Section 4 Start-Up Screen

The Start-up Screen appears. On this screen, choose whether to start Eagle Day or Bombing the Reich; then, you will select to do any of the following:

New RAF/Allied Campaign: Select to begin the appropriate campaign.
New Luft./German Campaign: Select to begin the appropriate campaign.
Multiplayer: Select to begin either a Play-by-Email or a Hot Seat game between two human players.
Load Saved Game: Select to loads a previously saved game.
Options: Select to set various game options before beginning play.

To choose an option, move the cursor over your selection, then left-click to select.

4.1 Campaign Selection Screen

To start a new campaign, select either “New RAF/Allied Campaign” or “New Luft./Axis Campaign” on the Start-up Screen. Once you’ve done so, the Campaign Selection Screen appears.

Making your selection to begin either a new RAF/Allied or Luft./Axis campaign on the Start-up Screen automatically sets you up to play that side. You can change your mind and play another side if you wish. You will also be required to select a Campaign from the list at left.

Each game has several different campaigns to choose from, some lasting a single day while others last many months. Select one by clicking on the arrow next to its name. Once you’ve made your selection, a brief description of the scenario appears below the campaign list. Once you are finished reading the description, click on the game map in the bottom right-hand corner (it should now be marked with “Start Game”). Clicking the game map takes you to the loading screen; the campaign loads and then begins.

4.2 Main Game Screen

Once beyond the Campaign Selection and Loading Screens, you are ready to begin the game. All play is conducted on the Main Game Screen.

Game Map – The Game Map shows the area of operation (i.e., where the game is played). All German/Axis raids fly either out of France (bottom of map) or from airfields in Denmark and Norway. The British Isles, on the other hand, not only contain all the primary and secondary airfields where RAF and Allied interceptors, patrols, and bombers will be launched, but also shows all British and Allied targets which can be selected for bombing by the German player.

Information Bar – The information bar at the bottom of the screen lists radio activity, the day’s cloud cover and light, and the actual time of the current Movement Phase.

Mini-map – The mini-map displays a miniature of the entire area of play. You may click on this map to shift around to other areas of the map to view the action. The dots appearing here represent the air units as they move around the map. The colors correspond to the colors indicated under the ‘flight lines’ function above, except for British interceptors. On the mini- map, they are white dots.

4.3 Preference Tool Bar

This tool bar along the right side of the screen allows you to toggle on/off and highlight various visual preferences during game play. These preferences come in handy to keep ‘visual’ tabs on all that’s occurring on the map. Below is a detailed description of each preference button, although these differ depending on the side and Phase you are playing.

From top to bottom, they are:

Zoom-in: Select this button to zoom in the map. You can zoom the map in 4 times.

Zoom-out: Select this button to zoom out the map.

Highlight Target Damage: Select this button to highlight all targets on the map with colored outlines. The colors represent the amount of damage the target has sustained.

Light/Bright Green = Undamaged target;
Yellow = 1-24% damage;
Orange = 25-49% damage;
Red = over 50+% damaged.

This highlighting function works in the far zoom-out mode as well, but targets in the far zoom out are color-coded for easier identification. Use this highlighting function to clearly see target damage.

Highlight Aircraft: Select this button to highlight all aircraft with ‘status’ colors.

Black = interceptors;
Green = patrols;
Blue = units returning home.

Highlight Aircraft: Select this button to highlight all aircraft with ‘status’ colors.

Orange = incoming raids;
Red = outgoing raids.

Toggle on/off Flight Lines: Select this button to play the game with ‘status’ colored boxes and flight lines. This is a useful option for players experiencing very slow Movement Phases. The colors for each side are as follows:

British

Black/White Boxes and Black Lines = interceptors
Green Boxes and Lines = patrols
Blue Boxes = air units returning home

German

Orange Boxes and Lines = incoming fighter sweeps and bomber formations
Orange Boxes only = recon and night intruder formations
Red Boxes = outbound raids

The size of the box also indicates the approximate size of the unit. The larger the box, the more aircraft are in the raid.

Toggle on/off Stragglers: Select this button to toggle on and off units classified as ‘stragglers.’ A straggler is a unit that breaks off from the main element of the raid due to shortage of fuel or damage. Each straggler will be displayed on the map; this feature helps to reduce aircraft clutter by removing them, if you wish. Stragglers, of course, occur for both sides.

Highlight Locations with Anti-Aircraft (AA) Guns: Select this button to highlight all locations that currently have anti-aircraft (AA) guns.

Highlight Locations with Balloon Barrages: Select this button to highlight all locations which currently have balloon barrages.

Highlight Airfields with Air Units (German/British): Select this button to highlight all airfields which currently house air units for the given side. This feature appears only to the player during his Movement Phase.

Toggle on/off Following Bomber Units: Select this button to toggle on and off all non-lead aircraft. This feature helps to reduce aircraft clutter on the map.

Highlight Locations with Current Recon Photos: Select this button to highlight all locations that have a current recon photo (defined as a photo that is either one or two days old.) Any recon photo over two days old is probably not reliable.

Toggle on/off Airfields: Select this button to toggle on and off all airfields. This feature appears only to the attacking player during his Raid Planning Phase.

Toggle on/off Factories: Select this button to toggle on and off all industry, including rail yards and oil storage facilities. This feature appears only to the attacking player during his Raid Planning Phase.

Toggle on/off Ports: Select this button to toggle on and off all ports. This feature appears only to the attacking player during his Raid Planning Phase.

Toggle on/off Radar Sites: Select this button to toggle on and off all radar sites. This feature appears only to the attacking player during his Raid Planning Phase.

Show Urban Areas (and damage): Select this button to show only urban areas. The red circles indicate the actual area of the urban site. Damage sustained to urban blocks outside the red circles has no effect. Damage to urban areas is represented by various hues of yellow: the brighter the yellow, the higher the damage level. Red dots in urban areas represent fires, and these fires mean that damage can spread to adjacent areas and fires can also increase the damage level of the area they are burning in.

Toggle on/off Targeted Sites: Select this button to toggle on and off all targets that have already been selected for attack. This feature appears only to the attacking player during his Raid Planning Phase.

Toggle on/off Cloud Cover: Select this button to toggle on and off clouds.

Toggle on/off Sound Effects: Select this button to toggle on and off game sound effects.

Toggle on/off Music: Select this button to toggle on and off game music.