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[                                                                            ]
[                         Ogre: Stragegy and Notes                           ]
[                                Part One                                    ]
[                                                                            ]
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Note: What follows is an exact duplicate of the Second of the two books that 
come with the game Ogre. Enjoy!  From L.S.D.!

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                              [==ENCOUNTER==]
[============================================================================]
    
    The Command Post was well guarded.  It should have been. The hastily
constructed, unlovely building was the nerve center for Paneuropean operations
along a 700-kilometer section of front--a front pressing steadily toward the
largest Combine manufacturing center on the continent.
    Therefore, General DePaul had taken no chances.  His command was located
in the most defensible terrain available--a battered chunk of gravel bounded
on three sides by marsh and on the fourth by a river.  The river was deep and
wide; the swamp, gluey and impassable.  Nothing bigger than a rat could avoid
detection by the camera icons scattered for sixty kilometers in every
direction over land, swamp, and river surface.  Even the air was finally
secure; the enemy had launched at least fifty heavy missiles yesterday,
leaving glowing holes over half the island, but none near the CP.  Now that
the jamscreen was up, nothing would get even that close.  And scattered
through the twilight were the bulky shapes of tanks and Ground Effect
Vehicles--the elite 2033rd Armored, almost relaxed as they guarded a spot
nothing could attack.
    Inside the post, too, the mood was relaxed--except at one monitor station
where a young lieutenant watched a computer map of the island.  A light was
blinking on the river.  Orange: Something was moving out there where nothing
should move.  No heat.  A stab at the keyboard called up a representation of
the guardian units...not that any should be out there, thirty kilometers away.
None were.  Whatever was out there was a stranger--and it was actually in the
river.  A swimming animal?  A man?  Ridiculous.

    The lieutenant spun a dial, moving a dot of white light across the map and
halting it on the orange spot with practiced ease.  He hit another key, and an
image appeared on the big screen...pitted ground, riverbank...and something
else, something rising from the river like the conning tower of an old
submarine.  But he knew what it really was, he just could not place it...and
then it moved.  Not straight toward the camera icon, but almost. The
lieutenant saw the "conning tower" cut a wake through the rushing water,
bounce once, and begin to rise.  A second before the whole shape was
visible, he recognized it--but for that second he was frozen.  And so thirty
men were suddenly brought to heart-pounding alert, as the lieutenant's
strangled gasp and the huge image on his screen gave the same warning...OGRE!!

    Less than three minutes had passed.  After the initial seconds of panic,
the Command Post had settled down to business.  Instead of masterminding an
attack, it was fighting for its own life.  Men spat orders into throat
mikes, eyes on the big screen.  The orange dot that was the Ogre was six 
kilometers closer, but green sparks were moving out to meet it--the men and
machines of the 2033rd.

    The general entered at a run. "Get me a picture!" he ordered.  The 
screen flickered, moving dots gave way to an image.  The huge machine rumbled
over the landscape, incredibly fast for something so huge.  Guns bristled. The
tower top rose twenty meters high.

    "A Mark V," said the general.  "They really want us, all right.  Who
had the watch?"
    "I...I did, sir."
    "Where'd it come from?"
    "Sir, the river.  I got a movement indication from the center of the
river--I saw it come up.  Nothing before that.  I swear it, sir."
    
    The general started to reply, then checked himself.  Suddenly, he stepped
to the keyboard.  The map reappeared (the orange dot was closer) and shrank.
They saw their island from fifty--a hundred--kilometers in the air.

    The general traced the river course.  "Here...and here.  Yes, they
could have done it."
    "Sir?"
    "Underwater.  It went into the ocean here.  Through the delta--up the
river and out.  Very clever.  I wonder...No, they just outfoxed us.  As
you were, son."

              **********

    The Ogre was twenty kilometers away.  On the big map, a ring of green
around it showed missile tanks ready to move in; more green dots, visibly 
moving, were GEVs harassing the enemy machine.  As they watched, one GEV 
light went out.  Another stopped moving and began to blink plaintively.  The 
Ogre moved toward it.

              **********

    Twelve minutes since the shooting had started.  The Ogre was fifteen
kilometers away.  Faced by eight missile tanks, it had slipped to the
side; three of the tanks were gone, and two others had never gotten in range.
But the Ogre had paid; it was moving slowly now.  On the big map, three more
green dots moved toward it.  The heavies were going in.

    "Mercier to CP.  We've spotted it." The general punched for an image.  
There it was.  Four of the six missile tubes were empty; two of the "small"
guns along one side were scrap.  Loose tread flapped; damaged motors sparked.
Its guns moved and flashed.  Then the screen dimmed as a nuclear warhead hit
the Ogre.  The imae returned.  There was a new crater along one of the
armored sides--nothing more.

    "Get those guns, Commander," the general's voice was calm; Mercier's
reply was equally mild.
    "Trying, sir.  It ducks." Then jubilation.
    "Good shot, Fair!  You Got it!  Hit the misbegotten pile of junk."
The big screen was completely dark. It came on again, from a different
angle.  The Ogre was hurt.  One of those big front guns was gone--
completely.  The other was clearly wrecked.

    "Good man, Mercier!  Who did that?  Commander Fair?...Mercier?...Fair?..."

    "This is Kowalkski in 319.  It got Fair about three times.  I can't find
Mercier."

    On the screen, one heavy tank faced the Ogre.  Two GEVs swept in and
out.  Missile tanks and infantry moved closer--too slowly.

    "Here it comes."  Kowalski--commander of the last heavy.  "You'll
have to shoot better than that, you gadget...GOTCHA!  Took out its..."

    Static.  Then a new voice.  It sounded quite human.  And amused.
    "Gotcha."

               **********

    The Ogre rolled on.  It was within howitzer range now, and the big missile
cannons were scoring on it.  Its missiles were gone, but it still had guns.
The infantry had met it--finally--but powered armor notwith-standing, they
were dying as fast as they came in.

    "It's committed," said a big major, his eyes on the screen.  "It can't
afford to stop now."  The general nodded.
    "Get behind it," he said into his mike.  "It's after the howitzers.
They're killing it."

    In the flame-lit darkness, men heard the scrambled transmission.  Men,
and one other.  The Ogre took in the surrounding terrain, considered the
location of the Command Post and the howitzers, watched the movement of its
enemies, weighed the order it had decoded.  
    "Behind..." it thought.  "They have made a mistake."  It chuckled.

            **********

    It was very close now.  Had the Command Post had windows, the men
inside could have seen the explosions. The Ogre was moving very slowly now, 
but two guns still spoke.  It no longer dodged;  it was a juggernaut,
coming straight for its target.

    Inside, the general's face was  gray.  He spoke to no one in particular.
    "Smart.  That thing is smart."  A scream still echoed in the big
room--the scream from the last  missile tank commander.  Out of Ogre's
path, safe behind a three-meter ravine, lashing out at the metal giant--and
the thing had changed course, ignoring the howitzers, walking over the gully
like it wasn't there, crushing the smaller tank.  Two GEVs had died a second
later; their speed was their best defense and the Ogre had outguessed them.
The side trip had given the howitzers a few more minutes; then they, too, had
died.

    The screen showed the Ogre grinding on--a shambling monster, barely able
to move.  "The treads...hit the treads," whispered the general.  "Stop that
thing."  The image changed, and he saw what was left of his force; three GEVs
and a handful of infantry.

    And the Ogre rolled on...


(C)opyright 1982, 1986 by
Steve Jackson Games, Inc.

[===========================================================================]
               [Stragegic Suggestions for Alliance Commanders]
[===========================================================================]

Basic Stragegy
==============

     The harsh truth is that you must *always* take whatever steps are
necessary, no matter how drastic, in order to hold your ground and to preserve
your Command Post.  If your Command Post is lost, battle statistics suggest
that the remainder of your force will also be lost, as will the Conflict Zone
itself.
     Successful defense against an Ogre means meeting two basic goals:
Disarming the Ogre and Immobilizing the Ogre.  Any plan which meets these two
goals is a good plan!  Alliance commanders have devised a wide variety of
battle plans which both disarm and immobilize Ogres.  Though battle plans or
strategies have almost limitless variety, most successful plans have certain
basic features in common.  For simplicity's sake, three basic defensive points
your plan should observe are:
     1) Delay the Ogre as soon as possible!  As it starts its invasion, an
Ogre is as fast or faster than all Alliance infantry squads, missle tanks, and
heavy tanks.  There is a very real danger of the Ogre outrunning the first
wave of defenders it meets.  If this happens, second wave forces will have to
bear the brunt of a full-strength Ogre attack.  To prevent this sort of Ogre
maneuver, most successful defense strategies call for forces to strike early
and hard at the Ogre's tread sections (giving secondary attention to knocking
out the Ogre's longer range weapons).  We must be candit: opening attacks
against the Ogre's mobility will cost you casualities.  Failure to slow the
Ogre early on, though, will cause even heavier losses later on.  As a general
rule, try to slow the Ogre's speed before it has progressed more than 1/3 to
1/2 of the way to your Command Post.  To let the Ogre proceed at full speed
beyond this point is to invite disaster.
     2) Eliminate Major Ogre Weapon Systems.  As the Ogre approaches the
midpoint of the Conflict Zone, Alliance commanders usually concentrate on
knocking out its most powerful weapons.  The rationale is that, from the
midpoint of the Conflict Zone, the Ogre's longer range weapons are almost
within range of your Command Post.  You need to prevent a long range attack,
and instead force the Ogre to travel the full length of the Zone in its
attempt to destroy your Command Post.  In this way, you force the Ogre to
expose itself to defensive fire which it cannot easily return.  Appropriate
targets would be (in descending order of importance):  Ogre Missiles, main
batteries (if any remain), and secondary batteries.  While your forces
"whittle away" at the Ogre's weapons, it is important to continue your attack
against the Ogre's treads.  Remember, the Ogre can hurt you both with its
weapons and its bulk.
     3) Bring the Ogre to a Standstill.  when an Ogre is slowed and mostly
disarmed, commanders usually make an immediate and concerted effort to shoot
away the Ogre's remaining tread sections.  Naturally, the idea is to bring the
Ogre to a halt before it has a chance to roll over your Command Post.  Oddly
enough, inexperienced commanders sometimes overlook this point; it seems they
become so preoccupied with fighting the Ogre's weapons that they forget the
machine is about to crush them.  This is a fatal mistake.  A key point to
remember is this:  An utterly disarmed but mobile Ogre can still accomplish
its combat mission (i.e., destroying your Command Post).  The same is not
(usually) true of a completely immobilized Ogre.  Let these simple truths
guide you as you set your combat priorities.

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                     [Three Approaches to Defense]
[============================================================================]

     As mentioned above, Alliance commanders have been inventive in creating
defenses which can defeat Ogres.  We hope you will carry on in this tradition
of creativity.  However, we feel your training will not be complete until you
are exposed to what feel are the three "classic" Alliance defense strategies.

The Multiple Howitzer Defense
=============================

     The basic concept behind this defense is easy to grasp.  You build your
entire defense around a sizeable number of our most powerful and longest range
weapons: namely, the howitzers.  By placing three, four, or more howitzers so
that their fields of fire and reinforce each other, you create a "Howitzer
Wall" through which the Ogre must pass if it hopes to reach your Command Post.
The theory is that the Ogre can reach your Command Post only by exposing
itself to punishing fire from several sides.  Naturally, the Ogre will try to
eliminate your howitzers as quickly as it can.  If your howitzers are
correctly placed, though, the Ogre will have to knock out more than howitzer
in order to clear a path toward your Command Post.  In the time it takes the
Ogre to do this, the outlying Howitzers and supporting mobile armor and
infantry should have a chance to harass the Ogre, and, it is hoped, bring it
to a standstill.  Three Key Points determine the success of the Multiple
Howitzer Defense:
     First, supporting mobile armor and infantry must eliminate many of the
Ogre's longer range weapons before the Ogre reaches the howitzer field.  If
this point is not observed, the Ogre will have a relatively easy job of
rupturing your howitzer wall.  If the wall collapses too quickly, your Command
Post will soon be destroyed.
     Second, proper placement of howitzers is critical.  You must be careful
to make sure that the howitzer wall surrounds your Command Post with a thick,
dense cushion of defensive fire.  If you inadvertently leave a gap or thin
spot in the wall, the Ogre will spot this flaw and take advantage of it.  You
must also design your wall so that all howitzers share an equal part of the
wall's defensive load.  If you happen to overload a single howitzer, the Ogre
will recognize the imbalance and focus its attack on the overstrained
howitzer.  When that howitzer falls, your entire defense collapses.
     Finally, your reserve support armor and infantry must be prepared to
augment (and to complete) the howitzer's attacks.  Ogres are enormously sturdy
vehicles, and it is foolish to believe that howitzers alone can stop them.  As
the Ogre and howitzers lock in battle, it is imperative for support forces to
press home the attack (especially the attack against the Ogre's tread
sections).  If support forces hang back, they are likely to be overrun by a
badly damaged but still mobile Ogre.
     Comments: The Multiple Howitzer Defense can be used against both Mk III
and Mk V Ogres, but it is much more likely to succeed against the Mk III
version.  This is true primarily because of the Mk III's relative shortage of
long range weapons (the Mk III carries only one main battery and two missiles,
while the Mk V carries two main batteries and six missiles).  Against a Mk V
Ogre, the multiple howitzer defense does not fare so well.  The larger tank is
all too likely to evade or out-gun your first wave defenders, and then is apt
to approach your howitzers will full speed and a full complement of long range
weapons (not a desirable scenario).
     Be aware that howitzers are very expensive weapons.  Thus, when you
choose to use a multiple howitzer defense, you must be ready to accept a
tradeoff in the side of your mobile armor support force.  You must also be
prepared to manage that small support force with consummate skill.

The GEV-Centered Defense
========================

     The GEV-centered defense is built around a mobile armor force composed
primarily of GEV's (some commanders go so far as to use nothing but GEVs!).
The GEV may seem an unlikely vehicle upon while to base a defense, but we must
not sell the GEV short.  While it is not heavily armed nor heavily armored,
the GEV has a tremendous advantage in sheer speed.
     A basic axiom of defensive warfare is that the defender must somehow
direct more fire toward an opponent than the opponent can return.  With this
simple axiom in mind, the importance of the GEV's speed advantage over the
Ogre becomes clear.  Swarming GEV attack groups can close on the Ogre, fire
their weapons, and then escape to relatively safety--all within the time it
takes a conventional vehicle to close and fire.  At first, not all GEVs will
escape the Ogre's pursuit.  But if GEV attacks are concentrated early enough,
the Ogre's ability to pursue will soon be cut down.  Once the Ogre's
maneuvering speed is cut back, its weapons systems become fairly easy prey for
the remaining GEVs (and other support forces).  Finally, when the Ogre is
disarmed (or all but disarmed), remaining Alliance forces the Ogre's tread
sections without facing much return fire.  If the attack sequence is
well-timed, the Ogre will be brought to a halt before it can touch the Command
Post
     Key Points: By attending to several key points you can help your chances
of making a successful GEV-based defense.
     The Defensive "Scramble:" To prepare for Zone defense, your GEVs should
be spread evenly across an intercept line placed fairly close to the mouth of
the Conflict Zone.  We stress the need for even distribution of forces on the
line.  If you leave thin spots in your defensive line, the Ogre will discover
and take advantage of them.  Instead, your aim should be to place your GEVs
such that most of them can intercept an encroaching Ogre soon after an
invasion begins.
     Early Attack:  When your frontline GEVs make initial interceptions, their
fire should be directed almost exclusively toward the Ogre's tread sections
(with perhaps a bit of fire aimed toward the Ogre's main batteries).  During
these early attacks, your GEVs primary goal must be to reduce the Ogre's speed
by one third (or more).  Attacks on treads will be costly in terms of lost
GEVs; however, failure to slow the Ogre early on can prove much more costly in
the long run.  Resist the temptation to make premature attacks on Ogre
weapons.  Once an Ogre's pursuit speed is cut down, it is much easier for GEVs
to eliminate weapons without facing severe return fire.
     Middle Phase of Attack:  After the Ogre's speed has been cut by 1/3, your
forces should shift the focus of their attack to the Ogre's weapons systems.
 The aim of the middle phase of attack is to eliminate almost all of the
Ogre's weapons systems (leaving it armed with nothing more than its
antipersonnel guns and perhaps one or two secondary batteries).  The idea is
to prevent the Ogre from destroying your Command Post with a "cheap shot"
taken at long range; instead, you need to force the Ogre to expose itself to a
prolonged attack from your GEVs and infantry.
     Final Phase of Attack: When the Ogre approaches your Command Post, it is
time to redirect your focus of fire once again.  Whether or not your middle
phase attack on the Ogre's weapons was successful, you must now throw all the
firepower you can muster against the Ogre's tread sections.  Recognize that a
disarmed but mobile Ogre is still a formidable weapon.  If, at this stage in a
battle, you have lost a great number of GEVs, infantry forces become critical.
Infantry must present solid resistance to the approaching Ogre, and must press
home the attack against its treads.  Infantry casualties will likely be very
high.  A spirit of sacrifice is essential.  In fact, if your situation becomes
desperate, you may need to sacrifice GEVs or other vehicles by ramming the
Ogre (to destroy its few final treads).  If you must use (fatal) sacrificial
maneuvers, make sure they prevent the Ogre from crushing your Command Post.
Otherwise, we suggest your preserve your armor units in the hope of destroying
the Ogre before it can escape.
     Comments: the GEV-centered defense is built on three distinct phases:
First, slowing the Ogre somewhat; second, disarming the Ogre almost
completely; and third, bringing the Ogre to a complete standstill.  It is very
important to execute each phase in a crisp, disciplined way.  When
GEV-centered defenses fail, it is often because the defensive commander fails
to pay attention to the basics.  For example, the commander fails to slow the
Ogre early on, and hence loses too many GEVs to follow through with later
phases of his attack.  Or the commander continues the middle phases of his
attack too long, only to see a disarmed but quite mobile Ogre flatten his
Command Post.  If you use the GEV-centered defense, do you best to complete
each phase of your attack in the proper sequence.
     Commanders should be wary of the Ogre's attack algorithms.  We have
reason to believe the Ogre can recognize a GEV-centered defense, and that is
it programmed to do all it can to disrupt early phases of the GEVs attack.
For example, and Ogre may respond to early GEV attacks by moving laterally or
rearward to pursue escaping GEVs.  If the Ogre employs these tactics, it is
important for you to regroup your forces and calmly proceed with your battle
plan.  If you let yourself be thrown by unpredictable moves on the Ogre's
part, you are apt to lose sight of your combat goals.  Steady nerves and sound
tactics can help prevent from happening.
     On a tactical level, we suggest you pay close attention to the escape
paths your GEVs take after they first fire on the Ogre.  All too often,
commanders take the unsophisticated approach simply of ordering their GEVs to
get as far from the Ogre as possible.  The problem with this approach is that
is also tends to leave small groups of GEVs isolated far from each other.
This approach can even leave GEVs trapped behind the Ogre.  Beware such
"divide and conquer" ploys on the part of the Ogre.  When your GEVs escape,
they need to think not only of temporary safety, but also of second and third
attacks to come!
     The GEV-centered defense can be very successful against both the Mk III
and Mk V Ogres.  Be aware, though, that the defense requires discipline,
insight, and a keen sense for split-second timing.

[===========================================================================]
[End Part One]
(>View: OGRE 2
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[                                                                            ]
[                         Ogre Strategy and Notes                            ]
[                               Part Two                                     ]
[                                                                            ]
[============================================================================]
                     [Ogre Strategy and Notes Continued]
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The Mixed Defense
=================

     The Mixed Defense does not rely on any one class of armor or artillery;
instead, it is built around a varied armor force.  Like the GEV-centered
defense, the Mixed defense calls for initial intercept forces to slow the
invading Ogre.  Once the Ogre is slowed, though, the Mixed defense adopts
aunique attack style of its own.  The Mixed defense's flexibility allows it to
throw a variety of weapons at the Ogre simultaneously.
     Typically, defensive actions start with a group of GEVs attempting to
shoot away about one thired of the Ogre's tread sections (the "slow the Ogre"
phase of the attack).  The first wave(s) of FEVs are backed up by a mixed
force of heavy tanks (placed closer to the Combine lines) and missile tanks
(placed closer to the CP).  This mixed force is very flexible and can attack
both the Ogre's weapons systems and its tread sections.  Finally, the "front"
mixed force is backed by an additional "rear" mixed force, typically formed of
missile tanks, missile howitzers, and infantry (some commanders choose
additional armor vehicles in lieu of howitzers).  The "rear" mixed force
surrounds the Command Post with a protective ring of fire, and does its best
to stop and/or disarm the (presumably) badly damaged Ogre as it lumbers toward
the Command Post.  
     The precise strategy of the "rear" mixed force is to some extent
determined by the condition of the Ogre as it draws close to the Command Post.
If the Ogre has few tread sections remaining, the "rear" force can attack the
Ogre's weapons first, and then attack tread sections at the penultimate
moment.  Most typically, the Ogre arrives with few weapons remaining, but with
a (fairly) healthy complement of tread sections intact.  In this case, the
"rear" force throws almost all its firepower at Ogre tread sections,
addressing Ogre weapons later on.
     The Mixed Defense relies on the same principle which makes the GEV
defense work; namely, striking the Ogre with a greater level of fire than the
Ogre can return.  The GEV defense accomplishes this goal by using fragile but
fast vehicles which can fire on the Ogre and then escape beyond its range. The
Mixed defense accomplishes this goal by using all available units which may
vary in defensive firepower and firing range.  Just as the GEV defense forces
the Ogre to decide which group of GEVs to pursue, the Mixed defense forces the
Ogre to decide which types of vehicles to pursue.  The main idea is to force
the Ogre to make so-called "no-win" decisions, and to hit the Ogre with
crippling fire in the process.
     Key Points:  Many of the comments made about the Howitzer-and
GEV-centered defenses apply for the Mixed Defense.  We menion a few specific
items the Mixed defense commander must watch.
     Early Attack:  It is very important to slow the Ogre before it crosses
too deeply into the Conflict Zone.  The Mixed defense is in some ways more
sensitive to this problem than the GEV defense.  If the Ogre runs into your
"front" mixed force at full speed, there is a real possibility that it will
sweep past your heavy tanks and then win the "footrace" to your Command Post.
Placement of the "front" mixed force is critical.  If the force is placed too
far forward (toward Combine lines), your first wave of interceptors will not
have enough time to slow the Ogre.  If your "front" mixed force is placed too
far to the rear (toward your Command Post), you will miss valuable
opportunities to make the Ogre pay for every one of its forward movements.
Experienced commanders try to arrange the firrst, second, and third wave
forces so that the Ogre is under continuous attack (i.e., there are absolutely
no moments of respite for the Ogre).
     Middle Attack: it is important to keep your "front" and "rear" mixed
forces truly mixed.  While we do not fully understand the Ogre's attack
algorithms, we believe the Ogre usually had a harder time dealing with varied
types of vehicles as opposed to clusters of identical vehicles (GEVs
excepted).  The Mixed defense derives much of its flexibility from striking
the Ogre simultaneously with short and long range weapons.  Don't lose this
advantage when you don't have to.  Be wary of Ogres which seem to break off
their attack and instead maneuver diagonally across the Conflict Zone.
Experience has shown that this is often an Ogre ploy calculated to draw out
your forces. separating them into groups of fast, faster, and fastest
vehicles.  Once the Ogre separates your force into distinct classes of
vehicles, it has a much easier time methodically eliminating one class of
vehicle at a time.
     Final Attack: As mentioned under other defense sections, above, you must
have a keen sense of timing to know when to begin your all out drive to
immobilize the Ogre.  Infantry are again required to play a critical, and
sadly, self-sacrificial role in shooting away Ogre tread sections.  As the
Ogre closes on your Command Post, you must make sure that your infantry squads
are in correct position to intercept the Ogre.  We remind you once again that
a disarmed but mobile ogre is a deadly weapon!
     Comments: The Mixed defense is effective against both Mk III and Mk V
Ogres. Of the "classic" defense schemes mentioned here, the Mixed defense is
probably the easiest for an inexperienced commander to master.  This is true
mostly because the Mixed defense offers extra flexibility in selecting targets
(at the mid-point of an invasion, both Ogre weapons and tread sections are
suitable targets), and because the mixed armored force tends to help the
commander recover from (small) tactical mistakes.

[============================================================================]
               [Strategic Suggestions for Ogre AI Programmers]
[============================================================================]

Basic Strategy
==============

     This manual addresses the particular type of cybertank mission where a
single "Ogre-class" cybertank invades an Alliance-occupied Conflict Zone on
its own.  In such a mission the cybertank's prime directive is to eliminate
the Conflict Zone Command Post.  As a secondary priority, the cybertank should
strive to eliminate all (or almost all) Alliance ground forces.  As a final
priority, the cybertank should return to a friendly service center after
clearing the Zone.
     Given these priorities, the cybertank's basic strategy revolves around a
deceptively simple question:

     "How should the cybertank destroy the Alliance Command Post?"

     The cybertank's attack algorithms must continuously review and reassess
this question as the attack proceeds.  Ultimately, the cybertank's options
will be to take the Command Post either by firing weapons or by ramming the
Post directly.  But this is a complex decision, a decision the cybertank can
make only in the later stages of its attack.
     Experience has shown us a potential problem.  Cybertanks can sometimes be
diverted from their primary goal (destruction of the Command Post) if they are
offered enough enticing opportunities to pursue secondary goals (e.g.
destruction of Alliance ground forces).  While reaching secondary goals is
important, pursuit of secondary goals must never prevent the cybertank from
fulfilling its prime objective.  As you prepare cybertanks for combat
missions, we suggest you install strong "initiative refocusing" blocks which
prompt the system to look again and again at the unit's primary objective.
This should help keep the cybertank focused on the task at hand.

Assessing Alliance Defenses
===========================

     Alliance defense strategies are as numerous and varied as are our own
attack plans, However, experience has shown that Alliance defense strategies
usually fall into three fairly distinct categories.  We describe these
categories below.  We believe these descriptions will be useful for you as you
refine the cybertank's pattern-recognition and strategy-planning algorithms.

Howitzer-Centered Defense
=========================

     Basic Characteristics:  Howitzer-centered defenses arrange three or more
Howitzers as a protective screen shielding an Alliance Command Post, and are
arranged so that their circles of fire overlap.  This overlap creates a broad,
deep area which the cybertank can penetrate only by exposing itself to
concentrated fire.  The theory is that the cybertank will lose all of its
weapons and most of its mobility (or vice versa) as it struggles to break
through the howitzer line.  Although the cybertank will eventually knock out
the howitzers, it will be so badly damaged in the process that it will become
easy prey for Alliance ground forces.
     Response Strategy:  The cybertank should determine early on if
howitzer-centered defense is being used.  If so, the cybertank has several
options.  One of the best is to enter the Zone only part way, then to spend
time moving laterally, thus drawing out Alliance mobile ground forces.  The
key here is to deal with mobile armor units while they are outside of the
howitzer defense circle (if possible).  Once a number of mobile units are
eliminated, the howitzers' "ring of fire" becomes much easier to penetrate.
     The cybertank must study the arrangement of the howitzers, probing for
weak spots.  In some cases, for example, the cybertank can all but bypass a
howitzer defense simply by taking a roundabout route to the Command Post.  If
there are no apparent weak spots, the cybertank should, all other things being
equal, strive to attack whichever howitzer appears to form the cornerstone for
the entire line.  The attack should be as simple and direct as possible,
minimizing the cybertank's exposure to fierce howitzer fire.

GEV-Centered Defense
====================

     Basic Characteristics:  In a GEV-centered defense, the defending
commander may well select GEVs as the only armor units he places in the field.
Even if he adds other types of units for balance, GEVs will be the dominant
element of his defense.  The case for the GEV-centered defense is nearly an
inverse of the argument for the howitzer-centered defense.  The howitzer
defense relies on tightly concentrated fire coming from a small number of
stationary units; the GEV defense relies on broadly distributed fire coming
from a large number of extremely mobile units.
     At the start of a typical defensive "scramble," GEVs make individual "hit
and run" attacks on cybertank treads (with perhaps a few joint attacks on main
batteries).  In theory, this approach enables GEVs to overwhelm the cybertank
with their superior speed, movement range, and numbers.  The intent is to
trade off a few GEVs early on for a dramatic and swift cutback in the
cybertank's mobility.  If the cybertank can be slowed.  GEVs and infantry have
much more time to stop the cybertank (and attacks will be safer since the
damaged cybertank can't give pursuit).  The GEV defense is based on the
assumption that GEVs can attack cybertanks and then escape to positions of
safety.  As we shall see, this assumption is not always sound...
     Response Strategy:  The cybertank has the advantage of knowing where GEVs
are stationed before deciding where to enter the Conflict Zone.  If possible,
use this advantage to enter the Zone at a point where GEV coverage is thin.
Once under attack, the cybertank must maneuver to cut off and eliminate small
groups of fleeing GEVs.  This may entail lateral (or even reverse) movement
for the cybertank.  This is one situation where it is unwise for the cybertank
to press straight toward the enemy's Command Post.  Instead, a zig-zag pattern
enables the cybertank to trap fleeing GEVs before they can turn around to make
repeat attacks.

Standard Defense
================

     Basic Characteristics:  The standard Alliance defense deploys an even
blend of different types of armor along with infantry.  Typical forces to
commit against a single Mk III cybertank might include: 20 Sqauds of Infantry,
2 Howitzers, 2 Heavy Tanks, 2 Missile Tanks, and 4 GEVs.  The standard defense
is very flexible, and enables the Alliance commander to resist the cybertank
in several ways.  The defense can be optimized to target either cybertank
treads or weapons.  The standard defense is perhaps the most difficult for the
cybertank to "read," since the defense permits Alliance Commanders to mask
their intentions until the last moment before their units close on the
cybertank.  If skillfully managed, a standard defensive force can bring
numerous types of weapons to bear on the cybertank simultaneously.
     Response Strategy:  Our cybertanks do quite well against the standard
defensive force provided only part of that force is engaged at any given
moment.  It is often useful for the cybertank to play a waiting game, using
some lateral movement to draw the Alliance's faster units forward.  The main
idea is to string out Alliance forces across the length of the Conflict
Zone.  In this way, the cybertank can tackle separate groups of armor rather
than attempting to forge its way straight through a highly concentrated group
of armor units.  As the cybertank encounters small groups of armor, it should,
where possible, take the added precaution of "sideslipping" past the edges of
the groups.  The sideslip maneuver helps keep the cybertank from being
trapped, and helps ensure that the cybertank will arrive at the enemy Command
Post with adequate mobility and firepower in reserve.

Entry to the Conflict Zone
==========================

     Alliance commanders almost always locate Command Posts at the rear edge
of the Conflict Zone, near the Center.  Thus, to minimize travel distance
across the Zone, and to permit greater flexibility of movement within the
Zone, the cybertank should usually enter from a central location.  There are a
few exceptions to this rule.  Some Alliance Commanders run the standard
defense by placing both their Command Post and the bulk of their defensive
forces in a rear corner of the Conflict Zone.  When facing forces deployed in
this way, the cybertank might benefit from entering the Zone at the opposite
front corner of the Zone.  In this case, an entry from the opposite corner
tends to lure Alliance forces away from their strong position near the Command
Post.

Use of Missiles
===============

     Because missiles are the most powerful and longest range weapons in the
cybertank arsenal, many AI programmers instruct cybertanks to hold at least a
few missiles in reserve to handle contingencies arising late in the attack.
On an intuitive level this strategy makes sense, but recent combat analysis
by Combine intelligence indicates that the strategy simply does not work.  In
far too many cases, missiles are destroyed without ever leaving their
launching tubes.  Thus, the latest Combine doctrine holds that missiles should
be held back only so long as the cybertank's "conventional" guns are able to
handle nearby Alliance armor units.  In all other cases, the missiles should
be treated like any other weapon in the cybertank arsenal, and should be used
as needed.  This does not mean that missiles should be used haphazardly (e.g.,
to attack a single squad of infantry).  It does mean that missiles can and
should be used on a wide range of appropriate targets (e.g., to destroy
Command Posts, or to eliminate Howitzers or armor units blocking the
cybertanks path).  Over a century ago, the first builders of nuclear weapons
said it best: "Use 'em or lose 'em."

Use of Terrain
==============

     Since both Mk III and Mk V cybertanks are free to move over all but the
most difficult land surfaces, most AI programmers give little attention to
terrain (apart from avoiding such obvious hazards as full-size bomb craters
and swamps).  To be blunt, this is a mistake.  While terrain does little to
affect the cybertank, it does affect the cybertank's enemies (in particular,
very few vehicles can cross huge piles of battlefield rubble the way a
cybertank can).  In many cases, the cybertank can use rubble or bomb craters
to block pursuit from Alliance armor units.
     Some AI programmers send cybertanks along the very edges of impassable
areas.  The theory is that, in following this path, the cybertank can be
attacked from one side only.  This approach carries some merit.  However,
recent Combine combat analysis shows that the "edge" movement is not a good
solution.  The cybertank must trade freedom of movement for (relative) safety.
The tradeoff is not a good one.  We suggest you program cybertanks to search
for travel paths which lie somewhere between the center and the perimeter of
the Conflict Zone.

[============================================================================]

[End of Part 2]
(>View: OGRE 3
[===========================================================================]
[                                                                           ]
[                        Ogre Strategy and Notes                            ]
[                              Part Three                                   ]
[                                                                           ]
[===========================================================================]
                      [Ogre Artificial Intelligence]
[===========================================================================]

     The first step in designing the Ogre's Artifical Intelligence (OAI), was
to determine just what an Ogre should do.  This required much research into
how "experts" played the game, in addition to many hours of game play to test
various OAI concepts.  The single most difficult aspect of designing the OAI
was the fact that Ogre is a game based on probabilities.  Every time the Ogre
fires at a defender there is a chance of hitting, disabling, or missing.
Assessing all of these chances for every possible combination of targets the
Ogre may have, for every possible move the Ogre can make, evolved into a
monumental task.
     The Ogre's ultimate goal is to destroy the Command Post (CP) and get
away.  Its highest priority is to destroy the CP.  Its secondary priority is
to get away.  On its way to the CP, the Ogre will be trying to destroy as many
defenders, while sustaining as little damage to itself, as it can.  This means
the Ogre must not blindly dog a path straight to the CP, or the defense would
merely set up a gauntlet that would destroy the Ogre before it could reach the
CP.
     The Ogre employs two intelligence techniques: strategic and tactical.
Ogre Strategy involves long-range targetting of howitzers and the CP and
avoiding terrain traps created with the editor.  Ogre Tactics involve
short-range maneuvers while enroute to its next long-range target.
     At any given time, there is a limited number of hexes the Ogre can't
legally move to.  Some of these hexes are more advantageous to the Ogre than
others.  The Ogre's tactical intelligence determines which hex has the highest
value.

The factors involved in determining the value of a hex are:
    
     1) The distance of the hex from the current long range target (i.e.
        Howitzer or CP.)
     2) The value of the defenders the Ogre can attack from that hex.
     3) The amount of damage the Ogre may suffer in that hex.

The steps in determining the Ogre's best move look something like this:
     
     1) Find a legal path to a target hex.
     2) Determine the value of the defenders the Ogre can attack from the
        target hex (henceforth referred to as "AttackVal").
     3) Determine the amount of damage the Ogre may suffer in the target
        hex (henceforth referred to as "DamageVal").
     4) Determine the value of the target hex using its distance from the
        current long-range target, and the hex's AttackVal and DamageVal.

     These steps are performed for every hex the Ogre can reach from any given
position.  The Ogre then moves to the hex with the highest value. 
     Each defender is assigned a relative value by which the Ogre assesses
their worth.  For each hex the Ogre can reach, every defender that can be
fired upon from the target is assigned a percent chance of being hit (%HIT).
As the Ogre rams, overruns, or hits the various targets, those targets %HIT
will be increasing (usually).  As soon as the Ogre has completed its simulated
attack from the target hex, each piece will have its relative value modified
by the Ogre's percent chance to hit it.  The summation of the piece's modified
relative values will be the target hex's AttackVal.
     The same %HIT will be used to modify each piece's ability to damage the
Ogre from any given target hex and the summation of these values will be the
target hex's DamageVal.
     The remainder of this section explains the techniques that are used in
determining stragegic targetting and in performing the four steps outlined
above for computing the next best hex.

Strategic Long-Range Intelligence
=================================

     Due to the long-range striking power of howitzers, it is necessary for
the Ogre to be able to plan an overall strategy concerning howitzers.  If it
weren't for the howitzers, the Ogre could play a good game without looking
more than 1 move ahead (except for being drawn towards the CP).  Sometimes it
is best to make the CP the only long-range target and disregard any howitzers.
Other times it is necessary to target certain howitzers, or a sequence of
howitzers, before heading for the CP.
     There are two main considerations when planning Ogre strategy strictly
around the howitzers and the CP.  1) getting to the CP in the least number of
turns, and 2) suffering the fewest number of howitzer hits in the process.
     The strategies the Ogre will consider will vary in value based on the
defenders howitzer setup.  One approach will be to target the CP alone.
Another will be to target each howitzer, prior to the CP, in varying orders.
The prime strategy will be the one that gets the Ogre to the CP in the fewest
number of turns with the least number of hits.
     The final long-range goal the Ogre will consider is leaving the map.
This is a goal the Ogre will never consider unless the CP has been destroyed.
Once the CP has been destroyed, the Ogre will try to leave the map as quickly
as it can.

Tactical Short-Range Intelligence
=================================

     A finite number of PATHS are available to the Ogre and a complete list of
these paths was compiled.  The list consisted of 58 paths for any one of the
six facings from a source hex.

Selecting a Path
================

     +-----------------------------+      In the path representation, the
     |                             |   letter "S" denotes the Source hex (or
     |                             |   starting hex), and the letter "T" 
     |      Diagram #1 Here        |   denotes the Target hex (or destination
     |                             |   hex).  The arrows show direction of
     |    (See Ogre Strategy       |   movement.  The numbers label each move.
     |       Diagram Pic)          |   The shaded circles represnent craters.
     |                             |   The example below illustrates using two
     |                             |   movements to go a distance of two
     +-----------------------------+   hexes.

     The Ogre will start looking at paths that have a distance of 1 and work
up to paths that have a distance equal to its current movement value.

     +-----------------------------+       Certain paths are designated as RAM
     |                             |   paths (Rpath).  An Rpath is a path that
     |                             |   does not use the direct route to the
     |                             |   target hex.  The purpose of an Rpath is
     |      Diagram #2 Here.       |   to attempt to ram a defender (or to
     |                             |   overrun infantry) while enroute to the
     |     (See Ogre Strategy      |   target hex.  Illustrated is an Rpath 
     |        Diagram Pic)         |   that is almost identical to the above
     |                             |   path.  Both paths have the same source
     |                             |   and target hexes.  The difference is
     |                             |   that upon arriving at the target hex
     |                             |   the Ogre expends a third move to  
     |                             |   potentially ram a defender a second
     +-----------------------------+   time.

     If no ram, or overrun, has occurred upon reaching the end of an Rpath,
then no attempt is made to evaluate the target hex for its AttackVal and
DamageVal, since the target hex will already have been evaluated by a
previous, more direct path.
     Actual game play allows a 50% chance of destroying a mobile armor unit
with a single ram.  For simulation purposes, however, if an active mobile
armor unit is rammed, it will be marked as disabled and assigned a 75 %HIT.
If a disabled, or immobile, unit is rammed it will be assigned a 100 %HIT.  If
an INF 1 is overrun it will be assigned a 100 %HIT.  If an INF 2 or INF 3 is
overrun it will be reduced to an INF 1 or INF 2, respectively, and AttackVal
will be increased by the value of an INF 1.
     Ramming an armor unit costs the Ogre 1 tread unit.  It was therefore
necessary to assign a value to the Ogre's treads so that the DamageVal could
be increased whenever the Ogre decides to ram.  Decreasing this tread damage
constant causes the Ogre to ram more frequently.
     If, after all legal paths have been simulated and the Ogre is actually
moving along the selected path, a single ram destroys an active, mobile armor
unit anywhere before the end of that path, then the Ogre will re-evaluate a
new path using the remainder of its movement value.  This is necessary due to
the fact that, in actuality, the Ogre has a 50% chance of destroying a mobile,
active armor unit with one ram only, whereas the simulation logic always
counts a single ram as a disable with a 75 %HIT.
     The Ogre must have at least 3 treads to ram a heavy tank and 2 treads to
ram all other armor units, except the CP (so it won't immobilize itself).

Evaluating a Hex's Attack Value
===============================

     The "attack value" of a position to the Ogre is represented by AttackVal.
Each defender will have a relative value assigned to it, referred to as
AttackVal (defender).  These relative values look something like this:

       1) CP               :255            5) Heavy Tank          :100
       2) Howitzer         :200            6) Infantry 3          :60
       3) GEV              :100            7) Infantry 2          :40
       4) Missile Tank     :100            8) Infantry 1          :20

     AttackVal will be based upon the cumulative AttackVal(defender) for each
defender the Ogre can bring weapons against.  The Ogre will deploy its weapons
against all possible defenders and assess the potential value of those
defenders.  The weapons are deployed in this order:

     1) Antipersonnel (AP)
     2) Secondary Batteries (SB)
     3) Main Batteries (MB)
     4) Missiles (MSL)

     If there are no defenders at exactly 3 hexes away from the Ogre's
targetted hex then MB's will be processed before SB's.  This is because there
is no point in holding the MBs for a target out of reach of the SBs if there
aren't any.
     Each time the AttackVal of a hex is determined, every defender will be
initially assigned a 0% chance of being hit (%HIT) by the Ogre.  As the Ogre
simulates a hit against a target, the target's %HIT will be increased.  As
soon as the Ogre has completed its simulated attack for all weapons, each
piece will have its %HIT multiplied by its relative value.  The summation of
the piece's modified relative values will be the target hex's AttackVal.
     In Determining a target's %HIT for any given weapon, the ratio of the
Ogre weapon's attack strength to the target's defense strength is used.  The
%HIT values for both enabled and disabled targets for each of the various odds
are as follows:

                     Percent Chance To          Percent Chance To
     Odds            Hit Enabled Pieces        Hit Disabled Pieces
  -------------------------------------------------------------------

     less than 1-2          0%                          0%
     1-2                   25%                         33%
     1-1                   50%                         67%
     2-1                   67%                         83%
     3-1                   83%                        100%
     4-1                   92%                        100%
     better than 4-1      100%                        100%

Infantry 1 targets are counted as disabled pieces.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Antipersonnel
================

     Since the Ogre only gets one attempt with antipersonnel (AP) against
infantry, it must deploy its AP with optimum efficiency.  The algorithm
outlined below assumes optimum deployment consists of hitting as many pieces
as possible, it, therefore, deploys starting with the lowest odds (1-2) and
works its way up.

The Algorithm goes as follows:
     
     * Sort the infantry within 1 hex of the Ogre in descending order
       of defense points (D).
     * Go 1-2 starting at the bottom of the list and working up.
     * Go 1-1 starting at top and working down.
     * Go 2-1 starting at top and working down, skipping 1s (D=1).
     * Go 3-1 starting at top and working down, skipping 1s.
     * Go 4-1 starting at top and working down, skipping 1s.
     * Go 2-1 starting at top and working down, including 1s.
     * Go 3-1 starting at top and working down, including 1s.
     * Go 4-1 starting at top and working down, including 1s.
     * Put remaining AP on lowest infantry.

     The diagram below depicts the Ogre surrounded by 5 infantry units that
have a combined defense value (D) of 9.  The following example uses the above
algorithm to determine the AP values represented in the diagram.

     +-------------------------------+    1) Sort them in descending order:
     |                               |       D = 3 2 2 1 1
     |                               |
     |                               |    2) Deploy at 1-2 from bottom to top:
     |                               |       D = 3 2 2 1 1
     |      Diagram # 3 Here         |       ---------------------------------
     |                               |       A = 1 1 1 1 1
     |     (See Ogre Strategy        |           1
     |      Diagram Picture)         |       It defaults to 1-1 against D=1
     |                               |       since you can't get a 1-2.
     |                               |
     |                               |    3) Deploy at 1-1 from top to bottom:
     |                               |       D = 3 2 2 1 1
     |                               |       ---------------------------------
     |                               |       A = 1 1 1 1 1
     |                               |           1
     +-------------------------------+           1 1

     The last AP was deployed against the first "2" in the list, so the loop
is exited.

     The AP deployment now equals the values you see in the diagram above.

     Once the AP are deployed, they will be used in a simulated attack against
the selected targets.  The ratio of AP to DP will be used to determine the
%HIT used in modifying the AttackVal(defender) and the defender's damage
potential next turn.  If, for example, the Ogre deploys 2 AP against an
infantry 3, then the ratio will give 1-2 odds which renders a 25% chance to
hit the infantry.

2) Secondary Batteries
======================

     First, all targets within range (2 hexes) of SBs are listed.  Then the
cumulative %HIT for those targets is computed.  Deploy 1 SB against the
defender with the most valuable target with the lowest comulative %HIT.  If
there is a tie for the most valuable target, then the defender that is closer
to the Ogre's current long-range target has priority.  Using the ratio of the
attack strength of the SB and the target's defense strength, determine the
cumulative %HIT.  Use the new %HIT to re-compute the target's value.  Repeat
the SB deployment until all SBs are used or until all targets have a 100 %HIT.

3) Main Batteries
=================

     This is done the same way as the SBs.

4) Missiles
===========

     Missiles will be deployed similarly to the main and secondary batteries
but with a few modifications.  It is desirable that missiles be reserved as
long as possible for use against howitzers or the CP.  The missiles will,
however, be deployed if it appears they may be destroyed.
     Once all weapons have been deployed, the targetted pieces will have heir
relative values modified by their %HIT and the total of there values will be
assigned to AttackVal.

Evaluating a Hex's Damage Value
===============================

     All of the defenders that can strike against the Ogre for a particular
move contribute to a hex's DamageVal.
     It was necessary to establish a meaningful relationship between AttackVal
and DamageVal.  The first step in doing this was to determine what the Ogre
would consider an even trade of damage inflicted for damage received.  A
constant was arrived at that is multiplied by the total attack points of the
defenders that can reach the Ogre in the target hex.
     The formula to determine DamageVal for a particular hex looks something
like this:

        DamageVal=(Defender Attack Points) x Damage Constant

     Modifying the Damage Constant makes the Ogre play more aggressively or
more cautiously.
     All defenders are checked to see if they can strike the Ogre on their
turn (taking into account the defender's attack range, movement value and
terrain).  The attack strength of each defender is modified by their %HIT
computed by the attack evaluation logic.

[===========================================================================]
               [Evaluating the Draw of a Long-Range Target] 
[===========================================================================]

     TargetVal is the variable that causes the Ogre to move towards the curent
long-range target (i.e. a howitzer or the CP).  There are three situations
when considering the Ogre's movement relative to its current target:

     1) decreasing its distance (a positive effect)
     2) not changing its distance (a negative effect)
     3) increasing its distance (a strong negative effect)

     When moving towards its current target, the best the Ogre can do is
decrease the distance by the amount of its movement value.  Anything less than
this is suboptimal when considering movemen only.  If the Ogre can increase
its advantage by not moving as close to its target as it can in order to
destroy a defender(s), then it should do so.
     The technique for determining TargetVal is to divide a constant by the
Ogre's maximum movement value and multiply the result by the number of hexes
that the Ogre moves towards its current target (a positive value) or away from
its current target (a negative value).

     Several factors may modify the attraction of a target.  Some of the
factors are:

* Often it is desirable to move away from the current target in order to
destroy a relatively defenseless defender(s).  Thus, a path that shows a high
attack value with little or no damage value is weighed positively, whether it
is far away fom the current long-range target or not.

* If the Ogre is in a howitzer umbrella, then the Ogre will have a greater
tendency to move towards its current long-range target, thus keeping the
howitzer from getting too many shots at it.

* If the current long-range target shows at least 50% chance of being
destroyed (which is also a sure disable), then the Ogre will be pulled to the
next ong-range target.  This will keep the Ogre from getting closer to the
current target than it has to in order to destroy it.

* In order to keep the Ogre from "wimping out" (i.e., running scared), a path
that moves away from the current long-range target that shows zero
AttackValue, is weighted negatively.

     Once all of the factors for a hex have been evaluated, they can be
combined to arrive at the overall value for that hex.

     The formula for determining the value of a hex is:

           HexVal = AttackVal - DamageVal + TargetVal

     The Ogre performs these computations for every legal move it can make
from its current location, then selects the hex that has the greatest value.

[===========================================================================]

[End of Ogre Strategy Notes]
Courtesy of L.S.D.  Remember-you always have a friend in Texas!
Strategy Notes typed by Sector Seventeen.

(>