Why You Should Boycott Football Manager 14

The FM series is probably the most addictive set of games on the planet. In years to come I’m quite sure it will be perfectly normal to emerge from a stint in rehab only to have to apologise to all of your friends for ‘adding manager.’

SI however, seem to have put all this in jeopardy, dropping the proverbial bollock if you will by watering down our alcohol; spooning us our methadone, when we are used to the full force of heroine, and as a result there are now many people who have started to kick their FM habit.

So where did it all go wrong?

SI had us all by the short and curlies, so at what point did they pull to hard and just end up with a handful of pubes? Where did it fall apart?. There is only one answer. FM13!

It’s NOT About Football Anymore!

Realism seems to be the driving force for FM at the moment, if something happens in real life SI instantly mimic it in the virtual FM world. The problem is, all these little accumulations are really starting to sour the game. Realism is a good thing but FM is not real, it is a game. A mild-mannered Pinocchio in an external reality. But rather than becoming a real boy, FM is left as a wooden puppet, its nose with more wood than a shire horse. The more they try to make it real, the more they polarise the outcome of any response you give as a human player. Leaving a right or wrong answer. A pre determined computer outcome with only one result.

This is reflected in the match engine. We win or lose a game if we can switch to Counter or Defence at the ‘right time.’ Yet Arsenal’s invincible’s and their young Impressionists whom followed are famous for relentlessly attacking until the last second of a game and nothing else. FM has become about finding out what the game wants you to do. Not imitating real life football.

Real Madrid are famous for their direct countering style, stretching the pitch with Ronaldo as an out-ball with an ultra fast squeeze and tempo. Yet on FM, the counter strategy forces a narrow, slower and shorter game! Again FM has become about finding out what the game wants you to do. Not imitating real life football.

Barcelona play possession football, an ultra attacking strategy played high up the pitch with a slow tempo, patiently planting their short passes in the tightest of spots. Surely the attacking strategy 90% of the time for them then? Let’s see; FM says, attacking strategy means, wide, direct, and fast. Each slider slowly decreasing until we see the best fit is probably the ‘Defence’ command. Set at narrow, short and slow. Again FM has become about finding out what the game wants you to do. Not imitating real life football.

There are many other examples but I have chosen these teams are they are arguably the biggest in world football!… And Arsenal.

The Beta Debacle

Now lucky us got to play FM13 way prior to its release date this year and it only cost us the price of the game! Unfortunately what we were provided with was not a game. It was a match engine so sub standard even the staunchest FM supporters were struggling to see how they could fix all the bugs by the release date. Goalkeepers were rubbish, every cross resulted in a goal and the worse your players crossing stat the better, as every miss hit cross seemed to somehow beat the keeper from an impossible angle!

I know, I know. It was a Beta. It would all be fixed by the release date right?…. SO WRONG.

The game was released for the second year in a row with a patch on release day… Surely this can only be an admission that the game isn’t ready from day one?

All of the match engine faults had been modified to occur less frequently, but none of them were ‘fixed.’ The January patch improved things further, adding a smidge of playability to the game but it’s not good enough. You can’t sell your customers a broken game just because it is time to do so. At a minimum reimburse them, at least partially.

The engine in FM14 must improve, yet through SI’s actions there is no evidence it will. Boycott 14 wait for 15!

The Massive Market of Wasted Lower Level Players

Something needs to be done about the enjoyment of managing in the lower leagues and the incredible amount of players on a free transfer who have too big a (digital) ego to join your low reputation side. I’m not of course suggesting the newly released Andrei Arshavin should instantly sign for league 1 Doncaster, but the amount of players on the free list with a good level stats for the league you are in, yet too few stats for the league above is staggering. These pointless players just sit on the free list normally until they retire… What’s the point of them? All they do is frustrate the human player, as we sit, left with players of half the quality after we have done the long-winded (but wonderfully enjoyable) scouting work.

There is nothing worse than finally finding a gem on the game within your reach and then seeing he won’t come to you, full stop. Surely one of the most influencing factors in modern football is the managers’ ability in the transfer market is it not?

Why couldn’t the increased pointless interactions within the game (Press duties, declaring interest, ribbing managers,) be extended for actual use? Why not be able to approach the player, tell them you are aiming for a 2nd straight promotion, or a trophy in 2 years etc. See if that attracts them, if you start to fall short of your promise to them, their morale and performances could drop as a result and they could ask for a transfer request/ do a Tevez in extreme circumstances. They could even have a contract clause releasing them unless promoted? FM is obsessed with high agent clauses and future fee % Why not have some clauses that make a difference to the game?

Titus Bramble on a Free

With FM’s obsession of realism. (It’s a good obsession, poorly executed.) Titus Bramble could be the bane of every player’s life on FM14… With the MISTAKE LEAD TO GOAL message becoming a pretty much nailed on occurrence when you play the bigger teams; added to Bramble’s reputation, it looks like your teams conceded column will rise significantly with this FM.

Avoid him I hear you scream! Yes I agree, but with his surprisingly good stats he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That, combined with his availability to a wide range of clubs will make him appear an ideal signing to promoted teams right through to mid-table sides.

My advice is: at a thrifty £0 Bramble may still prove a costly signing. Avoiding him on FM 14 may be key to your enjoyment!

Because of these monster flaws it is time we, the players teach SI a lesson. NO MORE POOR QUALITY PRODUCT. Updates for updates sake are not good enough. Let’s all abstain from FM14, leave a sour taste in the markets mouth. Hell maybe even meet a girl you’re not related to!

Then when SI have no choice but to improve for FM15 we can throw it all away again for our first true love.