[Archived] Football Manager 2008

[bluebruce]

By the way guys, I've discovered that the maximum potential ability of every player is generated differently each time you start a new game. So someone who turns out to be amazing in one game might not be that good in the next one...or might be better. I haven't found out exactly how much it can change, but it can change by at least 20 in some cases (out of 200), as Iago is 172 or something on mine, but when I looked at a new game he was only 150ish. Lulinha was at 190 (he's 196 on mine), and Bojan 186 (196 on mine). So just a note of caution. Also I think it explains why I think Altidore is crap and everyone else thinks he's a god.

I've just started a new three player game with my mates, but we haven't got cracking yet. Unfortunately for me, we've chosen the Italian league, where they have a restriction of one incoming player from outside the EU per season. This is very inconvenient as I know a ton of very cheap very talented South Americans I was hoping to steal a move on. Just going to have to be Lulinha this season, and one of my opponents should be getting Banega, which irks me. I'm also disappointed I can't go for Cahais, Angulo, Rafael Alamo...there are others too, but I'm AC Milan, so anyone else would just be to make some cash. Still, at least I've Thiago and Iago from Barca for frees, and Pjanic for next to nowt, all snapped up as soon as I began! And I can still go for Scott Sinclair (legend on my game, no idea why but it's probably his pace), Barbosa, Kose, and possibly some others who cost more. Hopefully I'll get the good versions and not the crap ones...

Oh does anyone know exactly how this non-EU thing works? Ie, is it just one player of non-EU main nationality, or just one player from a club outside the EU? And can I sign several but only play one (Which would be ideal)?

[awhom111]

By the way guys, I've discovered that the maximum potential ability of every player is generated differently each time you start a new game. So someone who turns out to be amazing in one game might not be that good in the next one...or might be better. I haven't found out exactly how much it can change, but it can change by at least 20 in some cases (out of 200), as Iago is 172 or something on mine, but when I looked at a new game he was only 150ish. Lulinha was at 190 (he's 196 on mine), and Bojan 186 (196 on mine). So just a note of caution. Also I think it explains why I think Altidore is crap and everyone else thinks he's a god.

I've just started a new three player game with my mates, but we haven't got cracking yet. Unfortunately for me, we've chosen the Italian league, where they have a restriction of one incoming player from outside the EU per season. This is very inconvenient as I know a ton of very cheap very talented South Americans I was hoping to steal a move on. Just going to have to be Lulinha this season, and one of my opponents should be getting Banega, which irks me. I'm also disappointed I can't go for Cahais, Angulo, Rafael Alamo...there are others too, but I'm AC Milan, so anyone else would just be to make some cash. Still, at least I've Thiago and Iago from Barca for frees, and Pjanic for next to nowt, all snapped up as soon as I began! And I can still go for Scott Sinclair (legend on my game, no idea why but it's probably his pace), Barbosa, Kose, and possibly some others who cost more. Hopefully I'll get the good versions and not the crap ones...

Oh does anyone know exactly how this non-EU thing works? Ie, is it just one player of non-EU main nationality, or just one player from a club outside the EU? And can I sign several but only play one (Which would be ideal)?

Potential ability for younger players is often variable because nobody really has much of a sense of how good they have the capability of becoming. In the editor, their potential is listed as a negative number. The range on random potential is 30 PA.

The Italian rule is one non-EU player signing total per season. You are allowed to buy as many non-EU players playing on Italian teams as you want.

[bluebruce]

The Italian rule is one non-EU player signing total per season. You are allowed to buy as many non-EU players playing on Italian teams as you want.

So to clarify, I can buy any player in the EU, whether they have EU nationality or not, but only one player can be brought in from a club outside the EU?

[awhom111]

So to clarify, I can buy any player in the EU, whether they have EU nationality or not, but only one player can be brought in from a club outside the EU?

No, you can only buy any player in Italy. Non-EU signings from other EU countries are part of the limit of one.

[RoversSG]

Rovers screenshot:

What a kick to see those names again. Can't believe wilcox's value is higher than shearer or hendry though. Btw, are those 1991 or 2008 transfer values? Seems much too high for 1991 and too low for 2008.

Anyway, can anyone confirm when shearer joined us? I thought it was in the 1992/1993 season instead?

[grizfoot]

What a kick to see those names again. Can't believe wilcox's value is higher than shearer or hendry though. Btw, are those 1991 or 2008 transfer values? Seems much too high for 1991 and too low for 2008.

Anyway, can anyone confirm when shearer joined us? I thought it was in the 1992/1993 season instead?

Yeah my mistake it's for the 1992/93 season. Although the English leagues haven't been fully updated and I'm pretty sure some of the player stats are randomized at the beginning of a new game hence why valuations are a bit out but generally the stats look pretty realistic I think, the valuations are suppose to be in 1992/93 valuations as well I think because even the best players on it aren't worth a great deal.

Here's a link to the download if anyone wants to give it a whirl:

http://www.brunorohl.altervista.org/downlo...nt/download.htm

[RibbleValleyRover]

Here's a link to the download if anyone wants to give it a whirl:

http://www.brunorohl.altervista.org/downlo...nt/download.htm

I think i will give it a go thanks for the link

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Only 2 foreigners in the squad. Isn't that illegal these days

[brunino]

First of all, excuse my english but I’m italian.

I feel to explain a little bit the db you're downloading. This db was thought, at the beginning, anly as an italian patch to FM2008, waiting for FM2009 during this summer, and so was distributed only on italian forum (release 1.0). In a second time I disliked to see, during a game, old players mixed with actual players (Van Basten playing with Cristiano Ronaldo or Gullit playing with Ronaldinho). So I decided to change all importatnt players around the world with old real players, in the teams in which they were in 1992 (release 1.1 and 1.2, for cleaning some mistakes).

This is the reason for which this db is centered over italian championship.

OVERVIEW

>> around 500 of coaches and players of Italian “Serie A” in 1992/93, full of personal data, details and stats updated; if you want you can download also faces scanned from “Panini Football Stickers”

>> more than 2200 coaches and players around the world, the strongest of that time, full of personal data, details and stats updated

>> updated all stats of important teams

>> all the players of the world with PA >=155 or >-9 modified, updated, inserted or deleted

>> all the ranking and value of each italian team edited for rebuild the level of 1992, according to a EXCELSHEET wich calculates the history of a long period between 1990 and 1995

>> corrected the problem with italian weather, now less unstable and more similar to reality

DETAILS

>> ITALY: corrected some problems of version 1.0, published only on italian forum sites. Little changes of CA e PA for important italian players. Deleted all loans in italian teams. Inserted around 50 new player in teams of second division (SerieB) for reducing the value of the teams relegated for game requirement (Palermo, Siena, ecc.). Replaced all the strong players of second division (Miccoli, Amauri …) with players playing really in that season with lower CA and PA.

>> ENGLAND: almost complete, with more than 300 coaches and players of the teams in Premiership 1992 and 2007 (32 teams edited). The most important teams have more than 20 new players, the others around 10 (except Wigan with only 3 new players, but in 1992 Wigan was in fourth division and I didn’t find usefull informations in Internet). Some strong teams in 1992 in Premier are now in lower division, but you can find great players there with a value of PA proper to their real value of the time.

>> GERMANY, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, HOLLAND and FRANCE: all the players with PA >=155 or =-10 are edited, deleted or new. Some teams, the most important of the time, have 15 new players, the others the right number for replacing the actual strong or important players. Any nation has around 150 new players for the national team

>> BRASIL and ARGENTINA: all the champions of that period are inserted with PA –10 o –9, so the game will decide who will be the next champion. There are around 100 new players playing in South America and 150 playing in Europe

>> REST OF THE WORLD: all the players on national teams of that time are inserted, with list taken from World Campionship 1990 and 1994, European Championship 1992, Africa’s Cup 1990 and 1994, America’s Cup 1991 and 1993.

ADVICES

>> tested with FM2008 v.8.0.2 build 52512

>> Load only “Italian Serie A” (I tested only this championship and I don’t guarantee results with other championship, but anyone is free …)

>> Unselect the voice for don’t admitting transfers in the first period of game; this will leave the teams closer to the original until january 2008.

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

I begun to create this db editing a particular db in wich all the values of players, mental and technic, were set to 0. In this original db only eight, weight, role, contract data and age were fixed. This means that the engine of the game, any time you will create a new game, will generate value for each player’s parameters; the game will decide the characteritic of each player, if he will be a runner, a jumper, an hard worker or a free kicker. Any game you will create will define different characteristics for the same player, always inside the level of CA and PA fixed by me.

All the new players or the edited players have actual reputation and international reputation set to 0; this means that is the engine of the game that will decide who will be, at the beginning, a famous player. For this reason, and only at the beginningof the game, you could buy great potential player at a very low price.

For the same reasoning, at the beginning of the first season you will see national teams full of medium players, not the great players you could expect, but the international reputation could be too low for entering in a national team.

The strongest actual players born in 1977 have now 16 year instead 15 (any player still active is 15 year younger, 2007-1992=15) because I noticed that sometimes engine doesn’t load players too young and I didn’t want to loose those potential great and famous players. This assure a long life for each game.

All the young players edited lost their personal relationships because they could not live, in FM, the same life we know.

I made four tests with version 1.0 and two tests for version 1.1. Only a season for each game test. At the end I compare the result in FM with reality.

Italian Serie A is very similar to what really happened that year, some positions could change but the random parameters for players are too much for expecting any time the same fixtures.

European competions presented different results than now; english team are not strong as now, except Liverpool and Manchester UTD, but is correct, because Chelsea before Abramovich and his money was a poor team, like Arsenal. Good results, however, for Everton, Ipswich and Tottenham, god team in 1992. Germans teams are stronger than now, but this is correct too regarding reality in 1992. Very good results for Real Madrid and Barcelona, as in reality, and good results for Zaragoza and Siviglia (Maradona was playing there). Other better results than actual period for Anderlecht, Red Star, Dinamo Zagreb and Dinamo Kiev. However two tests are not significant for creating an history.

For what concerning ability of each players, I have to tell you this.

I used a db with all player's attributes (technic, phisic, mental) set to 0.

This because it was impossible to me know exactly own characteristics of more than 2700 players all over the world, players of 15 years ago. I knew only most of players in Italy because I saw them directly when I was young (now I'm 45 years old) but I decided to guarantee same concept for all players.

I defined only CA, according to any single age of player, and PA, according the career made in future by that player and according to the team in which he was playing in 1992.

When FM engine builds up a new game, it use an algorithm for definining each single attribute, in a way for which the global amount of them is like CA, current ability.

There is no way for me for deciding which value of technical attribute will have Le Tissier or Brian Robson, like any other else. In your game could have a low level, in my game could be an high level, in your game could be a great freekicker, in mine not.

I defined only birthday, career, height, weight (if known), foot (if known), CA and PA; nothing else. Everything else is random.

As you know, for actual db, there is a guy, or a couple, which defines single attributes for only a team; the result of an actual db is made by a lot of people. I was alone. So if you want to define better attributes of single players for closing to reality, you have to help me; I don't remember most of them.

I suggest you to build up a new game, to look for attributes of Le Tissier or your favourite player, if you like them use this game, if you don't like them rebuild up a new game until you will find the attributes you like; any time you will have different attributes.

Excuse me if I was so long but I thought to be better to have explanations directly from the db-maker.

If you have suggestions or mistakes to point, sign to me; I'm preparing with some brazilians guys a release 1.3 for increasing the reality of south american teams and players.

[grizfoot]

Welcome to the fourm brunino hope you didn't mind me posting your DB up. I'm currently having great fun with it, like you said the only problem is it isn't designed fo the English league but I just started it a couple of times so the Rovers players looked as realistic as possible. Also just a note with the facepacks the Alan Smith that played for Arsenal is not the same one that plays for Newcastle now, although they are both equally as annoying. I do like the facepacks though it's a nice touch.

[brunino]

Welcome to the fourm brunino hope you didn't mind me posting your DB up. I'm currently having great fun with it, like you said the only problem is it isn't designed fo the English league but I just started it a couple of times so the Rovers players looked as realistic as possible. Also just a note with the facepacks the Alan Smith that played for Arsenal is not the same one that plays for Newcastle now, although they are both equally as annoying. I do like the facepacks though it's a nice touch.

I can only be proud to see my db in this forum.

For the facepack, it's a problem for me to recognize players I did never see before. I'm owner of a full collection of Panini Football Sticker Album, since 1962 to 1992, I recognize any italian player along 30 years of history, but foreigners are like aliens.

This could be the opportunity to collect here new faces, and to correct the wrong one.

I'm working with a brazilian guy over a release 1.3 with 200 new brazilian players, all with faces scanned from brazilian Panini Album, so I planned to upload a new release; in that new upload I could insert faces collected here.

[brunino]

I finished last version 1.3 of this old db

Changes and Fixtures

__296 new famous players from everywhere, expecially from Brasilian Championships, for an amount of almost 3000 players ot that period

LIST OF NEW PLAYERS

__edited and solved troubles with ver 1.2, duplicated players, national teams and so on

__rebuilded the first league of following nations according season 1992/93; England, Germany, Spain, Italy and Brazil

__inserted right teams in international competitions for same countries, always according season 1992/93

__rebuilded all the teams' values according their history between 1990 and 1995 according the following files (excel needed)

BRAZIL

GERMANY

SPAIN

ENGLAND

In release 1.4, I'm just working on, I would like to rebuild first league for France and Russia, according following files, but I need more data; who would like to help me can contact me directly.

RUSSIA

FRANCE

This release was possible only with help of Felipe de Melo Barbosa from Brazil; without him, his patience and his knowledge of football in his land, nothing could be done.

Next week should be ready new faces for brazilian players from scanned by Felipe from Panini Fottball Stickers

Enjoy it and indicate any kind of errors or mistakes for a new version

DOWNLOAD

[Eddie]

I'd be willing to help you out with France.

[LeChuck]

If you delete the lnc folder you'll get the German team back, plus several other things.

Edit: Oh...and the Wimbledon team that was in the Premiership back then was FC Wimbledon. (now Milton Keynes Dons), AFC Wimbledon are a different side altogether.

Fascinating work, I'm going to have to give this a try at some point.

[Eddie]

Be interesting if someone actually started releasing backdated FM games. Think if you could buy a 60's/70's/80's game. It would be great.

[brunino]

If you delete the lnc folder you'll get the German team back, plus several other things.

Edit: Oh...and the Wimbledon team that was in the Premiership back then was FC Wimbledon. (now Milton Keynes Dons), AFC Wimbledon are a different side altogether.

Fascinating work, I'm going to have to give this a try at some point.

That's because I'm very ignorant in English history ...

Thank you for suggestion.

In next release I will correct this great mistake, I will substitute this Wimbledon with Milton Keyne.

I should have to read Wikipedia before deciding ...

Thanks once more and suggest any other mistake for a better future release.

To Eddie.

Great idea, if you could help me with French League it ... it could be a dream.

According to you is right the result of excel file for France?

[brunino]

I added in download page a new file with a patch for faces.

There will be new 199 faces in release 1.3 to download for a global amount of 1800 faces of players.

It will build two new directories in your "Players" folder.

[awhom111]

I have reached 2207 on my holiday game. Here are links for it (you must use megaupload if you do not have a program for unzipping):

Megaupload

Filefront

The last 60 years have been most unkind on Rovers. Here are where the original Premiership teams are plying their trade:

Premiership:

Arsenal

Bolton

Manchester United

Newcastle

Portsmouth

Reading

Championship:

Birmingham

Chelsea

Liverpool

Tottenham

League 1:

Aston Villa

Everton

Manchester City

Middlesbrough

West Ham

Wigan

League 2:

Blackburn

BSP:

Derby

Fulham

Sunderland

Here are the richest teams:

Money in the bank:

Portsmouth: 211M

York: 116M

Southend: 111M

Farsley: 67M

Newcastle: 65M

Swindon: 56M

The biggest stadiums:

West Ham: 100,000

Liverpool: 98,704

Swansea: 98,178

Manchester United: 95,654

Manchester City: 94,711

Portsmouth: 89,045

Bolton: 84,049

Leicester: 82,071

Charlton: 79,203

Blackburn: 78,844

Arsenal: 76,220

Birmingham: 72,434

Sheffield United: 72,372

Brentford: 71,613

Leeds: 69,296

Southend: 67,335

York: 65,432

Swindon: 60,177

Here is the Premiership table:

[DeadlyDirk]

I have reached 2207 on my holiday game. Here are links for it (you must use megaupload if you do not have a program for unzipping):

Megaupload

Filefront

The last 60 years have been most unkind on Rovers. Here are where the original Premiership teams are plying their trade:

Premiership:

Arsenal

Bolton

Manchester United

Newcastle

Portsmouth

Reading

Championship:

Birmingham

Chelsea

Liverpool

Tottenham

League 1:

Aston Villa

Everton

Manchester City

Middlesbrough

West Ham

Wigan

League 2:

Blackburn

BSP:

Derby

Fulham

Sunderland

Here are the richest teams:

Money in the bank:

Portsmouth: 211M

York: 116M

Southend: 111M

Farsley: 67M

Newcastle: 65M

Swindon: 56M

The biggest stadiums:

West Ham: 100,000

Liverpool: 98,704

Swansea: 98,178

Manchester United: 95,654

Manchester City: 94,711

Portsmouth: 89,045

Bolton: 84,049

Leicester: 82,071

Charlton: 79,203

Blackburn: 78,844

Arsenal: 76,220

Birmingham: 72,434

Sheffield United: 72,372

Brentford: 71,613

Leeds: 69,296

Southend: 67,335

York: 65,432

Swindon: 60,177

Here is the Premiership table:

Is Tugay still at Blackburn?

[Billy Castell]

It may be classified as cheating, but I've randomised the league tables from the start, so the likes of Hyde, Coventry and Yeovil are in the Premiership, whilst Man Utd, Arsenal and Spurs are in the Blue Square north/south. I figured that the big teams will rise to the top anyway, and other teams can get money and players in the meantime. Of course, Burnley and Real Madrid are either bankrupt, or on the verge of bankrupcy.

[Dan Furness]

It may be classified as cheating, but I've randomised the league tables from the start, so the likes of Hyde, Coventry and Yeovil are in the Premiership, whilst Man Utd, Arsenal and Spurs are in the Blue Square north/south. I figured that the big teams will rise to the top anyway, and other teams can get money and players in the meantime. Of course, Burnley and Real Madrid are either bankrupt, or on the verge of bankrupcy.

May be classed as cheating he says

I have started playing this again recently, firstly with Preston over 2 seasons but gradually got worse as i went on. Missed play-offs just in first season and 2nd season I think i was around 11th.

Restarted again with Rovers and changed Robinson etc over. First season struggled to 15th but I signed Craig Gordon for 15m, Kevin Doyle for £8m + appearances. Sold Robinson, Emerton, Warnock, Reid. Not doing too bad now im 2nd about 15 games into the new season

[Billy Castell]

Well I never have the time to go as far as the 2317/18 season like some here do (and do you guys sleep, work, eat or wee?) and wait for the might of Solihull Motors gain promotion to the Premiership. What is wrong with egqlitarianism and giving other teams a fair chance. I use the data editor and I'm proud of it so there. Hell, given all the uncertainty and unrest in reality surely everyone would need some escapism.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I'm Peterborough. My first season was successful. I got promoted to League 1 on a tight budget. My second season meant I could invest into better players and narrowly missed out on a playoff place. I'm now in my third season. My 30 goal striker left me on a free to a Spanish club and my best defender followed him out the door on a free as well as they didn't want to renew their contracts and got signed by a better team. I'm now struggling to win a game, my strikers are a 30 year old Luxembourg international and a 17 year old Portuguese player and they both couldn't even hit a cows backside with a banjo let alone score a goal. My right winger is so slow he makes Nelsen seem like Maurice Green.

[Hughesy]

Im going to start a new game tonight I think - does anyone know of an update with all the current transfers up to date on?

Im going to start in either League 2 or maybe conference and see how good I can do from a really rubbish starter team.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Im going to start a new game tonight I think - does anyone know of an update with all the current transfers up to date on?

You could try there Hughesy http://www.fmupdates.net/forum/ there is a download section, but you will have to register on their forum to view it.

Downloading it now and will run it to see if the changes have been made to rovers and the budget etc. I've used a Weegie database update before on a previous version on fm and it was pretty good and accurate.

According to their forum it is accurate up to 09/08/08.