Commandos Behind Enemy Lines Manual

Commandos Behind Enemy Lines Manual
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Epilepsy Warning Read before using your IBM PC or Compatible computer or allowing your children to use the system. A very small percentage of people have a condition that causes them to experience an epileptic seizure or altered consciousness when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights, including those that appear on a monitor screen and while playing games. Such people may have no medical history of seizures or epilepsy. Please take the following precautions to minimize any risk: Prior to use • If you or anyone in your family has ever had an epileptic condition or has experienced altered consciousness when exposed to flickering light, consult your doctor prior to playing. • Sit at least 2.5ft away from the screen. • If you are tired or have not had much sleep, rest and commence playing only after you are fully rested. • Make sure that the room in which you are playing is well lit. During use • Rest for at least 10 minutes per hour while playing a video game. • Parents should supervise their children's use of video games. If you or your child experiences any of the following symptoms while playing a video game:dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement or convulsions IMMEDIATELY discontinue use and consult your doctor. CONTENTS HISTORY SETUP THE MAIN MENU NEW GAME MENU SINGLE PLAYER MULTIPLAYER TUTORIALS RESTART MISSION LOAD QUICK SAVED GAME PASSWORD EXIT SAVE GAME MENU LOAD GAME OPTIONS USER PROFILE NAME SOUND VOLUME VIDEO OPTIONS GAME REFERENCES EXIT HELP CREDITS QUIT GAME 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 THE MAP NOTEBOOK SELECTING SOLDIERS MOVING SOLDIERS HIT THE DIRT AND CRAWL THE KNAPSACK USE OF REMOTELY ACTIVATED ITEMS USE OF DEVICES IN THE MISSION PICKING UP AN ITEM IN THE MISSION VEHICLES BUILDINGS CAMERAS 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 14 14 THE ENEMY SIGHT HEARING SOLDIERS, PATROLS, ARTILLERY POSTS, VEHICLES AND TROOP BARRACKS IF YOU ARE DISCOVERED... 15 15 16 17 17 TACTICAL ADVICE YOUR MEN GREEN BERET DRIVER MARINE SAPPER SNIPER SPY 18 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 THE GAME: BASIC CONCEPTS THE TUTORIALS MENU THE MISSIONS TAKING CARE OF YOUR CAREER ASSIGNING OBJECTIVES: THE BRIEFING THE COMMANDOS 6 6 7 7 8 8 THE MULTIPLAYER GAME PLAYER “COMMANDOS” ON A LOCAL NETWORK THE MULTIPLAYER GAME: A QUICK GUIDE TROUBLESHOOTING KEYS ACTION HOT KEYS 27 27 27 29 29 29 Limited Warranty EIDOS Interactive reserves the right to make improvements in the product described in this manual, at any time and without notice. EIDOS Interactive makes no warranties expressed or implied, with respect to this manufactured material, its quality, merchantability or fitness from any particular purpose. If any defect arises during the ninety day limited warranty on the product itself (i.e. not the software program, which is provided “as is”) return it in its original condition to the point of purchase. THE GAME: CONTROLS THE MISSION 9 9 CREDITS 31 ocs.com http://www.replacementd 1 HISTORY A HANDFUL OF EXCEPTIONAL MEN... “...no routine, no bureaucracy... only pure operations, whose success depends basically on oneself and on the men that have been chosen to carry out the task. This is revolutionary” Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clark It is late 1940. The Axis forces control all of Western Europe. Momentarily held back by the English Channel, the German army gathers strength for an imminent invasion of Great Britain. However, there is one man in the British ranks that will not resign himself to play a merely defensive role. This man is Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clark. His plan was to create a special unit with a handful of exceptional men. Men who are skilled at handling any type of weapon and excel in all forms of combat. Men who are able to hit the enemy hard in the most dangerous circumstances and live to fight another day. Men who could change the course of the war by taking the fight behind the enemy lines. Due to the special characteristics of this unit, the officers who conceived and created the Commandos were forced to forget most of what they had learnt at the military academies. The Commando doctrine was to use small units, carrying out stealthy raids. Units had to be self-reliant and able to take the initiative when faced with unexpected situations. Men with highly varied specialties and background, who went through mercilessly tough training at the Scottish castle of Achnacarry, and left there prepared to face just about anything -except incompetent commanders. Throughout the war, the Commandos showed great unity and discipline in combat. On several occasions, determined soldiers carried out perilous actions with great heroism. At war’s end, the Commandos had accumulated the largest number of decorations received by a single Army unit: 8 Victoria Crosses, 37 Distinguished Service Orders, 162 Military Crosses, 32 Distinguished Conduct Medals and 218 Military Medals. This game wishes to pay a modest tribute to those men, who were witnesses and privileged actors in several of the most dramatic and decisive moments of the Second World War: men who were fated to make History. SETUP The Commandos installation program runs automatically when the CD-ROM is inserted into the unit, if it detects that the game has not been previously installed. In case your CD-ROM unit does not have the AutoRun option activated, you can open the installation program by double clicking on the Setup program that appears in the root directory of the CD-ROM. The complete setup menu is available in the Commando launch program (autoruns). Once the installation program has begun, follow the on-screen instructions. Once the game has been installed, you can start playing by selecting the appropriate option in the Programs submenu of the Start menu. You can uninstall Commandos at any time by selecting the corresponding option in the Programs menu, or using the option Add and Remove programs in the Control Panel. Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines requires the following system specifications: • Windows 95 ( or Windows 98) • DirectX 5.0 or greater installed • DXMedia Installed (available on game CD) • Pentium ( class 120mhz or equivalent processor) • 16 MB of Ram (32 Recommended) • Fast 1MB SVGA Card (compatible with DirectX 5.0+) • 135 MB of Uncompressed Hard Drive Space • 4X CD Rom (8x recommended) • Keyboard and Mouse • 16bit Soundcard is recommended NOTE: We have not tested on and do not support gameplay on Windows NT or Laptop computers. THE MAIN MENU When you enter the game, the Main Menu will be displayed. Menu ME01 From this menu you can select all the options in the game. You can also access the Main Menu from within the game by pressing the Escape (ESC) key at any time. Moving around the Main Menu and its submenus is simple: • Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move through the options. • To select the desired option, press Enter or click on the option with the mouse. • If you are in a submenu, press Escape or right-click to return to the previous menu. • If you find yourself in the Main Menu during a game, press Escape or right-click, and you will return to the game. 2 3 The options of the Main Menu are as follows: If different people play with Commandos in the same computer, see below in the section on OPTIONS / USER PROFILE NAME so that each person can have their own set of slots in which to save their games. NEW GAME MENU Permits you to start a new game of Commandos. When you choose this option, the following submenu will appear: SINGLE PLAYER Lets you begin a new game of Commandos for a single player. MULTIPLAYER Lets you begin a Commandos Multiplayer game. Use this option to play with other people in a LAN (IPX or NT based) network, over a TCP/IP (Internet Connection or on the Mplayer gaming service. (see later in this manual, in the chapter on Multiplayer Mode) TUTORIALS Takes your to the Commando Training Camp where you can learn the game. RESTART MISSION Restarts the current mission after you have lost a Commando or failed an objective. LOAD QUICK SAVED GAME Lets you load the last quick saved (Ctrl + S) game. PASSWORD This option allows you to play directly any of the missions in Commandos. To do this, each time that you successfully complete a mission you will be given a password to access the next mission. Write down the password so that you can use for the next mission or to replay a specific mission. EXIT Takes you back to the previous menu. LOAD GAME When you select this option, you will see a list of the available slots. Choose the desired slot to recover one of the saved games. Remember that if the game that you wish to load has been saved with the Quick Save system, then you will have to recover it pressing Control + L or selecting the option NEW GAME / LOAD QUICK SAVE GAME. OPTIONS This element in the Main Menu permits you to change certain game parameters. When you select this element, the following submenu will be displayed: USER PROFILE NAME If several people play with Commandos on the same computer, by using this option each one of them can have their own set of saved games and their own game options. Each time you want to play, choose this option and enter a gameplay name or nickname. If this is the first time you do this, a new set of game values and slots for saving games will be created. If you have already entered your name previously, this action will recover the set of values that belongs to you. SOUND VOLUME This option allows you to adjust the volume of the game sound effects. Select this option and then press the right arrow for volume increase or the left arrow for volume decrease. You can also drag the volume slider by clicking on it with the mouse, and then dragging it sideways without releasing the button. VIDEO OPTIONS Use this option to select your favorite resolution for playing Commandos. The greater the resolution is, the wider the game area will be that you can view on your screen, but on the other hand, everything will be smaller. GAME PREFERENCES Here you can select three options that affect the way you play. To change, highlight choice, then press the arrow keys left or right to select. • Submissive / Indifferent to enemy halt: When one of your soldiers is carrying out a movement order and an enemy orders him to halt, this option will determine what he does until he receives new orders from you. If you have selected Submissive, the soldier will halt. If you have selected Indifferent, the soldier will attempt to continue on his way. (default is Indifferent) SAVE GAME MENU When you select this option, you will see a list of slots where you can save the current game. Choose one of the slots, give it a file name and the current game will be saved for retrieval. You can also quick save the game by pressing Control + S during the game (quick save system), although you will not be able to give a name to a game that is saved in this manner. To reload it, select NEW GAME / LOAD QUICK SAVE GAME, or press Control + L during the game. 4 5 • Verbose / Laconic Commandos: This option determines whether your soldiers will speak or remain silent in response to your orders. (default is Verbose) • Commandos Warning ON/OFF: this option turns on or off the Commandos warning flashes. (ON is default) EXIT Takes you back to the previous menu. THE MISSIONS In Commandos, you will lead your men through a series of realistic missions that are freely inspired by the various fronts where the allied commandos participated during the Second World War. There are twenty missions of increasing difficulty, divided into four campaigns: Each of these missions has unique objectives, terrain, and enemy forces. There are unique problems and various possible approaches depending on your tactical skill and your skill in handling weapons. From knocking out a simple and poorly defended radio mast in Norway to leading the final assault on a fortress located in the very heart of the Reich, a mission that is only possible for those who know no fear. HELP This feature offers a quick guide to the game controls and the commandos profiles. CREDITS View the Pyro team which created this game. QUIT GAME This option will let you leave the exciting world of Commandos and return to mundane reality. Seven missions inspired by the Commando raids in Norway. THE GAME: BASIC CONCEPTS In this section, we explain the general concepts of the game. Five missions in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia centered on the war in North Africa Three missions in France, during the period that begins with the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day). Five missions that take place during the final assault on the Third Reich. THE TUTORIALS MENU Before you go and fall straight into the hands of the enemy, you probably need some instructions. In the Tutorials option in the Main Menu you will find the help that you need to quickly become familiar with the game. There are two kinds of tutorials: • Seven Theory Sessions: These are short video lessons in which you get an explanation of the game controls. There is a Theory Session that shows the general concepts of the game and commandos profiles. • Six Training Missions: These are mock missions that work as in the real game, except that they take place in a training camp, allow you to use a single man in each mission, and furthermore, your soldier can suffer unlimited damage. You should become familiar with the specific actions of each of your soldiers. Although you are not required to complete the six Training Missions before being able to play the first real mission in the game, we strongly urge you to do so. All missions have a main objective. Examples include blowing up an enemy installation, rescuing a prisoner or the “elimination” an enemy general. If you do not succeed in this objective, you will not have successfully completed the mission and will not be allowed to continue onto the next assignment. TAKING CARE OF YOUR CAREER To be assigned mission, it is necessary that you have successfully completed the main objective of the previous mission. Each time you finish a mission successfully, the game will assign points depending on the degree of completion, and will give you access to the following mission. The points will depend mainly on the amount of time you have needed to complete the mission (the less time, the better), and the wounds you have suffered (the fewer wounds, the better). The number of enemy casualties that you cause is totally irrelevant, although you will be informed of this figure at the end of the mission. As you complete missions, the merit points received will keep adding up. Depending on the accumulated points, you may be promoted. 6 7 You begin the game with the rank of Lance Corporal. As you accumulate combat merit, you will continue to be promoted. If when the war ends, your results have been spectacular, you may have reached the rank of Field Marshall, which means that your acts have been absolutely brilliant. If, however, your efficiency and worth have been merely adequate, you will languish at a low rank. The Allies need men of legend, if you prove your mettle, command may look to you to tackle a crucial “ultra secret” mission. So it is up to you whether you wish to simply do what is required, or, on the other hand, become an example for your men by going beyond the call of duty. Your honor and your military career depend on it ... then again, so do your retirement benefits. ASSIGNING OBJECTIVES: THE BRIEFING At the start of each mission, you will be given a briefing. These brief instructions outline the context of the mission and your team’s objectives. The “briefing” will give you the following information: • The strategic circumstances in which the mission takes place. • The main objective of the mission. • A brief mission run through by Colonel Smith in which you will be given the position of the objectives, the location of the points of interest or danger, and tactical advice that you best listen to. If you do not wish to listen to the entire briefing, you can press Escape while you are within the briefing. You will then go directly into the mission. If during the mission you no longer remember exactly what the objective is, press Ctrl + B and a reminder will appear with the objectives of the current mission. You can also click on the folded green corner of the map book. their leader, you are in control of the situation and you are responsible for the outcome. To mold soldiers like these take months and months of study, training, specialization, and a little luck. The General Staff has invested a great deal of time and resource in these men. They have received so much training as a team that they work perfectly together, forming a cohesive that can not be replaced. That is why your duty is to keep them alive, together and active during the entire war. The loss of a single man would be an irreparable loss. If during the course of a mission you lose a single member of the team, you will not be allowed to continue to be in command. As you will soon learn, this is one of those details that make Commandos a unique game, and determines the manner in which you have to play. Each of the six men is highly specialized in one specific field (see the section entitled Your Men). There are actions that all are capable of carrying out, but there are other items and actions that are reserved for just one man. For example: only the Sapper can activate or even pick up and transport explosives, and only the Marine can capture an inflatable launch and use it. So you must learn to spread out the tasks. Remember: success in a mission may depend on the fact that a single man, the appropriate one, is in the right place at the right time. Get the timing wrong, or the man, or the place... and you are history. THE GAME: CONTROLS Next we explain the main options in the game. Detailed knowledge of these controls will help you to complete your missions successfully. THE MISSION From the moment a mission begins, you can scroll the viewing screen around the entire mission. In fact, we recommend that you do so before you issue orders to your men. This way you can get an overall idea of the tactical situation. To move the viewing screen around the mission, use the cursor keys. You will notice that this movement will occur automatically when the mouse pointer comes close to the edges of the game area. You can vary the amount of zoom, from a detailed view to a general panoramic view. To do this, use the +, - and * keys in the numerical keypad. The THE COMMANDOS As a player of Commandos, you will be the officer who has been entrusted with the command of a group of six very special Commandos. A rather small number perhaps, but these are not ordinary soldiers. These are exceptional men. Their background and respectability is sometimes ... doubtful. They possess combat skills that are unique that result from inherent abilities, or are the result of a highly unconventional biography. They are so highly trained, and they work so closely together, that they are able to sneak into the heart of the enemy’s installations without being detected. They can then fulfill objectives that would be unthinkable for a larger unit. As + key is used to increase the level of zoom, the - key to diminish it, and the * key will return you to a normal view. 8 9 THE MAP NOTEBOOK If you click on the spiral notebook that you find on one side of the screen, you will be able to see an approximate drawing of the mission map. The rectangle represents the area that you can see on screen. The red circles outline your prime objective(s). The blue points indicate the position of your men, and the red points that of the enemy soldiers. Click on any zone of this drawing to move the viewable game area to that zone. If you click on the folded corner (highlighted green) of the map notebook, you can access the Briefing Notes screen, where you can see a summary of the mission objectives from Colonel Smith. You will learn that there are some situations in which it is not possible to simultaneously select men. For example, if your men are under enemy fire or if one of the men you are attempting to select is a prisoner. You will see a red bar next to the face of each soldier in the upper part of the screen. This bar is his health level. It will descend whenever he is wounded. When it reaches the bottom... your soldier is toast. In every mission there is a man who has limited medical supplies to increase the health of the team. Each Commando can “suffer” a certain number of wounds. In this regard, Tiny is your strongest and Duke your weakest commando. If you click on a soldier who is already selected, you will “deselect him”. To quickly deselect all your soldiers, you can press the 0 (zero) key on the alphanumerical keyboard. MOVING SOLDIERS Normally, you will see that the mouse pointer has the shape of a double arrow. This is the movement pointer and is used to move your soldiers. If you do not see the movement pointer, it is because you are undoubtedly viewing the pointer that belongs to an active item. To recover the movement pointer, rightclick anywhere on the map screen. To make the selected soldier or soldiers move somewhere, click with the movement pointer on the selected destination, and they will walk in that direction. If you double click, they will run there. When you give a soldier an order that forces him to run somewhere he will only carry it out whenever he is able to. Exceptions to this rule are those cases in which the soldier is carrying a heavy load. When you give a man a movement order, you can select any point in the mission towards which there is a possible route, no matter its distance. Your soldier will attempt to follow the best route towards that point, and avoiding obstacles whenever possible. SELECTING SOLDIERS Before giving any orders to one of your men, you must select him. There are three different ways to do this: • Left Click the desired commando on the map • Left Click on his face on the upper edge of the screen. • Press a numerical key between 1 and 7 in the alphanumerical keyboard. Each key corresponds to one of your men, according to the following table: HIT THE DIRT AND CRAWL Your men can lie down on the ground. To do this, click on the commando crawls icon located on the upper top edge of the screen, or press the C key. The selected men will hit the ground. (Yes, there are “Guest comrades” in some missions -you’ll soon get to know them!) There are two methods to simultaneously select more than one man: • Right click on an area inside the game screen and then drag the pointer without releasing the right-click button. This way you will draw a red rectangle. Release and the men that are inside the rectangle will be selected. • Click on various faces on the edge of the screen while keeping the CONTROL key pressed. A man who is lying on the ground can be moved normally with the movement pointer, except that he will move by slowly crawling. Commandos cannot fast crawl. If a man crawls on snow or sand, the tracks he leaves will not be visible to the enemy. To make a man who is lying down stand up, click on the commando stands icon in the same location or press the S key. 10 11 THE KNAPSACK If you select a soldier, you will see that on one side of the screen there is a knapsack with various items. These items represent the options that are available to your soldier at this time. If you prefer to have the knapsack on the other side of the screen, press Tab. To use or activate any of these items, click on it. What happens next depends on the kind of item. With some of them, this will cause an immediate action (such as inflating a rubber launch, releasing a decoy, etc.) With other examples, such as certain weapons and tools, the movement pointer will change its shape, turning into an icon that shows what can be done with that item. If you see the pointer covered by a “forbidden” sign, this means that you can’t carry out this action with the item or in the place at which you are pointing. For example, If you click on the pistol in your knapsack, the pointer will turn into a pistol. If you place this pointer over a spot at which it is not possible to shoot (because it is too far from the shooter or because there is an obstacle in the way), then the “forbidden” sign will be displayed over the pistol pointer. Otherwise, if you click on a location, your soldier will shoot at it. If you have selected various soldiers, you will see that in the knapsack the only things that appear are the options that are common to all the selected soldiers. When you have the Commandos grouped, press G activates the guns for the group. The resulting mass firing is devastating. You will observe that the pointer will only change shape if the selected man can use the item. Certain men can only use certain items. PICKING UP AN ITEM IN THE MISSION There are items that your men can pick up and take away with them. Weapons, ammo cartridges, inflatable launch, etc. Sometimes they belong to the enemy and can be stolen. On other occasions, they will have been dropped by parachute by the Allies. Keep in mind that the person who is skilled in their use can only pick up certain items. Thus, only the Marine can pick up inflatable launches, only the Sapper can pick up grenades, etc. In all cases, select the appropriate man, and click on the hand that is next to the knapsack, or else presses the hot key H. The movement pointer will turn into a hand. If when you pass the hand-shaped pointer over an item, the hand icon will grab, then the man you have selected can pick up that item. Click on that item and it will be yours. Note, if you do not see a hand grab pointer, right click to cancel, and then move the cursor over the object and look for the activation pointer. VEHICLES Throughout many of the missions you will discover different land, water, and aerial vehicles. You can board many of them, use them to move and even shoot from them in the case of vehicles that carry weapons. To board a vehicle, select the man or men you want on board, then place the movement pointer over the desired vehicle. If the men you have selected are able to board the vehicle, the pointer will change shape into the activation pointer. At that time, click, and your men will board the vehicle. Once in a vehicle, click on the desired destination with the movement pointer. The vehicle will then start to move. You will see that, unlike movement on foot, when you are handling a vehicle you do not have the possibility of avoiding obstacles automatically, and therefore you can only set destinations that can be reached in a straight line from your current position. If you deselect a vehicle with various men on board, and then want to select it again to move with it, you will see that you can only do so by selecting just one of those men. The man who will permit you to move the vehicle when you select it is the one who drives the vehicle. He MUST be selected to move the vehicle. When can and can’t you board a vehicle? There are three factors involved: • The vehicle may be out of commission, or worse yet, already occupied by the enemy. In that case, the movement pointer USE OF REMOTELY ACTIVATED ITEMS Some items, such as the acoustic decoy or the explosive charges with detonators, can be remotely activated. To do this, first you must release the item by clicking on its image in the knapsack. This will make you drop the item in question. At that moment, there will appear in the knapsack another item that looks like an “activator” or “detonator”. Once you have managed to hide in a safe place, click on the activator and there will be a remote activation. In the case of the acoustic decoy, you can activate it and deactivate it as often as you wish. USE OF DEVICES IN THE MISSION Sometimes you will find in the mission items and devices that you can’t pick up and take with you, but it will be possible to activate and deactivate them. You can open faucets, turn on switches, activate gates, etc. If you move the movement pointer over an item or device in the mission that the selected man can use in this fashion, the pointer will turn into a hand that moves a lever. If you click at that moment, the selected man will carry out the corresponding action. This is the activation pointer. 12 13 will not change its shape when it passes over the vehicle. Watch out the enemy may target you. • Each vehicle has a maximum capacity. For example, the capacity of motorcycles with a sidecar is two men, and in an inflatable launch allows three persons. • Sid or Fins is only capable of vehicle operation. The Driver (Sid) may only drive Land vehicles. The Marine (Fins) may only use the aquatic vehicles. And finally, there is a mission where you must escape in a cargo plane, only the Fighter Pilot can fly the plane. In some cases, you can even shoot from a vehicle that carries weapons. To do so, point with the movement pointer while keeping the Control key pressed. The pointer will change shape, and turn into a gunsight. Click (without releasing the Control key) and you will shoot a volley at the target. To get a man out of a vehicle, select the desired man by clicking on his face in the upper part of the screen or using keys 1..9. You will see the screen focus on the vehicle that contains the soldier. In the knapsack you can only see a photograph of the soldier. Click on it, and the selected soldier will leave the vehicle and jump down to the ground. If you want to get a man out an aquatic vehicle, bear in mind that you won’t be able to do so until the vehicle is anchored in shallow water, the exception is the Marine when he is wearing diving gear. You can have the cameras automatically track a unit, be it a person or a vehicle. To do this, click on the movie camera that is on the upper edge of the screen. The shape of the pointer will change. Then, click with that pointer on the person or vehicle that you wish to track. The camera will remain fixed on that person or vehicle, and will move along with him at all times. While in the lower left hand corner of the corresponding screen you will see a small icon that looks like a camera, Picture GR41 that reminds you that this window has a tracking camera associated to it. Another way to activate the tracking camera is to press Alt and click on the element that you wish to track. To cancel the tracking, click on the small icon mentioned above, or press Alt and click on any non-mobile (fixed) part of the map. THE ENEMY Your opponents are the disciplined and experienced troops of the German army. To defeat them you will need to use clever tactics and impeccable timing...your men are counting on good leadership.” BUILDINGS There are missions in which your men will be able to hide in certain buildings, thus disappearing from the sight of the enemy. When you pass the movement pointer across the door of a building, the activation pointer will appear. This means that it is possible to hide in that building. Click there, and the selected men will hide inside. You cannot hide bodies in building or shoot from buildings. To get a man out of the building, do the same as in the case of vehicles: select the soldier who is inside, and then click on his photograph in the knapsack. SIGHT An enemy soldier is always on the lookout. Fortunately, there is a way to know at all times where he is looking. To do so, click on the eye shaped icon that you will find in the upper right hand corner of the screen. The shape of the pointer will change to an eye. Next, click on the soldier that you want to watch (you can also do this by clicking on the desired enemy while keeping the Shift key pressed). The eye will blink when you can select a target. You will now see a colored line of sight arc that appears from the enemy soldier and sweeps from left to right across the mission and accompanies the soldier’s every move. This fan is his Field of View. You will see that houses, rocks and other solid items realistically block the field of view. You will also see that the field of view is divided into two areas. One is lighter and closer to the enemy is his short-range field of view. The darker farther wedge is his long-range field of view. If one of your men is caught by the field of view of a soldier, he will be detected. The exception is in the long-range view (darker arc). Here the Commando CANNOT be seen if he is crawling. In the lighter, short range section, the Commando can be seen in any state. CAMERAS On occasion, it may be useful to be able to simultaneously view the action-taking place in various map locations. To do this, you have at your disposal several multiple camera modes. Keys F2 to F7 can be used to activate each of these modes. Press each key repeatedly to cycle through different arrangements. F2 is the single window camera (default) In multiple camera modes, there is just one window at a time in which you can carry out game actions. This window is the active window, and can easily be recognized because a red line frames it. Click on any window to make that window become the active window. You can then carry out all game actions in that window, including movement and zoom. In this mode, you cannot individually resize a window. Additionally, the more open camera windows, the slower the gameplay speed. 14 15 There is a system for finding out if a certain area is being swept by the field of view of the enemy. To do this, press Shift + click on a ground area in the mission (or click on the eye-shaped icon, and then on the area you want to check). When you do this, you will leave a red mark on the ground. The first time that the enemy sweeps his view past this mark, his field of view will be lit up. This means he can see you if you were there. If you are viewing the enemy’s field of view and you no longer wish to continue seeing it, right-click on the eye-shaped icon and the field of view will “turn off”. You can only see the field of view of one enemy at a time. Be cautious since ALL your enemies have their fields of view operating simultaneously. Each time you are seen by an enemy soldier, the spotting soldier’s field of view will be automatically illuminated. Keep the following tricks in mind to fool the enemy’s field of view: • The obstacles that interrupt the field of view are places behind which it you can hide. You can also hide behind large vehicles, although the continuity of the field of view may suggest otherwise. • The Green Beret is invisible while he is buried in the snow or under the sand, unless he has been seen while he was burying himself. • The Marine is invisible while he is diving, unless he was seen while putting on his diving gear. • The enemy ignores the Spy while he is wearing an enemy uniform. • If a German should see you enter a vehicle, they will attack the vehicle until it is destroyed. • You can view enemy vehicles and bunkers to determine their Field of View. Follow the same procedure. • German units will investigate every time they see a fallen comrade or suspicious tracks. SOLDIERS, PATROLS, ARTILLERY POSTS, VEHICLES AND TROOP BARRACKS Your enemy is the German Army. Its soldiers exhibit different behaviors in normal and combat situations. Let us take a look at your opponents: • Sentries: These are soldiers on watch in specific sentry posts. During their normal duties, they stay still at their post. Depending on the importance of the area they are protecting, in case of alarm they will move out to search for you, or else they will defend the area without leaving their post. • Soldiers on watch rounds: These soldiers cover an area by following a predetermined patrol route. If they detect you, they will normally abandon their rounds and track you. • Patrols: Formed by elite soldiers who cover the entire mission under the leadership of a sergeant, patrols will be one of your most lethal adversaries. The sergeant is a clever opponent with a long ranged pistol. The rest of the patrol is equipped with a powerful machine guns and an extremely slight capacity for dialogue. Never stop to chat with them about the weather. • Artillery Posts: From heavy machine guns to heavy cannons, the soldiers who man them have orders to shoot on sight at anything suspicious. If you should manage to kill an artilleryman, Sid may be able to take over the artillery post and turn it into an allied weapon! • Vehicles: Some are moving about, and others are waiting quietly in their hangars, ready to respond to any alarm. There are various types of vehicle controlled by the enemy. Some carry weapons and can fire at you. Keep all vehicles under surveillance. Some of them may be abandoned temporarily by their crews, at which time you can move in and take control of the vehicle. In some cases you can even force a vehicle to stop, so that its occupants get out and fall into your trap. Vehicle weapons have a very long and lethal range. • Troop Barracks: Those structures over which there is an enemy flag waving, are troop barracks. Inside, there are many soldiers. At the slightest sign of alarm, they will pour out to look for you, and they will not be in a good mood. Watch for buildings with Nazi Flags. In general, try to make sure that this never happens. If it does happen, try to be far away when it does. If you are good with your weapons, you may be able to decimate the troops while in the barracks. HEARING The enemy soldiers can not only see you; they can also hear any suspicious sounds that are a result of your activities. If they hear something suspicious, they will act accordingly. The possibility that an enemy soldier hears what you are doing depends on two things: first, the distance at which you are from him, and second, the magnitude of the sound that you make. In this respect, you must use your common sense. If you cut a soldier’s throat with your knife from behind (a very silent action), a mate of his who is two steps away but with his back turned away from the action would never realize what had happened. If, however, you get rid of him with a pistol, any soldier within a certain distance will hear the bang, although soldiers that are further away will hear nothing. And finally, if you explode a bomb or a barrel of explosives, probably every soldier in the entire mission will be aware of your presence and will come looking for you. The enemy’s hearing can also be used to your advantage. The acoustic decoy of your Green Beret is a good example of this. IF YOU ARE DISCOVERED... Enemy troops will react in different ways if they detect your presence. In all cases, they will shout out a warning, and this, in turn, will alert their nearby mates. Once they have done so, they may leave their sentry post to pursue you or they may stay at their post if it is important enough. If they are free to do as they please they may run after you or follow your tracks if they have detected them, or if they have heard strange noises. Some by the book types will immediately sound the alarm. What they will do once they have you within firing range, depends on the seriousness of the situation. If they are of a passive 16 17 demeanor, they will halt you and point their weapons at you. If you stay rock still, and if in the current mission there is a military stockade, they may possibly take you there. Here you may be rescued later by your fellow soldiers. If there is no stockade, they will remain there pointing their weapons at you, while they await reinforcements or decide what to do with you, a situation that your companions should make good use of to solve matters before things start looking pretty grim. If the soldier who finds you is in an aggressive mood (for example, because he has seen you kill his friend) or if you attempt to flee or shoot at him, he will almost certainly shoot you. In that case, run for your life or draw that weapon and duke it out. Green Beret: Jerry McHale A.K.A “Tiny” This heavyweight of Irish origins, Army boxing champion four consecutive times from 1934 to 1937, was sentenced in 1938 by a military court to 14 years of forced labor after hitting an officer. His sentence was commuted when he joined the Commandos. He was promoted to sergeant after the raid on the island of Vaagso, where, after having received a bullet in an arm, cut off from his unit and without ammunition, he penetrated a bunker and wiped out 16 enemy soldiers before returning to Allied lines. An extremely violent character, this man has serious discipline problems. A hard bone to gnaw for his superior officers... and a real nightmare for the enemy. Yeah, only his mom can call him “tiny”. Knife The Wilkinson Sword combat knife, 177 mm. long and built of carbon steel, is the official knife of the Commandos. In the hands of “Tiny”, it is a weapon that is a deadly as it is silent. Click on it in the knapsack, and then on the soldier whom you wish to attack. If you double click, “Tiny” will go running up to his victim for the quick kill. Hot key: X Pistol This is the W9, an automatic Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Reliable and quick, it uses a magazine that holds 10 bullets. It can be used at will and has unlimited ammo. Beware though of the noise it makes. Click on it on screen and then center the gun icon muzzle on your target and click to fire. Hot key: G Climbing Axe Using only his Climbing Axe, and disdaining harnesses and safety ropes, Jerry McHale can climb both the smoothest wall and the steepest rock face. When you pass the movement pointer over one of these areas, it turns into a Climbing Axe, in this location Jerry can climb, which he will do if you click on it. Acoustic decoy This small and extravagant invention of Major Arthur Forester was never mass-produced. Nevertheless, it is one of McHale’s favorite toys. Click on it to immediately release it. Then, from a safe hiding place, click on the activator. The decoy will make a disagreeable noise. You can use the activator to turn the noise on and off as often as you wish. The closest enemy soldiers will come over to investigate the source of the noise, a circumstance of which that Jerry and his mates will know how to take advantage. Hot Keys: Q to release, I to activate/deactivate TACTICAL ADVICE From the very first mission, you will realize that Commandos is different from other strategy games. You must think differently. Clever tactics and impeccable timing wins the day in this war. To fight another day, we can give you the following advice: • Think with your head, not with the gun. Sending your men out running with their guns blazing is the most effective method for having a series of lovely skulls displayed on the upper part of the screen. Furthermore, you are expected to meet the objectives of your mission in the shortest time frame while suffering light causalities. Remember that the number of enemy casualties you may inflict is of little importance. For every problem there is at least one “elegant” solution - try to find it. • Go from hiding place to hiding place. Find those places where you can be safe from enemy detection, and use them as waypoints. • Do not assume you have gotten away with it. Normally, enemy soldiers watch over each other. Although you may easily get away from a single soldier who is alone, it is quite possible that a second soldier will notice and raise the alarm. Keep this in mind when you are planning your attacks. Hide your tracks. • Save the fireworks until the end. Try to stay undetected as long as possible, attempting to have the enemy ignore your presence until you have built up a strong position. Specifically, try to keep the troop barracks oblivious to your presence until it is necessary to raise a ruckus. Then when the decisive moment arrives, execute your escape plan with the greatest possible speed. (Wait...what do you mean you haven’t got an escape plan?) • Abandoned weapons fire both ways. Quite often you will find throughout the mission wonderful enemy vehicles just waiting for you to board them. If you are detected, at least they are safer than if you have to escape on foot. Watch out for abandoned artillery posts, and for weapons and items that you can “liberate”. YOUR MEN These are your “boys”. Take care of them they will respect you. Treat them badly and they will climb out of their tombs to cause you nightmares. If you ever need to reacquaint yourself with them, press the F1 key while in the game. 18 19 Moving Barrels From time to time you will run into explosive (fuel) barrels. Only your Green Beret has the strength needed to lift them and change their location, depositing them where they will cause the maximum amount of damage. Click on the hand and then on the desired barrel, and Jerry will pick up the barrel. Right-click and he will release it. The activation pointer may also be used. Shooting the barrel causes a nice big bang. Hiding bodies This tactic permits McHale to carry the body of a fallen enemy. A very useful move, since if an enemy patrol should find the body of one of their soldiers, they will immediately raise the alarm. Click on the hand (or press H) and then on the body you want to carry. To drop your “dead” weight, click on the hand and then right click on the location you want to drop it. It is also possible to place a barrel on top of the body to hide it. To do this, while Jerry is carrying a barrel, place the movement pointer over the fallen enemy soldier. The cursor will change shape. Click and Jerry will drop the barrel on top of the enemy body, hiding it. Shovel One of Tiny’s favorite tactics is a surprise attack that emerges from snow or from sand. To do this, he will dig a hole with his shovel and will hide under the surface, then suddenly reappear behind the back of an unsuspecting enemy. While you are over snow or sand, click on the shovel in the knapsack and Jerry will hide. When you want to emerge again, simply right-click. Hot key: F Pistol Given the difficulty of finding the appropriate ammunition for his Colt in the British Army, “Perkins” has no choice but to use the efficient Smith & Wesson W9. Click on it, and then on the target. Hot key: G Armed vehicles and artillery posts As was explained earlier, Sid can drive land vehicles. While you are driving an armed vehicle, press Control and the movement pointer will turn into a gunsight. Without releasing the Control key, click on a target to shoot a volley at it. Sam can also capture heavy machineguns and even heavy artillery posts. He handles these kinds of weapons as if they were vehicles, except that it is not possible to move. When the activation cursor appears on post, click to man it, CONTROL and click on a target to shoot at it, and click Sid’s photograph to abandon the post. Submachine gun A more powerful and longer range weapon than the pistol. It is used in the same way as the pistol, and fires deadly fan-shaped volleys. Hot key: M First Aid Kit Sid reluctantly is the also the group’s medic. Would you want a mechanic near you with a scalpel? Click on the first aid kit and the pointer will turn into a syringe. Then click use on yourself or on a wounded mate. His health level will increase. Remember that the first aid kit has a limit to the number of times it may be used. If Sid is absent, the role of medic will be taken over by the Spooky or Duke. Hot key: K Driver: Sid Perkins A.K.A “Tread” He says his name is Sid, and not much is known about his background. In 1937, after a long criminal career in the United States, he crossed the Atlantic and joined the British Army. His motive was a pending prison sentence and being sought by the American authorities. During some sessions of “custodial collaboration” with the Foreign Office, in which he helped to test and investigate weapons and vehicles stolen from the enemy, he met Paddy Maine, who recruited him for the Commandos. During the raid on the airfield at Tamet together with the Long Range Desert Group, and after destroying eight German fighter planes with the machinegun aboard his Vickers K Armed jeep, he was left without ammunition. His ingenious personal solution was to crash the vehicle against the remaining aircraft that were full of fuel, which destroyed four additional fighters, but left him with serious burns. This rough man, cheerful but occasionally timid, can use any weapon or vehicle with great skill. His manners reflect the education he received on the street. We will probably never know his real name, but then... who cares? Marine: James Blackwood A.K.A. “Fins” Born in Melbourne and educated at Oxford, this polite Australian, naval engineer, great rower and tireless swimmer, has three unique skills: sailing, diving... and getting into trouble for swallowing certain distilled liquids. A man who was able to swim across the English Channel on a bet, was promoted to captain only one year after joining the Navy, and was demoted to sergeant when two years later, he started a fight in a private club during a stopover in Hawaii. Subsequent behavior problems led him to consider a hard choice: be expelled from the Armed Forces, or join the Commandos as a simple soldier. Leaving aside his problems with alcohol, apparently under control for now, he was decorated with a Military Cross for his heroic behavior when he rescued 45 stranded British soldiers who were about to be captured on the beaches at Dunkirk. “Fins” is an irreplaceable character when it comes to aquatic operations: his mates insist that he could cross the Atlantic Ocean in a shoe box... as long as he has a good supply of “fuel”. 20 21 Knife Picture “Fins”, just like “Tiny”, is a fan of the knife because it is a silent weapon. To use it, just click on it, and then on the target. Double click on the target for a speedier knife attack. Hot key: X Pistol Although he prefers other weapons, “Fins” never leaves his W9 behind. Remember to click on the pistol, then click on the target. Hot key: G Inflatable launch As you have seen in the paragraph on “Vehicles”, Blackwood can drive all sorts of aquatic vehicles. The inflatable launch can be comfortably carried with him. When you find an inflatable launch in the mission, pick it up (click on the hand (H) next to the knapsack and then click on the launch). This will make “Fins” deflate the launch and carry it. When you wish to launch it, you must go into shallow waters and then click on the package in the knapsack. The launch will inflate in the water. Then you can board it just like any other vehicle. German often shoot the launch on sight (a very bad event), so remember to take it with you. Hot key: T to release Diving Gear When “Fins” walks into shallow waters, the diving gear appears in the knapsack. Click on it and “Fins” will submerge with the gear. At that point, you can make him scuba to wherever you want, marking his destination with the movement pointer. Picture GR59 While he is submerged, the he will be invisible to the enemy, unless he was seen as he submerged. To return to land, lead Blackwood towards the shore, and when he is in shallow water, and the diving gear reappears in the knapsack, click on it. “Fins” will remove his diving gear and stand up on the shore. Now you can send him walking to where he is needed. The diving gear can also be used directly from small boats. Hot key: D Harpoon Picture One of Fins’ favorite weapons is the silent and lethal Harpoon gun. Although used by him more on dry land than in the water (this is the Second World War, not a fishing contest). Click on the harpoon in the knapsack, point at the target, and shoot by clicking again. The Harpoon has a shorter range than the pistol, but is silent. Hot key: J Sapper: Thomas Hancock A.K.A. “Inferno” Thomas was born in Liverpool, obtained a degree in Chemistry, joined the Fire Brigade at the age of 22, and became a specialist in the High Risk Explosives department, joining the Army six years later, and volunteering for the Commandos in 1940. During the raid on Saint Nazaire, he was responsible for the explosions that caused a great number of casualties in the German garrison and knocked out the port facilities for months. Captured by the Germans in this operation, and after four escape attempts in just eight weeks, he managed to escape, cross the Pyrenees and return to England. You will always find Inferno to be an English gentleman, but he does have an wxplosive temper. Instead of avoiding obstacles, he likes to demolish them with grenade or a well placed shape charge. Pistol “Inferno” always keeps his regulation weapon handy. Click on it, and then on the target. Hot key: G Bear Trap Hancock loves this concealed weapon. The blades have been smeared with cyanide paste to quicken eternal slumber. Place it in a spot where you expect an enemy soldier to pass. Click on the trap to release it on the ground, and then run to hide in a safe place. If an enemy soldier steps on the trap, it will be the last thing he does on Earth. Don’t forget to pick up the trap after each use (click on the hand next to the knapsack or press H, and then click on the trap). Hot key: J Time bomb This device explodes 10 seconds after being released. Go to the object you want to “remove” and click on the bomb in the knapsack to release it. Then run man, run...to the nearest safe location. Often, this item will not be available at the start of the mission, which means you will have to acquire it from the Germans. Hot key: B Remote control bomb This item is equipped with a radio activation system. Click on the bomb in the knapsack, and the Inferno will deposit it on the ground. Now pull back to a discrete spot, and when you believe the time is right, cover your ears and click on the detonator. Hot Keys: B to release, A to activate the detonator 22 23 Grenades You will often find them in the mission. Click on the grenade in the knapsack and the cursor will change shape. To throw a grenade against a target, point with this cursor and click. If the target is out of range, you will see a “forbidden” sign. However you must be careful, shrapnel cuts both ways. Hot key: E Pliers On special occasions, you will have to pass through an wire fence. Click on the pliers, and then place the pointer on the fence. When it passes over an appropriate place in the fence, the pointer will become animated. Click there, and you will cut a gap through which you can sneak. The pliers will not work against German reinforced barbed wire fences. Hot key: W Kill discreetly When you shoot at the enemy, try not to act in a way that leaves bodies in visible places. Remember that your enemies will react if they see wounded mates and will seek you out. Ammunition Unfortunately, the precision rifle has limited ammunition. While you are using it, you can see in the knapsack how many bullets you have left. Hot key: R First Aid Kit In those missions in which neither the Sid or the Spooky is present, Woolridge carries the first aid kit. Left click on it to use it and move the syringe on you or on the colleague that needs healing. Left click again to administer the medicine. Hot key: K Sniper: Sir Francis T. Woolridge alias “Duke” Born in Sheffield, in the bosom of one of the finest families of the local aristocracy, this quiet, distinguished and coolheaded gentleman is a superior marksmen. He received a Military Medal during the invasion of Narvik, where he killed the Commander of the German garrison with a single shot, at a distance of more than one mile, while the officer was inspecting the placement of his troops. Francis taught Anders Lassen all he knew on rifle marksmanship. Once while pinned down in a village, Anders once was amazed to see Francis spend his time reading Shelly and laughing. Known by his mates as “Duke” due to his haughty and reserved personality, Woolridge is an exceptionally efficient shooter even in extremely tense situations. Pistol Duke also has a W9, which he handles very skillfully. Click on the pistol, target your enemy, click to fire. Click several times for rapid fire. Hot key: G Sniper Rifle The sniper rifle is the “Duke’s” weapon. Silent, long range, and deadly accurate. Click on the telescopic sight in the knapsack and you will see a pointer that looks like a telescopic sight. Place it over the target, click and watch your target crumble. Some rifle pointers: Range If the telescopic sight is red, then the target cannot be acquired, either because it is out of range or because there are obstacles in the way. Spy: Rene Duchamp A.K.A. “Spooky” Born in Lyon, he joined the French Secret Service at the age of 25. He was Chief of Security in the French Embassy in Berlin, where he obtained valuable knowledge regarding the members of the Hitler’s General Staff. At the beginning of the war, when the Embassy was closed, he joined the French Army, and then became one of the leaders and local co-founders of the Resistance. A valuable parttime member of the Commandos, he has had an important role in numerous undercover raids. At least three trains, fourteen tanks, and more than thirty land vehicles have been knocked out thanks to his skills of information, infiltration and sabotage. His knowledge about the tactics and politics of the German military command are of great interest to the British Secret Service. Duchamp speaks fluent French, German, English, Italian and Russian. His ability at imitating the voices and expressions of many enemy generals is astounding. Spooky is an authentic French chameleon who has superior talent for stepping into any role. Just remember not to leave him behind. Pistol Duchamp dislikes weapons that fire, since he finds them “not refined”. However, if needed, he will not hesitate to use his W9. Hot key: G 24 25 Poison Syringe This practical syringe is provided with a small bottle of potassium cyanide. Click on it and the shape of the pointer will change. Then click with the new syringe pointer on your “patient”. The lethal medicine will have an instantaneous effect. Hot key: L Enemy Uniform When you find a hanging uniform, take it by moving the cursor over the uniform and when you see the activation cursor - left click. This way you will be transformed into a feared SS Officer, and you can then pass unhindered in front of your enemies. Be forewarned, if while you are wearing the uniform, you are seen doing something that is slightly suspicious (such as killing a soldier) you will lose the protection of your disguise. If you manage to hide, click on the uniform once again (this time you will find it in your knapsack) or press U and you will be disguised again. Hot key: U Distracting an enemy soldier While you are wearing the uniform, you can come up to an enemy soldier, click on the command braid in your knapsack or press D (the pointer will change shape). You will see an Officer’s Cap as the cursor, move this over a German soldier and left click. This will let you speak with your enemy, distracting him. Regardless of his rank or function, that enemy soldier will stop and listen to you, until you right-click to dismiss him. This is a great diversion tactic to use on patrols. Hot key: D First Aid Kit In those missions in which the Sid is not present, Duchamp carries the first aid kit. To use it, click on it, and then on you or on a mate and his health level will increase. Hot key: K THE MULTIPLAYER GAME The Commandos multiplayer game permits human players to play co-operative missions against the computer controlled Germans. To use this option, each player must have a computer with a copy of the game installed, and their computers must be connected to each other by a Local Area Network (LAN) that supports the TCP/IP protocol. Commandos can also be played with advanced features on the Mplayer Internet Gaming service. To optimize Multiplayer performance, we recommend that you designate the fastest system as the Server. Ideally, all systems will run at P200+ MHZ processor speed and have 32MB or RAM. Additionally, playing on a low traffic, high bandwidth network will result in faster play. Finally, we have implemented a filter on the Multiplayer server that prevents users with high latency (high ping times) from entering the game. We will now explain in detail the steps that you need to follow to play a multiplayer game of Commandos in a Local Area Network. If you only need a brief description, go directly to the final section “THE MULTIPLAYER GAME: A QUICK GUIDE” in this chapter. NOTE: please consult the readme file on the game CD for detailed multiplayer game setup information. PLAYING COMMANDOS ON A LOCAL NETWORK The submenu “ MULTIPLAYER GAME” can be found in the “NEW GAME” menu in Commandos. This option allows you to connect to a network game or Internet server that is awaiting the arrival of new players. In order to be able to play a multiplayer game, there must be a computer in the network that is acting as the Server. To act as server, a computer must be running the TcpServer application that is provided in the Commandos Start Menu folder. This program is accessible from the Start menu next to the game, and is called “Multiplayer server”. When the server is running, a window will display the IP address of the computer in which the application is running. Those players who wish to join a new game session with that computer, as a server must know this address and specify it when connecting. The first person who connects to the server will be the HOST for that game. The Host specifics mission details for the game. As soon as a game server computer is running, following these quick steps can create a multiplayer session: Hiding bodies Just like McHale, Duchamp can carry the body of a fallen enemy. Click on the hand (or press H) and then on the body that you wish to pick up. When you want to release the body, right-click on it and the body will drop. Hot key: H THE MULTIPLAYER GAME: A QUICK GUIDE Everything that has been explained regarding a network game can be quickly summarized in the following steps: 1) In a computer connected to the network, run the program TcpServer. 2) Up to six human players run Commandos and from the Main Menu, select the option “NEW GAME / MULTIPLAYER GAME / CONNECT TO GAME SERVER”. (If it is the first time they play, they will have to have indicated the server IP address and their names or nicknames as players in the menu NEW GAME / MULTIPLAYER GAME). The first player to connect to the server becomes the Master. 26 27 3) In the player window, the Master selects the option “Select mission” when he considers that there are enough players connected. 4) In the mission window, the Master selects a mission from the list and clicks on “Accept mission”. The mission will then be loaded in all the computers. 5) In the window “Select Commandos”, the players click on the photos of the characters they will be handling. When all the Commandos have been selected, the Master can click on “Continue” to begin play. 6) During the game, the Master can save and load the game with Control + S / Control + L. He can also change the mission. 7) The players can “abandon” characters or recover the control of “abandoned” characters during the course of a mission. If a player abandons the game, he forces the remaining players to recover the control of the characters he has abandoned before they can continue playing the game. 8) If players see a flashing network cable icon in the upper left screen corner, the game is experiencing connection problems with a user(s). You may want to restart the game. Troubleshooting Most game related problems are system specific and can be solved. For solutions to potential problems and additional game information, please review the readme file on the CD. Keys 1...7 (alphanumerical keyboard) Select specific Commando F1 F2...F7 P + or - (numerical keypad) * (numerical keypad) TAB ESC Ctrl + B Ctrl + S Ctrl + L Alt + Click Ctrl + Click Shift + Click Help Activate various modes in game screen Pause Zoom In / Zoom Out Normal view Change the position of the knapsack on the screen (left / right) Go to the Main Menu See a summary of the Mission Briefing Quick Save the current game Load the last game that was saved with Quick Save Make the camera track the designated target Shoot from an armed vehicle See the field of view of the selected enemy soldier Commandos Selection Mission Selection ACTION HOT KEYS The hot keys for each special action work just like if you clicked on that item in your knapsack. Keep in mind that you can only use them if the corresponding items are in the knapsack of the selected man. Key A B Function Explode remote bomb Release bomb 28 29 C D E F G H I J K L M Q R S T U W X Lie down on the ground Diving Gear or Distract enemy Grenade Shovel Pistol Hand (used for picking up items) Activate / deactivate acoustic decoy Man Trap or Harpoon First Aid Kit Lethal Injection Submachine gun Release acoustic decoy Sniper Rifle Stand up (complements key “C”) Release inflatable launch (only works in shallow water) Reuse uniform Pliers Knife CREDITS PYRO STUDIOS Julian Perez Programming (missions & tools) Gonzo Suarez Project manager, game design, chief Jorge G. Mourelle developer & software design Graphic artist Ignacio Perez Asier Hernaez Lavina Chief mission design & co-game design Graphic artist Jorge Blanco Guillermo Toston Graphics design & chief graphic artist Graphic artist Jon Beltran de Heredia Daniel Estival Lead programmer & software design Graphic artist Javier Arevalo Jorge Fernandez Software design Graphic artist Pablo Toledo Cesar Astudillo Programming (video engine, FX effects & Additional design German patrols AI) Armando Sobrado Fernando Colomer Mission design BXB Programming (missions & German Ma Jose Romero soldiers AI) Additional art Unai Landa David Garcia Morales Programming (3D support, net SW & Music & audio credits) Jorge Luis Sanchez Vicente Ribes Lead tester Programming (internal engine) Jaime Cifuentes Programming (user interface & Allies) Mike McHale US QA Manager Gary LaRochelle Rudy Ellis Lead US QA Testers Clayton Palma Corey Fong Tim Moore David Finn Land Murphy Mike Schmitt Phillip Baker Tom Marx US QA Testers Flavia Timiani Localisation Manager Karen Ridley UK Product Manager Sacha Fernandes Susan Boshkoff US Product Managers Gary Keith Tricia Gray US PR Team Eric Adams Lee Wilkinson US Manual James Poole US Director of Development EIDOS INTERACTIVE Eric W. Adams US Producer Alex Camano Programming (missions & miscellaMike Newey neous) UK Producer Jose Maria Calvo Programming (missions & tools) 30 31 THANKS TO: Alfredo Martin Ricardo Sanchez Javier Reyes Jose Maria Espona Pedro Ruiz Rafael Cobo Tim Weaver and the Mpath team Michael Keane of Epicentric Lee Briggs John Kavanagh Great Hollywood WWII Films - our inspiration The places, persons, situations and events related in this game are a fantasy that is freely inspired by the Second World War, in which real and imagined events have been combined. In no case should the events in this game be considered as a valid source of historical data. Hints & Tips For assistance with gameplay or strategies, please call 1-900-77EIDOS (773-4367). Cost of the call is $0.95 per minute. Must be 18 or older or have parent’s permission. Touch Tone phone required. Customer Service Please read the following section before calling Customer Service: There are millions of different hardware and software combinations possible with today’s PC’s. You may still have to contact your computer manufacturer or software publisher in order to properly configure their products with our game. If at all possible, be near your computer when you call. Our Customer Service agent will need specific information about your computer. It may be necessary to access or change some files or configurations while you are on the phone. If it is not possible to be near your computer, be sure that you have the following information: • • • • Make, Model and Manufacturer of your system Which operating system you are using The text of any error messages you have seen during your attempt to start or play the game How you have the game configured Our technical support line number is (415) 547-1244. Technical support is available Monday through Friday 9:00AM to 5:00PM Pacific Time. You may also fax us your problem. Our fax numbers are (415) 537-0095 or (415) 5471202. For online technical support, go to www.eidosinteractive.com/help.html 32