Battle Isle WWW Page

This page contains information about the Battle Isle series of strategy games by Blue Byte.

Battle Isle Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Map Codes
Cheats
Hacks and other tricks
BI2 Mapper
Unit Editor
Updates and other files
Credits
Other BI Pages

Battle Isle Games

The following games are part of the series:

Battle Isle
The first BI type game. Most of the function is there, hex map, movements, units, etc. To play the keyboard emulates a joystick which makes moving your units a bit awkward. This is probably a leftover from the first version for the Amiga (I think).

Battle Isle 93
A successor to BI. It features more unit types (light and heavy mech units) than BI and some other improvements.

History Line 1914-18
It plays like BI, but with scenarios modeled after the first world war.

Battle Isle 2
The BI 2 game. See the reviews for details.
Battle Isle 2 Scenery CD
This is sold apparently only in Europe. I've got the German version. It requires the CD version of BI 2 according to the package and documentation (For me it works with the diskette BI 2 too, despite what the manual claims). Mayor additions are a new set of scenarios and a multiplayer facility (LAN, modem and email). The multiplayer mode on my CD was buggy, but Blue Byte sent me a update disk promptly. You can find it here.
Battle Isle 2200
This is sold in the US only. It is based on the BI 2 Scenery CD (same scenarios and passwords), but contains the full game and does not require BI 2. The multiplayer options are more limited (only four scenarios) and it is NOT compatible with the BI 2 scenery CD. (I'm actually buying a copy of BI2200 besides my scenery CD, just to be able to play email games with people on the net)
Battle Isle 3 / Battle Isle 2220 'Shadow of the Emperor'
This is the latest and greatest of the Battle Isles. It became available towards the end of 1995. It runs under Windows (3.1 & 95) and has a revamped user-interface. The game is the same as the older Battle Isles.
In the US it is named Battle Isle 2220. The same game in Germany (Europe) is sold as Battle Isle 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get Battle Isle to play on OS/2 ?

The way BI is playing sound effects causes the game to slow down to a crawl after a minute or two. I don't know this in detail, but think that the BI sound effect driver is generating too many interrupts for OS/2 to handle.
The solution is simple: Turn the sound effects off.

Is there a way to get an aircraft into a normal building (non-airport) ?

I'm on a level where the factory is so far from the battle that my planes run out of fuel before they can get back to the factory. And there are no tanker planes producable.

Sorry, but planes can only get into airports/aircraft factorys. Just helicopters can get into cities or other buildings for refuel and refit.
I'm afraid aircraft can enter only airbases. But if you REALLY want to save your plane, there is a way around. Cheat: Try BI2 MAPPER V 1.02 and change byte 0x0032 in the nearest city to 512 (decimal). All airbases have 512 as 'container subtype'.

What is the rule for Rangers/infantry entering buildings ?

If I wanted to prevent someone from sneaking in, would I need to protect all 6 possible entrances, or would it be sufficient to place units in every-other hex surrounding the building ?

Depends on the difficulty level of the game. On the higher ones it's possible for rangers to pass _through_ enemy units !! I don't remember the details and I don't have the manual here at work :-))
Placing a few units to 'shadow' is usually enough. If the enemy Ranger unit is in the neighboring hexagon, then there's no cure. Except destroying it of course. Uncertainty due this problem can make gameplay really exciting, and personally I enjoy it. Blue Byte handled this feature well.

What's the deal with time limits on maps ?

Is this variable or is there always an upper limit on the number of rounds ?

Yeah, there is always an upper limit on the number of rounds. Makes the game a bit more difficult sometimes :-)
Click an empty hex, choose menu, then I)nfo. Under the name there are 2 boxes, for example: 1 100 = 'It is the first turn out of 100 now'. I think they are fixed. I've been looking for these numbers from the MISSxxx.DAT file but I haven't come accross them yet.

When you have a factory, what decides what is possible to be built there ?

I know that there are limitations because of energy and materials, but in some maps I have tons of energy and tons of materials, but the factory won't let me build buggys or orions, for example. Is it pre-built into the map, or am I missing something? I am playing a map right now that is begging for more buggys .

The factory's production is governedby the scenario. Each production facility has it's own speciality of up to four vehicle types, and the map has a global production set, which can be produced in all factories.
Previously I've said that BI2 forces you into good military thinking; logistics, infrastructure, transport, etc. The no buggy situation is another example. You don't always have the right tools to do the job, which is part of the challenge.

This is probably really stupid, but what is jamming?

At first I thought a unit with strong jamming capabilities will hinder your opponents view behind the unit. But is it just behind the unit or is it the radius of the units? In one map I have an anti-radar unit that is not described in the manual. I figure since it doesn't have any weapons I should keep in near the back of the line. But if it only jams in front of itself, am I making a big tactical mistake?

The elixir jams behind itself, i.e. it's really difficult to see past. It also jams in front, but tactically this is less useful. Use it to disguise an advance, or mask an assembly point, but if your playing single player, then the reds will have enough radars to see everything your doing anyway. BI2 is the only game where the defenders get the 3:1 advantage.
To see for yourself how the elixir works, play the map as a human vs human game.

Is there any way to look at the stats of all the different types of units presently available in game ?

I can't see what to do for this and it seems a bit pointless leaving it out when you can just get up information by clicking on it anyway.

There is a complete table available with the BI2 Mapper documentation (V1.02 or later, Appendix D).

How can you tell what a type of unit is able to fire at ?

eg, how will you be able to check whether a unit can attack a helicopter or a plane?

See the document. The small icon on the lower right corner gives a hint too.

What does the 3 shaded hexagons on the right of the information screen tell you?

Are they percentages of losses (yours, others, then titan-nets's?)

Close. They're the percentages of
1. unseen,
2. once seen and
3. currently visible hexagns.

List of Map Codes

I think this list is now complete. If you find errors please let me know.

Battle Isle

Single player games

 CONRA PHASE EXOTY MOUNT  FIGHT RUSTY FIFTH VESUV  MAGIC SPACE VALEY TESTY  TERRA SLAVE NEVER RIVER

Two player games

 FIRST GHOST GAMMA MARSS EAGLE METAN FOTON POLAR TIGER SNAKE ZENIT DONNN VESTA OXXID DEMON GIANT

Secret map missions

 STORM EUROP

BI Scenario Disk 1: Single player

 BLOCK WATCH LAGUN BIRMA SERPT RAMBO YUKON POINT FROGS ITALY LINES VARUS SOUND TWEAK NIPON FLAIR ARROW KORSO NOUTH FJORD DONOR LEYES JUMPY WERFT WINIT

Scenario Disk 1: Two players

 CLOCK LOSAG BOMBS COMET PERAL MIROR ROMEL MAGMA

History line 1914-18

Single Player

 pulse   balon   sport   seven  civil   pause   bimbo   zombi  mouse   elite   tempo   moves  venom   infra   baron   blade  noise   hills   bummm   zorro  right   cobra   level   stone  orkan   atlas   toxin   mosel  front   amper   princ   order  ratio   rhein   clean   sodom  parts   candl   xenon

Two players

 track   virus   grand   spell  husar   bison   royal   camel  beast   druck   water   flags  plate   troll   skill   story  light   uboot   skull   scout  scrol   droid   audio   green

Battle Isle 93

Single player

 EBSYL EBONY EBTAR KARST KANTO KAROT KAISR SYBIL SFINX SYNOM DIONE

Two players

 LUPOS SONNE SOTEX RASEN FISCH EBTON KABEL SYTAX NAIAD

Battle Isle 2

 Amporge	"Skom Halta"      Jogrwai	"The Heat  Of The Chase"     Gegidos	"The Big City"    Wabodae	"Menace From The Skies" Bufaswe	"The Delta"  Gehauwa	"Port To The World"        Olaribu	"The Plain Of Tentan"        Fitorge	"13th Fleet"      Dafatwa	"Wave Of Terror"  Wabikdo	"Titan Net In Sight" Geeusat	"Titan Net In Sicht" Kaimawa	"The Alliance Treaty" Sietibu	"The Rescue" Gederom	"The Last Base On Worb" Uluarge	"The Tank Battle" Abundwa	"Treasure Hunt" Lanadge	"The Challenge" Wafefal	"The Entrance To The Cave Busalug	"The Cave" Gekefzu	"The Last Strike"  Yetudwa	"The Gebef-Sea" Wagopay	"A Rotten Alliance" Zafluge	"Discoveries" Skatzwa	"The Sea Superiority"

Battle Isle 93

 LUMIT LUNAR LUTOF SONIX SOWYN SOSOO SONAF RACHE RAMPE RANGG FILMO FIEST FINXT EBENE

Battle Isle 2 Scenery CD / Battle Isle 2200

Computer Player Codes

 HOLLEKO BROCKEN AMGEFIN HASENOL WORINGA BRITIGI GEGAGOL ANTUROX GRADOFE DRONNOX DURDERO HOLININ WALHAKI SEFLUXA INDUSOL WEFOLIK

Multiplayer Codes on BI 2200

 YETUDWA WAGOPAY ZAFLUGE SKATZWA

Multiplayer codes on the BI2 Scenery CD

FURSTON: "Die 6 Fürsten", 6 players
GALTRAX: "Die Zwergstaaten", 4 players
ELGANIW: "Der Kerbathsee", 2 players
LOPIROT: "Die Inseln", 6 players
AGRETIL: "Die Arena", 2 players
FELTONG: "Die Basis in den Bergen", 3 players
WILKORS: "Die Flieger des Sieges", 2 players
MEKLARA: "Die Sümpfe", 2 players
HOLITUS: "Die Höhenbomber", 2 players
NERTING: "Der Wettlauf", 4 players

The Moon of Cromos

 lunar lutof sonix sowyn sosoo

Battle Isle 2220 / Battle Isle 3

      Level  1      Die Praetorianer           2975462      Level  2      Vormarsch                  6487674      Level  3      Die Schiffe                1564386      Level  4      Die Landung auf Kaar       9745642      Level  5      Kampf um die Fabriken      3756838      Level  6      Das Flugzeugkombinat       2957843      Level  7      Die Spaltung der Kais      8844366      Level  8      Das HQ der Drulls          2375411      Level  9      Das Expeditionsheer        3854653      Level 10      Urelis                     5647332      Level 11      Kai-Ryo in Gefahr          4092664      Level 12      Die Nachschublinien        7564366      Level 13      Skom                       8264241      Level 14      Der Panzerkeil             3243554      Level 15      Tederon                    5487436      Level 16      Entscheidung ueber Skom    1353411      Level 17      Der Hafen von Magalo       4524338      Level 18      Vor Hallwa                 6731244      Level 19      In der Hauptstadt          1243371      Level 20      Die Entscheidung           6245425

Cheats

Battle Isle 3

If you type 'bauer' during the game you can control the units of allies as well.
If you type 'ewald' during gameplay you can access a cheat-menu with F9 to modify general features (full map overview) or unit features like strength, ammo, etc.

This section is a bit thin, still. If you know a cheat, please send me mail to markus.baertschi@cern.ch !

Hacks and other tricks

Here I'll list hacks & tricks around BI collected from the net.

Where is BI looking for its maps ?

When you type in the codeword for a new map BI is looking through the file mis/mapname.txt to determine if the codeword is valid. After you click on the Start Map field it looks for the corresponding MISSxxx.DAT file. It searches first the directory mis on your harddisk and then on the CD.

This allows you to just copy a modified map file into your mis directory and BI will load it instead of the original !

BI2 Mapper

Tuomas Seijavuori has created BI2Mapper, a program which allows to analyse and modify BI2 maps.

Tuomas Seijavuori's Remarks

I've been asked if it is possible to create completely new maps (instead of modifying the existing ones) with BI2 MAPPER. A copy of my answer follows. PLEASE post questions, suggestions, discoveries and ideas to this group. I haven't got time to act as a newsgroup, forwarding messages back and forth and telling same news for everyone. I'm definitely not the only one who knows something about Battle Isle 2. In fact I haven't played the game further than 'Port to the world' or GEHAUWA map... just think about that.

One more thing: please write 'BI2' or 'BI2 MAPPER' in the 'Subject:' line so we don't have to browse through all the traffic there. Thank you.

"Is it possible to make fully my own maps... etc ?"

Fully - no. It's simply that nobody knows where certain data is stored in the MISSxxx.DAT file (I'm pretty certain that everything is in this file). As soon as someone gives me all that information, I'll try to implement it somehow.

But it's already perfectly possible to create new maps. I have made one myself, and a few other persons told me they had finished theirs. Not one hexagon remained from the original which was replaced by mine.

You build your own map on top of an existing one, so you inherit all the features which can't be changed. Choose the original wisely. Have a look at BI2\ENG\MISSxxx.TXT to identify MISSxxx.DAT files, all the text is there (not ASCII but it's readable).

At least consider the size and how many cities you are going to need. I think both of these could be edited, though. The location of sizes of each segment is known (see Ahopelto's docs). So is the number of containers: it comes right after 'SHOP' header. My guess is that by decreasing this figure containers could be removed and added. If this is true, I may implement it somehow to the next version. If you've tried to change either of them, please tell us what happened.

Some other things worth considering:

The number of turns. No problem if you play against humans, but normal campaigns often have, say, 34 turns. (Personally this doesn't bother me, because I'm never going to play against computer anymore.)
If you want your map to be well balanced, don't pick any of those where reinforcements will arrive. If you hate snow and other forms of frozen water, try to find one that's always sunny (is there any? I haven't played it through). Any volunteers to compile a list of all these features of each map? I've understood, however, that at least the weather varies (i.e. it's different when you play it again).
If you are not going to use naval units, don't pick MISS040.DAT ('Sea-Superiority') ...like I did. The victory conditions seem to call for certain ships. My brand new scenario was finished before it started as soon as I turned the training mode off :-( Adding original ships cured the problem I described in README.101. Victory conditions are my primary concern right now. A complete list of them would be VERY useful. Even for those who don't use BI2 MAPPER.

There may be other important things too, these were just the ones which I faced. Comments, additions and corrections are welcome.

(If you are now wondering what an earth is BI2 MAPPER or where to get it: try ftp.funet.fi /pub/msdos/games/editors/bi2map10.zip or send me email)

Tuomas "No indication of threa..." Seijavuori tuoppi@hut.fi

Battle Isle 3 and Mapper

The following hints come from Andrea Roveri (aroveri@mailbox.dsnet.it).

Battle Isle 3 - Shadow of the Emperor mission files aren't very different from Battle Isle 2 ones, so it is possible to edit them with the T. Seijavuori's "Mapper" built to edit BI2 ones.

The procedure is the following (assuming you have already installed BI3 on your HD, and placed che BI3 CD I in your CD-ROM drive):

Find the T. Seijavuori's "BI2 Mapper" V1.06 (if you already haven't got it) via FTP as oahu.cern.ch:/pub/markus/bi2/bi2map16.zip (141k).
DeZIP it into a free directory, and read the manual README.106
Copy from CD to the Mapper directory the mission files you wish to edit. They are two file for each mission:
- "MISSyxx.DAT" placed in "\MIS" dir of your CD
- "MISSyxx.TXT" placed in "\GER" dir (for BI3 german version), or in "\ENG" dir (for BI3 english version), where "xx" stands for the mission number (but zero-based), and "y" stands for:
  1 if you wish to edit a mission from the SHADOW OF THE EMPEROR battle set,
  2 if you wish to edit a mission from the TUTORIAL battle set,
  3 if you wish to edit a mission from the MULTIPLAYER GAMES battle set.
E.g. if you want to edit the 7th mission of the Shadow of Emperor battle set from a BI3 english version, you have to copy the following two file from the CD: "\MIS\MISS106.DAT" and "\ENG\MISS106.TXT" (remember that the 7th mission is labeled as "6" because of the zero-base numbering)
Now comes the most important thing to do. Remember that every file that comes out from a CD-ROM has by default the READ-ONLY attribute set. So you must remove the RO attribute from (both) the mission files, otherwise none of the T. Seijavuori's "BI2 Mapper" programs will be able to edit them. You can do this either under MS-DOS (with the ATTRIB command), or under WIN 3.x (with the File Manager), or under Windows 95 (with the Windows Explorer). Refer to the above-named operative system manual for more detailed explanations.
Edit the contents of the container objects and units with the T. Seijavuori's "CONTAIN.EXE", or the location, the number and the type of terrains, objects, and units with his "MIS2MAP.EXE" or "MIS2HEX.EXE" as explained in "BI2 Mapper" README.106 .
*** IMPORTANT NOTICE ***
"CONTAIN.EXE" DOESN'T ALLOW TO INSERT A BI3 NEW UNIT TYPE, SO YOU CAN ADD WITH IT ONLY THE 60 UNITS YOU FOUND IN BI2 AND IN TITAN LEGACY CD (IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CANNOT INSERT IN A CONTAINER A UNIT WITH A CODE GRATER THAN 59). INSTEAD, EDITING PROPERLY THE "TRANSLAT.TBL" (AND USING THE MAP TO MISSION CONVERTERS "MAP2MIS.EXE" AND "HEX2MIS.EXE") YOU CAN ADD EVERY UNIT AVALIABLE IN BI3 (ALSO THE NEW ONES).
I'LL POST AN ARTICLE CONTAINING THE LIST OF THE NEW UNITS CODES, DESCRIPTION, AND SHADOW OF THE EMPEROR BATTLE SET LEVEL PASSWORD AS SOON AS I'LL FINISH THE GAME.
To try the mission just edited, simply copy the two MISSyxx.DAT and MISSyxx.TXT files (perhaps you should rename them to the old names if one of the T. Seijavuori's "BI2 Mapper" programs changed the mission number to 37) into \MIS and \GER (or \ENG) BI3 *HARD DISK INSTALLATION* directory respectively. Infact the BI3 installer creates on HD those dirs empty, and BI3 (as BI2) looks first into HD dirs to load a mission before seraching it in the CD. So if it finds the mission files (you just edited) into HD, it will load them, without regarding of the "original ones" on CD. Now you can run BI3 and choose to load a single mission. Remember that you will need the level password to access a Shadow of the Emperor battle set mission.

Anyway, for copyright problems, I advise you against distributing modified BI3 missions, without the Authors (which I wasn't able to contact) permission.

Every program above-cited is a trademark of its Authors.

For any other problem regarding this article I'll be very happy to answer to every questions by E-mail.

You have only to write to Andrea Roveri (aroveri@mailbox.dsnet.it).

Battle Isle Unit Editor

Paolo Baiardi wrote a editor to modify the BI Units. You can find it on oahu.cern.ch:pub/markus/bi2/uned.zip. Here an extract from the README:

This couple of programs allow you to

list into a simple ASCII file the binary file UNIT000.DAT, where the characteristics of every Battle Isle unit are stored
modify them with a simple text editor (even ED), replacing everything you see
convert the ASCII file into a new UNIT000.DAT in order to use the modified units in your maps
Since in every version of BI, the file UNIT000.DAT is always used to store the units characteristics, these programs work always

Things you may modify at will

unit eye/movement/fuel/fuel tank/mass/armor
energy/raw material required to build it
add/remove/modify unit weapons: type, min/max range, ammunitions, viable targets, punch, etc...
terrains where the unit may or may not move: sea/land/hills/roads and so on
special unit characteristics such as
- build/repair/refuel/rearm
- conquer building
- climb/dive
- move-fire-move
- no-fire-after-move
- ...
add/remove/modify the cargo (possibility to carry other units), change the cargo size and the type of units that can be carried

How it works

In UNIT000.DAT all these characteristics are stored. Each unit is describe with 88 bytes, starting from the Planum and ending with the Aldinium (on a vanilla BI II). The data are read, decoded and written as ASCII text. You modify them and reverse the process: data are encoded and written into a new UNIT000.DAT.

Updates and other files

Battle Isle Scenery CD update
This update fixes the broken PBEM facility of the BI 2 Scenery CD.
Battle Isle 2 documentation (Units & Maps)
Battle Isle 2 documentation (Map format)
Battle Isle 2 map editor
See also mapper.

Ftp site(s)

There are some ftp sites with informations:

oahu contains BI related files
The maps directory contains maps created with bi2mapper. You can upload files there if you want.
The nordic ftp site contains many of the files as well

Credits

I've taken information, answers, etc. from the following people on the net and included it into this document.

Stephan Heisterkamp, heister@mailer.meb.uni-bonn.de
Tuomas Seijavuori, tuoppi@hut.fi
Anthony Ng, ang@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
Ernst Bostelaar, v922163@si.hhs.nl
Andrea Roveri, aroveri@mailbox.dsnet.it
Gernot Goldbeck, goldi@cs.tu-berlin.de

Battle Isle WWW Page

Contents

Battle Isle Games

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get Battle Isle to play on OS/2 ?

Is there a way to get an aircraft into a normal building (non-airport) ?

What is the rule for Rangers/infantry entering buildings ?

What's the deal with time limits on maps ?

When you have a factory, what decides what is possible to be built there ?

This is probably really stupid, but what is jamming?

Is there any way to look at the stats of all the different types of units presently available in game ?

How can you tell what a type of unit is able to fire at ?

What does the 3 shaded hexagons on the right of the information screen tell you?

List of Map Codes

Battle Isle

Single player games

Two player games

Secret map missions

BI Scenario Disk 1: Single player

Scenario Disk 1: Two players

History line 1914-18

Single Player

Two players

Battle Isle 93

Single player

Two players

Battle Isle 2

Battle Isle 93

Battle Isle 2 Scenery CD / Battle Isle 2200

Computer Player Codes

Multiplayer Codes on BI 2200

Multiplayer codes on the BI2 Scenery CD

The Moon of Cromos

Battle Isle 2220 / Battle Isle 3

Cheats

Battle Isle 3

Hacks and other tricks

Where is BI looking for its maps ?

BI2 Mapper

Tuomas Seijavuori's Remarks

Battle Isle 3 and Mapper

Battle Isle Unit Editor

This couple of programs allow you to

Things you may modify at will

How it works

Updates and other files

Ftp site(s)

Credits

Other Battle Isle documents on the net