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This screen allows you to customize your identity, choose a team, and set a number of other options.
Challenge Mode: Before beginning the manager setup, you have the option of specifying whether or not you wish to play the game in Challenge Mode. Challenge Mode adds some restrictions to the game, allows achievements to be tracked on your personal online profile (as long as you're logged in), and differs from the classic FHM experience in the following ways:
- Commissioner mode and the player editor are disabled
- Certain league rules and setting adjustments are also disabled
- Certain AI team control settings are disabled
- Long-term simulation ("Auto-play until...") is only available during the offseason
Personal Info: Enter your name, nickname, nationality, second nationality (if any), city of birth (type a city name into the box, if it's available in the database, it will load) and birthdate here. The only setting that may affect gameplay directly is your nationality, as some teams will prefer to hire staff that is native to their country.
Team and Play Mode: Play Mode offers several choices:
You can specify whether you want to play as a dual General Manager/Head Coach position, or as GM only. Note that even if you take the dual role, you can still delegate coaching decisions to your AI assistant.
You may select a team to play from any playable league. You can also start unemployed, in which case you must wait for a job offer before starting (you will always begin with a few offers at the start of the game.)
If you activate Cannot be Fired (not available in Challenge Mode), you will never be removed from your job by team management, you can only end your stay with a team by resigning.
In some game modes, you can specify that you want to begin the game on July 1 instead of the regular start date, allowing you to make changes to the league structure (in commissioner mode) and/or get an earlier start on building your team.
Your starting reputation will affect the willingness of teams to hire you. If you choose to start at the bottom, you must build up a reputation before teams at higher levels will let you manage them.
Once you're finished with this screen, your game will finish setting up and be ready to play. This process may take a minute or two.
Ratings Customization: You can now customize your manager's ratings, so your in-game character better reflects you and your preferences and has distinct strengths and weaknesses. You begin with a set amount in each rating, and can raise or lower it further, but only to a maximum amount determined by your starting experience level. Additionally, you have some extra points to spend (Shown as "Available Points") that you can use to raise one rating without needing to lower your total in another one. Don't forget to use these extra points, any leftover ones will be lost when you exit the screen!
If you wish, you can select from a set of GM and Coach templates, reflecting typical managerial styles, that will fill out the ratings for you.
Hover over the rating names for a description of what they do.