REAL STARS LIVE FOREVER

1.4 introduces the Returning Stars system to all GameWorlds. Designed both to boost the hopes of new and/or weaker teams in established Worlds, and as a means to give users present in all generations of a GameWorld the chance to savour the glory of signing a Rooney or a Ronaldo, the system has two main planks to it, and these are described below.

THE SEASONAL DRAFT

Each season the game brings back enough retired players (at the age they were upon GameWorld launch) for all teams whose managers have been active within the last month to receive one player. The game sorts players by value, with the best held back for clubs who have joined or restarted the prior season, followed by everyone else, with the lowest reputation teams first in the list.

The system becomes active from Season 3 onwards, when the first Provisional Draft – of players who retired the season before - occurs. This begins a four week period prior in which you can see who you are currently due to be allocated, as per the picture below. This is likely to alter slightly from day-to-day in line with changes to your team’s reputation.

The full draft takes place exactly as a new season starts (so the first is in Season 4). A new Provisional Draft is then drawn, and the system runs again.

ONCE THE DRAFT IS MADE

Upon the draft taking place, you will receive a news item to tell you who you’ve been allocated, and will then find that player in your squad. At this stage, you hold a one-season Option on him.

An option is different to a full contract in that it does not allow you to use the player in official FA matches, but does not cost you any money in wages (see pic, below). Your allocated player is free to play in as many unofficial matches are you like while you size him up, however, and will not age (or, therefore, progress/regress) until signed on a permanent contract.

After one season, if you take no action, the player will automatically switch to a full contract on his basic wage demand. You will not have to pay an acquisition fee when you acquire him.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS

If you don’t want the player, you can:

• Waive your contract option, in which case the player is released and returned to the draft for future seasons. If you do this, you will be placed higher up the draft next season and so be more likely to receive a better player. As a tactical check, however, waiving four or more seasons in a row will mean you no longer move further up the draft!

• Sell or exchange the player you have an option on - a useful way to raise cash should you need to do so. There is no form of early sales tax on transfers involving players held on contract options, so you will be able to enjoy the full benefits of your dealings!

IN EXISTING GAMEWORLDS

In current GameWorlds, the system will process in 3-month player blocks. So the first draft will be players who retired during seasons 2-4, the next draft 5-7, then 8-11. This allows the system to catch up, and offer teams a wider range of players, many of whom will be relatively young compared to those who retired in season 1.

Note that upon March reluanch, managers will be able to choose between Returning Star and Regen GameWorlds – so in the rare event the new system doesn’t make a convert of you, there will be choices available!

RESTARTERS/NEW USERS AND THE RETURNING STAR SYSTEM

The Returning Stars scheme also allows any manager joining a Gameworld late/restarting their club to be able to select their new squad from a list of players who have retired prior to that event. This aims to better re-create the conditions that would have been in-place when a GW started, and below is an example of a team created by one Beta user, who won a top-level league in his first season with the help of the new system.

New users are of course still subject to the usual starting wage and cash budget of £100k and £500k respectively, but with GameWorld launch-level Acquisition Fees paid for players, rather than prices reflective of their Market Value in an established GameWorld, a good selection gives valuable assets with which to move forward.

Overall therefore, the Returning Stars system holds something for everyone, and we hope 1.4 brings you the player of your dreams!