FM11 - DEMO - First Impressions

[Mike.]

Current changes coming to the ME (pending QA approval):

Match v903
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- Rewritten tracking and marking of player with ball
- Fine tuned dribbling ability to allow for above change
- Fixed players continuing to face set piece position by default after set piece has already been taken
- Made keeper dive to head ball rather than risk a messy clearance when ball around chest height
- Made players more likely to round keeper when clear on goal
- Also made players less likely to shoot too early when clear on goal
- Slight tweak to keeper positioning when coming to meet opponent bearing down on goal
- Made players track their opponent a bit more urgently when set piece about to be taken
- Fixed bug causing keepers continuing move to intercept ball that has long since been taken under control by opponent
- Fixed a couple of issues relating to players not reacting properly to the ball
- Couple of tweaks to marking of non ball player in open play
- Made players especially wide players less likely to drift offside when offering out ball to team mate
- Made players under no pressure less likely to play first time or second touch pass unless it is a really good option
- Fixed players risking missing easy chances by aiming too close to posts when no need to do so
- Reduced number of crosses aimed at penalty box with absolutely no team mate there or close to being there
- Couple of further small tweaks to on ball decision making

Match v904
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- Fine tuning and fixes to closing down and tracking of ball player
- Fine tuning to marking of non ball player
- Generally tuned balance of fouls and cards
- Players a bit quicker to get play going again at set piece when chasing game
- Fixed obscure bug where keeper could catch ball and back into own net with it
- Fixed occasional bug where player boots ball out of play for no reason
- Tweaked marking at throws in defensive third
- Fixed a couple of bugs where players would stop covering for team mate prematurely
- Fixed a couple more incidences of players not reacting to ball realistically
- Fixed bug where defenders could leave ball to keeper unrealistically and allow opponents in
- Slight tweak to movement off ball in opponent's area
- Fixed player putting ball out for injury when in scoring position unless its clear that he should
- Reduced lateral runs with ball across pitch ahead of decent passing opportunities
- Fixed underuse of playmaker at slow tempo
- Fixed general underuse of target man
- Reduced shots taken from distance when opportunity is there to take ball on further towards goal
- Slight tweak to accuracy of shots in clear cut chance positions
- Fixed bug where player diving to head ball in right on line might send ball away from goal
- Fixed bug where defender may clear ball off line without taking care not to kick it against team mate
- Encouraged earlier cross when plenty of team mates in opposition area
- Fixed bug causing keepers to walk through each other when switching over during a penalty shootout
- Ensured physios face the direction of the player they are treating when treating a player off the field
- Fixed bug where a player celebrates despite being injured
- Fixed bug where both physios stand on top of each other
- Adjusted selection of corner takers for human teams where the user hasn't assigned one in their tactics
- Ensured players don't attempt sliding celebrations if they haven't gained enough momentum to perform the slide
- Fixed bug where players would celebrate goals when a fixture was being played behind closed doors
- Fixed bug causing players to end up celebrating goals by themselves too often
- Fixed bug where the linesman would stand in an inappropriate position for free kicks that were in positions similar to corner kicks

Match v905
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- Further fine tuning to closing down and tracking of ball player
- Very small tweak to marking of non ball player to prevent defenders getting pulled apart laterally unrealistically
- Reduction in number of tackle attempts to be closer to v902 and v903
- Further tuning to balance of fouls and cards
- Players more likely to go to ground when opponents tug their shirts while they are running at speed
- Player more likely to miscontrol ball when switching direction at speed
- Made player reaction time more realistic when they fail to win a tackle or foul attempt
- Fixed bug causing defensive midfielders to cover for centre halves when they are too far off D-line and defence should be shifting across
- Fixed obscure bug causing unrealistic panicky clearances
- Some improvements to passing AI
- Fixed bug causing players to make fouls as last man in the belief they werent last man
- Fixed bug in finishing from tight angle but at close range that could send ball across goal and make too easy for keeper

Match v906
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- Yet further fine tuning to closing down and tracking of ball player
- Small tweak to prevent centre halves man marking too early and losing defensive shape
- Reduced unneccesarily heavy first touches
- Tweaked dribbling AI slightly
- Improved decision making when through on goal slightly
- Fined tuned number of penalties
- Fixed bullet throws being targeted too low

Note this is just the ME stuff, there are data changes, but im not doing all the work for you lot go trawl the Si forums data threads

 

[fuelledbypassion]

- Made keeper dive to head ball rather than risk a messy clearance when ball around chest height

I conceded 2 goals in this way on the demo, which I feel was especially unrealistic as I didn't have a sweeper keeper. It was Almunia though :S

Good info there Madsheep, cheers

 

[blank 27]

im love fm 2010 interface but i hate fm 2011 interface,but fm 2011 is much better then fm 2010 especialy for the agents(exclude the interface).

 

[*Jones*]

- Fixed underuse of playmaker at slow tempo

This for me is very good news :]

 

[cutsy]

world class as usual, it didnt need changing much from fm10 but with the additions in agents, new stadiums, improved match engine, conversations etc this will be the best manager game of all time

 

[aslaram]

Played a little while now that game has stopped crashing.

Keepers look silly and flappy - like one of those air things with the long arms.
There's been a lot of red cards.
442 is useable now.
Celebrations look worse than last year.
Love the agents interaction and the players they tout.

Will be interesting to see what happens with the patches when the game comes out. For me, this is the most enjoyable since 2007. I really get the feeling that this may be the first FM that hasn't got 1 true wonder tactic. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be some tactics that work for every team, but I love the fact that you can use a tactic based on the players you have inherited. So Spurs, 442, Chelsea 451, 433. This is really good because you can gradually change your team and formation as the seasons go on, just like real life football.

 

[Eroldir]

I just dont like it. It feels pretty much the same as FM10 bar a few small changes and the team are just not playing anything like how the tactics are set up. passing set to shorter and tempo slow and they hoof it at every oppertunity :S

I should probably carry on playing, im still unbeaten in 5 games and it may be a case of the players not trusting my tactics yet, being a new manager, but I'm just not enjoying it.

Takes more than that. If you chose an offensive mood, off course they're more likely not to follow your short passing intructions. In "starting strategy", you have to choose "control" in order for them to play short passes. That's what I do with Barcelona: control, short passes, slow tempo and "defender collect" set up for my goalkeeper's distribution. This way, it's what Barcelona does in real that I can see on my 3D screen. Yes, and letting the creative freedom at "normal" or at "more disciplined". Too much freedom, and they don't respect your tactic that much as well.

But it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you're a new manager for the team. We all are at the begining of the game. It's just that you need to set more detailed tactics in order to make it work.

 

[Stonewall]

The amount of times ive sat playing this game...Thinking... Arsenal away..Wish i could train the team to press more or get stuck in ...Well now you can with the game planner so THUMBS UP from me...
Apart from that,(H) match graphics much better and the interviews and individual talks are a major plus...

 

[haap]

This for me is very good news :]

Indeed, Deep lying playmakers are invisible.

 

[Zagallo]

There's obviously a massive bug with the referees and cards issue. 1st game of the season, playing with Wigan. Not a single hard tackle or slide tackle in the game, yet this happened.

I thought the ref was checking if the yellow and red cards were working.

 

[Ben]

There's obviously a massive bug with the referees and cards issue. 1st game of the season, playing with Wigan. Not a single hard tackle or slide tackle in the game, yet this happened.

I thought the ref was checking if the yellow and red cards were working.

Made me lol, although it isn't a laughing matter.

 

[Eroldir]

Wow! I only get 2 to 5 yellow cards in general in the spanish league, so seeing that much cards in the english league is quite incomprehensible.

 

[Nathan]

EuroGamer Review
​

Back in the days before the games industry became the unceasing, year-long money-making juggernaut it is now and when Sports Interactive's football management games still went by the name Championship Manager, the series' yearly releases would vary between major full-price products that signified leaps forward for the series (Championship Manager 3, Championship Manager 4) and reduced-price offerings full of tweaks and data updates (Championship Manager: Season 02&03, etc.). Of course, that was a long time ago.

One of the complaints many Football Manager fans have these days is that they simply can't justify paying full price for each yearly FM release. After all, many of them argue, new match engines aside, each new version can't be all that much more evolved than the last, right? Well, usually that would be a valid argument. But this year, things are a little different.

When it comes to ground-breaking new features, Football Manager 2011 is unlikely to have your ticker skipping like a three year old with a lollipop shaped like a bear. But thanks to a truckload of intelligent tweaks and a generous shovelful of innovative and well-integrated additions, it turns out that this year's FM is the deepest, most complete and cohesive offering Sports Interactive has produced for some years.

Whether it's the added slickness and detail of the 3D match engine, the exponentially more realistic and flexible player, press and board interactions, or the added tactical depth, married to a new-found accessibility that partially succeeds in opening the experience up to newcomers and AWOL fans intimidated by the franchise's complexity – Football Manager 2011 is worthy of your attention.

Let's not get too carried away just yet, because Football Manager isn't perfect. With such magnitude come the now-obligatory irks and inconsistencies, though thankfully there are fewer than in some previous years. There are times when some of the features contradict each other, and moments when little glitches leap out at you. Navigation is also a slight problem, with some key features hard to locate. But these issues are rarely terminal and are more than made up for by the game's staggering depth and impressive cohesion.

While the dialogue is generic, the new player interaction features do add extra depth.

Perhaps FM 2011's most noteworthy and intriguing new feature is the increased ability to communicate with players, the press, agents and your board. Through a series of conversation topics and options, you can generate entire conversations on subjects such as areas of improvement, praise or admonishment for attitude or performance, pleas for extra funds and tapping up players.

The way these new features seamlessly meld with the game's existing mechanics makes them particularly impressive. Advice from your back room staff on how a player can improve seamlessly transitions into conversations with said squad member. Your staff member's recommended approach is even highlighted for your convenience. Of course, you can choose to follow or ignore each piece of advice. After all, you're the one who lives and dies by their decisions.

Agents now play hardball as you hold face-to-face talks, while players provide more detailed reasons for rejecting deals than ever before, even taking their representative's feelings into consideration, like their need for a second harp-shaped swimming pool in their Hawaiian villa. Try to force a player out of your club against their will and they may launch a hate campaign against you, either in the press or in the dressing room.

Never before have the personal wants and feelings of players and agents played such a prominent role, nor has the feedback regarding their feelings been so pronounced. Throw in improved press interactions, and you've got yourself an experience that requires you to think more carefully than ever about every decision and manoeuvre. You can even forge friendships, or launch character assassinations against other managers.

These enhanced communication features are a great first step to bringing the world of Football Manager to life in an interesting new way. Sports Interactive's next challenge will be to build on this by taking FM 2011's often generic player responses and colouring them with the real-life personalities of each player – as well as providing more detailed information about their disposition, character and motivations to enable you to fully understand the best way of dealing with each personality.

Amongst FM2011's other new features is a revamped training system. While this isn't a stand-out, it does provide a little more control over the disciplines your players spend their time practising. More noteworthy is the added control you have over match preparation. You can train players to specialise in unique formations for each encounter and concentrate on honing attacking, defending or how your team blends together, with detailed info displaying how comfortable players are with each tactic. Meanwhile, the enhanced post-match feedback furnishes you with more info than ever before regarding who's playing well, who's failing and, more importantly, why.

After the success of Championship Manager 2010's set-piece creator last year, it's positive to see a similar feature debuting here. However, rather than a system that lets you create bespoke moves that often don't materialise in matches, FM 2011's intuitive set-piece creator allows you to set up offensive and defensive set-piece instructions for corners, free-kicks and throw-ins, giving you far more control and flexibility over a wider range of situations.

Pre-match preparation is more detailed than ever.

The 3D match has also made some noteworthy strides, despite a few lingering animation problems. Goalkeepers in particular are far more realistic, moving with an agility more closely associated with professional net-minders than sacks of potatoes with rigor mortis. The sheer amount of information during games is immense, making this the most complete match day experience to date, with tactical and player feedback particularly impressive. Even if you're just watching key highlights, you always feel impressively informed about how a match is unfolding.

Football Manager 2011 is a behemoth of a game, one which makes a concerted (if not always 100 per cent successful) effort to make itself more accessible in spite of its increased depth and complexity. Many of its new features are cleverly integrated into the existing mechanics, while the value of others, such as the Dynamic League Reputation, will only become apparent from more extended playing time than this review allows.

The sum of FM 2011's parts is the most organic but more importantly, most believable man- and team-management experience the series has provided. Don't be expecting perfection, because you won't find it – but even if you own last year's version you should seriously consider investing in this follow-up, a recommendation I certainly don't make every year. And if you've been holding off purchasing a Football Manager game for the last few years, then this is the year to get back in the game.

9/10

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-01-football-manager-2011-review?page=1
​

 

[dong_zhuo]

Am I the only one who can't see stadiums in the match viewer? I downloaded the vanilla version. Is it just simpliefied or is this a bug or what?

 

[Tharros]

Am I the only one who can't see stadiums in the match viewer? I downloaded the vanilla version. Is it just simpliefied or is this a bug or what?

Go into 'Prefrences' (Shift + P) > 'Display & Sound'

Under '3D settings' there will be some checkboxes to enable/disable certain things in the match engine like stadiums, crowds ect.

 

[High_and_Mighty]

" it turns out that this year's FM is the deepest, most complete and cohesive offering Sports Interactive has produced for some years " -- thats the truth

 

[markodragojevic]

I haven't played much but the only thing i HATE is word soccer !!! hopefully in full version it will be fixed!

---------- Post added at 07:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 PM ----------

I haven't played much but the only thing i HATE is word soccer !!! hopefully in full version it will be fixed!

 

[moonraker]

Yes this is definitely shaping up to be another trend setter. I really like the agent interaction which is going to add further complications to an already engrossing game.

 

[dong_zhuo]

Go into 'Prefrences' (Shift + P) > 'Display & Sound'

Under '3D settings' there will be some checkboxes to enable/disable certain things in the match engine like stadiums, crowds ect.

FACEPALM. Completely forgot about this. Hope the full version runs smoother though. Alot of stuff takes time to load like just clicking on a score to see the match info, takes like 10secs, only wana see who scored haha.

EDIT: I would also recommend downloading the strawberry version. The vanilla one is quicker to download and install but doesn't run anywhere near as smoothly.

 

[alicwkd]

how so?

Sorry i took so long to reply to your post. Mainly its because i just cant get the players playing how i want them too, which i had no problems with on FM10. for example, shorter passing, slow tempo and normal creative freedom. Yet my team continue to hoof it long to my lone striker. Also no matter what frequency you set long shots too, your players seem to constantly try from miles out anyway. Finally the most frustrating thing of all is almost every player on the game, regardless of stats, consitsently missing easy chances or one on ones. Its obviously something i doing/ not doing, because no one else seems to have any problems, but i can hardly enjoy the game when the team seems to ignore their instructions