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Zoom - Release 2 (1996)(Active Software)[!].iso
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update.doc
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1992-11-01
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New in 1.2
~~~~~~~~~~
This file describes the new additions to AoW. If you're reading this, I'm
assuming you're familiar with the old instructions. If you've never played
AoW before, read the file "ActOfWar.doc" which contains full instructions,
including this new stuff.
New features include:
* Fire (as in flames)
* Units can return fire even if it's not their turn, under
certain conditions
* Character/cursor movement can now be carried out using
the mouse
* Weapons now have a range
* Four new types of weapons:
Scatter
Shrapnel
Incendiary
Multihit
* Landmines (and scanners to find them)
* Reinforcements
Weapons Effects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weapons can have several special attributes. These are Explosive, Scatter,
Incendiary, Shrapnel and Multihit.
Explosive weapons kill outright, unless the target is incredibly tough. They
also affect the environment around the target, eg. walls may be knocked
down, windows smashed, other units injured, volatile substances ignited
etc. They are very powerful, and you'll probably find that they're priced
accordingly!
Shrapnel weapons are a subset of explosive weapons, which not only explode
but also throw out shrapnel over a certain area. Characters not in the
actual area of explosion can therefore still be injured.
Incendiary weapons set fire to their targets without actually exploding. The
target does not have to be combustible to catch fire - weapons such as
napalm will even burn on water. A flamethrower not only sets fire to its
target square, but also all the combustible squares leading to it.
Scatter weapons spread out when fired, allowing several target squares to be
hit with just one shot. A shotgun is a good example of a low-powered scatter
weapon, whereas a triple-grenade launcher is also explosive, and can be
unfeasibly dangerous.
Finally, multihit weapons are very powerful. Like Scatter weapons, they can
hit several targets with one shot, but unlike Scatter only one line-of-fire
is used. In other words, the projectile fired carries on in a direction
until its power has been exhausted. With an extremely powerful weapon such
as a Particle Cannon, a unit can actually shoot through a wall and hit an
enemy standing on the other side!
Non-explosive weapons, the majority, simply damage characters. Armour worn
by a character affects how much damage they sustain. Beware of firing any
type of weapon near things like oil drums, petrol tanks, ammo crates etc.
Even non-explosive weapons set them off! Windows, too, can be smashed by
any type of weapon.
You have to be very careful when shooting at the enemy, as under certain
conditions they can return fire immediately. If a unit ends a turn with 50%
or over of its actions unused, and has a skill of 8 or more, it can return
fire when shot. Obviously, player units can do this too, it's not restricted
to the computer.
Weapons have a maximum range - you'll be told if you move the cursor too far
away. Explosive weapons go off when they reach the max range, other weapons
just sort of reach it and fall to the ground (or fade away or whatever).
Grenades
~~~~~~~~
Grenades have been limited in V1.2 - instead of throwing them Strength*1.5
squares, they can now only be thrown a distance of Strength/1.5. They were
just too good in the last version!
Mines and Scanners
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mines can be placed using the menu item:
Place Mine Keyboard: Actions needed: 8
~~~~~~~~~~
If you have a mine, clicking on this option allows you to
choose a place to lay it. Mines can only be placed on floor
squares, and once placed they are invisible to both sides.
A unit which steps on a mine is killed, and shrapnel from the
blast may injure nearby characters.
Scanners are used to find them:
Use Scanner Keyboard: Actions needed: 6
~~~~~~~~~~~
Invisible mines with no way of discovering them would obviously
be a little unfair, so scanners can be purchased in the arming
sequence.
Scanners show up any mines in the immediate area, ie. the area
on-screen. A flashing disc in a square shows that a mine has
been detected there. There are two ways to deal with a detected
mine: walk over it, or avoid it. I would recommend the latter.
Fire
~~~~
You can now start fires using explosive and incendiary weapons. As the
saying goes, fire is fun! Be careful of fire spreading onto your men,
explosives, flammable objects etc.
Fire has three intensities. When it starts burning, it is always at maximum
intensity and blocks line-of-sight. The next strength down also blocks line
of sight but inflicts less damage if you have to run through it. The lowest
intensity doesn't block sight at all, and inflicts only slight damage.
---
That's basically it for gameplay, though there are a lot of other
improvements, mostly bug fixes and so on. Any problems or suggestions, feel
free to get in touch via email or normal mail as usual.
Dave Smith, November 1st 1992