MORTAR STRIKE (C) 1995 Douglas Baxter

DESCRIPTION :

Mortar Strike is a deceptively simple game.  The object is to
fire your weapon at enemy targets located around the battle-
field.  You are trying to cause enough damage to destroy the
unit.

Your vehicle is a mobile mortar platform.  The weapon is a 24
inch auto-loading mortar mounted on the gun deck outside and
behind the crew room.  The vehicle is large enough to house your
crew, engineering, and a magazine for the explosive charges and
warheads.  However, due to size constraints you have a limited
payload.  Because the vehicle is so large moving it is a slow
process that drains the drive batteries with each use.  Firing
can be accomplished as long as you have the required powder
charge and warhead.  However, because large bore mortars do not
dissipate heat rapidly you are limited to 10 rounds a day before
the gun is too hot to use.

The enemy is composed of other users.  The only computer enemy
is randomly sent stray rounds that hit at night.  Other players
will start off in a random location the first time they play the
door (or after they're killed).  Their location is hidden from
you as are their targeted coordinates.  You must rely on firing
reports, movement reports, and blind stupid luck.  Your advantage
is the distribution of a well planned pattern in the area of the
sightings.  

Scores are based on the number of kills.  A simple hit on an
enemy unit is not considered a kill.  You must be the player that
'destroyed' the enemy to gain a point.  No points are given to
any player is an enemy is killed by a stray shell.

DISPLAY SCREEN :

When the game runs and after the initial welcome you will be
displayed a full screen with a grid to the right and a set of
indicators to the left.  The grid is the battlefield and the
indicators are your control panel.

BATTLEFIELD -

The battlefield is a conglomeration of grey lines that intersect
at each space.  These intersecting points will be referred to as
sectors.  Running the top/bottom & left/right of this grid are
number bars.  The colors alternate from white to green in a
progression of 10 sectors.  This is to help you quickly define
the coordinates you wish to act on.  The grid is based on a
simple XY coordinate method.  X is considered the left to right
address beginning with 1 and ending with 54.  Y is considered the
top to bottom address from 1 to 16.  Point of impact is governed
by the intersection of a given X and Y Coordinate.  Simple stuff.

On the battlefield there may or may not be yellow and red grid
marks.  These marks specify targeted (Yellow) and impacted (red)
areas.  For example - if you fire your weapon at X24 by Y12 a
yellow mark will be displayed on that area.  The yellow mark will
not turn red until the shell returns to earth in the nightly
event.

You will only be able to see your targeted areas (yellow) other
players will not and visa versa.  However, red areas are public
knowledge since impacts are hard to hide.  Moving into an
impacted area (red) will not damage your vehicle since the round
has already exploded.  Moving into a yellow area is an easy way
to get killed by your own round if you stay there over the course
of the nightly event when the shell strikes.

Your vehicle is a 'O' on the grid.  More then one vehicle can
occupy a sector...

CONTROL PANEL -  

The control panel is a list of valuable indicators and commands. 
From the top we start with a box containing two indicators. 
Vollies is the number of rounds that you can safely fire before
your gun is too hot to service.  Powder is the amount of gun
powder you have in your magazine to toss the warhead.  If either
of these units is 0 you will not be able to fire your weapon
until resupplied (nightly event).

The second box is the warhead inventory.  See TYPE OF WARHEAD for
information on patters of dispersement & warhead requirements!
All hits will produce damage between 13 and 50 units.

The third box is your systems display.  Damage is the amount of
units damage your vehicle has received in the course of combat. 
If this indicator reaches 100 your vehicle will be destroyed. 
Damage is randomly determined when a shell hits you.  Damage to
a vehicle is repaired at a rate of 5 units a night (provided no
problems occur).

Kills is the number of enemy units you've destroyed.  Units is
the number of players currently involved in combat (including
you).  Tour is the number of days you have survived.  Moves is
the amount of sectors you can move your vehicle before the
batteries require recharging over-night.

The last box (bottom) is the command menu.  These are the orders
you can enter to execute operation of your vehicle.

COMMAND MENU -

Two commands in the menu will call sub-menus.  They are F)ire and
M)ove.  The other commands require no input and will execute as
soon as they're called.

FIRE (F) -

The fire menu is a request for coordinates and warhead
information.  The first prompt is for an X coordinate (1 to 54). 
The second is a Y coordinate (1 to 16).  The third is a warhead
type.  You must select this by number from your inventory.  If
you do not have the projectile in stock you will not be able to
fire.  

When you have entered the first three items you will be displayed
a powder charge requirement.  If you do not want to use the
indicated amount select 'N' and you will be returned to the main
menu.  If you select 'Y' the amounts (charge, and warhead) will
be subtracted from your inventory and the weapon will be
discharged (fired).

TYPES OF WARHEADS -

The Warfare Convention of 2012 approved five types of warheads
for use in the field.  Each of these rounds has a unique pattern
of dispersement and separate charge requirements due to
differences in structure, dynamics, and weight.  Since some
warheads have a large spread it is important to note that you will
ONLY be able to fire them if ALL the rounds land within the field.
Here is the break-down:

Type #1 - Standard - One warhead contains one explosive round.    
          This is a ground zero weapon (Point of impact).  Powder 
          charge requirement is the distance to the target area.

Type #2 - Scatter - One warhead contains three explosive rounds.  
          Dispersement is either:   X            X
                                   X      or      X
                                  X                X 
          Powder charge requirement is the distance to the target 
          area plus 10.  Pattern is selected at random. 

Type #3 - Multiple - One warhead contains five explosive rounds.  
          Dispersement is:       X X
                                  X
                                 X X
          Powder charge requirement is the distance to the target 
          area plus 20.

Type #4 - Cluster - One warhead contains nine explosive rounds.
          Dispersement is :       XXX
                                  XXX
                                  XXX
          Powder charge requirement is the distance to target     
          area plus 40.

Type #5 - Atomic - One warhead contains thirteen explosive        
          rounds.  Dispersement is :     X
                                        XXX
                                       XXXXX
                                        XXX
                                         X
          Powder charge requirement is the distance to the target 
          plus 80.

MOVE (M) -

The movement command calls a simple menu that requests the
direction of movement.  You may move your vehicle N/S/E/W
provided you are not leaving the grid.  A unit of battery power
(Move indicator) will be subtracted for each sector moved.  Any
key other then N/S/E/W will abort this command and return you to
the main menu.

REPORT (R) -

During the nightly event the shells reach their apex and fall to
the ground.  The report is a listing of sightings, hits & misses,
damages and kills.  It is an important tool in finding your
opponents.

SCORES (S) -

The list of players and their scores is displayed on the screen. 
The number indicates the number of kills a player has obtained.

HELP (H) -

This command will pull this text file.  As you should already
know.

QUIT (Q) -

Execution of this command will save the current changes and
return you to the BBS.  Loading the BBS may sometimes take a bit.

SUPPLIES :

Supplies are replenished during the nightly event.  Some supplies
are cumulative and others have a max value.  The list below
indicates the values.

Description - Start -  Max -  Per day
            -       -      -
   VOLLIES  -  10   -  10  -    10
   POWDER   -  100  - 1000 -    100
   STANDARD -  10   -  10  -    10
   SCATTER  -  4    -  8   -    2
   MULTIPLE -  3    -  6   -    1
   CLUSTER  -  2    -  4   -    1
   ATOMIC   -  1    -  2   -    1
   MOVES    -  5    -  5   -    5

The 'Start' value is the number of units you will receive when
you first play the door.  The 'Max' value is the total number of
that unit which you can have in stock.  The 'Per Day' value is
the number of units your supply center air drops to you each
night.

Also during the night events can take place that can't be
anticipated.  One example is the random spotting of mortar move-
ment or fire.  This type of report is the most general.  However,
during the nightly resupply and repair phase shipment of warheads
and repair work can be hindered.  The chances of one such event
occuring should always be considered.  The extent of the problem
is randomly generated.

STRAY ROUNDS:

Stray rounds are rounds that are randomally generated during the
nightly event.  Up to 20 stray rounds can hit the battlefield.
There is NO way to anticipate them or defend against them.  The
coordinates are also random.

TACTICS :

Okay, so it seems pretty easy.  Too bad there is more to it then
that.  Firing your weapon can cause you to be spotted.  Likewise
so can excessive movement.  Sightings are never dead-on unless
the enemy fails to move again before the nightly event...  A good
pattern or the careful use of a large weapon is your best bet.

While moving into the path of your own rounds may be stupid,
sitting in a previously bombarded sector could cause the enemy to
over-look you.  The Fire Control system will not allow you to fire
on your own mortar - BUT if you use a large patterned weapon you
may still be hit by one of its rounds.

Since firing your weapon gets you spotted more often then
movement it's a good idea to discharge your mortar and get the
heck away from the that sector.

You can't anticipate when your supplies will be hindered or cut.
Keep reserves and avoid blind-firing.

Use the report screen often.  You should know what the reports
say about you as well as your enemy!  Reports are updated nightly.

<EOF>
