Text Shows Up Weird

[matt.]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Pacific War, and I'm having some problems trying to run the game. I downloaded the zip file, and when I run the MS-DOS exe file, everything will run correctly, but the text doesn't show up correctly. For example, on the "main" screen, I see "Campaign" followed by 3 unintelligible characters on both lines after "Saved Game" (the space in "Saved Game" is also the same unintelligible character). This wouldn't be a problem, except that when I actually run the game the same unintelligible character appears on each screen listing what's happening, so I have no idea what the actual damage occurring is. I've tried following the instructions in the sticky, but none of this helped. I also tried setting "Run in 256 colors", "Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution", "Disable visual themes", and "Turn off advanced text services for this program" in Properties --> Compatibility. In the same menu, I also tried running the program in compatibility mode for Windows 95, 98, and 2000, but none of these helped. Any ideas what I should do?

On a separate note, is there a README somewhere? It's not in the zip as far as I can tell, and that would be helpful.

Thanks,
Matt

[zeke99]

Run it in DosBox

[matt.]

That did the trick, thanks!

Matt

[zeke99]

[:)]

If you get bored playing AI sent me an email [;)]

[Capt. Harlock]

On a separate note, is there a README somewhere? It's not in the zip as far as I can tell, and that would be helpful.

There are some text files dealing with various things in earlier versions of PacWar. Here is a key to the various scenarios:

[font="Verdana"]"CAMPAIGN 41"
"RISING SUN"
Obc41

The "CAMPAIGN 41" scenario starts off on December 7, 1941 with the attack on Pearl Habrour running until the Japanese
surrender or January 1946. This scenario is meant to be played by an Allied Human Player. The OBC has been optimized for
the Japanese AI.

"CAMPAIGN 42"
"CORAL SEA/MIDWAY"
Obc42

The "CAMPAIGN 42" scenario starts off with the Battle of Coral Sea.

"GUADALCANAL"
Obsol

The "GUADALCANAL" scenario takes place during the United States Marine landing on Guadalcanal.

"MARIANAS"
Obmari

The "MARIANAS" scenario takes place during the United States assault on the Marianas and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

"OTHER CAMPAIGNS"
"Rising Sun" (PBEM)
Obc_a

This is a variant of the "CAMPAIGN 41" scenario, meant for both Allied and Japanese Human Players. This scenario is the most
historically accurate, sacrificing nothing for the sake of an Artificial Intelligence.

"Rising Sun" (Allied AI)
Obc_b

This is a variant of the "CAMPAIGN 41" scenario, meant for a Japanese Human Player. Force layout and positioning have been
changed so that the Japanese AI will be more challenging without sacrificing historical accuracy.

"Tora, Tora, Tora" (PBEM)
Obc_c

Using the "Rising Sun" scenario, the "Tora, Tora, Tora" scenario takes place soon after the attack on Pearl Harbour. The
rest of the historical turn (if used) plays as regular, except the 1st Strike Force does not launch an attack on Pearl
Harbour. However, historical rates of damage to ships and air groups occur at Pearl Harbour and the 1st Strike Force air
groups. Point values are also given for lost vessels. This scenario is meant for those who desire an accurate level of
historical damage experienced at Pearl Harbour.

"Leyte Gulf" (PBEM)
Obc_e

This scenario takes place during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in late 1944.

LEGEND

PBEM = Play By E-Mail (Human vs. Human)
Allied AI (Japanese Human Player, Allied Computer Player)[/font]


And here are the rules not included in the original manual:

[font="Verdana"]Page 8, Utility Menu: ALT-SYMBOL (X key) displays red symbols (Japanese bases) and blue symbols (Allied bases). There are flags, small squares, triangles, and large squares that appear on the map depending upon what Mode you are in. Enemy bases will always have small squares. In TF Mode all bases have small squares. In Army Mode, any base entailing a friendly unit has the base's flag displayed. In Port Mode, a small square
represents no ships present; a triangle represents a 1-3 level Port with ships; a large square represents a 4-9 level Port with ships. In Airfield Mode, a small square represents no planes present; a triangle represents a 1-3 level Airfield with planes; a large square represents a 4-9 level Airfield with planes.
To return to normal symbols select ALT-SYMBOL or press the X key.
Sub Control (E key) allows you to toggle the control of your submarine forces between human and computer control.

Page 9, Battle: There is a maximum of one hundred combat reports which can be stored (and therefore displayed) in any one turn.

Page 11, Replenish: Replenish automatically attempts to refuel the current TF's ships from the base the TF is in or from a Replenishment TF. A Replenishment TF containing replacement aircraft can be moved to the current TF if the range between the two TFs is less than the Replenishment TF's unused movement points minus five.

Pages 13 and 30, Change HQ's Human/computer Control Level: Even if an HQ is computer controlled, you may still form up TFs and set destination/home base. etc., which the computer executes.

Pages 14 and 30, FIND AN HQ: If two HQs are in the same hex, you may
access the other HQ by using the FIND AN HQ function.


Page 14, View/change Factories: This allows you to change the production of aircraft factories only and to view all the factories currently available. If there is an asterisk (*) by the oil or resource number, then it has already been taken by the Routine Convoy system. If there is not an asterisk (*), you may load resources or oil onto transports.

Page 15, Land Combat Unit Orders: At the end of the turn, units may increase their entrenchment level based on their readiness and current entrenchment level. A
unit's readiness may never be reduced below (10 + Entrenchment Level x 2). If the unit is in a base in mainland Japan or the United States, the minimum level of readiness is incensed by 4. Units may have their entrenchment level reduced due to combat. Land Combat Units may only be built up to a maximum size. Divisional units can have 240 squads, brigade units 120 squads, regiments units 60 squads, and battalion units 30 squads. If a unit is divided into sub units, then the sub unit may only receive replacements until it reaches 30 squads. If the sub unit is larger than 30 squads, then no replacements will be added.

Page 15, Dividing Units: Land Combat Units that induce sub units of the same parent unit which are in the same hex at the end of the turn may be merged into a single unit.

Page 16, Unit Activation: If the HQ does not have sufficient PPs to activate a unit, the unit will still be activated and the HQ's PPs will be set to zero. When a unit is activate, it automatically atlases to the HQ controlling the base.

Pages 18-19, Special Attack/Okha Attack: Special Attack aircraft have a weapon accuracy of 90 and OKHA bomb aircraft have a weapon accuracy of 80. In addition to this, a second accuracy eel is made in which Special Attack airbag have a 10x multiplier and OKHA bomb aircraft a 5x multiplier.

Page 19, Disband: If an Air Group is at an isolated base, it may not disband.

Page 21, Group Attack Ranges: Air Groups can attack enemy TFs and/or
enemy Land Combat Units at their normal range only. Air Groups can attack
enemy factories/depots, ships in port, and airfields at 1.5x normal range.

Page 21, Task Force Orders: If an enemy TF is displayed on the map, you may get a list of the ships) in the TF by clicking the right mouse button or pressing the Space Bar. If a Port is apache, 'me of the ships in the port may form up into various TFs or be transferred to a safer port. The TF leader may be killed/wounded if the flagship takes damage. You cannot transfer a flagship out of a TF. You must first access another ship and select (F)lagship to transfer the leader. Normally all enemy TFs are not displayed during your Orders Phase. Friendly search planes which have sighted an enemy TF or radio traffic
may allow you to see the location of some of the enemy TFs. Radio traffic detection is randomly determined for each TF.

Page 23, Motor Torpedo Boats: Motor Torpedo Boats do not bombard enemy bases.

Page 25, Arctic Weather Zone: The area of the map east of x-row 44 and north of y-column 12 is the Arctic Weather Zone.

Page 31, Special Headquarters Movement Restrictions: Any Land Combat Units which are in a base controlled by a restricted HQ cannot be marched to another base controlled by a different HQ. The Change Base function cannot be used to change the control of a restricted HQ base. ANZAC units/bases do not have these two restrictions.

Page 35, Unit Experience, Leadership, and Combat Performance: The name of the leader displayed on the Combat report is the leader which was assigned to the battle.

Page 36, LCU Combat Readiness: Loss: Land Combat Units have their losses divided by the terrain level of the base. Heavy Jungle (Level 9) bases are very difficult to take.

Page 36, Base Capture: When a base is captured, ships in the port may form into TFs or be transferred to a safer friendly port.

Page 37, Carrier Combat Operations: To determine the amount of fighter
protection above carriers (Combat Air Patrol), the computer makes two die
rolls. In 1944 and 1945 any US CVs have their CV points multiplied by .75 to
simulate the efficiency of US carrier coordination. The formula is:
if 6+Random(8) < CV points, then CAP is halved.

Page 41 Crippled Ships: Any aircraft on a carrier which is scuttled or sunk
are considered lost; they are not transferred to another carrier or land base.

Page 42, Airfield/Aircraft Damage: If surprise is achieved when attacking an enemy base (the enemy air leader is very poor), then the air group loss formulas are as outlined in the manual. If surprise is not achieved, then only 1 airgroup is attacked on the base.

Page 42, Surface Combat: Night Surface Combat between ships will be
represented visually on the screen by a change in the screen and text colors.

Page 50, Air Zones of Control: Fighter-Bombers exert both a Bomber and a Fighter ZOC. AZOCS are created up to 6 hexes away from Airfields, or 7 hexes away from Carrier TFs.

Page 52 Reinforcement Arrival Bases: At various times the Japanese
player will have units in the China theatre transferred to Haiphong or
Shanghai which can be used in other HQs.

Page 52, Reinforcements: Japanese units which are destroyed come back one month later in Japan as reinforcements. If the Japanese player threatens the Hawaiian Islands or the U.S. West Coast, the U.S. player will have an increase in its reinforcements. The arrival time of land and ship units is the approximate date that the units will become available. Lack of ship construction points or unit delay flags may cause the unit(s) to arrive at a later date.
Russian units are not included in the Orders of Battle.

Page 53, Victory Conditions: An end of game message will be displayed
each turn after the game is over. You may continue playing the game if you
desire. The same victor conditions will still be applicable even if you continue playing. If the Japanese production points on the score display falls below 500, the Japanese player does not get any multipliers for kill points. The Leyte Gulf and Marianas scenarios begin the game with 1000 losses for each category in order to balance Victory Conditions. In all scenarios if the Allied player captures Tokyo, he is awarded 20000 points; Nagoya, 5000 points; and Osaka, 5000 points.

Rising Sun: The Kill Points are multiplied by five in this scenario. The following victory points are awarded at the end of the scenario to each player in control of the bases (with a minimum of 500 supply points) listed below:
Base Japanese Points Allied Points
Noumea 9000 3000
Oahu 27000 0
Palembang 9000 9000
Rangoon 9000 9000
Singapore 0 9000
Soerabaja 9000 9000
Suva 9000 3000
[/font]