UltimateEuropeForums.net

After speaking to quite a few managers along with Ben at UE about an idea I thought I would pop it on here to see what you all think. This is NOT an idea for the next game, but a future alternative whenever the time is right or managers call for a switch up. All we ask is try be impartial when you’re giving your thoughts. UE is a community after all.
It won’t be for everyone but it’s an idea that edges towards those who may not be able to afford a big team whilst giving an air of excitement to everyone else and a new challenge something I have heard more and more occurs in chats. People wanting a new and fresh unpredictable challenge in UE. I understand that a small minority will just disagree because it’s me suggesting it, but those names have been mooted as doing so beforehand.

More opinions the better for UE as not saying anything could mean it happens and it’s too late to speak up. I personally have spoken to a few along with Ben at UE. The consensus from the lads I spoke to (and it was a few!) was impressive, with just 1 manager against it. Hence why I suggested it to Ben which made the forum for the wider community.

So the game would consist of 5 manageable leagues only, every other side is a ROW and scoutable side. So back to being a European based region with 5x divisions so division 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. In each leagues are the best 70 teams in Europe all mixed up. Promotion and relegation applies. So all UE managers are in one region.

In order to make the game as profitable as possible for Ben we put a minimum of X season tickets upfront. Maybe a 2 or 3 minimum to secure your spot. 5x leagues with 14x teams is 70 managers. This means it does prove lucrative as a regular HFG if you balance the big spenders on big teams with the 1x season ticket buyers. (I did a rough estimations on numbers!) So implementing this means UE don’t lose out on any revenue.

So the team allocation! Ben would do a live stream video where managers are allocated their sides there. We log on via discord or whatever platform he uses if we choose to and if Terry/Nath agree to, then we could hold a live podcast at the same time so managers could be interviewed about the side they have been allocated. Some will be happy, some will be gutted! I know I would be gutted to get Swansea City, but I would still give the challenge a hell of a go. Ben would be there sharing his live screen. Tbh I think this would be pretty cool.

I feel this would generate excitement, unpredictability and be challenging! The shits and giggles would be good. Imagine Banksy inheriting Crystal Palace, Steve Watkins getting Liverpool, Sean Cook getting Fulham or Fyffe getting Man City! How would Fyffe implement his love for POT while having a huge debt to clear? Now that’s an alternative challenge.

So if someone gets a side they refuse to manage! I have heard that some people ‘refuse’ to manage certain clubs. Well soon as your side is drawn and you’re one of those managers who refuse to manage a certain side (there would be a 1/70 chance of this happening, so not a big chance) you can email Ben and a team swap is offered with another manager who doesn’t want to manage their side too. After speaking to a few this would be very minimal so easy enough to do. The lads in chat could even just post team swap and then just agree it between them. So easily done between us.

So what’s your thoughts?
If we could keep opinions and posts related to the topic that be great and if you would rather keep your response anonymous then please inbox me! Your discretion is guaranteed!

_________________
Active Teams

Game 123 (EFG) - Bayern Munich
Game 123 (EFG) - Notts County
Game 124 (HFG) - Al-Nassr

Absolutely overwhelming one sided responses in favour of the game which is great. Just the 1 person flat objected against it, 2 neutrals, a couple criticising some of the mechanics but liked the overall idea with massive majority for it.

Keep the opinions coming be it chat, here, or Pm Me.

_________________
Active Teams

Game 123 (EFG) - Bayern Munich
Game 123 (EFG) - Notts County
Game 124 (HFG) - Al-Nassr

I think this is a great idea, however, I wouldn’t be in favour of putting 3 season tickets down to secure a spot.

I’d be willing to put one down and go from there, but I do like the idea and mechanics of it.

I would certainly be interested in taking part if this did ever come to fruition.

I think this is a fantastic Idea & would be a great game if this was done right.
I would definitely be in favour of this!

Only 2 concerns would be

1: I personally would only be willing to put down x2 season tickets & worry more then this would put people off of the idea of joining.

2: how would European cups work like Champions league & Uefa cup? Considering all the best teams are already in the same league together, however the idea of this league would still outweigh having the champions league in my opinion, I’m sure there could be some sort of alternative in place.

For my ten pence on this idea...

There's been a fair few ideas that promote a game in which there is more of a random element to what teams we get and essentially opening the market for all managers to have a chance of a big side.

I'm a massive fan of these ideas, it'll be nice to see a greater variety of managers with big sides.

Now for some constructive criticism, because I think the idea needs some more thinking about but it's an interesting suggestion...

Firstly, As I said in WhatsApp and what Terry Weaver has echoed above... how will European and domestic competitions work? The managers of Barcelona and Man Utd if hypothetically in the same league, could potentially face one another 5 times in a season.

This needs more thinking about as CL creates an environment for the best of the best from all over Europe to face one another in rare match ups... this set up kind of kills that.

Secondly, Having big teams in one region over 5 divisions creates the issue of longevity...
Most games sadly start dying off at S4 to S5, if a manager starts in Div 5, they have to wait till S5 to make the top flight and S6 to make the CL.

Thirdly, I think the minimum requirement of 2-3 season tickets is a stretch for many managers.
Not only financially, but more importantly if again, your drawn in D5 with an unfavourable side it will cause issues.

Fourth point, How much alterations/programming would be required by Ben and the potential pitfalls of bugs/glitches

Finally, the idea presented mentioned potentially having someone life fyffee having a huge debt to clear, this leads one to think this is aiming the game as an HFG.
If so, how will starting karma and UE points work, as most sides will be big sides?

Apart from that, again I like the idea of managers having more chances of getting a big side and making it a fairer playing field, like how UE used to be originally.

Also most sides being big sides in leagues is interesting too.

Food for thought.

_________________
Wolfsburg 108, Las Palmas 112, Arsenal 114 and Torino/Molde 119

Like the idea of Ben allocating teams out for a game via discord that sounds like something that could be really popular and engaging for a new game.

I understand the idea of different managers getting a big team where they can't usually get one but I think you would have to be very careful about doing this in an HFG with big teams having huge debts to clear, the desire for people to manage a big team is usually because they want particular players or teams to manage rather than swap away which is what it potentially sounds like, maybe an EFG style game would work best for this.

70 teams doesn't feel like there's enough capacity within the game if the structure is only 5 divisions x 14 teams. Game 124 saw South America alone sell out 4 divisions and likewise Games 123, 122 and 121 I believe have all sold out 4 divisions in the UK. I get the idea though you're putting across so maybe have one region specifically for the UK with 4 divisions and then the rest of Europe / rest of the world could then have a region of 4 divisions as well so 2 regions x 4 divisions, might also mean it's easier for Ben to implement into the game.

For team allocation I would disagree on getting a random team when putting down potentially 3 season tickets up front this is a cost of potentially £240 up front for someone to pay and potentially getting something they don't want. In the example above if I was randomly drawn out a team I didn't want I would not be a part of the game at all and then from a business point of view UE loses that revenue. That's just my own perspective I get it that it would appeal to others, but for me personally it wouldn't.

However there is one idea i've had that could potentially help someone get a top grade team from a random draw could be, as wildcards, if Ben was to potentially add in the top Saudi sides and make those available to manage through a random draw, thinking Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad were the strongest teams in 124 maybe they could be added in as wildcards into what could be a rest of the world league alongside a UK league and make just those 4 teams available for one season ticket drawn randomly while the usual top UK and European sides go through the usual bidding process, would hopefully get the best of both worlds in that case and hopefully something that works for managers and also for UE as a business it all has to be worthwhile to Ben as well.

_________________
G123 - Toulouse
G124 - Al-Ahli

The idea of Maxi’s is just not logistically possible, people want to choose their own side, whether its their favourite club or the journey they are on. Plus it’s almost like roulette where you would guarantee Ben up to his neck in complaints from people who weren’t happy with their selection and even wanting a refund. Why would you want to stick down 3 season tickets when for 4-6 you have your pick anyways, and I agine most people I speak to just want to stick 1 down or 2 at most to see how the game progresses.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to pay down anything and risk going into some shithouse league and waste 2 years of my life managing in a shithouse league? I would rather put my money down knowing I am in a competitive league, giving me the best chance of knowing my money down is a sound investment for a solid challenge and fun!

In terms of what Martin has said above, he could be onto something where you have levels. 2
Season tickea secures you like a level 4 club at random, 3 - level 3, 4 - level 2 and 5 level 1. Again I don’t even see that working as people will still get pissed off. Keep it the same!

_________________
Getafe 117
Juventus 118
Macclesfield 120
Manchester City 121

Is that not what we already have? Those who can outlay the most will secure what they want.

Which is fine, but the idea floated (i believe) is to open the market and allow all managers a fair shout.

_________________
Wolfsburg 108, Las Palmas 112, Arsenal 114 and Torino/Molde 119

Just to add another voice to the discussion, I’m not a big fan of the proposed format. As others have said, the random team allocation is what kills it for me. I wouldn’t even want to pay out one season ticket in case I was given a team that I had no connection to.

I don’t always need a big team or a famous team but I do need a connection to it. Maybe it’s a local team, or somewhere I’ve been on holiday to, somewhere a favourite player of mine once played or even just a team that I’ve always had a soft spot for purely because as a kid I had a Pannini shiny sticker of the team badge! Whatever it is, I need a connection and getting a random side without a connection would do nothing for me and I wouldn’t keep playing it.

_________________
Stromsgodset 122
Colo Colo 124

I have reservations about certain aspects. Not paying able to bid for a specific team would be unpopular with some managers.

An idea that might work is to have one League with just one division, and call it the Super League. The other 7 leagues would be normal.

The 14 teams in the Super League can't be bidded for specifically, but managers can bid x season tickets to have a chance of getting one of those teams.

But teams not in the Super League could be bidded for, based on last season teams like Tottenham, Man Utd, Aston Villa, for example.

Managers who entered the super league raffle could list teams they would like if the Super League raffle didn't favour them, but teams that bidded specifically for a non super league team would get priority.


An example. Say the manageable league are the Western, Southern and UK.

The Super League make up could be:

Liverpool
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atl Madrid
Juventus
Napoli
Bayern
Dortmund
PSG
Ajax
Marseille

Every top division winner in a manageable league gets promoted to the super league. They would replace the lowest placed team from their original league.

The CL qualification could be all teams who were in the Super League last season (14), the top 3 and FA Cup winner from the European League (20), and winners of the UEFA Cup and CL from last season.

Or the top 9 teams from the SL and the top 4 from the European Leagues.

_________________
The voice of Ultimate Europe...

Just do a random selection for all players gives a lot of managers who don’t have a chance on a big team. Get people to sign wavers that they won’t moan who they get and if there no happy then they don’t get there money back or a team. If I got Dundee I wouldn’t bother it’s only a game at the end of the day.

_________________
Dundee United - Game 122 (Retired)
Champions League Winner season 3
League Champion, Fa Cup and Charity Shield Winner season 4

Ajax - Game 123 (Quit)
UEFA Cup winners season 2

Rosario Central - 124 (Present)
Div 3 League winners season 2

Easy solution, run 2 games again side by side... have one a normal HFG where managers can bid what they want.

The other an EFG or hybrid where it's a fair chance of getting a big side without having the concern of large financial outlays.



Again, this will be producing yet another game where the vast majority of managers have little to no chance of getting the side they like.



This feels against the nature and spirit of football in my humble opinion, lets say chelsea, city and liverpool finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd... and i finish 6th after a good and close season... id be relegated despite beating half the league.

It feels more like the super league the was mooted in real life that almost every fan base rejected and protested against.

_________________
Wolfsburg 108, Las Palmas 112, Arsenal 114 and Torino/Molde 119

I like this idea! A Super league for those who want one (and there is a few who have said yes!) then the other 7 leagues so the managers that don’t want one and want to manage a specific side can do. Win win! Then the ones who still want the champions league where they play super league sides (something that wouldn’t be doable domestically) get what they want as well! So it’s a win win win!

Super league team requests could need a minimum season ticket put down to make it lucrative for Ben.

Only thing I can see as an issue is most will want a super league team meaning the other 7 leagues will be half empty. So those managers who are wanting those leagues should expect some empty leagues. Unless MTM was allowed which I can’t see those managers wanting either, so best leave that idea.

I suggested this idea to help those who can’t manage a big side, a few of us are lucky that we can pay for the sides we want but be good to see others have a chance and mix up UE clientele again instead of most of the same managers taking the type of teams.

_________________
Active Teams

Game 123 (EFG) - Bayern Munich
Game 123 (EFG) - Notts County
Game 124 (HFG) - Al-Nassr

Would like to see more people from the group chats having their say on here so Ben can gage people's thoughts.
For me I'm not a fan of the above ideas, although it wouldn't stop me playing the game.
In a Nutshell;
Super League - No
Random Draws - No
Multi team manament - Yes
Up the price of Karma players to 600Karma.

I think a proper heavy Debt HFG similar to 121 with a few tweeks would be perfect.

_________________
Current Games:
124: Vèlez Sarsfield
123: Chemnitzer

Old Games:
122: Sunderland
121: York City & Rosenborg BK

I agree, but a few are reluctant to post for a few reasons. A couple also told me they ain't on the forum which I can’t not fathom as to why cos they miss out on karma rewards and deals. I did speak to a few directly who did have the below to say, (I hope you don’t mind me adding what you guys said!)

Gibbo - ‘Happy and fancies trying it.’
Barny - ‘Deffo be interested in playing it.’
Sean C - ‘Like the idea but don’t think it’ll wash with majority.’
Dene F - ‘Like the whole concept & would accept any challenge.’
Justin D - ‘A decent idea.’
Jamie C - ‘Not a bad idea.’
Dale - ‘Not for me.’
Ells - ‘A great idea.’
Adam M - ‘Happy for the new game.’
Scott H - ‘Its a cool idea.’
Ian B - ‘A decent idea but dont think managers want to pay more than 1x ST for a random side.’

There are a few more responses and a few others who stated they will respond, when they will I don’t know.

_________________
Active Teams

Game 123 (EFG) - Bayern Munich
Game 123 (EFG) - Notts County
Game 124 (HFG) - Al-Nassr

I just listened to the podcast where Nath and Terry discussed the idea, so I wanted to clarify a few points and answer.

Number of teams/managers.
Nath mentioned limits on teams and managers. Ben can adjust this to fit everyone—no one would be excluded. My earlier figures above were just examples. If more people join, extra teams and leagues can be added but keeping it to a maximum of 1 or 2 regions. Simple fix.

Finances.
This idea was meant to help those who can’t always afford to play. People’s finances are personal, so it’s not for us to judge. If needed, an idea could be managers could open a save and spend with Ue where managers send money to Ben in advance to hold in their UE account saving the amount they need ready for launch day—something for him to conside and a simple fix to help those financially unsecure.

Time to reach the Premier League.
Terry said it would take 5 seasons to get there. But that’s the point—it’s a unique challenge not seen before in UE. You’ve enjoyed taking Basingstoke to the Prem in 4 seasons—this is the same idea, just starting from D5 against stronger teams and you’d be managing a ‘less’ stronger side. It’s on 1 extra season you’re doing now lol!

Game quietening later on.
Games often slow down around S3, usually starting from the bottom divisions due to current formats. Switching up formats could keep things fresh. In most cases, the top 1–2 divisions stay full until S4–S6. The game’s survival also depends on us—and your podcast plays a big part. When you and Nath leave taking the podcast with you, interest drops from other managers whether we like it or not. Yes you have suggested others make a podcast but not many know how to and when they have asked you haven’t shared how it’s done.

Alternative league setup.
One option is increasing it to two regions with 3–4 divisions each, with all other teams a ROW, avoiding unnecessary background leagues and sticking to the best teams in smaller regions.

Deals & formats.
If it’s a HFG, then debt and the smaller ‘big’ clubs will have points/karma so will naturally encourage deals.

Cups.
Yes this is a sticky one. So if Ben increased to two regions this would mean you won’t keep facing the same sides. For me thougg I’d rather play a managed Chelsea four times than face Chelsea twice and unmanaged Brøndby twice—that’s not a challenge being handed a win.

Final note.
Not every game will suit everyone—if it’s not your style, you don’t have to join. There are always other active UE games. If this one doesn’t happen, no problem—it was just an idea to offer more opportunities for managers who don’t have a chance to enjoy all aspects of the game.

_________________
Active Teams

Game 123 (EFG) - Bayern Munich
Game 123 (EFG) - Notts County
Game 124 (HFG) - Al-Nassr

Dear oh dear, what a stunning surprise... another lie about me... but we will get to that, let's go point to point.



To achieve over 100+ managers, your proposal will require a minimum of 8 divisions in one region or 2x regions of 4 division, though it still won't address the issue of the european cup draws.
There's still a high probability of playing multiple teams 4 to 5 times a season.



A decent idea that may help those that will struggle to afford a big team, though they'll likely still be outbid but big spenders in UE.
Also, I wonder on the viability from Ben's side on if this is 'doable' as it'll be a lot of money from a lot of managers to track.

But a decent proposal.



On league duration, as we both stated on the pod, we both felt 4 seasons was a long haul to make premier football, 5 seasons for CL... so this is a pointless comment.
I've enjoyed basingstoke because they are a small side in an efg with the benefit of a full accompaniment of ue points and karma to start with.

Not a big team in a 'big team only' game.



This is an absolute lie but why am I not surprised... par for the course.

In actuality, only one manager has asked via PM as he wanted to start a football pod with mates and I told him how.

I also said on WhatsApp publicly when me and nath stopped the pod a while back, how to do a pod so people could replace us if they wanted.

But to again demonstrate this, you'll need OBS, audacity & discord as software.

You'll need a file converter to convert the obs recording.

You'll need to learn to edit on audacity which I can't teach.

And you'll need platforms to upload it to. I utilise apps direct to Spotify.

As for the intricate details of each software, do what I did... Google it, youtube it and chatgpt it and work it out.
There's far too much for me to hold everyone's hand.



If its a game with all big sides, the karma / ue points will be negligible as they theoretically should be relatively close to one another.



This is why 5 regions and 2 divisions of big teams is a far better idea and more in keeping with UE historically.

_________________
Wolfsburg 108, Las Palmas 112, Arsenal 114 and Torino/Molde 119

Personally I can see some good ideas in what is being discussed and it will appeal to a lot of people.
Saying that it is not something I would be to interested in playing, If this does become a reality I would hope Ben would run a standard HFG before it.

Also I think the quote below is unfair and was totally unnecessary, people have put a lot of time and effort over the last few years,



Perhaps another reason for interest dropping could be due to the amount of petty bickering that goes on, across the social media platforms.

Mark

_________________
VFL Bochum 123
2 De Mayo 124

Alloa Athletic 115/117
117 European Cup Winners