©) MicroProse SeDECISION IN THE DESERT “YOU are in Command — North Africa 1940-42!!” By Sik Het, and Brad Peron Dusk, October 24, 1944 —North Africa. Three hundred enemy tanks coming up with athousand gun artillery barrage! The Battle of El Alamein begins! YOU ARE IN CHARGE!! Experience the thrill and excitement of one of history's greatest events. The action is non-stop in this accelerated teal-time simulation. You'll be in the thick of this action packed strategic simulation in minutes even if you've ‘tua Seen never played a simulation before! Decision in the Desert is a “Command Series” product with real-time, continuous action. You’re in command as you lead the armies of either side or compete head-to-head between the two opposing generals. The computer handles all the rules. Decision in the Desert is an historically accurate, fast moving simulation with colorful animated graphics and sound! Best of all you'll be deploying tanks, artillery, air cover, and your combat divisions in minutes even if you've never played a strategic Simulation before! Like the REAL generals The Decision is up to YOU!!! Try these other exciting simulations from MicroProse: ‘yOUsreinCommend _‘Thillag Heoao-Heoa ingSpeechon ——_Cholenging ond cng AsClosome =Daytome Bare ‘Sobre et Arial, 'N Combi fom ne eal toying crme Bulge! og Fgning! ConvolAcion Modem Bacon Cocke! as You an Handle! MicroProse Software 120 Lokeftont Drive, Hunt Valley. Marylond 21030 (301) 667-1151, Commodore-64, ator, ne. 18M and Apple ae registered nodemorks of Commodore Business Mochins, Inc. A, nc Intemational Business Macnies, ne. and Apple Compu, nc, respectDecision Mesert MicroProse Software “YOU are in Command — 120 Lakefront Drive, Hunt Valley, MD 21030 (301) 667-1151 North Africa 1940-42!!”EIGHTH ARMY 1940-42 120 Lakefront Drive, Hunt Valley, MD 21030 (301) 667-1151 ©1985A note from the designers... DECISION IN THE DESERT is the second of the COMMAND SERIES simulations. Like its predecessor CRUSADE IN EUROPE, DECISION IN THE DESERT puts YOU in command of some of the great battles of World War II. As in CRUSADE, this simulation gives you continuous “accelerated realtime” action plus a host of other features that gamers want: lively graphics, highly intelligent units, a strategic overview map, and an advanced artificial intelligence commanding the computer's forces. DECISION IN THE DESERT differs from CRUSADE, however. The fighting in North Africa involved smaller armies over a much longer period of time, so short periods of intensive combat and movement alternated with long periods of recovery and preparation. DECISION IN THE DESERT depicts five of the short, pivotal periods of the campaign. Since the desert terrain is open and the opposing forces are small, rapid maneuvers and constantly shifting fortunes characterize these battles. The units depict regiments and brigades of only a few thousand men apiece, so the simulation has a tactical flavor; timing and coordination between different unit types are critical to victory. The limited intelligence feature of the COMMAND SERIES system adds a special feeling of realism in these circumstances, as units constantly appear and disappear in the swirl of battle. DECISION IN THE DESERT has been both a challenge anda pleasure to design. We think that it is a worthy successor to CRUSADE IN EUROPE. It carries the COMMAND SERIES system into a new situation that presents new challenges and new insights into one of the great campaigns of the Second World War. Once again we hope that our efforts will bring you many hours of exciting and enlightening entertainment. DECISION IN THE DESERT somcowss — TABLE OF CONTENTS | insrentoorrs INTRODUCTION, OVERVIEW AND QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS ... . Section | - GETTING STARTED . . ‘A COMPONENTS B. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS C. SELECTION OF GAME OPTIONS Section Il - HOW TO PLAY ‘A THE SCREEN B. PACE OF PLAY C. COMMANDS 1D. MESSAGES E. VICTORY CONDITIONS: Section Ill - HOW TO PLAY WELL ... A BEFORE YOU BEGIN . . on B. GAME SCALE UNIT TYPES D. EXPERIENCE E. EFFECTIVENESS . . te : 23 F. COMMANDS AND MODES. as G. FORMATIONS. . 7 see 24 H. SUPPLY 24 |. REINFORCEMENTS AND REPLACEMENTS. 25 J.TERRAIN ois re - 26 K WEATHER ‘ .27 MOVEMENT en, M. COMBAT 28 N. EXAMPLE OF PLAY: SIDI BARRANI ... . pr) Section V- NOTES, ........0ssseeeessceseceeenseces 31 A HISTORICAL NOTES 31 B. RECOMMENDED READINGS... . 4 Section V - SCENARIOS ............cseeeeeeeceeeeeeee 43 1, SIDI BARRANI 43 2, OPERATION CRUSADER 46 3.GAZALA .. . ey é 48 4, FIRST ALAMEIN . 51 5. ALAM HALFA, 53 = Copyright 1985 by MicroProse Software, 120 Laketront Drive, Hunt Valley. MD21090 (301) 667-1151 Original Software by Sic Meter, and Ed Bower. PhO, ‘Apple Conversion by Jim Synoski IBM Conversion by Don Awalt 64, ATARI, IBM PC/PC.JR and APPLE are registered trademarks Business Machines Inc , Atari inc. International Business Machines ine, ‘and Apple Computer Inc. respectively Portions produced using copyrighted products of Monarch Data Systems and Drive Technology. Ltd APPLE: Operating system is copyrighted by Apple Computer. Inc with portions also copyrighted by Diversified Software Research. Inc Integer Runtime Library copyrighted by Galfo Systems. Cor of CommINTRODUCTION DECISION IN THE DESERT is an operational level simulation of five of the most important battles of the North African campaign. The first, SIDI BARRANI, recreates Britain's early victories over the Italian army, and serves as an introduction to the system. The second, OPERATION CRUSADER, simulates the sprawling and confused fighting in the winter of 1941 that broke the Axis siege of Tobruk and drove the German and Italian armies far back into Libya. The third, GAZALA, shows the German General Erwin Rommel at his finest, as his Afrika Korps swept back across the desert to defeat the British army and storm into Tobruk. The last two scenarios reproduce the bitter fighting at El Alamein: the FIRST BATTLE OF ALAMEIN and the BATTLE OF ALAM HALFA, in both of which Rommel tried and failed to push past the British into the Nile Valley. In the First Alamein, Rommel losthis chancetodrive through the British before they recovered from the disaster of Gazala. In the battle of Alam Halfa, Rommel first confronted Bernard L. Montgomery, and dashed his army in vain against the solid defenses this new adversary had forged. Rommel was the first German general to feel the weight of Allied material superiority and the emergence of commanders who knew how to use it. Each of the five scenarios includes several variants. SIDI BARANNI introduces the system with a short variant recreating the initial spectacular British advance. It also includes two longer variants that present greater challenges to your generalship. OPERATION CRUSADER presents both the historical situation and a “whaf-if" variant in which Rommel gets to storm ‘Tobruk before the British field forces are ready to attack him. GAZALA and FIRST ALAMEIN both include variants of differentlengths, whileALAMHALFA contains both an historical variant and a “what-if” variant that explores “what- if” Rommel had had more men and material when attacking Montgomery. COMMAND SERIES simulations can be played by one player against the computer or by two players, head to head against one another. Either way they are fast moving and easy-to-playg while including a wealth of detail and historical realism. Play balance //can be adjusted so that players ranging from beginners to expert strategists will find the computer to be a comfortably challenging @/ opponent. Furthermore, two players of widely differing abilities | can play a satisfying game against i each other! 0 Medium tank M4 (Sherman) RULES ORGANIZATION This booklet is organized into five main sections. Section I, “Getting Started’, tells you how to load the simulation and choose among the various options. Section Il, “How to Play’, describes the basics of how to control your troops. After reading Section II, you should be able to play. Section III, "How to Play Well", provides more detail on the game mechanics and some tips on strategy and tactics. Section IV, “Notes’, includes Historical Notes giving a brief description of the actual campaign, and recommended readings. Section V, “Scenarios’, presents the starting conditions, duration, reinforce- ment schedules, victory conditions, and special rules for each of the scenarios and variants. OVERVIEW OF PLAY Play in DECISION IN THE DESERT proceeds in accelerated real-time. This means that there are no turns; instead time flows by continuously, as in real life. The playing field is a map of theareain which the campaigntook place, and the “pieces” represent actual units that took part in it. Players can learn the strength of and issue orderstoa unitby movingacursor overitand pressing either the joystick trigger or the appropriate key on the keyboard. By ordering his forces to move, attack, and defend, the player attempts to gain enough Victory Points to win. Victory Points are awarded for conquest of territory, destruction of enemy units, and infliction of casualties. Play proceeds until certain “critical” locations are taken or a prescribed amount of gametime has elapsed. QUICK START Players can begin playing quickly by skimming Sections | and II, booting the introductory scenario, reading along with the Example of Play (Section Ill, Part N), and referring to the Player Aids on the Center Insert.