[Q] After a while, my guys just stop and turn into restocking bags. I can't make them do anything! What's up?
[A] All armies use supplies at a fixed rate. If you do not make sure your armies have adequate supplies, they will stop and do an emergency restock when their supplies drop below a certain point. You can set this emergency stocking point using the Orders Window. Restocking is only effective enough to keep the army alive if they are not in a populated area. Thus, they will restock forever if they get caught without supplies. Stock them up in towns and cities.
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[Q] One of my armies is under another army, and I can't click on him to move him out of the way. How do I get to that army?
[A] Sometimes two or more armies will occupy the same space, and it is difficult to click on the army to want. Clicking an army with the LEFT mouse button will cycle the top-to-bottom order of the armies, bringing a different army to the top where you can access it.
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[Q] How do I know when the mission is over? Nothing ever happens.
[A] You will know when you have successfully completed a mission. A debriefing window will pop up, and you will have a chance to play the next mission. If nothing happens, you have not completed the current mission. Re-read the mission briefing; it will tell you everything that needs to be done to complete the mission. Be careful: on some missions it is not enough just to kill the bad guys, but to keep a minimum number of your own soldiers alive.
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Troubleshooting
*** The Game Locks Up ***
Try turning off the sound effects and music. Overthrow uses MMPM/2 for playing sounds, which is handy and standard on OS/2 systems, but is also infamously unreliable. Unfortunately, MMPM/2 sometimes affects more than just the sound system when it takes a dive.
The command-line switch "-nosound" will start the game with the sounds turned off by default.
*** The Mouse Clicks Don't Always Register ***
Try double-clicking instead. When an army is being re-drawn, the system sometimes misses a mouse click intended for that army. Double-clicking greatly increases the odds that a click will not be lost.
*** Things Move Too Slow ***
Depending on the situation, different things may help. Try some of the following:
* Turn on the "Warp Speed" option (from the menu.) It will make things go faster under normal circumstances, but will not help if the system is spending all of its time re-drawing the armies.
* Make the Action Window smaller. With less on the screen to update, things will move faster.
* Don't run other CPU-intensive applications in the background. One thing that many people overlook is a DOS or Windows session that seems to be doing nothing, but is in reality taking up a lot of CPU time. Windows is especially notorious for this. Remember, if you have the "Windows Fast Load" option selected, a Windows session is active right from boot-up.
* Make sure you have sufficient hardware. While Overthrow will run on any OS/2 2.0 or greater system, some are obviously faster than others. A 386-33 processor is about the minimum you really want to run, and at least 8 megabytes of memory is recommended (not just for Overthrow, but to run OS/2 at all.) Something that many people forget about is a fast graphics card. Most important for Overthrow is a 32-bit local bus card (VLB or PCI.) Overthrow's graphics use a lot of bit-blting (copying bitmaps), which is done fastest by a quick data bus. Fancy accelerated cards don't help much for this type of graphical technique, but a local bus really does.
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Command Line
The following command-line options are available:
-nosound
Defaults the music and sound effects to "OFF." Normally, they are on. The -nosound option only affects the start-up state of the sound. The music and sound effects can be turned on later, if desired.
-mapfile=<filename>
Specifies the file containing the game maps. This allows custom maps to be created and used. This option is only available in the registered version of the game.
-missionfile=<filename>
Specifies the file containing the missions. This allows custom missions to be created and played. Usually, this option is used in conjunction with the -mapfile option, but that is not required. This option is only available in the registered version of the game.
For both the "-mapfile=" and "-missionfile=" options, there can be no spaces between the keyword and the filename. For example, the following is correct:
OVER -MAPFILE=MYMAPS.INI -MISSIONFILE=MYMISSIONS.INI
but the following is wrong:
OVER -MAPFILE = MYMAPS.INI -MISSIONFILE= MYMISSIONS.INI
(note: the dash ('-') is optional. It can be left off, or a slash ('/') can be used instead. The options are also not case sensitive. So, all of the following are equivalent: "-nosound", "/NOSOUND", and "NoSoUnD".
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Split Army
Splits the army into two separate armies. You will be prompted for the ratio of how the troops should be divided.
You may have to move one of the armies aside in order to see and control the second army that is created by this command.
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Set Dest.
You will be prompted for a destination. Click on the action window at the location you wish the army to move into. They will move toward that location, stopping when they get there.
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Retreat
If the army is currently at battle, retreat.
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Merge With
You will be prompted for who to merge with. Click on the rebel army with whom you wish these troops to be merged with. They will move toward and follow the army until they reach them, at which point the "merger" army will cease to exist, and the troops will become part of the "mergee" army.
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Cancel Cmds.
Pending orders, such as "attack" and "merge," will be canceled.
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Attack
You will be prompted for who to attack. Click on the enemy army you wish these troops to attack. The army will move toward and follow the enemy until battle in engaged or one of the armies disappears.
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Immed. Orders
The immediate orders are accessed by the buttons on the Army Command Window. They will take place immediately. Click on the tabs below for information on each type of orders:
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The army will hide in an attempt to evade detection by the enemy. Success depends on the size of the army, the population of the area, and the type of terrain. For instance, it is easy to hide in the forest, but virtually impossible to hide in the middle of a lake.
When one of your armies is hiding, the icon will appear as a group of soldiers in the wilderness trying to keep from being spotted.
It is important to note that you cannot determine if a hiding army has been spotted. The army will try to hide as long as they are sitting there, but the enemy may see them. Of course, the enemy can lose track of your army even after they have been spotted, but there are no guarantees.
If an enemy army disappears and reappears on occasion, they may be trying to hide. It is possible that an enemy can be so well hidden that you never see them, so be careful!
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Ambush
Sets up an ambush. The army will act like it is hiding until an enemy comes along. It will then attack the enemy, hopefully by surprise. Just like hiding, however, they can be detected.
When one of your armies is preparing for an ambush, the icon will appear as a group of soldiers hiding in the bushes waiting for the enemy to happen by.
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Public Service
The troops will perform community service work, such as rebuilding schools and houses, and caring for the sick and wounded.
Doing public service work influences public opinion, making the people more sympathetic toward the rebel cause.
When one of your armies is performing community service, the icon will appear as a hammer and saw to indicate some of the tools being used.
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Recruit/Train
If the army is in a populated area, it will attempt to recruit new troops from the local populous. Each map area contains only a limited number of recruits willing to sign up. Once they have all been brought on board, it is useless to try to recruit more.
If the army is at a boot camp, the troops will undergo training exercises to make them more skilled. Training works to increase the "quality" characteristic of the army, and can only be done at a boot camp.
When one of your armies is recruiting or training, the icon will appear as a drill sergeant drilling a cadet.
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Restock
The army will stock up on needed supplies, such as food, clothing, and equipment.
The rate at which restocking occurs is based on the size of the population of the area in which the army is searching for the supplies. Restocking in an area with little or no population will yield only enough supplies to stay alive. It is therefore usually only worthwhile to restock in well-populated areas.
When one of your armies is restocking, the icon will appear as a bag of supplies.
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Fortify/Defend
The army will set up a defensive position to prepare against attacks. If the army is attacked, it will have a defensive advantage.
Defending an area will cause the local population to become more steadfast in their current political belief. If they were previously hostile to the rebel cause, they will become more so due to the unwanted show of force in their neighborhood. If they were previously sympathetic, they will become more supportive as they see the fight for freedom at their doorstep.
When one of your armies is fortifying an area, the icon will appear as a sentry (holding a spear) and guarding the area.
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Dest. Orders
The destination orders specify what the army should do when it is not moving. They are specified by clicking on the appropriate radio button in the Army Commands window.
Special Note: You will not be able to see what the enemy armies are doing when they stop. An enemy army will appear as a tent (they are camped) when not moving. You cannot tell what type of action they are performing, which could include restocking, fortifying, ambushing, etc.
Click on the tabs below for information on each type of orders:
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Terrain
The landscape of the country is made up of several different types of terrain. Each has different characteristics, including cover (affecting the ability to hide) and freedom of movement (affecting how fast troops can move through an area.)
The following briefly describes the different types of terrain:
PLAIN
Flat areas, often grassland. Movement is easy, but cover is sparse.
FOREST
Large numbers of trees inhibit movement, but provide excellent cover.
HILLS
The region is not flat, so movement is slower than on the plains. Cover is slightly better.
MOUNTAINS
The region is rough and treacherous. Movement is a virtual crawl, but it is fairly easy to hide.
WATER
Water (lakes and oceans) is a severe obstacle to movement. If possible, going around is almost always the best thing to do. The troops are land-based, so water travel involves finding/renting/borrowing/building boats and other difficulties. The extremely slow rate of travel reflects this. Traveling over mountains seems downright fast compared to this. Also, there is no cover and an army unit cannot stop for supplies.
SHORELINE
Where water meets land, travel is slowed. The area can still be navigated, though. Movement is slightly faster than traveling over mountains due to the uncertainty of the terrain. Moderate coverage is available.
Rivers are made up exclusively of shoreline terrain. That means that rivers can be crossed without the same difficulties of lakes and oceans (they can be forded or bridges can be found.) It may look a little funny to see an army walking over water, but that is simply because they are not venturing deep into the drink.
ROADS
Roads are flattened areas designed for easy travel. Thus, the speed of movement on a road beats all other types of terrain. Coverage is not as prevalent, though. Travel over a bridge is slightly slower, but still beats anything else.
CITIES, TOWNS, and VILLAGES
The larger the community, the slower the travel and the better the cover. Movement speed falls between hills and plains. Also, these are the best places to restock on supplies, due to their availability.
BOOT CAMPS (TRAINING CENTERS)
If a boot camp has been set up, you can take troops there for training to make them more skilled. This will help them in future battles. A boot camp is the only place where troops can train.
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Fighting
A fight begins when an army attacks an enemy army. You can attack an enemy by RIGHT-clicking to bring up the Command Window, pressing the "attack" button, and finally clicking on the enemy you wish to attack. An alternate method is to RIGHT-drag from your army to the enemy army.
After a fight has been initiated, it begins when the two armies are both occupying the same terrain element. They will fight until one army is dead or one of the armies retreats. The loser (if still alive) will then run away, and the victor will move to occupy the terrain element. Any time during a fight, you can RIGHT-click on the fight to see how it is going. A window showing the relative strengths of the armies will appear.
Success in a battle is based on the number of troops, the quality of the troops, the health of the troops, and any defensive advantage. It is obviously a good idea to be in better shape and have more soldiers than your opponent.
A defensive advantage is gained if your troops were guarding the area when the fight was initiated. This can happen in one of two ways: first, by carrying out the "Fortify/Defend" destination orders. Second, by setting up a successful ambush. Note that if your troops are discovered (hiding was unsuccessful,) then an ambush gains you no advantage. See the "Hiding" destination orders for more information on hiding and ambushing.
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Windows
There are a number of windows in Overthrow. Most have obvious uses and do not require much explanation, such as the Action window and the Map window. Others, usually the information windows, appear when you RIGHT-click on something.
The messages window (which starts out in the upper-left corner) always displays the latest message that the system has chosen to give you. If you have Sound Effects enabled, a new message will be accompanied by an audible tone. If you hear this tone, check the message window (which should have been brought to the front) to see what the message is.
The most complicated window is the Commands window. Look at the Destination Orders and the Immediate Orders sections of this help for information on how to deal with that window.
The Orders window allows you to specify when your troops will stop and look for supplies, and when they will retreat from a battle.
You can freely move all of the windows in the game around, and resize the Action window. If you screw things up or resize the game and wish to get things back in their original alignment, select "Arrange" from the "Window" menu.
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Missions
The game play of Overthrow is divided into missions. Each mission has a different setup and has different goals. The mission briefing outlines the mission for you. Read it carefully before you begin the mission. You can also read it again later by clicking on the "Briefing" menu item. Hit ESCape to dismiss the briefing window.
Part of the mission briefing outlines your goals. Every goal must be met before the mission can be successfully completed. If one or more of the mission goals are not met, the mission will continue. You will not be warned if you do something that makes the goals impossible to achieve, so you will need to check the goals if you think you have completed the mission but it has not ended. If you think you have gone past the point of no return, you can simply re-start the mission and try it again.
When you successfully complete a mission, your will then have access to the next mission (unless that was the last one.) Although you can only move forward by completing the highest mission available, you can go back any re-play any missions you have already completed at any time.
Different players can be specified, each with their own set of mission accomplishments. This lets more than one person play the game and work through the missions at their own pace. When a new player is created, they will start out on mission #1.
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Controls
During game play, you will be faced with a confusing array of information. Because Overthrow is a live-action strategy game, you do not have the luxury of long waits while you figure out what is going on. So, remember the following rules and you should be able to navigate the game easily:
1) Your armies are the guys in the red uniforms. The bad guys are in blue.
2) The action window is the big window with all the action. This is where you will do most of the interaction. Click with the RIGHT mouse button (button #2) on any object in the action window to get more information about that object.
3) The Command window is how you control your armies. Click the RIGHT mouse button on one of your armies, and the command window for that army will appear. It gives detailed information about that army, and allows you to give them orders. To deal with a different army, you will need to RIGHT-click on that other army.
When you select an army (bring up the command window,) a red square will appear around the army to indicate which army the command window currently refers to. When you RIGHT-click to bring up information about an enemy army, that army will appear with a blue square around it.
4) Sometimes two or more armies will occupy the same space, and it is difficult to click on the army to want. Clicking an army with the LEFT mouse button will cycle the top-to-bottom order of the armies, bringing a different army to the top where you can access it.
5) HINT! When attempting to click on an army, the click is not always registered when the army is moving. Try double-clicking if that happens.
6) HINT! A shortcut to specifying a destination for an army is to drag it. Just click the RIGHT mouse button on the army you want to move, then drag the mouse to the destination and release the button. This will automatically set the army's destination to the specified point without having to open up the command window for that army. You can also specify an enemy army to attack using this method.
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Quick Start
To get started quickly, first read the "Controls" section of the help so you know how to manipulate things, then select "Game" from the program menu. Add a new player, then start the mission. Have fun!
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Contact
Brian Brown and Parahill Pictures can be contacted in the following ways:
e-mail: bbrown@eecs.wsu.edu
WWW Overthrow Home Page: http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/~bbrown/overhome.html
snail-mail:
1200 Mill Creek Blvd. A303
Mill Creek, WA 98012
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Story
The story is an ancient one, yet we must face it today. It is a common story, yet each time it happens, it seems extraordinary. Each time is the same, yet each time is vastly different. The story is one of politics, of power, and of corruption.
Your country has fallen under the rule of an oppressive totalitarian regime. It started out slowly, political groups professing to know how to cure the ills of society, and that they should be allowed to do it. Simple and common. That is the point of politics, after all -- to convince people that you are the one who can govern them best.
These groups slowly gained power, their members filling posts and getting elected. It took many years, and nobody noticed much, until one day they held all of the important positions. Then, in one swift stroke, they threw away the government in which they had spent years working for their power, and seized control of the country.
With their taxes, they controlled the worldly goods of the citizens. With their armies, they controlled the behavior of the people. And with their cunning and intellect, they worked to control the very thoughts of the people. That is how they rose to power in the first place, and that way how they were going to keep that power.
Their leader was named Samuel Filbourg. He was tall, handsome, and talked with a deep, booming voice that enthralled those to whom he spoke. He wore the face of honestly and sincerity, and of concern. Perhaps he really thought of himself like that, that he did care for people and was only doing what he thought best for them. He was arrogant, but he always had an understanding smile ready. He was manipulative and deceitful, but he always seemed sorry when he destroyed people's hopes, dreams, and sometimes their very lives. Perhaps he was sorry, but he did it anyway.
As Filbourg and his minions tightened their grip on the country, the people grew increasingly restless and unhappy. Underground groups of dissenters formed, and the country moved to the brink of civil war. Finally, the strongest group emerged publicly, and ignited the passions of the citizenry. The move to overthrow the evil rulers and restore peace to the land had begun.
It is your job to command the military forces, such as they are, that the rebels have mustered. It will be a long and painful process, for you will always be out-numbered, out-gunned, and out-classed. However, you have the strength of righteousness on your side. The people are with you, and will be your support during the struggle. You will have to recruit troops, train them, keep them fed, and lead them into battle. Only when the rulers have been overthrown and freedom restored to the people will your job be complete. If you fail, one can only imagine what will happen to the people and the country you love so much. And you can only imagine the worst...
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Overthrow
OVERTHROW
by Parahill Productions
Lead Programmer: Brian W. Brown
Artwork assistance by: Cary Butler
Music: Bach's Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914.
Performed by Peter C. Henderson
"The Time has come to turn those plowshares into swords."
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About This Version
This is a semi-official release of Overthrow. I consider it "semi" official because it is not really up to my standards for a release product. But, I am releasing it anyway because people have been asking about it and I don't know if I am ever going to actually finish it. Since I orignially planned to sell it when it was finished (and it is not finished,) I have decided to just release this version as Whateverware (No payment is required, but I encourage you to send me money, a postcard, a coconut, or whatever you think is appropriate.)
If you play the game for very long, you will notice that there are only four missions. Those were originally going to be the Shareware missions, and you would have to buy the rest of the game. Now, you can add your own missions (since there are not any more to buy.) Check the archive you downloaded for the Overthrow Mission Builder's Kit. You can also play missions other people create, or let other people play your missions. Knock yourself out!
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Legalities
This version of Overthrow is Whateverware, meaning that it may be distributed freely as long as it is not sold as a commercial product. A small distribution charge only may be collected to cover the cost of media or online connect time, not to exceed current shareware guidelines.
There is no warranty, express or implied, associated with the use of this product. Although the product is, to the best of my knowledge, perfectly safe, use is completely at the discresion and risk of the consumer. The author is not responsible for any data loss or system corruption that may occur as a result of downloading or running the product. You have been warned.
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