replace social media with specific in game websites

[decapitated]

 

I think a major problem with the social media function is that it was supposed to be simulate the online experience of modern football but ended up being very samey and irritating. I think In-game internet is a great idea, but social media isn't the way to go. I think the social media function in FM2017 was aimed at adding colour to the transfer market and the relationship with the clubs fanbase.

 

Starting with the first I  think the transfer window period could be improved by the use of an in-game internet such as a livefeed (such as like this one by Sky http://www.skysports.com/transfer-centre ). I think the in game social media was in part supposed to help with this with the idea of rumours floating around in the games online world that might influence the player, but the effect is lost with the amount of info. Having one page, that updates on transfer rumours (some of which are true, some of which are not) that are relevant to clubs in the league (top divisions and strong secondary divisions like the English championship would get more international news whereas lower leagues would only get national or regional news) the players team are in, are regularly posted could really add to the game. You could try and gazump a rivals top transfer target, or you could be told that a player is available for a certain price (by an item saying the selling club wants £12m so have rejected a deal for £10m). 

I also would recommend an in-game site based on football whispers (http://www.footballwhispers.com/ ). If you are a premier league club, you could click on your page and see who you are linked with, who your players are linked with, and to what percentage (of course many of those rumours will be false and some will be true) and a list of the 50 hottest rumours in the league or nation of where your club is based.

Both sites are how me and my friends keep track of the transfer rumours and news in this window and I think it would work better than the current social media function

 

To add colour to the relationship with fans, you could have it so each club has in-game webzines. These could of course have transfer rumours and news (A good place to put the should this player sign to us/be sold by us polls from social media). You could have appraisal of the clubs performances and the popularity of certain players. I think the problem with the current system is that the 'one positive, one negative, one neutral' approach of social media meant it had no effect. You just ignore it after a time. Instead there needs to be a clear cut opinion of each result and the direction of travel for the team. A webzine report of the match and of what fans think, with more polarisation towards negative and positive views and even towards 'meh' or 'nothing to see here'. Any of those three is ok as long as they aren't all given at the same time (  'one positive, one negative, one neutral' approach) and there is some variation depending on how good/bad/meh the result is for the club. If one player scores a hat-trick and gets man of the match during a run of good form then there shouldn't be someone saying "he isn't good as everyone makes out him to be, whereas a player who up to that point had middling or indifferent form that would be a relevant point for the game to insert. Which players do the fans want to get rid of and are using as a whipping boy and which do they never want to sell no matter what the circumstances. You could get a similar appraisal of your performance of a manager. Other things could be statistics (how far the team has got in the europa league in their history, how well do we do against team X, is this the first time we've won or lost in 10 meetings?) and a big emphasis on rivalry with rival clubs. You could also have the spotlight on youth players and players who are out on loan in articles on the webzine.

[Neil Brock]

Reviewed so locked.