Playing your first game

[Neil Brock]

• Your team is picked and you’re ready to hit the ice. Continue through to the game screen.
  
• You’ll be greeted by the ‘Game View’ screen; a top-down view of the ice awaiting for the action to get underway. Before clicking ‘Drop the Puck’, click on the ‘Settings’ Icon at the top of the screen to tailor your experience.
  
• The ‘Zoom’ option offers the possibility of a close-up look at the action on the ice, or a smaller view when turned Off that will also allow you to see live statistics at the bottom of the screen.
  
• If you have trouble identifying the puck during play, turning on the ‘Puck Trace’ will display an orange glow around the puck, allowing you to pick it up quicker and more easily. If you have no such problem, turning it off will simply display the puck.
  
• Highlights: This option allows you to set how much of the action you wish to watch. You can choose to watch the entire game (which requires some spare time), the extended highlights, just the key incidents, or none at all. Each option decreases in action, but the suggested option would be to select the Key incidents choice. You will see all the goals and big chances whilst still getting to see some ‘normal’ play. If you’re a little more ambitious and wish to see how your team play over the length of the game then the Extended or Full options are advisable.
  
• Clock Speed: You have three options – Fast, Medium, and Slow. The clock will move at various speeds depending on which one you select.
  
• Action Speed: This allows you to set the speed of the on-ice action. Varying speed levels will change the speed the events happen, allowing you to slow it right down if you can’t cope with the speed, or speed it right up if you’re finding it too slow.
  
• Once you’re set up, click ‘Drop the Puck’ to get your coaching career underway.