View manual text
tory by clicking the Next button, or see the note below.
NOTE: The default directory for installation is C:\BGS. If you wish it to be something
other than that, click the Browse button and enter a new destination in the Path box. If the
directory you specify does not exist, the program will prompt you to create it.
7. Battleground: Shiloh permits three levels of installation: TYPICAL, COMPACT, or CUSTOM
(for optimum performance, select CUSTOM and click all four option boxes that then appear).
The installation time will vary depending on the level of installation selected, the transfer
rate of your CD-ROM drive, and how much free memory you have during the install
process.
NOTE: If your HD does not have enough space for the selected options, the Installer will
notify you to change the configuration.
8. Battleground: Shiloh requires that you have Microsoft Video For Windows 1.1 installed.
If the installation process detects that it is not installed, you will be prompted to install it.
9. When installation is complete you will have a new Program Group called Battleground:
Shiloh in your Program Manager. To launch the game, double-click on the Battleground:
Shiloh icon.
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
CONTENTS
Your Battleground: Shiloh historical strategy game should contain a 48-page Players
Guide, a CD-ROM, Quick Start instructions, a TalonSoft Reg. card and a TalonSoft prod•
uct catalog with a separate price list.
MEMORY NOTES (for Windows 3.1 only)
INSTALLING FOR WINDOWS 95
Battleground: Shiloh requires that Windows 3.1 Virtual Memory be currently active. If you
are not sure if it is active, perform the following steps prior to installation.
1. Launch Microsoft Windows®.
2. In the Program Manager, double-click the "Main" program group.
3. Next, double-click on the "Control Panel" icon.
4. Next, double-click on the "386 Enhanced" icon.
5. Then click on the "Virtual Memory" button. Next to the word "Size" ensure that at least
10,000 KB is allocated.
6. If you do not have at least 10,000 KB set, select the "Change»" button.
7. Enter the recommended size in the "New Size" box.
NOTE: Windows 3.1 performs best if the Virtual Memory "Type" is set to "Permanent".
8. Click the "OK" button and follow the prompts. If you changed the ''Size", Windows must
be restarted for the change to activate.
9. On an 8 Mb RAM machine, you'll need at least 6 Mb free XMS memory in order to open
the larger scenarios and maps.
1. Launch Microsoft Windows 95®.
2. Place the Battleground: Shiloh CD in the CD-ROM drive.
3. From the Desktop, click on the "Start" button on the Taskbar and select "Run".
4. When the "Run" window appears, type E:\BGS\SETUP and click "OK".
NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive letter is not E: (as shown above), then substitute the appro•
priate letter (e.g., D:\BGS\SETUP).
5. When you reach the "Welcome" screen, click on the Next> button to continue.
6. When the "Choose Destination Location" screen appears, either choose the default fold•
er by clicking the Next button, or see the note below.
NOTE: The default folder for installation is C:\BGS. If you wish it to be something other
than that, click the Browse button and enter a new destination in the Path box. If the fold•
er you specify does not exist, the program will prompt you to create it.
7. Battleground: Shiloh permits three levels of installation: TYPICAL, COMPACT, or CUSTOM
(for optimum performance, select CUSTOM and click all four option boxes that then appear).
The installation time will vary depending on the level of installation selected, the transfer
rate of your CD-ROM drive, and how much free memory you have during the install
process.
NOTE: If your HD does not have enough space for the selected options, the Installer will
notify you to change the configuration.
8. When installation is complete, simply click on the Start button on the Taskbar. Then
select Programs, then Battleground: Shiloh. Finally, select Battleground: Shiloh again to
begin.
TROUBLESHOOTING
The performance of Battleground: Shiloh on your system will depend on how "fast" your
video card is, how "fast" your system is, and how much total system memory is available.
SYMPTOM: When I open a scenario, the map area is white or only the units appear.
REMEDY: Either you have an old Windows video driver, or you don't have at least 6 Mb
free of XMS memory. You should either update your Windows video driver (by downloading
a new one or contacting your video card manufacturer), or reconfigure your memory so that
you can free up more XMS memory (for Win 3.1 users, try running Memmaker in DOS).
SYMPTOM: The install program hangs up, crashes, or stops after displaying the "Loading
Battleground" dialog box.
REMEDY: There is probably an incompatibility issue with the Install program and something
already running on your computer, or you don't have at least 550K of free conventional mem•
ory. Win 3.1 users can free up more conventional memory by running Memmaker in DOS.
Alternately, try playing the game directly from the CD. Here's how: If using Win 3.1, create
an icon in your Program Manager and attach it to the BG_Start.EXE on the BGS CD. If using
Win 95, create a shortcut on your Desktop and attach it to the BG_Start.EXE on the BGS CD.
INSTALLING FOR WINDOWS 3.1
1. Launch Microsoft Windows.
2. Place the Battleground: Shiloh CD in the CD-ROM drive.
3. From the Program Manager, open the File pop-down menu and select Run.
4. When the "Run" window appears, type E:\BGS\SETUP and click "OK".
NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive letter is not E: (as shown above), then substitute the appro•
priate letter (e.g., D:VBGS\SETUP).
5. When you reach the "Welcome" screen, click on the Next> button to continue.
6. When the "Choose Destination Location" screen appears, either choose the default direc-
1
drivers, or download them from an on-line service.
SYMPTOM: I don't see any intro videos or videos during the game.
REMEDY 1: Make sure you have checks next to "Video Effects" and "Introduction" in the
game's "Options" pop-down menu.
REMEDY 2: Try re-installing MS-Video from the CD. Run the Setup.exe file from the VFW
folder in Windows.
SYMPTOM: The computer seems to "lock up" during the computer player's turn.
REMEDY: The size of the scenario, coupled with your computer's "speed", will have a direct
impact on the computer player's performance/speed. Periodically during the larger scenarios
the computer A/I may take a few minutes to reaccess its "strategy".
SYMPTOM: The 3D map icons seem to have a black "shadow".
REMEDY: This problem is associated with Diamond video products. The current Diamond
Windows driver has problems. Either reload an older Diamond video driver, or switch to a
generic Windows video driver.
SYMPTOM: When the (intro or action) video starts, the game locks up or a horizontal black
line appears where the video should be.
REMEDY: Try reinstalling MS Video for Windows. This program is included on the BGS CD
for your convenience. To reinstall the program, select Run from the File menu in Win 3.1 or
the Start button in Win 95. Type D:\BGS\VFW\SETUP in the Run window's Command Line
(where D = the letter of your CD drive), then follow the on-screen prompts.
WARNING: We recommend that you don't run the game in a display mode of more than
8 Bit mode ("256 colors"). If you attempt to run the game in 16 Bit mode ("Thousands of
Colors"), or 24 Bit mode ("Millions of Colors"), you will probably see a noted decrease in
scrolling and screen graphics speed; in fact, the game may not even load!
To change your screen display:
WIN 95: Press the Start button, then select Settings from the Task Bar, then select Con•
trol Panel. Double-click the Display icon, then select the Settings "folder" at the top of
the window. In the Color Palette area, set your display to "256 Color".
WIN 3.1: Select the Main Program Group from the Program Manager, then select the
Windows Setup icon. From the Options pull-down menu, select Change System Set•
tings. Press the arrow button and select SVGA 640x480x256, and close the window.
Lean & Mean Basics...
SYMPTOM: When I launch the game, I get an error message stating "Object Windows
Exception, GDI Failure."
REMEDY: This can happen if you inadvertently try to launch the game while it's already run•
ning. It can also happen if you try to run the game at the same time as some other program
that uses graphics. Be sure to exit all other programs prior to running the game. If all else fails,
restart Windows; this will restore your GDI resources to their maximum value.
SYMPTOM: Map scrolling is very slow.
REMEDY: Check the Windows system settings for your video card. If it's not set to 256 col•
ors, change the settings to 256.
SYMPTOM: The sound effects don't work.
REMEDY: Check your Windows drivers in the Control Panel to ensure that your sound card
is properly installed. If you hear the initial "chime" when Windows starts, your sound effects
should work.
SYMPTOM: Install program reports not enough free hard drive space.
REMEDY 1: Delete all other computer games except TalonSoft products.
REMEDY 2: Purchase a new hard drive so you'll have room for all new TalonSoft games.
SYMPTOM: The pop-up videos seem to run slow or "jerky".
REMEDY: Your overall system performance is not "fast" enough to keep up with the video
information coming from the CD-ROM. Re-install the game software and select "Custom"
installation. When prompted, make sure the "Video Files" box has an "X" in it.
SYMPTOM: When playing modem-to-modem, the game loses connection.
REMEDY 1: If you have "Call Waiting" on your phone system, you must type *70 at the
beginning of your opponents phone number. Otherwise, an incoming call will break your
modem connection.
REMEDY 2: Check your phone line for a loose connection.
SYMPTOM: I'm having trouble connecting with my modem opponent.
REMEDY 1: Make sure that both systems are set to the same Baud rate.
REMEDY 2: Try a lower Baud rate selection.
Game Overview
So, the game's installed and you're rarin' to go? Only thing is, you don't want
to take a quick "time out" to read the Players Guide. Well, that's not unusual.
However, you would like to know some of the basics of the game. Well, you've
come to the right place!
Battleground: Shiloh™ simulates the historical battle of the American Civil War
fought on April 6 and 7, 1862, as well as the "western" (for those days!) Civil War
battles of Wilson's Creek and Prairie Grove. You, as the player, control regimentand battery-sized units and individual leaders on the side of your choice. The map
scale is approximately 125yds per hex.
CONTINUOUS MODE: If you'd rather sit back and just watch the computer play
itself, select "Automatic" A/I for both sides in the A/I Selection dialog, and
right-click on the Phasebox when it first appears. Then press the Cancel but•
ton on the A/I Action Dialog box. Next, on your keyboard, hold down the Ctrl
key and hit the C key. When the "Continuous Mode On" message appears,
right-click the on the "OK" button. Finally, click the "A/I" toolbar button to let
the A/I resume.
To cancel Continuous Mode play, you must again hit the Cancel button of
the A/I Action dialog to stop play. Then again depress the Ctrl key and hit the
C key. A message should appear stating "Continuous Mode is off".
Launch the game
Double-click on the Battleground: Shiloh icon (found within the Battle•
ground: Shiloh program group now appearing in your Windows Program Manag•
er (if in Windows 95, from the "Start" button select "Programs" then "Battle•
ground Shiloh" and "Battleground Shiloh" again ). You will soon see the Menu
SYMPTOM: The TalonSoft logo appears and the intro music starts but then immediately
cracks and stops.
REMEDY: Your sound card drivers are too old. Call your sound card manufacturer for new
2
Options screen. Click the "Start New Scenario" button. This will bring up the
"Scenarios" screen.
THE MOVEMENT PHASE
In the Movement Phase the phasing player can move his units; e.g., in the Con•
federate Movement Phase, only Confederate units can move. In order to move a
unit, you must first Select it.
Pick a Scenario
The "Scenarios" screen displays a scrolling list of the game's scenarios. As
you highlight individual titles of this list, each scenario's historical introduction
is displayed. Also displayed in this box is the number of Game Turns the scenario
lasts (in general, the shorter the turn length, the simpler the scenario). Since this
is probably your first experience with Battleground: Shiloh, allow us to suggest
the scenario entitled "Sherman's First Line", then left-click on the Play button.
Hex Outlines: The various scenario maps of the game can be overlaid with a
grid of hexagons, used to regulate movement and attack ranges. Since the hexgrid is "off" by default, it is suggested you make it visible by selecting Hex
Outlines from the Options pop-down menu.
Selecting a Unit
Choose a Side to Play
To Select a unit, left-click once on the map hex it occupies (this will place the
"Hot Spot" red-rectangle in the hex you just clicked). Below the map the "Unit
List" will appear, showing any unit(s) in the "hot spot" hex. Next, left-click once
anywhere in that unit's data area in the Unit List (see below illustration); a lighter
shade of background color in the Unit List indicates the unit has been selected.
Note that a double left-click in a hex will select all units in that hex. On the "3D"
map, a Selected unit is shown by a darker-colored base.
After a brief pause, the scenario's map will appear and you will see the A/I
Selection dialog box. Select Manual for the side you want to play, and Auto•
matic or Automatic with FOW (Fog of War) for the side you want the comput•
er to play. When "Fog of War" is in effect, you can see an enemy unit only if one
of your units has a "line of sight" to it—a more realistic and more challenging
method of play. Alternatively, to control all units of both sides, select Manual for
each side.
Leader
Historical Note: In many of the scenarios of this game, the Confederates are
burdened with the task of attacking; in such scenarios they are therefore given
the first "Player Turn". If you wish to take a more active role (i.e., attack) in
the "Sherman's First Line" scenario, choose the Confederates; however, if you
would rather "sit back" and defend, select the Union.
Artillery unit
Command
Rating
Mounted
icon
Infantry unit
Strength
number
Range
Movement
(in hexes)
points
Formation
& Facing
icon
Fired
icon
Cavalry unit
Quality
rating
current
Fatigue
Click the Phasebox
After you've set the A/I and clicked OK, a
"Phasebox" appears announcing the Confeder•
ate Movement Phase. Left-click on the phasebox to begin the phase (or right-click on it to
begin the phase and make it disappear automat•
ically after a few seconds each time it appears).
When the phasebox is gone, you will see part
of the "3D" game map; closer inspection will reveal "units" on brown (Confed•
erate), or blue (Union) bases. The bases of infantry and cavalry regiments are
"lozenge" shaped; the bases of most other unit types are square-shaped.
Unit
Name
State
icon
Unit Types
Weapon
Type
info
Disordered
icon
Spotted
icon
Moved
icon
Several different unit types are represented in the game; see the following illus•
trations. The basic Infantry or Cavalry unit represents a regiment of varying
strength (the number after the "S" in the Unit List represents the regiment's
strength in men rounded to 25, or the number of cannons in a battery). Each
artillery unit represents a battery of 4 to 6 guns. Individual leaders are also rep•
resented; although a leader can't fire or attack by himself, he is important for ral•
lying troops and is useful in melee.
Infantry and cavalry units can be in line or column ("mounted" if cavalry) for•
mation; artillery are either limbered or unlimbered. Cavalry and leaders can be
mounted or unmounted. Only regiments in line and unlimbered artillery can fire.
See the illustrations below for a brief explanation of what effect a unit's forma•
tion has on its ability to move or fire.
Turns & Phases (Briefly!)
Each scenario in the game has a set number of Game Turns. Each Game Turn
consists of a Player Turn for each side (usually French first, then Allies). Each
Player Turn consists of five phases:
MOVEMENT
DEFENSIVE FIRE
OFFENSIVE FIRE
MELEE
3
Moving a Unit
Formation Summary (3D Battleview™ map display)
Right-Click: Make sure the unit is Selected (see "Selecting a Unit", above), then
right-click in a hex adjacent to the selected unit The unit(s) will enter the hex you
right-clicked on if that hex is adjacent to the unit, the unit was Selected, the unit
has movement points (the MV number in the Unit List) remaining, and it was that
unit's Movement Phase (e.g., you can't move a Union unit in the Confederate
Movement Phase!). Also, you can't move an Unlimbered/uncrewed artillery unit.
Drag'n'Drop: You can also move a unit using the "drag and drop" method.
Select the unit; then, holding the left mouse button down, drag the mouse cursor
to the hex you wish the unit to move toward, and release the mouse button.
Column Movement: Hold down the Ctrl key and right-click or drag'n'drop the
"lead" unit of a column. This is also a real nifty way to move a "line" of units
(usually regiments belonging to the same brigade). For more details on move•
ment, see pp,5-6 (and section 6.6) of the BGS Players Guide,
Facing Change: The front facing of an infantry unit in line
formation (or an Unlimbered artillery unit) determines the
hexes it can fire at. To change the facing of a unit, Select the
unit and click on the appropriate toolbox button. Illustrated above are the "turn
clockwise", "turn counter-clockwise", and "about-face" buttons, respectively,
Units can only change facing during their own Movement Phase.
Infantry Formations
Column
no fire/can melee
increased move
Line
can fire/melee
can move
Routed
no fire/defense halved in melee
run away!
Cavalry Formations
Dismounted (Line)
can fire/melee
can move
Mounted (Column)
no fire/can melee
increased move
Routed
no fire/defense halved in melee
run away!
Artillery Formations
Error Message
Unlimbered
can fire/no move
Limbered
no fire/can move
Routed
no fire
run away!
If you attempt to do something that the program won't allow, you should hear
an error "beep"; a corresponding error message will appear in the status bar along
the bottom of the display detailing the wrongdoing. The "Status bar" normally
displays the current time and game phase.
Uncrewed*
no fire/no move
* A battery becomes uncrewed only as an adverse result of an attack
Leader Formations
Supply Wagon*
Advance to Next Phase
Gunboat
To end the Movement Phase, click on the toolbox button that looks like a
pocket watch (or hold down the Ctrl key and press N).
Mounted
increased move
more vulnerable
Dismounted
decreased move
less vulnerable
(no formation)
no fire/can move
(no formation)
can fire/can move
can Indirect Fire*
* A gunboat can conduct Indirect Fire by right-clicking on target hex when pressing Ctrl.
Changing Formations
You can change a unit's formation during its Movement Phase. A formation
change for an infantry unit must be done before it has expended any movement
points. All other units can move and then change formation, assuming such a unit
has the required number of movement points remaining (as each change of for•
mation by a non-leader unit requires an expenditure of movement points).
4
fatigue to a strength-point loss (which also increases its fatigue). Furthermore, a
unit that suffers a loss can become disordered or routed. A Disrupted or Routed
unit has a D or R icon (respectively) printed in its icon area in the Unit List.
To find another eligible unit to fire, click again on the "Next Unit" tool•
box burton.
THE DEFENSIVE FIRE PHASE
In the Defensive Fire Phase, combat units of the non-phasing side are allowed to
shoot (conduct "Ranged Fire") at enemy targets.
Firing Qualifications
There are several "qualifications" for a unit to conduct a Ranged Fire attack:
Formation: To conduct a Ranged Fire attack, an infantry or cavalry unit must be
in line formation ("dismounted" if cavalry), and an artillery unit must be Unlim•
bered. (Leaders, limbered/uncrewed artillery, mounted cavalry and Routed units
cannot conduct Ranged Fire.)
LOS: The target must be within the firing unit's line of sight.
Range: The target must be within the firer's range. A unit's range is the "RG" #
in its Unit List data. Most regiments in Battleground: Shiloh have a range of "2"
and can fire at a unit one or two hexes away.
Facing: The firer must be facing the target. A unit can fire only within an arc
defined by the three hexes it is "facing". See the following illustration:
When the message "All units have been considered" appears, it is time to
advance to the next phase (click on the "timepiece" toolbox button).
THE OFFENSIVE FIRE PHASE
Firing in the Offensive Fire Phase is identical to firing in the Defensive Fire
Phase, except that in this phase only the eligible infantry and artillery units of the
phasing side (the side that moved in the current Player Turn) are allowed to fire.
THE MELEE PHASE
Melee represents hand-to-hand combat between opposing units. The meleeing
unit(s) attempts to enter the location of an adjacent enemy and displace it.
Who Can Melee?
Only Good Order (non-Disrupted, non-Routed) infantry or cavalry units of
the phasing side (even if in column or mounted) can initiate melees (i.e.,
advance into an enemy-occupied hex in the Melee Phase). To find a unit
eligible to melee, click the "Next Unit" toolbox button. Having a leader attack (or
defend) in a melee is beneficial.
Conducting a Melee
In the illustration above, the infantry regiment (with a "range" of 2) can conduct rangedfire only at a target in the darker-shaded hexes.
Drag'n'Drop: Select all the units in one hex you wish to make a melee attack
with; place the cursor on their hex, then (holding the left mouse button down),
drag them into an adjacent target hex. An odds box is displayed if this is done
properly. You can add more adjacent units to the Melee by this same method.
When all units have been added, click on the "Resolve Melee" toolbox
button (the crossed rifle and sword with upward pointing red arrow), and
the melee will be performed. For more details, see pages 31-32 in your
BGS Players Guide.
Firing a Unit
To find a unit eligible to fire, click the "Next Unit" toolbox button. The
program will automatically find a hex with a unit eligible to fire! Howev•
er, you still must Select that unit in order to fire it. To Select the unit, leftclick once in that unit's data area in the Unit List (or double left-click in the hex
to select all units in the hex). Next, right-click on a nearby enemy unit. If that
enemy unit is in the firer's range and LOS, the attack will be performed (if not,
check for an error message along the bottom of the screen explaining the prob•
lem). You can also Drag'n'Drop a Selected firer onto an eligible target to carry
out the attack. For more information, see section 6.7 of the BGS Players Guide.
Next Player Turn
When all melees you wish to conduct have been resolved, click on the
"Next Phase" toolbox button. Play will now proceed to the Player Turn of
the next player (the non-phasing player of the turn just-completed). Once
the first two Player Turns have been completed. Game Turn two will begin.
Combat Results
When an attack is performed, you will see a "Fire Report" giving details of the
attack. The effect on the target can vary from no effect to increasing its battle
5
Free! Upgrades!
Advance the game to the next phase
Also included on the Battleground:
Shiloh CD-ROM are free demo games
and the latest upgrades for
Battleground: Ardennes, and
Battleground: Gettysburg.
Change the screen display between the 2D Normal View and 2D Zoom Out, or 2D Normal
View and 3D Zoom Out, mode.
Change the Facing of the Selected unit(s) one hexside in a counterclockwise direction.
Change the Facing of the Selected unit(s) one hexside in a clockwise direction.
Change the Facing of the Selected unit(s) by 180°.
Change the Formation of the Selected infantry unit from column to line (and back) or lim•
ber/unlimber artillery.
Toggle (off or on) the on-map display of all units.
© 1996 TalonSoft. Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Toggle (off or on) the bases of all unit icons on the 3D map.
NOTE: This Gettysburg update is brand
new (version 1.2), and different from the
one on the BG:Waterloo CD.
• To install a demo game, click on the appropri•
ate Install Demo icon.
• To upgrade your copy of Battleground: Ardennes or Battleground:
Gettysburg, click on the appropriate Install Upgrade icon.
Make the Artillery Dialog appear.
Resolve the Melee in the Hot Spot hex.
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that are suffering from low/no ammo or
uncrewed.
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that have a LOS to (and thus are in the LOS of)
at least one enemy unit.
For the upgrades to work properly, you must ensure that the game
you are upgrading was installed via a Typical installation, or via a
Custom installation with at least the Battle and Map files checked. In
other words, if you did a Custom install with no options selected, this
upgrade will not work until you first re-install the game using
a different type of installation.
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that have moved during the current phase.
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that have either fired at an enemy unit or fought
in a Melee during the current phase.
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that are Disrupted..
Toggle (on or off) a highlight around all units that arc part of the same organization as the
first Selected unit in the Unit List.
Hide (or display) the Unit List and Terrain Info Box.
Toggle (on or off) a display of which hexes are in the LOS of the current Hot Spot hex. An
"X" in a hex indicates no LOS.
Interested in Civil War Re-enactment Videos?
Display (or hide) the flag of the controlling side in each Objective hex.
Display the Jump Window. Select any spot on the jump map, and the game map will scroll to
the corresponding spot.
Cycle the Hot Spot to another unit that has yet to (be designated to) perform an action perti•
nent to the current phase.
Activate the A/I (after you have halted it, or if you started the phase not using A/I but wish to
activate it for the remainder of the phase).
If you are, please have a look at the promotional video
by Freedom Productions, the supplier of video clips for
our Civil War games.
To view it, insert the BG:Shiloh CD into your CD-ROM
drive. Open your Windows File Manager (or Explorer),
navigate to your CD-ROM drive and open the BGS
directory. Then open the FDMPROD directory, and dou•
ble-click on the PROMO.AVI file.
PLAYTEST CREDITS
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following individuals
for lending their invaluable services:
Rick de la Parra, Kerry L. Hall, Mike Elliot. John C. Kincaid, Kevin Rohrer,
Steven Clark and Mark Smith
6