morael in players in my experience as the assistant makes some bad errors of judgement in areas that seem to have obvious responses (ie telling a team he is disappointed with their performance in a post match team talk, even when they won convincingly) which naturally then leads to bad results due to the drop in team morale. I know that there are some very good guides around the place in the tactics/training forums etc, but I'm just not willing to do research while playing a game that I feel I should be able to enjoy by just picking it up as I go along. Alot of the time in the newer versions, I find that I don't even know where I'm going wrong, whereas in the older games I generally had at least some idea.

I find the latest versions to be getting far closer to reality in terms of what you can achieve in certain time frames too, which is another thing which has put me off playing the newer versions. Football Manager has always been about creating a realistic management simulation and the recent changes have gone a long way to ensure that. For me however, being able to take my hometown club (Burton Albion) to Premier League and Champions League glory within 10 years of in-game-time was just really enjoyable and rewarding to play and I just can't do that anymore with the newer games. Since FM07, I've struggled to get results and just get frustrated with the amount of effort I have to put in to even get promoted now (let alone survive next season) and it's got to the point where I just don't find it enjoyable anymore. True, the new difficulty is more realistic and it's down to my poor in game ability, but I prefer the older versions which, for me, used to feel more rewarding for the time that I put in to play.

That being said, I always download the demos and usually buy the newer versions of the game, just incase one of them turns out to be as enjoyable as I found FM06 and CM01/02, but I am yet to find a release that suits they way that I want to play the game in the last few years. Horses for courses etc etc.

[JSteel]

why would you be dissapointed with beating the top side 8:1 ? The it's safe to say you wont even worry about fm10 and onwards ?

Of course I was pleased to win the game but on the other hand I'm dissapointed because it's not exactly realistic.

I'm not sure why you prefer 2006 over 2007 as 2007 is very similiar but in my opinion the best match engine of any Football Manager game and also the other additions like parent and feeder clubs is brilliant.

It was 07 when the media multi choice questions surfaced - which I can't stand. I agree with what you say though Andy, it has lost it's 'fun' element and is getting bogged down with tedious features and multi choice media decision making which, like mentioned in another post, will either please or annoy your players at the same time - you can't win.

[dwood]

Well apart from management games on my amiga fm 2006 is the only football management game i have played and i have to say its brilliant. I dont feel the need to buy any of the newer ones and from the minimum specs fm 2009 wouldnt work well on my laptop anyway which i think is hilarious i can play farcry and gta on max settings but not a football manager game. Anyway im having so much fun with fm 2006 and i havent found one thing that i want to whine about in the entire game.

[Andy20]

Of course I was pleased to win the game but on the other hand I'm dissapointed because it's not exactly realistic.



It was 07 when the media multi choice questions surfaced - which I can't stand. I agree with what you say though Andy, it has lost it's 'fun' element and is getting bogged down with tedious features and multi choice media decision making which, like mentioned in another post, will either please or annoy your players at the same time - you can't win.

I see I agree that FM 2006 was a great game though, the match engine on Fm 2005, 2006 and 2007 were class I thought. Just 2008 which I couldn't quite get to like really, the reason I like 2007 more than 2005 and 2006 though is that the new little features really make the game even more enjoyable for me. Parent and Feeder clubs is great because if you are a small team and a parent club loans out a few future stars then they could help you immensly! Have to admit that the media answers can sometimes be frustrating as can the team-talks but I don't really notice them and just get on with enjoying the game

I must say also I have really fond memories of CM 97/98 and CM 01/02. CM 97/98 was the first Champ Man I ever played, me and my uncle used to have some great games on that. I remember Christopher Wreh always used to score for him when he was manager of Arsenal!

[GerdMuller]

A also liked 07 the most, didnt get 08 after the demo, but ordered 09 now. I have to agree that getting the basics right is the most important thing. FIFA Manager didnt do this which brought me to buying FM a few years ago. I hope FM doesnt go the same way.

[DJ]

How can the game be stagnating and adding 'useless' features at the same time?

[sm1979]

Just to add my two-penneth on this subject. I have owned every CM/FM (apart from one of the CM3 season updates) and I too am getting sick of SI adding a whole host of new features, when the ones from the previous version weren't fixed. I understand they feel they have a duty to add more and more stuff each year to keep people entertained, but I remember the early days when a simple data update was all that was done - and I was more than happy with that, because at the time the games felt right. CM97/98, CM03/04 and FM05 were the highlights of the entire series tho IMO. I have never had the best tactical knowledge and simply cant dedicate hours on end tinkering with these things - I am a family man and cannot justify time spent on FM simply tinkering when I feel that time has been wasted and getting nowhere. But the difficulty of the game, coupled with the insane amount of extra features is really putting me off buying the game ever again. In fact I am making a bold decision here, but i truly think that this is the last FM I will ever buy because I can only see things getting worse tbh. No way on Earth are SI going to remove features, or make the game a notch easier for the casual gamer.

Thanks for the years of fun SI, but like one of the tycoons on Dragons Den would say "I'm out".

[dazbowski]

I don't know how much they've done yet for media, but the potential for it is a lot better than just meaningless padding.

Every question is loaded in a way that it will please one group but annoy another. Depending on your answers, you are either going to annoy a) the board b) the players c) the fans or d) the media.

if you upset the board, the usual requests become harder because they don't like you, **** them off too much and it will result in you being sacked.
if you upset the players, it affects results on the pitch, or causes transfer requests, you could lose control of the dressing room, and your job.
if you upset the fans, they begin to boycott matches, call for your sacking, and so on, which could lead to the board replacing you.
if you upset the media (refusing to answer questions) , they start to stir **** up by generating more ******** stories about your players wanting to leave.

Using your assistant manager all the time will effectively give the same result as upsetting the media. They want the real deal, not the assistant answering their questions.

I thought this was already how it now works in FM2009 to some extent, but I might be wrong. If it isn't already, i suspect this is what they're aiming for, and it's on the right path, so it's not exactly just padding...it provides an extra element that you have to keep on top of in order to have a successful management career. Would be nice if it had more variety in the questions though.

I can't agree with the media thing, i have set my assistant to handle it for 3 and a half seasons and have yet to see any negatives. I won the blue square north at a canter then won fa trophy and promotion to league 2 next season, playoff the next and now i'm top and i have yet to see any of myplayers significanly unhappy were they wouldn't perform. I also have my ass man do team talks! and btw i was tipped for relegation every season I was gateshead

[Andy20]

Just to add my two-penneth on this subject. I have owned every CM/FM (apart from one of the CM3 season updates) and I too am getting sick of SI adding a whole host of new features, when the ones from the previous version weren't fixed. I understand they feel they have a duty to add more and more stuff each year to keep people entertained, but I remember the early days when a simple data update was all that was done - and I was more than happy with that, because at the time the games felt right. CM97/98, CM03/04 and FM05 were the highlights of the entire series tho IMO. I have never had the best tactical knowledge and simply cant dedicate hours on end tinkering with these things - I am a family man and cannot justify time spent on FM simply tinkering when I feel that time has been wasted and getting nowhere. But the difficulty of the game, coupled with the insane amount of extra features is really putting me off buying the game ever again. In fact I am making a bold decision here, but i truly think that this is the last FM I will ever buy because I can only see things getting worse tbh. No way on Earth are SI going to remove features, or make the game a notch easier for the casual gamer.

Thanks for the years of fun SI, but like one of the tycoons on Dragons Den would say "I'm out".

If you think FM has a lot of features that take too long to go through then I hope that you never play Fifa Manager! That game has soooo many features, it is a good game but the realism of it is really lacking therefor it cannot challenge FM. The realism of FM always has been a major factor in what has made it the best management sim of all time. Not to mention the fact that it has so many real life staff and players that it's depth is unrivalled.

[sm1979]

If you think FM has a lot of features that take too long to go through then I hope that you never play Fifa Manager! That game has soooo many features, it is a good game but the realism of it is really lacking therefor it cannot challenge FM. The realism of FM always has been a major factor in what has made it the best management sim of all time. Not to mention the fact that it has so many real life staff and players that it's depth is unrivalled.

Oh if FM is not an option mate then neither is any other management game - i'd feel dirty doing so lol. Some people want all these bells and whistles, but for the appeal is disappearing with every incarnation. I could maybe put up with all this if the game was a bit easier though. I make no secret of the fact that I want success - I don't want it to come easy, but if i'm losing more than i'm winning after putting endless hours in then my FM career simply has to be over. I play games for enjoyment - if I get nothing out of them then i'll stop. FM05 was perfect IMO after being fully patched. Since then I think it's fallen down a slippery slope and continues to do so. To say i'm disappointed with the game that FM is turning into is a complete understatement and i'm upset that it's going this way. I know they have said difficulty levels wont be in the game, but I think without them they are going to lose fans.

[LAHoward]

fm needs 3 versions the 4th is what we currently have

1) FM Arcade 10: keep the 3D guys happy
2) FM Role Play 10: Keep the ones that likes to play with the media happy
3) FM 10: No 3D, no media conferences, just improving engine & bugs
4) EA's our Daddy 10: trying to combine 1, 2 & 3 and getting behind and releasing...welll what we have now.

[Stormz]

paulsgruff, from what you said I think you would like the PSP version if you happen to have that console.

[jamieCUFC]

Got to say, FM07 has been the best so far IMO. I would quite happily pay the £30 it costs for a brand new game, just on a full database update for 07.

[Sad Git]

I also would like to see a return to a simpler, less media-oriented game, but it's never going to happen. SI have to release a new version every year and they have to add new features to the new version. Many of these new features then turn out to be pointless gimmicks that serve only to add jarring bugs and drag the game further downwards. Extra complexity can often, in fact, lead to a less realistic game. Doesn't bother me though - I'm an owner of FM06 and CM01/02!

[JSteel]

fm needs 3 versions the 4th is what we currently have

1) FM Arcade 10: keep the 3D guys happy
2) FM Role Play 10: Keep the ones that likes to play with the media happy
3) FM 10: No 3D, no media conferences, just improving engine & bugs
4) EA's our Daddy 10: trying to combine 1, 2 & 3 and getting behind and releasing...welll what we have now.

I'll buy option 3 please

[Bubsa]

How can the game be stagnating and adding 'useless' features at the same time?

Are you serious?

[Gee_Simpson]

Well my favourite FM has to be 2007, I had some great career games on that and I didn't get FM 2008 until around May/June this year. When I got it I couldn't grow to like the match engine even after I downloaded the patch. It seemed that players wouldn't use common sense and close down when it was needed or clear the ball rather than waiting and getting challenged in their own 6 yard box.

I have gone back to FM 2007 and I am enjoying it a lot. It's a bonus that there is a September 2008 update for it that someone has made so I started a new career the other day. Playing the game on my new computer means I can play 40+ leagues and it runs like a gem and that has made it even more enjoyable. I'm not sure why you prefer 2006 over 2007 as 2007 is very similiar but in my opinion the best match engine of any Football Manager game and also the other additions like parent and feeder clubs is brilliant.

It seems no one really agrees with me about FM 2008 match engine being poor even after the patches. I cannot explain what it is about FM 2007 match engine that does it for me but it just feels right. Players close down when I tell them to, I have a player with 20 pace and 18 acceleration in a low league and he gets numerous chances but his finishing is about 4 and his composure is about 4 and misses most of them which I think is realistic.

Other side of the coin though, if I have a striker with good finishing and composure in a low league he usually bags 15+ goals a season which again is realistic. So all in all I think I won't be getting FM 2009 at all and sticking with the trusty FM 2007 for another year.

My first fm game was 2007 but i didn't play it too much because i had a rubbish pc i might go back to it now though.
Can you tell me where you found the september 2008 update? and were there any good downloadable tactics for that version? e.g as good as kimz 08 tactic or an overachieving tactic?
If anyone could help it would be appreciated

[Kewell08]

Necro.
Ten characters...

[Wakers]

2007 was the last decent version. On 08 the match engine took a step backwards. On 09, its taken a couple of steps backward, and they've crammed the game with useless and annoying features. So not only can you no longer achieve success without employing non-sensical tactics/player instructions, the game has become so fat with unoptimised and un-needed code that it now runs at half the speed (if you're lucky) of FM08.

Can someone post a link for the data update for FM2007? would be most appreciated

[Gee_Simpson]

yeah the data update and can anyone recommend tactics for 07 e.g as good as kimz 08 tactic and overachieving tactic with a smaller club thanks

[Lyssien]

JSteel, can you remember how the 2d engine started? It was CM4, and it was nearly a disaster as players did very stupid things, and there was no short passing whatsoever. But it was the beginning of a new era, a new engine that would finally fulfil its potential in FM07. Or around there, anyway.

It is kind of similar now. We have a new and arrowless engine, represented in 3D. Maybe the step is not that huge as it was in CM4, but there is no disaster now either. There are some problems, but the game is "almost there" and the 3d is much more fun (and has more potential in terms of realism) than the 2d, which I was getting tired of. Regens look better for the time being, some new stats have been included (e.g. distance covered) and good goalkeepers make a bigger difference now. History has shown me that SI will finally get there, as they did with CM01/02 for the text version and FM07 for the 2D version. For the time being, I really enjoy FM09, and FM07 is probably my 2nd best.

[am4387]

The step to 3D was necessary, and thankfully much more successful than the move to 2D. I think people like FM05, 06 and 07 because they are ridiculously easy. Once you have the right training, tactics and staff it's basically autopilot until you are winning everything in sight, regardless of who you start with. That was a problem in itself for me because there was literally no point in a career game moving up the club ladder, I did that for the first time in FM08 because I needed to if I wanted to progress. Overall though FM08 was a bit of a disappointment, but every year is a step in the right direction. Some games work better as a package but every year there are improvements. I think SI certainly need to concentrate more on improving rather than adding, and I think streamlining features as their new features for a year would be good. Instead of what they have added this year like expanding the media or adding a new match view, they could streamline the tactics and the training, cutting away the layers and making them as in depth but easier and quicker to use and more intuitive. These would be equally flashy and marketable but instead of making the game more complex and more time consuming, they would make it easier to play and ultimately more enjoyable.

[Cityull]

You as a manager need to move on with the games, they were really simple in the early days but now FM is a very tactical game which the player has to anticipate the AI next move and always be one step ahead if he is to be successful.

it takes more work/time to be a success on these games which people don't have like they did 10 years ago.

[the old den]

2007 was the last decent version. On 08 the match engine took a step backwards. On 09, its taken a couple of steps backward, and they've crammed the game with useless and annoying features. So not only can you no longer achieve success without employing non-sensical tactics/player instructions, the game has become so fat with unoptimised and un-needed code that it now runs at half the speed (if you're lucky) of FM08.

Can someone post a link for the data update for FM2007? would be most appreciated

Good shout anyone got the update???

Great first post by the way, i think fm06 & 07 were the pinnacle for FM to be honest. If your like myself and the opening poster started playing from the very outset. You are now in your mid to late 30s and in many cases a fair bit older. Most people are married with kids now etc and just dont have as much free time as you need to really get involved in a long term game on 08/09 as it just takes so long.

You usually load FM for a bit of escapism get your team promoted or sign the 10 million quid striker. Or in my case that 50k duffer with shin splints!!!

As many people have said its just not great fun anymore on the newer versions of the game.

[Wakers]

http://www.football-manager.info/fil...-08_09-v2.html

There it is

[Super Bladesman]

If 'FM is stagnating' (which it isn't imo), how would just releasing data/ME updates every year improve the situation?

It makes no sense.

[dave byrd]

I wonder if these people that feel the need to announce to the world that 'they're going back to a previous version' (like they're coming out of the closet or something) said the same thing when the version they are going back to came out? Like for instance did the OP decide 'back to CM4' when FM06 came out?

[cornwallgunner]

FM2007 flows brilliantly, FM2010 shoudl focus on regaining that game flow which will mean removing long winded match day playing (too many screens, too slow set up) and speeding the whole game up a lot!

FM09 is very very good, but you lose a lot in the slow game play, game crashing and epic number of bugs. FM10 should be a tidy up, it's no good adding loads more features if there are 100's of bugs still in the game.

My wishlist for FM10 is: New clean skin, less bugs, faster, better match day game flow

[Wakers]

I wonder if these people that feel the need to announce to the world that 'they're going back to a previous version' (like they're coming out of the closet or something) said the same thing when the version they are going ack to came out? Like for instance did the OP decide 'back to CM4' when FM06 came out?

Well no. I'm going back (this is me personally) because I still have my save from FM07 that's about half way into the 21st century

That and it was the last version that I really enjoyed. I didn't really enjoy FM08, because by the time the second patch was released i was already fed up with the bugs and crappy match engine.

FM09 is heading the same way.

[dave byrd]

Well no. I'm going back (this is me personally) because I still have my save from FM07 that's about half way into the 21st century

That and it was the last version that I really enjoyed. I didn't really enjoy FM08, because by the time the second patch was released i was already fed up with the bugs and crappy match engine.

FM09 is heading the same way.

I'm looking forward to the patch. I hope it is a success and improves the game to make it more enjoyable for all.

[Ackter]

My problem with FM06 was that it was incredibly easy - FM09 is actually a challenge.

[Wakers]

My problem with FM06 was that it was incredibly easy - FM09 is actually a challenge.

Yes, its a challenge, but for all the wrong reasons. It's what I call "artificial difficulty".

[Ackter]

I'd disagree, but then the tactics have always been pretty straightforward for me, probably because of the amount of time I spend trying to break them.

[Baba Hamdi]

I froze playing properly fm 2009 until the patch comes out, now I live some nostalgia in these few days of waiting ,I start playing my first manager game Tracksuit Manager

[10Maxi]

In this version results seem to improve when you go to text only and play insane tactics that make no sense. Don't know why, it just does. I played about 5 career games with 3d and got no consistancy, went to text played with team settings rather than individual and closing down instructions that should not really work and bingo! I got promoted as Freiburg with a fairly awful squad after a whole season unbeaten and I'm now 3rd in Bundesliga halfway through season 2 after spending a combined total of £1.2m.

The overall quality of gameplay (and playability) of FM has gone steadily downhill IMO but I still play it, however my enthusiasm is now waning with each version. Each new feature just seems to add a new layer of boredom to what was once the most engrossing game on the planet.

[CPS]

I froze playing properly fm 2009 until the patch comes out, now I live some nostalgia in these few days of waiting ,I start playing my first manager game Tracksuit Manager

Great shout, Tracksuit Manager was a terrific game! What with Beardsley being the best player in the world and David Kerslake, of all people, being a Zindane-like genius!

I don't know where all this love for FM07's match engine comes from tbh, people complain about long range goals in 09 but I remember Mathieu Bodmer scoring 10 goals in his 1st 10 games for me in 07 - all of them ridiculous banana shots from 30 odd yards. I think its pretty refreshing that SI aren't compromising by dumbing down their product for casual gamers + if you want a simple game you have your old copies to dig out and play, updating to the latest version isn't mandatory you know.

The choice is there - play what version you like best, be it CM01-02, FM 07, FM09 or Tracksuit manager and quit whinging about it.

[JSteel]

Ah yes Tracksuit Manager. Anyone play Football Director....?

Anyway back to the topic. As mentioned in an earlier post by 'am4387' about 3D being the next step ...yes it was but apparantly SI have been developing it for a few years now so you would think they would have got it right. It is not something that was dreamed up after FM08.

Everybody has their own opinions on FM but personally I think its becoming a victim of its own success. People talk about episodic gaming...why can't FM. With every annual release and a price of £15, make sure it is polished with a season update and engine tweaks but not adding pointless annoying features and hoping patches are going fix ongoing problems. Simple, everyone's a winner .

[oTRUTHo]

if your an avid fm09 person? youl remember that cham-man was the game & thay were small time & made it in there "bedrooms if you call it that"

anyway theres a preasure on them i think. that they need to "IMPROVE" fm each year so that thay can bring it out & make there "YEARLY PROFIT"

well: personaly: i would settle for a patch each year till thay ACCTUALY have something new & good to give us?

i mean who said that there has to be a new football manager every year instead of a patch? "MONEY, THATS WHO"

i say NO. NO MORE DRIVLE UNTILL YOU ACCTUALY MAKE SOMETHING THAT MAKES US ALL THINK & FEEL ABOUT FM THE WAY WE DID ABOUT CHAMP-MAN 4

[IbrahimAliMaher]

if your an avid fm09 person? youl remember that cham-man was the game & thay were small time & made it in there "bedrooms if you call it that"

anyway theres a preasure on them i think. that they need to "IMPROVE" fm each year so that thay can bring it out & make there "YEARLY PROFIT"

well: personaly: i would settle for a patch each year till thay ACCTUALY have something new & good to give us?

i mean who said that there has to be a new football manager every year instead of a patch? "MONEY, THATS WHO"

i say NO. NO MORE DRIVLE UNTILL YOU ACCTUALY MAKE SOMETHING THAT MAKES US ALL THINK & FEEL ABOUT FM THE WAY WE DID ABOUT CHAMP-MAN 4

I was going to post the same thing (only spelt better perhaps...) I only buy one game every few years anyway as I don't see the point in buying successive titles, as there's only a negligible change in the core game plus some generally unimportant aesthetic features. FM08 was the first in the FM series I've bought and was horrified to find such a shoddily put together rushed product that they put out. I don't remember any of the CM games being quite as bad as this, although maybe there is an element of rose tinted glasses/having the sense to wait til the first patch was out. I'd much prefer it if they released a new version say, every three years and released a data update for the years in between and just tweaked the existing basic game to be as good as possible rather than just pasting some new gimmicks over the cracks. They won't do that though because of money as oTRUTHo says, and also because of the piracy issue - you can see the lengths they've gone to this year which illustrates how worried about that they are.

[Spagbol]

Have to agree. This release more so then FM08 seems rushed and stumbling.

With the new patch they've not only created more issues then they've fixed, but several leagues with horrific flaws haven't had them addressed. Some of the ones in question via the league specific bugs forum you'll see haven't been addressed since FM07. FM should have done a CM and taken a year off for this release.

[Law_Man]

Could someone point me to an FM06 player update please (i.e. current players)? Cheers.