Is there anyone for whom Touch is the only reason they play this game?

[Highsis]

It is the only reason for me.

Each year I've bought some FM series on and off, every time disappointed by the time consuming nature of the game.

A simulation game is an abstraction of reality. It can never be interesting nor complex as real life is; that's why Total War series' battles don't last 8 hours.

However, FM does abstract much in scope while being hopelessly limited in its contents. This leads to, for me, a meaningless repetition. Vocabulary and format of media news, interviews, and reports are so limited that after few hours every single news becomes predictable word to word. However, you are forced to do the same speech, same interview to meaningless questions like 50 times a season which generates the same response in text to one of your interview answers. This is not a game but a chore to me. If a game aspires to be realistic, it should be as interesting and as deep as the degree of reality it tries to imitate.

Even the game watched in hightlight mode is so much less dynamic to real soccer even when it is depicted by 2d-ish graphics with limited motions which you suspect should make it somewhat easier to simulate players' movements. Goals have similar patterns and movements are sloppy with AIs often reminding you that this is a game. Many stats(penalty save rates, passing success rate, cross-goal connection rate by AI teams) are totally different from real soccer. It gets tiresome to watch this 50 times over each season until your success or failure is determined.

I'm not criticizing the game. Despite being a game that lacked huge improvements over its installments, FM still stands as the most realistic and probably interesting sports simulation game to date. The thing is I desperately needed a similar experience in much more streamlined and faster fashion, which FM Touch delivered.

For the first time since I played Championship Manager 01/02, I got past the second season and still enjoying the game. I hope SI keeps developing Touch with its unique features in the future rather than being a stripped version of FM.

[rich10]

Hello fellow addict, the hardest part of battling your addictions is admitting you're addicted in the first place.

That's a bit of downer you're having on FM there chap, but I empathise with the media interaction comments; once they'd decided to include this module, the next task was to create it in such a way that makes it meaningful and fresh...not easy when in real life they are anything but. so perhaps don't include it in this way? But then you're leaving out a big part of how we view the game. So perhaps it should only be a reactionary media module - or speculative where you have the option to respond - requiring little-to-no manager input? I don't have the answers on me right now but I'm sure someone in SI Towers does.

To answer your title question: Yes, I exclusively play FMT. I don't play the full game anymore - something I couldn't have imagined saying just a few years back - FMT allows me to manage my team wherever I am, and focuses on the core jobs of being a manager & coach.

I read an article featuring Paul Collyer a few months back where he talks about constantly being asked for more and more FM Full Fat features to be added (by Oliver Collyer) into FMT, and he has to resist as the whole point is to make the game more streamlined (I might have the names of the Collyer's mixed up there), so we may well see it develop into it's own beast with bespoke features.

Great. Now you've got me thinking about managing my team, and my tablet is inches away...resistance is futile.

[fc_battenburg]

I only play fm touch these days. I struggle to keep the motivation if it takes several weeks to get through a single season... I like the streamlined approach of fm touch which still retains the match engine...

[lordlovebucket]

I bought FM16 (PC) on release and the Android version just to play FM touch cross-platform at home and on my commute into work. Unfortunately the tablet version doesn't work at all well on my Galaxy Tab S2 despite it being more than powerful enough, so I pretty much feel like I've wasted my money until they fix it... which is taking a hell of a long time.

At this point I'd take FM Mobile over Touch, and I'm trying to go one better by getting CM01/02 working on my S2 instead.

[ifthenwouldi]

FMT only.

[shaunwwfc]

FMT only.

Or, to phrase it better - No Tactical Familiarity nonsense only.

[shirajzl]

I only play FMT because I can't stand the way player/team interaction is implemented in the full game. Other things like no tactical familiarity, press conferences etc. are a nice bonus.

[Maw74]

I'm still playing FMC15 , started a couple of saves on 16 but haven't really got into enough yet.

Anyway yes, can't be bothered with Full Fat anymore so if it wasn't for Classic/Touch then I really wouldn't be buying the game, I would rather go back to an older version than current if I was going to play a Full Fat game.

[samelders86]

I really loved the epic CM 01-02, because of the speed of that game. FMT 2016 gives me a similar experience in a lot of aspects..

[thesandman]

Yep, absolutely. iPad only.

I can't imagine playing the Full Fat game. Started playing with CM 93/94 (yep, I'm old), and up until CM4, absolutely loved it. As more and more 'realism' came into the game, I started to enjoy it less and less. Clearly that's what most players wanted, but it just became a chore.

I had a go with FM in around 2008, and a go with FM11 I think it was - but ended up playing very little indeed. Too much media, too much influence from team talks etc.

Squad management (buying and selling players basically), tactics, playing matches. That's the core of the game.

Once you get too far outside of that, I just quickly lose interest. It just becomes way too slow.

I always loved long careers on the earlier version of the game, working my way through countries, or up the league ladder. Building a club up in your own vision over years. Once you play full fat - when you have a job, wife, kids etc I struggled to get through more than a season or two.

[Cometdude]

I've not played "full fat" version since 2012. FMC & Touch have been an absolute godsend. The ipad version is now my sole FM experience & I am delighted by that!

[thesandman]

I've not played "full fat" version since 2012. FMC & Touch have been an absolute godsend. The ipad version is now my sole FM experience & I am delighted by that!

Yeah, me too. I realise it's a balancing act, but the more of the 'add-ons' that are kept in full fat, and out of this version the better as far as I'm concerned.

I bought the mobile version a couple of years ago, and it was just too cut down for me.

This version is pretty much on the money in terms of what's in and out I think. The more things that are squeezed in, the less it will appeal I think.

[ac13]

Yeah the full version is just too slow at the moment. If I was still a broke student and didn't have a huge number of other games to play as well I might feel differently.

I really dislike the player interaction in the full version. It's just too easy and gimmicky constantly praising anyone who plays well and criticising those who play badly. There's not much info on what ai managers do so it's impossible to know in what areas you are getting an unfair advantage by doing certain things or are disadvantaging yourself by not doing others. Team talks and press conferences were also poorly implemented and tedious in the years did play the full version so doubt they've improved in the last couple of editions.

I do miss being able to hire more former players as coaches and scouts (having the limited staff roles) but of the three choices to play it's not a difficult one for me.

[Barkatthemoon777]

It had to be last year as being self employed and planning a wedding for next year I currently do not have the the for the full version.

I'm buying touch this year for Android too, I do wish I had the time for the full version as I've trued it once or twice this year but I can only have 1-2 games a day and can't take it with me; that's not how to play this game, and touch sorts that problem so well.

[Sussex Hammer]

I am a major convert to FMT. Totally resisted the change from full fat until I played a season on FMT or FMC as it were then and was a fan straight off. To me FM and football in general is all about matches so FMT is perfect for that as it gets rid of a lot of the tedious stuff. I went back briefly to full fat this year to see how the game had evolved and quit the save about 2 game months in and loaded up touch again.

It's each to their own but I can never really understand the wish lists for adding new features. As it's all about match days for me I would much rather (from a selfish point of view) have SI solely concentrate on the ME and add bits to the actual match day experience. You spend all that time trying to win something and then all you get is a bit of ticker tape and players running about for 10 seconds and that's it. Rather than unneeded peripherals I would rather see extra graphics of players climbing the Wembley steps to pick up the trophy. I just don't see the need for added features in the game week if match day isn't as real and experience as you can make it.

The only thing I would chance about FMT is an improved scouting module. I still can't quite fathom how say the PL can be scouted for two years and yet half the players have no scout report so maybe that's the only improvement I would like to see along with the match day experience.

[Lucas]

I am a major convert to FMT. Totally resisted the change from full fat until I played a season on FMT or FMC as it were then and was a fan straight off. To me FM and football in general is all about matches so FMT is perfect for that as it gets rid of a lot of the tedious stuff. I went back briefly to full fat this year to see how the game had evolved and quit the save about 2 game months in and loaded up touch again.

It's each to their own but I can never really understand the wish lists for adding new features. As it's all about match days for me I would much rather (from a selfish point of view) have SI solely concentrate on the ME and add bits to the actual match day experience. You spend all that time trying to win something and then all you get is a bit of ticker tape and players running about for 10 seconds and that's it. Rather than unneeded peripherals I would rather see extra graphics of players climbing the Wembley steps to pick up the trophy. I just don't see the need for added features in the game week if match day isn't as real and experience as you can make it.

The only thing I would chance about FMT is an improved scouting module. I still can't quite fathom how say the PL can be scouted for two years and yet half the players have no scout report so maybe that's the only improvement I would like to see along with the match day experience.

Regarding scouting, I'd check what the scouting criteria is for the assignment. If a player doesn't meet them then they won't get a report. You can always select players and request a scouting report for them as well.

[Sussex Hammer]

Regarding scouting, I'd check what the scouting criteria is for the assignment. If a player doesn't meet them then they won't get a report. You can always select players and request a scouting report for them as well.

Don't think that there is any criteria Lucas, just any old players would do!!!

This is the thing that confuses me. Example - For Instance on my scout search list I have Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and John Stones listed. There is scouting information for Lukaku and Barkley but none of Stones? There aren't any filters active it's a generic search and in both games Everton have played all three were active in those matches so why doesn't a scouting report for Stones appear? That's just an example using those three.

[Lucas]

Okay will take this under advisement and look into a bit further, thanks for the feedback

[Sussex Hammer]

Thanks Lucas, I'll start a thread in the main FMT section with an example or two as I don't want to hijack Highsis thread.

[heron]

Only play fmt. Tried full mode just when the latest patch was released. Hated it. Too much meaningless details and stupid reactions in the media and player interaction models which break immersion constantly.

[fastballman-1900]

I have been playing the classic, and touch now for a few years. Before that always the main game. CM/FM. I think i tried both games in the first year FM Classic came out. I loved the speed of it.

In the big game you are forced to deal with certain things. I like to have the freedom if i like to deal with things or not. Or leave it up to my assistant manager/coaches.

[BoxToBox]

I played full mode for a few saves this year, since I wanted to do things that weren't possible in Touch.

Playing Touch again was like coming home.

[fastballman-1900]

I have been playing FMC/FMT now for three years. I dont want to go back to the full version. The reason for it is that a season became too long in the full version. All the news items take too much time. I like to focus on playing games/scouting/tactics.

What i do miss is

* an editor. Its stupid/not fair that we have to pay extra for transfer money/own son/other stuff. When you play the full game you can use an editor. In FMT we have less, and also need to pay for extra stuff?! I do not like to pay extra for something that should be in the main game(read FMT). If i could choose a different developer i would stop buying this game cause its really stupid to pay ingame for options i always had when playing the full version. Besides that. The prices are rediculous. 5,99 euro for 50 million euros in game?!

* the option to have your assistant play the pre season matches(not the go on holiday sollution)/me take over second team for a match

* more information about how the coaching/training works. Do the attributes have any influence or not?

* i miss the option to have a player being watched over a longer periode by my scouts.

To handle all the drama with players is the most important reason i do not play the full version anymore. Nevertheless im worried about the direction SI takes with developing the game. I do not have the idea that they are listening to the community. We are all shouting/begging for the option to use an editor. And to get rid off those silly in game items you can buy. If i could change the full version to a FMT version, including using an editor, i would change back to the full version. For now i play FMT.

[thesandman]

I don't care about an editor.

I'm pretty much with the Sussex Hammer.

FM to me is about:

Matches

building a squad\club by transfers in and out

Dealing with the clubs limitations - facilities, wage budgets, transfer budgets etc. to get the best results you can.

That's it really.

The whole Sims\role play stuff I find an enormous distraction. I think SI can build a great football game.

I'm not convinced they can make a great story\lifestyle game. Once you start having things like pretend player conversations and press conferences influencing the matches, that just makes me want to walk away.

Do managers do that IRL? Of course they do. They also get to know the players face to face and their personalities - I'm pretty sure they don't get 5 predefined multiple choice answers when responding to players.

[grade]

I do care about the editor. Here is why.

It creates endless possibilities to explore leagues that are not officially supported by SI. But the editor is also about creativity, since it enables to create very unique and imaginative league systems that are different from reality. I like to play for example with Hearts in a UK league system based on the English leagues. I like to play with any team in USA with Promotion and relegation system. To name a few.

All of these doesn't have the possibility to be used in FMT, because it lacks the tool that permits us to create such systems. I support anything that pushed the fun elements forward in this version of the game and in FMT, I think an Editor is that logical step. And everyone should supported it, since it will only benefit the overall experience of FMT.

[tyro]

I don't think the editor will come to FMT seeing that they have gone the route of the cross function at this point. FMT is meant to be played on the tablet and PC. For this to work, they need to limit the amount of resources the game will use.

For me personally, I love FMT, always try the full game but never get far because, while more in depth (perhaps too much so), it just takes longer because of all the loading and news and press conferences and this info and that item and so on. I always come back to FMT and enjoy it.

This year added the prozone to it as well as opponent instructions which gives you a feeling of being able to "analyze" things more. Just hoping to be able to start without first window transfer budget, then all is good for me.

[Maw74]

I don't care about an editor.

I'm pretty much with the Sussex Hammer.

FM to me is about:

Matches

building a squad\club by transfers in and out

Dealing with the clubs limitations - facilities, wage budgets, transfer budgets etc. to get the best results you can.

That's it really.

The whole Sims\role play stuff I find an enormous distraction. I think SI can build a great football game.

I'm not convinced they can make a great story\lifestyle game. Once you start having things like pretend player conversations and press conferences influencing the matches, that just makes me want to walk away.

Do managers do that IRL? Of course they do. They also get to know the players face to face and their personalities - I'm pretty sure they don't get 5 predefined multiple choice answers when responding to players.

Apart from the bit in bold the rest is spot on with my opinion.

[thesandman]

I do care about the editor. Here is why.

It creates endless possibilities to explore leagues that are not officially supported by SI. But the editor is also about creativity, since it enables to create very unique and imaginative league systems that are different from reality. I like to play for example with Hearts in a UK league system based on the English leagues. I like to play with any team in USA with Promotion and relegation system. To name a few.

All of these doesn't have the possibility to be used in FMT, because it lacks the tool that permits us to create such systems. I support anything that pushed the fun elements forward in this version of the game and in FMT, I think an Editor is that logical step. And everyone should supported it, since it will only benefit the overall experience of FMT.

And to my mind, that's exactly why you should leave it out of FMT. All of that will introduce bloat to the database size, complexity and size of the program. FM for the tablet should be stripped down.

You want to put different clubs in different countries, mess about with data etc - to me, that sits wholly and solely in the PC (or Mac of course) world.

That's just my view of course. But all of those things in my mind are the polar opposite of the main intention of the tablet version of the game.

Unique and imaginative versions of the leagues are extremely interesting - but are not really in the 'lean and mean' part of the game.

[BoxToBox]

And to my mind, that's exactly why you should leave it out of FMT. All of that will introduce bloat to the database size, complexity and size of the program. FM for the tablet should be stripped down.

You want to put different clubs in different countries, mess about with data etc - to me, that sits wholly and solely in the PC (or Mac of course) world.

That's just my view of course. But all of those things in my mind are the polar opposite of the main intention of the tablet version of the game.

Unique and imaginative versions of the leagues are extremely interesting - but are not really in the 'lean and mean' part of the game.

More people probably play FM Touch on PC than tablet.

[thesandman]

More people probably play FM Touch on PC than tablet.

Really? I wasn't aware of that.

I guess I'm looking at it mostly from the tablet point of view. That's the whole reason I bought it. I wanted something better than the pure mobile version (FMC was it?). I bought that a couple of years ago, and it was OK, but not really quite what I was looking for.

FMT was perfect for the tablet for me. It was detailed enough to still feel like FM - but not bloated and unwieldy like the full fat version.

My gut feel is the more that you jam into FMT, the closer it gets to the full fat version. Maybe the editor wouldn't cause any issues for tablet players. If that's the case, I guess it wouldn't bother me either way.

[grade]

Well I can't say if it jams more to the game or not, because I'm not aware what is the requirements for using an editing file.

In terms of size the database, it depends if you want the top 3 leagues or go lower then that. And putting a sort of restriction for the tablet version, is one solution to the issue to keep it within specifications. But FMT, is not primarly to play in a tablet, since a lot of people play in their desktops and laptops. So those issues of specification are removed. The only issues that remain are those related to FMT database itself, if there is any.

Adding an editor to FMT, will not make FMT like full fat version, but it will give more possibilities to play in leagues that aren't currently available for this version, which only going to benefit all of us.

I won't go near the argument, that there is no editor due to unlockables, because those can easily work together.

[fastballman-1900]

And to my mind, that's exactly why you should leave it out of FMT. All of that will introduce bloat to the database size, complexity and size of the program. FM for the tablet should be stripped down.

You want to put different clubs in different countries, mess about with data etc - to me, that sits wholly and solely in the PC (or Mac of course) world.

That's just my view of course. But all of those things in my mind are the polar opposite of the main intention of the tablet version of the game.

Unique and imaginative versions of the leagues are extremely interesting - but are not really in the 'lean and mean' part of the game.

Ive started playing the classic version cause i didnt liked all the news items/stuff with players that i had to deal with. I love to play games and deal with finding players/winning etc. All the stuff with the players personal life, feelings etc is in my eyes Sims stuff. Ive i could turn off all the these things i would go back to the full version. But i have no choice to other than to use the FMT version. Without FMT im not able to reach a few years in the game, every year i buy the game.

Your argument is based on that people that play FMT use a tablet. Im using my own build computer and use my Windows laptop/tablet. They are powerfull enough. So a bigger database is no problem here.

I love to have an editor so i can change stuff that i do not like. I also do not like to pay extra money for things that are in the full version of the game, and not in the stripped version of the game. It doesnt make sense in my eyes. If you do not like to use an editor, you have the choice if you like to use it or not. Right now i do not have a choice.

[shirajzl]

I have been playing these games since CM 2 and haven't used an editor even once, so don't care about it all. Having read the posts above, I'm closer to understanding why people ask for it. Granted, I'd never use it for anything, let alone some fantasy competitions because those would completely break my immersion.

Before SI started adding player and media interaction, the game was a perfect balance of fun and realism. The players, teams, competitions all real, but mundane stuff of football management thrown out. If they hadn't decided to make FMC(T), I wouldn't be buying or playing FM at all. Also, I play exclusively on my PC because FM still belongs to "core games" in my book.

[Antonin]

Hmmm. I haven't been to this forum in months, but am I understanding correctly--FMC is now called "touch"? Anyway, the latest version of the game that I have is FM14. I play FMC only, because it is streamlined and has the "unsackable" option that I purchased. "Unsackable" was a feature I asked for on this forum years and years ago, and got flamed mercilessly for it. But for me, that's the only way to play. I like being able to manage one team for as long as I want. I began playing this game back when it was called CM01/02.

I've always found this game to be very difficult. I have trouble understanding tactics, and which players to try to obtain, etc. So, having a version now that is faster, simpler, and has "unsackable" is perfect. If only FMC had an editor!

[Donners]

Yep. I miss the days where you could just focus on building a squad. I had some absolutely epic games in which I barely ever visited the tactics or training screens.

I just find the full game to be information overload, most of it being of very little interest.

I do miss a few features from the main game, ranging from little touches like the match preview screen with milestones, team restrictions, and helpful information from your staff (and, indeed, actually a bit of effort in assembling your staff), but I am willing to sacrifice that to not be overwhelmed in the full game.