<p>In order to obtain the best possible enjoyment out of playing Arcade Soccer it is essential that you understand al the following guidelines. The game has been specifically designed to make this as easy and enjoyable as is possible. (N.B. It was not possible to make the music Sequence work during the game itself. Even the humble Archie has limited memory. And anyway how many times do football players wear walkmans).</p>
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<h4>Main Menu Screen</h4>
<p>This controls all the main options that are available to you. The pointer is in the middle of the screen (a football boot) and can be moved using either the mouse or a joystick (see section on Voltmace Joystick Information for details of how to get an Archimedes joystick). Most references for the Main Menu Screen below will state the mouse but are equally valid tor a joystick if fitted.</p>
<p>The best way to discover the meaning of all the icon windows is to point the boot over the centre of them and press the middle button on the mouse. A brief description of each icon's purpose is then given on screen.</p>
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<h4>Top right 3 icons</h4>
<p>Clicking the left or right button on the mouse will select these.</p>
<ul>
<li> <b>World Cup</b> takes you to the World Cup tables. You can have 1 to 24 human teams. (See Section on The World Cup).<br>
<li> <b>Challenge </b> takes you to the next challenge match for player 1. There are 24 increasingly difficult teams to beat.Every member of each team (including goalkeepers) becomes more skilful as you progress.<br>
<li> <b>Friendly </b> takes you to a friendly game. You can set the skill and formations of both teams. Plus you can play against the computer or a friend and you can also make and watch 2 computer teams play each other. (See section on Computer Vs. Computer Action!).<br>
</ul>
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<h4>Bottom right 3 disc icons</h4>
<p>Clicking the left or right buttons on the mouse will select these. These allow you to catalogue a disc plus load and save positions. You should save your positions onto a specially precreated file disc. To make this you should go to desktop and click on the disc drive icon. Then double click on the "!Special" disc file icon. The READ ME" file icon tells why this is preferable. (Once the game has loaded it does not need to access the Soccer disc again and you should leave your "special" disc in the drive). A saved position saves all the game settings, your progress in the World Cup and in the challenge.</p>
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<h4>Left 2 columns for Players 1 and 2</h4>
<p>Clicking the left or right buttons on the mouse changes the settings for these. The left button moves through them in one direction and the right button in the other direction. The top 2 left icons on each column for each player allow you to select keyboard or joystick controls for each player. (N.B, it was not possible to make players work properly with the mouse). When using the Voltmace joystick for actually playing football I highly recommend that you set it to maximum sensitivity. To do this turn the 2 sensitivity buttons at the bottom of the joystick to their maximum clockwise position. Plus there's a sensitivity key when on a menu screen. By pressing function key <b>F1 </b> a few times on any menu screen the sensitivity of the joystick or mouse can be adjusted. Sensibly this does not affect the sensitivity of the joystick when actually playing football.</p>
<p>The top 2 right icons on each column select whether each player is a human or computer team. You can have 2 human teams, 2 computer teams or 1 human and 1 computer. (These affect friendlies only).</p>
<p>The skill icons affect the ability of both teams in friendlies ONLY. (In the challenge and the World Cup each computer country has its very own skills and weaknesses). Skill 1 is the lowest and skill 24 the highest. The skill level for computer teams affects the playing ability of all players including the goalies. The skill level for human players affects the ability of the computer-controlled goalies only. The formation icons affect the formations of human teams in friendlies, the challenge and the World Cup. They affect computer teams in friendlies only. (In the challenge and the World Cup the computer countries decide their own formations). The 3 formation settings decide the positions of team members - you may perhaps prefer a strong midfield. Players generally stay in their allocated positions but can, when the need arises, move to other areas of the pitch.</p>
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<h4>Pink game status icons</h4>
<p>Clicking the left or right button on the mouse changes the settings for these. The left button moves through them in one direction and the right button in the other. As you can see there are a seemingly infinite number of ways to play Arcade Soccer. Some are serious and some not so serious!</p>
<ul>
<li> <b>Minimum Human Kick Distance Icon:</b> This allows you to set the MINIMUM distance that your players will kick the ball. It ranges from 10% to 100% power. (See section on Playing Guidelines for more information on kicking the ball).<br>
<li> <b>Weather Icon:</b> There are 4 different weather settings. Fine, Rainy, Stormy and Chaotic. The chaotic setting literally shows what the players are made of! Note that when doing a sliding tackle in the rain the player will slide (and spin) quite a bit further. This will delay his response time. Length Of Halves Icon: 1 to 9 minutes each way.<br>
<li> <b>Swerve Sensitively Icon:</b> From no swerve to loop the loop. This affects swerve shots of both human and computer teams. (See Playing Guidelines below for details on how to swerve the ball).<br>
<li> <b>Tackle Noise Icon:</b> Quiet, Normal or Weird.<br>
<li> <b>Radar Icon:</b> (N.B. This must be ON when playing in the World Cup final). None, small or large radar setting in top left of pitch. This can help you to see where to pass to. The changing positions of all of both teams' players is shown - their colour corresponds to the colour of the strips of the real players.<br>
<li> <b>Speed Of Player With Ball icon:</b> Slow or Fast. This affects the speed at which the player with the ball can run. The normal low setting makes him run slower than all the other players on the field. When set to fast the other players cannot catch him from behind.<br>
<li> <b>Replay Icon</b> : After a goal has been scored this allows you to see either a short or long replay of it. Speed Icon: This allows you to set the playing speed of the game to either slow or fast. (I recommend the slow option tor new Arcade Soccer players).<br>
<li> <b>Football Style Icon:</b> For football connoisseurs.<br>
<li> <b>Volume Icon: </b> Volume settings from 0 to 9<br>
</ul>
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<h4>Playing guidelines</h4>
<p>The playing pitch is very large - just under 8 times the size of the screen. The player you are controlling can be moved by using either keyboard or joystick. As in real football a goal is awarded when just over half of the ball has gone over the goal line. Similarly the ball is deemed to be out of play when over half of it has gone over a line.</p>
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<h4>Running With The Ball</h4>
<p>When a player has the ball it will stay at his feet and he can dribble it by moving in the direction he wants to go. Kicking The Ball</p>
<p>In order to play well it is very important that you fully understand how to kick the ball. The ball can be kicked in any of 8 directions but is not actually kicked until you let go of the fire (kick) button. Firstly lets assume that Minimum Human Kick Distance Icon is set to 10% power. A quick tap on the kick button will kick the ball only this short distance. The longer you hold down the fire button before you release it the further the ball will go. Whilst holding down the fire button your player will continue to move in the direction he was going until you release it. When you have the Minimum Human Kick Distance Icon set to say 50% then a quick tap on the kick key will result in a 50% power kick. The longer you hold down the key before releasing it the nearer it will get to a 100% power kick.</p>
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<h4>Swerving The Ball</h4>
<p>If the Swerve Setting icon is set to one of the 3 swerve positions you can swerve the ball from any where on the pitch if you wish. It soon becomes quite easy to do and you can score some cracking goals! Here are 3 examples which should show you how it is done: Try moving up the pitch, press (and keep pressed) the kick key, then press the left direction key or move the joystick to the left, then let go of the kick key - the hall will swerve to the left. Plus try moving left across the pitch, press (and keep pressed) the kick key, then press the up direction key or move the joystick upwards, then let go of the kick key - the ball will swerve upwards. Plus try moving down the pitch, press (and keep pressed) the kick key, then press the right key or move the joystick to the right, now let go of the kick key, the ball will swerve to the right.</p>
<p>The Golden Rule is very logical: the direction key or way you move the joystick is the way the ball swerves that YOU actually see NOT the way the player himself would see on the pitch. (N.B. A good way to practice swerving is on friendlies on the 2 human players option. You don't get anybody tackling you').</p>
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<h4>Sliding Tackles</h4>
<p>When an opposing player has the ball the only way you can get it is obviously by tackling him To do this "simply" run close and aim in his direction and press the fire key.</p>
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<h4>Kick Offs</h4>
<p>You can kick the ball in any of the 3 forward positions, at any power and swerve it. For example, when kicking off upwards, to kick the ball to the left but with a swerve upwards to right do the following. Press the left direction key or move the joystick to the left, then press (and keep pressed) the kick key, then press the UP direction key or move the joystick UPWARDS, now let go of the kick key and watch that ball swerve.</p>
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<h4>Goal klcks</h4>
<p>These are done in the same way as kick offs except that a minimum distance has been set so that the ball always goes (as it should) out of the goal area.</p>
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<h4>Throw Ins</h4>
<p>For these you do not "directly" control the player throwing the ball. You can move the player you are controlling on the pitch to the position where you want the ball to be thrown to. When you press fire the computer will automatically throw the ball as close to this player as is possible!</p>
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<h4>Corners</h4>
<p>The ball is kicked diagonally at the power you want onto the pitch. It is also possible to swerve the ball. For example, if you are taking a corner from the bottom right-hand comer of the pitch and you want to swerve the ball down towards the goal do the following: Press (and keep pressed) the kick key, then press the DOWN key or move the joystick DOWNWARDS and let go of the kick key.</p>
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<h4>The World Cup</h4>
<p>Initially when you go to the World Cup screen it displays the group tables for Round 1. Round 1 has six groups of four teams, where each team plays each other once. To qualify for the next round you must finish first or second in your group. Round 2 has lour groups of 3 teams, each team plays each other once and to qualify you must finish top of the group. Round 3 is the Semifinals and Round 4 the Final.</p>
<p>There are 7 icons at the bottom of this screen. By putting the boot over them and clicking the middle button a brief description of their purpose is displayed on screen. Clicking the left or right button will select them.</p>
<p>You can enter 1 to 24 human teams by pressing the flag icon. All non-human teams are played by the computer.</p>
<p>You can enter players and take players out during any Round of the competition by going to the flags of the countries. You can choose to be any country.</p>
<p>When actually playing in a game each country has a different coloured strip. If the strips are quite similar then a reserve strip is chosen for one country automatically by the computer to avoid confusion.</p>
<tr align="center"><td>Keyboard </td><td> 1 Player </td><td colspan="2"> 2 Players</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td> </td><td> </td><td> Player 1 </td><td> Player 2</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td>Left </td><td> Z </td><td> A </td><td> DELETE</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td>Right </td><td> X </td><td> S </td><td> COPY</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td>Up </td><td> " </td><td> T </td><td> 8</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td>Down </td><td> ? </td><td> F </td><td> 4</td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td>Fire </td><td> Return </td><td> Y </td><td> 9</td></tr>
</table>
<p>A joystick can also be used</p>
<ul>
<li> Fl - Pause On<br>
<li> F2 - Pause Off<br>
<li> F3 - Changes colour of pitch (green, grey, yellow or brown)<br>
<li> F4 - Changes colour of radar pitch lines (white, grey, black red, blue etc.)<br>
<li> F5 and F6 - Quits current game when ball is in Play. (This nullifies a game in the World Cup and as such is quite a good cheat option).<br>
</ul>
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<h4>Computer vs. computer action!</h4>
<p>I strongly recommend that you watch various computer teams playing each other in friendly matches. You can adjust all the game parameters such as formations, speed, weather etc.. Not only can you learn a lot about the game but it is also great fun. The most rewarding games are arguably when the swerve setting is at one of the 2 lowest settings, speed is set to last and one team is set at the lowest skill and the other at the highest. Some incredible goals can be seen. Set skills to say 14 and 24 and you will also see some incredible saves. Every game you watch will be totally different Arcade Soccer is an amazing and highly flexible football simulation for an amazing computer. Quite frankly no other soccer game comes close and neither does any computer!</p>
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<h4>Voltmace joystick information</h4>
<p>As mentioned above Soccer can be played with a Voltmace joystick which was specially produced for the Archimedes and fits neatly into the mouse port. The joystick is called the "Delta-Cat Mouse Eliminator". </p>
