SKID ROW presents TOM LANDRY STRATEGY FOOTBALL DELUXE EDITION Technical Reference Guide Amiga Requirements Tom Landry Strategy Football Deluxe Edition offers more features than any other football game on the Amiga and is very memory-intensive. For this reason, we strongly recommend a hard drive and 1.5 Megabytes of RAM. Although TLSF Deluxe will run on systems with 1MB of RAM, you may encounter difficulties, especially if you load Workbench and have windows open. If your machine has only 1MB of memory, you may have to boot from a copy of Disk 1 of TLSF Deluxe. (Always play with copies of the original disks!) The TLSF Deluxe Editor runs easily in 1MB. Installing TLSF Deluxe to Your Hard Drive (1) Boot from your hard drive, not the game disk. (2) Open the disk labeled DTLSF1. (3) Double-click on the Install DTLSF icon. You will be prompted to select a partition or drawer where you want TLSF Deluxe. If you wish to bypass this step, or don't use the User-startup file, you will need to make the assigns yourself. The Three assigns are DTLSF1:, DTLSF2:, DTLSF3:, and all three should refer to the directory created by the installation program. NOTE: The installation program modifies your User-startup file to make the assigns necessary to run TLSF Deluxe. If you wish to bypass this step, or don't use the User-startup file, you will need to make the assigns yourself. The three assigns are DTLSF1:, DTLSF2:, DTLSF3:, and all three should refer to the directory created by the installation program. Starting the Game (A) From Workbench: Open the DTLSF1 disk and double-click on the game icon, labelled FOOTBALL. (B) CLI users: Move to the DTLSF drawer and type Football and the game will load and run for you. Don't Ever Play With Your Originals The disks are not copy-protected because we believe you should have the confidence of backing up your disks, as well as copying the program to your hard drive. Many other publishers don't give you this option. Please prove them wrong by not abusing our trust. Pass the word, not the disk! If you are playing the game from your backup copies of the original disks, you should make sure that the disks are named DTLSF1, DTLSF2, and DTLSF3, since the program will have to look for certain files. User Validation Following the opening credits sequence is the user validation screen. This screen shows an offensive play diagram and prompts you to enter a 3- character password printed in the TLSF Deluxe User's Guide. Turn to the page in the User's Guide which shows the exact same offensive play diagram. Locate the correct password printed below the diagram and enter this password from your keyboard. If you have entered the correct password, the TLSF Deluxe main screen will appear. (Fuck that, SKID ROW cracked this bitch!) Loading the TLSF Deluxe Editor The TLSF Deluxe editor is a separate application. (A) From Workbench: Open the DTLSF1 disk and double-click on the game icon, labelled EDITOR. (B) CLI users: Move to the DTLSF drawer and type Editor. Not Enough Memory Workbench, disk drives, hard drive partitions, and background applications all take up memory. If you have only 1 Megabyte of RAM, you may find it necessary to boot off your copy of the DTLSF1 disk. This method of running the program bypasses Workbench and starts the football game directly. Modem Play Playing AMiga to PC-Compatibles. Because the Amiga architecture differs from PC-Compatibles, TLSF Deluxe leagues must be converted if they are to be shared between the two platforms. To avoid confusion, the conversion program exists only on the Amiga. Hence, if sending a league from your Amiga to a PC, you must first convert it. Likewise, when you receive a league from a PC to your Amiga, convert it upon receiving it. Running the League Conversion Program. From the CLI, type convert_lg at the CLI prompt. From Workbench, double-click on the Convert_lg icon. You will then be asked for the name of the input league to convert, then the name of the converted league being created. The current and new leagues must have different names. NOTE: If you are running the conversion program from the Workbench, you'll need to close the window when done. Troubleshooting. Users with high-speed modems may sometimes encounter difficulties because their modem is forcing flow control. If you encounter any problems connecting using your high-speed modem, you should disable XON/XOFF and RTS/CTS flow control. We suggest the following steps: (1) From the main screen, select CONNECT to go to the telecomm screen. (2) At the telecomm screen, enter the following string in the Answer string box: AT&K (this disables all flow control). (3) If you are the answering machine, now enter your answering string (ATS0=1, ATA, etc). If you want, you can save your answer string as: AT&K S0=1 or AT&K ATA, etc. (4) The dialing machine proceeds as normal. Again, if you wish, you can include the AT&K in your dial string. Users with call- waiting may be interrupted during play. We suggest you include the command to disable call-waiting in your dial command. Consult your local phone company to determine the command; *70 is an example. USER'S GUIDE Getting Started A Word from Coach Landry I've been asked many times what it takes to become a successful head football coach. Is it preparation? Knowledge? Personnel and time management skills? Dedication? Determination? The answer is no secret - it takes all of these factors and a lot more, even a little bit of luck! Tom Landry Strategy Football (TLSF) is the first strategy football game which tests your coaching ability in all of these areas. In fact, TLSF is more than just a game, it's a football simulation which offers you everything real coaches have at their disposal - and more! Even though pro coaching is a complicated business, we have designed TLSF so that it can be enjoyed by beginners and experts, alike. Extensive online help - including football fundamentals, rules, and terminology - is available if you want it. Plus, in the Ask Landry option, I share my advice and philosophy in numerous play situations, based on down and distance, field position, score, and time remaining. And play-calling is easy - just point and click and your team is off and running. Football has been a very important part of my life, and I am happy to share some of my coaching experience with you in TLSF. Even if you don't aspire to become a pro football coach, I hope TLSF will enhance your understanding and increase your enjoyment of football - either as a player or a fan. Tom Landry Designer's Notes: Our goal is designing TLSF Deluxe Edition was to create the most entertaining football game on the market. One reason we're confident we have achieved this goal is that we've spent a great deal of time evaluating requests and suggestions from owners of the original version of TLSF. In fact, almost all of the enhancements to this Deluxe Edition of TLSF have come about as a result of valuable input from our users. We wanted to make TLSF Deluxe more than just an entertaining game, however. Coach Landry's extensive involvement in the project in the form of advice, suggestions, and critiques has helped make TLSF Deluxe the most complete and realistic simulation of football you'll find, with the emphasis on real football strategy. With the League Editor you can create leagues of College or Pro teams and create 16-game professional seasons (using pro rules to create pairings). You have access to modify all of the team and individual attributes, including team colors and detailed coaching strategies. In League play, you can try to coach your team to the playoffs and the Championship Game. Throughout the season, you can view the division standings, league leaders, and teams' season stats. There's even a "Sunday Night Recap" in which you can recap all the games of the current week (films automatically catch all the scoring plays for you to watch in instant replay). Of course, you'll have to contend with real penalties (some teams get flagged more than others), injuries, (losing your quarterback for the season makes your task pretty tough), and weather. In Exhibition games, we've included a Scenario Editor. A complete coaching clinic, the Scenario Editor enables you to create any scenario you want and play it. Perhaps you would want to see how you would do in a two-minute drill, down by 4, in a blizzard! And with a modem, you can play your coaching rivals in other cities! Our modular approach to playcalling is the most flexible and powerful interface in any football game. You have literally thousands of plays available to you - a "playbook on the fly," just like in real life. However, you'll also find playcalling simple and intuitive! With all of these features and more, we hope you'll find TLSF Deluxe to be the ultimate strategy football game, providing you with the full coaching experience, simulating all of the "tools of the trade" that coaches on the field have. Kerry Batts Before Playing Following are some important points you should know before playing TLSF Deluxe: 1. Games are either Scheduled or Exhibition. In scheduled games, the team selections are limited to the pairings for a given week in the scheduled. In exhibition games, you may select any two teams to play and may modify the game conditions. 2. When using the Telecomm option, you are responsible for ensuring that both players are using the same league. If playing a scheduled game, both players must also be using the same schedule, and be at the same week. 3. On "cycle" buttons (which cycle through a list of options), clicking on the right side of the button advances through the list; clicking on the left side backs up in the list. 4. Don't overlook the wealth of information available to you in the online Help. We've included a glossary of football terms, descriptions of offensive and defensive formations, running and passing plays, and much more. Whether you want to know more about which pass patterns to throw against zone coverage, or how to best defend against the run, it's all here! 5. Even in scheduled games, go to the Scenario Editor to get pre-game information on the game conditions. 6. Locate the GO! button in the lower right corner. This button is used to exit most screens. Other buttons on the lower panel allow you to save and load games and quit the game. 7. On the defense screen, clicking on the miniature playing area pops up a dialog box describing your opponent's offensive formation and strong side. 8. The TLSF Editor is an executable utility program that is separate from the main TLSF Deluxe application. Please consult your TLSF Deluxe Technical Reference Guide for instructions on how to load the TLSF Editor. 9. The leagues (and the custom schedules which are bound to those leagues) that you create and save in the TLSF Editor will appear in the Load a League menu in the main TLSF Deluxe application. League Play Playing Scheduled Games TLSF Deluxe season schedules include 16 games and three rounds of playoffs, with the Landry Bowl Championship Game (see Appendix C for how playoff teams are determined). From the main screen, toggle the game type button from Exhibition to Scheduled. If the two teams currently selected aren't scheduled to play this week, you'll need to click on Select Teams to select a matchup. Either team's coach can be Human or Computer. Figure 1. Toggling the Game Type Button At the end of the game, season stats are automatically updated. To view the season stats, leaders, records, etc., go to the Current Season screen, from the main screen. Note: Please see the section entitled, The TLSF Editor for information on creating custom schedules using the Schedule Editor. Computer Simulation of Games At the Select Teams screen, you can opt to have the computer simulate this week, or even the whole season. You can also have the computer simulate individual games by selecting a matchup, then setting both coaches to Computer. (For fast play of individual games, turn off animation at the Preferences screen.) Figure 2. The Select Teams Screen When simulating a week, the computer quickly plays each remaining game in which neither team has a Human default coach. This allows you to play scheduled games with your favorite teams each week and let the computer play all of the other games of the week automatically. Example: If you favorite team is Dallas, you can create a custom league in the TLSF Editor which designates Dallas as having a Human default coach. When you load this league in the main TLSF application and select Scheduled Games, you will be able to play all of the other teams' games automatically. Note: Please see the section entitled, The TLSF Editor for information on designating a default Human coach for a given team. When simulating an entire season, the computer simulates all games each week, until you interrupt the simulation. At the end of the season, you are given the option of continuing the simulation or playing the playoffs yourself. A note about the computer simulations. The computer does play complete games, rather than just "estimating" the result. Season stats, records, and injuries are automatically updated. Computer- coached teams use the playcalling tendencies for the teams (these can be modified with the TLSF Editor). Team Standings From the Current Season screen you can access a wealth of information regarding league play, including the team standings. Figure 3. The Current Season Menu In TLSF Deluxe professional leagues, the same rules used in the pros are used to determine division leaders: 1. Overall won-loss record 2. Head-to-head records 3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in divisional games 4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in conference games 5. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games 6. Best net points in division games 7. Best net points in all games 8. Coin toss In college leagues, teams are ranked by won-loss records. League Leaders League leaders in 18 different categories are available at any time. Track the rushing and passing leaders, who has the longest reception, scoring leaders, etc. Figure 4. League Leaders Team Stats You can view each team's compiled season stats, as well as how opponents have done versus each team. View total stats or average "per-game" stats. Both team and individual stats are given. Reviewing the Week's Games All completed games of the current week are available for recap. Just select a matchup from the list of games, and you can view the final game stats for the teams and individuals. Game films capture all the scoring plays for the week's games. For your records, you can print the game stats and all scoring drives. Viewing the Schedule You can view (and print) the season schedule by team or by week. Figure 5. Viewing the Schedule by Team Clearing the Season Clearing the Season clears all injuries, records, and statistics, allowing you replay the season from the beginning. Today's Game The Scoreboard Most information you need during the game is available with a glance at the scoreboard. The teams are displayed, with the home team being on the bottom. A light to the left of the teams indicates which team currently has the ball. Directly to the right of the team names are three small lights which indicate the number of timeouts remaining for each team. Farther right, the six larger boxes display each team's score by quarter, including overtime, and the scoring totals. The right side of the scoreboard displays the game time and quarter, down and distance to go, and the line of scrimmage. Figure 6. The Scoreboard Selecting a League With the TLSF Editor, you can create custom leagues with custom schedules, including college leagues. Click on Load a League to select the league for today's game. (See the section entitled, The TLSF Editor for more details.) Scouting the Teams Once you've loaded a league, you can scout the individual teams. Click on Scout Teams to select a team to view. You can view the team's offense, defense, or playcalling, and print the team's roster of starters and subs. Selecting the Teams and Coaches Click on Select Teams to set today's opponents. If playing a scheduled game, choose from any remaining scheduled game for this week. In exhibition games, you can select any two teams. There are 3 ways to play, in addition to telecomm play: o Human vs. Human o Human vs. Computer o Computer vs. Computer Figure 7 illustrates how you may select any of these options from the Today's Game section of the main screen. Each button may be toggled in two positions - Human or Computer - via the point-and-click interface. If, for example, you (Dallas) want to play against the computer (Buffalo), you would click on the button next to Buffalo until Computer is displayed. In the same way, you would click on the button next to Dallas until Human is displayed. Once play has begun, these options may not be changed unless you quit the game. Figure 7. Three Ways to Play Human vs. Human. This option provides the greatest variety in play while requiring, perhaps, the greatest amount of skill. You can play with another person at your location, or you can play with someone at a remote location via a modem. Refer to the Telecommunications section in this manual for detailed instructions on playing TLSF Deluxe using a modem. Human vs. Computer. This option still requires the same amount of skill as before, but now you are pitting your play-calling skills against those of the computer. When playing against the computer, TLSF Deluxe randomly selects plays based on statistical data pertinent to the way each pro team plays. For example, Houston likes to run the Run and Shoot offense, so the computer randomly calls plays based upon Houston's team statistics. Computer vs. Computer. If you just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your two favorite teams play, then choose this mode of play. You will still be able to see what plays the computer calls as you cheer your team to victory. You may stop play and return to the main screen at any time by pressing any key on the keyboard. The Computer vs. Computer option is also for when you want to play a quick game of football. To speed up the game, click on the Preferences button and turn off the animation option. To play an even quicker game, click on the Preferences button and turn off both the animation and the computer's calls. Game Conditions and the Scenario Editor In scheduled games, game conditions depend on the time of year and the home team's site and stadium. With exhibition games, however, you have complete control over the game conditions and initial scenario. You can access the game conditions for the current game by clicking on the Scenario Editor button at the main screen. Figure 8 shows the Scenario Editor screen. The Scenario Editor may be used when: o you do not have time to play a complete game o you want to practice particular game situations (two-minute offense, etc. o you want to relive some of football's greatest plays. o you want to view the weather conditions for today's game. Figure 8. The Scenario Editor To change the data in any field within the Scenario Editor, simply click on that field and type in the new data using the keyboard. Using the Scenario Editor is both simple and quick. For example, if you want to practice your fourth quarter two-minute offense, simply click the game clock TIME 2:00 with the mouse pointer changing the clock (using the keyboard) to 2:00 remaining in the game. Next change the QTR (quarter) to FOURTH. and set the score, weather, ball possession, and yardline marker to whatever you wish depending upon the game conditions you want to set up. Clicking on GO! saves your selections and takes you back to the main screen. Clicking on GO! from the main screen starts your two-minute offense drill. Clicking on NEW GAME resets the Scenario Editor data fields to the default values. Coaching Essentials Consider the Weather Before starting the game, go to the Scenario Editor to view today's weather. During the game, simply click on Weather to get an update. Scout Your Opponent Both before and during the game, scout your opponent! A coach who ignores his opponent's strengths and weaknesses is asking for trouble. It's also a good idea to scout your own team, if you're not well acquainted with it. To scout your opponent during the game, select Scout - select Subs to view your own team. Make Substitutions From the Subs screen, you can select reserve players. Sometimes a reserve may be weaker overall, but may be stronger in a particular area. For instance, some reserve running backs are better receivers than the starters. Watch the Game Stats For an objective snapshot of how you and your opponent are doing, select Stats. You can see how individuals are doing, as well as how both teams are doing overall. Pay attention to time of possession, since defenses can tire late in a game if left on the field too much. Access Online Help The online Help provides crucial information about many different facets of football. If you haven't been to a football clinic, don't ignore this option. In addition to a glossary of football terms, there's in-depth discussion of the different aspects of football. There's also much information specific to TLSF Deluxe. The online Help is context sensitive. Ask Landry Advice from Coach Landry is available to help you understand the particular situation, and what options are best in this situation. At the advice screen, select GO! to exit, or click on Suggest to let the Coach recommend a play for you. Manage the Clock Managing the clock is a critical aspect of playing a good football game. Even some of the best coaches fail in this area, and it can cost the game. So that you can manage the clock effectively, the clock menu is provided which allows for several options (see Figure 9)> It is recommended that you select the option to have the clock menu displayed whenever the clock is running if you are trying to conserve time; in which case you should also tell your ball carrier or receiver to get out of bounds to stop the clock. Deal with Penalties and Injuries Penalties and injuries are an unfortunate part of every game. Unlike most football games, TLSF Deluxe includes all the penalties which occur in real football. You can set each team's penalty rate in the TLSF Editor. Some penalties are optional, whereas others are not. During play when a penalty does occur; the referee will come on-screen to explain the infraction. If, for example, the penalty is against your opponent, you will be given the option of accepting or declining the penalty. If the penalty is against you, your opponent (human or computer) will of course choose to accept or decline the penalty. When playing against the computer, the computer will make the best choice for itself in regard to penalties. Evaluate Game Films (Instant Replay) Instant replay is a very powerful tool used by coaches, players, officials, and fans. Selecting Replay from the command bar enables you to control both the speed and direction of the replay. Note: The Instant Replay VCR control panel can be relocated by clicking on the up/down arrow at the left end of the panel. Offense Calling Plays TLSF employs a modular approach to calling offensive plays. This approach is simpler and far more powerful than the playcalling in other games. While most games have a separate playbook, we know that coaches in real life create plays on the fly during games, changing individual components of plays. They might try the same run from a different formation, for instance, or send a different man in motion, or add playaction. Figure 10. The Offense Screen With this approach, you have literally thousands of plays available at your fingertips. Yet, changing a play is as simple as clicking on a button. Your offensive playcalling is only limited by your imagination! Selecting an offensive play consists of selecting a formation, the strong side (right or left), the specific play, and the assigned ball carrier or receiver. You can also send any flanker in motion and add playaction fakes to any pass. Of course, "trick" plays are included! The play is displayed on the miniature playing field. Formations There are 12 offensive formations available: Running Formations: o Pro I (strong for inside runs - traps, slants, counters) o Power I Right (Pro I which cheats to the right) o Power I Left (Pro I which cheats to the left) o Brown (strong inside runs to the weak side and Fullback) o Blue (strong inside runs to the strong side) o Short Yardage (strong inside runs up the middle /off-tackle) Passing Formations: o Run and Shoot (four wide receivers stretch the defense) o Trips (four wide receivers, three on one side) o Shotgun (gives the QB more time to read the defense) o Shotgun/4WR (powerful, but not as much pass blocking) Balanced Formations: o Pro Set (good for outside runs and passing) o One Back (good to both sides, passing, counters) Note: For each formation, you can also decide which side is the "strong" side - the side having more receivers. The Running Game While passing is more exciting, the running game is important in establishing control of the game and consuming the clock. All runs work better against "pass" defenses, but traps and draws work particularly well. Use traps to attack middle blitzes and the 3-4 or shifted 4-3 lines. Use draws to attack zones and Nickel defenses. Middle Runs. Middle runs are designed to test the defensive line strength by running the Back directly over the Center. The middle runs that are available are: o Line Plunge o Middle Trap o Draw o Drop to Knee Inside Runs. Inside runs are also designed to wear down the defensive line. If your offense can establish a good running game, then you will limit the time your opponent has the ball. The inside runs that are available are: o Slant Left o Slant Right o Counter Left o Counter Right Outside Runs. Outside running plays are designed for a quick back who can round the corner without being caught. If he is quick enough, the back will not be tackled until he reaches the defensive secondary. The outside runs that are available are: o Sweep Left o Sweep Right o Reverse Note: Outside runs are also good for attacking Nickel defenses, which have one less linebacker. The Passing Game Short Passes. Short passes are easiest to complete and can even replace the running game for some teams. They work best against zone coverages and are much less effective against man to man. If you're patient, and the defense keeps staying in zones, use these to "nickel and dime" your way downfield. Short Routes: RB: Circle, Flat, Flare, Delay, Shuffle WR: Zoom, Hitch, Quick Out, Slant TE: Slant In, Slant Out, Delay Medium Passes. Medium passes actually consist of two sets of near- identical routes, one deeper than the other. For instance, the sideline route is deeper than the square out. Deeper routes take more time to develop but can get more yardage, of course. Medium Routes: RB: Hook, Come Back, Square Out, Sideline WR: Cross, Square Out, Sideline, Hook, Come Back, Square In, Fade TE: Cross, Square Out, Sideline, Hook, Come Back Long Passes. Long passes stretch the defense and are great for attacking man to man coverage. They're also important when you need to pick up a lot of yardage at once. If the running backs are covered by linebackers, it's often a mismatch. Against blitzes, you should keep a back near, as a "hot" receiver. Long Routes: RB: Corner, Out and Up, Fly, Post WR: Post, Corner, Fly, Hook and Go TE: Post, Corner, Fly, Hook and Go Finesses Passes. Finesse passes try to take advantage of some leaning in the defense. Screens are used, for instance, to slow a pass rush. If the defense keeps focusing on the pass, especially with zone coverage, use screens against him. The "Hail Mary" pass is a last-ditch desperate pass. The Halfback Pass and the Flea Flicker are trick plays designed for use against a run defense. They should be set up by establishing a good running game and shouldn't be called too often. (It's harder to fool the secondary a second time). Defense Calling Plays On the defense screen, TLSF Deluxe offers the same modular approach to playcalling that is used in the offense screen. You have hundreds of defensive combinations at your fingertips, giving you full flexibility to adjust your defense to meet the offense at their strengths and tendencies. Figure 11. The Defense Screen Note: For help in recognizing your opponent's offensive formation, click on the miniature playing area. A dialog box will display the offensive formation and strength. Defensive sets consist of the focus (run or pass), basic formation, lineshift, and secondary coverage. In addition, with man to man coverage you may blitz the Weak Safety and any linebackers, and doubleteam a particular receiver. Against the run, you may direct your linemen and linebackers how to key. Focus Although your men must be able to respond to each play, they initially look for a particular type of play: run or pass. When defending the pass, the linemen rush harder, straight toward the quarterback, and the linebackers immediately begin dropping away from the line. When focusing on the run, the linemen hold their ground and the linebackers hesitate. Obviously, being right helps the defense considerably, while being wrong puts them at a disadvantage! Formations There are seven basic formations: Run Defense: o Flex (safest, basically a staggered 4-3) o Short Yardage (risky, but very good when needing just a few yards) o Goal Line (open to big gains, this 5-2 has lots of big, slow guys) Pass Defense: o Nickel (generates good pass rush, decent versus most runs, replaces a linebacker with a fifth defensive back) o Prevent (3-2-6, poor pass rush, accepts small gains to prevent big ones) Balanced Formations: o 4-3 (good against both run and passes, good pass rush) o 3-4 (less pass rush, better versus sweeps and short passes) Shifting Formations with 4-man lines can shift the linemen in anticipation of the point of attack. There are five shifts available: o Over (shift to the offense's strong side) o Under (shift to the offense's weak side) o Tight (squeeze the inside runs) o Wide (line up outside the blockers) o Stunt (generate a much stronger pass rush) Coverage Defenses normally use three pass coverages to stop an offense: Man To Man, 2-Deep Zone ("Halves"), and 3-Deep Zone ("Thirds"). Generally, Man to Man coverage is best against short passes, and it allows linebackers to blitz, whereas the 2-Deep Zone is best against medium passes. The 3-Deep Zone is best against long passes. To select the coverage you want to use, just point and click on the COVERAGE button. Blitzing Blitzing linebackers and defensive backs can cause offenses major headaches, though they also create dangerous holes in the defense which good offenses may exploit. Blitzing can increase offensive mistakes and cause fumbles but can also give up big yardage. As you select different men to blitz, watch the miniature display. Blitzing the safety puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and the corners have to try to keep their receivers inside. Outside patterns are a little easier, while inside routes are more difficult (though, if caught, can yield big gains). Keys When the RUN button is displayed, you will have the option of retaining normal keys, or keying on the flow or on a particular man. When the PASS button is displayed and you are in man to man coverage, you may choose to Double Team a primary receiver. Special Teams The performance of the special teams often plays a decisive role in the outcome of a football game. A punter who can consistently bury the opposing team inside their own 20 helps his defense out considerably. The punt or kick returner who breaks free for a long return can fire up his team and put pressure on the opposing defense (even better, he can score, which really fires his team up). And a proficient field goal kicker is worth his weight in gold, especially in close games. On kickoffs, the kicking team has the option of onside, squib, or deep kicks, and the receiving team decides how to line up his team. On punts and fieldgoal attempts, the defense can put on a heavier rush, which increases the chance of a block but also increases the chance of roughing the kicker. Or they may want to hold up and watch for a fake kick. Post-Game Following the completion of a game, the FINAL GAME STATS will automatically be displayed on the screen. To view the statistics of the Visiting Team, point and click on VISITOR. Once the visitor's stats are displayed, you may choose to review the rushing, receiving, passing, and the total yards. To view the Home Team's statistics, point and click on HOME. Once your stats are displayed, you may choose to review the rushing, receiving, passing, and the total yards. Note: You also have the option of printing out the Final Game Stats by clicking on the Print button. Clicking on GO! takes you to the End of the Game screen where you may view the scoring drives and update the season stats. View Scoring Drives Clicking on the VIEW SCORING DRIVES button takes you through each scoring drive of the game. The type of score (touchdown, field goal, or safety) is indicated at the top of the screen along with the following information: o who scored o in what quarter the score occurred o the game clock time o the number of yards covered in how many plays o The amount of time the drive consumed. To view each additional scoring drive, click on the Next button; to back up and look at previous drive, click on the Prev button. During the review of the scoring drives, you may opt to review the game film. To do this, click on the Replay button in the command bar to review whatever scoring drive you want. The message, Please Wait While We Load the Film, will be displayed until the game film is ready to be shown. At this point, the actions you need to review the film are exactly the same as for the instant Replay. Note: You also have the option of printing out the statistics of all your scoring drives by clicking on the Print All Drives button. When you are finished viewing the game film of a particular scoring drive, you may click on GO! to take you back to the End of Game screen. If you want to save the game you just finished playing, click on the Save button located in the command bar. Then click on the first available numbered line on the Save screen, enter an appropriate filename, and press the Enter key. Saving a complete game will enable you to review and replay scoring drives. When you return to the End of Game screen, you may click on GO! in the command bar to return to the TLSF Deluxe main screen. Update Season Stats Season Stats are not automatically compiled with college or mix leagues. However, you can still compile the stats and records if you wish by clicking on the Update Season Stats button. Telecomm Play Clicking on Connect in the Telecommunications box on the main screen allows you to play TLSF Deluxe with a friend at a remote location, provided both of you have a modem. Figure 12 shows the Telecomm screen in which data can be entered via the mouse and keyboard. Figure 12. The Telecomm Screen Establishing a Connection On the Telecomm screen you need to select: o Dial command for your modem (often ATDT or ATDP)* To disable your call-waiting, consult your local telephone company. A common command is *70 (for example, the command would be "ATDT *70"). o Answer command for your modem * ATS0=1 signals it to answer on the first ring ATA signals "auto-answer." o Baud rate (of course, both machines have to be the same). o COM PORT (for PC-compatibles), either: COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. o Select Dial or Answer for remote connection, Null Modem for a direct connection. If connecting directly via a null-modem, both machines simply select the Null Modem button. If connecting via a modem, you need to decide beforehand which player is going to call and who is going to answer, and select the appropriate buttons. The TLSF software will dial and establish the connection. If successful, you will be returned to the main screen. If you cannot connect, a message will notify you of the problem, such as The line's busy. Starting the Game Once you have established a connection, the player who initiated the call (the caller) will begin gameplay by clicking on the GO! button at the main screen. (The player who answered the call must wait for the caller to begin gameplay.) One player at a time has control, and the other player will see a message like Your opponent is deciding. The person in control can set all the game options that are normally available (instant replay, consult Landry, make player substitutions, etc.), including Chat with the opponent. The current offensive and defensive screens reflect each player's previous non-kicking call, so you can keep tabs on each other's tendencies. Chatting with Your Opponent Clicking on the Chat button opens two windows for typing messages to each other. Chatting is not available if either player is viewing animation or consulting Landry. Once the chat windows are open, you can each type messages to each other. Your text appears in the upper window, and your opponent's messages appear in the lower one. Either player can exit the chatting mode by clicking on the Exit button. Note: "Forcing" a Chat while it is your opponent's turn could seriously disrupt telecommunications. Therefore, it is recommended that you only initiate a Chat when it is your turn to call the next play. Hanging Up When you have finished playing a game and have finished viewing the post- game highlights, return to the main screen and click on Disconnect at the Telecommunications box. Note: If you decide to stop the game and resume it at a later time, it is imperative that both players save the game before disconnecting. Simply click on the Save button in the command bar at the bottom of the screen. At the save screen, click on an empty line, enter a filename, and press the Enter key to save the file. Troubleshooting: o Check to make sure you are both at the same baud rate. o When playing exhibition games, be sure both of you are using the same league. o When playing scheduled league games, be sure both of you are using the same league and schedule. Game Preferences This screen allows you to set game conditions. A check mark in the box next to the condition means the condition is enabled. To deselect a game condition, click on the box you want to deselect and the red check mark will disappear. Note: Preferences may be changed during a game by clicking Prefs in the command bar at the bottom of the screen. In scheduled games, some preferences are automatically on. Homefield advantage is on in every game (other than the Landry Bowl), including playoffs. Injuries, fatigue, and modern timing are also kept on. The following conditions may be set for your game: o Use modern timing Until recent years, the clock stopped if a player went out of bounds or if there was a penalty on the play, and it did not restart until the ball was snapped. Modern rules, however, try to speed up the game. Under modern rules, officials restart the clock after kick returns, players going out of bounds, and declined penalties, after the chains have been moved. There are exceptions to these rules; however; in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter or final 2 minutes of the 2nd (and overtime quarters), the clock does not restart until the ball is snapped. o Injuries This option makes players susceptible to injury. o Fatigue Players tire at a normal rate; substitutions can be made for tired and/or injured players. o Homefield advantage Playing in front of the hometown fans offers a distinct advantage; also, many domed stadiums offer an advantage in that the crowd noise can be a factor in whether the visiting team can hear audibles at the line of scrimmage. o Play sound effects Sound effects are built into the program which will enhance your enjoyment when playing TLSF Deluxe. o Ball Color You have the option of choosing a Normal or a Highlighted football for the animation sequences. o Music Music is played at all menus and submenus, but not during animation sequences. o Show digitized PICS Whenever you score a touchdown, field goal, safety, or incur a penalty, a digitized referee appears on the screen to signal the points scored or the infraction. You may turn off this feature to speed up game play. o Show animation When this option is selected, you will the see the players on the playing field throughout the game. You may turn this feature off to speed up game play. o Show computer's calls When playing computer vs. computer, or human vs. computer, you will see what offensive or defensive play the computer calls. You may turn this feature off to speed up game play. The TLSF Editor With the TLSF Editor, you can create your own leagues of teams from any year and create realistic schedules. Or you might opt to design a league of teams from different years (for instance, some great teams from the past). You can even create college leagues, complete with current college rules. In addition to editing the league and schedules, you can edit the teams and individual players. Notes: The TLSF Editor is an executable utility program that is separate from the main TLSF Deluxe application. Please consult your TLSF Deluxe Technical Reference Guide for instructions on how to load the TLSF Editor. The leagues (and associated custom schedules) that you create and save in the TLSF Editor will appear in the Load a League menu in the main TLSF Deluxe application. Figure 13. The TLSF Editor Menu After you load the TLSF Editor, the first screen you will see is the Select League screen, where you click on the league you wish to load and edit. If you are using the TLSF Editor for the first time, you will select the default league that appears on the Select League screen. You will use this default league as a starting point for creating a customized league of your own. A Word of Caution: Changes to the league are not saved until you save the league! Click on Save at the bottom of the screen. When you are ready to save your newly created league for the first time, be sure to give this new league a name that is different from the default league that came with TLSF Deluxe, otherwise you will overwrite data contained in the default league. Leagues First decide what type of league this is to be - college, a mixture of pro teams from different years, or a normal single season league of pro teams. Rename the league, conferences, and divisions to whatever you like. Figure 14. The League Edit Screen Teams Click on a team to edit and you will see the main team edit screen. Here you can rename your team (and its abbreviation) and set its default coach. Set the default coach to Human for any teams you wish to play manually when using the Scheduled Game option in the TLSF Deluxe application. Set the default coach to Computer for the teams that you want the computer to coach automatically in simulated Scheduled Games. When the computer is coaching a team, it will use certain tendencies, and it will have a particular approach to the game, depending on what "style" you set for it. For example, a gambling coach is more likely to go for it on 4th and one. In addition to setting the team's penalty rate, you can also set the weather conditions at the team's home stadium. Cold sites, for example, are increasingly likely to have snow late in the season. The four buttons across the bottom of the screen allow editing of the four main subcomponents of each team - Offense, Defense, Special Teams and Team Colors. Figure 15. The Team Edit Screen Offense. There are three aspects to the offense: the abilities of individual players, how the offensive unit performs as a whole, and the coach's playcalling tendencies. At the offense unit screen, you can set the offensive line's abilities (as a unit) in both pass and run blocking. Also, you can set the preferred formations for whenever the computer coaches the team. Figure 16. Editing Offensive Players Offensive Players. You can set the starters and reserve players at all the key offensive positions. The editor allows you to quickly change players' names and attributes. To quickly change all a player's attributes to a value, click in the box next to Initialize All Values and enter the value (1-9) you want for that player. Note that halfbacks have passing attributes because they throw from both halfback passes and fake kicks. Offensive Playcalling. Coaches usually take different approaches depending on where their team is on the field, breaking the field into roughly three areas: inside their own 20, between the 20's, and in the "Red Zone" (scoring range). For each area, percentages are given for each down and distance (second and long, for instance). Use this screen to define how the computer coach guides this team. Defense. As in the offense, the defense must be viewed both as individuals and as a unit. On the main defensive screen, the overall defensive unit is defined. The individual players can be modified on a separate screen. Special Teams. At this screen are the kicker, punter, and return men. The kicker performs on kickoffs, fieldgoals, and point after touchdown kicks. As in real life, punters differ in strength, hang time, and accuracy. Some punters are better at nailing their opponents inside the 20, for example. Finally, define the abilities for the kick and punt return men, including how much the individual is used. Team Colors. The team's colors can be set by cycling through the available colors with the Prev and Next buttons. Some teams prefer to wear white at home, while others prefer to wear their colored jerseys. You can set the team's home preference. Schedules In addition to modifying the league and teams, you can create complete 16-game pro schedules, including a bye week for each team. Using actual professional league rules, the schedules generated for each team depend on a number of factors: the team's standing at the end of the previous season, and the year of the schedule being generated. Figure 17. The TLSF Schedule Editor Creating a Custom Schedule. To create a custom schedule, follow these steps: o Enter the year of the schedule. Simply click in the text box and enter the desired year. o Next, decide how you want to rank the team standings for the previous year: Do you want to rank them yourself, or do you want the computer to rank them randomly? o If you want to rank them manually, click on the Manually Adjust Rankings button and rearrange the rankings within each division. If you want the computer to rank the teams, click on the Use Random Rankings button. o Note: After the computer has randomly ranked the teams, you may click on the Manually Adjust Rankings button to view the rankings. o Click on the New button to generate a new season based on the parameters you have just chosen. o Click on By Week or By Team to view the newly created schedule. (You may also print the new schedule.) o Click on the Save button in the Schedules box, enter a filename for your new schedule, and press Enter to save. Note: Do not confuse the Save button in the Schedules box with the Save button in the command bar at the bottom of the screen. The former is for savings schedules; the latter is for savings leagues. Building a Custom League and a Custom Schedule. To bind a custom league and a custom schedule together, follow these steps: o Load the league of your choice by clicking on the Load a League button on the main screen of the TLSF Editor. o Load the schedule of your choice by clicking on the Load button in the Schedules box on the TLSF Schedule Editor screen. o Save the combined league and schedule file by clicking on the Save button in the command bar at the bottom of the screen (See Figure 18). It is recommended that you use a unique filename for this new file. Figure 18. Binding League and Schedule Files Together Note: Although only one schedule is linked to a league at a time, you can save different league/schedule permutations for loading and replaying later. Appendix A: What's New in TLSF Deluxe o A full-blown editor is now included to allow editing of leagues, teams, men, and schedules. In keeping with the design of the original TLSF, you'll find our editor to be one of the friendliest and most flexible you've used in any game. o League play now takes TLSF to a new level of game play. Multi-game injuries can wreck your season. Season stats and records are automatically maintained, and league leaders and division leaders are tracked. Real playoffs include a wildcard round and the championship Landry Bowl. o Offenses now have five new formations (Blue, Power I Left, Power I Right, Shotgun 4 WR, Trips) and can switch the Tight End to the other side by setting the "strong side" to the left or right. o In the original version of TLSF, the only offensive player sent in motion was the first flanker. You can now select either flanker to go in motion. o New pass patterns have been added, such as the Shuffle and the Hook and Go. o In addition to shifting over and under, the defensive line can now shift inside and outside, and even stunt (god on passing downs). o While blitzing in the original TLSF was simple, it was incomplete. Now you can customize your blitzing, giving specific orders to each individual linebacker. Also, you can now send the weak safety on a safety blitz! o The Instant Replay VCR control can now be located at either the top or bottom of the screen to reveal different portions of the field. o Finally, we've added print routines to allow you to print stats, drives, rosters, etc., either to a file or directly to your printer. Appendix B: League Rules and Penalties Unlike most football games, TLSF Deluxe includes all the penalties which can occur in a real game. Penalties can occur before and after turnovers, can be offsetting, can be enforced on the following kickoff... well, you get the idea. With TLSF Deluxe you get real penalties, and real headaches - just like coaches in real life. We have used real league rules in both the college and pro leagues (of course, the rules in real life seem to change yearly). For example, in determining schedules and playoff teams, we emulated the algorithms used by pros. Appendix C: Playoffs Twelve teams make the playoffs. In each conference, there are three divisional winners and three wildcard teams. The first week of postseason play is the Wildcard round - four teams from each conference play. The next week is referred to as the "First Round" and involves the remaining eight teams. The four winners of that round then play in the Conference Championship games. Finally, for the grand prize, the two conference champions meet in the Landry Bowl at a neutral site. The rules for determining divisional leaders are described in the League Play section of the manual, and the rules for determining the wildcard teams are similar. Appendix D: Computer Play When playing a computer opponent, the computer uses the tendencies for that team. In special situations, like a two-minute offense, it switches to other, more appropriate logic. Also, the computer tracks your playcalling by field position, down, and distance. For instance, if it notices you are tending to run inside on second and 5, it modifies its defense - just like human coaches do. However, if your running game is faltering, it may just ignore your run. Conversely, if the computer picks up that you play a lot of man to man coverage on first and 10, expect some longer passes. Just a note here - under no circumstances does the computer "cheat" or "know" your call, so what you call is important. Appendix E: Game-winning Strategy TLSF Deluxe has a wealth of football strategy available at your fingertips. Selecting the online Help brings up over 20 different topics to help you develop winning strategy during the game when you need it. The following information is meant to supplement the online Help. Football Strategy In the early days of football, teams relied almost solely on guts. However, as the game progressed, innovative coaches like Lombardi, Shula, Landry, Walsh, and Gibbs have continually found ways to give the other teams headaches. With proper understanding and use of formations - offensive and defensive - even weaker teams can often find an edge over stronger opponents. The same holds true for the other components of the game. Winning offenses use motion and misdirection, while successful defenses confuse their opponents with shifting lines, blitzes, and different pass coverages. TLSF Deluxe offers you all of the tools of the trade that "real" coaches use. Your assistant coaches have scouted your opponent and you can check their reports at anytime to recognize player strengths and weaknesses. As the game progresses, you should check the game stats. These can often reveal whether your opponent is focusing on a particular back or receiver, or leaning heavily on the run or pass. They may also show that you are over-playing your own hand and need to mix up your plays a little bit more. If you are playing against a computer coach, the scouting report even tells you his offensive tendencies for different parts of the field. Of course, those tendencies are not much use in lop-sided games, or against human coaches. Field Position The football field is 100 yards from your goal line to your opponent's goal, and where you are on the field should play a major role in your playcalling. Most coaches break the field up into five areas. Inside the offense's 20 is the dangerous part of the field. If you make one mistake here, your opponent likely has at least 3 points. Good quarterbacks will throw the ball away rather than be sacked or force the ball into a crowd. Rarely do you see pitches, reverses, or screens within the 20 yardline. From the 20 up to the 35 yardline, the offense can open up, but still has to avoid turnovers and sacks. Second and 9 isn't too bad, but second and 15 is real tough between the 20 and 35 yardlines. Offenses can call just about anything (playaction, misdirection, trick plays, bombs) between the 35 yardlines. Defenses usually go with zones, especially late in a game, but sometimes use blitzes to rattle the offense and perhaps force a mistake or at least a wasted down. Inside the 35 yardline, the offense is usually in field goal range, and almost never punts. The key here is to avoid losing yards, so the offense will call short and medium plays. Inside the 20 yardline is the most difficult part of the field from which to score. Pass routes must become shorter and the quarterback must get rid of the ball quicker. It is important to try to score either a touchdown or at least a fieldgoal every time you are within your opponent's 20 yardline. Passing To have a successful passing offense, receivers must know their routes and the quarterback must be able to hit his receivers. Nothing is more frustrating than completing a ten yard pass on 3rd and 14. The quarterback also must be able to read defensive formations and to call audibles at the line of scrimmage when necessary. The very short passes (Flare, Flat and Zoom) are designed to outwit blitzing defenses. Short passes are used to pick up 5 to 7 yards. Medium routes are good for 10 to 12 yards, while deep, medium, routes can usually yield about 13 to 16 yards. Long passes are good for at least 20 yards. Generally, man-to-man coverage is best against short passes; 2-Deep zones, against medium passes; and 3-Deep zones, against long passes. However, each defensive formation has its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the 2-Deep zone is great against fly and corner patterns, but weak against posts. In man-to-man coverage, the presence of a Free Safety can make the difference between a long completion and a deep interception (the Weak Safety is "free" if he doesn't have to cover a receiver). Zone defenses are usually known for causing interceptions. Man-to-man coverage allows linebackers to blitz, which can cause loss of yards and fumbles. Offenses can attack man-to-man coverages with long passes, especially fly patterns and passes to backs (who are usually faster than the linebackers trying to cover them). Also, man-to-man coverages are usually not as good against runs, unless blitzing with Run focus. Attack zone defenses with short passes, draws, screens and playaction passes. Running The three types of runs are the power runs, bread-and-butter runs, and finesse plays. Power runs are used to wear down a defense, or when you need just a yard or two. The Line Plunge is the main power run. The off-tackle runs (slants) and sweeps are your basic runs. Slants are a little safer than sweeps, especially versus the 3-4 defense, while sweeps have more potential for longer gains. If the defense is over-pursuing ("keying on flow"), the offense has to call misdirection plays - counters and traps. Traps are particularly strong against zones and Nickel formations. Offensive Formations There are three basic groups of offensive formations: strong running sets, strong passing formations, and balanced formations. Using different sets can keep your opponent off balance. Use the strengths of each formation, but also mix in some running from passing sets. If you want a strong running game, especially inside, use mainly the Pro I and Brown formations. The Brown is particularly strong for the fullback running off the left tackle, while the I is very good for inside runs. For a more balanced attack, at the cost of some inside strength, use the Pro Set and One-back offenses. Both of these sets open up the one-back set is excellent for running counters. If you want a wide-open game, use the Run-and-Shoot formation. This offense spreads the defense across the field and gives the quarterback plenty of choices for receivers. If your quarterback has a slow release, or cannot find open receivers, plan on a lot of quarterback sacks. The Short Yardage and Shotgun formations are specialized formations; use them when you need them. They are particularly good for run and pass plays. Defensive Formations While the offense uses formations to maximize strength, the defense uses different sets to try to anticipate the offense's point of attack. Different formations are stronger against plays and weaker against others. One of the most interesting defensive positions is that of the Free Safety. Actually, there is no Free Safety position. Rather, there are two defensive safeties on the field - the Strong Safety and the Weak Safety (the names have nothing to do with their strength). The Strong Safety is responsible for covering the Tight End in man-to-man pass coverage or a deep zone in zones. The Weak Safety may also have an assignment. In zone coverage, he covers a deep zone. However, in man-to-man coverage, if all the receivers are already covered, he becomes a "free" safety. From there, he can react to the ball and often assists on both runs and passes. He can also be used to double-cover a receiver. Short zone coverage gives the defense five zones approximately ten yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and two deep zones extending to the remainder of the field. Short zones are very tough on medium and long passes, except posts. The deep zone set has 4 short and 3 deep zones, which is not quite as good against medium passes, but is better against the deep passes. 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