Oaky-FM

It works just fine! The very few stability issues I've had over the past five years were all caused by human error (fiddling around with stuff, etc), not by the system itself.

Hello there, I'm considering upgrading the CPU of my current PC to increase the processing speed of FM24. Pretty happy with my PC overall (Specs below), but processing speed on FM sometimes feels a little slow... Mind you, my DB setups tend to be quite large at around 30 active leagues, with saves usually lasting 15-25 seasons in-game...Currently using the AMD Ryzen 2700X and am curious if the Ryzen 7 5800x3D could be considered a worthwile upgrade? As per my definition, it would be a "worthwile upgrade" if I could expect a significant increase in processing speeds on FM24 (compared to the processing speed with the 2700X on FM24). Please also consider that changing anything apart from the CPU is a no-go (for now), so I'm "stuck" with the AM4-socket. Lastly, at least nowadays, most of the spare time I spent in front of my PC is dedicated to FM, so other games/applications don't really need to be considered. The 2700X deals with these apps just fine, too. Maybe as a follow up question: Are there any tips/tricks how to get the most out of FM when using a Ryzen CPU (like the 2700X)? PC Specs: RAM: 48GB Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO DDR4-3000 CL15 (2x8GB, 2x16GB) CPU: AMD Ryzen 2700X GPU: Asus Geforce GTX 1070 OC ROG Sttrix 8GB Gaming Mainboard: ROG STRIX X470-F GAMING PSU: 700W be quiet! Pure Power 11 CM Modular 80+ Gold Looking forward to any feedback/opinions! -Oaky

Folkestone Invicta FC - 2034/35 (Premier League) Hello there, just like last time, long time no see! 2034/35 summary: We were in good form all season despite or possibly because of multiple changes of tactics. In the end, I settled on a 4-4-2 and it won us our first Prem title!!! It was a great battle for the title between us, Liverpool, and Spurs (who actually spursed it) which went down to the wire and saw us climb from 3rd to 1st in the final two matches. Like in previous seasons, we had another striker turning up when it mattered. This time, it was our "loan army graduate" Graham White. He ended up scoring 24 goals and providing another six assists. Not too bad for a player that was supposed to be on the fringes of the first-team squad, aye? The CL campaign ended in the quarter finals as we somehow managed to beat PSG 6-2 in the 1st leg only to lose the 2nd leg 6-2 and then go out on penalties despite fielding a stronger starting XI than in the 1st leg... There were a couple of major signings with regards to the fee(s) we paid, but neither of the big money signings ended up being outstanding to the point at which I'd introduce them here. Still, they were doing either alright or just good enough. Other key players included Ivo Loenen and Juan Luis Santibanez (JLS) who were already introduced previously. The bank balance is at 265M€, with sales bringing in ~365M€ and around 304M€ being spent on new signings (as always the numbers aren't exact in the screenshot due to business that was technically still conducted last season). Link to the more in-depth season wrap up blog (also includes more player related screenshots) : https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/05/30/up-the-invicta-10-a-title-challenge/ Now to the part that mainly affects this thread/part of the forum; This season was probably my last one in charge of Folkestone. Whilst I might not have won the CL (yet), I'm considering this challenge 95% done and tbh, I don't really enjoy the riches the Premier League brings with itself as much as others do. The work permit system and limit of foreign youngsters that can be signed each season hasn't really helped my enjoyment either. So, since I pretty much always only play one save over the entirety of an FM edition, I'll likely be moving on to pastures new within this save meaning that 100% completing the Dafuge challenge with Folkestone seems unlikely (unless I return at some point to win the CL title with them?). With that being said, thanks for having me! I shall from now on return to simply following how you guys are doing in here. Cheers, Oaky

Folkestone Invicta FC - 2031/32, 2032/33, and 2033/34 (Premier League) Hello there, long time no see! To celebrate my return (I'm just overexaggerating a tiny bit here), I decided to wrap up three seasons at once (both in here and in my corresponding blog post). 2031/32 summary: It was a pretty comfortable first season back in the Premier League, especially considering that we were relegated straight away back when we first made it to the Prem in 2028/29. In the end, we finished 9th, missing out on European football by just three points (thanks to only winning one of our final five league games). No tactical tweaks compared to the promotion season, very few changes to the squad, too. Bank balance sitting pretty at 87M€, with sales bringing in ~190M€ and the transfer spend being around 165M€. Top scorer (again) was Wade Henfrey with 21 league goals. 2032/33 summary: A worse season in terms of points accumulated compared to 2031/32, but - ironically - we actually finished 8th, one place higher than the previous season (an honourable mention goes to Palace, the poor guys broke Derby's lowest points total in a Prem season). Again, the points total could have been a fair bit higher if I hadn't experimented with a pretty attacking-minded 4-2-4 to start the season before going back to the 4-4-2 I used previously (albeit with one or two role changes). Still, we made it to the Europa Conference League qualifiers thanks to our league finish. This time, ~160M€ were spent on signings and 250M€ received for player sales, meaning the balance increased to 135M€.There wasn't a stand-out top scorer this time around as Henfrey went missing for all but two or three games, scoring just six times in total. On a side note, we brought in a new club record signing in Ivo Loenen, an Elite Winger from the Netherlands, for 55M€. 2033/34 summary: Rather surprisingly, we first got knocked out of the bloody Conference League qualifiers before being involved in a three horse title race in the Prem, which lasted until our Mexican talisman striker - who was only signed as a backup ahead of the season - got injured with six games to go. This run-in included a crucial match against fellow title challengers ManCity and also saw us face other clubs from the "big six". In the end, the third horse (Newcastle) won the title and we were lucky to only drop down to 4th following a shocking finish to the league campaign (1 W, 1 D, 4 Ls from these final six games). We'll be playing Champions League football next season, yet I still feel robbed to a certain extent. Either way, we go again next season, probably with the same tactic or just some slight tweaks. In terms of finances, ~130M€ were spent on signings and ~185M€ recouped from sales. Bank balance is now at 159M€. Some stadium upgrades over the course of these three seasons saw the new stadium move up to a 26.700 capacity. Rather frustatingly, we still can't upgrade the youth facilities beyond four stars, despite having the highest possible academy level (and also the necessary resources)... Any tips/tricks here? Link to the more in-depth three season wrap up blog (also includes more player related screenshots) : https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/05/01/up-the-invicta-9-back-in-the-big-time/

Folkestone Invicta FC - 2030/31 (EFL Championship) Since there weren't enough Folkestone updates in here lately, I shall add my bit, too Short summary: Following last season's narrow relegation from the Prem (which also was our first season in the top-flight), there was only one aim for the season: Making it back to the promised land at the first time of asking. And we did it. Comfortably. 109 points accumulated and a positive goal difference of 86 goals, need I say more? Some minor adjustments to the 442 we've been using last season seemingly made all the difference as we looked a lot better once they were made around matchday 12. Our key player and at the same time top scorer was Wade Henfrey with 45 goals in the league (and 9 assists), quite dreamy given that we signed him on a free from Wigan ahead of the 2029/30 season. With regards to transfers, we lost some starters, including a record sale worth 35M€ (+50% sell on fee clause), turning a profit of about 23M€ across the season. This profit and the Prem's parachute payments enabled us to continue upgrading facilities, without stretching the club's finances too much. The club is still considered rich and has had 65M€ in the bank by the end of this season. Lastly, our new 13K capacity Folkestone Stadium was inaugurated at the start of the season and surprise surprise, it's already getting a first major upgrade (adding 6.8K capacity), which will see us playing our Premier League home games elsewhere - again... Naturally, the aim for next season is survival - and keeping the club's best players around. Link to the more in-depth season eight blog (also includes more player related screenshots) : https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/up-the-invicta-8-straight-back-up/

Congrats @Crispypaul, what a season you just had! May I just ask which tactic(s) you've been using throughout your journey?

Folkestone Invicta FC / "Up The Invicta" (2023/24 to 2029/30, more to follow) So, here we go then with the mega summary of my first ever take at this challenge so far, up until the point I'm currently at (start of the 2030/31 season). After what feels like hundreds of reloads, I didn't get any of the sides below 1850 rep, so ended up going for the mighty Folkestone Invicta FC, mainly based on their nice badge and the location at the south coast of England (which technically is closest to Germany, my homeland). I was also planning on following even more restrictions than what the challenge already provides, but (spoilers) ended up ditching some of them when they started making the gaming experience less fun. Further info on these restrictions can be found here: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2022/10/13/the-plan-for-fm23-oaky-goes-dafuge/ On day one, the profile of my fictional manager Markus Beck looked like this. The club profile looked like this (other facility ratings looked like this) ----- Season 1 - 2023/24: Started using a 4-2-3-1 straight away. Won the National League South title. Top scorer & key player: Adeoye Yusuff, who was part of the original Folkestone squad. No transfer fees on either end. Fairly stable finances. Link to the more in-depth season one blogs: (Day One) https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/up-the-invicta-dafuge-1-prologue-and-day-one/ & (End Of Season Review) https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2022/12/05/up-the-invicta-dafuge-2-the-first-season/ ----- Season 2 - 2024/25: Still using the 4-2-3-1. Won the National League title. Top scorer & key player: Summer signing Billy Vigar (ex-Arsenal academy graduate) with 48 league goals. No transfer spend from our end again, but 22K€ received. Finances still fairly stable. Link to the more in-depth season two blog: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2022/12/09/up-the-invicta-dafuge-3-first-steps-in-the-national-league/ ----- Season 3 - 2025/26: Still using the 4-2-3-1. Went Pro ahead of the season. Won League Two. Top scorer & key player: Summer signing Promise Omochere (ex-Bohemians) with 44 league goals. Finally spent 6K€ on transfer fees (all for a single player), received 275K€ from the sale of Imari Samuels to Sheff Wed. Finances still doing okay, but less than previously, at least in comparison with the wage expenditure. Link to the more in-depth season three blog: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/up-the-invicta-4-injury-worries-in-league-two/ ----- Season 4 - 2026/27: Still using the 4-2-3-1, but starting to notice its flaws. Won League One, largely due to some great form early on in the season. Top scorer & key player: Promise Omochere again, this time with 33 league goals. Signed players for a total of 46K€ and sold for a total of 1.4M€. Finances look fine as a result of the sales and the league prize money/solidarity scheme. This was the first season with any real investment into the club's facilities. Link to the more in-depth season four blog: To follow at the end of season 5 (reviewed two seasons at once). ----- Season 5 - 2027/28: Added context: I was supposed to start at three or more actual Folkestone academy graduates in at least 50% of league games. Abandoned the 4-2-3-1 during pre-season in favour of a 4-2-4 which later turned into a 4-4-2. Finished 18th in the Championship, but would've been relegated if I hadn't ditched the academy graduate restriction late on in the season - turns out players that would barely get a game in the National North/South can't compete at a Championship level... Top scorer & key player: Promise Omochere again, with 33 league goals - again. Signed players for 115K€, sold some for 1.8M€. Finances were still fine as a couple of million € came in through solidarity payments some weeks after this screenshot was taken. Further investment into the facilities. Link to the more in-depth season five (and four) blog: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/up-the-invicta-5-double-season-trouble/ ----- Season 6 - 2028/29: Still using the 4-4-2 established early last season. Won the Championship thanks to a 100% record from our last eight league games (we were 5th ahead of this run) - we honestly did look shocking in places. Top scorer & key player: Surprise, it's Promise Omochere again, with 39 league goals this time around. The entire promotion was basically made possible by Swansea as they spent 12.5M€(!!) on an unproven youngster we signed from non-league a year ago. Oh, and we spent 3.8M€ on signings, thus, spending more than 1M€ on any player for the very first time. Unfortunately, this is the season where the transfer screens get messy due to players being signed/sold before the new season technically started - this will become a theme from here on onwards (please find further visuals in the blogpost). Finances looking healthy, even without Prem TV money coming in. Further investment into the facilities (this is where I made it my top priority to get them to state-of-the-art ASAP). Link to the more in-depth season six blog: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/01/16/up-the-invicta-6-the-domino-effect/ ----- Season 7 - 2029/30: Still mainly using the 4-4-2 established two season ago by now, though as with the 4-2-3-1, its flaws became very clear (against the best players on planet earth, I may add). Don't really want to extend on this season as we were relegated in 18th despite finishing 13th in the xG table, underpreforming our xPts by about 19 points... Top scorer was Nico O'Reilly, Omochere's partner up front, with 7 league goals. Key player: Non-existent, at least from my POV. We knew we had to spend money in the transfer market and we did, yet (despite this screenshot saying otherwise), we made an 8M€ net profit on transfers this season. At least financially, the club is now rich, facilities have been upgraded, and our new stadium 13k cpacity "Folkestone Stadium" is about to be finished ahead of the upcoming campaign after two years of construction work. One of the few bright lights of this grim season was the arrival of a 15 y.o. Qudus Odogwu through the club's very own youth intake, immediately justifying any previous investment in the club's facilities. Link to the more in-depth season seven blog: https://oakyfm.wordpress.com/2023/01/27/up-the-invicta-7-relegated/ ----- Today: I'm about to dive into the 2030/31 Championship season, hoping to bounce straight back to the Prem (pre-season odds have us in 7th place). The club's balance looks even better than previously (117M€ in the bank), thanks to the first Prem parachute payment arriving, the club profile looks as follows (yes, I may need to make new kits at some point), and the other facilities look like this. Hope someone enjoyed that as even these mini-season-summaries took a fair bit of my time (not to mention just how much I spent on the in-depth blogs). Let me know if there's anything you're curious about! - Oaky

Hello everyone! I've been playing a Dafuge-save (with Folkestone Invicta, currently approaching the 2030/31 season) since the start of FM23 and have so far documented my progress over on my own blog. Whilst I'll continue to do so, I'm intrigued by the idea of also sharing my progress with others in here. With that being said, my question towards @DazRTaylor (or anyone else involved in this thread) would be whether or not it is fine to simply share a quick 1-2 sentence review of each season (maybe with the odd screenshot), followed by a link to the respective blogpost about that season? The reason being that I already put a lot of time in writing each of these posts (since I'm not a native speaker), so I don't think I could be bothered to basically write the same content down twice for similar (if not equal) groups of people reading them. Looking forward to any feedback! - Oaky