                            The History of Modem Wars

   As the decades of the twenty-first century passed, football changed.
Violence (which had been banned worldwide with the signing of the Global
Peace Agreement) found a new and comfortable home on the football field.
Pads and helments evolved into armor and bionics. Penalties for personal
fouls were erased from the rulebooks. Knocking out the quarterback (QB)
became a method of winning. In response to this trend towards violence,
the Global Football League made a radical move and replaced all the
players - except for the quarterback - with armed robots and renamed the
game to the Sport of War.
   Spectator interest in Sport of War exploded. More people came to watch
this display of raw aggression than all the other sports combined. The
newly-formed Global War League (GWL) invested billions of dollars to make
sure these attendance figures remained high. Stadiums were enlarged to
house bigger battlefields. "Modi-form" turf made it possible to have
terrain that could be changed between battles. Elite QBs recieved hugh
salaries to direct the battles from inside hi-tech mobile command centers.
   Before long, the GWL funded the development of a home computer version
of the game. Called Modem Wars, this game is identical to it's parent,
except that the plane of play has moved from the stadium to the phone
lines. Every detail of the battlefield, every action of the robots, ever
feature of the QB's comcen have been captured on disk.
   Anybody with a home computer and a holophone can experience what only
pro QBs have before experienced. If you turn out to be a bad QB, you'll
diappear unceremoniously into the phone line or a junction box. If you're
good, you may win a place in the Strategists' Hall of Fame in Little Rock.
Take it from Ted Aldirt, 2025 Modem War's QB of the year: "All you need is
a little concentration, a little dedication, and a lot of desire to pound
your opponent into a cube steak."

   Your goal is to win. There are two ways to do this:

   1. Knock out your opponent's command center (comcen), which is the
brains of the operation. No brains, no operation. A comcen is knocked out
when its energy level goes to zero as a result of enemy attack. You'll use
your robots and comcen weapons to accomplish this.
   2. Score more points that your opponent before time runs out. There are
three ways to score points. Cross the center line with any of your robots;
cross your opponent's back line with any of your robots; or hit your
opponent's command center (comcen). Time is measured in clicks; 10 clicks
equals a minute.

                                Playing Scrimmage

   This section introduces you to Scrimmage, the ideal scenario for the
new QB (quarterback) to try. Based on the popluar twentieth century game
of NFL football, this was the first scenario developed for Modem Wars by
the top QBs.
   The walk through that follows is a simple presentation of Scrimmage.
It's meant to familiarize you with the game. You'll see how Modem Wars is
set up, what robots you'll get to use, what the terrain is like, and so
on. Don't sweat the details about strategy yet; that will come the more
you play. Once you're familiar with the mechanics of the game and you're
ready for more in depth play, read the section Getting Into Strategy.
   Load the game, and with a joystick in port #2, select Practice With
Solo Trainer from the Games Options menu. Select Scrimmage from the Game
Type menu.  Press the activate button (F1) to start the battle. The size
of the playing field is 40 spaces by 40 spaces. A space is the area a
robot occupies. Each space can accommodate only one robot at a time and
each space can be made up of only one type of terrain. The five types of
terrain are;

      Plain - Conatins on obstacles.
      Forest - Slows movement and hides robots. Reduces range of fire in
         most cases.
      Stream - Slows movement. Robots hit while in stream take extra
         damage.
      Slope (lines on the hill) - Angled part of the hill. Slows movement.
      Plateau (area in between lines on hill) - Level part of the hill.
         Gives robots a better view; lets them shoot harder and farther.

   Your battle console shows the entire battlefield. You'll spend most of
your time on this console, maneuvering your forces and keeping your eye on
the "big picture." Here's a complete list of robots you'll use in Modem
Wars. Their availability and head count depends on the scenario you pick.
Scrimmage uses only grunts, riders, and a comcen. NOTE: You can't make
robots shoot; they pick and shoot at the enemy when they're in range.

      GRUNT - Your basic foot soldier.
      RIDER - Your cavalry. They work like grunts, but they're speedier.
      BOOMER - Your big guns; slow but strong. Tilted cannons let them
          fire farther than grunts and riders can.
      SPY - Your reconnaissance unit. Finds the enemy and reports their
          locations back to your comcen.  Invisible to enemy robots except
          for the enemy spies.
      COMCEN - Your headquarters. You lose the game if this gets knocked
          out.  Look for the console rattling when your comcen comes under
          attack.

   Move your robots. Using your joystick, put the cursor (the blinking
box) on top of the robot and press the activate button (joystick fire
button). When you move the cursor, you'll see SETTING DESTINATION, which
means your robot is ready to go to a new location. Position the cursor
anywhere on the map and press the activate button to start the robot
moving or the Space Bar to cancel this action.
   Go to the Multi Console (F7) to check your resources. Look at the
Stats, Repairs, or Misc screen, using your joystick to toggle between the
choices.

      STATS - Shows statistics for both players.
      REPAIR - Shows how much energy your comcen has left. If it runs down
         to zero, you're knocked out.
      MISC - Gives option to end your current game and return to the Game
         Options menu.

   Go for the win. Get as many of your robots over the enemy's back line
before time runs out and avoid having your comcen discovered. Or, if you
happened to spot the enemy comcen, send your robots after it and knock it
out for an immediate victory (your robots will automatically shoot when
the enemy is in range).
   Battle over. Hope your debut was a winning game. Go to the
Multiconsole, select MISC with your joystick, and then select WATCH GAME
FILM to review your game. Go on to the next section, Playing Full War,
when you're ready to play Full War.

                               Playing Full War

   Full War offers you a number of new items and commands to humble your
opponent with. Although it's a big jump from a simple game of Scrimmage to
the total challenge of Full War, a quick practice round can acquant you
with all the features of Modem Wars. After this round, you can try all the
other scenarios.
   Select FULL WAR from the Game Type menu. Press the button when ready.
Position your recycler. The recycler sends in replacements for destroyed
robots (more on recyclers under "Individual Customization Commands" in the
Customizing Your Game section). You must place your recycler on open
terrain (not on hills, in water, or in forests) and in your territory.
   Set up your robots before battle begins. Position them anywhere on your
territory where you think it'll give you an advantage when the game
starts.  You'll notice that robots are now in groups. Put the cursor on a
robot and press the activate button twice to call up the Group Options
menu. You can choose from any of the following commands (see Advanced
Commands section for complete descriptions).

                    ADVANCED COMMANDS for GROUP of ROBOTS

      Cloaking On - Electronic camouflaging.
      Dig In - Instructs troops to entrench. (Only available when not
          moving.)
      Set Blitz - Tells troops to move extra fast. (Only available while
          your troops are moving to a destination previously set.)
      Membership - Adds or removes a robot from the group.
      Formation - Changes the positioning of your group.
      Direct Unit - Gives a single robot its own command or a separate
          destination.

                    ADVANCED COMMANDS for INDIVIDUAL ROBOTS

      Cloaking On, Dig In, and Set Blitz are same as the above.
      Join Group - lets the robot join another group.
      Set Target - Tells an individual Boomer which target to shoot at.
(Not available if the boomer is in a group.)
   The Battle Begins! You can still use the advanced commands listed above
any time during the game. A robot automatically picks a target and shoots
at that enemy when it's within a designated range (see "Robot Weapon
Range" in the Technical Information section for exact ranges). However,
you do have some offensive control. You can instruct your boomers to shoot
at certain targets (see the "See Target" command in the Advanced Commands
section) and your comcen can now fire missiles and drones.
   Develop your strategy. Cross your robots over the center line and the
enemy's back line to earn as many terrain points as possible or try to
surround the enemy comcen so your robots can blast away at it and score a
knockout. One asterisk on a robot's profile screen means the robot has
earned points for crossing the center line; two asterisks means it has
earned points for crossing the center line and the back line. Press the
right cursor key to see the current score and time left.
   If you want to go for the knockout, surround the enemy comcen so your
robots can blast away faster than he can repair. Even if you don't score a
knockout, you'll get points for hitting the enemy comcen. As the game
develops, you can decide which offers a better road to success.
   Go to the Radar console (F3). Use the Radar console to scout the area
around your comcen, make an offensive attack with missiles, or shoot down
an oponent's drone with missiles. To shoot a missile, line up the
crosshair on your target and press the activate button. The main window of
the Radar console is a scan area (17 x 21 spaces) updated once a second.
As the scan bar cycles through the display area surrounding your comcen,
your robots and the background terrain show brightly as the scan passes
over them and then fade to black once the scan has passed. Enemy robots
that your units have sighted "persist"; that is, they won't fade after a
scan (see "Robot Sighting" in the Technical Information section for more
details on sighting enemy robots). Enemy robots that your units haven't
spotted won't persist; they will appear as flickering figures in the
background terrain. Using this console see if there's a spy snooping in
your comcen's neighborhood. The upper righthand corner will flash when an
enemy drone is incoming.
   Go to the Drone console (F5). Drones are your main offensive air power.
Press the activate button; the drone will launch and the console window
(11 x 13 spaces) will fill with the drone's infrared camera view of the
battlefield below the drone (as with radar, your robots and spotted enemy
robots show clearly, while unseen enemy robots appear as flickerin
figures.) When you press the activate button again to detonate the drone,
the drone moves one more step and then dives down to explode over an area
of four squares. Any robots in the target area are stunned - they can't
move, shoot, or repair for 15 clicks (1.5 minutes) and lose half their
energy (except comcens, who lose 24 percent of their energy). Once you
launch a drone, you can't exit this console until the drone is detonated
or runs out of fuel (it starts with 100 units). At 20 units, your fuel
monitor will flash to warn you of the critical fuel situation.
   Go to the Multi console (F7) to perform any necessary repairs. If you'd
received any damage, you'll get the Repair screen instead of the Stats
screen.  Press the activate button and you'll see the parts of the comcen
that you can repair. Use your joystick to highlight the section of the
comcen you want to repair and press the activate button. You'll hear a
sound - much like an engine trying to turn over - which means it's
attempting to repair. When the sound stops, press again. Repeat this
process until you've fixed it or until you're tired of trying and want to
move on to other QB business. The comcen can't repair and move at the same
time, so prepare to come to a dead halt when you have to repair. If you're
stunned, you have to overcome the stun before you can repair. To do this,
keep pressing the activate button.
   Check the Stats screen. You'll see a comparison between you and the
Solo Trainer on soldiers, drones, and missiles remaining, your comcen
speeds, terrain points you get for each robot crossing the center line
(except for the comcen which earns more [see Terrain Points in the
Technical Information section for exact amounts]), your recycler settings
(more on recyclers in the Customizing Your Game section), and the map's ID
(this falls in the column of the player who chose the map and game; in
this case it's you.)
   Return to the Battle console. Move, dig in, blitz, cloak - do whatever
it takes to win. Go for the crushing attack or rack up your terrain points
while keeping the enemy at bay.
   Game's over. Go to the Multi console and select the Misc screen. Select
WATCH GAME FILM to review your game. While you're watching the game film,
you can set the speed of the reply by pressing a number from 1 (slow) to 9
(fast).  If you want to save the game, select SAVE GAME FILM, enter a name
up to 16 characters, and press the activate button.

                                 GAME SCENARIOS

   Scrimmage and Full War are only two of seven scenarios. Here's the rest
of them. The scenarios become progressively more challenging as you move
down the list.

Scrimmage -
Players: Each side gets 5 riders, 5 grunts, and 1 comcen (speed 2).
Time Limit: 63 clicks.
Setup: No setup time; game starts immediately.
Damage: No comsen systems can be damaged; no comcen repair possible.
The Game: The sweet and simple scrimmage. Go for your terrain points and
then try to attack their comcen if you've got the time and energy.

QB SNEAK -
Players: The quarterback has 3 riders and 1 comcen (speed 3) with 8
missiles.  The defense player gets 5 riders, 5 grunts, and 1 comcen (speed
2) with 8 missiles. Defense gets no terrain points, but gets a 20 point
lead. Whoever picks the game is the quarterback; the roles will alternate
if you play another game of QB Sneak.
Time Limit: 63 clicks.
Setup: Both players must end setup to start the game.
Damage: No comcen systems can be damaged; no comcen repair possible.
The Game: In QB Sneak, the QB should try to avoid opposing riders and
collect his or her terrain points with daring end runs. The defense should
scour the map, looking to sack the QB's comcen while avoiding sneak
attacks on his or her own comcen.

The Bomb -
Players: Each side gets 1 comcen (speed 2) with 4 drones and 12 missiles.
Setup: No setup time; game starts immediately.
Damage: No comcen systems can be damaged; no comcen repair possible.
The Game: The Bomb offers prime training ground for your air combat game.
Practice controlling your drones and missiles as you try to knock out the
opponent's comcen.

Face Off -
Players: Each side gets 28 riders, 3 spies, and 1 comcen (speed 2). Each
comcen gets 3 drones and 12 missiles.
Timit Limit: 127 clicks.
Setup: Either player can end setup. GWL has a "quick pitch rule" which
states that you do not have to wait for the other QB to be ready in order
to start the game. If you're a QB who's fast on the setup, you can start
the game while your opponent is still scratching his head over where to
put his robots.
Damage: Comcen systems can be damaged; comcen repair is possible.
The Game: Here's an excellent exercise in lightning warfare. Devoid of the
slower grunts and boomers, this rider-intensive game lets you practice the
fast attack.
          
Sluggers -
Players: Each side gets 12 riders, 12 grunts, 4 boomers, 3 spies, and 1
comcen (speed 2). Each comcen gets 3 drones and 12 missiles.
Time Limit: 127 clicks.
Setup: Either player can end setup.
Damage: Comcen systems can be damaged; comcen repair is possible.
The Game: Slugger adds a new dimension to warfare with boomers, your heavy
artillery unit. As the name suggests, you can expect to slug it out in
this one. This scenario uses all the robot types.

Full War -
Players: Each side gets 28 grunts, 12 riders, 6 boomers, 3 spies, and 1
comcen (speed 1). Each comcen has 5 drones and 20 missiles.
Time Limit: 254 clicks.
Setup: Either player can end setup.
The Game: Full War is full war. It's the game that the pros play. You can
move your robots as groups or individuals and you get new advanced
commands like cloaking, blitzing, and digging in. You'll also get to
recycle robots, so as they're scrunched, new ones come in to take their
place. Be sure to eat a big breakfast because at 254 clicks, this could be
your longest battle.

Defender -
Players: Each side gets 28 grunts, 12 riders, 6 boomers, 3 spies, and 1
comcen.  The attacker's comcen travels at speed 1 while the defender's
comcen (player who picked the map) can't move. The defender gets 2 drones,
20 missiles, and a 200 point lead, but gets no terrain points and no
robots recycled. The attaker gets 5 drones, 8 missiles, standard terrain
points and robot recycling. Whoever picks the map is the defender; the
roles will alternate if you play another game of Defender.
Time Limit: 254 clicks.
Setup: Setup is over whenever the defender starts the game.
Damage: Comcen systems can be damaged; comcen repair is possible.
The Game: As the defender, you have to protect your comcen and bide your
time, a task that's harder than it seems. You can take the offensive, but
that's a risky proposition you can only consider as the game develops. As
the attacker, you'll want to rack up points or knock out the opponent's
comcen. As in Full War, you can move your robots as groups or as
individuals and you get all the advanced commands.

Questions and Answers -

BATTLE CONSOLE

Q: How do I remember where I told my robots to go?
A: If you've forgotten where you ordered a robot to move, put your cursor
   on top of that robot. The grey box emanating from the robot shows the
   path the robot will follow to the destination you've set. If it has no
   box, it has no desitnation.
Q: Why can't I see my opponent's robots on the Battle console?
A: They're too far away. You can only see the enemy robots when they're
   within a certain range of your robots (the exact ranges are listed
   under "Robot Sighting" in the Technical Information section) or when
   they're firing on you.  And remember that during set up, you just plain
   don't get to see your opponent's forces.

   Standard Display shows on the screen your forces and those enemy robots
which your troops have spotted; this is the default setting. Whenever you
practice with the Solo Trainer, you can choose between STANDARD DISPLAY or
BEGINNER DISPLAY. Beginner Display shows your forces and the Solo
Trainer's forces on the screen, which is nice if you want to see every
step your computer opponent takes. When you play against a modem opponent,
you only get the Standard Display.

Q: Why can't I see any robots on the Battle console?
A: Your battle map was damaged during battle. Go to the Multi console and
   then select REPAIR to try to fix it, or you can use the magnified
   window (upper left corner) to view the battlefield.
Q: How do I make my robots shoot?
A: You can't. Robots pick their own enemy targets to shoot at. The two
   exceptions are:
   1) You can select a target for an individual boomer in Full War and
      Defender (see "Set Target" in the Advanced Commands section).
   2)In most of the scenarios, your comcen can shoot missiles and drones.

Radar Console

Q: Why are there no missiles?
A: You're either playing Scrimmage, a scenario that doesn't have missiles
   or else you used them all up. Check your Radar console or Stats screen
   to see how many you have left.
Q: Why won't the missile fire when I tell it to?
A: The Radar unit in your comcen has hit. You have three choices: 1) Go to
   the Multi console and the select REPAIR to try to fix it. 2) Keep
   trying to fire; sometimes all it takes a couple of tries and a little
   luck. 3) If your comcen is cloaked (a feature normally available only
   in Full War and Defender), the Radar console is completely inoperable;
   you'll have to uncloak.
Q: Why is the radar console malfunctioning?
A: Same reasons as above.
Q: Why am I missing the enemy drone?
A: Since there's a lag time between when you fire the missile and when it
   reaches its destination and explodes, you'll have to lead the moving
   target a little. The Bomb is a great training scenario for learning how
   to use missiles.  It takes a little practice to guide one, so don't be
   surprised if nobody calls you "Ace" for a while.

Drone Console

Q: Why are there no drones?
A: You're either playing Scrimmage or QB Sneak, scenarios that don't have
   drones, or you used them all up. Check your Drone console or Stats
   screen to see how many you have left.
Q: Why won't the drone launch when I tell it to?
A: The drone unit in you comcen was hit. You have three choices:
   1) Select REPAIR to try to fix it.
   2) Keep trying to launch the drone; persistence may pay off.
   3) If your comcen is cloaked (a feature normally available only in Full
      War and Defender), the Drone console is completely inoperable;
      you'll have to uncloak.
Q: Why is the drone console malfunctioning?
A: Same reasons as above.
Q: Why is it so hard to control a drone?
A: When you push the control stick in any direction, you're telling the
   drone to make that its new heading. If that heading happens to be in
   the opposite direction it's now flying, the drone will have to sweep
   180 degrees (a bit of a task since drones don't cut back and forth like
   kites). For best control, use the compass to check the drone's current
   direction and make small turns rather than wide arcs.
Q: What's the drawback to launching a drone?
A: There's a small price to pay for launching a drone. When you launch a
   drone, your comcen becomes visible on the enemy's Radar Screen for
   several clicks.  This gives your opponent the chance to find and nail
   you.

Repair Console

Q: Why doesn't the repair option work?
A: The more damage you suffer, the worse things look for a successful and
   speedy repair. There's no guarantee that this will work, but, for all
   its time-consuming inconvenience, many a QB has rued the day when he
   chose not to attempt repairs.
Q: What's energy about?
A: Energy is your comcen's life blood. Once the comcen is completely
   drained of energy, it won't even have the strength to spit out a white
   flag. Keep an eye on your energy and recharge it if you're getting low.
   And be sure to do it before you wind up just "bailing water," a
   situation where you're repairing as fast as the enemy keeps pouring it
   on.
Q: Why is the repair screen all red?
A: Your comcen is stunned when this screen goes red. During the stun, two
   things happen:
   1) You can't move; it's paralysis for 15 clicks. You can still use this
      down time to examine the battlefield or give orders to your robots.
   2) Your systems become faulty.  You can attempt to overcome the stun by
      repeatedly pressing the activate button.  Clearing the stun is vital
      if your comcen needs to run away or repair other systems.

                                ADVANCED COMMANDS

   The Advanced Commands listed below are available in Full War and Defender.

Advanced Commands for Groups of Robots.

CLOAKING ON - Cloaking is electronic camouflaging. Cloaked robots cannot
see or shoot. Normal robots see cloaked robots from 2 spaces away, while
spies can see them 3 spaces away. A cloaked comcen can't use the Radar and
Drone consoles and can give no orders until it uncloaks.
DIG IN - Digging in gives you both a defensive and offensive advantage. If
the shooter is dug in, two points are added to the damage inflicted on the
target.  If the target is dug in, the damage it receives is reduced by one
quarter, but only for basic- and blitz-type damage. You can't dig in while
under enemy fire or when your group is moving. To move again you have to
dig out, which takes a click to do.
SET BLITZ - This option is only available while your troops are moving to
a destination previously set. On the up side of having your robots blitz,
they move at spy speed and add 15 extra points to any damage the inflict
(except for boomers, which add 5). On the down side, they lose energy for
moving faster and it costs them one and a half times the amount of energy
for each extra point of damage they inflict. A robot that causes 15 points
of extra damage pays 22 points itself. Although they can blitz themselves
to zero energy, robots survive until they're hit by enemy fire, missiles,
or drones. Your robots can't cloak and blitz at the same time.
MEMBERSHIP - This adds or removes a robot from the group. Select
Membership and you'll see SETTING MEMBERSHIP and then the robot's profile.
Click to remove or add. If you remove a robot from a group, it becomes an
individual (See Advanced Commands for Individual Robots, below, for its
new commands). When you're done, move the cursor to a neutral area (any
spot where there isn't a robot) and click the activate button or press the
space bar. The comcen can never be part of a group.
FORMATION - Formation lets you quickly change the direction of your group.
The highlighted robot is the point on which the group pivots. SWEEP LEFT
rotates your group 90 degrees left. SWEEP RIGHT rotates your group 90
degress to the right. REVERSE turns the group 180 degrees. CUSTOM lets you
position individual robots anywhere. When you're done, move the cursor to
a neutral area (any spot where there isn't a robot) and click or press the
space bar.
DIRECT UNIT - Use this to give a single robot its own command or a
seperate destination. When you select this option, you'll see the unit
cursor. If you move the cursor and give the robot a destination, it will
resign from the group and move there. If you press the activate button
without moving the cursor, you will get the Unit Options menu for that
robot (see below). A robot can execute any command except for JOIN GROUP
and still remain a part of that group. For instance, in a group of cloaked
robots, you can tell one robot to uncloak and be the "look out".

Advanced Commands for Individual Robots.

An individual robot can choose from CLOAKING ON, DIG IN (or SET BLITZ),
JOIN GROUP, and SET TARGET (for boomers only). The first three choices are
covered above.
JOIN GROUP - If you choose JOIN GROUP, you're shown a list of all the
groups; select the one you want it to join. If a group is too far away,
the robot can't join it. Note that the robot doesn't physically join up
with the new group; it adopts whatever movement the group is performing
and accepts all commands from it's new group. The comcen can never be part
of a group. Groups cannot be spread over more than 10 spaces.
SET TARGET - this option lets you tell an individual boomer which target
within range to shoot at. When you select this option, you're given a
cursor whose movement is limited to the current range of that boomer
(including bonus for hills). Press the activate button when the cursor in
on an enemy unit to set that as the target. As long as that robot is
visible and within range, the boomer will continue to fire exclusively at
it. (Note: You never need to set the enemy comcen as the target; any robot
who can shoot at it always will.) Select CLEAR TARGET to let a boomer
return to picking its own targets.

                              CUSTOMIZING YOUR GAME

Feeling your oats as a commander and ready to play a game on your terms?
There's a lot you can customize in Modem Wars, from map type to robot
speed to handicap points. Here's what you do to customize:

1. Toggle the customization option by pressing the wildcard key (*) when
   you see the Game Type menu on the screen.  If you change your mind
   about customizing, press the wildcard key again to toggle it off.
2. Pick the scenario you want to play.
3. Set the custom settings described under Global Customization Commands,
   below. Only one of you can set these commands - the honor goes to
   whoever pressed the space bar first when you connected your computers
   (this option alternates; whoever doesn't set the commands this time
   gets to do it next time). The settings will be the same for both you
   and your opponent.
4. Set the custom settings described under the Individual Customization
   Commands, below. Both you and your opponent can set these commands and
   they don't have to be the same. to check the values that you've both
   set, go to the Multi console and look at the Stats Screen.

                          Global Customization Commands

UNIT MENUS - When Unit Menus are on, you get to choose from the wide
variety of advanced commands like cloaking, blitzing, and digging in; when
they're off, you can't. You get a much simpler game when you turn the Unit
Menus off.
DAMAGE - You can choose to have the comcen systems subject to damage or
immune to it. If you choose on, a drone hit will disable all of your
systems and enemy robot hits have a chance of damaging any of the systems.
However, you can still attempt to repair. If damage is off, the comcen
cannot restore its energy nor can it repair.
MAP TYPE - If you choose standard, the computer will generate a random map
and give it a name. If you choose custom, you can choose from RANDOM
(which generates an asymmetrical random map) or SYM/RND (which generates a
symmetrical random map). The computer assigns the map a name. Press the
activate button to accept the map. Another way of generating an
asymmetrical random map is to type in any five-letter name; the computer
will generate a map for that name.  Another way of generating a
symmetrical random map is to type in any four-letter name and an equal
sign (for example: PUTT=). All map names ending with the equal sign (=)
are symmetrical maps. Press the activate button to accept the map. Valid
characters for map names include A through Z, Space, + - = / *. If you use
an asymmetrical map, you should play with the map twice so each player
gets to play each side of the map (F1 flips the map). If you use a
symmetrical map, you only need to play it once since each player faces an
identical battlefield.

                       Individual Customization Commands

CUSTOM/STANDARD SCENARIO - You can now play the game with the setup you've
designed so far, or you can further customize it (the Solo Trainer never
customizes; it always choose the standard settings).
COMCEN SPEED - Choose 0 (no movement), 1 (grunt speed), 2 (rider speed),
or 3 (spy speed).
TERRAIN POINTS - Choose 0 (no points); 1 (robot crossing center line=1
point, back line=2; comcen crossing center line=16 points, back line=32);
or 2 (double the values of setting 1). Robots can only collect for
crossing each line once.  Asterisk(s) in the upper left of the status
window of each robot tell what points a robot has collected: one asterisk
for the center line, two for the back line.
DRONES - Choose from 0 to 9.
MISSILES - Choose from 0 to 36. The GWL handbook recommends that you have
4 missiles for every enemy drone.
RECYCLER - A recycler is the location where replacement robots arrive on
the battlefield according to the rate you select. You can choose from NONE
(no replacements), HALF (one replacement for every two of the same type
eliminated on the field of play), or FULL (one replacement for every robot
eliminated). If you choose to recycle, you're asked to pick a place where
you want your replacement robots to come in. You can choose any spot, as
long as it's open terrain (not on hills, in water, or in forests) and on
your side of the battlefield.
HANDICAP - There are two types of handicaps: point lead or robot
advantage. You can give your opponent a point lead from 0 to 500. You can
also give the other player a robot advantage by removing as many of your
robots as you want. (This option is available whether you're playing a
standard or custom scenario.) To do this, press the wildcard key to toggle
DESTROY ON during robot setup (press it again if you change your mind).
Put the cursor on a robot or - if you're so bold - a group of robots and
press the activate button. The robot or robot group is instantly vacuumed
off the field by the Hoovamax machine. (The only robot you can't get rid
of is the comcen.)

                        CALLING UP A MODEM OPPONENT

   You can play against anybody who owns a modem and Modem Wars. If you
belong to a computer bulletin board service, find out who else is looking
for an opponent, or offer yourself as one. Once you find a challenger,
load the game and select COMPETE WITH MODEM OPPONENT. You will be
instructed that one player press A and the other press O. When ready both
press their space bars and hang up when CONNENT is displayed. The player
who presses his or her space bar first gets to select the game type and
pick the map. When you're playing a modem opponent, you get the
VOICE/PAUSE option on the Misc screen. This lets you pick up the phone and
talk with your opponent. During your conversion, the game will pause.
   For rewarding challenges (in other words, games where nobody gets
skunked), find an opponent whose skills are equal to yours. How do you
compare skill levels? By comparing your batting averages. Keep track of
the points you earn for each game you play - win, lose, or draw - and the
number of games you play.  Divide the total points by the number of games
you've played and you'll get your batting average. Here's the points you
get: winner by knockout=500; winner by terrain points=number of terrain
points earned divided by two and added to 300; loser by knockout=150;
loser by terrain points=200; draw=250. An average player's batting average
is about .300, while a good player's is about .375. If you can't find an
opponent whose skills are equal to yours, the less experienced QB can take
a point lead or have a robot advantage. See "Handicap" in the Customizing
Your Game section for more details.

                            MESSAGES to YOUR ENEMY

   To send a message anytime your're connected to a modem opponent, press
RETURN, type your message, and then press RETURN again to end
transmission.  There are no rules of etiquette when it comes to using the
message ticker board. Some QBs, like Golf Winston (GWL Rookie of the Year,
2024), were gracious players who always sent a congratulatory message to
the winner and a message of encouragement to the loser. Others, like
T.C.Steeple (Most Offensive QB, 2023) peppered his game with remarks like
"Is that your diaper I smell?", "Even my dog wouldn't do that" and "That's
a maggot move if ever there was one!"

                            TECHNICAL INFORMATION

   This section contains technical information. If you want the winning
edge, this is recommended reading. It can make the difference between
getting your face on the cover of the Modem Wars Weekly of The Nobody
Dispatch.

ROBOT ENERGY

   Robots start the game fully charged (energy=100%). They lose energy
whenever they're shot, missled, or droned. When energy drops to zero as a
result of an attack, they're out of the game and zapped off the
battlefield. Robots can repair their energy during the game. If a robot
(other than the comcen) is not shooting or moving, it automatically
repairs at a rate of 2 percent per click.  When the comcen loses all its
energy it's "knocked out." In Scrimmage, QB Sneak, and The Bomb, the
comcen can't restore energy; all you can do is hope that energy doesn't
hit zero before the battle's over. However, in the other scenarios, you
can manually replace lost comcen energy.

ROBOT SPEED

   There are three speed categories. The Space Per Click figures are for
robots moving through open terrain; the only exception is the spy, who
moves at the same speed through all terrain. See Effects of Terrain for
details on how certain terrain slow your robot's movements.

Robot Type      Speed        Space per Click
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grunt             1            1/2 (base rate)
Boomer            1            1/2
Rider             2            1
Spy               3            1 through all terrain
Comcen            Depends on scenario

EFFECTS OF TERRAIN

   Terrain can affect the movement, sighting and combat capabilities of
your robots.

Terrain type   Effect on Movement   Effect on Sighting   Effect on Combat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plain          None                 None                 None
Stream         Move at 1/3 speed.   None                 Target in stream
                                                         recieves 10 points
                                                         extra damage.
Forest         Move at 2/3 speed.   Can be spotted       Grunts and riders
                                    only by adjacent     only fire at robots
                                    enemy; remains       adjacent to them.
                                    spotted up to two
                                    spaces.
Plateau        None                 Robots on plateau    Weapon range is
                                    can see one space    increased by one
                                    extra for each level space for each level
                                    of elevation. Robots of elevation. Damage
                                    can't be seen        is increased by two
                                    through hills.       points for each
                                                         difference of
                                                         level the shooter
                                                         is above the
                                                         target and
                                                         decreased by two
                                                         for each level
                                                         the level the
                                                         shooter is below
                                                         the target.
Slope          Move at 1/2 speed.   Same as plateau.     Weapon range is
                                                         increased by one
                                                         space for each
                                                         level of
                                                         elevation. Damage
                                                         effect for
                                                         difference of
                                                         level is reduced
                                                         by one. Target on
                                                         slope receives
                                                         two points extra
                                                         damage.

ROBOT MOVEMENT

   Robot groups and individuals can "move through" friendly groups and
individuals; cloaked enemy robots can move through each other; spies can
move through anyone. As a result, groups can get spread out, but they will
retain their group formation and will return to it as soon as they are
able to.  However, if you select MEMBERSHIP or CUSTOM FORMATION, all the
robots in the group will halt where they are and consider their
arrangement to be their new formation.

ROBOT FACING

   Robots face the direction they were last moving unless there's an enemy
robot within range. In that case, they will turn and face that direction
until they move or another enemy shows up. When a robot is selecting a
target from multiple options, it will shoot at enemy comcen first (if
possible), and then at the nearest unit. Once a robot selects a target in
a certain direction, it will only turn towards a new target in a different
direction if the new target is more than on space closer.

ROBOT SIGHTING

   Robots sight other robots when they come within a designated range. In
Standard Display mode, enemy robots won't show up on the Battle screen
until they're sighted. A robot can't shoot at an enemy robot until it has
sighted that enemy.

Observer             Observee                                       Range
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grunt, rider,       Uncloaked grunt, rider, boomer or comcen.     3 spaces.
boomer or comcen.
Grunt, rider,       Cloaked grunt, rider, boomer or comcen.       2 spaces.
boomer or comcen.
Spy                 Uncloaked grunt, rider, boomer or comcen.     5 spaces.
Spy                 Cloaked grunt, rider, boomer or comcen.       3 spaces.
Spy                 Spy                                           4 spaces.

ROBOT WEAPON RANGE

   Except for the spy, each robot has a weapon they'll shoot when the
enemy's close enough. Terrain can effect a robot's shooting range, so be
sure to refer to Effects of Terrain in this section of details.

Robot Type     Weapon              Range
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grunt          Laser               3 spaces
Rider          Laser               3 spaces
Boomer         Projectile Cannon   6 spaces
Spy            No Weapon
Comcen         Drone               No range limit.
               Missile             Radar scan area.

   Laser fire is also known as "line of sight" fire. Projectile cannon
fire is also known as "indirect fire." Grunts and riders can't shoot if
there is a friendly robot in their line of fire. However, robots on any
slope or hill never have their shots blocked since they shoot over any
robots in their line of fire. Boomers have cannons that fire at an angle,
so their shots are never blocked. Cloaked robots cannot fire. It takes a
robot one click to reload after each shot.

EFFECTS of FLANKING ATTACK

   Grunts and riders cause the most damage when they hit the target in the
back or sides. A shot in the side adds 10 extra points of damage, while a
shot in the back adds 20 extra points of damage. Boomer shots aren't
affected by the angle of the attack since they fire from cannons; their
shots arc and hit the target from above.

DAMAGE from ENEMY FIRE

   Damage that your robot takes depends on who's giving and who's getting.
This table shows the percentage of damage a robot inflicts when it hits
its target.  For example, a rider must hit a boomer 5 times (at 20% damage
per shot) to eliminate it. The numbers under the Comcen column Target
represent both the damage a robot inflicts and the number of points you
get for hitting the Comcen. For instance, when a boomer hits a comcen
once, it inflicts 10% dammage and you get ten points. If the boomer hits a
comcen 9 times, it inflicts 90% damage and you get 90 points. One more
boomer hit, and you'll knock out the comcen.

                        Damange Table (by percent)

Shooter                     Target
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Grunt   Rider   Boomer    Spy   Comcen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grunt          4       5       25       8      6
Rider          3       4       20       6      4
Boomer        12      16        8       8     10
Comcen
 Drone        50      50       50      50     24
 Missile      28      28       28      28      6

Activatie button = fire button on joystick
