My Second Wind

[Tezzz]

Think this warranted its own thread. Sorry if I go on a bit.

I don't know what it is about Football Manager but every year it was the same. I'd buy the game, play it for endless hours, then kind of get bored and slowly lose interest in it. Then it was the next phase; where you fancy playing it but can't quite get the motivation or determination to stick at a save. And then after countless efforts of different saves were you're trying to re-find your love for the game.... you find it. And you find it good. You smash a season within a couple of days.

It was the same every year. In FM 2012 on my second wind I had a 5 season save with Liverpool while my mate was Arsenal. We were both battling for the premier league every season. He won it every year, while I always put up a fight but died off towards the end. He dominated domestically however I was a mastermind in Europe winning 3 Champions Leagues. This was a brilliant example of a second wind in football manager 2012. And then 2013 came..

Played it regularly when it was first released. And after about 3 weeks it died off completely as I concentrated on other things. Months later I attempted to hit my second wind. I tried to re-capture the FM fever but failed miserably. I just couldn't get back into it. Network game or not, with a lower league side or a champions league side, it just wouldn't happen. I spent hours trying to get into a save and they all ended with me saving the game never to re-open it. And so I never bothered with 2013 again.

Shortly after FM2014 came out I gave in and bought a copy. I had the usual start to a new FM and played it for days on end. A month later that all ended. Shortly after christmas I had another crack but couldn't get into a game. I tried a couple of different saves but just didn't feel motivated for it at all. I had cravings for it but just couldn't stick at it.

I thought it was no coincidence that this was happening two years in a row. I started to think that I just didn't enjoy the game anymore. But then it happened. Just as I was about to give up and hang up my boots I found it. A save with my beloved Liverpool, trying to create a perfect tiki-taka. Bringing in the youth and trying to re-establish us in Europe.

Clinched the premier league title within the first year. Suaurez, Sturridge and Sterling all playing outstanding for me. Sturridge got injured in January and I had no other half-decent striker. With hours to go I was drastically looking around for a striker. City were winning the title race, so you could imagine my utter shock when Dzeko's agent approached me asking me to take a look at his client. I managed to get him on loan until the end of the season and the rest was history.

With Champions League football guaranteed next year and a long list of world-class players interested in joining I had found my second wind. I was enjoying the game and the board even agreed to expanding the stadium as I signed a new 4 year contract. It's been far too long since I enjoyed a game of FM as much as I have this one.

So, is everyone else the same? Do they fade in and out of having the FM fever before having a second wind as I do?

PS. The ******* council denied the stadium expansion in the end. If anyones got a possible fix to this then let me know!

 

[t0rr3z]

I always happens to me as well haha, but the longest I got was 6 seasons on FM13.

One thing that I notice is that if I get bored of a save, I simply backup it, resign, and get a job in a completely different nation even continent. Did that with that FM 13 save (San Marino to Serie A, Colombia for a year and Huddersfield to the Premier League from the Championship) and had an amazing experience

 

[jonesbilly194]

I too support Liverpool and they're always my starting team..I do get phases of being on and off, when I first got it I was mad on it but could get anything to work but then it clicked come January and I went on to win every game going from 12th to 1st and winning an epic season in the premier league, I'm now in second year in top 4 and in final of champions league!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dihenzo]

You got it so right Sir. I have played every edition of Football Manager & i must admit i also go through the same phase as you. Its not about moving leagues or teams that would make it fun for me. Its about losing your love for the game too soon. A point were you cannot go on anymore. This all started with FM13 & now the same with FM14. SI have done a very good job adding much needed features into the game, i am all for a detailed realistic game.

So whats taken the fun out of the game? Well from what i have seen FM13-14 are very scripted games if you get what i mean. The game does not allow you to build any sort of momentum to get that "wow" factor & sense of enjoyment. Before you know it something strange happens that you just cannot explain. You spend more time thinking why did this/that happen. My biggest issue is i do not know or understand why i win games or loose them. Even if i get on that winning streak its not fun like before.

The many new features introduced over the past few year are good but they need to balance them out better in future to give us an improved gameplay experience. On a personal not i loose interest quick from a game that fails to understand itself. I do not see why the training model has to be changed each year to give a different effect & why things like youth intakes should be made rocket science. Yes i feel the game is more of a science than a sports game & i do not find that realistic & enjoyable.

When you find yourself going back to FM10 or 12 or even going as far back as Championship Manager to reignite that spark & fun factor it goes to show SI still have a lot of work to do in this aspect of the game. FM14 has the potential to be many many times better that all games of its kind but without the fun factor all whats good about it goes to waste. I will give FM14 one final go after it gets its last official patch/update. But right now i am having a blast on FM12. On the other hand in FM14 i feel like i am always against forces you just cannot explain, the feeling your constantly fighting with the game rather than having fun & enjoying it

 

[Tezzz]

I always happens to me as well haha, but the longest I got was 6 seasons on FM13.

One thing that I notice is that if I get bored of a save, I simply backup it, resign, and get a job in a completely different nation even continent. Did that with that FM 13 save (San Marino to Serie A, Colombia for a year and Huddersfield to the Premier League from the Championship) and had an amazing experience

Never thought of spicing a save up like that. Will deffo give that a try soon!

I too support Liverpool and they're always my starting team..I do get phases of being on and off, when I first got it I was mad on it but could get anything to work but then it clicked come January and I went on to win every game going from 12th to 1st and winning an epic season in the premier league, I'm now in second year in top 4 and in final of champions league!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The best team

You got it so right Sir. I have played every edition of Football Manager & i must admit i also go through the same phase as you. Its not about moving leagues or teams that would make it fun for me. Its about losing your love for the game too soon. A point were you cannot go on anymore. This all started with FM13 & now the same with FM14. SI have done a very good job adding much needed features into the game, i am all for a detailed realistic game.

So whats taken the fun out of the game? Well from what i have seen FM13-14 are very scripted games if you get what i mean. The game does not allow you to build any sort of momentum to get that "wow" factor & sense of enjoyment. Before you know it something strange happens that you just cannot explain. You spend more time thinking why did this/that happen. My biggest issue is i do not know or understand why i win games or loose them. Even if i get on that winning streak its not fun like before.

The many new features introduced over the past few year are good but they need to balance them out better in future to give us an improved gameplay experience. On a personal not i loose interest quick from a game that fails to understand itself. I do not see why the training model has to be changed each year to give a different effect & why things like youth intakes should be made rocket science. Yes i feel the game is more of a science than a sports game & i do not find that realistic & enjoyable.

When you find yourself going back to FM10 or 12 or even going as far back as Championship Manager to reignite that spark & fun factor it goes to show SI still have a lot of work to do in this aspect of the game. FM14 has the potential to be many many times better that all games of its kind but without the fun factor all whats good about it goes to waste. I will give FM14 one final go after it gets its last official patch/update. But right now i am having a blast on FM12. On the other hand in FM14 i feel like i am always against forces you just cannot explain, the feeling your constantly fighting with the game rather than having fun & enjoying it

Completely agree with you. Only difference is it seemed to have finally clicked for me in 2014 for whatever reason that is. Good luck with your final go at it mate.

 

[apvmoreira]

I try to create goals, like only nation based players to get the save more spicy, or try to find the next Messi/Ronaldo and make him score more than 70 goals per season, or try to get just youth intake kids into the main squad.

There are a lot of things that can turn around a save and make it more enjoyable.

 

[Dihenzo]

I try to create goals, like only nation based players to get the save more spicy, or try to find the next Messi/Ronaldo and make him score more than 70 goals per season, or try to get just youth intake kids into the main squad.

There are a lot of things that can turn around a save and make it more enjoyable.

Well said!! I usually have that one separate save that i dedicate to experiments & before you know it your having fun & taking it seriously & cannot stop playing. But with FM14 for the 1st time i have not done that yet

 

[DozzerLad]

I totally agree with this