RazorDox, Siege Dox

The tutorial is a chance to give you some hands-on experience with the Siege commands. Because this is a "real-time" strategy game, the opponent as well as your own troops will be moving and fighting as you issue orders. The tutorial is presented as a wading pool to play in before you dive into Siege itself, so get your feet wet, enjoy! In order to help you become more familiar with the game, this chapterwill lead you through a number of initial manuevers that are vital to understanding how Siege operates. Story The tutorial scenario depicts one of the many times that Fort Neir changed hands. This is the situation: In the early stages of the war, before it was even called a war, orcs came down from the northem Demonspine and began raiding the outlying villages. General Purkar ordered the majority of his forces at Fort Neir to meet the attack in the forest where the elves would be most effective, leaving only a small contingent of humans to defend the castle. Within a day of Purkar leaving the castle, a second group of orcs fell upon the castle and overwhelmed the small force that was left behind. Four days later, a troop of humans returned from various woodsman camps, where they had been collecting bridges and ladders. They discovered the castle invaded, and determined to engage the orcs the next morning in hope of reclaiming the castle. The majority of the orcs had left, with most of the war-making devices from Fort Neir, leaving only a small contingent of orcs waiting for a fresh garrison or orders to raze the castle. Beginning Once you are ready to play the tutorial, select the "Begin Playing Scenario" option on the Opening Screen. A list of available scenarios will appear. Select the scenario named TUTOR, and choose to play as the attacker. When the screen turns red, the game is about to begin. Don't panic! Whenever a scenario is loaded, it always begins "paused." You have all the time in the world, so take this time to familiarize yourself with the location of the various commands and options. (They are expluined in full later in this manual.) Hold the right mouse button down and move to a border to see other parts of the castle and its surroundings. You may also use the cursor keys for this. Locate your head quarters tent in the southeast corner of the battlefield. Clic on the "Zoom" icon (or press the "Z" key) to change the view of the battlefield. Barracks Now that you are familir with the castle, select the "Barracks" command. This will take you to the Barracks Manayement Screen. Double-click on a troop type's icon to call up a description of that particular troop type. Click again to remove the description from the screen. Your first task is to bridge the moat. Engneers will do the bridge- building, but first create a yroup of swordsmen who will protect the en- gineers, then cross the bridges and assault the castle. To the left of the word "Reserve" is the "multiple indicator." Click on it until it reads "x 10." Now click on the human warriors' icon to select them, and click the "+" arrow to move ten warriors from the reserves to the active group. Change the multiple indicator to "x 1" and add a sergeant to the active group. (Click on the sergesnts' icon, then the "+"' arrow.) Your swordsmen are now ready to deploy. Issuing Orders Click on "Deploy." You will retun to the Main Screen where your group of swordsmen is standing next to your headquarters. They are highlighted in yellow, indicating that they are ready for orders. Find the part of the moat you will bridge. It is marked by four campfires, which show up in white when you zoom out to Area View or Castle View. Your swordsmen will start by defending the area just south of the bridge site. Click on the "Defend" icon, or press D on the keyboard. The cur- sor will chan ge from an arrowhead to crosshairs. Select the area to defend: move the cursor to one corner of the area, click and hold the left mouse button, move the cursor to the opposite corner (a rec- tangle will appear as you move the cursor), and release the mouse but- ton. Confirmation of the group's orders will appear briefly. Now for the engineers. Go back to the barracks, create a group of ten and "Deploy" them. On the Main Screen, you will see your engineers next to the swordsmen, with the engineers highlighted this time. (The swordsmen haven't moved yet, because the game is still paused.) Select "Engineer," and form a rectangle over the section of the moat marked by the campfires. "UnPause" the game and watch the fun begin! The computer will begin assigning its troops, and then your troops will move into action. Before long, the moat will be bridged, and your swordsmen will probably be busy fighting orcs who have sortied from the castle gate. "Pause" the game again and take a look around. The computer has been busy; it should have several different groups in the field by now. Create a group of ten archers and give them an "Attack" command. In the case of archers and other missile troops, you form two rec tangles: one for their target area and the other for their firing position. Form the first rectangle on the walkway stop the castle wall be- twren the southrast tower and the main gate area. Form the second rectangle in the area which is defended by your swordsmen. "Un- Pause" again. You have now commenced your attack! Thc compulet may send more troops out of the front gate to attactk your archers, so you may have to create additional groups to defend them from attack. Use the "Pause" command freely. At some point you will want to create a group of engineers who carry ladders and send them to prepare the castle walls for scaling. To do this. create the group, then issue the "Enginieer" order. There is an area againist the castle wall marked by two fires. Form a rec- tangle between the fires, and the engineers will move to that point and build ladders there. Be sure that you provide adequate troops to use those ladders once they have been placed, or the orcs will just destroy them. Lastly, try deploying a catapult group. This is accomplished by placing at least five engineers with one catapult and then deploying them. To attack with Ihe catapult, treat the group as a missile-launching unit. Select the "Attacti" icon and form a reclangle around the barracks area of the castle (the buildinbs just north of where you targeted your arrows), then form a rectangle over the fire that is out in the countryside between your bar- racks and the castle. Be sure to defend the catapult with other troops, because thc defender will surely send out orcs to disable your alapult. On Your Own At this point you should be familiar with four basic operations: - Forming groups in the Barracks. - Attacking with hand-to-hand Melee units. - Attacking with Missile units. - Engineering with Engineers. From here on out you should use your remaining troops and equip- ment and experiment with various tactics and commands. You will find that each troop type has its own strengths and weaknesses. The key to completing a scenario successfully lies in your ability to use each troop type to its maximum and inter-managing the troops to make a fully functionaa army. Leading hundreds of different units has been the challenge of countless generals throughout the ages. Now that chal- lenge is yours! The Cursor The Siege cursor is normally an arrowhead that you use to point to units, locations, icons or words. Sometimes it changes to a crosshair for specific purposes, such as selecting an area. Occassionally, the Cursor will be replaced by a rotating circle of red and yellow dots, in- dicating that the computer is engaging in something time-consuming (such as developing any overoll strategy for defending a besieged castle). You must wait for the cursor to change back before you can continue issuing orders. Making Selections There are many possible actions and choices to be made in Siege. Some choices are performed by single-clicking they left mouse but- ton and others are made by double-clickingy this button. Keyboard equivalents exist for most of the menu choices and for commands associated with icons. Make a selection by clicking the mouse but- ton or by pressing the keyboard equivalent. Opening Screen Choices On they Opening Screen, commands may be made by clicking on the box containing the desired oction or by pressing the first letter of the appropriate action (Q to Quit, or C to Continue Saved Game, for example). Selecting Troops A single mouse click on a troop unit selects that unit's group to be the active group. A double click also brings up a report showing the unit's troop type, equipment, and current orders. Clicking on a dif- ferent unit deselects the troop group currently active; the new troop group chosen becomes the active group. Issuing Orders Playing Siege is done by selecting troops (as explained above) and giving them orders. Once a group is selected, you can give it an order by single clicking on one of the Command Icons or by using the scroll- down Orders Menu. You will be prompted for the location where the order is to be carried out (the location to go to or the area to attack or defend). If the troop is using a ranged attack, then you will also be prompted for where you want to attack or defend from. Some commands, like "Retum to Barracks," are carried out automati- cally without having to specify a location. Some commands are more complex and require specifying the troop type to be reinforced, etc. The command Icons and the Menu Bar are discussed in detail in their own chapters. Non-order Commands Some commands are not limited to a specific troop group: for ex- ample, the "Zoom" and "Report" commands. These may be used to change your view of the battles taking place or to get information on all your troops at one time. The "Barracks" command takes you into the barracks, replacing the Main Screen 'with' the Barracks Screen. Menu Selections Clicking on the Menu Bar at the top of the main screen and holding down the left mouse button lists the Menu Bar selections. Moviny the mouse to the side or up and down displays the possible menu choices. Release the left mouse button to select a choice when that choice is highlighted. Some choices display a special screen, as in "Reports," and others toggle game options like sound or music on and off. Some commands are issued to troops and apply to the active troop group. The Menu Bar chapter covers all the possible choices available in these menus. Scrolling Scroll the viewing screen to see another part of the castle by press- ing and holding the right mouse button and dragging the mouse to the edge of the screen in the desired direction. Selecting an Area Selecting an area for a command to take place in is done by forming a rectangle outlining the desired area. To select an area when prompted to do so, click and hold the left mouse button on one corner of the area, then drag the mouse to the opposite corner of the area. A rectangle appears on the screen to show the selected area. (If the entire area does not fit on the screen, also hold down the right button. The screen will scroll when you reach the edge.) Releasing the left mouse button completes the area. The area can vary in size from a single spot up to large areas representing a large portion of a castle. (Large areas are easier to select from the Area View or the Castle View than from the Local View. See "Zoom" in the Command Icons chapter for an explanation of the three Views.) This chapter explains the commands you can issue trom the Com- mand Bar-the columb of icons on the left side ot the Main Screen. To issue a command, you may either click on its icon or press its key on the keyboard. Go (G): The "Go" command orders the active group ot combatants to go to a specitic area. Once the group has arrived, it will await fur- ther orders, defending itselt if attacked. To give the "Go" command to a group, first click on an unit in the group to make it the active group, then select the "Go" icon, then find the area you want them to go to and select it by forming a box at the destination as explained in the "Interface" chapter. Stop (S): The "Stop" command allows you to cancel the current or- ders of a group. When this command is given, the group will cease its current activity and stay in its current location. If the group is at- tacked, it will detend itselt. To give the "Stop" command, click on a unit in the group, then select the "Stop" icon. The group will then cease its current activity and await further orders. Attack (A): The "Attack" commmand allows you to attack a certain area with the active group. There are two forms of this command: melee (hand-to-hand) combat and missile (ranged weapon) combat. Melee: To give the "Attack" command, select tbe desired group, select the "Attack" icon, and then form a rectangle over the desired attack area. The group will proceed to tbe selected area and battle any enemy troops it finds there. Missile: To give tbe "Attack " command, select tbe desired group, and select tbe "Attack" icon. Now, form a rectangle over the area to be attacked, then form a rectangle over the area where you want the group to attack from. The group will then move to that area and commence Firing at the target area. In either case, once the attack area had been secured, the group will defend it until it id given another order. Be careFul when ordering melee and missile attacks on the same area: it is possible to shoot and kill your own troops with mis- sile fire. Defend (D): The "Defend" command allows you to assign the ac- tive group to defend a particular area from any encroaching military units. This command, like "Attack," applies both to melee and missile combat. Melee: To give the "Defend" command, select the desired group, select the "Detend" icon, and then form a rectangle over the desired defense area. Missile: To give the "Defend" command, select the desired group and select the "Defend" icon. Now, form a rectangle over the area to be defended, then form a rectangle over the area you want to defend from. When an enemy unit enters the first area, your units will fire on it from the second area. Target (T): The "Target "command attacks a specific enemy unit (a catapult, perhaps) instead of an area. "Target" has two distinct functions which depend on whether the group given the command is a Melee group or a Missile group. In a melee group, the "Target" command sets the group to "seek and destroy" a particular enemy unit. This means that as long as the targeted enemy unit is alive and on the field your group will move to attack it. Once the enemy unit is destroyed or in its barracks, your group will return to the barracks unless you issue a new order. In the case of a missile group, the group will fire on the targeted enemy unit whenever it is in range. When the target is destroyed, the surviving at- tackers will return to the barracks unless you give them a new order. Melee: To give the "Target" command, select the desired group, select the "Target" icon, and select the enemy unit to be targeted. Missile: To give the "Target" command, select the desired group and then select the "Targel" icon. Now, select the enemy unit to be targeted and then form a rectangle over the area you want to fire from. Engineer (E): The "Engineer" command gives your engineer troop types a number of specific orders which only the engineers can carry out. Which order is given depends on what equipment is in the group. Engineers' orders are divided into two major groups: Non-ranged or- ders (e.g., setting ladders and bridges) and ranged orders (e.g., firing catapults). For details on the functions of engineers, see the "En- gineering" chapter. Non-Ranged: To give the "Engineer" command, select the desired engineer group, then select the desired engineer group, then select the "Engineer" icon, and then form a rectangle over the area that you want to engineer. Ranged: To fire an artillery piece, treat the group as a missile firer and see the "Attack" section above. Return (R): The "Return" command directs the active group to return to the nearest friendly barrackis for rest, recuperation or reas- signment. To give the "Return" command select the desired unit, then select the "Return" icon. The unit will disengage and retreat to its barracks. Barracks (B): The "Barracks" command takes you to the Barracks Screen. where you can form, disband and reorganize groups of troops and equipment. The "In the Barractis" chapter explains the barrackis management functions. Escape (Esc): The "Escape" command allows you to cancel a par- tially completed operation. Use "Escape" to back out of a command in progress or menu. A "command in progress" is a command which has not been complete- ly given at the time the "Escape" command is selected (e.g., after a target area for a catapult has been defined but before the origin of at- tack is defined). Histogram (H): The "Histogram" command switches between pic- torial representations of the combatants and bar graphs of their health and energy. When the "Histogram" command is active. and you are viewing the game in Local View, a sm;ill, twin bar graph is superimposed on each combatant. The left bar represents the health of the unit and the right represents the energy. Both bars start at the top and go down as the combatant loses health and energy. When the unit's health reaches the bottom, it dies (or is destroyed). When the energy indicator reaches the bottom, the combatant is totally fatigued. The effect of fatigue is that the unit's ofensive capability is reduced-it attscks less frequent- ly. lmproving health occurs only in the hospital, but improving energy happens whenever the combatant is not engayed in sn action. When viewing histograms, you may perform all game functions normally. To view the histograms. select the "Histogram" icon. To return to the pictorial view, select the "Histogram " icon again. Zoom (Z): The "Zoom " command allows you to switch between the Local View, the Area View and the Castle View, and to "zoom" in on a particular location. From the Local View, the "Zoom" command zooms all the way out to the Castle View, where the castle and its surroundings (the entire "playing field") can all be seen. From the Castle View, the "Zoom " command zooms in to the Area View, which shows a sizable part of the castle. When you select "Zoom", the cursor is replaced by crosshairs that you can move around with the mouse to select the area you want to zoom in to. Clicking when the crosshairs are in the desired area. From the Area View, the "Zoom " command zooms in to the Local View, which shows the details of a small portion of the map. Cros- sairs appear in the same way as the zoom from Castle View to Area View. Pause (P): The "Pause" command stops time from passing in the game, allowing you to make plans, issue orders, and react to unex- peted developments. To pause the game, select the "Pause" icon. To continue the ac- tion, select the "Pause" icon again. While the game is paused, you can issue orders to your troops nor- mally. Your troops just won't begin to carry them out until you select "Pause" again.