The Match Engine in Football Manager Live often comes under fire for various strange outcomes and events.
I think what some of the gamers playing FML often forget is Football is a great game driven by the fact that just anything can happen and often can.
Can you imagine the uproar we would have on FML if a top ranked team with loads of rep who season after season were competeting for the Premiership title with loads of finances were to spend £50,0000,000 on signing arguably one of the best strikers in the world someone like Torres and then he didnt score for 8 games!!!
The guy would probably rage quit and moan like a bitch on the forums. Si would ignore this moan and FML would lose a subscriber.
Its things like this that make football what it is unpredictable.
Not everything can be determined by stats and code sometimes things just pop up and get in the way, like a beach ball on the pitch ala Liverpool V Sunderland.
This brings me to my next point.
FML March Goal of the Month as voted by the managers of FML.
The winning entry was a cracking goal :-
and you get someone comment on the voting thread that this is a Match Engine bug!!!
Well view this goal and tell me they arent similar ?
My point is stop blaming everything on Si and the match engine and step up and take the fact that its often a managers tactics or management that are at fault not the game.
In respect of tactics I would just like to say how refreshing it has been reading some of the comments from FML Super Tactics Guru WWFan on this thread
Richards take on things have really given a nice insight to some of the mechanics behind the game.
Friday 8 April 2011
Sunday 3 April 2011
FML The Memories No5
There was a time that I used to love this game so much that I would find myself waking up in the middle of the night and logging on to see if I had won an auction!
I also used to find myself logging on first thing in the morning checking what had happenned since I went to bed.
I used to live and breathe FML, I remember back in Le Tissier I was tormented by that pesky little git Pato.
I used to hate him, He would terrorise my defence, He was like a ghost he would just run past defenders as if they couldnt even see him just a splipstream where he had been.
Anyway getting to the point.... FML Memory No 5 is when the Mrs woke me up one night and asked
"Who is Pato and why do you want him to die"
Apparently I had been threatening to kill him in my sleep!!!
Thats the kind of intensity and pleasure you can get from FML, it can cause you to dreaming of being a murderer!
I also used to find myself logging on first thing in the morning checking what had happenned since I went to bed.
I used to live and breathe FML, I remember back in Le Tissier I was tormented by that pesky little git Pato.
I used to hate him, He would terrorise my defence, He was like a ghost he would just run past defenders as if they couldnt even see him just a splipstream where he had been.
Anyway getting to the point.... FML Memory No 5 is when the Mrs woke me up one night and asked
"Who is Pato and why do you want him to die"
Apparently I had been threatening to kill him in my sleep!!!
Thats the kind of intensity and pleasure you can get from FML, it can cause you to dreaming of being a murderer!
Saturday 2 April 2011
The bust up that lead me to quit FML!!!
Ive left a couple of weeks but now is the time to tell the world what lead me to quitting FML.
As if.... No gossip here!
Now I have your attention please go and vote on the Goal of the Month
This is to decide the best goals scored across the ALL gameworlds during March.
Vote Here
As if.... No gossip here!
Now I have your attention please go and vote on the Goal of the Month
This is to decide the best goals scored across the ALL gameworlds during March.
Vote Here
Saturday 26 March 2011
FML The Memories No6
Easter 2008
Busy playing the game in pre release beta GW6.
The game was fresh to me and alot of other managers and I was spending a huge amount of time online the forums were constantly alive with ideas, suggestions and bugs.
There was a real sense of being involved in at ground level in helping shape a future gaming classic.
I remember thinking I was going to be off work for the whole weekend and FML was going to get a right royal hammering.
The weather was amazing hot for that time of year then all of a sudden on the Saturday I think it was the game went BANG offline.
As far as I recall the cooling system had broken at Sega where the servers were and this had caused a massive issue resulting in downtime for the whole weekend. Whilst service engineers were called out easter.
The forums became alive with people moaning like hell!!!
I rememeber thinking about a week after the game had come back up, people were really passionate about FML and they were onto a winner here.
Easter 2008 RIP
Busy playing the game in pre release beta GW6.
The game was fresh to me and alot of other managers and I was spending a huge amount of time online the forums were constantly alive with ideas, suggestions and bugs.
There was a real sense of being involved in at ground level in helping shape a future gaming classic.
I remember thinking I was going to be off work for the whole weekend and FML was going to get a right royal hammering.
The weather was amazing hot for that time of year then all of a sudden on the Saturday I think it was the game went BANG offline.
As far as I recall the cooling system had broken at Sega where the servers were and this had caused a massive issue resulting in downtime for the whole weekend. Whilst service engineers were called out easter.
The forums became alive with people moaning like hell!!!
I rememeber thinking about a week after the game had come back up, people were really passionate about FML and they were onto a winner here.
Easter 2008 RIP
Friday 25 March 2011
FML More addictive than crack cocaine!
I recall during Pre Release Beta, someone at SEGA/SI asked for one line answers to describe FML.
More addictive than crack
Grounds for divorce
Football Ebay
The Future
FM with real managers
These were just some of the phrases I recall being branded around at this time, so how would I describe FML now? I just don't know.
I would like to share some details about how I came across FML. I feel it is relevant as 3 years on I would still have to go through the same process.
This aspect of marketing for me is still the same as it was when I joined Beta back in February 2008
I had given up with playing Football Manager a few years previous as I didnt have a machine that could actually process the game at speed at which I was content.
So I began a process of searching for an online alternatives:-
I used google, "Online Football Management" was my search critria I started to sign up for the ones at the top of the search list I did this over a period of 1 month trying various games all of which frankly were crap.
I eventually ended up on the Football Manager Forums which were different back then and there was a thread about this beta game called FML.
There was a link to sign up and people were desperate to join this game and ask when would the next lot of people join the game. I thought I'll sign up sounds like it could be what Im looking for. People were posting on the forum saying they had been waiting to join for weeks, so I did hold up much hope of being selected.
BOOM next day I got an invite, and I found my way into Gameworld 6 Physco gameworld.
I remember thinking at this time, would this be what I was looking for ?
So to get to my point, I just googled Online Football Mangement FML is on the 2nd page listed 15th google. THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
With the combined powers of Sega and Si the marketing of FML has been poor. I appreciate that this is a long term project and the idea is to add to the customer base on a slowly slowly basis however just how slow does it have to be before steps are taken to up the Client base.
At this point I would just add that I do not feel Si should be marketing the game as with the lag situation at the moment, it would do more harm than good.
However once this is fixed a little bit of marketing could go a long way. For those of you who were at the community/Mod day at Si Towers before the soft launch you will recall the marketing budget that had been allocated to for FML! What happenned ? Where did it go ?
The world changed and we hit a recession, I appreciate that and the churn rate was probably too high at that time for sega to commit funds to the project.
However the world is changing back the other way now and hopefully things will improve.
I dont pretend to be some marketing expert however sometimes listening to the everyday joe bloggs can have its rewards.
A quick history I have been playing football management games since the C64 across various platforms and I even played the infamous Play By Mail football management game which was unique at the time and invovled picking your team from stats sent to you via the post on a monday and sending them off via the postie to select your team on Saturday.
That was really different.
Just to finish, remember I love this game and it really is an amazing game with a great community.
I would be lying if I said I am not finding it hard not to log in anymore, its like being stripped of an addictive drug, I just dont know if I can go through hard turkey!
More addictive than crack
Grounds for divorce
Football Ebay
The Future
FM with real managers
These were just some of the phrases I recall being branded around at this time, so how would I describe FML now? I just don't know.
I would like to share some details about how I came across FML. I feel it is relevant as 3 years on I would still have to go through the same process.
This aspect of marketing for me is still the same as it was when I joined Beta back in February 2008
I had given up with playing Football Manager a few years previous as I didnt have a machine that could actually process the game at speed at which I was content.
So I began a process of searching for an online alternatives:-
I used google, "Online Football Management" was my search critria I started to sign up for the ones at the top of the search list I did this over a period of 1 month trying various games all of which frankly were crap.
I eventually ended up on the Football Manager Forums which were different back then and there was a thread about this beta game called FML.
There was a link to sign up and people were desperate to join this game and ask when would the next lot of people join the game. I thought I'll sign up sounds like it could be what Im looking for. People were posting on the forum saying they had been waiting to join for weeks, so I did hold up much hope of being selected.
BOOM next day I got an invite, and I found my way into Gameworld 6 Physco gameworld.
I remember thinking at this time, would this be what I was looking for ?
So to get to my point, I just googled Online Football Mangement FML is on the 2nd page listed 15th google. THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
With the combined powers of Sega and Si the marketing of FML has been poor. I appreciate that this is a long term project and the idea is to add to the customer base on a slowly slowly basis however just how slow does it have to be before steps are taken to up the Client base.
At this point I would just add that I do not feel Si should be marketing the game as with the lag situation at the moment, it would do more harm than good.
However once this is fixed a little bit of marketing could go a long way. For those of you who were at the community/Mod day at Si Towers before the soft launch you will recall the marketing budget that had been allocated to for FML! What happenned ? Where did it go ?
The world changed and we hit a recession, I appreciate that and the churn rate was probably too high at that time for sega to commit funds to the project.
However the world is changing back the other way now and hopefully things will improve.
I dont pretend to be some marketing expert however sometimes listening to the everyday joe bloggs can have its rewards.
A quick history I have been playing football management games since the C64 across various platforms and I even played the infamous Play By Mail football management game which was unique at the time and invovled picking your team from stats sent to you via the post on a monday and sending them off via the postie to select your team on Saturday.
That was really different.
Just to finish, remember I love this game and it really is an amazing game with a great community.
I would be lying if I said I am not finding it hard not to log in anymore, its like being stripped of an addictive drug, I just dont know if I can go through hard turkey!
Monday 21 March 2011
FMLThe memories No7
It was a pre release Beta Gameworld, which one I have no idea, Ive been in so many during my 3 year spell.
Some bright spark I cant remember who had decided to try and break the server by having as many people in one match at a time.
I recall at one point we had 156 people chatting in an FML match chat it was mental and very hard to follow, however it was a crack.
The next couple of weeks we tried to top the numbers however that was the most we managed to get in viewing a match at one point.
This is not a really great memory I just remember at the time the whole gameworld was pratically coming together in a match.
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days my friend!
On a seperate note, Im on the look out for a game to replace FML, currently Im just playing Call of Duty Black Ops, on the Wii!!!
Yes I know the Wii is crap and a family machine but thats all I have and to be fair, the online gaming aspect of it, is very entertaining.
Although the wife is starting to like it a bit to much too!
Some bright spark I cant remember who had decided to try and break the server by having as many people in one match at a time.
I recall at one point we had 156 people chatting in an FML match chat it was mental and very hard to follow, however it was a crack.
The next couple of weeks we tried to top the numbers however that was the most we managed to get in viewing a match at one point.
This is not a really great memory I just remember at the time the whole gameworld was pratically coming together in a match.
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days my friend!
On a seperate note, Im on the look out for a game to replace FML, currently Im just playing Call of Duty Black Ops, on the Wii!!!
Yes I know the Wii is crap and a family machine but thats all I have and to be fair, the online gaming aspect of it, is very entertaining.
Although the wife is starting to like it a bit to much too!
Sunday 20 March 2011
FML The Memories No8
I have to say this one has loads of potential but has never really taken off.
FML Live Commentary in Le Tissier.
We had scheduled a live match between Matt Pilgrim's team and a mod team.
The game had a live podcast style to run along side of it with an interview with both managers before the game about who they thought were the key players involved and thier predictions on the match ahead.
We then had live commentary on the game as it was played, I dont think I will ever forget the co presenter shouting "Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
It was a defining moment for me in FML as it was a really good night and the feedback from managers was terrific, I remember thinking this could be really good as a season opener once a season a match with live commentary.
FML Live Commentary in Le Tissier.
We had scheduled a live match between Matt Pilgrim's team and a mod team.
The game had a live podcast style to run along side of it with an interview with both managers before the game about who they thought were the key players involved and thier predictions on the match ahead.
We then had live commentary on the game as it was played, I dont think I will ever forget the co presenter shouting "Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
It was a defining moment for me in FML as it was a really good night and the feedback from managers was terrific, I remember thinking this could be really good as a season opener once a season a match with live commentary.
FML The Memories No9
The next one was a surprise to me to make it into my top 10 however It has sneaked into the top10, just.
Community Day/Mod Day.
This was a terrific day where some of the FM community chaps were invited to Si towers to have a chat about how things were going ahead of the soft launch of Football Manager Live.
Mods had a meeting with the Lead Mod at the time Richard Tebbutt, I say meeting, It was held in a basement of a pub with a few beers.
However I recall the guys at Si all being in attendance:-
Ov : A charming chap and an honour to meet the force behind FM
Miles : A recall him not being happy about a ruling over banter in FML, particaluary the same kind of banter you would have down the pub.
Marc : His usual laid back self.
Rob Bertie : I recall having a lengthy chat with Rob about some of the great things that FML could achieve for the community.
Paul Heckler: Who was head of FML Support as you can imagine he was getting some grief.
We were shown an exclusive FML marketing video which was great a watered down version was later released.
This was a good day ahead of FML's soft launch I have to say it was a good crack and nice to meet some of the other FML Mods in real life.
I remember coming away from that day thinking FML was going to be massive, especially given the marketing that Sega had commimted to.
I wonder whatever happenned to the Marketing Money promised from Sega ?
Community Day/Mod Day.
This was a terrific day where some of the FM community chaps were invited to Si towers to have a chat about how things were going ahead of the soft launch of Football Manager Live.
Mods had a meeting with the Lead Mod at the time Richard Tebbutt, I say meeting, It was held in a basement of a pub with a few beers.
However I recall the guys at Si all being in attendance:-
Ov : A charming chap and an honour to meet the force behind FM
Miles : A recall him not being happy about a ruling over banter in FML, particaluary the same kind of banter you would have down the pub.
Marc : His usual laid back self.
Rob Bertie : I recall having a lengthy chat with Rob about some of the great things that FML could achieve for the community.
Paul Heckler: Who was head of FML Support as you can imagine he was getting some grief.
We were shown an exclusive FML marketing video which was great a watered down version was later released.
This was a good day ahead of FML's soft launch I have to say it was a good crack and nice to meet some of the other FML Mods in real life.
I remember coming away from that day thinking FML was going to be massive, especially given the marketing that Sega had commimted to.
I wonder whatever happenned to the Marketing Money promised from Sega ?
Inter Gameworld Chatrooms
Cheers Tom.
Following a quick chat with a couple of managers in Nunez, we were discussing an Inter Gameworld Chatroom.
I am sure Si will get round to it eventually however, what is to stop the community running with this themselves.
It would just require a web based chatroom setting up and for managers to spread the word.
If Si were to run this then there would be a whole host of legal requirements moderation etc etc.
However, If the community wants a Inter Gameworld chatroom, can I make a suggestion? Go out and create one, with FML now having a in game browser, this would be done easily.
Community, If you want it make it happen.
Tom Sort it!
Following a quick chat with a couple of managers in Nunez, we were discussing an Inter Gameworld Chatroom.
I am sure Si will get round to it eventually however, what is to stop the community running with this themselves.
It would just require a web based chatroom setting up and for managers to spread the word.
If Si were to run this then there would be a whole host of legal requirements moderation etc etc.
However, If the community wants a Inter Gameworld chatroom, can I make a suggestion? Go out and create one, with FML now having a in game browser, this would be done easily.
Community, If you want it make it happen.
Tom Sort it!
FML The Memories No10
Its been great over the last 3 years playing FML and up until recently has always been really enjoyable.
Ive decided to draw a line under FML by having a look back at some of the highlights of the last 3 years gaming experience, with a FML Top 10 Memories.
No10
F.I.F.A
Fair and Independent Football Association
What the hell is that ?
A concept devised just over 2 and a half years ago.
It was a new concept of an FA that had come about from several discussions with FML Support Moderator Martin Pearson.
The concept was really simple, regardless of where anyone finished within the FA they all got paid the same prize money.
Mr Pearson and I were Orgs in the SFA at the time and we started chatting about how this would be something really different to try.
We took this to the mod team at the time who agreed that we could give it a shot providing we could get enough members interested.
We got the FA off the ground and had it running for a little while the concept was unique in that everyone shared everything equally.
The FA was running fine and low and behold mid way through its first season, Myself and Martin Pearson are told we are moving Beta Gameworld, this would result in us moving away from our current home of GW6. The reason for the move will become apparent later in the list.
Looking back FIFA would have never worked once FML went live, however at the time it was running it was something new and fresh and was made a lot of fun.
Although it did result in me leaving the beloved SFA behind me.
Ive decided to draw a line under FML by having a look back at some of the highlights of the last 3 years gaming experience, with a FML Top 10 Memories.
No10
F.I.F.A
Fair and Independent Football Association
What the hell is that ?
A concept devised just over 2 and a half years ago.
It was a new concept of an FA that had come about from several discussions with FML Support Moderator Martin Pearson.
The concept was really simple, regardless of where anyone finished within the FA they all got paid the same prize money.
Mr Pearson and I were Orgs in the SFA at the time and we started chatting about how this would be something really different to try.
We took this to the mod team at the time who agreed that we could give it a shot providing we could get enough members interested.
We got the FA off the ground and had it running for a little while the concept was unique in that everyone shared everything equally.
The FA was running fine and low and behold mid way through its first season, Myself and Martin Pearson are told we are moving Beta Gameworld, this would result in us moving away from our current home of GW6. The reason for the move will become apparent later in the list.
Looking back FIFA would have never worked once FML went live, however at the time it was running it was something new and fresh and was made a lot of fun.
Although it did result in me leaving the beloved SFA behind me.
Saturday 19 March 2011
Wii 2 Will it be announced at E3 in June
There appears to be a growing concensus that Wii2 will be announced at E3 in June.
Are Ninendo on the verge of launching this new version ?
What will it contain if they do ?
Will this be a serious gaming console or will it aimed towards the family casual gamers like the first edition or will it give PS3 and 360 a run for thier money ?
Heres what some people have to say on it :-
CVG
IGN
PocketLint
Most importantly heres Nintendo Magazine View
Are Ninendo on the verge of launching this new version ?
What will it contain if they do ?
Will this be a serious gaming console or will it aimed towards the family casual gamers like the first edition or will it give PS3 and 360 a run for thier money ?
Heres what some people have to say on it :-
CVG
IGN
PocketLint
Most importantly heres Nintendo Magazine View
FML Wipe Out
Saturday Night and Im clearing the hard drive of FML related stuff.
Amazing the amount of screenshots and pics I have saved in my FML folder.
One click and its all gone.
Also found some old blogs and websites that I had they are all going apart from this one for now.
Amazing the amount of screenshots and pics I have saved in my FML folder.
One click and its all gone.
Also found some old blogs and websites that I had they are all going apart from this one for now.
FML Reflection
Having made the decision to step away from FML, ironically I find myself thinking back on some of the highs and lows of playing this game over the last 3 years.
No game has ever come close to holding my attention anywhere near as much as FML has.
It would be no exageration to say that even taken a very conserative approach that I have on average spent approx 3 hours a night on this game for the last 1,114 days that I have been playing.
So 1,114 X 3 hours a day each equals 3,342 of gaming time.
I would suggest that this is a very conserative view as there was periods I was logged in all day playing whilst working (no wonder I got made redundant).
So FML has obviously appealed to me over the long term, however it has also lost its appeal to me.
Some of you will be aware that I was Community Support Mod a position I have enjoyed over the last 6 months.
So I'm sat wondering am I part of the natural churn of FML or at what point did I lose my love of this game that had previously taken up so much of my life ?
No game has ever come close to holding my attention anywhere near as much as FML has.
It would be no exageration to say that even taken a very conserative approach that I have on average spent approx 3 hours a night on this game for the last 1,114 days that I have been playing.
So 1,114 X 3 hours a day each equals 3,342 of gaming time.
I would suggest that this is a very conserative view as there was periods I was logged in all day playing whilst working (no wonder I got made redundant).
So FML has obviously appealed to me over the long term, however it has also lost its appeal to me.
Some of you will be aware that I was Community Support Mod a position I have enjoyed over the last 6 months.
So I'm sat wondering am I part of the natural churn of FML or at what point did I lose my love of this game that had previously taken up so much of my life ?
FML Career Ended
I have decided to end my spell in FML.
Its been a great 3 years, however I have nothing further to offer to FML and FML has nothing further to offer to me.
Its been a great 3 years, however I have nothing further to offer to FML and FML has nothing further to offer to me.
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