News Post

Taking a Good Manager Mode and Making it Great

02:47 PM - June 12, 2008 by RaychelSnr

While FIFA 08's manager mode was good, it could still have used quite a few additions. Operation Sports' Dave Branda checks in today with an updated version of what he'd like to see added to the FIFA manager mode to make it great. Check out his article, Taking a Good manager Mode and Making it Great.

Quote:


	"Loans are another area that needs to be rehashed. In theory it works � you send your players to other clubs, retain their rights but they play for the other club who also pays their salary.Where this is most useful is taking your younger players and farming them out to clubs in the lower leagues so they can play and get experience."

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Member Comments

# 1 Acid @ 06/12/08 02:59 PM

Free transfers happen a lot.

Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal for AC Milan on a free transfer. And last year, Michael Ballack left Bayern on a free transfer for Chelsea.

Maybe there should be less world class players leaving on free transfers in the game, but it shouldn't be <50 like you said.

# 2 avad @ 06/12/08 06:04 PM

Ballack and Flamini are definitely the exceptions and not normally the rule. It's frustrating when Ronaldinho or Podolski are out there for free. Bayern must have been pretty sure he'd come back or must have wanted him gone to let him get to that point.

Great Article Dave, i agree completely with your points. I do however wish there was a way that we could check in on the loaned out players as well as check statistics of other leagues i'm not currently playing in. I'm shocked that the game is that narrow.

# 3 jsrowe @ 06/22/08 09:12 PM

You make very good points Dave as do you Avad.

And Acid, the main problem with the free agents and free transfers is not that it happens. Its that it happens very unrealistically. It does not happen as often as it does in real life as it does in the game, but the most important point is that players like Ballack and Flamini are not joining MLS and horrible teams when they would/could be playing in the top leagues.

Granted, some players like Beckham don't mind playing in the US in lesser leagues having already accomplished a lot. I think that plays into Dave's interest system, which I think it a neat idea. Perhaps also have interest based on geographic location.

I really wish they would have create a team.

Also, I don't like how easy it is to build a team up. I think by addressing some transfer/free agent issues that Dave talked about that would help a lot.

Another thing that bugs me is how easy it is to remove fatigue from the game. I don't care if you have the best trainers in the world, playing someone all the time will run them into the ground. If you upgrade your trainers, which is cheap to do, all the way to 8-10 players won't ever get tired. They can play the entire game. Which, is nice considering the pain of changing your roster when you sim. However, if you fix that, I think it would only make sense to make players fatigue easier.

Just my opinion.

I think there is a lot they can do to make the manager mode better.

# 4 Vince @ 06/24/08 10:17 AM

ECC night games????

# 5 bad_philanthropy @ 06/24/08 04:11 PM

Actually having the cpu change its starting 11 over the years would be nice too.

# 6 BROman @ 06/24/08 08:16 PM

i'd be cool if other teams would court you to be the manager, like success @ lower levels = inquiries from top flight teams.

# 7 lojic @ 06/26/08 08:38 PM

I like the idea of it being more like NCAA Football recruiting. It shouldn't be easy to pick up Xabi Alonso when you're Real Salt Lake. But if a player is on the downside of his career it could be possible. Beckham for example.

Also, as a manager or player that is doing well you should get a chance to coach/play for your home country. And it should be allowed to actually play international games. EURO, World Cup, COPA America, etc............ It should at least be an option.

Also, in leagues such as the K-League or MLS, you should be able to host tournaments during manager mode. The CONCACAF Champions' Cup for example. Or create your own.

# 8 {*Jubz_} @ 07/24/08 10:05 AM

in this manager mode , if chelsea bid for scholes they should take it into consideration and not say "no" straght away because its a rival team.

In real life we have seen rival teams buy players from eachother e.g Arsenals Ashley Cole went to Chelsea and Gallas went to Arsenal..

At halftime they should have a halftime talk discussing the possesion and the errors of the teams and what is going well and looking at the highlights of the game while the commentators converse over whats happening and the missed chances etc..

During the match the manager should be shown doing reactions to whats happening in the game.

in manager mode you should get lots of offers from other clubs as well, and they must offer even when your player is not for sale , and if you say no to letting the player go , then the player gets to decide if he really wants to go and that can be determined by his morale and how much he gets paid and how much he gets game time.

Sponsors should be allowed to be changed and you must choose if you want the sponsor on your jersey etc..

International duties should be taken into consideration.. every 4 years depending on your manager prestige you will be selected by an international team to go and do the world cup and choose your team etc.Then after the world cup you get taken back to the menu where you want to choose your club again..

Show the players lifting the cup and receiving medals and fireworks and the whole jumping up and down.

# 9 {*Jubz_} @ 07/24/08 10:10 AM

and lets not forget getting manager offers from other clubs, and not just you choosing your club the whole time , it makes life way too easy as a manager just choosing your club

# 10 Qb @ 07/24/08 12:35 PM

Good suggestions, Jubz and welcome to OS!

The transfer market is in need of a lot of work. You can't even see what players are moved after each window in 08. Here are some additional ideas I have for improvements in no particular order:

1. Bosman transfers in the January window. This was in WE for the PS2 and was well implemented. You could negotiate a free transfer with any player in the last year of his contract during the mid-season negotiation period and if successful, they would join your squad for the following season. Not incredibly common, but it 'is in the game' so it should be 'in the game'...

2. More variety/logic in terms of what teams bid for a player. As it stands now, you'll usually only see teams from your league bid for any players that you list, with the exception of the occasional odd-ball offer from some tiny club that would never make such an offer. I think I had St. Mirren (Scotland) make multiple offers for Alex Hleb in my Arsenal MM. There should be more of an emphasis on the size/prestige of the club in relation to the quality of player in question, as well as consideration of what nation they are from. The latter would be cool for players who are past their prime who often return to a smaller club in their home-country to finish their career (recent examples: Ronaldo back to Brazil or Makelele to PSG) or if I wanted to sell Luca Toni from Bayern, there should be Italian teams lining up at my door, not a few German doormats...

3. We need a bidding system that pits teams against each other. I know past versions of Madden and NHL 08 have a system where you can see offers from other teams for free agents. Anyone who follows professional soccer's transfer market knows that rarely is one team involved in any potential move. If I want Klaas Jan Huntelaar, not only should I have to meet Ajax's value, but I should have to exceed the offers of other teams for wages & transfer fee...

4. The inclusion of swap & swap+money transfers. Another one that isn't terribly common, but fresh in my mind with the current Gareth Barry saga. We should be able to offer a player for player or player plus cash proposal. Not to harp on the subject, but this was also in the WE series on PS2...

5. The wage system needs to be completely re-done. At the start of manager mode you can successfully offer every player on your roster a contract extension for a significantly lower salary than they currently are making. Umm, yeah right! From time to time players should want more money and demand a transfer if they don't get it. Can you tell I'm an Arsenal fan?

6. The CPU should actually use any players they buy!!! No discussion would be complete without this dead horse-like point. Had to inlcude it...

Overall, FIFA needs a more robust, interactive and life-like transfer system that takes into account team factors, player desires the various other elements that influence who goes where. As of now, it's more or less deciding what player you want, accumulating enough money and buying them. There is no sense of competition for someone's signature, which is really what can make all this transfer business so enthralling (or frustrating depending on who you support). I think an interface more akin to the recruiting system used in college football & basketball games (interest, pitches, promises of PT,etc) would more accurately reflect the challenges of successfully acquiring players. That is all...

# 11 KG @ 07/24/08 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qb


	6. The CPU should actually use any players they buy!!!* No discussion would be complete without this dead horse-like point. Had to inlcude it...*

Please make that happen

# 12 calcutta @ 07/26/08 06:22 AM

Some simple things i'd like to see, in addition to pretty much everything already noted:

1) Make the schedule a daily one, instead of the current way where you simply launch into the next game. To be honest, i'm mainly keen on this during transfer season where we can monitor transfers and organise friendlies on a daily basis...atm the entire month of July is skipped! During the season we can focus on things like training and perhaps oversee youth team games.

2) I'd simply like to know whats happening in other leagues, even if its just standings for now, but eventually i'd like to see stats and news from other leagues (such as goal scoring leaders and managers at risk of losing their job etc). I know i should focus on my club, but i'd like to know who is leading Serie A or a lower division within my region, for example.

3) Make European play available in the very first season. I want to take part in the Champions League in 08/09 with Fiorentina like real life dag-nabbit!!! And can we finally stop calling them ECC and EFA in the game!

4) Assist tracking in the TOP 20's please!

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Taking a Good Manager Mode and Making it Great