STEEL PANTHERS III:  BRIGADE COMMAND READ ME FILE 
V1.0  10/23/96 (c) 1997 Strategic Simulations, Inc.

Steel Panthers III: Brigade Command requires a video display that is 
VESA version 1.2 compliant. Most video cards have a version 1.2 
compliant VESA driver built onto the bios of the video card. If you 
are experiencing video troubles with Steel Panthers II, your video 
card may not be VESA 1.2 compliant and will require the proper driver 
to be loaded. If this is the case, you should run VINSTALL. 

To use VINSTALL to install the VESA drivers provided with your game:

1)  Change to the game directory on your hard drive (default is 
C:\Steel3).

2)  Type in the command VINSTALL (press Enter). 

3)  The VINSTALL will extract several VESA drivers to multiple 
directories.

4)  Change to the directory that best corresponds with the brand of 
video card you have.  
    (If you have a Diamond video card you need to change to the 
Diamond directory )
    Example: type CD DIAMOND (press enter). From within the directory 
you will find the drivers provided by the manufacturers. 

5)  Attempt to run the appropriate driver and then run STEEL2.  

You may also attempt to run Steel Panthers II using the command 
STEEL2V.  This action will load the UNIVESA driver that works with a 
wide variety of video cards and then attempt to run the Steel Panthers 
III program.  UNIVESA does not work on every video card, however.  

Note: These drivers may not be the latest VESA drivers for your card.  
If you have trouble loading any of these drivers we recommend that you 
contact the manufacturer of your video card and request the latest 
version 1.2 compliant VESA driver for your card. 
_________________________________________________________________________

SuperVGA Test Library, Copyright (C) 1992,1993 Kendall Bennett.
Universal VESA TSR, Copyright (C) 1993 Kendall Bennett.

All Rights Reserved.

The SuperVGA Test Library and the Universal VESA TSR are not public 
domain software. They are copyrighted software, Copyright (C) 1992,1993 
Kendall Bennett. It is however free software, or what some people term 
'Freeware'.
You may use it for whatever you wish, even using it to write public 
domain, freeware, shareware and commercial software. You may NOT 
however re-distribute modified versions of the source code nor
distribute the source code for a profit. If you make any worthwhile 
changes to the source code, you can send them to me for inclusion in 
a future release.

Since this software is free, it is supplied WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. It is supplied as is, in the hope the people
will find it useful, and that it will advance the state of the art of
computer software.

____________________________________________________________________________

Steel Panthers III: Brigade Command

This is a tactical/operational game of combined arms conflict in the 
period 1939 to 1999.  There is a need in most scenarios for elements 
of all the arms:  Armor,  Infantry,  Artillery.  The game is turn based 
for one or two players.  

First note:  Many thanks to Joe Fleming,  the artist who made the
model used for the box cover.

Changes from Steel Panthers I and II: 
 
The most obvious difference is the scale.  Hexes are now 200 yards and 
the basic unit has moved from individual tanks and squads to platoons.  
The general trend of the series to greater player control and 
flexibility continues.  One can,  for example use the editor to do 
something of a simulation of the Steel I and II scale,  if you are 
willing to play with units and their equipment a bit. See the fun 
things in the editor section below.

The new scale has changed some of the game's options as well.  The 
specific functions that allow relative effectiveness to be scaled are 
individually selected by the players.  Later in this file is a synopsis
of these functions.  In Steel III you can also just 'beef up' the AI 
by giving a general instruction (On the Preferences and Start Game 
screens) for AI level.  This will raise the shooting and command 
ratings of the AI.

There is a section of this file detailing indirect fire operations 
later.  Artillery is a much bigger part of operations at this scale - 
and it is more effective.  Airplanes are 'smarter' but more 
independent.

Addenda and Errata

If you register your software (and we hope you will!) you will get a
bonus scenario.  This is from our friend and beta-tester Lt. Trey 
Marshall.  He modeled a real-life exercise at the National Training 
Center at Fort Irwin, Ca.  We cannot claim to have the capacity to 
model the deeply sneaky and painfully potent skills of the professional
bad guys of the NTC.  Find the LT. on the web and play him head to head
- just do not count on a win!

Pop-up text is helpful and really wonderful.  But if you disagree,  
try these things:

	1.  Set the 'Hex info' button to off.

	2.  You can also simply raise the number in 'Live delay'.  
	Live delay slows down the response to a change in mouse 
	position and will keep the pop up from displaying until the 
	mouse is at rest on the screen.  At 20 or higher you are 
	cutting out a good proportion of the messages until you stop 
	on a hex.

	3.  Unit numbers are configurable.  If using the small icons 
	the infantry only can be turned on,  for example.

Note that not all listings in the game give complete ammo listings.  
The two best places are the encyclopaedia - actually click the button 
for the unit type,  and the unit screen  accessed during game play by 
right clicking the selected unit.

Be slow and careful about loading and unloading things from vehicles.  
If you think you have a 'bug' in this routine - no offense,  but it is 
unlikely.  The most common thing that causes apparent failures is that 
the loader was not properly selected.  The developers of the game still
do this when hurrying!  The second most common is that you have a 
retreating loader or loadee.  Note that retreats happen at the same 
time as auto-rally and artillery attacks,  so a unit may have a bunch 
of suppression,  but not yet have retreated;  they are still too 
'shook up' to load.  Third,  right click on the carrying unit and look 
toward the lower left.  Just above the icon with the armor numbers is 
a line that tells what the unit type can carry - often just infantry.  
That means that mortars,  for example,  could not use this to ride.

Added after the manual:  a switch in the unit screen that allows you 
to turn off the mine removing capacity for your engineers.  Now they 
can wait until you want them to remove mines,  wire etc.  Note:  when 
this is on,  they will remove <any> mines, wire etc. they are pointed 
at.  Otherwise,  counterattacks could get ugly...

Artillery is a big help in mine removal.  Pounding a hex can pull some 
of those pesky varmints out.

Waypoints are useful for moving rear echelon formations forward where 
they will not see enemy or come under fire.  You can use them for other
things, but when you turn on the computer control, the units are going 
to act like the AI units always do.  Forewarned and all that...

Following are three oddities that got finalized after the manual went 
to the printer:

1.  When playing the U.S. in Vietnam,  the equipment availability dates
are somewhat modified.  Mr. Grigsby and his researchers needed to alter
this to more accurately represent real orders of battle during this 
unusual period.

2.  The same as #1 above holds true when Russians are involved in 
Afghanistan.

3.  Two notes about aircraft attacks:  the formula is different than 
the rulebook: the actual formula is: 

	(Warhead + HE penetration > year / 11,

and only the first bomb in a bombing run uses the direct fire targeting 
method and displayed hit chance.  All following bombs use the indirect 
fire routines.  This is not true for MG's, cannon, rockets.

You may notice that there seems to be more smoke in this game.  Because
the scale is different,  smoke that did not previously get displayed is
now being shown.  Here's why:  because each hex is larger,  small 
amounts of smoke where LOS is being traced through two or more such 
hexes can now cumulatively block LOS.  This resulted in some confusion 
when it was not displayed,  so it is now shown on-screen.

This just in:  When a targeted opponent has considerable suppression,  
the target lock may be dissolved.  Reason? this unit is less of a
threat and should not be a priority for Op fire,  plus is likely to 
retreat,  increasing the distance and lowering the accuracy of shots 
on that unit.

When a unit has retreated or has a great deal of suppression on it,  
it ceases performing opportunity fire unless,  at each chance,  it can 
pass a random test.  If that test is passed,  the condition of the unit
immediately goes to pinned,  and the unit can fire.  This is the signal 
that you cannot close with that unit without risk of fire.  Even a unit
that has actually retreated this turn might op fire - but it is very 
rare.

Units that are retreating will not surrender if they can move onto a 
friendly unit.  They may not be able to trace a path onto an adjacent 
friend depending on what angle they are fired on,  and what path is 
chosen by the computer.  This excepts the description in the manual.

When units are retreating or if units are on a landing craft which is 
itself destroyed,  and in a shallow water hex,  survivors will deploy
into the hex.  They may not be able to <move> afterwards,  but will 
still fire.

Save sizes now change with the amount of potential playback info in 
them.  They will be in general smaller.

If you are an editor user,  and remember Steel 1 and Steel 2 with 
fondness, it is possible to reduce the number of vehicles, weapons, 
men, etc. in units to the old sizes.  Can't really change the scale,  
but they are still interesting fights.

Another non-obvious editor function:  when changing unit data in the 
editor enter a (-1) to put no weapon of any kind in that slot.

If you are interested in more complicated Battle Generator fights,  you
can set the fight as an assault,  then change the 'water' to a river or 
beach setting and then switch back to meeting engagement.  If you do 
not change the selection on the 'water' button,  you can play a meeting
river crossing.  Make sure you realize the need for barge carriers -
use the view map function.

For those interested in using the map in a sort of north/south way,  
look at the map in the first NATO '88 campaign scenario in the editor. 
The use of the flags is interesting.  (Thanks,  Mr. Donnelly!)

Some will no doubt wish to share their user-generated campaigns.  Our 
current system is a tad unfriendly to doing this.  We are looking at 
the feasibility of doing this differently, but here is a work around 
drill for the present:

Send all the scenarios you have constructed,  along with a listing of 
the order,  connections and victory levels to proceed.  Let the 
recipient construct the campaign with those instructions. A more 
elegant system may be constructed,  but will be likely a larger upload...

Below is a list of scenarios that have a victory point multiplier for 
the units on that side.  
As an example,  if you are playing the Russians in Counter at Grodno 
you get 6 times the adjusted value of German units you destroy.  
Adjusted values are the value from the encyclopaedia,  which can be 
raised if the unit has exceptionally good experience,  or lowered if 
experience is below average.  In either case, average is defined as 70.

Counterstrike at Kutno - German x3   
Eagles Above - Germans x5             
Counter at Grodno - German x6         
Meeting at Bir Gafa - Israeli x7      
Ismailia Road Encounter - Israeli x7  
Botzer - Israeli x6                   
Chinese Farm - Israeli x4             
Wake Island - Japanese x4                                        
Battle of Ap Bac - South Vietnam x2   
Beda Fomm - British x5                
Task Force Smith - North Korea x3     
Kinshasa - USMC x3                    
Maknassy - German x1.5                                                                           
Chechnya - Red x2                     
Corinth Canal - German x9                                         
Bushwhacked - US x4                                         
Dien Bien Phu - North Vietnam x6      
Kasserine Pass - German x3            
Sidi Rezegh - German x2.5             
Bir El Gub - British x2                
4th Panzer - German x2                
Kursk Salient - German x2                                       
Madina - US x8
Donetz - German x3
Knightsbridge - German x2             
Guam - US x3                          
Abu Aghelia - Israel x1.5
Kampfgruppe Eberbach - German x4

Vehicles fired on by ATGM's and helicopters fired on by either ATGM's 
or SAM's will sometimes evade - remaining in the same hex.  A text 
message appears on the pop-ups when this happens.  If aircraft are 
damaged they may leave without dropping their loads.

Preplanned bombardments that arrive during player #1's turn will not 
replay for player #2's turn when playing an e-mail game.

Wire guided missiles that fire at vehicles will occasionally be 
suppressed by return fire before the missile hits. The fire displays 
normally,  but in between the fire designation and launch graphics.

Tanks will not fire AP, sabot or HEAT rounds at infantry.  They will 
use them against mortars of about 81mm and larger,  AT guns and such. 
Infantry in the same hex may well take collateral casualties.

Indirect Fire

The sequence for indirect fire is important.  Click the indirect fire 
button.  Scroll the map to the desired impact hex.  Click on that hex 
with the left mouse button.  If the artillery asset you wish to use is 
currently firing a mission (the smoke,  HE, or cluster buttons are 
'depressed')  you will need to cancel the mission.  Then select the 
type of mission you want. If the picture on the button is grayed out,  
that action cannot currently be performed. Note that cluster is mostly 
NOT available.  If the current munitions type is OK,  and you only want
to move the impact hex a short distance,  use the shift fire button.  
Click shift fire and then scroll the map to the impact hex area.  You 
will see the impact hex and a red circle.  Click any hex that is 
entirely contained within the red circle and the impact hex will shift 
there.  
When you click on the big bar with the unit type on it,  the screen 
view will shift to the currently selected impact hex,  if one exists. 
When setting bombardment hexes,  if you click on a hex that has a 
mission planned for it,  all weapons you have targeted on that hex 
will have the big bars depressed.

NOTE:  Aircraft munitions are fixed when purchased.  No matter what 
they carry, only the HE button will select a target hex initially.  The
cluster button will be grayed out.

Direct Fire

Using direct fire also requires a strict sequence of steps.  Select the
unit with which you wish to fire.  Scroll the map until the desired 
target area is in the center of the map window.  Place the cursor over 
the target hex - a target reticule (crosshairs) will indicate eligible 
target hexes. Left click to bombard that hex. Repeated shots can be 
made by right clicking the fire button.

Loading and unloading units

When loading units select the 'loadee' (the soon-to-be-passenger) first
and then the 'loader' (the soon-to-be-carrier).  It is possible to 
reverse this and have it work if the loader is empty and picking up 
only one loadee,  but this will not work for barges,  boats and for 
loading more than one small unit onto a carrier.

Player Control

The Preferences control panel allows a great deal of control over the 
game environment.   Try the different options as you can set this game 
to the desired level and type of difficulty.  Where the AI is simply 
not tough enough for you in a given scenario,  you can change the 
overall toughness with the aforementioned AI level setting.

Note that at the request of our redoubtable beta-testers and players 
on the various tournament and ladder boards on-line there is a removal 
of the controls for certain Preferences in human vs. human games.  A 
soapbox moment:  this is a loss of control in the game,  and we are 
sorry to do it.  It was necessitated by the extremely well-documented 
examples of its use to cheat in competitive games.  Far more draconian 
measures were suggested,  including some not appropriate for listing in
a "K/A" rated game!  There is no way to stop all cheating.  We have 
tried to limit it.  Here are some further suggestions to those who wish
to play competition games:

1.  Don't cheat.  The statistics of this game are well understood by 
some 20 dedicated fans of the Steel series who beta-tested this game.  
Many of these folks play in these tourneys - heck,  some of them <run> 
them!  The depth of the sentiment against cheaters surprised me - 
otherwise calm, polite and sensible folks start to froth when on this 
subject.  Also,  it is mostly pretty obvious when cheating occurs.

2.  Don't cheat.  We are at the dawn of a potentially really cool day 
in gaming.  I well remember waiting weeks for PBM responses and using 
the stock exchange results as die rolls and all that - online is 
better.  The only factor that I can see that we the makers cannot 
address to make this great hobby even better is the potential 
destruction of trust between players.  Hard fact time:  every dime 
spent to harden the firewalls for cheating comes off the "make it 
better" budget.

3.  Organizers - use occasional mirrored forces to both test the mettle
of players and to catch cheats.  This really ups the capacity to see 
goofy results,  as the sides are equal.

4.  Don't - well,  you know...

Campaign Notes

1)     North Africa 1941-42

The open terrain of the desert allows much more room to maneuver than 
a typical World War II battlefield. The low unit count allows the 
scenarios to portray a much greater portion of the battles. The first 
battle, El Agheila, will be easy enough to win with just armored cars 
and artillery which can be upgraded as the campaign progresses. In the 
second battle, Tobruk, you will find that engineers will help you  get 
through the two sets of mine fields. Watch out in Hellfire Pass or you 
might get surrounded. 

2)  Stalingrad 1942

Stalingrad was arguably the 'turning point' of the war in the east. It 
is a popular campaign among wargamers, and players have been eager to 
'slug it out' in this epic blood bath, since the original Steel 
Panthers . With the increased unit size of Steel Panthers III, this 
campaign is now be recreated on a vast scale. You will need a lot of 
artillery in this campaign to suppress the dug-in Russian infantry 
force so your main force can get in close and mop them up. October 
Factory is a tough one, so watch out for those ambushes.

3)  Market Garden 1944

A well known and evenly matched campaign , Operation Market Garden was 
a unique blend of a racing to rescue paratroopers and defending a long 
stretch of highway that will create a tense and nail biting experience. 
The key with this campaign is to take your time. Hey, you are the 
British, just stay cool and methodical and dismantle the German 
defenses.

4)  Viet Nam 1965-1970

This was one of the most requested campaigns since Steel II came out. 
This campaign is able to go beyond a small portion of an operation to 
cover the entire battle. The system allows the fielding of complete OB's 
and allows the user to fight full size battles in Vietnam. This is where 
you can vindicate the theory of vertical envelopment by using 
helicopters, along with accurate U.S. artillery, to hop from one LZ to 
another and avoid 'humping it' through the 'bush'.

5)  NATO 1988

This campaign explores the possibilities of a confrontation between 
Germany supported by  NATO allies, and the remaining members of the 
Warsaw Pact. There are some paratroops that land in Hamburg  that put 
up a ferocious fight so watch your back. The assault on Munster can 
leave a sour taste in your mouth when the enemy units attempt a flanking 
maneuver. Zeven's swamps will channel your route of advance, so don't get 
too bunched up. The Ratzeberg scenario finds you being assaulted by a 
large amount of armor. You will need to blow the bridges by whatever means 
available, if you are to keep your forces from being overrun. The ALRS is 
cheap, and FASCAM comes in handy when you want to box the enemy in. For 
the units that swim across, place some Panzerfausts on the shore. You will 
need some infantry SAM's to keep the helicopters at bay. Keep an eye on 
your flanks if you are unable to achieve a quick victory. You can purchase 
a couple of older tank companies and upgrade as you go. This will help you 
build a larger forces that you will need later in the campaign.

6)  Holy War 2000

The current Middle East situation continues to deteriorate and this 
'what if' campaign depicts what could happen if the united forces of the 
Egyptian and Syrian armies gang up against the IDF.  The Israeli player has 
the challenge of facing two forces, with one being an Egyptian army equipped 
with western armor. FASCAM will keep you from being mauled by the many tanks 
that will be coming your way. The enemy tanks will get weaker the further 
you get into the campaign.


Campaign Generator
This was called the "Long Campaign" early on,  so any manual references
to "Long Campaign" pertain to the Campaign Generator.  Note that there 
are some special challenges and rewards for playing in the Campaign 
Generator.  Some scenarios will have an immediate follow-up attack,  
and will not permit repairs or changes to your units - there's just no 
time!  These scenarios do however have an up side - all the benefits of
victory are increased,  and such scenarios are the best chance a 
commander has to be promoted.  Some scenarios have orders that 
indicate you are particularly to destroy the enemy forces. In these 
scenarios the enemy units' victory point value is enhanced,  while the 
value of objectives is decreased.

When playing in the Campaign Generator,  note that the number of games 
setting is approximate.  Like a real commander,  you may do well,  
giving even more opportunities to engage the enemy.  You can get up to
about 25% more battles.  If very small (1-6 or so) numbers of battles 
are chosen,  you might double the number if you do very well.

If you have a slower machine but plenty of disk space,  use the largest
install option (which is what a WIN95 install does)and also copy the 
Pic directory from the Steel3 directory on the disk to your hard drive.  
Put the Pic directory in theroot of Steel3 (or whatever you named it). 
This will also cut down on the CD accessing,  so the music will stop 
less often.

Tactical notes 

Use cover.  Move to the top of a hill,  use the targeting option to 
select an optimal target,  then duck back behind cover.  Never assume 
you have seen everything nearby.  If a building or other good position 
appears empty and no more pressing target exists, pound it with direct 
fire. This will supplement artillery as a suppressing tool,  and help 
'keep the bad guys' heads down'.

Keep some units back and at elevation to 'overwatch' your advancing 
units.  You will often wish to move units only part of their move so 
that various units in a group moving towards the same objective can 
provide fire support to one another.  Be patient. Remember to rally 
troops right away.  This can provide extra firepower local to a 
situation that is 'going sour'.

Keep air units on the enemy,  and off your troops.  The pilots are 
going fast,  and it is a sad thing when the only tank that dies this 
turn is a victim of the badly misnamed 'friendly fire'.

Helicopters are fast - very fast,  but they lose shots quickly and will
bug out if damaged (sometimes even earlier).  They are fine but 
expensive scouts.  They can provide a decisive anti-tank edge,  and are
is' for infantry.

Armored vehicles are more heavily protected to their front.  To move 
the turret,  not the whole tank toward a target,  use the Target Button
in the button strip on the right to select and fire. If you place the 
cursor over the target in the main screen and left click,  the whole 
vehicle will 'point' at the target.

To the testing rolls add: Kelly Calabro, Sean Gallagher, Ben Fuller,  
Shiloh Anacleto, Mark Schmidt, Jeff Powell, Forrest Elam,  Damon
Perdue.

Very special thanks to Lee (the Man) Crawford.  Above and beyond, baby!
Special thanks to the wizard of installation Ben Cooley.

Archived by OldGamesDownload.com 6th October, 2019