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Since Skirmish doesn't have any single player, practice mode allows you to see what it's like in a real game. You can build units and buildings, move your men around, and even attack yourself to learn to play. The timer is disabled, but most everything acts as though it would in a game. To get a lot of money for practicing, just click end turn over and over.
When you create a game, your IP is posted on the Find Games page, and you are sent to the pre-game screen. This is where you can type to other players and change the game settings before starting the game. Once you've clicked LOCK GAME, you can't change any of the game settings, and you should start it up. If you're the server (creator of the game), you can change your team after you've readied up.
When you join a game, enter the IP address of the game creators computer. It should bring you into the pre-game screen. This is where you can type to other players and READY up once you've selected the team your on. You can't start the game, and are at the mercy of the game creator.
The game is turn based, so it flows in phases. Your phase is shown in the lower right area. There is also the MENU button located there. If you are in the Building or the Attack phase, every other player is in the Waiting phase, waiting for you to complete your turn. You can end your turn by clicking the END TURN button.
Mini Map: The mini map is located in the upper right corner. It works like any other mini map. If you click a selected item's name, the map will center on that item. Space bar does the same thing. The lower right area are links to www.skelman.com and the skirmish page. The window just left of the Phase Area is the player information box. This shows which players turn it is with an A or B for Attack/Building Phase, and what team they're on. The lower left area is the network message box, and you can select who your messages go to (all/team/player).
Moving Units: To move a unit during the build phase, first select the unit. Once it's selected, move your cursor one spot to the left, right, top, or bottom of the unit. If it has any moves left, a red circle should appear. Each unit only moves one spot at a time, and each unit has X number of moves per turn. X is the unit's speed.
Building Phase: This is the phase where you can create buildings and units, as well as move your units on the map. The amount of moves your units have per turn is attained from their "speed". They will get as many moves as their "speed" is at the beginning of every build phase. Units can move the turn they were created. When you have a unit selected, if you move the mouse to a space to the unit, if it has any moves left, the space will show a red circle. This means that your unit can move there if you "right click." Your buildings have no limit to the range they can be built. If you can see a spot on the map, you can build a building there. There is no build delay for any building.
Waiting Phase: If you aren't in the attack or building phase, you're in the waiting phase. This phase is the phase where you guessed it, you have to wait. You can type to other players, and select units, but that's it. You cannot build/create/attack anyone.
Attack Phase: This phase is where you target your enemies. If you hold SHIFT while selecting a unit/bld, it will show you its sight and attack range with red circles. If another unit or building is within that range, you can attack it. To target something, select the unit you wish to use to attack, then right click on the target. A blue selection box will form around the target. Once you are done selecting all your targets for your units to attack, you can end your turn. After everyone's attack phase is over, all attacks resolve at once.
Boridium: The only source of money/minerals in this game is Boridium mines/deposits. Every player starts with a Base built near a mine and automatically collects off of it at the start of their building phase. Each player may have 1 Base per deposit, another base will not give you any more minerals off of that particular deposit. This does mean that in an allied game, you can build a base near your allies' deposit. The furthest distance you can mine from a Boridium deposit is 2 spaces directly above, below, or to the left or right. 1 space diagonally will also work in any direction. Deposits never run out of minerals.
Barbed Wire: Barbed wire is like a wall to your all your units except tanks. Tanks can roll right over Barbed wire without a loss of any hp. The rest of your units (soldiers, rangers, and bombers) must destroy it to get through.
Death: You die when all of your units and buildings are destroyed.
Food: In the game screen, at the top near the middle you can see your need of food and your supply of food. Each unit type needs a certain amount of food (soldier 1, ranger 1, tank 2, bomber 2). Two buildings provide supply of food, the base and the food depot, which supply 4 each. If you don't have enough food supply you can still build more units, but at the start of your attack phase, all of your rangers, soldiers, and tanks will suffer -1 hp from starvation. Bombers are not effected by this.
Building Special Cases: Barbed wire can only be built by your outpost's or by your barbed wire. This is to prevent players from simply barbed wiring in an opponents base. Mortar cannons can only be built next to your buildings, or next to any of your tanks, soldiers, or rangers, but not bombers.
Keyboard Shortcuts:
ENTER: This allows you to type messages to other players. You can select who to send the message to in the lower left corner of the game screen.
CTRL: This will bring up the allied corner on all units and buildings. All units and buildings will have a small box in the upper right hand corner. A white box means the unit/bld is yours, a blue box means its an allies unit, and a red box means its an enemies unit.
SHIFT: If you have a unit/bld selected, holding shift down will show that unit/bld's range. Red circles will show the extent of its sight. If a unit/bld can attack, its firing range is always the same as its sight range.
SPACE BAR: If you have a unit/bld/item selected, hitting the space bar centers your screen around that unit/bld/item. If you click the item's name on the right side of the screen, the same centering occurs.
Hot Keys: When you have a building selected that can create other buildings/units, if keyboard shortcuts are available, the text will be white. For example. When you have a Base selected, O builds an Outpost.
Click in the Name box to change
your name. If the name is too long or short, it won't be accepted.
You can turn the music or the sound off, and change the mouse + kb-scroll speed.
Center-on-attack: is an option that causes your
screen to center on the unit firing while attacks are being resolved (after all
attack phases, and before anyone starts the building phase). It can be
useful or annoying.
Change Settings: To change settings in the Config or Menu screens, click the red box with a + on it. To change your nickname in the Config screen, hit enter, or click the name box.
That button brings you here :)
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