Cheers
myron

Yeah this is the last one in the series, but it really only scratches the surface in terms of how FML can be compared directly to other MMOs. I'm glad I looked into the subject and I'd recommend doing the same if you're concerned by the doom-patrol on the forums saying that FML is dying. I cannot face the negativity in the forums anymore and since becoming less active in the forums, my outlook has never been more positive.

Collaborative play would certainly liven stuff up. In the FM series I tend to go LLM and one of the first things I do is look to exploit the parent clubs to my advantage. I think the loan system to include conditions of loan to make it less risky to put platers on loan lists would be a small and valuable first step. Perhaps increase the amount of loans allowed in FA competitions as you go down the tier system too. Anything to get new managers interacting with established managers I think is a great thing and will stimulate the market too. Loaning youth players to coaching teams, paying a % of AF to a nominated scouting manager, paying a % to get people back from injury, paying a % of stadium building… all these kind of things would create more emphasis on specialisation and therefore you'd end up with people that want/ need to collaborate.

I'd also like to see some really crazy-ass competition options come in so that people can get creative… things like you join the competition as a pair of teams and you only get a half each so that you must win as a pair.

Now looking forward to the announcements starting next week

As someone who doesn't play MMOs of the WoW / Warhammer ilk, the most interesting part to me is the idea that the general trend is towards MMOs becoming more single-player oriented, whereas previously focuses had been on players working together. I wasn't aware of that, and I think you're right to point out that FML is at the other extreme- even parent/feeder relations are wholly fictional constructs, recognised in no way by the game itself. Collaborations between sides isn't, to my mind, an earth-shattering feature which will suddenly refill GWs, but it would certainly be one which would reinforce the community aspect, which is almost certainly the one thing keeping many of the currently downhearted managers in the game.