Emlyn Hughes AMSTRAD CPC I N T E R N A T I O N A L __ ___ __ __ __ _ <_ /* *\ / / <__ |_> __> \_*_/ \__ \__ <__ | | INTRODUCTION Emlyn Hughes International Soccer offers realistic arcade action and football management combined into one great game! Whilst there are a wide range of facilities and control options, these have been designed in such a way that you can sit down and play without hours spent studying the manual, and getting to grips with the controls. One or two can play, either against each other, or against the computer. You can even watch two computer teams playing each other! Player skill levels and fitness levels vary, so picking the right team is just as important as the way you control your players during the game. Fixture lists, results, and league tables may be displayed at any time during the season. LOADING & CONTROLS To load the program type RUN"EMLYN" and press ENTER. Emlyn Hughes International Soccer is joystick controlled, and can be played by either one or two players. GETTING STARTED When the game starts you will see a blank screen with a blue menu bar at the top, and a red arrow which acts as a pointer. If you move the joystick the arrow moves. Move the arrow until the Game option is highlighted, then press the fire button. A menu will drop down; to start a game move the arrow until the Play Game option is highlighted, then press the fire button again - a friendly match between two computer-controlled teams will follow. If you want to take part in a match yourself you must first become manager of one of the teams - see Edit Teams in the Strategy & Options section. If you've played a computer football game before you'll already know the basic controls. But for anyone who's playing football on a computer for the first time, here's what you do: * When one team is computer-controlled, and the other is controlled by a human player, the computer team always kicks from right to left. * You control one player at a time. The player you are controlling at any particular time is indicated by an arrow above his head (and his name is displayed at the top of the screen). If your side has the ball, the player with the ball will be highlighted, unless it is a throw-on, a goal-kick, a corner, or a free kick, in which case you will control one of the players waiting to receive the throw or kick. * Move the joystick in the direction you want your player to run and hold it in that direction until he reaches the required speed. If you now allow the joystick to return to the central position he will continue moving in the same direction and at the same speed. To slow down move the joystick away from the direction of movement. * To kick the ball press and release the fire button - the length of time you hold the fire button down determines the strength of the kick. All actions which are controlled by the fire button are triggered only when you release the button. That's all you really need to know to be able to play, but there are many more controls to learn about as you become more confident and proficient. Don't try to run before you can walk, though! PLAYER CONTROL - ADVANCED TECHNIQUES TURNING To change direction move the joystick so that it points in the new direction. Of course, as in real life you can't suddenly turn round without losing some momentum. If, for example, you move the joystick so that it is pointing in the opposite direction your player will slow down, turn around, then start running again. You'll find that if you move the joystick through 180 degrees yourself, going through all the angles in between (i.e. don't pass through the centre), you can change direction much more quickly. The same principle applies to other changes in direction. This can gives an experienced player a useful edge over a less practised opponent. SIDESTEPPING & BARGING When you're trying to dribble past the opposing defenders you'll often want to sidestep to avoid a tackle. Sidestepping involves taking a step to the left or right without actually changing direction, and can be very confusing for the opposition. To sidestep move the joystick from the central position at 90 degrees to your direction of movement, and release it instantly (if you hold it too long or pass through the 45 degree angle you'll actually change direction). To barge a player running alongside you use exactly the same control method. These moves are very useful, so keep practising them until you are perfect! KICKING THE BALL - ADVANCED TECHNIQUES If you could kick the ball only in the direction you were running it would be very difficult to pass and shoot accurately. Emlyn Hughes International Soccer allows you to control the height and direction of the ball when you kick it - if you wish. CONTROLLING THE HEIGHT You can kick the ball at three different heights, determined by where the joystick is positioned when the fire button is released. If the joystick is pointing in the direction that the player is running the ball will stay low. If the joystick is pointing in the opposite direction the kick will be lofted (ideal for lobs and centres), whilst if the joystick is in the central position a 'normal' kick will result, halfway between the other two. CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION You can kick the ball in up to five different directions, depending on the options selected before you start playing. If you choose the 1-direction option the ball is always kicked straight ahead (you can, of course, change direction just before kicking if you want to fool your opponent). The 3-direction option allows you to kick straight ahead, or at 45 degree angles either side; move the joystick at right angles to the direction you are running after you press the fire button (but before you release it, of course!). The 5-direction option is the most difficult to use, but by far the most powerful, not least because it allows you to kick the ball at angles not otherwise available. You should aim, therefore, to master this method of kicking as soon as possible. To access the additional directions move the joystick at right angles to the direction of movement. If you let go of the joystick before the fire button is released, the ball is kicked at an angle of about 20 degrees to the direction of travel (ideal for shots); if the fire button is released before you let go of the joystick the angle increases to about 70 degrees (just right for centres, or when you want to pass the ball out to the wing). Whilst the 5-direction option does not give you access to the 45 degree angles you can always change direction just before shooting or passing. Of course, you can combine the controls that set the height of the kick with those that fix the direction - so, for example, if you move the joystick away from the direction of movement and also to the side you will get a lofted angled kick. Allowing for the possible variations in strength of kick there are literally hundreds of possible different kicks! BACKHEELS To backheel the ball press the fire button and move the joystick backwards (i.e. away from the direction you are running), then forwards, while the fire button is held down. Backheeling the ball is sure to confuse the opposition! CHOOSING WHICH PLAYER YOU CONTROL When the player you are controlling is not in a good position to get the ball you will usually want to select a different player. There is an automatic reselection option, where the computer will decide which player is in the best position, but manual reselection allows experienced players to use their skill to advantage. To select a player press the fire button, move the joystick in the approximate direction of the player you wish to select, then release the fire button. If there are two players in similar directions the computer may highlight the wrong one - repeat the process until the right one is highlighted. It is not possible to choose another player when the player you are controlling has the ball (since pressing the fire button would make him kick it), or when he is very close to the ball (in which case pressing the fire button might initiate a sliding tackle or diving header). However, with practice, you will find it easy to change control when you pass the ball from the player who made the pass to the player who will receive the pass - point the joystick in the direction of the pass and press fire. Whichever reselection option you have chosen a player on your side who comes into possession of the ball will automatically be highlighted (unless he is taking a throw-in, corner or free kick). HEADING THE BALL To head the ball press and release the fire button. Provided the ball is within range your player will jump up to head the ball. If the ball is too low for a normal header he will automatically attempt a diving header (diving in the direction he is running). A diving header results in the ball bouncing off in the direction of the dive; the direction of a normal header depends on the joystick position at the time the ball makes contact with your player's head - you can select any of 8 angles, so you can flick the ball or head it backwards if you are skilful enough. SLIDING TACKLES Sometimes the ball is just too far away for you to trap it normally, or for a normal tackle to be effective. In this situation the solution is to slide towards the ball to gain the added yard of pace that you need. Press and release the fire button to initiate a sliding tackle (the ball must be too low for you to head it, otherwise a diving header will result). If you come into contact with the ball you may succeed in controlling it, or it may break loose. You may even give away a free kick, especially if you tackle from behind, so take particular care when tackling in the penalty area! FREE-KICKS, CORNERS & THROW-INS These are handled automatically. The ball is kicked or thrown to the highlighted player either after a few seconds (the time varies) or when the fire button is pressed and released with the joystick central (if the joystick isn't in the middle it will be assumed you are trying to change players). If the goal is in view the player taking a free kick will sometimes take a shot. PENALTIES These can be handled automatically, but if you want to increase your chances of scoring you can take control. Just hold down the fire button (to determine the strength of kick) and move the joystick in the appropriate directions during the run-up, as if you were kicking the ball normally. Of course, if you kick the ball straight ahead the goalkeeper is likely to save it, unless you lob it over his head. CONTROLLING THE GOALKEEPER You can choose between controlling the goalkeeper yourself, or allowing the computer to control him. You only control the goalkeeper when the goal is under threat; to make him dive or gather the ball you must press and release the fire button with the joystick central. Any other joystick movements are interpreted as instructions for your highlighted player. When two players are playing against the computer the goalkeeper can be controlled by either player. Automatic control of the goalkeeper is recommended for beginners. It is the timing of the fire button release that determines whether or not the goalie has the best chance of saving the shot. PAUSING THE GAME Pressing the SHIFT key halts the action at any time during the game. You must pause the game if you want to take photographs of the screen (hint: use an exposure of at least one-quarter of a second, otherwise you will get dark bands across the screen - ideally you will need a tripod to ensure that the camera does not move). Press SHIFT again to restart a paused game. SUBSTITUTIONS/CHECKING FITNESS LEVELS During a match the fitness of the players steadily decreases, and may go down suddenly if a player is injured by a bad tackle or awkward fall. If you press B whilst the game is paused and the ball out of play (for a throw-on, corner, goal-kick or penalty) the menu screen will appear. Menu selections that are unavailable during a game are shown in italics. Select the Pick Team option from the Game menu. This looks exactly the same as the Edit Team screen, but you cannot change anything except the positions. If you decide you do not want to make any changes, exit from the menu and select Play Game to continue the match. If you decide to make a substitution (and provided you have not already used your subs) move the pointer to the number of the player you want to take off and press fire. Now move the number until it is over the number of either substitute and press fire again. Exit from this screen by moving to the menu bar and pressing the fire button. MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES Press SPACE to skip the sequences where players are running on or off the pitch, or back to their positions after a goal is scored. Press T to abort the game; or V when the game is paused to terminate the current half prematurely. STRATEGY & OPTIONS SECTION Emlyn Hughes International Soccer offers a wealth of different game options. All of these options are selected using a simple drop-down menu system much like those that are found on powerful computers like the Amiga and Atari ST. Almost all menu functions are performed using the joystick, but occasionally you will need to use the keyboard to enter a name. To display the menu bar (which shows the names of the four menus) move the arrow to the title at the top of the screen and press fire. Move the pointer to the menu you require and press fire again to display the menu in full. Use the joystick to move the pointer up and down the menu, then press the fire button when it points to the menu option you require, or the item you wish to alter. Some items in the menu are followed by a tick or a cross. These are options you can turn on or off by pressing the fire button. Others display values (or sometimes colours) that you can change by moving the joystick left and right whilst the fire button is held down. Move the pointer to the option you require and press fire to select it. Sometimes menu options will be shown in shaded characters. These are options that are not available at a particular time. For example, if there is no game scheduled to be played the Play Game option will be shown in italics. Many options are unavailable during a competition, to prevent cheating! CHOOSING YOUR SQUAD The Edit Teams screen is probably the most important in the strategy section of the game. It allows you to decide who you want in your 16-man squad for the current season (once the season begins you cannot change any of the squads). To change the player names move the pointer to the first name you want to change and press fire. A flashing cursor will appear. Simply type over the old name and press ENTER when you have finished entering the new name. The 'Played by:' entry denotes whether the team is computer-controlled or controlled by a human player. Any entry other than COMPUTER gives human control. Normally you should enter the name of the person who controls the particular team. PICKING TEAMS You can pick your team using either the Edit Team or Pick Team options (although during a competition only Pick Team is available). Suppose that you want to drop a player, say number 7, and replace him with a player not currently in the team. Move the square to where the number 7 is displayed and press the fire button to pick up the number. Now move the number up or down the column to where the replacement player is, and press the fire button to drop the number 7 against his name. If you allocate a new shirt number to a player who already has a number you automatically pick up his old number, which of course you must allocate to another player. Numbers 12 and 14 indicate the two substitutes. PLAYER SKILL FACTORS Each player (except for the goalkeeper) has three skill factors, Running Speed, Defensive Skills, and Attacking Skills. Each skill can be at three different levels, indicated by the number of blue buttons that are lit up - the more buttons that are lit the better the skill level. To change the skill levels move the pointer to the appropriate button and press fire - the number of buttons lit will cycle from 1 to 2 to 3 and back to 1 again. FITNESS LEVELS At the start of a season all players are 99% fit, but during each game the fitness of those players who are playing declines steadily due to fatigue - and may fall drastically after a bad tackle. Players whose fitness declines below 75% will start to play well below their normal standard of skill, and you may need to substitute them. Sometimes you may decide to take a chance and play one of your star players even though he is unfit - it may pay off, but it could also be a disaster. Fitness levels will normally increase in the week between matches, but you may find that players need to be rested for a week or two to regain full fitness. Fitness levels are not taken into account in friendly matches, or when Equal Skills is selected, nor do they change during the game - in other words players play as if they were fully fit during a friendly, but at the end of the game their skill level will be unchanged from its status at the start of the game. EXITING AFTER EDITING TEAMS When you have finished editing the team move the pointer to the menu bar, then press the fire button. This will display a box with three buttons. Move the pointer to the ? button and press fire if you exited by mistake; move to the X button and press fire to exit from editing without any changes being made (i.e. if you have made a mess of things!). Press fire when the pointer is on the button marked with a tick if you are happy with the changes you have made. COMPETITIONS There are three options, a League in which all 8 teams play each other once or twice (depending whether the Home & Away option is selected), a Cup which is a knockout competition between 8 teams, and a Season which gives two separate competitions, a league and a cup. When you start a competition any competition already in progress is abandoned, so if you wish to play both a Cup and a League you must use the Start Season option. If you want to start a new competition and continue the existing one at a later date use the Save All function to save the state of the competition. SAVING THE GAME Since there could be as many as 60 matches in a season, it is obviously essential to be able to stop at any stage and restart another day. The Save All option under the Game Menu not only saves all the fixtures and results to date, but all the team details including names, skill levels, and fitness levels, together with the current settings of the various options. Save Team records the data for a particular team only, not option settings, results or fixtures. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SAVE ANYTHING TO THE PROGRAM DISK OR TAPE. YOU MUST USE ONE OF YOUR OWN DISK OR TAPES. REMEMBER ALSO THAT YOU MUST LOAD THE PROGRAM BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RELOAD AN UNFINISHED GAME. OPTIONS MENU Duration Each match can last up to 90 minutes (plus extra time) 1 or 2 vs Computer When the computer is controlling one team the other team can be controlled by one or two human players Extra Time Extra time can be played in the event of a Cup game being drawn. Otherwise a replay is necessary. View C vs C Matches between two computer teams can be viewed, or not Home & Away In a league competition teams can play each other once or twice. If they play twice, then each team plays away once, and at home once Practice In Practice mode the computer-controlled opposition stays in its own half and only offers the minimum of interference. Use this mode to gain experience of the control system, and to practise more advanced features Skill Level There are 10 different skill levels for computer teams. These skill levels are in addition to the individual player skills Equal Skills If you prefer, all players can have the highest skill levels Backheels Backheels can be allowed or disallowed Kick Directions You can choose to be able to kick in 1, 3 or 5 directions Auto Goalie The goalkeeper can be controlled automatically or manually Auto Reselect Reselection of players can be manual or automatic Points for Win In a league either 2 or 3 points can be awarded for a win Substitutes Either 1 or 2 substitutes are allowed COLOURS MENU The following colours can be changed: Pitch Colour Initially green; also used as a shirt colour Line Colour Initially white; also used as a shirt colour Flesh Colour Initially pink; also used for stripes on shirts Shorts Colour Usually black; also used for players hair, boots etc. Goalie Colour The goalie shirt colours can be swapped with one of the teams GAME MENU The following selections are available: Play match This starts the game shown at the bottom of the screen Arrange friendly You can at any time (even in the middle of a competition) arrange a friendly match between any two teams. Move the pointer to each team in turn and press the fire button. The first team selected is the Home team Postpone Match If the human(s) supposed to be playing in the next match is not available the match can be played at the end of the current week's fixtures Start Cup Starts a knockout competition with 8 teams Start League Starts a league competition with 8 teams Start Season Starts a season in which both a league and a cup are played Edit team You can change the names of the teams and the players, also their skill levels. However these cannot be altered once a competition has started Team This shows which team is currently displayed; move the joystick left or right to change to a different team Load Team A team saved to tape or disk can be loaded Save Team A user-created team can be saved Load All Restores the state of the game previously saved with Save All Save All Saves all the team data, fixtures, results, colours, options etc DISPLAY MENU The following displays can be selected: Show teams A list of the 8 teams is displayed with their Managers (i.e. human player or computer) Show Players A list of the players in a particular team is displayed Team Identifies which team is displayed Show Fixtures Displays the fixtures for a particular week or team; change the team/week to the one you require Show Results Displays the results for a particular week or team; change the team/week to the one you require Show Table Shows the league table By team Results/fixtures displayed by team... By week .... or by week Week Which week is displayed Hints Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the game: * be realistic when you fix the player skill levels, for example forwards will usually be faster runners than backs, but of course they won't be so good at defending. The three numbers shown under the table of skill levels give the number of skill points for each skill, and if you and your friends are picking squads you could decide to have a certain number of skill points to allocate to the players * learn to master the simple skills before you attempt some of the more sophisticated moves * remember that because of the angle from which you are looking down on the pitch it doesn't seem as wide as it really is Problems? Nothing happens when I select Play Game If the next match is between two computer teams you won't see anything unless there is a tick against View Computer vs Computer in the Options Menu. I can't seem to control the game Probably both teams are computer-controlled. You could, however, be using the wrong controls. Nothing happens when I press the fire button That's right, strictly spreaking. All actions are triggered by the release of the fire button, because the length of time the fire button is held down needs to be measured. I am having trouble controlling throw-ins and free kicks To force a throw-in or free kick to be taken you must press the fire button and release it with no direction selected. If the joystick is not central the computer will assume you are trying to change to another player. Arcade programming and artificial intelligence by GRAHAM BLIGHE Strategy section programmed by Terry Wiley Graphics and animation by Andrew Calver Produced for Audiogenic by Peter Calver (c) Audiogenic Software Limited 1989 Winchester House, Canning Road, Harrow, England HA3 7SJ _____________________________________________________________________________ | | | EMLYN SHOOTS STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP! | | | | It's the column you dare not miss from football's most talked-about | | personality. Read what Emlyn says every week about football's major topics | | - writing in the only way he knows how, hard hitting and controversial - he | | says what he thinks. Don't miss it! | | | | PLUS MATCH FACTS - full team line-ups and performance ratings for every | | player. | | FIRST with big-game colour action. | | COLOUR posters of your favourite stars. 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