EMPIRE SOCCER FROM EMPIRE SOFTWARE! 100% AMIGA DOCUMENTATION FOR EMPIRE SOCCER ------------------------------------------ GETTING STARTED --------------- Switch your computer on and insert game disk into your internal floopy drive. Install the shit and install the ptg crack patch! THE SUPREME FOOTBALL CHALLENGE ------------------------------ Empire Soccer 94 has been developed with two features very much in mind; PLAYABILITY AND FUN! All of the fun aspects of soccer have been condensed into a concentrated game of thrilling, non-stop action. There are no boring bits. Everything is fun, and just look at these features; Speed Burst - Power Drive - Snap Shot - Banana Shot Super Dribble - Super Barge - Overhead Kicks Sliding Tackles - Back Heels - Headers - Diving Headers Passing - One/Two passing - Keeper Drop Kicks Trap the Ball - Free Kicks - Throw-ins - Corners Special long Throw - Sendings off - Penalties - Substitutions Action replays with special video control mode Fully variable skill levels - Novice/Professional modes Atmospheric crowd effects - Superb graphics - Leagues Training - Exhibition - World Cup tournament Customised tournaments - 8 player competition 32 Teams - Results + full game statistics Just plug in, turn on, and freak out. You won`t have more fun than this anywhere! But don`t be fooled into thinking this game is simple. Sure, you can pick it up and play straight away. But there is a massive depth of gameplay. To get really good is going to take you a long, long time. When you can beat Brazil 5-0 in an exhibition match with a couple of diving headers and an overhead kick goal then you know you`re getting there! The game has many features and allows you to play one-off matches with the 32 international teams that are included, or you can play a complete World Cup finals involving 51 matches. The best way to play this is with a few friends - up to 8 can play in one competition. CONTROLS - COMMODRE AMIGA ------------------------- PLAYER CONTROL USING JOYSTICK ----------------------------- Your players will move around the field according to the direction the joystick is moved. Move the joystick diagonally to obtain diagonal moves. SKILL CONTROL ------------- Header - FIRE with ball in the air (quick tap) Kick - FIRE with ball close (joystick for after touch) Sliding tackle - FIRE whilst running without ball (quick tap) Special move - Wait for SP symbol by team name to flash, then press FIRE Backheel - REVERSE JOYSTICK whilst ball is close Overhead - Not available Free Kick, Goal Kick & Corner ----------------------------- KICK - FIRE (press and hold for power) PASS - FIRE (quick tap) SPECIAL - Wait for SP symbol by team name to flash, then press FIRE Goal Keeper Holding Ball ------------------------ LONG KICK - FIRE (press and hold for power) ROLL OUT - FIRE (quick tap) Throw-ins (Move target player using joystick) + ----------------------------------------------- LONG THROW - FIRE (press and hold for power) THROW TO FEET - FIRE (quick tap) Taking penalties ---------------- SHOOT - FIRE Saving Penalties --------------- Shuffle left - LEFT + FIRE Shuffle right - RIGHT + FIRE Dive left - LEFT Dive right - RIGHT Jump up - (don`t use joystick) Game Pause ---------- Pause - Press `P' on keyboard NB: Keyboard or mouse control is not possible on the amiga. THE MAIN MENU ------------- Selecting Options ----------------- The main menu offers 3 different ways of playing the game and an options selection. You select each item by moving the highlight with the JOYSTICK to the appropriate option and then pressing FIRE to select it. Use left & right in options to toggle options. Let`s deal with these 4 selections in reverse order as each one will take you further into the game. OPTIONS ------- Randomize Cup ------------- This option randomizes the teams that play in the World Cup finals section, and draws all of the preliminary groups. The game is initially set up with 24 teams in 6 groups. However, there are other teams in the game and selecting this option will give them a chance to play. See the TEAMS section for a full list of teams available. Select cup teams ---------------- This allows you to set up the 6 Groups of 4 teams in any way that you like. This means that you can select your own cup final leagues from the 32 teams available. Equal Skill (ON/OFF) -------------------- The individual countries have been allocated different skill levels and styles of play. If you want all of the countries to be equal then set this option to ON and all of the teams will be set to maximum skil level. This relates to both the World Cup and Exhibition matches. Cameos (ON/OFF) --------------- This option turns the Cameos on or off. Exit ---- This returns you to the main menu. TRAINING -------- This is probably the best mode for you to attempt first. It allows you to play a single match, where you select the skill levels for the 2 teams. Level 1 is the highest skill level, and level 5 is the lowest. Don`t worry if you lose to the computer even with it on level 5 and you on level 1 to start with. It has had more practice than you! NOTE: To start with you may like to set your team to novice mode. See before the match for information on how to do this. EXHIBITION ---------- This mode is a stepping stone towards a full World Cup competition and introduces you to the 32 international teams that are included in the game. You can play a single match with any one of these teams against another. The teams will be equally matched if you have selected EQUAL SKILL on the options screen, but they will have their own individual skill levels if this option is turned off - this is the default. An exhibition match must be decided one way or the other. This means that there is extra time followed by penalites if the scores are level. WORLD CUP --------- This is the mode that matches the format of the World Cup finals. This means that there are 6 groups of 4 teams who all play each other (36 matches in all) followed by a knockout competition for the last 16 (another 15 matches). The leagues are predefined, but they can be changed as described above in the section on Options. Up to 8 players can each select their own teams and play in the tournament together. Once you have selected the World Cup option the game will ask how many people are going to play. If you wish to have more than 3 players then select the bottom option but press left and right to get the correct number of players. Once you have decided on the number of players, each player selects a team. The list of available teams will appear and can be scrolled through by pressing up and down. Press RETURN (FIRE) to select the highlighted team. When everyone has selected a team, the league section will begin. The game plays 2 matches in each league at a time until every team in each league has played each other once. Each match can either be played in full or just the result viewed. Matches with no human players will default to just show the result. Matches with 1 or 2 human players will default to be played. However, you can decide which matches you wish to play, and which you wish to just have the result. Just press left and right to select whether a match is to be played or simply view the result. If you do decide to play a game where neither team has been picked by anyone then you will have to deselect COMPUTER on the pre-game screen to let the computer know that someone will take control of the team. See the BEFORE THE MATCH section for some more information on how to do this. After each match press RETURN (FIRE) to move on to the next one. After 2 matches in a group the league table will be shown. Press fire again to move on to the next group. When all the group matches have been played, the 16 best teams (top 2 in each group plus the 4 others with most points) play a knockout stage through to the World Cup final itself. If these matches are not decided in normal time there are 2 periods of extra time each lasting one third of the time per half, followed by a penalty shoot out if the match is still undecided. BEFORE THE MATCH ---------------- This screen allows you to set the styles for the 2 teams. Use the joystick to move the highlight and press FIRE to select. TIME - You can play 1,3,5 or 10 minute halves. SPECIAL MOVE - There are 9 special moves that can be selected with both Powerdrive, Banana and Snap shots available in two versions; FIXED which can only be used in an opponents half and FREE which can be used anywhere. Each one has unique strenghts and can be used in different ways. You can also select COMPUTER which means that the team will be controlled by the computer. See playing a game, specials for more details on exactly what the different special moves do. FORMATION - There are 5 different formations that you can select. Each one does make a significant difference to the way you play the game. Be brave, experiment - you can never be sure what style will suit you best until you try. NOVICE/PRO - This option allows each team to select whether the ball sticks to the players feet or not. The game is far better if you select PRO once you are familiar with the game, but NOVICE is a good option to try if you find it difficult to control to start with. It also allows a new player to stand a chance against a seasoned professional. PLAYING A GAME -------------- This is where Empire Soccer `94 really comes into its own. The game is designed to be fast, furious and fun. This is where it all happens and here`s how it works: At the start of each match, team number 1 (the team at the bottom of the screen) selects a heads or tails on the coin toss by presing left or right. If you are playing a 1 player game then you will always be given the chance to choose. The team that wins the toss then selects whether they wish to play up or down the field in the first half by pressing up or down. The team that loses the toss will take the kick off. During the game you control one player at a time and this player will be identified by having his number printed above him. This will be the nearest active player to the ball. If this player is off the screen then his number will appear at the edge of the screen in his direction. If the number is flashing (wait for the flashing SP symbol next to your team name), then the player can also activate his special move. See the CONTROLS section to see how. A yellow dot beside the number indicates that the player has been booked. The panel at the bottom of the screen shows the length of time remaining in the current half, together with scores and the team names. The timer bar is shown on the left of the screen. When the bar reaches the bottom the game goes into injury time which is shown by a rising red bar. There is no point trying to waste time at set-pieces when you are winning as this extra time will just be added on at the end. At half-time and full-time you will be presented with a screen of statistics that show how the 2 teams have fared in different areas of the game. Okay, let`s see how the game is played: PLAYING THE GAME - OPEN PLAY ---------------------------- Kicking ------- Soccer is all about kicking a ball around and here is how you do it. Press fire when you have the ball. Make sure you do have the ball at your feet though or it won`t work. The longer you press the button down, the harder the kick up to a maximum when the ball is kicked automatically. You may also impart swerve to the ball by pressing in the direction you wish to swerve on your controls. Note that pressing the controls in the opposite direction to that of the kick has the effect of kicking the ball higher, while pressing in the direction of the kick will keep it low. This is the most important of all of the controls and should be the first one that you master. Tackling -------- If you have not got the ball then you`d better do something about it. Pressing fire whilst running forces the controlled player into a sliding tackle. This is very effective for dispossessing the opposition, but can also be risky in the sense that you have a good chance of fouling them at the same time. Try to time your tackles so that you cut across the player with the ball and take it away from his feet cleanly. The referee will penalize any foul play if he sees it so use your tackles wisely. Heading ------- Heading brings a whole new dimension to your play. If the ball is in the air then your only option is to head it, but there are a number of different styles of headers that you can do. If the player is running, but a long way from the ball you press fire, then he will try launching himself into a diving header. This is the most powerful header but can only be directed in the direction you are running in. If the player is running, but is close to the ball then he will try heading the ball as he runs. If he is stationary then he will just jump in the air to head the ball. Both of these last 2 moves can be directed by using the direction controls. As you head the ball, press the direction on the controls that you want the header to go in. This enables you to score with some brilliant glancing headers, or headers back across the goal. Passing ------- Passing is an art. Keeping the ball moving is the elegant way to play soccer and in Empire Soccer `94 it is also highly effective. After a bit of practise you should be able to trap and pass the ball smoothly. To trap the ball, HOLD the kick button (fire) before the ball arrives at your selected players feet. This means that when the ball does get to him the player will stop and trap the ball. You then have about 1 second to turn the player to face in a different direction, using the direction controls, before releasing the button to pass the ball. Although you may not be able to see the player that you are passing to, the selected formation will give a good feel for where each of you players are. This is a vital skill for you to learn if you are going to compete with the very best computer teams. Backheel -------- Reversing the joystick with the ball makes the player flick it behind him. This is a very difficult move to master since you are almost always looking ahead of a player. Try getting the hang of this move in NOVICE mode before using it in PRO mode. So when you score you must do the following: put down your controls and run around the room for 5 seconds with your arms in the air shouting `YEAAAAHHHH' If you are playing a 2 player game, make sure that your opponent is a good sport or this move could result in a nasty injury. If he is a very good sport then replay the goal as many times as he will allow you without endangering your life. Enjoy yourself!!! PLAYING THE GAME - SPECIAL MOVES -------------------------------- These are activated by fire when SP flashes. There are 9 special moves that you can select for your team. This move is available to all of your players but can only be used when the number is flashing above the player`s head (SP symbol next to the team name flashes). After you use the special move you will not be able to use it again for a short time. Each move has unique strengths which are outlined below: Power Drive ----------- This is a very powerful shot with no swerve. It can be used to quickly get the ball upfield or to score some stunning goals. Try a power drive from a 45 degree angle on the goal to try and catch the goalkeeper off guard. Also, make sure you follow up a power drive towards the goalkeeper as he may well not be able to hold onto it. Snap Shot --------- This makes the player spin around and take a low hard shot at goal. It doesn`t matter which way the player is facing when you press the button. This move is very useful, especially for beginners, as it guarantees a shot on, or very near the goal. Banana Shot ----------- This is an extra swerving shot. It causes the ball to swerve automatically towards the corner of the net, no matter which way the player is facing up to a maximum of 90 degree swerve. Banana shots are great for swerving the ball in towards the net from a tight angle. Super Barge ----------- This one is for those of you of a more violent nature. When Super Barge is activated the controlled player will flash for a short period during which he will knock over any player that he touches and they will stay lying down for a long time. The referee will not penalize this. Be careful. It is quite possible to knock over your own players as well. Speed Burst ----------- Using the Speed Burst will briefly give your player an extra turn of pace. Use this to burst through the defence in a spectacular fashion. Make sure you are ready for your own sudden speed or you might end up zooming out of play! Super Dribble ------------- This move will make the ball stick to the players feet and for him to speed up for a short amount of time. This enables you to turn very quickly and run around players and goalkeepers alike. This move can be very powerful when you are close to the goal. NOTE: Novice mode effectively means that the whole team is permanently in Super Dribble mode and so this option is less important, but the burst of speed can make a difference. PLAYING THE GAME - SET PIECES ----------------------------- Free-kicks ---------- An ill-judged tackle will result in a free kick being awarded by the referee. A cross shows the direction for the intended kick. This direction can be changed by pressing left or right. There are 3 different kinds of kick that can be used from a free kick: Normal Kick - The normal kick button (fire press and hold) will produce a normal style of kick but the power is more controllable. It takes twice as long to get to maximum power from a free kick so that you can judge the strength more precisely. You can still swerve the ball. Pass - If you press fire quickly, the player will try to pass to the nearest player in the direction that he is facing. This is for the more subtle players who don`t want to just kick it as hard as they can! Special - The 3 kicking special moves (banana shot, snap shot and power drive) can also be used from free kicks with the button 2 (long tap) if they are available. CORNERS ------- Corners are taken in the same way as free kicks which are detailed above. Take care with the strength of kick to try and deliver a good cross in to the penalty area. THROW-INS --------- For the throw-ins you control the target player rather than the player with the ball to decide upon the angle that you throw the ball in. The target player will have his number highlighted above his head and you can move him around to try and get into a good position. There are then 2 type of throws that you can do: Long Throw - Use button 1 (fire press and hold) to throw the ball as far as you can in the direction of the target player. This will be straight over the target players head. The opposing team controls one player to mark the target player. Throw to feet - Use button 2 (quick tap) to try to throw the ball straight to the target players feet. PENALITIES ---------- Penalties are handled in a completely different way to all of the other kicks. When a penalty is awarded, a picture of a goal appears with 2 arrows which move left and right, and up and down. The left/right arrow indicates the direction of the kick, and the up/down arrows the height. The player taking the penalty must press fire when the arrows are in the position that he wants. This is purely a question of timing. Tha player controlling the goalkeeper can choose to shuffle left or right or dive to the left or to the right. He can also jump up to save the ball. Here are the controls; Shuffle left - Left tap (left + fire) Shuffle Right - Right tap (right + fire) Dive left - Left and hold (left) Dive right - Right and hold (right) Jump - Don`t press any controls GOAL-KEEPERS ------------ Goalkeepers are generally controlled by the computer and will do their best to stop any shots that come their way. The skill of the goalkeeper is depedent on the skill of the team that is playing. A goalkeeper in a low skill team may well let in some rather `soft' goals. There are times when the goalkeeper comes under the players control directly. These are: Kicking from hands ------------------ If the goalkeeper catches the ball, he will then have to either kick or roll the ball out. Note that if the ball is passed to him by one of his own players then he will NOT pick the ball up but will dribble with it. With the ball in his hands, the goalkeeper may take 4 steps within the penalty area and then must either kick or roll the ball. Press button 1 (fire press and hold) to kick the ball away downfield or use button 2 (quick tap) to roll the ball out to the nearest player in the direction that the goalkeeper is facing. Goal-Kicks ---------- Goal-kicks are treated in the same way as other set-pieces like free kicks (see above). Penalties --------- Penalties are a special case and are described above. IN-GAME FEATURES ---------------- At any point in the game the match can be paused by either player and some options become available. If either player presses P then the game will be paused. Pressing P again will unpause the game. While the game is paused, some in-game features can be selected. Each of these features is selected in the normal way using the direction controls and fire. Replays ------- You can show a replay of the previous 10 seconds of play at any time. Once selected you can also control the replay using 4 video style controls which are overlaid on the bottom right of the screen. These correspond to the 4 controls below: PLAY - RIGHT REWIND - LEFT PAUSE - FIRE (ON/OFF) STEP BACK - JOYSTICK UP (When paused) STEP FORWARD - JOYSTICK DOWN (When paused) Don`t replay your best goals too many times if you want to stay friends with your opponent. Formation --------- You can change your formation at any time in the game. Simply use left and right to select your new formation and then select PLAY (press fire) to return to the options. Substitutions ------------- You may substitute 2 of your players in the course of a match. The new player is picked automatically for you. It is a good idea to substitute towards the end of a match when some of your players may be getting tired, or if they have been booked to avoid them being sent off. You can tell which players have been booked by the small yellow dot next to the number. Restart ------- This will restart the current match. Make sure this is what you want to do before selecting this option. IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS --------------------- 1) Really try to get to grips with passing. It will massively improve your play. 2) The referee has limited vision. You can get away with a vicious tackle if he does not see it. 3) Especially in long matches, try to substitute players who have been booked to avoid having them sent off. 4) If you pass the ball back to your goalkeeper he will not pick it up, but will dribble with the ball. 5) Notice the formation of the other team and try to select one that will work effectively against it. Midfield dominace can be very important. THE TEAMS --------- Argentina Ivory Coast Belgium Japan Bolivia Mexico Brazil Morocco Bulgaria Nigeria Cameroon Norway Canada Romania Colombia Russia Denmark Saudi Arabia Eire Scotland England South Korea France Spain Germany Sweden Greece Switzerland Holland USA Italy Wales ------------------------------------------------------------------------