The Perfect Football manager

[GIBURROWS]

Over the last 20 years or so we have seen loads of games companies try and replicate what CM/FM have done, none have lasted even huge companies like EA keep failing, some had some amazing features(LMA looked nice and was very playable, The Sim City style of FIFA Manager, the play ability of sensible soccer in manager mode, the quickness of CM 01/02) which will never make FM but in your opinion what parts of what games or what ideas do you think would make the Perfect Football Manager game.

Not thinking of ideas for FM2013 but if a new company was to form to challenge SI.

[Kenco]

I'd have every part of FM12 and nothing from other games.

[milnerpoint]

I'd agree with Kenco, nothing any of the other companies have done interests me, thats not to say i think FM is perfect, but there is nothing any of these other companies have done that holds any interest for me in this game type.

[Welshace]

well obviously the complexity and depth of FM improved in every way.. with the graphical nouse of a modern game...

[chob]

I don't think SI will ever have a strong challenger to be honest. Any other management game just doesn't feel right so I think I'll agree with Kenco.

[markyosullivan]

I've played other football manager games before, nothing comes close to SI's Football Manager.

[wardog]

I used to enjoy LMA manager, although i think alot of that was having the ability to also build a stadium i think on of the premier managers done a decent job of this too.

So basically i'd take FM12, add the ability to design a stadium and increase the board discussions and player interations. Boom game to sell, just need a name.

Although for what its worth i don't think any company spends enough time on a single game like this to come and challenge SI

[englandmanager]

i'd have all fm12 and parts of LMA manger mainly the stadium plans

[haz32]

I think at some point some healthy competition will appear to challenge FM, otherwise there is a risk of SI becoming complacent.

However at the moment FM is such an incredibly well made game that it is hard to see what major new features could really be added, at least with current technology.

[GIBURROWS]

I Have played most if not all and I like what FIFA were doing but it is so slow, buggy and graphically it is like sesame street but I liked their full control options(stadiums building, price setting, etc) and I obviously love FM's depth but after a few seasons(8-9) I am done as I am bored, for me if they could get the game play of the old Actua Soccer and make that the new 3D engine with Barry Davies as the commentator then add the full control of FIFA with the deoth and layout of FM I would quit my job!

[englandmanager]

I think at some point some healthy competition will appear to challenge FM, otherwise there is a risk of SI becoming complacent.

However at the moment FM is such an incredibly well made game that it is hard to see what major new features could really be added, at least with current technology.

it's not current technology that is holding them back

it's the people that are still using 1998 PC's

they try to balance out the spec requirements to increase customer base, i have no doubt if they knew everyone would buy a new age machine, they would be able to increase the power of the overall game

[DizzyPenguin]

All those that want to build stadiums should stick to LMA or Premier Manager. I don't think there's any place for that in the FM series... what FM does so well is replicate football management, pure and simple. None of this faffin around with stadiums and/or spending your wages in your spare time on yachts and cars and blah blah blah.

We create tactics, we interact with our players and staff, we buy, we sell, we watch the game from the sidelines with no physical control over the movement of the players... just tactical instructions that may or may not work depending on each players' attributes and human traits.

It doesn't need anything else. It doesn't need blinging up. It's fine as it is, it lives up to it's name: When playing it, I feel like nothing but a Football Manager.

[scott MUFC]

FM12 with less goals from particular situations (corners, indirect free kicks), less misses when clean though. take one away and put it where it should be, then it is perfect.

[Booooooom]

it's not current technology that is holding them back

it's the people that are still using 1998 PC's

they try to balance out the spec requirements to increase customer base, i have no doubt if they knew everyone would buy a new age machine, they would be able to increase the power of the overall game

Graphics should not be a huge part of the game. The aim of the game imo is to have as great a database possible with many leagues running. Adding too much graphics is simply overkill.

Of course I am happy that the commentary only has evolved into 2D and eventually the 3D version we have today, but it's not of the priorities I consider when I think of how great FM is/has become.

[PG41]

I agree with the people that say there isn't anything that could reasonably be expected to better this anytime soon, except for future versions of FM. I mean, I don't like steam at all (even though I've had no problems with it yet) and there are minor things I don't like, but this is the closest thing to a perfect sports management sim that I've ever seen.

To appreciate how good FM is, look at similar sims from other sports and see how the dominant games in those are doing. For me, I'm American, and baseball is a sport that literally screams 'create a text-oriented management sim out of me'. It's reliant on statistics and one on one, kind of static confrontations that just involve one or two players. The pitcher faces the batter. A fielder tries to catch a ball. There aren't a lot of tactical options relative to football. They've been coming out with management sims for baseball for 30 years, and the best of those is currently at least 5 or 6 years behind FM. It's like that with every other sports management sim I've tried - sure, I like them, but FM is in its own category at this point.