Ultimate Feature List

[conhobs]

After 1,500 hours and counting of gameplay, here are a few thoughts.

Immediately upon purchase of FM2019, I was very happy with the overall design, UI and look of the game. Sports Interactive have really gone a long way in recent years in this field. Contrary to many other opinions and reviews, I find the UI intuitive, and once acquainted with very well thought out. Many believe some screens hard to find and access - but I do not notice this much.

1. Improvements on the Game Engine are nice, but were expected fixes to previous versions rather than ground-breaking novelties. This is an area that must, must be improved upon, but in such a way that the game remains playable for the huge majority of customers who play on laptops. The next iteration of the game needs to work on this hugely.
2. Tactics. Still very hard, like previous versions, to install a clear philosophy into your team - and instructions that should distinguish your team hugely from another - short passes vs direct passes - are actually hardly noticeable on the pitch. The next iteration should add to the tactical possibilities but most importantly make a team like Stoke City FC extremely distinguishable from Barcelona FC. Tactical tweaks should result in visible, on-pitch differences in the way a team plays.
   1. Secondly, the extremely rigid tactics 'board' where one assigns player a position should be made much more malleable, and instead of a set of positions one should be able to fluidly place a player wherever one wishes to place him. 
3. Improvements in contract negotiations are hugely noted and lauded. Extra-realism in these due to contractual clause additions and the like are great. Work needs to be done on the AI transfer system and the personalities of a club's board. As recent events have shown - a board can take the decision to sell a player without a managers' consent. This has been a great addition but more events should happen 'without' a manager's consent depending on the boards personality. The rise of the ' team coach' rather than 'team manager' role means that increasingly clubs are keeping transfer decisions within the responsability of other club roles. For example, Arsenal with Sven Mislintat a couple months ago, with Unai Emery bearing little influence on transfers. Would be a 'sweet' feature that can hugely add to the challenge of the game!                        
4. Pep Guardiola moving to Man City whilst Pellegrini was still manager was very interesting, and one should as such be able to negotiate contractual terms with a club whilst another manager is still in the job - albeit reaching the end of his tenure there.
5. Extra financial options. Clubs are now money-making and money-oriented. Extra control and importance on issues such as pre-season tours/tournaments, shirt-sales/ticket prices, club sponsorship deals would be great.
6. Late 'bloomers'. As we have seen with the likes of Jamie Vardy, some players develop after the age of 24. It would be nice to have a 'late bloomers' feature, where certain players develop late into their careers.
7. Club reserves. It would be great to have more input into how young players develop and especially the reserve teams. Perhaps the option to be able to take a 'reserve team manager' role?

Sports Interactive, although this review has been highlighting for the most areas for improvement, the current iteration of the game is already fantastic and your work must be applauded. Thank you for your devotion and hope you can take into consideration some of these reasonable proposals.

Edited September 12, 2019 by conhobs

[Kyle Brown]

Reviewed so locked.