Guns of Fort Defiance
Guns of Fort Defiance
© 1981 Microcomputer Games, Inc. division of The Avalon Hill Game Co .. Baltimore, MD, Printed in USA
FOR: AMMUNITION SELECTION
APPLE II®, 48K APPLESOFT Cassette, 48K Diskette You have five types of ammunition from which to
TRS-80®, Level II 16K Cassette, 32K Diskette choose: Ball, Cannister, Double Cannister, Shell and
PET 2001 ®, 16K Cassette Spherical Case. At the beginning of each game the
AT ARI 800®, 40K Cassette display in the lower right hand corner of the fort lists the
_ <!l Trademarks of APPLE Computers, Tandy Corp., Commodore Business number of rounds available for each type. This display
Machines, and Warner Communications also keeps a running tab on how many rounds are left of
each type throughout the game.
The computer will ask you which ammunition you
INTRODUCTION want to use . Enter your selection by typing:
Fort Defiance is a half-finished stockade blocking the
path of an invading army during the War of 1812. You B for Ball
are the commander of an artillery piece defending the C for Cannister
fort against an enemy that heavily outnumbers your gar- D for Double Cannister
rison . Your skill and determination in repelling the H for Shell
assault will determine the fate of the fort. P for Spherical Case
Your gun is stationed on an incomplete side of the If you are firing Shell or Spherical Case, you must
fort. Fortunately, you have an ample supply of ammuni- specify a fuse length. Fuses come in seven lengths,
tion and the attackers will have to cross over hundreds of labeled (shortest to longest): A,B,C,D,E,F,G. Select one
yards of open ground. The enemy may attack with of these by entering the corresponding letter.
cavalry, infantry, or artillery . . . but the narrow trail For an historical summary on the different types of
they must follow to reach the starting position for each ammunition available and an explanation of fuses, see
attack .. . limits them to attacking with only one infan- HISTORICAL NOTES.
try, cavalry company, or howitzer at a time.
From your position in the watchtower you see the
enemy far off in the distance, organizing for an assault.
You see them coming and briskly bark orders to your
gunners!
ABOUT THE HANDICAP
Before each game begins, the computer will ask you
for a handicap. You can choose any number from 1 to
64 (63 on the Apple). The computer suggests a handicap
for your first game. The higher the number is, the
longer the enemy will keep coming before breaking into
a retreat. For instance, if you choose a handicap of I, CANNISTER
the attackers will probably break and rout after only
one casualty.
HOW TO PLAY
As your gunners go through the steps of loading the
cannon for each shot, you will have to give them ap-
propriate orders. You are responsible for selecting the
specific type of ammunition, specifying the fuse length
(when needed), determining the elevation setting and pin-
pointing a target.
1
SETTING THE ELEVATION @ If the elevation is correct but the fuse too short an
After choosing your ammunition and fuse length, the "at sign" (@) will appear where the round bursts .
computer will ask you to adjust the elevation. Again, this This may sometimes seem to be on target but is ac-
is done by selecting a key A (point blank) through G (long tually up in the air between you and the target.
range).
When a shot is successful it will eliminate one or more
troops from the enemy formation. Every time an enemy
gunner is killed the howitzer crew will consider
retreating. If they remain in action they will fire more
slowly until the missing man is replaced. If a direct hit
disables the enemy cannon, its crew will flee .
et)~f)«»
high velocities. Since high velocities were undesirable, cuts and drives fuse into Spherical Case,
the weight of the barrel could be better used to make it puts it into his ammo pouch.
short and ofiarger diameter, to throw a large shell at low
~elocities. Thus the howitzer was developed as a com-
panion to the twelve-pounder gun. A howitzer frequently
11111
had a barrel three feet long and could fire a forty-pound
shell. The low velocity of the shell gave it a shorter max-
imum range, but when fired at high elevations it dropped
almost straight down at the end of its flight. This made it
~
very useful against troops behind cover (such as the walls Third Step-Numbers 1,2 and 3 walk
of a half-finished fort). towards the rear. Number 4 steps between
Either of these weapons could fire cannister. While left wheel and breech of gun. Number 5
~~
the howitzer cannister was heavier than that of the gun, it levels rammer with sponge-end in muzzle
contained roughly the same number of balls, their of gun. 6 takes powder charge from chest
individually greater weight off-setting their lower initial t) . on ammo wagon.
velocity to make them deadly.
When Spherical Case was developed, better manufac-
turing techniques made it possible to fire it from guns (as
well as howitzers) without breaking it up. By the mid-
19th century (after our game is set) guns were firing shell
as well, and the howitzer was a vanishing species .
Fourth Step-Number 1 steps between the
trails of the gun, as 2 and 3 step up to either
ROLLING FIRE side of the breech. Number 5 pushes the
Because of their spherical shape the projectiles of wet sponge-end of the rammer all the way
smoothbore artillery tended to bound on impact with the into the gun, drowning any sparks left
ground rather than burying themselves as would a ~ from the previous shot, while 4 plugs the
modern, pointed shell. When fired at low angles of eleva- G touch-hole of the gun with his thumb to
tion it was theoretically possible for a ball to bounce • prevent any sparks from being blown up it,
along for hundreds of yards before rolling to a halt. out of reach of the sponge. 6 runs forward
Given a solid rank of troops for a target this would seem with ammo.
to make hits virtually certain with every shot. However,
in reality, the ground was never perfectly flat and even
small irregularities could cause shots to skip over their in-
tended victims. Nevertheless, against cavalry and infan-
try it was accepted practice to aim low and employ this Fifth Step-Number 5 withdraws rammer
"rolling fire." and 4 removes thumb. Numbers 2 and 3 lift
Shell and Spherical Case could also be used in rolling breech while number 1 adjusts elevating
fire, but the concussion of repeated impacts made the quoin.
fuses even less reliable than usual. Of course, a dud Shell
Spherical Case shot could be just as deadly as a Ball!
Then press the 'RETURN' key Dn the keybDard. YDU will hear Dne
beep. Push ' PLAY ' Dn the recDrder and press ' RETURN' again. The
recDrder ShDUld start to. mDve and the prDgram will be lDaded . By
turning up the vDlume Dn YDur video. screen YDU can hear the prDgram
being lDaded. When the tape stD ps , the prDgram has been transferred
frDm the cassette tape to. the cDmputer. ' READY' will be displayed Dn
the screen. Type:
Ninth Step-Number 6 places Spherical
Case shot in muzzle and helps number 5 to RUN
ram it home onto the cartridge, which
splits further open. Number 4 removes and press the 'RETURN' key to. play the game. ShDU ld YDur video.
screen display the wDrd ERROR, press the 'RESET' buttDn and
priming wire. repeat all Df the abDve lDading instructiD ns.
To. assure a successful lDad Dn YDur A TARI cDmputer we suggest
YDU advance the clear pDrtiDn Df tape (leader) until the brDwn
magnetic pDrtiDn is just visible to. the left Df the cassette head.
APPLE II
The APPLE prDgram is lDcated Dn SIDE ONE after the AT ARI
prDgram . By liste ning to. the tape, YDU can tell the difference between
Tenth Step-Number 5 withdraws rammer the two. prDgrams. The APPLE prDgram is easi ly recDgnized by the
and 6 starts back to ammo wagon. Number relatively high pitch and 'pure' quality Df the calibratiDn tDne at the
4 pours loose powder into touch-hole (or beginning Df the prDgram . Thi s tDne is free Df the characteristic
puts a special fuse into it). Numbers 2 and A TARI buzz. Find the beginning Df the APPLE prDgram and pDsitiDn
3 pick up trail of gun. the tape to. just after the start Df the calibrat io.n tDne.
"Bring up" FlDating PDint BASIC (nDt Integer BASIC) Dn YDur
cDmputer. (HDW thi s is dDne will depend Dn which mDdel Df APPLE
yD u Dwn. With an APPLE II PLUS YD U just turn it Dn, while Dlder
APPLES may require a special APPLESOFT cassette to. be lDaded.
See YDur Dwners manual.)
VDlume levels fDr individ ual recDrders and cDmputers can vary
widely and the APPLE is very critical Df incDrrect vDlume settings, so.
YDU may have to. try a number Df settings befDre the CDrrect Dne is
~G
discDvered . (See YDur Dwners manual fDr instructiDns Dn cassette
Eleventh Step-Number 5 starts back to vDlume adjustment.)
his bucket, number 4 steps away from the With the recDrder Dutput jack unplugged, play the tape just into.
gun. Number 1 sights along the barrel and the beginning Df the calibratiDn whistle at the start Df the prDgram and
e~~ '"'"
tells 2 and 3 to traverse the gun left or right. StDp. NDW plug in the CDnnector cab le frDm the cDmputer to. the
recDrder. T ype in the fDll Dwing cDmmands (These serve to. lDcate in-
cDming prDgram in specific areas Df memDry to aVDid Dverlap with the
high resDlutiDn graphics):
0~
away from the gun to each side. Number 2 POKE 24576,0 (RETURN)
picks up his linstock (left here since gun POKE 1005,0 (RETURN)
·POKE 1006,2 (RETURN)
was last fired) and blows on the smoldering
match (clipped to one end) until it glows. ·ThDse persDns with cassette APPLESOFT use POKE 1006,0 instead
6) 8 G Df POKE 1006,2.
e ., "'" The "Shape Table" used with the high resDlutiDn graphics is nDW
lDaded frDm the tape by the fDllDwing methDd: Type
Thirteenth Step-Standing with his back SHLOAD (do. nOT 'RETURN' yet)
to the enemy (so he can see that everyone
NDW press 'PLAY' on the recDrder and hit 'RETURN' Dn the
else is in the clear) number 2 touches the
keybDard . After a ShDrt pause the APPLE will beep Dnce. If the
glowing match to the powder piled in the vDlume setting is wrDng an errDr message will appear. See your Dwners
touch-hole. This inflames and sets off the manual for hints Dn volume adjustment. If the vDlume setting is CDr-
charge, which fires the Spherical Case rect the "Shape Table" will finish lDading, the APPLE will beep again
toward the enemy and throws the gun and the cursor will reappear.
The "PrDgram " is nD~ ready to be lDaded by the fDllowing
backward about six feet. As the smoke method: DiscDnnect the cable frDm the recDrder Dutptlt and cue-up the
cloud billows around your crew, you cassette at the start Df the calibratiDn whistle for the "Program" as
observe the projectile bouncing toward the described above, then reconnect the cable from the comp uter. Next,
enemy . .. number 2 sticks one end of his type:
linstock in the ground and the cycle begins
again. LOAD (do. nOT 'RETURN')
5
Now press the 'PLAY' button on the cassette recorder and then hit DESIGN CREDITS:
'RETURN'. After a slight pause the APPLE will beep once and return Game Design: David A. Wesely
an error message or continue to load, as in loading the "Shape
Table". The APPLE is more critical about volume adjustment on the
"Program" load than on the "Shape Table" SHLOAD, so you may
Box Art: Bob Haynes
have to make yet another volume adjustment before the program Inside Art: Charles Kibler
loads . However, only a very small change will be needed (if any) as the Typesetting: Colonial Composition
"Shape Table" and "Program" were both recorded in one run with Printing: Monarch Services, Inc.
the same input volume and both should load at the same volume.
When the "Program" is finished loading the APPLE will beep PLAYTESTING BY:
again .. . and the cursor will reappear. Type ' RUN ' and press Kevin Maclean
'E NTER ' to start the program. Once you have determined the correct
volume setting needed for loading the "Program" you can con-
David Williams
siderably simplify the loading process on future run s by do ing the David Dobyns
following: Brian Houston
HIMEM : 48*1024 (RETURN) David R. Megarry
NEW (RETURN)
POKE 103,01: POKE 104,96: POKE 24576,1: POKE 1005,0: POKE
1006,2: YOU NAME IT. WE'VE GOT A GAME ON IT ...
SHLOAD:LOAD (do not ' RETURN') The Avalon Hill Game Company is the world' s largest publisher of a
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will load without you stopping to re··cue the cassette between them. pretty pictures, write the factory and ask for a game catalog on:
The APPLE will beep four times during the process .
The APPLE is very sensitive to radio "static" that it may pick up D Adventure Gaming (including war, SF, and fantasy games)
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