The shareware version of the game can be distributes freely. No modification is authorised.
If you want to know the advantages for complete version, and payment method, see paragraph
"Shareware" at the end of this file, and the Text file "Shareware" which is given with the game.
Principle and goal of the game
This game is a simple strategic game. The map is composed by earth and water. The player must build cities with the aim of producing pieces such as tanks, destroyers, planes, etc.
Every player must expand himself for building new cities. However, it is not the number of cities which determines who wins, but the number of cities we have destroyed, and the number of our cities which has been destroyed. Then the goal is to destroy enemies cities and to protect our own cities.
Rules of the game and use
Note : The text in in italics are options which can not be used completely without to pay the shareware.
Start :
At start, you can choose following things :
- Number of players (2 for shareware version, or 4 with paid version).
- Adding a player which is controlled by the computer.
- Size of the map (The number of lines and columns of the map).
- The number of cities for each player at start
In the window "Options", your can choose more :
- If the cities are destroyed (default), or if they simply change of owner.
- The number of turns until you can build the next city (default: 10 turns).
- The number of Victory-points which determine the end of the game (default : 3).
When you click on the button "OK", the computer build the map.
For beginning the game, I rate you to take a look in the part "Mains pieces characteristics" of the help. This will help you to determine which piece you must produce for specific missions.
Automatic positions of the cities :
The number of cities you selected at start is placed automatically by the computer. It place the two first cities at seashore, and the others to chance.
There are more an armoured car and a Patrol boat around the two first cities (a armoured car and a carrier for the computer). The other cities have only an armoured car.
Two cities at start have a minimum distance which depend of the map size, the number of players, and the number of cities.
Select a piece
To select a piece, there is two ways :
- Use the key "Tab" to select the next piece which has not been already played.
- Click directly on the piece in the window "Detailed map"
Changing the view in the window "Detailed map"
- If you don't see the piece you want to select, you just need to click in the area where your piece is in the window "General map" (the small window).
City's production
- Every city can produce any type of pieces. If you want to know basic characteristics of every piece, see paragraph "Basic characteristics of the pieces".
- To select production, you must first select the city. Then you have three possibilities :
- Select "City production" in the menu "Player"
- Use the shortcut "comand-P"
- Simply the key "P"
- Then you just need to select the piece you want and click OK.
Be sure not to produce pieces which can not go on earth with a city which is not at seashore, and which has no convoy !!
Information on a piece :
- Select a piece on which you want to obtain information.
- Then you have three possibilities
- Select "Infos selection"
- The shortcut "Comand-I"
- Simply the key "I"
As you can load several pieces (carriers, Cargo-aircrafts, Patrol boats, and convoys), you have a maximum of 6 pieces at the same point. A carrier will then load up to 5 pieces.
- You can select any pieces with radio buttons. It will be the selected piece which will move when you will move with the numerical keys after having closed the window.
If you want to avoid the window "Information on a piece", and you will simply select a piece on a carrier, see the paragraph "Direct selection of a loaded piece" (underneath).
Direct selection of a loaded piece :
- You can avoid the window "Information on a piece" if you use the keys 1 to 6 of the main keyboard. This keys are corresponding at the level you can see in the window "Information on a piece".
If you select a level in which no piece is present, the menu bar will flash, and the previous selection won't be modified.
Note : If you change your piece with the mouse or the key Tab, the default piece will always be the first one (This which is displayed on the screen), except for the cities.
Moving a piece :
- If you want to move a piece, your must first select it.
- Then use the numerical key at right of the keyboard to move (the number 5 doesn't move the piece).
The number of moving of every piece by turn is limited. You can always see in the window "Infos" the number of moving your can still do.
Visibility :
Every piece sees only 1 square around it (so 8 squares and itself). It is then not easy to control completely an island.
How to attack a piece :
To attack a piece, it's really easy. You just need to go against it.
The result of the fight is displayed in the window "Infos".
You must know that :
- The piece which attack has an advantage due to surprise effect (+ 2 attack-points).
- Generally, you need more than 1 attack to destroy an enemy.
- Attack is not moving. It doesn't cost as a movement (You can still attack when you can't move).
- The two pieces are never destroyed at the same time, there is inevitably a winner.
If two pieces are not allowed to fight, nothing happened, and nothing appear in the window "Infos".
Note : Some pieces can fight form water to earth (and opposite), put not all. If you want to know which piece can attack on earth or water, see the paragraph "Basic characteristics of the pieces.
Win life-points :
At start of every turn, every piece which has lost life-points will win one more. And then until it will have the maximum points this type of pieces can have.
Basic characteristics of the pieces
To obtain basic characteristics of all pieces, you just need to select "Infos on basic characteristics..." in the menu "Infos".
Then select the piece you want, and the information on it will appear in the frame. The name of the selected piece appear at the bottom of the window.
Fuel for planes :
The planes are the only pieces which need to be refuelled. The jet and the Cargo-aircraft have then a reserve of fuel which decrease of 1 by moving.
And the fuel decrease of 1 by turn too.
A plane which reaches 0 of fuel, without to have a piece which can refuel it will be automatically removed at the end of the turn.
- To refuel a plane, you must let it at the end of the turn just around of one of the next pieces :
- Refueler-boats
- Armoured cars (not tanks)
- Cities.
Attention : If your piece which should refuel a plane is destroyed after you have played, the plane won't be refuelled.
How to build a city :
- To build a city, you need 10 turns of the game for the first city, and then it depends of the number of turns you have chosen in "Options" at the start of the game.
You can easily verify if you can build a city. You just need to verify if the menu "Build City" in the menu "Player" is activated.
Note : If you don't build a city at once, it isn't a problem, you will be able to build it when you want. You have no risk to loose a city if you haven't build it.
Criterions for building a city :
- You must be allowed to build a city (menu is active).
- You must be at X squares minimum (high, width, and diagonal) of all your other cities. X is number of squares you have chosen in the window "Options" at startup. By default : 10.
This X squares is a distance between your cities. So you must in facts be at X+1 squares of your others cities.
- You must select a tank or an armoured car (the city will replace it).
- You must have at least 2 pieces around this tank or armoured car. This two pieces can be :
- A Tank
- An armoured car
- A parachutist
- A destroyer
- A Refueler-boat.
If this criterions are not respected, the city will not build, and the reason for that will be given in the window "Infos".
Test to build a city :
- You can when you want test if you will be allowed to build a city at a certain point. For that, you must select a piece where you will want to build your city.
- Then select the menu "Test building of a city...". A window appear which remind you the conditions for building a city.
When you click on the button "Test", the computer tests only the minimum distance between the cities. He ignores the others criterions. It displays the result of the test in the window "Infos".
Saving to disk and file format :
For macintosh users : You can save the file either in mac format, or in pc format. The mac format is only readable on mac, and the pc format can be read on both platforms.
Unfortunately, the pc format is twice bigger as mac format, and need more time to be written and read.
For PC users : You have not choice for file format. Your format is of course PC format.
End of the turn :
When you have finished your turn, you can :
- Select "End of the turn" in the menu "Player"
- Use the shortcut "Comand-F"
- Simply the key "F".
Save automatically :
You will need, as soon as the map is build, to save your game. So the saving will be automatic at the end of the turn unless you add the mark "Do not save automatically".
- You can't save your game in the middle of your turn. You must absolutely finish it.
Open a game :
You can open either a mac file, or a pc file. The computer select automatically the good format to read it.
- If you open anything (a file which has not been created by Colonisation), a warning message will appear. If you still continue, it can freeze the computer.
Preferences :
In the preferences, you can choose options which below to application (there are not saved in the file, but in a preference file in the system folder).
The options you have follow :
- Displaying the frame in the general window : Display or not the frame of the view of the detailed window in the window "General Window". It's practical, but it needs more time to be displayed every time you move a piece.
- Size of the window "Detailed map" : It determines the number of squares that can display the window "Detailed window", it is useful for example if you have a high resolution on screen. But the size of the window can't be bigger than the size of the map. And the number of displayed squares is always odd. If you select a number of lines of columns higher than the size of the map, the computer will automatically reduce the size without to modify preferences.
- Automatic presentation of Window "Enter password" : If the box is checked, the window "Enter password" will be automatically displayed after the confirmation "Turn's end". With this system, you must cancel the window for doing things such as "Save as".
If the box is checked, you will have to select yourself "Enter password" in the menu "Player" after the end of every turn.
- Save automatically (Macintosh only) : When the computer saves automatically (at the end of each turn), the computer doesn't ask you which file format you want. You can here force the computer to save with format mac or pc, or to keep the same format as the original file.
You can choose too to save before and after that the computer plays. Normally, it isn't essential, but if the computer has a problem when it plays (infinite time to play), you have saved your last turn.
Play by mail :
This game has been designed to be played by mail too. I tried to reduce the size of the file to minimum.
If you choose to play by mail, I advise you to begin with a lot of cities (5 or 6 if you play with 2 or 3 players), so that the start of the game won't be too long.
Known bugs
The next bugs haven't been fixed yet, but they are minors.
- Refreshing the screen is a bit long when you close a dialog box.
- If the application quit with an error 25 or 1, increase the memory for this application.
Summary of pieces with main characteristics :
Pieces which are on earth :
Armoured car : - Moves fast (7)
- Can attack planes.
Tank : - Stronger than the armoured car
- Moves slower (4) and can't attack planes.
Parachutist : - Weak piece and slow, but need only one turn of production.
- Can be transported by a Cargo-aircraft.
Convoy : - Piece which can transport on earth all pieces which go only on water.
- Transported pieces must be empty (Example : Empty carrier)
- It moves very slow (2) and can transport only one piece.
City : - It can't move, and has 20 life-points.
Pieces which are on water :
Destroyer : - It's a good ship, he is the stronger ship.
- It can't attack planes.
Refueler-boat : - Weaker than the destroyer
- Refuel jets and Cargo-aircrafts.
- Can attack pieces at seashore.
Patrol boat : - It is a ship which is design to explore the map. It is fast (10), but weak.
- It can transport parachutists, but only 2 at the same time.
Gunboat : - It is the single boat which can attack a city.
- It moves fast, but is weak when it defends himself.
Carrier : - It allows you to go from island to island with pieces which go on earth.
- It moves slowly (5).
- It can carry up to 5 pieces of :
- Armoured car
- Tank.
Planes :
Jet : - Moves very fast (10), and has a good tank for the fuel.
Cargo-aifcraft : - It can carry up to 5 parachutist at the same time.
- it moves slowly, and has less fuel than the jet.
Summary of keys and shortcuts :
The next keys are active when a game is running, and when a player has entered his password :
- 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9 of numerical keyboard : Moves the selected piece.
- 5 of numerical keyboard : Centres the selected piece, and refresh the infos.
- 1,2,3,4,5 of standard keyboard : Select the asked level (1-5) of the selected piece.
- j : Put the flag of the selected piece to "Played", so it won't be selected more by the tab.
- Tab : Select the next piece which has not been played in the map.
- p : Makes appear the window "Production of a city" if a city was selected.
- i : Makes appear the window "Information on selection".
- f : Makes appear the window "Turn's end".
- The four arrows : allow you to move the map in the detailed window.
Shareware
The price is very low : 10$.
You can by directly the licence for mac & pc for 15$. But the PC version exists only in french.
If you pay the shareware, you will have the next advantages :
- No more boring windows
- You will be allowed to choose the size of the map
- You will have the possibility to play up to 4 players.
- You will be allowed to choose the number of city at start with no limits.
- You will have the choice if a beat city is destroyed, or if it becomes yours.
- You will be able to select the number of turns between the building of two cities.
- You will be able to choose the number of Victory-points which determine the end of the game.
- If you give your e-mail, you will be informed of new versions.
- You will have reduced prices on new versions.
Payment method : see the file "Shareware".
Address :
Alain Paschoud
Ch. Lande 5
1008 Prilly
Switzerland
e-mail : aalain@writeme.com
Home page : http://dmtwww.epfl.ch/~apaschou/
Home page for Colonisation : http://www.mygale.org/~apaschou/page_commune/
Note : If the page has moved, search "Alain Paschoud" with Altavista.
Postal account : 10-124812-4 in Switzerland
Don't hesitate to inform me on bugs, and I will be very happy to receive propositions to improve the game. Don't hesitate too to ask me if you have questions.
