Software Vault: The Games Collection 1/software vault.zip/software vault/CDR09/HOWITZER.ZIP/HOWITZER.TXT

Text File | 1993-09-01 | 91KB | 1,883 lines

                            HOWITZER
                        Version 0.93beta
        by Randall Spangler ([e-mail])

1.   Introduction                                        1
     1.1  Shareware Concept and Registration             1
     1.2  Distributing Howitzer                          3
     1.3  Contacting the Author (please do!)             3
     1.4  Disclaimer and Warranty:                       3
     1.5  About the Code                                 4
2.   How to play                                         4
     2.1  Flow of Play                                   5
     2.2  The System Screen                              6
     2.3  The Aiming Screen                              7
     2.4  The Marketplace                                9
     2.5  The Popup System Menu                          10
     2.6  Reassigning Players                            11
3.   Equipment Reference                                 12
     3.1  Ammunition                                     12
     3.2  Fuses                                          14
     3.3  Guidance Systems                               14
     3.4  Fall Protection                                15
     3.5  Shields                                        15
     3.6  Tank Modifications                             16
4.   System Settings and Command Line Options            16
     4.1  Beginner Settings Menu Options                 17
     4.2  Expert Settings Menu Options                   17
     4.3  Command Line Options                           26
5.   Computer Opponents                                  27
6.   Game Mechanics                                      28
     6.1  Bullets:                                       28
     6.2  Damage:                                        28
     6.3  Scoring and Money:                             29
     6.4  Team Mode:                                     29
7.   Howitzer and Memory                                 30
     7.1  Memory Basics:                                 30
     7.2  Conventional Memory Consumption                31
     7.3  Expanded Memory Consumption                    31
     7.4  Examples                                       32
8.   Howitzer and Microsoft Windows                      32
9.   Troubleshooting Howitzer                            33

1.   Introduction

     Howitzer is one of a style of games known as "artillery" or "tank war"
games.  Tanks on a 2-D landscape lob shells at each other; the goal is to
be the last tank alive.  Tanks can be controlled by humans or the computer.
Howitzer has many exciting features, including:

*    Higher resolution - Howitzer runs in 800x600x256 Super-VGA graphics on
     any VESA-compatible card
*    Support for Adlib and Soundblaster compatible sound cards.
*    Pop-up help - Alt+H from any screen brings up a help window.
*    More realistic terrain and background, which generate in advance while
     the program waits for input
*    Over 60 types of ammunition, shields, guidance, etc. - including tank
     modifications such as armor, different bodies, and improved barrels
     and turrets.
*    All bullets and explosions are resolved simultaneously, instead of one
     bullet at a time.  (Yes, this means that bullets actually move AT THE
     SAME TIME explosions are happening.)
*    32-bit fixed point math and graphics, for quick and accurate modeling
     without a math coprocessor.
*    Six types of computer opponents
*    A beginner mode which removes some of the more complicated controls
     and equipment
*    Team mode (pit your friends against a few teams of computer opponents)

In order to provide this, Howitzer requires the following hardware and
software:

*    At least a 386-based machine
*    A video card capable of displaying 800x600x256, with VESA support via
     BIOS or a TSR (a freeware TSR, Univesa, is included with the Howitzer
     package)
*    432 KB of free memory (though you can get by with less if you have
     enough expanded memory- see Howitzer and Memory, section 7)

Howitzer will run better with the following:

*    A two or three button mouse, with its driver already installed
*    A 486-based or Pentium-based machine
*    540 KB or more free conventional memory
*    2048 KB or more of expanded memory

1.1  Shareware Concept and Registration

     Howitzer is shareware, and has never been "public domain" or "free"
software.  The Howitzer source, executable, and documentation are
Copyrighted 1993 by Randall Spangler.  You are allowed a two-week trial
period to determine if Howitzer is worth the registration fee.  At the end
of those two weeks, you must either register Howitzer or stop using it.
Registering Howitzer entitles you to the following benefits:

*    A personalized copy of the game, without the shareware screen
*    A more detailed manual, with information on how to access several
     "cheat" features, including infinite ammunition and the ability to set
     your own prices for equipment (manual available in PostScript or ASCII
     text)
*    Notification of updates via E-mail
*    Automatic registration of all (not just beta) future versions of
     Howitzer - you will be supplied a datafile which will remove the
     shareware screen and enable the cheat features of all future versions
     of Howitzer.
*    Support direct from the author via E-mail
*    A clean conscience

     Depending on your status, you can register Howitzer in one of three
ways:

     STANDARD REGISTRATION:

          I believe that the shareware concept works most effectively when
     the registration fee is reasonable.  To support this idea, the
     registration fee for Howitzer is only ten dollars ($10).  This
     entitles you to the above benefits, and I will mail your copy of the
     game to you on a 5.25" DS/DD disk via US mail (to addresses in the US
     only).

     STUDENT REGISTRATION:

          If you are a full-time student, you can register Howitzer for
     only five dollars ($5).  I'm a starving graduate student too; I
     understand the financial difficulties many students face.  This
     entitles you to the above benefits, and I will E-mail your copy of the
     game to you instead of mailing you a disk.

     FOREIGN REGISTRATION:

          If you live outside of the US and do not have a US mailing
     address, you are eligible for foreign registration.  This is mostly
     because I have no idea how much it costs to mail to addresses outside
     of the US.  Instead of money, send me a postcard from your country,
     and I'll E-mail your copy of the game to you.  (If you want me to mail
     you a disk, contact me and we'll work out a reasonable registration
     fee which will cover my postage costs.)  Please send me a filled out
     register.frm via e-mail if you don't enclose it with the postcard.

     All registration fees should be in the form of a check or money order
in US currency.  Do not send me cash; I cannot be responsible if it is lost
or stolen in the mail.  Please print out and fill in the supplied
registration form (register.frm).  Mail it and your registration fee, or
(for foreign registration only) a postcard to me at:

          Randall Spangler
          Caltech 116-81
          Pasadena, CA 91125

     These registration offers will remain in effect until December 31st,
1993.  After that date, I reserve the right to change the registration
offers and costs.  If you want to register Howitzer after that date, please
contact me for updated prices.

1.2  Distributing Howitzer

     You may copy and distribute this shareware version of Howitzer via any
means, electronic or disk, subject to the following conditions:

*    The shareware version of Howitzer may not be rented or sold, nor
     bundled with a product that is sold or offered as an incentive to buy
     a product that is sold, without the prior written permission of the
     author.  Such permission is usually granted.
*    Howitzer must be distributed with all files intact with no
     modifications.  You may repack the archive into a different format
     (ZIP, ZOO, ARJ, etc.) so long as all the original files contained in
     the archive are intact.

     If you maintain a BBS or ftp site and wish to offer Howitzer for
downloading, please contact me.  This allows you to be informed of updates
to Howitzer as they are released.  It also allows me to let other people
know where to find updated versions.

     If you are unable to find Howitzer on an ftp site or BBS, you may
obtain the most recent shareware version by sending me a check for five
dollars ($5).  I will then mail the program to any US address on a DS/DD
5.25" disk.  If you live outside the US, it may cost more to mail a disk to
you - contact me for information.

1.3  Contacting the Author (please do!)

     Please contact me if you have any comments about Howitzer, suggestions
for features I could add, bug reports (bugs? what bugs?), etc.  I can be
reached via E-mail (the fastest) or snail mail (the slowest).

     E-mail:   [e-mail]

     US mail:  Randy Spangler
               Caltech 116-81
               Pasadena, CA 91125

     If you find a bug or undocumented feature, the following information
will aid me in tracking down and squashing it (or at least documenting it):

*    What version of Howitzer you are using
*    A description of what happened.
*    The howitzer.log and howitzer.ini files
*    What type of system, video card, and mouse you have
*    What operating system you were running (DOS, OS/2, Windows) and what
     version

1.4  Disclaimer and Warranty:

     Howitzer is currently in beta-test.  On my machine, it rarely crashes.
However, that doesn't mean that it won't crash and melt down your computer
and hard drive and everything else of value within ten meters of it when it
goes.  In particular, I don't recommend that you run Howitzer with anything
of value (such as unsaved 100-page documents in a word processor) running
in the background Microsoft Windows.  In any case, I take no responsibility
for any damages of any kind resulting in any way (indirect, consequential,
special, whatever) from your use of this software.

     Howitzer makes a reasonable attempt to make sure its executable has
not been modified or contaminated by a virus.  However, I make no
guarantees that the copy of Howitzer you are running has not been modified
or virused in a way which Howitzer cannot detect.  If you think you may
have received a modified or 'hacked' version of Howitzer, please contact me
immediately.

LIMITED WARRANTY:

     Howitzer is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind,
expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.  Use this program
at your own risk.

1.5  About the Code

     Howitzer is over 29,000 lines of C and 386 assembly code (watch it
grow!), and has taken me ten months and hundreds of hours to write.
Howitzer uses a 32-bit fixed point math library written by the author to
calculate bullet trajectories; this alleviates the need for a math
coprocessor.  Howitzer uses VESA graphics routines written by the author in
32-bit assembly, to squeeze the most performance from your video card.  In
addition to my code, Howitzer makes use of code and/or object modules from
the following authors:

CRCSET routines by Kevin Dean (Compu$erve ID 76336,3114)
UNIVESA, an excellent VESA support TSR by Kendall Bennett
([e-mail])

     These modules are used under the terms of their license agreements,
and those portions of code are copyrighted by their respective authors.


2.   How to play

     First, make sure your system has VESA support loaded.  You may need to
load a TSR program first.  If you don't have a TSR, you can use
univesa.exe, which is included with Howitzer.  (In that case, just type
univesa from the DOS prompt - see univesa.txt for details.)

     Type howitzer from the DOS prompt.  The program will check itself to
make sure it has not been modified or corrupted, and then it will display a
shareware reminder message.  If you agree to the terms of the message,
press 'U'.  Howitzer will display a nifty animated title screen.  If you
haven't run Howitzer before, it will display some message boxes as it
configures itself for your system.  You will then be placed in the System
Screen (see section 2.2).  Howitzer accepts a number of command-line
options which control what information it stores to its logfile, skipping
the title screen, etc. (see section 4.3).

     Howitzer utilizes a menuing system written by the author, consisting
of buttons and menus.  A button is a single line of text with a box around
it.  To activate the function of a button, click on the button with the
mouse or press the letter which is a different color than the rest of the
button text.  To select a menu item, click on the item with the mouse.  You
can press the Escape key or click somewhere other than on the menu if you
didn't really want to select anything on the menu.  Throughout this manual,
"clicking" means moving the mouse cursor on top of something and pushing
the mouse button.  "Pressing" refers to a key on your keyboard.

     Several keyboard commands work from almost anywhere in the game.
Alt+H or F1 brings up Popup Help for the current screen.  Alt+Z brings up
the Popup System Menu (see section 2.5).  Alt+W saves the screen, so you
can switch to another application if you are running Microsoft Windows.
Alt+R redraws the screen.  Alt+X or Alt+F4 exits immediately to DOS.
(However, you will be asked to confirm that you really want to exit - this
way you don't lose your game if you accidentally hit Alt+X during play.  If
you really want to exit, press 'Y' or the space bar - anything else will
return you to the game.)

     Howitzer's user interface is designed to be easy and intuitive to use
with a mouse.  However, this means that Howitzer is a little painful to use
without a mouse.  If you don't have a mouse, Howitzer simulates the mouse
using the numeric keypad and the Ctrl (control) key.  Note that for this
purpose the numbers on the numeric keypad are NOT the same as the numbers
above the top row of letters on your keyboard.

      _______________
     |               |
     |    7  8  9    |        Ctrl + 7,8,9,4,6,1,2,3 move cursor
     |     \ | /     |
     |      \|/      |        Ctrl + 5 toggles fast/slow cursor speed
     |    4--+--6    |
     |      /|\      |        Ctrl + 0 clicks left button
     |     / | \     |
     |    1  2  3    |        Ctrl + . clicks right button
     |_______________|
     |         |     |
     |  L='0'  |R='.'|
     |         |     |
     |_________|_____|

2.1  Flow of Play

     The following flowchart shows the order of events in a game of
Howitzer:

You type HOWITZER from the DOS prompt
      |
Howitzer checks itself for viruses and prints a shareware message
      |
Animated title screen
      |
System Screen - set options for a game
  ^         |
  |   (start of a round)
  |   Allow tanks with money to buy equipment at the Marketplace
  |     ^         |
  |     |   If next screen hasn't generated in advance, do it now
  |     |         |
  |     |   (start of a turn)
  |     |   Allow all tanks to aim at targets (Aiming Screen)
  |     |     ^         |
  |     |     |   Fire all bullets simultaneously (Resolve combat...)
  |     |     |         |
  |     |     |   Landslide dirt, drop tanks (Update landscape...)
  |     |     |         |
  |     |      -- If more than one tank is alive
  |     |         If not, pop up current scores
  |     |               |
  |      -------- If game has rounds left to play
   -------------- If game is finished

     Each game consists of up to 100 rounds (you can set the exact number
at the system screen).  Each round can have up to 200 turns (you can also
set this number); this is limited so that computer players won't tie up the
game if they finish off the humans and then can't seem to kill each other.
Rounds that run out of turns are declared stalemates, meaning that no tank
wins them.  Of course, you can always pop up the system menu with Alt+Z and
end the round or game (see section 2.5).

2.2  The System Screen

     This is the first screen you see when you start the game.  It allows
you to set various parameters before game play.  The "Save settings" button
writes all the currently visible settings to howitzer.ini.  Settings stored
in howitzer.ini are automatically loaded on startup unless Howitzer is
started with the -N option.  Settings can be reloaded from howitzer.ini
with the "Load settings" button.  If you delete howitzer.ini, Howitzer will
run with its built-in default settings, and create another howitzer.ini
using these default settings.

     To start playing a new game, click on the "Start game" button, or
press 'G' or the spacebar.  Clicking on the "Exit to DOS" button or
pressing 'X' exits Howitzer and returns you to the DOS prompt.

     If Beginner mode is ON, some of the more complicated settings and
equipment will not appear.  This is a good setting if you've never played
Howitzer before.  However, after a few games you'll probably want to turn
beginner mode OFF and play with the more advanced features.

     The menu to the left side of the screen is the System Settings Menu.
This controls many of the game's options.  Clicking on a line with the left
or right buttons of the mouse increments or decrements a value,
respectively.  If you decrement past the minimum allowed value, it will
wrap around to the maximum allowed value.  All these settings are saved in
the howitzer.ini file if you click on the "Save settings" button.  This
menu is different for beginner and expert modes (see sections 4.1 and 4.2).
The expert menu has sub-menus, which are indicated by an arrow on the right
side of a menu entry.  Clicking on that entry pops up that SUB-MENU.  To
dismiss the SUB-MENU, click somewhere other than on the SUB-MENU.

     The menu on the right side of the screen is the Tank Menu.  This
displays the names of the tanks and what type of opponent they are (see
Computer Opponents, section 5).  Clicking on the name of a tank brings up
an input box where you can type a new name for the tank.  Right or left
clicking on the opponent type toggles the type of opponent controlling the
tank.  If you are playing in team mode (see section 6.4), right or left
clicking on the team number changes the team the tank is on.

     If you change the environment you run under (for example, if you run
Howitzer on a friend's 486/66 instead of your 386/20) you should click on
"Calculate Delays."  This allows Howitzer to determine appropriate delays
for your computer so that bullets move at an even speed.  What you will see
is two sets of bullets dropping from the top of the screen.  After the
calculation finishes, you will be returned to the System Screen.  At this
point, click the "Save Settings" button to save the delay values to
howitzer.ini.  (If you don't, the settings will be lost when you exit
Howitzer.)  You should also recalculate the delays if you change the values
for Bullet Shapes or Bullet Traces (see section 9).  This button does not
appear in beginner mode.

Keyboard commands for System Screen:
     S           Save current settings to howitzer.ini
     L           Load stored settings from howitzer.ini
     G, Spacebar Start new game with current settings
     D           Recalculate delays
     X, Alt+X    Exit to DOS
     H, Alt+H    Pop up help on the Marketplace
     Alt+W       Save the screen before switching to Windows
     Alt+Z       Pop up the system menu (see section 2.5)

2.3  The Aiming Screen

     This screen allows you to aim your tank and select what equipment it
will use for the next turn.  At the top of the screen is a status bar
showing the name of the tank which is currently being aimed, the current
equipment systems it is using, and how many of each system it has
remaining.  This text will change color to that of the current tank.  The
status bar also shows  the round and turn numbers, current wind speed, and
border type.  A magnified image of your tank will appear in the upper right
corner of the screen.  This makes it easier to tell which direction your
tank's barrel is pointing.  You can also click on the tank to see what
shields and fall protection you are currently using.

     There are several ways to change the angle and power settings for the
tank.  Clicking the right mouse button on the current power or pressing the
Up Arrow or '8' key will raise the power by one unit.  Clicking the left
mouse button on the current power or pressing the Down Arrow or '2' key
will lower the power by one unit.  Pressing PageUp or PageDown will change
the power by 10 up or down.  Pressing Home will set the tank's power to
maximum, and pressing End will set the power to minimum.  The angle can be
changed in one degree increments by clicking on the current angle or by
pressing the '4', '6', Left Arrow, or Right Arrow.  Note that the angle can
go down to -10 degrees, so you can fire a little bit downward.

     The two bar graphs underneath the status bar show the current power
and angle.  The power bar has tick marks every 100 power.  If your tank is
damaged, the power bar will have a shaded section at the right above your
new maximum power.  Clicking on the power bar will set your power to the
level you clicked.  However, the power bar does not have enough resolution
to make fine adjustments in your power setting; for fine adjustments you
may need to use the keyboard commands.  The angle bar has tick marks every
15 degrees, and allows you to select your angle by clicking on it.

     You can return your tank's angle and power to the way they were when
you started aiming by pressing the 'D' key.  This is helpful if you lose
track of where you were aiming.

     To fire your tank, click on the "Fire!" button or press the space bar
or Enter key.  If you have selected a guidance, fuse, or ammunition type
that requires you to designate a target, a message will appear in the
status bar asking you to click on the target, and the mouse cursor will
change to cross hairs.  Then click on the desired target.

     Depending on the background type, it may be hard to see your tank
against the sky.  If you have problems figuring out where your tank is
aiming, pressing the 'V' key temporarily adjusts your tank's brightness to
one of five settings.  Your tank will return to its normal colors when you
finish aiming.

     Equipment can be selected in a number of ways.  The procedure is the
same for ammo, fuse, and guidance systems, and except where noted is the
same for shield and fall protection.  Clicking on the current type (e.g.
High Explosive, Proximity, Homing) will move up or down through the
available types; this is not available for shields or fall protection,
since there isn't enough room on the status line to display their current
types.  Pressing the highlighted letter will move down through the list.

     Clicking on the equipment system (e.g. Ammo:, Fuse:, Guide:, (Shield),
(FallP) or pressing Alt+(the highlighted letter) will pop up a menu of all
your choices for that system.  You can click on the new type that you want
to select; clicking somewhere besides the menu or pressing Escape allows
you to retain the current type.

     If you have selected a shield type, you must click on the [E] button
or press 'E' to energize the shield; it will then become visible around
your tank.  If you have selected a fall protection, it will automatically
be used when necessary (whenever you fall).

     You can click on any tank to see information on it, including who is
controlling it, what its maximum power is, and how much of its shields
remain.

     Pressing Alt+R will refresh the screen, clearing all traces from the
sky.  This will also fix minor screen glitches.

Keyboard commands for Aiming screen:
     8, Up       Increase power by one unit
     2, Down     Decrease power by one unit
     PageUp      Increase power by 10 units
     PageDown    Decrease power by 10 units
     Home        Increase power to maximum
     End         Decrease power to minimum
     4, Left     Rotate barrel one degree counter-clockwise
     6, Right    Rotate barrel one degree clockwise
     Spacebar    Fire gun
     D           Return power and elevation to previous settings

     V           Adjust tank visibility by toggling its color

     A           Scroll through available ammo types
     F           Scroll through available fuse types
     G           Scroll through available guidance types
     S           Scroll through available shield types
     P           Scroll through available fall protection types

     Alt+A       Pop up menu of available ammo types
     Alt+F       Pop up menu of available fuse types
     Alt+G       Pop up menu of available guidance types
     Alt+S       Pop up menu of available shield types
     Alt+P       Pop up menu of available fall protection types

     E           Energize current shields

     Alt+R       Refresh the screen
     Alt+W       Save the screen before switching to Windows
     Alt+H       Pop up help on the Aiming Screen
     Alt+Z       Pop up the system menu (see below)
     Alt+X       Exit to DOS immediately

2.4  The Marketplace

     Before each round, each tank with money is given a chance to buy
equipment at the marketplace.  The left side of the screen shows the
current inventory of the tank, divided into a column for ammunition and a
column for everything else.  If you have an infinity symbol next to an item
in your inventory, it means that you have more than 99 of that item.

     The menu on the right size of the screen displays all the available
items, with a price for a given number of each item.  Items must be bought
in groups of the specified size (for example, High Explosive ammo must be
bought 10 at a time, at a cost of $50 per 10 shots).  If an item on the
menu is grayed out, you can't afford it.

     At the bottom of the screen is a legend, showing the text backgrounds
that correspond to item categories:
          Blue                Ammunition
          Cyan                Fuses
          Magenta             Guidance
          Brown               Fall Protection
          Green               Shields
          Black               Tank Modification

     To buy one group of an item, either click on the item, or press the
letter next to the item.  Your tank's inventory will then be updated and
its funds reduced.  To scroll up or down through the list, press the PageUp
or PageDown key, or click on the UP or DOWN button.  Press the spacebar or
click on "Done Buying" when you are finished purchasing supplies for your
tank.

     If you buy fall protection, it will automatically be selected for you,
so that the next time you fall it will take effect.

     Tank modifications last for the rest of the current game.  Buying more
than one of a tank modification gives no additional benefit.

Keyboard commands for Marketplace:
     A-Z         Buy one lot of the item, if your tank can afford it
     PageUp      Scroll up through the list of available items
     PageDown    Scroll down through the list of available items
     Spacebar    Done buying

     Alt+R       Refresh the screen
     Alt+W       Save the screen before switching to Windows
     Alt+H       Pop up help on the Marketplace
     Alt+Z       Pop up the system menu (see section 2.5)
     Alt+X       Exit to DOS immediately

2.5  The Popup System Menu

     The system menu can be popped up from any screen by pressing Alt+Z.
Some of the following options may not appear if they wouldn't make sense
(for example, the End [R]ound option doesn't appear if the menu is popped
up from the System Screen, since no round is in progress).  An option may
be selected by clicking on it or pressing the letter in brackets.

  System [I]nformation
     Shows the following information:
     *    Which version of Howitzer you are running
     *    How much of the ground for next round has been calculated in
          advance
     *    How much of the sky for next round has been calculated in advance
     *    The amount of event compensation per event and the number of
          compensated events
     *    Whether explosion and flight sounds are on or off
  [M]emory Usage
     Shows the amount of memory Howitzer found, and how much of it has been
     used.  If the total free for conventional memory is less than zero, it
     means that Howitzer is running low on memory, and could behave
     strangely.
  Ch[a]nge Some Settings
     Pops up a sub-menu which lets you change the following options in the
     middle of a game:
     *    Game Length
     *    Fast Endgame
     *    Explosion Sounds
     *    Flight Sounds
     *    Marketplace Shows
     (See section 4 for complete descriptions of these options.)

  [C]urrent Scores
     Shows the current wins, kills, and total money earned for each tank.
     If you select this option after a game has finished, it will display
     the scores from the last game.
  Info on a [T]ank
     Will ask you to click on a tank.  Howitzer will then show you the
     tank's name, type, maximum power, and current shields and fall
     protection.

  Switch to [W]indows
     Enables task switching for Microsoft Windows.  If you have enough EMS,
     Howitzer's screen will be preserved perfectly during the task switch.
     This duplicates the Alt+W command.  (see section 8)
  Refresh [S]creen
     Clears all traces from the sky.  Also clears up minor screen glitches.
     This duplicates the Alt+R command.

  End [R]ound
     Ends the round in progress.  This option only shows up in the Aiming
     Screen.  No tank will be given credit for winning the round, but all
     kills and damage will be credited as usual.
  End [G]ame
     Ends the current game, and returns to the System Screen.
  E[x]it Immediately
     Exits to DOS immediately, quitting anything in progress.  This
     duplicates the Alt+X command.

2.6  Reassigning Players

     At the end of each round, the current tank scores will pop up on the
screen.  At this point, you can press 'P' to reassign, add, or delete
players.  This option only appears at the end of each round; it will not
appear if the scores are popped up at any other time during a game.

     When this option is selected, the tank menu will appear in the lower
right portion of the screen.  You can click on tanks' settings to change
them exactly as you would in the System Screen (see section 2.2).  You can
also add or remove a player by pressing that tank's number on the keyboard.
Make sure you use the number keys at the top of the keyboard (above the
QWERTY keys).  Pressing the '0' (zero) key toggles whether tank 10 is
playing (since there isn't a '10' key).  Note that adding or deleting
players can leave gaps in the player list; Howitzer will handle this
properly and play will continue normally.


3.   Equipment Reference

     This section details all equipment available in the Marketplace.
Equipment types are preceded by a letter, which is the complexity of the
item:  [B]eginner, [I]ntermediate, [A]dvanced, or [E]xpert.

3.1  Ammunition

  [B] Steel Shot
     The cheapest bullet available.  Does damage based on its speed at
     impact.  Usually won't kill a tank in one shot, unless it's fired at
     full power.
  [B] Tracer
     Leaves a visible trail.  Does no damage to anything it hits.  Not
     really useful unless Bullet Traces is set to TRACER ONLY.
  [A] DU Penetrator
     Does damage based on its speed at impact, but four times more damaging
     than steel shot at the same velocity.  Since this bullet is so dense,
     it can penetrate through much more dirt than other rounds, and can
     even shoot through earthen shields.
  [B] High Explosive
     The default bullet.  Creates a small explosion which does moderate
     damage to tanks.
  [B] Improved HE
     An improved high explosive bullet, with a larger explosion.
  [B] Fuel-Air
     The largest non-nuclear explosive available.
  [I] Fission Warhead
     Creates a large explosion and subsequent nuclear fireball and/or
     mushroom cloud.
  [A] Fusion Warhead
     The big brother of the fission warhead.  Don't use this one near your
     own tank.
  [A] Flechette
     This bullet explodes and releases many small fragments, each
     equivalent to a steel shot.  Does a good job of draining shields,
     since so many bullets hit the shield.
  [I] Submunition
     Explodes, releasing five small submunitions.  Each of these is capable
     of destroying a tank.
  [A] Thermite
     Releases several chunks of burning thermite, which can melt their way
     down through ground, concrete, and some shields.
  [I] Autocannon
     Fires five explosive shells in rapid succession.  Each is slightly
     less powerful than a high explosive bullet.  Autocannon shells can't
     be guided.
  [A] Autocannon-2
     Like the autocannon, but each shell is equal in power to a high
     explosive round.
  [A] Napalm
     When this bullet hits, it releases a stream of flaming liquid, which
     flows downhill and is capable of damaging both tanks and shields.
     Napalm is not very effective against deflector or earthen shields, but
     can cause major damage to other shield types.
  [E] Napalm-2
     Releases a larger amount of liquid, which burns longer and hotter than
     normal napalm.
  [E] HEAT
     (High Explosive Anti-Tank)  This shell contains a shaped explosive
     charge which squeezes a copper shell into a super-hot liquid jet
     capable of penetrating significant distances into armor or ground.
     The effectiveness of the jet decreases as it gets farther from the
     initial explosion.
  [I] MIRV
     (Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles)  At the peak of its
     trajectory, this bullet releases five warheads.  The warheads will not
     be guided, even if the bullet is launched with guidance.  (Compare to
     MARV, below.)
  [A] MARV
     (MAneuverable Reentry Vehicles)  Similar to the MIRV, this bullet
     releases three warheads at the peak of its trajectory.  These warheads
     retain the same guidance type as their "parent" bullet.  This is
     particularly effective when combined with auto-homing guidance (see
     below).
  [E] Cruise Missile
     This weapon contains its own targeting computer, and is capable of
     homing in on its target.  This computer is programmed with the terrain
     that was present at the time the round was launched, making it capable
     of avoiding most obstacles while flying close to the ground.  If it
     cannot reach its target, it will eventually run out of fuel and cause
     no damage.  You will be asked to designate a target for the missile.
     The missile will not explode in mid-air unless you use some sort of
     fuse (see below).  Cruise missiles may be confused by dirt hanging in
     mid-air (which can happen if the dirt fall percent is set to less than
     100 - see section 4.1).
  [B] Disruptor
     Explodes and destroys all dirt in a moderate radius.  The explosion
     does no damage to tanks.
  [B] Disruptor-2
     Same as a disruptor, but removes a larger disc of dirt.
  [E] Water Ball
     Explodes in a burst of water, which de-stabilizes the surrounding
     terrain.  This usually causes landslides.
  [A] Seismic Blast
     Does very little damage, but its loud explosion shakes down any
     airborne dirt or unstable slopes.
  [I] Termites
     Releases several sub-warheads which tunnel through the ground and
     destroy dirt.
  [A] Termites-2
     Same as termites, but there are more warheads and they last longer.
  [B] Snowball
     Generates a ball of snow where it hits.
  [B] Snowball-2
     Same as snowball, but bigger.
  [I] Snowball-3
     Same as snowball, but much bigger.
  [A] AutoSnowCannon
     Like the autocannon, but fires five small snowballs in rapid
     succession.  More cute than effective.
  [I] Earth Burst
     Releases a spray of dirt on impact.
  [E] Aerogel
     The explosion of this bullet creates a cube of aerogel.  This is a
     lightweight substance, much less dense than ordinary ground or snow.
     Because of this, it slows rounds down less than dirt, but more than
     air (see section 6.1).
  [A] Slurry
     Releases a stream of very runny concrete, which quickly solidifies.
  [I] Concrete
     Similar to slurry, but much less runny.  Tends to generate a nice flat
     plateau.
  [E] Wall of Glass
     Creates a tall, thin wall of glass dense enough to stop most bullets.
     However, the wall is quite fragile, and will shatter the first time it
     drops or is touched by an explosion.  Can be used as a temporary
     defense to block incoming shots.  (Try stacking walls of glass!)
  [E] Liquid Rubber
     Similar to slurry, this releases a stream of rubber.  Bullets hitting
     rubber tend to bounce (although sometimes they will become stuck in
     the rubber and explode).

3.2  Fuses

  [B] Normal
     Normally, a bullet explodes when it hits a tank, or when it slows to a
     stop after penetrating some distance into the ground.
  [A] Contact
     Causes a bullet to explode as soon as it hits the ground.  Also causes
     it to explode against reflective shields and borders (see below).
  [I] Proximity
     Causes a bullet to explode when it comes within a fixed distance of a
     tank.  This is a good way to explode submunition rounds (or nukes)
     near targets.
  [E] Bounce
     The first time a bounce-fused bullet hits the ground, it will reflect
     off the ground.  Sometimes a round will bounce downhill directly into
     an obstacle, so don't always expect to see the bullet fly up into the
     air (see Physics, below).  Also allows bullets to bounce off of the
     SOLID border type.
  [E] Altitude
     Causes a bullet to explode when it drops below a certain altitude.
     The fuse will not detonate the bullet unless it is heading down
     (though the bullet will explode against obstacles as normal).  You
     will be asked to click on a target altitude.

3.3  Guidance Systems

  [I] Homing
     When the shell gets within a certain range of a target you designate,
     it will try and adjust its velocity to bring it closer to the target.
     This is most effective when the shell passes close to the target and
     is traveling slow enough to allow it time to maneuver.  Very effective
     when combined with MARV ammunition.
  [I] Homing-2
     Similar to homing guidance, but with a longer range and more
     maneuvering power.
  [A] Retard
     When the bullet gets above the specified target, it stops.  It then
     falls, and can be blown by wind.  (So if there's significant wind, you
     may want to aim upwind of your real target.)
  [E] Retard-2
     Similar to retard guidance, but compensates for wind so that the
     bullet drops straight down.
  [A] Auto-Homing
     This is similar to homing guidance, but the shell will automatically
     home in on the closest tank instead of requiring a specific target to
     be selected.

3.4  Fall Protection

  [B] None
     Normally, if your tank doesn't have enough support underneath it, it
     falls and takes damage.
  [I] Rocket Brakes
     These slow your tank, allowing it to take half damage from falling.
  [B] Parachute
     Better than rocket brakes, a parachute prevents your tank from taking
     any damage when it falls.
  [A] Balloon
     A balloon will inflate as your tank starts to fall, and allow it to
     hang in midair.  However, if the balloon is hit by any bullet, it will
     pop and drop your tank.
  [E] Anti-Grav
     The ultimate defense against falling, this allows your tank to hover
     in mid-air.  The anti-gravity field may affect the landsliding of dirt
     beneath the tank (this is a minor effect).

3.5  Shields

     All shields must be energized before they do anything (press 'E'
during the aiming phase).  You can click on a tank during the aiming phase
to see how much of its shields are left.  Shields act only against inbound
rounds (those heading towards the shielded tank).  As shields are damaged,
their colors fade.

  [B] Deflector
     This shield pushes inbound bullets away from your tank.  It isn't very
     effective against bullets which are traveling very fast.
  [A] Phase
     Creates a pair of vertical fields.  Bullets entering one field pass
     out the other without touching anything between the fields.
  [I] Earthen
     Creates a dome of dense dirt, which acts to slow bullets enough that
     they explode.  The dirt is regenerated at the beginning of every turn,
     until the shields are depleted.
  [B] Solid
     Creates a dome which explodes all bullets which come into contact with
     it.  This and all other more expensive shields are redrawn as soon as
     they are damaged, so no holes are left for subsequent bullets to fly
     through.
  [A] Reflect
     Any bullets which hit reflective shields bounce off.  However, bullets
     armed with contact fuses will explode when they hit the shield.
  [E] Absorb
     Absorbs all bullets which hit the shield, before they can explode.

3.6  Tank Modifications

     Buying these allows you to improve your tank.  When you buy a
modification, your tank is changed for the rest of the rounds left in the
current game.  Buying more than one of a modification does not do anything
(other than waste money) - for example, buying two Armor modifications will
not give you 400 points of armor.  Tank modifications tend to be very
expensive; if you want to use them, I suggest setting Starting Money to
$5000 or more so that you can afford one modification right away.

  [E] Improved Turret
     Allows you to depress your tank's barrel to 20 degrees below
     horizontal (instead of just 10).
  [E] Improved Barrel
     A more efficient design, this gives your shots 25% higher velocity at
     the same power.  This allows them to cut through more dirt.  DU and
     steel ammo will do more damage, since the bullets can go faster.
  [E] Smaller Body
     Makes you harder to hit.
  [E] Better Traction
     Builds better support under your tank, so that it is less likely to
     fall if some of the dirt underneath it is removed.
  [E] Backup Generator
     If your tank is damaged, this repairs you by 25 power per round.  This
     will not allow your tank to go above 1000 power, nor will it repair
     damaged armor.
  [E] Armor
     The first 200 damage your tank takes each round will be absorbed by
     thicker armor.  After that, your tank takes damage normally.  You can
     click on a tank in the Aiming Screen to see how much armor it has
     left.  Armor sometimes allows a tank to survive a direct hit.


4.   System Settings and Command Line Options

     The behavior of Howitzer is controlled through two means: command line
options and the System Settings menu.  Command line options take effect as
soon as Howitzer is run, and remain in effect until it is exited.  Options
in the System Settings Menu may be changed between games.

     There are actually two system settings menus, although only one is
visible at a time.  The "Beginner Settings" menu is shown if beginner mode
is turned on; it has only a few options.  The "Expert Settings" menu is
shown if beginner mode is turned off, allowing greater customization of
Howitzer.

4.1  Beginner Settings Menu Options

     This presents a reduced set of options, so new users of Howitzer won't
get overwhelmed.  Options not shown on this menu are set to reasonable
defaults.

  Game Length
     The number of rounds the next game will last.  (Games can be aborted
     at any time using the "End [G]ame command of the popup system menu -
     see section 2.5.)
  Players
     The number of players, human or computer, that will participate in
     this game.  Their names and player type can be set in the tank menu on
     the settings screen.  Howitzer can handle up to 10 players.
  Starting Money
     The amount of money each player begins the game with.  This allows
     stocking up on weapons before the first round of combat.

  Background Type
     Selects the type of background that will appear behind the terrain.
     If you are low on memory, you may want to choose SIMPLE - it isn't as
     pretty, but doesn't use any expanded memory.  More detailed
     descriptions of the other backgrounds are listed in the Expert
     Settings Menu Options section.
  Ground Type
     Selects the type of terrain.  In beginner mode, the only difference
     between terrain types is that they look different.
  Border Type
     Determines what happens when a bullet hits one of the playfield
     borders.  Normally, bullets that go off the top of the screen will
     come back down, unless they go too far off one side of the playfield.
     Other border types can block bullets or cause them to bounce back onto
     the playfield.

  Explosion Sounds
     Toggles whether explosions make noise or not.  This only makes a
     difference if you have a sound card installed.
  Flight Sounds
     Turns sound on for bullets in flight.  This can be based on height
     (the higher up a bullet, the higher the pitch) or velocity (the faster
     the bullet, the higher the pitch).
  Bullet Traces
     Normally, bullet traces gradually fade into the background.  If you
     are running low on memory, you may want to set this to TRACER ONLY (in
     which case only Tracer ammo leaves traces) or PERMANENT (where all
     ammo leaves traces, but the traces don't fade).

4.2  Expert Settings Menu Options

  Game Length
     The number of rounds the next game will last.  (Games can be aborted
     at any time using the "End [G]ame command of the popup system menu -
     see section 2.5.)
  Players
     The number of players, human or computer, that will participate in
     this game.  Their names and player type can be set in the tank menu on
     the settings screen.  Howitzer can handle up to 10 players.

  Auto-Name Tanks
     If this is on and you change the opponent type of a tank, the tank's
     name will be automatically changed to the opponent type and tank
     number ("Human 2", "Chooser 7", etc.)  This makes it easier to tell
     who's shooting at whom.  Of course, you can always click on a tank in
     the aiming screen to see what type of opponent is controlling it.
  Aiming Order
     The order in which tanks aim.  Aiming last can be an advantage, since
     you know where everyone else is going to fire, and can plan what
     you're going to do based on that information.  However, if firing
     order is SEQUENTIAL, aiming first means that you have a chance to
     destroy an enemy tank before it can fire back.  Choices are:
     FIXED
          Tanks always aim in the same order they appear in the Tank Menu
          in the System Screen.
     RANDOM
          Each turn, tanks aim in a random order.
     ROTATE
          The tank that aimed first the previous turn aims last this turn;
          everyone else aims one position sooner.
     RICH LAST
          Tanks aim in order of money on hand, so poorer tanks will aim
          before richer tanks.  This makes spending every last penny on
          better weapons a slight disadvantage.
     WINNER FIRST
          Tanks aim in descending order of number of games won.  This gives
          a slight advantage to the tanks that are losing.
  Firing Order
     The order in which tanks actually fire their bullets:
     SIMULTANEOUS
          All tanks aim and select their weapons.  They then all fire their
          bullets at the same time
     IRREGULAR
          All tanks aim and select their weapons.  Some tanks fire their
          bullets a bit before the other tanks, some a bit after, randomly.
     SEQUENTIAL
          One tank aims and fires.  Then the next tank aims and fires.
          Firing first is an advantage, since you may be able to destroy an
          opponent before he/she even gets a chance to fire back or raise
          shields.
  Order Scores By
     The tank scores list can be ordered in several different ways,
     depending on what you think is most important:
     NAME
          Tank scores are given in the same order the tanks appear in the
          Tank Menu in the System Screen.
     WINS
          Tanks with the most wins are listed first.
     KILLS
          Tanks with the most kills are listed first.
     MONEY
          Tanks which have earned the most total money are listed first.
  Max. Round Length
     The maximum number of turns in a round.  If two or more tanks are
     alive after this many turns, the round is declared a stalemate and no
     one wins it.  Although humans don't usually run into this limit,
     computer players sometimes seem to take forever to kill each other.
  Fast Endgame
     Controls what happens when the computer players kill off all the
     humans.  During a fast endgame (or any other time only computer
     players are left), pressing 'X' will end the round.
     OFF
          Play proceeds normally, until the computer players kill each
          other off.
     ON
          Howitzer will temporarily turn off traces, reduce all delays, and
          use point bullets in an attempt to finish the round as soon as
          possible.  This reduces the waiting between rounds for the
          humans.
     VERY
          The same as ON, but Howitzer makes the bullets invisible too
          (since this is slightly faster than displaying them).
  Pause at Scores
     After every round, the current scores are displayed.  If this option
     is turned on, Howitzer waits for a keypress or mouse click to
     continue.  If off, Howitzer will pause for one second and then go on
     to the Marketplace or the next round.  Howitzer always pauses at the
     final scores for a game.

  LANDSCAPE OPTIONS SUBMENU:

     Background Type
       This is the same as the Background Type option in the Beginner
       Settings menu.

       The type of background that will be displayed.  Using any setting
       but SIMPLE requires 464 KB of expanded memory.  Possibilities for
       the background are:
       SUNSET
            Fades from one color at the top of the screen to another at
            the bottom.  Colors depend on the ground type (see Ground
            Type, below).
       GRID
            Faint yellow grid over a plain background.  Nice for
            estimating distances and angles.
       STARS
            Black background with lots of stars.  They don't twinkle
            (yet!)
       GALAXY
            Same as stars, but with the Milky Way in the background.
            Added to please my astronomer and astrophysicist friends.
       CLOUDS
            On Earth or Venus, displays a cloudy sky.  On Mars or the
            Moon, displays plasma discharges (since we can't have clouds
            there, can we?)
       RANDOM
            Picks a new background type each round - SIMPLE will not be
            chosen, since it's not as pretty.
       SIMPLE
            All one color.  Mushroom clouds are not permanent, and will be
            obscured by other explosions or bullet traces.  If speed is a
            problem on your system, simple sky will make things move a
            little faster.  This is also your only choice if you don't
            have any expanded memory.
     Ground Type
       This is the same as the Ground Type option in the Beginner Settings
       menu.

       Selects the type of ground for the game.  SIMPLE ground is faster
       to calculate.  If Use Real Gravity (see below) is turned on,
       gravity is different for each choice.  Choices are:
       SIMPLE
            Earth-like terrain, with snow, bare rock, and tree-covered
            slopes.  Not as pretty as EARTH, but faster to calculate.
            Gravity is 9.80 m/s.
       EARTH
            Snow-topped mountains with tree-covered slopes.  Gravity is
            9.80 m/s.
       MARS
            Red mountains.  Gravity is 3.72 m/s.
       MOON
            Gray mountains.  Gravity is 1.67 m/s.  (which is still high
            enough that tank bullets can't reach escape velocity)
       VENUS
            Yellowish-brown mountains.  Gravity is 8.62 m/s.
       JUPITER
            Purplish-brown mountains.  Gravity is 25.87 m/s (falling
            hurts).  Sunsets look really good on Jupiter.
       AEROGEL LAND
            A whimsical land, where all the mountains are made of aerogel.
            This means it's possible to shoot through them (especially
            with DU Penetrator rounds).  The aerogel has impurities in it,
            which appear as specks of normal dirt; these can block shots.
            However, you'll probably want to stock up on dirt-producing
            weapons to build your own barriers.  This terrain will not be
            chosen by the RANDOM ground type.
       RANDOM
            Picks a new ground type each round from EARTH, MARS, MOON,
            VENUS, or JUPITER.
     Advance Generation
       If you have enough expanded memory, Howitzer can generate the
       screen for the next round while you're playing the current one.
       This setting controls which parts of the next screen are generated
       in advance.  SIMPLE ground and sky don't need to be generated in
       advance, so will ignore this setting.
       NOTHING
            The screen for the next round will be generated after you
            finish this one.  This is your only choice if you don't have
            any expanded memory.
       GROUND ONLY
            The ground will be generated in advance.  This setting
            requires 368 KB of expanded memory.
       SKY ONLY
            The sky will be generated in advance.  This setting requires
            464 KB of expanded memory.  (This is in addition to the 464 KB
            of expanded memory required for detailed skies in the first
            place.)
       GROUND+SKY
            Both the ground and sky will be generated in advance.  This
            setting requires 832 KB of expanded memory.

     Border
       This is the same as the Border option in the Beginner Settings
       menu.

       The type of border that exists at the edges of the playfield.
       Possibilities are:
       NORMAL
            Bullets that go off the top of the screen will come back down,
            unless they go too far off the sides of the playfield (see
            Border Extends setting, below).
       PHASE
            Bullets that hit the left side of the screen reappear on the
            right side, and vice versa.  Bullets that go off the top of
            the screen will continue to wrap side-to-side, and will
            eventually come back down.
       SOLID
            Bullets that hit any edge of the screen explode.
       REFLECT
            Bullets that hit any edge of the screen bounce off, losing no
            speed in the process.
       ABSORB
            Bullets that hit any edge of the screen are absorbed without
            exploding.
       DECEL
            Similar to REFLECT, except that bullets hitting a border lose
            speed when they bounce.
       ACCEL
            Similar to REFLECT, except that bullets hitting a border gain
            speed when they bounce.  However, if the bullet is moving too
            quickly when it hits the border, it will explode rather than
            bounce.
       RANDOM
            At the beginning of a new round, the border type is randomly
            picked from the above types.
     Playfield Extends
       For NORMAL border type, the number of pixels past the sides of the
       screen that bullets are allowed to exist.  In high winds, this
       allows a "hook shot," where the bullet is fired into the wind and
       goes off-screen to one side, then is blown back on screen to hit a
       target.
     Max. Wind
       The maximum wind velocity.  Bullets are blown downwind more by
       higher winds.

     Use Real Gravity
       If turned on, gravity is different depending on the ground type
       (see above).  If turned off, gravity is Earth-like (9.80 m/s) for
       all ground types.
     Air Viscosity
       This controls how thick the atmosphere is.  A thicker atmosphere
       slows down bullets, so they don't go as far.  If viscosity is zero,
       bullets travel in parabolic paths (this is what you're used to).
     Bumpiness
       How bumpy the terrain is.  Higher numbers make steeper, more
       irregular mountains.  Lower numbers make gentle slopes.
     Max. Stable Slope
       The maximum stable slope of ground.  If at the end of a turn the
       ground has too steep a slope in an area, the dirt will landslide
       until the slope reduces to below the maximum value.  No matter what
       the Bumpiness setting, the initial terrain for any round will be
       entirely below maximum slope.  (Setting maximum slope to 1 doesn't
       make very interesting terrain.)
     Dirt Fall Percent
       The fraction of time that dirt will fall.  If this is set to a low
       number, dirt may hang in midair for several turns before finally
       falling.  Hanging dirt can be shaken down with Seismic Blast ammo
       (see section 3.1).  Computer players and cruise missiles don't
       deal very well with hanging dirt.
     Weather
       Howitzer can simulate the effects of several types of weather.
       Weather takes effect at the end of each turn, at the same time that
       the landscape is being updated.
       NONE
            No weather at all (sort of like Southern California)
       DRIZZLE
            Light rain
       RAIN
            Pixels tend to get washed downhill.  This eventually erodes
            steep hillsides and peaks.
       DOWNPOUR
            Heavy rain
       SNOW FLURRIES
            Light snow
       SNOW
            Snow falls onto the landscape, covering tanks, shields, and
            dirt.
       BLIZZARD
            Heavy snow
       AEROGEL SNOW
            Snow made out of Aerogel.  Aerogel is a very lightweight
            substance that is much easier to shoot through than dirt.
       ACID DRIZZLE
            Light acid rain
       ACID RAIN
            Rain which eats away at the landscape.  Doesn't damage shields
            or tanks, unless it eats away enough of the hillside beneath a
            tank that it falls.
       ACID DOWNPOUR
            Heavy acid rain
       RANDOM
            Chooses a new type of weather each round.

  EQUIPMENT OPTIONS SUBMENU:

     Starting Money
       The amount of money each player begins the game with.  This allows
       stocking up on weapons before the first round of combat.
     Prize Size
       This setting affects all rewards and penalties described in Scoring
       and Money (section 6.3).  Setting this to a high level makes it
       easier to buy better weapons and shields (but computer tanks will
       also be able to buy equipment more easily!)  Choices are:
       STINGY
            Rewards and fines are 50% of normal.  Good luck saving up for
            shields.
       POOR
            All values are 75% of normal.
       NORMAL
            What does it sound like?  Rewards and fines are as listed in
            Scoring and Money.
       GOOD
            All values are 125% of normal.
       GREAT
            All values are 150% of normal.
       BOUNTIFUL
            All values are 200% of normal.
       MONTY HAUL
            All values are 300% of normal.  Beware computer tanks with
            nukes!
     Interest Rate
       Controls the amount of interest earned on money you didn't spend
       last round.  Negative interest rates make it harder to save up for
       the big items.
     Unlimited HE Ammo
       If turned on, all players have an infinite supply of High Explosive
       ammunition.  Otherwise, only Steel Shot ammo is unlimited.  When
       turned off, it can make for more conservative games.  Computer
       players don't deal well with running out of HE ammo, though.
     Shields Keep Between Rounds
       If turned on, shields last until they are drained.  If off, shields
       only last until the end of the round in which they were turned on.
     Marketplace Shows
       Selects which items appear on the Available Items menu in the
       Marketplace.  Choices are:
       ALL
            Shows every piece of equipment, whether the tank can afford it
            or not.
       AFFORDABLE
            Only shows equipment the tank can afford.
       TICKLER
            Shows equipment the tank can afford, plus items the tank could
            afford if it had another $300.  Useful for determining whether
            there's something you want to save up for.
     Technology
       Selects the complexity of items that will be available in the
       Marketplace.  I suggest setting this to BEGINNER if you've never
       played before, and gradually working your way up to EXPERT.
       Choices are:
       BEGINNER
            The easiest setting.  No guidance or fuses to worry about.
            Tank modifications are also unavailable.  Ammo is restricted
            to the least complicated items (basically things that just
            explode).
       INTERMEDIATE
            Adds in some fuses and guidance, and a lot of ammo.  Nuclear
            weapons become available.
       ADVANCED
            Even more items available, including Napalm and Phase Shields.
       EXPERT
            Everything available, including tank modifications.

  DELAYS SUBMENU:

     Tank Fall Delay
       Larger numbers make tanks appear to fall slower.  Falling damage is
       unaffected - this just makes the game more enjoyable on fast
       machines.
     Compensated Events
       If there are fewer than this many bullets and explosions on-screen,
       Howitzer will add a delay so things continue to happen at the same
       speed.  (Otherwise, if you just had one bullet on the screen, it
       would move five times faster than five bullets on the screen.)
       Lowering this value will speed up the game, but the apparent speed
       of bullets may change.  This is best set using the Calculate Delays
       button in the System Screen.  (see section 2.2)
     Event Compensation
       This is the delay Howitzer adds in for each event less than the
       number of Compensated Events that is on-screen.  For example, if
       Compensated Events is 5, Event Compensation is 150, and there are
       currently 2 bullets on-screen, Howitzer would delay for (5-2)*150 =
       450 MTU (meaningless time units).  Lower this number if things
       actually speed up if there are more bullets on-screen (for example,
       when a MIRV splits).  This is best set using the Calculate Delays
       button in the System Screen.  (see section 2.2)
     Plot Frequency
       Howitzer calculates the position of the bullet several times for
       each time it's plotted on the screen.  This setting affects how
       often the bullet is drawn to the screen.  Larger numbers will plot
       the bullet more frequently, making it appear to move more smoothly.
       Smaller numbers will speed the game up without reducing accuracy -
       each bullet's position is still calculated the same number of
       times; it's just plotted to the screen less.

  Explosion Sizes
     Affects the sizes of all explosions.  ITTY-BITTY, TINY, and SMALLISH
     will make all explosions smaller than normal.  LARGISH, HUGE,
     MUNCHKIN, and WHAT WAS THAT? will make explosions larger than normal.
     Little brothers seem to be especially fond of MUNCHKIN-sized fusion
     warhead explosions.
  Animate Nukes
     Controls the appearance of Fission and Fusion Warhead explosions.
     Using a setting other than NO is slightly slower, but a heck of a lot
     more attractive.
     NO
          Nuclear explosions flash the screen white, but don't do any
          special animation.
     FIREBALL
          After the flash, a fireball rises into the sky, then fades away.
     MUSHROOM CLOUD
          As the fireball fades, it leaves a mushroom cloud behind.  This
          is the setting used for the intro screen.  Mushroom clouds will
          last until the end of the current round.
  Explosions Sounds
     Toggles whether explosions make noise if you have an Adlib-compatible
     sound card.

  Bullet Shapes
     Controls the appearance of bullets:
     NORMAL
          Bullets will have different shapes depending on their type (nukes
          and cruise missiles are particularly cute).
     POINT
          All bullets will look like little dots.  This can make them
          harder to see (since single pixels are pretty tiny on an 800x600
          display) but will also speed up the game on slow machines.
     INVISIBLE
          Bullets are not visible at all.  This does not affect the
          appearance of traces, which is set via the Bullet Traces option.
          Using INVISIBLE bullets and PERMANENT traces is even faster than
          using POINT bullets if you have a really slow machine.
  Bullet Traces
     Determines the nature of traces:
     TRACER ONLY
          Tracer bullets leave traces, which are permanent.  Traces may be
          erased by selecting Refresh [S]creen from the system menu.
          Ordinary ammunition leaves no traces.  This setting can be a real
          challenge when combined with INVISIBLE bullets.
     FADING
          All bullets leave traces, which fade from the sky (see Trace
          Duration, below).  This setting requires 128 KB of conventional
          memory, so you may not be able to use fading traces under low
          memory conditions.  It is also slightly slower than the other two
          settings.
     PERMANENT
          All bullets leave traces, which are permanent unless the screen
          is refreshed.
  Trace Thickness
     Larger numbers make traces more dense.  Smaller numbers make traces
     thinner, and speed up the game slightly.
  Trace Duration
     The number of turns a trace will last, before fading into the
     background.  Ignored if Trace Type is not FADING.
  Flight Sounds
     If you have an Adlib-compatible sound card, bullets can make noise
     while in flight.  The type of noise generated is determined by this
     setting:
     NONE
          Bullets don't make any noise while in flight.  This is slightly
          faster than the other settings.
     HEIGHT
          The pitch of a bullet's flight sound is based on how high up it
          is.  The higher the bullet, the higher the pitch
     SPEED
          Flight sounds are based on how fast bullets are moving.  Faster
          bullets make higher-pitched noises.  (This is amusing to listen
          to if you're using Deflector shields.)

4.3  Command Line Options

     You can control much of Howitzer's behavior by specifying options on
the command line when you run it.  For example,

     howitzer -OX -L

will make Howitzer skip the opening screen, ignore expanded memory, and not
generate a logfile.  Command line options may be connected (such as -ONX)
or separated (such as -O -N -X).  The only exception is the -I option,
which must be by itself; if you specified -IFOOX, Howitzer wouldn't know
whether you wanted to read input from a file called "FOOX", or whether you
wanted to read input from a file called "FOO" (-IFOO) while ignoring
expanded memory (-X).  Command line options may start with a dash (like -X
-N) or slash (like /X /N).

  -?        Print a list of all the command line options
     This prints help on the command line options that you can use to
     control Howitzer.

  -O        Skip opening screen
     This allows you to skip the animated opening screen and go right to
     the system settings screen.
  -N        Do not read howitzer.ini on startup
     Ordinarily, Howitzer reads its system settings from howitzer.ini.
     Using this option causes Howitzer to ignore the file and use its own
     built-in defaults.
  -X        Do not search for expanded memory
     On some computers which have no expanded memory, Howitzer can get
     confused when it looks for expanded memory.  If you have no expanded
     memory and Howitzer won't run, try this option.
  -W        Don't warn that Windows is running
     Normally, Howitzer will print a warning if it is run under Microsoft
     Windows.  This option suppresses the warning message.
  -S        Allow Windows task switching at all times
     Howitzer ordinarily disables Windows task switching, except in special
     cases (see section 8).  This option allows switching at all times.
     USE WITH CAUTION, since switching away from Howitzer in the middle of
     a game can corrupt the screen.
  -M        Do not look for a mouse
     Howitzer normally looks for and uses a mouse.  If for some reason you
     don't want to use your mouse, this option will force Howitzer to use
     its built-in mouse emulation (see section 2).
  -V        Initialize verbosely
     If Howitzer crashes during initialization, this will save more
     information to the logfile so I can get a better idea of where it
     crashed and how I can fix it.

The following options affect the types of information stored to the
logfile.

  -L        Don't generate a logfile
     By default, Howitzer creates a file called howitzer.log in its
     directory.  Any errors that may occur will be logged to this file
     (this is a BIG help if I'm trying to track down a bug you report).
     This option disables creation of the log file.
  -D        Log damage taken by all tanks
     If this option is enabled, any time a tank takes damage it will create
     an entry in the logfile showing who damaged whom, and by how much.
  -P        Log money and purchases
     Records tanks' earnings and expenditures to the logfile.
  -C        Log conventional memory allocations
     Records allocation and freeing of conventional (<640 KB limit) memory
     to the logfile.
  -E        Log expanded memory allocations
     Records allocation and freeing of expanded (EMS) memory to the
     logfile.
  -T        Log thinking of computer tanks
     Records information on what the computer tanks are doing and where
     they are aiming to the logfile.
  -K        Log keyboard and mouse input
     Records all keypresses and mouse clicks to the logfile.  This allows
     you to save a game for later viewing, and also helps me track down
     bugs (since I can duplicate exactly what you did).

The last option must be specified by itself.  It allows you to playback a
previous game by reading input from that game's logfile.  If you're going
to do this, you should rename the old logfile to something besides
howitzer.log, or Howitzer will overwrite the old logfile when it starts up.

  -Ifile    Read keyboard and mouse input from specified file
     The counterpart to -K, this option specifies a logfile to playback
     user input from.  If Howitzer runs out of input from this file, it
     will revert to using the real keyboard and mouse.  Playback can also
     be aborted by pressing the Escape key several times (though the game
     may take several seconds to return control to the keyboard and mouse).
     Note that Howitzer does NOT automatically set the same command-line
     options that were used to record the playback file in the first place
     - you must set these manually


5.   Computer Opponents

     Howitzer has several types of computer opponents.  Computer-controlled
tanks have the same limitations as human-controlled tanks.  For example,
the tank barrel's elevation must be an integer number of degrees; a
Rebounder (see below) can't fire at 57.3 degrees to kill you on the first
shot - it has to try 57 or 58 degrees and hope, just like a human.  If they
have enough money, computer opponents will buy and use several types of
ammunition, shields, and fall protection.
Opponent types are:

  Target Drone
     Doesn't fire at all.  Useful for target practice when you don't want
     an opponent that shoots back.
  Chancer
     The simplest (and stupidest) computer opponent.  Each turn, it picks a
     random angle and power to fire at.
  Linear
     Looks for the best straight-line shot to an opponent.  If it doesn't
     have one, fires randomly.
  Flinger
     Tries to arc shots over intervening mountains to hit its target.
     Although it's not very good at guessing the best power for its next
     shot, it can eventually pin down and kill most targets.
  Rebounder
     If the border type is REFLECT, ACCEL, or DECEL, tries to bounce shots
     off the top border to hit opponents.  If a rebounder has a clear shot,
     it usually hits on the first or second try.
  Arcer
     Similar to the Flinger, it tries to fire arcing shots over obstacles.
     However, the Arcer is much more accurate, and usually can kill a
     target in two or three shots.
  Chooser
     Can shoot as a Linear if it has a straight shot, or as an Arcer if it
     doesn't.  The chooser is an even match for an average human player.


6.   Game Mechanics

6.1  Bullets:

     Tanks launch bullets at a speed that is super-linear with respect to
power.  What that means is that a 1000-power shot is more than twice as
fast as a 500-power shot.  Once a bullet is in the air, gravity drags it
downward, and wind blows it downwind.  Air viscosity also affects bullets
by slowing them down (in the same way a marble dropped into a pitcher of
syrup slowly sinks to the bottom).

     Bullets slow down a lot when passing through ground or concrete, and
somewhat when passing through aerogel.  If a bullet slows down too much,
and has a normal fuse, it explodes (see the equipment section on Fuses).

     If a bullet hits a reflective border or shield, or the bullet has a
Bounce fuse and hits the ground, it will rebound from the surface at the
same angle it strikes it.  Examples:

\        ^     #   |          \  ##
 \      /      ##  |           \ ##
  \    /       ### |            \##
   \  /        ####+--->        /##
    \/         #####           / ##
##########     ######         /  ##
##########     #######       V   ##

6.2  Damage:

     Most types of explosive ammo will kill outright any tank they directly
hit.  If a bullet doesn't hit directly, but instead explodes nearby, the
tank may be caught in the explosion and still take damage.  Explosions are
more damaging near the center than at the edges.

     Tanks also take damage from falling.  A tank will become unstable and
fall if less than half of it is touching the ground, and will continue
falling until it becomes stable again.  The damage a tank takes is
proportional to the height it fell times the gravity.  (Falling on the Moon
does virtually no damage.  Falling on Jupiter HURTS.)

     When a tank is damaged, it will not be able to use as much power to
fire shots.  In the Aiming Screen, you can click on a tank to see what its
maximum power currently is.

     Bullets hitting shields do damage based on how much the bullet weighs.
A Fission Warhead weighs more than a High Explosive round, which weighs
more than a Steel Shot.  Tracers don't weigh enough to damage shields.

6.3  Scoring and Money:

     A tank wins a round if it is the last tank alive.  It is possible for
all the tanks to kill each other; in this case, the round is a tie and no
one wins.  (How can you win when you're dead?)  One kill is equivalent to
doing 1000 damage to a tank, which is the damage required to destroy a tank
that was at full power.  Tanks get credit for partial kills, so doing 300
damage to a tank is worth 0.3 kills.  If a tank makes an enemy fall (for
example, by using Termites to dig out the ground underneath it), it gets
credit for any falling damage the enemy takes.  All rewards and penalties
are multiplied by a constant factor based on the Prize Size option in the
System Screen.  (see section 4.2)

     Tanks can earn money in the following ways:

          $25 for each 100 damage done to an enemy tank
          $10 for each 10% damage done to an enemy's shield
          $50 for firing the shot which kills an enemy tank
          $250 for winning a round

     Tanks are fined for the following actions:

          $40 for each 100 damage done to yourself
          $16 for each 10% damage done to your own shield
          $80 for firing the shot which kills yourself

     In team mode, money for winning a round is shared equally between all
teammates.  For example, if a team with five tanks won a round but only
three of its tanks survived, each of the five tanks would get ($250 * 3)/5
= $150.  In addition, the following penalties apply:

          $20 for each 100 damage done to a tank on your own team
          $8 for each 10% damage done to a tank on your own team
          $40 for firing the shot which kills a tank on your own team

     You can change how Howitzer ranks players by setting the Scoring Order
option in the System Screen.

6.4  Team Mode:

     Team mode is a way for groups of tanks to work together.  In team
mode, you win a round by being part of the last team alive; it isn't
necessary to kill off your teammates to win.  In fact, it's a bad idea -
you are fined for damaging other tanks on your team.  Computer players are
(usually) smart enough to pick targets that are on a different team.  Teams
get points based on the amount of money and kills accumulated by all their
team members.

     To play in team mode, you must turn beginner mode OFF.  Then click on
the ""[T]eam mode is OFF" button on the System Screen.  The screen will
fade, and come back in team mode.  In this mode, the tank menu has an
additional column for the team each tank belongs to.  Clicking the left or
right mouse buttons on a tank's team changes the team number.  It also
changes the tank's color, because tanks are colored based on the team they
are on.  Note that you must have at least two teams to play a game in team
mode.

     In the aiming screen, other tanks on your team will be dimmed to
remind you not to shoot at them.  This also makes it easier to tell which
tank is actually aiming.


7.   Howitzer and Memory

     Howitzer likes having lots of memory.  (ANY program which is doing
Super VGA graphics and animation likes having lots of memory.)  Howitzer is
most happy with 512 KB or more free conventional memory and 2048 KB or more
free expanded (EMS) memory.

7.1  Memory Basics:

     Memory on PC's comes in three flavors: conventional, exPANded (also
called EMS), and exTENded.  The first is always available to you, but the
second and third require you to have device drivers loaded from your
config.sys file.  Techniques to free up more memory are somewhat arcane,
and far more detailed than belong in a manual for a game.  The simplest
way, if you've got DOS 6.0, is to type MEMMAKER from the DOS prompt.

     If the suggestions below don't seem to work on your computer, ask a
friend for help.

     To see how much free memory MS-DOS thinks you have, type MEM from the
DOS prompt.  You should see a display similar to this:

C:\BCC\HOWITZER\EXE>mem

Memory Type        Total =  Used  +  Free
----------------  ------   ------   ------
Conventional        636K     103K     533K
Upper                 0K       0K       0K
Adapter RAM/ROM       0K       0K       0K
Extended (XMS)    15360K   15360K       0K <---***
----------------  ------   ------   ------
Total memory      15996K   15463K     533K

Total under 1 MB    636K     103K     533K

Total Expanded (EMS)                 1536K (1572864 bytes)
Free Expanded (EMS)                  1472K (1507328 bytes) <---*

Largest executable program size       533K  (545872 bytes) <---**
Largest free upper memory block         0K       (0 bytes)
MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.

     The first number with an arrow pointing to it (<---*) is the amount of
free conventional memory you have.  The second number (<---**) is the
amount of free expanded memory.  The third number (<---***) is the amount
of free extended memory.  Howitzer can't use extended memory, but the good
news is you CAN turn extended memory into expanded memory by adding the
following lines to your config.sys file:

     device = c:\dos\himem.sys
     device = c:\dos\emm386.exe 2048 RAM

     That should turn your exTENded memory into exPANded memory.  (Isn't MS-
DOS fun?)

7.2  Conventional Memory Consumption

     At a bare minimum, Howitzer requires 432 KB of free conventional
memory.  Options such as detailed skies, fading traces, and large
explosions require more memory on top of this number.  If you have enough
expanded memory, Howitzer may be able to use less conventional memory.  At
any point during the game, you can use Alt+Z to display the Popup System
Menu, then select [M]emory Usage to see how much memory Howitzer is using
and how much it has left.

     Condition                                    Memory required (KB)
     Minimum to run Howitzer                      432
     Explosion Sizes set larger than NORMAL       +10
     Traces are set to FADING                     +128
     Enough EMS for backing stores (see below)    -128 KB

7.3  Expanded Memory Consumption

     Howitzer will use expanded (EMS) memory for storing special effects
and graphics.  It also needs expanded memory to save the screen so you can
switch to Windows from the Aiming Screen.  You can control some of how
Howitzer uses expanded memory with the Background Type and Advance
Generation settings (see section 4).  The following table summarizes the
amount of expanded memory required for each setting.

     Condition                                    EMS required (KB)
     Background Type is SIMPLE                    0
     Background Type is anything else             +464

     Advance Generation is GROUND ONLY            +368
     Advance Generation is SKY ONLY               +464
     Advance Generation is GROUND+SKY             +832

     Backing stores (see below)                   +128
     Screen save buffer for switching to Windows  +464


     Howitzer can use up to 128 KB of expanded memory for BACKING STORES.
These are the screen areas which are covered up when you pop up a menu
(such as the Popup System Menu, Popup Help, or an equipment menu in the
Aiming Screen).  If you have 128 KB of free EMS after that used by the
Background Type and Advance Generation settings, Howitzer will only use
about 304 KB of conventional memory.  (This is good news for those of you
using LAN's or lots of device drivers.)

7.4  Examples

Example 1:  360 KB of free conventional memory and 1024 KB of free EMS.

     Since you have less than 432 KB of free conventional memory, you must
save 128 KB of free expanded memory for backing stores.  This leaves you
(1024 - 128) = 896 KB of free EMS.  So you could run Howitzer with a non-
SIMPLE Background Type and Advance Generation = GROUND ONLY.  You couldn't
use a non-SIMPLE Background Type and Advance Generation = SKY ONLY, because
you wouldn't have enough free EMS for backing stores, since (464 + 464) =
928 KB is more EMS than you have left.

Example 2:  500 KB of free conventional memory and no EMS.

     You have enough free conventional memory to run Howitzer.  However,
you won't be able to use fading traces, since that would take (432 + 128) =
560 KB of free memory.  Since you don't have any EMS, you also won't be
able to use detailed skies.


8.   Howitzer and Microsoft Windows

     Microsoft Windows doesn't coexist very well with DOS applications that
use Super VGA (SVGA) graphics.  The main reason is that many video drivers
for Windows can't handle saving and restoring SVGA screens.  If you switch
away from a SVGA DOS application to Windows or another DOS application, the
screen of the SVGA application may be corrupted when you switch back into
it.  To minimize these inadequacies, Howitzer incorporates several features
designed to reduce the damage caused by a corrupted screen.

     Howitzer normally prevents Windows from trashing its screen by
disabling task swaps except in special circumstances (see below).  This
means that Windows hot keys like Alt+Esc, Alt+Enter, and Ctrl+Esc will not
work from within Howitzer.  Applications that are running in the background
(like a communications program that is downloading files) will continue to
get time slices, but you won't be able to switch to them.

     If you have enough free expanded memory, you can use Alt+W (or the
"Switch to [W]indows" option in the popup system menu) to switch from
Howitzer to Windows or another DOS prompt.  Howitzer will save its screen
and display a message, then enable task switching.  When you switch back to
Howitzer, press the spacebar to restore the screen and continue playing.

     Saving the screen costs no memory from the System Screen or
Marketplace, but requires 464 KB of free EMS in the Aiming Screen.  If you
don't have enough free memory, Howitzer will suggest ways you can free up
more memory.  If you are running Windows in 386 enhanced mode, you may be
able to use a swap file to fool Windows into thinking you have more memory.
(The information is in chapter 14 of my Windows 3.1 manual, under "Working
with Windows Swap Files" - your mileage may vary.)

     If you still can't scrounge enough memory to allow Howitzer to save
its screen, you can take your chances and switch to Windows anyway.  If
you're lucky, the damage will be minor and will be fixed by Alt+R (or the
Restore Screen option in the popup system menu).

     Because of these potential problems, Howitzer will print a warning
message if it discovers that it has been run under Windows.  You can
disable this warning by using the -W option when running Howitzer.


9.   Troubleshooting Howitzer

     Because Howitzer is still in beta-test, there is a chance you'll run
into a bug that isn't solved by any of these hints.  If so, send me e-mail
and I'll try to fix it in the next release.  If you're lucky, one or all of
the suggestions for a problem will fix it on your machine.

  Anything out of the ordinary

     Run Howitzer with the following options: -KCEV.  This won't fix
     anything, but the logfile will contain much more helpful (well, to me
     anyway) information.  Please send me the logfile if you've got
     problems.

  Howitzer claims your card isn't VESA-compatible

     Howitzer now uses a graphics library which only runs if a VESA
     interface is present.  Some older graphics cards don't have this
     support built-in, and need to have a driver loaded first.  (For
     example, my Video 7 VRAM-II card needs to have a TSR called v7vesa.com
     loaded.)  This driver will probably be in the same directory or disk
     as any other utilities that came with your video card.

     It's possible that your VESA driver won't work with Howitzer.  This is
     probably because Howitzer requires VESA 1.2 support of mode 0x103
     (800x600x256).  Many older drivers only support version 1.1 or 1.0 of
     the VESA standards.

     All is not lost!  Howitzer now comes with Univesa, which is a free
     universal VESA driver capable of supporting many common video cards.
     If you don't have a VESA driver or your driver doesn't work, you can
     use Univesa instead.  This should be as simple as typing univesa from
     the DOS prompt.  Univesa comes with its own documentation (see
     univesa.txt) which may help track down any remaining problems.

     If these alternatives fail, contact me via E-mail and I'll try to
     connect you with a VESA driver that will work on your system.

  Howitzer claims your card or driver doesn't support the requested SVGA
  resolution.
  Howitzer claims your card or driver is out of date or not compatible.

     Some old VESA drivers do not support the full VESA function set.  If
     Howitzer detects one of these in your system, it may print a warning
     message or refuse to run.  If this happens, you will need to update
     your VESA driver (see above).

  Howitzer runs too darn slow, even on your 33 MHz 386 machine

     Buy a VESA local bus 66 MHz Pentium-based machine.  While you're at
     it, buy one for me too :-)

     Set Compensated Events to 0 in the DELAYS SUB-MENU.

     Increase the value for Plot Frequency in the DELAYS SUB-MENU.

     Set Bullet Shapes to POINT or INVISIBLE.

     Set Bullet Traces to TRACER ONLY or PERMANENT.

     Set Background Type to SIMPLE.


THIS IS THE END OF HOWITZER.TXT - NOW GO PLAY THE GAME!  DON'T FORGET TO
REGISTER HOWITZER!