Why I might actually use 3D in FM2010
The title may seem shocking to some, the 3D match engine was introduced in Football Manager 2009 but I’m still yet to fall in love with it. I was bought up on the good old versions of CM/FM where the highlight of the match highlights when the commentary bar flashed in your clubs colours to indicate that you’d scored. Even playing FM2009 I still stuck to the plan of setting my tactics, hitting play and waiting for that flashing bar. Looking at yesterdays blog from Miles and also today’s about pitch side tactics and also the touchline shouts means I might have to make the switch to 3D!
One thing I’ve missed in Football Manager is ‘quick tactics’. Two clicks and the way your team plays completely changing, now with these two features I’ll be able to exploit a quick change and hopefully increase my chances of winning. At the moment any tactical change seems like calling a time out in a basketball game, getting the notebook out and running through a whole set of game plays and then sending them back out again.
It’s moments like that that frustrate me as it brings me back to the reality that it really is a game at times rather than my own virtual reality. By bringing in live tactics my dream of sitting in the dugout becomes more of a reality. Hopefully with the new and improved match engine, new pitch textures, crowds and all that other random eye candy that’s included I only want one major improvement – Camera Angles!
To me, camera angles in FM09 made watching the match more like watching the game on television than from the managers point of view. At best the main stand camera was the ‘Phil Brown seat’ but the rest of the views was like you were sat at home with Sky Sports HD on and sitting in the armchair with a couple of chilled beers. The camera angle that should be default is dugout view, a real life manager has to make tactical decisions from pitch level yet I can make tactical decisions based on viewing the match from the International space station. Maybe I should employ Neil Armstrong as my Assistant and have Buz Aldrin as my tactical guru!
That’s why I’ve never really used the ’2D dots’ or the 3D view as it ruins the illusion of what I should be able to see (that and I have a short attention span and am rubbish at tactics!). I like my games to be as realistic as possible hence why I’ve spent the last four years providing Data updates for everyone to play with the latest and most up to date data and for the last year I’ve been responsible for improving the quality of the research for the German Oberliga – all in the name of improving the game.
The only other improvement I ask for in expanding the match day experience is to start ranting at the fourth official and be sent to stand on top of the Old Trafford dugout! Building on that, how about having ‘dugout view’ as the default and then getting sent to the stands where you can only view the match from the main stand and having to relay your instructions to the assistant. Depending on how good he is could sway whether he follows your instructions and can accurately relay them to the team or if he does his own thing and costs you valuable points, I leave you to think that one over ….
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I’d agree that my main gripe with the 3d view is the tactics and you used the perfect example with the ‘timeout’. Having said that I have found myself using the 3d pitch more often that I thought I would but it seems like a half arsed job at the moment. I remember LMA I think it was having the ability to make live adjustments to your tactics if you were watching the match.
I’d disagree about changing the camera angles to a dugout point of view. The 3d pitch allows you to analyse players movement and positioning better and from the dugout you wouldn’t be able to. I’m sure managers later analyse the play from these angles anyway.
I’m looking forward to seeing any improvements made to the 3d pitch though as its been pretty hit and miss for FM fans thus far. Its an interesting thought with the ass man comment at the end as well, hopefully you do a Derren Brown and predict things that are already in the game /o\
Good read.
In regard to your comment regarding manager’s analysing the match from different angles is exactly my point – they view it afterwards, not live!
I completely agree with what you are saying in regards to quick tactics, in real life it’s so easy to shout out instructions on to the pitch..’push up’, ‘go long’ etc hopefully FM10 will be able to replicate this.
At first I didn’t use the 3D pitch at all, I was immediately unimpressed as it did indeed feel half arsed and unfinished in a sense. However, unlike your self I found the choice of angles and view points a good addition as although it wasn’t realistic I found that by occasionally changing the view of the pitch that it became easier to watch and easier to work with.
If they can keep progressing the system like they did with the 2D pitch over the years I think it will eventually become a big hit. The arrival of the quick tactics and the ability to watch your team adapt to live situations by the click of a button, mirroring what would be your voice is a sign to me that the 3D pitch is heading in the right direction.
An interesting mate