Football Manager 2017

[Hermann]

I haven't - a few years ago I traded in my smartphone for an old style Nokia that just does phone calls and sms and I don't regret it at all. That said I am currently having to think about getting a smartphone and/or tablet anyway, as my employer is rolling out an app where all employees will be able to access work systems via a secure app on our own devices - and that definitely won't work with my phone

That said even if I do end up rejoining the modern world, I probably won't go for FM Touch - I actually quite like all of the bells and whistles that come with the full thing.

I think I'm right in saying that you can play Touch on PC and that it comes free with the standard version. It won't play on smartphones though and is different from FM Handheld, which is the smartphone version. For the record Handheld isn't very good...

 

[Terryhall]

I think I'm right in saying that you can play Touch on PC and that it comes free with the standard version. It won't play on smartphones though and is different from FM Handheld, which is the smartphone version. For the record Handheld isn't very good...

Yep, it does come free and you can choose it from the start menu - and you're right, I was confusing it with the Handheld version

But still, I haven't tried it I'm afraid.

As an aside, the one new feature I'm still not keen on is the intro music whilst the game is loading ("This Moment" by Chase & Status, not a bad song, but I don't like the concept of having a song play while the menu loads (which I guess they picked up from the PES / FIFA series) - good news is you can switch it off in the preferences )

 

[Terryhall]

3 months in and I'm happily settled with the new features. Am currently in a save which is trying to complete the Ultimate FM Challenge. Start off as an unemployed 20 year old with no coaching badges or experience, and in the course of your career, win:

Leagues – La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A plus 5 other top leagues
Champions Leagues – UEFA CL, Asia CL, Copa Libertadores, NACL, Africa CL
International tournaments – UEFA Euros, Asian Cup of Nations, Copa America, Gold Cup, CAN, FIFA World Cup, Confederations Cup
Other – 10 separate domestic nations cups (where top level teams can enter), FIFA Club World Cup

Three seasons in, I started at Llandudno and then moved to Harrogate Town, got them promoted to the VNL and currently on the fringes of the playoffs with 3 to go this season. More importantly, Tisdale got Exeter back-to-back promotions to the Championship - current key players such as Pym, Sweeney, JMT, Taylor and Stockley stayed as the core of the squad which sadly got relegated in last place back down to League One with 6 games still to go. But we got there!! If it can happen in FM, it can happen in real life (this statement is not true, FYI.) Tisdale himself jumped ship to Sunderland midway through the season, and Exeter actually invited me for interview (by now 24 years old with a UEFA B licence) but sadly I was overlooked for Stephen Kenny (currently manager of Dundalk.) In other ECFC news on this save, Ollie Watkins went to Huddersfield after one season at Brentford for 4m (rising to 6m with addons) and Ethan has never played a first team game for Chelsea (not because he's not talented, but presumably because the game didn't expect Chelsea to give any game time to a 17 year old.) Other previous stars include Matt Grimes (at L2 Northampton, I'm sure if we were in the Champo and Grimes was playing in L2 in real life, we'd be putting in a bid!)

In summary if you liked FM17 and don't mind having to learn how to make the most of the new scouting, medical and dynamics, then it's definitely worth the upgrade.

Just by way of update I am now fully addicted to FM18. Still on the same save as above, the year is 2033 and the career path has been (generally no more than 2-3 seasons at each)

Llandudno - Harrogate - Aston Villa (came as a shock but no complaints) - Basel - Club Brugge - Wolfsburg

Have so far won the Swiss league and cup with Basel, and the Belgian league and cup with Bruges - so 2 of each down from the trophy list on my challenge.

Still hard work keeping ahead of the AI which keeps almost working me out, I'm essentially rotating around from 4-1-2-3 to 4-2-3-1 to 4-2-4 and freshening things up as I go. Frustrating at Wolfsburg as their stadium is comparatively tiny (still 30k) and although the board agreed to expand it, the new capacity of 42k won't compete with the big boys and is still 2 years away from being completed. As such I'm applying for any job at a bigger club that comes along, getting the occasional interview but always overlooked - the highlight being the start of this season when Bayern Munich told me that they had decided to go with Danny Cowley instead. Given his work with Lincoln in the real world this season I suppose thats fair enough.

I halfway suspect I am the only Exewebber either playing FM18, or caring in any way shape or form about this thread

 

[LOG]

Anyone know if the Touch version is any good? I know i really shouldn't but am very tempted.

 

[Hermann]

Anyone know if the Touch version is any good? I know i really shouldn't but am very tempted.

I've been playing it on tablet and really enjoying it. I haven't played the full version so not sure how they compare, but it has a lot of features still in it. You can automate almost everything except signings though, you can even do instant results instead of playing through matches.

It might be a bit easier than the main game though. I've nabbed 4 titles in 4 years with different clubs: started at Dartford, won BSS. Moved to Carlisle and won League 2 and 1. Moved to Swansea and won Championship.

 

[LOG]

I've been playing it on tablet and really enjoying it. I haven't played the full version so not sure how they compare, but it has a lot of features still in it. You can automate almost everything except signings though, you can even do instant results instead of playing through matches.

It might be a bit easier than the main game though. I've nabbed 4 titles in 4 years with different clubs: started at Dartford, won BSS. Moved to Carlisle and won League 2 and 1. Moved to Swansea and won Championship.

My brain is screaming Noooooooo, don't do it! but it's not very sharp and rarely wins.

 

[Hermann]

My brain is screaming Noooooooo, don't do it! but it's not very sharp and rarely wins.

Are you looking at it on tablet or PC?

 

[unheilige_grecian]

I halfway suspect I am the only Exewebber either playing FM18, or caring in any way shape or form about this thread

I'm far more interested in messing around with the FM Editor than actually managing teams. I'm currently running an experiment where I gave every team in England a 100-year transfer ban, except for the West Country clubs, with the objective of allowing the clubs in the South West to dominate English football. I'll by posting updates every ten years; I've holidayed forward to 2023 so far and will post the first update when I get to 2027.

 

[Terryhall]

I like that! Thesetpieces did a series recently where every L2 club got bought by a billionaire sugar daddy and they let it run 20 years or so, worth a Google if you like that kindof thing

 

[unheilige_grecian]

I've got to 2027 on the above-mentioned experiment now, and will list each of the South-West teams by their league positions at the end of the 2026/27 season:

Premier League
2nd: AFC Bournemouth
7th: Bristol City
15th: Exeter City
18th: Plymouth Argyle

Championship
6th: Yeovil Town
7th: Torquay United
12th: Forest Green Rovers
14th: Cheltenham Town
17th: Weston-super-Mare
19th: Swindon Town

League One
4th: Bristol Rovers
7th: Chippenham Town
8th: Gloucester City
10th: Poole Town
13th: Truro City
23rd: Bath City

National League South
1st: Salisbury

So far the experiment has been a success. All the clubs in the top 6 tiers to begin with are now in at least League One (though Bath was relegated at the end of this season). The leagues below the Conference North/South are not fully simulated in the game and the clubs promoted each season are randomly selected, irrespective of whether they have a transfer ban or not. Only one such team has been from the South West, Salisbury, who were promoted in their first season back in the Conference leagues.

Annoyingly, Bournemouth only finished second on goal difference (Manchester City had +56, while Bournemouth has +55). Bristol City have also risen up to the European qualification places. Exeter survived their first season in the Premier League while Plymouth were not so lucky, going down on goal difference only (-40, compared to West Ham's -30)

Surprisingly, Exeter and Plymouth were not the first Devon clubs to reach the Premiership, that was Torquay United. The Gulls adapted the best to Championship football, spending only three seasons in the division before gaining promotion, though were relegated from the top division after only one season in 2026. Meanwhile, Argyle spent five years in the Championship before going up, while City yo-yo'd between the Championship and League One several times before reaching the Premier League.

Yeovil, Cheltenham, Forest Green and Swindon have settled in the Championship for now, while Weston-super-Mare is perhaps the biggest riser, going up to the Championship mid-table from all the way down in the National League South. The worst performer has been Bristol Rovers, who have still not gotten out of League One, something even Gloucester and the aforementioned Weston have managed.

While most West-country clubs have enjoyed several promotions (and new, bigger stadiums), relegations are still to be expected as these clubs often do not have a high enough reputations to attract the quality players needed to stay up.

I told you I liked experimenting