CM4/CM 03/04 Discussion/PING MARC VAUGHN!

[Blade6119]

Alright...i think im pretty confident for christmas im going to order one of these games...The SI boards are obviously biased towards the game, so i figured i would ask here. In the newest version, losing most of the U.S. players and the U.S. leagues is a blow to my interest. I like bringing in americans, and love coaching the team. In CM4 i heared you can do all that and even A-league...by now it is all patched up im assuming, but still i hear bad things.

For 03/04, i hear a lot of people talking about an un-official patch that puts the U.S. league in, but i can only assume it would take a lot of work and time. With this even, the national team cannot be coached. I could have fun in the other divisions, but i wonder how much this would effect my enjoyment. Is this patch a real possibiliyty, or is the CM4 version even up to snub bug wise?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as i have respect for many of your opinions(looks away from the afoci:rolleyes: ). Thanks a lot!

[Calis]

What exactly happened to the U.S. License?

I guess I missed that ordeal. Did EIDOS just think it wasn't worth paying for? Or was their a breakdown in the whole process?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Hey Blade,

If the reports on 03/04 stay good over the next week or so, I'll be buying the game. If you're happy with the reports on CM4 and want to save some cash, you can have my copy of CM4 (free). Again, the reports will have to stay pretty solid about the long-term playability of the new version, but if they do, my current copy of CM4 will be a coaster so I might as well give it to someone that will use it. It'll probably be two or three weeks before I'll know for sure (I'll buy CM03/04 and check the speed first, etc.), but I should be able to get you the game by Christmas.

Let me know if you're interested. PM works fine too.

[Blade6119]

From what i understand, the MLS had an exclusive contract with another game...this forced them to remove the players playing in that league...players abroad are ok, and adu signed later the the game going gold...donovan is under contract in germany, so hes there and amerians over the sea are in, but the national team and mls leagues are gone

[Blade6119]

Godzilla...id be interested..hows the CD condition, and what did you think of the game?...any bugs, and did you feel like it was immersive enough to warrant the buy?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally posted by Blade6119
Godzilla...id be interested..hows the CD condition, and what did you think of the game?...any bugs, and did you feel like it was immersive enough to warrant the buy?

Except for a nail hole and a few cracks (duct taped up), the CD is fine. ;)

I never really played the game. After I bought it (this summer), I heard the reports that lower division teams that got promoted weren't getting stadium expansions and that the positioning skill was zeroing out after a few years of play. My computer was slow, too, so I figured I would just wait until I got a new machine to try the game. Now that I've got the new machine, the new version is going to get released, so I figure I'll just wait again.

Others here will be able to tell you a lot more about the gameplay.

[daedalus]

If I understand correctly 03/04 is going to be without MLS but not without US players.

[BreizhManu]

Originally posted by daedalus
If I understand correctly 03/04 is going to be without MLS but not without US players.

without MLS, without A-League and without players (americans and foreigners) playing in those leagues

[Blade6119]

So guys like friedal and donovan(hes only on loan in US, he is getting paid by leverskuken of germany) are there, but anyone under contract in US, regardless of nationality, are gone

[BreizhManu]

that's it

[ice4277]

As for CM4, I have enjoyed my time with it. I played a good 7 seasons which, as slow as I usually go with the game, is quite a bit. Started off with Ipswich, got them promoted to the Premiership but lost the Div. 1 title the last day of the season to Grimsby :eek:, spent a season consolidating my position in the top flight, next season qualified for the UEFA Cup. Then the team took a nosedive, struggling in the bottom half of the table, and I was fired. About six months of game time later, was hired by the Colorado Rapids. Never even managed a game, was then offered a job by Benfica in Portugal. They were struggling when I got there, finished that season in 3rd, but the next season I won the Portugese title running away. Now, I just won the title a second year in a row and am in the UEFA Cup final.

So yes, I've enjoyed the game, there still are some things I wish were different that have been changed with 03/04, but I think, in its final patched form, it is a solid enough game, and a first-time player would probably find a good deal of enjoyment out of it, especially with the MLS.

[Flame Eater]

Blade -

CM is a great game franchise. I'm on my fourth edition (just ordered 03/04). My experience with the CM boards is that they love the game, but they are NOT a bunch of fanboys. They're the toughest group of critics I've seen on a company message board.

Most of them hated CM4, and were very vocal (in a message board sort of way) about their displeasure.

The fact that they are now so excited about 03/04 is a very good sign.

As far as the MLS goes...I haven't played with it too much. SI has never quite gotten it completely right. The rules are so different from every other league in the world. As I understand, CM4 was the best effort so far, but there are still significant issues with the draft AI that have affected the fun of it all.

Personally, I've played a lot in the Scottish leagues. They're smaller, easier to wrap your brain around, and you can't get relegated from their third division. In my best career I took Clyde from the Third Division in the Premiership. It took more seasons than I would really care to admit, but I made it to the SHOW!

[Blade6119]

Congrats flame eater...i used tk play 2000/01 and 2001/02 a lot, but decided to wait out on the last versions. Im starting to think that it would be better to buy 03/04 instead...the draft problem was one i forgot about, but i used to hear a lot of complaints about it...i used to like taking a small team to gloy, and you can do that in any CM game, so i think ill wait a few weeks for the 03/04 reviews and see where i stand then. Thanks a lot!

[Marc Vaughan]

We had to reemove the MLS and all contracted MLS players at the request of Eidos ....

I'd have preferred them to be present, but there wasn't any flexibility in the decision available.

I hope they will in our next game, whatever it ends up being called .... (you might be aware that our next soccer management game won't be called 'CM' and won't be published by Eidos).

[SirFozzie]

Grins.. don't listen to some of us for suggestions for the title of your next footy game, Marc.

"Now in stores.."

"Eidos Sucks 04/05 Football"

or

"I can't believe it's not Championship Manager" (wait.. never mind.. eidos's next version will be "I can't believe this piece of crap has the name Championship Manager"

or

"Free at last, Free at last, by god, Free at LAST! Football 2004-05"

[BreizhManu]

Originally posted by SirFozzie
"I can't believe it's not Championship Manager"

I like this one

[The Afoci]

I prefer,

It looks like CM, smells like sh*t.

[SirFozzie]

You know, Marc won't be able to drop into this thread anymore after he sees what we're calling SI's current partner ;)

[Flame Eater]

Sure, but in a few months he'll be able to post funny names with us!!!

[Gambit]

I run CM USA, a forum for USA CM players, and there's talk from some of the people there about making a patch to put back all the players. I'm not involved in the making of it and I don't know how far they've gotten with it.

If it ever gets released I'll let you guys know about it

[Chief Rum]

Thanks, Gambit. Keep us posted on that.

Also, could you post a link to your Web site? I think there would be a bunch of people here who would be interested in an American CM site and forum (including me).

CR

[Gambit]

It's just a forum right now(Eventually we'll get a site). If you have CM4 or 03/04 it's in the game under the community tab. If not, here's the link:

http://cmusa.proboards11.com

[illinifan999]

The game formerly known as Championship Manager 04/05