Download Game
Computer Ambush

Game Mechanics

Computer Ambush is one wargame which simulates tactical battles between American and German soldiers in a fictional French village, shortly after the landing in Normandy. Each part and mission is played on the same card. This is divided into square boxes of three meters side which form a grid of 37x67 cases. The game program is adjusted to eliminate the artificial bonus that involves diagonal movements. The map includes open areas (such as the village square) and winding alleys (especially in the working quarter) and is composed of different types of land such as doors, windows, hedges, statue, walls or rubble. Each type of land applies a factor on the time and energy spent so that the soldier who is there will carry out an action. For example, it is possible to make a detour to get out of a building by the door in less time than it takes to get out of the window.

Four standard soldiers squads are available in the game. The first is made up of soldiers of the American army and the other three German soldiers. Two additional squads, composed of German novices or super-soldiers, allow you to adjust the level of difficulty during a game against the computer. Each player controls a unit that can contain up to ten soldiers with specific capabilities. Each of them is in fact characterized by its weight, size, strength, intelligence, dexterity and visual acuity as well as its ability to launch grenades, its precision in firing and its ability to fight in close combat. These characteristics are defined on a scale ranging from one to ten and directly affect the effectiveness of a fighter. A seven-shot precision results in a 70% probability of reaching its target (without taking into account the accuracy of the weapon used). The stronger a soldier, the more effort he can do before being tired and having to rest. Dexterity and intelligence influence the speed at which a soldier will execute an order. Dexterity determines the speed at which it realizes the action while intelligence affects its reflexes and its ability to understand what it is requested. Visual acuity determines the soldier's ability to spot an enemy. The game actually manages the line of view of the units and the enemies are thus invisible to the player until one of its units marks them.

Each soldier also has his own equipment. At the beginning of a game, the player can choose to let the computer select the weapons of his soldiers. Otherwise, it can make this selection completely free or in a restricted list randomly defined by the computer. The game offers three types of guns: the rifle, the automatic rifle and the gun. Each of them is characterized by its cadence and precision of firing, which are affected by the characteristics of the soldiers carrying them. Each soldier is armed with a knife and can be equipped with hand grenades. Finally, each squad is given a choking lace and explosives. Before using a weapon, a soldier must prepare to do so and he cannot prepare to shoot the rifle and throw a grenade at the same time. Firearms must be loaded and whenever they are used, they may be unloaded and reloaded to shoot again.

Players control their units individually by spending "time points". Ten points of time corresponding to a second of shares. At the beginning of each round, the players define the number of times allocated for this round. They then give orders to each of their soldiers through an online command interface. It is thus possible to order a soldier to move by walking, running or crawling. It is also possible to adopt different postures, such as falling, rising or waiting. To get him attacked, the player can order him to pull a salve to a specific box or shoot anything in his field of vision. Before that, however, he must order him to prepare his weapon and recharge it. Each action is associated with a string of characters and the player can order his soldiers to enchain several actions by combining several of these chains between them. The command line "MR24RGFPFEF2432MR00FPRFA2099" For example, it is possible to order a soldier to move from four cells to the northeast, pick up a pomegranate and then throw it on a specific box before throwing himself to the ground, prepare his rifle and search for a potential target nearby. As long as they have not completed their turn, players can change their orders without penalties. If they order to carry out more actions that it is not possible to achieve in the given time, these orders are transferred to the next turn and it is then possible to modify them. When each player has given his orders, the computer executes the moving and attack orders. Each player can then review the tower, for example to find out who moved or threw a grenade, before giving orders to his soldiers.

Computer Ambush offers five solo scenarios in which the player faces the computer. The first is a simple tutorial that offers a first detailed tour to familiarize itself with the mechanisms of the game. The other four simulate different situations including an ambush, attacking a German headquarters, defending a position and an infiltration mission. For each scenario, the player can choose to face a novice squad, an intermediate level squad or an expert squad. Multiplayer (in hotseat), the game offers seven different scenarios including the defense of a factory by the Americans, that of a church by the Germans, the confrontation between two patrols and the defense of a alley. To customize a part, it is also possible to modify the characteristics of the soldiers.