WATERLOO
(M.C. Lothlorien)
About the Game
WATERLOO has been designed as a one player wargame, to
recreate the circumstances facing Napoleon in such a way that
you can assume his part in the battle.
You command the French army including six intelligent corps
commanders.
Your computer opponent controls Wellington's Anglo-Dutch
army and the Prussian allies marching to join him.
Your aim is to break Wellington's line and push through
Waterloo to Brussels. Failing that, you must hold your army
together and safeguard the supply lines in your rear; victory can
then be achieved by destroying the Allied army as an effective
force.
The computer opponent will vary its strategy, it will:-
judge when to attack, hold or retreat;
be tactically astute;
give countless varied games.
It is a fair contest because your opponent has no more
information than is available to you and your commanders; and
combat is not biased but depends on strength, morale, terrain and
the random element of luck.
The main aim of Waterloo is to simulate the problems
involved in commanding a Napoleonic army. This is largely
achieved through the introduction of intelligent corps commanders.
The player must always be aware that his corps commanders are
capable of using their own initiative and that they are also capable
of being confused.
A good example of this is when a corps fails to complete a
move order due to involvement with the enemy. Several turns later
when no longer close to the enemy it may complete the move order.
Any unit next to an enemy unit may not move directly to a
new position that is also next to an enemy unit except as a result of
combat.
The player can vary the degree of difficulty within each
game level by imposing his own restrictions on the use of unit
orders. For example, limiting the number of unit orders which may
exist at any one time to three will make winning more difficult than with
unrestricted use of unit orders.
It should be noted that in the interests of creating a
challenging computer wargame based upon this actual battle
some changes to historical reality have been forced upon us. Chief
among these is the division of the French army into five corps of
infantry rather than the actual four in order to more evenly balance
numbers, and the earlier arrival of the Prussian army into the battle
area thereby making Napoleon's task more difficult.
The Background
It is 18th June 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte, on his 100 day spell of
liberty after his daring escape from the Island of Elba, is once again
installed as Emperor of France.
Napoleon's plan is to march to the city of Brussels and to count on
the support of the people of Belgium. He is opposed by the armies of
the Seventh Coalition (Great Britain, Holland, Prussia, Austria,
Russia and Italy).
Near the small town of Waterloo (18 kilometres south of Brussels)
Napoleon is confronted by an Anglo-Dutch army under the command of the
Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under Blucher.
In the preceding days Napoleon had used brilliant tactics and
had placed his forces between the armies of Wellington and Blucher.
Consequently Napoleon is able to do battle with the Anglo-Dutch army
alone rather than facing the combined forces of Blucher and Wellington
together.
However, Blucher is not defeated and he is rushing from the east
to come to the aid of Wellington on the battlefield. The Duke knows that
he has to fight a defensive battle and play for time, whilst Napoleon has
to eliminate Wellington's army before the arrival of Blucher's
reinforcements.
To Napoleon's disadvantage, heavy rain has fallen the preceding
night, making the ground sodden and it is difficult to move artillery with
rapidity and ease. The attack is, therefore, postponed by Napoleon until
11:00a.m. Fate has caused valuable time to be wasted. Napoleon has to
keep an eye on events beyond the woods to his right.
Wellington's position south of Waterloo was deceptively strong.
Its backbone was a low narrow plateau running generally west-east. The
plateau's south slope, combined with the bogging of the low ground
caused by the rain, would help reduce the impact of the French attacks.
Wellington had also heavily defended the two chateaux, Hougoumont
and La Haye-Sainte, immediately in front of the centre of his line.
Napoleon's dispositions were such as to permit him to
manoeuvre in any direction, yet they gave no preliminary hint as to the
probable direction of his main effort.
Keys, Commands and Symbols
The game provides for a wide variety of different orders to be given, as
a result of which it has been necessary to program it for keyboard rather than
joystick control.
COMMAND SPECTRUM KEY AMSTRAD KEY CBM64 KEY
Move cursor Up
(or scroll map) 7 (cursor key) cursor key cursor key
Down 6 (cursor key) cursor key cursor key
Left 5 (cursor key) cursor key cursor key
Right 8 (cursor key) cursor key cursor key
Access Units to Start Order
Phase A A A
Print details of strength and
morale of unit under cursor D D D
Show terrain on which unit is
standing T T T
Delete unit order and return
Division to corps command U U U
Exit current phase E F1 E
Give order to unit O O O
Move unit M M M
Give full commands to corps F F F
Hold present position H H H
Withdraw W W W
Retreat R R R
Engage Enemy E E E
Select target position to
move to T T T
Command end of turn
movement 0 F7 COPY
[see WATERLOO.GIF for terrain & unit symbols]
Playing the Game
A GETTING STARTED
After initial loading, achieved using the command LOAD "", you must first select
the level of difficulty:
1. Learners Level to allow you to become accustomed to the play of the
game.
2. The Standard Game.
3. A challenge tor the proficient in which the strengths and morale of
some of the British divisions are increased to encourage a bolder
and more vigorous challenge from your computer opponent.
B INITIAL FAMILIARISATION
Using the cursor Keys scroll around the map area
which has been carefully designed to be both as clear and as
uncluttered as possible. All the major terrain features are
present on the map but most of the defensible strong points are
already occupied by British forces. For the sake of clarity the
map is larger than a single screen yet it has been designed to
always allow the whole width of the screen to be used for
displaying the map. As a result all text and messages are
shown in windows which are let into the map area when
required. At the same time the unit symbols have been kept as
simple as possible to allow them to quickly convey the
maximum of relevant information to you and also to ensure that
the map area is not so large that you cannot readily keep your
screen centred on the area where the action is occurring.
Before starting to play you should use the Order and
Terrain command keys to inspect the map and pin-point the key
strong points which the British are holding; these can then be
put in perspective by reference to the map in this booklet.
C OUTLINE OF PLAY
CONTROL
Your command of the army is achieved in one of the three following
ways:-
i) by giving units individual orders
ii) by giving orders to the intelligent corps commanders
iii) by any combination of the two.
Hence, six corps orders can command the whole army
and the game can move fast.
While deciding and giving your orders, you can:-
scroll the map at will;
obtain information on the strength and morale of your units;
obtain information on the strength of those enemy
units which are in range (you will not be told their morale);
examine terrain features hidden by units (it affects
movement and combat) and, above all, locate the
two chateaux.
These can be done in any order, as you control the
sequence, simply by using the relevant command keys.
With your orders complete, the game goes smoothly
through its phases:-
i) commanders may ask you for urgent (Y/N(
decisions; you may accept their advice or proceed
with your original orders;
ii) your units then move, manoeuvring as best they can;
iii) combat follows between units in contact, losses
are reported, retreats and routs are shown;
iv) the computer moves its units, followed by combat as before.
The game turn is over and you can survey the situation and issue new
orders, if necessary. A result is declared when it is judged you have succeeded
or failed in your aims - see victory conditions.
In reporting the casualties from combat it should be noted that
casualties are calculated in discreet blocks of 500 men and where casualties are
less than 500 they will be recorded as nil. If will also be seen when a unit is
in combat with more than one enemy unit, that if it receives casualties in
excess of 500 men from each enemy unit, then it will report two or three
successive casualty figures during the one round. Because its own troops will be
divided to defend against each enemy unit then the casualties it inflicts will
be relatively light. If a unit retreats into the path of an enemy unit it will
receive further casualties, whilst any unit that routs will be immediately
removed from the game.
D DETAILED INFORMATION
CURSOR CONTROL
In all cases press A to access cursor and use the arrow keys to control its
movement.
UNIT DETAILS: HIDDEN TERRAIN
Move cursor onto unit: press appropriate key and keep it pressed. If you wish to
access the same unit immediately afterwards press Enter.
ORDERS
To issue an order move the cursor onto the unit. Press O.
UNIT ORDER
Each unit, except corps commanders, may be given a direct unit order and will
move towards the objective position set regardless of the current corps order.
Individual units can only be given movement orders and do not have the same
range of options which are available when giving orders to corps commanders.
UNIT ORDER DELETION
Press U: unit returns to corps command.
CORPS COMMAND UNIT
Each unit marked with a C represents the corps command unit of that corps and if
eliminated then the next division becomes the corps commander providing that it
is not subject to a unit order.
CORPS ORDERS
Move
Press M: move cursor to target position: press T: answer question. The corps
commander will move towards the target position set. During normal corps
movement the other two divisions of the corps ape the movement of the corps
commander, unless one or other is subject to a unit command. During movement, if
the corps command unit is within two positions of the enemy (one position =
width of a unit) he may decide to engage the enemy units. When subject to a move
order the corps commander may lose control of his other divisions, particularly
if the corps command units movement is baulked by other units. If possible
ensure that the corps commander's route is clear.
Engage
The corps command unit will search up to two positions distant for enemy units
and will move next to those units if any are located, as will the other two
divisions of the corps if they are within two positions of an enemy unit.
Hold
This order results in all units of a corps remaining in position. It can be used
in conjunction with a move order coming into effect only when the move has been
completed.
Full Command
The corps commander will search up to three positions distant for enemy units
and will engage any such units.
If a division in the corps is likely to sustain severe losses then under full
command, unlike an engage order, that unit will not engage. Under certain
circumstances the corps commanders may be able to make better decisions than the
player due to direct access of all relevant data immediately prior to making
their decisions.
Retreat
Press R: move cursor to target position: Press T.
The corps will move towards what is now its new base position. Under a retreat
order a corps commander will ignore the enemy and will not engage except by
accident no matter how close enemy units may be.
Withdraw
The corps moves towards what is now its new base position at a slower speed and
attempts to avoid enemy units during such movement.
BASE POSITION
A corps commander's base position is initially the position the unit starts the
game on. While a corps command unit is on its base position the following rules
apply:-
A corps commander will never search more than two positions distant
for engage or movement purposes.
Any division under corps command more than two positions from its
corps commander will move towards its corps command unit.
CORPS INTEGRITY
Units which become separated from their corps commander by more than two
positions will move towards their corps commander if the corps as a whole is
subject to a move order. During engage movements any division of a corps not in
close proximity to the enemy will move towards its corps commander.
COMBAT
Combat occurs between all opposing units occupying adjacent positions. One unit
attacking two enemy units with no other friendly unit adjacent attacks at half
strength.
MOVEMENT ALLOWANCE
In each game turn the maximum movement allowance is:-
Infantry Divisions - 6 movement points
Cavalry Divisions - 10 movement points
In addition, the type of terrain on which the two armies are located can both
reduce movement and affect combat strength:-
TERRAIN MOVEMENT COST COMBAT ADJUSTMENT
Clear 2 -
Town 2 defender + 2
Stream 3 : cavalry 4 attacker - 2
Ridge 3 defender + 2
Woods 3 defender + 2
Chateau 2 defender + 3
The governing terrain of any unit is that displayed in the top left hand corner
as it is printed on the map.
UNIT STRENGTHS
The combat adjustment figures above relate to the standard strength point which
is based upon the formula:
500 men = 1 strength point
MORALE
The morale level of a unit adds strength points to the unit as follows:-
Excellent + 6: Good + 4: Low + 2:
Very Good + 5: Fair + 3: Poor + 1: Abysmal + 0
E VICTORY CONDITIONS
The battle is deemed over when when British army has at least 7,000
men within two positions of the left hand map edge in the top half of the map;
OR when the French army has at least 9,000 men in or adjacent to Waterloo;
OR when either army is reduced to six units or less;
OR when either army is reduced to less than 20,000 men.
It should be noted that the above conditions only signal the
termination of the game; they DO NOT of themselves indicate who is the victor.
Hence 9,000 French troops close to Waterloo will certainly bring the game to an
end but that end may well be reported as a glorious British victory. Victory is
determined by the strength of the two remaining armies and their respective
military positions. A mad dash for Waterloo with 9,000 men will not ensure your
success.
At the end of the battle, if you wish to play again you will have to
reload from cassette: Press Enter and start recorder. This is due to the fact
that there is insufficient memory to hold a copy of all initial data.
If you wish to continue the present battle enter Y, and fight on.
Because more than one check is made to determine that the battle is
over you may have to enter Y more than once.
[see WATERLOO.GIF for map]
Victory Hints
Take your time to appraise yourself of the current situation and the
locations of the main defensible points in the area.
When giving orders to your corps commanders or individual units, give
regard to the strength and morale of your own unit and that of the British unit
they will be facing. In particular seek to avoid situations which will cause you
excessive casualties, especially in making frontal assaults on the strong points
or in allowing a unit to be attacked by two or more enemy units.
Take heed of your corps commanders' advice until you know the game
better; it should help avoid excessive casualties.
Remember Napoleon was seeking to defeat Wellington before the
arrival of Blucher's Prussians; therefore, you must seek to keep the
initiative and to clearly work out your overall objective and tactics.
Whilst the simulation accurately reflects the initial problems that
faced Napoleon historically, it has been adapted to cater for divergent
strategies both for the player and the computer opponent. In other words it is a
simulation, not a duplication, of history.
In the simulation the assault on the two chateaux will generally result
in their eventual capture but the player is warned that the losses incurred will
normally be great enough to prevent final victory.
Historically the French army's greatest asset was its ability to fight a
battle of manoeuvre and the player will find this more successful.
The computer opponent has four opening options, two defensive and
two, more aggressive options. Even when choosing a defensive option the
computer opponent will eventually take any opportunity to attack.
This facilitates a battle of manoeuvre and allows the player to create a
great deal of variety between games. Simply put, the player will get out of this
game as much as he is prepared to put in.
When an attack succeeds exploit that success; when in difficulty use
defensive terrain as effectively as possible.
Use relatively strong units to greatest effect throughout the simulation
by moving them from one critical point to another as quickly as possible.
The best strategies to use are those most readily adaptable to meet
changing circumstances.
Acknowledgements
Battle Game and Screen Design Ken Wright
Programming Ken Wright
Wargame Series Supervised by Lothlorien
Cover Illustration The Art company
Marketing and Publishing M.C. Lothlorien Limited
(c) Copyright 1985 M.C. Lothlorien
Bibliography
If you would like to read further about Napoleon or the composition and
uniforms of Napoleonic armies then the following books are recommended,
although we are unable to guarantee their current availability.
TITLE AUTHOR PUBLISHER
Napoleon Felix Markham Weidenfeld & Nicolson
A Military History of the
Napoleonic Wars Elting and Esposito AMS Press, New York
The Age of Elegance Arthur Bryant Collins
1812-1822 (Book Club Associates
edition available to members)
Decisive Battles of the
Western World
volume II 1792-1944 J.F.C. Fuller Paladin (paperback)
L'Uniforme et Les Armes L.&F. Funcken Casterman
des Soldats du Premier (English language edition
Empire is available)
Warmaster Wargames from Lothlorien
If you have enjoyed playing Waterloo and succeeded at the scene of Napoleon's
last defeat, then you may wish to test yourself at the site of one of his great
victories, 'Austerlitz', which is also available in this series from Lothlorien,
again programmed by Ken Wright.
Other titles available include:-
Confrontation
Confrontation Scenarios Volume I
Confrontation Scenarios Volume II
Overlords
Redcoats
*Battle Builder
*Arena
*The Bulge (The Battle for Antwerp)
Adventure Games: Special Operations, Masters of Serebal, Time Sanctuary.
If you would like further details of Lothlorien wargames or would like
information about free membership and other benefits of the Warmaster Club, then
please write to: Lothlorien at 56A Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RE
*Lothlorien games published by Argus Press Software.