[CONCEPT] "The Foundation" – A Dedicated Co-op Career Mode
Hi Team / Community,
Career Mode has always been a cornerstone of the franchise, but it currently lacks a bridge between the solo experience and the social nature of Pro Clubs. I’m proposing a new way to play: "The Foundation."
The Core Vision
Imagine starting a Career Mode where you and up to 3 friends (Couch or Online) create your own young prospects. You are all placed in the Youth/Reserve team of a lower-league club (or a custom "Create-a-Club"). You play together, develop together, and aim to take your club to the top flight—all while managing the "Office" through a unique social voting system.
Key Features
The Player-Manager Role: One player acts as the "Captain-Manager," handling the UI tasks (Transfers, Training, Scouts).
The "Lobby Democracy": When a transfer offer is made or a tactical change is proposed, a pop-up appears for all players to VOTE. This adds a layer of social strategy—do you sell your star AI striker for a bigger budget, or keep him to help your friends get assists?
Shared Growth RPG: Like Player Career, your avatars earn XP. However, staying with your "starting club" unlocks Legacy Rewards:
One-Club Man PlayStyle+: Unique buffs that only activate at your home club.
Youth Mentorship: High-rated player avatars can "train" AI youth players, passing on their traits to the next generation.
The "Squad Transfer": If you outgrow the club, the Manager can negotiate a "Group Package Deal" to move all human players to a bigger team simultaneously.
Solving the "Friendship Test" (Bench & Rotation)
We know management is hard. To keep it realistic but fair:
PS5/Friends Lobbies: The Manager can bench a human friend for an AI if their Match Rating average is low. This adds stakes to every game!
Public/Random Lobbies: Safety locks prevent toxic hosts from benching players, requiring a "vandalism" or "idle" flag to be triggered first.
FAQ (For Devs & Players)
Q: Why not just play Pro Clubs?
A: Pro Clubs is great for 11v11, but it lacks the narrative of a 15-year career, transfer budgets, scouting, and the "Rags to Riches" journey of a small club.
Q: Is this hard to implement?
A: Most of the tech is already there! This mode combines the Pro Clubs Avatar Creator, the Player Career XP system, and the Manager Career UI. The "Voting" system is the primary new layer.
Q: Does this work with "Create-a-Club"?
A: Absolutely. It’s actually the best way to play. You create the club name, the kits, and then you and your friends are the first batch of legends for that club.
Q: What if one friend can't play one night?
A: The save stays on the "Manager's" profile. If a friend is missing, the Manager can simply assign an AI to play that position for that session, and the friend’s player will still earn passive XP based on the team's result.
This mode would turn Career Mode from a solo grind into a social event. It encourages yearly engagement and creates stories that players will talk about all season.
