Jonthedon26

I think you are spot on, much like the squad planner...a good idea but poorly executed thus far.

Awesome thank you really appreciate it! The game rules I am okay with, it is all the contract stuff and roster movements etc that blow my mind haha. When I next fire it up I will be sure to message, thank again.

Love all the OOTP talk in here! I have been trying to get decent at that game as I am not a huge baseball fanatic being from the UK but I do enjoy it...just don't know enough about the rules etc.

Yep, all the time. No matter what criteria I set, I always end up with 0-4 results. I keep questioning if I am doing something wrong as no matter how broad or narrow I set my parameters I hardly get any hits.

I agree completely with this. I don't think the same skin/UI helps SI at all with people saying this is basically the same as last years (and FM21). It also doesn't help that the skin is pretty damn horrible (in my opinion of course). I am sure, if memory serves me right, the skin used to be different for each new version back in the day, or at least every other version. Feels like we have had this same skin for the last 5 years now.

First time in a long time (maybe ever) that I have been hugely underwhelmed with a release of Football Manager. We are only a couple of weeks since the beta launched and I already feel my enthusiasm for playing is waning. In all my years playing Football Manager (and Championship Manager before that) I can't remember off the top of my head a release that felt so similar to the previous years' version, and in fact I dislike the scouting and the squad planner (squad depth) moreso this year. Besides the matchday graphics for the Championship and the Carabao cup, there isn't a whole lot I could say is a good different from last year. It's a shame as this series has been a part of my life for a long long time!

I like the concept of it, but not the execution. All SI had to do to make a good squad planner was to take a leaf out of MLB The Show, that is easy to view, simple to use and tells you everything you need.

I know many people have commented on this, but I am almost certain that the recruitment focuses are broken! Scouts come back with so few players and the comment always says "we are struggling to find any recommended players, so you may want to widen the search parameters to generate more recommemdations"

This is a very good point! I have always been baffled by the audacity of the AI demanding I pay 100% wages and a loan fee for their players, but then offering 0% wages and £0 fee when they want mine.

I'm not saying anything other than coincidence, but this is the first time I have played since the minor update and man my team have fallen off a cliff! In 15 games I had only lost once and only conceded more than 1 goal in a game once, now I have lost 2 and drawn once in 3 games, conceding 2 in each of the games.....gulp!

Feel that Hannibal's teamwork and work rate need a big upgrade from what they currently are (both 13). I am a Birmingham City fan and I haven't seen anyone with the energy and tireless running of Hannibal since the Robbie Savage days! They guy doesn't stop running and chasing down. I would have said they should be around 16 or 17 if not more.

Thank you

Don't know where I should post this, but Hannibal's teamwork and work rate need a huge buff. I am a Birmingham City fan and I haven't seen anyone with energy and tireless running like Hannibal since Robbie Savage. Currently both at 13 in game, should be more like 17/18

I too have been playing since the Championship Manager days and I play the game exactly the way that you do. I never look at the data hub, squad planner etc etc I literally click continue through most gameweeks until I get to the match itself. If I had to guess at what % of features in FM I use I would say it is below 20%.

I agree, could well be my tactic masking the issue for me.

Be interested to hear/see what tactics you are playing. Not saying the issue you have come across is because of your tactics, but in my Birmingham City save my team is ultra boring and never score or concede more than 1 a game pretty much. Wondering if I have managed to stumble across a tactic that negates this issue.

Played about half a season with Birmingham City so feel like I am finally in a place to give some feedback. Now I don't want SI or anyone else to see this as a dig, as it isn't intended that way, but I feel that this years iteration is probably the most underwhelming for some time. FYI I play my matches on commentary only as I am a busy Dad these days so try to get through as many seasons as I can in as short a time possible, so match engine changes I can't really comment on, the rest of you are doing a good job of that. Squad planner is inferior to the squad depth of previous versions in my opinion. It just looks messy to me and although I like the concept (works nicely in the MLB The Show games if anyone plays those) I don't think it has been well executed. The new agent discussion options and press conference questions are much of a muchness, there is only so much you can do with that and only so many times you can see the new options before you are bored of them like all the other questions. The new scouting also, whilst I like the concept, still seems a bit messy. Maybe I am just not used to it yet but despite giving pretty clear and simple instructions my scouts come back with very limited offerings. Maybe as I get more used to it I will appreciate it a bit more. I do like the new matchday graphics, looks really nice for the Championship and Carabao Cup, well done on that one SI. If I ever make it to the champions league I am sure that looks good too. But overall I genuinely could be just playing FM22 still ,there is that little difference between this years and last. My final say, which I have said before and about many different games not just FM, I truly believe that sports games should work in 2 year cycles. First year is big, updated features, maybe new graphics, animations all that jazz and you pay full price for the game, 2nd year is updated database, kits, leagues etc and you charge a reduced amount (say £15 for football manager). Probably will never happen as it isn't a viable business plan for someone like SI, but it could be something to think about in order to get truly updated versions rather than re-skinning an existing feature or changing a green apple for a red apple (same thing just looks different). As always I am enjoying the game, I always do enjoy Football Manager and value for money it is probably my best purchase year in year out given how much I play it. Keep having fun everyone, and all the best!

Not sure if this is intended or not, but scouted a bunch of players on the transfer list and every single scout report comes back showing transfer value as "not for sale"

This is just cruel!!

WE DID IT!!!!!

Aaaahhhh wonderful, thank you!

Hoping someone can help here....Can you change these yourself in the game? Or do you need to download a skin? I have never done it before, never really thought about it but having read this thread I wouldn't mind giving it a go.

Hahahahaha much more accurate!

A big thanks to all the SI staff for releasing the beta today, I look forward to kicking off my annual Birmingham City save after work!

I wasn't going to pre-order this year but I bottled it and ended up doing so. I don't even know why I did as I am currently really enjoying my FM22 Birmingham City beta save that is still going strong!