textfiles/apple/DOCUMENTATION/ogre1

                      
                      Ogre Docs Part I
                      
                       typed up by
                      
                       Digital Monk


HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: 

The  tank-type  vehicle,  considered  obsolete  by  the  end of the 20th
century, ruled the battlefields of the 21st. 

Several factors led to the reappearance of mechanized warfare. The first
was the development of biphase carbide armor (BPC).  Stronger  than  any
steel, it was also so light that even an air-cushion vehicle could carry
several  centimeters  of  protection. The equivalent of a megaton of TNT
was needed to breach even that much BPC armor -  which  meant  that,  in
practice,  nothing  less than a tactical nuclear device was likely to be
effective. 

Infantry,  which  had  for  a  time  eclipsed  the  tank,  declined   in
importance.  Although  an  infantryman could carry and direct a tactical
nuclear missile, he had to be extensively (and expensively) protected to
survive the nuclear battlefield. Thus, the "powered suit" was developed.
Four cm of BPC, jet equipped, it could guard a man for about a week  (in
increasing  discomfort) from shrapnel, background radiation, and biochem
agents. However, the cost of equipping  infantry  reduced  their  value.
They  were still more flexible and maneuverable than armor, and now they
were almost as fast - but they were no longer cheaper. 

Long-range nuclear missiles, which had been expected to make  a  mockery
of  "conventional"  operations,  likewise  declined  in value as jamming
technology  and  laser  countermeasures  improved.   Without   satellite
guidance,  no  missile  could  hit a less-than-city-sized target at more
than 30 km - and no combatant could keep a spy satellite operational for
over an hour. Missiles big enough to carry  jam-proof  guidance  systems
were  sitting  ducks  for the big laser batteries - for, although lasers
had proved too temperamental and fragile for battlefield use, they  were
fine as permanent antiaircraft units. 

Thus,  the  tank-type vehicle - fast, heavily armed and armored, able to
break through enemy positions and exploit disorganization - returned  to
wide  use.  And once again, planners fretted over priorities. More guns?
More armor? More speed? Increase one and lose on  the  others?  Increase
all and build fewer units? 

Some  interesting  compromises  appeared.  The 21st-century infantryman,
especially with the later "heavy powered suit", was a tank  in  his  own
right,  at  least  by  20th-century  standards.  The armed hovercraft or
ground effect vehicle (GEV), equipped with multi-leaf spring skirts  for
broken  ground,  could  attain speeeds of 120 kph on any decent terrain,
and 150 on desert or water. Conventional tanks were slower but  tougher.
All fired tactical nuclear shells. 

The  ultimate  development  of  the  tank-type  weapon,  though, was the
cybernetic  attack  vehicle.   The   original   tanks   had   terrorized
unsophisticated  infanty. The cybertanks terrorized "everyone", and with
good reason. They were bigger (up  to  50  meters),  faster  (hovercraft
models  proved  to  vulnerable, but atomic-powered treads moved standard
units at 45 kph or better), and more heavily armed (some  had  firepower
equal  to  an armor company). And two to three meters oof BPC armor made
them nearly unstoppable. What made the cybertank horrifying, though  was
its  literal  inhumanity.  No  crew  was  carried;  each unit was wholly
computer-controlled. Although true mechanical intelligence  had  existed
as   early   as   2010,  and  fully  automated  factories  and  military
installations were in wide  use  by  the  middle  of  the  century,  the
cybertanks  were  the earliest independent mobile units - the first true
war "robots". 

Once the first cybertanks had proved their worth, development was rapid.
The great war machines aroused a terrified  sort  of  facination.  Human
warriors devoutly hoped never to confrount them, and preferred to keep a
respectful  distance  -  like  several  kilometers  - even from friendly
ones.  They were just too big. 

One fact, more than anything,  points  up  the  feeling  that  developed
toward  the cybertank. Unlike other war vehicles, they were never called
"she". Friendly units of the speaker's aquaintance  were  "he";  otheres
were  "it". And the term "cybertank" was rarely used. People had another
name for the big war machines - one drawn from the early  Combine  units
and, before that, from dark myth. They called them Ogres... 


THE GAME: 

Ogre  is  a  game  of mechanized tank warfare set in the 21st century. A
cybernetic fighting unit - the Ogre -  has  been  sent  to  destroy  the
opponent's  strategic  Command  Post,  which  is  guarded  by  an  armor
battalion. The Ogre's primary objective is to destroy the Command  Post;
destruction  of  all  other  units is its secondary objective. The armor
battalion has but one objective: Defend the Command Post. To do so, they
must destroy the Ogre. 

Making Choices: Choices are made in OGRE through the use of the pointer,
a black, triangular object  that  can  be  moved  around  with  a  mouse
joystick, or keyboard. 

Clicking:  Some  selections in OGRE are made by first moving the pointer
to the desired object or option, then pressing and quickly releasing the
button. This is referred to as clicking. 

Dragging: Another method of designating choices is by dragging. Dragging
is accomplished by placing the pointer  over  the  desired  object  then
pressing  and  holding  the  button  while moving the pointer to another
location. Releasing the button completes the drag. 

Pulling Down the Menu: In the upper right corner of the screen  are  two
menus that can be pulled down. The first is titled "Menu" and the second
is  "OSI".  To  pull down either menu place the pointer over the desired
title and press and hold the button. The selected menu title will become
highlighted and a list  of  commands  will  appear  beneath  the  title.
Releasing  the  button without moving the pointer will cause the menu to
disappear. 

Choosing Menu Commands: Menu commands are chosen by using  the  dragging
technique.  Position  the  pointer over the selected menu title and pull
down the menu by pressing the button. While  holding  the  button  down,
drag  the  pointer  to  the  desired  menu command. As the pointer moves
through the menu, each  command  is  highlighted  releasing  the  button
selects  it.  If you change your mind about choosing a command, move the
pointer off the menu, or back up to the title, then release the  button.
Nothing  is  chosen  unless  you  release  the  button  while one of the
commands is highlighted.6

Using the Keyboard:  A  mouse  (if  available)  or  joystick  is  highly
recommended  for playing OGRE.  OGRE can be played using the keyboard to
move the pointer and to simulate clicking or pressing a  button,  or  it
can  be  played  entirely  with pointing, clicking, and dragging without
reference to the various input devices. 

Dimmed Commands: When "Menu" is pulled down, some of  the  commands  are
less distinct than others.  These less distinct commands are referred to
as dimmed. Dimmed options are ones that cannot be used at that time. 

Dialogue  Boxes:  Whenever  additional  info  is  required to complete a
command, a dialogue box appears.  Dialogue boxes  usually  have  special
areas called buttons to click, such as "ok" or "cancel".  Sometimes they
present  further  options for selection. Dialogue boxes are also used to
warn you if you're about to do something that is  irreversable.  For  an
example  of a dialogue box with general information, select "About Ogre"
from the OSI menu. Clicking the "ok" button removes the dialogue box. 

THE BATTLEFIELD: 

General: The defender's Command  Post  has  been  located  in  the  most
defensible terrain available - a battered strech of land 22.5 kilometers
wide  by  33  kilometers long (14 miles by 20.5 miles). It is bounded on
three sides by impassable swamp and on the fourth by a  very  deep  wide
river.  A map representing the standard battlefield is displayed on your
computer screen. The map is divided into  hexes,  each  representing  an
area 1500 meters (0.93 miles) across. 

Viewing the Map: Only half of the map can be viewed at one time. The map
can  be  moved vertically by clicking on one of the arrows positioned at
the four corners of the map. At the upper left and lower left corners of
the map are arrows with horizontal bars at their tips. These arrows  are
used to display the top or bottom half of the map. Clicking on arrows in
th  upper right and lower right corners moves the map up or down one hex
at a time. 

Craters: The battlefield is  scarred  with  craters  from  past  nuclear
detonations.  Craters  are  represented  on  the  map  by solid circles.
Nothing may move into or over a crater. It is possible, however, to fire
across craters. 

Rubble: The battlefield is further obstructed by great  piles  of  earth
and  rubble.  These  piles of rubble are represented on the map by solid
black lines along the edges of hexes. Only  the  Ogre  and  infanry  are
capable  of  moving  across this rubble. Other armor units cannot cross.
Any unit can fire across the rubble. 

Areas: The standard battlefield is divided into  two  basic  areas.  The
majority  of  the  map  (the top 16 rows of hexes) is referred to as the
"obtructed" area. This is the area containing all  of  the  craters  and
rubble.  The  bottom  6  rows  of hexes, free of craters and rubble, are
referred to as the "clear"  area.  both  the  left-most  and  right-most
column  of  hexes  contain only one crater. These craters are located in
the 7th hex down from the top. A line drawn  between  these  two  crater
hexes  is  referred  to as the "crater line". The obstructed area, clear
area, and crater line are referred to during the initial  deployment  of
defensive forces. 

THE COMBATANTS: 

The  combatants are rated by Combat Factors. The main combat factors are
a weapon's Attack Strength, Attack Range, and Defense  Strength.  Attack
Strength reflects a weapon's destructive power. The effective distance a
weapon  can  reach  is  its  Attack  Range,  and  a unit's capability to
withstand an attack is referred  to  as  it's  Defense  Strength.  These
factors will be further expanded upon when discussing combat.