computer gaming world issue 76

November 1990 Number 76

Features

Christmas Buying Guide 8Software Stocking Stuffers for Silicon Santas

MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy 16War in GDW's Third Imperium / L.S. Lichtmann

Sneak Preview: Spellcasting 101 20More Madness from Meretzky / Chris A. Lombardi

Game Tips: Star Control Tactics 27Details from the Designer / Paul Reiche

Flight of the Intruder 28Spectrum Holobyte's "Novel" 'Nam Game / Paul Rigby

New World's The King's Bounty 32Recipe for Strategy Mixed with Adventure / Alan Emrich

Sneak Preview: The New Battle Tech 36Infocom's BattleTech II: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge

Casino Plurale 46CGW Surveys Casino Gambling Games / Alan Emrich

A Surface Look at Silent Service II 51MicroProse Scores More Tonnage / Johnny L. Wilson

Amigan (and IBM) Graffiti 59California Dreams' Street Rod / David Wilson

UbiSoft's Unreal 72A Surreal Quest for Action/Adventure / Allen Greenberg

Special Cartridge Game Section 83Nintendo, Sega, & TurboGrafx 16 CRPGs / Roe Adams

Departments

Taking A Peek 8The Rumor Bag 10Scorpion's Mail (Game Hints) 30Scorpion's View (Opinion) 44Game Ratings (100 Games Rated) 56Hall of Fame 57Over There (European Games Report) 64Letters 60Free-For-All (Win Prizes) 96Reader Input Device 102Editorial 112

Taking a Peek

Accolade550 S. Winchester Blvd.San Jose, CA 95128

lSHIDO: Strategy, Chance, Patience,

Intuition—the cornerstones of gaming—and all elements of this pure strategygame from the orient. Reminiscent ofdominoes, as well as Shanghai,players must place stones so that theycreate two-, three-, and four-waymatchups using both stone color andtile design. This beautiful and elegantlydesigned program can be playedsolitaire, against the computer, incooperation with another, and can beconsulted as an oracle. IBM, Mac/II($59.95). Circle Reader Service #1.

Cinemaware4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd.Westlake Village, CA 91362

ACTION PACK BRAIN BLASTER: Ifthere was ever a shining example oftruth in advertising, it would be the adcopy on the back of this game boxthat challenges players to scrambletheir brains and challenge theirreflexes. The two games in this pack-age, "Xenon 2" and "Bombuzal," areboth a couple of joystick-breaking ar-cade games. In "Xenon 2," the player

must scramble through time to findfive hidden time bombs which threatento destroy history. In "Bombuzal," anassortment of bombs must bedetonated without the player gettingblown away, while the playermaneuvers around an ever-changingboard. IBM, Amiga ($39.95). CircleReader Service #2.

Duggan DeZign Inc.West Warwick, RI 02893

STIK-GRIPPER: This heavy-dutyhardware serves as a clamp for one'sfavorite joystick. Joystick jockeys willhave no more sloppy-sticking oncethey've latched their joysticks to theedges of their computer desks withthis device. One size fits all standard-sized, base-mounted joysticks. CircleReader Service #3.

Inline Design5 West Mountain RoadSharon, CT 06069

DARWIN'S DILEMMA: This cute spa-

(Continued on page 60)

Buying Guide

spacecraft into the void. See the strategyarticle on page 27.

Wayne Gretzky Hockey 2 fromBethesda Softworks (Amiga, IBM,$54.95) is a new version (contact Bethes-da for the upgrade policy) of the best-selling hockey game. Now, the game willconstantly display a text line indicatingwhich player is handling the puck at aparticular moment and the model has be-come even richer and more detailed thanthat in the previous product.

Cinemaware has just released Wings

(Amiga, IBM, $49.95), the long-awaitedaction game which follows the diary ofan actual World War I pilot. The visualperspective is different than the WWI aviation simulations being released this fall. Itfeatures a camera angle behind the pilot,no gauges (in fact, no console) and plen-ty of cinematic effect in the Cinema-ware tradition. Even non-action garnersmay want to consider this product, be-cause it is a slower-paced set actiongame in which, even when the pilot dies,the player is able to continue forwardwith the story. Time marches inexorablyon in this action-based story product.

CGW's editorial department had toclimb into those abysmally hotand ridiculous-looking elf suits

even earlier this year in order to publishthis "Fourth Annual Christmas BuyingGuide" in the November issue. The ear-lier schedule means that some productswhich could already be on store shelvesby the time this issue arrives may havenot yet been received in the CGW of-fices. However, even some games wehaven't seen will be mentioned in eachcategory so that you can circle the titlesand hand the list to your personal Santa,Father Christmas, sugar daddy, parents,spouse or executive in charge of the of-fice Christmas party. Since, as of presstime, many of these games have onlybeen handled in stages of partial comple-tion, note that this guide is intended tobe a list of games which could potentiallybe major hits this Christmas and notCGWs final critical word on any of thegames.

Covert Action from MicroProse($59.95) offers a hybrid style similar totheir award-winning Pirates! and the criti-cally respected Sword of the Samurai.This time, the subject is espionage andthe game combines action sequencessuch as chase scenes with mental puz-zles such as cryptography and wiretap-ping a phone. First looks at this game indictate that it may be more challengingfor the "strategist and role-player" thaneither of its predecessors in style.

Star Control from Accolade (Amiga,IBM, $49.95) is a different kind of hybridaction game. It offers strategic value asplayers plan for the colonization ofplanets, exploitation of resources and con-struction of fortifications, and arcade ac-tion as differing vessels with distinctivespecialties try to zap the other player's

One of Michael Berlyn's novels, The In-tegrated Man, was exploring the darkpsyche that became the cyberpunkgenre before there was a cyberpunkgenre. Now, the game designer whobrought Infidel, Suspended and othersto adventure garners has teamed up withAccolade to produce Altered Destiny(IBM, $59.95). In Altered Destiny, thegraphics engine and parser introduced inSearch for the King have matured. Theintroductory sequence seems like aparody of Leisure Suit Larry being sum-moned Worlds of Ultima style throughthe cathode-ray tube of his television setand into a universe of the psyche wherehe meets a powerful character that looksvaguely like a past villain from Star Trekgone awry. Fortunately, that's about thelast element in the plot that bears anysimilarity to anything familiar. This lookslike a challenging game with consider-able variety.

From France, BAT (the acronymstands for "Bureau of AstralTroubleshooters" in the U.S. version) isUbiSoft's entry in the "point and click"adventure sweepstakes (Amiga, Atari ST,IBM, $49.95, C-64, $39.95). The artworkfor the game provides a menacing,futuristic feel that is only slightly lighter


The Rumor Bagby Felix Ian Bond

The Rumor Bag

In Milwaukee there is an industrial areanot far from the river which flows at anear-glacial pace through the center of

downtown. About a block from the river'sbank, I located the object of my quest. Inoticed the parking lot, the searchlight play-ing against the side of a decayingwarehouse wall, pockmarked with powderymortar which looked like an irregular check-erboard of bat guano. The sign on the doorread, "International Imports and Exports,Ltd." With visions of James Bond's "Univer-sal Export" dancing in my head, I enteredthe delivery door and was immediately con-fronted by a tall, blond male with that "spe-cial services" look. "May I help you, sir?"

I gave him the password and he immedi-ately pressed a button which caused thetraditional bookcase to slide open and allowaccess to a concrete passageway. A graffitiartist had painted Suez '73 in large red let-ters along one wall. I realized that the wordmust be getting out on Command Simula-tions' next computer wargame. It will besimilar to White Death, but the artificial op-ponent is supposed to be much better.

I reached the end of the tunnel and the ap-parent dead end quietly slid to one side,depositing me at a secret bar. I was debat-ing the propriety of ordering a martini witha twist of lemon, shaken not stirred, when Iwas the one who ended up being shaken."Felix, old boy," came a voice behind me,"you're going to have to get rid of thatpaper bag if you expect to travel incognito."I turned to face my informant in time tohear him ask, "Still driving the old Aston-Martin? Jumped over any opendrawbridges lately?"

I assured him that I was, indeed, driving

the Aston and the onlystunt driving that I was will-ing to do, of late, is goingto take place inSpectrum HoloByte'sjust-released Stunt Driverand Broderbund's just-an-nounced Stunts (an-ticipated first-quarterrelease). Both productsallow players to designtheir own stunt tracks andrace against opponentshead-to-head.

Speaking of motorsports, he told me he'd just gotten a peekat Accolade's Test Drive III: The Passion(anticipated October release) and found outthat there are three prototype automobilesto be driven in the game: the ChevroletCERV III, Ferrari-based Pininfarina Mythos,and Lamborghini Diablo. He said playerscan back up on the road, go cross-countryand even "hide" in structures.

In return, I told him I'd heard from threesources that Allen Varney, designer of theGlobbo pen and paper role-playing gameswas forming his own company, Allen Var-ney Games. Of course, Allen is often thebutt of practical jokes, so I was pretty skep-tical. My source was, too, but he gave me anumber to call. I entered a nearby phonebooth and inserted a quarter in the nearestcoin slot. Unfortunately, it was one of thosephone booths with a sound effects gener-ator, so the party on the other end of thephone heard a machine gun in the back-ground as I asked if he had anything goingwith Allen's alleged company. "No," saidmy source, "but I heard that GEnie hasbeen negotiating agreements with AndonGames, Reality Simulations and FlyingBuffalo, Inc. (all play-by-mail companies)to do 100% computer-moderated versionsof Kings & Things, DuelMasters,Hyborean War, and Starweb." He saidthere was even a rumor that the first Star-web game might be a no-turn-fee game. Hehadn't heard of Allen Varney Games andhe never intended to play Globbo. "Maybeyou should check with Lord British," he said.

Feeling a call of nature, I decided to find arest room before attempting to find LordBritish. I opened the nearest men's roomdoor, only to discover that the doorway wascompletely bricked up and had "Out ofOrder" painted across the bricks. Carvedinto the bricks was another, pardon the ex-pression, cryptic note. It simply said, "TheBlack Crypt." At the time, I figured it meantthat either a spy or another rumor bag guywas buried alive in there. Later, I discoveredthat The Black Crypt is an Amiga gamewith graphics that rival Dungeon Master. Itwas designed by some college students in

northern Wisconsin whohaven't found a publisher.However, it was very wellreceived by gamers in thecomputer room at GenCon.

I found another men's roomto take care of my vital "mis-sion" and practically steppedon Lord British's boots as I ex-ited. "M'lord," I stuttered (Mr.Sipe and Mr. Wilson havedrummed this nobility thinginto my head, in spite of thethick bag), "dost thou knowanything of this Allen VarneyGames?"

Conqueror of themarketplace and veteran ofhundreds of interviews, myeditors' liege lord confidentlystated, "I can neither confirm

nor deny any such rumors. In fact, even ifmy kingdom should have mercantile deal-ings with such an alleged company, Icouldst neither confirm nor deny. However,since thou art such a loyal subject, I cantell thee that the second product in theWorlds of Ultima series should be a Vic-torian-era Martian adventure with cameosby historical figures."

I tried to confirm whether H. G. Wells, Alis-tair Crowley, Arthur Conan Doyle and thelike would be in the game, but his lordshipretreated to that stance of neither confirm-ing nor denying. I bid a "Fare thee well!" toLord British and quickly entered anotherphone booth. I quickly dropped a coin inthe slot and started to call another source.Before I could dial, a voice on the other endof the line commanded me to dial threenumbers. I did so and another wall slid tothe side revealing a down staircase.

I followed the staircase down past an inter-rogation room where I overheard a familiarname. The victim was apparently undergo-ing a rigorous interrogation, but I stoppeddead when I recognized his voice throughthe screams. It was Allen Varney, vehement-ly denying that he was starting his owngame company. I had to save him. Ientered the room and shouted for the tor-turers ... er ... investigators to stop. Theyquickly bound me and placed me on the"hot seat" next to Allen.

"What do you know about Sphere of In-fluence?" they demanded.

"I don't have any," I flippantly responded.They brought in three of my favorite publicrelations ladies and told me the gorgeouswomen would never speak to me again if Ididn't tell the truth. I cracked. "It's ageopolitical game of economics, politicsand military decision-making that's due outfrom Spectrum HoloByte in the firstquarter of '91." The master interrogator'sface wrinkled obscenely into a cruel smile.

"That's not all we've been meaning to askyou . . ."

(To be continued)

Review

MegaTraveller 1:The Zhodani Conspiracy

Paragon Software's Computer Version of GameDesigners' Workshop's Renowned Traveller RPG

TITLE: MegaTraveller 1:

The Zhodani ConspiracySYSTEM: IBMPRICE: $59.95PUBLISHER: Paragon Software

DISTRIBUTOR: Medalist InternationalHunt Valley, MD

G ame Designers'Workshop's Travellerpen-and-paper role-

playing game (RPG) hasbeen the preeminent science-fiction RPG since 1977,thanks to its backgrounduniverse, its wealth of excel-lent support materials, andthe cutting-edge rulesrevision (MegaTraveller)done about three years back.For those not familiar withthe Traveller universe, it pos-tulates a time about 3500years from now, when amethod of faster-than-lighttravel, the Jump, has allowedhumanity to spreadthroughout the nearby stars.

The greatest power inknown space is the Im-perium, a human-dominatedempire owed allegiance bythousands of worlds. Acrossits frontier, in a region knownas the Spinward Marches, theImperium confronts anotherhuman power, the Zhodani Consulate.Relations with the Zhodani have beenbad for the better part of a millennium.The last war between the powers wasless than 30 years ago, and there arerumblings that a Fifth Frontier War maybe imminent...

The title is misleading. MegaTraveller1: The Zhodani Conspiracy (MT1) is ac-tually set in the days just before theFifth Frontier War, some years beforethe wrenching changes in the Imperiumwhich transform the background ofTraveller into that of MegaTraveller.

An internal security agentof Sharurshid, an Imperium-wide transportation/servicecorporation, has found thatSharurshid's local director,Konrad Kiefer, is helping theZhodani smuggle arms intothe Imperium, in support oflocal rebellions to be coor-dinated with a Zhodani in-vasion. The agent hasrecruited the player's party ofex-Imperial military, Scout,and Merchant serviceveterans to defeat Kiefer.

GameplayFrankly, MegaTraveller 1

has generated quite adivision of opinion. The vastmajority of garners hate thecombat system, to put it mild-ly (enough so that an updatewith a completely differentcombat system should beavailable from Paragon bythe time this appears inprint). On the other hand,this reviewer actually likes itvery much.

Since Traveller is an ex-traordinarily complex and ac-tivity-rich environment, evenfor a pen-and-paper RPG, it is

surprising how many of the features ofthe pen-and-paper game show up inMT1 in one fashion or another.Whatever else it may be, this is not aroutine RPG with the Traveller labelstuck on it as an afterthought! In part,the result is a computer RPG with aremarkably broad spectrum of activitiesfor the player, including characterdesign, personal combat, exploration,ship-to-ship combat and trade. Ex-perienced Traveller players, however,should be aware that some of the fea-tures they may have been hoping to

by L. S. Lichtmann

Review

find, such as alien characters and starship design, have not beenincluded in MT1 because of space limitations. Such features maybe included in future products.

Traveller's philosophy of character generation calls for alengthy, somewhat tedious character generation process. For-tunately, MT1 has implemented a complete Traveller charactersystem and automated the procedure, transforming it from achore to a delight. Any character generated in MT1 could servecredibly in a standard Traveller campaign. The original releasedid not include a "Print Character" option, but this has beenremedied in the recent update.Therefore, assembling a strongparty for MegaTraveller 1 becomes an enjoyable game in itself.Thus, the player is allowed to create a pool of up to 15 charac-ters from which to form a five-character party. As characters arekilled in action, replacements may be drawn from the pool, butthe original population of the pool is all that you have to com-plete the adventure. Furthermore, to win, at least one of youroriginal five characters must have survived throughout the game.This encourages the player to treat characters as assets ratherthan cannon fodder, and enhances the role-playing aspects ofMT1.

Those who find the tightly-structured storylines of adventuregames to be their least interesting facet will probably find MT1 tobe one of the most successfully free-form computer RPGs this reviewer hasever seen. The world of MT1 consists ofeight stellar systems, each with severaldestination worlds (complete with theirown distinctive character). There are"Non-Player Characters" (NPCs) to inter-act with in order to glean informationand rumors. The player determines theorder in which the party visits locationsand when.

The goal of the game is to defeatKiefer. To accomplish this, the partymust earn enough Credits to buy an im-proved space drive, one capable of car-rying the ship to the system where asecond Sharurshid security agentanxiously awaits delivery of three items vital to derailing Kiefer'splot.

A commendable effort has been made to reproduce in MT1 thevariety of planetary environments possible in the Traveller sys-tem (another of Traveller's many strong points). Unfortunately,this is somewhat diluted by the small size of the planetary ex-ploration areas. From comments in the manual, this seems tohave been at least in part a design choice, to minimize theamount of aimless wandering.

There are many ways of making money in MT1. There is theusual RPG routine of stripping the corpses of one's slain foes andselling the items found. In MT1, this is augmented by the cir-cumstance that certain NPCs will pay inflated sums for specificitems.

A related source of funds is bounty hunting. While adventuring,one encounters certain notorious and unpleasantly skillful gun-fighters. Turning their IDs over to the appropriate officer at Im-perial Security Headquarters (which you must locate) will nethighly useful sums of money.

Successful completion of the various sub-missions offered, suchas locating and recovering a religious icon from the nomads whohave stolen it, for instance, is the third way to acquire funds. It is

probably the most dangerous, as it is here you will encounter notjust the lone gunslinger, but groups of alert and deadly enemies.

MT1 implements a speculative trade system similar to, thoughconsiderably simplified from, that of Traveller. Carrying the rightgoods from world to world can improve one's financial status sig-nificantly. It takes some work, however. Experimentation andrecord keeping are essential.

On top of personal combat, exploration, and trade, inter-planetary and interstellar travel represent important activities inMT1. In order to get to another world, one boards a ship andmaneuvers it to its destination. This means learning to use theshipboard navigation system, at the very least, and using thecommunications system to get vital information on the worldsone travels to and the ships one encounters.

Beyond simple travel, MT1 has an extensive ship-to-ship com-bat system, with looting of cargo as the analog of corpse robbingfor greasing the mission's wheels. There is a set of shipboard ar-maments and equipment supporting the shipboard travel andcombat system in the same way that personal equipment andarms support planetary exploration and personal combat.

A unique aspect of the system is the ship's computer. In orderto perform certain vital ship's functions, such as making an inter-

stellar Jump, the appropriate softwaremust be loaded and running in theship's computer when such a function isattempted. This would be a triviality, ex-cept that the Universal Law thatsoftware expands to exceed availablememory operates in MegaTraveller 1as in real life. The ship's computer doesnot have enough space to store (or theability to run) all vital programs at once,hence, software selection is as impor-tant in MT1 as play selection is in foot-ball.

Evaluation

Although CGA and VGA graphics aresupported, MT1's graphics are essential-

ly EGA-quality. They are adequate to the task, but only impres-sive in the variety of screens available and the quantity of infor-mation packed into them.

For surface exploration and combat MT1 relies on an overheadview of the surroundings rather than a party's-eye view. Theparty appears either as a single figure for travel or broken downinto five individual figures for combat. NPC figures wander overthe screen under computer control, available for interaction withthe party.

Although MT1 supports a full set of keystrokes to control ac-tions, the entire game can be played with the mouse, except fora few activities concerning purchase and sale of equipment andcargo. The mouse is somewhat poorly implemented, however, inthat one must run an obstacle course around the edges of thecombat screen in order to move from the menu portion of thescreen to the actual combat figures. Players possessing a mousewill want to rely on it, except for combat, where the quick se-quencing possible with keystrokes becomes important.

No aspect of MT1 has generated more complaints than the per-sonal combat system. Many are disappointed because thephased, tactical system of Traveller has been modified to havearcade-game characteristics. How can a single player, controlling


Sneak Preview

Continuing Education forthe Adventure Gamer

Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girlsby Chris A. Lombardi

TITLE: Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The GirlsSYSTEM: IBMPRICE: 559.95DESIGNER: Steve MeretzkyPRODUCERS: Bob Bates & Mike VerduPUBLISHER: Legend Entertainment Group

Chantilly, VA 22021

eing an adventure gameaficionado has been rough goingthese last few years. Since the

demise of the text adventure, and thusthe passing of the Golden Age of Ad-venture Gaming, people have tried,with limited success, to find new and

different ways of telling a good story.We've seen several attempts at mixedtext/graphic adventures and a rash ofthe now-in-vogue Sierra-style games,but nothing has yet approached thecharm and storytelling ability of theclassic Infocom games. There wassomething about those classic adven-tures that could entertain the adven-

turer more successfully than anythingsince.

Well, the time for bemoaning a lostera may be over with the release of a

new line of products from LegendEntertainment Group. From thelooks of Spellcasting 101: SorcerersGet All The Girls, the first release onLegend's slate, adventure gaming inthe classic mode may get a muchneeded kick in the pants.

Taken in parts, Spellcasting 101does not do anything that hasn't beentried before. The game offers partial-screen graphics, a keyword menuselection system with mouse interface,and niceties like compass-rose move-ment selection and mouse-responsivegraphics. Taken as a whole, one seesthat Legend has taken all the goodideas poorly implemented in past ef-forts and has, finally, done the adven-ture game interface right. Add to thisthe very important fact that Spellcast-

ing 101 is authored by SteveMeretzky, whose game credits (Planet-fall, Sorcerer, Hitchhiker's Guide tothe Galaxy, Leather Goddesses ofPhobos, and more) read like a "BestOf" adventure gaming list and you'llsee why this "Raised-On-Grue-Meat" ad-venturer/reviewer is excited.

>REVIEWER, TELL MEABOUT THE STORY

Spellcasting 101 is a racy tale of ad-venture which some have calledLeather Goddesses of Phobos meetsEnchanter. The player assumes therole of Ernie Eaglebeak, a dorkyyoung man who aspires to a life ofmagic. Ernie's motives are honest andclearly stated—he has always been in-terested in magic and, besides, sor-

Sneak Preview

cerers get all the girls. The player

leads Ernie on a bawdy romp from hisnear escape of a life scooping dragondung through his days as a freshmanat Sorcerer U. to the eventual fulfill-ment of his birth prophesy, whilethrough it all "catering to the specialneeds of women across the land." Theuniverse is Zorkesque in flavor, thesilly magic element is straight out ofthe Enchanter series, and the cleverpuzzles remind one of Zork Zero andNord and Bert. It's a wild ride scat-tered with sophomoric humor, adoles-cent sexual fantasy and sarcastic wit intrue Meretzkian form.

>HIDE SOFTWARE FROMJESSE HELMS

Spellcasting 101 is anotherdangerous foray into the murky watersof "adult" software. The game containsadult situations, language and graphicsof scantily clad nymphs (reads like aMPAA rating [gag]!). Those who haveseen an R-rated movie recently willfind nothing to shock them. However,like Leather Goddesses of Phobos,Spellcasting 101 has both "Naughty"and "Nice" modes of play. The Nicemode of play eliminates all of the situa-tions, graphics, and language thatsome might find offensive (and thatothers might find fun) and plays a verytame game. It's a shame that so muchwork went into an option that will rare-ly be used, but one must assume that

this enables the game to meet somecommunity standards, somewhere. Un-fortunately, unlike Leather Goddessesof Phobos, Spellcasting 101 only of-fers a game from the male perspec-tive. The energy used in programmingthe "Nice" mode would more than like-ly have been better spent in creating afemale version of the game. T'will beinteresting to see how Scorpiaresponds to the female exclusion.

>LOOK

Spellcasting 101 provides the playerseveral different ways to see and inter-act with the world. Although mostplayers will not want to miss the gor-

geous EGA one-third screen graphics,the game can be played as a pure text

game (one might want to do so for aninstant in the name of nostalgia). Thegraphics are so good they are easily

mistaken for VGA at first glance. Theartist, Tanya Isaacson, should get anaward for betwitching every newt's eyeof potential out of the EGA graphicmode. This jaded reviewer is im-pressed by the manner in which thegraphics are handled in the game.Rather than emphasizing the graphicsas in common adventures, thegraphics screens in Spellcasting 101are gravy. They make no attempt toshow the entire location in one shot

nor all of the objects therein. They pro-

vide flavor, in a non-essential support-ing role, for the well-written prose.They are also interactive. What objectsdo appear in the window can be click-ed on once for an instant LOOK com-mand or clicked twice to evoke an ob-vious operation like TAKE for objectsor OPEN for doors.

Another nice graphic and storytellingtouch is the division of the game intochapters, each with an artsy chapter-heading screen with baroque bordersand hilariously appropriate quotes

from the most quotable figures(Ambrose Bierce and Yogi Berraamong them). It gives the game aliterary feel and gives one an addedfeeling of accomplishment in additionto the point-scoring system.

It's clear that the game's graphicswere developed around the storyrather than the converse, as in most

adventures. Rather than worryingabout memory limitations and artistcosts, this design philosophy wouldseem to allow the designers moreflexibility and afford them the chance

to think story first, frills second. While

competing adventures sacrifice verbaldescription for graphics, the Legendpeople have not lost sight of the factthat, in adventure games, words pack

more imagination-piquing punch thanpixels.

>PUT THE PRAISEWORTHYPURPLE PARSER INTO THEPUZZLING PROGRAM

Spellcasting 101 boasts a parserthat is leaps and bounds better thananything currently on the market. Bob

Bates, producer and head cheese atLegend has taken his experience(though none of the code, he assuresus) with Infocom's excellent ZIL parsersystem and has created an interpreterwith a lexicon and parsing ability that

blows away anything Sierra or Ac-colade is currently doing [Ed: Contact

Bob on this one. CGW does not needto find itself in the middle of a par-

ser war]. To aid the adventurer fur-

ther, the game offers two ways to inter-

act with the world. Players either typecommands in the usual manner, orthey can choose appropriate verbs,prepositions, and nouns from an exten-sive menu of words.

>READ MENU AND ORDERTHE GRUE FLANK STEAK

This menu selection system is toutedas a great advance in the genre. I wasskeptical at first, however, fearing thatthe menu system would limit playersto an oversimplified repertoire of corn-


(Continued from page 8)

than the film noir style in Dynamix'Rise of the Dragon (IBM, $59.95). Bothgames use interfaces where the playertouches a location portrayed on thescreen and clicks (on the mouse or key-board) and the scene resolves into a newperspective based on a subsequent loca-tion. If a player clicks on a door, for in-stance, the next view would likely be of aroom just entered. If a player clicks onan object, that object may be seen in aclose-up view and/or manipulated by theplayer. This "player as director"-style inter-face may be the wave of the future andscience fiction gamers should be very in-terested in both of these games. Thestories have some rich science fictionconventions in them, as well.

Horror fans may prefer the "point andclick" B-movie thrills of Elvira, Mistressof the Dark from Accolade (IBM,Amiga, ST, $64.95). The game features"real-time" hand-to-hand combat, but alsocontains mental stimulation for moretraditional adventure garners, as well.

Players use a scroll of magical spells andingredients for potions (garneredthroughout the ancestral castle Elvira istrying to renovate) in order to createmagical brews.

BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk'sRevenge from Infocom (see sneakpreview on p. 36) is the sequel to Battle-Tech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception. Itprobably has more to offer to those wholike to play the BattleTech boardgamefrom FASA than to narrative-orientedrole-playing enthusiasts.

SSI's Buck Rogers: Countdown toDoomsday (IBM, Amiga, $49.95, C-64,$39.95) appears to integrate story andcombat fairly successfully. Tactical war-gamers, as well as hackers and slashers,will probably enjoy the options to befound in the new Buck Rogers combatsystem more than any of the previousgold box series from SSI and theartwork in each of these games con-tinues to offer more with every release.

Speaking of a game series where theartwork continues to improve, AccessSoftware's Countdown (IBM with hard


Star Control Strategy and Tacticsby Paul Reiche III, Designer

Game Hints

!lthough it is unusual for COW to print strategy articles beforeactually reviewing a computer

game, we believe that Star Control isexciting and challenging enoughthat our readers will not want towait for these insightful observationsfrom the designer of the game.

This article provides Star Controlplayers with part one of a detailed"How-To" guide for the ship-to-ship, tac-tical combat aspects of the game, aswell as some suggestions and recom-mendations for strategic play in theFull Game. Star Control, published byAccolade, is exactly what Fred Fordand I set out to create 18 months ago,a hybrid action-strategy game whichputs the squeeze on both your higherbrain and your adrenal glands.

For those of you familiar with my pre-vious works (Archon, Adept, and MailOrder Monsters), the basic designgoals in the creation of Star Control willcome as no great surprise; namely, tocombine and pace action with strategyto give the player a "full-body" ex-perience of facing conflict and overcom-ing challenges.

I am not one to over-analyze games,especially my own. There are four prin-ciples that I want from games which Idesign. First, that they be fun, with noexcuses about how the game simulatesthe agony and dreariness of the realworld (as though this was somehowgood for you). Second, that they be chal-lenging over a long period of time,preferably with a few ability "plateaus"that let me feel in control for a period oftime, then blow me out of the water.Third, that they be attractive. I am a suck-er for a nice illustration or a funky riff.Finally, I want my games to be concep-tually interesting and thought-provoking,so one can discuss the game with anadult and not feel silly.

Ship Tips

The Hierarchy and Alliance fleets arenot equal, though in the hands of an ex-perienced player, they have equivalentoverall strength. In general, Hierarchyships are strong, slow, relatively simpleto use, and deadly at close range. Onthe other hand, Alliance vessels tend tobe weaker in terms of crew and rawfirepower, but are more nimble and pos-sess weapons/special ability combina-tions whose offense/defense capacitiesare more flexible than their Hierarchycounterparts. With either fleet, the key towinning is to know the strengths of your

ships and the weaknesses of youropponent's.

The Hierarchy Fleet

The Ur-Quan Dreadnought is thestrongest and most expensive ship inthe game. Don't ram it into a planet,or close with a ship that has powerfulshort-range weapons. In the FullGame, you may want to keep the Dread-nought near or on a colony, so that itcan quickly restore any crew lost in bat-tle.

Each fighter launched represents adeparting crew member, so don't sendoff all but the last few of your crew if theship is crippled. Doing so risks defeatthrough a single, lucky enemy shot. Also,fighters expire if you don't let themreturn to your ship. Thus, avoid high-speed chases or your fighters could beleft far behind. Finally, for experienced op-ponents, fighters are usually only a diver-sionary nuisance from long range. Usefighters at short range, in concert withyour main weapon, for best results.

Against most ships, the Mycon Pod-ship is a dead duck if it sits still. Once itgets moving (a good Gravity Whip

works), its commander can kick back,fire a plasma torpedo now and then, andregenerate any damage that comes hisway. The most serious flaw to this tacticis the presence of the planet. To giveyourself time to respond to an onrushingcelestial body, avoid diagonal whip trajec-tories.

One of the most serious threats to theMycon is its own weapon, the expandingplasma cloud. Fast ships, like the Arilou,Shofixti, or Syreen will try to lure the plas-ma weapon back upon the Mycon, espe-cially if it is cooperating by staying inone spot. Alternately, if the Mycon ismoving at or beyond its normal maxi-mum velocity (due to a high-speed col-lision or a skillful Gravity Whip), it canoverrun its own weapon immediatelyafter launch, suffering grievous casual-


Spectrum HoloByte's Flight of the Intruderby Paul Rigby

TITLE: Flight of the IntruderSYSTEM: IBMPRICE: $59.95

DEVELOPER: Rowan SoftwarePUBLISHER: Spectrum HoloByte

Alameda, CA

Review

"The impact of the Intruder upon the North Vietnamese wassignificant. Some measure of the effectiveness of the newairplane can be gained by a Radio Hanoi broadcast on April20 1966 when the North Vietnamese hotly claimed that theAmericans were using B-52 heavy bombers against the popu-lation centers of the country. In truth, the strike [against theUong Bi power plant] was accomplished by two Intruders."

—Mersky& Polmar, The Naval Air War in Vietnam.

Flight of the Intruder, developed by UK software houseRowan Software for Spectrum HoloByte, supports theGrumman A-6 Intruder and McDonnell Douglas F-4B/J

Phantom II flight models. It is set inthe heated skies of Vietnam, justbefore the Linebacker campaign in1972 that took place over NorthVietnam. The object is to completeassigned missions with minimumloss. However, while previousgames allowed the player to simp-ly look after his/her own survival,Intruder forces the player to con-sider wingmen, as well as otherflights accompanying one on themission. In fact, players controland direct up to eight aircraft inany one mission. This is becauseany combat mission, whether it beover Vietnam or anywhere else,needs support if it is to be success-ful. This is the area where Intruderdiffers from the majority of flightsimulators. So, one flight (of twoaircraft) may be assigned thebomb run, another flight may beanti-SAM, another anti-aircraft, es-cort, etc. Getting one aircraft safelyhome may be challenging enough

for some players, but juggling eight aircraft in the SAM / MiG /AAA-filled skies of North Vietnam is a surefire recipe for an in-credible challenge.

Upon loading (check out the magnificent carrier launch intro-ductory sequence), Intruder offers the player a choice fromthree distinct sections. The first area ("Scramble") offers achance to repeat the previous mission, a handy option for thosewho may have just botched up an assignment, but don't wantthe hassle of resetting the configuration, tactics, weapons, orders,etc. in order to play it again. The next area is split into two andwill form the basis of most people's first look at the gamemechanics. Called "Phantom" and "Intruder Pilot Brief," these sec-tions allow players to fly their first missions as a tutorial.

Carrier Pigeons (The Command Option)However, the main section of Intruder is the "CAG" (Com-

mander Air Group) option. On selection of this option, the playerbecomes the CAG who, in turn, must choose a primary mission(anything from attacking the dreaded Than Hoi bridge to hittingtorpedo boats). Then, a secondary mission is selected fromabout six or seven sites around the main target. At this juncture,the CAG designates the weapons for each flight and investigatesbasic intelligence for any area on the game map of Vietnam.

It is also possible to change the crews of each aircraft. This isan excellent feature which forces one into making personnelmanagement decisions—an essential responsibility of all CAGs.So, one must be certain that each crew is up to the job assignedto them by considering their individual ratings for such functionsas Wild Weasel (anti-SAM), fatigue factor, dogfighting, etc. Onehas to take extra care of one's men, too, because Intruderreplaces lost personnel with green recruits.

Waypoints are extremely important in Intruder. They are thehinge that can determine the success or failure of a mission inboth real life and the simulation—a pat on the back to Rowanand Spectrum HoloByte for getting this right. In this case, theCAG can tell each flight exactly when they can take off, whatcourse to take (right down to exact latitudes and longitudes),


Game Hints

Scorpion's Mail

Look at that, it's time to pop intothe back room again. Seems likewe were just here only a little

while ago. Ah well, they say time flieswhen you're having fun (although Ihave another way of describing beingburied under mail sacks, heh).

In addition to the usual requests for as-sistance with games, people have beenasking all sorts of (ahem) personalquestions. Such as: how many letters aweek do you get? Do you get paid foranswering them? When is CGW goingto give you a raise? Why don't theyprint your picture with the column?

I suppose they want answers (sigh).Ok, here they are: I don't really countthe number of letters that come in, buta rough estimate is between 40-60 amonth, a bit more when new gamescome out, and a bit less at other times(like the depths of summer, when noth-ing new is out). This summer, however,has been out of the ordinary, with moremail than usual.

No, I don't get paid for answering theletters; it's something I do on my own,to help out fellow garners. Yeah, whenis CGW gonna give me a raise? (Oh,Russ .... ) . As for my picture, well, thecamera hasn't been made yet that couldsurvive the ordeal (grin).

Anyway, enough fluff, let's get down tothe real stuff.

Knights of Legend: Lately, peoplehave been writing and asking about train-ing. Mainly, they want to increaseweapon skills, but can't find anyone totrain them. There's a reason for this: all

weapon skills have a limit (whichvaries by weapon type and characterclass). When you reach that limit, yousimply can't train any further in thatweapon. There are nine trainers in thegame: Brettle, the tower outside Brettle,Htron (2), Shellernoon, the keep on theKrell Way, Olanthen, the Kvlar forest,and the Portal. If none of them willtrain you in a weapon, it's time tomove on to another weapon. That's allthere is to it.

Dragon Wars: Some folks have beenwondering if it is possible to obtain allthe spells listed in the manual. Theanswer is no, you can't. Most of themyou can get, but there are one or twowhich just "ain't there." Don't worryabout it, though, you can complete thegame without them. Another problemfor some players relates to the frozenDwarves in the Dwarf Hall. Look close-ly: they've been petrified (stoned, in away). What do you suppose you coulddo about that? (I'd give more of a hint,but I'm not that soft).

Indiana Jones & The LastCrusade: The Graphic Adventure: Itseems that a few adventurers arehaving difficulties in the catacombs

below Venice. Specifically, there is alarge area of water they'd like to getpast, but can't find a way to do so. Well,you'll have to pull the plug from below.


Review

A Feast for SomeNew World's King's Bounty

by Alan Emrich

Setting Out, Oh Great Leader

per week(troops haveto be paideach week)and leader-ship (howlarge theunits whichthe playercommandscan be).

Early on, leadership seems to be the key, be-cause the battles often go to the side with more"staying power" (or as the wargamers say, the"bigger battalions"). While they all need to climbthe exact same set of stairs to reach the top,each class uses different muscles along the way.

S ome people go to a new high-rise building and want to ex-plore everything on every floor; some just want to go thereto conduct their business; and others just want to visit the

rooftop and see the view. It is for this latter group that King'sBounty was designed by Jon Van Caneghem (of Might &Magic fame). A straight-through adventure game, it is akin toclimbing a flight of stairs (with no turning to the left or right) inorder to reach the top and find oneself satisfied with the view.More than simply a destination, however, King's Bounty is alsoa lively, quick-paced journey for the strategy-minded adventuregamer.

The Story So FarWell, this time it's not all the Ultimate Bad Guy's (UBG's) fault.

Arech Dragonbreath is only one of 17 villains who stole the goodking's Sceptre of Order and buried it. Each of the villains has apiece of the puzzle map to its secret location, but Dragonbreathhas the critical center piece. Without the retrieval of the Sceptre,chaos, evil and nastiness will prevail throughout the land and,worse yet, the player will lose the game.

Party Of Six? Forget It!King's Bounty is a game of armies. The player has to recruit

soldiery from lands (where peasants, pikemen, knights, wolves,barbarians and more can be found), hills (where orcs, dwarves,giants, dragons and more dwell), forests (in search of elves,trolls, etc.) and dungeons (where demons and undead abound).There are no "adventures" in these areas, as they are presentedfor recruitment only. A player maneuvers an army of five units,where each unit consists of a number of troops of one type (forexample, 28 nomads is one unit), through numerous overland en-counters and in "sieges" of upwards of 17 castles.

Heroes WantedKing's Bounty offers but four character classes for the player

to choose from: Knight, Paladin, Barbarian and Sorceress. Eachis rated for speed of character advancement, maximum numberof spells the character may know, spell power, base commission

One's character starts out at the head of asmall army. Fortunately, the story is built in such

a way that lesser encounters occur first, with morevicious ones undiscoverable early on. Players trashcountless wandering armies of bad guys across allfour continents of the realm, while exploring themap (complete with a handy automapping feature)in search of towns, castles, treasures and recruit-

ment areas (each bearing its own rewards).

Towns offer a quick list of five items for a player to select from.A player can pick up a "contract" to off the next villain in the lineof 17. Then, if that villain's castle is successfully besieged, the vil-lain is captured, a piece of the map to the Sceptre is recoveredand the player earns megabooty. To go up a level, a charactermust snag from 1-3 villains (depending on the character's class).Subsequent levels require 5-8 more villains, with final advance-ment in another 10-14 captures. Captured castles may also be"garrisoned" by one of the player's army units, which willgenerate extra weekly income for the player.

Also at towns, players may hire the boat. The boat gets one'sforces across the waters and between the continents. It is verypractical (from a time standpoint, as this is a "race the clock"game) to hire the boat. Towns might also know who lives in near-by castles and each town sells its distinctive "town spell" (one ofthe 14 different spells in the game). Finally, the player can shellout the big bucks to pick up siege equipment, allowing him to at-tack castles.

Storyline = Straightline + PunchlineThe straight, linear storyline of King's Bounty is an easy and

familiar device (which was also recently used in Mindcraft's TheKeys To Maramon). While this will leave Ultima devoteeswondering where the challenge is, not everyone wants to play anadventure of that scope every time they sit down at a computer.This reviewer spent around six enjoyable hours climbing straightup the stairs of its storyline and was rewarded with the "endscreen payoff." What keeps this game from becoming toomonotonous are these three elements: serious time pressure, nail-biting battles, and expanding megalomania.

The time pressure is inherent in the scenario. Chaos will comeupon the lands unless the player can unearth the Sceptre beforethe requisite number of days passes. With each space enteredconsuming a preset amount of time, every wasted move is paid


Sneak Preview

Sneak Preview:Infocom's BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge

by Wyatt Lee and J. D. Lambright

colorful static screens which feature full-screen portraits of men, 'mechs and loca-tions, along with short paragraphs of textthat advance the story. Hardcore 'mechpilots can jump over these static screensif they desire, so the primary focus of thegame is duplicating the multi-unit actionsof the boardgame on the computermonitor.

Take Command

pacifica, October 3028: JasonYoungblood, son of famedPhoenix Hawk pilot Jeremiah

Youngblood, has just received wordthat Morgan Kell (legendary leader ofthe famed Kellhounds) has vital infor-mation concerning the whereabouts ofhis father, a prisoner of war in theDraconis Combine (House Kurita).Jason, a MechWarrior trained in theLyran Commonwealth (House Steiner),intends to land at the Kellhound baseand initiate his plans for a rescue mis-sion.

Infocom's BattleTech: The CrescentHawk's Revenge sounds like a role-play-ing game, but is actually more like a tacti-cal-level wargame with six scenariosstrung together via a storyline set in theBattleTech universe (designed by FASAfor its boardgame and novels). Those

who are accustomed to playing theboardgame or slugging it out in minia-tures battles using the BattleTech rulesshould feel right at home with this game.Those who are looking forward to land-ing on planets, encountering fascinatingaliens, discovering unique artifacts andsolving puzzles had best stay away. Thestory does not progress via conversation-al encounters, exploration or skill enhan-cement.

Rather, it consists of commandingone's squad of 'mechs (those multi-tonhumanoid engines of destruction — in-spired by Japanimation like SuperDimension Fortress Macross and Fangof the Sun Dougram — that look likegiant robots, but are piloted by a giftedwarrior elite) in firefights with differingmixes of opposing 'mechs and combatobjectives. These battles alternate with

The game begins with a "story so far"overview. Next, the player gets a choiceof four 'mechs from a pool of six dif-ferent machines (a Wasp, Commando,Hermes II, Phoenix Hawk, and a Griffin).To insure flexibility, the player mustchoose four different types from the six'mechs available in this pool at the startof the game.

Controls are joystick, keyboard, ormouse-driven using a cursor on the bat-tlefield and menu on the side of thescreen. The player uses these controls todirect movement, weapon fire, unit speedand the entire squad's formation. Thecontrols are pretty similar to those util-ized in BattleTech: The CrescentHawk's Inception (Inception), butthings can get fairly complicated whenthe player is trying to control up to three'mechs at a time. In the early versionsCGW received, one had to click onto aspecific unit (moving the cursor by joys-tick, keyboard or mouse), and thenmove to the menu to command the unit.This meant that the command sequencewould often be interrupted (slowed down)when the battle got hot and the mes-sages from other 'mechs started to comein fast and furious.

There are some significant differencesbetween BattleTech: The CrescentHawk's Revenge (Revenge) and itspredecessor (Inception), however. Move-ment must consist of moving the cursorand clicking on four different "legs" ofmovement during the turn. In Inception,the player had considerably more controlduring each phased movement. If one isnot careful, particularly in the firstscenario, one can move past the target'mech and miss the shot without realizingit. Second, combat takes place in a real-time setting, unlike the phased move-

Sneak Preview

ment (preferable to role-players and war-garners) utilized in the first game. Third,since the game does not emphasize the"role-playing" experience of the game, itdoes not offer the option of allowing thecomputer to fight for the player which In-ception provided. Fourth, Revenge is alinear entertainment in which theprotagonist's goals are clearly outlinedfor him. There is none of the "wastedtime" dedicated to discovery and explora-tion that was required in Inception. Thebest news is that Revenge has superiorVGA graphics and characters that do notlook like cheap imitations of Japanime';is much faster-paced than Inception; andis the kind of game that offersreplayability where Inception did not.Revenge also offers some on-screenhints whenever the player fails.

Verify Situation

Just before the action begins inRevenge, Jason Youngblood's ship isstrafed by Kurita fighters and, as a result,forced to crash land into a lake, ratherthan reaching the Kellhound base he wasbound for. As Jason, the player findsthat two of his available 'mechs have al-ready filled with water and sunk to thebottom of the lake. So, he only has two'mechs potentially available for his use.While he is still trying to get out of thewater, he observes another 'mech whohas already been damaged by enemyfire. Jason must help out the damagedJenner in his battle with a Kurita Locust,because the Kurita 'mech will immedi-ately start firing at Jason's ship, shouldthe Jenner be defeated. Should thisoccur, the game is quickly and unsuc-cessfully completed. Thus, the basic chal-lenge of the first scenario is to destroythe Kurita 'mech or cause it to retreat.

Next, one offloads the two 'mechs fromthe ship and attempts to secure the roadto the Kellhound base where are herooriginally intended to land. Now, theplayer controls three 'mechs. Because ofthe real-time constraints, however, he con-trols these 'mechs loosely. It is difficult toget all three 'mechs to triangulate on onetarget because, at least in the unfinishedversion CGW was experimenting with,the computer tends to "take over" com-mand of those units one is not activelycommanding at a given time. Obviously,this has both advantages and disad-vantages. With the computer command-ing the units, one can be relatively surethat all units stay in the action, but coor-dination becomes a nightmare. Basically,both the second and third scenarios areessentially "run and gun" road battles toprotect the base. The "good guys" chase

off a larger force which includes a Whit-worth and an APC, among others.

In the third scenario, the small 'mechforce faces a much larger force of threeRommel tanks (extremely tough op-ponents) and a couple of 'mechs. By thistime, the player has learned one of themost important lessons of the game, the"good guys" are always outmanned andoutgunned. The primary objective of thethird scenario is to keep the tanks from

crossing the bridge and reaching thebase.

The fourth scenario offers a slightly dif-ferent challenge, an escort mission.There are two essential phases to thisscenario. The hero begins in the city andloads two different types of weapons intohis cargo carrier in order to deliver themback to the base. One essentially con-trols two urban 'mechs in a running bat-tle against Kurita infantry, while attempt-

ing to protect the delivery at any cost.There is also a random encounter inwhich the party can be strafed by Kuritafighters. Finally, one has to drive past a'mech guarding the city gate in order toexit the city.

Unfortunately, the early draft of thedocumentation does not delineate thefunctions and characteristics of an urban'mech, even though the player is re-quired to command two of them in thefourth scenario. This is somewhatanalogous to the fact that four of the six'mechs in the player's starting pool have"jump jet" capacity. Jump jets that wouldenable the 'mechs to fly behind enemylines would have been extremely valu-able in some scenarios. Nevertheless, theprogram (at least, in our version) makesno allowances for using them.

The fifth scenario is introduced via astatic-screen exposition of a huge partywhere the hero and his fellow warriorsare the guests of the Kellhounds. Here,the hero gets to meet the famous Mor-gan Kell. He also gets to thank "GreaseAnderson," the pilot of the damaged'mech in the first scenario, for saving hisbolts in that scenario. All the'mechwarriors have a good laugh at thehero's expense, however, because"Grease" turns out to have been a 'tech,not a 'mech pilot. He simply jumped intoa 'mech at a crucial time in order to helpout. Right after the party, and a goodnight's rest, Jason comes up with aheroic plan. The Kellhounds help him sal-vage his two waterlogged 'mechs fromthe bottom of the lake, so Jason volun-teers to breach the Kurita lines andmarch directly on the bad guys' mobileheadquarters. The commander has a bet-ter idea (and this means most playerswill want to save the game here andreplay the scenario). The commander or-ders Youngblood to choose two light'mechs (Javelins) to flank the Kuritalines. Then, the other 'mechs are to at-tempt a frontal assault. In this way, onegroup should be able to get through tothe mobile headquarters in fairly decentshape. Players have the choice of com-manding either group, so this is not onlyan interesting scenario, but a doublescenario. "Road Run" gives the player achance to flank the enemy with the light'mechs and "Gauntlet" gives the heavierunits a chance to breach the line and gofor the enemy's throat.

As a sideline, however, here is anothergame universe anomaly. Prior to the fifthscenario, the commander allows Jasonto have the missiles which he brought


CHASING DEMONS. . . AND MIGS(Continued from page 28)

what to do on the way there (fly in combat or cruise formation,jink, etc), what height to fly at and what time they should reacha particular waypoint. This means thatplayers should be able to coordinate anattack that will flow like poetry in mo-tion, with timed attacks right down tothe last second. Wonderful stuff.

Target information takes the form ofsome basic data provided as to its posi-tion and description. Sometimes, theplayer even gets a black & white photoof the target. This can be very useful. Itmight even prevent one from hitting thewrong bridge during the heat of battle.

Phantom of the Flattop(The Flight Model)

After taking off from the carrier, onesees a wingman close up and get into formation. The otherflights will take off according to the timetable allotted them in thecommand option (this section can be hurried along via an Ac-celerated Time feature). Once everybody's up and running, theplayer has the option of easily switching between aircraft andtaking control. Since it is possible to do this at any time, one canalways manage to be in the thick of the action. In fact, it is neces-

For a flight simulation on the scale of the epic Vietnam con-flict, research is paramount. Especially so, considering the technology involved. To capture as realistic a feel for this era ofcombat as possible, Rowan Software's project leader, RodHyde, travelled to California.

"I spent three days with a chap called Norman Cosand whoflew as a back-seater in the Vietnam war on F-4s. He used tofly it, too. The front seaters used to let the back-seaters fly onthe way to a mission and on the way back to give them someexperience and to give the chap in the front time to write hisnotes up so he could go straight to the bar when he landed!"

According to Hyde, Cosand provided valuable information onbomb runs and general aspects of flying the F-4 as well as thetactics and maps. In addition, Norman supplied three audiotapes of missions. A couple were missions he went on. Theother tape offered an example of some very dramatic action,"In one case you can hear the last five or ten minutes of a F-4pilot and co-pilot who'd got themselves a damaged plane. Youcan hear the whole rescue system. Another F-4 comes up andflies alongside and goes around giving him damage status.This particular one is a sad sequence. In the very early F-4s, ifthe back-seater punched out first, there was a pressure set-upsuch that the front-seater couldn't punch out—and that's whathappened in this case. So they only got one of the chaps out."

Rod described a second sequence where an inexperiencedfighter pilot sees some MiGs below him. You can hear the chat-ter as he's trying to persuade his leader to let him go down.

The flight leader refuses permission as they are nothing to do

sary to do this if one wishes to take the maximum credit andpoints for an operation. If one gains enough points, he/she isawarded an operations badge for that strike. Medals are also pos-sible if one has done enough to earn one. Naturally, the difficultyfactor increases depending upon the rank chosen by the player.

The flight models have been well implemented. The F-4 Phan-tom feels like a combat fighter. It produces and retains "energy"

or speed more successfully than the In-truder. The Intruder feels like a flyingwhale at times and has a tendency tostall. So, both "planes" offer distinctiveflight characteristics, quirks and authen-tic avionics in a commendable im-plementation. For example, the AIM-7Sparrow air-to-air missile was in its initialdevelopment cycle during Vietnam. Itwas infamous for its lack of reliability.Thus, the success-to-failure ratio for theSparrow reflects this unreliability. In addi-tion, the software supplies a Rules ofEngagement option which submitsplayers to the same crippling flight con-ditions experienced by all US pilots inVietnam.

Other elements include the very smoky J79 engines on the F-4Phantom. Check out the external viewpoints to see this featurehas been included. Also, watch the smoke disappear once theafterburner is engaged—again, true to real life.


with the mission in hand. In the end it is just too great a tempta-tion so he goes down, by himself, " ... you can hear that he issuddenly outnumbered—and that's the end of him. You tend tolisten to these tapes in total silence."

Action sequences such as these provided much needed at-mosphere and "real-life" details for the simulated "radio chatter"for the program. During the multi-flight CAG option of Flight ofthe Intruder, players will see lots of radio chatter (some of ithaving no bearing on the player's aircraft).

Gilman Louie, Spectrum HoloByte's CEO was able to pro-vide much of the information on the A-6 (performance andweapon data, etc) along with direct help from Stephen Coontshimself. Coonts was able to contribute help on bombing techni-ques and MIL depression advice for bombing.

One of the late additions to the Intruder was the rudder op-tion, as Hyde notes: "It is not a full rudder implementation—there's no effect on pitch, for example. It was something weadded right at the end to help in the carrier landings because,as the carrier moves it is quite a difficult task to line yourselfup. The rudder is a heading change only.

"We really didn't want to put a rudder in Intruder as we feltthat a rudder is more important on a WW2 fighter than a Phan-tom. You'll find it very difficult to do a stall-turn in an F-4. Al-though you can tail-slide like the MiG-29 did at Farnborough."

Many players will find the rudder to be not only a useful addi-tion while landing, but when lining up a target for attack, aswell. Attacking the Than Hoi bridge with Laser Guided Bombs,for example, was eased by the rudder-based course changes.But a tail-slide? Hmmm—that would take some doing!

Scorpion's ViewAre CRPGs Role-Playing Games?

Scorpia's Column

A couple of years or so ago (CGW#38), I surveyed the computer role-playing (CRPG) genre, from its incep-

tion to its current state. At that time, I cameto the conclusion that while the gamesthemselves had become more sophisticatedin many ways, they hadn't really changedmuch since the early days. In particular, thelack of true role-playing was evident.

Now, several years later, some progresshas been made, but role-playing remains alimited feature. It is time to take an in-depthlook at why this is so, why role-playing is dif-ficult to integrate into a CRPG, and why it isunlikely that role-playing in CRPGs willchange very much in the near future.

First let's take a look at the live RPG. Thisis played by a DM (there are many titles forthe person who runs things, but DM is thebest known) and a group of people, usuallysomewhere between 5-10 in number, whotake on the roles of the player-characters,or PCs (all other characters, as well asmonsters, being played by the DM).

One way or another (royal proclamations,posted notices, mysterious persons at thelocal tavern, etc.) the DM introduces thePCs to the basic scenario and the actionbegins. So far, this sounds pretty much likea typical CRPG, with the program as DMand one person (instead of many) playingall the PCs. This similarity, however, isdeceptive.

PCs in an RPG are not just sets of am-bulatory statistics, hacking their way pastall opposition to the ultimate goal. Rather,each PC has a definite personality, com-plete with likes and dislikes, unique motiva-tions, and his/her own perceptions of theworld. How these distinct individuals inter-act with each other and the world of the ad-venture is the basis for role-playing.

It is immediately obvious from this thatlive games do not always run smoothly, asfar as progressing towards a common goalis concerned. There will be arguments overwhat course of action to take in particularcircumstances or how to treat certain NPCs(non-player characters, run by the DM),maybe even what way treasure is to beshared among the party. Indeed, an entiresession could pass with little or no combat,as the PCs engage in discussion, argument,negotiation, diplomacy, bribery, gathering in-formation, and sneaking around.

Further, it is usually the case that the PCswill do something the DM has not expectedor allowed for, at which point the DM has todo some fast thinking and decision-making.Depending on the circumstances, the partymay find themselves with a completely newadventure on their hands or the DM may

think of a way to fudge around the devia-tion and get the group back on track (or atleast prevent the campaign from coming toan abrupt end [Ed. Note: I have a stand-ard line I use in these situations: "Normal-ly that would work. However...")).

Finally, most DMs write their ownscenarios. That is, even if they buy amodule (or "canned adventure") at the localstore, they will modify it as they see fit.Thus, each scenario is individualized by theDM to take into account the PCs per-sonality quirks, abilities, and general styleof play, so that each adventure is custom-designed for a particular group of players.

Having had a look at some of the factorsin the "real thing," we can now go back andexamine how these factors are translated tothe CRPG. First, however large the adventur-ing party, the individual members are runby one person. It's possible, of course, forseveral people to gather round the monitorand direct the actions of individual charac-ters, but for the most part, CRPGs are asolo endeavor.

"The golden mean for [NPC]combat lies somewhere between

the rigid and the reckless."

Much of the role-playing element is lostright there. As anyone with experience inlive gaming can tell you, a lot of the funcomes from PC interaction. There is noway, right now, that a CRPG can simulatethis with any reasonable degree of ac-curacy, for several reasons.

Constructing detailed personalities re-quires a lot of time, and time is often inshort supply. Further, there is no good wayto simulate any sort of realistic conversa-tion. The Ultimas are the best of the lot,and even there, the player does no morethan feed back key words to the variousNPCs who, in turn, provide whatever infor-mation they happen to have. Menu-ized con-versations, with their "pick something tosay from the following list", are no better.

This is why, in one respect, the CRPGstend to have a mechanical feel to them.The player, as he/she progresses throughthe game, builds up a list of keywords andtries them out on every NPC that comesalong. It becomes a rote action and, if thereare a lot of people to talk to, can descendinto tedium. Every conversation becomespretty much the same, a static exchange ofwords that seems to go on forever.

Since this rules out conversation as amedium of role-playing, the only thing left

is action and action is typically limited tobuying/selling items, stealing (or not steal-ing), and combat.

Dealing with merchants in most games isroutine. Prices are fixed for both new itemsyou purchase and used items you want tosell. On occasion, it is possible to haggle alittle, but for the most part, buying and sell-ing has nothing to do with role-playing.

Stealing (or not stealing) shows up insome, although not all, games. It is, for in-stance, a prominent feature in the laterUltimas, where your character's Avatar ratinggoes up or down depending on whether ornot you're honest. People who want to playdishonest characters tend to have a hardtime with the Ultimas, since it is necessaryto be "good" in order to finish.

In other games that allow pilfering, theusual result is the immediate appearance ofseveral town guards who either throw youin jail or attack on sight. Typically, nothingelse comes of theft or attempted theft, andoften, when you leave town and returnlater, the guards have "forgotten" what youdid last time.

I mention this in particular because steal-ing is usually the only way in a CRPG theplayer can be something other than "good"(Exception: the Ultima series, where youcan also slaughter innocent people). Whichis not to say that everyone wants to be"evil," but there are those who prefer to besomewhere in-between, and most of thetime, there is no way to express this in thegame.

Combat, as such, has little to do with role-playing, except, perhaps, in those caseswhere you are given an options menubefore hostilities actually begin. Generallysuch options give you a choice among run-ning, fighting, talking, and bribing. In themajority of CRPGs, however, the onlychoice it between running or fighting. Thereis no opportunity for peaceful (relativelyspeaking) interaction.

All of this sounds rather dreary. You can'treally converse with anyone, you oftencan't act the way you want (or envisionyour character as wanting to act), and mostof the time, you end up fighting when you'dprefer not to. Throw in the typical banalplot ("You must stop Foozle the Evil Wizardbefore he manages to destroy/subjugatethe world!"), and CRPGs appear to be in avery sorry state indeed.

Well, it isn't quite so bad as all that. Whilethe ideal of true role-playing may not be at-tainable, there is still plenty of room for im-provement, still many ways that a decentsemblance, at least, can be added to thesegames.

One idea that is gaining popularity amongdesigners is autonomous combat by NPCparty members. Essentially, your character(the lead PC) is controlled by you;everyone else fights in a pre-programmedway. Ultima V1 has this. You can pre-set


Gambling Games Survey

Wanna Bet?(Where The SiliconMeets The Sands)

Captain Video Poker

craps game is a real pleasure. Basic strategiesfor betting and taking odds are presented, butthe graphics make this particular craps gameabsolutely compelling to play. It is a delightfulway to test out one's systems before thecasino crowds come crashing and rattle bothwits and chips. Only multi-player competitioncould make this a stronger product.

An Annotated Paiktography("Game"ography)

by Alan Emrich

Anyone who has ever placed a beton the old gaming table hasprobably taken at least a passing

interest in computer gambling games.With the myriad of titles beckoning likethe glittering casinos of the Las VegasStrip itself, it is important to get a cur-sory insight into the various games ofchance offered for your home computer.The reader should be aware that all ofthe "intangibles" which makes a personprefer one casino over another are justas applicable when choosing one com-puter gambling game over another.Therefore, the following survey should beunderstood as purely the author'sopinion. Those who do not care for theauthor's conclusions are welcome to chal-lenge him at any of the various pokertables in Las Vegas on any prearrangedweekend.

Casino gambling games are likeclothes; they come in many differentsizes, shapes and colors (and they don'talways fit!). Seeing a boxed game on theshelf does not make it in itself any betterthan the one which is not so widely dis-tributed and packaged in a plastic bag.The proof is in the playing. Here, then, isa brief look at the gambling games foundour Computer Gaming World library.

That's The Fact, BlackjackBlackJack Strategy (IBM, $15.00) by J. P.

Enterprises. This informative program under-scores the quality potential of public-domainsoftware. Features include up to 6 positions, 1-10 decks of cards, variable house rules, count-ing aids and more. Easily useable as a qualitystudy in the game, one certainly receivesmore then his money's worth with this one.

Casino Blackjack Counter/Tutor (IBM) byManhattan Software. Sort of a "Blackjack101" course to help one learn his way aroundthe table, this program offers less bells andwhistles than many of the others, but is asolid introductory primer. The handy splitting,standing and doubling card is probably themost important information the beginner canhope to absorb with this product. Money

management and point counting are de-em-phasized.

Beating The House At Blackjack (Apple)by Applications Plus, Inc. While a bit dif-ficult to wade through, the core education ofblackjack point counting, when to stand, etc.are all here. This game stresses the basics, ex-plaining the rationale and theory behind pointcounting. The game presentation and graphicsare antiquated, but the value of the educationnever changes.

Edward 0. Thorp's Real Blackjack (IBM)by Villa Crespo Software, Inc. While statingthat this product is for beginners and inter-mediates, it is ahead of most of the competi-tion in this category. Dr. Thorp invented thepoint count systems commonly used todayand the software presents a rich, nearlymindboggling, plethora of game analysis.Strategy, card counting and money manage-ment are all given emphasis and players aregraded on their performances. Plus, playershave the capacity of setting the gameparameters so that they are aligned accuratelywith the rules at their favorite casino.

Yakety, Yak! Let's TalkCraps!

Casino Craps (IBM) by ManhattanSoftware. This software package is like abowl of mush. Everything in it may benutritious, but the taste is bland with nographic spice whatsoever to recommend it.One can learn the gist of the game from thedot-matrix-printed rules booklet and watch theprogram alter the hard-to-read faces on thedice while the money flows in and out of one'sbank account, but the game is about as muchfun as waiting in a doctor's office.

Profe$$or Crap$ (IBM) by Scorpio Sys-tems International, Inc. As the name im-plies, this is a detailed, tutorial program for theserious student of the dice. Black and whitegraphics depict a craps table, animated diceroll around the table and bets are called asthey are paid and collected by the house. The50+-page rules booklet is easy to digest andvery enlightening about the play of craps. High-ly recommended.

Vegas Craps (Atari ST) by CaliforniaDreams. By far the best-looking product ofthis type with the easiest to use interface, this

Vegas Video Poker (Apple) by Applica-tions Plus, Inc. Clean and simple, the clumsyinterface for this game is more than offset bythe clear-headed approach to educating theplayer. The documentation explains the win-ning percentages like a friend might, with abrief explanation of why one must do certainthings to up the winning percentages. It is thisinsightful documentation which makes thegame, not the computer program itself.

Mike Caro's Video Poker (Apple) byArisoft. While this game does offer the uni-que function of "head to head" video pokerwith a friend at the same computer ("pokerflurry"), the jackpot video poker feature is the"same old, same old . .". No lessons aretaught in the documentation, and with thegreen clubs, purple hearts, blue spades andorange diamonds, the game greatly resemblesa bowl of Lucky Charms breakfast cereal.

Arcade Poker (IBM) by Cheapware. Whilereasonably entertaining, this game gives theplayer all the thrills of a "bar game" style ofvideo poker (with all its inherent limitationsand lack of interaction). No lessons or insightsare provided, just some tunes and cards whilethe player competes for "points" rather thansimulated bucks. The object is to get the besthigh score on the scoreboard.

Poker Chips And DipsPoker Night (Apple) by Gerhardt

Software. This game recreates the type of ac-tion that one could find in a game of base-ment poker. The player sets the "house rules"for betting limits, check and raise, etc. and


CHASING DEMONS. . . AND MIGS(Continued from page 40)

Flight aficionados may notice a realistic implementation of thewing-over maneuver during the bomb-run approach. This has,previously, been very difficult to program due to the largeamount of computational power required.

Joystick response is accurate as it is easy to spend all of yourtime over-compensating if you are too heavy-handed. Theavionics fits in both aircraft have been well-integrated. TheIntruder's DIANE bombing/navigation system has been cleverlyprogrammed to give the "highway" in the sky.

Landing on a moving carrier deck is handled very realistically.Not only must one utilize the correct angle of attack, but the car-rier provides its own "meatball" guidance system which is visiblefrom the player's cockpit. Landings count, with points awarded

or deleted based on the quality of thelanding. Landing can be completed usinga handy rudder feature that enables a"slip approach," using a standard joys-tick. However, the best response for thisarea was found using the MAXX yokeand pedals. The Advanced Gravis stickwas also found to enhance the illusion offlight.

This review was based upon the pre-release version 1.1. The reviewer triedthe initial 1.0 version and found it to bebug-ridden (the game froze more than afew times, etc). No such occurrenceswere found in version 1.1. Enhanced fea-tures of version 1.1 include a redesignedjoystick "feel," more sounds (via the PCspeaker and AdLib sound board) and sup-port for two joysticks (e.g: analog joys-tick or yoke and pedals). Also, one mustonly enter the program configurationonce. It will be saved to disk and auto-matically loaded from then onwards.

Other enhancements which would bewelcome in future versions would be: theoption of re-starting a tour of duty fromthe menu rather than having to deletefiles from DOS; having the programdefault to mouse control during themenu selection process instead of theprogram retaining the slow joystickmode after one finishes a mission (inmenu mode the joystick does "creep"somewhat, too); and an immediateresponse to show that Accelerated Modehas been selected (rather than thepresent 3-4 second time delay). Also, anoption to toggle the moving map/radarwhen in "look-down-in-the-cockpit-view"on the F-4 would be welcome.

Performance Evaluation

Overall, Flight of the Intruder is a tourde force in simulation programming. Theprogram shows that care and attentionhas been applied to the project. The 3Dgraphics have been well programmed,especially considering the amount of in-formation on-screen at once. For the mo-ment, at least, Flight of the Intruder isthe king of the flight simulations by offer-ing a more varied and comprehensive ap-proach to combat flight.

Review

"Down The Throat" and "Up The Kilt"with MicroProse's Silent Service II

by Dr. Johnny L. Wilson

S ubmarine service offers an romantic image of elite sub-mariners for good reason. Submarine warfare involves useof what the late Gordon W. Prange (in Pearl Harbor: The

Verdict Of History) called the only ocean-going craft capable ofoperating efficiently " . . . even though its nation did not enjoycommand of the sea. Its very nature and purpose called for it toforay into enemy waters." This shark-like quality of maneuveringbeneath the sea and surfacing from the depths with implementsof destruction offers a colorful canvas upon which would-be sub-marine commanders can paint their exploits of heroism.

Like no previous simulation, Silent Service II (SS2) allows thecomputer gamer to vicariously experience both the near-invin-cible feeling of successful missions and the stark terror of near-im-potence when one is being hunted by enemy sonar and tor-mented by exploding depth charges. Not only are the graphicsgeometrically improved over the original Silent Service (both theEGA and VGA/MCGA graphics are outstanding with digitizedship photographs rather than blocky silhouettes), but the newgame features digitized speech, amazing sound support on boththe Ad Lib and Roland boards, eight scenarios based on classicbattles (instead of the maximum seven in the previous game)

and seven different sub-marine classes (with morethan 100 actual shipnames assigned-them).Players can also commandfor a single patrol (longerscenarios) or a full war

career (campaign games, complete with promotions anddecorations), as opposed to the five specific patrol missionsutilized in the earlier game. The complete selection of sub-marine classes not only enables players to try their luck withinferior equipment (especially the Old-S Class submarinesthat were not present in the earlier games), but also means abook like Richard Sheffield's 40 Great Submarine SimulatorWar Adventures (Compute! Books, $14.95) becomes more

valuable in that one can select ships with the exact charac-teristics of the historical ships in order to successfully re-enactthe forty patrols from World War II depicted in that book.

"Pinging" (Harsh Sounds of Criticism)

MicroProse Labs is to be commended for integrating theseven submarines classes into the game in such a way that eachsubmarine functions with the performance characteristics of itshistorical counterparts. It is a fascinating educational experienceto command an Old-S Class submarine on a war patrol and nothave to remember to refrain from using the stern tubes. Pre-viously, historical gamers had to use their self-discipline to im-pose the limitations of inferior vessels on their game play. InSS2, one doesn't have to remember, because there are no sterntubes in an Old-S submarine. Note, however, that all submarinesin SS2 have a TDC (Torpedo Data Computer), even though the"P" class was actually the first U.S. submarine class to possessthe analog targeting system. This critic, however, accepts this asmore of a "playing aid" than an anachronism.


TITLE: Silent Service IISYSTEM: IBMPRICE: $59.95DESIGNERS: Arnold Hendrick,

Roy Gibson and Sid MeierPUBLISHER: MicroProse Software

Hunt Valley, MD

Wanna Bet?(Continued from page 46)

then fills the table with players. Action isdealer's choice from among 20 different pokergames, including six variations of 5-card draw,five of 7-card stud and many others. PokerNight is a quaint addition to one's library, butdoes not break any new ground.

Draw Poker (Apple) by Softape. This is anoldie. The two-player, head-to-head five-carddraw poker game just doesn't have the glitz tobe attractive, nor the tools to be educational.Discard and draw another game.

Amarillo Slim's Real Poker-5-Card Stud(IBM) by Villa Crespo Software. While thispackage strictly focuses on the one pokergame, it gives it such an intense examinationas to be the "master's" thesis on the game.Slim is always right there to coach players onimproving their play by adapting his style. Theinterface of controlling everything by functionkeys is a bit clunky, but the statistics and ad-vice provided during play at the 4-player tablemake this an enlightening software package.

Aussie Joker Poker (Apple) by JokerSoftware. This game of points and risk is afar derivative from the standard fare of poker.With no artificial intelligence, two or morehuman players square off to play a game

which, at best, can be described: 'The varia-tion as theme." Players may ask for con-tinuous redeals of their poker hand until theybust, thus risking everything on every draw.

Friday Night Poker Club (IBM) by SpectreSoftware. With only two games to offer (5-card stud and draw) and four players at thetable, the selection is a bit too limited. Theother players can be computer-controlled,each with their own personality/skill at thegame, and they each make distinctive quipsas the game plays, but Al remarks just don'tsubstitute for "action."

Vegas Johnny's Dealer's Choice (IBM) byTop Score Software. If there was an awardfor best all-around poker game, this would winit, hands down. About 20 parameters can beset (betting limits, check and raise, etc.) and,of the many games to choose from, each canbe played high, low, high-low split andhigh-spade-in-the-hole. On-line advice and a tablefor eight players combines with numerousother aids and features to make this a gameto be studied. No tutorials are provided, butthis is the game where the sharks areseparated from the minnows!

Championship Poker (IBM) by Applica-tions Plus, Inc. Texas Hold 'Em fanaticswon't want to miss this software package.While there is nothing graphically remarkableabout the game, the manual is almost zen-likein its analytical approach to this game ofpoker. The big boys play for big bucks inVegas playing hold 'em, and this would be the


Computer Gaming World'sSee Reader Input Device on page

The Categories

Strategy (SD: Games thatemphasize strategic planning

and problem-solving.

Simulation (SI): Games basedon first-person perspectives of

real-world environments.

Adventure (AD): Games thatallow you to take an alter egothrough a storyline or series of

events.

Role-Playing Adventure (RP):Adventure games that are

based on characterdevelopment (usuallyinvolving attributes).

Wargames (WG):Simulations of historical or

futuristic warfare from acommand perspective.

Action/Arcade (AC):Computer games that

emphasize hand-eyecoordination and reflexes.

Games are often listed in morethan one category. In this

case, the first listed category isconsidered primary. In orderto be recognized as the "Top

Game" in a given category, agame must be listed as being

primarily of that specific type.

Top 100 Games

THE HALL OF FAME

The Games inCGW's Hall of

Fame Have BeenHighly Rated by

our Readersover Time.

They are Worthyof Play by All.

Blasting VUXs(Continued from page 27)

ties. Solution: shoot backwards. In theFull Game, Mycons are especially usefulfor cleaning-up lone, vulnerable ships, be-cause Mycons regenerate full crew be-tween turns.

The Spathi Discriminator is mostdangerous when running from theenemy, from which position it can launchBUTT (Backward Utilized Tracking Tor-pedo) missiles directly into its enemy'spath. Thus, it behooves the Spathi com-mander to entice his opponent into chas-ing him. Taunts and jeers being one ofthe Spathi commander's most importanttools, the design of a Spathi ship rewardsan experienced commander (that is tosay, one who knows which way is thefront). The otherwise ineffective "mainweapon" can become quite deadly withpractice. If you need to kill only a fewmore crew for victory, as when fightingan undamaged Arilou, don't shoot yourwad in a single facing. Instead, rotate asyou fire to increase your chance of alucky hit.

The Androsynth Guardian does themost damage when hitting an enemy inBlazer form, especially if it gets a lucky"critical" strike, inflicting several rapid suc-cessive blows. To achieve maximumdamage, strike the enemy from the direc-tion of least relative velocity (usuallyfrom behind), so as to minimize the scat-tering effect. The more fuel you havewhen you transform, the longer you stayin Blazer form, but if you are very closeto your enemy, transform whenever pos-sible. Such sporadic, lurching advancesare disconcerting to the enemy (hopeful-ly screwing up his aim) and let you travelfaster than your normal maximumvelocity.

The Androsynth's molecular acid bub-bles are useful both as a defensive shield(the Androsynth ship cannot be hurt byits own bubbles), and as an offensiveweapon, provided they are deployed en

masse in the path of a nearby enemyvessel.

The VUX Intruder has the advantageof always appearing nearby an enemyvessel when combat begins. The VUXcommander must be ready to fire instant-

ly, and make course adjustments to keephis laser on target. If the enemy escapesand possesses any long or intermediaterange weapons, the VUX must immedi-ately seek out the planet and engage ina Gravity Whip. Once at a comfortablecruising speed, the VUX can recharge itshuge batteries, and launch the occasionallimpet. If the enemy launches a seekingweapon, don't forget to shoot at it as itapproaches. When the VUX nears its tar-get, it should slow by rotating to face theenemy and thrusting. Never engage yourenemy unless you have lots of fuel!

To make effective use of your limpets,deploy them in a curtain, then turn andthrust ahead of where your enemy mustflee to avoid them. Once a few limpetshave affixed themselves to enemy ship,pour 'em on! When the enemy is reallygunked-up, and you are fully recharged,go for the kill. Remember, though theYehat's shield is proof against your laser,your limpets pass through its defensesunaffected. There is nothing more reward-ing than zapping an ever-so-invulnerableYehat ship which is floating dead inspace covered in green slime.


Review

California Dreams' Street RodBy David M. Wilson

Remember ingradeschool the

annual fall ritual ofwriting a composi-tion based one'ssummer exploits?California Dreams has produced a game pack-age called Street Rod that just might offer some-thing to write about (of course, no one guaranteesan "A" on that assignment!).

The player begins in the summer of 1963 with amodest bankroll and proceeds the rigorous climbup the social ladder towards becoming "The King"of the street racing scene before school opens.

Getting Rolling

To begin, one carefully selects a rod within "his" (how many girlsraced street machines before Janet Guthrie came on the scene?)means by checking out the used car section of the on-screennewspaper (is this getting nostalgic yet?). Naturally, the player's firstcar will have to be a low-end model (just short of a "clunker"). Imme-diately, one has the option to take his car to the garage and tune itup. Just pop the hood and adjust the timing in an attempt to get thegreatest possible performance. (Note: The instructions in the manualregarding tuning an engine seem misleading. We found lining thetiming mark up properly more effective than retarding the engine).

On the IBM version, the EGA graphics are executed well enough toreadily recognize all of the many different types of vehicles. The C-64version is clean and clear, as well, but the Amiga version offers niceartistic touches on every screen. On the IBM and C-64, the doorpanel stickers on some of the cars are difficult to read (but sowhat?). The roads themselves and various places of interest in thegame are real enough to keep it interesting and road racers will haveno problem with the scrolling and scenery graphics as the arrows indi-cate the direction of any upcoming curves, as well as any threaten-ing collision with an unyielding telephone pole.

The documentation is decorated with slick glossy pictures of anti-que cars in a fancy nostalgic restaurant. It is as beautiful to look atas it is well written. The exception is that the information regardingtuning the engine is incorrect, but it is corrected on the game's refer-ence card. While the reference card is thorough enough to allowplayers to play a while, success will warrant reading the manualbefore play!

After tuning up one's "heap," the player can cruise into town forgas or check out the local action at the teen's social mecca, Bob'sDrive-In. Filling up with gas is important as a competitor will onlymock a challenger who has insufficient gas to run a race. Newplayers will not use "self-service" at the pumps because that keepstheir social status down (very uncool in '63). It is always best to sitin the car and let the lethargic attendant pump the gas.

At the Drive-in, players have opportunity to challenge their opposi-tion. A cagey racer will begin with a few simple drag races run "justfor kicks," rather than for wagers. Even the low-end cars can win arace if they get the right jump and then stay in front of their rival(often through "cheating" by cutting them off). After winning a fewraces, the player can begin wagering with some confidence. A lot ofthe guys at Bob's Drive-In refuse to compete in betting events unlessthey are raced for "kicks" first.

Car TunesAs soon as the player has won

enough funds, he may cruise backto the garage and browse throughthe paper for car parts. To win road(as opposed to drag) races, carsneed to be modified. Wise players

will quickly buy the largest engine available, as well as a racingmanifold, dual racing carburetors, a racing transmission, and racingslicks. It is difficult to win the longer road races without this special-ized equipment (which costs plenty).

Once the player is confident that his car is "the ultimate," he canbegin running road races for money, kicks, or pink slips (ownershippapers). If he wins a car, he should consider "souping it up" andracing it, too. Although the Corvettes seem to be the fastest cars, theold Chevys and Oldsmobiles were easier to handle during the curvefilled road races. Players may want to keep this in mind.

"Save the game," veteran users often cry. They would be especiallyright when playing Street Rod. Saving the game before road racingfor pink slips is a must. After all, who wants to work all summerbuilding up a incomparable race car, just to lose it because some"punk" ran them off the road and into a nearby telephone pole, total-ing their pride and joy?

When the player has a nice stable of cars assembled in his garageand he believes he is ready to face "The King," they should sell acouple of cars, buy a brand new Corvette, and head for the Drive-In.Apparently, the Street Rod's designers have a GM preference as thisreviewer couldn't beat The King with anything but a souped upStingray.

End Of The LineHe that perseveres through to the end and triumphs will win not

only the Road race, but also the king's prize "Vette" and Becky Sue,a prize babe. The designers of Street Rod have a lot to be proud of.They have produced a game which is a reliable simulation of (some-what stereotypical) early '60's life (be sure to read the newspaperheadlines in the game). It probably deserves a PG rating, however,as some mild expletives and visuals of teenagers smoking in order tolook tough (correct for the period, but a negative symbol today) indi-cate that the game is for a more mature audience. The social com-mentary delivered when the player clicks on the beer bottle Icon,however, is most welcome.

Street Rod is a fine nod to nostalgia with a wholesome mixture ofarcade action and strategy. By allowing the player the opportunity tochoose, paint, decorate, modify and equip his own vehicle, there iseven a real sense of driver/owner "pride" given to the player. Loving-ly created, this game can be recommended for lovers of this era ofAmericana.

TITLE; Street RodSYSTEMS: Amiga, C64/128, IBMPRICE: $34.95DESIGNER: PZK DevelopmentPUBLISHER: California Dreams

San Jose, CA

Letters

Taking a Peek(Continued from page 6)

Imperial Correction

It was nice to see another article about mygame Empire in the October issue of CGW. Ifound the discussion and analysis quite inter-esting. However, I am afraid that I must dis-agree with the probabilities indicated by Mr.Kenney. I find them to be somewhat in error.

The table presented below was created byKelly McCauley, after consulting with me, andI believe it to be a more accurate repre-sentation.

Players should also recognize that, exceptfor some special rules listed in the documenta-tion, the attackers does not have any ad-vantage.

Mark BaldwinLittleton, CO

The article on Empire strategy was based,of course, on calculations from a player'sperspective and the writer indicated his pro-cedure in creating his tables. We were, andstill are, impressed by his methodology.Naturally, we also welcome this new and al-tered perspective from a designer's perspec-tive. It all goes to show that Empire is still aviable (and stimulating) product.

Industrial Waste

As usual, the September issue of CGW wasboth inspiring and frustrating. I read CGWfrom cover to cover each month for informa-tion about new games, the gaming industry,and the gaming craft, but one must do a lot ofreading between the lines to find any hardfacts.

As a reader, a game player (novice), andaspiring game creator (raw beginner), I wouldlike to see articles that give some hard dataregarding the computer game industry. For ex-ample; industry statistics, a perspective ontrends in game design, perhaps a summary oflandmark games and the lessons learned fromthem, a little piece of prognostication aboutwhere computer gaming is headed.

With regard to the CGD Conference, is thereno publication of the proceedings or paperspresented? I, and I'm sure many of your otherreaders, cannot attend such gatherings, butwould dearly love to read the papers. Oneitem that interests me very much is a paperreported to have been presented by BrendaLaurel.

I would like tosee an oppor-tunity for gameplayers torespond tosome of theideology beingspouted by avariety ofpeople in andout of thegaming in-dustry. Doesanyone carewhat the playerthinks, or is

voting with our wallet our only input? Oneitem from the CGD Conference comes tomind. Alluquere Rosanne Stone is reported tohave taken the industry to task for reducingfemales to "'adolescent boys' with a fuller fig-ure". As a male game player, who happens tolike combat games, I have to say that femalesdo not have the attributes which help myparty survive all that well in combat. If thegame designer made them as strong as menand gave them comparable hit points, en-durance, strength, etc., then they would be ashandy as men in a party. Unfortunately, theywould no longer be true to our real-world ex-perience of them. It is popular to stand up foryour sex or to denigrate the blood-and-gutspart of game playing as so much "macho" fan-tasy, but I have the impression that mostgame players are men from adolescencethrough maturity. If asked why I like thegames I like, I would have to say I like the fan-tasy, the challenge, the vicarious danger, andthe satisfaction of whipping the bad guys; yes,and the blood and guts, too, that's why I play.MUST I BE MADE TO FEEL GUILTY in ser-vice to someone else's need for perceivedequality? MUST I PRETEND that women aremen or that men are women?

Many thanks for a great mag,

Leonard MickoSunnyvale, CA

As a regular reader of CGW, you shouldknow that: a) we address the issues youraise in editorials, CES reports, industrynews and special features like the Journalof Computer Game Design abstracts and con-ference coverage. Both tapes and proceed-ings of the conference are available to sub-scribers of the journal (see CGW #70, p.42,for details). Our answer to anti-violence sen-timent was captured in CGW #71, p. 8. Asfor charges of sexism, it seems your letterconfirms Ms. Stone's point. The industrydirects its characterizations of women asthe weaker sex because the games areprimarily combat-oriented. Surely, there isroom in the industry for games in whichthe strengths of women (nurturing, relation-ships, intelligence, problem-solving, etc.) pro-vide the impetus for the challenge. Maybenot for people of your tastes, but in theprocess of broadening the appeal of com-puter games.

tial strategy game is an interestingdiversion, but its mutated price tagmay make it unfit for survival in themarketplace. Players move their Dr.Darwin icon around the screen, push-ing like creatures into one another toform higher lifeforms and move up theevolutionary chain. It's a party in theprimordial soup! Mac ($49.95). CircleReader Service #4.

Lawrence Productions, Inc.1800 South 35th StreetGalesburg, MS 49053-9687

KATIE'S FARM: The sequel to"McGee," "Katie's Farm" takes McGeeto visit his cousin Katie out in thecountry. This lapware for your tyke(ages 2-6) features no text and amouse interface, so that your child canoperate the computer all by him- orherself. The sound and graphics willkeep your youngster entertained againand again (like their favorite videos donow). Apple IIGS ($39.95). CircleReader Service 115.

Postcraft International, Inc.27811 Avenue Hopkins, #6Valencia, CA 91355

CITADEL: ADVENTURE OF THECRYSTAL KEEP: This is your basic fan-tasy role-playing adventure done rightfor the Macintosh. The player managesa party of six through the single dun-geon, but the character generation sys-tem, the rune-based magical systemand intriguing combat system combinewith a solid maze/quest to make thisone worth a serious look. The combatsystem is particularly interesting, asplayers and characters maneuveraround in a "room" in a slow, "realtime" environment which the playerscan manage. Character generationfrom birth up is also intriguing. Mac($49.95). Circle Reader Service #6.

UBI Softc/o Electronic ArtsSan Mateo, CA

SKATE WARS: Strap on your spike-studded joystick glove and get readyfor yet another bizarre futuristic arenacorn-ball game. Rollerball meets soccermeets ice hockey on a rink litteredwith ramps, jumps, and other nasties.This product comes into a crowdedmarket of like games, and frankly, will

take a beating from the competition.Circle Reader Service #7.

Wanna Bet?(Continued from page 54)

right game to practice on before challengingthem.

Everything Under TheLights: Casino VarietyGames

Card Sharks (Commodore 64/128) by Ac-colade. This game includes poker (5-carddraw, 7-card stud and hold 'em), blackjackand hearts. Computer opponents, which in-clude Gorbachev, Thatcher and Reagan, movetheir mouths while cartoon balloons toss outbanter. While this quickly loses its appeal, thegames are solid, but not insightful, and theplay is slow at best.

Championship Gambler (Apple/Com-modore 64) by Load 'N' Go! Software.Three games are presented for each machine(on either side of the disk); 5-card draw poker(head-to-head against the "dealer"), blackjackand one-armed bandit. None of these gameseven begins to compare favorably with any ofthe aforementioned newer computer titles onspecific gambling games. With three strikes,this game would be out if it were not also theabsolutely least expensive (dare we say"cheapest?") of the lot.

Casino (Apple) by Datamost. Five gamesare offered on this disk, including: videopoker, blackjack, roulette, keno and baccarat.This game is another old standby which timehas weighed heavily upon. While the variety isthere, none of the games really stands out ascompelling enough to merit more than a fewminute's play.

The Ultimate Casino Gambling Simulation(IBM) by Capstone. Don't let the title foolyou; this game tries to cover a wide canvaswith a wide brush, but ends up doing quite abit of fingerpainting instead. The six games in-clude blackjack, craps, keno, video poker,roulette, and an assortment of slot machines.Each pits the player against the house; thusthere is little table "action" going on. Themouse interface is nice, but often the functionkeys are easier to use. "Ultimate," perhaps inscope, each of the various game selections isjust more of the same (done better, usually, inprograms dedicated to just the one game) andmay owe its title more to the Trump Castlelicense than to its approach.

Vegas Casino 2 (IBM, Commodore 64) byMastertronic. Two games are offered in thispackage; roulette and craps. While thegraphics are there and quite attractive, thedocumentation could easily fit on amatchbook cover (it looks like the rules wereprinted on scratch paper or printed as one of

those ubiquitous "Guides to Casino Games"given out free by the downtown Las Vegashotels). This game succeeds as a quick diver-sion, but will only hold one's interest for solong before losing its challenge. Players hadbetter know the rules of the games going inon this one.

Vegas Gambler (Atari ST) by CaliforniaDreams. This quadrigame features slots,blackjack, video poker and roulette. Each isdone with the kinds of graphics and soundsthe Atari ST and Amiga are known for, whichenhances the replay value of the game a greatdeal. The simulation value is there also, alongwith a bit of education and strategy in thedocumentation. Overall, this is a well-balancedcasino game product.

Fat Cat Casino (IBM) by Gopher BrokeSoftware. In this casino package are fourgames: video poker, keno, blackjack andcraps. The first two are average with EGAgraphics and are true to their genre. The lattertwo, however, are more classroom-like, offer-ing the player a real education and some in-sight into blackjack and craps. To this end,Gopher Broke has even published and in-cluded in the game two booklets, CRAPS(How to Play! How to Win!) and WinningBlackjack. While not as pretty at VegasGambler, there is more to learn in this pack-age.

Over ThereThe Ultimate License

by Paul Rigby

Foreign Correspondence

Ghostbusters, Superman, Batman,Neuromancer, Shogun and morecoming all the time ... the com-

puter games industry is filled with licen-ses. However, we have probably seen thebiggest, most dynamic license of themall sneak in through the back door. I'mtalking about Him. Yes, simulators thatplace the player in the role of BenevolentCreator have become the talk of the in-dustry. In fact, Sim City, Sim Earth,Populous, and Balance of the Planetare soon to be joined by Debut from UKsoftware house Pandora.

This particular planet simulation doesnot take place on Earth, althoughsimilarities exist. The aim of the game isto stabilize the planet's ecosystem and en-vironment. The goal is to rid the world ofpollution and create a planet suitable forhabitation. The people living in thesmoke-belching cities must be movedout onto the planetary surface to live insmall, more manageable cities.

As "God," the player must manipulatespecific chemicals (i.e. orbiton, arsenic,helium, etc.) to form chemical "recipes"that perform specific jobs such as affect-ing clouds, the ozone, liquid and vaporpollution and so on. All of the latter canbe affected by Alpha, Beta and Gammaradiation which affect their relativestrengths, as well as mutating or chang-ing it into another chemical. The player'sgoal is to place man, animals and plantsin areas where they are likely to form asuccessful food chain.

The second part of the game is an ar-cade sequence. This section takes placewithin the four cities that are spreadingthe pollution. One must infiltrate eachcity and rescue the good citizens. Moneyis also made in this area which can be

used to buy more chemicals for thesimulation area. Debut is available nowfor Amiga and ST.

I have a book at home—well, a dossier,really. Created by Dennis Wheatley andJoe Links, it is called Murder Off Miami.It's packed with letters, photographs and"real" clues such as cigarette ends and apiece of blood-stained curtain—a com-plete murder case between two covers, infact. One sifts through the info and afterdetermining "whodunnit," an envelopefound at the back of the dossier isopened and one can discover where theywere right or wrong.

CRL, the UK software house, has takenanother case in the series, Herewith theClues, and turned it into a computergame. The case asks players to find outwho killed Serge Orloff. Using a hyper-card-type environment, information is ac-cessed by mouse commands alone. Thegame is a graphic database of informa-tion interlinked in an intuitive manner.Thus, one simply reads a letter andclicks on a name in the letter and voila,the dossier and photo for that characterwill be loaded for the perusal of com-puter detectives. Digitized sound effectsfollow your actions. Produced for theAmiga and ST (maybe PC too), the onlypiece of game documentation that isneeded is an introductory card to thegame and a short letter from Commis-sioner Hodges, assigning the player tothe case.

In a desperate attempt to secure aregular mention in this hallowed column,Topologika has produced yet anothertext-only PC adventure. Called The LastDays of Doom, it tidily completes themuch vaunted Doom trilogy. For thosewho were brought up on hyper-difficult In-focom games and have spurned every-thing else since (because they were "tooeasy"), I'd advise you to check out theDoom trilogy. Written by Peter Kilworth,a theoretical research oceanographer,Last Days is packed with 218 roomsand an on-line help facility.

The story surrounds the dying planetDoomawangara. Of course, the playerand his/her trusty robot must save it!You will discover the purpose of the ar-tifacts and why volcanos can exist soclose to glaciers; you will deal withsquashed spaceships, slow beings, timetravel and other really wild things. Com-plete with a free adventure, Hezarin, TheLast Days of Doom can be purchasedfor 19.95 (inc P+P) from Topologika, POBox 39, Stilton, Peterborough, PE7 3RL.Tel: 01144 733 244682 (Visa/Access ac-cepted, 24 hours).

Foreign Correspondence

From Amazon Systems comes a bookwhich will be treasured by adventureauthors and heartily enjoyed by adven-ture players everywhere. Called Adven-tures—The Secret Art, and written by GilWilliamson, it comprises 128 pages,divided up into eleven chapters with anumber of appendices. Included withinthe book are chapters discussing how adesigner should determine how a gameis to be presented (text or graphics?),how to obtain game ideas (plot elements,puzzles, weapons, apparel, mazes and soon), discusses the style of images, textand sound, and compares various gamesystems. In addition, a later chapter talksabout publishing a game and features asection on copy protection (without theexpense), self-publishing, going to an out-side publisher and utilizing cheat protec-tion. Anyone wishing to purchase thisbook should contact Amazon Systems,Merlewood, Lodge Hill RD, Farnham, Sur-rey, England, GU10 3RD. Price - 7.95 [In-clude £1.50 P+P. Telephone: 01144-252-716-669].

p rom the same Amazon System outfitcomes two text adventures for the PC,

both created using the Adventure GameToolkit system and giving a very Infocom-like appearance to the presentation. Thefirst, Pork: The Great UndergroundSewer System is, not surprisingly, asend-up of Infocom's Zork. The originalcreator of Pork is, apparently, unknown(although if he/she is reading this—writein!), so David Malmberg enhanced andconverted it to conform to his AdventureGame Toolkit system. All the usual Zorkcharacters and features are parodied(white house, n'all).

The second Amazon adventure, writtenby the Secret Art author Gil Williamson,is called Sir Ramic Hobbs. This is ahumorous (of course) adventure basedaround the rescue of a princess (Annede Pea) from the High Level Gorilla. It ap-pears that the player's character agreedto this task after a heavy bout of meadslurping. Now, in the cold light of day,there is something of a temptationtoward thinking that the whole ideamight best be laid to rest in the nearestfish pond. Of course, then there wouldn'tbe any real excitement, would there?

Pork and Sir Ramic Hobbs can be pur

chased from the Amazon address listedabove for 9.95 each (Access and Visa ac-cepted).

Right, out of space again, I'm afraid.Join me next month — why not bookthe same seat? Until then, watch your sixand stay frosty.

NOTE: The above games, and any ofthe other games mentioned in "OverThere" in past issues, can be obtainedfrom:

Computer Adventure World, 318 Ken-sington, Liverpool, England, L7 OEY.Telephone: 01144-51-263-6306

SDC, 60 Boston Road, London,England, W7 3TR.Telephone: 01144-1-567-7621

Premier Mail Order, Trybridge Ltd., 8Buckwins Square,Burnt Mills, Basildon, Essex, England,SS13 1BJ.Telephone: 01144-268-590-766

All of the above telephone numbers as-sume you can dial direct. If you have anytrouble, contact the international operator.

"Down the Throat"(Continued from page 51)

Alas, the current technology forces a couple of disappointinglimitations on the simulation's ability to be faithfully historical.First, the program still uses generic graphics (actually, those of aTench Class sub) to depict the bridge, binoculars, periscope andgauges of all the submarines in the game. Perhaps the day of ad-ditional storage capacity (CD-ROM?) will enable specific graphicsfor each submarine class. Second,memory limitations also force the pro-gram to follow a routine of randomly as-signing submarines to the player's com-mand, according to submarine class.These assignments add spice to thegame and really personalize each warpatrol or career, yet purists may be joltedby anomalies such as starting a warcareer in December of 1941 and being as-signed S-38 out of Pearl Harbor. In pointof fact, that submarine was busy defend-ing Lingayen Gulf in the Philippinesduring that time period. It is better tohave such minor idiosyncrasies than tolose the tremendous impact of havingrandom ships assigned from nearly thefull roster under ComSubPac.

The third disappointment with the technology will be minor tosome and major to others. The documentation warns (and it isvery correct) that using digitized speech, VGA/MCGA graphicsand sound board support use so much memory that the varietyof target ship graphics is significantly reduced or, as we noted onone of our computers, can actually disappear from the screen(!),but still appear on the Targeting Data Computer's gauges and,more importantly, still fire at the submarine. Although thedigitized voice option is nice, it seems best to play the game a

couple of times with it and then, simply avoid the problem byplaying without digitized speech.

Down The Throat (Commendations)

"Down The Throat" is a submariner's term for a bow-on shot atthe target. This seems particularly effective when targeting a fastescort ship, but is usually not the best choice for larger target ves-sels. This writer found the tactic to be the most gut-wrenching,nerve-wracking and spine-tingling method of sinking enemy ves-

sels. Heading directly into the target andlaunching two or three quick torpedoesbefore veering off (and hoping for thebest) does not lend itself to longevity inone's war career, but it does offer a thrill-ing and spectacular view when one is suc-cessful. Note, however, that a spread oftorpedoes is particularly necessary withthis tactic, because a dud in this situationcan be fatal.

"Down The Throat" is also an aptdescription of how SS2 caught thisreviewer. Improved graphics and soundwere to be expected, but the strongerscenarios, addition of a full-fledged cam-paign option and improved play balancevirtually blew this jaded critic out of the

water (well, at least his chair). SS2 has torpedoed more hours ofthis editor's free time than he has managed to accumulate ton-nage of sunken Japanese vessels.

"Up The Kilt" is submariner slang for a stern-on shot at anenemy vessel. Like "Down The Throat," it is not a high percent-age tactic, but it is much safer initially for the submarine. Afterall, there is more room to maneuver if the torpedoes are duds orshots go awry. It is also an apt description of what can happento gamers who play MicroProse games without reading the care-fully crafted and well-honed documentation (i.e., they can getblind-sided).

In the case of SS2, one who does notread the manual will miss out on instruc-tions delineating using the TDC to maxi-mum advantage; tips on using the deckgun to improve one's patrol score (tor-pedoes, after all, are expensive); historicalnotes on Japanese surface movementsthat improve one's chances of acquiring aworthwhile target. There are also fascinat-ing annotations on the historical details ofthe individual battles included in the game,tactical advice for winning at each histori-cal scenario and points of comparison toenable players to judge their relative suc-cess for themselves.

In this reviewer's opinion, Silent Service1I teaches historical lessons worthy of agraduate seminar in modern American his-tory while stimulating the player withenough excitement to compare with reach-ing maximum "G"s on a mammoth roller-coaster. Combine this game (which is afabulous value in itself) with Sheffield'sbook (as previously mentioned in thisreview) and one has the capacity for adecade's worth of entertainment.

Scorpia's Column

Scorpion's View(Continued from page 44)

each party member to a certain combatmode and they will act in that way whenfighting begins.

This takes some of the burden off theplayer and gives the NPCs a veneer of in-dividuality, but also has drawbacks. Onceset to a particular mode, the NPC staysthere. If lolo is set to be in the rear, then hewill stay there, no matter what happens. Heis unable to make independent judgmentsabout what is happening, and act on hisown. Which is why there is also a com-mand mode, that brings the NPCs backunder the direct control of the player.

At the other extreme we have the NPCs ofSSI's "Gold Box" series (Pool of Radiance,et. al.), who are virtually uncontrollable andoften tend to act in the worst possible ways.NPC mages cast area spells with the partyin the radius of effect, and that can be dis-astrous. Or the NPC fighters go rushing intothe front line of the enemy, just as yourown PC-controlled mage lets loose with adevastating fireball.

The golden mean for autonomous com-bat, therefore, lies somewhere between therigid and the reckless. That is what desig-

ners should be striving towards: a way of al-lowing the NPC party members to fight intel-ligently, based on the actual circumstancesof the combat, rather than limited, pre-programmed actions.

In terms of role-playing by the player,scenario designs need to be loosened up toallow for a variety of actions. Wizardry leta character be good, neutral, or evil, butthese designations were essentially worth-less. The game was played very much thesame whatever the alignment, and the con-clusion was the same, as well.

Ultima gets a little closer: the charactercan be honest or not, truthful or not, braveor not, etc. and his actions do have an ef-fect on the game and how people react tohim. However, since the Ultimas arecreated on the principle that the Avatar is aparagon of virtue, the player is eventuallyforced into following "the correct path" inorder to complete the game.

What is needed, therefore, is a way to letplayers act less than "good" and then, takethe "consequences" of it. They may winthrough to victory, but it could be a hollowone, or less than satisfactory, depending ontheir behavior in the game. It is also an in-centive to re-play the CRPG, if only to findout what would happen if they had donethings differently.

Naturally, all of this requires a great dealof time and effort on the part of the desig-ners and programmers. Working up Alroutines to handle NPC combat, and diver-gent story-lines based on PC actions (nevermind the basic adventure itself!), is notsomething done overnight.

On the other hand, as we've seen, somework has already been done in these areas,so at least the designers (or some of them)are heading in the right direction. Whatthey need to do now is keep up the pace,and work on refining, revising, and polish-ing the techniques. If they do this, then theCRPGs that are produced over the next fewyears will come closer to the "real thing."Let's keep our fingers crossed for that.

In the meantime, while we wait for thedawn of the next era of CRPGs, if you needhelp with an adventure game, you canreach me in the following ways:

On Delphi: Visit GameSIG (under theGroups and Clubs menu). On GEnie: Trythe Games RoundTable (type: Scorpia toreach the Games RT). By US Mail: (Enclosea self-addressed, stamped envelope if youlive in the US) Scorpia, PO Box 338, GracieStation, New York, NY 10028.

Until next time, happy adventuring!Copyright 1990 by Scorpia, all rights reserved.

Review

Unreality CheckUbiSoft's Unreal

by Allen L. Greenberg

TITLE: UnrealSYSTEM: AmigaPRICE: $49.95DEVELOPER: OrdilogicPUBLISHER: UbiSoftDISTRIBUTOR: Electronic Arts

San Mateo, CA

Once upon a fad, the bad guys always won. Space In-vaders, Centipedes and those of their ilk were alwaysvictorious against the outnumbered human defenders.

The creatures, as well as their programs, could play forever whiletheir joystick-fisted challengers could only play until dinner wasready. In these more civilized days of simulated mayhem,programmers have shown mercy by providing arcaders withquests and missions, at the successful completion of which theheavies may be considered fully dead and largely out of business.

Unreal is such a world, in which the player, aided by a flyingdragon, takes on a universe of nasties in order to rescue a prin-cess from a flying fortress. Unreal is similar in many respects tosome of the (admittedly more difficult) Psygnosis arcade/questgames such as Barbarian and Shadow of the Beast. Thesegames, including Unreal, are clearly designed for hard-core ac-tion fanatics. Those fanatics, however, are going to have to dosome exploration and object manipulation if they hope to suc-ceed in their quests—those players who think only with theirreflexes may find themselves at a loss when it comes to certainpuzzling points in the game. Those who enjoy and appreciate ad-venture games may wish to give Unreal a try, but may find them-selves constantly pondering the question: "Am I failing to makeprogress because I have failed to solve some subtle problem orbecause I have long since lost the circulation in my control handand my thumb is dead?"

Unreal is an eight-level game, five levels of which arepresented in a three-dimensional view. For these, the hero isseated atop a flying dragon while the action unfolds "flight-simulator" style. Without any speed control, the hero must sur-vive the onrushing landscape which is filled with dangerous ob-

jects to be avoided and rewards to be scooped up. By pressingthe joystick button, the player causes his mount to spew forththe dragon-flames which are his only weapon. For each collisionthe player fails to avoid, the dragon loses shield-energy. Shouldthis defensive energy run out, the game is over.

Scattered among the objects to be gathered are extra shieldpower, as well as extra weapon-strength, brief bursts of invul-nerability, and score bonuses. Also appearing in the sky arehints which signal the hero to bear right, left, or get ready topick up a precious object.

The other three levels of the game are far more interestingthan the dragon-flight. These are two-dimensional views of thehero without his dragon, attempting to survive while travelingleft-to-right across the world depicted on the monitor screen.There is the traditional leaping and sword-play required here,but there are also some impasses which require thought, plan-

ning and even puzzle-solving for theplayer to overcome. These momentsclearly form the high points of thegame.

As is typical within the genre, playersmay proceed to the next level of thegame only after successfully complet-ing the prior level. However, there isan appealing innovation called the"Training Mode" included in Unreal.Using this feature, players may returnto the beginning of the level in whichtheir game last ended as many timesas they wish, for study and practice pur-poses. Only after each level ismastered need the player go back andbegin again with the first level in order

to advance in the game.

Unfortunately, the program will not save a game in progress (al-though the documentation seems to indicate otherwise), but willsave the highest level reached so that the player may return laterto "train" at the part which is causing the most trouble.

Graphically, Unreal is uneven. The opening screen featuressome impressive ray-traced animation, but the flight of thedragon in level one quickly loses much of the fine detail. Imagesof moving creatures and flying scenery are certainly colorful, butsoft and vague in their overall effect. Some of this detail isrecovered in the wildly colorful two-dimensional sequences, butthere is trouble with the animation in these sequences and the un-lucky hero becomes a bit clumsy to manipulate.

For an Amiga equipped with 1 Meg of RAM, there are sound ef-fects abundant and in stereo. These include not only the moansof the hero and his adversaries, but also the echoing cries of thesurrounding jungle. Machines with less memory will produce in-stead a pleasant background music.

Unreal is an ambitious arcade project with a slightly disappoint-ing result. Certainly, the five dragon-flight levels could havebenefited from a greater variety of gameplay and more graphicdetail and even the two-dimensional sequences suffer from stiffand awkward control of the main character. Overall, the effect isthat the game lacks polish. Potential players, therefore, may beunwilling to invest their time and money in searching for thegame's "gems" which lie scattered in the raw. Unreal, however,is far less demanding than the wrist-wrenching regime of thePsygnosis games and may, therefore, appeal to players inter-ested in preserving their hands. After all, you've only got two.

Blasting VUXs(Continued from page 58)

In the Full Game, always attack with aVUX first, if possible. If the VUX arrives inmid-battle, his opponent will probablyhave considerable velocity, and will moveout of laser range almost immediately.

The secret to using the IlwrathAvenger is to learn where it is when it isinvisible. Since the screen alwayscenters on the midpoint between thetwo ships, the Ilwrath is alwaysdiagonally opposite its opponent. Thismeans when your enemy gets near thecenter of the screen, you must be theretoo, so open fire! It is an unknown factthat when you uncloak by firing yourhellblast, your ship is automaticallyoriented to point at your opponent's ship!Thus, if your enemy has maneuveredaround behind you, you can turn aroundinstantly by cloaking and immediatelyfiring your hellblast (and this is the recom-mended way to toast Arilou Skiffs).When fighting Earthlings, simply close(you are marginally faster) and breathefire continuously to intercept incomingnukes.

Star Control Trivia #1: The name"Ilwrath" comes from an envelope Isaw at the post office which was beingsent to a Ms. Mcllwrath in Glasgow,Scotland. I didn't see the "Mc" at first,and I swear, my first thought was thatthey must be sending that envelope toan alien. I am sure that somewherethere is a nice little Scottish lady laugh-ing and saying, "Oh those crazyAmericans! Here's one now calling mean evil, giant, religiously-intolerantspace-spider—ha, ha, ha, how cute!"Hmm. . . on second thought, if I amever found murdered, beaten with bag-pipes, or poisoned with haggis, pleasecontact the authorities.

The Umgah Drone can defeat anyship in the Alliance Fleet given just a fewseconds at close range — the trick beingto get those few seconds. A favoriteUmgah tactic is to zip backwards rightup next to its enemy. If the anti-mattercone is up through the maneuver, thereis a chance of it grazing the enemy asyou zip past for a few bonus points of

damage (especially important against theArilou). For precision retro-movement,thrust at the same time as you zip back-wards. The result is a jerky, half-speedmaneuver which many commanders findmore useful than the normal mode.The Umgah's anti-matter cone alsomakes an effective shield against most Al-liance missiles. Notable exceptions arethe Chenjesu's whole photon crystal andthe Earthlings' nuclear missile whichpass through the conical field unharmed.The only reason not to keep the cone upall the time is its negative impact on fuel,which you need for retro-propulsion. Un-like all other vessels which regain fuelcontinuously in small increments, theUmgah receives all its power in one bigwhack, after a considerable delay. Eachtime the Umgah uses its anti-mattercone, this delay is reset to maximum, soif you keep the cone up, you will neverregain fuel.

The Tactical Analyzer

So, an Androsynth Guardian has justmade monatomic hydrogen gas out ofyour Earthling Cruiser (bummer). All isnot lost! To determine what ship youshould pick to toast the peskyAndrosynth with, just consult your handy-

dandy Star Control(TM) Tactical CombatAnalyzer (a.k.a. the "Greg-o-Matic").

Find the Androsynth Guardian in theHierarchy Ship list, then look along theline of boxes which indicate how it faresagainst Alliance ships. Find where theAndrosynth's row intersects with theEarthling's column, and observe theprovided data.

Ah-ha! You didn't have a prayer againstthose clones with odds like 80/20against! Looking at these statistics leadsyou to the conclusion that the SyreenPenetrator is your best bet, with a whop-ping 80/20 advantage. The percentageslisted assume that both combatants areexperienced with their ships, make use oftheir respective special abilities, and usethe tactics suggested in the next chapterof this article (yes, the Alliance Fleet shipbreakdowns and specialized tactics awaitin next issue's installment). The com-puter opponent is especially good atshooting long distances with great ac-curacy, and at maneuvering fast ships.Consequently, when fighting a computer-controlled Ur-Quan, Androsynth, Spathi,or Arilou, adjust the numbers in favor ofthe computer, especially if it is set to the"Awesome" skill level.

A Feast for Some(Continued from page 32)

for by end-game pressure. Desert spaces, which dominate thefinal continent, require a week per space unless a time spell iscast (which cuts down travel to a day per space, which eats upthe calendar pretty quickly in its own right). Along the entirequest, the player is taunted by signs reminding him of the timeconstraints of the game. They mean it, too.

The battles are probably the most interesting part of the game,which is good since the playerwill be spending most his timefighting them. Each of the upto five units per sidemaneuvers on a

five-space-by-six-space tactical battle mapand engages enemy units. Incombat, players must be con-cerned about proper tacticsand mixing combined arms.An army with some missile(arrow or spell casting) and

"tank" (knights and troll) units is a good combination. Usingmany of the exotic unit types to their best advantage is an enjoy-able learning experience and pinning the enemy's best units be-comes a crucial combat tactic. Trying out different tactics andtechniques to use and counter the various kinds of units in thegame is an important element of the game's appeal.

The final intriguing element of King's Bounty is what thisreviewer calls expanding megalomania. There is some sort of in-tangible "charge" that comes out of seeing one's character be-come a more powerful warlord, leading bigger armies, gaining anever-increasing commission, subduing ever larger foes, and soforth. While this is hardly an original concept (it dates back tothe first games of Dungeons & Dragons), it still holds an endear-ing appeal when done well. In King's Bounty, this "Monty Haul"brand of adventuring is exquisitely executed, rewarding theplayer with plenty of strokes on his way to finding the Sceptre.

King's Bounty, A Movable Feast?

Most adventure gamers who love epic games of the Bard'sTale ilk had better be reminded of a few things. King's Bountyis a quick, self-contained game of a far, far shorter duration thenthe current epics available on the market today. Another thingtraditional adventure gamers should be reminded of is thatKing's Bounty is an army game of large battles and sweepingcontinents, not a six-characters-hit-the-dungeon variety of role-playing game. If these garners feel cheated by games which areof a more introductory calibre (e.g., if they thought SSI's Swordof Aragon was too simple), they should avoid this one. If, how-ever, quicker, cleaner, and simpler fantasy/strategy games areone's forte, there is a feast of fun at the King's Bounty.

Advice And Hints

Don't recruit ghosts. They have a tendency to grow beyond aplayer's control level and be the demise of one's own army!

Trolls are excellent "grunts" to put in the front lines, as theyregenerate all of their hit points during each round of combat. Besure to make a note where you can recruit them.

Elves are the best archers, and should be recruited to a player'smaximum limits whenever possible. They have plenty of shotsand can grind up huge units from afar.

Overview

Westward Ho!(Toward Japan, That Is)

An Overview of the Evolution ofCRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines

by Roe R. Adams, III

Serious game players, especiallyCRPG players, have for yearslooked down upon the dedicated

game machines as "mere arcade toys",and for years they were right. Thosecoin-ops without a coin slot did pro-vide a lot of fun for people, but whenthey wanted a real game, they turnedto their Apple II or Commodore (IBMswere too snooty, in those days, tostoop to having games on them).Even when the Second Wave of gamemachines debuted in 1987, no one feltany different. These new machineswere actually powerful computers, butexpressly dedicated to game play.Then The Legend of Zelda arrivedfrom Japan on the Nintendo Enter-tainment System (NES) in the fall of1988, and heads began to turn.

Now, a truly great game shouldmake people go out and buy themachine that plays the game. This hasbeen a truism since the dawn of com-puter history: Software drives themarketplace! Basically, the machinespecs are really irrelevant; it is only thesoftware that is available for amachine that matters to the consumer.Since I have 18 computers at home, Ihardly needed to buy another

machine. Yet, along cameZelda, and in 1988 a Ninten-do was suddenly needed.Then, in '89, Phantasy Star1I came along. It required aMegaDrive/Genesis andan additional Power Baseadapter so the original Phan-tasy Star (designed for theSega Master System)could be played. Now, Ziriain '90 necessitates a TurboGrafx 16 with CD-ROMplayer. Three great games,three new machines. (Sigh.)

You will notice one common thread,however. All three games areJapanese-designed CRPGs. WhileAmerica has been concentrating onyet another Wizardry, Ultima, orMight & Magic, each bigger and morecomplex than the one before it, theJapanese have slowly carved out acompletely new niche in the realm ofCRPG.

The first CRPG entries were Rygarand Deadly Towers on the NES.These differed considerably from the"action adventure" games that haddrawn quite a following on themachines beforehand. Action adven-tures were basically arcade gamesdone in a fantasy setting such asCastlevania, Trojan, and Wizards &Warriors. The new CRPGs had someof the trappings of regular CRPGs. Thecharacter could get stronger over timeand gain extras which were not merelya result of a short-term "Power-Up."There were specific items that couldbe acquired which boosted fighting ordefense on a permanent basis. Primi-tive stores were introduced with theconcept that a player could buy some-

Overview

thing to aid him on his journey. Thedungeon mazes were incredibly simpleby U.S. standards, but still, there was ahint of a CRPG.

When The Legend of Zelda burstupon the scene in fall of 1988, it hitlike a nova. Although it still had manyaction-adventure features, it wasdefinitely a CRPG. Fine graphics, excit-ing monsters, intriguing puzzle mazesand a wide variety of items to acquirewere hallmarks of this game. Butabove all, it was entertaining. For mostof the year, Zelda and Super MarioBrothers (the original) traded placesback and forth as to which would benumber one on Nintendo's charts, andthe race was on. Sega came in withAztec Adventure and Alex Kidd onthe Sega Master System about thistime.

In 1989, the store shelves beganto fill up with an amazing collec-tion of game machine CRPGs.Three of the best on the Nintendowere Zelda I: The Legend of

Link, Faxanadu and Dragon War-rior. With the introduction of theselast two games, America was alsoslowly discovering that Japan hadbeen creating these games formany years. Faxandu was an up-date of a best-selling CRPG inJapan called Xanadu and releasedon the NEC-9801 machine in1984. Dragon Warrior was reallyDragonquest I, Japan's megasell-ing CRPG. When Dragonquest 4debuted in Japan (in early 1989),it reportedly sold one millioncartridges the first day of sales.

Sega countered in 1989 with twoblockbusters, Ys: The VanishedOmens, and Phantasy Star. Ys wasalso a Japanese CRPG with a longpedigree. It began as the next gamefrom Falcom after Xanadu on theNEC-9801, but its graphic style endedup being crossbred with the hotAmerican graphics of Sierra's King'sQuest series. In 1990, Ys 1V will bereleased in Japan, along with an anima-tion series produced solely for videotape, based on the games.

It was Phantasy Star, however, thatwas to be the big shot in the arm forSega, Nintendo's major competitorwho was, at that time, being buriedunder a ton of NES titles and aggres-

sive marketing. It is accepted wisdomthat the tremendous response to thisgame propped up Sega long enoughfor it to introduce the Genesis 16-bitmachine last Christmas. PhantasyStar was really different. It was ascience-fiction game with a neat twist-ing plot, good sound, and a large arrayof weapons, armor, spells, and other as-sorted goodies. It also was the firstJapanese import to employ a teamconcept. Periodically throughout thegame, characters would join a player'steam in order to help him/her win,each bringing unusual skills or magicaltalents. Yet, what actually set Phan-tasy Star apart from all the other im-ported games was its fantastic combatsystem. Not since Dungeon Masterhad such a good and explicit graphiccombat system been seen. No mere

spot animation was used, but large,fully animated monsters came right atthe player. There was also a largevariety of monsters to encounter, eachwith different talents. This was seriousgaming for many CRPG fanatics.

Last year also saw the coattail effectof traditional bestselling CRPGs beingported over onto dedicated gamemachines as the new market ofmachines blossomed into money trees.Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, andDefender of the Crown appeared tomixed reviews. These stalwarts of com-puter fame were not perceived, bymany of the players, to be as excitingas the Japanese imports.

The big CRPG guns to be released ondedicated game machines this fallform quite a collection. On the NES,

one can watch for Dragon Warrior I,Final Fantasy (another hot four-partseries from Japan), Crystalis, Tombs& Treasure (on the Infocom label, noless), Swords & Serpents, DungeonMagic, Ultima I (really 1V: The Questfor the Avatar), and Wizardry I(celebrating its 9th anniversary).

Sega's Phantasy Star II just hit veryimpressively with a 6-Megabyte cart onthe Genesis (see the review in thisissue). Players better really hustlethrough Phantasy Star I, becausePhantasy Star III should be out inJanuary. Another monster CRPG, TheSword of Vermillion, is being releasedhere for Christmas, so Genesis fansare going to be stuffed with dynamiteRPGs like a holiday turkey.

NEC is just getting its TurboGrafx-16 marketing revamped and ingear. Introductory-level CRPGs likeDouble Dungeon and Neutopia,which are currently available oncarts, simply do not do justice tothe machine's capabilities. Much,much better is expected to comefrom NEC, next year. Look for theCD-ROM attachment to be the hot-test gaming item of 1991. InJapan, there are currently 26 CD-ROM based games already avail-able for this machine, including Ys

/ & I (scheduled for Christmasrelease in the U.S. on one disk)and a truly gigantic game, Ziria,which seems to be about the sizeof 2 or 3 Ultimas put together. IFNEC can handle the mammoth

translating job, Ziria could be thegame hit of 1991 on the gamemachines (unless, of course, Ninten-do counters with Zelda II or DragonWarrior II, and Sega with PhantasyStar II).

Christmas 1990, as well as all of1991, is shaping up to be a great timefor CRPG players, since the threegame machine companies plan topour massive amounts of effort into be-coming the number one RPG machine.The smart money is on Nintendo —solid marketing and hundreds of titles.The class money is on Genesis, theflashiest graphics around with two bighits. The real longshot, which may in-deed come in, is the TurboGrafx-16with a wave-of-the-future CD-ROMplayer. No matter who wins, theplayers will certainly have fun.

Review

Wishing on a Phantasy Star IIby Roe R. Adams, III

The Winds of Change are blowing strongly through theelectronic FRP realm. Long the province of computers, nowsophisticated game machines are beginning to challenge

for a share of that realm. Riding high on the shock wave of thosewinds is Sega's Phantasy Star I.

Two years ago, when Phantasy Star I debuted on the Sega 8-bit Master System, it created quite a stir among the players.That is nothing compared to the impact of Phantasy Star I,which was created to showcase Sega's new 16-bit Genesismachine.

The game is a whopping 6-megabyte cartridge! That is current-ly the largest game available on any of the game machines. The16-bit graphics are gorgeous, but the real fun lies in the sciencefiction story plot.

Continuing the plot begun in Phantasy Star I (but not necessaryto play this game), the player finds his character on Mota, themiddle planet of the Algo Star System. Closest to the sun isPalm where the rulers and academics live, while the darkmysterious ice planet of Dezo lies the farthest out.

Mota is a tropical farm planet and every aspect of Mota is con-trolled by a computer system called Mother Brain, which ishoused secretly somewhere. For years, things have been idyllicon Mota, but now strange and deadly biomonsters are appearingall over the planet. Obviously, these were grown in MotherBrain's biosystems labs, but no one knows how this can be occur-ring. Mother Brain, in fact, says it is not happening, but a quicktrip outside Paseo, the planetary capital, will certainly show theplayer how wrong she is! Biomonsters abound everywhere.

The player's character "works" for the Commander of Motawho, in turn, assigns the character to enter the Biosystem labsand retrieve the system's recorder, so that he might ascertainwhat has malfunctioned. On this assignment, the protagonist isaccompanied by his adopted sister Nei, part-human andpart-biomonster.

Throughout the adventure, people with unique skills and talentssuddenly appear at the hero's home in Paseo and express theirwillingness to join him and aid in his endeavors. So, one shouldperiodically make it a point to teleport back to Paseo and see ifany welcome visitors have appeared. A total of six people, in ad-dition to Nei, will come to one's aid, including: a Hunter, Guar-dian, Biologist, Wrecker (great against the robots!) and Thief.Only the thief can steal one of the major items in the game. How-ever, as the active party can only consist of four people at atime, "one must choose his friends wisely!"

As the game progresses, all kinds of weird computer malfunc-tions impede one's path. Paseo is an island in the middle of fourdams. These control the water level in an artificial lake used for ir-rigation. Suddenly, the dams close completely, drying up thelake. The world-wide Climatrol system begins to produce freakishweather and computer-controlled robots attack the party ofheroes.

The game is structured in a very Japanese fashion. That is, it ishighly linear with a major monster/boss character to defeat atthe end of each segment before progress can be resumed. Whilethese games tend to be more simplistic in terms of design than

typical American CRPGs, these games can be very entertaining.The player always has a real sense of purpose and direction. Hisfocus is maintained, as well as a high sense of adventure and ex-pectation.

Once all the problems are resolved on Mota, the hero journeysto Dezo for a another entire planet to explore. The visual effecton Dezo is quite striking as the game overlays a heavy mist overall the landscape. It is really eerie to wander about Dezo. TheEsper Mansion in Alplatin is especially important, though verywell hidden from casual wanderers. While most of PhantasyStar's dungeons are three or four levels deep, the last one onDezo, Guaron, is a whopping sixteen levels!

The finale of the game takes place at a secret location in spacecalled Noah (hint! hint!) where Mother Brain is really housed. Areally superb animated ending awaits one's victory.

For those players who love exotic weapons and spells, Phan-tasy Star I will be a real delight. Besides huge lists of possiblethings to buy or spells to acquire, an added twist is that only cer-tain characters can use or cast specific items/spells. So, theplayer must frequently make decisions about the team's makeupdepending on the weapons and magic spells needed to over-come various roadblocks. It also comes as a bit of a shock to aplayer towards the end of the game to find a shop selling adeluxe vulcan cannon gun that shoots megadamage for the prin-cely sum of 12,600. Amazingly enough, that is exactly what isneeded to blow one's way through the monsters of a particularenemy stronghold. The only problem is that the Hunter (who wasthe second person to join the party) is probably back at thehero's house, because the player long ago replaced him withmore talented party members. Oops!

The really great "must see" feature of this game is its stable ofoutstanding animated combat sequences. The monsters arelarge and mean! Each has a regular weapon, claw, or sting, andoften a second special attack form. Every time the creature at-tacks, an animated sequence shows its whole body attacking in

the different modes. When the players strike, each charactersteps forward and hacks with his sword, shoots his gun, or castsa spell. The game offers very impressive full-figure animation.The spellcasting is particularly intense with fabulous special ef-fects for each type of spell used.

The only thing that really mars this fine RPG is, of all things,the excessive documentation that Sega has included with thegame. Apparently, Sega U.S. has a rather low opinion of thegame-playing ability of the average Genesis owner, despite thehuge success of Phantasy Star I over the past two years. Besidesthe normal 48-page manual, included with the game is a fold-outmap of Moto and Dezo. Unfortunately, it shows not only all theterrain features and villages, but also all the enemy strongholdsand secret locations. On the back is the exhaustive list of everyspell and item, showing who can use it and what properties ithas against what monsters. If this were not game-destroyingenough, shrinkwrapped on the outside of the box (because it istoo thick to fit inside!) is a 113 page booklet, erroneously calleda Hint Book.

Now, the book is very beautiful, all in color, with great draw-ings, tables, and maps. It is far better than its usual Americancounterpart, which is non-color, very skimpy, and usually gougesthe player for additional $12.95. So, what is the problem? Well,the book is not a hint book, but an extremely detailedwalkthrough of the game. Any player who reads the book has noneed for ever playing the game. The player is told what to ex-pect and when and where to expect it. Players are provided withthe contents and pricing for every shop in the game, the com-plete maps to all the dungeons and towers, the exact location ofevery chest in the dungeons (also which hold the real prizes),when new members are waiting at home for you, and even theoptimum team configuration for difficult segments. This "book"reduces playing of this outstandingly designed RPG to the levelof pablum. One should not even consider spending $69.95 forthis game unless he/she intends to securely lock that hint bookand map away (after photocopying the weapon and spell sidefirst — that is handy) and not to take it out until the game isfinished or one is hopelessly bogged down.

For those with the willpower not to be tempted by the DarkForce of Marketing, Phantasy Star II is a challenging and enjoy-able intermediate level game with superb combat and animatedgraphics.

Review

Game Hints

Scorpion 's M ail(Continued from page 30)

Of course, first you have to discover howto get below. Noticed a torch anywhere?Too had it's stuck (all that dried mud .. .wonder what would work . . .).

Ultima VI: Not surprisingly, manyletters come in about this game. Lately, I'vebeen asked by several readers about the"cheat menu" mentioned in, of all things,The Official Book of Ultima. How Originever let that slip by them, I don't know.The cheat menu does exist, and it is inthe game (at least through version 3.2). Iam not going to tell you how to accessit, at least not publicly (if you really wantto know, you can send me a letter .. .uhh, Fred, I think we're gonna needmore room in here now!). Moving toanother subject, some people are havinga hard time finding all the mages withspells for sale. The four of them are lo-cated: in Cove, north of the Lycaeum,north of Britain, and north of Skara Brae.By the way, Xiao will not sell you eighthlevel spells. She's supposed to do thisonce you receive Armageddon from the

Wisp, but apparently there's a bug thatprevents her from doing that. The only8th level spell I know of that you can buyis Resurrection (someone else sells thatone).

Ultima IV: Questions have been askedabout the final dungeon. First, yes, youabsolutely need a full party of eight (in-cluding the Avatar) and every one ofthem must be alive. So, try not to letanyone die on the way down. Secondly,if you have gotten this far into the game,you should be able to answer the ques-tions asked in the Codex Chamber itself.After all, the idea is that you spent thegame learning about the attributes andprinciples of virtue, so you ought toknow what they are and what they repre-sent (I admit to becoming a bit peevedwhen someone asks for the complete listof answers). If you don't know theanswer, you end up (after being bootedout) at some location that provides theanswer (Moonglow, for instance, if thecorrect response is "Truth"). The one ex-ception is the prime axiom. To learnthat, you must make note of all thevisions seen in the shrines, which arerunes you have to translate into English.

Journey: Along the way, our stalwartparty meets an elf with a shy nature.Well, maybe more suspicious than shy.She wants to know you're okay beforeshe sticks around to do anything for you.Now, if you could just give her some sortof personal reference. You know, like,you're the friend of someone?

Tangled Tales: A few dungeon delversare running into trouble with the mistdoor on the way to Xavier's lair. Lifewould be a lot easier if only you hadRiley's girl friend in the party. If you don'tknow what to do about her, have a chatwith Drek.

And that's about it for the mail roomthis time around. If you need help withan adventure game, you can reach me inthe following ways:

On Delphi: Stop by the GameSIG(under the Groups and Clubs menu). OnGEnie: Visit the Games RoundTable(type: Scorpia to reach the Games RT).By CIS Mail (enclose a SASE if you livein the CIS): Scorpia, PO Box 338, GracieStation, New York, NY 10028.

Copyright 1990 by Scorpia, all rights reserved

Sneak Preview(Continued from page 38)

back to the base during the secondscenario. However, the program does notallow the player to use these missilesduring either the fifth or sixth scenario,simply having the player's on-screen char-acters radio their commanding officerthat they are "saving" the missiles. Weoriginally thought that the game was forc-ing us to save the missilesuntil the final scenario, butwe couldn't use them there,either. That may be a resultof having an incompleteversion, however.

Finally, the sixth scenariois the coup de grace. Theplayer can maneuver overa battlefield that scrolls toalmost four times the sizeof the "killing fields" in theother scenarios. In this bat-tle, the player will com-mand whichever damagedand fatigued squad he has

led successfully through the fifth scenario.

Should the player be successful in de-stroying the Kurita mobile headquarters,he returns to Morgan Kell and receivesthe information he needs to rescue hisfather. From that point, he can summonthe DropShip (with the new F10 func-tion) and get ready for the sequel.

Command DispositionAlthough BattleTech: The Crescent

Hawk's Revenge takes a decidedly dif-ferent direction in terms of gamemechanics and appearance than Battle-Tech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception, itwould appear that Infocom has madethe right decision in creating a game thatwill offer more appeal to those who playthe BattleTech boardgame. Those of uswho are more intrigued by the Battle-Tech novels will probably still enjoy theMechWarrior series more because the

simulation aspect treats the'mech pilots as heroic in-dividuals. In Revenge, thesystem deals with the'mechs more as militaryunits.

Frankly, BattleTech: TheCrescent Hawk's Revengeshould have a decidedlylarger following than Incep-tion because it is truer tothe genre. Now, if Infocomwas to add a constructionset and scenario editor tothe mix, they would have amegahit on their hands.

Sneak Preview

ContinuingEducation(Continued from page 22)

mands in the way LucasFilm's SCUMMsystem does, but my fears were unjus-tified. The menus contain a full comple-ment of verbs (120+) and nouns. Theplayer has access to all the wordsneeded to solve the game, reducingthe 'guess-the-parser' problem, the pro-gram supplies only the appropriateprepositions for a certain verb, reduc-ing the parser's "duh, what?" respon-ses, and the noun list is constantly up-dated to include all of the touchable,lookable, tasteable items at the currentlocation, eliminating the "you do notsee the 'what's it' here" response. Yetfor all these pluses, I consistently endup type all my commands. I find I cansimply rap out "WEAR THE BODICE"in half the time it takes to search twomenus and make two mouse clicks.Frankly, I find the menu system to be

of little use except to suggest possiblecommands in tough puzzle situations.Fortunately, with the swipe of a func-tion key, the menu system can be tuck-ed away and brought out for the oc-casional reference.

>LISTENSound-card support has become a

standard in adventure games and, likemost games on the market, Spellcast-ing 101 has an excellent score writtenby a voluntarily anonymous source(take a bow, Arfing Dog, whoever youare). With an AdLib card, or, betteryet, a Roland sound system, thesounds are a real treat. I cast the BIPspell (create romantic music) just toenjoy the beautiful tune.

On top of the sound-card score,Legend has outdone the competitionagain by including the trademarkedRealSound digitized noises in the ad-venture. Birds tweet, dragons roar, anddoors creak along Ernie's path to wizar-

dom. It's a cute feature and anotherfirst for adventure games.

>STATUSSpellcasting 101 is a quality piece

of software. The interface is clean, theparser is excellent, the documentationand packaging goodies are cute, andthe story is Steve Meretzky at his best.It is obvious that the Legend Groupknows the genre, understands whatthe market is missing and whatgarners want, and is dedicated to creat-ing genre-advancing stuff. If their fu-ture releases, which include a timetravel adventure and a sequel toSpellcasting 101, are of the same tech-nical and storytelling caliber as thisproduct, Legend Entertainment willturn the adventure game market on itsear.

Spellcasting 101 will be released forthe IBM format in early October with asuggested retail price of $59.95.

meaningful than in previous gameswhich have used this artifice.


disk and VGA required, $59.95) is an in-teractive movie in the tradition of MeanStreets. The 256 color VGA graphics arehotter than the earlier product and the adventure elements, as well as game ele-ments like a more efficient "point andclick" reverse parser, seem stronger thanthe earlier game.

Fans of pulp science fiction and Ultimawill apparently have their hands full inthe new Worlds of Ultima series. Thefirst release from Origin is The SavageEmpire, a "Jules Verne meets EdgarRice Burroughs in an Arthur ConanDoyle Production"-style game where thegood-guy scientists find themselves in alost valley of the dinosaurs (IBM, $59.95).

Lucasfilm's The Secret of Monkey Is-land (IBM, $59.95) uses the familiar"point and click" style reverse parserfrom Maniac Mansion and IndianaJones and the Last Crusade: TheGraphic Adventure. As has been hishabit with each new release, however,Ron Gilbert has made the parser evenmore efficient. The Secret of Monkey Is-land places the player in the role of awould-be pirate and forces him to solvethree basic portions of the game:swordsmanship, thievery and treasurehunting. The game is absolutely inun-dated with both self-effacing humor andcharming and not-so-charming charac-ters. Also, the puzzles are challenging,even with the reverse parser.

Adventure gamers who haven't readthe sneak preview of Spellcasting 101:Sorcerers Get All The Girls fromLegend Entertainment (see p. 20)need to complete their homework bydoing so, right now. Available on IBM for-mat, the game will be available directfrom MicroProse.

Hard Nova (Electronic Arts, IBM,$49.95) is a science fiction adventurewhich immediately reminds players ofEA's earlier Sentinel Worlds game. Theinterface and documentation are friendlyenough with a "guided tour" type oftutorial insuring that the player is familiarwith all the game's controls before anyserious disasters can confront the player.The game mechanics still involve pilotinga spaceship from planet to planet,ship-to-ship combat, personal combat and inter-action with non-player characters. Al-though the latter function uses thefamiliar multiple-choice conversationmethod, the conversations and en-counters seem more "fleshed out" and

New World Computing continues itsexciting association with play-by-mail andpen and paper game company FlyingBuffalo, Inc. with Tunnels & Trolls(IBM, $49.95). Like the successful transla-tion of Nuclear War from card game tocomputer, capturing the flavor of theoriginal game's play while adding thespice of computer game play to it, thiscomputer role-playing game will makethe classic solitaire adventures from Tun-nels & Trolls come to life on the com-puter screen. Now, there is no more flip-ping pages from 8A to 16D and back to2C in order to know how to roll the dice.Now, Liz Danforth has the stories branch-ing smoothly from one predicament .. .er . . . situation to another.

If traditional chess is too tame,Interplay's Battlechess I: ChineseChess (IBM, Amiga, $49.95) might fulfillthe quest for a more varied strategicchallenge. Interplay's artists found new sub-jects for their fascinating animations(elephants, chariots, cannons) in this an-cient Chinese game of chess wherepieces move along the intersections ofgridlines rather than into the squaresthemselves and the entire board isseparated by a flowing river (repre-senting the Yellow River). The game haschanged from its predecessor, but thehumor and spectacle is still there.

Galleons of Glory (IBM, $44.95), fromBroderbund, is a strategy game fromthe "'Where, Oh Where' is Carmen San-diego?" team. This one features three dif-ficulty levels, represented by three ofMagellan's exploratory voyages, and fol-lows the "plot" of each different peregrination by the famous explorer. The gamestresses resource management and his-torical discovery over the primarilygeographical lessons of Carmen.

Broderbund has brought aphenomenally successful pen-and-papergame to life in Pictionary (IBM, Amiga,$39.95, C-64, $29.95). Computerizing thepopular party game offers some ad-vantages over the parlor game. The com-puter game offers a solitaire mode wherethe computer does all the drawing, al-lows the timer to be adjusted accordingto the skill levels of the players and fea-tures a built-in drawing (paint) program.

Maxis is ready to shout, "Let there beSimEarth" (IBM, Macintosh, $69.95) and

Buying Guide

hope that players respond, "It is verygood." The GAIA simulation from WillWright, creator of the megahit SimCity,allows players to develop the ecostruc-ture of an entire planet and is more com-plicated than its city-planning progenitor.Play balance and entertaining feedbackwill be the keys to whether this productwith superior graphics and research willreach the plateau of its sibling.

In something of the same vein,Electronic Arts' PowerMonger (Amiga,Atari ST, $49.95) offers a real-timestrategic challenge with an economic,political and military basis. Players canupgrade their civilizations througheconomic means or simply conquerother tribes in order to snatch their hard-earned wealth. We think this game offersa more serious model than Populous.

SPOT: The Computer Game (IBM,$39.99) is Virgin Mastertronic's brilliantabstract strategy game for one to fourplayers. The title refers to the licensed 7-Up character from the television commer-cials who livens up the game board withcolorful and humorous animations. Thebasic strategic challenge is similar to acombination of Go's territorial imperativeand Othello's transformation of entiresections of the board from one color toanother. However, the game board canbe customized to reflect new challengesand strategies with symmetrical patternsor provide handicaps against one side oranother using asymmetrical gameboards. Frankly, the Nintendo version ofthe game would make a great gift forthose who do not have an IBM.

Many of CGWs traditional readershipwill have fond memories of playing Mil-ton Bradley's Stratego. Now, Accoladehas released a computer version that al-lows players to choose between three dif-ferent game boards and sets of pieces,utilize rules variations and always havean opponent at one's disposal. The rulesvariations are simply: "Silent Defense"(enough fog of war that the player doesnot know which piece he/she has justcaptured), "Aggressor Advantage" (tiegoes to the aggressor) and "Rescue" (anoption which allows captured pieces toreturn to the board similar to what oc-curs when pawns reach the back row inchess) (IBM, Macintosh, $49.95).

Blue Max (Amiga, Atari ST, IBM,$49.95) is one of the three World War Iaviation simulations expected to bereleased this Christmas. From Three-

Sixty, the game features two-player ac-tion from the same keyboard and a purestrategy version (phased action) versionof the game. At press time, it was notclear whether the game would featuremodem-to-modem competition or not.Dynamix' Red Baron (IBM, $59.95) islikely to be the product with the mostavailable planes from the era and themost versatile campaign game (see thesneak preview in CGW #75, p. 6). It alsohas a versatile VCR feature that enablesplayers to re-enter previously played dog-fights and change history. Knights of theSky (IBM, $59.95) is MicroProse's entryinto the WWI dogfight and may have themost responsive controls of any of thethree serious WWI air combat simulators.Players get a real feel for the "flimsy" na-ture of their craft and what that does toits aerodynamics. Plus, the MicroProsegame supports modem play.

World War II buffs are not left out whenthe Christmas '90 releases hit the shel-ves. Submarine fans who prefer the Atlan-tic theater will find Das Boot from Three-Sixty (Amiga, IBM, $49.95) to havebeautiful graphics and detailed optionsthat allow players to toggle betweenserious simulation and action-orientedentertainment. Silent Service I (see thequick look on p. 51) offers vicarious sub-mariners almost all they could want froma Pacific Theater campaign.

With Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe(IBM, $59.95), Lucasfilm has taken thetechnology used in Battlehawks: 1942and Their Finest Hour and moved fromthe realms of sophisticated action gameto the atmosphere of serious simulation.The research is solid and damage affectseach plane's flight model realistically. Inaddition, World War II air buffs can finallyget a chance to envision what it wouldbe like to fly Me 262s, Me 163 rocketplanes, Gotha 229 flying wings, Me 109s,Focke-Wulf 190s, P-51 Mustangs, P-47Thunderbolts and B-17 bombers.

Those who are more inclined towardmodern flight can either: re-enact DaleBrown's Flight of the Old Dog in Three-Sixty's MegaFortress (Amiga, IBM,$59.95), a simulation that carefully fol-lows the book's plot; crawl in the simu-lated cockpit of Falcon 3.0 (IBM,$69.95), a technologically enhanced ver-sion of Spectrum HoloByte's major hit;fly the Phantoms and Intruders ofSpectrum HoloByte's Flight of the In-truder (see sneak preview on p. 28); orenter the world of Soviet air combat inStormovik: SU-25 Soviet Attack Fighter(IBM, $59.95) from Electronic Arts.


Reader Input Device

Conversions ReceivedBar Games (Accolade) Amiga

The Cycles (Accolade) Mac

King's Quest IV (Sierra) Amiga

The Fool's Errand (Miles Computing)Amiga,ST

Mixed-Up Mother Goose *Enhanced Ver-sion* (Sierra) IBM

Overrun! (SSI) Amiga

Police Quest 2 (Sierra) Amiga

Second Front (SSI) Amiga

Their Finest Hour (LucasFilm) Atari ST

Tunnels of Armageddon (CaliforniaDreams) Amiga

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?(Broderbund) C64

Megatraveller 1(Continued from page 18)

one character at a time, possibly compete in real-time combatwith the computer controlling one or more NPCs? There is noway that what the gamer is given can be considered a "level play-ing field." So loud have the protests been that ParagonSoftware's promised revision of the combat system for Mega-Traveller 2 has been extended to an update of MT1 and will beutilized in Space 1889.

In spite of all this, the present reviewer must confess that theoriginal system can be both more exciting and, possibly, realistic(in producing more of the flavor of combat) than those of a strict-ly tactical system. With the proper approach (see Tips), it is evenpossible to win.

Apparently, the interplanetary travel system has caught someflak as well. Maneuvering a space ship in MT1 is not like operat-ing the usual "space combat simulator." MT1 has tried to cometo grips with gravity and Newton's laws of motion, which may dis-concert some people. One's ship will continue to move in astraight line unless thrust is applied to change that motion or un-less acted upon by the gravity of a planet or star. To "land" on aworld, one must slow the ship to near-zero speed, which is, ofcourse, what is required in actuality. Admittedly, the systemtakes some practice, but those who master it will be rewardedwith significant economies in fuel usage.

A complex game requires extensive documentation, and MT1

does not fall short in this regard. It has an extensive manual andthe production values are excellent. The manual is sturdy, uses aspiral binding so that it can be laid flat while open to a referencepoint, and abounds in diagrams and pictures. There is a good in-troduction to the Traveller universe in general, and the ImperiumZhodani conflict in particular, for those not already in the know.The organization is good. For the most part, needed informationcan be found quickly, although a more extensive Table of Con-tents is needed to complement the very welcome Index.

A more general knock on the game seems to be that it is essen-tially an unfinished product. There is certainly some justice inthis. The number of manual changes which had to be includedon the pamphlet covering machine-specific features is disturbingand the appearance of screen photos on the box which don'tresemble anything actually encountered in the game is alsorather disquieting. Even setting aside the personal combat sys-tem, there are areas where the play balance can be questioned.For instance, the trade system is probably a shade too easy tobeat and a few minor additional efforts in that direction wouldhave been likely to have made it considerably more entertaining.All these matters work against the integrity of the game

Tips

1. Save early and save often. Unfortunately, the Save Gamefunction is available only from starport buildings. You may haveto play some of the submissions over several times to get aresult you feel you can live with.

2. Goods sell on a world at a time-variable discount from what

Review

they can be purchased for there. Unavailability of a particularitem on a world is not a guarantee that it will sell there for a highprice, but examination of a world's characteristics can providevaluable clues as to what will be valuable there. Try carryingwater to Louzy, and explosives to Efate.

3. In combat, rely on one character with exceptional militaryskills and heavy weapons and armor to bear the brunt of thefighting. Make careful use of obstacles to keep the rest of theparty out of harm's way as much as possible.

4. Keep careful track of the location of NPCs offering to buy par-ticular items.

5. Search carefully—and don't leave the hospital ward of theSharurshid facility on Louzy without getting the second passcard!

6. Don't engage in ship-to-ship combat impulsively. You can getchewed to pieces while putting your Jump and Navigationprograms in storage and loading your combat programs. Ifyou're going to fly the Jolly Roger, have your ship ready for itbefore you leave orbit.

7. Never, never, never leave the starport on airless worldwithout a vacuum suit.

ConclusionsThe consensus is certainly that MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani

Conspiracy (prior to the update) is seriously flawed. One canstill appreciate the game for the variety of activities and naturalfeel to the adventuring it offers, but those looking for the same

quality adventure they've experienced in the pen and papergame will simply may have to wait a little longer until theupgrade can be examined.

Version 3.0 Update

Version 3.0 of Megatraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracyarrived in our offices after presstime. Paragon states in a let-ter to CGW that it will upgrade earlier versions free of charge.Owners should call or write directly to:Paragon Software Corporation600 Rugh Street, Suite AGreensburg, PA 15601or call (412) 838-1166 during business hours.

The gist of the changes in the 3.0 version include the abilityto print out characters and the "enhanced combat system."This combat system allows for pausing the game during cornbat so that "orders" may be issued to characters. These or-ders may consist of either moving to a new location or firingat a designated target. Combat can be interrupted repeatedlyso as to assign characters new orders. The character on thedisplay, however, is still manually operated as per the originalMegatraveller 1 combat system.

The game we at CGW hope to see in the next offering inthe Megatraveller series would have all the scope and gran-deur of the first release, but with a phased combat systemwhere players may maintain more control of their adventures.


Like most recent EA simulations (withthe exception of Indianapolis 500: TheSimulation), the emphasis is on the mission-based campaign game and "feel" ofthe combat being simulated rather thanpresenting an authentic model of theflight dynamics of the particular plane.

Those who want to try their hands at"aerial" combat in outer space have twoextremely viable options. Wing Corn-manner (IBM, $69.95) is Chris Roberts'potential masterpiece from Origin. Chrishas brought rotoscoping techniques,soundtrack branching according to thegame's tempo, cinematic touches, hotgraphics, fast scrolling and a campaigngame where the war is actually affected(and branches accordingly) by what theplayer accomplishes. The other viable op-tion is MicroProse's LightSpeed (IBM,$59.95), a hybrid of role-playing and star-ship simulation. The game involves ex-ploration, negotiation and, when onemust, annihilation. Fast-scrolling simu-lates bringing one's own ship into com-bat, as well as offers special effects suchas remote-controlled fighters to engagethe enemy and kamikaze "missiles" toaim at one's victims. Both games featureincredible frame rates and very attractivepolygon-filled graphics.

Sports fans are not left entirely out ofthe picture. Links, from Access (IBM,$59.95), is the extremely well-renderedgolf game which has been previouslytouted as "VGA World-Class LeaderBoard" in these pages. The picture in thebuying guide comes from a demonstra-tion program, so the title and huge golfball are not usually on the screen. How-ever, all the scenery on the golf course isjust as detailed as this which is shown onthe demo program.

Spectrum HoloByte is carving outnew genres of driving simulations withlast year's Vette! and this year's StuntDriver (IBM, $49.95). In the currentgame, players drive a 1966 Shelby Mus-tang against a VW bug (driven by a "littleold lady" from Pasadena or elsewhere), aPorsche (wasting away in Yuppievillewith a driver who fits the profile) or anIROC Z (driven by a bully who has neverquite grown up). The game features fivetracks which become ever more serpen-tine with each increase in difficulty, aswell as a grid-based track constructioneditor to allow players to customize their"battlefields."

The number of wargame titles con-tinues to dwindle. Strategic Simula-tions, Inc.'s Interceptor is the first intheir Renegade Legions (IBM, $59.95)series, featuring tactical level ship-to-shipcombat. Those who are more down-to-earth will want to check out CommandSimulations's computer version ofGDW's Suez '73 (Amiga, IBM, $59.95).

Command HQ from MicroPlay (IBM,$59.95) shows hints of a "breakthrough"for more than just the hardcore war-garners. It is a step up from Risk! andakin to the Milton Bradley boardgameAxis & Allies. In scope, diversity andplay value, Command HQ is a solidstrategic level strategy game with a merci-fully short learning curve. Thehead-to-head play element allows for modern,serial port or network play with plenty ofuseful and easy to access interfaces fromwhich the player can gather vital militaryinformation. Also suitable for solitaireplay, scenarios cover global conquestfrom World War I through World War IVand offers an Empire-like expansion andconquest scenario.

From France comes Full Metal Planet(Amiga, Atari ST, IBM, $49.95). Publish-ed in the United States by Data East,Full Metal Planet offers one to fourplayers a planetary surface which is con-stantly changing due to tidal movementsfor their global battlefield. Players selectthe landing site for their interplanetaryfreighter and mining vessels, deploy theirtanks for defense and mine all the orethey can. It's a fast-flowing 25-turn strate-gic-level competition that offers plenty ofoptions for "stabbing" one's opponents.The game is ruthless in its victory condi-tions and enforcement of penalties.

So, here's the hint list for 1990! Forbest results, place a copy of this article(marked with your fondest wishes) underyour loved one's pillow for maximum sub-liminal effect

or tape another an-notated copy to the refrigerator door sothat family members cannot miss it m-

. Right now, the staff at CGW iswaiting as expectantly as a child onChristmas Eve to get our hands on someof these great products! Merry Christmas!

Editorial

The Birth of an Art Formby Johnny L. Wilson

The State of the Industry: Recent-ly, I have been asked my opinionabout the state of computer games

as art with regard to two very differentagendas. First, a journalist with a majormetropolitan newspaper asked me whereI would place the modern computergame with regard to, for instance, the his-tory of the motion picture industry. I un-hesitatingly observed that we were still inthe silent picture era. Second, a cor-respondent on a major interactive com-puter network was expressing his frustra-tion that a certain publisher had allowedsome "classic" games to go out of print.Since the entertainment software industryso often turns to Hollywood as a similefor its own development, I began towonder about the formation of "classic"films.

It seems to me that there are manyparallels between the "silent era" of mo-tion picture production and that of com-puter entertainment today. Litigation is acommon feature to both the first decadeof motion picture making and the enter-tainment software industry of today.Thomas Edison owned both patents onthe loop used in all film projectors andsued anyone who used them in their ownprojectors. This may have been the first"loop and feel" lawsuit. Another commonfeature between the industries was theneed for a viable platform. In the motionpicture industry, this developed in themove from independent projectionists(who moved from one vaudeville houseto another) to the use of permanent mo-tion picture theaters. Currently, we haveindependent publishers who move fromone computer platform to another. Yet,we really cannot hope to reach the mas-ses until some standardized form ofpresentation system is provided.

A third feature common to early filmsand current software is the lack of a starsystem. Outside of Edwin S. Porter (TheGreat Train Robbery, 1903), the firstdecade of film making is virtually devoid

of noteworthy directors and stars. Itwasn't until 1913 when Mack Sennett leftBiograph to begin making shorts forKeystone (of "Kops" fame) and twoyears later, when Griffith broke fromBiograph and started making featurefilms (including The Birth of a Nation,1915, about which we will speak morelater) and Chaplin left Keystone to createlonger films for Mutual and First Nationalthat any type of star system began toemerge. All three began to realize thatthe art advanced as the creative forcesassumed cinematic control anddeveloped a structural integrity hithertolacking in film. Later, when this directoras artiste system began breaking down,Hollywood become known for its genrepictures.

Software development is still heavy onthe corporate management side, just likethe pre-1913 films. Little recognition isgiven to the "directing/creating/writing"talent and much more import given todistributing the product. We are indanger of seeing floods of genre productflowing through the marketing channel,primarily because publishers do notvalue innovation. SimCity is successfulbecause it does not fit in any genre, butit is questionable whether it could havebeen published without Will Wright andJeff Braun taking a chance with theirown company. Sid Meier's RailroadTycoon is extremely successful for Micro-Prose, but it is doubtful whether it wouldhave been published were it not for Sid'spersonal influence in the company(which softened any marketing depart-ment doubts that may have been voiced).

Finally, the question of art and the "clas-sics." The Great Train Robbery was thefirst major commercial success of thefilm industry. It used cut scenes, told astory and played on screens for almost adecade. The first film that is often citedas a work of art is The Birth of a Na-tion. It was a commercial success, but itwas a social controversy. While the film

only brought protests in some southerncities, it brought riots in others. Art oftenhas a social impact. It is probably asmuch because of the way people initiallyreacted to Griffith's work that it is remem-bered as a "classic" as for what the film it-self contains.

Some computer games are classics asmuch for where we were (and who wewere) when we first played them as forhow well they were done. Which bringsus to two important questions. First, werethe games to be considered "classics" be-cause they were the best of their era orbecause they have something lasting tooffer? Second, would there be any valueto repackaging, say, Infocom classicsfor the MS-DOS platform or M.U.L.E. forthe Amiga? Apparently, some companiesbelieve so. MicroProse's new versions ofF-15 and Silent Service on MS-DOS andPirates on the Amiga indicate that theremay be such a value for some proper-ties. Let's hope others determine that thisis true, as well.

State of the Magazine: This issue,CGW offers its own classic. The"Christmas Buying Guide" has become atradition in our November issues since1987. Our primary goal is to present ahint list that can be copied, marked andpresented to those loved ones who neverknow what to get the computer gameron their gift list.

This issue also holds a special bonussection. With the expected price wars ondedicated game machines aroundChristmas time, computer gamers maywant some information to help them withthe old electric train ploy (You know,where Dad buys his son a train so hecan play with it?). Co-designer ofWizardry 1V Roe Adams offers an over-view on dedicated game machines andCRPGs for those so inclined and forthose thinking of buying a gamemachine for themselves.

computer gaming world issue 76

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