Sega and Sports Interactive’s upcoming Soccer (football) management game Football Manager 2014, first revealed in August last year, is arriving later this month. Apart from keeping the tradition of its intense and quick game progression, the game will also be first in the series to be released on Linux.
Interestingly, this is also the first time in the history of the series where 'cloud-save’ technology will be enabled, helping players pursue a single career from any platform.
With years of experience on hand, this year’s Football Manager seems to have evolved compared to its predecessors, making it the most revolutionary and feature packed Football Manager to date. Most of the credit goes to the implementation of cloud saves, where players will have the opportunity to maintain their career saves on the move.
This time around, the transfer negotiation mechanism and contract deals have been made more realistic with the introduction of a refurbished transfer module, where opposing clubs and managers have been looking to adopt a more realistic approach while making or responding to transfer offers.
Apart from that, there are a number of real world transfer clauses that have been added to the game, like the option to loan a player back to the club he’s just been bought from, or the option to offer a combination of cash and loan players. The option of sub bench appearance fee as a contract clause is also up for grabs.
Despite the changes, the regular turn-based system of transfer negotiations still exist. However, this negotiation type can be done in two ways, the old "tried and tested" system, or the new "live" system.
The new game is said to feature more than 50 playable nations with more than 100 playable leagues to choose from. Players also have the option of promoting lower level leagues up to an existing league, while also creating new leagues with its own matches and competitions that can be further customized.
The in-game board interaction has also been offered a major boost with contract negotiations now becoming more legit in Football Manager 2014. This enables both managers and boards to now make demands based on their need, and also chart out their respective visions for the club in both initial job interviews and contract renewal discussions.
Managers now can also try and renegotiate transfer and wage budgets as an added bonus for staying loyal to a team if they’ve been offered a job from elsewhere. The outcome of these negotiation discussions will help aid the manager’s decision on whether to move or stay.
As an extra incentive, the new game will now see added improvements for the 3D match engine with enhanced AI, as well as improved lighting and player animations. Apart from that, there have been changes made to individual player character and kit models, induced with a range of optimizations, with realistic player reaction to on-field incidents.
Football Manager 2014 is currently scheduled to arrive on Oct. 31 for PC, Mac, Linux, and PlayStation Vita.