World Cup Summer -FM 2018 Hotfix for International Management please.

[Mark.Alexander]

Hi Si,

Loving the game as ever. 100s of hours played.

It's the 2018 World Cup around the corner.  I have a few FM 2018 HOTFIX  requests that will hopefully improve the experience for managing National teams.

 

Primary request:

Introduce the 'rest' function into International management:  This will be especially useful in World Cups etc.  At the moment you can only access 'rest' through the training function.  Ideally that will mean bringing in training. (which is realistic as an International window is 2 weeks and there is much longer for the full tournaments.  However, if that's not possible to add the training function please add 'rest'.

Expand 'rest' to be 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days, 4 Days, 5 Day, 6 Days, 7 Days - rather than, the 1, 2 miss a few, 7 days

Secondary requests:

Boost morale with International call-ups:  No player should start a World Cup with abysmal morale.

Tactic familiarity: As there is no training can you please artificially boost the tactic familiarity.  These are top quality players, they should be more familiar with more tactics.

Delay International call-ups if there are end of season finals:  Happened a lot with my super successful team in FM 17 where I lost players from end of season club cups due to being called up to the national sides, when the national teams weren't weren't playing for a week or so.

Ability to play knock-about friendly prior to World Cup against a minor local side: Helps with team cohesion, tactics, fitness. (back to that training function again).

Ability to move shirt numbers around on tactics screen without having to move player and thus the role etc,:  This applies to International friendlies, club preseason friendlies, Non league teams (all season).  

This also has the general function of helping in game when you switch tactics in the drop down and you hadn't realised (due to squad numbers) that tactic 1 effectively has number 6 on the right wing and tactic 2 number 6 is the centre-half.  If you stick to the same tactic you won't notice, it only comes to light if you switch tactics in game from the drop down.

More team meetings:  When the World Cups are on you often here players say, in today's meeting.  Need tools to be able to boost morale after a loss.  Remind them of a target (in group stages) etc.

Every player you have ever called-up is automatically added to a special short list: If you are an International manager for a while you can quickly see who you have used.  Ability to see the same for u21 and other younger sides would be great.  An average club rating, can miss a class act International.  Rare but happens.

When you take over an international team there is a shortlist that lists all players called-up in the last 12 months:  A helpful tool when you start with a nation. Match reports not always available.

 

At the very least it would be brilliant if the primary request can make it on a HOTFIX for FM2018.

 

Thanks guys

 

Happy gaming 

[CFuller]

I think we're past the point in FM18's life cycle where you can expect hotfixes to improve gameplay. If you'd like these ideas to be considered for future FMs, please post here.

9 minutes ago, Mark.Alexander said:

Primary request:

Introduce the 'rest' function into International management:  This will be especially useful in World Cups etc.  At the moment you can only access 'rest' through the training function.  Ideally that will mean bringing in training. (which is realistic as an International window is 2 weeks and there is much longer for the full tournaments.  However, if that's not possible to add the training function please add 'rest'.

Expand 'rest' to be 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days, 4 Days, 5 Day, 6 Days, 7 Days - rather than, the 1, 2 miss a few, 7 days

Yes, we do need proper training options for international managers. In FM17, I've often been frustrated that I can't make specific preparations for opponents, and that I can't rest players who need it. It's put me off managing national teams in future FMs until these issues are rectified.

13 minutes ago, Mark.Alexander said:

Boost morale with International call-ups:  No player should start a World Cup with abysmal morale.

You don't remember France's 2010 World Cup campaign, do you? 

15 minutes ago, Mark.Alexander said:

Tactic familiarity: As there is no training can you please artificially boost the tactic familiarity.  These are top quality players, they should be more familiar with more tactics.

This is a tricky issue for me. Players should be familiar with more tactics, but how familiar are they with playing the same tactics with their international team-mates?

[forameuss]

I know they say anything can happen, but I am almost 100% certain that none of this is going to happen.

1. They're effectively done with FM18
2. There would be far more pressing things they would want to fix should they not be done
3. They don't really improve international management in the main release, let alone using a hot-fix for it

Don't hold your breath.  Unless you like being disappointed.

[GOODNAME]

They need to tweet the broken ME first of all,but SI doesn't give a crap about us,thats why i will not buy FM 19.

[forameuss]

Someone wasn't hugged enough as a child...

[Mark.Alexander]

17 minutes ago, GOODNAME said:

They need to tweet the broken ME first of all,but SI doesn't give a crap about us,thats why i will not buy FM 19.

See the thing is the Match Engine can be improved on forever more.  It will never ever satisfy the majority of people.  With Match engine changes, you need massive amounts of testing etc.   So long as the ME is worked on, its vital having a dedicated team that focuses on the small changes that will actually deliver results we get to see and use in game.  The problem with these changes is, there is no fanfare.  "Si make it possible to see FA Cup ball in FM18 fix' (sigh never happened) its the grunt work of developing.  'I made the FA Cup ball visible in FM18'  won't add anything to a developers CV or sales to the income.

Adding a 'rest' feature to international management (given the impact routines already exist in game) is a very simple process, compared with other aspects of the game.  It can be argued that over the years Si have focused too much on 'the next big thing' and pushed the non sexy developments to the back of the line.    

FM is like a club football shirt, a new stripe gets added for the next season and we buy it anyway.

[forameuss]

6 hours ago, Mark.Alexander said:

See the thing is the Match Engine can be improved on forever more.  It will never ever satisfy the majority of people.  With Match engine changes, you need massive amounts of testing etc.   So long as the ME is worked on, its vital having a dedicated team that focuses on the small changes that will actually deliver results we get to see and use in game.  The problem with these changes is, there is no fanfare.  "Si make it possible to see FA Cup ball in FM18 fix' (sigh never happened) its the grunt work of developing.  'I made the FA Cup ball visible in FM18'  won't add anything to a developers CV or sales to the income.

Adding a 'rest' feature to international management (given the impact routines already exist in game) is a very simple process, compared with other aspects of the game.  It can be argued that over the years Si have focused too much on 'the next big thing' and pushed the non sexy developments to the back of the line.    

FM is like a club football shirt, a new stripe gets added for the next season and we buy it anyway.

While you're absolutely right that ME changes will take a considerable amount of testing, you then describe something like a rest period as simple, like it won't need much testing.  Everything needs extensive testing, and there's no such thing as a simple change when it's being added into such a complex system.  I'm currently working (on a Saturday night) to fix something that went wrong in a client reporting system that's essentially one column wrong.  One line fix too.  But that touches a large number of other client reports that will need tested extensively to make sure they don't break when you change the part that needs fixed.  Simple changes don't always make for simple testing/releases.

[GOODNAME]

7 hours ago, Mark.Alexander said:

See the thing is the Match Engine can be improved on forever more.  It will never ever satisfy the majority of people.  With Match engine changes, you need massive amounts of testing etc.   So long as the ME is worked on, its vital having a dedicated team that focuses on the small changes that will actually deliver results we get to see and use in game.  The problem with these changes is, there is no fanfare.  "Si make it possible to see FA Cup ball in FM18 fix' (sigh never happened) its the grunt work of developing.  'I made the FA Cup ball visible in FM18'  won't add anything to a developers CV or sales to the income.

Adding a 'rest' feature to international management (given the impact routines already exist in game) is a very simple process, compared with other aspects of the game.  It can be argued that over the years Si have focused too much on 'the next big thing' and pushed the non sexy developments to the back of the line.    

FM is like a club football shirt, a new stripe gets added for the next season and we buy it anyway.

GK dive before shots

90% of penalties missed

Shooting from long range is very bad

And you really cant score from free kickes

This is basic stuff.. and a lot of people have complain about all of this and SI doesn't  really care

[Stevicus]

The international side of the game is indeed lacking, and hasn't really been improved for years now. 

 

You'd think the new dynamics system would have played a vital role on the international scene, what with players' social groups being comprised of teammates from the same club. The dynamics system for some reason didn't even make it to the international side of the game. 

It really does need some improvement, especially with AI call ups. I rarely see form players called up at all and instead it's literally just the strongest squad that can be assembled regardless of form. Still see Sturridge being called up to the England side despite barely playing at all for my Liverpool team, and failing to shine in his brief appearances. 

 

Similarly, the Euros and the World Cup don't FEEL like the huge events they should be, and they actually feel like quite a burden as the competitions are obviously happening at a time when I'm scouring the transfer market for my club side. 

 

This year you get absolutely hammered with inbox messages telling you some no mark 15 year old who isn't even on anyone's radar has 'decided against playing for Ireland and will look to play for *insert other nation*' that's not useful or important information to anyone, not unless said player is some absolute wonder kid at that age. 

[Mark.Alexander]

14 hours ago, forameuss said:

While you're absolutely right that ME changes will take a considerable amount of testing, you then describe something like a rest period as simple, like it won't need much testing.  

'simpIe'- I literally put (given the impact routines already exist in game) before and followed it by 'compared with other aspects of the game' -   YES everything needs testing. 

Si do have a seemingly impossible job in prioritising what they can do in development months between releases.

[dcu223]

In regards to online the best thing they can do is have the option to play matches at the same time. At present KO times are all different so if your playing online with 3 other guys it takes longer than it should do.

Give us the option at least.