experienced players: how can we choose a team/league/country that keeps the game fresh and exciting

[ArielOrtega10]

I first played the game in 2001 when I got the 01/02 Championship Manager demo free with a pack of Frosties. The rest is history. Like many of you out there I have played the game for many years now, created some wonderful memories, gone extremely deep into saves, achieved great things with little and big clubs from all over the world. I think this may be the problem.

Generally I have stuck to Europe like most players I imagine, the thought of taking a team to the champions league simply too good to resist. I've dabbled in South America and a little bit in Asia but generally I find Europe the place to be. I know some of you may say I should branch out more but I love European football and my understanding of it in the real world helps with how immersed I can become with a save in the game. 

I click on "New Career", I scroll through the countries and one by one I reminisce......I have so many associations from previous saves with each league I find it so hard to choose a team to go as. Sometimes I find myself spending hours reading football manager stories for inspiration, occasionally coming across a few really good ones that I wish I had come up with myself. 

So..for other experienced players out there how do you go about keeping the game fresh and exciting for yourselves and not letting all the associations and history you may have with previous saves affect how immersed and special a new save can become? 

This may be a dumb question but I can't be the only one who takes hours, if not days, if not weeks to choose a team to go with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by ArielOrtega10

[SpikeHughes]

14 minutes ago, ArielOrtega10 said:

I first played the game in 2001 when I got the 01/02 Championship Manager demo free with a pack of Frosties. The rest is history. Like many of you out there I have played the game for many years now, created some wonderful memories, gone extremely deep into saves, achieved great things with little and big clubs from all over the world. I think this may be the problem.

Generally I have stuck to Europe like most players I imagine, the thought of taking a team to the champions league simply too good to resist. I've dabbled in South America and a little bit in Asia but generally I find Europe the place to be. I know some of you may say I should branch out more but I love European football and my understanding of it in the real world helps with how immersed I can become with a save in the game. 

I click on "New Career", I scroll through the countries and one by one I reminisce......I have so many associations from previous saves with each league I find it so hard to choose a team to go as. Sometimes I find myself spending hours reading football manager stories for inspiration, occasionally coming across a few really good ones that I wish I had come up with myself. 

So..for other experienced players out there how do you go about keeping the game fresh and exciting for yourselves and not letting all the associations and history you may have with previous saves affect how immersed and special a new save can become? 

This may be a dumb question but I can't be the only one who takes hours, if not days, if not weeks to choose a team to go with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was the same for me Holland Belgium France ect ect ect. I got to the point we’re i thought time to leave the game alone for a while. Then a few years ago I stumbled across some stories about Eastern Europe you get the champions league but with new leagues. Basically I don’t bother with anywhere else apart from the occasional lower league or welsh league game. There great new rules massively new players very unlikely a big name player will go to Belarus. It’s hard you need to improve the whole league not just your club. If you find yourself with no good ideas just go to Eastern Europe have a look there all different and you will have more memories to remember fondly. 

[Declan Cahill]

I played fm16 for 4 years, always stayed fresh/interesting. I managed a season and a bit with Bolton (my team) I did a non league to legend save with chorley 4 seasons, and finally Ballymena United 7 seasons. Took me 4 years to do all that. 

3 years to do 7 seasons with Ballymena, I never got bored because I micro managed. Did lots of player interaction, actually watched players I scouted to ensure they fitted in with the DNA I wanted for the club. Took charge of every aspect, full control...

Also what helped with the save to keep its interest is the northern Ireland league set up. After each team plays 3 times the league splits in 2 with a relegation play off league and a championship play off and a mini Europe spot play off. Anything can happen... Form and fatigue play a huge part, especially as surviving the drop you only play the teams around you, and then there are no easy games to win the league. Plenty of cup games too so can get a bit of silverware or opportunity to blood the youth coming through.

And now for me I've 4 years of improvements/enhancement and new features to catch up on.

I'm lost with training schedules. Can't get it right, but enjoying the challenge

[superposh]

In principle I like the idea of an MLS save, in particular with one of the expansion teams. I tried it a few years ago but the transfer system was a turn off for me, just couldn't get into it. But if you can get past that, I reckon it could be fun. 

I've done the English leagues to death, same for Spain and Italy. For me it helps if I have a connection to the team/place, no matter how small. I had a weekend in Venice a few years ago, amazing place. Got home and started a Venezia save, on FM15 I think. I was at Camp Nou last weekend, got home and started a Barca beta save. I've managed Brackley, Cheltenham, Worcester and of course Peterborough, just because these are places I have lived. 

I think this year my first long term save will be in Mexico, maybe Argentina or Brazil. Football Manager has never once taken me to that side of the world. I'll load up as many leagues as I realistically can, start over there and just see where the game takes me. 

My most memorable saves have always been my 'sleeping giant' saves. Leeds, Forest, Newcastle and Napoli. There are loads of them out there in Europe that will offer the right level of difficulty. A solid fan base, a half decent stadium, decent youth set up and some history... find one and away you go. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by superposh