1. Improved Media Interaction
How many people go to every Press Conference that is thrown at them? I actually go to the majority, and the lack of variation in the questions along with the restrict answers you can give really do suck. Indeed, you can add additional comments, but unfortunately me calling Conte a Cunt never seems to be picked up by the gathering of vultures. It is obviously difficult to encode a level of interaction beyond what SI have already done, but I feel that leaving the Media Interaction as it is would be a terrible mistake. It's currently bland, unimportant and a chore.
Ways to improve, you ask? Well, Sports Interactive seem to enjoy integrating Twitter and Facebook to FM, how about your players Tweeting things they shouldn't, perhaps with the option of allowing these tweets to appear organically through your connected account. That would be quite a novel feature. Having players speak out a bit more, with these going to your news feed with the option to comment on what they are saying would be great; gives them some personality! Finally, how about the game can make some logical deductions about the words your putting in the additional comment section. Surely, the game can pick out "Conte" and refer it to the manager, and "Cunt" as a swear word and have the media shocked by my horrific language?
2. Managerial Progression
New game, pick past experience and club; boom. Off you go. It's lovely that you can do this, and heck, you can choose to be unemployed and Joe Public and see if you can't end up managing Manchester United one day. However, you are always restricted to managing the first team. How about we spice things up and allow you to learn the ropes as a Youth Team or Reserve manager. Hear me out.
So you make a new game and choose your past experience. No club. Your greeted with the job screen and Swansea have a vacancy going in their U19s as the Manager. You apply and get greeted with a response saying you've been offered the job. Bravo! Now, this is where it gets interesting. Your managerial stats are poor, and you can be sent off for your coaching degrees. Whilst you are earning them, you are given the objective of winning the U19 league. Alongside this, you can recommend players from your youth team to the manager, as well as players you play against, to help you progress through the club. A couple of coaching degrees with a good finish in the U19 League could see you moving to another club, or progressing up to Assistant Manager of the main team. Same job, but you also manage the reserves and could perhaps suggest formations/pick the teams of the main squad. And when he gets the sack...win a couple of matches as the care taker boss and get the main job. Or drop down a league and finally get your managerial hands wet.
I think that would be awesome.
3. Job Interviews
Yep. No more applying and getting told you got the job of laughed at. The idea occurred to me when I read that Brenden Rodgers produced some massive dossier outlining his plan for Liverpool. Now, I'm not asking for the player to write a 200 page report on how hes going to be the one Chelsea manager that lasts longer then 2 years. Here is what I'm thinking.
You get told you have an interview. When you go in, you have a little bit of information about the chairman/board. What kind of Willingness, Commitment to the Club etc. Think the agents rating for their stuff, but apply it to fundamental concepts of club ownership. So, they ask you about how things went at previous jobs. What you did when a player got sent off. Things like that. They also say where they think the club is, and you can choose options agreeing of saying they are too optimistic/pessimistic. You can say you can take them further. Win the League in 2 seasons. When they interview is over, you sit on your toes and wait and see. If you don't get it, they tell you why but if you get it, and you promised the league, it tides over...
4. Improve the match engine
I'm sick and tired of my defenders passing around to each other and the poacher pops in and scores. Or the 10 crosses 10 goals crap.
5. Steam Workshop Integration
Nothing against the sites that offer fantastic mods. I feel that, with Steam being compulsory, SI could take the system for adding modifications to the game that Steam offers and add it to FM14. For the user, it means no longer googling for the correct names, kits etc and having it all one click away in the Workshop. Whilst is is by no means critical, this little touch would probably improve quite a few FM players lives.
Conclusion
So there you have it. 5 things I have thought of that, if added to FM14, would really improve the base game for me and probably make it so I lose my job, GF and life. I don't think they are too optimistic of ideas, and hopefully I'm not going into too much of a simulation mode here, but the level of immersion would be fantastic. Leave a comment or pop a PM on CM forums if you got anything to say and thanks for reading!
