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******************** WAR GAME v2.1 DOCUMENTATION ********************
This program is Shareware. You may copy it without any restriction
providing all the files, including this one, are also copied along.
This program is a wargame, much like the popular RISK, but computer
control allows for more possibilities without adding complications.
It is a game which is meant for growth. should you decide that you
like the game, you can, for a small donation, get into my mailing
list. Members of this list will be mailed (Or E-mailed if you have
access to Internet) any updated versions, as well as any add-on
modules (Not available in this current version 2.1). Any questions
or requests from members will be answered or considered.
WAR GAME Accessories will also be made available to members.
- Map Maker (Already made)
This accessory will allow you to create your own map for
use with WARGAME, simply by drawing 4 Neochrome pages.
- Zone Distributor (In the making)
This one will allow for players to select their starting
positions, as well as their capitals without going through
the random distributor provided in the program proper.
Add-on Modules could do various things, from creating upsurges,
controling a neutral adversary, allowing two players to play via
modem (Although not to be available before long) to timing players
during their Movement and Recruitement Phases.
I'm available on Internet at bpat@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca , at least
until summer 94. (Then, who knows ...)
Oh, well, enough of this. Here comes the doc required for the game.
Hope you enjoy playing it as much as I did making it ...
Patrick BETREMIEUX
115 LaGauchetiere O. apt #214
Montreal, Quebec
H2Z 1Y2, Canada
Thanks to Charles SAVOIE for ideas and map.
Getting Started:
First, make sure all the WAR_GAME files are on the same directory as
the program itself. The map file used as well as any saved game,
must also be in the same directory, or at least in identical paths
on different disks. Start up the game by double clicking on the
WAR_GAME.PRG icon from the desktop.
After a while you will asked whether you want to load a saved game or
not. If you do, make sure that the .MAP file you are using is the same
one, or errors WILL occur.
If you loaded a saved game, you will continue from where you last
saved. Otherwise, a new game is initialized. Answer questions in
the Message Box, and you will be able to start playing.
The Screen Display:
-------------------
The screen is divided into many boxes, most of which can be clicked
on. The larger one is the Main display. This is where you will see
how the game evolves. Above it, is a long horizontal box. This is
the Message box. Messages and Warnings will scroll in this box.
The rest of the buttons are situated on the right hand side. These
are, in order:
- Player Info Button
- Zoom Button
- Save Game Button
- Capital Box (With 4 colored Capital Buttons)
- Total Strength Box (With 4 Total Boxes, not buttons)
- Troop Box (With 8 Troop Buttons, and the Defend Button)
- Type Box (With 4 Type Buttons)
- Money Box (With Credit Info Box)
- Done Button
Main Display:
The Main Display will usually contain a portion of the playing map.
The map is divided into zones, each of which can belong to a given
player, or remain neutral, depending on its color. To selcet a zone,
simply point and click to any point within the black borders of
this zone.
Note that the zone just clicked on will, in most cases, center in
the Main Display. This permits scrolling through the entire map.
The map is about 3 times the Main Display's size in each direction.
The Main Display can also contain zoom-ups of the entire map. This
will be discussed in "Player Info Button" and "Zoom Button".
It also shows individual battles during the Combat Resolution Phase
of each player. This will be discussed in the corresponding
paragraph.
Message Box:
In this box, text will scroll by (Or just pop up) to anounce events
of importance. the color of the text usually shows which player is
involved, white being neutral.
Clicking on the Message Box will bring forth the title screen.
Player Info Button:
This button shown the color of the currently active player.
Clicking on this button will bring forth a zoomed view of the map.
This view will show an at-a-glance layout of the active player's
troops. The shade indicates the relative strength of the forces.
The darker the shade, the more troops are present. This view, like
all others, do not allow to see the positions of enemy troops.
Once the zoom is displayed (It takes a little while), simply click
on the mouse button to revert to the map.
Zoom Button:
This button will also bring a zoomed view of the map, but this time
as it shows on the Main Display. That is, it gives positions of
owned zones. This view shows all players' zones, just as the Main
Display would.
Save Game Button:
Clicking on this button will save the current game into a file
called WAR_GAME.GAM into the same directory as the program file.
Note that it is only possible to save a game IMMEDIATELY AFTER
the "xx TURNS LEFT" message appeared in the Message Box. If any
action has been taken, this option will not be available, even
though the button remains on screen.
After the game is saved, the Sorted Players Info will appear in
the Main Display.
Capital Box:
Each player is assigned a capital at the beginning of play. This
zone is the central headquarters of the player. Should it fall into
enemy hands, this player will lose all possibility of raising funds
until such time that he regains control of his capital.
Each capital box is of one player's color, or blank. It will be
blank if:
- The player does not exist (Less than 4 players)
- The capital has been conquered by another player
Clicking on a Capital Button will select the corresponding player's
capital as if you had clicked on it in the Main Display to Select it.
Total Strength Box:
In this area is shown the number of units each player has in the
selected zone. This information is available only for zones the
active player has possession of. Others will have to send suicide
men to investigate. This box shows if the active player is being
attacked.
Clicking on these will have no effect (They are not buttons)
Troop Box:
This is where info on the units present in the selected zone is shown.
The first eight buttons are for the units proper, the last, larger
one being the Defend Button. The Troop Buttons are how pass orders to
your units during the game.
The Defend Button shows the word "DEFEND" whenever you are actually
in this mode. This will be discussed in "Defending your Zones".
Refer to "Reading Troop Box Info" later on.
Type Box:
This box is used to buy new units. The letters inside are to indicate
unit type. They have the same reading as for the Troop Box.
Money Box:
This box only shows the remaining credits for that player during
"Troop Recruitement".
Done Button:
When you are done for a given phase, just click here to let the
program know.
Movement Phase:
---------------
Much of the game consists of troops placement. This is the most
important part of the game to master, and thus the one with the
most flexibility.
Selecting A Zone:
To select the zone to move troops from, just click on it in the
Main Display. If the zone you wish is not visible, just click on
zones situated between it and the one which is currently centered
to scroll the map around. The selected zone is displayed in purple
on the Main Display.
If the zone is yours, you will get Total Strength Info on all players
which have units in this zone.
Troop Data will be shown in the Troop Buttons. Up to eight units can
be present at one time in a single zone, regardless of Type. If less
than 8 units are present, the remaining Buttons will blank. Troop Data
is shown in black for now.
Reading Troop Box Info:
In each Button will be displayed 3 characters.
The first one is for type.
- G stands for Ground Troops
- T stands for Tanks
- A stands for Air units
- D stands for Defense Stations
The next one (Seperated from the first by a space), is for its
strength. The number reads as it should. All units start off with
a given strength, and it goes down as they fight and get wounded.
At 0 strength points, a unit is dead, and removed from play.
units can regain lost strength as per "Recovering From Wounds".
The last one is probably the most obscure, but it has its uses.
It shows the State in which the unit is. The different signs are:
- . (Dot) for "not moved, not attacked"
- - (Dash) for "moved, not attacked"
- * (Star) for "Attacking or being attacked"
- << for "Fleeing combat"
Unmoved units can be moved to any zone adjacent to the one they are
in. Once moved, they get a "-" marker. Such units can only be moved
back from where they came from. This is to allow players to correct
mistakes, as well as performing exchanges between two zones.
Attacking units can only be moved back from where they initiated the
attack. They then get a "<<" marker, to indicate that undoing this
move will bring them back into battle.
Units being attacked cannot move at all. It is not allowed to
surrender a zone to enemy hands, and move back on its position.
Although this may prove to be a hazard, it is primarely meant to avoid
having players keep their large troops behind, and to swap them with
the weaker ones when attacked. Also, it keeps track of which unit is
eligible for Recovering From Wounds.
Moving the Troops Around:
To move a given unit, just click on its Troop Button. Its Info should
turn white to reflect its selected state.
If a zone on the Main Display turns violet, then it means this unit
can only move to this specific zone (Either because it has already
moved in that turn, or because it is currently attacking). If it is
the selected zone that changes color, than it means that unit cannot
move at all (The only place in can go to is where it is). This happens
when the zone the unit is in gets attacked by enemy forces.
To move the selected unit, just click on the zone you wish it to go
to. If the selection is invalid, the unit will simply get deselected.
Otherwise, it will be moved into the new zone, and removed from the
Troop Box.
If you select a unit and then click on another Troop Button, the two
units will exchange place in the Troop Box. This is to allow players
to sort troops in the manner they deem best. Clicking the second
time on the same Troop Box will swap it with itself, resulting in
nothing.
Unit Type and Strengths:
There are 4 different types of units in this game. They each have
their own characteristics.
$ ATT DEF STR Special
------------------------------------------
G | 1 2 2 2 -
T | 2 3 1 3 -
A | 4 4 0 6 1
D | 7 0 6 9 2
(N)| - 0 6 7 3
1) Air units automatically come back to the base they started from at
the end of battles they fought in. They do not have any defense
capabilities. They are meant as powerful attack-only units which
return behind their own lines after a zone has been conquered.
2) Defense Stations cannot move. Thus they are incapable of putting
themselves in attack situations. They are used to hold zones you
hold dear, but need not move many troops through (Like your capital)
3) Neutral Defense stations are slightly weaker than regular ones.
However, they regenerate to their full potential after each Player
Turn. Zones which are left without any unit, become independant
if another player moves troops into it. They automatically get a free
Neutral Defense Station to fight with.
The $ column shows the number of credits needed to recruit a unit of
that type.
The ATT and DEF columns give their attack and defense ratings.
The STR column shows the maximum Strength Points for this type.
The special column gives the number of the special case. "-" means no
special characteristic.
Attacking Enemy Zones:
To attack an enemy zone, you simply need to move the units which
will conduct the attack into the zone they wish to attack. Battle
will be resolved during the Combat Resolution Phase.
Defending Your Zones:
If you are being attacked by enemy units, and you feel you have the
advantage, you can select "Defend Mode" by clicking on the Defend
Button. It will then show that the Defend Mode is active by displaying
the word "DEFEND". Click on it again to turn Defend Mode off.
Troops on zones with Defend Mode on will fight during the Combat
Resolution Phase against ALL players which have troops inside the
zone.
WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED ALL YOUR MOVES, CLICK ON THE DONE BUTTON
Combat Resolution phase:
------------------------
Combat is the second most important part of the game. This is when
you get the chance to conquer zones from other players. What happens
during this phase is automatic. No action need be done by the Active
player.
Each zone on the map will be checked for one of the following:
- You have brought troops into it, and it belongs to another
player. You are the Attacker.
- You have turned Defend Mode on during the preceding Movement
Phase. Each other player with units in this zone get to be
the Attacker. The order is given by the current Active Order.
- You are attempting to take possession of a neutral zone. You
are the Attacker.
The Message box will indicate which of those is happening, and the
Battle Display will be shown.
Reading the Battle Display:
Each player participating in the battle is deployed, the attacker
being placed on the left hand side. Each unit is represented by a
pictogram of its type. The following events are done randomly, and in
that order:
- Selection of a unit with shots remaining
- Selection of a target in the other side
- The shooting unit is shown having a recoil
- The target flashed red
- Number of shots available to the shooting unit decreases by 1
- Strength Points of the target unit decreases by 1
- If the target's Strength reaches zero, it is removed from play
All left over shots from this unit are unusable.
This process is done until one of the following:
- Neither player has shots left.
Units in the battle remain in place. They are marked as
having fought. The battle will continue next turn if units
from both players are still present.
- All units from the Attacker are eliminated. The Defending units
are marked as having fought.
- all Defending units are eliminated. The terrain changes owner.
It immediatly reverts to the new owner's color, and a
"TERRAIN CONQUERED" message scrolls in the Message Box.
Each units get, at the beggining of the battle, a number of shots
equal to their ATT of DEF rating, whichever applies.
WHEN ALL BATTLES ARE RESOLVED, THE NUMBER OF CREDITS AVAILABLE
TO THE ACTIVE PLAYER WILL APPEAR IN THE MONEY BOX.
Recovering From Wounds:
-----------------------
All units can recover from lost strength points after the Combat
Resolution Phase. All units are elligible, exept those listed:
- All units which have moved during the previous Movement phase
but not those for which movement has been undone.
- All units which have attakced any enemy or neutral unit or
units during the previous Combat Resolution Phase.
- All units which are on zones with Defend Mode turned on.
- All units which have been marked as having fought during a
Combat Resolution Phase of the current turn, not just the
previous one.
- All units which already have the maximum Strength Points
for their type.
Eligible units automatically gain one Strength Point.
Recruitement Phase:
-------------------
In order for the game to last the desired number of turn, it is
necessary for each player to be able to buy more troops to send to
the front. This is the last phase of the Player Turn.
Selecting A Zone To Add Troops To:
Just as when selecting zones during the movement phase, simply click
on the zone you wish to add units to. If necessary, you can click on
other zones to scroll the map around.
Buying Units:
If the selected zone has less than 8 units present, and if you are
the owner of this zone (Having troops present is not enough), you can
recruit new units in this zone. To do this, click in the Type Button
with the letter code corresponding to the type of the unit you wish
to buy. Providing you have enough credits available (Shown in the
Money Box), the unit will immediately be added to the zone, with full
strength points for its type. The cost for this unit will be taken
from your available funds.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SELL BACK ANY UNITS. YOU MUST TAKE GOOD CARE
AS TO WHICH UNITS TO BUY ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS. DEFENSE STATIONS
CANNOT BE DESTROYED BY THEIR OWNING PLAYER.
WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED BUYING ALL THE UNITS YOU REQUIRE, CLICK ON
THE DONE BUTTON. THIS TERMINATES THE ACTIVE PLAYER'S TURN.
Player Turns and Order:
-----------------------
At the start of each turn, the order in which players will play is
randomly shuffled. The first player will be annouced in the Message
Box, and the Player Button will turn to the color of the new Active
Player. The whole game is based on the fact that no player can gain
information on any other's movements and positions. To keep this
spirit, it is recommended that only the Active Player remain in the
room.
After the Active Player has finished all Phases as described above,
he will be announced the color of the next player. He should call
this player, and leave the room.
If the Active Player was the last player in the turn to play, the
message "xx TURNS LEFT" will scroll in white in the Message Box,
and the first Active Player of the new turn will be announced.
This is the only opportunity to save the game in progress. If the
players agree to save the game, the Save Game Button should be
clicked on immediatly. The only action which is allowed is to click
on the Zoom Map Button to get a general view of the game as it is.
Any other action will void the Save Game Button.
If the last turn was the last one, the Sorted player Info will appear
in the Main Display, just as when the game is saved.
Sorted Player Info:
-------------------
On this screen, the relative order of the players is shown. Each
player is represented with a tank of its color. The two columns are
for sorting according to number of zones, or number of units + credits
Players should agree before play which of the two will determine the
victor.
Click on the Done Button to return to the Desktop ...
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