One manager said I was too harsh last post. I suppose if you add in youth and then looking for players it's not so bad and some managers like the tokens thing.
Tokens should be a lot better this is true seems like SI don't want them to be good which is an odd thing to say but something like custom crowd chants would be amazing or colours on stadium. Heck maybe that's just me
I'm getting a feeling that the current ME isn't quite right I had an injury crisis in Horton (four out) and this is great, so no whining far from it. I had to bring two very young players in as cover and yet I'm still winning games....
Very odd can't quite put my finger on it.
Sunday 28 February 2010
Saturday 27 February 2010
The Elephant in the Room
As I said last update I'm enjoying Horton such as it is but when I think about here is what occurs to me.
1) I log in for an hour or so three times a week.
2) In that time I play around 4/5 senior games
3) That is 15 games a week, 45 a season
So say I log in at 11pm I'm very unlikely to meet someone who does the exact same thing but logs in at 6pm.
So really the 'Active FA' isn't really a hardcore FA what the heck is someone going to do who only gets 4 games a week. Seriously are they going to actually cough up £4.99 for that?
That's not hardcore is it? I mean £4.99 should give me at LEAST three hours a week in fact lets be honest it's borderline that I'd pay for it.
I'm a FAN of the game!
So why don't I log in more, well there is nothing to do, yes yes community, yeah but facebook is the dogs bollocks and it's free.
What else then if I'm not a chatter, buy sell players? Not an option. Grind to progress? Not possible. Play meaningless games to win some tokens? Yuck there is nothing at all that appeals to buy with tokens. Youth? Commit finical suicide.
I played FM10 for a bit the other day, imagine if you could only play 10 games a week so a season took a month. You'd lose interest right?
Take any issue, lets say the ME, it can be frustrating when your on a bad run feels like nothing makes a difference, the loaded dice syndrome. These runs can go on for weeks at a time. Seriously weeks of not being able to do much and £4.99 a month!
So why the fudge does a season take a whole month in FM Live?
1) I log in for an hour or so three times a week.
2) In that time I play around 4/5 senior games
3) That is 15 games a week, 45 a season
So say I log in at 11pm I'm very unlikely to meet someone who does the exact same thing but logs in at 6pm.
So really the 'Active FA' isn't really a hardcore FA what the heck is someone going to do who only gets 4 games a week. Seriously are they going to actually cough up £4.99 for that?
That's not hardcore is it? I mean £4.99 should give me at LEAST three hours a week in fact lets be honest it's borderline that I'd pay for it.
I'm a FAN of the game!
So why don't I log in more, well there is nothing to do, yes yes community, yeah but facebook is the dogs bollocks and it's free.
What else then if I'm not a chatter, buy sell players? Not an option. Grind to progress? Not possible. Play meaningless games to win some tokens? Yuck there is nothing at all that appeals to buy with tokens. Youth? Commit finical suicide.
I played FM10 for a bit the other day, imagine if you could only play 10 games a week so a season took a month. You'd lose interest right?
Take any issue, lets say the ME, it can be frustrating when your on a bad run feels like nothing makes a difference, the loaded dice syndrome. These runs can go on for weeks at a time. Seriously weeks of not being able to do much and £4.99 a month!
So why the fudge does a season take a whole month in FM Live?
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Driven to Despair
Reactivated a few accounts the teams I try to do well with do terrible the teams I just leave to AI do great.
The old Whiteside account was classic, from CFA Div1 to Premier League and then won Premier League with a record something like P46 W36 D10 L0, and AI 100%!
I think to be fair it's a perception thing but I don't know I just feel lost with the game sometimes. Maybe patience is the key or just not to fiddle with the team every five minutes.
I can understand the frustration that some have with the game, he missed how many chances! I suppose a manager would say if your creating the chances eventually you'll get the rub of the green so as a 100% AI manager you just let it ride.
Anyway I'm quite enjoying Horton in a casual way, don't tend to log on much but play 3 / 4 games when I do. Home playing rights is great.
Despite playing casual my AI is still only 40% so I'm not really sure what all the fuss is over playing 90 odd games a season. I guess if not leaving games to AI is a deal breaker then the AFA is not the one to go for, if you don't give a monkeys like me then it's the best.
Ohh yeah forgot to mention this and it hasn't been covered anywhere much with all the fuss over the new wage system.
NO MORE WAGE TAX! Yes no more wage tax this change was almost buried in the row over the new wage system but it does make a massive differance to teams at the top.
The old Whiteside account was classic, from CFA Div1 to Premier League and then won Premier League with a record something like P46 W36 D10 L0, and AI 100%!
I think to be fair it's a perception thing but I don't know I just feel lost with the game sometimes. Maybe patience is the key or just not to fiddle with the team every five minutes.
I can understand the frustration that some have with the game, he missed how many chances! I suppose a manager would say if your creating the chances eventually you'll get the rub of the green so as a 100% AI manager you just let it ride.
Anyway I'm quite enjoying Horton in a casual way, don't tend to log on much but play 3 / 4 games when I do. Home playing rights is great.
Despite playing casual my AI is still only 40% so I'm not really sure what all the fuss is over playing 90 odd games a season. I guess if not leaving games to AI is a deal breaker then the AFA is not the one to go for, if you don't give a monkeys like me then it's the best.
Ohh yeah forgot to mention this and it hasn't been covered anywhere much with all the fuss over the new wage system.
NO MORE WAGE TAX! Yes no more wage tax this change was almost buried in the row over the new wage system but it does make a massive differance to teams at the top.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Bah Humbug
Well I tried my best and failed and as Homer Simpson would say the lesson learned should be 'never try'.
Not really that's a joke:)
It does seem really odd though that with lessons learned from the first try at FM Live would appear to me to be:-
1) No sense of progression
2) GW needs to be deeper, e.g. Rep 20 teams, Rep 3 teams
3) Needs to be tough at the top.
4) The GW1 battle-cry of 'Give us something to play for!'
All have been taken on board and addressed in some way but...
Not for the first three seasons, SI will defo not make the same mistake of giving everyone too much cash. Instead they'll make the same mistake but in another way by giving everyone too little:)
Then we have fully random Qual leagues for three seasons, yeouch.
Three seasons in and finally the GW's will be let loose and hopefully all the new tweaks and game dynamics will kick in.
Well I hope the game does well in spite of all this and I might be totally wrong, All I can do is give feedback and let it ride.
Meanwhile the Horton team are dire, actually their not so bad, high CA but low rep methinks which results in them going on extended runs of bad form, playing very loose and throwing away leads. Very infrequently get a result, not sure how long Horton is going to last anyway, hopefully not long:)
I'll be chucking the subs I have left into Casual FA for first three seasons anyway, dropped a clanger joining the AFA in Horton but then didn't realise I'd be doing 60 middle of the table type games:)
Not really that's a joke:)
It does seem really odd though that with lessons learned from the first try at FM Live would appear to me to be:-
1) No sense of progression
2) GW needs to be deeper, e.g. Rep 20 teams, Rep 3 teams
3) Needs to be tough at the top.
4) The GW1 battle-cry of 'Give us something to play for!'
All have been taken on board and addressed in some way but...
Not for the first three seasons, SI will defo not make the same mistake of giving everyone too much cash. Instead they'll make the same mistake but in another way by giving everyone too little:)
Then we have fully random Qual leagues for three seasons, yeouch.
Three seasons in and finally the GW's will be let loose and hopefully all the new tweaks and game dynamics will kick in.
Well I hope the game does well in spite of all this and I might be totally wrong, All I can do is give feedback and let it ride.
Meanwhile the Horton team are dire, actually their not so bad, high CA but low rep methinks which results in them going on extended runs of bad form, playing very loose and throwing away leads. Very infrequently get a result, not sure how long Horton is going to last anyway, hopefully not long:)
I'll be chucking the subs I have left into Casual FA for first three seasons anyway, dropped a clanger joining the AFA in Horton but then didn't realise I'd be doing 60 middle of the table type games:)
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Macro Game Theory
Horton is interesting, the first four / five seasons the economy is throttled.
Here is my finances for the first season on season start:-
Now looking at what I could win, it's around £1m Prize Money and that's if I spend the projected on wages and if I'm lucky. Looking at the team so far their ok, lots of workhorses mostly speculative buys.
So if I spent the projected and did well my projected by the end of season one could be pretty much what it is now, IF I'm lucky. If I'm not lucky it's going to worse than what is now.
So why take the risk? No reward don't take a risk, as the GW moves forward you are going to get bigger pots to win so maybe then it's worth going for it.
Also consider that many players are not going to be released until later, at the very best my ability to compete for these players is the same as it is now.
Not sure this is a good move by SI, we've gone from 'lets give everyone loads of cash' which resulted in a reset being needed to 'lets give everyone no cash' at least early on, the reasons why I'm not convinced about at all. Can't really articulate it too well either based on a hunch, it's the wrong thing to do.
I did want depth to the GW's teams of rep 20 down to 1 so we've gone from everyone being rep 14 to everyone being rep 6.
This is only for the first few seasons so might work out ok in the end.
Here is my finances for the first season on season start:-
Now looking at what I could win, it's around £1m Prize Money and that's if I spend the projected on wages and if I'm lucky. Looking at the team so far their ok, lots of workhorses mostly speculative buys.
So if I spent the projected and did well my projected by the end of season one could be pretty much what it is now, IF I'm lucky. If I'm not lucky it's going to worse than what is now.
So why take the risk? No reward don't take a risk, as the GW moves forward you are going to get bigger pots to win so maybe then it's worth going for it.
Also consider that many players are not going to be released until later, at the very best my ability to compete for these players is the same as it is now.
Not sure this is a good move by SI, we've gone from 'lets give everyone loads of cash' which resulted in a reset being needed to 'lets give everyone no cash' at least early on, the reasons why I'm not convinced about at all. Can't really articulate it too well either based on a hunch, it's the wrong thing to do.
I did want depth to the GW's teams of rep 20 down to 1 so we've gone from everyone being rep 14 to everyone being rep 6.
This is only for the first few seasons so might work out ok in the end.
Monday 15 February 2010
Horton Reset Again
Another reset this time to tweak starting squads further.
Personally my pool looked a little better and managed to do a few tight games with a level 8 Shiggles. Drew one 2-2.
The wages this time were at just over £20k so was delighted with that.
It's hard to be 'up for it' though as we're not likely to have much of a run in Horton.
Still enjoy testing it all out even if it's just for a couple of hours.
The GW doesn't start till lockdown so I haven't really bothered. I suppose I could go bargain hunting but first few seasons there isn't an awful lot to play for.
So foot off the gas, I do feel a bit uninspired, think it's restart fatigue:p
Youth Academies - Well make no secret I was never a fan, I just felt the were always going to be a simple lottery. You watch 6 months from now there will be a campaign to see them removed. To be fair given the obvious design limitations I think SI have done a grand job with them.
Throttled GW - Yawn I'm still not convinced at all that there is a need to throttle GW's early on. GW's will start full and will empty that is a fact of FM Life. How strong SI are on not opening GW's like they did before and how easy is it to progress will make or break the game.
Can't reveal much about beta but actually read a change that would have caused team progression to be vague and disjointed, hopefully now changed.
I'm in a moaning mood today, moff till I get into a better mood.
Ohh T-Bags Rage Quit is back!
Personally my pool looked a little better and managed to do a few tight games with a level 8 Shiggles. Drew one 2-2.
The wages this time were at just over £20k so was delighted with that.
It's hard to be 'up for it' though as we're not likely to have much of a run in Horton.
Still enjoy testing it all out even if it's just for a couple of hours.
The GW doesn't start till lockdown so I haven't really bothered. I suppose I could go bargain hunting but first few seasons there isn't an awful lot to play for.
So foot off the gas, I do feel a bit uninspired, think it's restart fatigue:p
Youth Academies - Well make no secret I was never a fan, I just felt the were always going to be a simple lottery. You watch 6 months from now there will be a campaign to see them removed. To be fair given the obvious design limitations I think SI have done a grand job with them.
Throttled GW - Yawn I'm still not convinced at all that there is a need to throttle GW's early on. GW's will start full and will empty that is a fact of FM Life. How strong SI are on not opening GW's like they did before and how easy is it to progress will make or break the game.
Can't reveal much about beta but actually read a change that would have caused team progression to be vague and disjointed, hopefully now changed.
I'm in a moaning mood today, moff till I get into a better mood.
Ohh T-Bags Rage Quit is back!
Wednesday 10 February 2010
What will the New GW's be like?
This is all beta so don't presume it will be in the final release.
You Will be Poor
Lets not fanny about you will be very poor once the GW starts, you can expect £50k a day that's it.
Locked Squads
You get 50 players, a mix of old and young, mostly their prospects. I didn't really have one player that had me drooling.
Their purpose is that you can put together a core of a team here. If your not happy with not having a certain position what I did was get a youth for that position and then look to buy in.
If I wasn't planning on having a youth team than slightly miffed at having to pick 16, but it's not a massive amount of cash £16k for one player so worked out ok.
Some will be lucky some won't. This isn't your final team that will last you for ten seasons it's a starting point that's it. If you get a bum deal or so you think then work with it. They seem fairly balanced to me but FM managers are quick to come up with excuses.
Lock Out & Benchmarking
Once you confirm the transfer market is closed until FA lockdown, I think this needs tweaking to three days it's not a massive big deal but pretty boring.
To fill the time I thought I'd go up against some CPU club. I picked a level 8 team Shigglesworth and played them around 5 times in all, it was a good way to benchmark.
Prior to confirming you can play games. I looked carefully at the players and as money is so tight cut a few and replaced them with youths. Value is the key!
I'll give you an example I had a 30+ right back who was very solid but £6k a day I felt I could get one cheaper later so made do with a youth in that position.
Played Shiggles a few more times and with the youths in the results were bad, 4-1, 3-0 etc. Your not going to learn much though by playing level 1 and it became clear that no.1 priority should be two DC's and maybe a FC.
I confirmed the squad, I managed to find a free agent value player. A little Argentinian with nice pace and agility so got him. Now normally my moto is pace, power and passion but we're looking for value here so whilst has a touch of pace, potentially a lot of passion, strength isn't brilliant.
I think a lot of managers ignore agility but I think it's an important stat for this sort of player. I've always equated it to a car, Acceleration, Pace = Top Speed, Agility = Handling.
The transfer market opened and spotted a couple of cheap DC's, they were speculative buys, £18k ish.
I can see it now, 'omg SI these players suck sort it out' these DC's ain't going to have mark Ronaldo! They might go well early doors and if I can get Championship level football will have the cash to replace. Hopefully the inflation mad GW's are a thing of the past.
I've now got around £100k left and the next positions are a Goalie (go high for the right one) and a value left back.
Play Shiggle again after 7 straight horrible defeats, win 5-0, must have done something right then :)
From there it's a case of trying to get a youth squad together. I think youth in new GW's will quickly find their value, to earn cash you must win senior games and you won't be locking players away for ten seasons on well under market wage, so don't get too excited about youth.
Now here is an interesting twist, you only get £50k a day but if you manage to do well during the first season then you'll get a LOT more. So do you go into the red and go for it or play it safe?
Taking that gamble could pay off in style but it may go horribly wrong. If you take a safe path well it's, erm safe. Even if you don't do that well then it's not the end of the world.
Exploits Closed
DYM - Dead gone.
Trading up - In the old days you'd see this a lot, get a value player banging in goals in friendly games sell him for £1m. Then go buy £1m Aq Fee player.
First off no one has that much cash at the start and it is going to be vital to get the right player at the right price at the right time. So say you got Pato on £20k a day you could find that your so weak in other areas that you'll never bank enough to progress.
It might be worth gambling on Pato but it really could backfire.
Overall your starting at the bottom with very limited resources just keep that in mind.
Bottom line, exploits dead, football alive!
You Will be Poor
Lets not fanny about you will be very poor once the GW starts, you can expect £50k a day that's it.
Locked Squads
You get 50 players, a mix of old and young, mostly their prospects. I didn't really have one player that had me drooling.
Their purpose is that you can put together a core of a team here. If your not happy with not having a certain position what I did was get a youth for that position and then look to buy in.
If I wasn't planning on having a youth team than slightly miffed at having to pick 16, but it's not a massive amount of cash £16k for one player so worked out ok.
Some will be lucky some won't. This isn't your final team that will last you for ten seasons it's a starting point that's it. If you get a bum deal or so you think then work with it. They seem fairly balanced to me but FM managers are quick to come up with excuses.
Lock Out & Benchmarking
Once you confirm the transfer market is closed until FA lockdown, I think this needs tweaking to three days it's not a massive big deal but pretty boring.
To fill the time I thought I'd go up against some CPU club. I picked a level 8 team Shigglesworth and played them around 5 times in all, it was a good way to benchmark.
Prior to confirming you can play games. I looked carefully at the players and as money is so tight cut a few and replaced them with youths. Value is the key!
I'll give you an example I had a 30+ right back who was very solid but £6k a day I felt I could get one cheaper later so made do with a youth in that position.
Played Shiggles a few more times and with the youths in the results were bad, 4-1, 3-0 etc. Your not going to learn much though by playing level 1 and it became clear that no.1 priority should be two DC's and maybe a FC.
I confirmed the squad, I managed to find a free agent value player. A little Argentinian with nice pace and agility so got him. Now normally my moto is pace, power and passion but we're looking for value here so whilst has a touch of pace, potentially a lot of passion, strength isn't brilliant.
I think a lot of managers ignore agility but I think it's an important stat for this sort of player. I've always equated it to a car, Acceleration, Pace = Top Speed, Agility = Handling.
The transfer market opened and spotted a couple of cheap DC's, they were speculative buys, £18k ish.
I can see it now, 'omg SI these players suck sort it out' these DC's ain't going to have mark Ronaldo! They might go well early doors and if I can get Championship level football will have the cash to replace. Hopefully the inflation mad GW's are a thing of the past.
I've now got around £100k left and the next positions are a Goalie (go high for the right one) and a value left back.
Play Shiggle again after 7 straight horrible defeats, win 5-0, must have done something right then :)
From there it's a case of trying to get a youth squad together. I think youth in new GW's will quickly find their value, to earn cash you must win senior games and you won't be locking players away for ten seasons on well under market wage, so don't get too excited about youth.
Now here is an interesting twist, you only get £50k a day but if you manage to do well during the first season then you'll get a LOT more. So do you go into the red and go for it or play it safe?
Taking that gamble could pay off in style but it may go horribly wrong. If you take a safe path well it's, erm safe. Even if you don't do that well then it's not the end of the world.
Exploits Closed
DYM - Dead gone.
Trading up - In the old days you'd see this a lot, get a value player banging in goals in friendly games sell him for £1m. Then go buy £1m Aq Fee player.
First off no one has that much cash at the start and it is going to be vital to get the right player at the right price at the right time. So say you got Pato on £20k a day you could find that your so weak in other areas that you'll never bank enough to progress.
It might be worth gambling on Pato but it really could backfire.
Overall your starting at the bottom with very limited resources just keep that in mind.
Bottom line, exploits dead, football alive!
Tuesday 2 February 2010
2+2 = 5 The New Skills System
Nothing I can reveal from beta and noithing I've been told this is pure wild guesswork on my part.
I think you'll be allowed to specialise in two disciplines you'll then be limited how far and how expensive going down the other routes will be.
So if you went coaching & scouting those skills take as long as they did before. The other skills take four/five/ten times as long to learn and the upper reaches of those skills remain blocked.
So say going youth, coaching & scouting, or infrastructure & coaching. If you've aspirations of being a big team then maybe finance & physio (don't underestimate the injuries in 1.5!).
If it was me I'd limit new managers to a broad choice of skills during first season and then allow them to specialise. You'd pretty quickly be able to overtake the rest of the GW in an area if they were not specialists themselves.
I think you'll be allowed to specialise in two disciplines you'll then be limited how far and how expensive going down the other routes will be.
So if you went coaching & scouting those skills take as long as they did before. The other skills take four/five/ten times as long to learn and the upper reaches of those skills remain blocked.
So say going youth, coaching & scouting, or infrastructure & coaching. If you've aspirations of being a big team then maybe finance & physio (don't underestimate the injuries in 1.5!).
If it was me I'd limit new managers to a broad choice of skills during first season and then allow them to specialise. You'd pretty quickly be able to overtake the rest of the GW in an area if they were not specialists themselves.
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