As we move into the final quarter of 2017, all the annual franchises are in the midst of pushing their updated titles, and Football Manager is no different. Returning to YouTube to publicise the upcoming game, SI Games have gone all out with a TV studio set-up and a fresh-faced eager beaver presenter to pitch the new features. Two videos have been released so far looking at dressing room dynamics and the scouting system. Check out the videos and our summary below:
Dynamics
The new dynamics system aims to make man management a more integral part of the game. A dynamics overview has been added to give direct access to updates on the squad atmosphere and any player concerns instead of them coming to your inbox or via backroom staff. Team cohesion, dressing room atmosphere, and manager support will all play roles in boosting or adversely affecting your team’s performance on the pitch.
Dressing room leaders will emerge, and you will need to treat them wisely or risk the squad turning against you, also making it a way to identify the next John Terry. Social groups will exist based on time at the club, personalities, common languages, or age. A player’s standing in the hierarchy, social group, and your manager support rating will all affect how the player reacts to your input. Whether this makes keeping your squad happy easier or more of a challenge remains to be seen.
It is also suggested that the squad dynamics may influence your decisions of which new player to bring into your club, which brings us onto the…
Scouting System
FM is famed for its comprehensive database, which (as they make a not-so-subtle effort to remind us) has been used by real clubs to take a closer look at potential signings. However, fans of the series have been calling for an overhaul of the scouting system for a long time, and the video promises it will now better follow the journey of identifying and signing transfer targets.
The new scouting centre will act as a central hub for player recommendations from scouts, data analysts, and other backroom staff. This marks a departure from the current system of scout reports, staff meetings and agent offers. Scout recommendations will now be ranked out of 100 instead of the current silver/gold star system offering a more accurate impression of how well the player will fit into your plans.
One of the new features is ‘scouting focus’ allowing general instructions to be issued to the scouting team instead of assigning tasks to individual scouts. There will also be a short-term focus option, which will take priority over other tasks and is designed for use in transfer windows. Scouting ‘packages’ will also be introduced to mirror how real clubs go about unearthing new talents from abroad. These will cost you though, which is why there will also be direct control over the scouting budget. Prudence will be required as the money spent will come out of the overall transfer/wages pot.
Having been introduced last year, a revamp of data analysts is promised, allowing for a detailed look at season stats and a highlight package of the player in action. There will also be the option to build data analysis facilities to help your club keep its scouting knowledge up-to-date.
We will keep you updated on more news about FM18 as we get closer to release.