Congratulations on downloading CMWiz.

This document will briefly

guide you on CMWiz. Questions, comments, bug reports etc. are
welcome.

Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/8938/

Always browse through the change log for each new version, as it
will clarify some features found in CMWiz.

Notes
=====
I believe CMWiz works only on Windows 95 as the codes are all in
32-bit. But I cannot confirm this as I don't have a Windows 3.1
around to test it with.

CMWiz.exe is small (about 120k compressed), but its the 2

additional support files required by Visual Basic that makes the
download really big (COMCTL32.OCX and MSVBVM50.DLL). For future
versions of CMWiz, remember that you won't have to download the
2 files anymore.

CMWiz works for both 8mb and 16mb games, for the patched CM2e
97/98 (version 2.93).

Installation
============
You should have downloaded CMWiz.zip which contains:-
- CMWiz.exe
- CMWiz.txt (this document)

CMWiz requires the following support files to run:

- COMCTL32.OCX
- MSVBVM50.DLL

Download the support files from

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/8938/

Put all the files into the same directory and run CMWiz.exe.

Note: This installation procedure is crude but will work in most

cases. Some users might get problems, that's when they'll need
to use the full installation program to properly install CMWiz
and its support files. The full installation program can be
downloaded from

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/8938/missing.html

Changes added into CMWiz Version 1.1

====================================
- Add compatibility to 8 Meg games
- Add Austria, Greece, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta and
Sweden as EU nations (forgot in version 1)
- Add Brazil into search criteria (as a tribute to this
incredible futeboling nation).
- Reading TMDATA files is now a necessity as I can no longer
hard-code the nation's Unique Record ID on 8MB games. Loading
will be a tad slower, but now we have additional info like clubs
and names of all nations.
- Center all windows and Mega Search window is made smaller.
Previously, 640x480 screen users faces problems because screen
design was done on 800x600 screens.
- Fixed bug: Pressing CANCEL on `Enter Description' for new
Custom Search crash the program.
- Add `Visibility' option to restrict access to hidden rations.
(see Visibility section below)
- Made changes to CMWiz.txt (this document), and included
several new sections including `Tips and Tricks using CMWiz'
(see it!)
- Added WizList.

Changes added into CMWiz Version 1.2

====================================
- WizRating have gone through a major re-coding (see WizRating
section).
- WizRating added to the main window, as I find myself relying
more on WizRating for first impressions of a player.
- Use the shortforms for the player positions, so that I can
squeeze WizRating in.
- Added to Mega Search: look for players with Bug Club Clause in
their contract.
- Added to Mega Search: look for players in Minor Teams (see
Minor Teams section)
- Added to Mega Search: set the minimum WizRating. This will
tell the search not to include players rated less than the
minimum WizRating, thus effectively speeds up the searching
process. Also, its useless to if the search results returns
players with less than WizRating 4.00 (I never buy them).
- Added to Mega Search: Contract Ending feature to search for
players whose contracts are ending this season.
- Teams. This allows you to list players in your team and also
see your shortlist.
- Potential WizRating. This is introduced so that young players
will not have low WizRatings. (see WizRating section)
- Added a small section showing a players statistics during the
season, ie. Games played, number of goals, etc....
- As usual, a few creepy small bugs that went undetected are
fixed here.

*Note: Check out the `Tips and Tricks' section to find out how
I'd use the new features in version 1.2 for more effective
searches.

*Note: Big Club Clause, Minor Teams, Minimum WizRating and

Contract Ending is not stored in the Custom Search. Doing so
will mean incompatibility with Custom Search created by older
versions of CMWiz.

Work in Progress
================
I'm (still) studying the way CM stores their .S8 and .S16 files.
All kinds of magical stuffs can be done once the files are
understood.

The `Teams' feature will be explored further in the coming

versions, with ability to recommend corner, penalty and direct
free takers.

CMWiz is taking the direction of being the scout that CM didn't

provide. New ideas are coming, based on this direction.

Search Wizard all but dead now; can't think of any features to
add. In fact, I'm not even using it.

If are a wizard with PC programming, let it be known that I'm

looking for partners. (Visual Basic 5.0 only, its tough enough
for me to learn VB). New projects, maybe?

Features
========

The following will discuss the features of CMWiz.

Search Similar
==============
Search Similar option allows you to search for players with the
same or almost the same ratings. Select a player you wish as the
model, then click the `Search Similar' button. This will
automatically activate the Mega Search window, with the settings
adjusted for your search of a similar player.

Accuracy of Search Similar can be adjusted via the File/Options

menu. Default setting is 70% accuracy. Of course, the more
accurate you set it, the less players you're going to get from
that search.

Wizard Search
=============
This search facility basically caters for the uninitiated and
novice CM Managers. It offers efficient search functions without
the daunting task of manually filling in the 30+ search criteria
in Mega Search.

Despite its simplistic features, it is more advanced in some

ways than the Mega Search as it incorporates 'fuzzy logic'.
'Fuzzy logic' works in different areas during Wizard Searching.
For example, low 'Fixed Ability' are compensated by high
'Variable Ability'. Or inferior 'Shooting' in strikers are
compensated by high 'Heading'. These widens the search to
provide more choice without sacrificing quality.

Initial tests shows Wizard Search's recommendations to be

accurate, but Managers are requested to incorporate a little
common sense before taking Wizard's recommendations. Try
searching for 'Very Good' players first, and move downwards to
'Good' and 'OK' players only when you have exhausted the 'Very
Good' recommendations. 'OK' players will be able to perform in
lower division teams like English 2nd and 3rd Divisions, but
might perform not so brilliantly in division 2 of countries with
2 divisions (like Italy).

Mega Search
===========
Many will be familiar to this if they have used the other
'Search Engines' available. Mega Search includes presets for
different player types to assist your search. You may use the
presets for a preliminary search before modifying the search
range to widen the search or to zoom in on players with your
particular requirements.

Another feature of Mega Search is the incorporated function of

'Custom Presets'. It allows you to save a particular search and
retrieve it when you return later to CMWiz.

Custom Presets
==============
Custom Presets is available in Mega Search for those who wish to
store their frequently used search criteria settings.

To create a new preset, simply click on the custom preset

button. A window will appear showing all your presets. Now,
click on the Store As New button. Enter the description for your
preset and press <ENTER>. This will save all the search criteria
settings you have currently on the Mega Search window.

To restore your Custom Preset, simply click on the Custom Preset

button. Double your Custom Preset and it will be restored onto
the Mega Search window.

Name Search
===========
Use the Wildcard character (thats the question mark `?') and
asterisk (`*') in your search. ie entering ra?l will return you
Ra�l, Ra�l Cardozo and Bradley. Note that CMWiz will
automatically add the asterisk before and after the name you
have entered, thus ra?l actually becomes *ra?l*.

The Wildcard character is used to replace ONE character in your

search, thus is useful if the name of the player you are looking
for has weird character like � in Ra�l.

WizList
=======
You can store your shortlisted players into WizList. Remember to
save your WizList before exiting the program or you will lose
your changes.

WizList is stored in a file CMWiz.LST. You may use WizList on

various Saved Games at a time as CMWiz could differentiate the
Saved Games. The appropriate WizList is loaded when you load in
a Saved Game.

Minor Teams
===========
In Mega Search, you can search for players currently playing in
minor teams. Minor Teams are defined as teams with low
`Popularity'. You can set the `Popularity' level you consider as
low in the `Options' menu. The default is 10, but usually I
change it to the level less than the popularity of my club (11).

*Note: If you don't know the popularity of your club, go to

`Teams' and select to show team members of your club. At the
search result status bar, you'll see the popularity.

*Note 2: Its still too general to use `Popularity' rating to

define minor clubs, as some clubs have high popularity but the
league that they play in isn't popular. Anyway, this should be
sufficient for the time being until more is done.

Tips and Tricks using CMWiz

===========================

1: Looking for `Reincarnated' players? Store old players (like

Peter Schmeichal, Gasgoigne and Dunga) in WizList and let CM
perform the yearly updating/retiring. Return to your WizList and
the reincarnated player is found in the place of the old. Thats
because the reincarnated player has the same Player ID as the
old (see 2 below).

2: If you enter a number instead of a name in `Name Search', it

will be treated as the Player ID and the player will be
displayed. The player ID is found at the bottom of the `Player
Data' window.

3: Double click on the CMWiz logo when you start the program.
This will show you the `Load Game' screen. (a couple hundredths
of seconds faster than using the menu File/Load).

4: Search results can be sorted in any way you like. Clicking

the heading of 'Name' will sort your search by name from A to Z.
Clicking it again will sort 'Name' the other way round, Z to A.
Same goes to 'Age', etc. Try it.

5: In Mega Search, set all player positions to `Any', and set

the minimum WizRating to 7. This should result in the top
players in CM. Once the search has completed, sort the list by
WizRating. Ronaldo and Schmeichel should be familiar names at
the end of the list.

6: Use the same settings as in (5), but add other criterias like
Big Club, Minor Teams, or Contract Ending to look for good
bargains. Add other criterias as you wish if you are looking for
specific types of players.

Visibility Option
=================
You may set this option in the File/Options menu. Setting
Visibility to `FULL' will allow you to see every info including
the hidden ratings. Set to `PARTIAL' and you will not be able to
search or see hidden ratings.
The use of this feature is to enable you to use CMWiz as another
Scout for your team. Use the Wizard as a scout or use the
WizRating as a reference to a player's ability to do well.

'Fixed Ability' Rating

======================
This hidden rating is not in the CM editor provided by SI, but
found in Mind Compression's CMX. It certainly is related to
ability and certainly is influential. I've labelled it as 'Fixed
Ability' as this rating doesn't change during the player's
career and to differentiate it with another 'Ability' rating
that varies during the player's career (which I called 'Variable
Ability').

'Character' Rating
==================
This rating have been known to be related to a player's reaction
on and off the field to provocation and events; with rating of 1
is supposed to be good. However, I've found this rating to be
related with 'Morale', with 20 equivalent to morale 'Superb'.
Thus, it is recommended that this rating not be used in your
search until the correct 'Character' rating is found.

'Talent' Rating
===============
This rating was first introduced by CM X'plorer (CMX) saved game
editor from Mind Compression. My experience found that this
value doesn't exactly relate to talent. E.g. I bought a player
with 35 in 'Talent', only to see it rise to 130 after a few
months (FYI, he proved to be a good buy). Maybe its my
interpretation of the word 'Talent'. If there's a 'Talent'
rating, it should not be variable and relates to the ability of
a player to learn the tricks and ways of his trade.

WizRating
=========
This rating system attempts to rate players by weighting all his
CM ratings (including hidden ratings) together. There are 4
different classes of WizRatings, namely Goalie, Defence,
Midfield and Attack. Thus, a Defender/Midfielder can have 2
ratings, one in the area of defence and another for midfield.

The various CM ratings are given different weights, and the

weights also defers for different types of players; i.e.
'Tackling' will be given a heavier weight than 'Shooting' for
defenders while strikers will have it the other way round.

Accuracy of WizRating is still under study and adjustments is

still being made. Thus, this isn't a sure fire way of
determining if a player is good and this should only be used for
additional reference only. But, you can definately forget
players with WizRating below 6.50 for premier division teams.
My Leyton Orient Experience: While in 3rd division, the team
consisted mostly of players WizRated 4.50 - 6.00 and I always
field the highest rated ones. Playing in Division 1, players
with WizRating 7.00 - 7.50 are the most likely candidates to
excell.

Midfielders Note: WizRating for midfielders is the most

difficult to calculate. Defenders are WizRated highly on
tackling/heading while Attackers on Shooting/Flair. Midfielders
do not have such a clear cut definition. It really depends on
whether you're looking for a midfield workhorse(high stamina),
ball winner(good positioning, tackling and heading) or
playmaker(high creativity and passing). There's no way of
telling if a 7.50 WizRated midfielder will perform to your
expectations. The best is to filter the players to your
requirements and select the highest rated one.

Midfielders Note 2: Apparently, midfielders generally have lower

WizRatings than Goalies, Defenders and Attackers. Thus, midfield
WizRating 7.20 above is good enough for Premiership. But for
Goalies, Defenders and Attackers, try get at least one with 7.80
and above.

Another note: Apparently, a player playing at his peak (ie.

Variable Ability of 120 against his Potential Ability of 120)
tends to do well even in Premiership, but his WizRating might be
below 7.00. This proves that WizRating is no one-stop shopping
guide; your observance and common sense still rules.

Potential WizRating: This applies to 20 year olds and under. Due

to their low `Variable Ability', you can't easily spot their
future potential using the regular WizRating. Thus for some
under-20s, you might see them classified with `Potential
WizRating' instead of just `WizRating'. They are not ready for
big time yet, but in 1-2 years time, they'll rule.

Note: 'Character' and 'Talent' isn't considered at all in

determining WizRating.