A.C.E. 3/ACE CD 3.iso/files/docs/canglerd.lha/CourseAngler.doc

Text File | 1995-09-06 | 18KB | 326 lines

            *  PRESS  ESC  TO QUIT OR  SPACE BAR  TO SCROLL ! *

                       THE COMPUTER COARSE ANGLER

                 (Something to do in the close season.)

Intro:
     Coarse  Angler  is modelled as closely as possible on the most popular
participant  sport in Britain.  Tackle, fish, bait, water & weather data is
taken  from  many  sources,  and  is accurate within the limitations of the
program.   The  idea is to provide an amusement for seasoned anglers, and a
good  introduction  to  coarse fishing for the beginner.  The novice angler
can  experiment with different tackle setups, times, and venues, keep track
of  the  successes  using the log, and hopefully apply what he's learned at
the  waterside.   Some  liberties  had  to  be  taken in order to provide a
playable game.  (Like not waiting all day for a bite.)
     The  only  restriction  in the demo version is that you are limited to
line no stronger than 1.5 lb.  Everything else is complete and functional.

                    Happy Fishing,
                        Ted Moody & Roger Wildin.


Use  backup  disks,  keep  the  PEGDATA disk write enabled.  Your fish log,
records and high scores are recorded on this disk.

Getting started:
     The  first  time  you boot the game, after the title screen & credits,
you  are  invited  to  enter  your  name.   Type your name carefully, using
shifted  letters  if need be- press RETURN and your name will be written to
disk.  You may now write protect the game disk if you wish.  Your name will
be entered automatically from now on.

     Choose  PRACTICE  from  the  menu.   A  report will appear showing the
weather  and  water conditions which will affect the fishing throughout the
chosen  game.   The  time  of day can be altered whenever this report is on
screen by clicking the left mouse button.
     Press fire on the joystick or right click to exit the title screen.

Select Peg:
     During  Practice  or  Specimen  Hunt, you can elect to fish any of the
pegs  at  any  time.   During a Match however, you are allocated a peg, and
must  fish  it  to  the best of your ability.  Select which peg you want to
fish, and right click to exit.

     After  a  while,  the  main screen will be displayed, with your angler
ready to go.


     On  the  right  side  of  the screen are several windows and two small
gauges.   Clicking  on the top window takes you to the tackle box, the next
window  to  the  bait  bar, the third to the pegs.  The fourth displays the
conditions  and  catch  report,  and  the  bottom window is used to display
messages and clicking here takes you to the catch and records log.

Tackle Box:
     Here  you set up your tackle.  Use the mouse to select hook size, line
strength (click on the arrows at the bottom right), and adjust the depth at
which you mean to fish (click on the line at the required depth, or drag it
up  and  down).   The AUTO button below the depth gauge is explained below.
When using leger tackle, the scale will display the last depth at which you
were fishing, and will not be adjustable.
     Select which float to use- not all floats cast the same distance.  The
correct shot pattern for each float in each peg is taken for granted.

Legering:
     Coarse  Angler  uses  two  types  of leger rig- the sliding or running
link(I)  and  the  paternoster(II).   In  the  leger window are four icons.
Click  on the roman numerals to choose leger type.  The other two icons are
your  bite  indication:   Visual (standard swingtip) or Audible (electronic
bite alarm).  The leger hook length can be adjusted by dragging it left and
right along the bottom using the mouse.

Rods:
     Four  rods are provided.  The number under the rod tip shows which one
is  currently  in  use.   Clicking  on  this  number  takes  you to the rod
selection  screen.  Move the mouse pointer onto a rod and its specification
will be shown at the bottom.  For those who know nothing about such things,
the  default  rod (number 3) will serve for most purposes.  Selecting a rod
is  slightly  different from the other screens- if you press the LEFT mouse
button  when the pointer is on the rod you want, that rod will be selected,
and you will be taken back to the tackle screen.  Pressing the RIGHT button
selects and returns to the fishing.

Bait Bar(second window):
     Here's  ten  of the traditional coarse baits to choose from.  Select a
bait,  and  its  name is displayed in the centre of the screen.  Note- bait
SIZE  is  adjusted  automatically  to the hook used:  a small red worm on a
size  18  hook  becomes a big lobworm on a size 6 or 4; likewise one pinkie
maggot on a size 20 becomes a big bunch on a size 12.

     Use right button again to exit.

Casting:
     To  cast  your  line,  pull back on the joystick; the top gauge on the
right will rise showing your casting power.  If it reaches the top, it will
restart  from  zero.   Stop  it  at your estimated distance by pressing and
holding  the  fire button.  The lower gauge indicates the angle of the cast
(+/-90  degrees  in  front  of  the fisherman).  Adjust by moving the stick
right  or  left.   When happy with your positioning, push the stick forward
and  release  the fire button.  You have now cast your line, and a flashing
red marker will show where it landed.  You can reel the line in at any time
by  pressing  fire  (should  you  land in some weeds, say).  If you wish to
recast  elsewhere,  either  reel  in all the way, or pull back on the stick
again,  and  adjust as above.  For a rapid cast without changing the angle,
pull  the  joystick  back  and  quickly  push forwards when the distance is
correct.   Releasing  the  joystick  at any point during the cast procedure
returns to the tackle/bait phase.

Once  in the water, the indicator window will appear at the top left of the
screen, showing your float or swingtip.  Pressing the space bar enables you
to  place  this  window  anywhere you like on the screen.  Using the mouse,
move  it to where you can best keep an eye on it, and press the left button
to set.  The window is not displayed when using the audible bite alarm.

     You  will  notice  that the casting gauges have now been replaced by a
larger,  blue  gauge  with two small red markers.  This is the fish tension
indicator, and the red marks show the setting of the slipping clutch (drag)
on  your  reel.  Accurate setting of the clutch is necessary when playing a
fish- too tight and your tackle will break under tension, too loose and the
fish will take too long to tire out, if at all.  Clutch tension is adjusted
by  moving  the  joystick  left or right.  To help you, during practice the
drag  is  automatically  set  to  the  best position for the tackle you are
using,  i.e.   one  notch  below danger point.  Try to get some idea of its
position  for  different  tackle  strengths, because the clutch must be set
MANUALLY  during  a Match or Specimen Hunt each time you change the line or
(sometimes) hook size.
     Note-  in  order  to  accommodate  fish  from  a  few ounces to double
figures,  the tension scale is NOT linear.  I.e.  a small distance near the
lower  end  of  the  scale  equals  a few ounces, at the upper end the same
distance equals several pounds.

Bites:
     Sooner  or later (hopefully) a fish will take the bait.  The bite will
be indicated by a movement of the float or swingtip.  Pull straight back on
the  joystick immediately to strike.  If you've hooked a fish, keep the rod
up  and  the  line under tension by using the joystick- left back, straight
back or right back (see below).


Playing the fish:
     Small  fish  can  simply be reeled straight in.  If the little fish on
the tension indicator cannot rise above your clutch setting, press the fire
button to reel in, and guide it towards the bank.  A message will appear in
the message window telling you when to land it.  Don't keep reeling in once
the  fish  is ready for landing, it increases the tension, and may snap the
line.   Tap  the  space bar to activate the landing net, and manoeuver your
fish over the net.  (Move the joystick left or right to drag it.) Note- you
cannot  hold  a  landing  net  and reel in at the same time.  If you make a
mistake,  or  the fish starts a second run, press the spacebar again to put
the net back on the bank.  Note also that ALL fish must be netted- even the
tiddlers.

     Bigger  fish  need  to  be played out before they can be landed.  When
first  hooked,  a  big fish will make a run for it.  You must keep the line
tight by a pull in the opposite direction.  If the clutch is correctly set,
you  will  hear  the  ratchet as the fish takes line, and the tension gauge
will  show  the  pull the fish is exerting.  If the screen border starts to
flash  red,  it  means  the clutch is set too tight- slacken it immediately
before  the  tackle breaks.  When the fish changes direction, the line will
slacken  (watch the gauge).  Don't let the tension reach zero, or your fish
is  likely  to come unhooked.  Press fire (reel in) to take up the slack as
the tension drops below the clutch setting.  Keep the rod pull the opposite
way  to  the  fish;  i.e.   if  the  fish is to the left, pull the joystick
back/RIGHT,  and  vice  versa,  if  the  fish  is in front of you, pull the
joystick  straight back.  This will put the maximum strain on a big fish to
tire it out, and also tend to slow its run towards any snags.
       The idea is to keep the little fish on the tension indicator between
the clutch setting and zero by judicious use of the fire button and correct
rod  positioning.   DON'T  try  to  reel  in  while  the  clutch ratchet is
slipping-  it  will weaken your tackle, and the bigger the fish, the sooner
it  will  snap.   Adjusting  the clutch can be done in the normal way while
playing  a  fish, but be careful- one notch too tight means a snapped line,
and  moving  the joystick/rod away from a back position relaxes the tension
(gives  line).   Pushing  it  forwards  releases the fish altogether.  This
release  feature  is included so as not to waste time during a match trying
to  play  a big fish when it might be better to catch a lot of smaller ones
(see match tactics).
     If  the  fish gets into a snag, things can get difficult.  Tension can
increase to a point which can weaken fine tackle.  If this happens, release
the  tension  (joystick  neutral  position), and let the fish run free.  It
will  hopefully  move  away  from the snag.  Grab it (pull back) before the
tension reaches zero, and playing can continue.  A powerful fish may make a
second  and  even a third run once it catches sight of the angler- but when
it's finally played out, it can be landed as above.
     The  danger  points  (line  too slack, excess tension), are shown by a
flashing red screen border.

Plumbing the depth:
     Before  casting, press "D" on the keyboard- you are now in depth mode-
and cast as normal.  The depth where your tackle lands will be indicated on
the  tension gauge; each division now representing two feet of water.  Cast
again  in  a different place, and continue till you've got some idea of the
underwater geography.  When you've finished, press D again.  Consulting the
report  will  now  show  what the bottom consists of.  If you return to the
tackle  screen  and  click  the AUTO button, it will set your tackle to the
last depth plumbed.

The Angler's Log:
     All  good  anglers  keep  a  record of their catches.  Clicking on the
bottom (message) window takes you to the Log & Records screen.  If you have
just  landed  a  fish  to be proud of, it can be entered into your personal
fishing  diary,  along  with the data on where, when, and how it was caught
for future reference.
     One fish (a real whopper) is already logged to start you off.  You can
add  or  replace  fish  at  any  time.   As  your diary fills up, it can be
consulted  as  to  the  whereabouts of the fish and the methods of catching
them-  useful for beginning anglers and for the Match or Specimen Hunt.  On
a  double sided disk, there should be space enough for a diary of well over
1000 entries.

Using the log:
     The  first  thing  to do is to set the date using the first menu item.
The  log  works as a simple database.  Records can be displayed by species,
peg  number,  or  all  fish  logged.   The  colour  of  the top two windows
indicates the display mode.
     For instance, if you came to this screen from a practice game, the top
two  windows  will  both  be  bordered  in white.  This means that ALL your
catches  will  be displayed in the bottom window.  The top left window will
show  the current record for the fish you've just caught, and the top right
shows  the  high  score  for  the  peg you are fishing.  Browse through the
records  using the LOG (next/previous) menu.  If you came from a match, the
peg score window alone will be white, and only those fish in your log which
were caught at this particular peg will be displayed.  You may also show by
peg  number by selecting a number from the PEGS menu, or by clicking on the
peg  score window itself.  Coming from a specimen hunt, the top left window
will  be  white,  showing  the  high  score  for  the  present  QUARRY, and
corresponding  fish  only will be displayed.  Selecting a different species
from  the  FISH menu or clicking on the left window will also activate this
mode.   Click  on  the  bottom window again to display all fish logged.  To
enter  your  last  catch,  select  ENTER LAST FISH from the LOG menu.  It's
actually a lot easier to use than to describe.

Game Choice:
     During  Practice,  you  may catch some big fish, but will rarely break
any  records.   There will be an unlimited number of fish in each swim, but
their  sizes  will  be  limited; the principle of SHOALING comes into force
during  the other games.  In other words, it is possible to catch, say, all
the  roach  in a particular swim, forcing a change of match tactics or hunt
venue.   When  the  bite  rate  starts to fall off, it's time to consider a
change of tactics.

The Match:
     Pressing  ESCape  when  in  the  tackle/bait phase (i.e.  not actually
fishing)  brings  up the game choice menu.  Choosing MATCH pits you against
top anglers in competition.  You will be allocated a peg, the water will be
restocked,  and  you  have  exactly  15  minutes to amass as many POINTS as
possible.   You  may  consult your log before or any time during the match.
Take as long as you like- the timer is not active when on the log screen.
     Points  are  scored  (roughly  following  the  continental  system) as
follows:   one  point  for  every  fish caught, plus one point per ounce in
weight.  This means you will have to consider your match tactics carefully,
and adopt more than one approach for each peg (see SHOALING above) in order
to  be  successful.   At the end of the game, the points are totted up, and
any  new high score for the peg is automatically saved on disk.  These high
scores  are  used as a reference for future matches at each peg.  (A simple
expedient which means the better you get at the game, the harder it becomes
to win).  Matches are always fished during the daytime.

The Specimen Hunt:
     For the more experienced angler.  This time you are given a SPECIES to
fish  for,  and have 15 minutes to catch as many BIG specimens as possible.
Again,  you may consult the log at any time, and may also move from one peg
to another in search of the allocated quarry.  Leaving a peg means you will
not be able to return to it for the rest of the game, so be sure before you
go.
     Points  are  awarded  for each successful catch.  Catching a different
species  from  the  one  nominated  scores  nothing, not even if it's a new
record for that particular fish (though you can still enter it into the Log
and  go  back for it later).  At the end of the hunt, your score is tallied
as  follows:   the points value for each fish (see below), plus 1 point per
ounce,  plus  100 points for a new record.  New records and high scores are
written to disk (NOT to your log).

Points:
Barbel:  40|Bream:  10|Carp:  30|Chub:  5|Crucian Carp:  8|Dace:  5|Eel:  5
Grayling:  15|Perch:  5|Pike:  50|Roach:  5|Rudd:  10|Tench:  10

Note:   it  is not possible to ESCape from the Match or Specimen Hunt until
the time is up; if you don't like the peg or fish, you're stuck with it.
     Should  you  hook  a biggy towards the end of the game, the timekeeper
will  be  kind  enough not to sound the final whistle until you have landed
(or lost) it, however long it may take.

                            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Coarse  Angler  is shareware.  If you like it, please register your copy by
sending £6.00 (or whatever you consider it's worth) to:

                    VFM Shareware,
                    31, First Avenue,
                    ROTHERHAM.
                    South Yorkshire.
                    S65 2RW.
                    England.

     Please  state that you have the Amiga version.  The fish run a bit too
fast  on  a 1200, a slowed down version can be forwarded to 1200 owners, or
those with an accelerator.

     As  a  registered user, you will be sent the unrestricted version with
HD  installer,  and  the  full  printed manual- "The Coarse Angler Guide to
Better  Fishing", detailing the tackle, the fish- their likes and habitats,
with tips and tactics to improve your angling skills.

     We  are  presently  considering  an  expansion  disk  containing  some
advanced  and  challenging  pegs.   When completed, it will be sent free of
charge to all who have bought their ticket.
     If  anyone  wishes  to  contribute  any  ideas  for  a  peg- perhaps a
favourite  fishing  spot,  it will be most welcome.  We have had a struggle
coming  up  with  venues  (especially illustrations) which are sufficiently
different  and interesting.  Please send a detailed description (preferably
with  a drawing or photograph).  The best ones will be included on the data
disk and credited to the contributor.

Comments, suggestions, bug reports, etc., to the above address.

     Thanks  go to everyone involved in the development and testing of this
program,  and  to  Eastwood PD for help with the Amiga version- but most of
all  to  those  marvellous  aquatic creatures without whom the entire sport
would not be possible.


                    Best wishes,
                        T.M & R.W.