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Game Bytes Issue 07
Once again, Game Bytes is proud to present more than one opinion of one
of the most popular and comprehensive games of the year, DARKLANDS. This
game has a lot going for it, yet is quite controversial because of some
very nasty bugs. Note: To players with versions .04 or .51, a bug fix
to version .60 is available on many FTP sites, Compuserve, America On-Line
and directly from Microprose. We strongly urge you to play DARKLANDS
only with this new version. There is some rumor that a version .70 might
be available soon also.
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DARKLANDS by MicroProse
Reviewed by Johnny W. Georgi
Requires: IBM 386, 486 and Compatibles
2MB RAM Hard Disk VGA Graphics DOS 5.0 (or equivalent)
mouse
Supports: Speaker, Sound Blaster, Adlib, Pro Audio Spectrum, Roland
Review machine: 486 33MHZ, SoundBlaster Pro, Roland, and mouse.
Actually, it doesn't require a 386 or 2MB of RAM as it states on the box.
It requires, according to the README.TXT, 581K of main memory and 64K of
EMS memory and though I wouldn't want to play it on a 286, I have heard
of it being done. I would recommend caution when trying to run this game
on a 286, like buying it from a store with a good return policy.
DARKLANDS is a not-so-typical role-playing adventure set in Germany
during medieval times. It encompasses virtually the entire map of
Germany. Though there is no final ending goal there are major quests,
ridding the land of witches influence is one. There are a host of minor
quests; which mainly consist of "go kill this" or "go get that" type of
chores. The game, aside from combat, is largely made up of a list of
options given to the player in front of some marvelous watercolor like
scenery. The playing system is reminiscent of an older MicroProse game,
Sword of the Samurai.
DARKLANDS is a huge game, it takes a whopping 18+ megs of hardrive space.
Graphically, most of the non-combat backgrounds are extremely well done.
I found the opening graphics and the combat graphics less impressive. The
music on the Roland was nice I thought it added to the game. I didn't
find myself turning it off after a few hours of playing, as I do in many
others. I thought however that the combat sounds were somewhat lacking,
made up of just a few sounds. I was also able to test the SoundBlaster
support, it supports both the SB and the SB Pro but couldn't tell any
noticeable differences between the two. The music on the SB was fair,
and the combat sounds were just as disappointing as on the Roland. Its
protection scheme was a simply random word look-up that I found did not
distract from the game.
GAME PLAY
The character generating system is one of the game's best features. It
is truly a masterpiece of options for the player. You can chose your
name and gender and then you go on to select your hereditary from common
peasant to noble birth, which effects your stats and skills accordingly.
And skills there are! The skills all play a role in the game. One of
the more unique skills is divine favor which effects how good your
chances are of getting your prayers answered. You go on to pick an
occupation which adds 5 years to your age and increases your skills
depending on the occupation chosen. You can keep going on to higher
careers but your character will start to suffer from age.
Unfortunately this game suffers from so many bugs, I wish I had a can of
OFF! There is a fix out for the game now, but at the time of of this
review I did not have it, so I'm merely commenting on the game that I
laid out 50 bucks for. One of the most serious bugs I found in the game
is the save game feature. Which allows you to save in most areas of the
game but as the README.TXT states the game is only properly saved at inn,
camp or wandering the country side. The warning states that saving
anywhere else may result in an incomplete save, and it never writes over
a saved game, it always makes a new one. Meaning you can end up with
many saved games you don't want, and since it only displays about nine
saved games on the screen at once you may not even get to see the one you
want until you delete several others. Just as annoying as this is the
fact that no where in the game can I seem to restore a previously saved
game. It's mentioned in the manual and on the summary keyboard card as
"alt L" but I couldn't never make it work. I had problems with the mouse
locking up frequently, Particularly after battles. I had some minor
inventory problems as well. All of these greatly reduced my enjoyment of
the game.
The manual was excellent, and enjoy to read and a wealth of information
was stored in it. I found it tough going in the beginning, dying many
times. I found that battles quickly became repetitive and they happen
often. Worst the movement in the caves, mines and forts slowed down to a
crawl, even on my 486! Plus the saved game option was not available in
these situations which made it even more frustrating. And though I
appreciated the non-linear plot, it just didn't seem to hold my interest.
SUMMARY
Overall, DARKLANDS is a mixed bag of good and bad. There are many
intriguing and unusual features that set this game apart from the average
hack and slash. But... the excessive combat, lack of of a final ending,
sluggish animation system in the caves and towers, and the many errors
that made this product look rushed and sloppily programmed make it
difficult for me recommend it.
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DARKLANDS by Microprose
Reviewed by Ross Becker
Hardware Requirements
The game requires a 386SX or greater, a Hard Drive w/ 18 meg free, 2 meg
of RAM, VGA, DOS 5.0 or greater, and a Mouse. Sound cards supported
include Adlib, Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, ProAudio Spectrum, and
Roland.
Bugs
Even though the release of DARKLANDS was delayed again and again, the
initial releases still had many bugs. As of version 6.0 most of the bugs
were gone, though the game was still not "stable"- save often, and expect
it to crash upon occasion. If you have a version previous to 6.0, I
highly recommend an upgrade. The game begs for a cache program to speed
up access, but I have been unable to find one that did not cause the game
to crash much more frequently.
Game Premise
DARKLANDS is Microprose's initial entry into the CRPG arena. Seeing as
other companies had been doing RPG's for a long time, Microprose decided
that they had to make a splash. They decided to do several things very
differently from your average game. First, they based the game on
reality- sort of. DARKLANDS is set in 15th century medieval Germany, and
the game world is based on how people of that time perceived reality.
Secondly, they decided to make the game non-linear. That is, there is no
set path to "solve" the game, and you can keep on playing the game without
there being a set end. More on these aspects later, let's have a look at
the game.
Packaging
Opening up the box, I found a beautifully illustrated and well written
manual, that is over a hundred pages long and a very nice paper map (not
cloth, but far superior printing to Ultima's maps), along with the
installation guide and reference card. The manual is long, but includes a
tutorial to get you started. I highly recommend reading the entire manual
eventually, as there are many things buried in the pages which will make
play more enjoyable, as well as much easier.
Character Generation and Development
Character Generation in DARKLANDS is well thought out, and reminiscent of
the Megatraveller and Twilight 2000 games. First you name your character,
and choose a background, whereupon you will be given a number of points to
assign to your basic attributes. Next, you will choose the occupations
for the character, from which the characters skills are advanced. You can
keep choosing careers, and generate an old character with many skills, or
you can start your adventures young, with fewer skills. Be warned,
however, that characters weaken as they age, becoming frailer. Young
characters are initially harder, but in the long run, much more effective.
Once you start your characters in a game, skills improve often, with use,
though attributes rarely change. There are no set "levels" where the
character becomes magically better- only gradual improvement of the
skills. You can create a party of up to four characters, and then it is
time to start adventuring!
Magic in DARKLANDS
DARKLANDS includes two distinctly separate "Magic" systems; one based on
alchemy, and one based on religion. Alchemy is performed by mixing
ingredients to create potions which can slow down or blind opponents, or
strengthen your swords, or give you protection against fire. Formulas can
be had by purchasing or trading with other alchemists in the city, the
proper ingredients must be purchased, as well. The religious system is
based saint worship, or hagiolatry. As your characters explore the world,
you can learn of saints from monks, in the towns and in monasteries around
the countryside. Characters can then "pray" to saints that they know
about, and hope for a miracle. There is a pool of "divine favor" points
that they can draw upon, adding more to increase their chance of success.
If they do not have enough points, they have no hope of success.
Goals in DARKLANDS
The goal of your adventures in DARKLANDS is to become famous. Along the
way, some of the quests that you might undertake are: killing a raubritter
or robber baron, kill a dragon, stop the problems with "knockers" in the
mines, and drive out witches. You might be asked to retrieve relics, or
retrieve stolen papers. Eventually, you will probably take on the Templar
knights, and their demon lord, Baphomet. Each time you complete one of
these tasks, you will gain more "fame". In DARKLANDS, they quantize your
fame with a number. A moderately successful party could expect fame in the
low hundreds, and a very successful party could expect a fame in the high
hundreds.
Cities
There are over 90 cities in DARKLANDS, and each of them are slightly
different. When I say slightly, I mean slightly. Prices change. Names
change. Any location is not going to be found in every city- e.g. very
few cities have universities. Within that variation, the cities change
very little. The city interface is menu driven, and the menu sequences
never vary- the inn will be found in the same place in every city -
assuming the city has one, of course. A quick note on the menu system -
much of the game interaction is handled through menus, which present the
options for the party in the given situation. There is an accompanying
picture appropriate to the situation. The pictures have a "watercolor"
look to them, and add to the atmosphere of the game.
Countryside
In order to complete quests in the game, you have to travel. While you
are traveling across the countryside, you will see a large overhead map.
Click on a spot, and your party, represented by a single figure, will
travel to the spot. Various random encounters will occur while traveling,
and a menu and picture will pop up, offering you various options. Roads,
terrain, and locations you can visit are shown on the map. My largest
problem with this was the fact that it is much faster for your characters
to travel on the road rather than across the countryside, but it is very
hard to keep the party exactly on the road, which is entirely unrealistic.
While traveling, you can set an ambush, or camp. This allows you to lay
in wait for an enemy, or stop to regain your strength or spell points.
While traveling, the game automatically camps overnight for you- and you
do not see it. Overnight camping is figured into travel time. The travel
map is one of the most visually unappealing parts of the game.
Combat
The Combat system introduced in DARKLANDS is my favorite that I have
encountered so far. When you enter combat, you enter an isometric
overhead view, and the graphics are simply superb. You see all the little
details. Combat is performed in real-time, and the characters will fight
on their own when attacked, but you can pause the action at any time to
give or change orders to any member of the party. Then you unpause the
game and watch the character try to get that arrow off before they have to
draw their sword and fight. I had two main problems with this system.
The first is the lack of any movement speed other than "walk". The second
being that when exploration is done in the combat mode, the group movement
AI is terrible- I found myself spending as much time attempting to get the
party to move from point A to point B as I was actually "exploring".
Graphics and Sound
I thought the graphics in DARKLANDS were generally well done. The opening
animation is poor, and the travel map is ugly, but the still scenes set
the mood for the game well, and the combat graphics are nothing short of
gorgeous. I found it really neat to see each of my characters wielding
the weapon that I had given them, and watching someone use any of the
missile weapons was truly "neat". The sound support in the game was good,
though Microprose still had not figured out how to do animation and sound
simultaneously. I found the FM tunes to be annoying after long periods,
but then, I like very few of the FM tunes out there for games.
Summary
On the positive side, I found DARKLANDS to be a truly different adventure,
based in history, and heavily non-linear. The character development was
well thought out, there was a lot to discover in the game, and the combat
system was a joy to me. On the negative side, cities were too similar,
movement was poorly done, the game was initially buggy, and is still prone
to "crash" occasionally. I would recommend it to any adventurer who is
able to overlook the bugs, and especially to those looking for something
new and different.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ross Becker. All rights reserved.
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DARKLANDS by Microprose
Reviewed by Ken Fishkin
GAME TOPIC
"DARKLANDS" is Microprose's long-delayed entry into the Fantasy role-
playing genre, that of "Ultima", "Wizardry", "Might & Magic", and others.
This game has excited a lot of passionate comment on the Internet, half
the respondents hating it and half loving it. I fall squarely in the
middle, and will try to cheer and jeer with equal frequency.
COPY PROTECTION
Virtually none. Very very infrequent manual lookup.
DOCUMENTATION
The usual excellent Microprose manual.
HARDWARE
Requires an immense amount of disk space (16 MB, I think), and an immense
amount of memory (you _must_ have EMM). Mouse and VGA required. I ran it
on a 386SX, 16Mhz, and had no complaints on speed.
INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW
On the most general level, "DARKLANDS" is a fairly typical role-playing
game. You form a party of adventurers, which wander around a kingdom,
killing bad things and helping good things, until a final ultimate quest
is resolved.
Where "DARKLANDS" is most different from others of this ilk is that it is
firmly grounded in a historical situation - that of 15th century Germany,
with the single exception that the superstitions of the time are taken as
_true_ - there really are witches and trolls, Saints really do grant
favors to the pious, and so forth. This means far more than simply
specifying a set of place names. Microprose has taken this "grounding"
and made it apply to all areas of the game. The arms and armor are those
of 15th century Germany. Religion and clerical activity work as they did
in 15th century Germany. Rather than use wizardry, we have alchemy, of the
15th century flavor. Your quests are all keyed to the milieu as well.
Personally, I felt that this was a great decision. Rather than inventing
yet another fantasy world, populated by yet another set of Tolkien-named
personalities, with yet another invented history, with yet another set of
random artifacts, we have everything plausibly grounded in a historical
setting. There are those who find this "mundane" or "unexciting" - I am
not one of them, but you may be.
STARTING UP
In order to start your quest, you need a party of adventurers. There may
be between 1 and 4 adventurers in the party, although there is really no
reason not to have 4. Your character starts at 15 years of age, where you
decide on their ranking in 6 attributes (strength, endurance, agility,
perception, intelligence, and charisma). In addition to these attributes,
they have a rating in roughly 25 skills: their skill at using an edged
weapon, at making an alchemical potion, of being stealthy, and so forth.
Your character is then "developed" in a very nice "Traveler" sort of way.
You guide your character through 5 year "chunks" of their life. At each
chunk, you pick a profession for that character to follow for the next 5
years. The profession will marginally affect attributes, and greatly
affect skills. I found it generally worked well to develop fighters up to
age 30, and "specialists" (clerics, alchemists) up to age 40 or so.
Attributes are permanent, skills are not - your fighters weapons skills,
for example, will go up dramatically through the course of the game as
s/he kills lots and lots of foes.
Once your character has been "developed", you can add it to the party,
picking between 1 of 4 appearances (colors can be varied within an
appearance), and a heraldic symbol. Your character will be given
arms/armor appropriate to their last profession.
WARNING: There is a significant bug here. Clerics/alchemists will be
given _no_ armor. Even if you sell off all their other possessions to
(barely) buy some mediocre starting armor, their survival is very chancy
at the start. I believe this is a bug, not a feature, as the game comes
with a "sample" set of 4 "standard" adventurers, and the
clerics/alchemists in that set are heavily armored.
CHARACTER CLASSES
DARKLANDS does not have character "classes" (fighter, wizard, cleric) per
se. As mentioned above, there are roughly 25 skills, and a number of
professions. Different career paths emphasize different skills, but there
is nothing preventing a soldier from praying to his patron saint, or a
priest from picking a lock - it's simply a matter of time spent developing
that particular skill. Of course, some career paths make it very
difficult to develop some skills (a "thief" will have a hard time
developing much religious virtue!), but you can work on it if you want to.
Generally speaking, though, the _professions_ do fall into "groups" or,
dare I say it, "classes". They are (1) fighter, (2) thief, (3) cleric,
and (4) alchemist.
FIGHTER
Of most import to the doughty young fighter is the game's treatment of
arms and armor. There are 8 different types of armor, the lightest being
"padded" and the heaviest being "plate". The heavier the armor, the more
protection it affords. Note that there is a "price" to be paid for
protection - weight. You don't always want plate for everybody (in my
party, only 1 member had plate mail).
There are a great variety of arms: swords, pikes, staffs, bows, crossbows,
war hammers, and so forth. There are 6 different skills for arms: skill
with edged weapons, for example, will not help you use a crossbow.
Weapons differ in three ways: their weight, their damage, and their armor
penetration potential. A halberd, for example, does "fearsome" damage,
but will not penetrate plate mail. A "great hammer", on the other hand,
does less damage than a sword, but will batter its way through any armor.
THIEF
A thief is really just a fighter, who happens to have put a lot of work
into the "stealth" and "streetwise" attributes, and has a high
"perception" skill. The only real thiefly activity is picking of locks,
which requires a high "artifice" skill. This is usually better left to
the alchemist, as alchemical professions generally give a lot of
"artifice" points.
CLERIC
Clerics have no limitations on their armor or their weapons - the medieval
restriction against Clerics employing edged weapons was not incorporated
in "DARKLANDS".
Religious intervention is handled by recourse to one of a body of Saints.
These Saints are all, so far as I know, historical - they range from the
famous (Mathew, Luke, Jude) to the not-so-famous (Derfel, Gerlac). There
are a _lot_ of saints, each with their own specialty. There are saints
that heal, saints that help you curry royal favor, that help you walk
across water, that help you resist fire, that banish satanic foes, etc.,
etc. - nearly every activity in the game has a saint available.
Each character has a "divine favor". This goes down when you appeal to a
saint, and goes up when you pray, go to Mass, or confess. You cannot
appeal to saints willy-nilly - you have to carefully ration your divine
favor. This also makes it advantageous to spread your Saints across party
members - 4 people can pray 4 times more often than one.
In addition to "divine favor" there is a skill known as "virtue".
Basically, the higher your virtue, the less divine favor you use to appeal
to a saint. In addition, each saint is "rated" with a minimum divine favor
- more powerful saints can only be appealed to by more holy supplicants.
Your character starts with knowledge of a (small) set of saints.
Knowledge of additional saints is obtained in the course of the game -
each town has a monastery, where 4 saints are "known". The monks may
allow you to study one of their saints, if you make a successful Request
(more on Requests below).
I thought this entire section of the game was very well done.
ALCHEMIST
There are no "wizards" in DARKLANDS. Probably the closest analogue is the
"alchemist".
Just as "DARKLANDS" assumes that superstitions of the 15th century were
true, so too it assumes that the claims for alchemy were justified. One
can create alchemical potions which give strength, which heal, which
protect against fire, which explode like hand grenades, and so forth. In
order to make a potion, you have to know the "recipe". Your character
starts with knowledge of a small set of recipes. Knowledge of additional
recipes is obtained in the course of the game - each town has an
alchemist, where 4 recipes are "known". The alchemist may allow you to
buy one of his recipes, if you make a successful Request.
You can also request to swap recipes, instead of buying it outright. This
has the advantage of not costing anything, but had the disadvantage that
in earlier versions of the game the alchemist randomly decided who would
receive the recipe. This was hugely irritating. In the latest version,
the party leader always receives the recipe. This is only moderately
irritating, as your alchemist usually makes a pretty poor Requester (poor
charisma, you see).
Once you have the recipe, you need to have the ingredients. There are
roughly 25 ingredients, of differing rarity/cost. These are obtained by
dealing with the pharmacist/foreign traders in a town.
Once you have the recipe and the ingredients, you are lacking only one
thing: the "philosophers stone". The higher the quality of your stone,
the better quality your created potions. Generally speaking, larger
cities sell higher quality stones.
Once you have the recipe and the ingredients and the stone, you can
finally make some potions. Different potions require different levels of
expertise - the most difficult ones may require a prayer to the applicable
saint to make their manufacture feasible.
This part of the game works better than I have made it sound - I found it
worked very well, and was quite enjoyable.
I found an optimal party consisted of one cleric, one alchemist, one
fighter with high charisma (the leader), and one with high perception, but
your mileage may vary.
STARTING OUT
Great, now you've created your party. What do you _do_ with it? Avid
reader of this review, you've gone to the monastery and learned about a
new saint, and maybe even gone to an alchemist and learned a new recipe.
Now what?
Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is,
"DARKLANDS" does not have a single linear plot. Over time, different
"quests" will be spawned. Different personages will ask you go to various
places and perform various favors for them. The rewards for these quests
are usually financial, but often serve to improve your party's fame as
well.
The bad news is, you only get quests once you have some amount of fame.
Since you need quests to get fame, and you need fame to get quests, you
seem to be in rather a bind! Thankfully, there are two ways around this,
First, each town is chock-full of an infinite supply of bandits. By
killing them, you can not only improve your combat skills (and earn some
money), but get some local fame (you have a different 'fame' in each city,
in addition to your 'overall' fame). Do this for a while, and eventually
you will have much better luck Requesting a quest. Second, if you are
lucky, you may know a Saint who will help you with a Request.
REQUESTS
By now, I've described several places in the game where you make a Request
- for knowledge of a new Saint, knowledge of a new Recipe, and the
granting of a quest. Your odds of having a request granted are a function
of your local fame, your party leaders charisma, and your party leaders
skill at "Speak Common". Calls to saints can greatly affect any/all of
these qualities. The bottom line is - make sure that your party leader
can "meet and greet" well, or you will have a hard time getting any
requests granted.
FIGHTING
OK, so you've decided to start cranking up your local fame by killing some
bandits. You wander through town at night, meet some bandits, and away
you go.
Combat is done using an "over-the-shoulder" 3-D perspective display. Party
members are roughly 1/2" high. Combat is real-time, with pauses for
orders.
You can give your party members orders - "walk to here", "attack that
guy", "throw a potion there", and so forth. When you are in "orders"
mode, the combat is frozen. When you end "orders" mode, the combat
proceeds in real-time, until you enter "orders" mode again.
If you do not give a character an order, s/he will do something on their
own. I found that they almost always did something quite reasonable - you
don't need to panic if you haven't assigned orders to all.
Just as your characters will fight quite reasonably without your help, so
does the enemy. I was impressed with the AI for the enemy combat
decisions - they may not have always done the smartest possible thing, but
they always did something plausible.
This entire part of the game works very well. Good thing, because you
spend a lot of time in it!
ROAMING THE COUNTRYSIDE
OK, you've killed a bunch of bandits, and have gotten too big for the burg
you started in. You decide to walk on over to the next town.
Traveling is done by showing a section of the map of Germany. Your party
is represented by a little figure of a walking man. Point to a location
on the map, and you will see the little man walk there. This is almost
identical to the way this is done in "Sword of the Samurai", for those of
you who own that.
As you wander around the countryside, you may have more encounters. Sooner
or later, you will make it to the next city.
THE NEXT CITY
Cities are fairly "static" - they offer more or less the same set of
facilities in each. Rather like "Pirates", but with more options. You
may visit the church, visit the merchants, visit the local inn, visit the
alchemist, and so forth.
ROLLING ALONG
Once you've acquired a little bit of fame, and quests start rolling in,
you will enter the second phase of the game. In this phase, you will
fulfill various quests, visit various cities, learn more about saints and
alchemy, and generally have a gay old time killing lots of bad guys.
Eventually, you will stumble across the "true quest" of the game. Without
giving too much away, suffice it to say that Witches are bad people,
demons are worse, and the Devil is the worst!
SOUND
The sound effects are limited, but good - swords clink and clank, guns
produce a nice throaty "boom", and so forth.
The introductory music was very disappointing - it's a thoroughly generic
"danger and foreboding" piece of atmospheric music, that reminds me more
than anything else of their introductory music from "Silent Service II", A
WWII Sub simulation! I wish they would have exploited the medieval angle
more here, with some medieval music.
The music that plays during the game is forgettable at best, and quickly
becomes very annoying. Again, I wish they would have used something more
apropos to the period - something sounding like a lute, for example.
The end-game has a sizable hunk of spoken speech - remember to turn
"Music" on before entering the end-game.
GRAPHICS
There are two "families" of graphics in the game - static paintings shown
in interaction, and the fluid combat display.
The static paintings range from nice to very nice (the painting of the
charging boar is my personal favorite). I think they missed an
opportunity here, though - I would have liked to have seen paintings in
the style of the day. Paintings in the form of a Durer woodcut, or a 15th
century tapestry, would have been very nice and lent some nice flavor.
The combat display, from a purely graphical point of view, is very well
done. The battlefield is shown from an "over-the-shoulder" point of view,
with smooth and realistic animation. Characters walk around, swing their
swords, lob their potions, and so forth. The enemy critters are very
well-drawn. My personal favorite was the "Wild Hunter".
SUMMARY
"DARKLANDS" has a lot of sizzle, and a lot of steak. My only real problem
with the game is that one can _only_ eat steak.
What do I mean by this strange analogy? The game has invested a huge
amount of effort in the "wrapper" - the setting in Medieval Germany, the
clerical system, the alchemical system, the quest system, and so forth.
But within all this vast machinery, within this rich environment, there is
really only one thing your party ever does:
"Go to <place> and kill <thing>"
Now, there are a lot of places to go, and a lot of things to kill, but I
found this very limiting. One cannot create a party of nuns who focus
only on pursuing divine knowledge, a party of alchemists who focus only on
alchemical R&D, a party of thieves who play "Robin Hood" across Medieval
Germany. There are very few puzzles, no _qualitatively_ different paths
for your party to pursue.
In the Microprose game "Pirates", for example, a much earlier game with a
much simpler focus, you could attain fame in several _orthogonal_ ways.
You could focus on looting ships, or on finding buried treasure, or on
currying official favor, or on all three. I really wish they would have
followed this model more in "DARKLANDS". Instead, your party simply
travels the length and breadth of Germany, killing a great variety of
enemies in a great variety of places in a great variety of ways.
In addition to its other flaws, this approach greatly reduces the replay
value of the game. A new party will simply embark upon a different set of
"hits" - nothing qualitatively different from what your earlier party did.
In sum, "DARKLANDS" left me with a strange feeling. I think the game _
system_ is terrific, but the game _play_ loses its appeal over time. As
the game wound on towards the "ultimate showdown", I found myself becoming
less interested, rather than more. If you want a very well-done hack-and-
slash, then "DARKLANDS" is the game for you. If you want a game that
emphasizes problem-solving, puzzles, or character development, then it
definitely is not.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ken Fishkin. All rights reserved.
MANTIS XF5700: EXPERIMENTAL FIGHTER by Microprose
Reviewed by Richard Link
Requires: 286, 386, 486 (and compatibles) w/ 12+ Mhz; 640K RAM; Dos
2.11 or higher; VGA/MCGA.
Recommended: Mouse, Joystick or Thrustmaster FCS; Ad Lib, Roland,
Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro or Covox sound board.
The Story:
Earth, the year 2094...a warlike race of intelligent insectoid beings
(Sirians) launches a devastating space-based nuclear attack on the Earth's
major population centers. During the aftermath, landing parties of the
radiation-resistant Sirians begin using the dead bodies in these radiated
areas as hosts for their implanted eggs (grisly, I'll admit).
Unfortunately for the Sirians, they underestimate the tenacity of the
human race, which promptly organizes a unified world government (F.O.E.).
Using military strikes combined with a new vaccine against Sirian eggs,
F.O.E. destroys the remaining Sirians on Earth and begins the long
process of rebuilding. A major objective of the new government is the
defense of Earth against further Sirian attacks from space. F.O.E.
constructs an orbiting military station (Solbase) to be both a defensive
position and a staging ground for Earth's counterattack. The Mantis
tactical fighter will spearhead this attack. As a newly initiated MANTIS
pilot assigned to the blue squadron, your job is threefold: (1) repulse
Sirian strikes against Earth's bases within the solar system, (2) destroy
Sirian space fleets and combat vessels when they are located, and (3)
establish a safe access corridor for Earth's massed attack on the Sirian
home-world.
The Game:
MANTIS XF5700 is Microprose's new space combat simulator crafted in
the image of the wildly successful Wing Commander I/II series by Origin
Systems. A sticker on the box even states "If you liked that other space
adventure, you'll love MANTIS." Clearly, even Microprose realizes that
many of the game's potential purchasers are Wing Commander II (WC2)
veterans. For this reason, I will attempt in this review to compare the
two games and put their respective strengths and weaknesses in
perspective.
As a MANTIS pilot, you fly numerous combat "missions," which
generally revolve around offensive strikes against Sirian ships. The
Sirian ships include small drone fighters, medium attack craft
(Dragonflies, Wasps, Hornets) and large aircraft-carriers (SAV). The
animated launch and landing sequences that start and end each mission are
beautifully rendered with smooth animation and detailed images. In my
opinion, these scenes surpass their counterparts in WC2. Unfortunately,
after endless repetition throughout the game, even these beautiful
graphics can grow rather monotonous. As in WC2, cinematic animated
scenes are interspersed between missions to provide a plot framework for
all the combat. During these scenes, MANTIS relies heavily on digitized
images of real people, acting out roles within the plot. Although many
of the digitized images seem a bit rough and the frame rate can be slow,
I found the cinematic scenes very enjoyable to watch. In particular, the
opening sequence was packed with great animation, a first rate sound
track and excellent speech. Unfortunately, the information presented in
these scenes is, for the most part, completely irrelevant for the combat
phases of the campaign. In fact, you could probably skip all of them
(which would be a shame) and play the game just as successfully. As I'll
outline later, one of the real weaknesses of MANTIS is the homogeneity of
the missions. Perhaps if there was more variety in the mission goals
then these cinematic scenes could have played a larger role in the game
as a whole. In addition, the game has a very chauvinistic plot line, in
marked contrast to the plot in WC2. All the pilots and military
commanders are male, while the only female characters are a flirty
barmaid and our hero's fiancee. Some players may find this bias a bit
offensive (as I did).
The combat missions are flown in the Mantis fighter, either alone or
in the company of the Blue Squadron. The Mantis can be outfitted with a
variety of missiles, two types of mines and data gathering probes. In
addition, your ship carries a mass driver cannon with a very high rate of
fire. Choice of ordinance is solely up to the pilot and is limited only
by the availability of the munitions and mounting space on the fighter's
various "hardpoints."
As in WC2, each "mission" begins with a quick outline of goals,
followed by a cinematic launch sequence. Combat is fought from the
cockpit perspective, although two exterior views are also available. At
the end of the mission, there is a cinematic landing sequence and then
debriefing. The debriefing phase outlines the statistics for the mission
and offers the pilot a VCR option. With the VCR, it is possible to watch
a replay of the action during the previous mission.
The flight characteristics of the Mantis differ radically from the
ships in WC2. In WC2, your ship flew much as a conventional airplane,
with loops and banks an integral part of dogfighting. In MANTIS, a more
realistic flight model was used in which the actual physics of space
flight plays a role. The Mantis fighter relies entirely on its engines
for movement. If you thrust in one direction and then turn off your
engine, the ship continues to travel in that direction no matter where
the ship's nose is pointing. Controlling this type of flight in dogfight
situations can take a little getting used to since it changes the
geometry of combat drastically. However, after mastering the basic
maneuvers, I found controlling the Mantis to be great fun. Techniques
polished by hours of combat in WC2 don't work here, so look forward to
inventing a whole new set of dogfighting tricks.
This brings us to the subject of controls. MANTIS supports the
keyboard, mouse, joystick and the Thrustmaster FCS. I found game play
with the Thrustmaster to be the most enjoyable since the thrust, target-
select and missile-release buttons are on the same stick. Having to grope
for the missile-release and target-select buttons on the keyboard
hampered play with a normal two-button joystick. The + and - keys
modulate the throttle setting, which determines the amount of thrust
applied when the engine is activated. Frankly, I couldn't come up with
any situations in which < 100% throttle seemed necessary since fuel was
never really a problem... MANTIS also supports about ten different
autopilot modes which range from simply pointing your nose at the locked
enemy to full automatic pursuit. Again, the game really has no
situations where tight or complex maneuverings are important so I never
found the autopilot to be a necessary feature. In addition, there are
generally about 25 enemy craft in the distance to fire upon so pursuit of
a single enemy fighter isn't nearly as common as in WC2 (hence the
autopilot doesn't get much use).
MANTIS also differs significantly from WC2 in the way graphical data
is presented during the combat scenes. The enemy ships are displayed as
polygonal shapes in MANTIS, rather than as scaled bitmaps. This has the
advantage that enemy craft don't tend to "blur out" when they fly too
close. Lack of detail is generally the downside of this equation.
Although the ships are rendered cleanly in MANTIS, they don't have nearly
the graphic complexity of the fighters in WC2. MANTIS is not nearly as
"graphical" a flight simulator as WC2. This is primarily because the more
realistic flight dynamics dictate that "dogfighting" in the Mantis occurs
at long range. In WC2, with its "conventional" flight model, dogfighting
generally occurred at close range, nose to nose with the enemy. For the
most part WC2 kills were accomplished up close with guns. In MANTIS, the
space flight dynamics make this kind of high-G and tight-turn flying
impossible. Most of the kills in MANTIS are "stand-off" long-range
missile hits. The gun, despite its high rate of fire, is essentially
useless. Although this type of combat is also fun (look at all the
Falcon 3.0 junkies), it translates into a less graphically exciting game
since you never get to see your adversary up close. So if you
intentionally fly close to a Wasp fighter it looks very slick, but during
normal game play this generally doesn't happen.
The music, speech and sound effects, particularly those associated
with explosions are excellent. Missile launch in the Mantis is a truly
tactile experience and the spectacular explosion graphics & sounds add a
lot to the game. Even after finishing the game, I enjoyed going back to
watch the fireworks. Watch out if you have an early version of the
Soundblaster card, though. I experienced random program lock-ups with
that card (I have no experience with the more recent chips such as V 2.
0). In contrast, the game operates flawlessly with my ProAudio Spectrum
16-Bit sound card. Apart from these sound card incompatibilities, the
program seems bug free. Speed was not a problem on my 386-40, except
during some of the sequences with digitized animated images.
I should note that Microprose is planning to release a version of
MANTIS on CD-ROM that, they assure me, will be a quantum leap in detail.
In its current configuration, the game takes up about 20 Mb of disk
space. The CD-ROM version should be almost 80 Mb in size. The
Microprose people tell me that the CD version will include more missions,
more extensive graphics, more speech, more sound and better
"documentation" (whatever that is). They also assure me that current
owners of the disk-based version will want to buy the CD version to take
advantage of all these advances. We will have to wait and see.
The manual included with the game is pretty but not very informative.
In addition, a huge readme file included on the game disks corrects
numerous errors found in the manual. In many cases, the two sources of
information are in direct conflict, which can make deciphering the
controls a bit difficult. Since many of the game's features were modified
at the last minute, the manual is quite obsolete. Don't lose the manual,
though. You must retrieve information from it to pass the copy
protection segment at the start of the game.
Flashy graphics and sound effects can only carry a game so far. What
about the missions in MANTIS? Unfortunately, the lack of variety in
missions throughout the game was a major disappointment. The packaging
claims that 100 missions are available (it turns out to be only 71). To
my dismay, I found that perhaps 60 of these missions are essentially
identical. Basically, "ships X and Y have been sited at A, fly there and
destroy them..." Although the number and type of enemy ships differs
between missions, that's about all that differs. This really is a shame
since Microprose has put together all the components of an excellent
game. The simulator is fast, the flight dynamics and weapons systems are
fun, the graphical effects are exciting...but there just isn't any
variety. It's almost as if they ran out of gas when it came to designing
the "campaign" portion of the game. Now I'm sure you might argue that
many of the missions in WC2 were of this "fly out and snuff the enemy"
variety. I agree. However, WC2 does a much better job of integrating
these missions into an overall campaign. In MANTIS, the storyline seems
entirely dispensable and I didn't identify very well with my character.
In addition, I found the pre-mission briefings quite weak. In most
cases, they simply created another random reason for flying out and
destroying more ships. Part of this problem, I feel, stems from the fact
that the enemy in MANTIS are truly faceless ships. There is no
communication between the main character and his adversaries, no plot
development that revolves around enemy characters. I guess roaches don't
lead very interesting lives. In WC2, the Kilrathi pilots had
personalities, which added to the game's realism. In MANTIS, the enemy
ships just fly around in their own world, shooting and waiting to be
shot. In addition, the game is just too easy during the opening
missions. By the time challenging missions roll around, the game is well
past one-half over. It's really a shame.
In conclusion, I found MANTIS to be a game with tremendous potential.
Unfortunately, this potential was not fully realized in the current
version. Despite an interesting flight model, good graphics and sound
and invigorating combat game play, the game remains something of a
disappointment to me. The endlessly repetitive "go out and kill the
enemy" missions got rather monotonous after a while. This was
particularly noticeable during the early missions, which were not very
challenging. The game is a lot more fun during the later stages when
success is in doubt. In addition, the cinematic plot sequences are
beautifully rendered but poorly integrated with the combat. The story is
much less engaging than the plot of WC2. Perhaps some of these
shortcomings will be remedied in the upcoming CD-ROM version. If MANTIS
had a wider variety of missions and a higher degree of difficulty, it
would be a great game and I would recommend it without reservation. In
its current form, I can only recommend it to the true space-combat
junkies who love to blow up enemy ships and don't need justification for
doing so.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Richard Link. All rights reserved.
DUNGEON MASTER by FTL Games
Reviewed by Richard Hsia
DUNGEON MASTER (DM) has long been touted as the original, and perhaps the
best, in first person perspective dungeon games. Unfortunately, it
hasn't been available to IBM users until now, though the game has been
available in other formats (Amiga, Atari ST) for a few years. I've been
eagerly anticipating this game for some time, having heard only good
things about it from friends and reviewers; it was finally time to see if
the game was as good as it's word of mouth. It turned out that DM was
indeed worthy of all the praise, even in comparison to many of today's
best dungeon games.
DM begins with your basic RPG storyline: Chaos has been unleashed and
you must assemble a brave band of warriors to recover the Firestaff in
order to defeat him and restore order. Of course, the staff and Chaos
are located within a multi-level dungeon, filled with monsters, traps and
puzzles (by the way, the opening introduction is written quite well,
which is atypical of many RPGs I've played in the past). Immediately,
there is something different. Instead of "creating" characters, you are
thrust into the dungeon and are led into a hall of mirrors where you can
reincarnate or resurrect a champion to join your cause (reincarnation
allows one to rename the character and gain some attribute points but at
the expense of total loss of skills). After choosing four members of
your party, you are ready to begin the game in earnest.
The graphics in DM are fairly good, even by today's standards. Most of
the graphics seem to be EGA quality or better; I am unsure whether or not
VGA color modes are used, though this option is indeed available. At
first glance, the game looks a little campy when compared to today's
equivalents (such as SSI's Eye of the Beholder (EOB) and Origin's Ultima
Underworld (UUW)), but after adjusting to the style of the game, the
interface and graphical presentation seem extremely sophisticated in
terms of usability; the best graphics in the world won't save a game with
an unfriendly user interface. Portraits of your characters are shown at
the top of the screen, along with each character's current health,
stamina and mana (magic) levels in bar graph form and what the character
is holding in each hand. Next to these is a graphical representation of
the relative positions of each character in a standard two by two cover
formation. The bulk of the screen is dominated by the dungeon view, and
to the right of this are icons for spell casting, combat and movement.
The game should only be played with a mouse, though keyboard and joystick
controls are available. Clicking on a character portrait brings up in-
depth stats (including strength, dexterity, wisdom, etc.), food and water
levels, disk access for game saving and a sleep icon. Clicking on an
item changes the cursor into that item, which can then be manipulated for
a suitable purpose (keys into locks, food into mouths, scrolls onto the
eye icon to be read, etc.). Playing the game ultimately consists of
moving and mapping the dungeon levels, fighting when necessary,
experimenting with objects and solving puzzles. Mixed with this are the
everyday chores of eating and finding food as well as healing and
preparing for encounters. A clever addition is the option to eat some of
the monsters one kills. It is amazingly fulfilling to rend gobbetts of
flesh from the carcass of a creature you've just went toe to toe with and
defeated, especially with the digitized gulping sound that comes from
eating.
The sounds and music in DM are also quite good. Digitized sound effects
are used throughout, during combat, bumping into a wall, opening a door,
etc. Many of the sounds are quite realistic, and sometimes even
intimidating on a full stereo system with the volume set too loudly. The
music is simple and unobtrusive. FTL includes a sound adapter that hooks
up to your parallel port, then to a standard audio amplifier and speaker
in case you don't already have a sound board, which though unnecessary in
my case, seemed like a very nice packaging touch.
Moving on to the actual gameplay, I must say that I found DM's interface
to be the best I've ever encountered in a game of this type. It takes a
little getting used to, but after awhile, your mouse skills becomes a key
to doing well in the game. Virtually everything is mouse controlled.
Eating is as simple as clicking on a piece of food and moving it to the
mouth icon. Combat is fought by clicking on a character's main weapon
icon, and then selecting what type of physical action to perform (slice,
thrust, throw, shoot, etc.). Spells are readied by first selecting a
group of symbols and then cast by clicking on the combination. Positions
are exchanged by selecting a character icon and placing it in the desired
spot. Everything makes logical sense and is extremely easy to pick up.
When combat gets difficult, a steady hand and good mouse skills can make
all the difference for using the right weapon or casting the right spell
at the right time, or in making an effective retreat without cornering
and/or hitting yourself. The tension created by real-time combat is
heightened by the need for the player to respond with adequate reflexes
as well as a well planned offense and defense. The combat sequences are
some of the most fun I've ever played. You have to plan ahead, prepare
healing potions, ready spells to cast, choose the right weapons, etc.
_before_ you begin combat. Then, when you actually begin to fight, you
must react with a well planned offense. Do you throw ninja stars first
or start hacking away? Do you cast a fireball or heal your injured
warrior? Do you run and close a door to keep the monsters at bay or do
you fight on? These are some of the many split second decisions you
encounter, all during a single combat sequence!
Most of the puzzles (so far) have been fairly straightforward. Most
involve getting the right key or item to open up another realm of
possibilities. Others involve traps, triggers, buttons, etc. It is easy
to see the influence DM has had by checking out EOB, many of whose
puzzles are almost identical. I recently purchased the hint book, since
I have never been a big fan of mapping by hand. Purists, though, may
find the mapping a challenge; many of the levels are very big. For me,
the fun and the challenge is to successfully navigate all of the
obstacles the game presents; I don't really have the time to get the full
effect of playing the game with no help at all.
Another unique aspect of DM is its character development. Only four
skills/professions are available: priest, wizard, fighter and ninja.
Priests gain experience by casting healing spells (all performed by
creating potions in an empty flask), wizards through casting spells,
fighters through combat and ninjas by throwing objects. And supposedly,
these skills can be honed at any time, such that if you had the patience,
you could theoretically build your characters up simply by continuously
having them cast light spells, or throwing rocks at walls. The only
thing that slows you down is that you must recover stamina and/or mana
after each exertion. One thing the game lacks is a clear definition as
to what it takes to increase in skill level. I gained my first wizard
level after casting the magic torch spell a number of times, but I had no
idea in advance when it would happen. It wasn't until much later that I
advanced in ninja skills. It would have been nice to know how much a
successful spell or throw or attack improved your chances of increasing a
level, and how the increased level aided you in the future. These
details are left for one to experiment with. Still, the system does
offer the advantage of allowing you to develop each character with all
four skills, which is generally recommended. I have chosen to
concentrate each character on at least two particular skills, so that I
get a good mix while not forcing the obvious fighter to try and cast
spells or the mage to get in front and fight.
The included documentation is adequate, but perhaps a bit thin. It seems
the programmers would prefer you to experiment as much as possible to
learn about the game's world, which can also be viewed as an advantage.
The hint book fills in some of the blanks which perhaps should have been
included, such as some beginner's tips and a list of monsters. A list of
weapons and items and their relative value is also missing from both the
basic manual and the hint book. The introductory storyline, as mentioned
above, is well written and effective.
I only have a few minor complaints. First, an automap feature might have
been nice, and maybe a compass earlier on (you can find one in the game)
to help you navigate the sometimes confusing dungeons. Also, a game
loading feature is sorely needed; when you want to restart, you have to
exit and reload from the beginning. Thankfully, this is still a
relatively fast process, but annoying; perhaps the writers wanted to
force you to be careful and _not_ die too often. Also, multiple save
positions could have been added to allow more separate games to be run
simultaneously. The spell list is a little too slim, and a better array
of weapons could have added some spice. Finally, the lack of more
numerical information in terms of skill levels, experience, weapons and
armor could be considered a disadvantage. It would be nice to know
whether or not a certain piece of equipment is better than another; as it
is, only a test in combat might give you some sense of its effectiveness
in combat. These are all not really problems, but quirks of the game
that lend to its overall feel. To get the most out of the game, you
probably need to spend a lot of time experimenting with as many
combinations as possible, which actually adds to the replay value. But
for the player who has limited amounts of time, making some of these
things more obvious would have helped.
The problems I have discussed are far outweighed by all of the game's
good points. Nice graphics and sound are combined with an excellent yet
compelling storyline. Incredibly enough, it all fits on one high density
disk, and uses only about 1 MB of disk space, compared to the 10+ MB
required by many of today's graphics intensive games. In addition to the
powerful and user friendly interface, the programmers have done a
superior job in terms of efficient use of memory and disk usage. All in
all, this is one of the best games I've played, compared to other RPGs of
this type and to any other genre as well.
DM supports EGA and VGA, all sorts of sound devices (Soundblaster, Adlib,
Disney, etc.), and mouse, keyboard or joystick input. There is no true
form of copy protection, though without the manual, it would be difficult
to cast spells since the spell symbol names need to be known.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Richard Hsia. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor Note: I experienced some extreme difficulty getting my mouse to
work properly with DUNGEON MASTER and called FTL for some technical
support. I was very impressed with their knowledge and assistance. The
problem arose from a conflict in their code with my Microsoft Bus Mouse
and the presence of the Soundblaster card. A simple move of the IRQ
jumper on the bus mouse card to IRQ4 solved the problem. Excellent
and responsive technical support.
THE TWO TOWERS: Lord of the Rings Vol. 2 by Interplay
Reviewed By Thom Vaught
Requirements:
DOS 3.1 or higher
640K for EGA/VGA
768K for Tandy
Color Monitor
Hard Disk
Support:
Microsoft Mouse
Adlib, Roland, Pro Audio Spectrum, Sound Blaster, & Tandy
Recommended:
10Mhz 286AT or faster
Copy Protection:
None
Introduction
The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein, is perhaps the most loved
literary fantasy series and much of fantasy today is built upon the
groundwork laid by Tolkein. It is not surprising that "The Lord of the
Rings" has been adapted, with varying degrees of success, to other media
such as film, radio and party napkins. It is also common for efforts to
adapt Tolkein's work to come under the fire of his many devoted readers.
Tolkein's work has been adapted to a number of computer games. Interplay
has chosen to adapt the entire trilogy into a series of Role-Playing
Games (RPG). Their efforts will obviously not satisfy all Tolkein fans
because nothing other than his work ever will. The second installment of
the series is entitled "THE TWO TOWERS" (TOWERS) after the second book of
the trilogy. This is the chance for all those who have read the series
to enter Middle Earth and step into the shoes of those who made up the
Fellowship of the Ring in order to prevent Sauron from regaining
possession of the One Ring.
Summary
Even without the Tolkein backdrop TOWERS is a decent role-playing game.
The interface has a few rough edges. It includes cut scenes to switch
from one party of the Fellowship to another. While the cut scenes are
appropriate I wish there had been some warning so that I could have
continued exploring or had the ability to switch parties manually. I was
initially disappointed with the scope of TOWERS. It took me
approximately 12 hours to complete the game; having read the book cut
this time considerably. I later found that I had missed most of the
adventure. There are many side quests which are not required in order to
finish. These quests make up a considerable portion of the game.
According to Interplay, the average playing time should be around 36
hours if all the quests are completed. Some Tolkein devotees may not
like some of the additional quests and changes made to the story. The
game follows the book fairly closely, but often the characters can reach
their goals in a different manner than in the book. Of course, this is
role playing not a book. There _should_ be some latitude in reaching the
goals. Overall, I found TOWERS to be very enjoyable as an RPG and a good
adaptation of Tolkein's work. I would recommend it to Tolkein fans or
those adventurers who are willing to go back and explore even after
finishing the game.
Game Elements
TOWERS is an RPG adaptation of the second book in the 'The Lord of the
Rings" trilogy. It begins in the time following the breaking of the
Fellowship. At the beginning, the Fellowship is made up of three
separate parties. Frodo and Sam make up one party, Aragorn, Gimli, and
Legolas make up another party. Merry and Pippin make up the third party.
Each party has a different goal, though each is trying to thwart Sauron's
plans. Like the book, when parties reach certain points, the game
switches to another party. The cut scenes are a good idea but can be
somewhat annoying if you stumble onto one. It would have been nice to
have a warning or the option to override the scene change. Often when a
scene change occurred, I found myself wanting to explore further with the
previous party. Another way of handling it would be for the player to
switch parties manually. However, the gamer would not get the sense that
the events for each party are occurring simultaneously.
TOWERS includes all the basic elements of a good RPG such as combat,
quests, puzzles, and character interaction. It is a skill based RPG
system. Each character has certains skills which make the character
unique as opposed to a class based system. For example: some character
skills include sword, picking locks, bow, Elven Lore, Herb Lore, and
perception. A characters skills determine the actions they can perform
and the weapons they can use. There are several places within the game
where characters can learn new skills. I prefer skill based RPGs and
would like to see more computer RPGs use a skill based system. TOWERS
also makes pretty good use of the skills available. For instance,
characters cannot find secret passages without perception and the party
cannot climb unless a character has that ability.
In addition to skills, characters have unique characteristics, including
Dexterity, Endurance, Life Points, Strength, Luck, and Willpower. Most
of the characteristics are common to RPGs. For example, Life Points are
the same as Hit Points in other RPGs. Luck is less common. Characters
which are lucky are less likely to be hit in combat. Willpower
represents the resolution of the character. Characters with high
willpower are less likely to be affected by evil objects, such as the One
Ring.
Many Tolkein fans will be pleased that this RPG follows the Tolkein
tradition more closely with regards to magic than the pen-and-paper RPG.
In TOWERS, the only party member with the ability to use magic is
Gandalf, the wizard. Also, the spells Gandalf may use are very limited.
When Gandalf does cast a spell, it has an adverse effect on his health.
This runs true to the series because Gandalf rarely uses magic in the
series. When he did use magic, he it seemed to affect him physically.
Other party members may use words of power but they do not have the
ability to cast spells. Each party member starts with a number of these
words. These words invoke great
powers. Each word of power may used
only once. It is up to the gamer to determine when a word should be used
because they will only be helpful in certain circumstances.
Magic items are as rare as the ability to use magic in Middle Earth.
Some party members start the game with magic items. For example, Frodo
starts the game with the One Ring and a magical dagger named Sting. Most
magic weapons in Middle Earth have names associated with them. Party
members will not find many magic items in this game. For that reason,
members of the Fellowship should be careful with their magic items
because they are not likely to find replacements.
When characters become injured there are two methods of healing them.
One method is to feed the injured party member. A party member may use
food once per day to regain health. Different types of food provide
varying curative benefits. Nights in TOWERS are marked by the darkening
of the landscape. Another method of healing is the use of herbs. The
herbs used to heal in TOWERS are Athelas. Athelas may only be used by a
character who has the skill of Herb Lore.
Combat in TOWERS is handled on a turn basis. Each party member and enemy
gets the chance to attack in turn. Characters with higher dexterity
scores will attack first and more often. Most who have read the book
will wonder how the larger battles from the book are handled. During the
battle of Helm's Deep, the gamer is presented with the information that a
group is attacking and asked if he/she wishes the party to engage the
enemy. If the answer is yes, then the party is transported to the
location of the enemy and the battle begins. This occurs several times
to indicate the scope of the battle. Other than the battles, encounters
occur without warning and conversation or battle ensues.
Don't get the impression that this is a hack 'n slash though. Combat is
not rare, but other than the battle of Helm's Deep the combat does not
generally last very long. Also, there are enough puzzles and exploration
to offset the combat encounters. This is a welcome change from some of
the more combat intensive RPGs. Many computer RPGs I have experienced
are more akin to wargames than RPGs. The puzzles in TOWERS are not
terribly difficult and usually logical. I really think they did a good
job of mixing combat, puzzles, and exploration.
If an encounter does not result in combat, there is often the chance for
conversation. Conversation is handled by questioning the non-player
character (NPC). Questions are made up of a single word which is
somewhat limiting. There is a catch-all word which can be used to get
information about what the NPC knows. From there, the gamer can
generally use words which the NPC used in questioning. As you can see,
the character interaction is limited, but it is as good as most current
RPGs. In addition to information, some NPCs will join the party.
Usually a NPC will join the party in order to complete a certain quest
and leave after the quest is completed.
The setting of TOWERS includes fairly large portion of Middle Earth.
TOWERS includes an automapping feature which is helpful. It would be
nice if the map could be scrolled so that you could see areas which have
been mapped other than the immediate area.
Production
Overall, the graphics are good. At the beginning and end of the game the
pictures and text are well drawn but will not satisfy all Tolkein fans.
Graphics during the game are from a near overhead perspective. In the
overhead perspective most of the scenery is well done, but the mountains
look a bit funny. It is as if they are laid on their sides. Despite the
mountains, I still prefer RPGs with overhead perspectives to those with
first person 3d views.
TOWERS sound support is good. The background music is nicely scored. It
could use more variation because it gets old after a while. There are
sound effects during combat. Sound effects occur for attacks and magic.
The sounds for magic could use some variation. It is funny that all
magic spells make the same sound.
The interface in TOWERS is functional, but could use a few improvements.
TOWERS does support a mouse, but it is sometimes awkward. Selections do
not appear different than the surrounding text and I found myself
sometimes selecting items which I had not intended. It would have been
better had the selections appeared as buttons or perhaps highlighted. I
generally found myself using the mouse for movement outside of combat and
using the keyboard for movement during combat and menu selections. There
are six save game positions, but unlike most adventure games there is no
way to enter text describing the save position. I think having the
ability to enter a short text description of save game position would
make it easier to select saved games other than the most recently saved.
I really wish computer RPGs would let me interrupt combat to load a saved
game. The whole idea of having multiple save positions is so that you do
not have to finish the game in one sitting and to recover from mistakes.
Why can't I do this in combat?
Documentation for TOWERS provides a lot of background. For the most part
it is very good. Compared with many other RPGs, the documentation should
probably be considered excellent. It provides instructions on how to
play the game and a wealth of detail about Middle Earth and the
Fellowship of the Ring.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Thom Vaught. All rights reserved.
TALES OF FORGOTTEN ULTIMAS -
A Critical Review of the Ultima Series by Origin Systems
Reviewed by Jeremy Reimer
Editor Note: We are please to present for you a thorough and compre-
hensive review of each of the two Ultima trilogies in Game Bytes through
the eyes of Jeremy Reimer, Avatar extraordinaire! Jeremy explores the
first trilogy in this review and we will be publishing the second trilogy
review in an upcoming issue of Game Bytes.
For interested players, we can heartily recommend purchasing the entire
Ultima 1-6 double trilogy available on CD-ROM from Software Toolworks. It
provides a very functional interface to any of the 6 Ultima games. The
installation is a snap. Save games are stored on your hard drive for
continued play. The games themselves are not enhanced in any way, but it
is VERY convenient to have them all on one CD. Only Ultima 6 supports
any sound boards. Perhaps one day, the mammoth Ultima 7 will also be
found on this CD-ROM. There certainly is enough space for it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ULTIMA 1
PREFACE
Recently I purchased the first Ultima Trilogy in order to experience some
of the history of the world's greatest-selling computer fantasy role
playing game series that has so recently triumphed with Ultima 7.
This series of documents, written up after I had completed each of the
first three Ultima games, is intended to let the reader in on a bit of
the history and evolution of this series. Someone commented once on
Usenet that he didn't want to play Ultima 7 without having played all the
previous games in the series, and that he didn't have time to do this.
These documents may aid those who also have this problem.
GAME SPECS
The Ultima 1 supplied in the Trilogy was a re-release of Richard
Garriott's (aka Lord British) original Ultima game that was written in
Applesoft Basic for the Apple II. In the new, previously unreleased IBM
version, the graphics tiles were updated to use the EGA standard. Most
of the tiles will look familiar to those who have played Ultima 4 or 5 on
the IBM. The main player character, the stalwart hero with sword and
shield, was exactly the same, as were familiar monsters such as the
Dragon Turtle, and enemy humanoids such as the evil Rangers, Necromancers
(with the funny exploding hair) and Warlocks.
Sound was limited to little blips whenever you moved or attacked. This
would not change until Ultima III on the Apple, which had a soundtrack,
and Ultima 6, the first Ultima designed entirely on the IBM, which had an
Adlib soundtrack.
The dungeons, a part of the game Richard had already programmed in a
similar fashion in Akalabeth, were black and white vector drawings only.
Even the monsters were scaled vectors, but reasonably well done
nonetheless. These three-dimensional dungeons would remain until Ultima
6, when they were taken out and replaced with the same tile graphics as
in the rest of the world. However, we eventually got Ultima Underworld,
which made up for this loss a thousandfold. The dungeons in Ultima 1
were limited to 10 levels, but were fascinating to explore nevertheless.
One object was colored in the dungeons, and that was the field barrier,
which was depicted by a series of red horizontal lines. The walls were
not filled in, which sometimes made things confusing when you went into a
small room, but the gameplay in the dungeons was top-notch. You could
even shoot monsters from far away if you had a range weapon, the same as
on the surface. All the monsters looked reasonably well drawn, for
line-drawings, except the Carrion Creeper, which looked like a stripped
bush.
The main world was displayed in a full screen, except for four lines of
text on the bottom which were used to indicate commands and four vital
stats. This is an artifact of the Apple ]['s high-res graphics/text
mode, but it was interesting to play an Ultima that used most of the
screen BEFORE Ultima VII! It does appear from the screenshots, however,
that the new version of Ultima 1 on the Apple used graphics for the full
screen, since lower-case text was visible. However, the basic screen
layout would remain unchanged.
GAME PLAY
The world in Ultima 1 was the land of Sosaria, a smallish planet divided
up into four continents. The map provided showed all of them, described
in the runic language that has been unchanged over all the Ultima games.
However, there was no runic translation provided in the documentation!
Breaking the code is pretty easy once you realize that the [I]nform and
Search key will tell you which continent you happen to be standing on;
the Lands of Lord British, the Lands of the Dark Unknown, the Lands of
Danger and Despair, or the Lands of the Feudal Lords.
The four continents are approximately 64x64 tiles in size. The world is
assumed to be spherical, and so you wrap around to each continent as you
proceed in one direction. Curiously, the provided map doesn't place the
four continents in the "right" positions, so you have to learn which ones
are to the "right" or "left" (East or West) of each other.
There are only four types of ground tiles: water, grass, forest, and
mountains. There are two types of "cities", towns and castles. When you
enter a town or castle, the image shifts to a new perspective. In Ultima
1, the entire town or castle interior is shown on the screen at one time,
which means the tiles get smaller (from 16x16 pixels to 8x8 pixels) This
makes it hard to see what things are, although guards and jesters are
pretty simple to identify, I had trouble figuring out that the figure
locked in the prison was a princess and not a mage of some kind. Big
letters are used to identify counters in the towns: Magic, Food, Pub,
Weapons, and Armour being the most common, although sometimes Inn is
substituted for Pub. There are only four different types of cities and
castles internally, otherwise they look identical. Stores in different
continents sell different equipment, though.
One of the neatest things in the game is the addition of space travel.
The pub managers give you tidbits of hints about this whenever you buy an
ale, the documentation mentions it also. Curiously you actually BUY
items like a Star-Wars like Aircar and a Space Shuttle from some shops!
They are expensive, however. When you board the shuttle, you get a
countdown, and then you blast into space. You can thrust and retro in
four directions, to try and dock with a space station floating above the
Sosarian world. You can then pick one of two types of ships that are
sitting there. One of them bears minimal resemblance to a Klingon
battlecruiser. When you switch to front view, you get a passing
starfield like in Star Trek, and hitting the Hyperjump key gives you a
visual effect similar to the ones in Star Wars. Then you must battle
ships that look exactly like Tie Fighters by moving the cursor (no mouse
or joystick support) and firing on the small ships that drift into your
field of view. This simplistic addition actually is more fun to play
than it sounds. You must destroy at least 20 ships to become an "Ace"
and becoming one is important if the Princess is going to help you in
your quest. Richard Garriot and Chris Roberts obviously have more in
common than one might expect!
There is very little talking in this game. The [T]ransact key enables
you to talk with Kings and merchants. Kings of the eight castles will
send you on various quests. Some are simple, like entering areas marked
by huge signposts, such as the Pillars of Wisdom, the Tower of Knowledge,
the Grave of Lost Souls, or the Southern Sign Post (ran out of ideas, I
guess) Other quests usually involve killing monsters that only live in
the lower three levels of most dungeons. Completing the king's quests
give you extra strength and other abilities, and also the gems you will
need in order to operate a time machine, which is needed in order to win
the game.
PLOT
The plot is very simple, the evil Wizard Mondain has taken over the land,
his minions and followers run around everywhere wreaking havoc. Mondain
wears the Gem of Immortality, which he created over 1000 years ago and
cannot be destroyed. Your quest (found out only by buying ale at pubs
and listening to the bartender's advice) is to find a time machine to go
back 1000 years and destroy the gem and Mondain while his powers were
still weak. Well, weak enough to kill him, anyway! The aforementioned
Princess will inform you of the time machine providing you rescue her
from any of the castle's prisons. The only way to do so is to kill the
Jester, who constantly talks about "having the key" The problem is, he
usually has the key to the empty cell. This is in stark contrast to
Ultima IV where killing any civilian makes you lose Avatarhood! Here, in
order to win, you must kill the Jester to get the key, along with the
rest of the guards who will then attack you! It is possible to wipe the
castle free of guards, and even kill all the kings, with the exception of
Lord British who is invulnerable. The kings for some reason don't fight
back. However, everyone in the city or castle is magically resurrected
if you leave and re-enter. I found it rather amusing, especially
rescuing the princess, which reminded me very much of that scene in Monty
Python and the Holy Grail where John Cleese wipes out all the guards
while coming both in and out of the castle. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The final confrontation with Mondain is pretty cool. You must first
destroy his Gem of Immortality, still in the process of formation. He
throws all kinds of weakening spells at you, as well as Magic Missiles
and these flaming bursts that appear in random places. He's in white
robes with a long staff and a large hood. Wear him down and he'll turn
into a bat, requiring you to chase after him to hunt him down for good.
You get a "THOU ART VICTORIOUS" in a big blue box and a final screen of
text for your accomplishment. Basically at the end you sleep through the
1000 years you had traveled back to defeat Mondain, and now Sosaria is a
happy place, and Lord British congratulates you.
SPELLS
There are only 9 spells in the game, all purchased in one-use-only
scrolls (but you can buy lots of them) in magic shops in the various
towns. They are: Blink (move short distances in the dungeon) Create
(create a wall of force in a dungeon) Kill (self-explanatory) Ladder
Up/Down (used in dungeons to get away quickly) Magic Missile (standard
D&D spell) Open (magically open coffins in dungeons) and Unlock (open
chests in dungeons)
CHARACTERS
You can choose to be Male or Female, and a Human, Elf, Dwarf or Bobbit
(like the Hobbit of Tolkien fame) but all characters work pretty much the
same. The same is true for the various classes, fighter, cleric, wizard
and thief, they simply refer to various attributes and don't affect
ability in the game. It is easy to increase attributes (visit the
various Sign Posts) anyway.
WEAPONS
The standard Hands, Dagger, Mace, Axe, Rope & Spikes (which didn't seem
to do anything), Sword, Great Sword, and the useful infinite supply of
Bows and Arrows. Amulets, Wands and Staffs are supposed to help in
spellcasting. The Triangle is a spell-casting aid and weapon in one.
You can get Pistols from the Castle storerooms, as well as Lightswords,
Phasors (the docs call them Phasers, so I guess there's no real
copyright) and Blasters. The range weapons all have a range of three
tiles.
KEYS
A- Attack, followed by direction key
B- Board horse, raft, frigate, aircar or shuttle.
C- Cast whatever spell is currently selected D- Drop, items will be lost
E- Enter town/castle/signpost
F- Fire ships cannons or aircar's lasers
G- Get adjacent items
H- Hyperjump in space
I- Inform and search, tells you what dungeon name you are over, what city
name, what castle name, what landmark name, or just continent name
K- Klimb up or down
N- Toggles noises on/off
O- Open, only works for coffins in dungeons
Q- Quit and save. It doesn't actually quit, it only saves. I ended up
running the game under Desqview and just closing the window.
R- Ready spell/weapon/armor.
S- Steal item in castle or town
T- Transact (talk to King or merchant)
U- Unlock. Opens dungeon chests or castle prison cells.
V- View change, while in space
X- eXit current transport
Z- Ztats. Attributes, possessions and spells owned are shown.
[Spacebar] Pass.
MISCELLANEOUS
Some items of historical note:
- Iolo the Bard makes his first appearance. He's in every town, and he
always sing the same song, "Ho eyoh he hum!" Maybe its a whole bunch
of kids called Iolo, from which the later Iolo will take his name. He
steals from you if you get too close to him.
- Lord British is described at the end of the game as a "stately youth in
violet robes" I guess he was kind of young when he wrote this game,
and young kings do have historical precedent. Cool.
- The jester in each castle is named Gwino.
- Shamino makes his first appearance, as a King of one of the two Castles
in the Lands of Danger and Despair! He's come down from those early
days. I suspect the Shamino we see later may be King Shamino's son,
or grandson, or something.
- The towns of Britain (located next to Castle Britannia), Yew and Paws
are the only towns from the later games (Ultima IV through VII) that
were recognizable, and they were all in the Lands of Lord British.
Other towns had weird names like Faun, Montor and Gerry. Richard's
imagination was just beginning to be put to use, and a lot of the
names lack true creativity. But hey, this is just the beginning...
OVERALL
This was a fun game, despite its simplicity. Its true hallmark is the
fact that this was the first game of its kind, and despite the fact that
more advanced dungeon games (like Vampyr) are now available as shareware,
it was still fun to play. It took me about four days to complete,
although to be honest I did use a sector editor to add hit points to my
character in the early stages, just to stay alive. Otherwise you tend to
see the big white skull o' death a lot, and when you are resurrected you
lose all your cash. As cash is the only way to gain HP (you give it to
kings to trade for HP, although you do gain points if you go up a level
of experience in a dungeon, but only when you reach the surface again)
this would have meant a lot of tedious building up of strength in the
early going, and I decided to simply avoid all that. After all, as the
Man From Usenet said, we don't all have time to play all these games the
whole way through...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ULTIMA 2
PREFACE
This is the second document that I have written about the early Ultima
games. I thought it might be interesting for some people who wish to
read about these older classics without taking the time to play them
themselves. Me, I have as much time to waste as I want, although I must
admit that I tried to finish these as quickly as possible. Sector
editors help a lot here. If you want to play them yourself, it may be
best if you read this review only up to the "THE STORY" section, since
the rest contains some spoilers.
ULTIMA ][: THE REVENGE OF THE ENCHANTRESS
This was the first Ultima game that Richard Garriott wrote entirely in
Apple ][ 6502 assembly language (note that even the method of spelling II
used in the game is a giveaway that this was an Apple game) It is much
larger than Ultima 1, although the world maps are not much larger, there
are different worlds and ages of the world to visit.
Richard sold the game to Sierra On-Line to publish it, but the IBM
version I played was released under the Origin banner, so it must have
been delivered some time after Ultima III was released. This was the
first Ultima game I ever heard about, back in my high school days when
everyone had Apple ]['s, it was making a lot of noise in the then infant
gaming community. Not surprisingly, as it was fast, colorful and had a
much broader storyline than the first Ultima.
GAME SPECS
The IBM version used CGA graphics only, which took a bit of getting used
to. Magenta oceans and cyan forests made me wonder why they didn't give
up on the IBM right then. Good thing they didn't, as we would never have
seen Ultima VI or VII.
The key-disk copy protection mystified me for a while, as it choked out
with a mysterious Divide Overflow error. I finally figured out that if I
switched the machine from 33Mhz to 16Mhz it would load properly. After
that I could switch back to the higher speed. At some points in the
game, like rocket landings, I had to switch back to slow things down
enough to see them! The game ran fine on a hard disk and under Desqview,
although it still prompted for disk swaps, and you had to hit the ESC key
to confirm, even though all the files needed were there on the hard disk!
This wasn't mentioned anywhere in the docs, I had to bash the keyboard
for a while to figure it out. In any case, it got less annoying over
time.
The game was full-screen for the graphic tiles with four lines of text at
the bottom, just like Ultima 1. Tiles were 16x16 pixels everywhere. The
various worlds were 128x64 tiles in size, and you could wrap around the
assumed spherical globes easily.
THE STORY
Ultima 1 was set on the planet (or lands) of Sosaria, with the simple
plot of defeating the evil wizard Mondain and freeing the land (although
you did travel back in time to do so). In Ultima ][, things were really
skewed. The docs mention Mondain's death causing "great upheaval"...
the understatement of the decade! Ultima ][ is set on our lovable planet
Earth, and the main game map is a full map of all the continents that we
have all seen in schools and elsewhere. Lord British, dedicated to a
united Sosaria in Ultima 1, is said to have united the people under one
rule, but no evidence of this is found. His castle is located on the
main island of Britain (the real one!) but the town by that name is
nowhere to be seen, instead we have Port Boniface. The really weird
thing is the presence of time doors, with which you can travel from the
present (said to be 1990) to the time of Pangea (the large supercontinent
that existed millions of years ago), to some unspecified time B.C., or to
AD 2112, a year after a nuclear holocaust has destroyed most of
civilization!
What's going on here? (Well, what's going on is a major plot
discontinuity, that's what!) Nuclear holocaust? 1990? Although it is
an Earth map, it's hard to believe it is 1990 when you still have
dungeons, demons and other D&D stuff floating around, and Lord British
sitting on his usual throne in Castle Britannia. The docs say it is an
age of "reason over romance, dulling awareness of values and leading
weaker souls to lives of crime and software piracy." Well, maybe.
Personally, it reminded me of the Campaign for Real Time in Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy-- the time doors allow passage to other times, and so
we find cities in BC and Pangea where none should be. In the words of
the Camtim spokesperson: "The past is now truly like a foreign country.
They do things exactly the same there."
Actually, post-holocaust things are somewhat different. Central America
is gone, missing, the convenient walkway between Russia and Alaska has
been blown to bits along with much of Asia, and the only surviving city
(even Britain is a dead country) is Moscow. It's quite cute entering
Moscow and seeing landmarks like "DA RED SKWARE" and "DA CCCP", not to
mention the lack of a king (DA KGB, consisting of about seven guards,
sits on the "throne".) This somewhat wounded town is the only place to
steal a rocket, which you will need to travel to other planets. The docs
say that you can travel to all the other planets in the solar system (and
land on them, obviously the Gas Giants have become rather less gaseous)
but I found that Mars was just Earth A.D., Mercury was the blob of
Pangea, Venus was Earth B.C. and Jupiter was Earth after the Holocaust.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto each had individual "maps" and an interesting
topography. Planet "X", rather easily found, also had a different map.
The object of the game is to find the evil enchantress Minax (former
apprentice and lover to Mondain of Ultima 1) and kill her. Why? Well,
the docs say so (Richard Garriott admits it is not until Ultima IV that a
real reason for completing one's quest that isn't just one written in the
docs would appear) Apparently, she used the Time Gates to actually cause
the Holocaust, from her home in the time of "Legends"-- described as
being "beyond time". Well, Legends is quite easy to find (and a simple
place-- an oval world with one castle inside a circle of mountains) but
in order to penetrate the castle safely (force fields that do 1000 damage
can ruin your whole day) you will need a ring, which the seers tell you
about for an inordinate cost. The Man under A Tree (literally) will give
it to you, but only with Father Antos' Blessing, and the Good Father
happens to live on Planet X, like all Good Fathers of course. Well, you
eventually enter the castle, kill Minax (she teleports around the castle
a bit, but eventually you can get her) and the closing screen is you
doing a victory loop in your rocket around Earth, having saved it in all
the different times.
GAME PLAY
No intro here save for a picture of a serpent's head, and an optional
demo of the game which was just a bunch of screenshots at various stages
of play. When you start playing you start playing, although you have no
weapons or armor save your fists and skin. The tile graphics are the
same as in Ultima 1, except that the cities use full-size tiles and a
scrolling view instead of the full-screen cities of Ultima 1. Dungeons
are the same as in Ultima 1, wire-frame black and white walls and doors
(although some walls are have large squares that aren't doors, which
mystified me) The monsters are not line drawings but are colored blown-
up tiles. There isn't much scaling, you get a distant blob, a closer
blob, and then the final close-up monster. All the blobs look alike, so
you can't determine what's coming. Still, this was unlike anything seen
before when it was first released. Some monsters, like the snake,
actually do look impressive close-up, even if they are a bit blocky.
There are dungeons and towers, which are really just upside-down
dungeons. Cities look like the Mac "cloverleaf" key, and castles look
like a squarish wall, while wandering through the countryside. There are
fewer monsters wandering around, mainly orcs, demons, balrons and devils
(demons with a trident) The interesting monsters all live in dungeons.
The demons and devils can paralyze your arms and legs, and the balrons
can cast sleep spells on you, but certain items in your inventory (such
as boots and cloaks) can protect you from these spells. You collect
items in your inventory from monsters that you kill, but you won't see
any indication that you've received them until you check your [Z]tats.
Range weapons appear to have lost their range, all weapons attack over
one tile only. The ground types are the same, mountains, water, forest
and grass, but swamps have been added. Instead of poisoning you they sap
your hit points, and there is no way to avoid this while walking over the
swamp.
For the first time you can commandeer pirate ships. The pirates attack
you invisibly while on the ship, but sometimes they "split off" into a
second ship which you must destroy. Weird, but at least you can then own
the other ship.
The dungeons and towers are few, and you won't find anything in there
except gold and experience points. They seem to go up to 15 levels in
some cases, but you can play the whole game without ever needing to go in
one. Even in Ultima 1 you *had* to venture forth to complete certain
quests. Here, the dungeoneering is optional. Also optional are the
other planets, save for planet X, and most of the other time zones,
especially Pangea, although some villagers will give you hints about
where to find the Old Man, and other things. The hints aren't much more
than "Visit the Hotel California" or some such thing, and you have to
figure out that the above hotel is in the one A.D., North American city,
New San Antonio.
One annoying thing (although the docs do mention it) is that occasionally
you will run across a monster that just CAN'T be killed. Not even with
all stats 99 and the Phaser and Power Armour (the strongest weapons and
defense in the game) This may originally have been a bug that was just
left in for effect. The only good way around them is the Negate time
spell, which is cast not by magic but by rubbing one of the "strange
coins" that you find other monsters carrying sometimes.
Space travel is toned down from the Star Wars battles in Ultima 1. Here
you just procure a rocket to hyperjump (the cool effect remained though)
to other worlds. Landing is difficult (especially at 33 MHz!)
KEYBOARD COMMANDS:
[A]ttack, [B]oard, [C]ast, [E]nter, [F]ire, [G]et, [H]yperspace, [K]limb,
[R]eady, [Q]uit and Save (still doesn't quit) [S]teal [T]ransact,
[U]nlock, [X]-it and [Z]tats are unchanged from Ultima 1, although Klimb
will only go up (two-way ladders in dungeons make their first appearance)
and [R]eady only readies a weapon.
[I]gnite torch (they tend to blow out in dungeons) [J]ump (futile),
[L]aunch/Land Rocket [D]escend ladder [W]ear Armour and [Y]ell (also
futile) are new commands in Ultima 2.
SPELLS
New in Ultima 2 are the distinction between Cleric and Wizard's spells.
Other classes can't use them. All spells work only in dungeons.
Clerics: Passwall (destroys opposing wall) Surface (transport to surface)
and Prayer (Help me Lord!)
Wizards: Magic Missile, Blink (random teleport within a dungeon level)
and Kill (self-explanatory)
Both: Light (eliminates need for torch) and Ladder Down/Up (quick way to
get in/out of dungeons and towers)
MISCELLANEOUS
Some items of humorous note:
The single city on the "planet" Uranus is called New Jester. It is
populated exclusively by Jesters, who surround you (some of them
aren't even killable, which means you can get trapped) but do not
attack. One Jester who you think might be useful is at the end of a
swamp that is marked "Dare the Swamp if you Dare" Get to him, and
he'll tell you "You lose, Cadet!" Sure, because you can't get out
of the swamp anymore (Desqview Close Window helps in these
situations) On an island in the city another Jester will say
"Isn't this a silly place?" Yeah, it is.
The "planet" Neptune also has a single city. Enter it and you see a
big sign: "Computer camp!" Here you can actually meet Richard
Garriott, who is sitting in one of the sleeping quarters with his
friend "Howie the Pest" (who is translated rather unfavorably as
an Orc!) Howie says "When will Ultima II be finished?" and of course
in character as always, Richard replies: "Tomorrow for sure!"
Warren Beatty can be found on Planet X asking "Where is Diane Keaton?"
The weapons shop in New San Antonio is called "Death 'n' Destroy"!
John and Gerry Mayer (who are these people?) stand next to each other
in a town and say things like "We know software!" What does this
mean?
Some items of historical note:
Every NPC can be killed in this game, even Lord British and Richard
Garriott. Of course, if you exit the town and re-enter, they get
magically resurrected. LB was invincible in Ultima 1.
Iolo returns for his second consecutive Ultima, but he's a jester now
and not a bard. His wife, Gwenno, makes her first appearance. They
are both living in New San Antonio behind signs that say "Iolo" and
"Gwenno", where they just dance around. You can't talk to either of
them. Lovebirds....
Gwino the Jester is back in Lord British's castle.
No towns are recognizable from other series at all. Yew, Paws and
Britain are nowhere. Fits in with the weird setting change, but then
why is Lord British there? (Because he wrote the software??) <grin>
I recognized Baradin's though from Ultima 1, it is now a town and not
a castle. Shamino, king of a castle in Ultima 1, is nowhere to be
seen. Linda, a town in Ultima 1, is now where Rome should be.
"Viewing" was introduced as part of the game. You need a magic helm
and not a magic gem as in later Ultimas, but you can see the big map
of either a world or a city, but not a dungeon.
OVERALL
Ultima ][ continues the Ultima tradition, being a bigger and better game
than Ultima 1, with a larger plot line, more worlds and things to see,
and better graphics (although my Ultima 1 was re-released in EGA, seeing
Ultima ][ released as such would be nice) Despite the weird setting, it
was fun to play and always fun to dispatch old Minax in the end (she's
got quite a nasty tongue!) Big feeling of success once I finished it,
especially as I had been at it for about a week (again using the sector
editor to help hit points along and avoid premature death), although I
didn't explore all the dungeons and towers (they all looked the same) At
the end of the game Richard Garriott says it all: "See you in Ultima
III!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ULTIMA 3
PREFACE
This is the third in a series of documents describing the games in the
Ultima series, written by Richard Garriott. I hope to have similar
documents completed for the second trilogy (Ultimas 4, 5 and 6) and the
new Ultima 7 soon (under the banner TALES OF LEGENDARY ULTIMAS),
hopefully before Origin releases Ultima 8! <grin>
EXODUS: ULTIMA III
Ultima III was the first game written under the Origin label, soon after
the company itself was formed by Richard and a few of his friends and
relatives. Again, the Apple ][ version was released first, but this time
Commodore 64 and IBM conversions were written soon afterwards. Richard
admits that Ultima III was the best programming job he had ever done at
the time, but that a rich, full storyline would have to wait for Ultima
IV. Many of the design features that are found in Ultima IV, V and even
VI to some extent were first realized in this game.
Ultima III was the first of the Ultima series to take a dedicated effort
to play and win. It involved garnering many more clues than in the
previous two releases, enough to warrant the first Ultima cluebook
(Secrets of Sosaria) to be published.
GAME SPECS
The IBM version uses CGA graphics only (Well, this was 1983!) but the
colour schemes are different than in Ultima II. Most stuff (all the NPCs
and player icons) is completely white, along with the water, walls, and
almost everything else save for the screen borders (magenta), the
grasslands and the forests (both cyan). Sound was limited to PC
blapping, although there were more sounds for magic spell use and other
events than in Ultima II, even a zeerwwwww sound at the beginning when
the title screen is displayed. Thankfully, a [V]olume Off toggle key was
added in this game!
The game came on one 360k disk, with instructions for making a savegame
disk from scratch. The game could not be run from the hard disk, even
with the key disk in A:, although all the game files and save game files
can be kept on the hard disk for fast access. Under Desqview I just put
the program name as A:8ltima.com and the directory as C:8ltima3, this
seemed to work fine, and no problems running at 33 Mhz (again it plays
better at 16)
THE STORY
Ultima I told the tale of the land of Sosaria, caught under the evil
spell of the Wizard Mondain. By travelling back in time and destroying
his Gem of Immortality, and then Mondain himself, the evil wizard was
vanquished and peace returned to the land.
Ultima II was the strange one of the bunch, the "Dallas bad dream"
installment, for it took place on Earth, where you had to defeat
Mondain's former apprentice and lover, the evil sorceress Minax, although
you did defeat her not on Earth but on "Legends", a continent which might
have been like a warped Sosaria. Future documents would suggest that the
whole game was really played on Sosaria, but it wasn't.
In Ultima III, the player is transported back to Sosaria again, this time
the four continents of Ultima I have merged into a giant continent that
spans the globe (continental drift?) This continent of Sosaria would
later become Britannia, and eventually assume its familiar inverted L
shape, which would remain basically unchanged all the way to Ultima VII.
The evil this time is Exodus, a weird combination of man-machine
described as the progeny of Mondain and Minax, the result of one of their
affairs (just what were these two UP to anyway??) Exodus lives on a new,
fiery island guarded by the Silver Serpent, and the object of the game is
to explore Sosaria to find a way to get past the Serpent and defeat
Exodus him(it?)self.
Lord British sits on his throne as usual, and as in Ultima II the docs
suggest that he is the ruler of all the people, but again there is no
evidence to support this in the game. I imagine that this was really a
sort of "self-proclaimed" rule... until Ultima IV when the cities really
did band together and Sosaria became Britannia.
Speaking of cities... where are the six other city-states that will
become Jhelom, Skara Brae, Minoc, Trinsic, Moonglow and (New) Magicinia?
Only Britain and Yew are familiar, as they were in Ultima 1 (but not in
Ultima 2) My theory is as follows (ehhhh! ehmmm!)
City Name in U3 In U1? In U2? Will become in U4-7 Reasoning
--------------- ------ ------ ------------------- -------------
Britain Y N Britain Obvious
Yew Y N Yew (and in woods)
Faun Y N Skara Brae On small island
Death Gulch N N Jhelom On larger
mountainous
island
Devil's Guard N N Minoc Inside mountain
enclave
Moon Y N Trinsic Near river, on
plain
(no match) - - New Magicinia There just isn't
another island
city.
Montor Y N Moonglow Not on island,
(East and West) (single town) but similar
names.
The plate tectonic activity required for the transformation to the Ultima
IV landscape is rather funky. The Montors, in the southwest of the
world-continent, break off to become Verity Isle. The remaining
continent will have to split half-way down a north-south line, zoom
around the smallish ocean and crash into itself on the other side. This
would leave Minoc near the new ocean where formerly it was in the middle
of a plain. The Valarian Isles, home of Jhelom, would have to scoot
around the new ocean to find their new home, and Skara Brae would have to
slide down the western end of the new continent, but in general
everything else would be in its proper places, including Britain, south
of an old bay but just north of a new sea. Well, maybe. <grin> Oh, and
some disaster must befall the old Dark Forest in the South before the New
Dark Forest emerges in the north, growing out of Yew.
GAME PLAY
Unlike Ultimas 1 and 2, the main game play takes place on about 1/2 of
the screen. The main map window sits to the left of the screen, and in
the upper right corner there is a display of the character stats, below
which is the dialogue or "command" window. This three-window display
would remain essentially unchanged until Ultima 7.
When you start the game, you have the option of travelling alone or in a
party of four players. If you choose to travel in a party you are
allowed to create four characters, all of any sex, race and skill, which
you are allowed to name yourself. I thought this was pretty neat. The
docs say that if you travel alone you will have the chance to pick up
retainers during game play. I didn't get a chance to test this, but as
there was no "join" command in the docs or in the .EXE, I think it may be
unlikely.
The landscape is familiar, with forest, mountains, grassland and water
tiles. Swamps appear to be missing, but in their place we have the new
"Dark forest". Ultima 3 is the first of the Ultimas to "blot out" any
tiles that are out of the direct line of sight of one's character. As
the docs say, this takes a little getting used to, but it makes the game
more interesting. When in Dark Forest, you can only see one tile in each
direction, which makes it possible to "hide" things in forests... like
towns, and within towns, helpful people with important hints. It's
always fun to find someone hiding in the trees.
New tiles on the surface of Sosaria include the "treasure chest" tile,
which appears whenever you defeat a party of monsters. In this game a
treasure chest will block monsters from passing but not the player. This
would change in Ultima IV, where the chest would not block anything.
Space travel, a part of both Ultima 1 and 2, is gone in Ultima 3.
Instead we have the first known appearance of the Moon Gates. The
numerical equivalent of the phases of the two moons of Sosaria is listed
at the top of the main map screen. (In Ultima 4, this was replaced with
a graphical representation of moon phases). The phases of the first moon
indicate when a Moongate will appear in various places, and the phase of
the second indicates where one will be teleported to. Moongates appear
for three phases of the second moon. This is more complex than the
"time-gate" system of Ultima 2.
Combat is different in Ultima 3 than before. In the previous two
adventures, all combat took place on the main map scale-- that is, you
saw one orc coming toward you and you pelted it with arrows before it
could reach you, or when it did, you both squared off for battle, moving
little unless one of you retreated. In Ultima 3, monsters as well as
players travel in parties, the size of the party a random number up to
eight. When a single Orc reaches you on the main map, the view changes
to a full-sized "combat view"-- which differs depending on the terrain
you accompany, coastal, grassland, forest, or coastal vs. pirate ship.
Dungeons, not optional exploring as in Ultima 2 but vital to completing
the quest, have had their graphics revamped from wire-frame wall images
to filled polygon 3D images. Unfortunately the monsters are invisible in
the dungeons until you encounter them (and switch to the overhead view
for the multi-player combat) You can see solid cubes that are treasure
chests, and up and down ladders, but other things like fountains and
mysterious artifacts are either just explained in the command window or
displayed as a multiple-tile picture. This can get confusing because as
long as you remain on a square you will continue to see the tile picture,
even if you rotate to the left or right.
There is no colour in the dungeons at all, everything is white (well,
this is CGA) but they are still fun to explore. "Viewing", done by magic
gems this time and for every Ultima to follow up to 6, can be done on
each dungeon level to make mapping far easier. However the map only
shows walls as a solid block, any other objects are displayed as a
question mark (?).
SPELLS
The magic system has been revamped, instead of buying one-use spell
scrolls, the magic-using character has a given number of "magic" points
that replenish over time. Cleric and Fighter spells are completely
separate, and are much more varied than before. Both classes share
similar spells, like Light and Ladder Up/Down but these spells have been
given very imaginative names. The two spell "books" included with the
docs are entitled the Book Of Amber Runes (Mages) and the Holy Liturgy of
Truth (Clerics). Some classes, like Rangers and Druids, can cast both
types of spells, although they usually have fewer Magic points to
distribute.
CHARACTER TYPES
The player can choose to be a Human, Elf, Dwarf, Bobbit (like Hobbits) or
a Fuzzy (like a elf-dwarf with lots of fur). Different classes have
different maximum attributes, for example the Fuzzy peaks out at Strength
25, but Dexterity, Wisdom and Intelligence can go up to 99. Humans peak
at an even 75 across the board.
Besides the race of a character, you can choose to be a Fighter (no
magic) a Cleric, Wizard, Thief (can steal and can cast Negate Time spell
as well as detect traps), Paladin (fighter with Cleric abilities),
Barbarian (fighter with limited Thief abilities), Lark (Half Mage),
Illusionist (half mage, half Thief), Druid (both cleric and mage, regains
magic points at twice the normal rate), Alchemist (half Mage half Thief)
or Ranger (both magic types and fighting skills, but limited in each)
The best classes I found were the Druids or Rangers... Rangers had the
ability to wear +2 magic armour and +2 plate mail, something the other
characters could not. However, these items were hard to find! Druids
were valuable because they regained magic points faster than other
characters.
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
Standard commands remain as in the previous two Ultimas. [A]ttack,
[B]oard Frigate, [C]ast spell, [D]escend ladder, [E]nter town, [F]ire
cannons, [G]et Chest, [I]gnite torch, [J]ump, [K]limb ladder, [Q]uit and
save (STILL doesn't quit!) [R]eady Weapon, [S]teal, [T]ransact (talk),
[U]nlock door, [W]ear Armour, [X]-it craft, and [Z]tats are as in Ultima
2.
New commands are [P]eer at a gem (to get overhead map, replaces [V]iew),
[L]ook (replaces [I]nform and search of Ultima 1, although you must
supply a direction and the command doesn't give you place names), [H]and
equipment between members of your party, [M]odify order, for changing the
default stances of your party members when attacked (forward, rear, etc),
[N]egate time (similar to rubbing strange coins in Ultima 2), the [O]ther
command used for typing in special commands and the wonderful [V]olume
off!
The [O]ther commands include SEARCH (for shrines), DIG (for hidden
weapons/ armour), BRIBE (to get pesky guards to leave), INSERT (needed in
the end of the game to insert cards into panels), and SCORE (haven't a
clue what this does, but I found it in the .EXE so it must do something--
I didn't need it to finish the game though)
Spells and and equipment (armour, weapons, etc) must be referenced by a
single letter (A through P), that corresponds to that item (the Player
Reference Guide lists these) after a command is issued to [C]ast,
[R]eady, etc.
MISCELLANEOUS
A few notes:
- Ultima 3 has the first instance of "special" armour and weapons (these
are called Exotics). They have limited range but are very powerful
and are required to pass force fields and penetrate the castle of
Exodus. Some of the locals talk about them, to find them you have to
<dig> on two of the small (one and two tile) islands off the coast of
Sosaria.
- The first instance of corruption in the towns and castles--- guards
can be <bribe>d.
- Four cards are needed to defeat Exodus, the ultimate evil, and you find
them by <search>ing the holy Shrines on Ambrosia. A nice balance.
- You need four 'Marks' to get past the Snake. The "marks" are found in
dungeons-- they are on the eighth level (the last level in all
dungeons) and consist of a tile of hot metal. Touch it and it leaves a
'Mark'. I'd call it a burn, but never mind. The "King", Lord British
is supposed to "Favor" a Mark, which ends up being the 'King' one, and
it enables him to grant you higher experience levels if you deserve
them. Most of the time, however, he simply babbles "Welcome my child!
Experience more!"
- Lord British has a big grin on his face and is NOT very helpful. In
fact he doesn't seem to help you at all.
- Frigates never seem to come when you want them to. Once I waited for
so long for one to show up that I figured something must be wrong with
the game, and I had to start all over again. Sure enough, the next
time the ships did come, but very infrequently. It wouldn't be a
problem if the whirlpool didn't go around destroying ships whenever you
parked them on land. If you were on the ship, the whirlpool would take
you to Ambrosia, and you could commandier another pirate ship there to
take you back.
- The city of Dawn appeared in the middle of the forest whenever the two
moons were both full (0,0). You had to be right next to it or it would
disappear (also in the forest you couldn't see more than one square in
any direction). This I found really neat-- the idea of a city that
appears so infrequently-- it never disappears when you are in it,
though.
The people inside are friendly and remind you that "Dawn lasts for but
a brief moment!"
- In one of the dungeons there was some scribbling on the walls that said
G, T, & C! What this was supposed to mean is beyond me. A hint?
Maybe.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jeremy Reimer. All rights reserved.
V FOR VICTORY: D-DAY UTAH BEACH -- 1944 by Three Sixty Pacific, Inc.
Reviewed by Darryl Okahata
SUMMARY: V For Victory is a turn-based computer wargame that simulates the
events just after D-Day, the Allied invasion against Nazi-held Normandy.
As the Allied or German commander, you have control over units such as
infantry, armor, and artillery, which are moved over a beautifully laid-
out map using SVGA graphics. While V4V appears to be easy to play, it's
actually wonderfully complex and detailed, as variables such as terrain,
fatigue, weather, support, and time-of-day are taken into account.
Despite slightly confusing manuals, some minor bugs, and a somewhat easy
computer opponent, V4V is fun to play, and anyone who likes games such as
Chris Crawford's "Patton vs. Rommel", QQP's "The Perfect General", or
Avalon Hill boardgames will like this game even more.
Requirements and other info:
286 or better (386 or better recommended)
512K VGA card
2MB RAM (no values are given for how much main RAM in the lower
640K are required)
Hard disk with 4 to 5MB of free disk space
DOS 5.0 or later
Mouse (this is a requirement -- it is not an option)
Adlib and SoundBlaster are supported (and are optional)
List price is US$69.95
No copy protection
V For Victory simulates the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War
II. You can play the part of the Allied commander, whose job it is to
take strategic territory and eliminate all German resistance. If you are
very successful, you will have shortened the war and hastened the fall
of the Nazi empire. If you are not, you will have prolonged the war and
indirectly caused the deaths of thousands of brave soldiers (because the
war is longer). Alternatively, you can play the German commander, whose
job is to deny the Allies their objectives and push them back into the
sea.
You can play against the computer or another person. However, if you play
against a person, they must be sitting next to you; V4V: Utah Beach has no
provision for modem play. The next battleset, "V For Victory: Velikiye
Luki" (WW II action on the Russian front), scheduled for release by
Christmas, 1992, is supposed to contain this feature and many others.
Unlike most PC games, V4V uses SVGA graphics, 640x480x256 colors, which is
a noticeable improvement over EGA or plain 16-color VGA. The only
problem is that much of the displayed text uses a small font that is
somewhat difficult to read. I have an old NEC Multisync II which,
although it is supposed to be a 14-inch monitor, has about 13 inches of
usable display area. If your monitor is about this size, and you wear
contacts or glasses, you will probably want to wear them if you play this
game.
As SVGA graphics is not a standard, each VGA chipset manufacturer requires
a different technique to utilize SVGA graphics. In order to avoid writing
a different driver for each display card, the programmers of V4V use the
software VESA standard. This means that you need a VESA driver for your
video card. V4V comes with VESA drivers for all of the popular display
cards, such as those from ATI, Everex, Genoa, Orchid, Paradise, Sigma,
STB, Trident, Tseng, and Video7.
My copy of V4V came on a single 1.44MB 3.5" disk. As all of the files
should fit on a 1.2MB 5.25" disk, I imagine that the 5.25" version of V4V
also contains just one disk. Note, however, that you'll need 4 to 5MB of
free disk space to install V4V, as the uncompressed program files really
do occupy this much space.
Installing V4V was not as trouble-free as I would have liked. The first
time I tried installing V4V, the install program refused to install V4V,
insisting that I did not have enough disk space, even though both of my
hard disk partitions had plenty of free space. It turns out that the
install program conflicts with my CDROM drivers; the workaround was to
boot my PC without the CDROM drivers and then install V4V. This is
mentioned in a READ.ME file on the install disk, but nowhere in the
printed documentation. There is also no mention in the printed
documentation that the READ.ME file even exists, or that you should read
it.
The install program also failed to update my AUTOEXEC.BAT file. When
installing V4V, you are given a choice of having your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
automatically modified to load the VESA driver. When I chose this option,
the install program got an error saying that it could not rename
"AUTOEXEC.360", which is the file that contains your modified AUTOEXEC.
BAT. Making things worse is that this error message is easy to miss, as
the install program says, immediately after producing this error message,
"Installation is complete". Although manually editing my AUTOEXEC.BAT
file was easy, I shouldn't have to deal with errors like this.
I also had problems if I tried reinstalling V4V while the V4V-supplied
VESA driver was loaded. The VGA card on my system uses the Tseng VESA
driver, which is a TSR, and leaving this driver loaded caused the install
program to crash. If the install program crashes on you, and you have a
VESA driver already loaded, you'll want to try removing the VESA driver
and then installing V4V.
V4V is played on your standard wargame hex-grid, where each hex repre-
sents about 1 square kilometer. There are over 10 different terrain
types, ranging from beaches, swamps, and forests, to cities, bunkers, and
fortresses. Streams, rivers, and roads also occur on the map.
Unlike "real-time" games such as Harpoon, V4V is a turn-based game, with a
turn representing 4 hours of game time (six turns per day). You can move
units around, attack enemy units, designate artillery fire, and request
air or naval fire support (because of terminology used in WW II, air
support is actually called "ground support" by V4V). Once you have given
your orders, you either select a menu pick or press Alt-E to tell the
computer that you're done; at this point, the computer will assign its
moves (if you're playing against the computer), and resolve movement and
combat.
To make the game easier to play, your "Staff Assistant" (TM) will, if you
desire, automatically allocate supplies to units, plan fire support, and
assign orders to any units to which you have not already assigned orders.
It can even play the game for you if you so desire.
While V4V is easy to play, it is actually quite complex. For example,
novice players can assign movement orders by clicking on a unit and then
"Alt-clicking" on the destination; the "Staff Assistant" (TM) will then
compute an appropriate route. Novices can also assign attack orders by
simply moving a unit into a hex occupied by an enemy unit. In reality, it
turns out that units can be assigned two different movement orders,
three different attack orders, and three different defense orders, as
well as other actions which depend on the type of unit.
Not only does movement and attacking depend on terrain, but it also
depends on the unit type. It also depends on a myriad of other factors
such as morale, disruption, fatigue, and supply (here, "supply" refers
to a combination of food, gasoline, ammo, etc.). Sometimes, attacking
depends upon the other attacking units in the same hex. A quick-reference
card is included with V4V, showing movement costs versus unit type and
terrain, terrain effects, and unit symbols. A 150+-page reference manual
is also included, which should give you an idea of just how detailed V4V
is. Wargame fans who have played boardgames such as the Avalon Hill ones
will love the attention to detail and realism.
V4V comes with two versions of the program: a "normal" one and one that
utilizes a numeric coprocessor. However, while doing some benchmarks
between the two versions, I could not tell any difference between them,
even though I have a somewhat slow 25MHz 386/387. For the first two
scenarios, executing a turn took about 5 seconds. For the campaign game,
executing a turn took about 25-30 seconds. This may seem like a long
time, but the map is constantly updated as units move and attack, which
makes this 25-30 seconds seem much less.
V4V comes with a 150+-page reference manual, a 30-page introductory manual
called the "Operations Manual", a supplement for this PC version, a
troubleshooting guide, and a quick reference card. Note that you don't
have to read all this before playing. Once you have installed V4V, you
only have to read about 7 pages from the introductory manual to start
playing. As a matter of fact, it's best if you read some of the 7 pages
while playing the first scenario, and so getting started is even easier.
One minor problem is that the manuals are slightly confusing, as V4V was
originally written for the Macintosh, and the PC documentation
occasionally contains "Macintosh-isms". The pictures of pulldown menus
in the introductory manual are pictures of Macintosh menus, complete with
the cloverleaf-shaped Macintosh "Alt" key sequences. In addition to this,
the manual refers to "command-clicking" with the mouse. For this PC
version, the "command" key is the "Alt" key, and "command-clicking" refers
to holding down the "Alt" key while clicking the left mouse button.
Compounding this are typos in the PC supplement, which is supposed to
contain information specific to this PC version. One of the pages lists
some additional keyboard shortcuts and refers to "Delete" and "clear"
keys. Unfortunately, the "Delete" key is really the backspace key, and
the "clear" key is really the Esc key. The "Del" key on the numeric
keypad is not used.
V4V comes with six different scenarios, ranging from a simple "mopping-
up" operation, to a long, campaign game. At the end of each scenario, you
are rated on how well you did, ranging from a "decisive American victory"
to a "decisive German victory". For the first three scenarios, it's
pretty easy to get a "marginal American victory", but anything better is
a bit more difficult.
V4V also has a number of options to control realism. By default, all
enemy units and their status/statistics are displayed on the map; by
setting an option called "Limited Intelligence", not all information on
enemy units will be displayed, and some enemy units may not even be shown
on the map. By setting another option called "Fog of War", you will not
be given complete information about even your own units. Other options
exist to make the weather historically accurate or not. Varying degrees
of air superiority can also be assigned to either side, as well as air
parity (where both sides have air power but neither side has superiority).
You can also control the historical accuracy of the game. For example,
historically, the German 319th Division defended, at Hitler's direction,
some Channel islands which were of strategic importance only if some
nearby French cities (Brest and Cherbourg) remained in German hands. What
happened is that the Allies bypassed these islands, took Brest and
Cherbourg, and isolated these islands. The 319th Division sat on these
islands until the end of the war, wasting an entire, badly needed
division. One of the V4V options allows you to play "what-if" games: what
if Hitler realized that the Channel islands were of limited value and
reassigned the 319th to the defense of Cherbourg? You can control this
and other historical variants.
Alas, V4V does not appear to be without bugs/problems, although an
argument can be made that the ones that I've found are actually features.
However, V4V does seem to be much more bug-free than most of the recent
major game
releases. Although V4V never once crashed or hung on me, I did
find a couple of "problems". One occasional problem is that, if a unit is
part of an unsuccessful attack, the unit then gets an order to move, and
not attack, into the previously attacked sector. This wouldn't normally
be a problem, except that the unit's fatigue seems to increase for each
turn that it is left in this state. The workaround was simple: just give
the unit new orders or cancel the existing ones. I'm not sure if this
problem existed only at night or not.
Another occasional problem occurred while moving artillery around. Even
though an artillery unit has reached its destination, it sometimes
thinks that it is still moving, even though it's not moving anywhere.
This is a problem for those artillery units that take a turn or two to
setup before they can fire; while they are in this strange state, they are
delaying the time when they can start to fire. Like the previous problem,
the workaround is to issue orders to stop moving and setup.
Another, much rarer, problem sometimes occurred if I assigned ground
support. Even though some fighters or bombers were supposed to attack
some enemy units, the ground support turned into naval support; some
battleship bombarded the enemy hex instead of aircraft. This is important
because, every time you use naval support, your score is decreased by some
small amount. Your score is not decreased if you use ground support.
I should note that I'm using version 1.1 of V4V. The PC supplement says
that the version included in my copy is version 1.2, but the "About Utah
Beach" menu pick says that I have version 1.1. I don't know if this is a
typo or if I really do have an old version.
The above may give the impression that V4V is very buggy. I don't think
that it is. If anything, the above adds to the realism. Let's face it:
in the fog of war, orders are sometimes lost or scrambled. As long as V4V
doesn't crash on me or do something really unrealistic, these problems
don't bother me.
Although sound cards like the Adlib and SoundBlaster are supported, the
sound in V4V is limited to an opening theme at startup, various error and
informational beeps/sounds, and some Allied/German victory theme music at
the end of a scenario. As I didn't like the sounds, and as you can't
change them, I turned them off. One odd, but common, sound was like that
of a hand striking a small wooden drum, but where the hand hit the drum
but never lifted away from the drum surface; it was almost like a single
"knock". I didn't like listening to this sound on headphones -- it's too
hard on my ears -- and I don't like transients like that going though my
speakers. I did like the "error" sound though; it's best described as a
"thrum".
V4V is an intricately crafted wargame that simulates the events after D-
Day in June of 1944. Although it's easy to play, it's wonderfully
complex, with many features that make it very realistic. If you like
games such as "Patton vs Rommel", "The Perfect General", or the "Universal
Military Simulator" (I or II), you'll like V4V. Even if you didn't like
them -- in the above, I only liked "Patton vs Rommel" -- you may like V4V.
I, for one, can't wait until the next battleset, "Velikiye Luki", comes
out.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Darryl Okahata. All rights
reserved.
PROPHECY OF THE SHADOW by SSI
Reviewed by Chuck McMath
The current trend in Role Playing Games (RPGs) these days seems to mirror
that of the computer entertainment industry in general; that is, more,
more more! And while we all enjoy and appreciate such groundbreaking
games as Ultima VII and Darklands, a steady diet of these monumental RPGs
can leave one feeling, well, a bit bloated. After all, not everyone
wants to spend two or three hours generating characters, learning how to
control movement, and _preparing_ to play! Not only that, but many of us
can only parcel out time in small segments, and often can't commit to
games which will take weeks or months to complete. Enter PROPHECY OF THE
SHADOW (POTS). In a world of seven course dinners, POTS is a light
lunch, fulfilling without overstuffing, satisfying not so much for its
ingredients, but for the variety it provides.
The ads for POTS stress a number of differences between this and SSI's
well-known 'gold box' games: you control a single character instead of a
party, you have a more developed storyline, and you have a number of
different graphical presentations. Each of these features seems to be
geared to pulling in that fringe RPG'er who may be overwhelmed by the
gold box series. And that seems to be the goal here for SSI - to
introduce RPGs to a new generation of customers. POTS performs this task
quite well.
Indeed, you do control a single character, and character generation is
quite simple. When POTS starts a new game, you are presented with a
series (4 or 5) of questions. The answers to these questions determine
the attributes of your character. There are only three quantitative
statistics that make up your character: agility, health, and magic.
Agility determines combat ability, health is the equivalent of 'hit
points' and magic is basically your magic point total. Each of these
skills improves through use, which pretty much means successful combat.
The storyline of POTS comes straight from the shlock fantasy rack at your
drugstore: you are an orphan, adopted by a kindly mage. Things were
going well in your world until recently, when the princess of the region
was kidnapped and a mysterious regent set up shop. This regent is seen
in the company of some pretty shady characters, and people even say he
controls... demons and magical monsters (shudder)! Need I say more? As
POTS opens, you are with your foster father. Unfortunately you don't get
a chance to really meet him, because he is killed the moment the game
starts! You are initially suspected as the perpetrator, and you must
clear your name. Thus begins the adventure.
The start of the game introduces you to one of the different graphical
presentations - the cinematic view. This lends a nice touch to POTS. In
the cinematic view about a third of your screen is taken up by a movie-
like presentation of a scene. These presentations rarely last more than
two or three seconds, but they add a fresh touch to the genre. You also
see cinematic sequences when you talk to most people. The frame rate is
acceptable on slower 286 machines, although you can see the frames being
written to the screen. Note to SSI: the next time you produce this type
of game, don't take the programming staff and dress them up in front of
bad props! Hire some professional actors and get some decent props
built. This may have been a gas for the staff to be 'actors' in this
drama, but it leaves a little something to be desired for the end user.
The other graphical presentations are the typical overhead view which
will be familiar to anyone who has played any sort of RPG. You have a
fairly short range of vision however, so there's another available view,
one that's called the 'eagle eye view' which shows a greatly reduced view
from overhead. This view is not available unless you have the proper
artifact or spell.
Combat in POTS occurs in real time, which is to say, you can tell if
someone is friendly or not. If they're friendly you can walk up to them.
If they're not friendly, they run up and begin beating on you. My
optimal strategy for combat became to make sure the proper attack item
was selected, then when an enemy ran up to you to hit the 'A' key (for
Attack), and then click on the target. The sequence of 'A'-click can be
repeated quickly enough so that you can win most of the times, and in the
later game your weapons get powerful enough that you can easily win most
battles. In addition, you gain agility points through battles, and every
so often you'll gain points.
Magic use occurs similarly. Magic is accomplished by using specific
items as catalysts. In this world, these magical items are 'heavy
metal', being lead, gold, and platinum. The better magical items require
less magic points to cast equivalent spells. Whereas a fireball cast
using a lead catalyst might require 10 magic points, a fireball cast
using the platinum catalyst would require only 6 magic points. There is
the typical assortment of spells available to cast. You begin with a
limited number in your spellbook, and you need to find other spells and
record them in your book before you can cast them. The documentation on
these spells is quite good, but be warned - there are spells that are
undocumented, including one that's quite a doozy, and another that
mutates you (I could never find a use for it, but it was fun to see
myself as a giant rat!). You regain magic points by drinking magic
potions or by resting. Magic points increase after use, and can be
increased by drinking the proper item (this is a big hint here folks!).
The storyline of POTS advances one step at a time, laid out nicely for
the novice RPG'er: first you need to clear your good name. You set out
to do this, and learn you must enter the bandits' hideaway near the town.
You enter, and find out you need to kill the head bandit. After killing
the head bandit, you need to find a way to get off the island upon which
you live. So you troop around the island, exploring and trying to find
out how you can get to the mainland.
As you go from town to town and find interesting items, you begin to
learn the larger picture. It seems that there's a blight upon the land,
which is caused by a monumental evil. This evil is awakening, and guess
who is the prophecied person to combat that evil? Take three guesses and
call me in the morning if you haven't figured it out.
POTS leads you by the hand from step to step, so you rarely feel the
frustration of not knowing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. You
always know the long range goal (and this changes a bit as the game goes
along), and you usually have a well-defined short range goal which will
advance you in the game. I say 'usually' because there is a time or two
when it's unclear what you need to do. These times can be pretty
frustrating, especially as one of them occurs in the endgame. In fact,
it's possible to get to the endgame without a needed spell. If you do
that, you'll have to spend some time trekking about trying to figure out
how to get this spell. Aside from these few times, you are definitely
going from point A to point B, pick up this item, go to point C, deliver
this item, search for this item, etc. In fact, the plot is just a little
too linear for me. There is a small amount of mapping involved (there
are three or four areas to map, and none of these areas is too large).
It seems the designers at SSI followed the maxim "if you are looking for
an item in a maze, the item is always found in the remotest point of the
maze." More than once I thought as I was making my way through a maze -
"just head for the remotest corner. The item/location you are searching
for is always there." And so it was. Another reflection on the 'keep it
simple' philosophy is that most items have a use, and after they have
been used may be discarded. Unfortunately that's not true for a small
number of _very important_ items, so be careful of what you keep and what
you toss. The good news is that inventory management is only a problem
until about a third of the way into the game, when you pick up a quite
useful sack that holds gobs of stuff.
Conversation with Non Player Characters is handled nicely also. As
mentioned above, when meeting up with a NPC, you are presented with one
of the cinematic displays which serves to introduce the character. On
the left of the display is a list of words. If you click on a word, the
character will respond as though you asked about that topic. Some topics
elicit responses which will add to this word list, and once you ask about
a word, it is highlighted so you won't ask about the same item twice.
Often if you go away and do something, then come back and speak to a
character, more topics will appear on the list.
The graphics of POTS are attractive. They won't fool anyone into
thinking you're looking at a real world ala Ultima VII, but items are
rendered attractively, and there are many small visual embellishments
which add to the flavor of your quest. In one dungeon you will find a
severed head, complete with blood splatters here and there. Nice!
POTS has music, and the tune that plays when walking about the
countryside is a pleasant little ditty, not annoying. I never had the
inclination to turn it off, and I will admit that I found myself humming
it at work now and then. The music is not intrusive or obnoxious.
The only big disappointment about POTS was (believe it or not) the
endgame. After slaving away for two weeks to complete the quest, I was
finally duking it out with the big baddie. I developed a workable
strategy, did my best, and lo and behold I won! I won! I won! Hey, what's
happening... the screen fades, and you see your reward. A cheesy
cinematic sequence and short animated graphic ending. Not impressed.
Hey SSI, I would have thought that after Eye of the Beholder (the
infamous 'You win, drop to DOS' ending) you would have learned your
lesson. But no. So the ending leaves you feeling a bit flat. It's
unfortunate that after a nice ride you end up stranded like that.
Copy protection is via the ever popular document look-up.
So what's the bottom line? I enjoyed POTS, and would recommend it to
anyone who wants an amusing and diverting dive into the world of RPGs.
While no aspect stands out as truly world-shattering, the combination of
attractive graphics, adequate music, a good storyline and excellent
gameplay combine to make POTS a fun experience. I kept coming back to
POTS, maybe because playing was actually fun, not a struggle. You won't
exhaust yourself with mind-numbing puzzles or reams of notes. Instead
you'll have an excursion into an interesting world populated with fancy
characters and threats around every corner. Are you the one of which the
Prophecy spoke? Try POTS and find out.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Chuck McMath. All rights reserved.
QUEST FOR GLORY I: SO YOU WANT TO BE A HERO (VGA) By Sierra On-Line
Reviewed by Thomas Tanida
I originally played this Sierra game, designed by Lori and Corey Cole,
back when it was entitled "Hero's Quest". When I heard that Sierra had
redone the game to take advantage of VGA graphics, and that the game was
only $25, I placed my order. I wasn't disappointed. The game captures
most of the spirit of the original, and adds a few things too.
For those not familiar with the original game, QFG1 is a combination
role-playing and traditional Sierra puzzle solving game. While wandering
the forests outside the humble town of Spielburg, you will encounter
monsters to fight. You will also encounter a variety of different
puzzles to solve en route to freeing the valley from the wicked Baba
Yaga, a witch who has cursed the local Baron and his children.
You have the option in this game to play as a Fighter, Thief, or Magic
user. For this particular game, the Thief probably has the most fun.
There is a thieves guild to visit, and a couple of places to steal from
in the town. In addition, if you give the Thief character a little of
each skill, he will be able to do anything any of the other characters
can do, in addition to Thief specific actions. Note, however, that for
certain puzzles, you only receive points for solving the puzzles in the
manner that your specific character is "supposed" to solve them. In
addition, the Thief does miss out on some things in the sequels, Quest
For Glory II: Trial By Fire, and Quest For Glory III: The Wages of War.
This game, like all of Sierra's VGA games, features the new "point-and-
click" interface. An icon bar is used to select player actions, such as
Look, Get, Walk, Run, Sleep, Talk, etc. The interface has been much
improved since it was first introduced in King's Quest V, especially the
conversation interface.
The conversation interface is provided through a series of menus. When
you first talk to a character, you will be given a list of topic that you
can ask them about. After selecting a option, you will see the response.
If you talk again to the same character, you may receive a second menu
that logically follows from the response you received. For example, if
you ask the Sheriff about the town, he will mention the Brigands in his
answer, at which time you can ask the Sheriff about the Brigands. This
takes away from the challenge of trying to think about what to ask the
characters you meet, but if you try all the questions, you can be sure
you didn't miss anything. Talking to the same characters at different
points in the game can reveal different talk options.
The combat in this game is executed through a control panel that has
various actions in each of the four corners, including slash, parry, and
dodge. You may also click on the panel to bring up certain character-
specific actions, such as spellcasting. All combat occurs in real time,
but the well-timed mouse click, not the fastest, is the key to success in
battle.
The puzzles themselves are creative and fun. You will meet a variety of
lifeforms on your quest, including people, a dryad, a frost giant, and
Meeps (which remind me of McDonald's Fry Friends). The most aggressive
or direct solution is not always the best one; you'll need tact and
patience to win this game. Some of the puzzles can be tricky; only
experienced Sierra players will be able to speed through this game on the
first try. There are lots of subtle elements in this game; reading the
"Famous Adventurers Correspondence Course" guidebook will help.
Another big part of this game is character building. Your character will
have different attributes, such as Weapon Use, Strength, Stamina,
Intelligence, Climbing, Throwing, etc. As you fight monsters, solve
puzzles, and practice in other ways, your abilities will improve. With
better abilities, you will be able to accomplish feats in order to solve
certain puzzles that you otherwise won't be able to.
If you've played the original EGA version, this game shouldn't provide
too much difficulty. It is, however, still highly entertaining. You
will be able to see all the sights of the valley in full 256-color
graphics. There is some new text as well, and you're liable to discover
something you missed. The only disappointing factor in this game is the
ending- although I suffered from a bug that wiped out the music at the
end (Sierra has received several reports of this). Hence, I can say that
I found the ending of the original to be better, but I may have missed
something that is supposed to be there.
There are relatively few bugs in this game. I did experience a couple of
lockups at different points during the game, but nothing serious. You
should save your game often for the sake of game play anyway.
All in all, this game is well done. The animation is smooth and
colorful, and there are many details on every screen of the game. Like
most Sierra games, this game is spiced with a wry sense of humor,
including many irrelevant but interesting things to discover around
Spielburg. I recommend this game to those who aren't interested in
simple hack-and-slash games. If you've played the original, this one is
worth getting as well. Incidentally, Sierra has a $25 offer for owners
of the original- you just need your Disk #1 or manual, although I've
actually seen this on the shelf at a local computer superstore for $22.
At that price, QFG1 is a major bargain if you haven't played it before,
and worth a good look if you have.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Tom Tanida. All rights reserved.
Ed. We received two very solid reviews for Quest for Glory 3 and we
thought you would enjoy reading both.
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QUEST FOR GLORY III: THE WAGES OF WAR by Sierra On-Line
Reviewed by Thomas Tanida
QUEST FOR GLORY III: THE WAGES OF WAR is the latest chapter in the series
by Lori and Corey Cole. It includes aspects of role-playing as well as
the puzzle-solving, interactive fiction style that typifies Sierra games.
Like all the recent VGA-based Sierra games, QFG3 uses the "point-and-
click" interface that features icons and menus used to carry out the
various actions that a player will need to complete the game. A 286 or
better VGA system with 640K is required, and a mouse and sound card are
recommended, although I'd strongly suggest at least a 386/20, and a
mouse is pretty much mandatory for this game as well. It will also
occupy 7.2 Mb on your hard disk, plus another 200K or so for saved games.
Before you first enter the world of QFG3, you will have the opportunity
to import a character from either of the two previous games in the QFG
series. This will put you at an advantage. In addition, a booklet
entitled "Famous Explorers' Correspondence Course", which is spiced with
humor, will give you some hints and tips on how to succeed in the game,
as well as preview some of the obstacles you will face.
I played this game as a thief, after importing my character from QFG2.
The other character types are Fighter and Magic User, and this game
introduces the "Paladin" class, which is a class reserved for those who
commit no dishonorable actions (like stealing). A Paladin will have
special abilities that the other character classes do not have, such as
healing and the ability to sense impending danger. There is an animated
introduction, which varies depending on your character type, that
establishes the plot and provides the transition from Shapeir to Tarna.
The audio-visuals in QFG3 are impressive. Although at times the
character doesn't seem to blend in perfectly with the background, the
backgrounds themselves are stunning. When I first entered the city of
Tarna, I felt as if I had entered a vast city. The savanna and jungles
are equally as well done. In addition, the different screens in this
game have different soundtracks which set the mood depending on the
circumstances. In fact, the music is perhaps the best I have found in
any Sierra game to date. The music is supplemented by digitized sounds,
which you can hear if you have a sound card with a DAC, such as a
SoundBlaster or Pro Audio Spectrum.
The recent trend in Sierra games has been more towards interactive
storytelling rather than sheer puzzle solving. QFG3 tends to fall in
this category. Corey Cole stated on CompuServe that there is
approximately 800K worth of text in the game, and I did find myself
spending a lot of time in the "talk trees"- Sierra's name for the menuing
system associated with conversations. What you say, when you say it, and
in what order you say it, is up to you, however. I found that talking to
the same characters at different times often yielded different responses,
although many times there were the same pre-packaged answers to your
questions. I didn't find conversing with the characters to be
monotonous, however. If anything, there is so much to say and ask that
it seemed overwhelming at times; for example, I had to bargain with and
get information from various merchants in the bazaar, coax information
out of the survivor of an ambushed peace mission, and even flirt with the
"Welcome Woman" at the Inn.
Character building is a significant part of this game. By practicing in
the Simbani village and by fighting monsters, you can improve your
abilities, such as Throwing, Weapon Use, Strength, and Agility. Since I
had imported my character, most of my abilities were already adequate for
this game. Still, I enjoyed building up my character's skills as much as
possible before facing the final challenges in the game.
I found none of the puzzles to be very challenging. A couple of the
puzzles made me stop and think, but if I hadn't taken the time to develop
my character, I probably could have finished the game in less than 6 to 8
hours, perhaps even less than that if I didn't bother to converse with
the characters I met. The keys to this game were exploration, trial and
error, and information gathering through conversation. Talking with the
characters you meet reveals the storyline as time elapses. In the end, I
felt as if the game was too short, although that very well could have
been because I was enjoying it so much, I didn't want it to end.
Combat occurs when you wander the savanna or jungle. The combat system
requires that you click on a panel containing icons that represent
actions, such as slash, parry, and dodge. All combat occurs in real
time, and there are a variety of monsters to find. You can toggle to a
second panel that has character-specific actions, such as spellcasting,
or "flee". This is much like the interface in the VGA version of QFG1.
I found this slightly awkward, although it was easy to get used to after
some practice.
If you play the game as only one character type, you will miss scenes and
puzzles that the other characters get. For example, only a Thief can
steal. Only a Fighter will have the chance at the Simbani initiation.
Only a Magic user will have the chance at the Shaman's duel in the
Leopardman's village. In addition, the solutions to certain puzzles
vary, depending on the character type. This game is definitely worth a
replay as a different character type, if only just to catch the things
that you didn't get the first time around.
There are very few bugs in the game. QFG3 will make use of expanded or
extended memory, but this caused no problems for me. My machine, a
386/40, is configured under DOS 5.0 with EMM386 giving me 1 Mb of
expanded memory, leaving 6 Mb of extended memory. Although the Sierra
installation recommends using no memory manager, I had no reason to
change my configuration. The only bugs I found were cosmetic- none of
the bugs was fatal. There is a patch for this game involving Dispel
Potions if you are a Magic User, available through the usual sources such
as CompuServe or the Sierra BBS.
Despite a few shortcomings, I found the game to be a very enjoyable
experience. As with most Sierra games, you get out what you put in.
There are many things to see and do, and discovering the little humorous
touches in the game adds to the fun. (For example, try smoking the the
pipe in the Apothecary's shop. It's especially interesting if you have a
sound card with a DAC.) QFG3 is a winner. If you've played and enjoyed
the other two, you should get this one. Also, if you've been turned off
by the difficulty of Sierra puzzles in the past, this one is worth a look.
All Sierra fans will enjoy the mix of humor, puzzle-solving, as well as
the animation and sound. QFG3 combines these things with a great story,
and produces one Quest For Glory that is both captivating and exciting.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Tom Tanida. All rights reserved.
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QUEST FOR GLORY III: WAGES OF WAR by Sierra On-Line
Reviewed by Richard Wyckoff
Review configuration: 486/33 AMI BIOS Trident 8900C SuperVGA card
Soundblaster card Mouse
Ratings:
Graphics: 7
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 8
Originality: 9
Overview: QUEST FOR GLORY III is a great installment in a fine series,
which manages to avoid most of the dreary aspects of traditional role-
playing games while at the same time including the sophisticated puzzles
you would expect in a Sierra adventure game.
I had never played one of the Quest For Glory series until I tried the VGA
update of Quest For Glory I a few months ago. I've always been a fan of
Sierra's adventure games, but I had serious doubts about a Sierra role-
playing game, and I had very little interest in any EGA games.
Quest For Glory I made me a convert, and when QUEST FOR GLORY III was
released a few weeks later I snapped it up.
I was not disappointed.
If you are unfamiliar (Like I was) with the Quest For Glory series, here's
how they work: Like a computer role-playing game, you get to generate a
character complete with attributes and skills. You can pick from one of
three classes: Fighter, Magician, or Thief. (In Quest For Glory I,
Fighters could become Paladins through honorable actions). However, unlike
an rpg, the game play takes place like a traditional adventure game. You
walk around talking to people and solving puzzles by collecting objects or
using your skills. Almost all the puzzles of the game have different
solutions depending on your character class, so in effect the playability
is tripled. There's no SSI-style dungeon crawling and ceaseless monster
slaying, and you can avoid combat almost all the time, but if you do want
to fight, there is a relatively sophisticated combat interface.
QUEST FOR GLORY III will work on almost any 286 or better computer, and
unlike many games recently (especially Sierra games) _includes_ the EGA
version. There do seem to be a few bugs, however, and Sierra has already
released a patch for one that prevented magicians from solving one of the
puzzles. The game hung up at least once on a friend's computer, and
frequently on mine (but I am having hardware difficulties at the moment).
It takes up about 7 megabytes on your hard drive. The documentation
consists of two small booklets, one explaining the actual mechanics of
play and the other offering hints to get you started in the form of a
punny guidebook from the "Famous Explorer's Correspondence Course." For
once, Sierra doesn't work copy protection into the documentation.
The VGA graphics are decent, scanned from paintings like all Sierra games
recently. Many of the scenes appear to have washed-out palettes (a common
problem with scanned games), and the details are poor, even taking into
consideration the 320x200 VGA resolution. The animation, on the other
hand, is almost always exceptionally detailed and smooth. This is still a
one-screen-at-a-time Sierra adventure, but some screens scroll when you
move from one to another. Unfortunately, Sierra has yet to learn how to
program smooth-scrolling.
The mediocre graphics are outshined (or possibly drowned out!) by the
soundtrack. The music sounds better, even on a Soundblaster, than almost
any other game out there (even Sierra's own King's Quest VI). Digitized
sound is used extensively throughout, for combat effects, spellcasting,
and background noise. If only Origin would take a lesson from Sierra and
stop trying to do things like fake crickets with FM synthesis (in Ultima
7)!
The game begins with an animated sequence (different for each character
type) reprising the ending of Quest For Glory II. The evil wizard you
defeated in that game is back, or at least the forces he attempted to
raise are. You may play QUEST FOR GLORY III with a character from Quest
For Glory I or II. If you have a character from _either_, use him, as you
will have a significant advantage in at least some areas over a brand new
character.
After the introduction, you will find yourself in the city of Tarna, a
mythical place with an Egyptian character, populated by Liontaurs and
humans. You find, by talking to your companions from the previous
adventure and the other inhabitants of Tarna that the Liontaurs are being
asked to intercede in a conflict between the two other tribes in the area:
the Simbani and the Leopardmen. This is markedly different from your
typical tongue-in-cheek Sierra game. There are plenty of jokes and puns
in this game, but the overall tone is serious, as befits an rpg.
The first part of the game seems a little aimless. There are plenty of
people to talk to, and the text is well written. The conversation
interface is of the 'choices from a menu' type, and all you really have to
do is go down the list. However, you do not learn much that is concrete.
Most of Tarna is shops, and you need to buy something from almost every
one of them. You can leave the city and wander around on the Savanna, but
you are not allowed to go very far until certain events happen back in
Tarna.
Following these events (which happen after a certain amount of time) you
get to travel to the Simbani village, and you begin to get an idea of what
it is you have to do.
Once you get to the Simbani village, things progress fairly rapidly. The
game, unfortunately, is not very lengthy. If you are playing as a Thief
or Magician, you can avoid combat almost entirely, except for a few
special occasions or if you need money. Also, most of the puzzles are
relatively simple. However, the plot of the game carries you along, and
there are rarely long stretches of boredom.
Another potential problem with this game is that, as is so often the case,
the protagonist can only be male. It surprises me that the designers
(Lori and Corey Cole) allowed a choice of character class, but limited the
choice of sex. There are puzzles in the game that would require much re-
working to allow female characters, but if they went to the trouble of
providing a solution for each class, why not go the extra distance?
My complaints about this game are not major ones, however. This is easily
one of the most enjoyable games out there. The amount of text in the game
also extends the playing time (unless you are like a certain friend of
mine who never reads the text in games. Period.) The graphics may be a
little sub-par, but I have always believed that games depend not on their
graphics and sound but on their playability, and QUEST FOR GLORY III ranks
near the top in that category. I'm even beginning to rethink my attitude
about the EGA-only Quest For Glory II!
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Richard Wyckoff. All rights
reserved.
SHERLOCK HOLMES CONSULTING DETECTIVE by ICOM Simulations
Reviewed by David D'Antonio
Requirements (from the box)
CD-ROM drive (150KB Data Transfer Rate, Continuous Read)
12Mhz/286 or better IBM PC or Compatible
640K RAM - (490K Available)
DOS 3.3 or higher
VGA Color Card and Monitor
Mouse
Sound Blaster/Media Vision Audio Card or Compatible
Test Machine:
Chinon CDS-431 CD-ROM drive (through an Adaptec 1542B SCSI adapater)
Standard Computer Corp 486DX/33Mhz
8MB RAM (557K Conventional Available)
DR DOS 6.0
Diamond SpeedStar Plus/Mag 14e monitor
Mouse
Sound Blaster (v1.5)
Hype (from the box):
"For the first time ever, over 90 minutes of full-motion video brings
Sherlock Holmes to life. This revolutionary CD gaming experience lets
you match wits with the super-sleuth himself. Guide Sherlock and Watson
through the streets of London to interrogate suspects and solve three
intriguing murder mysteries!
The Official Sherlock Holmes product of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Estate"
Impressions:
They really mean it. This is a true MultiMedia presentation. Having
solved the first of the three mysteries (The Mummy's Curse), I can say I
was quite impressed with the mechanics and game play of SHERLOCK HOLMES,
CONSULTING DETECTIVE [SH:CD]. I had my doubts since the Chinon drive had
received quite a bad rating in a review of CD-ROM drives, scoring very
low in transfer rate. So I expected the "full-motion video" to be jerky
at best. Instead it was smooth and the voices and the actors were in
synch. The video picture is certainly not full screen, in fact it's
about 1/4th the screen and centered. There are a few odd colors at times
(a bald spot on one actor had bits of red and yellow) and an occasional
glitch/pause, but it doesn't really detract from the game. Each video
has a rewind button, play, pause and stop so you can effectively freeze
frame and copy something down if need be or watch the segment over to
catch something you missed.
Mechanics:
The CD-ROM has about 370MB of data on it, including the SHERLOCK.EXE
program. You change to the CD-ROM drive and run SHERLOCK.EXE and the
ICOM logo appears. Then "Holmes's book" appears, an animated book whose
Table of Contents are Instructions, Introduction, the three cases and the
Load, Save and Quit buttons. The cursor changes to an hourglass when the
CD is busy and either a hand holding a pipe or a magnifying glass (that
really works!).
The Instructions feature Watson's voice-over explaining the icons that
will be used during the game.
The Introduction has Holmes sit and tell you about late 19th Century
London, the official and unofficial police forces (the Baker Street
Irregulars), and your contacts in various official positions. You are
then shown a screen with various pictures of people/places and, upon
clicking on one, Holmes will explain who/what the person/place is and
what kind of information they can provide. These are the people/places
you will use to gather data and solve the cases. Amongst them are
Lestrade of the Yard, the Hall of Records, a police chemist and an editor
of the London Times. You are also provided with paper copies of
several issues of the Times [also available on-line].
Clicking on a case presents you with a video clip of Holmes and Watson
introducing the case and then you go to the Main Screen. This is a map
of London with 4 icons down each side. On the left you have Holmes's
book, your notebook (with the names of the people you met in the
introduction already entered), a directory of all the folks in London and
the on-line Times issues. Windows open with a MAC-like animation when
you click on them.
On the right side, there is the Travel icon, Holmes's files, the Baker
Street Irregulars and the Court icon, used when you believe you have
solved the case. If a name is highlighted in either your notebook or the
Directory, clicking the Travel icon will send Holmes and/or Watson off to
interview that person/institution. Here is where the video clips are
shown. If the person isn't involved with the case, a static drawing is
shown with some voice-over telling you they aren't in or there is no clue
to be found here. When the clip ends, you can either close the window,
which will bring back the Directory/notebook or click on either Holmes's
file or the Irregulars.
These bring up either a sheet of paper with Holmes's info on whomever, or
a telegram from the Irregulars stating what they could or couldn't
discover. Again, for people not involved, it'll be something to that
effect, otherwise some useful information or reminder. This is a good
way to remember who those list of people you met in the introduction are!
You can copy names out of the Directory into your notebook by opening the
Directory, highlighting the name and then clicking on the notebook. I
found no way to get RID of a name from the notebook, but it allows
multiple pages so that's not a problem. There is everyone from Irene
Adler to Bilbo Underhill in the Directory so you can't really solve a
case by just clicking on everyone.
When you think you've got it, you click on the Court icon. If there are
clues you haven't discovered, you'll get a voice-over saying words to
that effect and you're dumped back into the game. Otherwise, the Judge
asks you for the killer(s). If you don't do anything, Watson tells you
to open either the Directory or your notebook and select a name. Then
you're asked for a motive and must choose from the menu presented. In
the Mummy's Curse, 4 people are dead so you go through this 3 times (one
of the deaths is obvious and not directly related). If you get something
wrong, you're immediately told so and dumped back into the game. If you
get it all right, a video clip appears with Holmes and Watson discussing
the conclusion of the case and then your score appears. This is where
the supposed replay value comes in. Your score is based on "unknown
elements" (according to the docs) and you compare it to Holmes's ideal
score. You can try to lower your score by replaying the adventure.
Since I messed about A LOT, my score was 1100 compared to 26 for Holmes!
You can save your game at any time by going to Holmes's book and using a
rather strange mechanism, locate the drive and directory in which to save
the game. Each saved game takes up about 330 bytes.
Gripes:
These are minor complaints to be sure. But I wasn't really sure what to
do after the Mummy's Curse introduction and they don't give you the Times
issue that Watson is reading in said introduction. People's responses
aren't keyed to what you know so they give the same story each time you
visit them. While I probably will replay the Mummy's Curse once, I don't
think the scoring mechanism provides much replay value. You can "cheat"
a bit by going back to Court and choosing different motives from the
menu. No doubt this plays havoc with your score, though. A couple of
the names mentioned where hard to find in the Directory by sound alone.
There is a small bug in Holmes's file, in that two names in the Directory
are switched.
Hints:
Read the Times issues VERY carefully. I missed a couple clues because I
didn't remember some items I had been told and relate them to the Times
stories. I tended to have the directory open, click on Holmes's file and
then to the Travel icon or the Irregulars depending on what Holmes's file
had to say. From there you can then save the name in the notebook if
need be. I also used the hard-copy Times rather than the on-line version
since it's easier to scan.
Summary:
I really like this game and will probably buy SHERLOCK HOLMES II when it
comes out. The first case was interesting and the solution wasn't
obvious. But all the clues WERE provided if you knew where to look. The
icon system to move around was well done and the video clips are great.
I bought the game used (another benefit of CD-ROM) and the person said
each case would take 2-5 hours. The game found my SoundBlaster
automatically and all speech and music came through it. If you're a
Holmes fan and have the equipment to run this, I do heartily recommend it
(so far :-).
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by David D'Antonio. All rights
reserved.
BIRDS OF PREY by Argonaut Software
Distributed by Electronic Arts
Reviewed by David Masten
PC, Amiga
$49.95 list
Manual lookup protection
on a 386/33 + SB + CH Flightstick
Distributed by Electronic Arts
Ever an easy mark for new flight sims, I purchased BIRDS OF PREY because
of its FORTY different modern NATO and Soviet aircraft, each with
"accurately detailed flight characteristics and weapon systems".
Included are the: BAe Hawk, Harrier, B1, B2, B52, 747, KC10, C130, Mirage
F1, Rafale, F4, F5, F14, F15, F16, F18, F20, F104, F111, F117, Tornado,
Gripen, A10, X15, X29, SR71, TR1 (U2), An124, Mig21, 23, 25, 27, 29,
Su21, 24, 25, 27, Backfire, Bear, and Yak38 (STOVL). Phew!
Bottom line: First impressions were very negative due to outdated
graphics, some modeling inaccuracies, and playability quirks. However,
in the course of evaluating BoP for this review, I somewhat warmed to it.
It's not bad if you want moderately complex flight simulation with an
easy gameplay environment, or you just want to fly around in some very
different planes. It is in no way state of the art, but I've enjoyed it.
Now for the particulars...
Gameplay takes place in an approximately 800 mile square fixed fictitious
world with side A (NATO equipped) vs side B (Soviet equipped). Each side
always has 3 airbases, some cities, radars and SAM sites, and 2 carriers.
The game only takes 423 KB of hard drive space. How could a game
accurately model all these planes within an intelligent environment with
so little space? If indeed it does, it can be partly explained by the
limited graphics and commonality of the cockpit and most systems.
External plane graphics are reasonable, although in monochrome green or
grey only. I'd rate them as roughly on par with Falcon 3. A nice
feature is the complete set of views, including scan from each active
plane and missile.
Other graphics are dated. The world is primarily flat with a few polygon
mountains, no clouds. The colors and shading are monotonous and bland.
Looks more like 4 color than VGA. The coloring tends to bleach the white
HUD lettering. Ground objects (runways, hangers, radars, oil platforms,
carriers, tanks) are fair, but are more reminiscent of F16 Combat Pilot
(an my 386/33. With the many detail options, I suspect it can get by on
far slower computers.
Sound support is adequate. Through a SoundBlaster you get jet/prop
engines, gear, stall warning, missile fire and hits. The gun sound is
the best effect. No music.
The game uses a single common cockpit, which does ease the learning
curve. But I find it detracts from the 'feel'. The cockpit also has an
unattractive layout, with much space wasted on redundant analog gauges.
Fortunately you can hide them, and will often do so if only to gain
access to otherwise hidden HUD info. No parts of the plane (like wings
or tail) are visible from the very complete set of internal viewing
angles. Since the instruments and HUD are seen from all views, you may
lose orientation. Spoiled by the luxurious detail of SWotL and AotP, I
find BoP lacking in this respect.
As to aircraft systems, all have the same radars with unrealistic 320 km
anti-aircraft range. Thankfully, it is only forward looking. Most
planes are restricted to ordnance they actually carry, but there are
errors. For example, the A10's listed max weight is less than that of
the fully fueled plane. Further, you only place one weapon per pylon,
which skews the effectiveness of various jets as weapons platforms.
The game abounds in cheats, such as a map mode (consider it AWACS
guidance), and info such as the exact types and positions of airborne
planes, and their missions/targets. It's sort of fun as you can watch
them leave their hangars, taxi, and takeoff. Purists can avoid these.
They put some work into the flight modeling. Planes do perform uniquely,
though I wouldn't expect to find each plane's quirks. Angle of attack
and slip are included. Inertia is apparent, though I suspect not as
fully as it should. Lift, drag, thrust, and fuel consumption are
altitude, velocity, and load dependent where applicable. Harriers have
VTOL capability, the X15 has RCS jets, you manually control swing-wing
sweep. Lift and cruise velocity are sweep angle dependent. Landing
(especially on carriers) isn't trivial and I have yet to master the
Harrier. It's also the only game I've seen that allows flat spins.
Most planes will pull unrealistically high instantaneous and sustained
G-loads (damage can occur). Black outs are annoyingly implemented as you
have little warning and the screen may blank for a few seconds. Some
planes are clearly not modeled correctly, for instance the F117 can go
supersonic, and I reached 100K ft in an F16. I don't think the
stealthiness of the F117 and B2 are factored in.
Appreciation of flight is marred by the poor joystick control. The
joystick calibration is too sensitive, yet its center dead zone is too
large .
Noticeably missing is VCR replay. Also no mission designer.
A very big hassle is the manual targeting mode. You have to move the
touchy controller around the HUD to manually lock targets. Meanwhile
flight control is disabled. So usually I rely on the auto-targeting
mode. Why not use a 'next target' key like virtually all other sims?
In play, the different flight characteristics are usually moot as
dogfighting takes a back seat to standoff missile attack. So I choose a
plane based solely on weapons capability. As in many sims, your missiles
and countermeasures are near perfect, while enemies are incompetent. In
a typical 'air superiority' mission, I'll down a half-dozen planes and
take out some ground targets. While gun kills aren't a no-brainer as in
F15II, they are neither as realistic, challenging, or satisfying as in
F3. Also destroyed a hanger and control tower with F15 gunfire!
Major bug: I often get catastrophic program hangs on long missions.
On the positive side, once you learn all the complex controls (some
mnemonic, others haphazard) you have a wealth of systems. The radar and
HUD have various submodes and many weapons are included. Weapon loading
is pretty easy, if sometimes inaccurate. Also includes carrier ops, in-
flight refueling, and waypoints adjustment.
The campaign is fairly simple. You pick a mission type, and the game
chooses the specific targets. You are also restricted in aircraft
choice, such as only VTOL's can take off from the Invincible and Soviet
carriers. Other flights perform their missions while you execute yours.
Wingmen, separate flights, and friendly SAM's may aid you. Neutralize an
airfield, and the enemy can't use it till it's repaired. You might have
to fly recon to determine its condition. While you can choose from 12
missions, you only really need a few. Generally I just carry a mix of
ordnance on a multi-role jet, and fire away. As long as you don't expect
much sophistication, you may get some hours of uncomplicated distraction.
In final, the concept is fine, but it just doesn't compare in graphic
panache or overall depth to recent releases like F3, SWotL, AotP or even
F117A and CYAC. If you want a sim of modern dogfighting and ground
attack, and have the hardware, get Falcon 3. However only one game lets
you fly all these hot planes. If you simply must fly them, you can either
get BoP, or collect 40 other sims!
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Dave Masten. All rights reserved.
NFL PRO LEAGUE FOOTBALL By MicroSports
Reviewed by John Brassil
It's a crisp autumn day, and the beer feels cold in the $3 paper cup in
your hand. The cheerleaders are shaking their pompoms, the PA is
blasting "Steam Heat" and your favorite team is ready to kick off...
How close can a football game for the PC come to this kind of fun? Until
we get Virtual Reality modules for the 'ol 386 (486 for you upscale
types), not too close. So, what can they do for us? They can give us
some insight into how the game is played, allow us to take the field as a
coach or player, even if it is electronically, and let us PLAY football,
instead of just Monday-morning quarterbacking.
So, how well does NFL Pro League Football (1991 Edition) stack up? First
and foremost, Dave Holt and the crew at MicroSports have taken a giant
leap forward and gotten their product endorsed by both the NFL and the
NFLPA. Some games, such as Joe Montana, do neither, and while several
have gone to the trouble of getting the NFL stamp of approval (read
coughing up serious dough for licensing fees), there is no other
simulation that has real player names as well.
Time for some hard data. NFL PLF is out for the IBM platform only. It
does not support either joystick or mouse. EGA or VGA graphics are
required, and at least 640K of RAM (don't worry, that's just what the box
says. It doesn't really use all 640K.) The list price is $79.95, but
the latest direct mail price I saw for it was only $19. It was going for
$49 not too long ago, so I assume that they're coming out with a new
version, or it's not selling very well, or both.
The game has five major modules. NFL Head-Up Football allows you to
compete against the computer or a friend one play at a time. Modem play
is supported for play against another person. (I have not used this
option.) NFL Pro League Football is the module used for league play.
General Manager is used to control scouting (team and player stats
review), printing of the game plan form used in league play and playbook
sheets, and loading current player stats into the game. The League
Leaders Module allows printing or viewing of stats for the current
league. Finally, the Stats Keeper module (beginning to get the idea that
the game is stats-oriented?) allows printing or viewing of drive summary
stats for the last game played, as well as all time records.
The strength of the game is its league play feature. Coaches can
generate game plans manually, use a saved game plan, or allow the
computer to generate a game plan based on the tendencies of the opponent
which can be modified by the "coach" as necessary. The plans are
instructions to the computer which allows it to simulate the course of
game. Plans are based on percentages of time to run or pass in various
situations, e.g. 1st&10, 3&short, etc.
If you are not planning on using NFL PLF for a league, however, the game
has some glaring deficiencies. The animation is jerky, and not very well
defended. The use of the keyboard to enter play codes is rather tedious,
especially at the end of the half or game where you must enter three
digits with the last one indicating whether or not you are calling a time
out. It's even worse on a punt or kick, since you have to enter these
plays twice just to make sure you're not kicking ball away inadvertently.
Probably the drawback to play calling, though, is the fact that you have
no idea what you have typed in. This, combined with the lack of error-
checking, means that you could hit a "Q" instead of a "1" (there are 100
plays each for offense and defense - the last two numbers are used for
punting and kicking), which gets interpreted as a "0" and you are
suddenly running a play you did not mean to call.
Substitutions are not allowed. This detracts from the "realism" of the
game, especially in today's environment of situation substitution. Also,
the flexibility of the play-calling method leaves something to be
desired, since all teams used the same set of plays. This also has some
unrealistic side effects, such as Haywood Jeffires being slotted as the
"B" receiver. Not a big deal, until you look at the play card and see
that the longest "B" route is a twelve yarder.
Another problem that I found was that the computer was able to call
defenses that were not on the play card. Also, the play card that you
can dump to the printer is more accurate (the play names are closer to
the ones displayed on the screen, although they are not perfect, either)
than the laminated play cards supplied with the game. This is yet
another example of the lack of quality control exercised in the
development of the game. Who blessed the use of zero suppression on the
game clock? Has anyone ever seen the stadium clock read "1: 7"?
Well, on to General Manager. One of the most attractive features of the
game is the ability to download current player stats via modem from the
USA Today Sportscenter. Better bring your wallet, though, since a
membership costs $19.95 (this is from the USA Today folks) and the
cheapest download rates are about $4.95 an hour. Still, if you want to
be able to simulate the upcoming weeks games - strictly for entertainment
purposes, mind you (nudge, nudge) - this is the way to do it. In fact,
the USA Today has used Dave Holt's simulation to predict the outcome of
the Super Bowl for the last four or five years. He runs the simulation
about 50,000 times and gives a percentage of wins for each team.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to have the computer run multiple
simulation with one command. You must play each game one at a time and
no overall records are kept.
The League Leaders and Stat Keeper modules allow you to access the wealth
of statistical info the game keeps, to the tune of 140 categories per
team per game, and 200 season categories per team as well. A seventy-
category record book is maintained for each system as well.
So what's the bottom line? If you want a computer-based realistic
league, this is the way to go. If you want arcade action, better check
out Konami or John Madden. In the final analysis, though, what really
hurts Pro League Football is that the overall package is strictly
amateur.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by John Brassil. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor Note: It should be pointed out that Dave Holt and his crew at
Micro Sports are putting the final touches to the '92/'93 edition of
NFL Pro League Football as we speak. It should address ALL of the
concerns of this earlier version and is expected to be a very professional
piece of sports simulation software. If you're into football statistical
accuracy, this title should be without peer.
Ed. - We were quite interested in two very different points of view
towards Heimdall from Virgin Games. Enjoy these two very polar opinions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEIMDALL by Virgin Games Inc. and Core Design Ltd.
IBM Version
Reviewed by Wyvern.
Lately I have found myself watching the bargain game racks at my local
software stores. I suppose this is the result of having spent better than
fifty dollars on some games that, when played, weren't really that
satisfying. So there is was on the rack: HEIMDALL, the adventures of one
*Bad* Viking and for less than $20-. <A penny less than $20- to be
specific.> Okay, I'll bite. I bought the game and took it home and fired
it up and I am glad I did!
Heimdall is a nice game! The plot revolves around the wicked Loki <do you
know nordic mythology?> having stolen three of the best weapons from the
gods. Heimdall's mission is to recover these weapons and to do so he must
explore three worlds, solving puzzles and fighting along the way. The
overall plot is presented beautifully in the graphic open with celtic
designs.
At the beginning of the game you are given the option of playing some
subgames to establish Heimdall's stats or bypassing them, taking average
stats instead. The subgames consist of throwing axes at a fair maiden's
pigtails in an effort to cut them, chasing and catching a greased pig,
and fighting vikings on a ship. If you are handy at this sort of thing,
the reward is having a greater selection of characters to choose for your
six man team. If you aren't handy at this sort of thing, the game is
balanced well enough to allow an average Heimdall to succeed.
The graphic interface is reminiscent of Sierra's King's Quest series with
a bit of Bard's Tale combat thrown in. It's a nice combination. You have
the option of choosing keyboard, mouse or joystick. You'll use the
keyboard for the subgames but the mouse works well for the rest of the
game. I have no joystick so could not try it out.
The graphics range from good to excellent. There is a wide variety of
environments and though sometimes repeated, the scenery never get's
boring. All graphics feature celtic influence. A lot of thought and
effort went into the graphic presentation. In combat you are presented
with a picture frame animated monster <like Bard's Tale>. While there is
not a wide variety of monsters, it is effective and satisfying.
Music is limited to the opening sequence but is very nice. Sound effects
are also limited but I did not find that to be a distraction from the
game.
The documentation could have been more complete. The earliest releases
have a typo in the documentation which will frustrate those attempting to
play the subgames. The game mechanics are not so complicated that what is
not explained completely in the documentation cannot easily be figured
out but I do prefer thorough documentation. For example, when selecting
your crew you have a variety of classes from which to choose and no
explanation is included as to the benefits/detriments of these classes.
This is not a long game but when evaluating fun for the dollar, it is one
of the best I have played of late. That is not to say that the game
doesn't have weaknesses. It does. While the graphics are nicely done, the
color choices on some screens makes it difficult to read messages when
collecting goodies from dead foes or chests. Though you must choose a six
member team to start the game, the other characters serve mostly as pack
mules unless you are careless and allow Heimdall to die in battle. Most
puzzles are logical but there are a few which are solved by having
nothing else to try.
This is a game which is enjoyable to replay. For me that is a big asset.
Too often of late have I spent a lot of money on a huge game that I play
once and put aside. I highly recommend this game. It is fun, good and
cheap!
On a scale of 1<bad> to 10<excellent>, I rate the game as follows:
Documentation 5 Could have been more complete.
Graphics 9 Not the best I have seen but excellent
and a wide variety.
Music 7 Very good, but only used in the
opening.
Sound Effects 5 Not an important feature for this game.
Puzzles 8 Good variety.
Fun 9
Replayable 10 Once you have solved this game you can
replay it in an evening.
Value for the buck 10 You get a lot for the small cost.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Wyvern. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEIMDALL by Virgin Games
Reviewed by Chuck McMath
HEIMDALL is one of those games which can't seem to make up its mind as to
what it is. The storyline is similar to many an RPG, in that our noble
hero is put in the position of saving the world (what, again!). So you
take your hearty band of adventurers out, in search of treasure, monster
stomping, puzzle solving, and artifact location. Same old stuff, right?
Well, maybe not. HEIMDALL's advertising tries to cast the game as a
light-hearted romp - on the box cover is a promo saying something like
"the adventures of one BAD viking!". The introduction in the manual is
also illustrated in cartoon format, giving one the impression that it's a
humorous game. But it's not, at least no more humorous than any other
RPG.
HEIMDALL has an unusual feel to it, as though it were purchased from a
European developer and polished up a little at Virgin headquarters. As a
result, things don't always work as you'd expect. To start, the install
progarm looks like the standard install, but it's a little hard headed. I
ran the install, and it asks you if it may install the game in the default
directory (which is displayed on the screen). Typing no allows you to
change the directory where the game is to be installed. Typing yes begins
the installation - unless you don't have enough disk space to continue.
In that case, the initial directory question is asked over again. In
fact, if you don't have enough free space on the disk to
install HEIMDALL,
you must reboot to quit the install program. It boggles my mind that
software companies don't test their programs to this extent (by the way,
there's no mention in the manual as to the disk space requirements for
HEIMDALL. I believe it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 MB).
HEIMDALL begins with a beautiful graphic introduction, complete with
stirring music. Unfortunately, some of the letters appear to be drawn
incompletely, giving one the impression that the introduction files may be
corrupt. However, I've seen this display garbling on more than one copy
of HEIMDALL, so perhaps that's the way the alphabet is really drawn!
Again, little things here and there are out of place.
Before you begin the quest in HEIMDALL, you must first complete three
feats of skill. First is the axe throw, where you have to cut the
pigtails off of a norse woman without harming her. Second is the greased
pig catching contest, where you have to grab that porker within a time
limit. Third is the boat contest, where you have to run from the stern to
the bow, avoiding opponents, grab a bag of gold, and then run back safely.
Now, the first complaint here is that these contests determine who you may
choose for your companions, and only by doing well in the contests can you
gain access to some high-powered party members. Unfortunately, the
control keys mentioned in the documentation are incorrect - that's right,
they have listed the WRONG KEYS to control your character, so once you get
to the pig contest you're in deep trouble (the pigtail contest is mouse
controlled, and the mouse works as described). Suffice to say that by the
time you find the correct keys to control your character, time has
expired, and you have failed miserably in the second and third contests.
Next time, Virgin, try the game once before you print the manual. The
only good aspect of these games is that they are separate executables, and
you can therefore practice at each of these three contests before you play
the game for real. That's the only way I could determine the correct keys
for controlling my character.
With the preliminaries out of the way, your quest now begins. Of course
the main character, HEIMDALL must go on the quest, and you choose five
companions. Your goal is to rescue three artifacts stolen by the evil
Norse god Loke (sp). You have from fifteen to thirty possible companions
from which to choose, depending on your scores in the preliminary
contests.
These characters are a motley crew, and their portraits are quite well
done (which is true about all of the graphics in HEIMDALL). They vary in
profession from Druid, to Fighter, to Beserker, to Ship Builder. Of
course, none of these professions are described in the manual, with the
exception of Navigator, who can help you maneuver your ship. These
characters have varying amounts of strength, vitality, magic ability, and
the usual collection of attributes.
Once your party has been chosen you are presented with the map display.
As with all the graphics in HEIMDALL, it is beautifully drawn, and shows
much care and attention to detail. You sail a ship from island to island,
searching for artifacts, clues, fighing enemies, and looking for one of
those three stolen items. There are three 'levels' of islands in
HEIMDALL, and each level has one of the stolen items hidden somewhere on
an island. The map display is where you exit to DOS, by hitting the
correct key - again, not the one mentioned in the manual (at this point,
you're probably not believing the manual at all. Good for you!). You
sail to an island by clicking on it with the mouse. After confirming your
choice, your boat travels to the selected island - unless it's too far
away or surrounded by impassible items. Navigation is usually not a
problem, however, as you can island hop from one to the next to reach
islands that are far away.
Disembarking is easily done; once you arrive at an island you are
presented with a dialog asking if you wish to go onto the island. If you
do, the view changes to show the island in loving detail. Note that only
three adventurers can go onto the island at one time, so you must choose
carefully who goes and who stays on the boat. This presents difficulty
only later in the game, when your party gets loaded down with loot.
The graphics for the individual islands are varied, ranging from stone
passages to dirt roads, from Cathedral-like structures to simple huts.
These graphics use an isometric view where movement is always on the
diagonal rather than left, right, up, and down (similar to Populous).
Movement is accomplished by using the mouse to rotate a figure
representing your party in the correct direction; pressing the button
moves the figure forward. As with all games using isometric displays,
movement takes a bit of getting used to, but it's not difficult. When you
reach the edge of a screen, it scrolls smoothly to reveal the area ahead
of you, keeping you centered as much as possible. Doors and passageways
near the bottom of the screen are drawn as cut-outs, so they don't obscure
your view of your party, yet they're visible. The island displays are
definitely the most appealing aspect of HEIMDALL; I sailed from island to
island always wondering what the next one would look like.
Enemies and treasure chests abound on these islands, and soon your party
becomes loaded down with swords, potions, scrolls, and money. Character
and inventory management is easily accomplished by moving to the character
display. This display shows all six characters in your party, and from
this display you can find out their current statistics, get a list of
their inventory, eat food, drink potions, and the like. It is also from
this display that the game is saved. You can only have one saved game in
HEIMDALL, and saving the game is accomplished by clicking on 'Save Game'
while in the character display - but you can only save your game while
you're in the boat, not disembarked on an island. Why a game published in
1992 has these restrictions is unknown. The absence of multiple saved
games is inexcusable.
Your characters' statistics can be displayed, either via a bar chart or
numerically. As with most normal RPGs, your characters attain 'Levels'.
Of course, the manual describes 'Experience Points' as being displayed,
not 'Levels' and of course there is no description of how you advance to
the next level or what it brings you. I determined that your attributes
advanced as you gained levels, but the lack of any description was, at
this point, considered par for the course.
You end up spending a lot of time in the character display, because your
inventory quickly fills up. After a while I determined that the best
thing to do with food was to immediately eat it, and I got used to
discarding weapons all over the place. There are shops which will buy
weapons, but you don't find them too often. Spells are another story.
Finding a spell scroll and using it are two different things. If your
character has sufficient magic ability, he can read the runes on a scroll,
otherwise you only see runes. If he can read the runes, he can use the
spell. Scrolls are frequently found which cannot be deciphered (at least
with the lower level characters), and the best thing to do with those are
sell them for lots of money at a shop (I believe there's a bug in the
program that manifests itself when you're in a shop. While in a shop,
examining any of your spells allows you to find out the spell - even on
scrolls you can't ordinarily decipher. However, you still can't use the
spell, so it's merely frustrating to find out you have a resurrect spell
and can't use it!). Actually, once you go around the islands once or
twice, looking for the stolen item, you end up managing inventory more
than anything else.
Fighting in HEIMDALL is fairly straightforward. You are presented with a
first person view of your opponent, and you can click on buttons to swing,
parry, or use magical items. Timing plays a role in this, but it's not
actually real-time. It's sort of like a slowed down version of the
fighting in Sierra's Quest for Glory series. Once you get started, it's
rare to lose a fight (which is good, since fights are to the death!).
When you revisit an area your opponents are there again, so you can fight
once more and grab what booty he had once you win. Treasure chests do not
get refilled though (pity)!
You will find many items in HEIMDALL, most of which are difficult to
divine. You find silver coins, potions, scrolls which you can read, but
are described with the phrase 'the purpose of this spell is unclear.' In
addition, you must do a fair share of puzzle-solving on the individual
islands. The first island, for example, has five pressure plates which
flip/invert three steps leading to the rest of that island. Pressure
plates exist in great number on the islands, as do hidden pits and secret
wall slits which shoot arrows. Unfortunately, in many of the islands,
hitting pressure plates has no obvious effect, so you must do a lot of
experimenting to determine what happens. In addition, many locked doors
are on these islands, and you must collect gold, silver, ruby, amethyst, .
.. keys to open these doors. There are also a smattering of different
puzzles in HEIMDALL, some of which have pretty clear solutions, and others
which are pretty mystifying.
One last comment about HEIMDALL should suffice - although the introduction
has a nice musical score, and the manual describes different keys you can
press to toggle both sound effects and music, the only sounds I could
generate while playing HEIMDALL were the small sound effects generated by
arrows shooting and falling into pits. I never heard any background
music, as far as I could determine, and the keys listed that toggle the
effects and music... well, they don't seem to have any effect (shocking,
eh?).
I suppose in conclusion, one must try to weigh the pros and cons of a game
such as HEIMDALL. In its favor, the graphics, from start to finish, are
well done, and present a unified look - and a nice look, at that - to the
game. The graphics are outstanding from start to finish, and the
scrolling in the main island view works well. Unfortunately, the down
side of HEIMDALL is a pretty long list, starting with the install program,
and continuing to the lack of any usefulness from the instruction manual,
to the absence of music and noticable sound effects, to a game whose point
gets lost in the minutae of inventory management. HEIMDALL may be 'one
BAD viking,' but I doubt that most people will find out. They will have
given him up for lost long before that. HEIMDALL takes a RPG, tacks
arcade-like exhibitions on the front of it, tries to appear cartoonish on
the box, and merely succeeds in becoming a hopless confused mishmash of
styles. I was wondering, when I saw HEIMDALL in the stores, as to why it
was being heavily discounted when it had just been released. I don't have
to wonder any more.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Chuck McMath. All rights reserved.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (IBM) by Omnitred Software/Mindcraft
Reviewed by Alan C. Fusco, Ph.D.
Requirements : 640K, DOS 3.3+, CGA, EGA (16 colors), VGA (16
colors), Tandy 16 Color Monitor, Hard Drive, 8 MHz+
Optional : Extended Memory, Mouse, SoundBlaster, AdLib, Roland
LAPC-1
Copy Protection : None
Review Machine : 386DX/40, 8 megs memory, 109meg & 80meg
Conner hard disks with SuperStor Pro 3.00
compression utility, QEMM386 v 6.02, Hyperdisk,
Dos 5.0, joystick, MS Mouse, SoundBlaster card
version 1.05.
INTRODUCTION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE) is a tactical starship combat simulator. The
simulation takes place in Omnitrends "Universe" sometime after 2374. While
the game manual devotes 8 pages to the history of this "Universe", it has
little bearing on game play, other than providing background information.
This is because there is no integrated game play (campaign), rather, there
are a series of single missions that have no bearing on each other. This
is a weak point of the game and will be addressed later. The game comes on
2- 3 1/2" 720k disks or 1- 5 1/4" 1.2meg disk. The installation program
is quick and painless and gives you the option of storing the graphic
images compressed (conserves disk space) or uncompressed (faster game load
time). Loading the uncompressed game (highly recommended) takes about 3.3
megs of hard disk space. If you do install the graphics in compressed
format, wait a minute or two before thinking your machine locked up! It
can take a long time to get the game started. ROE will make use of up to
1280K of extended memory (XMS). While a mouse is only recommended, it
should be required. I would hate to play this game without one. The
manual is a 212 page "Fleet Operations Manual". Unfortunately it does not
have an index but it is well organized: Introduction, A Shakedown Cruise,
The Story So Far, Mission Overview, The CCSI Interface, The Main Panels.
Tactics, The Builder, The Interlocking Game System (Breach II), and
Appendixes. Sound support is minimal, but well done- the blast of energy
weapons, explosions, and the hail of the communications channel. Overall,
the goal of ROE is simple. Your mission is to advance through the ranks
from Ensign to Fleet Admiral, all the while acting as a fleet commander.
(Strange, an ensign as a fleet commander?) Advancement takes place by
successfully completing missions.
GAME PLAY
Anyone who has seen "Star Trek: The Next Generation" will feel at home
with the game interface. The ROE interface is simply a series of "Next
Generation" instrument console panels! These panels are color coded and
very well done. Each is packed with information- but only magenta and blue
coded buttons can be pressed with the mouse. Pressing these panel buttons
will activate various ship functions OR additional panels. The interface
is hard to describe but elegant in design and simplicity. In fact, I heard
that one of the designers of the Star Trek panels helped with the design
of the panels in ROE! After picking/creating a fleet commander and
selecting a mission, you are ready to begin. The ship is controlled
through a series of main panels: navigation, communications, tactical,
computer (data retrieval).
The navigation panel shows the output your ship's main scanners, the
output from any ship in your command, or a mixed view from the scanners of
all ships in your command. This is important because in the intermediate
and advanced mode, enemy ships are not seen on the screen until scanned.
In addition to the scanners, any object can be probed and autopilot set
to chase or intercept the probed object (star, planet, outpost, enemy or
friendly ship). Manual control also can be taken in which case speed and
course can be adjusted.
The communications screen is where you give orders to ships under your
command or to enemy vessels. Orders are limited to: maneuver at will,
hold position, resupply at outpost, capture outpost, capture enemy ship,
destroy enemy ship, proceed to waypoint, patrol outposts, patrol planets,
report status, form battle group, join battle group, disband from battle
group, activate self-destruct, and surrender to enemy ship. Only two
orders can be given to enemy ships either surrender to FW forces or the FW
flagship surrenders. Interestingly, the game engine takes into account
eletromagnetic (star) interference and communication system damage. You
can boost the power to your receiver to detect weak signals or supply
emergency power to your transmitter to overcome interference. In both
cases, damage can be done to your communication system, so use these
features with care. Communication signals travel at the speed of light so
that it takes time (sometimes minutes) for a signal to reach its
destination. Response isn't instantaneous.
The tactical screen is where ship combat occurs. This screen takes over
the navigational aspects of the ship so you do not have to flip between
screens. The tactical screen is easily the most complex of all the panels.
The manual states that up to 56 buttons can be active at one time! The
panel contains a target system, weapon system, tactical map, attitude set,
tactical maneuvers, defense subsystem and self destruct subpanel. Your
main weapons are an energy beam weapon and various missiles. Defense
systems consist of shields, jammers and beam destruction of incoming
missiles. Up to 4 targets can be locked into the target computer but only
one can be fired on at a time. The ship graphics are NOT digitized but
they are functional. A readout of all vital systems (shields, computer,
communications, weapons, drive and life support) of both your ship and the
targeted ship are displayed at all times. Fortunately, the energy weapon
can be targeted to a specific system and there are missiles designed to
destroy a specific system. Tactical maneuvers include shadow, position,
escape, halt, evade, and board. If a ship is boarded a tactical screen of
the boarding process pops-up and allows you to view the boarding process;
however, you cannot affect the outcome unless you have Breach II. If a
mission is part of the interlocking system, Breach II will be loaded and
you can command a group of marines to complete the boarding process.
Since, I never cared for Breach II, I will not comment on this aspect of
the game, but if you like Breach II.....
Finally the data retrieval panel will give you information on your ship,
allow you to assign damage control parties, monitor the status of other
ships in your command and read profiles of captains in your command as
well as enemy profiles. This is a very interesting part of the game. Each
Captain assigned to you has a specific personality and that personality
better be taken into account in assigning orders. Some will follow orders
slavishly while others are almost traitors. Some are good in battle,
others will run, and still others will try diplomacy or die trying. The
enemies have a distinct personality also. Some will fight to the bitter
end while others will surrender without a fight. This aspect of the game
is one of the strong points of ROE.
ROE comes with a set of 21 missions as well as a mission builder. With the
mission builder you can design new enemy races, new captains, and new
scenarios. This gives a longevity to the game, especially if you download
scenarios from FTP sites, CompuServe, Genie or Prodigy.
STRATEGY
My main strategy recommendation is to "never, never, ever, never" (sorry
Perot) play a scenario on the beginner level. Since the computer NEVER
randomizes the enemy placement and the beginner level shows the location
of all enemy vessels, the element of surprise is lost. One of the
highlights of the game is the hunt. Trying to find a moving enemy in some
2 billion kilometers (radius) of space using sensors that will, at best
view, only 5.5% of the area is a real challenge! Hint number one is to
maximize that viewing area by sending out your fleet in a search pattern.
Use the MIX mode on the navigator panel to view the sensor input from all
your ships. Keep a close eye on your subordinate commanders, some are not
to be trusted and you may have to give orders several times to others.
Don't be afraid to use your fleet to soften-up the enemy while you move in
for the kill. Also, remember that ordering one of your Commanders to self-
destruct his ship may be the only way to win certain scenarios.
PROBLEMS
There are several problems with ROE, however, none really detract from
game play. First is the goal- Commander Advancement. This is accomplished
simply by accumulating points. You start as an ensign, who should never
have command of a starship, let alone be a fleet commander! Each mission
stands on its own with no "tie-ins" to other missions. You can even be
killed on a mission with the only penalty being 0 mission points and a
mission failure on your record. In fact all your captains can be killed
only to be resurrected for the next mission. Needless to say this takes
away a lot of the role playing element. Secondly, space is modeled as 2-D
NOT 3--D. While this makes game play simpler, I, for one, would like the
challenge of a 3-D model. Thirdly, the damage system needs to be re-
thought. Shields are simply another system. They do not protect other
systems. For example, you can target and destroy the weapons system, drive
system, etc of an enemy without first destroying or weakening the
shields. In my mind the shields are there to protect the ship and they
need to be weakened or destroyed first. Lastly, the inability to randomize
enemy locations, takes the fun out of the hunt. Playing a mission more
than once, and keeping the element of surprise, is impossible.
RECOMMENDATION
In spite of the few problems, ROE is an enjoyable game. If you long to be
a starship Commander, ROE is really the only game in town. If the problem
section doesn't turn you off, go ahead and buy the game, you won't be
disappointed.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Alan Fusco. All rights reserved.
ED. Wow! What a popular game! Kyrandia spawned quite a wide variety of
opinions. In fairness to all players, we're pleased to present three
varied reviews on this current adventure game.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LEGEND OF KYRANDIA by Westwood Associates
Reviewed By Kevin Dorff
Systems Played On:
486/33 386/16 (PS/2 Model 820)
SVGA Card/ SVGA Color Monitor 8514/A Card/ 8515 Monitor
4MB RAM 12MB RAM
200MB 18ms Hard Disk 80MB Hard Disk
386/25
SVGA Card/ SVGA Monochrome Monitor
2MB RAM
80MB 28sm Hard Disk
Adlib Sound Card
Ratings (all scores out of 10 possible):
User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . 10.0
Sound w/Soundcard . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Graphics SVGA Color . . . . . . . . 10.0
Length of Game. . . . . . . . . . . 8.5
Payability. . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Consistency of Difficulty . . . . . . . 9.0
Overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.4
I first saw the ad for this game in a magazine toward the end of July. I
had played Eye of the Beholder 1 and 2 extensively, and was very
interested in seeing what Westwood had in store for us game players this
time around.
My early luck with "LEGEND OF KYRANDIA" was not good. It appears that my
distribution diskettes were defective (when I installed all the files,
one of the files was incomplete). I first tried to get Virgin Games to
help me with this, but they assumed me incompetent and after spending
LOTS of time on the phone (and LOTS of time trying to install the game)
Virgin promised to send me replacement diskettes with a new "version" of
the game (which I received about a month later). I decided to take the
game back and trade it for another copy. Fortunately, the second copy I
got worked perfectly. Also as a side note, the new copy that I got from
Virgin did contain a new version (1.3) of the game which does have a few
fixes, but you shouldn't have any problems with the game you get off the
shelf.
The first time I finally got the game up and running (about a week after
I bought the game) I was amazed. The graphics are GREAT. I have played
a few Sierra games, and I think these graphics are better than the Sierra
games (I have not seen Kings Quest VI yet). I think the interface is
almost flawless (see the section "Dislikes" below) and the animation very
smooth. There is a certain "feel" that reminds me of Eye of the Beholder
2, not to mention a few of the graphics (and maybe some of the sounds)
are VERY reminiscent of the EOB series. I think the game engine must
have been derived from the EOB engine.
Generally, the game difficulty is consistent. You spend most of your
time searching around for that "next thing to do" or an item you are
missing, but the graphics, animation, and personality of the characters
make it enjoyable. There are scenes throughout the game which you spend
time just watching characters talk, but these are not usually too long
and have an element of humor, making them interesting the first time (but
if you have to do it too many times it can get old, since there is no way
to speed them up).
While playing KYRANDIA, it is a good idea to save often. Although the
game is pretty forgiving (giving you that item that you really need --
and just happen to have lost -- somewhere later in the game), it can also
be cruel. Things are always waiting around the corner to kill you. Be
careful, but look around. The death scenes are some of the best parts of
the game. One really nice feature is the fact you can have many
(limitless?) different saved games.
DISLIKES
I had two problems with this game and one thing they was a minor
annoyance. My biggest problem with this game is there are some puzzles
that are very difficult to figure out without any kind of clue (which the
game does not provide, generally). Although this may not be a problem
for the rich (they include a 900 number you can call for hints or you can
purchase the clue book) or the very experienced gamer, I got VERY stuck a
few times in the game.
My second problem with the game will only effect a small number of people
out there. This was the fact that if you are playing with a VGA
Paperwhite monitor there are a few places you can't see things that would
be helpful to be see, but other than some dark colors, the contrast is
usually very good. I think Westwood learned more about contrast after Eye
of the Beholder I (II was significantly better), but this game still has
a few problems in this area. Overall, though, it is quite acceptable.
My final dislike is the excessive time that is required to save a game
when you already have many saved games. KYRANDIA renames all the old
saved games whenever you save a new game, which can take some time if you
save often, like I do.
Installation
I tested this game with QEMM, HIMEM/EMM386, HIMEM, DOS loaded high, etc,
etc, etc, and had few problems (as long as there was enough free memory)
after I took back my first copy (which was defective). This game was
easy to install and ran smoothly.
Overall
Overall I thought this was a great game, definitely worth buying. I
can't give a good estimate of the length of the entire game (I played it
over a number of weeks) but I logged many hours playing and feel it is
well worth the money I spent on it. I have recently seen this game in a
few different stores selling for about $40 -- at this price I think this
game is a good buy.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Kevin Dorff. All rights reserved.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LEGEND OF KYRANDIA: FABLES AND FIENDS by Virgin Games
Reviewed by Jon Lundy
The LEGEND OF KYRANDIA is a new graphic adventure game from a company that
has written many fine games, most recently, Eye of the Beholder I, and Eye
of the Beholder II, Westwood Associates. This is their first game under
their own label, although it it distributed by Virgin games.
The LEGEND OF KYRANDIA is a departure from those previous games, since it
is a graphic adventure similar to a Sierra game. In the land of Kyrandia
peace has reigned until recently, when Malcom the jester, killed the King
and Queen, and took control of the Kyragem, which is a magical item that
symbolizes a pact between the people of Kyrandia, and the actual land.
No explanation is given as to why Malcom went bad, and killed his friends.
In addition, your character does not know that he is the Prince, despite
the fact that the player is informed of this fact in the manual.
The screen consists of two main portions. The adventuring window shows
Brandon, and his current location, in a standard graphic adventure form.
The other portion is a control bar, which contains your inventory, a
button that brings up the game options menus, and a gem, that you use to
perform magic.
The animation and graphics throughout the game are very good. The
animation sequences flow very well, and all of the graphics look very
nice. However there are some fairly lengthly animation scenes, which it
are impossible to skip past, if you happen to be replaying that part of
the game. This can be annoying, especially when this scene is followed by
a puzzle that you can't save your game at, and which will result in your
death if you happen to perform the incorrect action.
The actual interface is very simple. You only have one cursor, that you
click on objects in the adventuring window to perform the appropriate
action. For example, in the first room you can click on a message on the
table to pick it up, a barrel, which will result in Brandon finding an
apple, or on many other objects, so that Brandon can describe the object,
or offer an opinion.
Furthermore, to use items you simply click on the item in your inventory
and then click the object you wish to use that item on.
This is a very simple interface, which seems to be an expansion of the
interface in the Eye of the Beholder series. However I feel that the
added depth the Sierra or LucasFilm interfaces provide is a little better.
Of course I also feel that a good text input can be superior to both.
The game is not very difficult, part of the problem is that the interface
is so simple, that if you get stuck, you just have to start using objects
on other objects. This is a common problem with the non-typing interfaces
that have started to spring up.
There is a location in the game where the only way to progress, is to use
trial and error, where an error will result in death. I think this is a
bad design, since it makes it seem that it's impossible to succeed unless
you get lucky. I prefer that death be the result of doing something
really stupid, or even that the game makes it imposible to die, (as
LucasFilm's Monkey Island games do).
The copy protection is identical to that used in Eye of the Beholder I and
Eye of the Beholder II. At periodic points in the game, (3 times if I
remember correctly) the game will ask for work x of line y, on the page
with a certain symbol. This is fairly unobtrusive, and since it only
occurs at certain points in the game, it is not very obnoxious.
In conclusion, KYRANDIA was a decent game, with very good graphics. It
held my interest while I was playing it, but it really didn't have any
memorable or super-exciting puzzles.
The game had very good graphics and animation sequences, but it suffered
from several (I can think of at least 4), puzzles where instead of using
logic to solve the problem you had to resort to trial and error.There were
also large areas of the countryside, that were just there for scenery,
with no puzzles.
Animation & graphics 10 Challenge 5 Fun 7
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jon Lundy. All rights reserved.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Counterpoint
THE LEGEND OF KYRANDIA: FABLES AND FIENDS
Land of a Thousand Combinations
Review by Chuck McMath
[Note: although this counterpoint has to by definition, go into a fair bit
of detail about some of the puzzles in Kyrandia, I've tried to avoid
explicit spoilers. I may discuss _how_ a puzzle is solved, but I don't
discuss the actual solution.]
You've read the reviews, now for the truth! :) (ED. :-) We'll the
reader and player judge for himself what in fact is the truth, Chuck.
<g>)
Kyrandia, as I'm sure you've noticed, is a beautiful game. The intro-
duction, especially, really draws you into the game, and sets the scene
well for the game itself. The techniques of changing the focus from one
portion of the scene to another is reminiscent of what you see in movies,
and it blew me away the first time I saw it.
But if you scratch the surface of Kyrandia, below the shiny exterior lies
a dark soul. Kyrandia may look like Sierra's King's Quest but they are as
different as night and day. How? In their puzzles. The puzzles are the
heart of these adventuring games, and while the KQ puzzles are challenging
but fair; puzzles in Kyrandia are merely frustrating. In fact, I can't
think of any reason for some of the puzzles except to frustrate the
player. That shouldn't be the goal of any game (except maybe shooters,
but people who play shooters are a different breed...).
For example, let's compare a puzzle in KQV and Kyrandia. In KQV, you're
in the forest, have defeated the witch and need to find a way to escape
the forest. So how do you do this? Step inside my brain for a few
minutes:
"Ok,this doesn't look hard. Hmmm, this looks like it ought to be an exit.
.. what are those little eyes peeking at me? Maybe if I throw something
interesting at him he'll come out. Yep. Hmmm, he went back. I know,
I'll place it right here. No, that didn't work either... Ah, what about
this sticky stuff - if I put it down first, then put the interesting thing
here, he will come out, and get stuck. Hey, that worked! Neat! "
You're welcome for the hint, KQV players.
Now, let's go to Kyrandia, to the famous 'birthstone quest.'
"Now, Darm said I needed 4 stones, and the first one was hidden. Let's
look around... aha! found it. Interesting name, that stone. 4 stones, 4
seasons, maybe the other stones have interesting names too... [later]
well, I found lots of gems, but nothing else with an interesting name.
Well, let's go ahead and put this stone in the dish. Hey, it must be the
correct one! I wonder which one is next... let's try this one (flames).
Hmmm, that didn't work. How about this one...(flames) no, not that one
either. Hmm, perhaps Darm was giving me a clue about that stone's name.
He can't expect you to just pile all 10 of these stones on the altar one
by one... Maybe the colors matter? ... No, colors don't seem to have a
signifi-cance. Oh, well, I might as well try all of them... aha! that
one worked. Now for the third one... off to gather the stones back,
since the altar scatters them around the forest...[later] Well, I'm back
at the altar. Might as well dump the stones on one by one... [later]
Another one worked. There sure doesn't seem to be a pattern to which
stones are used... Oh well, back to gather the gems up again...[later]
there's the last one. Finally!"
And that's the difference between the two games' puzzles - when you finish
a KQ puzzle, you frequently say "Neat!" and when you finish a Kyrandia
puzzle you say "Finally!". Kyrandia works you much nearer the frustration
level.
Now I wouldn't complain if this happened just once or twice, but the game
is literally chock full of this type of puzzle. For instance:
- the birthstone quest, as described above - place 4 stones in order on
an altar. The stones are chosen from about 8 to 12 stones you find while
wandering about the forest. You get a clue to the first stone, but the
solution ends up as "try all the stones and sooner or later you hit the
right ones".
- You need to mix potions. You throw something in the pot and try to
fill your bottle. You're told "it looks only half done." So you gather
lots of items and throw them in the pot one by one to determine what
completes the potions. This puzzle is somewhat logical. Of course, you
don't know how many different types of potions you're brewing (hint - it's
more than one!) but you do notice different colors when you throw things
in, so this one is a minor gripe. However, you aren't given any clues
beforehand as to how many different potions you'll need, and how many of
each you should make.
- You take the potions from step 2 and combine them to make other
potions. There are a number of combinations, most of which either do
nothing or kill you. There's nothing to guide you as to what you'll need
these potions for, so you have no idea which ones you'll need and how many
of each are required. See a pattern developing?
- You use a potion from step 3 to transform yourself, so you can fetch
an important item. To get this item, you have to trade with an imp.
When you offer him things, he (mostly) responds by saying "No, I want
something GOOD". If you don't have what he wants, you have to leave his
house to fetch it. Leaving his house un-transforms you, so when (and if)
you find the proper item to trade, you need to go back to step 2 to brew
potions, then step 3 to combine potions, then transform yourself again -
and you hope to heck you didn't accidentally throw the item he wants away!
Again, there's no way you could logically figure out what he wants outside
of trying to give him everything you can find. How unusual.
- You go to another island (and can't go back to the first one). You
find a place, and you have to put something there. The item you need to
put down is found way back at the beginning of the game. Before going to
this island, you had no idea what you'd find, so you didn't have any
reason to bring the thing you need.
- Near the endgame, you have to play some music - 4 notes in order,
which will reveal something you have no idea exists. However, it's
something you need to finish the game, of course. To play music you have
to click on a hammer, then click on four different notes. They play. If
they're not the proper notes, you have to click on the hammer again and
try it once more. You're not given any idea as to what order to play the
notes. What a surprise!
- You have to place three items on pillows in the correct order. Again
no clues or hints as to the order. Fortunately, with only three items
it's pretty easy to do.
- The endgame - the ENDGAME! Sheesh! I had a walkthru, yet I could
never manage to defeat the jester. According to the walkthru, you beat
him by being in the correct place (this isn't too difficult to figure out,
as you don't have any possessions when you get here, so you can't use
anything on him. I tried it 10 times or more and was never able to get
past this scene.
Now I'm not even talking about exploring the caverns, because that is
almost exactly like walking around the desert in KQV, and to tell you the
truth, I didn't mind exploring that part. In fact, there were some
puzzles I didn't mention which were pretty easy to solve, or which had
fairly logical solutions - not necessarily easy solutions, but they were
logical.
I suppose the point of all the grousing is this - puzzles are the heart of
any game like Kyrandia. You can have wonderful graphics, good music, and
a compelling storyline, but if you don't have good puzzles the game won't
be one you look forward to later on. So I guess in that regard Kyrandia
is somewhat like Chinese food - good for a short while, but not fulfilling
nor sustaining.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Chuck McMath. All rights reserved.
SUPER STAR WARS by JVC/LucasArts
Super Nintendo Version
Reviewed by Jeremy Horowitz
For the SNES, 9 Megs.
Every review you'll read of this game will likely contain the following
line or a variant, "It's taken 15 years to do it, but it's great." Well,
it's true. An interesting mix of shooting, jumping, hacking and flying,
Super Star Wars delivers more bang for the buck than almost any other
game I've seen. Visually and sonically, the game explodes with the same
feeling of the movie. And, it's nine megabits. Which doesn't make much
sense. Until you see the game.
Levels vary from straight running and shooting (like a ground based
shooter game), to running, jumping and lightsaber swinging, to land
speeder racing, to X-Wing flying. The most boring of these is the shoot
and run levels, found only twice in the game. (Of course, the first
level, where you're just learning the ropes of control, and a later
Creature Cantina stage.) The other stages are all excellent - the action
in scenes like the Jawa Sandcrawler stages and the Bantha stage get
intense and excellent. And, of course, the most intriguing features, the
X-Wing and Land Speeder scenes, are executed in Mode Seven, which makes
everything really, really neat.
There are two X-Wing scenes - a mode 7 over the Death Star view and a
trench view with well-animated psuedo 3-D scaling and TIE Fighters
attacking you. The former is the better of the two - the trench is
basically a "shoot the enemy bullets to retain your shields until you bomb
the center of the Death Star" part.]
Graphically, the game is totally amazing. No sprite flicker to speak of,
and there are huge bosses at the end of the levels. Everything is well
animated and the powerup options are quite great. Everything is balanced
perfectly. (I should mention - I don't use the word everything very often
- only when all is done well do I use it...) There are graphic
intermissions with well done visuals, there are digitized voices and sound
effects right from the movie, from the "Use the Force, Luke" sound to the
blaring of a lightsaber as it cuts the air. The music is all John
Williams' original from the movie, and is perfectly rendered with SNES
instruments.
And, each of the scenes is interesting. The game doesn't get boring. It
follows the movie's story, and takes the best parts as play mechanics. The
game is easily one of the SNES' 5 best overall.
The best option is the one that allows you to meet up with Chewbacca and
Han Solo, then play as them. Han powers up his gun one step earlier than
Luke, Chewbacca has more life and is slower. Luke has both his Sabre and
Gun. Each character has his merits.
SSW has a lot going for it. Any company which puts an extra 1 meg in,
just to make the game perfect, deserves a hearty pat on the back.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jeremy Horowitz. All rights
reserved.
THE MYSTICAL QUEST STARRING MICKEY MOUSE by Capcom
For the Super Nintendo (SNES)
Reviewed by Jeremy Horwitz
Again, I find it necessary to mention a personal bias before I spill my
guts on Mickey Mouse. I am a Capcom fanatic. I anxiously await every
release, arcade and home alike, and have been holding my breath for a
"Super Mega Man" release. The initials were right: Mickey Mouse is the
closest thing the SNES has seen to Mega Man thus far, and offers a
brilliant glimpse at what the future holds for SNES devotees like myself.
In an opening likely written by Disney (as opposed to Japanese Capcom
staffers) Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald play catch until the ball flies
off, catching Pluto's eye. Being a dog, Pluto has to run into a forest
after the ball. Also being a dog, Goofy has to run after Pluto. Being too
intelligent to believe that the aptly named Goofy can catch Pluto, Mickey
sets off on "the Magical Quest" to get his dog back. The scripting
(including use of the Disney-style "Gawrsh" when Goofy speaks) is much
better than the majority of foreign-produced games. What hits immediately
upon the start of play is the style of art. It's a mixture between
Japanese delicacy and Disney realities -- You see beanstalks rendered in
gorgeous shades next to a house which could have come right from
Pinocchio. All this in the first five minutes of play, too.
I now recommend that Sega get out their reverse engineering devices (which
they can now use legally, after they lost the suit to Accolade), and
figure out why it is that Capcom's Mickey Mouse game is 50 times better
than Sega's original "Castle of Illusion" release for the Genesis [an
extremely overrated game]. I can save them a little time by highlighting
the various places it matches and exceeds the Genesis game -- for the sake
of mentioning it, I'll say simply that it never falls below the solid 8 of
10 points rating I'd give Sega's effort.
To begin, the gameplay is far superior. Capcom takes the "use your butt to
destroy enemies" concept from Castle of Illusion, then adds in the Mega
Man-style concept of gaining a new costume after every level. Mickey goes
from being his normal self to being a Persian magician, a fireman and a
rock climber (a la Bionic Commando). You can switch costumes at will, and
the transformation between them is very funny.
An interesting contrast between Castle of Illusion and the Magical Quest
is the time period each company tried to evoke in its imagery. Sega chose
the old Disney of the 1940s, complete with a gothic "mouse trapped in a
giant house" level and the final boss Mizerabel, the evil witch. Capcom
chooses the human-size modern Mickey, complete with the final boss Emperor
Pete. Sega's Fantasia (also with Mickey) took the Mickey of "the
Sorcerer's Apprentice" as its magician. The Magical Quest takes an all-new
turbaned Mickey, who looks a heck of a lot neater. The music is really
quite good, and also reflects a more upbeat modern Disney.
There are 6 stages in the Magical Quest, divided into over 20 levels. The
levels offer far more diverse challenges than the hardest of Castle of
Illusion - some levels let you jump, where others make you shoot using
your firehose, steer a magic carpet and scale mountains. The various
backgrounds and bosses which accompany the costume changes are totally
excellent. The detail in the raging fire scene is amazing, forcing Mickey
to duck in puddles of water while a fire hovers above; The water actually
changes color on the surface from blue to red-yellow as the fire comes
closer.
This type of graphic touch is everywhere in the game. Also, the bosses
aren't all just "jump on their head" like Castle of Illusion -- they
require skills and testing of what works, what doesn't... like Mega Man.
Other interesting asthetics include great animations of absolutely
everything, the use of the somewhat famous Capcom arcade fonts, which
would have looked REAL nice in Magic Sword and Street Fighter II, and the
sound effect used for the coins you pick up, another thing from Magic
Sword which somehow missed its way home in the translation.
My only complaint about the game is its incorporation of the dreaded
unlimited continue feature - on easy, the game could have been as
challenging as any other if it didn't have them. On Normal and Hard, it
would be quite a risky proposition to take on Emperor Pete's tough guys.
With unlimited continues, it's only a momentary challenge in each part,
since you can continue from the level you left off at, meaning that if
you're at a boss, you can start from the boss. Some bosses were hard to
figure out, but with unlimited continues, who cares? It took a maximum of
10 minutes to figure out the toughest bosses.
This game is quite perfect for young children and adults, as long as the
adult doesn't use the continue feature and the child doesn't give up on
the later bosses. The graphics and gameplay are wonderful, and the sound
is above average but not good enough to buy the soundtrack for. Another
good reason to laud Capcom as the savior of the SNES.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jeremy Horowitz. All rights
reserved.
RBI BASEBALL 4 by Tengen
For the Sega Genesis
Reviewed by Steve Jonke
Editor Note: This is a brief overview of the newest addition to the
SEGA Genesis baseball lineup. Tengen has obviously made a firm
committment to producing the best in baseball simulations for the 16-bit
world. Enjoy Steve Jonke's critcal comments.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In general, I really like RBI 4. It is definitely a lot better than
Sega's Sportstalk Baseball. It doesn't have all the fancy (and annoying)
commentary, or battery backup, but it does have excellent game play,
great graphics and lots of features.
For starters, all 1991 major league teams statistics are used as well as
those for the 1983 to 1990 division champs and the 1991 all star teams.
Each team even has their own ball park with it's own shape and
dimensions. Chicago has an ivy covered wall, KC has those tacky
fountains and Boston's got the green monster. This adds some nice
variety to the game.
The game play is similar to Sportstalk, but with the addition of a
"spitball" pitch (for which your pitcher can thrown out if you use it too
much.) Pitches in RBI 4 go much faster then they do in STB. In STB,
Nolan Ryans fastball isn't much faster then a slow pitch. In RBI 4 its
blazing fast and is very difficult to hit. The game keeps track of
pitcher stamina and as the pitcher tires, you see him breathing heavily
on the mound. The pitching works by selecting a speed and then you can
control it left and right as it travels to the plate. How much it can go
left/right and how fast is dependent upon the pitchers stats and on his
condition. The animation of the pitcher throwing the ball is very smooth
and realistic.
Batting is pretty straight forward, but more difficult than in STB
because of the speed of the pitches (and difference in speed between
normal and fast.) You can swing for a base hit, or bunt, similar to STB.
You can steal bases, direct whether or not a runner should advance or
return to base and all the usual stuff in that regard.
Fielding is handled well. There is a "radar" like display that shows the
position of the outfielders and the ball. The computer automatically
moves your fielders to the ball until the point at which a player appears
completely on screen. At that point you take over. You can take over
earlier if you wish (to charge a ground ball for instance) by holding
down the A button. Your view is much closer than in STB. This means
larger more detailed graphics, but also means that you see less of the
field at one time. Thus, fielding is slightly more difficult, but since
you have the radar thing, it's not bad at all. You can choose which base
a fielder will throw the ball to or run toward. The animation of the
fielders is generally good, but when you make your fielder dive for the
ball, the animation is very choppy -- this does make it a bit difficult
to judge when to dive. You can also make a fielder jump up for the ball
and this is handled better graphically then diving.
The best feature of RBI4 is it's "game breakers" feature. These are
a bunch of special situations. You pick the teams involved and the
situation you want to try. An example is one in which there are no outs
in the bottom of the ninth inning, a runner is on third, you are in the
outfield and are ahead by one run. You try to prevent the run from
scoring, or if it does, then you must try to beat the enemy in extra
innings. Another is "big comeback" in which it is the top of the 4th, no
one is on base and you are down by 9 runs. These are great when you
don't have a lot of time to play a full game (they vary in length of time
to play) or when you just want a little variety. There is a password
save feature that keeps track of which game breaker situations you
succeeded at and which you failed at. The password save is also
available for regular games. The passwords are not ridiculously long (as
with Super Monaco GP, for instance), but none the less battery backup
would have been welcome (on the other hand, the increase in price
wouldn't have been -- I see this as a flaw in the Genesis, not the
particular games that utilize passwords instead of battery backup.
Mega-CD will fix that, but at quite a price!)
As far as the normal games, you can play a single game, best of seven,
play all teams in the division (including all star team) or play all
teams (including division champ teams). There is no baseball season
mode, unfortunately. You can play one player, two player or in
watch/manage mode. Calling it "manage" mode is a bit of an exaggeration
-- the computer controls both teams and you can substitute players or
tell base runners when to steal, but that's about it. One use of the
"watch/manage" mode is that you can let the computer control most of the
play, but take over when you want in order to practice. I suppose this
would be useful for beginners.
The computer plays well, though not always intelligently. There are
three difficultly modes which effect how quickly the computer defensive
players react. In easy mode, any team is a pushover. Medium mode is,
well, medium! In hard mode, though, it's quite a challenge. You can
adjust the degree of difficulty even more by your choice of teams.
Obviously if you play the '91 Oakland A's vs. the '91 Baltimore Orioles,
you'll have an easy time. Reversing those roles is quite a different
story, though.
The reference to the computer not always playing intelligently is because
even in hard mode the computer seems to ignore the number of outs when
playing defense. For instance, you've got runners on 1st and 3rd with
two outs and ground the ball to the short stop. Even if it will be a
close or impossible play at 2nd, the computer almost always throws the
ball there and then on to 1st as if trying to complete a double play
(which is unnecessary.) Sometimes the computer fails to get any outs
because of this. As it is, though, the difficulty level still seems
quite good in hard mode and I often get my butt kicked! How the
difficulty level holds up over time remains to be seen.
Another feature is a home run derby which can be solo or two player. You
pick the team and player you want to use and the average speed of the
pitches (from 60 to 100 mph) and are give xx pitches (don't remember how
many) to get as many home runs as possible. A pitching machine does the
pitching and fires all the pitches straight down the middle of the plate,
but the speed varies slightly. I found this useful for getting the hang
of batting, but as a standalone "game" I doubt it would hold your
interest too long.
The graphics are excellent. Definitely the best baseball game graphics
I've seen on the Genesis. The sound is OK -- somewhat better then Tommy
Lasorda and much better then STB (presuming you don't like it's constant
talking as I didn't -- what's left in STB is really weak.) The announcer
calls pop ups "flys" so you tend to get tired of the phrase "fly to
catcher" (or whomever), but it's not terrible. The quality of the voices
in the game is typical Genesis digitized sounds - somewhat raspy, but
easy to distinguish. It consists of "ball", "strike" (several), "fly to
center field", "first base!", "home run", "take your base", etc. It
doesn't whack you over the head as does STB. The various other game
sounds are OK. The crowd sound is noticeably a short sound being
repeated in a loop, but is none the less effective. There is variety in
the sounds you hear and none last very long so as not to get too
annoying. There is, unfortunately, an organ player at all of these
stadiums, though!
There is an option called "movies" which puts various little animated
movies in place of the 1st and/or 3rd base runner views if no runners are
at those bases. They consist of things like fans doing the wave, or
psuedo instant replays that are always similar to something that just
happened (there are also the occasional actual instant replays). The
movies option is just that, an option, but I actually found it nice. It
provides some "motion" to an otherwise fairly stationary part of the
game. At the worst it's harmless and you can turn it off if you wish.
There are other features as well that I won't go into. All in all, of the
three baseball games I've played on the Genesis (Tommy Lasorda, STB and
RBI 4), this is by far the best. No game's worth the full price, but
RBI 4 comes close to fully earning its $54 price tag.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Steve Jonke. All rights reserved.
SPACE MEGAFORCE/SUPER ALESTE by Toho/Compile
For the Super Nintendo (SNES)
Reviewed by Jeremy Horowitz
The hype generated by the various magazines over this game made me expect
that my copy would arrive covered in drool. Luckily, it was perfectly
dry. Until I played it.
Simply put, Toho has done an amazing thing. Super Aleste uses the various
graphics capabilities of the SNES to their extremes without slowdown or
flicker.
New subtle and blatant Mode 7 effects are appealing enough that it would
be a mistake not to sacrifice one of your ships to watch the background
in motion before you're shot down. What's more, the game has excellent
gameplay.
I should mention my biases before I get specific. I'm not the world's
greatest overhead shooter fan. The format, in my opinion, hasn't changed
all that much from the earliest games of the genre. I do, however, enjoy
shooters overall, and when I see a good entry, I play it to death. My
other primary bias is Toho. ("I've got one word for Toho. Godzilla. I
got two more words for Toho, Godzilla 2. I think you hear me knocking and
I think I'm coming in, and I'm bringing Raiden Trad and a whole pack of
your other trash games with me.") If you didn't guess it from my Denis
Leary impression, I've never seen a good game by Toho. In fact, I've seen
some really bad ones. I wasn't expecting much.
Space Megaforce bears a striking resemblance to another hot shooting
title, the old TurboGrafx-16 Blazing Lazers (Gunhed). The screen scrolls
vertically while you fly through waves of enemies, some of which dispense
numbered power-up weapons, and others which give you "gels", yellow and
green capsules which boost the level of power blasted from your cannons.
The weapons range from circling pods which fly around you, smashing
enemies, to a photon laser which takes several seconds to gain energy,
then blows it out in a 2-second full screen-length vertical beam. You can
switch your weapon's abilities around by using one of the buttons, which
changes a 3-beam stright laser into a 2-beam straight laser and a homing
laser. Also a nice touch.
The enemies' flight patterns are well programmed, diverse and unusual -
they certainly don't fly straight into your guns, and some of them psuedo-
scale out from the cavern below you or lie in wait in a slowly scaling
and rotating 3-D base. The play is strikingly user-friendly, also --
your ship doesn't smash against walls, which is convenient given the
number of backgrounds and your guns' ability to shoot through many of
them, solid or not. Little problems which plagued earlier shooters like
accidentally unpausing the game with your finger on the "mega-bomb"
button are also remedied, so you don't waste limited resources. When all
of your ships are gone, you are given the option to continue from either
the beginning of the level or within the vicinity of where you died. Why
that? If you need more firepower, go back and build up.
The main assets of Space Megaforce are: The high quality background art,
which occasionally is elemental and unique (one level has rock formations
which must be blasted safely, and solid horizontal walls which are carved
open by enemy rock cutting ships); the interesting jazzy type music,
which never intrudes on the real show, the graphics; and the gameplay,
which is solid and enjoyable, spreading over twelve levels. There are
also plenty of options in a menu which lets you test the scaling feature
of the system as well as set the game to mystery difficulty levels. The
game has no real weakness save the fact that a player on the "normal"
level might be able to beat the game in one full day. Try a harder level,
and ships explode into damaging debris rather than just disappearing.
Overall, this title delivers on all counts. If you're seeking originality
in gameplay, don't try shooters, period, especially this one. If you want
an impressive, user-friendly game which takes skill and is undeniably the
best overhead shooter for the SNES, buy Space Megaforce immediately.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jeremy Horowitz. All rights
reserved.
RAMPART By Electronic Arts
For the Super Nintendo (SNES)
Reviewed by Tim Clinkenpeel
The object of Rampart is to survive and advance to new levels. The game
consists of two alternating 'waves':
1. Building/rebuilding your castle(s) and placing earned cannons.
2. Destroying enemy ships (and other occasional 'baddies' in Super
mode).
Ships fire back and wreak havoc on your fortress(es), necessitating the
reconstruction stage. To secure a castle you must completely surround it
(no gaps - not even diagonally) with random tetris-like shapes within a
given time limit. As mentioned, there are two modes: normal and Super.
Normal is true to the arcade original, and Super adds a few unique
elements in an effort to spice up the game.
Despite some very poor programming on the part of Electronic Arts, the
basic fun elements of Rampart still shine through.
Game type: Strategy/skill
Player count: 1 or 2 (two player game is versus only)
Continues: 3 per level (resets each time a level is gained)
password continues (gripe: regular mode is selfish with
passwords, whereas Super dishes them out _every_ level)
First, let us discuss the basic differences between the two modes, one
and two player games. Super mode has 'boss' and 'bonus' levels; the boss
levels are well implemented but have some minor problems. The bonus
levels are pretty much finger-fodder as the sole purpose is to acquire as
many (trivial) points as possible. The normal mode map is viewed from
directly overhead (bird's-eye), whereas the Super mode uses the good ol'
mode 7 to slightly make it a little more challenging to aim.
Finally, Super mode allows you to trade three cannons in for either a
super cannon, which is really only useful in the versus mode, or a one-
time propaganda dropping balloon, which again only serves a purpose in
two-player competition and will allow you to control your opponent's
targetted cannon for the next round. Oh, Super mode also allows the ships
to carry Super cannons, which is hell. Super cannons leave fires behind
which eventually burn out, but otherwise cannot be built on. They can
also be shot out, but you usually have your hands full with ships
blasting away your castles, sailing up to the shore and letting loose
hordes of ground troops (which will destroy unprotected castles and
generally get in your way).
Two player games are pretty lame. There are no ships, your sole enemy is
the other player. Fun for a while, but gets boring fast. What this game
needed to push it from good to excellent was a two-player cooperative
mode. *sigh*.
The game control is adequate, but could have been improved to be more.
Gripe #1: When holding down the 'speed scroll' button (maps are larger
than a display screen), the crosshairs wig out to nearly off
the screen in the direction you are pushing.
Auto-centering
would have been nice.
Gripe #2: Each sequence begins with an annoying map rotate & scale
(spins in), and always plants your crosshairs down in the
center of the map, regardless of where your home castle is.
Precious seconds are lost scrolling back to base.
Gripe #3: The crosshairs never align directly on a ship. They are
either above to the left or right or below to the left or
right. Although firing to any of the four positions usually
constitutes a hit, I think it's goofy. Lastly,
Gripe #4: The ships are free roam about after 'cease fire' is called.
An unfair advantage and quite frustrating, especially since
they often don't start moving until after 'cease fire'.
Graphics are poor. Although this is not an important element in this
game, I see no reason why they couldn't have spent some energy in this
area. It appears they just settled for being barely above 'functional'.
In the case of the 'cannon barge' (a 'boss') sinking 'animation', it's
just pathetic. The sinking sequence is about 5 frames, which are hardly
more than just waning rectangles. The clencher is the frames draw on the
screen so damn slow that you can watch the previous frame wipe and the
new frame redraw. Makes me wonder if the game was programmed in BASIC,
or at least this particular part.
The sound is very adequate and does include speech, which is crisp and
100% audible. Music is minimal. It certainly is in no way obnoxious--
this scores a plus from me.
The fun-factor of this game rates high in my book. I never really got up
keeping it an additional two days beyond the rental agreement. I will be
purchasing this game; however, I don't recommend it for everyone. I
think it is probably only appealing to a certain breed of gameplayers, so
I think it would be wise to preview it before you buy.
The longevity outlook for this game is high. Although I'm not sure how
many levels the game packs, I believe there is likely plenty. I made it
to level 15 and I expect there to be at least 50. As always, I did not
have the manual so perhaps a helpful clerk could offer enlightenment. Or
maybe even the back of the box states round quantity -- I don't know.
The skill level is a nice gradual increase; a goodly pace that is also
not too sloth. I do; however, feel that the Kraken boss was a little out
of place on the difficulty scale -- a few levels too early in the game.
No biggie. The only minus on the longevity scale is there is little
level-to-level variation. It's just a matter of more challenging island
shapes and more ships in the enemy armada. The bosses sprinkled
throughout Super mode help, and overall I find the game compelling enough
as is.
An endgame sequence? Who knows? When you lose there is a walk-the-
plank scene (in two player mode the winner controls the knight pushing
the sword into the unfortunate's back; simple-minded fun at best),
although I preferred the guillotine in the coin-op, albeit censored (no
rolling heads--drat!). Perhaps it's my fetish for sharp objects severing
body parts that eclipses simple asphyxiation.
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 (For the game... I'd give EA a 3.0
for their lame programming.)
Rent before you buy, unless you were a Rampart fan before it made it to
the home systems--in which case you are safe to obtain outright.
Rating-scale
2 Complete trash
4 Not worth the bother
6 Possible cure for ennui
7-8 Merits rental
8 Worthy of purchase
10 Carpal-tunnel syndrome hazard
finally, super mode allows you to trade three cannons in for either a
super cannon, which is really only useful in the versus mode, or a one-
time propaganda dropping balloon, which again only serves a purpose in
two-player competition and will allow you to control your opponent's
targetted cannon for the next round.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Tim Clinkenpeel. All rights
reserved.
ALIEN 3 by Probe
For the Sega Genesis
Reviewed by Marc Goldman
Single player, No password or level select
Number of levels: 18 + boss levels
(not stated but I'm sure that's what I read in prerelease hype and maga-
zine reviews)
Up to 9 continues, 3 difficulty settings.
Well, if you thought the film had plot holes you should see the game
conversion, the scenario is similar but similarities with the film soon
end. You wondered how a single face hugger got onto the Sulaco in the
film, well how on earth did hundreds of aliens follow Ripley to Fiorina
161 in the game ????
Okay, so Probe has taken the film concept and messed around with it, and
while this failed for their Terminator conversion it works well with
ALIEN 3, just how can you make a good arcade game with only one alien in
it and no weapons was the question, the answer was you can't. So what do
you get? A whole bunch of hungry aliens and lots of fire power!
The story so far.....
Ripley and company have crash landed on Fiorina 161, she is the only
survivor. Unfortunately the aliens have followed her there and have
overrun the prison complex, cocooning all the prisoners and building
their numbers for an attack on earth. Ripley's job is to free all the
prisoners and kill as many aliens as possible to stem the invasion.
The game....
The prison is a subterranean complex and is made up of many rooms,
claustrophobic shafts and tunnels, and is essentially one big maze. It
is presented side on and the screen scrolls in all directions to keep up
with the gameplay.
To help Ripley she has a whole arsenal of weaponry each with varying
attributes and each more appropriate at a certain time, for example the
grenades are often useful for throwing down ventilator shafts to remove
any unwanted aliens. The available weapons are: machine gun, flame
thrower, grenades and grenade launcher. Each has an ammo supply which
dwindles rapidly although more can be found around the complex.
Weapons can be fired up and down ladders but not horizontally off them,
which can be annoying when you see an alien that you know is going to
drop on your head but you can't have a blast at him before he does so.
Another useful item is the motion sensor as this shows locations of
prisoners and aliens in close proximity. Unfortunately this obviously
doesn't show still aliens, you can still bump into them quite easily. It
is also battery powered, and boy does it eat them, so more often than not
you don't have a motion sensor! The best policy is to always assume
there is an alien there! (because there usually is!)
Searching out the prisoners is not the only problem as there are plenty
of aliens around to make life difficult. There are a few kinds of
aliens, including face huggers which spring from eggs, most move
extremely quickly and some even spit acid.
If that didn't make it hard enough, then the time limit won't help as you
only have a limited amount of time before the little critters start
bursting from the prisoners chests. (although how rescuing them saves
them from the chest bursters I don't know)
The levels come in 3 types, mission: search out prisoners while wasting
as many aliens as possible, mayhem: kill as many aliens as possible
before time expires and rescue: forget the aliens, just get the prisoners
as time is really tight.
Essentially the types of levels are pretty similar, and each level tends
to be pretty big after the early ones. Quite often you'll find a much
quicker route after you've died horribly going the long way round a
number of times.
There are also bosses which appear at intervals throughout the game, so
far I have seen one between levels 3 and 4, at least they don't count the
boss as a level like they do in some games.
You have one life, but you do have an energy bar which decreases as you
sustain damage. Further attempts are allowed up to a maximum of nine
which can be chosen at the option screen.
The game has no level select or passwords which will make the game take
some time to finish as there seem are a lot of levels and a lot to do.
The lack of a way to select levels may become annoying due to the playing
time involved, a cheat would be handy.
The graphics in the game are very good, the prison complex is
impressively dark and forboding, Ripley's sprite looks good, despite how
bad the shaved head looked in screenshots, and moves about smoothly. The
aliens are very nicely defined, particularly the doglike ones. Some of
the background graphics are pretty gruesome and lots of things tend to
drip blood. All this is nicely scrolled around with a couple of layers
of parallax too.
Soundwise things are also impressive, the guns and explosions have some
nice meaty effects. It's quite satisfying to see and hear an alien
explode and the sound of an egg opening is almost spot on. The tunes
while good, are not in the same league with a couple of the latter ones,
not really matching the dark mood of the game.
Obviously the sound and graphics aren't everything and fortunately the
gameplay lives up to them, the controls are are responsive although
sometimes you can find yourself using the wrong weapon which can often
prove fatal!
The aliens vary from the most stupid "sit there and shoot me" to
intelligent enough to cope with doors. They pose a big enough threat to
make killing them satisfying, add that to the tension the time limit
creates when you only have one prisoner left to find and time is running
out, makes the game very satisfying.
Overall I'm very impressed, this is one of the better new releases, the
lack of level select and similarity between the levels could put some
people off but the amount of on screen action more than makes up for it
for me. The game reminds me a little of the arcade game 'Aliens' without
the 3d shoot'em-up bits, except it's looks and plays better!
So a big thumbs up for ALIEN 3, not an accurate film conversion but a
well used license.
Oh I perhaps ought to mention that I played on the normal setting and
found the game very challenging which makes a change. There is of course
a hard setting for those of you who never want to finish this game!
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Marc Goldman. All rights reserved.
NHLPA Hockey '93 by Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Adam Bryant
Electronic Arts has recently released the latest in their excellent
Electronic Arts Sports Network (EASN), series: NHLPA Hockey '93. This
version is the sequel/update to the original NHL Hockey. That game was
the main reason for my purchasing a Sega Genesis in the first place, and
the latest release is even better.
The most noticeable improvement is that player motion is smoother and
control is even better. The computer controlled players react to the puck
much more quickly, and the variety of motion in the graphics is even
greater. Now players aren't only flat on the ice, or on their feet and
skating, but they can be off balance or stunned by opponents checks and
pokes. Getting hit by a stray puck doesn't knock a player out of action
for as long, and the amount stunning seems about right for the speed of
the puck. Even the fights feel more fluid and realistic, and given the
accurate feel of the original NHL Hockey, that is saying a great deal.
Even more attention was given to the motions and play of the goalies in
this release. The goalies are now quicker and more daring. They will
race out of the crease to grab pucks in the corner, and dive for pucks
lying on the ice in front of them. A hard slap shot is much more
difficult to get by the glove or stick, but shots "screened" by other
players seem to have a good chance of slipping through. And, to make
matters even more difficult, the referee is quick to call interference
penalties on any players keeping goalies from returning to the crease, or
on players attempting to push goalies out of position. If you want to run
up the score in this version, it will take more hard work and better
control of the puck when approaching the net.
There are so many improvements with this release over the original NHL
Hockey, that I am sure I will miss more than a few: Injuries are now
possible. More game statistics are kept, including passing percentages,
scoring and penalty summaries, and running tallies during the playoffs.
Selection of players for team lines is possible, and the cartridge has a
battery, enabling the storing of a single team's lines and allowing for
playoff information to be stored. So, there is no longer any need to
write down a silly password for those long playoff sessions. And another
nice touch is the addition of the position letter beside the onscreen
number of the player. This makes it much easier to tell when you are
taking a risk by pushing your defensemen up ice with the puck.
The original NHL Hockey was sponsored by the actual NHL, and contained all
of the team names and logos. Electronic Arts chose to have this release
sponsored by the Players Association instead. While I miss the logos and
team names, I think the game is much better off having actual player names
and traits. There is something to be said for having a Ray Bourque slap
shot stopped by a Patrick Roy glove save, or seeing Wayne Gretzky out-
maneuver a goaltender as he puts the puck in the net. Each of the players
has a rating in numerous different traits such as speed, agility,
offensive and defensive awareness, and stick handling. These traits,
combined with some "signature moves" add even more realism to an already
great simulation.
As with most sports games, it is at its best when used in the two-player
competitive mode. Nothing is so unpredictable or challenging as a human
opponent, and this game is great for drawing even spectators into the
action. The fights, crushing checks, smooth skating and crisp play make
this game entertaining just to watch. The controls are, as before, simple
enough so that new players should be able to move around and shoot the
puck fairly quickly. It will probably take a few games before they can be
competitive with veteran players, but NHLPA Hockey '93 makes it fun to
learn and worth the effort.
Of course, nothing is perfect, so there are still a few things that I
wouldn't mind seeing added in a later release. For example, while the
game now properly handles more than two players in the penalty box, it
still doesn't compute the "power play" success rate properly. Also, when
an injury takes place, the player who committed the penalty should get a 5
minute major. [There was blood, so it's automatic!] Of course, this
would mean that the power play would last all of the five minutes, even if
a goal was scored. Even more control of who plays on what team would be
nice. After all, being able to trade players and compete over an entire
regular season would make it fun for a group of people over a long period
of time. Finally, I guess I have to say again that I will miss the logos
and team names... but I suppose you can't have everything.
Well, while I know this review sounds like a cheer leading lesson, it is
only because Electronic Arts has done such a great job with this game that
it is hard to find much wrong with it. If you are a hockey or sports fan,
then NHLPA Hockey '93 is a must buy. If not, I would still recommend that
you rent it and try it out. This is truly the best Hockey game that has
been made to date.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Adam Bryant. All rights reserved.
HARDBALL 3 UTILITIES by David Ondzes
If there is anything missing from Hardball 3 is that its lack of stat
keeping. Face it, baseball is a game of stats, and seeing the leader in
various catergories add some excitement to the game.
One day I sat down and decide to write a program to give me the league
leader in the standard baseball catergories, ie HRs, RBIs, ERA, etc. It
took a lot of reverse engineering but I was finally able to figure out the
format of the .lgd file in Hardball 3. With this knowledge I have written
a program that will display the top 10 leader in over 50 catergories and
it only takes a couple seconds. This one utility adds is exactly what
Hardball 3 is missing, and would suggest that anyone who play Hardball 3
seriously get it.
After my first success with the stats program I ask myself what is
missing. The first thing that came to mind is the lack of the ability to
trade players. So I sat down and wrote a program to accomplish this feat.
The trading program will allow you to trade players in mid-season and each
trade player will keep his current stats that he has accumulated so far.
Hardball 3 is a little restrictive in that it forces you to have 15
players and 10 pitchers, so only player for player or pitcher for pitcher
trades are possible and each trade is one for one. Even with this
restriction a lot of deals can still be accomplished.
My third program came as a suggestion for a user of my stats program. He
said he would like to run back-to-back season, with the new season based
on the one he just finished. It would take a long time to do this with
the player editor, so he suggested that I make a program to do it; that is
exactly what I did. The utility will take each player's (and pictcher's)
stats and copy them to the past season stat, for example current homeruns
would be copied to the past season homeruns. The program is smart enough
to adjust for season that do not go 162 games. If your season is only 81
games then it will double each stat before coping, it does the same with a
13 game schedule. Once this program is done you are ready to start a new
season, just reset the league and play ball! My last utility is another
stats based one. This one will list each teams record vs all the other
teams in it league. This can useful to see if your team does have a home
field advantage or not.
All the utility program list above, so far, have not had any problems with
the new player disk. If some do appear I plan on correcting them, because
I too will be using my tools and I want them to work right.
If you are interested in a demo version of my league leaders program you
can get it at bass.bu.edu in the incoming directory. This version is the
same thing as the one described above, but it take some work on the user
part to setup the input file as opposed to the non-demo version just
reading the .lgd file directly. You can also contact me at picasso@bass.
.bu.edu if you have any questions.
This article is Copyright (C) 1992 by David Ondzes. All rights reserved.
X-WING by LucasArts
Previewed by Ross Erickson
It was Mark Twain who once said, "The news of my death has been greatly
exaggerated!" and it is with that same spirit that we should talk about
LucasArts games now. There have been several reports, many more rumors
that all seem to say that LucasArts is on the way out and won't be
producing anymore games for computers. "They" say, that they aren't
profitable and George won't stand for unprofitability. Well, this
December all these rumors will be laid to rest, I predict, with the
release of X-WING for the PC. If there is any product that has the
potential to reach Wing Commander-like fame, it's this one. Early peeks
at a demo of this reveal that Larry Holland, author of all the LucasArts
flight sims is really having a ball building perhaps the best outer
space simulation to date for PCs, perhaps of ANY computer type. Time
marches on, but X-WING should be timeless. There still are a few unknowns
however, so let's be careful in heaping too much praise on it before it
ships.
X-WING comes, of course, from the Star Wars movie trilogy and features
the Luke Skywalker-made-famous X-Wing fighter, though there are other
ships in the Rebellion arsenal as well. What's really incredible is that
there are many in the younger gaming audience who haven't even SEEN Star
Wars in a movie theater. X-WING really takes a firm aim at trying to
outdo Wing Commander right from the get go. However, while Wing Commander
is really an action game with a fairly intricate plot, X-WING will be
more of an outer space simulation than Wing Commander. The recently
released Mantis from Microprose takes outer space simulation to great
degrees with counterthrust required to maneuver in a 0 g environment.
True outer space combat would also prohibit the use of sound in an airless
environment as well as no real horizon to judge your relative position
in space. X-WING fudges in many of these areas simply for playability's
sake - or in other words fun. If you are constantly worrying about
Newtonian physics, you aren't likely to be enjoying yourself while you
attempt to take on TIE fighters.
X-WING is polygon-based and there is real smoothness in the animation
as you pilot your ship in combat. Of course, in today's simulations and
X-WING is no exception, marvelous things can be done with polygons.
Texture-mapping them, putting polygons within polygons, and edge smoothing
all add to the suspension of disbelief that you are watching a flying
pyramid. X-WING does a terrific job of "hiding the angles". As you fly
your missions you'll also be able to record them for future reference
and it's through this camera that you will really appreciate the level
of complexity that X-WING's polygon technology offers. There are three
types of ships available - the A-Wing trainer, the Y-Wing bomber, and
of course, the ultimate in fighters, the X-Wing class. As you progress
through the game, you'll graduate from ship to ship. In the final two
classes you'll have the help of an R2D2-wannabe who will assist you in
your navigations and course plotting. The ship controls and systems
only bear similarity to Wing Commander in that they are both bitmapped
graphics. X-WING's controls features a functional HUD with radar displays
that show both front and rear enemy contacts, but are customizable
as to their position. Actual flying is reminiscent of Wing Commander,
but there is certainly enough uniqueness to their 'feel' to make them
distinguishable.
There are plenty of mission types and they progress gradually and
intelligently throughout the game. You will proceed from simple missions
requiring escorts, intelligence gathering, and hit and runs, all the way
to the climactic trench runs on the death star itself. There are PLENTY
of missions in between so unless you never sleep, don't expect to finish
this in a day or so. You also get to "guess" what color your hair is in
this one. No blue dye in X-Wing! You won't ever really "see" yourself
in any of the cinematic scenes which allows male and female players to
create their own mental imagery of their identity.
If it seems like this is being overly hyped, then so be it. X-WING will
very likely vie for the honor of being hailed as Game of the Year. It's
only drawback is that it's not likely to ship until well into December.
X-WING will most undoubtedly spawn sequel products, mission generators,
ship disks and the like for many months and years to come. If any of the
rumors about LucasArts' demise are true, and they are looking for the
electronic version of the knight in shining armor, X-WING will be it.
May the Force be with you. (You just KNEW I was going to say that some-
where, didn't you?)
THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE by Dynamix
Preview by Thom Vaught
Every now and then a game comes along which is challenging, well executed,
and addictive. Both Tetris and Lemmings come to mind. This fall another
game threatens to steal many hours from gamers prone to game addiction.
This game is THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE (TIM). It is authored by Jeff
Tunnell. By the time you read this, many of you have already seen the
demo which available on the Sierra BBS. If the demo is a good indication
of what the finished product will be like, TIM should be a winner.
TIM is essentially a puzzle game. You are presented with screen a which
consists of preset objects and machinery. With each screen one or more
goals must be accomplished to proceed to the next puzzle. A goal might be
to put a bowling ball in a given basket. Puzzles are solved by
constructing Rube Goldberg style machines from the limited set of tools
which are given. For those unfamiliar with Rube Goldberg style machines,
they are similar to the boardgame Mousetrap in which common items are used
in an uncommon way to build a mousetrap. Items which appear in TIM
include gears, hamster motors, seesaws, pipes, windmills, dynamite, and
basketballs. Don't get the impression that TIM is not serious though.
Objects in TIM obey laws of physics, such as gravity, which control their
behavior.
In addition to the puzzles, there will be a free-form construction mode in
the finished product. This mode provides unlimited resources so that you
can build your dream machine. For Lego and Tinker Toy lovers, this option
will provide much the same creative freedom.
Overall, the demo is quite impressive. The latter puzzles also show that
this game has the potential to be quite challenging. Puzzle lovers
everywhere should keep their eyes open for this title.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Thom Vaught. All rights reserved.
TURBO SCIENCE by Dynamix
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Turbo Science is one of the first releases expected from Jeff Tunnell,
previously the president of Dynamix. Jeff got tired of the business
management aspect of being a game company president and retired himself
to being a producer. In fact, he spun off his own division and called it
Jeff Tunnell productions (what a shocker, eh?). Previously Jeff was
responsible for titles such as Willy Beamish, Rise of the Dragon, and
Heart of China. Jeff is a father of a young family and has always wanted
to produce titles that educate and entertain at the same time. Turbo
Science is one of the first titles to take aim at this burgeoning
'edutainment' category. It is aimed at the 8-13 year old category and is
a marvelous way of teaching science to this age group. In the game,
the player can choose to be either Quarky or Quaysoo, two aliens who have
to interact with their world to gather clues, conduct experiments, and
answer different questions about the physical world around them. Depend-
ing upon the age/level set at the beginning of the game, the questions
and problems posed can range from simple to fairly complex. Quarky and
Quaysoo have access to a laboratory that provides all the tools necessary
to conduct experiments. Measuring tools, gauges, and thermometers are
available to determine the answers needed to proceed further in the game.
Dynamix will also be including a very lengthy, detailed comic book of
sorts that focuses on the science principles being discussed and presents
them in a way that makes learning fun for kids.
Science has never been very easy for kids, primarily because we tend to
approach scientific problems the same way regardless of our age. Jeff
Tunnell has shown that computer entertainment can not only make kids
great virtual jet jocks, but that they can learn lessons about the world
around them in such a way that makes learning fun.
Turbo Science should be available at the end of November
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
STUNT ISLAND by Walt Disney Software
Previewed by David Pipes
Ever wonder how all those spectacular dogfight scenes get into the movies?
Do you find yourself wondering just what exactly is behind the cameras?
Do you ever wish it was you plucking that prisoner off of the guard tower
at Alcatraz in your trusty biplane?
Well, now you can experience all of this and more. Walt Disney Software
has released its' newest offering, Stunt Island.
Stunt Island is a movie production simulator at heart. It allows you to
build sets, plan stunts, fly them, edit the film and do basic foley and
visual FX work on the finished film. Then you can take the film and a few
freely-distributable files, and show your stunts incessantly to admiring
friends and relatives.
The game has two main sections. In the first, you are a pilot who has
hired on to a production company to do stunts. You compete against some
computer pilots, trying to finish your assigned stunts with fewer takes
than your competitors to make the most money. You can fly over 45
different planes 32 canned stunts. But be careful - blow a stunt badly
and you'll lose time to a stay in the hospital.
The second section is more free form. It allows you to design sets using
hundreds of different props, in any of a large number of location. Some of
the included locations are LAX, a military camp, an aircraft carrier, a
medieval castle, Los Angeles, the Golden Gate bridge, a train tunnel,
Alcatraz Island, various villages and towns, mountains, rivers, a lake,
forests... There are some very interesting possiblities here.
As you build your set, you program the props to do various things. You
can have up to eight cameras to use, as well as 32 other props. The prop
control language is fairly sophisticated, allowing the use of variables,
if-then statements and other reasonably sophisticated concepts. For
example, you can have a jeep waiting out of sight, to come barreling
around a corner and shoot at the hero's plane just as it goes under the
bridge. The jeep would not start moving until a certain time had passed.
Some very complicated sequences can be put together in this fashion.
Once you succeed at a stunt, you take the raw film to the edit room. This
allows you to move frame by frame through the film, assembling a final cut
quickly and easily from among the available views (which you of course
planned carefully beforehand). Then, you can add fades, adjust color and
add two tracks of sound to customize the finished product. This is my
favorite part - I like figuring out how to stretch 10 seconds of film into
a minute, or even splicing two different stunts together. You can record
up to a megabyte of film, which is about 20 minutes worth, depending on
the number of moving objects which are present.
Sound files can be imported into the program, if they are in .voc format.
I have not had a chance to try this feature.
The program itself uses fairly standard VGA graphics, much like F-117a in
appearance. However, the graphics are "full" - the objects themselves are
very detailled, and there are a lot of them. In addition, Gouraud shading
and dithering is available to give the greatest texture and lighting
effects on fast machines. I tested on a 486-33, and the update was very
fast and clean with all the options on. I suspect that a good 386 will be
fine for this game.
The planes available range from very early 20th century - like the Curtiss
Jenny - to the SR-71, with all eras well-represented. The planes
themselves are attractive, as would be expected. However, there are only
5 different cockpits, and the flight models are minimal. Still, they all
feel different, and flying them precisely is not hard with a joystick. I
do not recommend using the keyboard or mouse to fly. Clearly, the use of
highly detailled flight models was not possible, given the number of
planes. While this may offend a few purists, I have no trouble with it,
since the planes can fly the stunts quite well.
The game eats up about 13 megabytes when fully installed, and is
recommended for 386's or better. I would also recommend a sound card.
This brings up the one reported bug in the game. The manual states that
using a Sound Blaster will distort the sound. I found this to be true,
but at the same time, the distortion was minimal, a bit like the buzz from
an FM radio. Certainly, it is not as world-shaking as the manual implies
- I don't even notice it anymore. I think they made a good decision to
mention it, though. A good joystick and mouse would round out my perfect
system for this game.
All in all, I found this to be a very attractive game. I enjoyed landing
a Cessna in traffic on the Golden Gate, and flying through the train
tunnel with a train going through, but my favorite part is the film
editing. This really is unique, and I think it puts this game well out of
the ordinary flight simulator envelope. Make no mistake, Walt Disney
Software has a winner here; a lot of folks will see this one in the
upcoming holiday season.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by David Pipes. All rights reserved.
WORLD CIRCUIT by Microprose
Previewed by Ross Erickson
For over four years, no racing simulation has come close to touching the
true feel and control of driving an Indy car in Indianapolis 500 from
Electronic Arts. Many contenders have come and gone - Bill Elliott, Mario
Andretti, even some racing and car enthusiast magazines have had their
shot at it, and all have come up wanting. Finally, after this long, long
famine, it seems as though Microprose may finally steal the crown. World
Circuit (WC) seems the most likely contender for dethrowning the champion.
From a recently released demo, Microprose appears to be taking this
simulation very seriously. WC was released on the Amiga several months
ago and was fairly received but did not win over the hearts and minds of
Indy fanatics who had access to Amiga equipment. Reason? Primarily
realism and feel - the two main strengths of Indy 500. Microprose
promises that the PC version will correct all of these limitations and
offer the same control and feel that one experiences on the Indy oval and
translate it to the full Formula 1 race tracks on the F1 circuit.
From my observations of the demo, they certainly have the graphics engine
down pat. The frame rate, while fixed in the demo, shows the capability
of delivering full 256 color graphics at very respectable speeds. There
are several views that can be chosen to view forwards, backwards, and
T.V. camera track view. The cars in WC will act like REAL cars. Tires
will wear out, you'll have to manage fuel, and damage to the car will
be evident in the control you have over the car. Pit stops are also
realistically portrayed right down to having "the big hand" come out and
wipe off the windshield. The throttle is controlled by moving the joy-
stick forward rather than the button-throttle of Indy. Steve Perry, of
Microprose U.K. assures us that there is a tremendous amount of flex-
ability in the car and driver setup.
Of course, the final judgement of whether or not WC will be the hit Indy
500 was/is will be the intimate feel of control that the player has while
driving. The joystick routines must be uncompromised for this to be the
driving simulation of the '90s (so far, at least). The demo did not allow
any driver interaction, so this remains to be seen. All of the other
pieces seem to be in place and we anxiously await this release. We hope
that Microprose has hit the mark with WC, but for now, the drum roll goes
on.
World Circuit (PC) should be released by the end of November.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
WAX WORKS by Accolade
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Wax Works (WW) is the newest RPG/Adventure game distributed by Accolade
and developed by Horrorsoft. Upon starting WW, you'll instantly recog-
nize the style as similar to Elvira I and II. The storyline behind WW
is that your dear deceased uncle has left you his dreadful wax museum in
his will. Your first inclination is to destroy the place, but then
realize that you must go explore its dark contents to search for your
lost brother who has disappeared deep within its walls. In your explor-
ations, you'll find yourself in Ancient Egypt, 19th century England, deep
within a mineshaft (this will kind of remind you of EOB), and finally in
a haunted cemetary. Let me make this abundantly clear: after only just a
few minutes of play, I was amazed at the graphic violence that is used to
depict your demise. The detail is, shall we say, careful. WW won't
break any new ground in adventure game design, though I was quite
impressed with the graphics and particularly the attention Horrorsoft
paid to the digital sound effects for Soundblaster owners. Nothing quite
like the sound of a head being lopped off and falling to the stone floor!
EEWWWW! :-)
Wax Works is available now.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
CONQUERED KINGDOMS by Quantum Quality Products
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Since their inception, QQP has been known to delivery very strong,
strategic games that require deep thinking with less emphasis on "amazing
graphics". For gamers who want depth of play and long-life or replay-
ability, QQP has delivered games such as The Lost Admiral, The Perfect
General, and Solitaire's Journey which will keep the player busy for many
gaming months. If you find a human opponent, the entertainment value can
go on infinitely.
Conquered Kingdoms (CK) is the latest strategy entry from QQP and an
initial look at it reveals that if anything, Bruce Williams of QQP, has
strengthened his formula even further. CK is a medieval conquest game in
the fantasy world of Cascatia where players are pitted against each other
or a computer opponent where the goal is simply to dominate and control
the world. Hence the name, Conquered Kingdoms. There are various ways
that the game can be played. In real-istic mode, units such as archers,
spys, swordsmen and other "real" units will be used, while in the fantasy
game, you'll get to play with charac-ters such as dragons, wizards,
ogres, and the like. If you choose, you can even mix them together for a
varied experience. The fantasy characters have some pretty fancy
attributes to them. Wizards can teleport to other locations, dragons can
fly over anything, and phantoms can scare the daylights out of your
opponent's units.
There are 9 scenarios included with the game as well as a random map
generator for an infinite amount of replay value. There are over 20
levels of play and the game includes modem support as well. There are
also 8 different campaign conquests that can be played that award
counties of the Cascatia based on play in the scenarios. For those
inclined to strategic and tactical thinking games, you should look no
further than Conquered Kingdoms. The game is starting to ship now.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
Ed. - Arrrgh! Try as we did, we were completely unsuccessful at capturing
the graphics screen shots from the beta copy of the software we were
working with. We will be contacting UBI Soft directly to see if they can
cooperate and get us some good shots for the final review of the game.
Koshan is expected to ship in December.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE KOSHAN CONSPIRACY by UBI Soft
Preview by Thom Vaught
THE KOSHAN CONSPIRACY (KOSHAN) is an upcoming RPG from UbiSoft. It is the
sequel to B.A.T., one of their previous releases. I have not played the
original B.A.T. so I cannot compare KOSHAN to its predecessor. It is said
to be five times larger than the original. B.A.T. stands for Bureau of
Astral Troubleshooters. You are an agent of this organization located on
the planet Shedishan. Assignments are given to you by contacts on this
planet. You must then question people, acquire items, travel places, and
solve puzzles to finish each mission.
From playing a beta copy of KOSHAN, I can say that it is a very diverse
game. It will take more to complete this game than the usual RPG
requires. For the most part, KOSHAN is a first-person perspective science
fiction RPG. Though I have not been able to delve into all of the game,
there is a definite Cyberpunk slant to the game. Combat can be handled in
two ways. It can be either strategic or arcade based. There are also
three video games which can be played. In these games, you can make
wagers to increase your funds. Traveling to other cities can accomplished
using a driving simulation of a taxi cab. A flight simulator is also
included. The flight simulator must be used to reach some locations.
Also, you are equipped with a computer implant. The computer can be used
to monitor your physical condition. There are implants for the computer
which can increase your physical abilities. Also, there is a language for
progamming the computer to automate common tasks. As you can see, this
game requires talent in many areas of gaming.
The graphics for the RPG portion are very well drawn. They give the game
a very nice Cyberpunk feel. The driving/flight simulation graphics are
adequate though the do not compare with the current crop of dedicated
simulations. All of the sounds and music in KOSHAN are digitized and
sound quite good.
Fans of the original B.A.T. will probably enjoy KOSHAN. Those who like a
game that provides a variety of challenges may also find KOSHAN to be good
choice.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Thom Vaught. All rights reserved.
A View From the Edge
Editorial By Ross Erickson
Problems, Partnerships, and Piracy...
Welcome to another edition of Game Bytes magazine. We have a lot to cover
this issue. As you can see from the size of the magazine, we've pulled
out all the stops this time. Hope you enjoy it. We really enjoy hearing
from our readers via email, regular mail, or whatever, so please write us
and tell us what we're doing right and wrong.
Problems
How do I start this? I owe a great apology to many of you readers out
there who went through the struggle and pain of not having Game Bytes #6
work properly (the screen shots!) on your machine. After pulling our
hair out, we THINK we've sourced the problem. Many of the screen shots
are captured with the very capable PCX Dump utility (fantastic utility,
by the way. Jesper Frandsen, the author deserves a huge pat on the back
and your registration if you are using it) to capture the screens. Some
of the screens work better with our viewer if they are in .gif format.
Our programmer and I thought we had a very quick and dirty utility to
convert from .pcx to .gif files. The conversion proceeded normally, but
ended with an obscure error each time we tried it. However, the resultant
.gif files it created viewed just perfectly on my laptop computer as well
as on an ATI chipset VGA board. So....I proceeded to use them. Suddenly,
we were inundated with email about problems with these certain converted
files. Our programmer, Ed Rafalko, has led us to this conversion program
being the culprit. We have another conversion program which will do the
job, albeit slower, so the problems should be behind us. We apologize
deeply for the trouble and hassle this has caused.
Partnerships
Distribution has always been a big problem for Game Bytes. How do we
reach the masses? Certainly continuing to use Internet, FTP sites, mail
servers, CompuServe, and other systems will go a long way to getting
Game Bytes to more people. However, we still felt like there were many
we weren't reaching. After some discussion with the famous Jay Wilbur of
ID Software fame, he has turned some wheels for us and we are now able to
be distributed on the over 2000 BBS systems that are distribution points
for Apogee Software. In other words, if your local community has a BBS
system that 'officially' carries the Keen products, the Wolfenstein
products, and later next year, the Doom products, then you'll be able to
find Game Bytes on your BBS as well. If you DON'T find it, just drop a
note to your sysop to get it via the normal Apogee BBS distribution
channels, all the way up to the home board for Apogee, Software Creations.
There's another note about Software Creations in this section of Game
Bytes as well.
Another interesting partnership has sprung up from down under. Through
one of our readers we were contacted by Mr. Robert Spencer, Editor-in-
chief of PC Games Plus of Australia. Mr. Spencer has asked me to be
their U.S. Associate editor for PC Games Plus. I readily agreed and
through their generosity, I'll be attending Winter C.E.S. in Las Vegas on
their behalf as well as Game Bytes. We welcome their partnership and
encourage all Game Bytes readers in Australia to take a look at PC Games
Plus if you aren't already. U.S. readers, PC Games Plus is gearing up to
be distributed in North America as well, so watch for it when it finally
hits newsstands, probably next year. Europe and Rest-of-World? Sorry,
no further info on your side of the pond yet. Stay tuned.
Piracy
There has been a long-running discussion on Usenet (comp.sys.ibm.pc.games)
recently about the relative impact or validity of software piracy,
particularly computer games. I'm certainly not going to rehash it all
back up again. As it stands now, those with polar opinions on the matter
aren't likely to change the other's mind. However, it is the opinion of
this publisher that software piracy hurts this hobby we all love so much.
In its purest form, computer gaming is nothing more than plain entertain-
ment. Most of us pay for other forms of entertainment - we don't sneak
into movie theaters or jump the fence to watch a baseball game. We
should be willing to pay a fair price for the entertainment value the
computer game gives to us. Some may argue that that value is relative -
"If I don't enjoy the game, then I shouldn't have to pay for it!" Like
a lousy movie, if you walk out in the first 30 minutes, generally you'll
get your money back. And so it should be with software, if you paid for a
product and it doesn't meet your expectations, take it back and get a
refund. Don't buy a game from a store that won't accept a return if
necessary. Show your opinion with your wallet. Enough returns will
get the message across to the developer very quickly. Contrary to popular
belief, nobody's getting very rich in this business. Piracy does affect
the abilities of these developers to produce even better games. Many of
these developers write these games simply because of their love of
computer games. When they "do it right", show them by purchasing their
products. Let them know through a letter, or write to us here at Game
Bytes. We'll make sure they get the message.
In summary, we hope everyone who enjoys computer games will search deep
inside them to find that right answer - software piracy is wrong and it
does have an affect.
Support your industry and enjoy Game Bytes #7.
Rumors and News!
Some interesting news-bytes for you Game Bytes'meisters this go'round
that you might find interesting. Accolade has come clean, it seems. They
have confirmed plans that there is definitely a MIKE DITKA FOOTBALL II in
the works, but don't hold your breath. It won't be out for several
quarters still. Likely look for it at the end of next summer. There
never seems to be a shortage of football games under development, all
trying to out-do the other guy. Let 'em try. The end user seems to be
the one beneficiary of such a war. Accolade has released Wax Works now,
and by the time you're reading this you might also be playing STAR
CONTROL II. It's due to hit the streets any day now.
Jay W., the Wizard of ID has opened the kimona it seems and started
talking about their next project to follow on to the mega-hit that Wolf-
enstein 3D was. Entitled DOOM, it's a science fiction title with the same
style of mind-boggling animation that captured us all. However, Doom's
engine is a complete overhaul and is to Wolfenstein was Wolfenstein was
to Pong! We won't be seeing Doom anytime soon though. Expected in the
3Q of 93.
Anyone playing Terminator 2029 out there? Well, there's a follow-on
product already in the works. While not really a sequel, it's a similar
style game called 2300 A.D.: MAN'S BATTLE FOR THE STARS. Set in the
future (obviously, .. duh), it's a similar strategic and tactical action
strategy game with improvements over the already-tremendous graphics in
T2029.
Some of you have taken a chance and spun the wheel, as it were, on a
Disney product. Most hardcore gamers don't think about Disney first as
they are considering a new purchase. However, STUNT ISLAND is changing
all of that now. This tremendous product, just released (and previewed
in these "pages") breaks new ground for the industry and sets Disney on
a great new course. Coming from them in the early part of next year will
be COASTER, yes, you guessed it, a roller coaster simulation. Not only
will you get to ride the wild ride, but you'll also get to create them,
adding as many loops, cork-screws, and wild dips as you please. Physics,
however, will still be a governing force, even in the COASTER universe.
An interesting development in the outer space action/adventure genre has
caught our eye. Galcom, developers of the no-compromise SVGA game
BATTLECRUISER 3000 A.D., has signed with Three-Sixty development for an
honest-to-goodness publishing deal. This title is being spear-headed
by Dr. Derek Smart, and his name fits! We'll be doing an interview with
Dr. Smart at C.E.S. and reporting on BC3000 and follow-on products in
a future edition of the magazine. Dr. Smart is very 'into' this title
and will accept nothing less than a 100% perfect quality product with
absolutely no bugs. Watch for it next April or so.
Parents out there have always had a tough time of it finding quality
childrens games to both entertain and educate. A new company, led by
Ron Gilbert, previously of LucasArts and known forever by his Monkey
Island adventure games, is about to change the dilemma faced by most
parents of young children. Humungous Entertainment (I'm not making this
up!) is set to release PUTT PUTT JOINS THE PARADE. It's a younger
audience adventure/exploration game, but don't be fooled. This is one
quality product. The animation, graphics, sound, and the design goal
to get children thinking and developing problem-solving skills in a
unique, fun environment all seem to come together. PUTT PUTT should be
releasing very soon now, plus there's a CD-ROM version coming together
that will add full speech to everything throughout the game. Check it
out.
Another interesting development comes from ICOM Simulations, producers of
the stunning Sherlock Holmes CD-ROM products. Volume II of the Sherlock
whodunnits is now shipping, BTW. Busy business users who have a lot of
time logged in Microsoft Windows will be pleased to know that development
is well underway for SHADOWGATE FOR WINDOWS. Anyone around long enough
to remember the CGA version of Shadowgate (diskette only) that was
released oh so many moons ago? This is a complete rewrite with amazing
graphics and a beautiful interface which takes full advantage of the
Windows GUI.
Finally, for adventure buffs, it just never seems to end! Sierra will
continue in their tradition next year with the introduction of a new
character from the slightly demented mind of Al Lowe. FREDDY PHARKAS
FRONTIER PHARMACIST will likely become the '90s version of Leisure
Suit Larry. Not much is known about the storyline yet, but rest assured
with Al L. at the helm, this is going to be hilarious fun. Maybe someday
Al will find the LSL4 disks too! FREDDY is supposed to be a wild-west
adventure with a flavor of the Blazing Saddles western comedy. Watch for
it next spring.
That's it for this edition of the rumors and news! Stay tuned to Game
Bytes #8 for more.
Game Bytes is pleased to present the second half of our interview with
Bob Bates, president and founder of Legend Entertainment.
GB: Bob, who do you admire in the gaming industry today and why?
BB: I don't think I can really answer this one. The fact is, I spend
most of my time writing games and helping to manage Legend Entertainment.
That hasn't let me get to know too many other people in the business. The
'gaming industry' is actually a pretty fragmented place, and most of the
people I've met are in the adventure game side. To try to start naming
which of these people I admire and why would quickly prove embarrassing
both for them and for me.
GB: From a macro point of view, where do you see the computer gaming
industry going? What are the challenges that lie ahead for this industry
to grow and prosper? Are the 'cartridge' companies eventually going to
overwhelm and devour the software 'disk' companies? Will we all
eventually be playing on a Nintendo?
BB: I think the biggest challenge facing the industry as it seeks to be-
come more "mass market" is to resolve the basic philosophical contra-
diction between where we are and where "they" are. The contradiction is
this: current forms of mass-market entertainment provide an essentially
passive experience. Television, movies, and even books, are media that
demand little or nothing from the viewer/reader. But the _strength_ of
computers and dedicated game machines is that they demand their users to
be active.
I think the basic unit of fun in a computer game is that the player gets
immediate feedback for his actions. "I do something, and then the machine
does something." This was true of "Pong", it's true of Legend games, and
it's true of Wing Commander. But there is significant reason to believe
that most people don't want this kind of entertainment. They've already
voted. They want to watch TV and go to movies.
I guess all this is a roundabout way of saying that I don't think that the
issue for the future is going to be one of what hardware the entertainment
is delivered on. The hardware is getting better all the time, and
designers are always taking advantage of that to deliver new features.
I'm much more interested in what we're going to be PLAYING, than in what
we're going to be playing ON. (Is that long-winded enough for you?)
GB: Excellent points all. I guess we should have expected that from a
software vendor though, right? <g> What's the process at Legend for
producing a new game idea? Do you take submissions from the public? How
do you go from a concept to a finished product?
BB: Both at Infocom and at Legend we have experimented with the process
of writing adventure games. One thing we have learned is that for our
style of game, you can't separate the programming from the design and the
writing. This creates some interesting problems for us. A great idea
submitted from the public is worthless to us unless we have someone with
the writing, programming, and design abilities to bring the idea to life.
The process for selecting one of these ideas isn't as elegant as we would
like. Mike Verdu and I sit down and try to figure out what genres of
games people might like to buy. Then we look at our available pool of
talent, and try to convince one of our writers that the game he's been
dying to write isn't quite as important as writing one that fits into one
of these genres. The writer then goes away and grumbles for a while, and
if we're lucky he'll come back with a brilliant original idea that can fit
into a genre we think can sell.
Going from concept to finished product is a process that is far too long
and involved to go into here. Suffice it to say that it takes around 12-
18 months and it involves writers, system programmers, marketeers,
artists, composers, testers, and lots and lots of other people.
GB: Animated graphics seem to have caught everybody's eye, but gameplay
and logical puzzle solving seems to have suffered. What's your philosophy
towards puzzle complexity vs. flashy graphics. Is it possible to have
both? Could we have fully animated graphics with an interface that
doesn't get in the way?
BB: I don't believe that the question is quite putting the finger on the
problem here. The thing that is eating away at the level of puzzle
solving in games isn't the graphics, it's the interface.
Consider the problem a designer has if he creates a puzzle where he's got
a god who must be propitiated, and what he wants the player to do is "Pray
for rain."
If the designer is in an icon interface, he's got a real uphill battle.
Perhaps he can create a prayer circle on the screen that the player can
maneuver his character into, and then a pre-set list of prayers the player
can click on, one of which is a 'rain prayer.' But by the very fact that
the player can see all this stuff, the puzzle gets pretty easy.
If the designer has a limited verb interface, perhaps he can swap in the
appropriate verb at the appropriate time. Again, this is a definite clue
to the player, and therefore the puzzle is fairly simple.
If the designer has a parser based interface, all he has to do is make
sure he has given the player enough clues to come up with the correct
input himself.
But no matter which of these interfaces the designer is bound by, he can
still have the artists put up one hell of an animated thunderstorm once
the player has solved the puzzle.
Of course, there's still the broader issue to consider, which is how
complex do people want their games anyway. The hard core gamers decry the
passing of the "difficult" games, but the fact is that some of these
"easy" games sell a ton, and for a lot of people, they're not that easy.
I can't tell you how many calls I've taken from people who can't get the
Interkron in TIMEQUEST to work. The "solution" to this "puzzle" is >Put
card in slot. The fact is, that there are lots of people out there who
buy these games for the story and the atmosphere, and could care less
whether there were ANY puzzles in them at all - which is one reason why
hint lines do such a big business.
In any event, the short answer to the question (is it too late to give a
short answer?) is yes, I think it's very possible to have fully animated
graphics with an interface that doesn't get in the way of good puzzles.
GB: I would like to know what your plans are for supporting more and more
different sound cards like the Pro Audio Spectrum 16, the Gravis
Ultrasound, and the Soundblaster Pro.
BB: Right now our plans are to continue to develop for the Roland boards
and the basic SoundBlaster (with the DAC). We can't afford to try to
change the composition of all of our pieces to maximize the different
capabilities of all these different boards. My belief is that very soon a
clear winner will emerge from these wars - a board that provides a truly
rich musical experience at a reasonable price. When that happens, we will
definitely instruct our composeers to write music with maximizing the
capabilities of that board in mind.
GB: Can you describe what it's like to work with a guy like Meretzky? It
must be a non-stop party. How did you get to know Steve?
BB: I got to know Steve because we both wrote games for Infocom. Working
with him is a unique experience. He is very smart, very funny, a very
talented writer, and very opinionated. (He wouldn't refer to himself as
'opinionated,' he would refer to himself as 'right.')
But as wild as his games are, he is a disciplined designer who knows his
business well, works hard, and delivers on time.
And yes, there is a lot of merriment involved in working with him, but
mostly it's because he spends all of his time laughing at me.
GB: While I like the 'feeling' of your text interface with a graphics
window, will you ever go completely graphic? Will it be possible to
maintain the same puzzle complexity while changing the interface?
BB: We are definitely looking at improving our interface. I define
'improving' to mean 'making it easier for the player to interact with the
game without sacrificing the level of complexity of things he can do.'
You'll see the results of some of this tinkering in Eric the Unready, and
you'll probably see a more full-blown implementation of our new ideas in
the game we bring out next spring.
GB: I liked the puzzle complexity of Timequest. It was hard! Will there
be a sequel? How about for Gateway?
BB: I really liked TIMEQUEST, but lots of people do think it was too
hard. I wrote it to be an adventure gamer's game, and I think it turned
out that way. Eric the Unready is definitely not as hard. I have no idea
what my next project after Eric will be. I don't think it will be another
TIMEQUEST, but it may have some of that flavor to it.
As for Gateway, we're definitely thinking about a sequel, although no
decision has been made yet.
GB: What made you want to do computer games based on Frederick Pohl's
science fiction books? Are there more science fiction adventures coming?
BB: I'm a little fuzzy on the exact origin of the idea, but I believe it
was Mike Verdu whose idea it was to license Gateway, and he talked a
group of programmers in the office into working on it on their own - sort
of as a lark. As the project grew, it just kept getting better and
better until we realized we had to publish it.
And yes, there will definitely be more science fiction coming from us - as
early as next year.
GB: You started putting in hintbooks in your products starting with
Gateway? Why did you do this? Will you continue to do so?
BB: We put the hintbook in Gateway in part to combat the suspicion that
lots of people don't buy our games because they think the games are too
hard. By putting the hintbook in the box, we allay that fear.
The jury is out on whether we will continue to do it. Eric will not have
a hintbook in it, but no decision has been made about future games.
GB: Will you use speech or other 'digital' sound effects in any of your
new games?
BB: All of our games from the very first have used 'digital' sound
effects, supported both through DACs and through the PC speaker! The sound
effects in Spellcasting 301 are hilarious, and the ones in Eric are even
funnier. Credit for this goes to Glen Dahlgren.
Whether we will go to full-blown speech is more of a disk-budget question
than anything else. When CD-ROM is a marketable platform, we will
definitely be delivering lots of speech in our games.
GB: For someone wanting to get involved in the design of computer games,
what advice do you have for him/her? What should I study in school and
how do you "get into it"?
BB: Believe it or not, I've got a pretty simple answer for this that I
know works: Get a job - ANY job - at a computer game company. Once
you're in the building, it won't take you long to show what talent you've
got. The number of game designers who started out as customer support
people or testers is legend. An example is Steve Meretzky himself, whose
first job at Infocom was as a game tester.
You should study in school. I suppose computer sciences wouldn't be a bad
place to start. For our kind of games, writing skills help as well. But
you're talking to a guy who was a philosophy and psychology double major
in college. Hardly a
technical background! The single most important
skill for anybody in this business to have is something that I'm not sure
you can learn in school - you've got to be able to recognize what someone
else will think is FUN.
GB: Do you perceive the computer as an art medium or as merely a tool for
producing computer art? How does a traditional 'artist' get to be a
critical part of gaming industry and how does Legend utilize our skills?
BB: There are many different kinds of art into our games. I don't so
much care about how it gets generated as much as whether it looks good on
the screen.
Our three sources of art are:
1) Artists who work solely on the computer screen using a paint program
such as DeluxePaint. Both Spellcasting 101 and TIMEQUEST were done
completely using this method.
2) Artists who work solely in traditional media such as water-colors,
oils, etc. This work is then scanned in. The "room art" in Gateway was
about half-and-half between these first two methods.
3) Artists who work with sophisticated modelling and rendering tools to
build theoretical constructs that these programs then create on the screen
by using a series of very complex mathematical calculations. Most of the
spaceship animations in Gateway were done in this fashion.
In the future, we will also be doing rotoscoping, which is videotaping a
live actor performing various activities, capturing those images
digitally, and then having an artist touch them up.
The way you break into the business is to call companies and let them see
your portfolios. Believe me, the business is desperate for good artists.
As for "art" in the broader sense, I consider art, whether visual or
verbal, to be something which creates an emotion in another person. The
mechaninsm by which that is done, whether it's oil on canvas, pixel on
computer screen, or words on a page, is irrelevant to me.
GB: What do you like to do when you're not working on projects at Legend?
BB: My wife will tell you that the answer is that I'm NEVER not working
on projects at Legend. But what I WOULD like to do if I ever got the
chance, is to read a lot more than I do now (pretty exciting, huh?) and to
play with my two-year-old son Alex more.
GB: As today's games get bigger and more complex it seems like we've been
plagued by more and more bugs getting into the final product. There's an
impression that nobody's really taking beta testing seriously anymore?
What's Legends perspective on this and do you utilize outside beta
testers? Why or why not? How much time is spent testing a new game?
BB: We take bugs pretty seriously, because if we're not perceived as
putting out quality products, then we won't be in business for long. All
our games spend at least 6 months in testing. That figure is deceptive,
because testing does begin at a pretty early stage. It's not as if we
finish a project and then sit on it for 6 months while 2 guys in the back
room play it over and over.
We don't do as much outside beta testing as we used to, mainly because we
used to get responses like, "I liked the game a lot and I didn't find too
many bugs, and the ones I did find I didn't write down. By the way, when
can I test the next one?" And then two weeks later we'd find the BETA
version on a bulletin board!!! (True story).
So we have a corps of in-house testers who do nothing but beat on a game
over and over, day after day. Believe me, it ain't glamourous, but they
are essential to creating a good product. Many game designers will tell
you that their games are more influenced by what the testers say than by
what the designer wanted in the first place.
GB: It would be wonderful to see all the old Infocom text games converted
to the "Legend" format at the very least, if not to full graphic
adventures. Could or would Legend do this?
BB: Probably not. Activision owns the rights to those games and is
actively developing products based on them. I don't forsee them giving up
those rights anytime soon.
GB: What do you consider to be your best work so far and why?
BB: My best work so far is undoubtably Alex, my little boy... Oh. You
mean games? Well, let's see.
I really liked TIMEQUEST because of the way it all fit together. There
were interesting parts of history I got to play with, and the whole thing
was like the inner workings of some huge clock. All in all, I like it best
for the elegence of its design.
However, it's clear that Eric the Unready will be by far the most _
entertaining_ product I've ever done. It's really funny and the story is
good. I'm pretty excited about it although, as always, it's the public
who gets to be the judge of these things.
GB: Bob, in closing, I would just like to say on behalf of all our
readers that we truly appreciate the time you took to give us some insight
into the philosophy of Legend Entertainment. We know you're immensely
busy right now getting 'Eric' ready for us to play and we want to
congratulate you for putting out some of the best adventures in the
market today. Thanks once again for allowing us this opportunity to see
behind the scenes. Our dollars are poised for 'Eric'!
This interview is Copyright (C) 1992 by Game Bytes. All rights reserved.
WALK-THROUGH for ULTIMA UNDERWORLD (Ver 1.5) by Origin Systems
by Mitch Aigner
Yes folks, here it is. It starts with a run through of the highlights of
each of the 8 levels, and goes on from there.
* - indicates what you absolutely gotta have:
% - indicates optional ventures, usually worth the reward
Level 1
-------
* Recipe for Rotworm stew from Lanugo
% Solve the puzzle of the 4 levers
% Raid the treasuries of the Green and Grey goblins
Level 2
-------
* Kill the Gazer in the mines for Goldthirst and collect the reward
* Have Shak repair the Sword of Justice (after you find the pieces later
on)
% Get the blueprints for Ironwit. Key is in small room in the same area
that you must jump to, then follow the yellow brick road. Use Fly potion
(green) to take you to yet another part of same area (when you see a gap
far too far to jump). Do not fall off the elevated paths, monsters
await below.
% Raid Goldthirst's treasury. Offer him a gift (anything GOLD!) , and he
will give you the password. Use Fly, Levitate, or Gate Travel spell to
get out.
Level 3
-------
* Blade for Sword of Justice - secret door behind vines in SE corner
* Taper of Sacrifice from Zak
* Cup of Wonder - after learning flute tune, and how to use incense
* Free the prisoner (Murgo) held by the lizardmen. Don't do this until the
prisoner has translated the complete lizard language for you.
% Find the remains of Ossika (bring scroll back to Ishtass)
% Give a red gem to Iss'leek
% Kill all of the bandits, and find their treasury
Level 4
-------
* Give gemcutter to Derek for code to Ring of Humility (used on level 5)
* Give Sethar the Rotworm stew to get Dragon Scales
* Kill Roderick and then collect Standard of Honor from Dorna Ironfist
% Join the knighthood (allows access to their Armory - great stuff!)
% Find the Writ of Lorne (talk to Lakshi about Rawstag)
% Find the Golden Plate behind secret door in Maze of Silas (door code is
shown on the two knights tombstones)
% Solve the puzzle of the Bullfrog and find the illusionary wall to secret
area
Level 5
-------
* Ring of Humility (using code mentioned above)
* Have Marrowsuck make Dragon-skin boots (Dragon scales and spider thread)
* Talk to Eyesnack to learn a flute tune.
* Hilt of Sword of Justice from tombs
* Give Judy the picture of Tom (after you find it below)
* Re-bury Garamons' bones (after you find them below)
% Offer to fetch "zanite" for Anjor
% Get code for mine dispatch chamber from Kneenibble
Level 6
-------
* Talk to Dr. Owl about location of Wine of Compassion (after freeing
Murgo)
* Get book from Bronus to deliver to Morlock
* Talk to Morlock about Book of Honesty (after completing above errand)
* Defeat Golem to obtain the Shield of Valor
* Talk to Fyrgen and Louvnon to get some clues to the six-letter mantra
* Talk to Illomo (both BEFORE and AFTER you find his friend Gurstang
below)
% Talk to Gralwart about getting a "Vas" runestone
% Get the book "Properties of Runestones" for Ranthru
Level 7
-------
* Talk to Naruto about a key
* Free the prisoners
* Go down to level 8 (three places): Pick up a piece of Orb Rock in one of
them Get the Crown from the Imp in another
* Use the crown to master the maze and defeat Tyball, then free Arial
* Return to the prison and: get the Picture of Tom from Bolinard
get the Key from Smonden
talk to Gurstang (tell him Illomo sent you)
* Use the Key on the door in the extreme NW corner. Proceed upward to get
the Key of Courage.
% Find the Medallion of Passage in the SW quadrant to get through all of
the guard posts without having to do battle (though I preferred to
battle :-)
% Destroy Tyballs' orb by throwing the Orb Rock you collected at it.
% Raid the imps' treasury by killing the Golems. Make sure that you have a
few Health potions handy, as some of the items are cursed.
% Find the "Ring of Levitate" in the chasm of fire (real handy on level 8)
% Visit the tombs (lots of secret doors, some good stuff, but must have
the Crystal Splinter from Kallistan to get in)
% Go back to the prisons and kill all of the &^#$%! guards (just for
revenge)
Level 8
-------
* Talk to Carasso about the location of Garamons' bones
* Open the central door with the tri-partite key and do what Garamon told
you to do when you re-buried his bones.
% Find lots of really awesome weapons, armor, and magic stuff
MoonGate Level
--------------
* Just run like hell, that is all you CAN do!
GAME OBJECTIVES:
---------------
You have two goals in this game:
1) Survival
2) Find all 8 of the magic Talismans of Sir Cabrius
You cannot finish the game until you have all 8 Talismans, and have re-
buried the bones of the wizard Garamon. In addition, you will need to
assemble the Tripartite key.
General tips:
------------
- Don't kill anyone who is not actively trying to kill you (no matter how
rude they may be)
- If anyone asks you to run an errand for them, do it (the reward is
almost always worth it)
- Trust the good guys (identified by the Banner of Cabrius at their door).
They will never steer you wrong.
- Save your game often.
- Talk to people more than once. There are different threads to most of the
conversations. Try different responses each time.
- Write down what people tell you. It may not make any sense now, but
could do so in the future.
Other useful stuff:
------------------
1. When using Fly or Levitate: pressing "E" makes you go up, pressing "Q"
makes you go down.
2. You can make a fishing pole with a Pole and Spider Thread (who says
there's no such thing as a free lunch! Fresh fish are also great for
payoffs and for bartering).
3. Make popcorn with corn and a torch.
4. You can make a torch by pouring an oil flask onto a piece of wood.
Undocumented spells:
-------------------
AS - curse
UP - long jump
KM - summon monster
VOG - sheet lightning
ACM - smite undead
IS - thick skin (medium shield)
YP - walk on water
VKC - armageddon (do not use, you won't like it)
Documented spells (included primarily for the folks who just have the
demo) ----------------- (the demo documentation wasn't so hot IMHO)
To find out which spells you can cast: Take your experience level, divide
by 2, and then round up. This number is the maximum circle of spells you
can use.
To find out how much Mana you need: Take the circle number and multiply
by 3.
1st Circle:
IMY - create food
IL - light
OJ - magic arrow
BIS - resist blows (small shield)
SH - stealth
2nd circle:
QC - cause fear
WM - detect monster
IBM - lesser heal
IJ - rune of warding
RDP - slow fall
3rd circle:
BSL - conceal (low level invisibility)
OG - lightning
QL - night vision
RTP - speed
SJ - strengthen door (same as using spikes)
4th circle:
IM - heal
HP - levitate
NM - poison
AJ - remove trap
SF - resist fire
5th circle:
AN - cure poison
PF - fireball
GSP - missile protection
OWY - name enchantment (identify)
EY - open
6th circle:
VIL - daylight
VRP - gate travel (to moonstone)
VIM - greater heal
AEP - paralyze
OPY - telekinesis
7th circle:
IMR - ally
VAW - confusion
VHP - fly
VSL - invisibility
OAQ - reveal
8th circle:
FH - flame wind
AT - freeze time
IVS - iron flesh (major shield)
OPW - roaming sight
VPY - tremor
Mantra chants:
-------------
I have included comments on the relative importance of each. NOTE: this
is In My Humble Opinion (which is bound to be different from your opinion,
or anyone elses).
Chant Skill IMHO
----- ---------- -----------------------------------
FAL Acrobat Need a little to keep from getting hurt in falls/jumps
HUNN Appraise worthless
RA Attack Need LOTS!
GAR Axe Need LOTS only if you are an Axe-man
SOL Casting Need a little to keep from getting hurt when spells
'backfire'
UN Charm worthless
ANRA Defense Need LOTS!
LAHN Lore Need LOTS! (to identify scrolls/potions/armor/wands/etc)
KOH Mace Need LOTS only if you are a Mace-man
IMU Mana Need LOTS!
FAHM Missile Need LOTS only if you are a Missiles-man (bow/crossbow
/sling)
AAM Picklock Real handy on upper levels, not so handy on the lower
ones
LON Repair worthless, as Shak works cheap (and as fast as you can)
LU Search Need a little to help find secret doors
MUL Sneak mostly worthless
ONO Swimming mostly worthless
AMO Sword Need LOTS only if you are a swordsman
ROMM Traps beyond worthless
ORA Unarmed worthless
Character Creation:
------------------
Throw away all the characters in the beginning. For each character class
there are a number of random skills assigned each time that you create a
new character,... except that they aren't random!
Let's say I want to be a fighter. I create a bunch of fighter characters
and throw them all away, but not after writing down each ones'
attributes. Now I quit the game, and re-start the game. I again create a
character. The exact same sequence of characters will appear in the exact
same order, but now I know exactly which one to keep!!
Strength is the most important skill of all. Most of the rest can be im-
proved later via shrine chants, but not Strength.
Fighters, Druids, and Tinkers generally have high Strength factors. You
will want to have a Strength factor of at least 25 in order to wear plate
armor, and still be able to carry a fair amount of goodies. Your carry
capacity (measured in units of "stones") is exactly twice your Strength
rating.
The three primary skills (Strength, Intel., Dexterity) are factored in
with the other skill ratings. The final value used by the game seems to
be proportional to the skill level multiplied by the primary skill level
tied to it. These associations are as follows:
Strength: Attack Defense Unarmed Sword Mace Missile Axe
Intelligence: Mana Casting Lore
Dexterity: Sneak Swim Search Lockpick Charm Acrobat Traps Repair
Appraise
For example: If you are trying to pick a lock, the game uses a number
based on your Dexterity TIMES your Lockpick skill.
Maximum Vitality and Mana Capacities: These seem to depend on several
factors. The present theory is as follows:
Vitality: Depends on Strength and Experience level
Mana: Depends on Intelligence, Experience, and Mana skill
rating
The precise equations using these numbers remain a mystery.
Fun things to do:
----------------
On Level 4, NW corner (accessible only from level 7), there are two
hostile mages. Kill one, and leave the other alive. Then get out of his
way, as he will throw fireballs at you. Go find some safe corner in which
to hide. The remaining mage will "summon" a wide variety of nasties for
you to kill (hostile lizardmen, mountainmen, fighters, spiders, head-
lesses, etc), each with its usual assortment of goodies. This gives you
the chance to sample battle with all of the various denizons of the
abyss, as well as cover the floors with loot. Every once in a while you
may have to go back to the mage and push him around a bit, to keep him
sufficiently pissed off.
Drink lots of Ale and Port all at once - get drunk and pass out! (Just
remember that you need to save at least 1 bottle of Port for rotworm
stew.)
Outright spoilers:
-----------------
Level 1 levers puzzle - with 0 being top position, then clockwise: Turn
the lever farthest from the door to 1, the next
to 2, next one 3, next one 4 (straight down).
Level 2 Goldthirsts' password - "Deco morono"
Level 3 Cup of Wonder - Flute tune is: 3 5 4 2 3 7 8 7 5
Mantra for triangulation: "insahn"
Level 4 Maze of Silas - flip the levers in the following order:
Silver - Gold - Gold - Silver - Silver - Gold
Level 4 Bullfrog puzzle - The floor area is an 8 by 8 grid of movable
tiles. The two levers select the X and Y coor-
dinates of the tile you wish to move. Pushing
the upper button on-then-off raises the selected
tile. Pushing the lower button on-then-off lowers
the selected tile. The wand simply resets the
floor to its original state for when you screw
up too badly. Build two ramps to get to the
two eastern-most corners. Jump through the wall
to get into the secret area in the south.
Level 5 Ring of Humility - hit NW lever, then SE, NE, SW. STAY OUT of the
center of the room while doing this. Hug the
walls.
Level 5 Mine Control Code - with 0 being top position, then clockwise:
Left to Right: 7 6 2
Level 5 Garamon - wants you to throw the "talismans" into the "volcano".
You CANNOT complete the game unless you have found his
bones on level 8 (Garamon was the brother of Tyball, and
one heck of a mage. You will find several runestones
(one is "Vas") and a magic ring by the right bones). The
bones must be buried in the grave in the tombs on level
5 ("use" the bones on the gravestone). After the ghost
appears, you must answer the questions correctly.
Talismans:
---------
Taper of Sacrifice - Level 3, trade with Zak (food)
Sword of Justice - Level 3, Blade is in secret room. Lever to operate is
behind a vine-covered wall in the extreme SE corner
(Note: you must attempt to "pick up" the vines to
reveal the secret door, just "looking" won't work).
Level 5, Hilt is in the tombs area, accesible from
either the Bullfrog area of Level 4, or a secret door
on Level 5. Level 2, Shak will make the repairs for
20 coins.
Cup of Wonder - Level 3, room where Gazer is (that you have to swim
to). Stand on the little pedastal in the corner and
play your flute. The flute tune is taught by Eyesnack
on level 5. The clues to the three-part mantra (and
use of incense) are taught by Fyrgen and Louvnon on
level 6.
Standard of Honor - Level 4, from Dorna Ironfist, after slaying the Chaos
Knight (aka Sir Roderick).
Ring of Humility - Level 5, room in NW quadrant with levers. Throw levers
in following order: NW SE NE SW. Stay away from the
center of the room when doing this. After last lever
is thrown, ring will be on the central pedastal. This
is told by Derek on level 4 after you give him the
Gemcutter you got from Goldthirst on level 2 after
you slew the Gazer in the mine.
Shield of Valor - Level 6, after defeating the Golem
Wine of Compassion - Level 6, in checkerboard room with 2 headlesses (NW
quadrant of level 6, off room with dozens of worms).
Wine is hidden under a floor tile in the SE corner.
Try to "pick up" or "use" the tile. Told by dr. Owl
on level 6 after freeing his servant Murgo from the
lizardmen on level 3.
Book of Honesty - Level 6, is in the key behind the hourglass. There
is an hour-glass shaped room (NW quadrant of level 6)
with a secret door at the end of it. Go through the
door and jump across the chasm to get to a key-shaped
room. Told by Morlock on level 6 after you deliver
the book from Bronus on level 6.
Key of Love - Level 5, from Judy after giving her the Picture of
Tom.
Key of Truth - Level 6, after chanting "fanlo" at a shrine. Found
in the title of a book in the Library on Level 6,
after talking to Illomo (level 6) after finding
Gurstang (level 7) after talking to Illomo the first
time.
Key of Courage - Level 3, NW corner (NW area accessible only from
level 7).
Key of Infinity (tri-partite key) - made by assembling the above three
pieces. Just drop them on top of each
other in your inventory, and they will
bind.
Lizard Language
---------------
bica - hello, goodbye
'click - no
'click-iriass - Sir Cabrius
eppa - visit
isili - me (also means I)
kri'kla - lurker
ossli - enough
sel'a - give (also means trade)
sor'click - stranger
sorr - enemy
sorra - steal
sseth - yes
sstresh - help
Thepa - Lizardmen
thes'click - hate
thesh - like
thit - need
tosa - you
Urgo - Murgo (the prisoner: Dr. Owls' light-fingered assistant)
yeshor'click - friend
yethe - kill
zekka - food
Assorted Notes:
--------------
There are fountains of healing only on levels 1, 2, and 3
There is one shrine on every level (except level 3 which has three, and
level 4 which has two)
Mandolins appear to be completely useless.
Pieces of wood can be used to improvise a torch,.. just douse it with oil.
Spikes are for pinning doors shut. Once a door is spiked, only you can
open it.
You cannot defeat Level 7 without making a few trips down to Level 8.
You cannot kill the "Slasher of Veils", no matter which side of the
moongate you both happen to be on. (Even with Attack/Defense/and Sword
ratings of 250+) (don't ask). You can get him to the "yellow" state, but
not beyond.
When you and the demon are sucked through the moongate, you must run down
one of the three paths (red, green, blue) that go off the central area.
That is all you can do. The Orb you found on Level 1 tells you which path
to take.
Maximum skill ratings depend upon the character-type selected (Example:
Fighters can only go to 25 in Mana/Lore/Casting rating, while Druids can
go to 30)
Maximum Mana capacity also depends upon the type of character created.
Druids and Mages rate very high.
Trick to get past all the Fire Elementals in the Chasm of Fire on level
7: When you come up from the NE part of level 8, you will find a Golem
and a Key. There is a secret door leading to the Chasm of Fire. Open
the door and familiarize yourself with the route from the door to level
8 and the Chasm. Go back down to level 8 and kill some time while your
Mana re-charges. When you are up to about 25 Mana points, fire up two
"Sanct Flam" spells and cruise up to level 7 and the Chasm. The Fire
Elementals will cease to be a problem.
Trick to the prison area of level 7: Kill all of the guards ("medallion,
I don't need no steenking medallion!"). The head guard has a key which
will open all of the low-security prison cells,.. and all of the port-
cullises in the prison area, ... and all of the portcullises in the other
guard areas of level 7. Real handy. The alternative is unpleasant.
There are at least 8 magic rings
There are at least 15 magic wands
Lots of goodies are hidden under bones, debris, etc. If you see a pile of
debris (of the variety that you can't pick up), look to make sure that
every pixel is in its proper place. If not, carefully click on the
offending pixel.
Go swimming in the rivers in the mines of Level 2. Look carefully at any
sewer pipes that you find. (he he he) (don't worry, it's not fatal).
It is generally a bad idea to kill anyone who is not actively trying to
kill you This is for 2 resons: 1) You may have needed to talk to them some
more. 2) Killing good guys gives you negligible exprience points and in
some cases even REDUCES your experience points! There are more than
enough hostile critters around to get you max. experience.
There are a maximum of 16 experience levels. After the 16th level, that's
it.
There are a maximum of around 9600 experience points. After that the
number will not increase. (Examples: 9646, 9714, 9688, etc.)
There are 5 secret doors in the tombs of Level 7.
There are 3 secret doors in the Maze of Silas on Level 4.
On levels 3, 4, 5, and 6, there are areas in the extreme NW corner that
you cannot get to other than through the door on level 7. This door can-
not be opened until you have defeated Tyball (i.e. finished all of level
7), and freed the prisoners in the high-security cells.
Talk to the knights on Level 4 repeatedly. They know lots of mantras you
can use to increase your fighting and weapons skills. They do not neccess-
arily tell you these the first time that you talk to them.
Using the Detail setting from the menu can really help if you have a slow
machine. Cranking the detail down allows much faster/smoother motion.
Settings are as follows: Very High - full detail
High - no detail on ceilings
Medium - no detail on ceilings or floors
Low - no detail on ceilings, floors, or
walls
For critical jumps, it is very handy to crank the detail to LOW, make the
jump, and then crank it back up. Especially on slow machines.
To make Rotworm Stew: Get the recipe from the green goblin Lanugo on
level 1.
Don't lose that recipe!
Assemble the correct ingredients in a bowl
Then "use" the recipe
You will see the icon for the bowl change if
successful
There are more bowls/ingredients on lower levels
Moonstone: Once you have the ability to cast a Gate Travel spell (via
scroll or runestones) fire one up. This will teleport you to the moon-
stone area on Level 2. There is a secret wall to get out of this area.
Pick up the moonstone and put it down where ever you want. Further Gate
Travel spells will teleport you to the stone.
Tombs on level 7: You need to get the Crystal Splinter from Kallistan (in
the prison cells). Then leave the prison area through
the main gate and head south, until you can't go south
any more. There is a secret wall (not a door) that will
shatter when you run into it. This will not happen
unless you have the Crystal Splinter in your possesion,
and there is no other way to get into the tombs. There
are 5 secret doors in the tombs area. Three of these
are located at gravesites that do not have headstones.
The other two lead back out into the main areas of level
7. These two are one-way-only secret doors. They can
be opened only from the tombs area.
Silver Sapling:
When you "pick up" the Silver Sapling on level 1, it turns into a seed.
Find some "dirt" floors, and re-plant the seed. The Sapling will re-grow.
This allows you to be re-incarnated if you die. Upon death, you will find
yourself alive once more, at the location of the Sapling. The seed needs
to be planted only once. Re-incarnations seem to be infinite. You can move
the Sapling to a more convenient place by picking it up and re-planting
(if you wish).
Rawstag will only open the door if you give him a red gem (any type/
condition).
To free the prisoner (Murgo) from the Lizardmen, give Ssetharee lots of
food (I used 10 fresh fish that I caught with my fishing pole).
Give the giant gold nugget to Goldthirst. He will be really impressed.
To raid the Goblin treasuries on Level 1:
Grey goblins: Throw up a couple of shield spells and just walk in. The
guard will immediately attack, so be quick. DO NOT counter-attack. If you
attack any one of the goblins, the rest will all come running to his aid
(and you will be up against 7 at once). Once you have all of the goodies,
leave the goblins' area. If you return later, only the guard will be upset.
Green goblins: Don't let anyone see you. Push the guard into the next room
and "spike" the door closed. Then wait until nobody else is looking. Open
the door and close it behind you, as you will be in the treasure room for
a while. Again, if attacked, DO NOT counter attack.
To use incense: Wave a torch or candle over the block of incense. If done
right, the block will change appearance to show that it is lit. Now "use"
(left click) the block, and you will see a vision. Each vision gives you
2 letters of the 6-letter mantra. Once you have used incense 3 times, you
will have all 6 letters. The pairs must now be re-arranged to get a
workable mantra that you can chant at a shrine (3 pairs of letters, three
positions = 6 possible combinations).
Weapons come in the following calibers: (from worst to best)
Swords - dagger / short sword / long sword / broad sword
Maces - cudgel / light mace / mace
Axes - hand axe / axe / battle axe
Missiles - sling / bow / crossbow
Shields - buckler / small shield / wooden shield / tower shield
Armor - leather / mail / plate
Weapons/Armor/etc come in the following grades: (from worst to best)
badly worn / worn / servicable / excellent
Runestones:
----------
Numbers indicate the levels upon which they may be found. There may be
more than one of the same kind of runestone on a level (as for the "AN"
stone), a "*" by the level number means that you have to get it from
someone (usually by going off on some weird quest).
A 4, 4, 4 (means that there are a total of 3 stones, all on Level 4)
B 1, 3
C 4
D 3
E 6 (behind a barrel,... hard to spot)
F 6, 6*
G 3, 4, 5
H 2, 3
I 1, 4, 8
J 1, 4, 4, 5
K 6
L 1
M 1, 2, 4
N 5, 6
O 1, 3
P 2, 3
Q 4
R 3, 5
S 1, 3, 4, 8
T 5, 8
U 2
V 6, 8
W 3*
Y 1, 2, 3
Secret doors
------------
WARNING: Some secret doors (especially on level 7) are ONE-WAY ONLY. This
means that if you are on on the wrong side of the door, it will not open
(or even appear to exist at all).
Level 1:
Door between Grey goblin area and room with levers/pedastals
Door by Silver Sapling - leads to shrine area
Door on north wall of hallway in extreme NW quadrant - leads to fountain
Level 2:
No secret doors
Secret wall exposed after using Gate Travel to the Moonstone
Level 3:
Door along hallway in extreme SE quadrant, behind vines - leads to
fountain. Note: you must try to "pick up" the vines in order to expose
the secret door just "looking" won't work. Fortunately, this is the only
place that this is neccessary. (Dirty trick IMHO)
Door in store-room of thieves
Door at end of hallway by lever in extreme NE quadrant
Secret area behind waterfall in NE quadrant (swim to it)
Level 4:
2 doors behind Roderick
3 doors in the Maze of Silas
Door in room with skeletons/pedastals/switches
Door behind chest in water area
Secret area in SE corner of Bullfrog Maze (just jump THROUGH the wall)
Level 5:
Door in tombs area at extreme East-Central edge of map
Door in extreme NE corner of map - leads to Cabrius' tomb
Level 6:
Door in library
Door at end of hourglass-shaped room
Door in extreme SE corner (walk down lava channel)
Secret area accessed by running through wall in East Central area (be-
tween the eyes). This place is just east of the stairway down from
level 5.
Level 7:
Secret wall in cell of Dantes (allows escape from prison area)
Doors to allow bypass of prison guards area (short hallway allows bypass)
Door out of Imps/Golems/treasure area (takes you right to Tyballs' maze)
Door in area in extreme NE quadrant (by Golem/key/Undead area) - to chasm
5 doors in tombs area
Door out of Tyballs quarters past fountain
Level 8:
There are no secret doors on level 8
KEYS:
-----
Level 1:
Red key in pack at beginning
Gray keys in shrine area, and at bottom of spiral staircase in West
Central area
Level 2:
Red gem key by stairway off South main hallway - fits Mountainmen doors
Yellow gem key in Ironwit area - jump off platform through doorway in
North area - fits door at bottom of spiral path
Level 3:
Red gem key in NE quadrant by Zak area - fits Red Lizardman doors
Yellow E-W key in NE quadrant by Zak area - fits Thieves storerooms +
door on L4 Green gem key behind damaged door in West Central area of map
- Green Liz. doors
Level 4:
Key from defeating Roderick - opens secret doors behind him
Level 5:
Key from defeating black ghost - opens tomb and portcullis
Level 6:
No keys
Level 7:
Grey key by Naruto - opens door in Chasm of Fire
Yellow key in NE corner by Golem - opens door between Tyballs Maze and
Lava Pit Grey key from main prison guard - opens cell doors, portcullises,
etc. (also can get this key from defeating Tyball).
Skull key from defeating Tyball - opens Arial cell, and high-security
prison cells.
Yellow key from Smonden - opens door in extreme NW corner to special area
There is no known key to open doors to the "Evil Undead" area
Level 8:
Skull key from Carasso - opens door off main hallway in East-Central area
RINGS:
------
Level 3 - Ring of Resist Blows (obtained by killing one of the Bandits)
Level 4 - Ring of Leap (by boulders in South-central room)
Level 7 - Ring of Levitate (in short hallway off Chasm of Fire)
Level 8 - Rings of Regeneration, Mana Regeneration, Invisibility, Poison
Resistance, Magic Protection
Note: 2 of the rings on level 8 are in the small areas you get to from
level 7.
Unsolved Mysteries:
------------------
These are things that I just never figured out
Level 3:
There is a lever at the end of a long hallway in the NE qudrant. I never
figured out what it does. (It doesn't have anything to do with the secret
door nearby).
Somewhere it is written that there is a secret way to Level 4. I never
found it.
Level 4:
There is a pull-chain outside the entrance to the Knights area in the SW
quadrant that didn't seem to do anything.
There is a Grey Lizardman running around, who claims that his leader is
Iss'leek. This is strange, because Iss'leek is the leader of the RED
Lizardmen (Ishtass is the Grey leader). What is this lizardman doing on
Level 4, and what do I say to him?
This walkthru is Copyright (C) 1992 by Mitch Aigner. All rights reserved.TIPS FOR WINNING AT MICROPROSE'S "DARKLANDS" by Ken Fishkin
Ross has asked for articles going beyond reviews, articles which, among
other things, give "hints" or "tips" on current games. As someone who
just finished spending many many hours playing "DARKLANDS", I will
volunteer to take a crack at this new genre, sharing some tips on how to
win at Darklands.
I will try not to give spoilers, focusing on general techniques rather
than specific "here's how to defeat the <X>" spoilers. I'll assume that
you already own, and have started to play, the game: I won't spend any
time describing the game itself.
PARTY CREATION TIPS
In "Darklands", all your party members will have to fight sooner or
later - you cannot always "park" your weak alchemist in the back while
your fighters do all the combat. You will often be attacked from the rear,
or outflanked, or up against many enemies outdoors. Especially when you
factor in the effects of aging, it pays not to neglect Strength,
Endurance, or even Agility, no matter what the occupation. I put those 3
qualities at "30" for Alchemists/Clerics, and at "35" or so for fighters.
Don't neglect the "free gift" that 5 or 10 years of seasoning will
give your character. A 20 year-old character has _no_ advantage over a 30
year-old character, and many disadvantages. Aging starts to set in at age
35. I found an age of 30 for a fighter, and 40 to 45 for an
alchemist/cleric, worked quite well.
For clerics, I found the "Hermit" path worked quite well. The "Hermit"
profession has the singular advantage amongst holy avocations of giving a
"+1" to strength - this lets a clerical hermit reduce the effects of
aging.
Some of your skills will go up drastically with adventuring (namely
weapons skills), but many of the others will go up very little if at all.
Pump the maximum possible into virtue, healing, and alchemy - you use them
constantly, and they very rarely increase, and then only a little. I had
all characters, regardless of profession, pump "virtue" to the max, and it
worked well.
I found it pays to have your party members specialize in different
types of weapons. One in edged weapons, one in impact, one in pole, and so
forth. First of all, some potions/saints only help one type of weapon.
Second of all, rescued merchant caravans will reward you with a _very_
nice weapon, not of your choosing - it is a terrible waste not to be able
to use it.
SAINT TIPS
As the rules suggest, "spread the wealth", sharing your saintly
knowledge amongst all four members. Firstly, four people can pray four
times more often than one. Secondly, you reduce the effect if your cleric
dies - all that hard-wasted study gone forever!
Some of the more useful saints are Clare (healing), Dunstan (armor),
and Raymond Lull (alchemy). Try to have knowledge which spans a variety of
categories - one who helps against flame, one who helps cross water, one
who is good against satanic foes, one who helps with charisma, etc.
Don't forget about Saints days. Potion making on June 30th (Raymond
Lull's day) is highly recommended.
If you give a florin to the monks at the Kloster, any Request for
study becomes a sure thing. This is expensive, but in later stages of the
game, when you are rolling in clover (I had well over 300 florins), it's
worth it.
ALCHEMY TIPS
Alchemical potions fall into 4 classes: damage-enemy (Thunderbolt,
Breath of Death), weaken-enemy (Fleadust, Sunburst, Noxious Aroma),
strengthen-self (HardArmor, IronArm, Deadly Blade), and healing (New Wind,
Essence of Grace). I found some of these definitely preferable to others:
DAMAGE-ENEMY. I was disappointed in how little damage "Thunderbolt"
and "Breath of Death" do. "Breath of Death", especially, which is hard to
learn, hard to make, and expensive to make, doesn't really do that much
damage when all is said and done. Don't get too carried away with these.
WEAKEN-ENEMY. These potions don't help that much either. First of all,
they only last for a very limited time. Second of all, unless you time
things just right, the potion will "spray" some of your own party members
in addition to the enemy. A notable exception to this is "Sunburst", a
truly wonderful potion. Your party is not affected by it, and it is
tremendously useful against enemy alchemists. If you stock up with many
Sunbursts and Thunderbolts, you can lob Sunburst-Thunderbolt-Thunderbolt
at the enemy, repeating the process until the enemy alchemist keels over.
This is very expensive, but in some important battles it's worth it.
Against heavily armored foes, "Eater Water" and "Fleadust" can be very
useful. They both have their problems, however: "Eater Water" _
permanently_ corrodes their armor. Keep this in mind, in case you think
you'll want it for yourself. "Fleadust" is great, but has a limited range,
temporally and spatially.
"Stone-Tar" is worthless in combat, but very useful in getting out of
traps - use it for that.
STRENGTHEN-SELF. These are great! If at all possible, use them before
entering any major combat. IronArm is probably the best of the bunch, if
you have a choice.
HEALING. I found "Essence of Grace" a better 'bargain' then "New-
Wind". It heals much better, and doesn't cost that much more to make. If
you are entering a major combat, I found it paid to go in with as many
healing potions as you can possibly make - 40 is a nice number. Once you
enter a major combat you will fight many, many combats without a chance to
leave - you will really need all those healing potions.
Try to wait to buy a philosopher's stone until you have found a
reasonably-sized city that sells a good one - otherwise, your earlier
investment is wasted. I wouldn't buy a stone that costs less than 2.5
florins.
If you decide to "hole up" for a while in a city and make a bunch of
potions, make sure that first you have (a) bought the necessary
ingredients, and (b) have something for the other party members to do -
you've gotten tutoring at the appropriate places. If settling in for a
long stint, it often pays to have a party member pray to an alchemical
saint at the start - the stay will be long enough the recover the divine
favor incurred, and the alchemical benefit seems to last for 2 or 3 days
when you pack it together in a concerted burst like this.
COMBAT TIPS
There are a few techniques to keep in mind when slugging your way
through a fight:
-) party members may transfer inventory between themselves at all
times, even when in combat, even if not physically adjacent! This is a bit
of a bug, but you can exploit it if you wish to. Run out of healing
potions? Transfer one over from another character.
-) similarly, party members can change their armament at any time, _
including_ in the middle of a combat! If your character gets splashed
with an armor-corroding potion, or takes an "ironarm" potion and becomes
super-strong, you can have them switch suits of armor while in the middle
of combat. This is particularly useful when fighting certain powerful
opponents, who will strip the armor off you while you're fighting them.
Nice to have a spare suit of plate mail in your hip pocket.
-) Line-of-sight blocks arrows and potions. This is generally a big
pain for your side, but there is a time when you can turn it to your
advantage. When you meet hostile alchemists, dodge behind cover
immediately. There are usually plenty of nearby trees and walls, which
will prevent the alchemist from lobbing his potions at you. Wait for his
bodyguards to engage you and kill them - you can then charge the
alchemist, suffering minimal damage.
DUNGEON COMBAT TIPS
When fighting in a castle or a subterranean dungeon, _use the
doorways_. I would commonly station my party as follows:
|--door--|
A B
.
.
.
.
C, D
Where A and B are fighters, and C/D are alchemists/bowmen. The enemy will
come at you through the doorway. If you are careful about the placement of
A and B, you can intercept the enemy one at a time. If you are lucky, you
can have all 4 party members attacking just one enemy character. If the
enemy attacks "A", have "B" go "Berserk", and vice versa. Using this
technique, You can kill rooms full of enemy fighters with much more
success than if you had engaged them directly.
Sometimes, "A" or "B" will get into a one-on-one in the doorway, where
your other members cannot participate. In this case, use the "flee"
command to have "A"/"B" run away from the door, far enough that your other
party members can join the battle.
TIPS ON WITCHES
I'm going to try not to give spoilers here. A few general pointers:
-) If you go to a Witch's Sabat, remember who speaks at it - this
knowledge will be useful later.
-) There is no reason, it turns out, to go to more than 1 Sabat, or
clear out more than 1 evil Monastery.
-) At the evil Monastery, you may find that a certain piece of
knowledge is held by the "captain of the outer courtyard". There is no way
to meet this captain (that I found), let alone to get this knowledge from
him. Try to guess it for yourself.
-) Before going to meet your "Ultimate Fate", make sure your party is
well-stocked with saints which are good against flame and satanic foes.
-) <minor spoiler here>. If you succeed at the ending quest, your
party will not have any money. Go on a spending spree before you go in:
it's all going anyway!
RANDOM TIPS
-) Whenever possible, charge to the rescue of merchant caravans. If
you win, you get some good money, and a wonderful weapon.
-) Whenever possible, escort pilgrims. This provides one of the rare
ways to improve your virtue, and costs only time.
-) don't forget that each town has two sources of _different_
alchemical ingredients. The pharmacist has his set, and the foreign
traders have theirs - each may offer things the other does not. I found it
was worth the book-keeping effort to keep a "master chart", indicating
which ingredients were available from whom in which city.
-) Similarly, remember which cities know about which Saints. If you
get a holy relic belonging to St. Gabriel, it's very handy to know where
knowledge of St. Gabriel can be acquired!
-) demons are wimps. Don't waste potions on them: just kill 'em.
-) in order to kill the most possible bandits in one evening, use the
"grove of woods". Go to it and then immediately leave it along a side
street. In this way, you can fight a combat each hour. If you are lucky,
you can fight 8 battles in one evening. 32 suits of armor, and 8
opportunities to raise weapons skills, are not to be sneezed at!
-) use the "letter of credit" from the Fuggers - only keep 5 florins
or so cash on hand. A number of the prices in the game (studying at the
monastery, buying an alchemical recipe, and others) vary depending on how
much cash you have on hand.
Happy Adventuring!
This article is Copyright (C) 1992 by Ken Fishkin. All rights reserved.
We're pleased this month to aim our reviewer spotlight on Ken Fishkin
who has been an active Game Bytes contributor from the very beginning.
We applaud his dedication to making Game Bytes a productive and
enjoyable gaming tool, and we certainly appreciate his quality writing
style and thoroughness.
Ken, tell us about yourself:
"I am a researcher in Computer Graphics at Xerox PARC, who has been
playing computer games for more years than I care to remember. I am most
attracted by strategic simulations: with rare exceptions, arcade games
don't interest me. The most important features to me are replay value,
differing levels of difficulty, a good computer opponent, and good
graphics. I don't really care about sound or modem support. My favorite
all-time games are "Railroad Tycoon", "Pirates!", "The Lost Admiral",
"Reach for the Stars", and "Welltris". Currently, I am splitting my time
between "Darklands" (like it) and "B17 flying fortress" (love it)."
Five Fighter Aircraft Simulations
Reviewed by Jim Knutson
I've played F15 Strike Eagle II, F19 Stealth Fighter, Falcon AT, Jet
Fighter II, and Falcon 3.0. I also have MS Flight Simulator 4. I play
most of them using a 286 with an EGA.
F19 STEALTH FIGHTER
For sheer tension and mind game, I like F19. You are given the goals of
your mission and then you get to plan and execute it. You can fly
combat, limited conflict, and spy type missions. From this, you select
air-to-air or air-to-ground missions (although air-to-air includes an
air-to-ground secondary target). Mission goals vary with the state of
war and A/A or A/G mission type.
For combat, you try to score as many kills as possible while taking out
your primary and secondary targets.
For limited combat, you may only take out targets of military value.
For spy missions, you basically need to fly the whole mission undetected.
If you are detected, then you can correct the mistake by taking out what
detected you. When flying against an elite enemy, this is VERY
difficult.
Mission planning lets you get briefings on various troop concentrations,
active radar sites and air bases. You try to avoid these as much as
possible. However, patrolling aircraft typically force you to deviate
from your flight plan in some way so you need to be able to use all your
wits to avoid detection and escape when detected.
Enemy aircraft and pilot skill are somewhat predictable in flight.
However, you have limited flight performance which tends to even things
out.
Weapons damage is very lopsided. An enemy SAM/radar missile/ heating
seeking missile always just damages your aircraft. Your missiles always
destroy an enemy aircraft. Your guns only have to come close to get a
kill. Their guns have to hit you again and again. I think the enemy has
unlimited fuel and weapons. You don't (unless you're training).
There is a wide variety of enemy aircraft and the types vary from theater
to theater. Their are four theaters of operation: North Cape (Norway,
Sweden, Finland), Europe, Mid East (Iran), and Libya. Ground targets
carry with location as well.
The theater playing area is bounded. If you run in to the edge of the
area, you stop traveling in that x or y direction (i.e. you start moving
sideways). Typically the missions don't take you that close to the edge.
There is a ceiling, but you don't get that high unless you are just
messing around.
There is a wide variety of weapons loads available although I usually
just take mavericks and A/A missiles. Weapons delivery tactics can vary
as well. High/Low altitude bomb drop, dive bomb, and toss bombing all
work and each weapon typically works best with a particular style of
delivery.
There are a large number of views that may be used as well, but most are
not useful during dogfights. I usually use them when taking out a ground
target when I want to watch it from the weapons or enemies view point.
Terrain has no bearing on radar detection so flying on the other side of
the mountains doesn't help. Basically, altitude and orientation are all
you have to minimize your radar signature. Turbulence is simulated at
low altitudes. Autopilot will follow the way points at the current
altitude.
Flight handling is pretty good. It's smooth on a 286 and the color is
not bad. Sound is pretty good even though I don't have a sound board.
F15 STRIKE EAGLE II
This is mostly the same thing as F19, but with an upgraded aircraft. I
didn't play this much before returning it because it was more like an
arcade style shoot em up.
FALCON AT
I bought this because it had a much better idea of what dogfighting was
all about. The HUD was pretty much fully implemented as on a typical
fighter.
Enemy fighters appear out of nowhere (literally! and typically behind
you) so it's pretty much useless to piddle with radar trying to find them
before they find you.
Enemy aircraft vary their defensive flight strategy more than F19.
However, it almost always gets down to a turning duel with the enemy
aircraft either sticking it out until I take him out, or he tries to
extend and escape (no way). However, on occasion, they try doing a
scissors or yo-yo. When there are two enemy aircraft flying together,
they tend to work as a pair in their strategy which makes it more
difficult to shoot them down. Enemy weapons seem pretty similar to
yours. They also seem to have limited weapons and fuel.
There is a flight recorder that lets you review the flight path of your
engagements. It is always on, but stores a limited amount of time, so
you typically review while in flight. I found this to be only mildly
useful.
Missions in this game are fixed. However, the damage from one mission
stays there for several other missions until it is repaired. This is
more realistic than F19 where damage only exists for the life of the
mission.
I found control in this game to be very tough. Lining up a SAM site for
a maverick launch was extremely difficult and SAM avoidance was tough
too.
There is a much more limited set of ordinance and enemy aircraft in
Falcon AT than F19, but the delivery of that ordinance is much more
realistic. Playing area is limited as well, but terrain wraps.
The ILS doesn't work right.
Autopilot will follow the way points at the current altitude unless an
enemy aircraft is up. In this case, it will follow the enemy aircraft.
Falcon AT also supports head-to-head two player over modem style flights.
I've never had a chance to try it out though.
JET FIGHTER II
The best part of this simulator is the graphics. That is, if you have a
VGA display. On an EGA display, it's worse than any other I've played.
It's very hard to read the instrument panel because the lettering is so
dark. Turning up contrast and brightness didn't help.
The game has three aircraft types for you to choose from: YF22 (or is it
23?, it's the one that WASN'T selected), F14, and F18.
It has a campaign style interaction where how well you do on a mission
affects your advancement. The scenario is that terrorists have taken
over California and you have to eradicate them.
The instruments are simplistic and aircraft performance seems way off to
me.
Weapons delivery is poor. You guess when to fire missiles and bombs.
The ranges are all wrong. There is NO air-to-ground sighting mechanism
at all so you have to guess how to line up and when to drop.
FALCON 3.0
Of all the flight simulators I've used so far, this has appealed to me
the most. However, it's in a separate class. It requires a VGA display
and more than likely won't run well enough for most fliers on a 286
machine. I play on a 386/40 with a VGA display. It takes ~11MB of disk
space and has animated video and digitized voice and sound that can play
over the internal speaker. I don't have a sound board. You can
configure the system for more or less detail and more or less realistic
flight models depending on your hardware and skill. It also has specific
support for the Thrustmaster flight control system which I use and have
found to work quite well for Falcon 3.0 (not so well with the others
above).
There are two styles of play. One is arcade style shoot-em-up where you
are thrown in the middle of everything and have to fight your way out.
The other is campaign style.
There are some interesting features that make this simulation stand out
above all the rest. The first is that you are not the lone ranger. You
fly with one pilot out of a squadron of pilots on every mission. You may
or may not have a wingman, but if you do, you can tell your wingman what
to do which gives you much more control over and attack. The second
interesting feature is the padlock display which lets you keep your eye
on a target no matter what the relation is to your aircraft (aside from
being under it where you can't see). This is extremely useful in
dogfights and is more like how a real pilot would work (but it's not all
the way there yet). Third, you can not only play two players over a
modem (head to head or cooperate), but you can play multiple players over
a net.
There are 3 areas of operation that you can fly in. Red Flag lets you
fly training missions (the Air Force equivalent of Top Gun). You can
also fly in Panama, Israel, and Iraq.
Mission planning lets you set way points, altitudes, and operations for
all flights (there can be more than one) of a mission. For Red Flag, you
also get to setup the enemy and targets you want to go up against. There
is a new dimension here with the ability to control more than one flight.
This becomes very interesting as we see later.
Enemy tactics are better here. They do more vertical maneuvers and
almost always fly in groups. The style of their attack depends on what
they are tasked to do (CAP, escort, etc.). Enemy skill is configurable.
There is a fairly good selection of weapons available for you to use and
the HUD has good support for them. Weapons damage seems comparable for
both sides. Enemy weapons effectiveness is configurable. SAM and AAA
are nasty, but configurable.
Supplies are limited in quantity with scheduled deliveries for
replenishment. Care needs to be taken when deciding what to use and how
much.
Weapons delivery methods are somewhat limited. I haven't been able to do
a toss bomb, and a shallow dive seems to be a requirement for free fall
bombs. Targeting with air to ground missiles is much easier than with
Falcon AT, but harder than F19. You almost need to point your nose at
your target before a lock on occurs. Lock on seems limited within the
HUD field of view.
Target recognition plays a larger role now. Not only are you no longer
flying a mission alone, but other allied aircraft may be flying in the
area on their own missions and allied ground troops may be having a
ground battle with the enemy that you are supposed to take out. I have
found visual recognition to be difficult if not impossible. It is also
extremely hazardous to make a low level pass to visually identify ground
targets and then come back to hit them.
There is a large variety of air (including helicopters) and surface
machines on both the enemy and allied side. Allied stuff will help you
when they can. This is not so for F19 and Jet Fighter II.
View control is pretty good. I especially like the padlock view which
lets you watch something and its relation to your aircraft while you fly.
However, it has not been useful for tracking anything more than other
aircraft until patch D (which I have yet to try). You get the standard 4
quarters views plus look down and up. You can also view the locked
target and there is a target perspective view and a missile view.
Graphics is quite good. With all the detail on, you get graduated
horizon and clouds that "fog" the screen as you fly through them.
Autopilot is good enough to fly the whole mission for you, including
weapons delivery, defensive maneuvering and landing.
There are 3 radar modes which can be used depending on how much work you
want to do and how useful you want it to be. The easiest mode is a 360
degree top down view. The second is a forward looking automatic control
and the third is the you do it yourself mode. The radar itself can be in
ground mapping mode, search, and boresight. You can control range,
elevation and sweep when you do it all yourself.
Terrain does effect radar and you can use it to mask yourself and sneak
up on the enemy troops.
There is a flight recorder that uses extended memory to record your
flight. You control the recorder. After a flight, you can save what was
recorded for review from the cockpit or externally and you can view your
relation with other aircraft in the area at the time as well. It is
quite good for reviewing your performance. Too bad their isn't an AI
instructor to rate you as well.
In the campaign mode, every mission affects what the next missions are
going to be. Doing well in the air means that you don't have to fight
off so many aircraft when doing close air support. Doing well for close
air support means that you gain ground. At least something like that.
If you don't do well, then you get stomped.
When you fly, you act as one of the pilots of the squadron you are using.
Each flight gives that pilot more experience. The experience is based on
how well you do. There is also pilot fatigue to be factored in. Too
many missions may make a pilot careless. This is important given that
many missions require more than one flight in the air at the same time.
All in all, this has been the most exciting of the simulators I have
flown. It certainly seems to be the most realistic.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jim Knutson. All rights reserved.
WING COMMANDER I & II: THE ULTIMATE STRATEGY GUIDE
By Mike Harrison
Published by Prima Publishing
Reviewed by Sir Launcelot Du Lake
Humanity has encountered an implacable enemy among the stars! The
catlike Kilrathi are bent on universal conquest, and only the heroic
fighter pilots of the Terran Confederacy stand in their way. Hit
the afterburners, power up the shields, and test the lasers as you
prepare to do battle ....
--- blurb from the book
Wing Commander, the envelope-bursting phenomenon from Origin, has
captured the heart of the entertainment software world. This series
epitomizes the gradual evolution of computer gaming into the new
Hollywood, where cinematic story-telling and breathtaking special effects
play a significant role in the overall gaming experience. Author Mike
Harrison first takes us through the escapades of the fictitious Lt. Col.
Carl T. LaFong, followed by a behind the scenes look into the experiences
of Chris Roberts and his team, which rivals a motion picture crew in
complexity, in the making of Wing Commander I and II.
The Memoirs of Lt. Col. Carl T. `Prankster' LaFong
This section begins with a very nice and sometimes humorous narrative of
the years which our protagonist spent in the Academy. The basic tactics
of space combat are presented, and gamers would do well to take note of
the poignant lessons contained herein, especially the after-burner slide
- a maneuver that will make the
difference between life and death in the
cold vacuum of space. Enemy tactics, including those of Kilrathi aces,
are also discussed.
We are then given a mission by mission account of all the campaigns in
the Vega sector (Wing Commander), Operation Thor's Hammer (Secret
Missions 1), the Firekka Missions (Secret Missions 2: Crusade), and those
in Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi. A map of each mission
is provided, which shows the types and number of enemies that will be
encountered, as well as what must be accomplished to stay on the winning
path. Tactics for defeating major capital ships are also woven into the
fiction.
The fiction and strategy has been very well incorporated into each other,
and even if one has successfully finished both games, like myself, it is
still enjoyable to read this first section as a short novel.
Software Meets the Movies
Part 2 comprises an interview with Chris Roberts, and a behind the scenes
look at the production of both games. In the interview, one takes a look
at Roberts' past and beginnings, including his earlier games, Times of
Lore and Bad Blood. He then talks about the vision behind Wing
Commander; it was actually named Squadron initially, and then Wingleader
before the final name was settled. We also find out that the Secret
Missions would have been made available only direct from Origin if he had
not objected.
A very interesting account of the development process from inception to
completion follows the interview. Here we get to know more about the
personalities involved in the various departments responsible for audio,
sound effects, graphics, art etc. Anecdotes of events occurring during
the games' development are also provided.
A bonus for those who have spent hours trying to get past a particular
mission is the list of short-cut commands or cheat keys at the end of the
book. But Origin has warned that using them may crash your system, ruin
your game, or even destroy your hard disk. If you use them, you do so at
your own risk.
Final Analysis
Bottom-line, a great way to relax after breaking joysticks trying to get
that Kilrathi ace, and a definite must for the serious collector and all
aficionados.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Sir Launcelot Du Lake. All rights
reserved.
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Call today!
The 1992 Game Bytes Game of the Year Awards
While we won't make it on national T.V., and there's no way Dana Carvey
will even return my phone calls, we are proceeding, nonetheless, with our
1st Annual Game of the Year awards. However, unlike Hollywood, the
decision to see who wins this most prestigious award will not be made by
the 'beautiful people' or the cultural elite. No, in our awards, it's
simple. The winner is who gets the most votes. No electoral college
here.
The process works something like this:
Nominations will be accepted in the following categories -
Adventure
Fantasy Role-Playing
Sports
Action/Arcade
Strategy/Wargame
Edutainment
and finally,
Overall Game of the Year, 1992.
To qualify, a game had to begin shipping between December 1st, 1991 and
November 30, 1992. To nominate any title in these categories, either
electronically communicate with us via different services (addresses
listed below), or write us at:
Game Bytes
108 Castleton Drive
Harvest, AL 35749
Nominations will be accepted up to November 30, 1992. Then we will take
the top three vote getters in each category and announce the finalists.
You will then have from December 1st, 1992 through January 31st, 1993 to
vote for your favorite of the finalists. Then we'll announce the winners
in the February issue of Game Bytes. Actual awards will be created and
sent to each award winner. So, get your nominations in now and let's
show these developers that there's a HUGE reading audience for Game Bytes.
Let yourself be heard.
Here are the electronic addresses that we can receive your vote through:
Compuserve: 71441,1537
Internet: ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com
America On-Line: RossGBytes
EXEC-PC BBS: Ross Erickson
Software Creations: Ross Erickson
GEnie users - Hold on, we're working on getting our account imminently.
We look forward to receiving _thousands_ of votes for your game nomination
and ultimately your vote. Thanks for participating with us.
Special Thanks To.....
As usual, we couldn't produce a single issue of Game Bytes without the
terrific support from our readers, reviewers, and others who make it
all happen. As always, my hat's off to you.
In no particular order...
Mike McCole Danny Bartel Chris Eberhardt
Lee Ka Hing Tan Choon Kiat Kish Shen
Lars Fredlund Maurice Blok Dick Sudbury
Daniel Starr Robert Spencer Thom Vaught
Lisa Erickson Marc Goldman David Masten
Johnny Georgi Ross Becker Ken Fishkin
Richard Hsia Jim Knutson David Ondzes
Jeanne Wyvern Chuck McMath David D'Antonio
Kevin Dorf Jon Lundy Richard Link
Jeremy Horowitz John Brassil Adam Bryant
Tom Tanida Richard Wyckoff Tim Clickenpeel
Steve Jonke Alan Fusco David Pipes
Jeremy Reimer Mitch Aigner Darryl Okahata
Sir Launcelot Du Lake
A Hearty Thanks from Game Bytes!!
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT GAME BYTES?
The positive response we've received from so many around the world has
given us great hope for continuing to publish Game Bytes. As you man
know, there is no income generated through any means for this publication
to continue, yet there are significant expenses, both monetarily and
time. We would like to resist changing our strategy indefinitely, but
expenses are getting tight.
If you enjoy Game Bytes and feel it is of some value to you, please
consider making a donation or contribution of some kind to our cause to
help keep Game Bytes alive. We need your assistance. Your welcome
contributions can be sent to:
Game Bytes
108 Castleton Drive
Harvest, AL 35749
In return for your donation of $15.00 or more, we'll make sure we mail you
directly the next issue of Game Bytes.
Thanks for helping us keep Game Bytes alive.
Ross Erickson
Editor and Publisher, Game Bytes
ACCOLADE
Accolade's new sports simulation invites computer owners to take the
summer challenge
Price and Availability: IBM PC and compatible computers - $54.95
San Jose, CA - October 1, 1992 -- Accolade today announced the release of
Summer Challenge, a simulation that pits the world's best athletes against
each other and the stopwatch in an international contest for the gold
medal. Race to your personal computer and get ready to compete in eight
of the most grueling summer sport events including the Pole Vault, High
Jump, Javelin, 400 Meter Hurdles, Cycling, Kayaking, Equestrian and
Archery.
In Summer Challenge, up to 10 players can compete, one at a time, each in
control of his/her own world-class athlete. Players are selected from a
roster containing the athlete's name and country of origin and can compete
in one of two modes of play - training (practice each event) or tournament
(compete against computer or human opponents). In the eight-event
tournament mode, you can compete against computer athletes on three
different skill levels.
To provide a true feeling of being in the heat of the competition, Summer
Challenge contains actual digitized footage of contestants, captured from
live video of athletes performing in those same events. "The simulation
of speed and motion really makes you feel like you're in the shoes of the
competitor, as you maneuver your kayak between the gates or as you run and
jump over hurdles, "said Pam Levins, producer of the game.
Summer Challenge is designed for Accolade by MindSpan, the developers of
Winter Challenge and this years smash hit, Al Michaels Announces HardBall
III. Incredible attention has been paid to detail, duplicating as closely
as possible the movements, tactics and strategy of the real events. A
blend of 3-D polygon-fill graphics and digitized bit-mapped images in 256-
color VGA graphics, together with digitized sound effects, complete a
super realistic environment.
Summber Challenge includes an Instant Replay feature to allow players to
re-live the glory of their best performances again and again. This high
caliber athletic event is complete with the pomp and circumstance of the
opening and closing cermonies.
Consumers may also enter Accolade's "Summer Challenge" whereby athletes
with the best combined score in the Cycling, Kayaking and Pole Vault
events can win a variety of prizes including, a Specialized bicycle,
athletic shoes and one-of-a-kind Summer Challenge T-shirts. Additional
details will be placed in specialty marked packages. All entries must be
submitted by January 31, 1993.
Summer Challenge can be purchased at local software retailers or can be
ordered directly from Accolade by calling 1-800-245-7744.
EASN ELECTRONIC ARTS SPORTS NETWORK
HOCKEY STARS ADD THEIR PERSONALITIES TO NHLPA HOCKEY '93
San Mateo, CA September 25, 1992 - Hockey's most impressive players,
including all-stars Mark Messier, Jaromir Jagr, Ed Belfour and Trevor
Linden add their high-scoring, hard-checking talents to the world's
leading hockey videogame, as Electronic Arts Sports Network announced
today the release of HNLPA HOCKEY '93 for the Sega Genesis.
The National Hockey League Players Association and Electronic Arts have
teamed up to deliver this exciting new sequel to EASN's NHL Hockey.
The game features complete 1992 rosters; tougher, more aggressive goalies
that dive and lunge after shots; injuries and realistic organ music.
There's also instant replay, commentary and scouting reports from EASN
announcer Ron Barr, and lifelike arenas - even the trademark EASN Zamboni,
which shows up to smooth the ice in between periods.
Skill of players such as Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch, Paul Coffey, Adam
Oates, Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick are measured by 14 attributes,
including shot power, skating speed and stick handling. Game players will
now have to take into account the personal skills and attitudes of their
team members - and the opposition - when playing the game.
New controls allow players to utilize new stick checking and other
defensive maneuvers. Game players can now track and compile complete
player statistics throughout the playoffs. And watch out - if you smash
your slap shot too hard, you could shatter the glass behind the goal!
NHLPA HOCKEY '93's artificial intelligence has been upgraded to offer a
tougher challenge for highly competitive hockey fans. Goalies lunge for
the high slap shot and defensemen are more aggressive. The harder-hitting
computer team now more effectively exploits power plays and capitalizes on
scoring chances.
The Sega Genesis version features signature moves such as Kevin Stevens'
powerful slap shot, Bob Probert's intimidating body checks and Bob
Essensa's graceful defensive moves in the goal. It also offers sharper
graphics, an improved set-up screen to make it easier for players to get
started and even home-ice advantage.
SRP: $59.95 Availability: Sega Genesis
4 Meg w/ Insta-Save
CINEPLAY INTERACTIVE
New Computer Game Predicts '92 Election Results
Portland, OR
Could Perot win if he plays his cards right? Can Clinton hold on to his
lead? If you think that you could run a better campaign than George Bush,
Bill Clinton or Ross Perot, now's your chance to prove it.
The newly-released computer game Power Politics predicts the outcome of
this year's race for the White House, allowing armchair politicians to
test their strategies in a complete simulation of presidential campaign
politics. You can find out how Perot could still be elected to the oval
office, and learn if Bush can come back to win reelection.
The creative team at Cineplay Interactive, the Portland, Oregon computer
game publisher, has come up with this new Windows product for IBM PC's and
PC compatibles. The game allows up to three players to pit the candidates
of their choice against each other to find out who wins the 1992 election,
or one person can play against the computer. You can stage a two-way race
between Bush and Clinton, or find out what will happen in the three-way
race with Ross Perot or another third party candidate.
"We're just taking one of the nation's favorite pastimes, armchair
politicking, one step further," says Cineplay President Kellyn Beck.
"Political campaigns are the ultimate gamesmanship, and Power Politics is
a complete computer simulation of the presidential election process. It
even includes spin doctors and dirty tricks."
In Power Politics, players travel around the country making campaign
appearances, and the computer simulates voter responses as candidates try
to put the right "spin" on issues like abortion rights and the
environment.
The games's realism comes from attention to detail and accuracy. A team
of researchers compiled demographic data for all 50 states and the
District of Columbia to simulate voting trends in all major cities,
ensuring the games's authenticity. Just like in the real election,
players can make speeches, buy network advertising, stage fund raisers,
dig up dirt on their opponents and engage in negative campainging.
Dirty tricks are available, from planting bugs in an opponents
headquarters to bribing reporters and accepting illegal contributions.
And just like in real life, dirty tricks can result in a disaster of
Watergate proportions. Players have an array of real-life candidates to
march through their steps, including George Bush, Bill Clinton, Ross Perot
and every presidential hopeful from 1960 to 1992. The impact of vice
presidential selections is also included, and that leads to some
intriguing variations, according to Cineplay. For example, players can
try out what would happen if Bush ran with a vice presidential sidekick
other than Quayle.
After this year's election is over, Power Politics will continue to
intrigue armchair politicians. You can create your own candidates, replay
historical election matchups like JFK vs. Nixon and Reagan vs. Carter, or
match up Nixon or JFK in an election against this year's candidates. You
can even run for president yourself!
To keep things realistic, each candidate's strengths and weaknesses are
reflected in the simulation. Contenders are rated for speaking,
experience, charisma, stamina, debating, fund raising, character, image,
media use and organization. Candidates are also ranked from ultra
conservative to ultra liberal according to their stands on 13 key issues.
The simulation includes Cineplay's trademarked Candidate Creator, which
lets you set up your own candidates, with campaign abilities and stands on
the issues you choose yourself.
The range of strategies is limited only by imagination. During each move,
which represents one day in the campaign, players can set up their travel
plans, schedule appearances, and manage campaign expenditures. A map of
the United States allows them to click on key states for campaigning.
When the campaign is over, the winner is chosen by the electoral college,
and in the case of a deadlock, the computer simulates the next step,
selection of a president by the House of Representatives.
Power Politics runs in Windows on IBM and compatibles, and the suggested
retail price is $49.95.
DYNAMIX
Dynamix's hit WWI. flight simulator gets major features upgrade - Red
Baron Mission Builder -
EUGENE, OR -- Dynamix Inc. today released the Red Baron Mission Builder,
an expansion disk for the award winning W.W.I. Flight Simulator, Red
Baron.
Returning to the action and excitement of W.W.I. aerial combat, the Red
Baron Mission Builder adds new challenge and control to the best-selling
program that has been three times honored as "simulation of the year."
Plugging into the original Red Baron program, the Red Baron Mission
Builder brings new aces, new planes and a feature-packed mission builder
to the hands of flight simulation fans.
A powerful, yet easy-to-use mission builder is one of the largest
additions to the original Red Baron program. Allowing players to control
nearly all aspects of a mission, it presents choices and options in simple
point-and-click menu system. Elements such as weather, mission type,
pilot skill, geographical location, way points and mission goals are
easily controlled by the user. With the vast number of settings, players
can now recreate history by constructing never before seen historical
missions and battles.
In addition to the feature-packed mission builder, the new expansion disk
also allows players to take to the skies in five new planes including the
Fokker D. VIII, Nieuport 28 or the Siemens Schuckert D. III. The new
planes are joined by new German and allied aces such as Captain D.M.
MacLaren, William George Barker and R. von Schleich.
The finishing touch to the new Red Baron is the addition of rudder and
dual joystick support. A highly requested feature, the new controls
provide even greater realism to the W.W.I. dog-fighting experience.
Red Baron Mission Builder is now available for IBM compatibles in both 3.
5" low density and 5.25" high density versions at a suggested retail price
of $29.95. It requires a VGA version of the original Red Baron program, a
286 system with 640K and a hard drive. A mouse of joystick are highly
recommended. Sound support inclues: Roland MT-32/LAPC-l/CM-32L, Ad-Lib,
Sound Blaster, Thunder Board, Pro Audio Spectrum and PS/1.
Dynamix Inc. located in Eugene, Oregon is a division of Sierra-On-Line,
Inc., developer of quality entertainment products for the home computer
entertainment market. Sierra-On-Line is one of the oldest and largest
developers and publishers of home computer applications.
SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE
Spectrum HoloByte Receives $4 million in Funding
Company Will Leverage Simulation Technology in Interactive Entertainment
Market
ALAMEDA, Calif., Sept, 24, 1992 -- Spectrum HoloByte Inc., formerly known
as Sphere Inc., today announced it has closed a $4 million round of equity
funding. The funds will be used to support marketing, sales and product
development in the interactive entertainment market, as well as to
purchase shares formerly held by SWICO, Sphere's parent company. SWICO,
charitable trust, has severed all ties with the Robert Maxwell family and
has cooperated in the completion of this transaction. The investment
group, led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, includes Integral
Partners, AT&T, Stanford University, James Clark and William Berkman--all
of whom have a special interest in developing the interactive
entertainment market.
"Spectrum HoloByte has the technology and the vision to become a leader in
the interactive entertainment industry," said Vinod Khosla, general
partner of Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. "We see tremendous
opportunity for this industry and feel Sectrum HoloByte is in a position
to be the leading application developer in this emerging market."
Spectrum HoloByte, a developer and manufacturer of interactive computer
simulation and video games software, is best known for its products
Falcon, the popular F-16 flight simulation, and Tetris, the famous game of
falling blocks. The company has a long-term agreement with Edison
Brothers of St. Louis to develop software for virtual-reality technology
for consumer use. Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment
that simulates the real world in a way that users can immerse themselves
in this artificial environment and interact with it as if it were real.
Most recently, the company entered into an agreement with Paramount
Pictures which provides Spectrum HoloByte the exclusive license to produce
computer video games using the name and characters from "Star Trek: The
Next Generation" television series.
"This financing positions the company to work with our new partners in
bringing products and technologies to the industry," said Gilman Louie,
president and chief executive officer of Spectrum HoloByte. "We see
interactive entertainment encompassing many technologies and applications,
including the consumer electronics, communications, entertainment and
computer industries. Spectrum HoloByte is known for its realistic
simulation technology -- one of the most critical technologies in
interactive entertainment. Our goal is to lead the development of the
interactive entertainment market by leveraging our technology and
expertise with key industry alliances."
Spectrum HoloByte, based in Alameda, Calif., is a privately held company
that develops and publishes interactive simulation and action-stragegy
software for the consumer market. Sales revenues for the 1991 calendar
year were $9.2 million.
WESSON INTERNATIONAL
International Sectors Available For TRACON Air Traffic Control Simulators
Austin, TX - Wesson International, Inc. announces the release of three new
add-on sector disks for all versions of TRACON - Air Traffic Control
Simulator. The new disks - Canadian, Pacific, and Australian - include a
total of 23 international sectors designed to operate with both TRACON for
Windows (version 1.04 or later) and TRACON II (PC version 2.04 or later,
Macintosh, and Amiga).
The Canadian Sector Disk contains airspace for Toronto, Quebec, Montreal,
Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Anchorage, Alaska. Included on the
Pacific Secotr Disk are Tokyo, Manila, Taipei, Singaport, Kuala Lumpur,
and three Hawaiian sectors - Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai. The Australian
Sector Disk, designed by Australian Air Traffic Control instructors,
includes Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Brisbane, as well as
three New Zealand sectors - Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch.
Each of the Sector Disks also includes complete voice files, and
customized Aircraft files that provide you with a much more realistic
traffic mix - including military and civilian aircraft - for each sector
and airport. No need to content yourself with U.S. aircraft types,
airlines, and callsigns when you're controlling an international sector.
Other TRACON Sector Disks available from Wesson International include
Eastern, Central, and Western United States, and the European Disk. The
U.S. Sector Disks contain 24 sectors, including Philadelphia, Washington,
D.C., New York City, Atlanta, Cleveland, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Nashville,
Jacksonville, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City,
Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, New Orleans, St. Louis, Salt Lake City,
Portland, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, and
Honolulu. Airspace included on the European Sector Disk includes
Amsterdam, London, Stockholm, Brussels, Rome, Paris, Athens, and Munich.
TRACON II, TRACON II Mac, and TRACON II Amiga include Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Boston sectors. TRACON for Windows
includes these five sectors, plus Seattle and three RAPCON (military)
sectors - Edwards AFB, Miramar NAS, and Pensacola NAS.
All disks may be ordered directly from Wesson International for $19.95
each, as the three-disk U.S. Selection for $39.95, or the four-disk
International Selection for $49.95 per set. Version upgrades are
available on request at no additional charge. Sectors are available on
both 3.5" and 5.25" disks. Both the Selection Sets will also be available
at retail software outlets in time for the holiday season.
TRACON for Windows is available directly from Wesson International at $59.
95. TRACON II, TRACON II Mac, and TRACON II Amiga are available at $69.
95.
Wesson International, Inc. 500 S. Capital of Texas Highway, Building 5,
Suite 200, Austin, Texas, 78746, 1-800-634-9808.
SIERRA ON-LINE
Sierra Ships Coktel's Gobliiins - French Adventure Le Delight For
Seriously Hard-Core Gamers
Oakhurst, CA - Possibly the most mind-bending adventure game that ever
landed on the shores of North America, Gobliiins, began shipping today for
MS-DOS. Gobliiins is the first of several products to be released by
Sierra under a distribution agreement with Coktel Vision, announced
earlier this year.
Imported from France, Gobliiins' unique interface and devilishly
delightful storyline plays a lot like an award-winning adventure game from
Sierra with the added feature of controlling three characters
simultaneously instead of one. "When I initially saw Gobliiins, it was so
much like one of our games, I wasn't sure if I should sue the company or
buy it," said Ken Williams, president and CEO of Sierra.
The objective of Gobliiins is to track down the dark force that's
gleefully abusing the good king's voodoo doll. To find the force, Hooter,
Dwayne and Bobo embark on a warped quest, filled with level after level of
truly twisted object, inventory and logic puzzles. Each of our star imps
has special skills that will help accomplish their mission. Hooter casts
spells. Dwayne can pick up objects and use them. Bobo has a mean right
hook. Individually, they're no match for the dark force. However, with
players' help and a little team work, no one can stop our heroes from
achieving their goal.
Gobliiins is so challenging, the box cover states: WARNING: Contains hard
puzzles for hard-core players! Expect the same level of difficulty in
Gobliiins 2, which is scheduled for a Spring release. Gobliiins is
shipping on two 3.5" or 5.25" high density disks. Hard disk, 286 or
better, mouse and VGA monitor required. All major sound cards are
supported. Suggested retail price is $39.95.
Sierra On-Line, located in Oakhurst, California, develops and publishes
entertainment and education products for home computers. It is one of the
oldest and largest developers of home computer applications.
SIERRA ON-LINE
KING'S QUEST VI SHIPS GOLD
Coarsegold, CA -- After duplicating a million and a half disks over the
past two weeks, Sierra On-Line today launched King's Quest VI: Heir Today,
Gone Tomorrow with an unprecedented number of pre-orders, setting the
stage for Gold Certification from the Software Plublishers Association.
As the newest member of Roberta Williams' award-winning series, King's
Quest VI stands firmly on the cutting edge of computer gaming with 18
megabytes of fun, nearly twice the size of King's Quest V.
Building on the success of the King's Quest Series, Williams expanded her
offering to fans by developing a previously unmatched storyline with
several optional subplots. "Players can take the easiest route to the end
of the game, but they will discover less than half of the puzzles and
regions," said Roberta Williams, who spent the 14 months co-designing
King's Quest VI with Jane Jensen (co-designer of EcoQuest: The Search for
Cetus). Williams added, "Our goal was to make it easy for people who were
beginners, yet include lots and lots of optional paths and puzzles for
those who wanted more of a challenge." As in any King's Quest, saving
often is safer than chellenging the creative talents of the games'
designers.
A dramatic opening cartoon, which lasts two minutes, sets the stage for an
adventure of a lifetime. Following the closing events in King's Quest V,
Prince Alexander mourns the loss of his love, Cassima. A vision draws him
towards her, and following a near fatal boat wreck, Alexander begins his
quest to uncover the mystery of the Land of the Green Isles and the fate
of Cassima. The plot unfolds as he learns of Cassima's pending marriage
to the evil vizier, the death of her parents and the on-coming civil war
between the once peaceful islands. Alexander embarks on an island-hopping
adventure facing the greatest challenges of his life.
The opening cartoon was rendered by Stanley Liu of Kronos, best known for
his work in "Batman Returns" and "Lawnmower Man." Providing a glimpse of
computer gaming of the future, its original 3-D rendered design used 1.2
gigabytes of hard disk space. For the disk version of the game, it has
been modified to fit on two high-density floppy disks. The sequence can
be deleted without affecting the game and frees more than 6 megabytes of
hard disk space.
To insure market success this Christmas, Sierra has implemented a
previously unmatched marketing effort for any product. The marketing plan
includes a nationwide retail promotion program and a comprehensive trade
and consumer public relations campaign for Roberta Williams and the King's
Quest series.
In one of two unique marketing campaigns, Sierra plans to connect
thousands of game players nationwide with their local radio stations.
Players with sound cards hear a sampling of 'Girl in the Tower,' the love
ballad, with prompting to call their local radio stations to hear the full
song. Station call letters and request line numbers are provided inside
the game box. Each of the 1000 radio stations listed has received a copy
of the song, making 'Girl in the Tower' the first computer game song to be
played on the radio.
Secondly, a limited edition lithograph titled 'Lord of the Dead' has been
produced in conjunction with San Francisco Art Exchange and will be
available by Christmas. Each of the 450 lithographs will be autographed
by Roberta Williams and sell for $300. For more information about 'Lord
of the Dead,' contact the San Francisco Art Exchange at (415) 441-8840.
King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow supports both 256-color VGA
and 16-color EGA on the same set of the disks. The game is shipping on
nine 3.5" or eleven 5.25" disks. All major sound cards are supported.
Requires a 286 or better with a hard disk. Mouse recommended. Suggested
retail price is $79.95. The CD-ROM version of King's Quest VI with an
enhanced opening cartoon, complete voice track and additional music, will
be available in early 1993.
Sierra On-Line, located in Oakhurst, California, develops and publishes
entertainment and education products for home computers. It is one of the
oldest and largest developers of home computer applications.
INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS SIGNS CINEPLAY
Santa Ana, CA - September 3, 1992 - Interplay Productions announced today
the signing of an agreement with Cineplay Interactive, a division of Will
Vinton Studios for exclusive distribution of new products developed over
the next two years. The first title is Cineplay's upcoming release Power
Politics, a Windows product that allows up to three players to pit the
presidential candidates of their choice against each other to find who
wins the election.
Kellyn Beck, platinum-selling game designer and President of Cineplay
Interactive states "We are excited about our new relationship with
Interplay on several levels. This is an important step toward creating
greater visibility for Cineplay products, but more importantly, it is
acreative partnership that will result in an exciting new direction for
our organization."
According to Brian Fargo, President and Founder of Interplay Productions
"From a strategic standpoint, our two companies are an ideal match. As we
get more involved with caly animation, we could not have asked for a
better partner. And as we maintain our aggressive pursuit to stay abreast
of state of the art technology, we believe we have valuable expertise to
offer Cineplay as they get more involved in computer animation. We look
forward to a long, solid relationship, creatively working together on
future projects."
Adds Phil Adam, Interplay's Vice President of Sales and Marketing "We are
pleased to have Cineplay on board as an addition to our affiliate label
roster. As we continue to grow the company, we will be evaluating solid
players like Cineplay."
Cineplay Interactive is the brainchild of Kellyn Beck and Oscar-winning
filmmaker Will Vinton, creator of the dimensional animation art of
Claymation.
Interplay Productions is a dynamic software company dedicated to creating
the most challenging and entertaining computer games on the market.
LUCASARTS TO RELEASE FIRST TRULY INTERACTIVE CARTOON
Day of the Tentacle "Explodes" on the Small Screen
San Rafael, CA - The Answer: Exploding cigars, power-hungry tentacles,
port-o-potty time machines, human pet shows, a mad scientist and the
drafting of the U.S. Constitution. The Question: What are some of the
things you'll come across in the newest graphic adventure from LucasArts
Games, Day of the Tentacle: Maniac Mansion 2. Day of the Tentacle will
be released for IBM and compatibles in the spring of 1993.
Dubbed the first truly interactive cartoon, Day of the Tentacle features a
cast of expressive, hilarious characters; exaggerated, colorful settings;
full-screen wacky animations; and wall-to-wall looney sound effects
integrated into an iMUSE sound track. The game is loosely derived from
the antics in LucasArts' 1987 release, Maniac Mansion. Players alternate
between three kids -- Hoagie, a laid-back roadie for a heavy metal band;
Laverne, a slightly crazed med student; and Bernard, a computer geek --
to save the world from Dr. Fred's mutant tentacles.
Tim Delacruz and Dave Grossman are co-designing Day of the Tentacle. Tim
and Dave share billing for LucasArts' award-winning adventures, The
Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. The team
helped evolve the Monkey Island game designs and wrote most of the dialog
for the games.
Maniac Mansion was the first adventure published by LucasArts and launched
the widely-acclaimed, proprietary SCUMM story system. The original PC
game remains popular and is being re-introduced in LucasArts Classic
Adventures, a compilation of the first five graphic adventures from the
company being released this fall. Maniac Mansion also is a best-selling
Nintendo game and the basis for a television series airing on The Family
Channel.
LucasArts Games develops and publishes entertainment software for personal
computers, video games systems and CD-ROM systems. LucasArts Games is a
division of LucasArts Entertainment Company, a diversified entertainment
company with headquarters in San Rafael, California. LucasArts is
dedicated to quality, innovative entertainment and educational
experiences. Its products and services include Academy Award-winning
visual effects and sound, television commercials, licensing, interactive
game software, audio systems and educational multimedia products.
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR ENTERS IN THE AGE OF MULTIMEDIA WITH AIRCRAFT
AND ADVENTURE FACTORY
Mallard Software, Inc., publishers of BAO's Sound, Graphics, and Aircraft
Upgrade announced today that it will bring to market Aircraft and
Adventure Factory (AAF). This multimedia creation package turns a
Microsoft Flight Simulator user into an aircraft designer, air traffic
controller, test pilot, flight instructor and tour guide, with total and
complete control of their flying fantasies. Aircraft and Adventure
Factory is another great product from the Bruce Artwick Organization
(BAO), creators of Flight Simulator and Aircraft & Scenery Designer
(A&SD).
Aircraft and Adventure Factory allows the users to design, build and fly
their own aircraft - far beyond the limitations of Flight Simulator and
A&SD's features. You can model and build each plane with its specific
flight characteristics and performance levels from component parts that
you design.
"AAF should be even more popular than Aircraft & Scenery Designer, " says
Hugo Feugen, CEO of BAO, "This product takes a major step forward towards
a truly open architecture Flight Simulator by giving you access to Flight
Simualtor variables dynamically and by allowing you to add your own
digital sound.
"Aircraft and Adventure Factory lets you author your own Flight Simulator
adventures. You can design scavenger hunts and even add sound effects to
each adventure you create. Other features include a frame display counter
and scenery coordinate background system that provides correct magnetic
variations throughout the U.S. to be used as a background canvas for A&SD
scenery.
"This is our most exciting package yet," says Steve Greene, president and
CEO of Mallard, "Making Flight Simulator a true multimedia package is an
accomplishment we're very proud to be associated with. Preliminary
response to this product has been fantastc.
"Aircraft and Adventure Factory is scheduled to release October 1, 1992.
It will have a suggested retail of $39.95 and will include both a 1.2 Mb
5.25" disk and 720 KB 3.5" disk in the same package.
Mallard Software, Inc. is located in Lewisville, Texas and currently
publishes a complete line of Microsoft Flight Simulator upgrade and add-on
software.
MALLARD SOFTWARE TO PUBLISH ADVENTURES AND AUDIO DIRECTED FLIGHT PLANS FOR
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Mallard Software, Inc. via a publishing contract with Simutech, of Tampa,
Florida will market three pre-designed scenario packages to run with
Microsoft's Flight Simulator and Mallard's Aircraft and Adventure Factory.
These scenerios will allow Microsoft Flight Simulator users to enjoy such
multimedia features as digitized audio Air Traffic Control (ATC) language
and interaction within their Flight Simulator flights.
Rescue Air 911 will turn Flight Simulator into a real-life adventure.
Through life and death emergency assignments in and around Simville, U.S.
A, you will put your flying and strategic planning skills to the ultimate
test. Dramatic rescue flights will take you through day and night flying
adventures that include flying through mountain passes and landing on city
streets.
Digitized audio Air Traffic Control directs you through eight different
rescues from fires to floods to auto accidents under adverse conditions
which include inclement weather and instrument flying.
In addition to Rescue Air 911, Mallard will release real-life ATC audio
directed flight plans in Flight 685 and Flight 701 which include one VFR
and one IFR flight plan each. In Flight 685 you will fly an actual route
from Chicago's Meigs Field to Kankakee, Illinois under Visual Flight Rules
and an Instrument Flight Rule plan from Stockton to Livermore, California.
Flight 701 will take you from Oakland to Concord, Califonia under Visual
Flight Rules and from Buchanan to Los Angeles, California under Instrument
Flight Rules.
"These studio created audio flight plans provide the most realistic flying
you will ever experience," boasts Steve Greene, President of Mallard.
"They will revolutionize Flight Simulator flying by turning the worlds
most popular flight simulator into entertaining interactive adventures
that you both hear and see. A true multimedia experience.
"Rescue Air 911, Flight 685 and Flight 701 all require Mallard's Aircraft
and Adventure Factory as well as Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Mallard has
announced a release date for all three of November 1, 1992. Each will have
a suggested retail of $24.95.
Mallard Software, Inc. is located in Lewisville, Texas and currently
publishes a complete line of Microsoft Flight Simulator upgrade and add-on
software.
We would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to all
readers of Game Bytes to express your views back to us. Let us know if
you like the concept we have developed with this type of publication.
Our reviewers love a little controversy and would welcome alternative
opinions to their own. Be prepared, however, to back up your stand if
you disagree with what was written. These are, after all, opinions.
Game Bytes truly wants to become the people's sounding board for the
gaming industry as a whole. Through your comments and feedback, we can
not only make our publication a better vehicle for communicating gaming
information, but we can also effectively communicate our desires for
better and/or different gaming experiences to the software publishers
themselves.
We also want to extend and invitation to all to become regular reviewers
themselves. We have no permanent "locked-in" reviewer staff. Those that
write for us now and excited to do so, but we welcome other reviewers who
wish to have their opinions made known as well. Game Bytes is a magazine
for the gamer from the gamer, and we hope our reviewer ranks will grow.
Don't be bashful - let us hear your views on your favorite games.
In future editions of Game Bytes, we will use this column to publish your
letters, comments, raves, and complaints for all to share. We hope you
will take the time to use it. Editorially speaking, we'll only be
concerned about certain types of four-letter words, so keep those to a
minimum, and we'll not be concerned about censorship. This is a free
forum, but a certain sense of decorum should prevail. Nothing more needs
to be said.
There are several ways to send your letters and comments to Game Bytes if
you wish to be heard. We'll start with the U.S. postal system. Letters
can be mailed to:
Game Bytes
108 Castleton Drive
Harvest, AL 36749
Using Compuserve, your letters can be sent to the address:
71441,1537
On America On-Line, send your comments addressed to:
RossGBytes
And finally, using Internet mail, feel free to mail your letters to:
ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com
Any of these three mailing methods are perfectly acceptable. If you
happen to have an account on EXEC-PC in Wisconsin, one of the largest
subscription service bulletin board systems in the world, or Nitelog in
California, you can also leave a mail message for me there. My full
account name on both systems is Ross Erickson.
We look forward to reading your comments about Game Bytes and how to make
it better with each issue. There are a lot of active gamers out there,
and if we can reach just some of you, we will know this effort is
worthwhile.
Hope to hear from many of you soon!
Ross Erickson
Editor and Publisher
We'll be repeating this message in a few more issues of Game Bytes to
encourage readers to respond.
Danny Bartel of Adelaide, Australia writes:
To Ross Erickson & Gamebytes: Great magazine. Thanks. Though, living in
Adelaide (NOT the game capital of Australia) I don't even see half of the
games reviewed on the shelves of computer stores.
GB: Well, we aim to please. Glad you find us useful. In the not-too-
distant-future, we'd like to establish a relationship with some mail-
order houses that would definitely ship overseas as well, so stay tuned
for that.
I have one problem when reading Gamebyte articles. Normally when I page
down, there's one or two lines of overlap, and I can continue reading
easily. But when I get to the end of the article, it only scrolls as far
as neccessary to bring the last line onto the screen. I can't find the
last line I was reading at the top of the screen, and must scan down the
screen looking for where to continue reading. After I've done this a few
times I find I start scanning almost every time I page down, looking for
where to read. Does anybody else find this a problem? I'd love it if the
viewer consistently paged down by the same amount each time, regardless of
whether it reached the end of the article or not.
GB: This is a decent suggestion. I'll post this on to the programmer
and see if it's 'do-able'. I'm sure it is.
Other minor suggestions (insignificant by comparison): 1. Without changing
mouse sensitivity just for Gamebytes, I find it no good for scrolling as
its too slow. 2. As I generally read it "cover " to "cover" I'd like an
easy way just to go on to the next article rather than backing out to the
menu and then selecting the next article.
GB: Yes, we've heard this suggestion before. I think we can work
something like this into a future rev of the software. Not sure what key
would make sense to do so, but we'll give it a shot.
If I send in a review, what format should any screeshots be in?
GB: We'd prefer .PCX or .GIF format please.
Keep bringing out Gamebytes, it's opened my view of PC gaming
considerably.
GB: In one sentence, you've stated the reason for us to continue to
produce Game Bytes! Thanks very much.
Chris Eberhardt of St. Louis, Mo writes:
First, keep up the good work on gb.
GB: Thank you, Thank you.
I just finished reading #5 and had a few comments. Could you modify the
reader so there is a way to go the the next or previous article without
having to go back to the menu, move the cursor down and then wait for the
search program to find it (if this is in there already I apologize for my
poor reading ability).
GB: A-HA! A conspiracy!! Seriously, the previous letter stated the same
thing so I guess we had better get busy! Any suggestions on which key
might be useful for doing so?
Second, a feature you might add (although it would probably be a lot of
work) is a quick and dirty rating of many of the recent game releases. I
was thinking something similar to the movie ratings in Consumer Reports.
You could just list the name, type, an avg rating from people who've
played the game, and the number of people in the survey. For example:
game type rating responds
Civilization simulation/strategy 7.5 235
GB: Ah yes, the infamous 'ratings'. We've tried to be clear about this,
and we may change our minds still, but our position about this is that no
game truly deserves a "number". It remains confusing to me how one can
apply a comparative value to a game like Civilization and give it an "8",
and then give a game like Wing Commander II an "8.1". Is Wing Commander
II the better game? I don't see it that way. Each game must stand on
their own merits and are judged in Game Bytes by the full objective
opinion of the reviewer.
Also, we simply don't have the mechanism in place to hear from all the
players out there on all the games. While hearing from a large cross-
section of the gaming public would be interesting, it's not feasible for
us at this point.
Just a few ideas. Again, keep up the good work.
GB: Thanks for taking the time to write to us, Chris. Your suggestions
for improving Game Bytes are heard and evaluated. We appreciate the time
it takes to do so.
Lee Ka Hing from Hong Kong writes:
Hi there everybody at the GameByte. Hope you won't be bored by yet
another one, but anyway here it goes.... Bravo! Look at what a wonderful
job you guys have done. I really enjoyed every byte of your issue #5. In
fact, I am now pulling all of your back issues from wuarchive while I'm
writing this one. (Sorry for the sudden drain in network bandwidth....)
How you can manage to produce a magazine of this kind of quality within
such a limited time and $ support remains a mystery to me though. I
really admire your energy and enthuasium. Keep on the great work, and
hopefully there will be much more to come!
GB: ;-) It remains a mystery to us too! <g> We appreciate your kind
words and don't worry for a second about that 'sudden drain in network
bandwidth'!
BTW, being a fidonet sysop (6:700/214, Hong Kong), I'll try to distribute
your magazines via the network, so that more people will be able to read
and appreciate your work in the region. Computer games are *VERY* popular
in Hong Kong, as powerful yet inexpensive PC clones and peripherals are
readily available. I think a lot of people will be interested in
GameByte.
GB: That would be great! We're really surprised how well Game Bytes has
been doing in the Pacific Rim area of the world. We get a lot of email
from your region of the world. Thanks for spreading it around your
country and area.
That's about all I want to say. Perhaps more concrete comments in later
postings after I read through the back issues.
GB: Please write to us again after you've had a chance to look at all the
other issues. We'd be glad to hear from you.
Tan Choon Kiat of Singapore writes:
Dear Ross & all at GB:
I love GameBytes #6! It was the 1st issue I read and it blew my mind. I
think the idea of using the electronic media for distributing a gaming
magazine is very appropriate, and is a clear sign of the future. Not to
mention that it saves a coupla trees along the way. Now if only PC
Magazine could do the same... :-)
GB: We're glad you're enjoying the magazine. I have a feeling PC Mag
won't be doing anything like this anytime soon. The volume of information
and advertising that they do would require multiple CD-ROMs for a
comparable publication. Thanks for the kind words.
My little suggestion: if GB is considering getting advertisements to
finance its production, there shouldn't be too many, or it might become
intrusive. Perhaps you can limit it to 2 ads - they could be graphics or
text. The 1st ad could be the equivalent of a paper magazine's inside
cover ad - ie. it gets shown after the GB 'cover' is shown on the screen
and before the menus come up. The 2nd ad is the 'back cover' ad - it
gets shown just before we exit GB and see the 'produced by Ross Erickson'
line.
GB: It's really unclear what we might be doing with advertiser support at
this point. We really do need an infusion of $$$ to keep us going though,
or soon, there won't be a Game Bytes. Slowly, but surely, our hardware is
failing. One type of advertiser would like to see soon is the mail-order
companies that offer such a great service. Viking Software, Cape Cod
Connection, Chips and Bits, and others might be very interested in Game
Bytes and we'll try to contact them and others shortly to see if they are
interested in such a proposal. If and when advertisements do start in
Game Bytes, rest assured that the overall 'look' of the magazine won't
change. I expect there will be a slow, smooth transition from the 'Vendor
Notes' section to something that would accomodate advertising.
If too many people find the ads intrusive, maybe they can be shown only
for the 1st 3 times a person reads GB or something.
GB: Well, we're figure something out. I expect there will be a "hall of
advertisements" of sorts. Maybe. Who knows, it's just too early to tell.
Once again, congrats for a fine magazine!
GB: Once again, thanks for reading!
Kish Shen of Bristol, U.K. writes:
Thanks for the excellent Game Bytes. I have a few comments about Game
Bytes:
GB: You're very welcome.
1) You mentioned that one of the original aims of game byte was to get
very speedy reviews, better than can be provided by printed magazines. Do
you think it is a good idea to try to encourage short feedback from
people who buy new games (as is already done in the preview section, but I
am thinking about getting more feedback on games that are out).
GB: Oh absolutely. We're trying like mad to get very early feedback on
just-released games. This is very difficult though because the timing of
the release of new game XYZ may not time well at all with the impending
release of another issue of Game Bytes. We're trying to get as much new
feedback as possible. We'll try to talk this up amongst the different
forums as well to improve this even more.
2) I notice that here in the UK (and persumably in Europe), there seems to
be some games that are not yet available in the US, and some games that
are under different names, and of course some games that are available in
the US and not here. For the games with different names, it would be nice
if the alternative names can be supplied. For example, Out of this World
is called Another World here, and I think Four Crystals of T** (can't
remember the name) is what is called Legend here, judging by what the
postings say about the game. For "European" games, I notice for example
that you were not asking for a review of Ishar, which is out now in the
UK, but I would guess not in the US. Are you interested in such reviews
(no, I don't have the game yet. I am waiting for some review of the game
before deciding if it is worth buying).
GB: Certainly, we're interested in such reviews. This is not a U.S.-only
magazine, though the predominance is certainly with U.S. publishers. It's
also somewhat unavoidable given that we're here in the U.S. as well. We
would be most grateful to open up our International side a bit more and
gain insight from players around the world who are playing 'regional'
games that are worthy of note. It's also somewhat difficult to keep up
with the name changes that go on without a lot of public notice. For
example, Out of this World from Interplay here in the U.S. was called
Another World by Delphine Software in Europe. It's tough to stay up on it
all.
I don't mind doing reviews, but my English is not really all that good,
and in addition, games are so expensive here that I generally only buy
games when I visit the US (which I seem to manage to do about once a year,
for conferences and so on), so by the time I get any game, it has usually
been on the market for a while. Of course, I may get those games that are
not available from the US here, but I still tend to get games late.
Anyway, thanks for Game Bytes!
GB: Thanks for reading, and keep doing so. As always, spread the good
word around about Game Bytes to those in your area who don't know about
it.
Lars Fredlund of Kista, Sweden writes:
Thanks for a superb product!
Unfortunately, I'm having some problems in displaying the SVGA pictures in
the most recent Gamebytes issues (5 and 6), even though I have a SVGA card
(1mb trident 8900C). For example, when I try to look at the 'Harpoon'
picture in #6 the picture gets displayed ok, but then I get a strange
message from (seemingly) MSDOS 5.0 saying (this is translated into
English, since I have a Swedish MSDOS):
"Memory allocation error, cannot load COMMAND. The system has been
stopped."
This is written (apparently using text mode) in the upper left corner
obscuring part of the SVGA picture. After this message, everything is
locked up, and I have to reboot my machine. The same problem occurs when
displaying other SVGA pictures (Crisis in the Cremlin, Links 386 Pro) but
not when displaying ordinary pictures (B-17 bomber).
This problem is seemingly unique to Gamebytes, I've not had any similar
problems with other applications. Has anyone seen this before, and is
there a fix available?
GB: {blushing}.... Yes, we have discovered a serious problem with regard
to .gif support in Game Bytes using a .pcx to .gif conversion utility
(which is now on the trashheap!). Please read the column "A View From the
Edge" for a fuller explanation on the problem. I believe the problem is
now behind us.
Suggestions for an upcoming issue of gamebytes:
- An interview with the designers behind Ultima Underworld discussing
their, in my opinion, revolutionary product.
GB: Excellent suggestion. We'll probably be conducting an interview with
Warren Specter of Origin along with some of the crew at Blue Sky
productions once Ultima Underworld II is released.
- It would also be interesting if some of the game developers could be
coaxed into writing articles themselves, about the "philosophy"/technology
behind their games, and the future directions of the gaming industry at
large, and their products in particular. Or, to take Ultima Underworld as
an example, to expand on design issues during the project (how did it come
about, who was involvesd) and an outlook at sequels. I would love to see
articles by, for example, Sid Meier and Richard Garriott! Please try!
GB: Excellent suggestions, all!! I applaud your ideas and we'll start to
follow up with them shortly. I have a few "candidates" in mind already.
Again, thanks for a very good publication!
GB: You're very welcome. Keep reading and spread it all throughout
Sweden.
Maurice Blok of Amsterdam, Netherlands writes:
Morning Ross,
Let me start by saying that Game Bytes is my No 1 Mag now that I can no
longer get ACE :) If I didn't mean that I wouldn't ask this: I've just
started with setting up a software club here in holland. And I would like
to make Game Bytes available via this club. I was wondering if you would
mind, do you?
GB: Maurice, we'd be honored if you would spread Game Bytes throughout
your club. Please feel free. All I would ask is that you ask your club
members to send us some feedback on what they think of the magazine.
Another question: I really like the format of Game Bytes. And my club also
needs a club mag. Could I borrow the format of Game Bytes? I do know how
to code C, but I think trying to code my own format would be slightly to
difficult for me. The mag wouldn't be anything like gamebytes, more like a
list of all games available with screenshots with it, so members know what
to buy.
GB: I'm not sure what you mean by "borrow the format". If you mean write
some code that does something similar to Game Bytes, then it's a free
world (most places anyway), so go for it. Just don't call it Game Bytes!
:-) If you mean can you borrow our code, I'm afraid that would not be
possible. We're not yet ready to license our code out to other aspiring
publishers just yet. It's really not yet in a state to do so. Sometime
soon, though, we might have a version of our authoring software that
makes it more realistic to license out to others.
Well just think about it :) Anyway keep up the good work!
GB: Thanks for writing and let us know how your club is working out.
Dick Sudbury writes:
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your magazine. A word about
nominations for game of the year. Is there an FTP site where we could see
a list of eligible contenders in each category? I'm not sure what came
out this year. Maybe you should consider all time awards in each
category -- or best of last ?? years.
GB: The "contenders" are created by you. Any title that shipped between
December 1, 1991 and November 30, 1992 are contenders. You pick which one
you would like to see nominated. After the November 30th deadline, we'll
tally up the vote counts and list the top 3 vote-getters in each category
for all to vote on. Voting will continue until the end of January, 1993
and then the votes will be counted and we'll have some winners to
announce.
Finally, a comment about the reviews in your magazine. I would like to
see some standardization in the reviews...
GB: We are in the process of working out a standard template of sorts to
have the reviewers use in the future. My associate editor, Mike McCole,
has been out of pocket for a while, but is now back and we'll be making
this a higher priority. Items such as price, system requirements,
reviewer info/ bio, graphics/sound support et al, will all be included in
the template.
Finally, again, Perhaps you could schedule comparative reviews every once
in a while in special issues (all computerized card games, all football
games, etc).
GB: Yes, we're trying to, but this is difficult to do when the reviews
are meant to be timely. Now and then it's possible to do so. We're
working on a soundboard/hardware issue coming up shortly and that might
suit your fancy regarding thematic issues.
thanks again for all the work.
GB: No problem. Well, maybe a few problems...
isn't it great how much your loyal readers can find for you to do.
GB: Yeah. Just great. :-)
Finally, really this time, why don't you tell us about yourself.
GB: Not a bad idea, though I'm going to save it for a future issue when
I finally get to handle a review or two.
Daniel Starr of New Haven, Connecticut writes:
Opening remark: GAME BYTES is marvelous. The screen shots, in
particular, make it unique. Also the mode of distribution.
GB: Thanks Daniel. I think we've got something unique going here and
we'll do our best to keep it up.
About money: I suggest you consider, in future magazines, asking for a
specific amount ("suggested subscription price") _per issue_ instead of a
general "donate as much as you can, $25+ gets nifty recognition". I
personally find myself very uncomfortable donating money out of the blue.
I would feel much happier if I could tie it to the actual issues I've read
and anticipate reading. (This is analogous to charities asking for
donations who assign to each donor a child he/she specifically "sponsors"
-- it's meaningless physically, since money has no name on it, but very
important emotionally to the donor.)
GB: Hmm. Not a bad idea, really. Though I'm perilously close to
cancelling the whole idea anyways (donations, that is. It hasn't worked).
So, for example, you could put in your request for donations that "The
suggested donation is $2 per issue, or $24 for a year's 'subscription'.
GB: Well, right off the bat, we'd be losing money big time at this rate.
Larger or smaller donations will be gratefully accepted." Another thing
you could try would be listing your expenses... again, so that we would-be
donors can have something to anchor our generosity to. (Oh, and yes, the
check for $24 is in the mail as soon as I can find where I put your
address.)
GB: I don't want to start to get into the accounting business anytime
soon so I'll pass on the P&L statement at this point. Our main expense is
one of time (extreme!) and also decrepit hardware. One blown board and
boom, we're dead. Plus there's been a pretty hefty mailing expense
getting Game Bytes to people like software publishers and others.
Attending C.E.S. on behalf of Game Bytes also was a big expense.
I would finally suggest you take a poll at some point of your readers to
find out what articles are attracting the most readership (though perhaps
your award voting/nominations will serve the same purpose). As long as
disk space is getting tight,
no need to spend 100K on sports if only 1% of
readership reads sports (doubt it, but you never know).
GB: Game Bytes is always trying to stay in touch with its readers to find
out what people want to read.
Back to compliments: the 7th Guest picture was marvelous, and has helped
to convince me to take a serious look at the program. Please include more
SVGA pictures... for example, I would've liked one of Mantis, since MCGA
polygons just don't thrill me anymore.
GB: In this issue, you'll find the SVGA graphics for V for Victory: Utah
Beach to be just as spectactular. Terrific wargame.
Anyway... keep up the good work. It's unique and valuable.
GB: Thanks Daniel.
