Football Manager beta demo out today - Page 3

FrogMan · 09-24-2004, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter

Try the Team Report (this is a pretty cool new feature). On your Player - Selection page (with the list of players), in the bottom left, there is a little list things you can do. One of them is to have one of your coaches pick your team, another is Get Team Report. This thing generates a first XI and a second XI, gives an indication as to the strength of each player in that position, and at the top, your assistant gives their thoughts on where the team needs strenghening. Give it a try!

okay, I may be etiher really tired, blind, or very stupid, but I can't find the team reports... where are they?

At the bottom left of my selection screen, I have 4 choices: Release comment, clear selection, ask to pick, team selections, but no "Get team report" choices...

I'm coaching Luton Town, if that matters at all...

FM

Crapshoot · 09-24-2004, 08:36 PM

Im having issues with a possible bug- took over Villa, about to play my first friendly, but none of the players show when I ask my Assistant Manager to select a team- more so, I cant seem to get anyone to show up. the reserve team players show up, as do the under 18's, but none of the first team- its just blank.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-24-2004, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogMan

okay, I may be etiher really tired, blind, or very stupid, but I can't find the team reports... where are they?

At the bottom left of my selection screen, I have 4 choices: Release comment, clear selection, ask to pick, team selections, but no "Get team report" choices...

I'm coaching Luton Town, if that matters at all...

FM

Do you have an AM? It is the AM that gives the report, so I imagine the option would be unavailable if you didn't currently have one on your team.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-24-2004, 08:51 PM

Dola -

On my screen it is immediately above those 4 options, and there was somewhere else I found the option as well (one of the drop-down menus.)

FrogMan · 09-24-2004, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Do you have an AM? It is the AM that gives the report, so I imagine the option would be unavailable if you didn't currently have one on your team.

AHH, that may be the thing, my team has 4 coaches, but no assistant manager... I'll try signing one to see if that changes anything... Thanks for the hint doc.

FM

FrogMan · 09-24-2004, 09:37 PM

dola, this may quite be what it was, since I started a new game with a team in the Premiership, with an AM and there it was, the "get team report"... Thanks doc!

FM

Mac Howard · 09-24-2004, 09:39 PM

Just how good his opinion is though, FrogMan is a bit debateable.

My coach tells me that I need to bring in strikers. This is my striking lineup:

Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Saha, Smith and Solskjaer (and he's not injured)

I need strikers?

He also rates this player a one star:

First touch 20
Technique 20
Off the ball 19
Dribbling 19
Flair 18
Anticipation 17
Teamwork 16
Passing 15

This player is a one star player?

Is this telling me that Queiroz is a lousy coach?

FrogMan · 09-24-2004, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Just how good his opinion is though, FrogMan is a bit debateable.

hehe, this I can understand

I was just anxious to see that team report everyone was talking about, but that was nowhere to be found on my little Luton Town team, hehe. Now I know I need an assistant manager. Funny thing is that in CM4, Luton had an assistant manager...

FM

Chief Rum · 09-24-2004, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Just how good his opinion is though, FrogMan is a bit debateable.

My coach tells me that I need to bring in strikers. This is my striking lineup:

Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Saha, Smith and Solskjaer (and he's not injured)

I need strikers?

He also rates this player a one star:

First touch 20
Technique 20
Off the ball 19
Dribbling 19
Flair 18
Anticipation 17
Teamwork 16
Passing 15

This player is a one star player?

Is this telling me that Queiroz is a lousy coach?

First touch?

CR

samifan24 · 09-24-2004, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

First touch?

CR

Yeah, with the ball and off the ball. First touch.

MizzouRah · 09-24-2004, 11:17 PM

I haven't looked around too much yet, but I really wish a manual would be available for print.. or is there one I'm missing?

I'm overwhelmed right now and over my head.

Todd

Chief Rum · 09-24-2004, 11:18 PM

That's what I mean, what is the game's term for it, because first touch doesn't ring a bell.

CR

samifan24 · 09-24-2004, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

That's what I mean, what is the game's term for it, because first touch doesn't ring a bell.

CR

First touch is a rating category in FM. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing it in previous editions, but I could be wrong.

Chief Rum · 09-24-2004, 11:36 PM

Hmmm...I haven't gotten intot he demo yet. Guess I'll have to check that out. I don't have a clue what it is.

It most definitely has not been in the past three versions of CM (which are the ones I have owned).

CR

samifan24 · 09-24-2004, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Hmmm...I haven't gotten intot he demo yet. Guess I'll have to check that out. I don't have a clue what it is.

It most definitely has not been in the past three versions of CM (which are the ones I have owned).

CR

Stupid Americans. We don't know anything. I think first touch is sort of like how well a player controls the ball immediately after receiving a pass, ie his "vision" while maintaining control. I may be way off base here, too. All I know is that EA says "a great player has a great first touch." Haha, too much FIFA demo. Oh well, I'm still learning...

samifan24 · 09-24-2004, 11:42 PM

dola-

Actually, since I'm learning, a question for those of you with the FM demo. I'm playing as tiny York City when I get a message that a Div. II club has gone bankrupt. Then I see that the team has been docked 10 league points for "going into administration." Does this really mean that if you drive your team's finances into the ground, you'll really have to pay for it?

If so, awesome.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-24-2004, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogMan

dola, this may quite be what it was, since I started a new game with a team in the Premiership, with an AM and there it was, the "get team report"... Thanks doc!

FM

Glad to help

Mac, I'm also playing Man U in the demo, and I've found Queiroz to have some questionable judgement calls too. For example, he thinks Solskjaer is a 1* player despite mostly very nice attribute ratings. Overall, I love the new team report despite the potentially quesitonable judgement of my AM.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-24-2004, 11:47 PM

I've never seen First Touch in previous versions, but I suspect it might have been a hidden rating in past versions. However, I don't know this as I've never used editors or cheat programs.

There are several new ratings in the beta demo. I don't see set pieces anymore, however there is now seperate ratings for corner kicks, free kicks, and maybe something else new. I think that is a nice addition.

As I already mentioned, I really wish I didn't play this demo cause now I'm going to be counting down the days to release. Least I can play around with some tactics.

Lucky Jim · 09-24-2004, 11:58 PM

First touch was a hidden rating in past versions, kind of inexplicably really because if you know how well a player dribbles or shoots you probably have a pretty good idea how well he controls receiving passes as well. Same with corners and free kicks, were hidden before, now thankfully out in the open. I'm really impressed with the demo. The 2d seems a lot slicker to me, and more true to life. The ball seems more like an actual ball and has less of the beach ball effect that seems to plague almost any game's physics model, deflections seem sharp and realistic, it just looks better. I also like the way goals are being scored from what I've seen. There are a lot more quick passes and nice off the ball movement to set up opportunities, nice layoffs for players in space, and a lot less of the I'm a defender running away from the ball type stuff. Room for improvement still, and speed will probably be an inevitable issue, but I can already see that the wait for November is going to be tortuous. Good stuff.

Desnudo · 09-25-2004, 12:05 AM

It would still be nice to see the height of the player.

Chief Rum · 09-25-2004, 12:10 AM

Does it matter, though, if you know heading and jumping? I have never felt I missed anything not knowing a player's actual height or weight myself.

CR

Crapshoot · 09-25-2004, 12:36 AM

Ive been having a blast - been playing it for hours. I cant wait 2 months Marc, damnit release it now!!!!

Mac Howard · 09-25-2004, 01:30 AM

"First touch" refers to a player's ability to control the ball as he receives a pass. He will want to control the ball and prepare for a pass, cross, shot or a dribble with just one touch of the ball. If he has to take two or three touches before it's under control then it's much easier for an opposition player to tackle him.

Beckham is a classic case of a player with excellent "first touch". Not only will he control the ball with one touch but place it in position for one of his perfect passes/crosses all with the same touch. Just watch him. Not only will he kill the ball stone dead but shift it a yard or so away from him so that with one stride he can hit his pass/cross. It's this, as much as his accuracy of pass, that makes him so effective.

BreizhManu · 09-25-2004, 03:14 AM

Funny, I'm still listed as a head researcher in the demo

, but I guess this are the same credits as in CM03-04 so it's going to change for the release of the game since I didn't do anything this year (just a few scouting for Rennes).

Ajaxab · 09-25-2004, 09:18 AM

Most interesting goal I've seen so far has occurred playing with Newcastle in a friendly against Wolfsburg. The ball sails over the Wolfsburg defenders' heads after they had moved towards the halfway line. The Wolfsburg keeper comes well out of the box in order to kick the ball back up field, but Kluivert is steaming in to pressure him. The keeper's kick deflects off Kluivert and rebounds forty yards behind the keeper back towards his own net as he struggles to hopelessly get the ball. Too late; the mistake has been made. The ball trickles over the line and Kluivert claims the goal. Great stuff.

KWhit · 09-25-2004, 09:29 AM

So far, I love what I see. But this is my first time playing this game (any soccer sim, actually), so I am pretty clueless/overwhelmed. Where's a good place to start as far as tips/manual/help, etc?

I tried to SI forums (briefly), but most all the posts there are over my head. I know very little about how transfers work, when they can happen, the ratings system, how clubs are divided into divisions, etc.

Basically, I'm a newbie to the sport (in other words, a typical guy from the US). But I've heard such good things about the game that I want to learn and give it a try.

illinifan999 · 09-25-2004, 09:50 AM

You all need to stop making me drool until I can make the black screen go away.

SirFozzie · 09-25-2004, 10:03 AM

illini: Do you have any other /data directories? That's a cause of the blackscreen amongst other users.. let me see if I can copy a solution from the SI games boards.

samifan24 · 09-25-2004, 10:06 AM

So I praised the manager of a club in receivership and figured that was it. Oh no, the manager returned praise for me and thanked me for sticking up for him. Then some of my veteran players were proud that I was receiving the praise I deserved. Great stuff.

Edit: The manager now thinks we can become good friends...

SirFozzie · 09-25-2004, 10:08 AM

(Credit Joe O'Reilly at the SI Games board)

Ok – Here’s the story..

To cut a long story short, here is a normal persons explanation of what has happened. When we apply copy protection to the game it tells it where it can and cannot look for the data folder. The data folders contains the games graphics (amother other stuff) But the beta demo does not have copy protection of any kind. So it’s finding the first data folder it can find and staying there. Which is a problem if that data folder does not contain this information.

This should only affect you if you have a data folder at the bottom level of the drive you have installed the game on (c:\data for example)

To fix this problem do one of these things.

Uninstall the game. Then..

a) Rename this c:\data something else and then reinstall game to default location.

or

b) Install the game to a different drive, if you have more than one partition or hard drive (d:\fm2005 for example)

or

c) Reinstall whatever software uses or needs the c:\data directory to another drive (or install to same drive in directory, so it does not use c:\data, but uses c:\software\data)

This problem won’t affect the final game (as the final game has copy protection, that normally stops this happening.) But we’ll have code put in to check for it in future builds anyway,

korme · 09-25-2004, 12:11 PM

I still love the Nickname feature.

Stupid Douchebag says he has no interest in playing for Carshalton.

illinifan999 · 09-25-2004, 12:29 PM

Thanks foz, that worked like a charm.

bhlloy · 09-25-2004, 03:40 PM

Re the assistant feature: haven't had the kind of extreme views Mac is talking about, but while testing a game out as Newcastle my assistant Carver insisted that 20 year old Stewart Taylor should be in the team as center back, despite Bramble, O'Brien and Hughes being clearly better than him in all attributes. Even after I signed Marcel Desailly and Ernest Faber, he thought Taylor should be in the team. This guy wasn't bad, probably turns into a decent player, but definitely not Premiership standard.

Thought about this for a while, and I've come to the conclusion I like it. Absolutely love it. My assistant should not tell me the best lineup full stop. He should tell me what HE thinks is the best lineup and if he thinks this Taylor kid is going to do an awesome job for me and he thinks I'm undervaluing him, that's his opinion. Who knows, I might stick Taylor in and see what happens.

For me, an assistant manager "pick team" option that picks the best team the game could possibly put out would spoil all the fun. I want another opinion, another way of picking my team based on the assistant managers style and judgement attributes that makes me stop and think about the way I am picking the team.

Or... I could be reading way too much into it and it's a bug

MizzouRah · 09-25-2004, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KWhit

So far, I love what I see. But this is my first time playing this game (any soccer sim, actually), so I am pretty clueless/overwhelmed. Where's a good place to start as far as tips/manual/help, etc?

I tried to SI forums (briefly), but most all the posts there are over my head. I know very little about how transfers work, when they can happen, the ratings system, how clubs are divided into divisions, etc.

Basically, I'm a newbie to the sport (in other words, a typical guy from the US). But I've heard such good things about the game that I want to learn and give it a try.

I'm in the same boat.

Todd

Crapshoot · 09-25-2004, 04:01 PM

Im finding that a lot of the old CM4 flaws are still there, in some shape and from- the 2d engine is not much of an improvement. Defenders and players still runaway from the ball- and the GK still kicks the ball on a goalkick to a place where their is a preponderance of opposing players. More so, the ball that just seems to lie there in the middle of the park because no one wants to get it for a good 30 seconds or so occasionaly. I love the bells and whistles in the game, but the 2d footy simulation is still bugging me.

SirFozzie · 09-25-2004, 04:04 PM

Aadik.. I'm surprised, I'm not seeing that much of that, to be honest.

Crapshoot · 09-25-2004, 04:05 PM

Okay, the goalkicks are really starting to bug me. I've seen this happen multiple times for my team and against it - the goalie kicks it down the middle when he plently of options on the wings- the opposing striker (the kick goes maybe 30-40 yards tops) heads his it on to a player, and they score. I can see this happening occasionaly- but its getting ridiculous IMO. Im hoping that this will be improved, but I dunno how much the 2d has improved in 3 years.

Crapshoot · 09-25-2004, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Aadik.. I'm surprised, I'm not seeing that much of that, to be honest.

SF, maybe its a small sample size. It has improved somewhat since 4 (I didnt play 02-03), but I find its still happening at least a couple of times a game.

GrantDawg · 09-25-2004, 07:59 PM

Ok, ready for an insane problem? Everytime I try to load, the installation starts "ATI Decoder" and wants to remove it from my system. It will not install the game. Any ideas?

Eaglesfan27 · 09-25-2004, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aadik

SF, maybe its a small sample size. It has improved somewhat since 4 (I didnt play 02-03), but I find its still happening at least a couple of times a game.

just out of curiousity, who are you using? I'm using Ferdinand and Lucio at Man Utd and I never see this happening. What are the attributes of your defenders?

scooter · 09-25-2004, 08:28 PM

I think the 2D has improved quite a bit from 03-04. I too think it seems more realistic.

I think you are correct bhlloy, the assistant managers do seem to have their own ideas (that don't always seem "right"). Just let them run your reserve team for a while. I go back and look at the teams that he picks and am sometimes surprised. That doesn't mean he's wrong - it's just his opinion. I think the Team Report feature is nice when you first take over a team and don't know the players. It gives you an idea of where you should look for your starting XI and who may be the weak parts of your squad. It's just a guide though and as I play for a while and get to know the players myself, I find I use the report less. It's a nice addition though.

First Touch, Corners and Natural Fitness were all hidden attributes previously. They have also added Composure and Concentration. I think these are all attributes that a coach or scout would be able to see if they watched a player for long enough. I think they are nice additions as well.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-25-2004, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter

I think the 2D has improved quite a bit from 03-04. I too think it seems more realistic.

I think you are correct bhlloy, the assistant managers do seem to have their own ideas (that don't always seem "right"). Just let them run your reserve team for a while. I go back and look at the teams that he picks and am sometimes surprised. That doesn't mean he's wrong - it's just his opinion. I think the Team Report feature is nice when you first take over a team and don't know the players. It gives you an idea of where you should look for your starting XI and who may be the weak parts of your squad. It's just a guide though and as I play for a while and get to know the players myself, I find I use the report less. It's a nice addition though.

First Touch, Corners and Natural Fitness were all hidden attributes previously. They have also added Composure and Concentration. I think these are all attributes that a coach or scout would be able to see if they watched a player for long enough. I think they are nice additions as well.

I agree with everything in this post. The 2D looks much better to me (and I already liked it quite a lot before.)

Mac Howard · 09-25-2004, 09:01 PM

I wonder if the assistant manager comments are prewritten to suit each individual squad but are not yet as up to date as the database. The Man Utd comments, for example, would make sense when Utd had only van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer but not after the recent addition of Rooney, Smith and Saha.

I did post something on this on the bug report section on SIGames but I notice it's been removed. Not sure if that's because of who I am (though they usually keep my posts there) or if it's something more sinister

Writing these reports is not as easy as it seems. The human brain deals with these sort of comparisons on a parallel basis which isn't easily converted into the linear logic of computer code. I usually stick to direct comparisons rather than speculative reports that can come out silly sometimes.

MizzouRah · 09-25-2004, 09:10 PM

The game is addicting, and I still no nothing about it.

I would *love* to read an in-depth manual on the game. Once I get used to it, I might never quit playing. This is just one game where I really want to learn how to play and what all the options are for in the game. Please...

Todd

Eaglesfan27 · 09-25-2004, 09:14 PM

Todd,

I highly recommend reading one of Marc V's old tip guides. It might not teach you everything about the game, but it's a good place to start learning some basics. You can find them at various spots on the web (and in old threads on this forum.)

Also, you'll eventually want to read some league guides. I'm fairly new to this game myself, really only getting into it in the last year, but I'm sure if you post specific questions here someone will answer them. I posted quite a few when I started playing. Also, you might want to check out one of the strategy guides that is published as that gives a lot of information.

DaddyTorgo · 09-25-2004, 11:00 PM

All I have to say is that I was playing it on and off last night and then at 3am when I was ready to go to bed I did the "just one more game" thing, and next thing I knew it was 4:30 am. And this is a BETA DEMO!!! Oh yeah, and I spent all day today wishing I was in front of my computer when I was doing housework, but have been cranking on it for 7 hours now (not solid...on and off). Definately has that addictive component, that I sort of felt CM4 was lacking a little.

scooter · 09-25-2004, 11:06 PM

Here's a download for the CM4 version of the guide Eaglesfan27 was talking about.

http://www.sigames.com/downloads.php?type=view&id=163

It takes some time to get the hang of playing CM/FM. I've been playing since CM3 (about 5 years now) and when I first started it was very overwhelming. I think a good way to get into it though is with the demo. Take a team and try some things (make offers for players, loan players, try to sell some of yours, try different tactics, discipline a player). With the demo only lasting 6 months, you've got nothing to lose! That way, when the game is released, you'll be all ready to start that dynasty!

Crapshoot · 09-26-2004, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

just out of curiousity, who are you using? I'm using Ferdinand and Lucio at Man Utd and I never see this happening. What are the attributes of your defenders?

Ive got Mellberg and Laursen at Villa- they clearly arent crappy defenders. Im just irritated that the AI seems to think that is the best place for a GK to kick the ball repeatedly.

MizzouRah · 09-26-2004, 12:39 AM

Thanks EF and scooter!

Off to read it now. I really want to get into this game - absolutely love the 2d matches.

Todd

Eaglesfan27 · 09-26-2004, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aadik

Ive got Mellberg and Laursen at Villa- they clearly arent crappy defenders. Im just irritated that the AI seems to think that is the best place for a GK to kick the ball repeatedly.

I'm also irritated by my keeper kicking it to where the defense is already located. What is your keeper's kick rating? Mine is 12.

09-24-2004, 08:51 PM	#104
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Dola - On my screen it is immediately above those 4 options, and there was somewhere else I found the option as well (one of the drop-down menus.) __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

09-24-2004, 09:37 PM	#106
FrogMan Hattrick Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Pintendre, Qc, Canada	dola, this may quite be what it was, since I started a new game with a team in the Premiership, with an AM and there it was, the "get team report"... Thanks doc! FM __________________ A Black Belt is a White Belt who refused to give up... follow my story: The real life story of a running frog...

09-24-2004, 09:39 PM	#107
Mac Howard Sick as a Parrot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Surfers Paradise, Australia	Just how good his opinion is though, FrogMan is a bit debateable. My coach tells me that I need to bring in strikers. This is my striking lineup: Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Saha, Smith and Solskjaer (and he's not injured) I need strikers? He also rates this player a one star: First touch 20 Technique 20 Off the ball 19 Dribbling 19 Flair 18 Anticipation 17 Teamwork 16 Passing 15 This player is a one star player? Is this telling me that Queiroz is a lousy coach? __________________ Mac Howard - a Pom in Paradise

09-24-2004, 11:18 PM	#112
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	That's what I mean, what is the game's term for it, because first touch doesn't ring a bell. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-24-2004, 11:36 PM	#114
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Hmmm...I haven't gotten intot he demo yet. Guess I'll have to check that out. I don't have a clue what it is. It most definitely has not been in the past three versions of CM (which are the ones I have owned). CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-24-2004, 08:36 PM	#102
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Im having issues with a possible bug- took over Villa, about to play my first friendly, but none of the players show when I ask my Assistant Manager to select a team- more so, I cant seem to get anyone to show up. the reserve team players show up, as do the under 18's, but none of the first team- its just blank.

09-24-2004, 11:17 PM	#111
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	I haven't looked around too much yet, but I really wish a manual would be available for print.. or is there one I'm missing? I'm overwhelmed right now and over my head. Todd

09-24-2004, 11:42 PM	#116
samifan24 Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: NC	dola- Actually, since I'm learning, a question for those of you with the FM demo. I'm playing as tiny York City when I get a message that a Div. II club has gone bankrupt. Then I see that the team has been docked 10 league points for "going into administration." Does this really mean that if you drive your team's finances into the ground, you'll really have to pay for it? If so, awesome. __________________ "You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball...and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." -Jim Bouton

09-24-2004, 11:47 PM	#118
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I've never seen First Touch in previous versions, but I suspect it might have been a hidden rating in past versions. However, I don't know this as I've never used editors or cheat programs. There are several new ratings in the beta demo. I don't see set pieces anymore, however there is now seperate ratings for corner kicks, free kicks, and maybe something else new. I think that is a nice addition. As I already mentioned, I really wish I didn't play this demo cause now I'm going to be counting down the days to release. Least I can play around with some tactics. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

09-24-2004, 11:58 PM	#119
Lucky Jim Mascot Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Washington, DC	First touch was a hidden rating in past versions, kind of inexplicably really because if you know how well a player dribbles or shoots you probably have a pretty good idea how well he controls receiving passes as well. Same with corners and free kicks, were hidden before, now thankfully out in the open. I'm really impressed with the demo. The 2d seems a lot slicker to me, and more true to life. The ball seems more like an actual ball and has less of the beach ball effect that seems to plague almost any game's physics model, deflections seem sharp and realistic, it just looks better. I also like the way goals are being scored from what I've seen. There are a lot more quick passes and nice off the ball movement to set up opportunities, nice layoffs for players in space, and a lot less of the I'm a defender running away from the ball type stuff. Room for improvement still, and speed will probably be an inevitable issue, but I can already see that the wait for November is going to be tortuous. Good stuff.

09-25-2004, 12:05 AM	#120
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	It would still be nice to see the height of the player.

09-25-2004, 12:10 AM	#121
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Does it matter, though, if you know heading and jumping? I have never felt I missed anything not knowing a player's actual height or weight myself. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-25-2004, 12:36 AM	#122
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Ive been having a blast - been playing it for hours. I cant wait 2 months Marc, damnit release it now!!!!

09-25-2004, 01:30 AM	#123
Mac Howard Sick as a Parrot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Surfers Paradise, Australia	"First touch" refers to a player's ability to control the ball as he receives a pass. He will want to control the ball and prepare for a pass, cross, shot or a dribble with just one touch of the ball. If he has to take two or three touches before it's under control then it's much easier for an opposition player to tackle him. Beckham is a classic case of a player with excellent "first touch". Not only will he control the ball with one touch but place it in position for one of his perfect passes/crosses all with the same touch. Just watch him. Not only will he kill the ball stone dead but shift it a yard or so away from him so that with one stride he can hit his pass/cross. It's this, as much as his accuracy of pass, that makes him so effective. __________________ Mac Howard - a Pom in Paradise Last edited by Mac Howard : 09-25-2004 at 01:36 AM.

09-25-2004, 03:14 AM	#124
BreizhManu College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Paris, France	Funny, I'm still listed as a head researcher in the demo , but I guess this are the same credits as in CM03-04 so it's going to change for the release of the game since I didn't do anything this year (just a few scouting for Rennes).

09-25-2004, 09:18 AM	#125
Ajaxab College Benchwarmer Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Far from home	Most interesting goal I've seen so far has occurred playing with Newcastle in a friendly against Wolfsburg. The ball sails over the Wolfsburg defenders' heads after they had moved towards the halfway line. The Wolfsburg keeper comes well out of the box in order to kick the ball back up field, but Kluivert is steaming in to pressure him. The keeper's kick deflects off Kluivert and rebounds forty yards behind the keeper back towards his own net as he struggles to hopelessly get the ball. Too late; the mistake has been made. The ball trickles over the line and Kluivert claims the goal. Great stuff.

09-25-2004, 09:29 AM	#126
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	So far, I love what I see. But this is my first time playing this game (any soccer sim, actually), so I am pretty clueless/overwhelmed. Where's a good place to start as far as tips/manual/help, etc? I tried to SI forums (briefly), but most all the posts there are over my head. I know very little about how transfers work, when they can happen, the ratings system, how clubs are divided into divisions, etc. Basically, I'm a newbie to the sport (in other words, a typical guy from the US). But I've heard such good things about the game that I want to learn and give it a try.

09-25-2004, 09:50 AM	#127
illinifan999 Pro Rookie Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: VA	You all need to stop making me drool until I can make the black screen go away. __________________ Chicago Eagles 2 time ZFL champions We're "rebuilding"

09-25-2004, 10:03 AM	#128
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	illini: Do you have any other /data directories? That's a cause of the blackscreen amongst other users.. let me see if I can copy a solution from the SI games boards. __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

09-25-2004, 10:06 AM	#129
samifan24 Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: NC	So I praised the manager of a club in receivership and figured that was it. Oh no, the manager returned praise for me and thanked me for sticking up for him. Then some of my veteran players were proud that I was receiving the praise I deserved. Great stuff. Edit: The manager now thinks we can become good friends... __________________ "You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball...and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." -Jim Bouton Last edited by samifan24 : 09-25-2004 at 10:07 AM.

09-25-2004, 10:08 AM	#130
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	(Credit Joe O'Reilly at the SI Games board) Ok – Here’s the story.. To cut a long story short, here is a normal persons explanation of what has happened. When we apply copy protection to the game it tells it where it can and cannot look for the data folder. The data folders contains the games graphics (amother other stuff) But the beta demo does not have copy protection of any kind. So it’s finding the first data folder it can find and staying there. Which is a problem if that data folder does not contain this information. This should only affect you if you have a data folder at the bottom level of the drive you have installed the game on (c:\data for example) To fix this problem do one of these things. Uninstall the game. Then.. a) Rename this c:\data something else and then reinstall game to default location. or b) Install the game to a different drive, if you have more than one partition or hard drive (d:\fm2005 for example) or c) Reinstall whatever software uses or needs the c:\data directory to another drive (or install to same drive in directory, so it does not use c:\data, but uses c:\software\data) This problem won’t affect the final game (as the final game has copy protection, that normally stops this happening.) But we’ll have code put in to check for it in future builds anyway, __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

09-25-2004, 12:11 PM	#131
korme Go Reds Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bloodbuzz Ohio	I still love the Nickname feature. Stupid Douchebag says he has no interest in playing for Carshalton.

09-25-2004, 12:29 PM	#132
illinifan999 Pro Rookie Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: VA	Thanks foz, that worked like a charm. __________________ Chicago Eagles 2 time ZFL champions We're "rebuilding"

09-25-2004, 03:40 PM	#133
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Re the assistant feature: haven't had the kind of extreme views Mac is talking about, but while testing a game out as Newcastle my assistant Carver insisted that 20 year old Stewart Taylor should be in the team as center back, despite Bramble, O'Brien and Hughes being clearly better than him in all attributes. Even after I signed Marcel Desailly and Ernest Faber, he thought Taylor should be in the team. This guy wasn't bad, probably turns into a decent player, but definitely not Premiership standard. Thought about this for a while, and I've come to the conclusion I like it. Absolutely love it. My assistant should not tell me the best lineup full stop. He should tell me what HE thinks is the best lineup and if he thinks this Taylor kid is going to do an awesome job for me and he thinks I'm undervaluing him, that's his opinion. Who knows, I might stick Taylor in and see what happens. For me, an assistant manager "pick team" option that picks the best team the game could possibly put out would spoil all the fun. I want another opinion, another way of picking my team based on the assistant managers style and judgement attributes that makes me stop and think about the way I am picking the team. Or... I could be reading way too much into it and it's a bug

09-25-2004, 04:01 PM	#135
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Im finding that a lot of the old CM4 flaws are still there, in some shape and from- the 2d engine is not much of an improvement. Defenders and players still runaway from the ball- and the GK still kicks the ball on a goalkick to a place where their is a preponderance of opposing players. More so, the ball that just seems to lie there in the middle of the park because no one wants to get it for a good 30 seconds or so occasionaly. I love the bells and whistles in the game, but the 2d footy simulation is still bugging me.

09-25-2004, 04:04 PM	#136
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	Aadik.. I'm surprised, I'm not seeing that much of that, to be honest. __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

09-25-2004, 04:05 PM	#137
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Okay, the goalkicks are really starting to bug me. I've seen this happen multiple times for my team and against it - the goalie kicks it down the middle when he plently of options on the wings- the opposing striker (the kick goes maybe 30-40 yards tops) heads his it on to a player, and they score. I can see this happening occasionaly- but its getting ridiculous IMO. Im hoping that this will be improved, but I dunno how much the 2d has improved in 3 years.

09-25-2004, 07:59 PM	#139
GrantDawg World Champion Mis-speller Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Covington, Ga.	Ok, ready for an insane problem? Everytime I try to load, the installation starts "ATI Decoder" and wants to remove it from my system. It will not install the game. Any ideas?

09-25-2004, 08:28 PM	#141
scooter High School Varsity Join Date: May 2004 Location: Camano Island, WA	I think the 2D has improved quite a bit from 03-04. I too think it seems more realistic. I think you are correct bhlloy, the assistant managers do seem to have their own ideas (that don't always seem "right"). Just let them run your reserve team for a while. I go back and look at the teams that he picks and am sometimes surprised. That doesn't mean he's wrong - it's just his opinion. I think the Team Report feature is nice when you first take over a team and don't know the players. It gives you an idea of where you should look for your starting XI and who may be the weak parts of your squad. It's just a guide though and as I play for a while and get to know the players myself, I find I use the report less. It's a nice addition though. First Touch, Corners and Natural Fitness were all hidden attributes previously. They have also added Composure and Concentration. I think these are all attributes that a coach or scout would be able to see if they watched a player for long enough. I think they are nice additions as well.

09-25-2004, 09:01 PM	#143
Mac Howard Sick as a Parrot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Surfers Paradise, Australia	I wonder if the assistant manager comments are prewritten to suit each individual squad but are not yet as up to date as the database. The Man Utd comments, for example, would make sense when Utd had only van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer but not after the recent addition of Rooney, Smith and Saha. I did post something on this on the bug report section on SIGames but I notice it's been removed. Not sure if that's because of who I am (though they usually keep my posts there) or if it's something more sinister Writing these reports is not as easy as it seems. The human brain deals with these sort of comparisons on a parallel basis which isn't easily converted into the linear logic of computer code. I usually stick to direct comparisons rather than speculative reports that can come out silly sometimes. __________________ Mac Howard - a Pom in Paradise Last edited by Mac Howard : 09-25-2004 at 09:05 PM.

09-25-2004, 09:10 PM	#144
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	The game is addicting, and I still no nothing about it. I would love to read an in-depth manual on the game. Once I get used to it, I might never quit playing. This is just one game where I really want to learn how to play and what all the options are for in the game. Please... Todd

09-25-2004, 09:14 PM	#145
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Todd, I highly recommend reading one of Marc V's old tip guides. It might not teach you everything about the game, but it's a good place to start learning some basics. You can find them at various spots on the web (and in old threads on this forum.) Also, you'll eventually want to read some league guides. I'm fairly new to this game myself, really only getting into it in the last year, but I'm sure if you post specific questions here someone will answer them. I posted quite a few when I started playing. Also, you might want to check out one of the strategy guides that is published as that gives a lot of information. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

09-25-2004, 11:00 PM	#146
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	All I have to say is that I was playing it on and off last night and then at 3am when I was ready to go to bed I did the "just one more game" thing, and next thing I knew it was 4:30 am. And this is a BETA DEMO!!! Oh yeah, and I spent all day today wishing I was in front of my computer when I was doing housework, but have been cranking on it for 7 hours now (not solid...on and off). Definately has that addictive component, that I sort of felt CM4 was lacking a little.

09-25-2004, 11:06 PM	#147
scooter High School Varsity Join Date: May 2004 Location: Camano Island, WA	Here's a download for the CM4 version of the guide Eaglesfan27 was talking about. http://www.sigames.com/downloads.php?type=view&id=163 It takes some time to get the hang of playing CM/FM. I've been playing since CM3 (about 5 years now) and when I first started it was very overwhelming. I think a good way to get into it though is with the demo. Take a team and try some things (make offers for players, loan players, try to sell some of yours, try different tactics, discipline a player). With the demo only lasting 6 months, you've got nothing to lose! That way, when the game is released, you'll be all ready to start that dynasty!

09-26-2004, 12:39 AM	#149
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	Thanks EF and scooter! Off to read it now. I really want to get into this game - absolutely love the 2d matches. Todd