SI Games products ...

[DougWyatt]

All the SI talk 'round here (probably mostly while OOTP was a part) I became a little interested in "Football Manager". Also, possibly Eastside Hockey.

Now, I know VERY, VERY little about soccer. - What I know is : A guy named Pele once played, and some guy named David Beckham just moved to L.A. to play in the states. As far as the game, I know there is a goalie, and some other players - not sure how many, or any positions.

So, would the game interest me ? Could I grow to learn it & enjoy it ?

As far as Eastside Hockey, I'd say I know a fair amount about the sport, and semi-enjoy it (meaning if I have no other "Big 3" sporting events available I'll read/watch hockey. I know all the positions, and understand some basic stuff .. 2 line passes, icing, line changes, power plays, etc.

Would these games be recommended (for me) ?

[BruceM]

To be honest, nobody can tell what you'll like, or grow to like. The best recommendation I could make is to download the Demo's and try them. I'm a huge hockey fan and enjoy EHM very much, but have never been a fan of soccer and therefore have no desire to try/play football manager.

Ultimatley, you'll be the one who decides if you enjoy the games or not.

[DougWyatt]

Originally Posted by BruceM

To be honest, nobody can tell what you'll like, or grow to like. The best recommendation I could make is to download the Demo's and try them. I'm a huge hockey fan and enjoy EHM very much, but have never been a fan of soccer and therefore have no desire to try/play football manager.

Ultimatley, you'll be the one who decides if you enjoy the games or not.

Thanks, and no doubt that is true.

I guess what I was trying to ask was ...

Is there anyone who shares similar feelings/experiences toward soccer and hockey ... and have tried the games ? If so, how did you find them ?

[magnet]

CM/FM/WWSM are the sole reason I am a football...er...soccer fan now.

[lewis31lewis52]

Yeah, FM definitely helped me become a football fan. The game is so deep, even if you're not sure what you're doing, you'll probably have fun doing it.

[Bonedwarf]

I'm a veteran of the CM/FM series. I've been playing them since the grand old days of the old Domark release on the Amiga with the copy protection codes inside the lid. I generally pick up the new one every few years. (There is very little reason to buy every release IMO.)

Now... While it's changed a bit in recent times, for the majority of the time I've played the games (and I've always had one to hand on any computer since the original release all those years ago) I HAVEN'T LIKED SOCCER! Especially the first ten years of Championship Manager, I never watched anything beyond the World Cup. Seriously, I had no interest. It's changed in recent times, but my interest is still low. How low? I couldn't tell you who the leading goal scorer is in the English Premier League, nor which team is leading the league etc... Nor who is doing what in any tournament. I literally have no interest in keeping up. I like to watch a good game, but couldn't give a rats ass about any details, the league, anything.

I rank CM/FM as one of the greatest games of all time. Definitely in my top 5, and I've been a gamer since the early 80's. (I had a Pong machine for gods sake!)

So take that for what you will. Your best bet is to grab the FM 2008 demo and give it a try. I believe you can continue your game in the full release when it comes (you always used to be able too) so give it a try. You should get a big enough taste to decide if it's worth a purchase.

[redsoxford]

Originally Posted by Bonedwarf

I'm a veteran of the CM/FM series. I've been playing them since the grand old days of the old Domark release on the Amiga with the copy protection codes inside the lid. I generally pick up the new one every few years. (There is very little reason to buy every release IMO.)

League attendances for the top four divisions for the 50 years before the game's release if I remember correctly.

Those were the days when you could just write down the copy protection on a sheet of paper (but I did buy the original and have never owned a pirate copy of FM/CM)

I've never tried the demo of EHM or TBCB because they are two sports that I don't think I could even get myself into after playing a computer game.

I once played a horse-racing simulation game and found it tedious till I decided to go down the corruption line and started nobbling the other horses before a race and that quickly wore off.

It's only football and baseball that I'm into playing on the computer and watching on TV.

I play Tennis on the Wii but can't play in real life and hate watching it on TV.

I can play darts, can't watch it, and playing it on a computer is silly.

I don't think it's something that you can get yourself into enjoying just by playing a game. And the level of immersion now in FM2007/08 is immense - in the demo it just seems to take for ages to get to a match.

[Fallschirmjager]

As an alternative to trying the six month demo you can go to Amazon.com and purchase WWSM 07 for $15

That would be a cheap way to experience the full game through an entire season
If you hate it you could probably sell it on these boards and makes most of your money back and even if you don't $15 would be a cheap investment for a game you could possibly play for 200 or more hours

One thing I have always said about sports fans compared to casual sports fans is that sports fans love any sport once they undestand it
I find myself being the same way, I would play a darts text sim if it was a good game.
I just love sports for sports sake

Also, if you do take the plunge, go to OT and look for the FM managers lounge
We will give you all the help and tips we can if you decide to try the game

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by DougWyatt

All the SI talk 'round here (probably mostly while OOTP was a part) I became a little interested in "Football Manager". Also, possibly Eastside Hockey.

Now, I know VERY, VERY little about soccer. - What I know is : A guy named Pele once played, and some guy named David Beckham just moved to L.A. to play in the states. As far as the game, I know there is a goalie, and some other players - not sure how many, or any positions.

So, would the game interest me ? Could I grow to learn it & enjoy it ?

As far as Eastside Hockey, I'd say I know a fair amount about the sport, and semi-enjoy it (meaning if I have no other "Big 3" sporting events available I'll read/watch hockey. I know all the positions, and understand some basic stuff .. 2 line passes, icing, line changes, power plays, etc.

Would these games be recommended (for me) ?

You sound a lot like me in 2006, the first year I bought FM\WWSM.

The first SI game I bought was EHM. I chose it over FM because I knew nothing about soccer and already liked hockey. My thinking was it would be like getting FM but in a sport I knew something about. This held true to a point but EHM while impressively deep is not as deep as FM, which is to be expected as it's latest release is only version three. I find it to be an enjoyable game and it also taught me how an SI interface works as it is very similar to FM's GUI. Keep in mind if you go the EHM route that the game has been discontinued due to poor sales so there will be no EHM 2008.

I then decided it was time to try FM\WWSM and bought WWSM 2006 on disk at a Gamestop (current versions on disk now only available from Amazon or as digital download). I knew nothing about football (the game will make you quit calling it soccer) and was totally lost and thought I had made a mistake buying the game. I could see the immense depth of the game though and so made a real effort to learn the things I needed to know to play the game.

It took me about three months to learn about football, both the tactics in game and how the front office works. In football you don't trade players you buy them, generally from lower level clubs that is how they make money. Clubs are promoted\relegated from leagues. I spent some time reading the tactics threads at SI forums (if you buy the game look for tactics threads from a guy called wwfan) they taught me about how real football is played and how that is translated into WWSM.

Guys on the SI forum were very helpful if I had questions along with the FOFC
board members that play FM (there are quite a few). FOFC always has a good thread going about FM with lots of guys that are willing to help. Marc Vaughn, one of the lead developers of FM also spends some time there and helps out newbies with suggestions.

WWSM had turned me into a guy that I never thought would care about football to a guy that now really enjoys watching a match. If I had the fox soccer channel and could see games every weekend I could see myself becoming very involved in the English Premier League. I just got dishnetwork so may have to check into getting that added to my package (the wife will love that ).

As other have said try the demo. At first, since you know nothing about football, it may seem overwhelming. I know it did to me. Stick with it though and it becomes very rewarding.

[gord]

It's almost as though I wrote that post above, except I haven't tried EHM yet (but I probably will eventually since I love hockey).

I've since become an avid fan of the EPL and watch as much as I can.

[timlowery]

both the EHM and the FM series are really enjoyable. I've learned a lot about the players, since the databases are of real players, and it's made me more knowledgeable as a fan. I buy the DirecTV sports package for the Fox Soccer Channel now.....

[Bonedwarf]

redsoxford: There is actually a really good darts game on the Nintendo DS. (Sega Touch Darts). You play with the stylus and I am utterly hooked on it. Though I remember many very very bad darts games with the "shaky hand of death" that you had to throw with. Man those were awful.

I'm still waiting for a hockey game like Bethesda's old HLS2. FM aside, I don't actually manage teams in sim games, I SIM seasons. I am far more interested in the outcomes than the management.

[LFC1892]

Originally Posted by magnet

CM/FM/WWSM are the sole reason I am a football...er...soccer fan now.

No, you were right the first time...

[redsoxford]

Why do the Americans call gridiron 'football'? There's only about 3 players on each team of 45 who actually use their foot on the ball...

[bababui]

Soccer is an English term.

[ctorg]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

I would play a darts text sim if it was a good game.

I hope Markus is listening. Next big game for OOTP Developments: On the Board Darts.

[redmarkYankees]

Originally Posted by bababui

Soccer is an English term.

Soccer is a very limited English term, i.e. traditionally only used by the 1% of the population that passed through certain elite schools where football was "soccer" (from Association football) and rugby was "rugger" (from Rugby Football).

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by redsoxford

Why do the Americans call gridiron 'football'? There's only about 3 players on each team of 45 who actually use their foot on the ball...

Everyone used to kick the ball. The way the game was played when the game was named is completely different than the way it exists today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...rican_football

[Fallschirmjager]

Up until the 40s or so American football was a grind it out type of sports where 95% of plays were running plays and teams like Notre Dame and Army had Fullbacks who routinely won the Heismen and dominated the sport

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Up until the 40s or so American football was a grind it out type of sports where 95% of plays were running plays and teams like Notre Dame and Army had Fullbacks who routinely won the Heismen and dominated the sport

And if you like this sort of thing watch Rugby union