@Z_STYLE70 = 
<$THAlign=C;Indent=0;InLeftLPg=0;InLeftRPg=0;>© ALTAR 1998<R>All rights reserved<R>
@LVL1 = BRIEF OVERVIEW
Our game “Original War” is a real-time strategy game with RPG elements. Unlike the majority of other RTS games, the player initially has only very limited resources at his disposal, especially human resources (even the largest missions feature only twenty or thirty men). With so few characters around, we can treat each of them in an RPG way – they have their own names, faces, statistics, abilities, character and quirks, even though the game takes place in real time.
The strongest point of the single-player game is the story. All mission scenarios form a complex plot, the computer opponents have a distinct personality derived from the story, and the player has the option of making key decisions during the game, thus influencing the further development of the plot.
The rules for the multi-player version of the game are slightly adjusted to maximize the thrill of the game. The multi-player version features not only high quality pre-prepared scenarios, but a scenario generator and editor.
@LVL1 = STORY
@LVL2 = Terminology note
The game starts out in the near future. Throughout this paper, we call the participating nations <I>Americans<I*>, <I>Russians<I*> and <I>Arabs<I*>. In the game itself we could either use actual names (US, Russia, Saudi Arabia) or we could make up more or less altered versions (e.g., North American Union, United Arab States, etc.).
The crucial element in the game is the discovery of a new mineral. For now, we will simply call it the “new material” or “new mineral”. It is of course going to have a real name in the game. For reasons which will be explained later, it will have one name for the <I>Americans<I*> and <I>Arabs<I*> (e.g., Siberium) and a different one for the <I>Russians<I*> (e.g., Arizonium).
@LVL2 = Story outline
An international expedition finds a giant deposit of a new mineral in Siberia in the near future. The <I>American<I*> scientists find out that the new mineral can be used as a virtually inexhaustible source of energy. They decide to act quickly before the <I>Russians<I*> also become aware of the mineral. With the help of a recently discovered extraterrestrial object, they begin to send special units into the past to mine the mineral and transport it to <I>America<I*>.
The <I>Arabian<I*> government learns of the scheme and, fearing a crash in oil prices, decides to stop it. They ambush the expedition team, seize the object and start sending their own men into the past – fanatics, criminals and mercenaries charged with the destruction of the mineral deposit. But because of an oversight they inadvertently transport the object to the past as well.
In an alternate future where the <I>Americans <I*>managed to succeed in their plans (and where <I>America<I*> rules the world economically), the <I>Russians<I*> find the remnants of the <I>American<I*> expedition along with the lost object. They surmise what happened and decide to prevent the situation by transporting their men back into the past to a period shortly before the arrival of the first <I>Americans<I*> so that they can protect the mineral deposit. The object is accidentally destroyed in the process.
@LVL2 = The Extraterrestrial Object
Some basic information about the object. It is a capsule about the size and shape of a telephone booth and was found during a military exploration buried deep in a layer of sediment. The object is of course a military secret. Experiments have shown that items placed in the capsule are transported hundreds of thousands years back in time – to a period when primitive human ancestors walked the Earth. The scientists of the three nations, however, are unable to change the object’s settings and thus decrease its temporal and spatial dispersion. The <I>Arabs<I*> try to increase the capsule’s capacity and end up sending the object itself into the past. The <I>Russians<I*> try to increase the temporal “range”, and they destroy the machine completely.
@LVL2 = Situation
The game opens with the following situation: there are three expeditions teams in the very distant past and none of them is complete (the extraterrestrial object was stolen, sent back into time or destroyed prematurely). Because of the relatively great temporal and spatial dispersion of the different transmissions, both people and equipment arrive gradually in different places and at different times. Moreover, due to the limited volume of the object, only spare parts and raw materials can be transported, not complete machines.
The first and foremost task of all sides is to establish a foothold in the hostile environment filled with wild beasts and primitive human ancestors. Then each side has its specific assigned task – to transport, destroy or protect the mineral deposits. There is also a fourth side in the game – the so-called Apemen, our human ancestors. They are hostile at first, but it is possible to gain their confidence and even train them. Two new sides emerge during the game. The <B>Alliance<W0> is formed by those <I>Americans<I*> and <I>Russians<I*> who decide to solve the situation peacefully and split the mineral deposit. The <B>Legion<W0> is created by renegade mercenaries when they learn they have been cheated (the <I>Arabs<I*> promised them the possibility of returning to the present). The Legion is on its own and can be a tentative ally of any of the other sides.
@LVL2 = The Player’s Story
The complicated situation of the game allows us to create three full-fledged plots, each with several different possible endings. The player starts by choosing his side and is then assigned as a character to the expedition team of the appropriate country. The player is represented by his character at all times and is present in all missions. The player must protect his character because his death spells the end of the game. On the other hand, the fact that the player is actually playing only for his own character and not necessarily for the entire team leaves open the possibility of changing loyalties and switching sides during the game. It is up to player whether he chooses to carry out his task until the end or to join the Alliance or the renegade Legion. We think that the story – and we are presenting only a brief outline here – can be one of the most powerful features of the game.
@LVL3 = Intros and animations
The total length and the quality of the animated sequences depend mostly on the game budget. We have a good idea what they should look like, but the exact details have yet to be worked out.
The main intro should not introduce the story but instead present the look and feel of the game. Imagine a quiet savannah, mammoths and mastodons grazing peacefully... Suddenly, the herd scatters and a shipment from the future appears in a flash of light and a deafening clap of thunder. The action grows fiercer: all three sides register the arrival and converge on the spot. Fast-paced sequences show a <I>Russian<I*> combat unit coming from one side, an <I>American<I*> terrain vehicle going at top speed from the other, and two mercenaries along with several Apemen armed with machine guns approaching through the bushes. They arrive simultaneously and kill each other in short and bloody fray. Everything grows quiet again. A little monkey drops down from a tree and examines the shipment. It is something silly and trivial, like a carton of playing cards.
Then the player enters the main menu. Only when he chooses “New game” and selects his character is he introduced to his story, and the plot of the game starts to unfold before him.
The hero of the <B>intro for the <W0><BI>Americans<W0I*> is an unmarried officer who is presented with a top secret special mission. He is told that he will probably have to devote the rest of his life to this mission and that he will most likely not ever be able to return to a normal life. If he refuses, the game ends without further explanation. If he accepts, he is briefed about the discovery of the of extraterrestrial object and the experiments conducted on it, about the mineral and about the planned expedition. The intro ends when the officer enters the capsule. He doesn’t learn about the <I>Arab<I*> attack on the expedition team until far into the game (e.g., he may come across a member of the support staff who was not originally supposed to travel to the past but saved herself by entering the capsule).
The hero of the <B>intro for the <W0><BI>Arabs<W0I*> would probably be a mercenary or a criminal (we believe the player would rather choose one of these roles than that of a fanatic). He is presented with a mission, either for a large sum of money in the case of the mercenary, or in exchange for a complete pardon in the case of the criminal, who is facing imminent execution for a previously committed crime. He can refuse, but if he does so he is immediately killed. If he accepts, he learns that the <I>Arabs<I*> were concerned by the decision to rescind the oil-drilling limit in the US and thus undertook a large-scale intelligence operation. They discovered that the <I>Americans<I*> had developed a time machine and wanted to use it to undermine <I>Arab<I*> oil dominance. The objective of the <I>Arab<I*> expedition team is to go back to the past and destroy the <I>American<I*> expedition. They are also told that they will be retrieved when their mission is over. The intro ends when the hero enters the laboratory of the destroyed <I>American<I*><BI> <W0I*>military base and steps into the capsule. He will not learn about the mishap which resulted in the extraterrestrial object itself being sent back into the past until after a few missions into the game.
The <B>intro for the <W0><BI>Russians<W0I*> takes place in an alternate world where a new mineral was found in <I>America<I*> in the 1970s. The player is a <I>Russian<I*> officer selected to carry out a special mission for his country and he does not have the option of refusing it. He sits with his fellow officers in a giant lecture hall and is briefed by heavily decorated generals. He learns from short films and slides of the discovery of the remnants of ancient mining machinery in Siberia. A detailed shot of one of the machines shows a plate with the date and place of production. The same site also revealed the extraterrestrial object. Finally they are told the general headquarters’ impression of the situation as well as what their mission will comprise. According to the dates found on the machinery, they have about a year to prepare for the arrival of the <I>Americans<I*>.
None of the three intros thus gives out the whole story. The player knows only a part of it and has to piece it together from the information gained during missions and the briefings between them (these can also be animated sequences). The resulting situation is quite surprising for all sides—the <I>Americans<I*> don’t expect to encounter any enemies but find two, the <I>Russians<I*> and the <I>Arabs<I*> know about the <I>Americans<I*> but they not about each other. The <I>Russians<I*> have the advantage of being first on the scene, yet they have the least materials and equipment because they destroyed the extraterrestrial object relatively early on. Only the <I>Americans<I*> are aware of the spatial and temporal dispersion, whereas the other two teams don’t realize that they are going to arrive alone, etc.
An important ingredient of the game is also the feeling that, hundreds of thousands years in the past, the present-day quarrels seem very distant and the fight for new mineral increasingly unnecessary. These trends lead to internal conflicts on all sides, to the formation of the Alliance, desertions, attempts to start farms and villages or live with the Apemen, to the founding of the Legion, etc.
@LVL1 = PRINCIPLES OF THE GAME 
The player actually has a number of options in the game; however, they are not all available from the outset but, rather, are added very slowly throughout new missions. The fundamental breakthroughs (training of Apemen, radio-controlled vehicles, the exploitation of the new mineral) will utterly change the game style several times.
@LVL2 = People
People are the most important element in the game. Neither the buildings nor the vehicles work automatically; they must be controlled by people. Fully automated production lines and computer-controlled vehicles become available only in the most advanced missions.
Every individual in the game has a name and is characterized by a brief description, including the following four abilities: Combat, Mechanical, Engineering and Scientific. These abilities correspond to the following four occupations: Soldier, Mechanic, Engineer and Scientist. Any character can perform any of the occupations, but he is of course best at doing the job where he has the most developed ability. On the other hand, the more a character carries out a specific occupation, the more his ability to do that job increases and improves.
<B>Engineers<W0> are important for building and repairing structures and for the transportation of material. <B>Mechanics<W0> produce vehicles and are also the best drivers. The role of <B>soldiers<W0> is quite important, as even advanced missions present tasks which cannot be completed solely by vehicles. Soldiers can also train Apemen to fight. <B>Scientists<W0> are in charge of research and development. Additionally, they serve as doctors and medics.
@LVL3 = Wounds and Health
Every character can be in one of five states: <B>healthy<W0>, <B>lightly wounded<W0>, <B>wounded<W0>, <B>seriously<W0> <B>wounded<W0> and <B>dead<W0>. The lightly wounded will slowly heal and return to a state of full health. Wounded characters must be healed by scientists, but their condition will not deteriorate. The seriously wounded must be treated quickly because their state will worsen and they will eventually die. Dead characters are dead and cannot be resurrected.
@LVL2 = Raw materials
Oil and metal are the basic materials in the game. <B>Metal<W0> is essential for vehicle construction and for building more complicated structures. <B>Oil<W0> serves as fuel for both power plants and vehicles. The <B>new mineral<W0> will replace oil in the advanced missions and will relieve the player from having to worry about energy. Both oil and the new mineral are mined, while metal must arrive from the future. The future is also the source of other important components, e.g., electronics, which are necessary for the construction of certain types of vehicles or weapons.
Shipments from the future are represented by capsules scattered across the landscape, while oil and the new mineral are present in deposits. The capsules must be transported to a warehouse (see below), and the deposits must be mined and connected to a warehouse. The player often has enough raw materials from the outset of the game but has to decide carefully what to do with it and where to invest his characters’ time and energy.
@LVL2 = Vehicles
Every vehicle has four basic components: chassis, engine, control and functional component. They are produced in workshops (see below).
The <B>chassis<W0> determines the movement capabilities of the vehicle as well as its payload. Different chassis are suitable for different types of terrain (e.g., wheels are fastest on paved roads, however they cannot move through rough terrain at all, etc.). The rules for movement of different chassis vary, too (e.g., treaded vehicles can rotate in place, wheeled vehicles must move, etc.).
The <B>engine<W0> influences the overall ”flexibility” of the vehicle: a combustion engine must be periodically refueled, a solar-powered vehicle must stop from time to time and collect energy, and an engine powered by new mineral has an unlimited supply of energy.
There are three main types of <B>control<W0>: manual, radio and computer. Manually-controlled vehicles require a human driver. Radio-controlled vehicles are also operated by a human, but from a distance. The driver is thus not endangered if the vehicle is destroyed and moreover can operate more than one vehicle simultaneously. Computer-controlled vehicles can work completely independently of their human masters.
The <B>functional component<W0> typically comprises some kind of weapon but can also consist of cargo space, a radar or a bulldozer attachment.
One interesting thing about vehicles is that an uncontrolled vehicle (i.e., in the absence of a human driver or radio operator) belongs to no one. It is colored neutral and it will belong to first individual who picks it up. This can be a subplot of some mission – to raid a base, capture the vehicles and use them to attack.
@LVL2 = Buildings
Building primitive structures requires only labor, not material (the material can be found lying around in the area). More advanced buildings need metal. Almost all buildings must be maintained by humans (with the exception of drilling towers and high-tech automated production lines). Erecting a single structure takes more time compared to other real-time strategy games, i.e., several minutes of gameplay (building is faster in multi-player games).
The basic building in the game, where all the supplies are stored, is a <B>depot<W0>. Other buildings are erected around the depot and can be connected to it in the more advanced missions via supply lines. The depot does not have to be maintained by humans. Characters can become Engineers here.
<B>Drilling machinery<W0> is used to dig for oil or the new mineral. It does not have to be maintained by humans.
<B>Power plants<W0> produce electricity from oil, wind, sunshine or the new mineral. Electricity is essential for the construction of complicated structures. Power plants do not have to be maintained by humans either. They must, however, be connected to the building(s) they provide with power via a supply line.
Another type of structure is a <B>workshop<W0>. Workshops are used primarily as vehicle repair centers, though it is also possible to construct the simplest vehicles in them, albeit ineffectively. A workshop can be upgraded to a factory which, in turn, can be expanded by the addition of one to six production rooms, each dealing with a specific kind of vehicle component (e.g., a treaded-chassis production room). The player can mix all available components from the production rooms during vehicle construction. Workshops require human maintenance in order to function (until the invention of automated production lines). Characters can become Mechanics here.
The <B>barracks<W0> also function as a weapons storehouse. Characters can become Soldiers and receive weapons here. It is also possible to train Apemen in the barracks.
Research and development takes place in a <B>laboratory<W0>. Characters can become Scientists here. Some advanced technologies require specialized labs. The laboratory, of course, requires human presence in order to function.
Injured people are brought to a <B>hospital<W0>. Medical treatment is essential to the seriously wounded, as they will perish after some time if not properly treated. Treatment can also speed the healing of light wounds. Hospitals also require human maintenance in order to function.
<B>Walls<W0> are defensive structures only. Inferior-quality walls made from earth require no metal, unlike superior-quality reinforced concrete walls.
<B>Towers <W0>are usually a part of a wall. They protect the people inside and allows them to hold out against superior force. It is also possible to mount weapons on towers to increase their firepower.
<B>Supply lines<W0> are formed by suspended pipes, transport lines, power cords, etc. Buildings must be connected by a supply line to the depot in order to utilize the supplies stored there. Supply lines are a vital part of your base and must be protected at all costs.
@LVL2 = Research and development
Research and development are two distinct principles in the game. Research is the long-term process of discovering new technologies, while development involves finding useful applications for a given technology. Any technology in the game can thus be in one of three stages: unresearched, researched but undeveloped, and developed. Only developed technologies can be used in the game.
In the first few single-player missions, some basic developed technologies are available to the player, who cannot yet carry out any R&D at this stage. Then he can start his own laboratory and begin to develop some common technologies. Later in the game, he can start researching new technology. Quite often it is necessary to develop the same technology in several missions, but it is always researched only once in the entire campaign (and it can be the goal of the whole mission).
Here are some examples of possible research to give you an idea: Research of Apemen life allows you to avoid many conflicts with these individuals, research of their primitive language will enable you to contact them (and gain their confidence), and research of their psychology will facilitate their training. You will also have to research the new mineral in order to take advantages of its virtually inexhaustible energy source for your base. Research and development of automatic production lines will free your characters for more important tasks. Studying the time and place of shipments from the future will enable you to roughly predict the next shipments. Upgrading weapons, vehicles, equipment, etc. is another common field of research.
@LVL1 = MAP
The game takes place on a map with an invisible hexagonal grid. Every person occupies one hex, vehicles occupy seven hexes arranged in a circle. Buildings occupy various number of hexes depending on their size and shape.
The hexagonal grid is a completely novel element in real-time strategy games, and yet it was always used in strategy gaming for its better “metrics”. It allows for better path-finding and collision-avoiding algorithms, and as a result the movement on hexes is more fluent and natural, the units do not seem to permeate through each other, etc.
The map can be rotated and zoomed.
@LVL2 = Terrain
There are many types of terrain. We shall mention here only the two which are the most interesting and unusual.
The <B>forest<W0> is always formed by individual trees and each of them occupies one hex. The “density” of the forest thus depends on the distance between trees (and also on their type). If the trees are too close to each other, the forest will be passable only for the infantry but not for vehicles. Forests can be razed by bulldozers - this will create rough terrain, accessible to treaded vehicles only.
<B>Grass<W0> is another novel idea in the game. It covers most of the terrain where the game takes place. The important thing about it is that a hex can be covered by various levels of grass. In the beginning, all grass is “high”. But as people and vehicles start moving through it, it grows smaller and smaller till bare earth appears. This principle is very simple to implement and as a result paths and roads appear between the sites your characters visit most often. There is also a certain type of positive feedback here: movement through shorter grass is faster and your characters will therefore prefer travelling through these hexes, thus even further reducing the height of the grass. Eventually they will flatten it, creating a wide road. Vehicles flatten grass even faster, but because of the position of their wheels or treads they will create typical two-track roads with a strip of grass in the middle. It is of course possible to build roads “intentionally” – with bulldozers.
High grass has other interesting properties. It slows down movement significantly, but characters can sneak through it hidden from the eyes of their enemies. Apemen are especially good at this and it thus may be prudent to send some men out to flatten the grass around camp.
The use of grass in this manner is an original yet realistic part of the game and provides the designers with many interesting opportunities. The player can discover half-overgrown deserted camps (the grass regenerates slowly), he can track a column of enemy vehicles and ambush them. Skirmishes and fights in high grass will look like nothing ever before seen in other similar real-time games. Players will also be able to see grazing herbivores and can follow their footpaths to the springs.
@LVL2 = Fog of War
The game supports Fog of War. The player can see only what his units can see. The rest of the map is dark. The places previously visited by his units but currently unoccupied appear empty and the terrain is represented only by simple wireframe drawings.
Radar will enable the player to see larger stretches of the land, units outside his normal field of vision, etc., depending on the type of radar. It is also possible to annotate the map.
@LVL2 = Minimap
A miniature map of the entire playing field is constantly on screen, as in the majority of real-time strategy games.
@LVL1 = MISSION STRUCTURE
We have already mentioned that the missions will be an integral part of the story. There will be almost no kill-everything-that-moves missions. Objectives such as “make them run” or even “rearguard the withdrawing units” and “take what you can and retreat” will be more common. Most maps are going to have retreat zones near their edge. Any unit that reaches these hexes will leave the game. This allows us to design missions of the type “defeat the enemy and let no one escape”.
@LVL2 = The story-driven missions
The player’s army will change in the course of the campaign. Some characters will accompany him for many missions, some will appear only briefly and disappear again. Here are some examples:
The player goes through several missions with a certain group of characters. He is then assigned to another region and is told to take five of his men with him, assigning the commander to the rest. He will meet them again a few missions later when he arrives to relieve their besieged base.
The player is told that the next mission will be purely military, that he will not need any scientists or engineers, and that he should take only ten of his men. These are probably going to be his best soldiers. When the mission is over he receives urgent news that his base is under attack. He must then play the next mission only with the characters he left behind – the scientists and engineers will have to arm themselves in the barracks and go to protect their base. Only after some time filled with despair – the player can clearly see that he cannot hold out much longer – his returning military units will arrive and help him out.
Another example: the player has to select some of his best men and send them to another theater of operations. He plays the next two missions with those whom he left for himself. In the third mission he is assigned to hold out till the arrival of reinforcements. But trying as he can, no reinforcements arrive, and finally the high command informs him that there are no reinforcements available and orders him to surrender. There is nothing player can do about it – the enemy is much stronger and he can either die heroically or surrender. The next mission opens with a rescue mission carried out by the soldiers which the player had to send away earlier. Together they have to cross enemy territory. All other men (those whom the player originally left for himself) are lost for good.
Some missions can be interwoven economically. There can be a mission where the player has to steal as much oil as he can from the enemy base before his main forces arrive. And the amount of oil he thus gains will be his whole supply for the next mission.
Many missions will relate to research. The player may have to research a new technology or, on the contrary, destroy enemy laboratories, allowing no enemy scientists to escape. If he fails (i.e., someone manages to escape), the player can declare the mission completed, but his opponents are going to have a significant advantage in the next mission. The final missions in the game could concern the development of a weapon of mass destruction based on the new mineral – there are important moral concerns here, as using this weapon could profoundly influence the further development of life on Earth.
A completely new element appears in the missions where shipments from the future are at stake. The point is that no one knows where the capsule is going to land. Every side tries to control as much territory as possible so that it can capture the capsule when it appears and transport it to its depot. This is one of the crucial strategic moments, especially in the multi-player game.
@LVL2 = Time limits
Most of the missions would have some kind of time limit. The mission objective would not be simply “defeat the enemy” but “defeat the enemy before he receives reinforcements” or “defeat the enemy before he depletes a mine” or even “defeat the enemy in one hour”. Scout’s or spy’s reports or a plain timer will keep the player informed about the amount of time remaining.
There are several reasons for time limit. The player has to use the available time effectively and try to more or less precisely estimate the moment when to stop developing and start attacking. This will disable the common method of solving most real-time strategy missions: arm and arm until all resources are depleted and the player is completely sure of his superiority.
Another important reason for a time limit on missions is character training. Without a time limit, a faster player would be worse off compared to a slower one, as the latter would be able to train more of his units. The slower player could, for example, spare the last enemy building and the proceed to train all his men. Having a time limit prevents this scenario: it becomes most advantageous to fulfill your objectives as fast as you can, because the remaining time will be used for training your units automatically.
@LVL2 = Primary and secondary objectives
Every mission has one primary and one or more secondary objectives. Fulfilling the primary objective is essential for the successful completion of a mission. If the player’s character gets killed or if he fails to accomplish the primary objective, the mission is a failure. The game will not continue in such cases (it is tempting to allow it, but the story branching would have to be much more complicated and most players would load a saved game anyway).
Secondary objectives are not essential for the successful execution of a mission, but failure to accomplish them may have certain repercussions later on in the game. For example, failure to accomplish the secondary objective “destroy enemy lab” may result in the enemy having a more advanced technology in the next mission. Failure to accomplish the secondary objective “destroy or capture enemy forces” will make these forces available to your enemy in the next mission. Failure to accomplish secondary objective “finish the research of prognostics” will render the player ignorant of the exact location of the shipment from the future in the next mission. The secondary objectives will link several missions into one “sub-campaign” which will end only after the successful completion of a mission with a difficult primary objective (and where most of the failed secondary objectives from previous missions will rear their ugly heads).
@LVL2 = Differences among sides
The different sides will have similar equipment (though some technologies will be available only to one side) and will <B>all<W0> obey the same rules. There will, however, be a big difference in the structure of their missions.
The first missions of the <BI>Russians<W0I*> will take place without the presence of the other sides – the player will be prowling in high grass, fighting with Apemen and building improvised structures. His primary concern will be the shortage of materials. Only the arrival of the unwary <I>Americans<I*> will give him chance to gain sufficient supplies and put him on top – until he himself becomes the target of the <I>Arabs<I*>. Russians have poor technology skills with one notable exception – because they know the new mineral from their own world, they will be the first to master its processing.
The <BI>Americans<W0I*> will have the <I>Russians<I*> waiting for them in their first missions; therefore, their first objective must be the consolidation of their scattered forces and the building of the first base. This would be almost hopeless if it were not for the <I>Arabs<I*>, who will arrive last and will keep a large part of the <I>Russian<I*> forces occupied. Once the American position grows stronger, they will start a counterattack. The Americans possess the best technologies and their main objective is to learn how to process the new mineral. The mineral deposits will also be the object of many missions.
The <BI>Arabs<W0I*> are the last to enter the game, and they arrive ready for immediate action. Their missions are usually fast and offensive, there is less structure-building and more fighting. The <I>Arabs<I*> specialize in explosives and demolition and they are the first to train the Apemen. They will steal most of their technologies from their opponents.
The <B>Legion<W0> is founded later in the game. If the player joins the ranks of the mercenaries, his missions will deal more with trading and resource-swapping than with research and the gathering of resources. His long-term objective will be to secure a safe and strong position in the Legion.
The <B>Alliance<W0> is founded last and is purely defensive in nature. Its objective is to win over to its side as many characters as possible, not to kill them. This allows for some pretty atypical missions (e.g., a mission where you have to transport something and your objective is to kill as few units as possible – the smaller the number of casualties, the more you improve the Alliance’s prestige with the other sides).
@LVL1 = GAME CONTROLS 
The player has many options as far as controlling the game is concerned; however, not all of them are available to him from the outset. As the campaign unfolds, the different possibilities are explained to the player (he can of course find the complete guide to the game controls in his manual).
The control is basically Warcraft-like, but it is very much improved. The player can use the combination of Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys together with the two mouse buttons for fluent issuing of orders to his units and for working with groups or formations, both effectively and intuitively. We put a lot of time into developing the controls because we wanted to create something that would enable you to put your thoughts into actions effortlessly, something that would put you in complete control of your units. No one, however, has to make full use of all of the options available. Anyone with a little bit of experience with real-time strategy games can start playing our game right away without even thinking about the controls.
@LVL2 = Unit selection and information
The player can select one or more units. The unit’s status bar will appear around it and the panel beside the main screen will show their faces (or vehicle pictures) along with status bars. An unlimited number of units can be selected – the program will resize the units’ pictures so that they all fit on the panel. Pressing the Tab key will show the abilities of the selected characters.
One of the selected units is highlighted at all times and additional info for this unit is available on the panel. Clicking another selected unit (or its picture) will highlight it. Clicking a highlighted unit will deselect all other units.
The units can be added to or removed from selection by Shift-clicking. The Alt key is reserved for groups: Alt + a number key will create a group from the units selected. The group can then later be reselected by simply pressing the number (Shift + a number key will add the group to the units selected). Alt-clicking a unit will select the last group to which the unit belonged (Alt + Shift-clicking will add them to the units selected).
Alt + a command (i.e., usually Alt + right click) will be issued only to the highlighted unit instead of all selected units. This allows the player to issue an order to a single unit without the need to deselect the group first (he can, for example, change the group formation in this way).
@LVL2 = Orders and Commands
The player can issue orders to the selected units using the mouse or the keyboard. Most of the time he will give default orders by right-clicking the target. There are, however, some unusual commands and we will briefly describe them:
<B>Turn<W0> will steer the vehicle in the indicated direction. This command may seem unnecessary, but treaded vehicles take a long time to turn and wheeled vehicles cannot turn in place at all – they must move to and fro. If you park your vehicles facing a building, it will take you a little while before they are ready for action, so it is better to think ahead and turn them around while you have the time. The implementation of wheeled-vehicle movement was not trivial, but the results look very realistic and fluent.
<B>Untargeted order<W0>, e.g., build, carry, fight or drive. Characters with an untargeted order will try to find a place where they can carry the order out. For example, if you order a character to build a specific building, he will be automatically joined by all nearby characters with the untargeted order <I>build<I*>. If you send a vehicle somewhere without a driver, a character with the untargeted order <I>drive<I*> will automatically get in and operate the vehicle. Characters with the untargeted order <I>fight<I*> will attack any enemy that approaches.
<B>Free order<W0> is the default order for all characters. Such characters are available for any activity where they can be of assistance depending on their abilities and occupation. They can help with a building or drive a vehicle, just as if given the order <I>build<I*> or <I>drive<I*>. These characters can, of course, be issued the order <B>Stop<W0> – this will make them stay in place and do nothing.
@LVL2 = Formations
The Ctrl key is reserved for formations. Pressing it will “multiply the cursor” – instead of one cursor, you will have a cursor for every selected unit and the cursors will be arranged in the same formation as the selected units. You can use this feature to precisely position your units. Instead of clicking somewhere in the general direction where you want your men to go, you can accurately position the entire group. You would not need to use this feature all the time, of course; but the moments when you need it may be decisive.
There is more to formations, however. Ctrl + Shift right-clicking will issue a <I>careful movement<I*> command – the entire group will move at the speed of its slowest member. Ctrl + left-click will rotate the multiplied cursor by 60 degrees, i.e., by one hex side. This will allow you to change the facing of your formation while they’re moving. Ctrl + Alt will recall the previous formation of the group in question.
These mechanisms will allow the player to create and truly take advantage of combat formations. They are easy enough to be understood quickly and plain enough to anticipate exactly what the units are going to do. The player must avoid unnecessary losses due to extremely limited human resources, and the proper use of formations will help him to this end.
@LVL2 = Planning and global orders
The most interesting (albeit most complicated) option is the possibility to “program” your units, i.e., give them a sequence of orders. In its simplest form this option is similar to waypoints: “go there, then there and then here”. But you can also say “attack this unit, then come here” or “build that structure, then drive over there and then stay on guard”.
But there is more. These “programs” need not be performed immediately. You can, for example, say “order A means go there”, “order B means go there and fight”, “order C means return to base”. You can plan your offensive in this manner and achieve better coordination than in any other game. You just press Ctrl + A and all units will start moving toward their targets. Then press Ctrl + B and the units mount an attack. If something should go wrong, you can press Ctrl + C and the units will try to get out and back to the base.
You can use this feature in defensive situations, too. Your scientists carry out research, the mechanics make cars, the soldiers practice combat tactics, etc. But when you press Ctrl + R, for example, (as in Red alert), everybody knows what to do. The soldiers run to their positions, the mechanics mount their vehicles, and the scientists run to the barracks to arm themselves. Another order will return everything to normal. These global orders can handle the boring stereotypes, but they are most important in a multi-player game when other players are not willing to slow down the game just because you want to start an offensive.
@LVL2 = Settings
The last option in controlling the game concerns global settings governing the units’ behavior. These will influence their level of aggressiveness (i.e., whether they try to kill wounded enemies), prudence (i.e., how much they travel through unexplored territory), priorities (i.e., whether to attack vehicles or personnel) and similar features.
We would like to point out that the global settings and order-issuing possibilities will become available only in the very advanced stages of the game. They will not be present to confuse the player from the start (they would have to be explicitly enabled). We think that they will be most useful in multi-player games; the single-player game is centered more around the story and the RPG character of the campaign.
@LVL2 = Voice control
One of the completely novel features of our game is the possibility of voice controlling your units. The player will be provided with a small lapel-clip microphone – we believe this will not make the production of the game significantly more expensive while adding immensely to its play value – and he will be able to give certain commands directly with his voice, instead of using the keyboard.
It could be quite cumbersome if you, say, desperately need to activate group seven to have to stop looking at the screen and start fishing for the right key. It may well be that, once you find it, you no longer need it. Instead of this by means of voice activation the player could just say “Group Seven” and the appropriate units would be selected automatically.
The voice control will neatly complement the mouse controls. Our goal is the player only needing a mouse and Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys. All the other commands could be given by voice.
The microphone will be also very useful for multi-player game, especially over the Internet, as it can be used by the players to communicate among themselves quite easily – this will certainly feel much more natural than having to type all messages to other players.
@LVL1 = ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
We are not going to kid ourselves that we would be able to create a game with artificial intelligence which would be a match for the competent player. Our experience in this respect suggests that something like this is clearly impossible at the present stage of computer science development – even for chess, a game several orders of magnitude simpler, without randomness or secret information, a program to match a competent human player was developed only recently.
We also do not desire to make the game difficult by presenting an overwhelming number of enemy units. The fastest mouse clickers are the best players in such games – we think there have been enough of such “action strategies” already. The player should be able to slow down the game as much as he wants, and the strategy should be more important than reaction speed.
For all these reasons we want to set the computer’s global strategy beforehand. The game AI will use three layers. The third one, the <B>strategy layer<W0>, will not be general but, rather, tailored to the particular mission. Its input will be a program like the following:

@Bullet = There are groups G1, G2 and G3.
@Bullet = Each group appears at time T at place P1, P2 and P3 respectively.
@Bullet = Group G1 will follow waypoints W11, W12 and W13.
@Bullet = Groups G2 and G3 go to point WX. Group G2 then goes to point W21.
@Bullet = When group G1 reaches point W12, group G2 will attack enemy base via point W22.
@Bullet = When group G2’s losses reach 10%, it will fall back to point W21.
@Bullet = If the enemy is lured to point W21 (i.e., there are at least 8 enemy units within ten hexes of point W21), group G3 will approach point W21 from point WX. Group G1 will simultaneously attack the poorly protected base from point W13.
@Bullet = Each group will retreat to point P1, P2 or P3 respectively if it has losses of more than 70%. If any two groups retreat, the third one retreats, too.

This is, of course, only a very simple example. Besides the fact that there will be many more groups, the program must also take many alternative scenarios into account: what to do if the enemy mounts a counterattack, what happens if he chooses not to pursue group G2, etc.
The particularity of the third layer gives us freedom in designing missions: we can always tailor the program according to the plot, and this allows us to create opponents with distinct personalities. Third-layer programs should also feature alternative plans or subplans chosen at random – when replaying the mission you will be confronted with a different strategy.
The output of the third AI layer is information such as this: “group G1 should reach point P and guard it”. The third layer can also set the global settings, i.e., whether the units attack new enemy units or finish off the wounded ones first.
The second layer, the <B>tactical<W0> one, operates on the level of individual groups. Naturally, its input is the output of the third layer, and its output functions as the orders for individual units, e.g., “attack the fastest enemy units and meanwhile retreat as fast as you can”. The second layer is scenario independent—the same algorithms (which include a bit of randomness to make the units’ behavior more diverse) will be used in all missions.
The first layer, or <B>micro management<W0>, is also general and is used by the player’s units, too. It handles individual units and ensures that they “understand” their orders, whether they come from the player or from the second layer output. It solves problems of units getting “stuck” in narrow passes, chooses the best path from point A to point B, etc. We have paid special attention to the first layer because only this one will be used in the multi-player game.
We would like to mention one more feature of the game AI: player analysis. We are not looking to create some general self-teaching algorithm; instead, our strategy layer would observe some specific data. In the example for the strategy layer above, we could use something like this:

@Bullet = If the player pursued units to point W21, increase the aggressiveness level.
@Bullet = If he killed the wounded units before returning to base, increase both aggressiveness level and stubbornness level.
@Bullet = If he slowed down the game to minimum after the base came under attack, increase the carefulness level.

These data can be used to select the correct strategy for the computer; e.g., a certain plan can be carried out only if the aggressiveness level is at least so high, etc. The data can also influence the general behavior of the enemy units (if the player is too aggressive, the enemy units will try to finish off his units, too, regardless of the benefit of such an action – they are simply taking revenge). And the data about the player can also influence the plot. His commander can warn him that he is rumored to be too cruel, and his potential allies can even refuse to join him. This approach is uncommon in real-time strategy games but is easy to implement. Though not immediately recognizable (or perhaps precisely for this reason), it could enhance the impression the game makes.
@LVL1 = MULTI-PLAYER GAME
The prime concern of the multi-player game is playability, not story. This is not meant to preclude interesting multi-player scenarios influenced by the story, but the differences between sides will be smaller, and we can even imagine <I>Russians<I*> and <I>Americans<I*> or <I>Arabs<I*> fighting side by side.
Our game contains all of the elements common to all multi-player games, so we will not dwell on them. Let us, instead, point out where our game differs.
@LVL2 = Global strategy
The fundamental difference lies in the global strategy. In most games the available resources are situated in specific areas whose location is known beforehand, and control of these areas offers a significant strategic advantage. In our game, however, the resources arrive at different intervals during the game, and no one knows where they are going to land. The global strategy must therefore be to control the largest area possible – this will increase the probability that shipments from the future will land where you can capture them.
@LVL2 = Spy missions
An original idea is <I>spy missions<I*>. The spy is a character that looks as if he belongs to player A – he can control him, he can see with his eyes. However, in fact this character belongs to player B who can see with his eyes, too, and player B can take him over at any time – but when he does the spy is revealed. In a spy mission the player could for example know that two of his men are spies of the enemy and so he would have to be careful not to put too much trust into a single character. And, at the same time, he can see two moving spots of light around the enemy base – and he must carefully choose the moment when he takes over their control, thus blowing their cover.
@LVL2 = Players and sides
In our multi-player game, the number of players need not match the number of sides, as one side can be controlled by more than one player. In such a case, every player is represented by one character in the game and, when this character dies, the game is over for him. Nobody else can control the player’s character – everybody can see at a glance that this character belongs to another player. All other characters are then common to all players of that side, i.e. any player of that side can control them. If one player selects some units, other players can see that they are selected and cannot deselect them nor issue them orders.
This new gaming element allows hitherto impossible cooperation in missions. Two or more less experienced players can join forces against one veteran player and gain significant help through good cooperation. Another interesting option is the possibility of including new players during the game – one of the current players would simply highlight one of his characters and he would become the new player’s character.
It is, of course, possible to play in the normal way – everybody plays for one side and players can form alliances.
@LVL2 = Internet
It will be, of course, possible to play multi-player games over the Internet. We believe that the ideas outlined in the preceding paragraphs are especially well suited for Internet play because they allow more players into the game.
We are developing custom scenarios designed especially for use over the Internet and we also plan to encourage players themselves to develop Internet scenarios. The Internet game should be more than just a LAN game played over a larger network. There could be hundreds of players in one game and it could go on much longer than usual games, with players taking shifts in controlling the units on their side.
And, on top of this, the players will be able to communicate by voice – this will definitely improve the feel of the game, especially when there are more than one player on each side.
@LVL2 = Multi-player scenario
The players in a multi-player game start by selecting their team. These teams can either be strictly predefined, assigned at random, the players can select characters from some larger set, etc. An interesting option here is an “auction”, where there is common pool of available personnel and players bid against each other for them.
The scenario also defines the starting locations of resources and schedules the arrivals of shipments from the future – these may have some element of randomness; the author of the scenario can specify the probability of a shipment landing in a given space and time. The shipments from the future can include new material, new equipment or even new characters.
Each player has some defensive position already built at the beginning of the game. This protects him from immediate attack by his enemies and gives him some time to develop. Thus, to destroy your enemy, you must reach some kind of superiority. You can achieve this either by spatial superiority (which will ensure the highest influx of supplies), by superior technologies, or by superior training of your units.
The game in any multi-player scenario should be thrilling at all times. The players could receive vital information (e.g., about an arrival of important supplies) during the game, the weakest player could receive reinforcements, etc. – there will be a constant shifting of power.
@LVL2 = Multi-player settings
The players will be able to change the settings of the multi-player game before starting. They could, for example, set the game speed to a certain fixed value or allow each player to change it, or enable/disable pausing of the game (during which the player can issue orders to his units). They could choose whether the death of the character representing the player spells the end of the game for this player, or set some time after which the player can choose a new character to represent him.
All these settings will have default values in the scenario so that the players will not have to go through these menus if they are not interested.
@LVL1 = DESIGN
@LVL2 = Graphics
All graphics should be highcolor in high resolution.
The <B>terrain<W0> should be partially computer rendered and partly hand painted. The terrain will be composed of many types of basic hexes, because we want to include a mission editor with the game.
The <B>vehicles<W0> should be computer rendered and composed of individual components. Because this method may create some unwanted effects, we will manually finish all combinations. The same goes for <B>buildings<W0>. Both vehicles and buildings should be rendered from six angles.
The <B>characters<W0> should be rendered with hand-painted heads. Their clothing will indicate their occupation, its color corresponding to their side. Male and female bodies will be distinct. The heads will correspond (by hair or beard color) to the character icons visible when the character is selected.
The game environment should give the overall impression of a pristine wilderness as yet untouched by modern humans. All vehicles and buildings will appear makeshift and shabby. Most of them will be only very light one-seat vehicles, and it should be clear that the prime concern of their producers was shortage of material. The buildings will also be constructed mostly of natural materials (wood, mud, stones).
@LVL2 = Music and sound effects
Music and sound effects are an important part of any game. We are well- equipped for and experienced at creating both.
Your units should respond to your commands (Yes, sir!; Roger, sir!; That’s affirmative, sir!), inform you about their situation (We are under attack! Mayday, Mayday!), etc. It is possibile to have an individual voice for each character – we would have several versions of the same line and would further multiply them electronically. The response to your command could then be polyphonic – several different voices giving the same or a similar reply.
@LVL2 = Dubbing
All the intros and briefings between missions should be dubbed. However, we are only able to provide dubbing in Czech.
@LVL2 = Language portability
All texts in the game, including help and menu items, are in separate files. We are able to provide the publisher with the software tools necessary for adding new language versions. We will translate all texts into English – our translation capabilities can be judged by the quality of this paper.
@LVL1 = CONCLUSION
This paper presents the most ambitious version of our game – a really good and really novel real-time strategy. We are, however, open to suggestions from the publisher. Some ideas may be deemed too difficult to implement, some new ideas might be suggested – there is certainly room for improvement.
We would prefer, however, not to create another so-called action strategy with enormous amount of units and frantic mouse clicking. We believe that the most important elements of our game are the storyline, the limited human resources, and the RPG-like treatment of characters.
