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Tactical Forces Version 0.5 Beta Manual
Table of contents
The game menu
Playing the game
Controls
Map editor
Map settings
Online
Options
Team settings
Credits
To do list
Known bugs
Version changes
The game menu
When the game starts you should see the game main menu. You can use this menu to access Tactical Forces main functions.
Here is a list of the functions with a brief description of what they do
New game
Start a new match with all the current settings
Random map
Generates a random map by placing objects, pickups and spawn points at random places on the map
Load map
Opens the load map file dialog and asks for a (*.smf) map file to load
Options
Displays the options editor dialog
Map editor
Goes to the map edit (more detail about maps is in the map editor section)
Online
Displays the online login dialog
Team settings
Displays the team editor dialog
Exit
Quit the game
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Playing the game
Once the match starts the goal of the game depends on the map settings.
There are 4 game modes.
Team deathmatch
The goal is to kill as many of the enemy teams soldiers in the time limit allowed.
Deathmatch
In deathmatch you must kill as many soldiers as possible from any team.
Capture the flag
The goal of CTF is to get the enemy teams flag and bring it back to your spawn point while protecting your flag from being stolen by enemy teams.
You will get 1 point for each time you bring an enemy flag to your spawn point with your flag also there.
Rush
In rush all teams work together. The goal is to kill as many zombies and bugs that will get harder and harder the longer you survive.
If survival mode soldiers will not be respawned after they are killed so the last surviving team wins.
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Controls
Keyboard
[F] - Toggles on/off if the view follows the selected soldiers
Soldier can be issued command with these keys: (Command information can be found in the command section)
[1] - Stop
[2] - Search and destroy
[3] - Explore
[4] - Player direct control
[5] - Guard
[6] - Set formation
The same commands can be issued using the in game tool bar.
While in Player direct control these there keys will control the movement of the selected soldier
[W] - Move up
[S] - Move down
[A] - Move left
[D] - Move right
[E] - Change to secondary gun
<Left mouse click> Shoot towards mouse
<Right mouse click> Throw grenade towards mouse
Mouse
Left click on a soldier to select. Hold down the left mouse button and drag to select all soldiers in the rectangle.
Function keys
[F1] Display in game help
[F2] New game
[F3] Pause
[F4]
[F5] Show scores during match.
[F6]
[F7]
[F8]
[F9] Take screen shot (saves it in the working_directory/screen_shots/time_date.bmp
[F10]
[F11]
[F12]
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Map editor
To places tools select the tool from the tool menu and the click the <Left mouse button> anywhere on the map.
To deselect all objects click the <Right mouse button>
You can box select objects by holding down the <left mouse button? and dragging the mouse.
You can swap between tools in the category with the mouse wheel.
The controls on the map tool bar are as follows:
New map
This clears the map of all objects.
The background wont be saved unless it is reloaded.
Load map
Open and load a map from your computer.
Save map
Saves a map to a file (*.smf)
Load background
This will load a background from an image file (*.jpg)
Map settings
Opens the Map settings dialog
Display grid
Toggles the drawing of the grid
Map object tools
This opens the tool menu. To select a tool just point to the type and click on the desired tool.
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Map settings
Respawn time
To adjust the time in frames that the soldiers are spawned type the new size into the box and press [Enter]
Soldier limit
This will edit the maximum amount of soldiers in the match per team.
Starting clips
Changing this will adjust the amount of clips soldiers start with.
Map width/Map height
This will adjust the size of the map.
Match time
Modify this to set the time in seconds until the match is over. (Not used in rush game mode)
Friendly fire
If this is off bullet wont do damage to team members, or else if it is off team member bullet do half damage.
Weapon stay
If this is on weapons wont disappear when they are picked up.
Survival
If this is on soldier will only be spawned once, once they die the match is over.
Game mode
The game mode goals are under Playing the game section.
First command
This option will be replaced by the team settings Soldier command.
AI difficulty
This adjusts how fast and accurate the enemy AI is.
Baby and Easy are slower and less accurate than the default AI.
Medium is the same.
Hard is faster and better at aiming.
Stating gun
This is what gun the soldier start with when they are spawned.
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Online
This opens the login dialog to login to this web site via the game. When online you can open chat rooms with other players online and send bug reports directly this web site
There will be more feature like high score tables soon.
You cannot be logged into this web site and the game at the same time.
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Options
To open the options dialog, click 'Options' at the game menu.
Here is a list of the options and what they do.
Grid size X/Grid size Y
To adjust the size of the grid in the map editor type the new size into the box and press [Enter]
Cease fire
This is for beta debugging purposes, click the 'On/Off' symbol to toggle if the soldiers can shoot in the game.
Fog of war
Turns on/off fog of war, this will hide the areas of the map your soldiers cant see.
Display grid
This will turn the map edit grid on and off. This is the same as the grid button in the map editor tool bar.
Draw minimap
This may help to speed up the game if your getting low FPS. It will turn on/off drawing of the minimap.
Auto formation
If auto formation is on your soldiers will automatic join formation with soldier that are near them and have the same command issued.
If the leader of the formation dies they will return to there default command set in the team editor.
Auto select
If this is on when your selected soldier is killed it will automatically select a new soldier, if you where in direct command it will issue that command to the new soldier.
Fullscreen
This toggle if the game is displayed in fullscreen mode, it does not adjust the resolution. This can be toggled with [F4] as well.
Particle detail
To adjust the particle detail click on the box and select the new detail from the menu.
This will change how many particle are created. The higher it is set the slower the game will run.
I run this game on a Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, 512MB RAM, Geforce4 MX440 at low particle and get 26-32 FPS.
When I turn off particles the game rarely drops below 32 (max) FPS.
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Team settings
To select a team click on the 'Team' logo.
Teams
This display the team logos, click on the logo to select the team.
Members
Displays a list of all member in the selected team.
Team name
Displays the name of the selected team.
Total kills
This record how many kills the team gets in every match.
Total points
This record how many points the team gets in every match.
Color
Click on the box to select the color of the team
Team logo
This displays the current teams logo.
Load logo
Select this to select a new logo from a file, The image should be 32 x 32 pixels.
Name
This is the name of the team.
Command
Click this to select the default command for the soldier. When a players soldier is spawned this is the command that will be issued.
Add
This will prompt for rte name a a member then add it to the list.
Delete
This will add or remove a team member
New team
This will create a new team file and prompt for the new team name, logo and color.
Save team
This save any modifications to the team.
Close
Click on the [X] in the corner to close the dialog.
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Credits
Lead game design (Programming, Graphics, Web design)
Petah
Assisting game design (Ideas, Graphics, Coding)
Dino-cool
DLL Programming
39dll.dll by 39ster
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To do list
Make a queue list in the map controller that store object IDs, timers and positions to create new objects. This could be used for re spawning ammo packs health packs and even missions.
Make mission game mode.
Improve CTF game mode.
Random Spawn Points
Finish team editing, loading and saving.
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Known bugs
Version 0.5B
Soldiers attempt to shoot at zombies and soldiers that are behind a wall.
Team editor is semi working, the new team button has no function ATM.
The team editor is displaying the first team member twice.
Soldiers somtimes move through the corner of large scale walls.
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Version changes
Changes In version 0.7 Alpha (Unreleased)
Add tool tips for map editor tool bar.
Fixed team editor. (New team button, Add/del member, member list and command text over run)
Fixed long wall bug, now soldiers should not move thorugh walls when they are streched.
Automaticly displays highest scores form this website when submiting a score in game.
Fixed bug that makes soldiers target enemys behing walls.
Changes In version 0.6 Beta
Changed explosion particle effect, small changes to other particles for performance.
Added new bug to rush mode, also added eggs and dead enemy's.
Added fullscreen mode, toggle with [F4].
Matches are now timed and will finish when the goal is complete or time runs out.
High score table added after match is over.
High score uploading to web site.
In game bug reporting/messaging to contact us (In the online menu).
Add map setting to change the players team.
Team editor with custom colors, logos, members and starting commands for soldiers.
Changes In version 0.5 Beta
Improved GUI system
Added main menu
Added random map generate
Changed options and map settings
Added more maps
CTF AI code
Changed other AI coding
Fixed some bugs and probably made more
Changes In version 0.4 Beta
To many changes to remember them all.
New map editing system and controls.
Improved code, faster.
New guns (Uzi, Rocket launcher)
Game modes (Team deathmatch, Deathmatch, Capture the flag, Zombie rush)
New GUI
Improved options editors
New graphics.
New map file format.
Changes In version 0.35 Beta
New Fog of War system, you can turn this option on/off the options dialog
Allot of Bug Fixes and code optimizations
Added an options window
Added Ammo pickups
From now on when you pick up a new weapon you drop your old one if it isn't a pistol or the same weapon as the one you picked up
Changes In version 0.33 Beta
Added allot of new GUI window enhancement
Added loadable custom teams (Not fully utilized at this stage of development)
Added an options window
Added Ammo pickups
From now on when you pick up a new weapon you drop your old one if it isn't a pistol or the same weapon as the one you picked up
Changes In version 0.32 Beta
Major recoding of soldiers main code, this will hopefully improve performance as well as some new improvements
Attack AI now avoids standing in direct firing line of other target
Added new particle effect for bullet trails and shells
Changed bullet from instant shot to moving object
Formations have been removed but will be added back in at a later stage of development
I have decided to remove the LOS system because it is begriming to be to hard to code with the limitation of game makers collision checking. So from now on no longer will you be only able to see your slats but you will be able to see everything.
Added toolbars for map editor and in game commands
Improved GUI Graphics
Debugged some minor bugs
Fixed Major bug in folder locations
Minor enhancement of attack AI
Fixed depth bug
Enhanced Map Editor
Added an ammo system, Now all gun come with limited ammo
Added 2 wall objects and 1 floor peace
When placing a object in the Map Editor any object underneath the new object with be removed. You can now hold [Ctrl]+[Shift] cancel this effect
Added control for middle mouse button, When holding it down all available map tools are displayed. Release the mouse button on the desired tool
More changes, upgrades and bug fixes not listed
Changes In version 0.31 Beta
Added new controls. for the mouse wheel
Debugged some minor bugs
Minor enhancement of attack AI