BATTLESCAPE (C) J WRIGHT 1991
Introduction
Battle Scape is intended to allow two players to fight a
strategic battle between the armies of Light and Dark, on
different map terrains.
Each player may choose the units which comprise his total army.
The objective of the game is to find and destroy the enemies army
standard.
The game uses atmospheric graphics, detailed game play and
demands good use of strategy. Although designed for two players
it can quite easily be played by one person playing both sides !
The programs works with any Atari ST/STE with a colour display.
The Units
Each unit on both sides has the following information recorded on
it, many of which can be altered during gameplay by finding
enhancing Talismans.
HE:- Health. Decreased during combat. Once it reaches
zero that unit is dead.
MS:- Movement speed. Combined with terrain value to work out
the number of movement points needed to cross an area OR
to mount a range attack.
HP:- Hit points. The amount of damage done to an enemy units
health after a successful attack.
LK:- Units luck. Used in calculation of combat outcome.
ST:- Units strength. Used in calculation of combat outcome.
RA:- Units range attack capability. Some units have RA of 3 to
5. Units with RA of 1 cannot range attack.
Movement
Direction is entered by keyboard covering any of 8 compass points
and up to 5 map sectors away. Providing it is a valid move and
you have enough MP, the unit is moved to its new location,
collecting any Talismans, along the way, that the unit passes
over.
Combat
Combat can be done by two adjacent enemy units beginning "close
combat", where each player must stop a dice and then each units
attack value is calculated using "dice x ST + LK".
The looser has its HE decreased by the winners HP.
An option to exit close combat can occur.
Range attack can only be done by certain units. Magic users must
choose the type of attack spell but the higher level spells
require greater MP.
Other Options
Other options allow a player to skip a units turn, view the
complete playing map and the positions of all units, and also to
obtain information on an enemy unit before deciding wether to
attack it.
The Maps
There are two predefined maps ready to play but you can devise
your own by using the separate free mapmaker program provided.
On the maps there are obstacles which have to be moved around,
and rivers, lakes and chasms which can only be crossed by ford or
bridge.
The maps are made up of lots of differing types of terrain each
with a different "terrain value" which is used in calculating the
number of movement points needed to cross an area.
During gameplay a detailed map is shown of an 11x11 sector around
the current unit. The complete map can also be viewed.
All units are talismans are placed on the map in an organised
random method at the start of each game. Therefore no two games
are exactly the same.
GAMEPLAY
Starting Out
The game begins with each player selecting the units which make
up his total army. Firstly 4 selections are made from the range
attack units. Secondly 4 more selections are made from the non
range attack medium strength units, and finally 4 last
selections from the weaker units.
Including the army standard, each side therefore has 13 units in
its complete army.
The Strategic Battle
Providing enough units are left, each player has 4 turns. If less
than 4 units are left than that will be the number of turns the
player gets.
A display of the map 11 x 11 sectors will be shown with the
current unit positioned in the middle of the displayed map. The
maximum movement is therefore 5 sectors in one of eight
directions e.g. N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW.
Playing Options (selected by single key press)
B : Begin close combat with an adjacent enemy unit.
R : Attempt a range attack on an enemy unit.
V : View complete terrain map and all units positions.
I : Information on an enemy unit.
C : Continue to next turn.
M : Make a movement. A direction is asked for and is entered as
NW/2 or SE/3 etc. The "/" will be entered automatically after
valid letters or a first letter of E or W.
Since N or S can have an E or W following it (NE/SW) the
actual N or S directions will need the "/" entering to show
they are N or S.
You will quickly get used to this.
The options B, R and I also use this direction entering method.
Hints on gameplay.
1. Locate the enemies army standard and co-ordinate your attack
on it.
2. Defend your standard !
3. Rivers, lakes and chasms can only be crossed by a ford or
bridge but streams can be jumped ?
4. Your army standard is also a unit. Collect talismans with it.
It can also strongly attack weak units.
The Map Maker Program
This free program can be found on the Battle Scape disk. To run
it double click, from the desktop, on "Mapmaker.prg". The program
will load and the controlling menu will appear.
Important
This program modifies a file already on the Battle Scape disk
called "Yourmap.dat". The disk therefore must not be write
protected. The program will not write to any other file.
If you have already defined your own map with this program and
want to save it this can be done as follows. Use the option to
load "Yourmap.dat" into the program. Change disks to a blank
formatted disk and then use the menu option to save your file.
This can then be re-copied back onto the Battle Scape disk later
by reversing the above process.
Designing your map.
To do this you will need to draw out 2 grids 55 sectors across by
35 sectors down. On the first sketch out a schematic layout of
your proposed map. Once you are happy then on the second grid
enter the numbers of the map sectors (menu 7) to create the real
map data. This now has to be typed into the program using menu
options 1 & 2. At this stage do not worry about errors.
Once you have completely entered all the data use the display
option 5 to look over your map. Step across it in co-ords 5,5
15,5 25,5 5,15 15,15 25,15 etc.
Make notes of areas where there are errors or design defects and
then use option 4 to edit these. Finally make sure you save your
work onto the Battle Scape disk. This is then loaded by selecting
"Yourmap" at the map selection stage.