VOL. 3 NO. 1 Jan.-Feb. - 1983

Features

TEST PILOT 12 Fiction John Vornholt

THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF SERPENTINE 20 Review of Broderbund's Game Michael Cranford

COSMIC BALANCE 22 Review and Analysis David Long

S.E.U.I.S. 26 Strategy and Arcade Combined Dick Richards ARMOR ASSAULT 28 Epyx's Armor Game Reviewed Floyd Mathews

THE LEARNING GAME 30 A New Column Bob Proctor

THE ARCADE MACHINE 32 A Game Generator John Besnard

THE ATARI ARENA 34 A New Column Allen Doum

INDEX 48 Volumes One and Two

Department

Inside the Industry 2 Letters 4 Taking a peek 6 Real World Gaming 36 Route 80 38 Silicon Cerebrum 40 Microcomputer Mathemagic 41 Micro-Reviews 42 Reader Input Device 46 INSIDE THE INDUSTRY by Dana Lombardy, Associate Publisher Game Merchandising

1982 COMPUTER GAME RELEASES

The following extensive list was compiled from a mailing to over 130 different software publishers. Over 80 responded to the survey, of which 76 had game software releases in 1982. The total was 384 new game software titles, not including old games translated to work on different personal computers. This works out to about 5 new games per company. Phone follow-up surveys will be done to try and complete the data, but almost every major software publisher is listed here. This is your chance to participate in selecting the top computer game of 1982. Using this list as a guide, you should vote the three (3) titles you feel should be nominated for the final ballot on the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts& Design awards form for 1982. Your three nominations should be sent to: Bill Somers, P.O. Box 656, Wyandotte, MI 48192. Use form provided. Deadline for nominations is March 31, 1983. Only members of the Academy may vote on the final ballot. If you're interested in joining the Academy, address your inquiries to Bill at the above address. Tell him you read about the Academy in COMPUTER GAMING WORLD. We'll have a follow-up report after the phone survey, and the list of the publishers who put out the most new titles in 1982. Good gaming!

Dear Editor: the game and eventually succeed- Dear Editor: I was pleased to read in your ed in achieving the final goal, killing Werdna. First, let me say how much our Letters column a letter by Leona family enjoys your magazine. We Billings about the ethics of piracy. In What I need now is a review of think it is done in a highly profession- it she states "If the software publish- Knight of Diamonds that gives a al and enjoyable manner. ers ask too high a price, there is a hint or two about the 6th level of proper (decent, honest, ethical) the dungeon.. . We noted with interest your brief response: don't buy the item. note concerning "Picnic Paranoia" Publishers will then lower the price if Thanks again and keep up the in your Nov.—Dec. magazine. My they can or stop making the good work family has thoroughly enjoyed the product if they can't." R. David Long game and we've been looking for a San Jose review of it to see if others feel the I've been saying this for years, same way. The thing that we like and it's nice to see someone agree about it is that its totally different with me. (And a philosophy teacher from all the other games. When I at that). ED. — Thank you for asking about first bought it I thought only my hints, It gives me an opportunity to Robert Woodhead young children would enjoy it. tell you about something we have Sir-tech Software However, we've found that when been thinking about. teenagers visit the house that's the game they want to play. We have been kicking around the idea of having a regular "Hints I'm hoping that you'll present an Dear Editor: and Tips" column in which we in-depth review in your next edition. would print hints and tips on a I wanted to drop you a short word Stanford Siegle variety of games. The idea would of praise for the good magazine Pittsburgh, PA be to have readers send in their you have going. hints and/or tips and we would ED. — See "The Atari Arena" for In particular a belated thank you print the best ones (with due more information on Picnic Paranoia. for the review of Wizardry last spring. credits). Hints would be in slip code. I had had the game for nearly six Tips can cover any kind of game. If months, but could never get any- you or any other readers think this is where; I kept getting killed! After a Good idea let us know and send your article and the encourage- in a tip or two. As far as the 6th ment to stick with it that the level of K.O.D. goes — anyone have reviewer included, I went back to any hints for Mr. Long?

In addition to games mentioned elsewhere computer answers each question for in graphic form. Other stock market in this issue, the following products have been themselves and then enters what answer programs on the market are games, this received by CGW. Some of these products will their partners entered (all done in secrecy one is a simulation. Apple II & Ill ( $79.95): receive more detailed attention in future issues. at this point). After the test is over the IBM PC, Osborne and other CP/M systems Readers wishing to review any of these program tells the couple in what areas ( $99.95). products should contact CGW. there is significant differences. You can even review the test question by question if Adventure International you wish. Although not as thorough as a P.O. Box 3435 "real" personality profile L&S does provide Longwood, FL 32750 grounds for communication about a (305) 862-6917 couples relationship.

STRATOS: A Mission Command type game for the Atari 400/800 (32K) and TRS-80 computers, Invaders must avoid your Armageddon cannons, bomb the force field to reduce it, and then bomb the city. Meteor showers make your job even more difficult. Good graphics and sound in the Atari version

Broderbund Software 1938 Fourth St. San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 456-6424

Arisoft CHOPLIFTER: The popular apple game is P.O. Box 9184 now available for the Atari. The graphics are Whittier, CA 90608 a carbon copy of the Apple version, the (213) 944-2024 sound is better. You are a helicopter pilot rescuing 64 hostages from a hostile MIKE CARO'S VIDEO POKER: A program that government. See the review of Choplifter! in includes two games. The first is Jackpot Vol. 2 No. 4 of CGW. Video Poker which, according to the documentation, is"functionally identical to popular machines found in casinos, but SEADRAGON: You pilot your submarine past more sophisticated". The second game is sensor released mines in an effort to dive Poker Flurry which is a two person, or one deep and destroy the master mine. The person versus the computer, competitive Apple version has a nice talking intro- version of video poker. Players compete in duction. Available for the Apple, Atari rounds trying to mass the most points by (great sound), and TRS-80. acquiring the best poker hands. Apple II.

BANK STREET WRITER: Billed as "the first truly home-oriented word processing system". BSW is a very user friendly word processor that includes features found in more expensive and complicated word process- ing programs. The menus are clear and the commands easy to use. Apple ( $69.95). Blue Chip Software Alpine Software 19824 Ventura Blvd., Suite 125 2120 Academy Circle, Suite E Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Colorado Springs, CO 80909 (213) 881-8288 A.E.: A Space Invaders type arcade game (303) 591-9874 with outstanding graphics. The graphics MILLIONAIRE: A well done stock market create the feel of a three dimensional LOVERS OR STRANGERS: An Apple program simulation in which the player (its a solo battle between your mobile gun and the that calls itself "a computer game with a game) manipulates as many as 15 different invading A.E.s (manta ray like creatures). A serious side". L&S is a popularized version of stocks such as IBM, Exxon, Bendix, etc.. The different screen is used for each level of a typical personality profile test typically game allows a number of transaction types play. The A.E.s come in from the horizon given in counseling sessions (material, (buy, sell, put options, call options, buying circling closer to you, diving behind career, etc.). The program asks a series of on margin, borrowing against net worth, obstacles, seeking to destroy rather than be questions related to such areas as love, sex, and others. One very nice feature is the destroyed. A nice twist to the Invader type values, work & money, spirituality. The ability to have a variety of reports displayed game. Apple II ($34.95). DataMost Inc. 9748 Cozycroft ave. CRIBBAGE SOLITAIRE:Five card games for the EMPIRE II - INTERSTELLAR SHARKS: This is the Chatsworth, CA 91311 Apple Original Cribbage, Klondike second game in the EMPIRE trilogy. Ell is set (213) 709-1202 (Regular and 3 Card), Picture Frame at the summit of the Empire's history. You Solitaire, and Pyramid. $34.95. play the role of a pilot, businessperson, or AZTEC: AZTEC takes the animated graphics diplomat as you attempt to outfit a of SWASHBUCKLER and adds to that an spacecraft to take you to the planet adventure game set in a lost Aztec Triskelion. pyramid. A nice attempt at combining hi- res animation/arcade and adventure gaming. The fiction is inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark. Apple II. $39.95,

Edu-Ware Services P.O. Box 22222 Agoura, CA 91301 Epyx/Automated Simulations (213) 706-0661 1043 Kiel Court Sunnyvale, CA 94086 PRISONER 2: Here is a game not quite like (408) 745-0700 any other. This "science fiction nightmare" THE ELEMENTARY APPLE (Book): If you are a is sort of an adventure game, but not really. RESCUE AT RIGEL: VIC-20 version of the beginning programmer and find the Well, it is — maybe. Get the picture? If you game which originally came out for the Applesoft-Tutorial to be less helpful than like mental puzzles this game will be of Apple not long after the Iranian Hostage you would like, take a look at this interest. Prisoner 2 is an improved version of Crisis. The game plays off that incident with programming guide. It is user-friendly. the original PRISONER. it's theme that a high Tollah has taken ten men and women prisoners and the player TUBEWAY: Arcade game based on the coin- must free them. Cassette, 16k expander op game TEMPEST. Tubeway does a pretty required. good job of giving you the "feel" of Tempest but is not as sophisticated as the coin-op SWORD OF FARGOAL: A game designed for game (but then none of the "copies" are the VIC-20 (not a translation). SOF is an able to be as sophisticated as the coin-op adventure game in the tradition of other versions). When you complete a round you Automated Simulation Adventure game. simply are placed in a new geometric form The player searches a dungeon of darkness (there is no accelerating down the arms in search of the Sword of Fargoal. As you avoiding spikes). Apple II. $34.95. explore the dungeon your character gains experience points and battle skills. Rules are typical of Automated's games, i.e. well done. Cassette.

H.A.L. Labs 4074 Midland Rd. Ste. 23 Riverside, CA 92505 (714) 359-8480

SUPER TAX MAN 2: Remember TAXMAN? This is a new "improved" version. Actually this is a version that looks a little less like PAC-MAN EMPIRE I — WORLD BUILDERS: The first in a than the older version (by Atari's request no trilogy of games which are set in the future, doubt). It still is the personal computer where the rise and fall of an intergalactic game that comes closest to looking like the civilization is played out. WORLD BUILDERS, popular coin-op game. As with the older the first game in the trilogy, covers the down version you can play by keyboard. In the VORTEX: An arcade game in which the of the EMPIRE, during the period of new version you can use an Atari joystick if enemy ships are caught in a gravity well colonization. The player takes on the role of you use a H.A.L. Lab "Gismo" which retails and spiral down towards you. You defend either a miner, missionary, or homesteader. for $15.00 ($10.00 when you use the $5.00 from your base at the center of the gravity Play involves traveling around the galaxy discount coupon included in STM2); well (i.e., the Vortex). Not as good as the plying your given trade to survive and compatible software is required to use this other DataMost games listed here. prosper. hardware arrangement. Apple II. Hayden Software WORDTRIX: A word game for the IBM PC 600 Suffolk St. which is similar to the popular game Lowell, MA 01835 BOGGLE. You find words in a 4-by-4 grid, while competing against the computer. BULLDOG PINBALL: A pinball arcade game IBM PC 64K. for the Atari 400/800, This cassette game has a tilt feature and variable speed Morningstar control. $29.95. 39 Florence St. San Francisco, CA 94133 Insoft, Inc. (415) 441-2535 10175 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Suite 202B Portland, OR 97219 ICE DEMONS: An arcade game that is (503) 244-4181 much better than the packaging the game comes in. The game deserves a better GRAPPLE: One of a series of games written in presentation. ID can be played solo or in GraForth (an Apple graphics language). competition or even in team play with a An arcade game in which your android second player. The object of the game is to guard must stop a jailbreak by numerous shoot (with arrows) the ice demons as they alien types. In early rounds hitting the alien come out of the ground. Apple II. GOLF CHALLENGE: A golf game for one to anywhere will be effective. In later rounds four golfers/gamers. A joystick is required for you must go for a head shot. each player. You use the joystick to walk your player up to your ball. Joystick is also used to hit the ball. Lining up square to the ball and learning the length of backswing to use are the important skills to develop. Atari 400/800 16K Tape.

LUNAR LEEPER: An arcade game in which you attempt to rescue men from the Lunar Leepers. In the first stage you fly overland picking up men while avoiding the leepers. If you're not careful the leepers will jump up, grab and eat your ship as you fly overhead. In the second stage you negotiate your way underground and try to destroy a giant eyeball (the leader of the leepers?). Your ship has no brake thus you must allow for Omega Microware, Inc. inertia. Apple II. 222 S. Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 SPIDER RAID: Another GraForth game. You (312) 648-4844 are a spider trying to eat flies while avoiding poisonous beetles (actually insect spray NIGHT FALLS: A Space Invaders type game cans). but with numerous additions that allow a more detailed strategy. Contains a 22 page rule book that explains the various aspects of the game, gives strategy tips, and provides programming information. The program is not copy protected and an uncompiled version of the game is available for modification (the booting copy is a compiled Applesoft program). Apple II.

PEST PATROL: A well done Space Invader type game. There are 39 levels of play. Each level is made up of a different attack ZARGS: GraForth game which has pattern. There is a practice option available similarities with FROGGER, You take your which allows you to practice any of the first ship into space avoiding various other flying 29 levels, The last 10 levels can only be objects, dock ith the Zarg base and from reached in the play mode. Apple II. there destroy alien ships,

Sierra On-Line 36575 Mudge Rance Rd. Coarsegold, CA 93614

JAWBREAKER: This is the "All New Version" of an old favorite. In this version the "monsters" ( i.e. happy faces) roll along horizontal corridors as you (the dentures) try to eat energizers and then eat the happy faces. If you are caught by a happy face and are not energized you will lose your teeth (just think — the same machine that plays this game can also run detailed tax programs). Apple II. , Sirius Software tries to steal your compass and mapmaking 10364 Rockingham Dr. tools). Choose from any of 26 mazes. Well Sacramento, CA 95827 done.

BANDITS: An Atari 400/800 Space Invaders type game. Good graphics. Your job is to guard supplies at a lunar supply base. Alien bandits use a variety of methods to steal the supplies. Some aliens have heat seeking bullets, others have napalm bombs, etc.. There are 28 levels of play.

Software By H P.O. Box 6592 REPTON: A Defender type game in which Rochester, MN 55901 you defend Repton from invaders. A variety (800) 328-9002 of alien types keeps this game interesting. Available on the Atari 400/800 and Apple II. PILLBOX: Similar to the coin-op game BATTLEZONE. However PB has no intervening terrain (just the hills in the background). Play involves finding the radar blip of an enemy tank, turning your 360 degree turret to the location, sighting the tank, and THE BLADE OF BLACKPOOLE: A hi-res shooting it. All this must be done before he adventure game that can handle short fires at you. Your location is stationary. If sentences ( as opposed to two word possible, look at it before you buy. Apple II. commands). The object of the adventure is to recover a magical sword and return it to the altar from whence it was stolen. Apple II.

Sir-Tech Software, Inc. 6 Main St. Ogdensburg, NY 13669 (315) 393-6633

GALACTIC ATTACK: A real-time space combat game which combines arcade elements with strategic planning. Using keyboard commands you control speed Software Productions, INC. and direction as you seek to recapture the 2357 Southway Dr. planets of the solar system from invaders. P.O. Box 21341 FREE FALL: An arcade game in which you The primary weapons (torpedoes) and the must maneuver your man from the top of Columbus, OH 43221 secondary weapons (phasers) are fired in (614) 486-3563 the screen to the safety holes at the bottom the direction entered at the keyboard. This of the screen. Girders can be held onto and game does a good job of combining MICRO MOTHER GOOSE: An Apple II ascending needles must be avoided. strategic game elements with pleasing product designed for ages 3-9. Program Apple II. graphics. Apple II. includes nine Mother Goose Rhymes (with music and animation) and three games. Programs are designed so that they can be run by the children. The detailed documen- tation is for the parents. Package includes several little extras such as Mother Goose stickers and Computer Do's and Don'ts Poster, If you have young ones check this program out.

Software Familiars 1065 Brighton Dr. WAYOUT: The graphic animation of Wayout Menasha, WI 54952 is without doubt the most amazing we have ever seen. The Atari version (which we RUNE FIGHT!: RF is a computer aid for looked at) has walls that appear solid. The RUNEQUEST (a role-playing game by walls in the Apple version are line drawings Chaosium Inc.). RF performs almost all the (see cover of game for Apple graphics). dice rolling and bookkeeping chores Wayout is a perspective 3-D maze game in related to physical combat in a game of which you try to escape the maze while RUNEQUEST. Runs on Apple II 64K ( $25.00). A avoiding the Cleptangle( a creature which 48K version is supposed to be in the works. Strategic Simulations, Inc. BOLO: A tank warfare game based loosely scored. Documentation goes into details on 465 Fairchild Dr., Suite 108 on the tanks of the same name in several how to interpret the data the computer Mountain View, CA 94043 works by Keith Laumer. Your task is to use gives you. Apple II, (415) 964-1353 your Mark XXV tank to destroy enemy bases BOMB ALLEY: A game based on the which produce robot tanks. Four levels of Mediterranean Campaign in Summer 1942. difficulty can be combined with any of five Written by Gary Grisgby, it uses the same levels of maze density to create any of game system as his very popular GUADAL- 20 different versions of play. Apple II CANAL CAMPAIGN. Apple II.

STAR MAZE CONTEST

Sydney Development Corp. Wadsworth Electronic Publishing Wow! It looks like STAR MAZE is 600-1385 West 8th Ave. Statler Office Building tougher than we thought! In our Vancouver, B.C. 20 Park Plaza last issue we announced a STAR Canada V6H 3V9 Boston, MA 02116 (604) 734-8822 (800) 322-2208 MAZE contest in which you could win up to $100.00 from Sir-tech EVOLUTION: A game that is really a series of software. The first place prize has arcade type games linked together by the THE SURVIVAL KIT FOR APPLE COMPUTER been won by Roe Adams (he's common theme of evolution. Each phase is GAMES (Book): A book that reviews Apple a different arcade sequence in which you computer games. Twenty-four Apple going to donate the games to seek to climb the ladder of evolution. You games are treated (14 of the games can Thatcher Montessori School near begin as a single celled amoeba, then work also be run on the Atari, 4 on a TRS-80, and 4 his home in Hyde Park, Mass- your way successively up through tadpole, on an IBM-PC). The games are grouped into achusetts). However the second rodent, beaver, gorilla, and human. Apple four categories; Adventure, Arcade-Type, Fantasy, Strategy. $9.95. place prize of $75.00 in Sir-tech products and the third prize Rantom Microcomputer Software ($50.00) have yet to be claimed. P.O. Box 5480 If you still want to take a shot at Avon, CO 81620 (303) 949-6646 it, here again are the rules:

THRAX LAIR: An Atari arcade game in which CONTEST RULES you control a Pterodactyl type creature on a raid into an underground "Thrax Lair" 1. Each contestant will submit ( insect like creatures) The game, which has a map of the 16th level of Sir- nice scrolling and sound effects, runs in 16K Tech's STAR MAZE game. The but looks better than many Atari arcade map should be of sufficient games that require more RAM. detail so it is clear to the judges that the contestant has indeed gotten to and mapped the 16th level. Synergistic Software 830 N. Riverside Dr., Suite 201 2. Tie-breaker: Some shapes Renton, WA 98055 closely associated with the two (206) 226-3216 authors appear on a certain level or levels. What are the CRISIS MOUNTAIN: An animated adventure/ arcade game. Your task is to defuse bombs shapes and on what level(s) do left by terrorists in mountain caverns. Your they appear? time is limited as the bombs are ticking towards detonation. Nine levels of play. 3. Each entry should include Apple II. your name, address, and phone number. 4. Entries should be postmarked Pickam Software no later than February 23, 1983. 312 South Los Angeles St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 5. All correct entries will receive THE PREDICTOR: A statistical program a one year subscription to CGW. designed to help predict the outcome of To this end, please indicate if sporting events. Versions exist for Pro you are a current subscriber or Basketball and Pro Football. In the not. basketball version you must enter the data for 40 games before predictions can be 6. Second and third place made. You enter teams, points scored, and identify the home team. The Predictor will winners (if there are any) will be tell you what the point spread should be for announced in the March-April any match-up as well as the total points 1983 issue of CGW. TEST PILOT John Vornholt

I fingered the laser blaster. Something about it felt end up in worse trouble than I'd left. At that moment, a unreal. But there was nothing unreal about the two tentacle whipped out from one of the openings and Garanian warriors who had rounded the slanting pile of slammed me across the face. I went down — hard. The rubble in front of me. Had that building once been a damn thing was curling around my neck before I tram station or a detention hall? I couldn't remember. regained my senses. As I ripped at it with my gloved fingers, I thought, great, out of the frying pan and into the My attention returned to the two Garanians who were, fire. I knew, looking for me. In the cobalt blue of the Lipidus Somewhere in the recesses of my brain I remembered sky, they stood out like two giant brown tree trunks—all that the denizens of Lipidus disliked light. I fumbled in my and legs. They moved slowly, due more to the heavy holster for my flashlight (the handiest utensil to have on atmosphere of Lipidus than to any fear of me. They were Lipidus), flipped it on, and drew it out with one quick easy targets, but I had to suppress my urge to blast them; motion. The monster squealed at the powerful beam a shot from my laser might catch a gas pocket, resulting and recoiled instantly. I staggered to my feet, leaned in a huge fireball. I had seen that chain-reaction twice against the wall for support, and tried to catch my now and had seen it melt both my companions. I didn't breath. want to see it again. Then it happened. There was a soundless sound, and a How, then, to get rid of these two gorillas? I tried to think huge force suddenly sucked me off my feet. The blast back over everything that I had learned in my two days came a millisecond later, singeing my face and beard. I on Lipidus. The Garanians were strong, much too strong looked back down the alley just in time to see a for hand-to-hand combat. Besides, I was outnumbered. I monstrous fireball completely engulf the two frenzied couldn't shoot them, for fear of a fireball. Then it struck Garanians, turning them into limpid pools. I got to my me! What good was this damn laser blaster anyway? Not feet, thinking that was a more dignified position from any good that I could fathom. I turned the weapon over which to meet my maker. I paused in reflection for a in my hand, looking desperately for an over-load switch, I moment, watching the fireball rush towards me like a knew it had to have one—every blaster that I had ever glowing freight train. not a bad game — not bad at all. seen had had one. Finally, I found a pin on the bottom of the pistol grip. I yanked it out and the damn thing began I, of course, died without any pain and found myself to hum and vibrate. back in the chamber. I pushed open the door, and Peterson warmly grabbed my hand. All right, I thought, let's hope it has at least a sixty second delay. I set the blaster gingerly on the sidewalk "Great game, Mitchell!" he shouted. "Great game!" (yes, Lipidus has sidewalks), and back slowly away while "Thanks," I mumbled. I was counting to myself. At fifteen, I decided to let the tired. Garanians see me. I quickly darted out into the street "Forty-nine hours!" Peterson screamed. "Forty-nine and pretended to look startled when I saw them. One of hours!" the Garanians lifted his weapon to fire at me, but the I was beginning to wish he'd shut up, or at least lower other knocked his hand away and growled. I ducked his voice. "I've got to sit down," I said, "and get a drink of back into the alley and they gave chase on foot. water." I ran like hell, and it wasn't pretence. Being lighter than "Real water?" Peterson smiled. the tree-trunk Garanians, I wasn't afraid that they would catch me. But I did know something horrendous was "Please." about to happen when the laser reached melt-down. I Peterson fetched me a tall cool glass of H20. No matter hoped that I would be far enough away for it not to happen to me. how much they improved the opticals, I mused to myself, they never got anywhere with the savories. Game food The sides of the narrow creepy alley shined black, like and drink was at best, lousy and to be avoided at all cost. the skin of a seal. Oblong openings about three feet I usually didn't bother with it anymore, since training across lined the slippery walls. It suddenly dawned on me myself to go up to seventy-two hours without food or that I didn't know where I was going and, that I might drink. I still got thirsty sometimes, but never hungry; no

food was preferable to that pasty protein stuff disguised "Get back into the hologram chamber," he in the mind as real grub. My body wasn't that easily commanded. fooled. Besides, eating and drinking slowed down the play of the game. "What'?" He waved the Ngun pointing it toward the chamber. Peterson watched me eagerly, "So what did you think?" "Get back in. You're going to try it again." I tried to summon some authority to my voice. "You "You'll get a full report," I answered between gulps. can't do this, Peterson. Besides, playing the game again "Aw, can't you talk about it a little bit'?" he prodded. won't make me change my mind. It's not a bad game, and I was never going to give it a bad report." I set the glass down and wiped my lips. I knew it was not a truly great game, because I didn't feel emotionally or But the crazed software engineer wasn't listening. physically spent, as I did with the truly great ones. That "Back into the chamber," he hissed. would be in the full written report. On the other hand, As Peterson's gun hand was shaking rather badly, I there were some nice things I could say about "Lipidus." decided not to test him. Re-entering the holo-chamber, I "Great opticals," I said. This was no great surprise, as already had my strategy worked out. Peterson couldn't Peterson's company was noted for its visual effects. "The stay awake as long as I could — nobody could — and I planet and inhabitants were very realistic. And the would simply manage to get myself killed every now and sensory effects were quite good too. When that damn then on the chance of finding him napping or out of the tentacle, hit me across the face, I thought it had broken testing room. The worst he could do to me while I was in my nose. I'll never figure out how you do that with just the chamber was to restart the game. changes in air pressure," I watched him fumbling with a cartridge in the game "The negatives," Peterson said, very seriously. "We slot, then the door closed. know what's right with it. What's wrong with it'?" The first few seconds in a holo-chamber were always "To begin with," I asked, "what's the deal with the laser strange. The walls, ceiling, and floor were a combination blaster'?" screen projector made up of millions of tiny glistening refractor chips — it was like the walls were covered with "The laser blaster'?" sequins. Then, colors began to emerge, blending and "Yeah," I replied. "What good is it to have a laser folding in with one another like an old-fashioned blaster when you can't use the damn thing?" kaleidoscope. The walls melted away. the colors becoming definite hues, and shapes to take distinct "All games have laser blasters," Peterson said sheepishly. form. I expected a laser blaster to appear in my hand, as my spaceship hurtled out of control toward the planet I nodded. "That's just the point. You put it in because all Lipidus. Instead, I found myself in.. . the others have it, even though it not only serves no useful purpose, but is downright dangerous to use. It works A cocktail party! against other features of the game. If anyone was really Yes, indeed. Some very hip synthesized music was going to Lipidus, knowing about the gases there, they blaring from the floor, and twenty or thirty cool people would never take an incendiary weapon. A crossbow were milling around with drinks in their hands. I looked would be better." down at my own hand and saw some tall orangish Peterson looked stunned. "A crossbow. . .in a space concoction, with a little pink umbrella sticking out the game?" top of it. I also seemed to be dressed better than usual, in a blazer of some purplish color. While still taking in the "Then invent a new weapon," I said."I'm only a test pilot. surroundings, a beautiful — almost impossibly beautiful My job is to play 'em and spot the flaws — I don't design — blond strode up to me and stopped two inches from them. But that laser blaster never felt right to me. I think my chest. At least her most forward aspects stopped whoever designed it, knew it belonged in another game; there — the rest of her stopped some distance back. not this one." "Hello," she said. Peterson was thin-lipped, "I designed it myself." "Well," I muttered, "I had fun blowing it up." I stood and stretched, ready to call it a day — or should I say — two days. "You didn't like the game at all, did you?" Peterson asked gravely. "You'll get my full report," I yawned Peterson's eyes narrowed behind his horn-rimmed glasses. "I'm ruined with the company if that game doesn't pass," he said. I yawned again, mumbling, "That's not my decision." "It can be, depending on what kind of report you turn in." I was getting irritated now and turned toward the engineer with a weary frown. "Look, Peterson, if you. . ." It was then I noticed the needle gun in his hand. All right, I said to myself, I'm in some kind of erotic She pointed toward a large man with a completely adventure. I didn't know how Peterson had gotten the bald head. "That's Hubert. This is his place and his party. cartridges switched, or even if he was aware of it, but I He knows everything." knew my plan was out the window. It's very difficult to get yourself killed in an erotic adventure. Practically I strode over to Hubert. "Hello, Hubert," I said. anything else, though, was possible. "Hello, Mitchell," he replied. "Glad to see you could "You're shy," smiled the beautiful blond. Of course, she make it." had been programmed to say that to anyone who didn't At first, I was stunned that he knew my name, then I talk very much. realized that I had told it to the blond. By now, everybody in the place knew my name. I ignored her and just kept on thinking. My experience in these kinds of games was limited; I usually found "How do you exit the game?" I asked myself avoiding monsters and peculiar aliens. I didn't know who tested erotic adventures, but it certainly "Don't you like it here?" Hubert asked smugly. wasn't me. I suspected it was the president of the "Everybody finds my parties so. . .interesting." company. "Interesting is not what I'm looking for right now," I I studied the girl. She must have been given a fairly answered. "I'm tired, and I want to go home." complex artificial intelligence, I decided, in order to hold "Go home then. You live just down the street." a conversation with a complete stranger. Maybe if I asked the right questions, she could help me get out of "Home, Hubert. My real home. How do I exit the game?" this jam. Somebody passed Hubert a joint, and he took a long "What's your name?" she cooed. drag. "you automatically have that option after an "Mitchell," I said. "What's yours?" encounter." "Alice." "I want to go now," I repeated, emphasizing the "now." Funny, she didn't look like an Alice. More like an Inga. "Out of the question," Hubert replied with a toss of his "How do I exit this game?" I asked her. head. He gave me a very fruity grin. "Exit?" she smiled. "But you only just got here." She batted her eyelashes and gently touched my chest. I hadn't been playing action-adventure games as a "But it's important I leave now," I answered. "I have a living for six years for nothing. I merely picked up a bar phone call to make, then I'll come right back." stool and smashed it across Hubert's idiotic face. "It can wait, I'm sure," purred Alice. She suddenly grabbed my free hand and began swaying to the music. "Let's dance!" "No!" I shouted. I grabbed the vacuous blond and shook her violently. "I want to get out of here, understand?" A look of understanding did come into Alice's eyes. "Maybe you'd like to meet my roommate, Marsha. Or my other roommate, Trisha. She's a airline stewardess." I swore under my breath. "If that doesn't suit you," Alice continued, "there's my hairdresser friend, Felipe." "Excuse me," I said, walking away. I got about eight steps before a sultry brunette grabbed my arm. "Got a light?" she asked, waving what looked like a hand rolled cigarette marijuana joint in my face. I started to say no, then I realized that my purple jacket probably came equipped with a few choice utensils. I reached in and drew out several objects: one was a set of keys to God-only-knows-what, another was a small vial of white powder and a third was a gold-plated lighter. I lit her funny cigarette. "You don't like it here, do you?" she asked. I declined her offer of the pot. "No. I'm looking for a way to get out." "My apartment is only a few blocks from here. My car is right out front." So is mine probably, I thought to myself. "Who knows how to exit from the game?" I asked. Hubert lay on the floor in a pool of real-looking blood. It "Lipidus," I smiled. "Don't you recognize it? This is a suddenly dawned on me that a little sado-masochism great game you invented, Peterson, I especially like hors might be written into this game, and I wasn't wrong. Two d'oeuvres." musclemen-types quickly came at me. One I dispatched with a whiskey bottle, but the other one A tall willowy redhead began to hover near us, as if landed a left hook to the side of my face. My ears deciding how to approach these two weirdos, one of buzzing, I rammed him in the gut with my head, then whom was cringing on the floor. dropped him with a knee well below the belt. Gee, this "Hi, Sweetheart!" I piped up. "I want you to meet a game was sort of fun. friend of mine. His name is Peterson, and he's a load of laughs." There were no other takers. In fact, everyone froze as a "Hi, Peterson," she cooed. "I'm Trisha." voice came from the stereo, saying, "If you wish to continue the game, please be seated. If not, please "I think I know your roommate," I said. "Blond girl, remain where you presently are." right'?" I remained standing. Apparently, beating somebody "Alice," beamed Trisha. "Shall I get her for you?" to a pulp, in this game, was the same as an erotic "No, you take care of my friend here. I'll go find Alice." encounter. As I moved off, I could hear Peterson whimpering in the Within a few seconds, the walls around me began to background. dissolve, and the curvacious blonds and brunettes I pretty much ignored him after that. I made a bee-line became, once more, mere refracted light beams. toward the luscious Alice, dragged her straight away Gingerly, I pushed open the door of the chamber and and found a much easier way to exit the game than I'd stepped out. had the last time through. Peterson's back was toward me, and he was immersed Two security guards were waiting outside the in watching figures dance across a computer video hologram chamber with me when Peterson finally screen. Apparently, in his madness, he thought I really exited. He was quiet, almost docile, and I remembered would play his silly game all over again. And just as him saying, as they led him away: "I guess that you certainly, he must not have known about the switch of really don't have to have a laser pistol." cartridges. I yawned and grabbed my old windbreaker from the The gun lay beside him, on top of an oscilloscope. coat rack. Any more days like this, I thought to myself, In two bounds, I was across the room and had the and I might have to look for another line of work. pipsqueak programmer by the throat. He scrambled for the gun, but I was able to drag him out of his chair and half-way across the floor. It was then that Peterson surprised me with a swift bony elbow to my ribs. I doubled over and just managed to catch him by the scuff of the neck, as he hurried back toward the gun. They say that mad men have the strength of ten, and I was beginning to believe it. Peterson and I thrashed about on the floor for awhile until I realized that he was more than I could handle. While still able I maneuvered him to the door of the hologram chamber, kicked it open, and hurled both of us inside. I pinned him to the floor as the door slowly shut. Closing the door activated the game, and the door would remain shut and locked until the game was over. This wasn't for the player's sake, but to avoid damaging the circuits. Peterson jumped to his feet and threw himself against the door, howling like one of his Garanians. "Calm down," I said. "You know you can't get the door opened. Sit back and enjoy the game." "We'll be out of here in a second," Peterson snarled, "Lipidus is a single-player game, and it won't activate with two people." Just then, the walls began to melt away into a lovely magenta haze. Something had told me that Hubert's Party was a multi-player "game". "What were you saying?" I asked. Peterson shrank to the floor, watching with utter horror as the chamber was transformed into Hubert's chic livingroom. The guests strolled past us, tinkling the ice in their cocktail glasses. "Where are we?" Peterson gasped. !

THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF SERPENTINE By Michael Cranford

BASIC INFORMATION search of eggs, are also good for an 1. On the first level try to chew extra length. But beware. . .enemy NAME: Serpentine down all the serpents a bit, serpents can grow a segment by TYPE: Arcade then aim for frogs to gain eating frogs or your eggs too, though SYSTEM: Apple II or Apple II+ (48K) length. . Eating green snakes no serpent can grow longer than FORMAT: Diskette (DOS 3.2 or 3.3) from the front are worth a seven lengths. Neither can it be less # PLAYERS: 1 goodly number of points. than two (head and tail), otherwise AUTHOR: David Snider it will die. 2. Don't drop your egg on a path PRICE: $29.95 in the maze that is on the edge, PUBLISHER: Broderbund Software otherwise a frog may enter the 1938 Fourth St. maze and eat it before you San Rafael. CA 94901 All serpents lay eggs. Upon doing so, they lose a segment of length. can recover. Your foes eggs are speckled, and will 3. Don't kill the last enemy eventually hatch into new serpents serpent before you've hatched (though there will never be more a new egg. than three on the screen at once). The newly-hatched snakes are only 4. When starting a new level Broderbund has earned a level of two segments in length. with an old serpent, you tend distinction for the quality of its past to move slower than if you die software, a recent example being and start again with a brand CHOPLIFTER, which has done whirl- The game tends to be based on new serpent. wind sales at the computer stores. foresight and dexterity, rather than But, an even newer game, SERPEN- 5. Strive always to keep your blue the memorizing of patterns which snake a minimum of three TINE, is an arcade game of exception- can be used with so many conven- al appearance who's maze-routine segments in length. tional maze games. The serpents graphics are much better than most grow deadlier as one ascends the 6. Cutting into an enemy snake games on the market. various levels, in that they move just after his head has passed faster and faster and become more will cut him off at that point. At the start of the game, you accurate in tracking your blue A good score would certainly be command three tame blue serpents. snake. There are a total of twenty anything over 100,000 points, but in Your objective is to rid the maze of separate levels (all of which are SERPENTINE it is possible to sit on one the enemy serpents while laying stored initially in memory. . .there is level fora long time and accumulate eggs in hope that, when you no disk-drive action during the an impressive score with little vanquish your 1st foe, you will get a game). After reaching the twentieth accomplishment. Measure yourself new serpent. Each level (maze) level it returns to the first maze.. instead against the highest level you starts off with three orange serpents, though the game certainly does not can achieve. I've made it to 31.. who strive to eat you while laying return to level one difficulty! After one young of their own. The gist of the masters the upper levels (17 and on), The author, David Snider, is more game is that big serpents eat little the game does not get noticeably notably responsible for his pinball serpents. You start off with three harder, but it's so easy to make an game, DAVID'S MIDNIGHT MAGIC. I body-segments, and your foes with error that I believe SERPENTINE Is not a spoke with him and learned that he six or seven, so you must chase them game that one can sit at all day was working on converting MAGIC to from behind and swallow them up without a loss, no matter how great the Atari, and then would start on until they're smaller than you, at his gaming expertise. SERPENTINE. After commending him which time they change color to on the originality of SERPENTINE, he green. You may then eat them from told me, "I was trying to capture the the front, which will make you one best parts of Pac-Man and Centi- body-segment longer. Eating enemy pede in an entirely new way." In my eggs will also gain you a segment. To pave the way for future garners, opinion, SERPENTINE Is far better than Eating frogs, which hop around in I offer some insights and strategies: the sum of its inspirations. q

COSMIC BALANCE: Review and Analysis

before your very eyes, but the Other scenarios presented are execution phase does give an Planetary Raid, Commerce Raider, excellent simultaneous movement Invasion, Dogfight, and Ambush. The display with a blow by blow and first three are samples of many verbal graphic attack damage typical combat actions that will arise readout. This, combined with an in an upcoming strategic space extremely flexible shipyard (build to conquest game which will use the your own design) section and just CB system to resolve battles. You can about the most detailed status destroy a planet, raid a convoy, or display that a Starfleet Commander invade and conquer a planet, could ask for, makes this one space depending on what else you have battle game that should keep you going on any particular evening. The playing for quite a while. first two have a time limit of ten turns, which should make you hustle! Six different technology levels are BASIC INFORMATION reflected in this game design, Dogfight is the obvious con- allowing you to vary the impact of frontation between from one to four NAME: Cosmic Balance electronic warfare on the battle, or opposing starships. You can test your TYPE: Tactical Space Combat to create mismatches between designs against each other with this SYSTEM: Apple II and Atari 400/800 "sophisticated" and "primitive" kill or die scenario. The cleanest of FORMAT: Disk starfleets. A Tech Level six dread- the options, this one should be # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 nought can, with your proper chosen for practice. AUTHOR: Paul Murray command, defeat two or even three The last choice is Ambush, which PRICE: $39.95 enemy ships of equal size, but lower again pits from one to four ships PUBLISHER: Strategic Simulations technology. against from one to four opponents. Four levels of solitaire play are The difference between this and INTRODUCTION presented, and I'd suggest that you Dogfight is that here you select the When I bought my Apple two years start at the easiest, level four. You'll first team, and the computer ago, the very first game I bought for it then have a choice of six different randomly selects the second team was Paul Murray's WARP FACTOR. I scenarios; five of which can be given from ten pre-constructed dread- took an Alliance starship named an infinite variety of participants. noughts on the same disc. Some of Enterprise against a Klargon them are very tough, so be careful! opponent, and was quickly blown THE SCENARIOS away!! "No fair," claimed I, "that Scenario One, the Deepspace THE SHIPYARDS Klargon had me outgunned!" Well, Encounter, is the only scenario with Designing a ship is an uncom- Commander, now you have no more both sides fixed. The Enterprise, plicated process, so don't let the excuses. The long awaited "sequel" presumably on her five year mission thought scare you. After all, you to Warp Factor, Cosmic Balance to explore strange new worlds and don't really have to fly it into combat. (CB), is out. boldly go where no man has gone First you have to select the tech level Actually, CB goes far beyond before, finds that someone, or and size of your ship, and are then being a mere sequel to Warp Factor somethings, has indeed come presented with a Design Display. The (WF). One of my biggest disap- before, The Reliant (a loose trans- Design Display gives you the total pointments with WF was the lack of lation of the unpronounceable true amount of space in your ship, and animated graphics. I wanted to see name), crewed by the alien Brother- you can select from among a wide my ships fire their phasers, torps, and hood and sworn to destroy all variety of weapons and auxiliary disrupters, and to see the enemy humanoid life, attacks and fights to equipment to fill that space. The explode. Well, they still won't explode the death. game rules do tell you how much space each of the many options will weapons individually or in group, make them very strong, but also use, but it's probably easier to just can charge individually any one of immobile on a scale of light years. play with the display until it looks the your eight screens, and vary course Another point is that a ship with a way you want it, and then hope that and or speed on any of the 16 speed over 50 is virtually unhittable you can win with it. timepoints that compose the turn. by known weapons systems. Accord- (As in Warp Factor, the order to fire Perhaps the simplest weapon to ingly, the Risellian Pact of 2438 can be given on a specific time use, and the most tempting to outlawed all starships with a speed point, at a specific range, or at the include lots of, is the fighter of faster than Mk 30. So, unless you last instant, which basically calls for squadron. It flies 32 mk per turn wish to be a war criminal, keep your the computer to take its best shot.) towards its target, attacks every turn speeds in line. from then until destroyed, and will Another change from WF, is that Some far-fluns starship designers, score a lot of hit points on the enemy. CB allows you to enter your course, specifically from the northwestern Unfortunately, it is also extremely and then go back to the map and sector of our galaxy, have reported costly in terms of space so that a advance it one time point at a time, the creation of "monster ships" of far dreadnought, with four fighter if you desire, to see the ship's greater than dreadnought size, but squadrons, may have room for very projected position throughout the this writer will leave you on your own little else. turn. This is an excellent way to allow in that regard. you to calculate your ship's position Other optional equipment in- to set as close as possible to the cludes both heavy and light seekers TACTICS enemy before firing, and to avoid (drones), tractor beams, heavy Get your speed up, concentrate inadvertent fire in mid-turn caused armor platings, marines and trans- your fire, and use occasional evasive by his evasive tactics. porters (rather important if you're action to set those Last Minute shots playing the Invasion scenario), Shields, too, are more realistic in of your enemies to go off prematurely. defensive belt satellites, and, of CB than they were in WF. All true Don't be afraid to mix up your fleets. course, a wide variety of weapons. outer space battle fans can envision Try a dreadnought "aircraft carrier" with four or five fighter squads, with a Ships have room for up to 12 a strained voice in a deep Scottish weapons, and each can select from brogue complaining, "Captain, the cruiser and destroyer escort, or a shields are buckling, one more blast plasma torp armed speedster to eight different covered arcs of fire. If like that and they'll blow!!" Well, now play a hit and run game. you want a weapon to fire in all eight the shield will buckle, and you'll directions, fine, but it takes up space. Test yourself, against your friends/ suffer damage (perhaps), but you'll There are light, heavy, and siege enemies, and against your computer. still be able to reinforce them, and phasers, disrupters, photon tor- And Remember, for every great ship, even drain other shields for power, pedoes, and plasma torpedoes. Your there is a countership that will be until all your shield batteries are only limitation is a maximum number able to successfully smash it. Or, at destroyed. of weapons which may fire out of least, so goes the prevailing thought each covered arc, and this varies After you have given all your ships at the Alliance War College. with the size of your ship. all of their orders, you enter the For every two designers, there are execution phase, so-called because at least two, and more likely five or if you have designed your ship The last thing you will normally six, different viable designs. One poorly, the enemy will execute you. deal with in the Shipyard section is friend of mine likes phasers that fire This is where I was really stunned by your shields. These should be as from arcs 1, 3, 6, and 8, and photon the speed of this program. I entered strong as you can possibly make torps to cover his stern. Design your my last command, pressed return, them. best four ship fleet and let CGW or SSI and started to go get another beer. know about it. Perhaps a tournament When you get everything so you There wasn't time. Total lag time could be forthcoming. Stand up, are satisfied, save the ship, and go between the completion of my Commander, and be recognized! on to the next. Don't plan to orders and the beginning of action combine ships with the same first has to be measured in tenths of a CONCLUSIONS letter on the same team (you can't) second. Coming after two years of at but otherwise, just about anything least five minutes per turn wait for Although billed as an update of goes. Play with this section and the Warp Factor, this speed is quite Warp Factor during its development, Dogfight scenario, and the only limit impressive. It's also dangerous. The CB is, in truth, a completely new is your imagination. tendency is to try to play just as game with its own flavor and style. THE COSMIC BATTLE rapidly as the computer does but, if The speed of the game may you do, you'll lose, and lose quickly. encourage some 'arcaders' to get After selecting your scenario, and into strategic gaming, but if you're if necessary, your ships, you will move looking for a true arcade game, to the orders phase. The status better look elsewhere. display can be viewed for any of your SUGGESTIONS ships, and the map size varied to CB is a tactical simulation, one In designing your ships, be sure to which plays very smoothly and, as include all combatants on the same give them a range factor of at least screen. noted earlier, almost too quickly. The one. This will enable you to use those shipyard. options and the number of Perhaps the most dramatic im- prototypes in the strategic game to scenarios available will keep this one provement in the game itself is the come, and will also keep them out and in use for a long time. In the fantastic increase in speed. In most somewhat in line with the last meantime I look forward to the cases, the mere touch of a key will surprise ships in the Ambush scenario. strategic galactic conquest game give instantaneous results, You can The first ships that I designed had no with CB as its combat resolution charge and fire each of your range factors at all, which does interface. q

S.E.U.I.S.: Strategy and Arcade Combined Dick Richards

ing arcade-type game that this heavy) are shown by three different writer has seen. You and your symbols on the star map. The opponent, human or computer, squadrons, however, can be of battle for control of the Ozgortian differing composition (more on this sector of the galaxy in the 24th later) so you usually won't know century. Some may remember from exactly how tough the "bandits" history books that ancient conflict really are. between the kingdoms of Northwold and the Far Reaches in the An- Light fleets are composed of only dromeda Galaxy, as chronicled in fighters, medium fleets of fighters THE SHATTERED ALLIANCE (SSI 1981). and cruisers, and heavy fleets of SEUIS puts you in command of a 24th cruisers only. As one might expect, century fleet battling to either the light fleets are the fastest, while destroy your opponent's fleet or heavy fleets move rather slowly. . .but capture all of his production centers are very powerful. before he/she/it can do the same to There are three different levels of BASIC INFORMATION you. fighters (destroyers, escorts, and light NAME: S.E.U.I.S The Strategic game is played on a fighters) and three levels of cruisers TYPE: Strategy/Arcade star map with each player moving (light or heavy cruisers and battle- SYSTEM: Apple II 48K squadrons before the countdown ships) and with the create-your-own FORMAT: Disk clock runs out, and when opposing game options you can vary the # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 squadrons meet in the same "hex", composition of your squadrons to AUTHOR: John Lyon the scene changes to allow you to suit yourself. For example, the PRICE: $39.95 battle it out with the enemy in high- standard light squadron #3 has three PUBLISHER: Strategic Simulations speed arcade-type combat. fighters, two class d's and one class e. 465 Fairchild Dr., But if you want five class d's, you can have them. Suite 108 THE FLEETS Mountain View, CA 94043 Each player's fleet is composed of Each ship within a squadron has a a varying number of squadrons given amount of total energy S.E.U.I.S. (Shoot 'Em Up In Space) is which are individually depicted on available, and a specified midships the first viable combination of a real the star map. The three types of value. Energy is allocated between strategic game and truly challeng- squadrons (light, medium and weapons, shields, and rate-of-fire at the start of each combat phase, and productive are the Bright Stars, then fight at once. This is quite chaotic, as can be different each time the ship Major Stars, Minor Stars, Small Stars, the computer controls all of the joins battle. When your midships and Single Stars. All except single enemy's ships and all of your ships value reaches zero, the ship explodes! stars require a reduction in speed by except one. You change which of your ships you control through the I could go on for the next ten squadrons which pass through them, and the first three all add production keyboard — and GOOD LUCK! There pages talking about the capacity to is also a 200 production point change parameters and create new points to your resources at varying time interval. penalty (-100 to you, +100 to the game situations, but fortunately for enemy) for violating the rules of you, I won't. Suffice it to say that you Six different star maps are pre- civilized warfare if you elect the can do almost anything you want, sented for your fighting pleasure, battle royal, including changing total energy three of which are used in the During individual combat the bar available, midships, production existing scenarios and three ad- graphs to the right of the screen point, frequency of production, ditional ones for use in building your reflect the remaining midships composition of the squadrons, size of own games. At the start of the game, values of the combatants, while the fleet, timing of reinforcements, stars and systems controlled by the during the battle royal the graphs and, of course, the star map on left side (purple ships) are indicated reflect total midships of all ships in which the battle will occur. in blue, while those controlled by the the battle. right side (green ships) are orange. Another nice feature is that four OPTIONS AT START different levels of solitaire complex- As you conquer enemy stars, or they ability are presented; from beginner conquer yours, the colors change to As in virtually all of SSI's games, you reflect their new loyalties. to ace. My first game Scenario Two, can play either side against the The Great Battle, was, of course, at computer; against a human op- beginner level. My strategy was PRODUCTION POINTS ponent; or even watch the machine play against itself. You can also, superb, and I easily maneuvered As mentioned above. Bright, one of my medium squadrons into a change the countdown clock to Major, and Minor stars all act as speed up the computer, or give vicious attack on a (supposedly) resource centers; adding production defenseless enemy light squadron yourself or an inexperienced op- points (PP'S) to your total. As the total ponent more time to think. Another and got slaughtered. In fact, my first PP's available reach a level which few games usually resulted in feature, which my wife will love, is the would allow you to build additional optional turn the sound off, so the throwing down the paddles in squadrons, these are produced and disgust, snapping off the computer, exciting sound effects don't keep placed on the map (somewhat everyone in the house awake until and deciding that "this dumb game randomly) at one of your resource is impossible!" three A.M. while you defend the stars. As the weaker squadrons cost galaxy. less to produce, you will usually end Well, it isn't impossible, just Finally, since the combat section is challenging. So, you might try up with more light squadrons than anything else. But have patience, indeed challenging, there is an cheating. The change parameters option to allow you to practice options make this quite possible. I medium and heavy squadrons are produced from time to time. combat before beginning a real simply changed the parameters of game. one fleet to make it 20% to 30% COMBAT stronger than my proposed oppon- CONCLUSIONS ent. Beef up the midships and total When you and your opponent The biggest fault I've found with energy available for this 'super' fleet, both have ships in the same "hex", combination arcade-strategy games and even the production points of combat will occur. First, you will have is that they are usually primarily one the resource centers, and then go to allocate your total energy to or the other. You will either find that back and smash the (now Puny) weapons, shields, and rate-of-fire (I'd the strategy game is too simple or enemy. suggest the maximum to weapons, conversely, the arcade game is too then to shields, and whatever's left slow. SEUIS seems to avoid this After a while you'll notice that over to rate-of-fire. At this point you dichotomy. The strategy game you're winning every battle. So then choose a champion to fight your could easily stand alone with a go back to a balanced battle, and opponent's champion, And from combat resolution system similar to when you start winning at that level, there on, you battle on the arcade SHATTERED ALLIANCE, while the then give the computer the super screen with your beam weapon (I arcade type combat is easily as team. When the time comes that call it a laser) and automatic guided challenging — probably more so — you are again winning, move up to missiles. The missiles are computer then many of the space battle intermediate level and take the controlled for both sides and cause games with which we are all familiar. super team again. This should help the bulk of the damage in the battle. The combination is highly payable, you avoid the rather unpleasant But, the crucial and normally and the overall feel of the game is experience of losing every battle. deciding factor is your laser. Once quite positive. With the wide oppor- When you get to a point that you are fired, it needs to recharge before you tunity to change parameters and beating the computer at the ace can fire again, and I'd suggest you create your own games, this game level while using the inferior team, hold your fire for the really good will maintain its attraction over the write in and let SSI know, because shots. Many times I have fired (and long haul. game designer, John Lyon, says he missed!) only to end up with a great I can think of only one real rarely beats the Ace level in even shot only seconds later which I negative to the game. . .its name. battle! couldn't take because my laser was Whether you call it SEUIS, or Shoot 'Em THE STAR MAP uncharged. Up In Space, it sounds dim. But, if every game I buy plays as well and The strategic map has five types of Another alternative in combat is offers as much flexibility, then I really "terrain." Largest and normally most the battle royal, where all your ships don't care what it's called. ARMOR ASSAULT: Review and Analysis Floyd Mathews

are no air, artillery or infantry units. You must be careful in plotting You can also set mines. There are your orders, because the joystick several kinds of terrain which have control subroutine is very delicate different movement costs, may and there is no command for block lines of fire, or provide some correcting a mistaken entry. defensive cover for your units. My only major criticism of this game is that it is not a very realistic There are two types of fire: direct simulation of modern armor warfare. and opportunity. You can plot only If it purported to be a science fiction one type of fire for each of your units game, I would have no criticism at each turn. Direct fire occurs after all all. If you don't care about realism, units have finished moving. oppor- then this won't bother you. If you do tunity fire occurs during the move- prefer more realism, I have some ment phase. You simply plot an suggestions for designing new opportunity fire line from your unit, scenarios which are more realistic. and it will shoot at any unit which First, the standard tank designs in the crosses or moves along the line. game can take as many as ten hits BASIC INFORMATION to be gradually destroyed. But in real NAME: Armor Assault: Opportunity fire is a realistic way to life an armor-piercing round will TYPE: Wargame simulate simultaneous movement either glance off the target with no damage, or penetrate with results SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 40k and fire in a tactical game, and I FORMAT: Disk hope more game designers will use it too gruesome to describe. Even a hit in the tread area will either # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 in the future. My only complaint ricochet, or cripple the vehicle, AUTHOR: John Weber about opportunity fire in this game is making it a sitting duck. You can PUBLISHER: Epyx that a unit will fire many rounds during the same movement phase if better simu late this " several targets cross or advance first-penetration-equals-kill" aspect by reducing the Armor Assault by Automated along its line of fire and this structural strength of the standard Simulations is a very simple but represents an unrealistically high tanks to about 30. This also makes a enjoyable game for one or two rate of fire. You can partially faster more exciting scenario due to players. It simulates hypothetical eliminate this problem by designing the possibility of sudden death. tactical level armor warfare be- new units with lower structural Second, modern sighting devices tween NATO and Soviet forces in the strength as discussed. can get first round hits at extreme very near future. Although it is not a long range, therefore, most of the field maps portray combat at absurd- very realistic simulation, this is an A typical game lasts about one entertaining game and the program ly short ranges. I suggest that you use hour. Most scenarios have a geo- or modify the urban map, as it is has many interesting features which graphic victory objective which one more realistic for tanks to engage at could be used in other types of player must seize or destroy within a short range in a street-fighting computer wargames. certain number of turns. Victory can action. I also recommend raising the be very much in doubt right up until In addition to the twelve scenarios accuracy of all units to .53, as no one the final turn, and there can be very included in the game, the program could miss at these ranges. Third, exciting finishes. Most tanks have allows you to create maps and only tanks, trucks and jeeps are weaker armor on their sides and rear design tanks for new scenarios. Each provided, while it is unlikely that than in front, so it is feasible to try player uses a joystick to secretly plot these vehicles would be committed flanking maneuvers or set up orders for his units and then the to an assault without infantry ambushes. The situation can change program displays simultaneous support, or without encountering quickly if one player runs low on movement and fire for all units. Each enemy anti-tank gun emplace- player commands up to six vehicles, ammunition, or blunders into a such as tanks, trucks and jeeps. There minefield or ambush. Continued on p. 45

The point, of course, is that results are not achieved until there is suffi- cient motivation. I am writing this column because I feel strongly that games can be an important motiva- NAME: Type Attack tor in education. My intent here is to TYPE: Typing game review educational games for home SYSTEM: Apple II or Apple II + computers; along the way talking FORMAT: Diskette (DOS 3.3) about a number of issues in both the # PLAYERS: 1 instructional and motivational areas. AUTHORS: Jim Hauser and I certainly plan to give you some of Ernie Brock my own opinions, but my major goal PRICE: $39.95 is to give you enough information to PUBLISHER: Sirius Software make intelligent choices when buy- 10364 Rockingham Drive ing games. I am reminded of a cer- Sacramento, CA 95827 tain movie critic whose reviews always give me a good idea of whether or not I'll like the movie — I almost always disagree with him! If I Wow, two typing games for the can do as well for you, I'll be happy. same price, both with lessons graduated from learning individual What do I mean by "educational keys to full words, numbers and the game"? The concept is certainly special characters. Both allow you to fuzzy since every game teaches create your own lessons to practice something, even if it's just eye-hand whatever you want to practice. With learning coordination. The designers intent is so many similarities, most people an important factor but sometimes probably won't want both, so let's hard to judge. When Dan Bunten look at the differences. game designed CARTELS & CUTTHROATS, There are two major differences he was obviously thinking of teach- between these programs. One is the ing business concepts but was he way in which lessons are presented also thinking of teaching math? and the other is the way the screen When the original ADVENTURE was looks. These factors combine to give taking shape was anyone thinking of the games a different feel, and this by Bob Proctor teaching children about problem- will determine which of the two you solving or risk analysis? In short, by will prefer. The first is probably the If we examine the learning process "educational game" I mean ANY most important difference, but let's in very general terms, it breaks down game; I don't want to restrict the start with the graphics, as this will let into two major areas of study. Instruc- scope of this column. I will empha- me explain how the games are tional Theory is the "how we learn" size games which aren't likely to be played. part of it and Motivational Theory is covered elsewhere in CGW, games In MASTERTYPE, you have a "ship" the "why we learn" part of it. Almost which supplement formal education, in the center of the screen. Things to every researcher who ventures and games for younger age groups. type — letters, words, numbers, an opinion agrees that motivation is From time to time, however, I'd like to symbols — appear in each of the the more important factor. We examine the educational value of four corners with a little missile, humans just don't learn very well games which aren't generally con- satellite or fireball near them. These unless we WANT to. sidered educational. I may even look at educational programs that are objects begin to creep toward your An example that illustrates this — not considered games IF there is a ship; when you type a "word" a because we've all known or been point to be made. beam of energy shoots toward the one — is the child who just doesn't corresponding corner, either destroy- seem to read very well in school. ing the object or knocking it back to There's no physical or emotional To begin, here's a look at two the corner. If you destroy it, a new problem, just a lack of motivation. games which improve typing skills. word will appear in that corner. If you There comes a day when this child MASTERTYPE which has been a best- only knock it back, you must type the gets his (or her) hands on a comic seller for a year now and, TYPE same word again until the object is book. ZAP! POW! Bright colors! Inter- ATTACK, a new entry in the field. destroyed. Of course, if you spend esting monsters or whatever —for the too much time on one corner, a first time in his life this kid WANTS to missile from another direction will read, and does. NAME: Mastertype sneak in and blow up. You have TYPE: Typing game shields to protect you from these This is what I call the comic-book SYSTEM: nasties, so the first one will not syndrome. Of course the incentive Apple II, II +, or Atari 800 FORMAT: Diskette damage the ship but it will destroy could come from almost anywhere; # PLAYERS: 1 the shield that protects that quad- it could be a Hardy Boys mystery or AUTHOR: Bruce Zweig rant. If you take another hit from that Robert Louis Stevenson. Nowadays, it direction the game is over. might well be a desire to read the PRICE: $39.95 PUBLISHER: Lightning Software rules for Dungeons and Dragons or Each lesson is 40 "words" (in the P.O. Box 11725 some other game that "everyone is early lessons they are just single Palo Alto, CA 94306 playing." letters) and is broken down into four waves often, to give you a chance to letter that isn't vulnerable, you lose a your progress rewarded by lower and rest. At the end of the game, whether point of energy. If a letter reaches the lower scores. You must remember you win or get blown up, you will see bottom of the screen, you lose 35 that progress is its own reward as well a summary page that gives you a points! In Word Attack, words using as the object of the exercise. In TYPE score, your typing speed in words per the letters of all lessons up to the ATTACK, on the other hand, the minute, the total number of mistakes current one appears at the right highest scores will be obtained by you made and an evaluation. This edge of the screen traveling to the starting with Lesson one and pro- last may tell you you're doing pretty left. You must type them and press gressing through as many lessons as well and need to increase speed. it the space bar. If they make it to the you can. The faster the speed and may simply encourage you to keep left edge, they wrap around to the the fewer the mistakes, the higher trying. It is never discouraging or right to give you another chance but you score. abusive. There is a menu which lets you also lose more energy. Your typing This difference is important. As the you change speed, lesson or turn speed is shown by a thermometer on the sound on or off between desire to get a high score is what the left edge of the screen and your distinguishes these games from a games. Changing lessons requires remaining energy on a similar scale rebooting the program and takes program like TYPING TUTOR, it's best on the right. You can change the to have a high score indicate high over 30 seconds, a long time to speed or the beginning lesson from a wait when you're eager to get on overall proficiency; not just skill with menu between games. one small portion. For this reason — with it. The big difference is that in and because of the excellent MASTERTYPE, when you are done with animation and nice game features TYPE ATTACK uses a format that will a lesson the game is over whereas (like a pause function and sound be very familiar to SPACE INVADERS TYPE ATTACK will automatically load toggle) that are typical of Sirius' fans. Your laser cannons at the the next lesson and continue (unless games — I think TYPE ATTACK is a bottom of the screen blast away at you hit CTRL-R to repeat a lesson). better game. For typing practice, letters and words on the screen. You This means that your score, in the however, especially if you want to don't have to aim, just type; you former, is a score for one lesson only create your own lesson(s) and keep playing until you use up your and can't be compared with the practice them over and over, 100 points of energy. score from a different lesson. In the MASTERTYPE would be better. Each lesson is divided into two latter, your score is a score for the That's all for the first of, hopefully, parts. In Character Attack, you're whole game and can be compared many columns to come. Please feel faced with a phalanx of letters which to any other. The highest scores in free to send in the name of any creep back and forth and down just MASTERTYPE will come from doing games or programs which you feel like the aliens in SPACE INVADERS. Lesson one in Beginner mode. It can are appropriate to review in up- Only the letters at the bottoms of the be discouraging to move up to coming segments of The Learning columns can be shot; if you type a harder and harder lessons and have Game. shapes and put them into arcade how it looks. If you like it, you can game situations. Don't we all have at leave it. If not, fixing it is usually only least one or two suggestions for two or three keystrokes away. improvements on even the most Partial creations may also be polished game products? THE stored on a separate data disk. Each ARCADE MACHINE (TAM) makes data disk can be used to store up to changing a game virtually as easy five different games. And, if you want as changing your mind. Put in a to use the creatures from one game feature or take one out, then in another, each of the separate instantly see the results. If marble or tables maintained by TAM can be canvas were as forgiving, Michel- retrieved separately. Just try doing angelo could have painted the that with oil paints! Sistene Chapel in a week! TAM makes use of the nature of BASIC INFORMATION If you can dream up a Master- Apple graphics; its rather BEZARE piece, you can probably make a NAME: The Arcade Machine (sic) color scheme and byte map- reasonable approximation of it using TYPE: Arcade Game Generator ping to allow the user to easily create TAM. As an example, I created a SYSTEM: Apple II (48K) seven versions of each shape (that's recognizable copy of the arcade FORMAT: Double-sided Disk like having 168 different shapes at game 'Phoenix' in about three # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 your disposal). As a shape moves evenings. Called Another City in AUTHORS: Chris Jochumson and from left to right on the screen, each Arizona, it has all five different Doug Carlston of the seven versions is displayed in scenarios presented on the original. PRICE: $44.95 or $59.95 turn. Wheels can be made to 'spin' It's a flagrant rip-off and, thus, could [I've seen both) and little legs can really strut. One set never be sold. But, it's great to play it PUBLISHER: Broderbund Software of shapes can be commanded to for myself; keeping my quarters for 1938 Fourth St. mutate or transform itself into my other little vices. San Rafael, CA 94901 another (again with just a few (415) 456-6424 keystrokes). Hatching eggs into TAM is a menu-driven piece of space monsters is a natural here. software that creates a table-driven Being an artist is a dream of most game. The menu approach makes it Our very handy feature of TAM human beings; a dream that is very relatively easy to use the product. allows points to be assigned to each seldom turned into reality. The Users are given the choice of: of the shapes in play. The player gets problem is not that, as individuals, Creating shapes (up to 24 different points for shapes with a positive we have no artistic talent. Everyone ones), Creating paths for the shapes score and loses points for those that has their share. The problem lies in to follow (up to 50), and Creating a are negative. He can't shoot, but the medium of expression. Oil suitable background on which to must not touch those shapes with a play. painting is an additive medium, zero score. Each round ends when all while marble is a subtractive one. It is The user also has control of game of the positive score pieces have virtually impossible to chip a piece of options for each of the five different been eliminated. You can thus marble back on to a statue, just as it levels available. Having a 'moving make it impossible to end a game, if is very hard to remove paint once it stars' backdrop for your new space you keep a positive valued piece out has been applied. What we all game is as simple as entering your of view. needed was an interactive medium. response to three entries in the level TAM plays on a virtual board that is The computer, in this consideration, tables; STAR SPEED, STAR DENSITY about twice as big as the Apple is a natural. It takes no more effort to and STAR MOVEMENT. The table- display a pixel of color than to delete screen. This allows shapes to wait off driven nature of the game itself screen until their cue to emerge. it — that is, of course, assuming you allows the user instant feedback on have an advanced knowledge of bit And, when they do emerge, they do the result of his changes — no so one bit at a time. This feature may mapped, byte packed, refresh assemblies or compiles are required. graphics techniques. not sound like much, but it looks It's amazing how easy and natural it great and is just an example of the If these techniques are not second is to adapt to this feature. A user will care put into this product. Naturally, nature to you, then Chris Jochumson soon be much more cavalier in his the game has a control-S sound and Doug Carlston are coming to approach to the computer. Rather toggle and a pause feature. It also your rescue. Their ARCADE MACHINE than doing an extensive amount of has a single step feature that's great not only makes it easy to create preplanning, as is required in normal for debugging paths and can be an pleasing artistic shapes, but allows software creation, you just boot-up non-programmers to animate those TAM, stick some feature in and see Continued on p. 45

NAME: Tax Dodge with its' tractor beam (which can kill TYPE: Maze-Chase you) and dropping them into SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 32k Dragonmaw, the Volcano of Death FORMAT: Disk (which can also kill you when it # PLAYERS: 1 periodically erupts). These hazards AUTHOR: Jon Freeman and have arbitrary effects. For instance, Ann Westfall you may fly through the buildings of PUBLISHER: Island Graphics the cities, but not at your own base. The Box Z Some of the hazards may be shot at Bethel Island, CA 94511 any time, some only at certain times Have you ever wondered about and several cannot be shot at all. some of the strange things you have The graphics are good, and the Atari to do in some games? Eating ghosts? sound, animation and scrolling are Shooting mushrooms? Destroying very well done. Play may begin with fuel tanks in order to be refueled? the either three or five ships at any of six players of PROTECTOR II, for instance, difficulty levels —although I doubt have to use their ship, a needle- that anyone is expected to play at fighter, to rescue people from a city the higher levels. Even at the lower Arena attacked by aliens. As the aliens levels, PROTECTOR II moves fast drop the friendly population, one by enough that most players won't one, into a nearby volcano, the have time to realize that what player "hooks" his charges to the they're doing doesn't make much bottom of his ship and flies them over sense. the volcano to another city that the aliens aren't bothering to attack. The CLAIM JUMPER scenario looks, Once all the people have been at first glance, to be more sensible. deposited, one way or the other, the Two players each control a "cow- Allen Doum volcano erupts, sending a stream of boy" A gold bar appears randomly lava toward the second city. At this on the screen, and if either cowboy point, the player will have to rescue takes it to the assay office at the top the people again taking them this of the screen, the goal vanishes and time to a safe fort. Why not take them a ten dollar bill appears nearby. there in the first place? Silly question. Each player has his own bank in Because the fort has been behind a which to deposit the money, and BASIC INFORMATION force field u ntil the volcano erupted, after ten bills have been deposited, of course. the player receives a house worth NAME: Protector II Protector II, like many programs 20,000 points. A second house is TYPE: Arcade with "silly" scenarios, has the saving worth 30,000 additional points but, SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 32k grace of being enjoyable — a trait since the game ends at 25,000, that FORMAT: Disk or Tape which has saved many an otherwise seems inflationary. The two cowboys # PLAYERS: 1 ludicrous game. The play-action of can shoot each other, the victim AUTHOR: Mike Potter flying a "needlefighter" is similar to going to one of two hospitals in the PUBLISHER: Synapse Software the arcade game DEFENDER, but the upper corners of the screen. 5327 Jacuzzi St., goals (described above ) and What makes CLAIM JUMPER strange Suite I hazards are quite different. Richmond, CA 94804 are the snakes and tumbleweeds. The hazards come in several forms: The snakes follow one cowboy, the Xytonic Pulse-trackers (mines), the tumbleweeds the other. If caught, a NAME: Claim Jumper indigenous Chompers (bouncing cowboy will be paralyzed for a few TYPE: Arcade mines), meteoroids (falling mines), seconds. However, if he shoots SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 16k rocket bases, and the Laser Fields of whatever is chasing him, it is FORMAT: Disk or Tape the Straak (ground batteries). No converted into whatever chases his # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 explanation is provided as to why all opponent: snakes into tumbleweeds; AUTHOR: G. Ghang of the ground batteries are helping tumbleweeds into snakes. Each PUBLISHER: Synapse Software the aliens. All the while the Fraxullan cowboy can also leave "seeds" (or 5327 Jacuzzi St., Mother Ship is picking up people "eggs") on the screen that will also Suite I Richmond, CA 94804

NAME: Picnic Paranoia TYPE: Arcade SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 16k FORMAT: Disk or Tape # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 AUTHOR: Russ Segal PUBLISHER: Synapse Software 5327 Jacuzzi St., Suite I Richmond, CA 94804 convert his pursuers. A player scores Food pushed off the screen is gone 100 points for each snake/tumble- for good, although George can push weed converted by any method. food back onto the tables. When 5,000 points are scored, and at Game variations include a head- 10,000 point intervals after that, you start of $50 already deposited, and get a can of bug spray that will kill all the necessity of buying bullets with of the bugs on the screen, but no the money in addition to the points are received for doing so. houses. Either or both variations can Timing the use of the spray is the most apply to either or both players. A important" strategic" decision the solitaire game (with two levels of player has. difficulty) has one cowboy trying to shoot all of the snakes and tumble- Either one or two players (alter- weeds, while having to buy bullets. nately) may start at any of the first The solitaire game, however, is just five rounds. There is a "night" option, practice. Both are easy enough to but since whatever the insects are once, of course). Other special beat that, once a player learns to walking on is illuminated (fire-ants?), features are spelled out this way and shoot properly, there isn't much of a it is actually easier to play than the only appear in certain years. These challenge. "day" game, and not as pleasing include an accountant that can get graphically. you a tax shelter and a lawyer who can help you in court. They also The graphics and animation in Animation and graphics are include an occasional audit and a CLAIM JUMPER are very good but, excellent. George, the wasp, and a tax court that are strictly bad news. while there are sound cues for most multitude of ants all move smoothly game actions, the sounds are not around the screen, though the Graphicly, the game does not very imaginative. There aren't many spiders suffer by comparison. Sound resemble PAC-MAN at all. Both the interactively competitive two player cues for walking, being stung, the Taxpayer and the Taxers are figures arcade-style games, so it is nice to wasp, and for food being pushed are of men. The maze is larger than the see a company like Synapse release all well done. The music that screen, and will scroll to keep the a game like CLAIM JUMPER which accompanies the copywrite screen Taxpayer visible. The scrolling is fills that need so nicely. is great, even by Synapse standards. under partial control of the player, so As whimsical as this game is, it he or she can attempt to keep an actually makes more sense than any eye on the Taxers. The scrolling is Also by Synapse is PICNIC PARANOIA. of the games reviewed so far. done very well, and the animation Here, the player is George, guarding Admittedly, it is not very realistic to and graphics are adequate, but four full picnic tables which armed have three ants carry a bottle of nothing special. only with a fly-swatter and an oc- ketchup, but it has the edge on casional can of bug spray. Each year is more difficult, with a turning tumbleweeds into snakes by higher goal and greedier Taxers. If shooting them. the player does not reach the goal, Ants soon crawl on-screen and in How's this for a scenario: You are a the game ends. If the goal is character, attempt to carry the food Taxpayer who, during a year, scurries reached, the money goes into away. Spiders that lay delaying webs around collecting income. You are permanent savings and does not show up on round two, and can sting harassed by Taxers, who if they can effect further play. Savings are, of George, paralyzing him, if the player catch you will carry some of your course, your score and the high score isn't careful. A flying wasp, which also income back to the IRS. You may is saved from game to game. stings, appears at random. Points are accumulate deductions to reduce awarded for swatting any of these As a game, TAX DODGE starts easy your losses, but there is no defense but becomes quite difficult starting marauders. Each round lasts a against inflation; "the cruelist tax of minute and a half and, at the end of with the fourth year. From there on all". If all of this sounds depressingly out, players are going to have to each round, bonus points are familiar, imagine yourself playing a awarded for any remaining food. As work out patterns and, tricks to stay in kind of PAC-MAN variant and you will the game. My only real complaint is soon as all food is pushed off of the end up with TAX DODGE. screen, or a round ends with no food that it seems much harder to still on any of the tables, the game "corner" in this game than in most ends. games — even with practice. TAX In TAX DODGE, each round lasts at DODGE is a good, solid game that most just over two minutes and makes the most of its' theme and represents one tax year. A small somewhat overdone play mechanics. calendar at the bottom of the screen While this column is edited by Allen shows the passage of the months, Doum, we will gladly print worthwhile along with your earnings, annual contributions from others. Send goal, accumulated deductions and contributions to: savings. As you move through a maze you must pass over what looks ATARI EDITOR like stacks of coins (income). c/o COMPUTER GAMING WORLD "DEDUCTIONS" and "INFLATION" are That about wraps it up for this time. spelled out in large letters along I will leave you with one of the most some of the paths, and each time important questions to face mankind: you cross a letter it will take effect. What is the value of a single life? (each deduction can only be taken Usually about 10,000 points. certain probability or frequency. The answer to this question is often things that happen are called vague. it's not like counting the outcomes. Data collection used to number of times a certain thing create a simulation game must happens out of a total number of determine what the outcomes are observations (frequency). The math- for certain occurrences. It must also ematical techniques used to deter- REAL give some measure of the frequency mine how (and how much) things for each possible outcome. For influence other things are regression instance, in a football game an analysis and analysis of variance. A WORLD offensive pass play could be con- discussion of the specifics using sidered to have four outcomes: the these approaches is outside the pass could be caught; it could be scope of this series. However, for the GAMING intercepted; the quarterback could purpose of a game, it is often suffi- be trapped in the backfield; or a cient to use a mixture of 'trial and penalty could be called. (There are error' and intuition. (A fancy name other outcomes of lower significance for this technique is heuristic model- Dan Bunten that are ignored in this example). ing). Using the football example Using the list of outcomes, we would again, the factors that affect the need to determine the probability of outcome of a passing play are the each one happening in order to type of pass pattern, the defensive complete the data collection. alignment and the quality of the players on both sides. To reflect the differences caused by the pass What quantity of things occur? This pattern and the defensive setup, we is another question that data could limit the number of options collection must answer before we available to both sides. For each can continue to the next phase in combination of offensive play game design — model creation. The against defensive play, there could probability outcomes mentioned be different probabilities and quan- previously are important, but there tities. The play choices would then are places where the question is not be the main determinant in creating "will it happen?" but "how much will the outcome. Your data collection to happen?". Using the football simulate this factor would consist of example from above, this question of observing and recording the results "how much" would be important if for play combinations. the pass was completed. How many yards would the play gain? In most The other factor which impacts up- real-life situations, amounts are just on the outcome of a football play is as uncertain as are outcomes. the quality of the players. To discover Included in the last installment of this the amount of influence the quality column was a discussion of normal of a team has on a passing play you distributions (or bell shaped curves). could use a combination of intuti- For quantitive outcomes that fit this tion and "rules of thumb". In type of curve, all you need is an "Computer Quarterback" I used a average and a standard deviation formula like this to adjust the to describe your data. Another type probability and quantity of the of quantitative distribution often outcome: MODEL DEVELOPMENT used in games is called the uniform distribution. This type is appropriate where quantities are equally likely to "Nothing is certain (except Factor = ((QB*2+RCVR*2+ happen over an entire range. Data death and taxes)". OFLN) /5) collection to generate this type of (( DFLN+LNBKR+SFTY* The quote above would be the first distribution consists of simply finding SHY` 2)/4) law of simulation games if there were the upper and lower limits of the laws governing this field. In games outcomes. Where: that mimic the real world, we must QB = Quarterback quality include uncertainty in the outcomes. (in the range .7 to 1.3) The data collection phase of game So far, data collection should have RCVR = Receiver quality answered the questions development (discussed last time) "How often?" OFLN = Offensive line quality and "How much?", was not an attempt to remove uncer- but more infor- DFLN = Defensive line quality tainty. It was an attempt to discover mation is needed. There are often LNBKR = Linebacker quality conditions that affect or even the type of uncertainty that occurs in SFTY = Safety (deep) back determine the probabilities and the field of interest for your game. quality quantities of outcomes. Under- Good data collection should answer standing these conditions and influ- some questions about the system you wish to simulate. ences is essential to the creation of a The factor arrived at via this calcula- model of the real world. This final tion was then multiplied by the prob- How often do things happen? Very question could be phrased as "How ability of completion for the play few things happen all the time. In do things affect other things (pro- general, things happen with a babilities and quantities)?". The Continued on p. 45

displays of each game, so that you know, in Time Runner may hold out some challenge to REVIEW ROAD advance, what kind of graphics you can nimble-fingered whiz kids, but in my book it only expect. Each game has some desirable GREETINGS, TOURISTS! This month, our journey rates about a 5 out of a possible 10 for arcade features which demonstrate the programmer's to TRS-80 Adventure is going to start on REVIEW games. ROAD, a street which, hopefully, will become awareness of consumer needs. Each can be well-worn with use. The buildings in this played with either joy stick or arrow-key After playing Time Runner, Apple Panic neighborhood are varied. Some are nothing movement inputs. This helps avoid keyboard creates a deja-vu, I've-been-here-before, more than shrink-wrapped pieces of cardboard callouses. There is also a demonstration mode feeling. It uses the same arrow key or joystick supporting a cassette tape cartridge, while for each game, which initiates itself if a few input for movement, has the same hero, and others are magnificent structures: large, sturdy minutes elapse without keyboard input. Each the same group of crazed defenders chasing boxes with dazzling art work hinting at the one also has sound available, although the the hero. The major difference is that the screen excitement and thrills inside. But just as you package ad copy is a little misleading about display represents a vertical surface rather than can't tell a book by its cover, or a car by its paint the sound capabilities. All five contain the horizontal in "Apple Panic", the hero climbs job, you can't tell a game by its package. So to usual pows, zings and zaps of alien warfare, Two vertical ladders to five levels of brick floors. He reduce the confusion and increase the value of programs, "Apple Panic" and "Time Runner", digs holes in the floors and then waits for a your computer gaming dollar, we're going also provide a melodious musical salute defender critter to fall into the hole. When that inside to see what's behind the packaging. between games. But, the cover description of happens, he rushes to the scene and jumps up We'll explore from the attic to the basement "Apple Panic" indicates a star burst proclaim- and down on the defender's head, causing and from the kitchen to the hall closet to give ing the inclusion of voice as well as music. Here him to fall through the hole to his doom. On my you the information you need to get the most is where ad-writer enthusiasm exceeded scale of 1 to 10, "Apple Panic" gets a 4. bang for your buck! programmer capabilities. The only actual voice reproduction is a very scratchy, barely- Mad Mines is a "Galaxian" variant. A line is BASIC INFORMATION intelligible Apple Panic, pronounced during drawn across the screen about 1/3 of the way the opening credits. Babel Terror has a similar down from the top. This represents a protective NAME: Time Runner. Apple Panic, voice introduction, but the package designer force field. Above this line, space mines roam Mad Mines, Black Hole, must have had second thoughts by then, as back and forth as in the typical " Babel Terror voice is not mentioned in the advertising copy Invader-Galaxian" type game, you have a cannon for it. Don't grab for these if you're looking for full which you move horizontally across the bottom TYPE: Arcade Action vocal support of the play action. You'll be disap- of the screen, Shooting at the mines disturbs the SYSTEM: TRS-80 MODS. I & Ill pointed. One final feature, available on all but force field and allows the mines to come FORMAT: Disk and Tape "The Black Hole," is a routine which maintains a screaming down upon your cannon in attack # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 permanent record of the top ten scores, waves. If you destroy the complete initial waves, higher levels place the protective line AUTHOR: Yves Lempereur lower and lower, allowing less time to react to PRICE: Tape — $19.95 (Exc. Time Runner is laid out on a checker board each succeeding attack. The originality is Time Runner: $24.951 playing area containing 20 rectangular boxes. pretty low here, so Mad Mines also gets a 4. objective is to scoot around the edges of the Disk — $24.95 boxes, staking out each one as your own PUBLISHER: Funsoft territory. As each box is circled, its interior is The Black Hole has more originality than Mad 28611 Canwood St. shaded in and your score is increased, Your Mines and also the added advantage of Agoura, CA 91301 video screen alter-ego is a button-nosed little having three phases to the game. Each phase character who appears to be a close relative of has its own separate screen display. The player Leo Christopherson's DUELING DROID. Part of controls a single space ship which moves hori- the family resemblance is in his eyes, which zontally across the bottom of the screen. The Our first stop is a group of five arcade style roam about, pointing in the direction he's first phase propels the ship through a long, ever- games, all from the same company, Funsoft, of moving, and give him a generally mischievous narrowing tunnel. Hurtling down the tunnel Agoura, California. Unfortunately, when appearance. His nose is just a small square in toward him, are increasing numbers of reviewing a group of new games from one the middle of his face, but it has a value of its projectiles. To navigate the tunnel, he must company and one author, it's hard to avoid the own. It marks the pivot point of his body. Be sure dodge or destroy these projectiles while feeling that they are all somewhat alike. Pro- to have it lined up with the box edges as you avoiding contact with the walls. As a last resort, grammers develop certain routines, input negotiate corners. If you don't, you may find he may deploy a protective shield to safeguard methods and screen displays that work well for yourself vainly punching arrow keys but not himself from the missiles, The shield should be them, Naturally, they will use these same moving because you're out of alignment with employed sparingly however, as its' availability techniques in many of their products, just as a the new box edge. All of his activity is is limited, novelist develops a certain identifiable style complicated by defenders who scurry around, which appears in most of his writing. But trying to stop him. One contact with a defender The second phase of Black Hole is a form of reading five books in a row by the same author and zappo. . . That's it for our friend! He does BREAK-OUT. After emerging from the tunnel, the may produce the feeling that you are reading have one advantage though. A touch of the space ship is confronted by a wall protecting.. the same book five times. So it is with computer space bar freezes the little critters in position for Guess Who!... another of the little defender software, and so it is, to a degree, with these five a few moments while the hero escapes. Like critters! To get to him, you must blast your way games. time-outs in football though, you only get three through the wall before your time runs out, of these escapes in a game, When the entire avoiding occasional dropping bombs in the The games are Time Runner, Apple Panic, checkerboard pattern is encircled, your score is process. If you make it, you enter the third Mad Mines, The Black Hole, and Babel Terror. calculated based on your elapsed time. Higher phase, which requires an attack on the bottom They all have certain features in common, so levels provide more defenders and different of a large mother ship, similar to the final state let's examine those first. All are available in values for each box. These values begin to of the arcade game PHOENIX. either cassette or disk format and will run on decrease the moment you begin to circle a either a model I or model II TRS-80. The box, providing the added challenge of having One of the drawbacks of Black Hole is that cassette versions require 16k, while the disks to immediately complete a box once you start you receive no score unless you succeed in need 32k. A nice touch to the package is that it, otherwise it may be worthless when you negotiating all three phases and finally the back cover contains photos of the screen return to it later. dispatch the "Head Critter" inside the mother ship. Anything short of this simply ends the relentless birds of prey swoop down with a very simulations for his TRS-80 Computer. Drop him a game and you start all over again, it's either all realistic chirping sound. If your finger dexterity is line if you can help. I'd appreciate a copy of or nothing, so there's no way of comparing skill anything like mine, these ill-tempered vultures any letters you send him. Also Larry, have you levels. will probably peck you to extinction before you looked at "VC" from Avalon Hill? I understand that Avalon Hill will be supporting the Color A couple of interesting notes: when you first ever reach the final, "Mother Ship" stage of th Computer with more simulations. boot up Black Hole, you are given the option of game. Although the concept is not original, it is reading the introductory scenario in either well executed, with fine graphics and interesting sound. I rate it a 7 out of 10 overall. English or French. Very chic! After the Dwight, from Torrance, CA is looking for an introduction, the game automatically goes overlay program to reduce programming time into a demonstration mode. To begin the and command entry on the Color Computer. If playing mode you must press "Enter", an The other two games from Computer Shack provide some entertaining originality. Jovian is you know of such a program, drop me a note obviousness that is not mentioned in the and I'll pass the information along. instructions and which escaped my notice till I a space adventure in which you maneuver had spent 1/2 hour banging keys trying to get around a variety of moving and stationary the game started. space objects to attack an enemy space station. The screen display provides continuous To Frank in Colfax, Wash.: A TRS-80 version of scrolling, both vertically and horizontally, with "Zork" is available from Personal Software, 1330 Black Hole is just an average arcade game Bordeaux Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. but considering the variation provided by the very smooth, fast graphics. Only about 1/8 of three separate phases I would rate it a 6.5 out of space your universe is displayed at one time 10. but pressing "break" gives you a quick view of the entire area, Your score is based on the To Paul in Sacramento, CA: a TRS-80 Pac Man version called "Scarfman" is available from the The final game from Funsoft is a maze called elapsed time needed to shoot off all the pods on the enemy station. Success requires some Cornsoft Group, 6008 N. Keystone Ave., Babel Terror. The printed instructions indicate Indianapolis, IND. 46220 and I have just heard that you are a knight returning to your castle strategic planning, quick thinking and adroit maneuvering. of a TRS-80 version of Donkey Kong available from the crusades, and that your objective is to from Software Magic, Bramalea, Ont., Canada find 10 crosses located somewhere in the maze. L6T 3S4, although I haven't reviewed a copy of it As you progress to higher levels of the game, But the instructions written into the program yet. itself refer to you as a "ship", through the the enemy stations grow larger, the amount of passageways. Periodically, you encounter space junk increases and the total time "babels" and other monsters which can spell available decreases. The game is definitely To Chris Farley in Utica, N.Y.: Nice to hear from your doom. Fortunately, you can be protected! challenging and can become addictive I rate you! I intend to run a group of reviews on If you pass over one of the 10 "Crosses". . . or it a solid 8 out of 10. adventure games in the near future! I'm "Stars", which are your objectives, you gain checking on your question about TRS and will The final game is temporary immunity from your foes. You can Cyborg, described as a have an answer for you next issue, also gain fleeting invisibility by quickly pressing space-age gladiator testing arena. It has a the space bar when a monster is heading in large, open playing field dotted with a variety your direction, Of course, you have a limited of obstacles and small mazes. As in Jovian, the This is the end of a long road for this issue. We'll number of opportunities to acquire invisibility. I monitor screen displays about 1/8 of the see you again next time! Keep writing! encountered some difficulty with this. Some- playing area at a time, but you have the option times my invisibility worked and sometimes it of obtaining brief, birds-eye views of the entire didn't. Occasionally I was simply shown a view field. Movement to the edge of the screen of the total maze and then immediately produces fast, smooth scrolling in all four zapped by the monster I was trying to avoid. I'm directions. Hidden among the obstacles and not sure whether I missed something in the mazes are several target positions which your instructions or if this is a bug in my program space sled must contact in order to score copy. In either case, I gave Babel Terror a 6 out points. Protecting the targets are a large of 10. number of fixed and moving explosive mines and robots which will demolish you on contact.

Continuing down the block on Review Road, The input controls of Cyborg are almost there are three more neatly packaged disks. identical to Jovian, described earlier, except These are all from Computer Shack in Pontiac, that the space bar firing control of "Jovian" Michigan. The titles are Demon Speed, Jovian becomes a defensive shield deployer in and Cyborg. All are written for the models I and Cyborg. This shield gives you temporary Ill TRS-80, and like the previous group, all are immunity from the explosive devices. Using the packaged in colorful folders, have a good shield has a disadvantage, however. It causes assortment of sound effects, save high scores to the maze and obstacle walls to become disk and allow use of a joystick. invisible until you hit the next target position. In the meantime you stumble along, bumping BASIC INFORMATION into walls and generally losing a lot of time, Time is important! Your total score is based on NAME: Demon Seed, Jovian, elapsed time. The longer you take to find all the Cyborg targets, the lower your score will be. If you are TYPE: Arcade Action too slow and careful, your turn will end before you can find and hit all the targets. There are SYSTEM: TRS-80 Mods. I & III two different playing areas which alternate as FORMAT: Disk & Tape you progress to higher levels. There are twenty # PLAYERS: 1 or 2 different levels with more explosive devices and AUTHOR: Bill Dunlevy faster movement speeds at each level. PRICE: $20.00 Cyborg is an interesting, challenging arcade PUBLISHER: Computer Shack game with beautifully smooth action graphics. 1691 Eason St. I give it a 7.5 out of 10. Pontiac, MI 48054 POST OFFICE That completes our trip down Review Road Demon Seed is a rather direct copy of the for this month. Let's drive over to the post office arcade quarter-grabber PHOENIX. It begins like and pick up the mail. Quite a bit of correspon- many other games of this genre, with the dence has accumulated since the last enemy stacked above, and the player's artillery column. . . Some with comments, some with scooting back and forth below, trying to pick requests,... all complimentary (thanks, gang!). them off. This time, it's waves of small birds which are attacking your firing position. If you survive two waves of birds, you are then faced with a group of circling eggs which hatch into Larry Beatty, 1229 Porter Rd., Norfolk, VA ugly predators with large wing spans. These 23511, is looking for good war and/or sports sides secretly pick one of three forma- simply keep track of his choices and tions — line, column, or wedge — force the computer into certain and reveal their choices simultane- decisions. If he can get an initial ously. If both pick the same formation, edge, then he can probably "set up" each loses one mastodon. Other- the computer for some bad losses. So wise, line beats column, column let's see how we can help the com- beats wedge, and wedge beats line. puter out. The loser must eliminate a number of We can make two changes mastodons equal to the winner's cur- without gathering any additional rent count minus his own current information. First, we can redefine a count. If that difference is less than or "tie" to mean a difference less than equal to zero, he loses one. Let's sup- or equal to some value, which we'll pose that side A has 20 mastodons call "E". If E equals 2, then and side B has 15. If A loses, then he (L12,C10,W6) would be a two-way eliminates 1 mastodon, while if B tie, and (L15,C17,W16) would be a loses, he must remove 5 mastodons. three-way tie. This will help to The first side to run out of mastodons eliminate some (but not all) of the loses. It's a bizarre game, admittedly, THE SILICON predictability of the computer. but it will serve our purposes. Alternately, we can always pick CEREBRUM Now let's design a program to play randomly, but use the tally to bias by Bruce Webster WAR against a human (or, if you wish, non-human) opponent. The the pick. For example, let's say that 20 rounds have been played, and INTRODUCTION easiest approach, of course, is to randomly pick a formation each that the human has picked I hoped to have the long promised (L10,C6,W4). We then convert each weighted map diagrams in this issue. round. This approach is more effec- tive than you might think, especially tally to a probability by multiplying it It did not work out that way. Instead, I by 100 and dividing it by the number am going to talk about some simple for a simple game like this. If the human thinks the computer is of rounds that have been played. techniques for helping programs to planning its moves, then the results This would give us (L=50%, C=30%, "learn". (Ed. — I am taking odds on W=20%). This can then be converted whether the weighted map dia- can be entertaining indeed. Also, the program will want to be able to to a set of ranges: (L=1 to 50,C=51 to grams will appear in Bruce's next 80,W=81 to 100). The program then column.) choose randomly in situations where it can't decide what the human is generates a random number from 1 "Learning" ties in closely with some going to do next. But let's examine to 100 and matches it against the of the decision-making approaches how it might be able to decide. ranges. It assumes that the human that were covered in the last column. will pick the corresponding formation Bayes decision theory (BDT) needs The program's goal is to guess and reacts accordingly. information, about the likelihood of what formation the human will pick events or choice. The better the for the current round and to choose SOME ENHANCEMENTS information, the more effective BDT its own formation accordingly. To do is. In certain cases, though, that this, it must gather information on Suppose we find the preceding information may not be available how the human is playing. One methods just aren't good enough. until the game is actually being simple approach is to keep track of How can we improve them? One of played. For example, the program how many times the human has the simplest ways is to gather addi- might try to anticipate its opponent's chosen each formation. Once it has tional information. The program can moves. It can use "hard-wired" accumulated a sufficient number of note context and history as well as information to determine what move choices (say, 10 or so), it then the actual choices. For example, we would be best in a given situation, assumes that the next formation will might keep track of the last 10 or 20 based on the designer's analysis of be that chosen most often. For moves and look for patterns. Sup- the game. There's a problem, though. example, let's suppose that the pose the last 12 moves were If the human opponent has different human has chosen "line" 7 times, (L,W,W,C,W,L,W,W,C,L,L,W=last ideas about what is "best", the pro- "column" 4 times, and "wedge" 6 choice). If we take the last two gram will prepare for the wrong times (we will represent such choices (LW) and go back looking moves and may fall on its non- distributions as (L7,C4,W6)). The for that pattern, we find it occurring existent face. program would then assume that twice before. . .and at evenly spaced the human is going to pick "line" intervals! In both cases, the next To avoid this problem, the program again and would select "wedge" as choice was (W), so the program needs to gather data during the its formation. In case of a two-way might weight its choices toward (W). game and use it to modify its decis- tie, the program will pick the safest ion making. In other words, it needs The player can note context by option. For example, if the human to learn as it goes along. Let's look at saving information about when the has chosen (L10,C10,W6), then the some ways in which a program can player made each choice. Suppose program would choose "line", since learn. the current tally was (L15,C10,W8). that would give it a tie if the human The program would probably assume BASIC TECHNIQUES chooses "line" and a win if he that the human would pick (L) as his chooses "column". In case of a Let's start with a very simple game, next choice. Now let's assume that three-way tie, such as(110,C10,W10), which we'll call WAR. In WAR, each the computer has also kept track of the program would choose randomly. side starts out with the same number whether the player won, lost, or tied of identical units. . .say, 100 masto- There are some problems with this on the previous move, and that the dons each. WAR is fought in a series approach. If the human is aware of distribution is (L5/3/7,C2/8/0,W4/2/2). of rounds. During each round, both what the program is doing, he can Continued on p. 47 Okay, okay, so the first number trick computer is a strong opponent! The players (called #1 and #2) play, with in the first Micromagic column (see object of the game is to be the first #1 picking a 3 first. If #2 now picks a 2, the last issue of COMPUTER GAMING player to score a total of exactly 50. the computer will display the tally WORLD) is nothing but the old Players take turns choosing a whole after #1's first turn as being 3, then it " casting out nines". It still is a fun number from 12 to 6 (like rolling a will display the tally after #2 goes as 5 trick, isn't it? dice, but without the chance ele- (from 3+2), and this will continue. The ment involved). The computer keeps program itself has a number of input For those not familiar with casting a running tally in both versions of the error and other such checks, as well out nines, the idea in the trick is that a game. In the computer version, the as full documentation. If the reader number and the sum of its digits both computer gets to go first, and you wishes to save some typing, he may leave the same remainder when may select whether the computer omit those PRINT statements which divided by 9. For instance, take the plays partially randomly or complete- are just instructions, but I recommend number 1148. The sum of its digits is ly logically (unbeatable). Just so you keeping them in for future reference. 1+1+4+8 = 14. If you divide 1148 by 9 get the idea, suppose two human and 14 by 9, you will find that in both Continued on p. 47 cases the remainder is 5. (Don't take my word for this! Check this!).

When you subtract the sum of the digits from the original number, the result must therefore be a multiple of 9 (that is, there is no remainder, or the remainder is 0). So, by the same reasoning, the sum of its digits must be a multiple of 9 as well. The computer program simply computed what the missing digit must be to make a multiple of 9.

For instance, continuing with 1148 as an example, if you subtract the sum of the digits, which in this case is 14, you get 1134. Notice that the sum of the digits is 9 (a multiple of 9). If you single out the digit 3, the other digits are 1, 1 and 4 which have a sum of 6. The computer program in the previous issue essentially instructs the com- puter to find what digit is needed to make the sum of all the digits a multiple of 9. In this case, a 3 would be needed. ON TO SOMETHING NEW. . . .

This month I will offer a new program which has some element of strategy for you to discover. In the next issue I will offer one of my all-time favorite recreational mathematics problems (the first professional one I created) for readers as a program- ming challenge. Our new program deals with a game called "Fifty". It is played either with one or two humans against the computer but, I have to warn you, the BASIC INFORMATION sides. There are three levels of play to BASIC INFORMATION chose from, each progressively more NAME: Flockland Island Crisis difficult than the previous. Typically, NAME: Night Mission TYPE: ARCADE a first time player would choose play TYPE: Pinball SYSTEM: Apple II 48K DOS 3.3 level #1 and dual control of the OIDS. SYSTEM: Apple II/II+ FORMAT: Disk The offenders attack, one each, from FORMAT: Disk # PLAYERS: 1 the left and the right. Using the # PLAYERS: 1-4 AUTHOR: Kevin Bagley direction keys to position the OIDS AUTHOR: Bruce Artwick PRICE: $34.95 relative to the offenders you then fire. PRICE: $29.95 PUBLISHER: Vital Information, Inc. Each depression of the space bar PUBLISHER: Sub Logic 7899 Mastin Drive fires both OID QUOTONS in the dual control mode. Rarely do both OIDS Overland Park, Kansas NIGHT MISSION (NM), Sub Logic's 66204 line up to shoot at their respective addition to the video pinball craze, offenders so, provided you hit one, puts together the best features of the the other is still attacking. Offenders, finest pinball games for the Apple. It by the way, attempt to land on your has the smooth ball animation of island paradise and steal an in- Budgeco RASTER BLASTER (RB), with valuable commodity, PETROLAN- the complex machine design of OLINWEALTHURNIUM. When the OFFENDERS have landed five ships, DAVID'S MIDNIGHT MAGIC (DMM) by Broderbund, and more features than loaded up, and departed, the game the other two combined. is over. Whenever you fire the OID QUOTONS, in the dual mode the NM's graphics are incredibly smooth, OIDS stop moving, thereby causing especially considering the tremend- you to have to use the direction keys ously high ball speeds, DMM, on the to renew their motion. other hand, has a tendency to slide the ball into a path when it shouldn't, A running score is kept at the or bounce it out before it should. bottom of the screen and bonus You've just lost 47,355 tons of island While NM and RB don't have these points are given for each phase of problems, RB doesn't have nearly as paradise to the offenders scattering play. Documentation indicates that 1586 sheep to the hills!!! You hit 150 well-designed a machine as either no bonus points are given for level #1 NM or DMM, making NM a strong out of 172 launched by the offenders. play. However, our version gave a And it only took you 243 shots for a contender for the best of Apple bonus on level one. After you have pinball games. shooting average of 61%. mastered the three levels of play using dual control of the OIDS, then DMM has bumpers, roll-overs, you can advance to the independ- multiple-ball play, tilt, up to four And that is the end of a game of players, and a sound switch. NM FLOCKLAND ISLAND CRISIS. Depress ent control of OIDS and receive contains all of these features, while it any key and view the top five scores double points. No problem! Right? Wrong! With independent control adds free games by high score or to see how you compare. This is an match, adjustable numbers of balls arcade game requiring much you may set only one OID at a time to encounter the unlucky offender. I call per game, ball speed, bumper patience and concentration in impulse, flipper power, and over 30 addition to very good hand/eye this one unlucky, because, as this one is being shot at, the other others. The players can adjust the coordination. The graphics in FLOCK- ball speed, tilt power, number of LAND ISLAND CRISIS depict a narrow offender is zeroing in on your turf unchallenged. balls per game, bonus count rate, vertical island in the center of the maximum bonus count, delay before screen which bears no resemblance The graphics are alright, sound new balls, bumper impulse, sound to a well known South Atlantic island. effects are reasonable and docu- effects, and power in each flipper In defense of your island you have an mentation is adequate except for separately. The player also has OID (defender) on each side which the discrepancy about bonus points. options which make it easier to you can move upward or downward. Another dimension in the play that place the ball on certain paths, and You have a choice of dual or would have accommodated a real easier to achieve multi-ball play. independently controlled OIDS. master at hand/eye coordination These are only the major adjustments. Independent control of OIDS net would have been to have more than There are many others which make double points, however, the difficulty one offender attacking from each the game definitely the most of play is considerably higher. side simultaneously. But, all factors versatile pinball game in history. Keyboard letters Q and A move the considered, if you enjoy demanding left OID upward and downward, P hand/eye coordination arcade But, features are not only things and L move the right OID. The space games, then you will enjoy FLOCK- that make NM stand out in the bar is used to fire the OID QUOTONS LAND ISLAND CRISIS. pinball field. The ball speed is to destroy the OFFENDERS which incomparable to that of any other attack simultaneously from both Stuart Gorrie pinball game, computer or real. While the speed can be set high, it above the text window) and pressing accepts only a limited number of can also be reached in normal play trigger button to shoot at droids. commands. Type in a "g" and the by hitting just a few bumpers in a row, These robots move onto the screen word "Go" appears on the screen. Speed in a game can not be well quickly, then pause briefly before Type "N", "North" appears. For other described, so we will just say that it is bumping you back to the ante- commands, such as "Take" and definitely faster than anything chamber. Sound easy? Wait until you "Drop", the single letter command you've probably seen. So great is the try to type, keep an eye out for ("T" or "D") must be followed by the speed potential, that we advise you invisible droids, maneuver, and name of the object. This makes to hit your flippers before you think shoot within a few seconds. inputting commands easy. you should. This will usually result in perfect timing, as the ball can be The game greets you with a well- Scoring for the game is based on quicker than the eye. done high-res graphic of a planet- the number of items you have in your scope with animation of your ship possession at the end of the game NM, as most pinball games, will not landing on the planet's surface. (maximum four) and how many keep you constantly excited. It gets Unfortunately, the quality of this droids you knocked off. Additionally, boring eventually, but it's sounds graphic is not repeated. You then you get one hundred points if you and speed keep you interested in it select the reaction time of the droids escape with the transmitter. (I never longer than most pinball games. at which you'll be shooting. Selecting did, but I haven't given up. , .yet). Mark Rhodes the slowest reaction time means Your score displays when you die or Barry Gittleman you'll be able to quickly dispose of escape with the transmitter — the visible droids and you'll stand a there's no way to find out how you're slim chance of knocking off the doing until then. So, competition BASIC INFORMATION invisible ones. In fact, the game is play for points is somewhat probably best played with two NAME: hampered. Probe One: cooperating players; one on key- The Transmitter board and one on joystick (or Probe One will appeal most to TYPE: Actionadventure paddles). adventurers who prefer path-finding with graphics The game maker has included a to solving riddles and puzzles. It is SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 40k feature that some adventurers find billed as the first in a series of science Basic Cartridge makes replays more interesting and fiction adventures. It's not a bad Paddles or Joystick that others find annoying: the start, but like all else in this universe, it FORMAT: Disk locations of objects and the layout could have been done better. # PLAYERS: 1 of the rooms changes slightly from David Stone AUTHOR: Lloyd D. Oilman, Jr. game to game. This makes map PRICE: $34.95 making difficult if not useless. The PUBLISHER: Synergistic Software challenge of exploration is in- BASIC INFORMATION 830 North Riverside Drive creased even further because of the Suite 201 NAME: Atari Games & Recreations "grayshafts." You occasionally fall TYPE: Book Renton, Washington 98055 down de-activated grayshafts when (206) 226-3216 SUBJECT: Atari 400/800 going from one room to the next. An game design injury usually results, AUTHOR: Herb Kohl & Others Probe One offers something for You can get yourself killed in just a PUBLISHER: Reston Publishing both the adventure and arcade- few basic ways. Three falls down a action enthusiast. In this science gravshaft will do it every time, as will fiction based actionadventure, you enough successful attacks by the explore room after room of a spacy droids. There may be other ways to colony research center. Your ob- do yourself in but, if there are, I have Atari Games & Recreations jective: find the transmitter and yet to find them. is a well-planned book, covering game escape. As with most adventures, The game has what might seem as design on the Atari 400 and 800. It you go in compass directions, take, flaws; whether or not they are serious says "For beginners and advanced drop and use objects. In short, you try you should decide for yourself. First, programmers too. . ." on the cover, to figure out how to get from her to after you die you must re-boot the although this might be too bold a there without getting killed. entire program. This entails waiting statement, as the book seems Menacing droids that wander into for the nifty animation mentioned specifically geared to those who the rooms spice up the adventure. earlier, selecting a difficulty level, know little more about programming And, if you're not quick on the stick then waiting for the main program to than plugging the computer into the (joystick, that is), they will knock you load. Since there is no "save game" wall. But, in considering this book unconscious and drag you back to feature, be prepared to die and re- from the beginner's standpoint, the antechamber (square one). To load the program many times before Games & Recreations is one of the make things a little more interesting, you find the transmitter and escape. finer books out on Atari program- and a quite a bit more difficult, some Second, there appears to be no ming. of the droids are invisible. Invisible logic for using the objects, such as The book is clear in format and means they are the same color as the the translator or the crystals that you layout; using descriptive cartooning background, so that you can see find. This means you don't do a lot of to accentuate the lessons it conveys. them only when they pass in front of figuring things out as in some It begins by going over the basics of other objects. adventures. However, the author has the Atari computer, including the The action part of the game seen to it that the number of editing functions, which the future consists of moving a gun horizontally combinations that you must test are gaming programmer will no doubt across the bottom of the screen (just few. This is because the game access frequently. The random number function, the one should have any trouble know- score at the end, but are of no key to many programs, is fully ing what to do. particular use in the adventure. explained, and how it may be used in combination with simple graphics The adventure consists of three to make various games. Guessing distinct phases. In the first phase, you Curiously, you gain all the points games, dice throwing, NIM, and pick up all the valuables and that contribute toward your score in secret codes are all examples of weapons that are to be found in the the first phase of the adventure. From adventure. In the second phase, you games that one can make using the there on, you can only loose points. basics of the Atari 400 or 800. travel through a maze of crossroads It's a matter of holding on to what that double-back on themselves. you've got. After the section entitled The Atari And, in the third phase, you try to Special, the book begins to give out-maneuver a couple of crazy The author provides a number of more detailed information on game critters that want to zapp you back tips for adventuring and scoring design, covering more advanced to first room in phase three. high. These include waiting and graphic routines and some excellent watching the movements of each sounds (including your own siren, This game has a number of villain before attempting to out rocket launch, or explosion!). If the features that make it interesting and maneuver him, never fighting with a advanced programmer is to draw a little different from most ad- villain unless told to do so (or you'll anything useful from this book, it ventures. First, the character that you get zapped back to an earlier room) would be from this section. move about has internal animation and, if the bad guy gets too close, If I sound a bit negative on this (even though he's only one color). running out of the room. Next, the game maker has devised a publication, it is only because I had You can see your inventory, your clever way of revealing clues and hoped for more information and a score, a listing of the characters in the identity of objects to you: just deeper more intricate, look at the the adventure, or even light a gaming functions of the Atari pass the character over the object match, under joystick control or by and it's identity appears in the text microcomputer. In any case, the typing an appropriate letter. Access- window. The text-window message book is very well done and should ing these features with the joystick is prove to be a great asset to the continues to re-appear, even if you a little difficult, The game does not don't want it to, until you are clear of beginner. For those with a more require you to type-in directions or the object. If the object is of some advanced programming back- commands and there's no "save- use or value, it is automatically ground, skim through this one before game" feature (nor is there a real added to your inventory. you buy it. need for one). Michael Cranford Through a programming techni- This is not, I repeat, not a heavy- BASIC INFORMATION que called "page-flipping", the weight adventure. In fact, it can be rooms, passages, and other locations completed in less than an hour. But NAME: Valley of the Kings appear fully drawn. Just move your this doesn't mean that it isn't fun. It TYPE: Action-adventure character off-left and blip! he's on is, and it's probably especially so for with graphics the right side of the screen in a new or younger adventurers. Ad- SYSTEM: Atari 400/800 48K brand-new location. Of course, this venture conventions, such as finding Basic Cartridge joystick also works with right, up and down. matches (or some other light source) FORMAT: Disk The locations and characters do and using them to light dark # PLAYERS: 1 not adequately convey or carry the passages, are not treated as puzzles. AUTHOR: T. M. Krishchan Egyptian theme of the adventure. The instructions clearly tell you that PUBLISHER: Dynacomp. Inc. For example, what's a troll on a you've got to find matches. And, at 1427 Monroe Ave. bridge doing in Egypt? With a little least one of the places where you Rochester. New York 14618 more thought, the author could use them is clearly labeled. However, have used appropriate mythical since it's play-value is not derived characters. And, he could have from solving riddles and puzzles, but decorated the borders of the rooms rather from maneuvering the on- with Egyptian motifs, such as palm screen character, there's plenty of fronds and hieroglyphs. As is, there's fun to be had by replaying the nothing on-screen to really reinforce adventure to try to beat your last the theme of the Egyptian setting for score. the adventure. David Stone

The game begins by offering you an option to read a brief scenario summary. Once past that, your character appears on a road with PLEASE two signs; and you're off on your In this action-adventure, set in adventure! You read the signs, then TAKE TIME ancient Egypt, you guide an move your character along the TO FILL OUT animated character through a roadway, picking up coins, rings, maze of passages, picking up and swords. Unlike most other READER INPUT objects of value, and fight or adventures, there's no limit to how DEVICE maneuver around an array of much you can carry. Also, many of guards, trolls, and other beasts. The the objects have point values (such documentation is well written. No as rings and coins) that will help your ARCADE MACHINE (from p. 32) ARMOR ASSAULT (from p. 28) REAL WORLD (from p. 36)

interesting variation of a game itself. ments. Fortunately, the unit design combination to get the final chance The player also has a choice of program gives you lots of options of success for a pass. A basic rule of keyboard, paddle or joystick control and, you should have no problem human engineering was also used in for game play. Try playing a game, cooking up new infantry units with this design. That rule says that in any using the joystick, with a friend lots of structural strength, no armor, field of human endeavor, the range pressing the single-step key. You'll be little movement and limited fire- of performance for almost all parti- in for some laughs. power. You can likewise design new cipants will fall within 30% of the aver- anti-tank gun units with small age. Football players are no excep- TAM is flexible enough to allow structural strength, no armor, zero tion. The range of pass completion non-game animation in addition to movement and large firepower. statistics for quarterback is from 70% its many other features. A particularly Fourth, you can better simulate the to 130% of the overall average. So, if difficult four level game could easily "fog of war" if you design your units the average completion percen- be culminated with an animated and enter your orders in secret. In a tage for a certain pass is 55%, a great cartoon in level five celebrating a real firefight it is, of course, very offensive team (with 1.30 rating in all player's victory. Put all the pieces at difficult to get precise information the factors used in the formula zero score value, and the player about the status and location of above) against an average team need only sit and watch. enemy units. (with 1.00 in all defensive categor- (Don't be confused by the numer- ies) would complete the pass 71.5% ous references to the player as it only This game has many positive of the time — 1.30 55%. Although takes four keystrokes to turn any features, but it fails to recreate the unable to find any "hard data" to game into a two player version.) "feel" of the most interesting feature support (or oppose) the specific way of armor warfare — mobility. Blitz- I chose to handle team quality, I am satisfied with the way the game The software is certainly up to the krieg is a fluid tactic of maneuver, high standards normally achieved not costly frontal assault. Ideally, plays (and apparently so are a by BRODERBUND. For as complex a armor units should not be committed number of other people). product as this, it is virtually bug free. to such bloody assaults. Instead, Thus, often data collection is much There were a few areas that I they are best used in bypassing more than "number crunching". You thought, at first, were definite strong points to strike deep into rear may be called on to make judg- glitches. But these proved to be well areas cutting communications and ments and guesses. In such cases, thought out features of the product. supply lines, probing for and seizing the more familiar you are with the My initial confusion stemmed from weak spots, and encircling frontline system being simulated, the better the rather skimpy documentation enemy units. Unfortunately, the map will be your intuition concerning its provided. Thirty-eight pages is just in Armor Assault is only one screen functions. not sufficient to clarify the entire large. This limited space is simply too program. The documentation could small for realistic flanking and If you can answer the three ques- tions listed above (in all their various also be divided into a tutorial section enveloping maneuvers. A multiple and a reference section. A new user screen scrolling map, as in the forms) with specific numeric answers could then follow the tutorial and classic Eastern Front, would be then you have finished data collec- see the effects of his initial efforts. greatly preferable. tion. In addition, you have probably Once a person becomes exper- completed development of the model except for a few loose ends. ienced with the product, a well laid Ironically, the positive features of out reference section would display All that is needed once you have the ARMOR ASSAULT do give a vivid data collected is to reduce the the meanings of the various table "feel" for other kinds of combat. For entries. Unfortunately, BRODERBUND numbers to formulas. For instance, if example, if you design a new your observations indicate that a tried to combine these two functions scenario using only infantry units as into one section. certain outcome occurred 15 times discussed above, you can develop a out of 17, then all you do is divide 15 The product itself provides a very realistic infantry street-fighting by 17 to get the probability of that tremendous amount of power to the game reminiscent of World War II event. You should calculate the user. Try a few of the demo games struggles in Stalingrad and Berlin. average and standard deviation for supplied on the back of the disk to Even the unrealistic multiple oppor- any quantitative data that seems to see the versatility potential of the tunity fire and "vehicle collision" fit a "bell shaped" curve. List the product. I have a tough time features of this game seem realistic highest and lowest value of any keeping the kids away from 'PIZZA in an infantry close assault situation. items that vary equally over a range. MAN' (What's a rhinoceros doing in Finally, create equations that reflect a pizza parlor, anyway?) After you've Additionally, many features of this the influence of one factor over 'fixed' these demos to your own program are reminiscent of tactical another according to your best standards, you're ready to create Civil War naval engagements in the guess of how the system works. your own piece of art. In this age of era of the first ironclads. standardization, it's comforting to Although this process is by no know you can create a completely means trivial in a large scale system custom present for your own special All factors considered, Armor simulation, if you did a good job of computer friend. Yes, the Arcade Assault is a game with many good the earlier steps in development Machine even allows you to create a features, the best of which are the (system definition and data col- quick load copy of your creation! ability gives of during a wide range lection) then creating a model is Just imagine his face when he boots of scenarios and the inclusion of straight forward. a disk that says "Happy Birthday simultaneous movement and oppor- Next time we will cover pro- q Mike." tunity fire. gramming your model. q OVERVIEW OF R.I.D. #5 There were 154 R.I.D.s turned in by press time for this issue. The breakdown of users was: Apple (58%): Atari (36%): Others (6%). As the more observant readers will note, in RID #5 we did not ask you what kind of computer you use. An oversight on our part. How then do we figure out the user breakdown? Except in a very few cases we could tell what machine each respondent used by the pattern of his evaluations (i.e. reviewed only Apple games, etc.) or from a statement of the respondent as to what machine he/she had. For a game to be included in the results it must be evaluated by at least 20% of the respondents in the user COMPUTER GAMING WORLD TOP 10 groups( s) to which the game relates. 27 of the games from RID #5 had the necessary 20%+ play level, Wizardry continues to dominate the TOP 10 chart, with the companion adventure, KNIGHTS OF DIAMONDS, just barely los- The overall ratings were lower this issue than in any other. ing out to CHOPLIFTER! for the number 2 spot. SSI continues to The mean score for RID #5 was 5.95. On RIDs #2, 3, 4 they were, dominate the list as a manufacturer with 4 titles. GUADAL- in order 6.59, 6.17, 6.80. Anyone familiar with statistical analysis CANAL CAMPAIGN has taken little time in establishing itself as will quickly see that there are inherit difficulties in comparing a TOP 10 resident, COMPUTER BASEBALL has slid several posi- the score of a game in one RID with that of a game in tions from the last accounting but will probably bounce back another RID. Since we must needs compare scores between in the spring. The only new addition to the list is DEADLINE by RIDs to arrive at our CGW TOP 10 we need to be able to Infocom. An Atari game, SHAMUS, just missed making it into compare these scores. By figuring the mean score of a RID we the TOP 10. We'll give it another opportunity in RID #6. can compare the score of a game in that RID with the mean. We can then adjust the score to an overall average score for all RIDs and thereby come up with a rating that can be compared in a fair manner to other games in other RIDs. For example a game rated at 6.20 in RID #4 (which sports a generous 6.80 average) should not be considered as strong a game as a game rated at 6.20 in RID #5 (with a stingy 5.95 average score). The adjusted score will rate the 6.20 game in RID #5 as a better game than the 6.20 game in RID #4. In addition, games in the TOP 10 are automatically resubmitted for evaluation in the next RID. The adjusted score of a game in the TOP 10 will be an average of its adjusted ratings for the various RIDS in which it appears. In summary, the ratings listed for a game from now on will be adjusted to an overall standard, For anyone interested the standard will be 6.37 which is the mean of the means of the first four RIDs. This number will be the fixed mean for comparison purposes in future RIDs. In our next issue we will give the adjusted scores for ALL the games from the various RIDs. THE RANKINGS The adjusted scores have had .42 points added to them to adjust them to the overall RID rating system. To compare a rating to that of a game in another RID you must adjust the score of past RIDs. RID #2 results — subtract .22 from all scores; RID #3 — add .20; RID #4 — subtract .43.

R.I.D. #6 (Use business reply card provided) GAMES Rate the following games using a scale of 1 (terrible) to 9 (outstanding). In marking your evaluation be sure to consider the following aspects of the game: PRESENTATION (this includes such things as graphics, sound, packaging, documentation); GAME DESIGN (apart from the presentation, is the game well designed, playable, interesting?); LIFE (does the game wear well?). Leave blank the box of any game which you have not played or have not played enough to have formed an opinion. ARTICLES Rate the following selected articles on a scale of 1 (terrible) to 9 (outstanding). If the article does not interest you enter "0".

SILICON (from p. 40) wrong choice has its weight de- Of course, there are other questions Now we have three sets of figures to creased. After a period of time, the that can be asked, and perhaps use. If the player won the previous program starts to "learn" which some reader would like to explore round, we would use (L5,C2,W4); if he method (if any) works best. Again, some of these. For instance, what if lost, (L3,C8,W2); and if he tied, we may want to save weights for you play for a larger sum as goal? (L7,CO,W2). Other tyes of context each player to take advantage of What if you allow players to pick that the program could save include individual tendencies. different numbers, say from 1 to 10? whether the player is ahead, behind, CONCLUSION . . . or from 2 to 5 only? Who has the or even, and what he has chosen in advantage? What is the strategy to the last 10 moves, 20 moves, I've described some very simple, use in these cases? statistic-based methods for program etcetera., As always, I would welcome hearing "learning". They provide a way for from readers who have programs All of the "learning" that we've progr ams to improve their play which are superior to the ones used looked at so far is really just gather- against human opponents. They are here, or interesting problems, com- ing statistics and using them to based on learning to anticipate a ments, observations, generalizations, computer probabilities. Performance given opponent and work best when interesting special cases, some improves with a greater amount of information is saved and the same knowledge of the history of any of the data, so the program will want to person plays over and over again. problems used here — in short, save information from game to Properly implemented, they may anything that relates to the exciting game and, probably, from session to help to avoid the quick boredom world of recreational mathemagical session, Furthermore, the information that often sets in when a player finds m icrocomputing. Write to me directly: should be keyed to different human himself quickly mastering a given players, that is, the program should game. We'd be interested in hearing Dr. Michael W. Ecker save one set of data for me and from any of you who have played COMPUTER GAMING WORLD another for you, since we probably around with these or other learning Luzerne 8 play differently. techniques. Viewmont Village If we want to, we can introduce a Scranton, PA 18508 higher level of learning. Let's say that MATHEMAGIC (from p. 41) Enjoy the mathemagic! I hope to the program produces three guesses hear from many of you very soon! each round using three different Why not type in the program listing Mike methods: total distribution (L,C,W); and give the game a try? (Don't pattern matching; and won/lost/ worry, I'll still be here when you come tied distribution. It assigns each back!) Dr. Michael W. Ecker is Assistant method as initial weight of 100. It Professor of Mathematics at the Penn- gets the three choices and selects sylvania State University's Worthington Scranton Campus. When not playing with the choice with the heaviest total Having played, I wonder whether weight. After the player enters his his TRS-80 Model 3, he is involved in other you noticed a strategy for winning. areas of recreational mathematics and actual pick, the program checks (No fair scrutinizing the program that problem solving as the Problem Editor of a each method to see if it was right or closely!) Can you see how to win collegiate mathematics journal and as a wrong. A method that made the against another human opponent? member of the Mathematical Association right choice gets its weight increased Who has the natural advantage? of America's Committee on High School by some amount; any that made How do you win? Contests.