Linked Play version 1.03			9th October 1998


[1]  QUICK GETTING STARTED INSTRUCTIONS
  [a] If you have already downloaded version 1 or 1.02 of Linked Play then simply 
download the file GPUPGR3.exe.
  [b]  If you have not previously downloaded Linked Play then download the 
larger file GPNET3.EXE, which contains all of the material you will need.

Then:
  [c] Double click on the file and identify the root directory of your Golf Pro 
installation (e.g. c:\golfpro).
  [d] You will end up with a file GPNETBT1.EXE in your root GOLFPRO directory.
  [e] To run this new linked play version of the game, double click on 
GPNETBT1.EXE, or create a short cut onto your desktop and double click on the 
shortcut.  GPNETBT1.EXE should allow you to play the game in any mode including 
linked play, but this does not affect your old version of the Golf Pro.  (This won’t 
affect your saved players etc.)
  [f] To access Linked Play, click on the Linked Play button on the main menu of 
the game.  On reaching the Linked Play menu for the first time, click on YES 
when queried if you would like to set up the linked play connection.  This takes 
you to the Linked Set-Up menu.
This beta will only allow connection using TCPIP mode.
If you are wishing to connect via the Internet then click on the IP Address 
radio button, if via a network then click on the Local Network option. Do not 
worry with the address book option at this stage.  Pressing BACK will return to 
the Linked Play menu and establish your current settings as the default 
connection details.
  [g]  At this stage you must decide whether you wish to host a game of golf, or 
to join a game.  IN EITHER CASE YOU MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET VIA YOUR 
SERVICE PROVIDER WHILE PLAYING THE GAME IN ORDER TO PLAY OVER THE INTERNET.

  If you host a game, then other players can connect to you.  Select the Host 
Game option in the Linked Play screen, and if you are playing on the Internet 
then click on Announce on the Web as well.  Click on 'Connect' to proceed.  For 
other players to connect to you they will need to know the Domain Name or 
Internet address of your machine. They can find your address if you have a static Domain Name or IP 
Address and you let then know what it is.  Alternatively, you need the Announce 
on the Web option to advertise your details on the Internet.  This sends your 
machine address information to one of our web pages, where the details of your 
IP Address are displayed.  Users wanting to connect to you can use your IP 
address when connecting.  You can check  whether you are advertising by pointing 
your web browse to the advertising site at
www.empire-interactive.com/golf_meet/meet.html
while you are in the game.  (Press the ALT and TAB buttons to jump between your 
browser and The Golf Pro.)

  If you join a game, then select the IP Address radio button on the set-up 
page, and select Join Game on the Linked Play menu.  Click on CONNECT, and you 
will be asked to enter an IP Address.  This is the Internet address of the 
machine you wish to connect to.  To search for machines interested in playing by 
Linked Play you should point your web browser to the site
www.empire-interactive.com/golf_meet/meet.html
and note down any active IP Addresses.  Enter an address, checking carefully it 
is valid, and click on ACCEPT.  Note that some of the machines advertised on the 
site may already have moved on and started to play, so if you get no response, 
then try to go to another connection.

  [h]  Once CONNECT has been achieved then you will be in the Meeting Room, 
where any other users connected to your machine will be displayed in the 
CLUBHOUSE area on the left hand side of the screen.  The game host must hit the 
CREATE button in order to create a game - and define its name and number of 
players.  The host will automatically join this game.  If you have connected to 
a host, any available games will be displayed with a golf ball symbol in the 
GAMES section.  Click on the golf ball to join the game.
  [i]  Once in the game room, the host can choose which players to select for 
the game and click on the PLAY GOLF button. If the host simply hits the PLAY 
GOLF button without any selection then all players in the game list will be 
included in the forthcoming game (up to 4 players maximum). This finally gets 
the game started for real.
A player selected for inclusion in the game will be highlighted in beige. A red 
cross against a player in the game players list indicates they have not 
established a connection to the host yet. If the red cross never disappeares 
then it will not be possible to establish a game with that player.  Sometimes, 
if the host is changed to another player, then a connection can be established 
with that player. It is best to use the chat facilities (noted by the speech 
bubble at the bottom of the screen) to decide on the details before starting.

  [j]  Once Play Golf has been successfully started, then control moves to the 
Course Selection screen and the same flow as you would have when Play Golf is 
selected from the Main Menu.  At this point the Host has complete control, 
except that each player must choose ONE player for the game at the Player 
Selection stage.  Ensure that you have the correct CD in your drive mefore 
teeing off.
  [k]  Once you have teed off, then play ahead just as you would when you play 
with multiple players in the single user version of the game. 
  [l]  The in-game chat is currently disabled, so if you wish to communicate 
with your fellow players then you might consider running something like 
Microsoft's Net Meeting while playing the game.  This will even allow you to 
communicate by voice, if you have the facilities.  However, on some setups the 
use of netmeeting can degrade the game performance.
  [m] On ending the game, it is probably be best for you to exit and restart the 
game before using it again.
  [n]  In section [3] you will see a full list of known problems, which we will 
be attending to over the next few weeks - if you have any  further problems then 
please mail us the details at linkedplay@empire-interactive.com


[2]  FULL LINKED PLAY INSTRUCTIONS

To access Linked Play, select the Linked Play button on the main menu.

This leads to the Linked Play menu, which is the point from which you can either 
attempt to CONNECT to other users, or SET-UP your linked play connection.
When you enter the Linked Play menu for the first time, you will be asked if you 
wish to proceed to the LINKED SET-UP menu, which you should do.  The Linked Set-
Up menu can also be accessed by clicking on the SET-UP button on the top right 
of the Linked Play menu.

SET-UP
The Set-Up menu shows all of the available network connection types for your 
version of The Golf Pro.  At present only one type - TCP/IP mode, is supported.  
This allows you to connect with other users over a network or over the Internet 
using the standard TCP/IP communication protocol.
Underneath the connection type information, there is a set of three radio 
buttons, which allow you to choose one of three ways of specifying the 
connection:

[1] ADDRESS BOOK allows you to connect via one of the entries in the address 
book, which is displayed below the radio button area only if Address Book has 
been selected.
You might wish to create entries in your address book if you regularly connect 
to a site or system with defined addresses.  It saves you time inputting the 
same data each time you connect.
New address book entries can be added using the NEW button on the right hand 
side of the address book.
Old entries can be edited by using the EDIT button on the right hand side of the 
address book.
Entries can be deleted by using the DELETE button on the right hand side of the 
menu.
When you add in a new entry you will be presented with a small box that contains 
four rows that need to be filled in.  To insert data click on the relevant row,  
type your entry, and press RETURN or ENTER to input the information:
Profile Name is the name you wish to give to this address book entry.
Domain Name is the domain name of the user you are trying to connect to.  This 
entry is optional and need not be filled in.
IP Address is the address of the computer you wish to connect to.  If you are 
connecting to a host you can use the web page www.empire-
interactive.com/golf_meet/meet.html to discover their IP address. Your entry 
will not be accepted unless the address is valid - i.e. four sets of numbers 
with 3 digits (maximum value of 255 ) separated by stops..
IP port should be left on the default value of 2194.
NOTE:  It is only worth putting a friend's address details into the address book 
if they have a unique static domain name and/or IP Address.  Many users are 
given different domain names and addresses each time they connect to the 
Internet.  If that is so, then you will be better to insert their IP Address 
fresh each time you connect, using the IP Address button.
The CONNECT TO entry at the bottom of the address book shows the profile name of 
the currently selected address book entry.

[2] IP Address should be used if you wish to enter an IP address when you 
connect  to another user.  This can be used when connecting to users who do not 
have static addresses or who you do not frequently connect to.  With the radio 
button set on you will be asked to enter an IP Address at CONNECT stage from the 
Linked Play menu.

[3] Local Network allows you to communicate over your local network and 
possibly, beyond, depending on how it is set up.  The Golf Pro automatically 
determines the parameters of your network, so that no further information is 
needed if you want this type of connection.

Press BACK on the Linked Set-Up screen when you wish to return to the Linked 
Play menu.

LINKED PLAY MENU:

At the top of the LINKED PLAY screen, the currently selected communications 
method is displayed next to CONNECTION MODE.  Currently TCPIP is the only 
selectable communications method.

Beneath the Connection Mode entry there  is the display of your connected name.  
This is the name by which you will be referred at the setup stage of Linked Play 
with other users.  This entry is editable by clicking on the Connection name 
display area, typing in an entry, and pressing return to accept your entry.

When you start up Linked Play in the Golf Pro you must decide whether to Join a 
Game which someone has already set up or to Host a Game for other users.
If you click on Join a Game - then your preferred connection will be displayed 
in the CONNECT TO box above the Join Game radio button.
If you click on Host a Game, then you will be awaiting other users to connect to 
you.  There is also an ANNOUNCE on the WEB button, which allows a host to 
display his or her IP Address at the Empire Interactive meeting place site and 
allows it to be viewed by other users.  At the bottom of the screen there is the 
CONNECT button which must be pressed in order to proceed towards a game and 
connect to other players.

Click on CONNECT to proceed after setup.

If you click on BACK at the bottom left of the Linked Play screen you will go  
back to the Main Menu.

Once you have clicked on CONNECT, you will enter the MEETING ROOM.  This meeting 
room allows you to see other users that are connected to you, to see games which 
have been created, to chat to users who are connected to you, and if you are a 
game host, to create a game yourself.

The CLUBHOUSE area on the left hand side of the screen displays all connected 
users who are not currently part of a game.  You can chat to anyone in the 
clubhouse by entering a message in the lower text entry area to the right of the 
speech bubble. Enter text here by clicking on the window until you see a 
flashing cursor and entering text.  When you wish to send your message then 
press ENTER or RETURN.  Your message will then appear in the chat window above.  
If you do not wish to chat to everyone then you can select CHAT TO SELECTION.  
When this radio button is turned on then you can chat to selected clubhouse 
users.  To select a user to talk to then click on their name entry in the 
clubhouse.  A small speech bubble will appear opposite their name.  (NOTE that 
unless you click on yourself, you will not see your text entry in the text 
message area when Chat to Selection is turned on.)
On the top right hand side of the screen you will see a Locker Room section 
(which is currently NOT in use) and a Golf Game section.  This area lists all 
available golf games (normally just one while connecting in this mode).
If you see a game listed and you wish to join it then simply click on its icon 
in the Golf Games area. 
If you wish to create a game (and you can only do this if you are the game host) 
then click on CREATE.  This brings up a box titled CREATE LINKED GAME which 
allows you to define:
The maximum number of players in the game (between 2 and 4).
The name of the game (click on the name row, enter the name and press RETURN or 
ENTER).
Click on ACCEPT to accept your game information.
The game should now be displayed in the Golf Games section on other users while 
you will be placed in the Game Room itself.

Once you click on the game icon, you will enter the Game Room.  In this room you 
can see everyone in the Clubhouse, who are currently connected but not joined up 
in the current game.  You can chat to these users using the principles outlined 
earlier. The current users who have entered the Game Room are displayed in the 
Game Players section to the top right of screen. 
Any players that cannot communicate with the game host will be marked with a 
cross.  If the cross does not disappear next to any entries on the hosts 
machine, then they will not be able to take part in a linked game because full 
communication is not possible. 
All users in a game can chat to each other at this stage - however note that at 
this stage all further chat capabilities have been disabled - so this is your 
last opportunity. Once all desired players have entered the Game Players area, 
then it is time to consider starting a game.  The game host does this by 
clicking on the PLAY GOLF button.  If there are more members in the golf room 
than wanted for a game then the host can use the SELECT PLAYERS button in the 
middle of the screen to select players for the game.  If the number of players 
chosen for the game differs from your initial setup you will be asked to confirm 
that you wish to use the new settings.

If you have joined a game and all activity disappears when you are at this stage 
then simply back out of the meeting area, and start the process of connecting to 
a new game again with some other users.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Once the game has started, then it progresses from the Game Room to the course 
selection screen.  The game host selects the course, and then each game player 
must select a player for the forthcoming game.  Control will not progress beyond 
the Player Selection screen until all players have chosen ONE game player.   The 
game host then has control while deciding the Match Options and the Play 
Options.  The other members of the game can watch his decisions but cannot alter 
these screens.  When the game host selects Tee Off on the Play Options menu, 
play moves on to the tee position of the first selected hole.

In Linked Play order of play is strictly maintained according to usual golfing 
etiquette.  Users are only in control of the action when it is their turn to 
play.  They have to simply sit and watch the action while others take their 
turns.  Occasionally there will be an on-screen cursor, but there will be no 
control associated with it. Flow should progress very similarly to a multi-
player match on one machine, although pauses will be longer due to the speed 
losses over an Internet connection or network.  Otherwise you should play the 
game as usual. 

Unfortunately at this stage in-game chat has been disabled, so it is not 
possible to communicate directly with your other players.  If you are keen to 
see and hear your opponents you could create a 'Net Meeting' link with others 
and run this simultaneously with the game.  In this instance, players can hear 
and read the entries of opponents.  To learn more about Net Meeting, see further 
details at www.microsoft.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Other than the speed of play there are no differences between Linked Play and 
the single user version. 

At the end of a session, all players are presented with a Leaderboard, and after 
this the host must click on NEXT.  The programme then returns to the meeting 
room, from where it is possible to back out , and we advise you to restart the 
game before continuing for another.


[3]  KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH LINKED PLAY – 9th October 1998

[a]  In game chat does not function.
[b]  At the end of a game, things do not clean up properly.  So, in general, 
exit and restart The Golf Pro before proceeding.


We hope that you find this new version more stable than the last.  We are 
working continuously to improve what we are giving you and would appreciate your 
feedback – good or bad.

The Golf Team
linkedplay@empire-interactive.com
