The Life of A Pro: An Interview with a Professional FM Gamer
Lilac0r delves deep into the realms of the football manager's obsessive disorder as he steps foot into a professional FM gamer's basement. There's a new sport in the horizon, and nobody cares if you're fat, ugly, dumb or unfit here. In a server basement somewhere in Germany a group of future athletes are training hard while they wait for a new era.
You've probably once or twice in your life seen athletes, football players or horses in the Olympics and thought: I wish I was that good in a sport. But then you realize that you are too old, unfit and perhaps also too dumb to start becoming a sports athlete. But as I've recently found out, there's still a hope for you. There's a new sport in the horizon, and nobody cares if your fat, ugly, dumb or unfit here. In a server basement somewhere in Germany a group of future athletes are training hard while they wait for a new era. An era of professional FM players. I've literally gone underground to find more about this odd community. And for the first time ever, I've also been lucky enough to get an interview with one of the founding fathers of this community, who wants to remain anonymous.
Q: As a newbie, enlighten me; what's all this about?
A: We play Football Manager. No, let me rephrase that: We are training Football Manager. Our community is all about the art of Professional FM-Gaming.
Q: What would you say is the main differences between the average guy playing FM in his spare time and this "Professional FM-Gaming" ?
A: First of all, we create our own tactics, training schedules, and we always start as an unemployed. This is in our opinion the real way to play FM. Also, we never fast-forward the game. We analyze player movements on the pitch and write this down together with media reactions and contract demands. We have meetings were we discuss and analyze matches; how they could've been played better, what tactics would work best and how much the weather has affected the match.
Q: Kinda like chess?
A: No! Not at all. We are real athletes playing a real sport with data versions of real athletes playing a real sport.
The training equipment are here to give the professional FM-players an idea about what the players in the game are actually training on their training schedules.
Q: Do you ever play football together? I can't see any balls here...
A: No, we don't have the time. It's pre-season at the moment so we have to train hard until the release dates.
Q: Release dates?
A: Yes, both FM09 and FM Live will come this year most likely, so we're working hard on getting prepared for the new games. We haven't seen anything from FM09 yet, but we have studied FM08 a lot and we believe and hope that very little will change. We have a couple of clans in FML already in the beta and we're doing pretty good.
Q: Any advices for newbies who want to get professional?
A: Eat, train, sleep. Repeat that schedule. If you really want to be a pro, dedication is the most important factor. I left my family, my kids and friends to play FM full-time. It was worth it.
Q: Okay, so let's say that an average guy left his friends and family to play FM in your basement. Where should he start? Any tips?
A: Mostly, you learn how to play FM professionally by trying and failing a lot. Also, keep taking notes, try to remember which tactics that works against which team, and so on. Also, sunglasses are a must.
Q: Sunglasses?
A: The bright skin in FM08 damages your eyes over time. Poor Ralf, he got blind after a 40 hour marathon. Now he's just sitting around, doing nothing.
Q: Well.. uh thanks for the interview I guess.
A: No problem, don't you wanna know about my awesome savegame though? I've won 23 league titles in a row, and...
At this point I decided it was best to leave their basement, as the sweaty stench from the guys and the awful sound effects from numerous laptops running FM became too much to handle. The anonymous group of FM-players did teach me one thing though: I really do suck at FM. Thank God for that.
