A-League Expansion

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

For all you Aussies out there, i have successfully managed to expand the A-League. It is extremely simple and painless process which coincidentally also removes the Australian Cup (unfortunately also removes the Pre-Season Cup but still as Meatloaf said 2 out of 3 ain't bad). Although I very well may create do a league swap (i think Singapore would be a tasty option). Hence I thought i would create jerseys for expanded teams, however what are we going to call these teams? Though I would throw it out there to those who follow the A-League, if we can agree on some names then i can create a jersey pack and a db for all to download.

I was thinking of the following team names at the moment (with the regions in brackets):

-Capital FC (based in Canberra)

-Gold Coast Tweed United (based in Gold Coast but draws support from across the border)

-The Illawarra FC (the Wollongong brand is tainted, and Illawarra as a name is a fresh start)

-Auckland City FC (taken directly from the NZ football championship)

-Northern Territorians (Darwin is just too small by itself i think)

-Tasmania United (as with Darwin so is Hobart or Launceston)

-Geelong (i though they should have a cheesy nickname but haven't been able to think of one maybe the Giants)

-North Queensland United (based in Townsville but drawing on the whole tropics)

-Singapore FC (it WILL happen one day trust me on it)

Other areas to consider might be Fremantle, LaTrobe-Gippsland, Dunedin, Port Moresby, Jakarta, Manila, Nadi, Honiara, Brunei, Mt Isa or Central NSW.

Come on A-League fans, post a reply with your suggestions no matter how strange or out there they may be.

[Alex-sKIp_E]

How did you expand it?

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

If you just create a team, stadium etc and fill in all the info and staff and players. You then go to competitions tab and put enter the team in the Hyundai A-League. It adds the team in to the regular season, removes the Australian and Pre-Season Cups because of the number of spots for A-League teams no longer matches. However Top Four still qualify for the finals and then the best two teams qualify for Champions League.

Because you can't alter the starting and ending dates for the season there is a problem with the scheduling (such that any more than 13 teams is too crammed a schedule with a game every 2-3 days, but less than that is quite reasonable)

Anyway am working on lower league jerseys at the moment, so is still a few days before i make a decision on this one.

[Dayle Wood]

Wellington Phoenix are a new club in the league, just formed. You know that?

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

I have used the weegie update as of mid august for my database. Hence it has Wellington and all their south american signings. They are a solid team that needs time to gel in real life, but are actually very competitive from day one in the game.

Check my posts in Graphics and Skinning for the brand new A-League jerseys (including Wellington Phoenix up to date with sleeve sponsor)

[Dayle Wood]

Nice one mate. Will check it out.

[agey]

I did what you said to add new teams but when I go to start a new game, Australia is not one of the playable options anymore.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Okay...seems strange as i never had a problem. Did you set the last years position for all new teams? I didn't mention this but is probably important. I have been doing a massive graphics update so i will retest it again as i haven't used that particular database i created in a while. Will report back soonish.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Okay, I can report back that it doesn't work on the 7.0.2 patch but DOES on the original installation version (i jsut kept the same database from 7.0.2 editor and then changed the regquired version id in the xml file in the db folder). So now i guess it begs the question whether it is worth running it without the patch just to do it. I hadn't realised it wasn't working with the patch as i hadn't used it in about 6 months. I will try to rectify this with some tinkering, but the above method should work.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Okay...because i'm sure the whole thing doesn't sound that convincing i just quickly added North Queensland using the method. It has worked.

Here is a screen shot of the league table on day one (look at the fifth team and note that the graphics packs are a little off because it does require some tinkering to get right...but is worth it)- Click Here

I will have a look at why it doesn't work on 7.0.2 and report back my findings.

The database i had before (which is currently stored on a disc somewhere under a pile of paper) was 15 teams.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Sorry is version 7.0.1 that it works on, NOT 7.0.0!

Still helps me little, as I think that 7.0.0 was the one that had the fake Townsville FC and Wollongong United in the default database as prospective expansions. These were apparently removed due to licensing issues. I read that on a forum somewhere (although you shouldn't believe everything you read...or is that read everything you believe?)

[agey]

Ive been using 7.0.0. Maybe if I update to 7.0.1 it'll work. I'll report back after I update and try again. Cheers

[agey]

Okay I got it workin It only works on v7.0.1

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Good to hear.

I create jerseys...so i can do up a jersey pack for expanded teams if we could create a general consensus on what teams to add and what colours they wear.

Or perhaps create a pack for 10 or so teams, and people can then add which teams they want (and alter at a later date if they choose...it really only takes a few minutes to add subtract teams once they have been created and their details completed.

[Sydney FC06]

Is this something SI can add into the FM08's editor??? Are you listening SI? Would be helpful as I would want to add teams in 2009 onwards because there is bound to be expansion! Is it possible??

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

The consensus is that they can't do it because of licensing agreements. I wouldn't be surprised if once there is an official expansion announcement it will be included (similar to Australia's switch to Asia in FM2005).

There was a version of the game that had Townsville FC and Wollongong United as two teams that just kinda sat there and did nothing, i assume these were expansion teams.

On another note, I have created for myself four teams with three jerseys and logos...Capital FC, FC Singapore, North Queensland United and The Illawarra Flame.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

For some reason my Australian Cup is still running...wouldn't be a problem if the top 8 of 12 teams qualified but it's the original 8 only. I have a theory of how to remove it which i will try, has anyone managed to get rid of this silly non-existent cup competition.

[sydfc4ever]

expanding the a-league is something i've been working on for a while. i'm in the middle of building a new australian league using the singapore league, plus am re-structuring the a-league to an NZ comp (called the A-League for Aotearoa, I think I've spelt that wrong here) My new Australian league is called the APL.

With team names, I also built a Geelong team, called the Geelong Super Cats as a throw back to the late 90's when AFL clubs were starting up NSL teams (Collingwood/Carlton). I've also put teams in Western Sydney, NT, 3 in Qld, 2 in Vic, SA, Wollongong, ACT, and am now looking at new places.

I'd love to see your league when it's up and running though.

[millwallrules]

Here are a few teams you could add....

Another Melbourne team possibly Marconi or Wollongong

Another Queensland team, possibly Brisbane strikers

Canberra could be the AIS

Northern Territory would never have a team as with Hobart

I heard talks of a Pacific Islander team but I think that would be ********

[sydfc4ever]

Another Melbourne team possibly Marconi or Wollongong

Both Marconi and Wollongong are NSW clubs mate.

For VIC I've gone with Geelong, South Melbourne, and I think a Collingwood/Richmond mergered team.

but i'm having troubles with my db now, won't load the new australian league, it's just vanished. have to keep looking into it.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

I think that Expansion should involve the current rules of the A-League. So one team per city is a must. And no ethnic-centric teams with violent pasts (eg Marconi, Melbourne Knights and Sth Melbourne). And all teams bar Glory (and arguably the Roar) are new franchises with no relationship with the old, decrepit NSL.

Hence the teams i suggested in the first post.

I researched a lot of archives to establish what were the most realistic expansion areas and they are (in my opinion and in order):

-North Queensland

-The Illawarrra region

-Australian Capital Territory

-Singapore

-Victoria (most likely Geelong but possibly Western Vic or Gippsland)

-Gold Coast/Tweed Heads

-Auckland

I will have to wait a good year i think before they announce the expansion, most likely for 2009-2010 season.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Sydfc4ever: Make sure it is version 7.0.1 that you are using.

(oh and beware the might of the Queensland Roar on Saturday night)

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

I forgot to add Tasmania into that list of expansion regions. Probably before the Gold Coast.

[sydfc4ever]

Hey Ruttiger, I still think Western Sydney would be a profitable club for the A-League, placing it in the Parramatta region, making either Parra Stadium or Telstra their home ground would work (that's what I did with my new fav team the Western Sydney Pirates)

I actually have another thread I've started because of the issues I'm seeing with my plan. I'd really love to see my 6 tier Aussie comp working, I've used up almost every club the system has for Australian teams!

I am using 7.0.1, wasn't for my initial plan of the singapore league, but took your advice for my new version.

Oh, and by now SydneyFC has to be due for a win! Either that or Culina must go!

[sydfc4ever]

I forgot to add Tasmania into that list of expansion regions. Probably before the Gold Coast.

Tasmania is an odd 1. I've only put 2 Tasmanian teams in my playable leagues and left the rest in the lower leagues as I don't think it would be visable down there.

Also, I've removed the Knights/Phoenix from my APL and placed them in the A-League with a couple of suped up Kiwi squads (Team Wellington is now a bit of a powerhouse!) I think the APL should be for Aussie teams only.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Fair point regarding New Zealand clubs...I have never actually created a swapped league. I was never able to ascertain whether the three letter codes would look weird (eg Aus or Sng for a singapore swap). Hence i just usually absorbed Auckland City into the expanded comp (purely because their logo was cool..sorry Waitekere fans). Is your league working? If so would love to have a download...I can swap graphics...i have a pretty sweet a-league background pack i created but never released. Also I have pretty good karma from my jersey packs i released on the graphics section. Gee...I sound pathetic

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

To answer the second part...which was actually the first part (sorry just got back from the pub)

I agree that west sydney could support a team. However there is the one team one city rule (which i think expires after next season).

Now this is where i am relying upon what i have read...i am from Brissy so my Sydney knowledge may be a little off. As far as i understand there is a major problem with SFC playing at the football stadium because it is in randwick which is close to the cbd, but the western suburbs are where everyone lives and that is a fair trek. Hence there is a call for a team out there...i think that eventually Sydney will move out there and be based in the west anyway. That is where the strongest juniors are and in addition Central Coast is creeping into Northern Sydney quite successfully recently. If a Wollongong team comes in they will draw from any protracted southern development talent pool. I hate to say it but the league NEEDS to be run like fascist regime for a another 10-20 years where the fans are told what's in their best interest because we really ****ed it up in the NSL (not my fault and probably not yours as i was only a school kid when the Strikers won in 97). But i think our eyes may be bigger than our stomachs so to speak.

Culina is a great coach...he was excellent in the champions league i thought...Sydney deserved to progress. But since there is no Carney (best player in the league in over two seasons average for me) and Juninho is a distraction that means no one else is prepared to pull their socks up and get in...I'd say Queensland 3-1 and the Sydney goal will be from Brosque (who played for the Roar season one)

[sydfc4ever]

at present the leauge isn't working, i think i've found out why, it looks like it comes down to the fact that i altered the TLA's, so I think changing them back might be answer to my prayers. I also have to build a few more Chairmen as some of the First Division teams (Launceston, Bris City etc) don't have 1.

I'm hoping to have it up and running by this weekend, once it's done I'll send you a copy.

We might make a bit of a team here, I can't work graphics but seem to be able to build teams & league quickly (I've only been working on my new version since Tuesday night!) If you know how to build logos and kits we could have a super league for all the aussies and our small neighbour to the east (also known as NZ!)

Network game I hear someone say?

[sydfc4ever]

Now to your second part, I can sympathise with your pub issue, had a massive one last night and am still recovering, hence why i'm replying on this forum rather than working!

Western Sydney is the main sporting area of NSW. the Parra Power were far more popular than olympic or Syd Utd. in fact when the a-league was first announced it looked like the sydney team would be based in parra. FC play at aussie stadium which is the worst place to try and get to, there is no train station, the buses don't run very often, and there is only really 1 road in which is always packed. to top it of there is very little parking!

i'm not originally from sydney myself, i just sort of adopted them as my team. i'm a canberra cosmos man myself and i lost all interest in the nsl when they were unfairly booted from the comp 4 weeks before the start of the season. in fact, until a couple of years ago i'd never even lived in sydney!! i split my time between QLD and England.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

SydFC4Ever: Well i guess my 3-1 prediction was off. I thought Culina played a good tactical game with one man up front and flooding the midfield to shut down the Roar on the ball. Although the Sydney players did seem to be made of cotton wool at times (did Culina slide the time wasting bar all the way to the right perhaps?)

Anyway, in response...Yeh, messing with the TLA's brings bad juju, very bad juju. Although...come to think of it this might of been what disabled the Australian Cup, which i am still figuring out. Will report back with findings in the week.

[sydfc4ever]

well, i've moved over to the Dutch leagues as I've discovered they don't have a foreign player ruling which means i can fill every team with players to kick the season off.

with regards to the TLA, i believe that must have something to do with the nation and the league. i find if one is altered it goes kaput.

i've filled in the premier league and first division and am now moving all the state based teams into individual second divisions. i've created a number of clubs (WS Pirates, NthQld Lightning, NT Storm Riders, ACT White Lions, Geelong Super Cats, and South Islands Flamers) Most of these new teams are populated by foreign born talent, but all have high youth development.

I'm also moving the AIS, NSWIS, etc into the lower leagues to help them develop.

Thank god it's a long weekend coming up to give me some more time!

oh yeah, and the game, it wasn't a bad match, but not a great one either. I thought you deserved a draw during the last 15 minutes, but I guess we were due, and a Brazilian finally did something for us!! Hallelujah!

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

That Patrick fella is Brazilian? No wonder he didn't look Irish.

[triplelite]

I've always wished the A-league expanded that they would have no salary cap.

Btw Ruttiger, what if you took one team off the A-league so that there will still be the same amount of teams playing the pre-season cup?

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

I've had it on the back burner for a little while mate. But I wouldn't know what team to remove. Unlike a lot of people i have no problem with Wellington in the comp and would in fact like to see a team from Singapore and perhaps even Auckland (i know they have had their chances) and a pacific island team(drawing upon and improving the talent in the OFC...could even be called Oceania United). I know i managed to get rid of the comp before (but that db has long gone to the world SHIFT + DEL). Will probably try tackling it again in a few weeks but.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Okay...complete change of tack.

I have swapped Malaysia with Australia in 7.0.2

I am just doing the timely task of creating some of my expansion teams (as i need 16 teams).

Just thought people might be interested.

[sydfc4ever]

what are the foreign player rules in malaysia?

i'm worried about there not being enough top quality aussies in the game to make a league where there are serious foreign restrictions

[DS]

I once tried swapping the Aussie league with the turkish league but I used state league teams and never considered doing it like an a league expansion.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

My database is so heavily edited over the past few months anyway. All nations are developed and at 10000 rep. The A-League club reps are boosted to between 5000 (wellington) and 6000 (melbourne) so the regens and youth development is improved. I amstill populating my expansions teams at the moment and have managed to fill all Australian and NZ teams with players of potential ability above 110 or better than -7. I think i'll go through and randomly increase a few players potentials as well just to create a few more. But there is a sizeable enough pool of players i think.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Thought i would list the teams as they currently stadn in my expansion. Some have been explained before but those that haven't have notes)

8 aleague teams plus...

Capital FC

FC Singapore

Tasmania Islanders FC

The Illawarra Flame (named after the flame tree...could easily have been Jimmy Barnes FC come to think of it)

Auckland Knights (same logo as NZKnights)

Dunedin Athletic

Christchurch Rovers (with a bulldog on the logo i think)

West Sydney United (i caved...colours are red, black, blue and playing at Stadium Australia)

Gold Coast-Tweed Galaxy

North Queensland United

Geelong Giants (the nickname isn't quite right yet)

Northern Territorians

Western Victoria United (based in Bendigo and drawing upon Ballarat and north to Albury...not settled on the name maybe Victoria Vikings or Rural Rangers)

Fremantle Fang (the Roar couldn't be the only team with a non-sensical nickname)

Polynesia United (based in Suva, Fiji)

Melanesia United (based in Port Moresby, PNG)

Also added the sports institutes and added the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, Tasmania Institute of Sport and New Zealand Institute of Sport. Also created the fictional Oceanic Regional Sports Institute aka ORSI.

I have the colour schemes sorted for the inevitable graphics pack that will be a part of it.

[Guest]

I've made my own Oceanic league, Ruttiger... I used the names Geelong Southern Cross and Eureka FC for a Bendigo/Ballarat team. If you like those you're welcome to "borrow" 'em.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

I love Eureka FC...superlative effort that.

How many teams in your Oceanic league...what league did you swap with?

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

maybe the Geelong Gallahs and they could wear pink and silver...j/k

[Guest]

I used the Dutch league, so 38... The number was a bit high, so I added a team for pretty much every Oceanic nation and East Timor. I've still got a few kinks to iron out, but it's looking pretty good at the moment.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Okay swapped, tested and running just fine.

I did a graphics pack as well which was fun lots of fantasy logos.

Just a query...I now find Australia and Malaysia have virtually swapped in terms of international performances. Australia no longer qualifies for anything despite having a superior team by far (they lost 12-0 to Russia) where as an inferior Malaysia is qualifying. I have swapped over nearly every piece of info i can think of inc. formations, staff, fifa points and still can't get it right...any suggestions?

[DS]

Why did you swap things for the national teams? When changing leagues you dont need to change anything for the national teams.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

Pretty certain i did it the "wrong" way.

It all works fine, but i might have taken the long route. I changed the info in Malaysia to Australia and vice versa in order to swap them to different the relative unique id. Then swapped every team over and then all the players and non-players (that was the long part). Also swapped the awards and changed their names etc.

Anyway, i'm more of a graphics man than a editing man. All of this is pretty much just an excuse to create a whole heap of fantasy jerseys. The guide i had to use was grammatically confusing. And now i just found a new one that seems to make heaps more sense. oh well.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

i think i shoulda just changed the TLAs and the club divisions...you live and learn i guess

[DS]

Yeah thats what you should have done. I tried swapping Aussie teams with turkish teams but I got bored of it after a while because there was so many to swap.

[ruttiger_ruttiger]

oh well, i've fiddled with it and can't fix it...so i guess i'll start again the proper way. Shouldn't take as long this time i hope. The irritating part is that i will have to revert to an old db and recreate all my wonderful teams and then fix up the configs for logos and kits etc.

Although it raises an interesting point. Malaysia keep qualifying and Australia do not. The player stats are equivalent of what they were in default and all the info swapped over. So, how much of an influence do the stats actually make in deciding qualifiers. It seems that the TLA makes quite a difference. Will test this further in future by swapping two non-playable league nations (eg Seychelles and Nigeria) to see if my theory is correct. I always suspected something as i changed all nations to developed and 10000 reputation to try and get better quality regens and a more competitive international scene. But it never acheived the desired results. Hence i went and changed the clubs to a slightly better rep in nearly all countries (but especially africa, asia and oceania). Still didn't acheive much...although Angola did win the 2014 world cup over Italy...so that's atleast getting closer to what i want.

[DS]

I think I might try some of my own swapping. See how it goes...