FMS FM Thread - Traditional Play

[gavrenwick]

There are some interesting quirks to the Division D'Honneur, whether they're editorial mistakes or actual facts - 4 points for a win being the big one, and a disciplinary system which sees every yellow card after the first earn a suspension! Currently 3 points off the lead at the halfway stage, but at any given time half my midfielders are injured or suspended!

The plan is to do a proper career game - try a grab and title or two in Guadeloupe, hop around the Caribbean and Oceania to build up my rep before hopefully finding jobs in the Faroes or Iceland, then Australia or Japan before coming back to Britain. Ambitious? Yes. Likely? No, but I'm enjoying it so far

Being a part of France, does that mean you can participate in the Coupe de France?

And are you in the CONCACAF Champions Cup?

I'd imagine the team would be amateur or semi-professional? Trying to coax some Frenchies across would be your best bet!

Best of luck Dave!

[EvilDave]

Being a part of France, does that mean you can participate in the Coupe de France?

And are you in the CONCACAF Champions Cup?

I'd imagine the team would be amateur or semi-professional? Trying to coax some Frenchies across would be your best bet!

Best of luck Dave!

I don't have France loaded (slight oversight there) so I'm not in their cup - although Wiki informs me I would be able to enter. Moulien are an amateur side at the moment, but my best signings so far have been a couple of Cuban midfielders who are streets ahead of anyone else on my team. I've got my one scout scouring the Caribbean for potential talent, but it's proving hard to come by.

As for the CONCACAF tournament, I'm not involved - as a Caribbean Football Union member, the Guadeloupean champions enter the CFU Club Championship, where the top three finishers go on to the full CONCACAF tournament. However, Wikipedia informs me that no Guadeloupean side has been entered into the CFU event since '98, and the league pack I downloaded doesn't have any league history for Guadeloupe, so I'm not acknowledged as defending champions. If there are any more developments I'll be sure to keep you updated!

[gavrenwick]

Being over in that area, you should be able to find some decent South American regens who need clubs, but that will most likely be into your second and third season. Took me three years to get my club to semi-pro, but at least in amateur mode you can practically stockpile cash!

Most likely find that you will steal the best players from the other clubs in the league, but those guys you signed will probably become top players for you.

[ScottleeSV]

I've always thought there should be more African leagues in the game. I tried a game as 'City Sharks' in the South Africa league years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, sticking it out for a good 3 seasons or more. I couldn't though even begin to tell you which countries would have the strongest leagues after South Africa.

[stoehrst]

I just started an 09 save as the USA national team manager...I've never been so confused. I haven't done Int'l management yet, and I must say its very different. Are coaches little more than glorified scouts? How do I get them to better advise me on what players to pull from the pool? It's confusing!

[Terk]

I haven't done any international management on FM10 yet so this post is entirely usless.

[gavrenwick]

I just started an 09 save as the USA national team manager...I've never been so confused. I haven't done Int'l management yet, and I must say its very different. Are coaches little more than glorified scouts? How do I get them to better advise me on what players to pull from the pool? It's confusing!

Well I did a story as USA on 09, but your right in what you state. In all honesty, you don't do hardly anything yourself except for, as you say, scout the players and set a tactic up.

Your coaches are the same. They don't do any coaching except for when your squad meets up, and usually they have club jobs anyway. And the advise they give is the advise they give. I never got much help from them, so I took from the pool people who were performing well etc, as you'd expect.

[gavrenwick]

Season 4 - Dudelange Double!

Excellent season as we romped to the title and stole the National Cup with a 3-0 victory over Jeunesse Esch.

Didn't perform well in Champs League of course, Stabaek thumping us out of it 10-3 on aggregrate.

Got a good side building up now and finally getting transfer funds. Also had a new request for training and youth facilities accepted.

[stoehrst]

Gav, did the old request for training upgrades actually go through, or what? And how's your youth crop been looking over the last few seasons?

[gavrenwick]

Gav, did the old request for training upgrades actually go through, or what? And how's your youth crop been looking over the last few seasons?

Yeah thankfully they did. So this is the second lump of improvements. And the youth is marginally better than it was at the start, but the fact that no youngsters have made it into my first team tells many stories of how awful the academy is.

[stoehrst]

I have a tendency to cheat by saving right before youth promotion, then reloading the game until a crop with some talent comes up. I started doing that after I had a long-winded Newcastle save in 08 and didn't get a single viable youth prospect until like 2015. From that point on in all my saves, this little cheating method has been my guilty pleasure.

[stoehrst]

Quick question.

Does anyone know who Chimney Corner FC (located in Antrim, N. Ireland) have for rivals? The game has listed Wakehurst as an "other rival" for me with no fierce derby contests, and I thought I read somewhere that Ballymena Utd was somewhat of a rival, but the game mentions nothing about them. I thought about either getting FMRTE and editing in the proper rivalries or just writing about them/creating them through manager interaction. I don't know if anyone on the forum right now has any idea. Nomis07 said he works in the area but I haven't seen him post in months, so I'm not sure if any of you guys have any idea.

[Elrithral]

Lurgan Celtic and Moyola Park. Ballyclare Comrades are kinda local, but it's a friendly rivalry.

[stoehrst]

Really? So the game basically pulled Wakehurst out of nowhere, eh?

[Elrithral]

Wakehurst are from the same sort of area as Moyola Park, so they probably are a rival, but Moyola are bigger rivals. There's some link between Wakehurst and ballymena as well, that might be a reason, though there's isn't that big a rivalry between Antrim and Ballymena.

[stoehrst]

I may have to FMRTE this stuff in. Does anyone know how to install it and how it works? I found the download website easily enough (its linked in the editors forum) but nowhere on the website does it have installation or usage instructions.

[Elrithral]

It's pretty straight forward, you download, extract, double click the .exe file and once it loads you click "Load Game", after that have a look around, it should be common sense once you get the game loaded.

[ScottleeSV]

Gav, I can't help noticing in the latest DUDElange table there are three relegation places. By implication this tells me Luxembourg has *wait for it* a second tier? Tell me it ain't so!

[gavrenwick]

Gav, I can't help noticing in the latest DUDElange table there are three relegation places. By implication this tells me Luxembourg has *wait for it* a second tier? Tell me it ain't so!

Aye they do. It is a god awful league though, with 22 teams consisting a season and obviously three going up. There is no relegation from what is known as the Promotion Division.

[glamdring]

In 10 years of playing CM/FM I've still never achieved my dream of a long lasting team entirely from my youth setup

At Scunthorpe in FM09 I had a decent number through, but never more than 5 or 6 in first team at once. My first story game at Ross County (CM03/04) had a 100% Scottish team, but only ~8 from youth team in an average first 11 since we never got any quality strikers or GK through. Ayr United in FM09 have been 100% Scottish for 7+ yesars too, but more signed from other clubs youth systems than our own.

Only twice have I achieved the feat of either an entirely youth system-based team or an entirely local team - once at Caersws in FM08 were every player was born within ~20 miles of the club, albeit a small number signed from other clubs, but I struggled to get anywhere with that team and didn't make it past season 4. The other was CM03/04 - Plymouth Argyle - I took them up from League 1 to Championship and signed no-one, won promotion straight away and signed no-one in the summer for the EPL. Started first game of the new season with 10 kids and Paul Wotton (old captain who came through the Plymouth youth system in real life previously). We thumped Everton 4-1, but I never finished even that one season and only got half way through with us hovering above relegation zone.

So...I still crave a solid team of 100% youth academy products who have longevity...might try it in either Norway or Iceland since my current game is with both those nations...I came close at IA Akranes once...

[Saxonaitor]

I'm two months into my Lowestoft save in the 8th tier and just get linked to the Blackpool job in the BSS. Arrgghh! If it wasn't a story I would be there surely.

[glamdring]

Blackpool in BSS?! Mind you, I think they were in my FM09 Whitley Bay game too after 20 seasons

[Saxonaitor]

I'm in 2030 here glandring.

[gavrenwick]

Season 5 - Dudelange's fifth successive title!

We sealed our fifth title, albeit with a slight push from two sides below us. Jeunesse and Avenir didn't lay off at any point in the season, but a stray draw mid-season saw us clinch the throne once more. The best performance of the season came our way too, a 10-0 win over Alliance 01 on a match picked as a fan day. Sizzling.

Our showing in the National Cup was woeful, seeing us knocked out by, annoyingly, Avenir Beggen on penalties.

We did however perform slightly better in Europe this year, albeit in both competitions. In the Champions League we beat Maribor of Slovakia before only just losing out 4-3 on aggregrate to OB of Denmark. That saw us drop into the Europa League where we met Metalist Kharkiv, but we were dispatched 4-0 on aggregrate.

The squad is looking very nice now, though the bigger sides constantly sniff them, something that constantly sees them unsettled.

We also got taken over at the end of February by a Spanish businessman, an event that saw my job on the line in his eyes. Eventually the fool came to his senses and decided to keep me on, and issued a promise to upgrade the Youth Facilities at the start of next season, something that would cost nigh on £1million.

The best bit of news? We turned professional!

[viperk1]

The best bit of news? We turned professional!

This is certainly the best news a team could hope for - hopefully now you'll be able to qualify for the elusive Champions League

[gavrenwick]

This is certainly the best news a team could hope for - hopefully now you'll be able to qualify for the elusive Champions League

Thanks viper. Sadly, it wasn't to be again!

Season 6 - Double Returns!

We sealed our sxith successive title with alarming ease. Scored a LOT of goals in all competitions and never left first place all season. We actually started the season with a defeat and a draw, but a stunning 24 game winning run saw us romp to the summit.

We also snatched the National Cup with a 2-1 victory over Avenir Beggen, the winner coming in the last second of extra time.

Our European exploits, despite encouragement from viperk1, ended at the same stage as they did last year. We knocked out Vllaznia in the Second Qualifying Round before we lost out 3-2 on aggregrate to Dinamo Tblisi. We then dropped into the Europa League where we met FC Moscow who dispatched us just 2-1 on aggregrate. We're improving endlessly in the European competitions, but our luck is deserting us in just sneaking past the more well funded sides. A run in Europe would do wonders for us, but for now we can't get that far.

[stoehrst]

I just tried to use FMRTE to change Chimney Corner's rivalries so that they reflect real life, and what did I discover? I'm but a few reputation points away from being on the club's Favored Personnel list

[stoehrst]

Ok, I couldn't resist...I won't be able to buy FM10 for some time now (in fact, I may just wait for '11) and I haven't played a proper Newcastle save in so long...so I did some heavy editing (kept them in the Prem, though) and started one. Turned Mike Ashley into a multi-billionaire with half a business brain on his shoulders and created several 17 and 18-year old supermen of mixed English and American (and Luxembourger?) ancestry before embarking on a spending spree. Leading up to my first match, my first 11 looks as follows (4-4-2 diamond with wide midfielders):

GK - Gordon Banks (18, English, CA 180 PA 200, 6'11")

DR - Darijo Srna

DL - David Johnson (17, American, CA 175 PA 200)

DC - Steven Taylor (He's my favorite Magpie and I feel 09 grossly underestimates him, so I bumped his CA to 150 and PA to 180)

DC - Michael Scott (17, American, CA 175 PA 200, 6'8")

DM - Duncan Edwards (18, English, CA 180 PA 200)

MR - Antonio Valencia

ML - Luke Hurst (18, English, CA 175 PA 200, two-footed plays both wings)

AMC - Juan Roman Riquelme (about to be backed up by Simon Vukcevic)

ST - Michael Owen/Obafemi Martins

ST - Charlie Henry (17, American, CA 180 PA 200, 6'7" with 18 pace/accel)

In the run-in toward the season opener, still searching for a bit of cover at the back and middle of the park. I've already had to fend off offers for EVERY CREATED PLAYER, and had my share of transfer disappointment when Marek Hamsik chose Man City over Newcastle.

Can't wait for the season to start . This, like the Welsh save, will be a good distraction from Chimney Charlie since I'm close to halfway through season 2 in that save but not much further in writing than the thread is now.

[stoehrst]

Oh, and yet I'm still shorthanded for the month of August, as my American contingent have been called to the Olympics. Brilliant. Looks like I'll be stepping up my efforts for Aiden McGeady...

[Terk]

I :heart: the FM10 editor. Currently revamping (with massive help from stoehrst on the whole American geography thing) the MLS to a three tier Premier League system preceded by a six short regional cups (the regional thing was again stoehrst's idea). Involves creating 44 new teams, which is going to take me roughly forever, but once it's done then US football might actually be interesting.

[-Xenon-]

I :heart: the FM10 editor.

It's great what they've done with it.

I love the re-assurance in knowing that if I had the sudden urge to manage in Mongolia, it's a possibility!

[swagat sinha]

I :heart: the FM10 editor.

I second that. Utopia is currently 35 team strong. I plan to put in as many teams as I can before the laptop gives up.

This thing is pure genius.

[stoehrst]

My Newcastle team has put up back-to-back-to-back victories of 5:1, 6:0, and 6:0. It's silly, really. My strikers don't even score most of my goals, which I view as a problem.

Actually, it's kind of an epidemic in my FM09 saves. Either only one of my strikers scores, or neither does very often, and either way they spend the majority of the game mired in a player rating of 5.8-6.5, unless they pop out of nowhere to score a goal. Anyone have any tactical suggestions to remedy that?

EDIT: I also lost a penalty shoot-out to Bristol City or Rovers (whichever are in the Championship, I forget) in the League Cup 3rd round. Highly irritating.

[Terk]

I utterly sucked at the tactical side of FM09, stoehrst, so I'm afraid I can't help you on that one.

X-Factor update will have to wait until tomorrow, got engrossed in the editor again 44 teams sorted, 16 more to go.

[Elrithral]

I always had more succes with just one up front in 09, packed the midfield and relied on goals from two creative midfielders and a big, burly target man who could nod home the crosses from my two advanced wingers. As soon as I went 4-4-2 I failed.

[swagat sinha]

In 09, I always had to play an anchorman between the defence and the midfield, something I hated doing.

So far, haven't used it in 10.

[stoehrst]

I'm actually having smashing success with a 4-4-2. I play one central midfielder more defensively, and one who attacks and has "much" creative freedom. I also prefer a DM who arrives late in the area to deliver piledriver shots (more on that later in Chimney Charlie). In the Newcastle save I ended up moving the DM up to a CM role, but with a defensive mentality and rare forward runs.

I'm still scoring goals, but my forwards don't seem to be the ones doing it. Maybe that isn't necessarily true; in my first season with Chimney Corner I had one forward who did pretty well in his goals-to-games ratio, but it is rarely consistent. A lot of goals come from midfield, wingers, and defenders off of set-pieces. It's just strange considering all the success my forwards always had in FM07 and FM08. Those of you who remember The Entertainers' Reborn can remember Owen and Balotelli combining for 60+ goals in all competitions season after season.

[Terk]

US leagues edited in now, running on holiday mode to check things through. My favourite button in the editor is the 'test new nation rules' one. Everything run smoothly through the regional cup phase

[stoehrst]

US leagues edited in now, running on holiday mode to check things through. My favourite button in the editor is the 'test new nation rules' one. Everything run smoothly through the regional cup phase

Very nice, very nice. Did you have to set latitudes and longitudes to do groups?

[Terk]

Very nice, very nice. Did you have to set latitudes and longitudes to do groups?

No, there's an option to add specific teams to the competition. So I just pulled in the ten teams that I wanted for each region and it should keep it. That's the big test for me on this one, whether it keeps those same sides for the second season; if not then I'll have to look at setting longitudes and lattitudes.

[stoehrst]

No, there's an option to add specific teams to the competition. So I just pulled in the ten teams that I wanted for each region and it should keep it. That's the big test for me on this one, whether it keeps those same sides for the second season; if not then I'll have to look at setting longitudes and lattitudes.

That's going to be the major challenge in tedium for me when I do the New England league. I was considering the setup I suggested to you but decided against it...instead I'll be doing a single long region-wide season, but each state will have its own cup competition. Inspired by Northern Ireland, which does the Antrim Cup, Antrim Trophy, Mid-Ulster Cup, etc. etc. I can't wait to shoot myself over how difficult it's all going to be.

It starts to hit me just what sort of an undertaking this could be. I'll have to create cities and towns...establish coordinates...change entry into the CONCACAF Champions League...

[Terk]

I hate to think how long that's going to take you.

I had to create a couple of cities for this edit (the game doesn't list either Bozeman or Groton); I'm guessing you'll have to create the vast majority of cities you want in the game.

[gavrenwick]

Season 7 - Closest one yet!

Just finished my 7th season in charge of Dudelange, and after an horrific start, we just about managed to pull it back to steal the title. We started the season with two straight defeats, something I was yet to experience in the league. Some excellent results saw us claw back up, but we couldn't displace an equally improving Avenir Beggen side. They are now big rivals to us, but I think the hatred is worse for them for the second reason. It was our hardest season yet, as the table will show, there was hardly anything in it.

We sealed the National Cup with a 7-6 victory on penalties after a 2-2 draw with Avenir Beggen. And for the first time in six years, the youth academy finally produced a talented player. He's a DC and should hopefully stay for the future, but is already attracting big interest from Austria and Norway.

Our European exploits faded at the same point once more, the luck of the draw consistently deserting us. We cleaned up Suduva 5-3 on aggregrate before losing to Brondby 3-0. Our drop to the Europa League left us with a tie against FC Twente, and we battled hard only to lose out 1-0 on aggregrate. Maybe next time!

[Terk]

That's going to be the major challenge in tedium for me when I do the New England league. I was considering the setup I suggested to you but decided against it...instead I'll be doing a single long region-wide season, but each state will have its own cup competition. Inspired by Northern Ireland, which does the Antrim Cup, Antrim Trophy, Mid-Ulster Cup, etc. etc. I can't wait to shoot myself over how difficult it's all going to be.

Game pulls in the right teams for the regional cups in season 2, no game crashes, the national leagues played out without any problems, I reckon I'm good to give this baby a gaming run out

Only choice now is who to manage. Thinking either Minneapolis (first division) or Cleveland (second division).

[stoehrst]

Gav, find some cheap African talent or something!

[Elrithral]

Has anyone noticed any problems with Manager of the Year awards? I'm working my way trhough the GHC and doing well, 3 successive league titles (and then some, but that would require spoilers), but never in the top three.

[Cardiovascular]

Are you playing FM10 Elrithal? I came runner up last year despite finishing 9th with Villa.

[Elrithral]

Yup FM10, but nothing doing. Perhaps it's a Dutch league problem?

[Celtic_1967]

I decided to take some of the advice I've recently been given and start an FM save for my enjoyment rather than a story.

I'm going back to something else I started last year.

Henrik Larsson Challenge

Start with Hogaberg and make your way on your managerial journey through the clubs on the list IN ORDER.

To move on to the next step you must complete the current step. To Complete a step you must have won all the trophies the required number of times shown in the rules. You must also have a current win percentage at least equal to Larsson’s scoring rate for that section of his playing career.

E.g. For Celtic Larsson Scored 174 goals in 221 games (79% scoring rate) so before you can move from Celtic to Barcelona you must have a win percentage of 79% or more!

If you are sacked you don’t have to start again, but you must retire your current manager, you may then add a new manager but you MUST go back and complete the previous step again.

E.g. If you are sacked as Barcelona manager, you may add a new manager but must go back and complete the Celtic step again.

You MUST manage Helsinborg on TWO occasions and win the relevant number of trophies and have the relevant win percentage on both occasions.

Larsson only played for Manchester United for a few weeks, (and wasn’t with them when they completed the League Championship) however you are expected to manage them for at least 1 full season and win the league. (It doesn’t matter how many seasons this takes).

Management of Sweden may only be considered once the Manchester United step has been completed. Whilst you manage Sweden you may, if you wish, remain as Manchester United manager. If you prefer you can resign from Manchester United and solely manage Sweden, or you can go back and manage any of the other clubs from the challenge (assuming the job is available and they want to hire you). You MAY NOT manage any club other than those listed in the Challenge!

You may declare interest the relevant jobs in order to (hopefully) make the task of getting the next job easier.

Setup -

All Swedish Leagues

All Dutch Leagues

All Scottish Divisions

All Spanish Divisions

English Divisions to L2

Use Real Players : Yes

Allow Transfers Funds in 1st Window : Yes

Attribute Masking On : Yes

Key Staff : Yes

Hogaberg - Swedish 2nd Division WG

Win Percentage Required 31%

Trophies Required – None

Helsinborg – Swedish Premier Division

WPR 89%

Trophies Required – None

Feyenoord – Dutch Eredivisie

WPR 26%

Trophies Required – 2x KNVB Cup

Celtic – SPL

WPR 79%

Trophies Reqiuired – 4 SPL Titles, 2 Scottish Cups and 2 League Cups

Barcelona – Liga BBVA

WPR 32.5%

Trophies Required – 2 La Liga Titles, 1 Spanish Super Cup, 1 Champions League

Helsinborg – Swedish Premier Division

WPR 49%

Trophies Required – 1 Swedish Cup

Manchester United – English Premier League

WPR 14%

Trophies Required – 1EPL

Sweden

WPR 36%

European Championships - QF or better

World Cup - 3rd Place or better.

I'll probably talk about it in here so I thought you guys might appreciate knowing what was going on when I do.

Originally I had intended it as a story but truth be told I CBA writing yet another story and I really wanted to get this underway so it'll be mainly for my amusement.

[stoehrst]

Tell me if this makes any sense to you guys...

In the January 2009 transfer window in my Newcastle save, I just made (after all installments are paid out) a combined 28.75 million pounds off of Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas, both of whom I sold to AC Milan. I then dropped around 20 million of that on Tomas Hubschmann and Adam Johnson. Shrewd business, no?

EDIT: But seriously!!! They paid 16.25 MILLION for Jonas, and another 12.5 million for Colocinni! And that last deal includes 10 million up front!