VIDEO POOL
==========

A highly sophisticated simulation of the game of pool guaranteed 
to test your skill and judgement to the limit. The smooth, flicker 
free movement of the balls and accurate calculation of the angles 
and speed make this the best version of pool available for the 
Spectrum.


LOADING

Insert the supplied cassette tape into your tape player, enter 
LOAD "" and press play. The program will take about 2 minutes to 
load and will auto-start.


INTRODUCTION

Welcome to VIDEO POOL a realistic simulation of the popular full 
size game, which you can play easily in your own lounge. Features 
of the game include flicker-free movement of the balls and true 
playing angles.

To win the game you must pot the five numbered balls on the table, 
without losing lives. Playing is easy. A cross wire cursor can be 
moved around the cushion bordering the table and the cue ball is 
automatically directed towards it when a player takes a shot.

Points are scored for each ball potted (except of course the cue 
ball, which counts as a foul). The points for a ball are calculated 
as a multiple of the frame number, the ball number, and the pocket
number, times ten.

A ball must be potted before the shot count (shown top right on 
screen) reaches zero. A warning bleep sounds before the last shot. 
Failure to pot a ball after five shots results in the loss of one 
of your three lives.

Fewer shots are available to pot a ball as the game progresses to 
higher and more skilful frames. Failure to strike any ball or 
potting the cue ball are fouls and are penalised by the loss of 
a life.

OCP hope you enjoy VIDEO POOL, but the company cannot take any 
responsibility for injuries sustained as a result of 'hustling' 
other players!!!

To begin a game, press 'B' from the main menu.


CONTROLS

After loading, controls are the three keys at the bottom right-hand 
corner of the Spectrum keyboard, namely 'M', SYMBOL SHIFT 
(abbreviated as 's/s') and SPACE. The 'M' key moves the cross-wire
cursor to the left, the SYMBOL SHIFT key moves the cursor to the 
right, and the SPACE key acts as a fire button.

The left and right keys move tne cursor to the left or right as 
stated, but they move it BY THE SHORTEST ROUTE - in other words, 
clockwise or anti-clockwise around the table depending on its 
position. This may seem confusing at first, but a little 
experimentation with the keys will soon clarify things. With a 
joystick selected (see below), it is much easier to move the 
cursor, as it responds to all four positions of the stick.

After moving the cursor to the required position, HOLD DOWN the 
fire key, and a power bar at the top of the screen starts growing. 
The point at which you release the fire key then determines the 
strength of shot. Release the fire key when the power bar is short, 
and you get a weak shot. Release the fire key when the power bar is 
long, and you get a strong shot. Note that the cue ball moves 
TOWARDS the cursor when the fire key is released, and not away 
from it.

The BREAK key (CAPS SHIFT + SPACE) aborts a game and returns you 
to the main menu.

VIDEO POOL can be re-configured for any combination of keys on the 
keyboard - simply press 'R' from the main menu and follow the 
on-screen prompts. The program supports Sinclair Interface II 
joysticks (left and right sockets), Kempston Interface joysticks 
and Cursor joysticks. Cursor joysticks use the arrow keys 
(unshifted 5 to 8) and any other key to fire. To select a joystick, 
press 'I', 'J' or 'C' from the main menu. To reselect the keyboard, 
press 'K'.


TWO PLAYERS

For a two player game, press '2' from the main menu, and then 'B' 
to begin. Note that each player plays with his, or her, own set 
of balls. To reselect the one player game, press '1' from the main 
menu.


VARIATIONS

Three game variations and two pocket sizes are available:

Standard game - This is the easiest game and is the one selected 
when VIDEO POOL is first loaded. In this game you can pot the 
balls in any order and in any of the pockets.

Variation 1 - This game is a little harder (although you are 
allowed an extra two shots per ball). You must pot the balls in 
numeric order, the '1' ball first, then the '2' ball, and so on, 
finishing with the '6' ball. Pot a ball out of sequence however, 
and you lose one of your lives.

Variation 2 - This is the hardest of the three. You must pot the 
balls in their own pockets, the '1' ball in the '1' pocket, the 
'2' ball in the '2' pocket, and so on, but in any order. You have 
an extra three shots per ball to do this, but note that the 
numbers on the pockets move around each frame. If you pot a ball 
in the wrong pocket, you lose a life.

To select a game variation, press 'V' on the main menu to bring 
up a subsiduary menu, and then press 'S', '1' or '2'. To select 
small or large pockets, press 'S' or 'L' as appropriate from 
the main menu.


TABLE EDITOR

VIDEO POOL features a unique facility whereby you can alter or 
'edit' the positions of the balls on the table. This editor can 
be used, for example, for practice play, or for setting up trick 
shots.

Press 'E' from the main menu to select the editor. You can then 
use your joystick to move a cross-wire cursor in eight directions 
around the screen. (If you haven't selected a joystick from the 
main menu, you must use the cursor keys.) Move the cursor onto a 
ball, and press fire to 'pick' it up. The cursor will disappear, 
and you can then move the ball around the table with your joystick. 
Move the ball to wherever you want it to be, and then press fire
again to 'drop' it. To remove a ball from the table (but not the 
cue ball), simply push it down a pocket. To reselect an off-table 
ball, move the cursor onto it, press fire, and the ball will 
reappear on the centre of the table.

Moving the cursor to the box marked 'reset', and pressing fire, 
resets the ball in their triangle positions. Moving the cursor 
to the box marked 'play', and pressing fire, starts the game. 
Play as normal but without the complications of points, lives 
etc. Tha BREAK key (CAPS SHIFT + SPACE) can be used to get back 
to the main menu.


WARNING

Other than back-up copies for personal use all rights herein 
belong to OCP. This nanual and the accompanying computer program 
are copyrighted by OCP. No part of this manual or the accompanying 
computer program may be reproduced, copied or transmitted by any 
means whatsoever without prior written consent of the publishers.


TRADEMARKS

OCP is a trademark of Oxford Computer Publishing Ltd. Sinclair, 
ZX, ZX SPECTRUM and ZX MICRODRIVE are all trademarks of Sinclair 
Research Ltd.


DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

OCP makes no representations or warranties either express or 
implied, with respect to this manual and accompanying software 
and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of 
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. OCP 
shall in no event be liable for any, indirect, incidental or 
consequential damages resulting from use of the manual or 
software.


Written by James Hutchby

© Oxford Computer Publishing Ltd. 1984 Made in England