FMC in FM14: What We Know So Far

[Marshdweller]

As long as the tactical changes are made to both versions of FM, and more leagues are loadable into a save, then I'm happy.

As for team talks, there are times when I want them (mostly when I'm losing), and then others where I don't miss them at all. I think FM11 had the best balance with the team talks, but I'm more than happy to do without them.

I'd also like to be able to play FMC in the full-fat skin....

[Dagenham_Dave]

I was going to give this version a miss this year. I love FM13, and initially it looked like mostly cosmetic changes for this one. The revamp of FM Classic has swung it for me though, going for it now, no question.

[Colorado]

I would like to know if MLS rules are fully implemented in FMC this year.

[tracdoor]

In the video there is a tab on the unlockables screen called "FM editor". What is that?

[RTHerringbone]

The fact we are no longer locked into three nations is a big, big deal for me. I think I may be ready to jump ship from Simulation mode at last!

One other think I love is the look of the FMC interface. I ended FM13 with the FMC skin over the Simulation mode, and it's just a far nicer, cleaner experience.

I certainly won't miss media interaction or team talks, but less Training and the lack of the Analysis Tab will need me to adapt a bit.

[Kriss]

In the video there is a tab on the unlockables screen called "FM editor". What is that?

The RTE is DLC so I assume that's how you'll buy it, even though it won't edit FMC.

[Xtal]

Will edited files be allowed in FMC?

[Colorado]

Will edited files be allowed in FMC?

That would complete FMC for me.

[Tastudark]

That would complete FMC for me.

Same, although the post earlier asking if there was an editor for Classic Mode was ignored by SI

Doesn't rule out the possibility though so fingers crossed I'm just pessimistic...

[heron]

Any word on some simple analysis views post match in fmc?

[dnashifter]

I would like to know if MLS rules are fully implemented in FMC this year.

I suspect they won't be.

[Lucas]

I would like to know if MLS rules are fully implemented in FMC this year.

No - there's technical, practical and legal reasons why MLS and A-League are as they are in FMC.

[dirtboy]

And how are they? Just seeing if I should buy the game

[coxy100]

Same, although the post earlier asking if there was an editor for Classic Mode was ignored by SI

Doesn't rule out the possibility though so fingers crossed I'm just pessimistic...

I've had it answered in a different thread... link: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/362298-FM14-data-editor-FMC14-challenge-editor-FM-IGE-confirmation?p=9069809&viewfull=1#post9069809

Basically - it's not technically possible (don't see why not)

A big shame for me - I prefer the classic mode (for speed and lack of media etc) but I like being able to edit players before I start a game - injury proneness, favouring the youngsters at my own club etc !

[Colorado]

No - there's technical, practical and legal reasons why MLS and A-League are as they are in FMC.

Thanks for replying.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

We know that Match Plans will be more sophisticated - let's hope that there is some kind of considered guide on how to use them as they felt a bit hit n miss in FM13. I know they are not everyone's idea of fun but if utilised correctly I believe this feature in FMC could open up a whole new way of playing the game and to a new audience consequently.

[higgins]

We know that Match Plans will be more sophisticated - let's hope that there is some kind of considered guide on how to use them as they felt a bit hit n miss in FM13. I know they are not everyone's idea of fun but if utilised correctly I believe this feature in FMC could open up a whole new way of playing the game and to a new audience consequently.

I bet some bizarre theories about them will pop up soon here.....no doubt.

[Drebin893]

Like what? They were in the game last year?

[kilok]

Looking forward to the FMC mode after watching the video preview

[tracdoor]

Shouldn't we have the option of buying the RTE editor for £10 or something which will make up for the lost revenue from unlockables?

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

Like what? They were in the game last year?

Not sure your question is specific to “how I play the game” but it does give me an excuse to expand upon my way of playing the game nowadays.

As a little background I will explain my views of FM and SI’s CMs before, it will show how I got to my goal of playing FM with maximum enjoyment.

I have played CM (SI’s version) / FM since CM97-98. I did toy with the very first CM but game-play wise I found Premier Manager a much more immersive & enjoyable experience – just my preference really. I loved how the Premier Manager games (1 & 2) allowed you to progress and become more successful just by using a single tactic and by buying the best players that you could afford (the game forced you to start at Conference level). When I tried CM97-98 (purely because of good reviews) I soon fell in love with the tactical variations – differing tactics could now make a difference that PM’s “523 long ball suits all” approach discouraged. After playing CM00-01 for a year I had become entrenched in using a single tactic again (a 4231 featuring 2 DMC’s and 3 MC’s). Then with CM0102 and the switch to the classic 4132 I was having more fun than ever but effectively using 1 tactic with very little tweaking and by buying all the players I knew were “best”. CM4 was a huge disappointment for me and it took a while to appreciate the gameplay of FM2005 although minor tweaking to a 442 gave me a degree of success that encouraged me.

FM2006 was a huge mindshift for me, basically I hated the game and was rubbish at it until I read and digested wwfan’s excellent thread on the tactics of that game. With his insight I was able to immerse myself in the tactics fully for the first time, the trouble was I only created one tactic, a 442 for Bury that utilising Rule of Two gave me some control. Again I was sidetracking myself in a single tactic dead-end where enjoyment of the game depended on Plan 1 working regardless (although my Plan 1 was something I was happy to spend many hours creating). FM07 to FM10 had good and bad times for me but my playing style was the same as it had been for FM06. During these post-FM06 years I would inevitably drift back to playing CM0102 by Christmas each year and continue until the next FM release. It was the innovation of the TC that turned me back on properly to the FM series, relegating CM0102 to rare outings. Always I had wanted to do tactical stuff (I would absorb many threads of advice/info) but found that if my starting tactic went wrong the slider fiddling required to make the necessary changes was feeling like too much of a faff. The TC allowed me to make changes on the fly, the problem now (a problem that had always been there) was that specific players needed specific instructions setting, again an annoyance – I mention this now only because FM14 seems to have pre-sets that will cure this issue.

Somewhere between the release of the TC and FM12 I was able to create a tactic for a team (different for different teams) but again a single tactic to suit the players at my disposal, and I had the confidence to make minor tweaks that would give me some feeling of control. FM12 was the apex of this approach for me and I can honestly say I feel I have (slightly) overachieved, or at least achieved up to expectations for up to the release of FM13.

What was clear from many hours spent in the T&T Forum was that players want different things from the game. Some do want a winbutton tactic, and the other end of the scale the tinkermen are happy to create different tactics for constantly changing match situations. Whilst I am happy to spend a lot of time on FM (I expect that even playing approx. 30-40 hours per week for a season to take 4 weeks to complete) I do need to feel that my time is not being “wasted” and any tactical floundering is too frustrating for me to enjoy.

On to FM13, I have no intention of opening the whole debate on how “good” the game is except to say that issues I encountered during patching & re-patching killed my love of FM13 early on, FM in general and even the CM/FM series as a whole had turned me off. I spent much of the period Dec 12 to end of Summer 2013 on other non-football games. The information released on FM14 made me feel cold, more of the same I guess was my feeling but I had one nagging germ of an idea, namely “I know I am no tactical genius, can I adapt FM13 (and consequently FM14) to give me a fun football management experience again?” I came to a radical conclusion.......

FM – Director of Football management mode.

Harking back even to the early days my enjoyment of the game has come from setting up a basic formation and acquiring the players to suit it. I am the opposite of a Track Suit Manager, indeed the extreme opposite is the Director of Football and certain innovations in FM13 make such a Role viable. So this how I play “Director of Football mode”.

1/ Use FM Classic mode

2/ Sign up as manager of your preferred club

3/ Set up a 2nd manager profile using my club as their favourite club, being an unemployed manager

4/ Set the 2nd manager to view every one of my Club’s matches whilst remaining unemployed – the 2nd Manager is just a tool for enabling the watching of the matches in real time if Instant Result is selected.

5/ Assign everything to the backroom staff for your manager profile proper. You can scout manually as much as you wish but the in-game DoF should be given the donkey work of signing players , disposing of players and loaning out (“developing”) players if you wish.

6/ Analyse the players available to you and set up a suitable single tactic with appropriate Roles/duties or use the defaults.

7/ Allow Ass Man pick Team selection for matches and use Instant Result with no Match Plans. The “Instant Result” will then be played out in front of you on the highlights level selected which gives that element of “excitement” .

That is basic Director of Football Mode.

Some would argue that so little hands-on activity you may as well not play the game at all! but as I said I am focussing on the elements that always interested me most. To this you could add the following:

a/ Create multiple starting tactics (variations of your Plan A, again tailored to suit your squad) and select that which you find most suitable each match from the pre-match scouting info available.

b/Do not use Ass Man Team pick, select the starting XI yourself. Again roles may be amended to suit the players used and duties tweaked to suit the Team approach to the match (before you know it you are actually becoming tactically flexible without too much effort or heartbreak).

Now it should be remembered that all of the above utilise Instant Result but no Match Plan. Match Plans take this to a whole new level but in FM13 I feel there is too much trial and error involved. With no Match Plan the Ass Man, as far as I can tell, adjusts things tactically in-match which I imagine prevents very poor tactical implementations, I feel Match Plans does not offer that protection, I really hope that FM14’s Match Plans wizard and advice either from SI or in this Community will take this feature on to the next level rather than just add another layer of things that can go wrong.

[SmurfDude]

I played nothing but FMC in FM13 and will play nothing but FMC again in this years iteration. Being able to select more leagues is the only thing I really wanted. Transfer deadline day is a bonus as it only comes around twice a season so it isn't repetitive and boring. Can't tell you just how grateful I am to be able to play FM without the worthless media interaction modules and team talks

[Johnny Ace]

FMC suits me down to the ground so it's good to see some new stuff being added, some Match Analysis would be handy though

[Toothless Gibbon]

FMC suits me down to the ground so it's good to see some new stuff being added, some Match Analysis would be handy though

Agreed - would the Match Analysis tab slow down the game for those who didnt wish to use it? Presumably all the data is still there, just hidden. It does make working out why I'm continually getting gubbed that bit harder in FMC.

[gr6810]

That's exactly what I have said previously, keep the speed and add the tools you need to analyze your tactics if you want to.

[JB1979]

Certainly looks like an improvement on last years FMC, which i really enjoyed. Does anyone know if the beta will include FMC? i assume it will....

[Kriss]

Yes Beta will include FMC.

[Lucas]

Pre-Release Beta is now live so you can all discover more about FMC

[Sy13]

Pre-Release Beta is now live so you can all discover more about FMC

Does this year have a match analysis tab?

[Lucas]

Unfortunately not. We're aware that people are asking for this though

[Sy13]

Unfortunately not. We're aware that people are asking for this though

Does that mean it'll come via an update after Xmas?

[gr6810]

I think it is necessary to have an analysis tab with the current no-slider tactical system, I want to be able to fully understand how my tweakings in this new system changes how we play.

[higgins]

Does that mean it'll come via an update after Xmas?

Probably for FMC 15, not now.

[RTHerringbone]

Probably for FMC 15, not now.

When that comes, I think FMC will be perfect.

I love the UI on FMC, it's so crisp and intuitive.

There are a few minor irritating panel sorting issues, but it seems like most are already known.

[higgins]

When that comes, I think FMC will be perfect.

I love the UI on FMC, it's so crisp and intuitive.

There are a few minor irritating panel sorting issues, but it seems like most are already known.

I like it as well, improved over last year.

[RTHerringbone]

I like it as well, improved over last year.

The league limit removal is the pinnacle of the good changes for me, but I'm easily pleased by things like pie charts in training, and the scouting set up.

I know we have very differing opinions about the tactical changes, but putting the visibility of certain things aside, I do prefer the general push button interface there too.

Although I haven't done it yet, I know you can have a saved set of generic tweaks for whoever you play at DR (as an example), but you can also say "player x is a bit more effective at y and z", so you can set and save bespoke settings for that individual player - this second bit is very handy if true.

[higgins]

The league limit removal is the pinnacle of the good changes for me, but I'm easily pleased by things like pie charts in training, and the scouting set up.

I know we have very differing opinions about the tactical changes, but putting the visibility of certain things aside, I do prefer the general push button interface there too.

Although I haven't done it yet, I know you can have a saved set of generic tweaks for whoever you play at DR (as an example), but you can also say "player x is a bit more effective at y and z", so you can set and save bespoke settings for that individual player - this second bit is very handy if true.

I saw that, didn't try it yet but it could be useful.

Buttons are simply buttons, I think that some visual representation (I have some ideas here) of the defensive line would have been a nice add, even for the full game, just to save some time.

[will8578]

Looks like FMC isn't much of a focus this year. Miles announced an official real time editor for the full version but it's not coming to FMC - I'm guessing the same goes for the official editor. That was probably the most requested feature for FMC. Thoroughly underwhelmed so far.

theres an save game editor that works on fmc13

[Jilech]

Miles says in the FMC video that there is a limit of 50K players. But I've just started a FMC game with 30 leagues in 18 countries for a total of 73K players. I just got a warning when starting game, that it would be slow. I'm also able to add leagues in-game which I tried and it says my player count is now 80K.

So is this a bug or have the 50K cap been scrapped?

[Lucas]

It's a soft limit.

[Brad_12345]

On the vita how many seasons can u play or is it unlimited