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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
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.
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!
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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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.
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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.
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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!
5.6 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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6.1 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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
21.18 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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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Quick Introduction 16 Quit 15
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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
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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.