Index » First steps
In Striker Manager you will assume the role of coach/director/president [in short, MANAGER] of a virtual football team. Your team will participate in a league with 19 other teams, each managed by another user from anywhere on the globe. Your objective is to be as successful as possible and prove that you are the best football manager around!In the game you can control all aspects of club management. To give just a few examples: finances, formulating line-ups and tactics, signings (players AND staff members)...you even manage the team's stadium! But don't fear: the game is simple for beginners and expands remarkably in depth once you get a hang of the basics and become adventurous.
The following sections explain in general terms the first actions to be taken in the game:
First access
Once registration is completed and your email address has been verified you can access the game with your username and password.
When you first enter you will receive a list of offers from teams who want to hire you.
These teams may have some debts when they offer you control but once you select a team its budget will be reset leaving you a sum of € 1,000,000 (virtual currency of the game, not real money), all new players, a new stadium, empty staff, etc. This ensures that you and the 19 other managers of your league (who are randomly put there because they joined Striker Manager at around the same time that you did) all start on equal terms. Of course, no two teams are exactly alike- you’ll have to look at your roster of unique, virtual players and realize where your strengths and weaknesses are.
To repeat, upon entry your team is enrolled in a league with 19 other teams. These teams will be your main opponents until the end of the season; if you study them carefully you can find ways to gain the upper hand.
The Striker Manager SEASON
The game takes place in near "real" time. Games are simulated in full and have a duration of 90 minutes. The in-game calendar is 100% built around our real calendar. Each week, your team will play 3 regular league matches. Each season is a full 38 matches, which translates into 13 real weeks. That is the length of a season and each season is equivalent to a year in the life of the players.
Home
Upon entering the game you will reach the HOME screen. The site might ask if you would like to personalize your team’s name (you may be given a generic number by default); this is recommended but completely optional [also, you may change your team name and other personalized details later on, so don't worry!]. On the left side of the screen you see the MAIN MENU, where you can access all sections of the game. Under the menu choices you will find some information about your team which you can also personalize. The central part of this screen gives you helpful up-to-date news regarding your team and league. There you can find out about games the latest game you have played (or, that your team might be playing at that moment!) and your upcoming game. The bottom half presents you messages from your staff (you’ll learn about all the unique staff positions later on).
Main Menu
The main menu (on the left of the page) is divided into four sections, each with their own logo: Competition, Signings, Coach and Club. In the Competition tab there is, naturally, all the information regarding the competitions your team is involved in- this includes leagues, a calendar of competitions, awards won, etc. The Signings tab will lead you to all the actions which have to do with the search for, the sale of, and the signing of players. The next tab, Coach, leads you to the line-up, tactics, training, and information on your next opponent. Finally in the Club section you will see your roster, your finances, the stadium, and the latest news from your league and others.
Basic Economics
Striker Manager uses virtual currency expressed in €, $ or £ depending on the chosen language.
Football is, of course, a business. As with all businesses your club’s finances must be closely monitored and handled responsibly. If your team is “in the red” [in debt], the club's board will notify you. If it has been two weeks and you still haven’t resolved the situation you are likely to be fired. Spend 24 hours “in the black” [profiting] and the board’s confidence in you will be restored. If you do lose your team, do not worry, you will receive offers from new clubs in need of a manager. Be careful and spend your money wisely; your first steps as manager are some of the most important for the future of your team. Don’t forget to hire a sponsor for your team, sell TV rights and billboard space, etc., as these are safe ways to gain good revenue.
Employees and announcements
We mentioned above that your employees send you messages and reports from time to time. Obviously, for this to happen you must hire employees first! This is accomplished in the Signings tab, and each employee you hire will provide a crucial service for your club. Additionally, hearing news from your league and the entire Striker community can be quite helpful. You can see the moves that your rivals are taking (new signings, etc.) and learn from them, and in the ‘global’ news from the whole Striker community you can learn from players who have been with us for a while. Finally, keep a look out for sanctions and other warnings that the Striker moderators/administrators issue to other managers, so that you don’t make the same mistakes.
Shirt and Customization
You can customize the colors and design of your team’s kit. These colors will be visible in several aspects of the game such as chat, the stadium, at games, in your team’s crest, etc. You can also change your team name, the name of your stadium, etc.
Player Ratings and Abilities
The quality of players is measured by their "average" number, which is composed of their many, many attributes and abilities. You can see practically all of these stats in-game, and they all range from 0-99 points. The “average” value indicates the player’s ability in their natural position in good form (you will find later on that players can get fatigued, lose morale, etc.). The higher the number valuation in each of these stats, the better the player (99 would be perfect, while 0 would be terrible). As mentioned above, each player has a favored position, and playing him anywhere else on the field would lower his rating.
Communicate with other managers!
Along with the guides in the “Help” section, talking with other managers is a great way to learn more about the game. Some managers will have been with Striker for longer than you have and will have a lot of useful tips for you. It’s been said so many times but warrants repeating- they were new here once too! Someone who asked for help when they arrived at Striker would probably be very sympathetic and willing to help out another new member. You have several means of communicating with others- through forums, private messaging, or chat.
