Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
I
November 1991 Number 88
Taking a Peek
JIGSAW: It seems like there are plenty of and Gemballa Mirage. One can look
computer puzzle programs out for tots under the hood, check out the interior,
the trick is "piecing together" which one compare two cars side-by-side and other-
has the best features. With The Beren- wise peruse these pricey chariots. IBM
stain Bears, players can have a choice ($19.95). Circle Reader Service #4.
of 8-, 15-, 40- and 60-piece puzzles to
EXOTIC CAR SHOWROOM & SUPER
build with an optional sound toggle to in-
CAR PACK: Everything mentioned
dicate when a piece has been place cor-
above, plus Electronic Arts' Ferrari For-
rectly. Unfortunately, none of the puzzles
mula One (pictured) and Accolade's
were pictured in the documentation, so
Grand Prix Circuit. Essentially, one can
kids will have to hunt around and remem-
do more than just look around the show-
ber file names to find their favorites.
room with the inclusion of these two
Parents will have to stay close to help
popular driving simulators included in
with all of the small-typeface DOS fea-
this trilogy pack. In Ferrari Formula
tures that have to be dealt with between
One, the player designs and fine-tunes
puzzles as well. For ages four to ten. IBM
his car before racing it on the test track
($24.95). Circle Reader Service #3.
and 16 grand prix courses. Grand Prix
Capstone Entertainment Software Circuit is a straight speed and tight turn
Miami, FL driving simulator among the best of
them. IBM ($59.95). Circle #5.
EXOTIC CAR SHOWROOM: The name
says it all. This software package is not a DigiTek Software
driving simulator and is not an expan- 1916 Twisting Lane
sion disk for one. It is, quite simply, a Wesley Chapel, Fl 33543
showroom database of graphics and (813) 973-7733
statistics for exotic cars. Among the fif-
BIG BUSINESS: For everyone tired of
teen cars on display are the De Tomaso
serious business simulators which ex-
Pantera, Acura NSX, Lotus Turbo Esprit
Taking a Peek
A date on which
Microprose Software
filed the papers necessary to
entertainment software-
oriented corporations. Major
retailers Babbages and Egg-
Microprose IPO or the an-
nual report of any of the
other companies listed in this
teractive exhibit is a Tandy
4025 LX file server.
Those visitors who want to
release an initial public offer- head trade at a P/E of rough- report, but the good news for experience an interactive
ing of two million shares of ly 16, while Sierra trades at consumers is that "replay" of a space mission
common stock. Anticipating a a P/E of approximately 13, Microprose is making long- may be somewhat disap-
maximum price of $9.00 per Electronic Arts had a recent term plans to remain a major pointed, however. The exhibit
share, the optimal capitaliza- P/E of 22 and computer player in the entertainment is designed as a vehicle for al-
tion of the public offering be- software as a whole was at 23. software industry. The IPO lowing visitors to take a trivia
comes $18 million. The should warrant enough as-
Of course, P/E is only one quiz based on the Soviet
prospectus makes clear the surance to put to rest those
measurement used by inves- Space exhibition which they
necessity for a cash infusion questions consumers have
tors and does not reflect the would have just viewed.
of up to $18 million in order been asking about the sur-
situations of companies like Radio Shack also provides a
to clear up residual debt re- viveability of Microprose.
Mediagenic, Software Tool- Radio Shack/Soviet Space
lated to the poorly received
works and Spinnaker that, certificate as a souvenir for all
coin-op venture. Microprose Radio Shack Spon-
while publicly held, do not visitors who take the quiz.
incurred considerable debt
have earnings to plug into the
sors Mission Con-
from the the capital expendi- trol Exhibit CGW Apologizes for
equation. Mediagenic was
tures required to launch the
"delisted" as a publicly traded Radio Shack has created Review/Preview Con-
coin-op division and the cur-
rent cash infusion should
security because NASDAQ an interactive replica of fusion
believed it had insufficient NASA's Mission Control Cen-
retire the residual debt, insure In the September issue of
capital to meet obligations; ter as part of the Soviet
continued cash flow/viability CGW (1186), a "Sneak
Spinnaker has been carrying Space exhibit, on display in
and spin off the coin-op Preview" comparison of Earl
a 108% debt load and Fort Worth, TX until January
division into a separate cor- Weaver Baseball II and Tony
Software Toolworks is 1, 1992. Soviet Space is a dis-
poration. La Russa's Ultimate
weathering two quarters of play of artifacts and models
Offering the Microprose Baseball was erroneously
severe losses. from the Soviet space pro-
common stock at $9.00 per printed as a comparative
Astute readers will want to gram, ranging from a replica review. CGW regrets the con-
share would place the of Sputnik 1 through an ac-
examine the prospectus fusion, since it is the
securities at a price-to earn- tual four-ton telescope and all
before making any invest- magazine's policy to print a
ings ratio (P/E) of 14. This the way to a space motor- "Sneak Preview" when work-
ing from software that is still
in progress and to only label
an article as a review if the
writer is working from final
software. Readers who are in-
terested in either game
should be warned that the ar-
ticle was written while the
author was working with ex-
tremely early software (of the
crash, burn and die variety)
and that more definitive judg-
ments on the software will be
printed in the magazine as
the programs hit the market.
Please see the actual review
of Tony La Russa's Ultimate
Baseball in this issue and the
upcoming review of Earl
Weaver Baseball II when the
game actually hits the shelf.
Although the editor keeps ap-
pealing to the official scorer
that this was a "tough
chance," we simply must
score this one a big "E."
Industry News
the genre of computer adventure games, about to begin. Jon Freeman and
but it became a commercial game in its Automated Simulations (eventually to be-
own right. It not only became the packaged come Epyx) published Starship: Orion in
game Colossal Cave, but it inspired some '79 and began work on The Temple of Ap-
classic adventure series. shai, a role-playing game in the tradition of
One such inspirational event was when the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper
Ken Williams brought home a terminal game. The same year saw Richard Garriott
which only printed hardcopy. Roberta Wil- (soon to become Lord British) sell zip-lock
liams played the original Adventure on that packages of Akalabeth, a predecessor to
the Ultima series and Scott Adams unleash
terminal, anxiously waiting for the
mainframe to print out the results of her a torrent of text adventures on the market.
In fact, Akalabeth sold so well that Garriott
last command, and credits the playing ex-
started writing the initial Ultima in the fall
perience as providing part of the inspiration
for her games. In addition, a group of M.I.T. of 1979, while still a freshman at the Univer-
sity of Texas.
hackers (including Marc Blanc, Joel Berez
and others) began to create a text adven- Other companies, like now-defunct
ture called Zork which owed its original in- Quality Software, produced games like
spiration to Adventure and went its mentor Beneath Apple Manor, a low-resolution
one better by creating a parser that could maze game in which players looked for a
understand complete sentences. Zork was golden apple hidden in the basement of an
not actually available on a home computer old mansion, and Joel Billings, founder of
until 1981 when the hackers' new com- Strategic Simulations, Inc., tried to sell the
pany, Infocom, released the game for the idea for a computer wargame to both
Apple II. Avalon Hill and newly-founded Automated
Simulations.
Ironically, Billings was to found his own
company, publish Computer Bismarck and
become involved with Avalon Hill in a legal
By the mid-seventies, garners were pop- dispute over how close Computer Bis-
ping up nearly anywhere there were com- marck actually was to Avalon Hill's own Bis-
puters. In 1975, boardgame publisher SPI marck boardgame. Nevertheless, Billings'
used their in-house business computer to venture must have struck a nerve, since
test the economic model for their upcoming Avalon Hill was publishing a full line of com-
monster game, War in the East. War in puter games by 1980.
the East was not a computer game, but it Another interesting fact about Computer
anticipated the origin of computer war- Bismarck is that Joel borrowed a Northstar
games on home computers by functioning computer from Amdahl Corporation (where
as something of a computer assistance pro- he worked) and expected that he and John
gram. Indeed, by 1979, SPI was advertising drew the pictures, Ken figured out how to
Lyon would program the game on the
for independent submissions of such com- pack seventy images per diskette (using a
Northstar. At that time, Trip Hawkins (who
puter assistance programs to help players draw-and-fill technique). The game sold well
was then a marketing executive at Apple)
handle the prodigious bookkeeping neces- enough that Ken and Roberta parlayed the
convinced Joel and John that the Apple II
sary to play the company's massive and profits into three more successful games:
had better graphics potential and would
complex boardgames. The Wizard and the Princess, Mission:
reach more customers than the Northstar
Asteroid and Time Zone.
At CalTech in 1976, Walter Bright started could. The irony is that Trip Hawkins is
using FORTRAN-10 to write the original Em- now the chairman of the board of While On-Line Systems (Sierra's original
pire, a relatively simple wargame dealing Electronic Arts and Electronic Arts both name) was just beginning to take off,
with conquering the surface territory of en- owns interest in and distributes the another major player was establishing itself.
tire planets. Later, Mark Baldwin updated products of SSI. Attorney Doug Carlston had become
the program (writing it in C) and added burned out on practicing law and was be-
some features like destroyer escorts and a coming enamored with his TRS-80 com-
mouse-driven interface. Then it was publish- puter. He designed a space opera-style
ed by Interstel as a best-selling game for game called Galactic Saga in which many
personal computers. of the locations had African names
(Afrikaans, Swahili, etc.). There was a
During the same period, Chris Crawford group of merchants in the game known as
was teaching physics at a small community the "Broederbond," Afrikaans for "associa-
college in Nebraska. In 1976, he took some tion of brothers." When Doug's brother
maps from Avalon Hill's Panzer Leader, Gary started successfully hawking the
some lead miniatures of armored vehicles game from computer store to computer
and some of his own FORTRAN code and store, they immediately thought of em-
created a tank game for the school's IBM By 1980, when Billings and Lyon were phasizing the family aspect of the business.
1130. With typical Crawford humor, he developing Computer Bismarck, Ken and
called the game Wargy and unveiled it at a Roberta Williams laid the foundations for a
wargame convention during the winter new genre, the graphic adventure game.
months. That program also spawned a com- The first hi-res adventure was Mystery
mercial version, Avalon Hill's Tanktics a House. Roberta was inspired by Agatha That's when Broderbund got its start. How-
computer-assisted boardgame. Christie's Ten Little Indians (as well as the ever, since Doug had spent some time in
game Clue) and decided to bring the ex- South Africa (in fact, was once ousted be-
perience to the computer. Ken had pur- cause he dared to teach at an integrated
chased a graphics tablet that allowed Rober- school in Botswana); there was actually a
ta to draw images on the pad and save group known in South Africa as the
So, by 1979 and 1980, a revolution was them as graphic files. Then, after Roberta "broederbond" (who were not especially
History
good guys) and Doug and Gary felt that What this obsession did to Infocom in the vival when more "colorful" publications
using the Afrikaans spelling would have im- latter part of the '80s can be read later in were dying.
plied support for the repressive South this article.
African regime, they adopted the variant Speaking of colorful, unbeknownst to
spelling "Broderbund," which is still in use. CGW staffers, a significant encounter took
place in the summer of 1982 that was to
By the summer of 1980, a familiar name cause considerable waves in the entertain-
in wargaming circles had entered the ment software industry. Neither "Wild Bill"
microcomputer arena. It was at the Origins In 1981, another entertainment software
Stealey, a strategic planner for a major Bal-
National Game Convention held in Chester, company appeared, almost by magic.
timore corporation, nor Sid Meier, a com-
Pennsylvania that the Avalon Hill Game When Robert Woodhead was hired fresh
puter systems analyst for the same firm,
Company (publishers of boardgame-style out of Cornell by a New York- and
knew of each other. However, during a
wargames since 1958) unveiled its initial Canadian-based concrete business, he was
break in a company meeting at the (then)
five titles: B-1 Nuclear Bomber, Midway not hired to write computer games. He was
MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, the two
Campaign, North Atlantic Convoy hired to computerize the accounting system met over a coin-op game called "Red
Raiders, Nukewar and Planet Miners. of Fred Sirotek's construction company. He Baron" (no relation to the game of the
proved himself to be such a hot program-
Although Zork did not arrive on the Apple same name from Sierra/Dynamix).
mer that he was able to convince Fred to
II until 1981, its birth was more properly underwrite the publication of a fantasy role- The coin-op game used wire-framed
part of the '70s. In the mid-1970s, playing game to be designed by himself graphics to depict World War I aircraft and
Infocom's eventual braintrust (Marc Blank, and his friend, Andrew Greenberg. In 1981, the player sat in a console cabinet as he
Joel Berez and Dave Lebling) met at Sir-Tech Software (a pun on the Sirotek tried to shoot down the enemy planes with
M.I.T.'s Laboratory of Computer Science. In- family name, the medieval era that their his unlimited ammunition supply. As a
spired by the original Adventure, Blank flagship products are based in and an ab- former fighter pilot, "Wild Bill" was challeng-
and Lebling designed a mainframe adven- breviation for technology) published ing all comers.
ture game. Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad
Imagine Major Bill's (now, Lt. Col. Bill's)
It wasn't just any adventure game, how- Overlord. The publication was a tremen-
chagrin when a mere programmer came
ever. The goal of the game's designers was dous success and the Wizardry series
along and beat the fighter veteran's high
to allow the computer to understand more remains, along with the Ultima series, one
scores. Imagine his interest when Sid Meier,
typical English sentences than the simplis- of the benchmarks of computer role-play-
said programmer, began to explain the
tic and often infuriating two-word parser of ing. (Both series are ready to birth their
game's rudimentary programming and
previous adventure games. So, Marc Blank seventh installments at the time of this writ-
showed how to predict the simple moves
applied his artificial intelligence work and ing.)
used regularly by the game's enemy pilots.
created ZIL (Zork Interactive Language), a Then Sid boldly said that he could design a
"parser" which allowed the program to find A.C.G.W. better game in one week on his home com-
associations between sentences and, hence, puter.
By the Winter of 1981, computer gaming
better understand what the player wanted
had become a full-fledged hobby when no Anyone who knows Bill Stealey knows
to do.
less than three magazines were launched in that he is not the kind of person to let a
Students at M.I.T. responded so favorably order to provide information for the bur- challenge go unanswered. So Bill said he
to the mainframe version of Zork that a geoning industry: Softline magazine (as- could sell the game if Sid could write it. As
professor at the institute, Al Vezza, en- sociated with both Softalk magazine and it turns out, it took two months for Sid to
couraged the group to form a corporation. On-Line Systemsnow Sierraand partially come up with a game he was happy with,
On June 22, 1979, the professor and his funded with Margot Tommervik's winnings but by the time Bill completed his first
star pupils (Berez, Blank and Lebling) from an appearance on the Password sales call, Hellcat Ace was a success. The
formed Infocom for the express purpose of television show), Electronic Games and first store Bill stopped at purchased 50
developing Zork for the personal computer Computer Entertainment (published by copies. Becoming a full-Fledged publisher
market. Its success was followed by Reese Publications out of New York City) was inevitable.
Starcross (a science fiction adventure and Computer Gaming World (founded by
which came packaged in its own flying Russell Sipe and funded by a closely held When the company started, toward the
saucer) and two Zork sequels (Zork II and group of visionary shareholders). Eventual- end of 1982, it was not originally slated to
Zork Ill). ly, Softline was to die along with its parent be named MicroProse. One idea was to call
magazine Softalk and Electronic Games it "Smugger's Software," in deference to Sid
At first, the company seemed very as an oblique reference to a S.M.U.G. (Sid
(which emphasized the action games as-
focused on producing quality interactive fic- Meier's Users Group). They finally agreed
sociated with video cartridge systems as
tion and designers like Stu Galley, Steve on MicroProse with the intent of making a
much as it emphasized computer games)
Meretzky and Brian Moriarty were added to double pun. The company was to publish
was to suffer from the cartridge industry's
the cast. Games like Deadline, Planetfall, the work of micro-professionals and their
decline. Computer Gaming World is now
Suspended and Witness followed (1983). art was to be comparable to excellent prose.
the world's oldest computer game
Yet, Blank, Berez and Vezza had a hidden
magazine and has managed to weather the In 1987, MicroProse agreed to change its
agenda that was already beginning to
video game market crash (when Atari VCS name to avoid legal difficulties with Micro-
foreshadow changes at the company. Their
owners became bored with the capabilities Pro International, the publisher of
goal was to move from games to produc-
tivity tools. of their machines because all the games Wordstar. They were given two years to
had become the same) because Sipe took change the name and, just before the name
Actually, many people do not realize that a more conservative approach that com- change was required, MicroPro identified
the founders of Infocom were not entirely in- bined a focus on the floppy disk-based com- themselves more closely with their flagship
terested in computer games. Most did not puter game market with its more adult (and product, changing their name to Wordstar
even like personal computers. Instead, they stable) consumer base and cautious distribu- International. By the turn of the decade,
were business-oriented and hoped to "make tion aimed at strategic outlets. Steven Levy MicroProse would claim two other labels:
it big" like their friends and classmates who (author of the best-selling Hackers) once Microplay and Medalist.
founded Lotus Development. The idea of described CGW as a "staid publication" that
producing a business-oriented database be- "eschews flash for substance." Indeed, it is The 1982 encounter between Sid Meier
came an obsession, as did the later move probably this serious approach to a hobby and Bill Stealey spawned MicroProse, but
to luxury accommodations in Cambridge. that many would deem frivolous that ac- the 1982 San Francisco Applefest was to
Vezza was determined to out-Lotus Lotus. counts for Computer Gaming World's sur- birth an even larger West Coast publisher.
Originally slated to be "Amazing Software,"
History
this company took on the more appropriate enamored with technology (special effects, Indeed, the computer game industry was
appellation Electronic Arts. Electronic Arts new sound techniques and film sizes), tar- caught in the confusion of the cartridge
didn't even have a booth at the 1982 Ap- gets (positioning, packaging and distribut- crash. As a smaller industry, though, it did
plefest, but they put on the best "show." A ing), talent (box office recognition), trends not have as far to fall as Colecovision, In-
special bus took industry professionals to (fads and topicality) and themes (story), tellivision and Atari VCS manufacturers
the Stanford Court Hotel where "The Woz" software publishers must be concerned with and publishers. The major disk-based
(then an EA board member) was holding hardware trends and capability, marketing, software publishers managed to survive,
court as the main speaker, a rock band artistic growth, consumer interest and but many smaller players who simply pub-
was thundering forth with dance music and playability/credibility. The tensions between lished computer versions of cartridge
coin-op arcade machines had been rigged art and commercial success are just as games disappeared.
for unlimited play. prevalent in the computer game industry as
Lucasfilm Games managed to translate
Russell Sipe, as both editor and publisher they are in film, recording or broadcast
Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus to the
of CGW, and Al and Margot Tommervik, media.
Atari 400/800 for 1985 release from Epyx.
founders of Softalk and Softline, shared a Today, the software publishers that are This gave programmers like David Fox the
taxi to the party (talk about friendly com- having the most impact on the market are time to accomplish some of the most intri-
petition) and originally thought that the so- those publishers that understand themsel- cate finishing touches ever in a computer
cial event was bigger than it was. It seems ves as entertainment studios and perceive game. He videotaped transition screens
the brain trust of computer game jour- the various talents they have assembled from Fractalus in order to correct a flicker
nalism had to circumvent a Nob Hill around projects as part of a creative team. he had detected in the game by viewing it
rally/parade which was staged in prepara- As of this writing, "The New Hollywood" is frame-by-frame.
tion for the Cal-Stanford game to be held almost as literal as it is figurative in that
on the following afternoon. Regardless, the Today, Lucasfilm Games is one of the
many talents in screenwriting, animation,
party created an image that was consistent legacies of the early era of home cartridge
musical composition and even acting have
with the vision which was to drive games. In 1984, a group of ex-cartridge
moved into the computer game industry.
Electronic Arts: success, entertainment and designers decided to form another, Ac-
technology. colade. Bob Whitehead and Alan Miller
Crash Go the Carts were unhappy with the direction Activision
Trip Hawkins, former Director of Market- In 1983, there were 25 million videogame had been going since it went public on
ing for Apple's LISA, had a vision of gather- machines in the United States (mostly Atari June 14, 1983. Alan and Bob were quickly
ing artists together and following a new VCS). In early 1983, the coin-op arcade tiring of the corporate games and decided
paradigm in developing entertainment market experienced an inexplicable slump. to form their own company, a company
software. Originally, the paradigm seemed In three short months, the "coin eaters" founded by programmers for programmers.
more based on the recording industry (even went on a consumer-enforced diet that cut
the album-jacketed products offered this the market by almost 90%. By 1984, even
subliminal suggestion) where artists worked the home videogame market was dead.
on their own creative agendas, signed con-
tracts for specific products and received Before the crash, however, Atari made a
When the company was officially formed
technological and marketing assistance grant that was to have significant impact on
in December of 1984, Al Miller wanted to
from the "studio." The vision was under- computer game history. At the height of make sure that the name of the new com-
scored in one of the company's earliest ad- Atari's power, the company underwrote the
pany would come before Activision when-
vertisements. The banner headline was "We founding of Lucasfilm Games. Although
ever the two companies were listed in al-
See Farther." The first line of copy was the grant was presented in 1982, it took phabetical order. So he searched the diction-
"Software Artists?" In one image-making ad- two years of development for the new com- ary to find a name which would precede Ac-
vertisement, Trip Hawkins molded his pany to bring its first two products, Rescue tivision. They became enamored with Ac-
vision around computer game designers as on Fractalus and Ballblazer, to the point colade because the idea of applause and
performing artists. of release.
approval appealed to their artistic natures.
Peter Langston was very well known in The truth was, neither Whitehead nor Miller
the computer division of Lucasfilm as their wanted to be president of the company. So
UNIX guru and he instantly became head of they began a search for a suitable president
the games group. He was the logical choice with high-tech experience.
to head the new games division, since he They initially offered the presidency to
believed in the future of computer entertain-
Tom Lopez, an Activision veteran who even-
) ment, but he was not the kind of market-
tually founded the Microsoft CD-ROM
driven executive that was likely to hurry the division and, after he declined the position,
The Electronic Arts mystique convinced products to market. In fact, the entire to Allen Epstein, an ex-Activision
many of the early professionals: Dan Bun- division was more technologically oriented employee who was working in venture capi-
ten (M.U.L.E. and Seven Cities of Gold), than game-oriented because they saw all tal. Epstein is the current president and
Bill Budge (Pinball Construction Set), Jon the game work as being primarily research CEO, but he originally passed on taking the
Freeman, Anne Westfall and Paul Reiche III and development. By 1984, however, position, as well. So Accolade's first presi-
(Archon and Murder on the Zinderneuf) profitability had become a primary concern dent came from one of Nolan Bushnell's
and Chris Crawford (Patton vs. Rommel), and the company hired Steve Arnold, then Catalyst companies.
as well as many of the early developers an Atari V.P., to help the company learn to
who became successful publishers in their pull its own weight. Tom Frisina stepped directly from his
own rights (Dynamix, Interplay and Lucas- responsibilities at a company developing
Unfortunately, just as Ballblazer and Res- robots for consumers to the management
film). cue on Fractalus were nearing release as of Accolade's business affairs. It seemed
Later, Trip Hawkins unveiled the cartridge games, Sam Tramiel purchased like a natural for a robotics president to run
metaphor that underscores the studio era Atari. Since Atari had planned to publish
a company founded by the author of
which has pervaded not only Electronic the games, these events put Lucasfilm's
Activision's Robot Tank cartridge, but dif-
Arts, but the entire entertainment software marketing plans on hold. Home cartridge ferences in management style between the
industry to the present day. Hawkins systems and cartridge games were in the conservative founders of the company and
believed (and believes) that the entertain- bargain bins for next to nothing, so there an executive linked with Bushnell's "U.S.
ment software industry is "The New Hol- did not seem to be any compelling reason Government" approach to problem-solving
lywood." Even as film studios become to publish the games.
History
throw money at the problemseemed in- asks. "I thought they were dead in 1984." boat Simulator and Empire State Elevator
evitable. Conventional wisdom certainly would have Operator. Less-than-kind remarks accused
Actual operations began in February of said as much, but conventional wisdom is Activision superstar Steve Cartwright (desig-
1985 with the C-64 as the company's target rarely true wisdom. When Nintendo ner of Alien and Ghostbusters) of being
machine. The original strategy was to form showed up on the scene at the January able to turn out action games in an after-
an internal product development team, CES in 1985, Roger Buoy of Mindscape is noon.
based on the work of Bob, Al and Mike reputed to have said, "Hasn't anyone told
them that the videogame industry is dead?" Yet harmless jokes about Levy turned to
Lorenzen (another Activision veteran who cynical anger at Levy's successor, Bruce
decided to leave the corporate rat race). Nevertheless, Nintendo was to prove that a
gigantic phoenix can rise from industrial Davis. Insiders claim Activision's new CEO
Miller decided to do Law of the West, a had been against the Infocom buy-out from
point-of-view horse opera in which the ashes if it controls the vertical (production)
and the horizontal (marketing). So Data the start and that he immediately raised the
player was the lawman described in the ante on some anticipated losses that were
title; Whitehead elected to program East was one of the early licensees to see
the opportunity in video games and exploit to have been indemnified by Infocom
Hardball, the action-oriented baseball game shareholders from $300,000 to $900,000
that became a mega-hit and eventually be- that opportunity. The company hedged
their bet, however, with floppy-based with no accounting. The shareholders filed
came a movie star (the game was the first a preemptive suit and managed to stave off
image seen in The Princess Bride); and products.
the "required" payment.
Lorenzen determined to develop Psi-5 Trad-
ing Company, a space trading game. Infocomplications Morale began to deteriorate, with Infocom
personnel feeling like Davis was foisting off
Frisina did not believe that internal 1986 also brought the red ink of all the programs which should have been
development alone could generate the kind Cornerstone, the only Infocom product still-born in development onto Infocom.
of revenue a new, fledgling company would without a plot. Cornerstone was a database They detested lnfocomics, the Tom
need to survive, however. So, he began a that rocked the corporate structure of In- Snyder Productions attempt to use the
search for outside developers. Through Syd- focom rather than bringing the desired computer as an interactive comic book (the
ney Development Company, a Canadian stability. Instead, it brought trouble. idea was to produce $12 products in a con-
developer of mainframe products, he not Of course, it didn't look like trouble, at tinuing series that would appeal to the com-
only discovered two game designers based first. It looked (as it does in many corporate ics crowd), never believing in the concept
in Ottawa, Rick Banks and Michael Bate, acquisitions) like a "White Knight" riding to but noting that all the development costs
but he was also introduced to an the rescue. James Levy, (then) CEO of were being charged against their budget. A
18-year-old prodigy (no relation to IBM or Sears) (then) Activision, was a true fan of In- brutal (underground) memo urged Infocom-
from British Columbia named Don Mattrick. focom games. He perceived the corporate mies to join the "Bruce Youth" movement,
Banks and Bate had programmed B.C.'s weakness brought about by Cornerstone as casting the CEO in a classic bad guy role
Quest for Tires for another company and an opportunity to acquire a software jewel as he requested Infocom personnel to "turn
wanted to do their own titles. As Artech, a and began putting the deal in motion that in" their fellow employees whenever said In-
development company sub-contracted to was finalized on Feb. 19, 1986. focommies would murmur "a discouraging
Accolade, they produced Dambusters, word."
Fight Night and Desert Fox during Activision purchased Infocom for $7.5 mil-
Accolade's first year. The first two did well, lion (although much of the settlement price Activision gradually dismantled Infocom.
but Desert Fox was not released until the was in Activision common stock and may First, sales and manufacturing were ab-
company formed the Vantage bargain line have had a different value by the final pay- sorbed. This seemed logical, but by the
of software during a period of retail shelf ment on June 13, 1986). This meant that time the great lnfocomics experiment failed
wars. Mattrick was initially hired to program Marc Blanc lost his bet with Cornerstone co- in 1988, public relations and customer sup-
the Apple conversions of Dambusters and author Brian "Spike" Berkowitz that In- port were also absorbed. In 1989, develop-
Fight Night. focom stock would top $20.00 per share by ment was moved to the West Coast, but
'87 or Blanc would buy Spike dinner in those who built the Great Underground Em-
Interestingly enough, both Artech and Paris. Infocom sold for much less than $20 pire elected not to move or were not invited
Mattrick's company Distinctive Software per share and the last CGW heard, the bet to do so. As Arthur, BattleTech, Journey
have gone on to exclusive relationships had still not been paid off and Blanc was and Shogun reached the market, Infocom
with other publishers. Artech develops sole- trying to change the venue to Tokyo. was no longer a distinctive publisher, it was
ly for Three-Sixty Pacific and Distinctive only a label.
Software was recently purchased by The acquisition was not received well at In-
Electronic Arts, with Mattrick becoming focom. The company newsletter, once At approximately the same time as In-
EA's youngest vice-president. Before the known as the New Zork Times but soon to focom was fading into the woodwork,
out-of-house developers left, however, each be known as The Status Line, joked about Spectrum HoloByte was ready to spring
was to contribute significant hits to graphics in interactive fiction stories and bet- upon an unsuspecting Sphere. That is, the
Accolade's line: Artech's Ace of Aces and ter parsers in Little Computer People (one existing company called Spectrum Holo-
Distinctive's Test Drive. The latter was of Activision's big hits of the era), but Byte merged with Nexa Corporation to
conceived after Mattrick purchased his first printed one phrase that, in retrospect, offers create Sphere. The latter, in turn, was pur-
Lotus Esprit and decided that "everyone" a melancholic ring: "We'll still be the In- chased by a division of Robert Maxwell's
would like to drive a hot car. focom you know and love." At first, it multi-national publishing empire. Sphere's
looked like this might be true. From 1985's publication of Tetris not only captured the
In 1985, Accolade had revenue totaling low of three interactive fiction titles, 1986 imagination of the ordinary computer con-
$1.5 million, but this expanded to $5 mil- saw five new titles. sumer, but ensnared the attention of the
lion in 1986 as hits like Ace of Aces, Mean general media, as well.
18 and Test Drive pointed the way to a suc- The humor at Infocom never really
cessful future. 1985 also brought a new stopped until the latter days. When the
New York Times complained about their
Commitment to the Amiga?
player on the scene from the other side of
the arcade crash, the coin-op connection. newsletter's original name (New Zork By the mid-1980s, Electronic Arts had al-
Data East had been functioning as a coin- Times), they ran a contest to rename the ready staked out territory as one of the
op company since 1979. In 1985, the com- publication and first prize was a subscrip- most prolific domestic publishers of Com-
pany formed its consumer division to con- tion to the New York Times. Their in-house modore Amiga software. As Vice-President
vert the coin-op hits into cartridge and (great underground?) paper InfoDope Bing Gordon once observed, the company
home-computer games. joked that Levy wanted them to do simula- "likes neat stuff" and can be "seduced by
tions, cynically suggesting titles like Tug-
"Cartridge games?" the weary reader
History
because having a tiger by the tail now means getting one's face
shot off!
Hairline Fractures
For what is clearly an "A" product, Origin has opted to cut
some odd corners on the game's production. Okay, so there is
no nifty Wing Commander II hat offer.... There is also no Claw
Marks magazine inside, either. That makes sense since that ship
Review
best game in each category, special awards games to offer something a little bit dif-
for artistic achievement and an overall ferent. Nominees for 1991 Wargame of the
"Game of the Year." Past winners in the Year follow. In BattleTech: The Crescent
overall category include: Kampfgruppe Hawk's Revenge, Infocom moved farther
(1985), Ultima IV (1986), Earl Weaver from the pure role-playing of its initial
Baseball (1987), Empire (1988), SimCity BattleTech release and closer to the
(1989) and Railroad Tycoon (1990). game's roots in miniatures wargaming in
this real-time game of tactical combat. The
A major distinction between CGWs award VGA graphics, variety of scenarios, smooth-
year and other industry awards is the fact flowing action and attention to the details of
that they are based on the "software year" the BattleTech universe make this a worthy
from one Summer Consumer Electronics contender. Strategic Simulations, Inc.'s
Show (where the traditionally strong Interceptor: Renegade Legion is a game
Christmas releases are unveiled) to another of tactical space combat which shows that
SCES. In this way, the awards represent a satisfying game play can make a product
full cycle of the industry's "production successful whether it has heavy-duty
year." Another distinction is the fact that "chrome" in terms of graphics and sound
the awards are not strictly the total of or not. The release of Interceptor spawned
reader votes, industry votes or editorial enough impromptu ship design competi-
votes. The editorial staff examines the tions and ship-to-ship challenges that we
releases in each category and weighs believe it deserves serious consideration for
reader ratings, artistic achievement and in- the award. Data East released Full Metal
dustry impact in making the final decision. Planet as part of a strategic partnership
So, as part of Computer Gaming World's with a French software firm. This exception-
10th Anniversary Celebration, we welcome al translation of a French boardgame featur-
you, the readers, to the 1991 CGW Game ing tactical combat and economic manage-
of the Year Awards. ment on an alien planetary surface is
noteworthy because of impressively detailed
graphics and sound effects, as well as the
Games of the Year
tently high ratings from the readers over an even richer game. It both rates highest, game, one experiences a vibrant, exciting
the award year and co-winners seem par- among the nominees, with our readers and encounter with history and emotion.
ticularly appropriate in a year in which the represents a phenomenal achievement in
computer wargame genre seems to be win- programming a "world" system. Role-Playing Game of the
ning back some of its audience.
Year
Simulation of the Year
Strategy Game of the Year The 1991 Role-Playing Game of the Year
Where 1990's top nominees in this nominees present almost a photo-finish in
Strategy games also seemed to need an category were land-based vehicle simula- quality. Interplay Productions' Lord of
innovative hook in order to garner the atten- tions, 1991's nominees reflect the roots of the Rings not only challenges other
tion of gamers during the award year. the simulation genre, flight simulators. F-29 products to match its advances in interface
Nominees for 1991's Strategy Game of the Retaliator from Ocean proves that it is pos- and full-screen graphics, but it attempts
Year run the gamut from abstract strategy sible to have a smooth-flowing frame rate, more character-oriented activities and en-
to political and economic strategy. solid flight model in terms of both damage counters in its very game design than most
Nominees for 1991 Strategy Game of the and handling characteristics and realistic CRPG efforts. Sir-Tech Software's Bane
Year follow. Virgin Mastertronic intro- buildings to fly around, as opposed to the of the Cosmic Forge takes the Wizardry
duced Spot, a challenging and addictive pyramids and rectangles of many polygon- series in new role-playing directions. Par-
game building off play mechanics similar to filled simulations. Add to these strengths ticularly salutary are the game's multiple en-
Reversi and Go. In its IBM incarnation, the capacity to fly head-on in dings, role-playing mechanisms for skill im-
Spot is not only colorful and customizable, modem-to-modem competition and one should have provement and near-transparent interface.
but features challenging artificial op- an idea of the quality engineered into this Origin's Savage Empire proves that a
ponents, as well. Koei introduced a new ver- "Advanced Tactical Fighter" simulation. solid technological foundation can be used
sion of its all-time most popular game Microprose's Silent Service 2 is a follow- to tell more than one type of story. The
(Nobunaga's Ambition). Nobunaga's Am- up on an all-time classic. Opinions on the game was not only improved by George
bition II not only features graphic enhance- game from CGW readers were as varied as Sanger's emotive soundtrack, but it ad-
ments, but also an improved interface and the machines they played the game on, but vanced over the Ultima VI game engine by
the most ruthless computer opponents yet. the addition of new submarine types, use of using Origin's software-driven "tension-
In Powermonger, Electronic Arts' real- digitized target images, provision for com- meter" to determine how that soundtrack
time strategy game from the developers of bat patrols (as well as a campaign game) should be communicated to the reader.
Populous (Bullfrog), players not only ex- and introduction of new scenarios make Strategic Simulations, Inc.'s Eye of the
perienced more lavish graphics and an en- Silent Service 2 an outstanding product. Beholder introduces a new engine to SSI's
larged game world, but were forced to flagship line-up. The role-playing aspects
make economic decisions affecting Perhaps the most attention in the simula-
tion category was focused on the World are solid, largely due to George
human/natural resources, political decisions MacDonald's supervision, and the first-per-
with regard to diplomatic posture toward War I air combat simulations. Of these, two
titles emerged as outstanding products, son perspective of the graphics offers the
other tribes and military decisions regarding flashiest show this side of the Atari ST Dun-
Microprose's Knights of the Sky (which
when and where to attack. Interplay geon Master. Horrorsoft, the European
Productions pulled several strategy games features modem-to-modem play and in-
credible action from the allied perspective) developer chosen by Accolade to develop
together when they released Lexicross, the Elvira license, accomplished a similar
and Sierra/Dynamix's Red Baron (which
Peter Oliphant's futuristic "television" game feat with its horizontal Amiga and IBM
features advanced graphics and the ability
show parody. Lexicross blends elements of release of Elvira. Not only are the graphics
to fly a campaign from either side of the
Battleship, Concentration and Wheel of effective (and, at times, gory), but the inter-
trenches). Both games are worthy products
Fortune into a clever entertainment pack- face is intuitive and the story blends just
age. Strategic Simulations, Inc. released and both games have their adherents. One
CGW reviewer likes Knights of the Sky bet- the right amount of camp, horror and puz-
Medieval Lords at the end of the software zle-solving into the brew.
ter and CGW's contributing editor on war-
cycle. The game uses archaic graphics and
games uses Red Baron as his current And the vampire...er...winner is:
a limited interface, but is worthy of the
benchmark for flight simulators. Readers
nomination because it is, quite simply, a Elvira from Accolade (Mike Woodroffe,
who respond to CGWs on-going poll show
"player's game." It is addictive, educational Alan Bridgman, Keith Wadhams and Simon
a definite preference toward Red Baron.
and entertaining. Woodroffe, designers). Both Scorpia and
And the winner is: So, without further ado, the winner of CGW readers rate Elvira as a tough and
1991's Simulation of the Year is: satisfying game with just the right blend of
Powermonger from Electronic Arts combat and cerebral stimulation.
Red Baron from Sierra/Dynamix
(Peter Molyneux, Gary Carr, Sean Cooper,
(Damon Slye, designer). Red Baron stakes
Glenn Corpes, Kevin Donkin, Les Edgar,
Simon Hunter and Andy Tidy, designers). out new ground in advanced graphic techni-
Powermonger is an exciting example of ques, flight dynamics, campaign versatility
and entertainment value. Whether one
how a successful concept can evolve into
focuses on the look, sound or play of the
Scorpion's View
Searching for the Ancients with Paragon's MegaTraveller II
ATV skill is not at all necessary; my Training halls in the game are worth- The best vessel of all in the game is the
team was able to operate ATVs just fine less. They offer only pilot, vacc suit and Ancient ship at Ylaven. This has a jump-
even though no one had the skill at all. ship's boat. None of the ones I checked 4 drive, and never needs refueling. It is
Several members had Gray Vehicle at 0 (and I checked many) had any other practically indestructible, and has some
level, and we never had any trouble skills available. So if you want a charac- hefty firepower of its own (the ship also
using gra y vehicles, either. ter with particular skills, make sure they looks like something out of Cthulhu).
are taken during career terms. You will, however, need a special item in
If you plan on getting into a lot of
order to get into the ship and make it
space combat, Engineer Skill and Turret To get around in the game, you need
work. That's going to take awhile, so
Weapons are helpful. My preference was either a lot of money (for buying pas-
don't go rushing off to Ylaven just yet.
to vamoose at the first sign of trouble. sage on liners) or a ship of your own.
Space combat is pretty boring, for one Ships are expensive, so it's best to try for The game has the "PAL" system, in
thing: the ships just sit there and trade one as a mustering-out benefit when a which members with appropriate skills
shots at each other. For another, if you character retires from a career. Scout volunteer to perform certain actions. On
lose your weapons, it costs a fair amount ships are not worth going for. They are board ship, for instance, the one with
of cash to have them replaced. (Your en- only Jump-1 ships, meaning they can medical skill takes over Sick Bay, the
gineer can't repair them.) travel only to a planet that is "next door." one with Engineer skill goes to Engineer-
Anything further away can't be reached ing, and so on. Sounds nice, but the sys-
Navigation is another unnecessary skill,
except with a lot of planet-hopping, and tem has its limits.
which is pretty odd, however you look at
often not even then.
it. Scout ships are the only ones that When my team was still using a Scout
come with a position for navigator; you A Far Trader, which has a Jump-2 ship, the only character with Navigation
can't even assign anyone to that post in drive, is the better choice. Although the decided to take over the weapons, while
any other ship type. manual states that a Far Trader will show the ex-cop, who had no ship skills at all,
up on the benefits table for a merchant, decided he was going to be navigator.
Gambling is another one to pass by.
this is not so. No merchant I mustered Fortunately, you can override this and re-
While many cities have casinos, gam-
out ever had a ship appear on the table. assign people where you want them.
bling skill isn't used for playing the
I did manage to obtain one, however, by Just keep an eye out when people volun-
games. You have to depend on your own
creating a Noble and getting lucky on teer to make sure they're the right ones
ability and luck to win any money.
the benefits table. for the job at hand.
OPINION
get it all past the Customs officials. The This is a good reason to get everyone
One member of the party should be an
only weapons he had a hard time with into armor as soon as possible.
ex-Scout, and another should be ex-
were the plasma guns.
Navy. Many worlds have restrictions on Vacc suits are the best you can buy on
the weapons you can carry around with Be careful not to start any fights if you the open market, and it's a good idea to
you; these will be confiscated when you have items confiscated by Customs: you buy a suit for everyone in the party.
go through Customs, and returned when won't get them back. It's okay to kill Later, you'll find some combat armor,
you leave. However, if there is a Navy or anyone who shoots at you first, but if but vacc suits are good for most situa-
Scout base on the planet, the party can you start the shooting you're in trouble. tions.
sneak out the back door of the
base without going through Cus- r or all this talk of weapons,
toms at all. Just make sure that armor and smuggling stuff
the party leader is of the ap- through Customs, there isn't
propriate service when you do much combat in the game.
this. Aside from the enemies who
shoot at you from time to time,
Some worlds have no service
and criminals you might want to
bases at all. For those, you need
kill for the bounty money, there's
someone with high (4 or better)
really no fighting to speak of.
Stealth. Stealth is what allows
However, since you never know
characters to smuggle illegal
when you might be fired on or
weapons past Customs. Number
run into a wanted criminal, it's
of items is not a factor here. I
best to go armed and armored
had only one person (Riley) with
everywhere.
Stealth skill, and he usually had
no problems in smuggling Combat has definitely been im-
through all the weapons for the proved. Party members can be
party. Riley might be carrying placed in "react" status, so they
two Gauss rifles and three laser will fire automatically at anyone
pistols (plus ammo) and he'd who shoots at the team. No
need to switch around between
characters and give commands.
There is also a "reserve" status for those
who you want to stay out of combat;
when the shooting starts, they head for
the hills.
All cities, regardless of tech level, have
pretty much the same layout. All the
standard stores (weapons, vehicle rental,
universities, police stations, etc.) are al-
ways in the same locations, when such
things exist on a particular world. This
makes special buildings stand out and
easier to find as you walk around town.
(Often, people you want to talk to are in
such buildings.)
On the streets, people with anything to
say show as little green dots. They move
around, so first you have to get close
enough to use the "hail" command to
stop them. Then you face the person and
start a conversation. You may want to
look at them first, in case you just
stopped a wanted criminal wearing battle
armor and toting a plasma gun. This is a
good time to back away without starting
a conversation (you're safe as along as
you haven't actually talked to them).
Getting through this game can be dif-
ficult. There are so many worlds to visit,
so many people you can talk to, and so
many sideline plots, that you can be-
come overwhelmed by the detail and
lose the main threads. A lot of these
sideline plots are ways of making money,
I OPINION
but this is not always evident. You may artifact on the slime. That's all there is to
end up going halfway across the Mar- On the down side, the game is a boring
the sites.
ches only to find what you're doing is a implementation of an interesting story,
None of the artifacts has any lasting ef- complicated by too many side threads
money-making enterprise and has noth-
fect on the slime, either. At best they that have nothing to do with the main
ing to do with your main goals.
only slow or stop it for a short time. After plot. Once the novelty wears off, there's
This is a real problem, as time is critical using one, check in at the government of- no sense of exploration or being in new
in the game. You have only 2700 days to fice to see if you get a reward for your ef- places; wherever you go, every place
save Rhylanor. That sounds like a lot forts, then go sell the artifact and picture seems like every other place you've
until you remember that every time you to Trow Backett. been, in spite of differences in graphic
travel to another world, a week passes. representation. The long list of character
(This is standard, regardless of distance skills is mainly useless, except for creat-
traveled.) Time also passes quickly when ing characters for the pencil-and-paper
you're exploring the wilderness, looking version of MegaTraveller. (For this, it's a
for Ancient sites. (Always choose gray very good utility.)
vehicles when available; they're fast.)
Overall, while MegaTraveller II is an im-
In general, it's best to restrict money- provement over the previous game, it
making to selling pictures of new sites hasn't improved quite enough. Skills
and killing wanted criminals for the boun- have to be more fully integrated into the
ty money. After you've saved Rhylanor, game. More attention needs to be paid to
On the plus side, the interface is simple
you'll have plenty of time for following fleshing out major storylines, and less on
and easy to operate. Combat is generally
up on the extraneous stuff. side plots unrelated to the main goals.
de-emphasized, and no longer the
The Ancient sites are a disappointment. More variety in different locations is a
nightmare it was in the previous game.
You get a very nice description when you necessity. Until these are accomplished,
The setup is basically non-linear, allowing
first enter one. After that, they're mostly the MegaTraveller series will be, at best,
you to go where you want, visiting the
the same inside: you just walk around of only marginal interest to fans of
sites in any order, taking time out to fol-
looking for loot bags (all sites have one, science-fiction CRPGs.
low some other thread, and so on. The
and several have two), pick them up, use of archives (checking library files for
and hurry back to Rhylanor to try out an information) is a nice touch.
Behind the Screens
here are plenty of fuzzy terms in the entertainment software funk X: The Transgression shall be examined. The hierarchy of
Editor-in-Pieces The programmers are also given the task of creating, in 530
hours, an "Install" program that sets up all the attendant sub-
Once the library is updated, it is time to create the "editor" for routines and customizes everything for the individual gamer.
the game's further development. The development team on
Cyberfunk X spent roughly 80 hours to create just the right look Global Reconstruction
and feel to the map window for the game and ascertain that the
map window scrolled correctly as the player moved the on- Once the library routines and basic editor functions were in
screen party along. Developing a routine for loading and saving place, the Cyberfunk X team focused on building the game
the map data cost approximately the same number of hours. world. It cost more than 600 hours to create a fully functional
The same team spent nearly 70 hours to create "cache" routines map. For example, design teams must spend about 200 hours to
for shapes and cells, as well as about 100 hours for sorting the draw the basic buildings and floor plans for a role-playing environ-
"objects" used in an "object-oriented programming" approach. ment. Then it takes an equivalent amount of time to draw,
design and add furnishings for those buildings. "Triggers" for cer-
At the same time, high-level programmers were investing over tain events must be designed, drawn and implemented (60
250 hours in revising the user interface so that the menus func- hours), "Set Encounters" must be established at various loca-
tioned more efficiently, pull-down menus operated properly, con- tions (60 hours), "Items" necessary for the completion of the plot
versational interaction with NPCs could be facilitated and the must be placed (60 hours) and more. In this cyber-adventure, the
"wetware" interface (the fictional equivalent to a spell book inter- artists and programmers spent more than 80 hours in creating
face in fantasy role-playing or tool/equipment interface in other obsolescent portions of the matrix so that those who had played
role-playing) could be accessed. Even something as typical to Cyberfunk I-1X would realize how much time had lapsed between
every software publisher as creating tools to handle the import- adventures.
ing of images from Deluxe Paint took nearly 90 hours to code.
To further enliven this adventure, the design team spent 200
The high-level programmers had to build routines to handle the hours to create "scripts" for the actions and schedules of non-
timelines and locations for non-player characters, moving items player characters (in this case, other cyber-cowboys). Developing
and the contents of those items about on the screen, special ef- the basic statistics for non-integral villains (monsters in fantasy
fects at particular locations and terrain characteristics. 18 hours games, aliens in many sci-fi games) cost nearly 40 hours and
were invested in creating the look and characteristics of one generating weapons stats, softwarez to fight the electronic protec-
vehicle in the game and another 18 hours were spent on making tion of the matrix, price lists for the 'warez and definitions of use-
that vehicle move correctly on the map. able objects incurred another 80 hours or so. The design team
Behind the Screens
vance with an intuitive understanding of her And the winner of the 1991 Action Game
Games of the Year audience that only a true artist could
achieve. Like the Ultima series in computer
of the Year is:
(Continued from page 40) role-playing, the King's Quest experience Links from Access (Vance Cook, Kevin
continues to climb to new heights. Homer and Roger Carver, designers). With
its capacity for user-designed "special
swings" and attention to both audio and
Special Award for Artistic visual excellence, Links is a watershed
prolific and venerable designers in the
Achievement product for the action game genre and its
sports subset.
genre. Legend Entertainment's Spellcast- As warranted, CGW will often present a
ing 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls special award to games which, in some
brings the work of Infocom celebrity Steve fashion or another, blend artistic techni-
Meretzky back to the computer screen. ques, technology and entertainment presen-
Meretzky's creativity and humor combine tation in a way that advances the art of
with Legend's new graphic adventure sys- computer game design. Such a product is
tem to inject new life in the adventure Rise of the Dragon from Sierra/Dynamix.
game genre. Sierra/Dynamix's Rise of Everything about the game is beautifully
the Dragon is an excellent example of how rendered and consistent with the dark,
pioneering designer Jeff Tunnell is attempt- brooding nature of the game's cyberpunk
ing to push technology to the point where plot. The musical score, digitized presenta-
computer games can really tell stories. Jeff tion of graphic novel-style art, threatening
has never rested on his laurels and Rise of dialogue and digitized film clips all combine
the Dragon points to even better things to to present a worthy and formidable enter-
come. Lucasfilm's Secret of Monkey Is- tainment experience.
land unleashes Ron Gilbert as a game
designer in his own right. Ron not only
developed the original Lucasfilm tools for
building graphic adventures, but he is con-
tinually presenting raucous humor, challeng
ing puzzles and subtle social commentary
in his products. Secret of Monkey Island is
CGWs Game of the Year
a "must play" for every adventure gamer Now, however, is the time for the confetti
with a sense of humor. to fly, the noise makers to blow, the ap-
Sierra has always dominated the adven- plause to reverberate from every wall and
ture game genre. 1991 was no exception as the champagne corks to pop like artillery at
Corey and Lori Cole reprised their award- Waterloo. The winner of 1991's Overall
winning game design in Quest for Glory II: Game of the Year is:
Trial By Fire and Roberta Williams, the Wing Commander from Origin (Chris
designer who carved out the graphic adven- Roberts, designer). CGWs readers have
ture genre over a decade ago, unveiled a kept Wing Commander in the top spot
stunning new game in her best-selling since its inception. It is the number one
series, King's Quest V. Quest for Glory II: game mentioned as a point of comparison
Trial By Fire is notable for the way it
Action Game of the Year when one travels about the entertainment
blends the role-playing and adventure In 1991, CGW readers were impressed by software industry (whether among publish-
gaming experience into a distinctive hybrid. the action experiences provided by space ers, retailers or designers). It is the
Everything about the game design seems combat, World War I aerial combat and cornerstone of a new and successful line of
well-thought and cleverly presented. King's golf. The nominees for 1991 Action Game products. It has singlehandedly encouraged
Quest V deserves special recognition, how- of the Year follow. Cinemaware's Wings more readers to upgrade their current com-
ever, as an exemplary work in a gold-medal (soon to be an IBM release by Konami) is puter systems than any other product we
series. By using digitized paintings, parser- a cinematic look at WWI air combat as can remember. So Wing Commander
less interface, the exceptional musical talent though the "campaign" were a classic film. receives this approbation in recognition of
available at Sierra and her own unique The arcade action is Cinemaware at its its place as the game in 1991's software
blend of fairy tale-based puzzles, Roberta best and the cinematic touches are just year which has most impacted the hobby. If
has created perhaps the crowning glory of right. Origin's Wing Commander is Chris only there were a "tension-meter" with a
her King's Quest series. Roberts' magnum opus. The action game wide enough bandwidth to measure the at-
features the most advanced graphics techni- tendant applause around the world which
And the winner is, appropriately enough
on CGWs 10th Anniversary, King's Quest ques in the genre, a "tension-meter" has been garnered by this milestone
V from Sierra (Roberta Williams, designer). soundtrack that perfectly paces the action, product! Applause! Applause!
King's Quest V combines technological ad- identifiable non-player characters and a
story beyond the fast-paced action. Access'
Links features the most ambitious graphic
look to ever embellish a sports game. In ad-
dition, the golf model is challenging and
satisfying so that Links is more than a
showpiece (which it is), it is a game! Jack
Nicklaus Ultimate Golf combines en-
hanced graphic appeal with the brilliantly
implemented course design disk. Golf
fanatics will appreciate the ability to cus-
tomize their own courses without having to
sacrifice the quality of play they have come
to expect from Accolade's line of golf
games.
Sneak Preview
veryone, it seems, is to some de- hearts, chess and rummy. All of these like Stellar 7, for example, are very likely
there is hope for the player, as he begins to gain some psychic HAMming It Up (Graphics and Sound)
energy which enables him to read the value of the card from the
reverse side. The backs of the cards, by the way, are nicely KOTC's visual effects are unique among the standard- setting
animated. The psychic energy developed in this part of the game graphics of other European software publishers such as Psyg-
will serve the player well when he returns to the mazes. There, he nosis. The program is one of the few to take advantage of the
will be granted subtle flashes of insight to help guide him on his Amiga HAM (Hold And Modify) mode which allows the computer
way into deeper levels. Other talents are also given to the player to display 4,096 colors. The result is more ethereal than realistic,
as he accumulates this energy. but pleasing nonetheless. In addition, each scene is remarkably
three-dimensional and contains none of the simple left-to-right
An exercise which resembles both Chinese checkers and rever- movement which characterizes so many European releases.
si is the last talent which the player must master in order to com-
plete KOTC. There are unlimited opportunities to learn this inter- The program's musical score and sound effects are also deserv-
esting game before the player enters the mazes, and the pro- ing of special praise. Ranging from primitive to symphonic and
gram includes both a tutorial section and an option to allow a laced throughout with the whispers of human voices, it embel-
second player to participate in this section only. This user-friend- lishes the presentation admirably. An audio tape of the music is
ly challenge takes a nasty turn, however, when the player must included in the package, but it sounds, unfortunately, as though
deal with it in the maze. it was amateurishly transferred from the computer in someone's
recreation room.
In between each of the four mazes, the player is challenged by
the computer to a round of the checker/reversi game. Should KOTC contains no disk-based copy protection and can be in-
the player lose after being given several chances, he is booted stalled on a hard drive. A blank disk is required in order to save
back to the surface. As if this were not sufficiently threatening, games in progress and a minimum 512K of RAM is required.
KOTCs designers have chosen these same sensitive points in
the game to implement the program's copy protection. The Knight Cap (Conclusion)
player is requested, in multiple choice format, to provide some in- The diverse yet interlocking segments of Knights of the Crys-
formation about a poetry book which accompanies the game's tallion have been well-balanced and orchestrated so that the
manual. A swinging metronome passes over the available result is enjoyable. Certain moments, however, such as the or-
choices until the player hits the space bar, indicating the pointer deal with the crystals, have led this reviewer to wonder what
is over the correct answer. Proper timing is a factor in this, thus European publishers fear to lose should someone (heaven for-
adding an inappropriate arcade aspect to the affair. bid!) actually win one of their games.
Review
ll right, console garners, it's finally time to come out of the Phantasy Star originally appeared on the 8-bit Master System
connections between the two most recent titles other than ol' with regard to the player character's matrimony will significantly
Dark Force. The champions of part two are not to be found, not impact which of four possible game endings will occur and the
even in the form of descendants. Still, there is a neat explanation personalities of the characters who may join a party of adven-
of how total catastrophe was averted in the last chapter by the in- turers. Thus, unlike most of its genre, Phantasy Star III lends it-
habitants of Palm (whose planet went up in smoke), and how self to several replays. Unfortunately, there is one important draw-
they wound up in this third installment. back. While a battery saves one's progress, there are only two
In the opening sequence, it is explained that the player (Rhys, a storage files available, so it's tough to negotiate a time-efficient
prince) was about to marry a mystery woman named Maia, who completion of each possible generation.
had washed up on the shores of his homeworld with no memory Although the whole of PSIII is much too large to cover with a
of her past. Then a winged beast spirited her away to parts un- play-by-play, many of the situations make for interesting journey
known. Now, Rhys must rescue her and at the same time un- and discovery. As mentioned earlier, the people of this world
cover one of the oldest secrets of his land why Orakians and seem ravaged by the horrors of mechanical failures, berserk
Layans bitterly hate each other enough to constantly send machinery and simple ignorance of the contraptions left to them
cyborgs to battle for supremacy (while abstaining from personal by their ancestors. One of the seven worlds, for example, was
hand-to-hand melee) and what Dark Force's role in the conflict is. frozen due to negligence of a weather-control gadget.
If those one-dimensional save-the-princess-and-whomp-the-bad- Occasionally, the player must perform the obligatory "find the
dies stories in other video game semblances of RPGs have got- key to enter the next dungeon and fight the boss monster," but
ten a might tiresome, Phantasy Star III promises even the most usually the tasks given by villagers are more intriguing.
jaded player plenty of plot twists and turns (even though the ini-
tial objective of recovering the damsel in distress seems like As far as graphic presentation, the Genesis custom processors
every other game in the genre). The player must always portray worked magic. The towns are portrayed with strikingly realistic
a man (videogame designers have yet to come to grips with detail, down to the shingles on the roofs of shops and shadows
"sexist" role-playing), but he may marry one of two wives at the of the people who reside in them. This time around, when one
conclusion of each of three "generations." (Women are not ig- enters a building, he can actually walk around inside and ascend
nored in the game's fictional context, simply relegated to a tradi- stairs in order to converse with occupants. An angled top-down
tional and subservient role.) The wife chosen will have a direct im- view proves once again to give a perfect window into the player's
pact on the next generation's player character, who simply hap- ramblings through the Phantasy Star universe. The music
pens to be, of course, the newlyweds' son. The decisions made provides an adequate atmosphere.
Those who enjoyed the battle sequences in the earlier install-
ments may be disappointed in the latest incarnation. In the first
two games, a first-person perspective displayed the player's party
staring down the barrel at human, half-human and otherwise mis-
shapen creatures, all animated in deadly detail. In Phantasy Star
III, the opponents are just as mean-looking, but one's characters
are no longer represented physically on-screen, so instead of
jumping to the attack (or being the recipient of such hostile ac-
tion), a wound simply appears in the monster's gut. On the other
hand, an annoying part of the original setup, the lack of a back-
ground illustration (before now it was just a featureless grid), has
been rectified.
Probably the best news for fans of this latest adventure in the
land of fantasy mixed liberally with space opera is that it is far
easier to control one's party and administer individual commands.
If all this combat, exploration and rescue sounds too challeng-
ing, Sega has published a separate hint book (unlike Phantasy
Star II, where the hint book was included with the game and was
actually a detailed walk-through).
There is no denying that Phantasy Star III relies heavily on
combat and level-advancement to fill most of the hundreds of
hours required to complete just one of the four endings, oc-
casionally to the point of tediousness, but it's fairly rare that the
player will be forced to stop the journey and just build levels.
Another quibble (again extremely minor) is that while the mar-
riage choices and different personalities add a certain spice to
the game, the basic design is still so linear that every objective
must be fulfilled in a pre-set order.
Even given these faults (which, it should be said, are pretty
common amongst all CRPGs), Phantasy Star III: Generations of
Doom is a rewarding epic tale which should be told on every
Genesis system. Rumor: For those who do not keep up with the
video game world, note that a fourth Phantasy Star adventure is
reported to be under development for release coinciding with the
U.S. debut of the Genesis CD-ROM in 1992.
Foreign Correspondence
duces a number of sidelines to amuse looked good and fairly whizzed along, Incidentally, anyone who would like to
and interest any participating toddler or scrolling at turbo rates. Reports popped contact Paul Rigby directly can do so on
computer journalist. The main game con- up in a flash. The game has been CompuServe (75300,1503) or by mail
tains a number of word and number redesigned and enhanced. For example, to 20 Malvern Road, Liverpool, England,
games, hidden nursery rhymes and so the extra architecture disks (sold L6 6BW [please include and SAE if you
on. All of these are accessed via clicking separately for the computer version) are would like a reply].
on a passing balloon or other suitable all on the same CD. In addition, the
Note: The above games, and any of the
"switch." Once the sub-game has been reports have been improved and now
other games mentioned in "Over There"
triggered, it fills the screen and suspends take up the entire screen. The interface
in past issues, can be obtained from:
the story. One must then solve the has also been enhanced to take ad-
game/puzzle. Digitized voices and anima- vantage of the control pad bundled with Computer Adventure World, 318 Ken-
tions are used to reward correct answers. the CDTV. The CDTV version should be sington, Liverpool, England, L7 OEY.
After the sub-game is finished, one can well-received as long as the awful Telephone: 01144-51-263-6306.
return to the story and proceed from pseudo-French heavy-metal music play-
Miles Better Software, 219/221 Can-
whence one left off. Multimedia has ing in the background is dispensed with.
nock Road, Chadsmoor, Cannock, Staf-
spent a lot of thought, time and money This music grated on the ol' nerves at
fordshire, England, WS 2DD.
on the project, perhaps most notably the best of times. It just didn't fit the
Telephone: 01144-543-466-577/8/80,
employing Tom Baker (one of the most cerebral atmosphere of SimCity at all.
Fax: 01144-543-466-579.
beloved actors to ever play the part of
Finally, any flight simulation buffs wait-
television's Doctor Who) as a voice Premier Mail Order, Trybridge Ltd., 8
ing for a mission-based simulation of the
talent. The company even spent consider- Buckwins Square, Burnt Mills, Basildon,
Tornado can now look forward to the
able resources in searching for the best Essex, England, SS13 1BJ. Telephone:
new game from Digital Integration, the
"font" for teaching purposes. 01144-268-590-766, Fax: 01144-268-590-
company who produced F-16 Combat
076.
Infogrames has recently released the Pilot (all 16-bit formats) for Electronic
CDTV version of SimCity. At the time of Arts. Others who are looking for a Tor- All of the above telephone numbers as-
writing, the finished version was 'in the nado simulation in the flight simulator sume you can dial direct. If you have any
post,' so this news item reflects the im- mode need look no further than Pro- trouble, contact the international
pressions experienced from the pre- Flight from HiSoft (Amiga and ST). We operator.
production copy. This particular version will offer more details in a future issue.
Pictorial
Fantastic Voyages
One interesting part of covering the world
of computer games is visiting the publish-
ers. We don't always arrive at the most
propitious times, however. Witness the visit
to New World Computing where they
hadn't even moved all the furniture into
their new "digs." So, (then) New World
financial whiz Ron Spitzer explained to
(then) CGW assistant editor Johnny Wilson
what their (then) Kafkaesque office space
was going to look like. Murphy's Law
reigned supreme on that day, since New
World game designer Jon van Caneghem
had car trouble on the day CGW visited
and was unable tophoto. No problemhis
creative staff managed to substitute a pre-
Eddie Murphy Gumby for the famed desig-
ner.
Of course, one never knows what might
be found at a computer game company.
We particularly enjoyed a trip to Virgin
Mastertronic where a door in their com-
plex was declared non-existent: Non cogito
ergo non sum (?).
Pictorial
Conversions Achieved
During a redesign of CGW, the editors
wanted a new piece of art to call the readers'
attention to the "Conversions Received"
column. When one of the editors went to pick
up a conversion and an entire pile of games
fell off the shelf, Vince DeNardo threatened to
"bury" the editor in a pile of conversions. He
ordered Wilson to lie on the floor of the office,
stacked the boxes on top of the humiliated
editor and, as a result, the pathetic physiog-
nomy of the editor has appeared with unfor-
tunate frequency in the pages of the magazine.
Art Defector
That the editorial departments of
magazines and art departments of the same
magazines are known to have widely differen-
tiated perceptions of the same issue is a mat-
ter of course. After one such disagreement
at CGW, Editor Sipe found a marvelous ad
that read "Art Director Speak Mumbo-
Jumbo." Rather than be offended, (then) Art
Director DeNardo dressed up like the witch
doctor in the ad.
Samurai Editor
Of course, all the letters we get
aren't quite so positive (especially
those about the Rumor Guy). So,
one day, the staff acted out the "ex-
Horsing Around at CES ecution" our editor so richly
The editors always get to see inter- deserved. After all, our "thin-
esting sights at CES. Here, Editor skinned" editor vacillates between
Wilson inserts his business card in threatening homicide and "hari-kari"
the slot of a Blaupunkt girl's when he gets these letters and it's
larger-than-life "remote control." Accusing better to lose him than it would be
Wilson of trying to win the to lose circulation.
Blaupunkt girl in a lottery of
lechery, Publisher Sipe keeps this
photo on file in case Wilson's wife
and family need to know how he be-
haves at trade shows.
Now-defunct First Row Software
brought the original set of
television's The Honeymooners to
CES. After paying a considerable
amount in insurance costs to
transport the exhibit from its current
location at the Museum of Broad-
casting, The Honeymooners com-
puter game failed to earn back its
expenses. Here, Wilson and Sipe try
to out-Gleason and Carney the
original stars.
Sneak Preview
s one who has never quite under- goal is not simply to rescue someone or Toejam and Earl, Johnson has popu-
Scorpion's Tale
As told by Scorpia
h, summer's over, and none too
A
over again in Gateway. It does tend to mummies there, since they are particular-
soon. This last one was pretty hot, give you that "deja vu" feeling. ly nasty and should be dispensed with
and also pretty dry as far as first!).
games were concerned. Even Fred "Paranoia Strikes Deep in Since this is the first of a series, level ad-
started to grumble a bit (something the Heartland" vancement is somewhat limited, especial-
about "scorpions being underfoot all the
Anyway, this time around you're out to ly for spellcasters. Clerics and mages will
time instead of in front of computer
stop a massive invasion by Zhentil Keep only get up to sixth level. Rangers can
screens where they belong"). Can't im-
and friends. This requires finding four spe- make it to seventh. Paladins, Fighters,
agine why, although he did sound a bit
cial statuettes and using them at a spe- and Thieves rise the most, all the way up
savage at times. Speaking of savage...
cial place in the abandoned town of As- to eighth level. Be sure to check the
Gateway to the Savage Frontier is the core. Much of the game is, thus, a charts in the back of the Adventurer's
first in a new gold box series from SSI. search-and-gather operation with plenty of Journal so you know what to expect.
One need only say "gold box game" to enemies to kill in between.
conjure up an idea of what to expect and "I Don't Believe What I
that idea would be pretty accurate. One nice feature added is being able to
see the special items after you've ac-
Read in the Papers"
Gateway is a typical AD&D product. It's
been tweaked a little here and there and quired them. Veteran players will recall Speaking of the Journal, I can make
the VGA graphics are a little better, but that in Curse of the Azure Bonds, once the pleasant announcement that at long
overall you've played this before in pre- you picked up a special item (which last SSI is finally using the "word lookup"
vious games. couldn't be used directly by the party), from the front only. No longer will you
you never saw it again, even though you have to read the game paragraphs
The main thing is that your characters did have it with you. After awhile, you before their time. In addition, SSI has
(the usual mix of races and professions) might forget just what you had or hadn't added "including the headings" to the
start off at level one or two, depending picked up, and there was no quick way look up instructions so you'll be sure to
on whether they are single class or multi- to check on it. That's been changed. In count lines correctly.
class. This can be tough after years of Gateway, every time you camp out, the
playing with more advanced characters. They also seem to have dropped that
camp screen displays items you've ob-
We tend to forget how difficult it is down annoying "word lookup" when you save
tained to that point. No more guesswork!
there at the bottom, where the player the game. In previous gold box products,
characters have trouble hitting the broad As far as your party is concerned, you'd be prompted for a word at random
side of a barn in full daylight. whatever mix of races and classes times before you could save. Not once
worked for you in previous gold box did this show up during the two times I
The reverse of that is characters who games will do the job here. I went with went through the game. It wasn't missed
are so powerful nothing can stop 'em, my standard group of three Elven (grin).
which is why SSI is introducing a new Fighter/Magic Users, one Dwarf
series. The one that began with Pool of Another improvement is the ability of
Fighter/Thief, a Human Paladin and a
Radiance and ended with Pools of Dark- spellcasters to automatically re-memorize
Human Cleric. These last two came in
ness brought characters up to such spells while doing the "Fix" command.
especially handy for turning undead
heights of power that there was nowhere This is a great time-saver, and also
(especially in Ascore; watch out for the
further for them to go. So, you're starting makes sense: your cleric only has "Cure
Game Hints
Light Wounds" for healing, so fixing up and jewels) is never shown on the charac- Ditto for the taverns: all you can do
the injured party members takes a while. ter screen. It's theirs and they make sure there now is fight or leave. You can't
Why let that time go to waste? Now it you can't get your greedy little paws on it. even buy a drink and there's no gossip
doesn't, as spellcasters regain spells to overhear. Rather makes the taverns a
while the healing goes on. Which means if you want Krevish, for in-
complete waste in the game.
stance, to be trained up levels when the
time comes, you have to fork over the
"I Ain't Worrying and I "Exaggerating This and
cash for it. Training isn't free. In fact, it's
Ain't Scurrying" downright expensive, being a thousand Exaggerating That"
If no one needs healing, but spells must gold pieces per level. At the start of the There is an extensive system of rivers
be renewed, just "Resting" will do the job game, this can be a problem. Money is in this portion of the world and you can
(provided, of course, you aren't inter- hard to come by; most opponents in the rent boats to reach different towns. Many
rupted!). Usually the best place for heal- early stages don't carry much with them. can also be visited on foot, but often only
ing and resting is an inn (standard fee of You can easily find yourself with the PCs by taking wide detours. The advantage to
one platinum for a room). No one ever needing to be trained up, but without the renting boats is that, along the way, you
bothers you there. In other locations, necessary cash to do it. are likely to be bothered only by the oc-
there is always the chance that some- Later, the reverse is true: you have tons casional Ankheg whereas, on foot, you
thing unfriendly will happen by to make of money, gems and jewels, but the need might also be accosted by hill giants,
your situation worse. goblins, hobgoblins, wild boars, bugbears
for them isn't so great, since you're reach-
Gateway is a little less linear than ing the upper levels of advancement, or giant snakes. Expect to find trolls in
many gold box games. Although you with new levels few and far between. the Trollmoors, as well as a possible
can follow the trail of the statuettes in se- basilisk or two. Wyverns could well show
Unlike many other gold box games, up around the edges of the desert. It's a
quence, it is also possible to come there's nothing much to be found in the
across them while visiting the various dangerous world out there, so be
wilderness beyond what is shown on the prepared for it; you can't always run
towns and villages. The one danger is
map. All you'll come across on wander- from these random encounters.
that you can run up against opponents ing expeditions is wandering monsters.
who are too strong for you early in the Definitely buy everyone in the party a
No secret places or interesting locations,
game (remember, your guys are low silver mirror. There are some Medusae
at least none that I was ever able to find.
level at the start!). Take your time and lurking in certain places, and you know
don't go too far afield at the start.
There is a mage (you have to rescue
him first) who will give you instructions
on where to find the statuettes. Visit him
each time you find one and he'll tell you
where the next one is to be obtained.
You may hesitate to trust anyone named
"Amanitas," but he's really a kindly soul
and quite honest!
That can't be said for some of the other
NPCs in the game. As you go along,
there are points where people offer to
join your party. Some of them are
trustworthy, others aren't. It's up to you
to decide whether or not you want them.
Most stay only for a short time, but
Krevish (who you meet very early on)
will hang out with the party up to the
end. He isn't much to look at, and his
stats are less than thrilling, but he does
have more sense than the usual NPC
member. He comes equipped with a
bow, and this is his weapon of choice. As
long as you keep him well-supplied with
arrows, he will happily stay in the rear of
the party, pecking away at the opposi-
tion. He even hits them sometimes, too
(heh).
There is something new with these
NPCs: they take their own share of the
treasure before it's divvied up. Before the
treasure screen is displayed, you see a
message that "Krevish takes and hides
his own share." They certainly do hide it;
this money (or possibly money, gems
Game Hints
Extra, Extra
The documentation for Headline Harry is clear and helpful.
The instruction book is done as a newspaper-style reporter's
manual, complete with sections titled "Feature Story," "Editorial,"
"Dear Gabby" and "Classified." This approach to how-to may bet
ter keep the interest of younger, less experienced players who
might otherwise get bogged down in page after page of dry in-
structional text before they even get to boot the game.
Sound and graphics are fully up to par to hold the attention
and suspend the disbelief. The full-spectrum 256-color edition of
Headline Harry requires 640K and supports MCGA and VGA dis-
plays. Hard disk installation is required, MS/PC DOS 2.1 or
Tandy DOS 2.11.24 or higher, and a minimum of 8 MHz is sug-
gested. The program optionally supports the AdLib, Sound-
Blaster, Tandy and PS/1 sound devices, as well as a printer and
mouse. No hardware is needed for digitized speech on a
machine with 10 MHz AT or higher. Both 5.25-inch HD (1.2Mb)
and 3.5-inch 720K disks are included in the box. Also available
are a 16-color version and a 16-color, two-program Teacher's Edi-
tion with a five-program Lab Pack.
available. One can conduct interviews, clicking on the people in
each scene, thereby "asking" them for information. Some of the The Computer Game of Record
people are eye-witnesses, some have hearsay information about Headline Harry is a newsworthy "scoop" in educational
the events in question. Some of them can be very helpful, some software. Funny and compelling, it gives kids a reporter's-eye
are quite funny. For more fact-finding fun, one can listen to the view of U.S. history. With its treasure-hunt approach to learning
radio or tape recorder or access reference information by click- and adventure game format, the game provides an entertaining
ing on the corresponding menu icons. The player can even use approach to U.S. political and cultural history and the fast-paced,
the phone to call the trusty assistant Lazar, Headline Harry, Dr. superglamorous world of journalism.
Know (a source of hints, both helpful and not) or Mom. (A good
tip to remember in life as well as in Headline Harry: When all
else fails, call Mom.)
To gather facts, the player records key names, dates and
events (the all-important who, what, where, when and why) in an
on-screen notebook by clicking on the notebook-and-pencil icon.
Once all the leads have been followed up and the crucial facts
have been accumulated, the story is ready to file. If the player
beats his or her smarmy, ruthless competitors to press, then it's
on to the next echelon of reporterdom and the next big story.
w on
)rugs
Fear of Flying
For those who do not want to get involved immediately in
the breakneck pace of the ,game's fiction, the simulation al-
lows the player to fly in a "Free Flight" mode (similar to
flying around in Microsoft's Flight Simulator IV with a
Mach 3 jet). It is also the only mode in which the "spec-
tacular time acceleration feature" advertised on the box can
be accessed (use Shift-0). In this mode, prospective jet
jocks and even veteran pilots can practice takeoffs and land-
ings, view the sights of the simulated Southern California
coast and seascapes or practice the critical carrier landings
Jim Hoover has spent the last two years working with high and catapult launches necessary for victory in the game. A
performance fighter jets, pilots and maintenance personnel at caveat is certainly due here, however. Many garners are ex-
NAS Cecil Field in Florida. NAS Cecil is a Master Jet Base lo- periencing a "disappearing carrier" glitch when they play the mis-
cated near Jacksonville, Florida, and is the East Coast home sions in Sector 3. Anyone experiencing this problem needs to
W
of the F/A-18 Hornet.
ith white knuckles gripping the stick, the rookie con-
centrates on taking small, even gulps of oxygen as
the tell-tale pounding of his heart beats a Caribbean
download "JF2FIX1" from CompuServe or check with Velocity
for a $4 upgrade.
The practice mode also allows pilots an opportunity to practice
air combat maneuvering (ACM) and ground attack missions in
rhythm in his chest. With eyes like a bird of prey focusing order to prepare for the missions found in the "adventure" por-
out of the cockpit, he makes a visual lock on the postage tion of the program. The "adventure" itself is a campaign of 125
stamp-sized landing field ahead, his carrier. Placing his jet missions which must be flown in order to defeat an enemy army
precisely on that flight deck means safety, success and satis- of radical mercenaries and terrorists from South America. This
faction, but first, he has to "call the ball." "Latin American Revolutionary Army" (LARA) has attacked
In Velocity Development's new game, Jetfighter II: Ad- Southern California in a suicide invasion and is financed by a
vanced Tactical Fighter, learning how to land on a carrier is criti- huge drug cartel as a diversion away from the war on drugs.
cal to success. Jetfighter II is a sequel to the game, Jetfighter: Their planes and other weapons have been obtained on the Third
The Adventure, and tends to be much more challenging than World weapons market and they are deadly: MiG-29 Fulcrums,
the original game by the time players undertake the missions in MiG-31 Foxhounds, Stinger surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and sur-
Sector 3. The new game focuses on the introduction and use of face-to-surface missiles comprise their arsenal.
the new stealth technology embodied in the F23-D Advanced Tac- The player climbs into the simulated cockpit as one of the
tical Fighter (ATF). It joins a stable of three other high-tech jets nation's top jet fighter pilots, assigned to fly one of the game's
which appeared in the original game: the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A- four aircraft on either carrier- or land-based missions.
18 Hornet and the F-16 Falcon.
Many times, the player can choose between several potential
The F23-D "Black Widow" ATF has a completely different flight missions in attacking key enemy targets. It is a target-rich en-
model from other jets in the simulation and it gives one a distinct vironment. At other times, however, the computer-controlled
advantage over adversary aircraft. The ATF incorporates the enemy will take the offensive against the good guys and the
latest advances in fighter technology, including radar absorbent player must respond on the defensive. If the player opts to go on
Review
Velocity's Jetfighter II
TITLE: Jetfighter
SYSTEMS: IBM with 640K
COPY PROTECT: None
PRICE: $69.95
DESIGNER: Bob Dinnerman
PUBLISHER: Velocity Development
Palatine, IL
the offensive, he is presented (at the click of a mouse) with The aircraft flight controls for all of the available jets are the
digitized images which offer information on each plane's flight same, although the cockpits differ. Unlike other high-tech jet
characteristics and each weapon's usefulness. Players who pur- simulators, the number of keys to operate the aircraft are mini-
chased the game during its initial roll-out will note that ordnance mal and most are mnemonic (for example, "R" for radar mode
which is not expended during a bombing run often disappears and "T" for target).
upon landing. Then, it mysteriously reappears upon take-off. For-
Jetfighter II offers some spectacular graphics, too. The scroll-
tunately, this "Twilight Zone" of ordnance acquisition actually as-
ing is smooth, the bit-mapped explosions are impressive, the
sists rather than hinders one's potential for succeeding in the mis-
graduated horizon is comparable to that in F-15 Strike Eagle II,
sion. Once equipped, the mission proper begins. The opening is
exterior light is handled differently depending on whether a mis-
dramatic as the screen zooms in from an overhead satellite view,
sion takes place at night or during the day and various features
focuses down to the carrier deck and visually sits the player in
of the landscape are very detailed. Those who want the optimal
the cockpit of a given aircraft. The throttles are eased forward to
graphic touches will have to have VGA, though. The CGA ver-
full military power and the catapult virtually propels the player
sion of the game is, frankly, a waste and even the EGA version
into the mission.
does not adequately present most of the graphic excellence of
The plane accelerates from 0 to 180 knots in less than two the program.
seconds and the player is off to beat the bad guys. The program
tracks mission progress and calculates both the United States' Performance Evaluation
and LARA's effectiveness in the campaign. Points are assigned
In summary, for those who do not have the privilege of attend-
based on the importance of the targets chosen and success in ac-
ing the U.S. Navy's flight school in Pensacola, Florida, this will
complishing the mission objectives. Every detail is tracked, includ-
probably be the closest they will ever get to landing on a carrier
ing number of flares expended and number of SAMs avoided,
in a high-performance jet. Jetfighter II: Advanced Tactical
but many gamers are finding that configuration differences in
Fighter does a great job of simulating both the difficulty and ex-
their machines open them up to receiving "poor" and "fair" per-
hilaration a pilot experiences once he finally places his jet on the
formance ratings, even when they have followed the rules of
carrier deck and comes to a screeching halt after catching the
engagement and completed the mission with a maximum score.
"three wire."
Fortunately, in spite of the ludicrous fiction used to justify the
missions and the occasional unjustified scor-
ing glitches, the missions are challenging,
reasonably well-balanced and open to future
expansion through supplementary mission
disks. Many players feel like the game is too
easy during the initial missions, but almost
everyone agrees that the Sector 3 and Sec-
tor 4 missions are very tough.
by Deborah Muldawer
vene, Otto von Slinkenrat himself automatically enters the game. read the city descriptions hoping for clues, but after the fifth or
In all levels, a disproportionate number of clues fall to the com- sixth description, all locations start to blend together and it is dif-
puter opponents. However, since the human player can see ficult to retain the facts one is supposed to have gleaned from
these clues, all one loses is a few points. If the clues appear for playing the game. Perhaps, if the game used more pictures and
one's opponent, it is a good idea to write them down for future less text, players would remember what facts belong to which
reference. city.
Help given on the beginner level results in a lower score. Point
values are considerably less than those at the intermediate and
The Plan, The Plan (Conclusions)
advanced levels. Returning an undamaged item brings only 500 The game, although tentatively geared for mid-school students,
points. A clue is worth five and finding an item adds 50 points to can be played by adults as well. An interest in geography helps,
the score. An unused ticket can be traded for 10 points. How- as it takes three or four games to feel comfortable with the sys-
ever, on the intermediate level, the stakes are doubled. On the ad- tem. Without motivation, quitting is tempting during the initial
vanced, the point value is tripled. frustration of the game.
Overall, this game should appeal to serious students who do
"The Plain, The Plain" (Critical Notes)
not require special visual and audio effects. The reviewer intro-
Bush Buck Charms, Viking Ships and Dodo Eggs is not duced the game to a twelve-year-old boy who liked the game be-
designed for technical excellence. The sound is weak and the cause of the challenge and increasing difficulty. In addition,
text is indistinct. Even on a Super VGA monitor, the text ap- several adults responded to the game because of the intellectual
peared slightly fuzzy. The maps of the world, while accurately stimulation it provided. Bush Buck Charms, Viking Ships and
done, do not display any superb graphic planning. Finally, the Dodo Eggs would probably work well in a classroom situation,
only graphics, in addition to the maps themselves, are the mis- but due to the two-player restriction, several copies would be
sion-assigning envelopes and the computer opponents. needed.
The only good news, with regard to the technical aspects, is If one does not have an interest in geography or history, Bush
that they are so unexceptional that almost any system will en- Buck Charms is probably not a good investment. If one wishes
compass the full potential of the game. The bad news is that to learn about the world and improve one's map-reading skills,
Bush Buck's presentation hinges so completely on the brief list however, Bush Buck Charms, Viking Ships, and Dodo Eggs is
of facts encountered by players as they enter new cities that any a reasonably interesting and painless way to attain these skills.
hope of mnemonic assistance soon fades away. At first, one will
Review
I time record salary contract every few weeks during the off
season. The pressure of competition can stimulate similar develop-
ments in software technology. Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball
ment of the pitcher's delivery. This disruption of the flow of action is
very confusing at first, but is easy to get used to.
However, it is a real drawback to have the stutter there when simp-
(TLUB), a new release, is already the best-looking, best-playing
baseball simulation yet, but it is not clear how long it will hold that ly managing or watching the computer do so. There is no need for
title. Loyal Earl Weaver Baseball fans waiting for version II may not the closeup window when there is no choosing of pitches or swing-
believe it, but TLUB, designed by a member of the original Earl ing. It slows down the game and also diminishes the illusion of
Weaver Baseball development team, may well prove more satisfying recreating historic players. The larger and more detailed the anima-
than the upgraded version from the industry leader. tion, the more likely the reaction, "But that's not Sandy Koufax!" The
menus for selecting pitches and managerial strategy are always
The designer of a computer baseball simulation has a tall order there, too, whether the game is being played in a mode that makes
these days. The perfect game would provide rich visuals, a solid use of them or not.
statistical foundation and the playability to combine graphics, arcade
action and statistics smoothly. It would take advantage of the faster Hitting, pitching, fielding and baserunning can be under the player's
processing speeds, VGA graphics and sound boards of today's home direct control in All-Star mode, and there are two easier modes to
computers, but not freeze out those with older, slower machines. It facilitate learning. The Pro level will handle fielding; the players on
would work equally well entertaining a couple of kids testing their the field will come up with the ball and wait to be told where to throw
reflexes and devoted statistics buffs replaying old pennant races. Cur- it. The Rookie level also handles baserunning and, when playing
rent games don't try to meet all these criteria. Hardball II doesn't util- against the computer in Rookie mode, the pitcher will serve up better
ize real player statistics. MicroLeague Baseball: The Manager's pitches to hit. The simulation runs at about half real-life speed in all
Challenge doesn't support arcade action. Some serious statistics- modes, which is a boon for arcade players but makes manage-only
based games don't worry about graphics at all. or computer-managed games drag. There ought to be a way to
speed up the pace of the simulation on faster machines.
For players in the EGA/10-MHz league or higher, Tony La Russa's
Ultimate Baseball is an outstanding product that does many things In batting it is possible to swing normally, go for the fences or short-
Review
en up to make contact. The manager can track of standings and individual player
also put on a hit-and-run, steal or bunt play. statistics. 162-game seasons, 81-game half-
Pitchers choose both the type of pitch and seasons, and shorter "round robin" seasons
the location. Batting is simple to learn, among the teams in each league are pos-
though the ball is harder to pick up than in sible, but not a pre-1961 154-game season.
some other arcade games. The program will stop and let you play or
Fielding is difficult, but is aided by a "land- watch any "featured game" you wish. A
ing area" circle that appears on the field to box score can be printed out at the end of
mark where a fielder should be to play the a featured game. While the season is being
ball. To throw the ball, one presses a key or played out, one can watch the standings
moves the joystick to indicate the base to changing day by day as the pennant race
throw to and then presses another key or heats up and still use the "Escape" key at
the joystick button to release the ball. the end of any simulated day to select and
play a featured game. Once the simulation
It is unfortunate not to be able to access a has stopped on a featured game, the desig-
strategy screen with the full rosters of both nation of which games will be featured in
teams, including lineups and bullpen forces the future can be determined. Even in the
with batting or pitching side specified. middle of a game, one can change the
That's what is needed to plan intricate late-inning bullpen strategies. mode and opt to have the computer play it out or take control away
In TLUB, the information that is there is scattered across a number from the computer.
of screens. The strategy screens, though limited, are lively and
clever. The bullpen screen, for example, has little animations show- Two simulated seasons had predictable results. The old franchises
ing the pitchers who are warming up, the one who is on the mound did the best the Yankees, Athletics, Cardinals, Giants and Tigers.
and the one recently sent "to the showers." When playing against the The simulation apparently insures that players' statistics will not be
computer, the only way to get a look at the opponent's bench or too far from their real-life world records and that players who had out-
bullpen to see what substitutes he or she has available is to exit the standing stats in a few games will not be able to play complete
game and momentarily change the opponent to a human manager. seasons at that rate and become league leaders. The home run
It is not possible to print out rosters to get this information. leaders were Hank Greenberg, Jimmie Foxx, Ralph Kiner and Hack
Wilson; Maury Wills and Ty Cobb were the best base stealers; and
The game takes some visual shortcuts. Color of skin is a variable Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller and Herb Score had the best strikeout
in the data base, and black and white pitchers and hitters can be dis records, while Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson led in ERA.
tinguished in the closeup window. However, in the smaller-scale
regular screen all players are white, as is any baserunner visible be- The lack of printing support is a major weakness of the program.
hind the pitcher at second base in the closeup screen. The figures in Printing the box score after a featured game or exhibition game is
the bullpen, on deck or in the showers on the strategy screens are the only printing possible. Team rosters, lineups, schedules, stand-
also all white. It's too bad that this nice touch was not carried out ings in simulated leagues, individual player statistics and league
more completely. Another awkward moment occurs when the leaders in various categories can be viewed the league leaders on
camera scrolls to the outfield on a long fly and the fielder doesn't a clever screen that lets you sort for the best and worst in a variety
start into motion until the camera gets to him, which makes him of categories but not printed out. Hopefully this weakness can be
look slowfooted and inept. corrected in a future upgrade or utility disk.
The basic game provides limited support for those who want to cre-
The game supports EGA, MCGA or VGA graphics, soundboards
ate different teams and leagues by adding or trading players. The
and joystick; there is no mouse support. The VGA screens and
promised "Fantasy Manager" disk may remedy the situation. Trying
animations are stunning, significantly better than EGA. On a Sound
to create new teams, though theoretically possible, is very frustrating.
Blaster, the audio was not particularly impressive, but does include
The game cannot access teams from different drives or subdirec-
opening theme music, the sounds of umpires' calls, the effects of
tories. There is no way to create a blank team slot for building a new
balls hitting bat and glove and a brief crowd outburst after a home
team without erasing an existing team. It is possible to trade a player
run. The program is a memory hog and must be run from a hard
disk, where it takes up 4.7 MB. The program disks contain com- from one team to another, but not to "clone" a player to build a new
pressed files that are decompressed during installation. It is available configuration of teams. Pitchers can only be traded for other pitchers
on 3.5" low-density or 5.25" high-density diskettes. The developer and position players for other position players. When an existing
recommends a processing speed of at least 10 MHz and 640K of team has been erased, there is a blank roster for trading or adding
RAM. The game is also promised in a Commodore-64 version which new players. Players can be added by moving them from other
has not been evaluated by this reviewer, but is said to lack some of teams or entered from scratch.
the features of the MS-DOS version. The player statistics screens are informative and intelligent a real
There are Exhibition games, with no effect on standings or statis- innovation. The statistics are divided between the few that are essen-
tics, and League games. TLUB includes many of the playing options tial for running the simulation and others that are optional. As one
introduced by Earl Weaver Baseball, but some choices have been starts entering statistics, the program automatically provides default
lefty/righty breakdowns if they have not been provided and default
made by the designers. There are natural grass and artificial turf play
player ratings, all of which can be changed. The game includes a
ing surfaces, but the choice is dictated by which surface the selected
dutch hitting rating, a likelihood-of-injury rating, a streak rating so
home team uses in the major leagues. It is not possible to experi-
ment with the Designated Hitter in a National League season, since it that a player's performance over the course of a season will mimic
is in effect only for Exhibition games or when an American League real life; it also stores the player's age. According to the developer,
team is the home team in League games. Since the Designated Hit- there is a bug in the program when entering your own pitching perfor-
ter must be in effect in the American League in League games, it is mance statistics (affecting total at bats against a pitcher) which can
not possible to simulate pre-1973 American League seasons. be corrected by a utility disk available on request from the manufac-
turer.
Although it is not obvious from looking at the generic stadium,
Apart from the stutter, the scanty print options and the lack of ac-
fence distances and wind conditions of each team's current ballpark
are factored into the simulation. Disks with the visual characteristics cess to information about the opponent's roster, many of the limita-
of specific parks are forthcoming from the manufacturer. tions of Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball are likely to be
remedied by the "Fantasy Manager" utility disk. TLUB packs a
There is good support for playing out an entire simulated season tremendous amount into a single box. Most of the tradeoffs it makes
though, again, many choices have been made by the designers in ad- are sensible and the result is a remarkably attractive, enjoyable
vance. TLUB will replay an entire season in a matter of hours (or simulation.
less, depending on the computer's processing speed) and will keep
Computer Flight
t used to be that most armchair pilots announced, the armchair pilots prepare already landed and the receiver station
Armchair pilots in Air Warrior can One of the big differences between Air Air Warrior will definitely provide a
select from a wide range of American, Warrior and other flight combat great thrill to anyone willing to go against
British, Japanese, Soviet, and German simulators is that it requires GEnie in "live" opponents. This pilot's biggest thrill
aircraft and then fly as part of one of order to function. Two programs make was while manning the tail gunner posi-
three nationalities. Besides being able to up the Air Warrior environment, a host tion of a heavy bomber with about nine
fly in single-seat fighters, multiple players program that runs on GEnie's host com- enemy fighters on our tail, but then,
(up to seven) can join together to man puters and a local program that runs on that's another story.
the various stations in a heavy bomber. the player's home computer. The local
Getting started with Air Warrior re-
In addition, tanks and jeeps can be program handles all of the graphics,
quires a subscription to GEnie and the
manned by those that prefer to keep sound, and flight calculations. It com-
Air Warrior starter kit (which can be
their feet on the ground. municates with the host program to pro-
downloaded from the Air Warrior
vide the player with information on the
The environment is made up of both library). Air Warrior supports IBM, Macin-
environment and the interaction with
European and Pacific terrains and in- tosh, Amiga, and the Atari ST.
other players.
clude a large assortment of ground tar-
gets. (Be careful, since some of the Besides the free-for-all combat that nor- Where To From Here?
ground targets shoot back!) Being able mally takes place within Air Warrior,
to knock out key strategic targets will It is a sure bet that, as technology con-
there are also organized squadrons,
tinues to change, we will see more advan-
cause problems for the other weekend historical campaigns, and com-
ces in on-line flight simulations and en-
nationalities, such as knocking out their petitions. Another nice thing about Air
hancements in realism. In fact, how
radar, fuel refineries, and aircraft factories Warrior is that it is constantly undergo-
about some 3-D goggles, touch-screen in-
ing improvements due to feedback from
Other features of Air Warrior include strumentation, wind in the hair, etc.? Oh,
its many players. The Air Warrior file
training sessions and a special practice well, maybe just a while longer....
library contains a large resource of infor-
area for those that are just getting
mation on combat tactics, flight charac- Until the next flight, this is Timothy
started. All pilots are able to communi-
teristics, and training hints and tips. A Trimble, from the cockpit.
cate with each other via public or private
large amount of high-quality graphics
intercom channels. There is also a gun- Timothy Trimble can be reached on
have been provided by the players them-
camera mode that allows the play-back CIS at 76306,1115 and on GEnie at
selves and are available within the library
of a flight along with any radio traffic. xtx06803.
as well.
Behind the Screens
Peace Paranoia
Ironically, while the superpowers
struggle for satellite supremacy,
they are also going through the
motions of peace negotiations.
Topics on the table include
mutual reduction of those same
weapons which the two countries
are actually trying so earnestly to
develop. The only purpose of
these talks is to allow a lagging
country an opportunity to cover
its weaknesses.
In this section of the game, the
player must indicate the U.S. posi-
tion on various issues. Naturally,
the process leaves little room for
doubt as to Clancy's position on
peaceful settlements.
Realizing the extent to which the CIA is going to obtain enemy
information abroad, the FBI anxiously awaits instructions on how
to prepare for similar treatment from enemy spies. Carefully
For True Blue Eyes Only
noting the enemy-interest-meter, the player must judge the ap- Unfortunately, The Cardinal of the Kremlin makes for a rather
propriate amount of security to post at each research area. With bland appearance, featuring even more bar graphs than this brief
too little security, information will flow like vodka into thirsty Rus- review dares to mention. The occasional graphics are embarrass-
sian spies and oppressive security measures will slow down ingly primitive and the sound effects are hardly worth mentioning.
progress at home. Should American scientists be doing too well
Game options include the ability to save up to three games in
in their work, the Soviets will kidnap a department head, and this
progress, although this reviewer experienced considerable
leads into one of the game's rather tame arcade sequences.
problems doing so on an Amiga. The player may elect not to
Seen from above, the player must use his American-built vehicle
view several animated sequences which depict the satellite sys-
to rear-end the Marx-mobile and rescue the scientist. Several bar
tem being tested and launched into orbit and sound effects are
graphs are included in this sequence so the player may gauge
also optional. Users of the IBM version may choose between key-
his progress and the condition of the various cars involved.
board and mouse control, but Amiga players are generally
restricted to the mouse (the lone exception being the arcade se-
Starlight, Star Bright quences, when the keyboard suddenly becomes active).
Similar arcade action, as well as further espionage, is to be
The Cardinal of the Kremlin is an unconventional game to
found in Afghanistan, where a rebel fighter known as "the Ar-
learn. If it is possible to imagine an office overseer examining bar
cher" waits uneasily for the player's signal to attack the Russian
graphs, studying trends and rapidly making decisions on the fly,
satellite project known as "Bright Star." Up until that attack, the
one can easily imagine the flow of game play in Cardinal. Fans
U.S. must keep the Archer's bunker well stocked with supplies
of Tom Clancy's novel will find that the programmers have made
and ammunition to maintain both his goodwill and his strength.
a genuine effort to convert the book to a game, which is by no
When the player decides that the most advantageous time to use
means completely marred by the program's less than sterling
the Archer has arrived, an overhead view of the Russian lab ap-
presentation. Cardinal is also recommended for those who have
pears. The player must guide the Archer through the complex,
always wanted to rule the world by the power of red tape rather
destroying as much equipment as possible before Soviet security
than pure destruction.
Review
Ti e Terminator:
version and a "Full" version.
In the Short version, players
start off the game with a few
of the supplies (including
weapons, etc.) that they will
minator role, the game is more of an action contest, while play- Terminator Strategy: Guns and ammo are really all that's
ing Reese provides more of a staggering strategic challenge. needed, but be sure to grab plenty of ammunition while tracking
Sarah down. When she is finally located, she will be surrounded
Sector Readouts (Evaluation) not only by Reese, but by police and the military. These allies
There are a couple of technical quibbles. On this reviewer's can inflict considerable damage. Even without them, however,
DOS 5.0 machine, The Terminator refused to start until Sarah herself is incredibly tough to take down: she can take fif-
DOS=HIGH was removed from the CONFIG.SYS file. Once this teen to twenty direct hits, and when under attack, she dances
was done, however, the game booted without incident. Bethesda wildly around like a moth near a light bulb. One must keep the
Softworks is aware of this problem; their advice is to use DOS Terminator's energy focused on Sarah. Even though bonus
5.0's LOADFIX command. Also, from time to time in the game, points are awarded for terminating Reese, he is only a secondary
players will encounter strange floating pieces that simply do not target. If a choice must be made between the two, Sarah is the
fit into the current surroundings. They do not detract from logical one to go after.
gameplay, but give the game a somewhat unfinished appearance. A quick cheat for the Terminator player (Warning this should
Overall, the designers of The Terminator have done a commen- not be read by those who don't believe in cheating!): Since the
dable job of capturing the thrilling spirit of the original movie, game map is completely flat (and there is no penalty for driving
while allowing players enough freedom to create their own ver- over lawns and gardens), it is logical to simply steal some
sion of the story. The non-stop action of the movie has been dis- weapons and ammo (the game offers players the chance to buy
tilled down into a classic chase game that has all the elements things, but where's the fun in buying something when one is a
necessary for success. killer cyborg?), steal a car and speed toward Sarah for a quick
victory.
Man Versus Machine (Strategy Tips)
Reese Strategy: One should use time wisely by moving quick-
Strategy depends on the role one plays, just as in real life. As ly and making the most of every second. It is optimal to steal a
the Terminator, one can simply make a beeline for his or her tar- car or van and head straight for one of the ammo dumps on the
get and emerge from nowhere with guns blazing. Alternatively, map. Then one can load up on grenades, rocket launchers, etc.
Reese must use stealth and speed as the keys to success. Guns have little effect on the Terminator, and he can turn up at
the most unexpected times, so victorious heroes must be
Regardless of the character one chooses to play, reading the
prepared. Finally, while Reese can tell Sarah to stay put or run
manual is essential for a successful mission. The manual con-
away, it usually isn't a good idea to be away from her for too
tains vital information that can easily make the difference be-
long. If the humans stick close together, there may yet be hope
tween winning the game and wasting one's time wandering aim-
for the human race.
lessly.
Review
SWOTL has three campaigns, each with three levels; TFH had
one.
The tour of duty is new. While the initial release date called for
one to two tours per side, the current release has eight American
and five German tours.
Flight dynamics are "more realistic" and there are two levels
of flight controls (standard and advanced, the latter utilizing rud-
der/aileron input).
Aircraft and Weapons" section should be carefully studied by the Game Mechanics
serious player. Knowledge of climb rates and maximum speed of Flight mechanics may be standard or advanced. The standard
various platforms should prove life-saving. However, there is no mode automatically coordinates ailerons and rudder, while the ad-
"Tactics" section a la CYAC, in which a visual display of friendly vanced mode allows separate rudder control in order to simulate
aircraft and likely opponents is contrasted along with optimal tac- yaw and pitch maneuvers.
tics.
Initial flight is easy to accomplish, but successful combat mis-
Each cockpit is fully illustrated and explained. Since all instru- sions require a long learning curve. Fighter planes have one posi-
ments do have a function, they must be understood and tion, while bombers have a total of nine (pilot/co-pilot, bombar-
monitored. The documentation makes such comprehension easy dier and eight gunners). Each position may be set to automatic,
to accomplish. although one will have to assume the pilot position in order to
Of course, there are some omissions. While the documentation make course changes. Otherwise, one's B-17 will continue flying
notes that SWOTL supports keyboard, mouse and joystick, one on the previous course deeper into enemy territory.
will learn that the keyboard must be used for certain purposes. In Of course, controls are much easier for fighters, since there are
particular, using the joystick to access a flight from the briefing fewer engines and crew. Nevertheless, the bombers, while less
map is impossible. One must use the space bar for this purpose, maneuverable, require familiarity with the crew positions so that
Review
by Dave Arneson
used are less pleasing to the eye (though them. I suspect the latter is to prevent While only two ships can occupy the
easy to identify). the naval equivalent of the Maginot line same piece of ocean, any number can
from being built across too many of the be in a port. However, it is the first two
In the single scenarios, one can choose
narrows. ships which will perform the combat
the ships that will make up one's fleet
from a "price list." The price list displays operations should an assault be mounted
Garners may also be inclined to wonder
against one's port. So, it is an exceeding-
what ships have already been purchased about the lack of shore-based air. As it is,
ly good idea to make certain that the
and which of these are in the particular the enemy seems to have a real knack
port currently displayed on-screen. One best ships (in terms of both firepower
for sneaking through one's pitiful defense
and condition) are the ones which will do
can go back and change all of this at without having any CAP to fall back
the fighting.
any time before actually starting to play upon.
the scenario.
Tactical Command Readi- Now, Hear This
All Hands to Battle Stations ness In case the reader has not gathered by
now, this reviewer simply cannot stop
Combat is very straightforward. Only Almost all the games will revolve playing The Lost Admiral. The after-bat-
two ships (maximum) can fight each around which ports are controlled. This
other at one time. The player's only tacti- tle report has to read that this little gem
makes the set-up and opening move of the ocean is not only going to be a per-
cal option is to determine which target to very important. An admiral without sea manent addition to the writer's hard
shoot. When there is only one possible room is going to be in big trouble. If it is drive, but several copies will be pur-
target (subs may or may not be targets, not possible to bring superior firepower chased as Christmas gifts for valued
but more on that later), the fire is auto- to bear, it is going to be difficult to win friends. What more can be said? The
matically performed by the program. battles. Admirals will also want to have Lost Admiral is simply a brilliant first ef-
The effect of fire on a target is shown access to as many cities as possible. It fort by a new company. Naval strategists
on a pop-up menu and these do not may seem tempting to start in the mid- who are afraid to purchase such a first ef-
change. So, a battleship will always score dle of everything, but it is more impor- fort are sunk. Those discriminating
four hits on another battleship. The only tant to control a number of cities than enough to make the acquisition are sure
time the fire will score more hits is when the number of areas on the map. to find their tours of computer combat
a carrier is "in support." Then, one addi- Perceptive admirals will also watch the duty being voluntarily extended over the
tional hit is scored for each ship the way their ships are "stacked" in a port. months to come.
player has targeted at the same enemy
ship.
So if two carriers are supporting a bat-
tleship, it will do six points of damage
whenever it is shooting at another bat-
tleship. Carriers cannot attack from a dis-
tance but can only support other ships
from adjacent squares.
run down "what's in the works" at each major Stowell's (Letters: September, 1991) feelings
software house and briefly fill in the readers about the continued slippage of major game
about the status of various titles. Even though release dates. He is correct when he suggests
your copy may be 90 days old by the time the that the general computer magazines often
magazine hits the racks, software projects can lambast their advertisers for prolonged delays.
run 12 to 36 months from inception to comple- However, because of the major differences be-
Promotion Emotion tion. I would rather have dated information on tween the entertainment and productivity
a title I am interested in than be misled by an software markets, I feel he has missed the criti-
How about an editorial / article about "pie in advertisement. One of your mail-order adver- cal difference between business and entertain-
the sky," no-show software? Should com- tisers displays the estimated "coming soon" ment software.
panies advertise what is not available months month of release for hot titles. CGW should be
ahead of time? Flipside: What about the dif- Business software users tend to only use one
assisting readers directly with this information. program of each type. The decision to replace
ficulties encountered by companies in project-
ing release dates? Finally, if the life of a software development a product with an new one is a major and,
team has become so complex that a game often, painful decision. The software com-
R. Tor that was announced and advertised for sale panies know this and will use press releases
Yonkers, New York one year ago is still not in the consumer's and private demonstrations to create an en-
I must take issue with your response to a let- hands, perhaps we could hear more in CGW vironment that will preempt firms from switch-
ter in issue #86 that "unprofessional nagging" about the technical problems new titles have ing to a new product. A fictional example of
would not help the development process of to overcome in order to be completed. I would the effects of such a preemptive strike would
software developers who advertise new enjoy reading an article by the designer of a be:
products in your magazine which do not yet hit program that focused on the hurdles that A corporation has standardized on OK-Cale,
exist. Discussion of the problem could be very had to be overcome in order to bring the title the industry leading spreadsheet with 500
constructive to market and what the linear process consists users trained to use it. The corporate com-
I think that CGW is too closely associated of [in order] to go from concept to disk. The puter manager tests the latest version of
with the software industry to view this issue recent piece on Rules of Engagement's user AmazingCalc and concludes that its new fea-
from the perspective of the consumer. You interface was good, but only scratched the sur- tures are so vital to user productivity that the
have access to certain software prior to publi- face of this subject. company will undertake the painful and expen-
cation (playtest versions for review); are in con- My own uneducated perception of the prob- sive transition to the new product. (The train-
stant contact with the publishers and are well- lem is that developers create wonderful simula- ing costs involved in moving to a new product
informed about the various stages of develop- tions and games and then spend an inordinate usually vastly exceed the cost of the software.)
ment and problems that a software project is amount of time de-bugging and making the The next day, he reads a press release in a
undergoing. We, the consumers, on the other package fit inside the memory/speed require- computer magazine that has OK Corp an-
hand, are "flying blind" with little or no informa- ments of the consumer's machines. No doubt nouncing that the new, soon-to-be-released ver-
tion. this is far from the truth, but I would love for sions of OK-Calc will have all the features of
When was the last time you browsed in a CGW to educate me as to why programs take the current release of AmazingCalc plus
software store? The average game buyer gets so long to bring to market. several more. The writer, who has seen a
his information from store displays and, if he Simon Smith demo of the new product, says it will be ship-
is smart, reads your magazine for balanced West Palm Beach, FL ping next month.
reviews and industry news. The only problem In an effort to impress upon our readers Our corporate manager is thrilled. His prob-
is [that] the products advertised in CGW are the intricacies involved in developing lem is solved and AmazingCalc loses 500
often not available in the stores and release today's software, we urge readers to look at sales. Fourteen months later, the new version
dates given out by the store or the publisher the article on "The Human Cost in of OK-Cale ships, minus some of the
are extremely unreliable. Some products can State-of-the-Art Game Design" in this issue. It may promised features. Our manager fires off a
run one to two years behind schedule! (Har- clarify some of the development hurdles nasty letter to the offending writer and the
poon, Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, Fal- which software publishers are facing. As for magazine itself, chiding them for their participa-
con 3.0, etc.). For over two months, I have modifying the advertisements, that sugges- tion in what he sees as a major malfeasance
been staring at an empty cardboard box of tion does not take into consideration either on their part. Hundreds of other persons in
Gunship 2000 in the stores. In addition, I the lead time in creating the graphic ele- similar positions do the same thing.
received an offer in June from Microprose ments, the cost of making extra film or the The writers and editors of general circulation
that if I purchased through the mail I would capacity for logistical mix-up. Actually, computer magazines are sensitive to the fact
have the product in July, two weeks prior to readers should probably view all advertise- that they are often manipulated by computer
shipment to the stores. Last month, I called ments in computer magazines as being sub- software manufacturers. Their hostile respon-
Microprose and was told release was "end of ject to the suggested disclaimer. We would ses to repeated delays are driven by concern
August." Today, I am told by a store clerk that also suggest that people in Simon's predica- for their readers and a justifiable skepticism of
it is "vaporware" and they have been advised ment use the telephone prior to driving the often cynical announcements of release
[shipment will] possibly be "end of Septem- down to their local software store. For a dates and features.
ber." I drive to a software store every week slightly different slant on this problem, read
looking for new software advertised in your Game vendors have a different situation.
the following letters. Players purchase games they want according
magazine that it turns out is not yet released.
As a consumer, this is very frustrating. Promotion Devotion to their personal budget and product
availability. Lucasfilm knows that advertising
Your points about new technologies and I really enjoy the magazine and esteem it as Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe too early
"new problems in the programming and "the professional journal" of computer will send buyers into stores who will probably
production process" and the 3- to 6-month gaming. I enjoy the review articles and par- walk out with something else (like Chuck
lead time inherent with publishing the ticularly like the articles which discuss the Yeager's Air Combat). Some of those buyers
magazine are well taken. This does not mean professional side of gaming. Examples would will buy Secret Weapons eventually, but in the
that you should not attempt to assist your include such articles as the coverage of round- meantime, their software budget is going in
readership to be better informed about the table discussions at conferences and articles directions that will not help Lucasfilm's cor-
status of new software titles. concerned with ethical questions in gaming. porate income.
I recommend two ways to improve the ac- Of course, the technical and "gee whiz" ar- While pre-release information can stimulate
curacy of advertising in CGW: ticles are also part of this coverage. Like
interest in a new game, it is not in any game
First of all, when a publisher contracts for ad- others who have recently written you, I would vendor's business interest to mislead the press
vertisements prior to the finished product also like to see more "concept to finished or the public. While the game player is waiting
being available, a bold disclaimer should be product" coverage like that with Willy for the fun and excitement of a new game, the
placed at the bottom of the copy. It should Beamish. Such coverage could also help ease
game company is deferring millions of dollars
state: "At press time, this product was still frustration by way of explanation when games of potential revenue, losing some of it forever.
under development. Consult the publisher miss their release by months (or a year in the I suggest that it is more appropriate for
or your local retailer for availability." case of SWOTL). Keep up the writing stand-
readers to feel sympathy for vendors with late
Second, CGW should strongly consider a ards! There is no excuse for poor prose or bad products. Companies that miss too many
code.
column devoted to works in progress. SPI's release dates have a way of becoming "late"
Strategy & Tactics magazine used to have a Philip Cockrell in a more ominous manner.
column devoted to telling you what stage of Columbia, South Carolina CGWs editor is correct when he asserts that
development a boardgame was in. CGW could One can certainly sympathize with Daniel bashing software companies will not speed
Letters
release dates or improve products. I suspect bined arms tactics. Command HQ, co-win- Each grade has a numerical value which
that the editors of computer magazines would ner of "Wargame of the Year" with Warlords, is calculated on a spreadsheet. We believe
agree. The basic motivation for their skeptical is now recognized as a wargame. Their that the ratings of the readers are far supe-
hostility seems to be best summed up by Finest Hour is considered an action game rior to the ratings which could be given by
Rodger Daltry when he wrote: "We don't get first with simulation elements and M-1 Tank an individual reviewer, even the publisher
fooled again!" Platoon is considered a simulation first, but (and he's been around how long?).
John A. Bertoglio a wargame because the player has a com-
Newberg, OR mand perspective. When in doubt, look at Political Incorrectness
the first category listed. I generally consider your magazine to be a
P.S. A wise person observed that if computer
programmers and their employers were responsible one which does not view all com-
The CGW Poll, By the Numbers puter garners as male. Unfortunately, there are
capable of realistically estimating the time a
major software project would actually take to More games should be rated on this card a number of sexist references in the current
complete, then no projects would ever be un- each month. Also, add a column to the rating issue [1186. They include:] "interface one's
dertaken. We should be pleased that crazy chart which says if a game is climbing or drop- grandmother could learn," (p62) "the player...
and talented persons and the firms they work ping in rating. his goal," (p96) "get... a couple of wives...,"
for continue to take an "unreasonable" view of Tim Bernaden (ad p40). I do appreciate that most of your
the time these wonder projects will take! Chicago, Illinois reviewers don't assume I'm male and will men-
tion if it's possible to be a female character in
John has summarized our position on the More games equal less responses. Less
the game.
debate so well that this will be the last let- responses equal less useful information.
ter we publish on this discussion. That is the reason behind the limited num- Victoria Somogyi
ber of games rated each issue. Check out New York, New York
Calling a Wargame a Wargame the new formal for "The CGW Poll" in this With 98% male readership in a male-
I suggest you classify Warlords as a issue, though. dominated industry, we are bound to revert
strategy game, rather than a wargame. The to "manly" references on occasion. I think
game is great, but the combat is not realistic. Ratings Hysteria our regular readers will agree that we make
Chuck Greenwald Congratulations for having the best com- a concerted effort not to be sexist in most of
Dayton, Ohio puter gaming magazine. Your sneak peeks, in- our articles. We even have a higher propor-
dustry news and previews are my favorites. tion of female writers than we do female
I am a long-time player of computer games readers, for example.
One change? Maybe the authors of reviews
and a long-time reader of your magazine. It is
could clarify their overall opinion by a 0-100
my opinion that COW is the very best com- rating? I have been gaming since its birth and You Can't Please Everyone
puter gaming magazine and I've all but two is-
I find your knowledge of its "history" enjoyable. This is a great magazine! I can't think of any-
sues to prove it. Certainly, I confess, the main
Shawn Shafai thing to improve it, except maybe replace
reason I think so stems from the fact that I
Highland Park, Illinois "Taking a Peek" with something more interest-
rarely disagree with anything I read therein,
How do you translate our alphabetical rank- ing. Keep up the great work!
but also the news, reviews and information
have much to do with my enthusiasm, as ings into a numerical rating? David Eison
does an uncanny ability to cover the games I Orlando, FL
Tim Taylor
find interesting. Bullhead City, Arizona I can't stand the format you use in "The
One of the features I most anticipate each Rumor Bag." Please, just state the facts and
month is the Top 100 Games (Ed: Now "The
CGW Poll. "1. I look forward to seeing the chan-
ges in rankings and ratings, reflecting the
readership's changing opinions.
In recent issues, however, I have noted a
definite "fuzziness" of thinking relating to the
assignment of games to their specific
categories in the categories I care the most
about: Action, Strategy, Simulation and War-
games. In a time when wargames are a genre
fighting for survival and definitely in need of
recognition specifically of their own, the "Top
Wargame" is Warlords, a magnificent game,
but a Strategy game, not a wargameeven by
your own definition (read it!). Why is Red
Baron only a Simulation when Their Finest
Hour is Action/Simulation? Why is Knights of
the Sky only a Simulation, as well as Red
Storm Rising, while M-1 Tank Platoon is a
Simulation/Wargame? [Why is] Warlords a
wargame and Command HQ a Strategy
game? I know categorizing games is some-
times a tough call, but exercise some tradition
and consistency, please!
You may have guessed that I am a war-
gamer, at heart. I rejoice that the "Gold boxes"
exist so SSI can continue to publish a few war-
games a year (I'm kidding!). Actually, I'm writ-
ing because I believe my criticism is justified.
Jeff Walter
San Jose, CA
As noted in this issue's article on the
"Game of the Year" awards, 1991 was a
year where it took a little something dif-
ferent to get a computer wargame on the
shelf. Even the designers of Warlords will
admit that the game is essentially a war-
game in a fantasy wrapping. They believed
that it took such camouflage in order to con-
vince sufficient customers that wargames
can be fun, too. As we noted in the initial
review, the game teaches the basics of com-
Letters
use the extra space for something else. Any- "Computer Wargaming World," which CD-ROM games may be the "mega game"
thing else! premieres in this issue. of the future, but I know few people who are
Unsigned willing to put that much time and effort into
Baltimore, MD CD-ROM one game. Really now. Imagine playing an Ul-
"Taking A Peek" and "Rumor Bag" are As usual, your magazine was superb. Good tima game for a solid year (and I like the Ul-
two of our most well-read columns. Many articles, good ads, loads of exciting things to tima series). Maybe that much of a world
professionals in the Industry tell us that spend my bucks on but, to be honest, the could be packed onto a couple of CDs, but
they turn to the "Rumor Bag," first. We editorializing went a little bit (byte) too far. what kind of person is going to isolate themsel-
know readers have a love/hate relationship You guys go to the Spring Comdex and the ves and spend that kind of time on one
with the fiction. We know the fiction is often CES show and then write these articles that game? You expect too much from the atten-
contrived. We like it. We're keeping it until tell us that "state of the industry." tion span of gamers. I don't want length. I
the bag rots off the guy's head. The future is bright. There is new hardware don't want more graphics. And I don't want to
on the frontier. The excitement builds. The fan- hear digitized footsteps, door creaks or even
Sinews of War fares sound. Come on, Russ! Come on, belches. I want newer and better plots. Give
I enjoy running descriptions of battles played Johnny! These shows are pure hype for the me stories that expand my horizon. Make me
(such as the Command HQ articles several is- sole purpose of enticing other retailers and think. Don't substitute hardware for the chal-
sues back) and would like to see more of that "marketeers" (cousins of the mouseketeers) to lenge of my creativity.
type. buy their latest add-on to the PC-world. Publishers should be investing in bright
Also, I would be very interested in seeing ar- Case in point: You guys have been talking talent that will tell new stories (or at least tell
ticles that talk about game design and im- about the glories of CD-ROMs for several is- the old ones with new curves) and dazzle my
plementation. For example: Do game desig- sues. While I have seen listings in mail order grey cells. Leave the CD-ROMs for the
ners use ray-tracing with their graphics? Or houses for CD games, I have yet to see one of marketeer and let's play a game.
maybe some detailed analysis on typical Al these things on a shelf, let alone walk into fel- David C. Hicks
for wargames, or just some general but little- low gamer's house and hear him praise the If gamers, Mr. Hicks aside, want better
known facts or details about game design and wonders of the CD-ROM. Why all the hype? graphics and sound than the present state
implementation. CD-ROM has already gone the way of OS-2. of the art, it will require more storage. If
Jim Brady No one really wants the thing, and yet we gamers want a broader market so they can
Bowie, MD keep hearing how wonderful it will be when we be sure the computer game market will not
get it. Frankly, I don't believe it. disappear as swiftly as the market for In-
CGW is the only publication that gives suffi-
cient coverage to computer wargames. Your The new games that I am seeing now do dividual platforms (Apple II, Atari 8-bit, C-
reviews are excellent and written by people more than I could ever imagine. Why would I 64/128, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, etc.), there
who know not only computer wargames, but spend $500 on a CD-ROM player when a) will have to be a successful platform that
boardgames and miniatures wargaming as there is no industry standard; b) nobody has can support these entertainment master-
well. Bravo! Keep up the good work. produced any games that I wish to play or pieces. We are not trying to sell hardware
which I can't play on my PC (most of the for anyone. We Just recognize the hurdles
Unsigned R.I.D. card games available are either shareware or old the Industry is going to have to overcome
Pittsburgh, PA games that I played years ago) and c) I can't in order to move beyond the present.
We think you'll love our new section, afford that new box.
Sneak Preview
By Bob Proctor
n 1979, when personal computers memory. IBM owners will simply have to
0 157
a Mac. (Do I hear cheering?) It is still too
early in development to say exactly how
big a Mac one will need, but the goal is
to make it possible to run Utah Beach
rated for indirect fire and maximum
range. This attention to detail enables the
game to require that the player function
via a realistic command structure for
Reach Out & Crush Some- on a 2MB system with System 6.0.7. each side and hence, handle HQ units
one: Opponents Wanted Those who want to run the game under properly.
System 7.0 will have to have more
Sneak Preview
pressed for "point and click" orders. If sively while another is assigned individual
one clicks on a "Move" or "Attack" but- missions, unit by unit!
ton, it is then possible to go to the map,
click on each desired hex for that unit to Grognard Bait
move through and observe the number
Here are a few more appetizers to en-
of movement factors being updated as
tice wargame veterans:
the unit moves. The program even
provides estimates of attack and defense Limited Intelligence can be turned off
strengths in combat situations. Why es- completely if one prefers the traditional
timates? Because all units move simul- boardgame style of knowing everything.
taneously during the Execution Phase When turned on, the information about
and, by the time the attack is launched, the enemy varies in content, depending
conditions may be different than they ap- on proximity, and improves with time.
peared during planning! There is also a "Fog of War" option (not
yet implemented on the current beta)
Another area where Utah Beach excels
that is supposed to distort the accuracy
is in the presentation of the results for
of this data. Even the weather forecasts
each turn. This is the "After Action
for the Allies are more accurate than for
Phase." All combat locations are marked
the Germans, who had no weather sta-
with a brightly colored flag to show who
tions in the Atlantic.
won. Clicking on one of these locations
elicits a summary of the battle displayed Zones of Control are of variable
at the bottom of the screen. Though the strength! They are affected by unit type,
initial summary is in general terms, one terrain, morale, fatigue, weather and
must only click on the "Detail" button to night time. One can move through ZOCs,
see exactly what the odds were and what but they impose a penalty on movement
modifiers were used. proportional to their strength. The calcula-
But Is It Art? tions are explained in the manual but the
Utah Beach has a very functional over-
There are several features that would computer handles them all discreetly.
view mode. It does not attempt to show
give Utah Beach consideration as the One is left with the uncertainty of not
the entire campaign area but displays
best computer wargame yet. The first knowing exactly how far a unit can
about four times more area than the
one that strikes the playeras soon as move, or when an attack will happen rela-
"Close View." This turns out to be
the game beginsis the graphics. The tive to other movement.
enough to see the entire area for several
subtle shading of greens and browns on of the scenarios. The game can be Stacking limits (3 battalions per hex)
the eight terrain types is something one played equally well in either view mode. apply all the time. With simultaneous
only expects from a board game map. There are "buttons" to scroll in any of movement, overstacking can occur if too
German units are, appropriately enough, eight directions and for really fast travel, many units try to go through the same
gray and U.S. units are olive drab. Spe- there is a very small map of the entire hex. Thus, congestion at a road junction
cial units stand out in contrasting colors, peninsula and clicking anywhere on this can mean delays and more uncertainty.
such as khaki for U.S. airborne and black map will center the main view on that Sound like a modern work-day commute?
(of course!) for the SS. Unit identifica- location.
tions are easy to read and players have a The Future
choice of standard military symbols or The automated features make the
small icons to show unit types. Each game a joy to play and can be thought There are a few things that would make
type of terrain also has a distinctive "fill of as a staff of "intelligent assistants." Utah Beach even more complete. A
pattern" for color-blind users and Best of all is the "Move Idle Units" com- fuller explanation of the combat algo-
monochrome systems. If a player should mand. It tells the computer to generate rithms would be nice; maybe the final
desire, each hex may be shown in two orders for any unit that doesn't already manual will include one. An ability to
shades of its basic color, the lighter have them. So, one can command in the change ratings of individual units would
shade showing hexes currently under critical areas and let the computer do the please any nit-pickersfor now garners
player control. If the player elects to rest! For example, there is no need to must live with the designers' choices.
switch sides, the colors switch too. spend time bringing new forces up to the
The only important option missing is
"Friendly" hexes are always lighter. front, since automatic strategic move-
head-to-head play between two systems
ment and divisional movement are also
The second reason Utah Beach may linked via serial cable, modem or net-
useful.
be the best yet is its user interface. Play- work. This would make it easier to get
ing a game well has never been easier, Another assistant allocates the basic that social element back into the game.
because the information one needs to supply tonnage every turn. One need Three-Sixty plans to upgrade Utah
make effective decisions is available only deal with the excess, allocating it to Beach next spring (concurrent with the
during movement. During the Planning those units that will need the extra com- release of the DOS version) and add this
Phase, a simple click on a hex will il- bat strength. In addition, one may like to feature at that time. This writer salutes
luminate the supply line in bright green assign targets for fighter bombers and ar- the authors (Larry Merkel, Ed Rains and
flashes. All units in the hex are displayed tillery, but those who do not can simply Keith Zabalaoui) for developing a
in a window and clicking on one of them "enlist" assistants to do those chores too. wargamer's wargame. Here's hoping it
will not only reveal its current status, but Artillery support is automated by does as well on the marketing front as it
also display a row of "buttons" to be division, so one division can fire defen- has on the development front. Great lob!
Survey
The old Milton Bradley Battleship game with (C) Green Valley Publishing; xxx; 1985;
a couple of new ideas and twists. 0/P; N-R
Battle Stations Beg/Land/Op
(M) TimeLine, Ltd.; M. L Samford and W. P. 1-2
Worzel; 1986; 0/P; N-R Real-time "Battle of the Bulge" game which
Beg/Nav/? boasts "no manual required." Player intel-
1-2 ligence also appears to be dubiously optional.
Again, the old Milton Bradley Battleship Carrier Force
game with no new ideas and twists found in (A/C/Ap; #4.2,4.6,27,29,37) Strategic
either the computer or boardgame versions. Simulations Inc.; Gary Grigsby; 1983; 0/P;
**
Battle Stations
(Ap/I) General Quarters; Owen P. Hall, Jr.; Adv/Nav/Op
xxx; $35.00; N-R 1-2
Beg/Nav/Tac-Op A tactical/operational simulation of the
0-2; M major Pacific carrier battles of World War II, it
A simulation of the WWII USS Houston, his- is marred by extremely slow execution and his-
torically a lopsided contest with a few torical inaccuracy in some areas. Obviously
Americans and Allied forces attempting to dated, it will be superseded by designer Gary
stem the Imperial Japanese fleet at its zenith.
Blitzkrieg at the Ardennes Grigsby's new treatment of the same subject.
(Am/I;#67) RAW; Al and Joseph Benincasa;
Carrier Force II
Battle Tank: Barbarossa to Stalingrad 1989; $49.95; N-R
(Am/ST/I; #72) Simulations Canada; Adv/Land/Op (I) Strategic Simulations, Inc.; Gary Grigsby;
Stephen Newberg and Stephen St. John; 1-2 1992; ?; N-R
1990; $60.00; N-R Adv/Nav/Op
Adv/Land/Op A boardgame analog of "The Battle of the 1-2
Bulge" during World War II, in which the com-
Tactical armored combat in the East, June This update of Carrier Force still does not
puter handles bookkeeping and the computer
1941-May 1943. have a formal title, but when released, it will
opponent offers predictable opposition.
update its ancestor to current standards in
Battle Tank: Kursk to Berlin Blue Max computer gaming. It will have a campaign op-
(Am/ST/I) Simulations Canada; Stephen (A) Synapse; xxx; 1983; 0/P; 0 tion (up to two years).
Newberg and Stephen St. John; 1991; $60.00; Beg/Air/Tac
N-R Carriers at War
1
Adv/Land/Op (C/Ap/I; #5.1,5.2,37) Strategic Studies
1-2 An arcade game in every sense of the world Group; Roger Keating and Ian Trout;
(and marketed as such). However, because it 1984/1991; $50.00/?; **** - ?
Tactical armored combat in the East, June was one of the first simulations to have a Int/Nav/Op
1943-May 1945. World War I environment, it is included herein. 1
Beach-Head Blue Max Similar to coverage to Carrier Force, it ex-
(C) Access; Roger and Bruce Carver; 1983; (I; #76,77,78,83) Three Sixty Pacific; Rick cels in its flexibility, options and limited intel-
0/P; N-R Banks and Paul Butler; 1990; $49.95; ** ligence. It is broader in scope than Carrier
Int/Land-Air/Tac Int/Air/Tac Force, and the forthcoming MS-DOS version
1 1-2 should bring the product up to state of the art.
Arcade game of WWII amphibious landing Highly recommended.
First out of the blocks in the 1990-91 World
operations. War I air simulator competition, and it shows. Castle Wolfenstein
Beach-Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back!
More a game than a representation of reality, (A/C) Muse; Silas Warner; 1983; 0/P; *+
(C) Access; Roger and Bruce Carver; 1985; it does not really succeed on either level. An and
0/P; N-R upgrade is available in order to get past the Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
Int/Land-Air/Tac original release's inaccurate flight model. (A/C; #5.2) Muse; Silas Warner; 1984; 0/P;
**
1-2 Bomb Alley
Sequel to Beach-Head allowing for (Ap; #3.4) Strategic Simulations, Inc.; Gary Arcade "classics," these products take the
Grigsby; 1982; 0/P; N-R dungeon mentality and transfer it to World
head-to-head play.
Adv/Air-Nav/Op-Str War II. Castle Wolfenstein postulates an es-
Berlin 1948 1-2 cape from a Nazi castle, while Beyond Castle
(I; #69) Electronic Zoo; xxx; 1990; $49.95; Wolfenstein offers infiltration of a Nazi fortress
*** Gary Grigsby's sequel to Guadalcanal Cam-
paign (cf. infra), this treatment of the World
to assassinate Adolf Hitler. As serious as Pac-
Int/Land/Tac Man, its graphics are dated, but it remains in
War II Mediterranean Campaign was not a suc-
1 this reviewer's fond memories.
cess in its initial release. Time has not revised
More of a role-playing adventure, set in Cold this judgment. Chuck Yeager's Air Combat
War Berlin, the player must interact with the (I; #85,86) Electronic Arts; Brent Iverson;
Breakthrough in the Ardennes
environment in order to recover a missing 1991; $59.95; ****+
(A/C/Ap/I; #5.1,33,37) Strategic Simula-
nuclear weapon. (Perhaps an earlier Sum of Adv/Air/Tac
tions, Inc.; David Landrey and Chuck
All Fears?) 1
Kroegel; 1983; 0/P; **
Bismarck: The North Sea Chase Adv/Land/Op A combat flight simulator offering the ability
(C/Ap; #42) DataSoft; Anthony Stoddart; 1-2 to fly scenarios in World War II, Korea or Viet-
1987; 0/P; *+ nam, or mix and match them. Good graphics,
Beg/Nav/Tac-Op A follow-on to Operation Market-Garden
(cf. infra), this game suffers the same good game play and an excellent post-mission
1 analysis yield a high recommendation.
strengths and weaknesses. Better than Tigers
An arcade-type simulation of the chase for in the Snow (cf. infra), it is more complex Clash of Wills
the Bismarck, this product offers little innova- and still obsolescent. (A/C; #5.4,29,37) DKG; Marc Summerlott;
tion, insight or play value. 1985; 0/P; *+
BulgeThe Battle for Antwerp
Survey
A "Sink the Bismarck" simulation, marred mand-eye view of the "Battle of Britain" rather
by mediocre graphics, documentation and an than the "in the air" action depicted in later
overall lack of panache. Similar to Bismarck: releases.
The North Sea Chase (cf.infra).
Fire Brigade
Dnieper River Line (I/M; #49,63,64,66) Panther; Dave O'Connor,
(A/Ap) Avalon Hill; Bruce Ketchledge; 1983; Tony
***+ Oliver and Ben Freasier; 1989; $39.95;
0/P; N-R
Int/Air/Op Adv/Land/Op
1 1
An Eastern Front battle during World War II, A simulation of the 1943 battles around Kiev
this is not so much a computer game as it is on the Eastern Front. Good documentation
a computer assist to a boardgame (it comes and excellent packaging have yielded a game
with map and counters). It ultimately suc- that has withstood the test of time, although
ceeded on neither level. the learning curve is somewhat long.
Dreadnoughts Firepower
(C/Ap/I; #4.5,4.6,26) Avalon Hill; Thomas (Am) MicroIllusions; xxx; 1987; $24.95; N-R
Dowell; 1984; $30.00; *+ Beg/Land/Tac
Int/Navrac 1-2; M
1-2 would be fought (battleships remain king!).
Designer Mark Baldwin's new The Perfect An arcade tank simulation with direct-con-
World War II naval action covering the pur- nect capability.
General (cf. infra) may well supersede his
suit of the German battleship Bismarck in
1941. Operational and tactical levels, with the former fine effort. First Over Germany
latter allowing one to modify and create his Europe Ablaze
(C; #58,59) Strategic Simulations, Inc.;
own scenarios. However, poor graphics and (C/Ap; #27,37) Strategic Studies Group; John Gray; 1989; 0/P; **+
Int/Air/Tac
game play do little to enhance the game. Roger Keating, Eric Baker and Ian Trout;
1
Eagles 1985; $49.95; ***
(A/C/Ap) Strategic Simulations, Inc.; Int/Air/Op A tactical simulation of the bomber offensive
1 against Germany during World War II, it is rela-
Robert Raymond; 1983; 0/P; ***
Beg/Air/Tac A simulation re-creating the Battle of Britain tively detailed. However, game play becomes
1 and the bomber offensive over Germany somewhat tedious. Secret Weapons of the
Luftwaffe (cf. infra) covers a similar subject
World War I aerial operations, more akin to during World War II. Design-your-own
scenarios and much detail, but Secret but in a more state-of-the-art fashion.
chess than a flight simulator. However, it can
Weapons of the Luftwaffe (cf. infra) has su- Flak
be an enjoyable, albeit unrealistic, experience.
perseded this game to a large degree, al- (A,C,Ap; #4.3) Funsoft; xxx; xxx; 0/P; N-R
Eagles Nest, Into the though that product is more tactically oriented. Beg/Air/Tac
(Ap/C/Am/I; #43) MindScape; xxx; 1987; 1
Fall Gelb
$29.95; **+
Beg/Land/Tac (C/l/Ap/ST) Simulations Canada; Les An arcade simulation.
1 Howie; 1988; $60.00; N-R
Fleet Med
Int/Land/Op
A newer clone of Castle Wolfenstein (cf. 1-2 (Am/ST/I) Simulations Canada; J. Baker;
infra), this arcade product is fun for a short 1991; $60.00; N-R
time, but rapidly loses its interest appeal. The fall of France, Spring 1940. Air/Nav/Tac
Field of Fire
1-2
Eastern Front
(A; #37) APX; Chris Crawford; 1982; 0/P; (C/A/Ap/ST/I; #37) Strategic Simulations, A tactical simulation of naval conflict in the
***** Inc.; Roger Damon; 1984; 0/P; ** Mediterranean (1939-1943), it includes nine
Int/Land/Op-Str Int/Land/Tac scenarios and a "design-your-own" feature.
1
Flight Deck
An operational-strategic simulation of the Ger- A tactical approach to squad-level operations (C) xxx; xxx; xxx; xxx; N-R
man invasion of Russia during World War II, on the Western Front during World War II. His- Beg/Nav/Tac
this game was the first to show what the com- tory and "lessons learned" take a back seat to 1
playability, but it is an interesting introduction
puter could do in wargaming. Obsolete by con- An arcade simulation.
to computer wargaming.
temporary programming standards, it remains
fun to play. The cartridge version offers both Flight Simulator II
Fifty Mission Crush
beginner and advanced scenarios. (A/C/AM/I) SubLogic; Bruce Artwick; xxx;
(C/I/A/Ap; #4.4,35,37) Strategic Simula-
tions, Inc.; John Gray; 1984; 0/P; **
$49.95; **+
Empire Adv/Air/Tac
(I/ST; #40,41,43,54,60,63,75) Interstel; Wal- Beg/Air/Op-Str
1 1
ter Bright and Mark Baldwin; 1987; $49.95;
A tactical re-creation of the bomber offensive The first and classic flight simulator, con-
Int/Land-Sea-Air/Op tinuously updated for graphics and gameplay.
against Germany during World War II. Realis-
1-3 More interesting as a civilian flight simulator;
tic, but dull; superseded by Secret Weapons
of the Luftwaffe (cf. infra) in terms of its World War I portion is ahistorical, slow and
A very enhanced version of the public ponderous. Red Baron (cf. infra) covers the
domain product, this offers an intriguing graphics, game play, and historical detail.
period in a far more intriguing fashion.
simulation of global-type warfare. Emphasizing Fighter Command
aspects of land, sea and air, the simulation is Flying Tigers
(Ap; #3.4,4.4,5.1,5.2,26) Strategic Simula-
very interesting, although it does take a long tions, Inc.; Charlie Merrow and Jack Avery;
(A/Ap; #37) Discovery David Weseley; 1982;
time to win. Design-your-own options and easy 1983; 0/P; N-R 0/P; 0
user interface make this a player. Based upon Adv/Air/Op-Str Beg/Air/Tac
the combat units, this appears to be a World 1-2 1
War I general's concept of how the next war A tactical air-to-air simulation of World War II
A classic SSI game which features a corn-
Survey
in the Pacific. Wire-frame graphics, lack of game, this covered the entire Guadalcanal (C/I/A/Ap/Am; #5.2,5.4,5.5,25,37) Strategic
realism and limited play value are sufficient to Campaign, but in a tedious fashion. The sub- Simulations, Inc.; Gary Grigsby; 1985;
deter anyone from further play. ject has been covered in more recent simula- $59.95; **+
Fokker Triplane Simulator
tions (cf. Gary Grigsby's own forthcoming War Adv/Land/Tac
(M; #66) Bullseye; Donald A. Hill, Jr.; In the Pacific). 1-2
1986/1989; $69.95; N-R Guderian
A tactical simulation of warfare on the East-
Int/Air/Tac (A/C//Ap; #38,40) Avalon Hill; Software As- ern Front, this game was CGWs Game of the
1 sociates; 1987; $30.00; * Year in 1985. Multiple options, but marred by
An early World War I flight simulator, it Int/Land/Op lack of joystick input and stacking (virtually
shows its age. 1-2 an entire army can be crammed into a small
A faithful adaptation of Jim Dunnigan's geographic location). A classic that should be
GATO reworked in order to bring it up to contem-
(C/Ap/Am/I; #5.2) Spectrum Holobyte; Ed famous boardgame, it suffers from being an al-
most too literal translation. Slow-moving, the porary standards.
Dawson and Paul Arlton; 1983; 0/P; *+
Int/Nav/Tac design had potential, but the programming did Kampfgruppe Scenario Disk #1
1 not achieve its objective. (A/C) Strategic Simulations, Inc.; Gary
Halls of Montezuma
Grigsby; 1986; 0/P; *
One of the first World War II submarine Adv/Land/Tac
simulations, it was adequate in its time, but (C/Ap/Am/I; #42,45) Strategic Studies
Group; Roger Keating and Ian Trout; 1988; 1-2
not exemplary in any regard. Time has not
been generous to this product. $39.95; *** Five additional scenarios for Kampfgruppe
Adv/Land/Op (cf. infra). Historical accuracy is subject to
German Raider Atlantic 0-2 question in some of the scenarios, and the
(Ap/I) General Quarters; Owen P. Hall, Jr.; basic game is capable of designing a player's
xxx; $35.00; 0+ The Battlefront system writ once again, this
own scenarios.
Beg/Nav/Tac covers the U.S. Marine Corps from the
0-2; M Mexican War through Vietnam, with emphasis Knights of the Desert
on World War II. Battles include Belleau Wood (A/C//Ap/I; #3.4,37) Strategic Simulations,
Poor graphics, poor documentation and poor (World War I), Okinawa and Iwo Jima (World Inc.; Tactical Design Group; 1983; 0/P; +
gameplay characterize this product of surface War II) on brigade/divisional level operations. Int/Land/Op
naval combat in World War II. Editor Johnny Wilson loved the Halls; this 1-2
Grand Fleet
reviewer is not as easily entertained.
An operational simulation of Rommel's
(ST/I; #63) Simulations Canada; J. Baker; Hellcat Ace desert campaigns in North Africa during World
1988; $60.00; **+ (A/C) MicroProse; Sid Meier; 1983; 0/P; War II, it was one of the first games to offer
Int/Nav/Tac-Op Beg/Air/Tac multiple stacking in the same hex. Slow and
1 1 ponderous, its re-creation of the "African
A simulation of fleet tactical operations in Hide and Sink Campaign" does not deliver its potential.
World War I (actually covering 1906-1920), to- (I) Mirror Images Software; xxx; 1983; 0/P; Knights of the Sky
tally without graphics. However, it remains one N-R (I; #74,76,79,83) MicroProse; Jeffrey Briggs;
of the few products covering this period; it in- Beg/Nav/Tac 1991; $59.95; ***+
cludes seven scenarios and a " 1 Int/Air/Tac
design-your-own option." 1-2;M
Another Battleship (cf. infra) variation.
Gray Storm Rising A World War I flight simulator whose
In Harm's Way
(I) ArkRoyal; xxx; xxx; $19.95; N-R greatest strength is the modem play option.
xxx (C/Ap/Am/ST/I; #52,57) Simulations
Canada; Bill Nichols; 1988; $60.00; N-R
While CGW gave it a rating of primus inter
xxx pares, this reviewer found the inability to fly
Adv/Nav/Tac
Battles in the North Atlantic, World War II. 1-2 on the German side, the graphic repre-
sentation of "cloud cover," and flight
The Great Escape Tactical naval combat in the Pacific from models/damage to be less than optimal. Still a
(I) Thunder Mountain; xxx; 1986; 0/P; 1943-1944; nine scenarios and a " fine game, which suffers only by comparison
Beg/Land/Tac build-your-own" option. to Red Baron (cf. infra).
1 Kriegsmarine
Iwo Jima 1945/Falklands 1982
An arcade treatment of the famous Allied (C; #34,37) Firebird; John Bethell; 1985; (Am/ST/I; #66,67) Simulations Canada;
POW escape from Luft Stalag III (based on the 0/P; Steve Newberg and James Baker; 1989;
book by Paul Brickhill [1950] and the movie Beg/Land-Nav/Op $60.00; N-R
[1962]). It was well worth its price ($9.95) 1 Adv/Nav/Tac
when released, but it has not aged gracefully. 1-2
Simulation of the amphibious operation in
Great War 1914 World War II, it made up in price value what it Tactical naval combat in the Atlantic be-
(C/A) DKG; Marc Summerlott; 1986; 0/P; **+ lacked in historical accuracy. However, it has tween 1939 and 1944, with nine scenarios and
Int/Land/Op-Str aged poorly and offers little for the contem- a "build-your-own" option.
1-2 porary wargamer in either history or play
Kursk Campaign
Primitive graphics and poor user interface value.
(Ap/ST/I; #37) Simulations Canada;
mar this examination of the beginning of Jagdstaffel Stephen St. John; 1986; $60.00; N-R
World War I. On the other hand, there are few (A/Ap; #37) Discovery; David Weseley; 1985; Adv/Land/Op
simulations covering this period. 0/P; 0 1-2
Guadalcanal Campaign
Beg/Air/Tac
1 A simulation of the largest tank battle of
(Ap; #2.5,5.4) Strategic Simulations, Inc.; World War II (Operation Zitadelle, summer
Gary Grigsby; 1982; 0/P; N-R A tactical game similar to Flying Tigers (cf. 1943).
Adv/Nav-Land/Op infra), only occurring in the European Theater.
1-2 Lafayette Escadrille
Just as bad as Flying Tigers.
(T; #3.5) Discovery; David Weseley; 1983;
Perhaps the first "monster" computer war- Kampfgruppe 0/P; N-R
Survey
by Roger White
bothered. Prefectures which are not ad- weak unit, it is time to use the "Flee"
jacent may be pushed up to 100 as soon command to send most of the heroes
as possible. 2) One fully equipped hero back to the prefecture that only has one
can't fend of the average Gao Qiu attack, unit. This will enable the player to cover
but four can (at least, they can until late the prefecture which was left behind and
in the game or until they are attacked still finish off the last unit in the prefec-
from a couple of different prefectures ture to be seized. (One must be careful
with no recovery time. Gao Qui's cronies when using this trick that the cronies
won't attack empty prefectures. So, if don't decide to flee at the outset without
you need a respite, put some distance be- giving the player a chance to fight!)
tween you and them. 3) When Gao Qui's
cronies attack, they throw most of their Highway Robbery
armies into the attack itself. This, natural-
ly, leaves the home prefecture relatively In the middle and end games, the
unguarded, with only two to three player will need to garner most of the
hundred men. One can mitigate a lot of available wealth from conquering the
the damage that a Gao Qiu crony does prefectures of Gao Qiu and his cronies.
when he gets "on a roll" by simply taking In addition to badgering the player's char-
away these relatively undefended provin- acter and the other good fellows, Gao
ces left behind his offensive effort. The Qiu is always busy building up his prefec-
territories themselves will have lots of tures and recruiting heroes at a pace
gold and food in them and that can turn human players cannot hope to match.
an entire game around. To derail this express train to domina-
tion, players will need to take his prefec-
The Tao of War tures and heroes from him. Winning a
prefecture long held by Gao Qiu showers
When players assault another province, one's character with food and gold in the
they are likely to find the cronies fairly in- thousands, not to mention all those
active. Given a choice, they'll hang heroes which have been captured by
around in castles. It is best to defeat one's clever battlefield tactics (okay, they
them in detail: surround each strong were mentioned!). In two months (a turn
point in turn with as many units as can to hire men and a turn to visit the
possibly fit. Then, before beginning the strength charge in to deliver the coup shipyard and smithy) one can convert
series of melee assaults, note that the de grace in the final round. these gains into a larger and better-
crony will often move to attack one of armed, but still untrained, army. Then
the player's strong units sitting in an ad- When players find one of their units one can continue to expand.
jacent castle or on a hill. If so, one knee-deep in fire, it will be necessary to
should be thankful; this consumes his either use the "Extinguish" command or An army of eight heroes can overcome
men much faster than when the player's "Flee" the square. Experienced com- most Gao Qiu garrisons. This liberation
units assault him in the castle itself. manders will learn to "flee" the square, army can run out of steam for a couple
but stay in the battle, by using the of reasons. First, Gao Qiu's provinces are
It is also advisable to launch archery at- "Charge" command and charging rich, but the player's support starts at
tacks initially. In this way, one can leisure- sideways. zero. The people won't pay taxes until
ly wait, unless there are other pressing some hero takes the time to raise the
matters, until the bad guy's unit is three Players should also realize that they do support level. Second, if Gao Qiu gets be-
quarters to half of the player's strength not have to win every campaign. It is hind the player's army and manages to
before the melee assaults become neces- sometimes necessary to attack a prefec- retake a prefecture, it will be a poor
sary. ture in order to soften it up for a sub- prefecture when the player is able to
sequent assault. The wise general may drive him off. Also, one is likely to have
Wise generals will soon learn to attack find himself/herself going in; capturing
the weak positions first. This is because a shrinking, hungry army instead of a
any weak units; using lots of archery growing, rich one after a battle to retake
the leaders of the stronger units will against non-archery units and retreating
sometimes panic and flee as their weaker a province. Third, there is the rock of
via the "Flee" command. Players will also Gao Qui's home prefecture. Players can't
partners are ground into the dust. It is face the problem of wanting to attack a
also important to learn to coordinate the take it, but he can sally out at any time.
weak prefecture without being forced to
final attacks against a unit so that the leave a prefecture unguarded from as-
unit's strength drops to zero during the Most Worthy Reward
sault by a strong enemy prefecture. In
player's attack round. This allows one to this case, the player should attack the Players who take the time to master
capture the opposing "hero" rather than weak prefecture with up to all but one of these strategies will find themselves wor-
have him or her run off to fight another his/her units. When the contest is nearly thy of the title "Bandit King." They are
day. If necessary, players can have their ended and the cronies are down to one most likely to create their own legends of
archery units usually still at full guerrilla warfare.
Review
vader or two players could coordinate an attack against a third possible. In contrast, it might even be possible to have no win-
player's fleet. ners at all. Astrography comes into play if a winner has to have
a certain number of points and a particular star system to win
Second Conflict's computer players do not all use the same
the game.
tactics. Some can be highly aggressive, while others are defen-
sive. Some are opportunists that will wait for others to do battle Second Conflict is easy to learn, as there are few rules to con-
before coming in to clean up the pieces. Another computer per- tend with. In addition, the game runs under Windows 3.0, so it is
sonality is quite content with what it owns, but proceeds to very mouse-oriented and easy to use. Moving fleets, attacking
destroy what every one else has, only capturing planets when and changing production are all handled through the menus and
they involve no risk. icons.
The personalities are randomly generated at the beginning of The only drawbacks to the game involve the manual and com-
the game and fluctuate as the players move up and down on the bat. Whereas the manual does a good job of telling the player
scoreboard. A computer player that is doing well might go into what can be done, it is sadly lacking in examples of how things
an aggressive mode, where one lower on the scoreboard may are actually done. The manual is only a few pages long, but the
suddenly become defensive. incredibly small print can rapidly induce an eyestrain headache
in those who wear bifocals.
The scenario editor is another nice feature. This allows a player,
or a group, to define the context of the game. Stars can be As for handling combat, the major problem is that there is no
deleted, moved or added to a maximum of twenty-six stars. The retreat in this game. Once a player starts an attack, the only way
number of initial planets, ships, missiles, troops and defense sys- to finish it is for one side to be destroyed or captured. Occasional-
tems can also be set. Computer personalities can also be set to ly, a fleet hits a muon cloud, sending said fleet in the wrong direc-
one initial type or frozen so that they retain that personality tion by, presumably, fouling the star drive. Even so, it seems that
throughout the game, regardless of how well or how poorly the a small fleet will, invariably, end up at a heavily reinforced sys-
computer opponent may be doing. tem and end up as target practice for the Empire.
In addition, the scenario editor can be used to define the victory Second Conflict is a great game for those who abhor complex
conditions of a game. A game can be as simple as declaring the rules or enjoy games with short turns. For those who like to
player with the most points on turn 150 to be the winner or deter- define the arena for a battle by changing the victory conditions
mining that the first player to reach 5000 points will be the top to fit one's mood, Second Conflict is a must. And remember,
admiral. Victory conditions can be set to make multiple winners there is no such thing as a benevolent Empire.
Review
n o
r than just a sequel to designer Gary Grigsby's il-
lustrious predecessor and sister-game Second Front:
Germany Turns East, Western Front: The Liberation of
Europe, 1944-1945 adds many new features which wargamers
will gladly embrace. This new simulation from faithful wargame
publisher SSI has hit the shelves the way the Allies hit the
"If This is Hex 90,11, it Must be Berlin."
Aside from a single high-density disk, Western Front includes a
greatly enhanced rules book. Much lambasting was done over
the scant and erroneous documentation included with Second
Front. Clearly SSI has learned a lesson here. The new rules
beaches, and today is D-Day to examine it. manual is far more complete, and offers many insightful for-
mulae and tons of tables guaranteed to please the war-
Back for "Seconds" gamer/analyst. While not the most "user friendly" of documenta-
tion, its target audience of hard-core wargamers will probably not
like Second Front, Western Front covers a huge area of opera- only be unruffled while studying, but actually get excited at the
tions during World War II, this time at roughly half the game menu-by-menu design of the rules layout (which is designed, ap-
scale (10 miles per hex, instead of 20; 3- or 4-day turns rather propriately, for reference, rather than study).
than the "one week" turns of its predecessor). Western Front
retains the same essential feel, to be sure, but there are many Where the package completely falls down, however, is with the
more brigades and battalions filling the "corps" counters which lovely, colored insert card of the game's map which players will
serve as the units of maneuver in Second Front. Hence, one constantly need to refer to during play. Checking one's produc-
gets an impression of the game's new reduced scale just from ex- tion and bombing damage each turn is a must and this, added to
amining the order of battle. In fact, many of the pieces which the necessity of taking complete overviews of the strategic situa-
players maneuver around the map are now merely divisions tion in order to determine avenues for attacks, lines for defense
themselves, which can only receive support sub-units (tanks, artil- and pondering landing sites, mandates the importance of the
lery, anti-aircraft and others in very small amounts of strength) in player reference map. The problem, however, is that no such
addition to the single division! map is included in the game! The only way one can find a city is
Review
to scroll around and guess or look up the wieldy formations, "automatic piloting" of
x,y coordinates, scroll around and guess. unassigned Allied air groups (the Al as-
Without a map insert card to laminate and signs them useful missions for those not in-
take notes on, players will find themselves clined to bother) along with Allied Strategic
rechecking many informational items Bombing and the limitation on which Axis
during the course of a game of Western HQs can be activated all add new challen-
Front, cross-checking that could have been ges for players of Western Front. One inter-
eliminated with provision of a map. Players esting (and irreversible) feature involves al-
will be putting in plenty of (well-rewarded) tering the game scale during play. Present-
effort just to play Western Front. The miss- ly, the game is half the scale of Eastern
ing map seems an unnecessary burden. Front and operates on 4-day turns. Players
may alter this to 3-day turns during play.
Changing Situations This reviewer suspects many still undis-
covered nuances with this feature and sug-
Three scenarios and a campaign game are included in Western gests players experiment with its effects.
Front: Diadem (covering only the Italian theater of war as the Al-
lies slog their way to and through the Gothic Line); Breakout Menu Sans Cuisine
(limited to France and covering Patton's famous "Red Ball Ex-
press" drive to the Rhine); Bulge (a short scenario on the Ger- The best new feature to the Second Front game system is the
man counter-attack in the Ardennes which seems a bit strained inclusion of a mouse interface. For those of a keystroke bent, the
as a simulation on this game's scale) and Overlord, the cam- back of the rules book still includes a command summary of all
paign game. The latter is really the heart and soul version of the keystrokes which can activate the game's features (like every
Western Front and is a satisfying (albeit exhausting) experience thing else, this one is more complete than Second Front's).
for any grognard to play. However, those who like to play war- Nevertheless, the new mouse support built into the game system
games in order to explore historical alternatives might be disap- almost guarantees that a player's hand never has to touch the
pointed. No 1943 scenarios have been provided for (the Allies keyboard again.
were planning on an earlier invasion to help the Russians), nor is The mouse support is a good thing for many reasons, but the
the possibility of ignoring the Italian theater all together and jump- most important ones quickly become apparent as one discovers
ing straight into France. Another historical alternative might have both the need to constantly scroll along the multiple "front" na-
the Germans victorious in Russia and the Allies facing a much ture of the playing board and the prudence of continually access-
tougher landing. Those situations were not provided for, nor is ing the many (and many new) informational windows.
there any type of "design kit" included for wargamers with great
ambition (and even greater amounts of time). "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"
New Strategic Elements Industrial output in Western Front is staggering when com-
pared to those oft-played early turns of Second Front. One has
In spite of grognards living up to their name (i.e. grumbling) only to call up the "Show USA Factories" menu to be in awe at
and complaining about what is not in the game, honest gamers how the replacement pools can really get going. Western Front
will admit that Western Front contains many new and exciting appears to be very hard on equipment losses, however, so things
improvements to the Second Front game system. For instance, tend to even out.
Political Points have been added to the game. With the Allies
gaining two per turn and the Germans three (nine after Paris Of special importance to veteran Second Front players is that
falls), political points are spent to replace HQ commanding of- there is no direct adding of new unit types to friendly formations.
ficers (each now has a "political rating," which is the cost to No longer can players instantly install the finest, newest tanks on
replace them), transfer "politically sensitive" units (for the Ger- the front at the exact spearpoint of an attack. The computer
mans), and to have Allied strategic bombers go after more opera manages this now, using its own (and usually more realistic)
tional-level targets such as airfields and bridges. logic. Players may still manipulate what is produced, just not
where it is assigned.
The Allies must also worry about "strategic transportation"
limitations. Each turn, amphibious prep points and paradrop Cities also produce a vital new commodity: manpower. During
prep points accumulate for the next "big assault." Thus, it will these latter war years, Russia, Germany and Britain (in par-
take the Allied player some "build-up" time before launching a ticular) felt the effects of a manpower shortage. This is now
second invasion (which historically took place in southern reflected in the game, such that losses in personnel are now
France). Fortunately, landings are made easily by indicating a fu- more to be dreaded than losses in material. Sadly, manpower
ture landing zone (or drop zone for paratroops) and then waiting points are one particularly vague point in the documentation and
to build up sufficient points to make a "move" (like the kind players are left to wonder what the exact consequences are of a
manpower shortage.
used to march troops around behind friendly lines). No complex
procedures are involved, and players can be hitting the beaches
shortly after breaking open the rules book.
VE Day
Western Front is another milestone achievement in computer
The undocumented (but allowed) "bombardment attacks" of
Second Front are included and documented this time, as are the wargaming from the prolific keyboard of long unsung Gary
details of combat results such as "bounce," "retreat" (which Grigsby. Because Mr. Grigsby often sets the standards for com-
larger units will not doinstead shattering one of their formations puter wargames, one seldom sees his games in terms of revolu-
and holding the ground), "shatter" and "surrender." tionary design breakthroughs, but rather as evolutionary advan-
ces in computer wargaming's "state of the art." Western Front is
Off-map events (such as the shattering of German divisions on another such advance. For those of us raised on "Grigsby
the Russian front), automatic disorganization checks for large, un- Games," it is time to advance "once more into the breach."
Review