[META] So is it the game, or is it the forum?

[mersk]

Was a little unsure where to post this, but considering it's FM18 related, and for purposes of visibility, I posted it here.

I noticed a certain lack of activity compared to previous years after the beta released, so I had a quick look:

View attachment 79035

This place started gathering real momentum in 2009, with 2010-11 representing the peak. After that, it declined a bit and kept stable until around 2016, when the activity halved. The number for FM17 was 48,582 posts. It's of course too early to say anything about where the FM18 subforum will end up, but it's not looking good.

So what gives? Are people just not talking about the game as much as they used to? Are fewer people playing it? Are they talking about it elsewhere? Or has the game just become stagnant to the degree that it doesn't intrigue people anymore?

Based on absolutely nothing other than my own gut, I'd say the latter. I bought the beta version this year, but I still haven't started a save. I made a manager, and was finally gonna start playing today. I booted it up, went through the setup, and went through the messages, backboard staff, squad screen... and stopped right there. Just wasn't feeling it. So I exited without advancing a single minute.

My playtime the last few years:

FM 15: 915hrs
FM 16: 683hrs
FM 17: 271hrs

Now that's correlation if I ever saw it.

 

[Dynamo_ZahnZee]

I've always felt that the new Match Engine implemented in FM2013 caused a lot of fans to drop the series since it spelled the end of the Plug-and-play tactics era. The Tactics forums became flooded with posts about the game being broken while more tactically astute players told them that it's not the game, it's their failure to understand tactical nuance.

I think it's more the game than the Fourms; since FM became a lot less fun and more challenging since the ME became more focused on tactical planning, positional roles and moral - so a lot of people who relied on plug and play tactics grew more and more frustrated when the super tactics they downloaded didn't work with their team.

I think there's also an element of staleness. With all the love int he world to FM-Base and Sports Interactive; but it's the same thing every year with few changes. People get bored and move onto other things.

Also...... my stats.
FM15: 2477 hours
FM16: 1474 hours
FM17: 1649 hours

 

[vladpony]

For me fm12: 652 hours. Fm13: 5658 hours steam stopped counting at various times mby 2 years not counting. I think it stopped at 3500 hours for a long time . Then i have fm 14 played for 138 hours.
Do this years version have the potential to be as good as fm 12 or 13 or mby better?

 

[apvmoreira]

We should also see that some of the sections of this forum are now empty like graphics and databases.

FM Base, at least for me, is the best forum for tactics, but when im looking for the rest its very short, compared with, for example, FM Scout.

We also have saw in the last years a great development of more appealing forums, with more graphic content, images, etc, and maybe people prefer it.

 

[Godfish93]

In terms of hours played -

FM15 - 2670
FM16 -2469
FM17 - 2536

For the most part, they've remained pretty stable. I don't expect to get close on 18, but I have much more outside of gaming to do. With having other game series to play that have improved considerably, such as Cricket Captain and Civ V/VI, I've spread my time across them as well. I still love FM as a game, but other things have sometimes made more advancements in areas, and that turns my head. Rather than with previous editions when there was a problem that I would tough it out; these days I'll just change game to relax.

It does seem as if player time is staying at a fairly constant level, certainly based on the hours played stats that Miles posts, but I think with FM Base, the generation that was responsible for all the posting has started to move away from the forum, and hasn't been adequately replaced. Whether that is down to apathy or a lack of awareness, I'm not sure.

 

[toma41]

In terms of hours played -

FM15 - 2670
FM16 -2469
FM17 - 2536

For the most part, they've remained pretty stable. I don't expect to get close on 18, but I have much more outside of gaming to do. With having other game series to play that have improved considerably, such as Cricket Captain and Civ V/VI, I've spread my time across them as well. I still love FM as a game, but other things have sometimes made more advancements in areas, and that turns my head. Rather than with previous editions when there was a problem that I would tough it out; these days I'll just change game to relax.

It does seem as if player time is staying at a fairly constant level, certainly based on the hours played stats that Miles posts, but I think with FM Base, the generation that was responsible for all the posting has started to move away from the forum, and hasn't been adequately replaced. Whether that is down to apathy or a lack of awareness, I'm not sure.

your stats work out to a 50 hour working week, i'm not knocking it but how do people find this spare time

 

[Sean]

I think a big part of it is a lot of people have grown up playing Football Manager.

The most popular age demographic on this site is 25-34.

Years ago these people will of been still in school or students with much more free time on their hands to play FM and then to actually have time to discuss it on here.

Oh, and the site is hella outdated.

 

[Muzstafa]

For me it's the game. Yeah, granted, I have more of a life than I used to-but the game is waaaaay too immersive for someone who isn't a tactician/football anorak. I find it really difficult to get into saves now-the sheer amount of planning before the start of the season alone is quite the undertaking if you want to get it right-plus the AI shift means you have to pay attention in matches, which many casual gamers have neither the time nor the inclination to do. I honestly think the next FM should have detail tiers-I know FM Classic is similar to old FMs but people should be able to tailor their game now-so for example having options regarding level of tactical detail, training etc. It's just getting too complicated. I'm fine with training, transfers etc-it's the endless media appearances and ridiculously time consuming tactical side that I can't stand. If you don't know how to do it right you're basically screwed. In the last 2-3 years the game has changed massively-those numbers definitely reflect that.

 

[Muzstafa]

your stats work out to a 50 hour working week, i'm not knocking it but how do people find this spare time

Clocked up insane hour counts at uni-but i'm pretty sure the count is how long the game is running for-always had it running in the background at lectures, while doing essays etc....

 

[zubair]

My Stats

FM2010 - 957hrs
FM2011 - 883hrs
FM2012 - 974hrs
FM2013 - 840hrs
FM2014 - 655hrs
FM2015 - 753hrs
FM2016 - 867hrs
FM2017 - 114hrs

As with most players, i started with the old Champ manager and have played every year since. I havent lost my enthusiam for the game, but as i grow older and have "more of a life", i have found less time for FM.

I also found not having a good enough laptop dampened my love for the game. All the waiting for slow movement meant that if i couldnt play how i wanted, then no point playing. I also have a child now, so less and less free time to get down and play, which is why i have only clocked 114 hours for 2017. I only managed to buy the game a few months ago and even that was out of loyalty and now wanting to break my streak.

I get about 2 hours after my son goes to bed where i can freely get some playtime, and even that is 3/4 times a week.

Seeing some guys with figure's over 2000 hours shocks me. Like dont you people have jobs!!!, but then again if i didnt have so many other commitments, i would gladly play FM all day.

Looking forward to FM 2018 though, my love for the game is growing again, and i have a new laptop now with a more than decent Spec.

Cant wait for Friday!! Rock on lads,

 

[Godfish93]

your stats work out to a 50 hour working week, i'm not knocking it but how do people find this spare time

You might not be knocking it, but I work hard enough to deserve to get some FM in. I leave mine at 6am, and get home at 6pm. In the remaining 5 hours in the weekdays before bed, I'm pretty sure I'm perfectly within my rights to play some games. Like I also stated, in previous years, I've not been bothered by playing other games, so time increases. In addition, I might doze off and leave it running - racks up the time. The main file reads as 78 days worth of playing to reach 2043 - I can pretty much guarantee I was asleep for a part of that, or at the shop.

 

[shirajzl]

I've always felt that the new Match Engine implemented in FM2013 caused a lot of fans to drop the series since it spelled the end of the Plug-and-play tactics era. The Tactics forums became flooded with posts about the game being broken while more tactically astute players told them that it's not the game, it's their failure to understand tactical nuance.

I think it's more the game than the Fourms; since FM became a lot less fun and more challenging since the ME became more focused on tactical planning, positional roles and moral - so a lot of people who relied on plug and play tactics grew more and more frustrated when the super tactics they downloaded didn't work with their team.

This is it. A simple and accurate explanation of it all.
I've heard loads of people IRL and online complain that you can't just plug in (whether yours or downloaded) tactic, forget about it and focus on squad building, like in the old days. Back then, the game catered to both group of players, those who enjoy tactical tinkering and those who don't. Now, however, it's all about tactical nuances, watching games in close, reacting, understanding the ME and its intricacies. For some, myself included, that's too tiresome.

 

[feniksxx]

Well, because I don't really like to mess with my tactics I play FM Touch. Also, my favorite part of the game is youth intake because it is interesting to read their second nationalities (Strange.).