  Battle Masters Help Contents

The Contents lists Help topics available for Battle Masters.  Use the scroll bar to see entries not currently visible in the Help window.

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     Overview

     Starting a New Game

     Restoring a Saved Game

     Playing The Game

     Movement

     Combat

     Views

     Saving a Game


Overview

The object of Battle Masters is to completely eliminate your opponent's army.  To accomplish this, each side will choose their forces and fight through fields, forests and mountains to become the BATTLE MASTER!!!

To win the game, all of your opponent's army units must be destroyed!

Written By:

                      Neil Sanford

                      190 Tyler Ave

                      Iselin, NJ 08830

This game is shareware.  If you like it, any donations will be appreciated.

This game is written in Microsoft Visual Basic v3.0.


Starting the Game
 Starting a New Game

To start a new game, both players must first create their armies.   To do this, press the "+" button to add a unit, and press the "-" button to remove a unit of the corresponding type.  The total number of units each player selected is displayed on the bottom of the screen.  Each army may have a maximum of 100 units each.  Also displayed is the total point value of each army.  The point value does not have any impact in the game.  It allows you to create 2 equally strong armies to fight.

On the upper-right side of the screen is a listing of different maps to play on.  Select the one you want for this game.

On the lower-right side of the screen is where you may select the starting distances of the two armies.  The standard option places each army in opposing corners.  The medium option places the armies closer together, and the short option places them the closest.

Once both players are ready, click on the "Start Game" button to begin.


  Restoring a Saved Game

If you want to continue playing a saved game, select the menu "Game" and click the "Load Saved Game" option.  If a saved game does not exist, then this option will not be active.  Note that you can only have 1 saved game at a time.  The name of the saved game file is "BMASTER.SAV".


  Playing the Game

Game play is divided into Turns.  Each player moves and attacks only during their turn.  Each unit in an army has a limited number of movement points per turn, and each unit can only attack once per turn.  A unit may, however, defend itself as many times as it is attacked.  The current player (Red or Blue) is displayed in large letters between the Map Box (top-right) and the Active Unit Box (bottom-right).

The large box on the left of the screen is a detailed 10 X 10 view of the game map (the game is played on a 100 X 100 grid).  This display may be positioned by using the scrolling controls in the Map Box, by using the Views , or by using the Center Map button on the Unit Box.

The box on the top-right is known as the Map Box.  This box contains the current map location of the 10 X 10 view, and scroll buttons.  Use the scroll buttons (up, down, left, right) to position the view on various parts of the game map.  The "# To Scroll" shows you how many squares at one time to adjust the display.  Using the +/- buttons, you may specify any number from 1 to 9 to scroll.  Note that scrolling the map has no effect on game play.  You can still move pieces and attack without actually seeing the units on the display.

The box on the bottom-right is known as the Unit Box.  This box contains the vital information on the Active Unit:

                               Unit = the current active unit

                            Type = type of active unit

                          Power = current power of active unit

           Attack Range = the maximum distance from an enemy unit you can attack from

                        Terrain = the terrain the unit is in

                     Location = the map location of the unit

     Move Points Left = the number of movement points still available to move

  "Direction Arrows" = buttons to Move the Unit

           "Center Map" = button to display the active unit in the center of the detailed view

                     "Attack"  = button to activate Attack Mode , only active if unit has not

                                        attacked this turn

               "Confirm ..." = button to turn on/off confirmation of Quick Move

To select a unit as the Active Unit, either click directly on one of your own units (you cannot be in combat mode) or select it using the Summary View .  The new active unit's information will be displayed in the Unit Box.

To end your current turn, select the menu option "End Turn".  The next player will be prompted to begin their next turn.  When the next player's turn begins, all movement points are reset, and the attack status is set.

To WIN the game, you must destroy all of your opponent's forces.  Note that this is only to get the official "win the game" message.  You may also arbitrarily set your own win criteria such as whoever holds a certain mountain range, or the first person to destroy the other's Heavy Tank, etc.  This allows for more flexible and custom play.


 Moving a Game Piece

To move a piece, it must first be made the active unit.  Do this by clicking directly on the unit, or by using the Summary View.

4 direction arrows are used to move the unit one space in the appropriate direction.  These arrows are located on the Unit Box (bottom-right).  Note that the piece does not have to be visible to move it!

A "Quick Move" method is provided to move a piece many squares in one move.  To use Quick Move, click on the unit you want to move, then click on an empty square to move the piece to.  You will be prompted for confirmation and  the movement cost for the move.   Click yes to move the piece.  Note that Quick Move will not always calculate the most efficient way to move the piece.  Manual movement may be necessary for complex maneuvers.

The button below the direction arrows controls the displaying of the Confirmation Screen for a Quick Move.  If the button says "Confirm On", then you will be prompted when you Quick Move.  If the button says "Confirm Off", then Quick Move will move the piece without asking for you to confirm the move.  This allows speedier play.  Note that when you end your turn, Confirmation is automatically set back to On.

Hints:

   - Each piece has a certain number of move points available per turn.  After that, the piece

      cannot move that turn.

   - Each type of terrain has a different cost for movement points to move through.  These are

      listed on the right side of the Map View.

   - Infantry is unaffected by different types of terrain.  Infantry always has a move cost of 1.

   - Helicopters have a move cost of 1, and can fly over water.

See Also:

     Playing the Game for more information about the Unit Box


 Combat

Combat is where you try to eliminate the enemy's forces.  Only by destroying ALL of your opponent's army can you win the game.  Each unit can attack only once per turn.  A piece can either perform movement and then attack, or can attack first, and then perform movement.  Combat consists of the Attacker firing at the defender, and then the defender counter-attacking.  A unit is destroyed when its power reaches 0%.  Note that the higher a unit's power is, the better it will perform in combat.

The first step in combat is to make the attacking unit the Active Unit.  To do this, you just click on the piece you want to attack with.  When you do this, the picture of the piece will turn white, and the unit's vital information will appear in the Unit Box.

Combat between the active unit and an enemy unit can be accomplished in 2 ways:  By clicking directly on an enemy unit; or by clicking the Combat button and then clicking on an enemy unit..  These 2 methods will bring up the Combat Box that indicates you are in combat mode.

While in combat mode, you will be shown the vital information on the currently targeted enemy unit::

         Target Unit = enemy unit number currently targeted

                    Type = type of targeted unit

                  Power = current power of targeted unit

                 Range = the distance between the attacking unit and the targeted unit.  Note

                                   that in determining range, diagonal movement is not allowed!

                Terrain = the terrain the targeted unit is in

                       Loc = the map location of the targeted unit

If the units are in firing range, the "FIRE" button will be displayed.  Press this button to fire.  The results of combat will be shown.

To select a different unit to battle, simply click on another enemy unit.  The Combat Box will be updated with the new target.

To cancel combat without attacking, press the "Cancel Attack" button.

Combat ratings from best to worst:

   (1)       Heavy Tank

   (1)      Artillery firing at a range of 3

   (1)      Helicopter

   (2)      Tank

   (2)      Artillery firing at a range of 2

   (3)      Light Artillery firing at a range of 2

   (4)      Light Artillery firing at a range of 3

   (5)      Light Tank

   (5)      Artillery firing at a range of 4

   (5)      Light Artillery firing at a range of 1

   (6)      Artillery firing at a range of 1

   (6)      Jeep

   (7)      Infantry

Defense ratings from best to worst:

   (1)      Heavy Tank

   (2)      Tank

   (3)      Light Tank

   (4)      Artillery

   (5)      Helicopter

   (6)      Jeep

   (7)      Light Artillery

   (7)      Infantry

Hints for Combat:

Each unit has an attack range.  This is the maximum distance you can be to attack an enemy unit (diagonal movement counts as a range of 2).  If you attack a unit that has a lower attack range, and combat took place beyond the defenders attack range, then the defending unit cannot fight back!

If your piece is in Forests or Mountains, it will gain a defense advantage.  It is harder to hit a unit in forest, and it is even harder to hit a unit in mountains.  Use this terrain for cover.


 Views

There are 2 different game views that are invaluable to commanding your army.  They are activated by selecting the "Views" menu.

The "Map" view displays the entire 100 X 100 game grid, showing terrain and army units from both sides.  To Zoom-In to a specific location on the map, click the mouse button on the map at the location desired.  When you do this, the "GoTo" coordinates will show the map location you have selected.  If you now click on the "GoTo" button, you will be returned to the main board, but the view will be centered on this new map location.  To return to the main board without changing the location, press the "CANCEL" button.

The "Summary" view displays all units in the current player's army.  The vital statistics for each unit are displayed:

                         # =  Unit Number

                 Type =  Unit Type

           Location =  Map Location

                     Pwr = Current Power

                 Move = Number of Movement Points Remaining for this turn

                Attack = Attack Status.  If an asterisk appears, then that unit can still

                                attack this turn.

If you click on a unit, then that unit will be selected as the active unit and the main board will be positioned to that unit.


  Saving a Game

If you want to end your game and continue it where you stopped at a later time, you may save the current game.  Select the "GAME" menu, and click on the "Save Game" option.  You will be prompted to verify your action, and you will be notified when the game has been saved.  The game is stored in the "BMASTER.SAV" file.

Note that you can only have 1 saved game at a time.

See Also:

     Restoring a Saved Game to restore your saved game