Between The Posts inc 'Quick Line Out'

The game includes the most recent available 6 Nations Teams and the Quick Play game Quick Line Out

CONCEPT

In 'Line Out', our other Rugby Union simulation, to keep playing time to around 30 minutes per match we used the 'Highlights' system, requiring the user to cross-reference the Team Ratings with a dice roll to determine who began a promising attack (and when), following the action through from that point until either a try, penalty or drop goal was scored or the attack broke down, and thereafter merely recording the passage of time until another attack began to develop. This system achieved accuracy of results and kept playing time sensible, but made no attempt to simulate the pattern of the match and in Rugby many would regard the battle between the opposing packs (for example) as more intriguing than the actual attacking moves that result from this conflict. So we have developed a design system we call 'Compressed Time', originally used in our soccer simulation 'Full Time' (our other two soccer games 'Soccer Replay' and 'Final Score' use the 'highlights' system), and this is the method used in 'Between the Posts'.

'Compressed Time' means just that, we have attempted to squeeze into a reasonable playing time (about 40 minutes per game) all the action that goes to make up a Rugby match while ensuring that results and scorers are accurate and realistic. What you will not get is the correct number of set scrums, line outs, rucks and loose mauls but you will find that try scoring and penalty opportunities will occur in correct proportions and that the pattern of the play will be much as it is in real life. We have (hopefully) achieved this by studying the modern game and analysing what happens, in what proportions, in different areas of the pitch and designing charts that simulate these options and produce an end-to-end flowing game. With teams of equal ability this was the easy bit, but of course we needed to ensure that results accurately reflect the strengths and weaknesses, both overall and in specialist areas such as scrum and line out, of the teams involved. We also felt it essential to use the same team and player ratings used in 'Line Out' so that owners of that game and its many extension sets can make use of those with the new game. In the event we were able to do just that, with the exception of the 'special' team moves that result from the roll of a double on the Action Chart of 'Line Out', they play no part in 'Between the Posts'.

From kick off to 'no side' 'Between the Posts' involves you in all the action. Whilst basically a solo replay simulation we have deliberately left the user (or users) with a number of options about how to use the ball when in possession, not by any means on every occasion because this would not reflect how top-class Rugby is played - usually the situation you find yourself in dictates your reaction - but there will be times when you need to make such decisions, and your response will depend on various factors, the state of the match, your team's ability in specialist areas, even the weather maybe. This will add to the playability as a face-to-face game, and will annoy only those replay gamers who like to have no personal influence on a game other than to roll the dice and consult the charts. And even that minority should be able to 'convert' the game to a pure 'no decision' simulation with a few minor alterations to the game charts.