INTRODUCTION Batter up! Welcome to the most realistic baseball game ever designed. Step up to the plate and try to knock that ball out of the park. You can choose to bunt, steel a base, and control base running. When your team is in the field, you can control the type and location of pitch as well as the fielders. To start the game: 1. For a two-player game, connect your joystick to port 1 for the red team and port 2 for the blue team. For a one-player game, connect your joystick to either port. 2. Turn on your Commodore 64, disk drive and monitor. 3. After the red "busy" light on the disk drive goes off, insert the "Hardball" disk into the disk drive with the label side up and close the disk drive door. 4. Type: Load"*",8,1 and press RETURN To restart game: To restart the game, press RESTORE Select game options: Once the game is loaded, you may use either joystick to select a variety of game option combinations such as Home/Visitor, which team (if any) the computer will play (for a one-player game), and whether you want a designated hitter (-DH). For example, a two player game would be selected on lines 1, 2, 7 or 8, depending on who wants to be Home team and whether or not to have a designated hitter. The following sample screen shows the 12 possible choices: Not Available! Only one line will be displayed at a time (statring with line 1). Move the joystick down or up to view other possible options. When the choice you want to make is displayed, press the fire button to start the game. Manager's decision screen: The four screens displayed during hardball are: The Manager's Decision Screen, the Pitcher/Batter Screen, Left Field View, and Right Field View. The game begins with the managers Decision Screen. It will also appear if a player presses the space bar on the leyboard at any time during the pitcher. In this Manager's Screen, pressing the space bar will "Play Ball" (starting the game action or continuing where you left off). This screen will display a selected line-up for both teams. "[{check mark}]" will indicate who is at bat and there will also be an indication of who is on which base (1b, 2b, or 3b), how they bat (Right, Left or Switch), the position they play and their battling average. Below each team's rsoter will be a menu of management decision options which each player may select by moving the cursor to that line and pressing the fire button. In the case of "substitution" or "exchange positions," additional screen prompts will be displayed at the bottom (to be explained later). For the other options, the parameters (indicated here by parenthesis) will be cycled through and displayed one at a time by depressing the fire button when that line is selected (highlighted). The current parameter being displayed is automatically the one selected and remains in force until changed. The option lists are as follows: For the team in field (defense) - 5 choices: *Player Substitution *Exchange Positions *Outfield (Normal, Shift right, or Shift left) *Infield (Normal or Double Play) *(NO) Intentional Walk For the team at bat (offense) - 2 choices: *Player Substitutions *Exchange Positions If either player selects "Substitution" or "Exchange Positions," the lower portion of the Manager's Decision Screen will change to the appropriate team color. In these modes, press the space bar in the middle of an activity to cancel and return to the game. Substitution: A line will be displayed to slect "Substitute (from bench) with (on roster)" at which time the underlined entry can be selected by moving the joystick right or left (selecting a player) and pressing the fire button. When the bench entry is specified, you can scroll the list of players on the bench up or down within a 3-line window at the bottom of the screen by using the joystick. Then slect the desired player to come onto the field by pressing the fire buttoon. When the roster entry is selected, the cursor can be moved up or down the roster list with the joystick, then press the fire button to select the player to come off the field. Note: Once a player is substituted out (after the first pitch), he can't return to the field and doesn't go to the bench list. The new player coming onto the field will replace him at his current position. Exchange Positions: Choose the entry to be filled first in a manner similiar to that defined above for "substitution" on the line "exchange_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ position with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ position". This will allow vertical scrolling of cursor through the roster positions and will show each corresponding player's full performance statistics at the bottom of the screen. Press fire button to select position to be exchanged. If you select a player for a position for which he is not suited, then an appropriate message (i.e., "player out of position") will be displayed later. There will also be a likelihood of an error in play or pooor pitching. Remeber, press space bar to start (or continue) play of the game. Scouting Tips from Bob Whithead Say hwy! Well, I don't know about you but I'll never get the chance to play and manage on a big league baseball team, probably the same goes for you. Real baseball that is, like you at the ballpark or on network TV. So I used Hardball to fulfill some of my fantasies and I hope you enjoy doing the same. And, like any good manager, you need to develop a good scouting report. So I thought I would give you a partial scouting report on some of the pitchers to give you a head start. All-Stars Frisina - Throws a lot of junk Peers - Control Pitcher Atkins - Nothing but heat Estrada - Ace reliever Champs Euler - Good Screwball James - Watch for the fastball Morlini - Bullpen veteran Tompkins - Smoke God Bless, Bob Whitehead Hardball! By Accolade for the Commodore 64/128 Designed by Bob Whitehead Graphic artist: Mimi Doggett Music: Ed Bogas Accolade Entertainment Software Bob Whitehead's past titles: Starship, Football, Stampede, Blackjack, Video Chess, Chopper Command, Casino, Boxing, Sky Jinks, Home Run, Skiing, Private Eye