The Interface


                        Status Bar
       At the top of your screen is the status bar. When you select a single unit, the name and type of that unit are displayed in the Status bar, along with some background information on that unit. When multiple units are selected, the names, types, and quantity of units will appear on the status bar. The brief paragraph of descriptive text will not appear.


      On the right edge of the status bar is a large square button, often called the ÒpauseÓ button. If you click this button, you will be given a chance to revert to a saved game, restart the current
level or quit the game entirely. You can access this same menu by pressing the Escape key.

        You can jump to a selected unit by clicking on the unit's portrait in the status bar.

     Also at the right edge of the Status bar is a small triangular button. This controls the overhead map. For more information about the overhead map, see below.

                        Action Window
                        This window consists of everything underneath the status bar. This is your window to the  battlefield, and you can look at different parts of the battlefield by moving the camera. The action window is where all the actual combat takes place.


                        Overhead Map
                        To the right of the ÒpauseÓ button in the status bar is a
                        small triangular wedge. Clicking this wedge toggles the
                        overhead map on and off. You can also toggle the map
                        by hitting your Tab key.

                        The overhead map appears in the upper right corner of
                        the action window. It is a semi-transparent, top-down view
                        of the entire battlefield. Your units appear as green dots.
                        Enemy units appear as red dots. Friendly units
                        (non-player characters like villagers, or teammates in
                        network games) appear as blue dots. A yellow trapezoid
                        denotes your current camera position. The arrow in the
                        trapezoid denotes the direction your camera is facing.

                        Clicking a spot on the overhead map will instantly move
                        your camera to that spot in the Action window. Clicking
                        the right mouse button (Option-click on the Mac) on the overhead map will send your troops to that location. Pressing F9 will display team colors for units on the map.

                        Control Bar
                        The control bar appears at the bottom of the screen. It can be toggled on and off by pressing  shift + F6.

        On the left of the control bar is the Whisper button, which you can use to type private
  messages to your teammates during network games. The Stop button will halt a moving unit the Hold button will cause selected units to stand guard. 

        The Scatter button sends selected units scurrying away from their current location; the Retreat button will cause them to run from the nearest enemy. The Special button will allow the unit to use its Special Ability, if it has one.

      To the right of these keys are formation buttons. Clicking one of these buttons and then clicking on the ground will assemble selected units in the appropriate formation.

      A melee unit set to Hold it will maintain it's position. A projectile unit set to Hold will fire a anything in range, but will move around if attacked.


       Note that all of these commands have keyboard equivalents, which are discussed in detail  later in this manual.

                         Keys
                         Please note that you can change the commands assigned to the keyboard in the Preferences menu. The keyboard commands mentioned in this section are just the default settings; we like them, but youÕre free to change them.

                         Camera
         Myth IIÕs advanced 3D engine allows you to move the camera independently of your units.
Clever players will exploit this feature to see as much of the landscape - and the enemyÕs forces - as possible.

                               Forward/Back
                               These keys move your camera back and forth in a straight line. The default
                               Forward key is W. The default Back key is S.

                               Left/Right
                               These keys move your camera sideways while keeping it pointed straight
                               ahead. The default Left key is Z. The default Right key is X.

                               Orbit Left/Orbit Right
                               These keys keep your camera trained on a
                               single spot while making a full 360-degree
                               circle around it. The default Orbit Left key is
                               Q. The default Orbit Right key is E.

                               Rotate Left/Rotate Right
                               When using these keys, your camera remains
                               in the same spot but your point of view moves
                               sideways across the landscape.

                              Stand in one spot and turn your head from side to side for an idea of how
                              this looks.) The default Rotate Left key is A. The default Rotate Right key is
                              D.

                              Zoom In/Zoom Out
                              You can zoom the camera in to get a better look at the bloody remains of
                              your enemies, and zoom back out to get a look at the battlefield around you.
                              The default Zoom In key is C. The default Zoom Out key is V. 

                              Center
                              You can center the camera over a selected group of units by hitting H.

                        Mouse
                        You can also use the mouse to move the camera
                        back, forward, left and right. Using the mouse, move
                        your cursor to one of the four edges of the screen; the
                        camera will move in that direction. You can also orbit
                        the camera by pushing the mouse to the lower
                        left/right corners of the action window, or rotate it by
                        moving the mouse to the upper left/right corners.
                        If you're accustomed to the mouse controls in Myth:
                        The Fallen Lords and don't want the corners to rotate
                        the camera, go to the preferences and turn off mouse
                        controlled camera rotation.

                        Function Keys
                        The function keys at the top of your keyboard have the
                        ability to modify some of MythÕs preferences on the fly,
                        while you are playing the game.



                              F1 - Slows the game to half-speed, in case youÕre feeling overwhelmed (this
                              only works in the single player game and while viewing films).

                              F2 - Increases game speed to a maximum of 16 times normal speed.

                              F3 - Turns the sound volume up. 



                               F4 - Turns the sound volume down.

                               F5 - Toggles between high-resolution and low-resolution (which works well if
                               you donÕt have a 3D accelerator card or a fast processor).

                               F6 - Toggles the status box at the top of the screen on/off.

                               Shift + F6 - Toggles the control bar on/off.

                               F7 - Brings up stats during multiplayer games.

                               F8 - Brings up list of keys and their functions.

                               F9 - Toggles team colors on the overhead map (netgames only).

                               F10 - Highlights all of your visible units.

                               F11 - Turns landscape filtering on/off.

                               F12- Toggles the Auto Camera on/off.


                            Selecting shift while clicking a function key sets that attribute to its maximum value. For  example, shift + F3 turns the sound off, while shift + F4 increases the volume to 100%


             While playing Myth II, you will command a wide variety of units. A description of the units, including their individual attacks and special abilities, can be found later in this manual. This section concentrates on unit attributes and the commands you will use to manage these units.

                         Selecting Units
      Before you can give your troops orders, you must learn how to select them.

                         Selecting Individual Units
                         To select a single unit, click it once. A yellow box will appear around this unit. While the yellow box is visible, this unit will actively respond to your commands.

                         Selecting Multiple Units
                         To select all nearby units of a given type (for example, all of your archers), double-click on one unit of that type. While these units are selected, they will respond as a group to any commands you give them.



                        You can select multiple units of different types
                        (for example, one Dwarf and two Warriors) by
                        Shift-clicking: hold down the Shift key and
                        click on each individual unit to select them.
                        You can also de-select a unit by Shift-clicking
                        on it, or by hitting the Deselect key. The
                        default Deselect key is the Backquote/Tilde
                        key (~).

                        You can also select multiple units with a
                        technique known as Òband selection.Ó Click
                        and hold the mouse button on spot on the
                        ground, then drag the cursor across the screen
                        while holding down the button. A yellow box
                        will appear onscreen, growing and shrinking as
                        it follows the cursorÕs movement. When you
                        release the mouse button, all of your units
                        within the yellow box will be selected.

                        You can select all of your visible units by hitting the Select All key. The default Select All key is Enter/Return. Pressing the select all key again will deselect all units.

                        Preset Selections
                        Myth II allows you to easily create custom preset groups of mixed types (i.e. 2 Archers, 2 Dwarves and 6 Berserks). Assigning presets is like setting stations on a car stereo. Select the units and hit Alt (on PCs) or Command (on Macs) and one of the ten number keys to create a custom preset. Make sure you hold the Alt/Command and number keys for a second or two for the preset to Òset.Ó From that point on, you can select all units in that preset by hitting
 Alt/Command and the number you assigned to it. You can cycle through presets using the F key, and clear them using the Delete key.

                        Unit Attributes


                        Names
                        Each unit has a name, which you can change by selecting the unit and 
                        hitting the N key. 

                        Allegiance
                        You can tell whether a unit is friend or foe by selecting it and noting the color of the rectangle around the unit.


                               Yellow - Yellow is used to denote allied units. You can control any troops
                               that have a yellow selection border.

                               Red - Units with a red selection border are enemy units. Your troops will
                               automatically attack any enemy units that come within range.

                               Blue - Blue denotes both neutral units and uncontrollable units, such as
                               peasants, ambient life or units controlled by a teammate.

                         Health
                         When a unit is selected, a vertical bar appears
                         to the right of the yellow box. This bar
                         measures the health of that unit. A full green
                         bar signifies a healthy unit. As units take
                         damage this bar will shrink and turn yellow
                         (moderately damaged) or red (heavily
                         damaged). When the bar reaches the bottom
                         the unit is dead.

                         You can check the health of any unit simply
                         by placing the cursor over them. You can also
                         check the health of all of your units on screen
                         by pressing and holding F10.


                            Journeymen have the Special Ability to heal wounded units. To heal a unit select the  journeyman, hit T, and click on an injured unit. Each time you heal someone one of your  journeyman's six roots will be used 

                         Experience
                         Individual units gain experience for every enemy unit they kill. When an experienced unit is selected, every kill that unit has made will be represented in the Status bar by a shield (or a  skull, if the unit belongs to the Dark). Experienced units attack faster and with greater  accuracy.

                         Commanding Units


                         Moving
                         Select a unit, then click on a spot of ground. The unit will move to that spot and await further  orders.



                        Moving Troops Using The Overhead Map
                        You can order your troops to move anywhere on the visible portion of the overhead map by selecting the units and right-clicking (PC) or pressing option and clicking (Mac) on the overhead map.

                        Waypoints
                        Waypoints are a somewhat advanced technique that
                        lets you tell your troops what route to take to their
                        destination. With a group of troops selected,
                        designate waypoints by holding the shift key while
                        clicking on the ground. Yellow circles will appear,
                        indicating the path your troops will take. You can
                        designate up to four waypoints before clicking on
                        the unit's final destination.

                        Patrolling
                        You can make your troops patrol waypoints in one of
                        two ways. After setting up to four waypoints, while
                        still holding down the Shift key, click on the first
                        point you designated. Units will travel the points of
                        the route and circle back to the first one, cycling indefinitely. Conversely, after setting the points you can click on the last point, and units will stop at each end of the route, reverse direction, and travel back, cycling indefinitely.

                        Stopping
                        To immediately stop a selected unit or group, hit the Stop key. The default Stop key is the Spacebar.

                        Attacking
                        Select a unit, or units, then click on an enemy unit. A red box will flash around the enemy, indicating you have targeted him. Your unit will attack the enemy unit until he is killed, the enemy is killed, or you give him other instructions. Units that use projectile attacks, such as
                Dwarves or bowmen, may actually need to move back if their target is too close.


                                 Sometimes itÕs useful to have a projectile unit attack a piece of ground. For example, if enemy forces are storming right over the carpet of satchel charges your  Dwarves placed earlier. To do this, select the unit, hold down the Control key, and click the spot on the ground you wish to attack.



                         Holding
                         When you move a unit to a certain area, he will stay there and await further instructions -  unless he is attacked, in which case he will chase down his attacker. If you would like a unit to move to a spot and remain there no matter what, use the Holding function. Select a unit,  click the spot where you want him to stay, then hit the Hold key. He will stay rooted to the spot
            Note: if a projectile unit is attacked, he will not stay in place, but will retreat to a safe distance and open fire.

                         Scattering
                         It is often useful to scatter a tightly
                         clustered group of units when they come
                         under attack from dwarves or other
                         enemies with massive destructive
                         potential. To quickly scatter a group of
                         units, select them and hit your Scatter key.
                         The default Scatter key is B.

                         Retreating
                         Sometimes fighting to the death is not an
                         option...not a smart option anyway. Select
                         a unit or group of units and hit your
                         Retreat key; they will retreat from the
                         nearest enemy. The default Retreat key is
                         R.

                         Unit Orientation and Facing
                         ItÕs important to control the direction your units are facing. Formations are oriented by the  direction in which characters are facing, and units looking the wrong way will die quickly if an enemy approaches from the rear. 
  For this reason, you can control their facing by selecting a formation and hitting the left or  right arrow key to rotate the entire formation to the left or right. Even before units have arrived at the area you come to form up, you can fine-tune the direction theyÕll face when they get there.
                         Unit Facing
                         Select a unit, hold the mouse button, and drag in the direction it should face.


                        Formation Facing
                        Select a unit, or units, then click on the
                        ground with the right mouse button (PC) or
                        option + click (Mac), and drag in the direction
                        you want them to face.

                        Formations
                        Formations are incredibly important in Myth II:
                        Soulblighter. Orienting your troops in different
                        formations allows you to strike effectively,
                        rather than as a mob. You will need to learn
                        how to use formations if you expect to hold
                        your own in a network game.


                                        You can edit parameters for your formations in Fear.
                                           See the Fear documentation for more info.


                        There are ten preset formations which correspond to the ten number keys at the top of your
                        keyboard. Following is a description of each.

                                     1 - Short Line: Units will line up four abreast.

                                     2 - Long Line: Units will line up eight abreast.

                                     3 - Loose Line: Units will line up four abreast, but spaced widely.

                                     4 - Staggered Line: Units will assume a staggered line.

                                     5 - Box: Units will move in a perfect square.

                                     6 - Rabble: Units spread out in random positions.

                                     7 - Shallow Encirclement: Units are in a wide, shallow arc.

                                     8 - Deep Encirclement: A tighter, smaller arc.

                                     9 - Vanguard: A V-shaped formation.

                                     0 - Circle: Units form...er...a circle, facing outward.

                        Special Abilities

                        Certain units have special abilities in addition to their standard attacks. To use a unitÕs  special ability, select the unit and press the special ability button on the control bar, or press the special ability key. The default special ability key is T.  In certain cases, you will also need to select another unit, object or piece of ground as a target for the special action. A description of each unitÕs special ability can be found later in this manual.

                        Fire
                        In certain missions bowmen are equipped with a single fire arrow, which is lit by pressing the Special button on the menu bar, or the T key. Fire will spread differently depending on ground conditions (wet or rocky terrain is unaffected, while dry grass will ignite almost immediately) and damage or kill troops. Troops will avoid running through fire - using it  strategically means not giving them the choice.


                          Besides direct attacks and herding the enemy like so many sheep, there are numerous secondary uses of fire, such as preemptively burning the ground under your own feet to   prevent the enemy from doing so in the heat of battle, or using your flame arrows to ignite enemy satchel charges from a safe distance.


                                        Magic
                                        Unlike the finite number of spells available in Myth: The Fallen Lords,
                                        magic-using units in Myth II: Soulblighter have a a blue mana bar over
                                        their heads which is depleted with spell-casting (but replenishes over
                                        time), for unlimited spell usage. 

                                        Magic units have a Primary and Secondary spell. The Primary is their
                                        default attack; the Secondary is activated with the Special key. The
                                        default special key is T.

                                         

                        Weather and its Effect on Battle

                        As you progress through the game, youÕll be forced to fight in what might politely be termed Òadverse conditions.Ó Sometimes there is no choice but to fight in rain or snow, and these conditions will have a serious effect on your chances of survival.

 On the snow and desert levels you can hunt down your enemies by  following their tracks.

 Rain has a way of putting out fires - especially the fires that make your DwarvesÕ grenades  work. If youÕre caught in a snowstorm, youÕll find that gusts of wind have a tendency to blow
your archer's arrows off-course.

                        YouÕll need to anticipate the possible effects of severe weather if you expect to survive.



                        Saving and Viewing Replays

                        At the end of a game, when you return to the main menu you will have the option to View a replay. Viewing a replay allows you to move your camera around freely while a complete record of your game plays out. Replays are an excellent tool for studying the strategies your opponents have used against you. They also allow you to gloat when you destroy a segment of your opponentÕs army in a particularly gruesome or amusing fashion.


                        When watching a replay, you can speed up the action by hitting F2 or slow it down by hitting F1. Another great feature to try during replays is also the AutoCamera (F12) which moves the camera automatically to where the action is on the battlefield.


                        When you click on the Replay Saved Film option, youÕll be taken to the Replay Options screen.

                              Saved Films
                              A list of all the films available for viewing.

                              View Film
                              View a replay of the selected game.

                              Delete Film
                              Deletes the film from your hard drive.

                              Replay Last Film
                              Replays the film of your most recent game.

                              Save Last Film
                              Saves the most recent film to disk under the file name of your choice.

                              Rename Film
                              Allows you to change the name of an existing film.