KICKOFF 2 FINAL WHISTLE TEAM EDITOR V4.19P
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Welcome to the kickoff2 team editor. Included with the program should be
the following files:
KO2_EDIT.PRG - The main program
KO2_EDIT.DOC - This file
KO2_GET.TTP - A utility to extract the teams contained in a league or cup
file, so you can edit these.
KO2_DISP.TTP - A small utility to display a team to check who is in it.
KO2_TABL.PRG - A utility to print out a table for you to design your
teams on.
KICKOFF2.RSC - The resource file
DATABASE.KO2 - The player database (see below)
L_POOL.SQD |
SPURS.SQD |
ARSENAL.SQD |
MAN_U.SQD |- various teams I have created.
ENGLAND1.SQD |
ENGLAND2.SQD |
FOREST.SQD |
Please note that V4.19P requires FINAL WHISTLE to run.
The kickoff2 team editor was conceived as I got bored with the standard
teams supplied with kickoff2, and I wanted a way of designing my own. My
initial solution was to use MMM (STFORMAT11) to manually edit the team data,
but I soon decided this was far too difficult. To see if a program such as this
was possible, I initially wrote a small .TTP program which scanned a team and
printed out its data. I realised what a potentially useful utility a program
such as this would be, so I wrapped a GEM interface around the program and
added some extra features.
KO2_EDIT.PRG
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Functions
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The menu bar.
File - Contains the input/output options.
Load .SQD - This option is used to load in a squad file, such as the
example.sqd file provided with this program. It should also load in files
from ancos data discs, but I have been unable to find this out.
Create team - This option brings up a dialogue box enabling the user to
enter the teams name, which appears at the top of the window, and at the
team name section of Kickoff2 once the squad has been loaded. Click on OK
to open the window, and CANCEL to cancel the option.
Load .SAV - This is intended to load in player manager files, and is
unselectable as it is not yet implemented. When I buy player manager, I
hope to be able to work out the structure of these files, to enable teams
from player manager to be converted to use the same names, which the load
player manager option if final whistle does not achieve.
Save .SQD - Brings up the fileselector so that the user can save a squad
that has been edited or created. Only a window with the team titler can be
saved. Note that to load teams into kickoff2, they must be present in the
root directory of a disc.
Save .SAV - Unselectable. Eventually will save out in player manager
format (I hope!!)
Save Database - This saves out the player database, after it has been
edited. The player database is the programs store of players attributes
which it uses for random teams. Players can be copied to and from it by
dragging player's names over to another window in a similar manner to file
copying on the desktop.
Quit - Quits the program, first bringing up a dialogue for confirmation.
Quiting does not save the database or any teams in memory.
Database - Contains the database options.
Open database - Opens the database window, presenting the players names,
their positions, and their current numbers. The window may be scrolled in
the usual way by using the scrollbar.
Close database - Closes the database window, keeping any changes made to
it.
Random team - Brings up a dialogue for the creation of a team from the
database store. The dialogue will ask for the teams strengths, the number
of members in it, and the average flair, as well as the division the team
is to play in. The division option basically selects the average skill of
the players. Once GO! is selected, the routine will pick a team, and then
display the newplayer window with details of the team selected. Note that
this option will wipe whatever is currently in the window. Once this has
been done, the players can be viewed, and copied to a team window ready
for saving.
Player - This controls the main functions of the program
View statistics - Presents the players statistics in a similar manner to
pressing space in final whistle, but allows every aspect of them to be
altered. The up and down arrows increment or decrement the currently
stored value, whilst the keyboard can also be used to manually enter the
various statistics. If Cancel is clicked upon the alterations will be
lost, whilst OK makes them permanent. If the players playing position (ie
defender, midfielder, etc) is altered, the program automatically resorts
them and updates the window so that all players in the four groups are
grouped together.
Delete player - deletes the currently selected player in the top window.
Create player - brings up the same dialogue as view statistics, but this
time it is mostly blank (the last entered player will be displayed). A
newly created player is stored in the top window on the screen.
New player window - brings up a new window which allows the temporary
storage of players when they are being manipulated.
Evaluate player - Brings up a dialogue giving the players flair, average
skill and best position.
Evaluate squad - Evaluates the squad in the top window, presenting the
number of players, the average flair & aggression, and gives a small
comment and some recommended formations for playing. These are meant as
guidelines only - different classes of team require different tactics.
Note that you must make sure that each position
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14) is held by a player when you save a squad, as
if this is not done, final whistle will not load the team in correctly.
Basically, that's about all there is to the player editor. All I neglected
to say (I think) is that there is a maximum of one window open at any one time
containing different teams, and that the database can contain a maximum of 100
players. I hope you find the program useful!
KO2_DISP.TTP
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To use KO2_DISP.TTP, just double click on it and enter the name of a team.
Works best from a shell though! All it does is display each player in a teaam
and the number that they play at. Someone might find it usefull! By the way,
this is V1.00 of the kickoff editor, ie the one mentioned above as my initial
program.
KO2_GET.TTP
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KO2_GET.TTP should be double clicked on ,and then the name of a cup or
league file entered, such as league.lge or cup.cup. If the file is not in the
same directory as the .TTP program, its directory specification must also be
entered, eg, A:\CUP1.CUP. The program, will extract all 8 teams, and save them
according to their names, reporting on what it is doing as it runs.
KO2_TABL.PRG
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This is a small program designed to print out a table for you to design
your own teams from scratch on. It was written for my STAR LC-10CL, and uses
epson command sequences to first set your printer to condensed pica pitch, and
then to the IBM character set (ie the graphics one). The program printss the
table out and then exits. If the printer is off or not on-line when the program
is executed, it will just return you to the desktop. I find it easier to enter
teams I have designed if I copy the data from a table, as it is difficult to
think up of good statistics whilst you are typing. It also helps to place a
30cm ruler underneath each line as you enter the data into the editor.
Source code & Updates
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The program was written completely using sozobon C, after following the
excellent tutorial in ST Format, as well as using reference material form the
following disks:
ST Club TXD*17 disk, containing the professional gem programmers series, at the
hithchikers guide to the BIOS
MT Software disk DP10, containing the Conrado C tutorial and example files,
which is an excellent introduction to the C language.
The following PD programs were used in the creation of the program (not all PD)
MKRSC, ST Club disk LAN.93, a basic resource construction kit containing full
source code, which was invaluable as a reference.
Sozobon C, MTS Disk DP5
MMM, ST Format coverdisk 10, an excellent machine code monitor used to deciper
the team structure used in kickoff2 the final whistle.
MONST, ST Fromat coverdisk 22, another machine code monitor, this time used to
find out why the editor kept crashing.
GULAM, MTS Disk U38. Be careful if you buy this, as when I purchased it it
contained the germanic keyboard layout, and I had to hack it with MMM to make
it work with my UK ST.
The program was compiled on a 520STFM, with a double sided disk drive,
using batch files. Just shows you, you don't need a 1 MEG machine to get into
C! I only started programming in C in December 1990, and by July 1991, I had
finished this program!
Please write to me if you have any bug reprorts or suggestions as to
features you would like to see implemented in the next version.
Anyway Send a cheque or postal order for œ5 to
G. Douglas,
4 St. Guthlac Ave.
Market Deeping
Peterborough PE6 8BH
Stating whether you require the source code as well as the updated
version. If someone could also send me a disk with a couple of player manger
teams on, it would speed up the implementation of the editing features so that
it can be used with player man'er and Kickgff2`(the version without final
whistle), and it would guarantee the person who sends it a free copy of the new
version, together with the programming utilities I use, and all of the teams I
have created with the editor.
Your œ5 registration fee also entitles you to a printed copy of this
manual, and updates of the shareware version as soon as it is completed. I
would also like to start a library of teams created with the editor, by you the
user. Just send me a disk with all of your squad files on it, and I shall add
these to my collection, and send you a disk full of all the teams I have
currently collected.
Note that often the windows will update incorrectly, and when you close a
window, it is not always the one underneath which comes to the top. Yes, I know
these look like bugs, but they are included to convince you to buy the full
version (is that a good excuse?)
Hopefully the next version will be written in Lattice C V5, on the STE I
hope to be able to buy (dream on). A final point - would anyone like features
to allow the creation of tactics/pitches/Special events/editing cups/editing
leagues? I was going to include (some of) these features but decided not to due
to, respectively, a) too difficult b) they don't make much difference c) Very
difficult d) limited use e) again, limited use. What do you think?
By the way, if you have a buggy version of final whistle that does not
allow you to save leagues or teams, write to Anco enclosing your original disk
and they will replace it for you. Most bugs are fixed, but the penalty arrow
still points the wrong way in certain cases! Also, I don't know if anyone has
noticed this, but whilst playing kickoff2 with final whistle loaded a player
taking a corner often runs to the wrong corner spot (the one on the other side
of the pitch, over the half way line), lets you select the corner kick, and
then runs all the way up the pitch again to take it!
Other points about kickoff -
1) Can anyone out there actually do a set piece free kick and score?
2) Can anyone flick the ball in the air and then do an over head kick?
3) What do you think of Dino Dini's excuse for not making the pich look like
the amiga one in the literature accompanying the program?
4) Why don't Anco make a cricket simulation like kickoff? (or failing that, a
different sport - rugby perhaps?)
G. Douglas, 31st August 1991 + 4th September
Version history
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4.00R - The first released version
4.10 - The second version. Bugs fixed include one which crashed the program if
the user shuts all the windows, and one in the random team subroutine which
hung the processor!
4.15P - Whoops - I never actually got round to sending of V4.10 - I discoved a
bug in the evalutae team bit which caused some data corruption and crashed the
program with a bus error. Fixed this. I also added the create team menu option,
so you no longer have to do this by entering a name on the fileselector. This
saves memory, and looks a lot nicer.
4.16 - I didn't release this version. All that I changed was the save team
routine
4.17 - Changed the internal storage methods to try to allow the screen to
update faster.
4.18 - This version had some extra teams added to it, and I also wrote the
utility KO2_GET.TTP to go with it.
4.19P - Didn't change the actual editor this time, just added the KO2_TABL.PRG
utility to the suite of programs.
Key (to above) P - Version sent to a PD library
R - Released version sent elsewhere (friends, etc.)
Shareware version currently contains
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Multiple team edit windows
Print Team option
Larger database size
Easier editing - no mandatory new player window
More teams included - currently the whole of the english first division!
Error traping functions to stop you saving a team with all the positions on the
field not filled up
A fileselector allowing you to save teams after selecting quit
Easier editing of player names and field positions
Faster loading of the database and created teams
A function to automatically select the position each player plays in, by
examinig their relative data
More helpfull text in both of the evaluate squad options
Configuration options
To all PD libraries:
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This program is shareware, and may not be included in your library without
written permission from me (Giles Douglas). If any library is found to be
distributing this program without permission from me, I shall expect a sincere
apology and appropriate renumeration.
To all Magazine Coverdisk editors:
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This program is shareware, NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN, so don't even think of
putting it on your coverdisks without asking me. Any magazine that does so will
be contacted by a disgruntled author.
Program, teams and associated data files (c) 1991 G. Douglas