                                SPEEDBALL

Typed in by MEDUSA. Edited by PARASITE.


THE PITCH
The game takes place on a steel walled floored pitch,160 feet long by
90 feet wide. The walls are 30 feet high. There is a goal at each end
of the pitch and a ball warp tunnel in each side of the wall. Throwing
the ball into the tunnel causes it to reappear on the opposite side.
The ball launcher, in the center of the pitch, rises at the start of
each game, rotates, then shoots out the ball in a random direction.
There are bounce domes, off of which the ball will be deflected, but
over which players are free to move. These appear in different formats
for each match.

TEAM SELECTION
You have a choice of one of three possible teams to represent.These
differ in skill and stamina.In two player mode, each player must
choose a team.

THE OPTIONS
Select one of these options:

DEMO GAME
Computer vs Computer. Press the fire button to exit the demo.

ONE PLAYER KNOCKOUT
Human vs Computer. Your team wears green and is playing up to pitch.
You take part in a knockout game based on 10 rounds. The object being
to reach the final and win.
The opposing teams will become more difficult as the rounds progress.
Each round is the best of 3 matches. You get 2 points for a win, 1 for
a draw and 0 for losing. To qualify for the next round, you need to
score 3 points. However, if you gain 3 points in the first and second
legs you will be kept informed of your progress and requirements
before the start of each match.

TWO PLAYER GAME
Human vs Human. Player one controls the green team playing up the
pitch, Player two controls the red team playing down the pitch. You
will be asked to select the duration of the league from 10-100 weeks.
Before each game you will be kept informed of your current status. You
score 100 points for a win, 20 for a draw and 5 for each goal.

LEAGUE GAME
Human vs Computer. This game is played in a league system with scores
of 100 points for a win, 20 for a draw and 5 for each goal. There are
11 teams in the league, including yours. After selecting the duration
of the league, you play each week of the league as in the knockout
game. Your opposing teams are drawn randomly, so you will meet teams
of different skills throughout the league.
At the end of each week, the computer will analyse the results of the
matches played by the other teams that week and compile the current
league. Your team name will be shown flashing in the table.
Each week consists of 5 matches, 10 teams play each week, your team
will not play in week 11.

SAVING A GAME
Make sure that you have a totally free disk-as any existing data on a
disk will be lost. The type of game you have just been playing will
automatically be saved, however the disk will save one each of a
knockout, league and two player game. Any existing game of this type
will be overwritten, so be careful! An un-formatted disk will
automatically be formatted.
If the save fails, check for write protect or try another disk.

LOADING A SAVED GAME
Simply insert your disk in to the drive and choose the correct loading
option.

CONTINUE GAME
This option allows you to continue playing a previously saved game.

CONTROLLING THE TEAM
To throw the ball, press the fire button. A very short press will
throw the ball at waist height, but if the fire button is held down it
will be thrown high up into the air, passing over the heads of the
players. Therefore it is possible to throw the ball too high to enter
the tunnels and goal mouths.
If your player doesn`t have possession of the ball, but it is in the
air near him,pressing the fire button will make him jump into the air
and attempt to catch it. If the fire button is pressed down when your
player doesn`t have the ball, then he will attempt to tackle an
opposing player. If he is moving and the fire button is pressed, he
will slide. This last tactic can be used to tackle an opponent or to
move faster to intercept the ball.

THE GOALKEEPER
The goalkeeper is controlled by the joystick when he is visible. With
the joystick in a central position, pressing the fire button will
cause him to jump up and punch the ball.
As soon as he touches the ball, he will automatically thrown it out
towards the centre of the pitch (either straight, or diagonally
left/right, depending on his movement when he gains control of the
ball).

TACKLING
Your tackle may or may not be successful, this depends on your skill
level (shown in your team info before a game starts-see attributes).If
you win the tackle, your opponent will lose some stamina, depending on
your strength (see attributes). Also, the losing player will be sent
into an uncontrolled roll and will be unable to do anything for a
couple of seconds. If the losing player is the goalkeeper, he will not
be able to save the ball for a couple of seconds-remember this!
A successful tackle will result in you taking control of the ball. You can
tackle any player at any time, there are no fouls and no rules in this game!
However, you are vulnerable when in the air and will always lose a tackle,
irrespective of your own or your opponent`s skill.

ATTRIBUTES
Strength: The stronger your team, the more stamina they take from your
opponents when tackling.
Stamina: As your stamina is depleted, your team gets slower and cannot throw
the ball as far, or with as much power.
Your stamina is replenished to a maximum level at the start of each game. The
small meters at the bottom left and right of the screen, depict the current
players stamina.
Skill: The higher your skill level the more successful your team will be in
tackling.

TOKENS
During the game, tokens will appear, move your player over them to pick them
up. There are two types of tokens:
The `SAVE and COLLECT` type, which are the rotating discs. These are saved and
can be used at the end of each match to select various options from the
following list:

OPTIONS               TOKENS         RESULT
Bribe official          2            Buy an extra minute game time for
                                     previous game.(This can only be done once
                                     per game).
Extra stamina           3            Increase your maximum strength level
Bribe Timer             3            Increase the length of time the immediate
                                     effect tokens last.(10 stage countdown).
Bribe Trainer           4            Reduce computers intelligence (not 2
                                     player).
Extra skill             4            Increase your tackling ability
Reduce stamina          4            Reduce opponent`s stamina
Extra Power             6            Increase your strength
Reduce skill            6            Reduce opponent`s tackling ability
Bribe Ref               6            Buy a one goal advantage for the next
                                     game, or the previous game if you also
                                     buy extra time
Reduce power            7            Reduce your opponent`s strength

The changes to the attributes will be shown before a match. Note the changes
to the opponent`s attributes in a two player game are permanant, but in a one
player game affect the oppositon for the current round.
The `immediate Effect` type, which are rotating tiles that will have an
immediate effect when picked up, depending on the letter on the tile:

F- Freeze the opposing team (except for the goalie) for a 10 stage countdown.
R- Reduce the opposing team`s speed for a 10 stage countdown.
P- Protect your team,(ie. can`t be tackled) for a 10 stage countdown.
S- Increase your team`s stamina.
D- Decrease your opponent`s stamina.
G- Get the ball if not already in possession of it.
E- Electron: Bolt of energy that will tackle any opponent it hits for a 10
stage countdown.
W- Turn the ball into a weapon for a period. When thrown it will tackle an
opposing player for a 10 stage countdown.
M-8 way electron burst for a 10 stage countdown.
J- Reverse opponent`s joystick control for a 10 stage countdown (two player
game only). The computer cannot use these weapons.

During a game:
F1- Pause
F10- Quit. This will end the league/knockout and will not give you an
opportunity to save the game.