Season's Greetings & Games Unlimited/UGOLD_cd2.iso/baseball/epicbb.doc

Text File | 1993-11-20 | 18KB | 380 lines

GETTING STARTED
===============

GAME CONTROLS

If you have a mouse, most input can be done by pointing to your selection
and pressing the mouse button.  With or without a mouse, the keyboard can be
used to select an option by pressing the letter or number appearing to the
left of the option.

THE MAIN MENU

There are ten options to choose from on the main menu (Figure 1).  For more
detailed information about each of these options, please refer to
corresponding sections in this manual.

A - Exhibition Play

This option allow you to play non-league games.  Non-league does not mean
that you cannot use your league teams to play an exhibition game.  It means
only that you will not be given the option to compile stats at the end of
the game.  This is the best way to become familiar with Epic Baseball.
Regardless of the outcome, you won't affect complied stats of your league
standings.

After hitting the Exhibition Play A key, a screen reveals a simulated
scoreboard showing the stadium in which you are playing, the two teams
that are currently selected, the starting pitchers, and two coaches
selected (computer or player). There is a series of options on the bottom
half of this screen.  These options can be changed to suit the way you want
to play your game and will be fully explained later in the manual starting
on page 4.

PLAYING A NON-LEAGUE GAME

Once you press A Exhibition Play, the Game Options screen appears.
The program automatically loads two teams and a stadium.  The top half of
the screen looks like a scoreboard and displays the options currently
selected.  You may play the default game selected or modify the selections
as noted below.  General game options are listed in the center gray box.
Additional Visitor/Home options are listed on the left/right respectively.
Below is a table of your general selections.

GENERAL GAME OPTIONS KEYS

1 - New Stadium: selects stadium of play.
2 - Set DH Rule: specifies designated hitter function.
3 - Game Type: played as either series, quick, or normal.
4 - Graphics: can be toggles on/off.
5 - Load Game: loads a previously saved game.
6 - Start Game.

Set Designated Hitter Rule

Press 2 to select or de-select the DH option.  Your selection will appear on
the scoreboard, which will display "DH" above the "General Game Options" box
if DH has been selected.  If it has not been selected nothing will appear in
this area.

Game Type

If you want to play Quick Game or use the Series Play option you can toggle
them by pressing 3.  A Quick Game will allow you to play and entire game in
less than minute.  The drawback is that you have no managerial control over
the game.  The Computer Manager takes over Computer Manager use the Manager
Profile Option where you can "program" the computer coach to your liking.

Series Play allows you to play series of games and save the box scores
without watching the games.  The computer will play from two to 18 games
unattended.  (This feature will also allow you to play just one game, but
we suggest playing more than one to maximize the advantage of this option.)

After each Quick or Series Play game you will be able to look at the box
score and game summary, print or save (as a text file) it.  Press F1 to view
the box score and F2 to view the game summary.  Once you see the view screen
you will see two icons at the upper right of the screen.  One is a printer
labeled F1, the other is a disk labeled F2.  To print the information press
F1, to save it as a text file press F2.  If you are saving it as a text file
you will be prompted to give it a file name.  Use any name, provided it is
eight letters or fewer.  The program automatically assigns the extension
of "ASC" to your file name.

To compile a box score select F3.  You will be asked to input a file name.
If you are saving to an existing file name the program will ask if you want
to overwrite or add to the file.  Overwriting the file will erase all of the
previous data saved in it.  Adding to the file will compile the saved data
with the new data for a combined total.  Since you do not have the option of
compiling stats in the Exhibition mode of play, compiling box scores is a
good way of tracking player performance.

4 - Graphics

Press 4 to toggle the graphics on or off.  With the graphics off you will
see only the results of each play during the game.  You will not see any
players run after or catch the ball, or run around the bases.  With the
graphics off you will be able to play an entire game quite a bit faster than
if you leave the graphics on.  To see which mode is selected look at the
lower left corner of the scoreboard.

5 - Load Game

If you have previously saved a game you can restart it by selecting 5.  A
pop-up window will display the available saved games.  Use the arrow keys to
highlight your choice and hit ENTER to select it.  Note: the saved options
will be in effect, not the ones that are displayed on the screen.  When you
load a saved game everything will be loaded as last appeared.  Be sure to
select the same; otherwise the results of the game will be affected.

6 - Start Game

Before you press 6 to start the game, you should read the next section, Game
time Options.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

The other options listed on the screen are in the blue and red blocks and
correspond to Home and Visitor options.  Options A-F pertain to the Visitors
and G-L pertain to the Home team.

AG - Select New Teams: shows league teams.
BH - Select New Coaches: toggles between player and computer manager.
CI - Select New Pitchers: shows available starting and backup pitchers.
DJ - Set Lineup: shows batting order and field setup.
EK - Load Playbook: shows available playbooks.
FL - Load Profile: shows available profiles.

AG - Select New Teams

The program automatically loads two teams when you select Exhibition Play.
To play other teams select A or G, depending on which team you want to
change.  When the appropriate letter is pressed a Select [Visiting/Home]
Team screen appears.  It lists all the available teams in that league or
season file.  If you do not want to play with teams from this league and
would like select another league press F1.  A pop-up window appears
requesting you to pick a league file.  Use arrows and ENTER keys to make a
selection, and that league will appear on the Select [Visitor/Home] Team
screen.  To select a new team press the letter/number that appears to the
left of the team name.

BH - Select New Coaches

To choose between one of two coaching possibilities press B for the Visitors
or H for the Home Team.  These are toggle keys which enable you to switch
between Player Coach and Computer Coach.  Player Coach lets you make the
managerial decisions during the game.  Computer Coach means that the
computer will make all strategic decisions.  You can assign a Manager's
Profile only to the Computer Coach.

CI - Select Pitcher

To change your starting pitcher press C or I.  A screen will appear titled
"Select Home/Visiting Team Pitchers." This screen is divided into three
sections.  The top section contains the current pitcher, the middle section
shows who is currently in the bullpen, and the bottom section shows all
available pitchers on the bench.  Use the TAB key to move between the
sections.

The program has much information available for each player that it can't be
displayed all at once.  You should use the left and right arrow keys to see
all of the player's stats and ratings and the up and down arrow keys to
scroll the highlight bar through the available players.  The stats and
ratings in order of appearance are: Status, Throwing Arm, Wins, Losses,
Earned Run Average, Games Started, Completed Games, Saves, Innings Pitched,
Opposing at Bats, Hits allowed, Doubles allowed, Triples allowed, Home Runs
allowed, Walks allowed, Strikeouts, Groundball to Fly Ball Percentage, and
Batting Ability.  Press V to toggles between Combined, vs. Right stats.
All pre-1982 teams have combined stats only.  Press B to go directly to the
batting lineup.  (See Set Lineup on page 9.)  Press S to save the current
lineup for later.  It is not necessary to press S to save these changes for
the current game, simply hit ESC.

The status for the current pitcher will be O.K., Tired or Wild. The status
for a bullpen pitcher will be Warm, Cold, or Tired.  The status for a bench
pitcher will either be O.K. or Tired.

To remove a pitcher from the Pitching Box, highlight him and press ENTER.
Before a game, this will put him on the bench.  During a game, it will send
him to the showers.  To put a pitcher in the game, first empty the Pitching
Box, then highlight the new pitcher (in the bullpen) and press ENTER.  To
put a pitcher in the bullpen, leave a pitcher in the pitching box, highlight
the benched pitcher and press ENTER.  To sit a bullpen pitcher, highlight
him in the bullpen while there is a pitcher in the pitching Box and press
ENTER.

OJ - Set Lineup

To change your starting Lineup Press O or J.  A new screen will appear
titled "Set Home/Visitors Lineup."  The screen is divided into two parts.
The top shows who is currently in the lineup and the position they are
playing.  The bottom shows who is one the bench.  As with the pitchers, use
TAB to change from one part to the other, and the arrow keys to move around
within the sections.  To change a player's position, press ENTER, and then
the letter corresponding to the position you want him to play.  To switch
two player's positions in the lineup highlight one player and then press the
number of the other player's spot in the order.  To move a player from the
bench to the lineup, highlight him and press the number of the spot where
you want to place him.  The player in that spot will be replaced by the
highlighted player.  Hitting V toggles between combined stats and those for
left-and right-handed pitchers.  Press S to save the lineup.  You can save
as either your lineup vs. RHP's or LHP's or as one of the platoon lineups.
This tells the computer manager what changes to make when the starter is
replaced by an opposite-handed pitcher.  Press P to go to the pitcher's
screen.

PLAY BALL

Input a play from your playbook card (for the both the home team and
visiting team if necessary, depending on the options you have set).  To
select a play from the standard playbook, input the one-digit code on the
play card.  See Playbook Editor (see page 29) for a description of the play
options.  To select a play from a custom playbook, input O followed by the
two-digit code from your playbook.  It's that easy and that fast.  Once the
plays are input the animations begin.  A digitized video window that contains
actual baseball footage will appear if enabled.  Press V to turn video off
and one. Once the play begins, a box appears that contains the play-by-play
explanation of the action.


GAME FINAL SCREEN

When the game is finished, the "Game Final" screen will appear.  You have
the following options:

F1 - View or Print Box Score
F2 - View or Print Summary
F3 - Compile Box Score

F1 View Or Print Box Score

Lets you view and/or print detailed box score for the game.

F2 View Or Print Summary

GAME-TIME OPTIONS

During the course of a game (exhibition or league), there are several
information sources you can access.

VIEWING/CHANGING LINEUPS

ZX - Visiting Team Lineup

IF you are batting Z changes your current batter and X changes your on-deck
batter.  If you are int the field Z visits the mound (to make starting
pitcher changes) and X calls the bullpen to start warming someone up or put
him directly into the game.

NM - Home Team Lineup

On the home side of the field select N to change the current batter and M to
change the on deck batter.  When fielding select n to visit the mound and M
to call the bullpen.

NOTE:  You can point and click with your mouse to access these functions,
(e.g., If you want to check on your starting pitcher click the starting
pitcher box with your mouse.  If you want to change your on-deck batter
click the on-deck batter's box).  Changes are made as described in the
Exhibition Game Options (pages 7-9) except that removed players will "hit
the showers" instead of being benched.

BOX SCORE

Pressing B (or clicking on the scoreboard) displays the box score.  A pop-up
menu appears and displays options available.  Press F1 to view and access
the printing functions of the detailed box score.  Press F2 to view and
access the detailed game summary.  Press F3 to save the game exactly where
you are and quit.  when you press F3 you are asked to enter a file name for
your saved game.  enter any name that is eight characters or less.  The
program automatically gives the file name an extension of ."sav."  When you
load it from the Game Options screen (see page 11 "Load Game") the program
only displays ."sav" files.  When you finish the game the ."sav" file
remains on your hard disk.  To delete the saved the game exit from the
program and use standard DOS commands.  To quit the game you were playing
without saving press F4.  This immediately exits the game and takes you back
to the main menu screen (or league schedule screen if you are playing in a
league).  Press F5 to finish a game quickly.  This finished the game in
Quick Play mode.  NOTE: By finishing the game in Quick Play mode you forgo
and managerial control of the rest of the game.  Press F6 to quickly finish
the current inning only.  Press F7 to use Quick Play mode through to a
certain inning.  When you press F7 you are asked to enter an inning number.

STAT NOTEBOOK

If you are the visiting team TAB lets you access the Stat Notebook feature.
The home team uses the / key to do the same.  You cannot access this feature
by using a mouse; you must use the keyboard.  The Stat Notebook is a quick
reference to everything you need to know to make the best decisions.  When
selected, a notebook appears above your selection boxes.  The options in the
Stat Notebook are number 0-9.  To access them you use the mouse to point and
click or select the numbers from the keyboard.  The visiting team used the
number keys that appear above the alpha-keypad.  NOTE: If the number 5 does
not work for the home team make sure your "num lock" is activated.  The
options are as follows:

0 - Index                 7 - V. Lineup
1 - Batter                8 - H. Lineup
2 - On Deck               9 - Close Book
3 - Runners
4 - Pitcher
5 - C-LF-CF-RF
6 - 1B-2B-3B-SS

O - Index

The Index displays exactly what you are seeing when you open the Stat
Notebook.  It lets you know the function of each number.  To the right of
the stat notebook are tabs with numbers to let you know exactly where you
are.  The option you have chosen is fully displayed on the tab.  The rest
of the options are partially covered by the selected options "page."

1- Batter

If you select the number 1, you see the current batter's name at the top of
the page followed by his stats.  These are his historical stats (even if you
are playing a league game, these would not be his complied stats). The stats
are listed in two column contains stats versus "lefties" and the right
column stats versus "righties".

There are three rating at the bottom of the page.  SA is the player's
sacrifice ability.  PULL tells you whether the batter is a pull hitter, a
spray hitter or an opposite-field hitter.  If a right-handed batter is a
spray hitter, he hits it equally to any field.  If a right-handed batter is
an opposite-field hitter, he tends to hit the ball to right field.  POW is
the player's batting power, and will be listed as none, some, good, or
awesome.

2 - On Deck

Select 2 to get the same information for the on-deck batter

3- Runners

Select 3 to determine who is on base with their speed and base stealing
ratings.  Base stealing (SB) is broken into two categories: successful
steals and caught stealing (i,e., 15/2 would mean the player had 15
successful steals and was caught stealing twice).  The player's speed
(SPD) will be listed as leadfoot, slow, average, good, fast, or speedster.

4 - Pitchers

Select 4 to view the current pitcher stats.  The pitcher who is currently
pitching is displayed at the top of the page.  Below the pitcher's name is
the number of innings pitched and his pitching arm.  ERA (Earned Run
Average) follows.  His stats against lefties appear on the left side of the
"Page" The stats against righties appear on the right.

5 - C-LF-CF-RF

Press 5 to view rating of players at specified positions (C-LF-CF-RF).  The
ratings for the players of those positions include: Fielding Range
Rating (R), Throw Rating (T), and Fielding Percentage (%).

6 - 1B-2B-3B-SS

Press 6 to display the same ratings as above for the remaining positions.
The remaining positions are 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS.  Refer to the glossary for
an explanation of the ratings.

7 - Visiting Lineup

This option let you view the entire lineup for the visiting team.  The
team's abbreviation is listed above the current lineup.  The players are
listed in the order of appearance in the batting order.  The player at bat
will have an asterisk by his name.  IF your team is in the field, the
asterisk appears next to the name of the player scheduled to lead off the
next half-inning.

8 - Home Lineup

Press 8 to view the same information for the home team lineup.

9 - Close Book

To close the Stat Notebook press 9.  The notebook displays disappears, and
you may input your play to continue the game.

-end-