Ron Manager '93News

News

Bugs fixed, fewer clicks, and a new job

The first play test turned up plenty, and the weekend's list is mostly done:

  • Bugs fixed. One shirt number everywhere, loan-listed players you can actually borrow, cup draws in the news at the right time, a sensible Christmas fixture list, and a good few more.
  • Fewer clicks. After a match there's now one Match Day screen: your result, the paper's headline, the day's results, the table and what needs you. The old screen-after-screen way is still there in Options for those who miss it.
  • Safe saves. Saves are written safely and the last one is kept as a spare, so a crash or a power cut can't eat your season. They're a lot smaller too.
  • Director of football. The first version is in: instead of managing, run the club and hire a coach who picks the team. You can't pick the side, but you can ask, and he'll tell you what he thinks of that.

The first play test, over the internet

John Rothwell, Matti Rozzarotti and Rixius Clayderfox played Ron Manager together for the first time, each from his own house, with the game running on John's PC. It held up. A few things fell over, everyone had opinions, and the snag list grew long. Exactly what a play test is for.

In the works

  • Director of football, deeper. Pick a coach and influence him: his beliefs, his favourites, how far he'll bend to your way of playing, and what happens when you fall out.
  • A friends' edition. A version you can run on your own PC, for one player or a hot-seat game round the one keyboard, as it used to be.
  • Your own commentator cast. The commentators reworked one at a time, so every match sounds like somebody.
  • On the phone. Ring another manager about a loan or a transfer, and talk him round (or not).
  • A 2D match viewer, one day. Watching the highlights as dots on a pitch, borrowed from DOTS, John's next football game.