Main Index

Ordering the Game

Menu commands

Rules

Playing the game

Pieces

Terrain


Ordering the Game

This game is only a shareware/demo version. The commercial version has many more features, options, and games/scenarios. To order the full version of the game, fill out an order form and send a check or money order for $39.95 including shipping and handling (Illinois residents add sales tax for a total of $43.15) to:

Burnham Park Software, Inc.

P.O. Box #814

Chicago, IL 60690-0814

(312) 922-1326

Features:

20 x 20 to 150 x 150 map size

2 to 6 players (Human or Computer)

24 human/computer strength levels

15 types of pieces

4 victory conditions

Editable map and/or pieces

Sound support

Options:

Auto save

Wrap around map

Hidden map and/or pieces

Multiple attacks per turn

Games/Scenarios:

World War II

World War III

Arab-Israeli wars

Persian Gulf war

Battle of Midway

Air Cavalry


Ordering Form
Order Form

Burnham Park Software, Inc.

P.O. Box #814

Chicago, IL 60690-0814

(312) 922-1326

Name:_____________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

City:___________________	State:_____________	Zip code:_________

Telephone:__________________________________________________

Number of D.O.W. games ordered:_______________________________

Amount enclosed = Number ordered x 39.95:_______________________

(Illinois residents must add sales tax for a total of $43.15 per game ordered.)

Note: If you have a printer, this order form can be printed out by using the Help menu command: File-Print Topic.


Menu commands

These commands are issued through the main program menu.

Game

New	Exit

Turn

End turn	Surrender

Display

World	Current piece

Cities	Total pieces

Victory points

Move

Next	Skip

Guard	Board/unboard

Random	Unautomate

Attack	Patrol

Stack


Rules

Object of the game

Strategy

Cities and building pieces

Movement

Combat

Pieces

Terrain


Playing the game

Moving

Attacking

Shifting between pieces

The status bar

Questions and answers


Pieces

There are eight different pieces in the Demo game. Each has its own icon, symbol, and attributes. The attributes are listed below. (Atk - is the attack strength. Def - is the defense strength. Air - is the air attack strength. Move - is the movement points per turn. Fuel - is the amount of fuel carried (optional). Turn - is the number of turns it takes to produce. Other notes may also be included.)

 Infantry (INF) - Atk=1, Def=2, Air=1, Rng=1, Move=1, Turn=4. Can capture cities.

 Armored (ARM) - Atk=3, Def=2, Air=1, Rng=1, Move=3, Turn=6. Can capture cities.

 Submarine (SUB) - Atk=2, Def=2, Air=0, Rng=1, Move=3, Turn=8. Can use up to two sneak attacks.

 Destroyer (DST) - Atk=2, Def=3, Air=1, Rng=1, Move=4, Turn=6.

 Battleship (BAT) - Atk=10, Def=10, Air=8, Rng=1, Move=3, Turn=18.

 Transport (TRN) - Atk=0, Def=1, Air=0, Rng=1, Move=3, Turn = 8. Can transport up to eight ground units.

 Fighter (FGT) - Atk=1, Def=2, Air=10, Rng=1, Move=20, Fuel=20, Turn=6.

 Cargo plane (CGO) - Atk=0, Def=1, Air=0, Rng=0, Move=10, Fuel=30, Turn=12. Can transport up to two ground units.


Terrain

 Sea - Ships and planes are allowed on squares that are at least 50% sea. Land units are not allowed on squares that are more than 50% sea. Movement cost = 1.

 Land - Land units and planes are allowed on squares that are at least 50% land. Ships are not allowed on squares that are more than 50% land. Movement cost = 1.

 Mountain - Mountain squares are like land-only squares in terms of  unit limitations. Movement cost for land units = 3. Movement cost for planes = 1. Defense bonus = 2.

 Forest - Forest squares are like land-only squares in terms of  unit limitations. Movement cost for land units = 2. Movement cost for planes = 1. Defense bonus = 1.

 City - All units are allowed on city squares. City squares are the key to the game as they allow the building of more pieces. Movement cost = 1. Defense bonus = 2.


Game-New
Menu commands: Game-New

This menu command starts a new game. Before the game begins, the computer will prompt you to choose your initial piece, which will take a few turns to complete depending on its type. When your initial piece has been completed, you will then be able to move it around to look for empty or enemy cities. See the playing the game section on how to play.


Game-Exit
Menu commands: Game-Exit

This menu command exits Declaration of War Demo entirely and returns to Microsoft Windows.


Turn-Endturn
Menu commands: Turn-End turn

This menu command ends your turn. Every piece of yours that is automated will carry through its instructions. Every other piece of yours that has not already moved will end its turn. Depressing Ctrl+E will also invoke this command.


Turn-Surrender
Menu commands: Turn-Surrender

This menu command lets you surrender the game. All of the your pieces will be destroyed and all of your cities will be cleared. The game will then end.


Display-World
Menu commands: Display-World

This menu command displays a zoomed-out view of the world map. The entire world is displayed in a small window. Visible pieces will be shown by their color and visiblel cities that are not covered by any pieces will be shown in white.


Display-Currentpiece
Menu commands: Display-Current piece

This menu command centers the map display on your currently selected piece. Depressing Ctrl+I will also invoke this command.


Display-Cities
Menu commands: Display-Cities

This menu command displays a list of your cities. This list contains information about each city: the type of unit being built, the X and Y coordinates, and the number of turns until the next unit is built. If you desire to change the type of unit being built in a city, just double-click on that city and a dialog-box will pop up allowing you to change the type of piece.


Display-Total pieces
Menu commands: Display-Total pieces

This menu command displays a list of the your pieces. It calculates the total number of each type of piece as well as the total number of your pieces.


Display-Victory points
Menu commands: Display-Victory points

This menu command displays the victory points of both players, and also displays a bar graph comparing them. The victory points are calculated as follows:

50 points - are awarded for capturing a city, and are subtracted for losing a city.

20 points - are awarded for building  a transport or destroying an enemy transport, and are subtracted for losing a transport through combat.

Atk+Def+Air points - are awarded for building a combat unit or destroying an enemy combat unit, and are subtracted for losing a piece through combat.


Move-Next
Menu commands: Move-Next

This menu command switches to your next piece. If there are no other available pieces to move, the original piece will remain the current piece. Depressing Ctrl+N will also invoke this command.


Move-Skip
Menu commands: Move-Skip

This menu command ends the turn of your current piece. If there are no other available pieces to move, then the turn will end. Depressing Ctrl+S will also invoke this command.


Move-Guard
Menu commands: Move-Guard

This menu command directs your current piece to stand guard at its current location until it is unautomated. Depressing Ctrl+G will also invoke this command.


Move-Board/unboard
Menu commands: Move-Board/unboard

This menu command directs your current piece to board or unboard a transport if it is in the same square. There are a few limitations to this: a transport can hold no more than eight land pieces, and a cargo plane can hold no more than two land pieces. (Land pieces refer to infantry or armored.) Depressing Ctrl+B will also invoke this command.


Move-Random
Menu commands: Move-Random

This menu command directs your current piece to move randomly until unautomated. Depressing Ctrl+R will also invoke this command.


Move-Unautomate
Menu commands: Move-Unautomate

This menu command changes the cursor to a pointing hand. Moving the cursor on to a square with one of your pieces and clicking the left mouse button will cancel certain commands including: Move-Guard, Move-Random, Move-Patrol, and Move-Stack. Depressing Esc will return the cursor to normal. Depressing Ctrl+U will also invoke this command.


Move-Attack
Menu commands: Move-Attack

This menu command changes the cursor to a target. Moving the cursor on to a square within the range of your current piece and clicking the left mouse button will cause the piece to attack the top enemy piece within that square. If there is no enemy piece in that square, then the attack will do nothing. Depressing Esc will return the cursor to normal. Depressing Ctrl+A will also invoke this command.


Move-Patrol
Menu commands: Move-Patrol

This menu command changes the cursor to a circle with a counter-clockwise arrow. Moving the cursor on to a square and clicking the left mouse button will cause your current piece to patrol, until unautomated, between its current position and the square that was clicked. Depressing Esc will return the cursor to normal. Depressing Ctrl+P will also invoke this command.


Move-Stack
Menu commands: Move-Stack

This menu command changes the cursor to two overlapping squares. Clicking the cursor on a square will cause all pieces of the same class as the top piece, to be stacked together. (Class refers to land, sea, or air types.) A stack cannot attack. To break up a stack, unautomate it by using the Move-Unautomate command. Depressing Esc will return the cursor to normal. Depressing Ctrl+U will also invoke this command.


Object of the game

The object of Declaration of War is to accomplish one of two goals: force your opponent to surrender, or capture all of your opponents' cities and destroy all of your opponents' pieces. This is generally achieved by a balanced strategy of three different actions: attacking, defending, and expanding.


Strategy

Attacking refers to aggressively moving toward your opponent and attempting to destroy his pieces and capture his cities. Defending refers to massing units on cities and other strategic points, and patrolling important sea lanes with airplanes and warships. Expanding refers to quickly trying to capture unoccupied and enemy cities, so that more friendly pieces may be built. These three general actions should always maintain some sort of balance, but each should be emphasized at certain points during the game. Expansion in the beginning, defending toward the middle, and attacking at the end.


Build piece
Cities and building pieces

Cities are the key to the game and capturing them should be a primary goal. Unoccupied cities may be captured by moving on to them with an infantry or armored piece. The moving piece will either be destroyed or it will capture the city and become a permanent garrison force. Enemy cities must be cleared of enemy forces, then they may be captured in the same manner as unoccupied cities. When the city is captured, the capturing player will be prompted with a dialog box to select a piece for that city to start building. Each piece will take a certain number of turns to build. After that many turns, a new piece will be built on that city and can be moved the following turn. Another piece of the same type will then be started. To change the type of piece that a city is building, either double-click on the city or use the Display-Cites menu command. If a piece is changed the new piece will start building from the beginning.


Movement

Movement is performed by moving a piece from one square to another and is affected by the terrain, the type of piece involved, and fuel. If the movement cost of the terrain is greater than the amount of movement points left for the piece, it can still move into that square.

Terrain:

Movement cost: Squares that consist of at least 50% mountain, have a movement cost of three. Squares that consist of at least 50% forest, have a movement cost of two. All others have a movement cost of one.

Movement limitations: Squares that consist of more than 50% land, cannot have sea pieces on them. Squares that consist of more than 50% sea, cannot have land pieces on them. Cities may have any type of piece on them.

Type of piece:

Land: Land pieces are subject to all terrain movement costs, but are only allowed on squares that consist of at least 50% land.

Sea: Sea pieces are only allowed on squares that consist of at least 50% sea, and are only subject to a movement cost of one.

Air: Air pieces are allowed on any square, and are only subject to a movement cost of one.

Fuel:

The amount of fuel used per square of movement is equal to the movement cost of the square.


Combat

Combat is performed by pitting the attacker's strength, including all bonuses, against the defender's strength, including all bonuses, then calculating which pieces is hit and how much damage is done.

Attacker:

Basic attack strength: If the defender is an air piece then the basic attack strength is the attacking piece's air (AIR) attribute. Otherwise the basic attack strength is the attacking piece's attack (ATK) attribute. (This may be reduced if the attacking piece has taken any damage.)

Sneak attack bonus: If the attacking piece is a submarine with sneak attacks left, and the defending piece is a ship, the sneak attack bonus is ten.

Defender:

Basic defense strength: Is the defending piece's defense (DEF) attribute. (This may be reduced if the defending piece has taken any damage.)

Terrain bonus: For land pieces, sea pieces, and helicopters, terrain bonuses may be applicable. If an eligible piece is on a square that is at least 50% forest, its basic defense strength is increased by one. If an eligible piece is on a square that is at least 50% mountain, or a city square, its basic defense strength is increased by two.

To hit:

Determination of a hit: A random number between 0 and 99 is determined and if it is less than the To Hit Number then the defender is hit, otherwise the attacker is hit.

Damage:

Damage bonuses: If the attacker is a submarine and the defender is a ship and is hit, then the damage number is increased by 15. Any other bonuses are dependent on the strength of the player that hit the other.

Determination of damage: A random number between 0 and 99 is determined and if it is greater than or equal to 90 then a critical hit has happened and the piece that was hit is destroyed. If is greater than or equal to 40 then 2 to 7 points of damage are done to the piece that was hit. Otherwise 1 to 2 points of damage are done to the piece that was hit.


Moving

There are two distinct ways of moving a piece:

The keyboard: This is probably the easiest way of moving pieces. To move a piece, simply press the corresponding key on the numeric keypad.

Up & Left = Home

Up = (Up arrow)

Up & Right = PgUp

Left = (Left arrow)

Right = (Right arrow)

Down & Left = End

Up = (Down arrow)

Up & Right = PgDn

The mouse: To move a piece with the mouse, place the cursor over the piece and then click and hold the left mouse button. This cursor will change to a square with an arrow pointing out of it. Move the cursor to the piece's intended destination and release. This will put the piece on automatic movement until it reaches its destination.


Attacking

There are two distinct ways of attacking a piece:

The keyboard: This is probably the easiest way of attacking a piece, but it is limited to attacking pieces that are only one square away. To attack a piece one square away, just move into that square.

The mouse: To attack a piece with the mouse, use the Move-Attack menu command to turn the cursor into a target. Then place the cursor on top of  the square that is to be attacked and click the left mouse button.


Shifting between pieces

There are a few ways of shifting between pieces.

Next: The Move-Next menu command changes the current piece to the next one in line, but doesn't end its turn.

Skip: The Move-Skip menu command changes the current piece to the next one in line, and ends its turn.

Guard: The Move-Guard menu command changes the current piece to the next one in line and sets it to automatically guard its square each turn.


Status bar

The status bar on the top of the terrain map gives helpful information about the current piece. The information included is often very important to game play. A description of the contents of the status bar follows.

Piece code(???): A three letter code that describes the type of piece.

Attack(Atk): The piece's current ground attack including damage.

Defense(Def): The piece's current defense including damage.

Air(Air): The piece's current air attack including damage.

Move(Move): The number of movement points left for this turn.

Fuel(Fuel): The amount of fuel left. (Optional)

Transport(Trans): The amount of units being transported, or whether the piece is being transported. (Optional)

Sneak(Sneak): A submarine still has a sneak attack left. (Optional)

Units(Unts): The number of pieces on the square. (Optional)

(X, Y): The X and Y coordinates of the square.


Questions and answers

Question: How do I board a transport piece?

Answer: Either move a land piece onto the square that contains a transport piece or, if they are both in the same square, have the land piece invoke the Move-Board menu command. In both cases a dialog-box will pop up asking if you want to board the transport. Answer yes.

Question: How can I tell if a piece is being transported?

Answer: The word Trans will be displayed on the status bar if it is the current piece.

Question: How can I tell how many pieces are on a square?

Answer: If it is an enemy occupied square a single piece will be shown by just an icon of that piece, two or more pieces will be shown by a small square surrounding the top piece. Friendly squares will additionally have the number of pieces in the square on the status bar. (It will show: Unts=?)

Question: How does damage work?

Answer: If a piece is hit it either takes damage or it is destroyed. For each point of damage that a piece takes, a point is deducted off of the attack, defend, or air attack attributes. When all of them are down to zero the piece is destroyed.

Question: What determines which piece will be on top?

Answer: The piece with the greatest undamaged Attack + Defense and is not on board a transport will be shown on the top of a stack of pieces.

Question: Why can't I unboard a transport?

Answer: It is probably because the transport is on a square that is less than 50% land. It could also be because all of the pieces on board are guarding or have moved already during the turn.

Question: On what squares can I board/unboard land pieces?

Answer: The square must be at least 50% land.