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[TheVoid]

This is what I got from underdogs about War-machines design:

THE LEONAARDO
=============
(Sciences)

You can choose from five options in this screen.

THE SCIENTIFIC ACADEMIES
------------------------
(Treasure. bottom left):

You can allocate money to the different academies in your citics by
clicking on the PLUS and MINUS buttons. You will raise the comfort level of
the cities when you allocate money to its academy.

FLYING SHIPS DESIGN
-------------------
(Drawing-board on the left):

To select the type of ship you want to design, clicking on one of the four
ship drawings.

The design process is achieved in three steps:

PHASE 1: SHIP'S EQUIPMENT
-------------------------
Choose the components you want with the icons, then place them on the plan
using the small crosses on the screen. You can move and delete elements, or
add several ones of the same type. The numbers displayed on the icons
indicates the current available component stock. If one element is not
available (like the ship structure), you cannot build a flying ship.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

- Propellers and engines are heavy, but the ship's speed is increased.
- Sails and balloons lighten the ships, but they reduce speed.
- Shields offer a good protection during battles.

PHASE 2: CREW ASSIGNMENT
-------------------------
Click on the selected character. You can then add soldiers with the left
mouse button, and remove them with the right mouse button.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

- Your flying ship will not operate correctly without a pilot.
- Captains and cooks are important, since they affect the crew's morale and
behaviour and the overall ship performance (speed and combat
effectiveness).
- Riflemen and catapult gunners are assigned to the difrerent weapons on
board of the flying ship.
- Infantry is exclusively used for looting your opponent's cities.
- Large crews cost a lot of money during campaigns, and increase the
weight of the ship.


LAST PHASE: TRIAL FLIGHTS.
--------------------------
This stop is sometimes painful. A complete check-list is displayed on the
screen, including the ship plans, the crew assignment and the value of
various performance factors. Speed is essential to the wargame part of
Storm Master (managed by the Commander). You can modify plans, crew
assignments, or test the ship in flight with the icons on the right of the
screen. The trial flights are performed in the plains. To know their
results, you will watch the flight on the screen. You cannot use a ship
without carrying on a preliminary trial flight.

Vessels crashed during one of them are also unavailable. The check-list is
displayed once again after the trial flight. To confirm the whole operation,
click on OK. The plans are automatically saved, and you can later modify the
ship at anytime. You still will have to test any modified ship in flight.


MASS PRODUCTION
---------------
Once you designed an operational flying ship, you can order mass
production to raise your army. To do this, click on the ship construction
scene (top left of the screen), then select the ship.A command sheet with
all the information about the mass production of this type of
vessel is displayed on the screen. The number of ships you can build
(according to the number of available elements and soldiers) is displayed
at the bottom of the scroll. To determine the number of ships you want to
order, click on the PLUS and MINUS buttons, and confirm with OK. The flying
vessels are immediately available.

SHIP DESTRUCTION
-----------------
Click on the top right part of the screen to select this option. It is
sometimes very useful.
For example, if you have raised an army with poor performance (low speed)
and you have enough ship components in stock to raise a much faster one,
adding the new army to the old one would give an average performing army as
a result. It is much more interesting to destroy your old army first, then
raise a new one. You will have less ships, but your armada will be much
more efficient. Examine carefully your production, your treasure and your
strategic targets before proceeding.

To destroy a ship, click on the type of vessel, then on the scroll, and use
the PLUS, MINUS or OK buttons.

WARNING: All the ship's components are destroyed too, but their crews are
still available.

SHIPS SUMMARY
--------------
A summary of the four different ship types is displayed when you click on
the board above the character. This option is very useful when you are
about to raise an army for your campaign.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

- IKAAR ships are light and fast. They carry a limited number of men, but
are very effective during quick raids.
- SKRUUZ ships are excellent battleships. Like IKAAR ships, they carry a
limited number of troops, and are ineffective for looting enemy cities.
- OGLEE ships are equipped with a catapult to protect them from enemy
attacks. They can carry a large number of men.
- NOOWE ships are extremely heavy and slow, but you can load a huge army on
them.