World Wide Soccer Manager Help

jimd · Post by **jimd** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:21 pm

I know there has been some advice already rendered in another thread, but I figured it deserves its own. I went to the mall on my lunch hour yesterday to pick something up for my wife, and as I was walking by Gamestop, I couldn't help myself from stopping in, "just to see if the game was in"....yada, yada, yada, I downloaded it on my computer last night.

Anyway, just a few beginner questions for the vets of CM and FM:

How do most people start? With a low level team or with a powerhouse? Do most of you pick your team, or do you use the "unemployment" method and wait for offers?

I noticed that there is an option to turn off the listing of complete player attributes, and rely on only what your scouts tell you. Which is the better way to go here?

Any other advice, tips, etc. would be appreciated.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:27 pm

If you have never played Football Manager, then start with a world class team. Or start off with a team you know somewhat. In your first game don't play with too many leagues you'll probably play 6 months then re-start with the club you really want.

I would suggest the richer teams in Italy, England or Spain. You'll learn the ropes without too many problems.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:51 pm

I've always started with my favorite clubs, Newcastle United or River Plate. I know the players and know the leagues, so it's more fun.

I did have a blast with Division 3 Plymouth in CM 00/01 but only after I learned the game and all of its delicious intricacies with Newcastle.

Have fun!

Take care,
PK

jimd · Post by **jimd** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:06 pm

I'm glad I asked. I figured I would start with a low-division English or Italian club and start working my way up, but it makes sense that I should learn the ropes with a big club that I am familiar with. Thanks for the advice.

It must be pretty cool to start small, work your way up and then receive offers from the bigger clubs once you know what you are doing.

RiverRat · Post by **RiverRat** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:02 pm

I've never started as a big team to learn the game, but I can see where that's useful. My advice is start with your favorite and have fun, but when you're serious about starting a "career" (assuming that's how you want to play), start with a lower level team in a major league or a first division team in a smaller league. Whenever you pick a team, you automatically get a confidence indicator from the fans. If you pick a big team (Newcastle for example), you get a message saying the supporters are mad/disappointed/incensed that management picked a nobody like yourself as coach. If the message says that the supporters are cautiously optimistic, I'd say that's fair for starting "low enough". You even get immediate media speculation on your future as manager.

As far as attribute masking ... CM 03/04 I played with masking off. This year I'm turning it on. You still get to see some attributes, and for "well known" players you see them all anyway. I think it's too harsh frankly. There are first eleven players in my own league that I don't see attributes for. You'd think my staff would at least be familiar with mainstays in my own division.

This game is a blast. Better than CM 03/04 so far. Everything seems a little deeper. Have fun!

thejake · Post by **thejake** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:11 pm

Anybody want to explain to me the difference between this game, championship manager and football manager? From what I gather, Championship manager is the successor to football manager and this world wide manager is the successor to both of those. How does this game compare to a game like front office football?

RiverRat · Post by **RiverRat** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:21 pm

I've never started as a big team to learn the game, but I can see where that's useful. My advice is start with your favorite and have fun, but when you're serious about starting a "career" (assuming that's how you want to play), start with a lower level team in a major league or a first division team in a smaller league. Whenever you pick a team, you automatically get a confidence indicator from the fans. If you pick a big team (Newcastle for example), you get a message saying the supporters are mad/disappointed/incensed that management picked a nobody like yourself as coach. If the message says that the supporters are cautiously optimistic, I'd say that's fair for starting "low enough". You even get immediate media speculation on your future as manager.

As far as attribute masking ... CM 03/04 I played with masking off. This year I'm turning it on. You still get to see some attributes, and for "well known" players you see them all anyway. I think it's too harsh frankly. There are first eleven players in my own league that I don't see attributes for. You'd think my staff would at least be familiar with mainstays in my own division.

Football Manager is the successor to Championship Manager. Worldwide Manager is the exact same game as Football Manager branded for non-european markets. I assume they are very similar to FOF having never played it.

This game is a blast. Better than CM 03/04 so far. Everything seems a little deeper. Have fun!

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:24 pm

thejake wrote:Anybody want to explain to me the difference between this game, championship manager and football manager? From what I gather, Championship manager is the successor to football manager and this world wide manager is the successor to both of those. How does this game compare to a game like front office football?

Jake, allow me to elaborate

In 1992, two brothers in the UK created a football (soccer) management game called Championship Manager (or CM for short).

This went through a number of iterations, season disks etc until CM4 in 2003, and the updated CM03/04. The last few were created by the same brothers (as part of a larger team), but published by a company called Eidos.

That agreement has now ended. The development company, Software Interactive, owned the code, so have pretty much upgraded it, amended the vast database, and published it as Football Manager 2005 (or WWS in the US). Eidos still own the name, and Champ Man 5 was due to appear in Nov. It is now not projected to appear until Feb 05, Eidos are skint, and no-one has seen a demo. Not looking good there, as old CM03/04 fans now love FM 2005, which came out in Nov over here, and recently in the US.

Having played FOF, there are some similarities, but imagine having 158 playable leagues in 51 countries, rather than one.

Best bet - download the demo from www.sigames.com and have a go yourself. I posted some advice earlier, so have a quick skim then try it out.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:30 pm

thejake wrote:Anybody want to explain to me the difference between this game, championship manager and football manager? From what I gather, Championship manager is the successor to football manager and this world wide manager is the successor to both of those. How does this game compare to a game like front office football?

Jake:

River is spot-on. But it will get confusing next year when Championship Manager is released, too.

Basically, a couple of dudes named the Collyer Brothers started the Championship Manager series in the 1990s, if I'm correct on the dates. Their company became SI Games, I think, and continued the Championship Manager series into this decade with distribution and publishing by Eidos.

SI Games parted company with Eidos this year, but I think Eidos had the rights to the Championship Manager name. SI Games hooked up with Sega for distribution and publishing, and SI Games' latest soccer management game is now known as Football Manager 2005 almost everywhere in the world. The U.S. and Canada are exceptions, where the game is known as Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005.

Eidos has a new development team for the next Championship Manager game, but I think it will struggle mightily. A beta was supposed to have been out a few months ago, and I'm not sure if it's out even yet.

Football Manager 2005/Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005 is the ultimate soccer management game. Don't accept any substitutes.

I think SI Games' CM/FM/WSM franchise is the best videogame series ever made, period. Has just an insane mix of detail, realism, intuitiveness (especially with the new interface) and fun.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:39 pm

How can you not love this series?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:57 pm

Jake:

Just read Dave's post. He and I must have been typing simultaneously, and he has forgotten more about the CM/FM series than I'll ever know.

Take care,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:04 pm

First played it on an Amiga in 1992.

One league (England), totally made up players (no licence until the 1993 version), and it took so long to set up the game that I thought it had crashed, and only found out otherwise when I left it on in disgust...took about 30 mins.

Then again, my Amiga had 500k of memory, and a whopping 6.5KHz processor.

And it was still great,

thejake · Post by **thejake** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:14 pm

I might give this game a try. I hear you guys talk about how good it is all the time and it is getting hard for me to resist. Question--do I have to buy it from a store or can I download it off their website ala FOF? Thanks for taking the time to answer my n00b questions.

thejake · Post by **thejake** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:15 pm

Does the game have all the liscenses and stuff? Or does it need patches?

RiverRat · Post by **RiverRat** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:16 pm

You can download the demo, but the game must be purchased, as far as I know.

thejake · Post by **thejake** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:21 pm

Is there any difference between ordering "Football Manager" or going to gamestop and buying "World Wide....Manager"

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:29 pm

Ugh, Squid talked me into importing PES 4 for my PC, now I'm seriously contemplating ordering WWM from Gamestop!

My wife is going to kill me!

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:07 pm

thejake wrote:Is there any difference between ordering "Football Manager" or going to gamestop and buying "World Wide....Manager"

Very little - apparently some slightly different language (ie manager becomes head coach). I'd go with the FM if you can import it, as this will be the one that is always patched.

Dunno if the demo has patches, but there is one for the main game, on SI's website.

Sully - you won't have probs with your missus if you buy WWM - you'll not see her for weeks anyway.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:12 pm

I haven't gotten into FM at all this year. I played a few weeks but I just can't get into it. I want to have some input on how my team plays but I don't want to spend 30 minutes before each match to set-up individual tactics. And I feel using the standard standard tactics doesn't make your team play its best.

In CM I always customized individual player tactics before each game because I had a rotating backline. It wouldn't take that long and I was playing the game. Here it feels more cumbersome.

That's my real complaint. That and I'm still not digging the 2D mode but I can't seem to go back to the text mode.

The game is better than ever, but I have been so used to CM, I'm really finding it difficult to move forward. The sad part is FM is is probably easier to use the CM. Much more user friendly and the menues are pretty clean. I just don't like how it takes me longer to get through a season.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:19 pm

thejake wrote:Does the game have all the liscenses and stuff? Or does it need patches?

Pure licensed bliss for every player and league in the world, I think. Not sure about the Dutch federation issue, but every other league and player in the world is licensed and there, I think.

The amount of data in this game is staggering. I mean, knock-you-on-your-ass staggering. But it's easy to manage and intuitive as hell once you get the hang of it. One of the many beauties of this game.

Go for it! If you have even the slightest curiosity about worldwide soccer and enjoy text management sims like FOF, I think you'll dig this game.

It's a very rare videogame that can teach you a lot about the sport you're simulating. Football Manager/Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005 is that extremely rare game.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:50 pm

Sully wrote:Ugh, Squid talked me into importing PES 4 for my PC, now I'm seriously contemplating ordering WWM from Gamestop!

My wife is going to kill me!

Squid, converting the soccer bashers of OS to the sports since 2003.

thejake · Post by **thejake** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:54 pm

does it have MLS?

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 9:16 pm

thejake wrote:does it have MLS?

I believe that it does, but the league is hampered by some rules that aren't actually implemented properly.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 9:53 pm

thejake wrote:does it have MLS?

Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005, the version available at Gamestop, definitely has MLS. It's all over the back of the box, as the sample screenshots all are from MLS. Plus there's an MLS logo hologram sticker on the box, indicating the game has the official MLS license.

Take care,
PK

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:36 pm

There's a patch coming for the MLS portion of the game.

Both games are the same, one is distributed overseas, the other here in the US. I believe the patch works the same for both games.

I have yet to recieve mine from sendit.com. Ughhhhh!!!!

Todd