The goal of this file is to explain how to play with Attal!

Summary

I - Getting Started

1. Installation
2. Launching the game
3. Connecting players
4. Choose a scenario

II - Playing

1. Generalities
2. Turn by turn game
3. Managing lords
4. Managing bases
   1. Inside a base
5. Economic
6. Fight mode
7. End of game

I - Getting Started

1) Installation

First, install the game (read INSTALL for any question)

2) Launching the game

Start the executables:
You can launch :

• the client:

  $ ./attal-client &

• the server:

  $ ./attal-server &

• the ia-client:

  $ ./attal-ai &

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=.

3) Connecting players

Connect your clients and AI to the server: attal-ai and attal-client have a menu with a 'connect' item (or use CTRL+C as shortcut).
It requests you to set the IP adress of the server (if you are playing in local, you don't have to change anything).

Each player connected is shown on the server interface.

4) Choose a scenario

Choose a scenario in the server:
By default, you have 2 demo scenarii directly available from the server interface but you can choose another one (the demo scenarii are not really exciting!).
Default scenarii are available in /themes/medieval/scenarii
You could find some new scenarii on our website (www.attal-thegame.org in the section 'd/l scenarii'). Of course, you can edit your own scenarii with the scenario editor provided with Attal.

Now click on 'Start' button in the server to launch the game. Each player has to play at his turn.

II - Playing

1) Generalities

In adventure mode, you manage your lords and bases. The interface is composed by:

• menus, for global actions: quit, connect/disconnect, hide/show some elements of the interface
• main view, which displays the map (adventure mode)
• chat window, for talking with other players and also see some message from server
• Mini-map where you can see the whole map (click on it for centering the main view where you want)
• Tab window where you can have general information, see the list of your lords and see the list of your bases

2) Turn-by-turn game

Attal is a turn by turn game, so you play only when it is your turn to. There is no time limitation for the moment... When it is not your turn to play, you can only chat with other player or, if you are attacked by another player, defend yourself (in fight mode).

3) Managing lords

You can select a lord through the list of lords or on clicking on it in the main view. Then you can make it move in clicking elsewhere on the map (you will see first a path on the ground and if you click again the lord will move).
If you click twice on a lord (on the map or in the list), you can see the characteristics of the lord (and change its artefacts, its units...).
If two 'friend' lords encounter, you can do some exchange between them (units, artefacts...) but if they are opponent, they fight! (see (6 - Fight mode))

4) Managing bases

You can select a base through the list of bases or on clicking on it in the main view. If you click twice on a base (on the map or in the list), you can see the inside of the base and act inside (add new buildings, buy units, trade in the market...).
When a lord enter in a base, you automatically see the inside of the base.

4.1)Inside a base:

Inside a base you have a market, where you can trade your resources, some building where you can buy some units, every week (but the time will customizable) and a building where you can build some other buildings (and sell it).
When you buy an unit, it will be placed on the unit window (click on lord face (or no lord face) to activate this window).

5) Economic

The economic part in Attal is quite complex: you have to manage bases, buildings, lord and units. All internals buildings and units can have a mantainment cost that is payed every week.
The external building can produce a fixed number of resource or one random number between two ranges (RANDRESSOURCE), between zero and the coeff of resource, also the external buildings can give other bonus.
Every base have a population: this population growth every week by a rate that depend on type of base. Every base loss population by a percentage value fixed by race every time the base change owner.
The money (gold) give by a base is equal to his population, so take care to defend the most populated bases. Every base can have a market and these prices depend on type of base, so differents players have different strategies about resources.
The prices of resources depend on type of base you own: you pay the best prices for resources if you onw bases of different races.
All these proprieties are theme-dependant, so you can see that in theme-editor.

6) Fight mode

When two opponent lords encounter, or if a lord attacks a creature stack on the map, the game enter in fight mode. It is a turn-by-turn fight, where you can move each lord's units on the ground.
A current unit is automatically selected and has to be played. When the player who owns it has finished (make it move, or fight a neighbour unit...) the next unit is selected and so on... The fight is finished when a lord has lost all its units or when he flees. Then, the winner gain some experience and the game returns in adventure mode, normally.

7) End of the game

If a player lost all its lords and bases, he has lost the game.