EMPIRE OF THE SUN

1. When you start a new game, you must choose a scenario (1941, 1942, 1943, or 1944). 1942 has the option that allows the Allied player to take card #4 (Acadia Conference) into his hand.

2. Next you will need to select a side or "Referee" if you wish to play solitaire or referee.

3. Before doing anything else, set Preferences under the File menu item. The following items (except password) are under the General sub-menu.

4. Choose a password if you have not already. Do not change it once you start a game.

5. Every card or piece in a Vassal module has its own command menu. You see it if you hold the cursor over the object and click your right-mouse button.

Cards and the Hands Windows.

6. Each player has a "hand" window (Japanese Hand / Allied Hand) that only he and a "Referee" (if a 3rd player selected it) can view.

7. Click the "Draw Card" button, to bring them into your hand.

8. The draw deck is completely random. Placing a card back on top of it will automatically shuffle it back in, so do not do this.

9. When playing a card, right-click and select to either send the card to the discard pile to remove it from the game.

10. If a card brings a special counter, you can right-click on the card to get the counter.

11. To shuffle the discard deck back into the draw deck, right-click on the discard deck and select that option.

12. To select a card from the discard window to place back into your hand, click the "Search Discard" button. Scroll through and find the card that you want, right-click on it, and select the "Send to hand" option.

13. To play a future offensives card, right-click on the card in your hand and select "Flip." Then place it on the board on the left or right of the Inter-Service Rivalry section of board (beneath the "Japanese Divisions Available in China" track) and place the corresponding "Future Offensive Card" marker on it. Your opponent will not be able to flip your card, discard, or even move it.

Running an Offensive

14. To view the command range of a headquarters, right-click on the HQ in question and select "Show Area". The shaded region is the maximum area, assuming no restrictions for impassible terrain and blocking zones of influence.

15. IMPORTANT: This does not work if the HQ is on Japan and the unit in question is in Burma. Vassal is going through unplayable China and assuming there are hexes. You must count them manually.

16. To activate a HQ and units, right-click on them and select "Activate."

17. To see how many units can react to a battle hex, go to "Board Markers" and grab the appropriate "Show radius" marker. Two radii are shown: one for standard units and one for carriers. Select the radius marker color that corresponds to your opponent. In other words, if you are Japan, select a blue marker. If you are the Allies, select a yellow marker. That is because Japanese carriers have more range than Allied carriers.

18. To create a battle hex marker, right-click on the unit. Right-click on the green marker to "increase" or "decrease" letters in the alphabet. Use the "clone" feature to create copies. This lets you see which units are in Battle A, which ones are in Battle B, etc.

19. After post-battle movement, click on the "De-Activate Allies" and "De-Activate" Allies buttons on the icon menu bar in order to remove all highlights on units. Then click the "Remove Battle Markers" button on the icon menu bar to remove all Battle Markers.

Other Special icon buttons

20. "Show/Hide Dead Pool" allows you to look at all pieces removed from the dead pool. For 1942-44 scenarios, the permanently removed pieces are along the left side.

21. "Charts" shows you the combat results table, the terrain effects chart, movements chart, and the reinforcement schedule for each side.

22. "Show/Hide Overview Window" shows your section of the map in context of the entire map.

23. "Show ZOI" lights up the zone of influence for each side. This assumes all units are in supply. It is up to the players to know the rules about which units are in supply and have a zone of influence. Long range bombers have a white zone of influence to differentiate them from fighter units.

24. "Update Progress of the War markers to control markers." In Counters --> Allied Markers are Progress of the War markers. Place them on the map in place of control markers. They are purple-colored instead of blue for easy differentiation. At the end of the turn, click this button to change all of the Progress of the War markers to the blue control markers. Right-click on the control marker again to toggle it between British and U.S.