I wrote the original Football Manager, Football Manager 2, Football Manager World Cup edition, and a few years ago, Footymax. All of them were Football Management games and yet, in each one, the gameplay was different. I sometimes think that I was trying to move too many steps at once between the early games, but I am inventive, and it sort of happens, naturally. It’s a question for me, what steps to take, what innovations really are worth it? I have seen some of the clones of the original Football Manager over the years, and most of them tried to keep the basics of the original game.
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i think there are several things missing from all current/past football management sims. i’m uncertain how many others share the same interests as myself, but here are my thoughts:
– when playing Football Manager as a boy, i often (erm, i don’t know if i should admit this..) interviewed myself. a major part of online sims have opened up a world of in-game media banter that hasn’t been fully exploited. i would want to see a whole new level of interaction between managers (pre-game interviews, banter, goading etc.)
– realism. i’m uninterested in meat-pie stalls, fake teams and imagery players – let the game reflect the real world. including current stats and, then, reflective pricing.
– a very accurate in-game engine. i’m quite happy to just read about a match, rather than watch a fancy, but inaccurate, 3-D system.
– the ability to use SMS, or mobile facilities, to bid on players, choose formations etc, leading up to the transfer window or matches.
– manager performance ratings. being unable to manage prem clubs until you’ve earned your spurs at a lower level.
– strategy. a new formation/tactics only ‘gel’ after a period of training/games.
– board objectives, training and development, manager/player of the month.
– media again. tabloid/broadsheet newspapers, pod casts, vidi-printer on match days.
– forums, instant chat.
– performance charts for managers/teams/players.
i have more idea’s, but now i fancy a meat pie..
Plenty in that, Dai. I wonder how many people have a list of things they would like. Do people experience much frustration with the current games out there? I am not sure.
many do express frustrations but, obviously, people have their own expectations of how such a game should be. some are quite happy with fictional teams/grounds/players whilst others, like myself, will only settle with a game based on realism (or of a sort.)
i have a mobile sim and it’s just terrible – i can’t lose a game! yet, with mobiles becoming more powerful, i don’t think it’s wise to excude the potential advantages and use of such.
personally, i don’t play online simply to beat other managers/users – i desire the interaction. this is something that is sadly missing from every game in the market.
that said, most don’t have a list as long as my own – part of my employment was a software tester and i can’t help myself state “this feature is a bit crap?!”