The part where you manage the team

The previous update was about making the player and team screens useful. That brought the rest of the job into view pretty quickly. Picking a player is one decision. Affording him, covering an injury and keeping the franchise going are several more.

I had imagined building a football game. I’d apparently also volunteered to build a small accounting department.

There’s a lot more in the prototype now than there was at the start of the year. I’m pleased to have reached this point. I’m also aware that having a screen for something doesn’t mean I’ve finished getting it right.

What changed since the last post

• The roster work grew into front-office work. Lineup choices, bench depth and roster needs now have to be considered alongside contracts and payroll.
• Injuries became part of planning the team. A useful starting lineup still needs someone to fill a gap when a player can’t play.
• The budget view became more explicit. The recent prototype shows the season-opening bill, when it is due, and what should remain after payment.
• Costs became easier to compare with the available money. Salary information, the cap and the franchise’s funds all matter to a roster decision.
• Scouting and player-detail screens joined the prototype. Prospect information and a draft action now have a place alongside the team I’m trying to improve.
• The season has more to show than a final number. The prototype has schedule, game-result and playoff-scoreboard views to work through. Play-by-play, league news and commentary are also part of the presentation I want around the games.
• History became part of the franchise design. Stats, records, trophies and season archives are meant to give earlier seasons a place in the game.
• The management scope now includes training, facilities and the stadium. I’m working toward investment choices that have to share the budget with the roster.
• The long-career plan is clearer. The intended career is 50 seasons, followed by a successor through New Game+. I’m still working through how the history and the next coach should carry forward.
• The desktop plan includes a compact window. I want the game to stay nearby, with an expanded view when you need to work on the team in more detail.

The front office, then and now

Different saves, but a useful comparison of the budget layout.

Earlier front officeEarlier prototype

Recent budget viewAndroid · Build 315 · Oct 4, 2026

Making the pieces earn their place

The kind of decision I want is whether to keep a useful player when his contract gets expensive, or spend the money somewhere else and live with the hole in the roster. A cheaper replacement can solve a money problem while creating a football problem. That gives you something to think about.

I still have to make those pieces work together. It’s easy to add another screen because a football management game ought to have one. It’s harder to make that screen useful, explain it properly, and check that its decisions carry through the rest of the game.

The older and recent captures show some of that work on the roster and front office. They’re prototype screens from different saves. They give a more honest picture of where I’m at than a neat list of features on its own would.

Every solution has a price

Two more management views from the prototype.

Looking for a replacementEarlier prototype

The season-opening billAndroid · Build 286 · Sep 30, 2026

The next update pulls the year’s progress together and explains how I’m organising the rest of Idleball around this first game.