Old Fezziwig
a man builds a city with banks and cathedrals
I've been playing a lot of FM24 lately, and I was wondering if there was anyone here who played. It scratches a lot of the same issues for me as Crusader Kings, Dwarf Fortress, or some of the meatier CRPGs. And it's one of the few computer games where I look at it and think that it wouldn't be as enjoyable as a tabletop game (or would be exceedingly hard to develop a good system for at the very least, even with the game's match engine being so idiosyncratic).
If you are playing FM, tell me about your game. What side are you managing? How's it going? Any interesting stories?
I'm in my second season of an Oxford United save. I started unemployed, took them over in October, and managed to get them promoted to the Championship, beating Joey Barton's Bristol Rovers*. Right now, we're drifting in and out of the playoff spots in February 2025 and just got pasted by the league leaders, Norwich City, 7-1 at Carrow Road. Naturally, after this pasting, Marcus McGuane, one of my team leaders, decides that he needs a new contract. (Timing, Marcus. ) We've been playing over our heads, so I'm hopeful that the big loss and McGuane's unhappiness might lead to a wobble and our drifting out of the playoff spots. We need a few more seasons in the Championship to develop youngsters and build up the squad before trying the Prem.
* One of my personal goals that I've set in this game is to make digital Joey Barton miserable because he's Joey Barton. We've played his Rovers side four times, beating them all four times. The double in my League One season, the promotion playoff final at Wembley, and an FA Cup match in this second season. Digital Citizen Mane makes a point to be considerate and generous to every manager he encounters, regardless of their preferred playing style or whatever they say in the press conferences about him. Every manager except digital Joey Barton. I pick fights with him, criticize his team, criticize him, whatever is the least agreeable option at every choice. Yet it only makes him like my digital manager more and more. This is not surprising, because, well, Joey Barton. But it bothers me way more than the 7-1 loss.
If you are playing FM, tell me about your game. What side are you managing? How's it going? Any interesting stories?
I'm in my second season of an Oxford United save. I started unemployed, took them over in October, and managed to get them promoted to the Championship, beating Joey Barton's Bristol Rovers*. Right now, we're drifting in and out of the playoff spots in February 2025 and just got pasted by the league leaders, Norwich City, 7-1 at Carrow Road. Naturally, after this pasting, Marcus McGuane, one of my team leaders, decides that he needs a new contract. (Timing, Marcus. ) We've been playing over our heads, so I'm hopeful that the big loss and McGuane's unhappiness might lead to a wobble and our drifting out of the playoff spots. We need a few more seasons in the Championship to develop youngsters and build up the squad before trying the Prem.
* One of my personal goals that I've set in this game is to make digital Joey Barton miserable because he's Joey Barton. We've played his Rovers side four times, beating them all four times. The double in my League One season, the promotion playoff final at Wembley, and an FA Cup match in this second season. Digital Citizen Mane makes a point to be considerate and generous to every manager he encounters, regardless of their preferred playing style or whatever they say in the press conferences about him. Every manager except digital Joey Barton. I pick fights with him, criticize his team, criticize him, whatever is the least agreeable option at every choice. Yet it only makes him like my digital manager more and more. This is not surprising, because, well, Joey Barton. But it bothers me way more than the 7-1 loss.