At the end of the war in Nazi Germany, a very difficult situation occurred with the fuel supply. Brown coal, the only fossil fuel which was abundant in Germany, could not be used to replace the gasoline.

If a solution could be found to this problem, it could radically change the situation on the battle front, and launch a fresh mobile force that would now have the capability of shooting down the tanks and planes which were captured by the advancing Soviet troops.

It was not an uncommon site during the war to see a car stopped near a stack of firewood with a portable chemical reactor running from the trunk to the gas tank with methanol gas being derived from the wood.

From an industrial stand point, methanol could be produced from coal in abundant volumes and was quite cheap, but this type of fuel wasn’t exactly the best for the cars. There are some stories out there that some even tried to fill their fuel tanks with ordinary water. But of course, without much result.

Scientist Victor Shauberg, who spent a long time working on a draft of vortex gas to use on turbine engines running on alcohol, had a little bit of success, but never turned the design into a working vehicle.

Well, apparently, with his travels in Berlin having been besieged by Soviet troops, the main hero of the game, SS officer Detlef Gerhard Mayer will not be able to use an alternative fuel and will have to find some gasoline which is very scarce.

One of Mayer’s co-workers, a wise and sagacious man, stowed away two cans of fuel in his office, which he saved for a rainy day. And, In exchange for the gasoline, he doesn’t require much. His only request is a special pass document to travel from Berlin, signed by Goebbels, the head of propaganda.

To manufacture this pass, Meyer will have a lot to do. He will have to steal an official blank pass out from under the nose of a secretary who never leaves his desk. He will than have to seal it with the symbols of the Third Reich stolen out of locked cabinet. And, most importantly, he has to forge a signature based on an original signature.

Another option is possible where forgery is not required. In the recent days of the war, Goebbels has had to sign so many papers that he puts his signature on documents without paying much attention to what he is signing. Therefore, it may be preferable to try to get the pass signed among a pile of other documents, such as conventional coupons for bread. It would be easier and faster, but on the other hand, it could be much more dangerous because reyhsminister may end up suspecting something. So, the choice is left up to the player.

This is one of the rooms in RSHA (Main Imperial Office of Security) at the end of the war in April of 1945. Under the table is a can of gasoline which Meyer must get. Also, a sculpture of Richard Wagner made by Arno Breaker can be seen. Wagner was a favorite composer of Hitler.

Hitler had his music accompanied by the news from the front, performed at the convention of NSDAP and parades. Breaker was the author of numerous heroic portraits of the party bonzas from the Third Reich. 

The implementation of forging signatures in the game process.

Bread cards imposed by the fascist occupying forces in the territory of Ukraine.

Vortex engine by Victor Shauberger

The game "A Stroke of Fate" will be published in English in Q4 2008. 

Game page at Akella.com, Game Gallery