'Not so long ago, Football Manager represented an impenetrable proposition to anyone who didn't know the difference between a False 9 and an Engache. Classic Mode Evolved - Run more than three playable nations, and 'fast play' mode now included Transfer Deadline Day, a Match Plan wizard and more unlockables.3D Match Engine - A raft of improvements including better AI, lighting and animations, individual player character and kit models, and better reactions.Tactical Overhaul - A full redesign of how tactics are created, selected and implemented, doing away with slider bars in favour of simpler choices.Linux, Cloud Saves & Workshop Support - Play on Linux, access your save file from any PC, create and share content, and use cross-save with FM Classic on Vita.Cloud saves were possible, and when Football Manager Classic was released as a standalone game on PlayStation Vita, we enabled cross-save between FM Classic on Vita and on PC/Mac. This was also the first year we added Linux support, while Steam Workshop let managers create and share custom content, including new challenges.

You could also negotiate your contract and budgets with the board in more nuanced ways, or ask leaders in your squad to help cheer up unhappy team-mates. Transfers now included additional real-world clauses, like the option to loan a player straight back to the selling club for the remainder of the season. The 3D Match Engine was maturing nicely, with more AI tweaks, improved lighting and animations and reactions to on-field incidents.

While this approach was simpler, it also better reflected the way players were coached in real life.

Instead, new managers were able to choose between options like 'Defend deeper' and 'Defend much deeper'.

Gone were the endless slider bars that had previously governed the precise intensity with which your full-backs might invade an attacker's space, for instance. British fans of a certain vintage will remember TV adverts that claimed, 'Life's complicated enough.' Heading into Football Manager 2014, we felt that keenly, so we rethought key aspects of the core simulation in simpler, more user-friendly ways.

Download free football manager 2013