2014 Edition. The Most Comprehensive Stat-based Football Game.

Transcription

1 2014 Edition The Most Comprehensive Stat-based Football Game. Action! PC Football is a product of Dave Koch Sports Inc. Copyright 2014 Dave Koch Sports Inc. 1

2 Thank you for purchasing Action! PC Football! Thank you for purchasing Action! PC Football! When you play Action! PC Football, you choose from thousands of coaching and general manager options. After only a few plays, you'll find that Action! PC Football is the most realistic and exciting football simulation game you can buy. We use every available official statistic, expert player ratings, and hundreds of coaching options to accurately portray the game of football. Most importantly, Action! PC Football is fun to play! Whether you're playing against a friend or the computer, replaying a season, playing in a draft league, or playing on the internet, you'll enjoy the real-life football excitement of Action! PC Football! So pop in your mouth guard, snap on your chin strap, and get ready to hit the field! Copyright Notice Copyright 2014 by Dave Koch Sports Inc. All files, and the documentation provided in Action! PC products are the property of Dave Koch Sports Inc. and as such are protected under U.S. copyright laws. Neither the downloaded files, files stored on the disks, nor the documentation may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Dave Koch Sports Inc., except in the manner described in the documentation. You are permitted to make one (1) backup copy of the disks for your own use. Copyright by Stats Inc. Any commercial use or distribution of these licensed materials without the express written consent of Stats Inc. is strictly prohibited. 2

3 Table of Contents Installation... 4 Copyright... 4 Game Installation... 4 Season Disk Installation... 5 Manual and Strategy Guide... 5 Play Menu... 7 The Game Screen... 8 Setup Menu Organize Menu Reports Menu Internet Menu Utilities Menu Appendices A: Player Ratings B: Elapsed Time C: Play-By-Play Abbreviations Contact Information and Technical Support

4 Installation Copyright Notice Copyright 2014 by Dave Koch Sports Inc. All files, and the documentation provided in Action! PC products are the property of Dave Koch Sports Inc. and as such are protected under U.S. copyright laws. Neither the files stored on the disks nor the documentation may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Dave Koch Sports Inc., except in the manner described in the documentation. You are permitted to make one (1) backup copy of the disks for your own use. Copyright by Stats Inc. Any commercial use or distribution of these licensed materials without the express written consent of Stats Inc. is strictly prohibited. Game Installation from a Disk 1. Place the CD-Rom in your CD drive. 2. Select Start from the Windows menu bar and then Computer from the pop-up menu. 3. Double click to open your CD drive (usually d: or e:) 4. Select and run setup.exe from your CD drive. Game Installation from a Download 1. Save the download to your computer. 2. Double click the setup.exe program to begin the installation. 4

5 Season Installation The Season Disk Installation tool is used to install a season file to a folder on your hard drive, where it can be accessed by the game. Season folders are stored in c:/dksports-data/football/seasons. 1. Select Setup/Install Season from the opening screen. 2. On the left side of the form, select the current location (drive and folder) of the season file you want to install. If you are installing a season from a CD, make sure to select the drive that holds the CD (usually d: or e:). 3. On the right side of the form, click the zipped season file that you would like to install. 4. Click Begin Installation. Season Installation Tool The Action! PC Manual and the Strategy Guide The Action! PC manual contains instruction for installing and playing the game as well as an overview of menu options. The following notation will be used throughout the manual: Choose Play/Exhibition Game means choose Play, then choose Exhibition Game from the subsequent menu. The Strategy Guide can be found in the main game folder and at dksports.com. In order to get the most enjoyment out of Action PC Football, it is highly recommended that you also read the strategy guide. 5

6 Play Menu Exhibition Game: Statistics are NOT compiled. Scenario Game: Statistics are NOT compiled. Start the game with your choice of scenario or let the computer choose a random scenario. Resume Game: Continue playing an unfinished, saved game. Playoff Game: Play a game from the playoff bracket. Unscheduled League Game: Play an unscheduled league game. ALL statistics and records are compiled into your league stats. Scheduled League Game: Play a scheduled league game. ALL statistics and records are compiled into your league stats. The Play Menu To begin play, select Play from the top of the opening screen. Choose the type of game to play. Exhibition Game Statistics are NOT compiled. Scenario Game Statistics are NOT compiled. A scenario game is similar to an exhibition game except that after choosing teams, you are prompted to select the following game starting parameters: quarter, minutes left, seconds left, score, down, yards to first down, yards to the opponent s goal, and team in possession of the ball. Or, select Random to let the computer choose the scenario for you. After your choices are made, select OK to begin play. 6

7 Resume Game Continue playing an unfinished, saved game. All games are automatically saved after each play. The last game played may also be resumed at set time intervals, scores, or at the previous play. Playoff Game To begin the playoffs, choose Play/Playoffs/Create Playoff Folder or click the Regular Season label at the bottom of the opening screen. Playoff folder creation may take a moment, during which Creating Playoffs is displayed on the main screen. Once created, clicking this label again will toggle between regular season and playoff modes. Playoff games may be played in three different ways. Playoff Bracket Set up a playoff tournament of up to 16 teams. At least one team must be seeded in both the top and bottom brackets. Winning teams are automatically advanced to the next round of the playoffs. Scheduled Playoff Game Play a game from the list of scheduled games. Games may be scheduled using Organize/Schedule. Stats are kept in scheduled playoff games, but results are not applied to the playoff bracket. Unscheduled Playoff Game Play a playoff game between any two teams. Stats are kept, but game results are not applied to either the playoff bracket or league schedule. Once a playoff game has been played, an entry appears on the opening screen with the score. Clicking this label opens up the box score for the game. Unscheduled League Game Play an unscheduled league game between any two teams. All statistics and records are compiled into your league stats. Scheduled League Game Play games from the league schedule. All statistics and records are compiled into your league stats. To add games to the list of games to be played, click on the word unplayed in the first column. This will change the game status to Play Next. The following options are available: 7

8 Previous Week View the schedule for the previous week. Next Week View the schedule for the next week. Select Entire Week Add the entire displayed week to the list of games to be played. Select All Games Add all remaining unplayed games to the list of games to be played. Deselect Entire Week Remove the entire displayed week from the list of games to be played. Deselect All Games Remove all games from the list of games to be played. Cancel Return to the main menu. Play Play all selected games. If both teams are computer coached, the games will be played very rapidly. CPU Set all coaches to computer control. Favorite Team Set human control for a team. Click the C or H next to the team name to toggle between computer or human coach. To view a box score of a completed game, click any of the stat categories for that game. Setting Game Preferences The Game Preferences form is used to change game screen display and play-by-play preferences. This form appears automatically before a game and may be accessed by clicking the green Setup button on the opening screen, or by selecting Setup/Game Preferences. For details on the Game Preferences form, see the section Game Preferences. The Game Screen The game screen is where all plays are called. On offense, you set the lineup, call the plays, and choose your ball carriers and receivers. The defense sets up lineups, coverage, stunts, blitzes, and much more. Then each offensive, defensive, and special teams player performs as he did in real life with amazing statistical accuracy! 8

9 Action! PC Football Game Screen Game Screen Options Quick Sub Click any player on the field to access the Quick Sub form. The Quick Sub form displays a list of possible substitutes for the selected player. Double-click the player you would like to enter into the game. Check the Global Sub option to enter the player in all formations. Rosters and Lineups Click either team name on the scoreboard to access the Roster form. Formation Select from a list of 12 pre-saved formations for offense and 15 pre-saved formations for defense. Formation changes must be made before the play is called. Options Select from a list of options to be added to the current play. Options must be selected before the play is called. For details on specific options, see the football strategy guide. Mouse-overs Moving the mouse over the time remaining brings up the box score for the game. Moving the mouse over players on the field brings up a stats and ratings pop-up for that player. Real, replay, or game stats may be displayed, as set from the game preferences form. Tabs Several tabs are available to choose the type of additional information which is displayed. These include: % Tab Shows the potential play results and play calls for the previous play. This tab also displays player and team stats appropriate to the situation. 9

10 Line Tab Lists the players on the field for each team, along with overall offensive and defensive ratings. Click on a player's name to view the player form. Box Tab Displays game summary statistics. Stat Tab Displays passing, rushing, and receiving statistics for skill players on both teams. Usage Tab Displays player usage status for the offensive team, including current usage penalties and the point at which the next level will be reached. Out Tab Lists players who are either injured or resting. Injured players are listed along with the length of their injury. Resting players may be used at reduced effectiveness, but will not regain full effectiveness until they are allowed to rest. Man Tab Displays the man-to-man coverage match-ups from the previous play. Offensive Play Calling Offensive plays may be called in two ways: 1. Click a play call and view a list of available skill players and their potential play results for this play. Choose a ball carrier or primary receiver from the list to call the play. 2. Click a skill player and view a list of common play calls for this player. Then click a play from the list to call it. Note: For details on the strengths and weaknesses of every play in the game, please refer to the strategy guide. Note: Potential play results, when viewed pre-play, are based on a 4-3 basic defense in man coverage. Clock Management Offensive Pace Offensive pace options are located on the bottom right of the play calling screen. Pace determines how long it will take in seconds for a play to begin. After a play, the scoreboard clock displays the time remaining at the end of the play. When the clock is stopped, the pace selection box will display Clock Stopped. When it is running, the available pace options are given along with the approximate range of time it will take to get the play off. When the next play begins, the clock changes to show the time at the snap, and then changes again at the end of the play. The following pace options are available when the clock is running: 10

11 Offensive Play Options Normal Pace When no pace option is selected, the offense will proceed at a normal pace, normally using about 30 to 40 seconds of a 40 second play clock. The approximate range of time is displayed at the top of the box (ex. Clock 34-40). Normal pace produces the best play results, since the offense is not rushing to start a play or becoming predictable by using the entire play clock. Hurry Up The hurry up offense gets a play started as quickly as possible. The amount of time it may take is shown next to the check box (ex. Hurry 12-18). This varies according to the previous play result. For example, after a 50 yard gain it will take longer to line up and snap the ball than after a three yard gain. No offensive personnel changes may be made from the previous play when running a hurry up offense. The defense cannot change players either, so the offense can use this to its advantage by keeping favorable match-ups on the field. Because the offense does not huddle up, the available play calls are limited. For example, most trick plays as well as combo passes are not available. Plays called in a hurry are less effective than those called at a normal pace from the huddle, so it should only be used when time makes it necessary, or to keep a defense on the field. Note that it may take slightly longer than the displayed time to bring a field goal or punt unit onto the field. Field goal percentage and punt average are reduced by a small amount in the hurry up offense. Slow Pace Slow pace uses the entire play clock, running as much time off the clock as possible. It is best used when protecting a lead late in a game. The slow down offense makes the snap count more predictable, since the defense knows that the ball must be snapped before the play clock reaches zero. Because of this, the defense can usually get a better jump on the play. Slow pace can also be used by an over-matched team to shorten the game by reducing the number of plays. This strategy should be considered carefully, 11

12 however, because of the penalty to the offense's effectiveness. No Play Whenever the time remaining on the play clock is greater than the time remaining in the quarter or until the two minute warning, the offense has the option to let the clock run without calling a play. To do this, click the No Play button at the bottom right of the play calling screen. On defense, a red label appears to indicate that the offense is not lining up to run a play. Spike Ball Spiking the ball stops the clock while using a down. It takes slightly less time to line up and spike the ball than to run a hurry up offense. To spike the ball, click the quarterback's name on the play calling screen and select Spike Ball from the list. Spike ball is not available when it is not allowed in the league rules, when the clock is stopped, and on fourth down. QB Kneel To call a kneel down, click the quarterback's name and select QB Kneel from the list. QB kneel is not available when it is not allowed in the league rules. Defensive Play Calling Click the main defensive play call (basic, run, pass, prevent or goal line) to call a defensive play. Coverages, defensive line calls, blitzers, formations, keys, double coverages and other defensive options must be highlighted before selecting your main defensive play call. Note: Potential offensive play results can be viewed in the keyed runner and double coverage boxes Note: For details on the strengths and weaknesses of every play in the game, please refer to the strategy guide. 12

13 Defensive Play Options 13

14 Setup Menu Game Preferences: Set up play-by-play options and game display options. Install Season: Install a new season. Active Season: Change active season. Stadiums: Edit stadium information. Play-by-Play: Edit play-by-play descriptions. The Setup Menu Action! PC Football can be played with the default settings; or it can be customized to your own specifications. The Setup Menu is accessed by choosing Setup from the opening screen. The following options are available. Game Preferences The Game Preferences form is used to change game screen display and play-by-play preferences. This form appears automatically before each game and may be accessed by clicking the green Setup button on the opening screen, or by selecting Setup/Game Preferences. Most of the Game Preferences options may be changed at any time during a game. The following adjustments may be made from the Game Preferences menu: Game Setup Tab Game Type Toggle between League or Exhibition game. This option is not available after the opening kick. Statistics will only be saved for League games. Box Score Type Choose between traditional, side-by-side, or expanded box scores, and select additional items to be displayed in the box score. This option may be changed before, during, or after games. Computer Coaching options Computer vs. computer games may be played at instant speed or at regular speed so you can read the play-by-play and watch the game progress. Computer coaches may be chosen for either team, for both defenses, or for both offenses. 14

15 Computer Coach Set the computer to control either both teams offenses or both defenses. Stadium Choose which stadium to play the game in. Weather Conditions Choose the month, temperature, wind speed and precipitation. If a month is chosen, random weather conditions appropriate for the month and stadium will be set. Weather conditions may not be changed after the opening kick. Game Preferences Menu Display Tab Play-By-Play Play-by-Play Speed, Pause, and Description Length Adjust the speed at which the play-by-play is displayed and the length of the pause between plays using the scroll bars. Choose Penalty Display Pause to delay the display of penalty information for dramatic effect. Choose Short Play-By-Play to keep descriptions short and to the point. Play-by-Play Font Properties Play-by-play font can be set to 15

16 standard or bold. Adjust font size, background and foreground colors, or choose to display play-by-play in team colors. An example of your font choice will appear in a display box. Current Play Display Location Use the drop down menu to determine where you want the play-by-play to be displayed. Zoom This feature allows you to quickly advance to a later stage of the game. The computer will quickly coach both teams up to the selected point in time. Game Display Options Layout Vertical Displays a vertical field that uses the entire height of the screen. About 60 yards of the field are visible at once, and will automatically scroll to keep the players in view. Player font size and style may be set. Player stats may be set to display below the player labels for offense and defense, and inset lineups may also be displayed on the field. Choose Display Generic End Zones to show team names in the end zones. Horizontal Displays a horizontal field with either player ratings or uniform numbers. The horizontal view allows the video chalkboard to be used. When activated, use the scroll bar to set the speed of the video chalkboard. Mouse-over Stats Choose between real, replay, or game stats as the type of statistic to be displayed when the mouse is moved over a player name or icon on the playing field. Player photos also appear in the mouse over box, when assigned. Misc Tab Play Calling Options Offensive Player Play Call List Choose between a basic or expanded list of offensive plays to be displayed when clicking an offensive player. Display Offensive Play Call Box Choose to display player or play call cards with a single-click; or by moving the mouse over the play or player. Selecting Offensive and Defensive Plays Choose between a singleclick or a double-click to select a play. When using the double-click option for defensive plays, you are able to view potential play results for a play call with a single click. Play Clock Set the time allowed for making calls. If the offense does not call the play in time, a delay of game results. If the defense is late, a basic defense is called. 16

17 Report Style Reports can be generated in Traditional, Document, or HTML styles. Opening Screen Choose font size and sort the category of the opening screen reports. Sounds and Music Choose to play games with sound effects or music. Touchdown fight songs may be played after a home team touchdown. To select a fight song for a team, go to Organize/Team Logos and Fight Songs. Any wave sounds or music files may be added to the game, and should be saved in c:/dksports-data/football/sounds. Sound Notifications Choose to have sounds notify you of certain events. Sound notifications can be set for audible opportunities, opponent play calls in internet games, and special teams play call opportunities Press Box Announcer Turn on the press box announcer which uses the Windows narrator voice to describe play results after each play. Pronunciations can also be edited by choosing Utilities/Edit Narrator Translations. Install Season The Install Season form is used to install a new season. It is accessed by selecting Setup/Install Season from the opening screen. For instructions on installation, see the Installation section. Active Season The Active Season form is used to change the active season, and is accessed by choosing Setup/Active Season from the opening screen, or by clicking the green Active Season button. To activate a season, double click to open the season folder and choose Save Changes. If a folder is selected which doesn't contain season files, a blank league will be created in that location. Stadiums: Creating and Modifying a Stadium The Stadium form is used to create and modify stadiums. It may be accessed by selecting Organize/Stadiums from the top of the opening screen. The following options are available: Available Stadiums Highlight a stadium to view or modify. Stadium Modify the name of the highlighted stadium. Location Modify the location for the highlighted stadium. 17

18 Wind Scroll to the desired wind value. Values range from 0 (dome) to 5 (often windy). The average wind value is 3. Precipitation Scroll to the desired precipitation frequency. Values range from 0 (dome) to 5 (rains often). The average precipitation value is 3. Advantage Scroll to the desired home field advantage. Values range from 1 (not much advantage) to 5 (large advantage). The average home field advantage is 3. Note: The higher this advantage, the greater the difference between home and road statistics. This means that a team with high home field advantage will be equally negatively affected on the road. Temperatures Set the average monthly daytime high temperatures for the highlighted stadium. Add New Stadium Create a new stadium. Play-By-Play: Editing Text The Play-By-Play Editor allows you to change 4000 different lines of play-byplay text. To access the Play-By-Play Editor form, choose Organize/Play-By-Play from the top of the opening screen. 18

19 Organize Menu Team Information: Modify team names, nicknames, and other information. Team Logos, Fight Songs and Stadiums: Modify team logos, sound files, and field pictures. Teams & Rosters: View, create, modify, erase, move, or import teams. League Tools: Perform tasks for the active league including resetting league statistics and records, releasing players and teams into the free agent pool, and setting default lineups and coaches. Schedule: Modify the schedule for the active season directory. Rules: Modify specific rules for the active season directory. Each season directory has its own rules. Draft: Draft players. Encyclopedia: Build an encyclopedia and generate custom reports. Player Search: Search for a player in a specific league. Edit Records: Edit league records. Model League: Create a new league based on an existing league. League Notebook: Create team or league text files. League Address Book: Maintain a list of league members, addresses and member status for ing game files. The Organize Menu To begin Organizing your teams, choose Organize from the top of the opening screen. A drop-down menu with the following options appears: 19

20 Team Information: Modifying Team Characteristics The Team Information form allows for the editing of all team characteristics. It may be accessed in the following ways: 1. Choose Organize/Teams, highlight a team, and click Modify Team. 2. From the Roster form, click Modify Team/Information 3. Choose Organize/Team Information from the main menu. Team Information Form Team Information Form Options Begin by choosing a team from the list. The following team information may be modified: City, Nickname, Abbreviation Enter the city, nickname and three-letter abbreviation for the selected team. Base Year Enter the year the player statistics are based on. Note: Base year is very important since it allows the computer to make comparisons between playing styles of different eras. Penalty Scroll Bar Team penalty ratings range from 1 (least penalized) to 5 (most penalized). The average pro team rating is 3. 20

21 Team Type: Pro standard pro team with its original roster. Draft contains players from more than one original team. College college team. Uses college rules. Sked Scroll Bar This scrollbar is used only for College teams. The strength of schedule ratings range from 1 (easiest) to 10 (most difficult). Most major college teams have a strength of schedule between 7 and 10. Internet Coach Enter the coach s address, city, state, zip, address, and phone number. To view or print a complete league directory, see the section League Reports. Team Colors Select home and road foreground and background colors as well as a third color for a team, and the display font. Home Park Highlight a home stadium. Teams Logos, Fight Songs, and Stadiums The Team Logos form allows for the editing team logos, fields, and fight songs. It may be accessed by selecting Organize/Team Logos, Fight Songs, and Stadiums from the opening screen. Team Logos, Fight Songs and Stadium Form Options: Available Logos Select a logo for this team. Touchdown Music Select a wave file to be played when the selected team scores a touchdown at a home game. Any wave files saved to the following file may be used: c:/dksports-data/football/sounds Horizontal /Vertical Field Images Select pictures for dry, rain, and snow fields. Saving Picture and Files for use with Action! PC Football Please abide by all copyright laws. Read and understand the usage rules and get permission, when necessary, before copying any files. It s easy to customize the look and feel of your game by downloading stadium graphics, team logos, player photos, and wave files from the internet. First locate a picture or sound file you d like to use. If the creator of the file permits, right-click the picture or file and select Save As. Then, browse to c:/dksports-data/football and save the file into the appropriate folder. Save files to the following folders: 21

22 TeamLogos folder team logos Stadiums folder stadium graphics Sounds folder wave sound effects PlayerPhotos folder player photos Modify Team Logos, Fight Songs and Stadiums Form Teams & Rosters: Organizing Teams and Rosters Choose Organize/Teams to view, create, modify, erase, move, or import teams. This form can also be accessed by clicking the green Rosters button on the opening screen. The following options are available: View Roster Display the Roster form for the highlighted team. The Roster form may also be viewed by double-clicking the desired team. For more 22

23 information, see the section The Roster Form. Create New Team Create a new team in the highlighted location. The highlighted location must be blank in order to create a new team. The Team Information form is then displayed to enter new team information. For more information, see the section Team Information. Erase Team Erase and remove the highlighted team. You will be prompted to verify this selection. Move Team Move the highlighted team to a new division. Modify Team Display the Team Information form and make changes to the team name and other information. For more information, see the section Team Information. Import Team Import a team from a different season directory. Highlight an unoccupied team location and select Import Team. The following options are available: Import Drive Select an import drive. Import Folder Select a folder from the import drive. Available Teams Double-click the team you would like to import. Import Team Import the highlighted team. Cancel Return to the Teams menu without importing. Exit Return to the main menu. THE ROSTER FORM: Managing Team Lineups and Rosters The Roster form is a powerful tool that offers complete options for team, roster, and lineup management. The Roster form gives access to the following: Player menu, Lineup menu, Team Information form, Edit Roster menu, Coaching Options menu, Reports Menu, and Roster Options menu. The Roster form may be accessed by double clicking a team from the Organize Teams form. Player Menu The Player menu provides options for editing the players on a team. The following options are available from the Player menu: View View ratings as well as complete real-life, computer, and current game statistics for the highlighted player. You may also view a player by double-clicking his name on the roster list. Create Create a new player. An editable blank player form will appear. All ratings and statistics may be entered at this time. A roster may 23

24 contain a maximum of 75 players. Modify Modify statistics and ratings for the highlighted player. An editable ratings and statistics form will appear. Release Release the highlighted player to the free agent pool. You will be asked to verify this choice. Erase Erase the highlighted player. You will be asked to verify this choice. Trade Trade the highlighted player to a different team. A team list will pop-up and you will be prompted to select a new team or cancel. Draft View a list of available free agents for possible selection. (See the section Drafting Players with the Draft Form. ) Lineups Menu The Lineups menu may display one of 12 offensive platoons, 15 defensive platoons, or the special teams platoon. To toggle the displayed platoon, click the name of the desired platoon. To enter the highlighted player into the displayed lineup, double click the desired lineup location. If the player does not normally play the selected position, you will be prompted to verify that you would like to play him out of position. During gameplay, injured or inactive players may not be selected. Tired players may be used at reduced effectiveness. The following options are available from the Lineup Menu: Autofill Lineups Selecting Autofill will complete all offense, defense, and special teams platoons with the best available players. Autofill is only available when a roster contains 30 or more players. Erase Lineups Erases ALL platoons. Edit Roster Menu Select a category to edit player ratings, statistic, or information in a spreadsheet format. Computer Coach Menu Game Plan The Game Plan form is used to set platoon and play usage for virtually any game situation when the computer is coaching a team. The programmable coach makes all coaching decisions when the computer is coaching this team. It may be accessed by selecting Coach/Game Plan from the Team Roster form. (See the section Team Roster Form. ) 24

25 Computer Offense: Standard Offensive Situations Down, Distance Highlight a down or distance situation to modify. Draw, Dive, Trap, Off Tackle, Sweep, Pitch, Screen, Short, Medium, Long, Bomb Toggle the scroll bar to change the play usage percentage for the highlighted down, distance, and yard line situation. Formation Highlight formations to use for the highlighted down, distance, and yard line situation. Next Game Adjust the amount of runs and passes for the next game only. Offensive Options Choose how often to use the following options: motion, play action, shotgun, trick plays, run counter, weak side runs, and rollouts. Default Offense Generate a default offense for this team, based on its personnel. Computer Defense: Standard Defensive Situation Down and Distance Highlight a down and distance to modify. Formation Select formations to use for the highlighted down, distance, and yard line situation. Next Game Adjust the amount of run and pass defenses for the next game only. Defensive Options Choose how often to use the following options: man coverage, vary coverage depth, line slants, blitz 1 defender, blitz 2 defenders, blitz 3 defenders, key runners, double receivers. Default Defense Generate a default defense for this team, based on its personnel. Quick Defense The quick defense options allow up to 20 defensive play calls to be created, which can then be called with one click. For example, a defense could be created with 4-3 personnel, outside pass coverage, and one doubled wide receiver. That play could then be named and saved for easy access in game. 25

26 Player Usage Form The Player Usage form is used to set player rushing, receiving, and passing usage targets as well as active or inactive status for computer coached teams. The following options are available: Rushing, Receiving and Passing Usage Select target usage levels for each player. Status Select Active or Inactive status for this player. Active players are available for play unless they are injured. Inactive players are not available for play. Password Optionally set a password to limit access to your coaching files. Reports Menu The following options are available when you choose Reports from the Roster form. Statistics Display the Team Statistics form and view team stats, player stats, rosters, and box scores for this team. (See the section Team Reports. ) Injuries View a list of current injuries for this team. Salaries View a list of salaries for this team. Scout The Scouting report displays team offensive and defensive play and platoon tendencies. Roster Options Menu Schedule Games Off Schedule games off for players in order to mimic real life injuries. If realistic multi-game injuries are also on, random injuries will take into account games off scheduled. For example, a player who missed six games in real life and is scheduled for six games off will not receive random multi-game injuries Release All Players Release ALL players to the free agent pool. You will be prompted to verify this choice. Reset Stats Reset all replay statistics for this team to zero. You will be prompted to verify this choice. Week Off Give all players on this team a week off to recover from injuries. You will be prompted to verify this choice. Reset Salaries Generate default salaries for all players on this team. Print Player Cards Print player cards for one or more players on a team. Cards may be printed in two sizes: business card (2 x3.5 ) or 26

27 postcard (4.25 x 5.5 ). Player Photos Display the Player Photo form. The Player Photo Form The Player Photo Form allows users to select photos to be used for specific players. It may be accessed by selecting Roster/Player Photos from any team roster. Photos can also be assigned by clicking the photo or silhouette on the player form. Player photos will appear when viewing player stats and at various other locations in Action! PC Football. Player photos should be saved in the following location: c:/dksports-data/football/playerphotos The standard naming convention for player photos is Lastname_Firstname.jpg. The following options are available in the Player Photo Form: Use Photo Use the displayed photo for the highlighted player. Delete Photo Assignment Discontinue photo use for this player. Delete All Assignments Discontinue photo use for all players on this team. Player List Click a player to view his photo assignment. League Tools: Setting up Your League The League Tools form is used to perform tasks that apply to the entire active league. To access league tools, click the green League Tools button on the main screen, or select Organize/League Tools. The following three categories are available: League Statistic Tools Reset Statistics Reset statistics for all teams and players to zero. Reset League Records Reset all league records to zero. Weeks Off Rest all players a specified number of weeks. Reset All-time Records Reset all all-time records to zero. League Draft Tools For more information on creating a draft league and drafting players, see the 27

28 section Draft. Release Players Release all players into the free agent pool. Erase Teams Delete all teams. League Roster Tools Real Usage Set all players to target real life usage totals. All Active Set all players to active status. Autofill Lineups Generate default lineups for all teams. Default Coaches Generate default coaches for all teams. Calculate Salaries Calculate salaries for all players. Default Photo Names last_first.jpg Assign photos to all players in the following format: lastname_firstname.jpg Default Photo names first_last.jpg Assign photos to all players in the following format: firstname_lastname.jpg Default Photo Names last,first.jpg Assign photos to all players in the following format: lastname,firstname.jpg Default Photo names first,last.jpg Assign photos to all players in the following format: firstname,lastname.jpg Schedule: Building and Modifying a Schedule The Schedule form is used to modify the schedule for the active season directory. The Schedule form may be accessed by selecting Organize/Schedule from the top of the opening screen. The following features are available: Adding a Game to the Schedule Road Team Highlight the visiting team. Home Team Highlight the home team. Add Above Game Add a game with the selected teams. The Tools Menu Remove All Games Remove all games from all weeks. Set All Coaches to Computer Set all teams to computer coaches. Set All Coaches to Human Set all teams to human coaches. Note: Click the cell listing the team coach ( H or C ) to toggle between human and computer coaches. Erase All Scores Erase all scores from games already played. Note: 28

29 Only scores will be erased; player statistics will not be changed. Import/Export Schedule Use a csv format schedule, or export the current schedule to csv to be viewed as a spreadsheet. Restore Original Schedule Restore the schedule in effect prior to any current changes. Print Schedule Print a copy of the current schedule. The Computer Scheduler Games Enter the desired number of games per team. Weeks Enter the number of weeks for the schedule to cover. Division Enter the desired number of games against each divisional opponent. Generate Schedule Generate a new schedule based on the selected parameters and guidelines. Note: Because of the randomness involved, the scheduler may not always schedule a full slate of games. If this occurs, simply reselect Generate Schedule. Schedule generation may take from 5 to 60 seconds. A schedule is generated most quickly for leagues with an even number of teams. Favorite Team Highlight the team(s) to be coached by a human coach. View Team Select a team to view its schedule. Save Schedule Save all changes and return to the main menu. Cancel Cancel all changes and return to the main menu. Rules: Modifying Active Season Rules The Rules form is used to modify specific rules for the active season directory. Each season directory has its own rules. The Rules form is accessed by selecting Organize/Rules from the opening screen. The following options are available: Rules Tab Kickoff Line Choose between the 30, 35 or 40 yard line. Goal Post Location Choose between goal line and end line. Field Goal Miss Line Choose between Kick Spot, Scrimmage Line or 20 Yard Line. Penalties Set the frequency of penalties in the game. 29

30 Audibles Allow teams to call audibles and set a limit on their use. After the defense sets its formation, the offense will be given the option to change. Replay Challenges/Team Select the number of replay challenges allowed per team. Rules Year Enter a year for the league rules. This affects the specific types of penalties which will be called. Season Length Enter the number of games to be played for each team. Season usage penalties will be based on this season length. Minutes per Quarter Set the number of minutes per quarter to be played. Home Field Advantage Choose to use the real life home field advantage for each stadium or select a standard league home field advantage of between 1 and 5. Two Point Conversion Allow a two point attempt after a touchdown. Ten Minute Ticker Play all computer auto-played games in the background. In progress game scores will be displayed during manually played games. League standings and game results will be hidden on the autoplay screen while the ten minute ticker is being used. High School Rules Use high school rules. Play Overtime Play overtime when tied after the fourth quarter. Allow QB Ball Spikes Allow the quarterback to spike the ball to stop the clock. Allow QB Kneel Allow the quarterback to kneel to run time off the clock. Display Offense Pre-Play Analysis Display potential play result breakdown next to the name of each play. Injuries Select the injury rules for this league Realistic Multi-Game Injuries Multi-game injuries occur randomly at a frequency determined by a player's durability rating and games played. A player who played every game and has a 10 durability rating will not miss multiple games, while a player who missed six games in real life is likely to miss about six in a replay. It is possible, however, that a player who missed six games will miss fewer than six, and will very occasionally miss seven or eight games. Replacing this player in blowout situations will help to maximize games played, as will allowing the player to rest when fatigued (see below). When a player has one game remaining on his injury, his status changes to one of these four: Out will miss the next game Doubtful 25% chance of playing 30

31 Questionable 50% Probable 75% Temporary In-Game Injuries/Fatigue Players will occasionally leave a game due to fatigue or minor injuries. These injuries may last as short as one play, or as long as the remainder of the game. The coach does not know precisely how long the injury will last. These players are listed as "resting" on the roster screen, but may still be entered into the game at significantly reduced effectiveness. They will not regain effectiveness as long as they are not allowed to rest, and are more susceptible to long-term injuries while playing hurt/tired. In-game injuries and fatigue also help to keep usage in line with real life. For example, workhorse backs will miss fewer plays than backs who averaged fewer carries per game. Players who are being used more in a game than they typically were in real life are more likely to become fatigued or sustain minor injuries, and will need to take plays off. Pre-Set Weekly Injuries Schedule games off for players, in order to mimic real life injuries. Games off may be scheduled from the roster form by selecting Roster Tools/Schedule Games Off. Post-Game Injuries Players are occasionally added to the injury list after a game is finished. This represents a player who was hurt in the game, but didn't realize or otherwise played through the injury, or players who were hurt in the week of practice following the game. Limit Games Missed to Real Life Total Injury Frequency Set the frequency for injuries occurring in the game. Pro Overtime Rules Set overtime to the traditional sudden death rules or use the new rules adopted for the 2010 season. Rules may be set for playoffs and regular season. League Structure Tab League Type Choose between Pro, Draft or College league. Pro League contains standard pro teams. Draft League contains players drafted from the free agent pool. College League contains college teams and uses college rules. Game Era Select an era on which to base play results. Play results are determined by first comparing players to their original base year and then adjusting by the selected game era. For example, a runner who averaged 4.0 yards per carry will average about 3.0 yards when playing in the 1930 s. The standard offense/defense blend era will yield the most historically accurate results. 31

32 Salary Cap Select Salary Cap to use salary cap features. The dollar limit (in thousands) may be set up to 99,999. Alternate Reality Mode Alternate reality mode is a new way of playing which adds variety and depth to the coaching experience, and ensures that a season will not play out the same way twice. In alternate reality mode, players abilities are based not on the raw real life statistics, but on hidden ratings. These ratings usually closely reflect a player s real life performance, but may vary randomly for each player. This means that as a coach, you don t know for certain exactly what you will get from a player. If your starting running back is struggling early in the season, it might be a good idea to give the backup some extra carries; he might turn out to be better. In the standard mode, you know that the starter is the better player. Ratings are generated for all players on the roster. When playing in alternate reality mode, usage rules are automatically turned off to allow playing time to vary from real life. Play outcome percentages on the game screen are hidden, in order not to give away a player s true underlying ability. Locate Player Photos in Subfolder Create a folder for the active season within the dksports-data/playerphotos folder. This allows photos to be kept separately from the main directory. Usage Tab Special Teams Usage Season usage will impact kickers, punters and return men when Special Teams Usage is selected. Quarterback Game Usage Set Quarterback Game Usage to on if you would like game usage to impact quarterbacks. Since many real-life backup quarterbacks throw most of their passes in only a few games, the default setting is off. Game Fatigue Require players to occasionally rest a few plays due to usage, weather, long runs, and other factors that cause fatigue. Season Usage Reduce player effectiveness after achieving certain season usage levels. Three levels of over-usage penalties are available: mild, moderate and major. Once the set usage level has been reached, the player s effectiveness is reduced. For example, if mild is set to 110%, moderate 120%, and major 140%, a ball carrier with 200 real-life attempts will experience mild over-usage penalties at about 220 attempts, moderate overusage penalties at about 240 attempts, and major over-usage penalties at 280 attempts. (Example: 200 real-life attempts x 110% = 200 x 1.10 = 220 attempts) Players may also be exempted from usage penalties if they exceed a set amount of attempts. Game Usage Game Usage works in much the same way as season usage except the three levels are based on attempts in a given game. For example, set mild over-usage penalties to 10%, moderate to 15% and major to 20%. A 32

33 receiver with 80 real-life catches will experience mild over-usage penalties at 8 catches, moderate over-usage penalties at 12 catches and major over-usage penalties at 16 catches. (Example: 80 real-life catches x 10% = 80 x.10 = 8 catches) Players may be exempted from usage penalties if they exceed a set amount of attempts. All players may also optionally be allowed a certain number of attempts before any usage penalties apply. Cancel Cancel all changes and return to the main menu. Save Changes Save all rules changes and return to the main menu. Draft: Creating a Draft League and Drafting Players Creating a Draft League One of the most enjoyable ways to play Action! PC Football is by creating your own draft league. Here are the basic steps involved: 1. Release all players and delete all teams: Select League Tools from the main menu. Check the boxes labeled Release All Players and Delete All Teams. Click the button Perform Draft Tasks. After performing this function, all players will be available for drafting. 2. Create new teams: Select Roster from the main menu. Highlight a blank location and select Create Team. Be sure to designate each team you create as a draft team. 3. Draft players using the Draft form. Drafting Players with the Draft Form The Draft form is used to draft players from the free agent pool. It may be accessed by selecting Player/Draft from the Roster form or Organize/Draft from the main game screen. The following options are available: Modify Draft Order Display the Modify Draft Order form. The following options are available: Rounds Select the number of rounds for the draft. Draft Style Select between loop and standard drafts. Draft Tools The following tools are available: Clear Draft Grid Clear all entries on the draft grid. To release any drafted players see the section League Reset Tools. Random order Create a random order for the draft grid. Team List Select a team to enter onto the draft grid. Click the grid to enter the team in a specific spot in the draft order. If the first round is selected, you will be given the option of entering the 33

34 team for the same position in every round. Note: After a player is drafted, his name and team will appear in the appropriate spot in the draft grid. General Manager Display the General Manager form. The following options are available for the highlighted team. General Manager Toggle between human or computer general manager. General Manager Tools The following tools are available. Set All General Managers to Human. Set All General Managers to Computer. Computer Suggest Let the computer suggest a player for the highlighted team. Continue Draft Continue the draft with the next selection. Draft Type Toggle between manual and round-by-round. Manual drafting allows you to select any team and make any number of selections. Selections made with manual drafts are not entered on the draft grid. Round-by-round drafts strictly adhere to the draft order selected on the modify draft form. Selections made on the round-byround draft are entered on the draft grid. View View complete ratings and statistics for the highlighted player. Draft Draft the highlighted player for the team currently making a selection. Free Agent Display Position Select the positions to display. Minimum Select a minimum playing time requirement for the display. Display Choose a type of display. Refresh Refresh the free agent display. View/Print/Disk Display the current list of free agents and optionally print the list, or save it to a disk or an html file. Encyclopedia Accumulate real or computer stats to build your own encyclopedia. Then search the encyclopedia by team, player, year, or any statistic and generate custom 34

35 reports. Search Filter Allows you to view only a portion of the information in your encyclopedia based on your specifications. Specify the categories or the minimum statistical requirements you would like to find. To filter by team, use the team abbreviation. To filter by year, use four digits for the year. For example, to find all players from Atlanta, who ran at least 100 times, and caught at least 20 passes between 1970 and 1975, enter the following: Atl in the team box 1970 in the first year box 1975 in the last year box 100 in the rushing attempts box 20 in the receptions box Report Type Specify the type of data to be displayed for the found players. Also, specify whether the data should be sorted by year or by value. Creating and Using the Encyclopedia: If you do not have an encyclopedia created, add data to your encyclopedia using the Tools menu in the top left corner of the form. Enter search minimums (if any) in the empty boxes on the search filter. If a box is left empty, the category is ignored. Choose the report type and how data should be stored. Choose between the pro or draft encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Tools menu: Add Data to Encyclopedia Select any number of Action! PC Football season folders to add to the current encyclopedia. Erase Current Encyclopedia Delete your current encyclopedia file. Player Search Find any player in the active league. Player search is accessed by choosing Organize/Player Search from the main screen. Use the search filter to find specific players. Double-click from the list of players found to view their complete statistics and ratings. 35

36 Edit Records Display a form to edit all league records. Model League The Model League form can be used to quickly update a draft league with player data from a new season statistics disk. The following options are available: Original League Folder Double-click the folder containing your original league data. Use New Data From Double-click the folder containing the new player data you would like to use. New League Folder Enter a name for the new league folder. Example: You would like to create a new league folder modeled after your 2013 draft league, using data from the 2013 season statistics. Original Folder: c:/dksports-data/football/seasons/fb2013draft Use New Data From: c:/dksports-data/football/seasons/fb2013 New League Folder: c:/dksports-data/football/seasons/fb2014draft Begin Model All players will be placed on teams, team names will be updated, and the free agent file will include all players not present on any team. League Notebook The League Notebook can be used to create text files containing league and team information. Use the team list on the League Notebook to toggle between individual team notes. Text entered in the text box is then saved in a text file bearing the team name. (example: Notes GreenBay.txt ) League Address Book The league address book can be used to maintain a list of league members, addresses and member status for ing game files. The following options are available: Add Member Add a new member to your league. The default member name, No Name will appear in the name box. A league address book may contain up to 50 members. 36

37 Delete Member Delete the member currently displayed. Member Name Edit the name of the currently displayed member. Member Edit the address of the currently displayed member. League Statistician Check this box to specify the league statistician. Send Game Reports Check this box to send box scores to indicated league members. 37

38 Reports Menu Team: View team reports Leaders: View customized league leader boards. Week Reports: Generate a customized report for any week of the season. Records: View league and all-time records. Player Game Logs: Analyze rushing, receiving, passing and defensive statistics on a game-by-game basis. Team Rating Analysis: Create offensive and defensive reports for analyzing team ratings. Database: Generate customized reports for your entire database. Play Analysis: View play result breakdowns for any combination of offensive teams, defensive teams, plays and options. Player Research: View the stats and ratings of any player from any team within any league folder on your computer. Game Films: View play-by-play from previously played games. Create Website: Generate HTML reports for a league website. The Reports Menu League Reports The League Reports menu is accessed by choosing Reports/League Reports from the top of the opening screen. The following options are available: League Standings Display the standings for the current league. Head-to-Head Standings View won-loss records for each team against each of its opponents. Strength of Victory View the combined winning percentage of all defeated 38

39 opponents. Record In Common Games View team records for games with common opponents. Opponents Records Display a list of the opponents records for each team. Power Rankings Display a list of teams in the current league ranked by performance to date. Records Display game and season records for the current league. Big Games The Big Games form is used to display special league game achievements. It may be accessed by selecting Report/Big Games from the main screen. The following options are available: Available Reports Choose from 300 Yards Passing, 100 Yards Rushing, 100 Yards Receiving, 10 Tackles, 2 Interceptions, 2 Sacks, 400 Yards Offense, and 200 Yards Defense. View Quantity Enter the number (1 to 99) of the top games you wish to view. View Report View the selected report. This report may also be printed or saved to disk. Cancel Return to the main menu. Team Comparison Chart The Team Comparison chart is used to view team statistics by offensive and defensive totals. It may be accessed by selecting Reports/Team Compare from the opening screen. To sort by category, click on the category name. The following options are available: Comparison Charts Toggle between offensive and defensive charts. Main Leader Enter the number of teams to view as the main leader. Secondary Enter the number of teams to view in the secondary categories. View View offensive or defensive team totals for the active season. Injuries Display a list of all injured players and the number of weeks remaining for their injuries. Salary Cap Display a list of team salary totals. Awards Generate a year-to-date league awards list. League View a list of league coaches, addresses, phone numbers, and addresses. Records View league and all-time records. 39

40 Team Reports View team and player statistics, rosters, and box scores. The Team Reports menu is accessed by selecting Reports/Team from the opening screen or by selecting Reports/Statistics from the Team Roster form. All reports selected may be printed or saved to disk. The following options are available: Team List Highlight a team to view its statistics. Box Score List Double-click a box score to view. Player Stats Options Create a report based on real-life player statistics or player statistics generated from a computer season. Any combination of the following reports may be included in a team statistical report: Team Stats View a complete list of team statistics and game scores. Roster View a complete team roster. Depth Chart View a chart with all offensive and defensive platoons. Salaries View a chart with all player salaries. Player Stats View player stats for the entire team. QB Analysis View breakdowns by pass play for all quarterbacks. Rec Analysis View breakdowns by pass play for all receivers. Run Analysis View breakdowns by running play for all ball carriers. Blocking Statistics View player blocking statistics. Available for computer stats only. Penalty Statistics View player penalty statistics. Available for computer stats only. Offensive Analysis View a team rating analysis for all 12 formations. Defensive Analysis View a team rating analysis for all 15 formations. Build Report Build and view a customized report. Any Action! PC Football report may be printed, saved to disk, or saved to an html file. Exit Return to the main menu. Leader: Customized League Leader Reports The league leader form allows you to view customized leaders for your league. Leader Boards Available Click the statistical categories you want to view. Choose between Rushing, Receiving, Passing, Tackles, Interceptions, Kick Returns, Punt Returns, Kicking, Punting, Sacks and Fumbles. 40

41 Primary Leaders Enter the number of main leaders to view (up to 999) for each selected leader board. Note: You may set the same number for all categories by entering a default primary leader quantity and selecting Use Default. Secondary Leaders Enter the number of secondary leaders to view (up to 99) for each selected leader board. Note: You may set the same number for all categories by entering a default primary leader quantity and selecting Use Default. Select All Categories Add all available categories to the report. Clear Choices Unselect all categories. Build/View Report View the leader boards. Week Reports Generate a customized week report for any previously played week. The Week Reports form pops up with default report minimums. Change any of the filter minimums and double-click the desired week to generate a report. Player Game Logs Select a team and player to view game-by-game, rushing, receiving, passing and defensive statistics. Team Rating Analysis Create offensive and defensive reports for analyzing team ratings. Offense Generate a report and analyze the selected teams and platoons based on run blocking, pass blocking, pass rating, rushing attempts, rushing average, receptions, receiving average, and star players. Click a category heading to sort by that rating. Defense Generate a report and analyze the selected teams and platoons based on total defense, run defense, pass defense, pass rush, interceptions, sacks and star players. Click a category heading to sort by that rating. 41

42 Database Select Refresh to view a customized report of your current league. The following filter options are available: Real/Computer Choose between real stats or computer stats. Report Select the type of data to display. Minimum Select the minimum qualifying standard for this report. Position Select a position filter, if desired. Team Select the team or free agents to display. Include Check positions, age, fumbles, and/or free agents to be included in the report. Note: Click on any column heading to sort data by category. Play Analysis View play result breakdowns for any combination of offensive teams, defensive teams, plays and options. Player Research View the stats and ratings of any player from any team within any league folder on your computer. To view a player using the player research form: Double-click a league folder from the list on the form. Highlight a team from the list of teams in the league folder. Double-click a player from the team roster. Game Films View play-by-play from saved game films. Game film refers to the play-byplay text for a given game. Game films are automatically saved for every league game. Create Website Build a custom website for your league. The Create Website form is accessed 42

43 by selecting Internet/Create Website from the opening screen. When the form pops up, select the reports to be included in the website. The web pages will be created in a folder called WebFolder inside your active season folder. Custom websites automatically include standings, league leaders, and team comparison charts. You may optionally include schedules, box scores, and individual team pages. 43

44 Internet Menu 2013 Internet Screen Name: Enter a name to be displayed on your opponent s computer when attempting to join a game. Host Game Session: Enable your computer to listen for an incoming call. Join Game Session: Connect to another computer for a game session. Disconnect from Internet Opponent: Close communication with your internet opponent. Chat: Chat with your online opponent. Find IP Address: Find the current IP address. Open Windows Firewall Port 32019: Open Windows port to enable internet play. Firewall Port Router: Visit portforward.com for router specific instructions for forwarding port Download Deluxe Stadium Pkg. Download a set of field graphics. Service Updates: Visit the Dave Koch Sports service page to check for game updates. Shop for Football Seasons: View a list of available football seasons, teams, and conferences. Visit dksports.com: Visit the Dave Koch Sports website. Internet Connection Tips Port must be open when playing Action! PC games over the internet. If using firewall software, make sure this port is open. If your computer is connected to the internet through a router, port will need to be forwarded to the computer in order to host an internet game (see below for details). Windows Firewall, found on the Windows control panel, must either be open or set to allow the game as an exception Your antivirus software must be set to allow the game files to be passed through the internet. 44

45 The Internet Menu Internet Screen Name Enter a name to be displayed on your opponent s computer when attempting to join a game. Host Game Session Prepare your computer to host a game session. The Internet Host form will appear on the screen while waiting for a call. When a call arrives from someone wishing to join a game session, you will be required to accept or decline the call. When a call is accepted, the message Hosting internet game session. will appear on the main game screen. After selecting teams for a game, the host will be prompted to choose which team the opponent will coach. Join Game Session Enter an IP address and join a host for a session of games. When successfully connected, the message Connected to internet host" will appear on screen. All menu options will be disabled until disconnected from the host. Disconnect from Opponent Close communication with your internet opponent. Chat Chat with your online opponent. Find IP Address Find your current IP address. The host should the IP address to his opponent. The opponent uses the IP address to join a game session. Finding your IP Address To find your own IP address, choose Internet / Find IP Address from the top of 45

46 the opening screen. The current IP address for your computer will be listed. Note: If you use a dial-up connection, your IP address may change each time you connect to the Internet Open Windows Firewall Port This menu choice opens firewall port to allow data transfer between the host and the remote computer. This port must be opened in order to play an internet game, and only needs to be opened once. Forward Port Router If your computer is connected to the internet by way of a router you ll need to forward port to the computer that you will be using to play Action! PC Football. Visit portforward.com to view step by step instructions to help configure your computer for internet play. Portforward.com includes instructions for most popular routers. Download Deluxe Stadium Package Download a set of almost 200 vertical and horizontal stadium graphics. When the download is complete, double click the downloaded file to install the stadiums. Stadiums will be automatically assigned to each team. Service Updates Visit the Dave Koch Sports service page to check for available service updates. Shop for Football Seasons View a list of available football seasons, teams, and conferences. Visit dksports.com Visit the Dave Koch Sports website. 46

47 Utilities Menu Backup League: Choose a backup location for league stats. Import Games: Import and compile stats from a game played on another computer. Export Games: Export games for transfer to other computers. Import Coaches: Import coaching profiles from another source. Export Coaches: Export coaching profiles for use on another computer. Create a Blank League: Create a new league. Copy Database: Create a duplicate copy of your current database. Zip League Files: Zip and optionally files. Export Database: Export your current league database into a text file for use in spreadsheets. The Utilities Menu Backup League The Backup League Form is used to make a backup copy of the active season directory. The Backup League form is accessed by selecting Utilities/Backup League from the opening screen. Backup Drive Select a backup drive. Backup Folder Select a backup folder. Begin Backup Make a backup copy of the active season in the drive and directory chosen. Cancel Return to the main menu without saving. 47

48 Import Games The Import Games form is used to import games played on another computer to the active season directory. All statistics and records from imported games will be added to those in the active season directory. The Import Games form may be accessed by selecting Utilities/Import Games from the opening screen. The following options are available: Drive Select the drive from which games will be imported. Folder Select the folder on the selected drive from which games will be imported. After selecting a folder, a list of games available with the.xbx file extension will appear. Available Games Double click any listed game to select that game for import. Chosen Games Display all games that have been chosen for import. Select All Games Select all available games for import. Begin Import Import all games from the selected drive and folder. To avoid double-importing, all.xbx files for games that have been imported will be automatically deleted. Cancel Cancel import and return to the main menu. Export Games Note: We strongly recommend that ed game files be zipped prior to sending. Files that are not zipped may become corrupt during mailing. The Export Games form is used to export complete game statistics for use on another computer. This function is useful for leagues playing on multiple computers. The Export Games form may be accessed by selecting Utilities/ Export Games from the opening screen. The following options are available: Mark Games For Export Click individual games to select them for export. Export All Select all games for exporting. Export None Deselect all games. Export Location Drive Select the drive location you would like to export the selected games to. This is typically your floppy drive. Folder Select a folder on the export drive. Begin Export Export all selected games to the listed drive and directory. A file with the.xbx extension will be created for each game selected. This file may then be transferred by to other computers for import. Cancel Cancel export and return to the main menu. 48

49 Import Coaches The Import Coaches form is used to import coaching profiles exported from another computer into the active season directory. The Import Coaches form may be accessed by selecting Utilities/Import Coaches from the opening screen. The following options are available: Drive Select the drive from which coaches will be imported. Folder Select the folder on the import drive from which coaches will be imported. Begin Import Import all coaches from the selected drive and folder. Cancel Cancel import and return to the main menu. Export Coaches The Export Coaches form is used to export coaching profiles. These profiles can then be imported to other computers. This function is useful for leagues playing games on more than one computer. The Export Coaches form may be accessed by selecting Utilities/Export Coaches from the opening screen. The following options are available: Choose Coaches To Export Select teams whose coaching profiles you wish to export. Export All Select all coaches for export. Export None Deselect all coaches. Export Location Drive Select the drive location you would like to export the selected coaches to. Folder Select the folder on the selected drive you would like the coaches exported to. Begin Export Export all selected coaches to the listed drive and directory. Cancel Cancel export and return to the main menu. Create a Blank League Create a blank league without any teams or players. Specify a path for the new league to reside. Note: The folder must be new and empty. 49

50 Copy Current Data Base Make an exact copy of your current league. All teams, players, statistics, coaches and logos will be copied. You will be prompted for a folder name for this copy. Zip League Files Note: We strongly recommend that ed game files be zipped prior to sending. Files that are not zipped may become corrupt during mailing. Select one or more files to be included in a zip file. The completed zip file may then be ed to all league members. The following files may be included: teams, players, coaches, address book, records, schedule, and box scores. After the files are zipped you will be asked if you would like to the zipped file to league members. Export League Data Export your current league database into a text file for use in spreadsheets. Edit Narrator Translations Edit how the press box announcer pronounces words. 50

51 Appendices Appendix A Player Ratings Action! PC Football makes use of every available published statistic as well as subjective ratings in order to accurately portray pro football players. Rushing Rushing results are based on attempts, yards, average, long runs, touchdowns, fumble frequency, style (inside, outside or both), short yardage rating, breakaway rating, and keyed ratings. Short yardage ratings impact the chance of gaining yardage on a play. Breakaway ratings impact the chance of gaining 10 or more yards on a play. Keyed ratings indicate yardage that is subtracted when a ball carrier is correctly keyed. The workhorse rating represents yardage added to any play when the defense does not call a run defense or key the runner. Receiving Receiving results are based on catches, yards, average, long catches, touchdowns, and fumble frequency. The completion and interception percentages for a given play are determined in part by a receiver s catching ability. Pass receiving ratings range from 0 (worst) to 10+ (best). The average player rates a 5. The receiving rating adjusts the quarterback s completion percentage by 1 to 2 points depending on the type of pass play called. Receivers also receive a double-covered rating reflecting how much the quarterback s completion percentage is reduced when the receiver is double-covered. The receiver also has an effect on the yardage gained on a pass play. Receivers with higher averages will gain more yards after the catch, and are more effective on longer pass routes. Passing Passing results are based on completions, attempts, completion percentage, pass rating, yardage, interceptions, interception percentage, times sacked, touchdowns, touchdown percentage and scrambling frequency. Quarterbacks also receive a pressure rating, which affects their ability in pressure or clutch situations; and a audible rating, which determines how effective called audibles can be. 51