			WARCRAFT II: Tides of Darkness
			------------------------------

THIS IS AN ALPHA VERSION FOR PREVIEW ONLY

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WHAT THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS
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	1. This is a DEMO
	2. System Requirements
	3. New features in Warcraft II
	4. Game modes
	5. What you can do in this DEMO version
	6. What you can build on either side
	7. The early version of the scenario/map/unit editor
	8. You cheater you...
	9. A Final note

       
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1. This is a DEMO
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	This is a stripped-down version of Warcraft II with many of its features 
missing.  It is intended for preview use only.  A retail shareware version of 
Warcraft II will be available in September, and the full version of the game 
will be available in late October.  The shareware version will also be available 
electronically on all major online services.
	Also included with this demo is an early version of the scenario editor 
that currently features only the map editor.  The final version of the scenario 
editor will also include a unit and plot editor to build integrated scenarios.


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2. System Requirements
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for Warcraft II:
	- 486/33 or better processor
	- 8 megs of RAM
	- Super VGA monitor
	- Microsoft compatible mouse
	- CD-ROM Drive
	- Sound/Music card optional

for Scenario editor:
	all of the above
	- Microsoft Windows 3.1 or better
	- WinG (provided with Warcraft II)
	- Win32S (provided with Warcraft II)

Installation Notes:
	Warcraft II has a large amount of debugging code enabled, and 
consequently uses quite a bit of memory.  If you run out of memory on an 8-
megabyte system, try reducing the size of the smartdrive cache.  The final 
release will have a smaller memory footprint.
	The Warcraft II scenario editor requires Microsoft Windows dynamic link 
libraries which may not be present on some systems.  We have included WinG and 
Win32s setup programs with this demo.  You may have to install these in order to 
run the scenario editor.  If you require additional help to install these, call 
Microsoft or Blizzard Entertainment’s tech support line.


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3. New Features in Warcraft II
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- SVGA 640x480 resolution graphics with 3D-rendered buildings and units
- Multiplayer play with up to 6 players competing
- Greater numbers of units and buildings that now span land, sea and air
- a FULL DIGITAL AUDIO soundtrack and sound effects
- the Fog of War map masking
- Four resources types: Gold, Lumber, Ore and Oil
- More freeform building of towns
- A variety of map sizes, the largest being four times bigger than Warcraft 1

- More units and buildings:

	HUMAN UNITS
 	- Ranger
	- Ballista
	- Paladin
	- Mage
	- Dwarven Bomb Squad
	- Submarine
	- Transport
  	- Griffon Rider

	HUMAN BUILDINGS
	- Church
	- Mage Tower
	- Inventor
	- Griffon Aviary
	- Cannon Tower

	ORC UNITS
	- Berserker
	- Catapult
	- Ogre-Mage
	- Death Knight
	- Goblin Assassins
	- Giant Turtle
	- Transport
	- Skeletons
	- Dragons

	ORC BUILDINGS
	- Temple
	- Death Tower
	- Alchemist
	- Captured Dragon Queen
	- Cannon Tower

	SPECIAL UNITS
	- Daemons
	- Skeletons
	- the Paladin, Sir Lothar
	- the Orcish Necromancer, Gul'Dan


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4. Game modes
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- Single player CAMPAIGN mode
	An in-depth campaign mode for both the Orc and Human sides.  Each of the 
campaign scenarios are unique and contain a greater amount of personality than 
Warcraft 1.  They follow a storyline and contain a wider variety of mission 
objectives. In one scenario the player has to escort an ocean transport carrying 
the Archbishop to the port of Caer Darrow. While the players ocean vessels fend 
off would-be assassins, their ground and air forces are busy destroying coastal 
towns along the Archbishop’s route that pose a threat to his safety. In another 
mission it is be vital that the player send in Dwarven bomb squads to destroy 
Orcish shipyards while submarines ravage Orcish oil rigs.  Failing to do this 
may result in an unstoppable barrage of Orcish attacks from their ocean vessels.  
Campaign scenarios will challenge the player with a multitude of strategic 
puzzles and keep them captive with an enticing storyline.

- Single player VETERAN campaigns
	Veteran players will be able to try their hands at more difficult 
scenarios.  In addition to the main campaign scenarios, there will be eight 
additional veteran scenarios each for Orcs and Humans to give the serious 
Warcraft fan a challenge.

- MULTIPLAYER modes
	A variety of multiplayer modes will be available:
	- 2 player modem
	- 2 player direct connect (null modem)
	- 6 player network play including versus mode and team play
	- 6 player play through online services


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5. What you can do in this DEMO version
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(a) Summary
- Play single player scenarios of varying map sizes as Orcs or Humans. 
  (note: These scenarios are custom made for this release only.)
- Sample some of the buildings.
- Sample some of the land, sea and air units.
- Harvest all four of the resources: Gold, Lumber, Ore and Oil.
- See how the new "Fog of war" works.
- See two of the four map sizes available (smallest and largest).
- Watch the 3d intro movie.
        
(b) To build a building:
1. Click on a peasant/peon and then click on either the BASIC or ADVANCED 
structures icon.
2. Move the cursor over the building icons and the required amount of resources 
will appear in the lower right of the game screen. 
3. Select desired building and the cursor will change into a rectangle. 
4. The building may be placed in any valid terrain type in an area previously 
explored or currently visible.
5. When the cursor square has an "X" through it the current location highlighted 
is not valid to build on.  
6. Click when the cursor square is over the desired building location. A peasant 
will then head to that destination to begin construction of that building.

(c) How to harvest oil:
1. Construct an Oil tanker from the Shipyard.
2. Click on the Oil tanker and then on the SEARCH FOR OIL icon.
3. The minimap will change to a sonar like display. The center of the minimap is 
the oil tanker itself (represented by an anchor icon). The green blotches on the 
map show where oil is located in relation to the oil tanker.  The brighter the 
green the greater the concentration of oil. 
4. Seek out an oil pool and move the oil tanker so that it is on top of or 
adjacent to it.
5. Build an oil rig by clicking on the tanker, selecting the BUILD OIL RIG icon 
and then placing it in the desired location (note: In order for the oil rig to 
work it must be built over an oil supply, otherwise it will be useless).
6. Once the rig is completed, click on the tanker’s TRANSPORT OIL icon and then 
click on the oil rig.  The oil tanker will begin to transport oil back to the 
nearest shipyard. The oil rig will slowly drain the surrounding supply of oil 
dry.
                
(d) Controlling game speed:
Pressing PLUS/MINUS keys will speed up and slow down the speed of the game.

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6. What you can build on either side
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Some units and/or buildings require other buildings to exist before they can be 
constructed.  An example of this is the Knight who needs a Keep, blacksmith, 
stables and barracks.  If any of these buildings do not exist, then Knights may 
not be trained at the barracks.

HUMAN UNITS/BUILDINGS

	UNIT            BUILDINGS NEEDED
	Peasants        Townhall
	Footmen         Barracks
	Elven Archers   Barracks, Lumbermill
	Knight          Keep, Barracks, Stables, Blacksmith
	Oil Tanker      Shipyard
	Destroyer       Shipyard
	Battleship      Shipyard, Foundry, Oil refinery
	Flying Machine  Barracks, Lumbermill, Blacksmith
	Shipyard        Lumbermill
	Stables         Keep
	Oil Rig         Oil tanker


ORC UNITS/BUILDINGS

	UNIT            BUILDINGS NEEDED
	Peons           Greathall
	Grunt           Barracks
	Trolls          Barracks, Lumbermill
	Ogres           Stronghold, Barracks, Ogre-camp, Blacksmith
	Oil Tanker      Shipyard
	Destroyer       Shipyard
	Battleship      Shipyard, Foundry, Oil refinery
	Zepplin         Barracks, Lumbermill, Blacksmith
	Shipyard        Lumbermill
	Ogre-camp       Stronghold
	Oil rig         Oil tanker


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7. The early version of the scenario/map/unit editor
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        Included in this release is an early version of the scenario editor 
which will be released with the full retail version of Warcraft II.  This 
release contains only the map editor portion of the program.  The finished 
version will have many more features including a unit editor and a scenario 
editor.  These will allow the player to customize single and multiplayer 
scenarios in virtually any way they wish.  The map editor will also feature 
several additional tilesets besides the forest tileset presently shown in the 
game. At the click of a button the landscape of a forest scenario can be 
converted to snow-covered tundra, while retaining the units, buildings and 
terrain types already placed on the map.


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8. You cheater you...
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To use the following cheats while in game mode, press the Enter key.  At the 
bottom of the screen you will see a MESSAGE: prompt.  Type one of the cheats 
shown below and press return to activate it.  If you have typed correctly, you 
will be notified by the text “Cheat enabled” or “Cheat disabled”
	
	SHOWMAP	- displays the entire map
	CASH		- gain vast sums of resources
	FASTBUILD	- make those little guys work incredibly fast!
        
	ORC1		- go to Orc scenario 1
	ORC2		- 
	HUMAN1		-
	HUMAN2		- I think you get the idea.


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9. A Final note
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	This pre-release demo is by no means close to the full version, but 
hopefully it gives some insight into the plans we have in store.
        We are hard at work to make Warcraft II one of the most enjoyable games 
out there.  We are a company of Warcraft fanatics, so you can be sure Warcraft 
II will be packed with all sorts of good stuff.  
	The sleep deprivation and employee down-time we cause with Warcraft II 
will be payback for all the late hours we stayed up creating it.  

        Enjoy.

        THE GUYS AT BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT



For press kits and additional marketing information:
	Susan Wooley
	(310)793-0600 x245

For technical support:
	Blizzard Entertainment
	(714)955-1382

