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Midwinter Documentation
THE GAME
Captain John Stark swiftly and silently skied down a steep slope. The
ease with which he moved belied his strength and ability. He was a true
expert. An innocent spectator watching Stark that day in the wintry ice-
clad wilderness of Midwinter could have been forgiven for presuming Stark
was merely rejoicing in his athletic prowess. But he was not out for a
day's sport.
He was traveling with a purpose; the fate of Midwinter rested on his
shoulders and despite all his manly strength, it was a responsibility
which weighed him down. Stark knew this landscape well - he knew it,
loved it and respected it and longed to enjoy it. But he could find no
pleasure in it whilst the population which he served was threatened with
enslavement.
At that moment, Stark was a man obsessed with a hatred and fear and that
hatred and fear could be summed up in two words: General Masters. He
hated Masters for turning Midwinter environment against him.
For all his life he had felt at home in this terrain. He had felt at one
with the arctic landscape. Now because of Masters he felt alone,
isolated and exposed. The ice-clad hills and valleys were no longer a
thing of beauty. They were freezing obstacles which maliciously hampered
his movements.
He hated Masters for keeping him away from Sarah. It was because of
Masters that he spent days, sometimes weeks patrolling the southeastern
border. He hated Masters for his cruelty and he feared him too. He
feared for the peaceful people of Midwinter. What would happen to them
if Masters invaded?
In his heart, Stark knew it wasn't "if" but "when". How was he to
protect the whole population with a force of 19 Peace Officers including
himself? If the worst came to the worst, there was only a dozen or so of
the civil population whom he could rely on - and half of them weren't
talking to one another. In fact, some of them weren't even talking to
him!
He feared for Sarah. Sarah the nurse, Sarah the healer. If Midwinter
were overrun, what fate would Masters have in store for her?
Stark skied on for several miles. There was a lot of uphill climbing,
and he was getting tired. He had just side-stepped his way up an almost
vertical snow wall, arriving at a small plateau where a lone pine tree
grew. He was so tired he started to greyout - he would have to rest,
otherwise he'd lose consciousness completely.
He leant against the tree trunk for ten minutes and gradually his vision
returned to normal. He looked at his watch. It was just on twelve
o'clock. Time to contact his team for the two hourly situation report.
Over the past few days, even this simple task had become a chore. The
air was full of static. Messages had to be repeated over and over again
before they were understood. Professor Kristiansen, the cantankerous
scientist at Diamond Valley had warned Stark that Masters was jamming the
Free People's radio network. Just for once, Stark hoped that it was just
another of Kristiansen's attempts to aggravate him. If there was
jamming, the invasion was imminent.
Stark took the radio from his back pack and turned to Garcia's frequency.
He always started with Garcia whose station was closest to Masters'
frontier. The indicator on the set showed that the correct frequency had
been selected but instead of Garcia's friendly voice responding with his
call-sign, Stark's radio emitted a piercing, high-pitched squeal.
Although concerned, Stark was not unduly worried. Transmissions had been
bad. However, over the course of the next half hour Stark tried to raise
over 30 stations. No-one on Midwinter was receiving or transmitting
radio messages. For the first and last time in his life, Stark
experienced mortal terror.
The invasion had started. He was on his own in the wilderness. He had
no radio communication, no snow-buggy, no hang-glider. It couldn't have
been worse. Stark got a grip on himself. He had been made leader of the
Free Villages Peace Force because of his qualities as a leader and lead
he would. His destiny was at hand!
He packed away his gear and got ready to move off. He had just reached
the edge of the plateau when he heard the drone of an aero-engine.
Looking above him, he saw a small remote-controlled aircraft. The next
thing he knew all hell let loose. To the left of him a pattern of mortar
bombs went off. He moved to the right and a further pattern went off.
He was in trouble.
The enemy had moved with astonishing speed and caught him out in the
open. The hovering plane was calling down fire on him. Shrapnel was
flying all around him, but he wasn't harmed. If he didn't do something
quickly he would be dead. He took the standard issue sniper's rifle from
his back and took careful aim. One shot and the small plane exploded
with a bright flash and a bang. Quickly Stark climbed the tree looking
through the telescopic sights.
Far into the distance, coming out of the perpetual Midwinter mist shroud
was one of Masters' attack vehicles. What was worse, Stark could see
quite clearly that it had just launched a guided missile and it seemed
reasonable to assume it would be coming his way.
Stark reassessed his predicament with cool determination. He had to make
contact quickly with his men and organize resistance. He looked at his
map and worked out the best route to the various stations. With luck he
would make it before the enemy had a chance to strike hard.
Please refer to the Technical Supplement accompanying this manual for
Loading Instructions.
GAME OPTIONS
Once the game has fully loaded, the Game Options Screen will be
displayed. This shows six icons which are used to select your method of
control and difficulty options. "Midwinter" can be played by using
mouse, joystick or keyboard controls by selecting the appropriate icons.
Please note that throughout the manual, the game description refers to
mouse control mode. It is recommended that you use a mouse, if you have
one, to play "Midwinter". For details of joystick and keyboard controls,
please refer to the Technical Supplement.
There are three difficulty options to choose from, which can be selected
in any combination. Training allows you to play the game against unarmed
enemy vehicles which can do no damage to the Free Villages Peace Force
members. If the Bombers icon is selected before play, the enemy have
additional fire power in the form of unmanned bomber aircraft. Mortars
allows the enemy to direct long-range shelling at your forces, guided by
unmanned spotter planes which will seek out and circle your forces.
For the ultimate challenge select Bombers and Mortars but skip Training!
Finally, click over the Play area to start the game.
You are now in control of Captain John Stark, leader of the Free Villages
Peace Force on the island of Midwinter. Your people are in trouble, and
time is against you. Your territory has been invaded by thousands of
hostile troops under the dictatorship of General Masters. His troops are
heavily armed and have traveled inland by ski and snow-buggy from their
Headquarters in Shining Hollow. General Masters and his men have
reconnaissance drones, which are unmanned computer controlled gliders,
aiding them in their searches as they probe across the island and
unmanned bombers for long-range attacks on your forces.
Enemy units are already advancing on your settlements, heading for their
final objectives, the heat mines of the Free Villages. Heat mines are
the source of the very life-blood of the island, the power by which your
people survive. If they are all captured or put out of action you will
have no choice but to surrender.
Enemy radio stations at Deathwatch Crag, Snowgoose Fell and Sierra Madre
are now being used to broadcast a jamming signal which is preventing the
transmission of radio messages anywhere on the island.
You, as Captain Stark, therefore have no immediate means of contacting
the other members of the Free Villages Peace Force, who are on duty, at
work, or at home. You know where they should be, and you have a detailed
map of the island. You know that General Masters will continue to
advance across the island in search of his ultimate goal - the domination
of the last oasis in the icy desert which the world has become. You know
you will have to cross hundreds of miles of bleak wilderness before you
can mobilize the Peace Force. Only then can you launch the counter-
attack that will bring masters to his knees!
THE TEAM
When you have selected Play on the Game Options screen, you will be shown
the Team Display. At the start of the game, Captain Stark is the only
member of the team under your control - it's up to your to use him to
recruit the others. His portrait is displayed, along with seven icons,
as explained below:
Digital watch - The team's next report time. (See the section on 'The
Situation Report' for further details)
Analog watches - Synchronize Watches. (See the section on 'The Situation
Report' for further details)
Flag - Surrender. Selecting this icon hoists the white flag of
surrender, and hands control of Midwinter isle to the enemy. The
game is over - you have lost. You then have the opportunity to try
again. This is the only way to abandon a game and start afresh.
Disks - Load or Save Game. (See the section on 'Saving and Loading the
game' for further details)
Pages with left and right arrows - Scrolls to previous/next page of Team
Display.
When you recruit additional team members the Team Display includes their
portraits. Up to six portraits are displayed on one page. Use the
Scroll icons to view other pages.
At the start of the game you should move the on-screen pointer over
Captain Stark's portrait and click once on the left mouse button, to show
Captain Stark's Personality Display.
The 32 Personality Displays give all the essential personal information
about the members of the Free Villages Peace Force whom you have
recruited, and your ability to understand and utilize this information is
the key to playing and winning "Midwinter".
For each individual the display shows his or her name, occupation (and
rank if they are a Peace Officer), age, current location and portrait.
Also included is a brief biography, a state of health diagram, and an
assessment of the individual's fourteen qualities and skills. At the
bottom of the display are two clocks, a muscle power indicator, and six
option icons.
Biographies
These biographies give many clues to the individual's personalities and
traits. Significantly, each biography mentions some of the person's
friends and enemies. This information is vital when planning your
recruiting campaign. People are much more likely to join the resistance
if they're asked by one of their friends.
State of health
The state of health of an individual is shown by the physical damage
sustained by each of the four limbs, the body and the head, displayed by
the outlined figure behind the 'Qualities and Skills' display. When a
particular limb is in fine health, it shows green. When it is hurt it
shows orange, and when it is out of action it shows red. Hurt limbs may
still be used but the individual runs the risk of putting the hurt limb
out of action, when it becomes useless. An out of action head renders
the individual unconscious, making any movement impossible.
Different activities are curtailed according to whichever limb is out of
action. Sniping needs two arms. Skiing needs two functioning legs.
Hang-gliding needs all four limbs, whilst Snow-buggying needs at least
one arm and one leg. Sabotage, likewise, needs one arm and one leg.
All activities are influenced to some degree by the individual's overall
state of health. Damage to a particular part of the body is more
critical in some activities than in others. For example, in skiing,
damaged legs will reduce performance more than damaged arms, but in
sniping the opposite applies.
Recovery from injury is basically by rest, but can be accelerated by
receiving First Aid. See the section on 'First Aid' for further details.
Qualities and Skills
Every individual has nine qualities and five skills which are detailed on
his personality display. All fourteen may, at any given time, be rated
as Excellent, Good, Fairly Good, Average, Below Par, Poor or Abysmal.
Three of the qualities (Morale, Energy and Alertness) associated with a
particular individual may vary throughout the game, depending on what he
does and what happens to him. The other six qualities are fixed for a
particular individual, but govern the individual's response to actions
and events, and hence influence the three variable qualities. The action
skills of skiing, hang-gliding, snow-buggy driving, sniping and sabotage
ability are fixed for each particular individual. Actual performance
depends both upon skill and upon state of health.
Morale
Morale influences every aspect of an individual's performance, with those
individuals whose morale is high performing better in every way. Morale
is determined by a combination of the overall successes of the Free
Villages Peace Force and individual success.
Energy
An individual's Energy level is an indication of his energy reserves,
which may be used to replenish the individual's Muscle Power when it is
low (see "Muscle Power" section below). When an individual rests or
sleeps, energy is transferred from Energy reserves to Muscle Power.
Energy reserves can only be replenished by eating.
Alertness
An individual's Alertness influences his technical performance rather
than muscle performance so that skills such as sabotage, sniping and
snow-buggying are influenced more strongly than skiing and hang-gliding.
Alertness depends fundamentally on how much sleep an individual gets.
Endurance
The individual's Endurance, which is fixed, determines the rate at which
his Energy and Alertness are depleted.
Sturdiness
The individual's Sturdiness, which is fixed, determines his rate of
recovery from physical damage and how great a benefit he derives from
rest or sleep in terms of Energy and Alertness.
Optimism
The individual's level of Optimism, which is fixed, determines how much
his morale is affected by setbacks or failures encountered personally or
by the whole Peace Force.
Strength
The individual's Strength level, which is fixed, determines how easily he
becomes physically damaged.
Stamina
The individual's Stamina quality, which is fixed, determines his maximum
level Energy.
Sharpness
The individual's Sharpness, which is fixed, determines his maximum level
of Alertness. When sending individuals on missions or using them to
perform difficult functions, it is important to determine that they have
the qualities or skills necessary for its successful completion.
Remember that the biographies give vital clues for the solving of such
problems.
The Muscle Power Indicator
The Muscle Power Indicator shows the amount of energy available to the
individual for movement and activity. Muscle Power is used up when you
are skiing, sniping, driving a snow-buggy or hang-gliding. It is used up
more quickly if you lack the necessary skill or if you're in a poor state
of health.
Individuals whose energy falls to zero must rest or sleep. Whilst
resting or sleeping, energy is transferred from the individual's Energy
reserve to Muscle Power. It is therefore important that Energy reserves
are also kept topped up by eating.
When at maximum value, the indicator is red. The red drains away leaving
the figure white at zero Muscle Power. You should not allow an
individual's Muscle Power to fall to zero whilst in action mode. If this
occurs, the individual is liable to faint from exhaustion. As a
individual faints, color drains from the scene, and the world is seen in
shades of gray for a few moments before finally fading away to black.
You should bring the individual to a standstill and exit to the Decisions
Display as soon as he begins to faint. If he is still moving when he
loses consciousness, he will fall over or crash, with injury resulting.
It is possible to rest an individual for a period of five minutes from
the Decisions Display, with a resulting gain in Muscle Power. Simply
click on the Muscle Power indicator. Muscle POwer will increase, Energy
Reserves will decrease slightly and five minutes will be added to the
individual's personal clock.
The Muscle Power gained by rest depends on the individual's surroundings.
Resting in cozy buildings is more beneficial than in harsh, cold
factories or warehouses, but even these are preferable to resting out of
doors. An individual automatically rests for the whole of a cable-car
journey.
The Watches
"Midwinter" is a race against time. The enemy forces which have invaded
will try to overrun your villages and capture your heat mines, moving
steadily from their base in the south-east across the island in a general
north-westerly direction. Your objective is to capture the enemy
Headquarters at Shining Hollow. However, if you allow the enemy free
passage across the island, they will probably capture your last heat mine
before you reach Shining Hollow. You must attempt to delay their
progress whilst advancing to your goal.
Achieving this will require the careful deployment of your 32
individuals, once you have recruited them, and they will often be
carrying out independent tasks many miles apart from each other. To keep
track of all these individuals moving around independently, two types of
clock are used for the timing of the game, which are periodically
synchronized. The synchronizing of watches takes you automatically to
the "Situation Report" screen, which is described later. Each individual
has a brown watch which shows his personal time. The blue watch shows
the team's next report time.
The team's report time is simply the time when the next situation report
is due and when watches are due to be synchronized again.
A team member's personal time shows the time of day for that particular
person. This primarily depends upon the amount of time he or she has
spent in action or attack mode (i.e. skiing, driving, hang-gliding,
traveling by cable-car, sniping or sabotaging).
If a team member's personal time has overrun the report time he or she
has to wait until the next situation report before he or she can do
anything further. They can, however, finish whatever they are doing in
their current action or attack mode.
If a team member's personal time has not reached the report time, he or
she has spare time. This can be used up in any of the action modes.
When watches are synchronized, by clicking on the synchronize watches
icon shown on the "Team Display", team members with spare time
automatically rest for that period of time which is spare, and their
personal watches are synchronized to the report time.
Note: The game starts with personal watches showing 12:00 hrs. The
enemy have already advanced from their base at Shining Hollow for the
equivalent of twelve game hours.
The Situation Report
The Situation Report is due every two hours. The time when one is next
due is always shows by the blue report time watch. The Situation Report
is made when you decide to synchronize team members' watches. To do
this, click on the synchronize watches icon shown on the Team Display.
The Situation Report lists F.V.P.F. successes and enemy successes,
concentrating on items of strategic importance. In particular, you
should keep a close check on the number of Heat MInes held by the
F.V.P.F. When this falls to zero your surrender is inevitable.
When a Situation Report is received you get fresh information about the
enemy dispositions and when you next look at the Main Map, it too has
been updated accordingly.
Your team members' watches are synchronized each time a Situation Report
is received. Team members with spare time automatically rest, so make
sure you have moved everyone your want to move! Team members who have
overrun the report time will have less spare time in the following two
hours.
The watch at the bottom of the Situation Report Display shows the next
report time, not the current report time.
You always receive a situation report before you win or lose the game.
Even when you have achieved your goal by blowing up the enemy HQ, or
Masters has achieved his by capturing all your Heat Mines, you must
receive confirmation of your success or failure.
You click on the synchronize watches icon. You read of your success or
failure and assess how well or badly you have done. Then, after clicking
on the team icon, victory or defeat will unfold.
The Option Icons
The six option icons which are present on the Personality Display mode
are:
Map - Selects the Main Map
Man thinking - Selects the 'Decisions Display'
Four people - Selects the 'Team Display'
Pages with left and right arrows - Selects previous/next 'Personality
Display'
Flare with S.O.S. on bottom - Triggers 'Emergency Rescue'. (See the
section on 'Rescue')
At the start of the game, select the 'Main Map' icon so that you may
ascertain your whereabouts and those of the other members of the FVPF.
The Main Map
The main map display screen is used frequently throughout the game, and
it is worth spending some time familiarizing yourself with its appearance
and layout, and learning to use it to your advantage. With nearly
160,000 square miles of playing area, it's easy to get lost!
The display is divided into two sections. The left hand section shows
the map of the island in color relief form, with the color used to
indicate height above sea level (as often seen in atlases). The map is
at its lowest magnification (1 x 1) when the display is first accessed,
showing the whole of the island, with locations of major strategic
importance as green dots. Magnification is increased by moving the white
box surrounding the on-screen pointer over the area which you wish to
magnify, and clicking once on the left mouse button. The section of the
map previously enclosed in the white box will expand to fill the left
hand section of the display, at 2 x 2 magnification. This process may be
repeated three times, to give a maximum magnification of 16 x 16. At
this magnification every significant detail is marked out on the map, and
the white box disappears. By clicking on the right mouse button the map
may be shrunk back to the next lowest magnification (8 x 8), and so on
back to the full map.
The right hand section shows the key for the map, five option selectors,
and the name of a location. As the pointer is moved around the map, you
will notice the place name shown at the top of the right hand section
change; this is the name of the location under the pointer. If the
pointer is moved over any green dot you are told what it represents.
The center part of the right hand section shows either of two keys which
are used to read the map. The first is an indicator board with buttons
for each type of building in "Midwinter". Clicking on a button lights up
all buildings of that type on the current map. For example, if the
button labeled "Heat Mine" is selected, by clicking with the left mouse
button, all of the heat mines visible on the map will be illuminated.
Buttons are turned off by clicking on them again. When the whole island
is displayed, only the settlements and the enemy held radio stations are
visible. Increasing magnification will reveal increasing detail!
With the indicator board accessed, it's easy to identify the buildings at
any location. Just move the pointer over a green dot on the map.
Immediately, various buttons on the key will light up, showing you what
types of buildings are to be found at that spot.
There are two special buttons labeled "Settlements" and "Multiple
Buttons". These allow you to control the indicator board in four
different ways:
i) Settlements off, Multiple Buttons off
Only one type of building can be lit up at a time. Selecting another
button automatically switches the previous type off.
ii) Settlements on, Multiple Buttons off
Initially all settlements are lit. After selecting a building type, only
settlements with that type of building are lit. Again, only one type of
building can be lit up at a time.
iii) Settlements off, Multiple Buttons on
Many types of building can be lit up at one time. For example, if you
click on "church", "factory" and "house", all churches and factories and
houses on the map will light up.
iv) Settlements on, Multiple Buttons on
Initially all settlements are lit. After selecting a building type, only
settlements with that type of building are lit. Then, further building
types can be selected and settlements with those types of building will
also light up. For example, if you click on "church", "factory" and
"house", all settlements with churches or factories or houses will be
illuminated.
The other key shows the heights above sea level represented by each of
the colors used to shade the main map and an indication of scale. Use
the "Key" icon to select and toggle between the two keys.
The "Relief" icon toggles between the color relief map described earlier
and a photographic relief map showing a light source shaded landscape
viewed from above. This satellite view shows greater ground detail, and
incorporates every ridge and gully of the landscape, which is useful
information when planning a journey across unfamiliar terrain. (At
maximum magnification each pixel corresponds to a facet of the solid
graphics landscape.)
Selecting the "Full Map" icon immediately displays the full map of the
island at 1 x 1 magnification.
Selecting the "People" icon will show the current location of all 32
members of the Free Villages Peace Force and the enemy attack units.
The Peace Force members are shown as brown markers if they are yet to be
recruited, becoming white when they join the team. By moving the pointer
over a marker you can discover the identity of that member and his
location, which will be shown in the center of the right hand section of
the display. If two or more people are together in one location, all
names will be listed, even if only one marker is visible on the main map.
The individual currently under your control is shown as a green arrow.
People are located most easily when the map is at 1 x 1 magnification.
Once you have found the desired person, the map be magnified to reveal
greater detail of his surroundings.
You can directly select a recruited member's personality display by
illuminating the 'select' button, moving the on-screen mouse pointer the
white marker showing his location, and clicking the left mouse button.
This option is not open to you if you have accessed the map during an
action mode.
The enemy attack units are shown as black crosses. Each unit may
consist of up to a hundred vehicles, details of which can be found in the
"The Enemy and their movements" section. If a settlement or building has
been captured by the enemy, it is shown as a green dot with a white
border.
At the start of a new game you will notice that Captain Stark
(represented by the green arrow), is on top of, and under attack from an
enemy unit! This puts you immediately into the thick of the action, so
make sure you know where the nearest place of safety is!
Finally, selecting the "Close Map" option returns you to the display from
which you accessed the main map.
The Decisions Display may be accessed from the Personality Display by
selecting the Decisions icon.
The Decisions Display shows the individual's portrait, name, occupation
(and rank if a Peace Officer), age and current location.
The report time watch and personal time watch are shown along with the
Muscle Power indicator at the top-right of the screen. The central
picture shows the individual's mode of transport, or which building they
are in. The options open to you in Decisions mode will vary according to
the location and state of health of the person you are controlling. The
decision icons which may appear are:
INFORMATION DISPLAYS
Map - Selects Main Map
Man - Selects Personality Display
Four people - Selects the Team Display
ACTION MODES
Skier - Selects Skiing
Buggy with "WOLF" on top - Selects Snow-Buggy. (Any of the three types
of buggy may be displayed. The Wolf is shown here.)
Cable-Car - Selects Cable-Car
Glider - Selects Hang-gliding
Picture with "snipe" on bottom - Selects Sniping
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Man entering door - Enter building
Picture with "join" on bottom - Recruiting
Three people - Companions
Picture with detonator on right - Sabotage
Plate of food - Eat
Person sleeping - Sleep
White box with "+" on it - First Aid
Hand holding wrench - Repair Vehicle
Gas pump - Refuel Vehicle
Two missile with "re-arm" on bottom - Re-arm Vehicle
Three stacked boxes - Supplies
Walkie-talkie - Radio Messages
Information Displays
Options to select the Main Map, Personality Display or Team Display are
always open to you, even if the individual has overrun the team report
time or if he is badly injured or even unconscious. Whilst on the Team
Display, Personality Display or Decisions Display, assistance in
identifying any of the solid objects can be sought by pressing the "H"
key on the keyboard. This HELP sequence will run through all buildings,
snow-buggies and enemy aircraft, identifying each by name.
Action Modes
The action mode options open to you will depend on the individual's
location and state of health. As explained in the "State of Health"
section on page 108, injury and damage to particular limbs may make it
impossible for him to perform certain functions. As long as his health
permits, skiing will always be an option wherever he is, and is the
'default' mode of movement. Traveling by snow-buggy is facilitated by
entering a garage and selecting the appropriate icon. Garages are found
both in settlements and singly in the wilderness. Cable-car stations are
found in pairs on mountainsides, with one near the top and one at the
bottom. By entering either station the individual may travel to its pair
by selecting similarly for quick mountain descents!
Special Activities
If an individual is near to a building or in a settlement, the enter
building icon will appear. IF he has dynamite with him, the Sabotage
icon will also appear. Entering inhabited buildings allows him to
recruit new team members. Once he is in the company of one or more
people you will have the option to select the Companions Display.
The First Aid icon will automatically appear if the person you are
controlling is in the company of an F.V.P.F. member who has been injured.
Other options are only available once he has entered specific buildings.
Eating will be possible in houses or stores, whilst sleeping is possible
in a wide variety of buildings. Vehicles may be repaired, refueled and
rearmed whilst at garages and supplies may be collected at stores,
warehouses and magazines.
The Radio Message icon only appears when Professor Kristiansen enters a
radio station. Professor Kristiansen, an electronics researcher, has a
wide and detailed knowledge of radio operation. If he can get to a radio
station which is not enemy held, he has the chance to recruit Peace Force
members by overriding the enemy's jamming signal with a message of his
own. The power needed for such transmissions is such that Kristiansen is
limited to recruiting up to four colleagues, and as the signal is sent
out at random, it is impossible to predict which F.V.P.F. member will
receive it. The signal is sent by selecting the radio icon on
Kristiansen's Decision Display.
THE ACTION MODES
All action modes are viewed in the first person. You are the skier, the
snow-buggy driver, the hang-glider pilot. All action modes may be paused
by pressing the "P" key on the keyboard, and restarted by pressing "P"
again.
Skiing
As the skiing mode is loading, a picture of a skier is shown. After a
few seconds you will see the Skiing Display.
The main window shows the view through your skiing goggles, with eight
gauges and graphics at the top of the display. These show:
Close up of face - The skier's portrait.
Skier - The skier's stance. There are five positions, showing the skier
stationary, walking, skiing, turning left and turning right.
Red man (may be partially or all white) - The skier's Muscle Power.
Digital watch - The skier's personal watch.
Picture of three bars - The speed at which the skier is traveling,
displayed as a speed bar and in figures.
Far away view of skier - The slope encountered by the skier, shown by the
incline of the white slope in the box; and the skier's height above
sea level, shown in tens of feet.
Picture of three bars with compass on top - The compass direction in
which the skier is traveling, displayed by the rotating bar with
North (N), South (S), East (E) and West (W) indicated, and a
'spirit' level turn indicator displaying which direction the skier
is turning in. If the red dot is centered between the two red
lines, the skier is traveling in a straight line, and the rotating
compass will be stationary. If the red dot is to the left or right
of center, the skier is turning in the direction indicated, and the
compass will be rotating.
Map - The mini-map. This is a section of the main map showing your
immediate surroundings. Your position and direction are indicated
by the arrow. The locations of buildings are shown by white dots.
In addition, your remaining stock of hand grenades is shown to the left
and right of the goggles. Each graphic represents five grenades.
How to Ski
The view through the skiing goggles shows the realtime action of your
movements. Initially the speed indicator will be at zero, and it is wise
to have a look at your surroundings before setting off. You may turn
around 'on the spot' by moving the mouse to the left or the right. The
icy landscape has no truly flat plains.
Everywhere you look you will see gently undulating slopes, ridges and
gullies, or steep mountainsides. The 3-D light-source shading techniques
used in generating the landscape show distant features as hazy, shadowy
shapes, which loom out of the mist as you hurtle towards them and swiftly
attain a sharp and terrifying solidity.
You will also notice that the shading on the slopes range from nearly
black, through a whole range of grays and blues, to white, and that the
shadowing effect is darkest on north-facing sides of slopes and hills.
This directional effect is created by the 'light-source shading' used, in
which the sunlight is always coming from the south of the island, nearest
to the equator, and the resulting shadows are faithfully created.
Therefore, when you are moving in a southerly direction, most of the
hillsides will appear dark. When moving in a northerly direction, most
will appear pale.
Luckily, this is not your sole method of navigation. As you turn, you
will notice that the compass is revolving, the 'spirit level' turn
indicator is off-center, and the directional arrow on the mini-map
rotates through eight points depending on compass orientation. Whilst
skiing, take care not to get carried away by the breathtaking views
through your goggles - remember to glance at these indicators to ensure
that you are not going around in circles!
Depending on your location, you may be able to see a variety of buildings
and vehicles. (Consult the sections on buildings and vehicles for
identification). To familiarize yourself with the techniques of skiing,
ignore the buildings and vehicles for awhile and set off on a quick tour
around your surroundings.
Please study carefully study the next few paragraphs before starting to
ski - noting carefully guidance on how to stop, as it is difficult to
read the manual at 60 m.p.h.!
Walking and Skiing
When starting to ski, unless you are standing on a steep slope, it is
necessary to begin by 'walking', pushing yourself along with your ski
sticks and gliding forward rather like an ice-skater until you reach a
slope steep enough to allow you to tuck your sticks under your arms, bend
your knees, and let gravity do the hard work.
Click on the left mouse button once to start walking. Your speed will
remain at a steady 'walking speed' until you reach a downward slope.
Once the slope is steep enough you automatically stop walking and begin
to ski properly. Traveling downhill your speed will increase, but if
you meet an incline you will slow down, eventually coming to a halt. The
stance indicator shows whether you are walking or skiing, and both
motions have a distinctive sound. Your skiing speed can be modified by
pushing forward with the mouse (to increase your speed) and pulling back
on the mouse (to decrease your speed).
Turning
Your direction is controlled by moving the mouse left or right. As you
turn, the 'spirit-level' indicator will move off-center, the compass will
revolve, the directional arrow will rotate, and the stance indicator will
show all but the gentlest of turns. More immediately, the view through
your goggles will change.
You cannot stop skiing immediately, as the low friction between your skis
and the ground mean that, whilst on the flat, your speed will decrease
quite slowly. You must turn sharply to the left or right and dig the
edge of your skis into the snow to increase friction.
Execution of this technique is effected by clicking once on the right
mouse button. You will hear the scrape of your skis on the snow as you
quickly come to a stop. If you approach a steep incline your speed will
quickly drop as you meet the rising ground. If your speed drops below
walking speed, clicking on the left mouse button will set you walking
again.
Falling over
You will fall over and crash if you collide with a building or a vehicle.
You will also fall over is you ski too fast into a deep gully. The
steeper the gully, the slower you must ski to stay on your feet - a very
sharp upward turn of slope throws you off balance. Expert skiers, of
course, find it easier to stay upright at high speeds.
Skill
How well you perform is governed by a combination of skill and state of
health. Your performance influences your maximum speed both skiing and
walking and also determines how easily you fall over in difficult
terrain.
Muscle Power
Walking uses up a lot of Muscle POwer, especially if you're going up a
steep hill. Skiing smoothly downhill uses a moderate amount of Muscle
Power but turns and bumps use up extra power, especially if you are going
fast. You use no Muscle Power when standing still.
The more skillful and healthy you are, the less Muscle POwer is used when
you move.
The Mini-Map
If you are in a settlement, and ski away from it, you will notice the
arrow on the mini-map move as you do, to reveal a white dot. This dot
shows the position of the settlement you have just left, and you should
practice skiing away from it, turning in a 180° arc, and skiing back to
your original position. If you ski a certain distance away from the
settlement, the buildings will have disappeared over the horizon when you
turn around, and you will have to use the dot on the mini-map for
reference.
Depending upon your location, other white dots may be visible on the
mini-map. These represent other features, which may be identified by
reference to the main-map. To access the main map directly from skiing
mode, press the "M" key on the keyboard. Closing the map will return you
directly to skiing mode.
Tactics
If the gentle swishing of your skis on snow becomes interrupted by
either a low-pitched drone or a loud fizzing, beware! These are your
first indications that the enemy is nearby, and you must decide whether
to switch to sniping or to ski off in an attempt to avoid the trouble.
The low-pitched drone is the sound of an enemy vehicle, and if you turn
whilst the vehicle is within earshot, you will hear the volume of its
sound change. When you are facing directly towards the vehicle the sound
is at its loudest. This means that you can actually hear the direction
of the sound.
If the vehicle is still out of sight, use the directional sound to locate
its approximate position. But don't waste time! Having made a decision
whether to stay and fight or ski away, act on it. The enemy vehicle may
have spotted you. If it has, there's probably a homing missile bearing
down on you right now. Whilst skiing you are at your most vulnerable,
having only three forms of defense, and nowhere to hide. The first is to
ski away. The second is the rifle strapped to your back, and the third
are the grenades you carry
Self-Defense
Grenades can be thrown whilst skiing, by pressing the Space Bar on the
keyboard. They are effective only at close range, and are usually used
as the last line of defense if you come under attack. Your supply is
limited.
To use your rifle, you must select sniping mode. First you must stop.
Then just press the "S" key on the keyboard. You can return to skiing
from sniping mode at any time by pressing "S" again.
To quit skiing mode, and return to the "Decisions Display", you must
first stop, and then press the "X" on the keyboard. Unless you need to
rest, it is advisable to ensure that you are close by a building when
quitting skiing mode, so that you can enter its relative safety.
Sniping
The option to select sniping mode is available to an individual whenever
is out of doors (but not whilst hang-gliding) or in a church or in a
bunker, providing his health permits.
A picture of a sniper is shown as sniping mode loads. The Sniping
Display will then appear:
The main window shows the view through your telescopic rifle sight, with
he red cross-hairs centered on your line of fire. The five information
icons around the main window show the following (only new ones will be
told):
Four bullets - The supply of bullets he has left. Each bullet represents
a clip of five.
Controls
The telescopic sights have a zoom lens. You can zoom in or zoom out on
your target by holding down the left or right mouse button respectively.
The sights are moved in the following way:
Move the sights to the right - Move the mouse to the right.
Move the sights to the left - Move the mouse to the left.
Move the sights up - Push the mouse forward.
Move the sights down - Pull the mouse back.
When you have spotted your target, use the mouse to line up the cross-
hairs on it, magnify its image if necessary, and fire. Bullets are fired
by pressing the space bar on the keyboard. Your high-velocity rifle is
of such power that it only takes a single accurate shot to disable an
enemy vehicle or bring down an enemy aircraft.
Skill
The steadiness of the rifle sights depends upon the individual's sniping
ability and his overall state of health. It may be seriously impaired by
any damage done previously to his arms.
Muscle Power
Very little Muscle Power is used when sniping. Violent movements of the
rifle use up some, the kick-back of the rifle butt when you fire a bullet
uses up a little more. Muscle Power is used up more quickly if you lack
the necessary skill or if you're in a poor state of health.
Tactics
Your supply of bullets is limited, but your stocks can be replenished at
a magazine.
If you enter a church you will be given the option to snipe from its
steeple, affording you a much better view of the surrounding area.
Bunkers are also designed for sniping from, and their sturdy concrete
walls offer a degree of safety from enemy attack. If you are near an
enemy unit whilst skiing in the wilderness advantage may be gained by
skiing up close to a tree, and pressing the "S" key on the keyboard to
select sniping mode. You will find yourself sniping from the tree-top,
with a better view of your attackers.
If you accessed the sniping display from skiing mode, you can return by
pressing the "S" key on the keyboard. To quit sniping mode, and return
to the Decisions Display, press the "X" key on the keyboard.
The Snow-Buggy Display
As the snow-buggy mode is loading, a picture of a snow-buggy will be
displayed. After a few seconds you will see the Snow-Buggy Display. The
screen shows the view from the cockpit of the snow-buggy. Below the main
window are ten gauges and graphics.
The fuel gauge is shown as a bar graph next to the 3 ammunition
indicators. The numbers tell you how many racks of ground-to-ground
missiles, surface-to-air missiles and snow torpedoes you have left. There
are five missiles or torpedoes to a rack.
There are three types of snow-buggy available to you. The snow-fox is a
two-person vehicle. It is the quickest, but carries the least weapons;
the snow-cat can seat up to four people, and is slower than the fox but
carriers more missiles; and the snow-wolf can transport up to six, being
the slowest in speed but strongest in firepower.
Controls
The buggies are controlled in the following way:
Mouse pushed forward - Accelerate
Mouse pulled backward - Brake
Mouse moved left - Steer left
Mouse moved right - Steer right
Missiles and Torpedoes
Buggies are the best mode of transport from which to attack enemy
vehicles and planes, being armed with three types of weapon. The
Surface-to-Air missiles are used to take out attacking planes, and are
launched by clicking the right mouse button. Enemy vehicles may be
destroyed with Ground-to-Ground missiles, launched by clicking the left
mouse button, or with Torpedoes, launched by pressing the Space Bar on
the keyboard.
Surface-to-Air and Ground-to-Ground missiles are high velocity weapons
which travel in straight lines until locking-on to enemy vehicles or
planes, which they will then chase and hopefully destroy. However, their
radar range is limited in comparison to the Torpedo, which can lock onto
enemy vehicles at greater distances. The Torpedo is very difficult for
the enemy to dodge, despite the fact that it moves more slowly than the
missiles, and is often effective even when firing 'blind' with only the
noise of the enemy's engines to help you.
Rough Terrain
Your vehicle tilts and rolls as it goes over rough terrain. It will
grind to a halt if you attempt to climb too steep a hill. Worst still,
it will tip over and crash if it rolls too severely! This makes it
virtually impossible to take your snow-buggy into the mountains.
Skill
Your skill and state of health govern your maximum speed and determine
how steep a slope you can coax your snow-buggy up.
Muscle Power
Very little Muscle Power is used when driving, but the more violently
your maneuver, the more is used. It is used up more quickly if you lack
the necessary skill or if you're in a poor state of health.
Tactics
The buggies, which are powered by high efficiency fan-ducted engines, can
be driven quickly by excellent drivers on flat ground, but find it
difficult to negotiate rough or mountainous terrain at any great speed.
Planning a route which avoids steep inclines is advisable if you want to
lessen the risk of crashing, but may bring you into contact with more
enemy units.
It is wise to take good care of your vehicles. Once they have been hit
by enemy fire or crashed by reckless drivers they are rendered useless.
If you manage to survive such events with limbs intact, you'll be back on
skis.
You can find a snow-buggy by going to a garage. It may be fully
operational already, or it may be in need of repair (in which case you
may have to wait four and a half hours before it's fixed). You will also
need to visit a garage to refuel or re-arm your buggy. Garages are few
and far between, so plan your route carefully.
The Cable-Car Display
As cable-car mode is loading, a picture of a cable-car is shown. Once
loaded, you will see the Cable-Car Display.
The cable-car will immediately begin to move out of the cable-car station
and travel automatically along its route to the destination station.
Some of the most stunning views in 'Midwinter' can be seen whilst
traveling by cable car. Initially you view the scene directly ahead of
you. The view behind you, to the right of you, or to the left of you may
be seen by pressing 'B', 'R', or 'L' respectively. To return to the view
ahead, press 'A'.
No gauges are displayed in the cable-car mode. Just sit back and enjoy
the ride. You can use the cable-car ride to survey the surrounding
landscape. Alternatively you can press the "X" key on the keyboard at
any time during your journey. The scene will switch immediately to your
arrival, but your personal watch will have been updated in accordance
with the time normally take for the journey.
Cable-car journeys are both safe and beneficial. You never come under
enemy attack in a cable-car. Also you automatically rest for the
duration of the journey.
On arriving at the top or bottom station you will return to the Decisions
Display. You can't take a vehicle with you on the cable-car, so on
arrival you will only be able to ski, or hang-glide. Hang-gliders are
only available at top stations.
The Hang-Gliding Display
Whilst hang-gliding mode is loading, a picture of a hang-glider is shown.
After a few seconds you will see the Hang-Gliding Display.
HOW TO HANG-GLIDE
Take-Off
Hang-gliding is a quick way to negotiate mountainous terrain and gives
excellent views of the island and the enemy. But first you have to get
airborne. You will find that you are standing outside the cable-car
station, strapped into the hang-glider, and wearing your skis. In order
to take off, you must ski towards a ledge at speed, and launch yourself.
Once again, it is worth reading through the next few paragraphs before
attempting to hang-glide, as things happen very quickly once the thermal
currents fill your canopy!
Begin by clicking the left mouse button, which starts the launch
sequence. Your speed will increase until you reach the takeoff speed of
24 miles per hour. At this speed your feet will leave the ground as
horizontal velocity quickly translates into vertical lift. If possible,
keep the nose of the hang-glider level for a few moments until you have
gained some height. For this reason, it's wiser to avoid taking off
uphill!
In terrain where there's a very strong updraught, you'll take off with
great ease. Where the updraught it not so strong, taking off is much
trickier. As the hang-glider rises, it begins to lose lift and speed.
To counteract immediate stalling, you must adjust the nose of the hang-
glider downwards as it rises. If the speed drops below 15 miles per
hour, the glider will stall and the nose will drop, causing you to
plummet to earth.
This delicate balancing act is what makes hang-gliding so exhilarating
and so dangerous. At take-off point there is an immediate huge swing of
power away from you, the pilot (having provided the force to reach
takeoff speed), to the glider, leaving you helpless for a split second
until you take control, edging the nose down until your speed and lift
steadies.
Learning the art of takeoff will probably take some practice, let alone
developing the knack of using the thermal currents and updraughts to
greatest effect and honing to perfection the techniques needed to land
smoothly and safely. Once you are airborne the hang-glider is controlled
in the following way.
Controls
Moving the mouse to the left - Banks the hang-glider to the left.
Moving the mouse to the right - Banks the hang-glider to the right.
Moving the mouse backwards - Lifts the nose of the hang-glider in order
to gain height, but lose speed.
Moving the mouse forwards - Dips the nose of your hang-glider to lose
height but gain speed.
Hold the Space Bar on the keyboard down - View the ground below an angle
of 45°.
Turning
Hang-gliding demands gentle mouse movements as the controls are very
responsive. when banking, the golden rule is that the sharper the turn,
the more height you are likely to lose and the greater the danger of
stalling. It is far better to anticipate any changes of direction which
you may need to make during the course of a flight and bank gently in
good time.
Level Flight
If your speed begins to drop in level flight, gently nudge the nose down;
you will lose a little height but regain speed. Once you have gained
speed, gently level off again - it's a delicate balancing act with dire
consequences if you get it wrong.
Keep an eye on your height indicator at all times. Remember that the
higher you are, the more potential speed you have in reserve.
Crashing
Hang-gliders will crash if they hit the ground at too steep an angle or
if they land on water! Once a hang-glider has crashed it is useless and
you will have to ski instead.
Landing
If you are attempting to land near a building or settlement, it is
pointless approaching at great height. In the course of losing height
you'll gain speed, and it is difficult to land a rapidly accelerating
hang-glider. Come in to land as level as possible with the ground; let
yourself gently sink rather than dive towards your objective. Landing is
far easier on relatively flat ground, and it may prove safer to land a
little distance from your objective and ski the last few yards rather
than 'attacking' the target directly. If you land successfully, you will
be able to take off again, providing you've got sufficient lift an that
location.
Skill
Your skill and state of health govern how well you hang-glide. Your
maximum speed is influenced by these, and also your lift. Expert pilots
make better use of the updraughts and so get more lift. Grazzini, for
instance, is able to take off even from low ground, but Amelia Randles
would need to start high in the mountains.
Muscle Power
A lot of Muscle Power is used in taking off. Thereafter, each twist and
turn takes its toll. Muscle Power is used up more quickly if you lack
the necessary skill or if you're in a poor state of health.
Tactics
The secret of successful hang-gliding is the use of thermal currents and
updraughts to best effect. These rising currents of air give your hang-
glider lift. Thermals and updraughts are accurately simulated in
"Midwinter". They are strongest over high ground and over the cliffs
around the coast-line. Over the tallest mountain ranges you can soar
thousands of feet into the air. However, uplift is at a minimum over
water, and is slight over valleys and flat plains.
The close you fly to the ground, the stronger the updraught, enabling you
to fly faster or further, but at greater risk. As you fly low or come
into land you will notice the wind begin to have greater effect, roaring
loudly and cushioning you slightly from the ground.
If you plan a long journey, the most direct route may not be the easiest.
"Hopping" from mountain range to mountain range, flying along ridges or
hugging the coastline can extend your range dramatically.
Whilst in the air you may encounter enemy planes, or see enemy snow-
buggies on the ground below you. The hang-gliders used on "Midwinter"
have been especially developed by the F.V.P.F. and are armed with air-
launched homing missiles. To launch a missile at an airborne target,
simply press the left mouse button. You cannot launch a missile until
you are airborne.
Entering Buildings
When an individual is near a building or in a settlement the enter
building icon will appear in the Decisions Display. Click on that icon.
If there is only one building in the vicinity, he will automatically
enter that building and the Decisions Display will update to show any new
options which are now available, with the interior of the building
pictured in the center of the screen.
If the individual is at a settlement, the Enter Buildings display will
appear. Icons indicating which buildings are in the settlement are
displayed across the screen. Other new icons which appear are:
Picture with "move" at bottom - Return to last action mode.
Click on a building and the individual will enter it (returning to the
Decisions Display) unless it is held by enemy troops. During the course
of the game, the enemy will capture numerous settlements (marked with
white circles on the main map). Troops will be left to guard buildings
of strategic importance - Police Stations, Heat Mines, Factories,
Synthesis Plants, Warehouses, Radio Stations and, of course, General
Masters' HQ! The F.V.P.F. cannot enter these (but can sabotage them).
Other types of building in an enemy held village can still be freely
entered.
A red man next to a building indicates that another F.V.P.F. member is
inside. This may be a recruit or a potential recruit. You may find that
the potential recruit is in an enemy held building which you can't enter!
You can rescue him by blowing up the building. It becomes a ruin, which
you can then enter.
Each time an individual enters a building, one minute is added to his
personal time.
Recruiting
Fellow F.V.P.F. members can be asked to join the fight against General
Masters army. Enter the building the potential recruit is in. Then
click on the 'join' icon (on the Decisions Display). The Resistance
Display now appears.
The lower portrait shows the potential recruit. He is asked if he will
join the resistance. Click on his portrait to discover his response.
He is more likely to agree if he is friendly with the person asking the
question. Remember that there are complicated personal relationships
within the game - don't be surprised or too dismayed by a refusal. That
individual can be persuaded to join in by someone else later in the game.
Once a reply has been received, you must select the Decisions Display.
Companions
If an individual you are recruiting is in the same building or vehicle as
other team members, the Companions icon will appear on the Decisions
Display. Click on it to access the Companions Display.
Using this display team members can take part in some activities as a
group. They can travel together by snow-buggy or by cable-car. They can
eat or sleep or enter other buildings. It is also possible to use First
Aid from the Companions Display. Note that the snow-buggy icon only
appears if the buggy is large enough to carry all the companions! (Snow-
Foxes can carry two people, Snow-Cats can carry four, and Snow-Wolves can
carry six).
The individual you are controlling is shown in the top left hand corner
with his companions shown below him. It is this individual who leads the
others. When the group is traveling by snow-buggy, he is the driver,
and it is his skill which applies. If you don't feel that he is the best
leader for the party, he can be swapped with any of his companions by
clicking on the companion you wish to become leader.
When you select the Decisions Display, it will always be that of the
leader. Whenever a character is in a settlement, or close to a building,
the sabotage icon appears on the Decisions Display. Click on this to
access the Sabotage Display.
The icons across the top of the screen show those buildings which you are
near enough to sabotage. Each building icon is accompanied by the
following information (only new icons are shown):
Picture of building - Type of building.
Dynamite sticks - Number of sticks of dynamite necessary to blow-up the
building.
Circles - Length of time needed to plant the explosives. Each full red
circle represents one hour, with half and quarter red segments
representing half and quarter hours respectively.
Boxes - The stock of dynamite available to you. Each box of dynamite
contains two bundles of six sticks.
Sabotaging buildings involves strategically laying dynamite around them,
wiring the explosives to a detonator box, retiring a safe distance and
BANG! Another building useful to the enemy has been eliminated.
The art of laying dynamite has been mastered by your 32 team members to
differing degrees, and it is their level of sabotage skill and their
state of health, combined with the size and strength of the building
which determines how much dynamite is needed. The time it takes to lay
the explosives varies according to the type of building.
Plant the dynamite by clicking on the building you want to blow up. This
wires the building to the detonator and adds the appropriate time to the
personal watch. Your stockpile of dynamite dwindles.
The dynamite can be removed by clicking on the building again. The
personal watch is reset to its previous time, and the sticks are
returned to the stockpile.
Any number of buildings can be wired up simultaneously if the stocks of
dynamite permit. When you are ready, click on the detonator icon to
depress the plunger. The building, or buildings, will explode in
sequence. The sabotage display then shows ruins where buildings once
stood.
Some combinations of buildings take such a time to wire that the
saboteur's personal time overruns the report time by several hours.
After such sabotage, he will be unable to do anything else until the next
report time.
Select the Decisions Display by clicking on the appropriate icon. When
you subsequently select on of the 3-D action modes, any buildings which
you have destroyed will be found in ruins.
If the enemy have captured one of your Police Officers and imprisoned him
in the cells of a Police Station, he can be liberated by destroying the
station. He may then be recruited by entering the ruins and asking him
for help in the normal way.
Sabotage is of great strategic importance. Blowing up Factories deprives
the enemy of ammunition, blowing up Synthesis Plants deprives him of fuel
and blowing up Warehouses deprives him of both! Sabotage of all his
radio stations enables you to recruit a full team of 32 members.
Ultimately, to win, you must blow the enemy HQ to smithereens!
Rest
Muscle Power is drained by strenuous activities such as skiing and must be
replenished from time to time by rest. Energy is then transferred from
the Energy Reserves to Muscle Power.
You can rest for five minutes by clicking on the Muscle Power indicator
on the Decisions Display. In other situations, rest is automatic. After
a blackout in any action mode the individual you are controlling will
always take five minutes rest. An individual rests for the whole
duration of a cable-car journey, and also when he is eating or sleeping.
Individuals with spare time when watches are synchronized automatically
rest for that period.
The benefit given by rest depends on the individual's location. The
cozier the building the quicker Muscle Power is restored. Resting out in
the wilderness gives the least benefit.
Eat
All the individuals in the game need to eat from time to time to
replenish their energy reserves. The level of energy reserves an
individual has is shown as one of the Qualities and Skills on his
Personality Display. Excessive use of Muscle Power soon makes demands on
their energy reserves.
Meals can be taken in a House, a Store, a Police Station, or a Mountain
Hut. When an individual enters one of these buildings, the 'eat' icon
will be displayed. Clicking on this allows him to eat a meal, which will
take him half an hour. The time will automatically be added to the
individual's personal time and his Energy will be replenished. The
individual is then free to select any further options available to him.
You can eat as much as you like, but there is little point once your
Energy level is at maximum.
Sleep
Alertness gradually decreases during any action mode and must be
replenished from time to time by sleep. Otherwise, an individual's
performance can be severely affected. An individual can sleep in a
House, a Hut or a Police Station. When he enters one of these buildings,
the "Sleep" icon appears on the Decisions Display. Clicking on this
allows him to sleep until the next Situation Report. Further time can be
spent sleeping, but this is not automatic.
Rescue
Rescue normally happens automatically. If an individual is so badly
injured in a crash that he cannot move, after the crash he will find
himself inside the nearest building. He has been rescued by members of
the local population. Occasionally he'll find that he's been rescued by
the enemy and imprisoned in a Police Station (if this happens another
person will have to blow up the Police Station before he can move).
Likewise, a person will always be rescued if he crashes into a lake or
into the sea.
There are occasions when an individual is injured but not immobilized; he
is forced to move very slowly. In this sort of situation it would be
very useful to be rescued. For this purpose, each team member has a
distress flare. This can be fired at any time during the game by
clicking on the S.O.S. icon on the Personality Display. Once it is fired
he will be rescued immediately. You must choose you moment carefully
because each team member only has one distress flare throughout the game.
First Aid
From time to time individuals may be injured in action. As explained
earlier, the State of Health of a individual is shown on the Personality
Display by the color of the figure behind the Qualities and Skills list.
If an individual becomes injured (i.e. one of his limbs turns orange or
red), he can be helped in his recovery by receiving First Aid from a
fellow Peace Force member. However, for this to be possible, the injured
party must be in the company of another individual.
The Peace Force members have all received First Aid tuition as part of
their training, but Nurse Maddocks and Doctor Revel are obviously far
more skilled than the others in the treatment of ailments. Receiving
First Aid speeds up recovery from injury - it does not make an individual
instantly healthy - and treatment from either of the experts will hasten
recovery to a greater degree than if treatment is form non-specialists.
If an individual is in the company of an injured person the First Aid
icon will appear on the Decisions Display. Selecting this will access
the First Aid display, showing the individual's portrait in the top left
hand corner, and those of the injured companions below. Icons are also
present allowing you to scroll pages (in case there is a party of wounded
people!), and to return to decisions mode. Select the person you wish to
treat by click on his portrait.
The portraits of the 'nurse' and 'patient' are displayed along with the
personal time watch of the 'nurse', and the report time watch. The
scroll icons allow you to select another patient. The state of health
display of the 'patient' is shown, indicating in the usual way which
limbs are damaged. Each damaged limb has a number next to it, which
shows how many minutes it will take to bandage that limb.
Limbs are bandaged individually by moving the on-screen pointer over the
selected limb and clicking the left mouse button. Medical experts will
apply white bandages, whilst others will apply gray bandages! As the
bandages are applied, the personal time clock is updated.
Refuel
If an individual has been driving a snow-buggy and he then enter a
garage, the refuel icon will appear on the Decisions Display. Click on
this to refuel the snow-buggy. Five minutes will be added to the
driver's personal time.
Re-Arm
If an individual has been driving a snow-buggy and he then enters a
garage or a magazine, the rearm icon will appear on the Decisions
Display. Click on this to rearm the snow-buggy. Five minutes will be
added to the driver's personal time.
Supplies
When an individual enters a magazine or a store, the supplies icon will
appear on the Decision Display. Click on this and the individual will
get a fresh stock of bullets, grenades and dynamite. Five minutes will
be added to his personal time. Not that Stores only have limited stocks
of dynamite. Also, an individual can carry more dynamite if he's got a
snow-buggy.
Radio Messages
Professor Kristiansen is able to override enemy jamming signals using his
experimental equipment and specialist knowledge. When he enters a radio
station (not held by the enemy) the radio message icon appears. Click on
this. The Radio Message Display then appears showing the first person
Kristiansen manages to contact. Kristiansen can send up to three more
messages by clicking on the radio icon, but after that his equipment
overloads and breaks down completely.
The people he contacts immediately join the team. If there is nobody
further left to recruit the radio message icon will not appear.
Kristiansen's messages are crackly and faint, and it is impossible to
predict who will actually receive them.
Bunkers
Bunkers are scattered at key points around the landscape, and their
primary function is to provide a vantage point for sniping at the enemy
through the slits in the concrete walls. The enemy are still likely to
fire at you, but bunkers afford a greater margin of safety than sniping
in open country. Bunkers may also be used to shelter in overnight.
Cable-Car Stations
Cable-Car stations are found in pairs, a bottom stations and a top
station, and are connected by a lint of pylons. It is unlikely that you
will be able to see one station from another - but you can travel between
them easily. At the top station you will always find a hang-glider. The
stations themselves provide little comfort, and although safe from enemy
attack there, there is little to be gained by sheltering in them.
Churches
Churches provide shelter and sanctuary. An individual's first visit to a
church raises his morale somewhat. You can snipe from the church-
steeples, which gives you an excellent view of the surrounding landscape.
Churches are usually found in settlements, but a few are dotted around
the wilderness or high in the mountains as chapels for the weary
traveler.
Factories
Factories are large industrial buildings, always found in settlements.
They manufacture ammunition, making them valuable assets. The other
goods they produce are of little strategic importance, but sabotaging
them may reduce the firepower available to the enemy.
Garages
Garages are vital buildings to visit if you don't want to be always
skiing at a snail's pace around the island. The snow-buggies are found
there, giving quick and safe transport for up to six people. The
vehicles carry a range of weapons, and a subsequent visit to a garage
allows your vehicles to be refueled and rearmed. The enemy vehicles are
supplied by the huge tankers present in their convoys, and so they will
leave garages alone.
On arriving at a garage it may become apparent that one of your fellow
F.V.P.F. members has been there before you - and taken the snow-buggy!
If this is case you will be presented with the option to "Repair" a snow-
buggy. This involves using the facilities offered by the garage to
repair wrecked or damaged buggies. Choosing "repair" is a gamble. You
don't know beforehand how long the repairs will take. You may find
yourself spending up to four hours in the workshop; but, on the other
hand, a fully functional snow-buggy could be yours within minutes.
Headquarters
The enemy headquarters is located at Shining Hollow, and is guarded like
a fortress. It is your goal to destroy it, eliminating General Masters.
Getting there will prove dangerous and difficult. But worth it. Use
your cunning!
Heat Mines
Heat Mines are the means by which all power is generated on the island,
and as such are the most sought after assets in the game. They are the
enemy's primary targets, and once all your Heat Mines have been captured
or destroyed, they will have total control of the island. YOur people
will be forced to surrender.
There is little point in sabotaging heat mines, even if they have been
captured. When the enemy attack a settlement, the local heat mine will
be their first port of call, so be wary of sheltering there. You may be
caught out.
House
Houses provide warmth, shelter and food to your people. Civilian members
of the Peace Force are often to be found at home in settlements, or
occasionally in the wilderness. The enemy are not particularly
interested in private houses, concentrating their attentions on buildings
of strategic importance. Houses are good places to eat, sleep and find
refuge from the rigors of battle.
Mountain Huts
These small buildings, set high in the hills, were built to offer shelter
to stranded travelers. Food and a bed are present, and being in the
mountains, the huts may offer a good base for ambushing enemy vehicles in
the valleys below.
Magazines
Mostly dotted around the hinterland, magazines provide vital stocks of
ammunition for the traveler. Dynamite, bullets and grenades can be
found in these tiny wooden shacks. Vehicles can also be rearmed with
missiles and torpedoes.
Police Stations
The Police Stations are the best places to visit to recruit a Peace
Officer, and also provide a good meal and a place to sleep (even if the
beds in the cells are a little uncomfortable). The enemy forces will
storm any Police Station they encounter, and if Peace Officers are caught
whilst on duty they will suffer the embarrassment of being locked in
their own cells. Rescuing such prisoners will require you to stealthily
enter enemy held settlements to lay the dynamite necessary to reduce the
Station to ruins and liberate its occupants.
Radio Stations
The Radio Stations are strategically vital as, on the island of
"Midwinter", they are often the only means of communication with remote
settlements. Professor Kristiansen, one of the early pioneers, used all
his expertise as an electronics researcher to build up the network of
stations and to ensure that every home had handsets (which were often
needed in emergencies by the inhabitants).
The enemy holds three stations at the start of the game - those at
Deathwatch Crag, Snowgoose Fell and Sierra Madre. As the game
progresses, they will quickly capture others, strengthening the jamming
signal which is preventing anyone in the F.V.P.F from radioing for
assistance. If you manage to destroy all enemy held radio stations, a
message will automatically be broadcast to all unrecruited members of the
F.V.P.F. You will then find a full team of 32 members on your side after
the next Situation Report.
Kristiansen himself is also able to attempt to override the jamming
signal, if you can first recruit him and get him to a radio station not
held by the enemy. He may recruit up to four comrades, at random, by
broadcasting a high-powered signal across all frequencies. After that
his equipment overloads and breaks down completely.
Stores
The stores are good places to find a meal and personal supplies -
bullets, grenades and occasionally dynamite. The stocks held in the
stores are of little interest to the enemy however - they need the large
warehouses to supply their huge army.
Synthesis Plants
At the synthesis plants, energy from the heat mines is used to
synthesize, amongst other things, fuel for the vehicles, making them key
targets in the game. If the enemy captures a refinery, the mobility of
their armored units will be greatly enhanced. If you can get there first
and destroy the plants, the enemy's advanced can be slowed.
Warehouses
Warehouses are captured by the enemy for two reasons; to acquire stocks
of fuel, and stock of ammunition. If Warehouses fall into enemy hands
they serve to increase the enemy's mobility and fire-power. This makes
them key targets. Once they have been captured, your only option is to
blow them up.
The enemy forces under the control of General Masters consist of 32
mobile units, each of about 60 vehicles, and, (if you have selected them
at the start of the game), long-range bombers and spotter planes
directing mortar fire.
The Enemy's Objectives
General Masters directs his troop movements from his headquarters in
Shining Hollow. The mobile units are concentrated around this area in
the southeast of the island at the start of the game. They advance
across the island in a general northwesterly direction, causing havoc as
they go. The enemy's primary targets are you heat mines, which are
dotted around the island, each providing power to its region.
As the enemy only travel by snow-buggy, they are forced to keep to the
relatively flat lowlands. They move from settlement to settlement,
advancing along the valleys and across the plateaus. When they capture a
settlement they will occupy any buildings of strategic importance.
Each enemy unit has its own supply train of fuel tankers and ammunition
trucks, which enables it to keep moving and to keep fighting. The unit
gets its supplies from settlements held or captured by the enemy. If it
ventures too far from its sources of fuel and ammunition it will move
more slowly and open fire less frequently. The same happens if it loses
too many tanker and ammo trucks. Synthesis Plants are its sources of
fuel, Factories its sources of ammunition and Warehouses are a source of
both.
One possible strategy for you is a 'scorched earth' policy, destroying
any building which is of benefit to the enemy, sometimes in anticipation
of the enemy's arrival at the settlements.
You are fighting a guerilla war. You are heavily outnumbered and
outgunned. Some of your best men are able to engage the enemy head on,
and may even wipe out an entire unit on their own. However, cunning and
stealth are equally important.
General Masters does not suspect that the civilians will fight for their
freedom. Consequently, enemy units and enemy vehicles are less likely to
attack the civilian members of your team. The innocent looking children
or the elderly Mrs. Randles can slip past an enemy attack unit where
Captain Stark or his lieutenants are likely to fail. All of the Peace
Officers will be locked in their own cells if the enemy captures their
villages before you recruit them.
Enemy Mobile Units
General Masters' army is led by six colonels. Each colonel commands a
brigade of five attack squadrons. One squadron is under the direct
command of the colonel, the other four each being led by a Captain. Each
squadron consists of about 60 vehicles of 6 different varieties.
There are two way of eliminating an enemy squadron. Firstly, wiping out
its command vehicle will destroy its morale and the troops will desert.
Secondly, wiping out a high proportion of the squadron's vehicles will
demoralize the surviving troops and encourage them to flee. Some
squadrons however will fight to the bitter end. If you destroy a
Colonel's squadron, his whole brigade will disband.
Each type of enemy vehicle has a different function. The types of enemy
vehicles are:
Snow-Witch
This well armed command vehicle is the brains for each squadron, carrying
its Captain or Colonel. They are not easy to find, but if you do
encounter one you will be able to strike a mortal blow.
Snow-Wolf
The Snow-Wolves are the equivalent of heavy tanks. Armed to the teeth
with a vast array of military hardware, they are dangerous to engage but
vital to destroy. Your best chance if you are in a buggy may be to turn
tail and attempt to outrun these lumbering vehicles. They are however
vulnerable to a hill-top sniper.
Snow-Cat
The equivalent of light tanks, Snow-Cats are well-armed and highly
maneuverable, but are sometimes used as cannon fodder by over
enthusiastic captains. The problem with picking them off is that no
sooner have you taken out one, another arrives.
Snow-Fox
The nippy Snow-Fox acts as a scout car for mobile units, often popping up
from over a hillside at high speed before scurrying off to the nearest
gully. They are lightly armed but difficult to out-run. As the eyes and
ears of the mobile unit they are a valuable scalp, worth taking out
before the big guns learn of your presence.
Snow-Bull
The Snow-Bulls carry the ammunition and weaponry for the other vehicles
in the convoy, and, although unarmed themselves, are protected by the
other vehicles. Slow moving in comparison to the attack vehicles, taking
them out will have a disastrous effect on the squadron's fire power.
Snow-Bear
These massive fuel tankers are the life-line of the enemy squadrons.
Each unit's speed and mobility depends on its Snow-Bears. They are
unarmed and slow moving.
Attack vehicles and command vehicles roam the countryside in search of
targets. They can appear unexpectedly from behind any hillside and are
deadly opponents. The supply vehicles move in convoy along a fixed route
and are easy targets if you can find them. Because they move in convoy
they are highly vulnerable to ambushes. Find one and you can be sure
that another will be coming the same way shortly.
All enemy ground vehicles are vulnerable to sniper fire, grenades, ground
missiles and torpedoes. The attack and command vehicles are armed with
homing missiles which are of a similar specification to yours. These
missiles can be dodged with violent evasive maneuvers. They are fitted
with a proximity fuse; sometimes they explode very close to your without
a direct hit. If you are hit, whether on skis, in a buggy, or in a hang-
glider, you are likely to be badly hurt.
THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT
General Masters and his troops have at their disposal two types of
aircraft, both of which are unmanned and controlled by computer. They
have on board sophisticated tracking and camera equipment, enabling them
to locate your people even if they are skiing high in the mountains.
They roam the whole of MIdwinter, regardless of the positions of General
Masters' ground forces.
Bombers
These aircraft are armed with free-fall bombs. You will see them
approach from the distant horizon. They will circle a few times before
spotting you and barreling in on a bombing run. Then more bombing runs
will follow. Although the accuracy of their bombing varies, your best
chance of survival is to fire at the bomber whilst it is still circling.
Spotter Planes
The spotter planes signal your position to the long-range mortar
batteries. These batteries fire massive volleys of shells which land
around you in deafening and sometimes deadly proximity, their sheer
number making them difficult to dodge. Each salvo falls in a straight
line. After the second shell has landed, you should be able to predict
roughly where the other three will land. This gives you some chance of
avoiding them if you turn sharply enough. As with the bombers, however,
your best form of defense is to shoot the plane down before it gets a fix
on you.
Both types of aircraft are vulnerable to sniper fire, the surface-to-air
missiles of your snow-buggies, and the air-launched missiles of your
hang-gliders.
SAVING AND LOADING GAMES
Save
You can save your current game at any time. You must use a blank,
formatted disk. "Midwinter" uses its own special disk routines which may
corrupt other data.
To save a game, click on the "Save" icon on the Team Display. A message
will appear asking you to "Insert game data disk". Remove the
"Midwinter" graphics disk from the drive and insert your blank, formatted
disk. Then press any key.
The Save Game Display then appears. After a few moments the saved game
directory is displayed. YOu can save up to ten games on one disk. Each
game is represented by its own icon, and is labeled "full" or "empty".
Click on any "empty" icon and the game will be saved to disk. You can
click on a "full" icon, but this will delete a previously saved game.
If you change your mind and decide not to save a game, click on the
"Team" icon to leave this display.
Load
To load a saved game click on the "Load" icon on the Team Display. A
message will appear asking you to "Insert game data disk". Remove the
"Midwinter" graphics disk from the drive and insert the disk holding your
saved games. Then press any key.
The "Load Game" Display then appears. After a few moments the game
directory appears, allowing you to select the game you wish to load.
If you change you mind and decide not to load a game, click on the "Team"
icon to leave this display.
Surrendering
If you feel that you situation is hopeless and you want to start a fresh
game, the only way to abandon the current game is by surrendering to
General Masters. You can do this at any time by clicking on the
"Surrender" icon on the Team Display. You will then be asked of
confirmation of your decision by General Masters himself. You can start
a fresh game after surrendering by pressing any key.
Losing
If your Situation Report shows that you have lost all your Heat Mines,
you have also lost the game. Take as long as you like to peruse the
Report, before clicking on the "Team" icon to watch General Masters
gloat.
Winning
If you manage to blow up General Masters' headquarters you have won the
game, but you must synchronize watches one final time for confirmation of
this. Take as long as you like to peruse the Report, before clicking on
the "Team" icon to watch the victory celebrations.
There is also a very rare situation which also gives you victory. If you
can hold out for more than 40 days, General Masters' troops will rebel,
and desert him entirely. There are no stalemates in "Midwinter" - only
winners.
GOOD LUCK!!!
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
A joystick may be used to play "Midwinter" by plugging a joystick into
Port 1. Use the normal movement controls and the fire button acts as the
left mouse button while ">" on the keyboard acts as the right mouse
button.
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
Numeric key-pad controls
'8' - Forwards or Up '4' - Left
'2' - Backwards or Down '6' - Right
'<' - The function of the left mouse button
'>' - The function of the right mouse button
Common controls
'P' - Toggles Pause function on and off
'X' - Exits any Action Mode
'H' - Activates Help sequence
'M' - Accesses Main Map from any action mode
'S' - Toggles between skiing and sniping whilst in these Action Modes
'A' - Ahead view when in cable-car
'B' - Behind view when in cable-car
'R' - Right view when in cable-car
'L' - Left view when in cable-car
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Please note that indicators have been added to the Action Mode Displays.
These green lights, found on either side of the display at the bottom of
the screen, flash to indicate the direction in which enemy vehicles may
be found.
Enemy-held building may be entered by some civilians.