I don't know if these were posted before but I found them on the official website.
Producer Q&A
We recently passed on some community questions to FIFA Manager 06 Producer Simon Humber. The answers cover all manner of game details such as systems specs, Found a Club and crowd sizes.
1. What will the system specs be this year?
You may remember we polled the community about which optical drive they have – DVD or CD. We were hoping to release on DVD but we feel the time is not right this year so it's 3 CDs instead.
The most important aspect is the memory. 256Mb will work, but it will not be optimal and virtual memory will need to be used. 384 Mb or the more usual 512Mb will be ideal. Of course the more leagues you load at the start of the game the more memory you will need for a good performance level. The processor is less important but the minimum spec asks for a 1.0 GHz Intel Pentium III processor (or equivalent). Then a 32 MB (AGP/PCI-E) Video card is the base spec there, but obviously the better the card the smoother and prettier the 3D matches will be.
2. In a recent screenshot there are some unrealistically high scoring games (3:5, 6:3 etc.). Will this be fixed for the final version?
The scores in the game are by far the most realistic we’ve ever had and the balancing of the goals generated by 3D versus Instant Result/Text Mode is also strong. That screenshot shows a lot of World Cup games which have gone to penalties. The simulations we have made on league seasons show that there are about 2.7 goals per game. That's not to say there is never a crazy game, just like in real life sometimes you get the 5-4 thrillers. Here’s a screenshot of a typical match day’s results
3. The game will include a huge amount of player faces - will there be any generic faces too for gamers who take their teams past ten years or so?
The focus was to provide a strong photo realistic approach this year. As time progresses the generated players that come into the game will not have an appearance in the front end screens. We found the look of the heads to be very weak last year, so when we revisit that again we want the result to be much stronger than it was. That is something on the list of features to investigate for next year.
4. Aside from the AI and database what do you think is the biggest improvement this year?
Navigation is so much easier compared to 2005. That interface was hard to find your way around but now we have a much more intuitive system of drop down menus and popup windows. Anyone who can use a standard Windows computer can easily operate the game. Also, the website is really cool. I often find that my purchasing decisions are shaped by what I see other managers are up to, so I get in there and hijack their deals before they have finalised terms!
5. Has Found a Club been improved this year? for instance are there more kit creation options now?
You can take the money you earn from your career and then found the club, which makes the career game a great lead in to a bit of DIY club ownership. This allows gamers to invest some money into a big stadium at the beginning. In terms of kits there are 42 shirts, 13 shorts and 4 socks.
6. Will there be third kits this year?
The only time a third kit is used is when the code can't find a non clashing combination of both team's first and second choice kits. The third kit is not something you’ll be able to set.
7. Will crowd sizes be more realistically dependent on match importance?
The crowd sizes are looking better this year. It's actually quite a complex calculation to get it correct for all teams as there are some teams who have much larger floating support than other teams. When these teams with large floating support are successful their numbers rise far more than the other type of team. Take a look at how Hull's support has gone through the roof compared to a few years ago.