(C) Mal'tsev V. G. (SLON/SCG)
(C) Mal'tsev A. G. (LEPA/SCG)
(C) Ryumin P. S. (PAVLO/SCG)
War is the father of all, the king of all:
it has revealed some as gods, others as men,
it has made some slaves, others free.
Heraclitus
ENCYCLOPEDIA of WAR
Introduction.
... The day is coming to an end, the sunset is fading. The hills of the valley were not painted with a carpet of beautiful flowers, but with the mangled corpses of men and horses, and the ground was crimson red from spilled blood. It was not the evening songs of birds that filled the air, but the death throes of the wounded, begging for one last mercy.
And above this horrifying scene, on the highest hill, covered with heaps of dead bodies, stands you, the victor, the one who has crushed the Egyptians, slaughtered the entire Assyrian army, and now the army of the fearsome Persians has turned into a pile of corpses. Who? Who will be next, whom your loyal soldier will trample into the mud with his iron boot?...
What you have just read is a product of my imagination, but it can become a reality - just start playing the game ENC of WAR. You will plunge into the amazing world of ancient armies and ancient battles.
Here, there is not only a huge variety of countries (24) and their periods, but also a deadly number of troop types (13 in total). Each country is unique and specific. Moreover, you will be able to create a battlefield, and each unit of landscape affects different troop types in different ways.
Troop Types.
1. General (GEN). The main commanding unit in the army. With the help of the general, you can manage your troops. He commands the troops using a limited number of pre-orders (aides). I hope it is unnecessary to explain that after giving an order, the aides return to the general. He is afraid of fire and does not engage in close combat alone. Moves 5 squares.
2. War Elephants (EL). They have a great head-on charge but are afraid of fire. A panicked elephant can smash a lot of "dishes" both on the enemy's and its own "kitchen." Moves 3 squares.
3. Heavy Infantry (HI). Good at attacking and decent at defending. They are the main combat unit of almost all armies. Moves 2 squares.
4. Light Infantry (LI). The weakest combat unit on the field, but only on the field! ;-). Mainly used as support and "meat" (Good "meat" are Roman velites or Macedonian archers!). Also good as "pigs" (why are we talking about food?). Moves 3 squares.
5. B. Infantry (BI). To be honest, we ourselves find it difficult to give a precise interpretation of this abbreviation. "I" is clearly Infantry, but "B"... in short, among us, it stands for Battle Infantry, although it resembles support infantry (Auxiliary) more. Something in between heavy and light infantry. Excellent in difficult terrain. Moves 2 squares.
6. Pike Infantry (phalanx) (SP). Excellent at defense, but, suspiciously, does not show much enthusiasm in attack. The effectiveness of the phalanx lies in the density of the ranks. Don't let them fall apart! Moves 2 squares.
7. Heavy Cavalry (HC). Works well in conjunction with other troop types. Indispensable for encirclement and pursuing the enemy. Like other types of cavalry (except cataphracts), they do not attack pike infantry. Moves 4 squares.
8. Pike Cavalry (hussars) (HCL). Unlike heavy cavalry, can be used for ram-style head-on charges. Otherwise, it is the same as heavy cavalry. Moves 4 squares.
9. Cataphracts (CAT). The same as hussars, but try to shoot them with a bow. Here you need to act with a sling. They break through infantry squares well with supporting fire. Moves 3 squares.
10. Light Cavalry (LC). Light-winged, maneuverable, and if they shoot well, there will be no escaping from them! They "take apart" light infantry. Moves 5 squares.
11. Scythe Chariots (SCH). Strangely, they attack poorly head-on, but let them surround someone - and pieces will fly in all directions! Be careful! The panic of charioteers is the same story as with elephants! Moves 3 squares.
12. Heavy Chariots (HCH). They have an excellent head-on charge (especially against B. infantry), but are afraid of fire. Effective only in open terrain. They are heavily outmatched by cavalry in maneuvering close combat. Moves 3 squares.
13. Light Chariots (LCH). Although they lose to light cavalry and infantry under fire, they excel in close combat. Moves 4 squares.
How to Start the Game?
Upon launching the game "ENCYCLOPEDIA of WAR," you will see the following options:
1 SELECT
2 BATTLE
By pressing "1," you will find yourself (after loading) in the army selection menu. If you press "2," the main part of the game will load, and you will be offered to choose:
LOAD NEW GAME - load a saved game.
SELECTION PROGRAMM - assemble an army.
Assembling an Army.
Control is carried out using the arrow keys, ENTER - selection, "Q" - exit (to the country menu).
At the beginning, you will be asked to choose the number of points that both players will use to assemble their armies. These are: 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, or UNLIMITED (points are unlimited). Here you need to consider one peculiarity of the game (especially when playing on UNLIMITED). The maximum number of units for both players combined does not exceed 136, so agree in advance on how many units each will assemble.
After selecting a country, you will be able to choose a historical period and its corresponding allies (if any).
Next, you will see a list of UNITs (we will agree to call one or several identical or diverse units in one). By pressing ENTER, you can sequentially view information about all military units of the UNIT. Here are the data line by line, for example: Elite Legion (Imperial Rome)
1. Kohort * 2
2. HI Unarmoured Shield
3. JAV 100% Skill 100%
4. STR 800 MOR 7 120% FT 0%
5. DIS DRILLED
1. The name of the unit and its quantity in total.
2. The designation of the troop type (HI, HCL, EL, etc.) and the protective equipment of the warriors. It is very diverse due to the combination of its names, such as:
Shield - shield.
Armoured - a type of light armor. Slightly worse than Shield.
Unarmoured - not Armoured.
Plate - Heavy plate armor (not implemented in this version of the game).
H Armoured - something in between Plate and Armoured.
Bard - protective armor for the horse.
3. The line is intended for ranged units. It means:
- type of ranged weapon
JAV - javelin
BOW - bow
SL - sling
MIX - mixed Range of their shooting is respectively 1, 3, 3, and 3.
- the percentage of archers in the unit.
- shooting skill (also in percentage).
4. Shows:
STR - number of people in the unit.
MOR - morale of the warriors.
- skill in wielding cold weapons.
FT - fatigue (affects during battle)
5. The degree of discipline of the unit. Just like protective equipment, it can consist of several components:
DIS - disciplined.
DRILLED - drilled (can move without breaking formation).
WILD - wild. Difficult to control. This data also somewhat affects the strength of the unit (especially WILD).
After making your choice, you will be able to assign historical names to your generals or enter your own (ENTER OWN NAME).
The first player assembles troops first, then the second player (if playing against the computer, you will have to assemble for it too). After that, the main part of the game will load, and the following menu will appear on the screen:
DEPLOY FORCES
CHANGE SETTINGS
MAP EDIT MENU - map editing menu. Here you will be able to:
1. EDIT MAP - edit the map. By pressing the buttons indicated in the lower window of the editor, you will select the type of terrain, and by pressing the FIRE button, you will place it on the map in the required quantity.
2. NEW MAP - create a new map. After you positively respond to the question about erasing the previous map, you will be asked to choose the length (WIDTH) and height (DEPTH) of the future battlefield so that their product is approximately equal to 1500 (the optimal option is 50*30). You can create. Try to create maps with a landscape as close to reality as possible (such as those we proposed).
3. LOAD MAP - load a map (for simplicity in loading (the game does not provide a disk catalog call), we numbered our maps: pole1... 12).
4. SAVE MAP - save your handiwork to disk.
5. EXIT TO MAIN MENU - exit to the main menu.
CHANGE SETTINGS - change game conditions such as:
1. MAX TURNS - by clicking on this line FIRE you can change the duration of the game in TURNS.
2. NORMAL VISIBILITY - if you click on this line, you can change the visibility limit, which can be:
NORMAL - good visibility. Almost everything is visible.
POOR - poor visibility, but within the screen (6 squares).
NIGHT - night. Fighting has to be done almost by touch (2 squares !!!).
We recommend simulating battles over several days. For example: set MAX TURNS to 4, and make visibility POOR (there is an opportunity to maneuver in the pre-dawn fog right in front of the enemy), then, after the 4th TURN, MAX TURNS = 12, and visibility NORMAL (a promising hot battle day dawns), and then likewise evening and night. Imagine how deadly a week-long siege of a city with desperate assaults and daring sorties will look!
3. NORMAL DEPLOYMENT - similarly, restrictions are set on the place of troop deployment.
NORMAL - troops can only be deployed in their (proportionally allocated) area.
FREE - anywhere. Beware of enemy scouts! ;-)
4. CHANGE CONTROLS - the control setup is standard.
DEPLOY FORCES - selecting this option, you can determine who will play for each side:
COMPUTER - computer (in the sense of player).
PLAYER - player (in the sense of human).
SHARED - together.
The meaning of the first two is clear, but SHARED... So, SHARED is when you assign part of your troops to the computer, while you control part yourself (details below). But be careful, troops under the control of artificial intelligence become easy prey for the human opponent! For effective use of SHARED (excellent at surrounding, flanking, and finishing off!) you need to aim well!
Next, you will see the troop ratios of both opposing sides in cavalry (HORSE), infantry (FOOT), elephants (ELEPHANTS), and chariots (CHARIOTS). After that, you will proceed directly to the deployment work (finally!). Rejecting the dirty suggestion of AUTODEPLOY (auto-deployment), you will see the map of the terrain and your units before you. We will not describe the process (it is simple) and the nuances (we provided several formations in the appendix) of the deployments, but we will linger a bit on AUTODEPLOY. This function is intended for lazy people, beginners, and experienced suicides. Here you will need to tell the computer what each flank will do:
CHARGE - attack (for cavalry)
ADVANCE - advance (for infantry)
DEFEND - defend
SKIRMISH - shoot (for archers) and that’s it! (Indeed, no self-respecting strategist would trust such a delicate operation to some random procedure.)
Once you are deployed and press "Q," you will be able to divide the troops among the generals (but only if you set up the army manually), i.e. indicate which units they will be able to manage with pre-orders (personal orders). The last general (or rather the first) gets the remaining troops. You will manage these "remaining" with the "last" general in case of setting the SHARED game mode.
How to Start the Battle?
And finally, you and your opponent are deployed. What now? Now you can:
BEGIN BATTLE - start the battle
SAVE SCENARIO - save the game to disk
LOAD NEW GAME - load the game from disk
The methodology for managing the army is as follows:
1. Select the general, separating him from the unit he is "sitting" on with the "G" button.
2. Give him an order to go somewhere.
3. Give all units of his formation the FOLLOW order with the "F" button.
Then, to change the direction of this unit, you will only need to give an order to one general.
After both players give orders, you will be able to witness the fruits of your strategic endeavors.
You can exit to the menu with the "Q" key, from which you actually came here.
In this menu, in addition to adjusting the aforementioned settings, you will be able to view the changed power ratio (DEBRIEFING), as well as end the slaughter (END BATTLE). However, even by pressing END BATTLE, you will not leave this wonderful game, but will be thrown into another menu where, among the options you already know, you will see:
EXTENDED GAME - continue the game.
RESTART BATTLE - start the battle anew.
You can also load the army reassembly program described above from here.
Tips for the Young Strategist.
1. Set a "pig" for the enemy!
2. A successful "pig" is the key to victory!
3. Don’t skimp on generals and don’t send them on reconnaissance alone!
4. Units standing in close proximity (i.e., at point-blank range) to the general receive a "free" pre-order, as they say, "from the first hands";-).
5. If the unit on which the general stands panics, then the general will follow its example! Be picky in choosing bodyguards!
6. Keep an eye on the fatigue of the troops; unfortunately, it does not decrease!
7. Use fleeing units as "meat" since the enemy will be happy to cut them down and thus waste FT!
8. At the beginning of the battle (if you did not choose FREE DEPLOYMENT), while the enemy is still far away, your troops can rush so fast that you simply won't believe your eyes!
It is impossible to describe all the details and advantages of this excellent game in one small description. And we do not intend to do so; it will be much more pleasant for you to discover it yourself.
Good luck in battle!
(it will come in handy)
Historical Information about Some Ancient Troops.
Immortals - the guard of the Persian king consisting of 10,000 men, with one thousand in personal guard.
Clibanarii - warriors of heavy cavalry in Ancient Persia in the 6th-4th centuries BC, exclusively recruited from Persians and armed with spears, sabers, and axes. Riders and partly horses were protected by armor. They formed the striking force of the army.
Hoplites (Greek hoplitai - heavily armed infantry) - warriors in Ancient Greece in the 5th-4th centuries BC, forming the elite, most trained part of the infantry. Armament: long (2-3 meters) spears and short swords. Protective equipment: cuirass, shield, greaves, and leg guards. They used a tightly packed formation - phalanx - for battle.
Peltasts - a type of infantry in Ancient Greece in the 5th-4th centuries BC, occupying an intermediate position between heavy and light infantry. Weapons: javelins and short swords. Protective equipment: helmet, linen cuirass, greaves, and light leather shield (pelta, hence the name).
Hastati - in Ancient Rome in the 5th-4th centuries BC - the youngest warriors of the legion, forming the front line. Equipment: helmet, leather jacket, shield. Armament: long double-edged sword-spear (hasta, hence the name) and throwing spears (pila). At the beginning of the battle, they threw spears at the enemy, then charged into his ranks and fought with hastas.
Principes (Latin princeps - first, main, principal) - heavy infantry warriors in Ancient Rome in the 5th-early 2nd centuries BC. Armament: long wooden spears (from the 2nd century BC, short iron-tipped). Protective equipment: shield, helmet, cuirass. Comprised experienced warriors aged 30-40 years.
Praetorians (Latin praetorium - headquarters, general's tent) - a privileged part of the army in Ancient Rome (3rd-1st centuries BC). Initially served as guards for generals. Reformed by Emperor Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD) into the Praetorian Guard (12-14 cohorts of 960 men each), which formed the core of the army. They had several privileges compared to legionaries.
(C) Mal'tsev V. G. (SLON/SCG)
This game reached me already disked by some N. Shalaev, so for the lack of the ability to call the disk catalog, send all complaints to him. Ask why I didn't fix it? I will answer: "I'm not a hacker, and I don't delve into other people's programs!"
And one more thing. I appeal to everyone who knows a bit about programming and loves strategy. The game provides the ability to create new army lists (file: ANCIENTS.L, loaded during army assembly with the command: Load new lists.)! If anyone wants to create new armies, please write to me at the address:
346340
Gukovo, Rostov Region,
Karl Marx St., 63-a, apt. 26
Mal'tsev Vyacheslav
preliminary enclosing a sample of a couple of armies (on a piece of paper). We will evaluate your efforts as a group, and if they prove worthy, we will send this noble man the format of the data blocks of units and countries with the necessary explanations and comments free of charge. Also, write to me about any glitches and shortcomings; I will help as much as I can.
It's time to wrap up. Bye! See you!
Sincerely, Vyacheslav. 21. 7. 98
Text typed by SLON in the ZX-WORD 2, 5+ editor.
Contents of the publication: Adventurer #08
- От автора - Shaitan
Technical details of a new program interface for ZX Spectrum. Discusses improvements and features like scrolling and color change. Provides keyboard and button navigation instructions.
- От автора
Introduction by the author and editorial team details.
- Presentation
The article presents a software installer for creating autorun disks and introduces a new adventure game created with QUILL by Dr. Laser.
- Presentation of TRICK Software
The article presents TRICK, a new software for program protection developed by Eternity Industry, and discusses its beta and commercial versions. The author, Alexander Kalinin (aka Paracels/EI), addresses previous shortcomings in the software and emphasizes its improved interface. It includes purchase details for the software and invites readers to request it.
- Presentation
The article provides a detailed user manual for HELP_Z80, a free utility for ZX Spectrum that serves as an electronic guide for Z80 microprocessor commands. It outlines how to load and use the software, including command explanations, search functions, and integration with assemblers. Additionally, it includes memory distribution, operational features, and references for further reading.
- Interface
The article discusses reader feedback on the magazine's interface, addressing concerns about pricing and software trends in the ZX Spectrum community. It features a letter from a reader expressing thoughts on game pricing and the declining number of users on the platform. Additionally, there are discussions on software developments and user engagement.
- Interface
The article shares the author's experiences after purchasing an Amiga, comparing it with a PC, and discussing its usability for games, graphics, and music, while noting some software limitations.
- Interface
The article discusses user support issues faced by hardware manufacturers SCORPION and NEMO for ZX Spectrum devices. It critiques SCORPION for poor customer service despite being a market leader, while praising NEMO for responsive support. The author expresses concerns about the overall market direction for ZX Spectrum hardware.
- Interface
Article discusses the future of the Spectrum platform, addressing user demographics, software production challenges, and hardware evolution possibilities.
- Interface
Article discusses the frustrations of a Speccy user regarding hardware issues, the challenges of modern computing, and the dedication to maintaining the Speccy platform.
- Interface
Статья рассматривает жизнь и судьбы пользователей ZX Spectrum, включая личные воспоминания автора о друзьях и их взаимодействии с компьютерами.
- System
The article reviews various software for ZX Spectrum, including text editors, audio players, and graphic utilities. It provides independent opinions on their features and usability, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. The piece emphasizes the evolution and improvement of software tools available for this classic platform.
- Overview of Games
Overview of notable games for ZX Spectrum, highlighting their graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics. Each entry includes a brief summary and rating. Recommended for fans of retro gaming.
- Review of Demos
The article reviews demo versions of various games, highlighting their potential and unique features. It emphasizes the scarcity of such releases in the market and evaluates the quality and gameplay mechanics of selected titles. The author shares insights into the progress and expectations for future full versions of these games.
- Guests
The article discusses the formation and activities of the Eternity Industry group, its members, projects, and future plans for releases and competitions.
- Гости - Dr. John
An interview with Felix from Virtual Brothers discusses his transition from ZX Spectrum to PC, development of the game 'Winnie the Pooh', and future plans.
- Guests
Interview with the musicians Mарат and Демон from the band 'Disgust', discussing their musical evolution, influences, and perspectives on life and creativity.
- Promotion
The article provides a detailed manual for the game 'ENCYCLOPEDIA of WAR', explaining army selection, unit types, and battle mechanics.
- Promotion
The article provides a walkthrough for the game, detailing necessary items and strategies for progressing through various challenges, including dealing with dinosaurs and navigating villages.
- Promotion
Статья представляет собой обзор arcade adventure игры 'ELOPEMENT' от Omega HG, выделяя ее особенности и советы по прохождению.
- Promotion
Статья описывает текстовую адвентюру 'Остров тьмы' на QUILL, предлагая советы для игроков. Упоминаются механики и персонажи, включая загадки и взаимодействия. В конце представлена карта острова.
- Promotion of 'Knightmare'
The article describes the game 'Knightmare', detailing its commands, gameplay mechanics, and initial quests. Players control a knight who must interact with characters and solve puzzles to progress. It serves as a manual for navigating the game's environment and objectives.
- Experience Exchange
The article critiques the adventure game 'Island of Darkness' by Paul Moskow, highlighting its illogical design, lack of detailed item descriptions, and absence of helpful hints for players.
- Experience Exchange
The article provides a detailed manual for enhancing the ZX ASM 3.0 assembler, introducing debugging features and functionalities for better program execution control on ZX Spectrum.
- Experience Exchange
The article describes a phenomenon observed with the ZX Spectrum video controller, where switching between two screens can create unexpected visual artifacts. It outlines a specific program that demonstrates this effect through rapid screen toggling. The author discusses the implications and potential applications of this behavior.
- Обмен опытом - Иван Рощин
The article is a programming guide on porting the 'iris.ss' screen saver effect from Dos Navigator to ZX Spectrum, including source code and modification tips.
- Обмен опытом - Иван Рощин
Description of the OPEN_W procedure to create window borders. Includes details on customization of symbols and dimensions. Utilizes PRSYM for symbol printing.
- Обмен опытом - Maximum
Introduction to long integer operations for game development on ZX Spectrum, including addition, subtraction, and conversion to ASCII.
- Experience Exchange
The article discusses the customization of the ART STUDIO graphic editor by creating additional modules that enhance its functionality, including features like music playback and cursor coordinates display.
- Experience Exchange
The article describes a program developed to improve the visual quality of a pixel-by-pixel moving attribute message on ZX Spectrum. It provides details on the implementation, including the use of data arrays for motion trajectory and image rendering. The program includes comments for easier understanding and can be modified for different effects.
- Оттяг
The article features humorous sketches and commentary on various aspects of life and technology, including anecdotes about a fictional character's experience with a Pentium processor.
- Pharmacist Test
The article presents humorous tests designed to identify whether someone is a real pharmacist or a fraud, featuring situational questions and scoring to gauge knowledge of pharmacy.
- Oddities and Self-Reflection in 'Оттяг'
The article 'Оттяг' presents a humorous and critical self-reflection of the author, exploring various life experiences and quirks that highlight his unusual personality traits.
- Humorous Quiz: Assess Your Sense of Humor
The article presents a humorous quiz to assess one's sense of humor and sexual attitudes through various situational questions, revealing absurd and comedic perspectives.
- Student Types Quiz
The article presents a humorous quiz to determine what kind of student you are, ranging from a party animal to a diligent scholar. It features a series of questions regarding typical student activities and responses. The results categorize students based on their score, from carefree to nerdy.
- How to Properly Torture Windows 95 - Maximum
Статья описывает иронический подход к установке и эксплуатации операционной системы Windows 95, включая способы ее 'мучения' и троллинга. В тексте используются гиперболизированные примеры взаимодействия с ОС для создания комичного эффекта. Это развлекательный материал с элементами юмора.
- Ottyag
The article is a humorous narrative featuring Winnie the Pooh and his friends returning to the Hundred Acre Wood, where their carefree life turns chaotic. It describes their antics, including drinking and misadventures, as they reunite and encounter various challenges. The story showcases the characters' personalities and interactions in a comedic light.
- Novella
The article describes a humorous novella featuring Corporal Johnlan recounting his first military mission and his interactions with a young grandchild over beers.
- Novella
Novella recounts an adventurous escape from a Glot base using a vintage spacecraft, highlighting the protagonist's encounters and clever maneuvers.
- Novella
The article describes a whimsical story about two hedgehogs, Pukhly and Zaraza, who, after a strange event, develop wings and must navigate their new reality. The story blends fantasy and humor as the characters face unexpected changes and challenges. This is a novella showcasing imaginative storytelling.
- News
The article discusses recent updates from Rybninsk related to the FunTop party, detailing contributions from various individuals and teams for the 'Adventurer' magazine and demo competitions.
- News
Статья сообщает о событиях в сообществе Спектрумистов Ярославля, включая информацию о разработчиках программного обеспечения и их текущих проектах.
- Advertisement
The article is a collection of advertisements and announcements related to ZX Spectrum, inviting collaboration from programmers, artists, and musicians, and detailing how to acquire the journal and software.
