Joystick Magazine 1995 July & August

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FRONT LINES --------------- v1.02 Copyright (c) 1995, Impressions FLOPPY ============= Release Notes ============= This file contains important information that wasn't available when the manual was printed. It also provides reference material that may be printed for your convenience. ----------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Section 0.0 Update Information Section 1.0 Machine Performance Section 1.5 Memory Managers Section 1.7 Performance Hints and Tips Section 2.0 Game Switches Section 2.5 Running from Windows Section 3.0 Important Supplementary Manual Material 3.1 The Height Report 3.2 Ending a game early 3.3 Simultaneous Resolution for Two Players 3.4 When to set game defaults 3.5 Starting FRONT LINES 3.6 (% Kill) and (% Survive) Objectives 3.7 Opportunity Fire Section 4.0 Scenario Descriptions Section 5.0 Unit Profiles Section 6.0 Trouble shooting Section 7.0 Modem Play ***************************************************************************** 0.0 ************** Update Information ******************** ***************************************************************************** In our continuing effort to provide you with the best software possible, we are providing this update to enhance FrontLines Floppy. This "patch" will update your copy of FrontLines version to version 1.02. To update your game, copy the FLFPMD.EXE file to your FrontLines directory, then CD to your FrontLines directory and type FLFPMD and hit the enter key. Once the patch has finished extracting type UPDATE and hit the enter key. This will install the patch to your FrontLines program. After the patch installation has run successfully, you may delete patch.exe and flophist.rtp. However, you will need to rerun the patch if you re-install the game at a later date. The following issues have been addressed (FIXED) with this update: In full screen mode, opportunity fire will now work. In full screen mode, unit summary will not cause a crash. In the Reports only mode, reports now display correctly. CD-ROM scenario stills will no longer periodically display with flashing white pixels. When ABOUT is chosen in the File menu, Front Lines would crash on some machines. In the Scenario Muddy Waters, if the AI takes the first turn the game will no longer crash. Problems with leaving reports on when loading other games have been fixed. Scenarios will no longer present problems redeploying as a certain side or allow you to place units in illegal areas. After a game is concluded the mouse will no longer lock itself into the upper third of the screen with some mouse drivers. ( This only happened on a couple of machines) In the Scenario Editor the game will no longer prematurely exit to DOS (with an LBM error). We have also added 23 new voices to this version. On some machines after a scenario was won and then a new one was started, the dialog box would flash. Mine fields now work properly. We have now added modem play, please refer to Section 7 of this read.me for instructions on how to play. ** NOTE: MODEM PLAY REQUIRES 8 MEGS OF RAM ** ***************************************************************************** 1.0 ************** MACHINE PERFORMANCE ******************** ***************************************************************************** FRONT LINES is a SVGA game that runs in protected mode and requires that your machine have at least 4 Megabytes of RAM . Two factors will affect the performance of FRONT LINES on your computer. The first is your machine's processor type and speed. The second is how much total RAM is installed. We recommend for optimal performance that you run FRONT LINES on a 486 DX with at least 8 Megabytes of RAM installed. If your machine has less than 8 Megs of RAM installed FRONT LINES will create a 4 Meg temporary swap file on your hard drive for virtual memory processing. This will slow the performance but on a 486 DX2 66 you shouldn't notice too much of a difference. If you have 8 Meg of RAM or more, no swap file will be created. This will mean fewer accesses to the hard drive and much faster performance in FRONT LINES. ***************************************************************************** 1.5 ************** Memory Managers ******************* ***************************************************************************** EMM386.exe, QEMM, 386 Max and any other memory manager that allow the use of virtual memory as extended memory may conflict with FRONT LINES, it is recommeneded that these memory managers be disabled and the system started with a clean boot. ****************************************************************************** 1.7 ********************** Performance Hints and Tips ******************** ***************************************************************************** Machines with 4 megs of ram. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIG.SYS Device=c:\dos\himem.sys files=25 buffers=25 lastdrive=z ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTOEXEC.BAT prompt=$p$g Path=c:\dos c:\video\vesa.com ( your SVGA/VESA driver goes here if needed) c:\mouse\mouse.com ( your mouse driver goes here) c:\dos\smartdrv.exe 128 (use this if you have Dos 6.20 or higher If you experience lockups or any strange behavior please disable this line(4 meg machines only)). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Machines with 8 megs of ram. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIG.SYS Device=c:\dos\himem.sys files=25 buffers=25 lastdrive=z ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTOEXEC.BAT prompt=$p$g Path=c:\dos c:\video\vesa.com ( your SVGA/VESA driver goes here if needed) c:\mouse\mouse.com ( your mouse driver goes here) c:\dos\smartdrv.exe 256 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ****************************************************************************** 2.0 *********************** GAME SWITCHES ******************************** ****************************************************************************** For your convenience, FRONT LINES will allow you to start up the program without sound, music, or the introduction sequence from the command line. The switches are: -i = no introduction -x = no sound effects -s = no music Example: C:\> FLINES -i -x -s There is no specific order that the switches must be in. The above example could have been typed FLINES -x -s -i and the results would be the same. ****************************************************************************** 2.5 *********************** Windows 3.x ***************************** ***************************************************************************** FRONT LINES should not be played from windows. Please be sure to exit windows or any other menu program before running FRONT LINES. ***************************************************************************** 3.0 ************ Important Supplementary Manual Material! ***************** ***************************************************************************** 3.1 ********************* THE HEIGHT REPORT *********************** When the LIMITED VISIBILITY option is active in the game, it is often the case that you will not be able to see all of your opponents pieces because they are obstructed from your view by hills, cities, or forests. You may wish to move your units into better positions to gain new Line of Sight information. We have provided the Height Report located in the Report Menu to use in conjunction with the Line of Sight rules in the your manual to help you determine where to move your units. The Height report will very simply display the height of each hex of terrain on your map. 3.2 ******************** ENDING THE GAME EARLY ******************** It is possible that you may vanquish your foe by destroying all of his units before the all of the turns have expired. In this case FRONT LINES will provide you with option to finish the game at that point or continue on until all of the turns have run out. This may be important because though you have crushed your opponent you may need to finish your remaining objectives to beat him. At any time after you have been offered the option to conclude the game you may still end the game early by choosing the End Game option in the Turns menu. 3.3 ********* SIMULTANEOUS RESOLUTION FOR TWO PLAYERS ************* Due to the nature of Simultaneous resolution, it is not practical to enforce the Limited Visibility rule for two players at one machine. Once two players playing at the same machine that have chosen the Simultaneous Resolution option the game will be played with the Limited Visibility rule OFF. Therefore, both players units will be visible at all times. 3.4 ***************** WHEN TO SET GAME DEFAULTS ********************* The most convenient time to change game settings while playing FRONT LINES is during your turn. During the Computer's turn, access to the game settings are restricted. (However, should you wish, you can still changes these setting using the Hot Keys as indicated in your manual. If you know of any changes to the game settings that you wish to make you should try to make them during the Accept/Redeployment phase of the game. Should the Computer be first to play, FRONT LINES will indicate this and give you the opportunity to change any game setting before beginning the game. 3.5 ******************** Starting FRONT LINES ************************ Each scenario in FRONT LINES comes with a default name for both Player 1 and Player 2's side. These names represent the countries, divisions, or people as described in the scenario briefing. When you start FRONT LINES, the manual says that you will be requested to chose what type of game you wish to play (New Scenario or a previous Saved Game). After that you would be asked for the number of players that would be playing, enter in the player's names, and so on. This has now changed! All you need to do now is to select the type of game that you wish to play and then you will be brought to the Main File screen. From here you can choose what scenario you wish to play and whether you will be facing a computer or human opponent. Once you have highlighted the scenario that you would like to play, you will see the default scenario player names as mentioned above. If you wish you can change those name and personalize them by clicking on the CHANGE NAME button beside each name. 3.6 ************* (% Kill) and (% Survive) Objectives *************** In the manual you will see reference to objective that require killing a certain percentage of enemy units or ensuring that a certain percentage of your units survive. These two objectives were once part of FRONT LINES but were removed. 3.7 ******************* OPPORTUNITY FIRE ***************************** Opportunity Fire is available when the text on the Opportunity Fire panel is flashing in red letters. On faster machines, you may wish to press a key several times to activate the Opportunity Fire. Once Opportunity Fire has been chosen you must right click to select which of your units you wish to fire. To fire, left click on your selected unit. ***************************************************************************** 4.0 *************** FRONT LINES Scenario Descriptions ******************** ***************************************************************************** TUTORIAL The scenario is dominated by a forest in the center of the map. Blue Team, the default human player, starts the game in control of one of his two Victory Point hexes, while Red Team starts in the Northwest corner of the map, with no Victory Point hexes in control. BLUE TEAM Play aggressively. You should advance on the Northern city with armor. Infantry should garrison your Victory Point hex. The rest of your units should set up an ambush near the forest. If time allows, advance and destroy the enemy HQ. RED TEAM Rely on speed. Send all the Ferrets and SCABs against one objective. If you send all your units through the forest toward the Southern city, you have a chance of overwhelming the enemy Headquarters and holding the city. FJORDS The Nobel Prize committee has been captured by a crazed South American drug lord. No one is expecting Sweden to mount a military raid. Sweden calls out its Elite Hover Company and orders it to eradicate the drug lord's troops once and for all. BLUE TEAM Concentrate your forces and wipe out one enemy force at a time. The speed of the Ferret will be your only advantage over the enemy Technical Infantry. Watch out for surprises. RED TEAM You have the firepower to wipe out several Ferrets, but there are just too many to deal with at the shore line. Fall back and make your stand in the large city in the Southeast corner of the map. MUDDY WATERS Relations have broken down between two border states. The fight is over the tariff imposed on goods traveling the Friendship Turnpike. Both sides wish to restrict the flow of traffic on the other's side of the highway, in the hopes of collecting tariffs. Talks have broken down and armed forces have been called in. BLUE TEAM The Border Treaty allowed both sides to keep equal sized reaction forces to deter piracy and keep the peace. You need to protect your engineer units, whose job it is to erect the secondary bridges and mine the enemy's roads. RED TEAM While protecting your own engineer units, you should use artillery to destroy the enemy's bridge. Hopefully, this will draw their engineers into the open, where they will be vulnerable. VOLCANO SACRIFICE In the mouth of this inactive volcano lies the base of the outpost for this sector. A small, fast strike team has just appeared. Being an outpost in a desolate area of this territory, it is not very heavily defended but is a key component in the Red team's early warning system. Success here will create a gap in their defenses. BLUE TEAM Speed is of the utmost importance here. The enemy has just become aware of your presence and has not had time to react. You need to take out the enemy HQ before they organize. Ignore losses and look to flank the enemy if you can. RED TEAM You only goal is to protect your HQ. Fall back as close as you can to the rim to prevent any access. Beware of their artillery capabilities. AMBUSH!! On the Italian coast, near Naples, members of the International Organization of Trade Rights (IOTR) have gathered for strategic planning. In a daring assault, members of the European Mobile Marines slip behind enemy lines, and assault the meeting. The party's over! BLUE TEAM Many Governments are glad for the excuse to risk such a bold attack and openly assault this group which has long been suspected of organized crime activities. Move in and attack the enemy Headquarters. RED TEAM Caught off guard, with only a mix of forces, you find yourself defending more than a meeting of IOTR, but also defending your bid at true power. Save your Headquarters, and kill as many of the bureaucrats as you can! BARRICADE Months of long fighting in Northeast Asia led to a spring assault by experienced units from the Pacific Rim Alliance, against the Asia Free Trade Cartel (AFTC). Battle focuses around the Stronghold of the China Steel Conglomerate. BLUE TEAM Heavy Recon Marines from the South Korean "Tiger Stripe" Battalion C, must destroy the central command post and city of the AFTC. A large scale covert operation is about to begin. Sophisticated systems contained in the stronghold may thwart this effort. Intelligence reports that the Headquarters is really a hardened bunker with defensive enhancements. RED TEAM Protect your stronghold at ALL costs. Your stronghold contains electronic and satellite tracking equipment that must survive. You have several older GSMs with limited movement. BLACK FOREST DELIGHT As the talks over trade sanctions fail to bring about a resolution, two Bavarian provinces have gone to war. Neither side can initiate an invasion until the city of Delight, which controls the road junctions through the Black Forest, is taken. BLUE TEAM You have only Tech Infantry and a single Heavy Artillery piece to complete your objective. The limited Line Of Sight within the forest makes your Infantry the perfect tank hunting weapon. Advance the Infantry on the city, take it, then split off a force to hunt the enemy's Headquarters. RED TEAM You should drive your forces into the city, where your armor will have clear Line Of Sight on any advancing Infantry units. If time permits, hunt down the enemy's artillery. Your armor is slow, but the Mega-Tank is useful against Infantry. CHARGE OF THE LIGHT MECH. BRIGADE This is a recreation of the engagement between Captain Custer's Light Mechanized Brigade and Major Buckley's Heavy Artillery Brigade. In reality, Captain Custer's Brigade was utterly destroyed after a brisk three minute barrage. BLUE TEAM You need to do only one thing, CHARGE. The faster that you get your forces into firing range the better. If you stop, you risk losing everything. RED TEAM Sit back and bombard the enemy as they advance. Concentrate on any disrupted units and finish them off. CHOKE POINT After three weeks of fighting, a security detachment of Supply Group B. EEC, encounters mixed forces from the European Conglomerate Coalition. Control of this crucial valley means control of the most efficient supply link between Eastern and Western Europe. This may determine the length or success of the war in the European Theater. BLUE TEAM Commander of Supply Group B, EEC: Using your security forces, and a few pieces of armor, you must secure the hills in the Fulda valley. Your only alternative is 100% elimination of enemy forces. RED TEAM Prevent the EEC in their effort to control this strategic valley. This is your only mission. You have GSMs, but as they are older models, they have limited movement. CROSSING THE RHONE Units from the United German Light Recon Battalion endeavor to take back control of key crossing points and cities along the Rhone. Control of the small cities represents access to heavy industry along the River. BLUE TEAM Quickly cross the Rhone and set up a defensive perimeter. Beware, you are evenly matched, and the enemy has some vicious artillery. Take control of the land bridge and donít allow the enemy to slip back to your side of the river. RED TEAM Get your units up and go in to set up a kill zone in the city and on the land bridge. Don't go too fast as you must protect your artillery from your enemy's Ferrets and fast units. Use your units on the front to spot for your artillery. GENERATION GAP This is a classic conflict of old versus new. The Blue Team is equipped with state-of -the-art units and intend to uproot the red team from their stronghold in the city. The Red Team is comprised of a powerful but older technology. BLUE TEAM Your objective is simply to capture the city currently held by the defenders. Speed is to your advantage. RED TEAM Your best strategy lies in the use of artillery to soften up the advancing forces. Avoid straying too far from the city perimeter. Take advantage of your fortified position. GEORGE'S ISLAND The island of George is under siege by forces from the mainland. The defender is outgunned, but has time on his side. Blue Team must succeed in capturing the island before reinforcements arrive. Red Team must grudgingly give ground while holding the key central cities on the island. BLUE TEAM You have a vast advantage in armor and hover units. You should use the hover forces to attack the flanks of the island, while the armored units drive down the center of the island and capture the large cities. RED TEAM You have to draw your forces into the center of the island to counter any flanking moves while keeping the center of the island under your control. Holding both the bridge and the bottom half of the island will assure victory. KING OF THE HILL These two cities have been enemies since their founding. Each of the neighbors wishes to control its sister city. The focus of the conflict is located in the hills themselves. Areas of these hills hold deep cultural and religious significance. Neither city can permit the other to attain and control their holy ground. BLUE TEAM This is the big assault. Not only are you to secure your holy ground, but you must also conquer and reform your mistaken neighbors. RED TEAM This is the big assault. Not only are you to secure your holy ground, but you must also conquer and reform your mistaken neighbors. WARNING: ONLY HOVERCRAFT AND INFANTRY CAN CROSS RIVERS. LAKES Two nations struggle to occupy the ore rich hills surrounding the Farlane Lakes. The rugged terrain around the lakes will call for a two-pronged assault on your objectives. The hover units should sprint for the high ground, endeavoring to hold out until the armor arrives. BLUE TEAM You should consider sending a raiding force down the road in order to draw attention away from the lakes region. Sprint the hovercraft to the lakes and try to pin the enemy forces before they can 3reach their objectives. RED TEAM While the sides are about evenly balanced, you have the advantage of the large hill surrounding your HQ. The GSM on the mountain can barrage enemy forces in the open while remaining hidden. MORNING COMMUTE Every conflict in this region has tried to make this city, new Gothel, one of its prized goals. This area is rich in resources and would be a boon to whatever side controls it. Far too often such conflicts resulted in the decimation of New Gothel. BLUE TEAM Though you are close to the city, you have a potential bottleneck problem when trying to cross the bridges. It would be wise to build more bridges and send scouts to establish the enemy's whereabouts. RED TEAM Both sides have forces of equal strength, but you are further away from the goal than your opponent. You may wish to send a fast force to capture and hold position until the rest of your forces arrive. SLASHING ASSAULT Units of the 1st US Recon division, dash across the Rio Grande into rear echelon units from the private army of the South American Conglomerate of Heavy Industry. BLUE TEAM Take advantage of your position and seize your first objective: the land bridge. From this point you can organize an offensive on the headquarters. Try to maintain a high kill - ratio. RED TEAM Take some time to form an organized defensive perimeter and move forward cautiously. If done properly, your artillery can decimate the Recon division. Deny your opponent the land bridge, and protect your headquarters. TOURIST TRAP Several generations ago the territory of Cape Cob seceded from the larger commonwealth. Cape Cob has flourished under self rule but has piqued the interest of the commonwealth. The commonwealth would very much like Cape Cob to be a member once again, by martial law if need be. BLUE TEAM The only access to Cape Cob is across bridges. Avoid bottlenecks by building more bridges. Soften any areas you can with artillery fire before entering them. RED TEAM Destroy any bridges that give access to the Cape. Don't be afraid to lose some ground in order to lure the enemy into your sights. Take advantage of the cover that the cities provide and slow the enemy's advance with artillery. Buy as much time as you can. Defend your land till the very last man. CANAL BATTLE This scenario takes place in the Middle East. Two warring factions are planning a preemptive strike of each other's headquarters. BLUE TEAM Destroy the enemy headquarters while protecting your own. Use your transports to advance your artillery and move forward slowly. Be wary of the enemy's artillery. You will also need to destroy the bridge connecting the two lands. RED TEAM Destroy the enemy headquarters while protecting your own. Maintain and protect the bridges to the east. SHANGRI-LA As Major Thanh's forces advanced through Tibet, they came across a remote, uncharted valley. Within lay lush green fields, a breathtaking glacial lake, and General Chin Mai's Mechanized strike force. The snake had entered the garden. BLUE TEAM You have a difficult choice to make: to force your armor through the forest, or use the hover units to try and draw the defenders out of the forest and into the flatlands. RED TEAM Rush reinforcements to the hot spots while keeping a reserve force available near the crossroads to counter the enemy's hovercraft. STALINGRAD The nations of the Ukraine and Russia have been at war since the spring thaw, fighting over the Caucasus Oil fields. As General Russelov leads the final Ukrainian drive on Volgograd, the Russian Parliament renames the city to Stalingrad, in the hopes of inspiring the defenders. Will history repeat ? BLUE TEAM You need to strike quickly and achieve several breakthroughs toward the river. Focus on getting your forces to the river as quickly as possible. RED TEAM Both players have a vast array of weapons with which to accomplish their mission, but you must trade ground for time. Defend the cities to the last man, while rushing troops across the river to deal with breakthroughs. Guard your shuttles well, they are your only way across the river. SUBURBAN ATTACK Dec., 10th: 2044, 0700, Suburbia, Texas: In the first major governmental offensive of the war, elements of the US 1st Armored Cavalry counterattack. Primary objective is control of the power plant and the surrounding city. Of almost equal importance for both sides is the preservation of friendly units and the disruption of enemy forces. BLUE TEAM Since this is the first major assault for government forces, it is vital that losses are kept to a minimum, while obtaining your objective. RED TEAM Not expecting a counterattack so soon, you now must try to gain a morale victory over government forces. If you can hold your position, and inflict heavy casualties, you will gain a significant political victory. **************************************************************** 5.0 ******************** Unit Profiles ********************** **************************************************************** The S.C.A.B. (Surface Combat Airborne Battletank) is the latest in hover technology. The high speed 1150 hp Gas Turbine, Kevlar polymer armor and the Dire Wolf 120 mm Anti-Tank gun system make this an effective tank hunter and fast reaction force vehicle. Its one weakness is the attachment point for the Typhoon 40 mm anti-personnel cupola, which is susceptible to shrapnel and can lead to damage to the lifting fan controls positioned next to the unit. The Ferret Mk 2 is the old Airborne Battle tank. It is a first generation Hovertank and suffers from many shortcomings. Crews often describe it as "The most comfortable coffin I've ever ridden in." The original idea for the Ferret came from a prototype of a civilian pleasure vehicle. To this model they added light armor and two 40 mm cannons. Its saving grace is its amazing speed, which in the hands of an experienced crew can often keep the Ferret from becoming a mass of smoking metal. The Guardian MK V1 is the epitome of the Heavy Battle Tanks. With the staying power of a Titanium Reinforced Command Bunker, the Furnace 1250 hp Gas-Turbine engine, twin 155 mm Screamer Anti-Tank guns, and 700 mm of ceramic-steel armor plating, this tank is capable of Break Through and Point Defense roles. However, its staggering cost of 12.3 Billion dollars prevents the armies of the world from owning many of these gargantuan tanks. The Assailant M21A6F2 MBT is the mainstay of most modern armies. Its current configuration offers nations an alternative to the Guardian Mk V1 tank, at a quarter of the price. The new upgraded 155 mm Banshee Anti-Tank gun will penetrate most other battlefield tanks' armor, while the Thor Anti-Personnel Gatling cannon will destroy most soft targets in a matter of seconds. As the model has been in production for over a decade, several versions of this MBT may be encountered in the field. The Mercury X-10 is last generation's MBT. However, now 20 years old, it is today obsolete in this role. The Serafino Tool Works took several of these obsolete tanks and modified them to perform as Recon Tanks. With the offered X-10 upgrade costing one tenth the price of a new tank, many nations jumped at the chance to utilize their otherwise obsolete equipment. The Mercury has the battle tested 105 mm Caesar Anti-Tank gun, Commander's 40 mm Mini-gun and laser sighting system, and the new 990 hp Terrier engine. This tank can attain speeds of over 65 mph. However, nothing could be done to upgrade the aging Phoenix plating, and the weapon system is highly vulnerable to the advanced weapon systems of most heavier MBTs. The Phantom SPA utilizes the new Howler dual purpose Dark Bolt 105 mm gun. Capable of firing both anti-tank and high explosive shells, this system has quickly become the preferred battlefield support weapon. Because of the Howler's two rapid fire Dark Bolt 105 mm guns, the system needs to be mounted on a vehicle to allow it to carry enough ordinance to be effective on the battlefield. The Hot Head Light Artillery is the dream child of the Whippet Gun Works. Whippet has been the largest producer of 75 mm Howitzers and munitions in the late 20th century. With the advent of the new quick firing 105 mm Howitzers, the company realized that it needed protect its market share in the world's arms market. In the span of only three months, the design team produced the Hot Head system. With triple the firing rate of their old models, the Hot Head makes up for its lack of shell weight with its ability to shower the area with huge numbers of shells in a frighteningly short amount of time. The latest in technology from the Wilding Labs, this system is the cutting edge of ballistic artillery. The twin Spiro 275 mm Howitzers will deliver 1050 kilos of high explosives two kilometers downfield in four seconds. The Cyclops Doppler radar system can link into any battlefield ranging system to supply the Armageddon target system with target coordinates for immediate fire support. The Wilding Labs have also supplied a wide variety of ordinance for this system allowing it to fulfill any fire support functions required on the battlefield. Its only drawback is its staggering size, which often leaves it lagging behind in quick moving fire fights. With the advent of the Guardian, Assailant, and the S.C.A.B., front line commanders were lamenting over the ineffectiveness of normal artillery versus these hulking armored brutes. Ever mindful of their military needs, Serafino Tool Works designed the ultimate in Ground Support weapons. The GSM (nicknamed the "Grunt Smashing Missile" by the ground commanders ), was designed to pin down any known battlefield unit, a job it performs superbly. Two Winged Avenger Missile Launchers mounted on the company's Happy Trails heavy duty trailer provide the 1000 kg Winged Avenger Surface to Surface missiles with a stable platform. The Crystal Ball radar system allows for guidance of the ordinance for over three kilometers. With the implementation of the Dire Wolf 120 mm anti-tank cannon, the last generation's Armored Personnel Carriers, or APC, became little more than mass coffins with treads. Shakedown Motors sent their engineers back to the drawing boards and came up with the Terrapin APC. The Terrapin offered striking power unheard of in an APC. The amphibious ability of this APC make it a must-have item in any army. When the Darkhand Transport Co. came to the military with a shuttle craft design capable of moving a squad of Assailant Battle Tanks at speeds almost rivaling the Ferret, it took the janitors a week to mop up all the drool. The twin Volcano 7800 hp gas turbine engines generate the power to lift any known battlefield weapon. In the testing stage of the Kangaroo, two 600 ton locomotives were loaded onto the craft to prove its ability to move any size load. The short barrel 75 mm howitzer and quad Shredder 20 mm cannon give this Kangaroo a serious punch. However, to achieve the cargo capacity promised, it was necessary to ensure that the Kangaroo is also the lightest armored vehicle present on the battlefield. This is a typical foot grunt supplied with weapons and fatigues. They are excellent for holding cities, but totally out of their element in the open as they are up against serious opposition. But they are easy to acquire and plentiful. Line Infantry are basically little walking tanks. The Second Chance Defense Co. introduced the Galahad Body armor system just five years ago, and it has quickly become the standard in Armored Infantry. With a built in Morning Star laser sighting system, a 30 mm semi-automatic Combat Grenade Launcher, and a full life support and first aid system built into the armor, the Second Chance Defense Co. has given Infantry a new lease on life on the battlefield. Your typical infantry man, but with a Ph.D., and carrying enough equipment to build or blow up a small town. The basic equipment for the Combat Engineer is the Foam Core Insta-Bridge and Force Field Generator, both from Li'L Giant Enterprises, and the Nova Corps new C41 Plasticene Demolition Charges from Redmen Inc. The Sumar light semi-machine gun is the standard sidearm of these squads. The Titanium Reinforced Command Bunker is a self contained command center. The center is complete with satellite links, a fast scrambled communication computer and 3D Mirage Battlefield Imaging Table. ***************************************************************************** 6.0 ********************** Trouble Shooting **************************** ***************************************************************************** Question: "I've noticed several files that end in SWP taking up space in my FRONT LINES directory. Can I get rid of them?" Answer: Yes, you may. FRONT LINES creates *.SWP files on machines with 4 Meg of RAM. It refers to that file thought the game. Should FRONT LINES not be allowed exit properly. It may have to create a new *.SWP program. If it does not see the last valid SWP it was for, it will create a new one. So there is no danger in deleting them. Question: "In modem play I've noticed it every once in a while the game will pause when a new unit is selected?" Answer: This can happen from one of two ways. First, if you have a bad connection line the game may pause while resending data. Second, for some machines having sound effects and music on may be the cause of the problem. Try reconnecting without music or sound effects. ***************************************************************************** 7.0 *********************** Modem Play ***************************** ***************************************************************************** ** NOTE: MODEM PLAY REQUIRES 8 MEGS OF RAM ** MULTIPLE PLAYER GAMES There are two ways to enter Modem, or Null Modem play. The first method is to select the Modem Play box, at the end of the introduction sequence. After you have selected this box, you will be able to enter your name. This name will not appear again, untill you have linked up, selected your scenario, and begun play. The second way to set up a two-player game over a modem link is to click on the Modem button on the Load Scenario sceen. This method will not allow you to add your name. Both of these methods take you to the Modem Play screen. Two Players: Dial Modem Play Use this type of connection if the game is to be played on two computers connected via Dial Modem. * Select the communications port using the right and left arrows * Select Dial Modem. * Select a speed using the right and left arrows. * Type in the number to be dialed. * The player who will be on the receiving end of the link should click the button marked WAIT FOR CONNECTION - SLAVE. * The player who will initiate the call should then click MAKE CONNECTION - MASTER. The number will be dialed and the modem game set up. Two Players: Null Modem Play Use this type of connection if the game is to be played on two computers connected directly by a null modem cable. * Set the communications port using the right and left arrows. * Select Null Modem. * The player who will be on the receiving end of the link should click the button marked WAIT FOR CONNECTION - SLAVE. * The player who will initiate the call should then click MAKE CONNECTION - MASTER. The number will be dialed and the modem game set up. Chat Mode for Modem Play During a modem game, you can chat with your human opponent by pressing the F10 key. This will display a chat panel on both machines; players can then type messages to each other in real time. NOTE : The machine that initiates chat mode is also the only machine that is allowed to terminate it.