retired_janecole

If there was a way to run leagues below a certain level (of a country with Normal detail leagues already selected) as basic detail I would love it. Something like:

Premiership to League One- Normal detail
League Two to Conference - Basic detail
Conference North/South - Not selected

Would be nice, seeing as we already have basic leagues, though I'm not sure if its doable.

aqualady

Just a thought but for future versions of the game maybe si wants to put a difficulty level on the game. That way they will not alienate their consumers and my stress levels will come down.

You could have an easy (youth team) level, a back to the old days when you did'nt really need to know a great deal about trg or tactics and still have a little success.

Then a moderate (reserve team) level, a basic knowledge of both required to be able to enjoy some glory.

Finally a fm 2006/7 (first team) level, a Fifa coaching badge, a masters degree in sports science and the time available to watch every minute of everygame for any chance of any success what so ever. Even then be prepared to have it all ripped away with a 45yrd screamer to the top corner in the last minute.

Maybe then i might feel like playing the game i love at the level that's pitched for me. No one could complain because they would just be told to go and play it on the easier level that's more appropriate to their management abilities.

The newbies can get a foot hold in the game without having to spent a life time searching forums for scraps of advice on how not to get thrashed.

The moderate user that's played the game for a while but has not the time or maybe the effort can still enjoy the game.

Finally the tactical genius's and die hard fans of the game will have a level that will drive their cogs into overdrive.

In all one game that is for everyone

My_Evo

Never going to happen.

SI have said they have ideas as to how to make things easier for new gamers (being able to solicit staff advice on every aspect of the game strikes me as a logical one), but difficulty levels are just nonsensical in game like this.

retired_nnifeitak

This is something I really want to see as well. For example, if you're buying a stand out youngster from a team in a lower division, as an incentive (like a sell on fee or a buy back price) you should be able to give them the option of being able to take the player back on loan for another 12 months or so.

The other thing I would like is the ability to release a media comment pushing a player for international selection in the media if they are uncapped and performing above a certain rating.

retired_cshekher_sharma

[quote]Originally posted by Dave C:
Because its so focused on 'realism'?

Some day I'll do a full review of FM for some strategy game sites, and one of the things I'll be 'whining' about will be the focus on 'realism', often at the expense of either sense or fun. Don't get me wrong; I think FM2006 is one of the best strategy games I've ever played, but I think some priorities need sorting out.

For instance, its 'realistic' to have scouts at a club. But if you're going to implement this, they should be either realistic or usefully fun, and hopefully both, when they are currently neither. How can one suggest that "We have to have scouts because to just use a player list wouldn't be realistic" and then keep the Player Search feature anyways? There are a lot of anachronisms and broken bits in the game that either should be wiped clean in 2007 or 2008, or actually made useful.

1. Scouts (should do something useful and/or realistic).

2. Manager Profile (should do something useful and/or realistic).

3. Tactics should be made useful without consulting an (unavailable) Rosetta Stone of slider translations.

4. Tactics should be realistic, but most importantly, FUN to use. IE, they should be the tactical element in a strategy game, not the mystery meat in a simulation game.

5. Tactical gameplay should give some feedback to the player about what is working and what is not. Don't tell me that one should:
a. "Watch the matches in Full, then you'll see" or
b. "Analyse the match/player stats correctly, then you'll know"
because as a former coach and longtime strategist I must say to these suggestions "Phooey!. Since we don't know how to change our player's behaviors with the mystery sliders, we can't gradually approach a fine-tuning of tactics. The strategic learning curve here is disturbingly absent."

6. Improve the 'Notes' feature so that:
a. You don't have to click twice just to make a note or look one up. This, and note organization, should be handled auto-magically by our invisible computerized secretaries. Notes on players should appear when you have a screen open with said players, and notes should be available to be kept automatically (Click to make a note of every Key Pass made during the match, for example).
b. Notes and training can work in conjunction to create a useful and 'pretty' html journal or blog to be read while away from the game and shared online to boost SI's profile and profits.
c. Did I mention that Notes should be made more useful?

7. My personal suggestion is to add both difficulty levels and a bit more 'gaminess' to the game such as:
a. Fictional uses for your salary would add long-term goals for the computer game player and make the game a little more competetive between people, which would increase its popularity severalfold.
b. Fictional 'bust-ups' and other shennanigans at a club or between clubs, with press, or whatever.

8. Some day, make a 3D graphics engine, even if this means selling your 'engine' to a current game and partnering. The year you do this, hire a new Management for your own company and buy stock, 'cause your **** will sell like the crack we all know it is already, those of us who don't need the 'pretty factor' to enjoy it.


Tha's a few.

My_Evo

[quote]Originally posted by smacksim:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by Dave C:
Because its so focused on 'realism'? </BLOCKQUOTE>


Not to p*** on your chips following your lengthy reply (which actually contains some total nonsense, but I can't be bothered with that right now), but no. Believe me, there's not a single person on these forums that has more in-depth critique of the game under his belt than me. So "realism" is not my reasoning.

My reasoning is very simple. How do you put difficulty levels in? Exactly what do you do that makes it "easier"? There isn't some underlying number in the game that sets difficulty, just hundreds of different parameters.
You would have to basically re-code the entire game twice over to create the realism levels. It's not a case of just ignoring tactics, giving a player loads of money etc. You have to make your human AI less reliant on you and the computer AI more stupid. Which means completely re-programming the game.

The time and effort required just isn't justified by any potential income growth. You'd waste all your coding time doing that, then not have time to improve anything else, so you'd lose a lot of your existing users. Any potential gains are therefore off-set.

It's nothing to do with concerns over the realism, its to do with concerns over what is actually useful and valid development. And for the volume of work required, difficulty levels don't cut the mustard, not when you can simply add feedback to give more help to new users.

retired_lnspeer

Plus the National XI and that's all I really want. Would love to lift the Surrey Senior Cup with Woking. :cool:

retired_infamouscrew02

dont get me started on removal of the player search screen !!!!

retired_brinker317

Plus the National XI and that's all I really want. Would love to lift the Surrey Senior Cup with Woking. :cool: </BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, the National Game XI as well, especially with the Home International Tournement now.

retired_stesska

you can still do this i think but its done differently you have to customize filter. </BLOCKQUOTE>

It makes it too easy to find the perfect player for your team.