Yeah and also the visual side of things, I'm talking about the actual 3d on the pitch seems to have improved. I know not everyone cares about that as some people still even use the old 2D buttons but for me it definitely adds a touch of flair.
Now a little bit of a 'personal' thing, feel free to skip it and not get bored.
Sadly, as great as FM is and always has been, there's one problem I have with it which will never go away! TIME! lol
It's not the game's fault at all, it's the way life is structured. I LOVE the game but I CAN'T bring myself to play the game like most do where they watch highlights etc.
For me a season takes almost as long as a real season! lol why? I watch every match (Except friendlies) on full (Changing tactical instructions before and during each game as I'm watching the full match unfold) and spend forever on everything else as well from hiring best staff I can get to setting up customized individual training schedules, etc. etc.
So my problem is, I can never enjoy this game without letting it take over my life. So the debate becomes, should I FM? or should I do everything else I do? Lol and up until I was like 18, the answer was FM but for the past 3 versions of the game, I buy it. LIKE it. Enjoy it and decide to give it up as I just can't bring myself to spend 'less' time on it and take things more easy and obviously I deem my social life and everything else more important, so I give up and it starts dusting away....
so on FM09 for example, I completed HALF a season with PSG. Really enjoyed it too but that was it before I saw with all the studies and everything else, I just can't continue with this and by the time I finish a couple seasons, the next FM will be out anyway or database will be far outdated, etc. Believe it or not, the most seasons I've ever completed in an FM game has been 3 seasons and back then I had too much! lol
This thing about FM has always bothered me then and of course has nothing to do with the actual game but more with my personality and how I'm either going ALL out for it or not participating at all.
Sadly I can't say this year will be different. My final year in University, already behind in studies... do I like the demo? will I buy the game? Yeah I think they've really improved what was an already great game and definitely by far the best of its type. But jonestly will I be able to play it the way I want ? No, so I probably won't play it at all (except maybe summer) after a brief period with it. Lol I hate how it has to either take over your life or can't be bothered with it at all. Because I like to think I'm a real manager and a real manager doesn't watch 'highlights' or 'key' incidents only (even extended highlights) and then make adjustments to tactics. He's there on the touchline, noticing every little thing, every little bit as it unfolds. But of course going through something like 38 FULL matches just in the league (More in Europe, domestic cups) as well as spending as much time I do on everything else means I probably take longer to finish ONE season in FM than anyone else I've ever seen and that is not at all a good thing. It would be if I had all the time in the world but who does?
Lol sorry for the long rant. Just felt like getting this off my chest because it's a game I love and yet can never seem to invest the time I want in it and because quite frankly, it needs TOO much time invested in it (at least for the way I'd be willing to play the game). For me it becomes a full-time or I can't play it at all. And since letting it become a full-time job (which is what I'd like) would be too harmful to other areas of life like relationships, studies, etc. I don't let it and haven't for the past few years. :/