The Commands Menu


Any Command	[Keyboard ‘A’]

 







The Any Command dialog allows you to choose commands without using complex key combinations and numeric prefix arguments.  With one exception the check boxes in this dialog have the same effect as the shift key and the option key.

There is one command that requires this dialog.  This is the only way you can move a stack of units from a city without setting the city destination.

This dialog is only available if you are using Macintosh system software version 7.0 or later.

Sleep	[Keyboard 'S']

Sleep until told otherwise.  If fuel is needed the unit will go find it and then return to the location it was told to sleep at.  If the unit needs repair and is located in a city it will wake up when fully repaired.  The shift modifier causes all units in the same square with the same type to be affected.

Wake	[Keyboard 'W']

Asks you to select a rectangle and wakes all friendly units in the rectangle.  Clicking on a single square will wake the units in that square.  All units selected will forget their previous orders and ask for new ones.

Shift-Wake will also clear the city destinations for any cities in the area.  Option-Wake cancels city production demands after the current production is finished.

If you give the Option-Wake command a numeric prefix argument then it will cancel production immediately for any unit that can’t be completed in that many turns.  For example, Cmd-9 Option-W will cancel unit production immediately for any cities that won’t finish there current production in nine turns.  Use this when you think the city will be captured soon.

Move Later 	[Keyboard <Space>]

Moves the unit in the next segment.  This is useful for loading transports and coordinating units.  It may be useful to move exploring units like fighters first, and use slower units later when the current enemy position is known.

A turn is subdivided into segments to allow proper sequencing of units.  For each type of unit there is an earliest segment in which it is allowed to move.  Large, ponderous units like battleships move in a late segment (number 6) while fast responsive units move in the first segment.  Combat and movement require some segments to complete.  A unit may always choose a later segment to move in either temporarily or permanently.

You may ignore this detail and simply move units when asked for their orders.  The Move Later command provides a way to control this sequencing.  A single space will order a unit to wait one segment before moving.  You can keep putting off a unit as long as you wish (up to 250 segments.)  There are several reasons to do this.  It can allow an army to move before or after a transport.  You may want to hold a bomber in reserve, in case other units discover an important target.  You may want two fighters to explore separately, so they don’t both try to explore the same area.

Three modifiers make this command much more powerful.  Holding down the Shift key makes this command apply to all units in the same square which have the same type as the current unit.  A whole stack of armies can be delayed this way without affecting different units in the square.

Holding down the Option key makes this command permanent for the affected units.  For example, during segment 6 the command Option-<Space> will make a unit ask for orders during segment 7 of this and subsequent turns.  The Shift key modifier can also be used to program many units at once.

Finally the number of segments to wait can be specified using a numeric “repeat count”.  (Beware, this does get complex!)  A repeat count is specified by holding down the command (clover) key and typing a number before pressing the <Space> key.  You must release the Command key before pressing space.  For example, <Command>-7 <Space> will order a unit to move 7 segments later than the current segment for this turn only.  The <Command>-minus (or dash) changes a repeat from positive to negative.  With the Option key this can be used to change a unit’s move segment back (but not before the first segment allowed for that unit type.)  For example, the order <Command>-<Minus> <Option>-<Space> will make permanently change a unit’s movement segment back by one (if possible.)

One very complex example: the order <Command>-1 <Command>-2 <Option>-<Shift>-<Space> will make all units of the current type permanently move 12 segments later than the current segment.

Load	[Keyboard 'L']

When you order a transport to load it will make any armies in adjacent squares move onto the transport.  When the transport is full, or there are no more armies in adjacent squares the transport will wake up.

Option-Load will force the transport to stay where it is until it is full no matter how long that takes.  You must confirm that you want to do this.

Come Here 	[Keyboard ‘H’]

When it is time to move a unit you may press H and then click on a destination square.  This is a very easy way to move long distances because you can use the scroll bars or scroll menu to find the destination before invoking this command.  Like most movement commands, holding the shift key down makes the command apply to other units of the same type in the original square and sets city destinations.  Holding the option key down makes the units sleep when they reach their destination.

Gather 	[Keyboard ‘G’]

The gather command provides a very powerful way to move lots of armies.  After selecting Gather the game will ask you to select a destination Point, and a source Rectangle.  All armies in the rectangle will be programmed to move to the point.

The shift and option modifiers apply to this command normally.  Option makes the armies sleep at the destination and shift programs cities within the rectangle to send future armies to the same destination.  Hence with two mouse clicks you can program all armies on an island to move to a single point, and sleep until a transport comes to pick them up.

Normally this command applies only to armies (defined as the first type of unit in the rule set.)  Although it is awkward it can apply to any unit type.  If the command is given a prefix repeat count it will operate on units of any type.  The particular type selected depends upon the order given to the types in the type set.  This is also the order for unit types in the city production dialog.  For example, Command-9 G will gather units of the ninth type.

Bunch	[Keyboard ‘B’]

Makes this unit follow another unit that you select closely as possible.  With the option modifier the unit will try to maintain the current relative position.  For example, you could use this to make a battleship stay 5 squares north of a transport.

Just Move Transport	[Keyboard ‘J’]

Makes the current unit stop loading units as it moves.  You can move a transport into a city and then use this command to unload it.  The transport can move off to collect more armies.  The Load or Load Available commands will make the transport resume its normal behavior.  This applies to any unit that is capable of carrying other units, such as carriers, subs and helicopters.

Fuel or Fix 	[Keyboard 'F']

Moves the unit to a base for refueling, and then moves to a place for repairs if needed.  Generally only air units need fuel and only sea units need repair.  The unit will move to the closest friendly city for fuel or repair.  If this is dangerous, you should move the unit manually to a better choice.

Explode 	[Keyboard ‘X’]

For units with a nuclear attack it is sometimes desirable to attack an empty square in order to destroy enemy units an adjacent squares.   The Explode command does just that.  If you position a bomber between enemy units or behind them and hit X the bomber will explode as if attacking a unit in its own square.  You cannot control missiles with this command.

Triangle	[Keyboard 'T']

The computer will ask you to click and drag to set two patrol points.  The unit will move from its current location to the other two points in a triangle repetitively until told otherwise, refueling as needed.  If the unit is currently on top of some other unit (such as a fighter on a carrier) then the patrol points will be relative to the carrier.  This allows you to patrol around the carrier, even as it moves.  You must be careful, though, that the carrier does not move out of fuel range.

Patrol	[Keyboard ‘P’]

Orders the unit to move towards squares that have not been seen recently.  The units will move in a pattern similar to the Explore command, searching for enemy units that have recently moved into the area.  If you hold down the Option key while selecting this command the game will ask you to drag out a rectangle.  The unit will patrol inside that rectangle until told otherwise.

Explore 	[Keyboard 'E']

Moves the unit into unexplored territory if there is any nearby, refueling as needed.  The unit will wake up if there is no unexplored territory nearby, for example when an island is fully explored by a land unit.

If you hold down the Option key while selecting this command the game will ask you for a rectangle to explore.  The unit will explore until every accessible square in that rectangle has been explored and then wake up. The Macintosh uses Option-E to generate accent acute characters.  Hence you must type Option-E E (two characters) to get the explore rectangle command.  Alternatively, you can hold down option and select the menu command.

Set Marker	 [Keyboard ‘M’]

 


There are fourteen marker icons as shown above.  These can be edited from within the game using the Unit Pictures command from the rules menu. 

Markers will not ‘do’ anything, but serve as a reminder to you about something. 

To place a marker, type ‘M’ and then select a location with the mouse.  To remove a marker, type ‘M’ while holding down the shift key, and then click on the old marker.

For more flexibility hold down the Option key while typing ‘M’.  After you select a location this will bring up a small dialog in which you select the icon and label for the marker.   Alternatively a numeric prefix between zero and 13 will select the marker icon.

Double-Clicking on an existing marker will also bring up the marker dialog so you can change the icon or edit its text.  You can move a marker by dragging it around.

City Destination 	[Keyboard ‘D’]

 










Each city is capable of sending all units which move into it to some specified destination.  Each type of unit can be sent to a different destination, or ignored. The city may or may not repair the unit first, and may specify that the unit sleep at its destination.  After selecting a city by clicking on it the computer will ask for which units to set the destination for.

There is a row of three check boxes in this dialog for each type of unit.  The left column indicates which types of units you want to now specify destinations for.  The other two columns indicate if the units should be repaired first and should sleep at the destination.  Units will refuel along the way if they have to.  The Clear All button will completely reset the destination points for the city.

Resign

Sometimes this is the only way to keep from being wiped off the map.  The machine will offer to resign if you are very far ahead or demand that you resign if it is very far ahead.

Empire Master does not cheat. The Empire Master computer strategy must obey all the rules you do.  Information available to the computer is available to you also.  Adjust the settings in the Fairness dialog to find the most enjoyable balance.