House of Games 2 (Hi-Tech Products)

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24 ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 5. OFFENSIVE SIGNAL CALLING ----------------------------------------------------------------- The screen will tell you when you should call your next offensive play. The player on offense has to do that before every play except a normal kickoff. If time is in, you have to be finished before the 30-second clock times out. In this chapter we tell you how to call plays. In a later chapter, you will learn about the plays. Calling offensive signals from the keyboard is a matter of entering two numbers. If you use the numeric keys and not the menu and you are playing against a human, you MUST WAIT UNTIL THE PLAYER OF DEFENSE HAS FINISHED CALLING SIGNALS. The first number selects the play. You have nine plays to choose from. They are numbered from 1 to 9 as shown in the table below. THE OFFENSIVE PLAYS 1 - run 2 - draw 3 - screen pass 4 - short pass 5 - long pass 6 - fieldgoal kick 7 - punt 8 - kickoff* 9 - on-side kick * kickoff play is automatically set by the computer You do not have to enter the play on a kickoff. The computer does it for you. The second number you enter designates a target area. Imagine the field divided into ten equal horizontal strips or target areas as shown in Figure 3. They are numbered from 0 at the top of the field to 9 on the bottom. You need not enter a target area if the play is a kick of any kind. If you do, the computer will ignore it anyway. If you forget to select a target area on a run or pass play, the computer will select one for you. After you have pushed one or two numbers, push the HIT or ENTER button. If you push the HIT or ENTER button without entering a number, the computer will select a running or passing play at random. 25 Using the menu is just as easy except that you don't need to wait until the defensive signals have been called. Just move your pointer to the play that you want. Then push RIGHT. Pointers will then appear by the list of target areas. Select one of them and push RIGHT again. When a player has finished entering signals the word DONE appears on the appropriate menu. When both players are done, the formations appear on the screen. The play begins when the player on offense pushes the HIT or ENTER button again. Your selection is not final until you push the RIGHT control and get the "DONE" message on the screen or the menu disappears. Likewise, if you use the keyboard to call signals, the choice is not final until you push the RETURN (ENTER) key. That means that, if you entered a play and realize that you made a mistake and can't go back and fix it, you can stop and switch to the other method of calling signals. This works only on offensive signals. FIGURE 3 The target areas ____________________________________ 0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 _____________________________________ 26 ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 6. THE PLAY ----------------------------------------------------------------- STARTING THE PLAY When both the offensive and defensive players have entered their play signals, the defensive formation appears on the field. Play begins when the player on offense pushes the HIT button. If the clock is running, players have thirty seconds from the end of the last play to start the next one. (There is a 30-second clock that runs between plays when time is in.) If the 30-second clock runs out, a "delay of game" penalty is called on the player who didn't get his signals entered. If both players let the clock run out, time-out is called and no one gets a penalty. Either player can stop the game clock by calling a time-out with the T key on the keyboard or by selecting TIME on the "Special" menu. Players must keep track of the number of time-outs called. Each player gets three per half. Additional free time-outs can be called by mutual consent of both players. Beginning the play starts the ball moving on the field and the bottom-display. The yardline and gain displays also keep track of the ball location. The gain display shows gains as positive numbers and losses as negative ones. THE RUNNING PLAY (play 1) At the start of a running play, the quarterback runs backward about four yards, then hands the ball of to a running back who runs sideways toward the target area. At that point, the defenders can be moved right or left to intercept him. The offensive right/left movement can be started when he gets past the position of the offensive tackle. When he gets to the target area, he turns down-field and runs toward the line. That's when the player on offense should begin left/right movement. Remember, the chances of being hit when he gets to the line get smaller the farther away he is from a defender. At the same time, the defenders in the zone that the ballcarrier will be entering next (in this case, the line) can be moved sideways by right/left controls of the player on defense. When the ballcarrier gets to the line, a beep is heard and the defender nearest the path of the ballcarrier turns some color (at least his pants do). If it is the color of the defense, the player on defense has the OPPORTUNITY to push his HIT button to try to stop the progress of the ball. 27 If the player gets a hit, the ballcarrier's progress is stopped. But if player on offensive is able to push his HIT button first, the defender is blocked and the ballcarrier continues to run. If either player pushes the HIT button on the wrong color, a yellow flag appears and a referee who points to the offending side. In that case, play goes on and a penalty will be called when the play is over. If neither player pushes a HIT button, the ball carrier just goes on until the next beep is heard. When the second beep is heard, the next nearest defender to the path of the ballcarrier gets a color. This time, the probability of his getting the OPPORTUNITY to hit depends only on how many defenders there are in the line zone. Again, the players can use their HIT buttons according to the hit rules. If the ballcarrier is not stopped at the second beep, there is a third beep and the next nearest defender gets a chance. Again, the chances of him getting an OPPORTUNITY depend on the number of defenders in the line zone. In the line, the ballcarrier advances two yards between beeps. While the ballcarrier is running through the line, the player on defense can move the linebackers sideways with the right/left controls in case the runner makes it through the line. If the ballcarrier gets through the line (three beeps) without being stopped, he enters the zone of the linebackers. Here, the action is similar to that in the line. Again there are three beeps. On the first beep, the chances of the closest defender getting an OPPORTUNITY depend on how close he is to the ballcarrier. On the other two beeps the chances depend on how many linebackers there are. The number of yards gained by the ballcarrier between beeps is three yards in this zone. If the ballcarrier makes it through the linebacker zone, the same process is repeated in the zone of the safeties except that the ballcarrier makes five yards between beeps. If he makes it through that zone, only the closest safety continues to chase him until the goal line is reached. During that chase, periodic beeps are heard. The chasing defender has only a low probability (1 in 6) of getting an OPPORTUNITY. The runner makes six yards each beep in this zone. If the player on defense has put no defenders in one of the zones, there will be no beeps. The ballcarrier can cross that zone with no chance of being stopped. If it is the safety zone that has no defenders in it, there are no beeps in the breakthrough zone either. That is, there is no defender left to chase him to the goal line if he gets through the safety zone. If the ballcarrier reaches the goal line at some earlier point in this process, play is, of course, halted and a score is recorded with appropriate sound effects. 28 So you can see that the probability of getting a chance to stop the ballcarrier in any zone depends on how many defenders the player on defense has put into the zone. Whether he can capitalize on an OPPORTUNITY and actually make a hit depends on his reflexes and those of the other player. In addition to the basic scheme we have just described, the defense can get other bonuses. If a hit can be made on the very first beep when the ball first enters the line zone, forward progress is stopped at the line, but the runner still tries to find a hole. For each additional hit that can be made in succession, the ballcarrier goes back a yard or two. If the defense cannot make a hit on one of these beeps, the ballcarrier is down and the play ends with no gain or with a loss. If three hits in a row are made, the computer gives the defense a fourth beep. If the defense can make that hit too, the ball is fumbled and recovered by the defense. Otherwise, play stops when no hit is made after a beep. In any zone other than the line, the defense is also given a chance to cause a fumble if a hit can be made on the first beep in the zone. After the defense makes the hit, ball movement is stopped but beeps continue. As long as defenders keep getting opportunities and the player on defense makes hits without being blocked, the beeps continue up to four. That is, if the defense can make four successive hits, the runner fumbles and the defense recovers. When the play finally ends, the runner is down and a whistle is heard. Here is a table that shows how many yards the ballcarrier makes between beeps in the different zones. Yards Gained Between Beeps line zone 2 linebacker zone 3 safety zone 5 breakthru zone 6 THE PASS PLAY (play 3,4 or 5) When a pass begins, the ballcarrier (quarterback) again goes back about four yards. Then he fades backwards and sideways in the direction of the target zone. At the same time, defenders that have been picked to rush the passer move across the line of 29 scrimmage and follow the passer. Beeps are heard, as in the running play. After each beep, a rushing defender turns a color. The probability of his getting getting an OPPORTUNITY to hit depends on the number of rushing defenders. If he gets an OPPORTUNITY, the player on defense may push the HIT button and the player on offense may hit his HIT button to attempt to block. But the ballcarrier is not stopped by a first hit. It takes two hits to sack the quarterback. (The first hit does stop the player on offense from changing the target zone.) What's more, the quarterback passes the ball after only one beep if the play is a screen pass. For a short pass, the quarterback fades back for two beeps. For a long pass, he takes three beeps. That is, the defense has no chance to sack if the play is a screen pass, only two chances on a short pass , and three chances to make two hits on a long pass. If the defense can make three hits in succession they are given one extra chance. If four hits can be made in succession, not only is it a sack, but also a fumble recovered by the defense. During the fadeback for a pass, the player on offense can change the target zone. Each move of the right/left controls raises or lowers the target zone by one. It is possible in this way to pass the ball out of bounds. HINT: It is easier for the player on defense to move a defender directly into line with a long pass if the pass goes straight down field, as it is likely to go if the target area is not changed during the fadeback. Changing the target area during the fadeback not only allows the offense to pick a reception point that is far from a defender but makes makes the pass slant across the field and makes defense more difficult. When the ball is thrown, a ball appears on the screen and moves to the target area. During the flight of the ball, the player on defense can move the defenders in the reception zone left or right with the left/right controls. (The computer knows which is the reception zone and moves the correct defenders.) The reception zone for a screen pass is always the line zone (about one yard from scrimmage). A short pass goes to the linebacker zone (about eight yards from scrimmage). A long pass goes to the safety zone (about eighteen yards from scrimmage). When the ball approaches the reception zone, the closest defender in that zone is selected. The probability of his getting the OPPORTUNITY to hit depends on how close the defender is, vertically, to the destination of the ball. If the defender gets the opportunity and the player on defense pushes the HIT button without being blocked, the pass is incomplete. Otherwise, the pass is complete, the ballcarrier appears where the ball lands, and begins running down field. Play continues from that point as a running play. 30 The game also allows for interceptions. If the pass is incomplete (by virtue of a hit on the first beep in the reception zone), beeping continues for up to three more beeps. If the defense can get three more hits in succession, the ball is intercepted and a running play starts in the opposite direction with the other team's defenders now appearing on the field. If the interception is in the endzone, it's an automatic touchback and the intercepting team gets the ball on the 20. Below is a table that shows the lengths (in yards from the line of scrimmage) of the different kinds of passes. These are the minimum gains that can be made if the passes are completed. PASS YARDS FROM LOS Screen 1 Short 8 Long 18 If the passing team is any closer to the other team's goal line than the 8-yard line, a long pass will go over the end of the endzone. If you are on defense, this also means that you don't need to have any safeties at all if the ball is closer than the 8. In fact, you would be wasting defenders if you left them back there. If the passing team is closer than the 5-yard line to their own goal line, the passer will go out of the endzone if a long pass is attempted. DRAW PLAY (play 2) A draw play is a running play in which the defenders that were picked to rush are purposely allowed to penetrate the line of scrimmage, but have no chance to hit the ballcarrier because there is no fadeback. If the offense calls this play and the defense is not rushing, the statistical formula that decides whether to give an OPPORTUNITY adjusts the probability in favor of the defense (as if there were two more defenders in the line than there really are). If it were not for this penalty, the player on offense would be tempted to use a draw play in place of every running play instead on only when he expects a heavy pass rush. So if this play is called in anticipation of a heavy pass rush and there is a rush, the play should make good yardage. But if there is no rush, the chances of making a gain are smaller than they would have been on an ordinary running play. 31 FIELDGOAL ATTEMPT (play 6) A fieldgoal attempt begins like a pass except that the ball goes straight back for 9 yards. Rushers are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and given chances to make hits. Four successive hits must be made in order to make a block. A blocked kick is always recovered by the defense at the point where it is blocked. When the kick is made, the small ball on the bottom-display flies toward a goal post. If the ball clears the crossbar, the kick is good. If the line of scrimmage is close enough for the goal posts to be seen on the screen, you can also tell by watching the ball on the field whether the kick is good. The processor sets the probability of a successful attempt depending on the distance to the goal posts. The probability is 95 percent if the line of scrimmage is the three yardline and zero at the fifty yardline. The defense is not penalized for a heavy rush, as it is on a punt. The only reason for caution is that the offense might do a draw or a screen pass play (fake kick) if they expect a maximum rush. Conversion After a touchdown, the scoring team can try for a conversion from the three-yardline. The normal way is to do a fieldgoal attempt for one point (point-after-touchdown). The team can also try for two points by doing a running or passing play. PUNT (play 7) A punt begins like a fieldgoal attempt. The ball goes back about 10 yards while rushing defenders are allowed to penetrate the line and are given chances to hit. If four successive hits can be made by the defense, the kick is blocked and recovered by the defense. If not, the little ball kicked and can be watched best on the bottom display. If not a touchback, the kick is turned into a running play for the receiving team when it lands. In a real game, if the receiving team rushes with more defenders to try to block the kick, there will be fewer of them to block for the receiver. This is simulated in this game by placing the new defenders on the field by turning around the receiving team's defensive formation. Linemen and blitzing backs will then be in the zone closest to the receiver when the runback begins. (If the receiving team does not intend to try for a block, they will have a better chance for a long runback by putting fewer men on the line.) 32 The distance of a punt is randomly chosen by the processor between 30 and 50 yards from scrimmage. If the kick lands more than about two yards into the endzone, it automatically becomes a touchback and is placed on the 20 yardline. If there is a runback, defenders are placed on the field by the processor in three zones that the ballcarrier must run through just as in a running play. KICKOFF (play 8) A kickoff is also seen best on the bottom-display. The processor places the ball on the 35 yardline and automatically calls the defensive formation and the kickoff play. The player on offense need only push the START button. (If he enters any play other than a kickoff or a short kick, a penalty will be called.) The ball then flies toward the other team's goal. If the ball lands more that about two yards inside the endzone, it is automatically a touchback. If not a touchback, the kick is turned into a running play for the receiving team when it lands. The length of the kick is randomly selected by the processor between 55 and 75 yards. If there is a runback, defenders are placed on the field by the processor in a 5,3,3 arrangement, so that the ballcarrier must run through zones of 5,3, and 3 defenders. Except at the first beep in a zone, when the proximity to the nearest defender counts, the chances of getting an OPPORTUNITY are 50% in all zones. (That's true for all run-backs.) Both players can use right/left controls to move the ballcarrier and the defenders. If the defense has no safety at all, there is no one to catch the ball and the receiving team gets the ball where it lands. ON-SIDE KICK (play 9) Normally, the player who is kicking off does not have to enter a play selection for a kickoff. But if he enters a 9 before he pushes the start button, the kick will be a short kick. Such a kickoff travels about 15 yards. Nine defenders will appear in the first zone into which the receiver must run. The kicking team's chances for getting the ball back by getting four hits in a row and causing a fumble are about 12 percent. Watch out! The first beep comes very quickly. 33 SCORING Points are scored in this game just as in a real game. Here are the ways to score. o Touchdown (6 points). The ball is carried or passed into the defense's endzone. A fumble or blocked punt is recovered in the offensive team's endzone by the defense. o PAT (point after touchdown) (1 point). The team that scored a touchdown place-kicks the ball over the goalpost from the three yardline. o Two-point conversion (2 points). The team that scored a touchdown runs or passes the ball into the endzone from the three-yardline. o Fieldgoal (3 points). The ball is place-kicked over the goalpost on a normal down (not after a TD). o Safety (2 points). The offense's ballcarrier or passer is tackled in the offensive endzone. 34 ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 7. HOW THE COMPUTER KEEPS TRACK OF THINGS ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE SCOREBOARD While you run all of these plays you just learned about, the computer keeps track of possession, down, yards to go, yards gained, scores, time remaining, the 30-second clock, quarters, and all other aspects of the game. These things are displayed on a scoreboard screen that alternates with the play screen. The scoreboard appears after the play ends. It goes away after the signals for the next play have been called. The bottom-screen display that shows the cross section of the field with the ball location, the yardline, gain, and number of hits stays on the screen all of the time. TIME The game clock works much like that of a real game. The clock is started when a play begins. The clock is automatically stopped when any of these things happen: * first down * penalty * missed fieldgoal * touchback * out of bounds * 2-minute warning * score * incomplete pass * end of quarter * Time-out is called * Both players let play clock expire In all of these cases, the clock will not start again until a new play is begun. If no play is in progress, the players can tell whether or not the clock is running by looking at the time display or the 30-second clock. If they are not running, then time is out. The 30-second clock starts running down when the scoreboard screen appears unless the game clock is stopped. If the clock is running, players have 30 seconds to start the next play or a "delay-of-game" penalty is called. If neither player calls signals in time, the game clock stops and no one is penalized. 35 The game does not keep track of time-outs taken by the players. The players must keep track of them themselves. Each player is allowed three time-outs in each half with additional time-outs allowed by mutual consent which are charged to neither player. After four 15-minute quarters the game ends unless the score is tied. In that case another quarter starts with the blue team kicking off. It is up to the players to decide whether overtime will last one quarter, five minutes, or until there is a score (sudden death). At the end of the fifth quarter, the scoreboard flashes the END OF GAME message and you are instructed to quit the game and start a new one. These messages can be ignored and you can play on if you want. The only way to start a new game is to quit the program and start again. To quit, type X to get the set-up mode and then type Y twice. Or you can push Esc. 36 ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 8. PENALTIES ----------------------------------------------------------------- The computer detects fouls such as illegal hits, calling illegal formations or plays, and not getting the play started on time. It calls appropriate penalties and, if the play was allowed to finish, tells the players of the consequences of accepting or refusing the penalties. This information is printed on the screen. It then waits for the player who was fouled to push the A for ACCEPT or the R for REFUSE. Here is how a typical penalty message might look: HOLDING - RED 10 YARDS ACCEPT: 1 down and 10 on the blue 35 REFUSE: 2 down and 8 on the blue 27 ACCEPT OR REFUSE? Blue push A or R The severities of the penalties depend on the phase of the play when the infraction occurred. If the foul happens early in a play, the penalty is lighter than when it happens later. An illegal hit can be made by either the offensive or the defensive player. After a play, players can usually see where an illegal hit was made because there a defender of the wrong color can be seen to have made a hit or to have been blocked. (If you want to keep the field screen from disappearing after a play, try to push the F key as soon as possible. Push it again to let the game go on. Although most penalties are actually for illegal hits, they are given names like "holding", "unnecessary roughness", or "offside". The main categories of penalties are as follows: * Delay of game (not getting signals called on time) This infraction is called before a play begins and results in a 5-yard penalty from scrimmage. * Illegal procedure (calling illegal signals) This infraction is called before a play begins and results in a 5-yard penalty from scrimmage. 37 * Illegal hit during a rush (pass, fieldgoal, or punt) This infraction stops the play as if the foul occurred before the snap of the ball. The penalty is 5 yards from scrimmage (except that an offensive penalty on a kick for the extra point after a TD is 15 yards). * Illegal hit at pass reception or during a run The penalty for this infraction depends on where the foul occurred. It varies from 5 yards from scrimmage to 15 yards from the point where the play stopped. * Illegal hit during a runback (interception, kickoff, or punt) This penalty is always 10 yards marked from the point at which the play stopped. * Offsetting penalties (both players making illegal hits) If the infraction occurred during a runback, the penalties cancel each other and play continues as if there were no penalty. If the foul occurred at any other time, the penalties cancel each other and the down is replayed from the previous line of scrimmage. 38 ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 9. HUMAN AGAINST COMPUTER ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this chapter, we talk about the differences between the computer game and the human game and what the computer as an opponent does differently from a human opponent. The computer always defends the same goal (the left one). It controls the red team. You control the Blue on the right. You can use the space bar as another HIT button. The human player kicks off at the beginning of the game. The human player always pushes the start button to begin a play, even if he is on defense. He pushes it when he has finished calling the signals, which puts the formations on the screen. He pushes it again to begin the play. If the clock is running, he has 30 seconds to start a new play. (Almost any key can start the play when playing against the computer.) The computer uses all available options. That is, it uses right/left motion and it blocks on offense. The computer calls its signals very quickly so that the human is the last to enter signals. (No, the computer doesn't cheat by looking at what play the human is calling before it calls its own signals.) Because the computer's reflexes are much faster than yours the computer's maximum left/right speed on offense and defense is made slower and its reversing speed on offense is also made slower than that available to the human player. It wants to give you a fair chance. When you are playing against the computer, the block handicap is no longer a handicap put on the offense. It is a handicap that is put on the computer whether it is on offense or on defense. The handicap can be set from 0 to 3 steps. The bigger the handicap, the longer (the more steps of the runner or receiver) the computer delays before making hits. The computer does not commit infractions. It gets no penalties. It is not sporting to rush against the computer when it is punting or kicking a fieldgoal with more than six defenders. (The computer always kicks on fourth down. It is not smart enough to try a fake kick when playing against a madly rushing opponent.) If the human rushes with more than six, the probability of getting an OPPORTUNITY to hit is limited to 50% for each hit. That is, he gains no advantage by rushing more than six. 39 How does the computer stack up against a human? Under normal circumstances, the computer picks its plays and defenses with as much intelligence as a human player would (sometimes more). It does not normally take into consideration the time left to play or the score. When these things become important, the human would probably call more sensible plays. But after a play starts, the computer is probably faster at picking out the holes in pass defenses and taking advantage of them. When it comes to avoiding defenders or moving defenders in the path of the ballcarrier, the computer is probably not much better than a human at normal game-speeds. It does have one big advantage. It doesn't have lapses of concentration. You won't catch it missing a chance to hit because it wasn't paying attention. In addition the the block handicap, game speed is what determines whether you can beat the computer. At a very low speed, you can beat it hands down. At a very high speed you don't have a chance. Unless you get a kick out of beating up on computers or vice versa, you should set the speed and handicap in the middle so that you have a fair contest. Enjoy the game. =================================================================== =================================================================== DEFENSE version 2.2 (README file) Copyright 1992 Fred Lee All rights reserved Thank you for giving DEFENSE a tryout. DEFENSE is a shareware program. That means that you can try it without paying too much money for it. If you decide to use it, you are expected to register the program with the author and pay him for it. The price is $45. Is that a bargain or what? In return, you will get such good things as telephone help if you need it and notification of updates. It works on the honor system. Let me re-phrase that. It is supposed to work on the honor system. WHAT MEANS EVEN MORE TO ME THAN MONEY - if you can believe that - is knowing how many people are playing the game. If the fact that I have spent some ten years slaving over this game on a sick old IBM PC with 256K of RAM while putting four kids through expensive colleges, have a wife who needs an operation, oh yes, and flew some 70 combat missions in the Korean war doesn't move you to pay the measly $45 fee, then I ask you at least to drop me a line to tell me that you are using the program. That's all I ask. It will cost you a stamp. I'd offer to pay for it but I assume you will be wanting to use a phony name and address. Letting me know that you are using the game is my first priority. I have to be honest with you and admit that money is next. Thirdly, I would like to see your comments on the game although I'm not sure I want to hear from you if you DON'T like it. If you do like it, please make copies and give them to your friends. Here is the address: Fred Lee 888 S. Mary Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Tel: (408)736-0828 PS If you write, PLEASE mention your version number. PPS Be sure to read the file README.TOO too. PPPS My wife doesn't really need an operation. =========================================================== DEFENSE version 2.2 (README.TOO file) =========================================================== DEFENSE - the only do-it-yourself electronic football game and the best simulation of real football. Here are some things you should know about this program. EQUIPMENT NEEDED DEFENSE is designed for IBM PCs or compatibles with at least 512K bytes of RAM and color graphics. The computer should have a version of 3.2 or higher of the DOS operating system. A mouse or joysticks can be used but the game can be played with just the keyboard. THE FILES AND HOW TO RUN THEM The files that you should have on your disks are these: README important message README.TOO this message DEFENSE.EXE the game PRACTICE.EXE a tutorial for learning and practice SYMBOLS.PIX must be on same disk as the .EXE file DEFENSE.TXT the game instructions To read the instructions from your screen, put the diskette with DEFENSE.TXT on it into drive A, set the computer to drive A, and type TYPE DEFENSE.TXT. If you can print them out on a printer, reading is much easier. To print them, type PRINT DEFENSE.TXT. Or you can use your word processing program to read or print this ASCII file. To practice with the tutorial program, put the diskette with the file PRACTICE.EXE and the file SYMBOLS.PIX into drive A, set the computer to drive A, and type PRACTICE. Or you can copy these two files to the hard disk and run them from there. To play the game, put the diskette with the file DEFENSE.EXE and the file SYMBOLS.PIX into drive A, set the computer to drive A, and type DEFENSE. Or you can copy these two files to the hard disk and run them from there. Note that whether you are running DEFENSE or PRACTICE, the file SYMBOLS.PIX must be on the same disk. Both programs use this file. LEARNING THE GAME They say that games have to be so easy that you can just turn on and play them. They say that you won't read directions, especially long ones. That's why other football games are chase games where a little kid can move a little man and the computer chases him with a lot of little men until the COMPUTER decides to end the play. Or else they are games that let you select professional teams or players and the COMPUTER plays the game and you are supposed to believe that somehow the skills of your players affect the plays. These games do have tremendous graphics. And they are easy to learn. They are like checkers. DEFENSE doesn't even come close in the graphics department. But as a simulation of a football game, it is in a class by itself. It is like chess. People do play chess. To play it, they have to learn it. They are willing to learn it because then they can play a meaningful, intelligent game. Maybe it's time for a meaningful, intelligent football game. Maybe you will prove "them" wrong. The recommended way to learn to play DEFENSE is this. Run through the tutorial (PRACTICE) to see what it's all about. Then, if you want to be serious about the game, print out the instructions in file DEFENSE.TXT and read them. Then use PRACTICE again to perfect your skills. When you are ready to play, play the game (DEFENSE) against the computer. When you get good at that, you are ready to play against another human. ABOUT THE GAME DEFENSE is a game of strategy ,skill, and quick reflexes. Just as in real football, the offense and defense try to outguess each other. Just as in real football, the biggest gains are made by calling plays that fool the defense and vice versa. When the play starts, YOU - not the computer - play the game. Tackles can be made or missed depending on your skill in moving defenders and ballcarriers on the screen and how fast the player on defense can hit the tackle button. And the player on offense can block, so that the reaction times of both players become key factors. YOU make passes complete or incomplete. YOU cause sacks, interceptions, and fumbles. YOU can block kicks. Infractions of the rules result in penalties. Even the pace at which the game is played is about the same as that of a real game. It is not a hard game to play, but to play it well takes practice and knowing the subtle tricks of the game. CUTTING OUT THE SPEED TEST At the beginning of the game and the tutorial, the computer does a careful check of the speed of your computer so that the game won't run too fast or too slow. If you get tired of waiting through this test, you can make the computer skip it. After you start one of the programs, make a note of the speed code. (The computer writes it at the bottom left of the screen after the speed test.) Then enter the code after the word DEFENSE or PRACTICE whenever you start one of these programs. Be sure to leave a space. Example: DEFENSE 83 <enter>.