Gameplay
From CMOpedia
Community
Forum & Chat
Moderators
The main task of the moderators is to answer questions in the forums. They are experienced managers, who try to help improve the gaming experience by sharing their experience in the forums, but they are not in direct contact with the development team, and they have no power to change game events. As with the Game Masters, you cannot ask to become a moderator. If there is a need for more moderators, the game management will contact people they feel are suitable to see if they are interested. Moderators also have no advantage at all in the game, other than their experience. The moderators’ writing is in black.
Etiquette
Normal netiquette is required in CM-Online. Managers are not allowed to swear, USE ONLY CAPITAL LETTERS, make racist remarks, be abusive to other managers, game masters or anyone else. Even if there are differences of opinion, we expect our managers to be able to keep a civilised tone and act professionally towards each other. If you spot someone who is abusive in the forums, messages, chat or elsewhere in the game, please report him to a game master and we will handle it from there. Our game masters have the right to remove posts or threads in the forums without prior notice, should the need arise.
Remember that the chat and the forum is for everyone and we are here to have fun.
Newspaper
How to become Editor/Journalist
Editors
Editors are those managers that have taken it upon themselves to volunteer as an editor for a newspaper. They are managers just like everyone else, but with a desire to share their hard-earned knowledge and witticisms with the community. Send a message to a Game Master if you’d like to apply to be an editor.
Reporters
Journalists are appointed by the editors. They write articles for the newspapers. Talk to your editor if you would like to be a journalist.
Match results
Manager Points
Manager points are calculated as the sum of the best team per manager per world level. Example: John has Stoke in world #1, a Bronze World, Chelsea in world #2, also a Bronze World, and Villarreal in world #5, a Silver World. His manager points are calculated as such: the points from whichever team out of Stoke and Chelsea has gained the most points (but not the points from the other team) , plus the points he has gained with Villarreal. Only one team per level of the world can count, so if you have 5 teams all in Bronze Worlds you are not optimising your manager points. Of course, you may be building for the future.
Your manager points and level can be found on your business card.
The only time that you will not get any manager points, when winning or drawing, is when there is no saved tactics. Make sure that you do this to ensure that you get your manager points. You can always check this by going into fixtures and you should have a "tick" next to the game. You can save tactics for up to 20 games in advance and then always change that tactics but you wont be missing any manager points. You will also get manager points if you lose a game, as long as you have set your tactics.
Manager of the month
No matter which league or world you play in, you will be competing against other managers through the match points system. The total amount of match points that you have scored with your present team during the present month is compared to all the other managers belonging to worlds of the same level. The manager with the highest score at the end of the month becomes Manager of the Month. Note that if you change clubs during the month, your score is set to zero – only the match points for your present club are counted.
Bronze World s and Silver Worlds have separate Manager of the Month competitions. If you play in a Bronze World team, your performance is compared to that of other Bronze World managers, and if you play in a Silver World, you are compared with the other Silver Worlds. This means that each month, one Bronze World manager and one Silver World manager becomes Manager of the Month. The Manager of the Month is knighted and will become a member of the most excellent order of CMO. He or she also gets interviewed and will have their own page in the Hall of Fame.
It may seem that the Manager of the Month system favours the bigger teams, since they normally play a larger number of games each month. However, due to the fact that smaller clubs have lower ground values, they have better opportunities to get larger scores than the bigger clubs, so this evens out the playing field a bit. During some calendar months, your world might have a seasonal break, which of course reduces your chances that month. However, during other calendar months, your world will be in full swing, while others have breaks, so this too evens out over time. You can see your position and score under the “Rankings – M.O.M” menu alternative in the game.
Team performance is bad, teamwork etc
This could be a result of buying too many players over a short period of time, and/or the team have not had time to get used to the new situation. Teamwork will come with time and plays a large part in the game. If you only have young players you might suffer as well since they dont have very much experience. A mix of young and older players is a good way to build a team.
If you team is not performing well then you should have a look at how you set up your tactics. Have a good read about it, ask other managers how then do and try different ways of playing. You can also take a look at how your opponent has played in the last few games and you might get an indication on how you should set your tactics.
Inbox, Calendar & Business card
Inbox
Remove old messages
This can be done by either check the messages you want to delete and click delete selected or you can delete all in that folder.
If you can´t delete a specific message it might be because you haven´t answered it when it is required. Try rejecting it (again) and then delete it.
AI messages
From time to time you will get messages from others that are not human manager. Included in this is messages from the board, players and fans.
Calendar
Season update
At the end of the season you will have some time to train your team and plan for the future. When the season update occurs then you will get new fixtures, the board will have their say in things to come, players might change some and you will have some more days to train them before the new season starts.
Too many games
If you have too many games usualy that means that your team is doing well, staying in the national cup and getting far in europe. This is a sign of success and should be something to be proud of. You can also have too many games if you have friendlies. That can be sorted out by not accepting any more friendly games.
Too few games
If you feel you are not playing enuff games you can always try to arrange some friendly games with some friends or with a computer team. There is also a buddy league you can take part in.
Business card
You can find your business card in the game. There you can find alot of information regarding what you have done and how in the game. Have a look!
Getting a team
Job applications
Apply for a job
As manager you can apply for a new job in a team with a level that is the same as, or lower than your manager level. With a new account, you always have access to the team you choose, so that you will always have the chance to start playing immediately. These teams are level 1, 2 or 3.
If a manager wishes to change the team for one of their accounts, he or she has to apply for the position in the new club. The selection available is dependant on the amount of manager points. A club can of course get more than one application for an open job, and the board will make up their mind during the next nightly update.
Job Application Selection Criteria
Managers can apply for free positions in other clubs at any time, as long as the seven day rule does not apply. A new manager or a manager that has quit and started again will automatically get the jobs they apply for.
On the morning after the nightly updates, clubs that have received applications for free positions will select which of the candidates to hire. A club will select the manager with the most manager points, assuming that he or she fulfils the requirements for the Club Loyalty manager attribute.
Also see the section on bids for players in clubs without managers below. A manager will not get a job in a club that plays in a world where he or she is already in charge of a club. It is, however, possible to change between two clubs in the same world.
The way selection of managers is done will over time, and on higher world levels, be more tightly linked to the manager attributes, and the specific needs of the club in question.
The Seven-Day Rule
A manager who has received a new job cannot use the same account to apply for another job within seven days. If, on the other hand, a manager applies for a job but is rejected in favour of another manager, he or she can still apply for a new one the next day.
- A finished account – a manager who closes their account cannot start playing again
until seven days have passed.
- A new account – the manager will automatically and immediately get the first job he
or she applies for.
- A cloned account – the manager applies for jobs in the normal way, as with the
original account.
A manager who has recently changed teams (i.e. not taken up his first job ever) is not allowed to take major decisions for team, including buying, selling, sacking or loaning players. This is because the club’s board would like to see him prove himself as a manager before making long term changes. It also gives the manager a chance to get to know his team a bit better before doing something he might regret at a later point.
Silver Worlds
Apply for a Silver team
When you advance beyond level 5 in Bronze world, you can choose to apply for work in a Silver World club. There are much fewer Silver Worlds than Bronze Worlds. In the Silver Worlds, competition is fiercer, and you will have to struggle against other skilled managers who have also chosen the challenge of trying to be successful in a Silver World. Once you have made the step up to a Silver World, you cannot go back to playing in Bronze Worlds with that account, if you have cloned that account.
Cloning account
A manager’s subscription is often termed their “account”, and normally, there is a club associated with each account. One manager can have multiple accounts,meaning that he or she can play more than one team. A manager is only allowed one account per CMO world. Furthermore, a manager must give correct personal details such as address, etc. This is required in order to help the game supervisors to prevent cheating.
Since many managers after a while form great affection for the team that they have spent a lot of time and effort on building up, but still want to look for new challenges in a tougher world, for instance moving from a Bronze World to a Silver World, it is possible to clone an account into the next world level in the game. This means that a manager can choose to start a new account when taking on a job in the next world level. Experience points and manager attributes are copied to the new account, but the ranking is zeroed.
The old account is still there, and you can therefore keep playing the old club. If you choose to clone an account you can no longer change the original account to a Silver World team, since you have already accessed a Silver World team once through that account.
There are some rules for account cloning.
Team economy and transfers
Finances
Every team has income and costs. It is important to have a good financial status to be able to buy new players, and in general, the club should not be losing money. If the financial results are bad, the board of directors will be unhappy with the manager, and he or she might risk losing their job.
The club will get some income from TV and sponsors and of course from ticket sales. As manager, you decide how much to charge for league and cup matches. Depending on the ticket price, the number of spectators will vary, and of course, your income will vary depending on that. If the fans consider the ticket prices too high, they might become frustrated and go on a strike, meaning that only a few spectators will show up for the match. If that happens, the board will try to get you to lower the ticket prices.
The biggest expenses are player purchases and player salaries. It is the job of the manager to negotiate new contracts and make sure that the player salaries are kept down to a reasonable level. Another big expense is made up of player bonuses, which are paid out when matches are won. As manager, you decide the size of the bonus that is paid out to the sixteen players for a victory. The higher the bonus, the more motivated the players. On the first day of every week, you will get a financial status report where you can see the financial outcome of the previous week.
You will also get some Prize money to help you with your finances.
Transfers
The Transfer list
If there is a player that you want to sell, you can place him on the transfer list . That makes him easy to find for other managers looking for players to buy. It is important to note that if a player is on the transfer list and another club offers the minimum price you have set (or more), your board will automatically sell the player without further confirmation from you. The only thing that can stop that from happening is if the player does not agree with the buying club about his contract with them.
If you are interested in buying players, you can look for players on the transfer list. They are for sale to the highest bidder, as long as the bid is at least as high as what the manager is asking. If your bid is: higher than the minimum, and the highest bid, and you agree with the player about his contract, then he will join your team.
Choosing A Player
It is important that you take care over the choice of player that you want to buy. Every player purchase that you make will have an impact on the team's performance. Make the wrong choice and performance will suffer. The things you will need to consider include:
- What position does the team need to strengthen - What formations do you intend to use - How much can you afford - Check the player's history - What languages do you want the player to speak eg: Italian for a Serie A team - Research your player in the real world. Is his career going well in real life? - Will he be a regular player in your first team
Once you have identified your target purchases you may want to obtain a scout report to confirm your views. Take care with scout reports as sometimes scouts may get things wrong.
The sections below explain how to purchase a player once you have chosen them.
Bidding for other players
It is also possible to bid for players that are not on the transfer list. Just open up a player profile (clicking on his name), make an offer to the club that seems reasonable to you, and make a contract offer to the player. Please note that contracts are per season, meaning that if you offer a player a one-season contract during mid-season, that will in effect only be a half-season contract. When you have fixed the amount and made an offer for the player, a message is sent to the manager of his club, who can choose to accept or reject the offer. If you accept an offer for a player, he will be placed on the transfer list with the proposed amount as the minimum. This gives other clubs the chance to buy the player, and helps prevent cheating.
Once you have accepted an offer for a player, you cannot change your mind. The same goes for if you bid on a player and that bid is accepted then you can not change your mind.
Selling Players
If you want to sell a player, simply place him on the transfer list. You cannot sell a player the first 7 weeks after you have bought him to your club. This is to prevent “the stock trading effect” on the player market. Also, you cannot sell a player if losing him would mean that the team will have a total of less than 16 players, or that the position in which he plays would be undermanned.
Before selling a player you should consider if you need to sell him so you dont sell players that you might need later or that will grow into good players.
Free Agents
When a player’s contract ends, he will be free to join any club of his choosing. He is placed on a special list, together with other free agents. When a free agent is signed up, he requires a special signing bonus, which is a lot less than the price for buying him from another club. He will also demand a higher salary than other players.
Trading Players
You can exchange players in CM-Online, even though there are some rules regarding which players to exchange and how to exchange them. You can only exchange players with a team that has a manager.
The following rules apply for both teams involved in the exchange deal:
- You can only exchange one player from each team in each exchange deal.
- You can exchange a player and money for another player, but the money
cannot exceed 25% of the entire deal's value.
- It is possible to exchange a maximum of two players per season and team.
- The value of the two parts in the exchange has to be about the same.
- The team has to have enough players on the position where you lose a player
after an exchange (2 goalkeepers, 6 defenders, 6 midfielders and 4 forwards).
The regular transfer offers are always prioritised if a player has both an exchange offer and a regular offer placed on him. Exchange deals are private, unlike regular transfers, which means that you can complete an exchange without interference from another team.
Bidding for players in clubs without managers
If you place a bid for a player in a club without a manager, the game engine will make the club’s decision. Teams do not like to let go of their star players, and they will always try to ensure that they have a large enough squad to fill all positions even when suffering from injuries.
Job applications and player bids are handled over the nightly update. As the manager has the right to expect that the team looks the same way when taking over as when he applied, a team with active job applications will not sell any players. However, clubs that have no active applications will deal with them as usual, except for the first seven days after losing their manager. This first quarantine week has been put in place to ensure that other human managers get a proper chance of managing the very same team that the previous manager left.
Player loans
It is possible to loan players in CM-Online, which can prove useful if, for example, a better team wants to give their talents more match time in a worse team. Loan deals are private and the player's manager decides which tea m he or she wants to loan the player to. There’s no open competition as on the transfer market.
Players can only be loaned from a team with a manager. Also, these conditions have to be met:
- The player does not have a good chance of a place in the starting eleven of
his current team.
- The player is likely to get to play in the new team.
- The player has more than one year left on his contract.
- The player's team has got enough players on his position (2 goalkeepers, 6
defenders, 6 midfielders and 4 forwards).
- The loaning team has less than two players on loan from other clubs
When loaning in a player you will pay his salary for the remainder of the season, but that is all you will have to pay. You can always cancel a loan deal - the player will then return to the original club after three days. The player cannot be involved in any transfer negotiations during the loan period. Players which a manager wants to loan to another club can be placed on the "Loan list" where they are visible to other managers that might be interested.
Keep in mind that loaning players from other teams has influence on your teamwork just like when you buy new players. But if a team recalls a loaned player it won't affect the teamwork.
Sacking players
A manager can ask their board to sack a player in their team. The board will evaluate the manager's request and either decide to approve or decline the request.
The following is necessary for them to approve the request:
- The part of the team where the player plays (goalkeepers, defenders etc) has
to have enough players. The board thinks that the club should have at least two goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and four forwards.
- The player cannot be too good. If he is one of the best on his position, or his
skills are too high compared to the average of the team, he cannot be sacked. The board’s leniency will vary depending on how many and how good the players in the part of the team are. It also depends on how long the player has been transfer listed for.
- The club's finances must be good enough to sack the player, since
compensation has to be paid to the player.
If the board approves your request, the player will leave the club on the next nightly update and be compensated financially due to the cancellation of his contract. The compensation equals his remaining wages according to contract, plus an extra 20% on top of that.
The player will be put on the list of "Free players" once he's released from his contract and may then go to whichever club he pleases.
Lost player
The player was transfer-listed. If another team offers the proposed sum for your listed player he will automatically be sold off. If you wish to keep the player, remove him from the transfer-list before anyone places a high enough bid on him.
Player declined
The player probably considers himself too good to play in your team, and would rather stay where he is or hold out for a better team to make an offer.
Board declined
It is because you have too few players in the position of the player that you are trying to sell. The board tries to keep the team's best interests in mind, which may or may not coincide with your plans for the squad.
Player retiring
Players will retire from the game. When this will happen you can see an icon which warns you that this will be the last season.
Duplicate players in database
If the player is a duplicate, one of them will most likely be removed in the next database up made. It is however not possible to know which one.
If a player is removed from your team due to being a duplicate you will be paid a compensation for what he is worth at the time.
Number of transfers etc
At any given day you can have a maximum of 3 transfer to your team. However that does not include the two loans.
Team management
Training
In CM-Online, the team can do a number of extra training sessions in addition to the normal basic training each day. The basic training happens automatically, and if your players are well, they will participate. As manager, you decide how many extra training sessions the players should do, and what they should train. You may plan your training way ahead of time. On the days that the team has a match, no extra training will be carried out for players who participate in the match, apart for the training that the match itself brings about. On the training page, there is a "basic mode" view and an "advanced mode" view.
If you have many red arrows or if your players are losing value you can read more about it on the different pages.
It is always good to try to create your own traning schedule and use those for the different players you got. This way you can make sure that all your players will practise the way you want them to.
Tactics
Set your tactics
The following is a list of the general tactics that you can use. Mixed No particular tactics are used; the team tries to do a bit of everything.
- Short Passing
Suitable if your team has many players who are good passers, playmakers and ball handlers. Opponents playing roughly and having good tacklers with high physique will make this tactic harder to succeed with.
- Crosses
In order for this tactic to work well, you need to have fast wingers and wing backs, so that they can get in good positions to play the ball into the box. You also need attackers who are good at heading. If the opposing team has fast outside players and central defenders who are good at heading, this tactic will be less effective.
- Counter attacks
Your team should have fast midfielders and attackers. If the opposing team have fast midfielders and defenders, this tactic will be less effective. Counterattacks are difficult to combine with an attacking mentality.
- Long balls
The team plays most of the passes over the midfield, and needs attackers who are fast, strong and good at heading. The opposition can best defend themselves with fast defenders who are good at heading.
You should also take some time to read about the tactics on the tactics page and then a pdf-file called "How to use the Tactics (PDF)".
When chosing your tactics you can look at how your opponent has played in the last few games. That will give you and indication on how they might play so you can defend against that.
Buddy Leagues
Create
In order to create a buddy league, you simply click Buddy Leagues – Create new buddy league. You get to choose how many opponents you would like to have, what form of play will be used (league, cup, two-legged cup), and whether the handicap system should be employed or not. You can then send out invites to your friends to play in the league with you, by clicking on the magnifying glass. The league will start on the date set by you. If there aren’t enough human opponents by then, the game engine will provide AI teams to fill out the league or cup. In order to play in the buddy leagues you will need buddy league credits.
Join
Click Buddy Leagues – Find Buddy League and you can search for a buddy league. Once you’ve found the one you’re looking for, simply apply for membership. The creator will decide if you will be allowed to participate. In order to play in the buddy leagues you will need buddy league credits.
Club Confidence
Expectations updates
At the start of a season you will get an expectations update from the board and from the fans. This will give you an indicatioin of what is expected of you for the coming season.
Cups
What team qualifies for what cup
CM-Online of course includes the European Cups. Every season, the best teams in Europe qualify for the two cups: the Champions League Cup and the UEFA Cup.
- The Champions League Cup
The 32 best teams in Europe play in the Champions League Cup. The tournament starts with qualifying rounds, where groups of four teams compete for two places in the finals. All the teams play one home game and one away game throughout the tournament, except for the final. In the cup, the best total result will continue to the next round. If the scores are equal, goals scored away are counted double. If the score is still equal, a penalty shoot-out is used to separate the teams. The final game is played on neutral ground.
Prize money is issued for each advancement in the cup stage, both in domestic and international cups. The prize money depends on the size and importance of the cup itself. The UEFA cup for example has more prize money then the domestic cup in Sweden. Sponsor money and general attendance will also increase if a team does well in a domestic or international cup.
Places in the Champions League Cup are awarded according to the table below. If the champion from the previous year should occupy one of the other eleven positions, that league will get one extra place in the Champions League Cup. Thus, if Manchester United are the ruling champions, and they end up in second place in the Premier League, the teams that are first and third in the Premier League will be allowed to participate in the Champions League Cup, in addition to Manchester United.
| League | Position(s) |
|---|---|
| Previous Champion | |
| Premier League (Eng) | 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
| Primera (Spa) | 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
| Serie A (Ita) | 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
| Bundesliga (Ger) | 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
| Premier Division (Fra) | 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
| Premier League (Sco) | 1 & 2 |
| Premier Division (Hol) | 1 & 2 |
| Allsvenskan (Swe) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Nor) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Rus) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Por) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Den) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Bel) | 1 |
- The UEFA Cup
In the UEFA Cup, 64 teams from 23 different leagues participate. Qualification is based on the league position of the previous season, according to the table above. Also allowed to participate are the winners in the national cups. All matches are settled with one away game and one home game, and the best total result wins. If the scores are equal, goals scored away are counted double. If the score is still equal, a penalty shoot - out is used to separate the teams. Apart from prize money, the home team of course gets TV money for every game. The table shows how to qualify for the UEFA Cup. If the champion from the previous year ends up in a qualifying position, that league is awarded an extra place in the UEFA Cup.
| League | Position(s) (teams from dom. cups) |
|---|---|
| Previous Champion | |
| Premier League (Eng) | 5 and 6 (2) |
| Primera (Spa) | 5, 6 and 7 (1) |
| Serie A (Ita) | 5, 6 and 7 (1) |
| Bundesliga (Ger) | 5, 6 and 7 (1) |
| Premier Division (Fra) | 5, 6 and 7 (1) |
| Premier League (Sco) | 3, 4 and 5 |
| Premier Division (Hol) | 3, 4 and 5 (1) |
| Allsvenskan (Swe) | 2, 3 and 4 (1) |
| Premier Division (Nor) | 2, 3 and 4 (1) |
| Premier Division (Rus) | 2 and 3 |
| Premier Division (Por) | 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
| Premier Division (Den) | 2, 3 and 4 (1) |
| Premier Division (Bel) | 2, 3 and 4 |
| Premier Division (Gre) | 2, 3 and 4 |
| Premier Division (Tur) | 1 and 2 |
| Premier Division (Cze) | 1 and 2 |
| Premier Division (Aut) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Ukr) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Cro) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Srb) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Swi) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Fin) | 1 |
| Premier Division (Bul) | 1 |
Manual
You can always download the Manual and the rules of the game. You will find them at the top of the page where you also find log out and invite a friend.
Abuse
Cheating
Everything about cheating can be found in the rules of CM-Online. Make sure that you read them and understand why we have to have these rules.
Been banned/quarantined
If you break any of the the rules we can immediately suspend your account and your access to CM-Online. If you flagrantly or persistently break any of these Terms of Use, we can terminate your account and your subscription and bar you from registering again. Where we suspend or terminate, we will not repay you any subscription fees or other charges that you have already paid.
Rules
These can be found within the game and are called rules of CM-Online and the manual
Suggestions
Database
Please post suggested changes to the database on this Forum where the responsible will answer you directly.
Register to help with the database research.
