NOTICE TEXTE n° 1 (18.54 Ko)
LEGIONS
OF DEATH
LOTHLORIEN
Amstrad
Objective and setting
The game is set during the Punic Wars, a major conflict between the Roman
Republic and Carthage which lasted from 264BC to the destruction of the
Carthaginian capital in 146BC.
The game concentrates on the crucial factor governing the outcome of that
series of wars - naval supremacy.
In 264BC, by a vote of the assembly of the people, a Roman army crossed the
Straits of Messina to aid the Mamertines of Messana (Messina) against Carthage.
It was thus on the economically rich island of Sicily that the two nations
first met head-on.
The campaign went well for Rome, but it soon became apparent that she could
not hold the Sicilian ports and coastal plains without a fleet to prevent
Carthaginian supplies and reinforcements coming ashore. With help from King
Hiero of Syracuse, they set about building ships after the Greek pattern - but
with a vitally important difference.
Greek ships of the period were designed to ram and sink enemy vessels. A
massive "rostra" projected from the front of the ship, and was able to cave in
an enemy hull at the waterline. The Romans had more faith in their infantry
than in sailors, though. By fitting their ships with a corvus - a manoeuvrable
boarding plank - they could transfer their soldiers to an enemy vessel once it
had been grappled and pulled longside.
Once aboard, Roman discipline and training would do the rest!
The battle arena covers the central Mediterranean, and the Cartographic
screen display allows close-up views of specific areas within that zone.
Your task is to ensure that your fleet gains the upper hand, while protecting
your own ports. Failure to handle your forces effectively will lead inexorably
to defeat, even though you yourself lay own the conditions for victory.
Computer play
If you select one player mode, you will be given command of the Carthaginian
fleet.
The computer will construct its own fleet and place its ships to its best
advantage.
At the start of each game, the disposition of the computer's ships will vary
according to the victory conditions you have set.
Once play starts, the computer will move its fleet intelligently in order to
confound your strategy and to achieve its own objectives.
Conclusion
The game ends when one side achieves the pre-set victory conditions.
The computer will then ask if you wish to start a new game.
Gameplay - Amstrad version
Load the game, using 48K mode if you have a 128K machine, and the computer will
give you a menu of options.
All selections can be made by joystick or keyboard. When using the joystick
the usual backward/forward, right/left conventions apply. Moving on will
confirm selections and call up the next screen where appropriate. To move on,
give the fire or direction instruction as required.
When using the keyboard, the key designations are as follows:
8 = Up 2 = Down
4 = Left/Less than 6 = Right/Greater than
Space bar = Fire/Confirm
If you take the computer opponent option, you will play Carthage, and the
computer will command the Roman fleet. If you select the two-player
alternative, Carthage will buy and position first. The program will
automatically switch between the players to give the sequence - Carthage buys
its fleet; Rome buys its fleet; Carthage places its fleet; Rome places its
fleet. In two player mode, Rome issues fleet orders before Carthage.
Victory Conditions
The Down Cursor key will unroll the scroll for setting victory conditions.
Victory conditions are set by the human player(s), and cover the three
categories of:
1. Gold held in the capital city
2. Cities captured
3. Enemy ships sunk
Care should be taken when selecting victory conditions. Remember that these
criteria apply to your opponent too. The computer will play aggressively, and
will take full advantage of victory conditions which are too easily achieved.
Building your fleet
Before starting your campaign you must first build your ships and man them.
When buying your fleet you will have an initial treasury of 1000 gold pieces.
You do not have to spend all of this money.
The screens allowing you to build your ships introduce the first of a series
of icons which enable you to find your way through the command structure and
make your decisions. A flow chart of these icons is printed on the inlay card.
BUY
This icon enables you to start the buying process. Selection of this option
will call up a series of screens requiring you to decide between types of
vessel, types of crew, and so on. All selections are made by using the
joystick.
The first choice to be made is that of ship. The types of vessel are listed
on the parchment which unrolls at the left of the screen. There are five types
of vessel, and each has its own characteristics in terms of size, speed, hull
strength, and the numbers of troops she can carry.
The smallest ship is the bireme, which has only two banks of oars. It is
nevertheless quite fast, but has sacrificed hull strength to achieve speed.
By contrast, the massive Ct Heptares is the slowest of the five ship designs,
but has formidable hull strength and can carry large numbers of troops.
Information on each ship type is as below:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| | Max | Max | Max | Max No | Max No |
|-----------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------|
|Ship | Gold | Speed | Hull | Marines | Archers |
|-----------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------|
|Bireme | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| | | | | | |
|Trireme | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| | | | | | |
|Quadreme | 23 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| | | | | | |
|Quinquereme | 32 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 |
| | | | | | |
|Ct Heptares | 45 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 4 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Once you have chosen your first ship you may then man and equip it. A list of
options will be displayed on a roll at the left of the screen. Details are
given below:
Crews. The choice of crews affects the number of moves a ship can make at
full speed. You may choose between four types - slaves, green, average and
expert. The better the crew the more moves can be made at maximum speed. The
crew type also affects the outcome of grappling actions.
Naturally, crew costs vary according to type and the size of the vessel they
sail on. Details are given below. The figures given are the number of gold
pieces per crew.
-----------------------------------------------------------
|Ship Type | Slaves | Green | Average | Expert |
|-----------------+---------+---------+---------+---------|
|Bireme | 15 | 23 | 33 | 48 |
| | | | | |
|Trireme | 33 | 44 | 65 | 83 |
| | | | | |
|Quadreme | 42 | 55 | 75 | 105 |
| | | | | |
|Quinquereme | 47 | 62 | 80 | 112 |
| | | | | |
|Ct Heptares | 70 | 86 | 108 | 140 |
-----------------------------------------------------------
Marines. Each ship type is allowed a maximum number of marines. These men are
used to fight in the grappling sequences. The more marines a ship has, the
greater the chance of capturing the enemy vessel. Each marine costs two gold
pieces.
Corvus. The corvus is a stout boarding plank which is lowered onto the deck
of an enemy ship. A heavy metal spike at the business end prevents
disengagement until the attacking ship is ready to break off the grappling
action. Possession of a corvus makes boarding a much quicker and effective
operation, but may mean you also provide a means for enemy soldiers to board
your ship.
The corvus is a Roman invention. Therefore in a game against the computer you
should assume that all enemy ships will carry it.
The corvus costs 21 gold pieces.
Archers. Archers will be of use in any actions, even when contact is made
between ships but neither ship elects to grapple and board its adversary. Each
archer costs 2 gold pieces.
Tower. The tower is a wooden structure which enables your archers to increase
their range and have better visibility of enemy decks and rigging. The tower
costs 9 gold pieces.
Sails. Sails are used to give a ship with the wind behind it an extra move in
each phase. Conversely, a ship will lose its last move in each phase if the
wind is head-on. A wind at any other heading will have the effect of modifying
the set course and speed according to the interplay of orders and wind
direction.
The large Cartographic display has a compass-like icon in the top right hand
corner, which shows the direction the wind is blowing to. It is important to
refer to this feature whenever you are using sails. The wind direction will
change at random during the game.
Sails cost 10 gold pieces, and can be raised or lowered during the game, but
will be lost if they are up during ramming.
Escape. Selection of fire/select will confirm purchase of your ship as you
have specified, and will move you back to the icon option screen.
You now have the opportunity to buy further vessels. To vary the make-up of
your fleet, reselect the BUY icon. You can, however, make other choices.
COPY
This icon will allow you to duplicate the last vessel bought.
REDO
This will enable you to cancel the last ship you bought and reformat it to
any pattern you prefer.
By moving between BUY, COPY and REDO you can construct your fleet to suit
your preferences and treasury. If you wish to buy more ships, you may return to
this group of icons at any stage during the game by selecting the REPAIR icon
(see flow chart).
Once you are satisfied with your fleet, select icon RETURN.
Positioning your ships
You will now be asked to position your ships. They must be placed in your own
ports. The program will not allow you to place vessels at any other location.
Each port position is indicated by a different coloured square to the port.
It is possible for several ships to be placed at one port, but each ship must
occupy a separate square.
Ths ships can be placed by making combined use of the Cartographic display on
the left of the screen, and the close-up view to the right.
Note that in the computer-opponent mode you will now be able to see where
Rome has placed her ships. An important point to remember is that Rome can
start the game with ships already at sea and will begin with a full fleet
complement of 16 vessels.
Once you have placed your ships, you will be ready to issue movement orders.
Issuing movement orders
To issue orders to your fleet requires correct manipulation of the command and
enquiry structure of the program. The flow chart printed on the inlay card will
enable you to follow the correct routes.
Explanations of the icons shown at each level in the chart are as follows:
GO
This is a command to carry out the next phase of ship movements orders. Unless
new orders have been issued, the previous courses and speeds will be
maintained, subject to collisions, wind changes and other relevant factors. If
no orders have been issued to your vessels, enemy ships will still carry out
their own manoeuvres if this icon is selected. Failure to give orders to your
fleet effectively allows total freedom of the battle area to your opponent.
TAPE
This icon will take you to the screen which enables you to save or load a
part-finished game, or allow a fresh start by taking you back to the beginning
of the program.
ORDERS
This icon will trigger the sequence of screens necessary to issue movement
commands to your fleet. In two player mode, one the ORDERS icons is replaced by
SWAP (see note below).
It should be noted that orders can only be issued to individual ships, not to
all vessels in a blanket fashion.
LOOK!
Selecting this icon will enable you to explore the battle area by making use of
LEGIONS OF DEATH'S Cartographic display screens.
Ships can be identified on the larger map as tiny dots, enabling you to home
in for a closer look more easily. Use of this feature will enable you not only
to focus on your ships, but also those of your opponent. By positioning the
central sighting square over an enemy ship, you will be given a limited amount
of information about the vessel, ie name and type. Reference to the
specifications given above will then enable you to make an educated estimate of
the possible strength of crew and weaponry on board, as well as its potential
speed and hull strength.
Use of this option is a mandatory first step when issuing orders to any
vessel outside the range of the close-up Cartographic display.
STATUS
By selecting this icon you can discover how the game is proceeding, and remind
yourself of the victory conditions you have set down.
SELECT
This icon is a mandatory selection when you wish to issue instructions to your
fleet.
As mentioned previously, orders can only be given to individual ships. This
icon allows you to target that ship, thus enabling you to gain access to the
rest of the command structure of the program.
When this icon is chosen, you are asked to select a ship. This is done by
positioning the sighting square as described previously, but over your own
vessel.
Details about this ship will then be displayed, and by leaving the SELECT
mode you have identified which vessel the orders which follow relate to. By
pressing Fire, you may continue with your instructions to the selected ship.
GOLD
By selecting this option you will be able to carry out various operations in
port, such as collecting tribute and carrying out repairs. It is also the first
step in buying vessels to enlarge your initial fleet.
SAILS
Selecting this icon will reverse the status of your sails. By selecting and
reselecting you can put your sails up or down at any point during the game.
SPEED
This option icon will allow you to check the current and target speeds of your
ship, and ammend them as required. Note that only one unit of speed change is
possible in each cycle of moves. To move from speed of 1 to 3, or vice versa,
will therefore take two moves.
COURSE
By selecting this option you will be able to alter the current course being
followed by your ship. If the vessel is at rest, you will be given the course
last ordered. Move Up, Down, Left or Right as required to alter course. The
faster a ship is moving, the more difficult a course change will be.
Whatever speed your ship is doing, however, you will be unable to make
radical course changes unless the vessel is stationary. In that case, you will
be asked to select a new course, or you may continue with the old course if
preferred.
SWITCH MENU
This option allows you to toggle between two option screens (see flow chart
for icons on each screen).
REPAIR
This icon allows access to several useful features (see flow chart). With the
exception of buying new ships, however, the icons reached through this option
can only be used if the ship selected is actually in port. Once the game has
started, and unless you are positioning newly bought vessels, the different
coloured squares which show the available berths in a port will disappear. It
is therefore possible to be just outside a port unless you pay close attention
to your game.
COLLECT
Largely self-explanatory, but can only be used in friendly port which has gold
ready to pick up.
DEPOSIT
As the previous icon, but in reverse. The same conditions on ship position
apply.
SWAP
In two player mode, this replaces one of the ORDERS icons and initiates a
change of turn, allowing your opponent to make his moves.
NEW GAME
This option allows you to return to the beginning of the program and start a
new game.
SAVE
This option icon allows you to save a part finished game onto cassette.
LOAD
This icon enables you to load a part finished game from cassette.
RETURN
This icon appears at several points in the program. It enables you to return to
the previous screen, ie. the screen immediately upstream on the flow chart. A
quick look at the chart itself will show exactly how this works. From the
diagram you can see that on some occasions you may have to engage several
RETURN icons in succession in order to travel between any two screens.
Playing hints
Whether playing against a human or computer opponent, beware of making the
victory conditions too easy, since they apply to both parties in this contest
of skill and planning.
If you are playing against the computer remember that Rome will start the
game with certain advantages. You must therefore spend your money wisely when
building your fleet, and it may be advisable to economise on equipment in the
opening stages in order to buy as many ships as possible. With the tribute you
can then collect, you can construct more formidable vessels to attack enemy
ships and ports.
Again, when playing against the computer, you must expect your opponent to
play very aggressively. Rome will try to send large numbers of ships against
any isolated vessel, and due allowance must be made for this tendency to hunt
in packs.
The realistic use of grappling engagements requires you to use your judgement
when involved in this type of action, and where possible you should avoid
situations where you cannot inflict damage relatively safely.
LEGIONS OF DEATH is designed to incorporate all the skills of judgement,
forethought, and quick effective response to rapidly changing circumstances
which a fleet admiral would have needed in this type of warfare.
Without close attention to detailed tactics and overall strategy, mistakes
will be punished heavily and often with remarkable speed.
©Lothlorien 1986
Lothlorien Software
Victory House
Leicester Place
London WC2H 7NB