Football Manager 2022 Headline Features - In The Studio Part 2

[Neil Brock]

Episode 2: Powered by the Pros goes behind the scenes to reveal a revamped Deadline Day experience and a new Staff Meeting component that brings you closer to the way managers collaborate with their backroom in the real footballing world. 

To stay as authentic as possible, Football Manager leans on insight from leading figures within the industry. As showcased here, we hear from experts in the field, Fabrizio Romano and Chris Wilder, on being frontline on Deadline Day and effective backroom communication.

Pre-purchase FM22 on PC/Mac anytime before launch to secure Early Access and net 10% off. 

Participating digital retailers only - https://FM22.info/SegaApproved
 

[bobbyb12345]

The forum is a specific segment of users, etc... and even within that there are broad/varied range of opinions etc...

Is deadline day in the top 100 things FM players are worried about/want to see improved?

[canry]

oh yes! bold eyebrows!!!     I've been waiting for this to be added to the game for many years, and it's finally here. thanks!

[ChelseaFan]

Nothing truly ground-breaking. 

Not sure why they focus on these features? Can we see the match engine? The new animations? 

How has the match engine changed? Are there any further tactical options we can tinker with?

I imagine staff meetings are largely ignored. This new 'feature' won't change that.

 

[Johnny Ace]

Last week's was much more fun to watch 

[Ronnieekelund]

4 minutes ago, ChelseaFan said:

Nothing truly ground-breaking. 

Not sure why they focus on these features? Can we see the match engine? The new animations? 

How has the match engine changed? Are there any further tactical options we can tinker with?

I imagine staff meetings are largely ignored. This new 'feature' won't change that.

 

Yeah seems they are just adding more things to click on which will be rushed through after a couple of weeks of playing.

Need major improvements in match engine which ruins the emersion for me. If that's all the new features I won't be buying, will stick with 21.

[FedAt]

7 минут назад, ChelseaFan сказал:

I imagine staff meetings are largely ignored. This new 'feature' won't change that.

 

it's not a new feature, it looks like all the same staff advice but just in one place.

[akm.91]

Oh man...more meetings and more questions from journalists??? Two of the things that most people wanted less of. Looks like more jobs that are going be skipped or just handed to the assistant. 
 

Massively disappointed 

[Zemahh]

Revamped deadline day. I don't remember when I last waited until the final day to complete my signings, scouting is just too straight forward in FM. One doesn't need to wait for agent offers or follow media rumours to identify potential signings at all and just having a new fancy window to click through won't really change that.

Staff meetings. I really, really, REALLY hope that this isn't going to be just a carbon-copy of scouting meetings. FM needs smarter AI (and thus smarter staff), rather than same advice repacked into a new gimmick. Staff advice has been horrendous for years now, you're much better off ignoring most of it, than listening to your assistant banging on about your midfield being overrun, or suggesting drastic (and often terrible) tactical changes while on a good run.

Not going to lie, quite underwhelming so far. I've still pre-ordered the game on day one and believe I will get more than just the full value out of it, but I'm struggling to get myself properly excited this year. I hope there's more that doesn't make it into these videos. Hoping for a "first look" stream on Twitch sometime soon.

So, a quick summary:

• New role: Wide Centre-Back
• Data Hub
• Improved animations
• New game mode: Versus
• Revamped deadline day
• Staff meetings

[Robbie Hood]

I love Football Manager and i´m sure that FM22 will be a great game. But i find it slightly disappointing that one of the headline features are deadline day.

One of the main reasons for playing FM is to finally put things right at my favourite club Nottingham Forest. For years they have been going after the wrong types of players and every deadline day seems like a race against time to buy or loan someone that will be added to the "bomb squad" within 6 months.

So i play the game trying to avoid deadline day chaos and instead build up a solid structure at the club with proper scouted players and transfers done well ahead of time. 

I have never understood how big, well functioning clubs can be so clearly mismanaged when i see some of the things going on at deadline day.

So for that reason i can´t see this being something that will make the game more enjoyable, but i hope to be proven totally wrong.

[Iwabik]

A little bit disappointed that deadline day is a headline feature. I dunno, maybe my squad planning is too good, but I don't even remember the last time I wasn't done with transfer by the start of the season, let alone deadline day.

[MasterKano]

Underwhelmed twice, you're on a Brace lads... are you going for the Hattrick next week?

[pukfm]

Club colours when you enter the deadline day screen is the best feature ever! Loool, why even mention this "feature" in the video? 

There is too much talking but very minor features in the video. What a shame

Edited October 7, 2021 by pukfm

[Iwabik]

Just watched the second part about staff meetings. I don't know if the AI was improved and the advices are better actually useful, but so far it looks like the new feature is having to click through every single advice you ignored before. If the advices got better - great, it can be useful, if not - I hope you can just skip the meeting. Otherwise, I know when I'll be taking my holidays in FM 2022

[waldywaldy]

Meh

Club colours during deadline day look dope. How about dropping the purple and making it the year round default?

[Powermonger]

The biggest surprise for me so far for FM22 is seeing Chris Wilder 

[Guest]

I am a big FM fan, always pre-order and have again this year.  Have to say I am a more than a little underwhelmed so far, maybe playing it will change my mind.  Or are there more big features yet to be announced?

Edited October 8, 2021 by rooneymagic88

[jimbo22]

Last year Scout meetings sounded a great idea but it was really poorly implemented. Getting continuous recommendations for player that you simply cannot afford made the feature a complete waste of time and another one that was skipped after the first few. Hopefully this staff meeting isnt the same. Looking at the little we seen in the video it looks like the current information you get in a "meeting" rather than your inbox. Time will tell on that though.

 

 

[Cro-cop]

These are headline features? This was bad and disappointing, i have to admit. Deadline day and staff meetings. things already there that most of people avoid. Especially staff meetings and useless advice they offer. Hopefully they saved the best for the end

[CFuller]

16 minutes ago, waldywaldy said:

Meh

Club colours during deadline day look dope. How about dropping the purple and making it the year round default?

I think the sidebar is yellow because that's the colour associated with deadline day (thanks, Sky Sports) - and the team they were managing in those screenshots (Watford) also happen to play in yellow, which makes it stand out even more.

But yeah, I would like to see the team colours be more prominent, just like they were before FM21.

Can't say I'm that excited about a new-look deadline day, personally. If I'm ever taking part in deadline day, then that means something has gone wrong, because I usually get all my business done well in advance.

And the staff meeting info will probably just go straight into my inbox. It feels like you're having to jump through more hoops and make more clicks to get the same info that you previously got all at once.

41 minutes ago, Zemahh said:

Staff advice has been horrendous for years now, you're much better off ignoring most of it, than listening to your assistant banging on about your midfield being overrun, or suggesting drastic (and often terrible) tactical changes while on a good run.

In fairness, I have literally not had my assistant say "we are being overrun in midfield" since FM18. That meme is in the distant past now.

Edited October 7, 2021 by CFuller

[ViG1980]

Please do not let that staff meeting be the crappy scouting meeting ported into general staffing stuff. 

The UI really needs an upgrade. Massive "white" space on the screen and then somehow there is a scroll bar because the UI doesn't support the window it is in to expand across the screen. I think it is why they've used the dark skin or there would be white everywhere and it would hurt our eyes. One example of many. The UI alone could make things more immersive without even adding any features if they put their mind to it. (and then they can focus on the really important stuff - match engine and overall AI).

[ViG1980]

This game will still me mint...it just won't be that much better than the last one unless the match engine is significantly better because the rest is small potatoes.

[janrzm]

Having been quite excited after episode 1 these have left me a little flat if I'm honest.

To me it was absolutely essential that in introducing these staff meetings there was more to them than the current options. (I accept we may not have seen everything) Also, if this release has missed the opportunity to make the DOF actually act in a sensible and more realistic way I'll be very disappointed.

And, if the recruitment meeting is essentially the same as it currently is, that'll be bordering on negligent....I hope to be wrong.

Edited October 7, 2021 by janrzm

[Johnny Ace]

15 minutes ago, Powermonger said:

The biggest surprise for me so far for FM22 is seeing Chris Wilder 

Bet they got him in to sort the wide centre backs 

Immersions all good & well but the immersion killers for me are bugged manager interactions 

[jimbo22]

Just now, janrzm said:

Having been quite excited after episode 1 these have left me a little flat if I'm honest.

To me it was absolutely essential that in introducing these staff meetings there was more to them than the current options. (I accept we may not have seen everything) Also, if this release has missed the opportunity to make the DOF actually act in a sensible and more realistic way I'll be very disappointed. And if the recruitment meeting is essentially the same as it currently is that'll be bordering on negligent....I hope to be wrong.

If SI had wanted a big change adding the option to be a Director of Football would be a real "Headline" feature. Granted some like diving in deep like managers and thats fine, but there are others out there that would jump at the chance to do the DoF role. They dont want to do it and we hear its Football "Manager". I get it but they are getting to a point (like where FIFA are) there's not many big features left to add.

[janrzm]

Chris Wilder - "Trust is such a big thing in football, you have to have faith in your staff."

Miles - "All the one on one interviews are done by me" 

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by janrzm

[janrzm]

7 minutes ago, jimbo22 said:

If SI had wanted a big change adding the option to be a Director of Football would be a real "Headline" feature. Granted some like diving in deep like managers and thats fine, but there are others out there that would jump at the chance to do the DoF role. They dont want to do it and we hear its Football "Manager". I get it but they are getting to a point (like where FIFA are) there's not many big features left to add.

I don't expect "new" features anymore and so long as the game is being refined I don't mind that much. DOF role as a playable option isn't something I'd ever expect to see. As a staff member he's essentially useless IMO as it currently stands. An empty shell of a role, offering players up that don't even match the clubs philosophy, that I can't even meet with him to discuss my exacting requirements is scandalous and a massive oversight. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by janrzm

[daveh83]

With regards to club colors I was thinking of purchasing in game editor for sole purpose of changing my club colors once a year as per real life .. just a nice added feature I can create. Wouid that be classed as cheating as per using the editor. 

[Powermonger]

37 minutes ago, jimbo22 said:

Last year Scout meetings sounded a great idea but it was really poorly implemented. Getting continuous recommendations for player that you simply cannot afford made the feature a complete waste of time and another one that was skipped after the first few. Hopefully this staff meeting isnt the same. Looking at the little we seen in the video it looks like the current information you get in a "meeting" rather than your inbox. Time will tell on that though.

I like the idea of the scout meetings in principle however the process is tedious and the meeting seems to disappear into ether once it's concluded. I was expecting the scout meetings to integrate better with the Scouting area and refine this part of the game more but sadly not.

I've always felt our principle of play and tactical setup should drive player recruitment, that tactics and scouting should have stronger links and be presented this way in the UI by both presentation and mechanics.

Edited October 7, 2021 by Powermonger

[WelshMourinho]

I think I said this when backroom stuff was mentioned last season, but I really don't care about any sort of backroom advice until it's actually helpful.

it should be based on attributes and depending on their skillset they should be offering genuine advice, whether it's on training or tactics or whatever. What's the point in having coaches who are high rated in the likes of attacking tactics only for them to provide nothing of note? 

You can have the best assistant manager in the world with 20 in all attributes, and he'd still just shout "we're being overrun in midfield", the same as an assistant with lacklustre attributes.

At least transfer deadline day looks a lot more immersive. Hoping something in one of these vids really grips my attention soon.

[Lord Rowell]

Re. the match-engine changes.
I think they're much more significant than animation effects.

One of the weaknesses in the last few releases of FM has been overpowered pressing.

This next ME brings better dribbling, and limitations to pressing, which should go towards solving the aforementioned problem and make for more varied play-styles. I genuinely think these supposedly small things are game-changers. This is what prompted me to pre-order.

[stevemc]

Slightly disappointed by that second episode, hopefully there is more to come.

 

Big miss for me if SI haven’t revamped set pieces for FM22 and introduced a specific Set Piece Coach. The set pieces UI screen one of the scattiest parts of the game.

Edited October 7, 2021 by stevemc

[Mars_Blackmon]

I really like everything because of my play style, these are big improvements. But definitely not headline feature worthy. 
 

on the other hand, some companies focus on big features year after year and even sometimes repackage them after removing the feature for a few years and still put out a broken game. So there is that…

[Malicious Penguin]

Perfect, scrap FM Touch, and add more bloat to FM. 

[Bunkerossian]

So, these are all the biggest changes, and no more videos will happen?

[janrzm]

I love the game, it's always been there as a distraction for me at any time I've wanted something to fill a void or just deflect when daily life is a little mundane. I also know there are plenty out there for whom its been a crutch in very dark times. That underpins my emotional attachment to the game and it's creators. I have total respect for them and on that basis any criticism I set out would always be constructive and well intentioned.

In all honesty I don't think SI should ever be promoting UI improvements unless they contain fundamental changes to a specific module. Staff meetings look like a regurgitation and centralisation of existing staff interactions. Whilst it makes sense from a UI perspective it appears to be nothing new and almost certainly contains nothing "fundamentally" new. We have a right to expect these improvements as a matter of course, as with the ME and AI improvements. They simply aren't "features" IMO.

We have to give more life and dynamism to the game, especially the staff within it if we really want to make those interactions more immersive and true to life. You could literally play the game without employing some key roles because they give you nothing. DOF's (and other titled roles) are massively important in clubs, they are meaningless in FM.

Set Pieces and the marginal gains they can create, vital in todays game but look like they've gone under the radar in FM22, for the umpteenth time.

I really do think it would help for us to know when some features are being worked on, say FM23, expect the DOF role to be totally overhauled and enhance, FM24 will see a new Set Piece Module and Set Piece Coach introduced. And if we don't want to be specific which I'd accept, at least acknowledge them as WIP. 

Edited October 8, 2021 by janrzm

[WelshMourinho]

8 minutes ago, Bunkerossian said:

So, these are all the biggest changes, and no more videos will happen?

The game isn't out for another month so I imagine they have plenty more to show us, even if this specific episode wasn't great.

[BuzzR]

I say this video is a bit disappointing, considering the first one. An UI revamp for the "staff advice" and a "boom! scare ! the deadline!" - which no one uses by the way - doesn't strike me as "new features headlines".

Looks like the good parts were over with the first video. Silly me - hoping for a set pieces rework.

[mp_87]

Yeah, I mean in fairness I totally get and do actually agree with the various meetings they're introducing and making it a bit less of a 'point and click' text based soulless environment. Ok it might still be point and (even more) click, but at least trying to build some sort of game world and realism to it I see the thinking. Still though to trumpet what seem to be essentially just UI changes as a headline feature is a bit..... weak. And as mentioned numerous times already, what is needed more than this is AI logic and response to greatly improve and for it to integrate much better with your club vision, tactics, etc. That is the gamechanger, and without it no amount of UI changes will make any difference.

Won't even get started on Deadline Day                                                                          

Edited October 7, 2021 by mp_87

[Marko1989]

Fans are asking for better AI, revamped set pieces, better animations and graphics, ect. And they are giving us 15 min long video about deadline day.

I don't understand, it is like they don't listen to fans at all. I hope I am wrong and that we will see something really interesting in coming videos. 

[Bunkerossian]

4 minutes ago, Marko1989 said:

Fans are asking for better AI, revamped set pieces, better animations and graphics, ect. And they are giving us 15 min long video about deadline day.

I don't understand, it is like they don't listen to fans at all. I hope I am wrong and that we will see something really interesting in coming videos. 

Definitely.

Please, someone from the developers, tell me that set pieces are getting changed.

[GOODNAME]

Dont want to sound rude but i was so boring.

We need better manager AI and FM 20 match UI and the game is perfect. 

[FlorianAlbert9]

the first time I haven't even finished watching a new FM feature video. 

nothing interesting for me this year

[grade]

Despite I prefer this type of promotional stuff, it is another video with some improvements... this one was far more boring, still not convinced to give 40 euros for this dlc, specially now we won't get two games for that price...

Edited October 7, 2021 by grade

[Zemahh]

Community has been crying for revamped set pieces for a while now. Please, for the love of god, let me hire a set piece coach so I can forget about the absolute abomination that is the set piece creator without feeling irresponsible.

[CARRERA]

I was very hyped after Video one with alle the changes to the match engine and animations. This one though didnt catch me at all. However, i hope i can change my mind after the release and really enjoy deadline day and actual (helpful) advice from my staff members.

[FedAt]

So underwhelming to see people hoping for a bigger improvements/feature in coming weeks. Wake up. There will be no more major features, that's all we got, remember past years. 
I don't know why people still hoping (me included) for changes to significant parts of the game as set pieces creation or training system. There will be none of that. They obviously don't care about this community feedback. As one moderator answered "THEY" decided what they want to see in the game, and "THEY" decided what they want and will implement.
What, obviously, they have right to do, but then I don't understand blog post with phrases like "I thank each and every member of the team for their work. And hope you do too". I, as any other gamer, paid money for this game, so what should I be thankful for, are they develop this game for free? I doubt it.

And how many significant features were developed/implemented from years of fans feedback on feature suggestion thread? Did somebody asked for recruitment meeting, for body language (which most of players doesn't use), for no option to change theme or color of it?
If somebody know, please share, because I heard only about some minor improvements, that might be related to a bugs.

But on the other hand sales raises from year to year, so why to be bothered about any major improvements...

[Pattric_b]

I'm sure it will be a great game, but this second video was not necessary. You got some big names to try and sell the new features which is cool but the features you are selling are not really worth the time it took me to watch that. This is just my personal opinion but deadline day is nothing more than a headache on the game and by far the one day I loathe every season. So the fact that it has now been expanded upon and will more than likely be even more drawn out, is annoying.  And then theres the staff meetings which seems okay but when I think of HEADLINE features I wouldn't even have considered this as one. Overall I thought the video had way too much build up and way too much talking, 15 minutes to showcase two, with all due respect, mediocre features. 

That being said I still have high hopes for the match engine and the new animations. I think it will be very good. I also hope they release a lot of smaller features that  is able to cancel out the disappointment I feel after video number 2. 

[Iwabik]

I still can't understand how they spent 15 min talking about deadline day and click-through staff advices, but gave less than 5 min to HUGE changes in ME i.e. new animations engine (moving from 2d to 3d based can be huge) and what seems like completely reworked stamina-performance system. The only explanation could be a detailed ME video coming soon.

[Nahuelzn]

I might be the only one who is actually excited about the deadline transfer IF (conditional) it also means that the AI has been revamped in how it handles transfers. If not and it's just a re-skin of something that it's already in game, then I'm not as excited for it.

It is true that a lot of transfers occurs in deadline day, but in FM the reality is that most of the time by the time that you get to the deadline day you have your squad almost built up. Maybe you need an extra filler in some position, a backup player or something like that, but the big transfers usually occurs in other moments of the save, not specifically in deadline day. And this is because, mainly, it's very easy to spot good players, scout is massively overpowered and you just know exactly what you are buying. And since the economy in the game is almost non-existent (you can even be in negative balance for years but if you follow the budget guidelines nothing happens to you), you're not in the urge to make cheap or quick deals, which is why a lot of big clubs makes deals in transfer deadline, when players can be bought for less money. 

Also, there's other element that COULD potentially add a layer of interest: losing important players on deadline day. Most of the times what you get now on deadline day is loan offers for young prospects, which I don't mind losing and it doesn't make me look for an alternative right away. But if a big team uses the deadline day to start a rumor, contact my best player, and make an offer that my own player wants to accept and I can't refuse it... then it's different, as I'm obliged to search for an alternative in minutes, and then the margin of error goes up, as agents will offer me all kind of players I haven't scouted, will look in the loan list if something it's available, and I have to take quick decisions with no time to spare, which is why deadline day is exciting.

Also, most of the times the transfer market for the AI teams follows a pattern where they spend most of their money and time in the first half of the transfer window. By the time deadline day is coming, just a small number teams actually uses it (in comparison).

So, if the AI is more aggressive and intelligent in squad building and the actual process of buying players in FM has a new difficulty overall, then a revamped deadline day that sums up all of this can be exciting. But if it's just a reskin and nothing else, then I'm not that hyped.