User manual GAMES PC ACT OF WAR - DIRECT ACTION

Experts: No End in Sight for Oil Crisis rves, while others point to hed a new dwindling rese As the price of crude reac ng cost of extracting remainel yesterday, the increasi line, though, record price of $75.30 a barr ing oil reserves. The bottom telling us that rt from the American Energy a new repo is the same: Companies are dire warnings Production Group issued running out of oil. oil crisis is in we are all here we today that no end to today's Where are we headed? Now the White t, and again called on to ory is any indication. sigh want to be, if hist devastatHouse to act. 1970s Arab embargo was of oil les the by now well- The The report tack Libya raised the price -- that a rap- ing. 5a known reason to the crisis from $4.90 a barrel to $8.2 quickly overnight growing global demand is dle Eastern countries idly eral Mid dly diminish- barrel. Sev to the United outstripping an equally rapi voted to stop supplying oil ing off supply -- by racking up ing world oil es altogether, effectively turn . Last year's Stat ed some remarkable numbers OPEC nations put up a unit rate was the spigot. al worldwide consumption global community on glob the year-by-year front, leaving g price hikes a startling 6 percent on a tenterhooks. The resultin e the tip sales last year were up 4 basis, global car long lines at the pumps wer ent in alterna- and the percent, and global investm erg. The embargo led to for the of the iceb energy sources was down rampant inflation and tive ch of $370 billion one-two pun years for the fourth year in a row, from global recession. It took 2 billion this year. last year to $35 erican economy to recover. blame on Am artificial. The report puts most of the And the 1970s crisis was Middle drying up of oil wells in the stop producing oil for the to ainly partly OPEC chose the goods; East, but Americans are cert political reasons. They had -- their love affair with us. Once responsible, too just didn't want to sell to -- but devel- they oil SUVs continues unabated l storm had passed, the they, too, the politica g countries have found that in. opin aga f. China, in started to flow solved by have a taste for the black stuf fuel its Today's crisis won't be no angry relying on oil to particular, is easement policies. There's app oil expanding economy. this scenario, sitting on an sheik in oil. Everybody, it seems, needs sell his wares. The probto g, supplies well, refusing The oilmen And as demand is growin lem is more fundamental. e. Energy companies have are dwindling. 't sell us what they don't hav dramatically. can See Experts page 3 cut their production quotas Some cite The reasons are varied. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 THE README FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 INSTRUCTION MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 SETUP AND INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 MAIN MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 GAME SET-UP SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 BASIC TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BATTLE SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 MOUSE CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 CAMERA MOVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 YOUR ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 YOUR BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 MONEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 UNIT AND BUILDING REFERENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 UNIT SPECIAL ABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 TASK FORCE TALON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 U.S. ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 CONSORTIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 CREDITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 ATARI WEB SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 TECHNICAL SUPPORT (U.S. & CANADA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Experts in Davos Harold Kingman announced will soon month that his company last rs ling in Egypt. TGE enginee begin dril Continued from page 1 ed new technology that, if have develop the market Egyptian oil What little crude there is on successful, will unlock the expenThe energy rves previously thought too selling at usurious prices. is the rese ies deny responsibility for extract. sive to compan other oil , the global In an effort condemned by price inflation. In their view elmed any efforts at conglomerates as predatory pricing, economy has overwh c, it is the cus- TransGlobal is pricing its crude at 10% price controls. By this logi ing price of $75 a rampant demand that is sett below the set commodity tomer's traders are forthright about barrel. TGE the price. e to capture happened to Some may ask, whatever their belief that now is the tim coming of a nomics 101 market share, in anticipation market competition? Eco r explanation oil glut. professors are clear in thei dangers. If competition benefits the This scenario holds its own of how industry y's oil industry is far TransGlobal succeeds in pushing other consumer. But toda market, the 1970s. rgy companies out of the different than it was in it, trans- ene tion disappears -- and with s and acquisitions have competi Merger ketplace. Companies that the built-in market mechanisms that keep formed the mar enormous. prices competitive. were once big are now cal. Today's have resisted But that problem is theoreti Historically, oil companies r piece dation, eager to guard thei is real. crisis consoli has dwindled, of the pie. But as that pie t accepted, and then these companies firs tion policy embraced a merger & acquisi t times. to stay afloat in turbulen as a way one compaThe situation is bleak. But lf as a small ny, TransGlobal, presents itse tunnel. CEO light at the end of the GETTING STARTED THE README FILE The Act of War: Direct ActionTM DVD-ROM game has a ReadMe file that includes the License Agreement and up-to-date information about the game. We strongly encourage you to take the time to read this file in order to benefit from changes made after this manual went to print. To view the ReadMe file, double-click on the ReadMe.txt icon on the Act of War: Direct Action directory found on your hard drive (usually C:\Program Files\Atari\Act of War). You can also view the ReadMe file by clicking on the Start button on your Windows® taskbar, and then select Programs > Atari > Act of War: Direct Action, and click on View ReadMe. 2 3 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Operating System: Processor: Memory: Hard Disk Space: DVD-ROM Drive: Video: Sound: DirectX®: Multiplayer: Windows® 2000/XP Pentium® 4 1.5 GHz or AMD Athlon® 1.5 GHz (Pentium® 4 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon® 2.2 GHz recommended) 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM recommended) 6 GB free 2X Speed or faster 64 MB Hardware T&L video card (128 MB hardware T&L video card recommended)* DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card DirectX® version 9.0c (included) or higher Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. Broadband Internet connection required for online multiplayer play. MAIN MENU The Main Menu opens automatically when you start the game. Profile: View and manage player profile(s), create new profiles, deleted expired ones, view stats and track records. Operation: Play the Act of War: Direct Action campaign. Engagement: Engage in a skirmish game against AI opponents. Load: Load a previously saved Act of War: Direct Action game. LAN: Create or join a LAN game. Online: Create or join an Internet game via GameSpy. Options: Configure settings for Act of War: Direct Action. Credits: View the game credits. Quit to Windows: Exit Act of War: Direct Action. *Note: Hardware T&L video cards that do not support shaders, such as the GeForce 4 MX and the Intel Extreme Graphics family, are not supported. SETUP AND INSTALLATION 1. Start Windows® 2000/XP. 2. Insert the Act of War: Direct Action game disc into your DVD-ROM drive. 3. If AutoPlay is enabled, a title screen should appear. If AutoPlay is not enabled, or the installation does not start automatically, click on the Start button on your Windows® taskbar, then on Run. Type D:\Setup and click on OK. Note: If your DVD-ROM drive is assigned to a letter other than D, substitute that letter. 4. Follow the remainder of the on-screen instructions to finish installing Act of War: Direct Action. 5. Once installation is complete, click on the Start button on the Windows® taskbar and choose Programs > Atari > Act of War: Direct Action > Act of War: Direct Action to start the game. You can also click on the Act of War: Direct Action icon on your Windows® desktop to start the game. Note: You must have the Act of War: Direct Action disc in your DVD-ROM drive to play. Profile Select Profile from the Main Menu to manage player profiles. Existing profiles are listed on the right side of the screen. Select: Activate the currently selected profile. New: Create a new profile. Delete: Delete the currently selected profile. Cancel: Return to the Main Menu. Edit: Edit the selected profile. Awards: View any awards associated with the selected profile. Installation of DirectX® The Act of War: Direct Action game requires DirectX 9.0c or higher in order to run. If you do not have DirectX® 9.0c or higher installed on your computer, click "Yes" to accept the DirectX® 9.0c License Agreement. This will then launch the DirectX® 9.0c Install. ® Operation (Single-player) Select Operations from the Main Menu to play the Act of War: Direct Action campaign. New Campaign: Start a new single-player campaign. Chapter Selection: Enter a selected chapter. Note: As with a book or a DVD, you can enjoy the chapters in Act of War: Direct Action in any order you wish, but playing the single-player campaign out of order might ruin the campaign story for you. 4 5 Continue Campaign: Load the last Autosaved game. Cancel: Return to the Main Menu. LAN (Multiplayer) Select LAN from the Main Menu to start or join a local area network game. Create: Create a new LAN game ­ clicking here will take you to the Game Set-up Screen, where you can decide the number of opponents, teams, map and difficulty level for AI opponents (see "Game Set-up Screen" on page 10). Join: Join an already created LAN game. Refresh List: Refresh the list containing all available LAN games. Difficulty Levels Each time you launch a new Chapter of the single-player campaign, you have the possibility to set your difficulty level: Standard (for most players), Advanced (for experienced players) and Expert (for experienced Act of War: Direct Action players). You can also change the difficulty level at any time in the Pause Menu. Changes in difficulty level only affect the currently active player profile. Chapter Selection Launch: Select the chapter you wish to play by clicking on its video icon and then click on "Launch" to start (or double-click the video icon). To move to another set of chapters, click on "18," "9-16," etc. Cancel: Return to the Main Menu. Cancel: Return to the Main Menu. Getting Started in Engagement and Multiplayer Mode With practice, you'll soon figure out the best way to defeat opponents in the Engagement and Multiplayer modes. Here are some helpful tips to get you started: 1. Build a Refinery ­ For reliable, steady cash flow, build a Refinery close to an (existing) Oil Derrick. Build two additional Tankers to increase oil extraction speed. 2. Build a Barracks ­ Recruit some ground units to scout the surroundings and protect your base. 3. Build Defense or Offense ­ Make the important early decision to either attack opponents immediately with light troops or to first build a strong defense to protect against a rapid enemy attack. 4. Cash or Conquest ­ Decide whether to capture additional oil wells or assault an opponent. Engagement (Single-player) Engagement is the single-player skirmish mode, where you can practice against the AI. Clicking here will take you to the Game Set-up Screen, from where you will go straight into the game (see "Game Set-up Screen" on page 10). Load Select Load from the Main Menu to enter or delete previously saved games. 6 7 Online (Multiplayer) Select Online from the Main Menu to start or join an Internet game on GameSpy. Upon entering this area, you need to log in to or create a new account with GameSpy. Options Select Options from the Main Menu to adjust the video and audio preferences. Fort Irwin: Fort Irwin is the U.S. Army's training camp in the mountains between California and Nevada, and this is where you want to be if you just want to practice against other online opponents without your ladder ranking being affected. In Fort Irwin you can chat, create/manage your buddy lists, and either create a game or or join an existing game (see "LAN" on page 7). Video Settings Resolution: Set the graphic resolution for Act of War: Direct Action. Higher resolutions may cause performance issues on slower machines. Lighting: Set the lighting detail from Low to Very High. Try reducing the lighting detail if you are experiencing performance problems. Textures: Set textures details from Low to High. Try reducing the texture resolution if you are experiencing performance problems. Cursor: Select a small or large cursor, depending on your personal preference. War Room: Try your skill at a Ladder online game. Each game completed in this mode, whether you win or lose, will earn you a number of experience points that count toward your Ladder ranking. The more difficult the opposition, the more points you will earn! In the War Room you can chat, create/manage your buddy lists, and join a randomly generated game based on your preferences for number and type of opponents: 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2 or 4-player Free-For-All. Cancel: Return to the Main Menu. Sound Settings Master: Adjust the overall volume of all in-game audio. Music: Set the music volume level. SFX: Adjust the sound effects volume level. Sound Driver: Select Stereo if you have a standard system or 3D if you have a surround system. Game Settings Difficulty Level: Choose among three difficulty levels: Standard, Advanced or Expert. Mouse Click Mode: Set whether the mouse executes on mouse up or mouse down. Sticky Selection: With this option set to ON, you will always have your latest selection (unit or building) selected. If set to OFF, you will deselect your current selection by left-clicking on the ground. Network Settings If you are behind a router, you need to check the Enable Network Port option. Then, you must configure a port forwarding for UDP packets from your router to the PC running the game. If the default port of 12222 doesn't suit you or if you have more than one PC behind the same router, you can change it below the Enable Network Port option. For additional information on how to configure port forwarding, consult your router manual or go to http://portforward.com. Atari does not control, and disclaims any responsibility or liability for, the functioning and performance of third-party web sites and any content on or available through third-party web sites. 8 9 Game Set-Up Screen Launch: Start the game. (This button is only available for the player creating the game. Players joining a game will see a "Ready" button.) Cancel: Return to the previous menu. Opponent: You can select an open slot and choose an AI-controlled player, or close the slot to other players. You can set the difficulty level for any AI-controlled players you add. Color: Choose the color for each player. Side: Select which of the three sides to play ­ Task Force Talon, U.S. Army or the Consortium. Team: Choose teams for each player ­ players on the same team will not automatically attack each other. Select Theater: If you created the game, you have the option to select on which map to play. Stop Make It Stop! Gas crisis rages on These days, Allison McCab e of Dallas can't believe her eyes. "Is this thing broken?" she asks, tapping the gas gauge at the pump. "That can't be right." But it is: the total comes to $147. And that's for one tank of gas. Allison shakes her head and laughs. "At this rate, my car's goin g to cost me more than my mortgage!" Americans across the country are facing the same shocking new s at the pump Extreme gas prices are just one symptom ­ and they aren't laughing of the current crisis ­ cost s have rise . The gasoline continues to skyrock price of drastically for most other necessi n ties. et. Drivers sit in their cars for hours, waiting for to No doubt about it, Americ fill up their tanks ­ and that a is facing 's on days the worst energy crisis it's seen since the when they can even buy gas ; 65% of gas 1970's. And those really were the good stations report that their tank s have run old days. During dry at least once in the pas the Carter administrat week. tion, prices did rise dramatic ally. See Stop page 11 are backed Anecdotal stories like these Federal by government statistics. The up ndreports that discretionary spe Reserve Continued from page 10 in the last 12 months. ing is down 42% atic drop leveled out. Analysts worry that this dram Eventually, though, they send the ity worked international commun consumer spending will in The in a precariis. Within a American economy, already together to resolve the cris the `70's crisis was a dis- ous position, into a tailspin from which it few short years, ans quickly may never recover. tant memory, and Americ of life. optimistic. rned to their expansive way Other observers are more retu ly ­ see a no such solution seems like mentalists, in particular, Today, Environ e. Prices continue to large silver lining to today's black cloud. or even possibl road, less sight. With fewer vehicles on the climb, and there's no end in ring the le effect mful pollutants are ente The crisis is having a ripp y. har makall sectors of the econom here. Some consumers are atmosp across panies can't afford to send ing the switch to electric cars. Lailee Trucking com once did. for Honda, Mendelson, a spokeswoman their fleet out as often as they flow of seen a huge t, in turn, is limiting the says the auto company has Tha for their lly big-box spike in consumer interest goods to retail stores, especia tco and Sam's Club. hybrid vehicles. stores like Cos e say, ar, like proMore importantly, som longPerishable goods in particul some the change. Americans are changing duce, are impacted by e no choice destructive ­ Business owners say they hav to their standing ­ and, some say, cost increase on ling is back in vogue. So is habits. Carpoo but to pass the lain why red hington DC's public transportation. Was customers. That would exp an average of 73% jump in metro system has seen a peppers are now selling for Buses nd. ncy in the last six months. occupa $8 a pou odate this new reality, are filled to capacity during peak hours. To accomm some serious And bicycle sales are at an all-time high. Americans are making Miller of and spending Some people, like Brad changes to their lifestyles g of to his GA, see an added benefit . Summer car trips are a thin Atlanta, patterns ple have cut back dramati- new lifestyle. He now uses his bike to the past. Peo e round trip enses. Gone commute to work, a 15-mil cally on their household exp he's lost 10 and impulse he makes each workday. And are the weekend movies ?" he Kristin since June. "How about that ses. Couples like Scott and purcha - pounds Diego no longer treat them says. "I never lost that much weight Laing of San !" y from their when I worked out at the gym selves to `date night' awa ngs to his Elroy. "We Mr. Miller no longer belo two young sons, Jake and 't afford it. ysitter, much neighborhood gym. He can can't even afford the bab er tab!" says Scott. less the dinn 10 11 BASIC TRAINING In Operation mode, you can play any chapter in any order you wish, but we recommend you play them through sequentially the first time. Playing the missions in order will introduce you to the gameplay fundamentals, including selecting and moving units, combat, building and upgrading structures and more. private message to your teammates select "Secure line." If you want to send a message to all players select "Open band." To close the chat line or to send a message, click the "Send" button or press the Enter key again. 10. Center on HQ: Centers the map on your Headquarters building. 11. See List of Players (multiplayer) or Objectives (single-player): In a multiplayer game, clicking here opens a window listing the players and their status. In a single-player game, this is replaced by an "Objectives" button that opens a list of current gameplay objectives. 12. Pause Game (single-player game only): Pauses the game and offers you the option to save your current game, load a previously saved game, quit the current game or change the video options. (In a multiplayer game, you will only have the option to surrender or resume the game.) BATTLE SCREEN 12 10 7 8 9 11 6 5 4 2 1 3 MOUSE CONTROLS Most commands are issued using the mouse. As a rule, left-clicking on a unit or structure selects it, and left-clicking on a button issues an order, such as attack. Right-clicking generally issues a command, such as move, to any currently selected unit(s), or sets a rally point for a building. BASIC CONTROLS Left-click Rotate mouse wheel Press mouse wheel + move mouse left/right Move mouse to screen edge WITH UNIT/BUILDING SELECTED Right-click on map Right-click on own unit Right-click on own or neutral building Right-click on enemy unit Right-click on enemy building ON MINI-MAP Left-click Right-click Re-center map Move selected unit to destination Move units/Set rally point for building Load/Repair/Heal Enter/Repair Attack unit/Capture POW Attack building Select unit or building/Click interface button Zoom in/out Rotate camera Scroll map 1. Action Panel: This panel contains all actions that each structure or unit can perform, including attacking, stopping, ambushing and guarding (see "Unit Special Abilities" on page 25). It also displays structure options, such as building and upgrading. 2. Meter Bar: This bar shows both your available funds and power supply. 3. Data Window: This window contains information about the selected unit or structure, such as health, status, production queue and loaded units. 4. Aircraft & Tactical Weapons Panel: Use this panel to call for air support and use tactical weapons (see "Air Strikes" on page 23). This panel will not be available until you have either of these weapons available. 5. Aircraft Tracking Control: Click here to follow an aircraft currently en route to its target; consecutive clicks will toggle between your aircraft. 6. Mini-map: The mini-map shows terrain, structures, units, fog of war and objectives. 7. Select Idle Constructor: Selects one of your currently idle constructor units; consecutive clicks will select the next one. 8. Set Flare (multiplayer games only): Click here and then on the map to ignite a flare on the map that is visible only to other members of your team. This is helpful when coordinating your attacks or communicating objectives. 9. Chat: Click here to open a chat line where you can type in a message to all other players in a multiplayer game. You can also do this by pressing the Enter key. If you want to send a See pages 94 and 95 for a list of keyboard commands. CAMERA MOVEMENT To scroll the map, move the mouse cursor to any screen edge. Click and hold the mouse wheel and move the mouse left or right to rotate the camera. Rotate the mouse wheel to zoom in or out. Press the ` (apostrophe) key to turn on the chase camera and follow your currently selected units. Press the Spacebar and the battlefield will shift to center the screen on your last alert. Press the Backspace key to center the camera around your HQ building. 12 13 YOUR ARMY Calling in Units In the single-player campaign, all chapters include a handful of units to get you started and will introduce new units and options as the campaign progresses. In a multiplayer game or skirmish game against the AI however, you'll need to recruit a capable fighting force on your own, starting with establishing a base with buildings that allow you to call in additional units and gather the resources needed to pay for them. See "Your Base" on page 19 for more information. command is given). If you give a Defend command to a Constructor unit, it will instead automatically repair any damaged buildings within the Defend zone or automatically help other construction units in the zone with new construction projects. If given to a Healing or Repair unit, it will automatically move over to and heal/repair any damaged units within the zone. Creating Groups While you have multiple units selected, you can assign that group to a hotkey by pressing the Ctrl key and a number (1 to 0). To select this group again, press the number that you have assigned to it. If you press the number a second time, you will center the game around that group of units. (Note: You can assign hotkeys to buildings and individual units in this way.) Issuing Unit Commands Moving Select a unit by left-clicking on it. To select multiple units, you can click and drag a rectangle around units on the battlefield. You can add or remove units from a selected group by holding down the Shift key while left-clicking. Setting Waypoints Hold down Shift while right-clicking on the battlefield to assign waypoints to the currently selected group or unit. Move vs. Attack Move is the normal movement mode, used to order a unit to move to its destination at any cost, i.e. ignoring enemy attacks. Attack is the aggressive/cautious movement mode, used to order a unit to move to a destination while attacking any enemy that comes in sight. The fastest way to order units with a Move order to return fire if they're attacked is to simply issue a Stop order, in which case they'll stop and fire at the most appropriate opponent in range; anti-tank soldiers at tanks, infantry and infantry, etc. Once they've engaged, you can assign individual targets to gain the upper hand. Most vehicles have the ability to fire while moving, so the difference between Move and Attack is that if Attacking, the vehicle will stop and fight until the target is destroyed, before resuming its movement. If Moving however, it will simply drive past the enemy target while also firing at it. You can select all units of one type on the screen by double-clicking on a unit, or by pressing Ctrl while left-clicking on a unit. To make selected units move to a different spot on the battlefield, right-click on the desired location. You can give other unit commands, such as Attack, Defend and Ambush, by clicking on the buttons in the Action panel. Different buttons will appear depending on the unit type. Hover the mouse cursor over a button to see a pop-up of what that button does and the keyboard command associated with it. For a list of keyboard commands, see pages 94 and 95. If you order a group of different types of units to move, they will all move at the speed of the slowest unit in the group. Follow Command If you give a unit or a group of units a Move command with one of your own units as destination, they will follow the targeted unit as if you gave them an Attack command. This is particularly useful when, for example, you want to avoid anti-tank ambushes; you simply order your tanks to follow your infantry; the infantry will then be the target of the ambush rather than the much more valuable tanks. Building Rally Points Select a building and right-click on the map where you want to gather reinforcements called in through that building. A white line will show the line to the rally point, indicated by a flag. Entering Buildings and Vehicles To make a soldier enter a transport vehicle or building, select it and then move the cursor over the item you want it to enter. When the cursor changes to arrows pointing into an opening and closing door, right-click and the unit will enter (up to the capacity of the building or vehicle). You can also select the vehicle, click the Load button, then click the unit you want to load. To make units unload immediately, select the building or vehicle and click the Unload button. Cover/Buildings Most infantry units can enter buildings through a specific point on the ground level of the building. Once inside, a unit will automatically move to an available window slot. When all window slots are occupied (eight or fewer, depending on building type and damage status), no more friendly units can enter the building. Units automatically move between window slots inside the building in order to spread out and face all surrounding threats with equal force. Defend By giving a Defend command to a unit, it will stay in its place and automatically attack any enemy unit that enters the "Defend zone" (as indicated by the mouse cursor when the 14 15 U.S. Army Can Enter Buildings These are the units that can enter and fight inside buildings. The stars indicate the unit's relative strength in close quarters combat (i.e. when defending or attacking inside buildings). Units with no stars cannot fight in close combat inside a building. Task Force Talon ­ Task Force Commandosbbbb; Heavy Sniperb; Non-Combat Personnel U.S. Army ­ Delta Force Elite Soldierbbbb; U.S. Marinebbb; Javelin Missile; Sniper; Non-Combat Personnel The Consortium ­ Optical Camo Soldierbbbbb; AK-74 Soldierbb; RPG-7 Soldierb; SA-7 Grail Soldier; MM1 Mortar Soldier; Non-Combat Personnel Lightly Wounded U.S. soldiers heal automatically while in the vicinity of a Medical Black Hawk helicopter or a Field Hospital. Heavily Wounded soldiers can be medevaced in two ways, either by landing a Black Hawk helicopter next to them, or by selecting the Heavily Wounded soldier and clicking the "MedEvac" action button. Once you order the Black Hawk to return to the Field Hospital, its patients will be healed and ready for action again after a short while. Can Heal To enter a building, select the unit and right-click on the building. To exit, either select the building and click on the unit in the Data window (that unit will be found right next to the ground level entry/exit point), or click the "Evacuate Immediately" action button (all units will gather around the exit on the ground level). While inside a building, units are protected from attacks from units outside the building, until the unit's window slot has been destroyed. When window slots are destroyed, units cannot use them anymore, and any unit inside the window is destroyed. Units cannot enter completely destroyed buildings. You can order infantry units to enter a building containing enemy infantry to try and clear it without damaging the building. You can also order some special infantry units to snipe enemies hiding inside a building. Snipers disregard any protection a building would generally offer a target. U.S. Army ­ Medical Black Hawk; Field Hospital Task Force Talon ­ Nanowave Healing Center; Consortium ­ BMM-1; Field Prison Camp The Consortium Lightly Wounded Consortium soldiers heal automatically while in the vicinity of a BMM-1 vehicle or a Field Prison Camp. Heavily Wounded soldiers are picked up automatically if you move a BMM-1 next to them, or by selecting the Heavily Wounded soldier and click the "MedEvac" action button. Once brought back to the Field Prison Camp, each patient is exchanged for its deployment cost in funds, which can be used to call in new units. Roof Entrances Most buildings also have an entry/exit point on the roof accessible by light infantry units only, either from the ground level (just give a move order to the roof area), or by helicopter. From the roof, infantry units have an increased LOS, are difficult to spot for units on the ground, and are able to assault the building with minimum casualties while approaching its entrance. Task Force Talon Task Force Talon soldiers all wear nano-technology suits containing a variety of systems that heal and stabilize injuries. The technology however requires massive amounts of energy that is transmitted as waves from a distance. To heal Wounded Task Force Talon soldiers, select the Nanowave Healing Center, click the "Send Healing Nanowave" action button, then set the zone of healing on the ground. You can also heal a soldier by moving it to the vicinity of a Healing Center to heal it. Health & Healing When a unit is damaged, its health bar drops. A unit is considered Lightly Wounded if it has not received more than 90 percent damage. When a unit's health drops below 10 percent, it is considered Heavily Wounded and cannot move or fight. Health affects movement speed for all units, but doesn't affect combat capabilities until it becomes Heavily Wounded. Note: You can automate healing tasks for healing units by using the Defend command. 16 17 Vehicle Repairs Unless a vehicle's health reaches zero, at which point it is destroyed, it can be repaired at an appropriate repair building. To repair a damaged U.S. Army vehicle, select it and click the "TechEvac" button (or right-click on the Repair Depot). An Angel Repair helicopter will fly in, pick it up, and bring it back to the Repair Depot. You can also move the damaged vehicle to the vicinity of the Repair Depot. To repair a damaged Task Force or Consortium vehicle, select it and click the "MedEvac" button. Depending on your force, either a Repair V-22 or a Repair FAT-V will arrive and start repairing the damaged vehicle. You can also move the damaged vehicle to the vicinity of a VTOL Pad or landed Repair V-22 (the Consortium) or Repair & Logistic Center or parked Repair FAT-V (Task Force Talon) Aircraft are automatically repaired between each mission. Helicopters must land close to a repair unit or building. Most destroyed vehicles will leave behind one or more Non-Combat Personnel (drivers/pilots). These can be moved as usual, albeit slowly, but cannot fight. If a driver/pilot is brought back to your HQ, you will receive $250. You can also take enemy Non-Combat Personnel as a prisoner of war (POW). Note: Like healing units, repair units can be given a Defend command to automatically repair all units within a certain area. YOUR BASE Building a Base In order to call in new units to send into battle, you need to build a base. Every building in your base provides a particular function or allows you to call in a particular type of unit. Some buildings have prerequisites, such as the existence of another type of building. Construction Units (can repair buildings) U.S. Army ­ Excavator Task Force Talon ­ Drone Constructor Consortium ­ Mi-17 Hip Construction Helicopter To construct a building, select your construction unit (U.S. Army Excavator, Task Force Talon Drone Constructor, or Consortium Mi-17 Hip Construction Helicopter) and then click on one of the building type buttons. The cursor will change to show the footprint of that type of building. Move the building around the map until it turns green and click to place it. If the cursor appears red, it means you are unable to build in that location. Once the construction sequence is completed, the building is operational. You can order several construction units to help with the construction, which will increase construction speed. If you remove a construction unit before construction is complete, or it is destroyed, construction will stop but can be resumed at a later point. You can also cancel a partly finished construction and receive a refund. Note: You can order a single construction unit to construct a sequence of buildings by pressing and holding the Shift key while issuing that unit construction commands. Can Repair Vehicles U.S. Army ­ Angel Repair helicopter; Repair Depot Task Force Talon ­Repair FAT-V; Repair & Logistic Center Consortium ­ Repair V-22; VTOL pad Why Can't I Build? When you try to construct a building, you will see a silhouette of the building and a green or red "footprint." If the footprint is green, you can left-click to place the building, but if it's red you can't. It can be red for a number of reasons: · You can only build on flat terrain · You cannot build on top of other buildings · Oil Derricks must be built on top of Oil Deposits · You can only build on revealed areas of the map · The Consortium can only build near its other buildings (with the exception of Oil Derricks) · Task Force Talon can only build close to its Headquarters and Forward Operations Center buildings · Task Force Talon's Field Prison Camp and Nanowave Healing Center are extensions of the Barracks and S.H.I.E.L.D. Control Centers, respectively. In order to construct these, there must be a free space next to these "parent" buildings. If there isn't, the button to construct the extension will be disabled. 18 19 Power Requirements The U.S. Army requires a certain level of electrical power in order to run its bases. You can construct Field Generators to generate the power you need. While in Undercover status, the Consortium has no power requirements but can only construct buildings near existing buildings. When in Revealed status, the Consortium must maintain an electrical power level by constructing Tokamak reactors. The Task Force Talon can disregard electrical power but can only construct and maintain operational buildings in the vicinity of a Forward Operations Center or a Task Force Talon HQ. Building Repairs You can repair damaged (or only partially completed) buildings by selecting a Construction unit and right-clicking on the damaged building. If you give a Construction unit the Defend command, it will automatically repair all damaged buildings within the Defend zone, always starting with the building closest to the center of the Defend zone. Selling Buildings You can sell any building that you don't need any longer, that is beyond salvage following an enemy attack, or that blocks construction of another building. Selling a building will return half the initial construction cost and, for the Task Force Talon, the Drone Constructor will become available again. Damaged buildings will yield a lower return, relative to the amount of damage. Upgrading Buildings and Units Upgrades are acquired in buildings. Just like with units, you must meet certain prerequisites to acquire upgrades and they require funds. There are three types of upgrades: · Unit Upgrades: These upgrades either affect a single type of unit (for example all M1A2 Abrams tanks) or all units in a family (for example all aircraft). Upgrades are permanent, and they affect all the appropriate units currently on the field and all of the units that will be produced later in the game. · Buildings Upgrades: These upgrades typically only affect the buildings where they are acquired, but sometimes all buildings of the same type are affected. They typically increase the defensive capabilities of the building. · Technology Upgrades: Most of the Technology upgrades are built in the player's HQ and unlock parts of the Technology Tree (DEFCON Levels for the U.S. Army, Undercover/Revealed Status for the Consortium, and S.H.I.E.L.D./Drone Technology for the Task Force Talon). Other Technology affects the economical rules of the game. Task Force Talon Drone Constructors become available again once you sell a building. FUNDS Funds are required to call in units, construct buildings and purchase upgrades. Maintaining a solid economy is absolutely essential, particularly in the multiplayer game. You can earn funds in several ways: POWs ­ One way to earn funds is by capturing prisoners of war (POWs). See "Prisoners of War" on page 22 for more information. Oil ­ Exploiting Oil Deposits is the fastest and easiest way to earn funds. Build an Oil Derrick on top of an Oil Deposit, then build a Refinery close to the Oil Derrick. The Refinery will generate a Tanker that automatically gathers oil from the Oil Derrick and return it to the refinery. Banks ­ Occupy a bank building to automatically generate funds until the bank transfer is completed. Non-Combat Personnel ­ You earn money by returning Non-Combat Personnel -- downed helicopter and aircraft pilots, drivers from destroyed vehicles and servants that have abandoned destroyed buildings -- to your HQ. Non-Combat Personnel will automatically stop and surrender as soon as an enemy ground unit comes within firing range, and they are very slow to move, so you may want to consider evacuating them with vehicles or helicopters to avoid capture. Alert Status (U.S. Army) The tech tree of the U.S. Army is limited by its Alert Status (see "U.S. Army" on page 46). DEFCON levels are Alert Status Upgrades of the U.S. Army HQ. At the beginning of a game the U.S. Army HQ status is at DEFCON 3, which only gives you access to a limited selection of buildings and basic units. If you have enough funds and have met the building requirements, you can upgrade to DEFCON 2 and then DEFCON 1 to gain access to more powerful units and upgrades. Exposure Status (The Consortium) The Exposure Status -- Undercover or Revealed -- of the Consortium is dependent on its HQ. At the beginning of a game, the Consortium HQ Exposure Status is Undercover, which only gives you access to a limited selection of buildings and basic units. If you have enough funds and have met the upgrade requirements, you can change your Exposure Status to Revealed to gain access to more powerful units and upgrades. Technology Status (Task Force Talon) The Technology Status of the Task Force Talon HQ determines which units and upgrades you have access to. At the beginning of a game, the Task Force Talon TFT Technology Status is Battlefield, which only gives you access to a limited selection of buildings and basic units. If you have enough funds and have met the upgrade requirements, you can upgrade to S.H.I.E.L.D. Technology Status and/or to Drone Technology Status to gain access to more powerful units and upgrades. Oil is an exhaustible resource -- when there's no more oil, you will need to rely on other sources of income. 20 21 Prisoners of War Heavily Wounded enemies and enemy NonCombat Personnel can be captured as prisoners of war (POWs), which provides an immediate monetary reward. If you have a prison building, POWs will generate additional money at regular intervals. Only certain units (U.S. Marines, Delta Force Elite Soldiers, Task Force Commandos, AK-74 Soldiers, Snipers and Optical Camo Soldiers) have the ability to take POWs. There are two ways to capture POWs: right-click on the enemy unit with an appropriate unit selected; or click the Capture action button and then left-click on the map. All soldiers within the area clicked will be captured. Note: You can order a single unit to capture a sequence of POWs by pressing and holding the Shift key while clicking on the units to be captured. If your infantry units are attacked while moving, the fastest and easiest way to order them to fire back is to simply issue a Stop command ­ they will then stop in their tracks and immediately fire back at the closest/most dangerous target. Some units have special attack abilities, such as attacking while moving, sniping, ambushing, overrunning, and more. See "Unit Special Abilities" on page 25 for a complete list of unit-specific abilities. Line of Sight/Stealth In order for a unit to attack a target, it must be able to see it. Each unit has a vision range, beyond which it can't target. A unit's Line of Sight (LOS) can be obscured by buildings, trees, units, terrain features and other obstacles. Targets beyond a unit's LOS can only be attacked by indirect fire. Units with Stealth capabilities are considered to be outside LOS until they fire. Some highly trained infantry units can be ordered to Crawl, which gives them limited stealth capabilities until they either attack or move right next to an enemy unit. All stealth units can also be detected by units with the Stealth Detection special ability. Units inside buildings (see "Cover/Buildings" on page 15) have a 360-degree LOS, regardless which window slot they currently occupy. They cannot, however, see through adjacent buildings. Can Capture Prisoners Only infantry units carrying light personal firearms are able to capture Prisoners of War: Task Force Talon ­ Task Force Commandos; Heavy Sniper U.S. Army ­ U.S. Marine; Delta Force Elite Soldier; Sniper The Consortium ­ AK-74 Soldier; Optical Camo Soldier Experience All units can gain experience from killing enemies and taking POWs. As a unit gains experience, its health increases and its attacks inflict more damage. Each unit can gain up to 3 military ranks. Units gain a health increase when gaining more experience. Up to a maximum of ten enemy POWs will automatically be transferred to and stored inside a prison building (Field Hospital, Field Prison Camp or Field Intelligence Center). Each POW automatically generates $50 every 10 seconds it is held in a prison building. By interrogating a POW in a prison building, a part of the map will be revealed to you, but the POW will be lost. Filled with 10 POWs, a prison building generates almost as many funds as an Oil Deposit, and is an infinite resource. The player that best manages to control this human resource will probably win in the long run. Friendly Fire If, by accident, you happen to kill one of your own units, you will suffer a $200 penalty. Air Strikes Aircraft are available once you have built an Aircraft Control facility (Air Force Control Tower for the U.S. Army; Air Control Tower for the Consortium or Task Force Talon). These let you order air strike missions on the map. To order an air strike, select an aircraft from the Aircraft Control Panel or directly by selecting an Aircraft Control Facility. Then, select the spot on the map where you want to call in the air strike. A dynamic line will appear on the mini-map from the Aircraft Control Facility to the target, showing the flight course of the aircraft. This path cannot be changed, but you can construct several Control Facilities in different parts of the map -- the attack will always be launched from the one closest to the target. COMBAT Combat is, of course, the heart of Act of War: Direct Action. Each unit brings different abilities to the battlefield, and you'll need to rely on a combination of them all in order to succeed. To order a unit to attack, select it, click on the Attack button and then click on the intended target unit or building -- or simply right-click on the target. If you want to move your unit "aggressively," attacking everything it encounters on sight, you can use the Attack command and order your unit to attack a certain location on the map -- your unit will then move to that location and attack all enemies it encounters along the way and continue until it either reaches the destination, or dies trying... 22 23 While flying toward its final target, any aircraft (except the B2 Stealth bomber) will use up to half of its payload to engage opportunity targets. You can launch a combined air strike with several aircraft of the same or different types by making several selections in the Aircraft Control Panel before designating a target. For example, you may wish to send an escort of F-15s with your B2 Bomber attack, or launch a simultaneous attack with several YF-23s to eliminate an enemy base in one strike. Depending on the aircraft type and upgrades, different targets will be attacked. If your base includes an Early Warning Radar upgrade, you will be alerted to incoming enemy air strikes as blips on the mini-map and as target footprints on the battlefield. You will also be able to see all enemy stealth aircraft. UNIT AND BUILDING REFERENCE UNIT SPECIAL ABILITIES Ambush Most infantry units can be ordered to lay an ambush under vegetation (bushes, trees, etc.). While in Ambush mode, units are in limited Stealth mode (see "Line of Sight/Stealth" on page 23). In this position, they can only be seen at close range, by stealth-detection units or when firing. While in Ambush mode, units will only attack an enemy that comes within 50 percent of its own attack range, OR within 50 percent of another ambushing friendly unit's attack range. An ambushing unit will inflict double damage. Aircraft Targeting The aircraft targeting marker gives a good indication which type of targets will be attacked by which aircraft: Task Force Talon · RQ-4A Global Hawk ­ 2x anti-tank missiles (requires upgrade) · FA-35 Joint Strike Fighter ­ 2x anti-aircraft missiles; 4x guided bombs effective against structures only U.S. Army · F-15 Eagle ­ 3x anti-aircraft missiles · A-10 Thunderbolt ­ 4x anti-tank missiles · B2 Spirit ­ 8x non-guided bombs effective against all ground targets in target area The Consortium · YF-23 Black Widow ­ 2x anti-aircraft missiles; 2x anti-tank missiles; 2x guided bombs effective against structures only (requires upgrade) Assault Building Most infantry units can assault a building by moving into and taking position inside it. While moving into a building, infantry units are very vulnerable. If the building you are assaulting is already occupied by enemy infantry, a battle will take place inside the building. Some units (Heavy Snipers, Javelin Missiles, Snipers, RPG-7 soldiers, MM-1 Mortar Soldiers) will, however, fire on the building from the outside even if given an assault order. Note: Depending on which type and how many enemy units are defending a building, assaulting it with infantry can be a very costly and risky and cause serious casualties. If you need to eliminate the defenders, it may be better to destroy the building with armor or artillery or try and assault the building via the roof by means of a transport helicopter. Snipers are otherwise an excellent way to prepare an assault. Crawl Some highly trained infantry units can be ordered to crawl. Crawling gives limited stealth capabilities (see "Line of Sight/Stealth" on page 23), but the movement speed of the infantry unit is lowered to half of its normal speed. Crawling infantry make good scouts. The limited stealth capabilities last until the unit either attacks or comes close to an enemy unit. Units with stealthdetection capabilities can reveal crawling infantry within their LOS. Tactical Weapons Tactical Weapons provide you (and your opponent) with devastating power. To create Tactical Weapons, you must first build the appropriate facilities. The U.S. Army can launch a classical tactical nuke or the more powerful plasma nuke from its Wolverine missile silo. The Task Force Talon's Super Heavy Howitzer can be armed with traditional high-explosive shells or a nuke salvo. The Consortium's Falling Star uplink allows it to redirect killer satellites and crash them to Earth, and with their Ebola upgrade they become even more deadly against infantry. To prevent Tactical Weapons attacks, your base must include an Anti-Tactical Weapons building armed with a sufficient amount of charges. Both the U.S. Army and Consortium defense systems are static and protect an area around the launcher, while the Task Force Talon's Guardian Drones can be moved to wherever protection is needed. Snipe at Buildings Sniper units can be ordered to snipe at enemies hiding inside a building. The attack cursor lets you know that the building is occupied, but it doesn't always mean that you can snipe inside the building. If a sniper has LOS to an enemy unit inside a building, he will disregard any protection the building would normally offer. 24 25 Capture Infantry units armed with rifles (U.S. Marines, Delta Force Soldiers, Task Force Commandos, AK-74 soldiers, Snipers, Optical Camo Soldiers) can capture enemy Heavily Wounded units and Non-Combat Personnel. When a unit is given the order to capture, it moves to the target and then captures it as a POW (see "Prisoners of War" on page 22). Can Change Firing Mode Task Force Talon · S.H.I.E.L.D. ­ Can change between anti-tank missiles and a Gatling gun (effective against infantry). · UGCV Spinner Drones ­ Can change between an anti-tank gun, anti-aircraft missiles and remote-controlled bomb drones. Change/Add Weapon Some units can be ordered to change their weapons or add weapons if previously unarmed. This is a permanent modification of the unit and require funds. Weapons are changed/added just like upgrades: select the unit and left-click on a new weapon in the Action panel to buy it. Changing a unit's weaponry this way may modify some or all of its special abilities, so change weapons with care. The Consortium The two indirect fire units of the Consortium do not strictly change their firing mode, but as they take a couple of moments to shift between movement mode (unarmed) and firing mode (can't move), you'll need to manually determine where you want them to deploy. · Porcupine Mortar ­ Can't move while in indirect fire (turret) mode, limited firepower while in movement mode. · Piranha ­ Can't fire when in mobile mode; can't move while in firing mode. Fire While Moving Can Change Weapons Task Force Talon · Stryker ­ Can change from its normal infantry transportation mode to be equipped with either a heavy mortar for indirect fire support or a heavy anti-tank gun. The Consortium · AK-74 Soldier ­ Can exchange its assault rifle with either an RPG-7 anti-tank rifle or an MM1 mortar. · Ural Tanker ­ Can be charged with explosives to turn it into a mobile bomb truck. All armed vehicles, except artillery, will fire automatically at all enemy targets while moving. Most often, it will attack the closest target, unless that target is considered harmless. To order a vehicle to attack a specific target, you will need to manually issue an Attack command (see "Combat" on page 22). Heal Infantry You can heal infantry in three ways, according to the camp and the unit (see "Health & Healing" on page 16). Certain vehicles and buildings have a healing zone around them. For vehicles, this healing zone is effective only when the vehicle is stationary and on the ground. Any injured infantry units in the healing zone will be healed. Change Firing Mode Some units can be ordered to change their firing mode. It takes a couple of seconds to do this, during which time the unit is vulnerable. Firing mode is changed just like an upgrade: select the unit and left-click on the new firing mode in the Action panel. A unit's firing mode can be changed as many times as you want and it doesn't cost anything. You can Medevac U.S. Army Heavily Wounded units to a Field Hospital. After a short time the infantry will leave the Field Hospital in full health. Task Force Talon soldiers can be healed by standing within a Nanowave Healing zone. Consortium infantry must stand within the healing zone of a BMM-1 or move to the vicinity of a Field Prison Camp. 26 27 Repair Vehicle You can repair vehicles in two ways, according to the camp of the unit (see "Vehicle Repairs" on page 18). Certain vehicles and buildings have a healing zone around them. For the vehicles, this healing zone is effective only when the vehicle is stationary and on the ground. Any damaged vehicle units in the zone will be repaired. You can Medevac damaged U.S. Army vehicles to a Repair Depot. After a short time the vehicle will exit the Repair Depot completely repaired. The Consortium has the V-22 Repair Rotorcraft, which repairs all ground vehicles and landed helicopters within its healing zone. It must be on the ground to repair. Task Force Talon vehicles can be repaired by a Repair FAT-V from the Repair and Logistics Center. It must be stationary to repair. Can Detect Stealth Units Task Force Talon ­ RQ-4A Global Hawk; Buggy; Repair FAT-V; S.H.I.E.L.D. (requires upgrade); Sentry Turret U.S. Army ­ FAT-V Scout Patrol; Delta Force Elite Soldier; ADATS Turret The Consortium ­ Fennek; Railgun Turret Overrun Infantry All ground vehicles can overrun infantry. Simply give a move order that directs the vehicle to drive over the enemy infantry. They will automatically avoid your own soldiers, but will crush POWs if you aren't careful. Aside from heavy vehicles like main battle tanks, all vehicles are slowed when they overrun infantry. Transport Infantry Some transport vehicles can load infantry units (see "Entering Buildings and Vehicles" on page 15). A transport vehicle can have up to eight transport slots, depending on the vehicle type. While loaded, units inside lose all of their special abilities and are not able to attack, but enjoy the protection of the transporting vehicle. If the carrier is destroyed, units inside will evacuate automatically. Most infantry units occupy one slot, but Consortium Kornet Missile and U.S. Army Mortar Squad units occupy two. Indirect Fire Artillery units have the ability to fire farther than their own LOS, as long as the target is within the LOS of a friendly unit. You can force artillery units unit to fire on a position outside its LOS. To do this, click the "Attack Zone" order, then the target ground. The artillery unit will fire on this position until you order it to do something else. Be careful, indirect fire can damage your own units as well. Splash Damage Transport Infantry/ Vehicle Some transport vehicles can load infantry and vehicle units to carry them (see "Entering Buildings and Vehicles" on page 15). A transport vehicle can have up to eight transport slots, depending on the vehicle type. While loaded, units inside lose all their special abilities and are not able to attack, but enjoy the protection of the transporting vehicle. If the carrier is destroyed, units inside will evacuate automatically. Vehicles occupy two to four slots, depending on the vehicle type. Some powerful units can deal damage in a small zone around their intended targets. All units (friend or foe) in the zone will take damage. The damage is slightly lower in the border of the splash zone. Large Splash Damage Some very powerful units can deal damage in a large zone around their intended targets. All units (friend or foe) in the zone will take damage. The damage is slightly lower in the border of the splash zone. Detect Stealth Units Certain units can detect all stealth units within their LOS (see "Line of Sight/Stealth" on page 23). As long as the stealth unit is in the LOS of the detector unit, it loses its stealth property, and all units are able to see it. But, if the stealth unit leaves the detector's LOS, it regains its stealth ability, unless it has fired on an enemy or has been hit. Stealth Stealth units are invisible to most enemies, and remain invisible as long as they don't perform any aggressive actions (fire, overrun infantry, capture, etc.). They also lose their stealth ability if they come into the LOS of a stealth-detection unit (see "Line of Sight/Stealth" on page 23). 28 29 Once detected, a stealth unit must wait a certain amount time before regaining stealth status. During this time, the unit must not perform an aggressive action, receive damage or come into the LOS of a stealth-detection unit. Fire and Forget Units with fire and forget capability have a massive advantage over regular units as their weapons "home in" and automatically hit their intended target. This also means that once its weapon is fired, the unit does not need to keep a LOS to its target any longer. For example, a U.S. Army Javelin Missile can move back into the cover of an armored transport as soon as he has launched his missile, and an A-10 missile will hit its target even if the aircraft is shot down before impact. Pentagon, White House Clash Over Counterterrorisms utiou ies Ca Rumors Persist; European All and both the House and ording to full support, ropriations WASHINGTON, DC - Acc Senate are considering app Pentagon, the concrete unnamed sources at the s as we speak. Despite this creation of bill the President has authorized the there are factions within m unit, one support, an elite counterterroris would like to assert their of interna- Pentagon that 'd like to be authorized to operate outside dominance...frankly, they y. tional authorit only game in town." k a turn- the been muted. Such news, if true, would mar International reaction has t against terEuropean Alliance meeting point in America's figh k's covert units At last wee ressed generic rorism. Historically, even ing in Milan, officials exp on terror. standards set by the United have obeyed port for America's war sup . ed Nations during the Cold War ister Niles Philpott describ ng with Prime Min "Shadow soldiers, operati ain as "great allies, who Brit n official, America and impunity?" said one Pentago at kind stand shoulder-to-shoulder in this deadly not to be named. "Th who asked rous time." Attendees judi chain of com- and treache ation of unit can undermine our avoided discussing the situ ountability is ciously Privately, however, mand. And that kind of acc ern in detail in public. t for such a the tenets on which our mod one of officials expressed suppor historicalarmy is based." . The European Union has there has unit on Details remain sketchy, but more aggressive in the war counterterror- ly been been speculation that new ert units have operated in cov rating in the terror, and CT units, in ism units are currently ope Europe for decades. French ter. ree of leeway European thea particular, are granted a deg activities is an Interest in counter-terrorist be almost unthinkable for ng recent ter- that would at an all-time high, followi ting force. figh and Caracas. American Pentagon rorist attacks in Zurich It is this difference, say d. "Can we FEMA concluded its investi(Yesterday, sources, that must be preserve oil-refinery we gation into last month's free and open society if ling the disas- remain a of subterfuge to go on?" explosion in Houston, labe allow this kind ter "an industrial accident.") y asked one official. onded to se officials continue to den White Hou Administration officials resp p exists, and body reports that any such grou gations with disbelief. "No e gone so far these alle some in the West Wing hav ed in keeping secrets than rest motivations. is more inte one official. as to question the Pentagon's an the Pentagon," said e political tagon has been pursuing "The Pen "Somebody is trying to mak it." for some time increase in federal funding , make no mistake about se official. hay here now," said one White Hou with our eir requests have been met "Th No Pilot/Drone Drone units don't have any drivers or pilots. If they are destroyed, they do not leave any Non-Combat Personnel behind on the field for the enemy to capture. UNIT EFFECTIVENESS Effective Against Certain units are more effective when attacking certain targets. The icons used in the unit descriptions on the following pages indicate the unit's effectiveness against the targets. TARGET EFFECTIVE AGAINST VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST All Aircraft (helicopter & planes) Helicopter Armored Vehicles Infantry Vehicles Buildings Tactical Weapons 30 31 TASK FORCE TALON The Task Force Talon is an elite military direct action task force gathered from all branches of the U.S. military. They are a direct action team ­ the opposite of covert ops ­ and intended to be able to counter any situation in the world within 24 hours. Under the command of major Jason Richter reporting directly to the White House, the TFT has access to experimental hi-tech and intelligence sources outside the normal chain of command. Task Force Talon combat tactics should rely on speed and flexibility rather than firepower. Even more so than the U.S. Army and the Consortium, a successful TFT commander must be careful not to lose his units to the enemy. Derrick Placed over an Oil Deposit, this structure acts as a mining point from which Oil Tankers can extract oil. Forward Operation Center (FOC) Required for the construction of additional structures and supplier of Drone Constructors. Allows upgrade of FOC Structural Reinforcement. BUILDINGS STANDARD Task Force Talon HQ Primary control center that deploys Drone Constructors and allows S.H.I.E.L.D./Drone upgrades and the Account Hacking upgrade. Barracks Infantry training center used to call in Task Force Commandos and Heavy Snipers. Allows the addition of a Field Intelligence Center, as well as the acquisition of the Close Quarter Battle Capture Training and GUOS Drone Deployment Capacity upgrades. Refinery Gathering center for oil extraction and control center for Oil Tankers. Vehicle Command Center Scout unit training center used to call in RAH-66 Comanche, Stryker ICV, and Buggy reinforcements. Allows the Buggy Light Stinger Launcher upgrade to give Buggies anti-aircraft capability, and the Comanche Hellfire Anti-Tank Missile upgrade to give Comanches anti-tank capability. 32 33 Field Intelligence Center This extension to the Barracks allows you to keep up to ten POWs, which generate funds on an ongoing basis. It also lets you interrogate POWs to reveal parts of the map. Nanowave Healing Center This addition to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Control Center allows you to heal your infantry units from a distance. It is the only healing device of the Task Force Talon and expensive to develop and use, but very powerful as it doesn't require and physical presence of medevac units. Can be upgraded with a High Density Nanowave Antenna, which increases the size of the healing zone. Sentry Turret Machinegun defensive turret. Allows upgrade to Sentry Turret Extended Anti-Tank Capability and Sentry Turret Extended Anti-Aircraft Capability. Mjolnir Super-Heavy Howitzer Offers deployment of Nuclear Artillery Salvo, or Red Mercury Fusion Shell Salvo once you've acquired the Red Mercury Fusion Technology upgrade. S.H.I.E .L .D. S.H.I.E .L .D. Control Center S.H.I.E.L.D. (Super High-Speed Infantry Electronic Defensive System) unit training building where you can call in and upgrade S.H.I.E.L.D. units. Allows upgrade of S.H.I.E.L.D. Millimetric Radar for stealth detection, and the addition of a Nanowave Healing Center. DRONE Spinner Central Command Distance command center of all Task Force Talon Spinner drones. Allows the Counter Artillery Radar and Stealth Drone Capacity upgrades. Repair & Logistics Center Command center where you call in V-44 Heavy Transport rotorcraft and Repair FAT-Vs. Allows upgrade to give the V-44 stealth capability. Aircraft Control Tower Aircraft Control Tower for the Global Hawk Drones and FA-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Allows the Early Warning Radar and Global Hawk Hellfire Missile upgrades. 34 35 Guardian Drone Ballistic Defense Control center where you call in and control AntiTactical Weapon Guardian Drones. Allows Ballistic Warning System and Guardian Drone Speed, and Distance enhancement upgrades. DRONE CONSTRUCTOR Used to build any structure. As soon as the structure is completed, the drone enters the building and cannot be used again unless the structure is sold. EFFECTIVE AGAINST VULNERABILITY SPECIAL ABILITIES UPGRADES N/A Air threats, armed ground units N/A N/A TASK FORCE TALON UNITS NON-COMBAT PERSONNEL Useless without their vehicles, but valuable if returned to your base. Note that non-combat personnel are very slow and therefore easy to capture for the enemy -- you may want to consider sending in armored vehicles or even V-44 Heavy Transport rotorcraft to evacuate them. EFFECTIVE AGAINST VULNERABILITY SPECIAL ABILITIES UPGRADES EFFECTIVE AGAINST OIL TANKER Used to extract oil from an Oil Derrick. VULNERABILITY SPECIAL ABILITIES UPGRADES N/A Air threats, armed ground units N/A N/A N/A Air threats, armed ground units N/A N/A 36 37