Football Manager 2014 - Update 14.2.2 - Feedback Thread

[Lindner58]

I have been sacked and now in FM 2014 v14 2 0, my best job will be unemployedforever. Thx guys.

[abbespl]

i want to thank u too guys. plenty of time because of Christmas. and what? and 14.2 is unplayable.

[mcjooseppi]

terrible ME! 14.2....

[BenSammy]

The most sincere advice I can offer SI is to role back the update to the one previous, at least that was playable..

This is a disgrace!

I'm not complaining because I can't play the game, I've had great success with whatever team I've managed.

It's the sheer amount of bugs, Goalkeeping Lunacy, ugly ME, horrible animations, ball physics, decision making, set piece disasters.

I could go on, there are a lot, others have listed them. Not acceptable, not given what our current technology is capable of, I guess it's all well you don't have a competitor.

As the game is at the moment it feels like that Ashes Cricket Game that just got pulled.

[RTHerringbone]

Seems to be a domino effect of misplaced negative "enthusiasm" tonight.

As a reminder: Constructive feedback is welcome; one-liner rants are not.

[Lindner58]

The most sincere advice I can offer SI is to role back the update to the one previous, at least that was playable..

This is a disgrace!

I'm not complaining because I can't play the game, I've had great success with whatever team I've managed.

It's the sheer amount of bugs, Goalkeeping Lunacy, ugly ME, horrible animations, ball physics, decision making, set piece disasters.

I could go on, there are a lot, others have listed them. Not acceptable, not given what our current technology is capable of, I guess it's all well you don't have a competitor.

As the game is at the moment it feels like that Ashes Cricket Game that just got pulled.

The most horrible in the animation is the ball control (when receiving) and when running with the ball looks like ICE HOCKEY. And don t say you didn't notice that. And I play in Serie A with very good FOOTBALL player. Return to basic...

[Bracken]

Well, just to break the negativity, I'm thoroughly enjoying this patch, have got my team playing some lovely football, and while there are a few bugs they are by no means game breaking at all. Here's my personal favourite though: Overly enthusiastic cameramen!

They'll do anything to get a great shot! Gave me a laugh anyway.

As I say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the patch, yes there are a few issues but I really can't say I've found anything major, I've had a few instances of my keepers or defenders making dodgy mistakes, but it happens in real life too with just about the same regularity that I find on the game, so from me, it's a big "thup" to SI.

[parsdaft1982]

I see a lot of people complaining on here but i personally am enjoying the new patch. Yes there are some horror OG's and my injury list is high, but it does happen in real life. There are some Premier league teams out there that are having to play midfielders in defence due to the high amount of injuries sustained, in my save with Peterhead, i am having the same problem, but i am not complaining, it makes a good challenge.

I wish folk would stop complaining and give the guys at SI time to sort these issues out. I am sure they are doing their very best to sort all the issues out and "hot fixes" will be released when the team at SI are sure they have (most) issues sorted.

Merry Christmas fellow FM nuts!!

[Repoman2u]

It's a bug they are aware of.

Answer cannot be that they are aware of it but when are they gonna fix it.

Guys, this negotiable or non negotiable option is essential for this game.

My season is at an end and buying or selling is a mess now...

[KingEric07]

Game should be released at £10 then we pay for each patch. That way we will have then paid full price for the game when it is actually at its best (final patch February time). Last FM I get before February

[Carmi88]

Game should be released at £10 then we pay for each patch. That way we will have then paid full price for the game when it is actually at its best (final patch February time). Last FM I get before February

or just have a bit of self control and wait?

[KingEric07]

or just have a bit of self control and wait?

Well as mentioned above that is exactly what I'll be doing from now on! Usually don't moan but 14.2 has me done

[WayneRomney]

I wouldn't say I'm enjoying the new patch, but to state that the game is unplayable is way out there.

Having played a full season in the Championship with Derby I can positively say that I've won the matches I should've won, the matches I deserved to win more or less. Still, during the course of the season, in every two or three games I saw some pretty psycho situations (own goals, goals from corners, glaring GK errors, backpass central etc). I lost a total of 9 games, 8 of which I deserved to lose all things considered.

Plus:

More randomness in goal scoring (this could also be a minus given the situation).

More longe range beauties hitting the net.

Improved set-pieces.

More difficult to teach weaker sides to close down and play out of defence.

Minus:

Too many one-on-one situation during a match.

Strikers opting to shoot rather than run towards the goal (shooting from 25 yards when they have a free route towards goal).

Way, way too many random things happening at the back (CDs losing their heads, GKs aswell).

Scoring directly from corners (this happened 3 times for me at Derby during 1 season).

Players losing their cool and making horror tackles when leading comfortably at home.

And the other stuff already mentioned.

This does not mean I really really feel emo about the new patch. I won't defend SI or anything like that, I still think the game can be a lot better, but it's not ruined. Keep your heads.

[spookgf]

I have also abandon my first and only long turn save for this fm.I have tried for two days now to cope with the last patch but i am sorry to say that i cant.And it isnt that i cant win games, its the football that i am watching.

My thought on 14.2 me is that the first touch of players need massive improving and also the all of defensive setup of the teams among other things.I think the me favors the non attacking football a lot.

Also my opinion is that it wasn't wise to release the mew patch just before xmas as it just killed my save just when i had a little more time to have fun with it.Witch reminds me that i dont have so match fun with the game in the last two fm that i used to have with the older ones.It sure have a lot of new great stuff in the fm13 and fm14 but i have the feeling that something is not there anymore.

Anyway merry xmas to every one all the best to our favorite game.

[kimjjj]

Having played with the new ME for a while now, I have to say: I love it!

It's much more realistic than the old one. I see more diverse and interesting goals, and the goalkeepers have stopped being 'either/or' players, in the sense that they used to either make a great save or not even touch the ball. Now, keepers kan deflect or graze the ball, and goals can still be scored in spite of it. There are more ostensibly random things in the game now, but I get the impression that's merely because players' attributes are more 'responsible' for the action now, if that makes sense. If you're a poor player, the piper will be paid now, which was not as evident before in the ME.

It had almost come to the point where I was just going through motions on matchday, and the game had become mostly about scouting talent, but now I look forward to every game again.

Great work!

[MarchinOn2Getha]

This is stupid, I can't play this game anymore, game was fine and now the graphics are really laggy and the game crash dumps every time I try to rest players on the calendar. I understand you are trying to improve the game but for me you have made it so much worse. I always take any upgrade in my stride and I have no problem with new tactics and gameplay, I just want to be able to play the game!

[Swindon69]

Absolutly stupid goal conceded my midfielder stopped running after the ball even though my defender was miles away and an oppo player was chasing the ball down.

The move started with my opponents clearing the ball from the goal line following my corner.

[borobadger]

Just had a long ball played over the top of my defense, stop about a yard outside the box, the keeper runs to the edge of the box, stops, waits for the striker to run another 30 or 40 yards and take it round him and score. Madness

[starburst91]

First of all this is the first patch i've played the game on at all, and i'd like to say theres some really good improvements this year, I felt on fm2013 you often had to go the long way round to see the information you wanted to see but now theres alot of great additions to the interface, and the match engines pretty good apart from a wierd moment or two

My complaint though and its been mentioned alot in this thread is the injuries. Been at a club from november its now april, in that time i've had about six 3-4 month injuries, probably the same amount of 6-8 week injuries, i've had every single 2 week long injury you can possibly get. Thing is i've had different training regimes and my squads been fairly well rotated through the season, theres people arguing otherwise when it comes to people saying theres too many injuries, but i've had far more than what I would consider a realistic injury plagued season for a team. Just thought i'd come here and say particularly now because im chasing a playoff spot and on the same day one central midfielder gets a virus that keeps him out for 2 weeks and another central midfielder gets a damaged heel in training that keeps him out for 2 weeks, then the very next day one of my attacking midfielders gets strained ankle ligaments that keep him out for 6-7 weeks. They are my 4th, 5th, and 6th injured players plus a suspension, in what seems like a constant stream of having a minimum of 5 players out at any one time. (i've had to put two players on the bench who've literally just returned from injury). Im sure someones going to come and mention training and fitness even though i've already mentioned changing regimes, but it doesn't matter what training regime I do, that wouldnt happen in real life unless I had 23 owen hargreaves's.

So yeh sort that out please, other wise the games great enjoying it. Another thing I agree with someone else in this thread is how underated is luis suarez. He's got 13 goals in april on my game, and looking at his stats, looks like the kind of striker i'd buy as back up if I was a top team lol, the guy who said his composure or finishing should be what it is because he misses sitters, hasn't watched football in two years or thinks messi puts away every single chance that comes his way or something, because suarez's finishing and composure, wow, both 17+'s, just everything seems low, first touch 14?, teamwork 13? he gets as many assists as he does goals, positioning 6??? Maybe some of these stats would make sense after the 11/12 season but jeese cmon, I put him back in my fantasy football team the day his suspension ended because I knew how good he was, I support grimsby town not liverpool. Ohwell, i'll shut up now, just suprised, also the top scorer in my premier league has 18 goals in april, maybe theres some balancing issues you need to look at there aswell, im only in league 1 at the minute so wouldn't know.

[CityAndColour]

Further ME thoughts after playing around 30 matches on this update...

1) Probably don't need to say much more about 'keepers than has already been said. They've clearly been broken by this update.

2) First touch is horrible - I understand the need to tone it down from the previous versions, but now players struggle to trap a 10-yard pass. This is probably exacerbated by the fact tackling is still insane, and even the slightest poor touch invites an immediate crunching tackle and dispossession.

3) Corners. Somehow even more have been introduced. Any flank play still results in a corner, while now we've introduced misplaced 50-yard backpasses and 'keepers picking up the ball and then walking out.

4) Passing. I don't have a team of Xavi's, but surely a basic five yard pass should be able to be completed without constantly putting it slightly behind or short of the intended target.

5) The frequency, variety and ridiculousness of own goals is hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Sadly, it's still probably an improvement on 14.1.4, but am losing my faith at an alarming rate.

[imabearlol]

Further ME thoughts after playing around 30 matches on this update...

1) Probably don't need to say much more about 'keepers than has already been said. They've clearly been broken by this update.

2) First touch is horrible - I understand the need to tone it down from the previous versions, but now players struggle to trap a 10-yard pass. This is probably exacerbated by the fact tackling is still insane, and even the slightest poor touch invites an immediate crunching tackle and dispossession.

3) Corners. Somehow even more have been introduced. Any flank play still results in a corner, while now we've introduced misplaced 50-yard backpasses and 'keepers picking up the ball and then walking out.

4) Passing. I don't have a team of Xavi's, but surely a basic five yard pass should be able to be completed without constantly putting it slightly behind or short of the intended target.

5) The frequency, variety and ridiculousness of own goals is hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Sadly, it's still probably an improvement on 14.1.4, but am losing my faith at an alarming rate.

Honestly never seen any of these problems. Are we even playing the same game?

[starburst91]

First of all this is the first patch i've played the game on at all, and i'd like to say theres some really good improvements this year, I felt on fm2013 you often had to go the long way round to see the information you wanted to see but now theres alot of great additions to the interface, and the match engines pretty good apart from a wierd moment or two

My complaint though and its been mentioned alot in this thread is the injuries. Been at a club from november its now april, in that time i've had about six 3-4 month injuries, probably the same amount of 6-8 week injuries, i've had every single 2 week long injury you can possibly get. Thing is i've had different training regimes and my squads been fairly well rotated through the season, theres people arguing otherwise when it comes to people saying theres too many injuries, but i've had far more than what I would consider a realistic injury plagued season for a team. Just thought i'd come here and say particularly now because im chasing a playoff spot and on the same day one central midfielder gets a virus that keeps him out for 2 weeks and another central midfielder gets a damaged heel in training that keeps him out for 2 weeks, then the very next day one of my attacking midfielders gets strained ankle ligaments that keep him out for 6-7 weeks. They are my 4th, 5th, and 6th injured players plus a suspension, in what seems like a constant stream of having a minimum of 5 players out at any one time. (i've had to put two players on the bench who've literally just returned from injury). Im sure someones going to come and mention training and fitness even though i've already mentioned changing regimes, but it doesn't matter what training regime I do, that wouldnt happen in real life unless I had 23 owen hargreaves's.

So yeh sort that out please, other wise the games great enjoying it. Another thing I agree with someone else in this thread is how underated is luis suarez. He's got 13 goals in april on my game, and looking at his stats, looks like the kind of striker i'd buy as back up if I was a top team lol, the guy who said his composure or finishing should be what it is because he misses sitters, hasn't watched football in two years or thinks messi puts away every single chance that comes his way or something, because suarez's finishing and composure, wow, both 17+'s, just everything seems low, first touch 14?, teamwork 13? he gets as many assists as he does goals, positioning 6??? Maybe some of these stats would make sense after the 11/12 season but jeese cmon, I put him back in my fantasy football team the day his suspension ended because I knew how good he was, I support grimsby town not liverpool. Ohwell, i'll shut up now, just suprised, also the top scorer in my premier league has 18 goals in april, maybe theres some balancing issues you need to look at there aswell, im only in league 1 at the minute so wouldn't know.

Played the match after typing that post, another central midfielder injury 5-6 weeks, I put my AMLC in his position and subbed on a different AML in his place, and then that player got injured aswell 4-5 weeks. 8 Red injuries, 1 yellow injury, 1 suspension. If i'd otherwise been ok then fine but no this is the pinnacle of a constant stream of injuries.

[CityAndColour]

Honestly never seen any of these problems. Are we even playing the same game?

As far as I know we're different people, hence why it was posted under my username and not yours.

I'm pleased you're not seeing this stuff though, as I would much prefer the issues I'm seeing are caused by poor tactics.

[imabearlol]

As far as I know we're different people, hence why it was posted under my username and not yours.

I'm pleased you're not seeing this stuff though, as I would much prefer the issues I'm seeing are caused by poor tactics.

Don't understand your first sentence at all.

The only thing I can sort of relate to is the own goals one, I've seen a couple over the season (currenlty halfway so far) but then the two own goals today just goes to show it happens in real life too. I'm playing as Arsenal with a pretty stacked team now though so that could be a reason I'm not seeing these things - we're playing beautiful football, scored 50 conceded 6 top of the table in Jan. The only problem I have is breaking down much lower rep teams who stick all 11 men in the box, need to work out the best way to beat them.

[CityAndColour]

Don't understand your first sentence at all.

I'm posting feedback of what I'm seeing on my game. You replying with "I don't see any of this, are we even playing the same game?" is just annoying.

[imabearlol]

I'm also posting feedback on what I'm seeing on my game, which is disagreeing with what you are seeing. If that annoys you then just ignore my post.

Here's my keeper, I've never once seen him do anything stupid. Would be interesting to see if the erratic keeping is determined by the players' decisions/composure/concentration attribute?

[starburst91]

Just wanted to update you all and say that despite 10 players out, only being able to name 6 subs, starting a 17 year old in midfield and another player out of position, my team held on for a 1-0 win against 2nd place brentford to keep my fading playoff hopes alive, proper brought a tear to my eye

[YKW]

Ok can someone help me?

I have the demo, version 14.2. but when I start a game no teams have any HG players? I have restarted and verified the game cache. Player search shows no HG players in the database with no exclusions.

I have posted in the relevant bug thread, but it isn't clear if this is a local problem or not. Any help would be appreciated I wanted to play tonight.

[KingEric07]

Further ME thoughts after playing around 30 matches on this update...

1) Probably don't need to say much more about 'keepers than has already been said. They've clearly been broken by this update.

2) First touch is horrible - I understand the need to tone it down from the previous versions, but now players struggle to trap a 10-yard pass. This is probably exacerbated by the fact tackling is still insane, and even the slightest poor touch invites an immediate crunching tackle and dispossession.

3) Corners. Somehow even more have been introduced. Any flank play still results in a corner, while now we've introduced misplaced 50-yard backpasses and 'keepers picking up the ball and then walking out.

4) Passing. I don't have a team of Xavi's, but surely a basic five yard pass should be able to be completed without constantly putting it slightly behind or short of the intended target.

5) The frequency, variety and ridiculousness of own goals is hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Sadly, it's still probably an improvement on 14.1.4, but am losing my faith at an alarming rate.

1 - Definitely

2 - Yes though not every time

3 - Yes

4 - Definitely, sometimes misplaced straight to a centre forward who buries it

5 - God yes! Won a game recently 4-0. First goal was football. Second, third and fourth goals were own goals from corner scrambles

[Zeemo]

Me and my friends are playing a game as teams in Bundesliga at the moment and after the patch we have encountered that even more and more players denies even talking about a signing contract with our clubs due to us being in Bundesliga. Have someone else encountered that this has appeared even more often than usual after the patch?

The club that we want to buy the play from has no problem with selling us the player, but the agent just tells us that they don't want to even speak to us. Bundesliga is ranked the 2nd league in UEFA ranks in our save at the moment, so it's not that they league should have lost reputation or so. We play as FC Bayern, Dortmund and Wolfsburg as well.

Thanks in advance.

[greymane78]

What has happened to the wage budgets for lower league teams?? started a new game with Gloucester and it seems I can just keep signing players at will? I saved the game as I noticed I was 100 over my 3k budget and still able to offer wages. I knew this was odd as ive started many a lower league game. Also the maximum i could offer was 200 a week as this is the top earner at the club now i can offer in excess of this. so I started a new game to test this out and I got the wage budget up to 4900 and still able to offer anyone as a key player 250 a week??? before this update when you got up to your wage budget you couldn't even sign non contract players as maximum wage was 1 pound now i can just sign as many players and have a huge wage budget. This has killed the realism and kind of makes a wage budget absolutely pointless, Anyone...

[Ifail]

im not sure but does the ai ever not train players in preseason at very high almost all my loanees out to other club are injured to training injuries I get it if they get injured during season but almost every single time before the summer window finishes bam all my players injured due to hernia, broken bones ... that be great some sensibility in training is needed

[chris2403]

Sorry if this has been covered but I havnt got time to trawl through the thread today.

Are people still experiencing ridiculous transfer offers?

I ask this because I have just had an offer for my Full back Tommy Rowe from Watford of £1.4mill...wouldnt bother me normally but after back to back promotions we are now in the same division plus he signed a new 4 year deal within the last few weeks and is valued at £4mill!!!

[Dagenham_Dave]

Just starting a new save for the first time since the update on the full version and I notice on the profile screen at the start, the 'home town' selecter has gone. Just a small thing, but I quite liked that little touch.

[jc1]

After playing for a good few hours, hears my latest feedback.

Very occasional calamity from a goalkeeper, either mine or opponent, usually something way too weird but happened a couple of times now.

Too many own goals, seems to be around per game on both sides, I know you get own goals but not this many all the time.

Game play a lot more realistic, not all passes being spot, players miscontrolling etc more what would happen in real life.

I haven't changed my tactics at all and still able to win and enjoy the game, I'd still like to know what a lot of people are doing in game to make them so negative about the ME.

[GSevensM75]

far too many injuries.

May I make a suggestion...For Football Manager 2015 I don't want anything new, no extra features...nothing, that side of the game is perfect and I don't ask anything else from it. I just want you guys to update the transfers and staff and that's it and spend the rest of the time working on the match engine you already have. That way all these bugs that come up and frustrate the hell out of us won't happen anymore or at least won't be such a bi problem. just a thought.

This is what they should do. But due to the monopoly, it doesn't make good business sense for them.

Now they have gone into the cloud anyway, surely the next evolution will be a monthly subscription to the game anyway and then hopefully they won't have to feel the need to release a new version every year.

[themadsheep2001]

This is what they should do. But due to the monopoly, it doesn't make good business sense for them.

Now they have gone into the cloud anyway, surely the next evolution will be a monthly subscription to the game anyway and then hopefully they won't have to feel the need to release a new version every year.

That isn't what they should do, different teams work on different parts of the game. And you are very much jumping the gun on any evolution

[Sucram]

Just a quick question really. I have just got promoted to the Premiership with Barnsley in my first season so I am expecting to be sacked after a few games so basically I wanting to know if anyone has actually got offered another job after the new latest update. I only ask this because I have seen a post sayinv another member hasn't been offered a job since he got the sack.

Many thanks in advance.

[GSevensM75]

Further ME thoughts after playing around 30 matches on this update...

1) Probably don't need to say much more about 'keepers than has already been said. They've clearly been broken by this update.

2) First touch is horrible - I understand the need to tone it down from the previous versions, but now players struggle to trap a 10-yard pass. This is probably exacerbated by the fact tackling is still insane, and even the slightest poor touch invites an immediate crunching tackle and dispossession.

3) Corners. Somehow even more have been introduced. Any flank play still results in a corner, while now we've introduced misplaced 50-yard backpasses and 'keepers picking up the ball and then walking out.

4) Passing. I don't have a team of Xavi's, but surely a basic five yard pass should be able to be completed without constantly putting it slightly behind or short of the intended target.

5) The frequency, variety and ridiculousness of own goals is hilarious and tragic at the same time.

Sadly, it's still probably an improvement on 14.1.4, but am losing my faith at an alarming rate.

1 - I agree. Keepers do make mistakes, but the frequency since the update is unrealistic.

2 - I don't mind this so much. Take the Premiership for example. You look at the mid to lower level teams and the majority of them can't string three or four passes together, due to poor passing and poor touch. You watch Championship and lower level games and hardly any team can string three or four passes together. Watching top level football we all get spoiled and think it's the norm. It isn't. It's the exception.

3 - I agree corners are broken. Have been for a few versions now. They are far too easy to score from, either directly or via a goal mouth scramble. In real life very few goals are scored from set pieces, especially at the highest level. In my games I'd say about 75% of goals I concede are from set pieces.

4 - See point 2.

5 - Agreed.

What I have often wanted to know is whether it's the actual match engine that's broken, or just the visual interpretation of it.

[wackiewim]

Has anybody had a pen saved or missed in a match for either side ? Played a season since patch and every pen has been scored.

Yep 2 penalties missed by Timmy Simons, one of most consistent penalty takers. My keeper saved 1 as well

[chris2403]

2 - I don't mind this so much. Take the Premiership for example. You look at the mid to lower level teams and the majority of them can't string three or four passes together, due to poor passing and poor touch. You watch Championship and lower level games and hardly any team can string three or four passes together. Watching top level football we all get spoiled and think it's the norm. It isn't. It's the exception.

What football are you watching? Championship is a very good level of football with some very good footballing sides and while I agree with the majority of teams in League One being poor passers, you only have to look at teams like Peterborough, Leyton Orient, Wolves and Brentford, very good teams who like to play football on the deck and do it very well.

[GSevensM75]

That isn't what they should do, different teams work on different parts of the game. And you are very much jumping the gun on any evolution

Ever heard the rule the customer is always right? I work in IT (and with the risk of sounding arrogant, I am talking IT projects of scales that dwarf that of any computer game including the GTA franchises), and "business" within organisations lost faith in us years ago. The public lost faith in us even further back than that. Why? Because IT is hell bent on giving the customers what they want to develop, rather than what they actually need. I've lost count of the amount of software projects where the end product looks nothing like the original specification, due to the developers trying to cram too much in or going off-specification at their own whim. AGILE (nice in theory) is a money making exercise that hasn't helped a damn.

There is only one reason for there to be a brand new version of the game every single year, especially when there is no competition in the market place. To make more money. I don't blame SI for that. EA and the like do it every year with the FIFA franchise too. They don't need to, but they feel the need to reinvent the wheel every year to justify screwing their customers out of another £50. Let's not pretend there is any other reason. Because despite my first paragraph I also know developers usually mean well in what they do. They are either poorly lead or the objective is something they don't agree with, but usually have to comply with. In this case I am pretty sure no developer would like their product released with flaws and then move on to the next product with the previous one still having inherent flaws.

The bottom line is, for the customer it makes a lot more sense to have a stable platform of a game and then for there to be data updates to that stable platform every year. The design should be modular so that additional features (think expansion packs) can be added to encompass new rule changes (e.g. FFP). Then every five or six years the platform gets a complete revamp.

[GSevensM75]

What football are you watching? Championship is a very good level of football with some very good footballing sides and while I agree with the majority of teams in League One being poor passers, you only have to look at teams like Peterborough, Leyton Orient, Wolves and Brentford, very good teams who like to play football on the deck and do it very well.

I've been following QPR a lot this season (Spurs fan, so interested in seeing how HR is getting on) and I have been shocked at how poor the standard is. From QPR especially. Thought HR would walk the league with them, but they don't deserve to be promoted the way they are playing.

[chris2403]

Thats the thing (last im going to say as were taking it slightly off topic lol) a lot people underestimate the level of football in the championship, we did on our 1st season back in 09/10 and got absolutely slaughtered yet still played some pleasing football at times, last season the majority of division wanted us to stay up because we are a good footballing side and pleasing to watch and yet there were much better passing sides than us, will agree with you on QPR though, I was expecting them to play much better under Harry.

[themadsheep2001]

Ever heard the rule the customer is always right? I work in IT (and with the risk of sounding arrogant, I am talking IT projects of scales that dwarf that of any computer game including the GTA franchises), and "business" within organisations lost faith in us years ago. The public lost faith in us even further back than that. Why? Because IT is hell bent on giving the customers what they want to develop, rather than what they actually need. I've lost count of the amount of software projects where the end product looks nothing like the original specification, due to the developers trying to cram too much in or going off-specification at their own whim. AGILE (nice in theory) is a money making exercise that hasn't helped a damn.

There is only one reason for there to be a brand new version of the game every single year, especially when there is no competition in the market place. To make more money. I don't blame SI for that. EA and the like do it every year with the FIFA franchise too. They don't need to, but they feel the need to reinvent the wheel every year to justify screwing their customers out of another £50. Let's not pretend there is any other reason. Because despite my first paragraph I also know developers usually mean well in what they do. They are either poorly lead or the objective is something they don't agree with, but usually have to comply with. In this case I am pretty sure no developer would like their product released with flaws and then move on to the next product with the previous one still having inherent flaws.

The bottom line is, for the customer it makes a lot more sense to have a stable platform of a game and then for there to be data updates to that stable platform every year. The design should be modular so that additional features (think expansion packs) can be added to encompass new rule changes (e.g. FFP). Then every five or six years the platform gets a complete revamp.

The customer isn't always right though, so not really sure why it's relevant here. If you've ever paid attention those these forums, you'd know the what people want varies all oever the place, and often contradicts what someone else wants. Just take a look at any wishlist thread. The simple fact is, that's users we don't have to buy the game every year. We have a choice, amazingly we aren't actually forced to buy the game. Let's not pretended you know the inner workings and motives of anyone inside SI. We play a free demo, decide whether its worth our hard earned cash, and go from there. The design is modular btw. The match recently DID have its major revamp, post FM12. The game may come out yearly, but not everything is designed in a year.

[BenSammy]

The customer isn't always right though, so not really sure why it's relevant here. If you've ever paid attention those these forums, you'd know the what people want varies all oever the place, and often contradicts what someone else wants. Just take a look at any wishlist thread. The simple fact is, that's users we don't have to buy the game every year. We have a choice, amazingly we aren't actually forced to buy the game. Let's not pretended you know the inner workings and motives of anyone inside SI. We play a free demo, decide whether its worth our hard earned cash, and go from there. The design is modular btw. The match recently DID have its major revamp, post FM12. The game may come out yearly, but not everything is designed in a year.

I think it's safe to say everyone wants a game that works and a ME that doesn't look look like it came from the 90s.

Let's not try make excuses for a game that is nowhere near what it could be if, if you had something simple like a competitor to force you to get it right.

[themadsheep2001]

I think it's safe to say everyone wants a game that works and a ME that doesn't look look like it came from the 90s.

Let's not try make excuses for a game that is nowhere near what it could be if, if you had something simple like a competitor to force you to get it right.

I think its safe to say the game works, and also looks nothing like the 90s.

Not sure why you say me though, pretty sure I don't work for SI. and they did have two competitors, both of whom no longer compete, largely because they have been getting it right for so long... or did you not see EA's statement re FIFA Manager?

[themadsheep2001]

On the game itself, one thing I'd like to see improved is recycled runs, particularly support players. If their off the ball run "fails" (ie the pass isn't made to them or the move stagnates) I'd like to see them drop back into positionally play more urgently. Think overall they loiter just a little too long on the edge of the opposition D-Line

[AIK]

Where did the option to extend a loan go?

Before the patch I was able to offer clubs that have loaned my players to extend that loan. Now I can't find that option anymore.

[Pelz]

Okay... Whilst I've been enjoying many aspects of the game and in some respects is one of the best Football Manager versions for years (tactical variety, transfer negotiations, pure depth of the game) the latest string of goalkeeping howlers and absolutely ridiculous, nonsensical goals from top international footballers, in around eighty percent of all games from current observations, that you'd struggle to find on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning from guys suffering after a heavy night out on the lash has just caused me to delete my entire saved game folder, tactics, uninstall the game and in a blind fit of rage even uninstall steam and demand that a friend come over (how i still have these is a mystery) to change my Steam account passwords and security details just to stop me from torturing myself or suffering a heart attack as watch anticipating the latest in a long line of incomprehensible clangers...

This morning for instance - spent all of last night rather excitedly planning for the new season ahead, toiling through hours of meticulous details, strengthening backroom staff, fine tuning tactically and negotiating just the right number of solid transfers to help aid my Reading team in their bid to survive (though i'd never simply accept survival) on their return to the Premier League. After signing Victor Valdes on a free transfer on a measly £67000 a week I felt confident that finally I had a goalkeeper who would cut out all of these silly errors... Oh my how I was wrong. In two of the opening three games he scored own goals as the ball thunders off the crossbar, hit him on the back, he turns, does a move not out of place on Strictly Come Dancing for absolutely no reason at all then watches as the ball trickles over the line only to turn and start his tango rendition again. Thinking it might just be a stroke of bad luck stick with him for the next game - 4 minutes in a harmless long ball comes over the top from a distinctly average Sunderland and instead of picking the ball up, hoofing it, anything else, he decides to stand on the ball just outside the area for a fully eight seconds, wait until his surrounded by opposition attackers then turn and try to run towards his own goal with it until finally dispossessed for a simple tap in. Cue the Strictly routine... Two games later he fumbles on the edge of area, a defender tries to clear and hits his own post with the ball (from fifteen yards out) and Valdes simply jigs back towards the ball like a child playing hop-scotch, whilst a stream of attacking players over take him, he dives at the last minute in a desperate attempt to redeem himself and the ball virtually ricochets in off his face. Six games in I'm about ready to give up...

Now I could understand a little if this were a lower league player but it's Victor bloody Valdes, composure, concentration, decision wise and all round pretty much the best one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It was simply unbelievable what I was watching. In the following match (number seven) decide to put Alex Mcarthy in just to give the Spaniard a bit of a break (averaging 5.2 at this point) against a weakened Wigan side but that was as big a disaster - swear he couldn't get his way in front of an asteroid if he tried!

Just what has happened to goalkeepers, seriously? It's from one extreme to the other...

Then came one of my other signings - 1) Kieran Trippier at a cut price £2.4 million following Burnleys playoff failures. He's sent off for two yellows within 17 minutes in the first and third game. Not an overly aggressive player and with no team or individual instructions to act like Robbie Savage this was a little hard to swallow but I let it go, warning and a ban thinking he also was just taking time to settle. Then came my only other two signings. Jay Rodriguez and Jordan Rhodes who I'm sure many will agree is not a bad little partnership for a newly promoted side... Well, in the second game within a minute Jay is taken off injured and ruled out for four months and in the seventh game, the Alex Mcarthy show, Jordan Rhodes who had turned into some strange Fernando Torres clone that couldn't finish a chicken dinner went off in the dying seconds with no explanation and was ruled out for 7-8 months with a broken leg, fantastic start to my two record signings careers.

To boot, in a league cup game vs Birmingham, getting thumped 3-0 despite slaughtering them twice last season with a seriously weaker all round side I am hit by astonishingly quick counter attacks as my pacey back line do nothing to stop Nicola Zigic, twice, and then Marco Di Vaio rip past them - my grandmother is more sprightly than these two at the ripe of age of 94 and yet they broke at speed and with the speed and precision of Germany vs England in South Africa.

All this on top of the countless other videos of howler after howler I've uploaded, the Stephen Kelly scoring direct from a long throw thing and I can't even begin to count the number of other ridiculous errors I've mentioned the game, despite all the positives, is becoming a bit of a circus act.

So, put simply, something has to be done about goalkeepers, defensive howlers and the distinction between good and bad players in general... For at the moment I am struggling to see any!