Major Participants: [jasper] [MarkG] [Ron_] [Kwang] and, not least [DanQ]
Others are in standard black (but bold), I'm afraid.

[jasper] OK we are here to talk about Manifest Destiny
[MarkG] First let me thank Ron for coming hear
[MarkG] Ron is the main man behinf Manifest Destiny
[jasper] Ron here is one of the Games Programmers
[MarkG] The Game
[jasper] Would you like to give us a few lines about your game Ron?
[MarkG] We will try to have the unmoderated
[Ron_] sure
[MarkG] Which means that anyone can talk
[MarkG] but we should ask questions all together 
[Ron_] Okay, MD is a world based strategy game.  The idea is to beat your opponents in an effort to take over the world
[MarkG] but we should NOT :) ask questions all together 
[MarkG] Let's leave the ops "guide" the chat ,ok? Thanks
[Zero_Cool] ok, just so everyone knows, im actually 0cool, from the Ctp section on sidgames.com, but they wouldn't allow 0cool
[Ron_] Taking over the world involves creating cities, massive research, and superior unit design
[Zero_Cool] ok, I know i shouldn't be asking questions but ron, dont u think that the name Manifest Destiny will offend some canadians, with what the term means and all????
[Kwang] what DOES it mean?
[kshah266] is there alot of micromanagement involved?
[Ron_] Research starts with the very basics (fire), and goes through to our future (shields,fusion, etc)
[kshah266] Manifest Destiny was an early term meaning reffering to the invetible expansion of America
[Ron_] Manifest Destiny is a belief that you rule by right, basically
[Jason] Zero: I'm canadian... doesn't bother me
[Kwang] oh yes. remember that. jefferson presidency. blah blah
[Zero_Cool] It is what the United States wanted to do in the late 1800's... They felt that it was fit for the U.S to conquer all of North America
[Ron_] Yes, I often get asked if this has anything to do with early American expansion
[MarkG] One at a time folks!
[Ron_] But it's not the specific incident, it's the *idea* of MD that the title refers to.
[Zero_Cool] alright....
[Jason] MarkG: I suggest you moderate the first bit like with my chat.. gets the basics out of the way
[Kwang] yes. i move for moderated
[Zero_Cool] yeah, i agree
[Ron_] Anyway, should we start with the questions...
[jasper] Ok- combat

---Moderated---

[jasper] How is the combat system different from civII
[Ron_] In many ways
[jasper] btw Ron when u have finished answering a question leave a ...
[MarkG] +m means that the chat is now modereated, please send question to any of any of the ops
[Ron_] For one thing, it's not going to be a matter of two units bumping into each other, with one disappearing
[Ron_] Instead, when two (or more) groups of units engage, the battle will be played out on a "battle VCR"
[Ron_] This will give a blow by blow account of the combat to the players...
[Kwang] will group attacks be allowed?
[Ron_] I'm not sure what you mean by group attacks, but if you mean multiple unit types, definately
[Ron_] a group of units can consist of many different unit types
[jasper] How many different types of units are there?
[Ron_] a typical battle will involve maybe 6 or 7 different types of units on both sides...
[Kwang] i mean two calvary units attack 3 defending phalanxes
[Ron_] The number of types of units is virtually infinate.  Unit types are designed by the players during play, using whatever components they have researched at the time...
[jasper] To go back to kwangs question can u have many units engaged in one battle
[Ron_] Kwang:  Yes, or 2 calvary and 3 infantry defend against 1 enemy cavalry and 4 infantry.  Get it?...
[Kwang] yes
[jasper] Yes- how much control do u have over units in battle?
[Ron_] Okay, this is a PBEM game, so combat is played out *between* turns
[jasper] Can u tell units do something before they enter the fray?
[Ron_] Before going into battle, you set your units combat orders
[jasper] Combat orders such as?..
[Ron_] Then, the computer tries to follow your orders as best it can when it engages the enemy
[Ron_] For example:  Frontal charge.  Fall back.  Retreat, etc.
[jasper] Do units get annhialated?
[Ron_] Units can die, yes...
[jasper] Can both units survive- i.e. do units fight to the death?
[Ron_] Yes, both can survive.  It will be quite common, in fact, to have some portion of both unit groups survive
[jasper] Do u have strength bars a~la civII?
[Ron_] A battle may start with 10 vs 15, and end with 5 vs. 2...
[Ron_] A unit group will have a health bar, yes...
[jasper] Do units recover to full strength?
[Ron_] They can.  Most of them will have to return to a city equipped to repair them first.  Infantry will heal spontaniously...
[jasper] From Jason: Are units of the same type stacked in battle?
[Ron_] Yes...
[Ron_] Wait, I should qualify that
[Ron_] They can be split up, it depends on their orders...
[jasper] From Kwang :How will regeneration work? unit must not do anything for a turn, or can they recover while carrying out orders
[Ron_] Mechanized units will obviously do nothing for a turn.  They will be back in a city, getting repairs
[Ron_] Organic units will probably heal slowly no matter what they do, but they would heal a lot faster in a city, at a hospital, for example
[Ron_] ...
[jasper] What format will the battle VCR take??- & what is its purpose, can't you just get a readong saying how much damage u have taken?
[Ron_] Yeah, you could
[Ron_] But the VCR will give you first hand visual cues as to how powerful the individual enemy units are, how effective yours are, etc.
[jasper] ofcourse- since a unit can be one of an almost infinite type!!
[Ron_] If you see the enemy archers decimating 5 infantry units per turn, that's a lot better information than "15 infantry were killed in the battle"...
[jasper] with infinite unit types wont this get a little confusing?
[Ron_] yes, exactly
[jasper] Are there any more questions about combat?
[Ron_] No, I don't think so. The computer will keep a known enemy unit database for you to peruse, as well as your own...
[jasper] In that case Markos will take over
[MarkG] I guess no other questions
[MarkG] I think we should get back a bit at the beggining