Atari Forever 4/Atari Forever 4.zip/Atari Forever 4.iso/SERIE_S/S_793/S_793.ZIP/CONQUEST.07B/DOCS/WC_ENGL.TXT

Text File | 1995-04-04 | 24KB | 649 lines

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                                      * *

                               by Wisisoft

                          a strategic game of war
                              by Alois Felber


                                Game Manual
                                -----------









Table of Contents:
------------------

 1. Installing and starting the program...............................2
 2. What's it all about?..............................................2
 3. Starting a new game...............................................2
 4. Basic Principles of turns and moves...............................3
 5. About cities and production.......................................3
 6. Moving the units..................................................3
 7. Fighting and conquering...........................................4
 8. About the info menu...............................................5
 9. Saving and restoring the game.....................................6
10. About the different units.........................................6
11. The datalink mode.................................................7
12. The play-by-phone mode............................................7
13. Loading a different scenario......................................7
14. Credits...........................................................8












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1. Installing and starting the program
--------------------------------------
To be able to play WORLD CONQUEST be sure to have the following files
copied on your disk in one folder:

           - CONQUEST.PRG
           - CONQUEST.RSC
           - CONQUEST.GRF
           - CONQUEST.INT
           - CONQUEST.SNG
           - DEFAULT.SCN
           - INTRO.PRG
           - TITEL.GRF
           - WISISOFT.GRF

If so, start the program by doubleclicking on CONQUEST.PRG.
WORLD CONQUEST should run in every graphic mode on all TOS compatible
computers using more than 3 bitplanes (which means at least 16 colors).
It runs for sure in ST low and TT low/med. However, using special programs
to emulate the mentioned modes on black and white monitors, you can also
play WORLD CONQUEST on a ATARI TTM 194 as well as on a SM 124/125/144/146.
For that reason and for the B/W Multisync Monitors there is a feature
available in the >Settings< Menu called  >B/W Screen<, which adjusts the
Colors to a usable contrasts on such monitors, as otherwise WORLD CONQUEST
would not be playable on those.


2. What's it all about
----------------------
WORLD CONQUEST is a strategic game of war. Therefore the aim of each player
is to destroy all other players by means of violence. Simple, isn't it?


3. Starting a new game
----------------------
To start a new game from the scratch, click on >Start a New Game< in the
>Game< Menu. Having done so you get to another menu which asks the mode of
play:

           - SINGLE COMPUTER
           - DIRECT DATALINK
           - DATALINK BY MODEM

If you have only one computer click on >SINGLE COMPUTER<.

If you have connected two Computers using a RS 232 wire you have to choose
>DIRECT DATALINK<.

If you want to play by phone against your friend at the other end of the
town, or whereever, click on >DATALINK BY MODEM<.

The program will jump to another menu, where you can activate the players'
colors and type in their names.

Click on the coloured bars to activate the color. The text on the bar will
switch from  >INACTIVE< to >HUMAN< to >COMPUTER< and back to >INACTIVE<.
>INACTIVE< means: that color is not going to join the game.
Choose >HUMAN< if you want to play with this color.
Choose >COMPUTER< if you like the computer to lead an army to the war
against you.
When you've finished taking colors and typing in names, click on [ OK ].



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The program will now init the game, which means distribute all cities,
airfields, harbours and ressource sites over the map at random. (According
to the default or with WORLD EDITOR edited and loaded scenario.)

After that each player will be assigned a City to start his campaign from,
and he or she must decide what weapon should be produced there. It's mostly
reasonable to start with a tank, if you're on a big land mass. However, if
you've got to start on an island or just a small continent it is often
vital to build a transport ship first. (see part 5 for more details.)
Before taking that decision you will be shown the location of your
starting city on the overview map.

4. Basic principles of turns and moves
--------------------------------------
Once the game is on, the cities start to produce weapons. When the first of
a player's units is finished, the game window will show the section of the
world map in which it can be found and frames it white. Now the program
waits for a command to be given to that unit by the player who owns it.
This can be done either by using the >Move< menu or by giving the unit a
target square in the game window to move to (see part 6 for how this is
done.)
Been given a target, the unit will then start to move to it and when all
it's movement points for this turn are used up, the program will go on to
the next unit or player. The program will only stop in it's work when units
reach their target squares, or have just been produced.
The units' moves are carried out in the order of their production. The order
of the players remains the same during the whole game. It is chosen at
random at the start of the game. Ressource sites will produce each turn one
unit of either oil, rubber or metal. Cities go on producing while there are
enough units of raw material left.


5. About cities and production
------------------------------
Cities will only produce if there is at least one unit of each kind of
raw material (oil, rubber, metal) left in a player's stocks. At the beginning
of the game the players have 20 units of each (in the default scenario -
others can differ). To be able to carry on the production the players must
conquer ressource sites.
Therefore the players must first construct weapons that don't take
too long to produce and are themselves able to conquer new ressource sites.
Capable of conquering anything are only land forces (Infantry, Tank,
Artillery, Anti Aircraft). Whereas Artillery and Anti Aircraft units are
not very good in it.
Whenever a player's unit is capturing a new city he will be asked to decide
what kind of weapons should be produced there. A city's production can always
be changed again later by clicking on it using the right mousebutton.
In the >City Production< Menu the kind of unit that is being produced is
framed white. Also displayed is how long it would still take to finish
it. Clicking on other units' symbols you can now change the production. A
city's production may also be stopped by clicking on >Stop Production<.
If a player changes a city's production before a unit has been finished,
the half built thing will be thrown away. So you can't start to produce one
thing, change production and continue again at the point you interrupted
the first production, but either finish a weapon or lose the raw
material spent on a half finished one.


6. Moving the units
-------------------
When a unit is ready to accept a command it is framed white. It's
owner as well as it's kind are stated in the infobar of the game
window. You can now force this unit to move on an adjanctent square by

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simply clicking on the square using the left mousebutton. This can be repeated
as many times as the unit has movement points left.
To command the unit to move to
a more distant target square, click on the unit using the left mousebutton and
keep holding it down, while moving to the target. A rubber band will be shown,
marking the line between the two squares. Having arrived at the target square
release the mousebutton. The unit will then immediately start to move.
Using the "rubber band method" you can not only command the white framed
unit, but all units which are in the current section of the world displayed
in the game window.

Some more special commands can be found in the "Move" menu:

           - WAKE UNIT
           - SLEEP
           - NEXT UNIT
           - MOVE LATER
           - USE WEAPONS
           - DETECT UNITS
           - SCRAP UNIT
           - SURRENDER

WAKE UNIT wakes units that are asleep. Simply click on the sleeping units
to wake them up.

SLEEP will cause the white framed unit to sleep. Being asleep, units won't
get whiteframed any more and the program won't stop for you to give them
orders. They also won't of course execute any orders any more. This feature
can be useful when certain units don't need to move for a while. As for
example Land units that are embarked on transport ships or fighters on
carriers. There might also be some stranded units, that have been left on a
small island and cannot be embarked again. In addition sleeping units
that have suffered damage in battle gain 1 point of strength for each
turn they spend asleep in a town.

NEXT UNIT terminates a unit's move for a turn. It is used whenever a unit
already is, where it should be, but still has movement points left.

MOVE LATER will cause the program to override the current unit in the order
of command and to get back to it later in the turn. Because units will take
commands normally in order of their production, this command is useful to
maintain more complicated actions such as embarking or disembarking or a
massed attack with different units.

USE WEAPONS has to be used when some units' special weapons are to be
fired. (see part 7 for more details.)

DETECT UNITS will make the whiteframed unit use it's sonar (if it's a ship)
or radar (if it's an anti aircraft unit). If there are units within 8
squares that have been hidden from the players view, they can be revealed
to him using this feature. However anti aircraft units can only detect
planes and ships can only detect other ships. DETECT UNITS ist the only
mean to find enemy submarines.

SCRAP UNIT will scrap the whiteframed unit and put half of the ressources
needed to produce a weapon of that kind back in the stocks.








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7. Fighting and conquering
--------------------------
There are three basicly different types of possible
fighting actions:

1. conquering cities, installations and ressource sites
2. directly attacking enemy units
3. using some units' special weapons

 1. In Order to conquer cities, installations (airfields, harbours) or
    resource sites, you simply have to command your units to go there. Only
    land forces are able to conquer anything (Infantry, Tank, Artillery,
    Anti Aircraft), as tanks have the best chances of those.

 2. A direct attack on enemy units is working the same way. However, Land
    forces cannot attack navy units if they are on sea. They can though,
    when the ships are in a harbour or city. The same is true for
    ships off course.
    Planes can attack everything and be attacked by everything.
    In every battle the damage that the units suffer is subtracted from
    their strength. When a unit's strength is used up, it is destroyed.
    Units on adjancent squares to the one that is being attack support
    depending on to whom they belong either the attackers or the defenders.

 3. Firing the special weapons is done by using >use weapon< in the >Game<
    Menu. The following units are equiped with special weapons.

           - Artillery      (Cannons to shoot at land and sea units)
           - Anti Aircraft  (SAMs or whatever to launch at planes)
           - Battleship     (Guns to shoot at land and sea units)
           - Bomber         (Bombs to release on every ground target)

    The guns of the artillery and battleship units have a range of 6
    squares. After activating >use weapon< the mousepointer is changed into
    crosswires. To appoint a target square to shoot at, simply move the
    mouse to it and press the left mousebutton.
    Anti aircraft units are capable of shooting at planes within a circle
    of 5 squares. The process of appointing a target is the same as stated
    above.
    Bombers will release one of their two bombs on the square on which they
    are located. That one as well as all adjancent squares are
    affected, which means all ground units and sites located in that
    squares will suffer damage.
    If cities, installations or ressource sites have been bombarded, they
    won't be totally destroyed, but just turned "neutral" again. So whoever
    is the first to reach them with land units, can again conquer and take
    profit of them.


8. About the info menu
----------------------
In the >Info< Menu you can activate the following windows with information
on a particular topic:

           -UNIT INFO
           -GENERAL INFO
           -OVERVIEW MAP
           -VIEW STOCKS
           -HALL OF FAME

>Unit Info< will display information on particular units, such as type,
movement points left, strength, whether they are embarked, asleep or


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carrying other units. The >Unit Info< window can also be activated directly
by moving the mousepointer on a particular unit and pressing the right
mousebutton. If there is more than one unit on a square you can switch
between them by using the right mousebutton.

>General Info< will provide you with information about the current game's
status. It will display all players amount of cities, installations,
ressource sites, and army strength. Take look at >General Info< to know
who's winning. The players' scores are also displayed. They result from
the player's property and battle victories.
>Overview Map< will display, well... the overview map. Plotted on it are
the current players units (colored dots). Enemy units won't be
displayed. Using >Overview Map< you can also control what kind of units are
under construction in all of your cities. The kind of unit under
construction in the current city will be displayed in the titlebar of the
info window. On the map, the current city's location will be shown encircled.
You can switch between the cities by pressing the right mousebutton.
To change a city's production move the mousepointer inside the circle and
press the left mousebutton.

>View Stocks< takes a look at your stocks of raw materials, how much is being
produced each turn and how many cities try to produce weapons. It's important
to know if production is running in more cities than can be supplied with
raw material, as in the unsupplied cities the production will be interrupted.

The information window can always be closed by pressing the [RETURN] key or
clicking on the close symbol.


9. Saving and restoring the game
--------------------------------
Just click on the options in the >Game< menu and proceed as you would in
every other GEM aplication. There should really be no problem in doing
that. However the loading of a saved >Datalink< game can be tricky.
Please read part 11, which reffers to that problem.
Using >Auto Save< in the >Settings< menu you can activate a feature
which saves off the game automatically every amount off turns you define.

10. About the different units
-----------------------------
Unit:       Strength: Prod.time: Speed: sight rng:  Specials:
               [pts]   [trns]   [sqrs/trn] [sqrs]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Infantry         1         2          2      2
Tank             2         4          4      2
Artillery        2         5          3      3  cannon (range 6)
Transport        2         5          6      5  transports land units
Destroyer        4         6          9      6
Submarine        3         6          8      4  "invisible"
Battleship      10        10          8      5  guns (range 6)
Carrier          8        12          8      6  transports fighters
Anti Aircraft    2         5          3      4  SAMs (range 5)
Fighter          4         6         15     10
Bomber           6        10         10     10  carries 2 bombs

These values can still differ from one version to the other (as long as it's
a version < 1.0).

Planes are restricted in their movements by the measure of their fuel tank.
Fighters can be filled up with fuel for moving 20 squares, bombers for 30.
If a plane runs out of fuel it will crash. Fuel is available in cities and
airfields, as well as on carriers, so at all locations where planes can land.


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Only fighters can land on carriers, as the bombers are too big. To land on
a carrier, simply move the fighter on it.

Embarking land units on transport ships is somewhat more complicated. Move
the land units (Infantry, Tank, Artillery, Anti aircraft) in a city or
harbour where there is already a transport waiting, or move a transport in
a city or harbour where land units are waiting.

Apart from loading bombs, bombers can also be used as transport planes for
infantry units, which allows you to use them as airborne troops. Infantry
units can mount a plane in cities as well as on airfields. However you can
only put three of them in one bomber.


11. The datalink mode
---------------------
11.1 Setting the RS 232 interface parameters
Click on >RS 232< in the >Settings< menu to adjust the data transfer rate
and the type of handshake. All other parameters are set by WORLD CONQUEST
automatically. Be sure having set on both computers the same data transfer
rate and handshake type before trying to establish a connection.

11.2 Establishing a datalink
To play a datalink game, you have to connect two computers using an RS 232
wire. On both computers: Start the program, click on >New Game< in the
>Game< menu and click on >DIRECT DATALINK< in the >Game Mode< menu. The
computer on which you do this first will then display the message: send
handshake and start to count back from 1000 to 0. When you click on
>DIRECT DATALINK< on the other computer both should display the message
Connected at XXXX bps. In case they don't react that way, something is
wrong and you have to try it again. Especially if both computers are
counting down, the connection attempt has failed.
In this version (0.4) there are still several problems left, that cause
errors in the connection attempt. It might not be so easy to establish a
working connection. But try several times. It will work sooner or later.

11.3 Selecting players and colors
When a datalink has successfully been established, you have to press a key
on each computer to get into the >Player Select< menu. There everything
works the same way as it did in the single-computer-mode. Remember to press
the >OK< button only when both of you have made all settings
correctly. When the >OK< button is selected on the first computer, the
>Player Select< menu will be quit on both computers and the game will
start.

11.4 The datalink game
The game works basicly much the same as in the single-computer mode.
However, when it's not your turn, the mousepointer will change into the
datalink symbol and you won't be able to manipulate the program.

11.5 Saving and restoring
The game will be saved on both computers. Whenever the active player saves
the game, the program will tell the other computer to do the same.
To restore a datlink game simply click on >Restore Game< in the >Game< menu
and do as in the single-computer-mode. After having loaded the data the
program will make an attempt for a datalink. If the datalink won't work,
the program replaces the remote player by an computer enemy.







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12. The play-by-phone mode
--------------------------
Use >DATALINK BY MODEM< instead of >DIRECT DATALINK<. You then will have
to define the command string according to what you want to do. You can choose
between:

         - DIAL REMOTE
         - ANSWER ON CALL
         - WAIT FOR CALL

If you want to call the other player, type in his or her phone number and
click on >DIAL REMOTE<. If the other player is already ringing, click on
>ANSWER ON CALL<. By clicking on >WAIT FOR CALL< you have also the
opportunity of setting your modem to the auto answer mode. You could of
course define a dial command in the slot meant for the answer command, but
don't! It's important to use the right command strings in the slots meant
for them, as the one who dials will become the "mastercomputer". So if you
answer for an example using the >DIAL REMOTE< button having defined an
answer command in the dial slot, the datalink won't work.
Please mind to save the game off every turn, when playing WORLD CONQUEST by
modem, as if you're unlucky the data transfer routines can be jammed,
especially if your modem is not equiped with the ability to use a V42
protocol.


13. Loading a different scenario
--------------------------------
Click on >Load Scenario< in the >Game< menu to replace the default scenario
by a previously edited one. To create and edit scenarios use the program
WORLD EDITOR, that can be ordered along with the update of the main
program. If you want to start a datalink game using a different scenario,
be sure, that there is the same scenario in use on both computers.


14. Credits
-----------

WORLD CONQUEST
Beta Release Version 0.7a
11.06.1993
Code, graphics and sound by Alois Felber

Worthy Betatesters:

Tom Felber
Hansruedi Riniker
Zehe Meyer
Christian Meyer
Tommy Soederstjerna
Beda Hug


Please note that all Versions of WORLD CONQUEST having a number less
than 1.0 have to be considered as Beta Release. So there can't be granted
any guarantee of working properly and any responsibility for damages caused
by using this program has to be denied.
WORLD CONQUEST is Public Domain software.
So folks, you don't have to pay me anything, if you spend your nights on
leading WORLD CONQUEST campaigns. However it would be extremely kind of you,
if you could, case you like the game, send me a small fee anyway, to
encourage me write more stuff. (small fee = about 5£/8$/10sFr/10DM)
If you send me a disk along with the money, I will return it to you with the
latest update of WORLD CONQUEST and the program WORLD EDITOR which allows you
to create your own war scenarios.

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Scenarios to be delivered along with it:

     - WORLD_1.SCN
     - ISLANDS.SCN
     - ISLANDS2.SCN
     - EUROPA.SCN

Please send questions, bug reports, advice, money, or whatever (please no
bombs!) to the following address:

Alois Felber
Feerstrasse 17
5000 Aarau
(Switzerland)

Fidonet:  2:301/101.13
Internet: [e-mail]


Other Wisisoft programs:

HOW TO BECOME AN EMPEROR
(a strategic fantasy wargame: Try to become emperor of Elmor)
ATARI ST/STe/TT - Graphic mode: ST low res.

LANCELOT
(a tactical Boardgame: Keep your wits!)
ATARI ST/STe/TT - Graphic mode: ST low res

COST
(THE phonebill calculator for Binkley Term ST and Rufus)
ATARI ST/STe/TT/Falcon (all graphic modes)

STALL
(ST aided language learning - learn your vocabulary till your ears fall off)
ATARI ST/STe - Graphic modes: ST med/high




























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