Ultimate Soccer Manager

[Benji]

Finally! A football game where I know every single player!

[Dynamite]

Which 98/99 link are you all using?

[Pesci]

I couldn't find a version of 98/99 so I'm using this version of 98: http://www.4shared.com/file/K6yZkN6W/Ultimate_Soccer_Manager_98.htm

And discard what I said about not signing anybody. I've just got Fernando Hierro (97 passing!) on a free, Antonio Conte for about 12M and Bergkamp for around the same price! Transfer flurry! Yet 20 year old Gallas spurns my advances :@

So about 22 games into my 2nd season and finally with a tactic that seems to be working reasonably well home and away, here's my line-up:

GK: Ed de Gooey

DR: Dan Petrescu

DL: I've actually forgot his name... some kid who was like 21 when I started who I played when Le Saux was injured and is actually awesome!

DC: Frank Leboeuf

DC: Michael Duberry... actually a bit of a goal-machine

MR: Antonio Conte

ML: Fernando Sanchez

MC: Fernando Hierro

MC: Wise/di Matteo/Poyet

FC: Zola

FC: Bergkamp (with Vialli and Hughes in reserve!)

The most annoying part of this game is easily still the training. Fuck me, fuck off with the emails!

[Hobo]

Finally won something other than the play-offs with Hull! Won the 1999/2000 Division One! Also finished runners up to Southampton in the FA Cup. 37 year old Stefan Kuntz is bolstering my attack for the debut Premier League season!

1996/97 - Div 3 finished 5th - Won Play-Offs

1997/98 - Div 2 finished 6th - See Above

1998/99 - Div 1 finished 14th

1999/2000 - Div 1 finished 1st - FA Cup Runners Up

Steve Harkness and Marcus Gayle are goal machines. Strangely...

[Pesci]

So despite sittting comfortably in 6th at one point, I hit a bad run of form and ended up in 9th. Won the League Cup though!

Oh yeah, signed Giggs too. Just couldn't resist. Now I have to choose between him and Sanchez... but I don't exactly mind that and more importantly, I signed "Superstar" Gary Breen, who's become my first choice centre back. Leboeuf and Duberry have to fight to the death for the chance to partner him. Hopefully this season I can finish somewhere higher than 9th but whatever, as long as I can keep improving my team and don't get the sack, who cares. I shoulda gone to Monaco when I had the chance last season though, they won the double

I've played two matches in my third season and Bergkamp has been my only source of goals. I hope my team isn't turning into a bunch of twats.

Edited July 20, 2010 by Pesci

[METALMAN]

My game as Kilmarnock is going pretty well. Got David Beckham on a free. Very realistic.

[Noah]

I still remember playing the demo of the original, where they forced you to play as Brighton.

Was at a department store some years ago and had picked up an old copy of some football management game and was told by a staffer that, I'd be better off with this brand new game he'd just gotten in.

That game was USM 2.

Never thought I'd even get to play the original in Australia but here I was, with a copy of the sequel which I barely even knew was out.

Loved the game and had much multiplayer fun with my best friend starting at the Conference and trying to beat each other to the PL.

I tried the demo of 98 but it had seemed to suck the silly fun out the game and I wasn't interested.

Still love USM 2, to this day. I even have the original CD, in its case. (Y)

[Pesci]

Just got the sack after leading Chelsea to 5th in my third season! I think it's because of the 7m debt I incurred. Bastards. I had just transfer listed like half my squad as well. Plus the only reason I was in debt was because I have no idea how to get off of the building screen without pressing ESC, which undoes everything you've just built :/

[Hobo]

Can you not set what ever you're doing and then get away by going to the taskbar thing at the top of the screen?

I just remembered a couple of awesome things from USM98 and 99. The goal celebration and when players would get into fights and one would punch the other out.

Barely escaped relegation with Hull, then won the FA Cup. And £600,000 from betting on it.

I have decided the things USM does better than FM are:

1) USM lets you do illegal things, which really I see no reason FM couldn't unless say the official licenses they have would be sticky about it. Bungs and match fixing still happen. As I'm sure betting on games does.

2) Crowd trouble, fans getting pissed off with you and letting you know it. Fans being happy with you and letting you know it and not just when you check the confidence screen. FM could do a lot with stuff like that. Points deductions, teams getting relegated for it. Playing matches behind closed doors etc.

3) No matter where you are in the league, you get reminded of it. There is a reaction to it. If you're near the top their is talk of the title from fans and the chairman. If you're in the middle you're 'stuck in the mid-table mud' if you're down in the relegation zone it's 'what the bloody hell are you doing in the relegation zone!?'.

3) The chairman is more involved with you. Sure you do most of his work and I've never had an interfering chairman on FM. But somehow you kinda feel like you have a relationship with the chairman.

4) Training Camps. I don't think you can do this on FM but on USM you can take your team away for training camps.

I'm sure FM does do some of those to a degree and maybe it's just the nostalgic charm and quaint silliness of USM but some of the touches on the game are just wonderful. I love Football Manager, I'd like the game to have some of USMs charm as well as being the bottom-less pit of realism that it is. Some of the things in USM being imported to FM would probably make it even more realistic.

[Pesci]

No, the task bar isn't there while you place burger bars and shit like that. You place one and anywhere you click you just place another one :@

I started another game as West Ham in Coach mode. This should be better.

[Noah]

I loved the way the bookie talked to you, espeially if you lost a bet, lol.

[cmb211087]

Can't get 98 to run on windows 7 64 bit :-(

[Liam]

I'm assuming there is no way to get this running on Mac?

[Pesci]

This game is sooooooooooooo harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd.

[Hobo]

I might just bump up to USM 98. USM 2 I got through all of my Hull contract. Tried managing Forrest but it just isn't the same. Transfers get too fucking crazy. I swear Alan Shearer was being passed round like a whore. USM98 was the home of my unbeatable Celtic side! Which I think had Michael Owen.

I actually have the USM98 box but not the game. I however do have FIFA 98.

[TCO]

Just won the SPL and SFA Cup double with Celtic, while losing in the final of the League Cup to Rangers. I'm playing the SPL mainly for nostalgia reasons because me and my brother had some incredible, long games as the Old Firm.

I'm building an awesome team with Celtic at the moment, looking to dominate the league with my strikeforce of Kluivert and Larsson.

[YI]

Fuck while we're here;

http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=78359

Lets bump that fucker again.

[YI]

I'm pretty computer retarded...is there anything special I gotta do to get USM 98 to install on XP? Cos it just don't seem to be working.

[TCO]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QMWTSK6U

Here's the link I used to work on XP. No need for an install, just go into the folder and click the red USM98 icon and you'r away.

Finished SPL runner-up in my 2nd season with Celtic, lost in the FA Cup Final too, but beat Rangers in the League Cup final. I'm going to spend one more season with Celtic, before moving on, hopefully to Rangers. My strikeforce now is two of Henry, Kluivert, Owen and Larsson.

[DJ Ice]

Anyone else having problems with this game? eg. Closing down for no apparent reason and not being able to view what the buttons along the top do?

Or is it because I have XP as said above? USM 2

Edited July 20, 2010 by DJ Ice