The Discussion of Stadiums - to be or not to be an arquitect!

[grade]

So I have seen in last year some apps of football management for IOS, that have the ability to grow your own stadium, where you have the decision how they look like. I don't want and go names of those apps, just because...

I'm not sure how those work in IOS games to be exactly, because I haven't try them out. But I think it can make a good discussion if SI should or not tackle this as new feature in future versions of FM.

We all know we had some design upgrades in FM15 in terms of stadiums, but those are still severely lacking when compared to different of stadium design there is in the real world.

I for one would love a feature where I could choose how the stadium should look in my club, specially a LLM club. Sure this isn't exactly a job of a manager, but I figure it would add degree of fun to the game. Sure this could be quite debatable since not most would agree with this point of view.

But I also want to tackle an aspect that is important. There were games in the past that allow a feature like this, but I for one in those games would make the club finances go into the red very quickly, since I was just a teenager, want to grow to fast and too quickly. I didn't know what hell I was doing. How should SI tackle this aspect to try a prevent to the club to build a massive stadium without leading the club finances go into the red. if you try those apps, share how do they do it.

I for one would make that choice of upgrade the stadium, to be decision of the board when they should do it. Then you would have an input on the design of the stadium. Like massage from the Board: "We can allocate a bit more money to upgrade of the stadium and we want you to choose the upgrade!" Or "We have the money to build a new stadium and we want you to choose the stadium design!", then you go to stadium screen and make your choice(s).

What do you guys think? Will a feature like this add more fun to to FM? or do you prefer to be more manager oriented like FM has been now? How would you implement such a feature? How would you prevent users to go all out crazy in building a massive 60k Stadium for a League 2 club?

There is point I need to share with you. A point in favor to have such a feature. Most users here like to play LLM. Having such a feature could be a plus side, as the users would see and have input to how that club's stadium should grow and looklike and it adds to visualization of how much that little club they started to manage grew with each passing seasons, under their watchful management.

Also Try not to answer it with simple yes or no. Share your thoughts.

[CiaranReid]

LMA for PS2 had this feature. was super fun and totally agree, would be amazing if it was there. I think when building it there was maybe even some sort of regional restrictions that needed to be followed, eg height of structures. But then of course as much as it would be fun itl never be introduced because its a management sim, not Sim City; and not what i play the game for

[cleaner475]

One day I would like the ability to design a Man City-esque training centre with Stadium and training ground pitches, would be amazing to give my team (Arsenal) those kinds of facilities.

However I think it's a long way off before they even think of going in this direction. Obviously it's a football manager sim first a foremost however there are already features in the game that even SI admit don't really fall under the managers jurisdiction; requesting a new stadium, handling player contracts etc.

So maybe one day when they've perfected the management side of things they might add something like this, we can hope

[rabcp]

I don’t think much should be changed within the Stadium side of FM in terms of the manager dictates how big stands are etc... This is a tired and clichéd reason but it's simply not what a manager does.

IMO what would be more worthwhile is in overhaul in training and youth facilities, managers dictating if the club has, video analysis facilities and staff, dietarian staff and canteen facilities at training grounds, in door training areas, specialist equipment such as Dortmund’s reaction machine, Cardio hills, links with local schools so Academy players merge training with their education to receive more football training hours

For what its worth in terms of stadiums for the life of me I still don't know why we have never been able to customize the 3D stadiums. I know for example right now SI can't just make relaise a realistic Old Trafford or NOU Camp and release tomorrow due to licensing issues which is fair enough but all they need to do is have the 3ds files in an editable format and let the community create the stadiums which is the norm in fifa, pes... Let’s be honest if Old Trafford or Nou Camp etc where made as a 3D stadium and fully useable within the 3D engine they would be downloaded tens of thousands of times at an absolute minimum! This would the bigges step forward in the 3D engine and FM in genral for me in years!

If we can add our own unofficial unlicensed logos, kits, players faces etc why are stadia treated differently?

[Smurf]

The last thing this game needs is a stadium editor.

There's far more important things to fix, rather than adding nonsense gimmick features that a manager has no say over whatsoever.

[Tofters]

Having just had a new stadium built for the first time in my FM history I can't say I would want to be involved in the design, not needed in my opinion, although i did feel like there was not much of a chance to see it, you can use director cam and get the odd glimpse in matches, but this isn't great. How about the chance to view the empty stadium in the email when oyu have the stadium "opening"?

[sporadicsmiles]

Meh, cannot say it is something I would want in the game. It is, after all, football manager not stadium architect manager. It is something a manager would have zero say in irl, and probably they would also have no interest in how it was designed outside of the facilities. If it was something as simple as the game asking you the basic structure (rounded? 4 stands? corners or not?) in case you have a preference for how the stadium looks in the ME, then I would not be opposed. But I fail to see the attraction of anything more detailed.

As someone noted above, what would be nicer would to make description of training facilities and the like much more detailed. The current system of a number from 1 - 20 is a bit limited and does not really allow for the scope of differences between some clubs.

[podunkboy]

I'd just like to SEE a little more of my stadium when it upgrades, but there are bigger things to fix in the game than the ability to design new stadia. Besides, you can alway go into the pre-game editor and customize your stadium to a certain extent already. (At least if you can get the FM 15 editor to run...grumble...)

[Aidan1991]

This is a great idea.

Something like this would be a great addition to the game.

[Smurf]

This is a great idea.

Something like this would be a great addition to the game.

How is it a great addition to the game? It's not the Manager's decision to even build a new stadium, never mind being involved in the building of the stadium, or the design of the stadium.

It's a complete waste of the developers time when there's far more concerning issues to be dealt with and improved upon in the game.

[Tullem]

They had this in Total Club Manager and i used to just end up blowing my entire budget going mad on new stands because I wasn't quite understanding how much it was all costing.

It would be interesting to see this but not an essential improvement.

[addug]

It was cool in games like Total Club Manager but totally pointless in reality for a management simulator. A feature that would be good on these lines would be the implementation of a fans forum with supporter groups and having the option as a manager to get behind ideas and try and use your power with the board to get the supporters ideas implemented.

Personally I'd be pretty happy if they totally took contract renewals out of my hand and I could just tell the chairman how important they are I.e. renew/sign this player at all costs or set a limit to how much you are open to them getting.

[grade]

How is it a great addition to the game? It's not the Manager's decision to even build a new stadium, never mind being involved in the building of the stadium, or the design of the stadium.

It's a complete waste of the developers time when there's far more concerning issues to be dealt with and improved upon in the game.

Like I said in the first post, it is not the job of the manager to be arquitech of the new stadium. But it can add fun to the game, as you choose what the stadium can look like. Now it depends on you point of view. I like to have fun playing games either FPS, RTS, RPG or SIM. I believe that it can add an extra layer of fun to the game.

BUT, I do understand the focus of FM being as you as manager. I will not be that sad if they never implement it. I i had to choose a feature, Iprefer for SI to make a FMC editor then this feature, for example. But I will not say it is a bad idea for feature like this show up in the future.

In terms of the issues, first issues will be bound to always appear in beast like FM that most of the features depend on balance. But seriously there are features that in my humble opinion are a waste of time, but SI continues to making them try to improve them.

[echoes222]

the problem is that most of stadiums does not look like the real ones (f.e. I cant stand looks of Wisla Krakow stadium in game vs reality - Wisla stadium has a roof but not in FM ;D) so some sort of editor to change a shape, stands positions etc (same example - Wisla's stadium is oval in game and looks like colloseum, while in reality it is square - I am pretty sure that there are more stadiums like this).

[Smurf]

Like I said in the first post, it is not the job of the manager to be arquitech of the new stadium. But it can add fun to the game, as you choose what the stadium can look like. Now it depends on you point of view. I like to have fun playing games either FPS, RTS, RPG or SIM. I believe that it can add an extra layer of fun to the game.

BUT, I do understand the focus of FM being as you as manager. I will not be that sad if they never implement it. I i had to choose a feature, Iprefer for SI to make a FMC editor then this feature, for example. But I will not say it is a bad idea for feature like this show up in the future.

In terms of the issues, first issues will be bound to always appear in beast like FM that most of the features depend on balance. But seriously there are features that in my humble opinion are a waste of time, but SI continues to making them try to improve them.

It's a bad idea by virtue that it's nothing to do with being a manager. It's a gimmick that would appeal to a few.

I've played the game since the early 1990s and I would loathe a feature like this to be worked on at all.

[rabcp]

the problem is that most of stadiums does not look like the real ones (f.e. I cant stand looks of Wisla Krakow stadium in game vs reality - Wisla stadium has a roof but not in FM ;D) so some sort of editor to change a shape, stands positions etc (same example - Wisla's stadium is oval in game and looks like colloseum, while in reality it is square - I am pretty sure that there are more stadiums like this).

Pretty much every stadium is like this within Football Manager, When the 3D engine was first introduced we were told that we would be able to build stadiums with 3d software programs and import these into the game (much like Fifa games) however this has never been achievable as the .3ds stadia files are not able to be opened in any public 3D Modelling software. Again I think SI are missing a trick here as the community could create these stadiums much like logo, adboard packs etc. SI have been asked about this for years and as always there silence on the subject is deafening. I know SI for example can’t give us a realistic Old Trafford without it being licenced but all they need to do is either let us know what software is used to build these (have a feeling this won’t be publically available though) stadiums or offer a tool to convert files into this format.

[forameuss]

Pretty much every stadium is like this within Football Manager, When the 3D engine was first introduced we were told that we would be able to build stadiums with 3d software programs and import these into the game (much like Fifa games) however this has never been achievable as the .3ds stadia files are not able to be opened in any public 3D Modelling software. Again I think SI are missing a trick here as the community could create these stadiums much like logo, adboard packs etc. SI have been asked about this for years and as always there silence on the subject is deafening. I know SI for example can’t give us a realistic Old Trafford without it being licenced but all they need to do is either let us know what software is used to build these (have a feeling this won’t be publically available though) stadiums or offer a tool to convert files into this format.

But are there legal issues when it comes to letting users do that? Not saying there is, but given it's one of the only parts of the game that can't be customised, I get the feeling there's a reason behind that. And when there's a reason behind something in FM, it's usually licensing/legal.

[rabcp]

But are there legal issues when it comes to letting users do that? Not saying there is, but given it's one of the only parts of the game that can't be customised, I get the feeling there's a reason behind that. And when there's a reason behind something in FM, it's usually licensing/legal.

I don't know tobe honest, I wouldnt think so as these would be unofficial addons with nothing to do with SI, there are massive FIFA and PES communities who build and import stadiums and if there where leagal issues here then surely FIFA and PES would hardcode there games to prevent these form being added too!

If we can add our own unofficial unlicensed logos, kits, players faces, adbaords etc why are stadia treated differently?

[forameuss]

I don't know tobe honest, I wouldnt think so as these would be unofficial addons with nothing to do with SI, there are massive FIFA and PES communities who build and import stadiums and if there where leagal issues here then surely FIFA and PES would hardcode there games to prevent these form being added too!

If we can add our own unofficial unlicensed logos, kits, players faces, adbaords etc why are stadia treated differently?

Yeah, that's my point too. There are other similar edits allowed, so you'd think stadiums would be fine too. But, the fact that it's the last bastion of non-editing in the game seems to suggest that there's a reason behind it, and if there is, my guess would be licensing without knowing much more about it.

Of course, it could just be that the way they've modelled the stadiums isn't particularly friendly for opening up to the community. To achieve that, they'd need to change that, and that could end up not being an option, or just being too time-consuming to bother with.

*shrug* who knows

[Smurf]

however this has never been achievable as the .3ds stadia files are not able to be opened in any public 3D Modelling software.

I've never checked it out - but if it is .3ds files that are required you could try these, which are free

http://www.sketchup.com/

http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

I've never tried them myself but if you wanted to give it a go.

[rabcp]

Yeah it's a possibility I guess, it's all just guess work until SI come and say why this isn't possible and I'm not holding my breath on that happening anytime soon. Just a pity this has never been addressed as IMO it would add a lot to the 3D engine and crack up the realism a fair bit too, even being able to edit the Stadium_templates.xml settings to manipulate the current stadia appearances would be a step forward!

[Lawlore]

I'm with Eugene on this one.

For me, it falls into the same category as the whole chairman-mode argument- it's a great idea for inclusion in a football management game, but that game is not FM.

[Smurf]

I doubt editing the Stadium_templates.xml would do anything, that's just a file for probably listing all the stadia and where they're stored in the files.

You can open any .xml in Notepad or any text editor, like Notepad+ and edit away - but you'll most likely break FM.

Being on the forum for probably about a decade - I see this request for being able to build a stadium or have a say in it crop up about twice a year.

And it rarely garners enough support.

Although if you feel it needs to be addressed then input your ideas concisely to the Wishlist Thread.

Although - I doubt it's high on their list of things to be concerned about, and the lack of interest from others suggests that it's not a priority for others either.

[milnerpoint]

Let them get the editors actually working first, before asking them to add more to them.

[rabcp]

I doubt editing the Stadium_templates.xml would do anything, that's just a file for probably listing all the stadia and where they're stored in the files.

You can open any .xml in Notepad or any text editor, like Notepad+ and edit away - but you'll most likely break FM.

Being on the forum for probably about a decade - I see this request for being able to build a stadium or have a say in it crop up about twice a year.

And it rarely garners enough support.

Although if you feel it needs to be addressed then input your ideas concisely to the Wishlist Thread.

Although - I doubt it's high on their list of things to be concerned about, and the lack of interest from others suggests that it's not a priority for others either.

The stadium Template file is used to assign a specific stadium template and layout to specific clubs, so far only Watford and Stevenage have entries in this and adding other clubs has so far had no results.

For what its worth I dont belive any stadium editor should ever be incuded with FM and even being able to add 3D stadiums as much as I would love to see it, shouldnt be a pressing priotirty for FM16

[skipping pig]

What you want to be playing is Google Sketchup, not Football Manager...