Immersion/Realism. Where is it?

[akm.91]

Please, please, please can we finally address the issue of realism and immersion. This game has become so generic and so stagnant over the last 10 years.

 

No matter where you manage in the world, everything looks and feels the same. From stadiums, to the same questions journalists ask over and over again, regardless of the fact press is much more hostile in some places compared to others.

 

If I’m managing in Spain, I want it to look and feel like I’m managing in Spain, I want roofless stands, running tracks in stadiums in which they apply (Mallorca? Las Palmas?). If I’m managing in South America, make it look and feel as if I’m managing in South America! Why does it feel the exact same watching/managing a game in the Premier League to a game in La Paz, Bolivia, in the Copa Libertadores! Why does ALTITUDE not provide the home teams with a big advantage in these climates? You should see a clear visible fitness/sharpness affect on away teams. There is no realism! If I’m managing Benfica, why am I playing home matches in a 4 stand stadium? It’s ridiculous. Why is there large TV screens and picnic benches at every League One, League Two stadium? Every match looks and feels the same! You can not differentiate between a home game or an away game. 

 

It could Burnley vs West Brom in the Premier League or Barcelona vs Juventus in the champions league final and it feels/looks the exact same! Very little build up pre game and very little analysis post game. It’s a Champions league final! Why is crowd segregation in neutral venues for cup/play off finals so badly designed? Why does nearly every supporter in the stadium wear replica shirts? Why are away supporters in some stadiums given central stands? This is not Fulham! Make each competition unique! This shouldn’t be hard to implement. 
 

Give the community a stadium creator/editor and let us do the work! Immersion in this game is so bad and that will go a long way to helping improve it! We want to be able to feel like we are managing in different countries and cultures...the current model really doesn’t do that. 

[anagain]

I can not help but agree with much of this. Damn good post, @akm.91.

I do think the stadiums have become a little better. In my latest FM20 save I have actiually seen stadiums that are just four sides of a pitch, and i do feel the look of the stadiums has improved slightly over the last few FMs.

I am hearing what you are saying with regard to immersion though. I feel Loki Doki did a good job of covering this in his latest things he wants to see in FM video. He mentioned the possibility of seeing subs warm up and the back drop of stadiums to make them look more rural or inner city.

I'd like to see managers and assistants chatting on the sideline and the fourth official.

I'd like to see more adverts on the pitchside, if this is even possible. I get that they want to advertise FM and their partners, but when i'm managing in Slovenia it feels bizarre to me to see adverts for the same old things. I want to see Slovenian adverts. Keep the FM adverts and those of partners, but have other ads too. I'll accept advertiseing in the game if SI want to find advertisers. I'll happily see their boards plastering the edge of the pitch to add a bit more variety to the stadiums. It'd bring in some money too. How many men play FM? Surely Gilette would love an advertising hoarding on the pitch. Maybe one of these new razor companies. Just variation.

How about this? Have the team coach pull up outside the stadium before the game. Maybe even have a map in the game and have that map play out the journey you just made to your game. All it needs to be is a road map with a line travelling along the route to the stadium. Stadiums do move in game, so I'd take that line just going to the city or town you're playing in.

It adds flavour.

I was pleased to see SI are adding better trophy presentations to the game. I'm looking forward to that.

One last things. Give my manager a career. This year I am writing my careers up, and I really enjoy it. For my last little save of FM20 I have taken over at Koper in Slovenia and I created a manager that was born in Slovenia but raised in Germany. I found him a club and I said he played there. Would it be possible for SI to have some way for us to write ourselves in to the database at manager creation? For exmaple, in my invented history I had my manager play for FSV Frankfurt. Can the past history be altered to show him having a playing history and the history of other players slightly altered? Maybe that is a lot of work and we might need to continue with our imaginations there.

[gunner86]

22 minutes ago, anagain said:

One last things. Give my manager a career. This year I am writing my careers up, and I really enjoy it. For my last little save of FM20 I have taken over at Koper in Slovenia and I created a manager that was born in Slovenia but raised in Germany. I found him a club and I said he played there. Would it be possible for SI to have some way for us to write ourselves in to the database at manager creation? For exmaple, in my invented history I had my manager play for FSV Frankfurt. Can the past history be altered to show him having a playing history and the history of other players slightly altered? Maybe that is a lot of work and we might need to continue with our imaginations there.

Oh my god this. 1 million times this. 
I love the game, love the series but a lot of that relies on my own imagination to help with some of the immersion. The only reason that I set my playing experience to international is so I have caps and goals to aid my back story.

[Dagenham_Dave]

I think the match day experience is something that's going to get a lot of focus going forward, particularly with the game now porting to other platforms. Needs a major overhaul. A stadium editor open to modders is something I've wanted for years.