Game Gateway (USA)/Game Gateway (USA).bin/HTML/ironwolves manual.txt

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IRON WOLVES
Manual for beta-test version 1.0
July 19 1996


INTRODUCTION

Iron Wolves is a 3D submarine/convoy game with sound and graphics which is
easy to master and fun to play. It has a lively role-playing atmosphere where
players take the role of the captain of a submarine or a ship and launch into
battle against the enemy.

It is a real time action game with a simple set of rules - you simply jump in
and start playing, and within seconds you're sailing across the high seas on
the lookout for enemy action. Ships are easily controlled using your mouse to
issue commands by clicking on the various graphic controls.

The ships are roughly modelled on those used during the second world war, so
you get a feel of what it was like to fight in a sea battle.


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

- Windows 95
- An account with an Internet provider
- 32 bit Winsock
- 3 meg hard disk space
- 8 meg of memory minimum recommended
- Modem capable of 2400 bps or higher
- Graphics resolution 800 x 600, 16 bit (note: the game will run at lower
resolutions but will look pretty awful)
- Soundcard required for sound fx to play
- Microsoft DirectX must be installed on your computer or the program will
not run (if you do not have a copy you can download it from the Iron Wolves
web page - see below.)


INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE FROM CD

Run the setup program and tell the software which directory you want Iron
Wolves installed into. This will install both the Iron Wolves program and
Microsoft DirectX.

The Iron Wolves program will be added to your Start menu under Games.


DOWNLOADING THE SOFTWARE FROM THE INTERNET

If you do not already have a copy of the Iron Wolves software, or if you wish
to download an updated version, you need to use your browser software to go
to the Iron Wolves web page at http://www.on-line.co.uk/iw.

There are several options here; one lets you download the latest version of
the software. You can also download DirectX from the web page if you do not
already have it installed on your computer.


REGISTERING TO PLAY IRON WOLVES

Before you can play Iron Wolves, you need to register to become a member of
the game. Go to the Iron Wolves web page at http://www.on-line.co.uk/iw and
select the option to become a member.

You will be asked to provide your email address, your name, and to pick a
user ID for the game. Then click Join Now, and a password will be emailed to
you. If you want to change the password, there is an option on the web page
to do so.


PLAYING IRON WOLVES

Run the Iron Wolves software and you will be connected to the Iron Wolves
game. You will be asked for your user ID and password.

If you have not played Iron Wolves on that user ID before, you will be asked
to select a nickname, by which you will be known in the game.

You will also have to choose whether you want to fight on the side of the
Northlanders or the Westlanders. Once you've chosen your side, you are ready
to join the fun!


SELECTING YOUR SHIP

Currently you can choose to pilot a corvette or a submarine. Later versions
will let you choose a destroyer, merchant or tanker. Game-generated ships, or
drones, can be all types except submarines.

The different ships have different capabilities:

Submarine - The silent hunter with lethal torpedoes; but subs are fragile and
vulnerable and if a ship sees you coming it can out-manoeuvre you and drop
depth charges. On the surface, subs are faster than all ships except
destroyers, and can turn faster. Underwater they are much slower, so have to
surface to catch up with their prey. Weapons: torpedoes plus a small deck-gun
with short range and not very good accuracy.

Corvette - The workhorse of convoy escorts, with reasonable hunt and kill
capabilities. With sonar to spot subs and depth charges to drop on them, it
can flush out and destroy the enemy, but is vulnerable to torpedoes.
Corvettes are slower than destroyers and subs on the surface; faster than
submerged subs, merchants and tankers. Weapons: larger guns than a submarine
with better accuracy and a longer range, but slower firing rate.

Destroyer - The crucial weapon in convoy escort duties, destroyers are
currently the most powerful surface ship in Iron Wolves. It is the fastest
ship, it's tough and can take a lot more damage than the others. It has
powerful guns with faster firing rate, longer range and greater accuracy.

Tanker and Merchant - Slow ships that often move in convoy protected by
corvettes and destroyers. No weapons.

Select your ship, and you will find yourself in the open sea, ready to search
for your enemies.


THE CONTROLS

The Iron Wolves screen consists of a number of windows, which make up the
controls to let you pilot your craft. There will be different controls
depending on which ship you have chosen; these are detailed below.

With one or two exceptions which are explained below, the controls are all
operated by a single click of the left mouse button to set a control to a
certain level. A single right click will clear what you are doing, i.e. set
the control to stop or neutral.

Some of the windows contain buttons that you click on to make something
happen; in many cases, clicking on a button changes the button to something
else so the effect toggles on or off.


BRIDGE

The bridge gives you a view of the surrounding sea, using either binoculars
or periscope. All ships can use binoculars; only subs have a periscope.

Subs can only use binoculars on the surface, and can use the periscope to a
depth of 15m; below that they sail blind. Subs have an orders window to
enable them to raise and lower the periscope and switch between periscope and
binoculars as required.

Drag the mouse pointer right or left to turn the view; an indicator tells you
the angle you are looking at and the angle off bow (i.e., the angle from
north, and the angle from the way the ship is facing).

If there is a ship in view, you will be told what it is. Each ship has an
identifying letter which determines its type, and a number:

T - tanker
U - submarine
K - corvette
DD - destroyer
M - merchant

A D after the designation means the ship is a drone, or computer-generated
ship. You are also told if the ship is an enemy or friendly vessel. Take care
not to fire on ships from your own side!

If more than one ship is in view, rotate the view - you will be given info on
the ship closest to the centre of your view.

If you click on the bridge window and then press the Z key, the view zooms
in. X zooms the view out.


ENGINES

The engine control lets you set the speed of your ship and whether you are
going forwards or backwards:

- Full ahead: move forwards fast
- Slow ahead: move forwards slowly
- Stop: brings the ship to a dead stop
- Slow astern: move backwards slowly
- Full astern: move backwards fast

Simply click on one of the settings. Right clicking anywhere in the window
sets the lever to Stop.


COMPASS

The compass window serves several purposes. It does the obvious - indicating
which way the ship is facing; that's the red needle. There are also two white
lines, a short one and a long one.

The short white line shows you the direction the binoculars or periscope is
facing.

The long white line is the direction request. Click on a compass point and
the line moves to that point. This instructs your helmsman to steer to that
angle. When your ship reaches that angle (and the long white line and the red
needle are in the same position) the helmsman straightens up. Obviously, this
will only work if your engines are moving you forwards or backwards.

The right mouse button clears the direction request, setting it to the same
as your actual heading - instructing the helmsman to go straight.


MAP TABLE

The map table is a summary of all the information you have about the position
of other ships: eyes, binoculars/periscope, hydrophone, sonar etc. You are
depicted on the map as a black blob with a line coming out of it. The line
shows which way your ship is facing.

All other ships are shown in different colors:

- Blue for Northland ships
- Red for Westland ships
- Green for ships that you are aware of by using sonar or hydrophone but have
not yet been able to identify further

The map consists of grid squares, depicted by blue lines. The squares are 100
x 100, and you will find most of the action in Iron Wolves takes place in the
square 0 to 100.

You can choose the zoom level of the map:

- Visual distance is the range that can be seen using binoculars
- Periscope range is the range that can be seen using periscope (this is a
little shorter)
- Sonar range is the range that sonar can detect other ships and is much
shorter

You can also use the map table to move your vessel. Click on the map to set
your target destination, and a little black cross will appear. The engines
will start and the helmsman will steer until you reach that destination.
Right click and the target destination will be cancelled.


SONAR AND HYDROPHONES

Sonar identifies objects under the water, using pulses of sound which are
echoed back if there is anything there. This is used by ships to find
submerged submarines. Only corvettes and destroyers have sonar.

Submarines have a hydrophone, which is a sensitive and highly directional
underwater microphone which is rotated by the operator in order to detect
other ships, explosions, depth charges and so on.

You do not have to control either sonar or hydrophone; they are operated
automatically and any vessels they find are displayed on the map table.


SUBMARINE DEPTH (subs only)

There are two ways to make a submarine submerge or surface; one is to use the
hydroplanes to slowly sink or rise; the other is to go into a crash drive to
submerge as fast as possible.

To use the hydroplanes, you use the depth gauge window. The dial has two
pointers; one shows you your current depth, and the other your required
depth. Click on the dial to set the required depth to the level you want. The
title bar confirms your current and required depth settings.

You must be moving forwards or backwards or the hydroplanes won't do anything
- you can't go straight up or down.

Right clicking on the dial cancels your order by setting the required depth
to the same as the current depth.

To bring the sub to the surface, click in the blank space at the bottom of
the dial and the required depth will be set to zero.

To submerge in a hurry, use the Crash Dive button in the orders box. When you
press this button, it sets your engines to full ahead, fills the ballast
tanks so the sub has negative buoyancy, and sets the required depth to 175m.
The sub will start to sink fast while moving in the direction the engines are
set.

At this point, you can manually stop the engines. You will stop moving
forwards but will continue to sink.

You can click on the Stop Dive button in the orders box, which will stop the
engines, blow enough ballast to give you neutral buoyancy, and set the
required depth to the same as the current depth.


FIRING YOUR GUNS

All vessels have guns they can fire at enemy ships.

To fire your guns you have to point them at a target. Right click in the
bridge window on the ship you want to fire at.

The gun status window gives the name of your target and indicates whether it
is out of range, in long, short or medium range. It tells you if the guns are
loading, ready or firing.

Press the button in the gun status window to commence firing. If the target
is out of range the guns will wait until the target comes into range and then
will start to fire. Unless you press the button again to cease firing, the
guns will continue to fire until you destroy your target - or are killed
yourself!

You have an inexhaustible supply of ammo for your guns.


FIRING TORPEDOES (subs only)

Submarines have four torpedo tubes, all facing towards the front of the
vessel. The torpedoes can only be fired if the binoculars or periscope is
facing towards the front of the boat; the angle off bow must be plus or minus
15 degrees.

The dial on the torpedo tube window will show you the angle, and when they
can be fired the dial flashes green.

Each torpedo tube has a green and a red light. When the red light is lit, it
means the torpedo tube is being reloaded. The green light means it is ready
to be fired.

To fire a torpedo, click the left mouse button in the window. If you
double-click, you will fire two torpedoes.

You have an infinite number of torpedoes at your disposal. However, torpedoes
are not totally reliable; sometimes you get a dud that will not explode.


DROPPING A DEPTH CHARGE (all vessels except submarines)

The depth charge window lets you drop a charge to the depth of your choice -
simply move until you are over a submarine then click the button to determine
the depth at which you want the charge to explode.


RADIO ROOM

The radio room window displays messages from other players and lets you send
messages to them. It also shows you game messages, such as who has entered
and left the Iron Wolves battle, and ships that have been sunk.

The window has two parts; a large output box where text is displayed, and
underneath that a small input box where you type messages you want to send.

To send a message, click on the input box and type your message. Then hit
return, or click on the send button. The other button determines who will get
your message:

All - all players in the battle
Us - all players on your side
Them - all players on your opposing side (great for jeering at the enemy)

Click on the button to toggle through the three options.


SCORING

Each ship type has a base number of points, as follows:

Destroyer     100
Submarine      75
Corvette       50
Merchant       10
Tanker         10

If you hit another ship, you gain the base points. If the ship is not a
drone, that amount is multiplied by 5. If your shot destroys the ship, that
amount is multiplied again by 10. So for example, if you hit and kill a
player-driven corvette, the score for that shot will be 50 x 5 x 10 = 2500.

The total amount for each shot is added to the mission score. However, if
your target turns out to be a friendly ship, the total amount is deducted
from your score!

When you exit a battle, the score for the whole mission is totted up. Scores
are not cumulative from one mission to another; your mission score is
compared to your best ever score, and if it is higher then your best score
will be amended.

To see your mission score and your best ever score, select the View Service
Record option from the Game menu. This shows you your current mission score,
and your best ever for both submarine and corvette.


LEAVING IRON WOLVES

If you want to leave the battle but come back again with a different ship,
select Exit Battle from the Game menu, then Join Battle. To leave Iron Wolves
completely, select Exit. This will close down the Iron Wolves software. Note
that this will not disconnect you from the Iron Wolves server; you will have
to do that using your connection software.


PLAYER INFO

Select View Service Record in the Game menu to see information about your
game character: your user ID, nickname, country and scores.

Select Who's Playing from the Game menu and a list of players currently in
the battle will scroll onto your radio room window.


OTHER MENUS

The Stations menu lets you toggle all the separate control windows on or off.

The Feedback menu is not yet implemented.

In the Game menu, the View Hi-score Table and Configuration options are not
yet implemented.


TALKING TO US

Iron Wolves is still in beta-test; and yes, you may find bugs in it. To send
us mail asking questions or reporting bugs, you can go to the web page at
http://www.on-line.co.uk/iw, or send mail directly to
[e-mail].


UPDATES

We are continuing to work on Iron Wolves and are producing new versions of
the front-end software all the time. Sometimes the updates are not compulsory
and you will be able to continue playing with an older version of the
software. However, when we make major changes the updates become mandatory
and you will be told when you try to play the game that your software is out
of date. To update the software, go the web page and download the latest
version.