Playtest France

As we edge ever closer to the first season of Footium, we have another important Playtest starting tomorrow. This time, we’re hosting a tighter more condensed Playtest with 50 users, diving deep and getting quick feedback into the key areas that we outline in the article below.

It’s important to note that we’ve made significant strides in several features and aspects of Footium, which are not part of this Playtest. Our focus for this test is strictly on the features outlined in the article. We’re committed to ensuring that this Playtest remains centred on these specific areas, without distractions before moving forwards!

New Features for Testing TLDR ⭐

• Mentality: Reintroduced mentality into the game allowing a manager to change their team from ultra-attacking to ultra-defensive
• Match Engine Balance Changes: Shifted the match engine balance to ensure differences between two team ratings have more of an effect
• Condition Reframing: Reframing player condition to be more in line with user expectations
• Post-game Feedback Graph: We have implemented a post-game feedback graph which displays the difference in match rating between each team and how it changes during a game to allow managers to make better decisions
• Player Registration: Within Footium you will need to register players after you transfer them acting similar to a transfer window in real-world Football

The Focus of This Playtest 🔬

• Game Balancing: Following feedback from our last playtest, we’ve fine-tuned the game balancing. We feel it is now in a sweet spot, but your input is crucial. Remember, it’s football, and surprises are part of the game sometimes!
• Fixing the Bugs: The condition bugs, aiding those zombie teams, are now history. Expect a more realistic gameplay experience with zombie teams & absent managers being punished.
• Reintroducing ‘Mentality’: A reintroduced and improved feature allowing you to toggle your team’s approach from ultra-defensive all the way to ultra-attacking, both pre-match and live. How will this impact your strategic play?
• Post-game feedback Graph: This innovative tool is designed to give managers a clearer understanding of their decisions. It’s time to rethink whether substituting that 80% condition right-winger is really the best move! This graph started as an internal testing feature that we found so useful we have decided to test it with users in this playtest! Your feedback will help shape the future of this feature, or whether it is scrapped entirely.
• Player Registration Window: This is the first playtest which will have Player Registration in! It is an important feature because it allows us to replicate real-world Transfer Windows within Footium to ensure people are not breaking any rules. Once you buy a player, you will need to register them within your squad to be able to play with them. Usually, that would be in set periods but in this playtest it will be open for the entirety so we can collect feedback on the user experience!

Playtest Configuration ⚙️

This playtest marks a shift from our traditional approach, emphasising quicker testing and faster feedback loops. It’s designed to be dynamic and more engaging than ever before.

• Teams: A total of 84 teams are participating, spread across 3 divisions in 7 leagues
• Team Structure: Each league comprises 12 teams, including 3 ‘zombie’ teams in each league to add another layer of our testing into condition and balancing
• User Participation: The playtest involves 54 users
• Season Setup: The season is structured for 22 games in total replicating Footium in the first official season
• Intense Game Schedule: Over 6 days, teams will play 4 games per day, each spaced 6 hours apart to ensure rapid testing & feedback loop
• Fixture Timing: Games are organised in intervals of 6 hours — the times below are all UK times. This ensures that all participants, regardless of their location, can engage effectively
• Div 1 League 1 & Div 3 League 4: Games at 8am, 2pm, 8pm, 2am.
• Div 2 Leagues 1 & 2: Games at 9am, 3pm, 9pm, 3am.
• Div 3 Leagues 1, 2, 3: Games at 10am, 4pm, 10pm, 4am.
• Team Composition: Each team begins with 20 starting players and is bolstered by 10 academy players, testing the depth and strategic management of each team.

Key Learnings We Seek 🔍

• Match Engine and User Preference: Is our new balancing hitting the right note with less variance?
• Mentality Feature Understanding and Use: How often and in what situations are you adjusting team mentality?
• Decision Making and Condition Framing: With our reframed player condition percentages to better align with user expectations, are your decisions now more strategic?
• Reactions to the Feedback Graph and Match Upsets: Does the feedback graph enhance understanding and managerial skills?

As we embark on Playtest France and delve into more exciting progress, we want to acknowledge the vital role each member of our community plays. While this playtest is limited to a select group, your turn is just around the corner for a much more fine-tuned Footium experience. Stay tuned for updates, insights, and, most importantly, upcoming opportunities to join future playtests and be on the journey with us as we get ever closer to the launch of the game. Your feedback, enthusiasm, and participation are what drive Footium forward. We’re committed to creating a game that resonates with our entire community - Let’s get it!