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Game Bytes Issue 10
SVGA AIR WARRIOR by Kesmai, published and distributed by Konami
Reviewed by Robin G. Kim
I went vertical after the head-on pass, causing him to lose sight
of me as I maneuver onto his six. The pilot of the FW190A
finally spots me again and breaks hard left. I line him up and pull way
back on the stick of my P-51D, dragging the nose toward the hard turning
Focke-Wulf. My vision dims as the G's build, till I'm on the verge of
blacking out. Airspeed is bleeding off rapidly, but I keep the pressure
on. As I slowly bring him into my sights, my plane begins to buffet
violently. The stall light is flashing, telling me that I'm right on
the edge of the envelope. My Mustang is an unforgiving mount--push it
any harder and before I know it I'll be tumbling helplessly downward
in a spin. I want to ease off, but I'm so close to a shot I decide
to risk it. I drop maneuvering flaps to boost my turn rate a bit,
and push the throttle forward to full war emergency power to counteract
the extra drag. He passes though my gunsight as I pull inside his turn,
trying to judge the correct amount of lead. I press the firing stud,
making minor adjustments to walk the stream of tracers from my six
.50 calibers onto the target. Just a little more...paydirt! Bits of
his plane break off and fall away as I continue the barrage of lead.
As his plane begins to trail a stream of smoke, the German pilot
decides that things aren't going so well and does a lightning quick
three-quarter roll to starboard into a split-S. Damn! So close! The
Focke-Wulf can roll so much faster than my Mustang that I can't hope
to follow him through his defensive maneuver. I break off the attack,
clean up my flaps, and build up some airspeed for another pass. I
didn't get him that time, but he's leaking fuel or oil--either way, he
won't be going far...
SVGA AIR WARRIOR is an air combat simulator covering the WWI, WWII,
and Korean War eras. Its emphases are on realistic flight dynamics,
weapons performance, multi-player modes, and a blistering frame rate
to the exclusion of all else. That means that ground graphics are
crude, consisting of pyramidal mountains, blue regions for lakes
and rivers, gray rectangles for airstrips, and small gray buildings
representing ground installations. External views of other planes are
also gray, boxy, and crude, but not so crude that you won't be able to
tell the difference between a Corsair and a Mustang, for example. The
sharp cockpit graphics are well done, but if great graphics are what
you're looking for, this game is not for you. If you crave a realistic
combat simulation, where physics is not ignored and skill and
intelligence are more important than arcade game reflexes, where you
really _feel_ like you're flying a plane in combat, read on.
SVGA AIR WARRIOR is the first PC flight simulator to run at 640 x 480
resolution with 256 colors. It has its own DOS extender and runs in
32 bit protected mode, using all the memory you have in your system with
its built-in memory manager. The manual claims it is compatible with
other memory managers, but using them will just slow the game down.
I've tried it with QEMM and though I did not notice any performance
penalty, my machine would invariably go through a cold reboot every time
I exited the game.
System requirements:
DOS 3.3 or later (5.0 recommended), 386 20 MHz or faster, 4 MB
extended or expanded memory (2.5 MB free), 12 MB of free space on your
hard drive, mouse or joystick, SVGA card (>= 512 KB), SoundBlaster and
SoundBlaster Pro supported but optional (no built-in speaker support),
Thrustmaster FCS and WCS are fully supported, as are most types of
rudder pedals (my Maxx rudder pedals work fine). NO COPY PROTECTION.
My machine is a 486/33, 8MB, SBPro, ATI Graphics Ultra, and CH
FlightStick (its throttle control is supported).
SVGA AIR WARRIOR is really three games in one. First and foremost,
it is a front-end to the interactive AIR WARRIOR game on GEnie.
Second, it can be played in a similar manner head-to-head over a
modem or null-modem connection . Third, it can be played in
"offline" mode, against computer-controlled opponents. This is
intended to allow practice for playing on GEnie, but I consider it
worthwhile on its own. I found it strange that the box does not even
mention the inclusion of computer opponents. I had to hear about it
from a friend. It is fully documented in the manual, however.
The AIR WARRIOR game on GEnie allows upwards of 60 people to dial in
and fly with and against each other. It is a very rich environment,
including interesting facets such as multi-plane tactics, escorted
bombing missions, and huge "furballs" containing scores of dogfighting
planes in a small region of space. This aspect of play is reviewed
in a companion article elsewhere in this issue. The game comes with a
coupon that can be exchanged for $50 worth of GEnie credit.
The head-to-head mode is smooth and seamless at 2400 baud (higher
speeds are neither necessary nor beneficial). The manual brags that
modem play is crisp even at 1200 baud, but I have not tried it.
Ground installations cannot be attacked in this mode; it is purely
air-to-air combat (unless you count strafing your opponent while he or
she is trying to take off as ground attack!).
Here is a list of planes/vehicles you can pilot:
P-51D Mustang Very fast, not very maneuverable, maintains
energy well.
P-38J Lightning Bad roll rate, good turner, decent firepower
with lots of ammo.
F4U-1D Corsair Very durable, tons of ammo, harsh stall
characteristics, good acceleration in a dive
Spitfire Mk IX Very maneuverable, good roll rate, lethal
weaponry, but light on ammo.
Bf109F-4 "Franz" Good acceleration, great climb rate, forgiving
in a stall, but poor firepower, light on ammo,
small fuel tank.
FW190A-8 Devastating firepower, great roll rate,
unmaneuverable, touchy in low speed stalls.
Ki-84 Hayate "Frank" Fast, maneuverable, , good firepower, weak
airframe, not very durable.
A6M5A Zero "Zeke" Turns on a dime, but slow and very fragile,
very little ammo, weak firepower.
Yak-9A Fairly maneuverable, bleeds energy very quickly.
Me262A Sturmvogel WWII jet, very fast, amazing firepower, poor
handling at low speeds.
A26B Invader
B-17G Flying Fortress
B-25H Mitchell
Mosquito Mk XVI
Ju88A-4
G4M "Betty"
C-47 Skytrain
F-86F Sabre
MiG-15 Fagot
Sopwith Camel
Fokker Dr.I
Fokker DVII
Spad XIII
Bristol Brisfit
T-34
Flakpanzer IV
Jeep
Bombing is not supported in offline or head-to-head play. However, if
you assign a level bomber to a computer pilot when playing offline, it
will attempt to bomb enemy installations, and other computer pilots on
that side will perform escort duty. Ground units are also not supported
offline.
Flight Instruments:
- stick position indicator/artificial horizon (choose one or the other)
- throttle lever (moves as you adjust the throttle)
- altimeter
- compass
- vertical velocity indicator (1000's of ft./min. of climb/dive)
- accelerometer (G-meter)
- rudder indicator
- oil pressure gauge
- airspeed (actual or indicated, your choice)
- warning indicator (stalls, oil starvation, excessive RPM)
The instruments are arranged in the border area around a central window
which contains your view outside the cockpit. This inner window is
is 400 x 300 pixels, taking up 5/8 the height and width of the screen.
Although it would be nice to have a bigger viewing window, it would
definitely slow down the frame rate, and the current window size still
uses almost twice as many pixels as most PC flight simulators use
for the whole screen. Above the viewing window is a bar with icons
marking the lateral position of all planes visible from the current
view angle, and on the left and right margins at the top of the screen
are lists of these icons and information about the planes they
represent. The icons are color coded, so you can easily determine
friends from foes. A constantly updated range readout is provided next
to each icon, along with either the type of plane it is or the pilot's
player number. The latter is only shown for friendly planes when
flying online on GEnie.
At 640 x 480 resolution, the dials and gauges are extremely sharp--a
pleasant change from fat lines you see at 320 x 200 in other flight
simulators. Once you get used to the clear, legible markings and thin
needles, it's hard to go back.
Realism Options:
Real-time -
Online mode plays at half real time; this allows full speed
for offline or head-to-head.
Buffeting -
Screen shakes when you approach a stall.
Stalls -
High-speed (accelerated) stalls become possible; caused by
exceeding a plane's maximum allowable angle of attack (i.e.
trying to turn too hard).
Spins -
Stalls can turn into a normal spin or unrecoverable flat spin.
Lethality -
Online mode give planes triple the realistic amount of ammo,
reduced gun lethality, and makes it a lot easier to hit targets;
this option allows realistic settings for use offline or
head-to-head.
G Effects -
Blackout and redout occur if too many positive or negative Gs
are pulled, respectively. Pulling Gs close to the limit results
in gray-out.
Features:
Four drones -
Up to four computer-flown planes may be set up to fly with you,
against you, or against each other. You can individually set
the drone's plane type, skill level (recruit, veteran, or ace),
the side it fights for (A, B, or C), and its home airfield.
Continuous battle option -
Destroyed planes may be immediately regenerated on the ground at
their originating airfield.
Two maps -
European theatre and Pacific theatre; the latter includes
aircraft carriers for use by Corsairs and Zekes.
Radar -
Ground based only, allows you to find where the action is.
26 cockpit views -
All easily accessible from either the keyboard or the keypad
using intuitive key combinations. For each of eight main
viewing directions (front, back, left, right, and all diagonals)
there are three views, level, 45 degrees up, and 45 degrees
down. There are also views looking straight up and straight
down. The latter gives you a nice view of your lap--you can't
see down from a real airplane! The front-down view is similarly
obscured (except for bombers with glass noses), but shows a nice
rendition of your feet on the rudder pedals and the lower
cockpit instruments. Most views have nice artwork of what
you'd really see from the particular plane you're flying, but
the lesser-used views just have gray silhouettes to block your
view of what you're not supposed to be able to see. Some planes
do not come with any artwork, so all you see in any direction
are the gray silhouettes. The game comes with cockpit artwork
for the Korean War jets, A-26, and all WWII fighters except the
Yak-9 and Me262. Artwork for all other WWII planes except the
Yak-9 and Mosquito are available from GEnie (a paid download,
unfortunately), and more may be created in the future.
Gun camera -
Allows you to record parts or all of a flight from your
point of view. During playback is the only time you are
allowed an external view of your plane (crude, blocky, and
gray). This is an excellent learning tool, especially if you
download tapes created by GEnie's best pilots to see how
the experts do what they do.
Adjustable ground graphics -
This can be done on the fly to trade off graphical detail for
frame rate. You don't lose too much by going to the lower
levels of detail, except for the nice gradient horizon and the
patchwork farmland below.
Joystick sensitivity -
Allows you to setup roll and pitch sensitivity of your joystick
separately, including an adjustable dead zone. It is easy to
create a nonlinear response curve using the simple graphical
interface. Dead zones can also be specified for rudder pedals
and the Thrustmaster FCS' "coolie hat."
Fuel load -
You can choose how much fuel to take off with. The amount
you carry affects your plane's flight characteristics. Fuel
consumption varies a lot from plane to plane, and with different
throttle settings.
LCOS -
Optional lead computing optical sight, helps you judge lead in
deflection shooting. You must manually adjust the range in 500
yard increments (easy to do). Many experienced Air Warriors
don't use it, preferring to walk the tracers onto the target,
but it's a good learning tool.
Accurate weapon modeling -
When you hit the fire button on planes with mixed weapon types
(machine guns and cannons, for example) all weapons fire.
Since ammo loads vary, this means your firepower may decrease
as your total ammo supply dwindles. The FW190 has the greatest
firepower of all prop fighters in the game, but once its cannon
shells are exhausted, its firepower drops by an order of
magnitude.
Variable damage -
Hits on your plane can cause control damage, fuel leaks, oil
leaks, stuck flaps, landing gear damage, etc.
Varying vulnerability -
Different planes can withstand different amounts of damage. You
just have to look crosswise at a Betty bomber and it will burst
into flames, while an F4U Corsair can take a lot of hits before
it goes down.
War emergency power (WEP) -
Short duration extra boost of power that varies for different
planes. Most planes are just redlining their engines. Corsairs
and Bf109s have water injection, so they can use it longer.
FW190s have nitrous oxide injection which for the most part only
improves high altitude performance.
Oil starvation -
Most planes' engines only receive proper lubrication under
positive G loads. Prolonged negative G maneuvers will result in
reduced oil pressure, causing engine damage that will eventually
become severe enough to make it seize up. The rate it which oil
pressure is lost varies considerably from plane to plane.
Compressibility -
Characteristic flaw of some planes (e.g. P-38J) that cause
flight controls to lock up above 375 knots.
Structural limits -
Exceeding a given G-level for long enough in some planes will
rip the wings off.
Graphic bits -
When a plane gets hit, bits of it will break off and tumble
away. You can even see them fall in your rear view mirror as
you fly by! If your target springs a fuel or oil leak, it will
stream smoke. Do enough damage and it will explode with
an extremely satisfying BOOM, leaving a cloud of debris that
floats to the ground.
Sound bits -
Excellent sound effects, many of which were digitized from real
planes. The engine noise is the best of any PC game I've ever
heard. There are about ten different sound effects than can be
turned on or off from a setup menu. The engine startup sounds
are superb, and differ between radial engines, inline engines,
and jet engines.
Flight Dynamics:
The planes all fly very differently. With full realism turned on, you
must exercise a large amount of control to avoid accelerated stalls.
With less maneuverable planes, vertical maneuvering speed is quite
high. It's easy to stall out at the top of steep climbs, and if the
you don't ease off on the control stick, or if you apply too much
rudder, the plane will snap into a spin. Different planes have
different stall/spin characteristics. The Mustang and Spitfire are
very touchy, while the Bf109 hardly ever spins. Turn rates, roll rates,
induced drag, acceleration, stall speeds, and maximum AOA (angle of
attack) all vary from plane to plane. The values of these performance
parameters for a given plane will often dictate which combat tactics
will work and which won't. Make lots of hard turns in a FW190A and
you will soon find yourself slow and vulnerable, no longer able to
maneuver. A Zeke, on the other hand, can turn extremely well at low
speeds but becomes sluggish at high speeds, particularly in roll
performance. This is without a doubt the most realistic feeling air
combat simulation I've ever played on a DOS PC.
Artificial Intelligence:
The computer pilots at ace level are very good. They use the vertical
fairly well, and are tough to nail down. Unlike in Aces of the Pacific,
they aren't all perfect shots. Even if you eventually get good enough
to beat them consistently one-on-one, you can always add more enemies.
The drones do not cheat, so they have no built-in advantage over you,
other than an intimate knowledge of their performance envelopes (they
never stall or spin). In fact, they always fly under the restrictions
of all the realism options, so if you turn them off for yourself, the
computer planes will be much easier to beat since you will be the one
with an unfair advantage.
The Competition:
ACES OF THE PACIFIC is probably SVGA AIR WARRIOR's biggest competitor
in the DOS prop fighter simulation niche, along with
CHUCK YEAGER'S AIR COMBAT, which I haven't played. While ACES'
graphics and depth are superior in most respects, it's flight dynamics
are a joke in comparison. It's only advantages in realism are varying
weather conditions, the sun, night flying, and more accurate modeling of
aerial gunnery (taking directly into account weapon placement/bullet
dispersion, rates of fire, etc.). Still a good game, but much farther
toward the game side of the game-simulation continuum than
SVGA AIR WARRIOR.
Cockpit Views:
One area where SVGA AIR WARRIOR shines above all other PC air combat
simulators that I have seen is its from-the-cockpit viewing system.
This is something that every flight simulation strives to do well at,
but almost always falls short of the mark. As described above,
SVGA AIR WARRIOR has 26 different views out of the cockpit, though
the downward views are included mostly for aesthetic reasons, since they
do not allow you to see out of your plane. This wide variety of viewing
angles, together with the intuitive way in which they are accessed,
makes it possible to track targets about as well as could be done in
real life. It takes a little practice, but eventually you become so
proficient that it takes no almost thought to be able to track a bandit
through the most complex gyrations. Keeping sight is made easier by the
overlap that exists between adjacent views. Transitions between views
are instantaneous.
By comparison, ACES OF THE PACIFIC only offers six out of cockpit views.
The first five are limited enough that there are huge blind spots,
making it difficult to track targets since they move in and out of view.
The sixth view, straight down, is unrealistic because WWII fighters did
not have glass floors. Switching between views in ACES incurs a small
but noticeable delay.
FALCON 3.0's padlock view is without a doubt the easiest mechanism
available for tracking a bandit in a dogfight. Unfortunately, it has
two flaws which limit its desirability. First, it allows you to see
at greater downward angles than should be possible from the cockpit.
Second, although padlock allows an unrestricted view of the target, it
is difficult to tell the exact direction in which you are looking.
This does get easier with practice, since you can always take quick
glances at the secondary windows, but is cumbersome and confusing
compared to SVGA AIR WARRIOR's views. There, the different cockpit
artwork in each direction and the tactile feedback from your fingers
on the view keys combine to give you a firm frame of reference, so
you always know where you're looking and how the bandit is moving
in relation to your plane.
When it comes to external views, most other flight simulators win out
over SVGA AIR WARRIOR, since the latter only allows exterior views
during film playback, and even then only focussed on your crude, gray
plane.
The Manual:
The manual is about 3/8" thick, and is well done. It was written by
AIR WARRIOR players on GEnie, and is full of useful tips from the
experts. There is even a forward included by Robert L. Shaw, author of
"Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering," a textbook used by Navy
fighter pilots which has also proved popular among AIR WARRIOR fanatics.
The manual includes an obligatory air combat maneuvers section, and has
profiles on all the WWII planes in the game, complete with
comments/opinions from the players. Unfortunately, the WWI planes and
the Korean War jets are not discussed at all.
A lot of the manual is devoted to things which are only relevant when
playing online on GEnie, but most of it is generally applicable. The
manual includes many useful tables and graphs of relative aircraft
performance parameters, ammo loads, and weapon lethality. The tables
I appreciated most were the ones for each profiled plane that listed the
following data at 1000 ft. altitude increments:
- top airspeed (true)
- top airspeed (indicated)
- best climb speed (true)
- best climb speed (indicated)
- best rate of climb
- time to altitude
- corner velocity
- maximum sustained turn rate
- maximum airspeed in a flat turn
Summary:
If you play AIR WARRIOR on GEnie or plan to start, get this game (but
then you probably already have it by now). If you're really into
realistic air-to-air combat without all the bells and whistles and
can find people to go head-to-head with, buy it. Although the computer
controlled drones are competent, going against living, breathing,
_thinking_ human beings adds on a whole new dimension.
Even with all the realism options turned off, SVGA AIR WARRIOR is
still a difficult game to master. To be truly successful with a
given type of plane, you must have a thorough knowledge its strengths
and weaknesses. You must know how it compares to every other plane
in a variety of performance criteria. Maneuvers which work well
against some plane types can be suicidal against others.
Flying with full realism turned on adds another layer of complexity
onto the game. For diehard realism fanatics, it is a dream come true,
as it factors in even more characteristics which add to the uniqueness
of each plane's personality. When accelerated stalls, spins, and
blackouts are possible, flying skill becomes a much larger determinant
in the outcome of a given combat. Winning still requires a good
knowledge of air combat tactics, but more than that it requires finesse.
This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Robin G. Kim. All rights reserved.
AIR WARRIOR by Kesmai, available through GEnie
Reviewed by Robin "Sandman" Kim
Having gained some altitude, I turned my A6M5 Zero-sen "Zeke" toward the
action. An enormous "furball" had developed 20 miles to the northeast,
with about a score of enemy planes preying upon a mere handful of my
countrymates. They quickly began dropping like flies, so I decided that
party was too wild for my tastes and instead cruised along the perimeter,
hoping for some easier pickings. I spotted an enemy Zeke 5000 feet below
me that had gotten separated a bit from his fellows. I dove to the attack,
but unfortunately he saw me coming and a turning battle resulted. The next
thing I knew, an enemy F4U Corsair was bouncing me from above. It was two
on one. I dodged his attack, pulling upwards to convert some of my speed
to altitude so I could distance myself a bit from the Zeke, when I noticed
that more unfriendlies had joined in on the fun, a Ki-84 Hayate "Frank" and
another Zeke. I knew I was a goner, all alone against four enemies, but I
fought hard since there was no way to escape. Although I was looking
frantically all around me at all times, trying as best I could to evade
whomever happened to be lining up for a shot at me at any given moment, I
was still taking occasional hits. Coming around one turn, I saw the
Corsair diving on me again. I wheeled onto his tail as he passed and
followed him upwards, firing all the way. At this point I was oblivious to
the other bandits; I was determined to take at least one of them with me
before I fell! As the Corsair exploded under my stream of fire, I broke
off, taking several hits from the other attackers of whom I'd completely
lost track. Eventually, I was able to nail one of the Zekes by using full
flaps in a tight turn, but now I was low and slow--a vulnerable target.
Luckily, the Ki-84 had also bled all its energy, and its maneuverability at
low speeds was no match for my tighter turning Zeke; I capitalized on his
misjudgement and finished him off as he tried to escape. Meanwhile, his
partner got a few more hits on me from behind.
Though there was only one Zeke left, I was still in dire straits. My
fragile Zeke had taken more damage than I had any right to expect and still
be flying. It was leaking fuel like a sieve, its flaps were jammed, the
landing gear was inoperable, and I had almost exhausted my meager supply of
ammo. I pretended to engage the remaining bandit, but at the last moment
transitioned into a diving extension in hopes of escaping. He followed me,
just out of gun range, neither closing nor falling back. I glanced at my
fuel gauge and knew I would never make it all the way back to base.
Checking the ground-based radar display, I saw a friendly fighter only five
miles away, off to the right. I sent him a quick radio message asking him
to clear my tail, and he moved quickly on the attack; I suspect he had
already decided to attack my pursuer before I called for help. I told my
rescuer I'd fly straight and level, so the Zeke behind me would make a nice
steady target. The enemy pilot never saw what hit him as he exploded in a
cloud of debris behind me. Target fixation can be hazardous to your
health!
I thanked my comrade, and continued back toward base, running out of fuel a
minute later. After gliding several miles, I was forced to perform a belly
landing right on the shore of my home island, just five miles from the
airfield I took off from.
Three kills in one flight--not too bad! I hopped into another Zeke to see
if I could do it again...
AIR WARRIOR is an interactive air combat simulation available through the
GEnie online network. Upwards of 60 people can dial into GEnie and fly
with or against each other in the same aerial arena. The focus of the game
is on WWII prop planes, but Korean War jets are occasionally allowed in,
and a separate but seldom used arena is always available for WWI planes.
While the game is coordinated by a host machine accessed through GEnie, to
play you need a "front end" program that runs on your PC. The front ends
run by the players' PCs and the host machine cooperate to present a
consistent universe to all the people flying online. Front ends have been
written for most major personal computing platforms, including the Amiga,
Macintosh, and IBM PC compatibles, for which there are two versions
available. All front ends except the SVGA DOS version are available for
free download from GEnie. The SVGA version may be purchased from most
software stores, and includes features not present in the other front ends,
such as computer controlled opponents and the ability to play head-to-head
with a friend over a modem link. A full review of this product can be
found in a companion article in this issue. When not connected to GEnie,
the other front ends do allow you to practice flying the various planes,
but no combat is possible, and yours will be the only plane in the air.
The online arena on GEnie switches back and forth every thee weeks between
a European theatre and a Pacific theatre, with each transition defining the
end of one campaign and the beginning of the next. In both theatres, the
arena is divided geographically into three countries, A-land, B-land, and
C-land. These do not represent real countries, so AIR WARRIOR does not
actually simulate any past wars, just the planes that flew in them. Pilots
for each country have unrestricted choice of the planes available in the
current theatre, so it is not unusual for a P-51D Mustang to attack and
destroy an enemy B-17G Flying Fortress, for example. The two theatres
present different sets of planes to choose from, but there is some overlap
between them.
The Game:
Air-to-air combat in AIR WARRIOR is totally unlike any other air combat
simulation available on a personal computer. Two factors contribute most
to the uniqueness of the online experience:
- The sheer number of planes in the air at the same time: Situational
awareness becomes critical when there are 20-30 planes all within
10 miles of you! You must be constantly on your guard, searching the
skies around you, or you are sure to be bounced by an unseen enemy
who will shoot you down before you know he is even there. You must
also plan ahead, or you could find yourself surrounded by enemies,
miles away from the nearest help. If you're not too deep into enemy
territory, the display generated by your country's ground-based radar
station is helpful in locating other planes in your area and
determining whether they are friends or foes.
- The human factor: Every pilot you fight against flies differently.
The skill level, fighting style, and aggressiveness of your
opponent must be rapidly evaluated to decide how, or even if, you
should engage. Teamwork also comes into play, as multi-plane tactics
can be extremely effective in combat. The human factor comprises
such a large part of the simulation that it merits its own section
later in this article.
AIR WARRIOR provides a large number of different plane types that can be
flown. The flight dynamics of each have been carefully modeled from the
best information the authors could obtain, and incorporate a host of flight
performance parameters. Because of this attention to detail, the
differences between any two plane types is profound. Disparities in things
like top speed at a given altitude are obvious, but some are more subtle,
such as diving acceleration, roll rate changes at varying speeds, and the
rates at which airspeed is bled off during hard turns at different speeds.
Learning the capabilities of a given plane type takes time, but is
necessary to learn which tactics suit it best, and which should only be
used in extremis.
There are two basic styles of fighting in AIR WARRIOR, "stallfighting" and
"boom and zooming." Stallfighting involves tight turning dogfights, and
gets it name from the tendency of such battles between equal opponents to
degenerate into turning battles at just above stall speed. This style is
best suited for more maneuverable planes, with good turning ability and low
speed controllability. Proponents of boom and zoom tactics eschew turning
fights. Their tactics involve cruising over the action at high speed,
picking out likely targets (an art in itself), and making full throttle
diving attacks on enemies below. If done correctly, a target can often be
taken out just as the enemy pilot realizes he or she is under attack.
Following the firing pass (the "boom"), the attacker does a steep climb
back to high altitude (the "zoom") to escape the gunfire of the enemies
below and either set up for another pass or look for other targets. Planes
best suited to boom and zooming have very fast diving speeds and can
preserve their airspeed well in zoom climbs; turning ability is desirable,
but strictly secondary. A large ammo load and powerful guns are also
useful attributes.
Beyond fighter versus fighter combat, bomber intercept missions pose their
own unique problems. What's the best way to get within gun range of a fast
moving bomber that is headed your way but at a much higher altitude? What
about one that is flying only 50 feet off the ocean surface? How can you
get its escorts out of position so you can safely press your attack? These
questions are not academic; they come up all the time during the course of
battles in the AIR WARRIOR arena, and how well you as a pilot can answer
them will sometimes have a tangible affect on the big picture.
Although the air-to-air combat environment in AIR WARRIOR is absorbing
enough for most people, the game also has a rich strategic aspect woven
into it. Bombing missions play a critical role in the flow of battle, and
possible bombing targets are numerous and varied. Each country has a
number of airfields, a capital city, and various industrial complexes such
as aircraft factories and oil refineries. Airfields are normally equipped
with a runway, control tower, hangar, anti-aircraft artillery emplacement,
fuel tanks, and ammo dump. In the Pacific theatre only, all three
countries also start out with two aircraft carriers, self-contained
floating airfields placed close to the front.
Destroying almost any ground installation will hinder the efforts of the
enemy in some way. If an airfield facility is damaged, for example, planes
that take off from that field will be handicapped in some way directly
related to the damage done. At the same time, a computer controlled cargo
plane and some trucks will start out from a rearward supply area to attempt
to resupply the stricken airfield. This effort can be prevented by either
intercepting the supply vehicles, or by knocking out the supply area _
before_ hitting the airfield facility. One popular but difficult target is
a country's ground radar station, located in the control tower of the
country's main airfield, deep in enemy airspace. Without their ground
radar feeding them information, enemy pilots will have a much poorer idea
of what's going on around them.
Both the European and Pacific theatres have one or two special airfields in
the middle of the map. These are not owned by any country at the beginning
of a campaign, and are the only fields that can be captured. Because of
their forward locations, these fields are of prime strategic value and
usually mark the location of the heaviest fighting. They can be expected
to change hands many times during the course of a campaign. Capturing one
of these airfields is a difficult operation, as the coup de grace must be
made by a slow, unarmed C-47 cargo plane dropping a full load of
paratroopers near the field after its control tower and anti-aircraft gun
have been destroyed. Shooting even a single paratrooper as he floats to
the ground will completely foil the attempt unless multiple C-47s are used.
Level bombing can be carried out by medium or heavy bombers, and single-
seat planes can be used in a fighter-bomber role by loading them up with
one or two bombs and using dive bombing techniques. Two- and four-engined
bombers often require fighter escort, though other players may also be
recruited to ride onboard as gunners. Like fighters, different bombers
have different strengths and weaknesses. B-17 Flying Fortresses are slow,
but carry more bombs than any other plane, can take a ton of damage, and
have heavy defensive armament. At the other extreme is the Mosquito, an
amazingly fast bomber that carries a light load of bombs and is devoid of
defensive armament, but is ideal for lightning quick surprise raids on
smaller enemy installations such as radar stations.
On some occasions, special scenarios are organized by some of the more
experienced players that impose extra rules intended to structure play.
Scenarios vary widely, from the simple to the elaborate. Many of them
reenact historical air battles, and as such restrict the type and number of
planes available, determine the airfields each side starts out with, and
specify victory conditions, e.g. successfully bombing certain targets or
capturing airfields.
The Human Factor:
Flying with and against _real people_ is the heart of the AIR WARRIOR
experience. Many people who play AIR WARRIOR for the first time have
extensive flight simulator experience from games like RED BARON, FALCON 3.
0, and ACES OF THE PACIFIC. They do well in those other games and assume
they will be instantly competitive in the online arena. New people almost
invariably do quite badly their first few times up. Part of this can be
attributed to the immense scope of the theatre and the complex interactions
that occur when scores of planes are up in the air at the same time, and
two thirds of them are trying to blast you out of the sky. An equally
important factor is the totally different nature of the competition.
Unlike the computer controlled enemies in other personal computer air
combat simulations, the human pilots in AIR WARRIOR vary widely in how
proficient they are at the many abilities desirable in a fighter pilot.
Some have very quick reflexes, but poor tactical sense. Others have a
sound background in the theory of air combat maneuvering, but aren't very
good aerial marksmen. And then there are those very few who can do almost
everything well, and are veritable institutions of the game.
Because tactical conditions can vary so much and human beings are
inherently unpredictable, no two combats are ever the same. You must
always be watching for your opponent to make a mistake or expose a weakness
in his fighting style that you can exploit to achieve victory. On the
other hand, if you see your opponent doing this to you, formulating a plan
for escape may be more prudent! Unless you are one of the AIR WARRIOR
elite, there are pilots out there who are a _lot_ better than you in almost
every way. Better pilots will perform maneuvers that you've never even
seen before, and if you do not quickly formulate an effective countermove,
the odds are that you will not survive the fight.
Many players belong to organized (or sometimes disorganized) squadrons.
Squadron members often team up, using multi-plane tactics to gain advantage
over their enemies. Most squadrons set aside one night a week to fly
together as a more or less cohesive fighting force for their country.
Cooperation across squadron boundaries and with those who do not belong to
any squadron is still common, however, as there exists a sense of
nationalism among most players. In contrast, some players prefer to the
role of solitary hunters, stalking their prey alone, and relying solely on
their wits and skill to survive.
AIR WARRIOR's flexible implementation of radio communication makes it a
social game, and you never feel like you're all alone up there. One
frequency can be used to transmit messages to everyone in the air. This is
useful for chatting with acquaintances who fly for other countries, trading
compliments and insults, and bragging about how many kills you've scored in
your current flight. It is often the way new players get informal inflight
training on the details of play. Questions from beginners are always
answered, and the environment is generally friendly. Another frequency can
only be heard by your fellow countrymen, and is mostly used for
coordinating attacks, calling for help, communicating the status of enemy
airfields, and often just for some friendly conversation. Each country
also has numerous private frequencies intended for use during close-knit
group operations.
Online Training:
AIR WARRIOR is a difficult game to master. A gratifying number of
experienced players are willing to go out of their way to help new players
through the difficult familiarization period, but over time some players
decided this wasn't sufficient and that some kind of organized training
would be more beneficial.
Currently, there are three programs in which new players can participate to
learn more about AIR WARRIOR and to improve their combat abilities. Tuesday
Night Training (TNT) and Sunday Afternoon Training (SAT) are relatively
informal sessions that take place at regular times in a special training
arena. All are welcome, including experienced players who wish to hone
their skills further under the tutelage of some of AIR WARRIOR's finest
pilots.
Also available is the more formal Air Warrior Training Academy program.
This is a package deal that includes seven two hour training sessions, once
a week, with a free hour of practice in the Academy's own arena before
class. Once you sign up, you will get a training manual full of useful
information and a large detailed map of the European theatre. The Air
Warrior Training Academy instructors are all very experienced pilots.
Classes are very small, consisting of five people or less, so there is a
lot of time for individual attention from the instructor(s). A typical
training session consists of a lecture portion, some in-flight instruction
in the arena (exercises, pairing off for one-on-ones, furballs, etc.), and
a question and answer period at the end. All this is available at a single
package price--a very good value, considering the amount of online time
included.
Technical Difficulties:
Due to occasional performance problems with the AIR WARRIOR host network or
the access node through which you connect to GEnie, flying online is not as
seamless as one would like. In the worst case, players sometimes get
spontaneously disconnected and must call back in. This happens rarely for
most people, but is frustrating when it occurs, and sometimes people get
"dumped" multiple times in one night.
A more pervasive problem is known as "warping." Warping is evident when
other planes seem to leap (warp) from place to place, and is the result of
the plane position updates sent by the host getting to the front end too
infrequently. Warping is usually present to one degree or another when
flying online. When it's not too bad, planes just seem be a little jerky
in their movements at times, but it's not too hard to compensate for it.
Severe warping, on the other hand, makes combat very frustrating, since you
may only get to see updates of your opponent's position once every second
or so. The most common source of warping problems is your particular GEnie
access node. Some people have "good nodes," so they rarely see any
significant warping, while others are stuck with "bad nodes" that can
sometimes become intolerable. GEnie does make an effort to correct these
performance problems, but progress is not normally swift. For most people,
warping is a relatively minor annoyance that does not materially affect
their enjoyment of the game.
Sandman Goes Online:
After having practiced for many hours against computer-piloted drones
offline, flying head to head against friends via modem connections, and
attending two Air Warrior Training Academy classes, I finally felt I was
ready to enter the main AIR WARRIOR arena online. I was pretty nervous,
having heard all the stories about how difficult the game is for new
players, but I thought I had reason to be optimistic as well, since I had a
lot of flight simulator experience, and I did fairly well against my head
to head opponents. The handle I chose for myself was "Sandman."
My first night online turned out to be Korean War night, so I took up a
MiG-15 and headed for the battlefront. I came upon a friendly MiG in a
losing battle against an enemy F-86, and decided to help out. After making
sure there were no other enemies nearby, I charged into the fray. As the
F-86 engaged me, the MiG pilot saw his opening and disengaged at high
speed. I had started out with both a speed and altitude advantage, and was
able to get the F-86 pilot to bleed all his airspeed away. He realized
things were going badly, and tried to disengage as I saddled up on him. My
heart was beating so hard in an adrenaline rush that I had a hard time
keeping a steady hand on the stick as I lined up for a shot. I fired a six
second burst into him as he rolled his plane violently back and forth.
Bits of his plane broke off from multiple hits, it trailed smoke for a
moment, then BOOM! My first kill!
I cruised around a bit more that night and got one more kill. Several times
I found myself losing a fight or being bounced by attackers I hadn't
noticed until almost too late, and had to flee back to my home airfield
with pursuers hot on my heels. After this successful first night of play, I
began thinking that maybe the game wasn't so difficult after all.
The next night it was back to WWII planes in the last day of campaign 87 in
Europe. There were at least 50 people on, and the swarms of planes had me
befuddled. I basically had no idea what was going on, and got shot down
twice: once, when I got impatient for a kill and got low and slow in the
middle of a furball in a P-51 (always a dumb thing to do), and once when I
was bounced by a Spitfire and P-38 Lightning flying as a team. After this
pummeling, it was clear to me that there was a lot more to being a good AIR
WARRIOR pilot than bagging two lucky kills in a jet.
Campaign 88 in the Pacific theatre started up the next day. I decided that
I would fly for B-land, since most of my friends were on that side, and I
was hoping to get invited into a squadron. This night began much as the
one before--horribly. I kept getting bounced by attackers from on high. I
damaged a number of planes, but got killed six times. It was pretty lonely
up there, and I was starting to get very discouraged. There was a lot of
talk on the radio, but none of it included me. Dispirited, I took off
again in a Corsair. This time, I brought along a couple of bombs, thinking
if I couldn't shoot down planes, at least I could do some ground pounding.
I asked my fellow B-landers where I should drop them, having no clue as to
the current strategic situation, and not really wanting to drop them on a
friendly airfield by mistake! Eventually a fellow named "Holmes" responded
that the nearby aircraft carrier owned by C-land would make a good target.
I lined up along the length of the carrier, made sure my bombs were armed,
and dropped both of them toward target with Holmes nearby watching. Both
bombs struck home, and one of them even took out the carrier's anti-
aircraft gun that had damaged my plane slightly as I pulled out of my dive
bombing run. Finally did some dirt! I got some congratulations from my
fellow B-landers over the radio, and my morale instantly improved.
I followed Holmes north to an airfield owned by C-land, since it looked
like he was outnumbered and I thought I could do him a favor in return for
his help. I bounced a P-38 that was chasing Holmes, and watched him blow
up under my stream of tracers as I flashed by. The enemy pilot had never
seen me coming. After regaining altitude lost in the dive, I noticed an A-
land Ki-84 approaching me from below--usually not a good idea. I decided
to see how smart this guy was. I dove on him, and just before I got within
gun range, I pulled up into a steep climb. Just as I'd hoped, he pulled up
hard after me. I watched in my rear view mirror as he tried to point his
nose at me while I continued up in a vertical climb. He eventually ran out
of steam and started falling off on the verge of a stall. Quickly, I
yanked all the way back on the stick, dropped full flaps, and came
screaming down on him from directly above. He hung there almost
motionless, completely defenseless against my attack. I opened up at
maximum range and saw the fragile Ki-84 explode before I'd gotten to within
300 yards. Two kills in as many minutes!
I was extremely low on fuel at that point, and tried to get my bearings so
I could head for home. Unfortunately, a dot above the horizon which I'd
been keeping an eye on resolved into another A-land Ki-84 that dove toward
me on the attack. I turned slowly towards him, trying to conserve as much
airspeed as possible, and passed him head on, firing all the way. I was
very worried that I would become engaged at that point and eventually run
out of fuel, but then I got a much appreciated message from a nearby B-
lander saying, "You're all clear, Sandman." I checked the radar display and
sure enough, the Ki-84 had been engaged by my countrymates. It was nice to
have an extra pair of eyes on my side! I departed the area and made my way
back to base.
I decided to call it a night, so I thanked Holmes for helping me, and
wished everyone a good night. I was surprised and pleased to see a lot of
"g'night"'s in response. The B-landers are a friendly crowd! The session
ended on such a high note that it no longer mattered that I'd been shot
down so many times. The kills I did get and the sense of camaraderie I
experienced more than made up for it. This was getting fun!
Since that time, I've flown a number of different planes to see which fit
my style and disposition best. The amazingly maneuverable Zeke was fun to
fly, and I did fairly well in it (the episode related at the beginning of
this article was my most memorable encounter while flying a Zeke), but I
did not especially like flying a plane so slow that it was incapable of
disengaging from anything but another Zeke. I now specialize in boom and
zoom tactics. My plane of choice is the P-51 Mustang. It has a lot of
ammo, and is the fastest plane in the sky. I normally fly alone, pouncing
on enemies below me, but I also enjoy coordinating attacks with my fellow
B-landers. The other guy ties up the bandit in a turning fight while I
make diving passes on him, almost always with lethal results.
Besides simple fighter sweeps, I've also performed numerous dive bombing
runs, several bomber escort missions, and a couple of high and low level
bomber intercepts. These all require their own sets of skills, and I've
still got much to learn in these areas. Over time, I have become much
better able to read tactical situations, so I more often know when to
engage and when to retreat. This is one of my most important survival
skills, since I am often outnumbered and there are always lots of pilots up
who are far better than I am. By flying cautiously, playing to my
strengths, and avoiding situations where I've tended to do badly, I've been
able to score 2.5 kills for every time I got shot down or crash, and about
one kill per sortie. I'm finally holding my own. Yet even though I have
shot down more than 75 enemy planes, I still get that same heart pounding
adrenaline rush in combat that I did that very first night, and often find
I have to force myself to relax the white knuckle death-grip I have on the
control stick. If I had to sum up the entire AIR WARRIOR experience in one
word, it would be "intense."
The Price Tag:
GEnie costs $4.95/month for unlimited use of basic services, including the
AIR WARRIOR bulletin board which gets a large amount of traffic, and
$6/hour non-prime time for the good stuff like playing AIR WARRIOR or
downloading files. If you do not have access to a local GEnie node, your
only alternatives are to call into GEnie long distance or to connect to a
remote access location in your area. This latter option adds $2/hour to
the cost of using all GEnie services, including basic services which are
otherwise free.
Anyone interested in playing AIR WARRIOR is hereby warned that the game has
proven to be highly addictive to some people. Many unknowingly rack up
GEnie bills in the hundreds of dollars their first month online. It is
very easy to do, so it would be prudent to keep a close watch on your
online playing time to make sure it stays within your budget.
For more information about the GEnie network, including instructions on how
to sign up, call (800) 638-8369 in the U.S., or in Canada, (800) 387-8330.
If you do decide to take the plunge and enter the wild and wooly world of
AIR WARRIOR, tell 'em Sandman sent you. Good hunting!
This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Robin G. Kim. All rights reserved.
YSERBIUS on The Sierra Network from Sierra On-Line
Reviewed by Frank Bruno
My day usually doesn't begin until about 8 PM when I am ready to make my
foray into the volcano of YSERBIUS. I am Ander, a ranger who ekes out his
living and earns his fame attempting to discover the secrets of YSERBIUS.
I will make this foray into the dungeon today in an attempt to discover
the whereabouts of "the pit", an entrance to the 5th level which I have
heard about. This is not an adventure which I wish to partake of alone,
as I have only recently attained a fairly respectable level.
Upon entering the mountain, I call out to the other adventurers in the
area, looking to form a party. I am quickly joined by three eager
adventurers who are also looking to earn fame and experience. Quick
introductions are made, and we proceed towards the mines. Along the way
we notice others grouping as well as a few adventurers struggling to
escape the dungeon with little more than their lives intact. Unlike them,
I have formed a strong party to tackle the mines, and don't attempt to
take on the challenges alone.
Our first journey takes us to a little used door. Using my ranger
abilities I am able to detect the presence of enemies ahead. Cautiously
we enter the door and are set upon by thieves and barbarians. Thinking
quickly, we enter the battle. Our wizard casts a lightning bolt, killing
a thief. They retaliate and cast a lightning bolt, severely wounding one
of our knights. I grab my sword of radiance and am able to dispatch the
remaining thieves. Luckily all the barbarians miss. It is quick work to
dispatch the rest and then we heal our knight and continue our journey...
The above excerpt is the beginning of an adventure undertaken by my
on-line persona, Ander, the Smiter, on the island of YSERBIUS.
YSERBIUS is an on-line multi-player game, part of Medieval land in The
Sierra Network(TSN). It is only one part of TSN, but in my opinion, the
best. The entire "land" is presented in very well done VGA graphics.
Upon entering Medieval land, one must either select a character, out of
the six which you are allowed to have, or must create a new character.
Once a character has been selected, the scene shifts to a landscape of the
island with the volcano in the center, a castle on the left and a small
building, the inn on the right. The inn houses all of the guilds and
allows players to post messages and see who's on-line. The other castle
allows you to inspect your character, train for new levels and purchase
equipment.
Once you are all set to enter the dungeon, you must choose whether to
resume from where you left off, or start fresh at the top. Usually the
top entrance is used. It allows you to start with full hit points and
allows you to recruit other players to form a party. Recruiting players
is as easy as calling out that you would like to start/join a given party.
In some games it can be difficult to start out, but don't worry too much
about it, because there is usually an upper level character willing to
help a lower one out. A word of warning, there are those of a higher
level who seek only to challenge (a method of fighting between two people)
lower level characters. Be wary of these people. Some may only want a
friendly fight, but some are only out to pray on the weak and
inexperienced. Personally I recommend avoiding all personal challenges as
I don't wish to associate with those types of people.
After your party is formed, it is time to set out in search of fame and
fortune. The dungeon contains many encounters, both random and fixed.
The fixed encounters can either be a combat encounter, or scattered
throughout the dungeon there are clues which can guide you to the many
quests and secrets which remain to be discovered.
Combat is an adventure in itself. Your persona will challenge many
beasts, from lowly wolves to dragons and beyond. It is for this reason
that each character has a number of skills and spells at his disposal.
Skills range from simple healing to the ability to read tracks or runes.
Some skills are automatic, but others must be used wisely. Unlike other
games, it is possible for all characters to learn and use spells. Spells
vary from a simple blast or heal to the most powerful spells such as death
darts and resuscitate.
Once engaged in combat, each person must decide what their character will
do. The choices are made by selecting icons with the mouse. They are:
Fight, cast a spell, use a skill, or use an item. Fighting involves
swinging the weapon in your right hand at the group of monsters you wish
to attempt to dispatch. Casting a spell allows you to keep party members
alive or wreak havoc on the monsters. Skills will allow you to heal a
wound or chase fleeing monsters. Finally, there are many items with
inherent magical powers which can be used during combat. After combat,
the corpses are looted and treasures taken from the lair. The treasure
consists of magic, treasures, gold, and experience.
After combat is over, the party leader comtrols the movement of the party
by use of the mouse on icons. A map is kept by TSN which shows where you
have been. Exploring is a good part of the game. There are many levels
and many quests which must be solved to allow your player the power to
eventually win the game and discover all the secrets of YSERBIUS.
YSERBIUS runs on a 286 based machine or faster with VGA and 1MB memory. A
1200BPS or faster modem (2400BPS for RED BARON) is also required.
Installation takes about 5 MB of hard disk space. The test machine I used
was a 50MHz 486, 380MB HD, SVGA and Sound Blaster Pro. Note: a sound
board is not supported currently, but support is planned in the next major
release. Also included for new subscribers is 3 free hours playing time.
YSERBIUS installed flawlessly. I was able to connect at 1200BPS no
problem, but I kept getting kicked off at 2400BPS. So my first hour on
was at a slow 1200. Since most information is kept on the callers
machine, the speed difference between 1200 and 2400 isn't much, but is
noticeable. The next day I called the sierra help line and was given a
new init string for my modem, which worked flawlessly. I was off and
running that night at 2400 baud and dungeoneering! Unfortunately my 3
hours did run out, but talking to the on-line helper, I was able to
subscribe to YSERBIUS immediately and continue playing. Help is always
available, all I had to do was ask.
Although I love YSERBIUS, there are a number of bugs, some good and some
bad. The good bugs are that it is possible to make a potion permanent and
duplicate items. The bad bugs are the occasional "boot", getting kicked
off. I must also point out that the maintenance schedule is not set, you
can get kicked off at any time. This can be annoying, but only happens
once a night. My last complaint stems from the number of users.
Sometimes there can be severe overcrowding, resulting in slower response
times and the inability to enter the dungeon at a given level.
YSERBIUS is a great game and a must play! The most you have to lose is 3
hours having a great time. I'd recommend giving it a whirl; for $16.00
for 30 hours, it has to be one of the most affordable on-line games to be
found and it is extremely addicting.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Frank Bruno. All rights reserved.
4D Boxing from Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Ken Fishkin
GAME TOPIC
4D BOXING is an arcade-style pro boxing simulation. You create a boxer and
take them through a career. Opponents may be either human- or
computer-controlled, and controlled through either the joystick or the
keyboard.
COPY PROTECTION
Irritating manual lookup. A boxer's picture is shown, and you supply their
name. It is especially irritating because (a) a lot of the pictures look
alike, and (b) the names can be pretty long, and you have to type it all
in exactly right. Yuk.
DOCUMENTATION
Skimpy, but sufficient.
SOUND
There are only two sound effects - a missed punch, and a landed punch.
They are both nicely done.
There are several snippets of music and speech, incorporating the
announcer's intro ("Ladies and Gennnnntlemennnnn...", crowd noise, and the
decision). Nicely done.
GRAPHICS
The terrible rendering is redeemed by the superb animation. "Rendering"
is the actual physical appearance of the boxers. For speed reasons, this
is carried to the simplest extreme imaginable. The chest is a single
trapezoid; the arms are two cylinders with a circle on the end for the
gloves; the face is 3 or 4 polygons with a nose and eyes splatted on. At
the start, you think you're boxing in "Bizarro World".
You get over this quickly, though, because they have done a wonderful job
incorporating human motion into the boxers movements. Boxers bob up and
down on the soles of their feet, their head snaps back when hit with an
uppercut, they crouch and lunge when throwing a hook, they sway from side
to side when groggy, and so forth, all in an utterly natural motion. This
is so well done that you quickly get beyond the Bizarro visual appearance.
STARTING A NEW BOXER
To create a boxer, you specify name, jersey color, trunks color, and other
stuff. There are two interesting parts to this process:
First, you can specify the boxers height and weight. These are independent
of each other - you can make a tall skinny Breland-esque beanpole, or a
short stubby Tyson-esque slugger. Although it doesn't mention it in the
manual, we found that height affected boxing in natural ways - short
boxers are better at body punching, and taller boxers jab better.
Second, your boxer is rated in 3 areas: speed (which governs both how fast
they move and how fast they throw punches), power, and stamina. By
adjusting sliders corresponding to the 3 areas, you give your fighter his
initial stats.
I really shouldn't say "his" stats - the game has a variety of male
boxers, but also several female ones!
PICKING AN OPPONENT
Your boxers quest is to climb up the ratings chart, and eventually become
the champeen. There are 50 boxers ahead of you, and you have around
40 fights to do this. Your boxer improves after every fight, so you have
to balance these two factors: on the one hand, to get the best fighter,
you should crawl up the rankings as slowly as possible. On the other hand,
to rake in the most money and become champ, you want to jump up as rapidly
as possible. A nice touch.
You can choose to fight any of the 3 opponents ranked just above you. I
think you can also "slum it" and fight a lower-ranked opponent.
Once you decide who to fight, you go into the gym to improve your
fighter - by adjusting 3
sliders, you can distribute your improvement
across speed, power, and stamina. Remember your opponent - if he's
lightning-fast, you may want to put it all into speed; if he's a
thunderous puncher, into stamina.
THE FIGHT
Fights start as 3-rounders, and become longer as your boxer advances.
Your boxer can view the fight from any one of a jillion angles -- through
his eyes, overhead, over the shoulder, ringside, through your _opponents_
eyes, etc. -- you can also have custom camera angles. I found that the
"through your own eyes" and "ringside" cameras were the only ones I ever
used. There is a one-round VCR feature that lets you review each round.
You throw punches by using the numeric keypad in a fairly intuitive
way: the top left number "7" throws a left hook to the head, the bottom
right number "3" throws a right to the body, and so forth. There are a
few non-intuitive settings ("left hook to body" is 4, but "right hook
to body" is 3, not 6). You also use the numeric keypad to bring up your
gloves, bob left, bob right, and move backwards.
This interface works OK, but I bet it works better with a joystick
than on a keyboard -- on the keyboard, it's harder to switch between
punching and moving.
If your punch lands, it does a certain amount of damage depending
on the type of punch and your boxers power. There are two types of damage,
"short-term" and "long-term". Body punches, for example, do little
short-term damage, but wear away long-term. A hook to the head does a lot
of short-term, but little long-term. Your opponents stamina determines how
well he can take these punches.
There's one significant problem with this approach -- there's not enough
variation in the damage. Against weak opponents, you will virtually always
knock them out in 2 rounds, 3 if you're unlucky. On the other hand,
against stronger opponents, you will virtually _never_ knock them out;
only a massive flurry of _tens_ of punches will even have a chance of a
knock-down, and you can forget about a knock-out. You simply will not
re-create an Ali-Liston, Tyson-Spinks, or Tyson-Douglas. Once you start
fighting the "tough guys" (say in the top 10 rankings) each fight turns
into a 15 round marathon, where you will have to win on points -- don't
even try to knock 'em out.
Different fighters have different styles: some are more aggressive than
others, some have more punching power than others, and so forth. There
appears to be virtually no change in their style _between rounds_, though
-- if they're way up or down on the judges scorecard, it seems to make no
difference in their style. This, combined with the lack of randomness in
the punching effect, makes the longer fights pretty boring: the second
round is just like the first, the third is just like the second, and on
and on and on....
THE FIGHT OUTCOME
Each round is judged on a "10-point must" system -- if no fighter is
knocked out by the end of the fight, the judges determine the winner.
After the fight ends you are shown a newspaper headline describing
the bout. In a very nice touch, there is a black-and-white photo
accompanying the headline, consisting of a freeze-frame from the final
knockout (or the end of the fight, in case of a decision).
HINTS TO ASPIRING FIGHTERS
At the start, load up on power and speed -- ignore stamina, as most
fights are only going 1 or 2 rounds anyway. Swarm on your opponent, and
put him away: use a lot of body punches. As you advance, start putting
more and more into stamina, and less and less into power -- as mentioned
above, once you're up a ways in the rankings, your power is pretty much
irrelevant.
Don't punch yourself out -- it's tempting to throw nonstop flurries
of punches, but try to discipline yourself to never throw more than, say,
3 punches per interchange. Punch-throwing is a _major_ drain on your
stamina.
SUMMARY
This is a great little simulation, marred only by the limited
replay value -- after about 10 fights, the thing loses its charm, due to
the limited variation in fights. Otherwise, this is a definite buy.
This review is copyright (C) 1993 by Ken Fishkin. All rights reserved.
ED. - Enjoy these two reviews of Conquered Kingdoms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONQUERED KINGDOMS by QQP Inc.
Reviewed by Jennifer Schlickbernd
GRAPHICS-VGA/EGA
SOUND-ADLIB/SOUNDBLASTER
COPY PROTECTION-DOCUMENT LOOKUP
MODEM SUPPORT-YES, NO SERIAL LINK-UP OR PBEM
CONQUERED KINGDOMS is a war/strategy game done by the company that brought
you THE PERFECT GENERAL, THE LOST ADMIRAL (strategy game of the year and
one of my all time favorites), SOLITAIRE'S JOURNEY, and most recently
BATTLES OF DESTINY.
Conquered Kingdoms is built off of the Lost Admiral engine. The graphics
are similar but improved, the game play is based on Lost Admiral, and the
artificial intelligence routines apparently are taken from that game.
Conquered Kingdoms is set in this year's favorite place to set strategy
games, medieval castles and fantasy lands. There are two modes to playing
the game, battles and Castacia (campaign). I'll deal with the battles
mode first, because the campaign mode is based on it.
There are nine battle maps. Each map consists of land, rivers/oceans,
castles, resources (coal, gold, and wood), and cities. The object of the
battles is to have more victory points than the opponent. Victory points
are gained by holding castles and cities. You have a wide assortment of
units to assault cities and castles with. Knights, Swordsmen, Lancers,
Cavalry, and Catapults are the "human" units, while Gargoyles, Rogs,
Phantoms, Dragons, Wizards, Trolls, and Ogres are the "fantasy" units.
After the beginning of the game (where points are given to build units)
resources are necessary to create units. The amount of resources vary
depending on the unit. Also, gold can be used in a sense to replace coal
and wood. In other words, a unit may cost 1 gold + 2 wood + 1 coal OR 3
gold.
When a new battle map is started, an opponent must be chosen. Human play
is supported by modem-to-modem play. There was supposed to be an play-by
-email option, but it wasn't implemented in the shipped version. QQP says
there will be an update to include it. After choosing the opponent, a
second screen appears allowing further tailoring of the game. There can
be random or fixed point combat resolution, short, normal, or "until
annihilation" games, basic units (human only) or advanced (adds fantasy
units), and the level of computer opponent (between 1-21) can be chosen.
The game begins by showing the map, and allowing the choice of cities.
Depending on the size of the map, one, two, or three cities can be chosen.
After choosing the cities, the units are chosen. The interface is simple
point and click where the selected unit is to start.
The game starts after the units are chosen. Units are moved in accordance
with their movement factors modified by terrain. Wizards can teleport in
and bring any units that are in the same space (two units can occupy one
space) and one unit in a space adjoining. Most units can only move one
space in woods or hills unless they fly (Dragons and Gargoyles). Blue
side moves, combat is resolved, and then Red side moves.
Combat is straightforward. Ranged combat is resolved first, then melee.
If a unit is involved in melee (another unit is in the same space) then it
cannot make a ranged attack. Catapults cannot defend themselves, and will
be smashed in one attack unless in a castle. Phantoms within two spaces
cause non-Dragon units to be "scared" and only cause half damage. Wizards
can cast Fireballs which do 8 damage to an area and all adjacent areas.
One of the most frightening moves in the game is for one Wizard to
teleport in another Wizard, and let that Wizard cast a fireball. Troops
that are right next to each other in a mass can really be decimated this
way.
Unless Annihilation was chosen at game start, the game is over when the
predetermined number of turns is done. Victory points are gained by
holding on to cities and castles. Each castle is worth 300 multiplied by
the number of castles owned, so that if there are two castles owned, each
castle is worth 600, three, 900, etc. Most of the time the bulk of the
points will come from castles and not from cities, although in one of the
maps there are cities worth 1300 points. Unlike Lost Admiral, there is no
penalty for losing the starting cities. The player character will gain or
lose notches depending on how badly the player lost or how overwhelming
the victory. The character starts as a Serf, I've made a Duchy, but there
is nothing in the documentation that indicates what the possible levels
are.
The campaign game uses 9 areas. Each area is made up of many maps (40+
for some) and the object of the campaign is to take a certain number of
maps. Some of the maps will yield bonuses such as free Dragons, Wizards,
or Phantoms, extra officers, or more gold. When playing the campaign
game, each side starts with a Cavalier (called a King) and that Cavalier
can heal human units within its same space. Once it has won a battle, it
will go up in level and be able to heal units further away. Extra
officers can be obtained (as mentioned) by winning maps with bonus
officers, but they'll be squires instead of kings. The campaign games can
be very long affairs, and if all the campaigns are played, expect to spend
40+ hours playing.
Not that spending 40+ hours at this game would be at all painful. The
game incorporates the playing style that was familiar in Lost Admiral,
while adding additional complexity to the elements that the player must
deal with. The game play is great. Constant real decisions must be made
regarding the choosing of units, the distribution of the units in the
starting cities, and the mode of attack on the castles. Each unit has its
strengths and weakness, and after 40+ hours of play, I'm not able to find
any striking imbalances. The Wizards are the most questionable, but I
feel they work. They cost an awful lot to build, particularly once the
game starts, and they have little defense. Because of the 21 levels of
play, a player can start slowly and move up as competency is gained.
Substituting random damage for fixed means a far less predictable game,
but keep in mind the AI may suffer for the increased complexity level. I
prefer fixed damage, since the planning is then reliable.
The presentation of Conquered Kingdoms ranges from poor to average. The
graphics are quite boring, and the sound support is only there for
marketing purposes. There's a lot of screen garbage (particularly between
turns) that should have been eliminated before shipping the product. The
manual is badly done, with lots of missing information. The information
can be picked up during game play, but QQP really needs to get on the ball
with the presentation of their games. It's what's keeping them from the
elite of strategy game companies. I'm very disappointed that they didn't
even bother to put in a null modem connection and that they didn't include
the PBEM or any explanation that it was missing.
In spite of these problems, I'd highly recommend CONQUERED KINGDOMS. It's
a lot of fun, each battle doesn't take too long, and you'll find yourself
engrossed 'til 2AM on this one.
This review is copyright (C) 1992 by Jennifer Schlickbernd.
All rights reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONQUERED KINGDOMS by QQP Inc.
Reviewed by David desJardins
CONQUERED KINGDOMS (CK) is a turn-based strategy game for one or two
players. It basically consists of a collection of individual scenarios,
although there are provisions for a campaign game (more on which later).
The play is mostly symmetrical between the two sides, Red and Blue,
although Blue moves first in the turn and Red moves second, which creates
some differences. As in previous QQP games, you can be represented by a
game persona and play many different scenarios as that persona. The game
will keep track of all the results of the scenarios you play, and award
you promotions based on your victories.
The first thing to be said is that this game has great similarities to THE
LOST ADMIRAL (TLA). It is clear that the same game engine was used.
Despite the change from sea to primarily land movement (and thus, for
example, units which, instead of being "anchored", are "sentried") the
overall mechanics of the game are extremely similar. However there are
are many additions, and a few changes which, while minor in terms of game
mechanics, are fundamental to the game play.
The basic mechanics are quite simple. Each player controls a collection
of units, no more than two of which (from each player) can occupy the same
square at the end of movement. Most units can move three hexes per turn,
but must stop when entering woods, hills, or an enemy-occupied square, and
may not move at all through water. But some are faster, some slower, some
are not affected by certain sorts of terrain, some can fly and are not
affected by any terrain, and there are boats for carrying other units over
water. A units normally becomes visible to the opponent whenever any
enemy unit moves within three hexes. (Spies are an exception; they have a
longer spotting radius and are hard to spot themselves.)
The sequence of play is: Blue moves, both players attack, Red moves, both
players attack. That is, you have the same combat options in both halves
of each turn, regardless of whether you just moved. Every unit can attack
every combat phase. If one or more enemy units occupies a unit's square,
it must attack one of those units; otherwise, if it has a ranged combat
capability it may attack any unit within its range.
Combat is resolved with a matrix which gives the damage done by every unit
type to every other unit type. (There is a fixed damage option, in which
the damage is exactly the value in the table, and also for variety a
random damage option in which it can vary somewhat from that value.) Since
there are over 15 unit types, this is a rather large matrix, but
fortunately it has quite a bit of structure, and over time you learn its
quirks. Some units cannot hurt other units: for example, archers against
knights, or lancers against swordsmen, or cavalry against lancers, or
catapults against cavalry.
There are three sorts of objectives on the maps. TLA has only one sort,
cities, which award points, produce resources for constructing new units,
and serve as sites for constructing new units. In CK, these three
functions have been split into towns, resource sites, and castles
respectively.
Towns and resources are pretty basic. If you have a unit in a town at the
end of a turn, and your opponent does not, then you score the points for
that town. If you have a unit on a resource site at the end of a turn,
and your opponent does not, then you capture that resource, and it begins
contributing to your construction. Successive turns spent on the resource
site make it yours for a period of time after you move away, and
eventually permanently yours (unless captured by the other player).
The order of movement mentioned above comes into play here. Since Red
moves second in the turn, it is somewhat easier for Red to capture sites,
because Blue doesn't have an opportunity to counterattack before the
points are scored or the resource site is captured. (Thus, if a site goes
back and forth between the two players, each capturing it on their move,
then Red will always control it.)
Castles are more complicated than towns and resources. A castle takes up
several hexes, and protects all friendly units within its hexes by
reducing the damage inflicted on them. (If the castle is neutral, it
protects both sides.) Also, the castle has a "keep," in which units are
immune to ranged attacks, and a "gate," which is the only way nonflying
units can enter and leave the castle. Only certain nonflying units may
enter the gate of an enemy castle, and they must stop moving when they do
so.
Castle ownership is determined by sole occupation of the keep, again
checked only at the end of the turn. Castles can also be destroyed by
enemy bombardment, of which certain units are capable. Castles normally
repair themselves over time, but not if the attacker controls the three
"siege points" located around the perimeter of the castle. (Occupying any
hex of the castle is also supposed to put it under siege, but it doesn't
seem to work that way for me.)
As mentioned earlier, new units are produced only in castles. Castles
also award points equal to 300 times the _square_ of the number of castles
owned. These two factors combined with their defensive advantage make the
castles the key strategic points of every scenario.
Victory in a scenario is determined solely by score. But, of course, if
you wipe out all of the enemy units then you can occupy all of the towns
and castles and win by a mile. :-) You can choose between short, normal,
and long play; in short play seizing victory points early is vital, while
in long play all that really matters is eventually controlling most of the
board.
I mentioned above that the game has campaigns as well as scenarios. These
basically amount to sequences of scenarios in which the winner of previous
scenarios gets extra units in subsequent ones. Once you have won enough
scenarios by a wide enough margin, you win the campaign. Campaigns also
add a new unit type---officers---which grow in strength from scenario to
scenario when they survive. I found the officers a very pleasant
addition; however, the extra units were not. The usual result is that,
after winning the first scenario decisively, I would acquire up several
extra major units for the next scenario, and all subsequent ones would be
cakewalks. I wish they had found some way to tie the scenarios together
into a sequence without making it into a runaway for one player or the
other.
This concludes the summary of the game. Now I will grade it in various
areas.
The best thing about CK is the underlying game design. Absolutely an A+.
The mechanics simply work beautifully. The abilities of the different
units are diverse and interesting, without being overwhelming. The costs
of the units are generally well balanced, and every unit has both
strengths and weaknesses. Every unit is worth buying in the appropriate
situations. I would compare the quality of the fundamental mechanics of
the game to a board game of the highest caliber, which is strong praise
indeed for me.
If I have any question in this area, it has to do with the spotting
radius. In TLA, units were only spotted in the same hex, except that
carriers could spot two hexes away. The result was that one was always
making plans based on woefully incomplete information about the enemy
forces and their disposition. The change in CK, to three hexes for
ordinary units and six hexes for spies, is a major one indeed. One can
plan much more accurately and with much less guesswork. I wonder if
something in between these extremes would have been better. But, given
the amount of playtesting which must have gone into the design, I'm
probably wrong and the designer probably right.
The computer implementation of the game mechanics merits perhaps a B.
Eighty or ninety percent of it will be familiar to anyone who has played
TLA.
The only bugs which I am certain of are very minor. The graphics are
spartan but acceptable. The figures are the best part: both attractive
and easily distinguishable. The maps are not as good. There are 10
hand-drawn maps provided with the game, and a random map which is
machine-generated simply by filling in the hexes with appropriate tiles.
Personally I find the machine-generated graphics preferable! The
hand-drawn maps are not particularly attractive, and are frequently hard
to read, so that I often find myself entering a hill hex when I meant to
skirt the hill, for example. Or I am unable to tell without clicking on a
hex whether it is water or land. I also found a discrepancy on one of the
maps, where a printed road didn't exist for game purposes.
Unfortunately, the random maps do not seem to have any roads, which
seriously handicaps those units which normally make use of them (swordsmen
and catapults). The configuration of a castle is also different---and I
think slightly less interesting---on the random maps.
A miniature map of the whole scenario is in the corner of the screen; it
is useful, I suppose, but could be bigger. There are several parameters
which the user can set to, for example, speed up the animated combat
between units. These are a nice addition, but I wish that the maximum
speed were even higher. With my Sound Blaster, combat is accompanied by
sounds, and certain phases by music; the sound effects get tiresome after
a while, but of course you can always turn them off.
The game is not particularly speedy but not particularly slow either.
Typically it takes the computer opponent 30 seconds to a minute to move on
my 33 MHz 386DX. This isn't too bad considering that it typically takes
me a couple of minutes to resolve combats and several minutes to plan each
of my moves. I suspect that it might be quite annoying on a 286, though.
The artificial intelligence is a difficult thing to judge fairly. The AI
plays very well, and really does use its units effectively. I'm frankly
amazed at how well it plans. But unfortunately I still seem to clobber it
every time. At the highest level (21) the computer gets about 50% more
units than the human player, and that just isn't enough.
The AI in TLA had to get an A+ in anyone's book. I don't think it is
possible to "master" it in the sense of always beating it badly at the
highest level. And the AI in CK seems to play just as well. I think the
reason that its results are not as good is in two parts. First, the game
is just more complicated, and thus there are more different options to
deal with. Secondly, the increase in visibility makes it much easier to
outthink the computer. In TLA, there was no way to avoid having your
submerged submarines stumble onto the enemy destroyers from time to time.
In CK, except at the very beginning of the game, you generally know enough
about the positions of the enemy units to avoid any great calamities.
(Also, the increased visibility makes the weaknesses of the computer more
apparent, because the stupid things that it does are exposed to you.)
I have to say that the AI is definitely _not_ a reason for anyone _not_ to
buy this game. If you are not especially good at this sort of game, then
the AI will keep your hands full. And if you _are_ especially good at
this sort of game, then you definitely want this game, because you are
probably frustrated at the lack of good computer opponents, and the AI is
still the best that I have seen in any game except TLA. If you do find
yourself beating the machine, there are several ways you can handicap
yourself to equalize the game again. (The one I like best is to take a
_random_ selection of units---there is a special key for this---instead of
placing them myself. You can also handicap yourself by taking Red instead
of Blue; Red has some advantages later in the game, but Blue frequently is
a big winner on the very first move when it can ambush a large number of
Red units.)
Finally I can't resist the chance to grade the documentation. I give it a
D. QQP needs to go back and get their act together on this one. My list
of complaints is too long to go through in its entirety, but I will
mention a few points. _Nowhere_ in the manual does it mention perhaps the
single most basic fact about the game, that there is a maximum of two
units per hex! A paper combat chart is provided with the game, but it has
several errors. (The online chart, accessible within the game, is
correct.) The documentation describes a play-by-email mode which does not
exist. These two points would be understandable---I understand that there
is a lead time in printing and preparing documentation to get a game out
on schedule---except that the discrepancies are not mentioned in the
online readme file either. What is the purpose of the readme file if not
to describe errors and problems in the hardcopy documentation?
Fortunately the game mechanics are so well-designed and lucid that it is
easy to figure out what is supposed to be going on, in almost every case.
(As I mentioned above, though, I still don't quite understand the
circumstances under which a castle is sieged, for example.)
In summary, I do strongly recommend this game to everyone who enjoys turn
based strategy games. I can't really recommend it over its predecessor,
THE LOST ADMIRAL, though. For what it does, TLA is absolutely the best
game ever produced. If you haven't played that, I would suggest getting
it first. (I believe that its street price has been falling
substantially.) If you have played TLA, and enjoyed it, but feel that you
have explored it pretty fully, then CONQUERED KINGDOMS is definitely
recommended and offers a whole new variety of options. If you have played
TLA and didn't like it, then I don't know what's wrong with you, but you
probably shouldn't take my advice on anything. :-)
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by David desJardins.
All rights reserved.
COMANCHE: MAXIMUM OVERKILL from NovaLogic
Reviewed by Glenn Slayden
COMANCHE: MAXIMUM OVERKILL is a good battle helicopter simulator with
incredibly realistic terrain for powerful 386 and higher computers. I was
able to complete the game in about ten hours.
Following Origin's lead, NovaLogic has decided to require a powerful
computer in order to deliver the best possible game. In fact, Comanche
features the highest realism of any flight simulator I've seen.
NovaLogic's "voxel space" technology yields textured, bitmapped, shaded
terrain that approaches photorealism. The skies are particularly
beautiful, with realistic streaking clouds, or ominous cloudy haze. Just
piloting the helicopter through narrow winding gullies, around the strange
Mayan pyramid, and over the dramatic sculpted world is nearly worth the
hefty purchase price of around fifty dollars.
The stunning graphics in this game are not free, however. The product
requires a 386 or greater microprocessor and at least 4 megabytes of
extended memory. Since the manual states that the program "makes use of
the full 32-bit 386/486 power of your CPU by using flat mode assembly
programming," this game will not run on a 286. My testing configuration
was a 486/33 with plenty of RAM, himem.sys only, a CH FlightStick, and a
SoundBlaster Pro, and the performance was fine in the highest of the three
detail modes.
Two more configuration notes--you'll need 12 megabytes of hard disk space,
and Video7 VRAM users will have to put the card in PURE mode in order to
get rid of two horizontal lines that cross your screen.
Comanche: Maximum Overkill supports ordinary joysticks, but has special
support for the CH FlightStick (the helicopter's collective control is the
large dial on the joystick), and Thrustmaster FCS and WCS. The WCS, if
used, allows you to control all the most important functions without using
the keyboard.
The only craft available to you is the Comanche, which is apparently an
actual army design that is currently under development. Like in the
actual Comanche, your helicopter's "onboard computer" automatically
handles many of the interdependencies between flight settings, such as
adjustments in tail rotor counterforce. I used manual tail rotor
adjustment very rarely. All you really have to do is adjust the
collective, and use the joystick to tilt the main rotor.
The helicopter is limited to a ceiling of 500 feet, but this didn't bother
me too much since it's much more fun to hug the terrain, and since flying
low reduced the helicopter's radar image.
The game is centered around two sets of missions. The first set is called
"training," and is designed to familiarize you with the helicopter. These
missions are fairly easy, and cover the multiple weapon systems available
to you: automatic cannon, rockets, Hellfire laser-guided missile, Stinger
radar-guided missile, artillery support, and Hellfire missiles on a
wingperson's Comanche. These latter must be guided by a laser from your
own Comanche, which reduces their usefulness somewhat--only targets in the
open and visible from a distance can be safely targeted. You get a medal
after completing the first set of missions. This took me approximately 2
hours.
The enemy targets include various tanks, helicopters, and fuel storage
tanks. A single Hellfire, Stinger, or cannon round respectively is
usually enough to destroy the target.
The second set of missions is called "Operation Maximum Overkill." These
are basically a continuation of the training series, increasing in
difficulty with each mission. After completing the first three missions,
you must complete the remaining ones in order. And if your Comanche is
destroyed during a mission, you must complete the previous mission before
attempting the failed mission again. For this reason, it's sometimes
advisable to abort the mission if your Comanche gets seriously damaged.
This can get very tedious when you get to the last mission, which is
considerably harder than any other. I spent about five hours completing
just the last mission. The sequence could have led up to this mission
more gradually.
The music in this game is average, and the sound effects, including
squawking radio communications, falling artillery shells, and your talking
onboard computer, are great.
The most obvious shortcoming of Comanche Maximum Overkill is the number of
missions. This game easily could have held my interest for a much longer
time if there had been more to do. The game engine is fantastic, so why
not supply more terrain and missions? For example, the terrain does not
include any snowy or desert conditions. Also, since missions begin with
your helicopter already in enemy terrain and finish automatically when all
goals are complete, there is no large-scale explanation of the conflicts
you're sent into. There is no home base for you to return triumphantly
to--if you make it there on your remaining fuel supply. In this respect,
Comanche is more of an arcade game than a strategy-driven flight
simulator.
As mentioned above, the wingman function could use some improvement. An
option for the wingman to direct his own laser would be helpful and
realistic, for example.
In short, I'd recommend Comanche for its incredible graphics--if you have
a very capable computer. I liked the results of NovaLogic's bitmap
rendering techniques better than those found in Wing Commander I/II. I
found it mildly addictive to play, and you can inject your own strategy to
make the missions more interesting or challenging--using only cannon on
enemy helicopters, for example. The artillery support is a great creative
addition, and the fast paced, adrenaline pumping action kept my grip tight
and my knuckles white. Don't expect great cinematic or strategic elements
from this game, though; it's mostly a shoot-em-up.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Glenn Slayden. All rights reserved.
STRIKE COMMANDER from Origin/Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Jeremy Reimer
Availability: Most software stores worldwide.
Price: Varies, around $70 in stores, less by mail order.
Graphics: 256-colour VGA (320x200)
Sound Support: Adlib, Sound Blaster or Pro, Roland/LAPC-1, Pro Audio
Spectrum. Sound Blaster or PAS can be used at the
same time as a Roland.
Input support: Keyboard, standard joystick, mouse, Thrustmaster FCS
and WCS, Flightstick, Flightstick Pro. Joystick can
be used with mouse for padlock view.
Disk space required: Partial install (must periodically reinstall portions)
27 megs, full install 35 megs. Speech pack (sold
separately) adds 7 megs.
RAM required: 586k free low DOS memory (DOS needs to be loaded high)
2.1 megs high memory (no memory manager required,
although it will coexist with them)
Operating system
compatibility: DOS 5.0 or 6.0
Known conflicts: Older versions of SMARTDRV (before Windows 3.0
version). Older disk compressors (Stacker before
3.x, Superstor before Pro, all compressors make game
run unacceptably slowly, especially DoubleSpace).
Some incompatible non-Microsoft mouse drivers
OS/2 and/or Windows (won't supply VCPI memory
required). Memory managers on systems with more than
16 megs RAM.
CPU required: 386 processor, 33 Mhz absolute minimum for play-
ability, 486/33 recommended, 486/66 ideal.
INTRODUCTION
Most people would say that Strike Commander needs no introduction, as we've
all heard quite a lot about it. The posters advertising "The assault
begins Christmas 1991" stick in quite a few people's minds, and what most
people want to know now is simply this: has it been worth the wait for what
could be the longest-delayed game in history?
In a word: yes. Origin has always been known for pushing the technology
envelope instead of following the rest of the pack, and they have done it
yet again with Strike Commander. Wing Commander sold a lot of 386 systems
when it was introduced and made a lot of 286 owners very angry (until they
were forced to upgrade to a 386 or better) But that was then, and this is
now. A 486 has been useful for some games, but never a requirement. This
has changed. For now there is a much more enjoyable reason to upgrade to a
fast CPU, a fast video card and a fast hard disk than there ever was in
making Windows perform reasonably. THE GAME ENGINE
We've heard a lot of talk and rumours about it, so let's get down to some
facts. Wing Commander revolutionized gaming graphics technology on PCs
(and some would say in gaming generally) but it drove the population into
two firmly divided camps: those who preferred bitmaps and those who
preferred polygon graphics in their flight sims. The trouble with bitmaps
was that they would jerk from one angle to another causing alignment
difficulties (especially with large ships) and became rather blocky when
viewed close-up. Polygons, on the other hand, were drab and boring, no
matter how many of them you slapped together into one object.
This has all changed. Origin has successfully fused polygons and bitmaps
into one glorious whole, a TRUE texture-mapped world that can look lovely
and obey basic laws of physics and geometry at the same time. The only
drawback is of course that it chews up a lot of CPU cycles, but they are
becoming cheaper all the time. I'm even considering a 486 motherboard
upgrade, and that's saying something.
The best way to appreciate the technology is to go into "View Objects" from
the main menu of Strike Commander, after the animated intro which is
actually quite nice. It is a pretty standard engagement with two F-16's
against a MiG with some nice music and speech and very smooth animation.
But the "View Objects" menu shows you that this is not just another flight
sim behind a pretty intro. The objects look like they were bitmapped and
scanned in, yet they rotate with the smoothness of polygon animation. How
is this possible? From the gameplay, going into the Options dialogue box
(all such boxes are rendered in nice metallic-looking frames) allows you to
set the detail level, presumably to make 386 owners able to play the
missions with proper smoothness. But I found that even on lowest detail it
wasn't THAT much faster, and then it was just another polygon sim anyway.
Give me the great graphics.
Here's how it works: A standard polygon F-16 is rendered much like Falcon
3.0 (you can see this in the dialogue box as you set the detail level)
With a click you can add gourad shading, as seen in such games as Disney's
Stunt Island. This uses various shades of the same colour added on in thin
lines, the net effect of which is to smooth the polygon edges into curves.
It really fools the eye. But it doesn't end there. With another click,
you add Texture, and therein lies the magic. The textures are added on
like decals; the camouflage paint is the most obvious effect, but the
details are many, including a see-through cockpit with a little pilot
inside, all the standard markings you'd expect to see on a military jet
(numbers, logo, etc) and even little bullet holes that you may have
inflicted yourself. While you may not have the fine control of Tom Cruise
in order to fly inverted with the enemy at a distance of two feet, even if
you do the detail will still be there. When planes have flown past me at
close range I have often suppressed the urge to look behind me; with a
stereo sound card this effect may be inevitable.
The ground is done much the same way, although the gourading makes things
look very hazy, as if you were flying over green mush instead of forests.
But landmarks are bitmapped, cities, buildings, rivers, etc and they add to
the sense of realism. The horizon is very hazy, and it seems almost
impossible to turn this haze off even with the slider haze control bar. If
you turn ground gourading off, instead of the huge speed increase you would
expect you merely get The Land Of The Hundred Parallelograms. A really
nice addition is the texture-mapped transitions, which merge the gouraded
polygons with the flat land. THIS is why you want a fast CPU, so you can
turn the detail WAAY up, and see everything. One slight flaw: as in
Underworld 1, some of the texture mappped ground effects go a bit flowy
when you get within a few feet of them. The city bitmap in particular
changes into a kind of surrealist painting, but usually by this time you
are close enough to worry about crashing. The land DOES change quite a bit
in elevation, so one moment you may thing you are safe above ground and the
next minute you slam into a hill. The digitized "Pull up" voice helps, and
seems to have been pulled directly from Falcon 3.0. For once I'd like to
hear a SCREAMING command to do so. "PULL UP, DA**IT, YOU MORO..."
<crash, fireball>
GAMEPLAY
It is difficult to judge gameplay without trying it on a faster system. I
did test the flight model, and although I am not a pilot myself I can say
that it is above average. Not on par with Falcon 3.0, certainly, but
better than F-15 III. However, the F-15 is quite a different beast than
the F-16 you spend most of your time flying in Strike, so perhaps the two
can't be easily compared. The plane, however, doesn't just fly like a brick
in any direction you point it. It performs differently at different
altitudes; you can stall when you try and perform the Su-27 "cobra"
maneuver in your trusty F-16. Air-to ground missiles, when dumbfired, will
miss the target they were aimed directly at, obeying the laws of gravity
and falling in a parabola. The blackout at ~9 gees is quite nice. I
remember seeing the line-by-line interleaved blackout on the original
Falcon on an XT with CGA! This is quite different. Before things go
black, they go grey; the colours slowly fade and finally disappear
altogether. The blackout isn't just the entire screen going dark, either,
the contrast increases and you lose the outside view first. This is nice.
Another neat thing: the sun blind spot (which you can turn on or off in the
options menu along with most other enhancements) is a REAL sun blind spot.
Not the "gee my cockpit looks a bit yellow" of Aces of the Pacific, if you
fly straight into the sun you will soon lose the ability to see anything
else at all. Most missions will inevitably have you running out of missiles
before the enemy does. If you aren't an ace avoider, use the Novice enemy
pilots option. For the early missions, at least, you are fairly safe
except for ground-launched SAMs, although other planes will try and get on
your six. The targeting computer can be selected also, with smart targeting
on it is much easier to line 'em up and fire. Some pilots will inevitably
drop flares, however, in any case you will be forced to use guns on almost
every mission. I got one gun kill with "Easy Gun Kills" OFF before I
switched it to ON. It makes the enemy planes a little more vulnerable to
your shots, but not any easier to hit. Gun battles are neat because you
have to be REALLY close, and at that range you can see the lovely
explosions and watch your helpless foe eject and float down to earth. The
trouble is when you are that close you can sometimes run into debris from
the explosion which can ruin your day, or integral parts of your plane,
anyway. And don't think about ejecting with only a mere reprimand as in
Wing Commander. Every plane you lose (including wingmen) costs your
squadron half a million clams, and if you lose 15 you lose your insurance.
(Insurance?? It'll all become clear when I describe the plot)
Ground kills are difficult, as they are for me in all sims I have tried.
Trying to fly level while arranging all the targeting systems and releasing
a bomb while avoiding flak and SAMs is not always fun. Buildings don't
just vanish or get flattened when hit, but turn into smoking burning
shells, another realistic feature.
I can't provide any detailed framerate data for those people who revel in
such things. With most of the detail on I get about 4 frames per second on
my 386/33 and standard ATI VGA card. But this is pretty much a wild guess
on my part rather than raw data. Although now you see why a 486/66 is
ideal, on such a machine, easily five times faster than my own, the
framerate should be more than acceptable.
One of the most limiting aspects of all personal computer-based flight sims
is that your vision is always limited to the flat screen in front of you.
Real pilots are able to look around 360 degrees and evaluate situations
visually. Most sims offer alternate views, usually looking straight behind
and to the sides at 90 degrees. I have often found these to be of little
use as the views are extremely limited and don't allow you to "follow"
enemy planes around. Falcon 3.0 changed this with a "padlock" view that
allowed a player to look at and track enemy planes a little more easily,
but Strike Commander takes this to an entirely new level. I was suprised
to find such an important innovation, integral to flight sims in general,
in a game which was supposed to be focussing primarily on great graphics.
The "virtual cockpit" view in Strike Commander can be accessed by the
little "coolie hats" on the advanced joysticks, but those of us with
standard joysticks get it too. Simply hold the second button down and the
joystick becomes like your head: move it around and the view changes
exactly like it would if it was your head that was moving. The entire
cockpit is scaled and rotated, with the sides and rear of the plane as
smooth shaded polygons and the instrument panel as one huge bitmap
(although you lose the HUD graphics) to increase the sense of realism.
When you release the second joystick button control of the plane is
returned to you as your "head" turns back.
On a 386/33 this is a rather slow process, but even another option is
available. You can select to use the mouse as a padlock view while you
continue to fly the plane with the joystick. Not only that, but the screen
only updates when you stop moving the mouse, so looking behind you can be
as fast as it takes to snap the mouse quickly to one side. Then,
continuing to fly the plane, you can casually move the mouse around an
entire half-sphere and view everything around you like a real F-16 pilot
would. I found this feature enormously useful and something all sims
should have.
THE MISSIONS
The game starts with a fairly simple mission and gives you a chance to play
around with the intermission scenes. You click on an empty bunk or cot
(depending on which base you are staying at) to save a game and click on
the other, occupied one to load a game. When you move the mouse over the
person on the cot he or she smoothly wakes up and turns to look at you. In
fact, all of the characters in the game act this way to your mouse
probings. This makes for a nice effect. You can click on people to talk
to them, but the conversations are already scripted for you. This I found
disappointing, but you DO get far greater control over the plot later in
the game.
From the main base there are several places you can go: the office, where
you can talk to the squadron's accountant (see PLOT), the barracks which I
have described in the last paragraph (nice digitized and semi-digitized
pinups of male and female models are provided in the barracks for you to
gaze at... reminiscent of Wing Commander 1 Secret Missions 2), and finally
the truck to take you to the airstrip (and your next mission) Click on the
truck and it starts up and smoothly turns and moves out; like all
animations in the game this is visually impressive.
After a brief chat you select which weapons you want to load your F-16
with. This is very similar to F-15 III, knowledge of the manual or air
weaponry in general helps you to decide what to take along, although the
default selections work well for most missions.
Are you ready to fly? If not, go back to the main menu and fly a training
mission first. These are very configurable and allow you to go up against
all kinds of planes. The first thing I did was go up against a squadron of
five 747s. That's right, 747s. Those jumbo jets look strange in a V-
formation with their engine exhaust streaming out behind them. Fun to
shoot down though.
The real first mission is a fairly easy flight where you have to defend a
Hercules transport against some rebel fighters in Mirage 2000s, little
delta-winged planes from France. Fairly easy mission unless you have the
difficulty level set at Ace, and my wingman did most of the work for me.
The wingman AI seems to be quite a bit better than in Wing Commander, where
they could barely manage to finish off a solitary fighter that you had
already softened up. Here they not only take out nasties for you but even
warn you when someone is on your six. This is going to make for some real
competition on the kills sheet, although sooner or later you know you'll be
expected to take out an entire nation's defence force on your own. :)
On slower machines (like my 386/33) it is almost imperative to set some of
the easy options on, like smart targeting and radar. That way you can
worry more about flying and less about targeting. Find the plane, lock on
and boom! Usually he's gone in a nice explosion and a last word, and often
a parachute too. But soon you'll run out of those nice smart missiles and
be forced to put your Vulcan cannon into service. This is very hard
especially at a low frame rate, but still possible on my machine with a
little practice. There are plenty of other options to make the life of a
novice pilot easier as well, such as turning off midair collisions,
stalling, and other hazards. MUSIC AND SOUND
While I only have a Soundblaster and so haven't sampled the Strike
Commander score from a proper MIDI card like a Roland, the FM music is
quite good and appropriate for the game. There are the standard themes
that you hear during a mission: free-flying, combat, near-death and victory
tunes. This is quite similar to Wing Commander. If you want, you can turn
off the inflight music and listen to other more important sounds like
engine whine and missile screams. I also found that this helped to
increase my concentration (ever seen an F-16 pilot with a Walkman?)
However the best music is in the intermission scenes, where it changes to
suit your locale (barracks, driving into Istanbul, or inside Selim's bar)
Sort of techno-music with a few chords that sound like they could be
electric guitars (with a suitable stretch of the imagination) with the
occasional lapse into an Arabic-sounding bit and some other parts that are
a bit forlorn and so fit the plot perfectly. The music wins Jeremy's Test
of Approval which means I wound up humming parts of it while watching TV on
occasion. Speech is also similar to Wing Commander II; without the speech
pack you get it only in the introduction, with the pack you get most (but
not all!) in-flight messages digitized and some intermission bits as well.
THE PLOT
The game is set in 2011, after economic collapse and disaster in the United
States and around the world. Most of the states have declared themselves
independant and Quebec is also at war with the rest of Canada. You, as an
ex-military fighter jock, find yourself playing the role of mercenary in a
squadron called Stern's Wildcats (There's Chris Roberts and his kitty names
again) based in Istanbul.
You find out very early on that this is not an easy assignment. It is
difficult to tell your friends from your enemies and despite Stern's
attempts to take only the missions that have some sort of ethical payback
(relief efforts and such) the squadron is divided over whether morals
should take precedence over the bottom line. It's hard to imagine any
military unit paying for itself, but these mercenaries must constantly
struggle against red ink as they take huge paybacks from petty dictators
around the world and shell out large amounts of cash for weapons and plane
replacement. Neither the squadron's chief engineer or the accountant are
particularly happy people. The base itself is a run-down rathole that even
has to suffer the occasional attack.
Life is hard and many people end up being buried in shallow graves in a
foreign country, but instead of a clear objective to reach for (as in the
end of World War II or the collapse of the Kilrathi empire) it seems almost
an inexhaustable conflict, with the players changing every few weeks.
Here's where I start to get a bit depressed, especially after watching the
evening news and seeing what is going on in Bosnia and other troublespots
in the world. Maybe as the plot continues there will be some end goal to
reach for (in fact I am sure of it) but at the moment it is just more
pointless killing, and even though pointless killing is the sort of thing I
LIKE to have in a computer game, it is too realistic here to be enjoyable
all of the time. I noticed this towards the end of Wing Commander II, too.
When the CHARACTERS start getting tired of fighting, this translates rather
quickly to the player. But how can you stay away from those gorgeous
graphics and sounds (and explosions)...
BUT IS IT LINEAR, OR DO YOU HAVE SOME SAY IN THE MATTER?
One of the biggest draws towards Strike Commander for me was the promise of
having some control over the storyline, not sitting back like the stunt
pilot and watching your double act out your life for you. This is hard to
achieve in a computer game and I wasn't surprised to find the options quite
limited in SC. From the very beginning it is obvious that Stern is grooming
you for command, making you watch as he reprimands other pilots, for
example, and your character is very much his protege. For the first few
minutes you watch and learn, with no interactivity at all except choosing
who to talk to in the intermediate scenes.
But when you unexpectedly have to take command of the squadron yourself,
things change. Now you have TOO much to worry about. Forget equipping
your plane, you have to also replenish the base's stock of armanents and
keep track of expenses! As if I didn't have to worry about money in the
real world, now here's a chance to play with some high stakes and throw
away a million or two while watching the accountant sweat. Then you will
be expected to choose missions (usually only three are offered to you) on
the basis of payback and difficulty level, which you must determine for
yourself after a brief conversation with the shady types in Selim's bar in
Istanbul. You also get to choose who your wingman will be, which may prove
useful in the more difficult missions. I can't wait to have to decide who
to chew out and who to praise. This is very much a love/hate thing, I love
the options but hate having to worry about them all the time. However,
this is what makes for a great game and is also a step forward from the
Wing Commander series. It involves you more closely with the game and that
is a good thing.
CONCLUSIONS
Aside from REALLY wanting a 486/66 (but not too happy with the $900
motherboard cost), there are quite a few things about this game to praise.
I haven't found any bugs so far, quite a difference from Wing Commander II,
and quite impressive for such a large game. I'm sure they will arise for
some people on some systems but on mine it is quite stable, although I
haven't added a disk cache yet (I am so used to OS/2 where it is built-in!)
and that may make things more complicated. The cache seems quite
necessary, though, and I certainly have the RAM for it. There have been
reports of some problems on other systems but these are usually linked to
old BIOSes or strange cards coexisting in the machine. I don't usually like
flight-sims that much, prefering to get my action in deep space where there
are no stalls and no ground to crash into, but Strike Commander is worthy
of replaying. The difficulty level can be adjusted so finely that everyone
from bonehead joystick mashers (like me) to top-level ace flight-sim nuts
will have fun with it, and there is a reward (in the terms of more points
and a higher score) for flying with the difficult options on.
What this game REALLY makes me wish for is Wing Commander III. Without a
ground horizon (I hope they make planetary forays very optional) the
framerate should be much higher, and I'll probably have a 486 by then
anyway. We know that Wing III will see the end of the Kilrathi Empire so
there's something to look forward to and not the depressing plot of Strike.
And the thought of seeing those lovely Kilrathi capital ships in their TRUE
perspective without bitmap jerking and blockiness but with mouth-watering
detail just makes me drool. And a smooth padlock view in a Morningstar
Mark II will be an incredible experience. This is one hot game engine, and
it will be nice to see it translated to other games, especially the Wing
Commander series!
The future is here, courtesy of Origin. I raise my glass to them and hope
that they NEVER stop advancing the cutting edge of computer games.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jeremy Reimer. All rights reserved.
ULTIMA VII PART TWO: SERPENT ISLE from Origin
Reviewed by Daniel J. Starr
Computer Graphics Memory Disk Space
Minimum 386 VGA 2 MB 25 MB
Max/Rec. 386SX/20+
Control: Keyboard, Mouse (recommended)
Sound: Adlib, Sound Blaster, SB Pro, Roland LAPC-1/MT-32
Notes: Supports simultaneous SB or SB Pro and Roland. Cannot be
run with expanded memory manager (EMM386.EXE or equivalent).
Requires 535,000-587,000 bytes of free conventional memory to
run, depending on configuration.
Reviewed version 1.02 on: 486/66, 8MB RAM, SB Pro and Roland sound cards.
Reviewer recommends: 2MB disk cache, SB-compatible sound card.
(A warning: users of DOS 6.0's Doublespace may need some work to free up
enough low memory. See the technical postscript at the end of the
article.)
The ULTIMA series of computer games have been a breed apart almost from
the beginning, and essentially unique in outlook and design since ULTIMA
IV: QUEST OF THE AVATAR. Ever since that classic, the Ultima games have
been distinguished by the detail and richness of the world depicted in the
games, by an emphasis on more substantial 'role-playing' instead of
endless combat, and by a continuing effort to find novel and interesting
ways of having the player save the world -- not to mention ever-increasing
sophistication in graphics and interface.
The most recent Ultima, ULTIMA VII: THE BLACK GATE, represented at once
both a step up in technology and a step down in plot. The appearance of
the world the player stepped into, and the detail of its elements, was
incredible -- chairs, dishes, everything were all individually represented
and manipulable. On the other hand, the plot was a thin combination of
"hunt the elusive villains" and "stop the world-conquering megalomaniac"
which had the player essentially following a series of step-by-step
instructions from various mentors all the way through.
Happily, The Black Gate's sequel, ULTIMA VII PART II: SERPENT ISLE,
further improves on its predecessor's interface while providing a new and
substantially better plot. Serpent Isle looks significantly better, is
controlled more easily, and has a lot more depth to its story and play.
The game's one major flaw is an excessively forced linearity. Despite its
'Part 2' marking, Serpent Isle is worthy of recognition in its own right
(and, incidentally, can be played without having played U7, without too
much lost). In my opinion, it's substantially more enjoyable than U7, and
worth a try from almost everyone.
Those who played Ultima VII will recall that at the end of that game, the
Avatar, savior of the kingdom of Britannia in times of danger, had
banished -- but not destroyed -- the demonic Guardian, while his arch-
henchman Batlin escaped. In the tale of Serpent Isle, you, the Avatar,
are dispatched with your companions by Lord British to the newly
rediscovered Isle. It appears that both the Guardian and Batlin have
retreated there, and perhaps there you may find the source of the
continuing natural and magical disturbances plaguing Britannia. And so
another chapter in the saga begins...
GO WEST, YOUNG AVATAR (Interface)
The interface will be immediately familiar to players of U7, and quite
intuitive for anyone else. The left mouse button represents the player's
hands, the right button his feet. A single right-click moves a step, a
double-click moves to the clicked location, holding the button down moves
the player continuously in the mouse pointer's direction. A single left-
click looks at something, a double-click talks to it, uses it, or attacks
it (whatever seems appropriate...), and a click-and-drag picks something
up to drop it in the player's inventory or elsewhere.
Some nice touches have been added to the interface since U7. A 'targeting
mode' lets the player click more easily on fast-moving characters ("Wait!
You! I want to talk to you!"); keyboard 'hot keys' let the player
conveniently call up his map, spellbook, or the like; a unified combat
screen lets one adjust all party members' tactics at once. Combat has
also been improved in that characters don't shoot each other nearly as
often as in U7. One nuisance that has not been eliminated is food; one's
companions will still stoically (but vocally!) undergo starvation while
food remains unused in their packs. But the overall control of the game
is quite smooth these days.
U GOT THE LOOK (Graphics & sound)
The appearance of Serpent Isle is likewise similar to that of Ultima 7,
but again ratcheted up a few notches. As before, the detail is incredible
(especially compared to other adventure and role-playing games, where 90%
of the 'environment' remains backdrop), with everything from cloaks to
diapers to plates and flowerpots individually modeled. You can pick the
things up, carry them around, drop them elsewhere, use them, break them or
attack with them if it's appropriate. One gets so used to it that one has
to remind oneself that it's not at all this way in other games. Here,
it's almost literally possible to pick up everything that isn't nailed
down. Even the bags and backpacks in which you carry your inventory
appear on screen when opened as, well, bags and backpacks. The level of
realism is really quite amazing, and still completely unequaled in
computer gaming.
The biggest single improvement in Serpent Isle's look over U7 is in the
character portraits. When you talk to someone, their portrait appears
next to their words (and yours next to your choices of conversation
subjects), each portrait an ellipse almost a half-screen tall and half as
wide. Some seem to be digitized photos, others are painted, but all are
very nice. Virtually everyone has a unique picture.
Other features have been added to dress up SI's look -- in the literal
sense of 'dress up', 'paper-doll' inventory displays alter the character's
pose and dress directly with what he or she wears, to the point where it
becomes fun to try on different pieces of equipment to see what it'll look
like. New terrain types have been added, and more variety and detail to
the preexisting features.
Sound, for its part, is excellent as ever, with suitably realistic birds
chirping, thunder crashing, and snow leopards meowing (don't ask).
Another feather in SI's cap is substantially more and more varied speech
than in U7; five different entities offer you digitized salutations at
various points during the game, in addition to full speech during the
introduction and endgame sequences.
So Serpent Isle definitely looks and feels even richer than its
predecessor ... but how does it play?
A WHALE (SERPENT?) OF A TALE (Game story)
Serpent Isle's plot has a great story to it, with great atmosphere, lots
of conversation, much more seriousness, depth and realism than U7. It
also has a linear organization with a poorly designed flag system that can
stymie the player for no logical reason. You win some, you lose some...
it's more annoying in places than U7 ever was, but on the other hand
there's so much more to do and so much more to the story than in U7 that
it still comes off as a significantly better game. (Maybe we can get the
best of both worlds in the next Ultima.) SI is an incredibly rich game;
the frustrations are worth it.
The first thing to mention about the play of Serpent Isle is the
conversation. Lots of it. More than one person on the net has remarked
that the last time they saw this many words in a computer game, the name
on the box was Infocom. Fortunately, the words are well spent -- this is
a decidedly articulate and intriguing populace here on Serpent Isle. There
is now much more to each character than simply his or her role in
fulfilling your quest -- almost everyone has a
distinct personality, and
it's a lot of fun just to walk around, talk to everyone, and enjoy this
miniature world. There are cute idolizing kids, pompous fools, seducers
and seductresses, braggarts, thieves, nincompoops, and plenty of average
but still interesting people. Everyone has something to talk about. Even
the little remarks people make when you greet or leave them have been
improved tremendously -- you get little kids saying "Come back soon!" and
knights saying "Slay a goblin!" on departure, not to mention old grumps
muttering "Leave me alone!" when you try to talk to them. The quality of
conversation in SI is unequaled... it's probably the single strongest
feature of the game.
The next item on the list is the story of the game -- not so much what the
player actually does in the game, but the tale that's revealed in the
process. It's certainly one of the most convoluted and rich tales I've
ever seen in a computer game... there are several different bad guys,
good guys, and other guys, not to mention all manner of motives and
activities. It may be the stimulus of having a game not set on Britannia,
where so much is already given; but for whatever reason the tale that
unfolds is more interesting than any of the other Ultimas to date.
Serpent Isle features all manner of romance, treachery, tragedy, and
villainy. The ultimate secret of why things are going wrong, when
discovered, is not completely novel, but it is more original than the norm
and it is done well. And there are a LOT of surprising twists along the
way.
I should also mention that Serpent Isle does a much better job of being
'adult' -- both in violence and in sex -- than U7. There's some real gore
(dismembered body parts, and a few dismembered MOVING body parts), and
some real heavy tear-jerking, that goes on at some points in the game.
There are even two sex scenes, with full 1-inch-high nudity (although the
screen does go dark before things get too raunchy). Overall, Serpent Isle
feels like a much more serious, more real world than Britannia. People in
SI have passions, ambitions, and problems -- less superficial ones than
the convenient 'oh, Avatar, could you help me with thus-and-so' variety of
U7. SI still features the Ultimas' annoying habit of stereotyping towns
as the 'city of beauty' or the 'city of mages' instead of giving places a
more natural personality, but it is by far the most realistic and vivid
Ultima to date in terms of individual characterization.
GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS (Game play)
So, the atmosphere is great... what about the play? For the most part,
the mix of player actions is vintage Ultima: talk to a lot of people,
pass through assorted gauntlets, participate in a variety of rituals, and
fight lots of nasties along the way. Serpent Isle's presentation of the
blend has its good points and bad ones.
One of the strengths of SI is the number and variety of challenges. There
are a _lot_ of subplots the player must work through in the game on the
way toward solving the main quest and they come in many different flavors.
The player, at various points, gets to: pass logical or physical
challenges, unriddle mysteries, discover traitors, win free of prison,
fight the occasional ferocious monster or deranged wizard, and participate
in mighty rituals. All of these come with very nice conversational
dressing, so that they do come across as worthwhile rather than routine;
only in a few places does the presentation fall flat and the transcendent
come off as trivial. On the other hand, they do seem to come in packs...
for example, at the beginning of the game, it seems one is continually
attending banquets and trials, while toward the end one is constantly
performing great rituals. It might have been more exciting if the two
were better mixed. Still, the aforementioned quality of scripting makes
almost every scene gripping.
A second strength of SI is its set pieces -- its 'reward' sequences and
the like. There are numerous occasions when the player gets to sit back
and watch the fun, and they are very well done. Again, the writers did an
outstanding job scripting this one. It's hard to convey how much is added
by this, short of quoting extensive sections from game play; suffice it to
say that the story is presented in vivid and impressive detail in this
game. It really is a standard-setter in this respect, not only for CRPG's
but also for traditional adventure games.
SI does have a major weakness: linearity. That is, the game is
excessively strict about requiring the player to do certain things in a
certain order. Sometimes this takes the carrot-and-stick approach in
which the person or object you need to do B is conveniently locked up and
won't be available until you do A. Sometimes certain conversation options
-- though they were entirely obvious! -- won't appear until you've done
something somewhere else. Many times characters seem completely oblivious
to important events, while occasionally doors will inexplicably become
unlocked or chests will appear in places because a game flag has been
tripped elsewhere.
All of this is a slap in the player's face and a real jarring factor when
everything else seems so natural. The good news is that this only happens
every so often, at crucial game bottlenecks. The bad news is that it gets
very annoying to observe that one is being shoved none too subtly down a
certain path. The frequent repetitions of citizens of Monitor of "Not a
knight!" (there's a Test of Knighthood, which the game wants you to take,
see) are only one example. It's a real pain, since the story could have
been told much the same way without so many restrictions, and since it
robs one of the opportunity to merrily explore that The Black Gate
offered.
The corollary weakness of linearity is that the game highlights all the
programmers' oversights, whether the player is expected to do certain
things in a precise order or manner, or the programmers just plain goofed.
For example, in the town of Monitor, one of the first things you want to
do is go see the town leaders. You are directed to the crematorium, where
you are told that the leaders are in the crypts -- but NOT where those
crypts are! So, you go hunting all over town for the crypts and fail to
find them. Eventually, the leaders leave the crypts and can be found
elsewhere in town. If you talk to the crematorium manager at this point,
he now tells you, if you ask, that the crypts are behind the curtain at
the back of the crematorium. Because of the way the conversation options
are controlled by game flags, it was not possible to learn this from him
when the leaders were in the crypts -- which was when you wanted to know!
AARGH!
Worse yet, much later in the game, a gate is opened by placing the right
sequence of runes on a set of altars. But the gate will not open unless
one has been told the sequence -- the correct sequence does not work, even
if one guesses it, until then. Moreover, unless one has had a certain dog
sniff a certain object (in a logically completely unrelated event), it
STILL won't work. You can't progress until you figure out what it is that
the game expects you to have done that you haven't, the fact that there's
no logical reason for this obstacle notwithstanding. Idiocies like these
occur in various places throughout the game. Only one or two of them are
show-stoppers, but when they occur they can be incredibly frustrating.
An additional flaw is the lack of any real source of good advice. The
game has enough twists and turns that it's occasionally quite unclear what
the player should do next. At times like this it would have been
invaluable and simple to have an option to consult a companion -- "Gee,
Dupre, what should we do now?" "Milord, I suggest we revisit some of our
earlier acquaintances. Perhaps one of them has something new to offer."
This sort of thing would significantly alleviate some of the problems
caused by excessive linearity. Instead, the game generally has little or
no help to offer.
("It's not a bug, it's a feature" -- there are two places where the game
offers nonexistent or erroneous help, and it REALLY needs correction.
First, for the soul prisms to work, they need to be 'sealed' after use by
employing them on a device suitable for binding spirits (nudge, nudge).
Second, when Xenka tells you to go to Sunrise Isle, don't. Nothing there
at that point -- she really means the Shrine of Balance.)
On the whole, though, Serpent Isle is a very rich game. There's a lot to
do, with a lot of variety, and the scripts that surround each element are
extraordinarily well done. Kudos to the writers -- though not to the
designers of the flag system. The story is definitely good enough to
justify the player's suffering through the artificial restrictions, but
the gamer should be ready for them (and Origin should be ashamed of them).
SETTING SAIL (Technical notes and summary)
Documentation and installation are fine (although at 25 MB, it's a real
resource-eater). And there is the traditional nifty cloth map -- at last,
of a place besides Britannia! I should note that characters from Ultima 7
are not transferred, although the Avatar does arrive at the Isle with a
full complement of equipment. While people have reported occasional
problems getting the game to install or boot up, nothing like the reliably
distressing bugs of Ultima 7 have shown up yet in Serpent Isle, except for
the flag system mentioned before ("it's not a bug, it's a feature") --
there are, as noted, a couple of places where the game won't let you
progress because you haven't done something else unrelated. Like U7, SI
taxes the hard drive a great deal; I strongly recommend using any extra
RAM for a disk cache. While it's hard to tell on a fast computer, users
of 386SX's have reported that SI does run a bit faster than U7.
In all, Serpent Isle is certainly a quality game. It does have its
annoyances, but it matches an unequaled technology in appearance and
interface with a superbly scripted story. It's more vivid, more
realistic, and more fun than its predecessor, and has more plot depth than
anything on the market, although there are a few points in it where the
poorly designed flag system and strictly linear organization can provide
much frustration. Along with the rest of the Ultimas, it occupies a place
between the adventure games and the dungeon games, so it's not always
clear who the audience is. But a game with this much depth deserves a
look from almost everyone.
--Technical Postscript: Removing Doublespace Drivers--
Serpent Isle requires 535-587K of low memory to run, and is incompatible
with expanded memory managers (which are normally needed to load programs
into high memory), so users of disk compression software may need to
remove their drivers to free up sufficient low memory. The problem with
doing this with DOS 6.0's Doublespace software is that the drivers are
marked as system files and therefore are loaded regardless of the contents
of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. It is possible, however, to
get around this; the following batch files should do the trick. (Use EDIT
or your favorite editor to type these in and save them as DOS text files.)
Of course, Doublespace won't function without its drivers, so you will not
be able to read the compressed portion of your hard drive. In particular,
DO NOT USE THESE FILES IF YOUR ENTIRE BOOT DRIVE IS COMPRESSED. Use at
your own risk.
(Why is it incompatible with expanded memory managers? Because the
'VOODOO' memory management system used in Ultima 7 and Serpent Isle puts
the CPU into the semi-documented 'Big Real Mode'. This lets the programs
access all of memory quickly, allowing the multitude of objects and
characters featured in the games to be manipulated at a reasonable speed.
Unfortunately, Windows and expanded memory managers can't deal with the
CPU in this mode. The good news is that Serpent Isle should be the last
Ultima to use this system; Origin apparently has found an adequate normal
compiler for its purposes.)
NODOUBLE.BAT
Rem ** Once this is run, all subsequent boots will not load the
Rem ** Doublespace drivers. Run DOUBLE to cause Doublespace
Rem ** once again to be loaded on subsequent boots.
Rem ** Note: you will not be able to read the compressed portion
Rem ** of your hard drive without Doublespace loaded. DO NOT USE
Rem ** THIS FILE IF YOUR ENTIRE BOOT DRIVE IS COMPRESSED.
ATTRIB C:\DBLSPACE.INI -S -R -H
RENAME C:\DBLSPACE.INI DBLSPACE.HLD
ATTRIB c:\DBLSPACE.HLD +S +R +H
DOUBLE.BAT
Rem ** when run after NODOUBLE has been run, resets files so that
Rem ** subsequent reboots once again load Doublespace drivers.
ATTRIB C:\DBLSPACE.HLD -S -R -H
RENAME C:\DBLSPACE.HLD DBLSPACE.INI
ATTRIB C:\DBLSPACE.INI +S +R +H
This review Copyright (C) 1993 by Daniel J. Starr. All rights reserved.
DUNE ][ the BUILDING OF A DYNASTY by Westwood/Virgin Games
Reviewed by Clark Chang
Spice Melange. The most precious substance in the universe, it is only
found on one planet. That planet is Arrakis, more commonly known as Dune.
Whoever controls Dune, controls the Spice. The Emperor has proposed a
challenge; whoever produces the most Spice shall control Dune.
Three houses rise to the challenge; the noble Atreides, the insidious
Ordos, and the evil Harkonnen.
Thus sets the background for this game. It is essentially a series of
battles, and with each new battle, you are gradually introduced to all the
"tools" you get to use in the final 9th battle. DUNE ][ is primarily a
tactics game and the conflicts are handled in real time. The focus of
each battle is harvesting spice, since that is the only source of the
credits you need to build your base as well as your army.
The game begins with a choice between the three houses. Each house has
its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of the military units it has
access to, and thus a different strategy is needed with each house to make
the most effective use of these weapons to exploit the weakness in the
enemy's army. There is a common pool of military unit types which each
house can use; these include trikes and quads (fast wheeled vehicles
useful for reconnaissance), three different types of tanks (combat tanks
which are faster than siege tanks which have better armor and more
powerful weapons, as well as missile tanks that have longest range of
these three tanks), some form of infantry and ornithopters to harass your
enemy from the air. But each house also has its own special weapons which
no other house can use. Atreides have Sonic Tanks which are deadly
against infantry and can cause massive destruction to buildings.
Harkonnens have the Devastator; it is the most powerful tank in the game.
The Ordos can use the Deviator, which fires a nerve gas that changes the
allegiance of the enemy troops it hits. Winning the game involves
combining these different weapons so that they cover each others
weaknesses and eventually destroy your opponent. Your opponent isn't the
only danger you face. Gigantic sandworms creep beneath the surface of the
planet, and will arise and swallow tanks and harvesters whole. The only
way to escape sandworms is to stay on rocky areas which the sandworm can't
reach.
But the game is not limited to the maneuvering of armies. Victory or
defeat also depends on your ability to harvest spice and build a base
which can support your war effort. In this area, all the houses are equal
in that they can all use the same type of buildings. One of the first
buildings you construct is the spice refinery, which gives you a harvester
with which to gather the spice, as well as a refinery to convert the
gathered spice into credits. You can build spice silos to store more
spice and save more credits. Light and Heavy factories are necessary to
build the nucleus of your army, the quads as well as the tanks. Hi-tech
factories let you build ornithopters as well as carry-alls (large flying
machines which can rapidly transport your harvester to and from the spice
fields to the refinery and rescue damaged vehicles) Repair facilities can
be built to fix those damaged vehicles. If you need military units
quickly, you can always use your spaceport to make a bulk order and
rapidly increase the size of your army. Walls, Cannon Turrets and Rocket
Turrets are useful for the defense of your base. All this takes power,
requiring the building of Wind Traps.
As with most computer wargames out on the market, the AI is not good. Its
attack strategy is limited to continuously sending units at you, but with
a decent defense, this is trivial to overcome. Its defensive strategy is
limited to point defense of its base. For example, it will just ignore
the movements of your units until they get close to its base and start
causing damage. Because of this, you can easily launch flank attacks
against which the enemy is completely unprepared. To overcome the lack of
AI, the computer has the advantage of a pre-set up base with a pre-
existing army, whereas you have to start from scratch, which means the
longer you last, the greater the chance of your victory.
Other than that, I still found this game very enjoyable, and in fact
played the game three times as each of the houses. Each house has a
different strategy to use based on its special weapons, and part of the
enjoyment came from figuring out what's effective with each house. The
graphics are good; if you roll a tracked vehicle over an infantry troop,
you get to see a big blood spot left behind. Vehicles when destroyed do
not simply just blink off the screen; sometimes there will simply be an
explosion leaving a hole in the sand or rock. Other times, you will
simply see a glowing hulk which fades away. Infantry killed by gunfire
appear as bodies lying on the ground.
Another excellent feature of the game was the ability to play around with
the "timing" of the game. This way, you can accelerate time during boring
parts of the game, i.e. when you are just gathering spice and defending
yourself against those suicidal frontal attacks by the enemy when
reactions aren't that crucial. Yet later on, when you want to move in 10
units at the same time on enemy positions, you can slow down the time and
ensure that your units all arrive at the same time.
Finally, this game is great for those people who hate reading manuals and
like to just jump in and play the game. There is an online help which
tells you pertinent information about the different structures and
military units involved in the scenario. Furthermore, the scenarios are
also set up apparently with that goal (instant playability) in mind. Your
first mission is limited to gathering spice, and each mission following
makes it easy to learn the capabilities of each structure and of the
different military units.
Speaking of manuals, there is copy protection on this game which I
considered very innocuous when compared to other protection schemes used
in games. It is a documentation look up, and it occurs twice; there is
one near the beginning, between the second and third mission I believe,
and one near the final battle. Since it asked questions about the
structures, it became easy to answer the question without needing to refer
to the manual.
Hardware support includes 256 color VGA as well as most sound cards.
Unfortunately, since I didn't have a sound card, I got to listen to the
bleeps emanating from my PC speaker. However, even those sounds weren't
horrible; sounds of explosions and missiles firing was pretty good. The
game can be controlled by mouse or keyboard, but I found the game much
easier (as well as more efficient) to play using the mouse. The only
regret I have about this game is the lack of connectivity; your only
opponent is the computer, and I think the game would be greatly enhanced
by adding the ability to play against another human over the modem.
In general, I consider this game one of the best of this year. In fact,
if you are a student, don't buy this game. Seriously though, I spent 9
days playing this game continuously, and I was glad it was released
during winter break. The spectacular graphics, the addicting gameplay,
as well as the euphoric feeling of triumph at the end of the last several
missions kept making me come back to play it repeatedly.
This review Copyright (C) 1992 by Clark Chang. All rights reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
DUNE 2 from Westwood Studios
Reviewed by Bill Foust
DUNE 2 is a truly amazing sequel based on Frank Herbert's series of
books. The only thing in common with the previous game and series is the
world in which the game takes place. Despite this, I don't think fans of
the original game or series would be upset with the game.
Dune 2 has to be the most addictive game for everyone around. Not only
would I stay up all hours of the night playing it, but my roommates and
floormates would watch me play it for hours on end as well. The aspect
that makes it so addictive is the real time movement system, as opposed to
a turn-based movement system. There are a lot of aspects that must happen
at the same time in order to survive - harvesting, building new
structures, moving units around etc. For some people it's too much to do
at once, but for others it adds an interesting aspect of complexity to the
game.
Unlike DUNE, in Dune 2 you control structures and units. At the
beginning of each mission you have a token force, and a construction
factory. There are a wide variety of structures you can build - a wind
trap power structure, a spice refinery, a radar facility, various
factories, defensive turrets, walls, foundations etc. Some structures
build units others provide functions for the base. All of these require
money, and like the real world a product has to be sold for money. On
Dune, that product is of coarse spice.
At the beginning of the game you are asked to choose a house to play
under. Each house - Atredies, Ordos, and Harkonen - have different
aspects. This is one area where Herbert fans would be impressed, because
the personalities of the houses are closely followed. Once this is done
your mentat tells you your objective for this mission. The mission
objectives vary only slightly. The first two simply require that you
collect a certain amount of money. The rest require that you destroy the
enemy. After each mission is completed, a map of Dune is displayed and
you can pick the next sector that you wish to take over.
From a technical aspect Dune 2 does a lot of great things. The sound
effects are great, though I have heard of some compatibility problems with
the less common sound boards. Unlike most games these days, Dune 2 has
very few bugs. The graphics are cool, and the animation is smooth.
Neither are spectacular, but I'm not complaining.
Unfortunately there are a number of down points about Dune 2 as well.
First off the computer opponents are downright stupid. They send a few
units at a time in a straight line for your base. A good line of units or
turrets facing one direction will hold off anything the computer sends at
you. Secondly there is no way to group units together for movement as a
group. This is very irritating when you have a line of 30 units and you
want them all to move one space forward. Even though a combination
mouse-keyboard speeds this up a lot, it is still very annoying and
something that all strategy games should come with. Also, there is a limit
of some kind, I haven't been able to figure out where or what the limit is
on.
This review Copyright (C) 1993 by Bill Foust. All rights reserved.
ERIC THE UNREADY - by Legend Entertainment, distributed by Accolade
Reviewed by Casey Sisterson
Wow! A knight (sort-of), a princess in distress, a wicked witch, and a
dastardly dragon. What more does a person want in a game?
Okay, you guessed it. I liked the game. GAME? This is not just a game,
it is an experience. Why do you ask? Well, I'll tell you, but first, some
background....
It all started rather innocently one day. I saw this package with MONKEY
ISLAND on it. Well, I said, I got a few days to waste, why not. So I
shelled out a few samolians, took it home and played it. Things have not
been the same since. From one game to another, looking for that same
feeling, Whoaaaaa is me, the longing for just one more hilarious game!
Then, suddenly, the other day, whilst strolling through my local computer
store, I saw this box. It mentioned Guywood Threepbush. Well, that's all
it took. I quickly forked over the dough, and hummed a little tune on my
way home.
So I've been around the block a few times, and know most of the tricks of
the trade concerning 'graphic/adventure' games. My first thought about
this game was, 'I HAVE to type?'. WRONG! Your house mouse will do just
fine in this game. So off I went to get some cheese to help my mouse point
it's way to work. With my mouse satisfied, I quickly went out to get some
roller skates with which I would roll the little guy around with. I never
did get to try a track ball though, couldn't find a track which would let
me in to roll a mouse around. Well, to get to the point, the mouse
interface works just fine. You can point at the various words within the
list of nouns, verbs, etc, and they magically appear in the work window.
They only beef that I have (besides that in my freezer) is that when you
point to the picture in the upper left hand corner, it allows you only to
'look' at that item/picture. You cannot incorporate it within your
sentences.
For all of those music enthusiasts out there, I have good news. This game
is abound with it. A constant flow of unending music which is pleasing to
the ears have been masterfully mixed with the game. The music helps set
both the mood and the tempo of the game. The music requires either a Sound
Blaster, an Adlib, or a Roland sound card. I personally have the Sound
Blaster pro card, and the music was very enjoyable. I found myself
recognizing the music, such as the theme from Star Trek, the Adam's Family,
and other great scores.
The digitized sound effects are perfect. A highlight of the game. (Try
the throw cookies, or spit command!). From the twanging of a crossbow, to
the kissing of a pig, the digitized sounds wafting out of my speakers leave
me rolling on the ground. To enjoy these hilarious outbursts, an Adlib, or
Sound Blaster is required. The set up also states that a PC speaker may be
used, but we all know that the PC speaker sounds just like a cat in heat.
I found the interface to be quite usable and enjoyed it. Some games are
ruined by a horrible interface, but my fears of this games be ruined were
soon proved to be untruthful. The point and click driver was easy to use.
The save game feature was also easy to use. I had 50+ save games, so I
figure you can save until you collect some interest.
Onto the plot....
Well, as I stated in my intro, there is this knight named Eric the Unready
(go figure?), and Princess, and an evil witch. The King of the land is
prophesied to die on the next Saturday, and his only daughter must be
married at that point, or her evil (and might I say, UGLY) cousin shall get
the throne. The witch is the mother of the cousin, and she has a husband
in mind for the princess. You, Eric the Unready, must fight their
dastardly deeds and win the heart of the princess, all by Saturday...
Along the way, you'll meet a gnome family (which resemble the Addams
family), the captain of a raft (much like the Enterprise! -- I nearly died
laughing when I say BONES!). You'll visit places far below ground (the
'Not So Great Underground Empire') and visit a Temple of Virgins (damn
those height requirements!) and maybe even converse with a few gods.
Any problems with the game? No. Not one. Well, okay, a few, but I'm
rather embarrassed to say so. I got stuck a few times during the game,
but, with a little trial and error, and a little help, I was on my way
again.
The game is actually pretty long. My fiancee and I spent a few nights
playing the game, and had a very good time (NOTE: computer geeks notice
that last sentence! Wife/Girlfriends/fiancees/etc. like this type of
game!!).
ERIC THE UNREADY also makes sure that you have all of the items required
before going to the next stage of the game. You'll not be almost finished
the game, and find yourself short of a boot for some guys foot. Game like
that produce a few swears. No swears during this one. Another feature I
like are the cut-animation scenes between each adventure. They add to the
plot, and give you a clue as to where to go and what to do.
Some other features that I like is the map that is included by the touch of
a function key. All areas that have been visited will appear. This helps
a person to navigate around the world. The downside of this is that the
picture and the map cannot be displayed at the same time. No big. Another
function key brings back the picture. The list of words for instructions
have two lists in reality. A first short list followed by a line, then the
list of all possible commands. The short list contains all of the commands
necessary to complete one episode. The characters within the game are all
very interesting. Make sure you talk to each one. They all give clues to
some point within the game.
The last feature of the game worth mentioning is the newspapers. They
provide a hilarious story as to the previous day's events. The classifieds
are interesting, and also helpful.
From one hilarious parody to another, the games plot rolls along. All in
all, I fully recommend ERIC THE UNREADY as your next adventure/RP game.
This game has the Sisterson approval of 5 thumbs up out of 5 thumbs (okay,
so I don't have 5 thumbs, but if I did, all would be raised in favour of
this game).
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Casey Sisterson. All rights reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERIC THE UNREADY by Legend Entertainment Co.
Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt
ERIC is the latest work by Bob Bates, Infocom alumnus, founder of Legend,
and author of TIMEQUEST. In a recent Game Bytes interview, Bates described
the title character as "a cross between Sir Launcelot and Inspector
Clouseau." The game is a broad farce set in a swords-and-sorcery setting
with modern touches, much like Legend's SPELLCASTING series, only without
the magic, the collegiate motif, or the sex. (Well, there is some slightly
off-color humor, but that's it.)
After a prologue involving a pig and an outhouse, the game starts in
earnest with the kidnapping of the beautiful Princess Lorealle. The object
of the game is to rescue her. Naturally, all the knights in the realm want
to take on the quest and win Lorealle's hand in marriage, but Queen
Morgana, who wants the quest to fail, chooses the bumbling Sir Eric. Just
to be on the safe side, she also sends assassins after him. With the
player's guidance, however, Eric can always keep one jump ahead of them,
leaving enough rubble in his wake to slow them down.
The main portion of the quest is spent in pursuit of five artifacts, such
as the Crowbar of the Apocalypse and the Bolt Cutters of Doom, that will
enable the Eric to open the gates of the castle where Lorealle is being
held. Thus, there are five sub-quests in the mid-game, bracketed by two
introductory parts and the climax. In the process, Eric visits locations
like the Mountain of the Gods (reachable only from the well-guarded Temple
of Virgins) and the Swamp of Perdition (populated primarily by characters
from old TV shows).
Like all of Legend's other releases, ERIC is an illustrated text adventure
with optional command menus and special user interfaces for specific
puzzles. Graphics ranging from EGA to SVGA are supported, as are AdLib,
Sound Blaster, and Roland music cards. The continual background music is
dominated by the breezy lite-rock sound familiar to anyone who has played
any of Legend's other games. (Who is this Arfing Dog person, anyway?)
Numerous digitized sound effects can be played through appropriate music
cards or the PC internal speaker. Most of these effects are assorted
crashes, bangs, and shrieks to be played when Eric commits unintentional
property damage; in addition, there is the best vomit sound I have ever
heard in a computer game.
Copy protection is in the form of a diagram in the manual, which is only
used once in the game, early on. Once you've passed it, you can save the
game and never go through it again.
The only new feature in the user interface is the addition of conversation
menus, which replace the "ask <person> about <thing>" command.
Unfortunately, these menus don't branch or change at all, making the
experience of talking to a character very similar to the experience of
reading the newspapers scattered throughout the game.
This game is going to be compared to the SPELLCASTING series a lot. And
with good reason. Like Meretzky's games, the focus is on bizarre
situations and clever puzzles, as opposed to Bates' usual focus on well-
researched details. For example, one item is said to be located in the
branches of the tallest tree in the forest, but, since the tree turns out
to be growing upside-down, the item must be sought underground. Elsewhere
is a room where r's are transformed into w's, transforming certain items in
your inventory (a particularly Meretzkian touch, I thought). Many of the
puzzles are in direct imitation of Meretzky, such as the puzzles based on
puns, or a certain room where the player must send a marble bouncing off
assorted obstacles in a manner extremely reminiscent of a Babel fish.
Still, Bates' comic style is different from Meretzky's. For one thing,
it's much gentler. Sir Eric is noble in intent. Even if he routinely
destroys buildings during his quest, he means well. Speaking of
destruction, I think the slapstick was a little overdone in this game;
Bates seems to think that you can make things funnier by increasing their
scale. However, ERIC derives more of its humor from parody than from
slapstick. One of the high points of the game is a visit to the Not-So-
Great Underground Empire, where the screen suddenly goes into all-text mode
to describe the location "West of House." And ZORK isn't the only game
lampooned. There are references to games by Legend and LucasArts, as well
as Monty Python and _The Wizard of Oz_. It even squeezes in Star Trek and
Fantasy Island. If all this sounds stupid to you, well, I'll have to admit
that the humor does get pretty stupid at times. But the puzzles remain
clever.
The action takes place on Torus, a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) planet.
Actually, toroidal planets are not uncommon in adventure games. Any
rectangular map with wraparound in both the north-south and east-west axes
(i. e., King's Quest 1) is toroidal. If you deduce from this that ERIC
takes place on a rectangular grid with wraparound, you are wrong. The game
is divided into eight separate regions. Each day, Eric finds himself in a
new area, and must complete his task there before the day is out. Doing so
triggers some form of accidental mass destruction which propels him into
the next area and the next day.
In the process, Eric invariably loses all his possessions, except those
that will be necessary later, which simplifies inventory management
enormously. This is a technique used frequently in animated graphic
adventures, where the overhead of programming objects in new areas is
greater. Old-time gamers will miss the challenge of deciding what will
come in handy later, but few will miss lugging around tons of useless junk.
On the down side, the intense linearity of ERIC almost makes me wonder if
this the same Bob Bates who wrote TIMEQUEST. For those who missed my
glowing review of that game, let me explain. TIMEQUEST is a paragon of
good design. Like ERIC, and indeed like most recent adventures, it
consists of small groups of rooms, each with its own set of puzzles. But
each group of rooms is accessible from the start of the game, allowing the
player to explore freely. This design has the advantage that, if you are
completely stuck on one puzzle, you can still make progress in some other
part of the game.
In ERIC, if you get stuck on one puzzle, you're stuck. The five sub-quests
that make up the bulk of the game could have been made simultaneous, but
they were not. You have to complete them in order, and you can't even look
at the next one until you've finished the one you're on. This enables the
author to put more structure into the plot, but it also takes away some of
the sense of player control - a problem magnified by the limited choices in
the conversation menus and the occasional scenes where Eric performs
actions without player input.
In all fairness, all these complaints are common in graphic adventures.
Most of Sierra's games are extremely linear, give the player no control
whatsoever over dialogue, and have frequent "cartoon" scenes where the
player just sits back and watches the animation. But I think I speak for
most adventurers when I say that we expect more from a text-based
adventure, particularly from Legend. If we don't have the special effects
of a Sierra or LucasArts game, and we don't have the flexibility and
control of a Legend or Infocom game, what do we have?
We have humor and pseudo-Meretzky puzzles. I'm not sure that's enough to
qualify this game as one of the classics, but it's pretty good. I have the
feeling that this game will largely be bought by the same people who bought
the SPELLCASTING games, who will enjoy it provided that they don't get
stuck. Beginners are advised to invest in hint books, and warned that they
won't get all the jokes. One final warning: after you win, the game
displays the message "End of part 1." That's right, this is going to be a
series.
This review is (C) Copyright 1993 Carl Muckenhoupt. All rights reserved.
HIGH COMMAND from Colorado Computer Creation
Reviewed by Ken Fishkin
GAME TOPIC
HIGH COMMAND is a strategic-level simulation of WWII, in the European
theater. You take the part of either the Allies or the Axis, and try to
make the world safe for democracy or fascism, depending. The game is
always 2-player. The second player may be either human- or
computer-controlled. There is, at present, no modem support. This is
promised for a future version.
COPY PROTECTION
Manual lookup.
MANUAL
The manual has a lot of information (205 pp), but needs to be a lot
better.
1) The writing style is concise, but often drifts over the line into
nerd-speak. Consider this typical section, describing the effect of the
Ribbentrop-Molotov pact on Spain's diplomatic posture:
"If Germany and Russia execute the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, then the
probability of a diplomatic response to the Axis is decreased by 0.02
times the economic points of Poland divided by 100. The probability for
the Allies is increased by an equal amount"
Jeesh! Why not just staple in source code listings? I think this would
have been much better done by having an appendix of precise formulas for
those interested, and a more general description in the main manual.
2) The manual is laid out in a confusing fashion. Most of the manual is
organized by "phase" - everything that happens during ground movement,
then everything that happens during air movement, etc. However, all the
menus get a chapter all their own, and all the information boxes/dialogs
do as well. Not only is this very confusing on the first read-through
(you're reading descriptions of information boxes for things which you
haven't had explained yet), but it spatters information on a task
throughout the manual. Some of the information on how diplomacy works is
in the "Menu" chapter, some in the "Boxes" chapter, some in the "Resource
Allocation phase" chapter, and most in the "End-of-turn phase" chapter.
3) There is no index. In a game of this size and sweep, this is a must,
especially considering the manual organization described above.
4) I don't believe there is a single example in the entire manual.
5) The description of how production works is _woefully_ short.
Production is probably the most complicated part of the game, and it gets
almost no description. Major parts of the system are left undescribed -
see the 'PRODUCTION' section of the review for details.
GRAPHICS
The graphics are primitive, fairly blocky, EGA. If you require visually
appealing games, stay away.
SOUND
Virtually none. The IBM speaker is used to (optionally) beep out national
anthems. If you require aurally appealing games, stay away.
BASIC GAME PLAY
Each turn represents one month. Each month consists of the following
phases: production, air, naval, land, second air, second naval. The
double-move for air and naval units works very naturally.
Each phase is plotted simultaneously. This works very well, and gives
each phase (the land phase most of all) an enjoyable guessing game
aspect, as you have to guess where the enemy will be moving _their_ land
units.
All units, be they ground, air, or sea, have two ratings: size and
"organization". Units use up organization when moving or fighting, and
recover it at the end of the turn. A small highly-organized force may
defeat a large disorganized one. Also, different nationalities have
slightly different proficiencies - a 5-point German armor is better than a
5-point Italian armor. Unit size is always displayed, unit organization
is never displayed - you have to query the unit to find that out. This is
too bad - it'd be nice if they added a "view organization" mode.
Units may split/combine - an 8-point infantry may split into a 5, a 2, and
1, for example. Since missions are assigned on a per-unit basis, it may
seem like you should always keep all units at size 1. Resist this
temptation! First of all, there's a limit of 18 units per hex (why 18, of
all numbers, I don't know). Second of all, you'll quickly find yourself
overwhelmed keeping track of all those little units. Third of all,
sometimes you have to "shave" units to a particular strength. A 5 point
transport, for example, can't transport 5/6 of a 6 point unit - make sure
the 6 is split into a 5 and a 1 before the naval phase.
PRODUCTION
Production is a flawed gem. A lot of promise, but a lot of problems.
First, the gem part. As per most strategic games of this type, you can
produce new combat units. In addition to combat units, you can also
invest in non-combat production: R&D, economic stimulus, improving
industrial production, A-bomb or rocket research, or diplomacy. All
non-combat production follows a law of diminishing returns - the more you
spend on it, the less return each additional unit of investment gives you.
Each combat investment requires a certain amount of time to come to
fruition (it takes longer to build an aircraft carrier than an infantry
unit), and also a certain amount of no less than 6 different quantities:
1) industrial production, 2) ship-building production, 3) oil, 4)
minerals, 5) materiel, and 6) money. Only naval units, for example,
require materiel.
While it may seem difficult to juggle 6 quantities like this, I thought
this worked well, and lent a nice touch of realism - all units are not
created equal. However, this system is severely flawed in its
implementation.
First of all, you do not produce on a national level - rather, each
individual factory produces on its own. This would not be so bad, except
that you have to truck the oil/mineral/materiel to each factory manually
as well. This is a huge pain. You can ask the AI to do this for you, but
it will just distribute equal amounts of oil/mineral everywhere, which is
rarely what you want.
Second of all, the manual does not tell you that unit production locks up
production _until that unit is completed_. If you decide to build an
aircraft carrier, say, the ship-building production of that port will be
tied up for a long time. There's nothing particularly bad about this,
except that they didn't document it.
Third of all, there is no way to trade with friendly minors. There is a
special "hard-wired" trade of Swedish minerals to Germany (although I
couldn't figure out how much, or where it showed up), but other similar
cases (Hungarian oil to Germany, Norwegian minerals to Britain) are simply
not allowed.
Fourth of all, and most of all, the manual does not tell you how to
acquire materiel! As all naval units require materiel, this makes it
impossible to build any naval units. After many fruitless hours of
experimentation, I finally found the answer by calling the authors (who
were very friendly and helpful, by the way). Here's the answer:
"Materiel is produced by selecting 'resource transport', picking a factory
as an origination site, and a shipbuilding facility as a destination site.
Each unit of materiel which you transport costs 1 industrial production, 1
oil, and 1 mineral. The oil and the mineral must be present at the
factory before you do the transportation".
Since oil/mineral/materiel must be present before you produce, the
production phase becomes a real pain. You have to sit down and click on
each oil/mineral site to find out how much you have to work with (there's
no national 'pool'), then work out on paper what you want to build where,
then go through the elaborate machinations required to put the
oil/mineral/ materiel in its proper amounts at each factory, and then do
the production.
Whew! I normally love the production aspect of games like this, but this
was just too much hassle for me. For future versions, I strongly suggest
that they change this system. Make oil/minerals 'pooled' assets (all you
need is a dialog box telling you what the sources were), and allow
'deficit spending', so you can specify production and _then_ ask the
computer to transport resources in such a way as to satisfy this
production. And re-write the manual.
DIPLOMACY
I mentioned that you can spend money on diplomatic activity. You do this
by picking a target country and throwing money at it. The more money you
throw at it, the more likely that that country will become more friendly
to you, modulo four things. First of all, different countries have
different innate responsiveness to initiatives - Hungary is much more
responsive to German diplomatic overtures than Belgium is, for example.
Second of all, the enemy may also be throwing money at this country. You
may wind up just canceling each other out. Third of all, larger countries
require more money. Fourth of all, there is a law of diminishing returns.
I enjoyed this aspect a lot - it works very well.
AIR
There are 3 types of air units: fighter, fighter-bomber, and bomber.
There are a variety of missions to which they may be assigned (ground
attack, movement, etc.), and the "anti-mission" of CAP. CAP is an
"anti-mission" in the sense that if any enemy air missions come nearby,
they have to fight their way through the CAP. If they don't, they get
bounced back to base and the mission is aborted. You may not have enough
air power to blanket an entire front with CAP, so the simultaneous
plotting aspect of the game gives air mission assignment a guessing game
aspect - if you put all your CAP up north, and the computer flies all his
missions towards the south, you're out of luck.
I also like very much the way that the game handles ground attack. Ground
attack does _not_ reduce the combat strength of the target - corps are not
wiped off the map by ground attack. Rather, it disorganizes them.
They'll have a harder time moving or attacking, and will be more
vulnerable to a ground attack by land forces.
This worked well, except that since the simulation executes missions
sequentially, one large mission will defeat _n_ small missions - one 30
point CAP will easily swat 6 5-point CAPs out of the sky. I'm not sure
whether this is a bug or a feature.
NAVAL
There are 7 types of naval units: subs, destroyers, cruisers, battleships,
aircraft carriers, transports, and merchant marine. Transports transport
combat units, while merchant marine transfers resources. Naval warfare is
waged on two different fronts. First of all, there's the standard surface
engagements. This works like air missions, with "naval patrol" being the
analog to CAP. Other 'regular' missions are shore bombardment, naval
transport, amphibious assault, movement, etc. This part all worked fine,
except that for some bizarre reason you can't do an amphibious assault
into a port - you have to land next to it and then fight your way into the
port. This has the (possibly intentional) side-effect of making Malta
impregnable to amphibious assault.
The second front is merchant marine warfare. This is handled in a fairly
abstract way. You delegate naval units to either escort or attack
merchant marine in their current sea zone. Typically this is a subs
against destroyer combat. Each sea zone then resolves merchant marine
combat. Here again the "guessing game" comes into play - you don't know
in advance which units he'll allocate to protecting his capability, or to
attacking yours. They have also subtly designed into this system the
advantage which occupation of France and Norway gave the Axis in submarine
warfare. In order to attack sea zone X, you have to have units in sea
zone X. If you have a port which fronts on sea zone X, the units never
leave port - you just assign them to attack. If you have no such ports,
you have to spend a month moving the units out there, and they can only
stay "on station" for a limited time. As France/Norway have ports
fronting on the Mid-Atlantic and North Atlantic, respectively, Axis
ability to attack those zones improves when they take those countries.
LAND
There are 5 types of land units: infantry, mechanized, armor, marine, and
airborne (which is _phenomenally_ expensive to build, BTW). There's
really only one land mission - "move there". There are 6 'impulses' in
the land phase, and units can move in as many impulses as they have
movement allowance to support. Units are allowed to delay their movement.
You can have your armor, for example, sit around for a few impulses, while
the infantry (hopefully) punches a hole in the line. The armor then
streams through into the rear in later impulses. Of course, the enemy
may be reinforcing the line at that spot, or may be retreating...here
again, the simultaneous nature of mission assignment works very well.
There are several subtle adjustments that further advance this system.
Remember that moving uses up organization, so all other things being
equal, a defender gets a slight bonus. In addition, infantry units which
fight "standing still" get a bonus. In addition, armored units which
fight _not_ "standing still" get a bonus.
This program does the best job of any simulation I've ever played at
simulating blitzkrieg exploitation and breakthrough.
AI
I was very disappointed in the AI quality, especially as Alan Emrich's
review in _Computer Gaming World_ praised it. In my very first game I
took the Axis and won WWII by October 1940, conquering England and France.
In my second game I took the Allies, and put Axis AI intelligence at the
max (there are 5 levels). By August 1940, I had crushed the German
invasion of France, and even conquered Italy from Southern France! There
is a game balance mechanism whereby one can give one side a bonus to its
unit strength - I think use of this is a must when playing against the
computer.
The AI weaknesses are both strategic (the computer Axis left nearly all
German armor in Poland, not using it for the invasion of France) and
tactical (the computer will fritter away small units attacking larger
ones).
The AI does have two nice aspects. First of all, you can set not just the
AI level, but also the AI personality, on a scale from "timid" to
"reckless".
Second of all, as a human player, you can ask the AI to perform any part
of your turn, on any turn. This is a great feature. If you don't want to
bother with the production system, the AI will do it for you. If you
don't understand naval missions yet, you can ask the AI to assign it. In
this way you handle only those parts of the game which you feel like
handling. Yay!
GAME BALANCE
I don't want to take too strong a stance on this, but I think the game may
favor the Axis: the Luftwaffe is awesomely strong.
On the grand strategic level, there's another imbalance in favor of the
Axis. Russia starts the game neutral. The Axis need not invade Russia in
order to win, and if they don't it seems very hard for the Allies to
convince Russia to join their side and attack Germany. An Axis strategy
of ignoring Russia and pounding Britain seems hard to defend against.
SUMMARY
Well, if the graphics are unappealing, and the sound is rudimentary, and
the manual needs work, and the AI is poor, why buy the thing? Because the
game underneath is so very good. This game is a classic example of a book
that should not be judged by its cover, or even by its first chapter.
While the game does have bugs, the High Command folks appear dedicated to
fixing them and generally improving the product. They have already
released one free upgrade (version 1.1), and have a second which should be
out soon (by the end of January, they tell me).
If you look beyond these limitations, there's a great game system at work
here. If you're a fan of the "Third Reich"/"World in Flames"/"Europa"
boardgames, or SECOND FRONT-style computer games, you might want to check
out HIGH COMMAND. I can't give the game and out-and-out buy
recommendation due to the weak AI, but it is the first computer game I've
seen that really does capture, and capture well, a "Third Reich"-style
game.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ken Fishkin. All rights reserved.
F15 STRIKE EAGLE III
MicroProse Software
386+ (386/33+ recommended), 2MB RAM, VGA, HD req'd
No Copy Protection
Reviewed by David Masten,
on a 386/33 with Soundblaster, CH Flightstick, WCS.
Yet another flight sim. But F15III represents a radical, and welcome,
departure from recent MPS sims. A new graphics engine is debuted and
there is much greater emphasis on realism. So, yet another purchase!
First the readers digest version: the avionics are the best, and most
complex, I've seen in a flight combat sim. Yes, eclipsing Falcon 3. The
cockpit look is right-on, as the manual's photos of the game and real
cockpits attest. MPS has succeeded in designing a fun game without
compromising the believability of the ground attack combat. Air combat
is far less convincing, but a big improvement over its predecessor. On
the flipside, framerate is abysmal, and a lot of the features I've come
to expect in sims are missing.
In F15III you play pilot and Weapons System Officer (WSO, ie backseater)
of the F15E strike variant of the US super-fighter. You fly single
missions or "campaigns" in the "Desert Storm" conflict, or fictional
scenarios in Korea and Panama.
Sadly, the campaign is one in name only, it is simply a series of single
missions. Your scoring dictates pilot promotions, medals, and campaign
outcome. I saw no signs of continuity between missions. For example, I
destroyed three pesky gunboats that were continually in my ingress route.
And there they were, sitting in the same location in the subsequent
mission. I've won campaigns in about eight missions (admittedly with
liberal use of pilot revival), and lost one in five (yes, deliberately!).
Each mission is the familiar MPS solo flight vs heavy opposition with
primary and secondary targets assigned. From a series of fine animations
you can choose from four levels of difficulty and ten realism options (I
set all to "authentic"), proceed to a "briefing", then weapons selection,
and finally to the flightline.
In the briefing, a chalkboard lists the targets, plus info on time of
day, enemies expected (invariably everything they've got), and a few
other bits of info not worth reading. You are also given VCR shots of
the targets (sometimes illegible), and location on a map. With its large
scale, all I can tell are the basic courses and approximate target
distances. The more useful in-flight map is similar to the one in F117A.
Intelligence is virtually nil, which I guess is okay as you can't adjust
waypoints anyway.
You do get a fine choice of ordnance, better than F3, and with the
"authentic" weapons setting be sure to choose ones that can destroy the
target. I suggest "practicing" on your own airfield <evil-grin>. I like
the inclusion of laser guided bombs and Sparrow missiles which aren't
"fire and forget". Two nits: both the quantity of ordnance loaded per
pylon, and released per pickle, are fixed.
Missions start either on the runway "cleared for takeoff", or just after
in-flight refueling from a KC-10. Missions end with landing, or
rendezvous with the tanker. Too bad refueling plays no other part.
Ground attack is this jet's forte, and where this game excels. It's all
there, including Forward Looking IR and LANTIRN for night navigation and
targeting (day or night). You'll see those famous Desert Storm type
views terrifically depicted on the FLIR MPD. You have 7 MPDs (multi-
purpose displays), 2 ground radar modes, many delivery options (CDIP,
auto, laser, guided, and combinations thereof) and HUD modes to "aid"
you. With aids like these, I know why this is a two-man plane! Alas,
you've got to do it all as your backseater is confined to the occasional
digitized warning (modem mode excepted). The greatest challenge is
identifying and designating the target before overflying it. You have
various ways to do this, and with practice you get the hang of it all.
The ability to use the mouse to designate targets from the HUD, FLIR, or
radar maps is appreciated.
In flight, the feel is there. You manage all the complex systems,
struggle to achieve early target acquisition, stay low to avoid radar.
Pay attention to the TWI (very much like F3's). When you are eventually
detected (perhaps due to the carnage you left behind!) expect SAMs, AAA,
and ground control directed enemy flights to greet you. It's no walk in
the park, well done! Night flights are especially hairy as the sky is
black, and FLIR usage is a must.
Air to air is less well implemented. Again the many radar modes (LRS,
SRS, TWS, STT, Auto, Bombsight) are terrifically sophisticated. Radar
coverage is a forward looking cone, nose stabilized, like it should be.
Also, the mouse can be used a number of helpful ways on the radar MPD,
like designating targets or selecting azimuth angle. But I never miss
with my missiles if fired in constraints (lock, min/max range, aspect).
Gun hits have a rather generous target radius and one burst kills, though
targets must be reasonably close (0.4 miles on highest difficulty). Your
ability to evade missiles, and countermeasure effectiveness, is far less
assured than in F15II, but not nearly as believable as in F3. Enemies
will throw in some moves when in a knife fight, but fly alone and are
pretty dumb. They do a very good job sneaking up on you and firing with
little warning. But the main problems with dogfighting are the framerate
and possibly the flight model.
I only say "possibly" to flight model bugs as the HUD probably displays
"indicated" rather than "true" airspeed. In that case the climb
performance and maximum speed of about 400 knots and mach 1.2 (in
afterburner for a clean jet), aren't as poor as they first appear. But
the Mach number, HUD and (my calculated) ground speed don't jibe, so I'm
not sure what is modelled. And mach 1.2 is still well below the F15's
reported mach 2+ capability. At low altitude, the modelling seems
better. Weight penalty is modelled better than in F3. But fuel
consumption is a bit high, and incorrectly isn't better at altitude.
Another reason to stick to low level flight. Neither flaps nor rudder
control are supported. Rudder would have been especially helpful in
lining up ground strikes.
Summarizing the simulation, it is believable, and very intense, as long
as one sticks to low level ground attack. If air engagements are treated
as something to avoid, and with BVR techniques when inevitably forced to,
it remains convincing. The variety of targets dictates different
weapons, and thus delivery and approach methods. Throw in the
variability of enemy engagement, and the result is surprisingly
unrepetitive gameplay.
There's more to F15III than just realistic systems. It is much hyped for
the new graphics engine. I find this to be a matter of personal taste,
but a few comments are offered. Impressionism fans, have we got a sim
for you! The sky detail is lovely, but I turn it off for framerates
sake. Cities are a mottled collection of gray pixels, with structures
(often the same color) rising from within. As one said, it looks most
impressive 10 feet from the monitor, yet I've grown to like it. Most
impressive to me, is the enormity of the MPS worlds and the amount of
detail within. The Korea theater includes all of Japan, and a chunk of
China and Siberia. Within this area you will find uncountable cities,
airfields, and military sites (as well as a familiar green friend
towering above Tokyo). In the Persian Gulf, you'll fly over oil wells
and even a huge oil spill. Turn on "training mode" and slew (teleport)
your planes location to tour these bountiful worlds!
View selection, including tactical, reverse tactical, missile, padlock,
some with scanning, are fairly comprehensive. Explosions are fantastic.
Your bird is beautifully rendered. All other planes are mediocre, very
similar to those in F117A.
Sound support is also fine. The engine sounds great and the few WSO, and
"Bitchin Betty", comments are helpful. But without her "pull-up" warning
as in F3, I often become a lawn dart. Also, WSO commands warning of
enemy planes would be welcome. AWACS give such info, but only when
asked. More than once I've punched in a request to hear "snap, 262, 0
(miles)". Thanks for the warning, bud! There is also supposed to be a
JSTARS flight which may reassign targets, but I have yet to see it
implemented.
The game lacks a VCR replay. The stock recap animations aren't an
adequate substitute. The prominent display of a VCR and TV in the main
screen leads me to believe one was planned. Instead all it shows are
promos for
other MPS sims.
Also missing is a mission designer, or the option of choosing various
mission types (ala Aces of the Pacific). Though there is no Red Flag
training ground, the "alt-t" training option suffices.
But my main gripe is framerate. It is poor on my 386/33 and less than
good on a 486/33. With minimum detail I average only 8.5 fps in flight
at altitude, and a poor 4 to 6 in low level attack. You eventually
accommodate. But when I flew F3 (no speed demon itself) and then
returned, F15 again seemed oh so jerky. The otherwise useful padlock and
outside views especially suffer.
A big plus are the three modem modes. I couldn't get it to work by modem
(hardware problem?), but did with direct connect of a 486/50 to a 486/66.
Direct connect loaded as quickly as normal mode and worked reliably. Had
a terrific time in head-to-head where we limited ourselves to guns. Lack
of practice made both the wingmen and pilot/WSO options less successful,
but still most interesting. These modes add welcome variety and
challenge. If you are fortunate enough to have two super-machines that
you can so use, I'd recommend giving this sim a chance.
A few odds and ends: The only bugs I've encountered are rare lockups when
overflying the Gulf, and occasional loss of digitized voices. MPS is to
be commended for supporting not only the FCS, but also the new Virtual
Pilot and Flightstick Pro. You will need a new prom for your WCS to get
the support listed in the manual. But I found the old F15II setting to be
adequate as it gives flare, chaff, brakes, and of course thrust
(including AB). It supports most soundboards (sorry no native GUS).
Overall, this sim is far too good to share the same appellation as F15II.
It offers better avionics simulation, ground combat, and more accessible
gameplay than Falcon 3. But it doesn't compare in air-to-air combat,
weapons simulation, depth, or long-term value. Framerate is the killer.
For me, F3 is still clearly the modern air combat sim of choice. But
given the necessary hardware, F15III has much to offer to novices and
super sim-jocks alike.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
F15 STRIKE EAGLE III from Microprose Software
Reviewed by Andrew Fenic
Until the release of FALCON 3.0, Microprose was arguably the clear leader
in the field of jet combat simulators. With the introduction of the new
Spectrum Holobyte title, however, MPS was technologically leapfrogged.
Falcon 3.0 provided superior flight models and campaign options to
F117A's. In addition, it allowed for head-head play over the modem or a
local area network. With the introduction of F15 STRIKE EAGLE III,
Microprose has succeeded in regaining some lost ground and, in a few
critical areas, has even surpassed the realism and accuracy of Falcon 3.0.
Upon loading F15SEIII for the first time, one is presented with one of the
most awesome introduction sequences ever put together. The animation is
remarkably smooth, and the planes used are very nearly photo-realistic.
It becomes clear after viewing this intro that a tremendous amount of work
went into making this a polished and bug-free product. The result is a
simulation that is light years ahead of both F15II and F117A. In
F15SEIII, Microprose models the F15E model in tremendous detail.
Virtually every cockpit control and threat indicator present on the real
aircraft is present within this simulation. Noticeably absent, however,
are support for both rudder and flaps. While this would be an
unforgiveable ommission from a WWII era simulation of propeller planes, it
is less critical in a jet simulation where most of the aerial combat
occurs at great distances and most manuevering is done at speeds where
flaps and rudders are rendered far less useful. This is especially true
of F15SEIII where the focus is clearly on air-ground and not air-air
engagements.
One of the most noticeable (and advertised) aspects of this new simulation
is that the graphics engine has been entirely redone. Gone are the
featureless sky and uniformly colored ground. In their place, Microprose
has come up with a means by which cloud and landscape features may be
dynamically generated. Initially, the effect is not as impressive as one
might expect, especially when compared to the remarkable terrain present
in COMANCHE: MAXIMUM OVERKILL. Despite this, the graphics do provide a
much better indication of speed and altitude. In addition, one soon
discovers that the clouds are not just a pretty backdrop (as in Overkill),
but can actually be interacted with. One can fly between cloud layers,
below layers, or up above them in the clear blue sky. When flying between
layers, occasionally translucent sublayers will drift either above or
below the aircraft. The effect of this is quite extraordinary, and I
commend Microprose for bringing forward such a revolutionary new
technology. The ground, unfortunately, is not nearly as impressive.
Mountains are still generated using polygons, and the dynamic shading
techniques for the surface are not at all realistic. Another major
problem is that the frame rate of the new graphics engine is totally
inadequate. Users of 486DX2's will be pleased; but many 386 users have
returned this title due to the fact that it can only deliver 1-4 fps at
full detail level. Surprisingly, the lowest detail levels do not perform
as well as other sims at high detail. The system I am using to play the
game is a 486/33 with an ATI graphics card (21 on the 3DBench public
domain speed benchmark). On this machine, the padlock feature (like
Falcon 3.0's) is all but unuseable due to poor framerate, with the average
framerate in the normal views being only adequate (8 fps when turning, 12
when flying level).
Another feature of the new graphics system is that it delivers what must
be considered the most realistic explosion and smoke effects ever seen in
a simulation. While the effect on frame rate is appalling, the impact of
seeing Baghdad in flames is mesmerizing. Similarly, when flying over a
city such as Baghdad the now infamous tracer fire can be seen everywhere.
When flying at low altitude, it can pose a very serious threat to your
aircraft. Unfortunately, the cities themselves are rendered as little
more than black and grey blotches on the ground. This detracts somewhat
from the realism, and also makes identification of ground targets within
cities difficult. Most specific targets, however, are rendered with great
accuracy via detailed polygon graphics (very similar to Gunship 2000).
Other than your F15, however, planes are not rendered in much detail.
This is acceptable, as the best features of F15SEIII are in the air-ground
and not the air-air aspects of the game. Also, if you get close enough to
see an enemy aircraft you have probably made a critical error! Sound
effects are also quite good, with liberal use of both digitized voices and
realistic jet engine effects.
In order to simplify the game for new players, Microprose provides both
standard and authentic flight models. The standard model is very similar
to F117A's, with no attention paid to drag or the effect of putting
additional weight on the aircraft. For the expert player, the authentic
mode provides an excellent recreation of the flight characteristics of the
real F15E. Under full ordinance load, it is difficult to get off of the
runway and truly flies like a stuffed pig. As each bomb is released,
performance increases markedly. Once all ordinance is jettisoned, the F15
performs like the hot fighter that one might expect. With low fuel load
and all weapons spent, I was able to come very close to some of the
published limits of the true aircraft (Note that fuel load does impact the
performance of the plane, which is a welcome addition!).
Microprose has also done a magnificent job of recreating the
instrumentation and weapons control available in the real aircraft. Both
the air-air and air-ground radar are, in authentic mode, superior to those
modeled in Falcon 3.0. The player can either control the pilot or the
weapons officer. The pilot has 3 view screens that can display various
combinations of radar or flight information. Each weapon type is modeled
in great detail, with different HUD information and, for certain types, a
special view screen and targeting controls. The laser guided bombing is
uncannily authentic, and quickly brings back memories of the video footage
(primarily from F117's) from Desert Storm. An impressive amount of
air-ground radar is carried aboard the F15, which allows the weapons
officer to locate targets on radar maps as detailed as .67 mile square
(from up to 40 miles away!). One part of the manual states that this radar
is so powerful that it could roast a turkey in 15 seconds. (As a function
of this, pilots are discouraged from turning it on before getting
airborne!) F15SEIII allows either the pilot or weapons officer to
designate targets using the mouse. Once a target is designated, a diamond
appears on the HUD to show the pilot the precise location of his prey.
Upon reaching the target, all that is typically necessary (for "dumb"
bombs) is to place a circular aiming reticle onto the target and release
the ordinance. Despite its great realism, F15SEIII fails to model the
effect of different layers of air pressure and wind on dumb ordinance. In
the "real world", a perfectly lined up shot will stray a great distance
from its target due to these factors. This tends to make bombing from
great altitude with MK82's (500 lb dumb bombs), and MK84's (2000 lb dumb
bombs) far too easy. Despite this, F15SEIII is unquestionably the most
authentic bomber simulation to date.
As far as campaign options go, F15SEIII is not impressive. It is virtually
identical to the old Primary, Secondary target system found in F15II and
F117A. There are no friendly wingies, no mission builder, and only a very
simplistic map dictating what paths you must follow to reach preset
waypoints. Another problem is that there seems to be no variability in
the positioning of enemy planes and mobile targets from mission to
mission. If one finds an SU27 in a particular place during the first
mission, it will also be there during the next (even if you had blown it
out of the sky!). The only good point is the mission debriefings, which
have photorealistic depictions of each event that occurred during the
mission.
Despite the limitations of the campaign mode, F15SEIII delivers some of
the most challenging missions I have yet faced. Often, 6 or more enemy
MIGS must be engaged during a particular fight. With all authentic
options on, it is a daunting task to track all of them while dodging
ground fire (there are SAM's everywhere!!). To compensate, the air-air
weapons have been made quite lethal and the AI of enemy Migs is very
limited. As I view F15SEIII as primarily a mud moving (ie air-ground)
simulation, the lack of awesome dogfighting did not bother me much. If
this is your goal, however, Falcon 3.0 is a far better air-air simulation.
F15SEIII definitely has the edge in air-ground, however, with much
improved modeling of specific weapons systems and a more authentic model
of a fully loaded bird. Another nice feature of F15SEIII is that an AWACS
plane (or JSTARS, if they are nearby) can be consulted to determine the
location of bogies without activating radar. Also, a passive threat
indicator system notifies the pilot of the location of any enemy ground or
air threats without revealing your location.
While I did not have a chance to test the modem options, what I have heard
indicates that this aspect of the game is very well done and can
compensate for some of the limitations of not having friendly wingmen.
Once connected, a second player can man the weapons station while the
pilot concentrates on keeping the aircraft in flight. It is in this
scenario that the real advantages of the F15 over other aircraft become
apparent; especially in long range air-air engagements where it has a well
deserved reputation as the most lethal aircraft on earth. (The F16 is also
an excellent air-air fighter, but is designed more for engagements at
close range or long range engagements with excellent AWACS support).
With this title, Microprose has succeeded in creating their first
realistic jet combat simulator. As with many new titles, the current
state-of-the-art in hardware is required for it to perform adequately.
This makes the game, in its current form, virtually unplayable on a 386SX
machine and fairly slow on a standard 386. As the frame rate increases, I
have found the quality of the rendering to become more and more apparent.
Hence, the owner of a 486 DX2 will likely perceive the new graphics
technology to be far more impressive than will a 386 owner. Also, be
prepared to spend 4-5 hours learning to play with the authentic options
on. This is an *entirely* different game in authentic mode than in
standard mode! Once the intricacies of the advanced modes are mastered,
this simulation provides more than enough challenge to keep one flying for
a long time. Despite its extremely limited campaign mode and demands on
the system, this ranks as Microprose's best simulation to date and is the
closest thing to flying a real F15 that has yet been offered for a
personal computer. Those with an interest in performing uncannily
realistic strike missions will undoubtedly fall in love with this title.
If you are looking for a good dogfight, wingmen, and detailed campaign
modes your best bet is still Falcon 3.0 due to its far superior enemy AI
and excellent campaign-based mission builder.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 Andrew Fenic. All rights reserved.
WORLD CIRCUIT by MicroProse Software
Reviewed by David Masten
Control: Keyboard, Joystick, rudder pedals
Sound: Adlib, Soundblaster, and compatibles
Reviewed on: 386dx33, DOS6, 8 MB RAM, SB, CH Flighstick, mouse
Computer Graphics Memory Size
Minimum 286 VGA 1 MB RAM 2 MB
Max/Rec. 386 2 MB RAM 8 MB
Speed Racer sits in his powerful Mach Five, nervously awaiting the starting
light for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. His prospects are dim as he
starts in the 26th and last slot, and hasn't set his car for this fast
track. At the green, he gets his characteristic slow jump off the line,
but quickly passes some slow pack drivers and moves into 20th before the
first chicane. He knows he must be more aggressive as this race is only 13
laps, 25% of the full length. Hope of a money finish is almost lost when
an ill-timed pass results in a slight shunt. But he saves the spin and
only loses a single place. With each lap, the road improves and the car's
handling settles down and he continues to pass lesser drivers. Fortunately
other cars have their problems, and he moves to 7th by lap 6. No problem
catching the mediocre Capelli and Nakajima by lap 10. But with a 10 second
gap to Ferrari #2 with the tough Alesi, it looks like he'll have to settle
for 5th. But he finds his groove and drives like a madman, picking up 3
seconds a lap. A big break, Prost is well ahead, but the other leaders are
bunched and thus slowed. The pack is in sight on the final lap. A well
timed final run on the Parabolica catapults him into a sprint to the finish
line. Alesi deftly passes Mansell after drafting him through the turn,
Mansell slips up just allowing Racer to clip him at the finish by 20
thousandths. Not bad, a fourth place finish and three hard-earned
championship points.
The above replay of a World Circuit race is indicative of both the
excellent simulation and, as important, the drama that this game delivers.
Let me state outright, this is a great game, by far the finest driving sim
I've tried. It isn't perfect in any single facet, but it has the total
package of graphics, sound, configurability, realism, and playability.
In World Circuit, you compete for the F1 championship racing the complete
1991 circuit of 16 tracks (in '92 S. Africa replaced Phoenix and in '93
another European track was added). Alternatively, you can opt to run a
single race, or just practice. Just released is a second patch which
upgrades the game to v1.05 and fixes the modem play (introduced in the
first patch). You can also time-share in a race, where one player drives
while the other player car(s) are computer-driven until their turn to
assume control.
Though fictitious names are used, the computer drivers are designed to
emulate the performances of the actual 1991 season. And editing team and
driver names is easy with the supplied data. A total of 35 drivers are
given, with 26 qualifying for any given race. If you prefer not to have
McLaren-Honda and Williams-Renault dominate, you can set opponent ability
to random, or equal. One poor design choice: only the drivers are modeled,
not the cars. So the player can turn the same times in a Coloni-Ford, as
in Ayrton Senna's championship car. Driver abilities are otherwise not
editable, so reconfiguring the racers to emulate '92 or future years would
be difficult. Given these limitations, I'm glad they stuck with '91 rather
than the boring '92 season absolutely dominated by Williams (and where
Ferrari disappeared as a major player).
The car graphics aren't outstanding but are at least the equal of all other
sims. The otherwise identical cars are finished in up to three colors to
reflect 1991 teams. The single cockpit design is attractive though about
as austere as a real F1 car's. Added are indicator lights for
configuration options, and a status panel. As you can't see any of the
team colors from inside, the only driver identification comes from the
status panel or a name box.
Course graphics also won't blow you away. But the most important point is
that layouts are extremely accurate. I watched the Grand Prix of San
Marino, and every turn, elevation change, and even bridge, was right on!
Their scenery and layouts do give them all very unique feel. Some are wide
open, others like Monaco, are claustrophobic. Buildings, grandstands,
trees, signs, even yachts, abound. The superb texturing of the track's
road and grass give a nice impression of motion, but at a framerate cost.
Anyway, you don't get to enjoy the view much, as you must pay strict
attention to the course and cars. In wet races, the road ahead will be
progressively less visible due to cars kicking up spray in front of you.
Overall, a huge thumbs up here.
The framerate/detail compromise they chose is right on. The game defaults
to a fair 8.1 fps on my 386/33, which I bumped up to 10 fps based on the
provided "processor occupancy" readout. When I defeat the texturing, the
track still looks good and I can get a terrifically smooth 17 fps. It then
compares with Indy 500, giving a wonderful feeling of speed and fluidity.
Those lucky 486 owners can get both the high framerate and the texturing,
or opt for higher framerate still. The game was too choppy with the lowest
settings on a 386dx-20 for my taste, but others have reported better luck
with slower machines.
Views include cockpit, from behind, from in front, and from the nearest of
many trackside cameras. A replay is included but it only shows about the
last 10-20 seconds. You can select all views from any car in replay or
while racing (dangerous!). I would like to have seen zoom, pan, and
selectable camera views added. As the side view mirrors are worthless for
opponents pulling up broadside, why does no driving sim let you turn your
head sideways?
Sound support has been a common complaint, but I find it fairly good,
especially with the patch. Crank it and the engine sounds kind of like my
departed Interceptor 500. Tire squealing is about the only other effect.
But crashes are too mute and could also benefit from more flashy
pyrotechnics.
For what it's worth, the intro animation is good, but in-game animations
are slow enough to be slightly annoying and aren't up to MPS standards. No
surprise as this game was designed independently and marketed by MicroProse
UK. A thoughtful feature: you can choose a medium installation (5 MB) that
does without the intro or a small installation (2 MB) that also forsakes
the game animations.
As to the simulation, I'll discourse ad nauseam on flight sims, but am
hesitant to do so with cars. Strange, as I have a considerable amount more
time behind the wheel, than in an F16! Anyway, understeer and oversteer
are setup dependent. Setup options are: front/rear wing downforce, braking
distribution, gear ratios, and tire compound. Nowhere near as
comprehensive as Indy500, but I prefer the present approach. The included
options give this gamer a sufficient taste of the role of track dependent
car setup, without stalling gameplay. For me, the "feel" is there. Both
slipstreaming, and early race sluggishness (due to fuel load and, cold
tires, and/or a clean track) are modeled. You sense the imminent loss of
grip, loose tire traction with too much applied power, and can sometimes
save impending spins. Weaknesses include a simplified damage model which
includes only tire wear and wing damage, and ignores over-revving.
As important is the competition and feel of the racing experience. Amiga
users reported that opponents were too easy to master. The intro re-
enactment of a race on Pro level (fourth of five), partly supports this.
But I'm not a lock to win at that level, finishing third in a full
championship season. I do usually manage the fastest qualifying times, and
by a good margin on the courses I consider myself to be competent on. Your
car tends to be faster than the computer opponents, but they compensate by
being better in a crowd and more consistent on turns (at least compared to
me). Still, there is "ace" level to master, and if even that gets too
easy, one can always handicap themselves by starting from the back. Or
choose a wet track. Or the wrong setup!
But on the positive, opponents have different ability. I can't
definitively state that aggressiveness or steadiness is individually
modeled. But more than once I've seen Mansell and Senna duel till one (or
both) is bumped off. All we need is Mansell's ceaseless whining and
appeals to the racing stewards to complete the picture! Drivers will make
mistakes, and get into accidents. If you see a flagman ahead, be careful
as a spunout car may block the road just around the bend. Reportedly, they
will make pitstops for tire changes. Time in the pits varies, and you may
have to wait if your teammate is already there. Also, opponent lap and race
times (and even championship standings) will reasonably recreate actual
1991 results. In summary, they act like racers, not like objects put in
your way.
All is not perfect however, as teammates don't cooperate, and the leaders
aren't properly conservative late in the race. I've seen the leader
attempt a foolhardy pass and get ridden off on the last lap. Also, a bit
much bumper car action seems to occur, though often the fault of this
novice racer.
As to the learning curve, at first the courses seem daunting. But the six
driving aids and the manual's fine course maps and descriptions help. I'd
start by watching other drivers run the circuit to get a feel for the
layout. Then run a few laps with all aids on. After a few, disable the
auto-braking (which brakes for curves, not other cars). A few more laps
and you're ready to defeat the auto-shifting. The next aids to go are
indestructibility, self-righting spins, suggested gear, and finally,
suggested line. By then, you'll be eclipsing the course record. Then
increase the competition level, which also disables the various aids in
turn. Further you can set both traction and steering control aids which
tend to keep you on course. The patch is supposed to have fixed the very
squirrely handling which resulted with the steering aid deselected. But
this steering aid isn't so overt, as you still have to steer properly to
stay on course, so I've kept it on.
You can also choose control between joysticks, mouse, keyboard, or a mix.
The patch adds terrific rudder pedal support for brake/throttle. You can
vary the race distance continuously from 10% to actual. You can even vary
the time allowed for qualifying. One fun qualifying feature is that you
can run your hot laps then watch the leader board from the pits. If not
satisfied with your position, go back out (given enough time and remaining
sets of qualifying tires).
Post-race information is good, including each driver's race and fastest lap
time, and comparison to stored records (originally set to the actual pre-
1992 record). The computer tracks driver's and constructor's championship
points as well as the placement of each driver for each race in a season.
These can be displayed, printed, or downloaded to files.
The manual is replete with info on the tracks, teams, racing techniques and
Formula One in general. This helps set the mood, but is the worst case yet
of MPS dodging disclosure of what is and isn't modelled. For instance,
Phoenix is noted for its rough surface, gearbox, and tire wear. Clearly the
first two are incidental, but will the tire wear be track dependent? Tire
choice is a major part of F1 racing, and should (and may) be so here.
Also, the manual was originally written for the Amiga version, and hasn't
been updated. The included PC technical supplement fails to mention the
traction and steering aids which can be defeated. Also mentioned is that
extra RAM and XMS/EMS may be utilized, but not how
much. The manual is also the source of the familiar copy protection which
is long overdue for the scrap heap.
World Circuit only lacks in not having a course designer, and a more
comprehensive, longer replay. Graphics and sound are as good or better
than all other driving sims, but aren't revolutionary. So why do I like it
so?
The designers captured what was important. The feel of the racing
experience is there: excellent track layouts, smooth graphics, believable
modeling of both driving and opposition. There is enough adaptability to
appeal to both arcade and simulation fans. It's even terrific fun to just
watch a race enfold. Its combination of open-ended play, configurability,
and reasonable opponent ability has already provided countless hours of
challenge and fun. In final, my anticipation placed this one on the pole.
In the opinion of this hard core simmer, it is not only superior to my
other driving sims (GP Circuit, Stunts, Indy 500, Car & Driver _Demo_), it
is one of the best games I've played.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Dave Masten. All rights reserved.
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WORLD CIRCUIT: THE GRAND PRIX RACE SIMULATION by Microprose
Reviewed by Robert Barker
The lights turn green. You drop the clutch, hit the gas, slam the gearbox
into second, then third. Hustling around Ste. Devote, you catch fourth,
fifth, and sixth as you fly up the hill to the Casino at 160 mph. Rounding
the Casino turn at 90 mph, you hurtle down to the Mirabeau, downshift to
2nd and roar down to the Loews hairpin. Down to 1st, grab 2nd, feather the
throttle all the way through the Portier, mash the throttle, and work you
way up through the gearbox as you blast into the Tunnel on your way to the
Novelle chicane. Out of the Novelle in third, and through the Tabac in
4th, you work your way around the swimming pool complex. You shift down to
1st as you enter La Rascasse, upshift to 2nd for the Antony Noghes curve
and fly across the start-finish line to complete your first lap at the
Grand Prix of Monaco.
What might sound like the long awaited sequel to Grand Prix, a driver's
make believe world at their local Malibu racetrack, or every fans
television armchair fantasy is actually the latest entry into the auto
racing simulation market. This new program stands head and shoulders above
the rest and sets a new standard for others to follow. We are talking
about World Circuit, the Grand Prix Race Simulation by Microprose.
Designed by Geoff Crammond of Stunt Car Racer fame, World Circuit simulates
the world of Formula 1 Grand Prix motor racing. Originally developed for
the Amiga, the PC version has finally arrived, after months of waiting.
Has it been worth the wait? My answer is a resounding _Yes_!
Microprose lists the requirements for World Circuit (WC) as a 286/386/486
PC, 1MB Ram, VGA or MCGA capability, DOS 5.0 or PC-DOS, and 2-8 MB hard
disk space. WC supports the PC Speaker, Ad-Lib, SoundBlaster, and Roland
sound cards. Control is via mouse, joystick, or keyboard. The program
also allows you to print results on any IBM or IBM compatible printer. The
amount of hard drive space needed varies because the install program lets
you customize your installation by leaving out the introduction sequence
(3.2 MB) and the animation sequences (2 MB). The customary Microprose
manual is included, giving games details, driving tips, an examination of
the tracks and teams that make up the Grand Prix circus, and looks at a
typical racing team, complete with some very good technical information.
This reviewer has only seen WC available on 3 1/2 HD floppies and is not
aware if it is available on 5 1/4. Also, a 386 computer or better is
highly desirable.
The opening of WC is a flashy, fast-paced affair complete with 3-D graphics
that really gets the player in the mood to go racing. The game consists of
many menu screens, the first of which allows one to choose between a quick
race or the main menu.
The quick race is just that. The player is placed in a preset car, in a
preset position, on a preset track, and races for a preset number of laps.
From the main menu, the player can drive a quick race, select drivers
and/or teams, load saved games, names, or setups, set the help features
desired, practice on any circuit, drive in a non-championship race, take
part in the World Championship of Drivers, use the game options menu, and
exit to DOS. WC even supports a multi-player mode wherein players take
turns at the controls for a pre-deteremined number of laps.
The first thing a player will want to do is to access the Select Drivers
menu. While the driver's helmets and car colors are correct for the 1991
season, the names of the drivers, teams, and engines have been changed.
Curiously, these aliases still reflect the nationality of the real drivers
and teams. This reviewer can only speculate as to the reason for this -
perhaps FISA, the teams, or drivers hold copyrights on the names. So,
instead of being Nigel Mansell for a day, the program lets you Robert
Davies. Not to worry. Using the 1991 team roster supplied by Microprose,
the player can edit the names, save them to a file, and through the game
options menu, set the program to load the corrected names when the game
boots up.
The help options menu lets the player select how much help they want. Help
can consist of auto braking, auto gearshift, self-correcting spins, an
indestructible mode, suggested gears, and the ideal line. Auto braking and
gears, suggested gears, and indestructible mode need no explanation. Self
correcting spins point the car in the right direction after a spin. Ideal
line lays down a dashed line on the track showing the player the ideal line
to take. The amount of help a player chooses directly affects the
opposition faced by the player. Choosing all available aids allow the
player to race at the rookie level. Turning off all aids, and the player
races at the ace level. The level of competition rises accordingly too.
The game options menu is really the heart of the game. Through it, the
player can customize many different aspects of the game. Through the
quickrace menu, the player can set the length of the race, the starting
grid position, car number, and the weather. Additional options let the
player can customize the program in other ways. Other options include
customizing driving controls, competition level, graphics frame rate,
display formats, race lengths, and the length of practice and qualifying
sessions.
The graphics may be customized as well. There are four detail and two
texture levels to choose from that affect the scenery and track. With
texture on, I did not notice much of a change in the scenery, but the track
really came alive. With a 386/25, the game speed also dropped
dramatically. With a 486/66 there is no noticeable speed change at all.
The designers allow the player to customize their own frame rate through
the game options menu. In addition, pressing the O key at any point in the
game gives the player access to processing rate of their microprocessor.
Expressed as a percentage, this lets a player customize the game so that it
works at an optimal rate on their own system. A very nice touch.
Nice touches abound in the game. They include the way the cars disappear
in a cloud of gray haze on a rainy track, chirping tires while cornering
quickly or bouncing over curbs, the giant oil can at the start-finish line
at Hockenheim, flag marshals waving yellow flags warning of problems ahead,
viewing your car from many different angles, being able to ride with or
view any driver on the grid, overviews of each of tracks, how the trees
disappear into the haze on the way to the Ostkurve at Hockenheim; the road
texture, and the background graphics throughout the program. However, nice
touches and pretty graphics are one thing. This is a driving simulation
and the most important consideration is how does the game drive? In this
reviewers opinion, World Circuit is the best driving simulation on the
market available anywhere.
Why? Simply put, the game is a tremendous driving simulator. It makes the
player feel like they are driving a race car. There is an almost 3-D
effect while driving the car that adds to the illusion. While other
driving sims depict the hills and curves of the track, the modeling is
basically flat. In WC, you feel as though you are driving up to the Casino
turn and down to the Loews hairpin at Monaco or down to Eau Rouge and up to
Les Combes at Spa just as you would in a real car. The track modeling is
very accurate, complete with trees, curbing, sandtraps, and any unique
features of each track. The control routines allow for a fine level of
control over the car making driving the car a challenge to be relished.
Shifting gears makes you feel just like Nigel Mansell at the wheel of the
Williams-Renault. The designers even offer the player the chance to
perform one the tire burning power turns Mansell is so famous for (only at
the Pro and Ace levels though). Don't go off the road though or you will
find yourself spinning through the grass. Using the joystick adds a great
deal to the driving experience and is highly recommended.
There are negative points - all relatively minor and none adversely
affecting game play. The first group is more general in nature, while the
rest pertain directly to game-play. The first complaint is with the
manual. Packed with information in the traditional Microprose way, it is
difficult to find anything.
An index would have been greatly appreciated. The second gripe is the use
of fake names for the drivers as mentioned earlier - a great nuisance.
Another criticism concerns the sound. While the sound of the engine is
acceptable (but too tame in my opinion), the external sounds are anemic at
best. In addition, this reviewer would have liked to have seen more car
adjustment than wings, brakes, tires, and gears. An advanced level to
allowing adjustments, ala Ferrari F1 and Indianapolis 500 would have been
nice. Perhaps an add on package could be developed for the future. Are
you listening Geoff Crammond? My biggest general complaint concerns the
overuse of screens asking the player to confirm actions that have already
been performed (setup or game loaded, etc.). Having to click on a screen
to verify actions already performed is a complete waste of time. WC has
enough in the way of menus without this feature.
Game related criticisms include the unrealistic damage routines in the
game. Even in Ace mode a driver can still be rear-ended, bounce off walls,
or redline the engine without damage. Also, a damaged car does not perform
equally for a human driver as it does with a computer driver. A damaged
computer car is much too difficult to catch and overtake. The biggest
negative of all concerns the AI routines used. A player can set the level
of opposition to equal, random, or 1991 levels. However, the 1991 computer
opponents do not drive at all like their real-life counterparts. For
example, while racing at Monaco (in Ace and Pro modes) in preparation for
this review, this reviewer was surprised to see such drivers as Pieroluigi
Martini and Mika Hakkinen regularly out-qualify and out-drive Michael
Schumacher, Ricardo Patrese and Aryton Senna. If the level of competition
was really accurate this could not happen (Martini qualified 14th and
Hakkinen 26th in 1991). Nit picking? Perhaps, but it points to a far
more serious lapse in the game. On more that one occasion at Monaco (and
other random races), Aryton Senna just did not exist at all when race day
came around. Once, in Canada, the whole McLaren team was nonexistent. For
a program developed with such obvious care and attention to detail, such a
lapse is very hard to accept.
Criticisms aside, WC is a very welcome addition to the gaming world and
fills a long standing void in the market. I would like to encourage Mr.
Crammond to develop this program further, perhaps offering additional
releases to enhance the existing package. Possible subjects could include
a driver pack including the great drivers (like Fangio, Clark, or Stewart),
the great tracks (like Watkins Glen, Brands Hatch, or the old Nurburgring)
or perhaps sports car racing or rallying could be covered by this system as
well.
However, as Shakespeare said, the play's the thing. Most of us will never
experience driving a real racing car. Apart from taking a driving class or
autocrossing, WC may very well be the next best thing. If you are
interested in racing at all, get World Circuit - you won't be sorry.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Robert Barker. All rights reserved.
MAUNA KEA: LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE from Access Software
Reviewed by Brian Chung
Requirements: LINKS, LINKS 386 PRO, or MICROSOFT GOLF
Access Software has done it again. The long-awaited MAUNA KEA
CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE is finally here and it looks gorgeous. The package
came along with three 1.44M 3.5" disks, but one can also get the 1.2M
5.25" version or order the 720K version. The box also contains a score
card, and a MAUNA KEA golfbag tag if ordered directly from Access. As
usual, MAUNA KEA is not a stand-alone product. Either LINKS, LINKS 386
PRO or MICROSOFT GOLF is needed to play the course.
My first impression of MAUNA KEA was a big WOW! MAUNA KEA's tropical
beauty matches, if not surpasses, the rugged mountainous atmosphere of
BOUNTIFUL and the seaside charm of HARBOUR TOWN. Built on a 5,000-year
old lava flow of Mauna Kea Mountain, this course offers some of the most
challenging and beautiful holes, including the par-3, third hole which all
the LINKS 386 PRO owners should be familiar with by now from the start-up
screen.
As a real life golfer, I found MAUNA KEA to be quite challenging. The
greens have a lot more curvature than HARBOUR TOWN, and there are plenty
of obstacles like the famous lava flow in the middle of the third hole.
However, what really killed my score were the dog-legged holes. Robert
Trent Jones, the designer, must have had a sadistic streak in him when he
designed MAUNA KEA. There are about six holes with fairways curving at a
right angle, and it is very hard to determine where the fairways lie in
those holes even with the help of the overhead view. However, if you are
only a weekend golfer, you might as well relax and just enjoy the scenery.
The views are simply breath-taking. Palm trees, sandy beaches, green
mountains, I couldn't wish for a better place to play golf in the middle
of December.
MAUNA KEA comes along with two new start-up screens and the version 1.08
of the LINKS386.EXE. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how this version
differs from the 1.0 or 1.05 because there was no documentation. The two
new start-up screens are both from the actual Mauna Kea resort and include
a 1-800 number one can call to make a reservation at the Mauna Kea Beach
Hotel.
One tiny complaint I have about MAUNA KEA is that this course runs slower
than HARBOUR TOWN or BOUNTIFUL. On a 386/40 with 4 megs of RAM, MAUNA KEA
took as much as 20 seconds longer to draw than the above two courses. My
guess is that MAUNA KEA contains a lot more trees, bushes and shrubberies
than the other two, and therefore, takes longer to draw. It is not a
major flaw, but it does get slightly annoying every now and then.
However, I won't complain if it really is the details of the holes that
are causing the delay. After all, the fine details like the golf carts on
the side of the pathway are one of the major reasons why I bought LINKS
386 PRO.
In conclusion, this course is a must for all the LINKS, LINKS 386 PRO and
MICROSOFT GOLF owners. Not only is the course beautiful, but it will also
provide quite a challenge for those who mastered the previous courses for
the above games.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by Brian Chung. All rights reserved.
ED. - Very important note here... Cineplay Interactive is now out of
business. This game review is something of an epitaph for the company. We
were able to obtain a copy of the game just recently through Interplay, the
original distributor, in order to make some screen shots. What we found
was abysmal. The game manual was missing pages 5-20 which made it
extremely difficult to answer the copy protection manual-based question to
say the least. If anything, this is a lesson in how NOT to market and
publish a game. What is sad, however, is that the production intent is
quite good, but the implementation leaves something to be desired. The
game should now be available in many bargain bins for a steal.
Caveat Emptor
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POWER POLITICS by Cineplay Interactive
Reviewed by Jim Gindin
System Requirements:
MS-DOS, Tandy or Compatible. 386 minimum, 2 Meg RAM, Hard Disk, VGA or
MCGA. Mouse and Windows 3.0 or higher required. No sound support at all.
Version 1.06 available through contacting Cineplay Interactive by phone, or
through their bulletin board. Warning: getting technical assistance through
this company is a painful experience. Their service number is an answering
machine, and it took me about one month to get them to return my phone
calls (I finally just asked Ross if I could tell them I was reviewing for
this magazine, and that got Cineplay to answer my questions).
POWER POLITICS uses a little less than 5 Meg of your hard drive.
--
Cineplay Interactive has captured much of the excitement of a pres-
idential election with its Microsoft Windows game, POWER POLITICS.
Unfortunately, the game has some major bugs which make game play very
difficult and it doesn't contain a few features which would add greatly to
its entertainment value.
These problems should be addressed in an update (1.06) which is currently
available, and a new version (2.0) which is due this spring. This review is
based on the original version. Cinema Interplay has not sent the promised
1.06 fix.
The game allows from one to three players to act as advisors to to a
presidential candidate. Games start either four, eight or 12 weeks before
the presidential election. Each contest begins with a Democrat, a
Republican and an Independent vying for president.
The object is to build enough support for your candidate to generate the
270 electoral votes required for election in November. Each week, you
select the states the presidential and vice-presidential candidates will
visit. Then you put together a regional and national advertising budget for
the week.
Vice-presidential campaigning is simple. You choose a state for each day
and decide whether to campaign for votes or hold a fund-raiser.
The game revolves around presidential campaigning. Each day is divided into
four time periods. The player can select one of four activities for each
time slot, which takes place in one of the eight largest cities in that
state: - campaigning on one of the 13 issues which is part of POWER
POLITICS. - holding a press conference (media selects two issues). -
holding a fund-raiser (only one is allowed per state per game, this
includes those held by the vice-presidential candidate). - resting (some
rest is required to keep your candidate effective).
You may also buy advertising for a specific state or city, challenge the
other candidates to a debate, create a new advertisement, ask for polls,
visit an image consultant or play a "dirty trick" on an opponent.
The media interaction is where POWER POLITICS is strongest. You have access
to several types of polls. You have a lot of control over which of your
advertisements run in specific locations. You have to concentrate on your
budget (which is mostly spent on advertising) over the entire campaign,
anticipating how much money you'll be able to raise.
A good advertisement will greatly increase your candidate's popularity in a
particular state. Advertisements are either positive or negative (against a
specific opponent) and are either about character or a specific issue.
Negative character ads on an opponent cost the most to produce, but seem to
be very effective - especially when the race in a particular state is
close.
Presidential campaigning is as effective as advertising and much cheaper,
but you can only visit one state per day, and campaign in only city during
a time period. But one visit, especially when you choose an important issue
for the people in that state, will produce dramatic popularity swings.
Campaigning effectiveness also depends on the profiles POWER POLITICS sets
up for each candidate. Each presidential hopeful since 1960 was rated in
several categories, including charisma, fund-raising, endurance and
position on the 13 key issues. A candidate generator is included, so you
can test different sets of viewpoints and strengths on the political
battlefield.
After campaigning for November 1 ends, the election begins. Here's where
POWER POLITICS missed a great opportunity to capture the excitement of
election day. In the most detailed of the election options, state results
are reported one at a time, more or less from east to west.
Usually, before California, with its 54 electoral votes, reports its vote
tally, one candidate has passed the winning total of 270. There's really no
drama in the election, aside from waiting for one or two key states to
report, if you believe the election will be decided by those states.
Although it wouldn't affect game play, it would be nice to see more drama
in the election itself. The election should be the grand finale of this
game, not an afterthought. Put a couple of digitized news reporters on the
screen, show partial returns from states, make some projections and let the
large close states remain undecided until very late in the evening. POWER
POLITICS could capture the excitement which several weeks of campaigning
sets up.
Another problem here is that the available popular opinion polls are too
accurate. The final election tally almost never varies by more than one
state from the latest polls. This also decreases the drama of the election,
and makes late-game strategy a little too easy.
Other features would greatly help the game. While candidates are available
from the last 32 years, including Kennedy and Nixon, all campaigns take
place in the political arena of 1992. This means that the same issues are
always important in states. This greatly limits strategy. Also, electoral
votes are always doled out according to the 1990 Census. So California and
Florida are much more important than they were in 1960, and Pennsylvania
and New York are much less important. As a result, the "what if" scenarios
are limited to "what if Kennedy and Nixon could be exported to 1992?"
This feature will be added with the 2.0 version, according to a Cineplay
representative.
POWER POLITICS programmers chose to use the eight largest cities in each
state for campaign purposes. This had nothing to do with geography, though.
For instance, in Michigan, seven of the eight cities are in the liberal
southeastern part of the state. Only Grand Rapids represents the very
conservative western half of Michigan, and there is no representation north
of Lansing. My guess is that means a state's preferences are not
represented city by city, and this greatly detracts from the strategy of
campaigning in diverse states like Michigan.
I'm also disappointed in the computer's AI for running your opponent's
campaigns. Late in the campaign, when gaining votes in large, close states
should be manditory, computer candidates are often running around smaller
states which won't affect the outcome of the election.
This, too, will be improved with version 2.0. The representative I talked
to said some improvements were made in 1.06. At least your opponent won't
be off in Idaho, a state you hold a 70-30 advantage in, on the weekend
before the election.
The issues seem equivalent in importance, too. A real campaign often
becomes centered upon one or two issues at times. POWER POLITICS would
greatly benefit from adding news events, such as "the people demand that
the candidates address increasing crime rates in the inner cities." Foreign
Affairs is also missing from the list of available issues, likely to the
detriment of George Bush's presidential hopes.
The "dirty tricks" available are fun at first, but limited to only a few
choices. These should vary for each candidate.
Even with all the problems described above, POWER POLITICS is entertaining,
and worth consideration for anyone who enjoys politics and elections. But
more important than any of the above comments are two related bugs which
combine to make the game unplayable. I should point out that Cineplay is
aware of both bugs, and fixes should be in version 1.06. I can't confirm
this through my own testing, and you will still find the original version
on game-store shelves, so I'm mentioning them here.
Late in the game, the program will often make a bad memory reference,
which, of course, immediately ends the game. Frequent saves should minimize
the importance of this problem, but games can only be saved at the end of a
week, and they are not saved properly. For some strange reason, when you
restart a saved game, any money you spent on advertising after saving the
game is lost - and you don't get the benefit of that advertising. You also
lose the following Monday on the campaign trail. Losing that money can be
disasterous to your campaign late in the game.
Without fixes for the save-game and game-crash bugs, POWER POLITICS is
simply unplayable. I can't recommend it to anyone. My guess is that company
officials realized that if they couldn't release this game near election
time, they would miss the window of interest provided by the 1992 election.
The game was clearly rushed to market, as evidenced by the fact that Ross
Perot's running mate was identified as Norman Schwartzkopf, yet the option
to have an independent candidate suddenly leave the race was included.
If version 1.06 runs as promised, POWER POLITICS is a solid game, though
probably a little too simple for the avid political follower. If version 2.
.0 provides the older political arenae, as well as improvements to the AI,
the handling of issues and the election, I would consider this a "must-
-have" for anyone interested in politics.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jim Gindin. All rights reserved.
SPECTRE/PC by Velocity Development Corporation/Peninsula Gameworks
Reviewed by Joshua E. Randall
Game requirements:
2 megs hard drive space
640K memory
VGA monitor
Supports mouse, keyboard, and joystick
Supports PC Speaker, SoundBlaster, and AdLib
No copy protection, but checks serial number when you attempt to play a
multi-player game.
Reviewed on:
286/16 386SX/16
640K RAM 2 megs RAM
no mouse Logitech mouse
internal speaker SoundBlaster (basic) version 1.5
If I had to choose one word to describe SPECTRE/PC, it would be "simple".
The graphics and sound are simple, the object of the game is simple, the
controls are simple. Despite this limitation, though, SPECTRE/PC is an
enjoyable game in many respects.
I first learned of SPECTRE last year when it was written for the Macintosh.
I spent many a fond hour collecting flags and blowing away computer tanks.
The few network games I played were great fun as well. But I longed for a
PC version.
Recently my wish came true. SPECTRE has been ported to the PC platform.
It is an addictive action game utilizing virtual reality technology.
The player controls a Spectre, an abstracted tank, in a strange world of
geometric shapes. His goal on each of the innumerable levels is to collect
the flags found randomly scattered about the level. But enemy tanks stand
in the way, ready to fire on the player without provocation. So the player
must not only collect flags, but blast other tanks. Points are scored for
each flag, each enemy destroyed, and for speed of play (a bonus ticks down
as time elapses).
That's really all there is to the game. Each level is just like the last,
except for the color palette, number of flags, and number and type of
enemies. This is not a game with an ending; there is no "cheese screen" to
reward good play, only a list of the top ten scores.
Play begins with the player selecting one of four different types of tanks
to control. Actually, the tanks all look the same; they vary only in their
attributes: Speed, Shields, and Ammo. The three preset types are "Strong"
(all shields), "Speedy" (all speed), and "Balance" (true to its name). The
fourth type is a custom tank, where the player can experiment with any
combination of attributes, parceling out a total of fifteen points among
the three attributes.
After that, the player's tank drops (literally) onto the playing field.
The standard viewscreen fills nearly the entire monitor, with a small area
for radar in the upper right corner. Movement is easy with the number pad,
and an aiming cross is thoughtfully provided for encounters with those
nasty computer tanks. Unlike a real tank, the Spectre can only fire
straight ahead, so when you rotate to face an enemy, that is the direction
you will go if you accelerate.
Aside from enemy tanks and flags, the world of SPECTRE/PC also holds Ammo
Dumps, undulating squares on the ground which heal the player's tank and
replenish his ammunition, and weird geometric obstacles, which are good for
hiding behind when badly injured.
These obstacles are truly strange: giant rotating windmills; huge
revolving cylinders; pyramids; and billboards. In the Mac version, these
objects were all of a solid color. For some reason, in SPECTRE/PC, the
objects have designs on them. This bit of glitz is more distracting than
anything else, although it does add to the feel that you are in a different
world: huge eyes (vaguely reminiscent of "Blade Runner"), stylized
planets, and hieroglyphics, among other things, emblazon the geometric
objects. If you wish you can toggle the designs off. Not only does this
cut down on distraction, it also speeds play considerably on slower
computers.
On the lower levels, enemy tanks are simple red wedges which can be
destroyed with a single hit. On higher levels, an orange tank, which looks
like a shark's dorsal fin, appears; this one takes several hits. On
succeeding levels, the red tanks get stronger, requiring two, three, even
four hits to destroy. The orange tanks get flat-out nasty; they can almost
match the maximum possible speed of the player's tank, and they can take as
many as ten hits to destroy. The enemy tanks also become better shots, and
fire quick streams of bullets which can be deadly at close range.
The player's tank picks up a single enhancement. At level ten and above
you gain grenades. Grenades use up ten units of ammunition, but do damage
equivalent to many hits. They also have somewhat of a scatter effect. It
is here that I have one of my main complaints with SPECTRE/PC. In the Mac
version, grenades had a wide enough blast radius that they were truly
useful, especially to take out more than one opponent at long range. In
the PC version, their blast radius is so narrow that they can only be used
effectively against a single opponent.
Two other viewing options (aside from the standard "cockpit" view) are
offered. One is a three quarters isometric view. The other is a bird's eye
view. While you can pan back in both of these to see more of your
surroundings, neither is really useful, especially in light of the radar
screen.
Gameplay was fine on both the 286 and 386SX. The ability to turn down the
level of graphical detail helps to compensate for varying computer speeds.
Sounds are sparse -- a simple whoosh when you pick up a flag, a clang when
you are hit -- and almost the same on both internal speaker and soundcard.
I find keyboard to be the easiest way to control the game, but mouse and
joystick are functional as well.
Just playing by yourself, SPECTRE/PC gets boring very quickly. But the
game shines over a network. Up to six players can compete in a several
styles of gaming. Flag Rally is a simple race to touch several flags.
Raid pits two teams against each other as each tries to touch the other's
base. Arena is the best: a massive free-for-all, played up to a certain
number of points or for a certain number of minutes.
SPECTRE/PC offers network play over a modem, direct connection (with speeds
up to 115 kilobaud), or true network (Novell IPX or NetBios). In a glaring
oversight, modem play is only possible if your modem is on COM1 or COM2.
In today's age of mice and multiple peripherals, this seems a foolish and
short-sighted limitation. Because I only have one copy of the game, I was
unable to test this aspect of play. But from my experiences with the Mac
version, I can say that network play is a gripping experience.
SPECTRE/PC is a simple game which is fairly well executed. As a one player
game, it is good only for occasional bouts of destructiveness or self-
competitiveness. As a network game, though, it is great fun. Now if only
you could play it over the Internet....
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Joshua E. Randall. All rights
reserved.
X-WING by LucasArts Entertainment Company
Reviewed by Gavin Adams
Requirements: 386 or better, MS-DOS 3.1 or higher, 1MB RAM, 256 color
VGA/MCGA, Hard Drive (takes 12MB)
Recommended: Mouse, Joystick, Sound Card, Additional Memory (Expanded
Only)
Supports: Sound: Soundblaster, Adlib, Roland, Pro Audio Spectrum
and Compatibles. Joystick: All two button joysticks,
Thrustmaster FCS. Others: General MIDI
Review Machine: DECpc 433ST (486/33 EISA), 20MB RAM (8MB Expanded, 8MB
Disk Cache), Mouse, Joystick, Hard Drive, TSENG ET-4000
SVGA Adapter, 17" Multi-sync Monitor, Pro Audio Spectrum
16
After seeing Star Wars (1977, 20th Century Fox) on its opening day, there
was only thing I wanted to do: fly an X-wing starfighter for the Rebel
Alliance. Now, 16 years later in 1993, X-WING by LucasArts allows you to
do just that.
Installation and configuration of X-WING was a breeze, and I had no
problems once installed. If you have more then 1MB or memory, it is
highly recommend that you configure additional RAM as expanded memory
(EMS), as X-WING doesn't support XMS. A disk caching program such as
SmartDrive will shorten transition time between scenes, and help out when
bringing other information while in the cockpit.
The first thing you see when running the game is the obligatory "intro
scene." Like most other games, it's fun to watch once or twice, or when
you have company over. Pressing the Enter key skips the opening scene and
takes you to Joystick Calibration 101. After this you end up in the
"registration room" of the starship Independence. Here you create,
delete, and can view the pilots you've created. The first time through
each game you have to pass the copy protection scheme.
Once you've taken on the persona of your favorite starfighter pilot, you
enter the main shuttle bay of the Alliance starship Independence. Those
who have been through Star Tours at Disneyland will get a kick out of the
shuttle announcements. From here, you can take a shuttle to the pilot
proving ground, to another base where you fly historical missions, start a
tour of duty (the meat of the game), get the specs on both Alliance and
Empire ships, or view a previously recorded mission tape.
The pilot proving ground (known as the "MAZE") puts you in the cockpit of
the X-wing, Y-wing, or A-wing starfighter. You run through a bunch of
gates, which get progressively harder each level and includes laser
turrets that fire at your ship. After completing level 8 for each craft,
you get a flight badge which is added to your dress uniform (you also get
patches for completing missions and other things). The purpose of the
course is to get you used to the ships, energy management (engine, lasers,
shields), and to the different views. Highly recommended for those new to
the game.
Flying the historical missions (6 missions for each of the 3 different
starfighters) introduces you to missions objectives and space combat
against the Empire. Historical missions may be flown in any order, and
when a Tour of Duty (TOD) mission has been completed, it becomes available
as a historical one.
The Tour of Duty area is where you get to go through a series of missions.
There are three different tours, leading up to the destruction of the
Death Star. The missions are played out in a linear fashion, and you have
to complete each mission to advance to the next. You receive a pre-
mission briefing describing the objectives and goals, fly the mission, and
return to a
mission debriefing. Don't get killed, though. If your pilot
is killed, all points are lost when you "resurrect" him or her from the
registration area. The missions get harder as you progress, and I assume
each TOD gets harder also (I'm only in TOD 1).
On missions with more then just one pilot, you can assign other pilots you
have built up to take control of the other starfighters. The benefit to
this is that if you don't assign pilots, the ones the computer assigns are
all rookies. This describes the overall structure of the game.
All the starfighters (both Alliance and Empire) have different
characteristics. The Y-wing flies more sluggishly then the X or A-wings,
the X-wing has more lasers then the other two craft, TIE bombers fly
slower then TIE interceptors. Allocating energy is an important part of
the game, and a variety of strategies are needed for the different
missions. Increasing laser power may be important during a mission filled
with TIE fighters, while heavy shields and speed make the difference in
reconnaissance missions. There are different weapon systems to be used
for different objectives. Proton torpedoes and missiles are good for
targeting starcraft far away or attacking large ships, lasers are the
staple for close-in combat and finishing off damaged ships, while ion
cannons are useful for disabling ships and making them easier to board.
Finally, you can send commands to others in your attack group, or to your
wingman.
LucasArts have outdone themselves on the graphics; they are unbelievable.
Unlike Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, X-WING uses polygons for the ships
and other structures in the game. Bitmapped images are still used for
explosions and backgrounds (planets, galaxies, etc.), but the feeling when
flying 20-30 meters off the surface of a star destroyer is amazing. The
polygon images are also light shaded and texture mapped. Laser blasts
have the same look as in the Star Wars movies: bright solid centers with a
soft glow on the outside. Space debris can be turned on to give a sense
of speed. All this and the silky-smooth frame rate gives you a real sense
of being there.
The background music is O.K., but not up to par with games such as Star
Control II. The introduction music is true to the movie, but the bass
just isn't there. I was able to get a more "bass-y" sound by changing my
sound card's mixer levels, but I think LucasArts could have done a better
job on the music. Given that, the roar of a TIE fighter as it passes
close by, the sound of your lasers and proton torpedoes being fired is
great. There have been some complaints of the game slowing down when
lasers are fired using digitized sounds on Soundblaster audio cards, but
no conclusive explanations have yet been given. The fix so far is to turn
off digitized sound effects.
During any flight, you can record your mission and play it back. The VCR
functions are pretty good, and you can do things such as track different
ships, have a tracking or free floating camera viewpoint, or change your
viewing angle using your regular flight controls. Depending upon your
memory configuration, you can allocate more memory to the VCR function,
which reduces disk access during play.
Besides camera recording, there are many different options you can
configure. A few are music, sound effects, "cheat" modes (unlimited
weapons / invulnerability), detail levels for practically everything, and,
of course, Death Star detail. Those with 486 machines can probably get
away with full detail for everything. Those who own 386 class machines
should take the defaults the installation program recommends, and turn up
the detail slowly.
There is one thing related to the game I didn't like--LucasArts shipping
strategy. X-WING was available directly from LucasArts (for full retail +
shipping and handling, of course) approximately one week before it hit the
shelves of retail stores and mail-order companies . Much discussion has
been given to this subject (both ways), but IMO I hope this doesn't become
a trend in the industry. Besides that, this looks to be a solid game that
won't require major bug fixes.
With add-on mission disks coming (first available Spring 1993), X-WING is
an addicting game with great playability and staying power. In my opinion,
X-WING is a definite contender for GameByte's Game of the Year for 1993.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Gavin Adams. All rights reserved.
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X-WING from LucasArts Games
Reviewed by Brian Chung
"Long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." These were the words
that inspired us all. We all wanted to be Luke Skywalker and fly that X-
Wing towards the exhaust port of Death Star. We all wanted to be Han Solo
and mighty Chewbacca and fly the Millennium Falcon. And we all wanted to
be Princess Leia and lead the rebellion against the evil Emperor Palpatine.
Earlier this week, I was dreaming no more. I was actually leading a wing
of X-Wing fighters against the TIE fighters thanks to LucasArts' awesome
new game, X-WING. Simply put, X-WING is a space combat simulator, or at
least, that's what it says on the box. But it's much, much more than
that. It is the most spectacular sight and sound show available for PC.
In X-WING, I play the role of a new Rebel Alliance recruit. After hearing
an inspiring speech by Mon Mothma, a leader of the Alliance, I decided to
join the rebellion. When the game starts, I am in the flagship
Independence as a rookie pilot. From there, I can either fly the training
course, the historical missions, or go straight to one of the three tours
of duty. The training course lets you fly one of the fighters through a
slalom course in space. I have to fly along the course hitting all the
gates, and at the same time shoot laser bunkers that guard the gates to get
more time. In the historical missions section, I fly the fighters against
the Imperical forces in a "historical" engagement. But the training course
and the historical missions are not real. They are just simulations. The
tour of duty is where the real meat of the X-WING lies. Here, I get to fly
the rebel fighters in a series of missions against the TIE fighters, Star
Destroyers and eventually, the Death Star itself! One drawback to the tour
of duty missions is that they are linear. I must finish one mission
successfully before I can go on to the next one. There are no multiple
storylines or multiple branches. So be prepared to be stuck in one mission
for hours and hours, if not days and days. But I did like the fact that I
can play the training, historical missions and tours of duty in any order I
want to. I don't have to finish one to start the other. And I can always
go back to the combat simulators for a refresher course when I start having
problems in the tours of duty.
Unlike Origin's WING COMMANDER series, X-WING uses filled polygons. I am
not going to start a debate on bitmaps vs. polygons in this review, but I
love what LucasArts has done with X-WING. The fighters in X-WING are
rendered beautifully using polygons. TIE fighters really look like those
from the movie. But I never realized the true advantage of the polygon
graphics until I flew an X-Wing fighter between the bridge and the shield
generator on a Star Destroyer! With this kind of realism, I am willing to
sacrifice the more colorful and detailed look of the bitmaps. Besides,
there are plenty of bitmapped graphics in X-WING during the cinematic
sequences between the missions and in the introduction.
Sound is another amazing component of X-WING. I play X-WING with a
Soundblaster Pro card, and with this I get all the background music and the
digitized sounds without a hitch. The background music is taken directly
from the famous Star Wars themes by John Williams. There is nothing more
adrenaline pumping than hearing the Imperial March in the middle of a
pitched dogfight announcing the arrival of an Imperial reinforcement.
LucasArts has also done a great job in incorporating the digitized samples
from the movie into the game. The samples range from R2-D2's bleeps to
the whoosh of the TIE fighters as they whiz by my X-Wing, and they all add
to the heightened sense of realism.
Two recommendations to those who are thinking of buying X-WING. First, if
you don't have a joystick, get one. X-WING does support mouse and
keyboard control, but the fighters do not move as fast as when flown with
a joystick. And slow moving X-Wing is a turbo laser fodder. The enemy
fighters have the best dogfighting ability I have seen so far, so you need
all the advantage you can get. Second, let your friend or a group of
friends play the game and develop their characters. If you let the
computer assign your wingmen and the members of other wings, it will only
assign "rookie" pilots. But if you have multiple characters with higher
ratings, you can use them as your wignmen and the members of other wings.
So, instead of just one person developing multiple characters, have a group
of people take turns playing so that when you fly, you can have your friend
with the "top ace" rating as your wingman.
In conclusion, X-WING is...X-WING is..."WOW!" Whether one is a Star Wars
fan or not, this game will capture one's imagination with realistic
graphics and sounds. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a Death Star to
blow up.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Brian Chung. All rights reserved.
STAR LEGIONS from Mindcraft
Reviewed by David desJardins
STAR LEGIONS is a real-time strategy game of planetary conquest. It is a
1-player game, in which the player plays a single campaign consisting of a
sequence of essentially independent battles. Each battle consists of a
single planet to be conquered within a specified time limit. After each
scenario the player receives a score which reflects how well the battle
was conducted. Success in conquering the planet quickly, without
inflicting massive bombardment damage, is the primary ingredient of a good
score. The player receives awards based on the score of each battle, and
promotions based on maintaining a high average score over several battles.
Each planet contains up to 10 or more cites to be attacked. The time
limit for conquering the planet is up to 100 or more minutes of real time.
(1 minute of real time represents 1 hour of game time.) Each city exists
in a separate "zone" which does not interact for combat purposes with any
other zone. Thus, the player must deliver troops to each zone for the
purposes of conquering that city, and when the city is conquered any
surviving attackers can be withdrawn to be used in other zones. Combat
occurs simultaneously in all of the zones in which opposing forces are
present. Usually most but not all of the cities must be conquered in
order to cause the planet to surrender.
The player has up to 100 legions with which to conduct the battle. Each
legion consists of four cohorts of shock troops and six cohorts of
warriors; thus there could be up to 1000 cohorts which could see combat
over the course of a single battle. Obviously this is too many to direct
individually. Thus, the primary way in which the player directs the
troops is through general orders in each zone (attack, defend, conquer,
withdraw, etc.). The player can also command cohorts individually when
necessary. For example, to construct landing pads and form a defensive
perimeter when first entering a particular zone.
Every attack on a zone must begin in the same basic way. At first, shock
troops are the only ones which can enter an enemy held zone, by "beaming
down" from orbit. Once shock troops have been landed, they can construct
landing pads for drop ships which can carry the more powerful warriors.
When the player has managed to amass a sufficient force of warriors within
a zone, a general attack or conquer order is sufficient to ensure victory.
This simple framework for an attack certainly omits a great deal of
complexity. Shock troops are disoriented soon after beaming down, so they
fight less well at first. On the more advanced planets, cities contain
shield generators which prevent beaming down or landing drop ships in the
areas they protect, lasers which fire at drop ships as they convey troops
to and from orbit, and phasers which fire at ships in orbit. All of these
can be destroyed by your troops easily enough, if you can reach them.
Finally, of course, each city is defended by enemy troops. These are much
like your own, except of course that they vary widely in strength, and are
generally weaker than your troops. This is a good thing, because there
can be an immense number of them. Also, they become stronger as the
combat goes on (reflecting the calling up of reserves to repel your
attack). The defenders also have immobile fortifications, which are
basically just stationary troops.
The enemy troops start out basically scattered about the zone, with the
largest concentration typically in the center of the city. But once your
attack begins they will generally swarm toward your forces, leaving some
of their number behind to defend the city and its installations.
The movement system is somewhat interesting. Each cohort of troops exerts
a sort of zone of control which is costly to move out of. This means that
as the troops move together they become locked into combat. If one side
tries to move away, it doesn't get very far, because it costs their units
more to move out of the enemy zones of control than it costs the pursuing
units to close again. And meanwhile they are taking damage. Also, shock
troops cannot beam up from within enemy zones of control.
So, these are the basic mechanics of the game. How does it all work
together?
The first thing to emphasize is that this is a true real-time game. Many
non-turn-based games are not truly real-time. Games like SIEGE and
RAILROAD TYCOON have the property that the player can slow down, or even
halt, the progress of time. Thus one can essentially take as long as
necessary to plan one's actions. Not so in STAR LEGIONS. There is only
one speed to the game: 1 minute of real time to 1 hour of game time. And
while the game can be frozen to take a break, it is not possible to do
anything (such as give orders or even examine units) while the game is
frozen.
This probably is not bad. After all, if one battle is already scheduled
to take over 100 minutes of real time, who wants to slow it down or stop
it frequently? And, very much unlike Siege, the game runs very smoothly
at its normal speed. There is no need to stop the game in order to find
out what is going on, or to give orders.
However, there is a _lot_ to do in those 100 minutes. Quite simply, it
takes a long time to conquer a zone, even if one does manage overwhelming
force. If one is going to conquer 10-15 zones in 100 minutes, one has to
have combat going on in many zones simultaneously. And it is frankly hard
to keep up with everything that is going on. There's no question that
one's strategy suffers greatly from having to jump from zone to zone to
zone to control everything that is going on.
(I haven't even mentioned controlling ships in orbit. The player has four
types of ships: command ships, troop ships, destroyers, and supply ships.
These can all be maneuvered into different orbits for different purposes.
Probably this is a good idea in many cases, but frankly I usually couldn't
find the time. Note that the interface for orbital maneuvering is
unusually clunky and time-consuming. I'm giving the whole orbital part of
the game short shrift in this review because it seems relatively
peripheral, even though there is a lot of detail there too.)
The second thing to emphasize is that the game is very hard. By the time
the player gets to tech level 6 and 7 worlds (the most advanced), there
are an awful lot of defenders, and a lot of phasers and ack-ack to take
out. Head-to-head confrontation with these masses of defenders is just
not going to be successful. Your shock troops will get torn to pieces,
and your warriors can't be landed as quickly as the defenders can mass
against you. And you may not have enough in any case.
What can you do? The answer is that you have to outsmart the computer. A
very typical strategy is to beam down a few shock troops into a far,
relatively inaccessible corner of a zone. Many or most of the defenders
will surge in that direction. When they have almost reached you, beam
those troops up and beam down somewhere else. Maybe next to a
now-lightly-defended shield generator or ack-ack gun which you can take
out, or maybe just on the other corner of the map where you can now
attempt to land dropships.
There are other strategies, including orbital bombardment, but the basis
of all of them is counting on the defenders to overreact to small decoy
forces. The rules even suggest that three cohorts is a good number for
decoy purposes. There are two things that I don't like about this. One
is that it seems that you are tailoring your strategy to particular flaws
in the AI of the program, rather than to the actual tactical situation.
(It gets sort of ludicrous, watching 100 defenders slosh across the
countryside toward your three storm troops in the mountains, while leaving
the rest of the map wide open.) Second is that it is extremely
frustrating to try to do this well while juggling five other zones at the
same time. If you could count on being able to control the right zone at
the right time, it would probably not be that hard to beam up and beam
down various decoy forces at various appropriate times. A large part of
the difficulty comes from trying to schedule all of the different things
going on in all of the different zones. I frequently lost decoy forces,
or even lost their decoy effect, just because I didn't get back to the
right zone at the right time.
The overall interface of the game is pretty good, although certainly not
perfect. As I said above, it is definitely possible to give orders to all
of your troops in real time, at least as long as you stay within a single
zone. The flow of time was perfectly smooth on my 386/33, with no
mysterious interruptions for the computer to plan or just to spin the
disk. The units are generally readable and I thought the map graphics
were quite good. There is a digitized speech feature which pops up
various individuals on your screen from time to time to deliver
information (often redundant information). I found this completely
useless and annoying. You can turn the speech off, but they still appear
and move their lips. Just dumb.
You have to move from screen to screen to perform various functions, and
there is a useless scrolling option which makes this go really really
slowly, but as long as you turn this off it is relatively easy to get to
where you want to be, as long as you can decide where that is.
There is no copy protection. The rules seemed to be relatively
well-written, although they are in a "briefing" style which I don't
particularly prefer. One thing they don't cover in sufficient detail is
how your score is computed: the rules don't make it at all clear, for
example, that you are better off failing to conquer a planet than
resorting to blowing up its cities in order to force it to surrender.
I found what I considered a significant bug, in that if all of my troops
were eliminated from a zone, I could not bombard the zone from orbit. I
was given a bug workaround--deselecting and reselecting the zone on the
planetary map--which solved the problem with a certain amount of
inconvenience. (It requires switching modes more often than I would like,
with the result that I would occasionally accidentally bombard a zone.
This can be very, very bad for your score. In general, bombardment seems
to be a bad plan, period.) There was also one minor bug, in which one of
the pop-up windows tried to appear at the instant I was switching between
screens. The result was that it partially appeared, minus the "dismiss"
button. But by guessing about where it was supposed to be and clicking
randomly I eventually got it to go away. Compared to recent releases of
games of similar complexity I would say that the game is very close to
bug-free.
My final assessment: recommended for those who like real-time games in
which the challenge of managing many activities simultaneously is a
central part of the game, and who will not become too frustrated by a game
which is quite difficult to win.
This review is Copyright (C) 1992 by David desJardins. All rights
reserved.
F-ZERO by Nintendo
for the Super Nintendo
Reviewed by Chris Petit
Type: Sci-Fi Racing Players: 1
Game Basics:
You are one of four elite merchants, billionaire playboys who have grown
bored with their endless galactic trading. So, you're daring to venture
onto hazardous tracks, for thrills, and for a reincarnation of the Indy
500 races on Earth ages ago. If you do well, you'll have attained the
greatest honor ever known---you'll be the F-Zero Champion of the Universe.
Each of the four merchants has his own hovercraft, each with distinct
abilities. The Yellow craft has crummy handling and can take the least
amount of damage, but has the best acceleration, while the Purple craft
has the best top speed, but fair acceleration and excellent handling on
turns, and the Green craft has the most damage-taking ability, while the
Blue craft is a well balanced craft with no strengths or weaknesses.
You can race in one of three Leagues (in order of difficulty: Knight,
Queen and King), each of which has 5 tracks, and can choose one of three
difficulty levels (Beginner, Standard and Expert). Or, you can do a
Practice Run on one of seven tracks, against nobody or a computer-driven
rival craft.
In both selections, the game plays the same. You must make it to the end
of five grueling speed-packed laps, ramming other craft out of the way,
while dodging obstacles that seem to litter the landscape.
In order to stay in the race, you must be at least a certain position in
the rankings (15th for the 2nd, 10th for the 3rd, 5th for the 4th, and 3rd
for the last lap). If you fail, you drop out of the race.
At the end of each lap, you gain a special thruster boost, which can be
used as you see fit. This gives an explosion of speed which can let you
zoom past an opponent who is just in front of you.
However, not all cars seem to be in the race---there seem to be a few
drone cars racing around. Passing these doesn't increase your ranking at
all. Only some particular race drivers will increase it.
Make it in 3rd place or better, and you proceed to the next track.
Survive through 5 tracks, and the game ends.
Important Point:
The viewpoint will disorient those not used to it or SMK. Your car
doesn't move onscreen---the track rotates and moves beneath you.
Review Comments: (all ratings are from 1.0 to 10.0, with 10.0 being high)
Graphics: 9.5
Impressive graphics, but they seem to lack 'depth' (e.g. nothing in 3-D
other than the track)
Music: 9.0
Quite catchy tunes that set the mood quite well for each track type.
Sound Effects: 7.0
Well done---no surprises either way.
Play Mechanics: 8.0
Very intuitive for the most part, but some control placement is confusing
when in the heat of a close race.
Skill Range: 8.0
Quite a broad range of abilities are represented here, through the 3 sklll
levels and the tracks.
Skill Progression: 8.0
Very smooth progression between the skill levels, but not perfect.
Replay Value: 8.0
A solid racing game, however the lack of 2-player options and truly varied
play options makes this a bit limited. However, the game remains fun and
challenging.
Gameplay: 9.5
Overall, excellent. All four of the hovercraft are playable and fun to
use. Computer opponents are relentless when you leave them behind,
however---it seems that you can't ever get past them.
Overall: 8.38
Quite a solid performer, and a good value if you like straight racing, but
it seems to lack some variety.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
F-Zero vs. Super Mario Kart: A comparative review
Maker: Nintendo (both)
System: SNES (both)
Type: Sci-Fi Racing (F-Zero) / Fantasty Racing (Super Mario Kart)
Players: 1 (F-Zero) / 1 or 2 (Super Mario Kart)
Game Basics:
Super Mario Kart (hereafter abbreviated as SMK) is a fantasty racing game,
where you pick one of eight drivers (all classic Mario game characters,
but only four karts are distinctive), and use various assorted items
(found inside Question Blocks) to attack the other drivers, and Coins to
make your kart run faster.
F-Zero is a science fiction racing game, where you pick one of four
drivers (all with different car abilities), and try to win the race by
ramming other hovercrafts aside or avoiding them, on a race to the finish
line.
Super Mario Kart has a vast array of gaming choices---the Battle Mode to
try to attack a human opponent's kart, a Match Race to compete with only
one opponent, on any track, or a Mariokart GP to compete with a human
opponent AND the other karts.
F-Zero has a more modest array of choices (partly due to the fact that it
is solely a one-player game)---you can select three classes of tracks (and
a fourth that I haven't found yet), and three levels of driver difficulty.
Important Points:
F-Zero focuses more on the actual race, whereas SMK focuses half on the
straight racing and half on destroying the opponent's karts. Also, F-Zero
has more speed, whereas SMK has you doing a few things at once (avoiding
other karts, picking up items to attack them, picking up coins AND
avoiding obstacles built into the track).
Graphics: (SMK)
Both games have good solid graphics that are appropiate for their genres
(slick smooth racetrack for F-Zero, and 'cute' graphics for SMK), but SMK
seems to have more three-dimensionality to its tracks (due totally to the
obstacles on the track).
Music: (F-Zero)
Again, both games have music that really sets the tone for each board and
for the game altogether. But, F-Zero has what I feel is better music
(matter of personal preference---the music is faster and more intense in
F-Zero, reflect-ing the more intense racing pace).
Sound Effects: (SMK)
Sound effects are well done in both, but SMK has slightly more 'realistic'
sound effects, mainly because hovercrafts can't really be used for racing
yet.
Play Mechanics: (F-Zero)
Both games play well, and have highly responsive controls. However, I
prefered F-Zero's greater speed to SMK's more leisurely pace.
Skill Range: (SMK)
Neither game has a problem here---both represent a broad range of skills.
However, I felt that SMK offered the greater range, since its extra race
tracks were easier to reach and also provide more realms of racing
excitement after you beat them.
Skill Progression: (F-Zero)
Neither game does really well here---both have major leaps in skill
between the easier and harder driving skill levels. However, F-Zero's
tracks don't make as far jumps ahead in difficulty.
Replay Value: (SMK)
Both games are always fun and challenging. However, the greater range of
2 player options in SMK (there are no 2 player modes, period, in F-Zero),
grant it a better replay value overall.
Gameplay: (Tie)
Both games play a solid race, and both have their strengths and
weaknesses. Both, however, do a super job of representing the performance
of their respective vehicles (hovercraft are faster, go karts are slower
and less manuverable). There was nothing I could really say stood out
enough to grant either game a better rating here.
Overall: (SMK)
This was a difficult choice. F-Zero is still a solid game, and will
provide long hours of enjoyment to most people. SMK's real strength lies
in its 2 player options, which permit greater levels of competiton between
human drivers. If F-Zero had 2 player options, I don't know which would
be the clear winner.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Chris Petit. All rights reserved.
SUPER DOUBLE DRAGON by Tradewest
For the Super Nintendo
Reviewed by Chris Petit
Type: Martial Combat
Players: 1 or 2
Game Basics:
You are one of two martial arts specialists. Now, you are infiltrating a
deadly band of outlaws.
Gameplay progresses similar to Double Dragon---you have a number of enemies
onscreen, and must dispath them with weapons (e.g. Barrels/Dynamite/
Nunchucks) or your martial arts skills (kick/punch). However, in this
update for the SNES, they added several abilities: Your character can
block (a good thing, too, since the characters get fatigued quickly), and
also perform a special move (which looks strangely like Ken's Hurricane
Kick in Street Fighter 2).
You go through seven stages of play, each with more, nastier, enemies which
try to end your life. At the end of each stage, you must fight a Boss
character (who is much moer difficult to defeat, since it often possesses
special powers).
Important Point:
The game takes place in pseudo 3-D. In other words, you must 'line up' with
someone you want to fight, in order to attack.
Review Comments: (all ratings are 1.0 to 10.0, with 10.0 being high)
Graphics: 6.0
Although the backgrounds are well-done, the actual characters (you and the
enemies) seem to be very 'blocky' and jerky in their movements. Also,
some of the fighting areas are annoying (fighting on top of stairs, where
if your character falls, he goes offscreen but isn't killed---you must
climb back up to get into the action).
Music: 8.0
Tunes are very familiar to Double Dragon players. Addition of bass lines
was well done and sets the stage for fighting excitement.
Sound Effects: 8.0
Grunts and hits sound realistic, as do weapon attacks, for the most part.
Play Mechanics: 1.0
Not only are the controls cluttered (you are asked to do an awful lot in
comparison to the other Double Dragon tapes) and non-intuitive, but the
characters response is VERY poor---you seem to be fighting underwater as
far as your control goes. Also, you must get in-line with characters to
fight them, further breaking the Action Fighting mood.
Skill Range: 4.0
Decent range for a Martial Combat type of game. However, the game starts
out a bit difficult.
Skill Progression: 5.0
The progression is nothing to write home about, but it is decent for this
type of game. Fairly even, but there are spots where you are suddenly
overwhelmed.
Gameplay: 4.0
The controls also kill this. Controls must respond quickly in a game on
this type, or the game rapidly becomes frustrating. If you overcome the
control problems, though, it plays a decent game.
Replay Value: 4.0
The lackluster controls really kill the replay value of this game.
Overall: 5.00
The game could have been much more, but as it is, it's a mediocre tape, at
best, with flashy graphics.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Chris Petit. All rights reserved.
WONDERDOG by JVC
For the Sega CD
Reviewed by Bobby Martin
I recently picked up a copy of the new Sega CD title WonderDog, and it is
great! The Sega CD games have a whole new look and feel to them that is
really fluid. The graphics do not look like the typical Genesis graphics.
Although I don't believe there are more colors, there seem to be. The
sound is excellent, of course.
WonderDog is basically a cross between Mario and Sonic type games. You
play the character of Wonderdog (what a surprise), a pup who has been
injected with a serum that increases strength, vitality, etc. Your weapon
is a shooting star, which functions almost identically to Mario's fireball
(bounces off the ground). There are several things that really make this
game outstanding. First, the graphics are outstanding. The backgrounds
are highly detailed and VERY creative. The moving sprited are detailed as
well. Scrolling and movement is perfectly smooth.
Probably the best part of this game is the variety of enemies. There are
over 400 TYPES of enemies...basically, every zone has completely different
enemies. Many levels have several bosses. It's really cool to complete a
level and have a whole new background AND set of enemies awaiting you at
the next level. The music, as can be expected, is exceptional. The
tracks vary for each level and are VERY far from typical Genesis music
(cymbals, pianos, and organs sound completely authentic).
At the end of each world, a password is issued which can be used to get
back there once you die or quit. The passwords are not collections of
characters, rather, they are real words that are easy to remember. The
sound effects is the only area that this game fell a little flat. The
effects are great and they sound nice, but there is a very small variety
of them. EVERY enemy emits a Homer Simpsonish "Doh" when you hit it...it
gets a little old after a while.
The only warning I will post about this game is that it is fairly easy...
for those people that do not like semi-easy games, no matter how good the
graphics or gameplay, do NOT get this game. However, for anyone else, I
would strongly recommend it. On a 10 scale I would give it a 9...
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Bobby Martin. All rights reserved.
BATMAN RETURNS by Konami For the Super NES, 8 Megabits
Reviewed by Jer Horwitz
Travel back to the distant year 1992, when the impending summer block-
buster, Batman Returns, was not receiving the level of hype an impending
summer blockbuster should expect. Anxious moviegoers packed the theater in
the first week or two, then sales died down quickly as word-of-mouth
spread that there was hardly any coherent plot. With a weak marketing
blitz, the Batman T-Shirts and underpants stayed on store shelves long
after the movie closed, and demand for Bat-trash was at an-all time low
(except perhaps for the time period when Adam West wore tights to portray
Batman on television). The only video game based on the movie to come out
any time close to the film's release was Atari's Lynx translation, a two-
dimensional walk and fight game with reasonable play mechanics.
Back to the present day, eight months after the movie's theatrical
release. Sega has already released Game Gear and Genesis versions, with a
Sega-CD version waiting in the wings. The movie's already available for
video rental. Konami should have had a good reason for waiting this long
for a game based on a decidedly average license, especially when there are
already tons of Bat-games on the shelves.
And they did. Batman Returns for the SNES is a dynamite fighting game and
more. Of all the Bat-games released so far, Konami's effort is the only
one to accurately capture the spirit of Batman, the character, and Batman
Returns, the movie, constantly pleasing the senses with hi-resolution
digitized cinema story screens and beautifully reproduced Danny Elfman
music. Well balanced throughout, Batman Returns hardly ever disappoints
the player.
Those who have criticized the Batman movies for being 'too dark and
brooding' should find satisfaction in Konami's rendering of the sets from
the movie, which are far better artistically but similar in palette to
Sunsoft's old Genesis Batman game. This translates into "rich yellows,
dark purples and blues, only enough white to make you notice it when it
appears, and an emphasis on greys and blacks." No pixelization, which in
my opinion was one major factor working against a critically acclaimed
Genesis version of Batman Returns. There are large, detailed sprites with
animation as good as the above-average side-scrolling beat-em-up, but not
quite the fluidity level of Street Fighter 2. [The Catwoman comes to
mind.]
The music... The music... What can I say about it? The best parts of the
movie were the fighting scenes and the music. The same holds true for the
game. I can't emphasize how perfectly Konami translated the Elfman scores
-- often the driving force behind your fighting is the pounding of the
notes in the background. This is a game I could seriously recommend
taping the soundtrack from - it would save you the cost of purchasing the
movie's soundtrack CD since the clarity of the instruments is digitally
clear. Sound effects are standard fighting fare.
The gameplay is a mix of three genres. There are the fighting scenes,
which dominate the game, where Batman moves around in a three-dimensional
space. Within those scenes, the player character looks more like Batman
than any other licensed Bat-game ever released, kicking and punching just
like the movie hero. He tosses Batarangs to stun enemies, swings on a
grappling hook wire as a power-draining kick to the chest, and can utilize
a smart-bomb-like "test-tube" three times unless he finds others. The
two-skull bash is here, and background interactivity has been tossed in
for the times when Batman wishes to throw an enemy through a plate glass
window or park bench.
The second genre is 2-D side scrolling run-and-shoot. Batman runs from
left to right, flattening enemies with Batarangs and swinging over
obstacles with his grappling hook in a totally different manner from the
fighting use of the weapon. The third is a quickie Batmobile driving scene
which obviously lacks the scaling obstacles of the Sega-CD game, and has
only one type of enemy and a boss. This is the only disappointing part of
the game - it's used in the early introduction to level one as a non-
playable visual and was likely incorporated when play-testers said, "It
would be cool to play it, too." That's the only reason I can fathom for
the lack of depth within the single sequence. Better there than not, I
guess.
The enemies are the only other flaws in the games. While well drawn and
animated, and as smart as Final Fight's, they aren't as varied or
difficult to defeat as Super Sonic Blast Man's. The bosses, however, are
far, far more capable and become progressively harder. SSBM introduced new
foes each stage, Final Fight used a cast which increased each level from a
base of four characters or so, not including color variations. Batman
Returns' first level has only two or three enemies and only one new
character per level. No color differences. The backgrounds are the
thrill, the enemies get repetitive. It's the trade-off factor. The game
is fun to play through, but since I personally don't find action games fun
to play after I've beaten them, I can't judge the replay value.
What Batman Returns has to offer: Fighting scenes visually, musically. and
playably better than Final Fight; perhaps a little better than Sonic Blast
Man playably in the fighting scenes but certainly better overall when you
add in the superb graphics, sounds and extra 2 genres. What it lacks are
better driving scenes and more enemies, but considering that it's an 8-meg
cart, Konami really packed it in tight. It also has the cinema
intermissions (with a VERY long opening) accompanied by CD-quality music.
Unlike Sonic Blast Man, which was pretty much a clone of Final Fight with
extra artificial intelligence and some comical touches, Batman Returns
warrants a purchase even if you have SSBM or Final Fight. It's a little
harder than the latter, and a little longer, too. The Bat-license has
finally been done properly -- the only reason to hope for a "Batman
Returns Again" movie would be the chance that Konami might do a video
game for it.
This Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All Rights Reserved.
BIOMETAL by Athena For the Super Famicom/Super NES, 8 Megs Japanese
[Import]
Review by Jer Horwitz
Some people say that the shooter genre has worn itself thin, and that "new
shooters" seem to recycle everything except for the aesthetics. I would
tend to agree. Generally, it's pretty simple to figure out what you do -
stay towards the left (or bottom) of the screen, and shoot towards the
other side. So, I really don't have to go through the play mechanics
description, do I?
With BioMetal, I have to do a little describing. Athena, a company which
has released very few games and even fewer good ones, turned out a
shooter which ranks in my Top 10 "Most Enjoyed" cartridges right now. An
excellent use of the SNES, it's definitely a must-see for fans of the
genre. Is it original? Not especially, except for one feature of the
ship's power-up mechanism. I'm saying this up front so everyone who feels
hung up on "originality" in games can skip this review immediately and
move on to "The Lost Vikings" before they get too excited and murder some
good Japanese programmers.
The major innovative feature of BioMetal is the aforementioned power-up
device, a spinning set of globes which are both defensive and offensive in
nature. A small meter at the bottom of the screen slowly loses power after
you press a button to turn the globes on; the globes spin around your ship
constantly, absorbing enemy small-arms fire (note that larger weapons will
instantly vaporize you). When you're in a situation where your front guns
aren't pumping out enough power to destroy whatever is confronting you,
you can fire the ring of globes in any of eight directions. Athena
programmed the ring so that it can be called back at any time with the
same button, so you can rapidly hit the target repeatedly if it's close to
you, instead of having the ring fly all the way to the other side of the
screen, etc. The last feature of the ring is that it can suddenly widen
itself to nearly the full screen size, doing limited damage to almost
everything on screen.
That feature (the globe weapon) is indicative of the game's design; it
would have been very easy to make a "smart bomb" which you could fire off
repeatedly to kill everything, but this game makes you think before using
the globes. Also, don't forget to consider the little meter at the
screen's bottom - when it runs out of energy, your ship is completely open
to being obliterated, so you have to turn off the globes until they
recharge (in a minute or so). The control of your ship, even with the
multiple functions of this secondary device, is still very smooth.
There are also conventional weapons that can be used. Your ship starts out
with a gun which shoots a horizontal line of shells, and can be expanded
to fire additional lines diagonally. Instead of that gun, you can also
obtain a laser cannon which gets progressively stronger (but starts out
amazingly weak) and a wave blaster, which fires (at first) only in front
of your ship but can be upgraded to fire in back, as well. There are also
missiles which attach to your ship and fire at the same time as your guns;
these come in three configurations. All of these weapons are found
floating around in the levels.
The visuals in the game are really well done. Parallax scrolling on the
levels is extremely fluid, with a great desert planet level featuring
smooth dunes on the horizon with another planet in the sky. The bosses are
large and make some nice entries, and surprisingly enough, the levels are
filled with an assortment of large and small enemies which appear in large
clusters on-screen at once with little or no flicker (and no slow down),
at least in the several levels I've played. The theme of the game is
combating machines and living creatures (Bio / Metal), and the backgrounds
reflect it nicely.
The music is great, although the scoring isn't especially noteworthy.
Using a small selection of instruments, the musicians created some very
memorable tunes which I've listened to without playing the game (if that
says anything for how much I like them). I get the feeling that this may
not be a vibe everyone gets from the soundtrack, since the instruments
aren't amazing, but I'd advise you to give it a serious listen on a high
volume level (especially in the second part of the opening sequence and
the first two levels).
The play style is "overwhelm the player". Even the first level is filled
with tons of simultaneously-attacking enemies, and the first boss spits
out a cloud of small arms fire from the lower part of the ship while a
disintegrator beam shoots out of the midsection. Again, I use the example
because this is representative of what the game as a whole does, over and
over again. Also, many of the enemies require multiple hits, so you're not
just wiping out waves of mindless attackers all the time. The
strategy/frustration level is below Gaiares and the R-Types but above the
Thunder Forces (Lightening Force, too; don't blame me for the misspelling)
and Axelay. The game is very difficult even on normal (and easy, for some
people), a welcome change from the oft-repeated scenario where your
weapons not only are "powerful enough to single-handedly wipe out an
entire armada", but do so on your first attempt.
BioMetal is a pretty fun game, and a great challenge for a shooter,
although some will certainly be overwhelmed by the difficulty and won't
find the fun in it at all. Overall, the programming of the various
aesthetics mixed with the more cerebral style of play makes it a must-see
game for the shooter fanatic who has been disappointed all too often.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All Rights Reserved.
BUBSY: CLAWS ENCOUNTERS OF THE FURRED KIND by Accolade
For the Super Nintendo (SNES), 16 Megabits
Reviewed by Jer Horwitz
The hype machine for Bubsy has been working overtime - Accolade has pushed
the game in print advertisements more than any other game they've released
for a game console, at least two magazines have featured monthly updates
on the game's progress in development, and demo copies containing a
playable sample were shipped out months ago to staffers at some game
specialty stores. So, obviously, the first question you're going to ask is
whether or not the game lives up to all the hype, right? Answer: It's a
very good game, but it's not the galactic messiah it's being made out to
be.
Bubsy is an enchanting Sonic-style game based on a Sonic-style character;
he jumps on enemies' heads to destroy them, can run slow or fast, and the
primary difficulty is being careful not to run into an enemy or trap
accidentally. In this case, our hero is an uppity bobcat instead of an
uppity hedgehog, he collects balls of yarn instead of rings (although the
yarn has no effect except points), and there are multiple ways to get to
the end of any given level, all of which end with Bubsy flipping a sign
around with his picture on it. In other words, Bubsy is very much based on
the winning concepts which have propelled Sonic and Sonic 2 to the top of
gamers' charts, although Bubsy has his own symbol, the exclamation point
which appears on his shirt and throughout the game.
There are 16 chapters, which is a confusing term in that the individual
chapters are larger than the Sonic "stages" [which are, in turn, pieces of
"zones"]. Some chapters have two sections with two sets of background
graphics and enemies, while others only have one part with one set of
background graphics. The relevance of this: each set of three chapters
(1-3, 4-6...) shares the same set or sets of background graphics, similar
to Sonic's "Zones". They're named differently, and grouped differently,
but don't be fooled into thinking there are 16 different backgrounds.
After each three levels, there is a boss confrontation with bosses similar
to those in Sonic 1.
The game itself places you in a 360 degree side-view scrolling
environment; in other words, rather than just running from left to right,
you also have a tremendous amount of upwards and downwards movement in the
levels. While collecting yarn and searching for various items, Bubsy
attacks alien invaders by first bouncing on their heads and then slicing
them with his claws. After jumping off of something high, Bubsy can glide
through the air, increasingly affected by gravity depending on the height.
He begins with nine lives (cute) and can find continues hidden in hard to
reach places, although he doesn't start with any. There is also a password
feature, which is more necessary in Bubsy than Sonic because of the size
of the individual chapters. The two-player mode is alternating as opposed
to simultaneous; just as well since the game would not really work with a
simultaneous mode.
T-Shirts with various numbers and symbols are found in great abundance
around the levels; a 1 or 2 would designate 1 or 2 extra lives, a white
exclamation point T-Shirt is temporary invincibility, while a black T-
shirt with an exclamation point turns Bubsy into a shadow who can't be
seen by enemies for a few seconds. Since each level is absolutely huge by
normal standards, there are large exclamation points which denote
"continue here" areas when you touch them.
Three factors set Bubsy apart from Sonic, primarily. The first is the
animation - the designers spent an amazing amount of the game's memory
animating Bubsy himself, and most of the animation is his death and injury
scenes. The second is the number of [truly] hidden rooms in the game, used
for bonus stages to collect more yarn balls. The third factor is the
different approach to the background graphics.
The death and injury scenes are key to your appreciation of Bubsy as both
a character and as a game. If he hits the ground after a high fall, Bubsy
flattens out on the ground, recomposes himself, and walks off the screen
like an accordion, complete with sound effects. If he smacks into a wall
or object, he falls over and birds fly over his head until he swats them
away (no, you can't control that). If he touches something sharp, he pops
like a balloon and goes flying around the screen until it fades to black.
These are the primary comical touches in the game, and there are many more
which I haven't listed, including every animation Sonic had in his first
game.
Bubsy's levels are large to begin with -- then, when you find a door
someplace, you may find yourself whisked off to another part of the level
or to a secret bonus room. Within the bonus areas, the object is to
collect as many yarn balls as possible before you fall off of slides or
moving platforms. They're a welcome diversion from the normal run-and-jump
action in the game, but use very similar graphics each time.
The visual style of the game is far more bawdy than any other game of its
sort in recent memory. The colors are never as vibrant as the Sonic games
at any given time, but the use of shading is generally equivalent and
sometimes better. The background objects seem to have been drawn virtually
without concern about how much memory they'd use, and you'll see some odd
but very cartoony graphics of houses, muscle flexing string-bean men,
trains and animals as a result. Because of the immense memory requirements
of large background tiles, the programmers need to repeat them quite
often, and thus, like Sonic, there are the aforementioned three chapters
at a time which all use the same background art and vary only in their
layout and items. The major difference between the Sonics and BubsyUs use
of these tiles is that Sonic's were small (such as a single stone), and
could be used repeatedly without any "deja vu" feeling. In Bubsy, the
levels come off looking and feeling very similar to one another, since
the tiles are things like entire houses (used in levels 1-3) or the cab of
a train (appearing in levels 7-9).
The music is appropriate to the theme, but not overly stirring or taxing
of the SNES' capabilities. The musical programmers' work is far better
than the Sega Warner Brothers licenses, which are the closest to the style
in Bubsy that come to mind. The sound effects vary between very nice and
reasonable; one notable feature is Bubsy's one or two sentences of
digitized speech at the beginning of each level, another thing made
possible with extra memory. Although there is no static, the sentences
are occasionally murky and hard to understand; they become somewhat
annoying if you find yourself dying repeatedly and returning to the
level's introduction.
"Cut to the chase - how fun is Bubsy?" you ask. To be blunt about it, not
as fun as Sonic 2, which used the majority of its character animations to
make Sonic *do* different things, like spin around in three-dimensions as
he runs on a Mobius loop. Bubsy makes it fun to die, instead. Some of the
levels in Bubsy just aren't different enough from each other, but the game
feels much longer and generally more challenging [which sometimes means
that it's more frustrating]. I enjoyed playing it quite a bit, but it's
not quite as addictive or flashy as the Sonic games were; it makes up for
that with "the cute cartoon factor" accompanied by "cute cartoon
expressions" (like eyes which suddenly bulge and bodies which go elastic
when falling from a tall platform) which Sonic doesn't have.
Whatever else can be said about Bubsy (again, as both a character and a
game), it is a tremendous step forward for Accolade. After playing Star
Control, Hardball, Warpspeed and Universal Soldier, you'll have a much
different feeling from that you get with Bubsy, both in smooth use of the
interface and in the amount of fun you'll get out of the cartridge. It is
the closest thing to Sonic (even on par with Road Runner's Death Valley
Rally) available on the SNES, and it's due to make a Genesis debut soon.
As a character, Bubsy has tremendous depth, and his "world" is truly a
playable cartoon. Hopefully, the future will bring a bigger and better
Bubsy 2, perhaps with the cartoony intermissions it would seem to deserve.
This Review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All Rights Reserved.
Tres Fatal: A Comparison of the Three Fatal Fury Games
For the SNK Neo-Geo, by SNK Home Entertainment, 46 Megs
For the Nintendo Super NES and Sega Genesis, by Takara U.S.A., 12 Megs
Reviewed by Jer Horwitz
In the (approximately) two years since SNK introduced their competitor to
Street Fighter II, Fatal Fury has been perceived by many as a nice step up
from the primitive alternatives to SF2, yet not quite the equal of
Capcom's blockbuster game. Neo-Geo owners were happy to have it, though,
and it can now be had through game merchants for about the same price
(perhaps used) as the newly released Genesis and Super NES translations.
It's probably a waste of time to review the two-year old Neo-Geo version
of Fatal Fury, so I'll try not to bore you with unnecessary facts. SNK's
original version of the game has a total of 11 characters, three of them
selectable by the player. Andy and Terry Bogard, martial artists, are out
to avenge their father's death at the hands of the game's final boss. Joe
Higashi, who tags along, is the Bogards' friend and a Muay Thai expert.
The non-selectable enemies are *Duck King*, a mohawked punk; *Michael
Max*, a boxer; *Richard Meyer* (sometimes spelled Myer in the game), a
Capoeira gymnast; *Tung Fu Rue*, an old man who transforms into a flying
hulk; *Hwa Jai*, another Muay Thai; *Raiden*, a huge wrestler; *Billy
Kane*, a staff-wielding street tough; and *Geese Howard*, the man who
killed Jeff Bogard.
The Neo-Geo's FF main features included a long opening sequence, strong
music with one track of fully digitized chanting (Richard Meyer's scene),
characters which scaled in and out of two background levels (so fights
could have a psuedo 3-D), voices announcing the participants in each
fight, bonus stages with full-screen arm wrestling graphics, multi-layered
detailed backgrounds, and characters as large as those in Street Fighter
II. There was also a two-on-one feature, pitting two humans against the
computer. Because of the amount of memory the programmers could play with,
there was also an abundance of digitized voice during the fights. The
arcade and home Neo-Geo versions don't control as well as SF2 (either the
arcade or SNES version), with special moves which were difficult primarily
because they had to be done slowly. That problem also affected the game
play, which moved slightly slower than SF2 to begin with, but became worse
with harder-to-execute moves. One last problem was the amazing amount of
damage a single special attack or flurry of unblockable moves could
inflict upon an unprepared player.
Takara's two translations of Fatal Fury have each taken different paths to
replicate the arcade game's feeling on machines with fewer special
graphics and audio chips, and in almost a quarter of the memory. The
translations wind up feeling like two overlapping parts of a whole,
sharing certain features of the original but each lacking enough to be
decisively "better" than the other. Neither version retains the digitized
voice announcing the combatants, the two-on-one feature, the original
opening sequence, or the original bonus stages.
The Genesis version of the game comes closer to retaining the good aspects
of the Neo-Geo's play mechanics. The two planes of fighting still exist,
so your character is able to jump from one plane to another or be thrown
from one to another. The characters' scaling, of course, was removed from
that part. The amount of damage done by the moves seems to have been kept
pretty much the same. There are some new special animations and moves
encorporated into the characters, although the sprites don't look quite
the same as the Neo-Geo originals at times. You can now choose from any of
the characters when playing one fight against the computer, including
player versus himself, but can't choose the boss characters when playing
in the normal arcade (you versus everyone) mode. For all of the new
features, the Genesis version is missing two of the enemy characters (Hwa
Jai and Billy Kane), although Hwa Jai does appear as a background
character in Duck King's level (where Richard Meyer used to be in the Neo-
Geo version). To compensate for this, you now battle the other two player
characters during the game, a feature not used in either the Super NES or
Neo-Geo versions. The voices have also been changed a bit, not necessarily
for the better, and some of the better digitized sounds have been retained
from the original.
The Super NES version is a different story. While retaining all of the
original characters, the psuedo 3-D fighting has been removed entirely, so
the game plays much more like a limited version of Street Fighter II. Some
of the joystick commands for special moves have been changed, to make it
harder to use cheap attacks. The sprites look very much like the Neo-Geo
originals, as do the backgrounds, with the notable exception of Raiden,
who came out looking much better on the Genesis than on the SNES. The game
pace is faster on the SNES than the Genesis, partially because of
programming and partially because of the lack of 3-D movement, which
slowed down the original game, too. The animation is more fluid on the
SNES than the Genesis, and there isn't much of a difference in the
characters' overall looks from the Neo-Geo version. There are no new
special moves, though, and you can't play a two-player match with computer
opponent versus computer opponent like you can on the Genesis. The SNES
allows you to have one player as one of the three good guys and another as
any character, at best.
The Genesis version controls better, generally, than the Super NES
translation. Whereas I still have trouble executing the SNES moves after
weeks of play, the Genesis ones took only a day to get the feel of (both
systems using joypads). The Genesis version's music, while not the quality
of the Neo-Geo's, is much better than the SNES version's. The SNES score
is sometimes off-tune and annoying, whereas the Genesis one lacks the
digital clarity of the SNES instruments. Neither version does justice to
the original soundtrack, though. The sound effects used in the Genesis one
are overall better than the SNES ones, although the SNES sounds are taken
from the original game.
Each game's backgrounds are a compromise on the multi-layered originals.
The SNES version does a better job of recreating the original art, but
doesn't animate them as well as the Genesis version. Unfortunately, the
Genesis version is completely missing two backgrounds (Hwa Jai's and Billy
Kane's, again), and the backgrounds which contained references to SNK were
changed to Takara signs in the Genesis version only. The SNES backgrounds
have more layers of parallax. Neither game retains the non-human
background animation like Duck King's moving subway train or Raiden's
amusement park Ferris Wheel rotation. Overall, both games generally do a
good job of retaining the original feel.
The on-screen character movement in the SNES version is definitely
smoother than the Sega version, which is somewhat jittery. The jumps and
collision detection on the SNES version feel a little different from the
original, and although the Genesis version comes closer, it's also not
quite the same. Things like the animation of throwing people are slightly
botched in both versions, while the artificial "slow-down" at the end of a
match to emphasize a character's defeat is a little too slow on the
Genesis game. The Genesis version retains the large pictures and
intermission screens from the Neo-Geo version, while the SNES pictures are
somewhat smaller.
The artificial intelligence of the Genesis version is superior to the SNES
version, although there are 8 numbered settings in the SNES game and only
three levels of difficulty in the Genesis game (compared with four in the
SNK home version and one in the arcade version). You'll probably find it
very hard to beat the computer on the highest level of difficulty on
either game, but the SNES version's difficulty comes more from cheap shots
which can't be countered because of the difficult control scheme and weak
blocking. The Genesis opponents are generally more like the SNK originals,
mostly because the original game required a lot of jumping in and out of
the two planes, and the Genesis one does the same thing.
The big overall question: Which Fatal Fury is supreme? The Neo-Geo's
version is the best, of course -- the other versions don't quite match the
smooth flow of the original, nor can they duplicate the graphics and
sounds perfectly. Of the other two, it's a toss-up. The Genesis version is
more like the arcade game in duplicating the overall play mechanics,
including the 3-D combat and on-key music. The SNES version is much
smoother visually and retains the whole list of characters and
backgrounds, but feels a little less like the original than the Genesis
game. The original features added to the SNES and Genesis games actually
make them more fun in two-player mode than the Neo-Geo game.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Neo-Geo title, and I can't say I love the home
versions, but any Fatal Fury makes for a fun time and a
good two-player
game. Takara's programmers did a good job of bringing Fatal Fury down to
the average player's wallet size, but if you're a real fan of the
original, you may have to buy both games to get the full experience
outside of the arcades.
This Review is Copyright 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All Rights Reserved.
Fatal Fury 2 by SNK
For the Neo*Geo MVS Arcade Units and Home Entertainment Systems, 106 Megs
Reviewed by Jer Horwitz
The day has finally come when I can review a one-on-one fighting game
comparable to the arcade Street Fighter 2 series. SNK's Fatal Fury 2 is a
masterpiece of a fighting game which has the balance and control necessary
to compete with the best of the best, while providing some amazing music
and graphics to thrill the ears and eyes. SNK's staff created some
beautiful characters and backgrounds which really deserve several
paragraphs of individual description each, but to keep this review within
reasonable limits, I'll just hit a few of the many highlights.
For the uninitiated, the genre this game fits into is "one-on-one
fighting", where you choose a character who has various martial arts
skills and fight against either the computer or another person to see who
has better reflexes and strategy. The fights are conducted on a best-of-
three rounds basis unless one of the rounds is a draw or double knockout;
then, you will have one extra round to determine the fight's winner. You
are given four credits (total games) to win 12 fights, including a fight
against the character you choose to play as. Fatal Fury 2 offers a choice
between eight player characters, described below, and then confronts you
with four "evil" characters who cannot be used by the player. There are
also two bonus stages where you smash either stone pillars or bundled
rocks for extra points.
The trait of the first Fatal Fury which differentiated it from Street
Fighter II was your characters' ability to fight on two levels of
background, going in and out of the screen with a combination of buttons.
The feature was unique but it took away from the pace of the game; Fatal
Fury 2 retains the same feature and adds enough speed, animation and
fluidity that it's not a drag on the action anymore. The two players
versus the computer mode (where you could pick from the three players and
fight a computer opponent) in Fatal Fury has been removed; it's no great
loss.
The original Fatal Fury starred three characters who fought in the "King
of Fighters" tournament; they were out to defeat the evil crime lord Geese
Howard and his bodyguards, ultimately succeeding in winning the contest
and knocking Geese off of the top floor of his office building. Yet, there
was a part of the story no one knew -- the tournament was originally
designed by Geese as a method of training his bodyguards to defend him
against another Tevil crime lord', Wolfgang Krauser, a German who intended
to kill Geese when he arrived in America. When Fatal Fury's heroes, the
Bogard Brothers and Joe Higashi, killed Geese, Krauser decided that he was
going to set up his own contest to wipe out any opposition to his plans.
The game begins after eight "heroes" receive invitations to the new
"Sultan of Slugs" Battle Royale tournament (luckily, this part isn't
mentioned in the arcade version; sounds pretty weak, eh?). The heroes:
Andy Bogard, the American who is Japanese-trained in Kappo and now lives
in Italy (?); Terry Bogard, a Karate expert living in the western U.S.;
Joe Higashi, the Japanese Muay Thai expert who now resides in Thailand;
Kim Kap Hwan, a Korean Tai Kwan Do expert; Cheng Sin (or Chin Shin) Zan,
a fat middle-aged Tai Chi master from Hong Kong, Mai Shiranui, a fan-
wielding Japanese Ninja girl; Jubei Yamada, a lecherous old Japanese man
who knows Judo and loves cookies, and Big Bear, the American wrestler who
formerly guarded Geese Howard under the name Raiden - he now lives in
Australia (go figure).
The game's backgrounds are amazing; it's quite obvious how the 106 megs
were used in this title when you pay attention to the details of the bac
-ground art. Andy Bogard's stage in Italy takes place on a boat traversing
a Venetian canal, with background scenery which scrolls by rather quickly
and never repeats monuments in 90 seconds. Terry Bogard's level is a
train-ride past Mount Rushmore and through "the Wild West". Then, there's
Mai's stage, among the most beautiful sights I've ever seen in a video
game, a wooden raft which floats through the Jukai river in Japan. The use
of parallax scrolling is simply amazing in each stage, with vivid colors
and real depth to the locales. Mai's river is complete with beautiful
shades of blue water which change color as the time of day changes in the
game, Terry's train bounces up and down on the tracks, and Kim Kap Hwan's
background in Korea has a familiar sight - the old man bicycling from Chun
Li's stage in Street Fighter II, this time riding a motorcycle. The catch
- you can actually jump-kick him (and the other bikers) off of their
bikes. I would love to describe Krauser's amazing background, but I'm not
into ruining games for people. [You get the option at this article's end.]
The graphics and animation of each character are better than those in
Street Fighter II. The visual movement of things has a much more dynamic
look than those of any other fighting game out there - huge, energetic
sprites just burst out at you [literally, when they scale from foreground
to background] and many of the 12 characters are regularly more than half
the height of the screen. Big Bear is almost the full height of the screen
when he signals victory, as are a few of the others. Interestingly enough,
SNK opted not to use the tried and true method of displaying electrocution
and catching on fire used in SF2 and World Heroes; you now see electricity
zapping along the extremities of the characters like sparks, and small
flames catching on parts of their clothing -- a REALLY neat effect.
Background animation is great, too - Australia alone has little things
like bouncing sheep, a sun which projects a realistic haze and a full
crowd of cheering people.
The animation itself deserves a few notes. The sheer quantity of sprites
per character is amazing. There are at three different ways for a player
to be electrocuted, for example - sound like enough to you? There's also a
copious amount of "nice touch" animations (things which you don't see in
games with memory limitations; an example is Jubei beginning a match by
kicking off his shoes -- one of them flies backward off the screen and the
other flies out (without scaling) towards the screen.
Each character has been given a personality complete with animations and
voices to show off their attitudes, including a snazzy "taunt" for each
character. Andy rakes his hair back and gestures to you to come closer,
Cheng slaps his rear to indicate to you where to aim, and Jubei munches
on a cookie. Cheng yells comically in Chinese as he leaps through the air
and gets hit, wiping his forehead when he wins a fight. There are
different animations for victories, defeats, and ties, and voices in
almost every conceivable place (except in the round intermissions). You
have to love the new, gruff looking Terry Bogard whose ripped jacket,
shadowed brow and perfect animations convey just the right feeling - that
same "right" feeling is all throughout the game.
The gameplay shines with the type of balance and control a one-on-one
fighting game needs to be successful with mass audiences. Unlike SF2,
which has at least one character who few people enjoy using, Fatal Fury
2's characters each have enough to make them enjoyable and no single
character dominates the others or has a move which simply cannot be
countered. The offensive powerhouses like the Bogards and Big Bear are
countered well by Kim Kap Hwan and Mai, who specialize in counterattacks.
There's also a good balance between long-range projectile attacks and
short-range grabbing, punching and kicking moves. The life meters have
similar damage settings to the original Street Fighter II arcade release,
and the blocking is really improved over the first Fatal Fury. The buttons
have been changed from the Fatal Fury set-up, also -- A is a fast, weak
punch, B is a weak kick, C is a strong punch and also the throw and
"taunt" button, while D is the strong kick and occasionally the "latch-on
to your opponent" button. The timing of the joystick and the gameplay have
been fixed entirely - special moves are as easy to execute as SF2's and
the game is much smoother and faster than before. There aren't any weird
lags in movement or incidents of brain-dead computer opponents just
standing there while you pummel them. They rarely fall for the same thing
more than twice - that's a warning.
There is, however, one thing I should note about the artificial
intelligence of the game. I've noticed at least one "combination" weakness
in the computer opponents which tapers off on the "Hard" difficulty level
but is notably present in the Easy, Normal and MVS levels -- in other
words, a certain two-move combination will almost always knock certain
characters down. This combination doesn't work on everyone every time
(especially not the boss characters), and it can be blocked by another
player, but the CPU seems to be open to the attack quite often on the
above levels. It only happens with one character, though, and since it
isn't a problem on "hard", I can't detract much for having it in there.
The soundtrack is at a level of excellence above 90% of the games offered
for any system, with each stage given a CD-quality track completely
fitting to the environment. While the old Fatal Fury music was discarded
almost entirely, the excellent Raiden-level music was retained and
slightly rescored for the Big Bear level. The soundtrack is given perfect
priority with the voices and sound effects, so that Mai's wooden raft
level sounds like you're really passing through rushing water and Terry's
train really sounds like it's riding on tracks, although neither sound
imposes upon the great music playing in the foreground. The instruments
are crystal clear, as are the voices - and there are an amazing number of
in-play Japanese, Chinese and English voices strewn throughout - I believe
that every character has more than one voice of some sort, and some of
them have four or five. The sound effects are similarly great, with Andy's
Hishoken fireball transformed from the slow, dopey looking wave in Fatal
Fury to a rush of magical wind.
There are short intermissions with comments from each character, and
unlike other fighting games, these characters have tons of different
phrases. The best of the best are those which refer to one character
fighting against him- or herself, making references to how only one person
can be the "real" character. The best intermissions come at the boss
stages, when you learn the fate of the old Fatal Fury characters, who have
all been murdered at Krauser's hand. No voices in the intermissions, but
you can't have *everything*.
The final thing I'm going to mention is the amazing number of special
moves for each character. There are at least four special attacks for each
person, including moves which are tremendously difficult to execute and
can only be used when the character's life is low. Two nice improvements
on the old Fatal Fury are that the diagonal (lower left to upper right)
moves are one hundred times easier to execute and the diagonals can be
used to charge moves that require "hold down and then push up and a
button" moves [thus you can be defending against an attack and charging
Kim Kap Hwan's razor kick, and you can even press diagonally up to
execute it].
The key elements to understanding my feelings on the game are the
following: SNK allows you four credits total per player, which increases
the challenge a lot, but also allows unlimited human vs. human matches.
The game also allows you to pick your first computer opponent upon
startup, so people with difficulty can practice easily against their
toughest enemy or rack up points quickly on their easiest opponents. There
are four levels of difficulty in the home version and at least eight in
the arcade version - very unusual in that the arcade game is based on a
numerical scale (which actually displays at the bottom of the screen) like
SF2's multiple levels, and the home version lets you pick Easy, Normal,
Hard and MVS [unknown where it lies on the number scale]. The characters
represent all varieties of playing styles, and the aesthetics are dead-on
perfect for this genre.
[PLEASE NOTE: In approximately one half page, a list of the final bosses
and their stages will follow. If you do not wish to know those details,
please scroll carefully.]
The big question, I guess... Is it better than Street Fighter II?
Extremely tough to answer. A friend and I sat down and played it for
several hours together, and we continuously teetered on the answer "yes".
I would suggest that SF2, simply because it was the first "perfect" game
out there, make it hard for any other game to get the full respect of
players primarily because you were taught the "street fighting" skills and
controls over the course of many sessions of SF2. Any other 'clone' will,
by nature, be easier to master because you already know the format. Fatal
Fury 2, side by side and released at the same time as SF2, would likely be
the superior if the games were judged on visuals and sounds alone. The
computer opponents are not as diverse a bunch as Street Fighter's, though.
In the current gaming scenario, with so many clones out there and three
versions of Street Fighter 2 to choose from, you'll have to try Fatal Fury
2 and decide the answer for yourself. When a game makes you make that type
of tough call in a comparison to what is arguably the best game (series)
of all time, and it's available immediately without a messy translation
for home play, I highly recommend you purchase it instead of dumping your
cash into someone else's arcade machine.
(By the way - give SNK special kudos for providing one of the best manuals
ever made for a game. Along with great character art and info, there's a
Japanese-style comic and some info on the genesis of the Mai character.
Really funny, too!)
[Notes on the BOSS CHARACTERS for those interested:]
*Billy Kane* was Geese's second in command in the last game, and he
returns much tougher and carrying a three-sectioned staff. He now lives in
Great Britain, and he is arguably among the most impressive boss
characters in existence; he now wears British flag T-shirt ripped at the
sleeves - totally neat. You fight in front of the Tower Bridge and can
hear a bell tolling in the background; you can't move in 3-D because there
are grinding gears near you which Billy likes to toss you into...
*Axel Hawk* is a boxer living in the eastern U.S., and while he bears some
similarity to Michael Max and Balrog, his animation and moves are much
better. He's really powerful, and you fight him in an electrified ring
which stops you from moving in 3-D -- if you do, or you get tossed into 3-
D by Axel, you'll be electrocuted with a totally different animation from
the normal shock. His name may be a parody on Sega's Streets of Rage
character Axel, whose original name was "Hawk".
*Laurence Blood* is a Spanish matador, but unlike Vega, he actually
carries the traditional cape and knife and you fight in a colosseum
filled with running bulls. Again, watch out for the 3-D movement. He
treats you like a real matador might - look out for the cape.
*Wolfgang Krauser*, the final boss, is the best final boss of any game
I've played in recent memory. Complete with opening and closing voices,
Krauser's stage is a cathedral in Germany complete with an orchestra of
violinists animated in the background. Krauser himself is a huge thin
wrestler-type of guy who throws fireballs and can use the "Kaiser Wave", a
huge vertical wall of energy which can deck you silly. 3-D is
unrestricted, and Krauser uses it well.
This review Copyright (C) 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All Rights Reserved.
MECHWARRIOR by Activision
For the Super Nintendo
8 MB w/battery backup
Reviewed by Rob Nava
Battletechies look out! Mechwarrior, the new Battletech simulator by
Activision, will be blasting its way into your living room via your SNES!
If you've ever played the role-playing game, computer game, or (for the
really privileged) the Battletech VR simulator in Chicago and still can't
get enough, then here's what you've been waiting for... You are Herras in
the year 3027. Your home planet has been ravaged by the Dark Wing Lance,
a renegade mercenary cartel, and your family was just one of the Lance's
victims. Ten years have passed since your family's death, and you have
finally saved up enough money and trained hard enough to go after the evil
mercenaries. It has gotten to the point to where even Prince Hanse Davion
has ordered the destruction of the Dark Wing Lance. It won't be easy
though, because you only had enough C-bills to buy the lightest mech
available. In the beginning, you'll have to take on easy missions, hone
your skills as a mech pilot, and modify and buy better mechs so that
eventually you'll be able to work your way up to and annihilate the
dreaded Dark Wing Lance.
The game intro begins... against a backdrop of a red-orange sky, several
mechs charge a city from the right, their lasers blaring as they march
forward. Suddenly, one of them gets nailed! Mech parts fly. That's
one guy that won't be home for dinner. It sounds cool doesn't it? Well,
in actuality, its just OK. A couple of nicely animated (but poorly
detailed) sprites scrolled against a still background is probably closer
to the actual effect. I just wanted to spruce it up a little for the
Battletech freaks.:-) After the intro you have a choice between
Starting a new game, Loading a previous game (3 slots), Practice (become
familiar with the controls), or toggling the Stereo/Mono sound. Now the
game begins...
The first thing that you see is a tavern in the background. You begin
in the middle of a futuristic city (it IS 3027 you know!), and before you
are four icons. The icons are in the form of monitors and the first
monitor from the left is full of static meaning... no commands (yet).
The second one has eating utensils imprinted on it. This sends you into
the tavern in search of some info on the Dark Wing Lance. The third
says GHQ and selecting it will transport you to Headquarters to pick up
a little mercenary work. Once an assignment is accepted, the first
monitor becomes active displaying a skull and crossbones image and
selecting it takes you to the battlefield for some mech blastin' action!
The last monitor from the left has a mech icon within it, and needless
to say choosing it will take you to the mechshop. Detailed descriptions
follow:
Skull and Crossbones: This monitor becomes active only after accepting an
assignment. Selecting this icon will take you to another screen which
shows a diagram of your mech(s) including weapons available, damage
taken and C-bills left. You then choose ONE mech to take into battle.
There are NO co-pilots in this version of Mechwarrior which, I think,
was a very dumb move on Activision's part. Anyway, after a mech is
selected, it's time to rumble!
Eating Utensils: This monitor takes you inside the tavern that is visible
in the background. Once inside, a new set of four more monitor/commands
become available. Beginning from the left you see another eating utensil
icon. This lets you talk to the guy who runs the joint--Gearle. Gearle
is a pretty good guy and tends to give out good information. His first
bit of advice is to pay attention to what planets people mention when
you talk to them in the tavern because that is usually (i.e. always)
where your next mission awaits you. You MUST take the appropriate
missions to move the storyline along. Although there are many missions
to choose from only the ones mentioned by those in the tavern will move
you towards your goal! The second icon is a talk icon. By selecting
this you will be able to talk to people around the tavern (this icon is
not always available). The third monitor houses a holo-vid. By using
the holo-vid you may play/rewind messages to you from remote allies (not
always available either). The final monitor is a News Net monitor.
This command lets you listen to the latest word on planetary wars and
the supposed whereabouts of various members of the Dark Wing Lance
(again... it's not always available). Note: Almost all of the people
that you encounter in the tavern are cyborgs!
GHQ: After entering the GHQ, you will notice six rectangular boxes
running up the left side of the screen as well as a war room background.
The upper-most box is the "OK" box which accepts a mission. The next
two boxes down are the left and right scroll boxes. Using these you
are able to view the various missions available to you. Each mission is
displayed with the following information: Date, Contract (garrison
duty, riot control, etc.), Planet, and Value (C-bills offered for that
particular job). If you wish to up the Value of a mission a la the PC
version (I never played the RPG), choose the next box below with the $$$
in it. Here you can add or subtract the Value of a contract and re-
submit your offer. If you ask for too much though, look out, because
your potential employers may get offended and offer you a fraction of
what they were originally offering you. I suggest that you save every
time that they accept your new offer, and restore your game if you get
rejected. If you should happen to want more information about a
particular mission, simply click on the INFO box when the appropriate
mission is being displayed. This additional info includes the number of
light, medium, heavy, and assault mechs you have to destroy to complete
the mission, as well as planetary data such as Type (earth, ice, lave
etc.), Temp (affects overheating), and Gravity (affects jump jets). The
final box is the save box. You have a total of three slots to save your
games. Your saved games cannot be named and are instead saved and
identified by the date on which you saved it (game date not real date).
This can be a little confusing if you save several times on the same date,
but it's not too big of an inconvenience.
Mech: The selection of this icon will take you to the mechshop. A
different still background appears showing a huge mech being repaired or
modified as well as still four more icons. One of which is a wrench icon
which appears when your mech has been damaged or is not re-loaded to its
full capacity. When selected repair and re-loading your mech is automatic
and complete as long as you have enough money. If you find yourself a
little short on C-bills (not very often), your mech will only be repaired
or re-loaded accordingly. The next monitor has the ??? symbol within
it. This allows you to make numerous adjustments to your mech. This
will be discussed separately since it is quite involved. The third
monitor has BUY in it. This takes you directly to the mechshop where
you can buy a new mech. I found it hard to believe that none of the
mechs are named. There are no Riflemen, Locusts, Battlemasters or any
other familiar mech names associated with any of the diagrams. This is
odd because as far as I know this game was properly licensed to
Activision by the creators of Mechwarrior and Battletech. I guess that
I could be wrong though. A list of the possible mechs will follow
shortly. The final monitor is the SELL monitor. This only appears
after you own two or more mechs. The game pays rather well for your old
mechs. Maybe too well... because once you have acquired the best mech
in the game, there is really not a great need for C-bills anymore. The
contracts eventually become so lucrative that what little repairing
damage and re-loading cost there is easily becomes manageable with C-
bills to spare.
DESCRIPTION OF MECHS AVAILABLE:
LIGHT MECH #1 Weight: 20 tons
Speed: 144
Heat: -9
Armor: 48
Airspeed: 54
Price: Free (you start with it)
LIGHT MECH #2 Weight: 25 tons
Speed: 144
Heat: -7
Armor: 48
Airspeed: 54
Price: $656,000
MEDIUM MECH #1 Weight: 30 tons
Speed: 126
Heat: -5
Armor: 72
Airspeed: 54
Price: $727,000
MEDIUM MECH #2 Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 108
Heat: -5
Armor: 96
Airspeed: 54
Price: $851,000
MEDIUM MECH #3 Weight: 50 tons
Speed: 108
Heat: -1
Armor: 88
Airspeed: 54
Price: $1,081,000
HEAVY MECH #1 Weight: 55 tons
Speed: 108
Heat: -4
Armor: 112
Airspeed: 43
Price: $1,176,000
HEAVY MECH #2 Weight: 75 tons
Speed: 72
Heat: -1
Armor: 200
Airspeed: 43
Price: $2,064,000
ASSAULT MECH Weight: 80 tons
Speed: 76
Heat: -2
Armor: 280
Airspeed: 0
Price: $2,432,000
CUSTOMIZING YOUR MECH: (Cool option!)
You will spend a great deal of your time customizing your mech for the
awaiting battle. You begin with $50,000 by the way and more is earned
through battle. There are six boxes in the ??? screen but oddly enough,
only five have uses. The first box is just a "static" box that is never
used. Hmm... Anyway, the second box accesses the heat sinks on your
mech. You can remove and sell heat sinks to minimize weight, but that
could risk overheating your mech during the heat of the battle. Too
many,however, can weigh you down. Heat sinks each weigh 1.0 and cost
$10,000. The third box lets you buy or sell weapons for your mech.
Detailed descriptions follow shortly. The fourth box allows you to
access new engines for your mech. I usually avoid dealing with engines
until I have the Assault Mech. Incredibly, there are 21 different
engines! I thought about listing them all, but I decided that they
would simply take up too much space. I don't know if there really is a
need for quite so many anyway. I don't even bother with them really.
There are eight different types of engines. For those of you who are
interested, they are: LTV, DAV, Pitban, Leenex, MAGNA, VOX, OMNI, and
VLAR. They range from $78,000 to $268,000. The fifth box lets you
change the amount of armor that your mech has. The more armor you have,
the better protected AND the heavier and slower you become. Armor
weighs .5 and cost $10,000 each. Finally, you are able to adjust the
number of jump jets that you have. More JJ's will obviously give you
faster speeds in the air, but weight and land speed must again be
sacrificed. I don't recommend any JJ's until later in the game when a
big mech might move too slowly to successfully defend bases. The key to
customizing is to keep the overall weight to 0 or below--you are
automatically notified of any excess weight. Any plus weight slows you
down and increases your chances of overheating. In fact, if you have
ANY plus weight at all, you overheat just by standing in place even if
you are not firing weapons. For those of you who don't know, if you
overheat your mech, you become paralyzed until your mech can cool down.
Sacrificing some armor or weapons will keep your weight down. Also, the
addition of heat sinks to create negative heat will also cool you down
faster and prevent overheating. Remember to keep the type (lava, ice,
etc.) and temperature of the planet that you will be fighting on in mind
when choosing a configuration!
WEAPONS:
HEAT DAMAGE POWER COST WEIGHT
Short Range Missile: 2 3 $42,000 3
Short Homing Missile: 2 3 $51,000 4
Medium Range Missile: 3 4 $65,000 4
Medium Homing Missile: 3 4 $72,000 5
Long Range Missile: 4 6 $83,000 5
Long Homing Missile: 4 6 $120,000 6
Machine Gun: 0 2 $35,000 1
Small Laser: 1 3 $40,000 .5
Medium Laser: 3 6 $62,000 1
Large Laser: 8 8 $84,000 5
Particle Cannon: 10 10 $105.000 7
Note: Homing Missiles are good for the first missions and Particle
Cannons are essential to your battle plan if you plan to win the later
missions.
GENERAL NOTES:
--Interaction with all the monitor/commands is good (as far as commands
go). Little time is needed to learn exactly what you're doing in setting
up your mech.
--Wide Variety of planets/missions
--Must follow advice of people in tavern if you want to advance storyline.
--There are several major characters that you must defeat (kinda like
bosses) who use special colored mechs.
--It's wise to buy an Medium mech and then upgrade right up to an Assault
Mech as soon as possible
--There are NO co-pilots or inter-planetary travel (none shown anyways,
besides the battle sequences) like in the PC version
--Money tends to become useless after the Assault Mech is bought.
--You must adjust your mech perfectly to accomplish some of the harder
missions.
--There are 5 mission types: [1] Destroy all mechs, [2] Defend Base--
basically destroy all mechs, but the enemy is more interested in
destroying your base than you. You may lose by either dying OR getting
your base destroyed. These missions are usually hard., [3] Pick Up Item--
a certain item must be picked up (i.e. run into) in order to complete the
mission., [4] Attack Base--destroy enemy base. There are only a handful
of these missions, and [5] Defeat So and So--defeat end boss for a
certain level.
--Cinemas are decent at best.
--I've played at the Chicago Battletech Station and although the battle-
field is "flat" because of Mode 7, the feeling is pretty close considering
that this IS only a SNES not a computer simulator.
SUMMARY OF BATTLES:
You begin with a Mode 7 overhead view as your mech drops down on the
battlefield from above. There is quite a bit a scaling and rotation here.
Then you are thrust into the cockpit view and your mission type is
flashed on the screen (Ex. Defend Base ). Immediately you'll notice
the instrument panel's easy to understand displays. The top 2/3 of the
screen shows the the battlefield, and as you move the whole filed scales
and rotates with ease, and as you move about you get a nice "walking"
effect. Enemy mechs are easily visible here or on your radar display on
the lower right portion of the screen. Enemy mechs are shown as big
yellow dots if they are on the ground or little yellow dots if they are
airborne. Any bases show up as a B on the screen too. You can also see
two profiles of mechs on your instrument panel--the one on the left is
yours while the one on the right is the enemy mech currently in sight.
Your mech profile is continuously revolving showing all sides and even
your feet on the profile mech move according to your actual movement.
In the center of the displays is your weapons panel. Here you see what
weapon you are currently using and how much ammo you have left. You may
choose to fire a certain weapon be selecting it with your L and R
buttons or you may choose to fire all your weapons continuously by
holding the B button down. Your heat gauge is located just to the right
of your mech profile which BTW serves as your damage meter too. Make
sure that you don't heat up! An overhead view may be brought up on the
screen by pressing the X button. The overhead view is real-time so the
action doesn't stop. You may find that the first battles are extremely
quick and easy, but the later missions put you up against 11 or more
mechs at once. Some of which may be high powered Heavy and Assault
Mechs. It is sometimes a good idea to run away backwards from a mech
while you're firing at him. Of course the ability to de-limb or be de-
limbed is found in this game. If you lose a leg, however, you are
unable to walk although you are allowed to move via jump jets! The jump
jets in Mechwarrior are activated by pressing A once. They will not
turn off until A is pressed again. In general, I found the controls
during battle fairly quick and responsive.
THE RATINGS
GRAPHICS: Mechwarrior had some very sharp graphics! Most everything had
nice detail. The tavern and city backgrounds had a gloomy, bladerunner-
ish look to them. I thought that the monitor commands were a nice
touch. If I had to complain, I would say that there were too many still
backgrounds. The re-draws of the enemy mechs could have been a little
better too. Otherwise... a good job. [8]
SOUND/MUSIC: The music in Mechwarrior definitely fits the mood. It's
very sci-fi like. Most people commented on how the background music
while in the mechshop area sounded like it was straight out of Predator
2. While not outstanding, the sound effects held their own as well. [7.
5]
PLAYABILITY: Once you get the hang of it, Mechwarrior is quite easy to
play. Since you spend quite a bit of time outside of the battlefield, I'm
glad that Activision setup an easy to understand interface for modifying
mechs, talking, and such. The battles themselves are not tough to master
as far as controls go either. Good job here too. [8.5]
ENDURANCE: This game will not top any "easy games" lists. Although the
first missions are way short and very easy, the difficulty level shoots up
as you move along. There are plenty of possible missions and some of them
are TOUGH! Sometimes... frustrating! Nevertheless you'll get many hours
of play out of Mechwarrior. [8.5]
FUN FACTOR: This kinda depends on how big of a Battletech fan you are.
If you are a big fan, it rates way high. If you know nothing about
Battletech, I still think that you will enjoy this game... but not as
much due to lack of background information. But, I let four other people
try it (1 Battletechie, and 3 Non), and they were all hooked! [8.5]
Final SCORE: [8.33]
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Rob Nava. All rights reserved.
ROAD RASH II by Electronic Arts Co.
Reviewed by Allan Kowalski
Having played with a few simulators on various platforms through th years
I have come to expect the standard vague and repetitive graphics usually
associated with simulations involving any fast moving vehicle, be it a
car, a plane, or a spaceship. Such a preconceived notion left me totally
unprepared for ROAD RASH II.
The degree of detailed ( although not high resolution) graphics is truly
impressive. Combined with the extremely fast speeds at which the scenery
rolls by, I found myself with true sensation impression of zooming along
a country road at high speed.
The game itself is straightforward enough. The premise is a cross country
motorbike race.The goal is to win the race, or at least to qualify
(meaning finishing no lower then 3rd). There are five tracks, each with
some unique features and characteristics. Five levels of difficulty exist,
and when one has qualified in races on all five tracks at one level, the
system automatically brings you to the next level of difficulty.
Although the courses themselves remain the same from level to level, they
are made more difficult by means of increased agressivity from the
opponents, as well as other hurdles at various points along the road.
It is perhaps in this aspect that the game exhibits its distinctiveness
from typical racing games. Winning a race involves more than just driving
faster and better than the rest of the drivers. Opponents will try to
knock you off of your bike by means of physical punches, kicks or even by
using cahins and clubs. Needless to say you must defend yourself by these
same means.
In addition there are cops all along the road who will "bust" you if they
can catch you.They will even set up roadblocks at various points along
the way, which you must navigate around, or over.
Finally, as if all of this wasn't enough there are a wide variety of
obstacles which one must be on the lookout for at all times. These in-
clude oil slicks, rocks, and various forms of wildlife on the road such
as cows, sheep, moose, dear, etc....
Learning to deal with all of the above while driving fast enough to win
the race would seem to be sufficient but there is still more. Each time
you successfully complete a race you win some money. The better you place
of course, the more you win. As your cash grows you can buy various
types of faster and more powerful bikes, with which you can win even more
races and more money to buy even more powerful bikes, and so on..
However, its not that easy. If you get "busted" by the cops you have to
pay a fine. If your bike gets wrecked you have to pay repair costs. If you
run out of money, you go back to the first level and the beginner bike.
Having only reached the second level of driving I cannot comment on its
ultimate difficulty, but although the first level is easily completed,
things get much tougher at level 2. Not only do you have to learn how to
use the road, and know when its danger points are, but you quickly learn
that you won't get far unless you can fight off your opponents.
All of the the abovementioned aspects to the game make it an extremely
enjoyable one to play. I think its safe to say that few people will find
it boringly easily to finish. Just getting to know the various bikes
available will take a fair amount of time (considering some of them are
very expensive). The driving itself as fast paced and keeps you on your
toes at all times. One moment of lapse in your concentration and BOOM,
you hit a moose or an opponent comes up behind you and knocks you off your
bike.
There has clearly been alot of attention paid to detail, from the double
rear view mirrors, to the sound effects. Believe me, the simulation of
speeding head on at 100 m.p.h. into an oncoming car has made me wince
several times. The only dissapointing features, and they are relatively
minor, are the animations at the end of the race, which are pretty cheesy,
and the control of the bike which is not as fine tuned as I would like.
As a result, it took me a while to avoid swerving from one side of the
road to the other, but it comes eventually.
All in all, I would say this is one of the best video games I have ever
played.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Allan Kowalski. All rights reserved.
ED. - This is truly a first, though no surprise. No sooner do we wrap up
our preview of Strike Commander when our full reviews show up as well!
So, enjoy this great short preview of Strike Commander, PLUS two full
length reviews of the game as well. With this much information, you'll
be well-armed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STRIKE COMMANDER by Origin Systems
Previewed by David Pipes
Min. Req's: 27 megabytes disk space, 4 meg RAM, 386 or better, DOS 5.0,
VGA display.
Suggested: '486-33 or better, 8 meg RAM, 43 megabytes disk space (with
speech pack), memory manager (VCPI compliant), smartdrv.exe (from Windows
3.0 or higher), joystick, sound card
Price: (Egghead) US$56.99 + US$14.99 for speech pack
Known Incompatabilities: Requires DOS 5.0 (although others may work).
Smartdrv.sys will not work with SC. '386 Step B chip will cause problems.
Will not work with disk compression software active. SoundBlaster must be
at IRQ 3, 5 or 7.
Tested on a '486-33 ISA with Logitech mouse, Oak SVGA card, 8 meg RAM (2
in smartdrv cache), ViewSonic 4 monitor, IDE harddrive, original Sound-
Blaster (220h, IRQ 7).
So, the wait is over. I was originally not going to buy this game, being
quite happy with Falcon3, but the screenshots got to me. It is time, I
thought, to see what Origin feels will be "the best flight simulator" I
have ever played. So down goes the bank account, and that evening,
after a quick return run because of a bad disk, I am engaged in installing
Strike Commander.
The first sign of interest is that the copy protection is only present
during installation. But it is a bit odd - it asked me for a person's
name, then only wanted the *first* name. Weird. But the installation
proceeds, about 20 minutes to load the disks in, and at least 10 to build
the terrain. I decided to install all the maps, rather than have them
generated before each mission.
Success! As the starting screens show an interesting if short movie, I
can't help but notice the high quality of the digitized voices. Quite a
good job here, with regional accents and inflections. Promising.
The movie ends and the main screen is presented. Here one can load games,
start a new one, run a training mission or look at a small object
library. I browse through the objects - they are as advertised, bit-
mapped polygons, quite good looking. They hold their designs very well,
even under close-up review.
Strike Commander has chosen to use a Falcon3-like map area of polygon-
based ground features, which can then be Gouraud-shaded and textured. The
shading creates smooth contours, while the texture-mapping overlays
vegetation, rocks, fields and the like. A detail menu lets the player
decide how much of this he will enjoy - the more details, the slower the
frame rate. It took quite a bit of experimenting for me to find a good
level of detail; I ended up running the disk cache, so that I could set it
all on. The final result is slower than Falcon3 on my machine, and in
general more detailed - camouflaged planes, realistic cities, beautiful
buildings, runways and the like.
But I say "in general". Origin has made great strides in PC graphics,
giving us near military simulator quality. Surprising that this runs, even
on a '486, isn't it? Well, let's just say that it only runs on a foggy
day. While the detail is amazing, it can only be displayed so much at a
time, so a "haze" setting determines how far one can see at any time.
Unfotunately, at 5,000 feet up with haze set to far, I cannot see the
entire city in the training scenario. No sweeping vistas here, but rather
something akin to midsummer smog on every mission. I understand and even
sympathize with the design decision which led to this choice, but I think
this is where I gave up on the "best flight simulator" label.
I have flown a few missions - this is just a first look, after all! - and
the characters and scenarios are fun and entertaining. The excellent
scene graphics set the mood very well. When on a mission, the speech pack
adds a lot of flavor, with ruthless sounding enemies (how'd they get my
frequency, anyway?) and your co-flyers calling back and forth, although
without the spontaneous, stressed, static sounds of Falcon3. These guys
are clearly Hollywood pilots, but then, it *is* a game.
The flight model is servicable. Inverted flight is too easy, while
blackouts and sun glare are very well modeled. Load does not really seem
to affect performance, and the engines respond quickly. Auto-landings and
auto-takeoffs are available, while the autopilot is a space warp type.
Clearly action is paramount.
The HUD is good and useful, and seems accurate. Pop-up screens provide
MFD output for weapons and radar; a full screen map is available. The
cockpit is bit-mapped and thus is just eye-candy, but a beautifully simple
method allows an easy scan of anywhere in the pilots field of vision - a
great touch. But there is nothing that I have seen that be a "padlock"
view, although I could have missed it. The usual external views are
available, along with a "victim camera" which shows instant replays of
your kills, if you so desire. I have not seen a replay device like the
ACMI interface in Falcon3.
All in all, this is a flight-based game, with beautiful but limited
graphics and a good storyline and interesting characters. The flight
model is not the focus of the game, nor is planning - the play's the
thing! And for action and interest, Strike Commander is just the thing.
If you long to take your plane up and shoot down murderous rebels, or even
bomb an IRS-sponsored mercenary group, this is your game.
Just remember - this game is '486 bait. I wanted to upgrade to a 486-66
after playing! You will want a 33 mhz machine at minimum to play this, in
my opinion. But if you have that and a sound board, you will be set.
Enjoy!
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Dave Pipes. All rights reserved.
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STRIKE COMMANDER by Origin Systems, Inc.
Reviewed by Michael Wang
[ This game was reviewed on a 486DX/33 system with a 256K cache, 8 MB of
RAM, and a VL-Bus ET4000 video card with 1 MB of memory. The 3DBENCH score
for this machine is 27.0 frames per second (FPS). 3.5 MB of RAM was
reserved for a Super PC-Kwik disk cache and the rest was left for STRIKE
COMMANDER to use. ]
This article is not intended to be a complete review of STRIKE COMMANDER
(SC), but instead contains some miscellaneous comments I have about the
game.
GRAPHICS
I believe a 486DX/33 is the slowest processor you should have to run SC if
you want decent graphics. If I turn off most of the ground details like
rivers, fields, "interest", and cities, I get a tolerable number of FPS.
Turning on things like city detail can drop the FPS to about one or two on
my machine. It also helps to have a large disk cache running while playing
SC, otherwise there are lots of pauses during flight which makes flying
even more choppy.
One oddity about the graphics engine is that the FPS is quite good if you
are just rolling the plane left or right. However, pulling the nose up, or
heaven forbid, pushing the nose down, cuts down quite dramatically on the
FPS. Strange.
Of course, the main reason why you don't get a high number of FPS, even on
a 486DX/33, is because SC applies Gourand shading and texture mapping
(which you can turn off) to the underlying polygon models, and these
techniques are extremely CPU intensive. Without these two features, the
graphics in SC are only slightly better than a game like FALCON 3.0. With
these two, however, the object graphics like planes and tanks are
absolutely incredible! They look as good as hand-drawn bitmaps and yet you
can still rotate the objects in all three dimensions and zoom in and out
without any loss of quality or "pixelation". (As a sidenote, I can hardly
wait for PRIVATEER to come out. Without the ground stuff to worry about, I
think the FPS with be much better than in SC and will blow the graphics in
X-WING away.)
The ground details, however, are not so good even with Gourand shading and
texture mapping turned on. It is difficult to judge distance from the
ground, which means I have to keep a close eye on the altitude indicator,
otherwise I crash all the time. Also, since the underlying structures are
still polygons, you don't see the "roughness" in the terrain that games
like COMANCHE: MAXIMUM OVERKILL will show you. For example, when flying
through a canyon, a section of wall from the top of the canyon to the
bottom is a single polygon. So if you pass between walls that are close to
each other, all you see on either side are two shaded polygons with nice
straight edges. Hardly very realistic.
And the "haze" feature is horrible. I can understand why Origin put it in
the game since it cuts down on the amount of terrain the graphics engine
has to calculate, but sometimes it feels like you are flying through a fog
bank. For those of you just starting out, try flying through the canyons
in the practice missions and you will see what I mean. You can't see more
than a couple of miles in front of you and it can be difficult to figure
out which way you are supposed to turn through the canyon.
USER INTERFACE
Well, to put it kindly, the user interface is mediocre at best. I can't
believe Origin spent more than two years on this game and they still
couldn't get the user interface working right. Here are just some of the
problems I have with the it:
* You can't cycle backwards through the weapons selection screen.
Originally Origin intended to have a key ('Q') to cycle backwards through
the weapons your plane is carrying, but for some reason took it out before
the game was released. Why? It is extremely annoying to try and select a
certain weapon, miss it, and then cycle through the rest of the weapons
again. It wouldn't have been so bad if SC provided separate air-to-ground
(A-G) and air-to-air (A-A) weapon selection keys like FALCON 3.0 provides.
SC does have a key that puts you in A-A mode, but it doesn't have one for
A-G mode, so when you are attacking ground targets and want to switch A-G
weapons, you have to, in many cases, cycle through your A-A weapons before
you can get to the weapon you want.
* You can't see how many flares or chaff you have left without switching
weapons. This is really lame. I couldn't get the documented Alt-W key
sequence to work which is supposed to bring up the weapons display screen.
Instead I have to switch to a different weapon, look at how much chaff I
have left, and then cycle through all the weapons again. Argh!
* In the "zoom-in" cockpit mode, the right pop-up screen obscures the
distance to target indicator in the HUD and also the closure speed
indicator. These are important numbers to know about when dogfighting, but
for some reason Origin decided to cover most of them up. This is
completely unnecessary because the pop-up screens have extra details
around the edges that Origin could have gotten rid of without losing any
functionality.
* Similarly, the left pop-up screen blocks the infrared and radar warning
indicators when your cockpit is either zoomed in or out. These are,
obviously, very important lights to be able to see, particularly because
they will blink faster as a missile gets closer. The cockpit voice will
warn you that a missile is incoming, but you can't tell what kind of
missile it is, and how far away it is. This is particularly annoying when
attacking SAM sites because I usually have both pop-up screens up with one
of them being the ground radar and the other the camera view so that I can
target those SAM sites with Maverick missiles. I'm constantly having to
turn off one or the other of those screens when a missile is launched,
dodge the missile, and then I turn one or the other back on to try and
resume the attack. Very frustrating.
* You can't skip the auto-takeoff sequence. Dumb, dumb, dumb. You have to
wait close to a minute for the game to show you the same sequence over
and over again. You can skip the auto-landing sequence. Why can't you skip
the takeoff one? You can speed things up a bit by increasing the time
compression, but there is still no reason for not being able to skip it.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay isn't too bad, but there are some problems with it including:
* Not giving clear indications when mission objectives have been achieved.
Sometimes you get a message telling you that you have completed the
mission objectives, other times you are left wondering if there is
something you didn't bomb or shoot down. Even more annoying is that in
some cases, you can't auto-pilot unless the game thinks you've completed
the objectives at a particular site, and other times it will let you auto-
pilot, but then you find out later that you didn't finish the mission
properly.
* The plot line is almost completely linear, despite what the manual
implies. You don't have any control over what missions you have to fly.
You only have limited control over the order in which you fly them. E.g.,
you go to the bar and mission A and B are available. You pick A, finish
that and go back to the bar. B will then be the only mission available. If
you pick B first, then A will the only one available when you return. Big
whoopie. Your supposed to be this commander of this "moral" fighter group
and you never get a chance to make decisions that shows this.
POSITIVES?
So, you might ask, is there anything good about this game? Well, despite
all the problems listed above, STRIKE COMMANDER is one of the few games
that has keep me playing all night long and into the morning. In fact, I
did this not once, not twice, but three nights in a row (over a weekend).
Why did this game do this to me? To put it simply, the game is fun to
play! The controls are simpler compared to games like FALCON 3.0, and
despite their problems, they allow me to concentrate on blowing things up
instead of worrying about what keys to press. Auto-takeoff and landings,
automatic waypoint designation, and an autopilot that allows you skip all
the flying between waypoints are all features borrowed from the WING
COMMANDER series and they all make playing more fun for me.
And the plot, despite being linear is quite interesting. I'm not quite
sure how to explain it, but each individual campaign and the story line as
a whole, is more engaging than in the WC series. In WC, the missions got
repetitive relatively soon, and the basic story line was the same -- kill
more furballs. In SC, the setup was such that the game kept me wanting to
fly just _one_ more mission before I turned off my PC. Unfortunately, this
desire to keep flying missions meant that I finished the game on "Rookie"
level in about 40 hours. Fortunately, there are still two more skills
levels for me to try my hand at.
This review is Copyright 1993 by Michael Wang. All rights reserved.
ULTIMA VII PART II: SERPENT ISLE by Origin Systems/Electronic Arts
Previewed by Richard Wyckoff
Six months after the Avatar freed Castle British from the Guardian's
blackrock gem prison, Dupre brings Lord British a magical scroll sent by
the Guardian to his accomplice, Batlin, who mysteriously dissappeared at
the end of Ultima VII. So begins SERPENT ISLE, with an amazing 3-D
rendered introductory sequence comparable to that in King's Quest VI.
The Guardian has sent Batlin to the Serpent Isle, the lost continent which
Iolo's wife Gwenno had left to search for during Ultima VII. There, Batlin
and the Guardian will bring about the destruction of Britannia, unless you,
the Avatar, can stop them.
SERPENT ISLE uses a refined version of the Ultima VII engine: the graphics
have the same incredible detail (which reminds me of playing with painted
lead miniatures on a complex scale model of a fantasy world, except that in
the Ultima series, the miniatures are animated), but the speed of scrolling
has been increased. The inventory system has been overhauled: each
character is now represented by an animated 'paper doll' which changes
position as equipment is moved around: wield a two-handed sword, and the
Avatar's hands come together to grasp it; pick up a corpse, and a dead body
appears slung over the Avatar's shoulder; find a bag, and it gets hung off
the Avatar's belt. Due to popular demand, there is also a new combat menu,
which allows access to all party member's combat orders and status at once,
and a slew of keyboard shortcuts have also been added, to minimize the
amount of mouse clicks that common activities required in Ultima VII.
The Serpent Isle is completely new to the Ultima series, which allowed the
designers much more freedom: the cities and land is all new, and there is a
large snowy region to explore, provided the Avatar finds the proper
clothing. Never before seen monsters roam the Isle, along with old
favorites. Brand new reagents and syllables of power have been added to
the magic system. Magical scrolls now exist; they have one use, and can be
cast, or, with the proper spell, added to the Avatar's spellbook.
The Ultima series has always been known for its technological achievements,
but the main factor that distinguishes an Ultima game from any other RPG on
the market is the depth and richness of the story. SERPENT ISLE has the
most complex storytelling system to date, and plenty of new features to
make it more realistic. There is a huge amount of text in this game, and
the writing approaches the level of the best fantasy novels. Characters
react to the Avatar and each other even more realistically than in Ultima
VII. The text that appears above the heads of characters while they walk
around (known in Origin lingo as "barks") has been made a crucial part of
the SERPENT ISLE story: your companions will not hesitate to point vital
details out to you while you are exploring the countryside, and the Avatar
has finally learned to greet people politely, rather than just walking up
and tersely saying "Name" or "Job." Furthermore, your actions will affect
what characters will say to you. If you find yourself in need of money,
for example, you may just find someone stopping you with a business
proposition.
SERPENT ISLE proves that not only is there still life in the Ultima series,
there is magic. Fans and newcomers alike will delight in the game.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Richard Wyckoff. All rights
reserved.
EL-FISH by Maxis
Previewed by Dave Pipes
Maxis' newest release is the next in the series of software toys they are
so fond of producing. This time, the simulations team is Russian, a group
of mathematicians and programmers (including the designer of Tetris) who
found a way to turn some very sophisticated math into very good desktop
eye candy.
The program installs to about 8 megabytes of disk space. I was able to
test it on a '486-33 with a VGA card. It will run in SVGA for a number of
chipsets; unfortunately mine was not among them. A mouse is required,
coprocessor recommended. 4MB of RAM is needed, and Sound Blaster, Adlib,
Covox and Roland cards are supported (I used a SB original).
The graphics are 256 colors, either 376x348 or (with VESA 1.2 drivers)
600x400. Not 640x480, oddly enough. To save you the trouble I had, here
are the cards it is known to support: Video-7 (VRAM II Ergo, WIN.GVA,
FastWrite VGA), Trident (TVGA, TVGA 9000), ATI Tech. (VGAWONDER, XL24),
Orchid Tech. (ProDesigner IIs), Add-On America (Renoir Ultra-SVGA), Everex
Sys. (Viewpoint Premium), Radius (SVGA MultiView), Cardinal Tech. (VGA700,
VGA765), Genoa Sys. (MultimediaVGA 7900, SuperVGA 6300), Infiniti Sys.
(Extended VGA) and the Portacom Tech. Eclipse II. All these cards will do
the SVGA mode.
The sim is quite straightforward, allowing you to catch fish from "the
wild", then mutate them or breed them with other fish until the desired
characteristics appear. The end results are then animated, a process
which results in 200kb to 500kb in animation files per fish. So be sure
you have some disk space to spare. Fish can be reduced to their genetic
code, about 2k, for mass transfers and storage.
And where do you put your sim-fish? Why, in a sim-aquarium, of course!
The program has a large number of basic bottoms and backs, and lots of
photographed rocks, plants and even animated toys to add to the design. In
addition, fractally-grown plants are available in wide variety, and can be
changed to suit the needs of the setup. When placed, the fish swim around
all the different obstacles with barely a hesitation. Music can be
generated or brought in to add a finishing touch to the aquarium.
Let's face it. This is *not* a game, it is more like a DYO aquarium kit
without the mess or expense. The design of the tank is interesting, and
many moods can be created. The fish genetics are amazing, controlling
body size, shape, color, stripes, dots, scales, fin size, fin shape and
even behavior. Some fish school, others are aggressive loners. Some
even seem to nibble on rocks and gravel, hunting for food. As far as fish
go, this is *the* simulator, far surpassing any other I have seen or heard
of.
For the crowning touch, the graphics are amazing. Each fish has up to 256
different frames of animation. They swim in all directions, fins moving
and bodies undulating, sometimes just hanging in the water, casually
expanding and contracting various fins. Even in the low-res mode, the
graphics are beautiful. My cats actually dived for the computer screen
when I put the first tank up, batting at the fish just like they would
with a real tank. This program is a beauty.
With the fish breeding and tank design features, this can be a very
creative toy. And the display is perfect for showing off your machine to
people who don't really like Wing Commander or Ultima. All in all, if you
like fish, this is the way to go. El-Fish is a technically
sophisticated, attractive, relaxing program for anyone with even the
remotest interest in the topic.
One warning - this game will be *very* slow on less than a '486-33. The
animation will probably not suffer as much as the generation process, but
definitely think in terms of fast processors and mucho memory in order to
get the most out of this sim.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by David Pipes. All rights reserved.
ED. - See how important it is to include your NAME when you submit a
review to Game Bytes???
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ARMOUR-GEDDON by Psygnosis
Previewed by Mysterious Man!!
For IBM PC, AT, PS/2 & Compatibles. 10 MHz 80286 minimum, 25 MHz 80386
recommended. Requires 585K free memory. Supports 256 VGA, 16 colour VGA
& EGA, AdLib, Soundblaster, Roland Sound Cards. Requires Hard Disk.
The installation instructions also state you will need 64k of EMS to play
sampled sounds.
ARMOUR-GEDDON comes on three 3.5 inch disks that includes a Creepers demo.
You also get a large keyboard summary chart in English, French, German and
Italian and a medium-sized manual.
The program installed fine, but the auto-detect sound program failed to
identify my Pro Audio Spectrum, deciding it was either an AdLib or
Soundblaster. However, the music and sound effects appear fine, basic as
they are. The differing vehicles provide varied basic engine sounds,
nothing special. There is no music apart from the initial opening
screens.
ARMOUR-GEDDON is a strategy and simulation game. You organise and pilot
up to six vehicles, tanks, hovercraft,
helicopters, fighters and bombers
over a 80km by 80km (250 square mile) area. Your aim is to collect 5
segments of a Neutron bomb in order to destroy the enemy's Beam cannon.
You must destroy power lines in order to give yourself more time. The
game also features a head-to-head serial link.
There is a training mode that allows you a good stock of vehicles,
weapons and devices, unlike in the real thing, where you must research
and develop most items and find materials for new ones.
There are a number of control areas. The HQ allows you to access the
other departments and systems, as well as each one of your six vehicles.
The HQ also displays any relevant messages concerning your actions, and a
grid map of the combat terrain and vehicle positions. The Intelligence
bureau keeps an eye on your vehicles via remote satellite. You use this
screen to set way points for your vehicles. The Research and Development
team allow you to develop and build new weapons and systems. Resources
in stock are displayed via the Stores monitor. You replenish depleted
stocks by pillaging destroyed enemy vehicles and installations.
This preview is based on initial impressions. The ability to control 6
differing vehicles at the same time is fun! The hovercraft responds as
you expect it to, it's difficult and slides all over the place. The tank
and bombers are slow, the helicopter a completely new concept, and the
fighter, well, it's a fighter. It should be stressed that this game is
not a flight simulator, it is not a Falcon 3. The planes are easiest to
fly, the hover craft and helicopter is not so easy. There are the
standard 360 degree views; however, ARMOUR-GEDDON scrolls smoothly to the
chosen view, rather than jumping straight to it, a nice realistic touch.
You decide where to place your vehicles within the huge play area, and
then you load each of them up with weapons and utilities of your choice.
The game features 'time' so that you can end up flying in complete
darkness -- good thing you chose to load the night sight and not the
neutron bomb. After you start the engines, power up your shields, you aim
for the waypoint beacon. The waypoint indicator's ensure that you know
where to aim your craft. My initial skirmishes were quickly ended by
either poor flying or driving skills or a massive enemy attack. The
polygon graphics are smooth even on my 20 MHz 386; however, ground detail
is very low.
In summary, the game has potential. It's not a game you can quickly pick
up and be an expert at immediately. I have only played in the training
mode, and didn't get very far in that! The graphics aren't the best, but
the movements and scrolling are very smooth. The music and sound effects
are poor; however, I feel the game play has some new ideas to keep players
amused (for example, the hovercraft). The storyline and tasks should be
enough to keep people playing for a long time.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by The Mysterious Man. All rights
reserved.
RETURN OF THE PHANTOM by Microprose
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Microprose made a bold move into the graphical adventure category last year
with their release of Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender. While 'Rex'
may not have stood the gaming industry on its ear, what it did show the
gaming industry and market is that Microprose has some incredibly power
tools to produce some very intriguing and stunning-looking adventures. It
doesn't necessarily mean they can 'weave a good yarn' or create a head-
scratching yet logical puzzle. But let's be fair - they have just gotten
started. With their next major adventure, Microprose should dispel all
doubts about whether they will be a contender in the graphical adventure
genre.
Return of the Phantom (ROTP) looks to be an excellent adventure using MPS's
adventure toolkit. The graphics are nothing short of stunning (as evident
by these screen shots). The interface is just like Rex Nebular's, kind of
a cross between a LucasArts and a Sierra adventure, though more similar to
the LucasArts productions. The commands are very accessible, yet don't
detract from the overall screen appearance. Microprose is obviously
spending a lot more attention to the audio quality of their adventures too.
After installation, the player can not specify one device for music
(typically a Roland card), and another for the digital effects
(Soundblaster). There is also plans for a full CD-ROM edition of this game
too which will presumably incorporate full speech throughout the entire
game.
The story of ROTP pits the player as Paris police detective Raoul Montand
who begins his adventure in 1993. You just watched the chandelier at the
Paris Opera house fall on an unsuspecting audience and you begin your
investigation. As you proceed, you mysteriously ends up in the
supernatural world of 1881 where you must rescue your girlfriend from a
dire fate by entering into the bizarre world of the Phantom of the Opera.
As detective Montand, you must avoid all the traps of the Phantom and solve
the puzzles that await you in order to rescue Christine.
Upon playing just a few minutes of the beta copy of ROTP, it's clear that
MPS was not satisfied even with the quality of Rex. The rotoscoped
animation quality of the characters and the smooth scrolling screens shows
a high commitment to the quality of the graphical elements of the game.
The puzzle quality? Time will tell as we get further into the game.
For fans of the adventure genre, ROTP seems to be one not to miss.
Return of the Phantom should be shipping in June.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
BUZZ ALDRIN"S RACE INTO SPACE by Interplay Productions
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Though just barely released, Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space (Buzz) offers a
big jump for Interplay in an entirely new direction. Buzz reminds me of
Sim-We-Gotta-Get-To-The-Moon-FAST. It's a unique production that offers
an incredible amount of historical data and insight on what it took to
plan a moon shot. Positioned as a simulation, Buzz pits the player as
either the head of the U.S. or Soviet space programs with the goal of
being the first to land a man on the moon.
As director, you have the entire inventory of the respective countries at
your disposal. You'll be responsible for setting up and organzing all of
the astronaut selection, training, and planning programs, as well as all
of the manned and unmanned oribital flights that lead up to the actual
launch for the moon. There's a rich historical aspect to this game
(though I use that term lightly) as you truly feel transported back to the
early 60's and the incredible energy and excitement that swept the U.S. in
its goal to fulfill Kennedy's proclamation that the U.S. would put a man
on the moon. There's even some historical video footage that is included
in the game that sets the stage for the goals of the game. There's lots
of technical detail here for those who want access to it, but the game is
also configurable in difficulty to even make it accessible to young
gamers.
A very interesting historical perspective is included in the game in the
form of an 'accessory book' that chronicles the history of the U.S. space
program and offers insight into what went on in the early Mercury, Gemini,
and Apollo programs.
Interplay is also sponsoring a contest to celebrate the release of the
game. "Buzz Off to the U.S. Space Academy" will award two award winners
the chance to attend the U.S. Space Academy (right up the road from me!)
in Huntsville, Alabama. Other prizes such as official Space Camp jackets
will also be awarded. The contest runs through August 15, 1993.
As this game is just released, Game Bytes will also be publishing a full
review of the game in an upcoming issue of the magazine. In all respects,
Buzz is truly an innovative and unique game that will draw the player
directly into the decisions that must be made in order to put a man on the
moon.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
QUARTER POLE by MicroLeague
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Quarterpole (QP) is one of the first games in the market that takes a
serious look at the world of thoroughbred horse racing. While certainly a
'sports game', QP is also more than that. It's really a 'sports
environment simulation' set in the world of high-stakes horse racing.
As the player, you will be transported to Blue Rock Downs where you can
choose your own scenario to achieve the ultimate goal - make a fortune. As
a bettor, you can check out the racing form and make a wide variety of
bets, including exactas and daily doubles, on your way to your wealth. As
a stable owner, you also have the ability to hire the best trainers to keep
your investment in thoroughbreds competitive and winners on the track. You
can also buy and sell horses at the auction and enter them in selective
races. There are 10 daily races, including claims and allowance races,
with over 125 stakes and handicap races throughout the seasonal year.
MicroLeague has also setup a sweepstakes to coincide with the thoroughbred
racing season and the 119th Kentucky Derby. A variety of prizes, including
official Derby merchanidise, will be awarded. The contest will run through
August 1, 1993.
Quarter Pole is an interesting look at a sport that, to date, hasn't had
much attention on the computer screen. The graphics look well-done and
there is a lot of attention to detail in the world of sport betting for the
ponies.
Quarter Pole should be released in May of 1993.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
FLASHBACK by SSI, Developed by Delphine Software
Sega Genesis version by U.S. Gold
Previewed by Ross Erickson
Any gamer worth his salt has probably seen some version of the hit game
'Out of this World/Another World' by now. This genre-busting title showed
how well a game could do by focusing on atmosphere. The graphics were
rather simple polygons, but used in such a cinematic fashion that the
suspension of disbelief was achieved quickly. OOTW was a big hit because
what it did, it did incredibly well. Millions have asked, "Where's the
next one!?". The wait is almost over. In fact, it already IS over if you
have a Sega Genesis. Flashback is the long-awaited sequel to OOTW/AW,
however, it's not a true sequel in the sense that it continues the same
character and storyline from the first. Flashback is a brand new story
with a brand new protagonist. Delphine has, however, used OOTW as a base
from which to build another big hit.
Flashback is the story of a young research scientist named Conrad Hart.
In the year 2142,, Conrad is preparing his thesis on molecular density
(Buckaroo Banzai comes to mind briefly) and develops a machine (not an
Overthruster, I hope...) capable of analyzing the molecular structure of
any living being. Using the machine, Conrad discovers that several high-
ranking members of society are actually extra-terrestials in disguise (a
'Rowdy Roddy Piper' movie-bomb comes to mind too). The E.T.s find out
they're 'gig is up' and snatch Conrad and his mind. Playing Conrad, the
player awakens on the E.T.s home planet with no memory of who he is or why
he's where he is. Throughout the game, the player's job is to survive (of
course) to the next level and recover from the amnesia and foil the
alien's plot to destroy earth.
Flashback is played on three worlds, six levels, and should keep the gamer
busy for much longer than OOTW did. The game is six times as large as its
predecessor. There are plenty of character interactions in the game and
you must take clues from NPCs you encounter and items you pick up along
the way to aid you in your memory recovery. You'll interact with a wide
variety of objects like teleporters, mines, disintegrators, and force
fields. Some backtracking is inevitable as you plan your strategy through
the puzzles.
The graphics have an incredible sense of realism to them. This is due in
great part to the rotoscoped animation process that was used to create the
character's movements. Players of the hit, Prince of Persia, will
instantly recognize this level of the character's animation as they run,
walk, climb, and manipulate their environment. While OOTW's graphics were
somewhat simple, yet very effective, gamers will find the 256 color
graphics extremely vibrant and unique, depending upon which part of the
game you are playing. One unique advantage of the computer version of
Flashback over the Genesis version is the zoom mode that shows the close
encounters that Conrad has with other characters at twice the normal size.
The sound effects and music are also very effective and well done. The
soundtrack creates a very effective mood, and the digital sound effects
are many and thoroughy immerse the gamer into the action taking place.
Flashback should be shipping within a month.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
DOOM! from ID Software
Previewed by Ross Erickson
To say this is a preview is somewhat of a misnomer. It was already
previewed! You asked for more shots... you got them. Check out these new
screens from what might be the hottest action game of 1993. No need to
ramble on again about the game - you read all about it in Game Bytes #9.
To really tantalize you, the screens you see here should all have animated
faces in the walls. A truly gruesome effect!
Hope you enjoy the shots. Sorry for the duplication problem last issue.
We didn't know those shots had been released by ID. We wanted to show you
some really unique shots from the Alpha copy we are working with.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
FATTY BEAR'S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE by Humongous Entertainment
Previewed by Ross Erickson
It's nice to see a company take themselves seriously in whatever genre
they choose to participate in. Humongous, by choice, has come out of the
chute with a high standard of production qualities. This high standard
was evident in their first offering - Putt Putt Joins the Parade.
Designed for younger children, Humongous has designed their games with the
youngsters in mind, yet their high standards of excellence has drawn in
gamers of all ages. Putt Putt was the first, and now their second major
release is almost upon us. Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise (FBBS) looks to
be a worthy 'sequel' to Putt Putt.
Fatty Bear is a lovable stuffed teddy bear who comes to life only for the
kids and lives with a fun little girl named Kayla. Fatty never comes to
life when the grown-ups are around. Kayla is having a birthday soon, and
the story of the adventure is how Fatty Bear is planning to surprise Kayla
when she awakens on her birthday. The graphical quality is still very
high, and the sound support is excellent. Like Putt Putt, there is a very
thematic approach to the music and sound effects that are included in
FBBS. Like the first game, FBBS should also be available on CD-ROM for
even more sound effects and full speech throughout.
If you have kids in the 3-8 range, or if you just love a well-produced
title, you should take a long look at FBBS. It's expected to be shipping
in just a matter of a few weeks.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
THE LEGACY: REALM OF TERROR by Microprose
Previewed by Ross Erickson
I somewhat hesitate to include a preview of Legacy in this issue because
we still don't have that much on it yet. However, in the interests of the
players and readers, we'll do our best and tell you as much as we can
about this new title from Microprose.
Legacy is a new adventure game from Microprose, but is not using the same
'Adventure Engine' as used in Rex Nebular and Return of the Phantom. The
game puts the player as the owner of a recently inherited old mansion that
is rumored to have some strange goings-on happening inside. You must
enter the house and find and destroy the entity that is controlling the
commotion within a specified time limit.
At first glance, I was under the impression that we were going to
experience a kind of 7th Guest type of production combined with an Ultima
Underworld style of play. In truth, the game appears to be more like the
tile-approach used in the Eye of the Beholder or Crusaders of the Dark
Savant, but set in a haunted house. The effect should still be effective
combined with the right sound effects and atmosphere. There is an
automapping function included that makes it easy to know where you are in
the mansion. In truth, this is one BIG mansion. There are 10 levels of
the house, with up to 40 rooms per level. The mouse is well implemented
and used to examine and pick up objects, manipulate them, and engage in
the ever-present combat. The mouse is also well-used in the magic and
spell system too. Truly, this game reminds me a high-quality EOB game set
in a haunted house.
The graphics look quite well done in today's very competitive graphical
world. Microprose has made a firm commitment to audio support in all
their games, so there's no reason to think audio will be skimped in
Legacy. I'm looking forward to this game and it should be out soon. It
may not compete graphically with 7th Guest, but it sure will be a heckuva
lot bigger.
This preview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Ross Erickson. All rights reserved.
A VIEW FROM THE EDGE by Ross Erickson
Greetings! Again...whew! It's getting tough to put up with these lengthy
delays. BUT! We endured and here we are again. I know talk is cheap, but
there WILL be another issue of Game Bytes appearing shortly before the BIG
event in Chicago - C.E.S. One way or another, Game Bytes will get the news
from C.E.S. for all. We're determined to compete with the big boys!
On another note, Game Bytes is getting precariously close to supporting
advertising to some extent to allow us to continue. Having the right
equipment and financing to handle all of the public relations stuff
necessary to be taken seriously has made the decision of whether to do
advertising or not a moot point. We simply can't continue Game Bytes and
experience a financial loss each month. We need to recoup some costs each
month. Expect to see it start in Issue #11.
We're also very pleased to see the Internet comp.sys.ibm.pc.games newsgroup
split pass. The amount of traffic being handled on this network is simply
unbelieveable. There was certainly a need to have the kind of information
being shared there be a great deal more organized. We fully support this
split. Game Bytes will be officially represented in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.
games.announce group which will be moderated. Announcements, questions, or
otherwise any type of official news about Game Bytes can be submitted or
posted (with the moderator's approval) in this section. For individual
letters, it is still best to use email on any of the major services. To
date, Game Bytes is "officially" sponsored on Internet (as mentioned
above), America On-Line, CompuServe, and the Worldwide Fidonet network in
the Games sig. We also get great distribution through the Software
Creations shareware hub BBS. All told, I believe our active readership
(those who are still out there clamoring for this issue!) is over 50,000
readers per issue. Thanks to ALL of the great readers who let us know how
we're doing. Honestly, one of the most enjoyable parts of doing this
magazine is communicating with the readers. We don't get as much mail as
we would like so we encourage you to write often.
Thanks for sticking with us through this semi-tough time. Even the IRS guy
didn't care that we were trying to get an issue out the door!
Enjoy the issue
Ross Erickson, Editor/Publisher Game Bytes Magazine
Rumors/News
With C.E.S. almost upon us (again!), there is some jostling in the market
going on to set the stage well for what appears to be a very interesting
summer show. Several companies are quietly talking about what they will be
showing and/or announcing at the event. Here's a brief rundown on some of
the juicy stuff we're hearing now.
Though no real details are known yet, Access is supposedly working on yet
*another* major upgrade to their flagship product - Links 386 Pro. What
made me laugh is one of the major features is "much better graphics".
Hehehe. Gee, and I thought the graphics in what we have now look terrific.
Can't wait to see the next one. SVGA beyond 640x400 perchance? What is
really exciting is what Access likes to refer to as their 7th Guest beater.
Tex Murphy 3, otherwise known as "Under A Killing Moon" is to be the
company's first CD-ROM only game and will sport graphics and animation that
will rival 7th Guest. Boy, it's a good year to be a consumer.
Accolade will hopefully have something new to show for their
Ditka/Hull/Pele sports lineup at CES. To date, most of their marketing
energies have been spent on 'Bubsy'. The new sports titles should be out
in early to mid fall. Early looks at Brett Hull Hockey look great.
XOR - NFL Challenge Premium Edition - The wait goes on... What more can I
say...
I had a very interesting conversation recently with the head of White-Web
Software. This new startup will be in the blocks for quite a while to
come, but their production goals/plans reach WAY into the heavens. A
family of CD-ROM only games for Windows NT (and perhaps Windows 3.X, 4.X)
that include several flight simulators, a tank sim, a sub sim, and even
some strategy and RPG games are planned for a very ambitious start. The
first product from White-Web isn't likely to appear until mid-to-late '94.
The pinball market will be heating up shortly on the 'electronic table' as
Amtex is gearing up to release their next pinball game - 8 Ball Deluxe.
Early looks show a very polished product. Dynamix is also close to
finishing (finally!) their Windows-based pinball game family. There will
be lots of variety with the Dynamix offering as there are at least 6, and
maybe more, very unique and graphical tabletops. The virtual silver ball
should be flying should be flying soon.
Broderbund has just released the latest 'Carmen' as she steals the
important stuff in space. Excellent production values, but I wonder how
much more there is to explore. The one we're all waiting for is Prince of
Persia II and the wait is almost over. Fans of the first have been waiting
literally years for this new one. Read about it in GB #11.
Cyberdreams has let the word out that their much anticipated CyberRace
won't be out until the fall. Using technology similar to Novalogic's Voxel
graphics, CyberRace should sport a very realistic environment to play in.
Fans of the highly-regarded, yet often overlooked Harrier AV8B flight sim
who also own one of the ubiquitous S3 graphics accelerator cards should be
rejoicing soon. Domark is finishing up the final touches on the high-res,
640x480x256 color version of the flight sim that takes advantage of this
graphics accelerator. Talk about great graphics with smooth frame rate!
This sim alone could sell a lot of graphics cards. The hope is that Domark
won't stop with the S3 chip. The ATI accelerators are also widely in use.
Dynamix - C.E.S. - you'll have to wait!! I can hardly contain myself!
Major cool new stuff coming. [serious pain at biting lips and tongue
preventing me from talking]
Electronic Arts will be in full force at C.E.S. with all of their affiliate
and subsidiary partners (like Origin!). Some very interesting developments
are expected, including some MAJOR upgrades to some titles that have been
favorites for years. Stay tuned. CD-ROM will continue to be an important
part of EA's strategy, both from a PC, as well as a 3DO perspective. Watch
this space for some more indepth reporting on how well the 3DO marketing
phenomenon is turning into actual development projects.
Virgin Games isn't resting for long, now that their long-awaited 7th Guest
is finally shipping. What is referred to by many as 7th Guest, but known
to Game Bytes officially as 'The 11th Hour' is already well into
development and could be out as early as Christmas this year. Trilobyte is
already past the learning curve so future 'Guests' should be easier to do.
Expect to see 7th Guest on every entertainment CD platform known to man.
Other new CD projects underway at Virgin include Curse of Enchantia and the
first Kyrandia. Dune, Shuttle, and Monopoly are also already headed to the
silver disk.
Velocity, of Spectre and Jetfighter fame, is REALLY hard at work on
Jetfighter III. The design goal is to take the comprehensiveness of Falcon
3.0/Tornado, the graphical panache of Strike Commander, and the framerate
of Jetfighter II, and put them all together into the best kick-*ss flight
simulator the market has ever seen. Lofty goals. We wish them well.
Especially if they want it our this millenium. Their goal is less than 9
months from now.
Though Tsunami had a bold start in the market, and we can expect Blue
Force: Next of Kin relatively soon, legal entanglements with Sierra may
cause the throttle to be cut back a bit until they sort this out. Tsunami
is made up a lot of ex-Sierra'ites and there's some dispute over who owns
what.
Finally (for this issue, at least), some big new products from SSI are
coming, despite their downsizing. Unfortunately, SSI had to cut back
somewhat and they lost some VERY talented folks. We're sorry to see them
gone. But the products roll on. Dark Sun is *NOW* scheduled for a late
July/early August release (haven't you heard this before?). New stuff
coming in the pipeline include Grigsby's latest, 'Gary's War in Russia', a
highly improved and enhanced 'Archon Ultra', and some new fantasy and
strategy titles, entitled 'Fantasy Empires', 'Stronghold', and 'Cautious
Steel'. There's even some news showing up that a 'Great Naval Battles II'
is in the works. For those annoyed with some pesky bugs in the otherwise
terrific Tony La Russa Baseball 2, a significant revision in the works and
nearing completion.
Watch for more news coming your way soon in Game Bytes #11.
The following escaped publication because of a file error - Sorry!
Ultimate Fighter For the SNES, 12 Megs Reviewed by Jer Horwitz
There's reason for some hope regarding Ultimate Fighter. The game used
for last issue's review was the Japanese version of the game, titled Fist
of the Flying Dragon S: Golden Fighter. Culture Brain, in response to the
Japanese assessment of that game, released a "Hyper Version" of Golden
Fighter in Japan in time for the holidays, only five months after the
release of the original version. I'm happy to say that it significantly
improves upon the first game by adding some options almost necessary for
the post-SF2 one-on-one fighting genre. Tournament mode now allows you to
set handicaps, multiple difficulty levels for the computer opponents, time
limits, and play a character versus him- or herself. There is an entirely
new "Battle Mode" which allows you to fight in any of the boss
confrontations from the story mode, also at multiple difficulty levels.
The control has been changed a little to improve on jumping attacks, also.
These features add significantly to the play value of the game, and
although it is still not of the same caliber as Fatal Fury or Street
Fighter II, it now has more options and more to do than either of them. As
Ultimate Fighter has not been released yet, Culture Brain may package
either the original or the Hyper version under that name. If Culture Brain
releases the Hyper version of the game as Ultimate Fighter, then they
should be commended for not only improving the original concept, but also
for caring about their U.S. audience enough to release the best possible
version when it was ready. If not, draw your own conclusions and let your
pocketbooks decide their fate. In either case, rent the game before you
buy. There's enough to Ultimate Fighter that renting it shouldn't detract
from the long term value.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by Jer Horwitz. All rights reserved.
============== GAME BYTES ================
Editor and Publisher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ross Erickson
Assistant Editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel Starr
Programmer
~~~~~~~~~~
Ed Rafalko
Contributors
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eric Taylor Alex Gagin
Jer Horwitz Daniel Starr
David Taylor Adam Cheal
Kevan Pettelbach Ken Fishkin
Jennifer Schlickbernd David desJardins
Jay Wilbur Clark Chang
Bill Foust David Pipes
Sid Meier Casey Sisterson
Carl Muckenhoupt Dave Masten
Andrew Fenic Chris Petit
Jim Day David Cheong
Brian Chung Glenn Slayden
Rob Nava Jim Gindin
Allan Kowalski Jeremy Reimer
Richard Wyckoff Joshua Randall
C.J. Apello Robert Barker
Greg Cisko Bobby Martin
Mitch Aigner Phil Rice
Jerry Luttrell Gavin Adams
Adam Pletcher Frank Bruno
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Game Bytes is published monthly by Ross Erickson,
108 Castleton Drive
Harvest, AL 35749
INTERNET - ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com
Compuserve - 71441,1537
America On-Line - RossGBytes
Contents are copyright 1992 by Game Bytes, unless otherwise indicated.
Reviewer Spotlight - David Taylor
My life is game-o-centric. I started playing video arcade games with
Asteroids and Space Invaders when I was about 10. I am now 23 and find
myself in the arcade usually once a week. The first real *computer game*
I played was Lemonade Stand on an Apple ][ in junior high, and I fell in
love w/ the machine & computer games instantly. During my Apple ][ years,
I imprinted heavily on everything Origin produced, Rescue Raiders, Aztec,
Wizardry, and my joystick. During high school, I became more interested
in game programmers, friends like Jason Jones (author of Minotaur) and
untouchables like Richard Garriott (aka "Lord British").
When I got to college, I started writing game reviews for some local
college newsletters. I liked it a lot because I'm anti-piracy and could
still get games for free. Also, it was fun to be given license to
verbally disect games, slamming or praising them based on whether they
made me happy. I've since discovered I don't have very a fair taste in
games. It's gotta be smooth, extremely responsive, and engaging for me to
like it. That nixes almost everything. With the existence of Rescue
Raiders and Ultima III on a 1MHz 128k Apple, there's no excuse for less in
my mind on a 33MHz 8Mb 486.
As I got over the first few weeks of realization that I wouldn't ever meet
those "untouchable amazing game authors," I buried the treasured idea deep
in my head and forgot to mark the spot with an "X". After my parents
moved to Russia and Austin became my new hometown, I suddenly realized
that this was where Origin was! I started by doing a tour of the place
for an article in our university paper, the "Daily Texan."
After I heard about Game Bytes, I realized that the audience was much more
appropriate, and might even enjoy an interview, so I suddenly excavated
that idea to meet Richard Garriott. Ross gave me the go-ahead, and Galen,
the PR stud at Origin, originally scheduled a phone interview, but I
whined that I had always wanted to meet him, and (bless his heart) he
rescheduled a real interview. My mind was prepared, but my mouth reverted
to age 13, back when I buried the meet-mr-ultima idea, so I mostly tried
to let him do the talking. It was pretty heady. I think it came out a
good interview, but being three feet from this guy in his corner office
reduced me to mumbles and chuckles of agreement.
For those of you that think I spend too much time talking about Origin,
please be patient. I'm not a terribly big fan of their latest PC games
for speed & crispness reasons mentioned above. However, their technology
and staff are fascinating, and it's a 10 minute drive to their building.
After Garriott, I interviewed Chris Roberts, the development team at ID
Software, and today, Warren Specter. With Chris Roberts, I mostly sat
there nervous and asked stupid questions trying not to fall into an
English accent. With ID Software, I said "Gotcha" 127 times. With
Warren, I forgot my coat. I think it gets a little better each time.
You really can't win with the being-a-speck-in-front-of-a-God thing. I've
developed two UNIX games now. Did this new expertise help ease
nervousness? No. After you become an amateur, your eyes are opened to
entirely new dimensions of complexity in games produced by companies like
Origin. It helps you quantify the tinyness of your specdom, though. You
can start to say, "Gee, that game would take 6 Dave-years to finish."
All this game-related stuff has been fun, though. I finish my 6-year EE
degree at the University of Texas this May. I like electronics, enjoy
serious programming, but *love* games. I've heard that the game industry
is hard to break into and that there isn't much money in it unless you're
a god or a lucky startup, but I'd like to maybe take a crack at it anyway.
I'm a big fan of UNIX, too, and hope someday to help prove that it can be
a wonderful OS for games.
Presenting... the Game Bytes Issues Index! (Issues 1-10)
Game Bytes has covered well over 150 games in the past several issues.
Using this index, you can look up the particular games you're interested
in, find out what issues of Game Bytes cover them, and download those
issues. Also included is a list of the interviews and other special
features GB has done to date -- the interviews from several issues ago
still contain a lot of current material.
The easiest way to use the games index is to employ the search command of
your favorite word processor to find a distinctive string, such as
"Ultima", "Perfect", or "Lemmings". The list is alphabetized; series have
been listed together rather than by individual subtitle.
All issues of Game Bytes to date are available by anonymous FTP at ftp.
ulowell.edu in the /msdos/Games/Game_Bytes directory. Contact Ross
Erickson, ross@kaos.b11.ingr.com, if you need assistance acquiring Game
Bytes or have other questions.
Game Bytes Features List, Issues 1 - 10, Chronological Order
-----------------------------------------------------------
Issue Interview (Sample Associated Games)/Feature
----- -----------------
2 Richard Garriott of Origin (Ultima series)
3 Chris Roberts of Origin (Wing Commander, Strike Commander)
4 ID Software (Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Commander
Keen)
5 Damon Slye of Dynamix (Red Baron, Aces of the Pacific)
5 Scott Miller of Apogee (Wolf3D, Duke Nukem)
6 Bob Bates of Legend (Part 1) (Spellcasting 101)
7 Bob Bates of Legend (Part 2)
8 Looking Glass Technologies (Ultima Underworld)
9 Warren Spector of Origin (Serpent's Isle)
9 Ron Gilbert of Humongous (Putt Putt)
9 -- Winter CES Report --
9 -- Hardware Issue: sound cards, joysticks, etc. --
10 Sid Meier (Pirates!,Civilization,RR Tycoon)
Game Bytes Article Index (Issues 1-10), Alphabetical by Title
------------------------------------------------------------
Product Title Review Preview Tips
------------- ------ ------- ----
4-D Boxing 10
A-Train 3
A.T.A.C. 5
Aces of the Pacific 3 1 8,9
Action Stations! 8
Air Combat 5
Air Force Commander 8
Alien 3 (Genesis) 7
Alone in the Dark 9
Amazon 6
Armorgeddon 10
ASCIIpad (SNES, Genesis) 9
Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator (SNES) 9
Axelay (SNES) 8
B-17 Flying Fortress 6 4
B.A.T. II: The Koshan Conspiracy 7
Batman Returns (Genesis) 9
Batman Returns (SNES) 10
Battlecruiser 3000 A.D. 8
Battles of Destiny 9
Betrayal at Krondor 9
Birds of Prey 7 4
Bio-Metal (SNES) 10
Bubsy: Claws Encounters ... (SNES) 10
Buzz Aldrin's Race into Space 10
Caesar 9
Carrier Strike 6
Carriers at War 6
Castle Wolfenstein 3-D 2
Castles II: Siege and Conquest 9 9
Challenge of the Five Realms 4
Chessmaster 3000 2
Civilization 5 9
Comanche: Maximum Overkill 10 6
Conflict: Korea 6
Conquered Kingdoms 10 7
Conquests of the Longbow 3
Contra 3: The Alien Wars (SNES) 5
Crisis in the Kremlin 6
Cyber Empires 9
D/Generation 2
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands 6
Darklands 7 3 7
Darkseed 5
Doom 9,10
Dune 3
Dune II 10
Dungeon Master 7
Dynamix Football 3
Earl Weaver Baseball 2 4
Ecoquest: The Search for Cetus 2 5
El-Fish 10
Eric the Unready 10 8
Eye of the Beholder 2 1
Eye of the Beholder 3 8
F-117A Stealth Fighter 3
F-15 Strike Eagle III 10 5
F-Zero (SNES) 10
Falcon 3.0 1 5,8
Falcon 3.0: Operation Flying Tiger 6
Fatal Fury (Comparison) 10
Fatal Fury 2 (NeoGeo) 10
Fatty Bear's Birthday Suprise 10
Fighter Power Stick (SNES) 9
Flashback 10
Flight Simulator 4.0 (Scenery Round-up) 8
Front Page Sports: Football 8 6
Galactix 6
Gateway 4
Global Conquest 3
Gobliiins 10
Gods 6
Gravis Gamepad 4
Gravis Ultrasound 9
Great Naval Battles 8
Greens! 2
Gunship 2000 2 10
Hardball 3 4,5
Hardball 3 Statistical Utilities 7
Harpoon 1.3 Designer Series / IOPG 6
Heaven and Earth 4
Heimdall 7
High Command 10
Hong Kong Mahjong 3
Humans 9
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis 5
Jack Nicklaus Golf: Signature Edition 2
Jimmy Connor's Tennis (SNES) 9
Joe and Mac (SNES) 2
King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow 9 6
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra 4 3
Legacy: Realm of Terror 10
Legends of Valor 8
Lemmings II 9
Les Manley: Lost in L.A. 1
Lightning Force (Genesis) 9
Links 386 Pro 5 1
Links Courses: Mauna Kea 10
Links Courses: Troon North 2
Loom -- CD-ROM version 5
Lord of the Rings II: The Two Towers 7 3
Lost Treasures of Infocom 5
Lure of the Temptress 8
Mantis: XF5700 Experimental Space Fighter 7 4
Martian Memorandum 5
Mech Warrior (SNES) 10
Micro League Baseball 4 6
Might & Magic: Clouds of Xeen 8 9,10
Mike Ditka's Ultimate Football 6
Monkey Island 1 9
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge 5
Monopoly 9
NCAA: The Road to the Final Four 3
NCAA Basketball (SNES) 8
NFL Pro League 7
NHLPA Hockey '93 (Genesis) 7
Nova 9 2
Oh No! More Lemmings 3
Out of This World 6
Pirates! Gold 2
Planet's Edge 3 9
Pools of Darkness 2
Powermonger 5
Power Politics 10
Prince of Persia 4
Pro Audio Spectrum 16 9
Prophecy of the Shadow 7
Pursue the Pennant 4.0 4
Quest for Glory I (VGA edition) 7
Quest for Glory III: The Wages of War 7
Quarterpole 10
Rampart 4
Rampart (SNES) 7
RBI Baseball 4 (Genesis) 7
Red Baron Mission Builder 8 4
Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender 5
Return of the Phantom 10
Risk for Windows 1
Risky Woods 9
Road Rash II (Genesis) 10
Road Runner Rescue (SNES) 9
Robosport for Windows 8
Roland MT-32/LAPC 9
Rules of Engagement 7
Screen Antics: Johnny Castaway 8
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe 4
Sega CD (Genesis) 8
Shadow of Yserbius 10
Shadow President 9
Shadowrun (SNES) 9
Starfox (SNES) 9
Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective Vol.I 7
Shining in the Darkness (Genesis) 4
Siege 6
SimAnt 4
Solitaire's Journey 5
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) 8
Sound Blaster 16 ASP 9
Space Megaforce (SNES) 7
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation 3
Spectre 10
Speedball 2 5
Spellcasting 301: Spring Break 8 8
Spellcraft: Aspects of Valor 9 3
Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace 9
Splatterhouse 2 (Genesis) 5
Star Control II 8
Star Legions 10 6
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary 1
Street Fighter 2 (SNES) 8
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis) 9
Strike Commander 10 3
Stunt Island 8 7
Summer Games 8
Summer Challenge 5
Super Advantage Joystick (SNES) 9
Super Double Dragon (Genesis) 10
Super Hi-Impact Football (Genesis) 8
Super Play Action Football (SNES) 9
Super Mario Kart (SNES) 9
Super Smash T.V. (SNES) 9
Super Sonic Blastman (SNES) 9
Super Star Wars (SNES) 7
Super Tetris 3
Take-a-Break Pinball 6
Tegel's Mercenaries 6
Terminator 2029: Cybergen 9 5 9
The 7th Guest 5
The Castle of Dr. Brain 5
The Incredible Machine 7
The Legend of Kyrandia 7
The Lost Admiral 6
The Magic Candle II: The Four and Forty 5
The Miracle 3
The Mystical Quest (SNES) 7
The Perfect General 3
Theatre of War 6
Thrustmaster 4,9
Thunderhawk 2
TimeQuest 2
Tony La Russa Baseball II 8
Triax Turbo Touch (SNES) 9
Tristan Pinball 9
Turbo Science 7
Ultima 1, 2, and 3 (First Trilogy) 7
Ultima 7: Forge of Virtue 6 4
Ultima 7: The Black Gate 3 1 5,6
Ultima 7: Part 2 - Serpent Isle 10
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss 3 7
Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds 9 8
Ultimate Fighter (SNES) 9
Utopia 9
V for Victory: Utah Beach 7
V for Victory: Market Garden 9
Veil of Darkness 8
Virtual Pilot 9
WaxWorks 7
Wayne Gretzky Hockey III 5
Wilson Pro Staff Golf 9
Wing Commander 2 1
Wing Commander 2: Special Operations 2 4
Winter Challenge 5
Wizardry 6: Bane of the Cosmic Forge 1
Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant 8 5
Wonderdog (Sega CD) 10
Wordtris 4
World Circuit 10 7 10
X-Wing: Star Wars Space Combat Simulator 10 7 10
Name: Lonnie Barnett
City: Cincinnati, OH
Phone: 513-777-4419
Email address: INTERNET - lonnie@meaddata.com
Opponent wanted for: Perfect General, Conquered Kingdoms.
Name: Andy Van Fossen
City: Columbus, Ohio
Phone: 614-771-7233
Email address: INTERNET - andy.vanfossen@osu.edu
Opponent wanted for: Command HQ
Name: Scot Kight
City: Ames, Iowa
Phone: 515-292-8097
Modem speed: 14.4K
Email address: INTERNET - tarjan@iastate.edu
Opponent wanted for: Falcon; Battle Chess; F1GP(when available);
Perfect General
Name: Marc Paulin
City: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Phone: 506-855-4974
Modem speed: 2400
Email address: INTERNET - markus@info.umoncton.ca
Opponent wanted for: Battle Chess 1 & 2, Fire Power, 688 Attack Sub,
Populous I
Name: Steve Crawford
City: , Colorado
Phone: 303-440-5917
Modem speed: 14.4K-baud
Email address: INTERNET - smithme@spot.Colorado.EDU
Opponent wanted for: Conquered Kingdoms, Siege: Dogs of War
Name: John Gantert
City:
Phone: 410-569-0416
Modem speed: 2400
Email address: INTERNET - jgantert@nyx.cs.du.edu
Opponent wanted for: Wordtris, Super Tetris
Name: Brett Lawler
City: Hunstville, Alabama
Phone: 205-464-0651
Modem speed: 14.4K-baud
Email address: INTERNET - brett@b8.b8.ingr.com
Opponent wanted for: Falcon 3.0
Name: Andrew Argyle
City:
Phone: 514-985-2998
Modem speed: 2400
Email address: INTERNET - uunet!sobeco!paxmtl!andrew
Opponent wanted for: Command HQ
Name: Jim Knutson
City: Austin, Texas
Phone: 512-892-1386
Modem Speed/Type: V.32bis/2400/1200/...
Email path/Internet number: knutson@mcc.com
Modem opponent wanted for: Falcon 3
Name: David Ondzes
City: , MA
Phone: 617-661-2597
Modem Speed/Type: 2400
Email path/Internet number: picasso@acs.bu.edu
Modem opponent wanted for: Anything, I do not know what is possible
Name: David desJardins
City: Princeton NJ
Phone: 609-683-0312
Modem Speed/Type: Nuvotel 14400I (V.32 bis, V.42, MNP-5)
Email path/Internet number: desj@ccr-p.ida.org
Modem opponent wanted for: Conquered Kingdoms, Battles of Destiny,
will buy other strategy games
Name: Kevin Williams
City: Cleveland, Ohio
Phone: 216-754-2313
Modem Speed/Type: 2400/Infotel
Email path/Internet number: kbw@po.CWRU.Edu
Modem opponent wanted for: Falcon3, TPG, Powermonger, CHQ
Name: Chris Fodor
City: San Diego, California
Phone: 619-220-0115
Modem Speed/Type: 2400 Hayes Compat
Email path/Internet number: cfodor@UCSD.edu (most reliable)
Modem opponent Wanted for: Modem Wars, Global Conquest, F29 Retaliator,
Falcon 3.0?
Name: Jim Green
City: Madison, Alabama
Phone: 205-464-0691 (home) or 205-730-8850 (work)
Modem Speed/Type: 2400 Hayes compatible
Internet/email: 129.135.142.103/jim@pdsjg.b24a.ingr.com
Modem apponent for: Siege (Dogs of War), Mail or call me for other game.
I can't remember ones that have modem support.
Name: Ray Eifler
City: Southfield, Michigan
Phone:
Modem Speed/Type: USR HST 14.4
Email path/Internet Number: goldberg@iastate.edu (until spring)
Modem opponent wanted for: Perfect General, others
Name: Robert Keng
City: Fremont, California
Phone: 510-794-8421
Modem Speed/Type: US Robotics Courier HST DS w/ v.32bis and ASL
14,400 max connection speed, 38,400 DTE
Email path/Internet Number: primus@netcom.com
Modem opponent wanted for: Falcon 3.0/OFT, F-15 III......
Name: Brian Weaver
City: Boulder, Colorado
Phone: 303-786-0021
Modem Speed/Type: 9600 v.32/v.42bis
Email path/Internet Number: weaverb@rintintin.colorado.edu
Modem opponent wanted for: Falcon 3.0, Armor Alley, I'll buy just about
any good game.
Name: Joel Schaubert
City: Round Rock, Texas
Phone: 512-388-4298
Modem Speed/Type: 2400 baud connections
Email path/Internet Number: schaubert@fisher.com
Modem opponent wanted for: Command HQ
Name: Dave Killion
City: Concord, California
Phone: 510-674-9143
Modem Speed/Type: Generic 2400B, getting a Generic 9600B
Internet/Email path: Killion@eis.calstate.edu
Modem Opponent Wanted For: Perfect General, 688 Attack Sub, Falcon 3.0,
others
Name: Wity Ganda
Internet/Email path: wity@iastate.edu
City, State, Country: Ames, IA, USA
Zipcode/Postal Code: 50012
Phone number: (515)294-5016
Modem Speed/Type: 14,400 bps (Intel)
Modem Opponent Wanted For: Knights of the Sky
Name: Simon Garton
Internet/Email path: sgarton@ucsd.edu
City, State, Country: La Jolla, CA USA
Zipcode/Postal Code: 92037
Phone number: 619-458-8390
Modem Speed/Type: 14.4 Kbaud (v.32bis)
Modem Opponent Wanted For: Falcon 3.0
Name: David Ondzes
Internet/Email path: picasso@acs.bu.edu
City, State, Country: Cambridge, MA USA
Zipcode/Postal Code: 02139
Phone number: 617-661-2597
Modem Speed/Type: 2400
Modem Opponent Wanted For: Any modem game
Name: Steve Krispli
Internet/Email path: 00048323@ysub.ysu.edu
City, State, Country: Youngstown, OH USA
Zipcode/Postal Code: 44512
Phone number: 216-726-7647
Modem Speed/Type: 14.4 Kbaud (v.32bis)
Modem Opponent Wanted For: Interested in playing Perfect General, Empire
Deluxe, Battles of Destiny
Epic MegaGames is pleased to become the first advertiser in Game Bytes
Magazine. Like Game Bytes, our shareware games are distributed through
on-line channels. Over the next year you will see some really exciting
games coming from us, including this gem - Solar Winds by James Shmaltz.
Check them out on your local BBS, CompuServe or Software Creations.
----------* S O L A R W I N D S *----------
From Epic MegaGames
In Solar Winds, you play the role of Jake Stone, bounty hunter. You'll
interact with a wide variety of characters. Some will become your allies
and help you while others will prove to be dangerous adversaries who may
try to lead you to a tragic ending. All along, a dark and mysterious plot
is developing as you progress. If you; carefully examine all of the
clues, avoid dangerous situations, win in combat against your enemies,
obtain the proper items and complete all the missions, you -may- survive
long enough to learn the secret of Solar Winds.
Solar Winds features beautiful smooth-scrolling 256-color VGA graphics,
sound card and mouse support. Requires a 286 (or higher) processor and a
hard disk drive.
Solar Winds is two complete episodes. You can try the first episode
as shareware. When you register, you'll receive both episodes, a hint book
and cheat codes. The price is only $30 US.
-- SPECIAL OFFER TO GAME BYTES MAGAZINE READERS --
Check out our special offer for Game Bytes readers for $5 off the price
of your next order from Epic MegaGames. An order form is contained in
this month's Game Bytes. Print it and send it by fax or mail to the
address on the order form and the savings are all yours!
Internet's Top 100 Games
This week the votes from 132 people have been used to compile this chart.
Send your votes to appelo@dutiag.twi.tudelft.nl and you'll get the next
chart sent to you personally. Ask for the document that tells how to vote.
The format for every line with a vote is: points title publisher [ ID ]
===========================================================================
The Net PC Games Top 100 Edition 18 - Week 18 - May 3, 1993
===========================================================================
TW LW NW Title Developer/Publisher(s) Cat ID Points
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1 9 X-Wing LucasArts/US Gold AC [1169] 674
2 2 18 Civilization MicroProse ST [1002] 666
3 4^ 15 VGA Planets {S} Tim Wisseman ST [1131] 304
4 5^ 16 World Circuit/F1 Grand Prix MicroProse SP [1123] 295
5 3 5 Ultima 7 Part 2 (Serpent Isle) Origin/El. Arts RP [1195] 261
6 7^ 18 Wolfenstein 3D {S} Id/Apogee AC [1013] 250
7 8^ 17 Dune 2 Westwood/Virgin ST [1110] 245
8 9^ 15 Ultima Underworld 2 Origin/Electronic Arts RP [1127] 246
9 6 17 Star Control 2 Accolade ST [1116] 215
10 10 17 Alone in the Dark Infogrames AD [1105] 192
11 11 18 Ind. Jones: Fate of Atlantis LucasArts/US Gold AD [1003] 168
12 12 17 Comanche: Maximum Overkill NovaLogic/US Gold SI [1101] 128
13 13 18 Ultima 7 (+ Forge of Virtue) Origin/Mindscape RP [1001] 143
14 15^ 17 Crusaders o.t. Dark Savant Sir-tech/US Gold RP [1104] 152
15 16^ 15 The Incredible Machine Dynamix/Sierra PU [1128] 133
16 14 18 Ultima Underworld Origin/Mindscape RP [1009] 114
17 17 16 Railroad Tycoon MicroProse ST [1121] 118
18 -* 1 Strike Commander Origin/Electronic Arts SI [1218] 381
19 18 18 Harpoon (+ disks) Three-Sixty/Electronic Arts ST [1058] 100
20 20 9 Space Quest 5 Dynamix/Sierra AD [1173] 107
21 21 7 Minesweeper MicroSoft ST [1184] 105
22 19 18 Lemmings (+ More Lemmings) Psygnosis PU [1095] 99
23 26^ 6 Nethack 3.1 {freeware} DevGroup RP [1186] 132
24 22 13 Warlords SSG ST [1135] 77
25 23 18 Monkey Island 2 LucasArts/US Gold AD [1014] 71
26 24 18 Eye of the Beholder 2 SSI/US Gold RP [1067] 68
27 27 18 Falcon 3.0 (+ op.) Spectrum Holob./MicroProse SI [1005] 83
28 25 18 King's Quest 6 Sierra AD [1015] 65
29 48* 2 Monster Bash {S} Apogee AC [1213] 156
30 28 18 Wing Commander 2 (+ Sp. Oper.) Origin/Mindscape AC [1007] 59
31 29 18 Darklands MicroProse RP [1008] 65
32 30 15 Commander Keen 4, 5, 6 {S} Id/Apogee AC [1129] 55
33 33 16 V for Victory (+ scenario's) Three-sixty/El. Arts ST [1114] 71
34 34 15 The Lost Admiral QQP ST [1126] 74
35 31 15 The Humans (Human Race) Imagitec/US Gold/Mirage PU [1112] 50
36 37^ 14 Spear of Destiny Id/FormGen AC [1124] 72
37 35 8 Empire Deluxe New World ST [1177] 59
38 32 18 Links 386 Pro (+ courses) Access/US Gold SP [1006] 44
39 38 18 A-train (+ constr. set) Maxis/Spectrum H./Ocean ST [1004] 71
40 36 16 Conquered Kingdoms QQP ST [1122] 40
41 39 10 Eric the Unready Legend/Accolade AD [1151] 36
42 40 17 F-15 Strike Eagle 3 MicroProse SI [1103] 41
43 43 18 Aces of the Pacific (+ miss.) Dynamix/Sierra SI [1010] 56
44 45^ 8 Prince of Persia Broderbund AC [1172] 45
45 42 18 Wing Commander 1 (+ Secret M.) Origin/Mindscape AC [1026] 41
46 41 18 Eye of the Beholder 1 SSI/US Gold RP [1093] 32
47 46 15 The Summoning SSI/US Gold RP [1117] 37
48 44 13 Empire: Wargame of the Century Interstel ST [1142] 28
49 52^ 4 Violent Fighter Star AC [1185] 52
50 47 18 SimCity Maxis/Ocean ST [1079] 39
51 50 18 Out of this World Delph./Interp./US Gold AC [1012] 32
52 51 11 Populous 2 (+ disk) Bullfrog/Electronic Arts ST [1149] 25
53 49 10 Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure {S} Apogee AC [1162] 15
54 55^ 6 Zone66 {S} Renaissance/Epic AC [1190] 32
55 53 16 Gobliins 2 Coktel V./Digital I./Sierra PU [1107] 25
56 54 10 MechWarrior Activision AC [1159] 27
57 59^ 5 Solitaire's Journey QQP ST [1183] 39
58 76* 2 Lemmings 2: The Tribes Psygnosis PU [1207] 77
59 57 14 Stunt Island Assembly Line/Disney/Infogr. AC [1130] 34
60 58 9 Ultima 6 (The False Prophet) Origin/Mindscape RP [1153] 35
61 65^ 18 Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes Mythos/El. Arts AD [1016] 42
62 64^ 7 Inca Coktel V./Digital I./Sierra AC [1158] 37
63 73^ 3 Bandit King of Ancient China Koei ST [1210] 52
64 56 10 Populous 1 (+ disk) Bullfrog/Electronic Arts ST [1155] 9
65 60 18 Conquest of the Longbow Sierra AD [1055] 22
66 66 5 Galactix {S} Cygnus AC [1194] 31
67 70^ 12 SimLife (The Genetic Playgr.) Maxis/Mindscape ST [1138] 40
68 63 18 Dungeon Master Psygnosis RP [1024] 25
69 61 18 Legend of Kyrandia Westwood/Virgin AD [1025] 22
70 75^ 9 Might & Magic 3 New World/US Gold RP [1170] 39
71 67 9 Wayne Gretzky Hockey 3 Bethesda SP [1171] 19
72 69 8 Command HQ MicroProse ST [1166] 22
73 68 18 Quest for Glory 3 Sierra RP [1018] 20
74 74 18 Red Baron (+ missions) Dynamix/Sierra SI [1070] 31
75 90^ 7 Veil of Darkness Event Horizon/SSI/US Gold AD [1175] 43
76 71 18 Gods Renegade/Konami AC [1023] 9
77 72 16 Might & Magic: Clouds of Xeen New World/US Gold RP [1102] 9
78 77 18 Powermonger Bullfrog/Electronic Arts ST [1036] 18
79 81^ 5 Savage Empire Origin RP [1192] 22
80 78 6 Tony Larussa's Ult. Baseball 2 SSI SP [1191] 15
81 80 10 Major Stryker {S} Apogee AC [1161] 18
82 84^ 9 Chuck Yeager Air Combat Electronic Arts SI [1174] 18
83 82 11 Catacombs Abyss {S} Softdisk AC [1141] 15
84 79 14 Battles of Destiny QQP ST [1132] 10
85 83 18 Perfect General (+ scenario's) QQP/Ubi ST [1098] 18
86 92^ 4 Seven Cities of Gold Ozark/Electronic Arts ST [1167] 25
87 99^ 3 Rex Nebular MicroProse AD [1115] 32
88 87 14 Front Page Sports: Football Dynamix/Sierra SP [1133] 18
89 62 18 Dune Cryo/Virgin ST [1075] 2
90 85 6 Rise of the Dragon Dynamix/Sierra AD [1181] 12
91 86 18 Push-over
Ocean PU [1030] 22
92 89 3 Maelstrom Don Bluth/Merit ST [1199] 12
93 88 18 Monkey Island 1 (+ vga v.) LucasArts/US Gold AD [1027] 15
94 96^ 2 Dylan Dog Simulmondo AC [1203] 15
95 93 18 Global Conquest MicroProse ST [1068] 15
96 91 9 Bane of the Cosmic Forge Sir-Tech/US Gold RP [1164] 6
97 97 2 Immortal Electronic Arts AD [1200] 12
98 -^ 1 Pools of Darkness SSI RP [1204] 17
99 98 18 Chessmaster 3000 Softw. Toolw./Mindscape ST [1029] 9
100 -^ 1 Castle of the Winds {S} Saadasoft/Epic RP [1196] 15
Dropped out:
94 1 Ringworld Tsunami/Accolade [1189]
95 1 Earl Weaver Baseball 2 Electronic Arts [1211]
100 5 Spirit of Excalibur Virgin [1176]
===========================================================================
The Net PC Games Tip 20 Edition 18 - Week 18 - May 3, 1993
===========================================================================
TW LW NW Title Developer/Publisher(s) Cat ID
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 4 5 Colonel's Bequest Sierra AD [1205]
2 8 5 Ultrabots (Xenobots) NovaLogic/Electronic Arts AC [1201]
3 3 4 Ken's Labyrinth {S} Epic AC [1208]
4 - 1 Eye of the Beholder 3 SSI/US Gold RP [1225]
5 10 3 Michael Jordan In-Flight ZCT/Electronic Arts SP [1217]
6 9 3 Solitaire for Windows MicroSoft ST [1214]
7 7 8 Wrath of the Demon ReadySoft AC [1188]
8 12 3 Ween: The Prophecy Coktel V./Digital Int./Sierra AD [1215]
9 11 4 Challenge of the 5 Realms MPS/MicroProse RP [1212]
10 17 2 Stunts Broderbund AC [1221]
11 16 2 Battle Chess 4000 Interplay ST [1220]
12 14 2 AD&D Unlimited Adventures SSI RP [1219]
13 - 1 Bard's Tale 1 Interplay RP [1226]
14 15 3 Paganitzu {S} Apogee PU [1216]
15 20 2 Shadow of the Comet Infogrames/Interplay RP [1224]
16 - 1 Core Wars Intern. Core Wars Society ST [1227]
17 - 1 M.U.L.E. Electronic Arts -- [1228]
18 18 2 Cobra Mission Megatech AD [1222]
19 19 2 Jetfighter 2 Velocity SI [1223]
20 - 1 Menace Psygnosis -- [1229]
The Net PC Games Top 100 is compiled using votes sent by many people from
all over the world. The latest chart is published every Monday on Usenet
in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games newsgroup. A collection of all editions can
be found on the risc.ua.edu ftp-site. More detailed information on how the
chart is compiled, can be found in the Top 100 document. Just ask for it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TW : This Week | (c) 1993 all rights reserved Jojo Productions
LW : Last Week | Weena 41 a
NW : Number of Weeks | With many thanks to the 3013 CD Rotterdam
- : New Entry | Delft University of Technology The Netherlands
^ : Climbing | for providing us with the Tel: +31 10 4114510
* : Bullet | necessary facilities. appelo@dutiag.twi.tudelft.nl
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AC : Action PU : Puzzle SI : Simulation ST : Strategy
AD : Adventure RP : Role-Playing SP : Sports {S}: Shareware
We are pleased to be able to be partners with the Software Creations BBS
system, home of the Apogee software distribution network. Through this
BBS network, we are able to have Game Bytes distributed on over 2000
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who would like to be participating members in one of the best BBS systems
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Creations are:
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508-368-7036 - 2400 - 14.4 Kbaud - V.32bis
All new Apogee shareware releases START with Software Creations, so by
being a member of this board you'll be guaranteed to be the first to have
new releases from Apogee/ID such as the Keen series, and next year, the
incredible Doom series. Plus, you'll always find each and every issue
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Call today!
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The positive response we've received from so many around the world has
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In return for your donation of $15.00 or more, we'll make sure we mail you
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Thanks for helping us keep Game Bytes alive.
Ross Erickson
Editor and Publisher, Game Bytes
ED. - We are please to present our interview with Sid Meier of Microprose.
As most of you know, Sid is the author of several epic megahits for Micr
-prose, including F-19 Stealth Fighter, Railroad Tycoon, and Civilization
to name a few. He's a legend in the computer games industry and we're
thrilled that he took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about
his work and his future gaming plans. I'm also extremely grateful to Dave
Pipes who took the responsibilty for this interview and also the time to
travel to Microprose headquarters. Thanks Dave!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
GB: First, thanks for letting us talk to you. We have a large
proportion of students and programmers among our readers, and one of the
more frequent questions that was raised about this interview concerned
your back-ground. Can you tell us how you got started with computers?
Sid Meier: Well, I have a Bachelor's degree in computer science,
actually, from the University of Michigan. Before I came to Microprose I
worked in more mainstream computing, for General Instrument Corporation,
which is now just down the road. (Microprose is located Northwest of
Baltimore in Hunt Valley, Md.) They put in minicomputer networks,
terminals and the like, and I did systems analysis work for them. Pretty
mainstream stuff.
I've always been interested in gaming, and math and science, and computers
allowed me to get into those areas in a new way. When I was in high
school, computers were not generally available, and when I got to
college, they were just becoming a field in which people actually made a
living. This was in the middle '70's.
GB: What is your favorite game, of the one's you've made?
Mr. Meier: My favorite game? Generally it is the latest one, and in this
case, I think Civilization would be my favorite. Whatever your latest
game is, it's like your youngest kid; that's your favorite one. But that
changes over time.
GB: That seems to be the current favorite on Internet, anyway.
Mr. Meier: Yes, it seems to be doing fairly well. We got a lot of good
feedback on it. Civilization does seem to have a little something extra
to it.
GB: Do you follow any of the networks?
Mr. Meier: I do, secondhand. We have a guy named Quentin who monitors
the different networks and brings back some of the comments for me to
look over. So I tend to hear things secondhand; I don't actively
participate. It would take a lot of time, I think, and while it would be
interesting, right now I don't have the time. But I do get comments from
people; in fact, we did a whole revision of Civilization based on comments
which came out of the networks. Civilization in particular seemed to
stimulate a lot of discussion, analyzing and strategizing, so the last
revision we did was to plug a few loopholes by which people could break
the game by using some weird strategies.
GB: Yes, that revision was pretty well received on the net. Now, to
change the subject, what advice do you have for people who might want to
get into computer game development?
Mr. Meier: Well, even just a few years ago I would have said "Learn to
program". But these days you can get into game design without being a
programmer. Five years ago, the only way people got into the computer
game industry was either by getting a job with a game manufacturer and
working their way up, or by independently producing a game that showed
they had the potential - maybe it was not the greatest artwork, but it
demonstrated that they had potential, and they were hired. But the days
of the independent "lone-wolf" designer are pretty much gone, given that
it really takes a lot of work and technology to put a game together today.
Every now and then there is a Tetris, but for every Tetris there are a
thousand people who tried to do it and didn't succeed.
I still think a good background in programming is always helpful. The
other avenue through which people come to us, especially, is the board
game industry - wargames, family games, sports games and things like that.
Those are the two key elements; programming and game design. The more you
can do of those, either in school or on your own, the better you get at
it, the more successful you're going to be. The other avenue here is
through playtest; that is the one area in which just a strong interest in
games can get you going, and then it is up to you to show what you can do.
Most companies have a playtest group or do playtesting somehow, and that's
generally the easiest place to get involved with the company. If you have
talent, hopefully they'll recognize it.
GB: This question seems to come from a lot of people who've developed
shareware or freeware games under Unix, say, and they've had some
experience with distribution, but they are not sure whether that can go
anywhere these days. Is it possible to approach a company in that way,
with a game as your resume?
Mr. Meier: It's tough. It is certainly worth a try. But the bad news is
that a lot of times you will have more fun doing those shareware games
than working for a game company. Game companies are most likely going to
tell you what to do, what game you will work on. They are not necessarily
going to do your idea, the one the world is just waiting for. Most
companies will listen, but they generally have their niche, the type of
game they do well, and most games are now done by large groups, with a lot
of input from marketing and sales as to what they want. So the days of
one person having a really great idea and turning it into a software
product for the company are kind of gone, as far as the big game companies
are concerned. There is not the avenue for a lot of independent, "Here's
a million dollars, go off and do whatever you want and create a game" type
of development. So for those people who are doing shareware games, I
caution them that it might be more fun to do that than to work in a big
company, although financially, one is a job and one isn't.
If you are in it for the fun, I would stay in it for the fun. I just
mention that issue because people think that they are going to come to the
game company and do whatever they want, that they will walk in the door
and find a party going, it's not quite like that.
Moving on...How do I get my ideas? I haven't really thought about that...
I think a lot of it is reliving my childhood. There are a lot of topics,
like railroads and history, that left an interest, but that most adults
have little time to go back to. That is one of the nice things about what
we do here; we get to go back to our childhood interests and develop them
into games which interest both younger people and adults. We try to put
together games that aren't totally hard to play, but that can get into a
lot of detail if you want it to.
GB: Almost a family focus?
Mr. Meier: I guess so, yes. Different games appeal to different people,
but my primary criterion for an idea is, "Would I like to play this game?"
That's the first test. Then too, is it a game that can be done? Is it
realistic to think we could really do a good job with the game? Those are
my two criteria. Generally, my games spring out of things I liked to do
when I was younger.
As for the relation between our games and board wargames, we don't deal
with any board game manufacturers directly, because there is a big
difference between board wargames and computer games. Most board wargames
are designed for multiple people and the interaction between people is a
big part of the game. This is not present in a computer game, and is
replaced by interaction with the computer. So in certain situations, a
computer can take the roles of the opponents, while other situations are
better suited to human opponents.
GB: Do you design with single-player games in mind?
Mr. Meier: Yes.
GB: There has been a lot of talk about multi-player versions of some of
your games.
Mr. Meier: Especially on the networks, yes. But in my mind the majority
of players are solitaire players, and those are the people we write for,
primarily. I think that network games can be more fun, and someday will
be as popular, or more popular, than single-player games, but right now
the reality is that most people play games solitaire, even if the game can
have multiple players. It's kind of a strange statistic, but even board
wargames which are designed for multiple players tend to be played by one
person. The computer is always ready to play, but with a multi-player
game, you have to find someone to play, who is not much better or worse
than you are, coordinate schedules...all that stuff. So the majority of
gameplay of our products is single player. Of course, the biggest reason
is that we don't support a lot of multi-player games, but even if we did
provide that option, they would be more likely to be played solitaire, so
we orient the games so that they play well in that particular way.
There is a lot of overlap between what we do and board games, because
certain topics just make good games. So many things have been made into
both board games and computer games. But we don't try to copy the design
of a board game, for example the way a particular game might handle
railroads or air combat, because the requirements are different. There
are different requirements for computer games and board games. But many
of the topics are just cool topics, and account for the overlap between
what they do and what we do.
There are a couple of ways to develop a game, but what we try to do is to
be very interactive in developing. What that means is that as soon as
possible, generally within a week or two, we try to put together a
prototype. It is something that will give us a very rough idea of the
gameplay, but also something that we can actually play. From then on it is
an evolutionary process, refining the prototype into a final product.
This lets us play the whole time we are developing, so we are always going
back and forth between playing the game and adding features. We never
spend three months doing something before we discover that it is not fun
to do; we are always checking ourselves to make sure that what we just put
in makes the game more fun, or integrates with what is already there,
things like that. I find that the interactive development creates a good
game.
That is in contrast with traditional programming. In traditional
programming, you get a big spec, somebody has designed the whole thing,
and you start with point 1a, do that and work your way through the rest.
But that assumes that you know what you want at the beginning. That's not
the case with a game. You know what the topic is, but how exactly are you
going to take that and make it fun? We don't know how to predict that or
design that from the beginning. We know certain things, we think this
will be fun, we think that won't be fun, but until we can actually sit
down and play, we really don't know whether it will work or not. So we
try to get the play experience as early as possible so that it is easy to
make changes, and it keeps us in touch with the goals and the fun as the
game develops. I think that is one big difference between what we do here
and traditional programming; we are much less spec oriented, code flys in
and out. People complain because they convert my code and find a big
section of code that is commented out; but I don't know whether I'll need
to put it back in later, so I just leave it during development. If you go
through our code, you'll notice it has a lot of evidence of patching, and
non-straight-line design.
GB: So are you working at the top of a pyramid of people who are feeding
off of your code?
Mr. Meier: I do almost all the coding for my games myself, for the IBM,
which is now the primary platform. Now when the game is done, someone
will take it and do it for the Macintosh, or for the Amiga. But I don't
have a staff of programmers working on what I do because I find that to be
not very efficient. It is easier for me to work alone, and the product is
still of a size that I can reasonably do it myself. I think you lose a lot
of efficiency by working in a team - you don't have a spec, and you are
trying to give vague instructions to people. It just doesn't work.
So I do most of the coding, with the caveat that I work on top of a
number of libraries which provide the graphics and sound routines for me.
I don't do a lot of writing in assembly language, we have routines for
writing to the screen, copying in blocks of pixel, grabbing pictures from
a disk, things like that. We have a good library of basic functions, and
I'll write the code in C on top of it.
GB: So you have a lot of reusability?
Mr. Meier: Yes, I reuse a lot of code. On some projects, and once in a
while with mine, we can split off a part and give it to another group.
For example, starting screens, or an introductory sequence, or if there is
some part of the game that can really be seperated, we'll occasionally
have someone else do that. This happens with things like three-d graphics
packages. But if it is something that has to interact, it is best if one
person does it, otherwise you get the multi-person problems - "I thought
you were passing this here..." "No no no..."
GB: How do you balance gameplay and accuracy?
Mr. Meier: Well, that's a good question. I lean towards the side of
gameplay. But then at the end we try to make it look accurate! That's
where the manual comes in, to justify all the decisions we made to make
the game fun to play. My philosophy is that if you are having fun, you
are not going to quibble over whether the 3rd Panzer Division was right
here, or whether F15's actually fly at 625 knots, or whatever. If you're
having a good time, you're busy having fun. If you are not having fun,
your mind starts to wander around and pick at the details...Our job is to
keep you involved in the game and let your imagination take over.
So you have to have enough accuracy to draw the player into the situation
- "Oh, yes, that is what Napoleon looked like!". But if people wanted
strict accuracy, they wouldn't play computer games. If you want reality,
you can go out the door, there's reality staring you in the face. People
play computer games because they want larger-than-life, they want
excitement, they want to have fun, they want it to be a condensed, high-
points-only version of reality. So we try to do this; for example, in
Civilization, you go through 5000 years of history in only 20 hours. We
cut out some of the slower parts and let you focus on the action.
Accuracy is fine, but we try to put the fun there first, and add the
accuracy once we know the game will be fun.
GB: How do you come up with an interface for a particular game?
Mr. Meier: Well, that goes along with our process of playing. Generally
by playing the game all the time, you'll notice when you need a keystroke
to do something, or you'll want a report that shows these eight things.
All the interface issues tend to be very clear when you are actually a
player as well as a designer. You can tell when a designer did not play
the game; you'll think, "Nobody ever played this game, or they never would
have made me go through this whole process to get one piece of
information", or whatever. I think that by constantly going back and
playing the game as it progresses, you get a good feel for what should be
easily accessible, what sorts of information should be tied together and
put on the screen at the same time.
The IBM doesn't have the interface standards that other systems do, and
our interfaces tend to be a little bit ad hoc that way. They are designed
more to give you what you want to know for one game than they are to fit a
standard for all of our games. Within that we use our own game-playing
experience to design the interface that makes the most sense.
GB: So it evolves just like the game?
Mr. Meier: Yes.
GB: Do you reuse a lot of code?
Mr. Meier: Yes, if we can. I mentioned our library, where we reuse a
whole bunch of code, and I will reuse code often in building a prototype.
In the first week or two, to get something going, you need to borrow a lot
of code from another product, even though it might not fit exactly.
Unless you think you've got something that might work, it gets replaced
later on in the process. But with the sound, graphics and gameplay
libraries, a game could be up to 50% recycled code.
GB: Another change of subject...What new products are you working on?
Mr. Meier: We are working on an American Civil War game. Now
historically, games that I've gotten heavily into - and I'm not certain
that this one will reach market, we are just working on it - if we have
to cancel a game, it is because it is not fun, or we ran into some
insurmountable technical problems, or we'd have to take some cheesy
shortcut, and we just don't want to do that. Or if someone comes out
with exactly the same product six months before we do, something like
that. There are times we shy away from finishing a topic if it looks like
other companies are doing the same thing. I'd just like to caution you
that this game may never reach the market, for whatever reasons.
My approach is to say, "What's fun about the Civil War? What would be neat
to do in the Civil War?" We're trying to put something together that lets
you do everything. There is the whole strategic side of the war - when do
you put out the Emancipation Proclamation? Do the British or French get
involved? So the big strategic issues are there, calling for volunteers,
things like that. But once you do a little of that, there is a whole set
of interesting problems involved with moving your troops around; an
operational scale where you decide to cut off Harper's Ferry, march up to
Pennsylvania and attack at Gettysburg, or just defend down here in
Virginia. And then there are a lot of interesting tactical problems;
moving your troops around that hill, trying to get through these woods.
Those are all too much fun to leave out of the game, so we are trying to
put them all in without creating a game that takes 500 hours to play,
that would actually take 4 years to finish. We're dealing with that issue
right now - how do we give you the flavor of all these things. When
something interesting needs to be done, you do it, but when things are
just moving along, in a slow way, the computer handles all that. It
transports you forward to the next interesting event.
So right now our goal is to have all the fun stuff, all the interesting
things that were going on, right there, and you can take part in it.
We're trying to do that without overloading you with the number of things
you need to know. So that's the challenge. We have some ideas, but we
haven't gotten all the way through that.
It will be an IBM game, and hopefully...I don't like to put out games that
take 20 megabytes of disk space and require a 486 to run. That's fine for
some games, if they want to do that, but it is not necessary, and I'd
rather have more people able to play the games. Hopefully, whatever
computer you have will be the perfect computer to run this game.
As for Pirates Gold, I'm not really involved with that. I wrote the
original program, and this is kind of redoing the graphics. Back when I
wrote Pirates!, I did it on the Commodore and the IBM was 4th on our list
of conversions, and we did the Atari and other versions first, so when we
did the original program, it didn't even run under DOS. So it will be a
real updating - vga graphics, bringing it into the '90's. But that is not
something I'm personally involved in.
GB: We did get an awful lot of questions about that.
Mr. Meier: I've been amazed by that...
GB: In fact, you can still go out and buy a copy, for a significant
fraction of the initial price.
Mr. Meier: There is something about that game that people just liked. It
was weird because it was the only real adventure game that I have ever
written, and even it is not really strictly an adventure game, but at the
time I saw all these puzzle games out there, and I saw all these... 18 hit
point games, and I just said, "You know, there is another way of doing
adventure games". Those were all sort of boardgaming concepts, and here's
how you could do a computer adventure game. I did Pirates! because I
thought there was another way of doing adventure games. I wondered, "Is
it only me that likes this kind of game?", and it turned out that a lot of
other people liked it. It appealed to a lot of people who didn't play our
other games - a lot of women played Pirates! I'm not sure exactly why; a
lot of older and younger players. Our traditional games have appealed to
the late teen, younger adult male - high testosterone people, but Pirates!
appealed to a wider range of people. It had a more relaxed pace, not
quite as focussed on one particular thing. It let you explore different
avenues. I think Civilization has that quality too.
When I was on the boards after doing Civilization, and I asked what we
should do next, it would be Civilization II, and another Pirates!. I was
surprised at how popular it still was. It was just something about it. It
was different, and I think there is still no other game that tried to
have it follow the same interface strategy, combining simple menus with
action sequences, things like that. I guess there are other games that
take a similar approach. But at the time it was different, and still most
adventure games are the puzzle type or moving the guy around the screen to
pick up the apple, put down the apple. Those are the most common types
around.
GB: What about multiplayer versions of Civ, or Railroad Tycoon?
Mr. Meier: Well, that's a hard question that we've been asked a lot.
"Why don't you do scenario disks, or follow-ons?" or whatever. The
problem is that it is nearly as much work, not quite but getting close, to
do a revision as it is to do a new game. We don't deliberately take
things out of the game to sell them to you later. So when we put out a
game like Civilization or Railroad Tycoon, naturally it's hard to get
enthusiastic about spending another year doing railroads, or whatever.
And we also have new ideas, which we want to do - if we had done a
Railroad Tycoon II, there probably would not have been a Civilization.
We probably made the right choice.
GB: This then ties in with the design methods; the finished product is
not spec'd out to add other parts later on. I don't think this viewpoint
has appeared on the nets yet - people just seem to be concerned about
where the next part is, without realizing how hard it is to add on.
Mr. Meier: I think if we got more organized, we could plan them with
sequels in mind, an upgrade path, but I prefer to put the good ideas into
the original game. I don't think we can be accused of making people pay
twice for one game. The reason people want a sequel is that they liked the
first game. The risk is that if you design with a sequel in mind, and
people don't like the game, then you never get to do the sequels. I'd
rather do the first one and have it be good.
GB: How would you react to someone volunteering to write a network
interface to one of your games, or a utility to stop a game at some point
and hand control from one player to another? We've seen this question a
few times from people who seem to be quite capable at this kind of thing
on Unix or Novell or whatever. What are your feelings about this kind of
thing?
Mr. Meier: I don't know that it would be quite that straightforward. The
reason that I didn't do a multi-player Civilization, for example, is
because the game is turn-oriented and if two people are playing, one
person will spend half the time waiting for the other to have their turn.
It seemed like that type of game really didn't lend itself to multi-player
play. It didn't seem like a good idea, and I don't think the problem would
be solved if someone figured a way to stop the game for one player while
the other moved.
In the cases where we didn't do a network game, it is because it didn't
seem like it would be a good game, not because we didn't want to do it or
didn't feel like it. We had to make a choice between a network and a
single-player game, and we chose single-player.
The problems will not go away with a piece of code that someone writes to
let one player go for a while, then the other takes their turn. If people
want to play that way, I don't see why that shouldn't be done. I'm not
sure it's quite that simple...figuring out how to stop it, where to break
it up, those things always look a lot easier from a reasonable distance.
GB: I've only heard of one claim that this has been done for
Civilization.
Mr Meier: Well, I guess it's possible, there are save games... It
wouldn't amaze me, but it would surprise me.
What really needs to happen is that these network guys have to create a
multiplayer gaming community that rivals the size of the individual
player gaming community. That's going to take a while, but I think it's
going to happen. That kind of gameplay is inherently more fun than
single play, because you get the best of both worlds; a lot of games you
can play against one other human player and three computer opponents, so
you get everything going on at once. So I think if the technology and the
costs come into place, that should become much more possible. But right
now, primarily because I have to compromise the single-player version in
order to write a good network version, I tend to focus on the single-
player version.
I am amazed at what people can hack - they've got programs to edit a saved
game and give themselves a million dollars - that's great, I'm glad people
are having fun with doing that. But that doesn't mean that we can easily
change something. The amount of money you get has been well balanced, and
the type of units you get is tuned. It is fun to experiment with
something different, but that doesn't mean that it is balanced.
GB: People seem to balance these on a meta-level: "I've got all this
money, so I won't use this unit type". Perhaps that is unconscious.
Mr. Meier: Yes, that's like taking the toy, once you've used it in the
real game, and once you've done what your supposed to with it, taking it
and crashing it into this thing over here, and seeing what kind of fun you
can have that way. That's another approach to games; once you've got the
initial fun out of it, to try to get more creative fun out of it, to see
what you can create with it. I think it's great, the more fun people have
with the game. That was the whole point in the first place, for people to
have fun with the game. We're not trying to change the world, just trying
to let people have a good time and learn a little bit, keep them off the
streets.
GB: How about the AI? How do you tweak the AI to function at a certain
level and not another? How do you feel about people writing and saying
"Look, it's too easy, make it harder!"?
Mr. Meier: Well, we don't hear from the guy who says it's too hard, you
know. There's a certain psychological deterrent to that.
I think people are always going to get better than the game, and I think
that's good, because a game that is always beating you is depressing. So
I think that people have to be able to reach a point where they think they
are better than the game. But it has to be an interesting path, or there
is no satisfaction in getting there. We play the games ourselves, and we
do a lot of playtesting, so we think we've got a pretty good handle on
what the various diffculty levels ought to be, how tough a game it ought
to be. If somebody feels they have beaten the game and tells all their
friends about it, that is one more step in the game, more fun people can
have. None of those people have played the game for an hour or two; these
are all people who've spent as much time as they ought to be spending with
the game. It's probably a good thing that they beat it, rather than play
it forever. Our experience has been that for every person who is bragging
to their friends that they've beaten the game, there are ten people who
are still working their way through it. Our problem is a little bit more
to make it playable by people who are less skilled, so they don't get
frustrated, than to make it the ultimate challenge to somebody who has put
in 100 hours on it. You can't please all the people all the time, but we
are aware of this, and we try to get all the difficulty levels to make
sense for most people.
GB: On behalf of our Game Bytes readers around the world, we certainly
want to thank you for taking the time from your hectic schedule to talk to
us and let us know more about your gaming philosophy. It's been entirely
enlightening! As you, a "Sid" game is something special and we all
anxiously await your next gem. Thanks for your time.
Mr. Meier: My pleasure.
This interview is Copyright (C) 1993 by Game Bytes Magazine. All rights
reserved.
THE FRONT PAGE SPORTS: FOOTBALL Off-Season Coach's Challenge
Test your skill at building plays and game plans in the Dynamix Coach's
Challenge and win a limited edition Front Page Sports: Football
Letterman's Jacket from Dynamix!
THE CHALLENGE
-------------
Build one Offensive and one Defensive game plan using the stock Dallas
team (in DYNAMIX.LGE). You may use stock plays or your own custom plays.
Save the plays and game plans to either 3.5" or 5.25" IBM diskette and mail
them to Dynamix. Pairs of entries will be drawn at random and played head-
to-head in simulated Exhibition games until all entires have been played.
Winners in these games will advance to the next round, and additional
rounds will be played until a Champion is determined.
THE SETTING
-----------
The play-offs will take place on Monday, June 14th with exhibition play
set in Dallas on artificial turf in 70 degree weather.
PRIZES!
-------
The Champion will receive a limited edition, personalized Front Page Sports
Letterman's Jacket. The top eight finishers will have their custom plays
included in the stock playbook of the next edition of Front Page Sports:
Football.
RULES
-----
All entries must be postmarked no later than June 10th, 1993 and must
include the contestant's full name, address and phone number. Only one
entry will be allowed per person and all entries become the property of
Dynamix, Inc. Employees of Sierra On-Line and Dynamix are ineligible.
Results will be published in the 12 edition of Game Bytes Magazine. All
winners will be notified by mail.
Send your entry to:
Dynamix, Inc.
Front Page Sports Football Contest
1600 Mill Race Drive
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Title: Gobliins II Complete Walk-Thru
Authors: Adam Cheal (i3y092@rick.cs.ubc.ca)
Kevan Dettelbach (s1d192@rick.cs.ubc.ca)
Date: March 26, 1993
+==============================================+
| Walk-Thru for Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon |
+==============================================+
Compiled by: Adam Cheal & Kevan Dettelbach
Comments: VERY hard game, with a lot of scenarios where things must be
done EXACTLY right or you get no hint that it was the right
thing to do. Very cool animations though, and impressively
long. In the walk-thru, Winkle is the Blue Gobliin, and
Fingus is the Green Gobliin.
Part 1: The Village -------------------
Move Fingus near bottle. Get Winkle to attempt to take the
sausage. While the old men are laughing, get Fingus to grab the bottle. Go
to Fountain scene. Move Winkle and Fingus near fountain. While Fingus uses
the fountain, get Winkle to use the bottle on the jet of water. Get Winkle
to use bottle on toad and then take the stone. Go to Village scene.
Get Fingus to use bottle on flowers, then take a flower. Make
Fingus use the flower on the Notable. While Winkle stands on the doormat,
get Fingus to use the switch. Get Winkle to take the sausage. Go to
Fountain scene.
Get Winkle to knock on door then talk to wizard. Get Fingus to
knock on door and talk to wizard. Get Fingus to use stone on mechanism.
While Fingus uses rung, get Winkle to go to chimney. Get Winkle to use
chimney. After wizard invites you in, enter house. While Winkle stands on
the rug's tail, get Fingus to take the matches from it's mouth. Get Fingus
to use matches on kettle then use bottle on kettle. Wait for kettle to
start steaming. Get Winkle to use kettle to blow out the fire. Get Winkle
to take spring key. Get Fingus to use spring key on cuckoo-clock while
Winkle positions himself on the tail of the rug. While Fingus uses cuckoo-
clock, Winkle uses stone on the large key that emerges from the clock. Get
Winkle to take the key. Go to Fountain scene.
Get Winkle to use the large key on the cellar, then take the wine.
Go to Giant scene.
While Winkle uses the chicken, get Fingus to use the sausage on
the head of the chicken. Get Fingus to take the egg. While Fingus uses the
sausage on the pot-hole, get Winkle to walk past the dog. Get Winkle to
use the hole in the tree. Get both Winkle and Fingus to enter the burrow.
Get Winkle to light the wood pile with the matches. Get Fingus to use the
egg on the fire to wake the giant up. Get Fingus to give the giant the
wine and the sausage. Enter the forest.
Part 2: Entering the Castle ---------------------------
Get Fingus to enter tower, and he will throw out a bomb. While
Fingus uses the bomb, get Winkle to light it with the matches. Get Winkle
to enter the tower and he will throw out a bomb. While Fingus uses the
bomb, get Winkle to light it. Finally, get Fingus to enter the tower, and
another bomb will be thrown out. Get Winkle to use the bomb while Fingus
lights it. Get Winkle to stand on the carpet, then get Fingus to stand on
the carpet. Go to Kael scene.
Get Winkle to use the bottle on the nymph, then on Kael. Get
Winkle to stand on Kael's hand to be lifted into the tree. Get Fingus to
move on top on stone located to left of Kael. Get Winkle to use the
branch, and Fingus will catch the falling flower. Get Fingus to use the
flower on the stone flap located to the left of the mushroom patch. After
he drops the flower in, get Fingus to open the flap again to get some
honey. Get Fingus to move on top of the stone ramp to the left of the
stone flap. Get Winkle to open the stone flap while Fingus hops on the
back of the bee. Get Fingus to give the honey to the nymph. Get Fingus to
pick the mushroom that the nymph pointed out. Get Winkle to knock on the
door and give the mushroom to Vivalzart when he appears. Enter the
treehouse.
Get Winkle to talk to Vivalzart then put the mushroom in the
machine. Get Fingus to press button on machine. When the machine gets
stuck, move Fingus on top of the pad located under the vulture's nest. Get
Winkle to use the jar to get a worm. Get Winkle to press the switch to the
left of the machine, then quickly use the worm on the vulture and Fingus
will fall carrying a piece of meat. Get Fingus to use the meat on the
piranha. Get Winkle to stand on top of the garbage can lid in front of
Vivalzart. Get Fingus to pick up the meat bone, and give it to Vivalzart.
After Winkle gets catapulted, get him to pick up the clothes peg and the
elixir of kindness. Get Fingus and Winkle to use the bottle on the
container where the drips are going. Teleport...
Get Winkle to use the clothes peg on the tube. Get Winkle to use
the headlight and he will grab the drumstick. Get Fingus to use spring
while Winkle uses the headlight to grab the pump that appears. Get Winkle
to use the drumstick on the hood to make a flycatcher. Get Fingus to use
the hole. Get Winkle to use the pump on the saxophone player, while Fingus
uses the flycatcher on the mosquito that appears. Get Winkle to use the
hole and move Fingus to the saxophone player. Get Fingus to use the pump
on the saxomphone player while Winkle uses the flycatcher to get the note.
Move both Winkle and Fingus on top of spring and get one of them to use
the spring to make a door appear. Get Fingus to use the hole, while Winkle
uses the door and moves near the guitar player. Get Winkle to talk to the
guitar player while Fingus waits and uses the flycatcher to get the note
that floats over. Finally, get Winkle to use the mosquito on the headlight
to scare the drummer while Fingus uses the flycatcher to get the last note
in the melody. Teleport...
Get Winkle to use the stone on the ball. Get Winkle to use the
melody on the door to the right of the basketball player. Move Fingus next
to the door to the right of the clock. Get Winkle to enter the little
boy's house and when the boy appears out of the lower door, get Fingus to
enter his door and he will grab the ball from the boy. Move Winkle under
the basket. Get Fingus to give the ball to the basketball player while
Winkle uses the basket to knock the ball into the Town Hall. Get Winkle to
talk to the mayor. Get Winkle to knock on the clockmaker's door and talk
to Tom who gives Winkle an hourglass. Go to Trench scene.
Get Fingus to use hourglass on trench to make a bridge. Get both
Winkle and Fingus to enter the opening on the other side of the sand
bridge.
Part 3: The Castle Courtyard ----------------------------
Move Winkle in front of Rustik, then move Fingus in front of
Stalopicus. While Winkle pokes Rustik, Fingus waits until Stalopicus opens
his mouth, then grabs the gum from inside it. Get Fingus to use the gum on
the opening on the cupboard to make an imprint. Get Fingus to take the
mayonaise. Get Fingus to walk up on to the roof near the animal skull,
then jump off. Without moving Fingus from his current position, get him to
use the mayonaise on the ground in front of him; this will force him to
drop the tube on the ground. Now move Winkle to the left of Gromelon while
Fingus heads for the roof again. Make Fingus jump off the roof onto the
mayonaise and blind Gromelon while Winkle grabs the sword. Get Fingus to
take the mayonaise. Go to Forge scene.
Get Fingus to use the imprint and the sword on the blacksmith.
Move Fingus to the right of Oto. Get Winkle to get the stool, then use it
on Oto. Get Fingus to grab the end of Oto's lance and he will swing over
to the bellows. Get Fingus to jump on the bellows, then talk to the
blacksmith to get the key. Move Fingus onto staircase under Focus while
Winkle moves to left of Focus. While Winkle uses mayonaise on Focus, get
Fingus to use the stool on the meat to grab a piece. Get Winkle to take
anvil. Go to Guards scene.
Get Fingus to use meat on Aridal to get his false teeth. Get
Fingus to use the key on the cupboard, then grab a diving suit from the
cupboard. Get Winkle to get a diving suit from the cupboard. Go to Well
scene.
Get Winkle to enter the tunnel, and he will press a button that
reveals a door. Move Fingus to the left of the hatchet. Get Winkle to use
the hatchet while Fingus presses the switch behind the hatchet, which
opens the hidden door. Move Fingus in front of the tunnel and move Winkle
in front of the door. Get Fingus to enter the tunnel, and he will press a
button that starts the monster's mouth moving. As soon as Fingus reappears
out of the tunnel, send Fingus in the door and he will begin to speak out
of the moving mouth. While this speaking is going on, get Fingus to use
the stool on the hoist to connect the rope to Schwarzy's belt. Get Fingus
to use the false teeth on Schwarzyto scare him, then use the anvil on him
to hold him down. Get Fingus and Winkle to use their diving suits on the
well.
Part 4: Trapped Underwater --------------------------
Get Winkle to stand on the platform on top of the mast. Get Fingus
to use the lantern, and Winkle will grab the fish-lamp that emerges. Go to
Mermaid scene.
Get Fingus to enter the hole located on top left of the octopus.
Get Winkle to use the shell while Fingus waits and catches it. Leaving the
shell where it is, move Fingus in front of the cavity located under the
mermaid. Move Winkle into the hole at the top of the octupus ramp. While
Fingus sticks his hand in the cavity and pulls out a starfish, Winkle
waits for the "glove" to appear, then uses the shell to trap the "glove".
Move Winkle down to the shell, and get him to use it; he will pick up a
glove and a starfish. Go to Wreck scene.
Move Fingus and Winkle near the lantern. Get Winkle to use the
lantern to summon the moray eel, then move him on top of the seashell. Get
Fingus to turn the rudder which will summon a fish that will, eventually,
cause Winkle to be catapulted to the bow of the ship. Move Fingus to the
top of the stone staircase on the right. Get Fingus to use the fish-lamp
on the dark ??? spot. Get Fingus to use the starfish on the chest that
appears while Winkle uses the statue to get catapulted up to the chest,
and he will grab the sword inside the chest. Get Winkle to enter the door
located on the main deck a few times and he will eventually pop out the
skull. Get Winkle to use the sword on the skull to release the diamond,
then pick up the diamond. Go to Mermaid scene.
Move Fingus and Winkle near the blob on the top left, using the
stool on the seahorse to get catapulted up. Get Winkle to use the glove
on the blob. Get Winkle to use the green bottle to get a pearl. Get Fingus
to use the bottle to get a piece of parchment. Move Fingus and Winkle away
from the blob and get Winkle to get the glove back from the blob. Get
Fingus to give the pearl and the diamond to the mermaid. Get Fingus to
pick up the stool (if you left it by the seahorse). Get Fingus to use the
parchment on the octopus. Leave via the opened door.
Part 5: Inside the Castle -------------------------
Get Fingus to use the swordfish, then Winkle grabs the salt.
Fingus lifts the pot cover while Winkle uses the salt on the fellow in the
pot. Winkle moves near the rope on the ledge above the cook while Fingus
moves near the other end of the rope. While Fingus grabs the rope, Winkle
yanks on his end to lift Fingus up to the ledge above. Fingus uses the
file on the chain above the cage to free the bird. Fingus then takes a
thumb tack from the wall. Go to the Throne scene.
Fingus takes pepper. Go back to Storeroom scene.
Move Fingus behind cook, while Winkle moves near the meatballs.
Winkle uses the pepper on the meatballs, then quickly moves to steps
joining platforms above cook. When the cook is lifted up, Fingus puts the
thumbtack on the case, then Winkle uses the kindelixir on the meatball
that is thrown up to him. Go to Throne scene.
Winkle uses the stool on the cornice while Fingus jumps in
Winkle's hands. While Fingus presses the switch near the top right of the
screen, Winkle climbs in the door that appears in the eyeball. Move Winkle
through ear, near the tongue. While Fingus enters the ear, Winkle pulls
the tongue. Move Fingus near the hole and move Winkle near the orifice.
While Winkle pokes his head in the orifice, Fingus uses the glove on the
hole to get the cockroach. Fingus uses the cockroach on the hole, then
uses the kindelixir on the cockroach. Repeat ear-pull tongue-use glove
procedure to get another cockroach. Move both Winkle and Fingus back up on
the walkway above the throne. While Winkle walks into ear, get Fingus to
pull the tongue and Winkle will grab the crown. Go to Armour scene.
Fingus uses the stone, then the helmet to talk to the boy. Fingus
then uses the crown on the helmet to restore the true king. Fingus takes a
feather from the knight's helmet, then uses it on the paint can. Fingus
moves by the hole at the bottom of the screen. Fingus uses the cockroach
on the hole, uses the brush on the cockroach, then sprinkles pepper on the
cockroach to create a "ladybug". Fingus then douses the "ladybug" in
kindelixir and waits until the "ladybug" walks into the hole. Go to Throne
scene.
Fingus uses Buffoon to free him. Go back to Armour scene.
Move Buffoon near machine on roof. Move Fingus under machine, then
get Buffoon to use the machine. Repeat for Winkle.
Shrunken on the Desk --------------------
Winkle grabs the match and uses it on the eye to pop it out.
Buffoon uses the eye and kicks it around breaking the glasses. Winkle
picks the glass splinter. Move Fingus to the handle of the knife, and
Winkle near the poiont of the knife. While Fingus lifts the handle, Winkle
lifts the point and they shift it over a bit. Repeat. Fingus then grabs
the bookmark and cuts it off on the knife. Fingus uses the bookmark on the
candle, then uses the glass splinter on the ray to melt some wax. Fingus
grabs the wax and uses it on the seal to create an imprint. Fingus then
uses the imprint on the keyhole to open the chest. Fingus grabs the seed,
and uses it on the village on the map. All the characters use the plant to
disappear.
The Village Entrance --------------------
Winkle uses the hole in the beanstalk, then grabs the bean that
falls down. Winkle stands to the right of the stone, while Fingus stands
to the left. Winkle opens the stone and uses the bean on the mole while
Fingus quickly grabs the hat. Winkle climbs up the beanstalk to the apple
tree while Fingus moves to the far left of the apple tree. Winkle uses the
match on the tree to knock an apple off and Fingus uses the hat on the
bouncing apple to catch it. Winkle then uses the apple on the hole to
trick Buffoon into coming down from the limb. Winkle and Fingus eat
mushrooms to follow Buffoon to Dreamworld.
Dreamworld ----------
Winkle moves near star at the top of the ladder, while Fingus uses
the skittles. When the bowling ball appears under Winkle, Winkle uses the
star and jumps off to capture the bowling ball. Winkle moves onto the
cover and drops the bowling ball on it with him. Fingus then jumps on the
flag located to the left of the star which knocks the pin to the top right
of the screen. Repeat the skittle procedure to get another bowling ball.
Winkle uses the bowling ball on the cover, then moves onto the teeter-
totter below. Fingus jumps on the flag to the left of the star which
boosts Winkle up onto the rainbow. While Fingus stands on the flag under
the rainbow, Winkle jumps on the flag on the rainbow to boost Fingus up.
Winkle moves to the flag to the left of the star (below rainbow). Fingus
presses the feeler button to create a bubble then quickly runs over and
hops on the bubble. When the bubble lands on the cover, Winkle jumps on
the flag to send Fingus floating over the pin. Fingus grabs the pin, and
jumps down. Get another bowling ball and repeat the procedure above that
moves both Winkle and Fingus on to the rainbow. Move Winkle near the
switch and move Fingus neat the feeler button. Winkle presses the button
and Fingus waits until Buffoon is in the bubble blower than presses the
feeler button, while Winkle runs over to the "Buffoon Bubble" and pops it
with the pin.
The Village Entrance (again) ----------------------------
Move Buffoon on the end of the catapult, Winkle near the other end
of the catapult and Fingus near the button. While Fingus presses the
button, Winkle jumps on the catapult and Buffoon grabs the key and is
grabbed himself in the process. Go to Mountain scene.
Mountain --------
Winkle stands by stone, while Fingus moves to the level above him.
Winkle lifts the stone and Fingus takes it from his hands. Repeat the
procedure to move the stone up another level. Fingus stands on lion's head
and Winkle throws the stone to catapult Fingus to the staff. Fingus pushes
the head of the staff off onto a ledge below, then jumps down. Move the
stone up one level. Winkle stands on the lion's head while Fingus throws
the stone. Winkle climbs in the hole and Fingus moves onto the lion's
head. Winkle pushes the head off the ledge to catapult Fingus onto the
floating ledge. Fingus jumps on the !!! spot on the ledge to lower it down
to Winkle who promptly jumps on it. While Winkle stretches over to the
rock, Fingus quickly runs across his back to the birds. Fingus uses the
file on the cage to free the birds, then grabs the key. Go to Plant scene.
The Village Entrance (for the LAST time!) --------------------------------
---------
Fingus uses the key on the door, then walks through it into the
village.
The Laboratory --------------
Fingus uses magic water on Buffoon. Fingus grabs the pencil on the
ledge above Tazaar. Winkle uses the pencil on the blackboard three times,
then grabs the sponge that Tazaar throws at him. Winkle stands near the
armchair and Fingus moves near the portrait. While Fingus uses the pencil
on the portrait, Winkle uses the armchair to bounce up and grab the
boomerang. Winkle then uses the mug on Tazaar and Fingus uses the
boomerang on the toothpick that falls down to knock it to safety. Winkle
takes the toothpick and uses it on the skeleton to reveal the magic water.
Winkle uses the sponge to mop up the magic water. Winkle then blows on the
pipe while Fingus uses the wet sponge on the smoke to create a magic
portal. Both Winkle and Fingus enter the door.
Deathland ---------
Winkle stands on the top right ledge and Fingus stands on the
eyeball. Winkle jumps on the !!! on the left of the ledge to catapult
Fingus to the mouse. Fingus grabs the mouse and jumps down. Move Fingus
and Winkle to the right of the mud. While Fingus uses the mouse on the
mud, Winkle jumps on the crocodile and is catapulted up to the ledge.
Quickly, Winkle uses the boomerang on the teeth. After Buffoon falls to
the floow below, Winkle jumps on the !!! on the ledge to launch the
eyeball at the evil creature that appears. Winkle uses the wet sponge on
the rock. Buffoon stands on the eyeball and Winkle jumps on the !!! on the
ledge again to catapult Buffoon onto the sponge. After the water covers
the rock, Fingus uses the pencil on the rock to draw a magic door.
Quickly, Winkle uses the door handle to open the door to home. That's
it!!!
LONG! game and the ending is fairly cheesy (nice drop to DOS when it's
done), but very challenging. Hope the walkthru helped!
This walkthru is Copyright (C) 1993 by Adam Cheal and Kevan Dettelbach.
All rights reserved.
Magical bonuses
---------------
Weapons/armor/etc can also have magical properties, which are also
added to the base class. Armor provides additional resistance from
the Element selected. Weapons do additional damage to monsters.
WEAPON ARMOR PERSONAL
Describing Special BONUS BONUS BONUS Cost
Adjective Property (damage) (resist.) (person) plus
-------------- ------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------
Acidic Acid/poison + 2 +10 +200
Accelerator Speed +23
Accurate Accuracy + 5 +500
Arcane SP +25
Archmage SP +20
Armored AC + 4
Blazing Fire +20 +25
Brigand Thievery +10
Buddy Personality + 2
Burgler Thievery + 6
Burning Fire + 2 + 5 +200
Castors SP + 8
Chance Luck +10 +1000
Charisma Personality +12
Charm Personality + 5
Clever Intellect + 2 +200
Clover Luck + 5
Cold Cold +10 +20
Cryo Cold +25
Defender AC + 6 +600
Dense Energy + 4 + 9 +400
Divine AC +16
Dyna Electrical +20 +25
Ectoplasmic Magic +20
Ego Personality +23
Electric Electrical +15 +20 +1500
Exacto Accuracy +30
Fast Speed +10
Fiery Fire + 3 + 7 +300
Flashing Electric + 5 +12 +500
Flaming Fire +10 +15 +1000
Flickering Electrical + 2 + 5 +200
Force Might +23
Freezing Cold + 5 +15 +100
Friendship Personality + 3
Frost Cold + 4 +10 +400
Fuming Fire + 5 +12
Gambler Luck +25
Genius Intellect +30
Giant Might +12
Glowing Energy + 2 + 5
Health HP + 6
Holy Personality +30
Icy Cold + 2 + 5 +200
Incandescent Energy + 3 + 7 +300
Kinetic Energy +25
Knowledge Intellect +12
Leadership Personality +17
Leprachauns Luck +30
Life HP +10
Lucky Luck +20 +2000
Mage SP +16
Magical Magic +10
Marksman Accuracy +10
Might Might + 2
Mind Intellect + 3
Mystic Magic + 5 + 5 +500
Noxious Acid/poison +32 +40
Ogre Might + 8
Photon Might +43
Pirate Thievery +25
Plunder Thievery +18
Poisonous Acid/poison + 8 +20 +800
Power Energy +13 +1000
Precision Accuracy +15
Protection AC + 2
Pyric Fire + 4 + 9 +400
Radiating Energy +20 +20
Rapid Speed + 8
Rogue Thievery +15
Sage Intellect + 5
Scorching Fire
Seething Fire +15 +20 +1500
Sharp Accuracy + 3
Shocking Electrical +10 +15 +1000
Sonic Energy + 5 +11 +500
Sparking Electrical + 3 + 7 +300
Speed Speed +12
Spell SP + 4
Static Electrical + 4 + 9 +400
Strength Might + 3
Swift Speed + 3
Thermal Energy +15 +15
Thought Intellect + 8
Thunder Might +15
Toxic Acid/Poison +16 +25
Troll HP + 2
True Accuracy +20
Vampiric HP +50
Velocity Speed +30
Venomous Acid/poison + 4 +15 +400
Vigor HP + 4 +400
Warrior Might + 5
Wind Speed +17
Winner's Luck +15
Wisdom Intellect +23
Witch SP +12
Special Weapons - do 3 times normal damage to specified monsters
---------------
Beast Bopper
Bug Zapper
Dragon Slayer
Golem Smasher
Monster Masher
Undead Eater
THE FOLLOWING WERE COMPILED BY PHIL RICE:
----------------------------------------
The following is the Weapons/Armor/etc. lists as compiled by
Phil
Rice. Phil did it a little differently. I particularly like the method
he came up with to classify Armor/Weapons by material.
Take it away, Phil.............
First of all, I would personally like to thank the following people for
sending me their lists, corrections and input:
James Zarbock
James Reed
Keith Bilafer
Mitch Aigner
I found that there is a lot of info, but it needs to be organized in a
format that is easy to extract the info that you need. That is the part
I have been working on a lot (not to mention all of the cross checking).
With the weapons, I tried to come up with a ranking system that would
be accurate. Example:
SPEAR 1-9
CUTLASS 2-8
The spear does 1 pt of damage more than the cutlass, but the
cutlass does a minimum of 1 pt of damage more than the spear.
So, what is fair?
What I did is just add the minimum and maximum damage
together to get a 'average' (I just didn't divide by 2 -- no
real point).
Rank
SPEAR 1-9 1+9 = 10
CUTLASS 2-8 2+8 = 10
According to my rank, they would be equal (IMHO).
So now you have these two good lists. Now when I am playing the game, I
have five or six different type of weapons to choose from. I check the
list, but I found that it takes a while to add all of the value, write
them down, and then compare them. So I came up with a cross reference
ppppchart.
Now there are couple of different ways I could have come up with a
numbering system, but I took the easy way out and did it by order.
Well, I am probably rattling on a little too much. Here are the lists.
I hope you find the information useful.
NOTE: Please note that the ranking order between the weapon and armor
materials are different. That is why they are on two lists.
WEAPONS and ARMOR LIST
WEAPONS
Description Damage Rank Classes
-------------------------- ------ ---- -----------------------------
CLUB 1-3 4 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
DAGGER 2-4 6 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
SLING 2-4 6 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
CUDGEL 1-6 7 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
AXE Hand 2-6 8 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
NUNCHAKA 2-6 8 Kn Pa . . . . Ni . . .
SWORD Short 2-6 8 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
MAUL 1-8 9 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
BOW Short 3-6 9 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
SPEAR 1-9 10 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
CUTLASS 2-8 10 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
MACE 2-8 10 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
STAFF 2-8 10 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
FLAIL 1-10 11 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
HAMMER 2-10 12 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
SCIMITAR 2-10 12 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
SWORD Long 3-9 12 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
WAKAZASI 3-9 12 Kn Pa . . . . Ni . . .
BOW Cross 4-8 12 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
SABRE 4-8 12 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
TRIDENT 2-12 14 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
SWORD Broad 3-12 15 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
BOW Long 5-10 15 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
GLAIVE 4-12 16 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
KATANA 4-12 16 Kn Pa . . . . Ni . . .
PIKE 2-16 18 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
AXE Battle 3-15 18 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
BARDICHE 4-16 20 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni . . Ra
NAGINATA 5-15 20 Kn Pa . . . . Ni . . .
AXE Grand 3-18 21 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
HALBERD 3-18 21 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
AXE Great 3-21 24 Kn Pa Ar . . Ro . Ba . Ra
FLAMBERGE 4-20 24 Kn Pa Ar . . . . Ba . Ra
ARMOR
Description Armor Class
------------------------ ----------- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
BOOTS 1 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
CAPE 1 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
CLOAK 1 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
GAUNTLETS 1 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
ROBES 1 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
HELM 2 Kn Pa Ar Cl So Ro Ni Ba Dr Ra
SCALE ARMOR 4 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni Ba . Ra
SHIELD 4 Kn Pa . Cl . Ro . Ba . Ra
RING MAIL 5 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro Ni . . Ra
CHAIN MAIL 6 Kn Pa Ar Cl . Ro . . . Ra
SPLINT MAIL 7 Kn Pa . Cl . . . . . Ra
PLATE MAIL 8 Kn Pa . . . . . . . .
PLATE ARMOR 10 Kn Pa . . . . . . . .
AC
MATERIAL BONUS
-------- -----
Wooden -3
Brass -2
Bronze -1
Leather 0
Glass 0
Crystal 1
Coral 1
Iron 1
Lapis 2
Silver 2
Pearl 2
Amber 3
Steel 4
Ebony 4
Quartz 5
Gold 6
Platinum 8
Ruby 10
Emerald 12
Sapphire 14
Diamond 16
Obsidian 20
MATERIAL To HIT DAMAGE RANK(to hit + damage)
-------- ------ ------ ----
Leather -4 -6 -10
Wooden -3 -3 -6
Brass 3 -4 -1
Bronze 2 -2 0
Glass 0 0 0
Crystal 1 1 2
Coral 1 1 2
Iron 1 2 3
Lapis 2 2 4
Pearl 2 2 4
Amber 3 3 6
Silver 2 4 6
Ebony 4 4 8
Steel 3 6 9
Quartz 5 5 10
Gold 4 8 12
Platinum 6 10 16
Ruby 6 12 18
Emerald 7 15 22
Sapphire 8 20 28
Diamond 9 30 39
Obsidian 10 50 60
P S
L C l E a D
e W B r S Q a m p i
a o B r G y C L P A i E S u t e p a
t o r o l s o I a e m l b t a G i R r h m
h d a n a t r r p a b v o e r o n u a i o
e e s z s a a o i r e e n e t l u b l r n
r n s e s l l n s l r r y l z d m y d e d
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
CLUB |1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22
DAGGER |2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23
SLING |3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24
CUDGEL |4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25
AXE Hand |5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26
NUNCHAKA |6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27
SWORD Short |7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28
MAUL |8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29
BOW Short |9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20
SPEAR |10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31
CUTLASS |11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32
MACE |12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33
STAFF |13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34
FLAIL |14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35
HAMMER |15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36
SCIMITAR |16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 37
SWORD Long |17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38
WAKAZASI |18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39
BOW Cross |19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 30
SABRE |20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41
TRIDENT |21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42
SWORD Broad |22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 43
BOW Long |23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44
GLAIVE |24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 45
KATANA |25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 46
PIKE |26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47
AXE Battle |27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48
BARDICHE |28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49
NAGINATA |29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 40
AXE Grand |30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 51
HALBERD |31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52
AXE Great |32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 53
FLAMBERGE |33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54
P S
W B e r S Q a m p i
o r o t l s o I a l e m t b a G i R r h m
e s z e s a a o i e r e e n t l u b l r n
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
SCALE ARMOR |1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
RING MAIL |2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
CHAIN MAIL |3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
SPLINT MAIL |4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
PLATE MAIL |5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
PLATE ARMOR |6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Here is the Element, Attribute, and Magic List (and a little explanation).
When I put together the magic list, I did it after I finished the game.
I had a few questions about whether certain spells affected one, a group,
or all monsters. Since I finished the game and almost all of the monsters
are dead, I couldn't verify some of the spell stats (and I wasn't going to
start over :-)
Some of the spells seemed pretty straight-foward (ie. Cure Poison), so I
did not include an effect description for those. I also separated the
combat spells from the rest of the spells. I did this because I did not
want to wade through the entire spell list while in an intense combat
situation. Now you can glance down, pick a spell, and still keep the
momentum of the fighting.
There are a few holes and questions. If anybody can fill in the blanks/
questions, please e-mail me. Thanks again to everybody that helped out
and expressed interest in the list.
ELEMENT, ATTRIBUTE, and MAGIC LIST
(weapons) (armor)
ELEMENT DAMAGE RESISTANCE
------------------ ------ ----------
ACID/POISON
Acidic 2 10
Venemous 4 15
Poisonous 8 20
Toxic 16 25
Noxious 32 40
COLD
Icy 2 5
Frost 4 10
Freezing 5 15
Cold 10 20
Cryo 25
ELECTRICITY
Flickering 2 5
Sparking 3 7
Static 4 9
Flashing 5 12
Shocking 10 15
Electric 15 20
Dyna 25
ENERGY
Glowing 5
Incandescent 3 7
Dense 4 9
Sonic 5 11
Power 13
Thermal 15 15
Radiating 20 20
Kinetic 25
FIRE
Burning 2 5
Fiery 3 7
Pyric 4 9
Fuming 5 12
Flaming 15
Seething 15 20
Blazing 20 25
Scorching 30 30
MAGIC
Mystic 5 5
Magical 10
Ectoplasmic 20
Attribute Bonus
---------------
ACCURACY
Sharp 3
Accurate 5
Marksman 10
Precision 15
True 20
Exacto 30
ARMOR CLASS
Protection 2
Armored 4
Defender 6
Divine 16
HIT POINTS
Troll 2
Vigor 4
Health 6
Life 10
Vampiric 50
LUCK
Clover 5
Chance 10
Winners 15
Lucky 20
Gambler 25
Leprachauns 30
INTELLIGENCE
Clever 2
Mind 3
Sage 5
Thought 8
Knowledge 12
Wisdom 23
Genius 30
MIGHT
Might 2
Strength 3
Warrior 5
Ogre 8
Giant 12
Thunder 17
Force 23
Power 30
Photon 47
PERSONALITY
Buddy 2
Friendship 3
Charm 5
Personality 8
Charisma 12
Leadership 17
Holy 30
SPEED
Swift 3
Fast 5
Rapid 8
Speed 12
Wind 17
Accelerator 23
Velocity 30
SPELL POINTS
Spell 4
Mystic 5
Castors 8
Witch 12
Mage 16
Arcane 25
THIEVERY
Burgler 6
Birgand 10
Rogue 15
Plunder 18
Pirate 25
Special Powers
--------------
Dragon Slayer x3 vs Dragons
Monster Masher x3 vs Monsters
Undead Eater x3 vs Undead
Golem Smasher x3 vs Golems
Bug Zapper x3 vs Bugs
Beast Bopper x3 vs Beasts
MAGE
DAMAGE / COMBAT SPELLS
Damage
Spell SP/Gems Area Damage Type Notes
----------------- ------- ------- ---------- -------- -----------------
Dancing Sword 3*/10 1 6-14* Physical
Elemental Storm 100/10 Group 150 Random
Energy Blast 1*/1 2-6* Energy
Fantastic Freeze 15/5 Group 40 Cold
Finger of Death 10/4 1 death Magical
Fire Ball 2*/2 Group 3-7* Fire
Golem Stopper 20/10 1 100 Magical Golems only
Implosion 100/20 1 1000 Energy
Incinerate 35/10 1 250 Fire
Inferno 75/10 Group 250 Fire
Insect Spray 5/1 Group death Poison
Lightning Bolt 2*/2 1 ? 4-6* Elec
Magic Arrow 2/0 1 8 Magical
Megavolts 40/10 Group 150 Elec
Poison volley 25/10 All 60 Poison 6 Arrows / 10 pts
Prismatic Light 60/10 Group ? 80 Random
Shrapmetal 1*/0 Group 2* Physical
Star Burst 200/20 All 500 Physical
Toxic Cloud 4/1 Group 10 Poison
OTHER SPELLS <***
Spell SP/Gems Area Range Effect
------------------- ------- ------- ---------- ------------------------------
Awaken 1/0 Party removes SLEEP condition
Clairvoyance 5/2 Gargoyle heads give
advice
left head - Treasure
right head - Danger
Day of Sorcery 40/10 Party Light, Levitate, Wizard
Eye, Clairvoyance, Power
Shield
Detect monster 6/0
Dragon Sleep 10/4 1 Puts Dragons to SLEEP
Enchant Item 30/20 Bestows magic power to
item
Etherealize 30/10 Guarantee TELEPORT 1
square
Identify Monster 5/0
Item to Gold 20/10
Jump 4/0 Party Skips 1 square (no
doorways)
Levitate 5/0 Party
Lloyd's Beacon 6/2 Teleport / place you
have been
Power shield 2*/2 Party 1*
Recharge Item 15/10 Restore 1-6 charges
Sleep 3/1 Group
Super Shelter 15/5 Party Protected rest
Time Distortion 8/0 Party Stops time to escape
danger
Wizard Eye 5/2 Top view of surroundings
CLERIC
DAMAGE / COMBAT SPELLS
Damage
Spell SP/Gems Area Damage Type Notes
----------------- ------- ------- ---------- -------- ----------------
Acid Spray 8/0 Group 15 Acid
Cold Ray 2*/4 All 2-4* Cold
Deadly Swarm 12/0 Group 25 Physical
Fiery Flail 25/5 1 100 Fire
Flying Fist 2/0 1 6 Physical
Frost Bite 7/0 1 35 Cold
Holy Word 100/20 Group ? death Magical Undead only
Mass Distortion 75/10 Group half HP Magical
Moon Ray 60/10 All ? 30 Magical
Pain 4/0 Group 8 Physical
Sparks 1*/1 Group 2* Elec
Sun Ray 150/20 All 200 Energy
Turn Undead 5/2 Group 25 Magical Undead only
OTHER SPELLS
Spell Gems Area Range Effect
------------------- ------ ------- ---------- ------------------------
Beast Master 5/2 Group Hypnotize MONSTERS
Bless 2*/1 1 1 Armor class
Create food 20/5 Party
Cure disease 10/0 1
Cure Paralysis 12/0 1
Cure poison 8/0 1
Cure wounds 3/0 1 15
Day of Protection 75/10 Party Light, Prot. Elem,
Heroism, Holy Bonus,
Bless
Divine Intervention 200/20 Party Heals all damage
First Aid 1/0 1 6 Healing
Heroism 2*/3 1 1* Level
Holy Bonus 2*/1 1 1* Damage
Hypnotize 15/4 Group Hypnotize PEOPLE
Light 1/0
Nature's Cure 6/0 1 25 Healing
Power Cure 2*/3 1 2-12* Healing
Prot. from Elements 1*/1 Party
Raise Dead 50/10 1 removes DEAD condition
Resurrect 125/20 1 removes ERADICATED
condition
Revitalize 2/0 1 removes WEAK condition
Stone to Flesh 35/5 1 removes STONED condition
Suppress Disease 5/0 1 Slows the effects of
DISEASE
Suppress Poison 4/0 1 Slows the effects of
POISON
Town Portal 30/5 Party Teleport to any town
Walk on water 7/0 Party Walk on SHALLOW & DEEP
water
This walkthru is Copyright (C) 1992 by Mitch Aigner and Phil Rice. All
rights reserved.
WORLD CIRCUIT : Linked Modem PLay
By Greg Cisko
INTRODUCTION:
World Circuit is a Formula One racing simulation by Micro-Prose. This is a
guide/summary of my experiences in "Linked Modem PLay". First off my system
is a 386/16. I have a 14400 baud modem. My CPU is not the best but at 8.1
FPS, World Circuit is VERY playable & very near realtime. THe reason this
is mentioned will be covered shortly.
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:
The program requirements are, that both parties have version 1.05 of World
Circuit. Version 1.04; whould make the link but suffered data mismatch
errors, along with lost connections. Connections/links would last far less
than 15 minutes. This would require re-linking. Versions earlier than 1.04
did not have the link option. Version 1.05 fixed all this. The link is made
as easily as with v1.04, & will last until you hangup.
MAKING THE LINK:
There are some preliminary things that should be done, before the link is
attempted. First make sure that the calling machine has the slower CPU.
The calling machine basicly controls the whole operation. By having the
slower CPU do the controling, you ensure that data transfers do not get
overloaded. A "fixed amount" of data is transfered back & forth. I believe
this is due to the frame rate selected by the controling machine. So this
precaution makes sense. In addition to having the slower CPU control the
link, you should make sure BOTH machines are configured to the SAME
framerate. This should improve the reliability of the connection. The only
other precaution before starting the link, is to make sure your modem has
compression, error correction & flowcontrol disabled. All of these will
"buffer" the data sent back & forth. This will make for a very jerky & out
of sync ride around the track. Once these precautions have been met,
follow the link menu & make the connection. Be sure that you both select
"modem" connection & the same baud rate. If you have a hayes compatable
modem, use the modem initialization supplied with the README. This will
turn off the compression & error carrection ect....
AFTER THE LINK IS MADE:
After the link is established, there is a data transfer. This sync's both
machines. This transfer of data takes about 10-15 seconds at 9600 baud.
Just slightly longer at 2400 baud. This is in marked contrast to other
popular modem games. Namely Falcon 3.01.1, which takes 2 minutes to sync at
9600 baud & nearly 10 minutes at 2400 baud.
At any of the menu screens you can communicate with the other machine.
[cntl-m] allows a message window to pop up. You can type 40 charecters at a
time. This is a very usefull feature for general communication.
The controlling machine, moves thru the menu to select the type of race or
practice desired. You can have a normal non-championship race/practice
session with all 26 cars. Or you can have a quick race with only the 2
linked cars participating.
WORKING WITH A LINKED CONNECTION:
Once the race/practice is decided on, it is time to drive. If you are
practicing, more than likely you want to change your setup. When you go to
the setup area, you are requesting the other driver pause. Both people
have to go into setup at the same time. So if your buddy is in the middle
of a HOT lap, you might have to wait a minute or so. The people I have
done linked play with, have not had the patience for this though. By the
time I was done with my HOT lap & went to the pits, they were out on the
track! I suggest waiting. Your buddy should be aware of what "pause
requested" means & accomidate you. Otherwise you need a new buddy.
Once the setups are suitable its time to drive. On my machine (386/16) with
8.1 FPS the framerate was almost unplayable! Keep in mind, the high marks I
gave the game on my machine with 8.1 FPS. World Circuit has a spectacular
feature that will show the occupancy of your processor. Playing the game
unlinked (normaly) at 8.1 FPS, 54% of the processor is used. During LINKED
play, on the same track with the same detail set, I get 120-160%. On my
computer, the processor is used 2-3 times as much during linked play. I
believe what is required, is 2 fast computers. I believe this is the "weak
link". One friend of mine has a 486/33 (with a 14400 modem, that he bought
just so we could race). He thought the frame rate was so bad/slow that he
took the modem back to the store. Needless to say he gave up. My other
friend has a 486/50 and a 9600 modem. He seems to tolerate the reduced
framerate. Perhaps he can make the required adjustments easier. I would
like to point out that reducing the detail level HAD NO EFFECT on the
linked framerate. Going to slower baud rates did not seem to make any
difference worth mentioning, in the reduced framerate. This is why I
believe the "problem" to be CPU dependant. Until I get a faster CPU, I have
no way of confirming this though. I do know this... 8.1 FPS is totaly
acceptable for racing World Circuit. What I get with linked play is NOT 8.1
FPS. More like 3-4 FPS.
ACTUAL DRIVING:
The only way I've been able to cope with the reduced framerate, is to
COMPLETELY memorize the track. That is, know what gear to be in, at what
point on the track. You definately cannot drive by reflexes or seat of the
pants. I would almost ignore everything, except for the mechanical gear
shifting, braking & accelerating. Things are MUCH slower & over-correcting
is a problem. For instance my one buddy has done a 1:16.3 in Brazil. My
best is 1:17.1. He could not get anywhere near 1:20 linked where I was
able to get a 1:18.2! He apparently does his driving "seat of the pants". I
do the mechaninal approach I mentioned above. Also I would suggest giving
100% attention to staying on the track. Slow way down if you have to, just
don't spin or crash. In my last linked 20 lap quick race, I failed to do
this. I was careless & crashed. I limped into the pits for "new" body work.
When I came out of the pits, I was 40 seconds behind my opponant. This was
at MONACO. I was shaving 7-8 seconds a lap when I did a 1:24 lap! (I had
been lapping in the 1:30's. My buddy had been lapping in the 1:39's) My
buddy addmitted later that he was so shaken by this, that he pushed too
hard. He spun in the 1st gear hairpin with 2 laps to go. I passed him in
the hairpin, (he was still spun out) & won the race. I was really worried.
FINAL COMMENTS:
While version 1.05 of World Circuit, seems to have it's previous linked
problems solved. It is still worth mentioning the aside from the reduced
framerate I experienced, there were still pauses. These were for about a
second or so. I couldn't tell if they were due to the connection almost
being lost, or from re-syncing. In any event the pauses were there, and
didn't appear to be framerate dependant. I would also like to mention that
if both linked partners use faster CPU's, The framerate may very well be
acceptable & enjoyable.
So have fun & enjoy. World Circuit is by far the best racing simulation I
have tried. I am a BIG Formula One fan & tend to be very critical of such
things.
This article is Copyright (C) 1993 by Greg Cisko. All rights reserved.
GUNSHIP 2000 HINTS ON PLAY
By Jim Day. Game Designer Gunship 2000
FLIGHT
~~~~~~
Control:
--------
Although it is best to start out in "easy" flight mode, you should try to
progress to "realistic" flight as soon as is possible. Realistic flight
gives a much more precise control of the helicopter. You should strive to
control your altitude with just the cyclic (joystick) control, and stay
away from using the collective for in flight altitude adjustments.
Try to use the dual joystick, joystick/keyboard or joystick/rudder pedals
control options. These options enable you to control the tail rotor. This
additional control greatly enhances flight control. It is much easier to
use the tail rotor to make quick turns than the cyclic. Hard cyclic turns
can result in an altitude loss; a problematic situation when near the
ground.
Altitude:
---------
Try to avoid overflying mountains (except near your base) unless you wish
to get a high view of the countryside. The altitude gain is just not worth
the exposure. Stay low, but not too low as the discovery of the enemy at
extremely low altitudes gives you little time to react to incoming
threats. It real combat, helicopter pilots seldom fly below 100 feet. If
you are searching for the enemy, an altitude of about 225 feet is probably
about right. If you know where the target or objective is located, go in
low and hot to avoid as many of the enemy defensive units as is possible.
Gauges/Indicators:
------------------
Keep your eye glued to the radar altimeter (the one located in the HUD -
the altitude gauge in the console is the barometric or pressure
altimeter). This indicator shows your true height to the ground
immediately below the helicopter. As the ground rises up to meet you, this
indicator shows the loss in altitude. The low altitude warning also sounds
when your altitude enters the red zone (this zone is player adjustable by
the "c" or "v" keys).
These subtle altitude changes can mean the difference between life or that
fatal crash. One particular area to watch is the coast in the Persian
Gulf. As you near the shore, flying from inland, the terrain rises
slightly - pay attention to the altitude change.
It may seem obvious, but pay close attention to the threat display - give
it a glance every so often. Threats can pop up on the periphery or to the
rear that your CP/G can not see to call out. In those situations, maneuver
towards or away from the potential threat. Keep in mind that as you move
towards a target, the dead (or safety) zone is reduced - this is a
combination of range and altitude.
In general, fly "out of the cockpit" only taking periodic glances at the
console. The HUD provides the key flight data, and the console should be
used only as a backup.
Friendlies:
-----------
Upon reaching the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, you are given the responsibility
of multi-helicopter command. These guys can accomplish a great deal if you
utilize them with care.
With fresh-faced rookies, do not expect then to take on the enemy single
handily - they just do not have the skills. Just as you had to learn the
ropes, these guys also improve with time. Rank and decorations are the
best measure of their competence.
Their degree of competence is applicable to three different areas:
offense, defense and flight skill. The best pilots hit the targets with
the fewest shots and at the greatest range; avoid taking damage; and hit
their waypoints right on the mark. Those new guys and less experienced
pilots fall somewhere short of this optimum.
With these limitations in mind, give them something attainable. Pick-ups,
cargo missions, small target groups or moving targets are a good place to
start. They are skilled enough to always fly to a drop-off or pick-up
point if their last waypoint is somewhere near the location. They even let
you know if they spot a pick-up by communicating "Objective Sighted!".
Position their final waypoint or assign a new flight path on the location,
and they will fly directly to the point. Of course, they always fly
directly to the base or FARP (accessed by a second press of the "to base"
key).
Once they have developed a certain degree of experience, there is not a
single mission they can not handle. Take care of them, and they will take
care of you.
TACTICS
~~~~~~~
S-2 Report:
-----------
Pay attention the unit sightings information in the report. The order of
the four units listed indicates the frequency of the number you could
expect to meet in this mission. The unit listed first has the greatest
frequency, the second a lesser frequency, and so on.
Toughest Primary/secondary Targets:
-----------------------------------
Headquarters, Depots, Fixed Emplacements and Infantry Groups provide the
greatest challenge. They all have a large and diverse mix of potentially
dangerous units. They also require a high degree of destruction to achieve
the mission. This combined with the deployed enemy defenders, makes for a
tough assignment.
Easiest Primary/Secondary Targets:
----------------------------------
Moving vehicle platoons, and to a lesser extent moving mech groups, are
the easiest targets. This assumes that you have found the target. Only a
few of the units in the platoon or mech group stop to engage you - the
others try to escape and continue on to their objective. This makes for a
limited number of enemy shots. As an added benefit, the enemy defenders
must spread out along the path of movement, thereby, limiting their
concentration.
Toughest Single Targets:
------------------------
This is probably all infantry targets and the 2S6 (the 2S6 is found only
in Europe). The infantry are tough to destroy and they have a number of
weapons to throw back at you. M261 and M255 rockets can make short work of
the infantry. Hellfires can also be effective, but it may take more than
one to do the job. When in close, blast them with your cannon. The 2S6's
laser guided missiles and accurate cannon make it an extremely tough
adversary. Fire-and-forget weapons are the best choice as you can not
"spoof" its laser guided missiles. Guiding a TOW-2 or Hellfire-A into the
target can be a dangerous prospect. The preferred tactic is to fire a
Sidearm, Hellfire-B or M247 rockets and immediately fly away from the
target. Even if a laser missile is in flight, when the 2S6 is destroyed,
the missile automatically drops its lock (this is also true of radar
guided missiles - eliminate the source and the missile no longer tracks).
This tactic should also keep you out of its cannon range.
The ZSU-23(4) and towed guns can also be a tough nut if you come upon them
within their cannon range. Their high rate-of-fire (especially at the
higher enemy quality levels) enable them to throw out a large number of
shots in a short period of time.
Easiest Single Targets:
-----------------------
Aside from the various structures and buildings, these would be all tanks
and machine-gun armed recon units, such as the BRDM-2 and EE-9. These
units are pretty much sitting ducks and can be destroyed with impunity.
Even if you fall within range of their machine-guns, it is rare that you
take a hit. These are all good candidates for cannon fire; do not waste
limited ordnance on these targets.
On-line Data Base:
------------------
Until familiar with the various enemy targets and units, you are
encouraged to use the on-line data base (alt-p keys with a target lock) to
secure important information.
Weapons:
--------
You really need to tailor your choice of weapons to the nature of the
targets. This knowledge comes from experience, the manual and the on-line
data base. Try different combinations on different target types - best
done while in the training mode. Keep in mind that the damage inflicted
can vary; it is not a fixed amount. A target could be destroyed with one
hit on one occasion, but may require two hits on a second occasion.
Before you reach the level of command access to a Longbow Apache, rockets
can substitute as a poor man's fire-and-forget weapon. While they take a
certain degree of finesse to utilize, they do have the advantage of flying
directly to the target if launched in constraints. As an added bonus, you
can usually carry a whole passel of them, and set the number to fire in a
salvo. With three different types, choose carefully and pay attention to
the S-2 report.
Sidearm is also a good weapon to consider, as it is a true fire-and-forget
weapon system. While the number that can be carried is limited, it is a
good choice for the wing tips on Apaches when light air activity is
expected. It is more than capable of silencing most radar sources with the
exception of ships.
Mavericks or Penguins are a must when dealing with ships. They have the
capacity to destroy a ship with a single hit; not guaranteed with
Hellfires or TOWs. Maverick, if available, is the preferred choice over
Penguin since it has a dual role against ground targets.
A mistake some players make is changing the weapon type while a guided
missile is still in flight to a target. For example, if you have a
Hellfire-A in bound to a target, do not change the weapon selector to
another weapon type. The on board computer becomes confused, and the
Hellfire no longer tracks the target.
The effectiveness of ripple fire can not be emphasized more, when engaging
closely grouped targets with guided weapons. Launch one missile, wait a
few moments, launch a second, wait a few moments more, and then launch a
third, and so on. This tactic greatly reduces the total engagement time
over the target, and therefore your total exposure time. It has the added
benefit of eliminating the threats in short order. Technically, all of the
missiles are targeted on the first target. But after the first target is
destroyed, the targeting system automatically shifts to the next target -
locking the next missile on to that target. This process continues until
all of the targets are destroyed or the missiles have all hit their
targets. If the target was not destroyed by the first hit, you have
another missile following closely in its wake to finish the job.
Moving Targets:
---------------
Moving targets are not all that difficult to find, if you keep a few key
points in mind. They move at speed of about 25 knots - so less than 1/4
of your average speed. This gives you an idea as to where they may be
along their path. They always move in the indicated direction, but modify
their path based upon intervening terrain (they avoid mountains, valleys
and rivers). You may discover them off of the path due to these terrain
types. However, they generally move in the direction indicated.
Moving units that appear to start on a road will more than likely follow
the path of that road, including movement through road canyons.
Search & Destroy (or Rescue):
-----------------------------
These can be one of the most frustrating mission types. Just keep in
mind that the target is out there, and your intelligence data relating to
the suspected location is fairly accurate. The target should be no more
the a few map units from the indicated location (the mission map is
divided into a 16 by 16 grid - therefore it is divided into 16 x 16 map
units). The challenging part is that the target could be in any direction
from the indicated location.
A good clue to the location can be the discovery of enemy defenders. If
you start to encounter these defenders, the target can not be far away.
After all, the defenders are there for a purpose.
Sea Targets:
------------
Enemy ships can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you come across
them at short range. If you are to engage known ship targets, approach
them form the seaward side and pick up altitude to about 300 or so feet.
This should give you enough range to deal with anything they may throw at
you.
Air Targets:
------------
Now these guys can give you some real trouble. Pay very close attention to
the S-2 report's section on enemy aircraft. If it states "extremely
heavy", you best be prepared for some heavy action. Stingers and
Sidewinders are the weapons of choice in this case. Stingers are more than
capable of dealing with most of the enemy helicopter threats with a single
shot. There is no doubt when firing a Sidewinder. Your can is also more
than capable of taking out an enemy helicopter. It this case, you will
have to get in close.
Enemy high-performance aircraft definitely require Sidewinders; in most
cases, Stingers just do not have the punch to take one out with a single
hit. It is a truly lucky shot if you are able to get a hit with your
cannon. Keep in mind, that these guys must be dealt with, since they keep
coming back until they are damaged or destroyed. The good thing is that
you do not see them all that often - after all, helicopters just do not
tangle with fast movers all that often.
Jammers, Chaff & Flares:
------------------------
Jammers should be activated at the first notice of an enemy inbound
threat. The jammer either "spoofs" the enemy missile or it does not -
there is no grey area in this regard. If you do jam the missile make sure
to move out of its flight path. Jammed missiles do not disappear, they
just continue on a straight flight path. That is why it is a good tactic
to keep targets on the periphery rather than flying directly towards the
target. With this approach, the jammed missiles miss to the left or right.
The IR jammer has an equal chance of jamming a missile each time it is
attempted. The radar jammer is a different story. The enemy units
frequency hop until they are able to defeat, or "burn through" your
jamming signal. That is why initial missiles are jammed and later missiles
can not be jammed. Turn off the radar jammer after use; remaining active
reduces its effectiveness.
Chaff and flares are close-in defenses. Launching chaff or flares when the
missile is still 2 km away is very ineffective. It is purely a matter of
timing. Allow the missile to approach and then launch the decoy. If you
launch too soon the chaff cloud will have dissipated or drifted off or the
flares will have hit the ground or burned out. If you launch too late, the
missile will not be fooled, and will still track your helicopter. If
possible, break left or right after you launch the decoy; this enhances
the effectiveness of the decoy. You can lose constraints or even drop the
lock while targeting for guided weapons (Hellfire-A and TOW-2). The
missile continues to fly in a straight line. If you re-acquire the lock
before the missile flies by the target or it is able to turn quickly
enough to maneuver to the target, it will still impact.
Another effective tactic to avoid enemy missiles, is to drop down or fly
behind hills. If you can mask your signature to the missile, it losses its
track. That is why it is advisable, when possible, to approach targets
from terrain rather than over flat ground.
As a last ditch choice, it is also possible to "dodge" missiles by making
quick last minute breaks to the left or right. You do not have the
quickness and sharp maneuverability of a fighter aircraft. As a result,
this maneuver is a real challenge as it requires precise timing, but at
times may be your only hope of escape. The maneuver is much more effective
against radar guided missiles than IR guided missiles. Radar guided
missiles have a much larger turning radius then IR missiles, and are less
able to respond to quick breaking turns. IR missiles are designed to
engage fast breaking targets.
Training is a good place to test these tactics and maneuvers. You can get
your timing down and locked without any damage to get in the way of your
tests.
SCORING
~~~~~~~
Your main purpose in life is to destroy the primary and secondary targets.
You are not rewarded for missing those objects, even if you manage to
destroy everything else out there. The really successful pilot are
rewarded for hitting the targets and getting back in less than thirty
minutes or less. This may mean that you may have to set your sights to
just the primary or the secondary on certain missions. Make sure that you
get at least one of them, preferably the primary, and get that helicopter
back to base. They are too expensive to leave littered about the
battlefield.
To maximize your score, and consequently your success and rewards, destroy
all of the targets in the primary and secondary. Even though you can
achieve the mission by destroying less than the total number of targets -
get all of them while you are there. If possible, eliminate all air
targets encountered. If you have to make a choice, skip the buildings,
recon units and tanks, and concentrate on the missile armed units and
anti-aircraft guns. After all, how many points do you expect to score for
torching houses, churches and mosques.
You are definitely recognized for eliminated the bad guys while flying
smaller and less well armed helicopters. It is especially apparent is you
fly one of those helicopters yourself. You have probably noticed that the
Longbow Apache is an extremely powerful helicopter. Well, the Task Force
Commander has also noticed this fact. He is impressed with the guys that
fly Defenders and Comanche Scouts.
If you started with a pilot that has suffered a number of setbacks, i.e.
did not get either the primary or secondary on a series of missions or
consistently has walked back to base, you may be further ahead to start
over with a new pilot. That guy probably has too many reprimands in his
file to achieve a high rank before forced retirement gets him first.
If you can avoid it, never decline missions or abort a campaign. These are
big black marks on your record. And by all means, try not to lose any
pilots. It is your responsibility to take care of them. If you lose too
many, you may find yourself in civilian clothes flying a traffic
helicopter.
This article is Copyright (C) 1992 by Jim Day. All rights reserved.
HARPOON BATTLEBOOK
Author: James DeGoey
Publisher: Prima Publishing
Reviewed by David Cheong
This book is labeled 'The Official Strategies and Tactics Guide', and is,
I believe, the only published guide to Harpoon available in the market.
The game actually comes with a 'Harpoon Tactical Guide' which is very
useful and the Battlebook does not repeat what is published in the Guide,
but supplements it with inside information and hints on better play. The
Battlebook was published in 1991 and includes coverage of Battlesets 1, 2
and 3. Battleset 4 (Indian Ocean and Pacific) is NOT covered in this
book.
This is a beautiful book, nice glossy cover with the Harpoon title screen
shot of a US Navy officer with RayBans reflecting a burning ship against a
red sky. A description of the Battlesets follows, then a short section on
'How to use this book', which gives a brief layout of the book as
follows:-
Part I - 4 chapters discussing Harpoon program and tactics, with 2
scenario walkthroughs and guide to the Scenario Editor.
Part II - Guide to Platforms, Sensors and Weapon systems.
Part III - Computer Harpoon Data Annex.
The next chapter is titled 'Guide to Harpoon Tactics'. As mentioned
earlier, the game itself contains a comprehensive guide and this chapter
only suggests solutions to some of the common problems players have
routinely found frustrating during scenario play. This includes hints on
scouting, formations, electronic warfare, submarine warfare, anti-
submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare strike warfare, air warfare and
anti-air warfare. It covers essential topics poorly covered elsewhere,
but it is all too short, only 20 pages in length.
Two scenario walkthroughs follow, based on Dawn Patrol, the first scenario
from the first Battleset, one each covering red and blue. However, what
you play on the computer will rarely follow the walkthrough exactly, so
you're better off just reading it first. I found the walkthrough
marginally useful, since I already knew how the play the game and would
rather that half the space devoted to it be filled with more hints
instead.
The Scenario Editor Design Guide follows an it takes you through the
design of a scenario based on a novel Blue Water Navy: World War III at
Sea by naval historian Michael Palmer. This is a very good chapter
explaining the intricacies of the Scenario Editor, as the manual that came
with the scenario editor did not explain things in much detail.
The next 5 chapters covers submarines, surface ships, aircraft and
helicopters, sensors and weapon systems. Each chapter discusses the
different classes of ships or aircraft and compares their capabilities
extensively. If you're a Harpoon boardgame owner like myself, all the
data included in this book is available in greater detail in the Data
Annex 90/91 by Game Designers Workshop. However, the data presented in
the Battlebook is condensed and gives you a good idea of each platform's
capabilities. This is extremely useful if you know little about that
particular class of ship or aircraft, since it immediately gives you an
idea of what that ship or plane can do. Availability and the numbers of
each platform in the Battlesets is also given. The chapter on sensors and
weapon systems gives details on how the various sensors are used, such as
surface search (SS), air search (AS) and height-finding (HF). It also
gives ranges and probabilities of detection. Sonars are also covered. I
found that these topics are not covered at all in the Harpoon manual, so
this section comes in very handy.
The next 4 chapters are actually data annexes covering platforms, sensors,
weapon systems, land-based sensors and weapon systems. These cover topics
of lesser importance, such as damage points, number of helicopters a ship
can carry, weapon magazines, helicopter and aircraft ratings, which
platforms carry what sensors and what weapons etc. The annex on land-
based systems is the most useful, giving a map of the battleset and the
location of the bases, together with the sensors and weapons of each base
and its capabilities. The last annex is a troubleshooting guide.
Actually, if one were to spend the time browsing through all the platforms
in the game itself, one would be able to glean most of the information
available in this book. Alternatively, one could go out and buy the
boardgame Data Annex (if it can be found), the information contained in
this book is summarised neatly in charts and tables and therein lies its
value, not just raw data, but processed and easy to digest. This
information gives you, as a naval commander, the basis of how to use your
resources to the best of their ability, instead of just throwing
everything piecemeal into the fray. (just try this when playing the
Reds!). I would recommend those serious in the game to check this book
out ASAP.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by David Cheong. All rights reserved.
THE OFFICIAL LUCASFILM GAMES AIR COMBAT STRATEGIES BOOK
Authors: Rusel DeMaria and George Fontaine
Publisher: Prima Publishing
Reviewed by David Cheong
This book covers the 3 Lucasfilm games Battlehawks 1942, Their Finest
Hour: Battle of Britain and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (not
including the add-ons). It is an impressively thick book (470 pages)
with many photographs with a layout much like the manuals of TFH: BOB and
SWOTL. The general trend of the book is to present the history of World
War II, starting from prelude to war till the end of the war in Europe.
Interspersed in the history are interesting anecdotes of war and sections
of the individual aircraft covered in the games. Also present are the
tips and tactics for each and every mission of all 3 games, slotted in at
the appropriate time in history!
Personally, I did not like this format, as it devoted many pages to the
history of WW II including political issues and significant moments in
land and sea warfare. These topics are covered in better detail in other
books and have nothing to do tactical air combat, which is what these
games are about. This is especially true if one is widely read about WW
II. However, the authors' purposes for bringing out the history is so
that the reader may better understand the whole picture of the war and
its development, instead of viewing each scenario as a stand alone. To
their credit, the authors have managed to weave in very interesting
anecdotes of personal stories and events of war to keep the book
interesting. This pictures in the book are very numerous, but
unfortunately, some cover aspects of land warfare to support the
historical perspective and many 'photos' of aircraft in the game such as
the Me 109, P-47, Zero, B-17 etc are actually photographs of models. I
feel that the use of models is fine for illustrating a maneuver such as
the hammerhead, but to use so many pictures of models throughout the book
detract from the flavour of the book as a historical perspective
(especially since all the Me 109s look the same when pictured together).
There is however, much to be said about the good points of the book. A
detailed blow-by-blow account of the Battle of Britain is given,
including even daily losses on each side. Such an account is hard to
come by (the closest I've come is Alfred Price's The Hardest Day, 18
August 1940: Battle of Britain). Even better is the linking of each
scenario in the game with an actual day in the real battle. This
provides the ultimate background to the game - a real historical reason,
time and place for flying the mission. This is what simulation is all
about! Ratings for each scenario are provided as easy, moderate, hard or
impossible. Precise tactics are also given, as are starting positions.
There is a chapter on campaign strategies and scoring tips, including
detailed breakdowns of award of points and the number of points needed to
attain a certain rank or get a certain medal. Most importantly, the book
advises newcomers how to get experience safely and how to maintain a
roster of top aces in your squadron.
Part II provides a background to the Pacific War, what lead to Pearl
Harbour and the strategies adopted by each side. The next chapter deals
with the Battle of the Coral Sea. This time the entire battle is
recounted with numerous anecdotes before the scenarios are presented in
the same format as before. This chapter makes a good read and bears more
relevance to the game Battlehawks 1942 than the previous account on Pearl
Harbour. The chapter deals with Midway in a similar fashion, following
which the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz battles are dealt with. Again
a breakdown of points is given at the end of this part.
Part III deals with the period covered by SWOTL. It starts in 1941 after
the Battle of Britain and recounts the history of events till the arrival
of the Eighth Air Force in England. The book then concentrates more on
the airwar over Europe, with the missions interspersed at the appropriate
times, again with a historical background and strategy.
The last few chapters deal with SWOTL Campaign and Tour of Duty
strategies and is arguably the most important part of the book for those
looking for hints on how to survive a Tour. The next chapter describes
maneuvers, scoring, medals and ranks and a large target list. Appendix A
teaches how to use the gun cameras. Appendix B is on how to use the
mission builder, C on Aerobatics, D on additional missions for TFH: BOB,
and E on tips by Larry Holland, the designer of the series. A
bibliography is included for those interested in further reading.
I would recommend this book if you like SWOTL and the series, but
personally, with so many new and marvelous flight sims out nowadays, few
would be still playing BOB, let alone BH 1942. The background
information is worth a read, if you want a refresher course in WW II.
The tips given for each scenario are certainly useful and well worth
recommending the book, as is the scoring information and strategy tips on
campaign and tour of duty.
This review is Copyright (C) 1993 by David Cheong. All rights reserved.
X-WING COMBAT STRATEGY v1.0
By Adam Pletcher
Appendix by Greg Cisko
"Red Leader! Incoming missiles, eight o'clock!"
"What?! Where? I don't see-" KABOOM!! One more dead Rebel.
Getting a little tired of this? I doubt many people would disagree when
I say X-Wing is not the easiest of games. It's the most complicated,
fast paced space combat simulator yet, and the missions are designed to
never let you forget it. There's dozens of aspects to every combat
situation in the game, and only split seconds in which to think of them.
In playing X-Wing a lot since its release, we've nailed down a few
skills and tips that are of great use in fighting the Empire. Hopefully
some of you will find them of use (while you still have some hair left).
-----------
Table of Contents
Part 1: Evasion
Section 1A: Evading Lasers
Section 1B: Evading Missiles
Part 2: Attacking
Section 2A: Tracking
Section 2B: Using Lasers
Section 2C: Using Missiles
Part 3: Tips & Hints
Appendix: Pilot Proving Grounds:
The Maze Made Simple
-----------
>> PART 1: Evasion <<
Half the battle is knowing when to turn around and head for the hills,
and in X-Wing this is a big truth. Mastering a few basics on evasive
maneuvering can save your ass many times, and thus, the asses of your
escorts as well. Seriously, this is a big deal.
Section 1A: Evading Lasers
--------------------------
Let me start by explaining why these tactics work. While the enemy logic
and AI (artificial intelligence) in X-Wing is very impressive, it isn't
perfect. Simply put, the enemy can lead, but not predict. This means
that enemy fighters and starships have a deadly knack for watching your
current heading and laying down lasers that will intersect with your
course moments later. Not a difficult concept... everyone who played
Wing Commander 2 will remember the "targeting leads" your computer put
in front of enemy ships for you to fire at. This is basically what the
enemy algorithms in X-Wing do. And everyone who played WC2 will also
remember that those lead targets didn't always work. Especially when
the enemy ship was in the process of changing course.
So the drawback to the enemy logic in X-Wing is that it cannot predict
course changes like a human can. I'm sure this is just around the
corner, programming wise, but it hasn't been seen in commercial
simulations yet. If you're pulling back on the stick and doing a constant
loop, chances are really slim you'll take much laser damage (notice I
said _laser_ damage... more on that later). The constant course changes
throw the enemy's leads off. They'll still fire, but they'll expect you
to continue on a straight line, so they'll miss. This all sounds great,
but when you're pulling a constant loop, you're unable to get much
work done. There's a couple things you can do to help shake laser fire
and still get somewhere. They are designed to get you away from a vessel
in the quickest manner without taking much (if any) damage.
- "Box" evasion: Pick a point ahead of you in space and trace
a four-point "box" around it. At each point, pause for a moment.
The size of the box and the length of the pauses should vary with
your distance from the attacker. If you're close, trace a larger
box with very small pauses. If you're farther away, a slightly
smaller box should work, with longer pauses.
- "Circle" evasion: This is identical to the Box method, but
it is a little more difficult to master. It's more effective
because you are constantly moving (in a circle around a chosen
point instead of a box). The reason it's harder is because
it's easier to "drift" off of your point and end up facing the
enemy again. Again, the further you are from the baddies, the
slower the circle should be. If you're too fast, you may end
up getting tagged by shots fired at you on the last pass.
These are pretty simple, actually, but can be very effective at times.
When fleeing your attacker using these techniques, be sure to keep him
centered in your rear radar scope (or forward scope if you're attacking).
You should rarely have need to look at your main view once you get the
hand of this. It also helps to have a friendly starship or nebula to
keep as your focus point ahead to help prevent drifting.
The main advantage to using these methods instead of just jinking around
like crazy, is you can still attack something in front of you while you're
evading incoming fire. When approaching the enemy instead of fleeing,
you'll probably have to widen your "box" or "circle" slightly. Pause
every now and then and get a couple good shots off and you'll be fine.
Don't get me wrong, you'll get damaged allright. These aren't foolproof
methods, and there's always fighters off to your left or right making
things even more interesting. So keep an eye on those shields and take
breaks to charge up now and then (_especially_ when attacking the
Star Destroyers... you'll need to take _many_ such breaks... more on
those later).
Section 1B: Evading Missiles
----------------------------
I've seen a lot of discussion about this on the 'net. Missiles in X-Wing
may seem hard to shake at first, but once you get the hang of it it's
almost fun (*gasp!*).
Enemies who fire missiles at you (TIE Bombers or Assault Gunboats) are
rarely very close to you. This will almost always
give you a few seconds
to prepare.
- When you get the warning that a missile has been fired (from
your R2 unit or a wingman) immediately find the amber dot on
your radar (the missile, of course) and turn so it's in your
forward scope.
- At this point the missile should essentially be coming right
for you and it shouldn't be changing course too much. Put the
dot on the very outskirts of your front scope (see SCREENSHOT
#1) and wait. By taking this approach, it is _very_ difficult
for the missile(s) to "cut the angle" and hit you on the first
pass.
- If all goes well, the missile will pass you and end up in the
center of your rear scope. Now, spin around and put the missile
right in front of you (you should be able to see it as a red
and orange streak on your main view).
- By following the missile around, keeping it right in your sights,
you're once again preventing it from turning sharp enough to
catch you. Don't bother shooting at it, you _won't_ hit it.
Follow it around until it runs out of gas, and bingo! You're
home free.
With a little practice, this becomes very easy. I've only had about five
in a hundred reach me, and that's usually because the bogey was unusually
close when he fired, or there were several missiles inbound. With a
little fancy flying, you'll soon be able to get two or three missiles
in front of you like this, trying in vain to reach you.
Like I said, I wouldn't bother shooting at them. It's impossible to hit
them from their sides like that when you're following them. I've watched
many people claim they shot them down like that, but when in reality,
they just fired at the instant it ran out of fuel and exploded. I'm
not saying they can't _ever_ be shot down... just not from that angle.
I've tried hundreds of times, and the only time I've ever shot one down
is when it's just been launched and is heading straight for me. If you
can pinpoint it in front of you fast enough and get some laser shots
off, you might get lucky (I've managed this only five times).
The only drawback to the above evasion method is the time consumed. It
takes a good fifteen-twenty seconds for a missile to run out of juice,
and those can be precious seconds sometimes. You have to evaluate
whether you can spare the time or you should just take your chances.
Strong, two-layered shields can take three or four solid missile hits
if you manage your shields right... But if you decide to take your
chances and not follow the missile, at least line it up like I described
above and let it fly back to your rear before you take off. You'll
have a much better chance of eluding it.
>> PART 2: Attacking <<
Section 2A: Tracking
--------------------
If you expect to get very far in X-Wing, it's _mandatory_ you learn how
each of the enemy vessels (specifically fighters) move. This, along with
accuracy with the lasers, are by far the two most important skills to
have in this game. When you get some idea where the fighter you're
pursuing is about to turn, you can greatly increase you chances of taking
him out. Here's a brief summary of the observations I've made about
each fighter:
TIE Fighters:
This is an average fighter, all around. It usually runs somewhere
between 90-100 kps in combat, and has moderate mobility. Mostly goes
side to side, and rarely moves up and down much. When attacking, it
basically heads for the target and shoots until out of range. Very
simple AI.
TIE Interceptor:
These are a little tougher. They tend to run faster than the Fighters,
but have less vertical mobility. From what I've seen, when they're
moving sideways, they can only manage about 30 degrees of vertical
movement. This is their weakness. They're very tricky when attacking,
they tend to swerve sideways into range, pop off two or three quick
ones, and continue to swerve off the same side. Be ready for this.
TIE Bomber:
Key word here is SLOW. They run about 70-80 kps, but this can be a
real pain. When you haul ass up to a wing of Bombers getting ready to
dump their load on your escort, it's hard to brake quick enough to keep
from overshooting. 2/3 speed works very well. Once you've matched
speed, their easy targets. The Bombers are also exceptionally easy
to nail on the first approach (see First Pass under Laser section).
Assault Gunboat:
These guys run about 80-90 kps, and have much greater mobility than
the other TIEs. They have no problem with vertical movement and use
it excessively. One thing I've noticed is they tend to bank more
before turning than other ships, making it easier to predict course
changes. They use lasers more than the Bombers, so stay awake.
Advanced TIE:
Nasty, nasty little buggers, seen only in the late missions of Tour 3.
They have great mobility in all directions, and hardly _ever_ stop
moving around. I found no major weaknesses, but by the time you see
these mugs, you should be ready to take anything on. These dudes are
the worst!
The bigger ships don't move much, so that's about it. An _excellent_
way to learn about a ships movement is to take some good long camera films
of heavy combat. By moving the Camera Position behind an enemy ship, you
get a bird's eye view of how it moves around, and it's limits of movement.
Also remember that the Rebel fighters bank when turning side to side.
This means that if you're trying to do a 180, don't go straight to one
side... you'll never get there. Vertical movement is necessary when
you're attempting to reach targets behind you.
Section 2B: Using Lasers
------------------------
I put tracking and firing under the same category because it's mandatory
to learn both at once. You won't get far in X-Wing if you always run
ahead of your target, stop, then shoot. In order to take ships out
fast enough, you need to be able to make fast, accurate shots while
_constantly_ changing course to match your target. I can't emphasize
this enough. The Proving Ground is a good place to practice your
marksmanship, but combat is the only place to master both tracking and
firing. Here are some basic tips for each of the Rebel Starfighters:
X-Wing:
I've think that in the X-Wing Fighter, using the dual-linked shots is
best. The S-foils are so far apart, using single shots is almost
useless at moderate to close ranges. Save the quad-linked firing for
large targets like Freighters or Corvettes... Since you can only get
two or so shots at once to land on a fighter, using four is usually
a waste of energy. Torps are sparse on the X-Wing, so make 'em count.
A-Wing:
This is my favorite, fast and agile. I keep the speed pretty high
unless I'm tailing a Bomber or something that's too slow. The best
part of the A-Wing is the concussion missiles. They run faster and
can turn tighter then the protons. They're almost as powerful and
there's more of them. Can't go wrong.
Y-Wing:
Slow, but tough. The big advantage is the close proximity of the two
laser cannons. When using dual-linked firing, it's really rare to see
one hit and the other miss. If you need to disable something in a
big hurry (an all too common occurrence in the Tours), knock its
shields down with torps or lasers first, then tap on it with the ion
cannons. Much faster. (also see note about Gunboats & ions in the Tips
& Hints section).
Attack Tips for All Rebel Fighters:
First Pass: When you've got an incoming flight of fighters/bombers you
need to take out quickly, try to do it on the first pass. This is not
as hard as it sounds, especially if they're coming straight at you. Get
the nearest one targeted before they're in range. When the red dot
appears in front of you, center the targeting reticle as accurately as
you can. As soon as you get in range and the reticle starts flashing and
beeping, let go with three or four laser bursts (or a missile). There
are always a few seconds to fire at them before their lasers reach you.
As soon as you see the glimmer of yellow in the distance, get ready to
move to avoid the incoming lasers. This long-distance attacking is a
skill worth practicing. On several occasions I've been able to knock out
all three TIE Bombers in a flight before they've even made the first pass.
Just remember, when using lasers, most of your attention should be spent
in following your target and anticipating his moves... staying one step
ahead. Firing should be an afterthought.
Section 2C: Using Missiles
--------------------------
Missiles can be a real waste of time if you're not patient. Just because
you've got a lock on the fighter you're tailing doesn't mean it's going
to hit it. If you're gunning for a fighter (or one of the bombers),
wait until it hesitates and is flying relatively straight away from you.
This is obvious, of course, but the missiles (especially the slower
torpedoes) have a hard time playing catch-up after an initial miss.
Unlike Wing Commander, once you have a target locked, you can stray away
from it to some degree and the missiles will still remained locked. Once
you've gotten the lock buzz going in your ears, you should be able to
swerve away from the target thirty or forty degrees. Even though the
buzz stops, the missiles will still find the target. This is of _great_
benefit when you're attacking a capital ship that's firing at you
steadily. Once you get lock, you can still jink around a bit and avoid
some of the fire while getting good shots off.
Study the dynamics of the proton torpedoes vs. the concussion missiles...
they're very different. Watching some recorded missile shots helps.
>> PART 3: Tips & Hints <<
This section is just for miscellaneous hints and pointers I've come up
with. Some of these tactics are obvious, some aren't, so take them for
what their worth.
Ion Cannons:
Like mentioned earlier, if you've got a strong bogey to disable
(i.e. Corvette, Frigate), use missiles & lasers on until the shields
fall, then hit it with the wimpy ions. Saves time.
The Gunboat Ploy:
You guys will love this one. There are at least three or four missions
where you pilot a Y-Wing against one or more Assault Gunboat flights
(among other types as well). If you find yourself getting maimed by
the Gunboats then DISABLE THEM! The Assault Gunboats are the only
Imperial Fighters strong enough to get disabled with ion cannons without
blowing up. Once you've disabled one, use SHIFT-I to tell your wingmen
to ignore it. Voila! The SOB just sits there, unable to do anything.
The best part of this is, if you keep most of the disabled Gunboats
around, no new ones will show up! This makes the mission just a wee-bit
easier to deal with. When you've completed the mission goals, just
tool around and scrape up the kills! Like shooting ducks in a barrel.
Full-Screen Notes:
Use full-screen mode! Once you've gotten used to the controls of
the starfighters, there's no real reason to keep the cockpit view around.
The only instrument not available at all is the missile lock indicator
(the one for you). If there's a lot of missile-laden bogies out there,
you might want to keep the cockpit view. Otherwise, the full-screen
view gives you a much greater angle and perspective to the battle.
Much easier.
Star Destroyers:
- As mentioned in Tour 2, mission 10 when (and if) you attack any Star
Destroyers, go for the shield generators first (the two towers on the
bridge section). This is mandatory. After that, try hitting the half-
sphere on the underside of the Star Destroyer, this appeared to me to
be it's primary weak spot.
- Occasionally you can find a "dead spot" around a Star Destroyer where
you are safe from its turbolaser batteries. The only places I've found
them are behind the STD, near the engine exhausts (see SCREENSHOT #2).
These spots vary according to the number of other rebels in the area
the STD has to deal with, but they're worth finding. After clearing
out most of the escorts, I was able to take down the Intrepid with help
of the dead spots.
Cloned Wingmen:
This borders on cheating, but if you find that your wingmen can't cut
the protoplasm, try this one. Go into the XWING directory and make
several copies of your .PLT pilot file. Call them WING1.PLT, WING2.PLT,
etc. or another whatever name you want. Then when you're at the flight
prep room (the one with the pilot's mug shots), assign the generic
pilots to the other flights in the mission. Because they are have your
skills, the computer will do its best to emulate your statistics,
making your wingmen MUCH more effective. Seriously, it makes a big
improvement. Don't forget to update their .PLT's occassionally as your
skills grow.
Shield Tips:
- Learn how to manage your shields. This is more important than laser
and engine management put together. My general rule: every time I
get hit more than two or three times (or once with a missile) I hit
"S" three times quickly. This evens out your fore and aft shields,
helping to keep any "weak spots" out. After awhile you'll be able to
guess pretty accurately how your shields are holding up without looking,
even from full-screen mode. It's a pretty obvious tip, but definitely
make a habit of it if you're a beginner.
- If you've got any dead time in a mission at all (like waiting for an
escort or another enemy wing to appear), throw all the power you can
into charging your shields. Every spare moment should be spent doing
this... never know when you'll need it. And don't forget... you can
hit ['] to get extra shield boosts from your laser reserves in dire
situations.
Train, Train, Train:
Seriously, if you plan to advance out of mediocrity in X-Wing, you must
train. Go through ALL of the Proving Grounds (see Appendix), get your
badges, and move on to the Historical Missions. These are invaluable in
teaching you the hundred aspects of combat fighting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> APPENDIX: Pilot Proving Grounds <<
by Greg Cisko
X-Wing Maze made SIMPLE
When I started doing the maze, I was so bad I thought I would never get
my flight badges. I was wrong.... As of this writing, (3/20/93) I have
made it to level 10 in all 3 starfighters. I have learned some tactics
that should help everyone.
1.) You can make it thru all levels with your speed set to 70-80 KPS.
Energy can be reconfigured around this "base". If you can go faster, that
is of course better.
2.) Set your shields to 1 notch below normal charging. Use the ['] to
shift power from lasers shields as needed. Lasers should be set to
increased charging or full charging.
3.) Missing one of the gates is NOT a disaster. You may even be able to
miss 2 of them and still complete the level.
4.) Crashing into a platform is much preferable to missing a gate .
I have crashed many times and still completed levels. When you crash,
use that time to blast the laser boxes on that platform. Coming to a
complete stop (crashing) and blasting the boxes while I was accelerating,
was much better than missing a gate.
5.) On levels 1-7 set your shields to double front. Not much will shoot
at you from behind on these levels.
6.) Any time saved thru one level will not be added to the time alotted
on the next level. Finishing a level with more time remaining will affect
your score though.
7.) For the higher levels, work on destroying the boxes on a platform
at the greatest distance possible. As you exit one platform start
targeting the next platforms' boxes.
You should keep ALL this in mind as you fly the maze. Level 3 is by far
the hardest. You only have 3 minutes, forcing you to blast more boxes
than you might otherwise. (Each laser box blasted adds 2 seconds) When
I completed level 3 for the X-wing, I had 15 seconds left, with 13 gates
to go. I thought this was impossible. All of these final platforms are
loaded with boxes. I shot enough of them to keep my time at 15 seconds;
and I completed this level. It was a pretty bizarre feeling. I actually
shot enough boxes so the warning beeper stopped! Once you get past
level 3, concentrate on flying cleanly thru all the gates. Blast
boxes if you can, as they now shoot at you more accurately. You don't
need to blast them for time, as much as to prevent them from draining
your shields. You will now get from 5.5 to 4.5 minutes per level.
I noticed some things that were particular to the different starfighers.
X-Wing: The lasers are spaced just the right distance apart. This allows
you to fly right at a gate, and blast both boxes without much correcting.
Y-Wing: Much more power is able to be transferred to the shields. This is
due to the ION guns storing energy. ION guns were not that effective for
shooting boxes.
A-Wing: Much of each level can be completed with a speed over 100 KPS.
This gives much less time to target and destroy boxes. Reducing your
speed to 80-90 KPS gives you more time to destroy boxes. Aiming in the
A-wing is more difficult than with the other starfighters. The boxes
pretty much have to be in the middle of the targeting reticle.
Completing level 8 is how you get your flight badge. These have laser
boxes behind the gates. They shoot at you after you fly thru the gate.
These can be destroyed by shooting thru the base of the gate before you
fly thru. After all, the gates are holographic projections. Destroying
these boxes is not a problem, since you are using the FORCE anyway!
---------
We can be reached at: adam@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
cisko@d0tokensun.fnal.gov
Watch for later revisions of this aricle on Internet! For great mission
specific info, see the "Internet Guide to X-Wing" collected by Nick Vargish
(vargish@sura.net) found in the Star Wars archive at FTP wpi.wpi.edu!
This article Copyright (C) 1993 by Adam Pletcher. All rights reserved.
Appendix Copyright (C) 1993 by Greg Cisko. All rights reserved.
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[ ] Special discount! Game Bytes readers can save $5 off your
order by mailing or faxing this form to the above address.
Sorry, no phone orders can be accepted for this offer.
Also, if you buy TWO or more games this dicount is $10!..... ________
[ ] Solar Winds: Both episodes of Jake Stone's adventure in
256 colors, with arcade, adventure, & role playing ($30).... ________
Zone 66: Ultra fast 32-bit VGA fighter jet arcade game...... ________
[ ] Missions 1-4: Foreign Shores, Ice Wind, Heat, Plains ($30)
[ ] Add-on Missions 5-8: Fury, Plantation, Hell, Frontier ($25)
[ ] Zone 66 Mega Pack: Game plus all eight missions ($45)
[ ] Ken's Labyrinth (3D): 256 color VGA 3D trilogy. Search for
Sparky, Sparky's Revenge, & Find the Way Home ($30)......... ________
[ ] Dare to Dream: A trilogy of graphical adventures through your
dreams and nightmares! For Microsoft Windows ($30)......... ________
[ ] Jill of the Jungle, Jill goes Underground, and Jill Saves
the Prince! The entire action-adventure trilogy ($30)...... ________
[ ] OverKill: Fast-action arcade conquest of six unique
planets + hint sheet & cheat code ($30)..................... ________
[ ] Brix & Brix 2 Deluxe: Thrilling 256-color puzzle action,
224 levels of fun, with Sound Blaster support ($30)......... ________
[ ] Castle of the Winds -- Fantasy role-playing for Microsoft
Windows 3.0 or later (Two immense game worlds) ($25)........ ________
[ ] Gravis PC Gamepad: 4-button digital joystick makes games twice
as fun! Plugs into your computer's joystick port only $25
when ordered with any of the above games or $30 alone...... ________
Shipping & Handling (International add $2 extra)........ __$4.00_
Maryland residents MUST add 5% tax........ ________
Total enclosed ________
IMPORTANT! Circle disk size: 5.25 AND High Density
3.5 Low Density
Is this your first order from Epic MegaGames? YES NO
Name: _______________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
City, ST Zip: _______________________________________________
Country: ____________________ Phone: __________________
Payment by: [ ] Check [ ] Money order [ ] Mastercard [ ] Visa
Card # _____________________ Exp Date: _______ Signature: _______________
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
Don't you think this would be a GREAT place for an advertisement?
Look at all the gamers who would notice your products. Plus, we can
fine tune this ad space to add graphics as easy as 1-2-3.
Call Ross Erickson at 205-730-4019 or fax at 205-837-6565 for details
about advertising in Game Bytes.
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.
Alex Gagin of Russia writes:
Hello! As I know, you are editor of Game Bytes magazine. So I have one
question: Where I can take it from ftp-sites? I need exact address, i.e.
not only ftp-site but directory and may be file names.
GB: Alex, welcome! You can find Game Bytes on a wide variety of FTP
sites around the world. Our readers do a good job of spreading it far and
wide. As for us, upon completion, I immediately upload it to the
following two sites:
ftp.ulowell.edu (129.63.17.1) - /msdos/Games/Game_Bytes directory
wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) - /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS
Sorry for boring you but I haven't ftp to other countries except Russia,
so I have use ftpmail. But sending many times commands "DIR" to server
(while I found those files somewhere in subdirs) will take some time. So,
please..
GB: Hopefully, we've answered your question. By the way, getting mail to
your country is still very tentative at best. Most of the time, the mail
bounces back to us. This makes for slow replies, so perhaps there's
another method we should explore.
Eric Taylor of Lehigh University writes...
GameBytes Magazine,
I want your staff to remember back to the game Ultima IV, published by
Origin Systems. Specifically, remember the documentation. Since Ultima
IV was originally programmed for the Apple II, it couldn't have the flashy
graphics or sounds that today's machines are capable of producing. The
documentation is what filled this gap. The History of Britannia, one of
the manuals, was incredibly well-written and illustrated, and included
material that was not integral to playing the game itself, but rather to
immersing the reader in the world of Brittania.
Ultima VII, as much as I've seen of it, has tried to move that reading
into the computer. The documentation is just a short pamphlet that
contains a rudimentary overview of Brittania and technical instructions
about installing the game. Why do people read anymore, if other, much
less time-consuming options such as television exist? Simply because no
form of media can ever be as powerful as a book. A book is interpreted
differently by each reader, so those texts that came with Ultima IV were
many different things to many people; some of them, such as myself,
thought that they were an excellent way of compensating for hardware
limitations, while others found the reading to be a chore and started in
on the game immediately, while still others were somewhere in between.
The point I am trying to make here is that you, as a gaming magazine,
specifically as a multi-media gaming magazine, represent the transition
from the written word on the page to the computer-generated text on the
screen. It is important that you do not let your writing become as
primitive as some of the games are. Take, for example, any manual written
for a game cartridge for a home video entertainment system like Genesis.
There are always numerous flaws in grammar, spelling, and general
conceptual ideas. These mistakes force the user to rely solely on
gameplay for the gaming "experience." The gaming experience is not just
based on gameplay, but on the combination of the gameplay and its concept.
Shooter-type games become boring because they suffer from a routinization
of gameplay: they are all basically the same, with the same goal in mind.
I beg of you never to let GameBytes get wrapped up in this advancement
that places so little emphasis on substance and so much on eye-catching
graphics. Show them, of course, but remember that the writing is
ultimately more important because the reader can interpret what you write;
screen shots are horrible indicators of what a game is actually about, and
even worse at conveying the theme of a game. Your purpose is to fill that
gap. I wish you luck. I would like to put this idea into action myself,
but as I own an Apple IIGS, I am not near the current gaming platforms.
Maybe someday I can get myself a 486. Until then, it's up to you guys.
GB: Eric, thanks for a highly enlightening and informative letter. It's
obvious that you have paid a lot of attention in your life to the Ultima
series! Our philosophy towards this magazine has been and always will be
to produce a content-driven piece; something that has a lot of material
that is quality driven. Of course, quality and value are in the eye of
the beholder, and we let the reader judge that.
Thanks for reading Game Bytes, and I hope we have you as a permanent
reader.
