BATTLEGROUND: ARDENNES Readme
VERSION 1.33  4/97
Added Next Stack hot key CTRL-X.
Fix for Windows 95 white hex outline problem.
Added Extreme Fog-Of-War Optional Rule (no melee odds, no strength points
  for units in non-clear, non-smoke, non-fort hexes, and no morale).
Added red-highlighting of strength value of units not at full strength.
Change so that only External Passengers are visible to other side when
  Extreme FOW is in effect.
Added network play capability.
Fixed the Windows 95 white hex-outline problem.
New Accelerator key "Ctrl-X" moves the Hot Spot to the Next Stack.
Added an Extreme Fog-Of-War optional rule, which when in effect (note: 
normal FOW must also be in effect) hides units' morale, melee odds, the 
Strength Points (SP) of units in non-clear (including smoke and 
fortification) hexes, and the passengers of transport vehicles (but not 
those riding "externally" on tanks and other such armored vehicles).
When a unit drops below full strength, its SP number in the Unit List 
turns from black to red.
TCP/IP INTERNET PLAY 
Internet play is now supported. Prior to beginning TCP/IP Internet play, 
both players should ensure that they have a valid TCP/IP connection 
established on their computers. Typically this is a service of your Internet 
Service Provider.
1. Select "Modem Host" or "Modem Caller" from the Menu screen.
2. Select "Internet Connection".
3. The Modem Host should select a new scenario or resume a previously saved 
   game. The Modem Caller should select the corresponding module for the 
   chosen scenario or battle.
4. A dialog on the Modem Host system will appear, containing the Internet 
   address for the Modem Host. Note: Typically this address is changed by 
   your Internet Service Provider each time an Internet Connection is 
   established.
5. The Modem Host should then provide the Caller with this address. This 
   can be done by calling the Caller on a separate line, by sending the 
   address through E-Mail, or by using an Internet "chat" program. The 
   Modem Caller will then type this address into his Internet connection 
   dialog. He can also specify an encryption key at this time. He should 
   then choose Connect on the Connection dialog.
6. At this point, both players will have a Communication Dialog, and play 
   will start or continue similar to standard Dial Up Modem Play (see 
   section 7.1 in the Players Guide).
Added an "Internet Connection" menu item to the Special Menu. Normally you 
will initiate Internet play after choosing either "Modem Host" or "Modem 
Caller" from the main Menu Screen. However, if you wish to initiate it from 
within the main program, you should select the "Internet Connection" menu 
item prior to selecting "Modem Host" or "Modem Caller" in the Special Menu.
VERSION 1.32  2/97
Fixed incorrect Major Victory VP total in scenario 20 "The Tables Turned" 
(dec20all.scn).
Corrected playing of bazooka video when 60mm mortars are fired.
Reduced the use of smoke by the A/I.
When FOW is in effect, *all* Improved Positions, Fortifications and 
Minefields are now hidden. They are revealed when within the LOS of a 
friendly unit in the same manner as if they were enemy units [Exception: 
no "?" (Unknown-Unit) marker appears when a unit is adjacent to them; they 
appear automatically whenever their hex is entered].
Added an "Initial View" item to the Options Menu. The Initial View menu 
item is used to define the initial view of the map shown when the main 
program is started. This may be set to any of the standard 2D or 3D map 
views, or it may be set so that it is always the view that existed when 
the program was last closed.
Added a "Rules..." button in the A/I Selection Dialog. Selecting this button 
allows the player to use one or both of the following optional rules:
INDIRECT FIRE BY THE MAP: This option allows indirect-fire (only) weapons of 
both sides to attack any hex on the map (within range, but regardless of 
LOS). To fire by the map, simply right-click on the target hex as if firing 
normally.
	If the target hex is in the LOS of a friendly (to the firer) unit 
and contains one or more visible enemy units, the normally applicable attack 
strength is used. If the target hex is in the LOS of a friendly unit but 
contains no visible enemy unit, the normally applicable attack strength is 
halved. If the target hex is not in the LOS of a friendly (to the firer) 
unit and contains no visible enemy unit, the normally applicable attack 
strength is quartered.
	The firing player will not receive a fire-effect report if the 
target hex contains no visible enemy unit. The enemy player will receive a 
fire-effect report in two-player hot-seat and play be e-mail.
DIGGING-IN CAPABILITY: This option allows non-vehicular units to create 
Improved Positions during play. To have a unit attempt to dig in, Select it 
during its Movement Phase, then Select the Toggle Digging-In item in the 
Units Menu. If the unit is able to begin digging in, the "wheel" icon in its 
data area in the Unit List will change to the "improved position" icon. 
	A unit cannot attempt to dig in if it is disrupted, vehicular, has 
fired in the preceding Prep Fire Phase, and/or has already conducted an 
activity in the current Movement Phase. Digging in is prohibited in a hex 
that already contains an Improved Position or a Fortification.
	A unit digging in cannot move or engage in any other movement-related 
activity, has its attack strength (H# and S#) halved, cannot initiate an 
assault, and counter-assaults at half of its otherwise-applicable strength. 
A hidden unit digging in within enemy LOS is significantly more likely to 
be revealed.
	If a unit becomes disrupted or retreats while digging in, its 
digging-in status is immediately lost. A player can voluntarily cancel his 
unit's digging-in status during any friendly phase by Selecting first the 
unit and then the Toggle Digging-In menu item.
VERSION 1.31 1/97
Fixed corruption of battle file caused by choosing "Cancel" in Two-Player 
Hot-Seat Replay option.
Fixed PBEM replay bug that caused crashes and hangs due to inadvertant 
word-wrap in .bte file.
VERSION 1.3  9/96
SPECIAL OPTIONS: Clicking on this new menu-screen button lets you start 
(or resume) a game using either Play by E-Mail (PBEM) or Hotseat with Fog 
of War.
HOTSEAT WITH FOG OF WAR: This "Special Options" choice allows two players 
to play a scenario using the same computer, with Fog of War in effect. When 
one player has finished making his moves and/or attacks, the program draws 
a blank map for the start of the next phase and informs him that it is now 
his opponent's turn to move or attack.
VICTORY POINTS: VPs are now deducted per Strength Point (SP) lost. Unit VPs, 
objective VPs and scenario VP levels have been recalculated accordingly. A 
unit's "VP" number in the Unit List now represents its *per-SP* value. To 
find the unit's total VP value, multiply its VP number by its current number 
of SPs.
	The new method of calculating unit VPs makes the per-SP value of 
some weak units higher than that of more powerful units - but to view this 
as meaning the weak unit is "worth more" than the strong one is comparing 
apples and oranges. Each full-strength platoon's VP total is divided by the 
number of SPs it contains to arrive at its per-SP value, so one with only 
two SPs will tend to have a higher per-SP value than one with six SPs even 
though the latter will have a higher overall VP value.
ASSAULT PHASE: When a hex becomes devoid of defending units as the result 
of an Offensive Fire Phase attack, it becomes a Vacant Hex. (A red triangle 
icon appears in the hex to mark it as such.) A Vacant Hex may be assaulted 
during the next Assault Phase, and the assaulting unit(s) will automatically 
occupy the hex.
Added bazooka video and sound effects.
Improved the AI targeting algorithm.
Added an Air Power reminder to the Command Report.
All units have their movement allowance halved while they are disrupted. 
Their Unit List entry shows this halved allowance.
The red firing line does not appear if the firing unit's hex is not spotted.
When a unit fires, its facing on the 3D map changes so that it faces its 
target.
The Artillery Dialog now uses shorter unit names so that the hex coordinates 
are always visible.
Right-clicking in the Unit List changes the current terrain picture to a 
diagrammatical display of the Hot Spot hex's hexside terrain.
Fixed crash caused by airstrikes.
Fixed bug that sometimes allowed trucks to spot for firing smoke.
INDIRECT-FIRE CLARIFICATION: An indirect-fire attack is applied against 
each unit in the target hex. In addition, each target unit's Strength 
Points (SPs) are multiplied by the applicable nominal attack factor and 
the result is then divided by 5 to find the effective attack factor vs. 
that unit. (In other words, effective AF = [nominal AF# * SP#] / 5)
	For example, a target unit of 5 SPs will have the nominal AF 
applied to it. A target unit of 2 SPs will have 2/5 of the AF applied to 
it. The rationale for this calculation is that the indirect-fire results 
against a single target unit of, e.g., 4 SPs should be the same as the 
total indirect-fire results against two target units of 2 SPs in the same 
hex. The calculation will apply the indirect AF against target units 
proportional to their SPs, thus resulting in a total combat result 
comparable to firing at a single unit of the same total strength.
VERSION 1.2  4/96
PLAY BY E-MAIL: The menu screen now offers a "play by e-mail" (PBEM) option. 
To start a PBEM game, Select the button for this option, and Select whether 
or not you are starting a new scenario. Next you choose the scenario. When 
the map appears, choose the local side (i.e., the side you will play) and 
whether or not Fog of War will be used. You can also set the Advantage (see 
below) at this point. Then Select "OK", and proceed with play. When the 
Defensive Fire Phase begins, you will get a message that local control is 
over. You will be prompted to save the game (note that it must retain a 
".bte" extension) and e-mail the saved-game file to your opponent.
	To resume the game on his end, the opponent downloads the file into 
the subdirectory that contains the map used by that scenario. He then 
double-clicks on the BATTLEGROUND: ARDENNES main program icon, Selects the 
PBEM option, and answers "No" to the question of whether he is starting a 
new PBEM game. He then Selects the appropriate Map Set and saved-game file, 
and Selects "OK". At this point an automatic "Replay" option to see the 
other player's most recent moves/attacks is presented. After the replay is 
finished (or if the player chooses not to view it), the next phase begins 
and play resumes. At the end of local control, a prompt to e-mail the file 
will appear.
	The same procedure is followed to play the remainder of the game, 
with each player alternately playing and e-mailing the game to his opponent. 
For more details on PBEM, Select "General Help" in the game's Help Menu, 
then Select "1.1.9 Special Menu".
ADVANTAGE: The A/I Selection dialog that appears when a new scenario is 
started allows you to give an advantage to one side or the other. Giving an 
advantage means that combat losses for that side will be reduced below 
normal and combat losses for the other side will be increased above normal. 
Advantage values can range from 0 to 100 for either side. The default value 
of "0" means that neither side gets an advantage. The Set Advantage menu 
item is used to view or change the current Advantage value associated with 
a battle. Advantage values cannot be changed during a modem-play or PBEM 
game, however. 
RECORDING BATTLES: Selecting the "Record Battle" feature of the Special 
menu allows you to record a scenario as you play it. You can then "replay" 
this saved battle later by Selecting "Replay" from the File menu.
	When you Select "Record Battle", a dialog box will appear which 
allows you to name the file. After doing so, Select "OK" - and from this 
point all turns will be saved into this file. At any time during play, you 
can Select "Record Battle" again to turn off this feature.
	When you want to view the replay file, Select "Replay" in the File 
menu. To halt the replay, press the "Esc" key. To resume the replay, Select 
"Restart Replay" in the Special menu. Note that the replay will be from the 
perspective of the other side in the game.
	***IMPORTANT: You cannot record modem-play or PBEM battles. (The 
Record Battle feature operates automatically during PBEM games.)***
Corrected font and icon problems in the scenario editor.
Corrected the number of M7 self-propelled artillery batteries allotted to
U.S. armored divisions by the scenario editor.
VERSION 1.12  4/96
Fixed A/I bug that caused the program to hang when A/I anti-aircraft fire 
was directed at an air unit in the same hex as the firing unit.
To view a unit's description in the Unit Handbook *while* that unit is 
Selected in the main program, Select "Unit Handbook" in the Help Menu (or 
press F2).
VERSION 1.11  3/96
Corrected video display problem.
VERSION 1.1  2/96
NEW MAP: A new Battleview map has been added. In the Display menu it is 
called the "3D Zoom-Out Map", and shows the map at 50% of its normal size.
NEW TOOLBOX BUTTONS: Two new Toolbox buttons have been added.
	The button showing a cross with an arrow at each of its tips hides 
(or displays) the Unit List and Terrain Info Box. When these are hidden, 
more of the map appears in their place. To Select a unit in the current 
Hot Spot hex when the Unit List is hidden, *right-click* on that hex to 
reveal the Pop-Up Selection Dialog, then left-click on the name of the 
desired unit in the dialog (holding down the Shift or Ctrl key while doing 
so will let you Select more than one unit).
	The button with a bulls-eye and a "prohibited" symbol toggles (on 
or off) a display of which hexes can be in the LOS of the current Hot Spot 
hex. An "X" in a hex indicates *no* LOS. Note that this display does *not* 
reflect scenario-specific effects, such as visibility (weather), the 
presence of smoke/wrecks, etc.
NULL MODEM: Null Modem capability has been added to Modem Play. Null-modem 
play requires a direct cable connection between the two computers. Users 
should obtain a suitable serial communication cable and a null-modem 
connector (available at computer supply stores). Note that under null 
modem, the *exact* baud rate for both machines must be Selected. Note 
also that some older machines may not have serial ports that can handle 
speeds at or above 9600 baud, so a lower rate may have to be used.
	To start a scenario using null modem, launch the game by double-
clicking on the " Battleground: Ardennes" program item. Follow the same 
onscreen procedure for starting a normal modem game (see p.39 of the 
Players Guide), but answer "Yes" when the question "Are you using a 
null-modem cable?" appears.
	To start a null-modem scenario via the "Kampfgruppe Peiper", 
"Roadblock at Clervaux" or "Battle for Bastogne" program item, decide 
who will be the Host and who will be the Caller (see the first paragraph 
of 6.1 on p.39 of the Players Guide). Each player then launches the game 
by double-clicking on the program item appropriate for the agreed-upon 
scenario. Once the map appears on his screen, the Host Selects "Modem 
Host", and the Caller Selects "Modem Caller", in the Modem Menu. Both 
players then configure their modem port and baud rate. Upon successful 
connection, the Host selects "New" from the File Menu (if starting a new 
scenario) or "Open" (if resuming a saved battle), and opens the scenario. 
Play then begins.
The modem-play Dial Dialog now "remembers" the previous number dialed.
The modem-play "phantom unit" bug in the Movement Phase and several other 
small bugs have been fixed.
STRENGTH POINTS: Each unit now has a Strength Point (SP) size which has 
an impact on combat, stacking, wreck effects, and the passenger capacity 
of transport vehicles. The unit's SP size appears within a circle in the 
lower left-hand corner of its illustration in the Unit List. Only when a 
unit has been entirely eliminated is it counted as a loss for VP purposes 
(and listed as a loss in the Strength Dialog). 
	COMBAT: In combat, a unit attacks a number of times equal to its 
SP size, and SP-loss results reduce the defender's SP size accordingly. 
(See "NEW CRT" below.)
	STACKING: Maximum stacking per hex is now 24 SP or six units, 
whichever is reached first. Passengers do not count, but wrecks do (see 
next paragraph). If more units than the Unit List can display at one time 
occupy a hex, two small arrows will appear in the lower right-hand corner 
of the screen. Left-clicking on these arrows will scroll the Unit List 
display.
	WRECKS: Each time a hard target loses a SP, it leaves a one-SP 
wreck. Only when the number of wreck SPs in a hex reaches six does the 
wreck affect LOS like smoke. The maximum number of wreck SPs that can 
exist in a hex is 18. A wreck icon with no smoke depiction indicates that 
less than 6 wreck SPs exist in the hex, while an icon with a smoke 
depiction indicates 6-18 wreck SPs. To find the exact number, put the Hot 
Spot in the wreck hex and check the wreck's SP size in the Unit List.
	PASSENGERS: Each "carrier" vehicle unit (i.e., truck, wagon, 
basic halftrack) can carry *one* unit whose SP size is less than or equal 
to the carrier unit's SP size. Each other vehicle type able to transport 
an infantry-type unit can carry *one* such unit whose SP size is less than 
or equal to *twice* that vehicular unit's SP size.
NEW CRT: The Combat Results Table has been changed to incorporate SP losses. 
A positive number indicates a SP loss of that amount, and a "D" indicates a 
Disruption result. However, Disruption results do not automatically cause 
Disruption of the target unit. Instead, the program counts the number of 
Disruption and SP results caused by the attack, then divides that number 
by the SP size of the target to find a percentage chance of actual 
Disruption. Note that the combat results given onscreen are the *net* 
results of the attack. If an attack causes a SP loss *and* Disruption, 
that target also suffers a morale loss of one.
FOG OF WAR: When FOW is in effect for a side, its hidden units will *not* 
automatically be revealed when they are in enemy LOS. The program makes a 
calculation for each hidden unit at the start of the turn, and again at 
the end of the Movement Phase, to find which will remain hidden and which 
are revealed. Generally, infantry and antitank guns are the hardest to 
reveal. In addition, for any two units of the same kind, the one with a 
bigger SP size will be revealed more easily than the other.
ARTILLERY AVAILABILITY: At the beginning of each friendly Player Turn, 
the program makes a die roll for each of the friendly side's Indirect-Fire 
units that fired in the previous turn to see which ones are still 
"available" to fire again. The "Next Phase Report" lists how many are 
"out of ammo" (i.e., not available for the present turn). The artillery-
availability numbers appear in the Terrain Info Box when you right-click in 
it. They are labeled "Ammo", and are given in the form "#/#", with the 
Allied # on the left and the Axis # on the right. Each number represents 
the percentage chance of being able to fire again.