So long FM, after 18 years I'm done

[ryank]

For the first time since Championship Manager 97/98 I'm not buying the annual release of this game. 

Even bought both 'Championship Manager' and 'Football Manager' when the split occurred and both were released. 

Just becoming boring with a lack of quirks.... 

How about a football manager where players can fail drug tests? (some covered up as injuries, some public), get 10 match bans for biting or pushing the ref. How about warnings and fines for tapping up players?  

How about arguments between club managers and international managers about players getting call ups? 

How about players coming out of retirement, like Scholes did? 

How about bribes and bungs, and possible consequences? 

How about the ability to look at your stadium facilities and suggest improvements, like on Ultimate Soccer Manager way back when? 

How about distinguishing between a 'head coach' type manager and a 'hands on' type? What about getting a job as a head coach with some idiot buying and selling your players for you? 

How about more 'player power', with disruptive influences turning players against you... who you need to bomb out of the squad? 

How about dodgy owners who get investigations for tax affairs, or billionaires who lose interest like the Venky's? 

How about fan owned Pheonix Clubs rising from the ashes? 

How about owning and managing a club like Barry Fry, and the constant headaches that would bring? 

How about consortiums led by your former players trying to wrestle control of a club in the year 2035? 

How about sending bad behaving players to play for the Under 23's because they lose the love of the game, like Gabby Agbonlahor? 

How about being able to get your first job as an U18 manager, like countless number of real managers in the game, then U23.... perhaps staying at that level for years, getting your first job after a successful spell as caretaker? 

How about falling out with pundits and critics like Alan Hansen or Joey Barton from Talksport? 

Even better, how about people can become Director of Football, Chief Executive, club owner? Decades you've had to expand this game into new realms, decades you've not bothered because nobody else has taken the bull by the horns and investing in blowing you out of the water (got to the point where I'm hoping and praying that this will happen one day, somebody comes and becomes the Google, relegating you like it did Alta Vista, Excite and Yahoo).

An actual Cheif Exec / Owner who can develop the stadium plans, set commercial revenues / devise marketing strategies and set ticket prices to try and bolster support over the long term? And arrange sponsorship deals? 

How about being able to start as a football agent? 

How about accepting a job only on condition that your Assistant Manager and Chief Scout come with you? 

How about players taking pundit jobs in the summer, and you having an opinion about that?

How about YOU taking a pundit job during the summer, making some money commentating on World Cup games? 

How about a more complex academy simulation? 

How about being able to steal 13 year olds from rival clubs? 

How about a multiplayer game where you own f*cking mate could be your chairman? 

How about being able to take a job as a Chief Scout? Watching games and submitting reports to the Director of Football you work for? Building up a rep for discovering the next Alan Shearer playing for York U17's? 

You could really have built out this game and made far better simulation of the real football BUSINESS, instead you've concentrated on coaching, only you haven't even really succeeded in that because you haven't created a realistic scenario. So many 'head coaches' now, not managers. There are technical directors who made transfer decisions and appoint a manager to coach them. How about we can be forced into being a head coach? Even better, how about we can become the technical director and hire and fire the head coach?

How about we can fall out with our technical director because he tries to tell you what sub to make during a game?

How about we can fall out with a head coach because we tried to tell them what sub to make during a game?

How about football managers and former players actually dying? Asked for tributes to Sir Alex Ferguson? 

I've given up on you ever really building this game up or injecting a bit of fun back into it.... a sad day. Starting playing at the age of 13, I'm now 32.... and this is my retirement from management. I don't know how much I've spent on your games, they were probably only £19.99 when I started out..... but at £37.00, so todays money, that would be about £703 if I don't include that time when there were two versions.

Got my money's worth over the years, but now I'm bored of you. I'll do a few more seasons of FM17, then I'll have to hope that somewhere down the line somebody comes and blows you out of the water with something more exciting. Its become a samey drag. 

Cheers. 

 

[KUBI]

You are obviously looking for another game than FM. It's not about being chairman, agent, chief scout or burger seller.

There is a feature request forum where you can post suggestions. But it should still be about football management, not about football business.

[ryank]

1 minute ago, KUBI said:

You are obviously looking for another game than FM. It's not about being chairman, agent, chief scout or burger seller.

There is a feature request forum where you can post suggestions. But it should still be about football management, not about football business.

If it were about football management then some jobs you'd be a "head coach" and having a Director of Football or crazy owner signing your players for you.

Is it realistic that a manager can dictate what a Director of Football does and does not do, on a daily basis if they wanted?

More realistic is that in you interview you state "I want full control over transfers" and then that is what you get, or you state "I am happy to work under a Director of Football" and then you have to leave your job for another one if you want to have full control like Sir Alex Ferguson. 

This isn't 1998, clubs have all sorts of different systems now.... fewer and fewer put all their trust in a manager, and that's why the title "manager" is dissapearing. 

But yes, you are 100% right, I am looking for another game... that's why I said I'm not buying Football Manager anymore and hoping that something better comes along in the future. I don't need a parrot. 

[ryank]

As for the "feature request", what a joke. Like I said, I've lost faith in the developers. Been reading those feature requests for years and there are countless number of features which have been suggested year after year by numerous people and they never get implemented. 

I see your Steam rating is poor again this year, congratulations. 

[XaW]

A lot of the suggestions here are really not for Football Manager. Like drug tests and bribes. Other things like Chairman Manager is another game, the same goes for using your money and all things like that. Not for FM. You seem to strive for FM as an action RPG or something?

A couple of other points already is in the game so I'm not sure if you have played much FM the last few versions?

11 minutes ago, ryank said:

How about accepting a job only on condition that your Assistant Manager and Chief Scout come with you? 

11 minutes ago, ryank said:

How about distinguishing between a 'head coach' type manager and a 'hands on' type?

These two are pretty much the only suitable "suggestions" I think would be suitable for FM, unless I missed something.

[SMV90]

See ya

[KUBI]

vor 2 Minuten schrieb ryank:

As for the "feature request", what a joke. Like I said, I've lost faith in the developers. Been reading those feature requests for years and there are countless number of features which have been suggested year after year by numerous people and they never get implemented. 

I see your Steam rating is poor again this year, congratulations. 

Some of the features I suggested over the years are in the game now. Together with hundreds of others suggested by other people. But most of what you suggest is really not for this game.

[ryank]

Just now, SMV90 said:

See ya

Chow.

Ps.... worrying turnover figures, rising liabilities and worrying lack of cash at Sports Interactive. Sorry to see that they are sleepwalking into oblivion, often happens at tech firms when the ideas run out and the innovation stops.

Perhaps they ought to use their database to bring out 'Football Chairman 2019' and 'Football Agent 2019', and if they were really clever they'd find a way to link their three titles together. Might bring back some of their customers... evidently I'm one of many to give up on the game in recent years.

 

[ryank]

2 minutes ago, KUBI said:

Some of the features I suggested over the years are in the game now. Together with hundreds of others suggested by other people. But most of what you suggest is really not for this game.

Good for you, glad you are happy.

I'm not, so I'm done with it. I've found the lack of innovation has rendered the game boring, so I'll find something more enjoyable. 

[XaW]

If this game brings you so much rage you have to resort to this, then I really think you should stop buying it, step away from the computer and take a little walk around the block and calm down...

[ryank]

Just now, XaW said:

If this game brings you so much rage you have to resort to this, then I really think you should stop buying it

That is what I'm doing. 

[JordanMilly]

1 minute ago, ryank said:

That is what I'm doing. 

For someone who is saying they're walking away, you aren't half still posting here complaining about the game though.

[Bigpole]

@ryank mate, most of the features you've posted are not actually involved with football MANAGER. Drug tests? Maybe bribing the referee? No one would put that into the game, they would've lost all licences and so on. Stealing u13s? You know that u-16 players aren't allowed to be in the game (or parents must sign a petition or something.) 

Most of your request are actually possible in the game like watching and discovering some young striker in sheetting united and one big character destroying your backroom. But this game as I said is football MANAGER not MY MATE WANTS TO BE A CHAIRMAN 2018. 

[XaW]

1 minute ago, ryank said:

That is what I'm doing. 

But you are still raging over it here. Find a game you enjoy, or another hobby, and have fun with it. I would not buy FM if I didn't have fun anymore. I am having fun though, so I'll keep buying it!

[CFuller]

Like others have said, a lot of those things you asked for are the polar opposite of what FM is about.

For one thing, the game is called Football Manager - not Football Assistant Manager, not Football Scout, not Football Physio, not Football Agent, not Football Chief Executive Officer, not Football Pundit. Football MANAGER.

Also, adding corruption and other controversial topics into FM will potentially lead to legal nightmares. Could you imagine the fallout if PSG found out that Neymar had been banned for match-fixing in someone's FM save, or if a living player/manager 'dies' in-game?

I disagree that Football Manager has become samey. It does improve year-on-year, but changes aren't often obvious, and there are only a handful of 'groundbreaking' additions per season, if any. Then again, SI have already come pretty bloomin' close to creating the perfect football simulator. They have no intention of creating some sort of extravagant hybrid of FIFA, Grand Theft Auto and The Sims.

(To be honest, though, people will always find reason to complain about arguably the most realistic sports management game out there because, say... there's no VR integration yet, or you don't have the power to unleash a swarm of bees onto the pitch if you're 2-0 down with 10 minutes to play.)

I wish you luck in your search for an alternative game to FM. No, I really do wish you luck. I think you'll find that there really isn't that much quality anywhere else, at least not as far as modern titles go.

[ryank]

Just now, XaW said:

But you are still raging over it here. Find a game you enjoy, or another hobby, and have fun with it. I would not buy FM if I didn't have fun anymore. I am having fun though, so I'll keep buying it!

When you have been buying and playing the same game every year for 18 years.... its a big part of your life, and a big decision to break the habit of a lifetime. 

Clearly I've been loyal to the franchise for a long time, but there is a limit to how often I want to shell out £37 for a game which doesn't seem to really ever evolve. 

By the way.... in late 90's / early 00's versions of the game, you could actually have a player get a 10 match ban for punching a referee.... so is that suggestion so crazy? 

Also, in football you get players retire early do to injury. That would be another aspect of realism.... wonderkid at 18, retiring at 22 on medical advice. Heart attacks on the pitch? Those happen once or twice a year in real football.

Not enough depth, need the occasional non-standard thing to happen to make the game less predictable. 

Games called off in the 60th minute due to fans invading the pitch? Etc etc.... just having a soft Brexit and a hard Brexit isn't enough, strange things do happen in football. 

Also, anybody noticed how much extra time teams get in the Championship these days? Usually 6, 7, 8 minutes.... time wasting has evolved over the past year or so to become a HUGE part of the game. 

[stokes_83]

I thought I was done too. I didn't buy '17. Didn't play really at all in the past year. Then I bought '18 Touch, and found out it is totally awesome, and my life outside FM is now ruined again. 

[Cougar2010]

I got about halfway down the list before I gave up.

So much rubbish in there that couldn't be included for any number of legal reasons, then take out the stuff that is already in FM, then the poor ideas such as "Football Chairman" and that leaves you with very little.

For someone who has played the game for so long you would think they would have a better idea of what is good

 

[KUBI]

So what you want is more drama in the game? Sorry, but that's like talking about BBC why it could not be more like Channell 4.

[ryank]

5 minutes ago, CFuller said:

For one thing, the game is called Football Manager - not Football Assistant Manager, not Football Scout, not Football Physio, not Football Agent, not Football Chief Executive Officer, not Football Pundit. Football MANAGER.

Also, adding corruption and other controversial topics into FM will potentially lead to legal nightmares. Could you imagine the fallout if PSG found out that Neymar had been banned for match-fixing in someone's FM save, or if a living player/manager 'dies' in-game?

I disagree that Football Manager has become samey. It does improve year-on-year, but changes aren't often obvious, and there are only a handful of 'groundbreaking' additions per season, if any. Then again, SI have already come pretty bloomin' close to creating the perfect football simulator. They have no intention of creating some sort of extravagant hybrid of FIFA, Grand Theft Auto and The Sims.

(To be honest, though, people will always find reason to complain about arguably the most realistic sports management game out there because, say... there's no VR integration yet, or you don't have the power to unleash a swarm of bees onto the pitch if you're 2-0 down with 10 minutes to play.)

I wish you luck in your search for an alternative game to FM. No, I really do wish you luck. I think you'll find that there really isn't that much quality anywhere else, at least not as far as modern titles go.

Oh its all so realistic that the manager of Bolton could sit down and negotiate the contract of a player isn't it..... are there any managers in the top two divisions of English football these days who would decide how much they are going to pay a player and for how long? The bloody Chief Exec or Director of Football does that, and would probably need to be rubber stamped by a vote at boardroom level.

Most clubs now have a Head of Player Recruitment, Director of Football and Head Coach.... or even a transfer committee.

In Football Manager you would be offering a contract to Fellaini. In the real world Jose Mourinho has said that he wants to keep him, but the contract situation is between Fellaini and the board. 

Even Mourinho doesn't get to decide how much to pay a player, he just tells the people above him whether he wants to keep him or not.

So the "most realistic sports management game out there" isn't really very realistic at all is it. 

Needs a complete overhaul of roles and responsibilities, with different responsibilities based on what job you get... as negotiated with the board. Mourinho in 2017 does not have the same level of control as Ferguson did at Man Utd. 

At Norwich City they have a technical director called Stuart Webber who signs players, Farke then coaches the squad. This evolution goes back many years, remember Hockaday at Leeds with the crazy Cellini? 

[KUBI]

Gerade eben schrieb ryank:

Most clubs now have a Head of Player Recruitment, Director of Football and Head Coach.... or even a transfer committee.

 

That's the reality on the continent. In the game you have still the manager type in the Premier league, where he is Director of Football and Manager in one person.

[ryank]

It is not realistic for a Football Manager to sit in a room to negotiate a contract with a player and an agent. 

And to be able to turn on and turn off his Director of Footballs responsbilities, like I saw somebody say they do depending on transfer on another thread on here. 

[Chris21]

[KUBI]

@ryank

To be honest, I didn't think that the game had moved away from you, but you did.

[ryank]

1 minute ago, KUBI said:

That's the reality on the continent. In the game you have still the manager type in the Premier league, where he is Director of Football and Manager in one person.

Its also the reality at Barnsley, Norwich, Wolves, Tottenham, Huddersfield, and countless other clubs which now have a head coach model and Director of Football / Technical Director which signs players. FM is behind the curve with this.

 

[CFuller]

11 minutes ago, ryank said:

By the way.... in late 90's / early 00's versions of the game, you could actually have a player get a 10 match ban for punching a referee.... so is that suggestion so crazy? 

Yes. Having violent conduct to that extent in the game would really get up FIFPro's backs.

13 minutes ago, ryank said:

Also, in football you get players retire early do to injury. That would be another aspect of realism.... wonderkid at 18, retiring at 22 on medical advice.

This can happen in FM, as far as I know.

13 minutes ago, ryank said:

Heart attacks on the pitch? Those happen once or twice a year in real football.

I'm sure the families of Marc-Vivien Foé, Miklós Fehér, Antonio Puerta, Phil O'Donnell and Cheick Tioté would love to see this implemented in FM. 

[Cougar2010]

2 minutes ago, ryank said:

Its also the reality at Barnsley, Norwich, Wolves, Tottenham, Huddersfield, and countless other clubs which now have a head coach model and Director of Football / Technical Director which signs players. FM is behind the curve with this.

and in FM you have a DOF which you can give that responsibility to if you want.

You can also make the Chairman responsible for the contract of the DOF.

See how easy it is.

[ryank]

6 minutes ago, KUBI said:

@ryank

To be honest, I didn't think that the game had moved away from you, but you did.

You may be 100% correct mate. But here are these numbers again to show that I'm not alone....

Cash down from £1m to £51k, turnover down from £14m to £8m, liabilities up from £2.1m owed to £3.55m owed.

So evidently I'm one of many to abandon the franchise, I'm late in getting bored.... think many got bored after FM15. 

Its all well and good performing your role as paid monkey admirably and toeing the party line, but if I were you I'd see that the game needs to change its direction if you are to keep your job.

 

[ryank]

1 minute ago, Cougar2010 said:

and in FM you have a DOF which you can give that responsibility to if you want.

You can also make the Chairman responsible for the contract of the DOF.

See how easy it is.

The point being that in the real world, the manager doesn't get to decide what job the Director of Football does..... the Director of Football is HIS boss. 

[CFuller]

1 minute ago, ryank said:

Its all well and good performing your role as paid monkey admirably and towing the party line, but if I were you I'd see that the game needs to change its direction if you are to keep your job.

You do know that KUBI is an unpaid volunteer administrator, right? And that he has a track record for constructively criticising the game whenever he feels the need to, instead of just pretending that everything's perfect?

[Swindon69]

1 minute ago, ryank said:

The point being that in the real world, the manager doesn't get to decide what job the Director of Football does..... the Director of Football is HIS boss. 

And if that's how you want to play the game you can pretty much set up your game like that.

[Cougar2010]

1 minute ago, ryank said:

The point being that in the real world, the manager doesn't get to decide what job the Director of Football does..... the Director of Football is HIS boss. 

The point being that setting what I said above does exactly that but you aren't happy with that because it goes against your ranting.

[ryank]

Just now, CFuller said:

You do know that KUBI is an unpaid

He's a mug then isn't he. 

Cya. 

[KUBI]

vor 1 Minute schrieb ryank:

The point being that in the real world, the manager doesn't get to decide what job the Director of Football does..... the Director of Football is HIS boss. 

This is obviously only in the game because if the differences in the UK and the continent. If you want to have your Director of Football as your boss you can do this in the responsibilities. 

[KUBI]

vor 2 Minuten schrieb ryank:

He's a mug then isn't he. 

Cya. 

You're running out of arguments, so you have to insult. Always the same. Good luck in searching for another game.