[-] Nam Docs [-] <1. 0> Introduction It has been called a political war, and it was, at some levels. But there were no politics where the bullets whined. Here, the face of battle reveled its countenance with the same confusion as it had in the Ardennes, the same strength as at Shiloh, the same madness as Tarawa. In the bottom echelons, down where the bullets were, it was a real war. NAM centers on those battlefields where the bullets really existed. Each square represents an area of approximately 50 meters. Those 50 meters are the non- political realm of real war. Friendly forces meet enemy forces in battle-the real bottom line is to survive. <2. 5> Apple Cursor Control In the Apple version, the cursor may be activated with either a joystick or the keyboard. When using the keyboard control, the following commands affect the cursor. I=Move the cursor up one space J=Move the cursor left one space K=Move the cursor right one space M=Move the cursor down one space Space Bar=Joystick trigger button <4. 0> Sequence of Play Play of the game is divided into phases. Each phase has particular events that can occur and functions that can be performed. Note:In all cases, the units controlled by the human player are refereed to as Friendly Units. The computer's forces are refereed to as the Enemy Units. The phases and their order are: [1] Observation Phase [2] Artillery Plot Phase [3] Enemy Fire Phase [4] Enemy Movement Phase [5] Friendly Fire Phase [6] Friendly Movement Phase [7] Enemy Fire Phase [8] Friendly Fire Phase [9] Artillery Fall Phase [10] Victory Phase [11] Save Game Phase <4. 2> Phase Execution These phases will be executed in the above sequence. At the completion of all of these phases, one game turn will have passed and the next turn begins at the Observation Phase. Details of these phases are outlined below. <5. 0> Observation Phase You will see a square cursor that is activated by the joystick in port 1. Moving this cursor to a screen edge triggers the map scroll until a map edge is reached. When the cursor passes over a friendly unit, that unit is identified along with some of its characteristics. These characteristics appear as a number following a letter. The letter tells you which characteristic it is and the number tells you the value of that characteristic. 'F' indicates Firepower, 'R' indicates Range, 'A' indicates its Assault Factor, 'M' indicates its Movement Points available, and 'S' indicates its relative Strength. Additionally, an 'A' at the end of this indicates that the unit is and armored target. If there is an "*" at the end of the line, it indicates that the unit has anti-armor weapons capability. An "A*" indicates the unit has both. <5. 1> Digging In You may dig in units or make previously dug-in units combat ready in this phase . To do this, place the cursor over the unit and press the trigger. You will be informed of the unit's status in the message area below the map. Units may be dug in and made combat ready only in this phase. Dug-in units may not be moved. Dug-in units gain an advantage in defense and recover from damage more readily. Diggin in a unit gives it, in effect, a "hold at all costs" order. If it is assaulted by an enemy unit, it can not be pushed back by that enemy unit, though it may sustain losses in the assault. Only regular infantry and support weapons will be able to dig in. Dug-in units flash on and off during the Observation Phase. <6. 0> Artillery Plot Phase In this phase, the cursor turns black and has a crosshair in the center. Here, you may plot the initial impact area of off-map artillery barrages and air strikes. The artillery/air strike occurs in the Artillery Fall Phase of the current turn. To plot the artillery/airstrike, move the cursor to the area where you want it to fall and push the fire button. You may do this any number of times; however, only the last plot made will be recorded. Note:There is a 25% chance that you will not get artillery in any given turn due to scrambled orders, communications breakdown, or priorities. if this occurs, this phase will be skipped for that turn. <7. 0> Enemy Fire Phase In this phase, enemy units fire at your units that are in range. As your units are shot at, you will be informed of hits and misses in the message area along with a sound cue (hits are high beeps and misses low ones). Units hit may suffer a strength point loss and may become Pinned, rendering them unable to move for the remainder of the turn. You will be informed of this condition should you attempt to move a Pinned unit. <8. 0> Enemy Movement Phase In this phase, the enemy units move. Generally, they will attempt to close on your units and occasionally conduct assaults. <9. 0> Fire Phase In this phase, a crosshair appears in the center of the cursor. You may now fire units. To do this, place the cursor over the unit you want to fire and press the button. Then move the cursor to the area into which you want that unit to fire and press the button again. The unit will fire. If there is an enemy unit there (hidden units will show up at this time), it will undergo damage if it is hit. The message area will inform you whether or not the shot hit or missed. Units in cover are harder to hit. The heavier the cover, the less likelihood of a hit. Also, units that moved in the turn have a smaller chance of hitting a target. <9. 1> Who Can Fire Units will not fire if: 1)They have already fired in the current fire phase. 2)The target area is out of their range, or 3)The target cannot be seen by the firing unit (no line of sight). The message area will inform you of these conditions if they occur. <10. 0> Movement Phase In this phase you may move any of your units that are able to move. Units are moved, one square at a time, until their movement points are all gone. <10. 1> To move a unit, place the cursor over the unit and press and release the fire button. The cursor will turn green. The unit will be "picked up" and may be moved with joystick. <10. 2> Movement Costs Different squares have different "costs", in movement points, corresponding to their density. each square's 'costs' will be deduced from the moving unit's Movement Points. These "costs" are:Road 1, Clear 2, Bridges 3, Trees/Crater/Cave/ Water 4, Woods 6, and Buildings 8. Helicopters do not pay this cost. They pay 1 movement point for every square entered, regardless of its type. <10. 3> Vehicle Restrictions Vehicles (trucks, tanks, APCs) cannot enter heavy woods, river banks or water. <10. 4> Mines If a unit enters an area that is mined, the mines will detonate. Units detonating a mine will take a hit. Infantry may sometimes enter a minefield without detonating the mines. <10. 5> Transport Certain units (infantry and support weapons) can be transported by trucks, APC's , and helicopters. If a unit can be transported, then it may be loaded onto a truck, helicopter, or APC unit type. To do this, move the unit adjacent to and then on top on top of the transporting unit. The unit will disappear and the trans- porting unit will show in a blue line at the top and bottom. The blue line indicates it is carrying something. To unload a unit, place the cursor over the unit and press and hold the fire button. Moving the joystick in any direction while the button is held unloads the unit. It may then be moved separately. A unit may also be unloaded by pressing '2' key while the transporting unit is "picked up" by the cursor. <10. 6> Transport Restictions Units may not be loaded and unloaded in the same turn. Units may not load or unload if they are Pinned. Units will not load if they do not have enough movement points to do so (2 points needed). Helicopters may not load or unload units in heavy woods. <10. 7> Initiating an Assault If a friendly unit tries to move onto an enemy unit, then the assault occurs. <10. 8> Assaults When a unit attempts to enter a square occupied by an enemy unit, an assault occurs. First, the enemy unit will fire. after this shot is resolved, you may then move your unit into the enemy occupied square as long as it wasn't Pinned by enemy fire. A series of explosions will occur and the assault will be resolved. There are four results: 1) Your unit wins and the enemy falls back; 2) Your unit loses and it falls back; 3) Your unit is eliminated 4) The enemy unit is eliminated. If a unit loses an assault and has no place where it can fall back, it will be eliminated. units will not retreat onto other units, into water or river edges , or into the borders. A dug-in unit which loses and assault will not retreat. After and assault, you may continue moving (an assaulting) that unit as long as it has movement points to do so. <10. 9> Red Cursor When the cursor turns red, it indicates that the highlighted unit no longer has enough movement points to conduct and assault. <10. 10> Hidden Enemy Units If a unit enters a square next to a hidden enemy unit, that enemy unit will show up on the map. <10. 11> Enemy Defense Fire If a friendly units tries to move away from a square that is next to and enemy unit, that enemy unit will fire at the friendly unit. <10. 12> Moving Fire While you are moving your units, the enemy forces in range and with line of sight to that moving unit may fire at it. <10. 13> Pin Units that become Pinned due to enemy fire may not move at all in the movement phase. this condition lasts until the end of the current turn. <11. 0> Enemy Fire Phase 2 Another round of enemy fire occurs after your movement. <12. 0> Fire Phase 2 After the enemy units fire a second time, your units may be fired again. Both enemy and friendly units which fire after they have moved will have a reduced accuracy. <13. 0> Artillery Fall If artillery was plotted in the Artillery Plot Phase, it may now fall. Up to six rounds will be fired. The Artillery will not fall on water or in the cave complex. Take care not to plot artillery in an area where you intend to move your units firing the turn. Artillery fire is very deadly and will hurt your units as well as the enemy units. <14. 0> Victory Level At the end of the turn, you will receive victory points for the enemy units eliminated. The enemy units will also receive points for friendly units eliminated. You will see 'F=###' and 'E=###' for friendly and enemy points. The scores reflect your performance to date. You will receive one point for every unit eliminated. The Enemy units will receive 10 points for every helicopter they eliminate, 8 points for every tank they eliminate, and 5 points for all others. Below the point total appears a victory level. The levels are: Questionable, Minor, Major, and Decisive. -A Questionable victory is questionable whether a victory was achieved. -A Minor victory level can be interpreted as a barely acceptable victory level. -A Major victory level is an acceptable victory level. You have accomplished the objectives. -A Decisive victory level is the highest level and the indicates complete defeat of the enemy forces. Other than the points for eliminated units, there are some special cases related to victory levels in some of the scenarios. These are explained in the scenario section. <15. 0> Save Game You may save the game in progress by hitting '2'. Doing this takes you to the save game routine. In this routine, you may hit '2' to actually save the game or hit '3' to abort the save. The game should only be saved on a formatted blank disk. <16. 1> Hidden Units Enemy units start the game hidden. When they move, fire, or are fired on, they will appear. units that appear may become hidden again during play if they are not firing. They will disappear from the map and become hidden again. <16. 2> Strength Recovery Units that have a lot strength points may recover them during a scenario. Recovery occurs at the end of each turn. Certain situations aid or deter a unit's recovery. Units that were recently attacked have a smaller chance of recovery. These situations are cumulative so that a unit which doesn't move, was not fired on recently, and is dug in has the greatest chance of recovering lost strength points. There are minimal recovery chances for a unit which was not dug in and was attacked and moved during the same turn. <17. 0> Scenarios The following scenario descriptions apply to the historical setup option. The non-historical options add variety with some unexpected situations. Game lengths may very. The game lengths given are the maximum times allotted to you. Should you eliminate all the enemy units before this limit is reached, the game will end. <17. 1> Suoi Cat: A Bend in the Road (December 2, 1966) In any area where there is intense cover, ambushes were always a primary concern . One such ambush occurred about 50 miles east of Siagon near the small village of Suoi Cat. The area was to be secured by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as part of Operation Atlanta. They had recently arrived in Vietnam an had not had any major engagements up to this point. Ambushes were to be expected. Early on the morning of the 2nd, a resupply convoy had made the 25-mile trek through the area of Suoi Cat without incident. The return trip started out quiet . Too quiet. When the commander in the lead truck accidentally bumped the turret switch, causing the turret to move suddenly, all hell broke loose. Reaction was swift. Troop B was immediately dispatched toward the area from the north. Troops A and C, plus the D tank company were also dispatched from the Base Camp to the east. Tactical airstrikes and artillery were soon called the area. The reaction of the 11th to this ambush was swift and effective. It set the stage for a standard ambush response. (Troops on Maps) GAME LENGTH=10 TURNS Special Rules: You will receive bonus points if you can get one or both of the two trucks to the road where it exits at the top of the map. If you can get the trucks to this area, they will be removed from play and points will be awarded accordingly. <17. 2> Ap Bau Bang: Waves of Fury (March 19-20, 1967) As the war and US combat operations expanded, troops undertook Operation Juction City. The operation centered in a fairly large area 80 kilometers northeast of Siagon and involved combination search and destroy missions and an overall clearing operation. As the operation progressed, the desperation level of the Viet Cong launched a direct attack on a firebase just north of Ap Bau Bang. Troop A of the 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment held the firebase. As the attack progressed, Troop B to the north, and Troop C and HQ to the south were alerted. Soon after, they were called in to assist. Though it started out as a pitched battle, mobility, once again, proved to be a vital key to a successful outcome. GAME LENGTH=15 TURNS Special Rules:Your artillery unit at the center of the firebase should be protected at all costs. Though it is not important in itself, its loss would indicate a severe breakdown in defenses and a definite penetration of your perimeter. Therefore, losing this unit will automatically trigger a Questionable victory only. <17. 3> la Drang: Death from the Air The scenario represents the first major action of the Air Cavalry. The Operation is a clearing one, and, with the air cavalry, unprecedented mobility prevailed. Airmobile operations became common as the war progressed, since airmobile units have optimum mobility and firepower in the sense terrain so often encountered. Your objective is to secure the entire area. GAME LENGTH=25 TURNS Special Rules: At the game's end, if there are any remaining enemy units, you will receive a Questionable victory only. The map represents an area that is to be cleared of enemy units and then used as a firebase. <17. 4> Tuy Hoa: Into the Underground This scenario, like the previous one, also represents a clearing operation. In this case, though, a large part of the enemy force is underground, in caves. The mazelike area at the top of the map represents these caves. Your forces are primarily a mixture of South Korean and U. S. Infantry. GAME LENGTH=40 TURNS Special Rules:As in scenario 3, all enemy units, both inside and outside the caves, must be eliminated by game's end. Failure to do so will result in a Questionary victory. <17. 5> Ben Het: The Clash of Armor (March 3, 1969) During the entire war, American and North Vietnamese armor engaged in battle only once. Ben Het was a Special Forces camp located in the area where the borders of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam meet. In February, 1969, elements of the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor were sent to Ben Het in anticipation of an enemy buildup in the area. On the night of March 3rd, through the din of incoming artillery, the sound of tanks could be heard. GAME LENGTH=20 TURNS Special Rules:As in scenario 2, your artillery unit is the key to determining the state of the camp. If it is eliminated, the battle is lost. <17. 6> Hue City Under Fire (February, 1968) Hue was a key political and military target of the NVA during the Tet Offensive . The importance of Hue slipped by the American and ARVN commanders at the outset of Tet due to a major feint of some 2 NVA divisions around Khe Sanh. Because of this, and a few other foul-ups, the forces at Hue-approximately battalion strength-faced an onslaught of 8 NVA and VC battalions. The city fell. As American reinforcements trickled in, the NVA dug in. This scenario represents the final counterattack by the American/ARVN forces to retake the city. GAME LENGTH=25 TURNS Special Rules: All enemy units must be eliminated. The Palace of Peace (the building surrounded by a wall inside the city) is off limits to artillery fire. If either or both of the palace building squares are turned to rubble by artillery fire, the result will be an automatic Questionable victory. Note: These descriptions are primarily centered on the historical deployment option. Enemy activity might appear different in the non-historical option. <18. 0> Unit Types US Inf Sq = U. S. Army Infantry squad Marine Sq = U. S. Marine squad SV Inf Sq = South Vietnamese Army Infantry squad SV Para = South Vietnamese Army Paratrooper squad SV Rngr = South Vietnamese Army Ranger squad SK Mar Sq = South Korean Marine squad RD inf Sq = Regional Defense Infantry squad SF A-Team = U. S. Special Forces A-Team Police = Hue police Blk Pnth = Black Panthers, South Vietnamese Special Forces M60 MMG : American M60 medium machine gun (1-3 guns) MRTR (81) : 81mm Mortar battery (2-4 mortars) M40 RR : American M40 recoilless rifle unit (1-6 recoilless rifles) MRTR (60) : 60mm Mortar battery (1-4 mortars) M20 BAZ : American 3. 5" "super bazooka" unit (1-4 bazookas) Artillery : Mixture of 105mm and 150mm field artillery pieces (1-5 guns) Trucks : Twi-and-a-half-ton truck M113 ACAV : U. S. M113 armored cavalry assault vehicle with 50 cal. machine gun Patton : American M48 medium tank Cobra : American AH-1G attack helicopter Bulldog : American M41 medium tank (Walker Bulldog) Huey : American UH-1 transport/gunship helicopter Vulcan : American M163 anti-aircraft tank Kiowa : American OH-58A observation helicopter Some Key Points There are some features of the game that may not be readily visible. To give you the edge you may need, I have noted some of these features below. HELECOPTERS. These units, when available, are undoubtedly the best units you have . They are the most mobile units in the game. Their mobility may be transferred to other units since the helicopters can transport. Their firepower is respectable along with their range. But, more importantly, they can shoot over obstacles. They are not limited to line of sight restrictions. Put this all together and you have a unit that is unsurpassed. TANKS. Don't get you hopes up. There was a lot of anti-tank weaponry around. Armor in Vietnam was more of a complement to infantry that the separate entity it was in other wars. DIGGING IN. Digging a unit in represents an order to that unit to seek the best cover in their local area and hold it. Dug-in units have better defense, recover strength more quickly, are harder to eliminate, and don't retreat from assaults. The cost for this is they can't move. It's not a bad trade off. It's a good idea to use the Observation Phase to evaluate to overall situation and decide what action you will take in the ensuing turn. If you don't expect to be moving a unit, why not dig it in? PINS. Pins cease all activity of a unit in your movement phase. Pinned units cannot assault, mount, dismount, or move. A unit can become pinned while it is moving. A unit also and become pinned by defensive fire just prior to an assault . Because of this, pins can take some steam out of your attacks. STRENGTH. The strength of a unit, represents the overall combat state of that unit. It is a mixture of unit morale, size, and available manpower. As a unit's strength drops, so does its combat effectiveness. Its firepower will have less punch, and it will be less effective in winning assaults. Finally, when strength gets too low, the unit loses cohesiveness and is eliminated. VICTORY. Victory come in a mixture of boldness and caution. The first thing you should do is try to control the situation. By that, I mean that you should get your forces in a position to hit the enemy where you need to and can protect your units that are showing signs of weakness. Some scenarios are more easily controlled than others. In Hue, for example, you initially have relatively good control. You can take the initiative early and control the direction of the battle with a combination of maneuver and firepower. But in a scenario like Suoi Cat, you are initially at the mercy of the ambush troops is risky in he early goings. You will need the support of the relief columns to wrest the initiative from the enemy units. Initiative is an elusive concept. There seems to be no clear-cut edge where one side loses it and the other side gains it. When you have it, you are approaching the enemy positions on your terms. When you don't, you are reaction to the enemy on their terms. It is best to seek initiative in your favor. Often, this involves concentrating your firepower on the enemy units that are the most threatening. Since the strength of a unit is directed related to the effect its firepower has, "chipping away" at a number of units can, at times, have a greater effect than pounding a few units into submission. When it boils down to it is that the situation dictates where to fire. The bottom line is not to lose any units. This, of course, is not always possible. However, there are some precautions that can be taken. One is to keep an eye out for the strength of your units. When a unit's strength looks low, it is advisable to pull that unit out of action for a turn or two, dug in if you can , and let it cover some. Moving a unit to a position where it can no longer fire is most critical. A unit constantly harassed by enemy fire will not recover lost strength. This strategy leads one to appreciate a bounding type of offensive where some units are in the front line while others are slightly back, recovering. This concept works well when it can be enacted. It involves bringing fresh troops to hot spots and backing off the units that are already there for a short rest. ^^^^^^^^^^[> Nam <]^^^^^^^^^^ ^[> Quick Reference Chart <]^ Observation Phase Joystick - Moves cursor and scrolls map when cursor is at edge of screen edge. Friendly units within cursor will be identified. Joystick Button - Orders to dig in or get combat ready. '3' - Ends Observation Phase and initiates Fire Phase 1. Artillery Phase Joystick - Moves and scrolls map. Joystick Button - Plots the square under the cursor as the target square. '3' - Exits the Artillery Phase. Fire Phase 1 & 2 Joystick - Moves the cursor and scrolls map. Friendly units within cursor will be identified. Joystick Button - Initiates a unit to commence firing and indicates target for that unit. '3' - Exits Fire Phase. Movement Phase Joystick - Moves cursor and scrolls screen. Moves units that are "picked up". Friendly units within cursor will be identified. Joystick Button - Initiates the "picking up" of a unit to move it and "putting down" a moving unit. '3' - Ends Movement Phase and commences Enemy Fire Phase 1 Other Options - Infantry, MG's, mortars, and recoilless rifles may be loaded or unloaded from transports by moving the unit onto an empty transport. Unloading transported units may be accomplished by "picking up" the transport and holding the fire button. Then, moving the stick in any direction will unload the transported units. Alternatively, the '2' key may be used to unload a "picked up" transport. Assaults may be initiated by moving onto an enemy unit.