Games PC CONQUEST OF THE NEW WORLD User Manual

CONQUEST OF THE NEW WORLD
INTRODUCTION 1
TUTORIAL SCENARIO 2
CUSTOM MAKING YOUR OWN GAME 19
COLONIES AND TRADE 24
UNITS 33
COMBAT 40
MULTIPLAYER GAMES 47
HOW TO PLAY MY E-MAIL 60
CREDITS 66
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Conquest of the New World is a game in which you control a native civilization or an expeditionary force from one of five European countries. You compete against other such players in the hopes of establishing control of the New World during the sixteenth century. Note, this is not a game that simulates the actual discovery and colonization of the Americas; a New World is generated at the beginning of each game and each New World (and game) is, therefore, unique.
Your job is to explore the New World, establish thriving colonies, produce and trade goods, and eliminate your opponents or defend your claims from your opponents. Each player sets their own objectives for each game. For some players, winning the game may primarily involve finding lots of new landmarks in the New World and establishing many colonies. For other players, the main objective may be to establish supremacy in the New World by eliminating opponents. The game ends when the preset number of turns has elapsed or when one player achieves the winning number of victory points. For those players who care less about winning than about playing for fun, there is an option to play an indefinitely long game, which will only end for that player if he or she is eliminated by opponents.
Starting a New Game
To begin a new game, click on the New Game button from the Game Menu screen. You can play a solitaire game against zero to five computer opponents, or you can play a multiplayer game against up to five other human and computer players.
The Game Menu screen also allows you to continue from a saved game position, practice combat techniques with a combat demo, or quit playing. In addition, you can select the Options button to turn sound effects on or off, to turn animations on or off, to alter the maximum “zoomed in” level, to turn textures on or off, to turn the appearance of the Colonial Gazette (see Ending Your Turn and Pausing the Game in the Tutorial Scenario chapter) on or off, and to establish a network or modem connection with other players (see the Multiplayer Games chapter for details). The Options button also lets you “edit” your player, allowing you to take over the computer player’s position or allowing the computer to take over your position.
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Closing and Manipulating Windows
Whenever a window has been opened, you can close it by clicking on the Close box in the top left corner of the window or by hitting the ESC key. There are a few windows that have no Close box. For most of these, you must choose one of the indicated options in order to close the window. For others (such as when the Colonial Gazette appears at the beginning of each turn), close the window by clicking on it.
To move windows to a different location on the Game screen, click on a part of the window that has no button or scroll box. Then drag the window to a new location on the Game screen.
The Mission Button
By clicking on the Mission button at the top of the game screen you can obtain a refresher on your current objectives.
The Main Menu window and the Basic Game Turn
Clicking on the Menu button at the top right corner of the screen brings up a series of important game options (the Main Menu window, see Figure 1).
Figure 1. The Main Menu window offers many important game options.
Ending Your Turn and Pausing the Game
When you have finished moving your pieces, developing your colonies, and conducting other business, such as trade,
click on the End Turn button or hit the E key
on your keyboard to finish your turn. An End Turn button is present both in the
Main Menu and at the top of the Game Screen.
When all players (computer or human) have ended their turns, the computer will determine the results of each player’s turn. When you are playing a solitaire or network game (see Multiplayer Games), any combat will then be conducted on a tactical battlefield. If you are playing via email, the computer will conduct all combat and inform you of battle results at the beginning of your next turn.
TUTORIAL SCENARIO
The Tutorial scenario is set up as a series of four missions in which you lead an English expedition to the New World. In the first mission, you will learn how to use your Ship to explore and how to disembark units from the Ship. You will learn the basics of what each unit type does. Finally, you will use your units to explore the New World and to discover great new landmarks.
The second mission is to found a colony with your Settler, and the third mission is to start building the colony into a thriving settlement. The final mission is to prevent your computer opponent from establishing a new colony or to capture his new colony, if one already exists.
Note: You may rename your character by typing a new name into the space provided. Although you can change your name, you cannot change your country (England).
Mission 1: Establish Landfall and Discover Three Major Features in the New World
The King of England has sent you to discover some of the riches in the New World. You have ten turns in which to disembark your units onto the New World and to find three major landmarks.
Using the Help Feature
As you play this Tutorial, helpful screens will appear explaining how to explore, how to disembark from your Ships, and how to do just about everything else! If you need help both during this scenario and during other scenarios, simply right-click on the unit, buttons, or other on-screen items for more
information about them.
The Game Screen
Everything takes place in the Game screen. At the top of the screen you will see a Status Bar that provides important feedback on limitations or requirements of certain actions you may wish to take with units or colonies. Also, at the top of this screen is a series of buttons that allow you to do a number of things. These buttons and their functions are described in the following sections.
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Unit List and Manipulating Units
Figure 2. A Unit List
Clicking on the Unit List button brings up a list of all units and colonies in your game (Figure 2). It also shows the units attached to Leaders, colonies, and Ships by listing these units in outline form under the unit or colony to which they are attached. (That is, attached units will be indented and
underneath the units or colonies to which they are attached.)
At the bottom of the Unit List window are four Category buttons. Use these buttons to set up this window to show you exactly what you want. For example, placing a check mark in the box next to “Ships” (by clicking on the box if there is no check mark there) ensures that your Unit List includes all your Ships. The same is true for all your colonies, military units, and civilians (Explorers and Settlers). If you wish to remove a unit type from the list, click on the box next to that unit type to remove the check mark.
To locate a particular unit’s position on the Game screen from this list, highlight the unit by clicking on it and then click on the Find button. This will center the Game screen on that unit or colony.
To detach a unit from a Leader, colony, or Ship (which must be next to land), highlight the unit and click on the Detach button. Alternatively, click on the unit in the list and drag it to the Game screen. The unit will then appear next to the colony or unit from which it was detached. To do the same thing with more than one unit, hold down the SHIFT key while you select units to detach. Then, either click on the Detach button or drag the units to the Game screen.
There are two other ways to detach units from Ships without using the Unit List. For either method, the Ship must be next to the shore. Double-click on the Ship to bring up the Ship window. To detach all the units from the Ship, click on the Disembark All button. To detach only specific units, click on the Cargo button and then click on (to highlight) the unit(s) you wish to disembark. Finally, click on the Disembark button to get that unit off the Ship.
When the computer is finished determining what has occurred (nothing officially occurs until all players’ turns are ended), you will see a copy of the Annals of History which contains interesting historical facts pertaining to the period unless this feature has been disabled. Following the Annals of History is the Colonial Gazette which will keep you apprised of important game events and the current scores of all players. Note, each turn takes one year and the game begins in the year 1493.
Short of exiting the game, the Colonial Gazette screen is the only place you can safely “pause” your game play without accruing time penalties to your victory
point score (see Custom-Making Your Own Game). Note: Once you have completed your turn by clicking on the End Turn button,
there is no way for you to go back and change what you have done. Therefore, make certain that you have done everything to your satisfaction before ending your turn.
Saving and Exiting Your Game
Click on the Save & Exit button on the Main Menu window to save your game
and to return to the Game Menu screen. By exiting the game, you will stop the bonus/penalty-awarding timer (see Custom-Making Your Own Game).
When you return to continue your game, you will continue playing on the current game turn. Your turn will not be completed until you end your turn by clicking on the End Turn button.
When you are playing a Solitaire game, you can save a copy of your current game, under a new name, by clicking on the Save As button. This will prompt you to enter a name for this saved game. When you have completed saving your game in this way, you will return to the current game under its original name. Or, you can click Exit to exit the game and discard all of the moves you have made. Note: These features are not available in multiplayer games.
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orient yourself and can give you a “big picture” sense of the world. Colonies and native settlements appear as clumps of red dots on this Auto Map.
The white box in the center of the Auto Map shows the area that is currently visible on the Game screen. This area will grow and shrink (as does the Game screen) when you Zoom In or Zoom Out (see Zooming In and Zooming Out).
You may use the Auto Map feature to jump to other areas of the New World. Click on any point in the Auto Map window to center the Game screen on that location. You may also scroll around both the Game screen and the Auto Map by clicking and dragging your mouse on the Auto Map.
Options
This button takes you to the Options window where you can adjust the sound, animations and the maximum level for zooming in. You may also select to skip the Colonial Gazette, set up Network play, and “Edit” your player by turning its control over to the computer or by assuming control over a computer player. Note: For users with 8 megabytes of RAM: turning off final zoom can improve your machine’s performance significantly.
Status Bar and Timer
The Status Bar runs along the top of the Game screen Often, as you try to move units and found and develop colonies, this bar will provide you with important information. For example, it may tell you that you can’t build a certain structure because you are short of vital building supplies. Pay close attention to this Status Bar as you play the game.
If you are playing with the Play Time Bonus (see the Custom Game Setup Screen), you will see a changing number on the right side of the Status Bar. This number starts out black at the beginning of each of your turns and decreases in value as time passes. If you complete your turn while this number is still black (positive), you will earn the indicated number of victory points as a bonus for quickly finishing the turn. If the number is red (negative) by the time your turn is complete, that many victory points will be deducted from your score.
Zooming In and Zooming Out
The + and - buttons on the top of the Game screen allow you to zoom your view of the world in and out so that you can see things at a detail level you
You may use the Unit List to attach units to Leaders, colonies, or Ships. Select such units by clicking on their name in the list and then drag them to their target (in the list). This only works if the unit and its target are in the same location in the New World. You may also attach units to Leaders, colonies, or Ships that are by the shore using the Game screen. Click on the units and drag them to the Leader, Colony Center (see the Founding A Colony section in the Colonies and Trade chapter), or Ship. If they can walk far enough on this turn to get to their target, they will attach to the target. Otherwise, you may need to wait until a later turn to attach them.
Diplomacy
The Diplomacy button takes you to the Diplomacy window from which you can send emissaries to other players, pay your taxes, and alter your relationships with other players and your Mother Country. Your taxes are set to “automated” so they will be paid automatically from your colonies’ Gold and commodities. See the Diplomacy chapter for more details on the use of diplomacy in Conquest
of the New World.
Messages
Clicking on the Messages button will list the significant events (Figure 9), if any, that transpired at the end of the preceding game turn.
Close this window by clicking on its center. Note: a Messages Window will automatically appear at the beginning of a game
turn when significant events have transpired on the preceding turn.
Game Scores
Clicking on the Game Scores button brings up information on how many victory points you have accrued to date. By clicking on the Current Standings button you will get information on how your opponents are doing as well. While it does not matter for this scenario, in other games the victor is determined by who reaches the preset winning score first or who, by the time the preset number of game turns have transpired, has the highest number of victory points.
Auto Map
Clicking on the Auto Map button brings up a small “zoomed out” picture of the world in the bottom left of your Game screen. This picture can help you
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For more efficient exploration, hold down the CTRL key while units move. If you click on the Game screen with the CTRL key depressed, the moving unit will start moving towards that spot. This is a very fast and efficient way to explore unknown territory (especially when you are trying to follow a new landmark such as a river or mountain range).
If you wish, you may press the Explore button on the Explorer’s window (Figure 15). The unit will automatically explore local areas for you. Note: The SHIFT key will speed up this movement as well. If you have chosen the Explore feature, the button will read “Halt” instead. Click on the Halt button to stop exploring in this way.
All units have a Movement Allotment that is represented by a red bar (Moves Remaining) on the unit’s window. As the unit expends movement points, the red bar will decrease in length and eventually disappear when the unit has moved all it may during the current game turn.
Click on the Persistent box in a unit’s window to place a check mark there. When this Persistent box is checked, units that can Explore will do so automatically at the beginning of every turn. For all units, clicking on this box will allow the unit to move to a desired destination over the course of several turns. If you change your mind and wish to control a unit’s movement, click on this box again to remove the check mark
You may explore the coastline with your Ship in the same way. Either click on
the Ship and drag it to where you wish it to go or click on the Explore button.
Other units (Leaders, Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Settlers) may only be moved by clicking and dragging. They all move considerably less distance per turn
than Explorers do, but their primary functions are different as well.
To cycle to the next unattached unit with a remaining movement allotment, click on the Next button at the top of the Game screen. When all units have expended all
their movement points, this button will be grayed out. Note: Units attached to Leaders or Ships automatically travel with those units. Units attached to colonies stay within the colony until you detach them (see the Attaching, Detaching, and Reorganizing section in the Units chapter).
As your units explore the New World, they will uncover terrain of all types. Among the things they will discover are rivers, mountains, mountain ranges, and
prefer. Be careful not to zoom out too much when you’re trying to move around, however, as some items will disappear from view!
To zoom in to the closest view or to zoom out to the farthest view, hold
down the SHIFT key while clicking on the + or - buttons.
You may also use the + and - keys on your keyboard to zoom in and out of
your Game screen.
The Next Button
When you wish to move your units, you may cycle to your next unattached unit (see Units chapter) by clicking on the Next button at the top of the Game screen. When all your unattached units have used up their movement allotments, this button will be grayed out.
You may cycle through selected unit types by using the F1 through F4 buttons on your keyboard:
F1 key: Next Colony F2 key: Next Leader F3 key: Next ship F4 key: Next Explorer
Note: The Next button will not take you to each of your colonies. To cycle
through your colonies in order to manage them, use the F1 key.
Explorers, Exploration, Basic Movement, and Discovering Major Landmarks
Your first mission is to establish landfall and start exploring the New World. To disembark units from your Ship, click on the Ship. Then either click on Disembark All to move everyone off the Ship at once, or click on the Cargo button, highlight the unit you wish to leave the Ship, and click on the Disembark button.
Your Explorers can move farther and more easily over all terrain types than any other unit. Select an Explorer by clicking on it and direct it where to go by dragging it to another spot on the map. It will do its best to get there in the most efficient way possible. Note: Units cannot cross lakes or walk on ocean squares.
You may make any unit travel more quickly by holding down the SHIFT key while the unit moves. You may also change your destination by clicking on the unit
(even while moving) and dragging it elsewhere.
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Founding a Good Colony
Colonies must find land suitable for farming as well as for the production of Wood, Metals, Gold and more for the construction of buildings and the recruitment of soldiers and other units. A balanced colony site will include grasslands near rivers (for the most productive farmland), access to the ocean (for building a Dock and establishing trade with the Mother Country), forests or jungles (for Mills and Wood), and mountains (for Gold and Metal mining). Proximity to a river will further enhance the productivity of Mines and Mills. In addition, much of the land surrounding the colony’s center should be flat since nothing can be built on hills or mountains.
It may be difficult to find the most ideal location. To determine whether or not a colony will do well somewhere, place the mouse cursor in a central location of some apparently suitable land. Press the Z key and see that various
squares are highlighted. For your first colony, make sure that one of the squares is an ocean square or a river square with access to the ocean (or you won’t be able to build a Dock and conduct vital trade with your Mother Country). Try to build a Dock on an ocean square so that you can build Ships; Docks built on lakes and
rivers act as trading posts and do not build Ships. Furthermore, Docks on lakes or rivers without access to the ocean cannot be used to conduct trade with your Mother Country. Make sure that some of your land is forested so that you can build good Mills. Finally, try to build by a river with neighboring grasslands. These grasslands will become your Farms. In the best of all possible worlds you will also have a small mountainous area adjacent to your colony’s territory. The lands near (or flat areas on) mountains are the richest sources of Gold and Metals.
If the highlighted areas seem suitable, name your colony (or accept the default name) and click on the OK button. If you change your mind about this colony, and if you have not clicked on the End Turn button yet, you can double-click on the Colony Center and select Undo Found to get your Settler back.
Getting Your New Colony Started
When you have founded a colony, double-click on the Colony Center. This will bring up your Colony window. From this screen you can do a number of things. First, you can see how much you have of the various commodities, including Gold, Metals, Wood, Goods, and Crops. You can also see how much of any of these you are expecting to receive (via trade or internal production) by the next turn.
great regions. When you discover one of these, you will be asked to name it. Name your discovery in the window that appears. If you are the first to discover this landmark, it will be named according to your dictates at the beginning of the next game turn. You may also find a Special Discovery, like a Diamond Deposit or a Gold Vein. These give you special bonuses, as you’ll see later.
You will gain victory points for discovering major landmarks. Furthermore, if you have discovered the longest river, highest mountain, etc., at the end of the game you will receive bonus victory points for this discovery. If, however, someone else has found such landmarks at the end of the game, they will earn those bonuses! To see what bonuses you have earned, click on the Menu button and select Game Scores.
When you have discovered three major landmarks, your first mission in the Tutorial scenario is complete. Note, you must discover three landmarks by the end of the tenth turn or the King will have you beheaded! Even before that, however, he will become extremely impatient with you. Make an extra effort to look for mountains and rivers. By moving along any mountain ranges or rivers you come upon, you will quickly make important discoveries.
Mission 2: Found a Colony
When you have completed your first mission, you will get a second edict from England. This is to take the new Ship that you’ve been sent and bring it to land. Place a Settler on a suitable location in the New World (with lots of flat land and other goodies) and found a colony. You must complete this mission before 20 turns total have elapsed.
Settler Units
Settler units look like little pilgrim women. They are the slowest moving pieces in the game and have no combat ability, but they carry with them all that is necessary to establish a new colony. Since Settlers move so slowly, it is a good idea to leave them on the faster- moving Ship until they are near a good colony site. Then disembark them, move to a new site, and found a colony by clicking on the Found button. Note: The Found button will be grayed out if you cannot establish a colony at the site you have chosen. Move your Settler around until the button is no longer grayed out.
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ocean access cannot be used for trade with your Mother Country.
Eventually you will want to build a Fort. Make sure you have a 2x2 square
upon which you can build a future Fort. Note: The buildings listed above are those you should aim to include one or
more of in your colony at an early stage in its development; this list is not meant to convey a rigid plan for building up your colony. Minimally, you will need Farms, Mills, and Housing at the very beginning. Before too long, you should also build Metal Mines to obtain the necessary metals for upgrading the Colony Center and other buildings in your settlement. Beyond that, how many and what type of buildings you choose to construct will depend largely on your own strategy for playing the game.
The Colony Center and all buildings start out as Level 1 structures. These are the least productive buildings. When you have enough resources to upgrade your Colony Center, the Upgrade button on the Colony window will brighten. If you check this box, on the next game turn your colony will have increased in size (by approximately one square around the perimeter) and you will be able to upgrade any buildings currently in the colony.
Upgrade buildings by double-clicking on the building and clicking in the Upgrade box that appears. You can only upgrade structures if you have the
necessary materials on hand and if the Colony Center is at a higher level than the building’s current level. By passing your cursor over the Upgrade box, the Status Bar will tell you what is required to upgrade a building and by how much you are short in relevant resources.
If you must rebuild a section of your colony, you can double-click on a building and then click on the Demolish button to remove the building from the colony. This
allows you to restructure your colony to best suit your needs as time goes by. Note: The building won’t be demolished until the beginning of your next turn, so you can’t build anything new at that site until then. On the following turn (when your building is demolished), you will get back a small portion of the materials that were used in its construction.
If you haven’t ended the turn yet and you change your mind about building a structure, upgrading a building, or demolishing one, simply double-click on the building and “undo” your instructions.
To build up your colony, click on the Build Building button. This brings up a list of buildings you can construct. If you do not have the supplies to build a particular structure, that building’s button will be grayed out. By passing your cursor over any button (even the grayed-out ones), you can see the materials required to build that building in the Status Bar.
To choose a building, click on its button. Your cursor will turn into the building type you have selected. All available land (and water for Docks) for building will be highlighted around your Colony Center. By passing the building cursor over the highlighted colony areas, you can obtain information on the building’s productivity if placed in a particular location. The Status Bar will also tell you if you can’t build that structure where you’re trying to place it and why you can’t do this. To place a building on a site, simply click with your building cursor on a
suitable location.
First, find some suitable farming land (look for the highest productivity modifier you can). Place one or two Farms on the land.
Then click on the Mill button and find the land that yields the highest productivity modifier for producing Wood. Build several Mills.
Click on the Gold Mine button and try to find a site where the productivity modifier is greater than -100%. Otherwise the Status Bar will inform you that
building at that site will be useless because the productivity modifier is so low that the mine will yield no Gold. Build a Gold Mine if you can find a suitable location.
Click on the Metal Mine button and try to find a site where the productivity will be greater than 0%. If you can’t find such a site, choose any location you like.
Metal Mines normally yield at least one Metal per turn for a Level 1 building regardless of where they are built! Build several Metal Mines.
Build some Housing and a Church (encourages immigration) on the least useful land you have.
Finally, build a Dock on an ocean square, if possible (so you can build Ships).
Otherwise, settle for building a Dock on a river with access to the ocean (so you can still trade with your Mother Country). In the worst case, you can build a Dock on an inland river or lake square. Docks built on such squares serve solely as trading posts, a necessary building for any new colony, but Docks without
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New: Clicking on this button brings up a window with option from which you can choose to buy from or sell to your Mother Country, to trade with natives, to give or demand tribute from other players, to barter with other players, or to transfer supplies between your colonies. Select “buy from” or “sell to” the Mother Country (if you are playing as a European). (This option is named “Europe” if you declare independence from your country.) Trade with your country involves buying or selling commodities. This is the primary way European players can buy the Goods needed to build a Commerce building (which will produce Goods) and to make later upgrades. Selling resources to the Mother Country is also a way to acquire the Gold you will need for upgrades, recruiting Leaders, and making Settlers. Select “Trade with Natives” to trade with native Indians (if there are any close by) for everything except Goods. Select “Transfer to Colony” to send resources to other colonies. Finally, if you have established contact with another player, you can choose to demand or give tribute to that player or attempt to barter with that player or establish a Trade Alliance (if relations are good enough).
Trades with the Mother Country or Europe require a Dock built on an ocean or on a river with access to the ocean and take several turns to complete. Trades within the New World require one or more turns to complete, depending on the distance between colonies and known trade routes. Overland trade requires significantly more time than ocean-borne trade. Note, you may make several trades with your Mother Country every turn, but you may only make one trade per turn with natives. Trades with Natives occur immediately.
Edit: Click on a trade in the scrolling list of trades to alter that particular trade. Note: Trades with natives cannot be altered since they take place immediately.
Remove: Click on a trade in the scrolling list of trades. Then click on the
Remove button to retract that trade.
Crates: This button brings up the Crate list, if you’ve closed it. Done: Click here to close the Trade list.
Besides the above options, you may also commission a Leader from your Colony window if you have sufficient resources. See the Units chapter and Colonies and Trade chapter for more information on recruiting Leaders and their characteristics.
Finally, if you decide you’ve picked a rotten site for a colony and you have not yet
ended your turn (after which it will be too late), simply click on the Undo Found button in your Colony window. This will return your Settler, and you can choose
a new colony site.
Finding Out More About the Colony and Trade
There are several more buttons in the Colony window that provide additional
useful information and options.
The Population Detail button brings up the Population Detail window. This window shows the colony’s base (current) population, the number of units in the colony, its total population, and maximum population (based on current Housing). It also shows how much labor (Labor Demand) the current industries in the colony require and how much Free Labor there is. Free Labor is positive if not everyone in the colony is employed. It is negative when there is a labor shortage. This window shows how the various population parameters are expected to change by the next turn (in parentheses). It also indicates the number of Crops needed to feed the current population and how any Churches are contributing to the immigration rate. Note: You must have enough Crops (from internal production, current supplies, or trade) to feed your colonists or they will start emigrating.
The Commodity Detail button brings up the Commodity Detail window. This window provides vital information on how many resources your colony is producing and consuming per turn. Production is given as how many units of a particular commodity your colony is producing out of how many it can produce (based on its buildings). If the current production is less than the colony’s capabilities, that indicates that the colony needs more labor (people) or raw materials to maximize its production. This window also shows how many Crops or other commodities your colony is consuming per turn. Finally, it shows how many resources you are obtaining through trade as well as the total net production (or consumption) of each commodity.
The Trade button allows your colony to conduct trade with the Mother Country, other players, native players, and other colonies and to create Trade Alliances. You can only establish trade with other players once you have encountered them in the game (by discovering one of their colonies). The Trade button brings up the Trade list and the Crate list. The Trade screen has a scrolling list of current trades as well as the following options:
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to get to the French since most units take forever to negotiate the intervening hilly and mountainous terrain.
Disembark your units near the French, and click and drag them towards the Colony Center or towards the French Settler (Figure 3). Select the Capture or Raid button if you are attacking their colony or the Attack button if you are attempting to destroy their Settler. When your turn ends, you will be engaged in tactical combat with the enemy.
Figure 3. Attacking a colony.
Basic Combat
Each side’s units begin in their “reserves.” The row of squares next to the reserves is called the home row. When it is your turn, click on the unit you wish to move and move it to one of the highlighted squares. When you are close enough to fire on the
enemy, click on the units you wish to conduct the attack and then click on the target square occupied by enemy units. Your goal is to force your opponents to retreat, to eliminate them, or to enter the square containing their flag.
Infantry units can only move forwards, backwards, or sideways by one square per turn. Or, they may initiate an attack. Cavalry units can move two squares per turn (not diagonally) or move up to one square and attack. Artillery units may move one square per turn (although they must stay in the row closest to your side) or they may fire on the enemy. Infantry units and Cavalry units can only attack opponents in squares in front, behind, or next to them. Artillery units can fire on any square in the column they occupy.
The more different types of units attacking at one time, the better their chances of success. This is a combined arms bonus to your attack. To launch a combined arms attack, click on each unit you wish to involve in the attack. When you are done selecting all such units, click on the target enemy square.
Cavalry will launch better attacks if they have moved before they attack (a charging bonus). However, they will not receive this bonus if they panicked and retreated during the preceding turn.
Finally, if you do not wish to engage in the necessary hands-on work required for building up a colony, you can click on the Auto Colony button. If you do this, the computer will make all the necessary decisions on what to build, demolish, and trade based on what it assesses your greatest needs to be. See the Building list for details on what the Auto Colony feature has done for you during the turn.
Mission 3: Upgrade Your Colony Center To Level 2
To upgrade your first Colony Center you must have 20 Wood and 5 Metals. You can obtain these by building productive Mills and Metal Mines and sufficient Housing to acquire the labor to run these industries. You may also trade whatever resources you can produce to the Mother Country or natives for Gold and then purchase the remaining resources required. In order to trade with the Mother Country your settlement must have a Dock built on an ocean square or on a river with access to the ocean!
See the above sections and the Colonies and Trade chapter for more information on upgrading and developing your colony.
You must complete this third mission by the end of the 30th game turn.
Mission 4: Eliminate The French From the New World!
In the Tutorial scenario you are playing against a French player. For your last mission, some natives have promised to locate the new French settlement for you. You must build a Fort and recruit military units for combat. Then you must prevent the French from establishing a new colony or eliminate their colony if one is already established. You must complete this mission by the end of turn 40.
To build a Fort, when you have sufficient supplies, click on the Build Building button in your Colony window. Select a Fort and place it in your colony. On subsequent turns, double-click on the Fort and click next to Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery to build one of these units by the following turn. When you have built enough units, use the Leaders you already have or commission new ones (through the Colony window) and attach your military units to these Leaders (see Attaching, Detaching, and Reorganizing section of the Units chapter).
Finally, embark Leaders and units on your Ships (either your old Ships or new ones built by double-clicking on your Dock and selecting Construct Ship) and set sail for the French colony or Settler. Sailing will probably be your fastest way
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Mission Accomplished
If you successfully complete the Tutorial scenario, you will have learned how to use the basic elements in the game. You are now ready to strike out on your own.
CUSTOM MAKING YOUR OWN GAME
From the Game Menu screen you can elect to start a new solitaire game. In the Scenario screen, choose Custom to create your own new game.
Choosing Custom will bring up the Custom Game Setup screen (Figure 4) where you will be able to set various parameters for your new game and the game’s world.
Figure 4. Custom Game Setup screen
Note: When you choose to play a multiplayer game against other human players, the person setting up the game assigns the same parameters as are listed in the following section. See the Multiplayer Games chapter for more information on setting up such games.
The Custom Game Setup Screen
You can give your game a unique name by clicking in the Game Name box and typing in a new name for your game.
Computer Players: Select the number of computer opponents for your game by clicking on upper or lower boxes to increase or decrease this number. You may play a truly solitaire game (against no opponents) or you may play against as many as five computer opponents.
Max Turns: Select the number of turns you wish the game to take. This number can be from zero (called “Unlimited”), if you wish there to be no turn limit, to
300. The player with the maximum score at the end of this turn number will win the game (unless a player has reached the Winning Score before this time). See Winning The Game for more information.
Winning Score: Select the winning number of victory points. When a player reaches this number (within the selected number of maximum game turns), the
Attacks are more effective when they involve units in more than one square. For attacks that stem from multiple squares, this added effectiveness is called a flanking bonus. The more squares involved in an attack the greater this bonus is. Note: Flanking bonuses and combined arms bonuses are additive. So, the more squares from which an attack is launched and the more unit types involved in the attack, the stronger the attack will be!
Finally, Artillery units’ fire is more effective the closer their target is to them, and attacks by Infantry and Cavalry on unaided Artillery (no other unit types in the target square) are more likely to cause damage than attacks on otherwise situated Artillery units.
Note: Each of the bonuses described above, unless otherwise indicated, increases the effectiveness of an attack by increasing the probability that the attacking unit(s) will hit their opponents. These bonuses do not increase the number of hits or shots made by the attacking units.
The number of attacks you can launch during each combat turn depends on the level of your Leader. The number of moves each unit can make per combat turn is only limited by the unit type.
When units are fired upon, they may lose strength. The number next to the unit will decrease. Their attacks will decrease in strength corresponding to how much strength the units lose. When a unit’s strength hits zero, it dies. Units do not heal during combat or while traveling; they must be in a colony in order to heal (at the rate of one strength point per turn).
When units get damaged, they may panic (lose morale) and retreat one square back towards their reserves. The more damage they have taken, the more likely that they will retreat. Their morale is also affected by the Charisma of their Leader and the Reputation of the opposing Leader. The higher their Leader’s Charisma, the less likely they are to panic. The higher the Reputation of the opposing Leader, the more likely they are to panic. If a unit’s path of retreat is blocked, the panicked unit will suffer an additional point of damage and remain in the same location.
To ensure winning your battle, make certain that you have sent plenty of units and reinforcements towards the French settlement. Attack the settlement repeatedly until you succeed in capturing it or destroying it (by raiding it).
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availability of resources (terrain-based productivity modifiers) in computer players’ colonies. In addition, native Indians are more likely to be hostile towards you at higher difficulty levels. Friendly natives will trade with your colonies and will not attack wandering units. Hostile natives will attack units that are too close to their settlements.
When you have selected the features for your game and its world, click on the Player Setup button to select features and specific victory conditions for your character.
World Size: If you’d like to play in a crowded world, you can limit the number of grids in the world. Normally, it’s 256 by 256 square, but you can cut it back all the way to 80 by 80 if you want.
Early Diplomacy: Here’s an exciting twist. You can allow all players to do Diplomacy even before they’re Independent. But be careful – you could make your Mother Country angry!
Setting Up Your Player Characteristics
The Player Setup screen (Figure 5) allows you to name your player and assign various victory conditions or special abilities.
Figure 5. The Player Setup screen
Player Name: Click in this box and type in a unique name for your character.
Play As: Select your Mother Country. Selecting one of the European countries (Britain, Holland, France, Portugal, or Spain) will start you out with a few units on
a Ship that has just sighted land. From there you must disembark your units, start exploring, and eventually found colonies. It makes no difference which country you choose, except for changing the flag under which your units travel. Choosing Native, however, will alter some of the options you have later in the game. Only one player can play as each of the
European countries or as Natives.
Note: Choosing to play as Natives will materially affect many elements of your game. Aside from beginning on the left edge of the New World (instead of the
game will end and that player will win. This number may be anything from zero (also called “Unlimited”), which represents no preset winning score, to 200,000. See Winning the Game for more information on victory points.
Indian Settlements: Select a number from zero to 50. This will be the number of native Indian settlements scattered throughout the New World.
Land Seeds: Select the number of land seeds that the program uses to generate
the world. The more land seeds (relative to water seeds) you select, the more land there will be in the New World and the more likely that all the land will be part of one huge continent.
Water Seeds: Select the number of water seeds that the program uses to generate the world. The more water seeds there are (relative to land seeds), the more water there will be in the New World. It will also tend to increase the number of islands in the New World. Too much water may end up making the New World nearly uninhabitable.
Resources Are: You can select the general productivity level of the land when you build Mills, Farms, and Mines in your colonies. Resources can be set to scarce, normal, or abundant depending on the level of challenge you wish your new colonies to face.
Play Time Bonus Is: You can select the time penalties (for taking too long to complete turns) and bonuses (for ending turns expeditiously) to players. This bonus may be turned off if you don’t wish to play against the clock; it may be normal or extreme. For each turn, you start off with a preset number of seconds in which to complete all your actions. If you complete them early, you will gain victory points; if you are too slow, you will lose victory points. See Winning the Game for more information on victory points.
Movement Is: Select Easy, Normal, or Difficult to alter the distance which units can move in the New World. The easier the movement, the farther units will be able to move on each turn.
Difficulty Is: Select Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, or very hard difficulty levels depending on how much of a challenge you wish to face. The first few times you play Conquest of the New World, you may wish to set the level to easy so that you can get accustomed to playing the game. For later games, move up the difficulty level to keep pace with your increasing skill. The difficulty level affects the
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