by Carlos D. Mojica (@CD_Mojica)
While I’d be lying if I said that I had never heard of the Football Manager franchise, the truth is that I had never really delved into the game. Football Manager – or FM for short – is quite popular amongst soccer fans around the world, as well as among the soccer die-hards in the U.S., so I had heard tales about its addictive nature.
In fact, I even attempted to play it a few years ago, when I got my hands on an older copy of the game a few years ago, but that lasted all of two hours. On that occasion, I had found the FM’s learning curve to be too steep, even for someone who has watched soccer his entire life.
Because of that previous experience, I didn’t return to the game until a few weeks ago, when I was given a copy of the latest version of the game, Football Manager 2017. Little did I know that I was about to fall victim to one of the most enjoyable vices ever. Here is a diary of my journey from FM noob to FM faithful:
DAY 1
I typed in the code to download the game, and as I waited for installation to finish, I googled how-to guides for FM. What I discovered is that there is a HUGE community of fans who live and breathe the game. By the time FM finished downloading, I had read enough to dive into the game.
The first step was creating a character. Unlike the version that I had played, FM 17 lets you have a lot of control over what your manager looks like, from skin tone to clothing style. In fact, it also has an option that allows you to upload a photograph of yourself so that the game can render a 3-D model of your face.
With so many options available to customize my character, I found myself trying multiple hairstyles, trying on different skin tones, and uploading different pictures of myself in an effort to get my face just right. Nearly an hour after deciding whether to wear a grey suit with a white shirt or with a black shirt, I was ready to begin a career.
Unfortunately for me, I was running late to work, so starting the game would have to wait another day.
DAY 2
There are few things more satisfying in a sports video game than creating one from scratch, so before diving into Career Mode, I decided to click on Create-a-Club. In this mode, you are given the option of choosing the league that you want your club to play in, as well as the option of giving them a nickname (different from the name).
There are some pre-made crests that players can choose from, as well as the option of uploading an existing crest. In my case, I uploaded the crest from my Sunday League, Mohicans FC. The uniform design is also quite intricate, allowing you to customize jersey, shorts, and socks. In all, you can have up six different uniforms, including those for the goalkeepers.
After about three hours of tinkering with combinations of colors and styles – in an effort to get the look of Mohicans FC just right – I realized that I was once again running late for work. But this time, I took my laptop with me. I simply had to keep tinkering with the jerseys. The addiction had begun to take effect, and as a result, most of my break time at work was spent designing the perfect uniform.
Stay tuned to ISNSoccer.com for more updates from Carlos Mojica’s Football Manager journey!
