Night Owl's Games 2/Night Owl's Shareware (NOPV_GAMES 2) Games Disc II (Night Owl) (1994).iso/014a/scary2.zip/SCARY2.DOC

Text File | 1993-10-11 | 18KB | 310 lines

|                           SCARYFISH VERSION 2                             |
|                               INSTRUCTIONS                                |

ScaryFish Version 2 is an exciting multispecies fishing game for 1-4 players.
The game is extremely realistic except for the lack of mosquitoes, jet skis,
pollution, overfishing, or looney activists.  Anglers will appreciate the
realism, but you can enjoy the game even if you never fish in real life.
The game simulates the excitement of exploring a world filled with fishing
holes, choosing presentations, casting, anticipating the bite or strike of a
fish, and fighting fish once they are hooked.  The game has a variety of
options for where you fish, mode of play, and presentation including rod and
reel, line, bait/lures, and accessories.  The multispecies aspect of the
game makes it extremely exciting and suspenseful; you never know what species
will bite your line next.  You might be innocently fishing for Bluegill or
Crappie when suddenly... a huge Catfish or Gar runs off with your line!  Or
you might be fishing for Bass, fighting what you think is a trophy
Largemouth, but when you land the fish it turns out to be a Carp!  As you
play the game a number of humorous mishaps might occur such as tipping the
boat or catching something that isn't even a fish!
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Selecting the Graphics Display
The program will detect the best graphics driver supported by the game.
Typically you will want the default display, so just press <Enter> at the
opening prompt.  However, sometimes you might want to override the default
setting.  For example, if a memory error occurs for VGA, you can move down
to EGA or CGA.  If you have VGA/EGA and want to play the game at lightning
speed, you can move to CGA.  If the game lists Text/AN as the default and
your machine can support any of the listed graphics modes, select the desired
mode (load an emulator first if necessary).  If all else fails, the game is
still enjoyable in the Text/Alphanumeric mode.
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The "Screensaver"
Some people pay $30 or more for tropical fish aquarium screensaver
programs.  This game comes with a "screensaver" simulating a deep 10000
gallon tank filled with the types of fish pursued by anglers.  This feature
cycles through twelve different species distributions, showing each set of
fish for about a minute.  The individual fish will be different each time
you view the "screensaver".  The fish have different sizes for a given
species; occasionally a real "lunker" will appear!  Press any key to move
from the "screensaver" to the main menu.
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Create New Character
You must have a player character before playing the game.  If running
from a floppy drive, be sure the disk is not write-protected.  At the prompt,
type the name for your character (the first 8 letters/digits must be unique
for each player character).  The game keeps track of population dynamics for
each character, so one person's fishing success will not be lessened as a
result of another person "fishing out" several holes.  Each character is
given an extremely generous initial endowment including a rod and reel, the
necessary tackle to begin fishing, assorted bait and lures, and a large sum
of money for future purchases at the stores.
You can access characters from different disks or directories by specifying
a path such as 'A:\' or 'C:\GAMES\'.  This is sometimes necessary with 360K
floppy disks to prevent a disk full error.
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Visit Store
After you select the "Visit Store" option, the game will ask for a
character name.  Each world has its own store.  You will get to shop at the
store for the world at which your character currently resides (you begin at
City Bait & Tackle).  Buying stuff at the stores can be a lot of fun and is
a good outlet for "tackleholism".  There are nine categories of item:

Bait: worms, minnows, etc.  Buy a lot since they get used quickly!
Line: available in different line tests
Lures: many different artifical lures are available
Misc: hooks, sinkers, bobbers, leaders, and other useful items
Motors: let you move around faster in water
Rods: each rod has a recommended line range.  Choose between casting
      or spinning depending on the type of reels you use.
Reels: each reel has a recommended line range.  Use spinning reels
       with spinning rods; use baitcast and spincast reels with
       casting rods.
Trips: tickets to fish at other worlds.  Local Bass Lakes and
       Medium-Sized River are shareware worlds.  You can buy tickets
       to the "*" worlds, but you won't be able to use them until you
       register.  Some are one-time trips (Local Bass Lakes and
       Medium-Sized River) which send you back to the "base" world,
       while others (Minnesota Lakes, Ozark/Mid-South Reservoir) are
       trips to "base" worlds which let you stay as long as you want.
Visual Aids: Polarized sunglasses let you see deeper in the water.
       LCRs (fishfinders) let you see what's underwater.

If an item isn't available at a given store, it will be listed as "Not
Available"; you must go to another world's store to obtain that item.  Some
items are available only at registered user stores.

Don't worry about spending too much money at the stores, since you get
monetary rewards for your fishing success in the game.

The "Visit Store" option from the main menu only lets you visit stores at
the "base" worlds.  To visit a store at a non-base world, select the "Visit
Local Store" option from within "Go Fishin'".
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View Records
The game maintains a list of records including biggest fish, most points,
most fish, and other categories.  If you do well in the game you might set
some new records.  "The Top 20" shows the heaviest fish caught in the game.
Getting a "Biggest Of A Species" record is a challenge, especially the #1
fish which is the world record in real life.  "Most Points" is the best
measure of success in the game.  The "IFGA" records honor the biggest fish
for a given line class.  You might dread the possibility of setting one of
the "Records You Won't Brag About!"
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Registration Info
This lets you know how to register and get full enjoyment from the game.
Send a filled-out printout of the file REGISTER.FRM with payment to the
author to receive the benefits of registration including access to all
worlds, species, and tackle, a hardcopy user manual, and notification of
major updates.
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Go Fishin'

Modes of Play and Tournament Options
The game has two main modes of play: the "relaxing" mode for 1 player, and
the competitive tournament mode for 1-4 players.  Both modes let you choose
the length of the session (1-4 hours).  The "relaxing" mode has few rules,
but the tournament mode has a variety of options.  You can choose which
species count: all species, black bass, or custom (over 2 billion
combinations).  Distribution of winnings can be proportional based on the
relative success of the players, or winner-takes-all.  For daily limits and
minimum length limits, you can choose between no limits, suggested limits, or
custom limits.  If daily limits exist, you can decide whether to allow
culling (replacing the smallest fish in a limit catch as opposed to deciding
whether a fish counts right when you catch it).  Scoring can be determined
by most points (the best measure of success) or by most pounds.  Each player
can contribute to a "pot" for highest score, most fish, or biggest fish of
the session.
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Getting Started
Once you create a character, you can play the game.  To fish at a world other
than City Park Lake, go to the store and purchase a trip to another world.
Registered users can fish at any world for which the player has a ticket.
Non-registered users can fish at Local Bass Lakes or Medium-Sized River if
the player has a ticket.  Players can fish at City Park Lake at no charge.
Once you choose the world and the game accepts your choice, you will be asked
the length of the session: 1-4 hours.  Under the default settings a game will
last about 15 minutes (real life) for each session hour for each player.
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Moving Around In The World
You will move around in the world to reach the fishing holes.  Each hole is
marked with a big 'X'; just move to an X square and the game will ask if you
want to fish there at that time.  Some holes are accessible by land while
others must be reached by boat.  Here are the key controls:

Cursor/Arrow keys: move in direction of arrow.  If you make a bad move, the
                   term "cursor" might have a double meaning!
E/e: Enter boat if on same square as boat / Exit boat if in still water
m: turn Motor on/off (if you have one)
S/s: toggle Sound on or off
F10 or D: End the session in relaxing mode / "weigh-in" in tournament mode

The worlds contain many terrain types including forest, grass, still water,
flowing water, and various obstacles.  Moving takes a different amount of
time for each terrain; for example, you'll move faster on roads than through
forests.  In moving water, your time will vary depending upon whether you
move with or against the flow.  The amount of time you have left appears to
the right of the display of terrains.  When playing in the tournament mode,
be sure to make it back to the starting point before time runs out; you are
charged 500 points per minute late and disqualified if over 15 minutes late!

The game will let you know if you can't move somewhere.  Some terrain is
impassible in all situations (hills & cliffs), some terrain requires a boat,
and some requires being on foot.  Don't run your boat over water obstacles
such as logs or rocks.  You are allowed three such klutzy moves before the
possibility of an "incident" exists.
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When At A Fishing Hole
Once you reach a fishing hole and decide to fish, you'll see the close-up
terrain of the hole.  If you reach the hole by boat, you'll be in the middle;
if you reach the hole by foot, you'll be at the edge from which you arrived.
At a hole you have the following options:

New Rig: lets you choose which rod, reel, line, bait/lure, and accessories to
         use.  Changing your rig will cause a slight time deduction.
Move within hole: lets you move within the hole; similar to moving in the
                  worlds.  When at a hole, the current does not push you.
Cast: Use the arrow keys to select where you want to cast, as if you were
      fishing there in real life.  Some people might cast to structure such
      as a log or rocks, others might fish the edge of strong current, and
      others might cast to water of a given depth.  Move the cursor where you
      think the fish are, and press <Enter> when at the desired spot.  The
      game doesn't make you control the rod and reel movements of casting.
      The accuracy of your cast is based on the rod and reel you use, the
      weight of your rig, and the distance of the cast.  Mismatched tackle
      could result in an errant cast.  Insufficient weight could have the
      cast fall short, so a bobber or sinker is often necessary when using
      natural bait.  Spinning tackle is best at casting light rigs.
Change Speedup Factor: You can speed up the time between bites, but the
      faster the speedup factor, the shorter the bites last.  Default is 4.
Exit Hole: puts you back in the main world.
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After Making A Cast - Screen Display
The screen will show the water as if you were to the upper left of the screen
just out of view.  Each hole has a value for water clarity; you can see a
certain distance down into the water.  Sometimes you can see the bottom, and
often you can see some of the fish at the hole.  If you make an extremely
long cast, a vertical bar will split the screen so you can view the water
where your rig is.  Your bait/lure is represented by an X-crossed rectangle.
If you use a bobber, you can see it (unless a big fish has pulled it out of
view or you put on too much weight causing it to sink).

After Making A Cast - Controls
Alt-A: disable/enable Antireverse; rarely used
Alt-S: Set rod down; some people think this increases the number of fish that
       bite; don't let a big fish pull your rod into the water!
Alt-D: show Depthfinder Display (LCR) / stop showing it
Alt-R: show Rod / stop showing it (rod animation slow on very slow machines)
right/left arrow: adjust drag up/down 1%
up/down arrow: adjust drag up/down 5%
<Enter>: Reel in one turn of the handle (different amount of line per reel)
Spacebar: Set the hook; do this when you get a bite
A-Z, a-z (any letter key): put reel on freespool
Esc: Reel in all the way and return to options for at a hole

When using natural bait, you can either still-fish (not reel in) or use a
retrieve.  If you use lures and want anything to bite, have some type of
retrieve.  Each time you press <Return> you crank the reel once.  Some people
use a steady retrive while others use start-and-stop or jigging retrieves.

When a fish bites or strikes, the chance you feel the hit depends on the line
test, the rod sensitivity, and the speed of the current.  When the word
"Bite" appears or you hear a tone representing the size of the bite, press
the spacebar to set the hook.  You might be too late, you might be fast
enough but fail to set the hook, or you might successfully hook the fish.
Your chance of setting the hook depends on such factors as the species of the
fish biting, rod quality, and bait/lure used.
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Fighting a Fish
Once you hook a fish, keep an eye on three values to the right of the screen:

Force On Line: Try not to let the force exceed the line's breaking strength!
Line Out: To land a fish, you must tire him out and bring this value to 0.
Drag: The left value is the dial setting which you control (20-100); the
      right one is the effective setting.  Pressing a freespool or anti-
      reverse key can lower the effective setting below 20 for emergencies.
      A stuck drag has an effective setting of 100.

Use the same keys as above ('After making a cast - Controls').  Pressing the
spacebar increases pressure on the fish and raises the rod tip.  Pressing the
<Enter> key lowers the rod tip and reels in line if possible.  The arrow keys
modify the drag.  When you hook a huge fish and the force on line skyrockets,
you'll understand why 26 keys activate the freespool!  With big fish or light
line, you might not be able to reel in much line until the fish tires.  Just
as in real life, it takes practice to land large fish.

If you land the fish, you will see a report of the species, length, weight,
and point value.  If you're playing in tournament mode with daily limits and
no culling allowed, you will have to decide whether to count the fish as part
of your limit.  The fish are released immediately after being caught.
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End Of Session
When time is up or all player(s) have quit, the game will report session
statistics, fees such as late penalties and motor costs, and broken records.
For each player, the computer will report detailed stats on fish caught for
the session.  You can save a printable report if desired (each report has a
unique filename).
The computer will report player earnings and any tournament winners or pot
values.  If running from a floppy drive, keep the disk in because the game
will save the progress of the character(s).

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Some Changes From Version 1

Both worlds from Version 1 have been expanded and many new worlds have been
added for Version 2.

Version 2 has 14 new species; one species from Version 1 was discontinued.

The number of tackle items has been expanded from the original four of each
category.

Action in Version 1 was really fast, but it's even faster in Version 2, since
this runs on computers with more memory, resulting in more "bytes".
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A Few Hints

Natural bait (worm, minnow, etc) usually produces faster action than
artificial lures.  However, bait gets lost quickly.

Unless you know what you're doing, don't hold down keys or press a bunch of
keys in advance, since the program maintains the buffer for keys pressed.

When moving around in a long stretch of similar-looking terrain, it might
seem as if you're not moving, but you are still moving unless given a message
to the contrary.

If you fish at the same hole over and over again, you might temporarily fish
it out.  Don't worry if action seems to have terminated, since the holes will
recover over time.  Go to a variety of holes; registered users have access to
many more holes and are therefore less likely to fish them out.

Register to get more hints, more instructions, and many other benefits.