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EPILEPSY WARNING PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE BEFORE PLAYING THIS GAME OR BEFORE ALLOWING YOUR CHILDREN TO PLAY.

Certain individuals may experience epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness when subjected to strong, flashing lights for long periods of time. Such individuals may therefore experience a seizure while operating computer or video games. This can also affect individuals who have no prior medical record of epilepsy or have never previously experienced a seizure. If you or any family member has ever experienced epilepsy symptoms (seizures or loss of consciousness) after exposure to flashing lights, please consult your doctor before playing this game. Parental guidance is always suggested when children are using a computer and video games. Should you or your child experience dizziness, poor eyesight, eye or muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, feelings of disorientation or any type of involuntary movements or cramps while playing this game, turn it off immediately and consult your doctor before playing again. PRECAUTIONS DURING USE: - Do not sit too close to the monitor. Sit as far as comfortably possible. - Use as small a monitor as possible. - Do not play when tired or short on sleep. - Take care that there is sufficient lighting in the room. - Be sure to take a break of 10-15 minutes every hour.

2007 Matrix Publishing LLC. and SSG. All Rights Reserved. Matrix Publishing LLC. and Matrix Games logo are trademarks of Matrix Publishing LLC. and Carriers At WarTM is a trademark of Matrix Publishing LLC. and SSG. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners and Matrix Publishing LLC. and SSG make no claim thereto.

Contents Contents
1.0 Carriers At War .................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Minimum System Requirements............................................................................................ 9 1.3 Installation Procedures .......................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Uninstalling the Game ........................................................................................................... 9 1.5 Product Updates.................................................................................................................... 9 1.6 Game Forums ..................................................................................................................... 10 1.7 Technical Support................................................................................................................ 10 2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 The Object of the Game ......................................................................................................... 11 4.0 Getting Started....................................................................................................................... 11 5.0 Welcome Screen .................................................................................................................... 11 5.1 Single Player ....................................................................................................................... 11 5.2 Multiplayer .......................................................................................................................... 12 5.3 Load Game ......................................................................................................................... 12 5.4 Options ............................................................................................................................... 13 5.4.1 Audio Options .............................................................................................................. 13 5.4.2 Graphics Options ......................................................................................................... 13 5.4.3 Game Options.............................................................................................................. 13 5.4.4 Advanced Game Options .............................................................................................. 14 5.4.5 Map Options ................................................................................................................ 14 5.4.6 Other Options ............................................................................................................. 14 5.4.7 Advanced Other Options .............................................................................................. 15 5.5 Hotkey Options.................................................................................................................... 15 5.6 Credits ................................................................................................................................ 15 5.7 Tutorial ................................................................................................................................ 15 5.8 Editor .................................................................................................................................. 15 5.9 Quit ..................................................................................................................................... 15 6.0 A Quick Introduction to Playing the Game............................................................................ 16 6.1 Moving Your Forces ............................................................................................................. 16 6.1.1 Selecting a Task Group by Clicking on the Map ............................................................ 16 6.1.2 Selecting a Task Group through Interface Buttons ........................................................ 16 6.1.3 Giving Movement Orders by Right Clicking on the Map ................................................ 17 6.1.4 Giving Movement Orders by Using the TG Onmap Orders Display................................. 17 7.0 Ordering a Strike ................................................................................................................... 18 7.1 Ordering a Carrier Strike Using the Strike Screen ................................................................ 18 7.2 Ordering a Carrier Strike Using the Onmap Orders Menus ................................................... 19 7.3 Ordering a Carrier Strike from the Map................................................................................ 20 8.0 Controlling the Game in Single Player Mode ........................................................................ 20 8.1 Game Speed Control ........................................................................................................... 21 9.0 The Main Screen .................................................................................................................... 21 9.1 Map Zooming ...................................................................................................................... 21 9.2 On Map TG Menus............................................................................................................... 21 9.2.1 Move Options .............................................................................................................. 21 9.2.2 Strike Options.............................................................................................................. 22 9.3 Event Log ............................................................................................................................ 23 9.4 Scenario Info and Clock....................................................................................................... 23 10.0 Task Force/Task Group Selectors ....................................................................................... 24 11.0 Search Controls and Reporting ........................................................................................... 25 12.0 Combat Air Patrol (CAP) ...................................................................................................... 25

13.0 Task Group Status ............................................................................................................... 26 14.0 Minimap Display .................................................................................................................. 26 15.0 Game Display Buttons ......................................................................................................... 26 16.0 Game Control Buttons ......................................................................................................... 27 16.1 Sighting Report ................................................................................................................. 27 16.2 Carrier/Airbase Screen ...................................................................................................... 28 16.2.1 Spot Number, Damage, and Flight Deck Operations ................................................... 29 16.3 Strike Screen .................................................................................................................... 29 16.3.1 Selecting a Target ...................................................................................................... 30 16.3.2 Squadron Display ...................................................................................................... 30 16.3.3 Dual Roles for Fighters .............................................................................................. 30 16.3.4 Strike Box.................................................................................................................. 30 16.3.5 Cohesive Strikes........................................................................................................ 31 16.3.6 Launching the Strike ................................................................................................. 31 16.3.7 Canceling or Recalling Strikes ................................................................................... 31 16.3.8 Exiting the Strike Screen ........................................................................................... 31 16.4 Taskgroup Screen ............................................................................................................. 32 16.4.1 Detaching and Scuttling Ships ................................................................................... 32 16.5 Surface Combat ................................................................................................................ 32 16.5.1 Combat Orders .......................................................................................................... 33 16.5.2 Movement Orders ...................................................................................................... 33 16.6 Submarines....................................................................................................................... 34 16.7 Search Plane Display ........................................................................................................ 35 16.8 Briefing Screen ................................................................................................................. 35 16.8.1 Briefing ..................................................................................................................... 35 16.8.2 Missions/Conditions .................................................................................................. 35 16.8.3 Strike History............................................................................................................. 35 16.8.4 Ships ......................................................................................................................... 36 16.8.5 Squadrons ................................................................................................................. 36 16.9 Victory Screen ................................................................................................................... 36 17.0 Air Naval Combat ................................................................................................................. 36 17.1 Getting There .................................................................................................................... 36 17.2 Bombs Away ..................................................................................................................... 37 17.3 Ship Damage .................................................................................................................... 38 17.4 Plane Damage................................................................................................................... 38 18.0 How to Win ........................................................................................................................... 38 19.0 Multiplayer Details .............................................................................................................. 39 19.1 Hosting a Game ................................................................................................................ 39 19.2 Technical Notes ................................................................................................................. 40 19.3 Joining a Game ................................................................................................................. 40 19.4 Minimum Game Speed ...................................................................................................... 40 19.5 Gameplay.......................................................................................................................... 41 20.0 Hotkey Listing ...................................................................................................................... 41 20.1 Default Hotkeys................................................................................................................. 41 21.0 Editor .................................................................................................................................... 42 21.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 42 21.2 Editor Definitions ............................................................................................................... 42 21.3 Editor Screen .................................................................................................................... 42 21.4 Scenario/Side Editor Screen .............................................................................................. 44 21.5 Scenario Times ................................................................................................................. 44 21.6 Edit Plane Types ................................................................................................................ 44

Contents
21.7 Squadron Editor Screen..................................................................................................... 45 21.8 Ship Class Editor Screen ................................................................................................... 46 21.9 Ships Editor Screen ........................................................................................................... 46 21.10 Task Group Editor Screen (for each side) ......................................................................... 47 21.11 Edit Submarines .............................................................................................................. 48 21.12 Edit Installations.............................................................................................................. 48 21.13 Edit Landbases ............................................................................................................... 48 21.14 Map Editor ...................................................................................................................... 49 21.15 Forecast Editor ................................................................................................................ 49 21.16 Conditions Editor ............................................................................................................. 49 21.17 VP Schedules .................................................................................................................. 50 21.17.1 Points Awarded For Destroying Planes ..................................................................... 50 21.17.2 Points Awarded For Destroying Ships....................................................................... 50 21.17.3 Points Awarded For Completing Missions................................................................. 50 21.18 WarRoom ........................................................................................................................ 50 21.19 Neutral Warcards ............................................................................................................ 51 21.20 Startup Warcards ............................................................................................................ 51 21.21 New Axis/Allied Taskgroup............................................................................................... 55 21.22 TG Warcard Actions ......................................................................................................... 56 21.23 New Axis/Allied Landbase ............................................................................................... 61 21.24 Landbase Warcard Actions .............................................................................................. 62 22.0 Index .................................................................................................................................... 64 23.0 Credits .................................................................................................................................. 66

total War for total victory!

The War At Sea - Besides critical hit locations for all weapons platforms and any radar installations, individual armor locations and a wealth of performance and characteristics data, each ships crew has an experience rating for day and night combat. Every ship from mighty carriers and battleships down to gun boats has a commander with his own strengths and weaknesses. The game includes thousands of ships chosen from over 300 ship classes. The War in the Air - A wide variety of aircraft are included in the game, ranging from the awkward P-39 and the nimble Zero, to the heavy hitting B-29 and the extremely fast and powerful Corsair. Pilots and crews are tracked separately from aircraft and have individual skill and fatigue ratings. When pilots are in short supply, they can be placed into the pilot pool and reassigned to other groups The War on the Ground - Troops are needed to maintain and garrison bases and to deprive the enemy of his bases. So, troops are handled with care. There are a goodly number of different types of land-based units. The unit counters are mostly on division and brigade level, but there are many independent regiments and battalions. These are all represented by different unit counters and have different capabilities and include engineers, combat squads, Marine squads, support squads, air support sections, Sherman tanks, Stuart tanks, motorized forces, a number of mortars and field artillery and many others. There are 15 campaigns included with the game, which can be played against the computer opponent, hot seat, by secure email. War in the Pacific now gives you the chance to fight the entire war your way on every level. Political Points Some troops are restricted in deployment. Australian troops must be release from home defense, for instance, before they can be shipped off to fight in New Guinea. And, Admirals cant be everywhere, at once. Each day, each player accumulates political points which can be used to reassign assets to the various headquarters or to change leaders. Japanese Production Groups cannot fly without planes, ships need to be built and tanks have to come from somewhere. The Japanese player will never have enough industry to build all he needs. He can choose to increase the size of factories or change what they are building at the cost of retooling. He can also speed up or retard the building of specific ships to the possible detriment of the shipbuilding schedule. He will need oil and resources to make industry run and will want to capture locations with such materials as quickly as possible. Much of this gathering can be automated, but the player will be able to fine tune the procedure or manually order the loading and destination of his ships.

Introduction 1.0 Carriers At War


Thank you for purchasing Carriers At War!

1.1 Minimum System Requirements


To play Carriers At War, your computer system must meet these requirements: Pentium III 800 MHz or Athlon 800 Mhz CPU 256 MB Free RAM GeForce2 or equivalent Graphics Card Windows Compatible Soundcard Display capable of 1024x768 resolution Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista For maximum performance, your computer system must meet these requirements: 1.2 GHz CPU 512 MB Free RAM GeForce2 or equivalent Graphics Card with 64MB Video RAM Windows Compatible Soundcard Display capable of 1024x768 resolution Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

1.3 Installation Procedures


Insert the game CD into the CD-ROM drive. Setup will run automatically. If Setup does not start, run Setup.exe from the Windows directory on the CD. When the Setup screen appears, click Install Carriers At War. Double-click the Carriers At War icon. On the introductory screen, click Play Carriers At War. The introductory video plays, and the Main screen appears.

1.4 Uninstalling the Game


Please use the Add/Remove Programs option from the Windows Control Panel to uninstall the game.

1.5 Product Updates


In order to maintain our product excellence, Matrix Games releases updates containing new features, enhancements, and corrections to any known issues. Keeping up with these updates is made easy and is free by signing up for a Matrix Games Member account. When youre signed up, you can then register your Matrix Games products in order to receive access to these important game-related materials. Doing so is a simple two step process:

Sign Up for a Matrix Games Member account THIS IS A ONE TIME PROCEDURE; once you have signed up for a Matrix account, you are in the system and will not need to sign up again. Go to www. matrixgames.com and click the Members hyperlink at the top. In the new window, select Register NOW and follow the on-screen instructions. When youre finished, click the Please Create My New Account button, and a confirmation e-mail will be sent to your specified e-mail account. Register a New Game Purchase Once you have signed up for a Matrix Games Member account, you can then register any Matrix Games title you own in your new account. To do so, log in to your account on the Matrix Games website (www.matrixgames.com). Click Register Game near the top to register your new Matrix Games purchase. Once youve registered your game, when you log in to the Members section you can view your list of registered titles by clicking My Games. Each game title is a hyperlink that will take you to an information page on the game (including all the latest news on that title). Also on this list is a Downloads hyperlink that takes you to a page that has all the latest downloads, including patches, for that particular title. Remember, once you have signed up for a Matrix Games Member account, you do not have to sign up again at that point you are free to register for any Matrix Games product you purchase. Thank you and enjoy your game!

1.6 Game Forums


Our forums are one of the best things about Matrix Games. Every game has its own forum with our designers, developers and the gamers playing the game. If you are experiencing a problem, have a question or just an idea on how to make the game better, post a message there. Go to http://www. matrixgames.com and click on the Forums hyperlink.

1.7 Technical Support


Should you have a technical problem with the game, the best way to get help is to post a note in the Technical Support sub-forum within the Close Combat forum at http://www.matrixgames.com. Youll then hear back from our personnel, or from one of the many helpful players of the game. This is usually the fastest way to get help. Alternatively, you can email your problem to support@matrixgames.com.

2.0 Introduction
Carriers at War is a simulation of WWII air/naval operations in the Pacific. The critical battles of Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz, and the Philippine Sea are recreated; additionally, a tutorial is provided to help new players (and veteran players) get acquainted.

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Introduction 3.0 The Object of the Game


Carriers at War is all about carrier warfare. While you can command all of the naval and air forces in a scenario, the lethality of carrier strikes and the corresponding vulnerability of surface vessels means that the decisions made about your carriers are by far the most crucial. Unfortunately for you, those same carriers are probably the ships most vulnerable to air attack, resulting in a simple if brutal equation for carrier warfare: find the enemy carriers and sink them before they find yours and do the same. Some scenarios have other objectives, such as conducting invasions, but they will always be of secondary importance to the outcomes of carrier clashes.

4.0 Getting Started


Carriers at War, while faithful to the design philosophy of the original game, uses a completely new game engine and interface. Essential information is displayed right on the map; everything else is just a mouse click away. Extensive on-screen help text will name and explain interface elements. The tutorial included with the game will help you to familiarize yourself with game functions and interface.

5.0 Welcome Screen


To start the game, use the desktop shortcut or the Start Menu entry. The choices are as in the screenshot to the right:

5.1 Single Player


Takes you to the Single Player Setup screen. On this screen you can choose a scenario (or variants to that scenario, if present) and choose the side you will play. You will often find that a side has more than one Command, typically split between land-based and naval forces. A Command is either a Task Force, consisting purely of naval forces, or a Theatre, consisting solely of land bases. Using the buttons in the top right of the screen you can choose whether you or the AI

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control each command on your side. The Briefing display will tell you as much as you need to know about the scenario. Clicking on the smaller Task Group or Landbase buttons does not change their control but shows a summary of their starting forces and an indication on the map of starting positions. You can also swap sides to examine the enemy positions and briefing. The Start Game button takes you to the Game screen. The game starts but the game clock is stopped, allowing you to review your forces and issue orders prior to starting the clock.

5.2 Multiplayer
Takes you to the Multiplayer Setup screen. Only two players can participate in a multiplayer game so your options are either to Host a game or Join a game that the other player has started. Joining a Game: Unless you and your opponent are on the same LAN, you will need to know the IP address of the computer that is hosting the game that you wish to join. Enter this IP address into the IP field and then hit the Find Servers button. If a hosted game is found at the IP address you specified then the details will be shown in the Servers display. Click on that game and then hit the Join Server button to join that game. Joining a Local Game: If your Host is on the same LAN as you, you can search the LAN with the Find Local Games button. This will find all hosted games on the LAN. Hosting a Game: To host a game you will need to communicate your IP address to your opponent so he can find your game. You can enter a name into the Game Name field. Hitting the Start Server button will make the game available to your opponent. See section 19.0 for more details on multiplayer games.

5.3 Load Game


Takes you to the Load Saved Game screen. The contents of the \Saves\ folder are displayed, but you can navigate to any folder on your system through the interface. If you have the Autosave option enabled then each game will have a separate date and time stamped folder for its saves. Deleting Games and Folders: It is up to you to manage the files and folders created by the game. The Delete Selected button will delete an individual File or Folder (along with all its contents). The Delete All button will delete all Saves in a folder, but not any sub-folders. If you have the Autosave option selected, then each Single Player game you start will create its own date and time stamped folder and the game will be saved every hour inside this folder. These Saves are not large, but over time they will add up.

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Introduction
5.4 Options
Takes you to the Options screen, which is subdivided into Audio, Graphics, Game, Map, Other, and Hotkey Options.

5.4.1 Audio Options


Controls Music and Sound volumes. Advanced Audio Options: These will only be seen if the Show Advanced Options selection is on. Music Buffer Size: sets the size of the internal buffer for the sound system. Increasing the size may reduce sound quality problems.

5.4.2 Graphics Options


Sets Screen Resolution, Color Depth and whether the game runs Windowed or Full screen. Advanced Graphics Options: These will only be seen if Show Advanced Options is On. In Advanced mode, you can specify any screen resolution you wish, (above 1024 * 768) by editing the fields.

5.4.3 Game Options


Show Help Text turns all Help text in the game On or Off. Map Help Text Verbosity controls the level of help text displayed on the map only, and is active only if Show Help Text is On. Show Right Click Icons will hide or show the red triangle shown on certain buttons which have extra options displayed with a right click. Strike Screen Speed controls the speed at which air/naval combat animations are displayed. Accurate Combat Results is off by default. If turned on you will see accurate results for your strikes on enemy forces rather than the somewhat inaccurate estimates that historical admirals received. The Wait For Click option controls whether the air/naval combat display waits for a mouse click before showing the next attack.

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5.4.4 Advanced Game Options


These will only be seen if Show Advanced Options is On. Show On Map Mouseover Windows: will display summary windows when you mouseover Task Groups. This will only display the first two Task Groups in a hex. Autohide On Map Orders Window: will automatically put away the window after an order has been chosen. Show Surface Combat is On by default. If Off, then the Surface Combat Screen will be shown only briefly at the start of a turn as an alert and it will be up to player to return to the screen and give orders. Show Strikes is On by default. If it is Off, then the air/naval combat animations will not be shown during a combat. Stay on Surface Combat Screen causes the Surface Combat Screen to be shown and remain onscreen when a surface combat is taking place. This allows you to give surface combat orders immediately. If this option is Off, the Surface Combat Screen will only be displayed briefly as a reminder and you will have to use the Surface Combat button to give orders.

5.4.5 Map Options


Map Scroll Speed controls scrolling speed. Constrain Map Aspect Ratio, if selected, will prevent the map from stretching horizontally to full screen if this would alter the aspect ratio of the displayed map. Map Zoom Ratios controls the degree of change between the zoom levels on the map. Default is Normal, but low end computers should use the Minimal setting as this will minimize resource use. Ignore Planes/Subs over TGs/Landbases is On by default and ignores any planes or submarines in the same hex TGs or Landbases for selection purposes. Advanced Options: These will only be seen if Show Advanced Options is On. You have control over the zoom ratios for the map. You can add ratios by typing a number in the edit field and hitting the + key or delete a ratio by selecting it and hitting the - key.

5.4.6 Other Options


Show Splash Screen On Startup: controls the display of the Splash Screen at startup.

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Introduction
If Autosave is On, then the game will be automatically saved every hour in a time and date stamped folder. It is up to the user to delete these folders as they will mount up!

5.4.7 Advanced Other Options


Pause on Game Window Focus Lost will pause the game if it is minimized or if you click on another window while running in windowed mode. Write Debug File will create a file that can be sent to SSG with debug information. No identifying information will be sent. Move the Animated Sun Clockwise sets the direction of travel for the animation in the Time display. Show TG Cruise Speed button adds an extra button to the TG controls that sets TG speed to its cruising speed.

5.5 Hotkey Options


The Hotkey Options setting allows you to associate many commands with keystrokes. See section 20.0 for details.

5.6 Credits
A list of the hardy souls who have worked on Carriers at War.

5.7 Tutorial
This takes you to the Tutorial screen, where you can choose from a number of tutorials, including an Introduction. The tutorials cover a number of different topics, making it easier for you to quickly get help on particular game elements.

5.8 Editor
Takes you to the Editor Screen. The Scenario Editor functions are described later in this manual.

5.9 Quit
Quits to the Desktop.

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6.0 A Quick Introduction to Playing the Game


The Carriers at War interface is structured such that there are usually multiple methods for doing things. You can choose which method best suits your style of play. The underlying philosophy is that a left click selects and a right click directs or gets extra information or options. The term click in this manual refers to a left click. This section will describe the three vital operations that you need to perform in order to play the game.

6.1 Moving Your Forces 6.1.1 Selecting a Task Group by Clicking on the Map
Your Task Groups (TGs) are shown on the map as yellow icons. Your currently selected TG is shown as light green. Other TGs in the same Task Force as the currently selected TG are shown as dark green. The icons themselves reflect the type (Carrier, Capital, Auxiliary, or Minor) of the most important ship in the TG. At the left end of each TG is crosshair symbol; click this symbol to select the TG. If the crosshair has a small number sitting above it, there is more than one TG in that hex. In this case, hold down the left mouse button over the crosshair, and a small submenu will appear from which you can select the TG you need. If the TG is On Station, awaiting the return of a strike, the crosshair symbol will change to a small yellow triangle. A TG that is On Station, while still moving, cannot move outside its hex until all planes on Strike Missions are recovered.

6.1.2 Selecting a Task Group through Interface Buttons


As you select TGs on the map, you will notice the display in the top right of the Game Screen changes. Forces in Carriers At War are divided into Task Forces (TFs) and Theatres. These are represented by the large round buttons with the national flag; blue buttons are TFs, green are Theatres. Theatres only control airbases; these will be discussed later. TFs control

16

Playing the Game


naval forces, and each TF consists of one or more TGs. Clicking on a TF button displays the smaller TG buttons, one for each TG controlled by the selected TF. Carrier TGs have a carrier symbol and are colored blue. Clicking on a TG button will select it, as will clicking on its icon on the map. On both TG and TF buttons, an overprinted plane icon indicates a strike warning and a ship icon indicates surface combat.

6.1.3 Giving Movement Orders by Right Clicking on the Map


When a TG is selected, its current destination is shown by a pulsing red dot on the map (you might have to zoom out to see this). To set a new destination for the selected TG, right click on a navigable hex. The computer will choose the shortest length path to get there (there may be more than one shortest length path). Once you have set a destination, Shift-Right clicking will allow you set up to three waypoints. The current destination is shown in red, the final waypoint in green, and any intermediate waypoints in yellow.

6.1.4 Giving Movement Orders by Using the TG Onmap Orders Display


As you select different TGs, you will see a transparent menu appear with various options for the selected TG. Your first instinct may have been to click on the Close button in the top right corner of the menu, but its probably better to drag it by the menu bar to an unused part of the map. You can fix the menu in place by clicking on the menus anchor symbol (located to the left of the Close button). You cant use the TG Onmap Orders display to move to an onmap destination (you right click on the map to do that), but it does make explicit all the other movement orders you can issue which involve interactions with other TGs or Ports. You can also use it to issue Strike orders, as explained below.

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7.0 Ordering a Strike


7.1 Ordering a Carrier Strike Using the Strike Screen
There are a few prerequisites for a carrier strike: first, having a sighted enemy target, and second, having a friendly TG within range that contains at least one CV capable of attacking the target. This isnt hard to do, at least early in the battle. Enemy sightings are colored red and the icon is based on the most important ship type sighted. So an enemy TG containing one or more CVs will be displayed as a red carrier icon. When you see a likely enemy target, hit the red Strike Screen button at the bottom of the screen. The Strike Screen shows a panel for every CV in your TG. Your first task will be to select a target. Target details are shown in the Target Box underneath the CV display. Clicking on the orange button with a yellow crosshair will bring up the Target Selection dialog. Choose the type of target, Sighting, and then the name of the sighting. Sightings are named using the phonetic alphabet of the time, so are labeled Able, Baker, Charlie, etc. As you mouseover sighting names, a small Summary window appears and the sightings location is shown on the minimap.

With a target selected, the target name and range is entered into the Target Box. If there is more than one CV in your TG, decide which ones will be used in the strike. Clicking on a plane icon in the CV display will display its details at the bottom of the screen. Sending a squadron on a strike is a two-step process. Just below the plane icon is an ordnance icon, which shows what the plane will be armed with; bombs, torpedoes, or bullets for fighters. Fighters on Escort missions show a crosshair symbol. The plane will be allocated to the strike if this icon is also clicked or the plane icon is double-clicked. Once a squadron is allocated, the number of planes in the Target Box will be updated so you can see the exact makeup of the strike. Fighter squadrons will have a red triangle above their icon, denoting extra

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Playing the Game


choices, as shown in the above screenshot. Right clicking on this will switch the fighters from their default Escort role to a Fighter-Bomber role. You should probably leave your fighters in the Escort role, unless you have a very good reason. At the end of the CV panel is the Allocate All Squadrons button; you can use this as a shortcut to select all squadrons. If you have more than one carrier, an extra button will allocate or de-allocate all squadrons on all carriers in the TG. Once at least one squadron has been allocated to a strike, the Target Box will show the Time Over Target and Back at Base; these will be updated as the strike configuration changes. The orange button with three plane icons controls Cohesive strikes. Cohesive strikes travel at the speed of the slowest plane and all squadrons aim to arrive over the target together. They take longer but should be more effective.

This strike is returning after Dusk, so the Back At Base time is written in red (and a red exclamation mark is printed next to the plane type) to alert you to the danger of doing this. Planes (unless night capable) returning at night have an increased chance of not locating their base at all or of crashing while attempting to land. If you are so rash, or desperate, as to order your Recon squadrons on a Strike mission, a blue exclamation mark will be printed.

7.2 Ordering a Carrier Strike Using the Onmap Orders Menus


An alternative way of setting up strikes is to use the Onmap Orders Menu. With a CV TG selected, there is a Strike section, listing Sighting, Landbase, or Port as possible target categories. Left clicking on Sighting brings

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up a submenu of all current sightings. As you move the mouse over these you are shown the estimated target force composition and actual range. Clicking on a sighting name will take you to the Strike screen with the selected target already entered into the Target Box. Clicking on the Autostrike option next to a sighting name will automatically launch a maximum strike at that sighting.

7.3 Ordering a Carrier Strike from the Map


When time is of the essence (probably more likely in a Multiplayer Game), an on map strike is the quickest to organize. Select the TG that is to conduct the strike and then right click on the target sighting and hold the mouse button down. A popup will display at least two options; one will be Move to this Hex and the other will be the name of the sighting (Able, Baker, etc). Keeping the mouse button down, move over the sighting name and a further submenu will appear. Amongst the options will be a Full Strike, showing the number of planes within range, and Full Strike Cohesive. Selecting either of these will order your strike, all done with a few mouse clicks and without leaving the main screen.

8.0 Controlling the Game in Single Player Mode


The top right of the Game screen has a row of seven buttons which interrupt or resume the passage of the gameclock. Two of these buttons have the red triangles which indicate further options are available with a right click.

Break will stop the clock if it is running. Right Clicking on the Break button will bring up the Break Options dialog, showing a list of events that can be set to stop the clock. These options are self-explanatory, you should experiment to find a set that suits your play style. Run will run the game until a break event occurs or the Break button is pressed.

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Playing the Game


Run 5 runs the game for 5 minutes, the shortest time interval in the game. Run 1 Hr runs the game for 1 hour. Run (X) is another user definable option. By default, this button will run the clock to the top of the current hour. Right clicking will bring up a list of other times. After choosing a time, left click to run the clock to that time. Run Dawn runs the clock until Dawn (remember the time of Dawn and Dusk can change between scenarios) Run Dusk runs the clock until Dusk.

8.1 Game Speed Control


The Game Speed control is above the middle of the Game screen. With it, the speed the gameclock plays out in real time can be adjusted from 9 (for fastest) to 0 (for stopped). In a Single Player game, you have complete control over the game speed. It is useful to let the game run faster at night and slower in the day when there will be much more action. You can set the speed to 0 to stop the game, though using the Break key is usually faster.

9.0 The Main Screen


You can do almost everything you need to do in the game from the main screen. Before examining it in detail, we will explain a few game constructs that assist with gameplay.

9.1 Map Zooming


The map can be zoomed with the mouse wheel or the Page Up and Page Down keys.

9.2 On Map TG Menus


These menus appear when a TG is selected. They give a series of Move and Strike options, not all of which may be applicable at any one time.

9.2.1 Move Options


Escort Command TG the TG will try to move to the Command TG and remain in the same hex as the Command TG.

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Cover Command TG the TG will try to steam 40 miles ahead of the Command TG. In doing so, they can give warning of incoming attacks and perhaps also absorb some bombs that might otherwise have fallen on the Command TG. Support Command TG the TG will try to steam 40 miles behind the Command TG. Escort Other TG clicking on this will bring up another menu listing all possible TGs, grouped by Task Force, that are available for escort. Left click to select a TG. To Port clicking on this will bring up another menu listing all possible Friendly Ports, grouped by Task Force. Left click to select a Port. Ships in port are shaded to emphasize their status. Seaplane tenders can launch Search missions while in port. To Anchor Point clicking on this will bring up another menu listing all possible Anchor Points. Left click to select an Anchor Point. Although any TG can use an Anchor Point, their practical purpose is to allow seaplane tenders to anchor and then launch search planes. Anchor Points you can use are shown in white. The enemy may be able to use some or all of your anchor points. Engage Enemy TG clicking on this will bring up another menu listing all possible enemy sightings. Left click to select a sighting. Your TG will attempt to close with that sighting and engage in Surface Combat. Mission the TG will be ordered to perform the mission shown in the menu. Section 10.8 has more details on missions. In every TF, one TG is designated the Command TG by the scenario designer. This always the leftmost TG button. You should also examine the speeds of TGs given Escort/Cover/Support orders to ensure they can actually reach their target.

9.2.2 Strike Options


Sighting clicking on this brings up a sub-menu listing all current sightings. A summary of the sighting appears in a tooltip. Left click on an enemy TG sighting to select it as a target and move to the Strike Screen. Land Base this shows a list of all enemy landbases. Torpedo Bombers will load bombs instead of torpedoes for an attack against landbases. Port this shows a list of all enemy ports. Left click to select.

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Playing the Game


Names of targets out of range will be shown grayed out.

9.3 Event Log


Each event in the game can be reported with an onscreen display and a time-stamped report icon that will both appear along the bottom of the screen. At any time you can click on the Report icon to review its event; this will bring up the onscreen message window for that event. If an event is set to break the gameclock, then its message window will automatically be displayed. Clicking on the small question mark icon in the Event Message window will highlight the map location of the event. Event Message windows that you open must be closed manually; auto-opening windows can be optionally auto-closed after a specified time. Right clicking in the Event Log brings up the Event Logs Options screen. You can decide which events you want reported, set the number of events to be displayed, and set an option on whether the onscreen reports will be automatically closed after a set time. Arrow buttons on either side of the event log allow you to scroll through the log. Right clicking on an arrow scrolls to its end of the Event log.

9.4 Scenario Info and Clock


The top left of the screen shows the scenario name and duration. The next panel shows the current date and time remaining in the scenario. The third panel shows the current time and displays the time for dawn and dusk in this scenario. Next to this panel is an analog clock. The clock face is colored blue at Night, yellow at Dawn, white during the Day, and orange at Dusk.

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10.0 Task Force/Task Group Selectors


Each side in CAW can comprise up to two Theatres (LT) and up to four Task Forces (TF). Theatres only command Landbases (LB). A Task Force is a collection of one or more Task Groups (TG) under a single commander and with a single overall mission and is known by the commanders name. A Task Group is a collection of ships assembled for a specific purpose. Large buttons at the top right of the screen show the Task Forces and Theatres on your side. TF buttons are colored blue and LT buttons are green. A small panel above the buttons shows the name of the commander of the currently selected TF or LT. Smaller buttons underneath the TF/LT buttons control the selection of TGs or LBs. TGs containing carriers are colored blue, those containing warships are grey, and those containing auxiliaries of various kinds are colored green. Each TG button also has an appropriate silhouette. Two panels below the TG/LB buttons show the name of the TG or LB. For TGs, another panel shows details on the TGs orders. A slider below the orders panel controls the TG speed and an (optional) button at the end of the slider allows the quick ordering of cruising speed, which is the most economical speed for the TG. A panel underneath the slider shows the current speed and the endurance of the TG at its cruising speed. A gauge next to the panel shows the current endurance of the TG. It is entirely possible to run out of fuel in CAW and be forced to steam at 5 knots. Steaming at flank speed uses a large amount fuel, so it is important not steam at high speed unless it is necessary. A TG that has reached a destination at sea is assumed for game purposes to be steaming on station at 20 knots, or its maximum speed, whichever is slowest.

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Playing the Game 11.0 Search Controls and Reporting


Disaster awaits any admiral who doesnt know where enemy forces are located. Searching is a critical element of CAW and each TG and LB sets its own search pattern. Searching can only be undertaken by planes designated search capable by the scenario creator. Search sectors are set using the Search Rosette. You can click each sector on or off while the round button in the middle clicks all sectors to on or off. A panel to the right lists the number and status of search capable planes for the TG or LB, either Ready or On Ops. Radar style displays below the panel show alerts for incoming planes or surface combat. The Strike Alert panel will light up if an enemy strike is detected. When a strike is detected, all available fighters will be automatically launched on Emergency CAP; this will be shown on the Emergency panel. The system will automatically launch enough search planes to keep a plane on an outward leg in each sector designated by the player. If a search plane makes a sighting then it switches to tagging the sighting, and a new search plane is launched in its sector. All search planes automatically stop searching and return to base at Dusk and will not launch before Dawn. The Search Rosette changes color and shows a moon symbol at night to remind you that although you can (and probably should) give your search orders at night, the planes wont take off until Dawn. If the TG has a seaplane tender, then the Search Rosette will remain dulled until the TG is anchored, when an anchor symbol is shown on the Rosette.

12.0 Combat Air Patrol (CAP)

Of course, you dont have to, and nor should you, wait for a strike to be detected before launching CAP. This is especially true early in the war, because this will usually be far too late, although the computer will valiantly launch Emergency CAP anyway. The CAP slider allows you to allocate CAP for the TG/LB. The computer will try to keep as many of the allocated planes in the air as possible (during daylight hours). You can expect about half of your allocated number to airborne at any one time with the rest cycling through the land-arm-fuel-launch cycle. A button to the right of the slider allows you to manually launch all available planes on Emergency CAP. All CAP planes automatically land at Dusk and will not launch before Dawn.

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Night capable fighters will be the last planes allocated to CAP during daytime and will automatically fly CAP at night, up to the CAP allocation.

13.0 Task Group Status


Below the CAP display is the TG status display. The composition of the TG is broken down into the following categories: Carriers, Capital, Minor, and Auxiliary ships. You are shown a summary of the number of ships in each category that are Undamaged, Damaged, or Sunk. The rightmost column shows the number of available aircraft. A click on this display will bring up the more detailed Taskgroup Status screen. Mouseover an entry to get more details.

14.0 Minimap Display


The Minimap display operates at two levels. Whenever the game map is displayed, the Minimap shows a strategic level map. If the display changes and the game map is replaced by another screen (such as the Strike Screen), the Minimap displays a zoomed out version of the game map with the location of the current TG/LB displayed.

15.0 Game Display Buttons


A series of six buttons next to the minimap manage several game display functions. Range Circles toggles the display of two range circles for the selected TG/LB. The green circle shows the maximum range which all planes from the TG/LB can reach. The red circle shows the maximum range which at least one plane type can reach. Due to the fact that the map is constructed from an underlying hex grid, these circles are not accurate to the last pixel. Right clicking on the button allows you display range by hex, which gives a less aesthetic but more strictly accurate display. Search Plane toggles the display of friendly search planes, colored green, on the map. Light green planes are outbound and dark green are inbound. You will always see any enemy planes (colored red) that you have actually spotted. Submarines toggles the display of friendly submarines.

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Playing the Game


Weather toggles the display of weather. There are four weather conditions, Clear, High Cloud, Low Cloud, and Squalls. Right clicking on the button allows you display weather by hex, which gives a less aesthetic but more strictly accurate display. Hex Grid toggles the display of the underlying map hex grid. Names toggles the display of names on the map. Right clicking on the button allows you to choose to display TG/LB names and also to only display the name of a targeted ship in the air/naval combat display.

16.0 Game Control Buttons


A series of buttons along the bottom right of the Game Screen control important game functions. We will use carriers as an example; the display changes for airbases, but the functionality is the same.

16.1 Sighting Report


Clicking on this shows a detailed report on every sighting. Each sighting is given a phonetic alphabet name and the total number of sightings is reported. A slider underneath the name panel allows you to scroll through the reported sightings. A single sighting may generate many reports as search planes update its position. These are all recorded, and the latest report is shown by default. A panel shows the number and time of all reports, and a slider lets you look at any report in the series. Going through the updates on a sighting will help you to build a picture of whats really out there, and will enable you to better identify anomalous or erroneous reports. Sightings get more accurate with multiple reports. Below the reports slider are panels showing the source, composition, and track and speed of the sighting. Search and Strike sometimes you have a very good idea of where the enemy is, but your search planes just havent found them. In that case, you can use the blue Search and Strike button in the Sightings Report to generate an artificial sighting, at which you can then launch a strike. The strike will proceed to that location, and if nothing is there, they will start searching just as they would for a normal sighting. If you have created a Search and Strike sighting then an orange button will appear, allowing you to delete the sighting. You can have multiple Search and Strike sightings active at the same time.

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Search planes are not the only source of sightings. Some scenarios have Coastwatchers, who are covert operatives or ground forces that stayed behind in enemy held territory. Coastwatchers can generate sightings on TGs that pass within 1 hex of their position and strikes that pass within two hexes.

16.2 Carrier/Airbase Screen


This screen shows the disposition of the squadrons on a carrier/airbase. Planes on the carrier can be in one of four states: Dispersed, Arming and Fuelling, Landed, or Launching. Planes in the air can be in one of five states: Recovering, Combat Air Patrol, Forming Up, On Mission, and Searching. A mission will start with planes in the Dispersed state. On a carrier, this means stowed below deck. Before flying, the planes must first be Armed and Fuelled and brought on deck. As mentioned, you can save time by arming and fuelling in advance. Once Armed and Fuelled, planes can be launched. Planes launched will first Form Up over the carrier, circling until all planes are in the air, whereupon the planes will be On Mission. When the planes return to the carrier, planes are Recovering until they have Landed, and after landing will be returned to the Dispersed state. Clicking on a plane icon anywhere on the screen will bring up squadron details. A picture of the plane is shown along with a breakdown of the number of Available, Armed and Fuelled, Damaged, and Destroyed planes. The pilot silhouette in the corner of the plane picture is a reference for scale. Small circles show the normal and extended range and a picture of the ordnance that will be carried at those ranges. Recon capable squadrons are shown by a binoculars icon and night capable squadrons by a moon icon. There are times when it is necessary to arm and fuel planes ahead of an anticipated strike. A button in the plane picture will give the Arm and Fuel order to all planes in the squadron.

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Playing the Game


In the bottom left of the carrier status section are buttons for selecting individual carriers when there are more than one in a TG. Above them are buttons which will give Arm and Fuel orders to all squadrons on that carrier. Next to the carrier picture is the Cancel/Recall button. This will cancel all outgoing missions still on the carrier and recall any outbound strike or transfer missions already in the air. This does not affect CAP or Search missions.

16.2.1 Spot Number, Damage, and Flight Deck Operations


Each CV and airbase has a Spot Number, representing the maximum number of planes that can simultaneously go through a Launch cycle. Damage can reduce this number, slowing launch times.

Both CVs and Airbases have 15 damage bars, shown in their respective Status screens. For CVs, the first six damage bars are shaded differently, and any damage of six or more bars will close the flight deck, and prevent flight operations until the damage falls below six bars.

16.3 Strike Screen


Although you dont have to use it, the Strike Screen has the most detailed information about your carriers planes and capabilities. It will show all CVs in a TG, up to a maximum of six. CV Panel - each CV has its own panel; from left to right it shows the name of the CV and a silhouette. Next is the squadron display, then the damage display, and finally a Spot Number for the CV.

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Everything in the Strike screen makes a lot more sense if you have a target selected, so the Target Box will be explained first and the subsequent explanations will assume that a target has already been selected.

16.3.1 Selecting a Target


Just below the lowest CV display is a panel showing TARGET and Range to Target. Obviously, a target needs to be selected to fill in this information. The orange button with a yellow crosshair will bring up a list of Strike categories: Sighting, Landbase, and Port. A separate category exists for Transfer missions and for those missions the target button is blue. Clicking on one of these categories will display a list of all possible targets in that category. Clicking on one of those will select it as a target. You will get a warning if you select a target that is out of range of all squadrons on your CV. Once a target is selected, you can then allocate squadrons from the CV panel to configure a strike on that target.

16.3.2 Squadron Display


On the CV panel, the squadron display shows an icon for each squadron. Allocating a squadron to a strike is a two step process. Clicking on a squadron icon displays its plane picture at the bottom of the screen along with details about that plane type. Clicking on the ordnance icon below the squadron icon is required to allocate it to a strike (or you can double-click on the squadron itself). Once allocated, the squadrons planes will be added to the Strike Box located below the selected target information. Each squadron has an operational minimum number of planes, set by the scenario designer. Squadrons with less than this number of operational planes cannot be sent on missions. Squadrons may fail to reach this number through loss/damage and/or because planes are already on search missions.

16.3.3 Dual Roles for Fighters


On any strike, Fighters can be sent in an Escort or Fighter-Bomber role. By default, Fighters will Escort. The small red triangle above fighter icons shows that there are more options to be accessed by a rightclick. Right-clicking on a Fighter icon will switch its role, and the ordnance icon below the plane will change to show this.

16.3.4 Strike Box


As planes are allocated to a strike, further details appear in the Strike Box. Fighters will appear as either Escort or Fighter Bombers and Torpedo Bombers can appear as Level Bombers when the range to the target is too far for a torpedo load but within range of a bomb load.

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Playing the Game


A clock displays the Time Over Target, a panel shows Flight Time, and a second clock shows the time Back At Base. Time Over Target shows the first possible time of combat and Back At Base shows the return time of the last squadron to land.

16.3.5 Cohesive Strikes


By default, all squadrons in a strike will launch and proceed independently at their own cruising speed to the target, almost guaranteeing that they wont arrive together. A button next to the Flight Time panel orders the strike to be Cohesive so that all squadrons wait until the last plane is launched and then proceed, more or less together, to the target. This is militarily preferable, but the strike will take longer as it will proceed at the speed of the slowest squadron in the strike. Being forced to fly at the at the speed of the slowest plane could mean that other squadrons, already close to their endurance limit, can no longer make the target and so will be dropped from the Cohesive raid.

16.3.6 Launching the Strike


Nothing will actually happen until you hit the distinctive red Launch button. If you allocate planes to strike but dont launch them, the planes will be automatically de-allocated in the next five minute period.

16.3.7 Canceling or Recalling Strikes


Once youve hit the Launch button, the computer will begin to organize the strike. To cancel a strike, go to the Carrier/Airbase Screen and hit the red Cancel/Recall button.

16.3.8 Exiting the Strike Screen


You can exit the screen by hitting the go away button in the top right corner, or clicking the Strike Screen button again.

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16.4 Taskgroup Screen


The Taskgroup screen shows a status panel for each ship in the TG. Each ship panel is selectable by clicking on it. Shown from left to right are the Name, a silhouette, icons for Primary, Secondary, and Torpedo armament, icons for any planes carried, and damage bars for each ship. (See section 17.0. or details about ship damage). Underneath the damage bars are the ships current/maximum Victory Point (VP) value and current top speed. At the bottom of the display are details about the selected ships class or, if a plane icon is selected, the planes model.

16.4.1 Detaching and Scuttling Ships


The bottom panel can have two buttons which allow detaching and scuttling ships; these buttons are only present when damage to one or more ships exceeds a limit set by the scenario designer. Ships can only be detached if they are designated as detachable by the scenario designer. If detached, the computer may assign up to three escorts and will form a new TG, which will immediately head to a Flee Point set by the scenario designer. A mouseover of the detach button will show the Flee Point in blue on the minimap. You have no control over this TG. Any sufficiently damaged ship can be scuttled, and scuttled ships will sink immediately to the bottom, awarding full Victory Points to the enemy player. You would typically try to preserve high value ships by detaching them, but you might be forced to scuttle low value ships whose damage has reduced their speed, thereby endangering the whole TG.

16.5 Surface Combat


It is important to realize that in the Surface Combat system, you are giving orders for the next 5 minute period on the gameclock, as is your opponent. The results of the combined orders are calculated and displayed in the next period, after which you can give further orders. If the AI Advisor option is On, then the AI will issue orders to your ships at the start of each 5 minute period. Of course, you are at liberty to change those orders yourself. If the AI Advisor is Off, then no orders will be issued by the AI and if you dont get around to it, your ships wont have any orders. Surface Combat starts with the computer dividing all your ships into up to four formations. All capital ships (Battleships and Heavy Cruisers) form the line of battle (Line). Light Cruisers, Destroyers, and other minor warships are split into two formations. These are placed ahead of (Van) and behind (Rear) the Line. These formations are displayed across the screen so reading from left to right you will see Rear, then

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Playing the Game


Line, and finally, Van. Carriers, Transports, Auxiliaries, and any other non-combat craft are placed in a protected position (named Convoy or Carrier, depending on its composition) behind the Line. The screen shows the ships arranged in their respective formations; enemy ships are always shown at the top of the display. At the bottom of the display are buttons to give orders to the various elements of your formation. Each formation has two sets of buttons, one for Combat orders and one for Movement orders. You can click on any ship to see its details at the bottom of the screen. A mouseover of your Orders panel will highlight your formation.

16.5.1 Combat Orders


Weapons are grouped into three categories: Primary Guns (8 and above), Secondary Guns (<8), and Torpedoes. The screen is divided into zones, each having a notional width of 5,000 yards. Ranges are as follows: all ships of class BB or BC have battleship guns and a range of 6 zones. Ships of class CA have 8 guns and a range of 4 zones. All secondary guns have a range of 3 zones. Ships with the best torpedoes (effectively all Japanese ships) have a range of 2 zones and all other torpedoes have a range of 1 zone. Combat will usually start with formations 7 zones apart and therefore out of range of even battleship guns, but combat at night can start much closer together. Each formation of yours has four potential targets: the Rear, Line, Van, and Carrier/Auxiliary of the enemy formation. You give orders to fire at an enemy formation, rather than individual ships. The computer allocates firing and tries to ensure that each enemy ship in a formation is attacked at least once. A mouseover of the target icon will highlight the targeted enemy formation. Underneath each target are the Weapon buttons for fire orders against that target. These buttons are colored red if the weapon is out of range for that target. You can split your fire if you wish, assigning different weapons to different enemy formations.

16.5.2 Movement Orders


Below the Weapon buttons are the two Movement buttons for the only two Movement orders you can give, Close Range and Open Range. To stay where you are, simply issue no orders or toggle off any current order. You cannot move into or through an enemy occupied zone. If a friendly formation is in the bottom zone then the Open Range order becomes a Flee Order, which will cause the formation to attempt to disengage from the combat. A formations chance of fleeing depends on its current maximum speed. All ships are assumed to make their maximum possible speed when in surface or air/naval combat. The Fast Animation option simply speeds up the display of any surface combats. The AI Advisor button will issue AI orders to your formations and these will be shown when the surface combat screen is displayed. You can leave these unchanged, in which case they will be implemented or you can change

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them yourself. As well as providing useful advice, this option can be handy in multiplayer games where there may be many demands on your time.

16.6 Submarines
You do not have any control over the submarines in Carriers at War. You are not playing the role of a commander who had any say in submarine operations and players given control of submarines would only use their infallible historical hindsight to create ahistorical wolfpacks. You can see a display which reports on each friendly submarine in the scenario. Click on a submarine name to select it. Youll be shown the subs location on the map, its heading, and patrol radius, along with the current torpedo loads. Further details will be shown if the submarine has actually attacked a target.

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Playing the Game


16.7 Search Plane Display
Like the Submarine display, this is a report only. Click to select a search plane on the list. You are shown its location on the map, its heading and details on its mission, the planes squadron and base, and the weather at the planes current location.

16.8 Briefing Screen


At the top of the Briefing Screen is the Side Select control. You use this to see the briefings and reports for both sides, although there are some obvious restrictions on enemy information. Buttons at the right of the screen select the type of information displayed.

16.8.1 Briefing
You can read the general and side specific briefings. The mini-map gives a general indication of what is expected.

16.8.2 Missions/Conditions
Missions are tasks that the scenario creator has assigned to you. Mission types are Invade, Supply, and Bombard. The Status of any Mission is shown in the Missions panel. You can click on a mission to get further details and examine the mini-map for an overview. The Theatre Map on the main screen will display whenever a mission is accomplished. Conditions act to affect a sides Victory Level. For example, unless the Japanese deliver at least 9 Cargo Points to Port Moresby in their Invade Pt. Moresby Mission, then the best Victory Level they can achieve is a Draw, regardless of any destruction wrought on US forces. This reflects the fact that the invasion was the overall aim of the Japanese forces. Conditions can include missions and ship survival. Again, in the Coral Sea scenario, if either the Lexington or the Yorktown is sunk, the best possible US Victory Level is a Marginal Victory. This reflects the high value of scarce US carrier assets in the early part of the war.

16.8.3 Strike History


You can see a history of each strike for either side. Information on your strikes will be estimates only, unless the Accurate Combat Reporting option is on.

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16.8.4 Ships
The Ships screen shows a summary of friendly ship losses and a detailed listing of all ships on your side, along with all ship-based squadrons. You can click on an individual ship or squadron to see more details. You can also see a less detailed listing of enemy ships by changing sides.

16.8.5 Squadrons
This display lists all squadrons, both ship- and land-based, on your side. Selecting a squadron will show details on each plane in the squadron. A panel at the top right of the screen shows a summary of friendly plane losses. Limited information is available on enemy squadrons.

16.9 Victory Screen


The Victory Screen shows the current result and all Victory Points and Conditions that have contributed to that result. While the game is in progress, unless the Accurate Combat Reporting option is on, your Victory Points will be based on your estimates on enemy ships sunk, and these are likely to be exaggerated. Naturally, the screen will show the correct results at the end of the game. Mission and Conditions are explained in Section 10.8 above. Since various conditions can limit your victory level, simply getting more Victory Points than your opponent is not in itself a guarantee of victory.

17.0 Air Naval Combat


Air Naval combat is the heart of Carriers at War. All of your maneuvering and searching is aimed at getting in an airstrike against your intended target, which will often be enemy carriers. You have absolutely no control over an attack; all you can do is sit back and watch the results, good and bad alike. In CAW, air/ground combat is nowhere near as important as air/ naval and reporting of air/ground combat is left to the event message system.

17.1 Getting There


A strike will fly to the last reported location of the sighting it has been launched against. However, if it happens to fly over other enemy naval formations along the way, there is a fair chance that it will attack them instead of continuing on to the target location. If not distracted, the strike will reach the designated location and if the target is there, will proceed to attack. However, given the vagaries of sighting reports and navigation, there is a fair chance that the target is not in the immediate hex, whereupon the strike will begin searching to the limits of its endurance. Finding the target can also be complicated by the effects of weather, as hiding in squalls will considerably enhance a TGs chance of escaping detection.

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Playing the Game


17.2 Bombs Away
When a target is located, then the strike can begin. Each attacking aircraft type is divided into Strike Wings of up to five aircraft, but before they can attack they must run the gauntlet of CAP and Flak. The Combat Screen shows a top-down view of the TG that they are attacking. Each wing selects its own target, which is normally, but not always, the highest value ship in the TG. The target ship is highlighted on the display and its ship picture shown at the bottom of the screen.

To the right of the ship picture is shown the plane picture of the attacking Strike Wing. Small plane icons show the fate of each plane in the Strike Wing. They are: Killed by CAP a crosshair icon is overprinted. Killed by Flak an explosion icon is overprinted. Damaged by CAP or Flak one or two square icons below plane show damage level. Weapons release but Miss the planes weapon icon is grayed out to show a miss. Weapons release and Hit the planes weapon icon is printed solid to show a hit.

Death or damage prevents weapons release, so only those planes which run the gauntlet unscathed get to drop their loads. If you do score a hit then you will see an explosion and fire on both the top-down view and the ship picture.

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17.3 Ship Damage


Attacks from any source can cause Fire Damage and/or Permanent Damage, shown by orange or black markings (respectively) in a ships damage bars. Fire Damage can spread without a ship taking further hits. A bar of Fire Damage can turn into Permanent Damage or it can be extinguished and the damage repaired. The course of fire damage depends on the ships Damage Control rating. Permanent Damage cannot be repaired within the course of the scenario. Once a Carrier has taken six or more bars of damage, of either kind, its flight deck will be closed and will not reopen unless the damage bars drop to below six.

Planes returning to a carrier that cannot accept them will attempt to divert to another carrier or airbase. Those that fail to reach safety are assumed to run out of fuel and are destroyed. Diverted pilots go into the pool of pilots at the new base. Diverted planes are added to the plane pool if their plane type already operates from that base. Diverted planes will never operate as their original squadron.

17.4 Plane Damage


Damaged planes can be repaired at their bases. This is a reasonably slow process and the speed and number of repairs depends upon the Admin value of the squadron.

18.0 How to Win


Well, its not easy, as there are so many issues to deal with. One important consideration is range. If there is such a thing as a safe place in a carrier battle, its a range at which you can hit your opponent and he cant hit you. Sadly for the US player, the Japanese, in the early war years, can often be in this position. While the US F4F fighter planes are short-ranged, the real problem for the US is the TBD-1 Devastators, which can barely lug their torpedoes from one end of the flight deck to the other before running out of fuel. It is felt that to wait for these to get within range, while not receiving an enemy strike, is to ask rather too much of the gods of war, and that they are best eliminated from serious tactical calculations. Often, of course, both sides find themselves in range of each other. In that case, you will want to strike first. This is partly conditional on the performance of your search planes, but you can reduce the time taken to launch a strike by arming and fuelling all your planes so that they are ready to go the instant

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Playing the Game


a sighting is reported. Doing this an hour before dawn is a popular tactic. Yes, you make your carriers much more vulnerable to damage, but if they are the target of a full strength strike from a competent enemy then theyre in big trouble anyway. At the same early hour you can review search sectors and CAP levels for all your TGs. Another tactical consideration is the weather. The heavier the weather in your hex, the better your chance of not being spotted, or not being found by a strike if you are spotted. If a strike is inevitable, then it is best to spread the pain around. Keeping surface combat TGs in the same hex as your carriers provides more targets for enemy planes, and a bomb aimed at a battleship (which is generally better protected), is a bomb not aimed at a vulnerable carrier. You should also look closely at the victory conditions for both sides. For instance, in the Coral Sea scenario, the Japanese must deliver 9 Cargo Points to Pt. Moresby or their best result is a Draw, so the Invasion Fleet rather than the Japanese carriers is the ultimate target. Both sides also have ship preservation conditions which limit victory conditions and as well as dictating offensive operations, these conditions could also determine when it is time to cut your losses and retire from the contest, rather than risking further losses. Surface Combat is actually fairly rare in Carriers at War, hence the name. However, if it does happen, the most important tactical decision is whether to run or not. Once ships get the range, surface combat can be a brutal affair so it is important to determine whether you wish to be in range in the first place. If you are going to slug it out, you should try to match your weapons with appropriate targets. Strangely enough, destroyer sized guns should fire at destroyers, and capital ships should fire at other capital ships. US players should be very wary of Japanese torpedoes, which have double the range and are highly effective.

19.0 Multiplayer Details


CAW can played as a two player (only) multiplayer game via TCP/IP over the internet or on a LAN. Given the brutal nature of carrier warfare, multiplayer games are short, exciting affairs, usually lasting about 30 minutes. To set up a multiplayer game, hit the Multiplayer button on the Welcome screen. This will display the Multiplayer Setup screen. On that screen you will have to choose between Hosting or Joining a multiplayer game, but before you do, enter your game name. This will appear in game setup messages and in-game chat.

19.1 Hosting a Game


To host a game, enter a name for the game in the Game Name field and select the Start Game button. You will be taken to the Multiplayer Lobby to await the person joining your game.

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In the Multiplayer Lobby screen, the Host must choose the scenario and side to play. If the client doesnt have a copy of the scenario, or their copy differs, they will automatically be prompted to download a copy of your version. The Save Games checkbox below the scenario listbox will toggle the scenario list between your scenarios and your multiplayer save games. If you choose to load a save game, your opponent will be prompted to download it before starting. You can view and send chat messages to your opponent via the chat textbox and chat list. As Host, you cannot start the game until your opponent signals that they are ready. When that happens, the Opponent Ready checkbox will show a tick and the Start Game button will be enabled. The joining player will need to know your IP address so they can find your game. If you dont know this you can use utilities such as www.whatsmyip.org or www.whatismyip.com to find out.

19.2 Technical Notes


As Host, any firewalls and routers on your system will need to be configured to allow you to receive UDP packets on ports 2300 and 2301. If you have a router, you will also need to ensure that those ports are routed to the computer on which you are hosting your CAW game. Check out http://www.portforward. com/ for some good general info on how to configure routers. Also, you should shut down any background downloads or anything else that might be hogging bandwidth to give yourself the best possible chance of a trouble-free game.

19.3 Joining a Game


To join a hosted internet game, you will need to enter the Hosts IP address in the Hosts IP Address field and hit the Search for Hosted Game button. If the Host is on the same LAN as you, hit the Find LAN Games button. Any games that are found will then show up in the list. Click on the game in the Hosts listbox to select the game to join and then click the Join Server button to enter the multiplayer game lobby. In the lobby you can chat to the Host and when you are happy with the scenario and side options he has chosen you can hit the Ready checkbox and the Host will be able to start the game. If the Host changes any options after you have hit Ready then the checkbox will be reset and you will have to hit Ready again if you are happy with the changes.

19.4 Minimum Game Speed


The gameclock in a CAW multiplayer game will run continuously. Each player can set the gameclock speed, just as they do in a single player game. The game will run at the lower of the chosen speeds. The Minimum Game Speed option sets the slowest speed at which the gameclock can run; obviously, you should negotiate this setting with your multiplayer opponent. If you set the minimum speed to 0, then either player will be able to stop the gameclock by dialing their game speed to 0. If the minimum speed is anything other than 0, then the gameclock will always run.

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The Editor
When the game first starts, the gameclock is stopped to allow both players to examine their dispositions. Once the gameclock is started, the minimum setting will apply.

19.5 Gameplay
Its probably a good idea to play your first games with Minimum Game Speed set to 0, as this will allow you to stop the clock while youre getting used to the system. That being said, you should be considerate of your opponent. Dont stop the clock if you dont need to, and speed up the clock at night when nothing much is happening. Consider using the Autosave option. There are many factors outside of SSGs control that can conspire to wreck a multiplayer game, and regular save games constitute insurance against these eventualities. You should also practice using the Autostrike option through the Onmap Orders menu, as this is the quickest way to launch a strike. You will find that you almost always want to send all possible planes in the shortest possible time, and this is the way to do it.

20.0 Hotkey Listing


Hotkey bindings are set in the Hotkey Options screen, reached by hitting the Hotkey Options button under the Options button. In this screen is a listbox displaying the current Hotkeys. Below the listboxes are two drop down menus with a list of keys and a list of possible commands. To add a command, choose a key and a command to bind to that key, and then hit the Add button. The Reset button will reset all Hotkeys to the default list, as shown below.

20.1 Default Hotkeys


CTRL B W H CTRL L N P Backspace R C CTRL S TAB CTRL TAB RETURN ESCAPE Page Up Page Down Send Debug Report Toggle weather Toggle Hexgrid Load Game Toggle Names Toggle Search planes Deselect All Toggle Search Radii Order Emergency CAP Save Game Cycle All Next Task Group Cycle All Previous Task Group Start Multiplayer Chat Message Show Game Menu Zoom map out Zoom map in

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Left Up Right Down A F(1-8) F10 CTRL F(1-6) _ or + or = Spacebar Print Screen

Scroll Map Left Scroll Map Up Scroll Map Right Scroll Map Down Arm/Fuel Selected Task Group/Landbase Select TG(1-8) Show Frames Per Second (FPS) figure Select TF/LB(1-6) Decrease Game Speed Increase Game Speed Break Take Screen Shot

This default list does not assign a key to every possible command, just those that we considered most important. You are encouraged to look at the command list and configure the game to suit yourself.

21.0 Editor
21.1 Introduction
The Editor included with CAW is the same Editor used by SSG to create the scenarios in the game. By using the Editor, you have the power to edit existing scenarios or create entirely new scenarios, including creating new maps. While every effort has been made to describe all the Editor functions in this manual, creating a scenario is not a trivial task. However, you will find that those who take the trouble are greatly appreciated by the gameplaying community. You are encouraged to visit the Discussion forums at www. ssg.com.au or www.matrixgames.com, where you can ask questions about scenario creation and get help from others who are creating their own scenarios.

21.2 Editor Definitions


Text in Bold Black: This is a key term used in the Editor, but not an Editor action. Text in Blue: This is an Editor action, such as a button, or an Editor field where the user must define the value. Text in Green: This is an Editor field where the user must use a Left mouse click to choose values from a drop down menu.

21.3 Editor Screen


This initial screen contains buttons which lead to the various Editor screens. At the top of the screen are edit fields with the current scenario and current file. New: Create a new scenario file with the name in the Current Scenario field. You cannot create a new scenario with the same name as an existing scenario.

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The Editor
Load: Load a scenario file. Scenario files are saved with a .CAW suffix. Save: Save the current scenario. Save As: Save the current scenario under a new name. Resources: The resource system in CAW is based around res files which have a .srf file extension. Resource files are an amalgamation of data from different sources. Each res file may contain many resources. A resource is a uniquely named individual piece of data which may be of the type Sprite, Texture, Wav, Cursor, and a few others. In the creation or editing of a scenario, however, the likely resources you will ever edit are the Texture, Sprite and Surface resources. Texture resources are picture files that may contain one or more sprites on them. The Texture resource supports most common picture formats - bmp, dds, jpg, png, and tga. To enter a new Texture resource, supply a unique name, and specify the picture file. A Texture resource is not used directly - usage of a texture (or part of it) requires that a Sprite be defined. The optimum sizes for a Texture are power of two sizes, but not necessarily the same in each direction, for example 64x256 or 128x512. All Texture sizes should be kept below 1024x1024 to ensure memory requirements are not exceeded. A Sprite resource simply stores the name of a Texture resource, and the bounding coordinates of an image on it. In this way, multiple sprites can be stored on a single texture resource, which helps to optimize the memory usage of the game. A Surface resource is very similar to a Texture resource, the only difference being that a surface resource doesnt have to be in power of 2 sizes, and it may be larger than 1024x1024. For this reason, the scenario maps are surface resources. When creating a new scenario, you will need to create any ship and plane images as well as a few scenario specific resources. Have a browse through the ship, plane and scenario folders in the res file list to see the sorts of pictures that are required. The resource screen is broken up onto several areas. The top-left area contains a file browser showing res files, and a create res file button. The create res file prompts you for a file name, and creates a new blank res file. The bottom left contains a file browser to let you search for resources. To view the resources inside a res file, select the file in the file browser. The resource list is then displayed showing all resources inside the selected res file, as well as a resource type list. To view an individual resource, select it, and the resource editor panel will appear with the details of the resource filled in. You can then alter the details and hit the modify button to change the resource, or hit the add resource button to add a new resource with the filled in details (make sure to change the name to a unique one first or an error will be displayed).

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21.4 Scenario/Side Editor Screen


Add Commander: Enter a name for each Command for each side. Selecting the Land Based option will create a Theatre; if unselected, it will create a naval Task Force. Use the Side Select buttons to enter details for each side.

21.5 Scenario Times


Scenario Name: Enter the scenario Name Start Hour: [0-23] Choose the start Hour Start Day: [1-31] Choose the start Day Start Month: [JanDec] Choose the start Month Start Year: Enter the start Year Length (Days): Enter the scenario length in days End Hour: [0-23] Choose the end Hour Dawn Time: [0-23] Choose the time of Dawn Dusk Time: [0-23] Enter the time of Dusk Weather Forecast: [Clearing, Stable, Closing, Unstable] Choose the overall forecast which will apply to the weather during the scenario. Misc Scenario Details (Enter for each side) Aerial Torpedoes: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Surface Torpedoes: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Submarine Torpedoes: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Para Frag Bombs Permitted: [Yes/No] This type of bomb was better suited to low level raids on airbases, and if used will cause more damage. They appeared in US arsenals late in 1942. Search Doctrine 1-2 Crew: [01000nm] Choose the search radius for all 1-2 crewed aircraft for a side. We suggest the following: Japan 1939-43 400, 1943-45 400 US 1939-43 300, 43-45 400. Search Doctrine 3+ Crew: [01000nm] Choose the search radius for all 3+ crewed aircraft for a side. We suggest the following: Japan 1939-43 600, 1943-45 600 US 1939-43 500, 1943-45 600.

21.6 Edit Plane Types


Name: This is the name of the resource for the plane. You must know the exact name to enter in this field although you can copy this from an existing scenario. Display Name: This is the plane name as it will appear in the game. Role: [Fighter, Bomber, Recon] Choose the combat role of the plane in this scenario. Number of Crew: [1,29+] Choose the number of crew on the plane. Cruising Speed: [0300] Choose the cruising speed in knots. Payload: [None18,600] Choose the payload in pounds. A full payload is carried at normal range, about one-third is carried at extended range. Low Altitude Rating: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Choose the performance rating of the plane at low altitudes (<5,000 ft). Medium Altitude Rating: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Choose the performance rating of the plane at medium altitudes (5,000 ft to 20,000 ft).

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The Editor
High Altitude Rating: [Hopeless, Poor, Good Excellent] Choose the performance rating of the plane at high altitudes (>20,000 ft). Service ceiling and the altitude at which maximum speed is achieved can be a guide to altitude ratings. When resolving AA fire and air-to-air combat, torpedo bombers striking naval targets are attacked at low altitude, dive bombers at medium altitude and level bombers at their best rated altitude. Escorting fighters do not necessarily engage enemy interceptors at the same altitude as the strike aircraft they are protecting. Fighters with strike or strafe missions are always attacked at low altitude. Normal Range: [131] Choose the duration in hours of the plane traveling at cruising speed with a full bomb load the ranges to fixed/naval targets are calculated and displayed to the right of this field when the data is entered. Extended Range: [131] Choose the duration in hours of the plane traveling at cruising speed with a reduced bomb load in the case of bombers/recon types or no bomb load in the case of fighters the ranges to fixed/naval targets are calculated and displayed to the right of this field when the data is entered. Transfer Range: [131] Choose the duration in hours of the plane traveling at cruising speed with no payload and changing bases the one way range of a transfer mission is calculated and displayed to the right of this field when the data is entered Fire Power: [07] Choose the planes fire power rating. Vulnerability: [07] Choose the planes vulnerability rating. Maneuverability: [07] Choose the planes maneuverability rating. Power: [07] Choose the planes power rating. Carrier: [Yes/No] Choose if the plane is rated for carrier operations. Seaplane: [Yes/No] Choose if the plane is a seaplane. Night Ops: [Yes/No] Choose if the plane is rated for night operations. Torpedo: [Yes/No] Choose if the plane can carry torpedoes. Allied: [Yes/No] Choose if the plane is Allied or Axis. Type Details: Enter plane type details. These are purely for display purposes, see existing scenarios for examples.

21.7 Squadron Editor Screen


Name: Enter the squadron name. Plane Type: Choose the plane type from the types already entered. Number of Aces: Enter the number of Aces in the squadron, typically up to 10% of squadron strength in American and Commonwealth squadrons and as high as 25% in Japanese squadrons in the first year of the war. Number of Veterans: Enter the number of Veterans in the squadron, typically about 20% for American and Commonwealth squadrons in the first year of the war, rising to as much as 50% by 1945. For the Japanese in the first six months of the war the value was as high as 60% but falling to rapidly to about 20% thereafter and as low as 10% or less in 1945.

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Number of Trained: Enter the number of Trained pilots in the squadron. Number of Green: Enter the number of Green pilots in the squadron. Operational Minimum: Enter the minimum number of planes required to be available for the squadron to be eligible for a mission. Number of Replacements: Enter the number of replacement planes available to replace casualties. Search: [No Recon TrainingFantasy] Choose the level of training for recon missions. Admin: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the Admin rating for the squadron Admin affects matters such as the speed of repair of damaged planes. Night Ops: [Yes/No] Choose if the squadron is capable of night operations. Carrier Ops: [Yes/No] Choose if the squadron is capable of carrier operations. Kamikaze: [Yes/No] Choose if the squadron is capable of kamikaze operations. Modern: [Yes/No] Choose if the squadron is modern. The squadrons top down plane picture, number of pilots/replacement planes and base are printed over its plane picture at the top of the screen.

21.8 Ship Class Editor Screen


Name: Enter the Ship Class Name. Seaplane Tender: [Yes/No] Choose whether the class is a Seaplane Tender. Seaplane Tenders can launch seaplanes on search missions if anchored. Ship Type: [CarrierSubmarine] Choose from an extensive list of class types. Max Speed (knots): Enter the maximum speed in knots. Displacement (tons): Enter the full load displacement in tons. DP AA Guns 4-5: Enter the number of 4-5 Dual Purpose or AA Guns. DP AA Guns 3: Enter the number of 3 Dual Purpose or AA Guns. 30mm 50 mm Guns: Enter the number of 30mm 50mm AA Guns. 13mm 25 mm Guns: Enter the number of 13mm 25mm AA Guns. Armor (inches): Enter the thickness of belt armor in inches. Primary Guns: [None, 818] Choose the caliber of any primary guns. DP/SP Guns 6: Enter the number of Dual Purpose or Single Purpose guns of 6 caliber. DP/SP Guns 4-5: Enter the number of Dual Purpose or Single Purpose guns of 4 or 5calibre. DP/SP Guns 3: Enter the number of Dual Purpose or Single Purpose guns of 3 caliber. Torpedo Tubes: Enter the number of torpedo tubes mounted on the ship. Vulnerability: [0 Highly Flammable7 Very Robust] Choose the vulnerability of the ship class, this modifies how much damage each weapon hit does. Anti-Submarine: [0 No AS7 Deadly AS] Choose the Anti Submarine capability of the ship class. Torpedo Loads: [No Capability, 1 Spread7 Spreads] Choose the number of times the torpedo battery can fire before running out of ammunition.

21.9 Ships Editor Screen


Carrier/Ship Name: Enter the name of the ship or carrier. Ship Class: Choose the ship class from those previously defined.

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The Editor
Carrier/Ship Worth: Enter a value for the worth of the carrier/ship, maximum is 15. This is used by the AI only by summing the worth of all ships in a TG and then comparing it to an effectiveness value assigned by the scenario creator to the TG. Damage Status: [0 No Damage15 Sunk] Choose the damage level for the ship/carrier at the start of the scenario. Radar: [0 Air 0 Surf100 Air 40 Surf] Choose the effective air and surface ranges for the installed radar, if any. Fire Control: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the effectiveness of fire control for the ships guns. Damage Control: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the effectiveness of damage control procedures and fire fighting doctrine. AA Accuracy: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the accuracy of the ships AA guns Carrier: [Yes/No] Choose if the ship is a carrier this allows further, carrier specific entries on the edit screen. Crippled: [Yes/No] Choose if the ship is sufficiently important to allow it to be detached from its starting TG and sent under AI control to a safe point in order to preserve it from further damage. Max Aircraft: Enter the maximum number of planes carried by the carrier. Outer Strike Limit: [0nm620nm] Used only by the AI. Choose the maximum range at which the computer will launch strikes against a naval target. Inner Strike Limit: [0nm620nm] Used only by the AI. Choose the optimum range at which the computer will launch strikes against a naval target. This should be the maximum range where all the carriers aircraft can participate with their preferred armament (ignore the Devastators). Spot Number: Enter the spot number for the carrier. The spot number measures how many aircraft can fit on the flight deck at the one time and still have space to take off. Available and Assigned Squadrons: Click to select a squadron and use the Add or Remove Squad buttons to assign squadrons to the carrier.

21.10 Task Group Editor Screen (for each side)


Name: Enter the name of the TG. Start Location: Enter the X,Y location of the TG start location clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Effectiveness: Used only by the AI. Enter the value which establishes the amount of damage the TG will accumulate before it considers itself to be ineffective. Damage sustained is calculated by adding all the carrier and ship worth points of all vessels which are no longer combat capable. Endurance: Enter the value of the TGs endurance in days at its cruising speed of 20 knots. Task Force: Choose the TF that the TG belongs to from the previously created TFs. Admin: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the admin value for the TG. This reflects the amount of experience that the vessels within the TG have in operating together and affects a number of important parameters, including AA and surface gunnery fire. Mission: Choose the TG mission from the drop down menu. Objective: Choose the objective from the drop down menu, if the mission is one that requires an objective, otherwise choose None. Task Force Command: [Yes/No] Choose if this TG is the Command TG for the TF.

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Reinforce Hour: Choose the hour if this TG reinforces the scenario after it starts. Reinforce Day: Choose the day if this TG reinforces the scenario after it starts.

21.11 Edit Submarines


Name: Enter the Submarine name. Start Location: Enter the start location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Patrol Locus: Enter the coordinates of the centre (or locus) of the submarines patrol area - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Patrol Radius: Enter the submarines patrol radius, from the radius, in hexes Ship Class: Choose the Ship Class from those already defined. Search Rating: [0 15] Choose the submarines search effectiveness. Damage Status: [015] Choose the submarines damage status at the start of the scenario. Submerged Speed: [3-5 knots16+ knots] Choose the submarines submerged speed. The greater the submerged speed the more likely the submarine will make a successful attack. Submerged Depth: [100ft400+ft] Choose the submarines maximum diving depth. The greater the maximum depth, the more likely the submarine will survive a depth charge attack. Damage Control: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the effectiveness of the submarines damage control procedures.

21.12 Edit Installations


Name: Enter the name of the Coast Watcher or Anchor Point. Hex Location: Enter the hex location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Allied Anchor Point: [Yes/No] Choose if this is an Allied Anchor Point. Axis Anchor Point: [Yes/No] Choose if this is an Axis Anchor Point. Note: If the installation is neither an Allied or Axis Anchor Point then its a Coastwatcher. Allied Coast Watcher: [07] Choose the search effectiveness of the Coastwatcher, a rating of 0 means inactive. Axis Coast Watcher: [07] Choose the search effectiveness of the Coastwatcher, a rating of 0 means inactive. Note: Coastwatchers have a range of one hex when spotting naval forces and two hexes when spotting aircraft.

21.13 Edit Landbases


Name: Enter the name of the Installation. Hex Location: Enter the hex location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. DP AA Guns 4-5: Enter the number of 4-5 Dual Purpose or AA Guns. DP AA Guns 3: Enter the number of 3 Dual Purpose or AA Guns. 30mm 50 mm Guns: Enter the number of 30mm 50mm AA Guns. 13mm 25 mm Guns: Enter the number of 13mm 25mm AA Guns.

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The Editor
Spot Number: Enter the spot number for the airbase. The spot number measures how many aircraft can fit on the flight deck at the one time and still have space to take off. Damage Status: [0 15] Choose the damage level for the airbase at the start of the scenario. Airstrip Type: [Floatplanes onlyLarge Sealed Runway] Choose the airstrip type. Radar: [0 Air 0 Surf100 Air 40 Surf] Choose the effective air and surface ranges for the installed radar. AA Accuracy: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the accuracy of the bases AA guns. Damage Control: [No TrainingSuperb] Choose the effectiveness of damage control procedures and fire fighting doctrine. Theatre: Allocate the base to a theatre. Port Facilities: [Yes/No] Choose if the base is also a Port. Allied: [Yes/No] Choose a side. Available and Assigned Squadrons: Click to select a squadron and use the Add or Remove Squad buttons to assign squadrons to the airbase.

21.14 Map Editor


The Map Editor creates the underlying hex map, which is the real map for the scenario. The game map is just a bitmap, displayed over the underlying editor map for the enjoyment and convenience of the players, but all actual map information is contained on the editor map. Hexes Width: Specify the map width in hexes. Hexes Height: Specify the map width in hexes. Hexes can be of the following types: Invalid, Sea, Shoal, Open and Forest. Click on a hex type then paint it on the map. Clear Map: Clear the Map. Map Sprite: Enter the name of the map resource. Map Hexes Sprite: Enter the name of the map hexes resource. Save Map as Bitmap saves the editor map as a bitmap, which can then be used as a guide to creating the game map.

21.15 Forecast Editor


The map is divided into weather sectors. For each sector you set the following. Build Direction: Choose the direction in which weather fronts build. Move Direction: Choose the direction in which weather fronts move. Forecast: [Clearing, Stable, Building, Unstable] Choose the long term forecast for the weather system.

21.16 Conditions Editor


Condition Type: [Ship Preservation, Supply/Invade] Choose the type of Victory Condition. Best Result If Not Satisfied: [Axis DecisiveAllied Decisive] Choose the best result that a side can achieve if the Victory Condition is not met. Ship To Preserve: Choose the ship to preserve for a Ship Preservation condition.

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Axis Decisive: Axis Marginal: Draw: Allied Marginal: Current Conditionals: A listbox displays the current Victory Conditions. Use the Side Select buttons to view these for each side.

21.17 VP Schedules 21.17.1 Points Awarded For Destroying Planes


VPs for plane destruction are not awarded individually but on the basis of VPs per quantity destroyed. For example, the scenario might award 3VPs per 4 four fighters destroyed. Land Based Fighters: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this plane type. Land Based Light Bombers: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this plane type. Land Based Heavy Bombers: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this plane type. Sea Based Fighters: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this plane type. Sea Based Light Bombers: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this plane type.

21.17.2 Points Awarded For Destroying Ships


Carriers: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this ship type. Capitols: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this ship type. Minors: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this ship type. Auxiliaries: Enter the VPs awarded for destroying this ship type.

21.17.3 Points Awarded For Completing Missions


Invasion: Enter the VPs awarded for completing this mission type. Supply: Enter the VPs awarded for completing this mission type. Bombard: Enter the VPs awarded for completing this mission type.

21.18 WarRoom
WarRoom is the name for SSGs AI system for Carriers at War. So what is a warcard? A warcard can be thought of as a plan or instruction that consists of any number of actions/reactions. A scenario can have more than one WarRoom set created for it. A drop down menu at the top of the screen allows you choose between WarRoom sets. The Add WarRoom button creates a new WarRoom set for the current scenario. The WarRoom details button shows the scenario briefings and the Clear WarRoom button will clear all warcards in the current set.

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The Editor
Warcards come in four types: Neutral, Allied/Axis Startup, Allied/Axis Task Group, and Allied/Axis Landbase. In the WarRoom screen, the commands to create each type of card appear at the top of the listbox at the left of the screen, starting with the word New, followed by the type of card to be created. Any existing cards are shown below the new card commands. To create a new card, click on the card type in the list box, choose a subject for the card (if needed), and then hit the Add Card button. Any already created cards are listed below the new card commands. A drop down menu at the bottom left of the screen will filter the type of cards shown. Arrow buttons to the left of the listbox allow you to move a card up or down the list. To edit an existing card, click on its name in the list box. Details on the Warcard are shown in an edit box at the top middle of the screen. A listbox on the right of the screen shows the actions possible for that card type. Clicking on an action assigned to a card will display the details in the Action Details panel in the lower middle of the screen.

21.19 Neutral Warcards


Neutral warcards are active throughout the entire course of the game. There are only three actions available to neutral warcards. Alter Game Length: Enter the new game length in days. This can be used to create a variant scenario with a different duration. Alter Weather Forecast: [Clearing, Stable, Building, Unstable] Choose the new forecast for the scenario. Alter Margins: Enter new VP margins for the scenario. This is useful if a scenario variant is created where one side has received substantial reinforcements or other advantages which affect the balance of the scenario.

21.20 Startup Warcards


Startup Warcards are active only at the start of the game. All actions attached to them are implemented at game start and then the Warcards are discarded. Startup Warcards are divided into Axis or Allied startup when created. Setup Search: Choose a base from the drop down menu and set the initial search pattern using the search rosette. Setup TG Movement: This action establishes the initial movement orders and speed for a TG at scenario start or when it first appears as a reinforcement. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Speed: Enter an initial speed. Port [Y/N] Choose if the TG starts at 0 knots and in a friendly port. This is only valid if the TG start location is in the same hex as a friendly port.

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Hex Location: Enter the hex location that the TG will head to - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Taskgroup Order: [Not Set!, Support, Escort, Cover] These orders will apply to the Command TG. Goto: [Not Set!, Friendly Port, Enemy Port, Friendly TG, Anchor Point] Choose if the TG will head to one of these locations. Not Set! means that the Taskgroup Order or Goto command will be not used by this TG. Shift TG Location: This action is used to change the initial map position of a TG. Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Hex Location: Enter the new hex location of the TG - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Change Naval VPs: This action is used to change the VPs awarded for completing naval missions and the VPs lost for naval casualties. Enter new VPs for Invasion, Supply and Bombard missions completed and VPs lost for friendly sunk Carriers, Capitals, Minors and Auxiliaries. The current VPs are displayed for reference. Change Air VPs: This action is used to change the VPs lost for friendly aircraft casualties. Enter new VPs lost for friendly sunk aircraft. The current VPs are displayed for reference. TG Danger Area: This action defines a danger area centered around a single point. Enemy sightings inside this radius will be ignored by all TGs. Note that TGs with aircraft (or land bases) will still launch air strikes at targets within the danger area but the ships themselves will not venture into the radius. Hex Location: Enter the hex coordinates of the focus of the danger area - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Radius: Enter the radius in hexes of the danger area. Alter TG Mission: This action is used to change the assigned mission of the TG. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. New Mission: Choose a New Mission from the drop down menu. New Mission: Choose an Objective (if required) from the drop down menu. Alter TG Arrival: This action is used to change the arrival time of the TG. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Hex Location: Enter the hex location of new location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Redeploy Submarines: This action takes an individual submarine and changes its initial location, patrol locus and radius. Submarine: Choose a friendly submarine.

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The Editor
New Submarine Location: Enter the hex coordinates of new location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. New Patrol Location: Enter the hex coordinates of new location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. New Radius: Enter the new patrol radius. TG Effectiveness: If Warcards have been used to delete ships from a TG then the TGs effectiveness value will need to be changed to reflect the new composition. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. New Effectiveness: Enter the new TG effectiveness value. TG Viability: This action is used to modify the standard damage values each vessel uses to decide whether it is still a viable asset to the TG. The computer continually evaluates all TGs under its direction to determine whether they are capable of continuing the fight. Each TG has an effectiveness value entered in the TG database. As soon as ship values equaling the effectiveness value are reached the TG considers itself ineffective. Sunk ships report their ship worth as lost but damaged ships need a threshold damage level at which they report themselves as ineffective. The standard values are displayed on the screen. This action can modify the standard values to make the TG more or less heroic. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Enter the new values for Carrier, Capital, Minor, Auxiliary and Aircraft Percentage. TG Scuttle: This action is used to specify a speed and/or damage level below which a vessel is considered a liability and not worth saving. These values apply to all vessels in the TG, except those designated as Crippled Vessels which are never automatically scuttled. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Min Speed: Enter the minimum speed that a vessel must be able to make to avoid being scuttled. This will apply to every vessel in the TG. Enter 0 if you dont want to use this feature. Max Damage: Enter the maximum damage that a vessel can sustain before being scuttled. This will apply to every vessel in the TG. Enter 0 if you dont want to use this feature. TG Surface Combat: This action modifies the standard behavior of AI controlled TGs in surface combat. Taskgroup: Choose a TG from the drop down menu. Intensity: Enter a value between 0 and 100. The TG will add this value to its superiority rating when it is deciding whether it is superior or inferior to its opponents for surface combat. The higher this value, the less chance that the TG will flee the surface combat, no matter how badly the combat is going. Combatant: [Y/N] Choose Y if you wish the TG to be regarded as a combatant regardless of its composition or N if you wish the TG to be regarded as a non-combatant regardless of its composition. Auxiliaries: [Y/N] This value applies only to those groups that have been ordered by the value above to act as combatants. Choose N if you wish the auxiliary/carrier component to flee surface combat while

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the rest of the TG stays behind and fights or Y if you want the auxiliary/carrier component to remain in its start section in surface combat. Conditional Missions: This action is used to change the conditional missions which can modify the final victory levels. Note that this action will replace all original database values. Landbase: Choose a LB from the drop down menu. Cargo Points: Enter the new value for the minimum number of CPs to be delivered to the chosen base. Best Result: Enter the best possible Victory Level allowed if the mission is not completed to the minimum level. Conditional Ship Preservation: This action is used to change the ship preservation conditions which can modify the final victory levels. Note that this action will replace all original database values. Ships: Choose a ship, the loss of which will affect Victory Levels, from the drop down menu. Best Result: Enter the best possible Victory Level allowed if the ship is lost. Delete Forces: This action is used to delete various forces from a scenario variant. They are not actually deleted from the scenario database, they just wont appear in this variant. Force Type: [Landbase, Ship, Squad, Sub, TG] Choose the force type for the object to be deleted. Object: Choose the particular game object to be deleted. Setup Surprise: This action specifies the effects of surprise on a side. Surprise only applies to AI controlled forces. Torpedoes in Port: [Y//N] Choose if enemy planes can use torpedoes while attacking friendly ships in port. This is used in the Pearl Harbor scenario. No Combined AA: [Y/N] Choose if friendly ships can combine AA fire against enemy aircraft. No CAP: Enter the Hour and Day when CAP is allowed. Reduced CAP: Enter the Hour and Day when reduced CAP is allowed. Transfer Warships: This action is used to change the composition of TGs. You only need to specify the new TG and the ship to be transferred. New Taskgroup: Choose the destination TG. Ship: Choose the ship to be transferred. Transfer Squads: This action is used to move squadrons between bases. You only need to specify the new airbase and the squad to be transferred. New Base of Ops: Choose the destination airbase. Squad: Choose the squad to be transferred. TG Flee Point: This action specifies the location that a detached TG will attempt to flee to. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that the TG will flee to - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map.

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21.21 New Axis/Allied Taskgroup
Neutral and Startup Warcards are always executed at the start of a scenario but Taskgroups and Landbases use the Thread In/Thread Out and Timeout mechanisms to control the flow of Warcard execution, so it will be discussed here. All TG and LB cards have a Thread In number. Many of the Actions and Reactions which are added to a Warcard have Thread Out values assigned to them. If one of these Thread Out values is triggered, then on the next five minute increment (or at midnight for land bases) a new Warcard with a matching Thread In value will be selected and the old Warcard discarded. The Time Out action can also be used to trigger the abandonment of the current card and the selection of a new one. The new Warcard is selected from amongst all cards belonging to the TG/LB and with the same Thread In number. If there is more than one card, then a card will chosen randomly, and the Chance value on a card can used to influence that choice. It may seem strange to make a random or nearly random choice, but the Achilles heel of most AI systems is their predictability. We wish to avoid the situation where a human player, in sighting a TG in position A, can predict after suitable experience, that positions B, C, and D will inevitably follow. At the start of the game, after the Neutral and Startup cards have been implemented, then only cards with a Thread In value of 1 are considered. The following, very simple, example will provide an outline. Let us consider a generic TG. It has four cards with a Thread In of 1, which are eligible at the start of the scenario to send it to four different positions on the map. All of the cards will trigger a Time Out action when they reach their assigned destination. The Time Out value will then form the Thread In value of one or more new cards and as these Time Out values could all be different then the possibilities for TG behavior rapidly multiply. Naturally, the Warcard actions do much more than just move TGs around the map. They control many actions and reactions of our TG. For instance, the TG can monitor its health through the TG Effectiveness Lost action, and if it considers itself too damaged will dump the current card and choose a Thread Out value that will lead to a set of cards that will direct it to retire to a safe place. It is up to you to manage the flow control, but you can help yourself by having a consistent naming system (look at the SSG scenarios for examples) and by making full use of the description field on the Warcards to record salient details. Name: Enter a name for the Warcard. Description: Enter a description that will help identify the card and its purpose. Taskgroup: Choose the TG from the drop down menu. Thread In: Enter the Thread In value for the card, as described above. Chance: [150] Enter the Chance value for the card. The Chance value determines the likelihood of choosing a particular card when there is more than one card. In that case, the computer adds a random

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number between 1 and 50 to the Chance value on each card and chooses the card with the highest modified number.

21.22 TG Warcard Actions


Air Emergency: This action has several uses, all of them concerned with preparing a TGs air forces. At a specified time you can order Emergency CAP, Normal CAP or Recall all CAP. For instance, you can use this action to set Emergency CAP over a TG at Dawn and resume normal CAP a few hours later. CAP Status: [Normal, Emergency, Recall] Choose the CAP level to apply to the TG. Hour: Enter the Hour that the CAP status will start Cap: This action sets the standard CAP to flown over the TG. CAP is launched at Dawn and recalled at Dusk. Emergency CAP actions or CAP flown while an enemy attack is in progress are not affected by these Dawn and Dusk limitations. Night trained fighter squadrons will launch CAP at Dusk and recall just after Dawn. Night trained fighter squadrons will respond to Emergency CAP calls during the day but non night-trained fighter squadrons will never respond at night. Cap (%): Enter the percentage of fighters that the TG will reserve for flying CAP. Air Search: This action sets the search pattern the TG will maintain for as long as the current Warcard is active. Use the search rosette to turn on the sectors you want searched. Landbase Attack: A TG will only attack an enemy land base when specifically directed to do so by this action. Landbase: Choose the Landbase to attack. Start Hour: Enter the start hour for the strike. Squadrons will begin arming and fuelling at this time. Hit Port: [Y/N] Choose Y if you wish to strike the port facilities and any ships there, N if you wish to strike the airbase. Cohesive: [Y/N] Choose Y if you want the strike to be cohesive Min Fighters: Enter the minimum number of escorting fighters. Max Fighters: Enter the maximum number of escorting fighters. Min Bombers: Enter the minimum number of bombers. Max Bombers: Enter the maximum number of bombers. Thread Out: Enter a thread out number. Arm Fuel Squadron: This action is used to prepare carrier squadrons for a strike. Aircraft will arm and fuel and wait on the flight deck for a strike target to be assigned. The advantage of this action is that it reduces the time for any strike to get underway. The disadvantage is that is increases the risk of damage if the carrier is struck while all the armed and fuelled planes are on deck. Start Hour: Enter the hour to start arming and fuelling planes. Stop Hour: Enter the hour that you want the squadrons to disarm. Squadron: Choose the squadron(s) that you want the action to apply to.

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Transfer Squadron: This action orders carrier squadrons to transfer to a friendly land base. Carrier squadrons cannot be transferred to another carrier. Every hour, the card will check to determine if the transfers can take place. Considerations such as range or carrier damage may prevent transfers from taking place so you will need a Time Out action to ensure that the TG can respond to the fact that the transfer hasnt happened. Transfer To: Choose the landbase as a destination for the squadron(s). Squadron: Choose the squadron(s) to transfer. Start Hour: Enter the start hour for the transfer. Stop Hour: Enter the stop hour for the transfer. Transfer will not take place after this hour. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out number for the action. The Thread Out will only happen if the transfer has proceeded. TG Movement: This action is complementary to the TG Patrol action and is structured in a similar way to the Set-Up TG Movement start-up action. Note that the Thread Out value applies only if the map co-ords action has been set and the location has been reached. The other movement types will require a Time Out to terminate the card. Speed: Enter the speed that you want the TG to steam at. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that the TG will head to - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. TG Order: [Not Set!, Support, Escort, Cover] Choose an order or Not Set! If you dont want this order type. Goto: Choose a destination. This may be a Friendly Port, Enemy Base, Friendly TG, or Anchor Point. Choose Not Set! If you dont want this order type. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out value to be used when the TG reaches the specified location. TG Patrol: This action is complementary to the TG Movement action, and together with it makes up the two basic actions which are available for maneuvering your TGs. A map location is selected and a radius described around it. The TG randomly selects a point within this circle and steams towards it at the specified speed. As soon as it reaches its destination, it selects another destination within the circle. If the weather flag has been set then the chosen destination is influenced by weather and the TG will attempt to hide in squalls. TG Patrol actions are normally terminated by a Time Out or a reaction of some kind. Patrol Distance: Enter the size in hexes of the radius of the patrol area. Patrol Speed: Enter the speed you wish the TG to steam at. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the center of the patrol zone - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. TG Holiday: This is the simplest action of all and there is no data to enter. A TG with this action will do absolutely nothing except fire AA until a reaction is triggered or a Time Out directs it to a new Warcard. It is useful for simulating surprise or keeping a TG in port until youre ready for it to sail.

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Time Out: This is a simple action with profound effects. It is the means by which TGs select new cards at the conclusion of a movement order/mission or use time to regulate their behavior. There are two components for the action. In the first option, you specify a day/hour value and a Thread Out value. At the specified time the TG will select a new card with the corresponding Thread In value. In the second option, you simply specify a Thread Out value. As soon as the TG completes a Bombard, Invade or Supply mission, it will select a new card with a corresponding Thread In value, as specified in the Mission Threadout setting. Mission Threadout: Enter the Thread Out value for mission completion for the card. Check Daily: [Y/N] Choose if Y if you want the Hour setting to be checked every day or N if the Day and Hour settings will apply only at the specified Day/Hour. Finish Day: Enter the value for the Day for the Time Out to come into effect. Finish Hour: Enter the Hour for the Time Out to come into effect. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out value for the time values for the card. TG Safe Zone: This action is used to describe an area on the map where the TG can retreat whenever its flee response is triggered. All TGs should contain a TG Safe Zone action if any of their actions specify a flee response. A TG with a flee instruction will head for this safe zone at flank speed. The Thread Out value on the action which triggers the flight will determine whether the TG reverts to its previous Warcard or selects a new one. Radius: Enter the radius of the Safe Zone. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the center of the Safe Zone - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. TG Search Strike: This action allows a TG to make use of the search and strike facility. One or more strike locations are specified and at the nominated start hour the closest location is selected as a sighting. This action will be checked for validity at the same hour every day, so you will have to restrict the duration of the parent warcard if you dont want this to happen. The Thread Out value will not be triggered unless a strike is launched and as the strike cannot be guaranteed you might need a Time Out card as backup to respond to a failure to launch. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the sighting location - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map Number of Escorts: Enter the number of escorts to accompany the strike. TG Refuel: Every TG in the game consumes fuel, except TGs assigned a fuelling mission who are assumed to have sufficient to meet any needs. Fuel usage is very dependent upon steaming speed. In general, TGs steaming at 15kts use 1 fuel unit per day. TGs at 30+ knots use about 8 units of fuel per day. The TG is given a minimum fuel level which will trigger the Refueling action. The TG will head for the first fuelling source listed and begin refueling. If the first fuelling source is not available then the second will be used and so on. Once refueling begins, it continues until the nominated maximum fuel value is

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reached. In daylight, the refueling task adds four days endurance for every hour spent with the fuelling mission TG. Refueling at night takes four times as long. During the refueling procedure it is possible that the refueling TG will respond to a reaction. If this reaction directs the TG to break off refueling and so something else, it will resume refueling until the minimum fuel value is once again reached. Object: Choose the landbase or TG that will provide the fuel Speed: Enter a speed in knots which is the speed the TG will make on its way to the rendezvous. Min Fuel: Enter the minimum endurance level in days that will trigger the refuel action. Max Fuel: Enter the maximum fuel value in days. As soon as this value is reached, the refueling action is considered complete and the Thread Out value will be triggered. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out value. Thread Response: This reaction allows the TG to respond to the current Thread In value of another friendly TG or LB. Like the Sunk Ship Response reaction it provides for very subtle relationships between TGs. You should consider waiting until youve achieved a reasonable familiarity with the WarRoom system before using this action. Remember, the AI will do exactly what you tell it to do, and if you mess things up the AI is unable to point this out. Object to Check: Choose the TG or LB whose Thread In Status you wish to check Thread In: Enter the Thread In value that you are checking Thread Out: Enter the Thread Value that will apply if the TG/LB has the specified Thread In value. Area Response: This reaction is used to respond to the presence of enemy TGs within a particular radius of a designated point on the map. When paired with a suitable Local Response reaction, a TG is fully equipped to deal with every enemy naval sighting. Every enemy TG sighted within the designated area will trigger this reaction. A priority value is assigned to the reaction. The computer will use the highest ranked reaction when determining its response to either (or both) Area Response or Local Response reactions. All naval sightings are identified as one of five types; artificial, carrier, capital, auxiliary or minor. A separate response is chosen for each type of sighting. Finally, a Thread Out value may be specified to direct the TG to a new card once the response is concluded. Radius: Enter the radius of the Area Response Zone. Every enemy TG sighting within the zone will be evaluated for a suitable response. Note that once the reaction has been triggered, the sighting will remain active until it is lost (usually at night) or until it is more than the radius value +2 hexes from the locus. This condition prevents the sighting from slipping into and out of reaction range. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the locus of the Area Response Zone - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map

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Priority: [015] Enter a priority between 0 and 15. If more than one reaction is possible the TG will choose the reaction with the highest priority. In most circumstances, Local Response reactions should have higher priorities than Area Response reactions. Artificial: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Carrier: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Capital: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Minor: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Auxiliary: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. If Ignore is selected, the TG will not react to that sighting. If Flee is selected the TG will steam at flank speed for its designated Safe Zone. If there is no Safe Zone the sighting will be ignored, probably not an optimal outcome so create those Safe Zones. If Advance is selected, the TG will steam towards the sighting at flank speed and attempt to engage in surface combat. You can give carrier TGs an Advance order, but you should couple that with a suitable Local Response action (with a higher priority) to ensure that the carrier TG keeps a sensible air striking distance from the sighting. If Autostrike is selected the TG will advance on the target and launch an airstrike at optimum range. Optimum range for each TG is determined by a database entry for that TG. If Conditional Strike is selected, the TG will advance on the target and launch an airstrike at optimum range, provided that there are no other airstrikes currently directed at that TG. Thread Out: Enter the Thread Out value. A TG will pursue its orders while the sighting is active unless over-ridden by another reaction with a higher priority. Once the sighting is lost, the TG will use the Thread Out value to select a new card. A Thread Out value of 0 will instruct the TG to retain the current Warcard. Local Response: This reaction is used to respond to the presence of enemy TGs within a particular radius of a friendly TGs current location. In almost every other respect it is identical to an Area Response reaction! Day Radius: Enter the distance between the friendly TGs location and the enemy sighting which will trigger the reaction during daylight. Night Radius: Enter the distance between the friendly TGs location and the enemy sighting which will trigger the reaction at night. Priority: [015] Enter a priority between 0 and 15. If more than one reaction is possible the TG will choose the reaction with the highest priority. In most circumstances, Local Response reactions should have higher priorities than Area Response reactions. Artificial: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Carrier: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Capital: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Minor: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Auxiliary: [Ignore, Flee, Advance, Autostrike, Conditional Strike]. Thread Out: Enter the Thread Out value. A TG will pursue its orders while the sighting is active unless over-ridden by another reaction with a higher priority. Once the sighting is lost, the TG will use the Thread Out value to select a new card. A Thread Out value of 0 will instruct the TG to retain the current Warcard.

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Sunk Ship Response: This reaction allows a TG to respond to the loss (or reported loss) of a friendly (or enemy ship). It works in much the same way as the Lost Effectiveness reaction. A friendly ship is considered sunk for this purpose if its real damage level is less than or equal to its ship worth value. An enemy ship is considered sunk if it is reported as sunk. As soon as the specified vessels meet the sunk criteria, the chosen Thread Out value directs the TG to a new Warcard. One possible use of this reaction would be switch your strike elements to a more aggressive plan when the main enemy vessels are reported sunk. Again, this reaction is to be used with caution. Ship: Choose the ship(s) to be checked for the reaction. Do not combine friendly and enemy ships in the same reaction. Or: [Y/N] Choose Y if the ships (if more than one) on the list are joined by the Boolean operator OR i.e. the reaction will be valid if Ship1 or Ship 2 are sunk. Choose N for the operator AND i.e. the reaction will only be valid if both Ship1 and Ship2 are sunk. TG Breakdown Response: This reaction is used to create a new TG based around a crippled vessel. The detached TG will steam under computer control to the nearest Flee Point. Ship: Choose the ship to form the nucleus of the new TG. Number of Escorts: Specify the number of escorts to accompany the crippled vessel. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out value for the card. TG Effectiveness Lost: This reaction allows a TG to respond immediately to the loss of its own effectiveness or the effectiveness of other friendly TGs. Every TG should have an Effectiveness Lost reaction. Supporting TGs often have two such reactions, one for themselves and the other for the TG that they are supporting. The usual response to a loss of effectiveness is to retire at flank speed to a friendly port out of harms way. Taskgroup: Choose the TG(s) to add to the list. Or: [Y/N] Choose Y if the TGs (if more than one) on the list are joined by the Boolean operator OR i.e. the reaction will be valid if TG1 or TG2 have lost effectiveness. Choose N for the operator AND i.e. the reaction will only be valid if both TG1 and TG2 are sunk lost effectiveness. Thread Out: Enter the Thread Out number. TG Flee Point: This action sets the Flee point used by detached TGs consisting of crippled vessel and their escorts. It applies to both AI and human players, as human players have no control over their detached TGs. More than one Flee Point can be defined, if so the TG will choose the closest one. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the Flee Point - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map.

21.23 New Axis/Allied Landbase


Landbases operate much like Task Groups, with some obvious exceptions. Firstly, they dont move (at least, not without the intervention of a higher power or a bug) and they only check their Warcards once per day, at midnight, to see if a new card should be chosen.

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The Landbase creation elements, listed below, work in the same way as their Task Group counterparts. Name: Enter a name for the Warcard. Description: Enter a description that will help identify the card and its purpose. Landbase: Choose the Landbase from the drop down menu. Thread In: Enter the Thread In value for the card, as described above. Chance: [150] Enter the Chance value for the card. The Chance value determines the likelihood of choosing a particular card when there is more than one card. In that case, the computer adds a random number between 1 and 50 to the Chance value on each card and chooses the card with the highest modified number.

21.24 Landbase Warcard Actions


Air Emergency: This action has several uses, all of them concerned with preparing a LBs air forces. At a specified time you can order Emergency CAP, Normal CAP or Recall all CAP. For instance, you can use this action to set Emergency CAP over a base at Dawn and resume normal CAP a few hours later. CAP Status: [Normal, Emergency, Recall] Choose the CAP level to apply to the LB. Hour: Enter the Hour that the CAP status will start. Cap: This action sets the standard CAP to flown over the LB. CAP is launched at Dawn and recalled at Dusk. Emergency CAP actions or CAP flown while an enemy attack is in progress are not affected by these Dawn and Dusk limitations. Night trained fighter squadrons will launch CAP at Dusk and recall just after Dawn. Night trained fighter squadrons will respond to Emergency CAP calls during the day but non night-trained fighter squadrons will never respond at night. Cap (%): Enter the percentage of fighters that the LB will reserve for flying CAP. Air Search: This action sets the search pattern the LB will maintain for as long as the current Warcard is active. Use the search rosette to turn on the sectors you want searched. Landbase Attack: An LB will only attack an enemy land base when specifically directed to do so by this action. Landbase: Choose the Landbase to attack. Start Hour: Enter the start hour for the strike. Squadrons will begin arming and fuelling at this time. Hit Port: [Y/N] Choose Y if you wish to strike the port facilities and any ships there, N if you wish to strike the airbase. Cohesive: [Y/N] Choose Y if you want the strike to be cohesive Min Fighters: Enter the minimum number of escorting fighters. Max Fighters: Enter the maximum number of escorting fighters. Min Bombers: Enter the minimum number of bombers. Max Bombers: Enter the maximum number of bombers. Thread Out: Enter the thread out number.

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Arm Fuel Squadron: This action is used to pre-prepare LB squadrons for a strike. Aircraft will arm and fuel and wait on the runway for a strike target to be assigned. The advantage of this action is that it reduces the time for any strike to get underway. The disadvantage is that your planes are at a greater risk of damage or destruction if struck while on the runway. Start Hour: Enter the hour to start arming and fuelling planes. Stop Hour: Enter the hour that you want the squadrons to disarm. Squadron: Choose the squadron(s) that you want the action to apply to. Transfer Squadron: This action orders carrier squadrons to transfer to a friendly land base. Squadrons cannot be transferred to a carrier. Every hour, the card will check to determine if the transfers can take place. Considerations such as range or damage may prevent transfers from taking place so you will need a Time Out action to ensure that the TG can respond to the fact that the transfer hasnt happened. Transfer To: Choose the landbase as a destination for the squadron(s) Squadron: Choose the squadron(s) to transfer. Start Hour: Enter the start hour for the transfer. Stop Hour: Enter the stop hour for the transfer. Transfer will not take place after this hour. Thread Out: Enter the Thread Out number of the action. The Thread Out will only happen if the transfer has proceeded. Thread Selection: Each LB selects a new Warcard at midnight. This action regulates the choice of the new Warcard and serves the secondary function of allowing any number of LBs to co-ordinate their Warcards for a particular day. You can specify a particular Thread Out to happen on a particular Day. Day: Enter the Day on which the Day Thread Out value will apply. Day Thread Out: Enter the Thread Out value to apply if Day is specified. Thread Out: Enter a Thread Out number. A number of different Thread Out values can be specified along with different chances. Chance: [150] Enter the Chance value for the card. The Chance value determines the likelihood of choosing a particular card when there is more than one card. In that case, the computer adds a random number between 1 and 50 to the Chance value on each card and chooses the card with the highest modified number. Strike Zone: This action is used to describe a zone centered around a single point (usually the landbase itself) within which the land base will launch strikes at any naval intruders. A Start and Stop hour ensure that strikes can be restricted to daylight hours (if desired). The size of the radius will depend on the types and range of aircraft stationed on the base. Start Hour: Enter the Hour at which the Strike Zone will become active. Stop Hour: Enter the Hour at which the Strike Zone will deactivate. Radius: Enter the radius of the Strike Zone. Hex Location: Enter the hex location that defines the locus of the Strike Zone - clicking on the purple button will allow you to select a location directly from the map. Thread Response: This reaction allows the LB to respond to the current Thread In value of another friendly TG or LB.

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Object to Check: Choose the TG or LB whose Thread In Status you wish to check Thread In: Enter the Thread In value that you are checking Thread Out: Enter the Thread Value that will apply if the TG/LB has the specified Thread In value.

22.0 Index
A
Air Naval Combat 36 Bombs Away 37 Getting There 36 Edit Landbases 48 Edit Plane Types 44 Edit Submarines 48 Forecast Editor 49 Landbase Warcard Actions 62 Map Editor 49 New Axis/Allied Landbase 61 New Axis/Allied Taskgroup 55 Scenario/Side Editor 44 Screen 42 Ships Editor 46 Squadron Editor 45, 46 Startup Warcards 51 Task Group Editor 47 TG Warcard Actions 56 WarRoom 50 Event Log 23

B
Briefing Screen 35 Briefing 35 Missions/Conditions 35 Ships 36 Squadrons 36 Strike History 35 Victory Screen 36

C
Carrier/Airbase Screen 28 Cohesive Strikes 31 Combat Air Patrol (CAP) 25 Controls Game Control Buttons 27 Game Display Buttons 26 Game Speed 21 Credits 15

G
Getting Started 11 Giving Movement Orders by Right Clicking on Map 17 by Using Onmap Orders 17

H
Hotkey Listing 41 How to Win 38

D
Detaching and Scuttling Ships 32 Dual Roles for Fighters 30

L
Load Game 12, 41

E
Editor 15, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49 Completing Missions 51 Conditions Editor 49 Definitions 42 Edit Installations 48

M
Main Screen 21 Map Zooming 21 Minimap Display 26

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Index
Moving 16 Multiplayer 12, 20, 39, 40, 41 Gameplay 41 Hosting a Game 39 Joining a Game 40 Minimum Game Speed 40 Technical Notes 40 Squadron Display 30 Strike by Using Onmap Orders 19 by Using the Map 20 Cancelling or Recalling 31 Exiting the Strike Screen 31 Launching 31 Ordering 18 Screen 29 Using the Strike Screen 18 Strike Box 30 Submarines 34 Surface Combat 32 Surface Combat Movement Orders 33 Surface Combat Orders 33 System Requirements Minimum 9

O
Object of the Game 10 Object Of The Game 10 On Map TG Menus 21 Options Advanced Game 14 Advanced Other 15 Audio 13 Game 13 Graphics 13 Hotkey 15 Map 14 Move 21 Other 14 Strike 22

T
Task Force/Task Group Selectors 24 Taskgroup Screen 32 Task Group Status 26 Technical Support 10 Tutorial 15

P
Product Updates 9

V
Victory Point Schedules 50 Completing Missions 50 Destroying Planes 50 Destroying Ships 50

Q
Quick Introduction 16 Quit 15

S
Scenario Clock 23 Scenario Info and Clock 23 Search Controls and Reporting 25 Search Plane Display 35 Selecting a Target 30 Selecting a Task Group by Clicking on Map 16 by Interface Buttons 16 Sighting Report 27 Single Player 11, 12, 20, 21 Controlling the Game 20 Spot Number, Damage, and Flight Deck Operations 29

W
WarRoom 50

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23.0 Credits
SSG
Design Ian Trout Development Ian Trout, Roger Keating, Alex Shaw, Steve Ford, Gregor Whiley Programming Alex Shaw, Roger Keating Art Direction Steve Ford Executive Producer Gregor Whiley Scenario Design Ian Trout Game Manual Gregor Whiley Game Testing Marty Lewis, Matthew Urch, David Alston, Chris Merchant, Andy Brown, Scott Wilson, Stefan Norberg, Frank Margalin, Joel Rauber, John Bluethgen, Manuel Lourenco, Peter Rokitski, Rob Gjessing, Steve Lapierre, Peter Carr, Greg Colman, Tony Buman, Ray Esperantu SSG Website: http://www.ssg.com.au Administration Liz Stoltz Distributor Sales Manager Ross Jepson Business Development Manager Karlis Rutins, Lance Stoltz Customer Support Staff Mike Vahan, Daniel Heath, Alex Fiedler Forum Administration Paul Vebber, Marc Schwanebeck, Erik Rutins, David Heath Web-Database Design & Development Alex Fiedler Network and System Administrator Mike Vahan Network & PC Support Ron Duquesnel Very Special Thanks Ron Tedesco, Debra Pugh, Renee Schoenfelder, Marti Nagy, Bob Lippman, Thomas Heath, Yvonne Heath, Kelly Eckenfels. Matrix NexGen Alexander Rutins, David Vebber, Megan Vebber, Andrew Heath, Nicholas Heath, Shane Heath, Austin Stoltz, Noah Stoltz, Cameron Eckenfels, Hannah Eckenfels, and Erik Conkling. Our Strength We thank God for giving us the ability and strength to complete this project and follow our dream. We also like to thank our families and friends for giving us their non-stop love and support during this project.

MATRIX GAMES
Executive Producer David Heath Associate Producer Erik Rutins Manual Editing and Content Michael Eckenfels Manual Design and Layout Marc Schwanebeck Public Relations & Marketing Sean Drummy, Brant Guillory Production Assistant Gregory Wilcox

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legendary Wargame designer gary grigsby puts you in command of the fiercest fighting in the pacific War !

Uncommon Valor has detail never before achieved in a game of this scale. From May 1942 until the end of 1943, the fate of the Pacific War hinged on the seas, jungles and mountains of the South Pacific. Uncommon Valor covers the hard-fought campaigns for New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland and the Solomon Islands with an innovative game system that tracks every ship, vehicle, aircraft, gun and squad in the conflict, you command hundreds of ships chosen from over 200 ship classes. as well as the vast array of aircraft that were the terror of pacific skies. Uncommon Valor includes all the factors that influenced combat, from the experience level of fighter pilots to the firing arcs of a battleships guns. Yet there is more to your job than fighting; a simple yet accurate logistics system lets you send supplies to the troops that need them most. Choose from nineteen historical and hypothetical scenarios ranging from small naval engagements to massive campaigns, including the full campaign scenario. Streamlined turns allow players to adjust the speed of the game, making Uncommon Valor a realistic, fast-paced simulation of the most crucial period in the Pacific War. Famous commanders like Nimitz and Yamamoto held the fate of nations in their hands.

CAN YOU DO BETTER?

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