The Comprehensive Gameplay Guide, as found upon the UFL forums, gives us the greatest incite into the core elements and features that are being brought to the table within the game. The gameplay guide has been broken down into 10 different areas, of which the first 7 have been published with the remaining 3 due sometime over the coming month. With the tactics, match engine and part 2 of the in game economy guides still to come this is the ideal point to discuss what we have seen so far and what has caught the eye.
The first guide covers the start of the game when the manager/user signs in for the first time. This, as you would expect, is guided via an in game wizzard. All new managers also get a "mentor", or a member of the moderation team who will assist new managers through the first weeks of their career. Whilst there is also an optional gameplay tutorial to help those completely new to the concept. These steps should ensure new users don't get overwhelmed upon joining, although users familiar with this style of game may potentially find the mentor system frustrating. Following on from doing all the usually things such as team name and shirt colours you get to name your own player. Your player will be a 14 year old of random ability. This is a great feature, although you don't get the first option on signing yourself to your team and you get put in an auction. This is understandable given one persons pro might be a Messi whilst anothers might struggle to make the bench for Barrow FC. To sign your pro you then have to outbid your rivals to get him to sign on the dotted line, something that may be problematic for new managers joining after the first few seasons who are bidding against the established elite.
The first guide then takes an expected twist and starts talking about the youth set up. There are 3 ways in which youth players can be attained. They are Youth Academies, a draft system and of course the free agents list. If you decide to activate your one and only youth academy then you will receive between 16 and 20 youth players at the start of the season, a welcome change from the drip feed throughout the season. Whilst you can't state which nation you want to set up in you can add a preference nationality. The draft system is an entirely new feature with the draft occuring on day 1 of the off season, according to the guide. Depending on your scouting network and talent spotting which should bring another dimension to the game entirely. To win a player in the draft you have to bid the highest transfer fee and not wage, which is a clever solution to ridiculous youth wages that were seen in FML. Last and in this case probably least any youth players that slip through the net will go on the free agents list. All of this should certainly give the youth managers a fair bit to sink their teeth in to especially given the four tiers of youth competitions (school boy/U16/U18/U21) within a GW wide youth FA. It will certainly add another serious level of competition to the senior side of management by the sounds of things.
This brings us to the end of the first Comprehensive Guide post as well as this blog. None of these features are particularly groundbreaking. Although having your own player is a welcome addition and the new continental draft season also adds another strategic element to getting the best young players in. Other than that this is a solid start to what we can expect and look forward to in UFL.
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