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Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000
Player’s Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: How to use this guide
The Man on the Box
Strategy Guide
Help Topics
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 1
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
Use this guide as your ready reference for all the information you
need in order to set up and play the different types of games in
NBA Inside Drive 2000. If you want to jump straight to topics on
how to set up games, turn to page 9, “Help Topics.”
If you want to find out more about the player on our product
box, the Milwaukee Bucks’ shooting guard Ray Allen, turn to
“The Man on the Box,” on page 3.
To get tips and tricks on making the most of your PC-gaming
experience with NBA Inside Drive 2000, read our “Strategy Guide”
on page 4.
Remember that you can get almost all the information you need
to have fun right away with NBA Inside Drive 2000 by rightclicking on screen elements. A pop-up window will appear with
information about the item you just right-clicked. If you see
underlined text in the pop-up, that means you can click on that
text for more information. To go back to the pop-up you were
just on, simply click the Back icon. To print any pop-up window,
click the Print icon.
You can also get more detailed instructions on using NBA Inside
Drive 2000 by clicking the question mark in the upper-right
corner of any pregame screen, and then clicking Contents or
Index. Double-click a book in the table of contents, and then
double-click the topic you want.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 comes with Online Help that you
can use anytime, during game play or when you’re setting up
your next game on the pregame screens. Although you can print
any Help topic by clicking Print on the WinHelp taskbar, you’d
have to go through each and every Help topic, one by one, in
order to print them all. With this guide, you can print all the
Help topics at once.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 2
THE MAN ON THE BOX
Ray Allen typifies what we feel about this game: it’s young, it’s
exciting, it blows past the defenders.
Ray played college ball for the University of Connecticut Huskies
from 1993 to 1996, and was snapped up by the Minnesota
Timberwolves as the fifth pick of the first round of the 1996 NBA
draft, but was traded by the T-wolves to Milwaukee for draft
rights to Stephon Marbury. Ray also made the NBA All-Rookie
second team in 1997.
An interesting side note to this is that the character Ray played
in Spike Lee’s 1998 movie, “He Got Game,” played for Abraham
Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, the same high school that
Marbury actually attended. In fact, Ray’s character, Jesus
Shuttlesworth, mentions this in a bit of dialogue from the movie,
where he is talking to one of several slimy characters who are
trying to get a piece of the action as Jesus contemplates his
options as the best high-school senior ballplayer:
Big Time: You know, a lot of great ballplayers came out of Coney
Island, but most of ’em didn’t amount to s***.
Jesus: What about Stephon Marbury? He made it.
Big Time: Oh true that, true that, yeah yeah yeah, but he’s one
of the few.
Jesus: Yeah, and if he can make it out of here, so can I.
Jesus made it out of Brooklyn, and Ray made it out of joining an
infamous group of players who start working on their golf games
shortly after the regular NBA season ends. The Milwaukee Bucks
were the number 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, but were
swept in three games by the Indiana Pacers. Ray was high scorer
for Milwaukee in the first two games, scoring 22 and 25 points,
including the three-pointer that forced the second game into
overtime. It was the first playoff appearance for the Bucks in
eight years.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 3
STRATEGY GUIDE
You’ve got a number of different things you can do to give yourself an advantage while playing NBA Inside Drive 2000, whether
you’re playing against your computer or your best friend. But
strategy, like most other things, requires constant practice and
diligence. Concentrate on the fundamentals outlined here, and
you’ll start winning more games than you lose. And that’s the
point, isn’t it? Ray would want it that way.
Note The techniques described here are going to be most applicable to your game if you’re using a game pad.
CALLING PLAYS ON OFFENSE
You’ve taken the time to set up specific plays from your
playbook, but what do you do with them now? You run them in
the game, using button 10 on your game pad. Simply press
button 10, and a popup window will appear on the screen, showing the five plays from your playbook. To choose a play, press
button 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (the plays, while not numbered onscreen,
are from the top down), depending on which play you want to
run. Your team will then run that play. Bear in mind that, if you
don’t run the play correctly with your user-controlled player, the
play will break.
POWER STRAFING
On offense, you want to back down a defender in the paint as far
as you can, getting closer and closer to the basket so that you
can toss that rock up without him getting his nasty arms in the
way. On defense, you want to stay on your man so that he
doesn’t go around you. How to do those things? Power Strafe, baby.
On offense: Hold down button 4 on your game pad while you use
the D-pad to move your player in the direction you want him to
go, preferably toward the basket. If you’re close to the basket
and a defender is on you, you’ll start backing him down. But
even if you don’t want to display your bravado by backing down
every Tom, Dick, and Shaq who tries to guard you in the paint,
Power Strafing is a good way to protect the ball in general.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 4
On defense: Press button 4 on your game pad while you move
the D-pad in the direction you want your player to go. In this
case, up against the man with the ball. You can also use turbo
(triggers) while you’re doing this, but be careful or you could
get called for a foul. Power Strafe him, but don’t power foul him.
Power Strafe is not a magic bullet, though. If your player is 6’5”
and 225 lbs., his success in backing down a seven-foot-tall player
coming in at 275 lbs. is going to be limited. The idea is to Power
Strafe someone the same size as you or smaller. By extension, use
your big man, your center, to back down players in the paint,
and then use him for little else except rebounding.
ADVANCED SHOOTING
What’s going on with advanced shooting is realism. Release the
ball before the top of your jump, and the ball will travel with
more arc toward the basket. Release the ball at the very top of
your jump, and you’ll get a flatter shot off. If you’ve got a tall
player defending you, more arc means it’s less likely to be
blocked. However, the closer you are to the top of your jump, the
more accurate your shot will be. So you’re faced with a tradeoff
here: more arc gets it over the defender, but at the expense of
accuracy. Well, that’s realism for you.
To review: hold down button 1 on your game pad to start the
player’s shot. Release button 1 as near as you can to the top of
the player’s jump in order to send the ball on its silent flight
toward the lace.
CALL FOR PICK
This is a huge key to your offense, if done properly. What you’re
doing is using a teammate to create a screen. Then you either get
behind the screen and launch one, or rub off the screen and drive
to the basket. If you’ve got a good shooter, and he just needs a
good look at the basket, or if you’re going baseline, press button
5 on your game pad to call for the pick. The only caveat is that
there has to be enough daylight for you to dribble around the
screen. This move works particularly well if the other team has
set up a full-court press.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 5
DEKE MOVES
There are several deke moves that will cycle through based on
defensive presence, from spin moves to crossover dribbles. You’re
going to use deke moves on offense, naturally. When you get
about four feet from a defender, double tap the left trigger
(button 7) on your game pad to deke an opponent. But be careful—it’s easier for an opponent to strip the ball from you when
you’re doing some deke moves, such as a spin. Dekes often work
better if you’re playing against a human opponent than against
the computer.
When you’re on defense, that left trigger becomes the turbo button.
Some of the deke moves are rather showy, so forgive us for moving away from the fundamentals.
CONSERVING TURBO ENERGY
That turbo button comes in pretty handy when you need to get
one of your players downcourt in a hurry. But don’t overuse it; if
you need to run a fast break, we suggest you use one of your
guards without turbo rather than a slower player with turbo.
That means that you’re going to have to study the rosters, combine it with your own knowledge of real NBA players, and then
choose who you want to handle the ball on the fast break.
On a related note, avoid using turbo when the defender is right
in front of you. You’ll likely be called for charging.
STEALING THE BALL
You’ll get called for a reach-in foul if you try to steal the ball
from behind. So just move in front of the guy with the ball, then
try stealing, using button 3 on your game pad.
KNOW THY TEAM
Unless you know he can drain the three, don’t use your big man
to shoot the lights out. Late in the game, with your team leading
by just a point or two, make sure you keep the ball in the hands
of a good foul shooter.
Also know the team you’re playing against. For example, don’t run a
lot of fast breaks and full-court defenses if you have a big team.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 6
BLOCKING SHOTS
In order to be a successful shot blocker, try to stay as much
between the basket and the shooter as possible. Avoid jumping
late to avoid those pesky goaltending calls (unless you’ve got
goaltending turned off on the Rules tab of the Options dialog box).
Good timing is the key here. You’ll get the hang of it before long.
OFF-BALANCE SHOTS
Lean-ins and fadeaways can hurt your shooting percentage.
If a defender is jumping in your face, your shot success will suffer.
If youÌ're using Advanced Shooting, and you don’t release the ball
at the top of your jump, your percentages will be off.
ROLE PLAY MODE
Remember, way back on the User Control screen, when you
dragged a controller to a player, and the button next to the
player’s name showed the word “automatic”? Maybe you clicked
that button a couple of times, until the words “role play” appeared. That means that you are going to control that one player
throughout the game. Now, if you call for the ball (by pressing
button 3) in the game, for heaven’s sake, make sure you’re not in
the backcourt, calling for the pass from a player in the front
court. The AI’s good in the game, but it will still let you make
mistakes, if you really want to.
DOUBLE TEAMS
Don’t dribble into double teams—pass the ball.
COACHING
If the shots don’t seem to be falling, try changing strategies by
clicking Coaching on the navigation bar, and then clicking the
Strategy tab. Then explore the Offense and Defense tabs to see
where you can make changes that’ll make the difference. Maybe
it’s just a matchup you need to change. Or go to the Roster tab
and change the personnel you have in the game, especially when
they get tired (you’ll see color drain from the bar under them in
the game). Tired players commit more fouls.
Also, don’t set the difficulty level too high; if you’re not making
the cut at the All-star level, swallow your gaming pride, admit
that we’ve got a challenging game here, and play at the Veteran
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 7
or Rookie levels. Or turn off illegal defense and 3 in the key. You
can make these changes by clicking Options, and then clicking
the Rules tab. Or try our practice mode (on the Start Up screen)
to get the hang of the button assignments on your game pad.
TRADING
Trade to get players that are better by clicking Coaching on the
navigation bar, and then click Trade. And don’t pick up the guy
you let go just a year ago!
SUBSTITUTIONS
Once you take a player out of the game, that doesn’t mean he
has to sit on the bench for the duration. When players sit down
in an NBA game, what happens? They get some Gatorade, get a
towel, rest their $1.5 million loins, and they’re back in the game
ten minutes later. In other words, players in NBA Inside Drive
will feel refreshed after sitting on the sidelines. Put them back in
the game when you need them.
INTENTIONAL FOULS
You can intentionally foul. Why wouldn’t you be able to? They do
it in the NBA. Game’s close, you’ve almost caught up to the team
that’s been spanking your fanny all night long, and you’re just
hoping you can put their guy that clangs the rock on the line.
You gotta intentionally foul him. Oh, I see; you’re still not sure
this game is as good as another comparable basketball game
costing twice as much. Okay, do this: as soon as the defender
gets the ball, press turbo (button 7 or 8) while tapping button 3.
You might have to do it a couple times (just like in the NBA), but
the ref will eventually look your way.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 8
HELP TOPICS
Listed below are the very same topics that you would see if you
used online Help in the game, organized exactly as they are in Help.
Setting Up a Game
Single Game, Season Play, or Playoffs
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 offers a variety of ways to bring
the action of the NBA to your computer. You can play single
games, play an entire season, or set up your own playoff bracket.
You can also practice your skills in practice mode, or save unfinished seasons and playoffs and resume them later.
SINGLE GAME
Single Game is the quickest way to get on the court. Select
teams, choose controllers, and start running the floor. You can
also make coaching decisions for lineups and plays in Single
Game play.
SEASON PLAY
In Season Play you play and simulate your way through the
1999–2000 NBA season. NBA Inside Drive 2000 keeps track of
standings and statistics and sets up a playoff bracket if your
team gets into the post season.
PLAYOFFS
With Playoffs, you bypass season play and go directly to the
playoffs. Organize a tournament and play and simulate games to
determine a playoff champion. NBA Inside Drive 2000 keeps
statistics and results for all teams and players in the playoffs.
Playing a single game
To quickly get on the court, select Single Game. Statistics and
game results are not saved for single games.
To play a single game
1
On the Start Up screen, click Single Game.
2
On the Team Select screen, click the arrows under the team
logos to choose your teams. The team logo and percentile
rankings will appear as each team is selected, allowing you to
compare relative team strengths.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 9
3
To view the starting lineups and matchups, make lineup
changes, or select plays, click Coaching on the navigation bar.
4
On the navigation bar, click User Controls, and then drag the
controller you want into the slot for a team. If you don’t
select a controller, the computer will control both teams.
5
Click Play Game to start playing.
TO PLAY TONIGHT’S GAME
1 On the Startup screen, click Tonight’s Game.
2
In the list, choose the game you want to play, and then click OK.
Note If today’s date doesn’t fall within the dates that the
NBA plays (roughly November through April), you’ll see a
message saying, “No games scheduled tonight.” If you are
within the NBA season, you’d see this message also if there
were simply no games scheduled for today.
Changing the lineup
You can change the lineup before a game or make substitutions
during a game.
TO CHANGE THE LINEUP BEFORE A GAME
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Roster.
3
Under the team icon, click Home or Away.
4
Under Bench, drag players to a position on the court under
Line up.
When you start your game, these are the players that will
be playing.
TO MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS DURING A GAME
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
Follow steps 2-4 from the above procedure.
4
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
return to the game.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 10
Choosing controllers
Before you start playing your game, you’ll need to choose which
controllers you want to use.
To choose a controller
1
On the navigation bar, click User Control.
2
NBA Inside Drive 2000 automatically detects a controller on
your computer and places it at the top of the home team’s list
of players. Drag the controller to the player you want to
control on either team.
Note The player-switch toggle in each player’s box is originally set to Automatic. To change the setting for player
switch, click the toggle to either Manual or Role play. See
“Customizing controllers.”
3
Click Play Game to start your game.
Note If you want the computer to play for both teams, drag all
controllers to the middle area.
Game options
Before or during game play, you can change the rules, sounds,
and camera views, or adjust game performance. Adjust your settings,
and then click OK.
Quitting Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000
TO QUIT MICROSOFT NBA INSIDE DRIVE 2000
1 On any pre-game screen, click the Close button in the upperright corner of the screen.
-OrIf you are playing a game and want to quit, press ESC, and
then click the Close button.
2
In the Quit dialog box, click OK.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 11
QUITTING A GAME IN PROGRESS
Note When you quit a playoff or season game in progress, you
can’t save it.
TO QUIT A GAME
1 During a game, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Quit.
3
In the Quit dialog box, click OK.
Controlling Your Team
Customizing controllers
There are a couple ways you can customize your controllers:
setting the type of player switch you want, and assigning the
buttons or keys on your controller to perform specific actions on
the court.
Note You can only customize player switches for game pads
or joysticks.
TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR CONTROLLER FOR PLAYER
SWITCHES
1 After you’ve dragged a game pad or joystick to the player you
want to control, the button next to the player’s name will
display Automatic. If you choose this option, you will always
control the player with the ball on offense and closest to the
ball on defense.
2
If you want to decide when to switch control, click the button
to Manual. Each type of controller has a button or key for
switching players.
-OrIf you want to control the selected position for the entire
game, click the button again to display Role play.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
start your game.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 12
TO CUSTOMIZE BUTTON OR KEY ASSIGNMENTS FOR
YOUR CONTROLLER
1 After you’ve dragged a controller to the player you want to
control, click Customize at the bottom of the dialog box.
2
In the Customize dialog box, click the button you want to
assign a set of actions to, and then press that button or key
on your controller. That button number or key will be displayed in the button in the dialog box.
Click the arrows on the scroll bar to see more choices.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Note After you click a button, other items on this screen are
locked until you’ve pressed a button or key on your controller.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 13
Game pad and joystick commands
NBA Inside Drive 2000 gives you comprehensive command of your
team. The table below, arranged by controller buttons, summarizes basic game controls for a game pad and joystick. For advanced controller moves, see the topics beginning on page 17.
For descriptions of individual moves such as how to dunk or use
advanced rebounding, blocking, or shooting, see the topics
beginning on page 19.
BASIC GAME PAD & JOYSTICK CONTROLS
Control
On offense,
with ball
On offense,
without ball
On offense
D-pad
Move player
Move player
Move player
Button 1
Shoot: hold,
then release
Fake shot: tap
Jump for rebound
Jump for rebound or
block/put hands up
Button 2
Pass
Switch player
Switch player
Button 3
—
Call for pass
Steal
Button 4
Crouch,
protect ball
—
Crouch, guard
player
Button 5
Call for pick
Set pick
Take a charge
Button 6
Pivot
—
Trap
Button 7
Turbo (double
Turbo
tap for deke move)
Turbo
Button 8
Turbo (double
Turbo
tap for deke move)
Turbo
Button 9
pauses/resumes
game
pauses/resumes
game
Button 10
Calls plays: Hold + —
buttons 1-5 for
offensive plays
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 14
pauses/resumes
game
—
Keyboard commands
NBA Inside Drive 2000 gives you comprehensive command of your
team. The table below summarizes basic game controls for a
keyboard. For advanced controller moves, see the topics beginning on page 17. For descriptions of individual moves such as
how to dunk or use advanced rebounding, blocking, or shooting,
see the topics beginning on page 19.
BASIC KEYBOARD CONTROLS
Control
On offense,
with ball
On offense,
without ball
On offense
Arrow keys Move player
Move player
Move player
SPACEBAR
Jump for rebound
Jump for rebound or
block/put hands up
Left ALT key Pass
Switch player
Switch player
X key
—
Call for pass
Steal
CTRL key
Crouch,
protect ball
Box out defender
Defensive crouch
Z key
Call for pick
Set pick
Take a charge
C key
Pivot
—
Trap
SHIFT key
Turbo (double
Turbo
tap for deke move)
Shoot: hold,
then release
Fake shot: tap
Turbo
Note If you are using a keyboard that differs from the standard
U.S. keyboard, you may want to customize your keyboard. For
example, if you normally press SHIFT to type a numeral, don’t do
that to call plays.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 15
Mouse commands
NBA Inside Drive 2000 gives you comprehensive command of your
team. The table below summarizes basic game controls for the
mouse. For advanced controller moves, see the topics beginning
on page 17. For descriptions of individual moves such as how to
dunk or use advanced rebounding, blocking, or shooting, see the
topics beginning on page 19.
BASIC COMMANDS
Control
On offense,
with ball
On offense,
without ball
On offense
Move mouse Move player
Move player
Move player
Left click
Shoot: hold,
then release
Fake shot: tap
Jump for rebound
Jump for rebound or
block/put hands up
Right click
Pass
Switch player
Switch player
/ key
(on number
keypad)
—
Call for pass
Steal
+ key
(on number
keypad)
Crouch,
protect ball
Box out defender
Defensive crouch
* key
(on number
keypad)
Call for pick
Set pick
Take a charge
ENTER key
(on number
keypad)
Turbo (double Turbo
tap for deke move)
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 16
Turbo
Special shot controls
Use these tables to enhance your ability to adjust your shot to
give you an edge over your opponent.
Note Some moves are based on real-player tendencies; not all
players may perform moves such as the hook shot or the dunk.
Special shot controls
Controller move
Tap button 1
Pump fake
Button 1 + D-pad toward basket,
player near basket
Dunk or layup (depends on
player tendencies)
Button 1 + D-pad toward basket,
player away from basket
Lean-in shot
Button 1 + D-pad away from basket
Fade-away shot
Button 1 + D-pad to side
Off-balance shot
Button 1 + D-pad, player sideways
to basket
Hook shot (depends on
player tendency)
Special passing controls
Use these controls to enhance your ability to direct your passes.
Special passing controls
Controller move
Tap button 2
Pass to nearest player,
any direction
Tap button 2 + D-pad
Pass to nearest player,
selected direction
Button 7 or 8 + D-pad + tap
button 2
Pass to farthest player,
selected direction
Tap button 2 during pass
Switch to player receiving pass
(only if player switch is on manual)
Tap button 2 during shot
(holding button 1)
Pass out of the shot
Pass to player in low post
Lob pass for alley-oop play
(works only under certain conditions)
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 17
Other special controller moves on offense
Playing offense is more than just passing and shooting. Use these
controls for in-depth control of your team on offense.
Controller move
Action
Hold, then release, button 1
(if ball rebounder)
Advanced offensive rebounding
Hold button 4
Crouch, guard ball, face away
from nearest defender
Hold button 4 + D-pad
Power Strafe: back down
defender (success is based on
strength and weight ratings)
Hold button 4 (after shot is up)
Box out for rebound
Hold button 10, then press
buttons 1-5
Calls plays as they are
numbered on Playbook screen
Special controller moves on defense
Sometimes defense is the name of the game. Use these extra
controls to enhance your tough defense.
Controller move
Action
Button 4 + D-pad
Strafe: move laterally to cut off
ball handler or move toward ball
handler to push him back
Hold button 4 (after shot is up)
Box out for rebound
Turbo + tap button 3
Intentionally foul ball handler
Button 1 (hold, then release,
if ball rebounder)
Advanced defensive rebounding
Button 1 (hold then, release,
if facing shooter)
Advanced shot blocking
Game quick keys
Use these quick keys to pause the game and quickly
get information.
Action
Keyboard
Game pad
Paused Game menu
ESC
START
Screen overview
F1
START
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 18
On the Court: Offense
Shooting
You can’t score if you don’t shoot, so perfecting your shooting
skills is one key to your offense. NBA Inside Drive 2000 has both
a basic and an advanced shooting mode.
TO SHOOT THE BALL
With both basic and advanced shooting, taking a shot is a twostep process.
1
With the ball handler under your control, hold the shooting
button or key down.
2
Release the shot button or key before your player hits the
ground. The shooter will release the ball when you release
the button. If you do not release the shot, you will be called
for traveling.
BASIC SHOOTING
With basic shooting, the accuracy of the shot is determined by
the player’s ratings and the distance from the basket. The timing
of your shot release is not a factor as long as you release the ball
before the player’s feet hit the ground.
ADVANCED SHOOTING
With advanced shooting, the timing of your shot release is also
used to calculate the accuracy of the shot. Your goal is to release
the shot as near as possible to the apex of the player’s jump. The
closer you are to the apex, the more accurate the shot.
With either type of shooting, player tendencies, along with
orientation to the basket, will determine if the player dunks,
tries a layup, or takes a jump or hook shot. You can also use
your directional controls to shift a player as he shoots, adjusting
the shot to avoid a defender. See “Special shot controls” on page
17 for more information.
HOT PLAYERS
If one of your players makes three field goals in a row (or two
three-pointers), he is considered to be hot, and you’ll see a
flashing red icon under his player indicator. When a player is hot,
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 19
his ability to make shots goes up by five percent. Not a lot, but it
could make the difference in a close game. However, if the hot
player misses three shots in a row, or another player becomes
hot, the first player becomes…not hot.
Passing
Crisp and accurate passing is the key to a well-oiled offensive
machine. You have great control over all of your passes in NBA
Inside Drive 2000.
While the ball handler is under your control, combinations of
tapping and holding the pass button or key, along with use of
the directional controls, gives you two main types of passes:
general and directional.
GENERAL PASSING
To pass the ball to the player nearest to you on the court, simply
tap the pass control or key and your player will pass to the
teammate nearest to the ball.
To pass to a player farther away, use the turbo button, then use
the pass control. The ball handler will pass the ball downcourt.
Note The turbo + pass option is available only while using a
game pad or joystick.
DIRECTIONAL PASSING
With directional passing, a combination of your directional
control and your passing control allows you to target a particular
player to receive the pass.
Press the directional control you want, then tap the pass control.
The pass will be aimed at the teammate nearest the ball handler
in the selected direction. For a directional pass down court, use the
turbo button, then use the directional pad plus the pass button.
Note The turbo + D-pad + pass option is available only while
using game pad or joystick.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 20
Offensive rebounding
You have two ways of hitting the offensive glass: basic
and advanced.
BASIC REBOUNDING ON OFFENSE
With basic rebounding, if your offensive player is near the rebound, press the button or key to jump for a rebound. The
player’s rebound rating and position in relation to the ball will
determine if he gets the rebound or attempts to tip the ball in.
Moving your player toward the ball improves your chances of
grabbing the rebound.
ADVANCED REBOUNDING ON OFFENSE
Advanced rebounding allows you to maximize your abilities
around the basket.
1
Press the jump button plus the directional control to start
your player jumping toward the rebound.
2
Release the jump button to try to grab the ball. The player’s
rebound rating determines if he gets the rebound and performs one of two actions:
If the player is close enough to the hoop moving toward the
hoop he will try to tip the ball in.
If the player is too far from the hoop or is moving away from
the hoop, he will grab the rebound.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 21
Taking free throws
Free throws often mean the difference between winning and
losing, so make your free throws count.
TO USE THE FREE-THROW METER
1 When the free-throw meter appears, press the shooting
button or key. The line on the free-throw meter will begin
moving toward the Power region.
2
Press the shooting button or key again to stop the line as close
as possible to the center of the Power region. The line will
immediately begin moving left, toward the Accuracy region.
3
Press the shooting button or key a third time to stop the line
as close as possible to the center of the Accuracy region. The
player will then shoot a free throw, based on the two settings
in the free-throw meter.
On the Court: Defense
Fronting a player
Good defense is played in part with good body positioning. With
NBA Inside Drive 2000 you can play especially tough defense
using the Power Strafe button.
TO FRONT A PLAYER
1 Move your selected defender in front of the ball handler.
2
Press button 4 to initiate a power strafe. Your defender will
crouch and widen his stance.
Note If you have selected Sticky Strafe on the Customize
menu of the controls screen, the player will remain crouched
until you push button 4 again. If you do not have sticky
strafe on, you must hold button 4 to power strafe.
3
If your defender has a strength or weight advantage over the
ball handler, you can push the ball handler back using the
directional controls.
Blocking shots
Blocking the opponent’s shot is a key to tough defense. You have
two methods of blocking shots in NBA Inside Drive 2000: basic
and advanced.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 22
BASIC SHOT BLOCKING
With basic shot blocking, the block is determined by a player’s
block rating and the timing of your shot-blocking leap in relation
to the actual shot. Press the button for blocking when you’re
ready to swat away the shot.
ADVANCED SHOT BLOCKING
With advanced shot blocking, you have more control over the
attempted block. Your ability to block is a combination of your
player’s block rating and the timing of your pressing and releasing the jump button or key.
1
Press the jump button to start your player jumping.
2
Release the jump button to swipe at the ball. If the ball is
within reach of the player’s hand he will block the shot.
Defensive rebounding
You have two ways of crashing the defensive backboards: basic
and advanced.
BASIC REBOUNDING ON DEFENSE
With basic rebounding, if your defensive player is near the rebound, press the button or key to jump for a rebound. The
player’s rebound rating and position in relation to the ball will
determine if he gets the rebound. Moving toward the ball improves your chances of grabbing the rebound.
ADVANCED REBOUNDING ON DEFENSE
1 Press the jump button plus the directional button to start
your player jumping toward the rebound.
2
Release the jump button to try to grab the ball. If the ball is
within the player’s rebounding range (determined by his
rebounding rating), he will grab the rebound.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 23
Stealing the ball
A good way to play defense is to harass the ball handler and try
for the steal.
TO STEAL THE BASKETBALL
1 Move your defensive player in front of the ball handler, if
possible. If you are behind him or off to the side, you increase
your chances of having a foul called.
2
Press the steal button or key. The player will swipe at the
ball. If you get the ball without hitting the ball handler’s
body, you may get the steal.
Note To perform an aggressive steal, press the Turbo button
or key at the same time. That combination, however, may
cause you to intentionally foul the ball handler.
Season Play
Playing a season
In Season Play, you simulate and play an entire NBA season. NBA
Inside Drive 2000 keeps standings and statistics for the season in
progress. There are two steps to playing a season: setting up a
season, and saving a season.
TO SET UP A SEASON
1 On the Start Up screen, click Season Play.
2
On the Team Select screen, click the arrows under the logo, or
click a team name in the list.
3
Click Sports Pages. The season schedule for the selected team
will appear on screen. Use the season schedule to play and
simulate a season.
TO SAVE AND PLAY A SEASON
1 From the Sports Pages screen, click Startup on the
navigation bar.
2
In the text box, type a name for your season, and then click
Save. The Startup screen will appear.
3
Click Load Game.
4
Under Saved Games, click the season you want to play, and
then click Load.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 24
5
On the Sports Pages screen, click the game you want to play,
and then click Play Game.
TO USE THE SEASON SCHEDULE
You have three options for completing a season on the
Schedule screen.
•
Simulate individual games: Click a game on the calendar, and
then click Simulate Game. NBA Inside Drive 2000 will simulate the game as well as results for all unplayed games prior
to the selected game.
•
Play individual games: Click a game on the calendar, and then
click Play Game. NBA Inside Drive 2000 will simulate results
for all games prior to the selected game. After you have finished
playing the game, the results will appear on the calendar.
•
Simulate the entire season: Click Simulate Season. NBA
Inside Drive 2000 will simulate results for all season games
and automatically set up the playoffs.
Playing season playoffs
Once you have completed simulating or playing a season, NBA
Inside Drive 2000 automatically sets up a playoff bracket based
on the season results, but only if your selected team makes the
playoffs. Play or simulate the playoffs to determine the champion
for your season.
TO PLAY SEASON PLAYOFFS
1 At the end of your season, the Sports Pages screen will appear, showing the playoff bracket.
2
Click the matchup you want to highlight it.
3
You now have four choices for completing your season playoffs:
Click Play Game to play the next scheduled game of a selected
series. Be sure to click User Control to choose a controller.
Click Simulate Game to simulate the next scheduled game of
a selected series.
Click Simulate Series to simulate results for an entire series.
Click Simulate Round to simulate the entire round of
the playoffs.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 25
Saving a season or playoff
Since you probably won’t want to play a playoff or an entire
season in one sitting, you can save your playoff or season and
resume it later.
TO SAVE A SEASON OR PLAYOFF BEFORE PLAYING A GAME
1 After you’ve chosen your season or playoff schedule on the
Sports Pages screen, click Start Up.
2
In the Load Game dialog box, type a name for your playoff or
season in the text box, and then click Save. The Start Up
screen will appear.
3
Click Season Play, choose your controllers, and then click
Play Game. Your season will start with the season or playoff
game you chose.
Note If you didn’t save your season or playoff before playing the
first game, the Load Game dialog box will appear after you finish
playing your first game, allowing you to save your season or
playoff then.
Viewing season standings
You can see your season standings or playoff
standings on the Sports Pages screen.
TO VIEW SEASON STANDINGS
1 On the Start Up screen, click Season Play, and then click
Sports Pages.
2
On the Sports Pages screen, click the Standings tab.
The standings for your current season will appear.
Viewing statistics
NBA Inside Drive 2000 puts the numbers easily within reach. You
can view your own season statistics.
TO VIEW STATISTICS
1 On the Start Up screen, click Season Play.
2
On the navigation bar, click Sports Pages.
3
On the Sports Pages screen, click the Statistics tab.
The statistics for your most current season will appear. Use
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 26
the drop-down list to select real NBA statistics or to view the
statistics for other saved seasons.
4
Use the Players or Teams tab to select the statistics you
want to view.
Resuming a season
You can save as many unfinished seasons as you want and resume
them later.
TO RESUME A SEASON
1 On the Start Up screen, click Load.
2
Under Saved Games, click the season you want to resume,
and then click Load.
3
The Sports Pages screen will appear, displaying the current
schedule for this season. Continue with your season by simulating or playing games.
Playoffs
Setting up a playoff
This procedure sets up the basics for playing a playoff.
TO SET UP A PLAYOFF SERIES
1 On the Start Up screen, click Playoffs.
2
Drag teams to the playoff brackets under Eastern and Western.
You can drag teams from one playoff bracket to the other, or
from the list in the middle of the screen. To see more teams in
the list, click a heading: Pacific, Midwest, Central, or Atlantic.
3
Under Playoff length, click the number of games you want in
each round of the playoffs.
4
On the navigation bar, click Sports Pages to choose which
matchup you want to play.
5
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
play the first scheduled game of your playoffs.
Note If you go to the Start Up screen after setting up your
playoffs, you’ll be asked to save your playoffs. See “Saving a
season or playoff” on page 27 for more information.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 27
Playing a playoff
After you’ve chosen your teams on the Team Select screen, you can
play or simulate any of the games, series, or rounds in your playoff.
TO USE THE PLAYOFF BRACKET
1 On the navigation bar, click Sports Pages.
2
In the bracket, click the matchup you want to highlight it.
Click Play Game if you want to play the next scheduled game
in the series.
Under Simulate, click Game, Series, or Round to simulate
the next scheduled game, series, or round of your playoff. The
bracket will show the results.
Note You can always play the next scheduled game in the playoffs, regardless of how many games, series, or rounds you’ve
simulated. Just be sure to highlight the series for the game you
want to play.
Resuming a playoff
You can save as many playoffs as you like and resume them later.
TO RESUME A PLAYOFF SERIES
1 On the Start Up screen, click Load.
2
Under Saved Games, click the playoffs you want to resume,
and then click Load.
The Sports Pages screen will appear, where you can change the
teams in your playoffs.
Resuming Saved Games
Resuming or deleting a saved season or playoff
You can save as many unfinished seasons as you want and resume
them later.
TO RESUME A SAVED SEASON OR PLAYOFF
1 On the Start Up screen, click Load.
2
Under Saved games, click the season or playoff you want to
resume, and then click Load.
The Sports Pages screen appears, where you can simulate or play
season games.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 28
TO DELETE A SAVED SEASON OR PLAYOFF
1 On the Start Up screen, click Load.
2
Under Saved games, click the season or playoff you want to
delete, and then click Delete.
3
Click OK.
Practice
Practicing
Having trouble with your jump shot? Do you need to work on
setting a screen or playing defense? Use practice mode to work
on your skills without the pressure of having to perform in a game.
Note The Sports Pages screen is not available in Practice mode.
TO SET UP A PRACTICE SESSION
1 On the Start Up screen, click Practice.
2
Select the two teams you want to practice with, and then
click User Control.
3
Drag a controller to the player on the team you want to
initially control.
4
Click Play Game.
Tip If you choose one controller for each team, you can play
one-on-one.
Note If you have user-controlled players on both teams, the
game adopts half-court pickup rules: when the defense gets a
rebound, they must “take it out” by returning to the second set
of hash marks before shooting.
Coaching: Roster Changes
Changing the lineup
You can change the lineup before a game or make substitutions
during a game.
TO CHANGE THE LINEUP BEFORE A GAME
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Roster.
3
Under the team icon, click Home or Away.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 29
4
Under Bench, drag players to a position on the court under
Line up.
When you start your game, these are the players that will
be playing.
TO MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS DURING A GAME
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
Follow steps 2-4 from the above procedure.
4
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
return to the game.
Making substitutions during a game
If one of your players is not playing as expected, or if he’s in foul
trouble, ease him on over to the bench and put someone else in
his place.
TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTION DURING A GAME
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
At the top of the screen, click Roster.
4
Under the team icon, click Home or Away.
5
Under Bench, drag players to a position on the court under
Line up.
6
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
return to the game.
Comparing players and making trades
You can trade players between teams only before a game.
TO MAKE A TRADE
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Trade.
3
Under the team logo, click Home or Away.
4
Under the team logo on the right, click the arrows to choose
the team you want to trade with.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 30
5
In the list on the left, click the player you want to trade. In
the list on the right, click the player you want.
If you want to compare players’ statistics before you trade
them, click Compare.
6
When you’re ready to make the trade, click Trade.
The new player will now appear in your lineup.
Matchups
Set your matchups the way you want them to ensure that the
right players are guarding each other. You can set matchups
either before a game or during game play, for specific play sets,
or to gain an advantage with a mismatch.
TO SET MATCHUPS
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Strategy.
3
Click Matchups.
4
Under the team logo, click Home or Away.
5
Click a player on the left that you want to assign to guard a
player on the right, and then click that player on the right.
6
Click Assign.
The two players will now be across from each other in the list.
If you want a player on the right double-teamed by your
team, click Double-team to On next to that player’s name.
Note If you want the computer to assign matchups for you, click
Computer manages matchups to Yes.
Coaching: Playbook
Types of plays
Before you start plugging in new plays into your playbook, it’s
helpful to understand something about the plays. For example, if
you have a quick, young team, you might want more motion
plays designed to take advantage of speed and quickness. Offensive plays are grouped into six categories:
Post: Uses post players to create mismatches with smaller defensive players.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 31
Isolation: Isolates the best shooter for one-on-one opportunities.
3 point: Frees up a good 3-point shooter for an open shot.
Lob: Sets up the offense for a lob or alley-oop pass to the basket.
Motion: Creates movement from the offensive players and confuses the defense with a variety of cuts and screens.
Delay: Uses up the game and shot clocks while holding a lead
late in the game.
Changing your playbook
You can add a number of plays to a team to design a
custom playbook.
TO ADD A PLAY TO YOUR TEAM’S PLAYBOOK
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Playbook.
3
Under the team logo, click Home or Away.
4
Under NBA Playlist, click a tab to choose a type of play.
5
Click the play you want to add to your playbook.
A diagram of the play appears in the diagram on the right.
6
Drag the play to Playbook.
That play is now added to the five plays you can run for this
team. Make a note of the number to the left of the play; you’ll
need to know that number when you call a play during a game.
If you want to return to your original five plays, click Default 5.
Restoring the original playbook
If the new plays you’ve been using haven’t been working out for
you, maybe you want to go back to your original playbook. This
procedure will give your team the original playbook that came
with NBA Inside Drive 2000.
TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL PLAYBOOK
1 On the navigation bar, click Team Select, and then use the
arrows to find the team whose playbook you want to restore.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
At the top of the screen, click Playbook.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 32
4
Under the team logo, click Home or Away to find the team
you want to change, and then click Default 5.
When you return to game play, this team will be running its
original five plays.
Reading a play diagram
Each play in NBA Inside Drive 2000 includes a play diagram to
show you what the offensive play is designed to do. There are a
number of symbols you’ll need to know to understand the diagrams:
PLAYERS:
Blue circle - player on offense
Gray circle – player on defense
PG – point guard
SG – shooting guard
PF – power forward
SF – small forward
C – center
MOVEMENT:
Squiggly red line – indicates ball-handler dribbles, moves in
direction of arrow
Solid red line – offensive player off-ball moves in direction of arrow
Dotted red line – indicates path of ball on a pass or pass option
Solid red line with T shape – indicates offensive player
setting screen
TEXT:
White text – indicates particular player action, such as “shot” or
“screen & roll”
TIPS:
Some plays are designed to free up a single player for a single
shot. Others are designed to open up options for a playmaking
point guard.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 33
Note that players off the ball often have multiple assignments,
such as setting a screen, then rolling off the screen to receive a
pass or put themselves in position for a rebound.
Plays that require multiple steps are indicated by circled numbers, one for each step required to run the play.
Calling offensive plays during a game
Now that you’ve got some plays in your custom playbook, you’ll
need to call them during the game. It’s easy.
TO CALL AN OFFENSIVE PLAY USING THE GAME PAD
• For either team, hold button 10 while pressing button 1, 2,
3, 4, or 5 on your game pad. These numbers correspond to
the plays you’ve chosen on the Playbook screen.
The name of the play will be displayed at the top of the screen.
TO CALL AN OFFENSIVE PLAY USING THE KEYBOARD
• For the home team, press 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 on your keyboard.
These numbers correspond to the plays you’ve chosen on the
Playbook screen.
•
For the visiting team, press 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0 on your keyboard.
The name of the play will be displayed at the top of the screen.
Coaching: Setting Strategies on Offense
Understanding offenses
You can change your team’s style of offense to match the characteristics of the players on the court. For example, if you have
quicker players than your opponent, you may wish to increase
the offensive tempo to create fast-break opportunities.
Tempo: The rate at which your team advances the flow of the
game. A high tempo means your team will run the floor more to
advance the play.
Intensity: The overall level of aggressiveness your team uses
while on offense. A high intensity means your players will tend
to drive to the net more.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 34
Rebounding Aggressiveness: The intensity your players use
while pursuing offensive rebounds. A high level of aggressiveness
increases the chances of offensive rebounds but increases the
chances of giving up fast-break opportunities to the defense.
Selecting a style of offense
You can set your offense either before a game or during game play.
TO SET A STYLE OF OFFENSE BEFORE A GAME
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Strategy.
3
Click Offense.
4
Under the team logo, click Home or Away.
5
Choose the options you want: click buttons to On to turn an
option on, and click the plus and minus signs to increase the
tempo, intensity, and rebounding aggressiveness of your team.
Note If you want to let the computer set the defensive style for
you, click Computer manages offensive settings to Yes. However, if you’ve set the difficulty level to All-star or Veteran in the
Options dialog box, you won’t be able to let the computer manage the offensive style.
TO SET A STYLE OF OFFENSE DURING A GAME
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
Follow steps 2 through 5 above.
4
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
return to game play.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 35
Coaching: Setting Strategies on Defense
Understanding defenses
You can change your team’s style of defense to match the characteristics of the players on the court. A team that plays with a
high level of defensive pressure and aggressiveness will attempt
to grab more defensive rebounds and create turnovers.
Defense: The overall style of defense your team plays, such as a
full-court press or a half-court. All overall team defensive strategies are man-to-man.
Ball-Handler Defense: The tactics your team uses against the
ball carrier for the opposing team. For example, you can choose
to force the ball carrier to the sidelines or prevent him from
driving to the net.
Post Defense: The tactics your team uses when playing the post.
You can also specify to double-team the ball carrier when play is
in the post.
Defensive Pressure: The overall level of defensive pressure
applied by your team.
Rebounding Aggressiveness: The intensity at which your players pursue defensive rebounds. A high level of aggressiveness
increases the chances for defensive rebounds at the expense of
fast-break opportunities.
Selecting a style of defense
Defensive pressure can be changed before a game or during
crunch time to turn up the heat.
TO SET A STYLE OF DEFENSE BEFORE A GAME
1 On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
2
At the top of the screen, click Strategy.
3
Click Defense.
4
Under the team logo, click Home or Away.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 36
5
Choose the options you want: click buttons to On to turn an
option on, click the radio buttons to choose items, and click
the plus and minus signs to increase the overall defensive
pressure, pressure on the ball handler, and rebounding aggressiveness of your team.
Note If you want to let the computer set the defensive style for
you, click Computer manages defensive settings to Yes. However, if you’ve set the difficulty level to All-star or Veteran in the
Options dialog box, you won’t be able to let the computer manage the defensive style.
TO SET A STYLE OF DEFENSE DURING A GAME
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the navigation bar, click Coaching.
3
Follow steps 2 through 5 above.
4
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click Play Game to
return to game play.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 37
Options
Performance
Performance varies from machine to machine. The Performance
tab gives you the chance to optimize performance for your
computer by adjusting different settings. In general, more detail
means slower performance.
TO CHANGE PERFORMANCE OPTIONS
1 From any set up screen, click Options.
2
Click the Performance tab. You can make changes to
the following:
Stadium Detail: Choose the level of detail of the floor and
the crowd in the game.
Shadow Type: Turn shadows off or select the type and detail
of shadow you want.
Player Label: Turn player indicator off or select the type of
indicator you want.
Player Detail: Choose from Low, Medium, or High.
Details: Turn crowd, reflections, players’ smooth head movement, referee, passing indicator, hot-player indicator, or shot
clock on or off.
Scoreboard Display: Decide when you want the in-game
scoreboard to be displayed. If you choose Intermittent, the
scoreboard will be displayed whenever the score changes.
Number of refs: Click the arrows to choose the number of
referees you want in the game, from none to three.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Sound
Sound affects game performance but also enhances a game’s
atmosphere. Make selections for the following sounds on the
Sound tab.
TO CHANGE SOUNDS
1 From any set up screen, click Options.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 38
2
Click the Sound tab. You can make changes to the following:
Button Sounds: the sounds that play when you click onscreen buttons
Music: composed and performed by Spearhead exclusively for
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000
Game: the bounce of the ball, the dunks, the squeak of the
shoes, and other in-game sounds
Crowd: crowd and arena noise
Commentary: Kevin Calabro’s play-by-play and Marques
Johnson’s color commentary
3
Click the plus sign to increase the volume, and the minus sign
to decrease the volume.
4
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Rules
There are the official rules, and then there are your rules. Make
selections regarding rules and other in-game settings on the
Rules tab.
Note During game play, you can make changes to rules only
between quarters.
TO CHANGE THE GAME RULES
1 From any set up screen, click Options.
2
Click the Rules tab. You can make changes to the following:
Officiating: Set the style of officiating you prefer, from the
heavy-handed to the hands-off approach. Click Foul Out to On if
you want players to foul out after committing a sixth foul.
Violations: Click any of these to On if you want them to be
called during game play.
Player Status: Click Fatigue to On to if you want your players to tire realistically. Click Fatigue Indicator to On if you
want to display a bar that drains its color as your player tires.
Difficulty Level: Assess your skills and choose the appropriate level, from Arcade, the easiest, to All-Star, the toughest.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 39
Clock Settings: Click any of these to On if you want these
clocks to apply during game play.
Length of Quarter: Click the arrows to set the length of the
quarters from one to twelve minutes.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Cameras
You can watch the game from a number of different perspectives
and change the views easily. You can also choose if you want
automatic replays to run after great plays.
TO CHANGE THE CAMERA VIEWS
1 From any set up screen, click Options.
2
Click the Camera tab. The available views are described below:
Game cam: The view that gives you the best all-around look
at the action; the default view during game play.
Low Slash cam: Follows the action down the floor, from the
sidelines and along a diagonal.
Baseline cam: With a view from the baseline, follows the
offensive team down the floor.
Sideline cam: With a view from the sidelines, follows the
action up and down the floor.
Overhead cam: A view from directly overhead, following the
ball up and down the court.
High Slash cam: A view from the nosebleed seats.
Drive cam: A view that emphasizes where the action is on
the court.
Freethrow cam: If you don’t want the camera to change for
free throws, click this to Off.
Auto replay: If you don’t want to see automatic replays of
great plays, click this to Off.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 40
Zoom settings: Click the right arrow to get a closer camera
view of the action, or click the left arrow if you want the
camera to pull back. Zoom settings are not dynamic; the zoom
setting you chose will remain constant throughout the game.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Video
If you have a 3D-accelerated video card, you may as well make
the most of it. This is the place to do that.
TO CHANGE THE VIDEO OPTIONS
1 From any set up screen, click Options.
2
Click the Video tab. You can make changes to the following:
Screen Resolution: Choose the in-game screen resolution you
want. If you set the game to a resolution higher than 640x480
and that resolution is not supported by your video card (for
whatever reason), the game will be displayed in 640x480.
3D Graphics Driver: Click Primary Display Driver if you
want to use a 2D-capable display adapter that has 3D acceleration capabilities. Click a custom original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) display driver if you have a unique 3D acceleration device. Click Software if you don’t have a 3D acceleration-capable display adapter, or if “Direct3D HAL” does not
appear in the 3D Graphics Device box below when you
clicked on either Primary Display Driver or an OEM driver.
3D Graphics Device: If you have a display adapter that is
capable of 3D acceleration, “Direct3D HAL” will be displayed
in this box. If you don’t have this kind of display adapter,
this box will display “Software,” or it will be blank. If the box
is blank, you won’t be able to play the game.
3
When you’re satisfied with your changes, click OK.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 41
Game-play Features
Using Game Details
The Game Details tab shows you the current score and game time
and provides up-to-the-minute statistics for the two teams in
the game.
TO SEE GAME DETAILS
1 During game play, press ESC.
The Paused Game screen will appear, with the Game Details
tab on top.
The Game Details tab shows you team statistics: the score,
turnovers, field goals attempted and made, three-point shots
attempted and made, free throws attempted and made, steals,
rebounds, blocks, and assists.
You can also take time-outs for both teams and see replays of
the action.
2
To return to the game, click Play Game.
Reading the Box Score
The box score summarizes the individual player performances for
the current game.
TO READ THE BOX SCORE
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the Paused Game screen, click the Box Score tab.
3
When you’re finished, click Play Game to return to the game.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 42
Here’s how to interpret the Box Score abbreviations. Statistics
refer to individual players only.
STA%: stamina used; the game starts PTS: total points scored
with the player at 100%
FGM: field goals made
FGA: field goals attempted
FG%: field-goal percentage
(FGM divided by FGA)
FTM: free throws made
FTA: free throws attempted
(FTM divided by FTA)
FT%: free-throw percentage
3PM: three-point shots made
3PA: three-point shots
attempted
3PT%: three-point-shot percentage
(3PM divided by 3PA)
REB: total rebounds, both
defensive and offensive
OREB: offensive rebounds
STL: steals
ASST: assists
BLK: blocked shots
TOV: turnovers
FOUL: fouls committed
MIN: total minutes played
Using the Shot Chart
Shot charts help coaches determine what’s going right—and
what’s going wrong. The Shot Chart shows the number of shots
made and missed.
The Shot Chart allows you to analyze every shot taken by an
individual player quarter by quarter.
TO USE THE SHOT CHART
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the Paused Game screen, click the Shot Chart tab.
The Shot Chart shows shots made in blue, and shots missed in
red, for the first player in the list on the left.
Click a different player in the list to see his shot chart.
Click the Away tab to see the Shot Chart for the visiting team.
In the lower-right corner of the Shot Chart, click the arrows
to see results for other quarters.
3
When you’re finished, click Play Game to return to the game.
Taking time-outs
Time-outs help your team regroup if they are trailing, or allows
you to put in some much-needed firepower from the bench, while
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 43
giving the team a breather. Or, for serious coaches, it allows you
to ice the opposing free-throw shooter when the game is close.
TO CALL A TIME-OUT
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
On the Game Details tab, click Timeout or 20 sec timeout.
3
Click Play Game to return to game play. Both teams will head
for the bench during the time-out.
Viewing Instant Replays
If you liked what you saw, then watch it again. NBA Inside Drive
2000 gives you full power to view a replay of any play.
TO START A REPLAY
1 During game play, press ESC.
2
Click Replay in the lower-right corner of the Paused Game
screen. A replay of the most recent 40 seconds of game play
will begin, with the replay controls in the upper-left corner of
the screen.
3
Use the instant replay controls to view the replay.
4
To return to the game, click the Close button in the upperright corner of the Replay control to return to the Paused
Game screen, and then click Play Game.
Returning to your game
When you are finished using the Paused Game screen, you can
easily pick up where you left off in the game.
TO RETURN TO YOUR GAME FROM THE
PAUSED GAME SCREEN
In the lower-right corner of the Paused Game screen, click
Play Game.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 44
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Controllers
Can I change or customize the buttons I use on my
control device?
Yes. Drag a controller from the middle section of the User Control
screen, or click on a controller already assigned to a team, and
then click Customize. See “Customizing controllers” on page 12.
My force feedback controller isn’t giving much feedback.
What’s wrong?
NBA Inside Drive 2000 does not support force-feedback controllers.
How many people can play against each other on my machine?
With Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers and a couple of hubs,
you can have up to 10 controllers in NBA Inside Drive 2000. You
can daisy-chain up to four game pads.
What controllers can I use to play NBA Inside Drive 2000?
We have yet to find a controller that can’t be used to play NBA
Inside Drive 2000. But we haven’t tried using a steering wheel.
Can I connect different types of controllers for a
two-person game?
Yes, you can, using the Universal Serial Bus (USB) on your computer. Grab your USB adapter, plug your additional controllers
into that, and then plug the adapter into your computer.
Game Play
The game is too difficult to play. How can I make it easier?
You may have the difficulty level set too high. In the upper-right
corner of any screen, click Options, click the Rules tab, and then set
the player level to Arcade or Rookie, the two easiest levels of play.
There are a also few other things you can do to give yourself
an advantage:
INCREASING THE ABILITIES FOR YOUR TEAM WHILE
DECREASING THE ABILITIES OF THE COMPUTER TEAM
1 On the Coaching screen, click Strategy, and then click Defense.
2
On the left side of the screen, select the team you’re controlling.
3
At the top of the screen, click Computer manages defensive
settings to Off.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 45
4
Increase the other settings to whatever level you want.
5
On the left side of the screen, select the computer team.
6
Now decrease the settings to embarrassingly low levels.
7
Do the same on the Offense tab—crank up the Tempo, Aggressiveness, and Rebounding capabilities of your team, be
sure to turn Computer manages offensive settings to Off, and
you shouldn’t have any trouble mopping the floor with the
computer team from here on out.
What are the differences between Arcade, Rookie, Veteran,
and All-Star levels of difficulty?
The higher the level, the smarter the computer team is about
trying to beat you.
The computer team will show a better defensive presence with a
higher level of difficulty: you’ll see more traps and double teams
put on your team, and an overall feel of more defensive pressure
coming from the computer team.
On offense, the computer has a faster reaction to defensive
mismatches that you try to put on it, it will take advantage of
the drive when offered, and will shoot the high-percentage open
shot as often as allowed.
When you are on defense, and the player you control is out of
position, the artificial intelligence (AI) will cover more often for
you on the easier levels than when you are on the advanced levels.
The higher the difficulty level, the more varied and realistic your
shots become. Bear in mind that the logic of the game goes like
this: the player you are controlling is rewarded for shooting open
shots and penalized for shooting covered shots. That is, you are
more likely to make a shot when you are open, as would be the
case in the real world.
How does that “player-switch toggle” work?
When you drag a controller to a slot on a team, the player-switch
toggle automatically sets to Automatic. That means that the AI
will switch your control to the player with the ball on offense,
and you’ll guard the player with the ball on defense. You don’t
have to do anything. This is the control of choice if you want to
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 46
be in on the action of every shot. With Manual, you have to
push button 2 on your controller to switch control to a different
player. In Role Play, you control a single position (rather than
controlling the player) for the entire game and have to work with
your teammates to win the game. See “Customizing controllers”
on page 12.
How can I make players do hook shots and other special moves?
The short answer is: it depends on player tendencies and ratings
and court position. If you’re a 6’2” guard, you probably don’t
have a hook shot. And if you’re a 7’1” center, and you’re at the
three-point line, you probably don’t have a hook shot either. The
more knowledge you have of the NBA players, the more you’ll
know which players are likely to dunk, lay the ball off the glass,
or flick a hook shot into the net.
Do player ratings really have much effect? How?
Think about the real NBA when you think about player ratings: a
bigger player is going to be able to back down a smaller player in
the paint. The higher the difficulty level, the larger an influence
player ratings have on the game. If you’re playing at the Veteran
and All-Star level, we assume that you know the actual players’
strengths and weaknesses. At Rookie and Arcade level, all the
players are at about the same level in their ratings. You can view
key player ratings on the Coaching/Roster screen.
What is Power Strafing and where can I get some?
Power Strafe lets you back down a defender or ball handler,
rather than just bouncing off another player, as in all the other
basketball games. Hold button 4 on your game pad, and then
press the D-pad in the direction you want to go. If you’re a
bigger and stronger player than the player that’s defending or
guarding you, watch that player wilt under your superior
strength and size. See “Fronting a player” on page 23.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 47
How does the AI handle play calling?
A real gamer, I see. If you don’t call plays yourself, the AI looks
at the five plays in your team’s playbook. At the start of each
game, 25% of the time the AI will call play #1; 20% of the time it
will call play #2, 15% of the time, play #3, 10% of the time, play
#4, and 5% of the time, play #5. That leaves 25%, which the AI
allocates among the remaining 25 plays, so you can expect that
one-quarter of all the plays called in a game will not be in your
team’s playbook.
However, the AI takes notes of which plays have been successful
in the game and which have not (that’s what the “I” in “AI”
stands for). Successful plays have a greater chance of being
called as the game progresses, while plays that have not been
successful have a lesser chance of being called.
How can I trade players?
See “Comparing players and making trades” on page 31.
What happens when the league rosters change?
We plan to provide downloadable roster updates on the NBA
Inside Drive 2000 web site. Add the NBA Inside Drive 2000 web
site to your list of favorites:
http://www.microsoft.com/sports/insidedrive
Can I play NBA Inside Drive 2000 over the Internet?
No, NBA Inside Drive 2000 cannot be played over the Internet.
Performance
NBA Inside Drive 2000 is designed to take advantage of the
advanced capabilities of your video card. To get killer graphics
and great performance, you should spend a few minutes making
sure that NBA Inside Drive 2000 is set up to maximize what your
video card can offer.
GETTING STARTED
The first time you play, look at the graphics and get a feel for the
performance (speed) of the game. Do the players look clear and
smoothly rounded? Are the floor and arena graphics crisp? Does
the game run smoothly?
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 48
IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT...
Changing a few settings can make a world of difference to your
game-play experience. In NBA Inside Drive 2000, you can change
the settings listed below. For each type of setting, there is usually a benefit and a side effect, for which you will need to find
an optimal tradeoff level.
STADIUM DETAIL
Stadium detail refers to the level of detail of the arena surrounding your game. The default setting is medium. Select high to see
more detail on screen and thus improve the graphics. Tradeoff:
high resolution may result in slower game performance. Try
different settings and see which you prefer.
SHADOW TYPE
Shadow type is one of the larger performance factors for graphics.
You have four choices: none, circular, low detail, or high detail.
Choose None to maximize performance, but you’ll lose a little oncourt realism. They play under bright lights, you know. Highly
detailed shadows will slow the game down. Experiment with
different settings to optimize your game-play speed with oncourt realism.
PLAYER LABEL
The type of label you choose for players can affect performance.
You have three choices: player name, player position, or none.
Choosing None should improve play a little, but you may not
know who has the ball at any given time.
DISPLAY
Selected display options can heavily affect performance. For the
most realistic game look, turn Smooth head movement, Crowd,
and Reflections to On. These extra graphics will slow down your
machine, so you may choose to live without one, two, or all of them.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 49
CHANGING YOUR SETTINGS
If the options described above sound cool, then you should try
them out in the game. You can change the settings in the Performance options. Here are some general guidelines for getting the
most out of your video card.
Performance is fine, give me killer graphics
If you know you have a good system, why not maximize the fun?
To get awesome graphics, choose High detail under Shadow
type, and turn Smooth head movement on.
Give me a graphics boost, but keep an eye on performance
Try a combination of the settings depending on your personal
preferences and the current quality of the graphics. If players look
blocky, select a higher level of stadium detail and shadow type.
Speed up the game, but keep an eye on graphics
To speed up the game, you should consider choosing None under
Shadow type and choose None under Player label. Also, consider turning off Reflections and, on the Rules tab, turn off
Fatigue indicator.
Video cards
Do I need a video card to play the game?
No. A 3D video-acceleration card improves the look and play of
the game, but if you don’t have one, you can still play in software mode.
What is the difference between software mode and
hardware mode?
Hardware mode uses a 3D-graphics video card. The game graphics
look a lot better, and the performance is improved when you’re
using 3D-hardware acceleration. If you don’t have a 3D card,
however, you can still play the game in software mode. It just
doesn’t look as nice. If this sounds like an advertisement for 3D
cards, it is.
How do I activate my video card?
In the upper-right corner of any screen, click Options, click the
Performance tab, and then, under 3D graphics driver, click
Primary display driver. Under 3D graphics device, you should
see the name of your 3D card. Click the name, and then click OK.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 50
Where can I find answers to questions about video cards?
For questions about specific cards or chip-set manufacturers, see
the Readme file for a complete list of web sites.
How do I know if I should update my video-card drivers?
If you cannot start the game, or if you encounter graphic problems, you should consider updating your drivers. Check the web
site of your card manufacturer.
How do I update my video drivers?
Contact your video-card manufacturer to get the latest driver.
These drivers are often available on the manufacturer’s World
Wide Web site or from an electronic bulletin board (BBS).
Sound
Why can’t I hear any sound?
Check your sound settings on the Sound tab of the Options
dialog. There are sliders to increase and decrease the volume of
different sounds in the game. Also, check to see that your speakers are powered up and plugged in properly. You can also adjust
the volume settings for Windows.
How can I change the sounds that play?
From any pregame screen, click Options and select the Sound tab.
Move the sliders to adjust the volume on any of the sound options.
How do sounds affect game performance on my machine?
Playing sounds uses memory, and therefore can affect your
machine’s performance. Generally speaking, the more sound
options turned on, the slower the game will play. However, what
you gain in speed you may lose in atmosphere and realism.
Who are Kevin Calabro and Marques Johnson?
Kevin Calabro is in his 11th season as the play-by-play commentator for the Seattle Supersonics, and in 1997 was chosen NBA
Sportscaster of the year by Sports Illustrated magazine. Marques
Johnson is a former All-American from UCLA, a former NBA AllStar, and currently works as a color and studio analyst on NBA
and college games.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 51
Help
Can I resize the Help window?
Yes. Help is a fully functioning WinHelp application. Drag a
corner of the window to resize it.
Can I print game controller commands from the Help topics?
Yes. You can also print topics from certain right-click pop-ups.
Just click the Print button.
Can I access Help during a game?
Yes, you can. At any time hit F1, or hit ESC to pause the game,
then click ? and select Index or Contents from the menu.
Can I get help without opening the Help?
Right click anywhere on the pregame screens. You’ll get quick
help on buttons or regions, or an overview of the entire screen. The
Overview also has links to quick help topics related to that screen.
I’d like to print all the Help topics at once, not one by one.
Can I do that?
Sure. Go to the folder that you installed NBA Inside Drive 2000 in
and look in the Goodies folder. Double click Guide.pdf. This
contains all the Help topics that appear in Help, but in an easily
printable form.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 52
BASKETBALL REFERENCES
Basketball web sites
Visit the Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 Web site to download
league updates and get the latest news on the game. The other
Web sites listed below are great resources for current news on
National Basketball Association teams and players.
Note The Web addresses below are not hyperlinks — you cannot
click on them to open your Web browser. For best results, print
this topic and type an address into your browser to view that site.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
http://www.NBA.com/
MICROSOFT NBA INSIDE DRIVE 2000
http://www.microsoft.com/sports/insidedrive/
MSNBC SPORTS
http://www.msnbcsports.com/
ESPN.COM
http://espn.go.com/
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 53
Books about basketball
Here’s a short list of books about the NBA and its players.
Anderson, Dave and Grant Hill, The Story of Basketball, New York,
William Morrow and Company, 1997.
Auerbach, Red, Basketball for the Player, the Fan and the Coach,
New York, Simon & Schuster 1952.
Bird, Larry and Bob Ryan (Contributor) Drive : The Story of My
Life, New York, Bantam Books, 1990.
Bonavito, Mark and Brendan Roberts, ed., The Official NBA Register 1998-99, St. Louis, published annually in September by The
Sporting News.
Bradley, Bill and Phil Jackson (Foreword), Values of the Game,
New York, Artisan, 1998.
Carter, Craig and Mark Broussard, ed., The Official NBA Guide, St.
Louis, published annually by The Sporting News.
Goldstein, Sidney, The Basketball Coach’s Bible : A Comprehensive
and Systematic Guide to Coaching, Philadelphia, Golden Aura, 1994.
Goldstein, Sidney, The Basketball Player’s Bible : A Comprehensive
and Systematic Guide to Playing (The Nitty Gritty Basketball
Series), Philadelphia, Golden Aura, 1995.
Halberstam, David, The Breaks of the Game, New York, Ballantine
Books, 1990
Harris, Del, Winning Defense, Revised edition, Indianapolis,
Masters Press, 1993.
Hubbard, Jan, The Official 1998 NBA Finals Retrospective: Six
Times as Sweet, New York, Harperhorizon, 1998.
Lazenby, Roland, The NBA Finals: The Official Illustrated History,
Dallas, Taylor Publishing, 1990.
Neft, David S. and Richard M. Cohen, ed., The Sports Encyclopedia, Pro Basketball, New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1992.
Ociepkan, Bob and Dale Ratermann, ed., Basketball Playbook,
Indianapolis, Masters Press, 1995.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 54
Peterson, Robert W., Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball’s Early
Years, New York, Oxford University Press, 1991.
Phelps, Richard, Basketball for Dummies, Indianapolis, IDG Books
Worldwide,1997.
Pluto, Terry, Tall Tales : The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words
of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball, New
York, Fireside, 1994.
Sachare, Alex and Walt Frazier, Complete Idiot’s Guide to Basketball, New York, Alpha Books, 1998.
Sachare, Alex, ed., The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, New
York, Villard Books, 1994.
Vancil, Mark and Don Jozwiak (contributor), NBA Basketball, An
Official Fan’s Guide, 3rd ed., New York, Triumph Books, 1997.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 55
MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT
For the final updates and technical information for NBA Inside
Drive 2000, check the readme file that came on the CD.
Getting Help from Microsoft Product Support Services
IF YOU HAVE A SIMPLE QUESTION AND NEED AN
ANSWER FAST
Quickly find answers yourself online Use Support Online to
easily search the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other technical
resources for fast, accurate answers. You can customize the site
to control your search at http://support.microsoft.com/support.
Or you can browse support information about your product,
conveniently consolidated at http://support.microsoft.com/
support/games.
IF YOUR QUESTION IS URGENT AND MORE COMPLEX
Telephone a Microsoft Product Support Engineer Work with a
support engineer to solve your issue through the following options.
Standard No-Charge Support—for help during business hours
If you acquired this product as a stand-alone retail product, you
are eligible for unlimited support at no charge. You can receive
no-charge support via e-mail (explained later) or via telephone
by calling one of the following numbers, available Monday Friday, excluding holidays.
In the U.S.: (425) 637-9308
In Canada: (905) 568-3503
6:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Pacific time
8:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Eastern time
If your Microsoft product was preinstalled or shipped with your
personal computer, you are not eligible for Standard No-Charge
Support from Microsoft and must contact your computer manufacturer for support. For phone numbers, please refer to the
documentation that came with your computer.
Pay-Per-Incident Support—for help after hours or to supplement Standard Support If you need help after hours or are not
eligible for Standard No-Charge Support, you can purchase PayPer-Incident Support. Fees are billed to your VISA, MasterCard, or
American Express card.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 56
In the U.S.: (800) 936-5600
Cost: $15 US per incident
24 hours a day, seven days a week,
including holidays
In Canada: (800) 668-7975
Cost: $45 CDN plus tax per incident
8:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Eastern time
Monday - Friday, excluding holidays
IF YOUR QUESTION ISN’T URGENT
Send e-mail to a Microsoft Product Support Engineer Ideal for
questions requiring attached files. Submit a question anytime
and receive a response within one business day. Submit a question at http://support.microsoft.com/support using one of the
following options:
Standard No-Charge Web Response Submit unlimited incidents at no charge as described in the Standard No-Charge Support section above.
Pay-Per-Incident Web Response Otherwise, submit your
question for a fee of $15 US.
For additional support needs
If you need text telephone (TTY/TDD) Available Monday Friday, excluding holidays. In the United States, call (425) 6354948, 6:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Pacific time. In Canada, call (905)
568-9641, 8:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Eastern time.
If you need support services for a business Priority Annual,
Priority Plus, and Premier provide a selection of support packages
geared for businesses. To learn which account meets your needs,
go to http://www.microsoft.com/support. Or call (800) 936-3500
for information on accounts for small- to medium-sized businesses and (800) 936-3200 for large, enterprise businesses.
If you need on-site, multivendor, or proprietary product
support Microsoft Certified Solution Providers (MCSPs) and
Authorized Support Centers (ASCs) specialize in providing support packages for hardware, network, and software products from
both Microsoft and other vendors. For more information about
MCSPs, call (800) 765-7768 or visit http://www.microsoft.com/
mcsp. For more information about ASCs, contact your Microsoft
account representative, or visit http://www.microsoft.com/support.
Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000 • page 57