People's Tactics/Interface

Menu bar

There are three menus in the menu bar: File, Info and Preferences and Editing. The Editing menu will only be displayed if the option is ticked under the Info and Preferences menu and, only being relevant to scenario creation, will not be discussed in this section.

File

Load - This command will open the file browser in which you may select the scenario or save file you wish to open. By default, these files are located in the scenario folder. If you already have a scenario loaded, you will have to exit that before you may load a new one. To begin playing a scenario that you have loaded, select the 'start' command from the menu.

Save - Selecting this command will save the current state of the scenario. If you were in the middle of the game, this will save your progress, if you were in edit mode, it will save the state as a new scenario.

Start - This option is only available when a scenario is loaded. Selecting start will bring you to the Start Game Window (more about this below) in which you'll be able to configure a number of options and begin playing People's Tactics.

Random Game - This option will bring up a window that will allow you to configure a game on a random map.

Surrender - This command surrenders your regime. When playing against humans (as in a PBEM game), it is much more polite to surrender first rather than to just stop playing. If it is a PBEM game you are playing, you should email the save file after surrendering.

Exit Game - This option is only available once you have started playing a scenario, selecting it will clear all memory and take you back to editing mode. This is the de facto "quit" command.

Info and Preferences

Show/Hide Grid - This option will put black lines between the hexes on the map, making it easier to see exactly where everything is, although making the map less aesthetically pleasing.

Show Most Recent Enemy Actions -

Sight Range - This option shades the hexes you cannot see, helping you work out where best to explore.

Show supply - This option displays a number about each formation/THQ showing the amount of supply it consumed last turn. The colour of the number indicates the quality of supply to the unit. Red indicates poor quality, whilst green indicates good quality.

Show Status Report - This option opens the status report window, which has lots of useful information on the hex, your units and your supply and production.

Show Editing Menu - This option makes the editing menu available, making scenario creation possible.

Start Game Window

Here you can configure a new game. You can set the following options:

Play By Email - Enables you to save the game before starting your opponent’s turn. You will have to manually email the file, however.

Use Passwords – You must select a password before you first turn. On every one of your following turns, you won’t be allowed to play without once again entering it.

Fog of War - If this option is turned off, you will be allowed to see your enemies units and statistics. For a realistic game, always have this option enabled.

Fog of Exploration - If you turn this on, all unseen territory will remain black and shrouded. This is advised for playing random scenarios as it adds some extra difficulty.

AI gets production bonus – Experienced players can use this option to add some additional difficulty to their games by giving the AI regimes a production bonus.

AI or Human? - If you don’t enable human, the computer AI will play the regime in question.

The Map

File:People's tactics map.gif

Units are displayed on the map as icons, the colour of which is unique to the regime. The little colored square on the top left corner is a visual indicator of the Chain of Command, starting at the THQ level (i.e. each THQ has a unique color code). There is no coloured square for SHQs or for units that are not assigned to a THQ

Unit type

The symbol in the middle of the unit icon represents what type of unit it is: air formation, sea formation, artillery, infantry, motorized, armour, THQ or SHQ. THQs are represented by a cross.

Whether a unit is artillery, infantry, motorized or armour depends on the respective ratios: Artillery, if the total Artillery Attack Value (Ranged, not Front, Artillery Unit Type)is higher than the sum of the Soft and Hard Attack and Defence values of Armour or Infantry (whichever is highest), and the formation does not have enough carrying capacity for it to become Motorized; Infantry, if the sum of the Infantry’s Soft and Hard Attack and Defence values is higher than the Armour’s, and the formation does not have enough carrying capacity for it to become Motorized; Motorized, if there is enough carrying capacity to offset the total weight of Infantry and Artillery (Ranged OR Front Artillery Unit Types); Armour, if the sum of the Armour’s Soft and Hard Attack and Defence values is higher than the Infantry’s, and the formation has enough carrying capacity for it to become Motorized.

Values

These values depend on wether it is a land, sea or air formation . Respectively, they represent Attack/Defence, Combat/Cargo, or Dogfight/Interdict. If Fog of War is enabled, other regime’s icon values represent the average of the fore-mentioned numbers, with a random variation thrown in: the number may be anywhere from 80 to 120% of the actual value.

The Unit Information Panel

Name - The unit’s name. The important thing here is that the player may change the name, by clicking on it. Whithin a maximum of 20 characters, there is very little in the way of limitations on the characters the player may use (the one that comes to mind is that a name cannot start with “).

Parent organisation - In the case of a Formation, the THQ. In the case of a THQ, the SHQ. In the case of a SHQ, the Regime.

Readiness - The current readiness of the unit. Readiness can go from 10 to 100, and starts at 50 for new units. This is an average of the readiness of the Unit Type items that have combat value. If you transfer items from another unit (the SHQ, for instance), it will probably change. A unit gains readiness by sitting still, and loses readiness by moving, attacking or being attacked. If a unit is not being supplied, it will lose readiness even by sitting still.

Experience - The current experience of the unit. Experience can go from 25 to 150 points, and starts at 25 for new units. This is an average of the experience of the Unit Type items that have combat value. If items are transferred from another unit (the SHQ, for instance), it will probably change (and even if you don’t believe in Murphy’s Law, the change will most likely be for worse rather than for better). A unit gains experience automatically up to 50 experience points (6 points each turn, which means that a unit at 49 XPs may be at 55 XPs next turn), or by winning or losing a combat (as in most things in life, winning is best).

Movement Points - The current Movement Points (MP) available to the unit.

Movement Type Used - In the SHQ panel, this represents the carrying capacity available to that SHQ. For other units, Movement type may be Artillery, Infantry, Motorized or Armour (for land formations), Air (for air formations) or Sea (for sea formations). In the case of land formation, the percentage behind it denotes the percentage of mechanization of the unit. 100% denotes that it will move at the speed of a mechanized unit (trucks, tanks, etc...).

Weight, or in case of a naval unit, the amount of weight it can carry

Percentage of supplies received out of what is required (in the SHQ panel, this indicates the number of supply points in stock)

The fame of the Commanding officer

Percentage of Retreat. The higher the number, the sooner the officer will retreat his unit from combat

The ground, naval and air skills of the commanding officer

The Terrain Panel

All info on selected hex is given in this window

The first percentage denotes the amount of supply this hex receives from the best SHQ. The x,y coordinates show the number of steps this hex is away from the best SHQ and what the maximum number of steps is it can be away before receiving no further supply. The last graphic denotes the type of supply. In this example it is normal land supply.

Command Bar

Hex Commands

Attack

To attack a hex containing enemy units, you must first select this attack command. After that is done, you must select friendly, adjacent forces to participate in the attack. You do this by clicking on a friendly formation and then clicking on the single hex picture left of its name in the info box below the map. Keep in mind that a unit must have 2 Movement Points available in order to attack. You may select as many friendly units as you wish to join the attack, once you are done, click the “do attack” button located at the top of the screen. Or, to cancel, select the “cancel order” button.

New Unit

Once you have clicked this button, a dialog will pop-up asking you which sort of formation you wish to create. Different formations require differing amounts of political points to create. Once the formation is created, it must be assigned to a chain of command (unless the formation you created was an SHQ). The new formation will also need units transferred in to it or it will disappear (Once again, this only applies to formations which are not SHQs).

Production

This option can only be selected when a hex containing a city or town is highlighted. Once pressed, a window will open giving you command of what units you wish this city to produce. Note, you can also assign the city to generate Political Points instead. On the right hand of the window, you are able to instruct which SHQ the units shall be delivered to.

Formation Commands

Move

Selecting this command will highlight a unit’s maximum range and allow you to move. A unit cannot move in to the same hex as an enemy, to do that, the attack command must be used.

Change Command

This command is used to assign a new chain of command to the selected unit. In the case of a regular formation, you would select a new THQ to be its boss. In the case of a THQ, you would be selecting its new SHQ. Once pressed, you must locate the new HQ for the unit and then you must confirm the choice with the buttons that appear at the top of the screen. Be advised, the unit that has its command changed will become disrupted for a while and receive negative modifiers.

Transfer

Once you have pressed this button, select the formation you wish to transfer units to and then confirm your choice with the “do transfer” button at the top of the screen. After you have done that, a window will open in which you can select the quantity and the unit types that you wish to transfer. Keep in mind that normal formations can only transfer to other units within the hex they occupy. SHQs can transfer to formations or other SHQs beyond their own hex, but this is only as long as they have enough MOBCAP (for land transfer) and CARGOCAP (for sea transfer).

Fortify

After clicking this command, you will have to select a neighbouring hex with which to fortify the border with. You need just as much engineer points as you need supply points to build the current level. Note that there are three levels of fortification possible. You must already have built 1 before you can upgrade it to level 2, and same for 2 to 3. The more engineers you got the less MP it costs you.

Disband

Removes the selected unit from play. Pretty self-explanatory really!

Naval Formation Extra Commands

Load Unit

After selecting this command, you will have to select a unit you wish to load on to the ship and then confirm your selection with the buttons at the top of the screen. A ship cannot transport a unit if that unit exceeds the ships weight limit.

Unload Unit

After clicking this button the unit will unload if the ship is in a port, otherwise you will have to select a neighbouring hex as an unload destination and confirm this action by clicking the button at the top of the screen.

Air Formation Extra Commands

Interdict

After clicking this button you will have to select an enemy formation that you want to interdict. After selecting this formation you will have to confirm this action by clicking the big button at the top of the screen.

Strategic Bombing

After clicking this button you will have to select a town hex that you want to bomb. After selecting this hex you will have to confirm this action by clicking the big button at the top of the screen.

Airdrop/Airlift

After clicking this button, PT might prompt you to select which formation you want to airdrop/airlift in case you have two land formations in the same hex. Otherwise it will assume you want to airdrop/airlift the only land formation in the hex. You must then select a destination. After selecting this hex you will have to confirm this action by clicking the big button at the top of the screen. The difference between airlift and airdrop is that if you select a friendly town as a destination it is an airlift, while if you select a (possibly enemy) non town-hex it is an airdrop. Keep in mind that only unit types with the “paradrop” ability can be airdropped.

Air supply

After clicking this button you will have to select the formation that you wish to receive the air supply. After selecting this formation you will have to confirm this action by clicking the big button at the top of the screen. Keep in mind you can only select formations to receive air supply that are completely out of supply.

General Commands

Officer Pool

This button will open up a menu that will allow you to manage your regime’s officer pool. You can spend Political Points to hire a new officer, you can fire an officer from the pool (that will teach him the price of failure!) or you can assign a different officer to the selected formation. Note, the selected formation is whichever one you had highlighted before you clicked the Officer Pool button. Keep in mind that your officers have different skill levels for ground, sea and air. You will want to assign the best possible leaders to your various formations, not assign a naval-genius to lead a panzer division!

Research

This command will open a dialog in which you can select which fields of research to spend your Political Points. Each field will lead to new unit types that you will be able to produce in a friendly city. The most potent units in the game are usually found several fields deep; so don’t neglect your research!

Diplomacy

This button will bring up the diplomacy screen, which is utilized in some scenarios for declaring war and making peace. Changing your relationship with a foreign regime costs Political Points.

End Turn

This command will end your turn.