Computer Gaming World Issue

Game Playing Aids from Computer Gaming World

COSMIC BALANCE SHIPYARD DISK Contains over 20 ships that competed in the CGW COSMIC BALANCE SHIP DESIGN CONTEST. Included are Avenger, the tournament winner; Blaze, Mongoose, and MKVP6, the judge's ships. These ships are ideal for the gamer who cannot find enough competition or wants to study the ship designs of other garners around the country. SSI's The Cosmic Balance is required to use the shipyard disk. PLEASE SPECIFY APPLE OR ATARI VERSION WHEN ORDERING. $15.00 ROBOTWAR TOURNAMENT DISK CGW's Robotwar Diskette contains the source code for the entrants to the Second Annual CGW Robotwar Tournament (with the exception of NordenB) including the winner, DRAGON. Also included is the winner of the First Annual Tournament, NORDEN+. Twelve robots in all. Muse Software's ROBOTWAR'" required to use tournament disk. $12.00. CGW BASEBALL DISK Contains the four teams of the All Star League reported on in 3.3 (AL West All Stars, Al East, NL West, and NL East); the six teams of the 1982 Winter League (see 3.3), the eight teams of the Greatest Baseball Team of All Time Tournament, and a reprint of the results of The GBTOAT tournament from issue 2.3. SSI's Computer Baseball Apple version required to use data disk. Apple version only. $12.00. Send check or money order to: Computer Gaming World, Disk Order Dept., P.O. Box 4566, Anaheim, CA 92803-4566. California residents please add 696 sales tax. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Vol. 4 No. 4 August 1984 Features JUPITER MISSION 9 Avalon Hill's Four Disk Adventure Game Mark Bausman FIFTH ESKADRA 11 Modern Naval Warfare William Highfield EXCALIBUR 12 Review, Strategy and Tactics David Townsend EXCALIBUR DESIGNER'S NOTES 13 Chris Crawford WAR IN RUSSIA 14 A View From a Playtester Tom Cheche PRESIDENT ELECT and 1984 16 Reagan Takes on Mondale, Hart and Jackson Johnny Wilson LODE RUNNER CONTEST 22 Your Design Could Be a Winner FIGHTER COMMAND 24 A Review Tom Cheche GALACTIC GLADIATORS meet 26 the STAINLESS STEEL RAT Johnny Wilson TWO FLIGHT SIMULATORS 28 Flight Simulator II & Solo Flight Roy Wagner CRYPT OF MEDEA 35 A Review Robert Reams Departments TAKING A PEEK 6 Screen Photos & Brief Comments INSIDE THE INDUSTRY 10 Reader Survey Results Dana Lombardy DISPATCHES 18 The State of the Industry Dan Bunten SCORPION'S TALE 20 Sorcerer Tips Scorpia ATARI PLAYFIELD 23 For the Atari Gamer David Stone COMMODORE KEY 30 For the C-64 Gamer Roy Wagner THE SILICON CEREBRUM 34 Some Comments on Sundog Bruce Webster MICRO-REVIEW 38 (Expedition Amazon) THE NAME OF THE GAME 42 Third Wave? Jon Freeman TELE-GAMING 43 Patricia Fitzgibbons READER INPUT DEVICE 46 You Rate the Games GAME RATINGS 47 Over 80 Games Rated 3

Broderbund Software Infocom the historic ME-262, first production jet 17 Paul Dr. 55 Wheeler St. fighter. MicroProse's whole "Ace" San Rafael, CA 94903 Cambridge, MA 02138 series is certainly worth the price. In this case, $29.95. Atari and C-64. THE PRINT SHOP:Although not a SEASTALKER: A new interactive fic- game, we want you to know about this tion game written for the beginner. In the new product from Broderbund. With tradition of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Penguin Software The Print Shop your Apple II/III Com- Under The Sea, Seastalker was written 830 4th Ave. puter (along with one of several popular by Jim Lawrence who has authored some Geneva, IL 60134 printers) can be used to create letterhead, 60 books of fiction (many of these were greeting cards, flyers, banners, signs, ghosted for series like Tom Swift Jr., The and much more! If you have ANY reason Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and The Bobb- to communicate through the written sey Twins). Available for most systems ARCADE BOOT CAMP: OK, arcade word (that's all of us) then you will find at $39.95. fans, here are all your favorites rolled up The Print Shop valuable. Using the into one game. Mazes, ladders, racers, graphics ability of your printer, The space invaders, etc. Work yourself up Print Shop can use any of eight MicroProse Software from a lowly private to Sergeant Major. typestyles, three typeformats, nine 10616 Beaver Dam Rd. Apple. $29.95. border designs, and dozens of pictures Hunt Valley, MD 21030 to create personalized stationary, etc. MAP PACK: Graphics source disk that There is a graphics editor which allows SPITFIRE ACE: Like their Hellcat Ace includes maps of all 50 states, the U.S., you to modify any of the illustrations pro- and Mig Alley Ace games, Spitfire Ace Canadian provinces, and the continents. vided, create your own from scratch, or puts you into a fighter cockpit as you Must be used in conjunction with the load and use graphics created with other fight for the skies. This particular game Complete Graphics System or other graphics packages. We highly recom- has fourteen scenarios that range from graphics utilities (such as the Print Shop mend it. $50.00. the Battle of Britain to a dogfight with mentioned above). Apple. $19.95. Sierra On-Line determine bomb/fuel ration, and cruis- Sierra On-Line Building ing altitude. After each mission you will Coarsegold, CA 93614 be evaluated by the computer and awarded points based on difficulty of mission, STORY MAKER: Although billed as "A accuracy of bombing, number of enemy story construction kit for ages 7-14", planes shot down, etc. Apple, Atari, Story Maker will be of interest to many C-64. $39.95. adults. With Story Maker you can con- struct illustrated stories, draw cartoon OBJECTIVE KURSK: Gary Grigsby's strips, write illustrated letters, keep a game of grand-tactical tank warfare dur- diary or journal, etc. You can even use ing the Eastern Front campaign of the program to make up a party game in WWII. A total of more than 4000 tanks which the guests each take turn writing clash as the German player is given 11 part of the story. Apple, C-64, Atari (3rd days to take Kursk. Apple, Atari. $39.95. quarter). $34.95.

Strategic Simulations 883 Stierlin Rd. That's right! We need your insights! Bldg. A-200 Thanks to the suggestion of some of you Mountain View, CA 94043-1983 readers, we will be adding a new column on strategy game playing tips. But this 50 MISSION CRUSH: A role-playing column will only get off the ground with game that puts you in charge of a B-17 your help! So here are the details: bomber. As part of the 8th Air Force 306 1. The column will be limited to printing Bomber Group, you must try to survive tips and strategies on strategy computer fifty raids over France and Germany. As games. This includes wargames, sports B-17 commander, you select your crew, games, economic and other "real life" simulations, and certain "classic" style computer games (such as Penguin's Pen- sate or SSI's Fortress). 2. The tips/strategies should be precise and to the point (don't give a mini-review of the game). While we want there to be some substance to your tips (i.e. the tip, "Never attack the Germans at less that 2-1 odds" won't do), we want you to keep it under 250 words. Most strategies should be no more than two or three paragraphs in length. 3. Payment for tips and strategies used in CGW will be two issues of CGW (either in the form of a two issue exten- sion to your current subscription or in the form of a two issue "mini- subscription".

4. Submissions should be typewritten or neatly printed. Send your tips to: Strategy Tips c/o Computer Gaming World P.O. Box 4566 Anaheim, CA 92803-4566

JUPITER MISSION by Mark Bausman

Name: Jupiter Mission 1999 Type: Arcade/Adventure System: Atari Format: Disk –Players: One Author: Scott Lamb Price: $50.00 Publisher: Avalon Hill, Microcomputer Games Baltimore, MD

Jupiter Mission 1999 is the new, one encounters an asteroid storm and the two by playing a color matching game. Avalon player, arcade/adventure game from Avalon regular crew are killed. The computer, as Hill refers to this program as a reaction time Hill. It consists of eleven different programs a result, turns over control of the ship to you. game. You must wait for matching colors spread over four disks and places you to appear on the screen and then press the The first program is a slow arcade game aboard the USSN Space Ship Beagle on it's trigger before they change. Of the parts I which asks you to shoot the falling asteroids journey to Jupiter. Actually, you are one of have played, this one is by far the most bor- before they hit the ship. They only fall one a three man crew. You have been chosen ing. I suggest that once you get through here at a time and they are usually on a predic- not because of any special abilities, but with a relatively undamaged ship, you save table course but there are a lot of them and because you are an average person and the game and never bother to replay the first sometimes you don't even get a chance to therefore you give the mission a "random" two programs. The end of the repair pro- shoot. Every one that hits the ship causes factor which the government felt was gram brings you to the end of disk one. some damage that may or may not be necessary for a successful completion. The second disk gets a bit more difficult. repairable. A damaged ship can mean First, you must bring the Beagle back onto disaster in later phases of the game, so it is the proper course for Jupiter. This involves The premise here is that two strangers a good idea to play this section again and finding out how to navigate the ship and have pulled you from your bed in the dead again in order to get off to a good start. Of then doing the course change. Once in the of night and have asked you to come with course, some damage is repairable and Jupiter System, you must find out how to them. The journey takes you to the local repairing the Beagle is the second program launch a probe and gather data concerning spaceport where you are whisked to an or- you face. In this program, you are given a the moons. Some moons will be biting space station. From there, you are schematic of the ship and are to move a large uninteresting while others will provide in- taken to the space ship where you meet a cursor to various sections of the ship to formation that takes you closer to the source computer named Beagle. The game starts determine the sections status. If a section six months into the journey when the ship has a damaged module, you may repair it Continued on page 39 INSIDE THE INDUSTRY by Dana Lombardy

Here are the results of the survey in the Again, the readers picked Adventure and types of computer games, although the April, 1984 issue of CGW (4.2) that asked the Wargames as the categories that they most others were played. readers what their favorite games are and favored. Fully 80% of the readers of CGW Solitaire style play was almost the only how they play them. say that these two categories are their method used for play. Solitaire was preferred favorite, with the remaining 20% split bet- over player vs. player by a factor of more The different types of computer games ween Arcade, Abstract, and Sports/Other than 5 to 1. were grouped into five categories for the games. Apparently, the readers of CGW are not purposes of the survey: Adventure games; involved in tele-gaming in any significant Wargames; Arcade games; Abstract games numbers yet. Despite the fact that tele- which included such games as Sargon PART III gaming cam provide another means of Chess, Fortress, and other chess, checkers, solitaire play, there was zero responses to and backgammon type games; and, finally, The last two parts dealt with how the this as a favorite form of gaming, and only Sports/Other games which included such readers played their computer games. The 6% are currently involved in tele-gaming. games as Computer Baseball, Championship first question asled them to check each type We'll have the results of the survey in Golf, Cartels & Cutthroats, and M.U.L.E. of play that they were involved in at least issue 4.3 in the next column. Thanks to all three times a month. those who participated in these surveys, and good gaming! PART I Solitaire (player vs. computer) 98% The readers were asked to check each Player vs. Player (using the same category of computer games that they computer) 44% played at least five times a month. The total Tele-Gaming (vs. human or com- for all five categories is greater than 10Q/ puter via modem) 6% because a reader could check more than one Spectator (watch a game or category. demonstration) 11% Whether by choice of not, solitaire gam- 1. Adventure 64% ing is the largest form of computer play. It 2. Wargame 73% was somewhat surprising that spectator 3. Arcade 53% mode was almost double that of tele-gaming. 4. Abstract 12% 5. Sports/Other 39% PART IV It was no surprise that the readers of CGW The last question asked the readers to play mostly computer Adventure games and check the one type of play that they do each Wargames. The strong showing of month (their favorite). Sports/Other games, as well as the very low number for Abstract games, was Solitaire 84% unexpected. Player vs. Player 16% Tele-Gaming 0% Spectator 0% PART II Solitaire was expected to dominate the results, but not by as great a margin as it did. The very poor showing of tele- The readers were then asked to check the gaming was a surprise. one category of computer game they played the most (their favorite). SUMMARY 1. Adventure 32% 2. Wargame 48% The reader of CGW who responded to the 3. Arcade 8% survey identified him or tier self as most in- 4. Abstract 3% terested in computer Wargames and Adven- 5. Sports/Other 9% ture games by a wide margin over other FIFTH ESKADRA: Modern Conflict in the Mediterranean

by William Highfield

Unlike most SSI wargames which do not give you the choice of which side to play in solitaire mode, FE lets Name: Fifth Eskadra you play either side against the Type: Wargame computer. System: Apple The release of FE convinces me #Players: 1-2 that Simulations Canada will be clim- Author: W. J. Nichols Publisher: Simulations Canada bing in importance in the computer simulation field. Ed. Note: Like Simulation Canada's first two computer wargames, Grey Seas, Grey Skies, and Fall Gelb, FE is "Biiillll, telephone for you!" CO's initiative and reliability could played with the aid of a traditional Arrggghh! Interruptions, interrup- lead him to pick his own destination fold-out map and cardboard tions! How can you fight a war with and mission (which can either counters. Also, as in the first two all these interruptions! It was pro- frustrate a Theatre commander or games, the program itself is un- bably just as well.... imitating Mr. save a task force from an unexpected protected so that the gamer can study Spock's mind-meld with a computer peril). and/or modify the program as it suits may be a bit extreme.... but that's Perhaps FE's most interesting him. This is a laudable act on Sim- how Fifth Eskadra can affect you. feature is the pre-turn phase which Can's part and we appeal to the gam- allows the player to escalate or de- ing community to eschew pirated escalate the conflict. Your choices copies of this, or any other computer Fifth Eskadra (FE) is a strategic- consist of Rising Tensions (peace), game. It would be marvelous to be level game dealing with a fictional Conventional Warfare, Tactical able to study the code on the wide modern naval war in the Mediterra- Nuclear Warfare, Operational range of computer wargames. nean Sea. Fog of war is this game's Nuclear Warfare, and the un- strongest suit, but not its only one. choosable Global Nuclear Warfare. Strategy Tips Each turn represents eight hours Each turn both players choose a level, with phases for conflict level declara- with the highest choice winning. If, Here are some tips on playing the tion, task force adjustment, move- for example, NATO picks "Rising game well: ment, combat (submarine vs. sur- Tensions" and the Soviet picks "Con- face), intelligence reports, and ventional Warfare", then the level of 1. For the NATO player: Relax with airstrike and surface-to-surface conflict for the turn would be con- the knowledge that you will lose the missile combat. Each player (NATO ventional warfare. Each turn of Kitty Hawk. Use that! Go for blood! and Soviet) begins with major surface Operational Nuclear level conflict One good airstrike can wipe out an ships and significant submarine gives a 50% chance of the game en- entire Soviet Task Force. forces. Surface ships act in task ding with no winner due to the spec- forces (up to 10 per side) while sub- tre of a global nuclear holocaust. 2. For either side: Use power projec- marines act alone. Each ship has Operational level is a last ditch at- tion ashore to rack up points on shore ratings for SOA (Speed Of Advance), tempt to win — ICBM's enter the at- bombardment. Commanding Officer's Reliability, mosphere and automatically destroy and Commanding Officer's In- every, repeat EVERY aircraft carrier 3. Try to sweep the seas of enemy itiative. All the player does, is give a in the game. Each escalation of the subs. Subs are deadly for surface destination, a type of mission, and conflict cost the instigator in victory forces.... even those with an anti-sub hope that the task force commander points, with the cost increasing as role! will act accordingly. Of course, the does the level. Continued on page 38 EXCALIBUR: Review, Strategy & Tactics

by David P. Townsend

Name: Excalibur The Round Table Room allows Arthur to monitor the Type: Adventure/Wargame relationships between his knights, Queen Gwynevere, and System: Atari himself. He can give gifts or bestow honors in effort to #Players: 1 maintain his knights loyalty, and banish those considered Author: Chris Crawford beyond redemption. If all of the knights get too disloyal, Ar- Larry Summers thur will be overthrown and the game will end. This room Valerie Atkinson Price: $29.95 is also used to select which knights will accompany Arthur Publisher: Atari Program on foreign campaigns. Exchange The Trap Room is a special case, used only when another king invades Arthur's kingdom and starts raiding crops. A look at the authors should tell you that this game should Arthur has the choice of staying inside this room until the be a good one. In Excalibur, the player takes the role of King enemy leaves, meaning the affairs of the kingdom get Arthur, attempting to unite Britain through the use of bat- neglected, or he can offer battle. tle, diplomacy, and magic. And while there is no provision Moving out of Camelot, the Britain module allows Arthur for more than one player, it is both a demanding and to raid other kingdoms and to visit the castles of his vassals fascinating game. to get their tithes. The Battle module also allows Arthur and The game itself is divided into three modules, Camelot, his army to fight his enemies, in a manner reminiscent of Britain, and Battle. The importance of this is that only one Legionnaire. Don't however, be surprised when you get can be in memory at a time, so that when you move from back to Camelot after a battle to discover that much has one module to another you must wait for the computer to gone on in your absence, for the game takes place in "real" swap the current module out to disk and bring the new time, and other kings may take advantage of your absence module into memory. Most of Arthur's time though, will in order to raid Camelot. The game can be saved at any time be spent in Camelot, which is further divided into five except during battle, and a pause control is also available. "rooms". In outline, a full game tends to go through five stages. At Merlin's Room allows Arthur to use Merlin's magic to in- the outset of the game, all sixteen kings begin building ar- fluence other kings, put a plague on their armies, a mies for the campaigns to come. Each of the kingdoms pestilence on their crops, or to examine the state of their kingdoms and armies. Magic must be used sparingly, as each use of Merlin weakens him, compelling him to rest for progressively longer periods of time, during which periods he is unavailable. The Treasury Room allows Arthur to manage the financial affairs of the kingdom and the army. He can raise or lower taxes, expand or decrease the army, survey the wealth of his kingdom, and see how much his vassals are giving him in tithes. The Throne Room is where Arthur conducts his foreign policy. A map of Britain shows the status of each of the 15 other kings (tributaries, neutral, vassal, or enemy). Arthur uses this map to declare war on or give tribute to another king, see his current prestige, and to read the kingdom news. begins with a small "peacetime" army, and generally this though, so don't hesitate to see if that incoming army is go- period is spent building the armies' strength and ing to be too tough to handle. Remember, not all of a king's experience. army will accompany him on campaign, and the peasants The second phase of the game is entered when the armies will usually knock off a few men-at-arms, particularly if the have been built up, and is marked by a flurry of declaration invaders have little experience. Conversely, don't be afraid of war as the more aggressive kings begin to raid their to wait and let the enemy raid the crops if he looks too neighbors. Arthur most often seems to be the target of kings tough. Hengist and Penda, and it is against these two that Arthur A few simple tactics on the battlefield will increase your will most likely want to use Merlin's powers. chance of success. First, never be afraid to run away if the Phase three is entered when messages such as "King Continued on page 40 Horsa is weakening" appear in the news. This means that they soon will become someone's vassal if their fortunes do not change rapidly. It helps to have defeated some Designer's Notes enemies in battle by this time, as this will increase your prestige making you a more attractive candidate to be their on EXCALIBUR liege. Phase four is marked by the battle for vassals among the by Chris Crawford remaining kings in Britain. Additionally, some of the kings It is always a productive exercise to look back on a design with vassals may weaken and become vassals themselves. six months after it has been completed. Six months' worth This is important, since if a king becomes Arthur's vassal, of hindsight allows one to see through the obsessions of the any vassals that king might have had also become Arthur's concluding work and assess the strengths and weaknesses vassals. A great victory over a powerful king may net Ar- of the design more clearly. I look back on EXCALIBUR with thur three or more vassals. very different feelings than I have had for any of my other games. Each of my previous games in some way gave me cause The last phase is reached (if you survive) when only Ar- for regretting its release. Each had some flaw or blemish that thur and one other king remain. Diplomacy lessens in im- I wish I had corrected. EXCALIBUR is not without flaws, portance as the kings fight to the finish to determine who but I do not feel the sense of regret that I felt with my other will rule all Britain. games. Instead, I feel only deep pride in this game. The primary source of my pride is the fine interweaving Strategy and Tactics of so many elements into a unified whole. This game has A defensive/reactive strategy is an effective overall ap- diplomacy, economics, friendship, loyalty, treason, magic, proach to the game. The first three phases and much of the armies, campaigns, battles, pillage, and yes, even adultery. These elements were not merely thrown in as part of some fourth are spent building a large, experienced army, while laundry list; they are an integral part of the design. They all the other kings fight amongst themselves. Arthur then steps fit together smoothly. The cleanliness of the fit is not so much in and can defeat his weakened foes, especially if Merlin's a matter of programming as design. And I am very proud of it. aid is still available. Of course, battles will have to be fought I am also proud of the manual that comes with the game. against invaders, and vassals should be defended if near- Everybody knows that a game should never require more than a single sheet of rules, or perhaps a few pages, right? Well, by. Using the tactics below, most battles should be I violated that rule in a big way with my hundred-page victories. manual/novella. Maybe it is a mistake, but it is a glorious one. Phase one offers the most opportunity to spend time in Of course, there remain flaws that give me pain. The game the Round Table Room, free from the cares of foreign is still too "wargamy" for my taste; I wanted a game that would events. The loyalties of the knights mostly shift little by lit- emphasize the non-military aspects of leadership. In EX- CALIBUR, lack of military prowess will doom you, but lack tle, but sometimes knights will jump fair distance around of other skills (diplomatic, economic) will only cripple you. the table. The manual implies that anyone who is too good That's too wargamy. a friend to Gwynevere should be banished to maintain the I was also disappointed with the very weak system for loyalties of the others. Watch closely if this situation occurs alliances that we created with the TRIBUTE option. We had — if no one is becoming disloyal, don't banish anyone since once designed an option that allowed the player to create alliances, but it was too ambiguous to enforce. I wish that I you need all the knights you can get on the battlefield. had stuck with that idea and made it work. Remember also that when you honor a knight, you are in- The Round Table Room also failed to live up to my expec- creasing the percentage of troops he will command, so tations. I really wanted Arthur to have a big job keeping the don't overhonor your less battleworthy knights merely to loyalty of his knights, but the implementation of the Round keep their loyalty. Incidentally, you can't honor Table Room just doesn't support strong interaction between Arthur and his knights. What I had in mind was something Gwynevere, although you can give her gifts and banish her. like the newly-released game GOSSIP, which in fact was con- If the knights get farther than one shield's width away ceived as a study for the interpersonal game that would take from the Round Table, don't leave them alone in Camelot place in the Round Table Room. Unfortunately, kings don't or there will be a coup. Begin working on their loyalties gossip with their knights, and I never could find a way to get right away! strong interaction between Arthur and his knights. My greatest regret, though, is that EXCALIBUR has not won It is best not to use Merlin's powers too extensively ear- the attention that I think it deserves. This game is my magnum ly in the game. You should be able to handle all but the opus, much grander in scale than anything else I have done. largest army without having to plague it. Not much of his It is a shame that so few people are even aware of its existence. power is used in showing you other king's finances, WAR IN RUSSIA: The View From a Playtester

by Tom Cheche

Name: War in Russia specific level that is being simulated. In WIR, Grigsby has Type: Wargame succeeded in recreating the feel of the problems and con- System Apple, Atari siderations at the Operational level. # Players 1-2 Author Gary Grigsby Axis Strategy Notes: Price: $79.95 Publisher: Strategic Simulations Aircraft are initially deployed in six Luftflotten, but as the Mountain View. CA Axis offensive moves to the east the Axis player will quickly consolidate those aircraft into two large groups for ground Tom Cheche was a playtester for War in Russia. support. Air bases can be leap-frogged towards the ever- advancing front in order to allow the greatest number of After more than a year of playtesting, Strategic Simula- aircraft possible in the air every turn. tions has finally released its long awaited eastern front Aircraft located near the northern edge of the map in "monster" game, War In Russia, (WIR) by Gary Grigsby. Norway can strike Allied convoys to Murmansk and Ar- An operational-level treatment of the Axis invasion of the changel, but the investment does not prove to be worth the Soviet Union, WIR covers Operation Barbarossa, from aircraft. Only occasionally are those convoys attacked, 1941 through 1945, along with two "shorter" scenarios. when attacks to take place they are not terribly effective, Case Blue covers the German summer offensive of 1942, and the aircraft factors (1 factor = 0 aircraft) are sorely and Zitadelle deals with the final German offensive of 1943 needed for ground support in the drive towards Moscow. at Kursk and the Soviet counterattack. Each scenario can Air bases are most effective when they are a maximum be played in a long or short version. of two hexes away from the target, since escorts can be WIR is played in one-week turns on a 31 x 32, scrolling employed in strikes up to two hexes away. On the other hi-res map with each hex being 50-miles across. There is hand, nagging Soviet air strikes can be neutralized by at- also a strategic map display in the Apple version which tacking Soviet air bases, although the benefits don't last gives the players an idea of the "big picture". Up to two very long. Soviet aircraft eliminated in ground attacks corps-sized units may be stacked in a hex, with corps return to the supply pipeline two turns later. capable of being broken down into divisional-sized Supply is the key to any Axis success. It is critical that elements. the Axis advance units not outrun supply, and so the Axis The format of WIR is distinctly that of a Gary Grigsby player must balance his desire to exploit any openings in design, with each turn comprised of a series of phases dur- the Soviet front with the need to wait for supply to catch ing which units are built, adjusted, and supplied. Units are up with the advance. moved strategically or have tactical movement plotted, German armor is precious and should be treated as such. airstrikes are plotted, and lastly, combat is resolved. But, Overextending armor can lead to disaster. The Soviet ar- while WIR is of a format similar to previous Grigsby games, tillery capability can be awesome, and a counterattack it is not another variation on the Guadalcanal Campaign against an out-of-supply armor group can have disastrous game system, as were Bomb Alley and North Atlantic '86. effects, especially if there is no avenue of retreat. WIR employs a game system completely new to the SSI This is another argument in favor of moderation by the line. attacking Axis, rather than a headlong charge eastward at full speed. With a stacking limit of two per hex, the Axis WIR is an example of what Gary Grigsby refers to when player can jam up his armor's escape routes with infantry. he talks about "programming for effect". In a simulation If that happens, and his armor takes a beating, there will of something as sprawling as the Eastern Front in WWII be no escape and the entire armor unit will be lost. it is not possible to represent every small detail. Instead, as Each turn the supply, vehicle, artillery, and manpower many factors as possible are incorporated into the program pools are updated, and the judicious use of those with the goal of recreating the "feel" that was felt at the replacements can be pivotal. New units can be created, or the available men and therefore, never have to be relocated should the Soviet machines can be sent directly to the front as replacements. counterattacks move the front far to the west. This second method has its advantages: When playing the Barbarossa scenario, it is probably ad- New units are created one division at a time, so it will visable for the Axis player to play for the long term and take more than a month to accumulate an entire new corps. build heavy industry. Barbarossa challenges the Axis After a new division has been created, it enters the board player to improve on the historical results of the 1941 sum- far to the rear. On its first turn it must make its way to the mer offensive, and get into Moscow before winter sets in. front and so will enter "rail" mode. Because a unit may on- In Case Blue, the Axis player has his best chance of bring- ly be in one movement mode per turn, this new unit will ing about a preemptive victory. Ignoring Leningrad, the Axis drive should concentrate on Moscow and Stalingrad. A competent Axis player can take those two cities in the first half of 1943. Gorki and Kubyshev, and with them, victory, can be had by Winter. Working under such a timetable then Axis player should invest in vehicles, artillery, and aircraft rather than heavy industry.

The Zitadelle scenario purports to be the final German offensive, but it is more a study in futility. No sooner do the Germans attack than the Soviets counterattack with devastating power. Their overwhelming artillery superiori- ty has telling effect, and the Germans have little hope of maintaining any momentum. Under these circumstances there appears to be little value in building heavy industry not be able to leave the railroad as it approaches the front for the long term. The Axis is, at this point, on the defen- on this turn. Hence, it will usually take two turns or more sive, and a long holding action-strategic withdrawal has to get this new unit into position at the front. begun. The alternative is to pump those troops and vehicles in- to front line units as replacements. They show up at the A simulation of the scope of WIR can teach as well as front immediately, and they can keep those armor entertain. The critical importance of supply to an offensive spearhead units operating at close to maximum strength. is graphically depicted, as well as the importance of air sup- Supply is maintained by rail, and the progress of the of- port. In fact, the lesson which is made most clear from play- fensive is often governed by the speed with which German ing WIR is that Hitler never should have launched Bar- gauge rail hexes are constructed. The deeper those rail barossa in the first place. hexes extend into Russia, the more likely the rail lines will be cut by partisans. Partisan activity can be suppressed by 20% for every 150 infantry points left in the pool, so in order to totally suppress the partisans a total of 750 infantry points will have to be left permanently in the pool. This is easier said than done. Because Supply is at the heart of WIR, and because the kinds of supplies that eventually get to the front are a function of the number of factories that have been built, the factory construction sequence is critical, somewhat complex, and requires some explanation. Each turn players have the opportunity to build factories up to their available limit. There are four types of factories; heavy industry, aircraft, artillery and vehicles. The development of heavy industry increases the ability to build factories, and so increases the factory building limit. But increasing the factory building limit is a two step process; first heavy industry must be built, then the specific factories. Factories may also be dismantled and rebuilt in different locations. When factories are actually built, the phasing player can choose the location from a list of available cities. But the Axis player should know that there is no reason to build factories anywhere but in Germany. Supplies get into the supply pool just as quickly from factories in Germany as they do from factories in cities closer to the front. They are also not vulnerable to attack in Germany, and will PRESIDENT ELECT and 1984 "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?"

by Johnny Wilson

PRESIDENT ELECT before and I took on the Mondale and Reagan debating on nuclear difficult task of trying to get something go- arms control, Central America, NATO, the ing with the Mondale campaign. The Labor role of the Federal Reserve Board, corporate Name: President Elect Day poll started out rather typically with taxation, and believe it or not illegal immigra- Type: Election Simulation Reagan holding an estimated 59% to 41% tion. The questions we were asked were so System: Apple edge in popular votes and a projected 508 to topical that it was unbelievable. This was one # Players 1-3 13 edge in electoral votes (only 17 were judg- advantage of using the human campaign Author: Nelson Hernandez ed too close to call). There are actually only managers, since the computer will rarely Price $39.95 two extremely variable ways to shake up allow Reagan to debate. Nevertheless, it Publisher: Strategic Simulations established positions: debates and foreign wasn't a great deal of fun to run Mondale Mountain View, CA trips. In attempting to breakup Reagan's in- against Reagan under historical conditions vincibility, I tried both tactics. (I used parameters of 8.7% inflation and 9.2% The first tactic was a debate. According to unemployment to offset game author Her- the news media, Mondale won the debate nandez' view of 0% inflation and full employ- held in week #2. He won in points by 34 to ment. I also used a shaky world situation of It's been almost 20 years since Paul Simon 29 and in intangibles by 19 to 13. Never- 3 — relatively negative to try to offset the pictured Mrs. Robinson pouring over the economic stability of 1984: 2 — relatively candidates on a Sunday afternoon; laughing, healthy in spite of ominous indicators of a shouting, choosing, and in the end, losing. technical nature). I asked myself if the other Simon's song hit a subconscious chord for major candidates would be any more "elec- my generation. It asked where the heroes had table." Gary Hart claimed that he was. gone and where a clear-cut choice could be Using the Hart profile provided in the possible. sidebar to this article, the simulation was If you're a conservative Republican, the much closer than the Mondale-Reagan choice is clear-cut. In 1984, Ronald Wilson match-up, but Reagan began with enough Reagan will reprise his "good guy" roles from electoral votes to win in every simulation. the silver screen and win handily. As of the The computer didn't perform too poorly with writing of this article, the choice is not clear Hart vs. Reagan. In the strictly computer for the Democrats. It seems that each time managed simulation, the initial popular edge Walter F. Mondale closes in on the nomina- was 54% to 45% (Reagan over Hart) and election and looks like a certain victor, he loses toral votes were 345 to 36 with 157 too close a major primary contest. This, in turn, casts to call. Clearly, this campaign needed the doubt about his "electability." I felt that the "human touch." "electability" angle needed to be explored, theless, the gap only closed to 57% to 43% in so I tested it using SSI's PRESIDENT popular vote and to an extra 30 in the "too Once again, I attempted to put the Reagan ELECT. (Our editor, Russell Sipe, examin- close to call" column. By week #3, Reagan campaign at a disadvantage. This time, I ed the demographics related to incumben- was reasserting his strength. in week #4, managed the Hart campaign and allowed the cy in CGW 1.1 and determined that within Mondale's campaign tried the second tactic. computer to manage the President. On this this simulation, "....incumbency is probably This strategy, a trip to an unfriendly coun- occasion, Hart took a trip to a friendly coun- the single largest factor in voter popularity." try, backfired. From that moment on, the try and received good enough press to nar- — p. 34) It was recognized from the outset results were etched in concrete. By the time row the gap to 53% to 46% in popular vote that any Democratic challenger would have the smoke cleared, Mondale had lost the and 365 to 26 in electoral votes (with 147 "too a difficult time shaking up Reagan's strength popular vote by a margin of 68% to 32% and close to call"). Finally, on week #5 of the cam- in electoral votes, but the regularity of the the electoral votes by a margin of 535 to 3. paign, the digitized manager of the Reagan results was surprising to this writer. Needless to say, the simulation proved ex- campaign agreed to debate. At last, my Since Mondale lost handily when both the ceedingly disappointing to a Democrat. idealistic Democratic bias cried out, "I've got candidates were handled by the computer, One very interesting facet of the debate, the turkey now!" Indeed, Hart managed to I decided to try to use the human factors to however, was the apropos nature of the ques- WIN the debate in points (29 to 25), but only shake matters up. I recruited a campaign tions. Though the questions were written in tied the President in intangibles (with 22 manager for Reagan that had never seen 1981, it was extremely interesting to have apiece). This turn of events narrowed the gap to its most narrow point. Reagan held on to toral votes. Question: Does the fact that sion of this writer's paranoia, I was still look- a slight lead in popular vote (52% to 48%), but Reagan does better than Hart in challenging ing for a strong Democratic challenger to for the first time, no longer held enough elec- an incumbent under the same circumstances make a race out of the 1984 simulation. Out toral votes to win (191 to 168 with 179 "too indicate 1) that Reagan is a better candidate of curiosity, I turned to Jesse Jackson. close to call"). Those figures proved as il- than Hart or 2) that there is a definite conser- lusory, as they faded to a typical 55% to 44% vative bias in the demographics built into I set up the computer as campaign manager and 370 -7 (with 161 "too close to call") by the PRESIDENT ELECT. As a player (with an for both sides in the Reagan—Jackson race. next week. With no news, gaffes, or bad press admitted tilt toward the left, personally), it The Labor Day poll was ominous. Jackson to explain it, Hart's miraculous campaign was already losing by a fatal 61% to 39% in turned sour and finished with a Reagan vic- popular votes and Reagan already had 479 tory. Final results were 59% t 0 41% and 535-3. electoral votes to Jackson's 17 and the meagre "too close to call" total of 42. It turned out It was certainly a closer race with Hart vs. that this race, like the others, was not "too Reagan, but I still had not created the close to call" and finished with the exact elec- playability of a GAME. Thus far, I had en- toral vote count as the other simulations - joyed some marginally interesting simula- Reagan 535—Jackson 3. The big difference tions, but not a GAME. Sipe, in the article here was that Reagan's popular vote margin referenced earlier, had claimed that in- was even wider over Jackson than over Mon- cumbency was the primary factor. I dale (69% to 31%). With that kind of dispari- wondered what would happen if I ran Hart ty, I didn't even try the human factor in that as the incumbent against Reagan as the race. challenger with the exact same parameters regarding the world situation and national economy. Hart won handily! It is ques- I think the only people who will want to tionable whether he would have in a longer replay these simulations from a Democratic campaign. In both computer managed and perspective would be those with Alf Landon human simulations, Reagan consistently seems that there is a conservative bias in the Syndrome (Republican Presidential hammered away at Hart's strength. In the demographics. Otherwise, I find it hard to nominee from Kansas who only won in computer campaign, with no debate occur- explain the sudden erosion of Hart's support Maine and Vermont in 1936) or George ring, Hart won 55% to 45% in popular votes, in the friendly trip and winning debate game McGovern Complex (Democratic Presiden- but only managed a 362 - 176 victory in elec- and the much better showing by Reagan tial nominee from South Dakota who only toral votes. In the human managed cam- against an incumbent. Please note that the managed to pull in Massachusetts and the paign, Hart managed to pull off a slightly bet- only different factor is the initial District of Columbia in 1972). On the other ter 56% to 44% victory in popular votes, but randomization. hand, if you are a Republican. . . happy a significantly better 471-67 victory in elec- Whether or not such a right tilt is a delu- stumping! q

SUGGESTED RATINGS FOR PRESIDENT ELECT

Hart Jackson

Strong Environmental Laws 8 8 Strong Consumer Protection 7 9 Gun Control 6 7 Equal Rights Amendment 9 9 Busing For Integration 7 9 Affirmative Action Programs 7 9 Legalized Abortion 7 6 National Health Insurance 6 9 Increased Unemployment Benefits 8 7 Increased Welfare Benefits 5 8 Tax Cuts For Business 5 2 Tax Cuts For Individuals 3 4 Reducing Regulation Of Business 6 4 Slash Budget To Balance 6 5 Raising Business Production #1 8 5 Decrease Defense Spending 6 9 Salt Treaty 9 8 Trade With Communist Nations 6 8 Increased Foreign Aid (3rd World) 9 9 Condemn South Africa 9 9 Recognize PLO 6 9 Non-interventionism In Foreign Pol. 5 8 Tight Congressional Control of CIA 8 9 Emphasis On Human Rights 9 9 Subtle Diplomacy In Foreign Policy 6 4 SPEAKING ABILITY 8 9 PERSONAL MAGNETISM 8 8 POISE 7 7 (Higher # = degree of support) To a certain extent I agree. The market fast action. "Julius Irving and Larry Bird Go that was controlled and manipulated by a One On One" allows a player to really get few of the hardware manufacturers, soft- a feel for basketball and to experience pride ware publishers and game developers is in the way you can do turn-around-jump- gone forever. The days of "me too" arcade shots. (You can even shatter the backboard games written by "whiz kid" programmers with an over zealous slam dunk!) in a couple of months of their spare time are in the past. So too are the times when Atari, Activision, Imagic and others could crank DISPATCHES out titles one after another and rake in the Simple eye-hand action games are dead Insights From the cash. But my perception is that that the but what else can we say about the future market has not disappeared, it has matured. of computer games? I feel certain there will Strategy Game The "arcade craze" was an intense but be other obituaries to write. "Computer Design Front short-lived phenomenon. The public has board games" seem to me to have a short satisfied their need to control little animated life expectancy. Although these games of- objects on the screen. Their eye-hand coor- fer more potential interactions than arcades dination has been sufficiently challenged do, they require too much from players and and exhausted. They have blasted all the often deliver too little. In general, any game aliens, eaten all the dots, navigated all the that was suitable as a board game will make mazes and rescued all the damsels! a bad computer game. This is because of the differences in the two mediums. For instance a game like "Risk" is very easy to play on a board because all a player does is point and talk. ("I'm attacking there from here with all these men.") However, the computer equivalent (no longer on the market) required the player to specify the I.D. numbers of the origin and destination countries as well as the number of units to be included. Even if the computer provided a reasonably good opponent (which it didn't), this type of game would not be as good as an original design.

Games where the computer takes its turn then you take your turn are also "computer board games". Although there are situations where this type of design is appropriate, it is usually a "cop-out" by the designer. It's a lot easier to write a game where only one thing can happen at any moment. Another aspect of "computer board games" is their reliance on command languages. Single or multiple key-strokes are used to com- Dan Bunten municate the wishes of the player. The of Ozark Softscape player must memorize the commands or It's no wonder that companies that rode keep checking the "quick reference card". the crest of the "arcade craze" are now He is constantly reminded he is interacting floundering. It's equally not surprising that with a computer program. If an easier in- "the game industry" should be seen as fail- terface were used instead, the player could ing (at least to outsiders) since action/arcade forget he is playing a computer game and games represented the vase majority of the just go ahead and have fun. There was a time revenues generated. However, I am very op- before designers had much experience with timistic about games that fulfill the promise computers that board games were a logical of home computing and create a whole new starting place for a design. However, those There is one constant in the world of com- medium. days have passed. "Computer board games" puter games — the world is constantly may never completely die (since wargame designers are so enamored with them) but changing! This spring and summer I have To me the outlook has never been better! thankfully they are fading away! been to Softcon in New Orleans, a press tour With the death of the single-focus type ac- in New York, an Electronic Arts "Artist tion/arcade games, the attention of con- Symposium" in Silicon Valley, the Con- sumers has shifted towards more "substan- sumer Electronics Show in Chicago, and the tial" products. Best seller lists are now Another group of games that I see as even- Origins game conference in Dallas. At each populated by games that offer varied in- tually passing away are the word guessing place there have been many discussions teraction and more cerebral elements. games. These go by another name in some about where this field is going. The pro- Strategy games now far outnumber arcade circles — text adventure games. With or gnostications have ranged from mildly op- games in the lists. Just two years ago the op- without the hi-res pictures, the main limita- timistic to depressingly pessimistic. The posite was true. Even the arcade games that tion of adventure games seems to be figur- consensus, as much as it exists, is general- make the lists have more depth than ever ing out how to tell the computer what you ly negative. "The game market is dead" was before. "Lode Runner" includes strategic want to do rather than what to tell it. You proclaimed repeatedly. planing and puzzle solving along with its have to discover what words the parser (the thing that tries to make sense of your words) design of this type of game. I would love to you would swear it was a photo. I unders- understands. Granted, adventure games play one that didn't feel like the program- tand why the Lucasfilm folks thought this give you a sense of infinite possibilities. At mer was punishing me! would be an achievement and I agree with first it seems you can talk to the computer their logic. However, if after they perfect like another person. Then you realize the this technology they continue to produce So what will be left after all these genres person is deaf and you must use a keyboard only photographic type images of things that have bitten the dust? The new and in- to communicate. Before long you discover, could be photographed, they would be miss- novative products that will make this however, that you're dealing with a retard- ing the point! Most people would agree that medium what it can become. Products that ed deaf kid with a fourth grade vocabulary. the real potential of computer generated art don't copy from other mediums but learn Still and all these games have such a follow- would be the creation of images that could ing that they might survive. Maybe, they will not be done any other way. So it is with com- improve so much that rather than die they puter games. We have a new medium to in- will ascend into heaven! vent and we must break out of the old patterns. The final group of games to disappear in the next couple of years will be the linear Arcade games were great for the graphics quest games. These games consist of solv- and easy human interface they originated. ing a group of puzzles in a certain order that "Computer board games" taught us only the programmer knows for sure. At something about the potential for cerebral each crisis the player is rewarded for a depth in game design. Text adventures wrong decision with the death of his showed us how we would love flexible and character. Eventually you build up so many interactive communication in our games. "hit points", abilities and miscellaneous Finally, quest games told us how much fun paraphernalia that you can survive any it is to pretend to be part of something big- situation. However, you still have to ger than life. Now it's time to bring those discover what the programmer had in mind elements together in products that use the for you to do to finish the quest. Another ele- resources that are unique to our medium. ment (although not strictly necessary) is the from them to create something new. I am It's time to make something new! fact that all interactions with other creatures reminded of the recent (July/August) cover in the game will be stereotypical. In general, of "Science 84" which showed five billiard Dan Bunten is the author of Computer if it moves kill it! Obviously, the idea of balls that looked like a photograph shot at Quarterback, Cartels & Cutthroats, and "larger than life" heroic quests has great ap- a slow shutter speed. The caption said "this Cytron Masters all available from Strategic peal. But do I really have to die so many picture is a fake". It was the result of 100 Simulations. He is the lead designer of the times (or buy cheat sheets and cheat pro- hours of graphics analysis of Lucasfilm's Ozark Softscape group that wrote M.U.L.E. grams) to enjoy them? I hope the future will Vax computer. Shadows, reflections and and Seven Cities of Gold both available from bring more reasonable minds into the even blurred motion were so realistic that Electronic Arts. So, now that you can see what you're do- There seems to be something on the other ing, it's time to get up and look around the side, but the chasm is a bit too wide to jump. place. You'll soon notice you're quite alone However, there is a way across, and it here, and you won't be able to leave; at least, shouldn't take you too long to figure out how not by the front door. But we'll come to that (review your spells, if necessary). in a little while. In the meantime, do some snooping in the various rooms. You'll find Well, will you look at that? A tree full of a few helpful spells, and a few other in- Zorkmids! Or.... is it? Surprise! It's just an teresting items, as well. illusion, and all you end up with is, sigh, one grubby little coin. But, it's better than For instance, Belboz's room is worth look- nothing, and you certainly will be needing ing into. While you're doing that, listen to it! In fact, you'll be needing it twice, but we'll the birdie, and make sure you check out talk about that a little later. everything! When you leave, you should have Belboz's journal. If you don't, you By the way, throughout the game, there missed something, and you'll never get out will be times when you start to feel sleepy. of the Guild Hall. Don't worry about that; most anyplace is safe enough for you to stretch out and nap Another place you don't want to miss is awhile. However, I would not suggest us- the storeroom. Pay special attention to that ing either the riverbank or the drawbridge matchbook, and what's written on it. The for a bed! ochre vial is also important, so make sure you hang on to that, too (the calendar? Well, Speaking of the riverbank, let's trot on you can't eat the dates, hehehe, so you can over there now. Just looking at it, you'll pro- leave it if you like). And that receptacle in bably get the idea that swimming isn't the the lobby, now what could that be? ("Let- best thing to do here. You'd be right. Time ters, I get letters. . .") to check your list of spells, and see which one might do some good. Just remember to move fast (hopefully, you'll go in the right Once you've found everything there is to direction); nothing lasts forever! find on this level, and the mail has arrived, it's time to go look in the cellar. Aha! There's The fort is another interesting place to a mysterious trunk here, with some buttons SORCERER on it. I'll bet if you pushed the right buttons, visit. There are two items in this area that you'll be needing later, so take a good look the trunk would open up (and I'll bet if you around. The cannon, of course, is an ob- push the wrong ones, you'll never get it open!). So, how do we get it to open? vious hiding place. However, getting to the scrolls in the barrel seems impossible (hope you have some bandaids handy!). What can Well, notice the colors of the buttons? Do be done? Perhaps a look at your handy In- they remind you of anything? No? Better fotater might help. Especially when you look over all the goodies that came with the think about what you found in the vicinity game, very carefully! (You might find of the river! yourself going in circles here). Once you As told by Scorpia realize what the colors relate to, and which The other item is a little less obvious. But, colors are important today, you should have since there aren't many rooms or other ob- the trunk open in no time. jects in the fort, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding what you need. Just be careful not to overlook (or underlook!) And what's inside? Looks like a scroll to anything. Good to see you again! Step right in; I've me. One of those un-Gnusto-able scrolls, in fact. Read it carefully before using it; you been expecting you, and your usual chair Now it's time to go underground. Of only get one chance, and you don't want to is waiting. What's that? Oh, the dwarf course, you've been making a map as you blow it (of course, you saved the game first behind the bar? Fred is off this week; he's go along (haven't you?), and you've probably anyway, right?). There really is only one attending the National Grue Convention be- spent some time down below already. If you logical choice, so take some time to think ing held in Colossal Cave (they've reserved haven't, just poke around down there till about it. the Dark Room, of course!). Seems they're you come to the Toll Gate. Here you give up trying to get up a petition to ban electric your Zorkmid to get by, and, continuing fur- lights this year. Ah, but that's not what Ok, so now you're out of the Guild Hall.... ther on after that, you'll come to the in- you're here for, is it? Settle in, and we'll talk and standing in the forest, just like in the famous Glass Maze. about the trials and tribulations awaiting dream. And sure enough, there's the you as a Sorcerer. hellhound bearing down on you! Better get Actually, the maze is not all that hard, a move on (no, don't climb the tree!), it's for although trying to get through it could drive real this time! Once you get to the forest you batty. When you make it out the exit to Now, the first thing is, don't panic! Just edge, you'll be safe. the Hollow, you'll find a scroll there. because you see a nasty, drooling, deadly However, NOW you have a problem. Two, hellhound coming right at you, is no need in fact. For one thing, you can't take the to be worried. This time, it's only a dream From here, you have quite a few places scroll back with you through the maze. For (lucky you!). When you wake up, however, to explore and things to do. There's no way another, the maze will change as soon as it will be a different matter: you're in the past the magic minefield, so don't even you pick up the scroll (oops!). dark. But, if you've already been through bother trying; instead, try climbing down Enchanter, you should know how to shed the snake hole (the snakes are hiding today), Now what? Well, first, the answer to the a little light on the subject. and making your way to the Chasm Edge. scroll problem is really pretty simple. The solution is right there in the Hollow, prac- Shaft Bottom. The rope is important, so take Ok, you're just about ready to face Jeearr. tically staring you in the face. Think about that before you climb up to the mine. He's close by, as a matter of fact. You just it. The maze is another matter. There are, have to get past the nasty-looking vines in fact, two ways out. One is quick and dir- (should be easy), and into the cave. Ummm, ty, the other long and hard. The hard one The mine is a small (really small) maze of well, there's those grues, too. You'll have to is finding your way out through the new sorts; what would an Infocom be without have a way of dealing with them. And in this maze, which can be done, but it will take one? It shouldn't take you long to map it out case, light won't work (uh oh!). awhile (if you do this, you'll have to learn (it better not; your potion won't last a certain spell several times before you enter forever!). Along the way, you'll find a Once you pass the grues, you will come timber; take it with you, because you'll need the maze). to three doors. Two of them lead to very it soon. unpleasant consequences; the third will The other way requires using one of the bring you to what you've been looking for: spells you found in the Guild Hall. If you've your showdown with the demon. So, before Eventually, you'll come to the chute top. played around with that one at all, you know you open that door, you had best be This is the one your Older Self came down that it will always take you back to the place prepared. You will need to protect yourself a little while ago. However, before you can where you cast it, so if you're going to use first; do that before you open the door. slide down yourself, you must find the way it here, best cast the spell before entering When you see what's on the other side, to the Slanted Room. You have the rope and the maze. you'll know what other spell you need. the timber, which is all you need. All you Don't waste time, do what you must, and have to do is figure out how to use them, so quickly! Congratulations, Sorcerer, you are Ok, so now you're out of the Maze, and experiment a little there (it's a good idea to now the leader of the Circle! you have the scroll. But, you need a save the game, since it's likely you won't get Zorkmid, so you can enter the Amusement the solution the first time). q q q Park (don't ask me what an Amusement Park is doing down here!). The tree is gone, Whew! That's enough of magic for now. so you can't go there for one. However, In the Slanted Room, you'll find a scroll Next time, we'll come back to more mun- don't despair! There is a solution.... it just with a rather odd spell. It's meant to be us- dane matters (so to speak!), when we take requires a larcenous turn of mind, and quick ed right there. Read room descriptions a look at solving a murder in Deadline. Un- fingers. carefully before and after you cast the spell. You shouldn't leave empty-handed. til then, happy adventuring! For those of you who need some extra Once you have the coin, it's time to visit help, there are 3 ways to get in touch with that strange Amusement Park. Give your When you do come down the chute, you'll me: Zorkmid to the gnome and enter. You'll find be back in the Coal Bin Room, and here you By mail: send a self-addressed, stamped some rides here, as well as a Haunted will see your Younger Self (I said this was envelope, along with your questions, to: House. What you really want, though, is that the strangest part of the game!). This is a Scorpia, P.O. Box 338, Gracie Station, NY arcade at the far end. If you could just hit critical moment. If you don't do exactly the NY 10028. one of those cute little bunnies, I'll bet you right thing here, you will cease to exist. On the Source: SMAIL to ST1030. could win a prize. You can't do that on your Think back to what happened when you On CompuServe: GO GAM-310. own, but you should have something with first entered this room, and do likewise. This column is copyrighted 1984 by Scor- you that will help. pia. All rights reserved.

When you get your prize, take a look in Now it's time to go down the lower chute, the Carving Room (no, it's no? the place to before you choke. Ah, air again! You've cut up turkeys!). One carving in particular made your way to a lagoon. In fact, you're stands out. Look over your spells; you will probably pretty dirty from all that messing need TWO of them here. When you've us- around in the mine, so why not take a swim ed the right ones properly, you will be able and wash up? You might even find to progress into the Sooty Room. something of interest!

Now, you are about to embark on the strangest part of this adventure. The Sooty Room leads to the Coal Bin Room, and here you will find breathing to be rather difficult. You'll need a potion here; I sure hope you did the right thing with the matchbook!

But the real surprise is when you meet.... yourself! Your Older Self, in fact, sliding in- to the room from a chute above. Listen carefully to what your twin tells you, you'll need that information. Also, remember that you're dealing with yourself here, so act accordingly (remember the Golden Rule?).

After your twin dives down the lower chute, you can proceed on to the Dial Room. Opening the door in here should be no problem, and you will soon find yourself in the LODE RUNNER

Contest!

There is nothing quite like the thrill of a CONTEST RULES LODE RUNNER level you've never seen Your name and address The format of the disk (Apple, Atari, C64, IBM) The before. But by now, of course, You've played 1. All entries must have a possible solu- number of levels contained on it. all one hundred and fifty levels and the truth tion, that is, you must be able to get all the is beginning to sink in; you may never see gold and advance to the next level. If the solu- 5. Mail your entry to: another NEW level! Egad! Can 150 actual- tion to your puzzle is difficult, please in- ly be not enough? clude a description of how to beat it. Lode Runner Contest Computer Gaming World is glad to an- 2. All entries will be judged on the basis C/O Computer Gaming World nounce a new contest that will satisfy this of originality and playability. Prizes will be P.O. Box 4566 craving and give you a chance to awarded in the following categories. demonstrate your creative talents at the Anaheim, CA 92803-4566 same time. Just send in your own LODE ARTISTIC: Visual appearance is what counts here. Do you have a level that looks RUNNER designs and we'll share the best 6. All entries must be received no later like something? Does it contain a word or with everybody. CGW will publish a disk of than October 30, 1984. message? Remember to be original. the winners and runners-up so that we can 7.All entries become the property of Com- all join in the fun. CHALLENGING TO SOLVE: These are the puter Gaming World. The most exciting thing about this con- levels where it takes considerable time and 8. Disks sent with a return address label test is the large number of prizes. The best thought to figure out HOW to complete the and postage will be returned after contest overall design will win $50, courtesy of the level. Maybe you can't get all the gold, or is concluded. publishers of LODE RUNNER, Broderbund maybe you've got the gold but can't see how Software. Second place prizes of new to get to the top of the screen. Broderbund games will be awarded in three categories: Most Artistic, Most Challenging CHALLENGING TO PLAY: So you know how to Solve, and Most Challenging to Play. to win, but it still takes skill. Admitted- Finally, everyone whose work is included ly, the line between these two types of on the Computer Gaming World LODE challenge (logical vs. coordination) gets a lit- RUNNER disk can purchase a copy of that tle fuzzy, but who said judging was objective? disk as a special half price rate. The basis for judging is described in the Contest Rules BEST OVERALL: The winner will be the below. best combination of all of these elements. So, get out that disk with all those levels 3. No more than three (3) entries per per- you've created, pick out the best and send son (they may all be on the one disk, in fact them in. All entries must be received by no we'd prefer them that way). later than October 30, 1984. Winners will 4. Each disk submitted should be clearly be announced in the February 1985 issue. labeled with: balancing the checkbook. As any program- their own paths. Back in the mid-70's, they mer can tell you, a positive and a negative didn't count heads to see where the pack do not make a positive. was, they looked ahead to see where the Dumping the 7800 (the dedicated game market might be if they produced the right machine) would not appear to be a machine. Apple is to be applauded for NOT catastrophe. There's little doubt that the ar- making the MacIntosh "IBM compatible" cade boom of the early 80's is on the — to have done so would have meant adding downside. This suggests that it's important circuitry to downgrade the MacIntosh's for game oriented companies to re-position capabilities. Wouldn't it have been great to themselves in the market: away from arcade have heard that Atari announced fall '84 gaming. Unfortunately, Commodore 64 delivery of a new machine — a program- commercials asking the rhetorical question mable gaming/simulation computer for "I see you scored a million points on Whap- adults (of all ages) with advanced entertain- po Invaders, but what do you know about ment capabilities that no other computer on real computers?", as well as Coleco's slogan the market today, including the IBM PC, Atari that they ".... bring the arcade experience could touch. home ...." have helped to instill in the Playfield public's mind that all computer games are MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE arcade games (and are therefore frivolous). PLAYFIELD Isn't it time the rest of America learned what If you are constantly on the look-out for reader's of CGW have known all along: that an arcade game to match the excitement you computer gaming can exercise your mind originally felt when piloting your ship in David Stone as well as your reflexes, that simulations, Star Raiders, then both ENCOUNTER or adventures, and strategy gaming is DIMENSION X are worth looking at. These challenging, entertaining, and an excellent games, even though they are both from the adult recreation. same company, Synapse, have very different implementations of very a similar A LAMENT A PLAN premise: wipe out enemy ships on a three- I truly believe that a great demand for a dimensional plane before they wipe you out. As you have probably heard or read by new generation of programmable gaming In both games you have a pilot's-eye view now, much of Atari Inc. has been bought machines (with "some degree of com- of a planet's surface. You speed your ship by Jack Tramiel, former chairman of Com- patibility with the existing Atari com- across a horizontal plane, encounter enemy, modore. And you may well have been puters") could be created and successfully and shoot at them (as they shoot back) with pondering, as have I, what does this por- marketed by a three-pronged effort of: 1) photon-type torpedoes that appear smaller tend? Some analysts speculate that Atari defocusing on the hardware (which has a as they recede. Wipe-out the enemy, then potentially negative connotation), 2) mak- will forge ahead with a new low cost proceed through a deadly gauntlet similar machine to compete with the Macintosh ing it clear to targeted adult market to Star Raider's hyperwarp, to another segments that computer gaming is much and IBM-PC. Other feel that the Atari 7800, playfield. Both games tell you the number more than arcade games, and most impor- the next generation dedicated game system of enemy remaining and both have "radar" tantly, 3) selling the benefits of gaming: feel- may now be abandoned. that reveals their whereabouts. ing good, competitiveness, relaxation, The visual effect of piloting your ship in Which ever way Mr. Tramiel takes Atari, personal-family-social interaction — even both games is quite good. The main screen the outlook is not good for the world of business people gotta' unwind. in DIMENSION X looks like a multi-colored serious computer gaming. Isn't the market Instead of having just one spokesperson checkerboard. Depth is achieved by show- already glutted with enough IBM look- (i.e. Alan Alda), show a variety of ADULT ing nearer squares larger and further ones alikes? Instead of spending more millions "opinion leaders" enjoying the fellowship smaller. You get a true traveling effect as the to make Atari respectable to business peo- and camaraderie that goes with a good game. checkerboard smoothly scrolls in all direc- ple, I wondered, why not spend the same Let's get all those big, rugged guys from the tions in response to your joystick. EN- amount to make simulations, adventures, Miller-time crowd and show them having COUNTER provides 3-D by showing an and strategy gaming respectable to business a helluva' good time playing M.U.L.E. or solid field scattered with pylons (reminis- people — to all people for that matter. Eastern Front — any game! but NOT an "ar- cent of the 2001 monolith) that increase in Only a relatively few people have a real cade" game. When's the last time you saw size as you approach them. I prefer the EN- need for a personal computer in their work. a home computer commercial that didn't COUNTER 3-D effect mostly because the Everyone, on the other hand, needs enter- have an eight year old kid in it? Computer enemy are easier to see on a solid field than tainment and a way to enjoy time spent with gaming is too fun and too important to against a checkerboard background. friends and family. So, instead of building relegate to elementary and junior high The enemy in ENCOUNTER are also yet-another machine that has a degree of school aged kids. It's not that I'm against more interesting. Instead of just increasing IBM compatibility, instead of saying "hey, arcade-type computer games, I love 'em. But the number of enemy when you advance to look our computer is almost just like the I suspect far too many adults equate com- a higher level, ENCOUNTER enemies other guy's", why doesn't Atari move on to puter gaming with games that can be played change their fighting tactics. At different the next generation of computer-gaming only by engaging the lower brain centers. levels the enemy photon torpedoes are fired machine? JUST A DREAM at you in different formations: one at time, It seems abundantly clear to me that all The problem with my fantasy of an adult- in a column barrage, in bursts of three Atari computers are HOME ENTERTAIN- oriented programmable gaming/simulation across, etc. This makes the game more fun MENT machines, not word processors, not computer is that it's not where the market because at each level you must develop dif- spreadsheet calculators, not scientific or is today — and corporate planners tend to ferent offensive-defensive tactics and statistical analyzers. Yes, they can do these go with the numbers. This is unfortunate, strategies for defeating them. Plus, there are things, but it's not what they do best. Who's especially since Atari was one of the hand- three kinds of enemy at each level: two that idea was it in the first place to sell something ful computer companies that got the whole are firing at you and one that does a positive, namely the home computer, by personal computer market off the ground. Kamikaze number while taking evasive ac- advertising that it could be used to do Companies like Atari (and, yes, Apple) were tion. Lotsa' fun and well-worth the something negative, namely writing and led by men who were bold enough to cut encounter. q FIGHTER COMMAND!

Tom Cheche has served as a playtester on a number of SSI games.

September 1, 1940. Another day in the Battle of Britain is about to unfold. Name: Fighter Command Cloud cover is heavy. Weather forecasts Type: Wargame call for 50% cloud cover over Britain today, System: Apple (C-64 in future) with German raids expected to strike secon- #Players: 1-2 dary targets. British fighter squadrons bent Author: Charles Merrow on interception may find it difficult to find Jack Avery their prey. Intelligence warns that German Publisher: Strategic Simulations air raids are likely to be heavy. And ULTRA, Mountain View, CA that wonderful box of wires and plugs that mysteriously decodes German communica- tions with amazing reliability, warns that the sector airfield at Biggin Hill is a likely dinated. As raids are identified and Lympne. They are airborne and moving target. squadrons scrambled, the progress of all air- towards the swastika that now lies over the At 0600 hours every fighter squadron in craft will be displayed on a huge map table. sector of the map that outlines the English southern England goes on "hut alert". Two Counters representing the various air Channel just northwest of Dieppe where the fighter groups, 10 and 11, bear the burden groups are pushed around the board by con- incoming German raid was first sighted. of protecting the British heartland from trollers, like croupiers at some huge roulette The four Spitfire squadrons are still claw- Goering's Luftwaffe during the critical days table where the stakes are the very future of ing for altitude when the second raid is of August and September, when the Battle a nation. detected. It is a big one, 200-plus, also down of Britain will be decided. There is no activity picked up by British low at one thousand feet, and moving quick- Ten Group is entrusted with the radar until 0748. Then things begin to hap- ly. This second raid is picked up due south Southernmost area from the Isle of Wight pen very quickly. Radar detects air activity of the RDF at Beachy Head, southwest of westward to Plymouth and beyond. Eleven over the French coast. German bombing Hastings. It looks like it may be headed for Group commands the area surrounding raids are beginning to form. Still too soon to the large fighter base at Tangmere. London, the Thames estuary, and the Chan- be able to discern individual groups, the No time to wait. Scramble all four nel coast at its nearest proximity to France. bombers and their escorts are now only a squadrons at Tangmere. In the dispersal huts and tents of 10 and 11 mass of aircraft on the radar screens. But it Scramble Westhampnett. Groups, as the Hurricane and Spitfire pilots will not be long before they are on their way Operating at only about two-thirds wile away the hours in card games and ner- towards England. strength, the six squadrons that are ordered vous chatter, the controllers await the word At 0750 all squadrons in 10 and 11 Groups to intercept this second raid will only pack to scramble fighters. not assigned to specific patrol stations are the punch of four full-sized squadrons, and The word will come from Fighter Com- ordered to "runway alert." With engines only if all six make a successful intercept. mand, headquartered at a mansion outside running and pilots aboard, those aircraft The first raid, raid A, has turned west, London called Bentley Priory. There, in a can, from "runway alert" statis, be airborne away from the pursuing interceptors. It is command center designed to monitor all in- within two minutes should they be needed. 0815 and the interceptors are now in a tail coming German raids, waits Air Chief- At 0804 the first raid is identified; 100-plus chase. Could raid A be headed for the city Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, the man on aircraft at an altitude of one thousand feet of Portsmouth? If so, the Spits may not get whose shoulders rests the task of coor- over Dieppe. Uncertain of their destination, to them in time. dinating the air defense of Britain. there is little time to wait; at one thousand On the big map at Bentley Priory the Scattered the length of the British coast is feet, the raid is likely bound for a coastal roundels slowly make up ground on the raid a network of RDF (radar) stations. These are target.... perhaps an RDF station, or A swastika. It now seems certain that the Britain's secret weapons in this battle for possibly an airfield. target is Plymouth, and interception before survival. Capable of identifying altitude, The order goes out: Scramble fighters at the Germans reach the target is ques- direction and approximate size of incoming Hawkinge and Lympne, two forward tionable. But, Fighter Command can afford enemy air raids, they are the long range eyes fighter strips. Four minutes later four small no more than six squadrons to be used on a of the RAF (Royal Air Force). markers, British roundels, appear on the big 100 plane raid. This, surely, is only the At Fighter Command, the radar contacts map at Bentley Priory, representing the four beginning of what promises to be a busy are monitored and interceptions are coor- Spitfire squadrons from Hawkinge and day. 0816. Good news. On the big map the scrambling fighter squadrons can be are identified, swastikas appear on the markers representing the Tangmere disastrous. screen, simulating the movement of those squadrons have been moved on top of the markers on the map at Fighter Command. second, raid B, swastika; indicating an in- FC is played in two phases. During the tercept is close. Moments later there is radio Orders Phase each side receives reports on The German player has nothing to do after confirmation that the Tangmere squadrons damage sustained and dished out during the the orders are given. As in real life, he must have "bounced" the incoming bombers, am- previous day's activities. In the case of simply sit back and wait for the planes to bushing them from above. assessing damage to the enemy the informa- return, then try to assess the damage to the A flurry of gunfire, broken reports of tion is predictably inaccurate. The British British based on the often overly optimistic HE-111s being hit, several quick claims of never know exactly how badly shot up the reports from his aircrews. bombers on the way down. One, two, three, German bombing raids were, and the Ger- But life for the British player is more com- possibly a fourth. Then a fifth and a sixth. mans never know exactly how much plex. He must decide which raids should be A momentary silence, and then the report damage, if any, was realized from their bom- contested and which raids are only feints. that at least a part of the Heinkel group has bing missions. He must avoid squandering his resources in broken off and turned back. Good news. interceptions of fighter sweeps. And he Good news, too, that there are no reports of During the Orders Phase each side also must not use too many of his planes too ear- losses from the Tangmere wing, at least receives reports on the numbers of available ly in the day, for fear that the Germans may aircraft and air crews, the morale status of initially. save their biggest raids until all of the front- But the rest of raid B continues to work its all squadrons, and weather forecasts. Ger- line squadrons are on the ground refueling. swastika westward across the board at man forecasts of weather over Britain are Bentley Priory, and ironically, the target not as accurate as are the British forecasts, Although FC includes a one day scenario, now appears to be Tangmere. Too late now (Eagle Day), the beauty of the game is most to scramble any other aircraft, only the apparent in the campaign scenario, which Westhampnett squadrons lie between the recreates the crucial period from mid- bombers and their apparent target. On the August to mid-September 1940. In the cam- map at Fighter Command the marker paign game the real subtleties of FC come to representing the Westhampnett squadrons the fore. Every day is a new adventure as the inches perceptibly closer to the swastika. It British player assesses damage to his air- is going to be close. fields, RDF stations, and cities. Some in- And it is still only 0828. It is going to be a dustrial centers produce Hurricane or Spit- long day. fire aircraft. Sustain major damage to those plants, and see your replacement aircraft dwindle accordingly. Sustain damage to What we are dealing with here is a classic, your RDF stations and lose your "eyes", on- a high point in the design of computer ly to have German raids sneak in undetected wargames. Fighter Command (FC) by before you can scramble your fighters. Suf- Charlie Merrow and Jack Avery, SSI's fer serious damage to your fighter strips and simulation of the Battle of Britain, is lose them as operational bases entirely un- arguably the finest example of computer til repairs are effected. wargaming available for the home And what of the pilots, the "few" to whom computer. so many owed so much? Keep those pilots FC offers both solitaire and two-player at a high state of readiness too long, and capability, with multiple scenarios. In the watch their morale drop so low as to render solitaire mode the player becomes Sir Hugh them ineffective. But, use them judiciously Dowding, in charge of the fighter defense of and watch the performances of individual Britain, while the computer, as Hermann squadrons improve as they gain experience. Goering, orders the Nazi missions. The computer opponent is capable of playing at See a squadron with considerable ex- five levels of difficulty. perience and high unit morale get bet up in a dogfight and experience the frustration of Furthermore, the computer virtually and the British also have the advantage of having to sit them out for several days eliminates paperwork, and creates a "fog of ULTRA reports, which frequently tip off at because even though there are plenty of war" that elevates FC from simple wargame least one of the key German targets. pilots available, only three aircraft may be to a faithful simulation that accurately operational. recreates the pressures which must have During this phase the German plans his been felt at Bentley Priory during the Battle raids, feints, and fighter sweeps, and And finally, pray for foul weather. Know- of Britain. assigns covering fighters at various ing the prospect of German bombing opera- altitudes. The British player can shift tions declines proportionately as the It would not hurt for the prospective FC squadrons from base to base, assigns target weather deteriorates, and that your ex- player to do a little reading up on the Battle priorities, and determines how aggressive hausted pilots desperately need a day off to of Britain before playing. Armed with some his interceptors should be in seeking improve morale and allow their crews a knowledge of the circumstances, the player combat. chance to get some aircraft back in working will be able to more fully appreciate how order, you greet each day with the same good FC really is as a simulation. The program then shifts to the semi real- question that Air Chief-Marshall Dowding time Execution Phase that is the heart of FC. must surely have asked, "What's the The pacing of FC is one of its strengths. weather?" Radar contacts appear on the mapboard, Starting at 0600 and continuing until the then move inexorably towards their targets. last German raid of the day has left the map, And then, grit your teeth when In- No board-game slowness here; the com- or until 1800, whichever comes first, the telligence says, "10% cloud cover predicted puter updates activity in two-minute in- British player must wait for the German over Britain. Enemy air raids expected to be crements, and any indecisiveness in raids to be picked up by radar. As the raids very heavy." GALACTIC GLADIATORS meet the STAINLESS STEEL RAT Johnny Wilson

recommended that the experience rule be ESCAPE FROM PRIMOROSO Name: Galactic Gladiators used in all these scenarios because surprise Type: Personal Combat is an integral part of the "Slippery Jim" The final scenario involves the scene System: Apple, Atari, C-64 modus operandi where Slippery Jim attempts to sign his can- # Players: 1-2 Victory Conditions: Ultimados must didate up as an official candidate in this Price: $39.95 eliminateSteel. Steel must capture target "banana republic" of outer space. Natural- Publisher: Strategic Simulations square with Ultimados defending. ly, the ruling junta is not about to let a rival Mountain View, CA candidate survive if they can help it, so they CAUGHT AT CHECKPOINT ambush him and the Steel team. I recom- After the rescue of Flavia, Slippery Jim's mend that you give the Ultimados at least Ever wanted to try your hand as Slippery team of super spies run into an Ultimado one extra soldier with blade weapons to Jim DiGriz of Stainless Steel Rat fame? How checkpoint. In the book, Slippery Jim represent the "official" guard at the city hall about putting yourself in Gordon Dickson's unveils a versatile laser to both mow down of Primoroso. The battlefield is the plaza at Dorsal series? Fancy yourself as the next the guards and blast the checkpoint open Primoroso and is at long range to reflect the John Carter? Want to save the universe by for the team's escape. For the purpose of this distance the Steel team had to go to escape. destroying the robotic minions of Fred scenario, Bolivar has been given a heat ray Note, however, that the team had an advan- Saberhagen's Berserker series? Then, boot gun. The heat ray gun will do a nice job of tage in the book in the form of an available up your Galactic Gladiators (GG) disk and clearing out the checkpoint but, of course, helicopter. Alas, you have no such deus ex get set for some scenarios from science fic- doesn't do a thing against Ultimados. My machine in this scenario. You will need to tion literature. strategy suggestion for this scenario is that add a poorly armed native to be Harapo, the indigenous candidate. q q q you have Bolivar blast the way clear at the very beginning of the scenario as he is the Victory Conditions: Ultimados must In Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat For ONLY one with a heat ray gun. It is unlike- eliminate Steel. Steel must eliminate President, there is a scene where Jorge, Slip- ly that you can successfully escape from the Ultimados. pery Jim's indigenous ally, and the DiGriz checkpoint if you don't allow Bolivar to q q q family must rescue Flavia, another native clear the way initially. Once again, the team These three scenarios should be enough ally, from the Ultimados. Since GG only led by "Slippery Jim" has the advantage in to get you started in the world of the allows one character on each side to have gemstones, but don't get overconfident Stainless Steel Rat. It should also stimulate the same initial letter, we had to change because the scenario can even up in a hurry your imagination for creating other Jorge to Ricardo. We also felt that the if you don't use them effectively. scenario would have better balance if the scenarios. If not, however, watch out for the Victory Conditions: teams each had another member, so we add- Ultimados must next article in this series which will offer eliminate Steel. Steel must enter and exit the ed the previously non-existent Eduardo to two scenarios from Fred Saberhagen's checkpoint structure. the scenario. Since Slippery Jim loves Berserker stories. regurgitant grenades, smoke bombs and assorted pyrotechnics, we made the closest choice available by choosing gemstones. Further, there are no "needle guns" (the DiGriz weapon of choice) in GG, so we settl- ed for phasors.

RESCUE OF FLAVIA

In the book, the Ultimados were ambush- ed upon their arrival at a roadblock caused by a tree which had been felled by our fun- loving good guys. In order to assure a Slippery-Jim-type scenario, it is recommended that the Ultimados be given no gemstones and that all but Bolivar of the Steel team have them. Note that Bolivar is given a heat ray gun. This is even more important in the second scenario.

Note, that in spite of the initial advantage caused by the gemstones, the Steel team must get advantage in a hurry as midway through the scenario, the advantage turns to the ultimados due to blade weapons which may be used EVERY turn. It is

Two Flight Simulators by Roy Wagner

I am not a pilot and I have never taken a flying lesson, ing a model airplane, as opposed to a "real" airplane where but I am going to start up my trust C64. First I will takeoff I only saw the view from the cockpit. The actions of this from a Southern California airport and fly to Catalina plane are well done as it goes above or below the horizon. Island. After that, a flight over New York City to view the SF provides a great deal of diversity. It includes for in- Statue of Liberty. What a day, beautiful weather, a great stance, three topologically different areas in which to fly. day for flying! And I never left my computer. First, there are the flat Kansas plains, where takeoffs and If I want a different challenge, I could deliver air mail landings at sea level are relatively easy. The area covers in Kansas or go on a World War I bombing mission behind about 20,000 square miles, including Wichita, Topeka, and enemy lines. These possibilities and more are now Kansas City. The view below is composed of some corn available for the Commodore 64, Atari, Apple, and IBM- fields and several airports. PC computers. These programs include special options The second area is Washington region where you have that play like games, but you have to know how to fly the a mixture of sea level and higher elevations. The basic fly- airplane simulations before you can play them. Learning ing area is centered about the famous Mount St. Helens, to fly these plans will take a serious effort on your part if where you can fly right over it (safely). The third area is you know knowing about flying a plane. Takeoff and fly- the Colorado ski area with lots of high altitude airports and ing around is fairly easy, but getting down safely is another mountain passes to fly through. This area is tough! The matter. graphics for the airports are well done, but don't expect SOLO FLIGHT (SF) is available for the Commodore 64, to see the ski runs or lots of detailed scenery. The basic Atari and soon the IBM-PC and is a very good program. object of this simulation is to get from one airport to The 15 pages of documentation are well written and will another. In fact, you can fly right through any visual ob- teach you all you need to know to taxi, takeoff, fly about, ject without crashing. This make sense because no one ac- and land. It does not, however, help much in learning how tually flying a plane would fly near any of these objects. to get from one specific airport to another. There is They represent visual points of reference to be flown coverage explaining detailed instrument approaches, but around. it is difficult to apply the material to flying with the com- The final flying option that this program offers is a game puter. The 3-D visual ground references are minimal, the of flying mail from one airport to on or more others. You other graphics are excellent, and the sound of the engine are scored on several factors, the most important ones be- is exceptionally well done. ing how fast you get from one point to another and the The screen graphics are split into three visually distinct amount of fuel you use. You can select any one of the three areas. On the top half are the sky and ground (a quarter areas and get more points for a more difficult area. You of the screen each). The horizon stays constant, at the same also select your skill level. The higher the skill level the location and straight even though you may be turning the tougher the flying conditions with high scores being sav- plane (banking). On the bottom half of the screen are your ed to disk. My favorite feature of this option is that at the instruments. end of each flight, your flight path is displayed on a map In the middle of the flight area, is a fixed size image of of the area. (If you don't know what you're doing, this your plane, a 1930 vintage, single wing, single engine display is really fun as you see yourself flying around in airplane. All of your actions are reflected with this image. circles and all about the map.) Because of this, I found this program to be more like fly- For each flying area, you can select a flight condition: CLEAR weather for easy flying, WINDY for greater con- aircraft's forward windshield. Ground terrain and sky col- trol challenge, LANDING for final approach practice, and ors vary based upon flying conditions (time of day and IFR for practice using instruments only with low clouds. clear/cloudy). You can also look out from the plane in eight Your instruments include an altimeter, air speed indicator, other directions including down. Depending on which way horizon/attitude indicator, fuel gauge, digital display of you look, parts of the plane will also block your vision. pitch, flaps, heading and climb rate; lights for temperature, Another different perspective of view is called "radar". landing gear down and brakes on. You have two bearing You are able to look down on the plane, from high above, indicators (VOR) with digital value display only, an instru- at the landscape below, which can be magnified or ment landing signal (ILS) indicator, and an elapsed time diminished in size using keyboard keys. The horizon varies clock. The instruments are easy to read and use, but not based upon the attitude of the plane. It will slope if you exactly what you would find in an FAA approved plane. turn and will disappear if you climb or dive too steeply. The joystick is used to control the movement of the plane Each separate flying area has specific topological in a manner very similar to the control of an actual plane features which can be seen, such as Sears' Tower in (attitude, banking and slip turns). The keyboard is used for Chicago, the Space Needle in Seattle, the Los Angeles additional controls: throttle, landing gear up/down, brakes, freeways, and the World Trade Center and the Statue of flaps, view (left or right side, back, front), and to pause the Liberty in New York. program. For excitement, you can even simulate a random On the bottom half of the screen are displayed the flight instrument failure for practicing emergency procedures. instruments. Included are all of the instruments and equip- One time, because of this, my altimeter went out. For- ment required under FAA regulations for day and night tunately, there is an excellent display of your plane's visual rules (VFR) and day and night instrument rules (IFR) shadow on the ground as you go down in altitude. I land- under non-icing conditions, including flight within ter- ed safely. minal control areas. The 49 individual indicators are very FLIGHT SIMULATOR II (SFII) is available for the Com- well represented on the screen and clearly explained in modore 64, Apple, and Atari. (A similar program was writ- the manual. ten for the IBM-PC and is distributed by Microsoft. It does This program provides a great deal of flying diversity. not use joysticks, the instruments are slightly different, and Eighty airports, in four areas (New York, Chicago, Seat- the plane is a Cessna 182 Skylane, rather than a Piper tle, and Los Angeles) are represented with several promi- PA28-181 Archer II). This program is outstanding and cer- nent land features in each area. Over thirty flight tainly one of the best examples of excellent programming, parameters can be set to establish your flying condition. documentation, and a full use of the capabilities of a These parameters include: starting location of plane (coor- microcomputer. dinates and altitude); settings for pitch, bank, heading, The first of SSII's two manuals, the 91 page Pilot's airspeed, throttle, rudder, aileron, flap and elevator. You Operating Handbook and Airplane Flight Manual, is load- can establish cloud layers, winds, and the reliability of your ed with detailed illustrations and explanations on instruments. Your choice of season (winter, spring, sum- everything you need to know. It also gives references for mer or fall) and the time of day are used to control when additional information. The second manual, Flight Physics dawn, day, dusk, and night occur. & Aircraft Control with an Introduction to Aerobatics, There are two general modes of operation. The first takes you well beyond normal flight considerations. The automatically handles many little things that one must nor- material is clearly stated and can be easily applied when mally take care. The other, reality mode, requires you to running the program as both manuals are indexed for easy do everything from starting the airplane engines to turn- referencing. ing on the instrument lights when it gets dark. This is a The screen graphics are split into two distinct display very thorough simulation realistically done. areas. The top half gives a three-dimensional view out the Continued on page 39 There are eight events. The pole vault requires the coordinated manipulation of the joystick to plant the pole, flip over the bar, and release the pole. You have three tries at each height. The 4x100 meter relay has two lanes running. You control the energy expended for each runner and the passing of the baton. The 100 meter dash has two runners, with you frantically moving the joystick left and right, or forward and back, to keep the runner moving. The screen often scrolls faster than the runners, in which case you are running blind. (This event can There are many types of simulation put extreme stress on a "cheap" joystick!) games; space, robot, airplane, financial, etc. High board diving and the gymnastic horse Among most popular currently available are vaulting both require well coordinated and sport simulations. Most of these are all very graceful movements of the joystick to be a well done, making good use of C64 graphics top rank scorer. The judges are tough, and THE and sound (something we can now expect will rate you on a zero to ten point scale just from all new games for the C64). Some of as in the actual events. The difficulty level COMMODORE the sports simulations available for the C64 of your performance is weighted into the are: Auto Racing (Pole Position from Atari, final scores. The two swimming events, KEY Pit Stop from Epyx, Motor Mania from 4x100 meter freestyle relay and the 100 UMI), Baseball (Computer Baseball from meter single freestyle, require perfect tim- SSI, Star League Baseball from Gamestar), ing of swimming strokes and turns to score Boxing (Ringside Seat from SSI), Basketball well. (One-On-One from Electronic Arts), Foot- SIMULATIONS ball (Computer Football Strategy from The final event is skeet shooting. This Avalon Hill), Golf (Professional Tour Golf event is handled very well. Your shotgun is from SSI, Pro Golf from Canadian Micro), held with sight down. One press of the Soccer (International Soccer from Com- joystick button signals to release the clay modore). And, due to the Olympics, we have pigeon, the next press fires the gun. With Roy Wagner two new and excellent sport simulations: the bird in the air you must sight the gun SUMMER Games and HES Games. and fire. It is best to follow the bird because, if you try to hold the gun in any one posi- Summer Games, from Epyx, offers com- tion, muscle fatigue quickly affects that posi- petition for up to eight players representing tion. You have 25 birds from six different any one of eighteen countries complete with firing stations. that country's flag and national anthem. A favorite type of program is the simula- One country available is EPYX, home of For all of these events, I cannot say tion. This is a program that attempts to those great athletic record holders, Jump- enough about the good graphics and sound. represent something real through the use of man and Jumpman Jr. The game begins with The joystick controls are easy and feel right computer graphics and a set of formulas the opening ceremony—the running in and for each event, capturing the vicarious ex- (algorithms) which reduce very complex ac- lighting of the Olympic torch, complete with perience of the event. All option selections tivities to something that can be realistical- theme of release of doves. This introduction and screen changes are quickly handled by ly imitated on your computer. It must ideal- displays the excellent graphics to be seen pressing the joystick button. (This game is ly, be able to get you so involved that you throughout this game. a real winner!) get "lost in the program" and forget that you are just sitting in front of a monitor press- HES Games from Human Engineered ing keys or moving a joystick. You ARE fly- Software offers competition for up to six ing an airplane or managing a baseball team. players. Each player enters his name/coun- The plane or ball players REALLY EXIST! try and four initials, a color for shirt and All good simulations should provide you socks and the joystick port they want to use. with a "computer" opponent that responds You then select an event from the menu as your theorized opponent would, or as which also acts as a scoreboard for the would another human opponent. It is a dif- events. Scores are NOT saved to disk. ficult challenge to write a program which carries out this function. Once written, such There are seven events. The 100 meter a program takes a great deal of playtesting dash and the 110 meter hurdles both require to refine the formulas and code used. A pro- you to move the joystick quickly right-left gram like this on a limited memory (64K) All menu selections and actions are per- again and again to score best. I am not sure micro is hard to please all players. At best, formed using the joystick. You can compete how much effort is required because the the program has it's limits. An example of in all events, or specify only a single event. runners do pretty well if you don't move the this is One-On-One from Electronic Arts. Any current standing records can be beaten joystick. The long jump requires the same In this half-court, two-player basketball with your name being added to the record joystick running on the ground and in the simulation, the programmer has stated his display and saved to disk. All events take air, and then a push to the right to land pro- being unable to provide the hook shot. This some practice, and for that reason, an op- perly. A push of the joystick button sends limit does not mean that this program is not tion exists to practice a selected event. the runner into his jump. Low board diving a fun game of basketball for two joystick Records broken with this option are not sav- requires an extreme set of coordinated players. You have enough options available ed. And, if you complete all events, the score movements to perform properly. The judges to get involved in the action and to enjoy board of final standing is displayed as the here give you better scores if you call the playing. top scorers national anthem is played. type of dive you will be performing. If you events (except for archery). Each event load- wizard, and thief in play at the same time. ed does a bad track and sector disk check You can choose from eleven different pro- (that banging noise you hear from your drive fessions, five races, and three sexes (male, when many commercial games are loading). female, and other?), along with distribution This is one of the easiest protection techni- of attribute points. A party can now only see ques for game producers, but it can be harm- that part of their surroundings which are ful to your drive. Overused, it can cause not obstructed from view. You must move your drive to go out of alignment. I think this to see around things. Fighting is individual- game overuses it! ly controlled for each of your party. The great mystery of the game is figuring out The game contains a very positive feature. how the Moon Gates operate, for they pro- It offers an instant replay of the last perfor- vide hidden powers. This game was con- mance of all events except archery. This verted for the C64 by Origin Systems and belly flop your tummy may glow red on your gives you the chance to review your best and is priced at $60. A book of maps and clues next dive! Archery is very realistically done. worst performances. You can also save is available for $12.95. There are four targets at 30, 50, 70, and 90 these to disk with your own file name to be meters, with wind and weather factors to called up at another time. The game disk Lord British, the "creator" of the Ultima contend with in shooting accurately. You comes with a "classic replay" for each series, is also in part responsible for the con- fire six arrows at each target and must per- event. I have heard that some new things cept behind QUESTRON from SSI. A ver- form against the clock as you knock the bow, have been added to the game and a new sion will be available for the C64 very soon. pull the arrow back, aim and fire. Due to the manual has been written that more clearly 50 pound pull of the bow, muscle fatigue af- explains the joystick movements, but I do If you have any questions or comments fects your aim. The flight of the arrow is very not know when this version will be pertaining to gaming on the C64, please well displayed. The final two events are available. send me a letter at the Computer Gaming weight lifting; the two-hand snatch and the These two games are only available for the World address listed in the front of the clean and jerk. These two require perfect Commodore 64 right now. They both show magazine. Let me know what areas of gam- timing for each movement. When you are excellent use of the C64 and are priced about ing you would like to see discussed. If you successful the weight is increased. For each $35. have a favorite game that I haven't mention- event you can display the current World and ed and you think others should hear about Olympic records. SOME OTHER COMMENTS it, let me know. The graphics and sound for these games are also very well done. The joystick con- Last issue I mentioned Ultima II. Well, trols move awkwardly and are not explain- Ultima III is already available. It is different Roy translated SSI's COMPUTER ed very well in the instruction booklet. I in that you can have a party of four BASEBALL for the C-64 and is now working found it harder to feel in control of these characters. You can have a fighter, cleric, on translating FIGHTER COMMAND. , _

- - -

- - L THE SILICON CEREBRUM by Bruce Webster

range value until it reaches a certain limit, Version 1.1 of SunDog has a limited reper- then incrementing it again, the ship will run toire of interactions. However, some pro- in close to yours, then move away. Several gram redesign in version 2.0 has enabled us factors are used for determining when and to expand and enhance the interactions that if to fire, or if the attacking ship should break can occur. Our eventual goal is to model dif- off and leave. ferent personality aspects of non-player characters and use those to drive complex Man-to-man combat, especially when interactions throughout the course of the several opponents are involved, presents a Ed. The Silicon Cerebrum deals with artificial game. In other words, we want to make you trickier problem, and we're still looking for intelligence in computer games. Bruce think that those people out there are real and ways to improve it. The biggest problem is Webster's insights have been helpful to more distinct individuals. deciding where each attacker should move than a few game designers. If I've been vague in my description of to, and when, especially (again) because of In this installment Bruce proudly tells us what we did, it's because Wayne (the com- the real-time constraints. The current solu- about his new game, SUNDOG. We think it pany president) is leery about publishing tions involves keeping a trace of your is one of the best designs around. specifics on our techniques. He's not real- movements. Your attackers will tend to ly worried about "giving away" secrets move to (and fire at) where you were, rather (though we do closely guard certain than where you currently are, which sug- methods). Both he and I are more worried gests one essential strategy for survival: O.K., after a year and a half of working about taking some of the mystique out of the keep moving! Each attacker has his (her?) on it, I'm entitled to plug my game, right? game. I've found that most other people en- own dexterity and strength values, which I mean, that's why this column has been so joy SunDog far more than I do simply affect how accurately they shoot at you and erratic the last six months or so — the big because I know exactly what can and can- how much damage they can take push to get the game out the door. And, of not happen and how everything is done. themselves. course, the subsequent push to get the That much knowledge removes the The second minor aspect of AI in SunDog debugged version out the door .... follow- "escape" aspect of the game; it's hard for deals with the conversations that you have ed, naturally, by the current push to get ver- me to really think that I'm off roaming the with various non-player characters. We sion 2.0 out the door (which should have spacelanes. When others play, they're not wanted to give you more options than just happened by the time you read this). quite sure where the limits are, and their a gun dealing with other people, so we The game is SunDog: Frozen Legacy, a minds fill in more details than are actually designed an interaction scheme that would real-time science fiction adventure game, there. generate comments from the people with designed by myself and Wayne Holder. It Anyway, I apologize again for the erratic whom you were talking, then allow you to represents our first attempt to squeeze a nature of these columns, but I hope it was make specific responses (yes, no, charm, small "universe" on to a floppy disk, an en- in a good cause. Yes, I will pick up where threaten, ignore, etc.). One important con- vironment in which you could wander I left off and finish the discussion of straint is that SunDog is entirely joystick around and do things. I plan to do a heuristic search. If you have questions or controlled, so your replies had to be selected "designer's notes" article, so I won't go in- suggestions as to what you would like to see from a menu (and a small one at that). An to depth about the game itself. I would, in this column, please write me at the follow- additional twist is a degree of emotional however, like to talk about the minor (and ing address: they are minor) aspects of artificial in- response from some of the characters. telligence in the game. Bartenders will get irritated (and even Bruce F. Webster Two aspects of the game required some abusive) if you waste their time, but become FTL Games, Inc. sort of simulation of intelligence. The first friendly again as you spend money. What's 7907 Ostrow, Suite F (and most common in computer games) was more, they will remember you (and what San Diego, CA 92111 in combat situations: ship-to-ship and man- they think of you) between trips to the Thanks for your patience, both with the to-man. Because the game is real-time — i.e., counter while you're in the bar. sporadic columns and the "advertising". time is always passing, you can always continue to act — we didn't have the luxury of giving the attacker time to sit and think about what to do. Instead, we had to make small, quick decisions that would have the cumulative effect of making the attacker look intelligent (or, at least, something better than random). Ship-to-ship combat occurs in true 3-D; an attacking ship's location is stored in terms of two angles (theta and phi) and the range. The enemy's attack-runs are made by choosing delta values for its location; for example, by decrementing the CRYPT OF MEDEA

Robert Reams

for using a "Mockingboard" speech syn- thesizer. When the Mockingboard is turned Name: Crypt of Medea on, the game can speak to you. The game Type: Fantasy and can be saved, thus preventing the feeling of Adventure utter despair when you realize you must Format: Disk start over from the beginning after being System: Apple killed. The hazardous nature of the game's Author: Arthur Britto location, and strange situation makes it a Allan Lamb good idea (real vital) to save play at frequent Price: $39.95 intervals (up to nine copies can be saved). Publisher: Sir-tech Software The game will be restored exactly as you Ogdensburg, NY saved it.

Finally, the game itself. Both the novice and the expert gamer will enjoy the challenge presented by CM. The problems As you drive along the narrow and tor- The documentation provided by Sir-tech are varied and the solutions intricate. The tuous road, you feel an eerie sense of is clear and concise. Included is a list of key musical background provided at ap- uneasiness. There is something about this or action words which may be used in the propriate moments adds greatly to the en- night that just does not seem right, but you game. The list does not, however contain joyment of playing this game. In at least one find it hard to put your finger on it. The sky objects or nouns. These you must discover case, it is very important to examine the pic- is clear and cloudless. Stars upon stars fill for yourself in the course of surviving this ture carefully from top to bottom in order the sky and the moon glows with a ordeal. A list of hints have been provided to find what is needed. Examine each scene mysterious aura. Yet strangely enough, it is which will, if used detract from the full en- carefully to discover the objects which you very, very dark.... Dampness permeates the joyment of the game. But, they may provide will need to escape this damp dark place. air and a haunting silence fills your mind. the novice that extra little hint needed to Like all Sir-tech products, the Crypt of You wonder where you are, but hesitate to move to the next stage of the game. These Medea is a finished, polished product. By open your eyes. As your eyes finally open hints are encoded in cryptic messages. For making backups at frequent intervals, the you are stricken by an unfamiliar sight. Are the player who becomes hopelessly stuck an "nasty" surprises will delight the player those tombstones on the wall? You find answer sheet has been provided, keyed so rather than lead to gloom and despair. At yourself trapped in a mausoleum. Your goal that it is impossible to accidently read the a certain place in the game, it is important is to find the way out, as there is no door.... proper solution. But my suggestion is to to remember to think light to keep from that the dead have no need to escape. staple the hint sheets to the back cover to falling feeling. Some items must be used reduce the evils of temptation. The list of more than once, so it is important to You must escape this tomb, using trial and coded words reveals operational words remember where they were dropped. error, logical deduction, and the many ob- which may reduce the enjoyment for the ex- jects to be found during your chilling adven- pert player, but will save the novice from The "Crypt of Medea" is an example of ture in The Crypt of Medea (CM). The place destroying his computer in frustration. a mature and excellent product. This adven- you find yourself in is not a friendly place. ture will challenge all who find themselves Exercise caution when, and how you pick trapped in this dark and evil place. Escape up objects as the most innocent looking ob- The game features excellent control func- is possible .... all the tools have been pro- ject should be treated with care. An incor- tions. It is possible to place the game on tem- vided. Some of the path to freedom is not rect move will lead to your sudden demise. porary hold for those moments that cannot obvious and must be searched for diligent- Use every protective device offered to you wait. The music can also be turned on or ly. Accept the challenge presented by this in this foul and miserable place. off as desired. The game further provides excellently designed game. DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN by David Stone

NAME: Dragonriders of Pern TYPE: Strategy-Arcade SYSTEM: Atari #PLAYERS: 1 to 4 PUBLISHER: Epyx Sunnyvale, CA

midground, and foreground, Destructive Thread darken the OVERVIEW OF THE GAME midground, and distance. A nice skies. Once again it is time for the touch here is that each player can Dragonriders to take wing and do The game consists of two major select his own depth level. battle with the deadly nemesis of phases: the Negotiation-Intrigue Pern. The touch of the burning phase is strategy oriented and Thread The pace of the game is controlled Thread means death and where they Fighting is "arcade" action oriented. by the computer which is con- fall crops will not grow. Your task as Together these two phases make for tinuously counting the days and Weyr leader has been to form the an interesting game concept. years (called Turns). You can pre- strongest Weyr on Pern by select the number of Turns (each negotiating alliances with Lord Up to four human players, called Turn equals between 10 and 15 Holders and Craft Masters. Now that Weyrleaders, can play the game; minutes) up to 99. A save-game Thread are falling you mount your plus, there are two Weyrleaders that feature makes the 99 turn game feasi- fire breathing Dragon to meet the are always controlled by the com- ble although I'm not sure why anyone Thread in the skies over Pern. puter. The two computer-controlled would want to use it. players provide competition during THE BOOKS GAME PREMISE the Negotiation-Intrigue. Game Dragonriders of Pern, a unique variations include a standard game The premise of the Negotiation- strategy/action game from Epyx, at- of both Negotiation-Intrigue and Intrigue phase of the game is not tempts to meld the excitement and Thread Fighting, a no Thread complex, actually applying what fantasy adventure of Anne McCaf- Fighting game, and a Thread you've learned to the play of the game frey's books with the action and Fighting practice game. is. The idea is that during this phase strategy of a role playing game. While each player (including the two com- having read the fantasy novel In playing the standard game you puter players) vie to form alliances DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN, or for can select the speed of play (slow, with as many major Holds and Craft that matter any of the books from average, or fast) to effect the speed of Halls as possible (total 24). These McCaffrey's "Dragon" series, will your dragon, the Thread fall, the potential allies depend on you to fight certainly be helpful in understanding passing of days, and the "read times" Thread, for them to save their Holds. the characters and premise of the on text displays. You can also select However, as the premise goes, game, prior knowledge is not the Depth level for Thread Fighting: because Thread haven't fallen in a essential. foreground only, foreground and long time they fear they will lose their political power to you. What this will have a Dragon hatching soon, in- CONTROLLING THE DRAGON means in terms of game play is that vite Lord Keroon. After the computer you must woo them by doing things has clocked off the days, and the Lord The Thread Fighting practice like inviting them to weddings and has attended your Dragon Hatching, game is important for learning to dragon hatchings (if they're the kind attempt to negotiate individually master the peculiar characteristics of that like dragons) and, if all else fails, with him. If the negotiations are suc- controlling the Dragon Flight — dueling with them. cessful, on your next turn attempt an especially at Depth 3. Depth 3 is most alliance. difficult because Thread fall at three NEGOTIATION-INTRIGUE depths simultaneously: foreground, SCREENS At the end of Negotiation-Intrigue midground, and distance (unlike phase, the game awards victory Space Invaders, for example, where Five different types of screens points: you earn 2 points for each the enemy attacks in only in the display information in the Hold you're allied with and 1 point foreground). At Depth 3 you must Negotiation-Intrigue phase. All of the for each Craft Hall. The game ends turn your dragon and fly into the Negotiation-Intrigue screens are when there are 20 Thread infested distance to attack the Thread. Con- "text-oriented" (i.e., no graphics of holds (holds that were not successful- trolling this action takes practice. the kind found in M.U.L.E.). Some of ly defended in the Thread Fighting these screens are quite busy and may phase) or when a Weyrleader had The game attempts to overcome take some time to get used to. For ex- earned 20 victory points. Or, the the fact that the television screen is ample, the event screen shows events game ends when the number of two-dimensional but aerial fights in taking place, Weyrs' (players) status, Turns you pre-selected is up (plus or the "real world" take place in three the Holds Weyrs are negotiation minus two). dimensions. Unfortunately, there are with, the Day events will occur, the only two types of input from the Atari current day, announcements of ran- THREAD FIGHTING joystick (the stick and the one trig- dom or planned events, and the ger). Although the attempt to create After each Turn (240 days) Thread results of those events., and the a three- dimensional experience is Fighting occurs. The Thread number of Dragon Wings possessed noble, the results are not entirely Fighting screen displays a typical by each Weyr. satisfactory. The programmer's solu- Pern landscape and a green dragon, tion requires moving the joystick to The game allows players to play in which represents one of your Wings Continued on page 39 any order, just press the stick button of dragons. Then, from the top of your turn is next. When your turn screen, the Thread begin to fall begins, the Action Menu / Status groundward. You maneuver your Screen appears. Here you select one dragon with the joystick, pressing the of eight actions. One action is to read stick button to breath fire and a description of the personality of a disintegrate each Thread before it selected Lord Holder or Craft hits ground. Master. The personalities descrip- The Dragons of Pern are much tions suggest who to invite to wed- more talented than the mythical ding and dragon hatchings, who to beasts of Earth. Pern Dragons can negotiate with, etc. Memorizing their "go between", that is, occupy the dispositions is futile; they change space between time and travel during the course of the game and the through time and space. In Atari- change from game to game. This Pern this means if you touch a leaves you, the player, to juggle the Thread, you can take advantage of personalities of 24 different entities. your Dragon's ability to "go- The Action Menu / Status Screen between" by quickly hitting the space is helpful in that it provides a list of bar. Your dragon disappears then your three strongest supporters — the reappears elsewhere on the screen. best prospects for a negotiation. This action allows your Dragon's wounds to cool. If your dragon dies, the screen flashes red then another So, the sequence for forming an dragon appears to finish the Thread alliance may go something like this: Fighting session. Study the personality descriptions of After Thread Fighting, the screen the Lords Holders and Craftsman to displays the results by listing each see who may be easiest to make an Weyrleader, the number of dragons, alliance with. For example, if Lord killed or wounded, and the number Keroon is fond of Dragons, and if the of Thread that reached the ground computer has informed you that you and are now infesting Holds in Pern. major differences from the latter. In EA, members do not have any ammunition. EXPEDITION AMAZON there is no animation involved in attacks un- Bullets must be bought at the trading post til one actually enters the Lost City of Ka, in order not to have useless guns. I realize the elusive final goal of the game. Whereas that this is largely common sense, but I have Seven Cities has animation throughout the seen novice gamers stumble over less. The game. In EA, there are not randomly documentation suggests that the map sec- generated sectors to explore (whereas SCG tor can become a permanent part of the has the possibility of creating entire new team's map portfolio before the entire worlds). Still, the feeling of exploration is number of square meters in a sector are ex- there. Further, don't get the idea that it's plored. It doesn't make clear that one must easy to explore the ten screens. The frustra- explore every square meter except the traps tion factor in my first few expeditions was in order to keep the map. Before the player at least as great as during my first few tries discovers this, the player can lose numerous at Fargoal. There are some nasty little ran- maps. dom encounters that can ruin an entire In spite of these minor difficulties, EA is hour's worth of adventuring. For example, a very enjoyable game that doesn't take itself Name: Expedition Amazon how are you going to explore the Amazon too seriously. For me, it's much more satis- Type: Adventure River after the wily natives steal your boat? fying to adventure in this manner than to System: Apple What happens when you are just about deal with a limited parser in a text only Format: Disk finished exploring a section of the river and game. It is especially interesting to play with Author: Willard Phillips your boat hits a rock and sinks? Further, a group of three or four friends. Price: $34.95 what if you should happen to fall into a trap Johnny Wilson Publisher: Penguin Software which takes you underground, loosing you Geneva, Il your hard earned sector map and forcing you start over? I know, as it happened to me FIFTH ESKADRA (cont.) on at least three occasions before I wised Ohio Smith writhed and twisted like the ser- The CO of each carrier! airbase will pent itself as he tried to escape the near-fatal up and started making detailed notes on my 4. embrace of the anaconda. Dr. Spock quickly own paper (I defy that nasty program to steal suggest possible targets for airstrikes. opened the medical kit and prepared to give those!) One of the most satisfying features However, you should make sure you him aid, if he could wriggle out of the rep- of this adventure game was that by having have aircraft massed before you at- tile's clutches. At last, the anaconda recoil- four player characters, I could have a group tack. Launching a three plane attack ed, leaving a weakened and frustrated Ohio over and play the game together. We had will only insure failure. Smith behind. Lt. Uherda cancelled her futile great fun laughing at each other's misfor- attempt to radio a helicopter and Rocky tunes; harassing one another for inept (Malibu) was unable to bash the snake with shooting; and generally suggesting mutiny 5. There is no need to request rein- the uprooted tree in his hand. The expedition toward whoever happened to be piloting the forcements from Washington or moved on and stumbled into a native camp. boat or leading the expedition. We would Moscow on turn one, as you will be There were all sorts of valuable artifacts in name at least one of the characters for so- turned down (it costs victory points the abandoned encampment: 1) un tarjeta de meone we didn't like and would absolutely beisbol - Luis Aparicio; 2) a Beatles' record; refuse to give medical aid to them, to request reinforcements). Wait un- 3) a bottle of Perrier; and 4) the omnipresent regardless of what happened to them. This til the war starts and you actually lose parchment reading is cruel and holds the group back some, some ships, then ask. In any case, the Suddenly,"#$%&FRINKFRINK'&%$#." a war party of since that means that one of your party is NATO player has a task force Amazons jumped from ambush at our almost always going to be a first level stalwart band of heroes. Rocky Malibu threw character. It doesn't really matter that centered on the battleship New a grenade which killed five of them. Ohio much, however, since all you have to do is Jersey and the carrier Nimitz which Smith opened up with his automatic rifle and return to Flint University (the mobile home will eventually arrive. The Soviet dropped ten of them. Dr. Spock insisted that in the midst of the Texas armadillo ranch player will receive the Kiev and the bad-tempered natives were simply the where all the fun begins) in order to get a escorts. result of poor toilet training and Lt. Uherda replacement. vainly tried to reach civilization over the This game is full of some sparkling static of the old fashioned radio. graphics and gags. The opening illustration 6. There is also a chance of Italian The above was an attempt to characterize of Flint University with its hit and run havoc and French forces entering the game the good-natured humor of Expedition should appeal to the "brutal" funny bone for the NATO player. Use these ag- Amazon (EA). EA uses similar mechanics of many of us civilized savages and sly gressively, as they may be withdrawn to Sword of Fargoal in that you explore the Pedro the Trader in Iquitos, Peru has a pun- screen one step at a time. A major difference fully complete file of vile jokes and com- from the war at any time. is that while Fargoal randomly establishes ments that can really bring out the groans the dungeon levels, Amazon uses the same from a group ("Joan of Arc didn't quit, she Editor's Note: Several of our early at- ten screens, both above and below ground. was fired!" "Hitler's mother didn't realize Each sector of Amazon (analogous to a she was raising such a fuehrer."). These tempts to play Fifth Eskadra were Fargoal level) is explored a square meter at features are only good for two or three thwarted when the game crashed. a time by pressing keys that reflect the four times, but they sure are fun to spring on new After a little investigation we major compass directions. In this way, the gamers. discovered that the game would crash map is filled in one block at a time. Further, My biggest problem with the game in- if our Mockingboard was in slot #4. the process of mapping the sector as one ex- volves its rather poor documentation. One plores reminds me of Seven Cities of Gold is not informed, for example, that the pistols With the Mockingboard removed, we (Electronic Arts). There are, however, some which are supplied all the expedition had no problem with the game. PERN (cont.)

control left/right, up/down, and spells out rules for playing, and pro- WHO'S IT FOR near/far movement. By pushing the vides hints for playing. Plus, it con- stick forward or back your dragon tains a glossary of Pern terms and an As a game, Dragonriders of Pern is climbs or dives. To change directions ample Prologue written by Anne unique. The Negotiation-Intrigue you tap the joystick left or right. Your McCaffrey that gives you both a phase is mostly a matter of monitor- dragon changes directions by 1/4 turn background and a flavor of ing computer-controlled events and characters and situation of Pern. (45 degrees). To make a full turn (180 taking advantage of them to make degrees) you briefly hold your However, if a ever a game needed a alliances. The Thread Fighting phase joystick to the left or right. When sample game description, this is it. It is mostly a matter of mastering fighting Thread at Depth 2 or 3, you took several reading of the manual, joystick control to wipe out thread- tap the joystick, when the dragon is plus several times playing to figure like space invaders. So, who's the facing away from you, you stop tap- out what was going on in the game for? Well, if you are interested ping, and it begins flying away from Negotiation-Intrigue phase and what only in an arcade action, then, as in- you. You can tell you are at a different I was supposed to be doing. Part of teresting as Thread Fighting is, it's depth by the size of the dragon and the reason for this may be that the probably not worth the price the the size of the Thread. computer continues to count days on game. If you're interested in playing the event screen as you decide what a somewhat complex strategy game DOCUMENTATION to do. This built in timer makes lear- where diplomacy is the objective ning to play the game "intuitively" (and not campaigning) then certain- The documentation seems com- (i.e., by not studying the manual in- ly the Negotiation-Intrigue phase will plete in that it discusses all screens, tensively) virtually impossible. appeal to you.

struction manual, four disks, and four sets Just good down-to-earth programming. The JUPITER MISSION (cont.) of sealed orders. The manual asks you not program makes good use of character scroll- to open the orders unless you need help. The ing and seems to have tapped all the hidden of the radio signals. When you find the right orders are really a supplement to the in- Atari features that are usually reserved for moon, you must navigate the Beagle to the structions, and I suggest that you open them assembly language programs. All eleven moon and send down a lander. Here comes as soon as you move to a new disk. The game games have been tied together nicely to pre- your first major problem — how to get from itself is played in a progressive manner so sent a coherent adventure which should where you are to where you want to be. This that you do not need to switch game disks provide many hours of solid enjoyment. I program is a more demanding version of the in and out. Once you go to the next disk, you have only two complaints with the game. first navigation program and may cause you will most likely not need to go back to the One, it is written in basic and does a lot of to pause for thought. Once you have figured previous disk unless you are killed. You may program chaining so that you spend quite it out and gotten to the moon you want, you save up to four games in progress, so that a bit of time listening to your disk drive spin- then play a Lunar Lander game and get to even if you are killed you may not have to ning. Two, a few of the individual games the surface. Once on the surface you will restart from the beginning. The first screen could use some improvement. Disregarding discover an alien complex which must be gives you the option of starting the game those minor problems and looking at it from explored. You will have to land on more from the very beginning (which gives you the standpoint of overall playability, I would than one moon and that you will have to ex- a nice little story of the game setting) star- have to say that this is the best adventure plore more than one alien complex. Even- ting at a point after the story, or starting game I have seen in a long time. It offers ar- tually, you will reach the last hazard to fin- from a saved game. cade for the action fan and problem solv- ding the secret of Jupiter Mission 1999, an It is obvious that some very strong ATARI ing for the adventure fan. The two combine arcade game that ???, well, let's save it. One programmers have worked on this game. to make a realistic role playing game. You hint, though. When you get this far, save the The graphics and display list routines are will definitely get a lot of bang for the buck game before you start the last part. among the best ever produced by AH. with this one. Jupiter Mission comes with a small in- Nothing flashy, gaudy, or too complicated.

FLIGHT SIMULATORS (cont.) selected with letters to simulate with letters that match their Once you are able to fly fairly well, there is an additional function, eg. P for pause, L for lights, B for barometer, C option — playing World War I Ace. This involves bomb- for COM radio, N for NAV radio, etc.) When using ing runs and dog-fights with the computer controlling six joysticks, one can be used for throttle, and the other is used different-style enemy flyers who are up there to stop you. similarly to a real plane's control yoke, to control the Your flying skills had better be good, as you will need to ailerons and elevators. The keyboard is used for elevator refuel, re-engage, and out maneuver the enemy. Another trim, flaps and rudder. When using the COM radio, the optional mode of flight is performing aerobatics, which messages are displayed above the instruments and scroll are explained in the second manual. These are not quite at a rate you may set. like reality, with it's excessive g-forces or body unequi- The manual contains an excellent section o the use of librium, but certainly a lot safer. navigational aids. It explains, in great detail, the use of The plane is controlled using either the keyboard only the very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) and or joystick(s) and keyboard. The keys used are all very well automatic direction finder (ADF) gauges. Another selected to simulate the control yoke and special keys are outstanding feature, is a course plotting system which, when activated, will leave a smoke trail superimposed over you do need to be serious about learning a lot of new things. the scenery you fly. This option has a 400 mile flying range An experienced pilot, though, can use this program to prac- with a smoke mark left every five seconds for 75 minutes tice instrument flying and to fly in distant new areas of flight time. A precision recording option with a 25 mile without the expense of actually being there. range, one second sampling for 15 minutes is also available. In summary, I would consider both these products to This is a really nice feature when learning to use in- be excellent value for their price. SOLOFLIGHT is en- struments only or for aerobatics. It is also helpful for a joyable and easy to use. It could be easily used by anyone beginner to use. eight years or older. On the other hand FLIGHT SIMULATOR II is serious fun. It is very close to reality FSII is designed to use a flying area ("world") that is and as such requires you to know how to fly an airplane, 10,000 miles by 10,000 miles with a screen resolution which can be learned with this program. If you already equivalent to 2.5 inches. Additional airports in major areas, know how to fly or want the most realistic flight simulator and flying conditions are planned to be released. For now, available, buy FLIGHT SIMULATOR II. Got to go now, this program will more than keep anyone busy. You do not I'm taking the "plane" up for a flight over Chicago have to know anything about flying a plane to use it, but (Margaret — start up the C64!).

EXCALIBUR (cont.) periods if needed. Do not give-in to the temptation to chase them at top speed. Enemy knights regain strength even enemy looks too tough. You can ill afford the loss of too while demoralized, so you may catch up to the foe only to many knights for a number of reasons. Each knight is as find that he is up to full strength while your knight is ex- effective as three men-at-arms; also, the fewer the knights hausted from the chase. In many cases, the disheartened the more men-at-arms each knight will have, providing enemy regains his morale after a rest, and will come back compactness and ease of control but the expense of your to you again. This process of advance and retreat plays flexibility. Any knight with less than two men-at-arms havoc with the enemy's line of battle. Further, retreating should be retreated off the battlefield immediately for his units will sometimes bump into advancing units, causing own protection. a standoff. The retreating unit should be attacked im- Note that knights lose combat strength as they move, mediately, if feasible. As it is moving away from you (or at- unless given periods of rest. For this reason, you should let tempting to do so), it will be unable to return your attacks. the enemy come to you, instead of meeting him halfway Knights should be picked off like this whenever possible, across the field. It is not uncommon for a piece with an in- since enemy kings do not appear to get new knights. The itial strength of 18 or so to be down to a four by the time fewer knights a king has, the larger the percentage of men- it reaches your line of battle, considerably weakening it. By at-arms which are left to guard the castle, and the easier it waiting, you also increase the chance that some of the will be in the future to get knights around the flanks of his enemy pieces will lose heart and stop advancing, further army. increasing the odds in your favor. The documentation for this game is superb. There are The most important pieces on either side are the royal some "quick start" instructions for those who can't wait pieces. For, if Arthur dies, the game is lost. While if your to begin (and who can resist a new game?), but to really opponent dies, the battle ends and he becomes your vassal understand what is going on, it is necessary to read the (fancy trick thee, for a dead king). To protect Arthur, it is 63-page novella that is included. The novella is quite best to advance the knights about a shield length ahead of readable and is even entertaining. In addition to telling the him. Then, if you decide to withdraw, you can easily retreat story and showing how to play, it provides additional Arthur off the bottom edge. A 'V' formation of knights, with strategy and tactics. Don't cheat yourself or the program Arthur at the center, protects Arthur and allows for the en- — read the manual! trapment of the enemy king, who seems to advance straight All-in-all, Excalibur is a magnificent piece of software. I towards Arthur. The more people attacking the enemy have noticed only one bug — sometimes the computer king, the greater the change of killing him outright. And, hangs up when attempting to restart a saved game. by keeping Arthur back, you may be able to attack him on Rebooting seems to solve the problem. I feel that in spite three sides. of this minor setback, this game is worth the money. Games Often, the whole enemy army will retreat before it of far lesser scope sell for more money than the $30 Ex- reaches your battle line. In that case, you should gradual- calibur costs. "A well-done" goes to the authors, and a ques- ly push your knights forward, allowing them ample rest tion: "When will Chris Crawford's next game be released?"

None of the books-into-games at CES were authors' involvement, but sheer interest and finished. The earliest were promised for Oc- creativity are not sufficient. Consider: If I tober, which in this business can be announced that I was designing and THE NAME OF translated as "someday.... maybe." An ex- building my own house, would you assume ecutive of Simon and Schuster, which is that I could do as good a job as an architect THE GAME distributing the Baen titles, was frankly and a general contractor? It's not impossi- disappointed with the incomplete versions ble; I'm a creative person, and I might have they were displaying and admitted he had a hidden aptitude for the job, but you no idea when — or whether — their first wouldn't bet odds on it, would you? game would appear. As you may know, many established While final judgements cannot be science-fiction writers — book authors — rendered on unfinished products, the ear- submitted scripts for the Star Trek TV series ly returns are not favorable. While the three and, later, the first movie. You may also have companies' approaches differed somewhat, heard that most of those scripts were lousy. with Spinnaker's Trillium line perhaps the This should not be surprising: books and most promising and Baen the most ques- movies are very different media. Success in tionable, all of the games were in a standard one does not imply mastery of the other. adventure mode that mixed lots of text with The difference between books and largely static graphics. The pictures were movies, however, is minor compared to the pretty, but the text parsers were a joke com- difference between books and computer pared with Infocom's; the player interaction games. To cite only one key example, while seemed as limited as that in Dragon's Lair; the action of a book should not be totally and the "arcade" interludes boasted by predictable, events must build toward a par- some weren't much more sophisticated ticular end. In retrospect, the outcome than Pong. From design to program, the should seem not just logical but inevitable. games were clearly state-of-the-art.... six Games are just the opposite: any number of years ago. endings must be possible, or why play? The THE THIRD WAVE? I am not alone in this judgement. Various more open-ended a game is, the more op- computer magazines have refused to review tions that are under the player's control, the or mention the games because, according less it is like a book — and the better a game to several sources, the editorial staff felt it is. sorry for the book authors involved and did The worst part is that the SF people in- not want to be the ones to deliver the bad volved don't know how little they know Jon Freeman news. One editor pleaded with a well- about the subject. Few of the authors involv- known author to keep "his" game off the ed in all these projects play games: most lack market for fear it would do lasting damage the time; many lack the inclination. to the author's reputation. Technophobes like Ray Bradbury, who ad- How could this happen? How could so mits that he cannot use the computer he much creative talent combine to so little owns, believes the apex of computer usage effect? is to enter the text of a book and read it on Easy. Actually, in retrospect, it seems the CRT. Would he know a good computer Game software at summer CES (the Con- almost inevitable. sumer Electronics Show) was a bit disap- game if he fell over one? When editor- pointing. Courtesy of Electronic Arts, Anne T.A.N.S.T.A.A.F.L. publisher Jim Baen claims that one of his Westfall and I were there to talk to editors In the first place, the economics of the projects is "the most ambitious game ever," and demonstrate Free Fall's new game, Ar- situation almost guarantee that the pro- should we laugh or cry? Has he even heard chon II: ADEPT. After two solid days of in- grammers involved, despite the hype, would of — much less played — Wizardry III, terviews, my throat had gone the way of all not be first-class. Big Name Authors and Ultima III, Murder on the Zinderneuf, or flesh; my voice was on strike; and my body Best-Selling Books don't come cheap. Seven Cities of Gold? was ready for retirement. All this may have Although the draw of author and book is affected my informal show survey the next clearly a marketing advantage — and should NOT THIS AUGUST day, but it's hard to get excited about bronze- therefore be paid out of the I would agree that SF writers are much age retreads of stone-age software. marketing/advertising budget — the cost is more likely game designers than the man If there was any trend other than resur- normally borne by R&D. A big chunk of the on the street. Numerically, that means that recting (un)dead software, it was converting royalties that would otherwise go to the a handful out of hundreds (rather than a books into games. Three companies — Spin- developers of the game is paid, instead, to handful out of millions may succeed at it naker, I magic, and Baen Software — the author of the book. What top-flight game eventually. But it will take time. To date, I featured entire new lines of games based on designer or programmer would take that know of only two who have successfully fairy tales, classics, and, especially, fantasy kind of a pay cut? Regardless of their defi- made the conversion from SF writers to and science fiction. The combination of Big ciencies as game designers, most good pro- game designers: Michael Berlyn and your Name Authors, popular subjects, slick grammers are still at work on their own crotchety columnist. Surely, there will be packaging, and the promise of megabuck ideas. Those who can't come up with others, but their first efforts are likely to be advertising and promotion clearly had original subjects for games are busy mak- embarrassing if they don't realize that the many dealers salivating and some media ing a lucrative living converting popular sophistication of their audience is greater pundits convinced this was the wave of the games to new computers. Therefore, the than their own. future. INFOWORLD even did a cover story majority of programmers available for these The games E.T. and Alien proved that it on the subject. book projects are either inexperienced or takes more than a hot title to make a good If you're thinking of rushing out to your inadequate or both. game, and they and the PC Jr showed that favorite software store to buy your favorite THE PRACTICE EFFECT there are things even the buying public book in game form, however, don't bother. Nor can the authors save these projects. won't swallow. Games worthy of our In the first place, it's not there yet. In the They don't know how. favorite books will be a terrific Christmas second, you may not want it, anyway. INFOWORLD makes much of the present — but not this Christmas. Diplomacy and AD&D, are available in the knew I'd have to start one up soon. "Games" hall. DM: The rest is history! Individual message boards are set up for TELE-GAMING CGW: Why did you choose a fantasy/gam- visitors who wish to exchange hardware ing theme for your BBS? and software reviews, discuss different LC: Because we wanted to have games brands of computers, or receive quick ad- and present the adventure tutorials, so we vice on a program problem. PBEM games are played via their own boards as well — thought an adventure theme would go well with that. the "Diplomacy Room" and the "AD&D Campaign." CGW: Have you had any problems with Much of the Castle's offerings are free. crackers or crashers? However, callers who wish to read an LC: Not really.... knock on wood! adventure tutorial, play an online game, or CGW: Do you enjoy sitting in front of the download a program must raise their "ac- screen, watching your users wander around cess level" by contributing material or cash in the system? to the BBS. Information on how to attain a DM: Yes! It gives me a feeling of power! higher access level is available in the "Cas- Hah! tle Blueprints" section. Callers are limited LC: Up to a point. One gets bleary-eyed to 20 minutes per online session. after a while! Because the Castle is such an extraor- On the whole, it's fun to watch them and dinary BBS, I wanted to find out more about see just what they choose to do on the how it began and who the system operators system. are. The two SysOps — Pam Barnhart CGW: Have you met any of your users? ("Lady Crystal") and Dave Oberheu ("The DM: Oh, yes. No long-distance callers yet, Dungeon Master") — were most gracious though. in granting me an interview in Com- Patricia Fitzgibbons LC: Several of them we converse with on puServe's GameSIG conference area. Here a regular basis through email. are some excerpts: CGW: How many callers do you get per day? At the end of a long, winding road, atop CGW: How did you two get together to LC: Lately, we've been getting between 30 sheer, stone cliffs, looms a castle made en- run the Castle? and 35. tirely of crystal. Within its translucent walls Lady Crystal (LC): We're old friends and CGW: How about the number of long- lie a myriad of rooms, filled to overflowing computer buffs! Since we both have Apples, distance callers? with valuable and informative scrolls. that was the start of the computer DM: About 30-40% are long-distance. The Though remote, the castle is easily found, friendship. rest are from the Toledo area people. The and an intrepid adventurer may spend CGW: But Pam is in Michigan and Dave's long-distance is increasing every Saturday, many fruitful hours exploring its labyrin- in Ohio? though! thine halls. Dungeon Master (DM): Right, but the CGW: How successful is your download The Crystal Castle is located in a town system is at Pam's. area? near the Ohio- Michigan border, but its ad- CGW: How old are each of you? DM: We have some good games in there dress is not on any street map. Rather, by DM: I'm 16 and Pam is ? now, and we're always looking for new simply dialing the number 313-856-3804, LC: Well, let's just say I'm over 21! ones. any caller may gain admittance to the Cas- DM: Pam is 158! (You can hit me for that LC: We keep our eyes open for good tle's anteroom. For, indeed, this castle is a later.) public domain games we can put up. We bulletin board system (BBS), and its LC: Cute....hee hee. would like to change some of the download operators have dedicated their Apple com- CGW: Tell me about the system itself. area every 3-4 months. puter and ten megabyte hard drive to DM: An Apple II + with a 10 megabit hard CGW: Did you write most of the adven- gaming. drive. It runs on the famous "NetWorks" ture tutorials? Online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the software, with many, many, modifications. DM: No, we are really both too busy to Crystal Castle BBS is one of the country's LC: Plus 2 floppies. start such a laborious task. newest — and best — gaming BBSs. From CGW: Did you two purchase all the equip- LC: All of them are donated by callers. the ingenious graphic depiction of a castle, ment yourselves? CGW: How do you get the word out about which greets you at logon, to the numerous DM: Riiiight! the Castle? adventure game tutorials and growing CGW: About how much did the whole LC: We advertise on other boards and download library, this BBS is a gamer's thing cost to set up and run? CompuServe. delight. The Castle also offers several LC: Around $4500-$5000. I have expen- DM: The users do the rest! play-by-message games and eighteen separate sive hobbies! bulletin boards as well as electronic mail CGW: What do you do to pay for all this? If you enjoy adventure games, or would and a list of other bulletin board systems. DM: I'm a student, but I work in a music just like to explore an outstanding bulletin Many callers visit the Castle in order to store. board system, be sure to visit the Crystal access the adventure game tutorials that LC: I do painting and wallpapering. We Castle. The Dungeon Master and Lady reside in the "Lands of Adventure" area. do charge a small fee on the Castle, but it Crystal will make you feel at home! These helpful textfiles provide explicit in- generally just pays the phone bill. structions for solving all of the Infocom CGW: What made you decide to start the I welcome comments about your tele- games, many Sierra-Online Games, and fan- Castle? gaming experiences. You can contact me on tasy role-playing games such as Wizardry DM: Well, way back in '83, we were CompuServe at 76703,657 or via U.S. Mail and Ultima. Hints, tips, and maps for the discussing bulletin boards and I mention- to: most popular adventure games are found in ed to Pam how neat it would be to run our Patricia Fitzgibbons the "Game and Adventure Aids" section of own system. 195 Claremont Avenue #115 the Castle library. The rules for LC: When I first got my modem, I was in- Long Beach, CA 90803 play-by-electronic-mail (PBEM) games, such as trigued by all of the BBSs around, and I Copyright Patricia Fitzgibbons, 1984.

I There were 289 RIDs turned in by press time for this issue. Newly rated games and updated game ratings are listed with bold type in the table on page 47. The breakdown by machine was: Atari — 48%; Apple — 35%; C-64 —16%.

GAME RATINGS The table on page 47 includes games evaluated by our readers. For a game to be included in this listing it must first have been offered for rating in our regular RID rating system. Games offered for evaluation are those covered in the magazine and/or those having a good sales record during the time of evaluation. Once offered for evaluation, the game must have been evaluated by a sufficient number of readers to be included in the results. Any game not evaluated by at least 10% of the respondents was not included in the results. Games were rated on a scale of 1 (terri- ble) to 9 (outstanding). Respondents were asked to consider such things as PRESEN- TATION (graphics, sound, packaging, documentation); GAME DESIGN (design, playability, interesting?); LIFE (does the game wear well?) Several people have asked about games that are offered for ratings more than once over the course of several issues. We usually re-rate the top ten each time (and sometimes other games as well). Please rate the game each time we ask (not just the first time you notice it in the R.I.D.).

RID #15 (Use card provided) On this page a number of games and articles are listed for evaluation. Please take time to evaluate these games and articles. Use the guidelines above for game evaluation. Leave blank any game which you have not played enough to have formed an opinion. Please rate articles on the basis of the article itself, not your opinion of the game being reviewed. Enter a zero for any article that does not interest you. R.I.D. was prepared with the help of SPEED STAT by SoftCorp International, Westerville, OH 800-543-1350

See page 46 for details on the Reader Input Device