Football Manager 2014 Beta Update and Demo FEEDBACK THREAD

[Warhawk]

3 things noticed so far after the update:

1.The widgets remember the positions now but are still linked to home team and away team instead of the actual teams.

2. My game crashed during a match. No crash dump. The game just exited with windows trying to find a solution. I need to test a bit more to see if it's a local problem or not.

3. After processing from one day to another the screen is "stuck" on the screen you had up before i clicked continue.

Example:

I read all the news and all that, then i click continue.

When processing is done the screen i left is the one the game returns to. I can't see any new news indicated.

If i press continue again the game updates itself with the newest news-items and all that is new.

Same going in to a match. Clicking "Match Preview" doesn't actually get me to Match Preview until i click it a second time.

Haven't really looked at #1, and I haven't crashed, but I'm definitely getting #3. I have to click Continue and Match Preview multiple times for it to progress.

[Pete S]

Not a good sign, this game is much worse with latest update!

- Full back ratings now way too low.

- No tackling.

- too many long shots.

- wide play and crosses/corners too effective.

[Bardi Golriz]

In windowed mode it's hard to offer contracts to players, you have to switch back from windowed to not windowed to click on some things because you can't see them otherwise. And you don't see how scouted player compares to your current players in scout reports, it's annoying. There should be options to scroll down to see it.

Try changing the size of text and images via the Preferences to 95%. That will reduce the size of text slightly but enough for more of the interface to show by default.

[Kvothe]

Also getting #3

[cerud]

I haven't seen anyone else with this issue, so maybe it's just me. But it's definitely a game breaker. I am unable to land a job because teams are not offering them after I've had an interview.

I always start a new game unemployed and then apply for lower league clubs and work my way up. In early July 2013, I applied for the vacant Stockport job in England's Skrill North. I had my interview the same day. All was fine and they said they would consider me for the job.

Flash forward to a month later. It's now mid-August and no one has taken the position. I'm still listed as being "applied" to the job. I've never had to wait a over a month before a club makes a decision so I'm assuming this is a bug. I haven't received any news saying that I was unsuccessful. As far as I can see, I'm still being considered.

This is on the latest update. I didn't have this issue in the earlier part of the beta, if that helps.

I've created a post in the bugs forum, but am curious if anyone else is experiencing this. No job means cerud no play

[Jason the Yank]

Continuing from a previous save in the beta, now I don't see new messages until I hit "continue".

So basically it goes like:

Hit "Continue"

Game processes, returns to the messages screen. No new messages displayed.

Hit "Continue"

Screen updates with new messages.

EDIT: So basically roykela's point No. 3.

[bababooey]

The thing I've noticed throughout the Beta (ive had it since last week) is that central defenders are a disaster at defending crosses. I've found that if I don't close down opposition wingers, I get absolutely skinned, even by average players. Normally I don't like to close down opposition wingers because I feel it pulls my fullbacks out of position, and my tactic is strong in the middle so I don't mind teams being forced to go wide. But if we cant defend crosses coming in, we're screwed!

[Warhawk]

I also just had a replay with an "upload goal" option that consisted entirely of a guy on the other team placing the ball for a free kick. No goal involved whatsoever.

[Defensive]

I´m sorry but this really is the worst ME i ever saw in this series. I cant believe what i´m seeing. Seriously, what the hell are you guys doing? This is some sort of arcade game with the ball flipping around and shot after shot after shot. As someone else wrote, 44 shots a game, i had games with 45-4 shots, average is about 24-18 or so. Maybe you should look at the real life stats, average is about 10 shots per team! That would be realistic, this here has nothing to do with reality, this comes not even close, the amount of shots and goals is absurd. I always loved the realism of FM but its gone. People here wrote the last days that there are too many shots and what are you doing? You make the ME creating even more shots! Why are you doing that, I just dont understand this anymore. Same with Full Backs, everyone is talking about the bad Full Backs for days now and you made them even worse. Im really disapointed. As it seems there are people who love this ME, maybe they are happy their strikers are scoring again and they enjoy their 5-2 victories, bot for me this shooting festival just is not right.

[TheBigBoss]

Continuing from a previous save in the beta, now I don't see new messages until I hit "continue".

So basically it goes like:

Hit "Continue"

Game processes, returns to the messages screen. No new messages displayed.

Hit "Continue"

Screen updates with new messages.

EDIT: So basically roykela's point No. 3.

Yes the same with me pretty irritating

[iMan]

The thing I've noticed throughout the Beta (ive had it since last week) is that central defenders are a disaster at defending crosses. I've found that if I don't close down opposition wingers, I get absolutely skinned, even by average players. Normally I don't like to close down opposition wingers because I feel it pulls my fullbacks out of position, and my tactic is strong in the middle so I don't mind teams being forced to go wide. But if we cant defend crosses coming in, we're screwed!

Crosses seemed to be the main source of goals on the previous patch. My main goal source was crosses and I conceded the most from crosses.

It might be different on today's update.

[Sploots]

Nice to see that my Bayern team no longer have a little cry when I tell them that I think we can win the league. Also nice to see that St Etienne don't ask for £80m when I try and buy Zouma. Good work guys.

[wanderer89]

Full backs have gone from having games of their lives, to playing like they've never played before, don't tackle, rating's are just disgustingly low, patch has destroyed them.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

I don't know why it was broken to begin with nor how it fixed itself and finally how it got broken again. It has been working fine throughout these three milestones internally, and I can't recall seeing anyone else raise this issue.

If anyone else is experiencing this issue, can you please let us know?

Interestingly it happens for me too, but it hasn't worked since Beta started. thought i saw a thread so hadn't followed up.

Something does need to be done about making people follow posting procedures in Bugs Forum, I posted a thread with [14.0.1] etc with the steps to reproduce etc and got no response, but others post random thread titles, have no steps to reproduce, and it is a repeat of another bug post, on the same page (Or easily found by searching) and they get replies from SI. If you want a procedure followed only answer those who follow the procedure. (Or am I being a bit harsh?)

[Kvothe]

Try changing the size of text and images via the Preferences to 95%. That will reduce the size of text slightly but enough for more of the interface to show by default.

Tried that and it doesn't help much, still the same.

[Bardi Golriz]

Interestingly it happens for me too, but it hasn't worked since Beta started. thought i saw a thread so hadn't followed up.

Of course following bug posting procedure in the UI Bugs section and having my previous thread ignored, while others that were repeat after repeat of same defect followed up doesn't help with getting me to post further defects. (Ie. Naming convention [14.1.0], steps to reproduce, evidence etc)

Sorry to read about that. There are a lot of bugs being reported in the UI Bugs forum on an hourly basis even, and unfortunately sometimes a thread may not get responded to immediately. If you feel yours has been forgotten about, then I'd recommend bumping it. One thing I can assure you is that it has not been intentionally ignored. We don't pick and choose what threads/issues to respond to. We treat each bug report, however major or minor, the same.

As for the issue being discussed here, are you playing in GPU rendering mode and getting this issue to occur?

[bababooey]

Crosses seemed to be the main source of goals on the previous patch. My main goal source was crosses and I conceded the most from crosses.

It might be different on today's update.

Just played a game. My crosses were 0/24 AI's crosses: 5/23 Could just be my tactics, I have to go back and look. But what I've found in the Beta so far is that my results are inconsistent. Really dominant in my friendlies against crap teams (expected) but then disappointing against similar opposition. Again it could be my tactics but I've been extra careful knowing this is a beta and I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

Sorry to read about that. There are a lot of bugs being reported in the UI Bugs forum on an hourly basis even, and unfortunately sometimes a thread may not get responded to immediately. If you feel yours has been forgotten about, then I'd recommend bumping it. One thing I can assure you is that it has not been intentionally ignored. We don't pick and choose what threads/issues to respond to. We treat each bug report, however major or minor, the same.

As for the issue being discussed here, are you playing in GPU rendering mode and getting this issue to occur?

Thanks for the response Bardi, my issue there was minor (Cosmetic), just was a bit annoyed with the repeat threads being constantly attended to. will bump the thread to follow-up (Probably not a help that I am in NZ so when I am posting you will all be in bed)

As for the issue, not sure about GPU rendering, but I will check when i get home. (Should I be on GPU or not to get it to hide?)

[blala]

this update make the game worse , i can't believe we are about hour(s) to release the full game and yet the ME is not balanced defense still bad and a lot of UI issues

[Kvothe]

Lost one game then won one and moral is pretty bad in the team now. Everyone was in the green and now most of the team is in yellow. And I am second with Aston Villa in EPL and nothing bad happened (like bad team-talk etc.). Not sure if it's because of the new patch or not.

[blala]

Lost one game then won one and moral is pretty bad in the team now. Everyone was in the green and now most of the team is in yellow. And I am second with Aston Villa in EPL and nothing bad happened (like bad team-talk etc.). Not sure if it's because of the new patch or not.

yes i have this issue ,almost every player's morale go in abysmal dunno why ?!

[Arisilan]

So I played couple of games and I must say ME at the current state looks absolutely amazing. Improvement from previous patch is so huge, that it feels like completely different game. Team is following my tactics, players do what I tell them to do. Very solid experience so far and really enjoyable to watch. Well done!

Anyway, fullbacks ratings seems to be too low, which prob comes from deadly crossing. Overall defending still needs some tweaking. Players still hit crossbars too often and corners seem to be little overpowered atm.

[wanderer89]

Anyone else having games like this? 46 shots in a game? Bit much surely..

[_Nikon_]

Regarding the ME, the only things I'm mindful of while playing are the crosses that hit the bar (really, how often does that happen in real life) and shots that hit woodwork still being way too many. Last year's average in the whole PL season was 15 woodwork hits for each club (and let's remind ourselves of the 33 from Liverpool making the average go up). I'm getting to those 15 in about... 7-10 matches. One thing I noticed is that, for example, if a shot bounces off the post and hits the bar, or vice-versa, it's counted as two woodwork shots wich I think is wrong. It hit the woodwork twice, but it was one woodwork shot.

[SpillBlood]

I'm having the insane amount of shots, the poor fullback ratings, the overpowered wingers/crosses/corners, still silly amount of woodwork hits.

But is no one having the insane amount of fumbling from the keeper? Things they should easily be catching/taking control of is being fumbled and alot of 5 yard pass ins from the opposition.

I actually cannot play properly until the current M.E has more feedback and changes, and I will try help out and give positive feedback but there's no fun in "Crosses, defender loses striker too easily, striker scores".

[lmarsha_926]

I seem to be having less press conferences than before the update. I am managing Peterborough United

[TheBigBoss]

Can't believe an update has had this many faults in it, hope its sorted by Thursday

[Theos]

80% of my outgoing transfers worth more than 10mil ending like this.

Defending is terrible. Positioning is awful even from defs with good stat. No tackling, no interceptions.

Way to many long shots. Silly long shots, from silly angles, from player with long shots stat >5. Even with 'shoot less often' instruction set.

I've played not a terrible amount of matches so far, but it seems to me that players just completely ignore my instructions.

And finally, maybe I'm biased here a bit, but many Lazio players are totally underrated. Biglia deserves a way better stats. Perea has awful stats and almost no potential . Cavanda?

[lmarsha_926]

Just noticed the league title odds are now sorted, United where 7-4 favourites.

[Bardi Golriz]

As for the issue, not sure about GPU rendering, but I will check when i get home. (Should I be on GPU or not to get it to hide?)

It wouldn't work if you're using Software Rendering (and not GPU rendering). And thanks for being understanding.

[Thomasmc135]

Players still don't learn the language quickly enough.

Timo Werner has been in Spain for over 700 days and doesn't even have a basic understanding yet. Luke Shaw is the same after 500+ days.

I'd understand if we were speaking about Russian, but Spanish really isn't that difficult to learn. Please fix this.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

It wouldn't work if you're using Software Rendering (and not GPU rendering). And thanks for being understanding.

Excellent, will advise when I get home (3hrs away...painful, maybe my Scotland holiday game will have resulted in Threave Rovers being playable )

[bartnawer]

Just things I've noticed.

-Crosses are too powerful, most goals come from the wings, I've rarely seen a throughball down the middle, using exploit middle and three cm's.

-Too many goals off corners

-Too many long shots! This leads to so many shots in the game. Even with work the ball in the box and retain possession.

-The continue button/inbox is messed up, as already mentioned.

-It seems like most goals come through defensive lapses, rather than moments of nice play. For example, a through ball comes by, my defender slides in on the ball and somehow the ball is in the path of the striker. Or a free kick is kicked around the box until it comes to an attacker and is scored. That happens in real life but it seems most goals are like this.

[Fox]

the game keeps crashing on me. please fix this soon

i have cleared my cache twice

[Fox]

the game keeps crashing on me. please fix this soon

i have cleared my cache twice

and to top it off this is just after i ended the longest losing streak ever and signed 2 players to change my season......

[soldierblue123]

My star striker is unhappy and wants to leave because the team is not playing in the Europa League. We are playing in the Champions League ... and he says he wants higher level football (we won the EPL too) ... just crazy.

On a fun note Man Utd qualified for the champions league and were not allowed a license to play because of financial reasons... sure did make me laugh.

[greenz81]

To me the patch seems near enough good to me. Engine-wise anyway. Havent done a full restart yet. Only thing i hope that happens is faith in managers, and also managers not adding to squads they've already added to, therefore buy players they never use

Possibly this is a programming issue, as in weakening other squads, to make ones squad stronger

This is bu far the only game i ever buy that lasts as long if not longer than a season

It can only get better.....

EDIT:

Im continuing a Portsmouth game, from original beta, used basically same squad, (built the backroom staff), player development has been improved, therefore i have more faith in training, playing players for long term game

10 games before promotion til premier, 3rd season

not cheating, relearning, reskilling tactics

this game has improved without the lines

felt likewe were seeing the programming behind the basic method

[scott MUFC]

ok.

2 games in a row my keeper has beenbooked for handling outside the area, dispite getitng the ball INSIDE the area and for some reason going 4 yards and ending up outside

2-2 draw with CSKA away, concede to a corner a goal far more rediculous then Torres V city, defender and keeper both collide under no pressure whatsoever and the ball just goes past them for thier player to collect and score.

then i got my equalizer from a defender smashing it into his own net.

however my performances, especially away from home seem better, no more silly easy lost passes.

seems to behave like FM12 for me.

[Mintah]

I have to echo the feeling of some of the other poster in regards to the ME. Prior to today's update, I was really enjoying watching my team play a nice possession based game. In the three or four game's we've played since the update, everything feels more direct and "wingy," despite asking my team to "keep possession," "pass shorter," and exploit the middle.

[scott MUFC]

it already was wingy for me, i set it up that way, but the long balls forward at least now dont end up in a short game of head tennis, then land at the oppositons feet for them to run through your to your goal, now your players contest for the ball, and you retain it better rather then 9/10 lose it.

[Viking]

Sorry if already mentioned, these threads grow fast: My team is still not highlighted on fixture and result screens.

[Gah Rii]

Hey, I've noticed a weird problem so far through-out all of the patches that have been released.

Whenever a team is about to create a CCC the game freezes momentarily for a second or so, as if calculating the probability of the shot going in or something, so it becomes extremely obvious during my games when a team is about to score, thus kind of ruins the climatic feeling for me.

Happens every single game without fail. Really weird.

[eple]

I've played a little over an hour with the new update and have had two crashes so far (after hitting continue). Prior to this I've played about 8 hours before the update and did not experience a crash. Might be a coincidence of course.

Edit: Also a bit annoying that the update changed my preferences back to default, changing the autosave setting to a month (was set to each week).

[toon army 06]

How do i set my playmaker?

[Lower Leagues Rule]

It wouldn't work if you're using Software Rendering (and not GPU rendering). And thanks for being understanding.

Right, I do have GPU rendering on, and choose the hide option, and it is always there. What would you like to see?

[Furkan]

It's very easy to criticise without knowing the process which goes on behind the scenes. There are limited eyes looking at the game and limited time for the devs to fix every issue. It's a lot more complicated and difficult than I certainly ever thought it would be before I got into the industry.

Then you need to be much more transparent or face the criticism.

1) I asked for a bug fixes list two times on twitter to Mr. Jacobson. First time it was rejected by saying there was no time for it. Second time, this conversation occured:

Me: @milesSI you said there was no time to make a list of fixes but you can give exact numbers. confused...

M Jacobson: @fsorkac selecting a list of bugs set to "claim fixed" and "fixed verified" in software that tells you how many you have selected is easy.

Me: @milesSI does the software have copy+paste as text option?

M Jacobson: @fsorkac not for what would be a summary of issues, rather than the conversations that have gone on between QA & dev.

I don't recall having joined a beta testing session of a game without knowing what was being fixed.

2) You don't have a "Ask Dev Q&A" sessions during the season -something like Blizzard does. We get a final update around January and then you start working on the next version. How about telling us a bit more about your process instead of waving away the criticsm by saying we don't know about what's going on behind the scenes? I appreciate you guys are active on the forums but why don't you interact with your customers in different ways than only on forums?

3) The final product is coming out in 2 days and demo has just been out. (It's the shortest life for a demo in whole game history I guess?) Correct me if I'm wrong but this has never happened before. You should have at least two weeks of demo -not for fixing the bugs' sake, but for your customers to be actually able to test your game and make their decision. Most importantly, there should at least be one weekend of being able to play demo before release.

4) You have your own beta testers, yet you seem to heavily rely on the feedback that will come from the forums/twitter. Fine but what exactly are your beta testers doing then? Even for issues that are extremely easy to notice, we have been asked to upload pkms/saved games. For most of the things, the answer should have been "known issue" instead of "could you please update etc etc?"

5) The whole celebrity marketing thing (them having the full/beta version before us, paying customers) was insulting, don't do it again. I, myself, convinced a friend to play the game saying it was good despite the issues. He's going to buy it after a three years break. Don't forget, a happy customer is the best advertisement. Make a bug free game for once and I promise you, I will run naked in my home town with 50 copies of the game in my bag.

Sorry, this has not been game feedback but a two weeks beta testing experiences feedback. It's relevant for what you wrote, though.

[Mintah]

Then you need to be much more transparent or face the criticism.

1) I asked for a bug fixes list two times on twitter to Mr. Jacobson. First time it was rejected by saying there was no time for it. Second time, this conversation occured:

Me: @milesSI you said there was no time to make a list of fixes but you can give exact numbers. confused...

M Jacobson: @fsorkac selecting a list of bugs set to "claim fixed" and "fixed verified" in software that tells you how many you have selected is easy.

Me: @milesSI does the software have copy+paste as text option?

M Jacobson: @fsorkac not for what would be a summary of issues, rather than the conversations that have gone on between QA & dev.

I don't recall having joined a beta testing session of a game without knowing what was being fixed.

2) You don't have a "Ask Dev Q&A" sessions during the season -something like Blizzard does. We get a final update around January and then you start working on the next version. How about telling us a bit more about your process instead of waving away the criticsm by saying we don't know about what's going on behind the scenes? I appreciate you guys are active on the forums but why don't you interact with your customers in different ways than only on forums?

3) The final product is coming out in 2 days and demo has just been out. (It's the shortest life for a demo in whole game history I guess?) Correct me if I'm wrong but this has never happened before. You should have at least two weeks of demo -not for fixing the bugs' sake, but for your customers to be actually able to test your game and make their decision. Most importantly, there should at least be one weekend of being able to play demo before release.

4) You have your own beta testers, yet you seem to heavily rely on the feedback that will come from the forums/twitter. Fine but what exactly are your beta testers doing then? Even for issues that are extremely easy to notice, we have been asked to upload pkms/saved games. For most of the things, the answer should have been "known issue" instead of "could you please update etc etc?"

5) The whole celebrity marketing thing (them having the full/beta version before us, paying customers) was insulting, don't do it again.

Sorry, this has not been game feedback but a two weeks beta testing experiences feedback. It's relevant for what you wrote, though.

Let's please not lump legitimate issues with entitlement issues.

[daoan]

Easiest way to attend to our concerns SI is to have a thread called "Known issues which a status update next to each issue, it could be (under process) or (fixed).

At least this way you can reduce the redundant complaint threads.

[Furkan]

Let's please not lump legitimate issues with entitlement issues.

No, I won't. As I said I'm sorry that it has been a different type of feedback rather than the game itself. But it was needed and is relevant to what Neil Brock said above.

Easiest way to attend to our concerns SI is to have a thread called "Known issues which a status update next to each issue, it could be (under process) or (fixed).

At least this way you can reduce the redundant complaint threads.

Wise words! This is my whole point. Funny thing is they started it (http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/363570) but it didn't get any update (probably because they didn't have time/changed their minds. Either way bad planning and communication). That thread is still there and is giving completely wrong information.

I'm guessing they're afraid of forums being flooded with enraged threads of "why didn't you fix this or that??". It will still happen but in a relatively smaller size.

[Babak G]

Between the initial beta and first update, I dont think the ME changed significantly but with this version of the beta its had drastic effects on wing play, full backs, defenders backing down and crosses being dangerous. Havent played enough of the new version to suggest whether this is a flaw (bugged) or its the evolution of the match engine which means tactics need to be re-worked from scratch.

I am hoping its the latter but I feel a couple of those elements are from the former.