SUPERPOWER ========== In SUPERPOWER each player runs the intelligence agency of a major world power. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to protect your power's assets in a continent of developing countries. You also advice on new investments and undermine the schemes of other players (or the SPECTRUM). Starting wars, assassination and enginerring coups are just some of the 'dirty tricks' available. SUPERPOWER is for 1 to 6 players. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS -------------------- The procedure for loading a program into your Spectrum is given in your manual. Please follow these steps for loading a program. 1. Connect the ear socket of the computer to the ear socket of your tape recorder. 2. Set the volume control as per Sinclair manual. 3. Adjust the tone control to maximum. 4. Type LOAD "". 5. Start the tape recorder. The program will RUN automatically once loaded. INSTRUCTIONS ------------ 1. INTRODUCTION --------------- Each player starts with various assets in a continent of 9 third world countries. Each turn represents a year of production, investment and double-dealing in which players try to increase profits from their assets through political interference. The winner is the player with the hightest rate of growth of profits. The tape includes a short first program where players key in codewords and a second program which runs the game. The ZX PRINTER can be used. 2. EXPLANATION -------------- The order in which players take their turn changes each turn so that the advantages of going last are shared. Each player receives a regular annual budget(which cannot be saved) to spend on gatherung INFORMATION and making DECISIONS. (i) INFORMATION: the more information you have, the less likely you are to waste money on hopeless plans. You can ask for (a) a report on a particualr nation. This shows its stability, wealth, foreign relations and government spending, giving clues to its value as a place for investment and the state of other players in it. Cost $0.5 m. (b) a comparison between nations of industry, debt and government spending. This shows you, for instance, whether a nation is at a risk because it is spending relatively little on defence, or has comparatively high debt. Cost $0.2 m. (c) a superpower's assets table: this shows you where other players are strongest, enabling you to avoid their competition or 'destabilise' governments friendly to them. Cost $1.0 m. (Your own table is free.) (ii) DECISIONS: having collected the information you need, you can indulge in (a) Bribery/Investment: there are only limited opporturnities for profitable new investment in these countries and their governments will award those projects to the highest bidder. The 'bid' of a player and the number of projects the player bids for are also important. Cost variable. (b) Foreign Policy: the countries' economies (and players' profits) can be bolstered by growth in trade or damaged by war. The shuttle diplomacy of superpowers largely determines who attacks whom. Cost $2 m. per diplomatic mission. (c) Taxes and Spending: superpowers' interference extends through 'advice' and bribery into the developing nations' domestic policies. Persuade a nation to spend more on defence and you make it more aggressive; persuade it to cut taxes and your profits rise etc. Cost $2 m. per mission. (d) Arms and Advisers: superpowers can help to equip the armed forces of the developing nations. This may give you a greater influence over the army as well as strengthening it. Cost $3 m. per 'aid' package. (e) Funding opposition parties: whether legal or not, opposition parties have a hard time in these countries and would be grateful for your assistance. In return they may help you if they come to the power by nationalising the assets of a reval superpower of your choice. Cost $3 m. per donation. (f) Overthrowing governments: the cumulation of your other devious decisions. Such attempts will only work with the help of an oppositian party or the army of popular support, unless a professional assassin is used on a dictator. A change of government causes changes in foreign alliances and spending too. Cost $5 m. per attempt. While one player is plotting on the Spectrum, the others could be plotting together against him! 3. HINTS ON PLAY ---------------- Your aim is to have the highest rate of growth of profits. This can be achieved either by maximising your own growth or minimising other players'. Strategies for the former defensive/peaceful approach might include - cutting taxes in nations where you have the highest stake, as that will help you more than anyone else. However, a low income for the country may mean cuts in spending which will sour the mood of the people. - persuading a friendly nation to spend more on the welfare and reduce the size of the hated police force (but that may leave it unprotected from coup or assassination attempts). - building a defensive alliance with other strong countries. However all these policies will take funds away from bribes for new investment and each has its pitfalls so you must use your information to the full. Aggressive strategies include the opposite of those above, and also - building up arms spending to attack your rival superpower's strongholds; a successful attack may demoralise an enemy's people and pave the way for a coup later. - persuade unfriendly nations to cut spending on infrastructure so that investment opporturnities for your rivals dry up. (One is a function of the other.) - encourage nations to nationalise your rivals' assets. 4. PROGRAM NOTES ---------------- (i) There is some carrying over from one year to the next of the effects of your spending. (ii) The true military strength of a country is not just a reflection of its defence spending but also its morale and allies. (iii) Events generated by the superpowers are deemed to have occurred during the year and reports of the more serious ones (wars, changes of government) will be announced to all players at the end of each turn. (iv) If the program BREAKs then enter GO TO 2500 for the INFORMATION menu within a player's turn. (v) Picking a different number in the first program ensures a different starting position for each game. (vi) You can start the game again at the second program just by ENTERing RUN. (c)1984 Nicholas Holgate Copies of this recording may only be made for the sole use of the purchaser unless written permission is obtained from the publisher. CASES COMPUTER SIMULATIONS LTD., 14 Langton Way, London SE3 7TL