I have to say that like a fan of The Beatles who saw them in Hamburg in 1961 I can claim to have been ahead of the crowd when it came to this game. I bought the original in 1993. It was a very different game then, a season took about an hour instead of the days it can take now. Transfers were very simple and it was relatively easy to take Cambridge United through the divisions to eventual European Cup glory. Oh yes, the future at The Abbey could have been very different had the United board taken a gamble on a 15 year old schoolboy instead of appointing Gary Johnson! And so an addiction began, that has seen me through the gradual evolution of the game and see me look with an increasing amount of smugness at those for whom the 97-98 version is their first experience. The game has become unbelievably big. The 2000-1 version still features in the best sellers over a year after its release. The 2001-2 version came out on the 12th October and will undoubtedly be the best selling game of the year on any format. All this with a relatively small advertising campaign, no exciting graphics or celebrity endorsements. This is an experience spread purely through word of mouth.
Needless
to say I was amongst the first to purchase this new version. (20 quid from Amazon, bargain!) So what does this new version have to keep interest going? Obviously its first attraction is the updated teams. Veron at Man U, Campbell at Arsenal, Dave Kitson at the mighty Us. More subtly, each team has been tweaked to greater resemble their real-life counterparts, both in terms of financial power and in terms of their pulling power for players. Just because you have a massive budget at Man City doesn't mean you can buy Ronaldo. But there are also some new features that are just enough to make it worth an investment.
NEW STUFF
Player personalities.
Players now seem even more prone to mood swings and tantrums. (I blame spiralling wages) It takes a combination of carrot and stick tactics to keep the squad in line. You have to identify and isolate trouble-makers, whilst handling others with care, keeping everyone happy. Also, players get along with certain teammates more than others, which can create factions within a club. You can't just sell individuals without regard to their status within the club. Foreign players can have trouble settling in, adding to the confusion. The worst/best thing about this new addition is that players can go AWOL, Collymore style. Suddenly, without warning your top striker can just disappear and refuse to play!
New transfer rules.
It seems likely that the old transfer system will be reworked in the near future. CM have jumped the gun by introducing a new system, that they feel will resemble the actual changes that will occur in the future. Confused? Bear with me, here are a few of the essential differences:
2) Protection. A player signing a new contract can only move once his assigned period of protection has finished. With a player aged over 28 the protection period is 2 years. Under 28 it is 3 years. Once this protection period is over, players can move clubs whenever they wish, for free.
3) Compensation. Obviously, this makes things difficult for smaller clubs. Thus a percentage of future fees will be paid to such clubs.
Fog of War
This gives you the option, when starting the game, of hiding most attributes of all the players. The only way you can find out more is by playing a match against a player, or by having a scout assess him. I haven't used this option yet, but it does sound an interesting twist on the normal game.
Board Ultimatums
As manager you now have the power to go to the board and issue them with ultimatums, for example for more money to buy a certain player. This is a nice touch allowing you to bite back at those that criticise every result. It is a gamble, however, and can occasionally lead to the sack.
Ban Appeals
CM is becoming increasingly accurate in every aspect of football. IN this case you can appeal against bookings, sendings off and bans. The cards can be rescinded but the bans can also be extended, so be careful.
Scouts
As well as scouting for players your team of spies can also be assigned to certain clubs, for example future opponents. You can also compare two players in the player search menu, and make notes on certain players for future reference. (i.e. 'buy him when have enough $' or 'avoid like the plague')
Player rehabilitation.
If a player is suffering from a serious injury or a constantly recurring niggle, you can send him off to rehab, where he will be pampered for an extended period and return good as new. Obviously the disadvantage is that he will be absent for a considerable length of time. It's up to the boss to decide what's best for each individual. (Yes that means you)
As you can see in terms of options and menus little has changed from last year's version. The new tweaks are decent, but make little real difference. And why should they? As a great philosopher once said 'If it ain't broke, it ain't worth fixing'. (It was either Bill Shankly or John Beck) The main reason to buy it if you already have a recent version is purely and simple the updated teams. If you think that makes it worth 20 quid then go and buy it. If you have never bought this game then what are you waiting for and where have you been? I know it will be one of the best purchases I'll make all year, an addiction is about to start all over again :)
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Excellent op, remember the early versions very well, I seem to remember that for some reason Cambridge actually had TWO players, that seemed to be made-up names and they always turned out to be worth £1.5 million at the start of the game...Brian
harris 16.10.2001 22:53
Very thorough Snutt. You obviously have too much time on your hands. Why don't you masturbate like the rest of us?
kornkid2001 16.10.2001 01:07
i had the 00/01 season and i was addicted to that, great op! i might buy this as i have enjoyed all the others.kk
Detailed profiles and histories for over 100,000 players, managers, and coaches within ... more
twenty-six concurrent leagues Full implementation of the new EU regulated transfer system Choose to play in Attribute Masking mode - only the statistics and player...
Postage & Packaging: £1.99 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Detailed profiles and histories for over 100,000 players, managers, and coaches within ... more
twenty-six concurrent leagues Full implementation of the new EU regulated transfer system Choose to play in Attribute Masking mode - only the statistics and player...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Realistic football simulation game ~ The best PC football game on the market. Disadvantages: Addictive ~ Lack of sleep ~ You can become an ANORAK
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