Should SI remove press conferences from future FM releases?

[Mike7077]

Sleeping, eating, driving to work and traveling are all parts of being manager. Should SI include sleeping/eating/driving/traveling mini games in FM14 as well?

There's a big difference between the incidentals of doing your job, such as travelling, eating and sleeping patterns, and aspects of football management which are big part of the job, such as dealing with the media, including press conferences. No, SI shouldn't include eating and sleeping and travelling, because that would be daft (although the impact of long distance travel is a factor in the game). But dealing with the press and media simply has to be in there.

What bothers me is that it has never been well implemented. I'm tired of being able to predict the next question in the press conference and tired of the second answer down always being the only sensible one. They added a storm out feature but you never find yourself in a position where you might storm out because you just get the same tired questions over and over. And the way players react is totally illogical. They react far too readily to stuff you say in the media. I'm sure it does have an effect in real life, but it is far more important what it said behind closed doors and what your relationship with your players is like.

Despite wanting to see media interaction in the game, I wouldn't miss press conferences if they removed them.

[Blueflash]

Sleeping, eating, driving to work and traveling are all parts of being manager. Should SI include sleeping/eating/driving/traveling mini games in FM14 as well?

Are you actually serious? Did you even read your post before you submitted it?

[Äktsjon Männ]

There's a big difference between the incidentals of doing your job, such as travelling, eating and sleeping patterns, and aspects of football management which are big part of the job, such as dealing with the media, including press conferences. No, SI shouldn't include eating and sleeping and travelling, because that would be daft (although the impact of long distance travel is a factor in the game). But dealing with the press and media simply has to be in there.

Yes, the media should be there. But there's absolutely no reason it has to be in the form of a press conference. None whatsoever. The way it was done before worked much better and made tons more sense in game context, i.e it filtered out the irrelevant (not literally of course as the irrelevant wasn't even there to begin with, but you know what I mean) and it wasn't a total chore in terms of playability. No matter how many questions and answers they add the PC module in it's current form will always be a tedious clickfest. We don't need the game to simulate tedium after all! It can't simulate human conversation so it has to simplify it.

[LilSaint]

i think there should only be press conferences for special events, like signing a new player, before big games etc.

Before and every single game is just too much, especially cause they're all the same. I know you can leave them to your assman, but that can affect morale if he gives a wrong answer..

for me they can be removed entirely unless they improve massively, or reserve them for special events

[Mike7077]

Yes, the media should be there. But there's absolutely no reason it has to be in the form of a press conference. None whatsoever. The way it was done before worked much better and made tons more sense in game context, i.e it filtered out the irrelevant (not literally of course as the irrelevant wasn't even there to begin with, but you know what I mean) and it wasn't a total chore in terms of playability. No matter how many questions and answers they add the PC module in it's current form will always be a tedious clickfest. We don't need the game to simulate tedium after all! It can't simulate human conversation so it has to simplify it.

I would add to your salient points that it's also annoying that press conferences are exactly the same whatever level you manage at. Dealing with media in the lower leagues is vastly different to the top levels of the game.

[Herbert Fandel]

I would add to your salient points that it's also annoying that press conferences are exactly the same whatever level you manage at. Dealing with media in the lower leagues is vastly different to the top levels of the game.

How can you say that!?! It is wildly different in-game! Sometimes you get told how many journalists will be present. If you are a small club it is 1 or 2, if you are a big club it is 5 or 6.

I think SI have that aspect of realism pretty much covered...

[Vector]

SI will only remove it when they do IRL.

[scott MUFC]

top of the league by a mile, draw 4-4 from a last minute goal.

are you pleased to get this unexpected result? (meaning i was tipped to lose )

NO idiot

[Kenco]

Do tones make a difference at all? I never change tone so I think everything I say is calm but does it matter?

May as well get rid of tones.

[VonBlade]

The trouble is all the places it's lacking.

I'm never asked why I'm not playing my new signing. I'm never asked about topping the goal-scoring charts, or a player winning WPOTY, or or or.

Tones are utterly UTTERLY pointless. The questions are so repetitive I don't even read more than the first two words of them now because I know the rest. In rivals matches I know the exact order entirely.

(@Herbert - If I could 'like' posts here...)

[Mike7077]

How can you say that!?! It is wildly different in-game! Sometimes you get told how many journalists will be present. If you are a small club it is 1 or 2, if you are a big club it is 5 or 6.

I think SI have that aspect of realism pretty much covered...

The number of journalists may be different, but you're still asked the same basic questions. There's absolutely no recognition of the major differences in how managers at different levels talk to the media. Indeed, lower league managers rarely do press conferences at all. They literally just face a couple of local journalists after a game. And why is the manager of Dover Athletic asked who he thinks will win the Ballon d'Or?

[Mike7077]

The trouble is all the places it's lacking.

I'm never asked why I'm not playing my new signing. I'm never asked about topping the goal-scoring charts, or a player winning WPOTY, or or or.

Tones are utterly UTTERLY pointless. The questions are so repetitive I don't even read more than the first two words of them now because I know the rest. In rivals matches I know the exact order entirely.

(@Herbert - If I could 'like' posts here...)

I never really get asked anything that feels llike it warrants anything more than a "calm" response. Maybe questions about the title race if you're expected to challenge might warrant "cautious", but not much else. And as I said, storming out is redundant until you start getting asked genuinely difficult questions.

[hluraven]

How can you say that!?! It is wildly different in-game! Sometimes you get told how many journalists will be present. If you are a small club it is 1 or 2, if you are a big club it is 5 or 6.

I think SI have that aspect of realism pretty much covered...

It's identical. The number of journalists may be different but the frequency of the press conference, the questions asked and the impact on morale is 100% identical. BSS teams should not be having 40+ press conferences per year, in reality, it's not even one per year.

[Äktsjon Männ]

I never really get asked anything that feels llike it warrants anything more than a "calm" response. Maybe questions about the title race if you're expected to challenge might warrant "cautious", but not much else.

It makes zero difference anyway except for those inanely worded news items afterwards.

[VonBlade]

I'm certain that Herbert Fandel was being sarcastic. I'm also hugely proud that my thread was the inspiration for this one.

I haven't voted though, because if press conferences actually enabled you to discuss international selection or remotely took advantage of the information in the game world and all the questions were reworded, then I'd be happy to see them.

As they are, no. Take them out. Expunge them. In fact SI should get their question XML and delete it. Be forced to rewrite it entirely. They have 10 months, I'm sure it's not difficult to write some new ones.

[Herbert Fandel]

I was indeed not being entirely serious. One thing I would suggest to people talking about different levels, is that even lower league managers will still be interviewed post-match by their local rag. So perhaps 'interview' would be more appropriate than 'press conference' for in-game titling.

In game they are useless, I agree that the current model is hard to fix effectively, but I think adding in hundreds of new questions and answers (Which could be done in about 2 days work by a short-term contract), and adding in greater implications in certain limited scenarios, would be a good temporary fix until a new model is devised.

To be honest some of the new questions, such as regarding internationals, aren't so mind-numbing, precisely because they are new.

Also - get rid of tones, I'll never trust miles on anything ever again

[Neil Brock]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

[Äktsjon Männ]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

Well you (not you personally ofc) haven't done anything to improve it in 5 years now. Which suggests that either you don't really give a damn or it's not really a feature that has the potential to evolve into anything substantial or worthwhile.

[x42bn6]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

I thought that would be implied by "No"? "No" doesn't mean "Do nothing".

That said, will SI stomach the work to improve the feature? You can throw many more strings at it (but as I argued on the last page, you need thousands before it doesn't feel repetitive), or you could work on some AI-based communication (which is still in its infancy and you will occasionally get stupid responses, like Cleverbot sometimes returns, although Cleverbot is an example of adaptive AI and will become less stupid over time). The former scales very badly with effort, and the latter is a large amount of work in an area with unknown success. The latter isn't even an "improvement" - it's a fundamental rewrite. Again.

There was a thread a while back that suggested the database of "strings" could be developed by the community. Although again, you'd need thousands of strings.

[Kazza]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

Yep, I thought that was rather a narrow view. I voted to keep and like many on here see it improved. I suppose people will be wanting to go back to that horrid 2d next

[Govnar1]

There's a big difference between the incidentals of doing your job, such as travelling, eating and sleeping patterns, and aspects of football management which are big part of the job, such as dealing with the media, including press conferences. No, SI shouldn't include eating and sleeping and travelling, because that would be daft (although the impact of long distance travel is a factor in the game). But dealing with the press and media simply has to be in there.

OK, would you like that SI implements real time 3D training module, training sessions are certainly bigger part of the job than press conferences?

Are you actually serious?

Dead serious.

Did you even read your post before you submitted it?

I rarely read them before posting so often have to edit posts to correct spelling.

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

I created poll like this as I think press conferences just do not have the potential to be fun (explanation).

[Aim_Less]

Not remove, but improve. They're a part of being a manager!

agree , they should be improved

[Keyzer Soze]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

I think anyone who voted to keep, are in fact saying they want to keep PC but they need to me improved or re-thinked.

After these years, i think its pretty obvious that something must changed.

So far all that SI have done is increasing the amount of questions in the PC, and with FM2013 introduced the tones. And its obvious that is not enough to prevent PC to became boring after 2 hours playing the game.

So, perhaps its time to sit back and re-think the concept. I think that PC should stay in the game, but they need a major overall.

In real life, they are boring too, at least 99% of them, but in real life managers attend PC once or twice a weak... not 6 or 7 per night. With that in mind, i think the concept must changed. Perhaps PC is one of those thing that can't be "that real" in FM. In real life we have 10 reporters putting out questions, and that the system FM is trying to reproduce. Perhaps it's time to go a different direction.

[Herbert Fandel]

I think anyone who voted to keep, are in fact saying they want to keep PC but they need to me improved or re-thinked.

Agreed.

No = improve

Tones =\= improvement

[prtyrckk]

it should stay.

would be good if a player can also attend the press conference and say a few things in it as well (which happens in real life).

for certain cases whereby manager is asked about dubious incidents, would be good if someone(assistant manager etc) to prompt us saying it looked like a red card decision, penalty etc. sometimes i just dont know how to answer!

[Lorak]

I have to say, I'm surprised at how many people vote to keep this boring, repetitive "feature" just because it's in Real Life.

Does anybody actually -enjoy- press conferences in the game? Because, you know... that's kinda the important thing when it comes to a game.

[edgar555]

it should stay.

would be good if a player can also attend the press conference and say a few things in it as well (which happens in real life).

for certain cases whereby manager is asked about dubious incidents, would be good if someone(assistant manager etc) to prompt us saying it looked like a red card decision, penalty etc. sometimes i just dont know how to answer!

Players only attend conferences for CL/EL but it would be good if they did rock up for those.

As for contentious issues some advice would be handy but I always say the ref was wrong when it was against me and right when it goes in my favour!

[jon157uk]

I voted 'yes', I know it's only a game but I find the press conference pointless, boring and a bit too childish.

[Scab]

Media is a huge part of the modern game, assuming you play at a high(ish) level. It should be part of any serious simulation. The exact implementation in FM could certainly change, though.

I don't have a big problem with the current press conferences personally. They need more + more varied questions and to scale better to lower leagues, as has been touched on already, but I view it as a tool to shift focus/pressure where it's preferable to me/my team; away from anxious youngsters, onto opposition threats, to focus a specific part of my team, etc. I don't find it nearly as random as some. If you know your players and the opposition, I think it is useful.

I think delegation is a reasonable option for anyone who doesn't want to engage in any of this. I use it occasionally myself. I suppose it's still down to what your assistant says, but hey, you're on level terms with the opposition whose answers are also/always decided by that AI. I'd rather SI focused on improvements than an opt-out option to be honest, same as with all other aspects of the game.

[Lawlore]

It strikes me that there's potential for allowing a user to edit and add to the press conference Q&A- presumably one of the reasons there isn't greater variety is due to it needing time and effort in translation. Allowing a user to write their own questions and responses in the editor would allow people to share Press Conference datapacks in a similar way to edited databases, facepacks or skins- and we know the FM community is quite happy to put in legwork.

I suppose the trickiest part would be working out how responses affected each individual player type (ie, the whole point of PCs), but again, I think someone who was committed to creating a datapack like that would be savvy enough to figure it out.

Although I appreciate that doing so is considerably tougher than simply editing lines of commentary text in a .txt document, as we used to be able to many versions ago.

[THOG]

Media is a huge part of the modern game, assuming you play at a high(ish) level. It should be part of any serious simulation. The exact implementation in FM could certainly change, though.

I don't have a big problem with the current press conferences personally. They need more + more varied questions and to scale better to lower leagues, as has been touched on already, but I view it as a tool to shift focus/pressure where it's preferable to me/my team; away from anxious youngsters, onto opposition threats, to focus a specific part of my team, etc. I don't find it nearly as random as some. If you know your players and the opposition, I think it is useful.

I think delegation is a reasonable option for anyone who doesn't want to engage in any of this. I use it occasionally myself. I suppose it's still down to what your assistant says, but hey, you're on level terms with the opposition whose answers are also/always decided by that AI. I'd rather SI focused on improvements than an opt-out option to be honest, same as with all other aspects of the game.

The problem with simply adding more questions is that, when you have two press conferences per match and 50+ matches per season and several seasons per save and several saves per each year's version of Football Manager, they're going to get just as repetitive eventually whether you add 10, 100 or a 1000 new questions. The only way to give press conferences a satisfying degree of variety is to have an AI that can interpret custom answers written by the player... but that presumably won't be available until Football Manager 63 or thereabouts.

With that said, I agree that it should be kept as it is a useful tool and a tool that is used by managers as part of the real game, but it should be up to the player when this tool is actually used. The player shouldn't be forced to choose between one consequence-ridden answer or another... hence, the suggestion for "neutral" platitudes that everyone is supposed to interpret as a vacuous nonresponse. On the other hand, as part of a more robust media module, I also think there should be negative consequences for managers who persistently choose to ignore it as well. As in real life, managers who know how to handle the media have an advantage whereas managers who have a bunker mentality towards the media still have to deal with the consequences of their players being subjected to negative press.

But again, these consequences shouldn't be the result of a manager being forced to choose between two varieties of self-inflicted wound when a real manager would realistically opt for "none of the above." Rather, the media should be more of an independent, "living" presence that creates controversy for its own reasons and leaves managers with the decision of whether or not they choose to address it.

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

This is how I often feel about press conferences...

[greco]

I like the fact our options are to keep it or remove it, no option to improve it whatsoever

there is 3 options

1. to improve them so much, that we cant live without them. This is imo almost impossible to achieve.

2. you can remove them

3. make them optional and no, letting the assistant isnt the same.

This isnt directed at you, but at those who say its realistic and therefore needs to be in the game. If you want to play the realism card, then i assume you dont use player search, you watch the full 90 min of every game and you watch computer games, to see what kind of weaknesses they have. I assume you play in real time, so every game takes aprox 1.5 hour. Not only that, you also watch several games com vs com, so that you can scout players up close and personal. I´m going to assume that you want attributes gone, as its completely unrealistic to know every stat of every player in your club, so precisely.

oh yeah and the gem, add and remove leagues, i havent seen or heardabout this in pro football, but its stil in the game.

There are so many features in this game, that has absolutely nothing to do with realism or reality. Therefore its pitiful and comical to see grown men use realism, as their only argument.

point 3 would imo be the best solution, those who want press conferences can have them, those who dont, wont have them and everyone is happy.!

[Äktsjon Männ]

But again, these consequences shouldn't be the result of a manager being forced to choose between two varieties of self-inflicted wound when a real manager would realistically opt for "none of the above." Rather, the media should be more of an independent, "living" presence that creates controversy for its own reasons and leaves managers with the decision of whether or not they choose to address it.

Precisely. It could present itself more in a form closer to the current (deeply flawed, but that's another story) player interaction model. So it would demand your attention when there are actual subjects that may need it. Instead of routine questions about the World Player of the Year award and other irrelevant nonsense that doesn't add to the immersion and isn't interesting or in any way rewarding to click through.

[THOG]

Precisely. It could present itself more in a form closer to the current (deeply flawed, but that's another story) player interaction model. So it would demand your attention when there are actual subjects that may need it. Instead of routine questions about the World Player of the Year award and other irrelevant nonsense that doesn't add to the immersion and isn't interesting or in any way rewarding to click through.

And unlike the main problem with the current player interaction model, there wouldn't need to be the issue of not really having any idea as to why your player is upset. Rather, media "controversies" could essentially be like "morale injuries" with clear messages in the player profile stating things like "Stewart Downing is troubled by the media focus on his lack of assists." And like injuries, things could get really interesting if players were able to use the editor to add additional controversies that conform to standardized response templates.

And in regards to rewarding open door policies, a more robust media module could further encourage players to use it by making more use of media relationships. Basically, rather than forcing players to constantly engage the media with sincere answers, players who "feed" the media with more entertaining/controversial comments will generally earn more positive coverage whereas players who only rarely engage in the media's "game" will generally be met with more skepticism or distorted/negative coverage of their comments.

More generally, the main thing SI should seek to achieve is to represent the idea that the media is another opponent in the game. Right now, the press conference module just creates the sense that the manager is engaged in a conflict with his own ability to formulate statements... or more generally, the sense that the player is engaged in a conflict with the limitations of the game itself. But a more immersive media module will have us yelling, "Those blasted Sky pundits are at it again!", not moaning "Oh boy, how am I going to mess up my players' morale today..."

[stewpot01]

they are a load of garbage to put it mildly. Some questions border on stupidity. For example, I am managing Plymouth and beat Leyton Orient in a JPT match. The first question I was asked was "The fairytale continues...blah,blah,blah". After one game! just how brainless is that? Also been asked other stupid questions about a game v mid table opposition (and been in 9th place yourself) about it been the 'Biggest game of the season'. I no longer attend them, as if this where a real life scenario you would have manager effing and blinding at journalist left, right and centre. They are an insult tp people's intelligence and do nothing to enhance the game, the sooner they are removed, the better.

[Stephanie McMahon's Secret Lover]

Remove it altogether or leave it to the assistant or press officer.

[stewpot01]

Remove it altogether or leave it to the assistant or press officer.

A big thumbs up on that

[Herbert Fandel]

they are a load of garbage to put it mildly. Some questions border on stupidity. For example, I am managing Plymouth and beat Leyton Orient in a JPT match. The first question I was asked was "The fairytale continues...blah,blah,blah". After one game! just how brainless is that? Also been asked other stupid questions about a game v mid table opposition (and been in 9th place yourself) about it been the 'Biggest game of the season'. I no longer attend them, as if this where a real life scenario you would have manager effing and blinding at journalist left, right and centre. They are an insult tp people's intelligence and do nothing to enhance the game, the sooner they are improved, the better.

Almost exactly how I feel

[treble_yell_:-)]

No,

A FMC mode where the user gets to decide what modules to have activated would be a much better choice.

[Mr Ford]

The media part of this game is **** poor and always has been.

We should be hearing from managers, fans, owners, former players, on our performance maybe even a pundit and they should comment on our progress either buy us some time or come back to stab us in the back!

we should also be given the chance to respond.

[Baldyloxxx]

I get sick of the 'rivals' press conference 'are you nervous'....etc etc.

[stewpot01]

The media part of this game is **** poor and always has been.

We should be hearing from managers, fans, owners, former players, on our performance maybe even a pundit and they should comment on our progress either buy us some time or come back to stab us in the back!

we should also be given the chance to respond.

I am in total agreement with all of that. I have said in the past that we should also have the option to let the players go out and talk, how many times do we see the captains or motm speaking to the cameras instead of the manager.

[stewpot01]

I get sick of the 'rivals' press conference 'are you nervous'....etc etc.

That one really pees me off more than any other.

[Mr Ford]

The same issue has always been media since the game changed to football manager, why oh why is the skin changed again the match engine is great and thats constantly messed with to. Its not bought by people for graphics or skins, this would make the game more attractive to other football fans.

[MetalHeroChris]

Personally I don't think they should remove them completely as it is all part and parcel of the job. However with that said I think there needs to be a reduction in the frequency with which they occur, and perhaps they should have some form of broader impact on things. For me as it stands they seem to be just an addition that doesn't ultimately mean much or have any real impact on your game. Being told I tend to be calm and on occasion passionate doesn't feel like it impacts what the AI makes of me as a fellow manager within the game.

Just my opinion though.

[marciano22]

Definetly no. We need more realistics press conferences imo.

[grade]

Yes, they should be removed.

[Ilpo_G]

FMC has good press conference in my opinion. One question comes up sometimes (when playing an important fixture?) and you can answer or choose not to answer. That's all we need. Not boring press conference before every game. And I'm afraid that this boring feature affects too much for team performance. I voted yes to remove, unless press conferences gets a big fix.

[MasterOfSuspense]

TBH I'm not interested in press conferences so set my AM to do them - the only one I do is at the start of the game and even get bored with that as I choose exactly the same options every time

It is part of the game though and even Fergie doesn't send Mick Phelan to answer questions for a rampant but ultimately boring press

Leave it as it is - seems to be a fair compromise with the AM option

[Football Manager.]

The media part of this game is **** poor and always has been.

We should be hearing from managers, fans, owners, former players, on our performance maybe even a pundit and they should comment on our progress either buy us some time or come back to stab us in the back!

we should also be given the chance to respond.

i agree as long as we can respond and it have an effect on the players ect and we aren't just responding to make up text in an inbox message